#cybertronian internal structure

[ultra-phthalo]

Damage

The cyberformed oc Cinnabar has atypical characteristics due to their origin of creation. Going from human to cybertronian after stealing life from the dying alien god of creation, who's also a sentient planet would result in some abnormalities. However, Cinnabar themselves don't know the extent or jargon of these characteristics. With them both require training and examinations in order to know the technicalities of their mechanical abilities. I had put a lot of thought into these abilities, but rather then info dumping. I'm going to write it from the perspective of the doctors from Delphi discovering this strange damaged bot in the snow. That appears cybertronian. But has some concerning details that couldn't be dismissed.

[transformers-synergize]

so is the first chapter just human characters? ):

No, it's not just human characters. Chapter 1 part 2 will be posted tomorrow, and it has robots, please be patient.

If you are a transformers fan who dislikes any humans in transformers media for the fact they are human, then Synergize is probably not going to be your thing, sorry. Synergize focuses a lot on human and cybertronian relationships. Synergize is an ensemble cast with multiple characters who get a decent amount of focus, some of those characters being human, I intend to put just as much care and time into developing the human characters as I do the bots. The human characters are not an afterthought or something I'm adding just because I felt like it, they are important members of the cast, both the human cast and cybertronian cast are essential for each other development/character arcs. cybertronian in Synergize are written to be much more alien than in most Transformers media. Synergize's cybertronains have more alien-like behavior, morals, instincts, social dynamics, social structure, anatomy and society, having human characters to contrast that help better show the alienness of the bots. Along with having a character who can learn about the bots alongside the reader and ask questions a cybertronian character wouldn't. It also creates a lot of interesting human bot dynamics and plot opportunities.

Human characters also have an extreme amount of plot utility, Sure, they can't fist-fight a giant bot, but that is not the only way a character can be useful. They have more knowledge on Earth than the bots, so even an unintelligent human has at least a little useful Earth knowledge a cybertronian wouldn't know. Earth is built to cater to humans, and my bots don't have Haloform, so if they need something done only a human can do, then they gotta rely on a human to do it. Humans are also great for disguise, and my bots are trying to stay hidden, getting pulled over and having a human in the driver's seat is way less suspicious than a car driving itself. Humans are small and quiet even compared to small cybertronian, humans joints and internals usually don't make as much noise, along with humans having a much fainter energy signal, making them perfect for stealth and sneaking around. A human might not be able to fight a robot, but if they are mechanically inclined, they could learn how to fix/repair cybertronians. Once you know how to fix cybertronians, you can usually figure out sneaky little ways to break one without needing to be a giant robot (though you still have to risk getting close to one). Humans are immune to some very common cybertronian security systems and weapon types, magnets, EMP devices, malware, and stasis tech, yes, humans are squishy, but you're not gonna kill one with magnets or EMP blast or by trying to give them malware. Also, humans are also just smaller and can fit in more places. Humans are clever creatures, and even though they aren't as strong as a bot, it doesn't mean they can't contribute a lot. Not every plot features human characters, but most do because of both their utility to the plot and the fun dynamics they have with many of the bot characters.

Synergized as a story, both plot structure-wise and thematically, does not work without human characters.

[crying-fantasies]

Designation

Masterlist

A designation is comparative to what human's name have, given by their human creator shortly after being born.

Most mechs are called after their developed physical abilities, so most cybertronians receive their designation, however, after a few cycles of their forge, it's customary to first see characteristics of the new spark in order to give a meaningful and accommodating name, suited for the new spark, of course they can change it once they reach adulthood (when their external armor has fully hardened) or even others around them can give a new designation, almost no cybertronian has the same designation (there are separated casesike the Tankors).

If the creators are out of the picture by any reason the one to name them is their mentor or any bot in charge, in the worst circumstances handled by the Senate which only gave codes for designations, those making it easy to storage and direct, there was a time when a designation was prove of a medium or high wealth.

Human designations, names, have always been a constant question for cybertronians, what is a Margarita? What is supposed to mean Ethan? And so on, searching the meaning of some in other ancient languages is fun but still not really fitting in some instances.

"You are telling me your name is Teofilo"

"That's right"

"But you don't believe in any god"

"Nop"

Humans are strange, and their designations too, because those don't make any sense, some see it quite rude from the human creators for not considering a real suiting name for their offspring.

Yet again, almost all Cybertronian's name are related to machinery, to car or engines, because it's a normal given due to their nature, and traduction leads to a similar thing in humanity most shared language, english, and it sounds funny in Chinese that oddly enough sounds like a strange vossian with a tint of kaonite if one squint hard enough.

When the first terraformers emerged their designations were a mixture of their abilities and human names, some have most of one side of the creators.

So we have names like Sunset Eve even when there is no real groundbreaking meaning in Cybertron's solar rotation every cycle, but back on Earth it is reported to be seen as breathtaking in some occasions or even homecoming, referred to a sparkling with fire abilities if only subsided a little.

There are names as Aquamarine, also name of a earthling gemstone, that in human meaning it represents happiness and hope (humans can be romantic like that).

Or Belial, a silly name for cybertronians since it can be misguided as the human word for internal tank or belly, when in reality it refers to a creature only comparable to Unicron's own spawn, when anyone asks the human carrier why to use such a name the human only smiles saying that the sparkling's audial structures, more times than not called horns by humans due to the similarities, made them remember of that demonic creature, when asking the cybertronian creator they only agreed with their conjunx.

Designations types, there are plenty out there.

[lets-try-some-writing]

I evedently forgot how to draw using the pad, so have this terrible sketch instead for now.

anyway lore:

I imagine the blood mold would have five growth stages.

dormant spore. Its just a small dark red growth, looking vaguley like a seastar with too many arms. its very unoticeble in this stage and only syphons a minimal amount of energy from its host.

young mould. It progresses to this stage if its either attached to a optimal host species or a dormant spore attached to a suboptimal host species detects its host being invaded by another parasite. It gains basic sentience during this stage and acts agressivley towards any potential treats.

adolecent growth. As it grows it splits into many interconected pieces, each having its own set of eyes and operating on a kind of hivemind if disconected from the original pice. at this stage it tends to focus on the habits and behaviors of its host species, adapting as well as it can to its host body structure and abilitys, integrading as smoothly as possible. If attached to a more inteligend species, it tends to get sassy at this point, it also starts picking up on its hosts emotions, wich can overwhelm it at times.

adult colonie. A large growth fully encompassing the space provided by the host species, this is generally as big as it can get if attached to a suboptimal host. It has now fully adapted to its hosts body and can make the best use of it when it comes to defending itself. it syphons as much energy from its host as it is able to do without causing harm, as well as begining to use photo- and chemosynthesis to produce and store extra energie wherever it can, both to sustain itself and its host if nesessary. it mellows out quite abit at this stage, leaving more of the general movement and activities up to its host, as well as exhibiting some of their personallity trates.

Mother colonie. A large colonie grown beond what its host can support. At this point the blood mold gives up its own live in favor of turning into a ticking time bomb, any energie stored is used to produce as many spores as possible before the mother colonie bursts, hurteling its contents into the atmosphere. if sutible hosts are nearby small pieces of the mother colonie may latch onto them and persist. it can not reach this stage if attached to a suboptimal host species.

I imagine it originating from a mostly organic planet and having adapted to infect cybernetic species later on, leaving cybertronians like ratchet as the aformentioned suboptimal host species.

It would adapt to the cybertronian ability to transform by ceperating the outer armor from the internals, leaving the mold as the only conection point, and creating a cell type that can harden on command. this would not inhibit the cybertronians ability to transform, but would allow the blood mold to open up the armor and expand in size along the transformation seams, protecting any newly exposes inner circutry with a thick layer of hardened gel, while streching out the limps and creating more spaces to observe and lash out from. its very sturdy like this and can use its stored energy to rapidly regrow lost tissue.

I think it would most likley remain compliant with optimus up until it reaches the adult colonie stage, at wich point it would pick up on ratchets personallity and become defiant. it now packs enough of a punch to hold its own against optimus and bumblebee, provided it has stored enough energie to shrug off any damage dealt to it.

Though i could also see it get hit with ratchets fear and worrie during the adolecent growth stage and decide that optimus is too much of a threat to remain around, instead taking its chances at fighting the smaller bumblebee after making a run for it.

i could also see it forefitting its control over ratchet entirely, in favor of hiding so its host could be accepted by a more protective force such as megatron and his army. this has great angst potential when sooner or later somebody finds out.

i also love the way you made it speak. it would absolutley only comunicate in broken statements and incomplete scentences. also alot of hissing in displeasure. it would be completley apathetic to anything that doesnt concern its host or the rival parasite species. but it would absolutley try to compfort ratchet once it can sense his emotions, stress isn´t good for its host after all.

thats all i got for now, enjoy! :3

This is FABULOUS lore. I will apply this in your request friend :)

I love the idea of the blood mold as a whole. I have a thousand and one ways this could be incorporated into the Pretender au. Such a fun concept, especially when pitted against its arguably more successful counterparts.

[tachyon-omlette]

can't sleep. posting updated Eda physiology diagram

more in-depth descriptions under the cut (feat. a rethinking of how dark energon/angolmois exists)

I use the term "cell-spawned" as a reference to how Armada Sideways was "grown from Unicron's own cells", implying there may be a difference between Unicronians that were once Cybertronians (ex. Galvatron) & those that were fully created by Unicron, like Sideways. or Eda.

cell-spawned Unicronians have 2 sets of major systems: molten metal & angolmois (dark energon)

the molten metal system is a vascular system equivalent, but a little different. ingested metals r smelted down until they're more liquid than solid (& as a consequence a Unicronian's internal temperature is extremely high), then passed through a network of arteries that deposit new metal around the antispark chamber & beneath external plating. this allows the antispark chamber to be reinforced even as its cargo slowly strips away the inner layer, & allows external weathering/surface-level injuries to be sheared off in favor of allowing new metal to grow underneath (which means neither Eda nor any cell-spawned Unicronian bears scars save for what they willfully upkeep). the metal is also infused with heat-resistant nanites once it enters the "bloodstream"; these nanites are what implant proximity sensors on exterior-facing plating & direct the flow of new metals to any pierced-armor injuries (the result of which leaves a scar that appears like a large weld, which can be sanded down or otherwise weathers away on its own). surface-level pierced-armor injuries are usually somewhat painless in the injured area, but release trapped heat & reduce mobility until that heat can be restored.

the dark energon aka angolmois system is, however, very different - where most things have interpreted angolmois as energon but Scary, in my mind it's more accurately an opposite: less fluid & more viscous like tar, a pitch-black that opalesces with deep purples & glitters like the night sky, and cold like the void of space. angolmois systems are more heavily-guarded than a Cybertronian's energon system; it is circulated usually where it is needed to cancel out or counterbalance the excessive heat generated by the molten metal systems (ex. the cpu/brain module & other finely-tuned systems), thus preventing a Unicronian from simply melting themselves down on accident. it also runs through major support structures like bone marrow, emitting a natural cooling that makes excessive heat integral to the use of limbs and digits, lest they grow frost - the rupture of an angolmois line is, thereby, equivalent in pain to a broken bone, & for a cell-spawned Unicronian who feels barely any or even no pain with more common & superficial scrapes, it is often a crippling injury. angolmois leaks are harder for the molten metal system to repair & often create systemic injuries by virtue of the extreme cold structurally compromising most metal it touches, & the damaged structures often require direct patching in order to aid the molten metal repair systems & prevent a total freeze-down. for cell-spawned Unicronians like Eda, angolmois can be naturally replenished by tapping into the entropy of the universe, whether that be through simply waiting (either lucid or in stasis) or artificially increasing localized entropy (i.e. causing problems & destruction & chaos wherever they are currently); for more severe cases the latter route is often necessary.

angolmois is still the most direct route to corruption, as it freezes & kills whatever it touches & often is difficult to recover from (ex. if some lands on a field of wildflowers, the wildflowers it lands on will die, along with the microorganisms living in that patch of soil. if it is removed, then only that place will have a dead area & over time will naturally repopulate; if it seeps into the ground, the entire field may die & will become hard or even impossible to repopulate a la the Prime Kindergarten from Steven Universe). for Cybertronians, coming in direct contact causes freezing injuries & in severe cases requires amputation. ingestion causes internal damage & generates and/or exacerbates inner turmoil(s).

any questions ?

[skelemoonz]

Have you ever wondered when you are drawing transformers or the artists drawing transformers do you have to draw the inside of a transformer's body?

This's such a stupid question I'm so sorry- 🤧🤧⁉️⁉️

This is one I had to think about for a moment lol but if I’m understanding right you are wondering if I ever thought about how the transformers are internally built?

If so, yes absolutely I have, I frequently think about it actually, trying to figure out how they transform, how their body structure can change so drastically (more specifically talking about the live action movies tbh, like Kightverse) it has always fascinated me

To put it simply, I imagine they are built very similar to that of animatronics, if you want to get a visual. The frame/skeleton, the wire’s surrounding it, the plating put above that to act as a base for the shell or muscles of sorts.

More explanation, specifically for my personal au, under the cut. Warning there will be images of animatronics without their..skin? Ig? It can be freaky looking

So, for Cybertronians I imagine that their internal structure is incredibly complex, with their ability to transform an all, but in my au Cyebrtronians have the most complex transformation out of any of the other colonies in turn giving them the most complex internal structure. This isn’t even talking about if a bot has an experimental T-cog lol

While yes the general structure would be the same as I explained before, similar to this, the wires, the plastic plating acting as muscles or as an extra skeleton of sorts

I also imagine that the skeletal structure looks as if it can just be taken apart with ease, because it can.

A Cybertronians skeleton in their transformation will end up forming the skeleton of the vehicle they turn into.

To try giving a visual, ROTB Jackie turns into a VW Van with the back seats taken out, or in other words, hollow inside. Now all that robot jazz gotta go somewhere right? So his skeleton would transform out, pushing the armor out at well to make the shape of the van

to get a good idea of what pose he would be doing for this transformation, look at the ss and mainline figurine, kinda a mix between those. Transformation can be changed with Cybertronains though.

Now, all of this compared to say, Eukarians in my au is very complex. With Eukarians being half organic an all, they have the simplest transformation out of any colony. If they tried transforming like a Cybertronian does, their bones would shatter and they would most definitely die, it’d be like you getting folded and squished into a ball shape, very bad.

While Cybertronians are close to animatronics, I’d say that Eukarians would be more like crustaceans, or actually..maybe like a Pangolin, hard shell outside, organs an all that soft stuff inside (including the half metal half bone skeleton in their case). While a Cybertronians skeleton can come apart, a Eukarians cannot..

Picture of Pangolin to show what it is, show it has armor, this is like a Eukarian, and just look at them I love them

Other colonies tend to be more similar to Cybertron, like Velocitron and Gigantion. Generally speaking these two can transform in the same way that Cyebrtronians can, the only difference is their sizes, Velocitronians are fairly small, not tiny but…lets say (these are not the real heights) that Cybertronains are 20-50ft tall, Velocitronians would be 20-30ft tall, then you got the Titans, they can turn into cities 👍

Ofc this height difference and what they do in day to day life will change their internal and external body structure, Velocitronians are built for speed, their cooling system, sharp points and light frames are meant to make them easily fly and cut through the air while they drive like its nothing. Hell even their transformation is quicker than usual. They’re like land jets

Then theres Caminus and Junkion, these two don’t transform, they have T-cogs but they rarely ever use them to do big transformations, for Camians it was to reserve energy (they are also the smallest colony in size) and Junkonians found no use for it. So yes over the centuries these colonies have lost their ability to do complex transformations, meaning their skeleton is similar to Eukarians, can’t come apart, but it’s very flexible.

I imagine they’re more similar to this underneath all that armor. At least Camian’s..Junkonians are very messy tbh

Anywho, man I rambled…a lot..yeesh..my bad lol, I don’t get to talk about this stuff a lot

[frosty-tian]

Random Thought:

Sweet Lord Almighty.

So while Rescue Bots can feel pain, their pain tolerance level is definitely a lot higher than average humans (or just humans, period).

What if one day, Oaken actually got internal/organ damage (because his internal structure is more delicate compared to an average Cybertronian) but doesn’t realise it because their nervous system just somehow doesn’t pick it up? Like he said it was a huge blow, everyone else saw it, definitely dented his plating a little, but he feels quite fine!

He potentially could walk around with something ruptured for months, and just somehow, not notice. Dear Lord.

(Mental image of him coughing up energon out of the blue (possibly some trickling out of his optic sockets) just crossed my mind.)

[karanseraph]

What should Unitrex be like?

There's not much canon on this fictional location other than they built starships there

Whatever I write in a fanfic will not be canon anyway

I still want it to be an interesting fictional location that I can describe within a work in internally consistent ways.

It's known as City of the Stars. Famously the place of origin for interstellar travel, at least as far as Cybertronians of the time know. That's canon.

Headcanon applied to this fic: Unitrex is a bastion (star) fort surviving from some Age of Origins/Warring states type period, but where Quintessons may have embedded themselves and so Cybertronians had to fight to take it back in the Age of Wrath. So, it likely has some preserved historic features as well as new construction in some differing style.

In this fan-continuity for a fic it's also presently (in a post-wrath Golden Age/Cusp of Expansion Era a location where at least one Titan is being constructed.

Also, in fanfic, there's a particular sparkfield nearby which various witnesses have reported substrate is being removed, presumably for inclusion inside the Titan(s). To some this is sacrilege, or at least politically incorrect given that sparkfields are a gift from god/public good.

So, there is a current culture of protest and debate surrounding the Titan project.

But Unitrex is also just a city-state in general. It must have some culture.

Like, it's the place where ships are made, but not the main spaceport for the planet, which is currently atop the Hydrax Plateau (which probably makes sense for its more equatorial latitude and ability for ships to ditch into the Sea of Rust and miss destroying urban settlements in an emergency. If you went down or had launch failure in Unitrex (in this continuity) there's some chance of missing the Sea and splattering into Tagan Heights, which sounds painful.)

It's not necessarily where pilots hang out is what I'm saying. It's got a population dense with construction workers and engineers.

And they probably want entertainment, because as much as they love their construction efforts that's probably some heavy labor. It's probably stressful dealing with working on what is essentially a government contract. All these change orders and reports!

So, maybe City of the Stars also has like rockstars and idols. We established that Rosanna had been living in Iacon (some ways west) but in real life different cities each have their own scene, right? Unitrex can have stars even if Iacon or Vos also do. It probably just doesn't involve as much Shock-Pop, pole-dancing, or Jazz, or open mic poetry that other city-states are known for.

But guitar-condor Laserbeak flies with Ramjet's team in Untrex. So, probably there's some type of Rock/Metal scene.

Also, visually, and for inspiration, like a space robot Seoul + Amsterdam (the Netherlands has a lot of bastion forts). In terms of Geography, more resembling Seoul with Unitrex's position between a fortified cliff-face at the Rust Sea border at the south and the rise of Tagan Heights north, with one major river or canal passing through. But in terms of generally being a major city with its own music scene and nightlife surely both these cities qualify. Colorful buildings. Colorful lights at night. Historic structures that are more rectilinear plus new public structures that are quite abstract and curvilinear.

Do we suppose Loudpedal lives here?

Mixmaster is among those spotted nearby so there's possibly circuit altering neurotech (CANT) available.

[wonderxoxo12]

Transformers Human AU: Humanityforged

Cybertion Biology

Core Differences

Energon: The lifeblood of Cybertronians is not blood, but Energon, a supercharged energon particulate stream that flows through a network of Energon veins throughout their body. This Energon nourishes their cells, granting them exceptional strength, speed, durability, and lifespans far exceeding humans.

Sparks: The essence of a Cybertronian's being is a spark, a complex energy core that houses their consciousness and personality.

Cybertronium: While they lack the ability to transform fully, Cybertronians possess an internal structure composed of Cybertronium. a unique metal that can manipulate its density and configuration. This grants them the ability to alter their outward appearance to a limited degree, allowing for enhanced disguises, weapon formation, and self-repair.

Repair and Augmentation: Due to the nature of Cybertronium, Cybertronians possess an exceptional ability to self-repair. Minor injuries can mend rapidly, while severe damage might require external Energon infusions and spare parts for complex repairs. This also allows for extensive modifications and augmentations, creating a subculture of body customization.

Internal Restructuring: Cybertronian can manipulate their internal structure to a limited degree. This allows them to enhance their physical capabilities, such as increasing their strength or speed. Some can even form rudimentary bladed weapons from their living metal. However, this process is far less dramatic than the full-body transformations of their robotic counterparts.

Similarities:

Appearance: Cybertronians appear almost identical to humans, with the exception of subtle physiological differences. Their bodies may be slightly denser, their eyes can glow with various colours depending on their emotional state, and their lifespans can stretch into millennia.

Reproduction: Despite their alien biology, Cybertronians reproduce in a surprisingly similar manner to humans. Though the specifics may differ, they are capable of natural procreation and forming complex social bonds.

Psychology: Cybertronians exhibit a vast range of emotions similar to humans, including love, hate, anger, and compassion. Their long lifespans, however, can shape their mentalities in ways humans cannot comprehend.

[earthstellar]

I wonder if Cybertronians experience protoform/weight redistribution with age, to at least some degree

Some old bots like Megatron have some general consistency with frame alterations etc. over the years, but then other old bots like Ratchet seem to go up a weight class/change total armour silhouette etc. more noticeably -- Compare young Ratchet's build during the pre-war era to Ratchet during Lost Light

And yeah some of this is just the result of sizing up for wartime reasons, but even post-war, some bots still hold onto a certain silhouette (which may not be their 'original' one)

I like it because it's not universal; obviously there's a lot of customization choices in the first place regardless of age

But even putting more commonplace mods etc. aside, I wonder how much of it relates to actual protoform or internal changes over time

I fully admit I am thinking about this because now that I am off HRT for medical reasons, I am regaining my hips and belly lmao, but it's interesting because I am also now middle aged

I don't really get dysphoria too badly myself, because as far as I'm personally concerned the Truest Gender will always be in one's heart, so like fuck it whatever, lmao, but it's interesting comparing current body post-HRT to my pre-HRT body from like 15+ years ago

and like yeah gaining weight etc. but I'm old and have a stressful job lmao, the fatter I get the more large I become, which is excellent not gonna lie. fuck yeah, become large. I'm already 6 feet tall, let's gooooo

but I wonder if under-armour changes in the protoform or other internal structure might occur in bots with age -- outside of intentional customisations

they live a long, long time, and they literally have at least one God/Prime dedicated to the concept of adaptation and change who is heavily implied to have actually physically designed the ability to change forms into their species in the first place, so I'd be surprised if no such changes occurred at all

ultimately while they have a lot of choice when it comes to their armour, paint job, etc. how much of that control extends to the actual matter of their being underneath it all?

what physical changes, over time or otherwise, occur that they cannot necessarily manually customise? how might that influence how they do actually customise their frames? how much flux is there over a lifetime, although this would almost certainly vary from individual to individual?

clearly I am in a very trans mood today LOL but I also always like thinkin' about Cybertronian physiology

anyway break's over I gotta get back to work

[minorisato]

losing my destination in my present location

transformers / dratchet / wc: 761 / warnings: NA / notes: drift in tfa except i did NOT base him on the allspark almanac bc they did him dirtyyyyyyy

Hiding in a storage closet was not ideal, but it was almost better than dealing with the Elite Guard.

“I know they’re annoying,” Ratchet huffed, “just play nice for now, okay? The more you play nice the sooner you can get out of here.”

Drift leaned back against the medical berth, tsk-ing. “I can play nice. I know how to play nice. I just very seriously hate all of them and would like to never ever speak to or associate with any of them ever again.”

“Open,” Ratchet commanded, tapping a panel on the swordsmech’s side, and a second later it snapped back. “I thought you got all light of the allspark, but you’re still throwing around the word hate. Ain’t that a bit of a strong word for a mech like you?”

“Shut up,” Drift groans, and twitches as he feels his internals moving, feeling the sparks from the welder jump out between him and Ratchet. “Recognizing The Allspark as powerful and as the source of Cybertronian life doesn’t mean I’m incapable of hating people.”

“No, just means that you’re full of scrap.” Ratchet tugged at one of Drift’s wires gently, causing the speedster to jump.

“Will you stop?”

“I’m doing my job.”

“Stop doing your job.”

“Gladly.” He said that, but continued poking and prodding with his tools. “Anyway. Who knows, maybe the allspark will spontaneously offline Sentinel one day, wouldn’t that be nice.”

“I don’t think it can do that.”

“Seems like it can do whatever it wants,” the medic replied gruffly, backing away from Drift. “Close that side, open the other one.”

Drift did as instructed, and Ratchet made his way to the other side of the medical berth. “I don’t necessarily want Sentinel– or any of the guard, really– to offline. I don’t care if they do, but I’m not praying for it.” He grit his dentae as the poking and prodding resumed. “I don’t even really care that he’s so high-up in the Autobots. Your entire command structure was doomed the minute you put Ultra Magnus in charge.”

Ratchet barked a laugh. “Kid, Ultra Magnus has been in charge since before either of us were constructed.”

“My point still stands!” Drift gesticulated with one servo as he spoke. “Maybe if someone more competent was in charge, the war could’ve been avoided in the first place.”

“Someone like Megatron?” Ratchet asked, a look of bafflement on his faceplates.

“Not necessarily!” Drift continued, still gesticulating. “Clearly I don’t really believe in his cause anymore, or I wouldn’t be here right now. Just– someone more competent than Magnus. It’s not a high bar. The bar is in the pits.”

“Close that one. Open your chest plating.”

Drift did so, and Ratchet leaned over him, closer. “The war could’ve been completely avoided. You have to see that. You have to see that the acting Magnus is a moron.” Drift tilted his helm slightly, looking at the medic. “Wouldn’t you have wanted something different? Wouldn’t you have rathered if it didn’t happen?” He paused. “Things could have been different for both of us.”

Ratchet stared down at his internals, careful around his spark casing. “I’m not sure where I’d be if I wasn’t fixing wounds all day, to be honest.”

Drift leaned his helm back, staring up at the ceiling. “Doing something more worth your time, that doesn’t make you wanna rip your own plating off. Maybe even having fun for once.”

Ratchet glared at him, and pinched two wires together.

“Ow! Careful!”

“Did you just tell a medic to be careful?” Another pinch.

“Ratchet!”

“You deserve that.”

Drift huffed. “My point is that I hate the entire Elite Guard and I think they’re all idiots and I would like to no longer work with them ever again please.”

Ratchet chuckled, lifting up and away from the swordsmech. “Hopefully they’ll get off your case soon enough. You can close up, you’re all good to go.” The panel snapped shut, and Drift sat up in the berth. Ratchet moved to put away the tools he’d been using. “I’m sure you’re desperate to get off this planet. Get back to your vigilantism.”

“I don’t hate everything here,” Drift elaborated, resetting his vocalizer. “I like talking to you.”

Ratchet paused for a moment before returning to his action. “Maybe you should lay back down, actually, I should check your optics. And your processor.”

Drift exvented the smallest laugh. “Really, I mean it.” He paused. “Not everything is bad here.”

“Just the Elite Guard.”

“They’re bad everywhere.”

Ratchet smiled the smallest bit. “Of course.”

[quetzalpapalotl]

(making this one its own post, but for context, it is about my humanformers hc of IDW1 Prowl being raised Catholic)

Yeah, yeah!! That's what I was trying to get at in the first post. Prowl is miserable, not only does he dislikes the things that he does for the greater good, but he also doesn't seem to do much that he actually enjoys that's not being petty. He puts up with it because he thinks that he should and is proud of it. This is what he expects of himself, so that's what he expects of other people. Alleviating their pain is not his priorty. He crunchs numbers in a way that doesn't account for that.

And even tho this is all for the sake of fulfiling his vision of peace (the kingdom of heaven lol), I think even that would demand some heavy sacrifice to be maintained. Again, Prowl thinks that people have a place and that they should disregard any discomfort and stick to it for things to work, also because Cybertronians suck.

I keep saying that Rewind doesn't oppose to CD injecting because it's inmmoral, in Rewind's absolutist views, CD Is Good Now, so he won't do the bad kind of mnemosurgery. He opposes it because it's bad for Chromedome's health and canon repeatedly shows us that's true. This isn't really something Prowl ever enganges with when trying to get CD to inject again. Chromedome is not only a good mnemosurgeon, he's the best. He should put those abilities to use, regarless of pain. Just like how Prowl puts his own tactical abilities to use to the detriment of any joy in his life. (Something, something, Prowl meant for Ostaros to die, even if he couldn't do it himself).

And also Chromedome can't change, because Cybertronians can't change because they suck, that's why they need structure and self-denial for things to work. And if Prowl (who is better) cannot change, then neither can CD (who is like Prowl).

In contrast, CD is your more stereotypical Catholic guilt. "I deserve all the bad things because I'm a terrible person". The key difference between him and Prowl is that CD doesn't take pride in his own pain. Chromedome doesn't want to suffer, but he will take it because he's too depressed and passive to do anything about it and doesn't think he deserves better. This is most notably in things regarding Rewind. And yet, Chromedome will try to avoid pain when he can. He stays with Rewind even when he doesn't think he deserves him. Going so far as to lie for it, which makes him more undeserving. He tries to avoid the pain of mourning by erasing his own memories. Hell, the thing that convinced him to needle Overlord was Rewind almost dying ("What happened to Rewind? It would never happen to anyone else."). CD is detached, but he doesn't consider suffering a virtue, only deserved. And he will try to get around that, which will make him all the more guilty and it's a vicious cycle.

Anyway, hf prowldome grew up in the same extremely Catholic town and had a very awkward relationship due to internalized queerphobia and they both came out of that place messed up for the same reasons with different outcomes.

[mx-jester]

Cybertronian internals

So I'm writing a TFP fic rn and it requires a pretty in depth description and/or knowledge of the internal systems & hardware. Like what parts are inside what frame types and what placement of those parts are, I'm not sure if there are any comprehensive drawing or writing of what most transformers look like on the inside so if any of you guys know of something I could use as ref that would be incredibly helpful!

If it helps at all, the character who I need to describe the internals of is TFP Wheeljack. I'm not sure if his frame type would affect his internal structure but if it does I would need to know that.

(If anyone want me to post a link to the fic once it's done I wouldn't mind doing so, it is going to be rated E on ao3 when it is posted though so keep that in mind)

[novafire-is-thinking]

Thanks for the tag, @figgiforever!

1. Are you named after someone?

Nope.

2. When was the last time you cried?

…I don’t remember.

3. Do you have kids?

^ I don’t plan on ever having kids, so this is my favorite gif to use when I’m asked questions like this. xD

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Not really. Not out loud, anyway. >:) I do have a dry sense of humor (think Cyclonus), but it’s not always sarcastic.

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Physical: I’m not 100% sure what I notice first. Maybe hair? Ah, but I do know that high-contrast features and angular facial structure catch my attention right away. (My blorbo of blorbos is literally made of sharp angles, what else could one expect? lol)

Non-physical: Vibes. Depth. Intrigue. If they seem too easy for me to read, I tend to dismiss them internally unless they pique my interest later.

6. What's your eye colour?

Dark brown/black.

I like to think that Cybertronians would find this mildly disturbing at first. :P

7. Scary movies or good endings?

Depends on how scary. Pure horror is a no.

I like to have a balance. Scare me half to death during the story, but let the ending mean something.

8. Any special talents?

Does exceptional self-awareness count? xD

I have very few practical, concrete skills, but I like to think I have other things I bring to the table of life that make me stand out a bit.

9. Where were you born?

One of the southern provinces of China

10. What are your hobbies?

Studying people, creative problem-solving, introspecting (I do it enough that it counts 😂), contemplating life and all it’s mysteries and weirdness.

(Yes, this is really the sort of stuff I love doing all day, every day—to the exclusion of actually living life. 🫠)

11. Do you have any pets?

No. I’m just not a huge pet person. Most are too demanding for my liking, and the ones that are low-maintenance are…boring. An exotic pet might be worth the effort though. 🤔

12. What sports do you play/have you played?

How fast can I get in and out of this store without ramming anyone with my cart. 😆

Besides that, I used to ride horses, but I haven’t been able to since I moved a couple of years ago.

13. How tall are you?

5 ft. 3 in. (1,60m)

14. Favourite subject in school?

Anything not required. /hj

(Psych, Sociology, and Astronomy were my favorites. And they’re all electives. lol)

15. Dream job?

I wouldn’t say I have a dream job. It’s more like a “dream state of career existence.”

It involves acquiring a PhD, a medical degree, and a bunch of other degrees with the ultimate goal of bringing my interests together. (Psychology, neuroscience, acoustics, etc.)

I would happily spend the rest of my life learning and doing research, and it would be great to be able to offer something unique to both the scientific world and the medical community. (If I don’t get shunned for coming up with too many far-fetched theories, that is. 🫠)

Tagging: @onewingedsparrow @aecholapis @decepticon-nerd @starscreamboyfriend @benadrylcandlewhack and anyone else who wants to answer!

(Correctly-formatted question form is in the replies to make your lives easier)

[deadlysoupy]

i've figured it out. i connected the dots. i know why exactly the season finale was so underwhelming.

read this if you like literary analysis, this is as much of a testament to the show's storytelling as well as it's me trying my hand at pulling stories apart. i am not a professional writer, though i do consider myself a regular one, and i think that counts for something.

anyway, point 1: already established structure

so, in every story, there is a structure. it consists of arcs, and whether you have episodic storytelling or an overarching plot, there will be arcs. these acts are like rollercoasters: you get in, it's fine at first, chill, then you get some loops, kinda bumpy and scary, then it's calm again, more loops, add some leaps here and there, and when the attraction reaches it's final loop, it has to be the craziest shit you've experienced. and yes, you can argue that some rollercoasters don't have that structure, they're usually like that.

in Earthspark, there is the consistent rising of stakes (just bear with me for a recap): episode one - new siblings get kidnapped and almost dissected. low point. family saves them and takes in as their own - high point. episode nine and ten - people they care about get kidnapped (geez that's a lot of kidnappings), Megatron gets severely injured, Twitch almost sacrifices herself. very very low point. family comes to help, not abandoning their sibling, new Terrans are born, the bad guy is defeated. victory! episode seventeen and eighteen - questioning their place among humans, feeling like they don't truly belong anywhere, almost losing the person that has been there every step of the way, and getting mind controlled. super low point, even worse than before, which is very, very good. then, they regain confidence, the only thing that is important is family, and everything else will come with time. good, open ending. this should have been it.

to that i say this is an incredible story. delicious character growth, moments to prove themselves, to know who you are.

the finale didn't have the rollercoaster. it went down, sure, but not down enough - which brings me to the next point.

point 2: no internal conflict

now, just to clarify, internal conflict is what's happening in the character's brain, what's been bugging them this entire time, something they have to get over and heal from. external conflict is beyond their control - the whole Mandroid and GHOST sub-plots.

all previous two-parters felt connected to each character, to something they deeply cared about. where previously every external plot came crashing with internal one, creating new problems to solve, this one made a vital mistake of repeating the same plots to deal with (because their siblings getting kidnapped is not old by now!).

and the fact is, not one of the characters is doubting themselves in these episodes. this should have been their darkest moment, when they feel helpless, completely defeated. no one is tackling an internal problem in this finale. not outright. Twitch gets sad but then gets up just as quickly. if she was feeling like a failure in the beginning of the finale because of a bunch of shit happening at once, this would have been solved! the stakes are artificial, we know they can't kill everyone, because they're the main characters.

it's not about the Maltos anymore, which is why this is so sad to watch. Eathspark is about family. but if you call every single Cybertronian family, what's the value of your own beloved siblings and parents?

if this show focuses more on the new generation, then they should continue to explore them with only minor highlights into all of Cybertronian population. it's all over the place, wanting to appeal to the wider transformers audience, and to the people who came for the terrans - and missing both.

at least that's what i saw. if you think differently, if you saw something i didn't, please feel free to reply, reblog, and i welcome criticism. i am still learning the storytelling craft, but i know the rules. and this is NOT a way for me to say i hate Earthspark now, don't you dare put labels on this post. i analyse this show because i love it to death, but i accept it as it is, and learn from it. anyone who outright shits on Earthspark gets my fist in their mouth

[sepublic]

            For the Nizziverse, I want Megatron to have crashed and been frozen in the arctic in his vehicle mode; His rather abstract-looking Cybertronian Jet form.

         Part of my meta reasoning is that… Cybertronian alt-modes are often kind of an afterthought, which is a bit of a shame, since they’re just as original designs as the robot modes they pair with. And part of the original appeal and gimmick of Transformers is the dynamic between robot AND vehicle mode, how you can see parts of both in either one! Especially in the Bayverse, I want the Cybertronian alt-modes to feel less like a begrudging thing a designer slapped together so the character would technically be a Transformer, the bare minimum, and more an equally compelling form in its own right.

         Plus, the interesting thing about the original 2007 film is that it very much went with the premise of Transformers as this enigmatic, mysterious race of alien infiltrators; I’ll give it credit where it’s due, it def played up the paranoia that any vehicle, really any machine or appliance, could be a Cybertronian in disguise. The film actually justifies its sparse screentime of the Transformers because of this, at least somewhat; Like, you don’t reveal the monster/killer in full spotlight from the start. The Xenomorph, the Predator, these are things you display sparingly.

         Of course, a cybertronian jet is hardly subtle, especially with Nizzi’s rather abstract designs; Anyone will immediately notice it as alien. But that’s also kind of the point here…

         After all, the premise is that there’s a vehicle; And there’s no driver because the vehicle IS the driver, they’re one and the same! So I want to pull off a similar twist, at least in-universe, to the members of Sector 7. Some explorers find this metallic, alien structure in the arctic; Nobody has any idea what it is, but based on the shape and the wings, they THINK it’s some sort of… Plane? Jet?

         Research into this ship’s strange material confirms what everyone is suspecting by now; They’ve found an alien ship that’s crash-landed on Earth. What is this, John Carpenter’s The Thing? But luckily for our plucky humans, there is no horrific alien to be found inside of this ship… But this luck ends up being rather haunting, because it just raises the question; How did this ship get here without a pilot? What happened to them? Where are they? Did they eject at the last-second, their body burnt up in atmospheric entry?

         Tools fail to pry apart and dissect this alien spaceship, and it takes the most advanced scanners to reveal even the most basic, rudimentary look into its interior; This ship has some advanced cloaking abilities. What Sector 7 HAS discerned is that it’s got some serious internal damage, which only further haunts the researchers as to this mysterious craft’s past. Was it escaping a battle, and could the thing that damaged it, follow it to Earth?

         The spaceship is big enough to have a crew of… Three, maybe four humans max. Nobody has actually managed to open it up to get inside, and Sector 7 isn’t even entirely sure if the ship HAS an interior to pilot. As human technology progresses and the idea of AI is raised, it’s proposed that the alien spaceship is a robot; It can drive itself, it doesn’t need to accommodate space nor life support systems for a pilot, because the pilot is a central processing unit! This is a slightly less disconcerting theory, but it provides little in the form of actual closure.

         …Eventually, glimpses and rumors of sapient machines that can disguise themselves as other machines arises; These conspiracy theories, these cryptids, are dubbed ‘Transformers’ by Sector 7, and it becomes apparent that these beings have no affiliation nor origin to any group on Earth. And if they’re aliens, well… Some people DID make the connection that perhaps the spaceship came from the same civilization from the Transformers; And that it may very well BE a Transformer itself. A terrifying thought.

         And in the end, those worst fears and paranoia are revealed; For years, many researchers regarded this mysterious spaceship as this alien entity in itself, an enigmatic artifact from the past, but also the future, that held so many secrets but was also missing something important itself. It was evidence of another civilization out there… But few would’ve guessed that it WAS a member of that civilization itself.

         So there’s this horror to see the craft you’ve studied your whole life, be just the surface, the tip of the iceberg, to the REAL secret; Just another form, and not even considered the real face, of a mechanical titan it transforms into. A titan that talks and has been listening this entire time in stasis lock, putting together English from those who spoke around it; A titan who declares himself not as a thing nor vehicle nor tool, but as THE wielder himself.

         To think you regarded it so impersonally, for by the end of the day it may have been an alien thing but it was still a thing, an object; The violating intrusion to have let yourself act around this thing as if you were alone and it weren’t a witness. Just an object you could project on, and not a very much thinking, calculating being, as much a person with emotions, hopes, and feelings as you. You’ve dehumanized this magnificent being, and you’ll pay the price for it.

         His name is Megatron, thank you very much, and he destroys the entire base. As you die amidst the flames and wreckage, Megatron transforms back into his jet mode, and that spaceship you’ve obsessed over your entire life… You finally get to see it soar and fly. Well, there’s that mystery answered, that dream fulfilled; And now you can close your eyes and rest.

         …So yeah, that’s basically my reasoning for why I want Megatron to be frozen in his alt-mode for all those years, and not robot mode. It’s not as much of a twist as, say, Bumblebee revealing himself for the first time; We already know and can guess this thing is Cybertronian and is in fact Megatron. But it does present a fun perspective to consider, that to the agents of Sector 7, who despite being able to tell that it’s alien, are still fooled with the whole “Vehicle is actually a robot” trick that is so dear to the Transformers franchise.

         On a side-note, it’s also a fun connection to Ghosts of Yesterday; A spin-off novel released back when the 2007 film came out. The premise is that Sector 7 somehow managed to draw the schematics of Megatron’s alt-mode from his frozen body, and used them to build a non-transforming Cybertronian jet; One that a crew of astronauts takes for a test flight, only to stumble into trouble in space when actual Transformers recognize a design that is still uncannily off. That book is definitely the most love and attention an alt-mode for Megatron has ever gotten, I think.

         In fact, Ghosts of Yesterday might just be canon to the Nizziverse, or at least the general premise. I should clarify that in the Nizziverse, that thing about human technology like cars, phones, microchips, etc. being reverse-engineered from Megatron isn’t a thing. I admittedly find it a silly trope to assign real-world tech, with real-world development and engineers, to an alien; It’s not on the same level as theorizing aliens built the ancient pyramids, but I think there’s a similar principle of being kinda disrespectful.

         Plus, I want the ‘alien spaceship’ to still be this very enigmatic thing to Sector 7 that they don’t understand and can’t comprehend, because they can’t pry it open, and their scanners are like X-rays against a lead wall. Cybertronians have been infiltrating other worlds for quite a while now, so of course they have cloaking technology that hides their energon signatures and true anatomy from those interested. They appropriate YOU, not the other way around!

         There is admittedly one nitpick I have to think of with this route, however; A questioning of in-universe logic. If you have Megatron frozen in robot mode, then you immediately understand why Sector 7 never tried to jumpstart him to bring him back online; He’s this giant, fanged, intimidating monster. He looks hostile and probably is, he’s clearly recognizable as a being with his own agendas that could easily oppose humanity’s. Better safe than sorry.

         …Thing is, if we have Megatron frozen in alt-mode; Then for a long while, people are under the impression he’s just an object. A tool. No consciousness. So jumpstarting this machine shouldn’t be too much of a risk, because when active, it has no mind to guide it towards targeting humanity. A lot could still happen, but you don’t have to worry about it deciding to attack.

         Now, the easy solution is that they tried to jumpstart Megatron, but he runs only on Energon. But in this Nizziverse continuity of mine, I want Transformers to be relatively adaptable in absorbing energy, so they CAN hook themselves up to an electric cable to draw power. It wouldn’t be very efficient and Energon is always the best, but it’s possible. Adaptability is such a big part of their species, after all; They can interface with alien tech, absorbing electricity isn’t too out of the question.

         But then if the humans COULD jumpstart Megatron… Why don’t they? The idea I’m going with here is that Megatron suffered damage in robot mode before he flew through a malfunctioning space bridge to chase after the Allspark; As he entered earth’s atmosphere, his wounds and energon-loss finally caught up to him, and he entered a LONG stasis lock. His self-repair systems had no energon to fuel themselves, and so couldn’t fix Megatron during his hibernation; This needs to be initiated by his Decepticon followers, who send an Energon surge directly into Megs to revive him.

        In the end, I guess one explanation is that Sector 7 is simply that wary of the alien spacecraft they found; They want to study it, but reactivating it is a step too far… And not only does reality vindicate this caution, but it also makes sense when the theory of the ship being an AI is introduced; In which case, they consider that it DOES have a mind that’d operate against them. And when they learn/suspect the existence of Transformers, then they’re really wary, and/or afraid that the ship might send a signal back to its origin. I’m not sure if this explanation is satisfactory, but I guess it’s better than nothing.