re_alignment

[Have a vaguely uncomfortable looking Ratchet.]

I had a long-winded speech drafted, but then I realized that no one wants to listen to me ramble on and I'm not a mech of many words anyway. [Shrug]

First of all: I know that after the incident with the pages, some of you are feeling unsafe around me, and for good reason. Given my training, events like that absolutely cannot be allowed to re-occur. [He shuffles awkwardly, still feeling guilty about that.] Since there is no way of guaranteeing that I won't be similarly affected by some other event in the future, I've installed an incapacitator and given the triggers to two other individuals here on Cybertron. So if something happens in the future, they'll be able to ...take me out. I hope that provides some measure of comfort.

[Now that the awkward part's over, he seems to relax a bit, even smiling as he moves to his next point.]

Second: my superior officer isn't around to accept my letter of resignation, so an open post on the network will have to do. Given continued peace between members of the Autobot and Decepticon factions here, and the number of other skilled professionals on the planet, I am resigning from my position as a medic.

[He pauses for a second, then, having nothing more to say, shrugs and shuts off the feed.]

Text: Locked to Noisy Boy
I promised to go stargazing with you at some point. Are you still interested?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Really. So that's it. You're going to punish everyone because you did one thing wrong? That you didn't even want to do?

[You and Wing acting like this? Makes Drift feel that he has no hope whatsoever of making things right. But at least he's still trying.]

Punish everyone? How is this punishment?

[Ratchet is legitimately confused about this response.]

You're one of the best medics here. The Brave Police wouldn't be alive today if not for you.

So you're going to deprive us of that when we might need it again. Punish us by making sure we have one less healer.

I have complete faith in the abilities of First Aid, Ambulon, Barricade and Vandal to keep you lot in fairly decent condition. [He was going to say Pharma, but no, he still doesn't like Pharma. Deal with it fail!plane.]

And if there's an emergency, I will be around. I'm not saying I'll never medic again I just... I need to stop being the front of the line.

[There's a far away look on his face.]

Before the war, I chose my profession because it made me happy. Then the war started and ... for a long time now, all I've had was a sense of obligation and duty.

[He sighs, rubs at his optics.]

I just miss the days when I looked forward to doing my job. And maybe taking some time off to clear my head... will help fix that.

That's not the point, how good the others are.

[Because now you're confusing him.]

So this isn't about what happened, but just that you're not happy?

[Wow. He's...a bit flabbergasted. He's never been 'happy' with what he does. He's never looked forward to killing, except as the one thing he could actually be useful at.]

Your happiness is more important than how you can help others, help this place? Is that really what you're saying? Because I never imagined you'd be so selfish.

For centuries, I have been the only medic around with any sort of skill, and finally I'm in a place where there are others around to pick up the slack. It's ... yes, perhaps this choice is selfish, but I'm apparently not in a place where I am [oh it kills him to spit out this next phrase] mentally stable at the moment. Continuing to work in a condition like that isn't fair to my patients just as much as it isn't fair to me.

[A pause, then he looks down and away, muttering.]

I would like to do everything I can to prevent actually having a psychotic break.

[The thought that he might actually go off the deep end for real scares him like nothing else.]

You should talk to Rung, before you do anything like resign, though. Installing a killswitch and resigning aren't really a plan to to heal yourself.

Video

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]