| The Grinder | |
|---|---|
| Date of Scene: | 04 September 2018 |
| Location: | Game Central Stadium |
| Synopsis: | Entertainment turns into a gruesome scene when the unexpected happens. |
| Cast of Characters: | Blurr, Nightlash, Healthpoint |
- Blurr has posed:
Today in Game Central Stadium, the biggest arena in Ibex, one of the more popular events is taking place. While many of the racing and other leagues ceased to exist due to the war, there are a few that still run competitions every now and then. People have to have -some- kind of relief from the disaster around them for a little while, right?
On this particular occasion, the stadium is quite packed full of all sorts of people. Civilians and soldiers alike. Tonight's competition was a pretty intense challenge--the final round in a grueling obstacle course tournament...one that might even claim the lives of those daring enough to enter it if they aren't careful. High stakes, high risk. Who would be crazy enough to throw themselves at something like this? Apparently just enough!
Colorful lights flash across the arena and fans cheer on their favorite athlete (or just the one they put money on). The house is packed to the brim, and among the crowds is someone who used to be the star of this place. And sort of still is. Although surprisingly enough, Blurr isn't in some fancy VIP box or anything. No, just kind of hanging around near the ground floor bleachers.
- Healthpoint has posed:
As a medic, Healthpoint doesn't approve of dangerous sporting events. But as a soldier...well, she just can't help enjoying them. So, she's here under the guise of being around to provide medical attention if it is needed. So she is down on the ground as well, though is keeping a healthy distance between herself and Blurr since she isn't sure if they are on at least amicable terms again or not. She looks around at the crowd as she sits there, and can't help smiling a bit. An event like this should reduce stress levels all around. Which is a good thing given all that has happened recently and the ongoing war effort.
- Nightlash has posed:
Nightlash is...here? Well, yes. Begrudgingly. She loathes overly crowded events, and it shows. While Healthpoint is just uneasy due to Blurr and potential harm happening, Nightlash is just uneasy because of the sheer volume of mechs in the area, and her fidgety self is clearly starting to show as she watches everyone else /but/ the event they're really supposed to be watching, twisting some wiring in her fingers into all kinds of haphazard shapes.
- Blurr has posed:
An announcer's voice booms across the stadium, although despite the amplified sound it's kind of hard to actually hear it over the roar of the excited crowd. But they probably at least get the idea that the start of the event has been signaled, as there's a loud pop and about a dozen racers burst off from the starting line and immediately rush toward the first challenge which looks like a maze of some sort with lots of holes and steep dropoffs.
As Healthpoint spots Blurr, his body language is somewhat odd. He's holding some device in his hand, maybe a remote of some sort but it's impossible to tell exactly from this distance. But what IS evidence even from her position is that he appears somewhat uneasy about something, which is sort of strange. Shouldn't he be completely at home at something like this?
- Healthpoint has posed:
Healthpoint watches Nightlash for a moment then calls out, "Nightlash! The race is over here!" She has to speak pretty loudly to be heard over the crowd. She recognizes that Nightlash might have a fear of crowds and adds, "Try to concentrate on the race if the crowd or noise are making you nervous! Pick one racer and watch him or her!"
Healthpoint finds it a bit odd that Blurr is nervous at all, much less during a racing event. She hesitates a few moments before approaching him. "Hey, are you alright?" she asks, then looks at the remote (if it is still out by the time she gets there). "What is that for?"
- Nightlash has posed:
Nightlash hmms? She blinks, her attention pulled from...well, she doesn't even /want/ to know what those two mechs over yonder are doing. She twists the wiring again into a sort of bow-tie shape before straightening it back out again, then focusing on untwisting the braids...something that's hard with just one hand, but...she's managing. It's distraction she's after, anyways.
"Oh. Right. The races." She looks down, a bit surprised that it's already underway and she missed the actual start. She does indeed watch for a bit...before her drone takes over, the eyes overhead taking charge of watching the racers so her attention can again wander. This time, though, it's towards Blurr, and she blinks a bit.
- Blurr has posed:
Even at such a crowded event, Healthpoint's large white body probably stands out a bit. So when she starts to approach Blurr, he notices her and quickly shoves the device into a subspace compartment. "Oh, uh--Healthpoint! Hey, didn't expect to see you here. Yeah, I'm fine. Just needed something to think about other than everything that's been, um, happening." He neglects the answer her question about the device he was holding. "I guess you're out here for the same thing?"
He notices Nightlash and nods toward her. "And uh you too Nightlash, well I guess it's a party." he says, laughing nervously. "Academy and stuff going all right?"
In the background, there's a distinctive "oooooh" from the crowd when some of the competitors fall into holes in that first maze obstacle. Hopefully they're just out of the race...right?
- Healthpoint has posed:
Healthpoint shakes her head. "I'm on standby in case of m-" She is interrupted by the ooohing of the crowd and the sight of those racers disappearing into those holes. "...m-medical attention...do they need help? I'm not familiar with this kind of race." she says, taking a step toward the track. When no one in the crowd seems to react she holds off for the moment. "Anyway, yes. Something to think about other than war and destruction is a welcome change." She is quiet a moment before asking, "...you aren't in these races?"
Healthpoint wonders a bit about Nightlash. Perhaps the scout just prefers to watch the crowd rather than the race? Or perhaps she likes dividing her attention? But, the nervous working of the wire seems to make it clear that she isn't at ease here. "Do you like races, Nightlash?"
- Nightlash has posed:
Nightlash is giving Blurr a curious look... Or, rather, giving Healthpoint a curious look since she's the one giving Blurr a curious look... "Huh? Academy. Eh, it's alright. Got some work done in the field with practicals, but...uh, really, it's... some of the technical stuff just makes the cogs in my head spin until they start smoking."
And that's probably a very literal statement.
She then shrugs to Healthpoint, pinching the unbound wires in her fingers and spinning them to re-braid them lightly. "I...well, no. Not really. They're pointless." She looks at the race again and shrugs, replaying what the drone saw...and laughing a bit as someone falls into a hole. "Heheh....heh. Um. Right. Pointless. Really, uh...crowded, too."
- Blurr has posed:
Blurr shakes his head. "No, they'll be fine. Physically, at least. Might be frustrated that they fell out of the running so early, but otherwise." he shrugs. "The only part you should be worried about is the last part. They call it the Grinder." He points upward, at the final tier of the course, which is arranged like a tower of sorts. The first challenge is at the bottom, and contestants work their way to the top. But the final test, the top where Blurr is pointing just appears to be a series of rotating platforms suspended in the area between several giant cogs covered in spikes--sure to pull in and crush anyone who got too close! And if someone missed a jump...well, it was a looong fall to the bottom.
There's a chime and the crowd cheers as about 70% of the contestants have made it to the second tier. "Anyway yeah. That's really the only part where anyone can die. Everyone gets a chance to pull out before the final round, though."
- Healthpoint has posed:
Healthpoint looks a biiiit worried when she sees that last part of the course. "...that seems a bit much for a race that isn't some sort of street or underground race. Is this approved by all the appropriate authorities?" she asks Blurr as she watches the remaining contestants race toward the next obstacle and claps lightly, mostly to be polite.
Nightlash makes her giggle and smirk a bit when Healthpoint notices the other femme's enjoyment. "Actually, they aren't pointless. Events such as these provide an outlet for stress and provide a feeling of unity and accomplishment for the crowd and provide for the need for competition prevalent in many mechs' minds."
- Nightlash has posed:
Once more, she relegates her watching of the race to 'via drone only'. It'll ping her if anything interesting is recorded. Her attention goes back to Healthpoint before the wiring is popped into her mouth, and she just chews on it a bit.
"No. It's pointless. That's what flying is for." She motions vaguely. "The sky's open. Free. Not bound by the troubles of the ground and such. I can do whatever I want up there and as long as I'm up there I can actually think and concentrate and not... not..." She huffs, tapping the side of her head. "It's just better up there."
- Blurr has posed:
"Yeah but not everyone can fly or likes flying like you do, Nightlash. And besides, the air -does- come with its own troubles, doesn't it?" Blurr replies, smirking. He shrugs at Healthpoint's question. "I dunno, probably if it's this popular. I mean I guess everyone figures if they want to risk their lives for something like this and all the fame that comes with it then that's their choice."
The rest of the tiers seem to go fairly smoothly--these contestants have certainly trained long and hard for this. By the time they are about the reach the Grinder, there have only been a few additional people who had fallen out of the running. There's a drumroll noise of sorts as the competition builds up to that final round. At this, Blurr glances around furtively. "Hey uh, got to go. Intel work." he says, gesturing vaguely. He starts to slink away through the crowd...
- Healthpoint has posed:
Healthpoint shakes her head. "That's the whole problem with the air. It is so open. So visible. Flying around often leaves one open to attack." she says. She can't help but smile lightly. "But...it is still quite enjoyable." She nods in agreement when Blurr points out a few other problems, but when he turns to leave she is torn. She should stick around just in case she is needed to repair someone, but on the other hand Blurr is acting suspiciously. "Do you need any assistance, sir?" she asks, following after him, curiosity compelling her for the moment.
- Nightlash has posed:
Nightlash mutters as Blurr talks about how it's not for everyone, or how not everyone likes it, or how...well, she just mutters something less than kind before crossing her arms. "It's better than being stuck in tunnels or indoors all the time... To me, at least." She does, though, redirect her drone's attention since, well...now she's curious. Blurr seems distracted. She just lets her 'eyes in the sky' follow him with a better view of the action than she does stuck in the masses of ground-hugging...ugh. She balls up the wiring in a fist. "I'm going to fly..."
Pushing herself up, she just starts trudging up the bleachers to the top tier to throw herself off the back. She'll...probably transform before hitting the ground and be airborne soon enough. She's just determined to get out of the claustrophobia-inducing place.
Save for that drone, though. It just keeps an eye on Healthpoint and Blurr. Because she can.
- Blurr has posed:
Blurr seems a bit flustered when Healthpoint starts following him and asking him if he needs help. "No, it's an Intel matter like I said." he replies, sounding a bit impatient now. Yeah, stick to your medical work, medic! "And it's not something I exactly have all day to do, okay?" He tries to brush past her quickly and head up toward the upper grandstands that are closer to the Grinder where the contestants are currently headed. Nightlash's drone will also spot him doing this. That is, pushing past Healthpoint and heading toward the upper tiers of the bleachers.
- Healthpoint has posed:
Healthpoint slows to a stop as Blurr declines. She watches him go for a few moments then vents softly and heads back toward the medic station. Of course he doesn't need her help. She's useless outside of medical matters. Or at least, that's what she thinks as she walks back. But, it catches her attention again that he heads upward into the bleachers. And...did Nightlash just run and jump off the back of them? Is she involved somehow?
Still, there's not much for Healthpoint to do but return to her station and wait. Until one of the staff suggests that she transform and head up since if anyone does get hurt in the Grinder they would need immediate attention. So, the big white medical VTOL starts upward, possibly stoking the crowd with the prospect that if the medic is heading up now there will definitely be crashes to enjoy in the near future.
- Nightlash has posed:
Nightlash did indeed jump off the back end of the bleachers, and it's not long after the sleek shape of her flight-based form hovers up into the sky and starts to slowly circle the stadium below, her sensors offering an...admittedly far better view than she had when seated with the rabble.
Though, it's the drone's own sensors that have piqued her interest as they watch Blurr give Healthpoint a rather notable brushoff, and she again finds herself trying to think back to...well...things. <<Blurr, can I ask a question? You know this academy nonsense better than I do. Why was I told to be here, anyway? This seems like a waste of my time, just like Prowl stuffing me in those tunnels to stare at nothing. And...what's wrong with Healthpoint?>>
- Blurr has posed:
<< You were told to be here? No idea that was the case, so not sure why I'd know why. >> Blurr gives Nightlash over the comms, but that's all. He seems very...focused on whatever he's doing.
From both of their airborne vantage points, Healthpoint and Nightlash can see that he's now standing at the tip of one of the balcony seating areas that is closest to the actual course. And he has that device in his hand again.
By now most of the contestants have reached the Grinder, and are desperately leaping from platform to platform in an attempt to get to the finish line -without- getting crushed to bits! There's just one guy, who has been lagging behind this entire time, almost as if he's intentionally been taking his time. But when he gets to the final stretch, he...doesn't even try to avoid the cogs! In fact, he jumps on -top- of them, running on them as if they weren't covered in spikes at all. As a matter of fact, they just crack and the spikes break off when he steps on them! The crowd just roars, some of it in approval and some of it in anger. This was outrageous! They'd ever seen -anyone- so tough!
- Healthpoint has posed:
Healthpoint almost moves to try and catch the crazy mech who leaps -at- the spikes, but when he lands and somehow just shatters them she is left hovering in amazement. "...what in the world..?" she murmurs to herself. And there's Blurr again with that device. What is he up to?! She surreptitiously hovers in his direction though she tries to make it look like she is continuing to follow the racers upward. Which she is of course. She has to be ready if one of them suddenly becomes a wrench in the machine. But it might be a bit obvious when the windshield of the VTOl is facing more toward Blurr's direction than the racers.
- Nightlash has posed:
Nightlash is about to say something when...well, something else has her attention. Her drone keeps a focus on Blurr, zooming in curiously on that device while her own attention goes to the oddity that is that contestant seemingly violating the basic rules of the match and fair play. She does drop down a little bit, and then her own processors do what they do best.
Analytics!
She runs the imaging feed through several of her survey filters, sorting by mineral types, gasses, magnetic field scans, and all that fun stuff while parsing through the data to try and figure out if there's anything peculiar at all. <<Probably them wanting to get me out of the area. That happens sometimes. This is also not normal.>> She relays the feed to Blurr and Healthpoint.
- Blurr has posed:
The victor waltzes proudly to the finish line and continues up to an elevated platform clearly meant for the winner to bask in the glory so to speak, amidst the clamor of the audience, while the rest of those who managed to survive come up behind him, their jaws agape in shock. Just...how?
"Aaand, the victory goes to Fourion?! Wow, just wow! Primus almighty! I'm telling you folks, I'm just as shocked! I don't think I've seen anyone so -tough-!"
Even as Healthpoint tries to be ready to help anyone who might not have made it--well, there is not really anything to be done. There's a reason it's called the Grinder, because anyone getting caught in it is simply ground to pieces...
As for Blurr, he's just standing there, watching as the league staff begin to approach the victor with a fancy-looking trophy along with a host of media people as in their wake. But something, again, is off. While Fourion had been basking in the glory a moment ago, now he looks...ill. In pain. There's an odd red glow coming from between the cracks in his armor. He suddenly collapses to the floor of the platform, his body twisting into something unrecognizable as molten metal and other internals spew from every opening. It's almost as if he has...imploded? Anyone watching would find it difficult to describe aside from a gruesome horror!
- Healthpoint has posed:
Healthpoint is a bit traumatized as she gets a front row seat to seeing someone get ground into scrap right in front of her...no wonder she didn't see any other medics around. Still, she flies in to check on anyone who did get caught in the gears even if it is just to scan them for signs of life. When she finds none she isn't sure what else to do except go and see this amazing mech who simply ignored the spikes.
She's just in time to get traumatized a second time as the mech seems to start melting from the inside out! "Primus!!" she exclaims before transforming quickly and moving in to see if there's anything she can do. She turns on her medical scanners and deploys her repair tools but...with liquified components it seems unlikely that she will be able to help. "What just happened?!"
Then...she gets a terrible thought in her head. Surely that can't be right, but...he did say intel, and Prowl is the head of the intel division. To a traumatized combat medic this seems like something intel might do, and Healthpoint looks around for Blurr. She spots him and tries to see if he happens to be holding a device in the direction of this melting mech.
- Nightlash has posed:
Nightlash is far less traumatized. Her systems are recording everything. In very, very keen detail, no less... Indeed, she just seems to be hovering over the scene of carnage passively taking it all in. Chances are she'll process it all later, perhaps react when her primary cortex catches up with everything...
Or maybe there's just an apathetic nature to her that's really coming to the forefront right now. Either way, she forgets to cut that video feed that's streaming to Blurr and Healthpoint alike of her and her drone's vantage point over it all.
Because, let's be honest, her drone's no longer focusing on Blurr, having slowly drifted towards the melting 'victor' as soon as that little show started unfolding.
<<Huh... would you look at that.>>
- Blurr has posed:
As Healthpoint is watching Blurr, he is holding that device she saw earlier, though it doesn't really seem to be pointed in any particular direction. Though he doesn't appear surprised by this development he also doesn't look happy about it, either. He just looks kind of...resigned.
A collective gasp comes from the crowd and even more chaos seems to erupt, but something else happens that causes them to -really- fly into a panic. There's a sudden explosive noise like a sonic boom but a bit thinner sounding, though it is just as loud. What looks like a purple cloud of sorts appears to the left of the platform and expands, swallowing the entire thing. If either Nightlash or Healthpoint are paying close enough attention, they might catch a glimpse of what is definitely a dead world...the -other- Cybertron that this one had just about finished sucking dry. But it's only a fleeting astrosecond before the rift quickly disappears, having taken the platform and the dead body with it.
The crowd has, naturally, flown into a panicked frenzy at this, rushing for the exits now for fear another anomaly should appear randomly...
- Healthpoint has posed:
That just confirms it in Healthpoint's mind. Blurr must have something to do with this. She starts toward him when sudden explosion causes her to turn around again, still hovering in the air. That cloud appears and she flies backward quickly. "What now?!" And then...it is just gone. Along with the melted mech, the platform, and apparently whoever was giving the trophy. This just angers her more and she turns quickly and flies toward Blurr. He may find the large windshield of the medical VTOL suddenly filling his vision. <<"What did you do?!">> she demands, having the presence of mind to talk over the radio rather than out loud so as not to add to the panic.
- Nightlash has posed:
Nightlash probably has that...anomaly recorded. Her sensors probably catalogued it with a reference number, bookmarked the timestamp in the video being collected, and placed it in the file for such things to be submitted for review...
But she's hardly noticed it. She's focused on the melty-guy...and then the panic...and then everything else that's going on. It's almost delayed, really, the way she reacts to stuff, and slowly she starts to pick up altitude to help keep a bit of distance between herself and the riots breaking out below.
And then a thought hits... or several thoughts, and suddenly that steady hover veers uneasily and she wobbles unsteadily in her airspace. <<We shouldn't be here... There's something very not-good going on right now.>>
- Blurr has posed:
Blurr had started to slip away amdist the chaos when he suddenly gets a Healthpoint in his face. Sigh, not again. << Nothing! I didn't do anything, Primus! At least nothing that's any of your business Would you just get off my -case-? Do you just -want- everything to be my fault?! >> Of course, now the tension from earlier is bubbling back up again. << We can't just tell -everyone- everything Intel does, okay? It's against protocol and it's not secure. Do you understand? Now why don't you quit trying to be the judge of everything and help make sure no one gets trampled. >> He tries to dart around her and get past.
- Healthpoint has posed:
Healthpoint's frown is easily felt even though she doesn't have a face at the moment. If she had something more solid than Blurr having an unknown device she might press the matter, but as it is she just vents hotly and flies off. She isn't sure how she can really help, but she tries anyway. She flies over the crowd and uses her external speakers to call for an orderly exit and watches for any who fall. Those she spots she flies down to block the crowd so they can get up and going again without getting trampled. <<"Nightlash, did you get all of that? I'm sure -Optimus- will be interested to see what the intel division is up to.">> she radios, making sure that it reaches both of her nearby allies and making sure to emphasize Optimus. It is possible that they only knew something was about to happen and didn't actually cause it...but she finds that much less likely than Prowl testing some new device. He did propose using another unproven technology on another non-Autobot.
- Nightlash has posed:
<<I... I don't know. I'll have to review everything and, uh, I...really don't know. I don't care.>> Nightlash isn't paying much attention, though. Her logic circuits are pulling a number on her as...something just didn't add up in that feed at all, and the circuitry that's supposed to make sense of it is failing critically.
As things go, she's firing up engines, getting a quick pre-flight in while her own navigational lights flare to life. <<But we shouldn't be here... we really shouldn't. It's wrong. There's something else...something... I I can't think. I need air.>>
And with that, engines roar to life and the droneship's rocketing off towards the upper atmosphere without so much as a 'by your leave', a streak of smaller contrails hinting the drone is doing much the same.
- Blurr has posed:
<< Optimus already knows, it's -his- Intelligence Division, after all but if you want to go to him and ask him about his own operations and probably look like a glitchead then fine. >> Blurr retorts. << Slag, he probably knows more than -I- do, anyway. >> However, he doesn't argue further, instead he's just glad Healthpoint quit pressing the issue and darts off into the crowd, disappearing from view.