Shanodin
Major
The Chamberlain, Her Chivalrous Immensity, Lady Botanica. The Unyielding Vanquisher of Weed Killer
This is NOT her field of dreams
Posts: 700
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Post by Shanodin on May 10, 2011 22:41:02 GMT -5
Life is wonderful, but death comes to all things in their own time. Balance must be maintained and all that rot.
Botanica leans forward as well and tries to place a comforting hand on Xaaron's arm. "You didn't suggest it though, I did. So who's the bigger monster?" she asks softly.
"Surely you had to suspect I might ask for that permission. You know- perhaps better than most- how strong is my drive to protect. If I do what you ask and my program fails, if he kills one of them, it is my fault, it is my hands that are stained, not yours."
"I am ill-equipped to deal with that sort of a burden, Xaaron."
"I'm sorry."
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on May 11, 2011 7:47:39 GMT -5
She may be of the balance, but Emirate Xaaron's people were never built for such things, and now that she's in his people, too, he'll be blasted before he sacrifices her to some nebulous balance.
Emirate Xaaron accepts the hand and replies lightly, almost jokingly, "Still me," but he's serious.
He points out, "It's quite possible that I asked you on purpose, knowing what you'd suggest. That is the sort of thing I tend to do, you know. So I'm going to ask you... you haven't done this with Ultra Magnus, have you? Shockwave's tampered with his code. Springer, too. Or Dinobot or Jetfire or any of the other ex-cons. What makes Hook different, that such extreme gestures are justified? Or are we simply being paranoid hypocrites, my dear?"
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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 May 11, 2011 22:21:55 GMT -5
In some ways, Botanica and Xaaron are quite alike, it seems.
"No, I have not," she says in response to his question. "Nor," she continues, a slight smile showing, "have you asked for such a thing."
"Ultra Magnus and Jetfire both still had- have- the capability to choose. Springer is... a peculiar case, one I understand Perceptor is keeping a close eye on. Due to my condition, I've missed out on most of that."
"But Hook, as I understand it, does not have the ability to choose anymore. His mind refuses to consider the concept. If this is not something we can fix- and your suggestion of using a shell program implies it is not- then anything we do is merely a stopgap. If he reverts, he will not consider any good done to him during his time with us. We will be enemies, and he will treat us as such."
She shifts uncomfortably on the berth. "One does not wait for a rabid animal to bite. One puts the animal out of its misery as quickly and painlessly as possible."
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on May 12, 2011 9:35:42 GMT -5
"Springer is basically suffering from dissociative identity disorder. It was even caused by a severe physical and mental trauma, just... not in the usual way. The typical treatment for that is trying to merge the personalities back together," Emirate Xaaron explains. Seems Emirate Xaaron's been paying attention to Springer's case, too! "That is, however, off topic."
He grimaces and points out, "I dislike the implication that, just because Hook has been rendered subTransformer by a past injustice, that it is acceptable to treat him as subTransformer.Two wrongs do not make a right. Yet you do have a compelling point with safety, and yet... I've run into Ultra Magnus and Mirage tearing into each other by choice. Or perhaps not choice, on Ultra Magnus's part. Why is evil committed unwillingly more worthy of death than evil committed by choice?"
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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 May 12, 2011 10:40:23 GMT -5
Botanica's eyes narrow. "Emirate Xaaron, you are playing devil's advocate here. Or forcing me to do so. I'm honestly not sure which."
Still, she sighs, "Xaaron, you, yourself brought up the point that if Hook ability to choose were restored along with access to his memories that he would go insane. More so than he perhaps is now. At that point, you have two probably outcomes: he becomes what he was by choice as the only means of reconciliation, or he kills himself because he can't face the horrors of his actions."
"The correct and right treatment would be to format him completely and reinsert his original protocols and defaults on a clean slate. You have made that clear that such is not an option."
Botanica sways suddenly and she drops her hands to the berth to steady herself. She's shaking and looks a bit sick.
"Sorry," she says after a moment, "Adrenaline spikes are still playing havoc with my systems. I got a little woozy."
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on May 12, 2011 11:23:52 GMT -5
"I am ever Primus's advocate," Emirate Xaaron says blandly.
He tries to place his hand on his shoulder to steady her when she turns woozy, but he does not apologise. These questions will come up. Better that they be asked now.
Emirate Xaaron reasons, "I think we have our solution there, then. Not a kill trigger - a wipe trigger. If the shell program fails, wipe him and reboot him from his original protocols and defaults. That way, we try to save the Transformer that he was, with the shell program, and if it falters, we give him a clean slate as a future. I do not think we will be able to manage better."
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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 May 12, 2011 22:47:10 GMT -5
"It's riskier," she says, frowning, "If the timing is off..."
Botanica shakes her head, "But it is a better option. Though I'd argue that it is still a kill trigger. I'll get to work on it... how long do I have, again?"
Please don't say you need this yesterday, Xaaron. Botanica might yet be able to find strength to murder you.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on May 13, 2011 15:19:12 GMT -5
"Optimus Prime did it to the Aerialbots, for less, in my reality," Emirate Xaaron observes. "I suppose I don't think much of wipes. Perhaps I should."
"You have longer than we'd like," Emirate Xaaron explains. "I am certain Perceptor will want to try conventional methods of restoring Hook's mentality first. That will take some time. I expect convincing him to allow this... shell program will take even longer. He will never agree to a kill or a wipe trigger, and we both know it, but we'll need a watertight argument for the shell program at all."
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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 May 13, 2011 19:00:34 GMT -5
Botanica nods. No mentioning the wipe trigger to Perceptor.
"When all is said and done, I am still head of this division, and you are still commander of the Autobots. Worst case scenario, it becomes a 'because we say so' issue."
She sighs, "Though I have no desire to fight that war, I must say. For a scientist, Perceptor can be terribly... emotional about certain topics."
"With luck, I'll be well enough to leave quarantine by then. I'll do the install myself, and if necessary, give Perceptor a neutered version of the program if he insists on examining it first."
"I do not relish the idea of abusing his trust in such a manner. I truly don't."
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on May 13, 2011 19:20:35 GMT -5
"Maybe Perceptor will solve the problem. Maybe this won't be needed at all. One can only... hope," Emirate Xaaron says slowly, jaded.
"I don't, either, but what else is there to be done?" Emirate Xaaron shrugs. They're in a terrible place with no good solutions.
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Shanodin
Major
The Chamberlain, Her Chivalrous Immensity, Lady Botanica. The Unyielding Vanquisher of Weed Killer
This is NOT her field of dreams
Posts: 700
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Post by Shanodin on May 14, 2011 10:58:28 GMT -5
"Yes. We can hope," Botanica murmurs. Still confident as she is in Perceptor's skill, she doubts his success in this venture. He is from their reality after all. If there was an answer to be had, would not it have been done before?
"I am going to lie back down, but... you need not leave just yet. I'm just rather tired all of a sudden. I can still carry on a conversation, however."
She smiles slightly as she leans back, "Though, perhaps on another topic?"
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on May 14, 2011 22:08:42 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron leans in and says softly, "I'll stay. My time is the least of the things that I owe you. So tell me, Botanica... how does your garden grow?"
OOC: Fade, unless there's anything else you wanted to discuss?
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