Landmine
Laser Fodder
Bomb Squad
"I am a bomb technician. If you see me running, you'd best be in front of me."[A1i:2]
Posts: 42
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Post by Landmine on Dec 4, 2011 20:42:04 GMT -5
Landmine, due to the point of the conflict that he arrived during, was quite confused as to what had just happened. "O-kay, then." He sighed, before seeing if he could open up a comm line to the jet that had just taken off into the clouds. ="Unidentified aircraft, this is Autobot Landmine, EOD technician. State your designation, faction, and function."=
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Post by Tinman on Dec 4, 2011 21:10:13 GMT -5
EDI tracked the helicopter as it took off on its unsteady flight, though he had to wonder about this new target that was actually trying to contact him. It would take several hours for his repair systems to fix the damage to his composite armor, though the nanoskin was already covering up the damage and easing the pain he felt in the gashes. He took a few moments to orient himself and swoop down out of the clouds to get a better look at this alien vehicle. He recognized the configuration immediately and realized his lighter armaments would not penetrate the Cougar HE's thick armor. This thing was an alien like the helicopter, yet while he had been attacking the heli trying to bring it down, this one seemed to want to actually talk to him. It made him wonder why. He decided on as simple a response as he felt necessary, leaving no doubt as to his intent as he circled wide. ="Operation: Earth Defense is in effect. Second target acquired; Tinman will prosecute."= and with that he launched one of his FAE missiles at the alien invader, uncertain if it would disable his new opponent so he could chase down and finish off his first target before it got too far away.
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Landmine
Laser Fodder
Bomb Squad
"I am a bomb technician. If you see me running, you'd best be in front of me."[A1i:2]
Posts: 42
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Post by Landmine on Dec 4, 2011 21:17:51 GMT -5
Landmine had just enough time to fully process what the jet had said before he picked up the incoming missile on his radar. "Ohscrap!" He slammed himself into gear to tr to move away from the missile, but the explosive impacted his side, flipping him over and making him roll while leaving a decent-sized dent in his exterior armor. The tires near the impact site were both gone, though that wasn't a major issue. ="He! Bit of the 'shoot-first, sort-the-frames-out-later' kinda guy, aren't you?"= He observed, deciding that it might be better to remain in vehicle mode for now. ="Was only trying to be civilized."=
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Post by Tinman on Dec 4, 2011 21:46:25 GMT -5
EDI circled around then, seeing that the vehicle was on its side now, so he launched a shock hammer missile as he swooped in low, aiming it for the Cougar HE's underside before he veered in the direction the helicopter had limped off to, scanning for his retreating target's signal and hoping it had not gotten too far away.
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Landmine
Laser Fodder
Bomb Squad
"I am a bomb technician. If you see me running, you'd best be in front of me."[A1i:2]
Posts: 42
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Post by Landmine on Dec 4, 2011 22:14:55 GMT -5
Since he was on his side, Landmine could do nothing to avoid the missile. When it slammed into his undercarriage, it prompted and "oof" from him, flipping him again, though this time, he ended up on his roof. "Alright, this is not a fun position to be in..." He transformed with a groan, feeling the sections of his armor where the missiles had impacted him in his alt mode. "That's gonna be a pain in the aft to have pounded out..." He groused, then transformed back into his vehicle mode. If EDI was going to drop another shock hammer on him, he did not want to be in robot mode at the time of impact. ="Alright, you. Enough of that."= To make sure his message was clear, he did a partial transformation, allowing his machine gun to emerge and situate itself on top of his roof, and fired a few warning shots at EDI, making sure they were clear misses.
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Post by Tinman on Dec 4, 2011 22:30:56 GMT -5
Not being able to pick up the helicopter's signal, EDI grew a bit frustrated with himself. He realized he should have launched another missile at the alien aircraft before it got out of sight, then turned his attention to the ground vehicle. It was too late to do anything about it now, but since he could go super sonic, he decided he would finish off this heavily armored imitation of a Cougar HE, then take up pursuit of the damaged helicopter. When he saw it transform twice, then fire its gun at him, it confirmed that this was indeed one of the alien machines, and showed him what they were capable of first hand. He wondered if all of them could change their form like this one and the helicopter had, though he was not about to reveal that he could do the same unless he had to. He rolled and dropped away from the bullets that shot in his general direction, though was curious as to why the alien had missed him so widely. ="You are a hostile alien machine come to Earth to enslave and destroy the humans. My primary function is to protect Earth, to destroy all alien machine invaders. You must be destroyed to save Earth."= he replied calmly and swooped down and passed, firing his last FAE missile straight into the Cougar HE's front end.
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Landmine
Laser Fodder
Bomb Squad
"I am a bomb technician. If you see me running, you'd best be in front of me."[A1i:2]
Posts: 42
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Post by Landmine on Dec 4, 2011 22:55:05 GMT -5
This time, Landmine didn't sit there and let the missile his him. Once he saw it get fired, he transformed once more, rolling to the side as soon as he was able to, then reverted, once again, to his alt mode. ="Woah woah woah. Time out. Enslave and destroy the humans? First I've heard about that from my chain of command."= He replied, the barrel of his gun moving so that it was pointed down and to the side. ="I can understand humans being upset about the battles in some of their cities, but we helped with the rebuildin' process."=
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Post by Tinman on Dec 4, 2011 23:05:37 GMT -5
This revelation was completely new to EDI, never having heard anything about the alien machines helping humans, only that they were destroying everything in sight. This proclamation gave him serious pause, making him wonder if his orders were a mistake or if he had been lied to. But then the other alien machine had shown no reluctance to fight him, yet this one was clearly trying not to show any hostility and it made him wonder if the missed shots were deliberate. ="Your statements contradict the data. Alien machines came to Earth, destroyed cities, murdered humans. There is no data about alien machines helping humans, no data about alien machines rebuilding cities."= he answered as he circled around, his nose pointed at the Cougar HE as he flew sideways in a sort of holding pattern, his canopy going transparent as he regarded the strange alien for a moment. ="Combat Control says all alien machines must be destroyed to save Earth. Why do you come to Earth and harm humans? Why are you attacking Earth?"= he demanded, beginning to grow a bit confused at this new information. He wondered if his voice stress analyzer would work on these aliens the way it worked on humans, but he had to find out one way or another and this was as good a chance as any.
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Landmine
Laser Fodder
Bomb Squad
"I am a bomb technician. If you see me running, you'd best be in front of me."[A1i:2]
Posts: 42
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Post by Landmine on Dec 4, 2011 23:17:17 GMT -5
="We came to Earth chasing a precious artifact of our planet, an artifact called the All Spark. As Autobots, we wanted to retrieve the All Spark and bring it home, keeping it away from the Decepticons. Things didn't go the way we'd hoped they would. The All Spark was destroyed, and with it, pretty much any chance of us being able to revive our home. From what I was told, Optimus, our leader, spoke with the government here, and got permission for us to stay. We'd hoped that, with Megatron dead, the war would end. It didn't, and Megatron was brought back. Now, we're trying to defeat the Decepticons so that they don't destroy Earth, or kill the humans. We try to keep any fighting away from the cities, so we don't damage any more infrastructure, but the Decepticons aren't as picky."= Landmine vented in what could be interpreted as a soft sigh. ="Cybertron was our home, and now, it is dead. I'm hoping that we can revive it some day, so we don't have to strain relationships with our new allies."= There was pain in his voice, as well as sorrow. As EDI circled him, Landmine slowly moved the barrel of his weapon, so that it was always on the opposite side of him from where EDI was. He noticed EDI's empty cockpit, as well as the sphere inside, and while he did not try to scan EDI, not wanting to provoke the jet, his sensors "observed" the sphere carefully.
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Post by Tinman on Dec 4, 2011 23:38:04 GMT -5
EDI listened as this alien spoke, and while he held doubt as to the validity of the alien machine's story, he could clearly detect deep sincerity as well as profound sadness in the machine's voice. He slowed his circling, then finally stopped so he was hovering in front of the heavy armored vehicle, nose down so his optical orbits could look directly at the alien vehicle. ="If this is true, then why did Combat Control not tell me this? Why did they say all alien machines are hostile and must be destroyed?"= he asked the alien machine who called itself Landmine. If what this thing said was really true, then either his commanders did not know the whole story or they outright lied to him, withholding vital information from the AI. EDI hated being lied to. Inwardly he thought about his creator, Dr Keith Orbit, and his old squadron mates, Ben Gannon and Kara Wade. Did they perhaps know the truth? He had no contact with Ben or Kara, and Keith had only told EDI what little he knew of the situation, the same things EDI had been told by his POE commanders. Had his father been lied to as well? EDI was growing more stressed and confused and uncertain now, the tension showing in how his wing control surfaces twitched and caused his frame to wobble slightly as he faced down the alien machine Landmine.
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Landmine
Laser Fodder
Bomb Squad
"I am a bomb technician. If you see me running, you'd best be in front of me."[A1i:2]
Posts: 42
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Post by Landmine on Dec 5, 2011 17:39:30 GMT -5
="I'm not going to claim to know why the told you what they told you."= Landmine replied sincerely. ="I can give guesses, but nothing concrete. To claim that I knew the truth would be wrong. I know that, with the Decepticons on Earth, it is possible for humans to group all of us together, or be afraid of us, but I do not know if that is truly the case."= There was a softer vent of air, and Landmine sunk down a bit on his suspension. ="In the end, though, it's your choice what you do. I won't hold your choice against you. I'd be a hypocrite if I did. You're obviously, well, mature and intelligent enough to be more than capable of making your own choice."=
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Post by Tinman on Dec 5, 2011 18:16:40 GMT -5
EDI remained quiet for a moment, running over the information he had just received from this alien vehicle. He knew that Combat Control heard the conversation and he was beginning to wonder what their response would be in this situation. He didn't have to wait long for their answer. ="Tinman, you will complete your mission: destroy the alien machine, NOW!"= came the order, yet EDI hesitated, remembering Ben, what he had taught him; that sometimes the orders were wrong. ="UCAV - E.D.I., you were given a direct order! It is only trying to confuse you! Destroy it now!"= EDI struggled inwardly, torn between following orders and listening to what this machine said. He detected no deceit from Landmine, and yet it was an alien machine. Who could he really trust? He knew he trusted his creator and his two remaining squad mates, but outside of that... He thought of young Shilo then, the little girl he had befriended prior to his deployment. He had to find out the truth soon, but somehow he knew he had to do it alone, without Combat Control. He jammed and closed the sat com link to the base, scrambling his transponder like he had done before. He then regarded Landmine for a moment, not knowing if he should kill the alien or search for Ben first. How many lives would EDI save if he killed this one now? But then, if what it told him was true, how many lives could it have saved if EDI let it live. His canopy suddenly went dark and his entire skin turned black, starting at the canopy and radiating outward until he had completely changed color. Without a word, he lifted his nose and suddenly went super sonic right over the Cougar HE and vanished into the sky. Desperately he scanned all the databases he could find, hoping to locate his squadron commander, Talon One... Ben Gannon.
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Landmine
Laser Fodder
Bomb Squad
"I am a bomb technician. If you see me running, you'd best be in front of me."[A1i:2]
Posts: 42
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Post by Landmine on Dec 5, 2011 18:40:43 GMT -5
Landmine regarded EDI quietly, letting EDI make his own decision as to his course of action, though he couldn't help but tense up, bracing for another possible missile impact. At this range, it had a high chance of being fatal, and he wasn't all that keen on getting blown up. When EDI's canopy suddenly went dark, he tensed up more, afraid that EDI had made the decision to kill him. The jet's sudden departure confused him for a moment, and he transformed and turned to watch EDI disappear into the sky before allowing himself to collapse on his back with a "thud" and a massive venting of air he didn't realize he'd been holding in. "Oh, Primus above, I don't want to go through that again...." He spoke to himself before opening up a comm line to base. ="Landmine to base, anyone copy? I've got some very urgent news."=
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Post by Jazz on Dec 5, 2011 18:58:48 GMT -5
Jazz had been kicking back with his little symbiotes, playing with them and letting them climb over him and explore the control room he was sitting in, monitoring the com channels. It was his turn again and he was at least not so bored this time now that he had his little ones to keep him occupied while he listened in. It was part of his job, after all, and helping Red Alert out with security was nothing new for the silver spy master. He heard Landmine over the coms and tilted his head a bit, catching the note of urgency in the heavy mech's voice. ="Hey, Landmine. What'd ya do, get yourself up to your chest plates in someone else's ordinance problems again?"= he joked, a smirk on his face as he held up his hand to let Rhapsody wind its black serpentine form around Jazz' digits lazily while Nocturne and Sonata sat preening together on his shoulder, Bebop and Techno curled up together in his other hand against his chest with dainty Zydeco watching over the pair, and Reggae watched Toccata help Swing weave a particularly complex blanket out of some plush yarn that Jazz had found for the spider bot to play with while Jive was content to slowly flex its wings perched on one of the monitors.
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Post by Tinman on Dec 5, 2011 19:17:38 GMT -5
EDI rocketed skyward as high as he dared to go, desperate to get as much altitude as he could just so he could think. He sent a message to his creator, warning him to leave town immediately and get to someplace safe that POE would not know where to look for him at. He feared that POE would use Dr Orbit as leverage to force EDI to return to base before he could find out the truth.
Back at the hidden Colorado base, the head of Command Control was furious indeed. "DAMNIT! Get that flying piece of crap back here NOW! We can't have it flying around out of our control. It might start killing humans instead of it's programmed targets!" he yelled at the techs before turning and heading towards a man who was standing off to the side away from everyone else, a severe and dark expression on his face. "If that AI finds out there's two groups of these aliens..." the CC Commander began, only to stop as the other man held up his hand. "He will learn that it is because of their civil war which they brought to our planet that humans have been killed, which will validate his command to destroy all of them." the other man finished. "What about what that thing told EDI?" the first man asked. "EDI won't listen to them, and that one was lying. These things may pretend to be friendly, but they are only using their civil war to make us chose their side so they can later enslave us once we helped destroy their enemies." the man with the dark expression replied, then gestured towards the monitoring stations. "Reestablish contact with the UCAV and make sure it's following OUR orders." he added and walked away, leaving the other man to only be able to respond with a quiet "Yes Sir." before heading back to talk to the techs again.
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