*Hypnopaedia is a study that deals with sleep learning or sleep programming.
When you hear the word test, what do you think of?
Slaving over a piece of paper, filling in answer documents as a teacher keeps an eagle eye?
Taking an online quiz to find out what your "spirit animal" is?
Neither of those came remotely close to what the protoform twins would be subjected to in the upcoming solar cycles.
Genetic testing is already a touchy subject in the scientific community. Flask typically wasn't a bot to break the law - besides, he was one of the more trusted scientists in the second-caste Autobot division.
There was something so satisfying about being a witness to an extraordinaire case like this, though.
Protoform split-spark twins? Already a rare natural occurrence, how could the Decepticons ever get their servos on such a prize?
Discovering how to split sparks? Finding a new hot-spot of sparks and getting lucky? Praying to their lord and saviour?!
Nobody would know. Unless any of the recently hired scavengers could find some sort of evidence in the destroyed Decepticon laboratory, or they could get information out of the hard-headed Decepticons in their prison cells - both highly unlikely circumstances - then their origin story would remain under speculation.
Flask had already managed to convince the head of the Autobot Science Division to let him care for the split-sparks. A bit of gentle prodding wouldn't hurt, surely?
Why not try to get his way up the job ladder, and impress everyone on Cybertron with his forward ideas and accomplishments?
The time would be soon, as a few techniques stay written in Flask's logs to attempt.
Technique 1: Hypnopaedia.
J-0 quite enjoyed reading.
Perhaps a trait that is seldom seen in the age of technology, J-0 had already spent a great portion of her short life reading old data-pad's in the master's library.
How could she not? The shelves were filled to the brim with history and knowledge that the young protoform wished she could take in quicker!
From the highly theorized predictions of ancient Cybertronian history, to useless facts about famous (or infamous) Cybertronians, J-0 was drowning in knowledge!
In fact, perhaps J-0 was not retaining information fast enough.
Besides, how could a mere protoform read things so quickly?
Perhaps Flask was underestimating the femme's ability. Nevertheless, he still felt it necessary to place her in memory therapy. With such an advanced processor like hers, she could grow up to be a volatile weapon for the Autobot team.
One day, the violet-colored protoform would not only make themselves a star, but Flask as well.
To ensure this dream became a reality, Flask made J-0 read only assigned chapters per solar cycle. No more, no less.
But the newly-christened Autobot wanted more! She begged master to assign more chapters, harder chapters, a greater challenge!
"You will get your wish soon, little prodigy. Even the greatest scholars had patience as their top priority." He would repeat incessantly.
Must be the Decepticon side coming out of her, causing restlessness. The evil-doers were known to be...very impatient at times.
Just another trait Flask would have to embed in her, is all.
J-0 isn't the only one going through impatience with their study, though. Though J-1's studies were vastly different compared to his twin, no less effort was being ensued.
J-1 loved to fight.
Not verbally, really. Words were J-0's strength.
But the cobalt protoform was going through dummies and holoforms faster than Flask could create new ones. He was a speedy learner, after all, just like his sibling.
The older scientist would consistently write updates on J-1:
- J-1 has defeated all his stage 1 opponents.
- Defeat was dealt by a stage 3 hologram. Not surprising.
- Train him harder.
- Very rarely does project J-1 show physical exhaustion.
- Natural ability? A next gen spark? Experimentation?
- Must know more.
How was this possible, a young protoform defeating opponents that normal protoforms would get trampled by?
Flask continued to write theories as to why these twins were such advanced learners. Had the Decepticons had the same mindset as himself? If so, then why were they offline until just recently?
At this rate, he would need a different method to get the protoform's learning skills on a stable schedule to keep track of what they needed to learn.
Hypnopaedia would seem to be the best option, for a starter.
What is hypnopaedia anyway?
How will it affect the protoforms?
Will it be damaging?
No - not in the slightest.
As the twins were put into stasis at the end of a cycle, Flask would play a series of recordings.
"...the pits of Kaon were regarded as the most dangerous place on Cybertron..."
Word for word, J-0's chapters were played over a recording, on repeat.
"...jab at the midsection. When they least expect it, move up and round-kick them in their..."
J-1's sparring lessons were recited in a sight-free audio track.
The processor, especially of a protoform, is still very powerful, even under stasis. Why not take advantage of this strength that young ones had?
Hypnopaedia uses the advantages of a dormant, yet high-functioning mind to implant long-term memories by repeating what they needed to memorize.
This is why it had become obviously simple for J-0 to keep track of her facts about the timeline for Cybertronian history, and why Jinx had consistently perfected his basic moves before leveling up.
While the effects are not damaging by any means, it becomes a slow process.
Flask needed a different process to get the information in stable, while moving a bit faster for his likes;
Perceptor could be visiting everyday now to check on his progress and status of the protoforms.
Testing like this could be seen as unethical and result in his arrest.
It is time to move onto Technique Two:
Punishment and Reward.