Here's an update. I have a challenge for you guys. Think of different names that the Transformers could offer to Sam.
Sam was really starting to hate Primus. Well, more specifically what Primus was doing to him. It made him hurt. All the freaking time. It was annoying and, quite obviously, painful. He sighed and got up, stretching slowly. His back ached. His spine was changing, and that meant that he couldn't move very fast. Some mornings he could hardly move at all. As if on cue, he was scooped up and set on a shoulder. He relaxed against the metal, which was, surprisingly, not yellow. It was grey.
"Jazz? Where's Bee?"
"He and everybody else had to go out on patrol today. You're with me and 'Hide for now. That cool?"
"Yeah," Sam said. "Just don't make me move too much, okay?"
"Still hurting?" Ironhide asked, gesturing for Jazz to bring him over to the dining area. The boy nodded in response to the question.
Sam thought about the intense rebuild of the large base that had happened. The Autobots were all stronger and faster thanks to Primus' gifts, and that had made it much easier. The humans had helped design the human parts of the base and had split the difference of the things that they needed. The results had been very nice. Sam sat down at the dining room table and froze.
"Pancakes?" he asked, a grin spreading across his face.
"We got some syrup yesterday when we were out after we had found out that we were going to be in charge of you 'morning sustenance intake.' We figured you deserve a treat," Jazz said with a wink.
"Does Ratchet know?"
"He will later, so use all the syrup you want now," Ironhide nodded.
Sam ate happily until he could eat no more, washing down the gooey sweetness with several glasses of milk so that Ratchet couldn't complain that everything wasn't healthy. He washed the dishes then was picked up by Ironhide and carried outside. There was a light rain falling and it felt nice on the boy's heated skin. He was set down on Ironhide's knee after the mech had crossed his legs.
"Ratchet might kill us, but I hope you enjoyed it," Jazz said, sending his holoform to sit beside him.
"I did. It's nice to have a break from my medic every once in a while," Sam said with a smile then it slowly faded. "Will I continue to eat human food?"
"No clue. But if that happens, you get to drink energon and other Cybertronian drinks," Jazz said with a nod.
"I think you'd enjoy their tastes," Ironhide added. "But don't think we're playing down how you would feel at having to lose such a big part of your life. It would be devastating to you."
Sam nodded. "I like eating human food. No offense, but tasting the same thing every time seems boring."
"We can mix it up with any number of spices, like rust or liquid metals of any type," Jazz explained. "Copper is my favorite. Tangy and just a hint of sweetness. Yum."
"Aluminum. Sour and delicious," Ironhide said, offlining his optics. "Hey, how about some energon, Jazz?"
"Sure. I ain't refueled in a while."
Ironhide handed Sam over to Jazz and hurried into the base. Jazz appeared behind Sam and started massaging his back, easing the pain he was feeling. They both talked over their energon and Sam relaxed as well as he could on Ironhide's leg. The pain made him ache horribly. He wished it would disappear…Suddenly both Jazz and Ironhide yelled. Sam opened his eyes to see the water mech.
"Hello Primus," Sam said angrily. "Given anybody else searing agony today?"
"You're not in that much pain," he replied.
"Maybe not right now, but there's a good bet I will be if I miss my shot."
"True. But Ratchet gave Ironhide you're shot and instructed him thoroughly on when and how to give it to you." Primus' optics were twinkling.
"May I ask a question, Great One?" Jazz asked politely.
"You may," Primus said with a nod, winking at Sam.
"Do you just sit around and watch us?"
"Yes. But I mainly watch Sam. He's a special youngling."
"Youngling? What's that, some new kind of insult?" Sam asked.
"No, it's the form of a Cybertronian after sparkling," Ironhide said.
"What's a sparkling?"
"Sparklinghood, which is the state of being a sparkling, is a period spanning many thousands of years where a Cybertronian is new to life. It is the equivalent of being a child. Younglinghood comes right after that, and it also spans many thousands of years. I'd tell you the exact amount of time, but I haven't done the math, so I'm not really sure," Ironhide added. "And I don't feel like doing the math."
"So he's calling me a teenager, but for Cybertronians?" Sam queried.
"Essentially yes," Jazz said with a laugh.
"So curious. That is good, for the most part," Primus praised. "You are such an interesting individual, Sam." He paused. "You know, we have to fix that. You can't go by 'Sam' forever."
"What?" Ironhide, Jazz, and Sam asked at the same time.
"I love the name, but when you all get the chance to go and rebuild Cybertron, which isn't soon, but it is going to happen, he's going to need a new name that won't confuse the mechs he'll meet."
"So you're going to rename me?"
"First of all, you're not being renamed. The Cybertronians are going to start offering names for you to select one. You will then use it on Cybertron, but you shall still have your Earth name. Second of all, I'm not among the ones who shall be offering names. I shall leave that pleasure to your friends."
Sam didn't have to look back to see the grins on Jazz and Ironhide's faces. He moaned and buried his face in his hands. "You are evil, Primus. Pure evil."
Primus laughed heartily at that. "You are quite funny."
Sam was suddenly poked, rather hard, by Ironhide. "Behave!" he hissed, glancing up at Primus.
"What?" Sam asked.
"He's right, mech," Jazz said, sounding very unlike himself. "Be polite."
Sam frowned and looked up at Primus. "What's their problem?"
"I am their maker, or the embodiment of their maker. The Allspark was my spark. After it was destroyed, I have been gathering my energies to create a new one. I'm in the process of doing that at the heart of Cybertron, my true body. For now, my consciousness is here, watching you."
"Why?" Sam burst out. "Why me? Why do I have to suffer through all this?"
"Because Unicron chose you first," Primus said after a moment's pause, looking wary.
"Ch-chose me?" Sam asked. "Chose me for what?"
Primus sighed softly, pressing his hands together in a nervous gesture. "Well, Sam, you're not going to be happy about this."
Sam laughed bitterly. "Now Primus, when in my life have I been happy?"
"When you were with Optimus and his mechs. Before the others got here."
"That time was so brief though. Can it really be called happiness?"
Primus sighed again. "Yes it can. Now, according to ancient lore, Primus and Unicron came into existence blessed with incredible power. In the Before Time the two entities were friends, but the jolt into being caused them to become bitter enemies. Primus gave life to a race called Transformers. Unicron, jealous that he could not create life in the same way. So he took to corruption."
"What does this have to do with me?" Sam asked.
"The race of Transformers spread to inhabit many planets. Then war broke through with Megatron. Primus and Unicron both needed something to help. Primus, to stop the war, and Unicron, to exterminate all of his precious children. They both started searching. Searching for a way to get what they wanted. They both discovered the answer at around the same time. They needed vessels, small ones of great power. They searched many worlds, trying to find the perfect race to become what they needed. And then they came to Earth." He paused and blew out a breath. "And it all culminated into a single boy. You. Sam, you are the very first race of a new Transformer called a Mini-con."
Sam sat there in silence. He was a vessel. And he was going to be one of great power. He shivered.
"Sam?" Ironhide asked gently.
"I'm starting to hurt," Sam said dully. "Isn't it time for my shot?"
"Yes," Ironhide said. "But are you alright?"
Sam lowered his head. "I don't know. I just need to think about this."
"Okay then," Jazz said. "Now, let's get you your shot."