Getting Used To It
It was a bright, clear day as Prowl stepped out of the Arc and gazed thoughtfully around at the beautiful Oregon countryside. It was so quiet and peaceful outside. But soon his attention was diverted to a cloud of dust on the horizon that seemed to be getting closer at quite a fast speed. He decided it was one of the Autobots, but he couldn't tell which one.
"Who is that?" Prowl asked Wheeljack whom also seemed to be watching the cloud of dust.
"You'll see." Wheeljack replied.
As the dust cloud neared, Wheeljack could see that this Autobot wasn't racing in car mode. This one was running, and fast.
"Ha! I won!" Crystal announced triumphantly as she skidded to a halt in front of Wheeljack and
Prowl.
A red station wagon pulled up next to her.
"That's cause Ah let ya win." Ironhide insisted as he transformed into his robot mode.
"Yeah right." Crystal elbowed him playfully in the side.
"Well at least Ah didn't crash on mah chassis going at top speed five times." Ironhide chuckled.
"Oh, hush up."
"You do need to take it easier until you can control your body better." Wheeljack added.
"I've never seen any robot go so fast on two legs." Prowl marveled.
"That's my own design." Wheeljack bragged. "Since Crystal cannot transform like the rest of
us, designed her body to be able to go at high speeds on foot so she can keep up with us."
"It's great." Crystal said. "I've never gone so fast before and I don't even get tired."
"Crystal, can I have you come with me?" Wheeljack asked. "I want to run a systems check on you."
"Sure."
Crystal followed Wheeljack into the Arc. Prowl decided to tag along while Ironhide went his own way. As they stepped into the med bay, Ratchet was already inside repairing Sideswipe.
"I don't know how you get into these things." Rachet grouched at the red robot. "That stunt you
pulled was reckless and stupid."
"But Sunstreaker dared me to." Sideswipe defended. "I had to do it and- Hey, watch the paint job!"
Crystal giggled at the two as she sat down on another table. Wheeljack took out a hand held scanner and ran it over her body.
"All your systems are doing fine." Wheeljack announced proudly when he was done. "I don't think I could have built you any better than that."
"You know," Crystal said thoughtfully. "I've been a robot for three days now and I don't even know what I look like."
"Well, would you like to see for yourself?" Wheeljack asked.
"I don't know. Do I look okay? Will I like what I see?"
Wheeljack shrugged.
"What about you Prowl, do you think I look okay?"
"Well, uh. ..."
"Thanks a lot. I have all the confidence now." Crystal said sarcastically.
"I think you're fine!" Sideswipe piped up.
"Thanks man." Crystal smiled at him. She took a moment to ready herself. "Kay, show me what I look like."
"Over here." Wheeljack led her over to a transformer sized mirror.
Crystal gaped at the female robot standing back at her. Her body was thin and lean. Her shape was very basic and feminine and lacked the complicated armor the others had. It was mostly silver in color. The armor on her lower arms and legs were painted magenta while her chest plate and lower abdomen were purple. Her optics glowed a bright green and from her head sprouted chrome like hair with a purple tint to it.
"I tried to make it look as close to your old body as possible." Wheeljack explained.
"I never remembered by body looking so good." Crystal said as she ran her hands over her smooth feminine curves. "I look ready to model." she giggled. "You can sure tell a guy built me, huh?"
She turned around to see all the Autobots in the room staring at her. They all stopped their gazing when Crystal noticed the attention she was getting. If Autobots could blush, they would have all been as red as Sideswipe.
"So how did you create me anyway?" Crystal asked. She seated herself on the table next to Prowl and folded her arms over her chest, suddenly self-conscious of her form.
"When we brought your body here I copied all the information in your brain and transferred it into what we call a personality component and installed it in this robot body." Wheeljack explained.
"But how did you make this body so fast?"
"Your body was originally a prototype I had been working on as a robotic assistant to use in my lab. I used it for your body because it was already functional. I just modified it to better fit your original human form. The hair is a soft chrome metal I had created some time ago. I decided to use it in order to help you look more like your old self."
"But because of your simple circuitry and lack of armor and other components you are unable to transform like the rest of us. However, you will be able to sustain more damage and last longer without recharging."
"Hm." was all Crystal had to say about that.
From where she was sitting she could still see herself in the mirror. She thoughtfully fingered the red Autobot symbol painted on her right shoulder. Indeed, living here would take some getting used to.
Bluestreak and Mirage were sitting in the lounge later that day when Crystal poked her head in.
"Hey guys, whatcha doing?" she asked.
Crystal seemed to ask that question a lot. During her days at the Arc, she had been a familiar sight in almost every room. The female robot loved spending her time just watching everyone else, getting to know everyone, and asking what they were doing.
"We're just enjoying some energon." Bluestreak smiled at her.
"Energon?" Crystal quarried as she sat down at the table.
"Yeah." Mirage said. "It's what gives us our energy. Like what gasoline is for automobiles."
"When's the last time you recharged?" Bluestreak asked.
"Never, as far as I know."
"Then have an energon cube." Bluestreak placed a strange looking cube in front of Crystal. The sides of the cube were transparent and the liquid inside it glowed a bright florescent pink, almost white. Crystal studied it curiously.
"What do I do with it? Do I have a tank I pour it in or what?"
The two Autobots laughed in amusement at her naivete.
"You drink it, of course." Mirage grinned.
"Drink it?" Crystal made a face at the glowing cube.
"Yeah, it's good." Bluestreak insisted.
Crystal studied the cube closer and gingerly poked it with an index finger. It was very soft and bent under the pressure of her touch. Crystal jumped back in surprise as a small part of the outer wall ripped and a little pool of energon flowed onto the table top before the cube sealed itself again.
"Didn't anyone teach you not to play with your food?" Bluestreak asked with a huge grin. He was getting a kick out of this.
"I'm still deciding wether it is food." Crystal responded.
She carefully reached out for the cube. But the sound of the door sliding open and heavy lumbering footsteps unnerved her enough not to try and pick it up. Instead she looked up at the new arrival. The largest Autobot she had ever seen stood over her. He was black, yellow, and red in color and was easily larger than Optimus Prime, a robot whose size already amazed Crystal. The robot didn't say a thing as he dropped heavily into the chair next to her.
"So, what brings you up here Grimlock?" Mirage asked the bulky robot.
"Want to see her." Grimlock answered simply.
Crystal almost fell out of her chair in surprise. What could this metal giant want with her?
"Well, I'm kind of busy right now." Crystal said, hoping he would leave.
"That okay. Me Grimlock can wait."
Oh great, Crystal thought as she turned her attention back to the energon cube sitting before her. She picked it up and looked as if she'd drink it but then pulled it away and made an indecisive face.
"Just drink it, for booting up cold!" Bluestreak said impatiently.
"All right, don't get you diodes in a twist." Crystal retorted.
She pressed her lips to the edge of the cube and took a sip. The liquid was surprisingly refreshing, yet if felt warm as it ran through her body. She could feel the new energy surging through her.
"Not bad." Crystal admitted and took another, longer drink of energon.
"You done yet?" Grimlock asked impatiently.
"Almost, let me finish up, uh, who were you again?"
"Me Grimlock. Me Dinobot leader."
Dinobot leader? Crystal thought. Someone made that guy leader? Crystal took another drink, wondering how smart the others were if he was the leader.
"Me Grimlock say you done. Come with me now." Grimlock stood up and hauled Crystal out of her chair without a single effort on his
part.
"Where are we going?" Crystal asked.
"Go to meet other Dinobots."
"Other Dinobots?!" Crystal cried as she was pulled out the door.
Grimlock dragged her down the hall towards the exit. Crystal was becoming alarmed at the large robot's bluntness and brute strength. The Dinobot leader pulled her outside to where four robotic dinosaurs were chatting among themselves. They stopped talking and transformed into their robot modes as their leader approached them.
"These Dinobots." Grimlock told Crystal. "That Slag, Sludge, Snarl, and Swoop. Dinobots, this Crystal. She new Autobot."
The Dinobots curiously swarmed around her. They were all so unbelievably tall. Crystal felt like she was trapped on all sides by huge moving mountains. To control her panic, Crystal kept telling herself that they were the good guys and wouldn't hurt her, she hoped.
"Me Swoop say you look funny."
"Yeah, well you're short." Crystal retorted to the smallest Dinobot.
"Me taller than you." Swoop defended.
"So?!"
"Why you so small?" Sludge asked.
"Because I was built that way."
"Me say you look like big wimp." Slag growled.
"What?!" Crystal cried. "That's it. I'm not sticking around if everyone is just going to insult me."
Crystal started back to the Arc.
"You stay." Grimlock commanded.
His massive hand easily fit around her waist as he effortlessly picked her up and brought her back as if she were some toy doll.
"You play game with us." Grimlock said with authority. "Dinobots promise to be nice, right?"
"Me promise." the four said in unison.
"You play now?" Grimlock asked.
Crystal looked at the giants around her uneasily.
"Play." Swoop pleaded with her. "It fun."
"What are we playing?" Crystal asked.
"Earth game." Snarl said happily. "Come." he picked her up with one hand the same way Grimlock had and merrily ran off towards the meadow near by.
Crystal sighed. She wondered how long she'd live playing' with these lumbering, dimwitted robotic monstrosities.
"Has anyone seen Crystal lately?" Jazz asked the few Autobots that were in the med bay.
"I haven't seen her since this morning." Wheeljack said, looking up from the gadget he was working on. "But she's usually easy to find."
"I know. She's usually off trailing someone around but no one has seen her for quite a while."
"I know where she is." Bluestreak offered from where Ratchet was working on his shoulder joint. "Grimlock came and got her."
"Grimlock?!" Jazz and Wheeljack exclaimed.
"Yeah." Bluestreak confirmed. "I think he took her outside, said he wanted her to meet the other Dinobots."
"Other Dinobots?!" Jazz screamed at him.
"And you let her go?!" Wheeljack looked like he would blow a fuse at any second. "Those bungling idiots could crush her without even thinking!"
"Like they think much anyway." Bluestreak mumbled.
"And if anything happens to her, you'll be their next victim." Wheeljack threatened.
Bluestreak gulped and Wheeljack and Jazz ran out of the repair bay. They raced down the halls of the Arc and outside.
"If they do anything to her I'll. . ."Wheeljack growled.
"There she is." Jazz interrupted.
Several yards away Crystal stood by herself in the middle of a grassy meadow. She held a large boulder oddly in her arms. She seemed unaware of Slag and Sludge barreling after her at an alarming rate.
"Crystal!" Jazz and Wheeljack called in fear and alarm.
"Huh?" Crystal turned to see them. Still unaware of the charging Dinobots.
Slag and Sludge lunged at her. But at the last second Crystal was whisked into the air. Grimlock held Crystal off the
ground with both arms as Slag and Sludge collided with each other in the dirt.
"Me Grimlock say Dinobots need to settle down." he told them.
"Yeah you big oafs." Crystal shook a fist at them from her place in the air. "This is touch football, not tackle."
"Sorry, me Sludge forget."
"Slag forget, too."
"Better remember next time." Grimlock scolded as he set Crystal on the ground.
"You bet they better." Wheeljack said sternly as he and Jazz approached them. "Are you okay, Crystal?"
"Fine."
"You play football, too?" Swoop asked them as he retrieved the football' which was actually the boulder Crystal had been holding.
"No thanks." Jazz reclined. "I'd like to stay functioning a few more cycles."
"And you're not playing either." Wheeljack told Crystal. "I didn't save your life so you could be trampled by these titanium lizards.
"Awe, you're no fun." Crystal pouted.
"You no play?" Snarl asked.
"Sorry guys." Crystal shrugged. "Mr. I'm the boss' here says no can do."
The Dinobots looked disappointed at the loss of their teammate. Grimlock couldn't have that in his ranks.
"New rule." he announced. "First Dinobot to get other Dinobot through goal get point."
He transformed into his dinosaur mode and the others followed. Soon a loud and messy game of push and shove began between them as each Dinobot tried to over power the others.
"See," Crystal whined. "now I feel left out."
"In." Wheeljack ordered as he pointed to the Arc.
Crystal grudgingly obliged.
Optimus Prime sat at his desk in his office concentrating on the piles of paper work and reports before him. This was one of the few things Prime hated about being the Autobot's leader. The room was so empty and quiet. Deafeningly quiet. He had been at this all day and the simple mundaneness of the task was about to scramble his circuits.
Optimus jumped with a start when the sudden noise of the door sliding open interrupted the silence of the room.
"Hiya!" Crystal said cheerfully as she skipped into the room and took a seat in the chair in front of Prime's desk. "What's up O.P.?"
Optimus was not in the mood to be interrupted. He took a deep breath and prayed that he wouldn't loose his temper at the young femme.
"I really don't have time for this Crystal." he said as calmly as he could. "I've made it very clear to my officers that I wish to be left alone."
"I know." Crystal said as she did a mock impression of rolling her optics the best she could. "Jazz told me about fifty million times. I had to sneak in here when he wasn't looking."
"Crystal," Prime sighed with slight agitation. "I've been at this all day and I'm really busy right now."
"I know. That's why I came down to see you."Crystal explained. "My uncle was the head of several large businesses and he was busy all the time with stuff like this. But I lived with him long enough to know that sometimes the last thing someone needs is to be left alone with a boring stack of papers in a deafeningly quiet room all day long."
Optimus didn't speak for fear of what might come out of his voice processor. He was not in the mood to put up with anyone at the moment but he still didn't want to be rude to the newest member in the Arc. Prime decided she might just leave if he ignored her and continued with his paper work.
He didn't get far when the sounds of Crystal fiddling with everything on his desk distracted his thoughts. He looked up to see her studying one of his paper weights before she plopped it loudly back onto the desk. Optimus concluded that Crystal wasn't going to leave anytime soon. Maybe if he talked with her for a moment...
"So Crystal, what have you been doing?" he asked, trying to sound as placid as possible. But inside he was quite close to blowing up at her.
"Me Crystal meet Dinobots." she said in her best Grimlock impersonation. "We play game. It fun. Wheeljack come out, say No do that'.
He send Crystal in. Him big dork."
"So Wheeljack wouldn't let you play with the Dinobots, eh?" Optimus was almost amused at the little story.
"Yeah." Crystal said in her normal voice. "You can thank him for me being in here."
"Oh believe me, I will."
"You know what else you can do?" Crystal suddenly asked.
"What?"
"Get new chairs, these things are as hard as granite."
"There are a bit uncomfortable." Optimus admitted.
"You should get those padded ones that spin and recline."
"Thank you Crystal, I'll look into that." Prime's thinning patience was starting to show in his voice.
"Hey, neat pen." Crystal snatched the pen Optimus held in his hand and looked it over. "Are these what you use to write on Cybertron?"
"Yes."
"Can I use it? I want to draw a picture."
Before Optimus could answer, Crystal grabbed a blank sheet and started drawing. Optimus clenched his fist, trying to control his temper. He relaxed slightly seeing that Crystal was quiet for once, being occupied by something else. Welcoming the silence, Prime continued on with his paper work. But he only got a few minutes peace when Crystal started humming some annoying little tune, breaking all the concentration the Autobot leader had.
He looked up at her menacingly. Crystal was so engrossed in her drawing she didn't notice and kept right on humming. At this time, Optimus couldn't help but think how easy it would be to fit his hands around that small neck of hers and squeeze. Primus knows he would have done it if Crystal hadn't suddenly thrust her paper in his face.
"Look." she said proudly.
Optimus studied the sketch before him. Crystal had drawn the head and shoulders of a familiar looking Autobot who seemed to be yelling at something. Smoke was coming out of his audio receptors, flames were spewing from the mouth and sparks were shooting every where.
"What is that?" Prime asked, his anger suddenly filled with curiosity.
"That's Jazz when he finds out I've been in here talking to you." Crystal giggled. She brought the picture up to cover her face to make like the face in the picture was her own.
"Crystal, what are you doing in here?!" Crystal said in a mocking tone as if she were the robot in the picture. "How many times do I have to tell you! You little. . ."
She was cut off as the door slid open behind her.
"Prime, I. . ." Jazz was cut off when he noticed there was another robot in the room with Optimus.
"Crystal, I told you not to come in here like a dozen times." Jazz scolded.
Crystal turned to face him, the picture still covering her face.
"Uh oh." she said in her mock Jazz voice.
Crystal was quite a good artist and Jazz almost instantly recognized the robot in the picture. When he did, he was too stunned to speak.
Optimus had been observing the scene quietly though he could fill the pressure of emotion build up inside him. He couldn't hold it any more, he had to let it out. Jazz and Crystal both jumped as the distinguished Autobot leader erupted into riotous laughter.
Jazz's mouth hung wide open at the sight. He had heard Optimus chuckle a few times but he never even considered he was capable of laughing like that. Crystal didn't know enough to think it odd at all and began laughing along with the big red and blue Autobot. Jazz continued to stand, hands on hips, not approving of the laughter at his expense.
"Okay, you've had your fun, now out." Jazz told Crystal when the laughter had died down.
"Okay, okay." Crystal surrendered as she stood up and headed for the door. "I'm going. See you later O.P."
Optimus found himself waving at her as she disappeared out the door.
"I'm sorry about that." Jazz apologized. "I know you didn't want to be disturbed and I told her not to come in but-"
"It's all right Jazz." Optimus cut him off. "Little did I know, she was exactly what I needed."
Jazz nodded and left him alone in his office once again.
Optimus remained at his desk in his now quiet office. He couldn't help but smile behind his face plate. Crystal's unexpected visit had been disguised as a breath of fresh air. He was now ready to tackle the reports with new energy. But not before he took another look at Crystal's picture and cracked up once more.
Crystal thought it would be wise to avoid a few certain Autobots for the rest of the day and sat down on the mountain side outside the Arc to watch the night sky. She wasn't alone for very long when Bumblebee came to join her.
"How are you doing?" he asked as he sat down next to her.
"Fine."
"What about you being a robot, still okay with it?"
"I don't mind it. But it still takes some getting used to." Crystal stood up. "I'm turning in now. Good night Bumblebee."
"Good night."
He watched Crystal retire to the Arc while he remained where he was and continued to watch the night sky.
Crystal walked tiredly through the halls, it had been a busy day. She approached her small quarters and stepped inside.
Autobots really didn't need separate rooms though some, including Optimus Prime, had private quarters. Most didn't have any reason to need a private room. Few had personal items with them that needed a place to be kept nor did they need beds because they didn't require sleep. Autobots could shut down into recharge mode but it wasn't needed unless energon was scarce.
Crystal, however, was different. Her quarters was a small room with a metal bed in it. The room had not been used for anything before Crystal had arrived and it had no door, but Crystal didn't seem to care. She didn't have any reason to lock herself away from the rest of the Autobots. She curled up onto the bed and did what no other Cybertronian could do- she fell asleep.
Prowl walked by the door way and stood there for a moment to watch her sleep. It was so odd to him. He had never seen a robot sleep before. Even when they were in recharge mode they would lay flat on their backs on the recharge beds. But Crystal was curled up on her side with her arm folded under her to support her.
Prowl still couldn't understand how she could do it. Wheeljack said it was psychological. Since she still had the brain of a human it told her she needed sleep every night and her robot body believed her. Wheeljack assured him she'd eventually grow out of it when she had adjusted more. But until then, Prowl was content to watch her lay there, serene and peaceful.
The next morning, Gears was grumbling to himself as usual as he stormed down the ship's corridors. Most Autobots steered clear of him when he was in these kind of moods. And Gears was glad no one tried to talk to him or cheer him up. Optimus heard Gears grumble as he trudged passed. Though the leader was used to it he wished Gears would lighten up. But no one dared to get in the way of the negative robot. Well, almost no one.
Gears' frown dug deeper into his features when he saw Crystal coming down the hall. Ever since Gears had first met her when she was twelve he disliked her and he hoped she didn't notice him. But to his dismay, the female robot saw his frown and walked brightly up to him.
"Good morning sunshine!" Crystal chirped, kneeling down to give Gears a squeeze and then skipping off down the hall.
A shadow of a smile spread over Gears' face plate but quickly disappeared when he saw the other Autobots smug expressions.
"What are you looking at?!" he snapped, storming back down the hall. "Stupid females." he muttered to himself.
But deep down, though he would never admit it to any one, Gears was almost glad they had Crystal around.
"Reach for the stars, but never leave your friends."
- Cosmos