Shanodin
Major
The Chamberlain, Her Chivalrous Immensity, Lady Botanica. The Unyielding Vanquisher of Weed Killer
This is NOT her field of dreams
Posts: 700
|
Post by Shanodin on Nov 2, 2010 22:19:40 GMT -5
Unfortunately for Sentinel, the Carnivaliene really is a rather impressive specimen, and there are quite a lot of vines to be unwound and stretched out. The vine is wary now, though, and it keeps its winding about the Prime's hands to a minimum. Botanica probably helps with that, but she says nothing of it.
Instead, she prompts, "We were discussing your exposure to ethics. Certainly you had some teaching other than "Might and Autobot sigil makes right?"
|
|
|
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 2, 2010 22:28:55 GMT -5
Unwinding plant cables all night, that is exactly what Sentinel Prime wanted to be doing. Didn't they have any wire harnesses that needed untangling? Stopped up pipes that could use unclogging? Maybe he could have just banged his head against the wall - he's sure that would have been more pleasant.
Sentinel Prime is definitely focused on the plant, so he sounds a bit distracted as he admits, "Mmm, not really. We're all just cogs in the big Autobot machine. Ethics was more Alpha Trion's subspace pocket of tricks, and he's a civvy. No offense, ma'am."
Sentinel Prime does not like Alpha Trion! The feeling is very much mutual.
|
|
Shanodin
Major
The Chamberlain, Her Chivalrous Immensity, Lady Botanica. The Unyielding Vanquisher of Weed Killer
This is NOT her field of dreams
Posts: 700
|
Post by Shanodin on Nov 3, 2010 18:07:53 GMT -5
Botanica frowns. "So what, they just point you at obstacles with orders to kill or subdue, and the only right is what they say?" She snorts, "Why do I ask? Is that not always the way of things in such societies."
Botanica doesn't sound judgmental. She sounds sad.
"How do you define right and wrong, Sentinel?"
|
|
|
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 3, 2010 18:30:09 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime holds up a finger and corrects, "Capture, usually. I would, however, kill for a pair of the stasis-cuffs we had back home. Slap them on a 'con's wrists," or his own, gee thanks, Opti-mess Prime, "and he's not going anywhere. The great equaliser."
Of course, one has to get to the 'con's wrists in the first place, and that can be a job and a half by itself.
Still unwinding plant cables and trying to only pay as much attention to what he's doing as he has to, he does protest, "We had rules! We were civilised. Ultra Magnus was always going on about freedom and justice," though Sentinel Prime is starting to speculate a lot of that may have been lip service, "I... if it's within the rules, it's right. If it's against the rules, it's wrong."
Bam, simple, done. Why... does Sentinel Prime have the uneasy feeling that wasn't the right answer?
|
|
Shanodin
Major
The Chamberlain, Her Chivalrous Immensity, Lady Botanica. The Unyielding Vanquisher of Weed Killer
This is NOT her field of dreams
Posts: 700
|
Post by Shanodin on Nov 4, 2010 22:52:35 GMT -5
"Hrm."
Botanica has to boost her height in order to get to the last vines. These are the thickest and oldest of the runners, rather stubborn, and have grown quite a way up the tree trunk.
"In my reality, Megatron imprisoned the entire world population, trapping their sparks in stasis. He preached of a perfectly mechanical ordered, with himself at the helm. He would remake Cybertron in his own image and according to his rules. All the people, those poor souls trapped in the cold dark, were his to twist and use as he saw fit- according to his rules. He could not have his order if his people were allowed to have free will, you see."
She peers down at Sentinel, "I know you prefer order, and you prefer a mechanized world. Was it right of him to do such things and set such rules to obtain that goal? Was it wrong of us few who escaped the net to fight against him?"
"What say you, Sentinel? Would you name me savior or terrorist, according to your last statement?"
|
|
|
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 4, 2010 23:15:24 GMT -5
"Those are Decepticon rules. Er, wait, Predacon? Vehicon?" Sentinel Prime pauses for a moment, trying to remember what the right term is, and then he shrugs it off. "Your team was government-in-exile, fighting to re-establish the proper social order."
That's... about the strangest way anyone could ever describe the events of Beast Machines, but seriously, Sentinel Prime is not going to tell an officer, to her face, that She Was Doing It Wrong, not unless he really has to. Also, on some level, he does believe that whatevericons are criminals and deserve to be arrested, no matter how tempting the dogma they preach may be.
In fact, noticing Botanica struggling with the last of the vines, he offers, "Need a boost, ma'am?" Then he transforms. If she stands on his truck bed, that'll give her some extra height, and it's a nice, flat platform.
|
|
Shanodin
Major
The Chamberlain, Her Chivalrous Immensity, Lady Botanica. The Unyielding Vanquisher of Weed Killer
This is NOT her field of dreams
Posts: 700
|
Post by Shanodin on Nov 5, 2010 19:33:30 GMT -5
Botanica eyes Sentinel a bit warily as he transforms. After a few moments, she does indeed climb into his truck bed so that she can reach the last of the vines. Once the chore is done, she stretches the vines out next to their brethren.
"That's the last of them. I need to dived the clump now, so if you want to transform back and just sit for a bit until I'm done, you may."
As she works she says, "If I recall correctly, flight is almost the exclusive purview of Decepticons in your reality; Jetfire and Jetstorm being notable exceptions. They were under you command, were they not?"
"What if your government decided that there was something inherently subversive in the programming that allowed for flight, and so any Cybertronian which possessed flight capabilities must be deactivated regardless of history or service? Would you consider that right, as a proper government mandate?"
|
|
|
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 5, 2010 19:51:35 GMT -5
The truck just stays parked right there where Botanica does what she needs to. It is sullenly parked, if a truck can be sullen, but it's parked. Once she dismounts, he does transform, into a transform-up, and then he pushes himself back up to standing. Sitting is more contact than he wants with the ground.
Sentinel Prime replies quickly, "Yes, they were under my command!" He wishes they still were! "The wave of the future, flying Autobots-"
He pauses at what she says next, and he looks rather gobsmacked. Sentinel Prime could honestly see his government doing exactly that, and to tell the truth, the Twins may be good kid-bots, but Sentinel Prime knows they come from a bad seed - he even initially argued against their 'creation'.
His mental transmission slips a few gears as he struggles to think what he'd do, and he finally answers, "I'd find a medi-bot who knows when to shut up and get them rebuilt. Given the nature of fight mods, there is the potential for some danger there. If the Science Guild came out with that finding, no one would be too shocked. Optimus's crew attacked them on sight when they first met the Twins, never mind the symbols stamped right on their hips." He mutters, under his exhaust, "Goof-bots."
|
|
Shanodin
Major
The Chamberlain, Her Chivalrous Immensity, Lady Botanica. The Unyielding Vanquisher of Weed Killer
This is NOT her field of dreams
Posts: 700
|
Post by Shanodin on Nov 7, 2010 0:01:43 GMT -5
Botanica does not immediately respond to to Sentinel. In fact, she's rather glad the process of dividing the Carnivaliene is a painstaking one, and requires a good deal of careful attention. Sentinel's answer is rather enlightening- as well as promising. That Sentinel would work to keep the Twins alive in some manner despite mandate means he is capable of some measure of selflessness, however small.
It's also a bit frightening to her, that he could accept such a decree so easily, agree with the spirit wholeheartedly, yet so quickly concoct a way around the letter.
Finally, the work done, she replaces the moss around what remains of the Carnivalienep and bundles the bunches into soft cloths. She turns back toward Sentinel.
"And if they did not wish to live as non-fliers? Our bodies often define us, define our function. We are created, for good or ill, for a certain purpose, and they were created to fly. Is it right for you or anyone else to decree that they must give up their very self or die?"
Botanica's voice is heavy, tired, the words almost sounding rote. It almost sounds as if she's had this conversation before. She tilts her head back toward the path.
"That's all for tonight. We can continue this conversation, if you like, at your next session."
|
|
|
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 7, 2010 0:20:58 GMT -5
"They weren't built fly-bots," Sentinel Prime excuses, rather thoughtlessly. "If they'd rather die than be normal Autobots, I'd tell them to knock it off with the nonsense."
He raises his optical ridges and puts his hands on his hips, explaining, "Ma'am, the whole point of boot camp is you give up your self or you get out. Back in the Great War, there was a draft. There was no out to get." Unless she counts 'out behind the chemical sheds with Warpath'. "I can't say it's wrong to ask a bot to give up his self, and I can't say that I see he even needs to be willing, if the need is great enough."
Sentinel Prime's reaching beyond the strict letter of the laws, drawing some conjecture of his own based on past events, and he's... justifying institutionalised brainwashing. One step forward, two steps back.
He eagerly looks off at the path, and he agrees easily enough, "I'd appreciate it if we did, ma'am. It takes my mind off this... place, no offense."
That's it? He just wants a distraction from the greenery, and he'll take anything, even Ethics 101? Even Sentinel Prime's not that shallow, but he's not all that deep, either. It's insight into how these Transformers think, and it's insight he can use.
|
|
Shanodin
Major
The Chamberlain, Her Chivalrous Immensity, Lady Botanica. The Unyielding Vanquisher of Weed Killer
This is NOT her field of dreams
Posts: 700
|
Post by Shanodin on Nov 7, 2010 22:57:26 GMT -5
"Very well then. I believe the next time I have available for you will be <insert time to be determined later>. Let's head back."
Botanica has much to think about. Sentinel disturbs her on a very deep level, but she can't quite put a finger on why- or isn't willing to do so.
Looks like a wrap?
|
|
|
Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 7, 2010 23:35:52 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime is only too glad to head back - he really does need a long, long shower and then to rack out for a while.
Disturbed? The feeling is mutual, but Sentinel Prime knows exactly why Botanica bothers him.
He's just unwilling to fix it.
Yes, ma'am!
|
|