16th Transmission - Video

[heavyweaponsbot]

[The video feed opens on Ironhide, looming large... and standing fully upright, in the keep's courtyard.]

[There appears to be a small tree, ripped from the woods themselves, and planted in the ground -- or propped up, it's hard to tell which. Either way, the old Autobot is watching it with an even stare.]

[And without warning, he kicks the tree, savagely, the motion accompanied by a rev of a massive engine. The tree shatters in an explosion of splinters and wood chips.]

[He draws himself up, and snorts.]

Yeah. Hip works all right. This will do.

Comments

[water_and_earth]

Why would you do such a thing?

_{[That poor tree.]}

[heavyweaponsbot]

Do what?

[water_and_earth]

Kill that tree.

[heavyweaponsbot]

Just a plant.

[water_and_earth]

And you're just a machine.

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He snorts.]

Your comparison is foolish.

[water_and_earth]

No more foolish than your callous disregard for other living things.

Then again, why should I expect something made of metal and gears to understand?

[heavyweaponsbot]

It is a plant. It lacks sentience. It lacks pain receptors. More useful to the other humans like this, anyway.

Heh. Insults supposed to make your point more valid?

[water_and_earth]

It lacks sentience as you understand it, perhaps. That does not mean it isn't alive. It's a part of the world. And you killed it for no good reason - you're not even going to use it for tools or to build something. You just destroyed it because it made a good target.

No, but it might drive the point home.

[heavyweaponsbot]

Then someone else will use it. Plenty of organics in this place looking to do something. If you are so broken up about it, you go play with its parts.

Nope. It did nothing. Good work.

[water_and_earth]

_{[Iramaat scoffs.]}

You really don't respect anything, do you? It's all about what you can suck out of the earth, no regard for what harm you might do....

You're so much like the out-landers from back home. Only. More metal.

_[Hmmph.]

I thought it worth the effort.

[heavyweaponsbot]

I give respect where it is due. To whom it is due. A tree has done nothing to earn respect.

And neither have you, at this point. Just some organic shoving their faceplates in where they are not wanted.

[water_and_earth]

Besides help grant the world life. I suppose that's a small thing.

[heavyweaponsbot]

There are more of them. They are not a finite resource.

And someone is bound to make use of its parts. No problem.

[Audio]

[sanomorior]

Showing off a little, are we?

[Sycora's quite pleased, though. The surgery had gone well enough, but there was always the chance that things wouldn't connect right after he changed back...]

[Audio]

[snowtop]

[Woah woah wait a second, the last thing Xanth heard was that Ironhide was still laid up. And now he's kicking down trees!]

Y-You're-- better? Y-You got it-- f-fixed?

[Audio]

[heavyweaponsbot]

This? Nah. This is a workout. Nothing more.

[It's still stiff, still hurts when he walks. But, then again, it probably always will, no matter who worked on it.]

[Audio]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He grunts.]

The human medic looked at it.

[And as relieved as he is to have it over and done with... the words still feel sour.]

[water_and_earth]

Of course they are finite. All life is.

[heavyweaponsbot]

Plenty of trees out there, shooting off more of the same.

[Audio]

[snowtop]

O--Oh.

[That short sentence gives Xanth a world of information: that Ironhide still refused to have anyone tune him up; that he'd gotten himself fixed while he was human; and that the doctor he'd gone to was good.

Two out of the three of these things were positive. The third... well, it wasn't a problem, but it would be eventually. But Xanth doesn't want to argue.]

W-Well, that-- th-that's... good. I-I'm-- glad.

[Audio]

[sanomorior]

Mm. Be careful.

[But she says it like she knows he won't be. She's worked on Ironhide's type before, the soldier who thinks himself invincible, and she knows they don't listen.]

Next time you're human, come see me again. If anything's come loose, I should be able to patch it like I did this time.

[Audio]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He grunts -- it's meant to be a more reassuring sound than anything.]

Now you can stop worrying, huh?

[Audio]

[heavyweaponsbot]

This human thing happen a lot around here or something?

[Audio]

[sanomorior]

Now and then. Last year there was a party and everyone got turned human. Anyone human stayed the same, though.