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Post by Nicholas Bee on Oct 13, 2023 20:19:16 GMT
Nick gave a proud grin at that.
Though of course, he mostly had Bee to thank for that at this point. If he hadn’t been in the care of an Autobot he’d still be stuck to his couple of easy phrases and stuff and probably need a lot more work. “I just really want to immerse myself in as much Cybertronian culture as possible,” he admitted honestly. “… Humans haven’t been really kind to me, to be honest. My family dumped me when I was a baby and my uncle just… Ran out one day.”
He paused, these were still tough subject for him but it was getting easier. “The first time I really felt someone cared was when dad took me in. The first time I heard “I love you”, was from him,” He managed. “So as far as I’m concerned I’m more Autobot than human now. And I’m proud of it.”
Whoa! They could do that? Nick’s interest was piqued as Skyfire mentioned how they could still track them! That was… Not what he was expecting. “That’s so cool! Can you show me? I’m uh… Kind of a techie,” he admitted. “That may be useful later.”
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Post by Skyfire on Nov 12, 2023 7:27:43 GMT
Skyfire looked Nick over and nodded. His story did sound similar to so many of the younger Autobots he'd met. Whether it was the war or family, broken families seemed to be a common factor in the beings around Skyfire. He wondered briefly if they'd ever be able to a world at peace as Cybertron had been in the Golden Age ever again. They'd tried to make peace here on Earth, but some Decepticons refused to surrender, and humans were all so random in their actions - all of them were able to inflict such cruelty on their own kind.
"I'm sorry to hear about the failings of your human family, and I am glad that Bumblebee has been able to help you so far. Hopefully, the Maltos will also be able to help you see humanity in a more positive light over time."
Skyfire nodded and called up a holographic GPS display based on the data from Nick's watch when offline - tracking based on the accelerometer logs and the latest confirmed location, he drew a red line showing, approximately, where the acceleration and other location data showed him to be - including cross-referencing the optical pulse oximeter data to roughly gauge how high they'd been flying based on Nick's blood oxygen levels and pulse rate. He was a Seeker at spark, and accustomed to finding courses based on the slightest data that he could confirm.
"Log files all indicate this was your course."
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Post by Nicholas Bee on Nov 19, 2023 7:51:33 GMT
Nick was quiet a moment.
Honestly, a while ago he would have said that it was his fault. Or at least; he’d once thought it was. That everybody must have left him for a reason… But the more time he lived in a stable home, with more stable role models the more he realized that he probably wasn’t the problem at all.
“Thanks,” Nick finally managed after a minute. “I uh… Try not to think about it too much. Just focus on the here and now… That’s what I’m starting to learn.”
But… One thing he’d mentioned definitely did make him think. Maybe learning to slowly trust human people was possible while he was around the Malto’s.
For now though, he focused on the display Skyfire was giving him with great interest. His brown eyes widened, throughly impressed - maybe a little bewildered. “WOW, you can get all of that just from my watch?” He asked. “I wonder what else you guys can see..,”
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Post by Skyfire on Nov 19, 2023 8:38:40 GMT
Skyfire was not the most emotional of Autobots, nor the most perceptive of emotions in others around him. Still, he could tell that there was something going on in the boy's mind; there was a cogitation there leading to an unwanted and unpleasant conclusion. He knelt down and looked Nick in the eye. "That is a very wise statement, Nick. We cannot safely alter the space-time continuum in a way that affects the past. Focusing on where we are now, and more importantly, where we are going and with whom, is the only way to remain sane. That's what being a Seeker once meant on Cybertron during the Golden Age. We were built to find a way forward for all of Cybertron."
He actually smiled slightly, an unusual expression for him. He nodded at the boy's comment about what he'd determined from the small watch. The thing he'd kept to himself was one piece of good news - it didn't show any signs of having been scanned by a Decepticon. "Yes, I can derive that conclusion because it's an essential part of my function."
The large bot extended his right arm and flipped up the holographic display - he rarely used it, preferring his internal systems, but for this he could make an exception. Instantly, the boy would see just how many locations Skyfire was actively tracking, and how he was identifying his heading not only relative to Earth and the solar system, but also to the galaxy at large. He was also scanning and identifying technology, energy sources, and to some degree, lifeforms. He shrugged with his left shoulder. "The closest humans would have to understanding this is that it is 'subconscious', even 'instinctual'. Like the various autonomic operations of your body. I was constructed to be a scientist and a scout, these systems are inherent to my construction and existence. You might even say that I cannot help it."
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Post by Nicholas Bee on Dec 4, 2023 8:42:27 GMT
Nick nodded in agreement.
It had taken him a long time to get there, probably longer than he liked. But he also knew that he was happy where he was now. And feeling secure in this point of his life was more important than anything. “I just hope one day I can live up to him. That’s the part of my future I’m focused on,” He smirked. “Now that I have someone to look up to… But maybe not as a scout.”
WOW. Nick couldn’t believe that.
He couldn’t imagine how nice it would be to have that be an instinct. It sure would be easier to get through school wouldn’t it? But then again, it probably came off as annoying when you couldn’t turn it off so to speak. “I think that’s really cool. Like, I can just imagine how awesome it is to be able to do that,” Nick explained. “Though I’m sure it kind of sucked not having a choice at the same time.”
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Post by Skyfire on Dec 8, 2023 2:58:36 GMT
Skyfire nodded at Nick's comment about living up to Bee. "Bumblebee is a good mechanism to look up to. He and I both look up to Optimus Prime as our inspiration, as well. As well as any mech who regularly collaborates with humans. The closer our two species can become, the better off we will all be."
The large mech shook his head with a smile at the idea that it 'sucked', not having a choice. At spark, he was still a Functionalist. His mindset still matched the mechs from the Golden Age, because he hadn't seen the Great War, except the last two years on Earth. He resented the term 'veteran' applied to him, and more preferred the idea that he was merely a scientist marooned and forced into the very end of this conflict. "Quite the opposite, actually. I've never really understood the cogitations of these protoformed mechs without preprogrammed functions; when I crashed here, they'd barely started to exist. My shell was cast with a purpose and my firmware was written to suit it by the Elders of Iacon, and the spark I was granted by Vector Sigma is aligned to my purpose as a scientist and an explorer. I've been a warrior or soldier only begrudgingly. In fact I'd say it 'sucks' that so many individuals in the Galaxy do not know their purpose, or worse yet do not have one. I've never understood the malcontents who wanted to deceive the Elders, trying to give themselves a secondary role. I've heard some arguments, sure, but it all sounded like short-circuiting to me. Nothing a minor personality realignment and degaussing wouldn't fix."
Nick might have hear those terms before from Bee, or read them. If he did, he'd realize the real horror of what Skyfire was saying. He considered what later generations of Cybertronians called 'Shadowplay', and banned as a crime against mechanity, to be a simple 'correction', a means of rehabilitation rather than torture. How would the small boy react, realizing what this ancient Autobot could casually condone?
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Post by Nicholas Bee on Jan 8, 2024 2:22:00 GMT
Optimus Prime.
Nick grinned ear-to-ear at the mention of his idol as well. To say the least while Bumblebee was his dad, he definitely was one of those kids who idol worshipped Prime. Not that he was ashamed of it. “I uh… May be a bit of an Optimus fanboy too,” he chuckled nervously. “Not that my dad isn’t my personal number one these days. But Optimus is like… My idol I guess?”
Nick… Admittedly never thought of it like that. A part of him genuinely wondered if Skyfire had a point about knowing who and what you were meant to be. These were questions he asked himself a lot after all. “I guess I get what you mean. I mean look at me. I have no idea what I want to do or be,” Nick responded. “I think I’m leaning towards the medical field but that’s just a guess..”
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