See Prologue for disclaimer.
Chapter 36: The Virus
"How much longer do you need to work?" Grace asked with annoyance and looked up at Soundwave, the latter leaning over a data pad on his desk. It was only one of many, an enormous stack taller than herself on the surface next to him. He had been working for what seemed to be the entire day, reading and typing nonstop.
"Until these are done, and then I must write the summary report for Megatron." Soundwave looked at her with sympathy, a tentacle sliding out to stroke her upper back lovingly, "Go get some recharge, little bird."
"It's not fair that you have to do all of his work on top of your own." Grace mumbled, turning away to hike over to the adjacent berth.
"His orders. I must do what I must do." His tentacle smacked her behind affectionately, eliciting a bashful gasp from Grace and making her hop, "Now go lie down."
"What if I don't want to?" Grace fake-pouted, taking the shy posture that drove Soundwave crazy. She clasped her servos in front of her, turning her upper body back and forth timidly and puffing out her bottom lip.
His red optics flickered to her, his mandibles splaying and clicking as more tendrils snaked out, "Come here, little one." She didn't have to move, as his tentacles snaked around her waist to reel her in to him.
She mock fought him, pushing half-heartedly at the cords and whimpering, "Please, spare me!" She was sure to be careful of Susan hearing, making a mental note to request that she move to another room.
"No." They plopped her in his lap, right on his loins, but remained curled around her body protectively. "I will do as I please with you later." She giggled, knowing that Soundwave never forced her to do anything that she didn't want to. He was incredibly sweet and nothing but kind to her, just as his assistants were. Grace leaned back against his abdomen, looking at the Mercedes emblem on his chest.
She smiled and relaxed, slumping but then sobering. What Eleaniris had told her made her incredibly worried and also disgusted with what Soundwave and the rest of them had done. She felt more sadness and pity for Eleaniris, though, because of who she was stuck with. Sure Soundwave was a Decepticon, but being a soldier was different from being a leader. Grace found solace in the fact that Soundwave was a follower and only accepted orders but Megatron was the commander, the monster, that gave them in the first place.
Soundwave shot up, his tentacles tightening around her. He left the data pad on his desk, speaking through his comm. hurriedly in Cybertronian while he exited through the door.
"Relay the information to me immediately. Megatron must know of this." He sounded vaguely perturbed and annoyed, emotions he rarely expressed. He must have forgotten that he was carrying her as he went upwards to his master's rooms, his tentacles gripping her carefully to his chassis.
One of the guards went into the apartment to check that it was alright, reemerging moments later and gesturing for Soundwave to enter. He was impatient, Grace could tell, his footsteps a little quicker and bouncing her more than they would normally. She curled her fingers around his chest plating, snuggling up closer to him in an effort to stabilize herself. Soundwave started, optics flicking from her to the room again and stroking her reassuringly with a single metal tendril.
"My lord, there is a situation that requires your attention."
Megatron turned away from the window he had been gazing out of, Eleaniris in his servo. Grace could tell that the poor woman loathed the contact, seeing her shift around and clutch herself. She shivered under Megatron's own attempt to soothe her, a clawed thumb petting her back. Her white optics told Grace of her absolute discomfort and the stylist could only look away, glad that she herself had been spared such a fate. She never deserved any of this.
"What is it, Soundwave?" The Emperor's red optics glowed at his temporary second, completely ignoring her while stroking Eleaniris with his other servo. The former leader was not enjoying the touch and appeared to fight it, pushing at digits her size with no effect whatsoever. Megatron was oblivious and continued the unwanted contact.
"There has been an outbreak of a virus, my liege. I recommend that the palace be locked down until a cure is found."
A virus? Nation must be at it again, Eleaniris thought, trying to ignore Megatron as best she could. The last few days had been strained with him and she had figured it was due to her "not my mate" comment. He had taken it hard, storming out of the room and making her feel a little bad. It was insensitive of her to say that in front of him. She and Borealis spoke until he returned, much calmer.
She trusted the gryphon, finding out that she had left to update in the wilderness so that her mistress would not stress over her. "I hold you in high regard, my mistress, and I do not wish to cause pain for you. Just like your ma-Megatron."
That had made her think about him a little more, wondering just why it was that he cared about her so much. The feeling was not mutual, but something must have been the hook. After all, he had called her "dear" on the day he had caught her. Why the complete 180 in attitude from the weeks prior to that? Why are you so careful with me, Megatron, when you seem so callous and cold with everyone else?
"Walk with me." Megatron ordered in Cybertronian, pulling her to the present, his steps quick out the door and leaving the much smaller mech to run after him. "Lock down the palace and have a sample obtained. A remedy must be found, and you will be the one to do it. If you require assistance, employ Scalpel or Shockwave to assist."
His split-second glance was so rapid that Eleaniris almost missed it but she heard him add, "If my Queen is infected, know that the consequences for all who failed to safeguard her will be tremendous." Again, she was conflicted. His words implied a great amount of care, or at least possessiveness, for her. She was both repulsed and touched, something in her chest shuddering in a manner that made her frown. Not that again.
"Understood, Megatron. She will be protected."
A few moments later they were in the Decepticon Command headquarters. She had only been here a few times, and all of them had been unpleasant. Whether it be undesired yanking, scattered insults, symbolic leashes, or video footage of slaves, it all disturbed her to her core.
All within rose and saluted stiffly before Megatron dismissed them casually, stepping up to the large hologram in the front of the room. "Go on, Soundwave."
The officer nodded, setting Grace down on a desk and giving a dirty look at the Decepticon seated there. It was a threat, a dare to touch a femme he had claimed as his. The subordinate nodded furiously, holding up his servos in a submissive posture. Megatron still held her to his chest, though, and Eleaniris made herself comfortable for the considerable amount of time she might spend there.
The virus was confirmed to be one put out by a rebel group, originating in several camps and spreading seemingly by touch. None of the North American mines, factories, or camps were affected, however, and Eleaniris supposed that Nation did not want to endanger her.
The clips of the robots it disabled made her cheer, showing them convulsing and going still, into a comatose state that left their limbs limp for several minutes and ending in death. Soundwave informed that they had all offlined earlier that morning, but the situation was thought to be contained. He said that a sample was now being delivered to the palace, and that a cure was imminent. Eleaniris was almost hesitant to accept her hope, wanting to reject it in a protective mechanism.
She craned her neck to look at her captor, faking a fearful tone, "What is happening?" For good measure she was sure to widen her optics to make them doe-like.
"An illness, my dear. You'll be okay." She nodded, seeming to accept his answer and ignoring his strokes.
Eleaniris was glad that she didn't allow hope in.
When the sample arrived, it took Soundwave all of twenty minutes to find the antidote.
Twenty-one minutes after the delivery, it was being injected into one of her fuel lines. Megatron's triumphant and relieved look made her want to cry all over again as he took his own vaccination. It was just another point for him and his forces, a speedbump that was meant to be a wall.
Maybe it was not even a speedbump, but more a crack in the road. It reeked of easy victory, of a planet resigned to slavery for eternity. It was another backhand to her, another spit in the face, another kick to the gut, another lash to her already raw and broken back. It came as a reminder of his race's superiority, of his utter dominance over humanity.
Of his utter, complete dominance over her. Her mind mocked sardonically, Slave Queen.
He returned later to their apartments, setting her on his chest as he laid in his berth. "I will always protect you, my dear. I will never allow you to be lost." His optics seemed so sincere, so fond of her, but her heart still bled. Only a few Decepticons had been taken out, and many more of them still held their whips and still drank the Energon stolen from her home. They would stop at nothing until the Earth was raped completely of all she could offer to her invaders, and even then Eleaniris was sure that they would still rape her for sheer, sick pleasure. Schadenfreude, she thought that pleasure at pain was called.
"What a vicious little human," Megatron teased playfully, making her halt her ravenous wolfing of the cheeseburger in front of her. She hadn't had meat in what seemed to be forever, and the sight of a well-cooked, safe piece of beef made her turn into an animal.
He had turned all of them into animals really, killing each other for their own survival and fighting over what the Decepticons didn't want and deemed suitable for humanity. It wasn't much, based on what she had seen.
God how he disgusted her.
Nevertheless she slowed and ate what little was left with dignity, sitting straighter in his palm and opening her stance so that she was no longer hunched over the food protectively.
The Energon factory had been built nearby an old nuclear power plant, using the nuclear waste there to make the lifeblood of their invaders. As angry as she was to see the aliens sucking their resources dry and living off of the back of humanity, she was pleased to see that the slaves were given the appropriate clothing and protective wear for dealing with the waste product. They also appeared trained, like they had worked there prior to the day that changed the Earth forever. That part she didn't know what to think of, save for the fact that Megatron was extremely methodical and through.
She shifted on his chassis, unable to sleep, and reflected further.
The logistics were amazing for a three-day takeover. The Decepticons were an astounding, stunning, spectacular war machine. She could admit that they were astonishingly organized, in the same way the Nazi Party was not so long ago in Germany.
That parallel between the two forces made her shudder, and without her permission her mind continued, No wonder the slave camps felt like Auschwitz.
She stopped that line of thought right there, not wanting to walk down a path of more painful reflection. She was sick of pain, sick of drowning in it every time she woke up and every time she went to bed. Sick of being powerless.
"Hey! Look! It's President Squishy!" She tried to ignore them, but the two officers kept poking fun at her, smashing her face in her failure. "Or should I say Pet Squishy?" She almost whimpered, fighting to keep the tears away and looking desperately for the only Decepticon that would protect her.
Megatron.
He had gone to see about something in the command room of the slave camp, and left his "Queen" to wonder on her own. Evidently he had too much faith in his forces.
The two crouched to her level, the red Honda grabbing her and the blue Ford smirking malevolently, "You're a different little insect, aren't you?" His claw traced her belly and scratched the bare metal there, just deeply enough to leave a scratch. "Tell me how it feels, human, to be owned by one of us gods?"
She turned her face away, squeezing her optics shut to contain the tears. "Scared, human?" the Honda snickered, "Because you should tremble in our presence." Another claw joined the first, this time over her heaving chest. It didn't seem to matter to them that she was a Cybertronain, for she supposed that a human slave was a human slave.
"What an obedient little slave. Our leader must have such fun with you," the Ford insulted, "Is it comfortable between your invader's pedes, little leader? How does it feel to be conquered and then taken as a toy, an amusement for your masters?"
"He could throw you away just like the trash you are any time that he wants to, puny insect. The moment he breaks you, he will crush you like the bug you are and there is nothing you can do to stop him." The laugh reverberated in her chest, tearing her soul to pieces.
"I must also tell you, the resources of this planet are so delicious. It is wonderful to have your race fill my tanks for me." The alien sneered, hot breath hitting her in the face like a backhand. "I don't have to do any work, for this planet is so fertile and rich that our army of a billion can feed upon its offerings."
She couldn't take it any more and prayed that he was nearby as she screamed desperately, "MEGATRON!"
The two laughed raucously at her torment, one of them adding "He can't hear you, little pet."
"Oh, he can." Her optics shot open, locking with the familiar blood-red orbs.
He knelt and gestured for her to come to him. She did, hating the speed with which she ran to both her defender and her opposer. His servo curled around her protectively, gripping her to his chassis and letting her cry. He taught her to play back clips from her memory, and she did so through her hiccups and sobs.
Megatron's whole demeanor changed through the harassment, an animalistic snarl sounding in her audios when they called her "trash." Nevertheless, he let the clip finish before he growled dangerously, "So she is trash to you, hmmm?"
She dared to raise her helm from his broad, strong chest. The two were cowering in submission, their optics not meeting their commander's. "What type of ignoramus imbeciles must you be, then? If your Queen is an insect," he was spitting with his fury, optics bright with umbrage, "what are two ignoble, worthless, slagging drones?"
He raised her to his cheek and to her horror her servos pulled her closer, begging for comfort and reassurance. "I'm going to put you down, Eleaniris." She nodded, sniffing, and stepped away as he advanced on the subordinates.
The blue Ford was the first to go, his body pulled apart through the middle. She was numb as she watched metal split and wires snap, little bolts and parts scattering the ground. A torrent of Energon flooded the floor as the mech gave a last, gurgling scream.
She felt immensely barbaric at the undeniable gratification in her belly as Megatron ripped them apart, but knew that she was justified. Their insults were the worst she had ever received, spoken or unspoken. She could not rationalize her willingness to let her conqueror, the one who had put her in this situation in the first place with his rout of her planet, of her home.
He dropped the two irrecoverable, broken bodies to the metal floor, stepping towards her and scooping her up. "It's alright now, precious. You're safe."
The saddest part of this tragedy was that she did not even attempt to deny him the truth of his words. He cooed, rocking her and nuzzling her with his huge cheek, "You're safe."
"I don't get it." Simmons shook his head, genuinely perplexed, "It worked in the movies."
"We can hardly apply Independence Day here, Simmons. It was all made up." Lennox said flatly in his seat across from the Sector Seven agent. He had barely touched his food, the small plate of brown mash growing cold.
"They are more advanced than us, that much is for sure." Wilson's index finger rested on his jaw, his thumb on the other side and middle of his hand propping up his chin. He was staring at his paste as well, only a couple of bites missing. "I think we need some more ideas."
"What about this Optimum Price?" Simmons asked hopefully.
"Optimus Prime, Simmons." Lennox looked officially done and his eye roll implied Get with the program.
"The maps provided to us are detailed and we have several who have seen the machines operated and will help us." Burns said carefully, watching their faces of elation, "But it looks like we will need a distraction."
"Do we need to write another letter? Or is it a matter of opportunity?" Wilson perked up, eyes shining a little more with hope.
"I believe we must write a note to inform her that we need an opening." Burns said hesitantly, "But there is not much we can do except think of another plague for the time being."
They sat quietly, none of them uttering a word and staring at their plates. The cafeteria moved around them, but their table seemed to be frozen in time. After an unknown period, Simmons broke the silence and said to the other three men, "They have fuel plants, don't they? Could we sneak something into that? A toxin of some sort, like bleach?"
Burns nodded at premise of the idea but declined politely, "That could hurt Eleanor, though."
Lennox suggested, "What about we get the serial number of that shipment, if there is one, and give it to her?"
"But what if they track the number down to a factory? They will probably find who added it and execute them." Wilson contributed, his eyes focused on the blank wall behind Simmons and Burns.
"It seems that this must be discussed. We cannot do this without those adding the bleach knowing of the probability." Burns stood, taking his plate with him, "In the meantime, I will tell Eleanor of what we need."
"We need a distraction." Starscream growled with displeasure at Thundercracker's news, never one for patience. His gaze followed him as he paced.
"Then find one. I need to get into that palace." Starscream continued to walk after his trine-mate had left, pondering and planning.
I promise that the next chapter will be a little more cheery, guys. This was really dark and I will write the next to be a tad lighter.
JJAndrews - Thank you! I like other elements of Transformers, and you will see other characters besides the Bayverse ones in here.
The Whispering Sage - We shall see. I really don't want to spoil anything, so I cannot confirm nor deny. Thanks for your support!
xxyangxx2006 - We all love Borealis. Little chipper, loyal thing she is. Thank you for your review!
sakurawriter - I believe that Megatron treats Eleaniris this way because a) he's desperate and b) he's controlling by nature and she is just so small. I will touch on this later. Hopefully Soundwave and Grace came across well here and shed some light on who Megatron's work has been rerouted to (Poor SW). As always, thank you for your deliciously long review!
Thank you all for your support through this long story, whether you have left a review or favorited or followed, it means so much to me. Please leave a review if you have time!