Ratchet (Bayverse)

Ratchet is an Autobot medic from Cyberton and Earth. He arrived in-game on July 15, 2011 and currently lives in a Garden Zone near an outlook

age: 13k-15k years old

origins: Bayverse - [canon]

app link: Here Be Spoilers

hmd: How Is My Driving?

played by: Alex

contact: AIM: ravynabbey, email: alexandrine@ravynstoneabbey, Plurk: ravynstoneabbey

Setting
Bayverse begins with the Cube. A source of life and energy to the planet Cybertron, home to a race of sentient robotic beings called the Transformers, it gave rise to the Transformers and was also the source of their civil war. These robots share the same names as their other incarnations and many of the same major aspects, yet are entirely different beings.

Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots, and instead of being a red big rig truck, he is a blue Peterbilt truck with flames, and is more warlike and vicious in battle than G1 Optimus Prime, though still working to achieve peace, though he uses stronger tactics than previously seen. Ratchet is not red and white in this incarnation, being either neon yellow with red accents or lime green and white, though he is still the Chief Medical Officer and is also a capable soldier. Ironhide is a black Topkick with a love for cannons instead of a red vanette, while Bumblebee is a very nice yellow Camaro instead of a VW Bug.

The Cube, or Allspark, served as a symbol of power and whomever controlled it, controlled Cybertron. Its origins were lost in the mists of history, with legends filling in the where facts should lie. Megatron was willing to destroy Cybertron to obtain it and Optimus was willing to die for it, to live for his ideals of freedom for all.

Of course this would be an interesting tale if it stayed on Cybertron, but it became an epic story when the war involved Earth, bringing us the giant pointy robots of both faction:, the Decepticons, bent on tyranny and rule of the mighty formed from the Defense Forces, and the Autobots, protectors of freedom and all sentient life in the universe, and who were scientists and civilians prior to the war.

Of course that isn't as cut and dried, as there was Sentinel Prime's alliance with the Decepticons, and Jetfire and Wheelie's defections to the Autobot cause, as well as the very brutal tactics displayed by the Autobots, especially in the second and third movies. But that can be explained by thousands of years of war, with one planet destroyed and another one in grave peril and finally Optimus' desire to end the war once and for all.

The story opens with a war over the Allspark, the source of life and energy to the planet Cybertron. A giant cube, it was sent into space as a way to keep it safe, though that meant dooming an already dead planet, killed by war. It crash landed on Earth approximately 12,000 years before the start of the first movie, and triggered events that led to Bumblebee becoming Samuel Witwicky's car, and the introduction of Transformers to Earth, an Earth similar to ours, but the technology was based on Cybertronian technology, carefully reverse engineered from the frozen frame of Megatron who crashed on Earth shortly after the Cube did. Both were under the control of a shadowy government agency known only as Sector Seven which affected a few aspects of history, changing it from what we know, such as the Hoover Dam being built to hide Megatron and the Allspark, as well as using the Apollo 11 launch to hide their own launch of a ship built entirely of Cybertronian technology and was the catalyst for the Autobots searching for Earth to see if it held what they were looking for.

Samuel Witwicky was the heir of his grandfather, Archibald Witwicky who discovered the frozen Megatron in 1895 and as a result, left a pair of glasses as well as a few other artifacts. The glasses were key to the location of the Cube and the Autobots converged on the Witwicky house after Bumblebee found out who had the glasses and integrated himself in Sam's up till then idyllic suburban life as his car, first as a 74 Chevy Camaro then upgrading himself to the 2008 concept Camaro in a fit of vanity after a remark by Mikaela.

The Autobots made quite the impression on the young humans, even though they had their cultural misunderstandings to often hilarious results. Of course that is not the only thing as Sector Seven is intent on keeping all knowledge of the Transformers secret, which meant taking into custody anyone who came in direct or indirect contact with the Autobots.

Sector Seven was temporarily unsuccessful, but finally managed to capture Bumblebee and the children, taking them to the Hoover Dam, which had been built in the 30s to house the Cube and Megatron, which set in motion Megatron's release, and the escape with the Cube to Mission City in order to get it to a safe place, which failed spectacularly with a giant robot brawl on the interstate and in the city itself instead of an orderly extraction. The Allspark is lost, as Sam uses it to defeat Megatron who would have otherwise defeated Optimus Prime.

Despite the brawl and the resulting fallout from the destruction of the Allspark, the Autobots are allowed to stay, in exchange for living under the radar doing joint missions to keep Earth safe from the Decepticons who still arrive on Earth, intent on carrying on the war, though the ostensible reason has been destroyed, culminating in the mission in Shanghai which opened the second movie and introduces us to the Decepticons' new mission, which is to find the solar collector that had been placed on Earth by the Fallen 19,000 years ago to energize the Allspark as well as the Matrix of Leadership, the only thing that could restart a Transformer's spark, something that will show up further on in the third movie. Sam sought the Matrix as a way to bring Optimus back to life, as he had sustained critical injuries in rescuing Sam from the Decepticons who took him for his knowledge of the Allspark, given by a shard that had been left after the battle in Mission City. Sam was successful in bringing back Optimus, though the battle was not yet over, as the Fallen had arrived, intent on taking the Matrix and achieving his goal to take Earth's sun. Of course there was some remodeling involved of the pyramids and a few explosions and jokes, par for a Michael Bay film, but what is a few explosions when giant robots decide to have a smackdown? Optimus earned his robojesus moniker, being brought back to life in time to throw down with the Fallen, as only a Prime can kill another Prime. Prime also seriously injured Megatron who wonders of wonders, actually retreated in time to allow Prime to speechify once more.

The third movie rewrites history as we knew it, giving a reason for the space race: to discover what crashed on the moon and what secrets it holds. The secret? The Ark, holding Sentinel Prime, and pillars for a space bridge, though the identity and contents of the ship wasn't discovered until the existence of an engine part from the ship was discovered in Chernobyl, which explained why the nuclear plant had a meltdown. Then after Prime had his own meltdown over the humans failing to disclose everything they knew, he proceeded to fetch Sentinel Prime from the moon, to bring him back to life, setting the ancient betrayal into motion. For Sentinel Prime had made a deal with Megatron to work together to enslave Earth in order to rebuild Cybertron despite the loss of the Allspark. Sam was dealing with his own difficulties, being unemployed despite an Ivy League degree and saving the world twice, yet he finally finds a job that unfortunately put him in contact with human allies of the Decepticons, who then use him to further their own goals, though this happens after Sam decides to go alone and find out the truth of what is going on after being told NEST has no use for him. He decides to prove them wrong, and in doing so enlists Seymour Simmons who had retired after the events of the second movie to become a writer. Sam finds out the Decepticons already knew about the space bridge pillars, and concluding that Sentinel Prime was in danger, attempted to get him to safety, but in doing so, Sentinel took advantage and reclaimed the pillars, to continue his plot from so long ago, killing Ironhide in the process and nearly doing in Bumblebee. Optimus and the others track him to Washington where the Primes fight, but Sentinel managed to activate the bridge, bringing in hundreds of Decepticons to start taking over the planet.

Sam attempts to find Carly, concerned over her safety, but learns the man who helped him get his job and who is Carly's boss, Dylan Gould, is working for the 'Cons, and had been instrumental in shutting down the manned space program. Sam is given the difficult choice to either watch Carly die, or spy on the Autobots, thanks to a hand-dandy 'Con wristwatch which tapped into his nervous system, much as the Doctor did during his interrogation in the second movie. Sentinel, meanwhile, works on getting the pesky kids Autobots sent away so they would not impede his dirty work. The Autobots, though had other ideas, acting as if they were obeying the dictates, yet planning to return and defeat Sentinel Prime and the 'Cons in a surprise attack.

The scene of the final battle was Chicago, and it was a nightmare of apocalyptic proportions. The 'Cons showed their true colors, in destroying as much as they could to terrify their new slaves, but Sam, accompanied by Robert Epps and his team of former NEST mercs had other ideas, well until they arrived in the city. But Prime and the Autobots came to the rescue just in the nick of time, and given a stronger backup, Sam went to save his girlfriend and the world. After escaping the Driller and random 'Cons, Prime getting tangled up in cables (he's only had wings for two years!), and Carly's rescue, it was time to stop Sentinel Prime from activating the space bridge and bringing Cybertron as Earth's new moon. Sam, the NEST team, and Epps and his crew, along with the Autobots, fought a seemingly fruitless battle to stop a Prime and Megatron in unholy alliance. But they were successful, after Sam and Lennox took out Starscream, and Carly lit a fire under Megatron who turned on Sentinel, knowing if the plan succeeded he wouldn't be leader of the new Cybertron. Optimus decided the war stopped now, and so he made sure Megatron and Sentinel Prime paid for their parts in the war with their lives, while Sam took care of the pillar, killing Dylan Gould in the process.

Finally the long war was over, but it asked for a heavy price: the loss of so many lives as well as the destruction of Cybertron, so the Autobots accepted Earth as their new home and swore to protect it always.

Beginning as a scientist and diplomat, Ratchet has ever been at Optimus Prime's side, serving as his Chief Liaison to the Council of the High Ancients, the ruling body governing Cybertron, and also as a key team member in the science division, serving as the equivalent of an archeologist. He also served as First Officer, taking care of repairs for the Cybertron Defense Forces. Believing life is sacred in all forms, Ratchet followed Optimus Prime, and became the Chief Medical Officer of the Autobots, after resigning his post as liaison in frustration over the inability of the council to see the true danger. He has made the difficult choice to become a soldier as well, despite his love of life, or to be honest his love of life led him to become a soldier. "Kill or heal, I have the option." is one quote he has been known to say. Ratchet's tools have been re-purposed for the conflict, though they are at heart medical tools meant to save and heal, not harm. This position makes him their medical expert, well trained in varying disciplines such as chemistry, cybernetics, engineering, and metallurgy.

Reference: Ratchet @ Wikipedia | Ratchet @ Teletraan 1 Wikia | Ratchet @ TFWiki

Canon Point: Just before Revenge of the Fallen during the events of Alliance and The Veiled Threat.

Personality
Once upon a time, millennia past, there was a scientist who was a normal shade of yellow. Then one day, robojesus showed him a new way and he became a badass neon medic with a buzzsaw and hips that couldn't lie.

All kidding aside, Ratchet is an intriguing mix of both science and military, something he's picked up in his years following Prime. Adaptability has been his hallmark, followed closely by his love of life. He chose to become a soldier in order to save more lives, despite being a medic, an occupation traditionally peace loving.

That dichotomy, being a soldier, yet also a medic, lies at the core of Ratchet. How he balances the two sides is shown by his adaptability, blended with his curiosity. Of course the inner geek comes out at times, especially when he's allowed to wander off task, such as when he had to sample the soil in the Witwickys' backyard during the entire chaotic search for the glasses. He enjoys humans, finding them to be intriguing and worthy of protection, though that trust is fragile as he can be cautious when in new situations especially with a sentient species like humanity.

Now on occasion, the medic can be diplomatic, but more often than not, he suffers from foot in vocalizer syndrome, particularly with humans. But oftentimes his bluntness is an asset, especially as one of the leaders, and certainly when he is in medic-mode taking care of particularly stubborn comrades. *coughIRONHIDEcough* Words are his preferred weapons even though he is otherwise a very competent soldier, with impressive weaponry for a doctor, showing his ability to adapt as needed to any situation, making him a key member of the Autobot faction. He enjoys language and how it can be used to for good or ill, and how oftentimes disagreements can be solved with a few choice words. He used that skill both as Chief Liaison to the High Council and as the former Warlord of Thraal. Ratchet changes his word choices to suit the situation, using that to convey his general mood and his thoughts on whom he is addressing.

Ratchet is also one to not hide his opinions, something that Prime values, being one of his oldest friends, and one of the first to follow Prime. This can lead to him allowing his temper to get the best of him, particularly when irritated by petty humans like Galloway, but he is reasonable and will see sense if he is in the wrong. He will forgive much, and rarely carries a grudge for very long, other than the one for Megatron and his part in the destruction of Cybertron.

Most of his temper is bluster and bluff, though, used to hide his emotions in order to preserve his will to continue the fight, even though it seems it will never end. He uses his gruffness and bluster to hold everyone but Prime, Bumblebee, and Ironhide at bay, knowing there is the potential to lose them, and so protect his emotions from being destroyed. Yet he has been known to allow said emotions to override his logic circuits in order to get his job done, such as during the incident in Africa, Ratchet knew he would be a very obvious target to the Decepticon bent on destroying the dam, yet he risked himself in order to save countless lives, as he had come to love Earth in his short stay there and knew he was the best chance for the innocent humans' survival. Yet logic would have dictated a different approach instead of allowing himself to be flung onto the front of a very large concrete dam knowing his color scheme would stand out and that he was risking his life to save others.

He has fought a war for most of his life across galaxies and planets and at times that seems to have been everything he has ever known, yet he always finds the purpose of his war: to protect living beings and to give other sentient beings the freedom to live. That is the Autobot cause he has dedicated his life to, and to Optimus Prime, the leader of that cause.

This loyalty to the cause and to Prime, is the welding that holds the two major aspects of Ratchet: the peace loving medic, and the badass soldier.

Abilities & Weaknesses
Abilities: A Transformer who chose a search and rescue H2 Hummer as his alt-mode, Ratchet is equipped with twin-bladed rotary cutters on his left arm that are capable of cutting through any metal, along with a machine gun in his right hand, which are impressive weaponry for a field medic turned soldier. He also sports a small array of shoulder mounted missiles. Photoelectric cells on his surface allow him to blend in to his environment, which in turn enables him to escape most injuries when he retrieves a fallen comrade. Ratchet does boast an array of tools useful for his chosen profession, one being the red laser he used to attempt to repair Bumblebee's vocal processor, along with enhanced vision and olfactory processing. He is built for strength, not speed and boasts durable armature that ensures he gets to where he is going in one piece, though not necessarily in a speedy manner. Carrying redundant systems and plenty of spare parts, he is ready for almost any repairs and can cannibalize himself if necessary. He is also capable of 'eating' metals and other materials to help him self repair and keep up his ammunition and energy reserves, and can make extra for storage and potential weapon use. Ratchet has the ability to control the external temperature of his armor plating, enabling him to heat to a white hot temperature, allowing him to do large scale repairs like melt concrete or cause damage in close combat.

Vehicle Mode Stats 

Top Speed: 230 mph 0-60: 3.65 seconds Max Haulage: 134 metric tons

Robot Mode Stats 

Height: 20' 1" Weight: 3.4 metric tons

Weaknesses:

Physical

He can be torn apart, given enough stress to his systems. Cannot withstand extreme cold such as being frozen with liquid nitrogen, and can be placed in stasis lock with enough damage to his systems. Direct hits to his spark chamber will result in death. Also should not be allowed near electrical lines or electrical transformers as that may cause excess tingling or other behavior reminiscent of someone who is extremely drunk. Also susceptible to sabot rounds with magnesium jackets which burns through his armor quicker than his repair systems can react to the damage. tl;dr: Plz do not burn, shoot, spindle, mutilate, electrocute, or freeze.

Psychological: Knows he cannot heal everyone, yet will try to do exactly that to the extent of endangering his own health. Each death weighs on his processor, with particular ones being especially heavy. Workaholic, and will be more concerned about the patient than himself. Is still adjusting to being a soldier when he prefers peace and was a scientist before the war began.

Limitations: He does not use his weapons in offensive measures unless directed by Prime, preferring to use them as self-defense or in defense of those who cannot defend themselves. He requires scrap metal and raw materials to fuel his reserves so if those are limited, he is limited to what he can do.

Character Relationships
Barricade: Quasi from his continuity, snark buddy, and used to be such a cute hatchling until he grew up. Again. If he steps out of line, Ratchet will terminate him for the sake of the station.

Shockwave: Liked to push his buttons as a hatchling, now is a mild irritant grown up. Still wary.

Nemvoy: Call him Convoy. Ratchet has an idea he might be a Prime, but he does not wish to assume. Further study. Also has interesting taste in music. Likes Linkin Park.

Clu: Old encryption protocols. Positively ancient. Smarmy and claims to be one of the ones in charge of the station. Further observations required.

TARDIS: A sentient space ship. Intriguing. Further observations and conversations required.

Sarah Connor: Was rather charming as a young teen, but the adult requires careful treading. More observations required.

Nepeta: Interesting speech quirk. Uses cat puns in her speech. Charming and quite entertaining.

Free Space
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