During Spring Break, Jack and June spent an incredible week on Cybertron! On the morning of the first day of school, Jack's estranged father shows up!
"Uh, Dad, what are you doing here?"
"I wanted to come see you, Jack, after I found out about your Mom."
"Mom? What do you mean?"
"You know, after I found out…that your Mom died."
"She didn't die! Mom's fine!"
"Jack! I saw the story on the news! She was declared dead! And now, some robot claims to be her? What the heck…?!"
"I'm sorry Dad, but you don't know what you're talking about. Look, I have to get to class." And Jack prepared to walk in to the school. June meanwhile, was holding her fire, listening to all this from her alt mode.
"Can we talk? I mean, after you get out of school today?"
Jack looked at the ambulance.
"Who's that behind the wheel?" asked his father, looking at the hologram. "Who's driving that ambulance?"
"It's alright, Jack, you can tell him," said June from the dashboard.
"June?" said John.
"That's right, Dad, that's my Mom."
"Where? I don't see her!"
The school bell rang.
"Jack, get in to class. Your father and I will talk." And June transformed into her bipedal mode.
John looked up at this 25-foot tall Autobot! "Oh, my God!" He watched Jack walk into the school. "Jack!" he yelled.
"He's got to get to class, John," June told him.
"What the hell are you?!" he demanded.
"I am June Darby, your wife."
"You are no such thing! June Darby is dead!"
"The human body of me is dead. I am alive, John. Would you care to learn more?"
Jack Sr. was stunned. "I…I don't know what to say."
She transformed back into her alt mode and opened the passenger door. "If you'd like, go ahead and get in. I'll take you to a place where you can learn. You have a right to know everything."
"You're not gonna perform any weird alien experiments or stick any probes in me, are you?"
June laughed. "Oh good grief, no! John, get in…please?"
He hesitated at first, then got in. June closed the door and drove off.
"Who's that driving?"
"It's a hologram. I can make it look like me, if you like," and switched the hologram to "human" June.
"Uh, no, that's too creepy. The other guy's better." She put him back.
"Where are we going?" he asked nervously.
"To Autobot Outpost Omega One. Let me tell them I'm bringing you." And June got on her comm. She put it on her dashboard so John could hear.
"Ratchet? June here. I've got a guest I'd like to bring in."
"A guest? Who is it?"
"Jack's father. Can you please let Optimus know?"
"Acknowledged, June. Will get right back to you."
"Ratchet? Autobot Outpost Omega One? Optimus?"
"Autobot Outpost Omega One is the name of our base," June explained. "Ratchet is the name of the Autobot who manages our communications, and Optimus is the commander of the Autobots."
"Autobots? What are the Autobots?"
"Robotic aliens from the planet Cybertron."
"What?! Aw c'mon! This sounds like an episode from the old 'X-Files' show. I suppose next you're gonna tell me you've got an Agent Mulder."
"Fowler."
"Huh?"
"Agent Fowler. He's our representative from the U.S Government."
"FBI?"
"Unit:E."
"What the heck is this all about, anyway?"
"That's what I'm hoping to show you, John."
"By the way, Autobot Outpost Omega One is also where Jack lives."
Ratchet got back on the comm. "June? Optimus has cleared your guest. We will welcome Jack's father."
"Acknowledged, Ratchet. Thanks!"
"By the way, Agent Fowler is on his way to meet with Optimus. I'll also let him know that Jack's father is coming."
"Sounds, good, thanks!"
"So…I'm cleared to enter?"
"Yes. And it's good that Agent Fowler's going to be there as well."
"Is this like, Area 51 kind of stuff?"
June chuckled. "Something like that."
"Now, let's talk about Jack. Remember when I found him out in the middle of the desert? Turns out he was from the same planet as these Autobots. John, Jack is half Autobot. We'll pick him up after school, and you'll see. He 'transforms'."
"Transforms?"
"He can turn into the Autobot form. You'll see."
"Did they do something to him?"
"No, John! This is who he is."
"And what about you? Is this why you couldn't have kids?"
June sighed. "No, John. I was fully human, until I was abducted by some other aliens, evil ones, and turned into a cyborg. They did a lousy, slipshod job, and what human parts I had left were dying, so these Autobots that you're about to meet, were kind enough to save my life by transplanting what was left of me into one of their bodies."
Jack Sr. sighed. "Are you still you?"
"Yes. I have all of my memories. I remember when we met, I remember our wedding, I remember our honeymoon at Cabo San Lucas. I'm me, John."
He sighed and looked out the window. He was quiet for a few moments.
"I'm sorry I left, June. I…I just couldn't take the fighting anymore. I always wanted lots of kids, I…"
"It's OK, John. That's all in the past."
June was amazed at herself! Her Autobot emotions were much more subdued than her human self. She and Jack had discussed this after his experience finding the little girl's body in the daycare center. Sari had explained that Autobot emotions were less acute, more analytical than human emotions. Now, she was experiencing it for herself! Before, talk like this, especially this implication that it was somehow her fault that they couldn't have more kids – and was the cause of their marriage failure, would have gotten her angry, and the conversation could easily have deteriorated to the point where they might have picked up their fighting right where it had left off six years ago. But now, she was able to put all that behind her and discuss things with her estranged husband calmly.
"Let's talk about Jack; he's here and now," said June.
"Right. I came down here because I was afraid for him; I thought he was all alone, with some robots."
June chuckled. "Well, he is with some robots, but he's not alone. Plus, he's got really good friends at school. You saw them getting out of the ambulance this morning."
"Those two you saw? Miko and Raf. They're involved with the Autobots too. And no, they're not half human."
They approached the mountain where the base was located. It looked to him like June was about to drive right into the mountainside. "Hang on, John," she told him.
"Aaah! What are you doing?" He yelled. Suddenly, the rockside opened up and they drove into the tunnel.
"What is this place?"
"It used to be a Cold War missile silo," she explained. "Then it was converted into the Autobots' base of operations." They entered the main area, and Jack Sr. looked out the passenger window. Towering above him were Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Optimus. June opened his door. "Welcome to Autobot Outpost Omega One," she said, "this is Jack's and my home."
He stepped out of the ambulance and June transformed into bipedal mode.
"Welcome, Mr. Darby," said Optimus. "I am Optimus Prime. I'm sure you have many questions."
Before he could respond, the console's comm beeped. "Ratchet! Has Jack's father arrived yet?"
The medic turned back to respond. "Yes, Agent Fowler, he just arrived with June."
"Fine. ETA for me is fifteen minutes."
"John, there's a raised area just ahead, if you'd feel more comfortable speaking with us," June said. He climbed the steps to the raised area, where he saw the sofa, television and other evidence of human activity. June walked toward the platform.
"Let's let June and her husband spend some time alone," said Optimus. And he and Bumblebee left the central area. Ratchet botted the console.
"Is this where Jack spends his time?"
"Well, here and in his room, which is over in the back," said June. He uses the old commander's quarters. He can show it to you when he gets out of class. The other two kids, Miko and Raf, spend time up here also."
"Where do you live?"
"We each have our quarters in the back. I have my own living space. Would you like to see it?"
"Sure, if it's OK"
June smiled. "Certainly. Come on." And she led him to her quarters. She had brought in some mementos from her old house. Pictures, her nursing degrees, hospital awards, trophies that Jack had won, and other things. There was also an Autobot-sized desk, workstation and chair, along with a hard cement slab, on which June sat.
"Where's your bed?"
"I'm sitting on it," she rapped her knuckles on the slab.
"That thing? Kinda hard, don't you think?"
"Autobots don't need mattresses," she grinned. "We don't exactly sleep; we recharge."
"This is incredible. What about Jack?"
"He has a regular bed. He sleeps in 'human' mode."
"'human' mode?"
"He has two: 'bot' and 'human'. You'll see. You'll see even faster if Sari gets here."
"Who?"
"Another Technorganic. Anyway, this is my room."
"So, what do you do?"
"I assist Ratchet. He's also the base's medic. I'll be studying to become one."
Jack Sr. smiled. "You always liked the medical stuff."
"Yep! Anyway, let's head back. Agent Fowler should be arriving." And they returned to the command center.
Agent Fowler arrived in his car, and came up to the raised area. "Mr. Darby, I'm William Fowler of Unit:E." He shook hands.
"Pleased to meet you. Unit:E?"
"Correct." He showed Jack Sr. his badge, with the unique Unit:E insignia. "We are a branch of the government. My immediate supervisor is General Bryce of the US Army. I am the government's liaison to the Autobots."
"So what they say about Area 51 is true?"
"Let's just say there are a lot of things in this world, some real, some not. I wouldn't go by everything you hear on late-night radio, but there certainly is more than meets the eye."
"Our friends here, the Autobots, are the good guys. They are here to help protect our planet from another faction of their race, the Decepticons, who would like nothing better than to wipe us out and take over this planet for themselves."
"The Decepticons abducted your wife June and operated on her; turned her into a human/mechanical cyborg loyal to them. Your son, Jack, at considerable risk to his own life, rescued June and helped her overcome her Decepticon programming. You should be very proud of him."
Jack Sr.'s eyes blinked, trying to take all this in. He sniffed, "I must say, I certainly am."
"Unfortunately, those bastards did a hack job on her, and her human parts started dying. There was no way of bringing her back or restoring her to her prior state, so the Autobots did the next best thing, and that was to put her into one of their own bodies to save her life."
"The good news is, June is alive. The bad news is, she's no longer human."
June was standing by the raised platform, with a servo on the handrail. Jack Sr. came over and put his hand on it. "June, I'm so sorry for what you went through. Thank God for Jack, and these guys here."
"Thank you, John. I'm very lucky," she smiled.
"Now, tell me about Jack. I know he came in that pod. So he's from this same planet?"
"Correct," said Fowler. "Jack's what is called a Technorganic. When your wife found him and touched him 16 years ago, he absorbed her DNA and became part human. But now that he's getting older, his Autobot side is starting to come out. He'll always have the ability to take on a human form, but he remains partly from the other world, which is called Cybertron."
"By the way, we have another Technorganic here, Sari Sumdac. You may get a chance to meet her. She's been working on Cybertron."
"Actually, Sari's due here very shortly," said Ratchet. "She's got a meeting with Optimus."
"Well, good!" said Fowler. "You'll have a chance to see her in 'bot' mode when she arrives. Then she can transform into 'human' mode."
"Yes, June explained those modes to me."
Just then, a beep came in on Ratchet's console. "Ratchet, this is Arcee. Sari and I are inbound."
"Acknowledged, Arcee. Ready to receive you." And he prepared the space bridge.
"Where are they coming from?" asked Jack Sr.
"From Cybertron," explained June.
"By space ship?"
"Space bridge." And the tunnel lit up. Out came a motorcycle and a little flying bot. No sooner did it arrive when the cycle transformed and the bot landed beside her.
"Welcome back, you two!" said June. "I'd like to introduce you to Jack's father. John, this is Arcee and Sari."
The fembots were more than a little surprised! "Jack's dad? Well, nice to meet you, Mr. Darby!" said Sari, walking up the stairs to the raised area. She offered a servo. "I'm Sari."
"John," said Jack Sr., shaking her servo. Arcee was a little more - reserved. She didn't have Sari's diplomat mod, and harbored resentment about how Jack's father had walked out of her partner's life 6 years ago. "Mr. Darby," she nodded formally, then headed to her quarters.
"So, you're a Technorganic, like Jack?" he asked Sari.
"Yes." And with a blue flash, she transformed into "human" mode.
"Wow. That's pretty cool," he said.
"Your son Jack can do the same," she explained.
"Yes, his mom told me. I'm looking forward to getting with him after he gets out of school."
Jack Sr. and June were headed back to Jasper to pick up the kids.
"Sari's a very nice young lady. What's she, about Jack's age?"
"Actually, she's almost 26."
"You're kidding! I would never have guessed."
"Technorganics stop aging after they turn 18. Will be the same with Jack. He'll always look 18. In fact, John, Jack's going to live for millions of years."
"Come again?"
"Cybertronians have a lifespan of millions of years. Both Sari and Jack will actually live that long. Since I've been 'reborn' into one of their bodies, so will I."
Jack Sr. was speechless. He sat back in the passenger seat and looked out the window at the high desert landscape. "My God…" Sitting forward, he put his face up to the rear-view mirror and touched his graying temples.
"The gray looks nice on you," said June. "Makes you look distinguished."
"Huh? Did you just see me…?"
"Yes. When I'm in my alt mode, I 'see' out of the ambulance headlights, and all the mirrors."
Jack Sr. chuckled despite himself. "Damn, June, this is incredible stuff."
He then got to thinking. "So, what does this mean, for, you know, our marriage?"
Again, her Autobot processor emotions came to the forefront. "I'm willing to do whatever you want, John. If you want to file for divorce, I certainly understand. It makes sense, I guess. Agent Fowler's Unit:E has a team of lawyers who can advise us. They're the ones who helped me reestablish my parental rights."
"I dunno. I need to spend some time to think about all this."
"Tell you what: let's first see how Jack feels - especially with you showing up today, OK?"
"You're right, about me showing up unannounced," he acknowledged. "I'm so sorry; I, I guess I still go running off half-cocked without thinking things through," he sighed.
"That blue robot, she doesn't like me, huh?"
"Oh, the one that came in with Sari? That was Arcee. She's an Autobot soldier who's lost a couple of partners in battle. Jack's her partner now, and as a result of her past experiences, she's very protective of him. She knows about how you walked out six years ago. That's probably why she was a little chilly."
That cut Jack Sr. to the quick! He shut his eyes tight and a pained expression of remorse came over his face. June saw this through her rear-view mirror.
"What about you, June?" he asked.
"I prefer to stay focused on the present, and the future, and on Jack."
Meanwhile on the Nemesis, Megatron was listening to his scientist report back on his latest findings.
"Lord Megatron, I have improved upon the Predacon's optic shields, to protect them from the damaging heat rays which melted it. Soundwave and I also uncovered some interesting data."
"Is that so? Please, go on."
The Decepticon scientist and intelligence officer presented their results.
"I was able to analyze the beast's processor, and retrieved the visual and auditory memories of its attack on the Autobots. Then Soundwave cross-checked the data against archival records. He uncovered something very interesting."
Soundwave played back the video and sound memories that were picked up from just prior to the Predacon's disabling injury:
It showed a red Autobot yelling "Arcee!" and running toward the injured bot, then as the Predacon came towards the two, the red one yelled, "Ratchet! Arcee's badly injured!" Finally, the same Autobot looked at the Predacon, yelled "Leave her alone!" and her optics glowed red, and fired heat rays into the beast's eye.
"Interesting," said Megatron, "I didn't know that Autobots possessed heat ray mods."
"Nor did I, my liege," said Shockwave. "However, listen to what Soundwave found. And the intelligence officer played back a recording from Scalpel's lab:
"Arise, my child," said Starscream. "What is your name?"
"I am June, Commander Starscream."
"And who is your master?"
"Megatron."
"There are some Autobots battling our Vehicons just outside. I need you to fight them."
"Yes, Commander."
Megatron listened to June's voice. "Am I detecting a similarity?"
Soundwave nodded.
"The voice patterns match exactly," said Shockwave. "And I also find it interesting that the red Autobot has heat vision in its optics, just like the cyborg."
"Are you suggesting that this red Autobot is actually the cyborg June? That the Autobots overcame Scalpel's programming and transplanted her into a Cybertronian body?"
"It is a logical conclusion."
"Then we do have another Autobot for the Predacon's nostrils! Fetch Starscream! I want samples from that operation!"
June and Jack Sr. returned to the school. "Would I be able to drive my rental car back to your base? I could follow you." he asked her.
"Let me double-check with Ratchet," and she contacted him. "Ratchet, my husband would like to follow Jack and me back in his rental car, is that alright?"
"Should not be a problem, June. He can park it where Agent Fowler parks his car."
"Thanks!"
"OK, then I'll just follow behind. Let me stand outside while the kids exit. Thanks for everything today, June. I hope Jack will feel OK by my being here."
"I'll let him know we talked, and that you've been at the base today."
Jack walked out down the steps, and saw his father standing next to the ambulance. He approached him warily.
"Hi, Jack," his father said. "I spent the day with your Mom. We went to the Autobot's base."
"Yeah?"
"Is it alright if I follow you and her back in my car? I'd like to spend some time with you there."
Jack was unsure about this. He looked at the ambulance. "It's alright, Jack. You and I can talk on the way," June told him.
Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, I guess."
By now, Miko and Raf had arrived. They wondered who that was, talking to Jack. June opened up the back door. "Guys, go ahead and get in. I'll explain on the way," she told them. They got in.
"I'll go to my car and follow you," Jack Sr. said, and went to get in his rental car. Jack got in the passenger seat of the ambulance. On the way, June explained what was going on. Miko was unsure. "I dunno, Jack. Guy disappears for six years and suddenly shows up?" But Raf was more supportive. "I think you ought to just listen. At least, give him a chance. Your Mom's already talked with him."
Jack sighed. "I guess, Raf. I'll listen."
Both of his friends wished him luck as they left.
On the way to Outpost Omega One with his father following behind, Jack noticed the dreaded approach of a familiar flying figure...
This time, the Predacon has two scents in its processor: Sari, and June! It's about to attack the new Autobot on her way to base, with Jack inside and Jack Sr. following behind in his rental car. What will be the outcome of this attack? We shall see! Thanks for reading; please review.
