//001// stop me if you've heard this one already.

[knightoflight]

This was...not what he expected the afterlife to look like.  That's the first thought, the first conscious thought, he has as he steps inside, gold optics wide with surprise as he looks around. 

He rubs the center of his chassis idly, as though over an old, aching wound. This isn't death. Or Braid's ship, either.

"So," he muses, quietly, "where am I?"

Comments

[knightoflight]

"But that's all the more reason to work together. To repair that damage. And perhaps one of my kind--a robot--would be better for the long term."

He shrugs, "Few of us survived. We fled. We took all we could with us, but it was not enough. And sometimes I think we should have--could have--done more."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"This is true," says Ellen. "On the other hand, you've only just arrived here. Jumping into anything feet first, totally committing to it without testing it out and seeing what the alternatives are, isn't always a great idea. You're welcome to come and visit at some point, but you'll really want to check out other worlds as well first."

"... I think everybody who ever survives something massive feels that way sometimes."

[knightoflight]

He sighs. "You're right. Of course." It was a sincere offer, and he understood her concern. And he was, perhaps, more shaken than he gave himself allowance for.

He gives a wry sort of smile. "You're not the first to notice I'm not one to think of consequences."

There's something in her tone that gives him pause--that's the kind of wisdom that only comes from experience. And he's so wrapped in his own, he hasn't been considering how it might appear to others. He forces his tone to be lighter. "We did, in the end, the best we could. And we did save many. That's something, right?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"It's all right," Ellen says. "We're all kind of prone to acting rashly when we're suddenly thrown off our guard. I know I've made some really impulsive calls when I'm in over my head, and I'm lucky to have survived them."

She settles back on her heels and nods. "It's an important something," she says. "An incredibly important something, or else what are you fighting for in the first place? ... um, stop me if I start sounding arrogant or anything, I'm just... this is a lot of the kind of stuff I'm learning from Knight-Captain Colvin, and most of his ministry to date's been with soldiers. It kind of colors things a little."

[knightoflight]

"I...did not survive my last one." A sheepish shrug. But what other choice did he have. His city was in peril. He had to do something.

"No, it doesn't sound arrogant. Fighting for something, it's easy to get lost in the fighting and forget the reasons. And it's easy to forget the victories if you concentrate on loss."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Um. My condolences?" Ellen offers. "I know there's a pretty fair number of people who come here who happen to be dead, for one reason or another, but I'm not really sure what the etiquette is for dealing with them."

Then she nods. "No kidding. Knight-Captain Colvin says that kind of thing used to happen a lot in the Western Brotherhood, before they sent Elder Lyons and the rest of his unit east. I don't know if they're still like that out there, but it wouldn't surprise me."

[knightoflight]

He gives an uncomfortable shrug. He's not really sure about the etiquette in this situation himself. "I have no real regrets, beyond the selfish one of wishing I knew what happened to others I care about." Which was a lot, but....

"The Western Brotherhood? They are one of the factions?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"There's always the possibility that one of them may come in someday," Ellen says. "You never know. It might be worth watching out for."

Then she considers. "Sort of?" she says. "I'm a member of the Brotherhood of Steel. We're a military organization devoted to reclaiming the technology of our world's past, from before the nuclear war that pretty much ended civilization. We're based on the western side of our continent. About thirty years ago, the Brotherhood Elders sent a group of soldiers to the eastern coast to see if they could uncover any of the old tech from where the nation's capital had been, under the command of Elder Owyn Lyons. Over the years the Brotherhood in my area's become different from the main Brotherhood back west. They're technically still part of the same command structure, they just haven't been able to communicate in a long time."

[knightoflight]

"I can hope until then." And maybe have that hope dashed, but he's aware right now he needs the hope more than the truth.

A sympathetic noise. "So in your way, you are also refugees from a war. Survivors trying to rebuild. How have the other Brotherhoods changed?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Well," Ellen says, "the main Brotherhood is of the opinion that it's best to reclaim the old technology to keep it out of the hands of people who would misuse it, and study it and use it ourselves without letting it get into the general public. They feel that the mission is most important, and that while any two humans can make another human, the secret of building a P94 plasma rifle is all but lost. Elder Lyons believes that it's more important to protect and work with the people of the Wasteland wherever possible, along with the tech mission- even if other Brotherhood leaders see it as a waste of resources."

[knightoflight]

Wing frowns. "Some knowledge is dangerous yes, especially if there are still resentments that may be fueled into war. But what good is science without people?"

He's skipping over the 'two humans can make more humans' thing right now. Tyler had told him to ask Miss Bar. But he's saving up the question.

Primus help Miss Bar when he does ask.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"That's Elder Lyons' general opinion, and I'm inclined to agree with him," says Ellen. "The Western Elders tend to think that their work is for the good of the whole species, and that expending effort on just saving one local area at the expense of others jeopardizes the mission as a whole."

[knightoflight]

"But thinking for the whole species loses sight of individual suffering." He shakes his head. "I have no right to speak. I'm sorry if I offend you. My war put ideals above life and the results were catastrophic."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Er," says Ellen. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but I'm one of the ones who agrees with Elder Lyons about how it's more important to protect people. I'm just explaining what the Western leadership says, not agreeing with them."

[knightoflight]

"Still, I do not mean to offend by passing judgment on your war." There's a noticeable gust of relief from his vents, that she does agree. He gives a nervous laugh. "I remember before the war, when every word seemed one to take offense to."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"We're not at war with the Western Brotherhood," Ellen says. "We were at war with the Enclave, I'll tell you that. They claimed to be the remains of the old government, and they planned to wipe out as much mutated life as possible to make room for their own people, of the old pre-war stock. They... aren't going to do that, any more. If there are any of them left, anyway."

She's going to be remembering calling down the orbital strike on the Enclave crawler for a very, very long time.

"And for what it's worth, it's really hard to offend me."

[knightoflight]

"But your ideals, if they clash strongly enough, may grow to be a problem."

He nods. "The Autobots began that way, preserving the old ways, the corrupt ways. It was impossible to side with them, and their methods were no better than the mechs they claimed were their enemies."

"I shall remember that," he smiles, "but I shall not try to test it."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"It's possible," Ellen agrees. "I'm hoping that that's not the case, but... we'll see what happens if there's ever a reunion. A friend of mine from here has her doubts about the situation back West."

[knightoflight]

"There's hope, if your kind remembers the lessons of the war you are all recovering from. Fighting solves nothing."

..says the robot with three swords.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Reverend Avellone used to say war never changes," says Ellen. "I'm hoping we can remember that."

[knightoflight]

"War doesn't change. It simply destroys." He nods. "But it is an easy lesson to forget, because the factionalization can be insidious." His own Circle--Dai Atlas had seemed to feel they were a faction unto themselves, rather than the force that unified Cybertronians.