| abstract
| - Command Center(#360RtN) - - Outskirts of San Francisco Once you enter this gigantic room, the first thing you notice is the big scanner sitting against the far wall. Looking like Teletran One's bigger cousin, the main computer that is Metroplex sits there checking the perimeter defenses of Autobot City. The gigantic viewer currently shows the exterior shot outside of Autobot City, a pastoral view of a wide plain surrounded by a large conifer forest. Several smaller monitors show different pictures, some of Earth by orbital satellite, others of various computer graphics, giving the viewer the current situation on Earth at a moment's notice. Next to the main computer is a FTL communications terminal used for talking to Cybertron, Junkion, and other worlds. It is linked to Blaster's main communications tower located upstairs. Along the other walls are assorted computer terminals that are used by individual Autobots for data processing and accessing information from the main computer core. On the wall to the right of the main computer is a large, recently finished portrait of Optimus Prime with Prowl and Ironhide in the background. A small caption below reads, "Until All Are One". Arcee arrives, leaning in the doorway for a moment before heading to a terminal and sitting to file a report. She looks annoyed, and damaged, in that order. Not the best day for her. Solstice may or may not be at one of the larger stations, may or may not have a lead plugged in and may or may not be watching kitten videos on youtubes.. But something is making the orange femme giggle very quietly every so often. In comes Prowl, inspecting the Command Center for anything that might be off, as in out of line with protocol. Like glitches in some of the monitoring programs, or improperly classified reports. Or...people slacking, which includes sitting there watching kitten videos. Nope, not in the Command Center! And so he walks over to Solstice and stands quietly behind her for a few moments. "Solstice." he says evenly. "Is there something...constructive about these recordings?" Solstice can see, vaguely, in a reflection on the monitor, someone coming up behind her. And yes, as the screen is set into split mode, there is a section showing kitten videos. And another showing nothing but text, a 3rd one showing a rendered map of earth along with mini-windows such as a video game might display and the 4th section again has nothing but text. She pauses screens 1 and 3, half turning in the seat to offer the person behind her a smile before standing and giving a salute. "Yes sir." Prowl arches a brow at Solstice, making note of the various sections of the screen and her divided attention. He watches her expectantly this time. "Yes? And how so, exactly?" The strategist questions, interested to hear an answer to the question, if there is one. Arcee quietly re-enters, nodding an acknowledgement to Prowl and to Solstice, but interrupting neither as she heads over to a terminal to do some more work. Solstice shifts door wings and sits back down, shifting the seat. "Well.." tapping the kitten video screen and then the text next to it, "Tryin' t' learn a bit more about how humans think an' see if it correlates to how reports and research show how we think. Humans seem t' like their videos of pre-adult stage pet grade felines. More readin' th' responses tan lookin' at th' images t' see if there's a pattern I can see without cheatin' and looking' it up. This.." tapping screen 2 with the text, "Is a a treatise on basic principles of operant conditioning' which shorthand says that a person, or in our case a mech'd change their behavior based on th' results of their /own/ behavior. Learnin' through experience both positive an' negative." "This" she taps the video game looking screen, "Is a simulator. Right now it's runnin' a comparison tween one of the Retoris battles and several earth battles where a tactic referred to as Jagdgeschwader Formation was in play t' see if there's anything similar present." She shrugs, "Not thinking so myself but no expert.." She pokes the last text filled screen, "Sun Tzu." "Hn." Prowl listens to Solstice's explanations, thinks for a moment, then decides they're actually more elaborate excuses than anything else. "And what, might I ask, is the importance of learning what sorts of video recordings human civilians enjoy watching for leisure? This is not an alien culture class, Solstice. This is a war..." He frowns, sitting down at a workstation himself to get started checking the military rosters. "Why do you believe that understanding Terran psychology and tactical formations has enough relevance to command so much of your attention? We certainly aren't are war with them--in fact, diplomacy may be of greater significance." Besides, lately the focus has been shifted toward Cybertron more often than not. "Do you honestly think that there is anything they have learned within their short-lived existence that we have not acquired in the past...oh, hundreds of millenia of ours?" Arcee is probably listening in while she works. Much like Rewind, she's a bit of a snoop at times. Solstice chuffs, "Not learning' what sort of funsies they like, want to see if responses are changin' based on other responses given. Operant Conditioning." She taps the screen, sorting through another section. "An' why not? We might live longer, but they live /faster/. So yeah." She flips to the simulator and keys in another set to compare. "I think we can learn from them. I think we can learn a lot from'em." "Actually, our cerebral circuits are much more developed than theirs are, capable of acquiring and processing large volumes of information at a much faster pace. Of course, it varies from individual to individual, but overall, this is true." Prowl states evenly. "I won't dismiss your research as completely pointless, but we must set our priorities straight, as made explicitly clear in the protocols for proper conduct within the Command Center. If you wish to pursue personal projects to satisfy your individual interests, then you must do so either off-base or within your own habitation suite, when you are not on duty. Do I make myself clear, Solstice?" Solstice flicks door-wings and closes out her work. Standing, she gives Prowl an icy look, snap-turns on a heel and heads out, stating flatly, "One: I don't *have* a habitation suite. Two: Regulations state that command center systems can be used for dissertation level research due to multi-threading capabilities needed for in depth research, especially when involving tactical or strategic methodologies. Three: Yo've made yourself *perfectly* clear, I'll go back to minding lightbulbs, /sir/. Good day to you." stalk. Arcee snickers inwardly. Solstice is so cute. She didn't much like the kid getting discouraged from pursuing her own interests, but she liked the pluckiness. Did she just argue with Prowl on what regulations say? Psh. How naive of her. This wasn't the War Academy. This was THE war. He sighs and shakes his head, bringing out a datapad upon which he starts to... make note of her disrespectful treatment of a superior officer as a response to reasonable reprimand, and misuse of Commander Center resources. But he won't come down on her too hard, she's young after all. Perhaps she just didn't know that you just don't do that. Not even humans are supposed to get on SpaceBook at work, didn't she know that? After all she seemed to dedicate a good amount of her free time to studying them. Oh yes, and he starts to get on having her assigned to a hab suite at the Decagon. Wouldn't be proper for her to be homeless. You send a radio message to Solstice: You want to spend your life pursuing research, go back to the War Academy. You receive a radio message from Solstice: Never been there, sir. You send a radio message to Solstice: No? Heh. Well then I suppose that explains a few things. But you know what I meant. If that's what you'd rather be doing, then by all means, return to academia. Solstice pauses, turns and looks over her shoulder and says softly, "Sir, I am 5 *earth* years old. While initial downloads during creation do give one a base foundation, it is per protocol that I run simulations and perform my own studies. However, since that is now verboten, I will continue with what I was assigned to do initially, housekeeping. I now fully understand that that is the perceived placement of my function and will no longer pursue my primary or secondary functionality as you have dutifully pointed out to me that it is not permissible to do so as /individual interests/ which, in this case meant tactical studies involving behavioral analysis. Thank you for letting me know my proper placement. I will endeavor to insure that lights function and rooms remain clean." She unholsters pistols and sets them on a desk. "Good day." Arcee is trying very hard not to laugh. She concentrates very hard on being engrossed in the daily intel dispatch. It's getting very hard to do so. "I never said you shouldn't pursue your studies. Just don't pursue them here." Prowl sighs, starting to sound annoyed with her. "Is that so difficult for you to understand? You are not a maintenance drone, you are a warrior, that is your function as listed in your personnel file. As I have already stated, none of us are to use the Command Center to pursue our personal interests. Also, the amendment you mentioned was redacted in light of Cybertron's recent revival, since there are many publicly available resources as well as equipment at facilities such as the archives or the stellar galleries, that have multi-threading programs as well as many other research-oriented tools. In fact, the variety of resources here are quite limited in comparison to those. So please refrain from making snarky comments at someone who is simply asking you to be reasonable." Solstice tilts her head slightly, voice still soft, "One: you did not ask. Two: I have yet to be snarky, sir. I am simply responding. Shall I cease to also speak? It can be arranged. Three: If tactical studies are now personal pursuits, I once again thank you for informing me of that and will cease those as well. I am simply trying to follow your orders, sir. In which you have indicated that my working on my primary function in the command center is personal and personal studies are forbidden. Again, thank you sir, I will return to my initial set of orders which will prevent such issues in the future. Please excuse me, I do need to pick up the next room check list to insure that I do not fall behind, sir." She tips her head, turns and departs, leaving weapons behind. You send a radio message to Solstice: Fine, you want me to be more clear, do you? All right, I will. Solstice, you are to contine your tactical studies at more suitable locations, for example, those I just outlined to you. You will not waste your time performing maintenance duties meant for drones. You will use the Command Center in ways that it was meant to be used, when you are assigned to duties relegated to that specific area. Since you are a reasonably intelligent person, I am going to assume you know what that means, however, if you don't, please feel free to ask for an example. Those are your orders, soldier, and you damn well better follow them if you want to stick around here. If not, then no one is stopping you from returning to academics. That is all. Arcee glances over toward the door, briefly. Prowl doesn't say anything in return, at least not out loud, though he is quite livid. She has the nerve to challenge his knowlege of protocol? And then act like a fragging martyr? Does she think he's some sort of overemotional idiot who is going to fall over and apologize for hurting her little feelings? Disgusting. He turns to Arcee. "Arcee, talk some sense into her. You're good at that, aren't you? So make use of it." The strategist says tersely, before storming out of the room. Arcee isn't really used to seeing Prowl irked. Annoyed, maybe. But truly irked, that's rare. Little Sol and her silliness must have really gotten to him. "...Uh, okay, sure."
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