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Post by Red Alert on Aug 13, 2011 20:31:12 GMT -5
((Main Autobot Base, Early War)) The red and white mech looked at the mess of a room he was supposed to work in, grumbling to himself. He'd signed up for the Autobots a while ago, and had been placed in security, which was fine with him. What was not fine was the dump of a room that the base commander had decided Red Alert should use as the security room. He could do it, that he was sure of, but the time required to clean the room, and set up a new system (Something had happened to the old one. The commander didn't say, and Red Alert wasn't sure he wanted to know) was going to be way too long for Red Alert's liking. Several blue sparks flashed between his sensory horns, making him twitch. There wasn't any damage to him, unless one counted the glitch that he'd hatched with in his processor "damage," which some did. He was excessively paranoid, and highly distrustful of anyone. He could always point out a reason: too cheery, too stoic, much bigger, much smaller, job position, mannerisms. He trusted no one. He'd hatched barely trusting his creators, and that only went over well because his instincts screamed more than his glitch. ~"Not like the damage is going to fix itself."~ He murmured as he began cleaning up the room, moving anything damaged beyond repair into a pile.
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Post by Jazz on Aug 13, 2011 20:41:26 GMT -5
Jazz had been out on one of his usual patrols earlier that day and was on his way back from posting his report to the base command and through them, Optimus Prime. It had been nearly a Mega-Cycle* since the last attack had destroyed a good chunk of the base and killed their previous security officer, one that Jazz thought ill suited for the war let alone a security job. He had told the base commanders as much and tragically Jazz was proven correct. He had heard they appointed a new security officer and Jazz for one was not about to let another life be destroyed because they were put in the wrong place at the wrong time, so he decided to go and meet this new mech and hopefully help the bot out.
He walked up and casually leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, watching for a moment. The place was a horrid mess after the attack and Jazz was surprised no one had tried to clean it up before now. ~“Ya look like you could use a bit of help with this mess.”~ he offered cheerfully, hoping to strike up some friendly conversation and get to know the new bot.
((*Mega-Cycle = Cybertronian Week, Equivalent to about 11.57 Earth Days))
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Post by Red Alert on Aug 13, 2011 20:44:21 GMT -5
Red Alert jumped a bit when someone spoke. He'd been somewhat aware of the footsteps, but hadn't realized that the owner of the footsteps had stopped at the doorway to the room. ~"Huh? What?"~ He whirled around, facing the owner of the voice, optics watching the mech suspiciously. {"How long has he been standing there? Great job, Red Alert. First day on the job and you're already letting others sneak up on you. What if he was a Decepticon? Then you'd be dead!"} ~"Y-yeah..."~ He replied cautiously, frame still tense. ~"I guess I could use a little bit...but just for cleaning up!"~ He wasn't about to let any bot that he didn't know at all, and didn't trust enough, to have anything to do with the security system.
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Post by Jazz on Aug 13, 2011 20:46:11 GMT -5
Jazz grinned at him and stepped forward. ~“Name’s Jazz, First Lieutenant and Autobot Intelligence Officer, at your service. I tried to tell them the last bot we had for security wasn’t built for it, but they wouldn’t listen to me. Then all this happened n we lost a good bot because of it.”~ He shook his head at that and strode in, picking up one of the jagged chunks of scrap metal lying about. ~“We lost a lot of good bots already in this war. I just hope it ends soon so we can go back to researching our own history again. That was at least considerably less dangerous than being shot at by our own kind.”~ He remarked and casually tossed the scrap onto the pile that had been started. ~“So, what’s your designation, then?”~ he asked, trying to turn the topic to a more cheerful one. This mech was apparently a bit on edge from what Jazz could tell, but given the circumstances, Jazz could hardly blame the poor mech.
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Post by Red Alert on Aug 13, 2011 20:47:47 GMT -5
Red Alert stepped back when the mech, Jazz, stepped forward. First Lieutenant this Autobot might be, Red Alert was not going to give him the unspoken permission to even get very close to him. ~"Red Alert."~ He replied, working on the other side of the room from Jazz. As he worked, he kept an optic on Jazz, just in case the silver mech made a move to attack or something. ~"And there's always a chance of being shot at by your own kind."~ He added, putting some more scraps of metal on the pile. ~"There's always a bot willing to kill you, for whatever reason."~
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Post by Jazz on Aug 13, 2011 20:49:45 GMT -5
Jazz shrugged at that. ~“Only Decepticons, not Autobots, n certainly not this Autobot. So not into the whole back stabbing n betrayal thing, ya know?”~ he offered with a casual air. He thought it a bit odd that this bot, Red Alert, was so jumpy and paranoid, not even letting Jazz get anywhere near him. He wasn’t going to push it though, figuring Red would calm down in time. Jazz figured he was just jittery from the new job. ~“Red, we’re gonna be working together, the least we could do is trust each other n help each other out. I already gave my patrol report to the base commanders, but since you’re the new Security Bot, you need to know what’s been going on too, right?”~ he suggested, figuring to try and at least get the red and white mech to calm down a bit and maybe help him settle into his job easier.
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Post by Red Alert on Aug 13, 2011 20:52:45 GMT -5
Red Alert twitched a bit as another, smaller spark flashed. ~"I've only just met you. Trust doesn't get handed out like Energon goodies."~ He replied shortly. ~"There's always a chance that anyone could be working for the Decepticons, no matter how high-ranked they are or how friendly they seem."~ This was mostly muttered to himself, something that was fairly common, and would remain so for a while. ~"And It would be nice to know what's going on around here so I know what kind of slag I'm dealing with."~ He snorted. ~"He seems to think that I can simply pull an entire effective security grid out of my aft within cycles of showing up and everything will be just fine and dandy. I haven't even gotten to designing a layout."~ He focused all his attention on Jazz for a moment. ~"I am going to need to see the whole of the base, and the perimeter, at some point."~ He stated before returning to work.
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Post by Jazz on Aug 13, 2011 20:55:29 GMT -5
Jazz regarded Red curiously for a moment, crossing his arms over his chest. This mech was going to be a tough lug-nut to break loose, that was for sure. ~“You jump every time you see your own shadow, don’t you.”~ he remarked casually. ~“You know, assuming everyone around you is dangerous and a Decepticon in disguise is going to isolate you from friends and drive your Spark mad from isolation and loneliness.”~ He tilted his head a bit as he glanced at the ruined office, then back to Red. ~“So, besides showing you every inch of the base and perimeter and updates over the past several Deca-Cycles*, how does a bot earn your trust?”~ he asked, wondering if such a thing was even possible, though as laid back and jovial as Jazz typically was, he was not about to give up easily when it was incredibly clear to him that an Autobot needed a friend. In Jazz’ processor core, Red Alert was just such a mech, and Jazz was one who could befriend just about any mech, including the oft temperamental Ironhide.
((*Deca-Cycle = Cybertronian Month, Equivalent to about 3.86 Earth Months))
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Post by Red Alert on Aug 13, 2011 20:56:58 GMT -5
~"I do not jump at my own shadow..."~ Red Alert muttered with some indignation. ~"And I rarely have a reason to think otherwise of others. There's too many possibilities, and I've seen it happen too..."~ Finding that most of the room was at least clear of scrap, he stood up. Blue optics flickered over to glance at Jazz. The intelligence officer seemed far too cheerful and laid back for his liking, and it made him suspect something was up. ~"You'll know when you have my trust. If I tell you how to do it, then you might act differently than you normally would, and my trust would be wrongly founded. So, how about that tour?"~ He remained guarded, but experimentally relaxed a bit, to see what would happen.
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Post by Jazz on Aug 13, 2011 20:58:55 GMT -5
Jazz was beginning to wonder if it was even possible to earn Red’s trust given his own admission that he held nothing but suspicion and mistrust for others, yet the Intelligence Officer kept silent, worried his words would cause the new security officer to reject his friendship completely. At the mention of the tour, Jazz shrugged and uncrossed his arms. ~“Tour, sure. But before we go anywhere, know that my loyalty to Optimus is absolute. I have been at his side since well before the war and I would tear out my own laser core and crush it with my own hands before I would ever betray him. Optimus is our true leader and the last true Prime of Cybertron. As for Megatron and his flunkies, they can go get slagged.”~ He said casually with a dismissive wave of his hand. ~“And I chose not to believe the worst in everyone I meet either. I like to get ta know a bot before I decide if he’s good or bad first, gives them a chance to be who they are. I am who I am because I can’t be anyone else, and you know what? The Decepticons always underestimate me, I’m just that slick.”~ he added with a wink before turning and heading out of the office to lead Red Alert on a tour of the base.
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Post by Red Alert on Aug 13, 2011 21:03:17 GMT -5
~"Words tend to be more empty than actions..."~ Red Alert muttered, following Jazz. He walked carefully, and was always looking around nervously, as though he were expecting something, Decepticons most likely, to jump out of the wall at them. ~"How this base is still standing and running is beyond me."~ He was thinking out loud, something he typically did when he was agitated, and a few more blue sparks flashed across his helm, making him flinch. ~"Plenty of ways to simply walk in through the front door, and countless others by coming around the back. How in the name of Primus did I end up here?"~ Another spark. ~"Oh...yeah..."~
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Post by Jazz on Aug 13, 2011 21:05:28 GMT -5
Jazz chuckled and easily vaulted over a large chunk of wreckage that had yet to be moved in the cleanup efforts. ~“That’s why I reserve judgment, Red. Besides, as ya get to know me, you’ll see I’m a mech of my word, always have been, always will be.”~ he responded cheerfully. He could see the issues with security that Red Alert saw, but then again most of those holes were due to the Decepticons having attacked the base recently and they hadn’t had the mech power to put everything back together yet. ~“You do realize we were attacked barely a Mega-Cycle ago, right? Would account for all the holes, plus the fact that we’re rather a bit short handed because of that attack. Haven’t been able to get things put back together yet because most are still up on patrol duty or scouting trying to make sure the Decepticreeps don’t attack again any time soon.”~ he offered, looking around as they went. Jazz certainly wasn’t one of the heavy hitters, let alone a heavy mover; Jazz was one of the more swift and agile mechs, and it showed in his mannerisms and how he moved, slipping through that space or over that obstacle with ease as if he was more fluid than metal. Jazz took great joy in being alive and it showed, not even the horrors of war had dampened his spirits, at least outwardly.
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Post by Red Alert on Aug 13, 2011 21:08:04 GMT -5
Red Alert climbed over the same piece of wreckage that Jazz had vaulted over, looking carefully around before moving to the other side. ~"I am aware of that, Jazz, but security is pretty much all I think about."~ His optics never stopped moving, always looking around, and his frame was tense. ~"Going to have to find a way to get repairs done with out taking too many optics away from keeping watch... Hmmm...."~ He thought quietly for a moment, then an idea went off in his head. ~"Sensors... Sensors and cameras at strategic points all around the perimeter... That'll take care of ground-based... need others for air-based... cloakers will be a problem for a bit..."~
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Post by Jazz on Aug 13, 2011 21:09:50 GMT -5
Jazz looked over at him. ~“You know, I was part of the Archaeological teams that Optimus led before the war, I can help map out and lay the ground work for the sensor array. You can’t cover the whole base by yourself and I’m not one of the heavy hitters like Ironhide. Besides, shouldn’t the Intelligence Officer and the Security Officer work together anyway? Cover more ground that way and let you get to know me that much better.”~ he suggested, figuring that was as good a place to start as any if they were going to some how build any kind of friendship together. In Jazz’ processor, what was the point of living if you had no friends and trusted no one?
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Post by Red Alert on Aug 13, 2011 21:11:14 GMT -5
Red Alert looked at Jazz cautiously, and still with some suspicion, but he also knew that the silver mech was right. ~"I supposed that would be a good idea..."~ He replied. Another spark flashed across his helm, making him wince and rub it. That was getting to be extremely annoying. ~"Why don't we start right now?"~ He suggested. They were already pretty much outside of the base, and the less trips that had to be taken out, the better.
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