I. Sleep
"Why do you sleep?"
Scully raised her eyebrow at Ratchet. "It's not considered polite to answer a question with another question", she told him.
He looked down at her with a frown. "I am not a polite mech. And I've been teaching for a few ten thousand years of your time. Indulge me and answer my question."
She raised her eyebrow a little higher but thought of an answer nevertheless. Aggravating as Ratchet was, he was also quite a handy resource, and she wasn't going to antagonize him. "It's not quite clear as of yet why a brain needs sleep", she complied. "However, we know sleep deprivation has a great number of adverse effects. Our reasoning will become impaired, our reaction time is lengthening, we'll have trouble concentrating. There's evidence our long-term memory needs sleep, but we have no idea why."
Ratchet clicked, sounding satisfied, and shifted on his stool. "You just provided your own answer", he said. "We're as much at a loss about this as you are. We might not need as much sleep as you do, but sleep deprivation does have ill effects on us as well."
"Hmm." Scully tapped her knee. "It makes sense, I suppose. I was just surprised, because our computers don't need downtime, provided you keep them from overheating."
"You should know better than to compare us to one of your computers." He was using a mild tone, quite suddenly, and she thought he was hurt.
"Of course. I'm sorry. It's just something I do unconsciously. I'm just prejudiced by living around non-sentient electronics for most of my life."
There was a rumble from him that was, maybe, acceptance.
"As far as I know, no one did realize that Megatron wasn't an artifact until you Autobots arrived here", she continued.
"I know. I sincerely hope they wouldn't have treated Bumblebee like they did if they had known."
Scully nodded. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry." Why they'd even considered staying here after that incident, she couldn't hope to understand.
"It's not your fault, and I can't say what might have happened to one of yours if they crashed on Cybertron."
"I'm told your atmosphere might be somewhat detrimental to humans."
He nodded. "Probably. But I'm talking about the disregard for organic life many of my species share. I myself was surprised when Bumblebee radioed in and said you were sentient and technologically advanced to such a degree."
She looked at him, because there was something he wasn't telling her. "You fear us", she hazarded a guess.
For a moment, he looked like he wanted to object. Then, his expression changed into thoughtfulness. "I wouldn't say fear. Not quite. But you're so many and you're developing at a speed that is downright fantastical. It's somewhat disturbing, with us being so few and in need of some peace."
And that was why they were hiding, obviously. Scully tried to imagine what might happen should the 'bots be revealed, but her brain stalled. There were too many opinions, too many worldviews, too much political reasoning to take into account. In all the arguing that would ensue, how many people would remember that they were talking about sentient beings? "I'd say to prepare for the worst and hope for the best", she offered.
"Prowl is doing that now. Still, one can dream. Isn't that what you say?"
"It's meant for something relatively unlikely. Since you have earned the favor of the government, I wouldn't be too worried."
"You're holding elections next year."
"True. But some things really don't change all that much over time. My job alone survived almost three Presidents. Actually, I'd be more worried about the current office holder than about whoever is going to be next."
"Maybe you're right. Maybe not." He picked at the vaguely human-shaped heap of cables and circuit boards that was, one day, going to be a new 'bot. Small and with the mind of a baby and, thus, helpless. "I have no desire to add new nightmares to my old ones."
Scully hmm-ed. He'd unwittingly answered another two of her questions. No mechanical sheep for this android, obviously. She watched his big neon-colored hand poke a wire into place. The least she could do was helping the little ones grow up without reasons for nightmares. Yes. She smiled at the new flame of protectiveness burning inside her. It felt good to have a cause again.
