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Post by Freefall on Mar 8, 2009 13:42:52 GMT -5
Hurriedly catching the falling Axiom and pulling him up again, Freefall gets the suspicion the white mech may not be as fine as he says he is. Unable to shake the guilty feeling that he's caused so much trouble, Freefall hastily speaks up;
"Slag. Um, do- do you have to travel far? I mean, you can barely stand up. Maybe- maybe I could accompany you? Uh, I mean just to make sure you get to your destination okay." Wiping his flustered brow he adds, "it's the least I could do after all this."
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Axiom
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Post by Axiom on Mar 9, 2009 11:21:39 GMT -5
“You’re much too kind,” Axiom says, patting Freefall’s shoulder sympathetically. Anyone who is much too kind in a place like Praxus always deserved a little sympathy.
“I live just a few blocks away, actually, but…” But what? What was he forgetting? Axiom pauses to contemplate the momentary amnesia as he tries not to lean too heavily on young mech. He gives up after a few moments though. Whatever it was, it probably hadn’t been too important.
“Well, I suppose it’s been a while since I’ve had anyone as nice as you over for a few cups of energon.” Axiom admits a bit listlessly. “Cug can show you the way- he’s a smart boy. Go on, Cug!”
Cug gives its creator what might’ve been an annoyed look before obediently beginning its slow amble homewards.
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Post by Freefall on Mar 10, 2009 6:34:21 GMT -5
Freefall watches Cug with fascination, the creature actually appears to have understood what was said!
All doubts and objections quickly melted away as he watched the bug. What an intelligent organic creature! How had Axiom managed to train it so well? Eager to observe more, Freefall followed the lumbering creature with Axiom in tow, almost forgetting where he was going and why.
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Axiom
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Post by Axiom on Mar 10, 2009 10:43:41 GMT -5
Axiom is being tugged along and he doesn’t seem to mind that all too much, actually. He simply toddles after Freefall, occasionally staring in fascination at the pretty lights as they passed through one of the many red light districts.
Holographic advertisements, activated by various invisible sensors, would pop up in their faces as they wandered down the sidewalk and loudly declare various obscene and kinky manners of services available in any nearby seedy corners of the city. The highway, meanwhile, flowed by like a thick and noisy river of metal insects a few kilometers above them and once in a while a wayward taxi-former would dive wildly from one of the disordered lanes and attempted to commit what was more vehicular manslaughter than an attempt at retrieving any passengers.
Outside of having some hookers (was that a scooter?) wave at them though, the rest of the trip was relatively quiet with the occasional commentary on the odd crack in the road and Cug’s distant chirping and clicking. They soon arrived at one of the entrances to the city’s lower levels- a large blue lit frame of metal with a decent sized road cutting under the skin of Praxus (no sidewalk, of course, this path was built in a time where hovers cars were still the most common form of alt modes) and completely covered in graffiti asides from a the rare brand new adverts sloppily slapped onto the walls.
Then Axiom remembers what he’s forgotten because now he could see the venomous looking clouds in the skies and the thick smell of acid was beginning to waft over the city.
“Oh dear, it's going to rain.” He murmurs, only half paying attention as Cug begins waddling down the entrance. For a normal Cybertronian with a normal metal alt-mode and a decent protection against acidic substances, the once-a-few-centuries-rainfall would not have been an issue. For any half organics who didn’t want their flesh being melted off, this was another matter entirely.
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Post by Freefall on Mar 13, 2009 5:25:14 GMT -5
Freefall takes his optics off Cug's waddling and blinks before looking at Axiom, the words only just sinking in. He hadn't noticed the sky and could have kicked himself for overlooking the acid scent, especially with his highly tuned organic olfactory system.
He'd yet to experience the acid rain with his Beast Mode and the thought made his whole frame shudder slightly. It was not a pleasant one.
He found himself immensely grateful to have arrived at a sheltered area before the downpour and couldn't help thinking he may have been caught in the horrendous rain had he not met and accompanied Axiom.
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Axiom
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Post by Axiom on Mar 13, 2009 23:21:00 GMT -5
"You know, I bet I could make a beast mode that can withstand acid." Axiom chirps cheerily. "... Although I'm not sure if I can make it furry. Wait, wait, let me think this out." And so the fuzzy white mech falls into a science induced stupor muttering random bouts of inspirational nonsense.
Cug only pauses for a moment on the underground path, seeming to peer around at the two of them before turning back and trudging onwards down the underground road.
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Post by Freefall on Mar 14, 2009 9:25:10 GMT -5
Listening politely and interjecting where possible, Freefall tries to seem interested in the technobabble Axiom is spouting, although he really can't make much of it. He wonders if, being a self-professed aerial technician, he really ought to.
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Axiom
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Post by Axiom on Mar 14, 2009 11:17:56 GMT -5
Not even Aphrodite understood Axiom's technobabble and she was one of his most intelligent (and vicious and hideous) creations. The only person who did understand was a mad scientist who put cherry bombs into his colleague's drinks so really it was probably for the better that Freefall didn't understand.
The pale mech seems blissfully ignorant of Freefall's incomprehension as it is and mutters something along the lines of 'acid seekers' and 'green gloop' as they wandered through the dim tunnel.
A few dozen minutes later they emerged into an underground section of Praxus, greeted by the thick and complicated foundations of many of the city's skyscrapers and the bustling noise of activity. The remnants of an ancient city lay squashed like a tin can under the new structures, the rusted and dusty buildings converted into cheap living quarters for the many workers that had the misfortune of moving into the city.
Cug parted the disgruntled crowd with a familiar ease, ignoring the occasional shout and grunt of an irate pedestrian. A few moments later it came to a ponderous stop in front of a rather large warehouse-like structure with the words 'Beastmods' lit in glowing pink neon tubes atop it's broad roof. The massive insectoid then nudged an antennae against an energy signature reader causing the massive doors to slide apart with an audio ringing shriek of stubborn metal and old hydraulics.
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Post by Freefall on Mar 14, 2009 12:11:46 GMT -5
As the noise rings out, Freefall's organic ears twitch sensitively. Gritting his teeth, he glances at the large building. If Cug was anything to go off, Freefall could only wonder what awaited inside the structure. He knew Axiom dealt in Beast Modes and modifications, but his "pets" would certainly be a sight to see.
Offering swift apologies to the angry citizens, Freefall quickly shuffles with Axiom through the path Cug had cleared for them to the opening doors.
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Axiom
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Post by Axiom on Mar 14, 2009 14:19:34 GMT -5
The most obvious thing about Axiom’s lab was probably the lack of difference in the noise level between the outside crowds and the dark creatures contained within the facility. The massive chamber was lined with different cages and aquariums with hologram skies of different shades lighting up individual containers depending on the required environment. Despite the cages though, several creatures still darted about in the shadowy corners and walkways, eyes and spikes and extra limbs glinting.
Overall, the entire place was a self contained miniature zoo.
A single path cut through the disorienting maze of sounds and color leading to a small door. Cug stops at the beginning of it and utters a low rumble before ambling silently off to a corner for a well deserved rest.
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Post by Freefall on Mar 14, 2009 14:36:41 GMT -5
Freefall looks about the lab in awe. What a place! Never had he seen so many strange and fascinating creatures. He longed to stop and peer inside the cages and aquariums and study the creatures within and maybe even meet some of the strange little things that hid in the shadows.
But remembering himself and that he was still supporting Axiom, he followed the single path.
"This is quite a place you have here," Freefall comments as they walk down the path amid the chaos, darting his glance over anything and everything that cought his attention.
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Axiom
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Post by Axiom on Mar 14, 2009 17:19:18 GMT -5
Oh, wait, Freefall was talking to him!
“Ah, yes, this place is the result of years upon years of researching and accumulating various resources.” Axiom nods cheerily, sending out a series of codes to the door making it slide open for them. “My successes have somewhat funded the place quite decently as well.”
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Post by Freefall on Mar 14, 2009 19:01:14 GMT -5
"Resources?" Freefall replies curiously. "Like what?"
They must have either been pretty important or pretty dubious resources, he thinks to himself as they walk through the door.
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Axiom
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Post by Axiom on Mar 16, 2009 0:33:46 GMT -5
"Texts to begin with." Axiom seems to come fully out from his daze for a moment, his self repair apparently having finished fixing a few connections. "Then I took xenobiology back when I was younger. I became an expert at alien zoology and was sent off on a few exploration missions when the Maximal academy I had worked for wanted a few samples for the lab."
"Beyond that the story gets long and convoluted and probably more than a tad disinteresting.” Which is where the dubious part of his history came in. Axiom watches the doors slide shut behind them as they entered the main body of the lab and, well, his home technically. There was a kitchen right next to DNA splicing machine anyhow.
"Energon?" The pale mech offers Freefall after a moment.
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Post by Freefall on Mar 16, 2009 6:33:35 GMT -5
Gawking at the lab, Freefall snaps to attention at the question.
"Oh, um, sure..."
He knew this probably wasn't the wisest decision considering the multitude of possible contaminates Energon from this place could contain, but Axiom had been kind enough to offer and he didn't want to offend his host. There's no telling what would happen if he did. Sure, on the way here the white mech seemed harmless enough, but now he was inside his warehouse things could be different. One false move or slip of the glossar might result in him being Axiom's next test subject. He must have to test his new Beast Mods somehow, how else does he know if they work?!
Besides, it wasn't as if he was going anywhere soon. Best to amuse Axiom til the rain passed.
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