Skyfire
Major
I'm a scientist, not a....
Posts: 891
|
Post by Skyfire on Aug 30, 2009 21:19:03 GMT -5
"It does look so," Skyfire says, agreeing with Botanica.
Skyfire grins at Jetfire (the big black one). "You do, do you? You and I need to schedule some time together at the nav station--I bet you could fill in some of the blanks in our charts!" His stance shifts, and his optics brighten. "Yes--my original mission was to explore new worlds and star systems for energy sources and signs of intelligent life. I was marooned on Earth in its distant past during a violent polar storm--then found myself here, in a violent polar storm. Exploration has its dangers; I bet you've seen your share."
He peers at Jetfire's fuselage, noting the signs and numbers painted on it. "Judging from your alt-mode, you've also been to Earth. How did you find it?"
|
|
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 Aug 31, 2009 10:26:14 GMT -5
"You know," Botancia muses, not really addressing either mech, "I continue to find it interesting how much dwindling energy resources seem to play a part in the various realities' off-world expansions."
Then she smiles up at the two, "Skyfire has a good idea, Jetfire. We can use all the assistance with the star maps we can get. My own knowledge is from much further in the future than most; my maps are as outdated as Skyfire's just in a different direction!"
Hrm. She should have snagged another drink before taking this hand up. Her glass is almost empty.
"But wait," she frowns, "Why would you be destroying any stars?"
|
|
|
Post by Jasper Stoneham on Sept 3, 2009 21:15:36 GMT -5
"Star maps are good," Jetfire agrees, nodding. He's peering down with amazement and anticipation at the energon Skyfire has handed him, almost too awed to be holding it to mar the moment by taking a sip. "Been a lot of places. S'my function, y'know. Seeker. One end of the universe to the other, as far as my engines will carry me!"
"Ah, but those were the days. Riding the wave of a Pulsar burst, dipping into the nebulae for an ion shower, basking in the IR emissions of a young black hole... Too long, too long. Shouldn't have waited so long, but we didn't have much of this there on Earth, you know," he observes, holding up his cube.
He still hasn't managed to tear his gaze away from the glowing, golden fluid before he finally raises it up, optics dimming as he takes his first draught. "Bloody hell," he breathes, shivering from head to splayed toe, a few bolts dropping free from his structure. "That's choice."
"Marroned, eh?" he murmurs, finally bringing his optics back up and turning an almost wan grin upon Skyfire. "Not by choice like I was, though, eh?"
"And too right you are, Botanica. Dwindling resources and the means to replenish them. That's the root of the war between the factions on my Cybertron."
"See, I'm a Seeker, and it was my job to seek new stars and ensure that the worlds orbiting those stars did not hold life. Because once found, the Primes would come and build a great machine which would harvest the energy of the entire sun to produce energon. That's why we destroyed stars. To fuel Cybertron and the Allspark, the source of life for my race."
|
|
Skyfire
Major
I'm a scientist, not a....
Posts: 891
|
Post by Skyfire on Sept 7, 2009 17:46:36 GMT -5
Skyfire nods as Jetfire reminisces about exploring space. "It's the young stars and the old stars you have to watch out for," he muses.
"No, I lost orientation in a polar storm and landed hard; the storm buried me in frozen atmospheric perciptate," Skyfire answers Jetfire--then his optics widen at Jetfire's explanation.
"An entire star? Isn't that just a bit of overkill? If the conversion process is reasonable efficient... That would be enough to fuel my Cybertron for..." Skyfire finds himself at a loss, almost. "..the best part of the lifetime of a low-mass star. Your energy expenditure must be incredible!"
|
|
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 Sept 8, 2009 11:41:56 GMT -5
Botanica eyes the bolts falling from Jetfire's frame wryly. "Hmph. You, old man, need a proper tune up and overall tightening. I am not going to be constantly recovering bits of you from the flooring- or expect anyone else to do so." She chuckles, the light, melodious sound softening the harshness of her words.
This business of star-destroying doesn't sit well with her, however. It seems a bit excessive, and actually quite lazy. Taking care not to destroy inhabited planets or not, it's still destruction. It's still taking by force what one ought to take time to cultivate in harmony. She drains her cube to hopefully hide the frown which crosses her lips.
"Skyfire," she asks, "Would you be so good as to hand me up another of those pale green cubes, please? I find the flavor quite lovely."
"As for energy consumption, examination of the mode-scanning technology of Bumblebee and the others has indicated that the process requires a great deal of energy expenditure. However, it does not seem that a constant changing of form is common practice."
She looks up at Jetfire, "Also, it does not seem that individuals from your reality require excessive amounts of energy for normal function, and that your operating levels are instead in ratio to most other realities, taking into consideration size and specialized systems, of course."
"Did your planet itself require so much energy, that your people could not explore non-destructive ways of acquiring it?"
|
|
|
Post by Jasper Stoneham on Sept 8, 2009 12:29:12 GMT -5
Ah, in his younger days, such a pronouncement from Botanica would have earned her a slightly lecherous grin and a smarmy, "Are you offering?" But diving through pulsar fields isn't the only thing that Jetfire hasn't done for a very long time.
"I'll get around to it," he replies, instead with a shrug. "Only just got turned loose, you know. Had to satisfy the security requirements, you know." He'd liked Kup a great deal. There was a warrior he could understand!
Not like these youngsters. They never listen, keep asking him the same old questions over and over.
"I'm not a scientist," he eplains with another shrug, pausing to savor another sip of the cube. Prime stuff, this. Prime stuff. Imagine just what shape he would be in now if he'd had access to energon like this all those years!
"I've just enough background to check a planet for life. T'is the job of those that come after to verify and build the Harvester. Been that way for aeons upon aeons, and the Primes dictated when we needed more energon to fuel the Allspark. I couldn't tell you how much energy Cybertron needed, but the Allspark was the well of life."
He pauses, cube halfway to his mouth again as it suddenly hits him. The Allspark was the well of all life on Cybertron.
But now... Now, the Allspark is no more. Destroyed.
"But with the Allspark gone... What will we do?" he whispers, suddenly understanding that his whole race may be doomed... and that his whole purpose back home - wherever that is - is now utterly...
Superfluous.
|
|
Skyfire
Major
I'm a scientist, not a....
Posts: 891
|
Post by Skyfire on Sept 9, 2009 19:26:33 GMT -5
"Certainly," Skyfire answers, reaching for another cube for Botanica, which he hands to her.
He's suddenly distracted by the anguish in Jetfire's voice; hopefully Botanica actually grabs the cube, or there's no telling where it winds up. "Jetfire?" he says, concerned. "I think some of the others from your universe were hoping to learn something from the rest of us--we're not all dependent on an Allspark. In my reality, it's true that Vector Sigma is the best way to endow bodies with true personalities and life, but some have been brought to life by other means--programmed by their own creators. I think Perceptor may have worked on such a project."
|
|
|
Post by Rodimus Prime on Sept 11, 2009 9:13:18 GMT -5
Rodimus Prime, having finally escaped his predator, is now in mix and mingle mode, magenta colored energon cube that would have gone wonderfully with Hot Rod's paint job in hand.
He approaches the tall ships in a sort of meandering fashion, all casual grins and smiles, and gives a friendly nod of greeting to each as he approaches. "Skyfire... Botanica..." he greets, then beams at Jetfire. "And you must be Jetfire? Sorry I haven't had the chance to run by and welcome you before now. I'm Rodimus Prime."
The grin takes on a hint of a boyish smirk at the edges, as he observes, "I would offer you a handshake, but looks like you've got your hands full already!"
|
|
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 Sept 11, 2009 9:48:53 GMT -5
Botanica does indeed take the offered cube just in time to keep it from dumping all over her and Jetfire. She uses the distraction of taking a sip to collect her thoughts, then looks up at Jetfire.
"Do not despair, Jetfire," she says softly, "As Skyfire says, perhaps when we can return to our own times with what we learn here. And if not.... Well, one thing that holds true across the realities is that we are a stubborn and adaptable race."
"You have sparks, like my own reality. Your Allspark seems similar to my own, like a combination of it and the Matrix. So-," she frowns. The old Blackbird is trembling.
"Are you all right, Jetfire?" she asks, then looks at the new arrival. "Oh! Hello Rodimus!"
posing done with permission
|
|
|
Post by Jasper Stoneham on Sept 11, 2009 15:07:38 GMT -5
Is he all right? Is he all right? Jetfire has a bloody, bleeding Prime greeting him like a new friend! The real Prime, the one who is rather than the ones who only carry the name. All thoughts of being made surplus to use fly away like so much cosmic dust in a nova wave. Unfortunately, for the moment, that also means that Skyfire and Botanica may as well not exist, except that Jetfire at least has the presence of mind to not drop Botanica - or his cube.
"Sir! A Prime!" he whispers, clearly awed. "A real Prime! I... It's an honor, sir, a great honor! Kup had said you were here, but... I never... I just... It's an honor, sir!"
|
|
|
Post by Rodimus Prime on Sept 16, 2009 9:25:35 GMT -5
OOC: Skyfire skipped due to time out.
Rodimus's optics open wide at Jetfire's reaction. He turns and looks behind him, because for a moment there he just can't believe that anyone would react to him this way.
Nope. No other Prime behind him. It's definitely Rodimus that Jetfire's reacting to. The Boy Prime turns back, faint, awkward smile now settled in place. "Uhm, yeah, but I mean... I'm just..." he pauses a moment, cycles his coolant, and decides on another plan of attack as a stray thought hits him. He gives Jetfire a concerned look. "Are Primes really inaccessable where you come from, or something?"
|
|
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 Sept 16, 2009 10:02:33 GMT -5
Botanica blinks as Jetfire fawns over Rodimus. Really, this is quite unusual.
Hrm. The display has obvious embarrassed Rodimus, as well. Not surprising really- the young Prime if rather modest, all things considered. She gives Rodimus what she hopes is a reassuring smile and pats Jetfire's hand.
"Speaking of handshakes....Jetfire, why don't you put me down? you are rather limiting your options by holding on to me, after all."
|
|
Skyfire
Major
I'm a scientist, not a....
Posts: 891
|
Post by Skyfire on Sept 16, 2009 20:23:04 GMT -5
Skyfire gives Jetfire a curious look as well. "I'm not sure we had any Primes in my time. I believe it was a wartime rank. However, I sense that 'Prime' is much more than a leadership rank where you come from..."
"Though from what I have heard and seen, Rodimus is worthy of honor," he adds, smiling down at the young Prime.
|
|
|
Post by Jasper Stoneham on Sept 21, 2009 18:31:43 GMT -5
"They're, umm... gone, sir," Jetfire answers Rodimus slowly. "Dead. Except the Fallen, but he hardly counts any longer. Not since the others cast him out when they stole the Matrix from him, then gave their lives to keep it hidden from him. Though I've heard mention of a new one, a descendant of the Primes. But I haven't heard of a living Prime in..." He's gushing again, in a subdued way. "Errr... Um, a very long time."
"A wartime rank? Not for us. The Primes lead us all. Well, they're supposed to, at least until the Decepticons split off under the Fallen. Used to be one, once, back in the day. Decepticon, that is. There's no hope in that life, though, no hope. Too much hate. S'not what life is supposed to be, you know?"
Botanica will probably have to ask to be set down again, if she wants down; Jetfire really doesn't mind holding her up so that she can participate in the conversation, and, besides, if his hand was empty? It would be shaking worse. ESPECIALLY if he did what Botanica seeme to be suggesting and tried to shake Rodimus's hand! "No worries, lass, no worries," he murmurs. "Don't mind a bit."
|
|
|
Post by Rodimus Prime on Sept 21, 2009 23:14:01 GMT -5
"Erm, thank you, Skyfire," Rodimus says, returning Skyfire's smile. "I try my best."
When Jetfire mentions the Matrix, Rodimus's free hand instinctively drifts to his free hand for a moment, even though, based on what he's heard, they aren't really the same thing. In fact, from what Rodimus can tell, his Matrix is more like their 'All-spark' than anything else!
The hand lowers, and he glances towards Skyfire, then back at Jetfire, expression thoughtful. "In my home reality, 'Prime' really isn't a rank at all," he explains. "Not technically. It's a title of the Matrix Bearer. They didn't used to lead, not before Optimus, anyway. It's... it always carried something of the wisdom and personalities of those who carried it, but I don't think it was until he became military leader that people took to calling it the Matrix of Leadership. I'm pretty sure that before that it was mostly just, 'The Creation Matrix.'" Rodimus is here talking about things that happened far before his creation, in a species that tends to forget its past, but between the thing he carries inside and the fact that one of his closest confidants is a really old dude, Rodimus at least has a vague idea as to his own lineage.
Rodimus takes a brief sip of his energon, then turns to Jetfire, the free hand going up to rub the back of neck. He offers Jetfire a broad grin. "So it's a bit of a different situation. We've always got at least one. Just never more than that."
In other words, no need to freak out! It's just Rodimus!
|
|