Possession.
Chapter Ten.
Sam took the opportunity to wash and change his clothes before the food came (pizza, with all the toppings, and a bottle of soda) and then, as advised, lay down for a rest. His bed and clothes got shoved to the side so he and Bumblebee could both lie down, Bumblebee curled up, and Sam lying on the scout's hand. His back was pressed to the scout's chest, the warmth of Bumblebee's Spark was a comforting sensation that helped to lull him into a restful doze.
A few hours later he was woken by gentle strokes of Bumblebee's fingers down his back. He stretched and yawned, then remembered where he was and what was to happen, and sat up, rubbing his eyes. Sam sensed Starscream before he saw him crouched and peering over the partition he had erected in the hangar for Sam's privacy.
"Are you well rested, Sam?" the Seeker asked solicitously. When Sam assured Starscream that he was, Starscream asked "Then you are ready to try and contact the AllSpark?" He paused. "I have told the Autobots that Bumblebee is safe and well for now, and more information will become available later."
"Yes, and yes, thanks." Sam said, reaching for the soda for a quick drink to wet his mouth, then picking up the soda bottle and the three slices of pizza that remained, in case he needed them later. Starscream waited patiently, and when they exited, motioned Bumblebee and Sam to the middle of the spacious hangar.
Starscream had obtained another cube of energon for Bumblebee, who drank half of it before crouching in the hangar and cupping his hands in front of Sam. Sam looked nervous, as if only just realising that this moment was now upon him, but scrambled into the waiting hands. Bumblebee gently lifted him in them, the fingers curling up carefully to hold him in the sturdy cupped palms.
"So, what do I do?" Sam asked uncertainly.
"Try and find a position comfortable for you, Sam, and close your eyes. When I am sure you are comfortable, I will sing, and hope the AllSpark responds," Bumblebee said. Sam looked up, the look on his face betraying his obvious fear. Bumblebee crooned to Sam, humming gently to him, his optics bright with concern.
"Sam, I do not think it will harm you, I will go slowly, and if it shows any signs of putting you in danger, I will stop. I do not think it will hurt you, Sam, if I thought it would, I would not do this."
"O-okay." Sam said, lying down on the surface provided by Bumblebee's protective palms. He wriggled about a bit, curled up, wriggled a bit more, then relaxed and closed his eyes.
"Are you ready now, Sam?" asked Starscream.
Sam opened his eyes and looked up to see the Seeker leaning close.
"As ready as I'll ever be," he said, closing his eyes again.
Bumblebee looked up at Starscream, who nodded. Bumblebee nodded back, peered at Sam again, shuttered his optics, and began to sing.
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
"We have had word from Starscream that they have captured Bumblebee," Optimus told the other Autobots. "We have the assurance of Starscream that he is safe and well, and so is Sam, but he will contact us later with more details."
"Can we trust Starscream to be telling the truth?" Ironhide asked.
"We must," Optimus stated. "If we hear nothing within twenty-four hours we will ask for proof. We know Sam was in good health and alive a few days ago from that image. They want something from Sam, they must gain something from keeping him well. Let's hope that Sam can use that to keep Bumblebee safe as well."
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
The melody was oddly familiar, very quiet, and slow, and at first nothing seemed to happen. Sam still lay quiet and curled up in the Autobot's silver palms, Bumblebee's gentle hum swelled slightly, the music picking up its pace a little as Bumblebee became convinced that nothing dire was happening to Sam.
Starscream himself had began a low-level scan of Sam, keeping an optic on his life signs, his heartbeat, respiratory rate, blood pressure and brainwave activity. His readings came back as normal for a quiescent but nervous human, but as Bumblebee's singing became more confident, slightly faster, took a lighter tone, Starscream saw the readings change.
Sam's heart rate and blood pressure rose, his respiratory rate increased, and his brain wave patterns altered very suddenly, from sleepy and relaxed to active and alert, and a brain wave pattern emerged that Starscream had never even read about being present in a human. It was as if there was not just one consciousness in Sam's body, but two.
Sam shifted in Bumblebee's palms, moving into a semi-reclining position. His mouth opened a few times soundlessly before he spoke.
"State your purpose."
The voice had the same general pitch and intonation as Sam, as the speaker was using Sam's vocal cords, but the puzzled look on Sam's face, and the querying tone of voice made it clear to both mechs that this was not Sam speaking. Both continued looking, but it was, surprisingly, Starscream who first managed to collect his processors and respond.
He took a step back, bending from the hips and spreading his arms to give a surprisingly fluid and low bow towards the entity that was not fully Sam that Bumblebee held steady in his hands.
"I extend greetings to the intelligence that uses the form of our human friend Sam to speak to us," the Seeker said, his smile cheerful and open, although Bumblebee thought it was a bit rich of Starscream to call Sam his friend after the Seeker had made or ordered at least two attempts to kill him.
It seemed Bumblebee was not alone in his thoughts, for the expression on Sam's face turned into a confused frown.
"The memories this one possesses suggests that you and he were on opposing sides in a war," he said. "This suggests you would be enemies, not friends."
Starscream was a swift thinker: Bumblebee had to give the Seeker that if nothing else. As if he had not just been handed a refutation of his statement Starscream again bowed and began speaking, his voice not breaking or cracking. The Seeker showed no visible panic at the almost-accusation the AllSpark Entity had voiced.
"The situation has changed very recently: if you look at the human boy's arm, you will see I have clamed him as kin. In our society, that means that if anyone else harms or kills him, I must respond in kind. The humans call it "an eye for an eye". It is not a commitment we Cybertronians undertake lightly, and Seekers to non-Seekers even less so." Starscream paused before continuing "If you are the force that gives the AllSpark its power, you must know that."
Bumblebee had to admire Starscream's courage in almost accusing the intelligence in Sam of being a fake: however Starscream, it seemed, had not finished, for he lifted a hand towards Bumblebee and the figure he held in entreaty.
"If you do not believe the kin-bond sign I have made, search the boy's memories and you will find I have not treated him in an abusive matter. In fact I have not only not harmed him, but I have also extended what protection I can over his guardian."
The eyes of the body containing what must have been the AllSpark and Sam moved to focus on Bumblebee's face after this statement, and the face looked confused.
"My Guardians are trained, trained in a manner you were not," he said, this time addressing Bumblebee. "Yet the Seeker calls you my 'Guardian'." There was a very brief pause, in which the entity seemed to make a decision.
"Times have changed. You protect this body, you have the right to be called my Guardian." The entity in Sam's body placed a hand on Bumblebee's thumb in what was obviously a visual demonstration although Bumblebee felt the action was for his and Starscream's benefit. Sam/AllSpark looked up at the Autobot scout with blue glowing eyes.
"Do you accept the risks as well as the benefits of this responsibility?"
Bumblebee recognised some of the wording and realised the entity that powered the AllSpark was offering him a choice and a great opportunity, that to be an AllSpark Guardian.
AllSpark Guardians were those who could honestly say that caring for the AllSpark was their life. It could take the form of cleaning and polishing the AllSpark, sharing their memories with it so it could learn, or even dying to try to protect it. It required a special kind of personality - which was why it was also giving him a chance to decline, a chance to back out without losing face, because not everybody Sparked was suited to that purpose. Bumblebee did not require much time to consider these two aspects before he replied.
"When Optimus Prime told me I was the human boy Sam's guardian, I took that directive seriously, although at that time he was not your vessel. Your choice of vessel changes nothing: I am still the boy's Guardian. If you wish me to become your Guardian also, I would be honoured. I accept the undertaking that places upon me, up to and including the sacrifice of my own existence, if it is required, in an attempt to preserve yours. This oath comes above and before any other loyalty, be it family, factional, custom, or binding oath."
The last part of that, quite deliberately on Bumblebee's part, was an adaptation of the main part of the AllSpark Guardian's Oath, as recorded in Cybertronian records. That was an affirmative to the AllSpark Entity, plus a low-key warning to Starscream: if he tried to subvert the AllSpark for his own ambitions, Bumblebee was prepared to die, if need be, in an attempt to stop him. Despite their differences, Bumblebee had come to respect Starscream in the short time he had known him as a person rather than an adversary.
It was still a surprise when Starscream himself bent to stand in a crouch before him and AllSpark/Sam. He understood that Seeker anatomy made kneeling impossible, so this low crouch was the best that Starscream could do, but it was lower than Bumblebee had even heard rumoured than any the Seeker had done, to his wing brothers or Megatron. However, what was even more of a surprise was the next words from his mouth.
"You are, I believe, the energy of the AllSpark in this human boy's body. I hope I am not mistaken for I have staked all I believe on it and am about to stake all that I am on it. If you are the AllSpark energy, the Essence, in this human boy, than I request the same honour, under the same conditions." Starscream paused only to look first at Sam and then at the sky, as if unsure which he should look to, although, as Starscream was a Seeker and the sky his element, Bumblebee supposed he should have expected nothing else.
Starscream spoke up again, so that Bumblebee and AllSpark/Sam could both clearly hear.
"If you wish me, Seeker Starscream, to become your Guardian also, I would be honoured. I accept the undertaking that such a responsibility places upon me, up to and including the sacrifice of my own existence, if it is required, in an attempt to preserve yours. This oath comes above and before any other loyalty, be it family, factional, custom, or binding oath." He paused, then spoke again. "My oath to you will even supersede my Seeker and Trine loyalty."
Bumblebee stared for a few seconds before giving Starscream two very obvious blinks of his optic shutters, a sign to anyone who understood how Cybertronians blinked a clear message. Cybertronians only 'blinked' when the fluid keeping their shutters in condition were needed: two shutterings so close together were not out of need, but out of surprise. For a Seeker to pledge total loyalty to a non-Seeker was unusual. However, a Seeker promising loyalty that went above his loyalty to his Trine to anyone was very rare and almost unheard-of.
AllSpark/Sam stood up in Bumblebee's hands and reached a hand out to Starscream, who leaned forwards, allowing the boy to touch him. He felt a slight tingle as the appendage glowed faintly blue, felt a gentle mental touch, and then AllSpark/Sam spoke.
"You are usually so careful about preserving your own existence, but are willing to defend me even if it means your death. Why?"
Starscream did not question how AllSpark/Sam knew this, but he was struggled to try and explain himself.
"I - I can't explain it, but it feels like the right thing to do. You are the AllSpark. We almost lost you once to greed. It's like we have a second chance, we would be fools to waste it. Please believe me!" For a moment Starscream thought AllSpark/Sam was going to refuse, and for some reason the thought made Starscream afraid.
"Your request, promise, and words are honest. You mean what you say," AllSpark/Sam said. The words were not a question, more a statement, and Starscream realised that AllSpark/Sam had somehow seen into his processors, and knew he was being truthful. He supposed the AllSpark could not be too careful: too many people, both humans and Cybertronians, had perfected saying one thing convincingly while thinking the opposite, into an art.
AllSpark/Sam's hands glowed gently once again, and from where they contacted the two mechs, colour spun out and ran along their armouring. Starscream's helm became edged in gold, and patches of red spun and spread to form whorls and geometric shapes down his arms and legs. Red and gold tracery continued to spiral down his body, legs, and arms, and ran like liquid fire along both sides of his wings.
Gold began to spread over Bumblebee's paintwork too, starting from the thumb that Sam's other hand was touching, but instead of red, his was complemented by a rich royal blue. Spirals and glyphs spread out and condensed on him, gold lines ran down to half a millimetre thick and then flared out on flat surfaces, as the silver on his face became edged with both blue and gold and the top of his helm developed a broad blue stripe. Starscream was about to ask out loud if this beautiful paint scheme might not look out of place on them both in vehicle form when it briefly flared brighter and then subsided, although it was still visible.
Starscream had a suspicion about this, and turned off reception of all light spectra visible to the unaided human eye. His suspicions were confirmed -the superior vision of Cybertronians, which could see a wider range of colours, would see the designs, whereas primitive human eyesight would not. There might be the brief appearance of slightly darker or lighter areas on their hides from different angles, and special photographic equipment or lighting might allow humans to see it, but Bumblebee and Starscream would not likely be hanging around to let them try. The human phrase 'hiding in plain sight' sprang to mind, somewhat appropriately.
As the light faded, Sam's knees buckled and Sam sat down.
"This body requires rest. Perhaps when he is rested, we can speak again soon."
The light left his body, and as Sam looked tiredly at the two, he said "I'm exhausted. Any chance of a quick nap?" The voice was only Sam's again, and Bumblebee nodded, taking Sam to his bed area and slipping him under the covers, fondly watching as he almost immediately fell asleep. Once Bumblebee was sure that Sam was deeply asleep, he went back to Starscream, who nodded and gave the scout an amused smile.
"What's so funny, Starscream?" Bumblebee asked. "I'm concerned that if communicating with the AllSpark exhausts Sam this much, how might creating or healing affect him? He's no good as a human or the AllSpark if he's dead."
"That is something we should discuss with both Sam and the AllSpark, a question we can ask. Perhaps one or both of them will have the answers we seek. As to what I find so amusing, it is this."
He extended one decorative arm, looked from it to his own red-and-gold patterned wings, then towards Bumblebee, taking in the spirals and glyphs and edging with a sweeping glance.
"I marked Sam with my symbol to confer possession of him, that he was mine and was my responsibility." He smiled up at Bumblebee again, then his gaze flicked back to his own armour.
"I believe the humans would call it 'ironic' that the AllSpark has apparently done the same with us."