The Return of the Thylacine
Disclaimer: Transformers are the copyright of Hasbro and Takara. This work of fiction is written solely for entertainment purposes and is not intended for profit.
Author's Note(s): This story is dedicated in memory of Benjamin, the last known living thylacine who died on September 7th, 1936 at the Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart, Tasmania.
This story follows Season 2 of the G1 Transformers, but should also be considered AU for several reasons:
1: The setting is modern day instead of the 1980s. Some liberties have been taken.
2: Some concepts from later renditions such as the All Spark and Primus will be acknowledged.
3: The elements and subject matter of the story will deal with mature themes that would not be found in a series targeted at children.
Chapter 8: Goodbyes and Beginnings
New York City was much larger than both Portland and San Francisco combined. In fact, the metropolis could easily swallow both cities several times over with room to spare. Sparkplug's garage was located in the Upper Manhattan area near Harlem. The building was much larger than the standard garage. In fact, much of it resembled a smaller version of the Ark, built partially with Cynertronian technology. It even had a monitor connected to Teletraan 1.
Several mechanics welcomed the autobots and Dyani. They had been alerted beforehand by Sparkplug. One of them was a young man of latino ancestry, although really still a teenager. His name was Luca Perez and was currently apprenticing at the garage. He stared at the self-driving corvette for quite some time. He had heard so much about Tracks and now he was here with a girl. He noticed she was carrying an old-style boombox. That must be Blaster.
The autobots converted to robot mode. Tracks took Dyani by the hand and used his optics to permit them access to the control center. Blaster was already in there contacting Prime via Teletraan 1. The corvette showed Dyani a small living space used by the Witwickys whenever they were in town.
"You should have all the amenities you'll need," he told her. "There's even some Cybertronian ones for Blaster and myself, but they're rather spartan compared to the Ark."
Dyani set her bag on the bed. "It'll do. Are those mechanics Autubot allies?"
Tracks nodded. "Most of them. I haven't seen that boy before."
"Sparkplug must know him if he's working here," guessed Dyani. She smiled and continued, "There's only one way to find out. Come on."
The mechanics introduced themselves as: Lorenzo, Manny and Rick. All of them had the thick New Yorker accent and were a bit rough around the edges, but good-natured guys. Luca was their apprentice. It turned out that he was also one of Raoul's breaking students. Lorenzo was around Sparkplug's age, and the oldest of the group. He was Italian-American and born in Brooklyn. Manny in his early thirties. He was originally from the Philippines, but later immigrated to New York. Rick was in his twenties and had finished his apprenticeship about a year prior.
Lorenzo shook Dyani's hand and said, "Nice to meetcha. You-an Indian? Sorry."
The girl nodded. She took no offense to being called an Indian, although her grandmother made it clear that she was Native American. "I am. My mother is Lakota. My father is of Apache and Welsh-American ancestry."
The mechanics were a friendly bunch as far as New Yorkers go. They liked to insult one another, but in a playful way. It kind of reminded her of the days back in Los Angeles, before her father worked for Kagayaku Motors. The boy, Luca, kept staring at them in silence. Moreover, he seemed uncomfortable with the both of them being there.
Manny frowned. "Whatcha doin bein a sourpuss foh?" he asked the kid.
Luca shot him a piercing glance and shouted, "Because I feel like it!"
"Because ya feel like bein a rude little punk. That ain't what Raoul would've wanted ya to act like to his best friend heah!"
The young man glared at the older man. "Screw you guys! I don't need this shit! I'm outta here!" He started to leave when his way was blocked by Tracks. The giant robot looked down at Luca with cyan-blue eyes. The youth let out a yell and started pummeling one of his legs. "Move!" he hollered. "You let Raoul die! You should have been here!"
Dyani jumped up and was about to lash out at him when Tracks held out his right hand and shook his head. She obeyed reluctantly and stayed put.
Luca beat on the giant robot until he dropped to his knees, exhausted and with bloody knuckles. His body trembled as he broke down and cried at the autobot's feel. He felt metallic arms wrap around his body and a voice whisper. "There is not a moment that goes by where I regret that I was not here. I miss him too. Raoul was special to me. He was someone special to you too."
"He got me off the streets where I spent three months homeless after my 'rents disowned me," he wept. "Raoul caught me trying to steal copper scrap to get money for food. He took me in and became my brother."
Tracks felt glints form in his eyes. He was both proud of Raoul, and filled with compassion for Luca's grief. He had an understanding of what the youth was going through. He frowned at the sight of his raw and bleeding hands. "You should get those taken care of," he said.
"I'm on it," sighed Lorenzo as he grabbed the first aid kit.
"Sorry about this," Luca muttered, looking down at the floor.
The older mechanic put medicine on the boy's knuckles. "Don't be sorry, just be moh careful. You ain't alone."
Dyani noticed a picture on the wall of a boy about her age with long hair and a leather jacket. She wondered if that was Raoul. He looked like a smug son of a bitch, and also kind of good-looking. Tracks stood behind with an embrace. "I miss him," he said.
"We all do," said Manny, who was pouring water into a coffee maker. "Anyone wanna cup of caw-fee?"
"I do," Lorenzo replied. "I'm shuh Rick does too. Luca, ya want some? Dyani?" They agreed.
Blaster peeked out of the control room. He had just got off his video call with Prime and overheard the commotion. "Everything cool?" he asked.
Lorenzo gave him a thumbs up. "Everything's okay." He went back to finishing wrapping gauze around Luca's knuckles. "You ain't gonna be much good working on cars for 'bout a week. Ya cool with handling phone cawls and taking inventory?"
Luca nodded sheepishly. "Sure."
Rick patted the younger man on the back and laughed, "Cheer up will ya. It'll give you some time to observe and take notes."
Tracks had a sad smile. He bent down to Luca's level and said, "I know the hurt won't disappear overnight, but you have friends here that support you, as do I. Grief is a terrible burden to bear, I know. Raoul is in here." He pointed to the youth's heart. "He's also watching over you, me, and everyone else he cares about. Trust me on that."
Luca hugged the giant robot and cried.
Manny passed out coffee to all the humans. Dyani blew on hers. It was too hot to drink.
Blaster grinned. He couldn't stand all the tension and thought about lightening the mood. He transformed into his alt-mode. "How about some tunes?"
They all agreed, but suggested Blaster play something to everyone's liking. It was decided that classic rock would be a nice compromise. Luca's anxieties faded into relief. Even with Raoul's passing, he wasn't alone.
As evening drew close, the mechanics closed the garage. They all left to go to their respective homes. Manny and Rick were roommates and lived in an apartment several blocks away. Lorenzo lived further out in a duplex. He had taken in Raoul and later Luca after coming to work for Sparkplug. They said their goodbyes and left to watch the subway. It was just Dyani and the two autobots that remained.
The girl turned to them and said, "I want to go out. We're near Patsy's Pizzeria, and I don't want to pass that up."
"I could use some fresh air, myself," replied Tracks. That part was true, but he also didn't want Dyani going off alone in an unfamiliar city.
Blaster converted into his alt-mode. "Rockin plan, my dudes. It's a fine night for cruisin New York City."
Dyani laughed. "Okay, let's hit the town!"
Tracks walked beside Dyani, who was carrying Blaster. The Pizzeria was several city blocks away, but the city streets were far too congested for him to drive around as a corvette. He would have been happy to fly them to the destination, but Dyani was insistent on walking to get the New York experience. Patsy's was located near a street corner of 1st Avenue in East Harlem. Tracks eyed a parking space across the street and took Blaster.
"I'm going to take advantage of that before some taxi steals it," he said. "You have fun."
The slice of coal-oven pizza was like heaven in Dyani's mouth. She savored the hot, gooey mozzarella and the tangy marinara sauce. It was easy to understand why it was arguably the best pizzas in New York, if not the whole of the United States. After finishing her pizza, Dyani left a tip and went outside. She saw Tracks still parked across the street and made a mental note. It was a nice evening and she wanted to explore a little more. She decided to turn onto E 118th Street to see if there were any coffee or dessert shops. There was a pie shop, but the sign on the door read temporarily closed. Across the street there was a school, but it was also closed due it being nighttime. Dyani decided to wander a bit further. This area seemed a bit grittier than 1st Avenue. It reminded her of her neighborhood in LA.
Tracks might be worrying me. Maybe I should head back. She thought. Dyani pulled out her phone to check the map for a moment. She had just pinpointed the quickest way back when two men staggered out of a nearby bar. They reeked of whiskey. One lit a cigarette, while his buddy was eying her.
"Hey honey, you lost?" he called.
Dyani pretended not to hear and proceeded to walk away from them. She detested being around drunks.
The other man blew smoke rings and said, "We'll be glad to keep you company, babe."
The girl shook her head and walked away. The men proceeded to follow when a stylish blue corvette pulled up beside her. She quickly got inside before it sped off. Through the rear window, she could see the men shrug and walk off.
"Next time, stay on the main thoroughfare. This area's not safe at night!" berated Tracks. He was angry with her. He fretted about what could have happened to Dyani. "Why do you always go looking for trouble? We're going back to Sparkplug's Garage. I think you've had enough of New York for one night!"
There was something about the way he was behaving that upset Dyani. She folded her arms defensively and hissed, "If you must know, I was looking for a dessert shop! I was on my way back before you went all mother henning! I'm your girlfriend, but I'm also my own person. I don't need you trying to keep me under wraps all the time. You're not my bodyguard anymore!"
"I have a right to protect you!"
The girl shouted, "I wasn't in danger! Those guys were drunk, but they didn't have any guns or nothing!"
"How do you know they didn't? I saw them following you!"
Tears streamed down Dyani's face as she punched him in the seat. "Leave me alone!"
The corvette's engine screamed with frustration. Why couldn't she see he was afraid of losing her like he lost Raoul? He just wanted to keep her safe? Once they arrived back at the garage, Dyani got out as fast as she could and ran into the human quarters. Tracks remained in alt-mode and parked in a corner.
Blaster hopped out and converted to robot mode. He knelt down to comfort Tracks. "You gotta get a grip, my man."
Tracks transformed and sat down. He was downcast.
"I know you're scared of losing her, but you can't be in her face all the time," said Blaster.
"I came here so I can move on," sobbed Tracks. "I thought I was getting better, but all I've done since we've got here is sabotage my relationship with Dyani. Maybe us being together isn't the right thing for her?"
Blaster frowned. "Do you want to know what I think?"
The corvette nodded.
The larger autobot put an arm around Tracks and continued, "Raoul was your main organic. It hurt so bad when you lost him, and now that you got another to love, you're scared the same thing is gonna to happen to her. You'll go crazy, my dude. You gotta love Dyani, but also you gotta live. No one's sayin you can't worry about the hunny. What I'm sayin is you gotta let her live her life and live yours too. That girl loves you, my guy. Let her blow off some steam and you'll both be fine. Speaking of steam, let's soak in some oil. How's that sound?"
"That sounds like a capital idea," said Tracks. He was helped to his feet by Blaster. There was an oil bath, but it was only one tank and only large enough to accommodate up to two medium-to-large cybertronians. There was also a single shower and a small sauna area.
Both autobots were submerged in oil when a tiny figure peaked in. It was Dyani. She had time to decompress and calm down, and was worried about Tracks. She blushed a little when she saw they were taking a bath. She remembered the time when Tracks was going on about how much he enjoyed it. That was quite the culture shock for her. She still thought it was a little strange, but a little more fascinating now. For one, the cybertronians didn't wear clothes, yet they still practiced hygiene in a similar fashion to humans. She decided to slip away before they noticed her presence and decided to take a bath of her own-with bubbles of course.
Tracks stepped out and allowed himself to dry. He slipped inside an adjoining restroom before hitting the sauna. Blaster was still relaxing in the bath. The heat from the sauna relaxed the corvette as he considered his talk with Blaster. The radio autobot made some valid points. Would Dyani forgive him?
Blaster finished drying off. He decided he was in the mood for some refreshments. "Hey Tracks, you want some energon?"
"That would be amazing, thank you!" shouted the corvette from the sauna.
"Right on!" replied Blaster as he went to storage. The energon wasn't fresh, but it was a decent vintage. He selected two of the choicest cubes. He started carrying them back when he spotted Dyani standing outside the bathroom. She was dressed in pajamas with her hair wrapped in a towel. "What's happening?" he asked her.
"I hit him…" she said, her voice filled with remorse.
Crouching down, Blaster smiled sympathetically. "Aww, don't worry about anything. He's okay. Are you?"
"I'm much calmer now," said Dyani.
"Tracks is in the sauna."
Dyani blinked. "You have a sauna?"
Blaster laughed. "Hell yeah we do. You should try it out sometime?"
The girl blushed. "It's a cybertronian sauna, right? Wouldn't I burn to a crisp?"
"Not at all," Blaster reassured. "We keep it at human-safe levels."
She considered this. She kind of wanted to join Tracks, but how would he react to her being in there. Robot-or not, he was still a guy. She was pretty sure Blaster also identified as a guy. Either way, she still wasn't sure how Tracks would react based on past experiences.
"I got to get this energon to him," said Blaster.
"Is it okay if I take it to him?" Dyani asked shyly.
The radio autobot grinned slyly. He got the picture and thought the idea was amusing. He could get behind it. "Fine with me. I'm gonna listen to some tunes out here." He handed her the large cube of liquid. It was just as light as the one she carried before. Dyani carried it into the cybertronian bathroom. She guessed which room was the sauna and pressed a button. Dyani stepped inside to find Tracks going from expecting to absolutely stunned.
"D-D-D-Dyani!?" he stammered.
Dyani tried to sound posh and said, "You enerjon, sir!"
Poor Tracks wasn't sure how to unpack this turn of events. He accepted the enerjon, but looked uncomfortable. "What are you doing in here?"
"You're my boyfriend," she said. "Can I join you?"
The corvette trembled. "Organic parts…" he uttered nervously, remembering the time he walked in on her.
"It's okay this time-if you are okay with it."
Was it up to him? Dyani said he was still her boyfriend. He knew organics shed their clothes when they bathed or wanted to be intimate, but he was a little frightened by the idea. He didn't wear clothes, so she always saw him in his natural state. She just wanted to sit in the sauna, right? Oh Primus, he thought. Give me the strength to get through this. "O-k-kay…"
Dyani took off her clothes and discarded them outside the sauna. She closed the door and turned to face Tracks, who was blushing as much as she was. He was still trembling when she climbed up onto the bench beside him.
"This is nice," she said.
"Quite," Tracks agreed. He still looked a little unsure.
"Tracks, I'm sorry for all the times I hit you," Dyani added.
"I shouldn't have lashed out earlier. When I lost sight of you, I started worrying something bad would happen."
"Before you showed up, I really was planning to head back. I thought you would be worried."
"Those guys were following you though."
"They started to, but they gave up as soon as you pulled up. They probably figured I was being picked up by my boyfriend, which is true. They were drunk, but I don't think they had any malicious intent."
Tracks frowned. "You said you didn't want me to protect you anymore."
Dyani leaned against him. He blushed more, not used to the feel of bare organic flesh being pressed up against his living metal. "Sometimes we say things we don't mean when we're angry. I was pissed off because it felt like you were trying to keep me under lock and key. Tracks, I want you to protect me when it's absolutely necessary, but I also need to take care of myself sometimes. I know you don't want to lose me like you lost Raoul. I don't want to lose you either. You remind me of Marlin from Finding Nemo."
"Who from what?" he asked.
Giggling, she explained, "It's an animated movie created by Pixar. Marlin is a clownfish who loses his wife Coral, and most of his children in a barracuda attack. He becomes extremely protective of his sole surviving son Nemo-to the point where he is too fearful to allow Nemo to even attend school. Nemo gets captured by a diver and Marlin has to set aside his fears to rescue him. By the end of the movie, Marlin learns to trust and enjoy life again with Nemo and their friends."
"So the whole point you're getting at is you want me to trust you so we can have a more fulfilling relationship?"
Dyani hugged the corvette. "Exactly! Tracks, I should have told you where I was going. Communication goes both ways."
Tracks started to relax. "What a relief. I thought I ruined everything because I'm still grieving."
"You're also healing. I learned about the stages of grief in counseling. You're going to have good days and bad days, but the important thing is you're accepting and even finding hope through it all. I'm not planning on going anywhere." Dyani felt herself start to nod. "This heat is making me sleepy."
"It takes a while to get used to the sauna," said Tracks as he lifted her up. He blushed again. "And I think it's going to take me a little more time to get comfortable with seeing you like this."
"That's understandable. I hope I didn't embarrass you."
The corvette frowned. "No, I'm not ashamed to see you naked. How should I put this? It's more that I'm still getting used to seeing humans in their natural state."
Dyani laughed as Tracks set her down. He turned to subvert his gaze while she gathered her clothes. That was another thing he wasn't used to. He barely held his composure that time with Raoul. Dyani dressed and said, "I'm decent."
Tracks relaxed a little. Dyani beckoned him to follow her to her room. He followed, but was curious about what she wanted. He watched her move the chairs around to make a large space-large enough for a car to fit. Dyani turned back to him and grinned. He nodded with full understanding and transformed into his corvette mode. Grabbing a pillow, the girl climbed into the reclined passenger seat and cuddled it. The seat seemed to gently contour to her body.
"Tracks?" she murmured.
"Yes, my dear?"
Dyani caressed the passenger seat. "I noticed you don't like to talk about yourself before coming to Earth."
"It's not an easy thing to discuss, but I'll tell you a little bit about it. I was born some years before the Great Cybertronian War. I was forged along with my twin sister, Sol, by our mother, Solaris Nova. My full name is Solaris Tracks. Do you remember how I said Tracks is the equivalent of my name in English? Well, that's correct, but the context of my name comes from the Tracks Nebula,which can be seen in the night skies above Cybertron. My mother had a fascination with astronomy, you see."
"You were named after a nebula? That's beautiful," Dyani mused.
The corvette accepted the flattery and continued, "I suppose. My family was a part of the upper class. My mother owned storage yards for energon. She might have been wealthy, but she was also a kind soul. Ever since we were sparklings, she stressed to my sister and me, the importance of helping others no matter their status in life."
"What's a sparkling?" asked Dyani.
Tracks continued, "All Cybertronians begin life protoforms. Think of it like a fetus-if that's the correct term. Our bodies develop within stasis pods. When we emerge, we begin life as sparklings. So basically, sparklings are Cybertronian babies and children. However, my mother called us her sparklings even into adulthood."
"I bet you were really cute," Dyani mused while stroking him.
"Well, I would like to think so," said Tracks. "I grew up during a time of social upheaval. My mother became openly more critical of the increasingly lavish tastes of social elites. It wasn't being rich that troubled her-it was being rich at the expense of exploiting those below us with the assistance of corrupt law enforcement. My mother attempted to put a stop to it by trying to get elected to the elite council. Unfortunately, she was manipulated by someone who ended up stabbing her in the back. I was modeling at the time and more interested in myself than others. I'm rather ashamed about being a pompous bot, but I was barely an adult. There was one time in particular where I was absolutely brutal to Beachcomber-the nicest of fellows. He accidentally ended up crashing at my house, mistaking it for someone else's. I violently tossed out poor Beachcomber and called him every Cybertronian insult I could think of before he was fully out of stasis.. I never heard the end of it when my mother caught wind of the incident. She scolded me and reminded me of what she taught me about helping others. It was not long after than when the war started affecting even the upper class. Mother trained Sol and me self-defense early in life, but now we were both equipped with mounted weaponry and were each given a blaster. I was presented with the one I still carry to my day, but my sister was given a much larger firearm because of her job. She was working as the bodyguard to former senator and ambassador, Crosscut. Sol and I are very similar in appearance, except her color scheme is much different. But anyway, the Decepticons took control of Cybertron and my sister had to flee with Crosscut. We said a hurried goodbye and promised each other we would find each other again someday. We would recognize each other by our family's crest-none other than the ones we bear on our hoods."
The girl jumped up with a start. "The flame decal?" she inquired.
"It's not actually a decal. Calm yourself down if you want me to finish," advised Tracks with much seriousness in his voice.
Dyani obeyed and settled back against the seat.
Tracks relaxed. "Thank you. Not long after that, I was forced to flee along with many other autobots. I begged Mother to come with me, but she steadfastly refused and chose to stay behind and fight. I escaped with a small band of refugees with nothing but my blaster. Most of the other bots gave me a wide berth at first because of my status in life. Then one of them stood up for me and offered his friendship-none other than Beachcomber. We traveled the stars for years and years searching the far corners of the universe for other autobots. We found none until several years ago when our scout, Cosmos, picked up a message sent from Optimus Prime. It was. 'I am Optimus Prime, and I send this message to any surviving autobots taking refuge among the stars: We are here. We are waiting.' We tracked down Prime and his crew on Earth and joined them. I knew of Optimus Prime on Cybertron, but I never really knew him personally. I wish I had. He's the leader Cybertron should have had during the Golden Age. Maybe things wouldn't have turned out so wrong, but who can say?"
The corvette began to tremble. Dyani hugged the seat. "Let me out and transform into robot mode," she asked in a whisper. He obeyed and sat on the floor. Dyani climbed into his lap and hugged his chassis. Tracks reciprocated by hugging her back.
"Optimus Prime cares about all of you," soothed Dyani. "I'm sorry you lost your home and your family. I thought my old life was a living hell, but it's got nothing on what you've been through. You got me now and you have a large family. I hope you find your sister and your mother someday."
Glints steamed down his face as Tracks wept for the loss of everything he held dear. He pulled Dyani closer and spoke softly, "Prime is like a father-figure to all of us."
Dyani continued to comfort the giant robot. He eventually calmed down and started feeling drained. "Need to rest," he said.
"It's okay. I'll see you when you wake up," said Dyani.
Tracks shook his head. "I want you to stay with me."
Dyani nodded in agreement as he turned back into the car. "Get in," he said. She obeyed and cuddled the passenger seat. "I'll be here all night. I think this is my new favorite way to sleep."
Comforted by Dyani's presence, Tracks found peace of mind and slept without incident. He awoke early the next morning and waited patiently for her to wake up. Once roused, he wished her a good morning and stretched his tires.
"Shower and coffee time," yawned Dyani. She patted the corvette's hood and entered the bathroom. Tracks transformed and went to hang out with Blaster.
Blaster was over at Teletraan 1 checking in with Optimus Prime. The autobot leader greeted Tracks as he approached.
"Tracks, I presume things are quiet in New York City?" inquired Prime.
Tracks nodded affirmatively. "Very quiet for a city like this. Have you heard from the Decepticons?"
"Negative, but I suspect we may hear from them sooner than we think." Optimus replied.
Blaster and Tracks looked at each other and back to Prime. The leader continued, "I asked Cosmos to investigate the area between Earth and its moon. I'm not one-hundred percent positive, but we may have picked up a signal of Cybertronian origin over South-Eastern Ohio."
"Prime, I haven't sensed any kind of broadcast transmission," Blaster questioned.
"Neither have we since. It could be a hiccup in the system," admitted Prime. "Still, I want the both of you to be on the lookout just in case."
"You can count on us," said Tracks in earnest.
Prime gave a nod and said, "Of course. Take care of yourselves and I look forward to your return. Please let Dyani know the construction of the new additions are underway."
"Right on!" laughed Blaster.
Lorenzo arrived with Luca in tow. Both men said morning greetings to Prime. The elder checked in with Sparkplug giving him the lowdown with the garage. There was nothing to report other than Luca was finally ready to continue his apprenticeship. Sparkplug told the young man he was happy to have him back and he wished him well.
After the call, Dyani emerged from her shower. She was a little disappointed she missed Prime, but the autobots assured her they could call him later. Tracks lifted Dyani up into his arms and greeted her with a kiss. It caught her off guard to see him in such a cheerful mood, but she was glad. She kissed him back and climbed up to his shoulder. "Are you ready?"
Tracks became more serious. "Yes, I am," he answered. "Blaster?"
The radio gave a silent nod, transformed into alt-mode, and jumped into Dyani's arms.
"Wait," Luca called out. He rushed over to Tracks and touched his arm. "I'm sorry for blaming you. I've been all messed up, but I think I'm going to be okay."
The corvette smiled sadly. "You will be. One day at a time."
"One day at a time," repeated Luca.
The three departed from the garage and made their way to a cemetery in Brooklyn, making only two brief stops at a deli and a florist. Dyani held a plastic bag filled with smells of human food that she said was for later. They wandered through the sea of burial plots until they found Raoul's marker. It was made of granite and had a reddish tint. Tracks knelt down and touched the headstone after placing flowers into the attached vase. Dyani and Blaster stood back some feet away so the corvette could say his goodbyes.
Tracks wept and whispered, "Thank you for being my friend, Raoul. I miss you terribly and I always will, but I know you're never truly gone. You'll be together with me here. He pointed to the area of his chassis that contained his spark. "Raoul, I promise you that I'll live on and make each day count. I'll keep protecting the humans from the Decepticons and others that would do them harm. This is my home now, and I have many friends and my family here. I even have a new love. She made it clear she isn't what you humans call a replacement goldfish. No one could ever replace you, but she's helped to heal the anger and bitterness I've felt for nearly two months. She told me her people believe humans are born to the stars just like we Cybertronians are born from and return to the Well of the Allspark. Perhaps that means in some way all life, mechanical or organic, are connected? I'd like to believe that is true. Maybe one day I'll find out, but until then, goodbye."
Blaster and Dyani embraced Tracks from behind as he cried. He leaned back against his friends and felt the heavy burden of grief lift off of his shoulders. He was not alone. After a while, he rose to his feet and said, "Thank you for waiting. I'm ready."
"Now it's time for a picnic," said Dyani while grinning and holding up the bag.
"In the cemetery?" questioned Blaster. "I heard that used to be a thing, but…"
Dyani broke out in laughter. "I'm not macabre enough for that. I was thinking about Central Park, myself."
"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. How about you, Blaster?"
"I'm down with it! Let's go."
Central Park like New York City was far grander than any of the parks Dyani had visited in the metropolitan areas of the West Coast. It was a mixture of open green space, forest, wetlands, and pools. The three of them were seated on a grassy lawn of Turtle Pond near the famous landmark, Belvedere Castle. Dyani ate a pastrami sandwich topped with mounds of meat, dijon mustard, cheese lettuce, onions, and pickles, with a side of kettle chips and an iced tea. The Autobots ate nothing, but instead took in the scenery. The area, although beautiful, was a designated quiet zone, meaning no music allowed. Poor Blaster had content himself with chilling with his friends. Tracks reclined next to Dyani and took in the sweet scent of nearby flowers. It was a relaxing time and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon together.
The remainder of the trip was spent hanging out with the mechanics and checking in with Optimus Prime. The leader informed their human friends to keep up the ood work and to expect a major announcement in the upcoming months. He also revealed a video sent by Ambassador Smith of Benni thriving in the Tasmanian nature preserve. She still wore the collar as did several other designated thylacines to monitor their progress in the wild. Some of the younger animals were still being prepped by designated zoos along the West Coast, as well as The Wilds located in Ohio. The latter was a large safari park belonging to The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and known for its animal conservation. It was in charge of several animals in its new Downunder exhibit.
Upon returning home after nearly two weeks, they were greeted by Prime and the Swiftwaters. Dyani was a little surprised to see her parents there. Tracks followed them inside the Ark and transformed after Dyani and Blaster got out. Dyani ran to her parents and hugged them.
"Welcome back, kiddo. You look like you had fun," said Terry, while grinning.
Tika gave Tracks a peck on the cheek. "Thank you for looking after Dyani," she praised.
The corvette blushed. "It was my pleasure," he replied. "I love the little troublemaker." His comment caused Terry to break out in laughter.
"That's accurate," he laughed. "But Dyani's heart's always been in the right place. She looks happy and so do you."
Dyani playfully elbowed her dad. "Of course. I'm happy with Captain Fancypants."
"Captain what?" a flustered Tracks cried. "I am not vain! I have a highly developed sense of self-appreciation!" The others laughed. Tracks gave in and laughed with them.
Dyani approached Tracks and hugged him. "I meant it all in good fun. You're not pretentious. You have an acceptance of who you are and see the good in others."
Tracks touched Dyani's face and smiled. "That is the real me. You helped me find him again, my dear."
Optimus Prime stood in silence, watching them with a pleased look on his face. Welcome back, Tracks, he thought. He then approached the others. "Come, let's show Dyani what we've been up to."
"Where's Kota?" Dyani inquired. She realized she hadn't seen her BFF anywhere.
"He's out on a date. He'll be back for dinner," said Tika.
"Oh-ho!" Dyani noted and smirked. She followed the others to the human quarters and found the Witwickys, Grapple and Wheeljack at work setting up many of hers and Kota's own furniture and belongings from San Francisco. The rooms were spacious enough to fit both humans and cybertronians and more similar to suites. She turned to Prime and smiled. "This is amazing. You really do want us to stay here."
Prime scratched his head and gave her a rather perplexed look. "Why wouldn't we want you to stay?" he remarked.
Terry laughed and slapped his daughter on the shoulder. "And judging by how you look at a certain stingray, I think it's obvious you'd stay no matter what." He smirked and eyed Tracks, who rubbed the back of his crest and blushed.
Tracks looked down when he felt Tika take his large hand in both of hers. "We accepted this when we saw how much Dyani meant to you. You have a good aura about you."
"What do you mean? Is that a Native American thing?" asked the corvette.
Tika smiled and answered, "No, not strictly, but some do sense them. My mother and sister are more skilled than I am. Dyani may have also inherited this ability. An aura is a quality or feeling a lifeform emits. They can be both good and bad."
Dyani just shrugged. She wasn't sure she shared her mom's opinions on that. Sure she felt drawn to Tracks when he was sad, but that didn't mean she could sense his energy. She thought about her grandmother, the strict and stoic holy woman of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Her grandmother resented Tika for running off to California and staying away for so long. It took them years to mend their relationship and for her to accept Terry, who was of mixed Apache and Welsh ancestry. Dyani suspected her grandmother might be somewhat xenophobic, but she never acted like that towards her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Still, it made her wonder how she would react to her relationship with a machine. Machine? No, even though Tracks was a living robot, she loathed the idea of regarding him as a machine. Machines were objects that lacked true agency and independent thought. Cybertronians like Tracks are complex, living creatures.
Tracks knelt down to Dyani's parents. "I'm grateful that you are both accepting of us. I promise to take care of Dyani for as long as we're together."
They embraced the giant robot. "Believe it or not, it's not the strangest pairing when you get used to it," said Terry. "Not to mention my kiddo has the stingray she's always wanted and he doesn't pollute the environment. You're a win-win no matter how you toss the dice."
"I'll take that as a compliment," laughed Tracks.
Tika kissed him on the cheek. "And you'll be seeing a lot more of us. Sparkplug and Terry will be working together."
"Yes," Prime reaffirmed. "And there will be so much to be done, but that will be revealed when the time comes. Until then, you are all welcome here, no matter the day or the time."
"Sounds good," said Terry. "We're staying the night. There's plenty of stuff still to unload. I think I'll go lend Sparkplug a hand."
Tika kissed him. " I'll get started on dinner. Dyani, why don't you lend me a hand?"
"Okay, mom," she agreed. She hugged Tracks and said, "I'll see you soon."
The evening meal of bison burgers and salad was held in the common area. The humans had set up some portable tables and chairs where they could eat and converse with the cybertronians. Tracks sat close to Dyani and her family. He and a few autobots were holding hourglass-shaped vessels containing a glowing pink liquid. It gave off a slightly sweet aroma. Dyani noticed he was swirling his vessel around daintily.
"Is that energon wine?" she inquired.
"Absolutely," answered Tracks. "It's my own secret recipe. The new energon's excellent quality, so I asked Prime if I could prepare a small amount before we left for New York. It's now ready as you can see."
"And it's been a long time since I've tasted anything so delicious," Prime confessed, although he drank his slowly in order to keep his wits about him.
Kota looked thoughtful. "What would happen if a human consumed energon?"
Beachcomber spoke up, "Processed energon has no effect on organic life, but raw energon is incredibly radioactive. Not to worry, mind you, we take great care in how we source it so as not to damage Earth's ecosystem. I can tell you how we do it if you'd like."
"Don't harsh…my buzz...with science talk," Sunstreaker slurred in interruption. His silver cheeks already had a pink tint. He had just drained his vessel and started swinging it around.. "Hey…barkeep,...how about another…round?"
Tracks shook his head. "No way! You were supposed to sip it slowly. Any more and you'll pass out."
Terry and Sparkplug laughed in unison. "Sometimes you cybertronians are so human it's scary," remarked the latter.
Prime's optics sparkled with humor. He urged the young lamborghini to consume some regular energon to help dilute the wine. Sunstreaker agreed reluctantly and felt a little embarrassed because Kota had to assist with helping him hold the cube straight.
Tika smiled as the teenagers complimented the meal. It was the first time Spike had tried bison and agreed it tasted way better than any fast food hamburger. Kota stood up and tapped his glass with a fork.
"I want to propose a toast in celebration of several things: First, to celebrate our moving into Autobot HQ. Second, to celebrate Benni's return to her home, and lastly the friendships between our families and the Autobots."
The others were about to join in when Tracks cleared his throat. "Not yet," he began. "If I may, I would like to get off my chassis first."
The group turned their eyes and optics towards the corvette. He stood up to his full seventeen-feet height and placed both hands behind his back. "Firstly, I am grateful to be amongst you all. The past few months have been some of the most difficult for me since I fled Cybertron. I've often preferred to distance myself from others of my kind and keep the company of humans. I've even called the lot of you stick-in-the-muds. The truth is…" Glints peaked out from the corners of his optics and his voice started to crack. "The truth is that I am actually very fond of all of you. You have welcomed and treated me as one of you in spite of my upper crust mannerisms. You are my family now. My full name is Solaris Tracks. I am one of the children of Solaris Nova. Despite what the High Council might have said-my mother was a good bot…" He bowed his head, expecting at least some to dispute his statement.
Ironhide, who had been leaning against a wall, suddenly stood erect and said, "Don't you go feeling like you need to apologize for who you are, Tracks. Do you honestly think we'd take the words of those self-important bureaucrats? I've witnessed too much of their bullshit when many bots were scraping along at the bottom just to survive. So what if you grew up an elite? You're a better bot than them and so was your mother.. Prime of all autobots can vouch for that."
It was Prime's turn to stand up as all heads turned their attention to him. "Tracks, I've been meaning to talk to you about something for a while now. Something that happened long ago before we both left Cybertron."
"But Prime, we never crossed paths on Cybertron…" replied Tracks with confusion.
"That's not entirely true," explained the leader. "You never crossed paths with Optimus Prime, but we did meet each other back when you were a sparkling."
The corvette shook his head with disbelief. "No," he protested. "I would have remembered meeting someone like you."
Optimus Prime's optics softened with understanding to the younger autobot's confusion. "Tracks," he spoke in a soft tone. "I am Orion Pax."
That name! The memories from his childhood came flooding back when he was a baby. He had gotten separated from his family and wandered into one of the docks where three cybertronians were loading enejon shipments. He remembered the pink one-Ariel comforting him when he started crying. Orion was the one who always stayed close to Ariel and the one who was most annoyed with having to load shipments and babysit a lost sparkling. The third one, Dion, tried to reason with Orion, but his mood wasn't softened until the baby Tracks started lifting stacks of cubes and said, "I help!". The young sparkling helped them until he tired himself out. Orion, who had warmed up to the little one, allowed him to fall asleep on his lap. It was by that time, a frantic Nova Solaris arrived in search of her child. When she found him asleep under the care of three of her employees, she expressed her gratitude. After Orion handed the baby over, he woke up and excitedly told his mother how he helped just like she told him to. Overjoyed, Nova praised her young son and reminded him never to forget.
Prime studied the corvette's face. "So now you remember?"
"That was so long ago. How in the name of Primus did you become a Prime?"
The leader opened his chest compartment to reveal a glowing crystal encased in a silver and gold device. "This is the Matrix of Leadership. The power and wisdom of Primus and the Allspark flows within. It was bestowed to me when I was rebuilt by Alpha Trion. You see, as Orion, I was nearly mortally wounded by Megatron. I was carried to Alpha Trion's workshop. He sensed the brave spirit within my spark and decided to rebuild me from the ground up. It was decided I would become the next Prime after the death of Sentinel Prime."
Tracks bowed his head. "Prime, do you know what happened to my mother and my sister?"
Optimus Prime embraced the corvette and replied, "I'm sorry, but I have no knowledge of their fates. The last time I saw your mother was right before I escaped Cybertron on the Ark. She refused to leave with us and only said it was her duty to ensure the escape of her fellow Autobots. The last thing she told me was this: If ever you ever cross paths with my children, please tell them that I loved them and Cybertron.
Glints welled up in Tracks' optics. He felt Prime embraced him tightly. "My mother may truly be lost," he whispered.
"We may never know for sure, but remember that you are not alone. Tracks, we are your family now and I am proud to have you as one of my autobots."
Sunstreaker perked up as the effects of the wine started to wane. "Wait! So Track has a little sister?!"
"Is she hot?" inquired Sideswipe. This caused Tracks to laugh.
"Actually, my sister, Sol, is the eldest sibling. We're twins. I suppose you could say she's good-looking. We have a similar chassis, except she's predominantly red, with blue and silver accents. Last I saw her was four million years ago when she was escorting Crosscut in an escape."
Sideswipe nodded enthusiastically. He liked female cybertronians who kicked ass.
Kota grinned. "So if you both are lamborghini twins, would that make Tracks and his sister corvette twins?"
Tracks rubbed the back of his crest and blushed. "Well…if she came to Earth. Our original alt-modes were of Cybertronian vehicle design." He frowned again. The conversation caused him to wonder if Sol was even alive.
Dyani touched his leg, causing him to look down and notice her concern. He sat back down and lifted the girl up to his eye level. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
Optimus Prime gazed thoughtfully at everyone. "We've lost much over the years, but we've also gained much. Kota, I believe you wanted us to toast? I second that, but first, the time has come for me to disclose the plans between Kagayaku Motors and myself. While I have not forsaken Cybertron, I have accepted Earth as our new home. As such, it is important that we protect the resources and life on this planet so it does not suffer the same energy crisis as our homeworld. Therefore, it is time we firmly establish ourselves with the construction of a large city that will serve as a reusable energy source for our needs, yet also serve as the prototype for human cities as they begin the process of easing their dependence on fossil fuels."
"Prime, that's what Mr. Tamaki and you are planning?" Kota blurted out with keen interest. "Can it be done?"
"Yes," said Prime. "It may take years, but I am confident in its future. We must hang onto our dreams, for the future is built on dreams. I sent Cosmos on several special missions while on patrol around the Earth's orbit. Some time ago, I received a message from a dear friend of mine-Ultra Magnus. Cosmos is en route to escort him to earth. Ultra Magnus is arriving in a spacecraft with a group of autobots under his command to help oversee construction."
Sparkplug winked at Terry. "Guess we now know what we'll be working on."
"Guess so, but you'll have to coach me on all this alien tech," he replied.
Tracks laughed and hugged Dyani. "This is going to sound cliche, but I feel like the luckiest cybertronian alive right now."
Dyani laughed and replied, "Good to hear, but are we ever going to make that toast? I think poor Kota' getting tired of waiting."
Kota raised his glass and exclaimed, "Kunpai!"
The others raised their drinks in cheers before downing them. They all enjoyed one another's company and spent the remainder of the evening chatting and relaxing. Tracks, Sunstreaker, and Beachcomber nodded to each other in acknowledgement of the journey they started together and finished together. Optimus Prime also expressed his pride in his optics, although his spark knew Megatron must be fully repaired by now. He decided not to spoil the evening with his concerns, especially when there was no immediate threat. Still, caution was necessary and he sent the aerial bots out to patrol around the whole of North America. Never again would he let his guard down so foolishly as before. There were still things about their victory that puzzled him. Tracks saved the day, but something else had taken out the main power and security of Thayer's secret compound. He could have loved to claim responsibility for it, but it was not the Autobots' doing. It had to be the doing of an outside source, but what he couldn't say. It couldn't have been Ultra Magnus because his ship was still far off. He wondered if whatever caused it deliberately targeted the Decepticons. It seemed plausible at least since nothing happened to their security. Then there was that activity in Ohio a week or so back. There was nothing since, but it all seemed too uncanny to ignore. Oh well. He decided he would worry about it tomorrow. Tonight was for relaxation.
Before retiring to bed, Kota hugged Dyani. "I'm glad we went through everything together. We have new friends and Benni is free. It's hard to believe in a few short weeks we'll be back to grinding the books."
"I'm looking forward to getting back into a normal routine," Dyani confessed. She grinned and winked at the autobots. "I should say the new normal routine."
Tika had her arms around Terry. "That's a good way of putting it. I think it's time to call it a night."
Kota yawned. "I'm beat." He hugged the Lambro twins. "I love you guys."
Sunstreaker rubbed the top of his head. "We love you too, bro."
Tracks knelt down so Dyani could kiss him good night. He also hugged her with his right arm.
"You've come a long way since we first met. I can tell you're happy." she told him.
"I am happy. Being able to experience joy again is exhilarating. There may be times where I will have to take things in stride, but now I see like all things, they will pass."
Dyani hugged Tracks tight, and said, "I love you, sexy corvette."
A blush formed on Tracks' face, but he went along with it. Who was he to argue about having a stunning alt-mode. He kissed Dyani and stepped back to transform. "I love you too," he said.
The other autobots also transformed into their alt-mode and wished the humans good night. Each rolled out to the barracks and parked in their designated areas. Prime nestled in his at the very back in between Ironhide and Jazz. The Lambros rested in theirs side-by-side. Sunstreaker revved his engine at Tracks as the corvette parked himself in front of the plague that hung proudly above his resting space.. He responded back to the lamborghini. Their exchange was now one of mutual understanding instead of enmity. Beachcomber pulled in his spot, which was next to Tracks on his left. He wished his friend a good night and drifted off to stasis.
Elsewhere, a Jeep Renegade drove on a road through Wayne National Forest in a remote part of South-Eastern Ohio. It came to a stop at a primitive camping area. A drone was perched on its roof.
"Riggs, come in. This Trailhawk. Do you copy?"
A deep feminine voice responded back over the radio. "This is Big Riggs. Where are you, honey? How's the baby doing?"
"I'm not sure where I am. I had enough power to scan a vehicle mode for this planet, but my energon reserves are low. Pixie's not doing well. I haven't been able to sense Stardust or Road Rage's whereabouts."
"Stay put," the voice ordered. "I haven't seen our Roadie anywhere, but Stardust is here with me. We found a source of energy. I hate the idea of interfering with the wildlife, but we'll only take just enough to keep us from shutting down. You protect that baby at all costs. Over and out.
"You can count on me," replied Trailhawk. She whispered to the drone. "Hang in there, Pixie. Riggs is coming with some energon."
The drone's magenta eyes opened slightly. "I hope Roadie is okay. I'm too weak to scan for her."
"We'll find her," Trailhawk whispered and began humming softly while keeping watch. They were on a strange planet with possible Cybertronian activity and plenty of energy to be tapped.