Because comparative science is... fun..?

[angleofscience]

WHO: Jetfire and Skyfire
WHERE: Jetfire's lab on one of the terraces surrounding Liege's temple.
WHEN: Around now.
WHAT: Sharing history - and the differences.
WARNINGS: None.


It had hardly been a pressing priority to have this comparative talk, but it'd still been something Jetfire had looked forward to - mostly anyway, given some of the possible subjects that'd come up. The chance to get to have a comprehensive comparison of two similar-but-different angles in two different realities.

Themselves, that was.

"We know a few things already, since it's quite impossible to not pick these things up..." Trailing off, Jetfire smiled slightly, and sat down, still somewhat surprised he'd managed to find seating large enough to hold him comfortably... and Skyfire as well, in this case.

"The two immediate crossing vectors being at least some time frozen on Earth, and Starscream." The latter one didn't surprise him at all. Then he frowned slightly, resting his curled hand against his chin in thought. "You were in the ice a lot longer than I was, however. I was... er, involved in the war nearly from the beginning." Pausing, he spread his hands and looked to Skyfire.

Comments

[angleofscience]

"Interesting... there might be some differences there, besides the fact that by necessity, if Optimus and Megatron are on the battlefield, they'll of course be drawn together."

By matching power-levels and to spare someone else the necessity of having to go up against either of them.

"But, well..." Resting his elbows on the table and lacing his hands together, Jetfire frowned thoughtfully. "While, as noted, Megatron was quite focused on Optimus, his plans were usually more or less strategically sound."

Even if that sounded strange.

[wherenobotsgone]

He nodded at that. It was sobering, in a way; the idea of someone like the Megatron he knew but more efficient wasn't particularly pleasant. They had enough trouble back in his own world as it was.

"I see," he mused, still thoughtful. "I don't mean to imply that our own Megatron is easy to deal with, but he tends to be... stubborn. He might stick to a plan that isn't working just so he won't have to admit he's wrong."

[angleofscience]

Especially as, with the confirmation of an existant multiverse there could, would be version of Megatron worse than that what Jetfire was used to.

More ruthless, more effcient... He shook his helm to shake away that thought.

"I'm quite sure each and every alternate of Megatron is, fitting into his own universe, a force to be reckoned with. And that stubbornness... would mean that as soon as your version hits upon a single plan that works, that could easily be the end." He'd hope they would never have that happen; as of yet, the closest for Jetfire and his reality would be the when Megatron came back with the Aerospace Extermination Squadron... that had been an unpleasant time.

[wherenobotsgone]

"In spite of everything, our worlds have been relatively lucky," Skyfire agreed. "The fact that we still have a chance to fight is something that we should make the most of. At least while we still have that advantage."

Even as someone who wished there was no need for a war at all, he could still realize how important it was to stop Megatron before it was much too late.

[angleofscience]

"Relatively speaking, anyway... there's undoubtedly other realities where things might be worse." Smiling dryly, Jetfire nontheless nodded. "But you're right, indeed we do, even if it's sometimes been... close."

If the war hadn't happened at all, Jetfire would have been more the pleased, and it'd taken him a really long time to even get remotely used or willing to use weapons, but... in the end it had been necessary to integrate that skill and knowledge.

"Well, that was... infornative, if rather depressing," Jetfire said with a shake of his helm and another small smile before he nodded back to where the equipment and work benches were.

"I happen to have a few samples from the planet I ended up on accidentally before, if you'd be interested. I've mostly concerned myself with the ore samples I picked up in the same systems and here on Cybertron."

[wherenobotsgone]

'Informative and depressing' is exactly how Skyfire would have described it, yes. After a conversation like this one, he would have been glad for a change of subject no matter what it was about. But this particular one was something he found genuinely interesting, too.

"Oh, I would love to see those," he replied, and that was all it took to get him smiling again. "You really don't mind?"

[angleofscience]

Standing up, Jetfire chuckled as he went to take the tucked-away samples out.

"No, I don't. I picked them up in the interest of an attempt at being thorough since the majority of my space were taken up by a plant the organics would be able to consume." He put the chilled box down and shrugged.

"I haven't had the time to look them over... the ore and metals I've found have held my interest more firmly." And he'd frankly been somewhat unable to get enthusiastic over the plants, especially after the rather choked stay on the jungle planet where they came from.

[wherenobotsgone]

When it came to science, Skyfire could get enthusiastic over mostly everything. He didn't see a reason to hide it, either. 'Acting dignified' was quite overrated in his opinion.

He opened the box carefully, taking a good long look at the contents before touching or moving anything.

"It looks like our interests might complement each other, then," he said. "That could turn out to be useful."

[angleofscience]

"Interesting, as well as useful," Jetfire said with a nod, casting a look over the contents himself, but it seemed he'd managed to keep it all safe and useful. Working with organic samples were a lot harder than ore, metal, energon or crystal after all.

Given all the similarities in their backgrounds - even with the differences, it was curious as well as... perhaps, somewhat gratifying to have such a fundamental differences in preferences.

"I hope they're all useable; I haven't had much necessity to preserve and keep organic samples for long to be looked at later."

[wherenobotsgone]

"Ah, that much is true," he agreed, with a small smile. As much as Skyfire understood the practical importance of science and research, he was quite aware that he would be doing it just the same even if the only outcome was satisfying his curiosity.

He took a closer look at the samples, his touch still very careful. It was one of the disadvantages of his size. He would need to find appropriate tools, so he could stop worrying about breaking anything.

"They should still be useful," he said at last. "They look fresh, in any case. No obvious signs of deterioration - as far as I can tell, of course, given that they are unfamiliar species. But that's always a good sign."

[angleofscience]

Curiosity was a strong incentive for scientific research, indeed... otherwise Jetfire wouldn't be as interested in a purely theoretical discipline like pattern equations.

"Ah, good." Jetfire looked over, and picked up what tools he'd found, had made, or, in conjunction with Liege's little dissection, had been given.

"If any of these would help, I certainly don't mind sharing. Tools aren't the easiest to find around here." Jetfire's grin is slightly dry, because yes, it's not just tools in general, but the size as well.

And all of these, however few, are of a useable size.

[wherenobotsgone]

"Thank you. I'd really appreciate it," he replied, nodding slightly. "I didn't have much luck getting my own... or many tools at all, in fact, let alone the right size."

He couldn't help but grimace just a little.

"I suppose it's not considered a priority."

[angleofscience]

"Here, or in your own reality?" Jetfire frowned slightly, trailing a finger over a few of them. "I've been considering the possibility of asking Solus Prime... or, perhaps, Liege for a greater set of tools," Jetfire said, somewhat reluctant over the latter thought.

Mostly because being careful how much he asked of the Firstforged seemed like a... ah, prudent idea.

"But no, it hasn't been the easiest to find tools, any tools, even less the correct size here... Especially if you might want something not precisely attached to the Firstforged whose glyphs we wear."

[wherenobotsgone]

"Here, mostly. The Ark had a good laboratory with enough tools, even if they were meant for smaller mechs. But we had the means to adapt them. Besides, I did have a basic field kit of my own with me." Skyfire held back a sigh, or at least tried to.

"Of course, once I was settled in the Ark and with a proper place to put my things in order, I didn't need to keep any of them subspaced anymore. Or so I thought," he said. "So I wasn't carrying anything when I arrived here. I suppose it does depend on the Firstforged now."

And he didn't particularly like that idea.

[angleofscience]

"Ah. More or less, yes." Gesturing around the lab, Jetfire eyed the plant samples and the tools he'd put forth himself. "Most of the equipment here was from some previous refugee, I'll guess, and I've simply retrofitted what was here to suit my needs, the rest I've had to find or make myself," Jetfire said with a static sigh of his own, frown deepening a little.

"A task that wouldn't be half as frustrating as it has been if there only were more ways to manufacture anything. We have raw materials, but with a lack of factories..."

Jetfire didn't necessarily might going to the Firstforged... depending on who it was, and how much you were asking for.

[wherenobotsgone]

Skyfire nodded in agreement. Even knowing that this Cybertron was in an earlier stage than the one he knew, at first he had expected it to be less, well, empty. The lack of supplies was almost as bad as after the war.

"It seems disorganized," he mused. "I understand that things like the laboratory tools I'd like to have aren't a basic priority. But if we're supposed to be building Cybertron... One would think factories and the like should be more common."

[angleofscience]

"That has been a thought I've had as well," Jetfire said, frowning a little as he turned around, carefully passing a chunk of ore between his fingers. "The only thing I can think of as to why there isn't is that the processes the Firstforged are concerned with are of a more basic, mechaforming sort, and that any refugees before tried more to survive with what there was available..."

He gestured around the room with a tilt of his helm.

"Like these buildings, since they have been made by someone else. But nonetheless, I still think there should be possible to activate something in that vein." Since yes, any greater assistance would need such things as factories and equipment.

[wherenobotsgone]

"Something more or less automatized, at least, should be possible," Skyfire agreed. "The Firstforged seem to be able to make drones. The Acolytes have to come from somewhere."

He stared at the tools in his hands, as if they might somehow provide answers.

"I understand that most of us refugees wouldn't want to work in a factory - especially when we didn't expect to even be here in the first place. But non-sentient drones would be quite helpful."

[angleofscience]

"Indeed," sighing a little, Jetfire frowned. "Drones like that would be. They might make the Acolytes themselves, but I can't see some form of, as you say, maybe semi-automatic factory production with the help of drones like that would be useful."

Moving a way a little to the end of the room towards the exit, Jetfire slowly paced, considering the thought that had come up.

"I mean, as the situation is, it's quite obvious Cybertron isn't ready for a "regular" cybertronian population, refugees or not, though it makes me wonder how any of our realities got to that point." Stopping, Jetfire thoughtfully rubbed a hand over faceplates and then crossed his arms.

"Factories and such has, as far back as we have records in my reality anyway, which, admittedly is a bit lacking, always existed, but they must have come from somewhere... Built up, or created directly from Cybertron through limited mechaforming?"

[wherenobotsgone]

"I have to admit, that is something I had never thought about," Skyfire mused, tilting his head in thought. "It wasn't my area of study. And, well, I always assumed I would have time to learn about the history of Cybertron in greater detail if I ever felt like it."

In retrospect, he regretted that. Or, perhaps, not the fact that he hadn't found out more when he had the chance - it was more the general idea of having taken his planet for granted. It was something else that most of their realities seemed to have in common.

Perhaps this was the chance to fix that, after all.

[angleofscience]

"Mine either, though given the situation on my Cybertron before the war, even if I'd had the inclination to attempt to search for some answers, it would have been difficult." Frowning, Jetfire shook his helm, considering the situation as it had been back then.

It had been odd, yes, but given the stability otherwise and the fact that it didn't really affect anyone (mostly) directly, it hadn't seemed important. It had, even, for some parts seemed perfectly logical.

"The Council of Ancients closed off a lot of older areas, citing 'concerns of safety' for anyone who wandered in. I think there were very few who thought it suitable to protest that."

[wherenobotsgone]

"Is that so?" That part was a surprise to him.

"I haven't heard of anything like that happening in my own world. It's possible that it did, of course, but... at least in the history vids I could find, it was not mentioned."

[angleofscience]

"I believe the fact that it was happening was one of Megatron's points of contention, and that we were being kept from the truth." Here Jetfire paused, his expression turning slightly dry, along with an arch look. "Whatever said 'truth' might be, as he never went too deeply into that. But admittedly, given the fact of these areas being closed off..."

He shrugged, tapping the edge of a thruster into the floor as he thought briefly.

"Perhaps your government didn't feel the need to be as secretive as the one I come from, no matter what the reason might be for it? I see no reason why all our realities would be quite as corrupt as the others, so there might be... ah, degrees."

[wherenobotsgone]

Skyfire nodded. It was one of those things that he wished he know more about - but he had missed such a long time, and all the stories he could find now would most certainly be biased one way or the other.

"It had its flaws, as all governments do. But there wasn't great social unrest while I was there," he said. "As for what happened after - well. I don't have the details, of course. All I know is that our version of Megatron doesn't mention any issues of corruption, not even out of convenience to himself... Surely that must mean something."

[angleofscience]

Jetfire tilted his helm in agreement, because surely that did mean something... at the least that it'd been completely uncalled for. Which was a rather unpleasant thought, since less harsh of an uprising and war or not, war was still war and people lost their lives, and if the reason had been nothing more than 'because I want to--' that... Frowning, he set the thoughts aside to actually discuss it.

"A few things, I'd surmise... either there was, and he didn't care, at all or enough to use them to give the uprising some veneer of... ah, legitimacy. Or there wasn't, making the uprising even less justified than it might have been with corruption present."