For the past couple days you've been camping above Soundwave's workstation, getting a clear look at what the silent mech was doing. To be honest, Soundwave kinda impressed you with the dedication he showed towards his work. You practically weren't able to catch him NOT working, if not here then wherever Megatron needed him. Heh.

You still didn't understand their native tongue, but throughout your constant observation you've managed to get a general idea which buttons needed to be pushed on Soundwave's console to open the ground bridge. Your freedom was almost in your grasp…

…If you could just find the right moment. Soundwave being nearly 24/7 inside his chamber didn't make the task easier.

"Ugh. Now it'd be a good moment for something to pop up. Maybe, I dunno, an Energon fight, engine failure, this Starscream guy's return, heck, even an Autobot attack! Anything, really."

Just as you said it, a line of Cybertronian language appeared on the screens and Soundwave paused for a split second as his visor flashed to life. Then, the mech hurried out of the room.

…That's it? Seriously?

After a moment of stunned stillness, a wicked grin appeared on your face as you jumped onto your feet. That's just perfect! You're coming home!

You swept your backpack from the floor, quickly opened the crate and looked around the room for something to get down onto the ground level. A pipe coming all the way down from the ceiling nearby caught your attention. You bit your lip thoughtfully. A bit risky, but you guess that'll do.

Ever so carefully, you grabbed the pipe with your left hand, then right, then you jumped forward, wrapping your legs around it and carefully slid down the pipe. Once safely on the ground, you skipped towards some boxes of unknown purpose stacked in the room and moved a few of them towards Soundwave's workstation. When your makeshift stairs were set, you scrambled up onto the Cybertronian keyboard and started pushing things.

…Left highest key, right middle key, that weird half of a circle, and… enter!

The moment you jumped onto the last one, the strange sound you associated with ground bridge opening resonated in the room as said portal opened in front of you.

With a wide grin you hurried down your impromptu stairs and sprinted towards the huge, greenish-blue vortex…

…Only to slow down, and then stop abruptly right in front of it, your smile long gone.

You didn't understood it. What was going on? Why weren't you running into it like all hell was on your heels?

…Why did you stop?

Hesitantly, you looked over your shoulder at the door behind you that led to the rest of the ship. You wanted to leave. You wanted to leave so badly, return to your normal, safe life, go back to your job, not having to worry about surviving on this ship, if you had enough food for another day, if you had clean water to drink, making sure you were undetected.

And yet… you also wanted to stay. Yes, it was dangerous for you to stay, you could starve to death, break your neck from an accidental fall, or simply be found by any Decepticon and killed on sight. But, at the same time, you felt being drawn by their personalities, full of flaws, yes, but who doesn't have them? Your curious, scientific nature was kicking in once again. You wanted to know more about them. How, why their war started? What made them leave their home world? What makes them sad or laugh? What surprises them, scares them, makes them furious?

You gritted your teeth as your hands curled up into fists in confused irritation. And just what should you do now, huh?

Should you leave… or stay?

"So these are the coordinates to a new relic." Megatron mused, studying the schematics his TIC presented him. "Good job, Soundwave. Knockout, Breakdown, you two are to retrieve it. At all costs."

"Yes, my liege." Knock Out replied with a bow before he and his assistant exited the room.

Suddenly, Soundwave perked up, clearly alarmed by something. This earned Megatron's interest. Soundwave rarely responded to anything with emotions. "What is it, Soundwave?"

The silent mech paused for a moment, and then displayed one of the cameras on his visor. The one monitoring his workplace.

Megatron's optics widened ever so slightly in surprise as the mech saw your small figure jumping onto Soundwave's station and clicking various keys in a rushed manner. So, you were still alive. Interesting.

Soon, a whirl of colors appeared on the screen as the ground bridge opened in the room. A smirk slowly crept onto Megatron's features, and the Decepticon leader chuckled lowly. "It appears our little rat was smarter than we thought. Pity it leaves before the end of the game."

But then, something happened that left the mech utterly confused. You stopped.

A tense silence loomed over the room while Megatron was staring intently at Soundwave's visor, watching you pause in your run right in front of the ground bridge, then slowly look behind you. You seemed hesitant, for some reason, and deep in thought. It felt like hours until you finally moved, returning to the station and closing the ground bridge before you scurried out of the room through another ventilation opening on the ground level.

Megatron stared at the screen in bewilderment. He couldn't understand what he just witnessed. You had a perfect opportunity and relevant knowledge to escape Nemesis and return to your perfect little human life. And yet… you decided to stay. Why?

The mech cupped his chin thoughtfully, not taking optics off of your small form caught in mid-step on the recording before you disappeared in the vents. "Hmm… what an interesting turn of events." He murmured quietly before he addressed his next words towards Soundwave. "Continue your surveillance. It appears there's more to that peculiar human than it seems." He said before he turned towards the front deck.

Yes. Peculiar indeed.

You closed the crate with a soft clang, and went down the maze of vents straight back to your hideout in another part of Nemesis. You decided to stay here, might as well return to your previous place of staying.

As you entered the junction, you shoved the backpack against the wall before you threw yourself onto the pile of sheets with a deep sigh.

You were sure your decision's gonna bite you in the ass eventually. You didn't knew when, where, or how, but you knew it will. You were sure of it.

But, as for now, you yawned loudly, and your eyelids slid down tiredly as you buried yourself in the blankets, listening to the noises of many Cybertronians going their usual way that the vents carried to you. Soon, your breathing evened, and you fell into deep sleep, lulled by the sounds of the alien ship.

A/N: Yes, I know. This chapter is ridiculously short. But I felt that if I tried to stretch it, it would end up horribly, so I let it be as it is. I'll try to make a longer chapter next time in return.

Sheena out.