The Energon Pub

Synapse

Allegiance: Decepticon
Function: Psychotherapist
Alternate Modes: Cybernetic Horned Owl
Weapons: Laser Pistol, Energon Dagger, Beak and Talons
Height: 24ft/ 7.32m
Quote: ”Never take a life without a purpose behind it."


Strength: 05
Intelligence: 09
Dexterity: 06
Speed: 06
Endurance: 04
Courage: 08
Firepower: 05
Accuracy: 06
Melee: 05
Tech Skill: 07
Charisma: 09
Rank: 07

Profile: Ruthless. Unforgiving. Unyielding. Cruel. Savage. Synapse is none of these. What he is, however, is a very talented psychotherapist whose compassion is a rather rare and unique trait amongst Decepticons. He is an open minded and understanding listener who at least tries to reach some of the most unapproachable Decepticons. Very aware and self-aware of the monstrosities caused by the Decepticon armada in their galactic civil war, Synapse tries to preserve the decency in Decepticons. War has made monsters of many of them, and it’s his job to turn them back into people. Synapse always has his door open for anyone seeking help. Though it’s not too often that anyone comes by to see him. Willingly, anyway. He’s also a bit accident prone for whatever reason, and winds up in the medical bay more often than not. Also a bit of a studious sort, Synapse is always reading or studying in his field or others to expand the breadth of his knowledge.

Prior to the Great War, full scale re-engineering was a service only available to the elite Cybertronian classes. As such, the general masses were fixed in their alt-modes and unable to change them. At this time, Relinquishment Clinics were run by commercial enterprises and charged fees as high as 5,000 shanix to make use of a patented Sparkswap Technology to transfer a spark into a vacant bodyshell, using spark extraction equipment and whiteout vacuums. These bodyshells were from donors which allowed clients to experience life in a completely different alt-mode. Synapse worked at one of these clinics under a different name and alternate mode.

Formerly known as Mortican, his function at the clinic was to perform the spark extraction. His alternate mode had the unique capacity of being a spark extractor, and, with it, he could extract sparks fairly painlessly, even able to preserve sparks in his body for a short period until they entered a whiteout vacuum. Unfortunately, the side effect of being a literal soul sucker was to be ostracized socially by many who feared his natural abilities. Mortican was a quiet, withdrawn individual as a result, but took some pride in his work. He offered people a new outlook on life, even though it was only a temporary outlook. However, he had interests and pursuits outside of his function-locked assignment. He began to study psychology – most notable Rungian but others too – and develop his own theories about the psyche. Other readings that he stumbled across were the poetry and later works of a miner named Megatron with whom he began a correspondence, sharing theories and thoughts with him.

Things began to get unpleasant for him when Mortican was introduced to the Institute. His clinic was partially converted to an Institute facility. Dissenters against the Senate would be taken to another section of the building and were given an “attitude adjustment” by one of the specialists of the Institute. But other clients would receive the same service as before from Mortican, and he continued his work with only slight misgivings.

Following the dissolution of the ruling government and the outbreak of the Great War, most clinics ceased operation. As the corrosion of war without end wore on Cybertron's populace, the few remaining clinics began offering a new service for those who wished to escape the conflict but could not leave the planet: assisted suicide. Mortican’s clinic was one of those clinics. He became a death doctor, extracting sparks from their bodies painlessly and then watching them slowly flicker out and die.

Before long, this understandably took its toll on Mortican. One day, Megatron came to him and offered him a place by his side as a psychotherapist for the Decepticons. Mortican felt that he could actually make a difference. Choose a different life than the one assigned to him by the functionalist Senate. He assumed the name Synapse, resolved to help save lives and no longer take them needlessly, and became a determined and stalwart psychotherapist in the Decepticons. To this day, he has never forgotten the faces and names of those he senselessly killed in his time at the clinic.

Abilities: Synapse is entirely average at combat, which, in the Decepticons, means that most others could tear him apart. He is able to hold his own for a little while at least, but his weaponry is also not much to speak of. Synapse possesses a laser pistol and energon dagger for self-defense in combat scenarios. He’s not incompetent with them either, more than capable of taking a life against less armored foes. In his alternate mode, he exchanges his ranged weapon for his talons and beak, employing hit and run tactics to steadily wear down an opponent.

In alternate mode, Synapse can fly at speeds up to Mach 0.9 (~685 mph). However, his true power lays in his mind. Fiercely intelligent and fairly technically skilled as well, Synapse is more than capable of providing medical assistance to Decepticons in need thanks to his somewhat rudimentary medical training at the Relinquishment Clinic. Over the vorns of war, he has polished this skill as necessary, constantly reading and studying to further his knowledge. However, his focus resides firmly in psychotherapy, his excellent communication skills and charisma aiding him in his endeavors.

Weaknesses: Not especially adept at combat as compared to warriors, Synapse has a very weak armor composition, which makes him even more vulnerable if attacked. On top of that, he has a strange tendency to be accident prone through the virtue of some really awful luck and winds up in the medical bay often because of it.