Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

Tundra--Outside the Ark

“By Primus, I think you’re right, Elita! This IS the original Ark! Wow!” Road Rage said.

As more and more of the group arrived, they all pretty much echoed Elita-1's own awestruck sentiments. She couldn't believe the massive structure she was looking at--frozen over on this backwater world--was the Ark. How many Arks were in service in the Autobot ranks now? Dozens? All descended from this impressive machine--even more impressive in person than anything she had seen in a holovid.

>>”Elita-1, come in Elita-1, this is Rotorstorm, do you read me? What in Primus’ name did you find out there?!”<<

Elita's vocalizer was still wide open, just looking over every meter of the ship that was visible....taking it all in. It took her a few seconds before she could give Rotorstorm a response.

>>"That's an affirmative, Rotorstorm. I read you loud and clear,"<< Elita began. >>"And, um, that Cybertronian signal that Chromia picked up. Well...I don't know what the scanners back there can pick up and I'm not sure you'll believe me without seeing it for yourself....but we found THE ARK!"<<

Elita was feeling so ecstatic that she suddenly burst out laughing. It felt so good. How impossible was this? And yet here they were!

"We have to get in there. Where's the door on this beauty?"

OoC: I'm just gonna give her a little boop forward thanks to some poor logistics on my part. Sorry again! I'll just assume that she was just moving along with the rest of them.

Tundra -- Outside the Ark

Windblade let out a metallic sigh as she whirred her fans to shake snow and ice from their ducts. She was so overwhelmed with letting the wind flow through her wings that she had forgotten that ice didn't exactly melt when the surrounding air was subzero. She gave them another whir to try shaking off the ice. No good.

Damn. She was just flying. In the sky. Not couped up in an obelisk, or pacing between walls that wanted to crush her. She was in the air, and she dashed her opportunity at freedom in mere moments of its availability. Her face flushed as she realized how disappointment had made her normally proud demeanor sink, then stood straight.

She had almost forgotten about the memory she had just witnessed through her embarrassment. She was somewhere, and somewhere familiar to her. Just where that planet was eluded her, but she knew two things for certain: It was home. It was home and it was in danger.

Something happened, and she was put in that obelisk for her trouble. Judging from her swordsmanship and her limited understanding of herself, she knew that she didn't shy away from a fight -- so what happened that forced her to be put into stasis?

But as she walked, her train of thought was interrupted by the sounds of awe-filled gasps. With a flit of her silvery blue eyes, she looked up and realized why.

Windblade stood in awe of the bronze behemoth before her. Its ornate, ancient details winding through the surface of an expansive bronze hull, encrusted in a thick layer of ice. Oxidized steel held hundred foot stalactites of ice that pooled at the tundra floor. Snow whirled around in the massive cylinders that would no doubt had held massive thrusters millennia ago.

She was standing before a ship. She didn't exactly hold the enthusiasm for its discovery that her saviors had, but she was relieved that they had found a potential escape route. As she stood, she heard her saviors remark about the ship, and with it, a name.

The ship was known as "The Arc". Like the electrical phenomenon? Kinda cool. Like naming something "Flash" or "Thunderbolt".

"Um, 'The Arc'?" Windblade said to any who heard her, realizing a bit too late that she may have gotten the name wrong.

Tundra - Outside the Ark

”Um, ‘the Arc’?”

Flash approached the hull of the ancient vessel with a smile etched across his faceplate. He placed his hands against its frozen hull and tried to feel around for any sort of means aboard.

“Yeah! The Ark!” He responded excitedly to the geisha-femme, “The ship that was ‘destined to traverse the stars!’ This bad boy was Nova Prime’s personal pet project to explore the galaxy and see what all it had in store.” The red and blue Autobot then knocked his knuckles against the hull, listening for hollowed points. “I mean if this even is THE Ark, we just uncovered one of the universes oldest mysteries! Aha, we’re gonna be famous!”

Flash found luck searching in his current spot and began to walk along the edge of the exposed hull, the terrain following the curvature of the ship’s semi-buried frame.

“No luck down here, gonna try checking further down the line.”

Open Tundra - Stolen Shuttle

Sparks arced as Nautica continued here work on turning decepticon explosives into a source of makeshift energy. She dug her actuators further into the inhibitor claw in her lap, another spark shooting out as she invaded the fuse box.

“Gah, Dammit!” She cursed under her breath as she recoiled from the spark. “Well, at least I know there’s power here...” She moved the spanner from her hand and utilized her teeth as another means of holding onto her tool. Her free hand the reached into the claw towards the delicate fusebox held within.

“Awright, hard paws over...” the engineer murmured with the tool still held in her teeth. She pulled back a bit and soon her prize was yanked safely out of the inhibitor device. “Aha! Gawtet!” Nautica spat out the tool and it bounced a bit upon hitting the shuttle floor.

Nautica then spun around to face the group and noticed a few of the turbomasters getting a tad excited, most namely Rotorstorm. Did he say... the Ark?

“Whoa whoa whoa, is that real?!”

[Tundra - Outside the Ark]

Flash wrote:"I mean if this even is THE Ark, we just uncovered one of the universes oldest mysteries! Aha, we’re gonna be famous!"

"That is, if we don't freeze our circuits dead on this planet." Hurricane traversed the side of the Ark's buried hull alongside his fellow Turbomaster Flash. "Although if this ship has even the slightest bit of functionality remaining within it, it might just be our key to getting an escape ticket off this snowball."

The white mech found what he thought might be a fault in the lines. "Hey, take a look at this. Looks like we might be able to do something with this."

Boss' optics brightened as he heard the mentioning of "The Ark". No.. During that time there could have been other ships of similar style as well. No way it was THE Ark.

>>"I have my doubts until we see more evidence such as data or even a dead mech or two,"<< said Boss plainly by comm to all in their team. He wasn't one who was quick to jump to conclusions. >>"And even if it is THE Ark, how could such an old vessel still be functional to get us off of the Primus forsaken iceball? We gotta be level headed about this and put survival before discovery. Better to make it out alive and send explorers later than die here with it. If any useful parts are in the vessel, grab what you can and bring 'em back. This could be our ticket out of here with a bit of luck, and luck is something owed to us at this point."<<

Boss rubbed his temples which were starting to throb from the cold seeping into the hole riddled shuttle, and his previous injury.


Moonracer was a younger mech, so her appreciation of old history wasn't as deep as some of the others, but she still felt a surreal aura about their discovery. Then again, if she was less freezing, maybe her sense of discovery would be far greater.

"Any bets on if this thing has heaters?" Moonracer said trying to be jovial despite her discomfort.

Tundra – Outside the Ark

"We have to get in there. Where's the door on this beauty?"

“Dunno…Probably buried under a few meters of ice,” Chromia grumbled, her enthusiasm at finding the arc somewhat cooled by the fact that getting into it was going to be no small task. Following Flash and Hurricane around one of the sides, she stepped in closer when Hurricane pointed out the subtle outline of some kinda hatch under the ice.

“This might be our way in. Hopefully, it’ll be a bit on the warmer side of things. ‘Lita! Care to do the honors?”

Tundra--Outside the Ark

“Dunno…Probably buried under a few meters of ice,” Chromia said, dampening Elita's spirits a little, even though she was probably right. This ship had obviously come down hard and it also had obviously been here a while. The access points were not going to be easy, no matter which way they had approached.

"Any bets on if this thing has heaters?" Moonracer asked.

"Probably not working ones, but at least we'll be out of the direct elements. Besides...this is the Ark. it's bound to have more salvageable goodies than that beater of a 'Con shuttle we robbed off the Nemesis."

“This might be our way in. Hopefully, it’ll be a bit on the warmer side of things. ‘Lita! Care to do the honors?” Chromia said, pulling Elita's attention towards the area she was indicating.

"Holy slag, I think you're right," Elita-1 said, kneeling down and firing up a concentrated laser, beginning the process of cutting the heavy ice away from their seemingly only point of entry.

Tundra -- Outside The Ark

If Windblade had a memory for each time she had heard the phrase "THE Ark", she wouldn't be an amnesiac. But if Flash's synopsis proved true, and the ship was like some lost artifact, its importance couldn't be understated to the history of her friends' people -- perhaps even to her. The proximity of her Obelisk opening and them finding a long-lost exploration craft were simply too close to ignore. Especially when she heard the name "Prime".

She didn't know why, but she was drawn to the name, and not in a subtle way, either. If she had such a strong link with Primes, to the point that she would remember the name through the fog of amnesia, there had to be answers inside the ship.

"Um, I may be able to aid you with the ice." Windblade said meekly to Elita, grabbing the hilt of her blade and activating it to the full extent of its ornate beauty.

Within a blink of an optic, she had swept it forward and plunged it deep into the ice that covered the hatch. Cold steam screamed out from the ice as it cracked and squealed under the power of the energy blade. She gently brushed Elita out of the path of her blade as she gouged more ice from the frozen hull, swiping her sword from left to right.

It was here where she paused. Her insides clenched as she neared the completion of her self-appointed task, and her blade shot back into its hilt. Windblade placed it upon her side and smiled to herself. It seemed that she was far more honor-driven than she had initially thought. That much, at least, was good since she was learning what drove her in her past life, but she stiffened nevertheless.

It was not her honor to take.

"I believe that you had the honor of clearing and opening the hatch. My deepest apologies for overstepping." Windblade gave a slight bow with her head.

She spoke with firm crispness becoming of a politician and held herself with the pride of a forgotten age, but as soon as she was done speaking, she seemed to shrink back to her normal, slumped and meek manner. She hoped that her friends wouldn't be upset about her overstepping -- but she also figured that they would be just as happy to get out of the cold.

Open Tundra – Outside the Ark

As the others tried to find a way inside, Road Rage remained in awe of the original Ark that sat before her, half protruding out of the ice. Even in its current condition, the Ark was still a beautiful ship to behold. The former bodyguard could not wait to get inside and explore. It would be like being inside of a living history book. She had read about this ship, but never in a million vorns thought she’d actually get to see it or step inside of it in person.

Lancer wrote:“Am I hearing correctly or do I need to run my diagnostics? WE found THE Ark?”

“It sure does look like it, Lancer,” Road Rage replied as she followed after Hurricane, Flash, Chromia and Elita-1. They had soon found what appeared to be a hatch that would lead them inside. Unfortunately, there was a lot of ice covering it. Thankfully, the one called Windblade used her energy blade to clear the ice and expose the hatch.

“I would love to have a sword like that,” Road Rage said aloud before an intriguing thought entered her processor. “Hey, you guys think the original occupants are still inside? You know, Nova Prime and his crew. Maybe they’re in stasis. That would be a monumental discovery even greater than the Ark, itself!”

Hoven- Downed Shuttle

The neon blue and pink Turbomaster was still trying to grasp the monumental nature of the situation at hand as he stared at the silhouette on the viewscreen and the small figures of the bold exploration crew. All the while, even inside the shuttle, it was becoming cold, due to the damage in the ship's hull. Hopefully Elita and the others would soon find something to help them get off here before they became icebots. Then, came the comm link reply from Elita,

>>"That's an affirmative, Rotorstorm. I read you loud and clear,"<< Elita began. >>"And, um, that Cybertronian signal that Chromia picked up. Well...I don't know what the scanners back there can pick up and I'm not sure you'll believe me without seeing it for yourself....but we found THE ARK!"<<

Rotorstorm smiled a gleeful, excited grin from audio reciever to audio reciever in hearing her excitement. So....it WAS TRUE! I mean...what other Arks had been unaccounted for for countless millenia? It was the best explanation. This wasn't a destination anyone would have picked for any other than emergency reasons. He just hoped....that he and his comrades with this little broken shuttle wouldn't share the same fate as the Ark and it's crew. And...what would be found inside? Perhaps the long stasis-locked Nova Prime and his crew? Well...the sooner they could find a way in that sucker the better. Even parts from it to fix the shuttle would suffice at the least. Time was ticking down for them all.

"Whoa whoa whoa, is that real?!”

, came the voice of Nautica as she stopped her work and looked over towards the area that Rotorstorm and Boss were inhabiting.

"Come see the viewscreen. Looks pretty spot on in my opinion!", Rotorstorm spoke confidently to her.

Then came the grumpy but certainly wise words of Boss over the comm,

>>"I have my doubts until we see more evidence such as data or even a dead mech or two,"<< said Boss plainly by comm to all in their team. He wasn't one who was quick to jump to conclusions. >>"And even if it is THE Ark, how could such an old vessel still be functional to get us off of the Primus forsaken iceball? We gotta be level headed about this and put survival before discovery. Better to make it out alive and send explorers later than die here with it. If any useful parts are in the vessel, grab what you can and bring 'em back. This could be our ticket out of here with a bit of luck, and luck is something owed to us at this point."<<

Rotorstorm snickered, and he added his two cents for while trying to keep up everyone's spirits,

>>"Great job everyone!! It seems we're ever closer to victory! Victory being getting the hell outta this ice pit! Keep up the good work, and make sure you keep in touch, especially if you need help. You know the calvalry will come as fast as he can, quicker than you can say 'reap the whirlwind'!! Oh...and if you find Nova Prime, please get me his autograph."<<

Turning to Boss, and swiveling out of the chair and getting up, Rotorstorm said to his friend, "I'm not trying to undermine you buddy, but you just sounded so pessimistic. If it is the Ark, we should be the happiest mechs this side of the galaxy. So, cheer up. Don't let the cold make you bitter." And that being said, he was prepared to be walloped by the Bossmech. However, a little fun was just that...fun. If Boss wanted to be a grump, well that was Boss and Rotors and the other Turbomasters were used to his antics.

Now, the chopper bot made his way back towards Patchy and Thunderclash. He really disliked seeing ol' Clash so beat up, but his mere survival was a testimonial to his strength and bravery. Rotorstorm knelt down in front of 'Big Thunder' and he said, offering a hand, " Hey Clash...if you want, I'll help you up so you can get a look at the viewscreen. It's tremendous!", he said, and he waited for a reply.

Hoven- Outside the Ark

Progress was being made very quickly since discovering the large frozen vessel, and thankfully. It was freezing out here, and even a hardened warrior such as herself couldn't endure this harsh environ's frigid climate much longer. Still, despite the cold, the sheer volume of excitement over finding the Ark couldn't be muted. This was very well the most significant discovery in Cybertronian history, for all she knew.

After the hatch was discovered, efforts to release it from it's 'icy tomb' were soon underway. First Elita had tried chiseling it out with a concentrated laser, but no sooner than she had begun, Windblade booped Elita gently aside and flared up her impressive and beautiful plasma sword. The efficiency of the art was astounding, and the previously meek and rather awkward fembot soon displayed a confidence that she hadn't before. Lancer was fully taken aback by it, but in a good way. The young flier had greatly impressed the older knight. In no time, the hatch was completely uncovered and ready to open, and all the action had her raring to help out as well.

"Amazing, Windblade! You sure are talented. Whoever was your teacher in combat arts, they have my highest respect.", said the purple and orange fembot.

She walked towards the hatch and she said, "Let me try to open it!", and she grasped the round metal turning device and began to use her leverage on it. She put all her strength into it, and she heard some crunching as it slowly budged, but any more pressure would break her servos. She huffed and said, "Gonna need some assistance!", in which, any bot's help was welcome.

"I'm not trying to undermine you buddy, but you just sounded so pessimistic. If it is the Ark, we should be the happiest mechs this side of the galaxy. So, cheer up. Don't let the cold make you bitter."

Boss looked down with a slight sense of shame. He was letting some unnecessary sense of guilt influence his reactions to such an incredible finding. That is, if it truly is the Ark.

"You're right, Rotorstorm," Boss said as he followed him back to the cabin where Thunderclash and Patchwork were, "I'm sorry. I suppose seeing our team in such a state; especially Thunderclash; has sort of influenced my enthusiasm."

"Hey Clash...if you want, I'll help you up so you can get a look at the viewscreen. It's tremendous!"

Boss nodded at what Rotorstorm said, and then added, "If this is in fact the Ark as Elita and her crew seem to believe with all their sparks, this could be the start of a bit of historical exploration while we're stranded."

Open Tundra--Outside the Ark

"Um, I may be able to aid you with the ice," Widnblade said.

A different Autobot would have been miffed at Windblade's gently nudging Elita aside. Elita, however, couldn't have been more grateful. This wasn't about her. This was about their team working together to survive. Windblade, even though she had been locked away in the bowels of that monstrous ship, seemed to get it. Elita appreciated that.

"I believe that you had the honor of clearing and opening the hatch. My deepest apologies for overstepping."

"No apologies needed," Elita said, patting Windblade on the shoulder. "You did great."

"Let me try to open it! Gonna need some assistance!" Lancer said, as the steel door audibly groaned a little but didn't open. Elita-1 maneuvered into another position near the bottom of the door, wedging her fingers in wherever she could and pushing also.

"Good....grief....who sealed this thing? Solus Prime?" Elita grunted as the door whined and gave another centimeter.

As she pushed, her thoughts turned to Road Rage's question.

“I would love to have a sword like that. Hey, you guys think the original occupants are still inside? You know, Nova Prime and his crew. Maybe they’re in stasis. That would be a monumental discovery even greater than the Ark, itself!”

She had been so caught up in the discovery of the ship, she hadn't really given any thought to that possibility. Surely not. Surely whatever had happened here had forced them off the ship. Forced them to fend for themselves out in the universe just like Elita, Thunderclash and their crews were now having to do. But what if?

What if...

She'd just have to cross that bridge when they got to it.

"Let's hope they're as welcoming as the history vids suggest," Elita said....in truth, only recalling a scant view holos that ever covered this particular Prime and his crew directly.

Shuttle

"Can't a bot turn himself off and await oblivion in peace?" Patchwork groaned and in that moment certainly seemed like he'd make every cliche about old 'bots true. "Well, then again I suppose one more, ten more or a million more cycles won't really make a difference huh? Can't really say I'd believe any of you in ordinary circumstances but I suppose these aren't ordinary circumstances! It's not much but I'll try to assist on any....technical...issues on accessing the Ark. Or, you know, we could always just turn into spare parts!"

Awkward silence. "What? I'm a pragmatic kind of person: if there's nothing in there that can help us survive on this rock I wouldn't care if that ship had carried our Maker itself to his favorite vacation spot! Parts and materials are a resource, one we are depleting fast."

Outside the Ark

Windblade was glad that no one seemed to notice her demeanor change. The bladeswoman's skill, however, was noticed by another femme. As Lancer praised Windblade's skills at the blade, Windblade could do nothing but give a small, meek smile. As a crimson, small sliver curled at her lips, she had to stop herself from telling her allies about her amnesia.

If she couldn't remember anything, then what was the point of keeping her around? These people just showed up out of the blue -- who knows how they would react? Not everyone was like Roulette. Maybe they would accept her, even if she had no use, but what if they didn't? They could strand her on this frozen wasteland, or worse.

But... She had to take a chance sometime.

"Well actually, I..." Windblade stopped herself, "I think they'd be proud, too."

Damn it. Pull yourself together, Windblade. She thought to herself, looking back to the now opening hatch, They're good people. They'll accept you.

Well, maybe not all of them. The Autobot leader's good-naturedness wasn't lost on the femme swordswoman. If Roulette had accepted her, then it wouldn't be outlandish if the leader would as well.

But that would have to wait for the Ark to open, and as the massive hatch creaked in protest, it didn't seem far off.

Open Tundra--Outside the Ark

With one final groan of metal-pulling-metal the hatchway gave and Elita, with help, was able to push the ancient doorway all the way open, revealing a pitch-black interior.

Fortunately, this sort of work was Elita's oil and energon. She didn't wait for volunteers in situations like this. She was the volunteer.

"Let's have a looksee, hm?" she said with a grin as a bright white light flicked on and gave her optics a better readout of what could be waiting inside. Saying nothing more, she climbed through the partial opening and into the ship proper.

The Ark

As soon as the hatch creaked open, Chromia was right beside Elita-1. They’d been through enough scraps to develop an unspoken communication. That Chromia watched Lita’s back was one of them. Stepping inside out of the harsh cold, the Ark’s interior was actually warm. Well, still chilly but they didn’t have to worry about ceasing to function anymore in here. The darkened corridors stretched out ominously before them.

Shaking off the cold from the outside, Chromia glanced down. The floor was tilted. The artificial gravity was off. Not that it was too much trouble for them, but if the ship was tilted down, it would make sense that their goal might also be down. Nudging Elita, Chromia gestured to the hall leading down.

“Think we should check the bridge? See if any part of this beauty is still operational? Heck, if we’re lucky, we can ride this thing out of here. We’re due for a bit of luck.”


Shuttle

" Hey Clash...if you want, I'll help you up so you can get a look at the viewscreen. It's tremendous!"

Thunderclash looked at the proffered hand and grasped it firmly, swinging himself up to his feet. He tested the repairs to his limb. It felt a little better. At least he could walk now instead of hobble. As grateful as he was to Patchwork, he couldn’t help but want to chide him for his recklessness. In the end, Thunderclash drew himself to his full height, trying to become the symbol that his soldiers could rely on once more.

“Let’s see how the others are doing shall we…?” he said as he took an uncertain step forward. It was difficult with his energon this depleted to do much of anything, but he had to persevere.

"If this is in fact the Ark as Elita and her crew seem to believe with all their sparks, this could be the start of a bit of historical exploration while we're stranded."

“And more importantly, there could be energon and medical supplies aboard...we all could refuel and be patched up. Optimistically speaking, in any case,” he replied gently before entering the bridge and taking a seat in the chair.

>>”Elita, have you found a way inside yet? How does it look?”<<

Hoven- The Ark

Lancer had taken a short break to rest her servos, and continued the endeavor of opening the hatch, now with the help of Elita. Now, it was moving, slowly but nicely. They'd have it open in no time! Meanwhile, Windblade had answered to Lancer’s comment on Windblade’s teacher,

“Well actually, I..." Windblade stopped herself, "I think they'd be proud, too."

It was a good enough answer. The poor girl had been through a lot, and she still seemed to be shy. Hopefully in time though, she would begin to feel more comfortable with her new company. They were friends, in it together, trying to survive and somehow get off this damned iceball!

"Let's have a looksee, hm?"

Came Elita’s words as finally through much effort, the hatch was finally open. Lancer took her hands off of the turn crank, though they had seemed to become frozen onto it temporarily. She rubbed her hands to warm them slightly and remove some frost, sighing, and smiling in the end at the fruits of their labor. Before them...a gaping maw of ancient wonder into dark depths unknown, and here they were, willing sacrifices.

After Chromia entered, Lancer made sure to look back and check on the others for a moment, gesturing them to follow and saying, “Come on team, what're you waiting for?! Your chassis’ aren't gonna get any warmer standing around out here!”, and with that, she turned on her headlamp located on the center of her helmet piece, and followed the lead of Elita-1 and Chromia.

“Think we should check the bridge? See if any part of this beauty is still operational? Heck, if we’re lucky, we can ride this thing out of here. We’re due for a bit of luck.”

Chromia’s question was to Elita, but Lancer didn't see why she couldn't give an answer as well, and so she said, “I’m down for it. If we could get this bad boy operational, wouldn't that be something? Of course, there's bound to be at least something useful in here.”

As they continued in, she was being very careful with her footing. The floor was slanted down, and she didn't want to fall. Moving along, her hand was sliding along the wall, as she was feeling for a light switch. Sure enough, eventually she found one. She flicked it on, though not expecting anything. However, she stopped, as to her surprise IT DID actually work! From there, a soft light from emergency backup type lighting, illuminated the slanted halls. Now, paneling of the great orangish colored ship was visible, as well as a few areas in the walls for switch panels of sorts, and DOORS. Glorious doors to the unknown. More and more, Lancer was starting to feel like this was like them being metallic tomb raiders. Hopefully no hidden traps were installed.


The Shuttle

You're right, Rotorstorm," Boss said as he followed him back to the cabin where Thunderclash and Patchwork were, "I'm sorry. I suppose seeing our team in such a state; especially Thunderclash; has sort of influenced my enthusiasm."

“Don't sweat it man. I understand you're frustrated. Let's just be positive though. After all, we're the Turbomasters!”, Rotors said enthusiastically to Boss as he was offering to help their actual boss up. In the meantime, Patchwork was grumpily complaining. He was in the right to do so he supposed. The feisty old surgeon’s words just made Rotorstorm smile all the more. He bet that Patchwork would be the type to love to exchange stories with ol’ Sergeant Kup one day. That reminded Rotorstorm of his days as a Wrecker. But did one ever really stop being a Wrecker? No….once a Wrecker always a Wrecker. It was a wonderful thought that further steeled Rotorstorm's seemingly unshakable will to survive.

He was glad that Thunderclash was getting to his feet. He kept a solid hold on his hand and helped to balance the bigger mech so that he could get his bearings and try walking on his newly mended leg.

Let’s see how the others are doing shall we…?”

, said Thunderclash.

“Mhm!”, Rotors sounded affirmatively, helping the Turbomasters Leader over to the bridge of the ship and into a chair. He took the chair beside the big guy, returning his optics to the impressive scanning of the half buried Cybertronian ship.

Boss nodded at what Rotorstorm said, and then added, "If this is in fact the Ark as Elita and her crew seem to believe with all their sparks, this could be the start of a bit of historical exploration while we're stranded."

“And more importantly, there could be energon and medical supplies aboard...we all could refuel and be patched up. Optimistically speaking, in any case,” he replied gently before entering the bridge and taking a seat in the chair.

“Well let's just keep the faith. They're sure to find something of use, and we can work towards getting the scrap out of this place!”, sounded Rotorstorm, then added, “The sooner we can leave here, the better.”

The Ark

Windblade took a deep breath as the hatch opened. It screeched and whined in protest as Elita gave it a final heave into position, and as she did, warm, old air hollowly oozed from the doorway. It was wet, sticky air like a sickeningly sweet sap -- and it smelled like it, too. Whatever had happened inside the Ark, it had happened so long ago that the air itself had died.

It reminded her of wandering the halls deep inside her friend back on her home planet...

Wait, what? Windblade couldn't remember what she had just remembered. It was like waking up from a dream. No matter. It could wait a few more moments.

Windblade stepped inside the Ark close behind Elita, her wings brushing the top of the doorway as she did. She had to take a chance on someone, and it may as well be their apparent leader.

The youthful femme began meekly, "Um..."

Before she could finish, she felt herself stand up from her normally slouched demeanor. She stiffened her back and held herself high, not noticing her hand resting on the hilt of her blade casually. She felt herself seem to grow in confidence and in poise, and she looked to her newfound friend with piercing sky blue optics.

She spoke with powerful, careful words, "Elita, I'd like a word. There's a lot I'd like to discuss with you."

The Ark

“Let’s hope they're as welcoming as the history vids suggest,” Elita-1 said as she struggled to help Lancer pry open the Ark-1’s hatch. Road Rage immediately stepped in to help them, pressing her actuators into the thin grooves around the hatch’s perimeter. Together, the three femmes were able to force it open, revealing dark corridors within. “Let’s have a looksee, hm?”

“Yeah,” Road Rage said as she followed Elita, Chromia and the others inside. “I certainly hope those history vids are right about the original crew,” the crimson femme commented as she switched on a light mounted on the side of her cranium. “Then again, recorded history isn’t always accurate, not 100% at any rate. Quite often things are left out either accidentally or intentionally.”

Road Rage began to slide sideways down the corridor as the floor was slanted due to the angle of the Ark and the artificial gravity being turned off. Holding on to a nearby wall and planting her feet firmly onto the floor, the former bodyguard carefully followed close behind Elita as Chromia asked if they should check the bridge, hoping to get the Ark started and fly her out of here. “Seems like the most logical place to check first,” Road Rage added. “We should also be able to access the logs in order to see what exactly happened here and where the crew is if we don’t find them first, ourselves, of course.”

Lancer soon located a light switch and flipped it on. Low and behold, they were all soon bathed in a glorious brightness. “Hmmm…what’s the likelihood that a ship this old and in this condition would still have power?” Road Rage questioned to no one in particular. “There’s something strange about all this. I have a bad feeling. I just hope I’m wrong.”

The Ark

>>”Elita, have you found a way inside yet? How does it look?”<< Thunderclash's voice rang smoothly in Elita's comm.

>>"With a little elbow grease, heh. Yes. We're in. Getting our first look now. It's...I'm no historian, but it's amazing. I feel like I'm standing in the Primal Square when this thing first launched."<<

Chromia then asked about making their way to the bridge, eliciting a nod and a thumbs up from Elita-1.

"Seems like our best place to start. See if we can make anything functional again," Elita said to both Chromia and Lancer, before Windblade approached. She had a curious expression on her face, and her tone of voice was even moreso.

"Um...Elita, I'd like a word. There's a lot I'd like to discuss with you."

Elita was a little taken aback. Since their rescue op, Windblade had seemed to keep more or less to herself. Willing to help? Certainly. But she could hardly be described as the most chatty of mechs. What was prompting this?

"Sure," Elita said, reaching out to guide her away from the other mechs that would be entering the ship. She gave a quick nod to Chromia, indicating that she could proceeded ahead with her blessing, before giving her full attention to Windblade. "What's on your mind? I'm guessing you have a lot of questions. I probably have a few of the same ones, but I'll help however I can."

The Ark

Windblade followed Elita closely, still poised and elegant, much unlike her usually overwhelmed demeanor. She turned and faced the Autobot commander, looking at her commander with an otherworldly confidence. Where one would expect a shout, or perhaps a demand, the femme began to speak softly, in a low voice that only they could hear.

"I.. I'm sorry," she began quietly, looking down, "I'm not what you think I am, whatever that may be."

She returned her gaze from the floor to meet Elita's, a look of guilt washing over her.

"You must think of me as some guide, as some vast library of information, but... But I can't remember anything from before I climbed out of that pod. Maybe it was how long I was kept there, or maybe my memories got erased somehow but I remember nothing. Just my name. Maybe a flash of something, or maybe a sensation here and there... Tantalizing deja vu." Windblade's voice trailed off, her eyes doing the same, "I have nothing to offer you but my blade."

She took a soft breath in, then continued in a small voice, "I'm sorry for deceiving you -- I just didn't want you to cast me out."

The Ark - Corridor

Flash wasn’t paying much attention as the femmes chatted around the hole they were prying open. The turbo master was growing anxious to get inside the fabled vessel of old, the thought of unearthing this ancient relic enticing his processor with grandiose fantasies.

“C’monc’monc’monc’mon...” He chattered to himself watching Elita-1 finish pulling the the metallic slab away. When the pink clad femme finished managing to pry their way onboard, Flash budged his way in through the opening. The ship was dark and cold, but certainly more stable than the freezing tundra outside.

“Daayyyyum look at this fossil!” The decoy exclaimed beginning to walk down a corridor, “Can ya believe it? First we’re chased world-to-world from the Predators, then we get locked up, and now we’ve uncovered one of histories greatest mysteries! Who know such a discovery was just a blind jump away?! Haha!”

The red and blue decoy knocked against the bulkhead of the ship, the echo of his pounding reverberating throughout the quietness of the ship. Then he wondered if anyone heard that.

“HELLO!” He yelled into the quiet, “ANYONE ALIVE?!”

Shuttle

Nautica couldn’t believe her optics when Rotorstorm told her to check out Elita’s discovery. The engineer had heard tall tales about that ship, in fact it was almost regarded as legend by this point, yet there it was stuck in the ice of this frozen hellhole.

“Okay, so I managed to pull the fuel cells from these explosives.” The violet and gold femme began, turning her attention back towards the group and her task at hand. “We can use them and turn this stuff into a crude Energon substitute which would be good for those who have lost a lot of it back in the fire fight. However, that would leave us with very little to get the ship back up and running...”

“Thoughts?”

[The Ark - Corridor]

The white turbomaster stepped inside amongst the rest. It was still somewhat hard to believe that this was the Ark, but it did seem to resemble it in every way that he knew. At least, they would have a warmer place to stay in until… Well, he didn’t want to go there.

Road Rage wrote:“Hmmm…what’s the likelihood that a ship this old and in this condition would still have power?”

Lancer had turned on the lights, somehow. Hurricane shared Road Rage’s sentiment. “Something has to be up with this. For all we know, all of this could very well be a trap. It seems too convenient, too good to be true.”

Flash wrote:“HELLO! ANYONE ALIVE?!”

“Ugh,” Hurricane groaned, “Can’t you keep it down? Almost blew out my fragging audios…”

He walked in front of the group, heading down the sloped pathway to the bridge. After scaling through some corridors, he found what appeared to be the appropriate door for the bridge. It was closed, but didn’t look jammed like the outer hatch had been. The access panel was online, since somehow the ship had power due to the lights being on, but Hurricane came to the conclusion that figuring out the code would take too long. Drawing out some of his strength, he started prying the door apart, the heavy metal grinding on the slide rails. When he’d opened it up enough for his head to fit in, he peeked inside.

“Spawn of a glitch…”

The Ark

"I.. I'm sorry. I'm not what you think I am, whatever that may be. You must think of me as some guide, as some vast library of information, but... But I can't remember anything from before I climbed out of that pod. Maybe it was how long I was kept there, or maybe my memories got erased somehow but I remember nothing. Just my name. Maybe a flash of something, or maybe a sensation here and there... Tantalizing deja vu. I have nothing to offer you but my blade."

"Look, I know you think you're disappointing me by telling me all this. What you are to me was a mission objective. I received encrypted orders to liberate the contents of that capsule. Mission accomplished. Now...it just so happens that those contents happened to be, well, Cybertronian. A living one. Not what I was expecting, but hey. I roll with what I'm given. As far as I'm concerned, your blade is all I need. Once I get you back to Autobot Command, you'll hopefully find out more about why we went to all this trouble to get you out of there. If you believe nothing else I say, believe me when I tell you that being one of Megatron's prisoners would not end well for you."

"I'm sorry for deceiving you -- I just didn't want you to cast me out."

"Hey...there's no deception. You're obviously figuring out a lot. I trust you'll tell me whatever you remember as we go along. I believe you when you say you don't remember anything from before you put in that obelisk. But Prowl obviously wanted you for a reason--a big reason. Not too many missions involving the Nemesis get authorized. After seeing what happened to that ship once we woke you up, I can see why. Creepiest slag I've seen in a long while. So, cast you out? Nah. You're stuck with us now."