Are Your Papers in Order?

[Rodimus Prime]

It would be a lie to say Rodimus's attention never wanders at all, although he does manage to hide it well. However, he does follow the whole thing - he's a bright boy, after all, with a somewhat technical bent. He looks over the proposal as he listens, nodding from time to time, but otherwise seeming lost in thought.

"One question. Just how /big/ is this thing going to be, anyway? Even as large as the vessel's going to be, space is going to be at a premium. Oh, and as far as the vacuum purge goes... how powerful will that be? Spy Shot's small enough and light enough that a relatively mild suction could still be a threat to him."

[Shanodin]

"Mmm, dimensions, dimensions...where are they?" Botanica mutters, flipping through the pages, "Ah! Here we go!" She pulls out several pages, then also pulls up some corresponding data on one of the datapads.

She sits again, looking less tired then before. Obviously talking about and defending her passion is giving her a bit of a second wind.

"You've got all the data there on the various species I've specced for inclusion and their territory requirements. Obviously, I can trim things down as needed, but I was hoping for a two to three acre bay. Three being the optimum. I can't manage a living environment on less than one and a half. And that's not counting the possible inclusion of Claw Jaw's lake. I confess, I had quite forgotten about his needs until the other day."

She frowns, "Spy Shot is a concern, of course, and I have considered his diminutive size quite a bit. However, I must point out that, well, he's been running about here and the forest area pretty much at his leisure and without a bodyguard. He'll be in no more danger in the biosphere than he is here."

"But the purge to vacuum is an issue, and I've designed him his own entrance, so to speak, a small tube along the side of the vacuum airlock, with it's own seals and controls, sized just for him or others in his size bracket. It should allow him safe entry and exit without fear of him getting sucked into space. I will test the hell out of it on land, of course, before he tries it out."

[Rodimus Prime]

"So what's the absolute minimum with the lake?" Rodimus asks, frowning at the size estimates. On the one hand, they'll have to include water somewhere on the ship for Clawjaw, anyway, but on the other hand, including it in the form of a lake means added space, as they'll then be adding in fish and whatnot. "We can probably go light on the underwater species. I realize you're trying to help provide for our recreation as well, but... an acre and a half is a lot of space in space!"

The Prime gives Botanica a faintly puzzled look as she compares him running about in the biosphere to him running about here. Since the small robots he's used to dealing with are Micromasters, he tends to just assume a fair level of competence from robots, no matter their size. "I wasn't worried about him inside the biosphere itself," he points out. "Just the airlock issue. It sounds like you've considered that, though..." and then he frowns at the solution. "This is going to take quite some doing for our builders," he observes a bit tiredly, the Prime now less energized than when the meeting started.

[Shanodin]

"It will take a lot of work, no doubt about it" she agrees, her tone a match to Rodimus's tired one. "But I will do as much of it as possible on my own, once the base shell is completed. I do not want to impede our progress by pulling them for what is, essentially, a personal project." A pause and she adds, "Oh, and Perceptor has offered to help, when he can. That is if he can be spared from other duties."

"As for size with a lake...," she does some quick figuring on her datapad, "Well, I ought to be able to keep it to two, or slightly under. Bodies of water need not be over large to create their own functioning ecosystem; they just need the proper parts."

Botanica studies Rodimus for a moment, then reaches over and tries to place one of he hands over his. She says softly, "I am sorry Rodimus, to be such trouble. I would prefer to lessen your worries, not add to them."

[Rodimus Prime]

Rodimus rubs the bridge of his nose. "We're going with minimal, not optimal, Botanica," he sighs, "and if you could find ways to minimize it more, I'd appreciate it." Botanica - Minimize! "It's going to be impossible to keep this thing hidden in the later stages."

"I'm going to go with a 'no' on the nannites. I'm... still not convinced you've completely thought through the implications of what you're proposing." Then Rodimus offers Botanica a faint smirk. "At least... I hope you haven't, considering what you haven't mentioned."

Then he looks down at the proposals and shakes his head, drumming his fingers on the table-top. "I appreciate that you're not trying to make things difficult, Botanica, but..." he sighs again, trailing off.

[Shanodin]

Botanica frowns when Rodimus nixes her nanite plans. She doesn't look upset, just highly puzzled. Other implications...she really doesn't understand. It's the perfect way to track everything, keep up with all the creatures, monitor....oh.

Oh!

She hangs her head, an embarrassed look on her face. "I see. Or think I might, upon further reflection. Is this where you tell me I have pulled a Perceptor, and are thankful that I at least discussed my work before creating a possible security problem?"

It's meant to sound a bit teasing, cover up her gaff. She hadn't thought....really how could she have missed such a thing? Too worried about caring for everything, perhaps...still- it's no excuse. She sighs heavily.

"You appreciate it, but that doesn't change that I am a bother. I will do all that I can to minimize things Rodimus, I really will, but...but if it turns out to not be feasible, then I will stay here. At that point, I am a liability, not a help, if I try to accompany you all."

[Rodimus Prime]

Rodimus chuckles faintly. "Well, I am glad you mentioned it before actually going and doing it, yes."

He frowns as Botanica mentions staying behind. "Actually, we will probably have to... to leave personnel stationed here in order to intercept newcomers, but I don't like... don't like the idea of not even having the option to bring any person along if needed. We don't know what we'll find once we get to where Cybertron should be, and I'd rather be able to switch out whoever we want to if we need it. If you don't do this, we don't even have that option."

[Shanodin]

"I expected that some would be left behind," Botanica says with a sharp nod, "I simply would prefer not to be among them. I will make this work, if it at all possible."

She reaches over and picks up Rodimus's datapad again, the one with Master Partner specifications. She chews on her lower lip a moment before asking, "May I copy these? I have an idea..." If Rodimus agrees, she will hook her own datapad up with his and start a file transfer.

"Rodimus, I wanted to ask how you were doing. We've been so busy and all since the alternates were sent back, that I've not been able to check on you." She frowns, "You seem tired."

[Rodimus Prime]

Rodimus nods. "We'll figure something out, Botanica. It just might be... a bit less than ideal."

As she picks up his datapad, the Boy Prime gestures at it. "Sure, help yourself. We already know that the Decepticons are sharing technology between realities, and we really need every edge we can get."

Rodimus forces a faint smile at Botanica's final question. He heaves a sigh and answers, in honesty, "I am tired, Botanica. But... I'm all right. I'll be all right."

[Shanodin]

Botanica reaches out again, once more trying to cover his hand with one of her own. "You are allowed to rest from time to time you know," she says, tone only slightly teasing. "We'll not fall to ruin if you decide to take a nap."

She knows, however, that it is not just physical tiredness that etches lines in the Prime's face. That is what concerns her most, really.

"It is perhaps not my place, Rodimus Prime, to worry over you, but worry I will. It is in my nature to care for those under my leaves, and just because you and Xaaron outrank me, this does not mean you stand outside the spread of my branches."

[Rodimus Prime]

Rodimus allows Botanica to place her hand on his, and even turns his hand over to clasp hers, giving a sheepish grin back for her teasing. Her last words, hover, cause a remarkable change. He tenses up and pulls his hand from hers.

"I... Botanica, worrying is fine, but... jumping over my head to ask Emirate Xaaron to call for a retreat because you doubt I can handle what's going on..." Rodimus shakes his head, optics sorrowful. "That's another matter entirely."

[Shanodin]

Botanica frowns, looking very confused, "But...no...I never said such a a thing." She pulls back her hand, "There has never been a doubt as to your strength, not when I can practically feel your will."

She sighs, "Either my own pain caused me to be unclear, or he took the words in other context. I...will admit to perhaps not thinking as clearly as I should have, there at the end."

[Rodimus Prime]

Rodimus leans back, stretching his legs beneath the table and throwing his head back to study the ceiling, his expression thoughtful.

"It was a tough battle for all of us," he allows, voice soft. "Not as devastating as the one in Zoo city, but it was long, and stressful." He looks over at Botanica and smiles faintly. "When you step back and look at it, the whole business actually went off as close to being as planned as... well, any plan does once it hits the battlefield. Closer than we could have hoped. But in the thick of things, you only see the chaos."

He waves a hand absently. "It doesn't help that I hadn't told Emirate Xaaron that you knew yet. I had meant to, but with everything going on..." he shrugs, optics still on the artificial tunnel ceiling above. "That's my fault, though, and 'I forgot' is a pretty poor excuse for something like this."

[Shanodin]

"I....I am sorry. I did not realize he did not know. My call to Xaaron- it was not intended to cause you trouble."

"I was concerned about having two such powerful items, from two different realities, so close for an extended time," she continues, "The Matrix....the way it is as I understand... it is almost like it's own mini-dimension, a repository. The damage that simply having our alternates here must have done to the walls between realities...the risk of backlash from two Matrices...." she shakes her head.

"I could not see why we would not send them and all their related back as soon as that device was completed, Shockwave and his interference be damned. And, to be quite honest, Xaaron's seeming lack of worry over the well-being of people who are under my direct command was not setting well. At all."

[Rodimus Prime]

"In front of the troops isn't the place to show worry," Rodimus answers, voice calm, patient, tired, and more ancient than he should be. "Worry implies doubt, and doubt isn't what you guys need." His optics shutter and he straightens, leaning his head forward. "Lead very long in a war, and your hands are stained with the life fluids of others. Not just the enemy, but your own troops. It never goes away. Most people can't see it, but you always can. You can see it, feel it... always. Every battle, every encounter, you have to give someone an order that might lead to their death... and sometimes you have to give them an order that you know will lead to their deaths. People... have to be sure they're risking and dying for the right reasons, that there's a greater good to be served. And when someone raises questions, uncertainty starts to worm its way from one mind to another." Rodimus shakes his head. "I'm not saying troops should follow blindly, but there's a time and a place for questions... and a time when they do more harm than good."

Rodimus lifts his head. "We did not send them back immediately because while we were allied and they were broken, we had the opportunity to bring certain victory to both sides. For some of you, this war, this conflict... it's a new thing. But for Emirate Xaaron and I... we've been doing this for millions of years. We come to a whole new universe... and still it goes on. The end is like... like an impossible dream. And to have it within grasp... that's worth a lot of risk. I know I would sacrifice for it. And not just myself."

He slumps back again and looks once more towards the top of the tunnel. "And I'd feel each one... but that's not for everyone to see."

He sighs heavily. "As for Shockwave... I'm sorry. But we can not give the Decepticons the message that to get their way with us, all they have to do is threaten one of our civilians. I'm sorry that Boondocker got caught up in that. But... as in danger as he was then, it's nothing compared with the sort of danger he'd be in if the Decepticons got it in their head that to bend us to their will, all they'd have to do is grab him and threaten him again."

"I know it sounds cold, I know it sounds callous... but there it is."