Sari is now 38 years old (although thanks to her Spark her human form looks no older than 21). She is Cybertron's most powerful Cyber-Ninja, and is a member of the Cybertron Elite Guard. The Autobot High Council has assigned her and Optimus as partners, and their mission is to assist Earth and the lunar and Martian colonies in battling the Decepticons.
Sari regularly shuttles between Earth's Solar system and Cybertron's Hadeed system, acting as advisor, protector, and ambassador, meeting with the Autobot High Council and earth's governmental heads. Optimus oversees the Autobot/Human combined forces guarding the Terran, Lunar, and Martian defensive systems.
Sumdac Interplanetary Systems is now being run by Dr. Adam Witwicky. He and Mikaela are married, and have two kids. They live on the lunar colony.
Bumblebee runs Farside Beacon One, and Bulkhead manages the space bridges. There are three on earth, two on the moon, and one on the Martian colony.
Sari had just arrived back on the Martian colony from Earth, and sat down with Optimus at the Autobot Headquarters. She and Optimus were beginning to discuss their status meeting, when they received an urgent message from earth.
"Welcome back, Sari! How are all your projects going? Did that meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister go well?"
"Very well, Optimus," she said. "Mainframe couldn't be happier! He's been working with Japan's Ministry of Science on that new fusion power generator. It's on schedule to be installed here on the Martian colony, to better manage their grid. Once they have it up and running it will increase the colony's power capabilities by at least 150%. This will finally give Bulkhead a chance to install that second space bridge."
"He's been wanting to get that second one up for quite some time," said Optimus.
"Exactly. If he told me once, he's told me a thousand times he wanted a backup unit up here."
"More exciting news! My Cybertron/Earth task force is hard at work negotiating the first draft of the United Interplanetary Charter, to which our two planets will be the flagship signatories. Oh, and you'll be happy to know that our bi-planetary legal team was successful in arguing their case with the Intergalactic Court of Justice regarding Megaton's appeal; his clemency release was denied."
"You've been one busy technorganic, Sari," he smiled.
"Keeps me out of trouble!" Sari laughed. "So, how are the security beacons coming along?"
"We've got a third of them circling the outer perimeter," said Optimus, but it will be at least another 75 stellar cycles before we can have the entire circumference of the Martian orbit covered. Still, they'll serve their purpose as a beacon against Decepticon attacks."
"Excellent! I just wish we could capture Strika," she sighed. "I've been chasing that Decepticon around the galaxy for 20 stellar cycles now."
"Patience, Sari," said Optimus, smiling. "Your Spark is young; you know we Cybertronians have been battling her for millions of stellar cycles – a lot longer than even MY protoform!"
"You're right, as usual," she smiled back, "that's why you're the senior partner."
Their meeting was suddenly interrupted by a call: "Urgent message from earth for Sari Sumdac."
"Oh no," she groaned, don't tell me the task force negotiations have fallen apart this soon!" She reached over and accepted the call. "Sari Sumdac here."
"Aunt Sari? This is your nephew Ravi calling. I'm afraid I have bad news; your father is in the hospital; the doctors say he does not have much longer to live."
"What? What happened?"
"He was in his lab and fell. He hit his head and suffered a concussion but it led to a hemorrhage. He comes in and out of consciousness."
"Tell the family I am on my way," she said, and hung up. She looked at her partner. "Oh, Optimus!"
"I'm coming with you," he replied. Leaving the conference room, they went immediately to the Martian travel terminal. They jumped into the space bridge and arrived on the roof of Sumdac Tower. Sari hurried to the hospital and Optimus went to Autobot Central.
When Sari arrived at his room, Isaac was unconscious. He was in the ICU with many wires, IVs and catheters attached. His hair, now all white, had been shaved at one end.
She reached over and held her father's hand. "Dad? Dad? I'm here."
Isaac squeezed her hand back.
Sari spent the night at her father's side, holding his hand.
Optimus contacted Bumblebee and Bulkhead to let them know what had happened. Bumblebee was busy managing the team building new units on the Lunar Colony, while Bulkhead was off making repairs to the Sydney, Australia space bridge. "I think you need to come to Detroit ASAP," he told them.
Early next morning, Sari contacted Optimus. "Dad's gone," she said.
"I'm so sorry," he replied. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Please let the Autobots know. I'm going to be making the arrangements for the funeral. Can you meet me at the hospital in about a megacycle? There are some things we need to do by the river's edge, and I could use every bot's help."
"Of course, Sari. Will see you then."
There was a great deal that needed to be done. Although he had retired from Sumdac Interplanetary Systems, Isaac was still a prominent and well regarded member of Detroit society. Sari contacted Mayor Augustus Edsel Jr. "Would it be possible to have an area for our use down by the river's edge?" she asked.
"Certainly, Sari! Let my office make all the necessary arrangements – just tell me what you need!" She communicated all of the things that will be required for the funeral.
She then put in a call to Adam at Sumdac. He was down on earth for a series of board meetings. "Oh no! Sari, please accept my sincere condolences! Mikaela is on the moon with the kids; I don't know if she can make it down in time."
"Oh, that's OK, Adam, I understand," Sari replied.
"The board and I will be there for the funeral, just let me know when and where, OK?"
"Thank you, Adam. It will mean a great deal to me and my family," she said.
Ravi came in to the hospital room where she was making phone calls. "Aunt Sari? The family is here from Paw Paw."
"Excuse me, Adam, but my family has arrived; I'll talk to you later."
"You hang in there, Sari!" Adam hung up. Sari put the phone down and closed her eyes. There were so many things to take care of, and very little time in which to do it.
Isaac's Funeral
All of Detroit's notables were present. At the head were Mayor Augustus Edsel, Jr. and his assistant; Dr. Adam Witwicky; the Sumdac Interplanetary Systems Board of Directors; and Autobots Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Jazz, Bumblebee, Arcee, Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Glyph.
Sari had explained to the guests that mourners at a Hindu funeral wear simple, white, casual clothes. Dress down, not up, so there was no pomp and circumstance.
The funeral procession carrying the body of Professor Sumdac arrived, and the pallbearers picked up the open stretcher. Isaac's body was almost completely covered with flowers including roses, jasmine, and marigolds. Sari and her relatives carried the stretcher on their shoulders down to the shores of the Detroit River. There, the city had cleared an area for the cremation grounds.
Sari was at the front, and was dressed for the funeral in traditional all-white Hindu garb. She was barefoot, and wore a plain, white cotton salwar kameez and saree, with a matching dupatta draped around her head and across the front of her neck and wrapped around so that the sides hung at the front and back of her body.
"Wow! Sari's beautiful!" thought Bulkhead.
Sari and the Autobots had prepared the cremation ground beforehand. Called shmashana, it contained two enormous rectangular stone slabs stacked on top of each other, upon which Sari had laid the wood for the pyre, and upon this the pallbearers laid Isaac's stretcher. It faced southward so that the deceased could walk in the direction of the dead.
As chief mourner, Sari walked slowly around the pyre three times keeping the body to her left as a Hindu priest said the prayers. While walking she sprinkled water onto the pyre from a vessel. As a final farewell, Sari then walked down to her father's feet, and putting her hands together in the asian gesture of añjali mudrā, she bent down to touch his feet to her forehead as a show of respect. Picking up a torch, she then set the pyre alight.
As Sari lit the pyre, Optimus called out "Autobots! Stand at attention!" There they stood in formation while the fire began to consume Isaac's body. Sari stood by the pyre, head lowered, tears running down her cheeks.
The Autobots remained silent during the entire time, out of respect for Sari and the mourners. Glyph watched everything with great interest. Bumblebee, however, registered intense sadness on his face, as did Bulkhead. Optimus was also very sad for his partner, but remained stoic.
Sari stepped down from the pyre to thank all the guests for coming. "Please feel free to leave any time. My family and I will stay until the fire has gone out." Sari's family and the Autobots stayed the entire time.
The funeral pyre burned the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. Family members added wood, hay and twigs to keep the fire burning steadily. After the fire had consumed the body, Sari, her family, and the Autobots prepared to leave. Each Autobot came up to Sari to offer their personal condolences.
Ratchet: "Hey, kid, I'm terribly sorry about your Dad. You hang in there!"
Jazz: "Sari, my Spark is in distress over your loss. I will meditate for your strength."
Bumblebee: "Oh, Sar! I feel so bad about all this. You be OK, alright?"
Arcee: "Oh, Sari, of all the humans, I've met, your father was the kindest! I shall miss him!"
Bulkhead: "Sari, I am very sad right now. Please be OK, alright?"
Wheeljack: "Your father was a great scientist, Sari. He will be missed."
Glyph: "I'm so very sorry for your loss, Sari."
Optimus Prime: "Sari, your father was the most honorable man I've ever known. In all my stellar cycles I have not met another like him! Please accept what feelings of sorrow my Autobot Spark can offer, because I know it falls short of a human heart."
Sari thanked each Autobot one by one, and then turned to her family to thank them. She returned to the Sumdac residence to perform the Hindu rituals that follow cremations. Mayor Edsel had assigned a police detail to keep an all-night watch on the shmashana.
The next day, she returned to the cremation ground to collect her father's mortal remains and put them in an urn. With the Hindu priest, these remains were prayed over and immersed in the river.
Bulkhead and Bumblebee stayed at Autobot Central before returning to their work locations.
"How long will Sari be away?" Bumblebee asked Optimus.
"There are two more deca-cycles left to her culture's practices," explained Optimus.
"Poor Sari. Now I understand why it was a dumb thing for me to say what I said way back then."
"Huh? What are you talking about, big guy?" asked Bumblebee.
"Way back, when Sari first told us she was going to live for millions of stellar cycles. Like a big dummy, I blurted out, 'What will happen if Sari outlives all the humans?' Me and my big mouth!"
"Bulkhead, she understands," said Optimus. "I'm sure she wouldn't want you to be so hard on yourself."
"I know, I know," he said. "Still, I gotta think of something to do for her, to show her I'm thinkin' of her."
Well, that's what was in my mind for the beginning of this book. Like I said, it will come slowly as I work on it for now. I've been wanting for a while to do one of Sari as an adult, and this came to mind. Thanks for reading.