In celebration of my completed 'Twenty Years Later' and my so far successful college semester, I'm starting my uploading-frenzy with a completed oneshot. I like to write about the journey to more than the climactic fight, if you hadn't noticed. I'll be uploading many more stories, probably, but this is the only one fully completed at this point.
For a couple years now, I've been focusing highly on one story that I've adopted as my favorite. I've babied it and kept it in an incubator of revisions as I've worked on it, and I will not upload anything until the entire story is complete. It is the best example possible of how far I've come as an author. Read my earlier works, them compare them to my newer stuff and you can tell I've gotten better. This story will consume the majority of my writing time, nearly all of the rest of which will be focused on my original story, which has also undergone massive revamps in recent months.
Anyways, none of that is particularly relevant to this story. I don't own transformers even slightly, and I sincerely hope you enjoy the first of my new wave of stories.
When the sun finally set, I was about to back out. It's been long enough, I could just decide to skip. If I just stay here, what would happen?
I could say I forgot. If I don't go, the worst case scenario is that nothing happens. Why not just deal with the repercussions when they come?
The minute hand lined up with the hour hand, and there was a knock on my door.
"Come in." I watched with surprise as he came in; I hadn't expected anyone to come and get me. He closed the door behind him, smiling to me.
"Are you ready?"
I contemplated lying, but he gave me a look at my hesitation. I let out a breath and shook my head honestly. "No."
He gave a slight laugh; not insulting or demeaning but in a way that made me smile with him.
"When it was my turn, I just about left."
"You did?" I asked, surprised. He nodded and laughed again.
"Oh, yeah. I had my bags packed and ready to go. I was about to, too."
"What stopped you?" I asked before I could stop myself. Only when he smiled at me then did I realize he knew about my own hesitation. He knew I was thinking about skipping.
"I met Prime on my way out. Thought I was screwed 'cause I'd been caught, but he didn't even act like I was abandoning them."
Abandon. That's a word I'd been avoiding.
"I bet that was awkward." Prime, the great leader of the Autobots, too busy to hang out with the minors very often, and the largest of them all. He's terrifying, but I respect him so much. I would have been guilt tripped into going back just by seeing him.
"Actually, no." He grinned widely. "He just asked me about the game the week before. It was like talking to anyone else. He attends every game, you know." That surprised me, but I guess I'm too busy participating to notice. "Ratchet wanted to cut them when time was getting hard to come by. But Prime wouldn't allow it; he didn't want the minors to feel the impact."
I remember that. A few years ago, there were a bunch more Decepticon attacks than usual. All the higher-ups were always gone, so everyone else was in a crunch to run and defend this place. But us minors could still run and play in the games all we wanted.
"So you just decided to return after that?" I asked, still not convinced. Short of meeting Prime myself, this story didn't help. All I know now is, I'm not the only one to contemplate not going. Maybe if I do, and in a few years, I'll be as happy and relaxed with my lot in life as Lennox is, but not now.
He laughed again and put an arm around my shoulders. "No. I was still ready to bolt. But he told me something that I still can't forget."
I stared at him with my complete attention. I'm ready for this- I want a reason to go. What did Prime say?
"They're dying."
I did a double take. I had expected something encouraging and uplifting, but his face was serious and taunt.
"Not what you were hoping for? But it's true. There used to be thousands of them; an entire planet full of 'em. But now there are about thirty. Decepticons and Autobots included, and it isn't the war that's killing them off. Their life force is gone, and the only fate they have, no matter the outcome of this war, is extinction."
"Wow..." How morbid.
"He didn't actually tell me any of this, I figured it out myself." He went on. "All he mentioned was life before the war, and how no matter who wins the war, it won't ultimately affect them. They aren't fighting for their future- they aren't fighting for themselves."
He didn't go on, but let me figure it out myself. If they're going extinct either way, who benefits from their fighting?
Us. The entire human colony under their protection. Or rather, the entire human race. Even the less fortunate, outside the Autobot boundaries, are safer and alive because of the Autobots' constant struggle. The last couple of centuries, since the downfall of the government, they've kept us safely in their boundaries and we've lived on like normal. Well, except for politics. This we learned in history class.
I looked back to Lennox with a strange feeling. I couldn't help but to feel renewed.
I can handle this.
He grinned at me. "You ready?"
"Yeah." I stood, ready to face my future. Today is my sixteenth birthday, and I was on my way to my coming-of-age ceremony. Everyone has one. Its a small event, just those closest to you and a few teachers. Like any birthday party... Except one or two of the Autobots are there.
The Autobots. Protectors of our society, our government, and figures always in the background. Most people only get distant glances of them until their sixteenth birthday. But today, one of them- maybe two -would be there to initiate me into society. Today, I'd find my place and take a job. Everyone has a place, and if I decided to change professions later on, I could. But this is the first step. The biggest moment of my life... No pressure...
I don't know who I'll meet, and I'm terrified because I don't have anyone with me except Lennox. My parents, who had been working to find and recover refugees to the Autobot territory, were killed in a Decepticon attack four months ago.
So it's just me, Lennox, and whoever was on the other side of that door.
I hesitated, taking a deep breath. Lennox pat my shoulder and gave me an encouraging smile.
"Now or never, kid."
I nodded and pushed the doors open. In the corner of the large, two-level room, there was one Autobot working on something I couldn't identify. He was red and white, and aside from him, the room was empty and quiet.
The door shut behind us, and he looked up. He seemed to wait a moment, glancing to the other door. But when no one else entered, he sat the object down to walk closer.
"Is this all, William?" The Autobot- Ratchet, I think -asked.
"Sure is. This kid's all alone." He pat my back, forcing me forward.
Ratchet frowned in disapproval. "One should have more to celebrate with. Where are your parents?" He asked me directly.
"Dead."
"My condolences." He offered, with a surprising amount of empathy. "How did you two meet?"
"He was the one that told me." I shifted uncomfortably.
"Very well." Ratchet seemed disappointed in the situation. He watched me for a moment before sighing. "I don't bite."
"I know." I tried to relax. "So what now?"
He stepped along beside the catwalk Lennox and I stood on, motioning for me to follow. "Entering you into the database."
This, I know. DNA recording, and then celebration. I stepped up and offered my hand.
He glanced at me and gave an encouraging smile. "You're prepared." He brought over an object to prick my palm. I didn't flinch, waiting for instruction. "Take it here. Have you thought about what you want to do?" He motioned to the object he'd been working on.
I shook my head and put my hand to the surface. I have thought about it, a lot, but the decision still terrifies me. As the device registered my DNA, he motioned for my hand again; this time to clean it up. "No, not at all."
"You're very brave." He complimented. "Most aren't so comfortable around us so quickly. William took a week to speak freely." He chuckled.
"I had Ironhide, though. He's not so nice." Lennox laughed. "Well, you aren't either..."
"Careful." Ratchet warned, smiling at him as he released my hand. The device finished processing my DNA then so my profile came up on the wall monitor.
All of the sudden, the device that Ratchet had just picked back up crashed to the ground by his feet, far below us. He stood frozen, staring at the screen like he'd seen a ghost.
"Ratch?" Lennox asked, startled. "You alright?"
He didn't respond. I looked at the screen nervously; have I already ruined everything? So early?
Samuel James Witwicky. Age 16/:/26 Born to Ronald and Judith Witwicky on July 16th, 2786/:/1991. Initiation date: July 28th, 2802/:/October/ 19::2008. Death date:/:/NA/:NA:/March 1st, 2017. Type B blood.
And along the bottom, in big, red letters, it read:
ERROR - PREVIOUS PROFILE
That's it. Was it any good? Please, tell me. If you don't feel like giving me feedback, however, don't hold the request against me. I only want to improve my writing by evaluating feedback.
But thank you for giving this oneshot a shot (terrible pun).