Chapter 4: The awakening
With the reason to visit her aunt Annie, Elista easily fools her mother to let her go. She quietly leaves her house in the early morning after preparing everything she needs in her journey. She does not want to meet her mother before going. The guilty inside her is too much. If she meets her right now, she fears that she cannot continue this.
-Have a safe trip! Call me when you arrive, ok?
But fate has another plan for her. Today her mother unusually wakes up at this early hour, nearly causing her a heart attack. She forces a smile on her face before leaving the house.
[…]
The time to arrive to Washington D.C by plane is too short to fall asleep. She spends all her time checking the things that she ordered in eBay. Breaking into the building that has been keeping the Matrix is not a joke. Elista spent most of the time before going to think about her plan. Finally she came to a decision: asking her aunt to let her visit her workplace. Because this is also the place where the matrix is located after all.
"I want to apply to join robot technology so can I visit your workplace to gather the information about robots?"
"If this is your reason, I can take you to a tour around the building."
It is just so easy. She chuckles, feeling satisfied to herself. The plane prepares to land in Washington D.C airport. She spends the last minutes to watch outside the window. The Earth has been losing its beautiful because of the human greed.
[…]
Washington D.C does not noisy like it was before but it still noisier than any place. The airport is covered with dust. People pull their collar a bit higher to protect their face from the dust.
Aunt Annie has waited for her at the hall, smiling. It has been a while since the two met each other. She hugs her tightly, asking her a lot of questions. Her face is still the same, still young and beautiful. Nobody can guesses that she and her mother are the same age. After that, she takes Elista to her home.
-Can you be alone till evening? I have some important things to do at the lab.
Taking this chance, she eagerly asks her aunt.
-Can I go with you to the lab? It's will be interesting!
-Just machines and boring people, you will be bored when going with me.
-Please, I will be good! And after all this will be my major, right?
-Okay okay! But do not ask me to drive you home when you bored.
The lab lies next to the room the matrix has been placed. It makes a lot easier for her to investigate the situation.
Just like aunt Annie said, the lab only has machines and weird people. What a place to loose the youth!
-How can you work in the boring place like this? - Elista mumbles.
- It will be interesting if you like robots!
If it can help activate Bumble Bee I will rethink it, the gullible aunt of mine.
-So how can the government protect the Matrix? - She asks innocently.
The room has a solid titanium door, and the floor has heat and gravity sensor, just one touch and the alarm bells are ringing. Moreover, surrounding the Matrix is a laser layer, which is extremely sensitive. It is impossible for stealing the Matrix.
Maybe it not be impossible like they think…
After a nap and a quick meal, Elista asks her aunt to go to a mall nearby while her aunt is busying with her work.
However, she has another brilliant plan for this night. She takes a taxi to go to the building, silently going around to the back door. Luckily, no one is here. Do they think nobody has the courage to break into the building or something?
Someone say the complicate system of sewers running under the Washington D.C is like the vascular system in the body. So the best way is break into the building through the sewers. With a black clothes , she begins her dangerous plan. The tunnels are low and dark, but she manages to wriggle through all the way before meeting a cross.
-There is it!- She puts the map into her bag and take out a drill. This is a special drill she luckily buys on the Internet with bargain price. The sharp head of the drill is placed at the concrete layer on top of her head, slowly rotated. It does not cause any noise, just like you cut a cake, sharply and quietly.
" If you really want to steal the Matrix, I will help you without condition except you send me a photo of your Transformer."
An anonymous person agreed to make a plan for her. He used to work in this room as its maintenance worker so you can say that he knows all the machines and the structure in it. When he knew her intention, he eagerly helped her without big conditions.
The concrete falls down, making a loud noise. Just like he said, the place laid the Matrix is covered with wires like a spider's web.
"This is the structure of laser creator. And just under it they do not trap with the laser because they think no one will come in through this direction. There is no way to disable the traps without the code unless you use this…"
Carefully, she pulls out of her bag an aluminum cylinder, opening it to let robotic bugs out. Immediately, they pervade the power system, cutting the wires and staying at the cut to prevent anyone finding out.
"They will shut the alarm bells down but somebody will check the system in the next seven days. You have to return it before that time or you be in a lot of troubles."
Elista carefully places the Matrix in her bag. It is easier than the P.E test at school. She hurriedly cleans up all evidences before quietly living the place.
[…]
-You are late! It's nearly 1 o'clock!
Aunt Annie has already waited for her at the front door. Her voice sounds angry but it cannot cover the worry in it. Luckily she took her laptop with her.
-I had been so concentrated in the things I read on the web so I forgot to consider the time.
She says apologetically, pointing at her bag like wanting to blame the laptop that wasn't recharge the power since she left.
Her aunt looks at her for a moment, making her squirm at the intense of it.
-Come inside. I think you will be tired right now.- She says softly- Your mother called when you were out. She has been worry about you, you know?
-Tomorrow I will go home. - Elista hugs her aunt tightly. She feels so guilty to make her aunt and her mother worry. But the excitement that grows inside her at the moment making it go away quickly.
What a real Transformer will be like? This question causes a large amount of other difficult questions appear in her head.
Will it just a killer without emotion?
Just thinking like makes her shudder. Can she be the one who will bring the destruction to humans? Can she still survive after that? Will she become the most wanted criminal in the world?
So many questions which don't have the answers.
-Have you ever met a Transformer, aunt Annie?
-No, I haven't. They live far from us. I hear they live in a military base outside Washington D.C.- She drinks her glass. - You like to know about them, don't you?
-Ah…yeah. They interested me. But I just found a little information about them on the Internet.
- I have some information that you will like to know- She sits down and begins to tell her.
So just like that, instead of resting for the departure tomorrow, Elista is absorbed in listening the stories her aunt is telling.
[…]
The house hasn't changed since she left. Dragging the suitcase that was lighter than the time she left, she comes in and calls her mother but stops herself when she remembers she is not home right now. But even if she is at home right now it will be a problem for her to hide the Matrix. It's better if she doesn't know about it.
After putting the suitcase in her room, she hurriedly takes the bag and calls a taxi to go to the junkyard where the Autobot lies.
The old car takes her 15 minutes to arrive to the junkyard. She tiredly comes out, not forgetting to force a smile on her face toward the old taxi driver. It's so disappointing. Nowadays they cannot invent a good car!
The yellow car shines by the blazing sun of the desert at noon. This is a Transformer? She suddenly remembers the story her aunt told her. It's would be wonderful if she has a giant robot who is grateful for her because she had help him. And she won't ask anything except he will drive her to school everyday.
Her own car…
The thought suddenly appears in her head, continuing with the jealous faces of her classmates. A wonderful future continues to grow inside her head that makes her confident more than ever.
Like she thought, the lock appears to fit with the Matrix. She happily pulls out the Matrix and places it in the lock, hurriedly jumping out of the car.
There is some clicking sounds come from the engine. After that, the hood automatically pops up, splitting into multiple layers and it continues with the imperial and the body of the car. It's really a Transformer!
She clapping her hands happily, saying aloud:
-You are Bumble Bee, aren't you?
Because of sleeping for so long, he doesn't say anything for a while. It takes some time for him to look down and answer her question with a voice is mixing with the male and female voices.
-Who are you?
- I am the one who wake you up! - She says proudly.
But instead of like her thought, without gratitude or appreciation, he punches to the ground so hard that making it shaking. She becomes frightening.
-Who told you to do this! - He says angrily- I don't need your help!
Too shock, she can't think anything to reply for him. She draws back before collapsing on the ground, still shaking.
-You should be grateful about this! - She shouts at him.
-I don't want this! I don't want to involve in this life any longer! - He says, a bit calmer – I don't need you to do this.
He sits down, hands on his knees. After collecting her thought, she quietly comes and sits next to him.
-You don't miss your friends? - She says softly.
- My friend died. - He sighs, his voice becomes sad.
Robot can die? - She peeks at him. He looks so sad, like he is remembering something that too long ago.
It starts to go dark. The wind brings the dust with it, blinding passengers. The canyon after the junkyard becomes darker, as the rugged cliffs like the hideous faces of prisoners who are furious.
He still not comes out of his flashbacks. Her phone vibrates slightly. Her mother calls her to come home.
-You still want to stay here forever? - She stands up, taking her bag with her.
He sighs and suddenly changes back at the form of the old yellow car like she first saw him. She shaking her head, feeling disappointed.
-All right, just stay here and die in this stupid junkyard. I don't care anymore! It's a waste to help you!
She turns her back to him.
-I go! And I won't come back again!
She continues to go, not turning around to look back at him. She suddenly remembers that she has to walk all the way to home because she doesn't have enough money to go home and the last bus has come by.
There is a sound of a car behind her. She hurriedly turns back.
It's him! She nearly drops the phone she is holding.
-I will take you home.
-I don't need it! - She's stubborn.
It's not like she wants to angry him but because lucky for her when she sees the sharp of the last bus coming at her. The thing she always hates becomes the most precious thing to her right now.
Thinking that he will leave her alone, she waves at the bus, inwardly blaming herself doing something so dangerous like stealing the Matrix to help a stupid Autobot like him. She will return it to the military as soon as she can when she goes home.
The bus is running slowly. Adjusting her bag, she intends to come in but suddenly he blocks her way, lying there to prevent her going.
-What's wrong? - The driver of the bus asks- fighting with your boyfriend?
If you know the car that block your way doesn't have the driver you will pass out.
-Yeah something like that. - She replies, walk around the car and continues to go to the bus.
But she thinks he wants to anger her because he continues to block her.
-I'm sorry but I don't need a bus anymore. You can just continue to drive. - She says to the bus driver, sounding apologetically.
The bus begins its journey again, slowly like a turtle is suffering.
Suffering like her at the moment!
-What do you want? - She says angrily- I have to go home now!
-I will take you home! - He replies.
When the things begin like she plans she doesn't like it anymore. This guy sometimes is impatient, sometimes is gentle and now clinging to her.
-Hey, it's me who break your peaceful rest. You don't need to be kind to me! - She mocks.
Right now if he doesn't take her home, she will have to walk all the way to home and explain everything to her mother. And it will not be a good thing.
-Come in!
Before she can explains to him what the "stubborn" is, the door is open inviting her to come in. She tiredly comes inside, not wanting to fight with him anymore.
Inside it's still the same since the first time she came in. The only thing that being different is now it's a living thing.
The wheel is slowly turning. The car begins its way to her home.
-I am keeping it! - He says, like he can read her mind. - How do you have the Matrix? Optimus Prime has been keeping it, hasn't he?
-I…- She tries to explain but stops herself with a sigh- I steal it.
He doesn't say anything after that.