(no subject)
((Follow up to the RP that began here, as a facsimile of the Autobot Hot Rod appeared in the Nexus, asking about an Optimus Prima, whom Auspex had met earlier. This is why AIs are generally not given sparks. Ow.
Note: Spike is a mech; this is not Spike Witwicky, heh. This Ratchet bringing the news first appeared here. ))
*One moment there's no one in the room, and the next there is. Ratchet's invisible as he looks around to see what he can see.*
*Auspex's gaze leaves her work, to scan the room slowly. There is a presence... and yet, no one to be seen. Given its sudden appearance... a free-spark? She zeros in on the impression, directing her gaze to it*
*Slight amusement comes her way, and a strong sense of Primus and the Greater Creator. But under all that is a sense of surprise, uncertainty, and farewell. Ratchet knows he's been sensed. But he's not ready to show himself yet.*
Hello? There are many people I could guess you to be, but it would only be speculations. Should you not show yourself, so I may properly greet you?
*The former medic hoves slowly into view, his optics still showing humor though his face is serious.* It's just me, Priestess.
*Her optics flicker* Ratchet...? But... I have not met any who are dead... unless something has recently made one of them that way, which I would hope against!
*He shakes his head slightly.* You've felt me before. I'm the one Panacea was complaining about. I crossed the Veil a long time ago.
Ahh. I should have guessed that. *she nods* I'm pleased to meet you, then. What brings you here to my sanctuary, Ratchet?
*He sobers, the sense of farewell growing stronger.* I was asked to bring you a message.
*She tilts her head, reflecting on the various emotions he's harboring* You seem to be balking at this message, friend. Are you all right?
Not... balking. *his voice is heavy* Only surprised... and I hadn't thought I'd ever be bringing it. *he seems to take air in through intakes that have been stilled for two thousand years.* Teletraan asked me to tell you good bye for him.
*She stares at him for a long moment, not liking the various interpretations she can make of that* ...why? What has happened? And why can he not tell me himself?
*Ratchet looks back with compassion.* He gave up his spark. He's only a computer again.
*He's greeted with a long, long silence.*
What...?
...why?
He said something about the origin of it bothering you. And after so long of being interfaced with the spark his personality went with it. *Ratchet makes like he's leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his emotion going back to surprise and uncertainty.* He told me something else, too.
*Auspex backs toward her seat again, settling with a dull clank. After another moment of staring at the tabletop, she's covering her face with her hands, thoughts of guilt and pain and My lord, why did you let him do that?? deadening her mind to anything else Ratchet may say, for the moment.*
*She tried to impart to him the idea of the spark being sacred. It's not something you trim slivers off of, and it's not something you give up because its method of creation made a priestess wary, no matter where or how you got it.*
*Why?*
Auspex. *Ratchet's voice is gentle but firm despite his own emotion.* Listen.
*She speaks softly, dully, moving her hands enough so her vocalizer isn't muffled, but not taking them from her optics* Very well. I suppose you cannot have worse news than that.
He told me about the sparkling made from Prima's spark.
*even more softly* How... is she?
I don't know. *The free spark frowns.* The boss isn't telling me anything right now except that he's got it under control. I was hoping you could tell me something about her.
*Still she does not move* Of course, he does... but that does not make this news any easier to bear. So foolish, the waste...
*another long silence, before she speaks wearily* She goes by Oriana Pax. The Teletraan's sliver of her spark... grew to become its own entity. He gave her a reasonable facsimile for a body, and released her into the Nexus.
She's healthy? Is there someone there for her? *he leans forward slightly. The femme may not bear his own spark code, but she's still Prima's creation and thus his by default.*
The last I heard from her, she was living with a friend of mine in another universe, in their Autobot City. She is well cared for... and, assuming that the Teletraan is sustaining her body, despite... *her voice wavers a moment* its current condition... she should remain healthy.
He said she's independent of him. *Ratchet looks at her, frowning* Why do you say it's a waste?
*She squeaks softly, raising her head to stare at him with dim optics* He was a new spark. I don't know how, being that it was forged from bits of others - including yours, I seem to recall - but... that is what troubled me. How do spark slivers from various individuals knit together into one? And how does it grow to provide emotional information for an otherwise simple AI? I doesn't make sense, I don't understand it, but it was there. Destroying that... is he still himself? Or have the slivers returned to their original owners? Denying the spark life does not solve the dilemma. It even makes it worse.
*He shakes his head, smiling slightly* He's offroading with Spike.
*She is defensive, and anguished* But...! He killed himself, just because I didn't know how he works?? Why does it matter if I understand, or not? His existence was strange to me, and the idea of slicing slivers off of sparks chills me, but... it has been done, it can't be undone, and now he has denied himself life.
And Oriana... she looked to him as a creator, in some facets, and he's just... gone off to the Allspark? If he understood anything at all about life... you do not play with sparks. He did, and inadvertently created himself. That does not give him privelege of destroying that spark again! What plans of Primus has he circumvented because of what he's done?
*The free spark's voice is quiet.* I don't think he does.
*Auspex sighs softly, taking a moment to draw Primus's power around herself, grieving, conferring... and finding some peace, though she doesn't understand, can't understand. It seems so senseless, so wasteful, an AI experimenting with life that it cannot understand... but Primus let him. And Primus let him cancel that life, as well. And though it hurts, and it fills her with guilt that she could not make the Teletraan understand why he made her uneasy... Primus may yet use this. How, she has no idea yet...*
When we're dead we don't regenerate, at least not the same way that living sparks do. *Ratchet's voice is musing.*
*She looks up, to blink at him curiously* True... you can still be injured with enough dark power... *she's had a very clear example, when Blackstar was wounded by the Unicron-servant...* But... what has that to do with this?
*He looks at her.* I've had a slight dent ever since I gave that fragment to the kid. *he gestures to his chassis.* Do you see a dent? But he was there this morning, getting mauled by Spike.
*she blinks again* But... why did you give him a fragment of spark? That is... not a practice I've ever heard of.
*He shrugs* My spark was already in pieces, I figured a little more pain wouldn't add anything more. And I was a little preoccupied at the time.
*She echoes him faintly* He asked...
It seems he was a little unorthodox, even before he collected his spark remnants. What happened to put you in such a state?
*His voice holds the memory of old pain.* I'd spark bonded. And then my bondmate died.
*She winces, nodding slowly in understanding* Yes, that... would indeed be painful....
*He nods.* Part of me had died already. There's a reason that the newer runs see bonding as something that's too risky.
*She grimaces slightly* It is still regularly practiced in some universes, and it does much to stabilize those who have done so... but yes, the pain is not something I'd wish on anyone. *She is allowing herself to be distracted from pondering the Teletraan, for the moment*
*He's silent for a moment, then lifts his optics to look at her* Keep an eye on her, eh? *and then he's gone.*
*Auspex starts as, suddenly... he's gone, as quickly as he came. She makes a small, mournful sound.*
Of course I will; I promise that. That is my duty.
*She wearily gets to her feet, only walking as far as the central mosaic, to drop to her knees, and commune earnestly with Primus, face in her hands, a heavy weight on her spark*
Note: Spike is a mech; this is not Spike Witwicky, heh. This Ratchet bringing the news first appeared here. ))
*One moment there's no one in the room, and the next there is. Ratchet's invisible as he looks around to see what he can see.*
*Auspex's gaze leaves her work, to scan the room slowly. There is a presence... and yet, no one to be seen. Given its sudden appearance... a free-spark? She zeros in on the impression, directing her gaze to it*
*Slight amusement comes her way, and a strong sense of Primus and the Greater Creator. But under all that is a sense of surprise, uncertainty, and farewell. Ratchet knows he's been sensed. But he's not ready to show himself yet.*
Hello? There are many people I could guess you to be, but it would only be speculations. Should you not show yourself, so I may properly greet you?
*The former medic hoves slowly into view, his optics still showing humor though his face is serious.* It's just me, Priestess.
*Her optics flicker* Ratchet...? But... I have not met any who are dead... unless something has recently made one of them that way, which I would hope against!
*He shakes his head slightly.* You've felt me before. I'm the one Panacea was complaining about. I crossed the Veil a long time ago.
Ahh. I should have guessed that. *she nods* I'm pleased to meet you, then. What brings you here to my sanctuary, Ratchet?
*He sobers, the sense of farewell growing stronger.* I was asked to bring you a message.
*She tilts her head, reflecting on the various emotions he's harboring* You seem to be balking at this message, friend. Are you all right?
Not... balking. *his voice is heavy* Only surprised... and I hadn't thought I'd ever be bringing it. *he seems to take air in through intakes that have been stilled for two thousand years.* Teletraan asked me to tell you good bye for him.
*She stares at him for a long moment, not liking the various interpretations she can make of that* ...why? What has happened? And why can he not tell me himself?
*Ratchet looks back with compassion.* He gave up his spark. He's only a computer again.
*He's greeted with a long, long silence.*
What...?
...why?
He said something about the origin of it bothering you. And after so long of being interfaced with the spark his personality went with it. *Ratchet makes like he's leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his emotion going back to surprise and uncertainty.* He told me something else, too.
*Auspex backs toward her seat again, settling with a dull clank. After another moment of staring at the tabletop, she's covering her face with her hands, thoughts of guilt and pain and My lord, why did you let him do that?? deadening her mind to anything else Ratchet may say, for the moment.*
*She tried to impart to him the idea of the spark being sacred. It's not something you trim slivers off of, and it's not something you give up because its method of creation made a priestess wary, no matter where or how you got it.*
*Why?*
Auspex. *Ratchet's voice is gentle but firm despite his own emotion.* Listen.
*She speaks softly, dully, moving her hands enough so her vocalizer isn't muffled, but not taking them from her optics* Very well. I suppose you cannot have worse news than that.
He told me about the sparkling made from Prima's spark.
*even more softly* How... is she?
I don't know. *The free spark frowns.* The boss isn't telling me anything right now except that he's got it under control. I was hoping you could tell me something about her.
*Still she does not move* Of course, he does... but that does not make this news any easier to bear. So foolish, the waste...
*another long silence, before she speaks wearily* She goes by Oriana Pax. The Teletraan's sliver of her spark... grew to become its own entity. He gave her a reasonable facsimile for a body, and released her into the Nexus.
She's healthy? Is there someone there for her? *he leans forward slightly. The femme may not bear his own spark code, but she's still Prima's creation and thus his by default.*
The last I heard from her, she was living with a friend of mine in another universe, in their Autobot City. She is well cared for... and, assuming that the Teletraan is sustaining her body, despite... *her voice wavers a moment* its current condition... she should remain healthy.
He said she's independent of him. *Ratchet looks at her, frowning* Why do you say it's a waste?
*She squeaks softly, raising her head to stare at him with dim optics* He was a new spark. I don't know how, being that it was forged from bits of others - including yours, I seem to recall - but... that is what troubled me. How do spark slivers from various individuals knit together into one? And how does it grow to provide emotional information for an otherwise simple AI? I doesn't make sense, I don't understand it, but it was there. Destroying that... is he still himself? Or have the slivers returned to their original owners? Denying the spark life does not solve the dilemma. It even makes it worse.
*He shakes his head, smiling slightly* He's offroading with Spike.
*She is defensive, and anguished* But...! He killed himself, just because I didn't know how he works?? Why does it matter if I understand, or not? His existence was strange to me, and the idea of slicing slivers off of sparks chills me, but... it has been done, it can't be undone, and now he has denied himself life.
And Oriana... she looked to him as a creator, in some facets, and he's just... gone off to the Allspark? If he understood anything at all about life... you do not play with sparks. He did, and inadvertently created himself. That does not give him privelege of destroying that spark again! What plans of Primus has he circumvented because of what he's done?
*The free spark's voice is quiet.* I don't think he does.
*Auspex sighs softly, taking a moment to draw Primus's power around herself, grieving, conferring... and finding some peace, though she doesn't understand, can't understand. It seems so senseless, so wasteful, an AI experimenting with life that it cannot understand... but Primus let him. And Primus let him cancel that life, as well. And though it hurts, and it fills her with guilt that she could not make the Teletraan understand why he made her uneasy... Primus may yet use this. How, she has no idea yet...*
When we're dead we don't regenerate, at least not the same way that living sparks do. *Ratchet's voice is musing.*
*She looks up, to blink at him curiously* True... you can still be injured with enough dark power... *she's had a very clear example, when Blackstar was wounded by the Unicron-servant...* But... what has that to do with this?
*He looks at her.* I've had a slight dent ever since I gave that fragment to the kid. *he gestures to his chassis.* Do you see a dent? But he was there this morning, getting mauled by Spike.
*she blinks again* But... why did you give him a fragment of spark? That is... not a practice I've ever heard of.
*He shrugs* My spark was already in pieces, I figured a little more pain wouldn't add anything more. And I was a little preoccupied at the time.
*She echoes him faintly* He asked...
It seems he was a little unorthodox, even before he collected his spark remnants. What happened to put you in such a state?
*His voice holds the memory of old pain.* I'd spark bonded. And then my bondmate died.
*She winces, nodding slowly in understanding* Yes, that... would indeed be painful....
*He nods.* Part of me had died already. There's a reason that the newer runs see bonding as something that's too risky.
*She grimaces slightly* It is still regularly practiced in some universes, and it does much to stabilize those who have done so... but yes, the pain is not something I'd wish on anyone. *She is allowing herself to be distracted from pondering the Teletraan, for the moment*
*He's silent for a moment, then lifts his optics to look at her* Keep an eye on her, eh? *and then he's gone.*
*Auspex starts as, suddenly... he's gone, as quickly as he came. She makes a small, mournful sound.*
Of course I will; I promise that. That is my duty.
*She wearily gets to her feet, only walking as far as the central mosaic, to drop to her knees, and commune earnestly with Primus, face in her hands, a heavy weight on her spark*