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Post by Perceptor on Feb 24, 2011 20:34:09 GMT -5
"I had assumed as much as well," Perceptor replies with an uncomfortable shift. "Rather, I had assumed that it was merely a shell program influencing Springer's actions based upon a second set of implanted memories and behavioral modifiers."
He pauses for a long moment, though, glancing down at his pads of notes. "Given the time frame during which he told me that the initial implantation had happened... A mere 'copy' should have been detected long before he was." He sighs and looks back up.
"They converse with one another, Rodimus. One may be a copy, but it is.... it is a living copy."
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Feb 24, 2011 21:30:21 GMT -5
Rodimus rubs the bridge of his nose and sighs. "Yes, but he's living somebody else's life, in somebody else's body, Perceptor!"
He leans back a little more and looks lengthwise at Perceptor. "And he's overwriting that person. There may be two minds in there, but there's only one soul, and the Springer who arrived here, the one who's never worked with Shockwave, has prior claim to that soul!"
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Post by Perceptor on Feb 24, 2011 23:21:07 GMT -5
"I am not debating who has the more appropriate claim to Springer's body, or soul," Perceptor refutes, holding up one hand. "I am not even debating whether or not the second mind has any right to that body at all. That answer is clear."
"I simply..." he pauses, staring down at the pads in his hands. "The other. The second mind that everyone has been so quick to label a traitor. Springer has spoken extensively with him, and he - the other - is very... unhappy with himself. With his actions."
"Some version of myself out amidst the various flows of reality is as much a traitor as this second Springer was. As Ultra Magnus was."
"I find the idea of condemning one mind to death... unpalatable. And yet, that is, ultimately, what will occur, once Omega Supreme extracts the 'copy' from Springer."
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Feb 25, 2011 14:26:01 GMT -5
Rodimus Prime sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose, optics dimming.
"Perceptor, no matter what we do, we are condemning a mind to death. One through action, one through inaction. I'd be worried if you did find it palatable." After all, that's what 'overwriting' implies, right?
He lowers his hand and looks up at the scientist, his own expression saddened.
"I'm not condemning the... the Springer copy. I'm confident that the mind he's copied from, the original... that Springer, in his own reality, eventually makes the right choice. But..." he lifts his hands, palms up, to signal that the point has already been made and agreed on.
"It's not an enviable position we've been put in, but we're here, and so we've got to move forward. Because if we don't - that's killing a friend, too."
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Post by Perceptor on Feb 25, 2011 18:12:07 GMT -5
Perceptor nods, and, for a short while, at least, seems relieved to find that Rodimus is no more comfortable with the ramifications than he is. "I am preparing the report for Omega Supreme," he replies.
His expression grows thoughtful again though, and he tilts his head as he considers Rodimus.
"What about Hook?" he asks softly. "The Hook who originated in that body is not the Hook we know today. He was altered against his will to become this Hook. If there is some means to possibly... undo what was done..."
He worries his lower lip for a moment. "What would give me the right to alter this Hook against his will? And yet, do I not have an obligation to attempt to restore that which was stolen from him in the first place?"
Especially as it would rob the Decepticons of a valuable resource.
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Feb 25, 2011 19:08:38 GMT -5
Rodimus sighs and shakes his head, bringing his hands up to rub his temples. "I... I don't know. I mean... in a way..." He lowers his hands to his lap and looks down at them. "I am not Hot Rod. The Matrix changed me, altered me on a basic level, turned Hot Rod... turned him into me. There are some parallels, but Hot Rod had a choice - not much of one the first time, to be honest. When you've got Unicron bearing down on your planet, you'll take whatever's offered, and he didn't know what he was getting into, but... he chose it again, later, not because he particularly wanted to be me, but because that was what was best for the Autobots."
He shifts again, tilting his body to face Perceptor a little more, so that now he's almost on his side. "That's the issue. Choice. The original Hook didn't choose what the Decepticons did to him, but this Hook wouldn't choose to go back, either. I'm not sure we have a right to revert him, but I am certain the Decepticons didn't have a right to do what they did, either. But... there's also the question of what happens if we don't do this. Hook is a war criminal, Perceptor. If we don't restore him to what he was, we have to try him for his crimes, and if it comes to a trial..." Rodimus shakes his head. "If it comes to a trial, he's liable to be executed, anyway."
His brow-ridges knit for a moment as something occurs to him. "Perhaps we should try him first?"
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Post by Perceptor on Feb 25, 2011 19:18:55 GMT -5
"That is a point I had not considered," Perceptor replies. "Would you? Press to have him tried, I mean?" The thought has never entered Perceptor's cortex, to be perfectly honest. He assumed that they would hold Hook prisoner, and perhaps, trade him back later for...
There really isn't anything useful that they could trade for, is there? And returning Hook... is not really acceptable. Nor are they a prison ship. "There would not be much choice, would there?" he asks softly of the air. "This Hook, the Decepticon... is destined to die, so long as he remains in Autobot custody."
That's actually a big shock to Perceptor. Killing in battle is one thing, but executing a prisoner... He feels rather ill.
"T-try... Hook first, you mean?" he manages, trying to stifle his unease and sudden nausea.
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Feb 25, 2011 19:45:10 GMT -5
"Not really, no," Rodimus answers the scientist when the other comes to the realization that there would not be a choice. "Like I said, he's a war criminal. We have some of those he's wronged with us on the Event Horizon, but more important are the ones who didn't make it. Crystal City wasn't my reality, so... you'd know better than I would. How many died there?"
"And... yeah. I'm just thinking... if we hold the trial first, and he's condemned, then when we restore his original personality that... that would count as the execution of his Decepticon self. And if he is declared innocent, well, that doesn't seem likely, but if he is, no execution, no reversion."
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Post by Perceptor on Feb 25, 2011 19:58:20 GMT -5
Roddy's suggestion should provide some measure of comfort. A rationalization. An option.
"Semantics," Perceptor murmurs sadly, looking away. "The outcome is already set; it seems... pointless. I cannot defend Hook's actions, and if anyone could..." He shrugs in a self-depreciating manner. Everyone knows that Perceptor is the "soft" one, the one with "skewed priorities", and if he cannot find a means in his core to absolve Hook - which he cannot - then Rodimus is correct. It is not likely that Hook would be found anything but guilty.
"It is a ploy, designed to do nothing more than assuage any feelings of guilt in the matter. To ape justification." And this all assumes that Perceptor would even be capable of effecting a reversion.
"But what choice do we have?"
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Feb 25, 2011 20:53:23 GMT -5
"Pretty much that, yeah, but it can be argued that when you've got the luxury to hold a trial, you should do so, no matter how foregone the conclusion seems to be. There's always a chance that something could come to light that we don't know about, but to be honest..." Rodimus trails off and shrugs. "The best tactic I can see in court would be to try for innocent by reason of insanity, because he was reprogrammed to be a Decepticon against his will, but if someone's considered insane, generally attempts are made to cure, them, and that..." Rodimus again trails off, waving his left hand absently.
"It leads to the same place. A trial like that feels pretty... duplicitous, but otherwise, we're executing him without a trial. Which... is something I've done," he admits, expression regretful, pained, "but like I said, being able to even hold a trial is a luxury."
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Post by Perceptor on Feb 25, 2011 22:00:44 GMT -5
Perceptor is quiet as he listens, staring down at the pads in his hands. None of it sounds good. It's all semantics, dogma and cant to disassociate from the reality. A reality which he is the only one who doesn't seem to want to accept.
Maybe Mirage is right. Xarron, too. He is an idealist. Too much so. He trusts too easily, forgives too quickly, assumes the best out of another's motivations. How many lives has he endangered with his naivety?
"May I assume that you will broach the subject of the trial with Xaaron?" he asks without looking up. "Or shall I?"
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Feb 25, 2011 22:16:22 GMT -5
Rodimus can't afford not to accept his reality, but it should be apparent that it doesn't sit well with him, either.
"I'll talk to him," Rodimus states, a declaration. Then he smirks and shifts, now moving more to his back. "If you ever let me out of here, anyway," he adds, grinning faintly. It may seem an inappropriate time for a joke like this, but Rodimus has always had a bit of a gallows humor. For that matter, even the Rodimus that Perceptor knew did!
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Post by Perceptor on Feb 25, 2011 23:02:51 GMT -5
Perceptor snorts a soft little laugh as he rises, pushing his chair back out of the way with one foot. "Yes, yes. I know. 'Shut up, Perceptor, and cease fussing.'" He flicks a thin smirk up towards Roddy's face, meeting his gaze for a brief moment before turning away. "Behave, or I shall allow Kup back in here after he has completed his round of meetings."
He can't seem to hold onto the amusement, though, no matter how hard he tries.
"I will have the report done for Omega Supreme by the time he is released from the meetings."
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Feb 26, 2011 17:10:30 GMT -5
Rodimus lifts both hands, palms faced frontwards, in protest. "Hey, I wasn't going to say that!" he argues, lowering his hands. "For one thing, I don't really say the word 'cease' all that often," he clarifies with a smirk.
Then he settles back deeper into the berth. "What, you don't think Kup's taken enough pictures already? Not that he's likely to do that now, since I'm back to my usual handsome self!" Unlike Perceptor, he does manage to hold onto the amusement, but then, he is Prime. Laughing the loudest when things are the darkest is part of the job description.
He inclines his head in a sharp, more formal nod when the scientist clarifies when the report will be ready. Just like that, from youthful joker to commander. "All right, Perceptor. Thank you."
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Post by Perceptor on Mar 3, 2011 22:47:43 GMT -5
"Ah, yes," Perceptor agrees with a low chuckle. "I believe, 'knock it off', would be more your speed, yes?" He turns, glancing back at Rodimus, and, though there's still that stiff edge of discomfort in his posture, there is also a thin smirk hovering around the edges of his expression as he allows the battered Prime's amusement to infect him as well.
"At least you were sober and not running down a crowded concourse with your arms bound behind your back while screaming about fire and monsters in front of hundreds of strangers and your commander. The only thing lacking was the proverbial lampshade," he offers wryly.
Oh yes. He remembers that quite clearly. He hadn't when he'd first awoken nearly where Rodimus is right now, but when his memory banks had cleared later, he'd remembered every little detail.
In retrospect? He's not sure which of them got off better: himself or Rodimus.
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