"When you say that you don't choose to destroy, do you mean that you must obey the orders you're given because of the consequences for disobedience, or that you literally can't resist the orders?" Soundwave muses. "Those are two different problems. I've experienced the first one often enough, but my spouse has experienced the second one. In our species, the second one is easier to fix; it's code, which can be deleted or disabled. Fixing the first one involves fixing a society. And...yes. I do just want to make things better. For everyone. Wait a moment..."
Soundwave uses the mass-displacer on himself, because it's difficult talking to someone who doesn't come up to your knee in a public place; you have to raise your voice, and you attract too much attention. He's not as good at shrinking himself as Megatron is, but he can get himself down to about ten feet, a little more than a third of his natural height, and then he's small enough to sit down on the ground so they can more-or-less face each other.
"There," he says, "that'll be easier. I want to make society better for everyone because it's the right thing to do, but also because any time one group of people is allowed to be miserable, the misery spreads. People who can't get the fuel and coolant and shelter they need will riot, and they have the right to do that. People who are allowed to remain in states of unhealth breed and spread disease. People who aren't educated make bad decisions that harm their environment and the other people who live there. The only way to solve these problems is universal free education, health care, and the assurance of a living wage and shelter for all. Does that...does that make sense?"
Zack's final question, though, almost knocks Soundwave over.
"I think you're sapient. There are no good tests for sapience, because all of them are biased against the poorly educated and people from minority cultures. My conjunx is a brilliant poet and philosopher and she once failed a sapience test, partly because she was poorly educated and partially because she was forced to take it by someone who was cruel to her and maintained her in a state of constant stress." His cheeks darken briefly.
"I could give you the Ambus test but it's scrapwaste. Instead...I prefer to assume sapience in anyone with whom I'm able to have a coherent conversation. Sapience is the ability to think, imagine, lie and communicate."
no subject
Soundwave uses the mass-displacer on himself, because it's difficult talking to someone who doesn't come up to your knee in a public place; you have to raise your voice, and you attract too much attention. He's not as good at shrinking himself as Megatron is, but he can get himself down to about ten feet, a little more than a third of his natural height, and then he's small enough to sit down on the ground so they can more-or-less face each other.
"There," he says, "that'll be easier. I want to make society better for everyone because it's the right thing to do, but also because any time one group of people is allowed to be miserable, the misery spreads. People who can't get the fuel and coolant and shelter they need will riot, and they have the right to do that. People who are allowed to remain in states of unhealth breed and spread disease. People who aren't educated make bad decisions that harm their environment and the other people who live there. The only way to solve these problems is universal free education, health care, and the assurance of a living wage and shelter for all. Does that...does that make sense?"
Zack's final question, though, almost knocks Soundwave over.
"I think you're sapient. There are no good tests for sapience, because all of them are biased against the poorly educated and people from minority cultures. My conjunx is a brilliant poet and philosopher and she once failed a sapience test, partly because she was poorly educated and partially because she was forced to take it by someone who was cruel to her and maintained her in a state of constant stress." His cheeks darken briefly.
"I could give you the Ambus test but it's scrapwaste. Instead...I prefer to assume sapience in anyone with whom I'm able to have a coherent conversation. Sapience is the ability to think, imagine, lie and communicate."