Flashback - Metallurgy - [Closed]

[Deleted]

"And a visible platform to do it from," Megatronus concluded, his optics bright and the sharp line of his mouth turned upwards. He sat a hand firmly on Orion's shoulder, squeezing his fingers briefly. "We will be an unstoppable team, brother."

As quickly as he lay his hand on the mech's plates Megatronus removed it, standing with his arms arranged at his sides once again. He cast a final look about the room before nodding towards the other side of the bridge.

"But for now, we are here with purpose." He swept an arm out for his guide to lead on into the library. "Come: show me the archives."

By Kaon standards, Megatronus was well-read. Soundwave had provided him a steady stream of datafiles on politics, philosophy, culture and history - only some of which were commercially available for the masses. Before his revolutionary aspirations had taken firm root, Megatronus had snatched up everything he could get his servos on: fiction, non-fiction, verses or essays - all precious. When he wasn't working he wrote, and when the words would not come, he read to educate, inspire and catalyze them.

Atop that, Megatronus's world had always been physical. His frame was a perpetual reminder of daily exertions and toils: an ache, a pain, a numbness. Writing and reading were escapes into the mental landscape where his form was incidental. Forgotten.

The library contained more than he could read in ten lifetimes. Towers of knowledge and thought, lightyears high and ages thick, spanned beyond the physical walls they stood within.

Megatronus was not looking where he was walking, instead scanning what he could see of the dataracks and patrons browsing them.

"Is it possible to download files from here and take them away?"

[Optimus Prime]

Brother... such a surreal term for their species, yet it felt strangely fitting in a way. Both of their strengths would be able to combine fluidly to make a strong case against the current way of life for so many, complimenting one another so well it was almost painful. Having this counterpart to his own ways was comforting to him. Orion was not blind to this, but felt foolish as well, finding he enjoyed being in the others presence a great deal.

"That is what I hope will occur"

Always formal, always trying to keep polite and in line, Orion glanced back over to the end of the pathway when the attention was drawn onto the current task at hand once more. Once the gladiator released him, he turned about and began walking the rest of the way over. At the end of the pathway was the counter where a Cybertronian was sitting and observing.

They had previously been entrapped in prior tasks, but had grown nosy at the odd sight that was playing out. The individual stared as they passed; not even trying to hide their expression of confusion and worry, as if they thought Megatronus was forcing the small clerk around as some idiotic hostage attempt with no perceivable gain. Orion did not pay them heed, continuing on.

Beyond the entrance kiosk was a short hallway that suddenly ruptured open at its end into a massive series of rooms and walls, many of which covered in terminals to download or search the archives. These stations glowed softly, the rows of shelves beside them covered in the slim band of light on the edge of datapads that told of their contents. Ramps and curving structures surged up into the air to lead to a second level, and then a third, showing just how immense the facility was and how much pure information lingered within.

Orion seemed unfazed, continuing forward with specific purpose in mind. This building was not new to him, and even though he appreciated its structural beauty, he had become numb and desensitized. He couldn't see it past its functional quality any longer, incapable of experiencing it like Megatronus likely was. He only really slowed when the gladiator inquired about the datapads and their ability to be removed from the facility.

"The files can be uploaded and taken, but will purge after a given time."

Such was the curse of libraries. They were meant to be a source of information that was borrowed, not necessarily kept. Orion didn't really understand this fully, for he would have ran a facility like this, it would be under the framework of free information that was given out generously. It would propagate others advancements, and not force them to return to the library again and again in order to receive the references they need.

Alas... Orion could also see how it was a deterrent and why they did it. It made mechs such as Megatronus less likely to get hold of such information and keep hold of it for long. It would force them outside their comfort zones again and again in hopes they wouldn't have the time in order to get what they needed. If they did spend all of their free time reading and traveling to the library to refresh their copies? Than it would take them that much longer to actually make progress.

Luckily Orion had a cheat.

"As an archivist I can download the files permanently, but you regrettably would need to acquire each through me."

The data clerk seemed truly regretful for this information, as if he felt it was a great burden. He didn't like the idea that Megatronus would have to go through him to get what he needed. He didn't mind the task, and would do so in a sparkbeat, but it meant there was no privacy in choices. While his job as a Moderator before meant he did breach into individuals personal information far more than he ever wanted to, it didn’t mean he wanted to snoop on everything his friend would want to read.

After he said this, he went to make a turn, but was aware that Megatronus likely wasn't paying full attention to their path. It is because of this he reached his hand up to lightly grasp onto a flair of armor on the gladiator's upper limb, using it as a 'leash' to gently try to turn him so they could walk down the new hallway.

[Deleted]

Megatronus was oblivious to the stares; blind to the details of the wider environment to an extent that he would ordinarily determine idiotic and dangerous. His helm was tilted, intelligent optics scanning over the titles presented to them on the shelves. There were very few authors that he recognized, and even fewer titles. It made the realisation of how little he had learned and how much more there was to take even more solid than the sheer size of the library had.

The horizons of possibility that these halls opened were expanding at a dizzying rate, and his mind was tumbling over itself with anticipation, awe and a lust to consume as much data in whatever time he would be afforded. Orion's generosity would not last. Nothing 'good' ever did.

Then the archivist offered him possession of permanent files - so unexpected and surprising that his engine momentarily skipped a timing beat.

Data that he could keep. Digest. Revisit and revise his understanding of, as he revisited and revised his own work. Meaning evolved with learning, and knowledge built upon and grew from knowledge. If he could compare and contrast texts, support his rhetoric with facts and figures without relying so much on memory, then his words would carry so much more meaning and power.

There as also the chance, potentially, of sharing the datafiles. They would need a medium, of course, and a method of transmission that could be kept hidden from enforcers and supervisors who preferred that the cogs know their place and nothing more - but the data would be there.

Megatronus became aware of the hand that was gently adjusting the direction of his ponderous stride. Physical contact was nothing unusual to a mech from Tarn, nor a laborer from Kaon. Indeed the grip of Orion's blocky digits was so light as to barely register against his heavy-duty armour.

He followed the wrist up to the boxy shoulder assembly, and then scanned over Orion's optic in profile. If the archivist was genuine in his offer (and Orion was nothing it not genuine), then he would be doing more than supporting the gladiator's campaign: he would be aligning himself to it. There would be records of what information was taken out, no matter how carefully Orion hid it, and eventually their involvement would come out. And of the two of them, Orion would be the one to suffer the most for it - socially and legally.

Orion's guiding hand, the physical reminder of trust and friendship dispelled Megatronus's concerns that the archivist's offer to help would be short-lived or soon regretted.

Still. Now that they were both walking in Orion's desired direction, Megatronus shift his plates out of Orion's grasp. His brow plates pulled downwards.

"Would you be willing to do that for me?"

[Optimus Prime]

Orion was oblivious to the conflict swirling around in Megatronus' processor. The ideas he was worrying over, the pure absurdity of the archivist's generosity, could hardly even be comprehended. Orion was doing this because he wanted to, because he believe in what the Gladiator was doing, and felt that this would not only benefit them both, but assist in bettering the lives of so many others given time. This was a means to a greater end, and any risks and challenges along the way were simply expected.

So long as Megatronus didn't do anything vastly out of line, or suddenly change his views and go down a path Orion didn't agree with, the smaller mech would follow him wherever he strode. Through thick and thin, through the easy parts, and through the hardest of challenges, Orion was loyal to those he considered friend, so far as to throw his own livelihood in danger for a cause he believed in.

At the other's question, Orion seemed to tune in to the conflict Megatronus may have been experiencing. He didn't really understand the question, nor the way the others brows were pulled down as they were. Did he consider his words a joke? Did he not believe the offer? Orion didn't think he had worded it poorly, he didn't think he had been too vague.

"Of course. Your geographical location should not impair your ability to process and learn what is offered to many."

Stated as fact, as if it were as obvious as steel being silver and the sun above being a piercing white. It was then that Orion may have caught up to some of the Gladiator's concerns, and he looked back ahead as they walked, his own brows furrowing ever so slightly which looked a bit out of place on him.

"I do not fear anything that will come from handing out permanent files. I am only liable for a warning if that."

Observant enough to catch on that there was something wrong, but perhaps not enough so to realize the full extent of the worries that would plague the situation. Either that or he didn't care and didn't see them as any true issue. It is with this the two continued down the hallway, where the broad expanse of the library became a lot more closed in and secluded. While the previous section of the building had been quiet, it was not silent, the hum of systems creating a faint ambiance that was vacant from this area. It made it feel almost unnaturally quiet, as Orion plucked a few keys into the keypad beside one of the doors and it opened.

"I reserved one of the smaller conference rooms, so we can discuss our next actions without others overhearing and thinking we are plotting something nefarious."

The last bit was Orion's attempt at a bit of humor, his tone lighthearted as he stepped into the room.

The conference area may be one of the smaller ones, but it was still equipped with a large table that could have seated multiples of Megatronus' own size, and even more if they were smaller in structure like the archivist. Its surface was smooth and continuous with no seams across it, save for a single slot down its center that was narrow, more than likely holding cables that could charge or power datapads for particularly lengthy business meetings or conferences. The far wall held a large screen, one that could display anything connected to the system so that everyone could view, while a couple decorative elements broke up the side wall's otherwise plain paneling.

While it was not expansive and grand, holding a sense of awe like the entryway or library itself, the minimalistic approach and expensive materials was still a subtle brag of Iacon's wealth. It further highlighted what Orion felt was 'normal' and 'average' from the reality of the world around the golden and ivory city. An ignorance the archivist was trying to shed.