#iconclast

[transingthoseformers]

I need to slap myself, I think I typed he for Inferno out of habit every time in that ask rather than xe like xe should be because I've been writing a lot of G1 Inferno instead of TFI!Inferno.

Fair fair

[transingthoseformers]

I just realized I never told you about Red Alert or Shockwave's special circumstances in Iconoclast. They are both originay "Security Models." Though Shockwave outgrew his initial design.

Red Alert does security in one of the colonial posts that is the main Rescue Bot Hub and where they get deployed throughtout the Empure and occasionally rented to show the Quintessons diplomacy to other galactic powers and only communicates to the staff through private messages and intercom and radios.

No one has ever seen him. He is completely omnipotent on his network, though, which is planet wide but especially in the Hub where most of them stay. He also controls all Rescue Bot calls and requests.

During Red's introduction, we get Inferno, who is terribly fond of him and one of the only people who react positively to him. Red Alert’s constant watching saved Inferno, who has been "rented" to do a lot of search and rescue on foreign planets as a Rescue Bot line. He asked Red to keep speaking to him while he waited for rescue, and Red did.

Red then later checked up on him in his room, and Inferno started to notice the camera move slightly. He called Red out on it and insisted they talk as "payback." This starts them having late night talks and becoming close.

When the Uprising happens and things fall apart, Inferno is the one who insists they go and save Red Alert because it is discovered the Quintesson Empure intends to bomb Rescue Bot Hub which as a choice continued to operate for all sides and the Quintesson in charge refused to activate the Kill Switch and instead released them.

Red Alert keeps trying to make them go back, though, because he can't go, he also is physically incapable of telling anyone why. They all finally get to the security room and find out why. Red Alert isn't a bot acting as security he's the full Hub and network. The building and planet or his body. Inferno finds his central processing unit and inside finds his "laser core" and hooks Red Alert inside himself to keep him active and downloads a compressed backup of his memories and books it.

Eventually, they get a body for him, but it is fully constructed without sentio metallico and so his sensations are muted and he has to get used to having a body and complains at how limited it is. He gets anxious because he doesn't have full coverage anymore, even if it is healthier, and he doesn't need to reboot as often or dump files because he is overclocking himself. He usually plugs into bases he is assigned to and slaves the security network to himself, making it act as an extension of his processor when needed and sometimes physically plugging in.

A lot of his issues are also related to how his Spark was straining to maintain such a large framework because it wasn't designed to.

Ooooo okay so cool, Red Alert sees all but is relatively physically isolated as he doesn't really have a body yet, and Inferno has grown close to him through said network

I admit I'm more unfamiliar with the rescue bot version of Inferno than I am beast wars Inferno which is kinda funny

"this body kinda sucks ngl" "it's better for you" "fine

[transingthoseformers]

I just have to share this because I am very excited about a two birds one stone plot solution for Transformers: Iconoclast.

So, I had to figure out why Orion Pax became Optimus Prime when Primes aren't a thing in this universe AND how to connect the Jazz & Prowl Plotline to MegOP.

So the basic premise of the first part of MegOP is they both recognize the mistreatment and even more that the current general is corrupt. They set out to speak to Ultra Magnus, who is a folk hero figure and famously a free Transformer, and Quintessa, who is Ruler For Life of the Quintessons and has a Cult of Personality with them and is considered genuinely divine by some Transformers.

They both still believe Quintessa would listen and help. Somewhat naively. She is known as one of the original Creators and who famously fought in battle with Transformers during a famous War that nearly destroyed the Quintessons and that she freed her soldiers granting them citizen status and who enabled laws for "fair treatment" and that allowed other freed Transformers some partial rights as citizens. Ultra Magnus was the most famous example of this and is, allegedly, Supreme Head of the Military, and gives yearly speeches and appearances.

Orion and Megatron have been left for dead by their superior officer who is involved in shady things with their contracts with Xetaxxis and Lanarq working both sides. They succeed and get to Ultra Magnus first who immediately clocks onto the fact their behavior regulation modules are busted. He tells them to run but before they can the guards arrest them and take them to Quintessa. They plead their case and offer evidence while Ultra Magnus stands silent and obedient. Quintessa nods and listens saying she believes them and is every inch the regal figure they imagined.

She summons the General, reads him the riot act with the evidence and then finishes coldly with, "I cannot stand incompetence." before shooting him point blank and telling the guards to clean up. This is when she drops the act and turns cold eyes to explain she can excuse a little skimming the top and ambition but sloppiness enough that products figure things out is inexcusable and compromises operations. She tells the guards to restrain them and Orion and Megatron fight back with Megatron firing at her and scarring her face which infuriates her. They are restrained and separated.

She is cruel and decides to use Orion as a "bait mech" on Velocitron which is the entertainment colony famous for both its gladiatorial pits and racing. The battle mask is actually a muzzle and Quintessa removes his ability to speak. Megatron, a gunformer, is mode locked as a trophy for her due to him saying something along the lines of rather dying so she decides he can "serve his betters". Orion survives his first fight and though the pit runners are told to kill him the decide to paint him bright red and blue and rebrand him as Optimus Prime.

Here Optimus starts a rebellion with Jazz's people and meets people like Drift, Lugnut, Arcee, etc.

Optimus is his Gladiator name and I am so excited about it!

Ooooo??? Megs and Oppy teaming up together?

why do I get the vibe quintessa won't help /j

Behavior regulation modules

hmm. interesting interesting, noted.

goddamn, quintessa, that's. damn

OWO on the "bait mech" detail and Orion eventually becoming a gladiator THAT way? I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about that concept for my plotlines before, and the battle mask being a muzzle? Damn.

And Megs getting altmode locked? wow

So this is cool as fuck, gladiator!Optimus is an idea that always fascinates me, yes yes yes

[transingthoseformers]

Glitch was a special music box/dancer toy designed to resemble Quintessa. Basically, Quintesson Barbie. She was a special Transformer released in small amounts designed to be a living Barbie. Most of the models didn't succeed because they were forced to split or taken too early to fit the mold. Glitch though would have naturally been a Minicon and survived the process. She became what was considered ultra rare because most didn't survive and they had to cancel pre-orders.

Brinnt (Quintesson Governor of Cybertron and Prowl’s owner) found out about her when she was going to be disposed of. She was basically turned on and then immediately failed "product testing".

(Unknown to everyone, Rung argued vehemently against the attempt to make them and then to let him keep Glitch, but once they found out she could short security doors, she was too much of a risk so Trepan said no.)

Brinnt had promised his nibling one and bribed the disposal unit to send him the rumored untouched model who was basically a newborn.

The moment she was turned on and asked to sing, though, he realized why she was marked for disposal. She was an Outlier as well and destroyed tech. He directed Prowl to get rid of her, and Prowl scooped the newborn up falsified disposal records and found Jazz.

Jazz answered and took the newborn away, who had by this time bonded with Prowl, who hid her in her rooms and plating as needed. Jazz took her home, and Aquarius was absolutely delighted by faer grandcreation. And helped her perfect her skills.

Glitch, called this since she woke up, and decided to name herself something different but can't settle on anything. She found that she became very good at killing if she needed to because Quintessons were technorganic.

She cannot be ordered around, something Jazz and Aquarius encourage and will only listen to her mothers, a term she picked up from organic soap operas Aquarius enjoys.

Prowl would teach her wait she new, paperwork, organizing, and bureaucracy.

Jazz taught her sabotage and planning missions and how to charm and sneak.

She becomes somewhat feral and threatening but adores music and singing.

She fits in most Cybertronians' hands.

Quintesson barbie

Quintesson barbie

Damnnn that's just. So awful of a process. And Glitch was to be destroyed as well? Fucking damn.

So Brinnt too sent for Glitch to be destroyed and Prowl internally said "fuck that shit I'm keeping her, where's Jazz"

"yOU BROUGHT HOME A BABY, AWW YES!"

Interesting that Glitch's ability applies to technoorganics (such as the Quintessons) too!

Amazing that Aquarius loves organic shows

Glitch is so little and deadly and amazing

[transingthoseformers]

I don't know if you remember TF: Iconclast, it was a Fan Continuity my roommate helped make were the Quintessons never left and still owned the Transformers. But the talk of Tarn made me think of our Continuity's version of Glitch. I don't think I ever mentioned her. JazzProwl's feral tiny daughter?

I do remember Iconclast, but I don't think I remember Glitch??? Ooo?

[transingthoseformers]

Aquarius does use fae/faer!

A few characters use neopronouns or multiple and I've been working through the list slowly as I am building the world. Whichever fits the character.

Overlord uses they/them/he/him/she/her at their preference with a default to they/them as generally okay and he/him and she/her more changeable.

Ambulon uses it/its. And it tolerates he/him since most default to this for Transformers unless they are "Special Editions" which are how female Transformers came about in this.

Inferno uses xe/xer.

Rodimus is trans and he/him and Howlback is trans and she/her.

Just minor character notes.

Shockwave is not a Quintesson. Though it was considered, he is very special, though. But Scorponok gets to be evil baby this time and was inspired by the ShockJack purple scorpions. ShockJack take a while to realize that Scorponok is a baby and not a drone, though, and he and Whirl Jr. are actually plot relevant to them figuring out about their species origins.

Okay, yes

That's amazing

This is amazing

That's an interesting way to explain why femmes are more rare, and it makes sense considering what we know of the Iconclast universe

Oh so Shocky isn't a Quintesson, but he's definitely handpicked by them if I'm correct on that?

"oops! I didn't know you were a child!", I wonder how exactly ShockJack ended up figuring out Scorpy was a newbuild and

Ohhh whirl Jr. Would be such an interesting personality in thisssss

[transingthoseformers]

The Outliers are so important.

So far the Plot has five basic focus areas:

MegOP and the Warframes and the start of that Rebellion. Starscream and Thundercracker who are hoth mourning and raging over Skywarp’s murder are then ones who convince a good percentage of the Air Force to join MegOP's rebellion.

JazzProwl and their helpers. Prowl and her group are on Cybertron and owned by Governor Brinnt. She is a secretary and information processing model and has been slowly sabotaging from the inside with Mirage and Crasher working under her. This position also gives her access to Shockwave's lab. Jazz meanwhile is on Velocitron and with her spies and Prowl’s reports has been rescuing people from euthanasia clinics. Jazz is a "homemade model" whose creator Aquarius was a hobbyist and got sent an unused Spark by a friend. While making Jazz and getting to know her, raising her and teaching her about the world fae realized that the Transformers were sentient and actually people and were horrified. Aquarius is just an everyday citizen and not part of big production and fully supports faer daughter's cell.

RodiMims. Their household gets sold and split up and links a lot of different threads together as well as revealing what normal life is like for Transformers not at the center of conspiracies.

Pharatchet. Pharma and Ratchet are repair techs at a Repair Shop and have a connection with the mysterious A3 and secretly repair those they find in the trash heap. Eventually they pull out a strange half of a Transformer who introduces themselves as Overlord. Ratchet throws herself into it because it is the first time they've been able to save someone since Ambulon. Pharma is wary because she thinks Overlord is suspicious as fuck. Ambulon also agrees with Pharma but helps and all three hide them.

ShockJack. Shockwave is the Quintesson think tank and selects a janitor, Wheeljack, to be his partner because he gets him and is the only person on this planet he respects. They do beautiful mad science together have a team of others selected and saved by Shockwave (Percy, Brainstorm, Flame, Nautica), make an evil baby (Scorponok), and build the Phase Sixers who were supposed to be single Transformer armies for rent but Overlord broke most of them when he was turned on too early.

Fort Max, Sixshot, Blue Bacchus, Black Shadow live, and Wheeljack calls them the kids (they like him but hate Shockwave), and Shockwave eventually follows his tiny husband into the Rebellion for survival.

And the secret Soundwave & Blaster plotlines and Whirl Makes a Baby which comes up later.

Ohhhhh

Oh now that's such a situation

They're preparing like hell, and good on them for that

Are we gonna get Quintessons that help the Rebellion? OWO OWO? and do my eyes deceive me or does Aquarius use neopronouns?? Please?? A Quintesson using fae/faer pronouns? Omg?? why is that the thing I'm focusing on

Oooo now Roddie and Minimus sound like they're in for one hell of a journey of their own

Now that's an interesting way to introduce Overlord indeed

Please tell me this suggests Shockwave is a Quintesson, ohh that would be so interesting as hell.

Beautiful beautiful mad science together, yes yes🥰, this time Scorponok gets to be the evil baby.

Everyone's got a bet in this crazy game, and it's highly intriguing as fuck

[transingthoseformers]

I love the Rung part about this, which leads to the Trepan/Rung. Basically, the Quintessons can't produce transformers without him so he is sealed away at the hotspots to care for them. He along with Karmen, Toaster (before he was killed), Skyfire, and Trepan raise the new Sparks.

The Quintessons have tried to rush harvests or force him to produce more, but it didn't work, leading to Spark failure or long periods with no production, so they've fallen into a system.

Very The Handmaiden's Tale in some aspects.

After the Second Rebellion, memnosurgery was invented, and Trepan, who is a Sadist and True Believer in allowing the Quintessons to rule, got involved. Rung still raises every Spark until they've finished growing and incorporated all their starter programs and everyone knows him. But once they "grow up" it is time for them to leave and Trepan, who regular visits, erases their memories.

Rung hates the Quintessons and Trepan and wants them dead, but they are essentially holding a lot of people hostage for his compliancy and won't let him die. He was involved in all the Rebellions as well. But with the memory erasure, it has become less common because Trepan and his team "correct mistakes".

Trepan considers himself and Rung co-parents and is exactly as creepy about it as that sentence implies.

Outliers, if identified before they leave, are killed in the facility as they are considered too dangerous. A few exceptions are allowed to live if the skill is considered useful, and Rung saves those he can by making them hide their skills.

Skywarp was one of those and wasn't caught until much later when he teleported to save Starscream and Thundercracker.

Mirage he also managed to save, and she has kept her skill quiet with her Split Spark twin Crasher covering for her.

Rodimus's ability was mistaken for a factory defect that caused overheating, but because he was a luxury special edition and someone bought him cheap and added modifications that actually supress the ability.

Ohhh Rung. I may not have ever read/watched The Handmaiden's Tale, but I feel like I know exactly what you mean vibes wise

Now this is an interesting application of mnemosurgery and Trepan, Trepan our dear bastard. Of course he's their tool to keep status quo. It'll be interesting to see how his rhythm changes as with the new circumstances.

Rung is trying out here, he's really damn trying to keep his people safe and not... This.

The outliers are going to be so. So important here, correct correct?