New Iacon Main Commissary
     This massive, domed structure is a huge room, where Autobots can 
reside in their cubicles and socialize in their off-time. Window ports 
and a giant skylight create an arena-sized, airy environment. The view 
of New Iacon, from all directions, is hopeful. There is still much 
construction going on, but it looks as if it will be completed soon.
People: Rodimus * Whiz *
Obvious exits:
 North <N> leads to Iacon Training Room.
 West <W> leads to EDC Office - Iacon.
 East <E> leads to Iacon Launchpad.
 South <S> leads to Central Hallway - New Iacon Base.

Whiz is planning something, as always.
Rodimus almost trips over her. "Ah. Whoa, hey. Just the person I wanted 
to see."
Whiz looks up from scanning security documentation. "You could always 
check the security tapes. We are under heavy observation."
You say, "Revision, then. Just the person I wanted to talk to." He 
smiles, "Lighten up; things aren't as bad as they were."
Whiz shrugs slightly. "Unless we stay on top of things, they could 
easily get as bad as they were."
You say, "Right. So have you had a chance to look at Knightmare's 
virology report on Legend?"
Whiz says, "I have examined it. The symptoms are obvious, however, the 
causes will require further study."
Rodimus ohs, then tries something else, undaunted. "What about Sky Lynx? 
Would you be able to get anything more useful from studying him?"
Whiz says, "If we can study Sky Lynx, we might have the chance to devise 
an antidote of sorts, as much as that may be possible."
You say, "Well, Sundiver had something of a plan for trapping them in 
Vilnacron without power for a while. Ultra Magnus thought it was 
feasible, given their current resources."
Whiz nods. "We prompted their rebellion early, before they were 
prepared. That could work to our advantage."
You say, "We lay seige to them, then run in and trap them in their own 
net.."
Whiz punches up some information on the condition of New Vilnacron.
Rodimus frowns slightly. "Well, I guess that's one good thing about 
setting it off early.."
Whiz says, "Of course, after Galvatron destroyed the original Vilnacron, 
the second city was built to be an impregnable fortress."
Whiz examines the defenses. "Constructed to withstand an attack, and to 
defend the inhabitants. Though without the cooperation of the city 
guard, there may be an opportunity to strike."
You say, "I have Longsight and Dealiticus on the inside, and Airwolf 
knows about the old tunnels that could lead in from underground.. 
although we'd have to blast through. Possibly set up a fake front in the 
tunnels and come in through the spaceport while they're occupied with 
that."
Whiz says, "The method of attack is likely to be determined in part by 
our means of subduing the Primitives themselves."
You say, "Can we rig a stun ray big enough to knock out Sky Lynx?"
Whiz says, "If we can develop some kind of actual weapon to do so, we 
will have to aim for getting that weapon into position and using it. 
However, the development of the weapon still depends on retrieving Sky 
Lynx..."
Whiz ponders the question of the stun ray.
Whiz says, "It's possible. You should speak to Pak-Gor about it, he is 
the inventor."
You say, "Will do. But you're my sounding board."
Whiz says, "We have to draw him out of his stronghold. Or do we know for 
certain that he is still there? With his space-flight capabilities, he 
could be on his way to infect Quintessa."
Whiz says, "Not that it is a likely scenario, but the possiblity 
exists."
You say, "He's still there. According to Longsight's last report, he's 
been pacing around plotting to.. err, get the Matrix.."
Whiz hesitates. "Well, that is unsurprising."
Rodimus' gaze touches the floor for a brief moment, then he reports 
briskly, "Firestone and Sundiver moved hi... my... err.. the body to the 
brig for safety."
Whiz watches Rodimus carefully. "Well, it will be secure there."
Rodimus mutters, "I should hope so."
Whiz says, "Passive security might not be as effective as active 
security, but we must take the available option."
You say, "The lab didn't exactly prove to be the best in passive 
security, after Legend tore through."
Whiz looks concerned. "I wasn't informed of this."
Rodimus blinks. "No one reported it? Well, I can see where they'd want 
to keep it under wraps, but... slag. Legend escaped last night."
Whiz says, "Temporarily or permanently?"
You say, "He's gone."
Whiz says, "Unfortunate. That makes my task more difficult."
You say, "But on the way out he decided he's try to get me out of the 
picture by killing my.. other self..."
Whiz's face darkens with a quick pass of retroactive worry. "Eliminating 
you both."
You say, "Well, not necessarily; technically I may have already 
eliminated myself but that's beside the point. Yeah. That was his plan."
You say, "And when he found out he couldn't do that -- too many people 
ran in -- he tried to get the Matrix instead..."
Whiz grinds her jaw. "Really."
Rodimus carefully cuts out something else and says with a bland front, 
"So you could say the lab wasn't terribly secure."
Whiz says, "You could also say that you haven't told me the entire 
story."
Rodimus shrugs. "Nothing else to tell. They drove him out, the Matrix 
was returned, my present self was repaired."
Whiz continues to regard Rodimus skeptically.
Whiz says, "Seems very neatly done. No loose ends."
Whiz says, "And yet, he escaped. Perhaps something diverted their 
attention?"
Rodimus shifts uneasily. "Perhaps."
Whiz says, "And I suppose that you were too far from the area to be 
alerted that there was some kind of threat."
Whiz regards Rodimus with cool calculation.
You say, "Err.. actually, I was the one who called the alarm. I chased 
him as far as I could before the proximity got to be too much, but...."
Whiz says, "So, there is more to the story after all."
You say, "No there isn't. When they jumped him, he tossed out out of his 
teeth, and... well, slag it, someone had to catch it."
Whiz says, "I've known you too long to accept a three-sentence story 
about the Matrix almost being stolen, Rodimus."
Rodimus tightens his hands into fists and studies the far wall.
Whiz watches the tale unroll itself.
Whiz says, "Someone being?"
You say, "It wasn't my fault."
Whiz might even seem amused, if she were capable of it. "Of course not. 
Evidence suggests that the Matrix is capable of accepting fault, if one 
wishes to term it that."
Whiz softens slightly. "But what happened? It must have accepted you, 
but..."
Whiz hesitates, then finishes more gently, "But you're still... my 
Rodimus."
Rodimus' face twists in a frustrated grimace. "But nothing. I caught it, 
there was a flash of light, and Legend bolted while everyone was 
stunned. And I dropped it."
Whiz trips over that one. "You.. dropped it?"
You say, "Dropped it, shoved it at Blaster, got RID of it."
Whiz says, "Shoving it at Blaster at least suggests that the Matrix's 
trust in you to catch it was not misplaced. Dropping it, alternatively, 
would make me wonder if your reflex circuits needed adjustment."
Rodimus says dryly, "No, I got rid of it quite intentionally.
Whiz nods slightly. "Not yours to claim."
Whiz sighs slightly, turning inward.
You say, "Of course, no one else accepted that and I spent the next 
half-hour in there fighting off people doing everything short of pinning 
me down and stuffing it inside me."
Whiz says, "They could do worse things with it, I suppose."
Rodimus shrugs it off as lightly as he can, although he's rather 
obviously still shaken over it. "It's not mine."
Whiz says a little distantly, "Yes, I know. No matter how much you wish 
things could be different."
Rodimus scowls momentarily, "Even *Sundiver* was berating me--! And 
Blaster accusing me of not accepting the BURDEN? Where does he get off 
lecturing me about BURDENS? Did HE have to lead a losing battle for 
eight million years with half of himself ripped out and flaunted at you 
from the other side?"
Rodimus exhales sharply and falls silent.
Whiz looks at Rodimus again, pain behind her optics. "They can't 
understand, Rodimus. They can't even imagine what we've been through, so 
they react out of ignorance. The easiest thing to do is stop caring 
anymore."
Rodimus says quietly, "I can never stop caring."
Rodimus adds slightly sourly, "Even if some people can."
Whiz nods. "I know, I've watched you for all this time. Then you'll just 
have to forgive them for not understanding." She halts as she hears the 
second half of the comment.
Whiz says icily, "Some people *wish* they had that choice."
Rodimus studies the floor. "Forgive them, certainly. I can understand 
their feelings. But it doesn't help me... now what's that tone for?"
Whiz mocks, "Even if some people can stop caring."
Rodimus looks up at Whiz again, confused. "Well, you don't have to act 
like it was a personal insult, yeesh."
Whiz steadies herself, but what little openness she had displayed is 
gone. "My apologies if I misinterpreted your statement. I thought you 
were refering to me."
Rodimus blinks. "I... well, I guess I might have been," he admits on 
second thought.
Whiz says in a carefully controlled tone, "I have been on edge anyway. 
It seems like everyone has been saying the same thing, in one way or 
another."
You say, "Well, I think they have reason. You've changed more than any 
of us."
You say, "Coming back here.. brought that all home."
Whiz says matter-of-factly, "I started out with the least of value."
Whiz says, "Logically, I would have to change the most to continue to 
survive and be of use."
Whiz can't keep a note of bitterness out of her voice.
You say, "that's a heap of slag and you know it. I don't make best 
friends of worthless people."
Whiz sighs. "Then I must have lost worth rather than gained it."
Rodimus frowns. "I want to be friends," he says, hurt. "I never tried to 
push you away. You did that yourself."
Whiz nods and says non-committally, "We are all the shapers of our own 
destiny and our own character."
Rodimus says dryly, "Well, there's a cheap one-liner."
You say, "Whatever. I gave up a long time ago trying to figure out what 
was wrong."
Whiz says, "I destroyed what no longer served my purpose. Face it, that 
Whiz would be dead before she became me."
Whiz's face flickers with pain. "By preference, if not by the claws of 
the Primitives."
You say, "I never found that a sense of humour ever dragged me down."
You say, "Maybe you can lock yourself up in your little box and be 
happy, but I doubt it. I've been going through my old things.. you know, 
we used to have FUN. *You* used to have fun. It kept us all from going 
insane. It's not a bad thing."
Whiz says, "I've spent time in my lab as well."
Whiz looks off toward the door. "There's pictures. Games."
You say, "Yes.."
Whiz sighs. "It's not the fun that I had to put away. It was everything 
attached to it. But like you said, that stopped mattering a long time 
ago. Why bother trying to figure it out now."
Whiz says, "We're here to save them from becoming us, not to save us 
from ourselves."
You say, "Maybe because the contrast finally got driven home to me?"
Whiz says, "I grew up. Life is cruel."
Rodimus smirks, "Or maybe because this is the first time I've had a 
chance to sit and think about it, rather than an impending attack?"
You say, "You didn't grow up, you grew in."
Whiz says, "None of it matters. And frankly, it's a bit too late for you 
to start caring now."
Whiz moves back, stepping toward the door of her lab.
Rodimus sighs helplessly. "I've always cared... I just wish I knew what 
I did to you."
You say, "Oh, why do I bother."
Whiz says bitterly, "I hate to deny your assumption that the universe 
revolves around you, but for once, this is a problem that has nothing to 
do with you."
Whiz says, "*I* chose this for myself. *You* did nothing."
Rodimus mutters unabashed, "Yeah, and that's why you keep accusing ME of 
not caring..." he lifts his voice. "Good night, Whiz."
Whiz nods curtly. "Not so far, but good night to you too."
Whiz has left.