Log Title: Stop Talking Kid
Location: Praxus - Northwestern Cybertron
Date: October 13, 2020
TP: Non-TP
Summary: Cerebros seeks out Ghost to ask her questions and a favor after their interaction the prior cycle with Fortress Maximus.
As logged by Ghost
TFU - Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Praxus - Northwestern Cybertron[]
Cerebros
GAME: Cerebros PASSES a COURAGE roll of High difficulty.
Yesterday's confrontation gave Cerebros enough of a scare and instilled in him a ton of uncertainty to make him want to engage in finding Ghost. Fortunately, he was able to do just so. Unfortunately, given his relative 'newness' - he's not QUITE versed in all of the areas of neutrality and Decepticon-controlled regions, he was too focused on finding Ghost.
Ghost has been reportedly seen in Praxus numerous times and recently. Usually the tall 'con keeps to the Aerie, that part which remains nominally Decepticon after the treaty was made. This cycle she's situated just inside the fencing, looking upward as Omen circles and spins in the air.
GAME: Cerebros PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of High difficulty.
Cerebros looks up and spots Omen. There's Ghost! He quickly waves his hand and runs toward the circling Omen, not quite seeing Ghost yet. Right now, there are no guards visible and Cerebros ends up running toward Omen, so focused on finally finding Ghost that he MAY not be paying attention to the minefield. "Heyah! You there!" Cerebros waves a hand.
Ghost's sensory finials on her helm give a twitch as Omen spirals downwards. A look over her shoulder and brows raise at the sight of an Autobot heading for the fenceline. A look left, a look right, and she comes to the conclusion that the guards here were 'giving her space' to brood so to speak. While they're alerting, if slowly, she turns and waves a hand, expression perplexed. Omen wings downwards, kraa-ing in warning.
"I'd not get closer were I you. There are proximity alerts that will autofire."
Cerebros freezes, and then, but only then, decides to do a scan, and sure enough, he's detecting some proximity mines. "Oh...oh no..." He gulps and says "C..ca..can you then come and see ME then?"
Ghost blinks, brows lifting high enough to be lost in her helm-band for a moment. Optics blink and she raises a hand, waving off the guards that had started to come this way. "Do you usually come knocking on Decepticon Outpost doors?" she asks as she walks closer, kicking up and over the fence to land lightly on the 'neutral' side. Footfalls are ever so carefully placed as she moves. "Is this a social or a professional visit?" Tone mild, quite professional in tone. Wings give a flick as she tilts her head, "Cerebros, correct?"
Cerebros nodnods. "Ye..yes..." He looks around.
GAME: Cerebros PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of High difficulty.
Cerebros looks at Ghost and says slightly cautiously "I thought I WAS in neutral territory and not in Decepticon territory."
Ghost ahhs, "This side of the fence, yes." She waves to the fence, "That small bit of land, no. Part of the treaty with Praxus Starscream made was to allow us to retain this small area."
Cerebros nods, taking great care to be on the 'right' side of not receiving an aft-kicking. He looks down to ensure he's stepping in the right place. "I see..." He looks at Ghost. "I...uh...wanted to come here to...perhaps clear up some things that you may or may not have 'read' yesterday."
Ghost tilts her head, 'listening' to something it would seem before she steps further into 'neutral' territory. "Why don't we walk and talk then? I'm rather certain you are not at all comfortable being quite this close to crossing a dangerous line, hmm?" She waves off towards the expanse of city a few blocks across the more open space.
Cerebros nods eagerly. "Th...Thank you..."
Ghost tips wings and walks, shifting those multi-panels behind her. Omen simply curves and circles above the two as they walk. "It's not only for your comfort. I know how far the listening devices go and this, I think, isn't something I want someone else to report either. Now.. why are you here, Autobot?"
GAME: Cerebros PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of High difficulty.
Cerebros nods. "Thank you...I...I imagine that you may had had some questions after your...interface with Fortress Maximus. And...I just wanted to clear up any questions you may have had..."
Cerebros says somewhat sheepishly "...and to ask a favor..."
Ghost's wings give a twitch, "Of course I have -questions-." She peers, cautious frown on her face, "I did not expect you to wander up and offer answers." Brow lifts, "A favor?"
Cerebros nods, walking with Ghost. "Why don't we focus on your part first...the questions?" He gives a cautious, and uneasy smile. "I'm happy to answer almost any query you may have!"
Ghost blinks and stops, just.. looking incredulous. "I.. wait..." She holds up a hand, "Why?" pausing, "Why would you offer to answer questions?"
GAME: Cerebros PASSES a LEADERSHIP roll of Above Average difficulty.
Cerebros steels his metaphorical spine. "Because...I believe...there may have been...incorrect assumptions, based on your analysis..." He adds quickly "Through no fault of your own, of course!"
Ghost's optics slit as she listens. "Mind you.. I haven't processed what I picked up from that moment yet. Some.. things did strike me as odd but in the moment." She shrugs, "Very lovely code, with an interesting element to it. Reminded me of something but again." Offering a faint smile, "I haven't processed what systems dumped into my archives yet for a full data analysis."
GAME: Cerebros PASSES a LEADERSHIP roll of Very High difficulty.
Cerebros tenses and says calmly "Can...I persuade you to just do a data dump or a wipe of your findings and just have me answer your questions if I'm forthcoming and truthful in my responses?"
Ghost stiffens, a flash of tension rippling through wings. Her voice slides flat, "No. My memories are a part of me. There is no wiping of such things without consequences." Overhead Omen lets out a cackled kraa, doubling back to swing low over head. Ghost turns to walk again, "I've been called a memory keeper before, Cerebros. And to have those damaged or removed. Causes great distress. So no, I cannot wipe myself."
GAME: Cerebros PASSES a LEADERSHIP roll of Very High difficulty.
Cerebros frowns and gestures "Fine...then may I please request that you do not ANALYZE the data?"
Ghost stops again and turns, peering at Cerebros, "Why?" she offers after a moments pause.
Cerebros sighs. "Fine...I should have known..." He looks at Ghost and frowns. "I just wanted to let you know, that despite what the code shows...if I am destroyed, Fortress Maximus will still live. He will still transform. He will still continue to exist."
Ghost holds a hand up, "Stop talking a moment." she intones, "I asked why to know your reasoning, not to have you.. drop that on me." A blink as she tilts head, studying Cerebros a moment, "In a past life.. Oh.. I'd let you prattle on and feign niceness just to see how much you'd talk." She shrugs wings and shoulders, "But, kid, you're tied to something.. No -someone- that is.. of a magnitude such as Trypticon and Calyhex. Even Metroplex. And at those levels, the game, it changes."
GAME: Cerebros PASSES a COURAGE roll of High difficulty.
Cerebros remains still. He says in a slightly shaking voice "Because I wanted you to know that...from me. So, any efforts to terminate me will NOT affect Fortress Maximus' operations." He adds "That's it...I just wanted to make sure you knew that...in case you were going to share that with the other Decepticons."
Ghost intakes air, ex-venting a sigh, "I have to make a report of the sighting. And that.. from a distance my 'oddity' kicked in." tone self-derisive. "But as I am untrained in this.. /mutation/, there are few expectations of anything that isn't a direct, hardline connection. And.. well while I am -good- at my job, I'm not quite good enough to slip into an alerted cityformer and then jack in."
Cerebros nods. The 'newness' of his form is evident both physically and mentally as his optics flash green with a few 'Matrix-y' like strands, indicating he's processing Ghost's statement. But he doesn't respond for a few moments before saying an noncommittal "understood"
Ghost's helm fins prick as she watches, a blinking of optics. "Do you now..." She turns to walk some more, quiet for a few paces, "You do know that I am a member of Decepticon Intelligence, yes? A spook, an operative, a sneak, one of -those- sort and not to be trusted, yes?"
Cerebros frowns through his faceplate. "Yes, I'm WELL aware of that." He looks at Ghost. "I shouldn't have come here..."
Cerebros frowns "But I needed to tell you that...if you destroy me, it will not matter. Fortress Maximus will still function. And I don't care which Decepticon you tell that to."
Ghost nods as she walks, "I agree, you shouldn't have come here. Now I know more about you, and Fortress Maximus. What did you learn from this?"
Cerebros frowns though his faceplate. "To trust my instincts..."
GAME: Cerebros PASSES a COURAGE roll of Very High difficulty.
Cerebros says cautiously "I will leave you now...if you wish to fight...I will...defend myself, if I have to."
Ghost offers a smile, "I prefer words to fists, Cerebros. While violence has its proper place in procedure and process alike, it isn't my weapon of choice. This is neutral territory, " She waves a hand, "To attack you would be a violation of the process that allows us to retain a small outpost. All we have done is talk. And rather amicably at that." She gives a shrug, "I did mean what I said yesterday while caught up in the -seeing- of all of that lovely code, my control over this is... minute at best. And because of it, I react more than act when situations arise. Do keep your cityformer safe and calm, the last thing, I think, any of you would want to see is me coming at you in a panic trying to fix damage."
GAME: Cerebros PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Very High difficulty.
Cerebros tilts his head at what Ghost just said. "Why would...you do that though? We are sworn enemies. If Fortress Maximus was injured, wouldn't you just use...what's his name, Trypticon, to inflict even more damage?"
Ghost ahhhs softly, "I don't -use- Trypticon. He is his own being, free to do as he wishes. And while he could have pressed me into only his service, he has chosen not to." She shrugs, "I've always seen him as such, it may be why we get along so well and always have since we first met. As for why? Control, or lack of it. It's why when Calyhex has episodes I /have/ to go to her to help unless restrained or blocked."
GAME: Cerebros PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Immense difficulty.
Cerebros nods. He looks at Ghost. "And who is your owl companion?"
Ghost glances upwards at Omen, who's simply been circling overhead. "Omen? She is Omen, my symbiote, my partner as it were. Perhaps minion, perhaps handler. Like your Blaster or our Soundwave, I am capable of housing recordicons as it were."
Cerebros nods slowly. "Must be nice..."
Ghost lets out a laugh, "I suppose. She bites though. And is insulting. And hates everyone or so she says. And doesn't like being outside of the dock either."
Cerebros nods. He extends a hand. "Well...it was nice meeting you, Ghost, thank you for not fighting me."
Ghost looks at the hand, then steps up to clasp it, "It was interesting meeting with you, Cerebros. And you're welcome." She steps back as Omen wings down to land on her shoulder, giving the Autobot a bird version of a stink-optic. "Until we meet again." Faint smile.