"Hnn. They certainly can. I would not be surprised if there have been issues before now, regarding shortcuts taken and a lack of proper safety checks for the drone manufacturing."
Optimus was always finding new reasons to be happy that he was built with a mask, because he wasn't sure he was keeping a straight face while staring back at Megatron, self-doubt and concern warring with mildly hysterical laughter.
This was a mad idea, worthy of the cruelest of old Primes and nobles, and it was entirely plausible that the mech was simply testing him and his willingness to bend the law for his own ends....but it was still 'hypothetical', after all. And if it should creep into territory that was not so hypothetical, it would be done in the interests of protecting and saving Cybertronians. He had no desire to see anyone truly harmed.
...Optimus wasn't sure if that made it any better.
But for the sake of the 'argument', he continued. "That sort of weakness in supply chain - our fuel - simply could not be tolerated. If such a weakness was revealed... I could never allow it to be replicated again. It might well start a planet-wide shortage."
The thought almost drew him up short, audials twitching back in brief distress, but his processor whirled as he thought on the data. He knew the numbers involved. The speculations on just how much energon had been stashed away, given what was actually coming out of the mines from production. How much would be required to keep people afloat.
...How quickly jobless civilians could be rerouted out to work the mines in place of the drones, and get production flowing again.
"...It would only be fair for those who caused the weak chain and the shortage to assist with the recovery. The supplies would have to be commandeered, if necessary."
Again, he was grateful for the mask. The Prime should not smirk so eagerly at the idea of crippling the tycoons by falsifying a disaster.
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branchandroot
AHA. THERE.
Date: 2012-05-27 10:47 pm (UTC)Optimus was always finding new reasons to be happy that he was built with a mask, because he wasn't sure he was keeping a straight face while staring back at Megatron, self-doubt and concern warring with mildly hysterical laughter.
This was a mad idea, worthy of the cruelest of old Primes and nobles, and it was entirely plausible that the mech was simply testing him and his willingness to bend the law for his own ends....but it was still 'hypothetical', after all. And if it should creep into territory that was not so hypothetical, it would be done in the interests of protecting and saving Cybertronians. He had no desire to see anyone truly harmed.
...Optimus wasn't sure if that made it any better.
But for the sake of the 'argument', he continued. "That sort of weakness in supply chain - our fuel - simply could not be tolerated. If such a weakness was revealed... I could never allow it to be replicated again. It might well start a planet-wide shortage."
The thought almost drew him up short, audials twitching back in brief distress, but his processor whirled as he thought on the data. He knew the numbers involved. The speculations on just how much energon had been stashed away, given what was actually coming out of the mines from production. How much would be required to keep people afloat.
...How quickly jobless civilians could be rerouted out to work the mines in place of the drones, and get production flowing again.
"...It would only be fair for those who caused the weak chain and the shortage to assist with the recovery. The supplies would have to be commandeered, if necessary."
Again, he was grateful for the mask. The Prime should not smirk so eagerly at the idea of crippling the tycoons by falsifying a disaster.