User blog:Spikewitwicky/February 24, 2019 - Spike's Journal Entry



I'm on a shuttle with Crosscut. We left Nebulos. Maybe or the last time. We donated about a dozen Lugnut -style drones, only less intelligent. They're capable of doing repairs, better than the best human-engineered architects (that hurt to say). But...we added a few conditions. If it appears that Zarak has allocated these drones to do anything other than repair buildings (e.g. start developing weaponry) - we have some failsafes to ensure they will eventually break down and become useless. It was only through the generosity of Grax that we were able to get Zarak to take the offer.

After this, I was supposed to go back into the shuttle, but I ended up ... thanks to a miscommunication - on several trips, blindfolded, stored in a cargo storage unit, and delivered to Gort and the resistance fighters. I talked to him for a bit. And I said "goodbye" to him.

The Decepticons haven't contacted Nebulos for almost a month. Any repeated engagements on our end will only poke the Decepticons to engage. The working theory is that Megatron saw through Zarak. He's as trecherous and ruthless as Megatron. And Megatron most likely (not definitively) thought that an alliance wasn't worth the headaches. Once one got what they wanted, they would immediately backstab the other.

Crosscut told me that Nebulos is now on our "maintenance" list. Meaning... we monitor...from a distance. We'll keep monitoring Decepticon communications. If they resume their outreach, so will we. If they attack them, we'll definitely respond. But if things are going the way they are...then we do not engage. The last thing we want is to bring a civil war to another planet.

This could go on for years, decades, even centuries. There are literally hundreds of planets the Autobots currently have on "maintenance" mode. So, as a result...I ended up saying 'goodbye' to Gort.

Crosscut said this is part of the diplomatic job. Yes, your job is to establish relationships, but oftentimes, it also means saying "goodbye" just as much as you say "hello." To be honest, I guess I never thought of that. I just assumed that for the vast majority of this job, you're in a constant state of relationship building.

If I am to be totally honest, it saddened me greatly to say 'goodbye' to Gort. I know I only met him a few times. And for the record, he could have been playing me. But I seriously don't remember ... maybe since Sci-Fi and Lifeline, striking up such a close friendship. I'm not the best at making friends with organics. I can be friendly enough, but inner-circle, I tend to keep that number small. I had hoped to work closely with Gort if the Decepticons did make a move on Nebulos, but given the choice, obviously, I'd rather have him live in a Decepticon-free world (The Hive is bad enough for them) than to have him as a good friend while the Decepticons reign their terror on Nebulos.