Everybody learns from *somebody*

[lordmegatron]

Passing the doors into the library, Megatron was pleased he had gotten the schedule correct as he saw who was sitting at the desk. If it had been completely necessary due to his own schedule, he'd have come here when he could. But since he didn't have to...

Ignoring the faint itch interfacing hadn't properly gotten rid off, Megatron approached the librarian at a lazy, casual walk. It was a pity he hadn't seen any signs at all that the surprisingly fine-lined truck-alted mech had the inclination he was looking for. Things would have been a lot easier (and, really, pleasing) if he had.

As it was, since there was no one left in the current arena circuit that he trusted with what he had to hand over, perhaps he would have to avail himself of one of the clubs. It made an irritable twitch slither down the treads on his shoulders, the thought that he'd have to do that.

It was ages since he'd had to go to an open venue like that to simply get his needs properly taken care of.

And he really would have preferred the librarian. Orion Pax - it hadn't taken anything to find out the designation when to found the schedule - was witty, somehow diplomatically argumentative and didn't give in if he knew he was right or wanted to stand for his opinion, actually had some smarts to go with said use of words and Megatron wanted to know more.

More, and more personally (most of the earlier he'd simply learned over the few times he'd been in the library when the mech was, but hadn't actually approached him). So this time, he decided to actually use the librarian's assistance in what he was looking for... and perhaps get something more out of it.

"Excuse me?"

Comments

[ichooseboth]

It took him a moment, but Orion eventually caught sight of the place. He frowned, curling an arm around Megatron's to feign a lack of interest in their surroundings.

"Currently occupied?" he asked quietly, vents huffing at the Megatron's explanation of ground sensors. It could have been a perfectly logical reason - if he hadn't already looked up maps to the area back in the library. There were no notes of any significant quakes or seismic activity in the area, and property records would have noted such things in their zoning codes.

"Do I want to know how you found the right path through the sensors?"

[lordmegatron]

"If you think they'd go rounds out here or leave the guard station that has a connection for anything less than a proper alarm, I think you have a too high opinion on them... and people's work ethic in general, Orion," Megatron said with a chuckle, starting them off walking again, but angled off the path when they had the hill with the guard house behind them.

"I spent a short time as a miner early in my function, before I went on to more shinier grounds," Megatron continued as they walked, voice idle and expression faintly amused, "ground sensors are standard equipment in such a location and vocation, so it's merely a matter of keeping out of their range..."

Glancing down at Orion, Megatron smirked.

"And I know how to adjust the sensor nodes in my feet to pick up the presences of ground sensors, which is also something you learn as a miner."

See, perfectly legally acquired information... just used less legally.

[ichooseboth]

"Ah, that makes sense. Useful thing to have. Do lead on."

Trailing off, Orion sniffed, spine straightening in mock-haughtiness as he gestured ahead imperiously.

"And I'll have you know my work ethic is quite high, and I expect everyone else to match it with equal fervor. Even guards in run-down stations."

[lordmegatron]

"That's precisely what I mean," Megatron said, laughing, and changed his grip to hold Orion's wrist as he led the way, ambling along quite relaxed for a few hundred meters before he briefly paused and then veered off slightly to the left.

"And try to follow in my footsteps as precisely as you can. While there's some leeway, it'll be easier if you do so."

Which shouldn't be too difficult, since their size difference meant that even if Orion misjudged a little, he'd probably still step inside the path left behind by Megatron.

[ichooseboth]

Orion just chuckled, squeezing Megatron's wrist in turn.

"I'll be careful," Orion agreed quickly, only slightly nervous about keeping to the path. He wasn't unaware about the size difference between them, and following in Megatron's (literally) footsteps wouldn't be difficult. He was also lighter, and less likely to trigger any seismographs on the sensors.

[lordmegatron]

They changed direction a few times, sometimes sharply veering off between the hills only to loop around on the other side and then continue in a more or less straight line from where they started, until they stood at the base of a hill that had, like quite a few others, remnants of ruins scattered around it.

"If they haven't locked this down, we'll try here first," Megatron said, tilting his helm back to consider the hill, "there's a few entrances to use, and while hacking any locks wouldn't be too difficult, there's no need to hack when we can just try another one that's probably not locked. This way."

Leading Orion through the rusted, pitted remains of worn down walls and parts of floors and a few stairs here and there, they ended up next to the hill, in a wedge made up by the hill itself and a piece of old wall twice as tall as Megatron.

Bending down, Megatron lifted up a few rocks and sheets of metal to bare a hatch set into the ground.

[ichooseboth]

Orion continued to follow as they went, only nearly fumbling once or twice at the unexpectedly sharp changes in their course. Thankfully, it wasn't terribly difficult to recover, and he adjusted his course on time. Ironnically, his biggest challenge occured when they came across the first set of ruins.

He wanted nothing more than to explore, curiosity welling up inside him -and just barely kept himself from stepping off the path Megatron was creating to head right on over. Instead, he settled for pressing close and leaning over Megatron's arm, stretching the bounds of the choses path without leaving the gladiator's side.

"A pity we can't explore," he sighed, following on. However, his disappointment did not last long at all. The discovery of the hatch perked Orion right back up again, and he eagerly joined Megatron's side, helping to set the debris aside.

"Oh! Well now..."

[lordmegatron]

"We could," Megatron said with a shake of his helm as he crouched, hand pushing away a few more smaller rocks and flakes of metal sheeting to bare a control panel, "but that'd take time we don't really have. The sensors are set wider and are far easier to avoid around here. We passed the perimeter a while ago."

Pausing to consider the panel, Megatron twitched his shoulders in a shrug and tested the password he'd found to work a while ago... which it still did, opening the hatch with a quiet beep as the metal slid away and a lift rose out of the ground.

"Ah. There we go. It won't take us far, but it'll get us down," with a nod, Megatron gestured for Orion to precede him inside.

[ichooseboth]

"Well. I'm sure I'll get my fill once we go-" Orion said, optics going wide as he stared down the opened hatch.

"Down. I see."

Switching his optics to alternate readouts, Orion slipped down through the hatch with unexpectedly little hesitation. He fumbled around for something to grip, and slowly lowered himself down via what felt like a rusty ladder.

"I don't suppose it is safe to turn my headlights on?" Infared and nightvision were good and all, but it wasn't light. But he didn't want to accidentally trip anything, either.

[lordmegatron]

"Of course we're going down," Megatron said, amused, moving to start to climb himself as soon as Orion was out of the way, "and it will be, as soon as I close the hatch. I've never had anyone come running as soon as I'm underground, unless the first few underground levels are part of the sporadic patrol routes."

Not that one really needed to see much while climbing down a straight shaft with the help of a ladder, because that was all there was.

Megatron wasn't actually sure if there was anything interesting in the shaft itself; he didn't have much in the way of headlights in either mode, after all, and while he could turn on his chestlights pretty bright, he'd never bothered.

[ichooseboth]

"Yes, exploring down," Orion chuckled quietly, headlights coming on with a flash. He made a face at the ladder and the side of the tunnel, their ancient coating all the more obvious in the light.

"Hopefully it stays that way," he commented. But Orion quickly climbed down, giving the black void down below them only a quick flash of the light - no, no guards or empties or sparkeaters crawling up to greet them from darkness - giving Megatron room to get down and close the hatch after them.

[lordmegatron]

"Here? Yes. Usually the only ones that're patrolled underground is when they're closer to a settlement or inside one, not outside like this," Megatron said as they climbed, apparently unconcerned about what might be below them.

"Usually the precautions are, after all, good enough to catch anyone accidentally straying within the perimeter. You need to be more determined to get properly past the security, and while I'm sure I'm not the only one, we're probably few enough a greater security force or measures would only draw more attention than the government want to be directed at their 'forbidden zones'," Megatron sneered on the last two words, letting out a contemptuous engine rev.

Security measures for unstable underground levels, his aft. What was far more annoying was that, mostly, these forbidden zones went unmarked or unprotested; possible historic value aside, most weren't actually curious what was under their feet beyond raw materials, assuming it was nothing.

"In around a minute we'll be getting down to the first level, so watch your step."

[ichooseboth]

"I suppose that makes sense," Orion agreed, though he couldn't shake the worry that came automatically with their illegal escapade. Bad luck or timing was all that could be needed to cause them trouble.

But thankfully, for once budget cuts and lazy bureaucracy was on their side. And he trusted Megatron's word and experience, so-

"Even if the reasoning for locking this all away escapes me." And irritated him. Knowledge and history was meant to be shared and learned, not hidden away!

The bottom came earlier than he would have expected from his earlier glance down, but he only made a small sound of surpise. Stepping back, he angled his headlights to give Megatron a better view.

[lordmegatron]

"Hmm. The same reason censorship exists, or those who win a war write the history of it as they see fit," Megatron said slowly, hearing Orion thump down on the ground and while he didn't need the extra light, Orion offering it was what he actually wanted.

Because it was so very much Orion.

"And everybody else has to dig to find and and decide what to do with the information." Grinning as he let go of the ladder and fell the last few meters, Megatron turned around, dusted his hands off, and squeezed Orion's shoulder.

"Now comes the real bit of climbing, Orion. Let's see if your altmode's specs can help you here like they probably don't in the library," Megatron said, not at all concerned over having more or less insulted his lover, and walked over to the edge of the cliff they stood on.

The darkness was, of course, absolute beyond Orion's headlights, but Megatron cracked a lightrod and, with a quirked optic ridge, tossed it out into the space. The flickering light of the falling rod lit up what seemed to be a half-collapsed chamber, parts of floors sticking out into the empty central cavity.

The style of this part was probably no older than early Golden Age, so this wasn't actually what they were here to look at.

Then the lightrod fell down into the abyss below.

[ichooseboth]

"That I know all too well, from just my readings alone," Orion said sourly. The mention of said censorship irked him more than any slight to his frame specs and their lack of use - he was rather self aware about his lack of physical activity. Putting his alt mode under any heavy strain was a rare occurrence in his line of work.

"I should hope so-"

Watching the lightrod drop away into the void drew him up short. He leaned and stared as it fell away, only for vertigo to curl up in his tanks when it kept on falling; he abruptly stepped back, bumping right into Megatron's chest with wide optics and a muted clang.

[lordmegatron]

"We're going down," Megatron said, perhaps unnecessarily, but the hand he put on Orion's shoulder when the mech bumped into him was gentle. Firm, to make sure he hadn't lost his footing, but gentle.

"Which is why it's a good think we're properly fuelled and have the frames for this."

Of course, frames built lighter could climb for a long time, that wasn't really the issue. The sort of strain they'd be putting on their frames, climbing first down and then back up again, however, would make it hard for mechs built lighter to keep up.

"I'll go first. That way, you'll have a warning and can go back up should we hit a bad spot."

It was improbable - he knew a reasonably safe way down pretty well, but this place was old and the planet did shift around.

[ichooseboth]

"OH yes, because you plummeting down into the void after the lightstick is a perfectly reasonable way for me to get that warning," Orion huffed, field automatically ruffling with shock and concern at the very idea.

"I admit, you know the path and probably should go first, but framing it like that is not reassuring."

AS he spoke, he reached into his subspace, pulling out a thick tow cable and tow carabiners, tossing one to Megatron pointedly.

"Especially since neither one of us are going to be unsupported in this."

[lordmegatron]

"I wouldn't be plummeting," Megatron said, clearly amused even as he caught the cable and hooked it in place, though with the clear air humouring Orion, "more like slipping, which I have done a few times."

Which probably wasn't reassuring in the least, but this wasn't, actually safe. It wasn't not safe for the reasons the government liked to use, but it wasn't safe any less.

"If you insist, however. You came prepared." Smiling, Megatron waited until Orion had connected the cable to himself and then used it to haul Orion close and kissed him, not-so-gently nibbling on his lower lip.

[ichooseboth]

"Even less reassuri-" Orion started, only to honk in outrage when he was yanked over and kissed. Engine growling at the treatment - unsure if to be aroused or irritated at Megatron's presumption - Orion settled for biting back into the kiss.

He didn't dare give Megatron a shove, but he did tug at the cable right back, clanging them together again away from the ledge.

"Hnm. I do try to be prepared," he grumped into Megatron's chest plate when they finally parted.

[lordmegatron]

At the honk, Megatron outright burst out laughing into the kiss, and his engine dropped down into a deeper, nearly rumbling purr when Orion bit back, feeling absolutely no remorse for his actions.

"An admirable trait," Megatron said, practically humming as he leaned in again, brushing his lips against Orion's crest and reaching up to rub his thumb along one audial finial.

"But, prepared or not, we should get going. It's a bit of a climb to where we want to go."

And that said, he stepped away and back to the edge, hauling himself over it and finding footholds before he paused to flash a grin at Orion and then started to climb down the cliff.

[ichooseboth]

Despite the pleasant shudder working it's way down Orion's spine from the audial fondling, he still gave Megatron a retaliating pinch for that laugh.

"Flattery won't help you," he grumbled.

Glaring with a gimlet optic, Orion waited until Megatron had progressed enough down the incline for him to follow, keeping the cable carefully just shy of taunt between them. He was lighter than Megatron, but with less reach, so getting the same grips was slightly more difficult - but just over the edge, it seemed to be going well enough.

[lordmegatron]

As if the pinch would be noticed much; all Orion got was a wider grin before he disappeared down, mindful of the cable to pause at the right distance so Orion didn't just have space to climb down, but wouldn't be pulled down thanks to the cable.

It'd make things a bit trickier than usual, but if Orion wanted that security - and maybe he did as well, though more for Orion's sake than his - he would let him.

At least there was more than just only a few handholds, so Orion shouldn't find the climb too difficult. The angle of the cliff was probably harder, as it wasn't a completely straight one. It angled both out towards them and in away from them, and while Megatron hadn't just climbed this way before, but was also more used to this sort of thing didn't find it particularly difficult, he made sure to keep his attention aimed upwards, at Orion.

[ichooseboth]

Huffing at Megatron's amusement, Orion stubbornly made his way down.

It was honestly easy enough, even if he was tensed simply because it was a new, unusual thing for him to be doing in the first place. It was pleasant to stretch his joints, so to speak, feeling strain in rarely-used struts and cables.

::So how far down do we have to go?:: Orion commed, not sure if his voice would carry down the awkward angle easily.

[lordmegatron]

::We're going to be climbing for over another breem, at least,:: Megatron paused, considered the speed they were going at and that they needed to take the cable that linked them together into account, and then continued, ::more or less. It's harder to judge when I'm not doing this by myself. The first time I took a cycle.::

But that, of course, was because he'd had no idea how far it was or a good, relatively safe route down.

::Technically we could go deeper, but that would mean walking through corridors and down less obvious paths than simply climbing straight down.::

Which well. He had done that, but not here. He'd had the time and inclination and was sure he'd be able to find his way back. He'd still been lost for nearly two days that time.

[ichooseboth]

::Quite a ways, then.::

Orion tried not to allow his apprehension to get the best of him. He was still enjoying this, after all; the climb was rather exilarating. But it was his nature to worry.

...Even if forgotten corridors sounded exciting.

::It depends on what is in those corridors,:: Orion laughed. ::Anything I might want to see?::