ANOTHER TALK WITH OPTIMUS PRIME


Central Courtyard
Roller has arrived.Roller screeches into the area.Roller comes zipping into 
the area, beeping rather loudlyCandice is presently leaning against the side 
wall of one of the lesser used buildings.Roller is zooming around the room, 
coming to a series of starts and stops, and generally making alot of noise.
Candice switches her gaze from the starlit sky above her and turns to watch 
the noisey little extention of Prime as he transverses across the metallic 
floor.
Roller doesn't particularly pay any attention to anyone.
Roller suddenly comes to a sudden stop and beeps twice.
Roller suddenly disappears from view!
Candice blinks as the lil Autobot disappears.
Roller, invisible, slowly rolls up behind Candice.
Roller suddenly appears from out of the shadows!
Roller BEEPS! from behind you

Candice jumps...slighty starled as she's snuck up from behind. "You're 
bored aren't you?" she asks as soon as she catches her breath.

Roller beeps twice shortly, in affirmitive

Candice climbs to her feet and looks in concealed amusement at Prime's 
extention. "I thought so. Just out...cruising in other words?"

Roller makes a short whistling noise, then beeps as if almost laughing

Candice blinks...trying to understand the computer languge. "Very funny, R2."

A light suddenly lights up on Roller, and he emits a low whistling noise, 
almost like 'Uh oh', were he speaking. He quickly swings around and heads 
for the science building.
Optimus Prime has arrived.
Optimus Prime comes walking out from the science building, shaking 
his head slightly, a look of amusement lighting his optics. He scans 
the area quickly, looking for the area that he remembers Candice being 
in from Roller. He quickly spots her and strides in that direction.

Candice steps out from the place where she had been conceled (well, 
until she was found that is) and gives a nod to the Bot leader as 
she sees him leave from the Science Building.Candice gives Optimus 
a small smile. "He must have bene definately bored."

Optimus Prime reaches your location quickly, and, spotting you, kneels 
down on his knees, leaning back on them. "Good evening, Candice. I have 
to apologize for Roller's behavior... I had him out testing his repaired 
systems, and had broken contact for a short time to continue the repairs 
on my command deck.

Candice muffles a soft giggle. "Well...he *did* startle me a little. 
But no harm done. " She blinks in amazement. "Me being sneaked up on by 
giant robots. Sheesh. How embarassing."Candice then asks, "Repairs? 
Don't tell me there was another squirmish."

Optimus Prime nods. "Yes, there was. Ultra Magnus and I encountered Megatron, Shockwave, and Stalker 2 nights ago on the highways. Roller was injured after he knocked Megatorn over, allowing for us to escape by providing a distraction."
Candice flickers a glance to where Rollar had "reappeared" to sneak up on 
her. "Well, he sure seems fine *now*." 

Ultra Magnus has arrived.
Ultra Magnus enters from the science building, concern on his face.

Optimus Prime nods, chuckling. "Yes, Roller is, if nothing else, 
very resilient.

Ultra Magnus is out of sight to Optimus, behind his back. He says nothing, 
only watches, not wanting to interrupt the moment.

Candice moves her hand to cover her mouth...even though it's shielded 
by the glass of her helmented face shield. "And no matter what happens 
he'll always be the same....sounding like an R2 unit."

Optimus Prime gets a look of confusion on his face. "R2? What is an R2?"
Optimus Prime sounds genuinely confused by Candice's statement.

Candice swings her arms behind her back. "Um...small droid from the 
Star Wars Triology. Adorable little thing."
You say, "Oh...and in case you didn't know...Star Wars happened to 
be a series of three movies. Entertainment."

Optimus Prime ahs. "I do seem to recall hearing information 
on that... something called a 'Motion picture', yes?"

Candice nods. "Exactly."

You say, "You might like to see it sometime if you have the time."

Optimus Prime nods to himself. "Perhaps... unfortunately, I do not 
know if I shall anytime in the very near future."

Candice shrugs. "Well, you all *are* rather busy...especially up 
here on your home planet."

Optimus Prime nods. "Yes, unfortunately, we are. I do miss the Earth, 
the longer we are not there. It had a certain beauty about it... but 
this is home." He pauses, looking down at you with curiousity. "Tell me 
something... how are you holding up after so much time away from your home?"

Candice looks a bit uncomfortable for a moment. "Well, I have to 
admit...I am somewhat homesick." She gives a tiny shrug." "But there's 
nothing much left for me back there."

Optimus Prime nods, adjusting his position as he does. "Do you mind if 
I ask why? I must admit that, when you asked to come with us, it 
did surprise me somewhat. I know that you were subjected to more than 
anyone should be on Earth... but did that truly drive you to wish to be away?"

Candice leans up against the wall, thinking for a long moment. The silence 
is broken finally when she responds. "Well...I was asked...not the one to 
ask. But it doesn't matter. Either way it was still my choice." 
She pauses for a moment. "I'm...just not sure if I belonged there I 
guess," she states with some uncertinty.

Optimus Prime leans back against the same wall, pondering 
what Candice just said. When he speaks, his voice is low, but full 
of compassion. "I was torn from my home for 4 million years... and 
yet, when I was faced with the choice to return us here, I felt uncertain 
of whether I should. I did not know if we belonged here, anymore. If 
Cybertron would welcome us back." He leans his head back, gazing up at the 
stars. "But every night, I would drive to Crater Lake, on Earth, and look 
up, wondering where Cybertron was. And it was that drive that led me to 
choose to come home... and Cybertron welcomed us all back. Because even 
though we had found a second home, a second place to live... 
there is only one true place that you can feel safe, and at peace."
Optimus Prime looks down at you, and says quietly. "You are always welcome 
among us, Candice. But if you ever feel yourself longing to return... we 
will always be willing."

Ultra Magnus heads through the gates leading out of Iacon.

Candice nods quietly. "Thanks. But...when I say I don't have anything 
there---. I mean," she sighs. "The only ones of the human race I 
know of that I'm close to are Spike, his father, and Carly. I don't 
have family of my own. At least...none that would accept me," she a
nswers. And the way she stresses the word "human' might give one the 
impression that she has somehow distanced herself from her own race.

Optimus Prime looks at you with curiousity for a long time. "You 
sound as if you have almost chosen to remove yourself from your 
people... did I misinterpret your words?"

Candice shakes her head. "No. I...don't think you misinterpreted them. 
Not by much anyway."

Optimus Prime nods, almost seeming to frown. "Do you mind if I ask why?" 
He adds quickly. "If at any time you are uncomfortable, please, tell me, 
and I will discontinue"

Candice retakes her seat on the ground. She answers rather vaguely. "Well, 
it *has* been a rather interesting past 10 months."

Optimus Prime nods slowly, not saying anything, simply waiting to allow 
you to continue if you wish.

Candice sighs and looks away for a moment. "Well, being used as a lab 
experiment along with Spike, finding out my family was killed 
during an attack on Seattle not long after I'm released, being 
disowned by my surving relatives who hate me for surviving, being 
possessed by an alien entity...and basically having my life turned 
upside down and inside out...wouldn't you call that 'interesting'?"

Optimus Prime nods. "Indeed... enough that I would want to distance myself 
from those things for a long time."

Candice sighs. "I...just don't feel like I fit in anymore.

Optimus Prime hmms thoughtfully. "If it helps, you have fit in with us well 
here. Especially with the Aerialbots. I suspect it may be a kind of kindred 
spirit relationship that they have formed with you. In a way... they feel 
much the same about their place here as you do about your place on Earth."

Candice blinks. "What do you mean?"

Optimus Prime seems to sigh this time, leaning his head back. "An 
unfortunate series of events led to the Aerialbots leaving the Autobots 
for a long time. Many Autobots completely resented them, and treated them 
harshly, and without fair judgment. Even though they have returned now, 
many still resent them for leaving. Which is unfair, and unfortunate. It 
was the Autobots actions that forced the Aerialbots to leave." He shakes 
his head. "I still do not know why it took so long to rectify, and that 
has made it even more difficult for them to reintegrate themselves among us."

Candice states, "Well, Air Raid had asked me one time why I had 
consistantly 'stuck' with him and his brothers during their unaffiliation. 
I simply told him I knew what they were going through in a way."
Candice adds, "So...I tried helping them any way I could. Besides...
Fireflight and his brothers were the first to give me a place to stay...
after what happened at Decepticon Headquarters and Seattle.'


Optimus Prime nods, remembering. "Do you feel comfortable here, with us?"

Candice presses her lips together and answers as honestly as she can. 
"Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't."

Optimus Prime nods. "Recent events I imagine have led to you feeling m
ore of the latter, I imagine."

Candice gives a small nod. "Um...yeah. It has."

Optimus Prime nods, folding his arms across his chest. "I 
have yet to find an understanding of what would drive any of us 
to act like Stormwind. I hope to find out, though, when we reactivate 
her and bring her to trial for her actions."

Candice shakes her head. "I can't even begin to figure *her* out. She 
told me several times in the past few weeks that I was her best friend 
or somesuch. The truth is...she destroyed what friendhip we had a l-o-n-g 
time ago."

Optimus Prime nods. "Yes, she did. I do not know if she can comprehend 
that, though. To her, she appears to have done no wrong"

You say, "Prime...I don't understand. Privacy is very important. Why 
don't some understand that?"
You say, "And to do what she did just so she could get a video? The 
reason why I locked the door was she was sneaking in my room *several* 
times before then only to wake me up." I didn't want to be bothered."
You say, "And Skydive was with me at the time too. He was in a rest cycle 
and was rather exhausted.  He needed his 'sleep'.  I didn't want him woken 
up either."

Optimus Prime hmms to himself. "I am not sure. It is one of the most basic 
values that all sentient beings is entitled to. I have tried to teach 
my people these values, and yet, at times, when I see incidents such as 
this, I cannot help but feel I have in some way failed. And it is terribly
 disappointing."

Candice blinks. "Optimus, Stormwind made the choice herself. No one 
made it for her. Just like all those other choices she made."

Optimus Prime chuckles to himself. "I know... but in many ways, I 
am responsible for them, for their actions. I feel that I have let 
them down, an you down, by allowing these things to be able to occur. 
It is not something I can readily explain...it just is, to me."

Candice nods slowly. "I...kinda want to be there when she's reactivated...
just to know why she did what she did. And I sort of don't."

Optimus Prime nods. "Her reactivation will come in the next couple 
of days. I will make sure to tell you ahead of time, so you can make 
your choice there."

Candice responds with an, "Alright. Just so she can't try anything. 
Striker gave me a note that Stormwind had written before she was 
deactivated."

Optimus Prime says, "Oh? Would I be able to see it?"

Candice looks somewhat embarrassed. "I sort of tossed it. Basically 
it opened with 'Hey there, little gooey girl'," at which she makes a face. 
"She tried to apologize in some way and they went on that she was having 
herself deactivated because she thought I wanted her dead anyway. I 
don't really know if I trust that."

Optimus Prime rises to his feet. "You will be safe when she is 
reactivated, Candice, of this I assure you. she will not be given the 
chance to act out any ulterior motives."

Candice replies, "Thanks, Optimus. I appreciate it."
Candice looks back up to the Autobot leader. "Thanks for coming out here 
and talking to me, by the way. I know you've been awfully busy with all 
that's been going on."

Optimus Prime nods. "I have enjoyed our talk this evening, Candice...
I'm sorry we haven't had this chance before tonight. I hope we can have 
this oppurtunity again."

Candice nods...looking somewhat more relaxed. "Same here."

Ultra Magnus has arrived.
Ultra Magnus lingers beside the gates, guarding Iacon.
Optimus Prime nods and enters the Administrative Building to the north.
Optimus Prime has left.
Candice stumbles to her feet...her legs feeling somewhat stiff from 
sitting too long.

Ultra Magnus says, "Need help?"

Candice looks to Ultra Magnus, a little startled. She didn't expect him 
there. She shakes her head. "Oh, me? No. Just a little cramped from 
sitting to long I guess. I'm ok."

Ultra Magnus looks at Candice "Cramped?"

Candice smiles. "From being in the same position to long." 
She stretches a little. "Uh...think of when your joints get slightly rusty."

Ultra Magnus nods "Okay, that sounds about right."Ultra Magnus says, "I'm 
glad I'm not a human. I have to stand still like this all day and guard 
Iacon. Then I stay outside your quarters while you sleep."

Candice tests out her legs somewhat. In several minutes she appears 
satisfied.  
She looks to Magnus, "You don't *have* to guard my quarters. I doubt 
there will be any more break-ins."

Ultra Magnus says, "Never know."
Ultra Magnus says, "And what will you do if this place floods with Cons?"

Candice is somewhat sheepish. "Oh...yeah. Stupid of me to forgot *those* 
guys. I'm only on a planet 3/4s owned by them." She slightly rolls her eyes 
that.

Ultra Magnus says, "I can't help that, Candice. You know that."

Candice gazes up to Magnus with a wry grin. "Only making a casual 
observation, nothing more."

Ultra Magnus says, "You want me to guard your quarters or not?"

Candice gives a shrug. "Only if you think it's necessary."

Ultra Magnus says, "It's necessary."

Candice replies, "Then...I guess it would be a good idea."

Candice glances around her. The shadows cast over her hide how tired 
she seems to be beginning to appear.

Ultra Magnus says, "Candice, it's getting late, and it's going to get 
dangerous out soon. Maybe you should hit the hay."

Candice stares at Magnus a little, not commenting on his unexpectant 
use of Earthen slang. "Yeah...I guess I better. You...uh...coming?"

Ultra Magnus says, "Of course."

Candice smiles slightly and begins walking back to the appointed 
building. "Thanks for offering to guard by the way. No one really 
brought it up before you did."

Ultra Magnus follows Candice.

<Cut to outside the young woman's room.>

Candice begins to undo her shielded helment so she can take in the air of 
the complex. She stops in front of her door. "I...guess this is good night 
then."

Ultra Magnus says, "Good night. Sleep well."