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Post by Jetfire (Ani) on Dec 4, 2010 23:20:49 GMT -5
There's a lot of serious conversation going around here right now! Jetfire does his best to keep track of both the comm thread and what's being said out loud. He nods along with Jetstorm's explanation about getting Sentinel help fast.
"Maybe it would have being better in this case to have broken the law," he says. Sure, he had chosen to be obedient and law-abiding at the time, but hindsight can make people doubt their decisions, especially when those decisions resulting in unpleasant experiences. And Jetfire never, never wants to see Sentinel Prime like that again, let alone be stuck with him for ages and unable to help.
Thinking about his time in the asylum is bad enough. Sentinel's question over the comm just floors him. What sort of hypothetical situation is that? Frowning, he adds to Jetstorm's response, //And we are being loyal Elite Guard officers! We would never be out-flipping and hurting fellow Autobots!//
When Botanica shows up he gives her a smile, but it's a rather shaky one. "Ah, Botanica, sir!" What, he's distracted and it's his usual address for people of higher rank! "Are you needing any seeds to be set on fire?"
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Dec 5, 2010 0:31:41 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime quirks his brow as Botanica mentions that she usually doesn't schedule them for overlapping shifts. He does salute her, despite her previous protests on the matter, but he drops it on his own, continuing the conversation. "Why not, ma'am? Afraid I'd spend all my time yakking with buddy-bot there and not enough attention on the task at hand?" Friendly stuff. That friends do. Or is she afraid Sentinel Prime would try to shove Optimus into the swamp as soon as she turned her back? Because Sentinel Prime's not that dumb, honest! He knows she knows all that goes on here, if she wants. She just said so. He looks down at the finger jabbed at him and fairly coos, "Ooooh, defensive. Do I really intimidate you that much, or are you just having a bad day? Because pal, if you need to go chill out, I've got this. Despite what you seem to think, I'm plenty familiar with hard work. You might even say doubly familiar." Optimus Prime can get on his cleaning fluid box about hard work when he's pulling double shifts, with a part-time TSA job during his free time. "Anyway, plants can do whatever they want, Optimus. Try to keep up. They'll even warn each other if you break one. And beat you in the face, if they're Whomping Willows." 1Sentinel Prime frowns and reminds the Twins, "You could have ended up on trial like me. You don't want that. Trust me." //Perceptor and Wheeljack both expressed concerns, during the rebuild, that the introduction of Decepticon code could have basically made you two into Decepticons. Them and Red Alert didn't know what they were doing. You were an experiment to them. I'm happy it turned out well for you, but it could have easily gotten ugly. Just imagine, one moment, you're a refinery-bot, and the next, you wake up feeling like a murder spree. It's not you, you know that, but you just can't stop yourself. That could have happened.// - - - OOC: 1 Reference made with Botanica's player's permission.
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Shanodin
Major
The Chamberlain, Her Chivalrous Immensity, Lady Botanica. The Unyielding Vanquisher of Weed Killer
This is NOT her field of dreams
Posts: 700
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Post by Shanodin on Dec 5, 2010 21:44:06 GMT -5
Botanica laughs and tries to pat Optimus on the arm. "Not quite like that, not really, but they do have sensors of a sort, and they do communicate with each other. There are species that fold in on themselves at the barest vibration, and some that snap jaws shut on biting pests faster than you can blink."
She turns toward the twins, "And no, I don't need any seeds set on fire. I do need some carefully applied heating and cooling, however."
"We'll need to go into the far corner, past the bramble patch, if you are all agreeable?"
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Dec 6, 2010 19:46:06 GMT -5
Typical Sentinel. Always twisting everyone's words to make himself look good. Optimus is just going to have to be the bigger 'bot, as always. He sighs, letting out a gust of air from his vents as he falls back into his old Dealing With Sentinel Prime Mode: ignore half of everything he says, and take the other half with a grain of salt.
The Prime allows himself a smile as Botanica pats him on the arm. "Let me just drop these weeds on the compost pile and I'll catch up with you, ma'am."
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Post by Jetstorm (Ani) on Dec 9, 2010 18:37:22 GMT -5
Jetstorm frowns when Sentinel puts forth that they might have wound up like him. He is doubtful they would've wound up like that, as he and his brother have more combat-focused powers! And could fly out of the Sharkticon pit!
Either way, he defers the point for the time being. No sense getting hung up on the past, right?
And...well, he's done well about keeping neutral about the radio conversation, but he can't help a rather gobsmacked look. //But... I was being under impression...// His head shakes, and he steps back, away from Sentinel Prime. He speaks again, this time forgetting to use his radio - "If... If they were not knowing what they were doing, why did they do it to us?"
Botanica's request falls on deaf audios - Jetstorm's a bit busy right now.
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Post by Jetfire (Ani) on Dec 9, 2010 21:04:44 GMT -5
Anything else that Jetfire might have thought or said is quickly wiped away by Sentinel's revelation. He stumbles back a few steps, keeping by his brother's side, looking rather like someone just socked him in the belly.
Wake up and go on a killing spree? Never, he was a good little Autobot! He, too, forgets to keep this conversation private. "But I could not... we would never..." But if the Decepticon code had made him like a Decepticon, had changed who he was, then maybe he could have!
He remembers something Sentinel said, back in the asylum, about the badness-bot who could get into your head, make him want to kill his brother. Messing with people's heads was a Decepticon thing to do! If the Autobot scientists really hadn't know whether-or-not the Decepticon code would mess with their heads, then... then...
Jetfire stares at Sentinel with a betrayed expression.
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Dec 9, 2010 21:50:14 GMT -5
It's good thing Optimus Prime didn't push Sentinel Prime on the hard work issue. That could have gotten ugly. He should tell Botanica that the Twins probably aren't enough in fine detail control of their powers yet for her purposes, and he's thinking about how to do so without getting pummeled by an offended Safeguard.
Then Sentinel Prime covers his face with his hands, groaning as the Twins let Ravage out of the cassette deck. He spends a moment twitching, trying to compose himself, before barking, "What part of 'need to know' was unclear, you piston headers? Argh, I just-"
He paces back and forth on the path, going through the motions of getting himself calmed down. Once he feels an acceptable amount of time has passed, he explains, tone a bit leaden, "With Decepticon violence escalating throughout the galaxy, Ultra Magnus thought it was prudent to examine new combat paradigms for the Autobots. He wanted flying Autobots, which went against millions of years of Autobot tradition. Decepticons fly. We don't. The flight software involves different code, involves thinking differently. Or that was the worry. Anyway, Ultra Magnus didn't think we could risk fully trained Autobots on the project – what if the flight mods drove the recipients into Decepticon-like acts? So he wanted civilians for the trials. His exact words were, as I recall, 'Find me someone expendable.' Jazz and I were against this, of course."
Sentinel Prime's not lying. He really was against Project: Safeguard. He was against it because it went against tradition, but that was Jazz's reason, too. "We were overruled. You two were picked for the project because you're twins, and you needed full-body overhauls after your accident, anyway. Your virtually identical code let them experiment with variations in the flight protocol data merge. You know why I was your sarge? Why you didn't go through normal boot? So if the project failed, everything could be swept under the floor plating."
He concludes, expression turning into a grimace, "Project: Safeguard... was wrong. There's nothing wrong with flying Autobots – you two show that. Every flying Autobot here shows that. It's not the code or the mods that make the bot. But Project: Safeguard was wrong because you two were never given a choice or briefed on the dangers. Ultra Magnus should have given everyone with the clearance to know about the project the option of participating in a trial of new mods." Sentinel Prime wouldn't have, but hey, maybe Jazz would have wanted to have been a flying car, once he thought it over? "Deciding that he could risk civilians when he couldn't risk Autobots was just skidplate backwards. What's the point of Autobots, then? We're supposed to protect civilians, not put them in danger."
Sentinel Prime doesn't believe everything he's saying. A lot of this is just a good chance to rant about How Ultra Magnus Was Doing It Wrong. Some of it is a chance to suck up to the freedom-loving Botanica. The little that he does actually believe, though, is still more than enough to haunt him for life.
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Shanodin
Major
The Chamberlain, Her Chivalrous Immensity, Lady Botanica. The Unyielding Vanquisher of Weed Killer
This is NOT her field of dreams
Posts: 700
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Post by Shanodin on Dec 10, 2010 23:26:43 GMT -5
"No hurry Optimus. We can wait for you," Botanica assures, "It's nothing pres-"
Her words are interrupted by the twins spark-wrenching entreaties and Sentinel's frustrated groan. Her eyes narrow. Sentinel did not speak much of the twins during the earlier session in the biosphere, but he did mention that they weren't built as fliers....
Sentinel's explanations confirm her suspicions.
"Expendable," she snorts, "I do not think I would like your Ultra Magnus very much. All life is sacred; no spark is expendable." She does not press the issue, however. Botanica can't help but be impressed a bit with Sentinel's apparent progress in the land of personal ethics.
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Dec 11, 2010 19:53:02 GMT -5
Optimus would like to be shocked and appalled by what he's hearing about Project: Safeguard, but in reality he's just appalled. He already had some knowledge of how the great Autobot machine works. Indeed, he used to fly around the galaxy fixing space bridges in a comatose mentally handicapped war hero who got swept under the rug when he became inconvenient. Sadly, the only real options other than being an Autobot are to be a Decepticon or be a civilian.
He's proud of Sentinel for realizing what he's talking about is wrong. He never knew his old buddy had it in him! Of course, he doubts Sentinel would appreciate Optimus saying he was proud. (That would more than likely garner a comment about how Sentinel doesn't need Washout Prime's approval.) Instead, he just nods in silent agreement and looks over at Jetfire and Jetstorm, ready to help if they need him.
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Post by Jetstorm (Ani) on Dec 12, 2010 8:44:46 GMT -5
Jetstorm flinches slightly when Sentinel Prime snaps. Can you blame a guy for being flabbergasted enough to forget to use the radio by telling him something like this?
After Sentinel explains, Jetstorm stares down at his hands - hands that used to be for refining energon, now rebuilt as weapons.
"So... We were rebuilt to be fighting badness-bots. And if it was to go badly..." Jetstorm says, looking over at Jetfire. He looks rather shaken. "We would not be being here."
His shoulders slump a bit.
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Post by Jetfire (Ani) on Dec 13, 2010 22:16:26 GMT -5
Jetfire just gives Sentinel a look, like a kicked puppy. An angry kicked puppy. Not that he's actually angry at Sentinel. He's just telling them how it is, he's not responsible for the whole thing. Jetfire is just... hurt. He's been pretty loyal and obedient all his life. He did his job on the energon farm, and was content with it even if he did dream of the cyber-circus now and then. And he was happy to join the Elite Guard and fight for justice and peace and stuff in the name of Cybertron! And now he's finding out that for all his loyalty, it only ran one way.
He steps closer to Jetstorm and places a hand on his shoulder, directing his conflicted stare towards the ground.
He doesn't mind the being rebuilt-as-a-weapon-part. He got a cool upgraded form, awesome powers, the ability to fly, and the chance to do new exciting things for it! But the fact that he was expendable, and the fact that they were willing to mess with his head without knowing the consequences? That he's having trouble dealing with. It just seems so... Decepticon.
"I would preferring to die in refinery accident than waking up as murderous badness-bot," he mutters angrily. Because either way, the him that is him would be dead, wouldn't it?
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Dec 13, 2010 23:05:47 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime braces himself a bit for all the flak he's going to be taking. At least Optimus is quiet. Sentinel Prime would rather that garbage bot was out of the picture, but if he has to deal with him, seen but not heard is not bad. He shrugs as Botanica says she wouldn't like Ultra Magnus very much. Sentinel Prime also doesn't like Ultra Magnus very much! He just has completely different reasons why.
He looks at the Twins helplessly. Despite how much he resented having to teach them, how much he knows caring about people will only get him into trouble and pain, Sentinel Prime's more fond of them than he'll even admit to himself. He'll yell vitriol at them and treat them like whipping boys, but slaggit, they're his bots, and they're good bots, too. He didn't mean to hurt them right now. Foot in mouth somehow became a knife in the back here.
Sentinel Prime fumbles, "I-I didn't mean to-" To what? He finishes lamely, "The truth hurts, but..." C'mon, Sentinel Prime, old boy, go somewhere better with this! "...but you two deserved to hear it. Might not mean anything here, but you're Guardsmen, once and always, and for suffering the highest risks for the Autobots, you deserve the truth from me. It's the least I can do."
The very least.
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Caution: Hero makes wide right turns.
Posts: 385
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Post by Optimus Prime on Dec 15, 2010 22:03:29 GMT -5
"Do you three need to be left alone?" Optimus asks, not really sure what to say. "If there's anything I can do . . ." But really, what's he going to do? Fetch them some energon cubes? So he just stands there, awkwardly holding his bale of weeds until he finally moves to dump them in the compost pile and return.
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Shanodin
Major
The Chamberlain, Her Chivalrous Immensity, Lady Botanica. The Unyielding Vanquisher of Weed Killer
This is NOT her field of dreams
Posts: 700
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Post by Shanodin on Dec 16, 2010 10:59:36 GMT -5
Botanica moves up to try and place a comforting hand on the shoulder of each of the twins. She is a Mother, and she cannot resist a Child in pain.
"Well said, Sentinel," she says softly as the blue Prime finishes, "But in this, you have done no wrong. All too often in war, the end justifies the means. It does not make those means any less terrible, or any less cruel. At least you recognize that it was wrong; not too many would."
Looking from Optimus to Sentinel and back, she suggest, "Perhaps we should reschedule our sessions? The task is not all that pressing."
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Post by Jetstorm (Ani) on Dec 16, 2010 17:16:27 GMT -5
Jetstorm doesn't look up for a few moments, and when he does, he looks over at Jetfire, then Botanica, and Sentinel Prime. "Miss Botanica is right, I am thinking. I am not mad at Sentinel Prime..." He looks aside, making a sour face. "But at Ultra Magnus, and others who are being responsible for this."
He clenches his jaw and his fists, turning to Jetfire. "Maybe we are being better off in this place than home, if home command is like that."
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