Possibility against Certainty

biigoh

Well-Known Member
#1
Possibility against Certainty
"All sentient beings have a right to exist, but how can one tell what is sentient?"


A moment of pause as tensions rose within the group of Primes under the light of the yellow sun, as they stood upon the sun harvester. The cybertronians could sense that they were on the cusp of a momentous event, one that could and would determine the fate of not merely this world, but that of their entire species.

For if reason failed, then violence would carry the day. And that was something that the Primes, as a whole, drew back from instinctively... instinct telling them this would result in their permanent shut down; a fate that no living creature wanted to experience, even if it was inevitable.

Perhaps it was inevitable that Sigma Prime spoke up first as the moment of silence held, for he had been the one to select this world within the solar system to be site of the harvest. The note of disbelief was clear in his low reverting voice and body posture and the manner his facial spines held still. "You claim that this... bipedal creature is sentient?"

"Prima, not to be disparaging. But I must question your timing," As he spoke, Sigma gestured at the completed sun harvester... which but lacked the Matrix to provide the initial investment of energy to start.

"The harvester is completed. And prior to construction, all of us checked for signs of sentience and found it lacking in the myriad species of this world." The other primes held still, not coming between the disagreement, but their stances implied that they would side against the aggressor.

"Indeed, Sigma... however, they are intelligent. And as such, we can not harvest this sun," the soft blue light from optics of Prima was almost lost in the harsh light of the yellow sun. In the distance, the carbon based creatures crept closer once more as the loud sounds of construction accompanied by the movement of the metal giants ceased.

"Very well, assuming that you are correct. That they are sentient as you claim, what then? Shall we take apart the harvester, proceed to another world where one of us declare such and such life is sentient? As we have for the last ten thousand cybertronian cycles?" Here, Sigma's emotion bled into his normally calm tone of voice. He could see the snort from the bulkier Vector Prime at his dramatics.

"All sentient beings have a right to exist, this was the very rule that we agreed to. After that disagreement over the last sun we harvested," Nexus Maximus shifted uncomfortably as he interjected. The echoes of his voice shifting and echoing as if multiple entities spoke in synchronicity.

"Indeed. Which is why I intent to dispute Prima's claim that they are sentient," Settling down on his perk near the peak of the harvester, Sigma's posture spoke of absolute control and calmness. "Let us discuss this, I am willing to reason to determine if these... creatures truly are sentient as you claim."

"Very well, Silver Triparch rules for this debate?" At the nod from Sigma, Prima settled down upon the rock outcrop that rose near the harvester. "I claim that the bipedal creatures are sentient. That they are merely primitive and have yet to develop a proper civilization. I hold this to be the truth on the basis of the complex pattern of their sparks, their electro-magnetic signatures."

"Objection!" Sigma pointed at Prima with a finger, before slapping the inside of his palm with his other hand as he spoke once more, making sure to list each point of objection with a light slap. "All life on this planet possess an electro-magnetic signature. Imitation sparks that flicker out of existence easier than ours. The complexity should hold no relevance. An imitation is still, in the end, just an imitation."

"I claim that the bipedal creatures are not sentient. As you know, the creatures of this world know not speech. We tested for that, spending several planetary cycles to investigate every creature with an imitation spark, running analysis after analysis with our translation protocols," Sigma paused a moment to gaze at the brilliant sun above before continuing. "The creatures of this world know not reason, despite the ability of several species to use tools and modify their environment, they came up negative on the Vector Sigma array tests."

"Objection!" Sigma waited patiently as his opponent brought forth his counter. "Our translation protocols are not perfect, as you well know. We have encountered sentient species that do no communicate in a manner that we can translate or understand. Nor is the Vector Sigma array test perfect, especially with non silicon based species."

Nodding in point at Prima's follow up points, Sigma maintained his patience and idly pondered on the transmission that he had received shortly prior to arrival on this planet. The information regarding Earth had been interesting, as had been its sender. Himself, over nineteen thousand planetary cycles later, transmitting across the Space Bridge in a manner that should have been impossible by all known laws of physics.

This... would take some time. But time was something that he and all the Primes had in abundance. And he wasn't defending for a 'faint' possibility, but attacking with certainties.

***

Nineteen thousand and seven years later, give or take a few months, Samuel James Witwicky sat in the yellow Volkswagen beetle that he had chosen from the used car dealership lot as the best choice out of the lot of sucky ancient wrecks that pretended to be cars.

"Dad... I think. I think this is the one for me," he smiled at his father who started to bargain with the dealer, before frowning as the world seemed oddly brighter.

Looking up at the sky with a hand shading his eyes, he blinked as the sky did seem rather brighter and was it getting warmer?

***
The end

Author's notes - I know I kind of ended it a bit early. But I'm rather tired, having being up all night typing away to avoid sleeping past the submission deadline. I likely will come back to redo the fic.

And yes, I just did a 'bad end' and aborted the Bayformers earth.
 

biigoh

Well-Known Member
#2
This should be an Iron Fic 14 entry, typo'ed it as 12.
 

trevelyan1983

Well-Known Member
#4
Looks like G1 Bumblebee, rather than Bay's version. So, this would theoretically lead into Autobot City, Orson Welles and Rodimus Prime?

I'm cool with that. Losing Camaro-Bee is a price I can somehow find it in me to pay. ;)
 

biigoh

Well-Known Member
#5
Basically, the Fallen won without a fight. Just as planned... thanks to him sending himself information about the future.

The sun harvester harvests energy from the sun and this is supposedly a bad thing (suns going novae, but without a time frame). Thus I just had the sun go 'unstable' for a few thousand years...

To go super nova... just in time for the first movie to start. Just as planned.
 

Deathsheadx

Well-Known Member
#6
what's the point?

seriously i get the idea, but what was the point of writing such a story?

i mean you pull an asspull with fallen warning himself they leave humans alone and then irony of ironies the sun is going to blow up anyway?

with the plot elements and dialogue are so thin if i was to take this at face value what i would call this is a thinly veiled bash at a movie you didn't like(hence the 'bad end')

basicly this gets a thumbs down from me.
 

zeebee1

Well-Known Member
#7
The point was to win a contest. The story has no real merit on its own. Unfortunately, due to stupid time restrictions he's the winner by default.
 
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