A/N: For any of you who read A World Apart you already know this, but I am declaring war on Satan. He has messed with those I care about and myself enough. I am fed up with his attacks. He better be scared, because if he thinks he'll make me doubt God by throwing enough issues my way, he is dead wrong. I got my snake stomping boots(aka the shoes of Peace), my sword called The Word(aka the sword of the Spirit), the belt of Truth and the helmet of Salvation, the shield of Faith and the breastplate of Righteousness. And also got my prayer warrior friends to help me out in this fight. And when you couple Believers with Transfans(Transfans who are Believers) you get an even bigger force to reckon with cause we have our determination and sense of right and wrong along with God! Satan doesn't stand a chance, so I hope he is trembling.
Scripture of the Update: So far I have done Proverbs 1:7 in AWA. This is part of my war against Satan. He shall not win! The scripture may or may not fit the chapter.
"My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, 'Come with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood; let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down to the Pit; we shall find all kinds of precious possessions, we shall fill our houses with spoil; cast in your lot among us, let us all have one purse' – My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood." ~Proverbs 1:10-16 The Gideons International
I just realized after reading this scripture, that A) those who it is talking about here reminds me of Decepticons and B) the Bible refers to Hell as the Pit at points. I used a different Bible than I did in AWA, because I am at work and forgot mine, so I used the little orange one we have here. Thankfully it had Proverbs. :D
Author's Replies:
Rose Jennison: Indeed. :) The others may have squished her. :o
Transformers' BABY: Thanks!
Mikaela the Cat: I would "freak" on the inside. You'll just have to find out. ;) You never notice, until you have to teach an alien. XD
Sci-Fifan95: Indeed. O.O That would've been bad. Glad you liked it. :)
Moony: I am glad you liked it so much. :)
Devil-O-Angel: That is…classified! Lol. :)
Vivian Hale: Lemme guess. I Lost A World! right? I forget the name of the author already, but I loved that story! I like the sequel too. She is an amazing author. I've had this idea for several years, but never had the guts to write it until I saw that it could indeed be written well and liked. Plus, the idea never left me alone for like a couple years now so I decided to write it and make my muse happy. :)
Noella50881: Indeed. :( Update here! :)
KayleeChiara: Glad you've enjoyed it so far!
And now! Enough of my prattle! Time for the chapter! And then to stomp on the devil some…:D
Chapter 3: Coming to Terms
Journal Entry #5: Realization…
When I woke up from my nap, or was it just sleep? I have no way to really know how long it has been. My cell phone would have been good to determine that, but the battery was dead on it. And I discovered this morning, or whatever time of day it was, that my laptop was no longer displaying the time or date. Whatever brought me here confused it in that account, I suppose. That is what I get for having a clock that detects time zones automatically I guess.
Anyway, when I first woke up, I felt the beginnings of panic when I realized I was not safe and sound in my bed at home. Well, as safe as one ever is when you live in the hood. Then I stopped myself and thought for a moment before remembering what had happened. If I was a cursing person, I may have let slip a few expletives at that moment.
I found that Orion and Jazz, or one of them at least, had somehow found some sort of food for me. How they knew I ate-do they eat?-was beyond me. Did they have alien visitors in the past? Or perhaps they have myths of other worlds just like we do on Earth. However they knew, they did not have very good taste in what to find me. It had a bitter sweet taste to it that made me cringe, but it was food, so I ate it. And I was thankful that they would feed me. There was also a small container of water, which I drank gratefully to wash down the food.
Even as I discovered that though, I came to an unsettling realization.
I was light-years away from home. Maybe to never return.
Right then, I missed my cat.
~Mina Castina
I sighed, staring at the words I had typed into my laptop. I wished I had thought to carry that extra notebook I had. I definitely could not sit around on my laptop all day. I had no idea if there was a way to charge the battery on this thing here. I mean, maybe at some point I could figure something out, but that was probably a long way away. So for now, I just typed journal entries, which took about five to ten minutes, a deduction I made using what I knew of the life span of a charge on this battery, to do and then I shut down my laptop.
As I closed my laptop, I heard the sound of speech and looked up to find Orion just mere feet from the desk. Jazz had disappeared sometime during my sleep. I had no idea what Orion had just said, so I just gave a small wave. He looked a little confused by the motion, but experimentally mirrored it. I could not help but smile a little. It was almost like a little child first learning what the gesture meant. Except there was no clear way to explain to Orion that it was a form of greeting, and sometimes farewell.
I sighed, realizing again that communication with these guys was going to be difficult.
Orion said something again, moving closer and bending slightly so we were at eye-to-optic level. I really wished I knew what he was saying. Was he asking me something? Was he telling me I need to leave the planet? Or perhaps he was cursing me out in his odd language of whirrs and clicks and other mechanical sounds. But somehow I got the impression he was not cursing me out. So far, I had not been given any reason to believe the mech did not like me. Other than the fact that we just met. I certainly did not dislike him at this point. I did not like him either though. The verdict was still up when it came to that.
Orion said something again and I tilted my head as I listened hard to try to pick out anything that may help me know what he was saying. Unfortunately, I could not make out a single word. Anything I could make out was a word I was completely unfamiliar with.
"I do not know what you are saying," I said with a sigh in my voice. Then something occurred to me. Maybe I could learn where exactly I was the same way we learned each other's names.
I stood up and gestured to the city outside the window, if they called them cities here. I then made a shrugging motion. "Where am I?" I asked, hoping he would understand what I was asking.
It took a few times before Orion seemed to take in the fact I had no idea where I was and his optics seemed to widen. He then said something in what I recognized as a shocked tone. I suppose it would have been a shock to any Earthling to discover an alien did not know where they were as well. After all, according to all the movies, every being in the universe knew of Earth, as isolated and oblivious as the planet is. Personally though, I would not be surprised to find that Orion had never heard of Earth before. I mean, Earth is pretty isolated from the rest of the galaxy. No point in delusions that Earth was famous, it is a rather conceited view in my opinion.
Orion gestured to the ground beneath his feet, clearly referring to the planet itself, and said a three syllable word the same way he had said his name when I had finally understood.
Hmm, Cyb-ber-tron, huh? So without breaking it down, Cybertron, I think, I thought to myself and then repeated the word as I understood it to Orion, who then nodded with a smile on his face.
Then he gestured to the city outside. I turned to look at the amazing view, which was stunningly beautiful. He said something that sounded like "Icon". I thought that was a strange name and looked up at the mech, who was now standing up straight.
"Icon?" I asked, being reminded of the things you click on computer screens to pull up documents and internet pages.
He shook his head and repeated the word that could only be the name of the city we were in. Again, if they called them cities.
"Oh! Iacon! That makes more sense…kind of," I said, not really sure how much sense it would make to other people of Earth. It made perfect sense to me though. It made more sense than Icon anyway. Amazing what one letter can do.
I turned back to the window and looked out at Iacon, watching as mechs walked by, on their way to jobs or whatever. I wondered if they had any kind of entertainment or recreational activities. I could not believe they did not. Everyone had something they do in their spare time and that was something I was sure was universal. Off in the very, very far distance I saw something that might have been similar to an amusement park. I pointed it out to Orion and he said something about it, presumably what it was, but I could not understand him. Instead I studied his expression as he looked out at the place. For a moment, I thought there was a wistful look in his optics, but it was quickly gone and he said something before dropping some food onto the desk I was on and then leaving.
That was an odd reaction, I thought to myself. I looked back to the place that reminded me of an amusement park. Perhaps it is one and only certain bots can go and he has never been to it.
The thought disturbed me. Could some bots possibly be barred through some sort of barrier not to be able to go? Was it a monetary or social problem? How could they possibly justify keeping people out simply because of their social status? I knew that the rich and the poor did not get along back home, and there were some professions that were looked down on by other professions-my own writing and art was looked down on by some people-but at the same time, no one was ever barred from anywhere based solely on social status. Even I had been to an amusement park before, as much of an outcast I was. I found it unfair that Orion had never been to this amusement park off in the distance.
"Oh how I wish I understood what was going on here," I sighed, placing an arm across my torso, resting my other elbow on my hand and my head in that hand. "It would be nice to be able to communicate with Orion beyond random gestures and very articulated words that may not hold the same meaning."
I sighed, realizing that no amount of understanding of where I was now would get me home. But in the end, was I not always told that home was where the heart was? So, then the question is, where is my heart? Was it back on Earth? Or out here, on another world? I had never felt like I belonged back on Earth. And I had always been curious as to what filled the rest of the universe. Not that I had believed I would ever get the chance to find out. And now where was I? An alien planet, that is where.
And I was not sure what I thought about my situation. How should one feel about this kind of thing?
I decided not to worry too much about it and walked over to my bag, pulling out my sketchbook, a pencil, an eraser and a pen. I also pulled my iPod out of my pocket before settling down on my stomach for a nice and relaxing drawing session. As I flipped to a blank page, I also browsed my music, looking for a song to listen to. I eventually settled on These Things Take Time by Sanctus Real.
I want to know why pain makes me stronger
I want to know why good men die
Why am I so afraid of the dark
But I stray from the light
I want to know why you gave me eyes
When faith is how I see
And tell me is it easier to doubt
Or harder to believe
Oh there's so many questions stirring in me
I stuck my tongue out as I worked on my drawing, trying to be as detailed as I could in it.
And I'm wondering why
Sometimes the truth ain't easy to find
I want to know all the answers
But I'm learning that these things take time
Yes, these things take time
It was about then that my iPod just suddenly stopped playing. I paused in the middle of adding detail to the jacket my brother wore all the time. Hey, I thought I should draw my family so that I would not forget what they looked like. I picked up the music device that sat next to my work and looked at it. The screen had gone black, which usually meant it was off. I unlocked the controls and tried to turn it back on, but nothing happened. I made a frustrated noise and slammed the offending piece of technology down enough to make a clack, but not enough to break it.
The battery must be dead, I thought to myself as I took the headphones out of my ears.
This turn of events left me in absolute silence, save the occasional chatter I heard from outside.
This is the worst day before my birthday I have ever had, I thought to myself. Wait…it is my birthday tomorrow…
I sighed, looking at the drawing I was drawing and then started working on it again. I was not going to be going to Winter Jam and I was not going to see my family on my birthday. They must be so worried. I could feel the tears build up in my eyes and I did not bother to fight them. No one was here, so no one would see me cry. I hated when others saw me cry, so it worked out.
I missed my family, even as dysfunctional as it was.
~Normal PoV~
Orion Pax did not know why the small organic, as he had discovered that was what it was from the archives, was on Cybertron. He was not even sure that Minah knew why she-for he was sure she was female-was here either. He also did not know what he was going to do about it. What could he do? Turn her over to the Council? What would they do to her if he did? He knew Jazz was a little suspicious of her. He could not say he entirely blamed him. There were reports in the archives of an alien invasion that had happened in time past, well before Orion had ever emerged from the Well of AllSparks.
But even so, Orion had a hard time believing the small organic posed a threat. Despite the mystery behind her appearance, he did not see any reason to be suspicious of her. Perhaps she was just lost. It would make sense seeing as how she had not known where she was until he had told her. And even then she may never have heard of Cybertron before, which would explain why she had not known that was where she was now.
Orion sighed, finding it hard to focus on his work with the thoughts of the small organic sitting on his desk in his apartment. He wondered if she did something similar back on her own planet. What was life like for the organic?
"Orion Pax," the voice of the head archivist had him looking up from his monitor.
"Alpha Trion?" Orion asked in surprise.
Alpha Trion gave his underling a calculating expression. "You are distracted," he observed.
"I am sorry, sir," Orion said. "I will focus." He went to return to his work, but the hand on his shoulder had him looking up again.
"Orion," Alpha Trion said. "You are not one to be distracted easily and you usually enjoy your work, a trait uncommon in these times. Is there something going on?"
Orion paused. He was not sure if he could trust his superior with the existence of the organic. But at the same time, he could not lie to Alpha Trion. He was his friend as much as his mentor.
"There is something," Orion said. "But I doubt you will believe it."
"Perhaps," Alpha Trion said. "Would you want to talk about it?" He offered, not liking to see his best student so worried about something.
"Perhaps another time, sir," Orion said. "Just not yet."
"Oh?" Alpha Trion frowned at the mech. It was not like Orion Pax to hide anything from him.
"Please," Orion said. "I will tell you. Just not yet. It is…complicated."
"Of course," Alpha Trion said. "I will respect your wishes, of course. It is not my job to pry into your life. I was merely asking as a friend."
Orion nodded. "Perhaps you could come over and find out," he said. "I do not wish to keep it from you, and your advice would be welcomed, but I do not think this mega cycle is the correct one to reveal it."
"How about next mega cycle, then?" Alpha Trion asked, intrigued as to what was taking Orion Pax's attention off his duties.
Orion thought about that a moment. How would the small organic react to the presence of a third mech? She had not been so thrilled to meet Jazz and himself at first. The last thing he wanted to do was cause the organic unnecessary stress. But something told him that his mentor would not do anything to harm the small being.
Orion nodded. "Very well," he said.
With that, Alpha Trion left Orion to his work. Sighing, the mech returned to listening to and sorting the communications going across the DataNet. It felt like forever before it was time to leave and he could return to his apartment and the small organic inside. He was unsure what he would find and was actually concerned that some mech had broken into his apartment and found the organic where she sat on his desk. As far as he knew she had yet to venture from there since he had set her down there. It was just as well though, at least he knew he wouldn't step on her.
When Orion reached his apartment, he was relieved to find that Mina was right where she was when he had left. Meaning that she was on the desk. She had moved and was sitting just in front of the window, visor uncharacteristically on the top of her head instead of over her optics. In her reflection he saw that her eyes were a dark shade of brown and they held sadness. His spark went out to her, knowing this whole thing had to be hard on her.
His attention drifted from the contemplative organic to a small pad of paper he had seen her take out of her bag. It was opened to a page and on the page was a colored picture of a group of people of her species, gathered in a pose. A person who looked remarkably like Mina, visor and all, stood back-to-back with what appeared to be a male, each with their arms crossed across their chest. Mina had a grin on her face while the male had a smirk. Behind the two were three other females and a second male, all looking older than the two standing back-to-back. One of the older females and the older male were giving what appeared to be salutes, while the male had an arm wrapped around the saluting female. The other two females were simply standing and smiling in the background. He could see traits shared between all the people in the drawing, though they all had their own identity.
"Is this your family unit?" he found himself asking even though he knew Mina could not understand him.
He almost regretted announcing himself when the organic gave a start and pulled her visor back over her optics. But what was done was done. There was no use regretting it. The organic female turned to him and upon spotting her drawing pad resting on his finger as he was slightly hunched over to examine it, she stood to her feet and walked over. He offered the item to her and she took it into her tiny hands. She turned the pad so that it was not upside down to her and inspected the picture he had been inspecting. Though he thought she wasn't aware of it, he saw her bottom lip tremble.
"You must miss them," he said softly. He extended a finger and wiped away some wetness that had begun to streak down the organic's cheek.
Journal Entry #6: Tears and Trust…
I had not wanted to cry in front of Orion. I did not want to cause him more trouble than I probably already was. I did not want him to worry about me beyond his obvious concern about whether I ate or not.
But when I found he had seen the drawing I had worked on almost the entire time he had been away, doing whatever it was the mech did for a living, I could not help it. I had hoped by drawing my family and I together, cheerful, it may have made the separation easier to bear.
Instead, it was the opposite. Orion's discovery of the picture and my subsequent viewing of it led me back to tears for the second time today. It had shocked me when Orion had reached out and gently brushed the streams of wetness from my cheek with a finger, but it made me realize just how much of an idiot I was for thinking he would ever harm me on purpose.
Sure, I just met him. But his optics shone with such kindness and gentleness there was no way he was a bad guy. Besides that, he had taken me in when he did not have to. He could have squished me, or left me to fend for myself, especially after I had run away from him and Jazz.
I also realized it was pointless to hide my conflicting emotions behind my visor with him at this point. So I removed my visor so that I could wipe the tears away from my eyes before looking up at him.
Somehow his expression became even softer as he scooped me into his hands and held me against his chest, giving off a strange purring sound. Whatever the sound was, it was calming and comforting.
Maybe it would not hurt to allow myself to trust this mech.
~Mina Castina