(no subject)
12 minibots…
He didn’t know exactly when it had started. It was a compulsion now though - as deeply rooted and as seemingly uncontrollable as a core piece of programming.
5 Dinobots…
He knew it had to save lives, had to keep them from leaving bots behind on the battlefield. When he stopped to consider the habit, which wasn’t very often, he rationalized that’s where it must have begun.
3 Datsuns…
It would be unforgivable to leave someone behind. The Decepticons with their lack of medics and morals had no such issues.
3 special ops bots…
It had seemed illogical at first when he started double counting, counting a bot again when they belonged to more than one group. Then an incident with Bumblebee convinced him it was ok. Better to tally someone twice than to risk losing someone between counts.
6 officers…
A potential oversight when a bot didn’t fit into a nice neat category.
1 flying corvette…
So then they became their own group on the list. It made sense - they didn’t have gestalt mates or close team mates to check up on them and immediately notice they were missing. That’s what he was for.
3 search and rescue bots…
When he became really cognizant of doing it, he was immediately terrified he had a glitch. He didn’t want to be examined (and didn’t that sound familiar) because who would he ask?
4 med-bay bots…
They would have been concerned. One of them would have had to confide in Optimus Prime or another officer that he was having an issue. A bug of some kind, certainly, and that would just cause concern.
5 Protectobots…
He could justify it. When he was going to a battle, on the battlefield, leaving a battle, repairing - all very acceptable times to make sure each and every bot was accounted for.
5 Aerialbots…
Because how could he explain that to the bots close to the one left behind? So much better to dedicate less than a percent of his processor to the counting.
2 twins…
What began to concern him was the fact that he didn’t list them by name. They were described with adjectives and roles.
1 green tracker…
It was uncomfortable to realize just how impersonal the list was.
4 cassettes…
Then he realized.
1 giant guardian…
The reason no names were on the list.
1 communications specialist…
The reason the counting was becoming constant, the list starting over almost the minute it was complete.
4 scientists…
The reason that the counting began to bleed over into downtime.
1 black scout…
In the mess hall, in the rec room, at night via the new monitors in his office.
2 architect bots…
The counting finally became constant.
5 Technobots…
Because when the list finally had to be shortened - and unless the war ended soon it was just a matter of time, really - as he had to watch it dwindle down over the centuries and watch them slip away…
1 leader…
Ratchet didn’t know what he’d do then.
He didn’t know exactly when it had started. It was a compulsion now though - as deeply rooted and as seemingly uncontrollable as a core piece of programming.
5 Dinobots…
He knew it had to save lives, had to keep them from leaving bots behind on the battlefield. When he stopped to consider the habit, which wasn’t very often, he rationalized that’s where it must have begun.
3 Datsuns…
It would be unforgivable to leave someone behind. The Decepticons with their lack of medics and morals had no such issues.
3 special ops bots…
It had seemed illogical at first when he started double counting, counting a bot again when they belonged to more than one group. Then an incident with Bumblebee convinced him it was ok. Better to tally someone twice than to risk losing someone between counts.
6 officers…
A potential oversight when a bot didn’t fit into a nice neat category.
1 flying corvette…
So then they became their own group on the list. It made sense - they didn’t have gestalt mates or close team mates to check up on them and immediately notice they were missing. That’s what he was for.
3 search and rescue bots…
When he became really cognizant of doing it, he was immediately terrified he had a glitch. He didn’t want to be examined (and didn’t that sound familiar) because who would he ask?
4 med-bay bots…
They would have been concerned. One of them would have had to confide in Optimus Prime or another officer that he was having an issue. A bug of some kind, certainly, and that would just cause concern.
5 Protectobots…
He could justify it. When he was going to a battle, on the battlefield, leaving a battle, repairing - all very acceptable times to make sure each and every bot was accounted for.
5 Aerialbots…
Because how could he explain that to the bots close to the one left behind? So much better to dedicate less than a percent of his processor to the counting.
2 twins…
What began to concern him was the fact that he didn’t list them by name. They were described with adjectives and roles.
1 green tracker…
It was uncomfortable to realize just how impersonal the list was.
4 cassettes…
Then he realized.
1 giant guardian…
The reason no names were on the list.
1 communications specialist…
The reason the counting was becoming constant, the list starting over almost the minute it was complete.
4 scientists…
The reason that the counting began to bleed over into downtime.
1 black scout…
In the mess hall, in the rec room, at night via the new monitors in his office.
2 architect bots…
The counting finally became constant.
5 Technobots…
Because when the list finally had to be shortened - and unless the war ended soon it was just a matter of time, really - as he had to watch it dwindle down over the centuries and watch them slip away…
1 leader…
Ratchet didn’t know what he’d do then.