Author's note: Thanks for reading and commenting and such. Transformers belongs to Hasbro and Takara, but not me.
A Blessing and A Curse
By: Quetzal1
Chapter 27
Truth and Consequences Part 2
xxx
Soundwave had returned to the mine after the femme left to attend to whatever business she was summoned for. On the way out of the makeshift mine headquarters, he had looked over the refining device. It was steadily progressing as Rumble had advised. Involvement with the project would have been a pleasant diversion, although that sort of thing wasn't his specialty, but there was plenty for him to do elsewhere that made full use of his talents. And now he had all the new information he'd just received to ponder.
Scourge had returned to a supervisory capacity, which freed Soundwave for other tasks such as inspecting the communication signal amplifier. Cyclonus had decided early on that being cut off from those above ground was too risky. It would be bad if there were an attack by the Autobots (unlikely as that was) or another force, and it would be worse if Galvatron couldn't contact them. No one wanted him to come find them. Soundwave had been instructed to build a device that would boost incoming comm signals and also let them transmit. It hadn't been difficult for him at all and it was a fortunate thing it was there, as it had allowed the femme to call for assistance and for him to be able to reach Rumble. Nevertheless, as with most of their equipment these days, it was cobbled together from junk and required regular monitoring. If it were to malfunction the last thing anyone needed was for someone less qualified than he to attempt repairs, perhaps with a rock. There were unofficial jobs too. When he wasn't watching the device he was able to continue his ongoing observations.
It had not escaped his notice that after their relocation to Chaar, the others had undergone a slow deterioration. Those who had talent gradually began to lose focus and forgot some of their most basic abilities. Things that were once second nature were becoming difficult. Others who were unstable to begin with were growing more unruly, such as the Stunticons. Except for Deadend. He seemed to have improved. Stranger still, there were several who appeared unaffected like himself. His cassettes were functioning normally and Scourge, the Sweeps and Cyclonus didn't act any differently than usual, but with them, it was hard to tell for certain.
In any case, on occasions when there was nothing demanding his immediate attention he would study the others, now and then letting his variety of telepathy drift outward and pickup stray feelings and impulses. There hadn't been time to do an in depth analysis of the data but he was almost certain a number of them were showing more organized and focused thoughts. The Constructicons were prime examples. They'd been as adrift as anyone else but now some of the old form was returning to the ones that had it. Scrapper and Hook were both coming up with ways to make things run more efficiently and Mixmaster was experimenting with items found during excavation and having success rather than trying to continue to create new compounds by using the same rocks and debris that littered the planet and getting nowhere.
The telepath leaned against a wall and casually glanced over the other mechs. There weren't enough of the others around to tell how widespread it was. The Combaticons were nowhere near and the other Stunticons were too far away as well. Astrotrain was somewhat livelier than before but that only led to picking fights with the others. What would be the cause of this newfound concentration and what made them lose it to begin with? A familiar sensation pulled him from his reverie. His cassettes were near.
"Heeeeeeyyy, Soundwave! What's shakin'?" Rumble asked. It took only a fraction of a second to realize what was off about the small 'bot. He was overenergized. Frenzy, who was experiencing the same condition, though a milder version, laughed at him.
What did you do? Soundwave transmitted silently to the pair.
"Oh, you'll never believe this…," Rumble said before Frenzy elbowed him. "Ow! What was that for?"
"Why don'tcha tell everybody while you're at it?" Frenzy said. He'd noticed curious glances in their direction when they had entered the chamber in such obviously high spirits.
"What? Oh, right!" Rumble said, realizing his error and then switching to the transmitter.
You'll never believe this.
You said that already, Frenzy interrupted. The Sweep hadn't seen the remaining one third full energon cube when he'd barged in on them, because Rumble had set it aside as he was picking on the Stunticon. Frenzy felt it was rightfully his since his share had been sacrificed in the name of screwing with Deadend, and he chugged it down as soon as the Sweep was out of sight. It wasn't a lot but he was feeling it.
Shut up! Who's tellin' this? Rumble said indignantly, and then took an awkward swat at his twin.
Enough. What happened? Soundwave demanded. If he didn't keep them in line, the two of them would soon be fighting each other. That was standard procedure and they would be laughing about it later but there was no sense in drawing attention. He already knew from the thoughts and feelings they projected that it involved Deadend, but he wanted specifics.
That slaggin' Deadend tried to get us to talk by usin' some high grade.
What did he want to know?
More of the same. You know, what I was doin' with Stormvolt and if she was in with Galvatron and those guys.
Yeah, but here's the best part: We tricked him. Rumble kept him distracted and I kept puttin' more energon in his cube and he didn't even notice, Frenzy said with malicious glee.
He didn't know what hit him. And we found out a few things and coulda got more, but a Sweep broke up the party, said Rumble.
And what did he divulge? Soundwave was amused and proud as he viewed the two grinning mechs. It wasn't a terribly sophisticated scheme but it had worked and their target was none the wiser, presumably.
He was talkin' about how the other Stunticons tried to stand up to that Sweep only this time he started to say somethin' about how Motormaster thinks he's gonna take over someday.
The telepath was hoping for something more definitive but it made sense.
Oh, and he's also been hangin' around with Vortex. Can you believe it? Frenzy added.
Yeah, and he said that was because of Motormaster too.
Interesting. Soundwave already knew from Ravage's prior spying that the Stunticon leader and Vortex associated with one another and that Vortex and members of both groups had attacked Thrust. It suggested an alliance. They were still interested in the femme for whatever reasons and evidently Deadend was involved as a result of Motormaster's command. Obviously his clumsy attempted befriending of Rumble and Frenzy was related. This required more thought. And it would be better to continue the questioning once these two were back to normal.
Check it out Frenzy. I betcha I can hit Scavenger in the head with that rock from way back here.
No ya can't!
Stop. Inciting violence is inadvisable.
Aw, Soundwave, where's your sense of humor? Frenzy asked.
Irrelevant. There is nothing for you to do here right now. You should resume your work on the refinery. The femme is likely to return soon. He needed to get them to a place where they would be less apt to cause trouble until the high grade was absorbed.
She went somewhere? Did Buzzsaw follow like he was supposed to? Rumble asked.
Negative. She was summoned.
So did talking to her do any good?
Affirmative.
Both of the small mechs were used to a lack of detail in Soundwave's replies and didn't bother to ask for any elaboration.
What do ya think about ol' Stormvolt anyway? Frenzy asked slyly.
There are worse allies you two could have.
They might easily fool Deadend, but the telepath was another matter. Occasionally he had caught odd waves of intelligence from the red mech after they had told him of Cyclonus's interest in the seeker. Soundwave was all but certain that he was being promoted, or would be soon, as a replacement for the second in command. It was amusing but he wasn't interested nor was the seeker, of that he was certain. There was only one for him and that had ended long ago in the days when he was still in the employ of the Senate on Cybertron. The cassettes didn't know about any of that. And why should they? No, he had no desire for another. However, he wouldn't discourage them. It was a harmless project and it would hopefully keep them occupied and out of mischief.
Now return to the refinery. Soundwave said.
Alright, we're going. Rumble said. It was an agreeable idea. If no one was there, he could catch a recharge. And also find out why Frenzy had such a devious look on his faceplate.
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"Give me one good reason why should I tell you a damn thing?" Stormvolt asked, sitting up and glaring at him defiantly.
"Because I am your superior officer and I order you to," Cyclonus said. He hadn't planned to take such a stern position, but the unexpected hostility directed toward him did not bring out the little charm he possessed.
"Please. If you're going to kill me then do it and let's skip the dramatics," she said gesturing at the laser. There was no chance of escaping, so it was best to get it over with. And he could kiss her ass, the story would remain a mystery.
"I was merely cleaning that while I waited for you to come back on line." It was the truth. The mech was not one to sit around idle when there was anything useful to be done. The weapon hadn't received proper care in many cycles and there might not be an opportunity again anytime soon. He stood and picked up the laser, adjusting a knob on the side before storing it away.
"Furthermore, Why would I bother with repairs if I were going to eliminate you?" He asked, trying to sound calmer.
Repairs? What did he….? And then the femme realized that she was moving without the binding and slow actions. She looked down to find slight bent places along the edges of the sections of metal around her middle. There were also dents courtesy of their esteemed leader but they were nothing like before. It wasn't the prettiest work but it was effective and she could improve on it later. The mending on her wing was harder to see. There was a shiny patch tack welded on and no doubt another like it on the backside. The edges were coated with corrosion inhibitor and it was likely all over the wound itself. Shit, it was a good thing she was out when he did that. The femme carefully, but awkwardly, reached out and poked at the patch. It was hard to get to and involved twisting the arm on that side around, which made it difficult to use a light touch. The pain was muted a great deal over what it was previously but it still hurt like hell.
"Yow! Damn it!" She said, jerking her hand away. Still, though, it was fortunate that she had to endure only that. If Galvatron had punched a fist through her wing and the light collector panels within, it would have been a lot more serious and painful.
"That is merely a temporary measure. When the metal beneath has joined back together, I will remove the patch," Cyclonus said. "It should not take long." If he had known who and what she was, perhaps they could have found a way to tell Galvatron without angering him, thereby avoiding the entire incident. He wondered if the femme had any idea how lucky she was that her damage wasn't far worse.
xxx
He knew more than the standard procedures for basic battlefield maintenance and repair, although not much more, but fortunately most of the damage was similar to that which he had dealt with on other occasions. The mech had carefully moved the femme from the floor to the table. Her wings and the damage that kept her from moving freely made it awkward.
Having seen an external monitor connected to Scourge after his encounter with the Quintesson made it easier for Cyclonus to do the same to his charge. The readouts on the screen and lack of alarms quickly told him that there was damage but nothing life threatening. Her internal diagnostics should be able to handle it. That was a good thing because there were plenty of other injuries that would not fix themselves.
He carefully pried apart the overlapped pieces of metal that Galvatron's repeated kicks had bashed in which would restore her full range of motion. There were other dings and scrapes that required corrosion inhibitor. Most of these repairs were easy but still lengthy because there were so many. The biggest challenge to his skill had been the torn wingtip.
That had taken some time, although much of it was because of his hesitance and extreme care. Work of a delicate nature was not something that he was intended for. He carefully labored over the wounded appendage, reconnecting wires that ran to the navigation lights and fixing a broken energon tube before attempting the most difficult part. He examined the injury and gingerly ran his fingertips over the jagged edges of the ripped metal. How it must have hurt! And despite that fact she had continued to try to reason with Galvatron rather than begging him to stop. It was the behavior of a warrior, no question.
Cyclonus stood there staring at her offline form for many minutes after he was finished. Galvatron could do as he liked with any of them, which was his right as their ruler, he reasoned, but even telling himself this, he was still ambivalent. His feelings for the femme were still a new and strange thing but they were also becoming more powerful. Her true origins were shocking, yes, but he concentrated very hard on the idea and realized he didn't care. None of them were what they were. Why should she be any different?
xxx
"You did all this?" Stormvolt asked.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Galvatron's orders."
"Oh. I should have known," she said, her expression falling at the news.
"I would have undertaken repairs even if he had not specified I do so."
"Yeah? Because you want to get in some shots of your own?"
"Notice that in addition to being repaired you are not restrained in any manner nor have you been disarmed. This would not be the case were I going to destroy you." He didn't call her "dumbass" at the end of his statement, but the sardonic note in his voice heavily implied the sentiment, or the 'bot equivalent.
He made a good point. Maybe she ought to give the snotty attitude a rest. "Okay. I'm sorry. You're right."
"Now start at the beginning and leave nothing out. I want to know everything," he said, sitting down again and crossing his arms.
She paused, deep in thought, before launching into the tale. It was going to sound like a lot of crazy bullshit. How much would he believe? Sometimes she had trouble believing it herself.
"You know, the entire thing nearly didn't happen. I woke up that morning and it was so nice outside I thought about taking a personal day just for the hell of it, but at the last minute I didn't." It was true and the simple decision had altered many lives. "So I…," she was about to continue but Cyclonus was holding up a hand to stop her and scowling.
"What is a 'personal day'?" He asked.
This might take longer to tell than she thought.
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The problem with a planet that was completely destroyed was that it all looked alike. The Skuxxoid couldn't tell one rock from another out in the barren wasteland where there were no ruins to use as landmarks.
He'd struggled to climb the loose dirt and gravel to put the low mountain range between himself and the machines once he'd gotten away from the mine. He had even managed to descend without losing his balance and getting buried again. It was different from the path that brought him there but he was emotionally and physically wrung out and his patience was gone. All he wanted was to get far away from this dump. The going on the other side of the mountains was much easier and besides, he could find the first place where he had climbed up and use it to get reoriented.
That was hours ago. The other spots where he'd climbed and fallen were visible but he missed the last one. Fantasizing about what he was going to do with his payment caused him to miscount and turn into the vast open plain sooner than he should have. He walked on and on, wondering only briefly where the rocks were he had hid amongst to avoid detection when he had first arrived. They must be farther out than he remembered, the alien reasoned cautiously, before shifting his direction. Not long after he was forced to admit to himself that he was lost. Calm, stay calm. This wasn't a big deal. No one was chasing him, there was plenty of time to find his shuttlecraft. The stone felt like it got heavier the longer he carried it. He carefully slung the pack off his shoulder and placed it on the ground. The direction plotter took a second or two to start and then he tried to make sense of the glowing display. It was supposed to indicate the location of his shuttle, but there was no flashing yellow dot on the screen. Had he forgotten to activate the beacon or was he way out of range? The alien was about to drop the plotter and stomp around in frustration when he thought he heard something. It was a faint pounding sound but then it faded. It must be his imagination, or possibly his heart.
It would have been nice if he'd had a better command of his equipment. Was it on an improper setting? He picked it up and then considered another possibility. Perhaps the strange, glowing cargo in his pack had somehow damaged it. If that were the case, what was it doing to him? He knew absolutely nothing about it. It was tempting to dump it right there…except that it could be valuable to him and he wasn't positive it was the cause of any problems at all. The alien swore in his native language. He'd have to turn back and try it again. Besides, this being out in the open and exposed wasn't a good thing. He started to walk tiredly back toward the mountains and hadn't gone far when the noise rose again. It didn't fade but instead grew louder until he heard a distinct turbine whine beneath the low thumping. There was a shape looming on the horizon and it was coming his way.
xxx
Vortex had brought another batch of Ranazite to the first hiding place and was on the way to his own secret spot. It was faster to cut across a section of flatland than it was to take a more hidden route. As he changed his heading, he spotted something amiss. It looked like a rock at first glance, except that he knew there were none of any size out here. He flew toward it. The results of a fast scan surprised him so much he did it again to be certain. Sensors indicated that whatever it was, it was alive.
xxx
The Skuxxoid held his breath and tried to ignore the fear and growing sensation of panic. This ploy had worked before, why not again? The vehicle was so loud that he felt the vibration of its engines in his bones. He was tucked into a ball trying once again to resemble one of the billions of big rocks that littered the planet and was unable to see what the Decepticon was doing. The noise grew louder and louder and then… it suddenly stopped. There was nothing but silence for a many seconds and then a metallic crash seemed to surround him. He was too scared to take a peek, fearing the worst.
"Well, well. What have we here?" Vortex asked.
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"And then I crashed on the asteroid. You know the rest," Stormvolt said, finishing the recounting of her life thus far. "So you see, I didn't lie to you or Galvatron about what I did on Earth and who with, I just left out the part about what I was when I did it."
Cyclonus was at a loss for words. It was an amazing story and he finally stopped interrupting and waited until she was finished. Now there were so many questions he didn't know where to start. He was impressed with her determination and the information certainly explained many things such as the way she spoke at times, the hesitance and caution when faced with a new situation, the unorthodox style she had adopted for hand to hand combat and the ridiculous idea that the Autobots were aggressive and dangerous. It was then he realized an inconsistency with her story. She said that Megatron had told her all manner of lies, which was in part the reason for her eagerness to help their endeavors…that did not make sense with what he had witnessed.
"Wait, when you first arrived you thought the Autobots were merciless killers but now you say you know better. When did you discover this discrepancy?" He asked.
"A few hours before you called me here."
"That recently?"
"Well, I'd occasionally seen and heard things that didn't fit with what I'd been told but there was a lot going on and I put it out of my mind. Remember that on Earth the others had orders not to answer any of my questions and I found out almost everything from Megatron or drew my own conclusions. Anyway, the last thing that made me wonder what was actually going on was when the Autobots offered us assistance with the Quintesson. If they were out to get us, that's the last thing they'd do, so I finally asked about it all. There wasn't any reason not to tell me now."
The mech nodded. "And now that you know otherwise, what will you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"It must be overwhelming to discover one has been living a lie. Surely this changes your motivation entirely."
"Yes and no. I'm furious about being lied to, yet most things I was told ended up being true in some ways. Besides, what can I do about it now? I couldn't turn traitor even if I wanted to, which I don't, and I can't leave. Anyway, the Autobots aren't totally innocent. As I understand it, they want to go back to the way things were and that's no good. And they're not so noble either, leaving us here to starve."
"Yes, the honorable thing would be to finish one's enemy."
"That's not what I meant but I see your point."
The mech said nothing further but instead stared at her.
"What?" She asked. He didn't look angry, but instead, thoughtful. Either way it was unnerving.
"How has this metamorphosis changed you, aside from the obvious? I cannot believe such drastic alterations wouldn't have an effect." He asked curiously.
It was a damn good question. "I…I'm not sure. I haven't really had the chance to consider it at length." It was true. It had been one thing after another since she became a machine. First basic survival and learning how her new self functioned, then finding her way home and all that followed after.
"Do you resent no longer being human?"
"No…, I don't think so. If this hadn't happened I'd be dead. There are things about it I miss and others that have been hard to adjust to," she said.
"What else?" Cyclonus asked.
"Emotions are harder to deal with now."
"In what way?"
"I guess it's more in the way they're expressed. Any negative feeling I have, like being sad, turns into anger. I can't cry and I don't feel ill in the way I'm used to doing. Instead I become more and more angry until I want to do something violent. You know, like when we went to the crypt."
The mech nodded. He didn't completely understand, as he had never been capable of the other reactions she described. There was no point of reference, but he was able to grasp the idea on some level.
"You did not have a violent nature previously?"
"Nah. It used to take a lot of provocation to get me that mad, but now it doesn't take much at all to make me want to hurt somebody."
That suggested a normal Decepticon to him. "If you had known the fates of your friends and that the others were exiled to Chaar, would you have returned?"
"I don't know. I think there would have been a good chance of it, because I still wouldn't have known I'd been lied to about everything. Humans would have chased me and probably so would the Autobots. I don't know what they would have done. After I changed I hadn't done anything that bad, but if they knew who I used to be, then what? Would they have locked me up? I know the government wouldn't have let it slide if they found out."
The mech nodded. Former human or not, there was nothing wrong with the processors that controlled her reasoning abilities.
"For the record, if Galvatron was still himself, I would have told him before now, but you saw what happened."
"Yes, I can understand the logic behind your duplicity," the mech said, rising from his chair. "Have your internals completed the repairs yet?"
The femme slid off the edge of the table. "Yes, they were finished half an hour ago."
"We should return to Chaar. Without adequate supervision there is likely much idleness on the others' part."
"Wait…" She said, moving toward Cyclonus before reconsidering and backing away a few steps. He wasn't going to go on business as usual was he?
"Yes?"
"What happens now? Galvatron doesn't want me dead yet, apparently."
"You will continue as you have unless he commands otherwise."
"Oh. Alright, but…" She was watching him uncertainly.
"But?"
"Where does that leave us? Does my being what I was count as one of those relationship problems that can't be resolved? Are we going to forget the entire idea of being together?"
Cyclonus was hoping to avoid the discussion for a bit longer. It took considerable will power for him to force himself to look directly at her when he answered.
"I would think it is I who should be asking that of you."
"What?"
"Why would I have any contempt for you in that regard? You are a creation of Galvatron and I am…not," he said, breaking optic contact with her.
Oh good God! She would have to make it very clear to him that she was NOT Galvatron Jr., but that would keep.
"All that stuff about, you know… carcasses…is it true or was that just Galvatron being himself?" She asked quietly.
"He says that it is true. Unicron fabricated myself, Scourge and the Sweeps from the remains of deactivated mechanisms." Cyclonus was getting that expression that conveyed it pained him to tell her this, while simultaneously daring her to make an issue of it.
"Do you know who you were?"
"No. Galvatron didn't say. None of us were aware of our surroundings in time to observe the process."
"So no one except Galvatron knows?"
"Precisely."
"Would you like to?"
"What is the point? We don't retain any memories of who we were."
The studied her reactions. She didn't seem put off by the knowledge of where he came from. Perhaps she had considered the possibility before now. "Does this disturb you?"
"It did at first but not in the sense that I was repulsed."
"Then how?"
"I don't know how to explain it," she said, raising her hands then dropping them in frustration. It was complicated. "Maybe you used to be someone I knew."
"It is possible. Nevertheless, this does not answer your original question. It appears none of us are what we used to be. You were a human once but now you are a creation of Galvatron and…"
The flier was shaking her head adamantly in the negative. "No. I am not a creation of Galvatron. I am the product of two humans and a bunch of Megatron's nanites. A freak of nature maybe, but definitely not anything related to him."
"You may think not, but he claims you as his own."
"Big fucking deal. I don't want you to start acting all weird and treating me different because of that. If you still want to continue our relationship do it for whatever reasons got you interested in the first place."
The mech hardly dared believe what he was hearing. She still wanted his attention despite all that had been revealed.
"So be it. I will not act differently toward you, but can you do likewise knowing what I am?"
"Yes, I think I can." Stormvolt was immensely relieved. The secret was out, Galvatron didn't kill her and Cyclonus wasn't disgusted by her origins. Although… she didn't like the wariness he was showing. But it was such a burden removed from her shoulders, she could hardly stand it. "Would you allow me to do one more human thing?" She asked moving toward him cautiously.
He said nothing but shrugged noncommittally.
"I can't express bad feelings as anything but anger, the good ones are different." She was very close now. The mech started to reply but was shocked into silence when she slid her arms around his middle and pressed against him. She felt him tense and immediately regretted her actions. Ah damn, it was too much. She started to pull away but then something interesting happened: he relaxed and placed his hands on her hips, keeping her close.
"You have much to learn," he said with quiet amusement.
"I know." She had her head turned to the side and tucked down to keep from jabbing him with the sharp antennas mounted to either side. In that position she was able to hear his internal workings hum and go about their business, albeit a little more quickly now. She was still kind of curious but in the end it really didn't matter who he used to be.
"You realize this isn't strictly the behavior of organics."
"No?"
"No. The difference being that we do not flaunt our interactions in full view of everyone. This is done in private."
"That would explain why I've never seen it. And here I though that you guys…that we… didn't do things like this."
They stood that way for several moments. As she listened to the mech's systems operate with quiet precision, another question arose. She thought she knew the answer, but still….
"Cyclonus?"
"Yes?"
"All that business about you being sparkless? It isn't true, is it?"
His first inclination was to say 'Of course not,' but then he recalled watching her exchanges with Rumble and Frenzy.
She took his initial silence as offense but then witnessed an astounding thing: his first ever attempt at humor. The deep, malevolent voice made it sound almost like a threat.
"Keep this up, and you may find out just how sparkless I am," he said.
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Deadend had met Vortex and then continued onward to leave his remaining Ranazite with Shockwave before heading back to the mine. Thankfully, the Combaticon didn't notice his condition or didn't ask any questions if he did. What a disaster that turned out to be. He was supposed to deftly pry the information he wanted from those little glitches but instead they somehow made him divulge things he shouldn't, and not once but twice. That slagging Motormaster should know better than have him doing this. Why was he the only one that saw the futility of the whole endeavor? If he was so chummy with Vortex why couldn't they make Swindle do it? He was a great liar. There was no point in wondering because he was stuck with the job and that was that.
Nothing he tried was working. He was supposed to find out what they were doing but they wouldn't tell him. The mech was growing more frustrated but then he realized something. They were back at the mine, which suggested the seeker wasn't working on the project either. That meant it was alone and unguarded. The Stunticon altered his course and headed for the mine headquarters at an accelerated rate.
