Mining For Fish

Middle Atlantic States

New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington D.C., New Jersey, and Maryland consist of rolling farmland and woods, ancient, worn-down mountains, wide rivers, and verdant valleys. New York adds the largest city in the country, New York City, and the breathtaking Niagara Falls. Pennsylvania offers the steel center of Pittsburgh and the coal mines of the northeast along with the historic port city of Philadelphia. Delaware is the home of Du Pont chemical company, plus food processing and automobile assembly plants. Washington, D.C., capital of the U.S., displays world-famous monuments, buildings, and too much governmental spending. New Jersey contributes the drab city of Newark, the gambling of Atlantic City, and the New Jersey Turnpike. Maryland includes the polluted Chesapeake Bay and the major seaport city of Baltimore.

Scavenger has come to a rather idealistic mid-atlantic lake, looking for any sign of anything unusual. He sits by the lake, looking out at it, watching some strange earth animal just below the surface. "Hey. Look at this. I found something rather.. ew. It moved!"

Collateral looks up from where she's sitting - on the edge, feet just in the water, what looks like a lightpost held in her hands. Some sort of tow cable has been attached to the end, and is hanging into the water. "Don't scare the fish!" she scolds.

Meanwhile, Bob Trout eyes the deerhead hanging into the water. He looks at his friend, Billy. <<"Yeah. You can have dibs, dude.">>

Well, it certainly is peaceful out here. So far, anyway. Jayson has decided to take his Talon for a ride, and has made his way far, far from San Francisco. Now he is perched on the Talon, which is in jet mode, and just enjoying the scenery. He's not too far from the two Decepticons.

Scavenger moves a little closer, looking fascinated. "That's what they are. How do you..get them to stop being scared?" such an innocent fascination for a Decepticon. He barely hears the talon approaching.

"You be -quiet.-" Collateral puts her finger to her mouth to illustrate. "C'mon, normal tactics with anything - they don't know you're there, they can't run away." She pauses then, as if realizing something...and looks at her fishing post. Then to Scavenger. Then to the post. "...saaaaaaaaaay. Wanna help a gal out?"

It's probably not a good idea to say 'yes' when she has that look on her face.

Scavenger loves helping! Scavenger perks up at the request. "Sure! I'm always willing to help! What is it you need help with, ma'am" He asks.

The voices catch Jayson's attention. He cocks his head slightly, listening for a moment, then slides down from the Talon and slips closer to investigate. Well, what do you know--'Cons at a lake, looking at fish! He stares.

Collateral grins at Scavenger, beckoning him closer with a crooked finger. "That's a mighty nice shovel I couldn't help but notice. I figure it might work better for this whole little excursion than my pole." She promptly pulls it out of the water, the deerhead slinging drops of water about.

Bob and Billy scatter. <<"HOLY FISK!">>

"So, my friend," she continues, starting to untie the knot that keeps the deer attached, "What say we give it a shot?"

Scavenger 's optics glow brightly. "Oh yes, my shovel has many uses. I have thought of using it to catch fish!" He turns around, wagging his tail like shovel a bit. "How can I use it to attract fish?"

Jayson Redfield keeps staring. Finally, he decides to just ask. Can't hurt, right? "What, exactly, are you two doing?"

"You just kind of wag it like that." Collateral points. "Here, let me tie this to you so we can do it right..." she makes to grab Scavenger's shovel to hold it in place while tying her line and bait.

Then she pauses, looking down at Jayson. "We," she announces, "Are /fishing/."

Scavenger nods "Yeah, fishing!" he yelps as Collateral grabs his shovel. He holds still as she attaches line to his rear end. "We're going to use the.. eeep! Sensitive sensors! Be careful. I mean the shovel.. you wanna help?" he invites the human.

Jayson Redfield raises an eybrow. "Fishing. You're *fishing*. At this point I shouldn't be surprised..." After all, Decepticons are strange! Nothing he can do about that. He rolls his eyes and approaches, peering at the water. "So what're you trying to accomplish, anyway?"

"Catching a fish," Collateral says slowly, as if explaining something to a sparkling. There's an unspoken 'duh' at the end of the sentence. "Supposedly it's a fun activity, and shooting the lake until the fish come out isn't in the rules." She shrugs, before smirking at Scavenger. "I'll find some polish for it later if we catch something," she promises, guiding his shovel out over the water. The deerhead swings on its cable, heading towards Jayson with blank staring eyes...

Scavenger responds "I dont know about you but Im having a wonderful time. Im helping."

Jayson Redfield feels a little ill at the sight of the deerhead. Unable to stand it, he turns away. "Well, I'm not really into fishing as a sport..."

The Decepticon tank looks visibly disappointed...for all of two seconds. "Oh well," she says with a shrug, pushing down on the shovel to get the deerhead in the water. Once it's in place, she lets go with a final pat. "Ok, wriggle it about a little from time to time. While you're doing that..." She looks down at Jayson. "What's a guy like you doing in a place like this?"

Jayson Redfield shrugs. "Thought I'd find some peace and quiet. I've been getting a lot of crap lately--a few of your comrades are partly to blame for that, actually."

Scavenger wiggles the shovel, causing ripples in the water. "I don't think this is working. The fish don't seem interested.." He pauses. "So if you don't like to fish...what do you like to do for fun?"

"Eh, well, what can you do." Collateral shrugs a bit. "I'd say sorry, but it's not my fault. Maybe we should use something else for bait?" she adds to Scavenger, rubbing her chin. "Ok, what else is around here that I can shoot for parts..."

"For fun?" Jayson muses over this. "Well, I read. And play my guitar. Don't think you 'Cons would be interested in things like that, though." He sighs. "By the way, miss...fish aren't attracted to disembodied animal heads. Plus that's just sick."

Scavenger seems rather interested. He moves his tail again. "What's a guitar?" He asks.

Despite her opticvisor, Collateral seems to roll her eye. It might just be her expression suggesting it, but the sentiment is there. "Sounds a little boring if you ask me," she drawls, before frowning in thought. "What, do they like the legs better?"

"Musical instrument," Jayson replies matter-of-factly. He looks to Collateral, not quite sure what to make of this particular femme. "Try actual fish food. They don't eat animals that're bigger than them."

Scavenger pauses "Do you have one with you? Could you show me how you do it?"

"...." Collateral gives Jayson a blank stare. "Ok, apparently something isn't being followed here. Food...is for eating." She grabs Scavenger's shovel and pulls it - and the deerhead - out of the water, pointing at her bait. "This...is food, last time I checked, to organics. Fish are organics. Ergo...fish food."

LOGIC!

Scavenger offers "Maybe they eat energon?" He seems confused.

Jayson Redfield facepalms. "Not what I meant... Fish like things such as worms. Flies. Bugs."

"Organics can't process energon," comes the reminder, coupled with a pat to the shovel. Let her do the thinking, Scavenger, we don't want you to hurt your processor. "But...worms? Bugs?" Waaaaaaaait, those gears are turning..."Where's an Insecticon when you need one!?" she demands.

Scavenger asks "They eat Insecticons?"

Jayson Redfield hesitates for a moment. Now there's an idea. "Yes," he states quickly. "They eat Insecticons." Inwardly, he laughs.

"AHA!" Behold, the confirmed hypothesis! "And the Insections are durable enough to where they can just be pried from the jaws of the fish once the fish takes a bite!" Collateral clenches her fist in triumph, grinning...only it falters after a moment. "...now who can be bribed to do it..."

Scavenger pulls his shovel from the water. "Oh then I better be careful! If they eat Insecticons, surely they eat Constructicons too.."

Jayson Redfield watches Scavenger with amusement. He's having fun. "No...I think it's just anyone who has an insect mode."

Collateral does another of her not-optic rolls. "Yeah, see? Get your shovel back in the water, we're not done yet." She gives him a none-too-gentle shove of encouragement before squatting down to get a better look at this human. Very knowledgeable, this one. "Alright, so, insects. Worms their favorite?...don't think we have one of those."

Scavenger puts his shovel back in "Yes, ma'am.. this is like when I discovered humans eat many things. Do you eat Insecticons too?"

Jayson Redfield blinks. "Err, no. I don't imagine they taste very good."

"Good mech. Let me know if you feel anything nibbling."

Underneath the water, Bob and Billy have convinced their friend Bart to investigate the deerhead. <<"Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!">>

"Your denta aren't nearly equipped to take a bite out of them," Collateral observes, peering down at Jayson. After a moment's thought, she promptly reaches to try and pick him up by the back of his shirt. "Man, I can't get over how -tiny- you guys are..."

Scavenger pauses. "Me either. Hey.." He looks to Collateral. Then to Jayson. "I've never touched a human before. I wonder what one feels like?"

Jayson Redfield yelps as he is lifted--it brings back the memory of when Astrotrain did the same thing. "Hey! Do you mind?!" He huffs slightly and gives Scavenger an odd look. "Well, we don't feel like metal, that's for sure!"

Collateral curls her wrist, giving Jayson the palm of her hand to rest on as she raises him to eye level. "Kind of...scrapy," she notes. "Though I think that's his armor. Clothing," she adds as an afterthought. "And nah, I don't mind, not really. You're kind of cute for a squishy." A teasing grin. "Scavenger, is there a rule against pets?"

Scavenger pauses. "Not that I know of. Can we keep him? I promise to feed him and teach him tricks." He reaches over to try to touch Jayson's hand. "Oooh weird!"

"Hey...!" Well, at least she thinks he's cute. Jayson immediately starts protesting. "I was already a prisoner in the Argosy! Don't take me back there!" And then...Scavenger touches him. He sighs.

 Collateral says, "Soooooo...there any rules about pets?"  Collateral, ever-so-innocent.

"He already knows a couple. Guitar, right?" Collateral examines Jayson from the side. "I don't live in the Argosy - between you and me, I hate heights." She chuckles. "NCC, on the other hand...but hmmmm. How much a mess do you make?"

Jayson Redfield blinks. "Well, I'm not so fond of heights, either..." He frowns. "And I'm no one's pet."

Scavenger continues to watch. "Well put him down for now. We can figure out a name for him."

"Just wait until we get a collar on you," Collateral teases, giving Jayson a light poke to the chest. Nonetheless, she lowers her hand to the ground so that he can slide out - isn't she a nice girl? "Once we find the Insections, that is. I want to give the whole using-them-for-bait thing a shot."

"I *have* a name!" the youth exclaims. "It's Jayson." He slips out of Collateral's hand. "And I had a collar while I was in the Argosy. It was rigged to detonate."

Scavenger shakes his head "I don't like that name. Sounds like weird. Wanna call him softskin instead?"

Collateral chuckles good-naturedly. "Nah, wouldn't do that to you. It'd just have your name on it." She eyes Scavenger. "That wouldn't work if we needed to call him...I mean, listen! SIT, Softskin! Siiit! Staaaaaay...good Softskin!" She shakes her head. "Nah, he needs a better name. -Jaysonator-."

Scavenger offers "Jasonfire."

"Jaysonblast?"

Scavenger offers "Jaysonstorm!"

Jayson Redfield just facepalms...

"Jayson Prime?" Snicker.

Scavenger shakes his head. "Ultra Jayson."

Collateral shakes her head, holding up her hands. "I've /got it/. Megajaysononebreaker."

"Tron," she adds, as an afterthought.

Jayson Redfield decides he's had enough. While the two are coming up with odd name suggestions, he wanders off, back to his Talon. What a weird encounter!