CHAPTER 56
Despite their decision to break out of the prison, Fracture had remained quite vague about his plans. Drift didn't like it. Not at all.
He'd thought that Fracture would get a plan, an idea to escape. Nothing at all. After their confrontation, after Drift had decided to get up and fight one more time, Fracture'd suddenly become silent. He'd insisted that he was thinking but the orange bot had hardly believed him. He thought it was quite the contrary; his cellmate had actually no idea to how escape from there.
Drift had got irritated about it; though his reaction had amused the purple bot. "At least, it proves that you will be fine" He'd said, before lying down on his berth again.
Would he be fine? …He didn't know. His mental state didn't matter anymore now.
Following days, Drift acted as if nothing had happened. After all, he didn't wish to draw attention on them. He kept doing his chores. He'd taken energon up again, though by small amounts. He'd avoided any conflict with other prisoners and even tried to pretend sympathy to their conditions.
It was like…his first days here.
Guards hadn't lied. He definitely had a meeting with a medic tonight. The prison's medic was named Kaltor. This one scanned him, analysed him. Drift reluctantly let him do. He didn't have any doubt: the medic had already been informed about his situation. He guessed that he was searching for any clue of poison or any other thing that he would have swallowed to put an end to his life. Maybe it had been his goal…but today…
Once Kaltor found out that he would get nothing from him, he allowed Drift to take a seat. Then came questions.
"Did you get your trial's date?"
Yes.
He'd known it the day before. Finally. The friendly guard had come to personally tell Drift about his trial's date. His trial will happen in one week.
As soon as Drift came to terms with the news, he'd turned back to Fracture who'd been informed at the same time as Drift, since they shared the same cell. The purple bot had granted him an amused smirk before coming back to his business.
"You said you needed me" The samurai spat.
Drift hadn't given any attention to the time left…until he'd understood that his days were actually numbered. Fracture had nodded.
"That's what I said"
"I wouldn't be useful to you in one week if you don't hurry up"
"I thought you were a patient person" He'd retorted.
Patient? Drift thought he was joking! How could he be patient when he'd just learned that his time was limited?
"Do you know what they do to their prisoners? Are you aware about Decepticon trials?"
"Of course, I know" Fracture had affirmed. "They get you executed right after the verdict, right?"
"I should never have listened to you"
Why following Fracture? He should have used his time to escape himself! Instead of waiting that his 'comrade' had a good idea.
In the end, Fracture had turned back to him, an annoyed expression.
"Do you wish to know the date of my trial?" Fracture had asked him.
He didn't care.
"In less than four days" Fracture had declared. "You can believe me. I have more reasons to escape from that filthy cell before having my spark torn out of my chassis by Autobot authorities as soon as I would have been found guilty."
It had left Drift speechless.
Fracture was so serene…it got him confused. Unlike most of prisoners who went through madness, Fracture acted as if everything was alright.
Either his mental health was worse than Drift had ever imagined it, either he'd already got a plan. And he was waiting for the right moment to tell him.
Drift was living his thoughts, to the point he hadn't heard Kaltor's next question.
"…What?"
"Do you know that Autobots would be merciful toward you if you try to do the right thing?"
It got the orange bot irritated again.
"What do you know about it? We are in war."
"People will always deserve a chance if they join the Autobot cause and do anything to put an end to the conflict and obtaining a lasting peace"
A lasting peace…between Autobots and Decepticons? Was it even possible?
No. Drift didn't buy it.
"That's propaganda" The samurai answered back. He didn't even try to hide his disdain toward the medic.
"No. It's reality. Decepticons are the ones about propaganda. We just offer you an option to get a better future."
He paused.
"A better future by joining Autobots?"
That's the very first time. The first time he was offered to join up one side of the war in such a straightforward way. He'd joined the Circle of Light that'd remained neutral.
Behind his mask, Kaltor stared at him.
"I know about your case"
"My case?" Drift repeated.
"You've been a miner. You've been trapped in Megatron's Decepticon propaganda."
No…
"You've been living in streets" Kaltor kept on. "You needed to find energon. You didn't have any choice. You had to join Decepticons."
Was he trying to find any excuse to justify Drift's acts?
"You know. I think the trial jury will give you a lighter sentence. More than you can think"
Like an exit?
A lighter sentence?
What did it mean? Death was his first choice. Would a lighter sentence mean staying locked up in that prison until the end of the war? To the risk of never seeing Jetstorm and Slipstream ever again?
Yet, Kaltor's tone wasn't patronizing.
That's true sympathy. Drift guessed it. Autobots were way easier to read than their Decepticon counterparts.
…In one way, that's their weakness…
"Do you want to know why I joined Decepticons?"
He stood up. Why should he keep on? The meeting was over, anyway. Kaltor wanted to talk him out of leaving but Drift had already put his servo over the door.
"…Because they killed my comrade and friend. Gasket."
"That's war. Sometimes, people don't have any choice"
"Gasket was innocent. He was a homeless bot like me. A civil. And you killed him" Drift coldly replied.
He left the room.
He didn't believe it.
Joining Autobots up?
What a joke.
He stopped at the middle of the hall. He thought back of Wing's words.
He hadn't misjudged him because he was a Decepticon.
Was Drift misjudging Autobots in the same way?
He gave a point of view about the adversary side…without trying to understand their motives?
A dead Gasket came back in his processor.
He shook his head and joined back his cell, without any other word.
It was shower time. After his half-filled cube of energon, he headed for the wash-racks room, giving distrustful glances at behind him. He expected another bot trying to attack him in the back. Fortunately, there was nobody. Not in the halls, not in the wash-racks…
Once he was alone, he let water being spilled up over his chassis. He closed his optics. Despite the unpleasant time in prison…he must admit that these kinds of moments were fine. Wash-racks for himself…
He thought back of the ship and bitterness came up again.
But as soon as shower started up, doors opened and an intruder stood up in front of him. Drift immediately reopened his optics. It startled him and nearly slipped on the wet floor, realizing it was Fracture. The purple bot stood under water, a proud expression.
"What are you doing here?" Drift cried out, trying to find his balance again.
"I came here to take my shower. And you?"
"Can't you wait?"
Drift moved back. Fracture stepped ahead.
"No. It can't wait."
"Why? I don't need to see your face every time!"
The purple bot wasn't impressed. He kept walking ahead.
"I think you'll like my face more once you'll know."
Know?
"What about it?" Drift asked, confused.
"Don't you guess, Drift?"
He gave a glance at their side, as if noticing an invisible item near them.
"…What?"
"There is no camera here. That's quite intimate here"
"…You are saying—"
Fracture nodded.
Drift felt like a weight had been put off his shoulders.
"You…you actually found a way to escape?"
The purple bot didn't answer. He just grabbed some automatic soap, covering his entire chassis with it. Drift was fed up. He couldn't be patient any longer.
"Spit it out!"
"I wash your back and I explain everything?"
Washing his…Fracture gave him another amused smirk.
He should never have teamed up with him.
Drift had already been hazed up in wash-racks…and Fracture had helped him a first time. Now…would he be the next one to assault him?
"Relax, Drift. Why having such ideas?"
"I wash myself"
"So, wash my back instead. That's quite difficult to reach these parts."
The orange bot stared at him, while Fracture turned around to display his back. He let out a sigh. He didn't want it…
…But it was better than the other option…
He complied then came closer to Fracture. He grabbed some soap, as well as the sponge, then started to put some on his body. Drift absent-mindedly noted that his body was quite smooth. He heard Fracture let out a moan, his shoulders going slightly shaky for a few seconds. Then, he acted up normally again.
"So…Explain" Drift repeated, after a silence.
"The crab. At the XHSJ block. Number P089."
"So, what?"
Fracture shrugged. Drift didn't stop and kept massaging his backplate, trying to be as fast as possible.
"He knows another cellmate, who knows about an exit"
"An exit?"
"Throughout plumbing"
He stopped. He heard Fracture growl about it, but he didn't care.
Is that all? And it was his great plan?
"You must be kidding"
"Not at all"
"You just…base on stupid rumours?"
"We just need to check them"
"You'll get our time wasted for that?"
"Wash my back. You haven't finished yet" Fracture just said.
"Do it yourself!"
Drift threw the sponge on the floor.
He should never have trusted Fracture. All for…a stupid plan based on rumours? The purple bot turned back, baring his dentas.
"What do you think so? We need something to start"
"Is that the crab who told you about it?"
"No. I have other sources"
Fracture chuckled.
"You can't imagine everything the prisoners are saying when it comes to the great gadgets"
How could Fracture still possess his blades? Drift had lost his weapons at his arrival here. Were guards completely dumb or what?
"I don't want it"
"Too bad. Because we have no other choice"
"What will you do?"
"Don't you think? I'll find that crab and he'll speak. He'll give me the name of that prisoner"
He paused.
"We should find him during the break, outside. Normally"
"Normally…"
What a mess.
"And you need me to take care of a stupid crab?" Drift asked.
"someone should be the good cop. Someone needs to stop me from killing him before he spits out the name."
"Because that's not a problem for you…killing people…"
He'd never revealed anything about his reasons for being incarcerated, but Drift had already guessed that Fracture was a murderer. That's obvious in his attitude, his behaviour. He just viewed others like worthless scrap metals.
"I admit it. I can get carried away whenever I'm taken for a fool" The purple bot said.
"I don't have the time for it"
"You'll need to. What if it's true?"
"What if it's false?"
"Just think that's true. We have a small hope. Let's try it" The purple bot coldly replied.
If that's false, it would have been a waste of time. Yet Drift must admit it. They had no choice. That's the only clue they had. Fracture put himself under water to get rid of remains of soap still covering some parts of his body. Drift didn't want to look at him back. He made him uncomfortable. Finally, Fracture focused back on him.
For a few seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Fracture spoke again.
"Will you follow me or not?"
Drift sighed.
They should try it…at least try…
He felt Fracture's stare scanning his whole body again. Drift just grabbed the sponge back to wash himself again.
He must be focused on something else.
"Good. I'm waiting for you outside"
Then Fracture left.