Title: Man and Superman
Author: femme4jack
Rating: PG-13 for language
Warnings: language, femme trying to write philosophy
Continuity: Bayverse (no AU)
Written for the Tf_speedwriting community at livejournal . com for the prompt "Man and Superman"

It has been a LONG time since I studied Nietzsche, and that was in an elective class (like Sam's in the story), so if I have him TOTALLY wrong, forgive me ahead of time.

Sam slammed his backpack down on the seat and banged his head against the Camaro's steering wheel.

"Why the hell didn't you stop me from signing up for Ethics and Morality in Postmodern Philosophy as an elective, Bee?"

"I'm certain I had nothing to do with the decision, Sam," came the softly accented reply from the radio.

Ignoring him, Sam continued, "and it is too late to drop it, too. Shit! My mind is going to explode. I have to write this Nietzsche paper by tomorrow. 10-15 pages. Shit shit shit!"

"Sam, your language is unbecoming. I believe you said you signed up for the class so you could have something intelligent to contribute to your conversations with Mikaela from time to time instead of simply staring at her mammary glands and imagining interesting scenarios for removing her clothing."

"Shut, it, you unhelpful wretch. Morality is the herd instinct of the individual. I can talk any way I wish. I'm my own law. And I'm not trying to impress her. I'm striving to become Übermensch."

I'm more than a bird, I'm more than a plane, I'm more than some pretty face beside a train, and its not easy to be me…played from the radio, which Sam promptly hit.

"What, you don't think I'm on my way to becoming, Übermensch, Bee? What is it you are implying?"

A static snort came from the radio. "Well, Samuel, the Allspark has already done that to you to some extent. ' that which does not kill you makes you stronger,' yes?"

"Well, to be technical, I did die, and I'm going to die again if I can't get this paper written before tomorrow morning."

"That is highly unlikely, Sam. What is so difficult about this particular paper, anyhow?" Bee was often curious about Sam's assignments, more so that Sam was himself.

"Honestly, Bee, I'm not sure. I guess it's just that Nietzsche really gets under my skin. At first I find myself agreeing with everything he says, but then I take it to its logical conclusion, and find that what we are left with is a world where nothing matters but one's own self. Anything can be justified. But the idea of universal morals also makes no sense to me. I don't believe there is some supreme being out there dictating what is right or wrong. And yet, on some level, I do believe right and wrong, in good and evil. I'm supposed to write a paper either supporting or refuting his ideas about morality. I don't agree with him, but I'm not sure why, and I don't find the opposite appealing either. Is it either God and some arbitrary ancient moral code, or is it the self and one's will to power?"

Bumblebee was silent for a moment, a bit stunned by the question. He quickly looked up a few of Nietzsche's more famous works and digested them, in the time it took Sam to search through is bag for a Twinkie.

"What is good? All that heightens the feeling of power in man, the will to power, power itself. What is bad? All that is born of weakness. What is happiness? The feeling that power is growing, that resistance is overcome. This human essentially has the same philosophy as Megatron, Sam. And it is an appealing philosophy at first; that is why so many have followed it. It allows one to pay no heed to the weak, to view all as simply a commodity to be used on the way to one's mastery. And it is wrapped up in an attractive package, appealing to a sense of independence and freedom, while in truth denying freedom and independence to any who stand in one's way to power. Power and freedom are not the same things, but Megatron has always preached that they are. There is also great freedom in choosing not to exercise one's power. To have power and to choose not to use it for the sake of the good of others."

Sam sat in thought for several moments.

"So, you hold the opposite, then, Bee? That there are universal morals?"

"Not at all. We make a choice, Sam. I have never experienced a universal power imposing some form of code of ethics. However, I have experienced the end result of Nietzsche and Megatron's view. I choose to submit myself to a moral code, an invented and chosen one based on my own experience of this universe: that there are things more important than my own independence and will to power, that I am connected to all forms of life in this universe rather than disconnected, and that connection is not a ladder to climb, but a nexus to delight in. I choose to act as though all sentient life has value in and of itself, and a right to determine its own course. As a sentient life form with great physical power, I voluntarily submit myself to a standard that protects those who lack that physical power but have power of a different sort. I choose not to view life in terms of weak and strong, but rather to look to those whom Megatron would view as weak and worthless, and search for and protect their strengths so that I can learn from them and be connected to them. Megatron views what we do as pity, and despises us for it, but in cutting himself off from true connection to all life, including the life of his own brothers, it is he who is truly pitiful."

It was Sam's turn to be stunned. He was certain he had never heard Bumblebee utter so many words at one time. He sat still for a moment digesting what Bee had said, absentmindedly drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

"It all comes down to choice, then?"

"Yes Sam. Choice, and connection, or lack thereof. You have made many such choices, risking yourself for the good of others."

"But it was also for my own good, Bee. I mean, it doesn't do a lot of good staying safe if I no longer had a planet to live on."

"Of course, Sam. All choices are like that - both selfish and selfless, because we are neither self nor other. We are the connections we have with one another and with all of life. Megatron does not see this. Perhaps he cannot. The connectedness of life is the source of both the greatest joy and pain, and perhaps the pain is simply too much for him. Perhaps he is the one who is weak."

Sam leaned back and closed his eyes. "I'm glad you feel connected with me, Bee."

"I am your guardian, Sam. I chose to stay with you, and you chose to have me."

Nietzsche Works quoted: The Antichrist; The Gay Science; The Twilight of the Idols