Chapter 21
Screams and fire surround Drift. Mechs run out of the flames, their armor intact but their faces are just bone! He quickly dodges them. He runs, he tries to transform but cant. The mechs are gaining on him. Drift feels sweat pouring down his face; his armor is trying hard to cool him off but cant. The mechs catch up to him and grab his shoulder.
"You can't run from the past"
Drift awakens with a sudden jolt, he pants loudly and sweat runs down his face. He takes the covers off and looks at all of the sweat that has flowd down.
"Frag" he looks for his mate. But finds no one. Drift feels scared. He turns on the lamp next to his berth. Everything is normal. He wipes the sweat from his helm and goes to the washroom, grabs a towel and dries himself off. He looks at the clock realizing it is one in the morning. He doesn't want to recharge. He puts on his armor and goes downstairs. He sees a faint glow from his Sire's office and goes inside to see his sire working on what looks like weapon schematics.
"Sire" he says faintly. His sire exits out of the program and slides around in his swivel chair.
"Hmm" he hums
"I think I had a nightmare about….I think you know what"
He sighs. "Come"
Drift nods, walks in
"Tell me about it" he rubs his optics. And pats a chair next to him signaling for him to sit. He sits down.
"During my firefight on Friday, I shot a laser gun through the barrel and exploded. It lit them on fire, and…I watched them die….. Sire….I watched them die" a small tear falls from his red optics. Drift stands up and paces a little bit.
Thermal gets up, hugs, and pats his back. His parental instincts kick in, first time in a really long time.
"Son, I've killed before too. There's no wrong in it, and there's scrap no right in it either. You are a Decepticon mech, it is your job to be the patriarch and the defender of your family. You needed to protect your mate, and by all means you did it. I'm proud of you" he caresses his sons cheek, which has turned red. "You needed to let it out sometime, after the war, the night I conceived you, I laid with your carrier and just let it out. I cried too, she comforted me." A small tear comes in his own optics. "She saved my life, if I hadn't told her everything, I probably would've built up depression…." He stays quiet and pats his sons shoulder.
Thermal changes the subject for both of their sake "You want to know a little about our OTHER business" he goes back to his computer.
He clicks on the program again showing new weapon schematics.
"This is the Horizon Rail Gun" he smiles and points at it. "Its soul mission is to punch through literally anything."
Drift examines it "I don't think that's necessarily legal"
"Well, it's not ILLLEGAL if no one knows about it." He grins "Besides, we could sell it as a mining tool, primus knows those mechs need it." He looks on the bright side. Thermal scratches his helm. "I was thinking…." he looks towards his son. "did you tell the enforcers about the weapons we sent to the Workers Party?"
Drift is scared beyond belief "n..n..no sire, why would I want mechs who share the same ideas as me arrested?"
Drift's sire narrows his optics studying him "Your hiding something, what is it" he stays seated and rubs his chin "Im starting to believe you told them, and left my responsibility out of it" he sits up straight "Son, I love you, please tell me the truth" he guilt's Drift out
"Well…. I thought long about our discussion on what is and isn't my business. So I waited until you and carrier left the factory, I went on the computers and snooped around. I called Rodimus and sent him the data"
"As in Prime?" Drift nods. Thermal sighs "I will erase all of the data tomorrow, please, for your sake, forget about it…."
Drift slowly nods.
"Well, I guess ill explain some more about the family business." He opens up a website that says. Thermal's Weapons.
"I handle the serious business; I let your carrier handle smaller projects, like your mate's carrier's case. And most of the things we sell are not illegal; we only go that far if we have known a customer for a long time." He smiles at his work "What do you think, you think you can handle this when we're gone" he looks to his son.
Drift shakes his helm. "I guess I could do the legal part, I'm not a fan of illegal activities"
Thermal snickers "Come on Drift, it makes good credits"
"What about the regular machining business" Drift asks
"That's still in operation, we recently got contracted to make parts for the new trade ships"
"Oh" Drift relaxes in his chair. "What else are you selling?"
"Mostly knockoffs of things the military has." He rubs his chin "assault rifles, scatterblasters, etc"
Drift softly yawns, he is getting tired. Thermal yawns too
"Thanks a lot, those things are contagious" he jokes
Drift says goodnight to his sire and goes back to berth. He throws his armor off, hits the berth, and clears his helm.