Chapter One: Through the Deep
Travelling through space wasn't that big of a deal, usually, but when one was a mech that craved companionship travelling through space alone wasn't something he particularly enjoyed. For him, it was his own personal brand of torture and left his thoughts running rampant through his processors. He'd heard the signal, they all had, coming from Optimus Prime and calling them all to a planet called Earth. His entire team had begun the journey together but an unexpected electromagnetic distortion of some sort had forced them to separate and he had yet to regain contact with any of them.
It was a strange feeling, being alone after spending so long with his team. They hardly listened to him at the best of times, and yet he missed them desperately whenever they were apart. Likely it had to do with them being a combiner team, but that was something else altogether. He knew they'd all make their way to the same place, so he'd see them all again eventually, they always managed to find a way. And yet...
In the cold, vast expanse of space it seemed like being on his own was so much worse. His thoughts were chaotic without his team to distract him from them, and doubts began to sink into his processors that usually never saw the light of day. He was heading to a planet where his most devastating weakness would become immediately apparent even with his team to distract him. What had Prime been thinking, calling for them to come to him? It wasn't like him to doubt so, but all alone with nothing but his thoughts he honestly couldn't help it.
What if his fears became too much for him on this new planet and he failed his team? What if he couldn't lead them as they needed and he disappointed Optimus's faith in him? A shudder went through his entire frame as a spark-deep fear began to take root inside him once more. He'd worked so hard, he tried his best with the team he was given. He cared about his fellows and his team and yet...and yet...here in the vast darkness of space he found himself doubting and afraid. What if they decided they didn't need someone as defective as he was? What would happen to his Aerialbots? Who would lead them and take care of them? Who would make certain they didn't get themselves hurt with all of their antics?
He didn't want to let them down, and his spark pulsed with a sort of desperate pain at the thought of being abandoned and left behind. It had been ages since he'd felt this way and honestly he tried to fight off the dark thoughts plaguing him because really his comrades needed him. He couldn't just give up over something so ridiculous as being left to travel alone, he just couldn't! Maybe that distortion had knocked something in his processor loose or something because this irrational fear wasn't like him. He was a good soldier and knew his own worth, not some youngling fresh out of the Academy afraid of his own shadow! It was ridiculous! He...
It was then he heard it, faint but there and his spark jolted in sudden awareness that maybe he wasn't as alone as he'd thought. It was on the very edges of his range, but he was getting a signal. Finally, maybe he'd found one of his comrades! Relief flowed through his entire being before he honestly started to listen to what he was hearing and relief was replaced by confusion. He didn't recognize the voice, but even so he was grateful for its presence there in the darkness with him. He focused in on the signal so he wouldn't lose it and held onto his calm just barely as the warm tones soothed something inside him even as the words were more than slightly inane and made no sense as to their purpose. Still, he was glad for it.
The voice was warm and husky, and the accent wasn't one he recognized though he did realize it was an Earth language being spoken. His frame relaxed at last and he let his optics shutter closed as he just allowed himself to really listen.
"Hello Australia! This is your DJ Madelyn Hart coming to you live, as usual, from somewhere in Waverly. I hope the day treated you well, and everyone got to enjoy the sunshine and surf as much as I did. Though I'll let you all in on a secret, I totally had an epic wipeout on the Bondi surf today. It was great! So a thank you goes out, as always, to our guys and gals in blue that always help keep wayward surfers like me safe. You guys are awesome!"
The femme's warm laughter filled the silence and he felt his ruffled plating settling even more at the sound. It was nice to hear laughter again, it reminded him that not everything was so terrible as he'd made it out to be. Her accent again caught him off guard but it wasn't a bad thing, she just sounded so...unique and he found himself wanting to listen to her talk more. It was definitely an interesting sensation, that wanting, but he didn't let it bother him overly much. She sounded relatively young to him, this femme he listened to so intently, and again he found himself wondering things that normally he wouldn't. Still, it was better than the fear.
He wondered what sort of life she led, what exactly surfing was and if a 'wipeout' was as painful as it sounded. He did so hope she hadn't been injured by it, but her laughter suggested she hadn't suffered any major harm so that was something. He had a moments panic when he briefly lost the signal before he settled again when it came back stronger than before. Just for a while, he wanted to be able to hear the femme talk. Even if she wasn't talking to him, it was soothing to know she was out there. It was like a lifeline to the rest of those he was separated from and he found himself grateful for her presence even if she'd never know just how much she was helping him.
He wasn't certain for how long he listened to the femme's voice and the music she chose to listen to as he travelled, but he found himself feeling calm and content for the first time in a long while. Maybe things would turn out well after all, and maybe once he was a bit closer to the signal he could perhaps reach out and speak to the femme. Not to tell her anything really, just to have someone to speak to that might listen. It eased something inside his spark to think about it and thus he would continue his long journey there in the dark. Only this time, he wasn't really alone as he listened to the voice coming through the waves.