Transformers Prime: Convergence is a plot and character-development driven roleplay forum based upon canon material of TFP and RiD, but incorporates characters, elements, and plotlines from various other continuities to craft a unique story. Our community is welcoming, laid back, and dedicated to making each roleplay experience a good one.
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This made Rodimus wish he still had his half of the Matrix of Leadership. That would be more than adequate to power something like a time machine - or at least he assumed it should be. "As long as I don't irreversibly change the timeline, I think I can live with myself."
"Does Optimus Prime still have the Matrix of Leadership in this timeline?" he questioned, pursuing the hunch. He didn't really think Optimus would readily hand it over, he had never been that type. Perhaps, if it was the reality, they could explain the circumstance and borrow the Matrix.
In some way, they were the same person, so it wasn't surprising that Botanica picked up on Rodimus's intent right away. She quickly ran through the math in her head, calculating a few septillion energy equations in the span of a thought. It wouldn't work for the reasons she needed it to, although in theory, anything was possible. Floating back down to the ground, she postured, "He does indeed, I believe, but I would need a power source that I could incorporate into the device itself. I'm not about to use and most likely drain one of the most significant artifacts of this age."
"Although..." Botanica began. "I suppose I do already have a vessel capable of carrying a sufficient charge..."
Without any hint or warning, she popped open her chest compartment to reveal none other than her timeline's Matrix of Leadership. Botanica slid her fingers around the handles mounted to both sides and removed the device, unintentionally flashing Rodimus with her unusually bright spark before closing up the compartment. Ratchet forgive her. Her Matrix had been refurbished and worn out several times by the look of it, although she had intentionally held the side that was adorned with a Rodimus Star towards herself.
It was empty, and little more than an heirloom of a bygone age sat in Botanica's servos. "I'm not at all sure how to power it, however. I'm afraid the secrets of the Matrix have been lost to time, despite my best efforts."
Roddy's optics lit up brighter at the sight of the familiar object. "The Matrix!" his voice is discernibly excited. He's practically akin to a bouncing sparkling. "I might be able to get this thing powered again, and if we can do that, we may be able to power your time machine!"
He reaches for the object, honed in on the fact that very soon he could be in possession of the Matrix of Leadership once more. He catches himself before he tears the object from her servos, however. "May I?" he questions, pointing to it.
Botanica's optics slowly lit up in excitement, although her expression remained plain. She hadn't even considered the possibility of Rodimus being able to power up the Matrix, and suddenly all her reservations about showing it to him flew out the nearest window. She was no longer thinking about returning to the future, or conducting research. If she were being honest with herself, Botanica simply wanted to see if Rodimus had the right touch.
She slowly passed off the device, her optics locked on Rodimus. In a weird way, she was returning it to its original owner. "Of course."
There's a moment where Rodimus is almost afraid of being in possession of the object. He had messed it up so horribly the first time around, and part of him is fearful that he'll just destroy it all over again. Although, there's no Lost Light to be jumpstarted this time. Just a time machine, which shouldn't completely drain the Matrix.
That is, if he can even restart it. He fears that his spark may no longer be compatible, or worse, that this Matrix is broken too. "You're sure I won't cause a rift in space time if I am able to activate this? Optimus Prime should still have his Matrix in this time, so.." he considered the possibility that he may rip the fabric of time.
He takes the Matrix in his servos, giving it a small once over. The power he feels simply holding the artifact. "Primus, I missed it."
The subtle facial twitches, the tone of his voice; Rodimus was uncertain, fearful even. His caution was warranted, Botanica felt. Given her understanding of how the universe operated, Rodimus shouldn't have suffered any detrimental or dare she say it, deleterious effects of touching the Matrix. There was always the chance that the universe was wrong, and therefore something terrible would occur.
And yet, Botanica couldn't help herself but to watch intently.
"If the universe could permit someone like me to travel to this point in time unaffected, I'd wager that it would permit something like this." It was a very gentle way of reassurance by saying, 'Nothing will probably go wrong', but Botanica hoped it would be enough to bolster his confidence.
When entropy failed to spontaneously reverse itself as Rodimus grasped the Matrix, Botanica let out a small but significant internal sigh of relief. Despite how she was supposed to observe situations like these with a clinical gaze, she couldn't help but let her optics fill with wonder at the sight before her. An odd, familiar feeling rose up in her spark after a few moments of sustained observation. It just felt... right.
Botanica managed to catch herself before she spoke the words 'By Rodimus Prime! aloud in his presence. It would've been both disrespectful and possibly paradox-inducing if she hadn't.
However, she couldn't stop herself from vocalizing a pleased squeal of excitement, which was of course reflected in her expression as well. "This is... unprecedented! How does it feel?"
His optics glimmered brighter, only continuing with the excitement he felt. "I feel...good! I feel right. Important," the words flow vaguely from confused lips. Of course, he wants to believe that this was the way things are supposed to be; that he really is destined to be Prime. Some part of him thinks that bogus, though. From their shared experience, Optimus Prime had told him the Matrix had been a burden. That upon receiving the artifact he'd felt nothing but pain. Rodimus had felt a pseudo-ecstatic feeling well up within. Better than anything he'd ever felt in his existence. He'd yet to feel something like that again.
"Should I put it near my spark?" the question seems out of place. If anyone should know what to do with it, it should be him. He's more seeking her approval to be able to do so. It was, after all, her Matrix.
She reached out to touch the husk in front of her. Nothing.
Slow light continued to emanate from the Matrix as Rodimus Prime's lifeless servos still dutifully clutched it close to his chest. The Newborn's optics traced the brilliantly simple yet infinitely complex geometry of the device, deeply admiring its design and construction. As if driven by a force more primal than instinct, the smooth protoform reached out to grasp it.
The Newborn once again reached out to touch the Matrix.
Botanica hadn't really known how to respond to Rodimus's question, mostly due to the fact that she'd never charged up the Matrix either. So, she mimicked her behavior on the day that she and Rodimus had first 'met'.
She couldn't imagine how Rodimus had been feeling a moment ago, but at that moment it felt to her as if she'd just closed the loop in a circuit. An undiluted rush of energy coursed between Rodimus and Botanica as the Matrix seemed to be reacting positively. She stared blankly forward as an impressive volume of light was cast forth from her optics.
"...have you gone blind while doing this before? I'm not asking for any reason, mind you..."
Rodimus considered whether he'd experienced that before. His truthful answer was no. However, if he really thought about it and considered the emotions and feelings he got when in contact with the matrix, he supposed that it could be considered blindness. It was such an overwhelming rush of emotions that he wasn't certain he could fully transcribe them into words. A few moments of silence pass as he gets lost in reminiscing, and then he remembers he was asked a question.
"Oh, right. I don't know if I'd consider it blindness, per se. More like.. such an overwhelming rush of everything all at once that it feels like I can't see. Or hear. Or do anything, really. It's euphoric, honestly. It's the best thing I've ever felt in my entire life," Rodimus explained, shaking his head and sighing.
Whatever this energy was, it was undoubtedly the most potent warmth Botanica had ever felt. Was there truly some invisible energy field that bound Cybertronians together? It seemed like the two of them just happened to be so intrinsically bound to this field that it produced some spontaneous high-energy reaction. The Matrix was practically overflowing with creation energy as the two of them held it between their servos. She thought. Botanica's sight was still completely nonfunctional as photons continued to pour from her optics.
The exchange began to die down as a minute passed between them, given that Botanica could now start to see shapes again. It seems the reaction had terminated, as the Matrix was sitting fully charged in their hands. She stared down at the relic as soon as she was able to, in complete awe that the old thing was still dutifully performing its function.
She wanted to open it. To see what would happen.
But she couldn't.
That little dynamo needed to be studied if she were ever to make a machine that could get the two of them home.
"Oh. Good. I can see, again. Well... we did it..."