She Changed

by WiEGoP

Riddles in Disguise, Episode 1. Chromia and Moonracer go to the planet Tlal to pick up some old friends. But not everything on the exotic planet is as peaceful as it seems and the team is forced to transform themselves in a way they had never expected.

2. Part 2

AUTHORS NOTE: ATTENTION! The new extended edition of the first chapter of this story is now available. RETURN to PART 1 and read the new extended ending before continuing on. Thank you!

We now return to The Transformers.

_______

"First of all," The caped man said, crossing his arms over his bare, muscular chest, "he's not a Tlalakan."

"What do you mean?" Moonracer asked as she leaned in to study the unconscious alien. Toci shooed the curious robot away from the examining table. The Tlalakan elder was grumpy about being pulled from the nursery to the main temple to see to this stranger, and even grumpier about the robots that currently crowded the temple's main mediroom. With their lofty perspectives couldn't they see that she needed room to work her healing craft in? Perceptor was currently scanning the patient with his light cannon. The old woman knew that he at least was being helpful, but the rest of these robots were only getting in the way.

"He's one of the woodsmen, the Tekuani." Alana explained to Chromia, Ironhide, and Perceptor. The young, important-looking man that Seaspray had transported to the temple gave the wounded woodsman a disdainful look.

"And they are…?" Chromia asked as she watched the elder work on her patient using a combination of the modern equipment of the mediroom and the primitive looking materials she pulled from a basket at her waist.

"They're a community of people who live far upriver, deep in the woods." Seaspray began.

"Wild men, men of fear," The Tlalakan man spat, "They fear the sea, and the oceans, and the Well. Long ago they we're too afraid to seek the knowledge on the other side of the world, too afraid to send messengers through the Well, and so they retreated into the jungle."

Chromia stared down at the regal, angry man. "And who are you?"

The Tlalakan smiled imperially up at the Autobot, his eyes flashing under his dark eyebrows. He wore some kind of furred helmet on his dark hair that almost resembled a crown, and unlike other male Tlalakans he wore a short red cape over his shoulders. The man was proud and oozed importance but it didn't seem in his nature to be unkind. "I am Mok." He answered, "I am the Speaker for the Tlalakans in this city. Just as Tlaloc speaks for the city below."

"When we overthrew Deceptitran and were free to explore the deep jungles again we made contact with the Tekuani." Alana cut in, frowning at Mok. "We sent some emissaries back and forth, at first. The injured man is their Speaker. He was the only Tekuani who knew how to communicate in Tlalakan."

"Because he had been spying on us!" Mok interjected, "They had been watching us suffer in slavery for years--they even admitted it!-- but had been too afraid to help us. Even now, they are too afraid to join with us. They fear robots and they fear change, just like their ancestors feared knowledge."

"The talks fell through." Seaspray offered lamely.

"Really?" Ironhide responded sarcastically.

"Away! Shoo you!" Toci snapped at Moonracer who was once again leaning in for a closer inspection, this time staring at the medicine woman herself. Then healer shot a pleading look to Alana from across the mediroom.

"Why don't we finish this conversation in the control room?" Alana suggested. "Give Elder Toci space to work on her patient." The old woman gave a sigh of relief and waved everyone but Perceptor out into the hall.

"You said this Tekuani mentioned Megatron?" Seaspray asked directly to Chromia.

"Oh Yes," she sighed with grave resignation as they entered the city's main control room. "He definitely said Megatron."

All traces of the equipment used to harvest energy from the Tlalakans had been removed from the room but the city's central computer remained as the technological nerve center. Rows of stone benches had been installed facing the computer's screen, giving that half of the room the appearance of a theatre. Moonracer flopped into the throne that still topped the dais in the room, staring up at the sky through large square skylights.

"What else did he say?"

Chromia paused, and tried hard to remember. I can't have forgotten already…it's only been… Chromia was disgusted to realize that she didn't even know how long it had been since they'd found the injured man. All that was left of that morning was a vague blur of sand and trees and mostly the word 'Megatron'. Her processor started to heat up as she ransacked her memory chips for the information but the data was already lost. I wasn't paying attention! Again! The Female Autobot tried to cycle through her humiliation, praying it wasn't showing, but Seaspray still waited expectantly.

"Did he say anything else Chromia?" Seaspray asked again, his voice gargling obnoxiously. "Why don't you recount the entire thing to me from the top. It's very important that we know everything." The little Naval Tactician seemed to be smiling innocently behind his yellow faceplates. Chromia wanted to force-feed the Minibot her knuckles, provided he had a mouth under there.

"Uhhh. Most of what he said didn't make much sense." Ironhide started. "But I'll tell ya what he said." My savior, Chromia thought caustically, still fighting off feelings of shame; so overwhelmed with frustration she felt like she was about to blow a gasket. As Ironhide related to everyone else the events that Chromia already couldn't remember the blue Autobot made a discrete beeline for the door. It was a while before anyone tried to follow her.

…

Ironhide eventually found Chromia near the edge of the city. She was standing in robot mode at the edge of a pier facing the ocean without seeing it. He pulled up next to her and transformed as quietly as his gears would allow, waiting near her in patient silence. There were those among the younger Autobots who joked that Ironhide didn't have 'the brightest headlights in the car park' but the tough old 'Bot wasn't dumb, not by a long shot. And he was a heck of a lot more perceptive than Perceptor on most days. Mosta those guys didn't even think twice about following orders to shoot the real Prime when the Megatron-controlled clone Prime told 'em to, he reminded himself. I bet some of 'em even thought those bogus tests we put the two Primes through were real too, instead a bein' a good way to bide our time till the fake Prime made a mistake. Ironhide grinned to himself. They just think I'm thick because I know when to keep my mouth shut. Ironhide knew that this was a time to keep his mouth shut. She'll talk when she's ready…won't she? Ironhide looked over to the Female Autobot. Her face was a mask.

"Heya Chromia…" he started. What are you doin? She'll talk when she's ready! he berated himself. "Uhhh…" She turned and looked at him. She always looks so blasted expectantly! "Your processor still acting up?"

Oh Great Cybertron, what have I said? Ironhide would've faced an entire army of centurion drones armed to the teeth and electrum-plated to take back the last five words. Instead his foot was wedged so tight in his mouth, metaphorically speaking, that he doubted if he'd ever get the ball-bearings to talk again. He expected her to blow up, or to storm off, to get angry or defensive. He expected her to yell. Ironhide didn't expect her to look at him with those big blue eyes and ask a question that would've broken his heart if he'd had a suitable equivalent.

"How long's it been Ironhide? I don't remember anymore."

I think I hate myself forever, Ironhide realized, and more than the time I backed over that puppy. But he had to answer her, and he knew how long. He knew how long to the astrosecond.

"It's been about five and a half million years Chromia. Earth years." And eighty days. And seven hours. And sixty seconds. Since we found you again.

The Female Autobot looked so lost, facing the waves but not seeing them. "Five million years. I thought…I thought I would be better. By now." Ironhide didn't know how his hand got onto Chromia's shoulder but he was glad it had managed to get up there on its own, since she reached up and held onto it like a lifeline, and he doubted he would've put it up there if he'd thought about it. Ironhide didn't say he was sorry out loud. She accepted his apology.

"Hey. You remember the important stuff right?" Ironhide asked in a joke as gentle as a chamois. Chromia gave his hand a little squeeze before letting it drop.

"Yes, Ironhide, I still remember the important stuff." She said smiling at the ocean as she finally looked at it. Then she whirled about, changing gears suddenly. "Important stuff like kicking Megatron's megaton tranny!" She gave Ironhide a fraternal slap on the shoulder and she began moving back toward the temple. "So let's get to work!"

…

"The main Tekuani towns are located here, and here." Seaspray pointed to areas on the city computer's screen which was projecting an aerial map of the valley. "The villages are located deep in the jungle a few megamiles from the river." he explained to the Autobots and Tlalakans crowded around the computer. Chromia and Ironhide had made their way back to the temple, to find Perceptor, Mok, Alana and Seaspray in deep discussion over the Tekuani Speaker: his injuries, what he had said, and what it could possibly mean. Moonracer was lounging across the throne polishing her little hand pistol and tapping her foot loudly.

"Several hours walk once you get out of the river." Alana added, "The Speaker must have run a very long way. It's a whole day's trip completely on foot."

"If you aren't running from Megatron." Chromia interjected.

"I imagine that woulda sped the fella along a little." Ironhide agreed with a sour grin.

Perceptor examined the map closely, even though it was he himself who had generated it. "We have yet to ascertain whether Megatron, or any Decepticon, is in actuality on this planet. We detected no Decepticon presence," he reminded his comrades.

Ironhide scoffed, "Those villages are out of the city's sensor range, and we weren't exactly looking for Decepticons when we flew in this time." He balled one hand into a fist. "It's pretty plain that something bad's happened to those people out there. And Decepticons or not, we can't ignore it. We at least have to check it out." He looked around the room. No one disagreed with him. "So what are we waitin for? Let's grab Omega and go. He can handle any of the Decepticons any day."

"Tekuani are very frightened of all robots," Alana cautioned, "Autobots, Decepticons, or Droids. No matter what is going on out there your presence will only frighten them further."

"And if Megatron or the Decepticons are there," Seaspray began, "and they have captured Tekuani people, then innocent civilians could be harmed if the Decepticons find out Autobots are investigating. He's used humans as shields or diversions before, there's no reason to think he won't do it again."

"Yeah," Ironhide agreed somewhat grudgingly, "I guess he did toss Spike outta a rocket ship that one time, just for spite."
"Who's Spike?" Moonracer asked from her throne.

"Earth kid we know. Wears a funny yellow hat. Ya can't miss 'im." Ironhide curtly explained before getting back to the task at hand. "So what do you suggest we do?" He asked Perceptor.

"We could ask the Tekuani when he wakes up." Moonracer suggested, "He could tell us what's going on, if they need our help."

Alana shook her head, "While Toci has assured me that the Tekuani Speaker will be fine, she also said it may be several days before he is well enough to tell us all that we need to know. He was very tired Toci said. Almost like he'd been drained of energy."

Mok held up a hand to get the attention of the Autobots. "If you decide to go to help the Tekuani, Autobots, that is fine. But do not expect any assistance from my warriors," he declared sternly. "The Tekuani refused to assist us for centuries, and then rejected an alliance because they were too blinded by fear and ignorance to see the difference between Autobot and Decepticon. I have sent word to Tlaloc and we are in agreement. We will offer them no aid now." The room was silent. The only sound was Moonracer's tapping foot.

Perceptor had been brainstorming. In the few minutes that they had been discussing he had formulated no less than one hundred twelve different possible stratagems, though admittedly many of these plans were simply variations on a similar theme. It was actually rather below average for him given the breadth and depth of available information and the amount of time he had been cogitating. But that was because only one plan of action would both discharge the group's immediate needs and also finally satisfy one niggling facet of his acute curiosity.

"I believe I have a plan." Perceptor announced. Ironhide relaxed, both relieved to know that the brilliant scientist had come up with a plan, taking the pressure off the senior officer there, and resigned to the frustrated boredom he was doomed to feel as the entire plan was relayed to him in all of Perceptor's verbose excesses.

"Well…" He said, not quite hiding his reluctance, "Let's hear it."

Moonracer sighed and made herself comfortable in her throne.

…

Alana stood on the damp stones looking up at Ironhide, Chromia, Moonracer, Seaspray, and Perceptor. She was trying her best to explain to the five Autobots what they were getting into. Seaspray, of course, already had been through this, but that wasn't exactly common knowledge. The slender Tlalakan woman pointed to the glowing pool of liquid behind her which was the only source of light in the large dark cave. The Autobots, with their supersensitive audio receptors, could faintly hear the roaring of the mighty stepped waterfall as it crashed down the mountain above them.

"This," she explained, "Is The Well of Transformation. It allows our people to change from our two-legged land form to our undersea form." She gestured to Chac, her brother, who had also agreed to help. The Tlalakan man looked very similar to her. He had the same angular features with darker hair, but his personality was more meditative and philosophical. He was a thinker not a leader. With a smile and a wave he demonstrated The Well to the Autobots by jumping into the glowing water. There was a flash of light and a glowing orb appeared above the surface, quickly coalescing into a shimmering outline, then a body, and then Chac reappeared, but changed. In place of his legs was a dark green tail like that of a fish. "This is what The Well is most commonly used for," Alana continued, "and it is this transformation that is the easiest for my people, who feel equally at home in either body. But The Well can be used to form whatever body we choose, whatever body we think of."

"You mean The Well could turn me into anything? An organic? Another robot? A boy robot?" Moonracer exclaimed.

Alana laughed, "Not quite. Since The Well dissolves the body and only leaves the essence it is very difficult to create a body that is drastically different from your true essence. It takes much more concentration, and the transformation itself takes longer. Even then the transformation is often imperfect. Little bits of your true self have a way of finding their way in. Even with the easiest transformations it is important to focus on what you want to turn into." She looked at them seriously, "If you do not focus properly the best case scenario is that you will simply turn into what you were before. Your essence knows what its home should be, and your true body is always the one you will feel most comfortable in. So it may try reverting to that instead of becoming something different."

"What's the worst case scenario if we don't focus properly?" Ironhide asked, looking at Chromia.

"The worst case scenario is that your essence will be unable to form a new body and it will eventually dissipate and disappear." Chac answered gravely.

"And what happens then?" Chromia asked.

"Then you're dead," Alana said. Then she smiled, "But you shouldn't have to worry. That is really only a concern for very small children who haven't developed a clear sense of self yet. A person with a well defined sense of self and a strong essence shouldn't have any problem forming their own body again."

Ironhide grunted, "Why are we doing this again? Why aren't we just sending some Tlalakans to scout it out?"

Perceptor wagged a finger academically, "As I've explained before, three times I believe, I have discovered that there are some major, as well as minor, physiological differences between Tekuani and Tlalakans, especially in the amount of energy they contain in their organic systems. Though I do believe they shared a common ancestral group in the last…"

"I didn't ask for a history lesson Perceptor," Ironhide grumbled, "I asked why we're the one's using The Well to turn into tiny squishy scouts instead of asking the tiny squishy scouts who are used to using The Well."

Alana frowned and shook her head, "Even if you could find some Tlalakans other than my brother and I who would be willing to go on this mission I doubt if you could find ones skilled enough in use of The Well to be able to turn into Tekuani."

"If they wouldn't be able to do it, then why do you think we would be any better at it?" Moonracer asked.

Alana turned to Chac who did a leisurely backfloat in the pool as he tried to figure out how best to explain. "Perceptor is right," He started, "Tekuani are very close to Tlalakans, so close that you would have to focus very carefully on the differences between them to transform from one to the other. As we've said, your essence wants to go back to its true body. So the closer you are trying for to something like your own body the harder it is to come out with any differences at all. If you are focusing on something radically different from your own body, but something that is still who you are in essence, it is actually easier."

Ironhide nodded without really understanding, "Uhh huh. So how do we do this thing?"

"Just enter the pool and think of becoming a Tekuani." Perceptor sighed.

"But I don't know any Tekuani." Ironhide said, frustrated. "Just the one guy we saved."

"Thinking of a human will be close enough." Perceptor replied, "The important thing is not to be a Tlalakan. They have very high organic energy levels, high enough to be noticed by the Decepticons."

"I'll try it first." Seaspray offered. How many times have I done this now? he wondered. He couldn't help but grin a little as he waded into the pool. It's not like anyone but Alana could really tell when he was smiling. He slipped beneath the surface, feeling the familiar warm sensation, then the weightlessness as his bulky clumsy robot mode was dissolved away. This time, he decided as his new body began to form, I'll come out with normal feet, normal, squishy, pink feet. The glow subsided and Seaspray looked down. His feet did look organic shaped, they even had little sandals on them, but they were still very blue and very metal. Seaspray gave Alana a hopeless grin and he shrugged, hoping the gesture would be written off as general instead of being specifically directed to the Tlalakan woman. Alana shook her head and rolled her eyes, smiling as no one watched her.

"What does it feel like?" Moonracer asked leaning over the blond-haired, blue eyed, organic creature that was the Autobot Naval Tactician. She wasn't the only one who was shocked when he answered in his usual, bubbly, voice.

"Well, it doesn't hurt, if that's what you're wondering. Go ahead Moonracer, give it a try."

Moonracer could hardly hide her enthusiasm, which was a good thing since it completely covered up her fear. Turning into an organic creature sounded exciting, having your directionless essence disappear into the dark humid air of an alien sea cave didn't sound quite as thrilling. Still, she put on a brave, eager face as she felt the warm slick water closing over her head, and she thought of the humans that she had seen on the computer back on Cybertron. Oh, she realized as her circuits dissolved away, I forgot to pick a color!

It was only when the shining outline that was Moonracer's essence completely solidified in its new body that Chromia unclenched her fists. Good she thought, choking down the strong feeling of relief she felt, I would hated to have had to explain that to Elita One. Then she sighed as she got a better look at the younger Autobot who was sloshing her way out of the pool's shallows.

"Blast it Moonracer, you picked the wrong color! Tlalakans don't come in brown!"

Moonracer was busy examining herself, from her green garment, to her sandals, to her masses of plushy brown ringlets. But mostly she was admiring her caramel brown skin. "They don't?" she asked as she poked herself in the nose. "Wow." She exclaimed, "They really are squishy." Chromia felt her gears grind as she clenched her fists again.

Perceptor waved Chromia down, "I hardly expect that the Decepticons will notice a matter so trivial. The important thing is that her energy readings are normal for a Tekuani."

"Alright, let's do this." Ironhide said and waded stiffly into The Well. This did seem to be their best chance of finding out what was going on without putting any of the Tekuani in more danger. But as he caught a last glimpse of Chromia as his head went under he couldn't help but feel strong reservations. It was easy enough for him to think of humans, and he simply ignored the weird feelings of warmth and lightness. Then he was in a body again, and though it felt different he could already sense that it would respond to his commands. He looked down. Two arms, two legs, ten fingers, ten foot-fingers, weird red cloth stuff. Alright, I think this'll work.

Moonracer pointed, "Now that they might notice." Ironhide followed her finger down to see an upside down grumpy looking red face staring up at him. There was a large Autobot symbol on the center of his broad, bare chest like a red birthmark. The old Autobot ran his strong fleshy fingers through short ruddy hair peppered with silver, a little embarrassed at his failure.

"Ahhh…sorry 'bout that. Let me try again."

Alana grabbed his thick arm as he headed back for The Well. "Don't bother about it Ironhide. If it showed up on your body it is obviously a very strong part of your essence. We'll just cover it up somehow."

Perceptor turned to Chromia, who was staring down at the broad little man that was Ironhide. "You should proceed now Chromia. That way I will be able to scan your new body to make certain you have the correct energy levels."

Chromia didn't say anything, and she only hesitated for a second, a second she used to choke down the panic threatening to overwhelm her. Focus Autobot, focus! she practically shouted to herself as her white metal feet ground against stone, propelling her toward the eerily glowing pool. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something sinister about its light. Her circuits tingled a little when she stepped into The Well, as if the water was actually energy. She waded in waist deep then turned to face the group. Her feet scraped against the edge of the drop off, a tunnel leading straight down into the watery darkness, a channel to the open sea. Remember Chromia, focus. Focus on humans. The water began glowing brightly all around her. She looked at Ironhide. Little, human Ironhide, who still somehow looked so much the same. I've never seen him look so worried, Chromia wondered. He caught her eye and she gave him a terrified smile that was supposed to be reassuring before she let herself fall off the edge and slip beneath the surface.

As the light of The Well's energy flared up in the cave Alana gave Seaspray a nudge and pointed discretely to Ironhide, who was at the pool's very edge. Ironhide was used to a mechanical body, one lacking in the very fine musculature that an organic creature possessed. Concern that would have been barely perceptible when he was a robot, was now etched deeply into the creases and lines of his human face as he watched the glowing orb begin to take shape. Seaspray gave Alana a knowing smile, and then a wink.

She took a little longer than Moonracer or Ironhide had, but the glowing outline that was Chromia finally solidified. As she sloshed out of the water the Female Autobot sighed in relief, trying to ignore the strange whooshing feeling in her throat as she did so. It was rather disorienting, having the ground suddenly so close. The water felt different, and the ground felt different, and there was that weird hair stuff all over her head. She was suddenly aware of how cold it was in the cave. With all the new sensations to take in it was a while before she realized that everyone was staring at her. Well everyone except for Seaspray. The blond man was staring pointedly at a stalagmite.

"Uhhh Chromia." Moonracer started, slowly.

Chromia was suddenly frightened that she had really messed the transformation up. Visions of horrible fleshy deformities flashed through her brain unbidden, and she quickly looked down to see what everyone was staring at.

"Oh." She said. Embarrassed without really knowing the reason why.

"Chac" Alana hissed, "Go get Chromia a blanket."

"Chromia you forgot your clothes!" Moonracer exclaimed, clapping her little soft hands together, obviously delighted. Chac quickly changed to his bipedal form and ran from the cave watching his feet very carefully. Ironhide was now staring at the same stalagmite as Seaspray, and had to resist the weird urge to punch the Naval Tactician in the jaw. He just clenched his fleshy fists and glared up Perceptor, who was scanning the nude and shivering Chromia with absolute scientific shamelessness.

"You appear to have a normal energy reading, Chromia, though your left hand seems to be anomalous." Perceptor held his jaw and considered the creature that barely came up to his knee joints, "I do not believe that it should be noticeable from a distance though."

Chromia held up both of her hands in front of her face. While her right hand was pale pink and squishy, her left arm did appear to be different. From the elbow down it was her old white robotic arm, though completely in scale with the rest of her new body. She squinted at it. Well if that's the only thing that's 'anomalous' then I'd say I did a pretty good job. Chromia thought to herself as Chac handed her a blanket, staring at a point directly above and behind her head.

As Chromia wrapped the soft blanket around her shoulders, they heard a splash. Perceptor had not just walked into The Well, he had leapt in, unable to resist the new experience any longer. A few moments later he exited the water already poking and prodding his new organic body. He wrapped his light brown hair around his finger and tugged, then began counting his own ribs and examining the ties of his sandals.

"Facinating." He murmured. "It's nothing like I had anticipated."

Ironhide rolled his eyes, something he'd been longing to try out for years. He was surprised that it kinda hurt. "Alright enough of this," he barked, "there're people out there that need our help, so let's get to it."

He clapped Chromia on the shoulder as the group exited the cave. He was startled by how fragile and pliable her shoulder felt under his hand, and for a split second he considered leaving it there, not knowing why.

Chromia smiled at him. Round wet eyes framed with tiny hairs, two holes in her pink upturned nose, nubby white teeth behind pink fleshy lips, slick blond locks falling to her shoulders: she looked so different. Yet she still looked like Chromia. "It's not so bad, is it Ironhide?"

He shot her his lopsided grin, "Naw, nothin' we can't live with for a coupla hours."

"Whoooo hooooo!" Moonracer shrieked as she ran out of the cave and into the forest. "I can feel myself breathing!" she wheezed. She attempted to turn a cartwheel in the ankle deep grass and fell flat on her back, laughing until she was hoarse.

Seaspray and Alana were the last to exit the cave, lingering in the entrance's shadow for an instant, out of sight of the others. Just long enough for Seaspray to take the Tlalakan woman in his arms and do that kissing thing that organics seem so fond of. The closest Autobot to them, Perceptor, was too busy ascertaining which structures of the neck he could identify upon palpitation alone to notice that there were stragglers.

Chromia was beginning to think the hair stuff on her head wasn't really that bad. The wind rushing through it was like nothing she'd ever experienced. She closed her eyes, which was another novel sensation, and felt the cool breeze blow over her skin.

"This feels so…" Moonracer started saying from the prow of the boat, but she trailed off, for once at a loss for words; though she hadn't been at a loss for nonverbal whooping and hollering for the last hour.

Chac and Alana had managed to commandeer three of the new motorized gondolas from the city, as well as some clothes for Chromia. They had met back up with the transformed Autobots at the mouth of the river, and the seven of them were now speeding upstream as fast as the light wooden boats could go.

"Do you like it?" Chac asked from the rudder, grinning at the Female Autobot as he steered.

"Ohhh I love it!" Moonracer exclaimed, throwing her arms up to feel the air rushing between her fingers. Chromia shook her head with a little smile, her eyes still closed, seeing the red warm sunlight through her eyelids. "Ohhh Oh Look Chromia! Look Look!"

Chromia opened her eyes to see what Moonracer was shouting about. "Ironhide's waving back! Chromia don't you see he's waving back?" Chromia looked at the boat speeding along a shuttlecraft's length away from them. Ironhide was riding with Seaspray. The Autobot man wearing the oversized pectoral ornament was not waving, but when he saw the girls looking over to them he did smile. Then he gestured to the boat gliding over the water on the other side of him.

Perceptor was obviously talking, though what exactly he was saying was swallowed up by the wind and the sounds of the motors. What Perceptor couldn't see from his position at the prow was that Alana at the rudder wasn't listening at all. She was staring into the other two boats with a look of bored desperation.

"Poor Alana." Moonracer laughed.

"She won't have much longer to listen." Chac answered, "We're almost there."

When they'd gotten as close to the villages as the river would take them they stopped and dragged two of the gondolas on shore. They would have to travel the rest of the way on foot.

"We have a radio transmitter," Seaspray said to Alana, who was getting into the third gondola with her brother, "We'll be able to contact you if we run into trouble." The Tlalakan bit her lip anxiously.

"Be careful." She cautioned, looking at Seaspray.

"We will!" Moonracer chirped, stretching her long brown legs. She waved as Chac and Alana headed back down river.

The five organic Autobots moved as quickly as their much shorter legs would allow them through the green leafy forest. Seaspray and Perceptor took the lead, as they were the ones who knew the way. It was fairly pleasant going at first. Moonracer was treating it more like a nature walk than a stealth mission and Perceptor craned his head this way and that constantly taking in his surroundings. But before long their organic limbs began to tire, and the heat and humidity of the jungle made them sweat which none of them found pleasant, though Perceptor found it 'fascinating'.

Finally Seaspray made a motion for them to halt. The Autobots circled up and he spoke to them in a hushed, gurgled voice, which sounded so strange coming from his chiseled human face. "We're very close to the largest Tekuani villiage." He whispered. "We need to be very quiet." He looked pointedly at Moonracer.

"We'll take this slow." Ironhide added in a low voice, and Chromia could feel his hot breath on her arm. The group spread out a little, yet remained within eyeshot of each other, and began creeping through the jungle. Ironhide could see a large clearing ahead, and was just beginning to make out some buildings, and maybe a cliff or rock formation beyond them, when he heard a too familiar voice that made all the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He ignored the strange sensation as he strained to make out the words. Not that he really needed to. He'd heard this speech before. Ironhide caught sight of Chromia crouched far to his left. She looked to him for confirmation on what she already suspected and he nodded grimly. She dropped her face into her palm. Ironhide shook his head at the words coming from the clearing. It's always the same damn speech…

"With this army of slaves working under my control," the voice rasped, "soon I shall have a weapon powerful enough to defeat Optimus Prime and the Autobots and take control of this planet! Then I'll take control of Earth, and then Cybertron. Then the universe will tremble before the might of Megatron!"