7. In which the goddess dreamed of life

"So there it is," Sam said, "I really think the AllSpark did something strange to you, and it's probably a good idea for you to go see the rest of the autobots right now. We need to figure out what happened and try to map out what to do from there."

Bumblebee added, "I have already communicated with Prime about the situation; he requests our presence at base immediately. A government aircraft can be dispatched to pick us up as soon as you are ready."

Saori buried her face in her hands; beside her, Aiolia blinked owlishly. It took Sam and Bumblebee a good three hours to explain this extremely long and complex story of aliens and civil wars, of decepticons and God-essence, of government cover-ups and newly forged alliance. By father Zeus, she got exhausted just by listening! It was past nine o'clock, and they were still in this empty, pitch-black forest, sharing an unlikely tale by the light of a Camaro-turned-robot. After this whole Twilight Zone occurrence, Saori only wanted coffee, and sleep. Then, maybe, she could sort out for herself whether she was really affected by this God-like energy source known as the AllSpark.

She sighed, and said, "It is late now, Sam; we really should go back and get some rest. Let me sleep on this, think about it and sort it out a little; then perhaps I shall go with you to see the leader of the autobots. I have three papers due next on Monday; I still need to get through that first."

Sam exclaimed incredulously, "After all that we've told you, you are still thinking about papers? Look at your laptop!"

Saori turned and looked at the newly-born creature. It was sitting at her side all this while, listening attentively to their conversation, silent and unmoving like a strange toy. "Maybe I should consider the broken laptop excuse," Saori said drily.

"I not broken," The laptop suddenly spoke up in objection, "System files fully operational; document files intact…"

Saori and Aiolia jumped at the same time. Aiolia's air of impregnable calm and nonchalance finally cracked. He growled with annoyance, glaring at the laptop-creature. "And now you talk?!"

"I talk; language, English," the laptop chimed merrily.

"Please stop talking now," Saori murmured, rubbing her temple and trying to chase away that headache, "Can you please go back to a laptop? We really should get going, and I don't fancy holding you like this."

The laptop nodded eagerly and folded itself back into an inconspicuous computer. Saori's cell phone, which had wandered off at some point, suddenly reappeared and scurried on top of the laptop. There it folded itself down and stopped clicking. Saori picked up her electronics so very gingerly, cradling them in her arms. She shot another look at Sam and Bumblebee, saying, "You can get back, no problems, right?"

"Sure, Bee is here," Sam said, "Wait, what? Hey don't go yet…"

"Like I said, I need to sleep on it," She said. With that, she disappeared in a flash of gold, her companion gone as well. Sam groaned. Who was this Saori Kido? Were giant alien robots not enough, now he was meeting x-men too?

By the time Saori teleported back to her apartment, ignored a call from Aioros (no way she would still use that cell phone with legs) and answered with a testy text message through Aiolia, took a shower, it was already ten-thirty. Aiolia handed her a mug of steaming milk when she stepped out of the shower; she was grateful, so she tried not to pout about the fact that it was not coffee. She was strangely exhausted, could barely keep her eyes open, so she did not even remember when she climbed into bed.

Saori dreamed strange things that night. In her dream she was her younger self, black haired and silver-eyed, wandering upon a pristine Earth yet unburdened with human presence. Prometheus was showing her his newest creation: a doll made of animal bones and sinew, with flower petals glued on for skin. The doll's arms and legs moved, its face smiled, and it looked remarkably like Father Zeus.

"He could be my brother!" the young Athena had exclaimed.

"I made him in Zeus's image," Prometheus said, "It can move a little, but still, it is only a doll."

She leaned closer to that doll, surveying it closely. "I wish that it were more than a doll," She murmured, "This world is so very big, and there are only so few of us. There should be another race, a race that lives and dies like flowers and fishes, to rule over this land."

"I think you are right," Prometheus nodded.

Athena leaned closer still, staring at those large, dull eyes of the doll, taken from the body of a dead wolf. With a sudden impulse, she leaned in and kissed the doll, breathing life down dead bones and sinew and flower petals. When she pulled away, the doll jerked. First the doll moved in sporadic, uncontrolled gestures; a few minutes later motions connected together and became smooth. Flower petals that were the doll's skin rippled and morphed into real skin, almost like hers; dead bones and sinew rounded out into real skeleton and flesh; that pair of dead wolf's eyes sudden gleamed bright and lively.

"Hoo, hoo," The creature made some unidentifiable noises in its throat, then it looked up at the young goddess and smiled—a beautiful, natural, liquid smooth smile.

Saori was happily reliving the glorious joy of seeing the first human, but her dreamscape changed quickly. She was standing on modern Earth again, surrounded by cars, planes, boats and all the machinery mankind has ever built. She touched a car beside her, with a sense of purpose that she did not quite understand. Sparks flew and the car suddenly jerked. A moment of silence, then the car roared into life; engine revved, parts folded and unfolded, shifting into shapes impossible to imagine. A few minutes later, the car was gone, only a gigantic robotic creature remained. The robot slowly knelt down before her, holding out a metal hand. A pair of glowing light bulbs stared at her intently, while a deep voice hummed, "Friend?"

She looked back uncertainly, not knowing what to say. Were they friends?

Before she could make a decision, she woke up. She woke in a daze, dreams and events the night before all folding into an unrecognizable mass of confusion. She went into the kitchen as if one sleep-walking and started the coffee machine while half asleep. She didn't quite notice how her arms glowed faintly with alien symbols, nor did she see the blue sparks flowing out of her slender fingers. She was going for the fridge when somebody caught her hand. She started, and before she had time to really think, lights and sparks exploded in front of her eyes. Whoever held her hand was forcefully dragging her away from the fridge.

That was when Saori finally woke up proper. She looked up and saw Aiolia before her, expression stern and pained. Slowly, very slowly, Aiolia released the young woman's hand; his long fingers were red and black, as if singed by an electric fire.

"Aiolia!" Saori murmured with horror.

"It will heal quickly enough for me," Aiolia said, looking at her with clear concern, "Are you quite alright?"

Saori frowned. Then all the Twilight Zone memories of last night came pounding back; so weighty they knocked out her breath for a few moments.

"You mean to ask, am I feeling that alien energy source, right?" She said, raising her hands and inspecting them. The symbols on her arm were fading swiftly, yet... She frowned again, quietly saying, "I can feel this strange power, yes, but... I don't know, I can't feel it properly; I don't know what I am dealing with."

"Yet, had I not pulled you away a minute ago," Aiolia said, "You would've..."

"Brought the refrigerator to life?"

"Or killed it entirely," Aiolia replied dryly, "Saori, the boy Sam had a good point. Only they might have answers for us now. Nevada is not that far for us, you know that; I can accompany you there."

"You are right," Saori muttered, "But after coffee and breakfast."