Adjustment of character 5
More of this, and now we're all caught up. Working on the next part. Perceived (by the sue) dub-con sticky in this part. Also, if you were wondering, I completely made her up for this. She is not based on any Sue I've seen, or she's based on all of them.
And she's not the worst they've seen, either. >< ^^
"What's... um. I'm a Seeker now? And... and were you...?" Sitting warily on the only berth in the room, the femme looked up at Roadstead.
"I was human. So were others. We're not even uncommon, really, just a little rare. Sues like you aren't nearly rare enough," the Seeker answered, twitching a wing negligently. "I doubt you're a Seeker, just a Seeker-frame right now..."
"I'm not a Sue! Calliandrassa isn't a Sue! She's got depth! She hates watching Megatron have to deal with Starscream, but she's loyal and there for him and eventually they fall in love and it's romantic! And she's a much better second in command than Starscream, because she doesn't try to kill Megatron!"
Roadstead laughed, in horror. At least she wasn't trying to seduce him like Flitwing had! Well, 'seduce'... Eh, couldn't blame Flitwing for the lack of subtlety she had displayed. Not compared to some others in the ranks...
"You can't say your own designation the same way twice. Even if you could, it has nothing in common with a proper designation. Ah-ah!" He held up his hand as the femme opened her mouth. "Point one. How many colors does Starscream have?"
Visible taken aback by the non-sequitur, the femme answered, "T- three?"
"And how many colors does Thundercracker have?" Roadstead continued.
"...three..."
"And Skywarp? And Reflector? And Lord Megatron? And Dirge?"
"Um. Two...?" she offered uncertainly.
"And how many colors do you have?"
"Um..."
Roadstead didn't give her enough time to answer that. "Five. You have five colors. I had to count twice. You have five colors, and they don't even go together! Did you even try slapping them on a screenshot to make a shitty re-color?"
"...no. I... didn't know which form to use for that..." the femme answered, optics large.
Roadstead froze, feeling a bolt of something very similar to panic pass through his frame. "No. No, no, please Primus and the Unmaker and the fragging Allspark, no! Please tell me you're just meaning that you couldn't decide between root and alt forms."
"Well, that too. But I'm a quad-changer." She smiled at him, oblivious to the panic gripping the brown Seeker's spark.
"Quad. Changer." The words were said flatly. She didn't look like a multi-changer. Maybe it was one of the things the translation had marked as unrealistic. Seeker, angel, and devil, maybe? That would make sense...
"Yes!" she said, with the typical enthusiasm a Sue showed. "I'm a Seeker, shuttle, and space-ship! I thought about something organic, but I don't like Sari or BA and that would just be gross."
"...Seeker, shuttle, and space-ship," Roadstead repeated. More laughter came, slightly hysterical for a moment, until the Seeker controlled himself. "What in the blue pits were you thinking? That's not even valid! A shuttle is a space-ship! And they're both just a sub-set of Seeker... That's like saying you're a boat, dinghy, and lifeboat! Why would you even try..."
"No they're not!" the femme argued, pouting. "Seekers are in the air, shuttles go up and down, and space-ships stay up!"
The shuttle bit would probably be why she was bigger than he was, then, Roadstead mused to himself, catching one pink-black-red wing in a grip he knew was painful. "I've been in space. Shuttles are Seekers with more cargo room. And all our space-crafts most certainly do go 'up and down', because if they didn't, how would the Autobots' Cosmos ever interact with his faction-mates?"
Not surprisingly, the femme didn't answer, looking at Roadstead and whimpering. The door opened, and Roadstead let go of her as Metrodash came in with a box. The red mech looked at the femme, then back at Roadstead, and nodded. "So that's what happened. Guess I won't bother unpacking too much."
"Yeah. It's not like I'm not trying... Oh, she needs our language, doesn't she...?" He hadn't paid Glit for the download, after all, which was his own stupid fault.
Metrodash's laugh wasn't entirely kind. Because of the debt, still not repaid, he didn't have to worry about finding himself in Roadstead's place. It was the Seeker's test, after all. "Well then, I better keep shifting things."
"...who was that...?" the Sue asked, very quietly. She was afraid of Roadstead now, which had been the point of disciplining her. It only took a glance for the Seeker to decide against giving her the download right now. It wouldn't do to push too hard. Using English for a while wouldn't kill anyone.
"That was my... debtor. His designation's Metrodash, and no, you cannot use him." Which she wouldn't understand, because he had used the word 'debtor' and not the slightly more accurate translation of 'pet' or 'berthwarmer and general servant'.
"...Oh."
Roadstead huffed a little, then sat next to the femme. "Honestly? I'm being hard on you. Yes. But honestly? We don't want you dead. Right now, you're a Sue- and yes, you are, and don't even try to argue it. And we're in a war, and if you want a real chance to survive and make something of yourself, then being coddled won't help. Anyway, I'm a Decepticon. We're not the side of rainbows and puppies and chocolate and marshmallows and nameless, rankless, trapped workers. We're the side that knows how to fight for what we deserve."
She shivered a little, venting hard, and then looked up. "I- I'm Amber. And I still think Megatron shouldn't have to put up with Starscream."
"He doesn't have to," Roadstead answered. "First, the Winglord is not as treacherous as G1 or Animated made him seem. If he was, he would not be Air Commander. Second, he understands our culture, and you don't, which means you are a worse choice than he is. Third, Starscream isn't second in command. Shockwave is. Or Soundwave. Depends on the orn. And moods. Strika is too. It's confusing, yes. Starscream is Air Commander, though. You made your sue for Megatron, trying to replace Starscream, didn't you?"
"I... yes. He... deserves someone... better?" Amber wasn't insisting now, at least. This was a step in the right direction.
"He has them. For you to even have a chance with Lord Megatron, then you have to learn our culture. You have to prove yourself a warrior. You have to earn the brand. Then, maybe, you could get in his berth. And if you want more," Roadstead stressed, "Then you have to be better than everyone else in the army. And this is something not even Strika, or Shockwave, or Soundwave, or any other Decepticon has even done."
It was when Amber's gaze darted to his wings, and the purple sigils burned into the metal there, that Roadstead knew what was coming. "Have you been in his berth?"
"No," Roadstead answered. He held off on sharing just why he hadn't been, waiting to see what Amber's conclusions were.
"I told my friends their stories of slutty Seekers and 'Cons were wrong!" the femme exclaimed, looking quite triumphant, and Roadstead sighed.
"No. No they weren't. They really were not..." A knock interrupted him, and Roadstead sighed just a little, going to answer. Metrodash wouldn't knock, so either someone wanted to 'congratulate' him or... "Oh. Astrotrain...! I see you found me. I must admit, you're sooner than I expected."
Astrotrain smiled, crowding Roadstead back from the door and further into the room. The triplechanger was never the best at conversation, but Roadstead knew and accepted that, and let himself be pushed back. He felt the berth against his legs, and the Seeker lowered himself onto it, arching prettily and barely noticing as Amber stood, or the shocked expression on her face.
"That's right, pretty wings. Pretty wings, tight valve, so ready..." Astrotrain purred the words roughly, atypically using English as some kind of concession to the femme in the room, and covered Roadstead with his larger chassis with a low sound of stressed metal. One hand cupped the brown Seeker's cheek in a moment of tenderness, and then he was twisting his digits into Roadstead's wings. "Open up, pretty wings, pretty Road. You were in me, let me into you now. Let me in!"
Roadstead moaned weakly, letting his panel open and then gasping as Astrotrain took advantage. The triplechanger was large, and hard. It would be fast, it always was when Astrotrain came in so aggressively. Roadstead knew he wouldn't get much more than a valve full of transfluid from it, but that was okay.
It was only a klick or two later when Astrotrain overloaded, giving a low cry and pulling Roadstead closer to him. The Seeker just pet him for a moment, ignoring his own unfulfilled desire. He had expected it.
"Mm... You're good as always, Road'. So pretty and good," Astrotrain murmured, giving the Seeker a kiss. Neither mech looked up as the door opened, Metrodash bringing in the next load of belongings.
"Hi, Astrotrain. Roadstead, I've got about two more loads. What's wrong with her?"
Roadstead looked over, snorting a little at the expression on Amber's face. "Oh, she just got done telling me that Seekers weren't sluts," he answered, kissing Astrotrain again before the triplechanger pulled out. He closed his panel immediately, and sat up as Astrotrain stood. "See you later, Astro? Oh, 'Dash, going to want you after you've moved everything."
"You know you will, Road'. Hey, and I'm glad I was able to help today. Hey, femme, don't look so worried. You're not my type. Too garish." With those words, meant to be comforting, the triplechanger nodded and left, followed a moment later by Metrodash.
"W- w- what...? I, I... garish... You..." Amber was venting fast, then looked at Roadstead, who was still sitting comfortably on the berth with his legs still spread. "Oh my God, are you okay? He- you- Oh my God, I'm so sorry!"
Roadstead flickered his optics at her, wings moving in echo of his confusion. What was she on about, he wondered, tilting his head and trying to remember being human. When he was human... Oh.
He really did try not to laugh. Amber was worried for him, and he had laughed at her a lot. It would probably just scare her right now, anyway. "Amber, I'm fine. This was consensual. Hum... or, to put it in fandom terms, Seekers are extremely slutty."
Amber shook her head, stepping towards him and then stopping. Her wings were fluttering around helplessly, Roadstead noticed, and he was pleased to see that her coding was actually working. "It... It's okay. Um... you said your name was Adrian? It's okay, you don't... you don't have to deal with this, you know. If you can't find help here, then-"
"Don't," Roadstead ordered, sure of what was coming. "I'm not going to the Autobots. I'm not giving up my wings." He shuddered at the idea, but of course Amber hadn't known what she was meaning. "My designation is Roadstead. I haven't been Adrian in most of an eon. And Astrotrain did not rape me."
"Listen, I know sometimes people 'consent' because they don't want to fight. It's okay. He's bigger than you, it's okay to be scared," Amber insisted, voice still smooth and gratingly delicate, as though he were made out of decorative glass.
Roadstead stood, wings flaring. "You think I didn't fight because I was scared? I am branded, and that means something! If he had come here to rape me, I would have fought to offlining!" And if Astrotrain was trying to court him- well. The triplechanger wasn't, and Roadstead wasn't going to be perused in any courtship he did participate in. "I knew he would come to my door the moment I asked him for a ride. I welcome him often. It's quite fun- Oh Primus. You're a virgin, aren't you?"
"W- what's that got to do with anything?" Amber asked. She didn't seem to know if she should be scared of him or worried for him.
"I'm not going to do anything," Roadstead answered, sitting and drooping again. "It just helps to explain why you're confused. Remember what I said about understanding our culture? This is the sort of thing I meant."
"But... you just let yourself be- um. Be used..." Amber stammered.
Letting his wings move flirtatiously, just to see if she noticed and flushed, Roadstead answered, "Yeah. Our bodies are the thing most Seekers trade the most often. We enjoy it, they enjoy it, so why not offer a tumble? We don't really have STDs or anything, and pregnancy is exceedingly rare and would only mean good things. Obviously it's not the only thing we trade, you heard me give Glit the high-grade."
"But he just..."
"Just pushed his way in and took me and left without even overloading me. And I enjoyed it, it was worth it, I will do it again. There is cost in everything, and almost anything can be payment. Life is a trade... And if you think I sound mercenary, you should hear Swindle." Which was the punchline to a joke so old that only new OCs even had a chance of being amused by it.
"I... I want to go home..." Amber murmured. Roadstead shifted to one side of the large berth, in case she wanted to sit down.
"I know. I did myself."
He cried and sobbed, curled into himself and ignoring everyone.
"But you can't. You're here. You're a femme." And she had had a very hard day. Roadstead hadn't even been code-checked his first day, but that was just because he had been seeming okay and Shockwave wasn't immediately available and Starscream wouldn't let anyone else at him.
He only looked up when Starscream himself came, sneering at him and asking why he was giving up so soon. "It's everything you wanted, isn't it? Wings, firepower, life-span. And you're giving up and sobbing."
He stopped then, shocked by the harsh words and unable to argue. He still mourned, but he never gave up again.
"What's going to happen to me?" Looking at the berth, Amber finally, slowly, sat down, a little unsteadily.
"I don't know. Much of it's up to you. ...I'll be teaching you. Probably take you around the empire, show you your options." He'd have the time to do that. 'Helping' the sue adjust was his assignment now. And if he did go all the way to New Kaon... Maybe he'd at least be able to get some time with Shockwave.
"Right now, rest. And don't freak out when I use 'Dash next to you. That's a part of our culture... And I'm not raping him, either." He couldn't. Metrodash was his.
"You... shouldn't. I mean..."
"By human standards, I shouldn't," Roadstead agreed. "We're not human." And that was really all there was to say.
And she's not the worst they've seen, either. >< ^^
"What's... um. I'm a Seeker now? And... and were you...?" Sitting warily on the only berth in the room, the femme looked up at Roadstead.
"I was human. So were others. We're not even uncommon, really, just a little rare. Sues like you aren't nearly rare enough," the Seeker answered, twitching a wing negligently. "I doubt you're a Seeker, just a Seeker-frame right now..."
"I'm not a Sue! Calliandrassa isn't a Sue! She's got depth! She hates watching Megatron have to deal with Starscream, but she's loyal and there for him and eventually they fall in love and it's romantic! And she's a much better second in command than Starscream, because she doesn't try to kill Megatron!"
Roadstead laughed, in horror. At least she wasn't trying to seduce him like Flitwing had! Well, 'seduce'... Eh, couldn't blame Flitwing for the lack of subtlety she had displayed. Not compared to some others in the ranks...
"You can't say your own designation the same way twice. Even if you could, it has nothing in common with a proper designation. Ah-ah!" He held up his hand as the femme opened her mouth. "Point one. How many colors does Starscream have?"
Visible taken aback by the non-sequitur, the femme answered, "T- three?"
"And how many colors does Thundercracker have?" Roadstead continued.
"...three..."
"And Skywarp? And Reflector? And Lord Megatron? And Dirge?"
"Um. Two...?" she offered uncertainly.
"And how many colors do you have?"
"Um..."
Roadstead didn't give her enough time to answer that. "Five. You have five colors. I had to count twice. You have five colors, and they don't even go together! Did you even try slapping them on a screenshot to make a shitty re-color?"
"...no. I... didn't know which form to use for that..." the femme answered, optics large.
Roadstead froze, feeling a bolt of something very similar to panic pass through his frame. "No. No, no, please Primus and the Unmaker and the fragging Allspark, no! Please tell me you're just meaning that you couldn't decide between root and alt forms."
"Well, that too. But I'm a quad-changer." She smiled at him, oblivious to the panic gripping the brown Seeker's spark.
"Quad. Changer." The words were said flatly. She didn't look like a multi-changer. Maybe it was one of the things the translation had marked as unrealistic. Seeker, angel, and devil, maybe? That would make sense...
"Yes!" she said, with the typical enthusiasm a Sue showed. "I'm a Seeker, shuttle, and space-ship! I thought about something organic, but I don't like Sari or BA and that would just be gross."
"...Seeker, shuttle, and space-ship," Roadstead repeated. More laughter came, slightly hysterical for a moment, until the Seeker controlled himself. "What in the blue pits were you thinking? That's not even valid! A shuttle is a space-ship! And they're both just a sub-set of Seeker... That's like saying you're a boat, dinghy, and lifeboat! Why would you even try..."
"No they're not!" the femme argued, pouting. "Seekers are in the air, shuttles go up and down, and space-ships stay up!"
The shuttle bit would probably be why she was bigger than he was, then, Roadstead mused to himself, catching one pink-black-red wing in a grip he knew was painful. "I've been in space. Shuttles are Seekers with more cargo room. And all our space-crafts most certainly do go 'up and down', because if they didn't, how would the Autobots' Cosmos ever interact with his faction-mates?"
Not surprisingly, the femme didn't answer, looking at Roadstead and whimpering. The door opened, and Roadstead let go of her as Metrodash came in with a box. The red mech looked at the femme, then back at Roadstead, and nodded. "So that's what happened. Guess I won't bother unpacking too much."
"Yeah. It's not like I'm not trying... Oh, she needs our language, doesn't she...?" He hadn't paid Glit for the download, after all, which was his own stupid fault.
Metrodash's laugh wasn't entirely kind. Because of the debt, still not repaid, he didn't have to worry about finding himself in Roadstead's place. It was the Seeker's test, after all. "Well then, I better keep shifting things."
"...who was that...?" the Sue asked, very quietly. She was afraid of Roadstead now, which had been the point of disciplining her. It only took a glance for the Seeker to decide against giving her the download right now. It wouldn't do to push too hard. Using English for a while wouldn't kill anyone.
"That was my... debtor. His designation's Metrodash, and no, you cannot use him." Which she wouldn't understand, because he had used the word 'debtor' and not the slightly more accurate translation of 'pet' or 'berthwarmer and general servant'.
"...Oh."
Roadstead huffed a little, then sat next to the femme. "Honestly? I'm being hard on you. Yes. But honestly? We don't want you dead. Right now, you're a Sue- and yes, you are, and don't even try to argue it. And we're in a war, and if you want a real chance to survive and make something of yourself, then being coddled won't help. Anyway, I'm a Decepticon. We're not the side of rainbows and puppies and chocolate and marshmallows and nameless, rankless, trapped workers. We're the side that knows how to fight for what we deserve."
She shivered a little, venting hard, and then looked up. "I- I'm Amber. And I still think Megatron shouldn't have to put up with Starscream."
"He doesn't have to," Roadstead answered. "First, the Winglord is not as treacherous as G1 or Animated made him seem. If he was, he would not be Air Commander. Second, he understands our culture, and you don't, which means you are a worse choice than he is. Third, Starscream isn't second in command. Shockwave is. Or Soundwave. Depends on the orn. And moods. Strika is too. It's confusing, yes. Starscream is Air Commander, though. You made your sue for Megatron, trying to replace Starscream, didn't you?"
"I... yes. He... deserves someone... better?" Amber wasn't insisting now, at least. This was a step in the right direction.
"He has them. For you to even have a chance with Lord Megatron, then you have to learn our culture. You have to prove yourself a warrior. You have to earn the brand. Then, maybe, you could get in his berth. And if you want more," Roadstead stressed, "Then you have to be better than everyone else in the army. And this is something not even Strika, or Shockwave, or Soundwave, or any other Decepticon has even done."
It was when Amber's gaze darted to his wings, and the purple sigils burned into the metal there, that Roadstead knew what was coming. "Have you been in his berth?"
"No," Roadstead answered. He held off on sharing just why he hadn't been, waiting to see what Amber's conclusions were.
"I told my friends their stories of slutty Seekers and 'Cons were wrong!" the femme exclaimed, looking quite triumphant, and Roadstead sighed.
"No. No they weren't. They really were not..." A knock interrupted him, and Roadstead sighed just a little, going to answer. Metrodash wouldn't knock, so either someone wanted to 'congratulate' him or... "Oh. Astrotrain...! I see you found me. I must admit, you're sooner than I expected."
Astrotrain smiled, crowding Roadstead back from the door and further into the room. The triplechanger was never the best at conversation, but Roadstead knew and accepted that, and let himself be pushed back. He felt the berth against his legs, and the Seeker lowered himself onto it, arching prettily and barely noticing as Amber stood, or the shocked expression on her face.
"That's right, pretty wings. Pretty wings, tight valve, so ready..." Astrotrain purred the words roughly, atypically using English as some kind of concession to the femme in the room, and covered Roadstead with his larger chassis with a low sound of stressed metal. One hand cupped the brown Seeker's cheek in a moment of tenderness, and then he was twisting his digits into Roadstead's wings. "Open up, pretty wings, pretty Road. You were in me, let me into you now. Let me in!"
Roadstead moaned weakly, letting his panel open and then gasping as Astrotrain took advantage. The triplechanger was large, and hard. It would be fast, it always was when Astrotrain came in so aggressively. Roadstead knew he wouldn't get much more than a valve full of transfluid from it, but that was okay.
It was only a klick or two later when Astrotrain overloaded, giving a low cry and pulling Roadstead closer to him. The Seeker just pet him for a moment, ignoring his own unfulfilled desire. He had expected it.
"Mm... You're good as always, Road'. So pretty and good," Astrotrain murmured, giving the Seeker a kiss. Neither mech looked up as the door opened, Metrodash bringing in the next load of belongings.
"Hi, Astrotrain. Roadstead, I've got about two more loads. What's wrong with her?"
Roadstead looked over, snorting a little at the expression on Amber's face. "Oh, she just got done telling me that Seekers weren't sluts," he answered, kissing Astrotrain again before the triplechanger pulled out. He closed his panel immediately, and sat up as Astrotrain stood. "See you later, Astro? Oh, 'Dash, going to want you after you've moved everything."
"You know you will, Road'. Hey, and I'm glad I was able to help today. Hey, femme, don't look so worried. You're not my type. Too garish." With those words, meant to be comforting, the triplechanger nodded and left, followed a moment later by Metrodash.
"W- w- what...? I, I... garish... You..." Amber was venting fast, then looked at Roadstead, who was still sitting comfortably on the berth with his legs still spread. "Oh my God, are you okay? He- you- Oh my God, I'm so sorry!"
Roadstead flickered his optics at her, wings moving in echo of his confusion. What was she on about, he wondered, tilting his head and trying to remember being human. When he was human... Oh.
He really did try not to laugh. Amber was worried for him, and he had laughed at her a lot. It would probably just scare her right now, anyway. "Amber, I'm fine. This was consensual. Hum... or, to put it in fandom terms, Seekers are extremely slutty."
Amber shook her head, stepping towards him and then stopping. Her wings were fluttering around helplessly, Roadstead noticed, and he was pleased to see that her coding was actually working. "It... It's okay. Um... you said your name was Adrian? It's okay, you don't... you don't have to deal with this, you know. If you can't find help here, then-"
"Don't," Roadstead ordered, sure of what was coming. "I'm not going to the Autobots. I'm not giving up my wings." He shuddered at the idea, but of course Amber hadn't known what she was meaning. "My designation is Roadstead. I haven't been Adrian in most of an eon. And Astrotrain did not rape me."
"Listen, I know sometimes people 'consent' because they don't want to fight. It's okay. He's bigger than you, it's okay to be scared," Amber insisted, voice still smooth and gratingly delicate, as though he were made out of decorative glass.
Roadstead stood, wings flaring. "You think I didn't fight because I was scared? I am branded, and that means something! If he had come here to rape me, I would have fought to offlining!" And if Astrotrain was trying to court him- well. The triplechanger wasn't, and Roadstead wasn't going to be perused in any courtship he did participate in. "I knew he would come to my door the moment I asked him for a ride. I welcome him often. It's quite fun- Oh Primus. You're a virgin, aren't you?"
"W- what's that got to do with anything?" Amber asked. She didn't seem to know if she should be scared of him or worried for him.
"I'm not going to do anything," Roadstead answered, sitting and drooping again. "It just helps to explain why you're confused. Remember what I said about understanding our culture? This is the sort of thing I meant."
"But... you just let yourself be- um. Be used..." Amber stammered.
Letting his wings move flirtatiously, just to see if she noticed and flushed, Roadstead answered, "Yeah. Our bodies are the thing most Seekers trade the most often. We enjoy it, they enjoy it, so why not offer a tumble? We don't really have STDs or anything, and pregnancy is exceedingly rare and would only mean good things. Obviously it's not the only thing we trade, you heard me give Glit the high-grade."
"But he just..."
"Just pushed his way in and took me and left without even overloading me. And I enjoyed it, it was worth it, I will do it again. There is cost in everything, and almost anything can be payment. Life is a trade... And if you think I sound mercenary, you should hear Swindle." Which was the punchline to a joke so old that only new OCs even had a chance of being amused by it.
"I... I want to go home..." Amber murmured. Roadstead shifted to one side of the large berth, in case she wanted to sit down.
"I know. I did myself."
He cried and sobbed, curled into himself and ignoring everyone.
"But you can't. You're here. You're a femme." And she had had a very hard day. Roadstead hadn't even been code-checked his first day, but that was just because he had been seeming okay and Shockwave wasn't immediately available and Starscream wouldn't let anyone else at him.
He only looked up when Starscream himself came, sneering at him and asking why he was giving up so soon. "It's everything you wanted, isn't it? Wings, firepower, life-span. And you're giving up and sobbing."
He stopped then, shocked by the harsh words and unable to argue. He still mourned, but he never gave up again.
"What's going to happen to me?" Looking at the berth, Amber finally, slowly, sat down, a little unsteadily.
"I don't know. Much of it's up to you. ...I'll be teaching you. Probably take you around the empire, show you your options." He'd have the time to do that. 'Helping' the sue adjust was his assignment now. And if he did go all the way to New Kaon... Maybe he'd at least be able to get some time with Shockwave.
"Right now, rest. And don't freak out when I use 'Dash next to you. That's a part of our culture... And I'm not raping him, either." He couldn't. Metrodash was his.
"You... shouldn't. I mean..."
"By human standards, I shouldn't," Roadstead agreed. "We're not human." And that was really all there was to say.