#human distribution system

[earthsparked]

Ough, the potential angst of an au where pre contact transformers find a human that was abducted as an exotic pet and has changed owners several times.

There’s a ton of great fics with that premise, yes! I’m sure folks can recommend their favorites in the comments!

[earthsparked]

Hihi!!! F.T here!!!

I'm glad your slowly coming back:DD

Anyways!!

I've started liking drift and ratchet to the point that "hey,I want those guys to be my parents" and that did make me think about something

Is it normal for some humans to get attached to a bot in a way that the human sees the bot as another parent? Aside from Optimus of course,he's already dad material

-F.T

Hey, friend! Nice to hear from you! 💕

Normal for us? Yes. Normal for them? No.

Content warning: talk of pregnancy

I’m relatively sure the human parent-child bond is incomprehensible to Cybertronians. Given the way they’re created, they don’t have any reason to have long-term, personal connections with their creations to the level humans do. They’re not completely helpless and dependent for years on their creator(s) the way humans are. They don’t have lifelong attachments to one another the way humans do, built on connection at the most fundamental level. They might be close, but not in the same way.

Which makes for a very interesting concept should a mech actually adopt a human. It would be very strange, I imagine, when they realize the bond you’ve developed with them is lifelong for you. You will always need them, long after you can care for yourself, because those bonds run deep and they bend or break only at great pain and suffering.

Not…all parental relationships are great, obviously. I said once the mechs would see a human losing such a powerful connection due to having to go no contact, becoming estranged, or due to a death, would be seen as akin to losing a limb and would be treated with the same level of concern for your health.

- But that’s me going by the concept of them emerging from the Well of Sparks, or coming out of a hotspot or the Allspark, and being put in a frame. They might be sparklings, inexperienced and naive, but they would not be helpless the way human infants are. Even among other mammals, humans are ridiculous. You can have a big brain and be more self-sufficient at birth, but with a skull that kills the parent and the baby; or you can make the kid be born small enough to not kill them both, but needing a very long time to develop after getting out in the world.

This had massive ramifications on the development of our society and species.

It would be very, very different for Cybertronians.

Some people like to imagine they reproduce in a method similar to gestation. Which would be an entirely different conversation from the one I’m having right now. That’s not really my thing, but more power to you if you do like it! Go forth and write mechpreg.

As usual, I make exceptions when it suits me. If I want to have the mechs get protective over humans because we remind them of sparklings, I’m gonna. Seekers nest and I will die on that hill. It is always correct to sacrifice canon and sensible worldbuilding for the sake of Making Fun Headcanons.

[earthsparked]

Hi, I'm new here, and I really like your writing!

I read Tagged recently and I can't stop thinking about it, I hope you don't mind me bringing it up since it was posted in September

Anyways I'm just imagining a scenario in which the human has to explain depersonalization to the mechs. That it can happen accidentally, and maybe what the human needs right now is just space, and the look that they're given isn't helping.

Just like. Cybertronians are huge compared to humans, and in a situation where the human is surrounded by mostly mechs (like in your coiterie stories) it would probably be pretty easy to feel less like a person, with the mechs either cooing at them or not even referring to them as people.

I just. The angst of it all. Aadhsgshdhd

(Sorry if this is a little incoherent, I'm new to the fandom as well so I probably am getting some terms wrong 😅)

I’m so glad you enjoyed! It is ALWAYS fine to bring up any posts of mine! And welcome to the fandom, I hope you enjoy your stay 💖

Yes, I think it absolutely would be easy to slip sideways into depersonalization. Especially considering some social and physical structures between our species would be so vastly different, in my view. And that’s not accounting for the mechs who would be slow to catch on to or respect you as a sapient being, their equal.

Concepts of privacy, autonomy, purpose, self-concept are all rather different between humans and Cybertronians in some ways, as I see it. Despite the many ways we are remarkably similar, there are also deep differences that could very well make it challenging to bridge that species gap.

That’s one reason why I say in the Coterie verse, there would be STRICT contracts heavily in the humans’ favor to protect them on Cybertronian ships, and one stipulation would be having more than one human on a ship at a time. Having other humans around would help with that enormously. There would be a clause for going it alone, like, say, if no other human is willing to sign on to the Lost Light because Megatron’s there…but you’d have to sign off on a waiver first, and they’d probably have extra support systems in place for you. The Coterie headquarters on Earth is only loosely organized and doesn’t put a lot of restrictions on members - but it does take humans’ well-being very seriously. It’s part of what makes having a coterie cohort on your ship so exclusive.

But back to that ficlet. In Tagged, your mechs are confused about your reluctance to be tracked, because (I headcanon that) being tracked is just a part of life for them. That technology is inherently part of their bodies. They can communicate with each other at all times. Their EM fields shed light on their feelings, like an actually accurate mood ring. Their understanding of public vs private is just not going to be 1:1 with humans’ understanding of it.

(For one thing, we wear clothes, and I don’t think they have a concept of nudity - although it’s interesting their human holoforms do wear clothes! But I feel like that was more related to translating personality to a human form, than following social mores.)

For humans, organics, having a tracker actually in your body would likely feel invasive, wrong, fundamentally. Even if it was for your own safety. Because it’s something other and specifically something that is being used by others in a way that you do not control. Making it very different from say, a prosthesis or an insulin pump.

I always refer back to Xenoethnography, the goatfic, and that story really underlines issues like this and informs my opinions on it.

All that said, I kept that story bit self-contained because I don’t particularly want to contaminate that Visitation ‘verse with something a bit uncomfortable. But I would like to explore that further at some point, because I’m not scared of discomfort - it would just involve some trigger warnings.

And, I have an entirely unconnected piece of writing I would like to do as well where you do end up tagged…but without your consent and without your knowledge, before first contact happens. It’s rather more horror focused for obvious reasons (at least from the reader’s perspective - it’s a bit of a comedy of errors from the mechs’ perspective). But I haven’t been in the right headspace to put it in words yet.

Thanks for the ask! 💕

[earthsparked]

I said here that the only way Cybertronians could keep humans as “pets” would be if the humans didn’t know they were considered “pets.”

Have you seen these bracelets you can buy that let you “adopt” a wild animal? They give you information about them and let you track their movements over time. Example:

That is the less disaster-filled option of Cybertronians having humans as “pets.”

You’re still on Earth. You live your life. You don’t even know a mech on Cybertron has a fancy magnetized chip they wear on their kibble that designates you as their “adopted human.” But they get to check in on you, follow your life updates, see cute photos taken from a safe, far distance. (There are so many cameras on Earth, it’s beyond simple for the program operators to hack in and keep an optic on you. It’s not any more of an invasion of privacy than is already inflicted on you by your own people…right?)

They get to see how many times you’ve gone to this one building that seems to be your favorite place and wonder what it is that draws you there (library? Cafe? Friend’s house?) They learn what your favorite route between home and work or school is, by how often you take it. It’s so interesting how you busily go about your routine. Maybe they even know something about your favorite colors based on what you wear most often. You get a small drone (a puppy) and they delight in seeing all the new places you go.

This millennia-old mechanical life-form who has never set foot on Earth and probably never will, worries when your tracker doesn’t move for a long time. Are you sick or hurt? They’re relieved when you start moving again.

They might not always understand the meaning behind the little updates that come in to your page, but it’s fascinating and oddly comforting to them, seeing a glimpse into the life of an organic being on a tiny, lush world so far away. They wonder what you’d think if you knew that there was someone out there keeping a distant watch over you - unable to interfere, unwilling to disrupt your little, complex life - but coming to care for you in their own way. Hoping for the best for you, across the stars.

[earthsparked]

Ratchet is very...

Dad(Ratchet) who said he didn't want the cat(human): >:(

Dad(Ratchet) and cat(human): *the cutest and closest cuddle imaginable*

If that makes sense

Ratchet cares so so so much Ratchet is very old, very tired, and has seen a lot of death Ratchet deals with this by putting up giant walls to fend off Feelings Ratchet's walls only come down when 1. Someone is injured or frightened and in dire need of his help, in which case he can be incredibly gentle and safely let that caring show under the guise of professionalism. or

2. Someone has managed to squirm their way past his hard outer shell in some form or fashion, likely through persistence, stubborn refusal to be put off by his grumpiness, and honest caring or at least, curiosity about him. His bullshit detector is the most finely tuned of nearly any mech. He can detect someone being fake, from a klick away. He will also push back on early attempts at being friends, including being a rude jerk and insulting your species.

If you try to take the enemies-to-friends route, you're gonna have a hard time, because he's OLD, he used to be a politician, he knows how to win an argument. He has little to no patience for nonsense and he can and will just ignore you and shut you down if he gets sick of your shit (or, worse, he feels threatened and at risk of developing any kind of actual emotion toward you that isn't "vague medic concern").

So: you are going to have to adopt Ratchet before he will adopt you. You are going to have to be the embodiment of the Human Distribution System. You have arrived and you're not leaving, and you need to make that his problem specifically.

Be honest, be stubborn, don't let his yelling scare you off, be kind, be curious, and maybe be a little pathetic in his general direction. (Given his views on organics, that last one is sadly very easy to achieve.) You will never be able to brute force your way through his medic-grade armor, but worming your way into the chinks in his walls by being a decent person and most importantly, refusing to leave, is going to add one (1) grumpy Autobot CMO to your inventory. Enjoy the snuggles when he picks you up to get you away from some dangerous spilled liquid in the medbay, and just doesn't put you down for a while. What, is he supposed to just let you run around in a dangerous environment like this? You could get hurt. Hmph.

...Then he's going to start teaching you how to be his assistant whether you want to learn or not, so I hope you don't mind being covered in various types of gunk and oil

[earthsparked]

No, you are SO RIGHT about 'the only way to have a human as a pet is to make sure they DONT KNOW,' but if I may suggest that, should a Cybertronian have a human as a pet and also Know that they are Sapient, the human needs to be able to Work. Not FORCED to work, but be ABLE to work. Similar to how dogs of Various Jobs need Work to actually get their energy out (Husky, Sheepdogs, etc).

Fun ideas aside, I do enjoy the cliche "alien thinks that humans are dumb and wants one as a pet," both the angsty and the fluffy. Being a human and knowing that your captor thinks of you as an animal? Fucked up... and yet, I kind of want more? Mostly because of [Insert Fucked Up Current World Events].

Anyways, just some Ramblings. Hope you're doing well! ✨✨✨✨

Oh anon, believe me, I know exactly what you mean about [insert it all here]. This particular trope is all about having someone else take care of you, even against your will, and that can be very comforting to some people. Especially in times of stress. Finding comfort in fiction is part of the point of fiction! I’m always here for it.

But yes! Humans as a working breed is a great concept. 😂 because it’s - you’re not getting a “pet,” you’re getting a partner.

The smart ones would figure out that they could realistically develop the kind of relationship they want with their chosen human(s) through respect and mutual trust. Aka…friendship? 🥰

[earthsparked]

Two things can be true at the same time

1. Exploring the concept of Cybertronians being unaware humans are sentient - or, the less scrupulous hiding it in order to make a profit - and adopting humans as “pets” is a very well-established trope, and has its place in fanfiction just the same as any other trope. It’s fun! People like it for a reason!

2. Humans would make the WORST PETS OF ALL TIME, EVER, FULL STOP.

Care requirements are horrible. Complicated. We evolved in harmony with an unutterably delicate and complex ecosystem, and removing us from it without immediately killing us requires three advanced degrees per mech, specialized equipment, and an entire team of scientists, medics, and engineers. If you don’t have the resources of a major xenological park to hand, including the deep pockets of shanix to pay for it all, you’ve already failed.

Behavior wise? Humans lose our shit in captivity. We use captivity as punishment for our species. You throw a human in a cage, and they know they’re in a cage, and it won’t matter what enrichment you provide. They will become unhinged. They will have one goal: to break out of the cage. They will be angry at you when they break out of the cage.

You are getting the hellish combination of an under-stimulated Border collie, an unpredictable chimpanzee, an isolated Seaworld orca missing their pod, with the spite of a recently shaved cat. When your “pet” human breaks out, when, not if, the mech “owner” will wake from recharge to find someone with tiny hands and advanced problem-solving abilities is now living in their walls. They are coming out only with the intention of committing acts of sabotage and violence that would make the DJD think “That’s a bit much.” They are going to kill you in your recharge.

Besides, humans don’t live long compared to mechs. It would be like mechs keeping a fruit fly as a pet, if the fruit fly had opposable thumbs, a shiv made out of scrap metal, and a personal vendetta against the mech for putting them in a cage.

“But humans are domesticated, they even domesticated themselves! They love to play and follow routines and respond to positive stimuli! They’re so cute when they sleep! They pack bond easily!”

That’s Unicron talking. Do not listen.

[earthsparked]

Cybertronians who show up on Earth in disguise, but humans are actually very sensitive to EM fields and we immediately clock them as aliens or SOMETHING, because ohmygod that truck is ALIVE.

You’re sitting behind the wheel of your car, playing some music, driving your usual route home when you feel a presence coming up behind you on the four-lane road. It’s almost like catching sight of something out of the corner of your eye, and you’re suddenly, absolutely sure there’s a person out there. Your eyes go wide and your heart is hammering, adrenaline punching you hard, terror gripping you that a person is out in the road, what if they get hit!

But when you turn your head to look, your frantic eyes don’t see any person, nor is there any contact with your vehicle, and when you screw up your courage there’s nothing in your rear view mirror.

The huge semi-truck pulls up alongside you, its shadow falling over you as it briefly passes between you and the slowly setting sun. And you don’t understand what you’re feeling, exactly. It’s almost like stepping into a room, and knowing someone is there with you before you even see them. In those cases, it’s because your senses picked up on tiny things. Not even consciously. Little noises of clothes shifting, perhaps a very subtle change in the air pressure.

You stare at the truck as it passes you, confused and wondering if you’re suffering from a health condition all of a sudden. What IS that? It’s not frightening exactly, just big. And deep. A mountain, a lake. But with the peaceful calm of a snowy winter’s night. No, you’re not afraid. There’s no danger here. You’d know if there was.

You’ll realize later that in the moment, the words “It’s just a truck” never crossed your mind.

The feeling seems to pull you forward, as if the truck is pulling you along in the draft of its passing. When your exit comes up, you turn off your music, tighten your hands on the wheel, and hit the gas. You stay on the road. Following that sensation with a need to know, a desire to meet it properly. You don’t know where they’re going, can’t explain what you’re feeling, but you’re going to find out.