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Post by Perceptor on Nov 29, 2010 19:41:05 GMT -5
"It usually does," Perceptor agrees readily enough. Just like repairing Megatron had made sense at the time. And saving the warlord once again, from Brawn's well-intentions deprivations.
Sentinel is not the only one who is beginning to have his doubts, however repressed, about his past actions. Perceptor is, in fact, rather hard pressed to think of a single individual aboard who might have even contemplated doing what he'd done, much less followed through.
"It is a heavy burden to know that one's actions - or lack thereof - could completely alter the course of events for not only yourself, but a entire race," he murmurs, staring off into space. "To balance one's ethics against expediency... one's morals against justice... one's wants against fear."
He is still staring off into the middle distance, when he murmurs, "Have you ever wondered how much different everyone's lives would be, if you could but return and alter a single moment of your past?"
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Nov 29, 2010 19:53:06 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime looks over at Perceptor and answers simply, "All the time."
It's true, too. If he'd just ignored Optimus, ignored the blasted scanner, and gone looking for Elita-1, he would have... would have... found a spidery monster who probably already hated him, and his own government, that he loves so much, would have taken her apart as an abomination in the name of safety.
To really fix anything, he'd have to stop his younger self from going to Archa Seven, and that wasn't Optimus's idea. It was his idea. His fault.
Sentinel Prime shuts his optics off for a moment, and he reminds himself: nothing is ever his fault. It doesn't make him feel better, this time, the way it usually does.
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Post by Perceptor on Dec 2, 2010 17:53:07 GMT -5
"Does it comfort you, the wondering?" he asks, gaze turning to focus back upon Sentinel. He... honestly hadn't thought that the confident - sometimes overly so - mech would have any such regrets.
Would such contemplation be comforting? It doesn't comfort Perceptor to know, to begin to suspect, that he had been so utterly, completely, tragically misguided. No, not misguided. Wrong. He is still uncertain about that, though. It is not the decision anyone else would have made... but does that make it wrong? The outcome... seems to indicate that it had been.
"Hindsight..."
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Dec 2, 2010 18:08:45 GMT -5
"No," Sentinel Prime says stiffly. Doubting himself is never a pleasant thing for him. It's about as pleasant as pulling his optical wires out through his fingertips, with his teeth.
He tries to slide off the table and stand. Sentinel Prime is thinking he needs to get out of here before he says something to the geek that he'll regret.
Sentinel Prime takes a look over at Perceptor and adds, "You're not a truck, so you wouldn't know, but your rearview mirror distorts things, too, and if you spend all your day staring into it, you're going to slam into something right ahead of you."
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Post by Perceptor on Dec 2, 2010 18:42:39 GMT -5
Perceptor could semi-refute portions of Sentinel's comments, but tanks aren't especially known for having rear view mirrors, either.
"Spoken as if I have not already done so," he replies in a regretful murmur. Reality. Pz-Zazz. Future histories and alternate existences... They've all risen up and smacked Perceptor right in the face. He isn't even entirely certain who he really is, any longer, or what he believes. What he should believe. It had all made so much sense at the time, but now... Now the picture is blurred, while the blame grows more clear.
"Your paint should be cured enough to leave," he adds, turning away to see to his tools. "Please notify me if you have any issues concerning the sensory integration of the newly repaired plating."
He makes no more mention of Sentinel's other adjustments, nor does he turn back, allowing Sentinel his escape.
ooc: end scene on sentinel's post?
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Dec 2, 2010 23:07:25 GMT -5
"Cured enough," Sentinel Prime echoes, smirking. "Cute choice of words, Perceptor." Then, he tries to stride out of the laboratory. If he's lucky, they'll have allotted him some recovery time, and he can use that practice some training or work on his reading. Sentinel Prime has much to do! Sentinel Prime pauses at the door and concedes, still smirking crookedly, "If I notice anything wronger than usual, I'll give you a call. You do good work." Discrete work is the best kind. - - - OOC: All right with me. Thanks for the thread!
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