Silhouette

++ Skyline Tower ++
Every apartment inside the Skyline Tower takes up half of an entire floor, and every last one of them has a magnificent view of Translucentia Heights, and Iacon, outside. The building has its own security team to keep out the riffraff.                                                                  
Feint is at home now, practically buried in datapads. She's reading and taking notes as if she were studying for a major exam. In a way, she is; she's preparing to face the Functionists for re-assessment.
Blurr comes in, and notices her buried in her notes. Feeling a little bit cheeky today, he runs up behind her and grabs her shoulders as abruptly as he can in an attempt to startle her just for kicks. "FEINT!" he shouts her name very loudly and suddenly.
Feint starts with a scream and datapads go flying everywhere. Her immediate reaction without thinking is to broadcast her shock in all directions - which is probably going to smack into Blurr.
Blurr practically hits the ceiling himself with that scream and the broadcast of her startled emotions. But then he practically falls over laughing. "Gotcha!" he teases, amid the laughter. She might have to start getting used to that, living with someone as fast and as immature as he is. "So what're you researching?" he asks, curious about whatever she's been up to.
Feint is cycling her vents heavily, hand on her chest. "Blurr, you nearly gave me a spark attack!" she chides. It's apparently taken somewhat well though by the edges of a smile in the corner of her mouth. "You really shouldn't do that, I could have hurt you accidentally! I
"I'd never forgive myself if I did!" She gets up from her work, and stalking Blurr, attempts to pounce on him.
Blurr lets her jump on him, if that's what she intended. "Good because that was the point of it." he says, his laughter calming down a bit, though he is still chuckling. He starts picking the datapads up off of the floor, glancing casually at them to see what she was looking at.
Feint glomps Blurr, giving him a welcome home hug. She helps him pick up the datapads - it's all history, records, functionist assessment information and instances when someone successfully lobbied to have their function changed. "So, how's work?" she asks, wanting to know how things have been for him.
"Oh, the usual. In both cases." Blurr glances over the information, arching a brow ridge. "Huh. What's this all about? You thinking about getting your function changed?" He smiles. "Are you really that set on this being 'official' or do you just want to get an official job?"
Feint puts her stack of data pads on the desk she was working on. "Both, really. If I'm still a disposable that means I could be confiscated and taken away from you. Even a shift to low caste is an improvement; I'd have the right to protest such a thing."
Blurr nods. "So how's it coming? Any luck?" He asks, plopping himself down in the seating area. "I never really looked into it myself, I guess it wasn't something I ever needed to think about. Until now that is."
"Well, I'm still reading. It's the outcome I'm worried about. It seems like it's just... well it just depends on if the guild assessor is sympathetic to your cause," Feint explains. She comes over to where Blurr is to sit next to him. "I just have to cross my fingers and hope."
"Well I guess we'd better find someone who's sympathetic toward you, then." Blurr says matter-of-factly, as if it were that simple. He scoots a bit closer to her once she sits down next to him. Then he seems to sober up a bit. "Feint, the other cycle I asked you if you thought I'd done anything that seemed wrong or objectionable to you, right before Skids walked in...I mean, were you going to say anything?"
"The only thing I could bring to mind was when you attacked that orange and black fembot right here in the habsuite," Feint says earnestly.
"Oh, Shiftlock? I told you, she was trying to trick me into letting her rob me." Blurr explains, looking slightly exasperated. "I know it bothered you but I was hoping you'd understand once I'd explained it to you. But I never intended to kill her or anything, even if it looked that way." he assures her.
"I know, it just bothers me at all. I'm not a violent 'bot," Feint admits, quieted. "But that was it. That's all I can think of it."
Blurr sighs. "I guess. I probably should have made sure you didn't see it, that way you wouldn't have gotten stuck with that creepy guy with all the arms and legs." He wraps an arm around her back. "So is that really all you can think of? I mean are you sure? I want you to be 100% honest with me, because you can trust me. Right? You're one of the few who seem to -actually- trust me, anyway."
"I'm still a little concerned about your memories being compressed - I'd like to see those restored, but that's not something I can do," Feint replies. "I feel very strongly that being able to know your past is what allows you to decide your future."
"Which ones? I mean, I'm sure you don't remember every single detail from the distant past, or even from a few megacycles ago. And there's probably plenty of stuff you'd rather not remember." Blurr shrugs. "I remember the important stuff. Like you."
"All of them, Blurr. You should be able to remember everything. If you can't remember what's happened to you, you have no basis for comparison in any decision you make. It's robbing you of your ability to chose your own path in life, or even to gain any experience or wisdom. It's keeping you... well..." She vents. There's just no easy way to say this.
"It's keeping you locked into a perpetual state of protoform-hood."
Blurr waves a dismissive hand. "Like I said, I remember the important stuff. No one remembers -all- the details, anyway. Hey!" He laughs, was she calling him immature? "I'm not that bad, am I?" The speedster teases, poking at Feint's shoulder. "Okay, I know I just startled you on purpose, but I'm allowed to have a little fun with you sometimes."
Feint smiles. "Yes, I can stand /some/ jokes, just not too many, all right?" she gently admonishes. It's going to be impossible to get him to care about his own well being. She resolves herself to do it for him.
"Well then you'll have to tell me when it's too many." Blurr replies. "Okay?" Unfortunately those in the upper rings would -prefer- him locked in a perpetually childish state mentally, that way he is much more gullible and therefore easier to manipulate.
He takes out those interface cables they'd used last time. "But, if it really bothers you, maybe you can find the parts I'm missing for me." he says, holding them up. "They're not gone, just hidden away, if you will."
"I'm not skilled enough for that, but I think it's time we resynched." She takes the cable from Blurr, and opening her access panel, gives him hers in return.
Blurr grins. "Well you never know, Feint. You might find yourself surprised at what you can do. After all you've training hard at the Decagon haven't you? It could be worth a try." He takes her cables and as before connects them together. Well this time at least it isn't as awkward.
"Changing you isn't something I want to do, Blurr. I want you to just be yourself." Feint opens the gateway on her end of the connection, giving Blurr full and unfettered access to her person. The immediate notions on the top of her consciousness are fondness, welcome and acceptance of Blurr completely.
"Okay well I was just suggesting it because you seemed bothered." Blurr says as the connection is established, and two minds become one for the duration of the interface. On the surface, the racer seems to be pretty happy with life. He cares a lot for Feint and is glad she can stay with him. He loves racing, but being an Autobot gives him a sense of renewed purpose. And Feint is right there with him.
But there's something lurking below the surface, always on the periphery so that she can't quite yet tell what it is. As vague as it is, it certainly doesn't feel like it belongs there...
Feint doesn't know what to make of that other 'something'. Out of curiosity, she attempts to explore its edges, sending feelings of love and affection to Blurr. She is becoming more and more bonded to him; what was once just gratitude, kindness and hope is growing into something more profound.
Whatever it is doesn't want to be found. It's like a shadow, darting from one corner ofr his mind to another. If she manages to get her focus on it, she'll find that it kind of resembles a dark sillhouetted likeness of Blurr, at least that's what it appears as from her perception. It's something that has been bothering him, but for whatever reason he hasn't told her about it. Maybe he himself isn't quite sure what it is?
Feint attempts to see it clearly from within, increasing her enmeshment with Blurr's senses and mind. It's harder to concentrate the deeper she goes, because the immediate bliss of being mentally united with Blurr is dragging away her concentration.
As Feint pursues the strange form, it stops darting about and seems to take shape, beginning to look more and more like Blurr himself.
But he's not the only thing emerging. All around her presence, so to speak, more shapes appear to be forming out of nothingness, and soon, it looks as if she's right back where she was, in the sitting room at Blurr's Translucentia Heights hab suite. Except now, Blurr isn't next to her any more. Instead, he's across the room, sitting at the bar with Cipher. In fact he appears to be very distraught over something, and his expression is grieved. Cipher has a hand on Blurr's shoulder, he's talking in a soothing tone. "...there now, I won't pressure you, but telling someone you trust about these things can be very freeing. Trust me, it's happened to me before." Neither of them seem to be aware of her presence.
Feint is now completely engrossed in this memory. She wants to see what this is all about, so in memory form, she stands behind them, listening in.
"I killed an innocent mech..." Blurr mumbles miserably. "He didn't do anything he just happened to come up behind me too fast...I was scared, so scared they were onto me...I thought they were following me...I didn't think...I just reacted..."
Cipher pauses a moment as the racer rambles on, then finally gives his shoulder another pat. "Ah, I can understand how that must feel. But in the line of work that you've chosen with the Autobots, you were warned that that sort of situation is one you'll be finding yourself in quite often. I'm certain that if you asked any of the other, more seasoned operatives, they'd admit to committed a similar unintentional act."
The speedster doesn't seem comforted by this at all. "But how can I live with that? I can't do this, Cipher...but I don't want to just give up. It means everything to me! What can I do?"
Is that a faint sinister flash in Cipher's optics? Perhaps something that Blurr doesn't catch? As if he somehow saw this coming...-wanted- it to come. It's there, but then it's gone, and he again looks concerned for Blurr as if he genuinely wants to help. "Well, first of all let's strive to understand what caused this. I believe fear drove you to do what you did. You said yourself, you were afraid that you'd been made, that the enemy was onto you. It caused you to overreact, and not give even -your- brain the time it needed to determine that the person behind you -wasn't- an enemy. Fortunately, I can do something about that fear. You see when I heard you'd joined up I feared you would run into some emotional problems. So I wrote up a little program that would help you...bypass your emotions, if you will, whenever the situation calls for it. It would prevent you from having any kind of nervous breakdown that might cause you to make poor decisions that cost others and potentially yourself their lives. Call it a safety net of sorts, I suppose."
Blurr is listening intently, and seems hopeful again. "And it would keep...-that- from happening again?"
Cipher nods. "I should hope so. It is just a prototype, but if everything works as intended, it should."
"Do it then." Blurr takes out the interface cable Feint is using to connect to him right now. "I don't think I could live with myself, if it ever happened again..."
Cipher takes the cable and brings out a dataslug, which he inserts into a portable workstation he has been using. He doesn't connect them up just yet though, and looks back over at Blurr. "Are you sure you want to do this, Blurr?" he asks. "I won't deny that there will be risks involved, just as with any new device, especially those that affect the mind." Though there is a look in his optics that says he knows the racer is none the wiser and won't be the one to have any second thoughts, not in the state he's in.
Feint backs away from the memory, sending more empathy through to Blurr, attempting a mental full-body hug. She can empathize with his feelings and his decision.
The scene fades out and fades back in, presumably after the fact. Cipher is holding up a datapad, and saying, "...sacrifices must be made. Are you ready to sacrifice?"
"I am ready to sacrifice." Blurr replies, his tone completely monotone with his face equally expressionless. Cipher smiles with satisfaction. "Good. Now," He points at the engex dispenser behind the bar. "Get me a drink. Nightmare Fuel." Immediately and without a word Blurr obeys, whipping up a glass for his handler in no time at all. "Perfect." Cipher smiles, looking quite pleased with himself. He records the the success of this particular experiment on a datapad.
The room fades out again, as Feint starts to pull away, she can hear Cipher's and Blurr's voices chanting something in unison:
        Justice is above all. Order must be maintained. Sacrifices must be made. I am ready to sacrifice...
At first it's just the chanting, and then various images flash across her field of vision. That fembot he'd attacked in the habsuite before, Hot Rod, others she likely doesn't recognize. They are all whispering just under the chanting, in a cacophony of voices, begging...
"Stop..."
        Justice...
"Please..."
        Order...
"Don't do this..."
        Sacrifice...
"Blurr...!"
        For all of us...for Cybertron...
The voices get louder and louder, as if the chanters are attempting to down out the beggars and vice versa. Soon they are screaming.
        JUSTICE. ORDER. SACRIFICE...STOP THIS...JUSTICE....ORDER....DON'T DO THIS. STOP....GET OUT. GET OUT.
Suddenly they're all on top of Feint, swinging at her with long glaives, hacking at her body. All of the people from the images, except Blurr, who is desperately trying to pull them off but to no avail. There are too many of them. Panicking, he is shouting at her to run. "GET OUT! FEINT GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"
Something in there is attacking her mind, attempting to bombard her with malicious code meant to corrupt her own. If she doesn't pull out quickly, she may take some serious damage!
Feint is immediately gone. The connection is instantly severed; she's holding both disconnected cables in her hand. The shock is like having run into a wall.
"... Something's wrong. Something's very wrong."