Video: A formal call to the Decepticons of this lovely city

[aminerproblem]

I've been told time and time again that this war is over, but I have yet to see it beyond a tolerance teetering on a knife's edge between episodes of unnecessary, extreme violence. We can do better than this - we can do better than wallowing in our circumstance.

To the Decepticons here who still follow my word: If you can hear this, now is the time for you to break out of this malaise and act. I am in need of your skills, and we've remained scattered in this rubble for far too long. 

We, of all of us here, should understand how to build something grand from nothing.

It is time we take that first step. 

(Private To Sixshot)
Sixshot, how skilled are you at tracking someone's scent?

(Private To Spinister.)
Spinister, I am in need of a medical advisor. It is important you come to the Autobot clinic immediately.

Comments

[planate]

Ah... I don't know if strengthening the faction divide when there's so few of us would help with rebuilding.

[why can't everyone just GET ALONG cybertronians suck, man]

I can see why you want to, though. Uh. Sir. We're obviously not in the same situation as before...

[he trails off awkwardly. history has a way of repeating itself.]

[rodders]

( Rodimus almost winces at the name of Ratchet attached with faith and in Megatron. Guilt curls within him - not for being mean to Megatron because he deserves it as far as Rodimus is concerned, but because Ratchet can find it within himself to give Megatron a chance while he--

Yeah. One of his hands go to the place where his badge was, fingers curling as if he's attempt to grab it. )

He won't forgive you if you do.

( He's just saying. )

Anyway, have fun with the pack of murderers you've got for the Decepticons here. Not like the rest of them are any different back home.

( Is he being particularly childish and bratty to cover up his own issues? You bet he is. )

[aminerproblem]

[Dreadwing's insistence on butting his head on the issue seems to draw a little anger out of him.]

A soldier who doesn't know when to cease fire has no place in any army of mine. Restraint and the discipline not to attack is a greater strength than blindly shooting at whatever shadow seizes your spark with fear.

Look around you. The Autobots are better organized, better equipped, and greater in number. If they wanted to kill you, you'd be dead on the ground.

[orerrible]

[ Proteus could have just taken a sharpie and drawn dicks on his face but noooo ]

It's not your objectives I'm skeptical about. Quite the opposite, in fact. I approve.

[aminerproblem]

[He nods.]

Any assistance is appreciated. What is your name?

[chickscream]

[She doesn't really count herself as a Decepticon, and certainly not a loyal one, but Slipstream is curious and bored enough to ask:]

What kind of actions are you planning, Megatron?

[Her voice scrapes past suspicious, but otherwise seems like a serious inquiry.]

[aminerproblem]

The faction divide is there already.

[Pipes you cant be telling him that with your BIG HONKIN AUTOBOT CHEST BADGE. Come on.]

Autobot help isn't particularly well received, surely you understand that.

[loyaltyandhonor]

[You calling him WEAK, Megatron?!]

Underestimating me would be a grave error, Megatron. These odds are hardly enough to justify submission to the Autobots. If we had given up at the slightest disadvantage the war would have been lost long ago.

Perhaps I was too quick to assume the Decepticons of your world are equal to those of my own. As a group you certainly lack the resolve and resilience I would expect from my kind. This conversation has done nothing but solidify my doubts that there could ever be a place for me among your ranks.

[villagepup]

Koh.

I am not sure how much it is helping, but I have helped grow the plants outside of the city.

[aminerproblem]

Building a better place to call home while we're here should be our priority.

There's no use treating this city like a battlefield when there's no enemy to fight.

[Basically, their compound is pretty trashy and they could do better.]

[chickscream]

[She legit has never been to the Decepticon compound, greatly preferring to bum around on her own, but now she's actively curious, leaning her elbows on the terminal and her chin into the palm of one clawed hand.]

You mean like a construction project? Hmm.

[She's never built anything before, and she's definitely never had a place to call home before, but the idea interests her, a little.]

I've never had a home, and never seen Cybertron when it was inhabited. [Starscream had certainly never really cared for things like that, so she's left with barely any memory of anything but living on ships, or New Kaon, or hiding on Earth and its moon, none of which were particularly homelike.] What would building a place to live entail?

Action

[aminerproblem]

[When the numerous vials from within the clinic jostle, Megatron knows Sixshot has arrived. He leaves through the door with some mangled red-and-white metal, a datapad, and First Aid's medical drone following close behind.]

Ratchet, First Aid, and Red Alert have all gone missing. You'll be in charge of a rescue mission to find them.

[He presents the first object - the mangled metal.]

It's a little morbid, but this was Ratchet's leg. It's been.. laying around.

[aminerproblem]

[Megatron pauses.]

Ordinarily I'd say that we could use any help we can spare, but Ratchet and Pharma have a... stringent personal history.

[But then again, so did the two factions, in a way.]

Call him, but don't keep him out of your sight.

private

[aminerproblem]

No.

I will not abandon the people who were so inspired by my work that they would die for me, Optimus. I won't spit in their eyes and tell them all the energon shed was for nothing.

I will guide them - to the best of my ability - towards peace and cohabitation. And you can take that as you will.

[aminerproblem]

You don't need to if you don't want to. This isn't about what side you're joining. This is about inspiring some life into the survivors of the war.

[Look man, he's of the opinion that you can be friends with people outside your robot congregation, ok]

Unfortunately, I don't think I can study enough texts to make-up for my lack of experience. We need them.

[triggerhappycopter]

He's not that bad! I worked with a guy who liked to collect the optical lenses off of dead people once and Pharma isn't near that creepy!

[aminerproblem]

I question your military judgment if you can't even recognize when you're trapped in your own wartime mentality.

It's over. It is time for us to rebuild.

But you're welcome to remain floundering in your past if that's what you wish. Don't interfere.

[aminerproblem]

Somehow, I doubt the you went through a war as long as this without killing anyone yourself.

[Sorry Rodimus they're all murderers here.]

[aminerproblem]

I'm aware that not everyone will be so eager to join in the effort, Shockwave. At least, not at first. I imagine we'll need to get something up and running before then.

But there's more to this than pontificating.

private as hell

[infomatics]

[ be still my beating heart etc ]

The history between our fraction and theirs is too long. Many will not find this an appealing course of action, myself included. I have killed their friends and they have nearly killed me.

I don't assume to know you have a plan to corral these two groups. For the immediate time, it would be advisable to have us work towards this goal... separately by limiting interactions yet allowing both sides to see individual progress.

[phase6kindofbot]

[First Aid's name makes Sixshot go very, very still. The canine features were hard to read, however, and the Sixer makes it a point not to react beyond that.

It's a moment before he answer, tone deliberately neutral, optics flicking down to the remnants of Ratchet's leg.]

That is not problem. Did they all disappear at the same time?

[ action ]

[auramatic]

[ drift has to say, it's hard not to be slightly alarmed by megatron's public announcement. the megatron of his time (ish) seems to have dropped off the map -- for now -- but there's still plenty of megatron to go around. it was startling enough to wake up to him in the clinic, but this? this is a whole new brand of trouble. ratchet believes in him, and drift would like to give megatron the benefit of the doubt on this...but he hasn't seen ratchet around lately, either. and that worries him.

he's not totally sure what compels him toward the clinic, but he goes on instinct, his expression set. drift's not exactly sure what he's going to say to megatron when he finds him -- he just knows he has to say something. ]

Megatron. [ yeah, he...doesn't know how to open this. ] I saw your message.

private

[optout]

....

At the expense of the people who you fought against for millions of years. You forget that they too shed energon.

[lethalimpact]

But that's what it is, isn't it, Megaton. Don't get me wrong, I'm with you on this. For what it's worth.

[He huffs, rolling the shoulder of his mending arm.]

Just...don't get over your head again. I can't bail you out of everything.

[And he's worried if this goes wrong he might not be able to.]

[aminerproblem]

I agree.

I don't expect that after all this time you will be eager to be beside your enemies. But if all that hate and residual friction can be focused on something constructive, it will ease the need to fight.

I do have a plan, but I would prefer to explain the rest in person. Do you know where the clinic is?