Information
CHARACTER NAME: Vector Prime
FANDOM: Transformers
CHRONOLOGY: Post-Cybertron/Galaxy Force series with a few (canon) additions. LOOK, TIME IS NOT REALLY LINEAR FOR HIM.
CLASS: ...Neutral Good? Heroic-ish? I can't quite see him doing it for a living but he's definitely on the good side of things. And he'll lend his assistance to pretty much anyone who asks, so long as he knows that they're 'good' in turn or at least working towards the goals of such. Definitely not a Villain.
SUPERHERO NAME: Vector Prime
ALTER EGO: N/A, though he may pick up one at a later point. No clue what he'll find a job in; possibly something physics-related. He may not be exactly a scientist, but he does sort of normally work with spacetime on a daily basis. Or at least did. Working in an archive or library could work, too. It really depends on how things go, his first few days/week(s). Heck, he might find work in an antique store for all I know!
BACKGROUND:
Before time began, there were Primus and Unicron, two opposing gods - one of light, one of darkness. Creation and destruction. Opposites in nearly every aspect...and, as one could easily imagine, enemies. To assist him in the fight against Unicron, Primus created a crew of thirteen robotic beings that mimicked one of Unicron's most potent abilities; the ability to change from one form to another. He called these beings Transformers, and they would be the template for an entire species.
These Original Transformers were each given significant power, and a significant duty to match; the one named Vector Prime was charged with guarding spacetime. And when another of their number abandoned Primus and became the Fallen, assisting Unicron in his attempts to consume existence - he took up sword in defense of his creator and of the multiverse. The war devastated the ranks of the Originals, with some outright being destroyed and others abandoning their functions and becoming lost to time - but it ended in light's favor. The Fallen was banished to a dimensional prison with his master. And yet despite the devastation, despite his time of mourning for the others - it wasn't long before Vector Prime returned to his duty.
Time, in a sense, lost its meaning - or at least gained a different one to Vector than it does those who experience it in straightforward years. Especially so to him, one who navigated time and space and crossed dimensions as easily as others would cross streets. He was isolated except for his lone companion, Safeguard, a minicon he picked up during his steps to worlds. Safeguard became his closest of allies, friends, partners - while Vector Prime, for the most part, did not reveal himself to mortals and preferred to work unnoticed, there were times when he needed to work with such. Indeed, if things could be handled by them if only they were nudged in the right direction - he preferred to do so. They had so much potential, all of them, such strange creatures. Some even doubted their own beginnings! And yet...they were the reason why he continued, in a sense, to ensure that time continued to flow smoothly. Strange, wonderful creatures, all of them, even those not linked to Primus.
As for Unicron...well...one could not contain a God forever. The Chaos-Bringer traveled from dimension to dimension, consuming what he could, and Vector could only trail after him at times and try to contain the damage. At times mortals could handle him, showing proof positive of their power - with the assistance of the Matrix, a relic containing a fraction of Primus's essence, they were able to banish Unicron from their homes and consider themselves safe. But when it came down to it...
Again, one could not contain a God forever. This was shown so very clearly when a Singularity manifesting as a black hole caused by one of his 'destructions' threatened to now only destroy the universe, but affect the entire multiverse as well.
Vector Prime returned to Cybertron to assist the mortals in stopping it - they could not do it alone, and neither could he. The artifacts that would assist in destroying the black hole were scattered through mortal hands, and there was simply not enough time for him to search through time to find them - and it would take much of his power, part of which was contained with reducing his own effects on the dimension to a minimum. (One notes here that to use his power at any given time causes damage; while he as a general rule can contain that damage, sometimes it's more efficient to simply limit himself and thus reduce the damage/maintenance-required-to-repair.) He made contact with the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime; however, through trickery of the Decepticon Leader, Megatron, he lost the greatest aid he had brought with him to locate the artifacts - a map of the universe.
And yet they - with the assistance of some other minicons Vector Prime had picked up during his travels, and some human aid - made do.
In the midst of their search, Vector would travel to another dimension to confer with a close mortal ally on the search's progress. Alpha Trion was invaluable in offering advice and assistance, in addition to taking notes. However, during one such visit the Unicronians known as Ramjet and Nemesis Prime attacked, severely damaging Alpha Trion and all but destroying the pandimensional supercomputer Vector Sigma. They then went on to attempt to destroy Primus himself, who slept at the heart of (all) Cybertron(s), using a perverse reflection of what was used to cripple Unicron himself - the Dead Matrix. Only through the assistance of Sentinel Maximus, the combined powers of another Optimus Prime and his brother Ultra Magnus, and the unique mech known as Skyfall - actually a fragment of another Original, Nexus Prime, but that's a story in its own - were they able to stop them. (To say nothing of the assistance of Over-Run, a minicon who was assisting in keeping Vector Sigma intact). Nonetheless, the battle took a great toll upon Vector Prime, who learned news that confirmed his greatest fears;
The Unicron Singularity was having a larger effect than he first thought. Past, present, and future were unraveling. Timespace was thinning, and unless the he and the others were able to destroy the Singularity, then all of his efforts, through all of his long years, everything...existence itself could cease to exist. It had become so bad that he could no longer sense the future, or at least its presence. It was blocked to him, as if it was not even there in the first place.
Unable to maintain his form in both this and the dimension the search was going on in without allowing paradox, he collapsed back into the latter with renewed determination, even if he was still weak. (He didn't need to limit himself half as much; his power had been that drained.) Grimly, he helped the Autobots search for the Cyber Key artifacts and the Omega Lock, and they were finally able to revive Primus's consciousness within the planet Cybertron - though the God was not at his full power, he was able to advise them on the next step of their journey. (Following an unspoken rule, neither Vector nor Primus acknowledged the specifics of their link publicly. It was easier to work with mortals when they considered you at least somewhat close to their own level, rather than so many steps above it. Certainly, Vector had already introduced himself as a messenger from the edge of time, but to mention that he was also an Original would take time they didn't have to explain.)
Their continued search took them to another dimension to find the final Cyberkey, but the Decepticons were able to snatch it before they were - and then leave the Autobot stranded, unable to return to their home dimension until a year had passed. But by their calculations, they didn't have a year. And so Vector Prime made the decision to use his power to turn back time - and ultimately kill himself in the process to contain it. Though the Autobots and their allies argued, it was eventually realized that there was no other way. Vector Prime was prepared to give his life, and assured them that since he had existed outside of time for most of his life - he would always exist there. His spirit would always be with them.
He was not speaking metaphorically.
Depending on the nature of the multiverse singularity or in fact the dimension traveler, one can 'seed' themselves in multiple dimensions at once - whether by spending time in reverse/slow-time dimensions or other means. Vector Prime, as a being whose very nature requies him to understand spacetime to specifics that can cause insanity in lesser beings, not only did this on a daily basis but did so in a way that when he experienced death, the experiences and memories were kept with minimal data loss. In other terms - it is very, very hard to truly kill him. What is more common/likely is for the physical manifest for that dimension to be destroyed, whereas he in himself can still affect things - however great or slight.
This was how he was able to return 'in spirit' and encourage Optimus Prime to accomplish his tasks. This was how, when Megatron-turned-Galvatron was ready to kill Optimus, Vector was able to intervene and offer the greatest aid he could - the loan of Rhisling itself. This was also how when, all tasks completed and the Singularity contained - he was able to give Optimus a final smile of farewell.
(This was also how he was able to keep tabs on Galvatron in a post-death state. The Decepticon was most reluctant to return to the Allspark from which he was born.)
Mission complete, Vector Prime returned to...his standard distance from the species at large. Stopping one item from swallowing the (uni/multi)verse didn't keep others from threatening it. He had just as much if not more work to do...he turned his optics towards other dimension clusters, ensuring that all was well. The Malgus cluster briefly drew his consciousness in the form of dreams, giving him flashes of events...
...however. During an encounter with a timestorm - one of the many reasons he was happy to have a jet as an alternate mode, rather than anything else - he suddenly found himself wrenched through time unwillingly. To affect a being of his level of power, in a sense affecting him on his own turf, distracted or not - imagine the power required for that. Imagine his surprise at finding himself not only elsewhere and elsewhen, but in a different body (though one assumes said body is meant to adhere to the rules/expectations of the dimension) - and his power retarded.
Imagine how utterly disturbing this is.
If a God of some sort isn't behind this, he will be very, very surprised.
PERSONALITY:
First and foremost - Vector Prime is not old. He is ancient. He is from a time before time began, and it shows in his manner. He speaks slowly, using some words that have fallen out of use, and he is unfamiliar with much modern slang. While he has inserted himself into the timestream from time to time and has gotten somewhat 'up to date' - bear in mind that what is current in one dimension may be another's past. Or future.
This gives him a rather different mindset than most; to him, the manyworld theory is not theory. It is reality. And while he sticks to the specific part of the Multiverse that the Transformers exist in, he knows full well there are more out there. He knows that sometimes dimensions cross. He knows what happens when they cross, he knows what must be done to keep them from damaging eachother - or themselves. He knows that sometimes...you have to remove a reality to save the rest.
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. While he does everything in his power to save those few, sometimes they cannot be saved. But they can be mourned - and remembered, if only by him. Sometimes...reality is a bitch.
But for all of reality's dark parts, he is enchanted by the beings who exist in only one. He honestly loves life and its forms, and lets it remind him just why he keeps to his task - ultimately, the strange creatures are the reason he is so fierce in the fulfillment of his function. It is so that they will have worlds to exist in. If they never know his existence - he is perfectly fine with such, and in fact prefers it. Better they focus on their own lives, and have the opportunity to dream, than fret about whether or not he's able to defend them or not.
Now, sometimes, these beings can be...difficult. A prime example would be the Decepticons he fought against in the Cybertron/Galaxy Force series. They can be...greedy. Selfish. Wrathful. Full of vice. But at the same time, despite how much they may annoy him at times, despite how frustrated he may get with them - ultimately, it is their decision to act that way. They must reap their own consequences. Primus bestowed upon them - and him - free will, and their choices are their own to make. He cannot make them for them. They make war on their own terms, and though it is a pity that they fight amongst themselves...
At the same time, it is for this reason that he prefers to see the mortals accomplish whatever they can without his help, whether direct or indirect. If he believes that someone can do something on their own - he'll let them. He'll let them fall or succeed on their own. If they ask for his help he'll give his advice, and if they truly need assistance he will be there to give it - but he would much rather see them succeed or fail on their own terms. If he's there and it's something small and subtle he can do he'll probably do it, and if he's working with a group they have his sword in their defense, and yet...they have so much potential, so much power in their own selves - they can take on the Chaos Bringer himself and win. If that isn't impressive, then Vector Prime doesn't know what is. It is life at its best.
That said, as much as he honestly loves them - he feels separated from them. He is not one of them. He is more mortal than a God, true, but he is not as mortal as a true mortal. He can be killed - but he can also survive death. He feels this isolation acutely, and while he has made allies, he has made few true friends. One of the few would be Safeguard, his minicon-partner - and he no longer has Safeguard by his side. His presence will be sorely missed. He can't not miss him.
But he still persists. There are very, very few things that can make Vector Prime doubt himself; doubt only has so much use. What is more important is to pick yourself up after your failures, accept them, and continue forwards with the resolve not to make the same mistakes again. Indeed, on one occasion he actually literally punched some sense into another mech for letting his doubt and guilt cripple him. ("THAT'S IT, I'VE HEARD ENOUGH." *WHAM* *CUE SPEECH* yes he somehow made a robot bruise he's just that good) He'll tolerate brief moments of doubt, even in himself, but ultimately; one must overcome that doubt. If people need punches in the face to get over it, so be it. If they need tough love, so be it. If they need a less forceful response, he can work with that too. Whatever gets them back in the game.
As for himself, well, his game is relatively simple - to fulfill his function(s). To safeguard space and time. To raise sword in defense of Primus and Primus's creations. And finally...to thwart Unicron and his followers whenever possible. Whether this be direct combat, subverting their plans in a more subtle manner or through other means. Let it be said that with precious few exceptions, Unicronians are the beings that will strain Vector's temper to and past his limit. In a sense Vector Prime was created to fight them. And while he certainly has free will - much like the Fallen who joined Unicron rather than fight against him - it goes without saying that the Chaosbringer's methods are almost always the greater of two evils. And they are evils Vector Prime will not tolerate.
POWER:
RHISLING
A sword so sharp as to cut spacetime itself.
As the Guardian of Space and Time, one of Vector Prime's greatest tools is Rhisling; a sword that may as well be an extension of himself. There are stories of warriors who put part of their soul into their weapon, and, well, the same could be considered true for Vector. So strong is the connection between mech and blade that the latter followed the former even when he was taken out of a mech's form. Albeit in a somewhat different manner than he's used to.
Rhisling can be summoned to Vector's hand(s) at will, forming itself as a longsword with an elaborate hilt and etchings. It can be dismissed when he no longer wishes for its presence, or kept on his back, or side, all he has to do is in a sense tell it to remain/to disappear and it'll do so without the need for further thought/concentration until he needs to dismiss/summon it again.
The sword itself could be considered magical; it's certainly something supernatural, more than your average weapon. Its edges are incredibly sharp (though not able to cut through anything - it has limits), and the material itself that it's comprised of...well, suffice it to say, it's very, very hard to sunder it. And despite his own new form, despite Rhisling's own, Vector Prime knows the weapon intimately. He's an incredible swordsman, easily a master in his own style.
As one of his primary tools when it comes to his given function, Rhisling also serves as an aid; the City limits its power somewhat, but Vector Prime can still use it to cut portals in existence itself. To create bridges between two points in space. When Vector Prime steps through one end of the bridge, he also has to cut another hole to give him an exit point. This utilizes his timespace awareness to essentially go, "I am here; I want the spacebridge to go there." It goes without saying that he prefers to know that there's nothing in the way of that "there" so that he doesn't accidentally exit into a wall or other solid material; however, 99% of the time he'll have the chance to see where he's going, and be able to adjust the exit portal's location if necessary.
Not to say he can't let others use them. He can take someone/something with him through a spacebridge, once he's cut it, bring them with him through the other side. He can also cut a portal and throw someone through it - and hypothetically, he could do so without following or cutting another portal for them to exit. If he really wanted to, he could close the portal and therefore trap them in a that sort of 'between' dimension. But it is a brutal and vindictive way at getting rid of someone, and only with very, very few exceptions (Only canon one is Balancing Act, against a defeated Ramjet, but even then Ramjet is a peer in terms of power and would eventually find a way out), he'll give them a way out. The spacebridge travel is not one way only - you can step back the way you came, so it's possible to throw someone into one and leave the entrance as an exit...that said, the area of the spacebridge itself is somewhat difficult to navigate for those without the natural capability unless Vector is there to assist. Though you're sort of frozen in timespace there, physically, so if you're stuck you won't really need to eat/breathe, you won't age - you can move three dimensionally, but there's nothing special you need to survive the trip. Most likely this particular aspect will be used to punt someone through, and then him to follow, or him going through with the expectation that he's leading others through another. Or, alternatively, make two cuts at once - an entrance and an exit, please note this is quite a bit more straining than making one cut than the other - and send someone/something through it, using his own power to keep the portal open. The longer it's open, though, the more it strains him.
Vector can also 'throw' a portal - that is, cut the air, but the portal appearing so far away. Standard rules apply; it's just a different way of doing things with the same result. He's 'caught' someone this way before, sending them to...alright, we'll be fair. He pulled a set of coordinates he knew was safe on Earth but otherwise couldn't remember much about them. He was short on time, all right? The point is he saved them from being absorbed by the black hole that was the Unicron Singularity. And since they were so close to it he had to use additional power to keep from creating more damage - hence the collapse. Normally, he won't do that.
It is important to note that while Rhisling has been implicated as an extension of Vector Prime's will, here, a better way of saying that would be more that it's solidified spirit/essence/soul/ect. It is, in this way, directly linked to him. Its strength is dependent on his own; to use its power weakens him - he couldn't simply cut portal after portal after portal without a rest period. (Distance is no matter, as, from a higher dimension standard, three-dimensional distance means little to nothing). If the blade were somehow damaged - it's strong, not invulnerable - it would also damage him in turn, and damage him straight to the core. It would hurt, and he would feel it. At the same time, if he was weakened before a fight, Rhisling's strength would be weakened in turn. (A side effect of this is one can actually gauge his strength by looking at the manifested sword; if it's in pristine condition, likely as not he's feeling just fine. If it's a bit more dull and tarnished, or even has part of it cracked or broken...then he's in worse shape.)
Note that sword and mech/man are a set; the power cannot be used without both of them. If someone had Rhisling and Vector for whatever reason let them have it, they could not cut portals. Likewise, Vector without Rhisling in hand is powerless in this regard. This brings to mind a simple, if effective way of completely removing this power - neutralize his hands, whether it be through simple immobilization or actually removing them. With this in mind he could summon/dismiss Rhisling, but other than that, could not use its power as he'd be incapable of wielding it.
EDIT: Permission has been granted for Vector to manifest some of the energy that he channels in to Rhisling as the phenomenom known through the TF fanbase as 'Burning Justice'. Basically, it's an aesthetic - temporal energy radiating from Vector in what appears to be a fiery, blue-green aura. Other than that, it does nothing except maybe register to those sensitive to such energies - it does not burn, it does not sear reality, it does not affect the world around him. It is but part of the anime's Rule of Cool from which he sources.
TIMESPACE AWARENESS
An innate link to the spacetime continuum.
This is a single power with multiple applications. First and foremost being that Vector Prime is fully aware of where and when he is at a given time/location. This is actually more complicated than it sounds; Vector's mind/processor was designed to work in the most 'out there' places among spacetime, and to do this he needs to be able to sense his relative position in the continuum as easily as a normal person can sense up/down, left/right, ect. Considering many people can lose track of time on a daily basis...
Temporally speaking - timewise - his internal clock is set. He can count minutes, seconds, astroseconds, hours, days with nothing more than his own self. Consider it always running; he doesn't have to consciously think about it until the question of 'how much time has passed' has barely begun to form, and then, he knows. The delay between query and response is imperceptible enough to not even be there in the first place.
Now, to apply this to the world at large, he has to understand the lengths of major units of time; one place's second may be longer than another's, but he can still apply these to his sense of time. Once he understands how they're categorized, he'll know that he's been asleep from then to now, and thus for so many hours, so many seconds, so many astroseconds - ect. The only delay there comes from however groggy he is.
Another example would be involving him knocked out, then regaining consciousness so many hours later; once he got over the grogginess and disorientation, he'd be able to consider his internal clock and calculate how long.
(Please note that I don't mean a literal internal clock. While as a robot he actually did, in fact, have one, we're only using the metaphor here.)
Spatially speaking - spacewise - you might as well consider having his own personal GPS. He'll be able to tell his position relative to other positions he knows, but if he doesn't know where he is in the first place...let's go back to that knocked out example. He wakes up at a different place, blindfolded; he'll be able to tell he's so many miles east/west of where he was knocked out. Or where he lives. However, he won't know where that is if he's never been in the location before, seeing as he can't bloody well see with the blindfold. But if he wanted to know how far it was from point A to point B - he could calculate that relatively easily.
OOCly - it's not really a part of this power per se but it's definitely worth noting somewhere that to accomplish the above calculations, Vector has to pretty much be able to accomplish complex mathematical equations on the fly. In other terms - he's damn good at math and physics. He has to be, to calculate time, space, and even where exactly to open a portal with Rhisling.
Going back to this specific power...another somewhat more passive ability linked to it is a 'feel' for the continuum surrounding him. And its state. He can sense aberrations - the larger they are, the more he feels them - though, as it stands, there's not too much he can do about such. However, it will let him feel the difference between imPorts and Natives; the former make a different 'dent' if you will, due to their unnatural existence within the dimension. With enough focus, he can identify the subtle differences between 'dents', and liken similar ones to one another. (OOC permission required - basically, he'll be able to identify canonmates.) Assuming someone has spacetime related powers as well, he'll be able to sense the effect they have on the continuum - or even the source/user themselves. (Again, OOC permission required. Note I'm classing spacetime powers as ones that directly manipulate either time or space; teleporting counts. Flying doesn't. Time travel/manipulation counts. Moving really really fast doesn't. Speed force would count, but speed force does not exist here as far as I can tell.)
THREE-DIMENSIONAL MOVEMENT
Navigating in three dimensions is little trouble for one used to existing in nine.
As Vector Prime most commonly manifests as some sort of spacejet - that is, when in true robotic form - the ability to fly has carried over to his human form. But technically, thanks to the teleporter adjusting things? This isn't flight at all, so much as changing his relative position in three dimensions as easily as one steps forwards or back. This is simply adding up/down to the equation, ignoring gravity. He feels gravity, still, I suppose one could just claim he has the ability to...well, ignore it. He could walk on the ceiling, upside down, perfectly at ease.
It's also probably worth noting that he can create a sort of hover effect, moving just above the ground without moving his feet. When he does it at all, hover or not, he doesn't need to move his feet; he doesn't really have to move at all, other than being free to move in the first place. In other words, if he was immobilized, he couldn't simply lift himself. And all things considered, it's probably more efficient to simply cut a portal via Rhisling if he knows where he wants to go. But this ability rather comes in handy if he steps out of one of the spacebridge's portals that's a distance above the ground.
However. His speed up/down is the same as him moving forwards/back/left/right. He simply cannot keep up with most fliers, seeing as his stop speed is about the same as a run. While he could hypothetically continue upwards until he reaches atmosphere, it's going to take hell of a lot longer unless he can hitch a ride with someone, not to mention he's limited by this human body - thin air will have an adverse effect on him, to say the least, in addition to him not having the endurance. And while he could in fact relinquish his position in the air to let gravity take over and simply drop, slowing his fall takes effort. He can't simply come to a halt just before hitting the ground - he'd have to kill his speed slowly, and that would take effort as well, essentially 'running against' the inertia he'd already built up. Unless he wanted to hit with enough force to break a few somethings.
He can, however, do a sort of 'glide'; though it's more of a sliding down with gravity the main source of momentum. This could give him a greater speed than walking/running, and still more control than an outright plunge.
Suggested links; Multiverse, Multiversal singularity, Universal stream, Imagining the Tenth Dimension part 1, Imagining the Tenth Dimension part 2.
The multiverse is great and huge, and the section that the Transformers occupy is no less - arguably, a slice of infinity is just as large as infinity itself. They all share certain elements, however, and one of these are their Singularities. These are beings who are the same throughout universal stream to stream, and while they may change form and nature depending on the stream's nature and laws (few can truly break the rules, though the more powerful (Primus, Unicron) can bend them) - they are nonetheless the same at core. In some cases, this may simply be existing in all, simultaneously; for others, this may be moving from dimension to dimension. Note that depending on how one performs the latter, they can exist in more than one at 'once' - reverse and slow time dimensions come in to play, and is how many cheat death.
Some dimensions, however, don't even have Unicron or Primus, or at least do not have them in recognizable shape and form. As these are the two primary starting catalysts for most TF universes, one might ask if dimensions without them can truly be considered part of the TF multiverse. The answer is yes. Primus and Unicron may not be overtly there, but their presence is, however subtly or strongly - they have simply changed form. They are gods that personify strong, basic concepts - good and evil. Light and darkness. Creation and destruction. They cannot not exist. Certainly, in other corners of the multiverse, their roles may be taken on by other beings but for Transformers they are it. And they do not always feel the need to be overtly recognized or worshiped.
The Thirteen are similar cases. Though not always Thirteen in number, the first creations of Primus have their hands at the beginning of the species in every dimension as well. Whether they are the precursors of the species or the templars who first guarded the species or those who fought in the first battle against Unicron - they exist.
Understand that while the Thirteen, Primus, Unicron and any other singularities exist - they can step up to a few higher dimensions, and yet there are limits. Assume that the entire Transformers Multiverse are a series of points in the 7th dimension, drawn to eachother through the 8th, and able to be crossed over via the 9th, they are not drawn to points out of this set. Streams crossing over with one another can very well happen, and is not uncommon, per se - but the points, for the main part, stay with themselves. The Singularities stay within their own points. If there is a Grand Plan behind it one can very well blame such, but otherwise...
...otherwise, the 10th dimension - the Omniverse - is only so much in their control.
FANDOM: Transformers
CHRONOLOGY: Post-Cybertron/Galaxy Force series with a few (canon) additions. LOOK, TIME IS NOT REALLY LINEAR FOR HIM.
CLASS: ...Neutral Good? Heroic-ish? I can't quite see him doing it for a living but he's definitely on the good side of things. And he'll lend his assistance to pretty much anyone who asks, so long as he knows that they're 'good' in turn or at least working towards the goals of such. Definitely not a Villain.
SUPERHERO NAME: Vector Prime
ALTER EGO: N/A, though he may pick up one at a later point. No clue what he'll find a job in; possibly something physics-related. He may not be exactly a scientist, but he does sort of normally work with spacetime on a daily basis. Or at least did. Working in an archive or library could work, too. It really depends on how things go, his first few days/week(s). Heck, he might find work in an antique store for all I know!
BACKGROUND:
Before time began, there were Primus and Unicron, two opposing gods - one of light, one of darkness. Creation and destruction. Opposites in nearly every aspect...and, as one could easily imagine, enemies. To assist him in the fight against Unicron, Primus created a crew of thirteen robotic beings that mimicked one of Unicron's most potent abilities; the ability to change from one form to another. He called these beings Transformers, and they would be the template for an entire species.
These Original Transformers were each given significant power, and a significant duty to match; the one named Vector Prime was charged with guarding spacetime. And when another of their number abandoned Primus and became the Fallen, assisting Unicron in his attempts to consume existence - he took up sword in defense of his creator and of the multiverse. The war devastated the ranks of the Originals, with some outright being destroyed and others abandoning their functions and becoming lost to time - but it ended in light's favor. The Fallen was banished to a dimensional prison with his master. And yet despite the devastation, despite his time of mourning for the others - it wasn't long before Vector Prime returned to his duty.
Time, in a sense, lost its meaning - or at least gained a different one to Vector than it does those who experience it in straightforward years. Especially so to him, one who navigated time and space and crossed dimensions as easily as others would cross streets. He was isolated except for his lone companion, Safeguard, a minicon he picked up during his steps to worlds. Safeguard became his closest of allies, friends, partners - while Vector Prime, for the most part, did not reveal himself to mortals and preferred to work unnoticed, there were times when he needed to work with such. Indeed, if things could be handled by them if only they were nudged in the right direction - he preferred to do so. They had so much potential, all of them, such strange creatures. Some even doubted their own beginnings! And yet...they were the reason why he continued, in a sense, to ensure that time continued to flow smoothly. Strange, wonderful creatures, all of them, even those not linked to Primus.
As for Unicron...well...one could not contain a God forever. The Chaos-Bringer traveled from dimension to dimension, consuming what he could, and Vector could only trail after him at times and try to contain the damage. At times mortals could handle him, showing proof positive of their power - with the assistance of the Matrix, a relic containing a fraction of Primus's essence, they were able to banish Unicron from their homes and consider themselves safe. But when it came down to it...
Again, one could not contain a God forever. This was shown so very clearly when a Singularity manifesting as a black hole caused by one of his 'destructions' threatened to now only destroy the universe, but affect the entire multiverse as well.
Vector Prime returned to Cybertron to assist the mortals in stopping it - they could not do it alone, and neither could he. The artifacts that would assist in destroying the black hole were scattered through mortal hands, and there was simply not enough time for him to search through time to find them - and it would take much of his power, part of which was contained with reducing his own effects on the dimension to a minimum. (One notes here that to use his power at any given time causes damage; while he as a general rule can contain that damage, sometimes it's more efficient to simply limit himself and thus reduce the damage/maintenance-required-to-repair.) He made contact with the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime; however, through trickery of the Decepticon Leader, Megatron, he lost the greatest aid he had brought with him to locate the artifacts - a map of the universe.
And yet they - with the assistance of some other minicons Vector Prime had picked up during his travels, and some human aid - made do.
In the midst of their search, Vector would travel to another dimension to confer with a close mortal ally on the search's progress. Alpha Trion was invaluable in offering advice and assistance, in addition to taking notes. However, during one such visit the Unicronians known as Ramjet and Nemesis Prime attacked, severely damaging Alpha Trion and all but destroying the pandimensional supercomputer Vector Sigma. They then went on to attempt to destroy Primus himself, who slept at the heart of (all) Cybertron(s), using a perverse reflection of what was used to cripple Unicron himself - the Dead Matrix. Only through the assistance of Sentinel Maximus, the combined powers of another Optimus Prime and his brother Ultra Magnus, and the unique mech known as Skyfall - actually a fragment of another Original, Nexus Prime, but that's a story in its own - were they able to stop them. (To say nothing of the assistance of Over-Run, a minicon who was assisting in keeping Vector Sigma intact). Nonetheless, the battle took a great toll upon Vector Prime, who learned news that confirmed his greatest fears;
The Unicron Singularity was having a larger effect than he first thought. Past, present, and future were unraveling. Timespace was thinning, and unless the he and the others were able to destroy the Singularity, then all of his efforts, through all of his long years, everything...existence itself could cease to exist. It had become so bad that he could no longer sense the future, or at least its presence. It was blocked to him, as if it was not even there in the first place.
Unable to maintain his form in both this and the dimension the search was going on in without allowing paradox, he collapsed back into the latter with renewed determination, even if he was still weak. (He didn't need to limit himself half as much; his power had been that drained.) Grimly, he helped the Autobots search for the Cyber Key artifacts and the Omega Lock, and they were finally able to revive Primus's consciousness within the planet Cybertron - though the God was not at his full power, he was able to advise them on the next step of their journey. (Following an unspoken rule, neither Vector nor Primus acknowledged the specifics of their link publicly. It was easier to work with mortals when they considered you at least somewhat close to their own level, rather than so many steps above it. Certainly, Vector had already introduced himself as a messenger from the edge of time, but to mention that he was also an Original would take time they didn't have to explain.)
Their continued search took them to another dimension to find the final Cyberkey, but the Decepticons were able to snatch it before they were - and then leave the Autobot stranded, unable to return to their home dimension until a year had passed. But by their calculations, they didn't have a year. And so Vector Prime made the decision to use his power to turn back time - and ultimately kill himself in the process to contain it. Though the Autobots and their allies argued, it was eventually realized that there was no other way. Vector Prime was prepared to give his life, and assured them that since he had existed outside of time for most of his life - he would always exist there. His spirit would always be with them.
He was not speaking metaphorically.
Depending on the nature of the multiverse singularity or in fact the dimension traveler, one can 'seed' themselves in multiple dimensions at once - whether by spending time in reverse/slow-time dimensions or other means. Vector Prime, as a being whose very nature requies him to understand spacetime to specifics that can cause insanity in lesser beings, not only did this on a daily basis but did so in a way that when he experienced death, the experiences and memories were kept with minimal data loss. In other terms - it is very, very hard to truly kill him. What is more common/likely is for the physical manifest for that dimension to be destroyed, whereas he in himself can still affect things - however great or slight.
This was how he was able to return 'in spirit' and encourage Optimus Prime to accomplish his tasks. This was how, when Megatron-turned-Galvatron was ready to kill Optimus, Vector was able to intervene and offer the greatest aid he could - the loan of Rhisling itself. This was also how when, all tasks completed and the Singularity contained - he was able to give Optimus a final smile of farewell.
(This was also how he was able to keep tabs on Galvatron in a post-death state. The Decepticon was most reluctant to return to the Allspark from which he was born.)
Mission complete, Vector Prime returned to...his standard distance from the species at large. Stopping one item from swallowing the (uni/multi)verse didn't keep others from threatening it. He had just as much if not more work to do...he turned his optics towards other dimension clusters, ensuring that all was well. The Malgus cluster briefly drew his consciousness in the form of dreams, giving him flashes of events...
...however. During an encounter with a timestorm - one of the many reasons he was happy to have a jet as an alternate mode, rather than anything else - he suddenly found himself wrenched through time unwillingly. To affect a being of his level of power, in a sense affecting him on his own turf, distracted or not - imagine the power required for that. Imagine his surprise at finding himself not only elsewhere and elsewhen, but in a different body (though one assumes said body is meant to adhere to the rules/expectations of the dimension) - and his power retarded.
Imagine how utterly disturbing this is.
If a God of some sort isn't behind this, he will be very, very surprised.
PERSONALITY:
First and foremost - Vector Prime is not old. He is ancient. He is from a time before time began, and it shows in his manner. He speaks slowly, using some words that have fallen out of use, and he is unfamiliar with much modern slang. While he has inserted himself into the timestream from time to time and has gotten somewhat 'up to date' - bear in mind that what is current in one dimension may be another's past. Or future.
This gives him a rather different mindset than most; to him, the manyworld theory is not theory. It is reality. And while he sticks to the specific part of the Multiverse that the Transformers exist in, he knows full well there are more out there. He knows that sometimes dimensions cross. He knows what happens when they cross, he knows what must be done to keep them from damaging eachother - or themselves. He knows that sometimes...you have to remove a reality to save the rest.
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. While he does everything in his power to save those few, sometimes they cannot be saved. But they can be mourned - and remembered, if only by him. Sometimes...reality is a bitch.
But for all of reality's dark parts, he is enchanted by the beings who exist in only one. He honestly loves life and its forms, and lets it remind him just why he keeps to his task - ultimately, the strange creatures are the reason he is so fierce in the fulfillment of his function. It is so that they will have worlds to exist in. If they never know his existence - he is perfectly fine with such, and in fact prefers it. Better they focus on their own lives, and have the opportunity to dream, than fret about whether or not he's able to defend them or not.
Now, sometimes, these beings can be...difficult. A prime example would be the Decepticons he fought against in the Cybertron/Galaxy Force series. They can be...greedy. Selfish. Wrathful. Full of vice. But at the same time, despite how much they may annoy him at times, despite how frustrated he may get with them - ultimately, it is their decision to act that way. They must reap their own consequences. Primus bestowed upon them - and him - free will, and their choices are their own to make. He cannot make them for them. They make war on their own terms, and though it is a pity that they fight amongst themselves...
At the same time, it is for this reason that he prefers to see the mortals accomplish whatever they can without his help, whether direct or indirect. If he believes that someone can do something on their own - he'll let them. He'll let them fall or succeed on their own. If they ask for his help he'll give his advice, and if they truly need assistance he will be there to give it - but he would much rather see them succeed or fail on their own terms. If he's there and it's something small and subtle he can do he'll probably do it, and if he's working with a group they have his sword in their defense, and yet...they have so much potential, so much power in their own selves - they can take on the Chaos Bringer himself and win. If that isn't impressive, then Vector Prime doesn't know what is. It is life at its best.
That said, as much as he honestly loves them - he feels separated from them. He is not one of them. He is more mortal than a God, true, but he is not as mortal as a true mortal. He can be killed - but he can also survive death. He feels this isolation acutely, and while he has made allies, he has made few true friends. One of the few would be Safeguard, his minicon-partner - and he no longer has Safeguard by his side. His presence will be sorely missed. He can't not miss him.
But he still persists. There are very, very few things that can make Vector Prime doubt himself; doubt only has so much use. What is more important is to pick yourself up after your failures, accept them, and continue forwards with the resolve not to make the same mistakes again. Indeed, on one occasion he actually literally punched some sense into another mech for letting his doubt and guilt cripple him. ("THAT'S IT, I'VE HEARD ENOUGH." *WHAM* *CUE SPEECH* yes he somehow made a robot bruise he's just that good) He'll tolerate brief moments of doubt, even in himself, but ultimately; one must overcome that doubt. If people need punches in the face to get over it, so be it. If they need tough love, so be it. If they need a less forceful response, he can work with that too. Whatever gets them back in the game.
As for himself, well, his game is relatively simple - to fulfill his function(s). To safeguard space and time. To raise sword in defense of Primus and Primus's creations. And finally...to thwart Unicron and his followers whenever possible. Whether this be direct combat, subverting their plans in a more subtle manner or through other means. Let it be said that with precious few exceptions, Unicronians are the beings that will strain Vector's temper to and past his limit. In a sense Vector Prime was created to fight them. And while he certainly has free will - much like the Fallen who joined Unicron rather than fight against him - it goes without saying that the Chaosbringer's methods are almost always the greater of two evils. And they are evils Vector Prime will not tolerate.
POWER:
RHISLING
A sword so sharp as to cut spacetime itself.
As the Guardian of Space and Time, one of Vector Prime's greatest tools is Rhisling; a sword that may as well be an extension of himself. There are stories of warriors who put part of their soul into their weapon, and, well, the same could be considered true for Vector. So strong is the connection between mech and blade that the latter followed the former even when he was taken out of a mech's form. Albeit in a somewhat different manner than he's used to.
Rhisling can be summoned to Vector's hand(s) at will, forming itself as a longsword with an elaborate hilt and etchings. It can be dismissed when he no longer wishes for its presence, or kept on his back, or side, all he has to do is in a sense tell it to remain/to disappear and it'll do so without the need for further thought/concentration until he needs to dismiss/summon it again.
The sword itself could be considered magical; it's certainly something supernatural, more than your average weapon. Its edges are incredibly sharp (though not able to cut through anything - it has limits), and the material itself that it's comprised of...well, suffice it to say, it's very, very hard to sunder it. And despite his own new form, despite Rhisling's own, Vector Prime knows the weapon intimately. He's an incredible swordsman, easily a master in his own style.
As one of his primary tools when it comes to his given function, Rhisling also serves as an aid; the City limits its power somewhat, but Vector Prime can still use it to cut portals in existence itself. To create bridges between two points in space. When Vector Prime steps through one end of the bridge, he also has to cut another hole to give him an exit point. This utilizes his timespace awareness to essentially go, "I am here; I want the spacebridge to go there." It goes without saying that he prefers to know that there's nothing in the way of that "there" so that he doesn't accidentally exit into a wall or other solid material; however, 99% of the time he'll have the chance to see where he's going, and be able to adjust the exit portal's location if necessary.
Not to say he can't let others use them. He can take someone/something with him through a spacebridge, once he's cut it, bring them with him through the other side. He can also cut a portal and throw someone through it - and hypothetically, he could do so without following or cutting another portal for them to exit. If he really wanted to, he could close the portal and therefore trap them in a that sort of 'between' dimension. But it is a brutal and vindictive way at getting rid of someone, and only with very, very few exceptions (Only canon one is Balancing Act, against a defeated Ramjet, but even then Ramjet is a peer in terms of power and would eventually find a way out), he'll give them a way out. The spacebridge travel is not one way only - you can step back the way you came, so it's possible to throw someone into one and leave the entrance as an exit...that said, the area of the spacebridge itself is somewhat difficult to navigate for those without the natural capability unless Vector is there to assist. Though you're sort of frozen in timespace there, physically, so if you're stuck you won't really need to eat/breathe, you won't age - you can move three dimensionally, but there's nothing special you need to survive the trip. Most likely this particular aspect will be used to punt someone through, and then him to follow, or him going through with the expectation that he's leading others through another. Or, alternatively, make two cuts at once - an entrance and an exit, please note this is quite a bit more straining than making one cut than the other - and send someone/something through it, using his own power to keep the portal open. The longer it's open, though, the more it strains him.
Vector can also 'throw' a portal - that is, cut the air, but the portal appearing so far away. Standard rules apply; it's just a different way of doing things with the same result. He's 'caught' someone this way before, sending them to...alright, we'll be fair. He pulled a set of coordinates he knew was safe on Earth but otherwise couldn't remember much about them. He was short on time, all right? The point is he saved them from being absorbed by the black hole that was the Unicron Singularity. And since they were so close to it he had to use additional power to keep from creating more damage - hence the collapse. Normally, he won't do that.
It is important to note that while Rhisling has been implicated as an extension of Vector Prime's will, here, a better way of saying that would be more that it's solidified spirit/essence/soul/ect. It is, in this way, directly linked to him. Its strength is dependent on his own; to use its power weakens him - he couldn't simply cut portal after portal after portal without a rest period. (Distance is no matter, as, from a higher dimension standard, three-dimensional distance means little to nothing). If the blade were somehow damaged - it's strong, not invulnerable - it would also damage him in turn, and damage him straight to the core. It would hurt, and he would feel it. At the same time, if he was weakened before a fight, Rhisling's strength would be weakened in turn. (A side effect of this is one can actually gauge his strength by looking at the manifested sword; if it's in pristine condition, likely as not he's feeling just fine. If it's a bit more dull and tarnished, or even has part of it cracked or broken...then he's in worse shape.)
Note that sword and mech/man are a set; the power cannot be used without both of them. If someone had Rhisling and Vector for whatever reason let them have it, they could not cut portals. Likewise, Vector without Rhisling in hand is powerless in this regard. This brings to mind a simple, if effective way of completely removing this power - neutralize his hands, whether it be through simple immobilization or actually removing them. With this in mind he could summon/dismiss Rhisling, but other than that, could not use its power as he'd be incapable of wielding it.
EDIT: Permission has been granted for Vector to manifest some of the energy that he channels in to Rhisling as the phenomenom known through the TF fanbase as 'Burning Justice'. Basically, it's an aesthetic - temporal energy radiating from Vector in what appears to be a fiery, blue-green aura. Other than that, it does nothing except maybe register to those sensitive to such energies - it does not burn, it does not sear reality, it does not affect the world around him. It is but part of the anime's Rule of Cool from which he sources.
TIMESPACE AWARENESS
An innate link to the spacetime continuum.
This is a single power with multiple applications. First and foremost being that Vector Prime is fully aware of where and when he is at a given time/location. This is actually more complicated than it sounds; Vector's mind/processor was designed to work in the most 'out there' places among spacetime, and to do this he needs to be able to sense his relative position in the continuum as easily as a normal person can sense up/down, left/right, ect. Considering many people can lose track of time on a daily basis...
Temporally speaking - timewise - his internal clock is set. He can count minutes, seconds, astroseconds, hours, days with nothing more than his own self. Consider it always running; he doesn't have to consciously think about it until the question of 'how much time has passed' has barely begun to form, and then, he knows. The delay between query and response is imperceptible enough to not even be there in the first place.
Now, to apply this to the world at large, he has to understand the lengths of major units of time; one place's second may be longer than another's, but he can still apply these to his sense of time. Once he understands how they're categorized, he'll know that he's been asleep from then to now, and thus for so many hours, so many seconds, so many astroseconds - ect. The only delay there comes from however groggy he is.
Another example would be involving him knocked out, then regaining consciousness so many hours later; once he got over the grogginess and disorientation, he'd be able to consider his internal clock and calculate how long.
(Please note that I don't mean a literal internal clock. While as a robot he actually did, in fact, have one, we're only using the metaphor here.)
Spatially speaking - spacewise - you might as well consider having his own personal GPS. He'll be able to tell his position relative to other positions he knows, but if he doesn't know where he is in the first place...let's go back to that knocked out example. He wakes up at a different place, blindfolded; he'll be able to tell he's so many miles east/west of where he was knocked out. Or where he lives. However, he won't know where that is if he's never been in the location before, seeing as he can't bloody well see with the blindfold. But if he wanted to know how far it was from point A to point B - he could calculate that relatively easily.
OOCly - it's not really a part of this power per se but it's definitely worth noting somewhere that to accomplish the above calculations, Vector has to pretty much be able to accomplish complex mathematical equations on the fly. In other terms - he's damn good at math and physics. He has to be, to calculate time, space, and even where exactly to open a portal with Rhisling.
Going back to this specific power...another somewhat more passive ability linked to it is a 'feel' for the continuum surrounding him. And its state. He can sense aberrations - the larger they are, the more he feels them - though, as it stands, there's not too much he can do about such. However, it will let him feel the difference between imPorts and Natives; the former make a different 'dent' if you will, due to their unnatural existence within the dimension. With enough focus, he can identify the subtle differences between 'dents', and liken similar ones to one another. (OOC permission required - basically, he'll be able to identify canonmates.) Assuming someone has spacetime related powers as well, he'll be able to sense the effect they have on the continuum - or even the source/user themselves. (Again, OOC permission required. Note I'm classing spacetime powers as ones that directly manipulate either time or space; teleporting counts. Flying doesn't. Time travel/manipulation counts. Moving really really fast doesn't. Speed force would count, but speed force does not exist here as far as I can tell.)
THREE-DIMENSIONAL MOVEMENT
Navigating in three dimensions is little trouble for one used to existing in nine.
As Vector Prime most commonly manifests as some sort of spacejet - that is, when in true robotic form - the ability to fly has carried over to his human form. But technically, thanks to the teleporter adjusting things? This isn't flight at all, so much as changing his relative position in three dimensions as easily as one steps forwards or back. This is simply adding up/down to the equation, ignoring gravity. He feels gravity, still, I suppose one could just claim he has the ability to...well, ignore it. He could walk on the ceiling, upside down, perfectly at ease.
It's also probably worth noting that he can create a sort of hover effect, moving just above the ground without moving his feet. When he does it at all, hover or not, he doesn't need to move his feet; he doesn't really have to move at all, other than being free to move in the first place. In other words, if he was immobilized, he couldn't simply lift himself. And all things considered, it's probably more efficient to simply cut a portal via Rhisling if he knows where he wants to go. But this ability rather comes in handy if he steps out of one of the spacebridge's portals that's a distance above the ground.
However. His speed up/down is the same as him moving forwards/back/left/right. He simply cannot keep up with most fliers, seeing as his stop speed is about the same as a run. While he could hypothetically continue upwards until he reaches atmosphere, it's going to take hell of a lot longer unless he can hitch a ride with someone, not to mention he's limited by this human body - thin air will have an adverse effect on him, to say the least, in addition to him not having the endurance. And while he could in fact relinquish his position in the air to let gravity take over and simply drop, slowing his fall takes effort. He can't simply come to a halt just before hitting the ground - he'd have to kill his speed slowly, and that would take effort as well, essentially 'running against' the inertia he'd already built up. Unless he wanted to hit with enough force to break a few somethings.
He can, however, do a sort of 'glide'; though it's more of a sliding down with gravity the main source of momentum. This could give him a greater speed than walking/running, and still more control than an outright plunge.
Suggested links; Multiverse, Multiversal singularity, Universal stream, Imagining the Tenth Dimension part 1, Imagining the Tenth Dimension part 2.
The multiverse is great and huge, and the section that the Transformers occupy is no less - arguably, a slice of infinity is just as large as infinity itself. They all share certain elements, however, and one of these are their Singularities. These are beings who are the same throughout universal stream to stream, and while they may change form and nature depending on the stream's nature and laws (few can truly break the rules, though the more powerful (Primus, Unicron) can bend them) - they are nonetheless the same at core. In some cases, this may simply be existing in all, simultaneously; for others, this may be moving from dimension to dimension. Note that depending on how one performs the latter, they can exist in more than one at 'once' - reverse and slow time dimensions come in to play, and is how many cheat death.
Some dimensions, however, don't even have Unicron or Primus, or at least do not have them in recognizable shape and form. As these are the two primary starting catalysts for most TF universes, one might ask if dimensions without them can truly be considered part of the TF multiverse. The answer is yes. Primus and Unicron may not be overtly there, but their presence is, however subtly or strongly - they have simply changed form. They are gods that personify strong, basic concepts - good and evil. Light and darkness. Creation and destruction. They cannot not exist. Certainly, in other corners of the multiverse, their roles may be taken on by other beings but for Transformers they are it. And they do not always feel the need to be overtly recognized or worshiped.
The Thirteen are similar cases. Though not always Thirteen in number, the first creations of Primus have their hands at the beginning of the species in every dimension as well. Whether they are the precursors of the species or the templars who first guarded the species or those who fought in the first battle against Unicron - they exist.
Understand that while the Thirteen, Primus, Unicron and any other singularities exist - they can step up to a few higher dimensions, and yet there are limits. Assume that the entire Transformers Multiverse are a series of points in the 7th dimension, drawn to eachother through the 8th, and able to be crossed over via the 9th, they are not drawn to points out of this set. Streams crossing over with one another can very well happen, and is not uncommon, per se - but the points, for the main part, stay with themselves. The Singularities stay within their own points. If there is a Grand Plan behind it one can very well blame such, but otherwise...
...otherwise, the 10th dimension - the Omniverse - is only so much in their control.