The Seacons Return

Coolant System Sewer Basin

''     The murky, stagnant swamps above drain down through countless ducts, pipes, and drains, eventually reaching this large basin. This huge, cylindrical chamber is nearly entirely full of dark, oily water, with more constantly flowing down from above from the myriad assortment of grates and sewers. Hoses and pipes criss-cross the open expanse, many broken and leaking, others providing a solid enough surface to stand upon. Spotlights rim the top of this chamber, but due to disrepair and the constant flow of fluid from the surface, few remain functional, and those that do sputter and flicker, providing only meager illumination. ''

     Deeper down, the lack of proper illumination and the dimness of the tainted water may yet hold secrets as to the purpose of this vast flooded chamber.

The Coolant System. Lurking deep below Cybertron, this massive chamber holds a secrets reservoir of murky water. The secrets its depths hold are obscured from easy viewing. For millenia, this basin has been untouched by sapient life-forms, but today, all that is going to change.

Worming it's way through a grimy sewer pipe is a grisly sight, a giant mutant shark with legs and viscious claws. He wades through the hip-deep sludge, half-walking, half-swimming, his finned tail waving him forward. His optics glow fiercely, and his shark-head aves from side to side as he tries to catch a whiff of something worth killing. "Rrrg, we must be nearly there, Snaptrap! Where's Seawing, his senses would've led us there by now!"

Krakenoid < Tentakil > moves gracefully through the murk his tentacles snaking out ahead of him making sure that there are no unexpected dangers immediately in front of him and also partially pulling him along, "Mmmm this is nice, but what we really need is some water going vehicles or Autobots to play with. Check the darkest corners Overbite he's probably off lurking there somewhere."

Mutant Coelocanth < Skalor > is lurking at the rear of the pack like usual.. partially because the others don't want to risk slipping on his sludge or the stink tipping off potential enemies. "Probably hunting ahead already." You think it's already dirty down here?... well now it's even more dirty, as the wading fish-mutant leaves a trail of even murkier grease rippling in the water behind him. "... I wonder if any of these pipes have anything in them," he muses, eyeing some of the tubing.

Beneath the Cybertronian Swamplands, Snaptrap swims through the underwater reservoir. Unlike the rest of the Seacons, his alternate mode was based on a land creature. Still, he's better adapted to it than Nautilator. There is a pump, somewhere, that must be reactivated. Galvatron wasn't exactly forthcoming with the details, claiming a mere button was all that he required. Secretly, Snaptrap wondered why he didn't send one of Soundwave's cassettes, surely at least one of them is adapted to underwater operations, and they are decidedly stealthy. It was a misappropriation of resources. It was illogical. But no one ever went broke betting on Galvatron eccentricities < Remember, we must locate all sixteen values, see to it that value three and eight are open, while all others are closed, before we initialise the pump >. He radios his fellow Seacons, since they are underwater.

It may have been premature to say that today was the first day in millenia that this basin has been disturbed. For floating face-first at the top of the basin is a Decepticon! This guy is just a regular Decepticon Seeker, albeit a Seeker modified to support underwater travel. He decided to get that upgrade because it was really trendy. Alas, the upgrade does not appear to have been enough to save his life.

The wounds look pretty recent.

Pork.

The already filthy water makes it easier to pretend they aren't wading through Skalor's sloughing sludge. Overbite reaches the end of the pipe, and finds his way barred by rusty grate; No matter, it doesn't impede the walking shark-beast for long, as he sinks his teeth into the weakened steel, rending it from it's housing and making way for the Seacon limbs to enter the resevoir. "Humph. We'll have to make due without Seawing's senses for now." He says glumly, before leaping from the opened pipe, to splash down into the soupy water below.

Snaptrap, in turtle form, raises his front right foot upwards, one hundred and eighty degrees, giving a sign that means hold. He moves in slowly, < A Tetrajet adapted for undersea operations? How quaint. > It seems he's discovered why Galvatron wanted their return so badly, if he has to modify aircraft for underwater operations, they must be desperate for a decent diver. < Be mindful, the damage appears recent. > Curiously, Snaptrap seems not to give a care as to who it was, why it was down here, or if it can be saved. He swims onward, although at a slower pace, his head moving from side to side, scanning in all directions.

"How do we even know which valves are which if they're not marked?, Skalor muses as he splashs down into the lower level from the pipe with the others. Bobs a moment, then pokes his head back out of the water. "Looks like someone tried to steal Seawing's flying in water shtick." He wades over, looks to the sides a moment, and then latches onto the corpse to suck any remaining fuel out of it. They may be predators, but a good survivor doesn't pass up a little scavanging when the oppritunity arrises!

Krakenoid < Tentakil > continues to follow in the wake of Overbite, "This is going to be very uninteresting finding valves and making sure they're turned off or on, not really my thing but if that's what Galvatron wants, i'm not going to argue. Still we might get lucky." Tentakil chuckles darkly as Snaptrap notifies them of his discovery, "An underwater jet? How silly. Well we can only hope there is something to break other than gratings."

The Seeker's fuel, Skalor will notice, is still fresh! Sweet!

Moving along, the Seacons will eventually discover the pump precisely where Galvatron said it was! Still, it's a bit bigger than he described it as being for some reason. There's a massive port at the top, presumably for sucking in fluids and directing them elswhere. Also attached to the pump are a series of pipes which eventually lead up into the labyrinthine maze of pipes overhead. Each pipe sports a valve close to the pump, and conveniently, they're labeled by number.

Oh, and of course, there's a big red button on the pump itself labeled, "Activate." Gosh, that was easy. Right?

Mutant Coelocanth < Skalor > 's fuel vaccum winds down after a few moments and he drops the Seeker wreck from his toothy jaws, a bit of energon and slimy drool dribbling down his fish lips. And he makes no motion to wipe it off as he wades after the others. "He wasn't dead long, his energon was still warm and tangy." Which could be his way of saying 'it wasn't dead long, whatever killed it may still be nearby'.

Shark Mutant < Overbite > takes little interest in the corpse, since it has already met it's demise. Hardly challenging game for Overbite. "Skalor, stop messing around, we've got work to do!" The shark grumbles, swimming back and forth, like a tiger pacing in it's cage. "Ghrrr.. Whatever got him might still be here.. Good! I could use some /excitement/!"

Snaptrap is not a trusting sort. Before he does anything, he wants this place scouted out. < Whatever killed the tetrajet may still be lurking. Spread out in a chain formation. Keep at least one Seacon within sight at all times. If you spot something, do not engage. Report it, pull back, and we will converge as one. >

Krakenoid < Tentakil > moves past the feasting Skalor moving at a languid but determined pace finally his large optics spy the pump up ahead and they widen in surprise, "Oooh now that's quite a lot larger than we were told. I wonder just what it's for and what would happen if it got damaged, something big i bet. Hmm? Oh something still here? Yes that would be fantastic." Not as impatient as Overbite, Tentakil is a waiting killer when it comes close he'll be ready to strike.

The coast appears to be clear apart from some turbofish which dart nervously away from the Seacons if they get too close. Funny, turbofish haven't been seen on Cybertron for millions of years. Did something happen to bring them back?

There is something odd about the pump, though. Most of the device is, as one might expect, a big blocky machine full of readouts and indicators and whatnot, but then there's this metallic lump lying down next to it. The cables in the intake appear to lead back to this lump.

Krakenoid < Tentakil > drifts along happily, nothing seemingly out of the ordinary in the waters justs yet, though that doesn't preclude that there may be, in fluids things can change very fast indeed. He glides closer to the machine, "Hmmm, it looks like it may be damaged Snaptrap melted or something, perhaps by something a bit more caustic than what we're currently swimming in."

"It's a pity Nautilator isn't here, that bottom-feeding scavenger would be the perfect one to send out as a decoy to attract whatever creatures might be down here." Overbite muses, as he tries to catch some of the turbofish that are swimming alongside the Seacons. With a flick of his powerful tail and a snap of tooth-filled jaws, the fish don't stand a chance. Meager prey for a hungry predator, however, and Overbite is clearly becoming agitated at the lack of excitement.

The Turtle, taking up a position as 'anchor' in the formation he called for, stays behind near the pump. He flashes a light, which calls attention to his location, but he needs to see that, whatever it is. He directs it first to the pump, following the cables to some kind of metallic lump. This does not look good. It could be nothing, but why take chances. < Overbite, I may have the excitement you just called for > His voice on the radio is even and calm, but he is anything but. If that thing is what he thinks it is, Piranacon may be required shortly. However, it may be able to pick up their signals, so he tries to play down what he thinks he's found. Moving back to a greater distance, he fires off a Sonic Shell. To him, that's a warning shot.

Mutant Coelocanth < Skalor > likewise snatchs up a couple of turbofish... if only out of boredom. They're nothing more than a light snack. After swiming around a bit and leaving even darker streaks in the water than it's current filth he surfaces again when Snaptrap shoots off his cannons. "What? Did something show up finally?"

The warning shot barely skims the surface of the lump, but this is sufficient--the lump suddenly comes to life as a MASSIVE CYBER JELLYFISH, its body glowing, pulsating with the energon that courses through its form. It unfurls a huge mass of glowing tentacles, shrieking in the water as it lashes out at the Seacons with them! It tries to steer its body towards them, but it appears that some of its tentacles are stuck in the intake of the pump. It tries to pull itself free to no avail.

Combat: Galvatron strikes Snaptrap with his The Creature's Getting A Little Too Friendly Area attack! [Pulled -5]

Combat: Galvatron strikes Mutant Coelocanth < Skalor > with his The Creature's Getting A Little Too Friendly Area attack! [Pulled -5]

Combat: Galvatron strikes Krakenoid < Tentakil > with his The Creature's Getting A Little Too Friendly Area attack! [Pulled -5]

Combat: Galvatron strikes Lobster On A Stick < Nautilator > with his The Creature's Getting A Little Too Friendly Area attack! [Pulled -5]

Combat: Galvatron misses Shark Mutant < Overbite > with his The Creature's Getting A Little Too Friendly Area attack! [Pulled -5]

Ouch, and it turns out that the tentacles on this Jellyfish, much like the tentacles on its Earth-based counterpart, are prickly and rather toxic!

The *kra-KOW* of Snaptrap's sonic shell attracts Overbite's attention, and as the lithe shark-like body reels around to investigate, Overbite comes face to face with the huge jellyfish, it's eerie glow cutting through the murk. "FINALLY, something I can sink my teeth into!" Overbite snarls, swimming towards the mysterious creature with vast swaths of his tail. The deadly predator circles around the waving tentacles, and dives in to try and take a bite out of it's billowing, pulsating bell.

Combat: Shark Mutant < Overbite > strikes Galvatron with his Don't Go In The Water attack! [Pulled -6]

Combat: You took 0 damage.

Lowering to the ground, Snaptrap transforms into a turtle.

Krakenoid < Tentakil > has no idea what the thing Snaptrap is shooting at may be but then he's not worried, after all nothing can resist his charms and little can resist his tentacles when in his embrace. Then the cyber jellyfish attacks it's tentacles lashing out catching him in it's deadly toxic embrace, "Oh yeah that's what i like to see, come to me my pretty, we shall have such a wonderful time together." Instead of tugging to get away Tentakil swims closer trying to get to closer grips with the jellyfish and perhaps hold it still for his teammates.

Snaptrap is not cruel, he's just indifferent. It makes little difference to him if this thing is a wasting piece of scrap, or released from what appears to be its confines. Struggling against the tentacles that reach out, even from the distance he had pulled back to, Snaptrap wades a little further in, aiming for the part of its tentacles that seem to be stuck in the intake value. Sure, it'll cause it a lot of pain, but if he can sever that tentacle, it'll be able to move more freely, giving his Seacons a better fight, or it may just wander off and they can complete their mission. Either way, he benefits.

Thwap! Skalor gets slapped by one of the flailing tendrils, making him bob around in the water for a few moments before steadying himself out finally. When he finally comes back to the surface he jumps out and snaps his jaws, trying to latch onto some of the those tentacles, both in an effort to hang onto them and try to suck some of the energy out of the thing so it has less energy to fight them with.

The Jellyfish is a little creeped out by Tentakil's advances, and tries to pull him away, but sadly, the Seacon has already clamped on and is squeezing it, and the creature shrieks in pain! Its condition is hardly improved by Overbite taking a bite of its hide, and it begins to bleed energon into the war, the glowing liquid bubbling up towards the surface of the water. The other Seacons are not as successful, however, due to its wild thrashing! Regardless, it makes another try at tentacling everyone!

Krakenoid < Tentakil > smiles broadly as he hugs the jellyfish close and though it struggles and lashes out at him he's just too close for it to get a proper lash, the energon spilling into the water pushes Tentakil even further soon the kill so very very soon. "Still struggling my dear? You don't really want to go do you? No, you love it right here in my arms, i'll take such good care of you." So saying Tentakil braces himself and then flexes trying to tear the jellyfish into as many part as he has arms.

Combat: The next attack against you will automatically hit.

Snaptrap hasn't managed to get a good slicing motion, thanks to the tentacles that seem to bash him about. It's bigger than he is, and so he has little option but to transform. Becoming a robot, he now wields an incendiary sword that seems to be on some kind of special chemical fire, as it burns underwater. ~Let's see if I can clean up this pipe and cut you free, so to speak, in one swift motion, shall we? This is going to hurt~

Snaptrap shifts into his imposing robot mode.

Mutant Coelocanth < Skalor > growls as he gets slapped again, this time hard enough to actually toss him out of the water and landing with a clang on top one of the pipe clusters, bending them out of shape a bit but fortunately not breaking anything. "Tentakil, stop making out with it and kill it already!" Transforming, he pulls out one of his rifles and opens fire. Withouth the slime of the other gun to make them sticky, the scales of metal are actually rather sharp and nasty.

Skalor unfolds into his slime covered robot mode. Ick!

The Jellyfish is cut loose by Snaptrap, though its severed tentacles flail about wildly, bleeding energon as they go. Skalor punctures its body with a spray of razor-sharp scales, and the creature shudders in pain. Tentakil appears to deal the most terrible blow to it, however, as eight chunks of its body are pulled right out of its metallic flesh. Now that it is free, the creature attempts to drift away from the Seacons and begins to try and squeeze its body into one of the many outlets that lead into the chamber. Will the Seacons let it go that easily?

Snaptrap could order the Seacons to kill it, he could order them to break off. Instead, all he comments is, < Keep me posted >. He leaves it to his troops to decide how much fun they want to have, and if Piranacon is needed, he will be nearby. For now, he has a pump to clear out. There's a damn tentacle stuffed up inside of it. He sheathes his sword, and begins grabbing onto pieces of the tentacle, trying to put it straight, rather than at an angle like the creature had done. If that doesn't work, he may have to carve up the tentacle first.

Krakenoid < Tentakil > absently deposits a single chunk into his tooth filled maw and savours the exquisite texture, whilst chasing after his love. His tentacles reach out towards the creature almost a gentle caring caress as they creep towards its surface once more, "Oh i'm sorry did that hurt you? Here let me take away that pain, give me all that you have and i promise i shall never forget you." That said he suddenly pulls himself forwards attempting to bite deeper into one of the creature's wounds.

Combat: The next attack against you will automatically hit.

The tentacles are straightened out easily enough now that they aren't attached to anything, and can be pulled out without much difficulty now. As for the Jellyfish, it manages to shrink away from Tentakil's deadly caress in time, but can it evade Skalor and escape to safety?

"Miserable slimy tentacled thing... no offense, Tentakill." Skalor keeps his scale rifle in one hand as he pulls out the other one as well and put the two together. After Tentakil goes for taking a bite and the thing crawls into another pipe, Skalor opens fire.... to cover the opening with the combination of sludge and scales that'll harden to a point of being very difficult to break. "There, no more annoying things breaking the machines Galvatron wants to work.... for whatever reason." He doesn't care beyond that, really.

So the Jellyfish does manage to escape, then, but it is very badly wounded and its survival isn't a certainty. On the other hand, if it does survive, it will certainly remember the Seacons and the savagery they subjected it to, and maybe one day they'll meet again!

Otherwise, there appears to be no other creatures or obstacles in the way of activating the device, now.

It'll be an idiot to come back, either way... Though then they'd get to finish the job.

Skalor jumps back down into the water after stowing his rifles away once more. "Let's fix the thing and get out of here, I want to eat some stupid Autobots instead."

Snaptrap is reasonably certain that the Jellyfish was the only thing around, and even if it's not, the disturbance in the water that it and his Seacons are creating should be more than enough to distract anything else that might be in the water. He has work to do. With the intake value now clear of debris, he goes about checking on the other values, closing and opening, if he can, it might take more muscle than he alone can exert, but he's following through with Galvatron's orders. He'd like to finish this job in a timely fashion. He doesn't know why they needed to be reprogrammed, but if they can demonstrate their worth, maybe he'll lay off their scales for a while. < . . . Tentakil, status report. >

Krakenoid < Tentakil > sighs wistfully as the jellyfish escapes and is sealed out of the chamber, "Oh not to worry Skalor, i've been called far worse." He looks at the sealed pipe, "Such a pity that she escaped us, i so would have liked to have known her much deeper."

The valves are manipulated easily enough. Just one thing left to do. PUSH THE BUTTON.

Krakenoid < Tentakil > gives up on the chase and swims slowly to Snaptrap, "Status report, unfortunately the prey escaped my clutches, i doubt it will return for some while, if it survives at all. I also doubt that anything else will be coming anywhere near here for a while the amount of energon in the water should be enough to scare away all but the smallest of scavengers."

Hunching down, Skalor changes into a giant stinky fish mutant. Peyoo!

Mutant Coelocanth < Skalor > transforms and swims over again. "Only something even stupider would show up after that fight... and I bet Overkill and Seawing will hunt whatever the slag that was and finish the job, anyways... Can we push the button and go find something worth sucking the juices out of?"

If he were an emotional con, he might put a hand to his forehead. He feels a headache coming on at that statement. < Tentakil, energon attracts scavengers and predators alike. Only prey would be put off by energon in the water. Both of you, see to it that no energon is left in these waters. And Skalor, try not to pollute it further >

Krakenoid < Tentakil > swims up alongside Skalor, a single tentacle snakes towards him almost looking like it's about to strike but it stops short of touching him, "Never underestimate the desperate, but yes this place is far too empty for my liking." He smiles broadly at his correction, "More friends to play with Snaptrap? What would be wrong with that?"

Mutant Coelocanth < Skalor > twitchs his tail. "Not my fault if the cyber-wildlife is too weak to survive in it." He wades back out, and goes about sucking the energon out of the water in the pool. No sense in letting it go to waste on the pitiful lower creatures.

Meanwhile, in his office in Nightsiege, Galvatron is observing a Newton's Cradle which he has sitting on his desk. He was told it might help relax him. However, the metal balls' clacking together quickly grates on him, and the tyrant screams as he leaps out of his chair and smashes the thing flat with several blows from his fist. He pants heavily after this outburst, and then growls, "What's taking those Seacons so long!?"

Turning abruptly in the water, he sends a small, but sharp current towards Tentakil. < You have a choice Tentakil. You can either follow my orders, and deal with the energon you have siphoned off the creature; or you can become a permanent resident. Choose wisely. > He's still a bit shaken by Shockwave having fun with his memory engrams, otherwise Tentakil would not have been offered the choice.

< Decepticon > Galvatron says, "Seacons. You haven't decided to go AWOL again, have you?"

< Decepticon > Skalor says, "We'd make a lousy wall."

< Decepticon > Field Commander Snaptrap says, "No, Lord Galvatron. We had unexpected delays, but we have corrected for them. Skalor, if you can't keep up with the conversation, it's best not to contribute."

Krakenoid < Tentakil > floats backwards on the current making it seem like a defensive move on his part, however he doesn't lose his fixed smile keeping all his emotions bottled away, "As you wish Snaptrap." He turns his back and starts looking for chunks of jellyfish Skalor might be a good filter but he's not much of a chewer.

< Decepticon > Galvatron says, "What? Hnnh, well, hurry up and finish the job! Don't think any excuses will save you if you disappoint me!"

< Decepticon > Tentakil says, "I don't know Skalor, we make a great wall of terror."

< Decepticon > Skalor says, "We'd make a lousy wall."

< Decepticon > Field Commander Snaptrap says, "I didn't offer any excuses, only an explanation."

With all the values inspected, opened, or closed, as required, Snaptrap swims up to inspect the button, which was described to him. But before pushing it, he opens up an access port, ingenuous, these underwater electronics. He's going to check that the software is still up to date and has not become fragmented, or any other problems. Once he's satisfied, he will offer, "Ska . . . Tentakil, would you like to do the honours?" It's perhaps for the best that Skalor come in no direct contact with the machinery, after all. It's also better that one of them turn the blasted thing on, just in case it doesn't work.

Krakenoid < Tentakil > is carefully looking for bits of dead jellyfish when Snaptrap calls to him, "Do the honours? Why i would be delighted to help complete what we're here for, this button here right?" He actually manages to point to the right button before his tentacle gently depresses it, "I really wish i knew what this did."

Mutant Coelocanth < Skalor > looks up for a moment, but doesn't hear his name as Snaptrap cuts it short. Shrugs a bit and goes back to sucking up the energon and slime out of the water.

Cybertronian technology luckily includes circuitry that is immune to shorting out, so the circuitry is fine despite Snaptrap lifting the panel. Everything looks in order, though the underlying technology seems a bit. Nonetheless, the pump comes online! However, the problem is that it's an incredibly powerful pump, and so it begins to suck everything down through its intake, and given the pump's chopping blades, it might be wise to try and avoid being sucked in!

< Decepticon > Field Commander Snaptrap says, "Your pump, Galvatron, is online."

< Decepticon > Galvatron says, "Ah, good. Well, do try and avoid being sucked in, and whatnot. You know, there was probably a remote switch somewhere that could turn it on without having to suffer the risk of being pulled in, but alas, I didn't bother looking into it. Good luck! HEHEHEH."

Whether he realises it or not Snaptrap made the right choice in picking Tentakil to start the machine as if it had shorted out he was ideally built to deal with it. As the blades and pump kick into action he can feel an ever increasing tug, a promise of a sudden and watery death. "Hmm we seem to have a slight problem Snaptrap."

Snaptrap wisely checked out the systems, including the sanctity of its software. Hopefully the hardware hasn't failed as he sends a narrow beam transmission, which should lower the setting so that there will be minimal danger of them being sucked in, < Careful now, I've lowered the setting, but you can still be sucked in. > He of course waits for one of the others to cross first.

Pffff, a little suction isn't going to stop the terrors of the deep!... Hopefully, or this would be a short and disappointing episode. When the water starts to drain out he transforms and engages the anti-gravs that decepticons fly after Snaptrap slows the draining speed. "I wasn't finished drinking that!" But he's not going to try and follow it down the drain, that'd be stupid... and Nautilator isn't there to throw in to jam it first and blame on.

Skalor unfolds into his slime covered robot mode. Ick!

Krakenoid < Tentakil > isn't exactly the smartest of Seacons but he's sensible enough to know that his best chances to cross are to hug the edges where his tentacles can aid him in staying up and move him faster. "Time to go then? Oh well."

The current diminishes! While still fairly strong, it should be low enough now that the Seacons can escape without being chopped into sushi. So it appears that the day has been saved, thanks to... the Seacons!

Pork