thisavrou | 03 | audio; forwarded to the 8th

It’s almost funny how you guys are rallying around Rinzler lately. All this talk about how what we did wasn’t right, how we need to fix the system here, how we need to be better people. So much outrage, you guys seemed like you really cared a lot about free will and doing the right thing.

And I could have bought it, I really could have, if it weren’t for what happened a few months ago. When the captains did the same thing to someone on board and well, I checked because surely if you’re so upset now it must have been all out war back then. [A small, hollow laugh.] But no. You guys were pretty calm about it. Not even a peep.

And so I started thinking, why? I mean, free will matters right? Justice matters.

There had to be some reason you cared more about what we did to a robot than a mutant, right? Because that’s what he was. A mutant. You even voted to suppress his mutation. Cure him. Temporary of course, because you’re not evil.

It's just, we are. We’re threats. We’re uncontrollable, dangerous. It’s not like we’re real people. Not like Rinzler. [He starts to get louder, faster. Something close to hysteria starting to seep through.] Our free will and DNA and heads, they’re okay to mess with! It’s okay to go after us! Not with a person like Rinzler though. I mean, there’s just a few of us, so it makes sense right? There’s so many of these robots and computers, and you humans out there made them. And that computer can attack and hurt people like us and whatever! The rest of you got to protect your tools. Got to be able to use them again.

We’re different and everyone always fears what’s different. That’s what it is right? Right? Either that or you’re just a bunch of damn hypocrites pretending majority rule has ever been good for the rest of us. Just rather call out people like me and sit on your asses than ask yourselves why this kind of shit was let go on so long and why you never did anything before! Rather take it out on people trying to do something, trying to survive than fix your own damn mistakes!

So come on. [There's no pretense of calm anymore, but the rushed tone is gone. He speaks slowly, pronouncing each word with vitriol. He wants to be sure he's not misunderstood, that people are listening.] Which is it?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You'd think they'd want to keep people alive and not damaged!

[Oh right--]

Yeah, us Autobots. There's a guy here who, get this, wants us and all humans dead. But no one's doing scrap about that either.

Apparently not.

[Ugh. For a moment he's not sure what to say because he's not terribly fond of robots right now, but as long as someone's on his side it can't be that bad right? It's not like he's trying to make friends, just to prove a point.]

Because the people here only care when it's happening to something they like. This whole place is a damn popularity contest.

That's just... that's such scrap! Double standard scrap!

[Whoops sorry dude, even if you didn't want to make friends, someone already kind of likes you on the grounds you explained stuff and didn't call him stupid.]

Ughhhh... And they say I'm a bad listener! Why would they care more about crazy killers roaming free than everyone else on here!

Because they like him or some shit! Like that makes it okay! And somehow makes the people trying to stop him the bad guys!

[He's just going to have to end up liking this guys, isn't he?]

He threatened to go after someone just because he got pissed at someone else, a totally unrelated innocent person! He killed his roommate and the guy still hasn't come back! He's, like, gone for good. You know the asshole tried to stab me after knowing me less than five minutes. I just asked him to stop growling at me and he tried to stick a blade in my gut! That's what all these nuts are defending!

That so doesn't make it okay! That makes it worse. Somehow!

[Why would you like someone who killed people???]

Are you serious? Dude, what is his malfunction? How does he even have friends?

And also do you like. Need to hide or something? 'Cause unless this gearstick is one of us he probably can't stab us. ... even if he could I bet Riptide could step on him.

Right? Right? It does!

I have no idea! But apparently he has a ton of them. And, like, there’s a guy here who said it was a problem in his coding. Some error that wasn’t supposed to be there or whatever. You think people would want him fixed, so he could stop killing people.

[He’s caught off guard by the mention of Riptide, the only Cybertronian he knows.]

Dude, you know Riptide? I wouldn’t make him fight a battle for me. Or anyone else. I’ve got nothing to hide about.

Uh, shyeah! That makes actual sense! But dude, when do the guys in charge ever do any scrap that makes sense? Y'know?

I guess they're not gonna reboot him or reset the system or whatever, either, are they?

[If it's anything like home anyway...]

Yeah, he's my friend. I live with him. [A beat.] Okay, and I totally get that, dude, but I'm just saying if you gotta get someone murdery stepped on...

I hear you. If you saw some of the shit they pull on us at home. People in authority always think they can just do whatever they want, don't even consider how it hurts people. [Or they actively just want to hurt people.]

No, he's getting nothing. He gets to walk away scot-free.

Neat. He's seems like a good guy. [Even if he's got issues with robots, he's not angry at Riptide. He's not sure he wants to see him right now, but he's not angry.] I don't let other people fight my battles, dude.

Is it bad? Like... mega-bad?

[Since it wasn't THAT terrible on Cybertron. He'd gotten away with a lot, honestly. Just a few smacks on the wrist. Partly because someone would always say he was harmless.]

What? That's not -- what!

Yeah, he is. [He means that, 10000%.] And that's cool. Just... thought I'd put it out there.

Like making machines to hunt us down just because we're a different species kind of bad.

[There's a grim satisfaction that he's getting that reaction. People should be upset Rinzler is still walking free, at least in Peter's mind.]

Yeah. Ridiculous, right?

Well. [Awkward. How do normal people react when strangers should kindness and concern?] Thanks. You know, for the offer.

What? That's. Beyond mega-bad. That's like Bee says the war was.

[And that's the only frame of reference he has for things being bad. Whoops.]

Yeah, no problem.