After lunch, Jonathan Dave Carter and his stepson drove over to the mini-hotel where they rented a room for them to stay until they can drive back home to Idaho. Later that day, Anthony went outside where he decided to give his mom, Katherine Carter, a call. He waited for his mom to answer the phone. When his mom didn't answer, Anthony left her a voicemail.
"Hey, mom. It's Anthony. I just wanted to call and check up on you. Listen, Jonathan and I are starting to get along and I hope that it's good news. I'm trying my best to make you proud and all. I love you, mom." Anthony ended his voicemail to his mom before he put away the phone.
The young 17-year-old sat down on a couch before his step-father returned with some snacks that he purchased from a vending machine, including Anthony's favorite drink: orange soda. "Hi, I bought us some snacks and I bought you your favorite soda." Jonathan greeted his stepson. Anthony smiled at his step-father and he accepted the drink that he bought for him. "Thanks, John. I was beginning to feel thirsty." Anthony said in appreciation. Jonathan placed the snacks in the cupboard before he and Anthony sat together on the same couch to watch some TV. Jonathan held the remote before he asked his stepson which channel he would like to watch. "Which channel would you like to watch, Anthony?" Anthony thought before he replied. "I would like to watch a nature show, please." he requested. Jonathan nodded at his stepson before he turned on a nature show for Anthony to watch. Jonathan and Anthony ate a bag of chips and drank some diet soda while watching animals on TV. One of Anthony's favorite channels on TV was watching animals, sports, and space documentaries. Jonathan Dave Carter showed some manners while eating his chips so that he wouldn't bother his stepson with his chewing. Later in the evening, Anthony and his step-dad were done watching TV before they decided to take a nap inside the mini-hotel.
Meanwhile, at the forest in Idaho, Orion Eclipse was exploring the woods all by himself when he suddenly entered a junkyard filled with broken cars and scrap metal. Orion looked around to make sure that no humans were around and then he began collecting some spare parts for him to use in case he ever gets himself hurt. Eclipse gathered enough metal parts from the junkyard before he left so that he wouldn't be spotted by any incoming humans. Orion Eclipse returned to his cave at the mountain in Idaho before he realized that he was hungry for fuel. The young Cybertronian went deeper into his cave where he had stored some bright blue crystals unknown to Orion Eclipse as Energon. In his early days on Earth, Orion was searching for fuel when he found some Energon inside a deep tunnel. He learned how to use the blue crystals he found as food and medicine before he came across some purple crystals near a volcano which is known as Dark Energon. The first time Orion Eclipse tasted that stuff, it made him feel powerful at first, but then it gave him terrible side effects. This was how Orion's optics changed from blue to purple because he consumed something that was the Cybertronian equivalent of drugs. When he heard a deep, booming voice speaking to him, Orion Eclipse felt like he was hallucinating before he heard another voice telling him not to eat the purple stuff. Orion Eclipse learned that the Dark Energon was harmful to him before he went back home feeling depressed that he nearly poisoned himself.
"I never should have tasted that...whatever that purple stuff was," Orion said to himself. "When I ate it, it changed the color of my eyes. Not only that, but I've been hearing voices inside my head."
At 5:46 PM, Orion Eclipse left the mountain to find a lake to bathe in. The young bot walked past the mini-hotel where Anthony Carter and his stepfather were having dinner and then Orion went over to a lake where he stared at himself in his reflection. The moon was full and bright tonight and Orion sat down before he looked at the stars and began asking himself some questions.
"What am I? Where did I come from? How did I get here?" Orion asked himself.
Meanwhile, Ratchet and his Autobot scouts, Ironhide and Hot Rod were walking in a forest while searching for the missing Cybertronian relic that their leader, Ultra Magnus, spoke about while also searching for the missing Decepticons, Shockwave and Starscream. Ratchet's tracking device began glitching, much to his disappointment and frustration.
"Scrap." Said Ratchet. "We've been searching for hours and still no sign of anything or anyone."
"Ratch, I think we better transform into our vehicle mode, or else the humans will notice us." Hot Rod suggested.
"We're in a forest and it's getting dark outside, Hot Rod," Ironhide told Hot Rod. "It's not like the humans are nocturnal and they can see in the dark."
Ratchet tried getting his tracking device to work again when he suddenly saw something on the ground. "What in the Allspark?" He thought. "A Cybertronian footprint?"
"Ratchet, what is it? Did you see something?" Ironhide asked the Autobot medic.
Ratchet knelt to analyze the giant footprint on the ground. "Yes, Ironhide. It's a Cybertronian footprint."
"Could it be from an Autobot? A Decepticon? Or...?" Hot Rod asked.
"I'm not sure. But there's something odd about this footprint. It looks familiar." Ratchet said while looking at the footprint.
Hot Rod and Ironhide joined Ratchet and looked at the footprint before thinking about who it might've come from. "You're right, it does look familiar. Could it be from Shockwave or could it be from Megat—?" Hot Rod guessed before Ironhide interrupted. "Shhh! I heard something." He said.
Ironhide heard a rustle in the bushes. The Autobots prepared to fire at whatever may be spying on them when suddenly, an animal jumped out of the thicket. It was only a deer. Ironhide, Hot Rod, and Ratchet powered down their weapons and looked at each other when the deer ran away.
"False alarm." Hot Rod said. "It's just a deer," he said to Ironhide.
"Well, let's hope that we find the relic in time before we can find Starscream or Shockwave," Ironhide told Ratchet and Hot Rod.
"We'll need to rest before we can continue our search tomorrow." Ratchet replied.
The Autobots transformed into their vehicle modes before they headed towards a parking lot near the mini-hotel where they slept until 6:87 AM. The next day, Anthony Carter and his step-father, Jonathan, ate breakfast before they went swimming at the pool. At noon, Jonathan Dave Carter and his stepson ate lunch and played basketball before Anthony decided to go for a walk by himself. Jonathan told his stepson to bring a phone with him so that Anthony can dial 9-11 in case of emergency. Anthony walked outside the mini-hotel and walked over to a lake in the woods when he suddenly came across giant footprints, much to his surprise.
"What the heck!?" Anthony said out loud. He held out his iPhone and took a picture of the giant footprints in the sand before he joked to himself, "Don't tell me this is where Bigfoot lives."
Anthony Carter looked around and he followed the giant footprints before he found something that shocked him to his core. He saw a giant robot fast asleep near the trees. Orion Eclipse had been sulking near the lake last night before he fell asleep near the forest. He forgot to head back to his cave in the mountains. Anthony nearly screamed before he mumbled in hysteria, "Oh...my...god."
When Orion opened his optics, he got up and yawned before he saw Anthony Carter staring up at him. The teenager was frozen in fear because he had never come across a giant mechanical being before. He only saw them in science fiction films but he never found a real giant robot in real life. Orion Eclipse gasped before he shyly said to him.
"Uh...hi?" Orion said to Anthony before they both screamed at each other. "AAAAAAAAAGH!"
Anthony Carter walked backward before falling to the ground. When the young man got up, he started to run away as if he were in danger. Orion Eclipse didn't mean to frighten the boy so he spoke to him.
"Wait! Come back, don't be afraid! I won't hurt you!" Said the young Cybertronian.
Anthony stopped running before he slowly looked back at Orion. He was surprised to hear that the giant robot could speak English.
"You...You can talk!?" Anthony said to Orion.
"Yes, I can talk," Orion replied. "I've studied human language," he told the teenager.
"Y-You're a giant robot!" Anthony yelled. "Please, don't step on me!"
"Easy, young man. I'm not going to hurt you," said Orion.
"Who are you?! What are you?!" Anthony asked.
"To be honest, I don't know what I am other than a giant robot, but my name is Orion Eclipse." Orion introduced.
"Where...the hell...did you come from?" Anthony asked.
Orion Eclipse paused. "I don't remember," he said. "I'm not sure how or when I got here. I've been alone on this planet for eons. I've suffered from amnesia." he explained.
"Oh my god. A giant talking robot! This is unbelievable!" Anthony said.
"Are you okay? What's your name?" Orion Eclipse asked the young teenager.
"My name...is Anthony. Anthony Carter." Anthony introduced himself. "Are you some sort of alien from Mars?" he asked.
"No, I don't think so. If I was an alien I would have green skin and big black eyes." Orion replied.
Anthony chuckled nervously. "I think I better call the police." He mumbled. "No, wait. If I told them about a giant robot, they wouldn't believe me. Unless..." he thought before he had an idea.
Anthony holds up his iPhone to take a picture of Orion Eclipse, much to his confusion.
"What's that thing you're holding?" Orion asked.
"It's called a phone. I'm taking a picture of you." Anthony replied.
"Why?" Orion asked, curiously.
"No reason," said Anthony. He took a picture of Orion Eclipse so that he can show it to his step-dad and give evidence of a giant robot in Idaho to the government. After he took a picture in one flash of light, Anthony started running again. But then, Orion Eclipse grabbed the young human before he looked at him once he held him up.
"AAagh! Put me down!" Anthony yelled.
"Not so fast, Tiffany," Orion said.
"It's Anthony, you bucket of bolts!" Anthony corrected.
"Listen carefully, young man. I'm not letting you tell anyone about me!" Orion said.
"Why not?! You're a giant killer robot!" Anthony accused Orion.
Orion Eclipse gasped, feeling offended before he made an angry expression on his face. "How dare you?! You don't know anything about me, human. I would never harm or kill anyone on this planet compared to horror movie monsters you've seen on television." Orion said to Anthony.
"Well, you're the one who's holding me against my will! Does that make YOU a friendly giant robot?!" Anthony asked.
Orion's angry face dissolved into a sad expression before he sighed. "Listen...If I put you down, will you promise NOT to tell anyone about me?" he asked.
"And why should I?" said Anthony.
"Because I don't want to be hunted down and killed for my existence," Orion replied. "All I want is for you to trust me. Believe me when I say that I would never harm or kill, okay? But there's something else that I want..."
"What is it that you want exactly?" Anthony asked.
Orion Eclipse paused before he answered, "A friend. I've been alone for years. All I want is for humanity to accept me. I don't want to be feared and hated. I want to coexist with your kind. You don't know how much loneliness I've endured for so long." he said, feeling sad.
"Orion, I think I understand. I've never had a friend in my life either." Anthony replied.
The young Cybertronian looked at Anthony with surprise before he asked him, "You're alone? Like me?"
"Well, not exactly. I have a mom and a stepdad. But I don't have any brothers or sisters. I don't have any real friends to talk to." Anthony told Orion.
Orion put Anthony down gently before he said to him, "I never knew my father or my mother. I also don't know if I even had a family."
Anthony looked at the giant robot before he started to feel sorry for him. "I'm so sorry to hear that. It must've been hard and scary having to live alone yourself, especially with memory loss since you've told me that you have amnesia," he told Orion.
Anthony suddenly heard his phone ringing before he said to Orion. "Hold on a second," he said before answering his phone. "Yes?"
"Anthony, are you safe?" Jonathan asked his stepson through the phone.
"Yes, John. I'm alright. I'm in the woods, but I'll be back right now." Anthony told his stepfather.
"Oh, okay. Just don't wander off too far." Jonathan replied.
"Okay. I'll text you when I get back to the hotel." Anthony promised.
After Anthony promised his step-father that he would come back to the hotel, he hung up his phone before he spoke to Orion and he told him, "I have to go back to the mini-hotel before Jonathan worries that I'll be hurt or kidnapped." he said.
"Who's Jonathan?" Orion asked.
"He's my stepfather. I better go now." Anthony said.
"Wait, when will I see you again?" Orion asked.
"Maybe tomorrow or even next time. I'll call you the next time we meet." Anthony promised.
"Okay. Goodbye, Anthony," said Orion Eclipse.
Anthony Carter left the woods and ran back to the mini-hotel before he went back to his stepfather. He didn't tell Jonathan how he met the giant robot in the woods and he made up an excuse as to why he went exploring near the woods. Meanwhile, Orion Eclipse returned to his cave in the mountains before he lay down feeling happy. For the first time in his life, he met a human who was not only afraid of him at first, but he understood his loneliness. As for the Autobots, Ratchet, Ironhide, and Hot Rod blend in with their vehicle modes while using holograms to fool humans into thinking people are driving them, just so they won't cause any suspicions. The Autobots don't realize it yet, but something is about to happen next as soon as they have found what they're looking for.