outer_divide | [Video]

[Michiru only hesitates a moment before coaxing a finger over what she hopes will be the switch that turns this on to broadcast -- though broadcast to whom, she's not entirely sure. Still, they're in the dark. And they need answers, even if she's not sure how well she'll be able to trust any of the answers that come.

But there wasn't much choice.]

I'm not sure who is out there and hearing this, but we're looking for... answers. Any answers. Where is this place. Why are we here?

[All business, a plainly guarded expression on her features, blue eyes fixed steadily on the video screen.]

And how did we even get here? Who kidnapped us and who do we need to defeat to get home?

[The deeper voice comes from somewhere off screen, and a dusty blonde head looks briefly over Michiru's shoulder to frown at the screen, too. Then it's gone again, as Haruka pulls back and gets back to finishing getting her things together.]

If we were brought here, there's a way to get back where we came from. There has to be.

[Michiru's gaze flickers back only briefly towards her partner. Who do they need to defeat. It's crossed her mind too; if this is another battle they need to face to fulfill their duty, she's willing to face it.]

We'd appreciate any answers anyone has. That's all. Thank you.

You're too nice, Michiru, you should have--

[And that's all of Haruka's growled complaint that the feed gets before it shuts off.]

((OOC: All dialogue is in Japanese! Replies may come from either Michiru or Haruka or both.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Haruka intercepts this one, and she sounds annoyed.]

New here? Help us out? Just point us at whatever needs to get taken care of to get us home.

[Point of fact, she doesn't really sound all that feminine-- and she's using the masculine pronoun to refer to herself.]

[Drift really doesn't register much on the gender radar, being as his own species doesn't really have them.]

W-well there isn't. Exactly. A way that we've found yet. But uh- I mean if you have any other questions or you need a lift somewhere safe?

A lift? What, how far from civilization are we?

[She hasn't exactly gotten outside the ship yet. It's a big ship, and they only just got here, after all.]

Well, not too far. The Old City is just down the way, but I know it's a little... jarring.

[Haruka gives a little grunt of skepticism.]

Can't be worse than anything else we've seen... Who are you? Do you know who kidnapped us?

Hm. My name is Drift. I don't think we've been kidnapped. From my understanding, we've all been asleep on that ship in some way or another for... a long time.

Since I don't remember being put on that ship, I'm still going with kidnapped. How long is "a long time"?

[Because if it's been so long that they can't get back, someone is going to have some explaining to do. And someone else might be kicking something.]

It's... possible, I guess. But no one here is responsible as far as I know. Maybe the people in the dome cities. But uh. Like I said, I'm pretty new here.

Not sure. "A long time" could be months, could be years. Kind of get the feeling it's the latter, though judging by the condition of things.

[If he's so new and so uncertain about everything, why the hell is he answering people's phone calls and trying to help? Haruka has enough manners to not actually say that aloud-- barely-- but she's definitely sounding frustrated when she replies.]

So we've been locked in this room full of mechanical seeds for years? And nobody knows why, how, or who did it? Does anyone know what we're here to do? Or is this just some great cosmic accident?

[Sorry, it's in an Autobot's nature to help, even if they're not entirely fit for it.]

Supposedly, we were supposed to be weapons. In a war. It's unclear why we were never used or what happened, but the people in the domed city aren't exactly keen on the idea of our existence, from what I was told.

[It's okay. Haruka's just in a pissy mood, that's all. Being killed and kidnapped (in that order) does that to a gal.]

Weapons. Us? Against what, that domed city of yours?

[Maybe they need to get out and see things from the outside....]

Beats me. Though apparently they want nothing to do with us now, and they're pretty intent on keeping us out...

Or just plain afraid of us.

Heh. There a reason they should be afraid of us?

[Haruka's pretty sure there's reason to fear her and Michiru, but she doesn't know anyone else yet, much less what's intimidating about them.]

Well. Admittedly some of us look look rather formidable, not being the same species and all...

But I suppose it's too much to expect people not to fear you for being different.

That's probably the truth. I guess you're one of the formidable-looking ones.

[Hard not to make that leap, given the comments he's made so far.... Haruka isn't necessarily sympathetic-- it takes a lot more than that to win over her sympathies, especially in a potentially hostile place full of strangers-- but she is curious.]

You might say that.

I'm not a human.

[That's kind of an understatement. But you may tell by how his voice has a sort of metallic flange to it, like he's talking from inside a tin can.]

Not... human?

[It takes Haruka a bit of a struggle to not go on the immediate defense-- or worse, offense-- at that. Anything "not human", in her experience, is an enemy. But she isn't in her home solar system anymore, that much is clear. It's still a difficult impulse to quash, and her voice is tight as she demands:]

Then what are you?

[A pause.]

I'm a Cybertronian? I guess what a human might call a "robot".

[That takes her back a minute. That's... not anything she ever fought before, nope. Not unless you counted nanites, and even then, that was mostly Mercury. So she's a little less tense in her response, now.]

A robot? That's... huh. All right. Did somebody make you, or... are there alien robots out there somewhere, that I've never heard of before?

[He switches to video.]

Nope! We're our own species. From the planet Cybertron.

[He smiles in what hopes is a disarming manner. Which really he just looks like a great white dork.]

Uh... heh. Hi.

[Video]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Video]