Very strange scripting/transform issue - Needs Help

#1 The echo in my makeGem function is also returning the correct numbers...

#2 Ok it looks like I need to explain the whoooole scenario right now...

I have a staticShape with the following code:

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
datablock StaticShapeData( barrel )
{
   category = "StaticShape";

   shapeFile = "~/data/shapes/destructo/barrel.dts";
   emap = true;
};

// Same as MakeWall, but with less options
function makeBarrel(%num, %key)
{
   %newBarrel = new StaticShape() {
      canSaveDynamicFields = "1";
      Enabled = "1";
      dataBlock = "barrel";
      base = "barrel";
      scale = "1.5 1.5 1.5";
   };
   %newBarrel.destructo = 1;
   %newBarrel.money = 10;
   if(%num==2)
   {
     %newBarrel.money = 100;
     %newBarrel.setSkinName(barrel2);
   }
   if(%num==3)
   {
     %newBarrel.money = 1000;
     %newBarrel.setSkinName(barrel3);
   }
   destructo.add(%newBarrel);
   %t = $player.getTransform();
   %x=getWord(%t,0);
   %y=getWord(%t,1);
   %z=getWord(%t,2)+ 0.5;      //tweak for height
   %a=getWord(%t,3);
   %b=getWord(%t,4);
   %c=getWord(%t,5);
   %d=getWord(%t,6);
   %t = %x SPC %y SPC %z SPC %a SPC %b SPC %c SPC %d;
   %newBarrel.setTransform(%t);
   %newBarrel.key = %key;
   return %newBarrel;
}

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Then I have this in my weapon projectile's onCollision:

//%otherObj = object getting shot
   if( %otherObj.health > 0)
   {
     %otherObj.health -= 10;
     if(%otherObj.health <= 0 )
     {
       $itemSpawnPos = %otherObj.getPosition();
       %otherObj.schedule( 50, delete ); //schedule this or else the game may crash
     }
   }
   if( %otherObj.destructo)
   {
     echo($player @" shot a destructo object");

     //make explosion effect, sounds, and spawn pickups
     // PLEASE!!!

     if(%otherObj.money>0 && %otherObj.key==0)
     {
       echo("Destructo object location: "@ %otherObj.getTransform());
       spawnMoney(%otherObj.money, %otherObj.getTransform());
     }
     if(%otherObj.key)
     {
       makeKey(%otherObj.key,%otherObj.getTransform());
     }
     %otherObj.schedule( 50, delete );
   }

Continued...

#3 So now we have a destructo Barrel that spawns money when shot:

function spawnMoney(%amount,%xform)
{
  %num = getRandom(1,40);
  if(%num==40)
  {
    echo("Got a perfect 40, do something special");
  }
  else
  {
    makeGem(%amount,%xform);
    echo("Should've made a gem at: "@ %xform);
  }
}

Which in turn leads to the makeGem code I wrote above:

datablock ItemData(gem)
{
   // Basic Item properties
   shapeFile = "~/data/shapes/pickups/gem.dts";
   mass = 1;
   elasticity = 0.2;
   friction = 0.6;

   // Dynamic properties defined by the scripts
   pickUpName = "Gem";
};
function makeGem(%money,%xform)
{
  %newGem = new Item() {
      canSaveDynamicFields = "1";
      Enabled = "1";
      dataBlock = "gem";
      rotate = "1";
      rotate2 = "0";
      scale = "0.5 0.5 0.5";
   };
   pickups.add(%newGem);
   %newGem.money = %money;
   if(%money==100) %newGem.setSkinName(gem2);
   if(%money==1000) %newGem.setSkinName(gem3);
                          
   %newGem.setTransform(%xform);
   echo("Set the new gem to xform: "@ %xform);
   return %newGem.getTransform();
}

function gem::onCollision(%thisDB, %thisObj, %otherObj, %speed, %vec)
{
   if(%otherObj==$player)
   {
      $player.money+=%thisObj.money;
      //play pickup sound/effect
      %thisObj.schedule( 10, delete );
   }
}

Now... if you follow the logic, you end up with the following echo statement results:

==>makeBarrel();
==>makeBarrel();
==>makeBarrel();
==>makeBarrel();
==>makeBarrel();
2272 shot a destructo object
Destructo object location: 589.427 1000.67 30.8561 0 0 1 3.67398
Set the new gem to xform: 589.427 1000.67 30.8561 0 0 1 3.67398
Should've made a gem at: 589.427 1000.67 30.8561 0 0 1 3.67398
2272 shot a destructo object
Destructo object location: 589.427 1000.67 30.8561 0 0 1 3.67398
Set the new gem to xform: 589.427 1000.67 30.8561 0 0 1 3.67398
Should've made a gem at: 589.427 1000.67 30.8561 0 0 1 3.67398
2272 shot a destructo object
Destructo object location: 589.427 1000.67 30.8561 0 0 1 3.67398
Set the new gem to xform: 589.427 1000.67 30.8561 0 0 1 3.67398
Should've made a gem at: 589.427 1000.67 30.8561 0 0 1 3.67398
2272 shot a destructo object
Destructo object location: 589.427 1000.67 30.8561 0 0 1 3.67398
Set the new gem to xform: 589.427 1000.67 30.8561 0 0 1 3.67398
Should've made a gem at: 589.427 1000.67 30.8561 0 0 1 3.67398
2272 shot a destructo object
Destructo object location: 592.997 1003.8 30.1817 0 0 1 3.84358
Set the new gem to xform: 592.997 1003.8 30.1817 0 0 1 3.84358
Should've made a gem at: 592.997 1003.8 30.1817 0 0 1 3.84358

However, if you look in the 'destructo' SimGroup, the objects are all there, but with the following positions:

781.369 1577.91 50.0117
279.456 -1277.32 2022.16
245.364 1153.91 59.4073
-570.638 386.445 -846.426

If the numbers weren't so completely random... I might have some ideas... as it were... this is completely baffling...

#4 The crazy thing is, I wrote this code for a different game using TGEA 1.8.1 and the code WORKS in that game... I simply copy/pasted all the code to my new project and now getting this CRAZY issue...