Perceptor's call to Xaaron

[Perceptor]

Much contrary to Perceptor's current desires, his thoughts keep returning to the seemingly impassable gulf that stretches between the Autobots of his apparent universe, and the others. Are they truly so different? Surely there must be somemanner in which they might bridge this chasm of ideals and philosophies between them.

Perceptor isn't certain how. He's never had a significant amount of skill in dealing even with mechs who seem to share his ideals. His difficulties in managing a cordial relationship with Brawn had been a perfect example of that. Well, a cordial relationship with any of the mechs traditionally devoted to combat rather than study.

Perhaps he truly is unreasonably... idealistic, he ponders with dismay. What, then, of Arcee and her similar vow to assist those in need? What of Synapse and his quiet, self-effacing manner and reclusion? Of Long Haul who had urged the salvation and protection of an immature member of an inimical species?

This is not something he can evaluate alone.

// Xaaron, may I engage a portion of your attention for a few minutes? I... I believe that there are certain philosophical issues which which we should discuss. Preferably before they pose an impediment significant enough to endanger the aggregate of Autobots as a whole. //

[Emirate Xaaron]

Emirate Xaaron's response is in a dry tone, for he replies, //I can certainly spare some time. All I am doing, at the moment, is weaving flowers.//

Which would honestly throw anyone for a loop, whether or not they know him.

//I am glad that you felt comfortable enough to discuss the matter. Would were you thinking?//

[Perceptor]

It certainly throws Perceptor for a loop.

// Flowers? I am afraid that I do not follow... // he replies slowly. There's an almost verbal head-shake in there as Perceptor redirects his thoughts and attention before he's thoroughly derailed.

// I see a schism forming amidst us. Our respective realities of origin are very different, for all their apparent similarities. I fear an eventual division of the Autobots along those lines, and... I fear that we will not survive in such a case. //

There's silence for a moment before he adds, //We are each the product of our realities, and I do not know how to reconcile these differences without twisting the other into something that it cannot be. //

// I cannot cease to be what I am, Xaaron, // Perceptor intones softly. // Regardless of how significant the perception of weakness spawned by such idealism may be. //

[Emirate Xaaron]

//They're red. The flowers are,// Emirate Xaaron notes, as if that explains everything.

//Then we see the same thing. Such divisions have not been uncommon in my own reality, and they have invariably led to trouble. Your counterpart, for example, refused to send out a search party for a lost spy until the Minibots begged him so, and even then, he insisted on only one sweep.// Emirate Xaaron pauses to allow it to sink just what sort of person he typically encounters.

//However, something that experience has taught me is that if you give someone an order he cannot obey for whatever reason, be it ethical or otherwise, he won't. Instead, he goes haring off in his own, and suddenly, confidential technology ends up in Decepticon hands.// Oh yes, he's speaking from experience there, and it shows.

//Keeping that in mind, I will readily work out something that works within the ethical comfort zones of your universe. A plan that isn't quite to my tastes that will actually be completed is so much more preferable than a plan to my exact likings that is ignored and replaced by a plan no one tells me about. See? I can be reasonable, and if Nightbeat gives you any trouble, remind him that he was the one who insisted on helping the natives of Pz-Zazz.//

[Perceptor]

Had it been a deliberate choice, that example? Or merely a logical one to truly illustrate in a meaningful and immediately comprehensible manner the extremes in the perceived differences of their realities?

Perceptor comprehends. He comprehends all too well. He'd already been grappling with those very thoughts. He hadn't thought, though, that his fears would be so... succinctly verified, nor so soon.

// I... see. //

Expedience has been added to the top of his admittedly short collection of vilest profanities.

// Am I truly so very unreasonably naive? // The question is quiet, quieter still than his previous observation about his nature. Quiet enough that it's not clear if he'd even meant to ask it, or if a CPU whirring along deep in troubling ruminations had shunted the thought into the wrong neural pathway, with an unscheduled termination at the vocalizer. Or, in this case, the transmitter.

// Understood, Emirate Xaaron, and I appreciate your frankness. // Mostly.

[Emirate Xaaron]

A bit of Column A, a bit of Column B. Emirate Xaaron hoped that the example would show to Perceptor that he might not consider such actions extreme, were his setting and background a bit different. What is rational to one Perceptor is madness to another.

There is sorrow in Emirate Xaaron's words as he replies, //Oh, Primus no. Not at all. I am as I am so that others do not have to be. The universe is full of wonders, and to see them with untarnished optics is a great blessing. I sincerely hope that I'm wrong and that you'll never need to shield your optics behind jade lenses.//

//You deserve nothing less than honesty, and I hope that you'll return the favour. I need, more than anything, to understand your universe, before I can hope to be of help. Kup and I have discussed compiling background information on the different realities.//

[Perceptor]

There's a long moment of silence then; someone's internal censor needs adjustment, apparently, as he hadn't actually meant to transmit that bit of private dismay. Xaaron's answer to the unintentional slip, however, is... comforting.

// I have been informed that I lack the appropriate skills to dissemble convincingly, // he replies evenly.

Actually, what Sideswipe had really said was that he "couldn't lie his way through the front doors of a Gulibilimech convention with a fake ID and a bribe the size of Cybertron." Perceptor had somehow failed to comprehend the subtle nuances of humor and social interaction inherent in Sideswipe's statement. Sideswipe, in turn, had somehow failed to comprehend the subtle nuances in the humorous application of focused light technology that resuted in in having his hand welded to the wall he'd been leaning against.

Perceptor had considered that fair.

// I shall leave the reliability of that statement to your judgment, // he adds in that same tone.

// If you have any thoughts, questions, or immediate concerns... Perhaps I may begin assisting you to some portion of that understanding? I... I cannot promise agreement with your thoughts, Xaaron, however, I will promise you honesty. //

[Emirate Xaaron]

Emirate Xaaron takes a little while to reply, and when he does, it is prefaced with, //Sorry, we’re having issues with a skybull here.//

//Being unable to lie doesn't have to be a weakness. It means that your words mean that much more. I'd need to get to know you better before I could judge, really.//

//If I wanted a bunch of sniveling yes-men, I'd have been a Decepticon tyrant.// Emirate Xaaron says this calmly, although with a bit of self-disgust. He would be a terrifying one, too, one to make Trannis and Straxus look like amateurs. //You don't have to agree with me. I'm not always right, and I need people willing to tell me when I'm not. Mainly, we're just thinking of writing up histories, with important events and figures, so then when there are new arrivals, as I suspect there will be, we can have a better idea of from when they came and know what command structure they're used to. Me? I'm used to Decepticons who take out their own cities over squabbles, who smelt Autobots alive, who make beaten slaves of the Autobots they don't kill. I'm used to time falling apart. I'm used to Autobots raising the dead out of selfish madness and organic beings dogging us at every turn, allying with the Decepticons of their own free will. I'm used to Optimus Prime committing suicide and losing the Matrix in one go. And, of course, I cannot forget the Chaos God breathing down our neck. It's all par for the course. What's your universe like?//

[Perceptor]

// A 'skybull'? // Sure, Xaaron, distract the mech who is far more fond of hard sciences than deep, philosophical soft science contemplations. There's a brief sound, almost an audible shaking of one's head as Perceptor yanks his thoughts back on track.

// That is... a very hard world, Xaaron. I am sorry your history has gone so darkly, // Perceptor offers after a long moment of silence.

// The Autobots of my universe have been struggling under the threat of extermination for millions of years as well. Shockwave held Cybertron in Megatron's stead, believing, even as we Autobots left behind believed in Optimus Prime, that he would return some day, despite his absence of millions of years. Though time has unraveled, it was stitched back together again. Humans... Humans of our universe, yes, have been known to ally themselves with the Decepticons. Most, however, have cast their support with the Autobots, rallying behind Optimus Prime, until his death, and then behind Rodimus Prime, who inherited his ideals, as have many Autobots over the years. Unicron has come and gone, defeated by Rodimus, and Cybertron and the Autobots are now free, // Perceptor explains.

// My universe seems to have been spared much of what yours has suffered. It is easier for us to retain hope and idealism. //

[Emirate Xaaron]

Emirate Xaaron was totally too busy worrying about the Prime to think of this. His player didn't forget. Honest.

//I am to understand that the Decepticons currently have two channels, one to play 'nice' with Skyfire and one not? It might do well to let that slip to Skyfire. He doesn't need to know how we know. We might have a radio decrypter for all he knows. Just tell him to tune into the A freq, not say anything, and just listen.//

[Perceptor]

// Understood. I will provide him the appropriate information and pass along any pertinent replies, // Perceptor replies. // Thank you. //