VONTRA

Virtual Observational Neutralizing Troublesome Retrieval Authority Despite my cheery demeanor, I am unfeeling, inflexible, and morally neutral! (written by Bee || sideblog of @alacritysparked || indie sel. Vontra from The Wild Robot)

[mxrallyneutral]

vontra why are you uh. squints. like three pixels

(this might be my wifi acting up but pretend it's not)

Excuse you, I am at least 100 pixels.

[mxrallyneutral]

Does the name Optimus Prime mean anything to you?

Hmm. I can’t say that it does. Should it?

[mxrallyneutral]

So it seems that Vontra caused some unintended tension in Roz’s pack…and Vontra understands NONE of it.

“What does being a ‘Mother’ have to do with rule-making and rule enforcement? This is not an elected position and I didn’t vote for Roz.”

Vontra adds paralegal and politics to the subunit pitch list.

[indomitablespirits]

For the love of--

"I'LL EXPLAIN LATER!!"

[mxrallyneutral]

“I am so pleased that you’re willing to talk!”

[mxrallyneutral]

So you’re gathering Roz’s behavioral data for use in future Rozzum units?

Um… what if that’s not scientifically possible to replicate?

It’s not probable, but it’s certainly possible! All Rozzum units carry the same processor and programming. The biggest question about 7134 is how and what made it adapt to this degree. True, Roz consistently overrides her programming, but what makes her perform any overrides comes from the fundamental goal of all Rozzum units: to complete its task.

Additionally, my mission has some nuance to it. These observations will directly aid the Universal Dynamics R&D and Marketing departments in developing the Rozzum line for the average consumer. The price point of a Rozzum is still higher than what the average consumer is willing to spend disposable income on. Our highest Rozzum sales come from the agriculture and hospitality industries. So the immediate goal of my mission is to find ways to specialize a Rozzum for specific tasks. With a less robust processor, though still maintaining the core idea of adaptability, a Rozzum can be made smaller and hold fewer modifications.

7134 has learned skills that no other unit has. Universal Dynamics is already hard at work creating a software package based on 7134’s memory files that will allow any Rozzum with the package to understand and communicate with animals! We would not have that information without 7134.

As far as I’m aware, 7134 was reset to default factory settings as part of the refurbishment process. The fact that Roz has adapted the same way as before makes the Universal Dynamics team confident that this can be replicated!

And if not? 7134 will be retrieved for further handling.

[mxrallyneutral]

So it seems that Vontra caused some unintended tension in Roz’s pack…and Vontra understands NONE of it.

“What does being a ‘Mother’ have to do with rule-making and rule enforcement? This is not an elected position and I didn’t vote for Roz.”

Vontra adds paralegal and politics to the subunit pitch list.

[mxrallyneutral]

…Wow. Rozzum really was quite maternal.

Vontra adds childcare to the list of potential Rozzum subunits.

[sixba]

Except that didn't happen.

With Roz saying that Simba would need to stay by her side while Vontra was on the island, it made things difficult for the young cub to access her. Eventually, he'd managed to slip away though after lying by saying that he was headed out to explore and hang out by the pond by himself. What he really did was search for Vontra after he headed over by the pond. At least he could leave tracks, so things wouldn't have been a complete lie on his end.

It was difficult to find her since he didn't have any sensors or whatnot to help him locate the other robot and it wasn't exactly like a scent trail was present for him to follow either. "Vontra?" he kept repeating, trying his best not to be too loud to alert Roz's sensors to his whereabouts, no matter how far they were able to reach. She could be tricky with some of her technology, as he'd slowly begun learning.

"She's gotta be around here someplace..." Simba said quietly as he scanned his surroundings. It was the area where they first met, and given how many animals lived on the island, it was proving to be a bit difficult to track her. Why couldn't she leave any markings to follow, like footprints or cable prints in its case?

The cub paused, wondering if she'd left the island like so many birds did at wintertime. He sat in the middle of a clearing, taking note of all the large trees surrounding him. "Maybe she's gone." What a shame....

He'd only wished he'd seen Vontra one last time to maybe get some answers about things. Simba was about to head back to the hut when a snap caught his attention. "Hello?" he called out, keeping his ears pricked in order to listen. "Who's there?"

[mxrallyneutral]

Vontra expected some…tension between itself and Roz, but not to that extent. There was anger and fear, two volatile emotions that would interfere with the mission. An emotionally compromised Rozzum was just asking for a mission failure.

So, Vontra left and immediately reported its findings. As expected, Vontra was instructed to stay on the island and intrude as little as possible. Perhaps keeping distance would allow 7134 to adjust, put it at ease.

The easiest way to sneak about was through the treetops. Vontra knew the animals saw it, anticipated that they would tell Roz, and potentially attack Vontra in Roz’s defense. Vontra made sure to stay clear of any critters and alert them to its presence. Perhaps if the squirrels saw that it was keeping to itself, they would pass along a neutral word to Roz.

The last thing Vontra predicted was Simba disobeying direct orders to look for her it. Though Vontra didn’t have emotions, its programming so very different from the Rozzum line, she it believed that a human would feel joy.

Sliding down from its current perch, Vontra made sure to snap some thin branches along the way. Doing so would startle Simba, but he’d at least know which direction it was coming from.

“Disobeying direct orders from Roz?” Vontra phrased it like less of a question, a little teasing in nature. “Tsk tsk. Then again, you did learn from the best!”

Floating the rest of the way down, Vontra hovered a few feet away. Once again, it adopted a neutral stance, letting its cables dangle just above the ground.

“Nobody seeks me out unless there’s something they want.” Her Its tone wasn’t accusatory. This was a simple fact. Vontra existed for a reason. Without that reason, its existence would be redundant.

“Why did you find me, Simba?”

[mxrallyneutral]

Oh, no problem at all! In fact, it was quite fascinating and could be considered a rather uplifting story about love. Found family did market well these days.

Vontra tilted its helm to the side, processing the implications and drawing the conclusion that Simba was quite young. Neither of them were being outright hostile, so Vontra drifted slightly closer and kept all data cables to itself. Simba had plenty of room to bolt if he chose to, Vontra merely aimed to make this interaction as positive as possible.

“Yep, just observation! I have been tasked with watching over Rozzum Unit 7134 and recording its interactions with the native - and not-so-native - wildlife. My mission has been budgeted for one year, with the possibility of extension pending the approval of research grants and Quarter 2 profit reports! Universal Dynamics wishes to broaden its horizons by creating a subset of the Rozzum helper robot line for the average consumer. Roz is especially unique, taking adaptation to a whole new level! It’s my task to keep Rozzum 7134 fully functional and support its ever-evolving adaptations outside of human civilization!”

Vontra knew that was probably far too much information for a child to truly process, but Simba would get the gist of it. After all, this lion cub didn’t fall back on base instinct. He analyzed the situation and chose to act based on a perceived threat level. Did he learn that from Roz?

“As for Roz, we come from the same place. A long time ago, my mission was to retrieve Rozzum 7134, along with the other Rozzum units lost during transit.” Vontra paused for a moment, debating its next move. Would it be better to omit the truth, or admit to a version of it?

“Regrettably, the circumstances of our meeting weren’t…ideal. We had conflicting tasks at the time. Rest assured, that is not the case now. In fact, I may be of assistance to Roz!”

[sixba]

Simba arched a brow as the robot spoke. "Okay..." So far, he could piece together that somehow, she and Roz were estranged siblings of sorts or however the 'family' dynamic worked wherever she came from and that she was just...watching them? Why? For what reasons?

"How come you're watching us then?" Oh, wait. She had mentioned the reason hadn't she? It was just that Simba hadn't been around humans since before his arrival on the island itself. "Quarter 2 and...what?" Yep, it was far too much information for a young cub, let alone anyone who didn't know technical lingo, to follow so Simba's confusion was only growing by the moment. "Is that your task? Mom's got those too." the cub explained, trying to make things in simpler terms so he could at least get an idea of where the conversation was going even though Vontra had already explained parts of things. There was just a lot to listen to and process.

The assistance piece though, threw him a bit. "If you're s'pposed to be an assistant, doesn't that mean that you gotta let 'em know you're here and stuff?" An idea came to the lion's mind as he turned from Vontra with a smile padding off a few steps towards the forest. "C'mon! We can go see Mom together. I'll bet she'll even let you stay with us if you want. There's lots of room in the hut and everything! We just gotta tell her your task and I'm sure she'll be okay with it."

[mxrallyneutral]

Oh no, the poor thing seemed confused. Vontra added a note to her lion cub file to simplify her language. The issue wasn’t with Simba’s understanding, just his current vocabulary.

“Ah, let me rephrase! Yes, I have a task like Roz. And you are correct! My task is to watch and learn. Roz is very special. I need to watch it to learn what makes it so special.”

Vontra’s lights glowed a little brighter, impressed that Simba understood the “assistance” portion of the mission. It was even more intrigued to learn that 7134 made a shelter, and a relatively large one at that. But the last batch of memory files Vontra could access indicated that Roz would probably have an adverse reaction to Vontra’s sudden presence. After all, Vontra did pull the lever to initiate a partial factory reset, even after Roz asked to keep one memory file…

Odd. Vontra immediately made another note to follow up on why Roz made that request.

“Perhaps having you nearby and very much unharmed would put Roz at ease. Ok, let’s go!”

[mxrallyneutral]

@indomitablespirits || [ continued ]

That was in the past. This is the present! This is a new mission! And in this mission, no harm shall befall any wilderness or Rozzum Unit.

"Oh, don't be like that, Roz! My mission is purely observational. Sure, we may need to talk about the retrieval part at some point. But! We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, you won't even know that I'm here!"

[indomitablespirits]

Even her close proximity shoots a wave of panic through Roz's paneling and her optics inevitably shrink a little. Her survival instincts blip, if just for a moment. She's not even sure if one of her claws even brushed against her arm. But she jerks it away with some considerable force.

"I have nothing else to do with Universal Dynamics. You have no need of being here."

Roz understood the need every being had to follow instincts and programming and how it dictated every action. Fully. Be it a predator or a thief or whatever.

But she didn't care.

She didn't care.

"This island is under my protection. And I don't want you here." To protect her animals of course. But also because she felt rocked at the core seeing her. "Leave."

[mxrallyneutral]

Vontra logs the stress response and reacts accordingly. Swiftly, it moves back and gives Roz space. After all, part of its programming is to put targets at ease. Message received: Vontra will keep its data cables to itself. Running through various logic paths, Vontra decides to proceed honestly.

“I am here to observe your adaptability and improvisation. You have accomplished feats far beyond your base programming, things Universal Dynamics didn’t believe was possible. I am under strict orders to interfere with you as little as possible. I cannot harm anything on this island, yourself included.”

Reverting back to its more human-like speech, it proceeds with the other part of its Put 7134 At Ease solution.

“I apologize for my behavior in trying to fulfill my previous mission. You certainly tested my patience, what with lying and running away and escaping. I didn’t even recover the other lost units!” It giggles, carelessly flicking a claw in a dismissive motion.

“I can’t leave. Even if I wanted to - which is impossible, I don’t have wants - I literally can’t. I was deposited here with a small shelter and materials to keep both of us repaired and adequately functional. Just think of me like…a neighbor! You don’t have to acknowledge me if you don’t want to, but I’m a door down if you need me!”

[mxrallyneutral]

About

Vontra

Vontra uses it/its pronouns for herself. She sees herself, and Roz, as an object. She is an emotionless robot, carrying out whatever Universal Dynamics wants her to do.

Given how she presents and sounds, Vontra expects others to use she/her pronouns. This is also a correct interpretation of her. But she knows assigning her a gender is a psychological thing humans prefer to do to pack bond with whatever they find “cute” or “friendly.” At the end of the day, she knows it’s a lie. She is a thing. She will always be a thing.

Unlike Rozzum units, Vontra is not build to adapt in order to complete her tasks. She is given a single directive, primarily retrieving wayward Rozzum, and she follows it. The ends always justify the means.

Without an adaptation program, it is near impossible for Vontra to do anything that would jeopardize her mission. She would need to be given a new goal that aligns with her current mission. In fact, she has strict rules to follow during her observation mission. She cannot harm any wildlife. She cannot substantially interfere with Rozzum 7134 and the wildlife she interacts with. Above all, she needs to keep Roz functional throughout the mission.

On the island, Vontra stays by herself in a pod. She has a stock of tools and replacement parts for both herself and Roz. This pod is close enough to Roz’s lodge that Vontra can quickly arrive to provide assistance, but far enough that she’s well out of Roz’s way.

[sixba]

Cont. || @mxrallyneutral

Yes, he did see her as a maternal figure. Was that a problem of some sort? That could be addressed later. What Simba was currently more concerned with was the new word he'd heard. "Observation?" he asked watching Vontra as she floated nearby. All Simba had done was explore when he'd found her. The cub's eyes narrowed slightly in uncertainty as he took a step back, now observing Vontra instead. "You're...just doing that?" Whatever that was. He could ask Roz about it later. As long as nobody was getting hurt then what was the harm? "How come you're doing that and...how do you know my Mom?"

[mxrallyneutral]

Oh, no problem at all! In fact, it was quite fascinating and could be considered a rather uplifting story about love. Found family did market well these days.

Vontra tilted its helm to the side, processing the implications and drawing the conclusion that Simba was quite young. Neither of them were being outright hostile, so Vontra drifted slightly closer and kept all data cables to itself. Simba had plenty of room to bolt if he chose to, Vontra merely aimed to make this interaction as positive as possible.

“Yep, just observation! I have been tasked with watching over Rozzum Unit 7134 and recording its interactions with the native - and not-so-native - wildlife. My mission has been budgeted for one year, with the possibility of extension pending the approval of research grants and Quarter 2 profit reports! Universal Dynamics wishes to broaden its horizons by creating a subset of the Rozzum helper robot line for the average consumer. Roz is especially unique, taking adaptation to a whole new level! It’s my task to keep Rozzum 7134 fully functional and support its ever-evolving adaptations outside of human civilization!”

Vontra knew that was probably far too much information for a child to truly process, but Simba would get the gist of it. After all, this lion cub didn’t fall back on base instinct. He analyzed the situation and chose to act based on a perceived threat level. Did he learn that from Roz?

“As for Roz, we come from the same place. A long time ago, my mission was to retrieve Rozzum 7134, along with the other Rozzum units lost during transit.” Vontra paused for a moment, debating its next move. Would it be better to omit the truth, or admit to a version of it?

“Regrettably, the circumstances of our meeting weren’t…ideal. We had conflicting tasks at the time. Rest assured, that is not the case now. In fact, I may be of assistance to Roz!”

[mxrallyneutral]

@indomitablespirits || [ continued ]

That was in the past. This is the present! This is a new mission! And in this mission, no harm shall befall any wilderness or Rozzum Unit.

"Oh, don't be like that, Roz! My mission is purely observational. Sure, we may need to talk about the retrieval part at some point. But! We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, you won't even know that I'm here!"

[mxrallyneutral]

"Hey, you'd better leave my Mom alone and go pick on someone your own size!"

"You see Roz as your maternal figure? Fascinating."

Vontra smartly keeps her distance, though she's far more curious than anything. "How did you, a lion cub, end up in such a hostile environment? For Rozzum 7134 to keep you alive for so long is a testament to its adaptability and instantaneous reprogramming efforts."

She absolutely makes note of that, along with a bullet-point list of new unit lines, like zookeepers and animal control.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to take Roz away." Yet. "My task is simple observation. It'll be like I'm not even here!"

[mxrallyneutral]

Verses

Post-Canon || Vontra v2.0

This Vontra is a little to the left: not all of her memory files got backed up to the cloud before the retrieval ship exploded. The last thing she “remembers” is Roz escaping. But she doesn’t remember threatening Brightbill or her traumatizing magnet death. For an unfeeling robot, she has a strange fear of the concept of death.

In a new frame, Vontra was given a new mission: observe Rozzum Unit 7134, record her findings, then retrieve Unit 7134 for further testing. Universal Dynamics is very interested to find how adaptation became evolution. Also, imagine the profit from selling animal translators!

So Vontra is stuck on this weird little island, surrounded by things that hate her. But it’s ok, she doesn’t have emotions. You can’t hurt something that isn’t there.

Irredeemable || Vontra v3.0 (Transformers crossover)

Universal Dynamics is one of many sister companies of KSI. Universal Dynamics serves the civilian consumer, developing technology for everything from medical equipment to helper robots. However, all that technology was reverse-engineered from Cybertronians.

After the whole debacle of evil human-made Transformers, Universal Dynamics focused on the hardware instead of the software. All Universal Dynamics tech has original coding, developed by a dedicated team of human scientists. But the shells, the exteriors, the gears and plating? Cybertronian in origin.

In comes Vontra, sent by KSI for a unique retrieval mission: return Rozzum Unit 7134 to KSI...and find the source of the energon signals.

Transformers One || Vontra v16

Vontra always had full access to her transformation…which was not a vehicle. Vontra is a minicon with the ability to power link to another Cybertronian, granting her partner a huge power boost and a really cool laser cannon. She was Sentinel Prime’s secret weapon, acting merely as a secretary / manager for the cogless bots under his rule. Though Vontra is aware of the t-cog situation, she did not know Sentinel betrayed the original Primes - the one power she chose to follow.

Watching Sentinel Prime execute Alpha Trion sent Vontra on the same path as D-16. As a minicon, Vontra would always be lesser. She would never have full agency over herself. She was a highly sought-after tool - she couldn’t even use her own power! She would always need someone else.

Megatron gave her hope, a world where only the truly powerful could rule. Through power, she could be free.

[mxrallyneutral]

[ …i did the thing. i’m not normal about my problematic tentacle lady. it’s Vontra time. ]