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Roomies
Apr 19, 2008 21:09:49 GMT -5
Post by Rodimus Prime on Apr 19, 2008 21:09:49 GMT -5
OOC: This thread takes place on Day 5, the day after the party. This is a semi-private thread. Please PM or IM before entering.
The room that Rodimus Prime and Emirate Xaaron share is a lot plainer than many would expect, perhaps among the plainest in the building. A terminal has been installed, they both have berths for defragmentation, set as far from each other as possible, and there is little else.
Not much defragmentation goes on in here, either. Emirate Xaaron defragments only minimally and Rodimus Prime... Rodimus has his own problems sleeping.
There's no defragmentation going on in this room right now, either, but there wouldn't be. Rodimus is sprawled out in his berth, reading over a report on a datapad, an intent frown on his face. Now and again, he looks towards the door, as if waiting for something.
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Roomies
Apr 21, 2008 11:10:21 GMT -5
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 21, 2008 11:10:21 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron defragments exactly as much as he needs to but much less than might be expected of him. He doesn't have time to be unconscious, one way or the other.
Still, he does understand that if he's not at his razor-edged finest, this sharpest life that he leads will dull, and he will do a disservice to the ones who depend on him the most.
Emirate Xaaron enters the room and greets Rodimus Prime simply, "Good cycle." He then heads for his berth, seemingly intent.
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Roomies
Apr 21, 2008 11:30:34 GMT -5
Post by Rodimus Prime on Apr 21, 2008 11:30:34 GMT -5
"Good eve," replies the Prime, glancing up before seeming to return his attention to his datapad. He lets Emirate get to his berth, waits a beat, then asks, "Is there any particular reason you seem to go out of your way to hide the fact that you're an artillery piece, sir?"
He's not actually looking at the Emirate as he says this.
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Roomies
Apr 21, 2008 11:55:05 GMT -5
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 21, 2008 11:55:05 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron does not skip a beat, but instead of laying himself down for a defragmentation cycle, he sits up, straight and proper, and looks over at Rodimus Prime.
Smirking slightly, he replies, "Because, my dear boy Prime, I am not an artillery piece. I am an antique, and my alternate mode is of no technological relevance to either side of this conflict. There is no harm in keeping what I am from the Autobots, and it avoids a great deal of untidy expectations that might result, otherwise."
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Roomies
Apr 21, 2008 17:13:33 GMT -5
Post by Rodimus Prime on Apr 21, 2008 17:13:33 GMT -5
"Ah, right, right," Rodimus answers, and although he's still looking at his datapad, his head is tilted so that he can just take in that slight smirk on Emirate Xaaron's expression, and so that Emirate Xaaron can, no doubt, take in the faintly amused smile on his own face.
"And I imagine those repairs were more for the untidy unexpectations, then?"
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Roomies
Apr 21, 2008 18:32:23 GMT -5
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 21, 2008 18:32:23 GMT -5
Rodimus Prime can be amused all he wants to be. He can even think that Emirate Xaaron is an artillery piece, if he wants. He's wrong.
Emirate Xaaron raises a hand, makes a 'who, me?' gesture, and agrees, tone ironically self-depreciating, "Of course. Never know when you'll need an antique." A little more seriously, he adds, "But you can't count on me to be capable of the most basic things that a factory fresh member of my build line could accomplish with his alternate mode. I'm going to work on that, in hat little spare time I have, but until then..." He shrugs. "...count on me accomplishing things never dreamed of for my build line, instead."
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Roomies
Apr 21, 2008 20:48:37 GMT -5
Post by Rodimus Prime on Apr 21, 2008 20:48:37 GMT -5
"I wouldn't know what was dreamed of for antique build lines, anyway," Rodimus answers, now actually glancing up, the smile he's trying to keep hidden tugging on the right corner of his lips. "That's a bit before my time."
No, Rodimus is from a time when even those who designed all lines, even those once designated 'civilian', dreamt of war. Cars and trucks and tools of science would prove to have just as much military application as tanks and jets.
But that's a debate for another time.
Quite suddenly, there is no more struggle to contain any smiles, for all the smiles have died. Rodimus looks back down at his datapad, but he doesn't seem to be seeing that at all, and says, "Kup met with your alternate today. His report... the news..." one watching very, very closely might spy the faintest of trembles race across Rodimus's frame, though he regains control quickly, and when he speaks next, his voice is firm again. "The news is not good."
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Roomies
Apr 22, 2008 10:26:37 GMT -5
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 22, 2008 10:26:37 GMT -5
Sometimes, the tools of war dream of science instead. It is a shame that they cannot have that option now.
Severely, Emirate Xaaron reprimands, "You do not need to blunt your words around me. if you cannot say what I will need to know, I will speak with Kup - or with my alternate, if I need to," nevermind that his alternate doesn't want to speak to him. The other Emirate Xaaron is an enemy prisoner of a war, not some civilian - and this Emirate's Autobots were never known for their kindness to civilians, anyway. He ends sharply "Understood," and then twists it, "or do I have to get you overcharged?"
Emirate Xaaron smirks.
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Roomies
Apr 22, 2008 11:20:48 GMT -5
Post by Rodimus Prime on Apr 22, 2008 11:20:48 GMT -5
"What, and you can't give me a moment to gather my thoughts?" Rodimus snaps back angrily, putting down the datapad. "And I thought I was supposed to be the impatient one here!"
There's a moment of childishness when Rodimus is tempted to tell the Emirate, 'Fine! Go talk to Kup, then!' But the moment passes and the Prime reigns in his temper, seemingly all the more exhausted for his victory.
"Like myself, the other Rodimus caged his Unicron. However, while I did it a couple of years after his attack on Cybertron, during Unicron's second coming, he did it during the first. And where I work to contain and control his power, the other Rodimus... uses it. He has the full power of his Matrix at his disposal, bolstered by the power of his Unicron rather than hindered by it." The Prime shrugs. "He's not as concerned with any consequences.
"He also apparently uses the healing ability of the Matrix freely, except that his Matrix is so corrupt that it leaves those healed corrupt as well." The Boy Prime pauses and cycles air through his coolant system once, slowly. "Humans sometimes tell stories of warlord wizards who are all terrible because the soldiers who die in battle against their armies then get raised to serve the other side."
Rodimus lifts his head and looks Xaaron directly in the eye, gaze steady despite his own obvious fear. "There was no mention of him doing that so far on their Gillanan, but none of us have been here long and our numbers are limited. Based on what the other Emirate Xaaron described, though, and what I know of the Matrix's capabilities... we could well be facing something like that."
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Roomies
Apr 22, 2008 13:19:48 GMT -5
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 22, 2008 13:19:48 GMT -5
"It is ill to be patient when time is of the essence," Xaaron protests. "Forge when the smelt is hot, or be left with a useless lump of metal."
Emirate Xaaron's mouth opens and his head tilts. he mutters, "Sacrilege," and yet - did the Matrix not pick Thunderwing? Was he not able to call forth a dread spirit from the Matrix itself? Light casts a shadow, and flame makes the shadow dance. Primus is light; He has no dark side, but He can burn and purge.
At Rodimus Prime's mention of the little Earth story, Emirate Xaaron looks distinctly uncomfortable and even ashamed.
It should be noted that Emirate Xaaron usually refers to Rodimus Prime by Prime, the Prime, or Rodimus Prime. Never does he simply refer to him as Rodimus. To Emirate Xaaron, the title, the office, is more important than the man himself. Now, however, he says, "Rodimus, that is not just a Terran story. It is a truth of our species. It was before your time, and perhaps the records were lost, but it was just after Springer was made leader of the Wreckers. In Kalis, the dead, our dead, walked. It was as simple," if sacrilege can be simple, "as finding the correct radio frequency to animate the corpses. Knowing that, I would have no doubt that corrupted reanimation is well within the capacities of such a Matrix."
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Roomies
Apr 22, 2008 17:17:06 GMT -5
Post by Rodimus Prime on Apr 22, 2008 17:17:06 GMT -5
"Well, that's what we're dealing with. A living sacrilege with the power of two gods, whom we dare not die against." Rodimus tosses his datapad towards the Emirate, assuming the other will catch it. "One wearing my face."
Prime watches Xaaron for a moment. He does take note of the other's use of his 'first' name, but really, aren't both words name and title in one? There was no 'Rodimus' before Hot Rod obtained the Matrix and reforged him, and the person it reforged him into was Rodimus Prime. The man is the office, the title, and the office and title are the man, and any attempts to seperate them leaves Rodimus in non-existance. The moment passes, though - wasn't Xaaron the one emphasizing the need for speed this time? - and the sacrifice speaks again.
"The others all have comparable skills and abilities to their counterparts, although details and preferences are often changed. Their Kup doesn't have... very much travel in his background at all, for example. They view their Omega Supreme as a bit soft, but he's got just as much power under his command. We may be able to take advantage of any supposed 'softness,' but it would require putting our own Long Haul at extreme risk." Which, in turn, is likely to anger their own more vengeful Omega Supreme.
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Roomies
Apr 22, 2008 18:46:01 GMT -5
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 22, 2008 18:46:01 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron has to suggest, "Just let Nightbeat harpoon him. It worked with Thunderwing, when he obtained the Matrix." He sobers. "More seriously, the power of a god can often be defeated by something ludicrously simple. We'll have to keep our optics - and our minds - open."
Emirate Xaaron also has to point out, "And allowing an unfriendly Omega Supreme to rampage isn't putting all of us - Long Haul included - at extreme risk?" He knows better than Rodimus Prime does just how unhinged their Omega Supreme can be - he was there when Omega Supreme first arrived and learned on Long Haul. However, even vengeance can be manipulated and put to use.
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Roomies
Apr 22, 2008 22:07:48 GMT -5
Post by Rodimus Prime on Apr 22, 2008 22:07:48 GMT -5
"A... harpoon?" Rodimus asks dubiously. Hot Rod was, of course, there for those events, but it's a Hot Rod that this Rodimus never was, thanks to the twists and changes of time. He lets it go after that comment, though - for while he's certain there was more to it than that, he has to agree with Xaaron's central point.
Too bad neither of them know that the harpoon and the cold vacuum of space both failed to kill Thunderwing.
"Anyway, I didn't say that we couldn't, or shouldn't, take advantage any... softness that other Omega Supreme might have towards Long Haul. I did suggest it, after all. I'm just pointing out the downside." This Long Haul is little more than a civilian, an innocent, but what's one more innocent on the Prime's conscious? That's just the way war is.
"He has to agree to it, though." Autobots, at least in theory, always have the option of walking out. The Prime will sacrifice Long Haul, if it comes down to it, but would prefer the sacrifice be willing.
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Roomies
Apr 23, 2008 15:30:41 GMT -5
Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 23, 2008 15:30:41 GMT -5
"A harpoon," he confirms cheerily.
"Of course," Emirate Xaaron agrees readily. "Such a mission would be on a purely volunteer basis."
Emirate Xaaron is very good at getting people to volunteer, perhaps too good.
He looks down at his hands, studying them, before explaining reluctantly, "It is possible to... break a Matrix. At least, a Matrix of a reality stream similar to ours. We may wish to keep that in mind, when dealing with this Prime."
What does it mean, that the Matrix does not spurn this demon Prime? Is the Primus of that reality Himself evil?
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Roomies
Apr 23, 2008 22:17:44 GMT -5
Post by Rodimus Prime on Apr 23, 2008 22:17:44 GMT -5
"It's possible?" Rodimus asks, brow drawn together. "How? Why? I mean, I assume you mean 'break' as in, like, dispersing its power, right? Not as in corrupting it or something like that." Because that kind of breakage, Rodimus is well aware of, and that kind he fights back against every day.
"And if we did, what about his Unicron?" He watches Emirate Xaaron intently, searching for an answer in the other's expression, his pose, trying to see through that cool poker face.
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