Primes (In order of receiving Matrix) :

Prima

Primon

Onyx

Vector

Megatronus

Solus

Alchemist

Amalgamous

Quintus

Micronus

Nexus

Sentinel

Alpha

Time Units (Found on Tf wiki):

Astro-second: .498 seconds

Breem: 8.3 minutes

Cycle: 1.25 hours

Deca-cycle: ~3 weeks

Groon: ~1 hour

Klik: 1.2 minutes

Meta-cycle: 13 months

Orbital cycle: ~1 month

Solar cycle/lunar cycle: 1 day/1 night

Stellar cycle:~7.5 months

Deci-vorn: 8.3 years

Vorn: 83 years

Currency:

1 credit: ~60.25 shanix

1 cred card: 400 credits


Ch. 13

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Meister was running down the hall while wiping his servos in a cloth as he rushed to the front door where the mecha behind it was still buzzing the doorbell. He opened the door and looked up with a startled shout when he saw Casper standing in front of him with his optics wide and a servo in the air. "Casper, what are you doing here? How did you find my… I mean Alchemist's home?"

"I've been here plenty of times, you just didn't know." The bounty hunter spoke honestly before trying to save himself by covering his tracks. "I mean, I uh… followed you here. Wait that sounds even worse."

The droid covered his mouth with a chuckle when he felt the bounty hunter's field flare up. "Would you like to start again?"

"Yes," Casper watched Meister shut the door and then open it again with a much friendlier smile.

"Casper, what brings you here? Would you like to come in?" The droid politely asked while stepping to the side to allow the mech to come inside if he wished. The Predacon flashed a smile as he walked inside. Meister closed the door behind him and proceeded to lead him to the lounge with a smile on his face. "I wasn't aware that Alch was having a meeting with you."

The mech shook his helm as he looked around the room with a surprised look in his optics. "No, I came to actually see you. I know it's been few decacycles since we last spoke, work and all, but I have been thinking if you would like to go on a date with me." He leaned forward with his digits interlocking together with his gaze going to the now shocked droid. The white and orange-red ombre mech tilted his helm slightly with a curious look in his optics. "What is it Meister?"

"You wish to go on a date with me? Would it not be wise to be with a Cybertronian? My systems are not capable of dating and my model are… sorry I'm rabbling again. Alch says I do that when I'm faced with fighting my own systems." The silver droid was about to go on before he saw an amused smirk on Casper's face as well as his field flickered with amusement. "My apologies."

Casper shook his helm with the smile, "no it's kind of refreshing to have a good kind of ramble. With my… occupation I usually get cries, screams, and begging to live. Though you probably don't understand that feeling."

"I understand, I have some friends who have taught me how to remove the bad energon off the streets." Meister chose his words carefully, remembering that his code holder did not enjoy hearing about his time on a contract. He folded his legs on the couch with his servos holding his ankle struts. "Can I ask why you want to be seen with an AI droid? Would it not cause your reputation to go down?"

Casper snorted with a slight shrug, "being a bounty hunter and a Predacon already gave me a slagged reputation. Besides, gives you an excuse to wear your visors and out of this joint to explore the different cities." The Polyhexian's interest was piqued when exploration was mentioned, and the Predacon took that as a favorite activity. "Any cities you'd like to see first?"

"I have not been to Kaon, Velocity, Tarn, Uraya, or Nova Cronum." He kept his response short and sweet, remembering what Alchemist told him about giving out information.

"Well then how about we go to Velocity for some races? Maybe the end cycle?" Casper scooted closer to the mechanism with their optics locked onto each other. Meister wasn't sure why Casper's field was so strange, but he continued to remain calm. "Wow, you really don't have a field, so weird. Are you able to feel mine?"

The silver droid nodded with a smile, "all AI droids are capable of feeling fields. That is one thing I'm not able to use my modification chip for."

"Can you transform into inanimate objects?" The Predacon questioned.

Meister shook his helm, "Alch had me try that already. The closest thing to inanimate as I can get would be Vector Sigma. I can add things to my frame and stuff like that, but I don't appear to have coding to shift into anything I want. Are Predacon frames standard in Nova Cronum?"

"Huh? Oh, no, I wasn't sparked in Nova Cronum. I was found in the Sea of Rust by this group of Predacons who raised me before I decided to leave." Casper answered with an uncomfortable flare of his field.

"Oh, Meister," the pair looked up to see Alchemist standing in the doorway with a collection of datapads and a surprised expression. "You didn't tell me we were having a guest over. Hello again, Casper wasn't it?"

Casper shot to his peds while Meister slowly stood up with that look Alchemist was familiar with. The look of a curious youngling trying to solve a puzzle. "It is."

"Casper came here to ask me out on a date." The silver mech answered the questioned targeted towards him before he saw how fast Casper tensed up beside him.

The Prime looked more confused rather than concerned. He looked at the bounty hunter who looked visibly petrified. "Not an actual date, more like a friendly outing. I mean if Meister wishes for it to be a date then it could be."

"You want to take Meister out for a date? You are aware he isn't familiar with courting and because of what he is, he won't be able to fully fulfill any future desires." Alchemist hated to come across as he wasn't happy with it, but he had to make sure that both of them were fully aware of the facts. He walked over to the other side of Meister and placed a servo on the small shoulder, getting his attention. "I'm not saying any of this to discourage any sort of dating or," he looks at Casper before going on, "hanging out."

Meister looked between them with an innocent expression. "Cybertronians have over three-hundred courting laws, which one are we going to be following? I have been given Iacon as a title name, but you are from Nova Cronum."

"I was thinking that we could just go with the flow? I'm not good at dating either." Casper awkwardly chuckled before looking over at the other mech with a hopeful gleam in his optics. "So, is it okay with you if I take him out? I mean take him out for a date? I promise to keep him safe Prime, Sir, uh… I'm not used to addressing your type."

The silver mech arched an optical ridge at the bounty hunter's nervousness. "Casper, you do not have to address me as if I was Primus himself. And that is solely up to Meister, he is after all the one being asked."

"I would love to experience what Cybertronians do." The droid perked up with a big smile on his face. "Alch, are you unhappy with this?"

The older Cybertronian looked down at his charge with a startled look, "I'm not unhappy per se. It's a happy sadness." Hearing this caused further confusion in the Polyhexian. "Happy sadness is where you experience something so happy that you feel this aching pain in your chest, and it sometimes causes you to be sad."

"Emotions are very confusing, but I like it." The silver droid said enthusiastically as his frame started rippling to show off his excitement. His excitement resulted in him accidently shifting into an astrofox and jumped into Casper's fumbling servos. The mechanism nuzzled his helm underneath Casper's chin while his tail wrapped around the back of his neck.

The bounty hunter looked down at the nuzzling creature and then back up at Alchemist several times. The Prime sat down on the couch with a few pats, and Casper sat on the other end while still awkwardly holding the droid. "Meister does this on occasion when he is really happy. As you can imagine, I don't wish for anyone besides the Council or those that Meister trusts to find out about his sentience or his mod. I am not sure what or why Artificial Life have create them, but whatever his kind are they are fully aware of what they have done. That's why must have your word that you will protect him from anyone that wishes to harm him."

"I promise no harm will come to Meister." Casper watched the astrofox leap down and shifted back to normal. "I know our kind is known for transforming, but seeing that is so bizarre."

Meister tilted his helm as he slowly rose to his peds, "a good or bad bizarre?"

"I haven't decided yet. I should get going, I have some bounties to take care of." The bounty hunter rose to his peds and gestured over his shoulder with an uneasy chuckle.

The droid smiled as he looked at the mech, "where would you like to meet for our date or not date? Have we decided if this was a date?"

Casper laughed at the joke before giving a slight hum as he thought about the answer. He folded a wing in front of his face and small flames could be seen peeking around the appendage. The Predacon pulled his wing away from his face to show off energon encased in a fireball. Casper extended it out to Meister, who took it in his servos with a curious expression in his optics. "Call it a 'guarantee to catch Casper's attention' flame. Just hold it up to the sky and shine a light through it, and it will call my fire core."

"I will keep it safe." Meister held it to his chest as he led the white and orange ombre mech to the front door. When he said his farewells, he rejoined Alchemist in the lounge beside him. His optics were still gazing at the radiant blue and red flame as he spoke to his code holder. "Is this a common Cybertronian courting thing to do? To give balls of fire?"

The older mech laughed as he shook his helm at the second question. "No, not necessarily. Gifts can be whatever the pair believes the other would like. The gift exchanges are one of the few laws every race on Cybertron believes in. I remember the very first gift I gave my mate, a crystal spliced of her two favorite kinds that I grew by servo. She treasured that thing for a millennium before it lost its sparkle."

"I don't know Casper's likes, should I decline his offer? I don't want to offend him." Meister's helm shot up to look the Cybertronian with worry. He sat the slightly warm object in his lap.

Alchemist mentally sighed at how long and complicated this lesson was going to be, but he knew that the AI would enjoy it. "No, no you don't have to decline it if you like it. There is time to learn about each other through time. Now, speaking of you, I know you will not like it, but I wish to view all of your memories prior to me acquiring you. If you are okay with that?"

The silver droid looked down in thought before looking up with a brave smile, "I wish to put a stop to Founder Gearshaft and Artificial Life no matter the cost. What would you like to know Alch?"

It wasn't long before their first date came, and Meister was looking around within the shuttle that Casper was renting for their date. He found it curious that they both could avoid road traffic by flying, but Casper insisted on this mode of transportation. He didn't know much about their date except that they were going to Velocity to view a race. "Casper, why did we not just fly to Velocity? You have seen what I am capable of doing?"

"I don't want to anger your Prime by letting the world find out that you are basically slagging Primus himself." Casper exaggerated but he saw the confusion twist on the Polyhexian's face. "You know who Primus is, right? I figured living under someone like a Prime would-"

"Primus is one of the two major entities that Cybertronians believe in. He is the bringer of life and is to believed Cybertron itself. However, that isn't why I am confused; I am confused on how you think I am Primus, who may or may not be anything more than a fictional being that many cling to for hope." Meister realized too late that he had droned on, and he quickly looked away with this overwhelming feeling of embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I have been trying to get better about that. This is a Prime example as to why I usually don't talk to anyone without Alchemist around."

The Predacon waved it off and pulled up to a giant stadium that had shuttles coming and going while Cybertronians filing inside with various items of numbers or team colors on their frames. "It's fine, I used to be the same way when I was a little Predacon." They pulled up alongside a curb just as Casper gave out an awkward ex-vent. "So, you uh… ready to go see your first Velocitronian race?"

"I have this strange feeling in my chest, I think it would be classified as excitement. Did you know that the current fastest Velocitronian is a femme named Streamline who clocked at 3466.8 kilometers per klik?" He perked up with a big smile on his face. Casper was a tad disappointed that the droid had to hide his optics in order for him to even enter the stadium. They had to ban droids after an apparent incident where one of them had rigged a race in their code holder's favor.

"What did you do study before today?" Casper teased as he met Meister on his of the shuttle and offered his servo.

The visored mechanism flashed a smile, finally catching onto tones and teasing after nearly a century of being online. "If I had, then I have the reading speed of Velocitronian. In all seriousness, when Alch first brought me to his estate I had actually snuck informational datapads for me to learn about this planet." Meister looked down at their still wrapped servos, noting how gentle the giant servo was around his own. "We are holding servos."

"We are, aren't we?" The bounty hunter folded his wings around his shoulders just so he could fit through the already tight entrance. He tossed a few credit chips under the hole in the window. "Two tickets."

"No visors." The mech pointed to a sign that was pinned to window. Meister was about to say something about them just going somewhere else for their date, but Casper was faster.

"His optics are blanks; doc gave him some visors to see. Are ya really going to discriminate against a blind mech?" He crossed his arms as the ticket master took a firm stance as he contemplated on what he should do about the current situation.

The mech gave into the pressure, "let me see and if he's got blanks then you can go in." Meister deactivated his optics before tapping the side of his visors. He didn't like not being able to see even if it was only for a moment. After the count of three, he returned everything back to normal just in time to see the mech quickly hand over the two ticket stubs. The mechanism was ushered through the gates before Casper started sputtering apologies.

"It's okay Casper, I admire your fast thinking." Meister said with a cheery tone as he put his servo back into Casper's servo. He felt the flicker of happiness in the mech's field. "I find this interaction oddly better than a hug. Actually, maybe just below a hug?"

The Predacon snorted with the tips of his wings twitching. He carefully pulled Meister behind him through the crowd up to a section that wasn't as packed as the rest of the stadium. The races had soon started with Meister instantly becoming entranced with the various colors of racers. He had stopped listening to the announcer as he focused on the racers with amazement at how fluid they were. The visored mech didn't have to think about learning the standard frame builds in Velocity, as it was a system that was always on standby thanks to his modification chip.

Run! Grandchase, get out of here now before they get you! No, let go of her! Meister hissed as he touched the side of his helm. A servo on his shoulder pulled him out of whatever that was that happened just now. He shook his helm before looking up into the amber optics that had looked into his visors with a hint worry. "Meister, you okay? You started shaky really fast."

"I-I think I am. I just had the strangest memory recall, but I am okay now." He assured before refocusing on the race while trying keep himself from thinking about whoever this Grandchase femme was.

These innocent dates continued on for nearly entire decacycle; Casper took Meister to Nova Cronum to the Institute for Higher Programming on their second date, they climbed Mount Helix in Tarn for their third date, the Predacon even offered to take the younglings with them to the Acid Wastes just outside Stanix on their fourth, for their fifth and sixth dates Casper and Meister explored Torus Heights, for their a few dates they would meet up at various parts of the Mithril Sea, Meister even offered to take Casper to Rodion near Praxus where Casper turned around and surprised the droid with taking him to Praxus's sacred crystal gardens after their adventure in Rodion, and the droid and Predacon went to the Plurex Flats surrounding Tyger Pax.

After each date, Meister was practically beaming and was so excited to tell his code holder about his time. They didn't do anything more than holding servos or the occasional gift exchange. Alchemist was always amused to see the excitement in his friend's optics. Meister was with Casper in Helix with the younglings as they all watched a holovid when something slid underneath the front door.

"I got it!" Saber announced and rushed over to grab it, and then crawled back over to the two adults that were cuddling on the couch. "Meister, can we have more energon suckers?"

"Yeah! I want more!" Star was quick to look up from his toy that Casper had gotten him. All it was, was a simple puzzle cube that had different symbols on each face. The oldest of the pair was absolutely thrilled to have something to do besides watching holovids or reading the majority of the time.

The Polyhexian looked at the datapad with a slight frown at how poorly timed this was. Casper looked over the mechanism's shoulder and pointed at one of the attached images. "Oh hey, I've got a bounty on his helm. Mech owns this store for Artificial Life, it's in Iacon. He skipped a court date."

"He is the owner that sold me to Alchemist." Meister continued to frown deeply at the image as his visors flickered red for a moment before returning to their normal blue color. "Star, Saber you both are to stay here while I'm gone. This shouldn't be long, I'm sorry Casper, I don't like ending our time early."

The mech was quick to offer his assistance, "well we're going after the same mech, so why don't we make this our thirty-second date? To see if we are able to work together with our well job."

Meister hummed in thought before looking up with a smile, "it would show you a different side of me. Are you prepared for that Casper?"

"I should be asking you the same thing." Casper threw his helm back in laughter. He knelt in front of the younglings with his servos going to their shoulders. "I'll bring him back safely. Okay?"

Star looked over at his caretaker, who nodded with a smile, and then back up at Casper with his optics wide. "You promise to come back too? Saber and I think you're fun, and you make Meister smile."

The Predacon's own smile revealed a toothy grin as he stood up with a proud flare of his field. "Of course, I will." Casper went over to the window and opened it before looking over at Meister with his optics glowing brightly. "Come on, I'll carry you."


I'm still alive.