@Ultra_Magnus; text; Shortly after arriving

[legalcy]

Re: Housing concern.

Greetings,

My name is [It's a struggle getting used to typing the correct name here despite the reassuring network usename.] Minimus Ambus. If you have witnessed a large mechanical life form near the ferry today, you would have seen me. I have briefly gone through the buildings near the bonfire, but many appear to be occupied or otherwise not meeting my standards.

To those who have resided here for longer than I have: where are the cleanest residences? I require little, simply a flat surface on which to recharge and storage space. The current state of the room is not a barrier, considering the state of many things in Beacon, but I must be able to maintain it well and frequently.

Signed,

Minimus Ambus

Comments

[legalcy]

Certainly not. Is not Latin an Earth language?

[He recalls something like that in the data package he received about the planet. There were old hymns in Latin, yes. Very haunting music.]

[nekrosmanteia]

It is, yes.
I only bring it up because in that language, your name has a rather... interesting meaning.
Something like "the lesser of both" or "the smaller one".

This isn't actually relevant to anything, I was just concerned over whether this was a case of cognates or cruel parenting.

[legalcy]

[Blame it on the mysterious people that name all of the robots something weirdly fitting.

The translation (or could it be simply a false cognate?) feels like a stab in his Spark, something that he had avoided thinking for millennia. It has to be some sort of cruel "joke" on the other's part, but what would he know of his situation? He doesn't know of the better people in his life. It's simply an unfortunate coincidence.]

I am of the House of Ambus, if you are curious about my second name. If there is anything to which I can be compared and be regarded as "smaller" it would be my sparkbrother, who is only seven kliks older than me.

[And his twin brother was the greatest Ambus who ever existed so it's not like those names are wrong...]

[nekrosmanteia]

[He almost asks how long a klik is, but what would the answer even be? Another alien unit of measurement? He doubts that Minimus knows what inches or meters are. Maybe they could work it out in person, but over the network, it's a bit of a hassle.]

I hope I didn't insult you. That wasn't my intention. I didn't realize the translation could actually mean something personal for you.
Back to the subject of your message, just how large of a surface would you need to recharge?

[legalcy]

You are forgiven.

[But now he will never escape his position knowing that some of these humans may be familiar with Latin.]

A flat surface about my size, I am slightly shorter than the other mechanical being on the island, so a place that can accommodate him can accommodate me.

[nekrosmanteia]

[Whoops. At least it's probably just the witchy ones. And Jason Grace.]

I'm not intimately familiar yet with where everyone lives, but I'm told there are more houses to the southeast. Across the river. Apparently there's also an empty swimming pool there, so if nothing else, that would certainly be large enough. Probably not very private, though.

[legalcy]

That is correct. The swimming pool could be utilized as a bathing location, but we would susceptible to monster attacks.

[nekrosmanteia]

[So mechanical lifeforms (whatever that means, exactly) take baths with water. There's one question answered.]

I understand that you're new as well, but with how often the folks here talk about "monsters", I thought they'd be more of a problem by now. Constantly attacking us, maybe. So far all I've met are the friendly little ones.

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not sure monster attacks need to be exceptionally high on the consideration list.

[legalcy]

What of exposure to the elements? Snow and cold can negatively affect my functioning over a prolonged period of time.

[nekrosmanteia]

Is the pool that exposed?
Maybe you could board it up, like they've done with the bar.
Would offer some amount of privacy, too.

[Though the jury's still out on whether or not this guy cares much about privacy while bathing. He doesn't wear clothes, does he?]

[legalcy]

Please allow me the dignity of having personal living quarters meant for a sentient being as myself.

[nekrosmanteia]

I didn't mean to consign you to the exile of the pool, I'm just not certain the human-sized tubs will work for you. But I guess that's something you can work out with the materials you have.

[legalcy]

Soaking is not the most efficient method of cleaning surface dirt. A basin will suffice. One cannot retain such high standards when in war.

[nekrosmanteia]

Are you currently in a war? If you are, or were, I don't think it followed you here. You're probably free to expect slightly better conditions than that.

[legalcy]

Not anymore, officially as of nearly a year ago. However, after 4 million years, I have found such accommodations familiar and reassuring.

[nekrosmanteia]

[Hold up.]

Four million? Are your years short, or do you actually mean to tell me that you're four million Earth-years old?

[legalcy]

In terms of Cybertonian units of time, we had been at war for 48,190 vorns, but they do roughly convert to 4 million Earth years. I was born before the war, putting me in the 5.5 million Earth year range.

[nekrosmanteia]

[And he thought he was old.]

Is this within the normal lifespan of your species? How long do your people usually live?

[legalcy]

The question does not lead to a simple answer. We can be killed, as most of us were during the civil war, but I do know mechs who have been alive for over 6 million years, and one over 9 million years, though his survival is rather exemplary. Considering that Cybertron has existed for 12 million Earth years, I would not be surprised to meet anyone forged so long ago.

[nekrosmanteia]

Is Cybertron the name of your planet or your culture? If it's the planet, that would make it comparatively young, so it would be impressive you've advanced this far so quickly. Maybe your people have a different way of adapting than our evolution. When you say "forged", does that mean your people are created somehow?

[Now he's never going to shut up, sorry Minimus.]

[legalcy]

It is the name of our planet, which was formed some time before our existence.

There are plenty of creation myths which aim to explain our beginnings, but no one alive remembers what happened in the earliest days of our existence. I would assume that like me, their Sparks were formed in the planet’s hotspots and grew their bodies shortly thereafter, but that is not relevant to our situation.

[nekrosmanteia]

Fascinating. Such a different way of being than humanity. I realize none of this is especially relevant to our current situation, but there's nothing wrong with learning more about each other, is there?

[legalcy]

I agree that understanding our partners facilitates trust. However, asking the circumstances of my birth does no dictate my actions here.

[His background is relevant when it comes to his feelings, but this is a serious situation. Not friendship time.]

[nekrosmanteia]

Well, no. No one's birth circumstances dictate their actions. We've all got free will, after all. Just call me curious, I guess.

[All times are friendship times what are you talking about?]

[legalcy]

[Please don't make him participate in bonding rituals that he'll inevitably mess up.]

You would do better to ask a medic, a geologist, or a blacksmith on the specifics. I can only speak of my personal background and of those willing to share theirs.