Title: 'Seekers?'
Rating: PG-13
'verse/series: `07/09 Movieverse AU
Warnings: language
Characters: Optimus Prime and OC, mentions of Sideswipe and Sunstreaker,
oOoOo
Like I had said, it was normally Sideswipe who took me for supplies. In the past Optimus had only taken me a small handful of times. He usually took me instead of Side's after an incident like last night when we were resting and he had stood guard. It took us a good hour and half or so to finally get to the nearest town not only because of the road themselves but for the caution that Sideswipe had grown into. I'd always known him like he was now, with caution in his step and every move. From what I knew; he hadn't always been like I know him now.
At one point in time the town had been decent sized and more greatly populated. Today many of the buildings were abandoned while other's were completely gone, only leaving their cement foundations behind as reminders that a building had, indeed, been here. The roads that went threw them rarely had vehicles drive down them. With years without attendance and maintenance nature and riots took there toll eventurally. The few buildings that were still operable were meager and nearly altogether empty, there windows broken leaving only old rusted frames behind and their brick walls crumbling. As we drove by them I looked inside. Some I could see their ceiling panels hanging like they'd been gutted or see straight threw to the other side. Occasionally I'd see a few outlines of one or two homeless people or scavengers. Some of the stores that once were convenient stores of some sort still had their stands and counters; grayed and broken because of exposure to time and the elements.
I felt odd, out of place riding inside of Optimus' cab. I'd gotten over the creepy feeling a long time ago but still. . . Seeing that there were no other moving vehicles, let alone people, walking down what was left of the streets creeped me out. Some would say time had forgotten this town -they were right and wrong at the same time. I remembered when I was little catching the occasional chance to watch movies -this town reminded me of a few old horror flicks. This town had long since died an gone to Hell. Even if this town was dead that didn't mean that you should let your guard down for an instant. Optimus, Sideswipe, and common sense told me that we could easily be tracked going down these streets. We did, afterall, stand out terribly.
"Optimus?"
"hmm?"
I watched the a still working street light that always flickered and blinked yellow as we passed it by.
"What's bothering you? You're. . .quieter than usual."
An old Sedan passed us quietly as I waited for my reply. I watched it go by in the side mirror outside Optimus' cab absently. It was once blue I think, though I could tell even with its retreating form that it was caked in dust and dried mud and who knew what else. It's back window was cracked, duck taped, and it had no rear bumper. As it turned a corner I saw it had no hubcaps either. It wasn't surprising.
I knew something was bothering Optimus I just didn't know what and thus it was bothering me. A lot of things were always bothering the truck, the time I had known him I could tell when something else was going on that was plainly obvious.
"I believe there were Seeker's involved in the battle last night."
Now I could understand why he was acting like he was. Why his cab seemed so thick.
"Seekers!" I gasped. "This far North!"
"Calm down, Blair," his baritone voice soft and calming. "I'm not certain it was them. But. . ."
Optimus' let his own word's drift. Instead of sliding forward and grabbing his stirring wheel wanting to know what had yet to say, I sank back slightly concerned probaly written on my face. Of what I wasn't sure. Optimus knew how to hide his emotions well unlike myself, always had been, even in his voice. Not all things could be easily be hidden, I guess, and I sensed it.
"But?"
"I've been hearing rumor's," he finally began again. "That the Human government may possibly be developing similar technologies to duplicate Seekers."
No words came to me at first. What? "Really? They're idiots to take it that far! Have they forgotten the Hawaii Incident*?" The last part was more to myself than to Optimus.
Optimus was pulling into a super center parking lot. There were a few cars around. Most were old, rusted, and left abandoned, their wheels, glass, and other body parts were missing. From what I could tell there were only two vehicles still probably working out here. Optimus' large form, even if battered, stood out against the surroundings as he pulled up to the front of the old super center.
"That is the human government for you. I do not believe in the rumors, but from what I've learned from past experiences; 'suspect anything and everything'." I nodded in understanding. A long time ago, I stopped getting offended about such comment's thrown out at my own race. Usually I would agree with them and didn't deny it myself. The majority of Human's these days were greedy, selfish bastards. More than they use to be believe it or not.
"True. What if there were Seeker's, though?" This far North. . .
"Let's just hope that they weren't. In my current condition I don't think I could handle a Trine. Not by myself and I don't want Sunstreaker to go up against them."
I would have agree with him there, I would not want him to either. Sunstreaker was a fighter, a warrior, but over the past couple years, the lack of proper maintenance and medical attention wore on them, literally. Not only on Sunstreaker but his brother and Optimus too. There were no medics around, let alone a decent mechanic, human or other wise. I had little to no knowledge of how a regular cars or trucks worked; there was no way I knew how to fix one of the bots. I'd picked up a few things from them telling me about them but other than that it was pointless. We were careful and helped as much as we could to tend to one another's needs. Engineering just wasn't our forté.
Seating back; "Yeah. Let's hope it wasn't."
Quickly I got out of Optimus as soon as he stopped at the front door of the super center, grabbing my bag and headed in to the store. I heard the door shut behind me and a faint word of 'be safe' from Optimus. With a small wave I head in ducking through one of the broken glass doors.
oOoOo
Today's, TV's were rarely used. They had been banned years ago when (for example) China finally got fed up with the United States shipping its e-waste over to their country. Obvious it was highly illegal but the U.S. did it anyway, regardless. The shipments, majority of the time, were ancient desktop computer monitors that, when stored in large numbers and left to the elements the lead, CRT's*, mercury, cobalt and numerous other toxic materials and wastes from other every-day appliances. Over time it sank into the earth, which included fields and water supplies. These number's were vast. Though China, for didn't claim to be the culprit, let alone acknowledge it, numerous freighters had seemily disappeared like they'd went threw the Bermuda Triangle, believed to have been taken and never seen again.
Some people claimed either the Decepticon's and/or the Autobot's had been behind the freighters disappearance.
In 2017 the U.S. revealed a new computer monitor that could also be used as a TV without all the excess wiring. It is supposedly better than HD and/or LCD monitors of its time. They were extremely light, durable, and long lasting.
It was created using reversed engineered alien technology.
Cybertronian.
The 'Cybertronian's' weren't happy about this, needless to say. In the end, in 2019, with the already mounting tention between biological and nonebiologicals, everything snapped and it had led to the peninsula that was Florida to become an island. By the time the Cybertronian's acted enough screen/monitors had been distributed, despite their fancy prices, it was a somewhat pointless endeavor. Today people used the Internet for, well, everything. News, information, schooling, finances, conversations, sales, just, everything. That and when people got wind that the monitors were created from using Cybertronian tech., anti-Cybertronian activists. . .lets just say that didn't go over well. It had been predicted some time back before 2010 that newspapers and magazines would be come practically none-existent. They said that this fantasy had become reality for a short time -that was before the incident of 2017. The Florida Incident*.
There was a hitch to this. Prices.
Those that didn't have the necessities found people who did and 'shared'. Most didn't allow this because of the incident's were people had 'shared', ended up dead, then their belongings taken. The government was slow to fix this problem it had wedged itself into. Streaming live via several news channels on the Net was a running story that happened in Florida Island.
A large ship, even alien to the current resident aliens on Earth, showed up, offering. . .something to the robotic locals.
Salvation.
Energon.
Three strange mech's: A golden Seeker, a ivory mech, and a mercury colored Decepticon with a kind smile. . .
oOoOo
final notes:
Hawaii Incident/Flordia Incident = referring to different 'incidents' here.
CRT's = cathode-ray tubes. look it up on wikipedia
oOoOo
A/N:
No, I have nothing against Flordia or Hawaii, I assure you. Comtemplating changing the title of this. Y/N? Suggestions?
Comments loved but not forced upon you. Constructive crit. welcomed. NO flames/snobbish, please.
Self beta'ed, mistakes are possible/likely. If you'd like to beta, be my guest.
Transformers & all related char(s) belong to Hasbro/Paramount/Takara/ and associated co.
The Blair, and plot/story are mine.
Names of/and char(s) are entirely coincidental