capitalh | ORION OPEN LOG 2: NOW WITH DUDE

Entry tags:

ORION OPEN LOG 2: NOW WITH DUDE

Who: Orion Pax and YOU
Where: Around the city.
When: Late March, basically whenever.
What: Having recent discovered that he has a holomatter avatar, Orion is now roaming the city like someone's confused dad.
Warnings: shrrruuuuggot. perhaps gay.

Exploring the city would have been a lot easier had Orion known how to do this earlier, but he supposes there is no point regretting wasted time now. Unlocking his holomatter avatar has given him a pleasant alternative to sitting in a parking lot and boredly zoning out into a haze of stress and confusion, and so he is happy to use this human shaped form to explore all the places he hasn't been able to previously.

While he technically does look like a middle aged man (who is not Charlie Swan), everywhere he goes he is followed by a constant air of curious bafflement, like a parent is when going to places they don't understand purely for the sake following their kid around. There is a lot of squinting and fondling going on in every one of these options.

A) Various book stores:

The most notable feature of this man's bookstore experience is that he appears to mostly be reading entire books whole while standing in front of shelves - very quickly, at that. The subject matter varies wildly, but he doesn't seem to be at risk of getting bored any time soon, nor do his legs ever appear to get tired.

Perhaps he has yet to catch on to the fact that reading whole books in bookstores is generally considered to be bad etiquette.

B) In which he goes AFK:

And here is that same man, standing in the middle of the street doing nothing. It isn't the busiest of streets, but he sure as fuck is just standing there while the world continues to go on around him, ostensibly while he stares into space and ignores the thread of oncoming vehicles.

This is actually happening because something distracting is happening wherever Orion's actual body is. Perhaps a sudden carjacking. Perhaps animals. It is a mystery.

C) In which Team Magma happens:

Team Magma can frequently be found doing something stupid, and in this case the stupid thing is trying to steal a bunch of lorries from a truck stop for unknown reasons. The rush the parking lot in a group of about twelve. Most of them are firebending.

Orion is just kind of standing around in the parking lot when this happens, not fully realizing what's going on until there are like a dozen costumed people throwing fire around aimlessly and yelling things about being TEAM MAGMA. Even after a moment of letting it sink in his expression is still more incredulous than anything.

He can not even believe this.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Orion actually jumps a little at the sight of Legion - he hasn't seen him since that once time that Legion stole his trailer. Ultimately he thinks that the other robot was trying to help him, but he never really got the chance to ask-

"I - hello. I mean -" Just then, one of the Magma people trying to break and enter into his cab. Orion's avatar form visibly flinches, and turns in their direction. "Please stop that!"

The cabin door abruptly opens and closes, knocking the cultist off onto their ass.

"You are Orion Pax." Legion rockets over to the Magma cultist, hefts him by the collar, and throws him into another, switching to comms to communicate with the Autobot. "What is your status?"

"How did you..." Orion's avatar says out loud. He takes a moment to reroute his attention to using the comm system instead. "You are the one who spoke to me on the highway."

The engine of his truck body flares into action and starts trying to pull away.

"Yes," Legion affirms, smashing into another pair of Magma grunts. "We have learned of your situation from Arcee and your Alternian ally. Your memory is compromised and your allegiance in the Cybertronian civil war is questionable."

Well, Legion is apparently just going to town on these guys, which Orion appreciates - he just doesn't really feel comfortable trying to physically engage these guys. Whoever they are.

"...I cannot deny that that is true," he manages to say through the comm link before he is forced to stop in his tracks. Some of those humans have gotten behind his vehicle mode and he has no desire to crush them.

"Please get out of the way!" his avatar form shouts to them. They, of course, pay no attention. They do, however, attempt to go for the cab again - sending a lash of fire magic at the driver's side door.

"Attempts to persuade criminals to halt criminal activity are generally unsuccessful," Legion informs Orion helpfully. They twist around and rocket into the fire. The flame scorches Legion's external shell, but does no serious damage, and in short order, the platform stop the group attacking Orion. "Inquiry: what is your view of civilian casualties among alien populations? If you were to fight a war, would they be relevant or irrelevant to your operations?"

Legion seems to be proving themselves so effective at dealing with the threat that Orion actually just pauses to balk at that question for a few moments. However, he is still fairly stressed out about this whole fire bender thing.

"I...What? I'm sorry, what is the purpose of this question...?"

"We are attempting to assist you in determining your allegiance," Legion states. The platform moves to another Magma grunt and punches him in the face. "We would prefer that you answer the question before explaining more fully. Further details would introduce potential bias."

"Oh." He still looks pretty baffled by that, but with Legion handily taking care of the attackers, he does pause to at least give it a try.

"Civilians are of value no matter the species. No life should be considered irrelevant in war."

"This policy is consistent with Autobot discussion of potential future military operations," Legion notes. "Contact with Decepticons yet to be established."

They punch a Magma grunt in the gut, and then turn to consider Orion Pax. "Are you familiar with methods to contact Decepticon leadership?"

"Well..." He is, in so much as he has their communicator frequencies. Being asked for it, though, immediately causes him a to turtle a little bit. He frowns. "I do not suspect they will be cooperative."

"Reticence to discuss potential civilian casualties is arguably an answer," Legion points out. A pair of runtimes alerts CONDOR that Decepticons are likely hostiles and to continue air suppression protocol preparations.

He vents sadly. Two puffs of exhaust emerge from the tubes of his vehicle form.

"...Since you were last given my status, I have had...an undesirable encounter with Megatron. However reluctantly, I have found myself inclined to the Autobot's side myself, and Megatron refuses to halt his aggressions towards them."

"We were aware that Megatron was unlikely to agree to ceasefires," Legion responds. "However, we deemed the conflict largely irrelevant; we assumed that resolution of your situation would result in both factions leaving Earth. If this is no longer the case, and Decepticons will not restrict military operations, then we will be forced to side with the Autobots."

Another pair of runtimes phones the local police. "We do not wish to force you to make a decision without adequate data. Yet increasing Cybertronian presence indicates a higher likelihood of semipermanent or permanent Cybertronian presence. Steps must be taken to ensure the safety of the local populace,"

"I understand." And he does. He feels the same way, and would feel remiss in allowing the humans to be put in danger for Cybertronian wars. "Regardless of previous loyalties, I cannot allow Megatron to endanger the native populace of this planet. And so, unless the Decepticons agree to a ceasefire, my loyalties...fall with the Autobots as well."

He is still so fucking disappointed that he was wrong.

"In spite of amnesia and direct contact with the Decepticons," Legion notes. "Alliance with Autobots now favorable to halt Decepticon civilian casualties. Inquiry: potential Cybertronian interest in Earth besides your presence?"

He does his best to try to remember. From everything he's heard Autobots, which he supposes he should assume is true at this point, they had only come to try to retrieve him. But the Decepticons...

"This planet is rich in Energon - the substance which my species requires to survive. It is quite likely there would be reason to remain if only to collect what resources they could."

The signal that next passes through the consensus is most effectively translated as well, shit.

"Do they have a method of locating potential Energon deposits?"

He thinks for a moment, trying to recall all the things he's read about the subject.

"Yes. Though the off-planet hoarding of Energon only began after the war began, and therefore after my recollection. I am familiar with the theoreticals, though, and I can only assume they would be similar. They have the technology required to scan for Energon both in its solid crystal form, and also as fuel inside of other robotic life."

"Are the Decepticons currently aware of your newfound allegiance?" Legion has called the police by now, and only occasionally has to tap a Magma grunt to keep them down. "What prevents them from tracking your own signal?"

Um.

"...I do not believe I am broadcasting one, presently. But. They have been made aware, yes."

He hopes they can't track him, anyway.

"We will contact Autobots and ensure transport to a place of safety," Legion explains. "Will you reassume the name Optimus Prime?"

It really says something about how much that question catches Orion off guards, that he finds himself uttering a work he almost never says.

"Uh..."

He blinks, and then almost in way of distraction, he glances around to make sure no one is looking at him and deactivates his avatar form. Truck time it is, then.

"I assume not," he adds a few moments later, over the comm link.

"We do not understand. Please explain title 'Optimus Prime'."

"Primes are the leaders of Cybertronian society - a status reliant on the Matrix of Leadership, in this case." He tries to sound less off put than he actually is. "Without it, I am not a functional Prime, nor am I the bot known as Optimus."

(no subject)

chapterfiveversenine - 2014-06-01 16:44 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only