Operation:HoC

Section heading
In a spot not actually near Horsepower's Machine Shop, lies a secret place beneath Iacon, a mobile factory setup that has great potential for the war effort...AND the construction effort! Turrets and housing for Retoris were forged here, under Elita One's growing knowledge of weapon creation. This place is known simply as the Forge, and it's certainly off the radar. Only a few bots really know of it, not even all of Bot High Command! Secrecy has been kept in order to not tip the hand to the Con forces, except that one time Groove talked about it on Autobot Broadcast.

The massive bay is almost entirely empty, despite the potential for subspace machinery to return at a moment's notice. For now, only a few computer banks, generators and a single ionizing station for weaponry is operating, a low hum echoing about.

Elita One sits near a workbench, looking at a rather large weapon housing. A scanning ray passes over it, digitizing the structure which then disappears in a subspace flash of purple. Moments later it reappears under similar conditions. Whatever it is must be in the testing phase, to ensure it has proper stability...

Blurr has been asked to bring some raw materials down to this mobile factory, the place known as the Forge. He arrives in his usual speedy fashion. Not there one moment, and there standing in front of you the next. "Got the supplies you asked for, where do you want 'em?" he asks the femme commander once he's arrived, carrying a couple of crates.

Elita One squints as she looks over the weapon's design. To those who lived through the early war, it's distinct shape is clear. An Energon Scrambler. A less lethal variant of the mighty Energon Harvester, the Scrambler's barrel is covered up with a spinning disc to help fragment its payload. It takes a moment for the second process to complete, it is only then she looks up to you. "Ahh good, Blurr. Always on schedule." She motions near the computer console, "Over there if you would. I'll be programming those charges soon, for when Crystal City starts to heat up."

She picks up the heavy weapon, then sets it on a chassis, "Ever consider getting a new weapon model? I've been working on a few designs...mostly based off my own time circuits, slow down the enemy and all, but perhaps I could whip up something more to your...speed?"

Blurr nods and sets the crates down over by the console where she had indicated, smirking a little. "Of course. When you're someone like me, you don't exactly have any good excuses to be late." He moves over to where she is examining the energon scrambler and sits down across from the fem.

"Yeah? What were you thinking, specifically?" he inquires further.

Elita One shrugs, "Well, right now it's more about looking at past weapons, and trying to adapt them. Like First Aid's decrystallization ray. It's a sublime weapon, even if its not the true purpose of the ray, or those weapons that draw speed from the enemy." She steps towards the console, "Nothing so heavy as the scrambler or harvester, but actual speed drain." She absently punches in a few diagrams on the console. "Actually, I don't know what you've got to work with, I could be making things redundant for you." She squints into the monitor, "Glass gas, there's something that's always been trouble...probably not good for your speed, too high a chance of being affected by it yourself."

Blurr listens and watches the holo-screen over her shoulder as she discusses various weapons. "Stealing the enemy's speed, huh." The former racer likes this idea. "How would that work, exactly? Slow them down and make me faster, somehow?" he asks, interest clearly piqued.

Elita One taps the monitor screen, "Well, it'd probably not make YOU faster, since unless you were up against...what was his name, Redshift? someone as fast or faster than you. Mostly it'd just help you take a breather so your own systems could recharge a bit faster." She turns the schematic around on the viewscreen, "It shouldn't be that hard really, I'd just."


 * STATIC****

<<<<>>>>

A garbled voice starts out as video footage starts to play, the monitor quickly adapts to the hard to register voice, supplying a gender neutral tone as it plays back the message.

WITH CYBERTRON'S SYSTEMS GOING INTO SHUTDOWN, MAINTENANCE IS GOING TO BE HANDED OFF TO EXPENDABLE LABOR. DRONES.

Footage shows of a drone factory, then deeper into the planet.

MOST OF THE BASIC SYSTEMS ARE BEING PUT INTO THE MAINTENANCE FORCES, WITH SEVERAL MAINFRAMES TO DRAW REPAIR KNOWLEDGE FROM. IN SHORT, ALMOST A HIVE ESSENCE. UNTIL OUR PLANET HEALS, THERE IS LITTLE ELSE MORE I CAN DO FOR IT.

<<<<>>>>


 * STATIC****

Elita One steps closer to the monitor, off to the side, then looks back at you. "Blurr...." She adds with an obvious sense of meaning, "Drone Mainframes? The entire planet's drone population draws on the same reserves of knowledge...If we could tweak that..."

"So, just to slow them down." Blurr says, considering it. "Well, I already have a stun weapon, but I suppose that could be useful if it were more energy-efficient than the electro-laser."

He stops and watches the footage as it comes up. "Huh. Well...if we could tweak it, then what?" he asks, tilting his head to the side slightly and waiting for her to answer.

pose raises a digit as she works the console, "This system is finicky, let me make sure I can keep this data first....Let me explain, Blurr.  The Forge was discovered not long ago, rediscovered I should say.  No idea who made it, no idea whose records these are, but they're from early..maybe pre-war times.  The system got all glitchy, gave me access to something I didn't ask for..."%R%R She continues, "The Drones are Shockwave's surveillance and logistics.  Let's say we could shut down the entire operation.  Force the Cons onto the same level we're at.  Or possibly even convert them to our cause,  They're no army, but even if its just a distraction, imagine, Blurr, Imagine what we could do.  Snoop on them for a change, misinformation, resupply bases...it is an entire intelligence network."

Elita One raises a digit as she works the console, "This system is finicky, let me make sure I can keep this data first....Let me explain, Blurr. The Forge was discovered not long ago, rediscovered I should say. No idea who made it, no idea whose records these are, but they're from early..maybe pre-war times. The system got all glitchy, gave me access to something I didn't ask for..."

She continues, "The Drones are Shockwave's surveillance and logistics. Let's say we could shut down the entire operation. Force the Cons onto the same level we're at. Or possibly even convert them to our cause, They're no army, but even if its just a distraction, imagine, Blurr, Imagine what we could do. Snoop on them for a change, misinformation, resupply bases...it is an entire intelligence network."

Blurr listens again as she continues on, then nods. "So, these drones that Shockwave had been using in the past...you can access them and manipulate their base coding from here?" he asks, intrigued. "We could use them to spy."

Elita Oe nods once, crossing her arms. "We'll have to do it subtle...Look, there's a few access points about the planet. We slap in some codejacking...dataspikes..." She draws her finger along a long chute, not too unlike the Death Star's layout. "And there's a security hall here...Looks like it has a window of opportunity. So we overload a few CPUs here and there with timed attacks, and the security doors will open. If there's Con trouble in the area, it'll be a race to see who gets to the Drone Mainframe first. If we do, we slap in an override with some protection...and we've got ourselves a winner." She turns to face you fully, "Assuming we get that far, we're going to need the Fastest Mech Alive to make that mad dash..." A smirk crosses her face.

This topic again.

Elita One pauses, taking in a breath which really isn't needed, right? "I still don't trust this scenario...Defections are extremely rare and almost never fully take. All that happens is that both sides pretend and try to make nice while garnering intel on each other. Occasionally one side gets sent back in time, and I get to meet them in the past, but that's neither here nor there." She waves a hand dismissively at the tangent thought. "We have to be guarded in all things with Outbound. If he is sincere, he will understand our need for caution, but any play we make on him will either be a violation of trust if he's sincere, or something that Con Intel will probably discover before too long."

She continues, as she steps away from the terminal, still in thought. "Direct transmission is clumsy, and easily traced as well. Blurr, you're thinking far too far overt here. This is Shockwave's domain you're speaking of. The best way to get intel from such a virus is to have it compile and deaddrop packets that need manual retrieval. Which fortunately is right up our alley." +ooc so you're Blurr in real life too eh? Blurr shrugs. He knew she didn't really approve of this little... plan, of sorts, he'd read the memos. But he figured he'd ask anyway. "I know, I know they are, Elita, but this is an opportunity I can't just pass up. I really doubt he's sincere, anyway. Like you said, very few actual defections."

He continues to listen to the fem's thoughts. "Manual retrieval? You don't think that's even more overt than timed pulsewaves?"

Elita One pauses, it seemed so simple to her, but not everyone has been fighting the power for as long as her, and she can count in binary on one hand how many living Bots were familiar with the necessary tactics. She raises a hand, clarifying "Mainframes generally have a wide reaching influence." Two fingers point at the monitor, "Much like this one. They can affect a large area, all that's really necessary is a terminal in range that has the ability to create and compile our info bundle. Granted, it will most likely be behind or underneath Con lines, but it'll be easier accessed than walking into Galvatron's throne room or such."

"Heh. Throne room." Blurr chuckles at the interesting use of words. "Hm. I guess you're right. The program would have to have a near-foolproof way of hiding the datadrop. It'd be too easy for the Cons to simply obliterate the intel if they were to find out where it was storing the files. Maybe even a backup copy at a different interface terminal?" he suggests.

"Jazz will probably have a few good leads on this, but I think the more copies are made, the more likely they'll be discovered and either used against us or just destroyed. This of course, doesn't even cover what would be needed to access the mainframe itself. Even if Outbound is on the level, the Cons aren't that easy to fool. Blades and Whirl only managed due to their histories, and after that revelation, I imagine the Con Secret Police is on high alert." She takes a moment to assess things further, "It's been quite a while since I found myself inside Darkmount. If you do take this course of action, see what you can do to keep a good scan of where you visit. Might be able to find a few blind spots or hideaway entrances."

Blurr nods. "I'll be sure to do that...as for the 'Cons not being easy to fool--I know. I didn't say this would be easy. That's why I'm asking you to design the virus. Even if backup copies would make the our plans more obvious, I think it's a risk with taking. That way even if they did discover one packet, there'd still be another that they may not know about and that would require direct access order to destroy the information. Of course I'm counting on you to make sure that's how it is. Figured it wouldn't be hard--if we have to have direct access to retrieve it--shouldn't too difficult to make that so for eradicating it too." Blurr synthesizes a slight sigh. "Anyway, bottom line is--I think you have the technical prowess to pull this off, Elita."

The Femme Commander seems a bit surprised as she pulls back a hair. "Me?" She tilts her head, "We have better Bots for that, but I suppose my knowledge of the enemy and the area might make up for that." It's a nonchalant commital when she agrees, a simple tilt of her head in the other direction. "I'll see what I can come up with, but...." Her words trail off, "This may not be such a bad idea, now that I think about it." She motions for you to join her, "Alright, look. I was just talking about dataspiking into the Drone Mainframe, right? To do either of these tasks, a good sample of current Con code is essential. We might be able to supplement both of our tasks with a singular mission. This may just come together after all. Granted your virus idea will probably not last too long, but probably long enough for at least one proper strike or defense against them. Security codes update pretty often, and Shockwave is most thorough about ensuring compliance. He even scrubs security codes after even suspected interference, but if he finds something suspect, like this data worm, he might not find what else is in store."

"Yeah, I know. I don't expect it to last forever. Frag, if it lasts even a single megacycle I'd be impressed. But it's going to be worth it, I just know it. Besides, the more we play with Outbound, the further he's willing to go, at least that's how it's been thus far. I don't know exactly what his game is, but I have a suspicion." He pauses momentarily, thinking, before continuing.

Blurr nods, grinning in response to her smirk. "You can count on me for this, Elita One. I'll beat them to it." he says, standing up. "There's one thing I've been meaning to ask you about, though. I'm assuming you've heard all about this business with Outbound. He's offered to get me into Darkmount, and I thought we could plant a virus at Master Control. One that would continuously copy and relay information from their mainframes to ours."

"A code sample--that makes sense. And it's fairly easy to get a hold of. I could pull it off in a few cycles, maybe even get one of my Resistance contacts on the job."

Elita One responds "I was thinking we could start some small scale raids not too close to Crystal City, to keep the Cons attention elsewhere. Perhaps as an expeditiary force from Retoris. We locate a Con info pipeline, get a sample, then move on to our respective projects, but it all depends really. I think it's time to bring this to Jazz, or Primus help us, Repugnus."

"Tch." Blurr synthesizes what sounds somewhat like a snort at the mention of Repugnus. "We might not agree with Repugnus on everything, but he's good at what he does. Though he is a bit creepy at times..." he chuckles. "I guess we'd best bring it up to both of them. Maybe request a meeting to discuss our division's next moves?"