Author’s Note: I make no apologies for what I write.

TRANS-SPATIAL INCLINATION
CHAPTER II

Cloudstreaker resembled a weak human female; soft and sweet. But to Daniel’s chagrin, she did not fight like one. The femme targeted the bruise Magnus left on Witwicky’s face the day before. He slapped her for it but that did not alleviate the burning pain.

He vowed to take Resonna next time instead.

At first the ambush worked in his favor. He waited until the other three fell asleep. WHY didn’t he take Resonna instead of the humanoid Autobot? Oh, right. His daughter had that rifle trained in his direction.

So he roughly grabbed Cloudstreaker and hauled her out. She kicked. She kicked him hard but her boots only scuffed his exosuit. Cloudstreaker cooperated when Witwicky used a stern choke hold. She either complied or he’d break her neck. He scoffed and mimicked her words when she mentioned Magnus.

“They’re all cowards,” he spat. Daniel gripped her at the upper right arm with bruising pressure. If she whined or mewed, he increased the pain.

“They’ll come after me,” she said feebly.

“Oh yes,” he agreed, “that they will. See, it’s not about you. I’m going to exchange you for something I really want.”

Cloudstreaker scoffed. “Freedom? I’m sure they’d love to exile your sorry aft.” She cried out when he slammed her against the nearby wall, his face too close to hers.
“I mean my daughter. I mean my own flesh and blood.”

“That won’t happen.”

He slapped her. “I am in control here. Never forget that.” he yanked her by the other upper arm and dragged her into the dark. At one point she tripped over a frozen EDC officer and smacked the floor a little too hard. Spots briefly filled her vision and Daniel lost his grip.

Cloudstreaker heaved to her feet and ran three yards before Witwicky shot the back of her left leg. It did not fully incapacitate her, but it hurt like hell and she hit the floor again. Cloudy rolled over and tried not to cry as Witwicky approached.

He leered as his weapon silently ordered the femme to move. “Not much of a fighter, are you, Little Girl? Hu? No spark. Not much fun slapping an invertebrate.” He helped her up and pushed her along.

After a moment or two, Daniel spoke while Cloudy limped in front of him. “I always liked a female who has a little spit and fire in her. My wife,” he continued, “Netty, she was a real fighter. I mean, she dished it back. I respect a woman who’s not a simpering, cowardly thing. Me and her, we fought. I mean, not in front of the kids. That was her rule. If we had to hack stuff out, we’d get a motel room. That woman never bothered the police; she and me handled the situation. Takes two to tango. You femmes, though, not so tough. Not so brave.”

Cloudy dared a scornful glance at him. “I’m guessing you don’t remember Convoy. She didn’t put up with you.”

Daniel shrugged. “She’s a city commander. She doesn’t count.”

“Why? Too much feminazi for you? You’re a misogynist.”

They encountered an air shaft located beside a Level 2 emergency hatch. Daniel tugged at the metal grate between them and the improvised escape route. “You know, skank,” He said between grunts, “I’m a lot of things: absent father, thoughtless husband, reluctant participant in Autobot politics. But misogynist...” he paused to catch his breath. “I just might be. After all, I’m an asshole. I probably have one of the finest resumes outside of prison.”

Daniel gave it one final tug and the grate tore off. He dropped it and faced her. “Did they tell you about me?”

Cloudy hesitated and blinked slowly. “I know enough not to like you, Daniel.”

He shrugged. “I guess they didn’t.” He prodded for her to go first then followed immediately.

They slid at a 90-degree angle and had Cloudstreaker been any slower, Daniel’s weight and metal suit would have landed on her. Without waiting for him to push or prod, she descended the extension ladder and hoped the outside world supported organic life forms. If she died, so would Daniel. She held her breath and dropped from the last rung. Daniel dropped as she backed away. A dark world greeted them by means of animal sounds and a starry sky. Cloudstreaker released her breath and sharply, deeply inhaled in case the air was poisonous. Better to die than suffer, she thought. Cool moist oxygen filled her lungs. An electromagnetic frequency tickled her senses and Cloudy turned nine o’clock, facing only the night. Was there a city or town nearby from which the power source came?

Daniel stomped about, gauging the ground’s stability. “Huh.” Daniel mused. “Doesn’t feel like Cratis, in the least.” He double checked the charge on his suit and the auto light off his chest. Grabbing her wrist he lumbered through chilled grasses. “Come on let’s go. They’ll find us soon enough.”

“Where do you think you are taking me?” Cloudstreaker endured scratches, cuts and gnats in her eyes as the brute pulled her along. How Daniel managed to walk so fast in his old-model exosuit, the femme could not guess. She did, however, detect energy reduction from his suit. Daniel tracked on, crushing a path through the wild in a non-specific pattern. An unseen shrub scratched her cheek and caught her hair. She tried to get Daniel to pause a moment but he yanked her along, tearing her skin as she passed through brambles. When her hair tangled in another shrub, she lost her footing and fell. “Stop!” She begged, “I can’t see, I can’t keep up.”

Witwicky stopped, sudden and enraged. He spun around and slapped her. Cloudy fell left amid a nest of thick grass and laid there until Daniel hauled her up by the shoulder and slapped her again and again. Satisfied with her weakened state, he dumped her and kicked her thigh.

“You too stupid and holy to use swear words, Little Girl? Huh? Don’t they teach foul words in bars or pubs anymore?”

Cloudy did her best to glare but her weary and blooded features only made her look like a wounded animal. “Is that all you can thing about, Daniel? You’re setting me up to give you an excuse to hit me again.”

Daniel bowed over, hands on knees. “I don’t need an excuse, Little Girl,” he leered. “I have everything I need right here. Everything I dish out is what you deserve for sabotaging my digipads.”

Thinking of Arcee gave Cloudy a moment of bravery. “Oh, am I supposed to apologize?” she sneered. “Did I break your toy?”

“Smelt you, bitch.”

“And back at you.” she retorted. “You’re a soulless bastard whose only pleasure is giving pain. All Arcee ever wanted was to love you, Daniel and you abused her in ways I can’t fathom.”

“ALL OF THIS IS HER FAULT!”

“How?!” Cloudy dabbed the jacket sleeve over her wounded cheek. “How is it her fault? Did she deny you a life of your own? Did she take your friends away from you? Did she blackmail you? Or-or was it that you wanted to have sex somehow and she turned you down? You are a worm, Daniel. Nothing more.”

“It wasn’t sex.” he said in a calmer voice. “I got nuthin’ below the belt.” he paused to measure her reaction but Cloudy closed her expressions off. “Nobody said that to you, did they?”

“Do you really think I care about your reproductive organs? I’m an Autobot. It means nothing to me.”

Daniel huffed. “Your loss, sweetheart.” Again he paused. “Did you know our children were specially engineered?” he did not like the contempt on her face. “See, the problem is, there’s enough for me to Tarzan but not enough to swing between the trees.”

Cloudy wearily rolled her eyes. “Is that your excuse? You hurt people because you can’t get sexual satisfaction? That’s flimsy, Daniel, even for you.”

“It’s not about sex,” he said word by word. “Not about sex. It’s about control and the means to get someone to do what you want.” after a second he added: “even if it’s painful for them.”
“You’re a disgusting lump of Human flesh. Lower than Scutzoids or sli’kikik.” She watched him turn ugly; eyes shrank and his upper lip curled.

“I’m going to tear you apart, Little Girl. I’m going to break every bone in your body and then I’m going to leave your pieces scattered for the Primes to put you back together. And FYI, Cloudstreaker: being Human means death is permanent.”

Cloudstreaker rolled to her feet and narrowly escaped Daniel’s clutches. She ran toward the Sagittarian Mozart then veered left for the unknown source of electromagnetic energy. Daniel hounded after and caught her hair. She yanked the strands from his grip and changed direction.

Using a great amount of his suit’s power, Daniel leapt high and landed in front of her. Cloudstreaker slammed into him as if he were a brick wall. She dropped, stunned. He partly hauled her up by the collar while she lagged in and out of consciousness. Daniel punched her twice then spit on her for good measure.

“Not much sport, are you?” he sneered. “Damn weakling.” He spit again before banging his chest plate and made the Tarzan call.

Awraah! Awraah! D-d-d-d-d-d!

Daniel could not tell if that was a bird answering him or some sort of mammal. Pacing a few steps off, Witwicky listened for other animal sounds. “It’s like a regular Garden of Eden,” he said to his unconscious captive. “Maybe we’ll end up stuck here for good. You and me, Magnus, Ruck-a-mus...” his voice trailed off, “... fuck-a-mus. Galvatron, maybe? How about a wedding ceremony? Hu? I think that’d be great. You and me, Cloudstreaker. And don’t worry, I’ll be gentle-ish.” He returned and gloated over her prone form. “How about we find out if you’re a real girl?”

Daniel rolled her from the side and fumbled about the utility belt. He paused and squeezed Cloudy’s left thigh.

The attack came so fast, Witwicky only saw a blur of motion. She slammed his jaw with the butt of her hand and shoved him away with one foot. When he didn’t back off far enough, Cloudstreaker stamped his face with the other boot. While Daniel wormed along the ground, screaming over his gushing nose, the femme raced through long grasses, heedless of direction.

The night sky rolled back as dawn lit the world with blue-grey shades. The ground under Cloudstreaker turned soft. She descended a gentle slope where hundreds of crystaline rocks covered the area at least half a mile. She ran past one then another. The rocks grew heads with long necks, long legs and sharp beaks.

Awraah! Awraah! D-d-d-d-d-d!
Awraah! Awraah! D-d-d-d-d-d!

With a cry, Cloudy lost her footing and fell on her left side. The alien birds drowned Daniel’s distant voice as they called one another and ruffled their strange bodies. Rather than feathers, the birds were covered in thin, nearly-transparent plates much like human fingernails. The plates glistened and groomed with great care. The birds’ plating made a great clattering noise as they flocked in formation and plunged into the grassy waters of a nearby marsh.

The instant she had the all-clear, Cloudstreaker pushed herself up and took in the landscape with a three-quarter sweep. The Mozart stood ten o’clock of her position but Daniel came for her at nine-thirty. She could try to make a run for the ship in hopes of beating him to it. But Daniel’s exosuit versus her bruised and bloodied body left few options.

Cloudstreaker held no illusions about Witwicky; he’d kill her whether or not it was necessary.

“I see you, Cloudstreaker!” Witwicky called from the distance. “Run as you may, run as you might, you’ll never get out of my sight!”

Run she did.

In spite of his adrenaline-driven aggression, Daniel could not catch up to the platinum gazelle in his sight. Cloudy did not have his techno-enhanced strength but then he did not have her military training. She kept running long after he tired out.

No matter. He’d just keep her from the Mozart. The others were probably looking for him right now. Witwicky smiled. It would take them days to find the escape hatch. The Mozart was a big ship and only six active bodies therein. It mean Daniel had time to oppress and harass the femme.

He shouted for her long and clear: “HEY-Y-Y-Y SNOW-W-W-W WHI-I-I-ITE! IT’S JUST YOU AND ME!”

Witwicky stalked her, unaware the other six members of their group already discovered his escape route. He tracked Cloudstreaker over the distance. The small woodland closed itself in darkness. Tree boughs knitted tightly and starved the ground of sunlight. Their presence stood silent and intimidating. Daniel hesitated. An alien planet always incurred unpredictability, especially where animals were concerned.

But somewhere amid the trees’ roots and crowns his prey huddled, baiting his antagonism.

Shoring up his courage, Daniel stepped under the first tree. “Cloudstreaker!” he called, “no sense hiding. It won’t be difficult to find you, even in the dark.” he braved additional steps. “It won’t take me long to find you. You know all about that, right?”

The trees absorbed his voice and each footfall. Witwicky found it disconcerting how he did not hear a single bird.

He enhanced his voice with authority. “Cloudstreaker, enough of the games!” Daniel proceeded forward. He passed one ancient tree after another. His eyes roved back and forth, pausing at every slight indication of a humanoid presence. He double-checked the homemade weapon on his suit.

Some forty feet away, Cloudy crouched amid a pile of rotting logs. The copse of trees grew so thick that little sunshine reached the ground. No shrubs, weeds or vines took root under the canopy. The femme found a heavy rock and a sturdy piece of wood but the primitive weapons offered no promise of salvation against Daniel’s damned exosuit. She watched as he searched until he paused to adjust something on his arm. Cloudstreaker dared wager that if distracted enough, the asshole might not see or hear her flee out the other side of the miniature forest.

She picked her way from tree to tree. Sixty feet. Seventy. Eighty.

“CLOUDSTREAKERRR!!!”

Like a frightened animal, Cloudy ran for her life. She spotted the edge of the woods and ran faster.

“CLOUDSTREAKER!”

The high pitch of an activated laser rifle screeched through the air followed by the whap-crack of a broken tree.

Cloudstreaker emerged from the thicket, raced down a grassy slope and across a long and wide plain.

WHAM!

She slammed into something not there and blacked out.

Daniel exited the copse. He lost footing at the crest of the slope. His heavy suit upended and Witwicky tumbled down the hill in a graceless clatter. Cursing his clunky suit (although he refused a new one) Witwicky gathered himself together and scanned the valley for one missing broad with white hair. Neither his eyes nor his scanners picked up movement, but, but his scanners did pick up an electromagnetic anomaly. A positronic field buzzed hot with activity.

An invisibility shield?

Daniel craned his neck left then right. When his scanner picked up movement two o’clock of his position, he directed all his attention to the indicated movement. He curled his upper lip in a smile and glee made his heart jump. His weapon charged up as if by itself and he aimed at Cloudstreaker as she sat up, dazed and disoriented.

“Hey,” he called to her. “You have made my life complete, Cloudstreaker. I’ve always wanted to go on a fox hunt.” The face she made looked weird for the type of predicament she was in.

When a bright and powerful energy sword crossed his vision, Daniel understood the femme’s reaction.

“Torestog intambue salg. Tesk teskgove.”

Daniel froze, half expecting a blow to the back of the head or the sizzle of burning metal as the energy sword passed through his suit. Instead, the female’s voice changed languages:
“Hunting sapient creatures is against the law in some territories. Lower your weapon and I won’t hunt you.”

Daniel’s smile turned nervous as he faked confidence. “You misunderstand. I’m a law enforcement officer trying to apprehend this dangerous criminal. She might not look like much, but she’s a top-notch psychic from Lunarphyte-“

The energy sword vanished followed by sarcasm. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The blow knocked Witwicky out before he drew another breath.

Cloudstreaker trembled as she stood on shaking legs. The female looked human enough but the femme remained cautious. With a few soft kicks against Witwicky’s middle, the lady spoke with a self-assured but friendly voice.

“You with this slug?”

Cloudy shook her head then nodded. The stranger scoffed without condescension. “Sorry, Sister. You’ll have to answer one way or another. Please don’t tell me you’re married to this lump of waste.”

“He’s with us, but I have no relation to him other than abductee.”

“See?” the female with long legs and messy light brown hair grinned. “That wasn’t so hard.” she produced a rope of energy and wrapped it around Witwicky’s wrists. “You said ‘we’,” she kept glancing at Cloudy with pumpkin orange eyes. “You come from that ship out that way?”

“The Mozart? Yes. Yes! We crashed here.”

“Landed,” the stranger corrected. She stood straight and tapped a mic on her left ear. “It’s all good, Dot. Let Captain P. know the looser is packaged and ready for parcel post.” She winked at Cloudy. “I dunno. I was busy slapping the male around. Hold on. What’s your name, Sweetie?”

“Cl-Cloudstreaker.”

“Uh-huh. One of those,” she said into her mic. “Pissant will be pleased with himself. It’s going to be miserable living with him the next few days. Okay, I’m gone.” She sent Cloudy a warm, welcoming smile. “Hi. I’m Rain. The thing you bumped into is the Infraction, our humble, illegally-owned spacecraft. Dot will send Pipsqueak out to pick up the trash. How about you introduce me to your friends who are looking for you?”

“I don’t... really know you.”

“But you know my name and you know that I just rescued you from this barbarian wannabe, right?” Rain nodded toward the thicket. “So come on. We can trade hair style secrets along the way.”

Still uncertain, Cloudy joined the stranger and returned to the Sagittarian Mozart.

-INCLINATION-

Optimus half listened while Magnus indirectly scolded him regarding Daniel. They retraced Cloudstreaker’s footsteps along the lush marsh. Magnus did not see his silent companion smile at the nearby flock of birds. Beautiful things, Prime thought. Long necks, like swans, bright red with emerald streaked down their backs. Others, presumably female, reflected the world in black and grey.

“...and don’t tell me it’s your special ‘Prime intuition’ that’s telling you and Rodimus he has to stay alive!”

“Neither of us like it, Magnus,” Optimus answered. “Believe me, given the choice-“

”You have a choice right now!” Magnus glued his feet to the ground, crossed his muscular arms and glared. “Even if you don’t want to execute him outright, you can still exile him here.” Optimus stared at him, expressionless and annoyingly calm. Magnus’ glare turned hot and he wanted to explode when he realized his fifteen-minute speech went nowhere.

“Did you hear that?” Prime asked.

“My own voice?” Magnus snapped. “Haven’t you heard a thing?”

“Daniel. Execution. Murderer. Justice. I heard you, Magnus.”

“But you’re not paying attention! You’re WRONG about this! You’re wrong about Daniel! What is the MATTER with you two?! You’re willing to execute Redial for treason, but you won’t do a thing about an asshole who has murdered?! This is WRONG! And you’ve been wrong before, you’re wrong NOW!”

“I’ve also been right before,” Optimus answered with a leveled voice. “And you must agree that I’ve often been more right than wrong.”

“ALRIGHT!” the Major-general exploded. “Tell you what, Prime, you keep an eye on that little shit. If I get one moment alone with him, ONE MOMENT, I’m taking him out!”

Optimus stared calmly as if nothing was wrong with universe and nothing ever has been. “Very well, Ultra Magnus. Come on. I think we found Cloudstreaker.”

Magnus and Prime approached the tree line’s edge and Cloudstreaker burst from the tall trees. She fiercely hugged Prime first then Ultra Magnus and hugged the Major-general a little longer than necessary. Behind her Rain approached in a confident stride. The breeze played with her messy hair bound in the back by a clip.

Their new-found friend arced her hand in a one-wave greeting. “Lolitau, as they say on Moracis. I’m Rain. I thought you’d want the girl back. But the asshole chasing her is tied up and stuffed in a crate in cargo bay.”

Acting as if meeting a new person was an everyday occurrence, Optimus extended his hand. “Hello. I’m Optimus-“

”Prime,” Rain finished for him. She turned orange eyes to the left. “And I’m guessing this is Ultra Magnus. Can’t be wrong with a build like that.”

Magnus scrunched his face, confused and dubious. “Are you a psychic?”

“Nnnno. But I have a shipmate who is. Well, that’s an understatement, actually. Don’t worry. He’s just a snail.” Rain nodded to the right. “This way. We want to round everybody up, hold a meet-and-greet session.”

Before they took a single step, Optimus cast his gaze toward the Mozart. “Excuse me, Rain. I think one of our crew members has returned.” He trailed back to the ship and Magnus automatically followed. The ladies shadowed them and nine minutes later, the group rejoined Galvatron and Cyclonus. The Decepticon leader smiled as if guilty.

“I would have called you,” he said, “But the comlink isn’t working.”

Magnus pointed to Galvatron’s right hand. “Why are you bleeding?”

Cyclonus folded his arms. “Galvatron thought it amusing to play with some sort of reptile. It almost ate his hand.”

“Not my fault!” Galvatron objected. “It came for Cyclonus first. I interceded and now I am his hero.”

Cyclonus silently balked then corked his reaction. “Tell them, Galvatron.”

“Right. We ran into an Inoux.”

“What?” Prime and Magnus said simultaneously.

“Infantry Class, if I’m correct. But it wasn’t thirty feet high, Prime. It stood more like six, like Magnus’ height. Short.”

Cyclonus shook his head. “That is not short, Galvatron.”

“I’m only pretending to be a flesh creature, Cyclonus. That makes Magnus and thereby, the Inoux, short.”

Rain interrupted the moment. “Umm, we weren’t counting on your enemies following you here.”

Optimus: “It was a stowaway.”

Galvatron: “Who’s ‘we’?”

Sturdy but rushed footsteps disrupted the conversation and the momentary six became eight. Rodimus and Rusti approached with apprehension in their eyes. Rodimus, who walked faster than Rusti, lifted his left arm and pointed to his wrist.

“We should have checked the comlinks before separating-who’s this?”

Rain leered at him. “She is the unofficial ambassador of the Infraction, Mr Redhead. My name is Rain.”

“Oh. Well, you might want to take your little space cruiser and book it, Rainy. We have bad guys on our afts.”

“Yeah. I know,” Rain answered tersely. “I’ve been assigned to collect and relocate your butts to the Infraction because your ship isn’t safe.”

Magnus: “Safe from what?”

“Whatever might come through the time window.”

“She’s right,” Roddi confirmed. “Rusti and me found a giant portal or doorway. Might be Quintesson. The Inoux,” here he pointed at Optimus, “your Inoux, fed on the portal’s energy. It crumbled to pieces and they turned into a whole bunch of little Inoux, all three classes. They split into all sides of the compass. No telling where they went.” Rodimus paused a breath and returned Rain’s leer: “By the way, we have our own ship, thanks.”

Her eyes darted up the Sagittarious Mozart then back on Roddi. “That oversized skateboard?” she thumbed Galvatron. “He’s right. You’re a little undersized. Besides, this ship isn’t generating anything, not even emergency back up systems. It’s totally out of phase. As it was-know what?” she said, interrupting herself, “We shouldn’t be standing around like this. It’ll be sunset in half an hour. So how about you shlep along, join the rest of us for dinner?”

Rodimus fixed his face in a negative response. Rusti glanced from one Prime to the other then Magnus. “Guys, she said for dinner, not as dinner. Unless you’d like to eat rations again in the near-dark. I don’t think she’s here to rape you or scalp your hair and sell it on the DNA market. And yes, Galvatron, that means you, too.” Rusti added when the Decepticon passed a hand over his naked noggin.

Whether they voted yes or not, the Mozart group tagged Rain through the copse of trees and onto the adjoining valley. The sun sank behind the horizon the moment Rain’s ship lowered its invisibility shield and welcomed the group with bright lights.

Cloudstreaker hesitated at the bottom of the hatch while everyone else filed in. A small smile spread her lips. “Is this made of carbon-copper tri-nitrate and titanium?”
Rain laughed, tapped down the plank and dragged the femme up. “I don’t know about stuff like that, girl. You’ll have to ask Pipsqueak.”

Rusti entered the Infraction behind the two Primes. The ship appeared larger inside than outside. The boarding shaft opened into a spacious entryway. Carts and crates lined walls and stacked atop one another for long journeys. As the hatch closed under the ship’s belly, a cast of four people emerged from three separate doorways. One, a male with a flat-top head, carried a large snail on his shoulder. Rusti couldn’t help but stare. Why would anyone want a snail for a pet?

Another male wearing a brown leather jacket and a pair of bedroom slippers stood beside an elderly female with a mischievous smile and an instrument in her left ear.

“Many felicitations,” the slippers-guy greeted. “Excuse us if we fumble with your Earth language. None of us are versed in its culture. I’m Captain Parthon.” he laid a hand on the old female’s shoulder. “This is Dot, our communications expert.” He pointed to a stout, flat-footed alien with deep scars on his hands and an oversized belt buckle. “That is Plucky, our resources accommodator and the snail oozing over his shoulder is Pissant. The next one over is Pipsqueak, she’s our engineer. Next to her, Bookworm, our medic and fabulous chef. Of course, you know Rain. She’s our ambassador and gunner when necessary. And Pitstop, our pilot and Regime rules and regulations aficionado. Welcome aboard. Hope you’re hungry.”

Rusti sat beside Optimus at a table topped with purple meat and blue-green vegetables. At least the bread looked similar to that of Earth. Everyone traded dishes and offered salt or hot sauce. Since hot sauce was not included in the ship’s rations, the humanized Autobots each tried it. Cyclonus refused to try it. Optimus outright did not like it. Rodimus and Galvatron competed against one another as to whom had the highest tolerance. Cloudstreaker and Magnus watched them as they ate the stuff on their bread, their meat and their vegetables. Magnus even tried it in his drink then grinned as his face turned beet-red.

Rodimus surpassed Galvatron who finally rushed to the lavatory, holding his mouth.

Rusti forgot to eat her own dinner. She had to teach them how to use table utensils and shook her head when Rodimus learned how to launch food stuffs from his spoon. Some of it landed on Cyclonus who merely raised a brow. Optimus asked her to cut his meat for him then stole a quick kiss when she leaned over.

When was the last time she had this much fun?

Once the Autobots settled down, tired from too much fun and pleasantly satisfied with their first real home-cooked meal, Rodimus asked the first question:
“So, you guys know us and we have your names and faces. Wanna tell us why you’re here and why you like us so much and how you speak the language of another planet?”

The Mozart’s crew balked, flinched and startled when the Infraction’s crew pointed at the snail as it nibbled on a leafy vegetable.

“Okaaay...” Roddi said with uncertainty. “Care to elaborate?”

Dot snorted into a napkin and belched without excusing herself. “Pissant, you’d better fess up and quit acting like a better-than-thou. These people here probably think you’re an animal.”

Rusti blinked at the old lady, surprised at her plain, no-nonsense talk. “Uh, that thing is sapient?”

“Damn right, Sweetie. And a pain in the ass.”

“Fascinating,” Cyclonus muttered.

“Can I poke at it?” Rodimus asked.

“Eeeenough!” the snail squeaked like a cartoon character and shook a tiny fist at them. “You’re all a collection of uncivilized ineptitudes!” The purple mollusk shoved the leaf aside and slithered to the middle of the table.

Baffled, Rusti dragged her eyes from the gastropod to Parthon. “Uh, I thought you were in charge, Captain.”

“Hmm, hm. Well, I control the ship. A glorified taxi cab, so to speak. And no, he’s not in charge. Technically, that’s Rain. She’s the one that finds us jobs and assignments.”

“Me TOO!” the snail cried. “Mine’s more important than playing ping-pang between planets and that miserable space station!”

Rain rolled her eyes. “Here we go again.”

“Were it not for me, you worms would be wallowing at the bottom of Psyklenex’s sewer system! You should be more grateful!”

A strange feeling crept over Rusti and she narrowed her eyes at Pissant. “Why do you seem so familiar? Have you ever been to Earth?” she recoiled when the snail turned to her and smiled.

“No, my Dear. I’d never soil myself with anything to do with your backwater, thacking little world. It’s enough to know that concepts like common sense, self-respect, common courtesy and virtue ended the minute they closed the Garden of Eden.” he paused then threw his arms in the air. “Whoops! Another planet of sapient beings blew themselves to Hell! What a surprise.”

Dot intervened with her frank, leveled voice. “What Pissant isn’t telling you is that he’s responsible for saving you.”

“I was getting to that!” he glared at her then laced his arms behind his back and slimed his way down the table. “I felt a strange disturbance through the chronospheric wavelengths. At first I thought it was just a hiccup. But upon attending a second look, I discovered your ship flying out of phase, slipping further and further outside our reality. I knew I had to do something because, let’s face it, no one would miss you idiots. So I reached out with my brilliant mind and snatched you from the jaws of eternal damnation.”

“Wow!” Roddi inserted as much sarcasm in his voice as possible. “Aren’t you a regular awesome.”

Pissant extended his hand. “I might even let you kiss my wrist.”

“Up your’s.” Roddi answered without hesitation.

Pissant pointed at him again. “That’s the matter with you lower life forms! You ooh and ahh over miracles but when it comes to truly amazing beings such as myself, you have no respect whatsoever! I get better appreciation from fish!” Pissant twisted about and pointed at Optimus. “And will you QUIT KISSING HER FINGERS!”

Prime rested his gaze upon his wife. “But they’re perfect, like her lips.”

Rusti grinned, her attention on nothing but him. She reveled in his proximity when he touched her lips with his. If he were air, she’d breathe him in and hold.

Captain Parthon yawned languidly and stretched his arms. “Well, here, it’s been a fabulous rescue mission. Plucky will assign you quarters. If you need anything, you can ask either him or Dot. I need to do some log work then turn in. See you at breakfast.”

His crewmates wished him good night and his slippers patted out the doors. The room churned with unsettled stillness until Pissant scoffed and slimed back to his leaves. The Mozart’s crew glanced at one another before looking to Optimus. When he ignored their expectant gazes, they panned to Roddi.

“Sssso,” Prime Number Two drawled, “are we supposed to hang with you guys, and if so, what are we supposed to do with the Sagittarian Mozart?”

Dot took up the question: “Well, not much you can do, is there? I mean, according to our scans, yur sweet ship there’s outta whack.”

Cloudstreaker spoke softly, edged with weariness. “We have to realign the tachyon structure.”

Dot, Plucky, Pipsqueak and Pissant: “Ewwwe.”

Pipsqueak tossed a brown roll of unknown substance into the air and caught it with her mouth. “That’s meticulous work. Job description should read “Experts only, neeblees don’t bother.” Her head dropped on her right shoulder and she stared at Pissant until the mollusk swallowed the mouthful.

“What?” Beat. “Oh no! No, no, no. That is NOT why I rescued their sorry carcasses from eternal doom. Deal’s a deal.”

Dot produced a small bottle of pills, took one herself then flicked another at the snail, smacking him on the face. “Yur deal, you mean.”

“I was taken advantage of! Victimized by a power not even in the same classification! I was bamboozled!”

Rodimus folded his arms and glared. “Is there a translator in the house?”

Pipsqueak popped another ball into her mouth. “What’s that saying from Humans? Modus operandi?”

Dot slumped and rested her head on her hand supported at the elbow. “Vivendi,” she corrected.

“Ah-hu,” Pipsqueak concurred. “He’s under an ulterior motive with a modus vivendi.”

Awkward silence.

Rodimus: “Sssso... what’s the deal?” he really did not want to lay eyes on the slug (strike that) snail. “What do you want?” he sneered.

Pissant took another bite, swallowed then belched. “What everyone else wants,” he returned in similar tones. “Life, liberty, the pursuit of money, sex and power.”

Rodimus leaned over the table. “Translation, please.”

Rain rolled her eyes and tilted her chair back. “He’s after a power source. Some sort of little item or other.” From answering Rodimus to snarling at the snail: “and we’re not doing anything until we’ve completed our mission for which we’ve already been paid, Pissant.”

The purple mollusk shook his hands in the air to fend her off. “Oh no!” he mocked. “Divinity forbid that we should do something Captain P. Doesn’t want us to do. Money comes first!”
Rain sat straight in her chair and scowled. She looked to Roddi. “It’s not just a money thing,” she explained, “It’s a rescue operation.”

Magnus, Cyclonus and Rodimus: “Oh.”

Optimus leaned forward and stared at Pissant. “You know, we did not ask you to rescue us.”

“You’re welcome, sub-creature.”

Optimus continued smoothly, “Technically, that means no deal was struck between us. We signed no contracts.”

Pissant planted his tiny hands on either side of his sliminess and glared as hard as he could at Optimus. Rusti grabbed her napkin, covered her mouth and cleared her throat to keep from laughing. “What do you want?” the snail asked slowly.

“You brought us here,” Optimus reminded him. “You could send us back to Yolthanis III and from there to Earth, circa Earth Date 2038.”

“How DARE you try to strike a bargain with me! I am a god! I set galaxies in motion before the Quintessons were cursed! I staked out the boundaries of dark matter!”
Optimus did not react. “So, you agree.”

“I agree to nothing!” Pissant turned away in a huff.

Optimus sat straight and drank the last drop of tea. “I do apologize,” he said in monotone. “I assumed you were capable of such a feat. I suppose we’ll have to find another way back.” He returned Galvatron’s approving grin with a slight smile.

“I didn’t say I couldn’t,” the mollusk protested.

Optimus did not make eye contact. “Then you agree to the terms?”

Pissant waved his hands above his head then squirmed around. “I suppose,” he grunted.

-INCLINATIONS-
 

Rodimus asked Plucky to assign him quarters first. He opened the door and stepped downward, surprised to find a spacious, nicely furnished room. Memories from another time and life churned tight corners in his head and left tracks of pain at the back of his skull. Rodimus flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

He’d been almost Human once. Her name was Michelle. He didn’t care whether she was pretty or not. She was mean and betrayed him the moment she realized she wasn’t going to get past his lips.

That was three days he didn’t care to relive. Rolling to his right, Rodimus stared at the entryway until his vision blurred. He managed to keep himself together for quite a while now. But a nagging pest called guilt kicked his ass like a little girl demanding attention. Sadness crawled under his skin and he faded to sleep recalling the names of those he murdered on Bare Anches.

Plucky assigned Cloustreaker quarters beside Rodimus and Rusti beside her. On the other side of the corridor, he assigned Magnus’ room first followed by Cyclonus, Optimus and Galvatron.

Optimus gratefully accepted the digital key and pocketed it in his jacket. “Where is the storage bay?”

“Eh?”

“I need to let Daniel Witwicky out for food, water and to pee. Can’t keep him cramped up forever.”

Galvatron grinned. “You’re going to be nice to him? Can I watch?”

“Who said anything about being nice? And yes, you may watch.”

Plucky led Galvatron and Optimus to the lower belly of the ship. Two sets of double doors opened horizontally then vertically. Light flickered on and softly buzzed above their heads. Crates, both wooden and metal, stacked along the walls like squat soldiers. Grappling cables and hooks looped and dangled from the bay’s top and sides. Twenty feet from them stood a larger-than-usual crate complete with air slots. A used and torn sticker marked the metal-reinforced crate: SHIP HIGH IN TRANSIT.

Plucky handed Prime the crate key with an uncertain smile. He unslung a small bag from his left shoulder and held it between his hands “Just to pass it on, my friend, we usually reserve that crate for animals.”

Optimus kept his expression passive. “Noted. Thank you.” he skipped a beat: “I suggest you step back a foot or two.” Prime did the same and opened the front of the crate via remote control. “Daniel,” he called, “we have food. You may come out if you wish.”

Galvatron glowered and Plucky cringed as Witwicky released a paragraph of profanity, slander and expletives.

“How DARE you treat me like this!” he shouted.

“It’s far from what you deserve,” Prime answered. He winced when a sour, rotted stench rose from the crate. “I suppose you’re more than satisfied to cover your cell in your own leavings.”

Roaring like a bear, Witwicky charged, arms outstretched and aimed at Optimus. The Autobot leader waited until the last tenth of a second then stepped aside. Galvatron did the same and Witwicky slammed his body into the sturdy storage bay door. He spun about, back pasted to the unyielding surface. Hair to boot, Witwicky painted himself with his own vileness. He even drew obscenities on his legs with his own blood.

The man looked and acted crazed but Optimus harbored no pity for him.

With one hand tucked under an arm and fingers about his chin, Galvatron stared at the walking feces factory. “Offhand, I’d have to suggest a short shower.”

Prime almost sang his answer. “Yes. Perhaps Magnus would like to help out.”

Plucky intervened with a finger pointed up. “Um, we have a vehicle wash. Sometimes clients or dock rats will track in mud or contaminants when they’re loading merchandise.”
Plucky returned to his duties while Galvatron and Optimus stayed outside the bay. Neither of them said a word while Daniel’s screams and swears filled the bay.

“Galvatron,” Optimus said several minutes into their vigil, “I don’t recall asking for hot water.”

“They use hot water in a decontamination chamber?”

“Well, I know we do. But I never thought to ask Plucky if they had or used hot water.”

Galvatron shifted his lower jaw to the left and raised his brows. “So, you’re saying Daniel is taking a cold one in there?”

“Affirmative.”

“Yikes.”

Somewhere amid the hum of machines, the swishing of brushes and pounding water the two mechs heard Daniel’s strangled voice: “I’ll get you for this, Prime!”
Optimus shook his head. “Just washing his mouth out with soap.”

Rusti woke the following morning with no recollection of her whereabouts. They traveled so much that homesickness settled in her stomach and stayed there. Sometimes it ached and extracted tears. Rusti allowed three tears to fall. Feeling sorry for herself was a bad option. So many other people lost their friends, their families, their lives. She had nothing to complain about.

Then she remembered: her immediate ‘family’ were no longer Transformers. She sat up and blinked. Who would have thought that Humanoid Transformers were such beautiful people? In spite of his hairless head, even Galvatron looked every bit a legendary Greek god, gorgeous from dimple to ankle. But that smile, dear divinity! Galvatron had SUCH a flashing smile!
Then her stomach fluttered when she thought of Optimus. The young lady grinned. So many good looking guys and nowhere to put them! She laughed aloud then covered her mouth. Laughter sounded so foreign anymore.

Optimus was her size!!

With a barely-contained squeal, Rusti abandoned the bed and rushed to dress. If last night’s dinner was anything to go by, breakfast promised another bout of absurdity; a comedy of first-time’s, snarky comments and funny errors.

Yet again her life turned upside down and this time, it was a good and wonderful thing.

Venturing down the empty corridor, Rusti retraced the path toward the kitchen. She expected to see her friends huddled over the long metal table, discussing their experiences. Instead she came face to face with Bookworm. His triangular features studied her expectantly. His near-amphibious quirks reminded her of a lizard tilting its head one way then another. He smiled with broad cheeks and three dimples. He was perfectly adorable.

“Good morning,” he greeted. “Do you eat carbohydrates or are you strictly carnivorous?”

She returned the smile. “Unless it’s so hot it can be used as rocket fuel or if it’s still moving on my plate, I’ll eat anything.”

He smacked her on the arm before passing by. “Good answer!”

Shock rather than pain caused Rusti to flinch and cover her arm. She hoped his action was just ‘good camaraderie’ and not meant as an affront. A soft chuckle bleated from the table. Rain placed a circular card face down and Dot picked it up.

Rain winked at Rusti. “Don’t let the chef yank your lever. He’s sort of a prick but he’ll warm up to you.”

Rusti claimed the same chair as the night before. “I’m not the one he should be concerned about.” She tossed her eyes from the kitchen to the door. “Where’d he go?”

Dot and Rain: “To wake everyone up.”

Rain chose a fresh card from the stack between she and the older female. “I hope no one in your group is a grumpy morning person. Bookworm is annoyingly cheerful in the morning.”

Dot took her turn at the stack of discs then discarded three from her hand. “The captain can be snotty but he has a good reason for that. Plucky’s a morning type, too.”

Rusti watched the ladies play another hand before she asked the next question: “What are we doing today? Or, rather, what did you guys have planned?” They both stared at her as if she should have the answer.

Dot turned away first and discarded two more cards from her hand. “I think it’s the oddest thing how humans will use the masculine gender noun to describe both male and female.”
Rusti turned puzzled. “I don’t understand.”

“You said ‘you guys’. Isn’t ‘guy’ supposed to be of male gender?”

“It can be.”

“But you use it for males and females.” Dot set her hand down and spread it out for Rain to see.

“I guess it’s a cultural thing,” Rusti answered. Rain laid out her cards with a crazed grin and Dot slumped.

Rodimus shouted incoherently from the corridor. Rusti silently sniggered and watched the door.

“Breakfast is the best way to start a new day,” Bookworm said at the other side of the door.

“I don’t start new days,” Rodimus retorted. “I just continue them from the night before. Night, day, it’s all the same. It all requires the same amount of data entry!”
The door slid open and the chef led Roddi in. Cyclonus followed and Galvatron and Optimus entered next.

Bookworm spun about and eyed each Transformer in turn. “Do you prefer salt or sugar?”

Rodimus leaned over and leered at alien chef. “If it’s food, I’ll eat it so long as it’s not so hot that it comes out my ass the same temperature as it was in my mouth.”
Optimus sat beside Rusti and touched her hand. “Hello, Little Bell,” he said warmly.

A gushy feeling blossomed in Rusti’s stomach and she smiled as if her face could barely contain the joy. “I was hoping to see you last night.”

“I needed to take care of your-er-“

Galvatron filled in the noun: “stray dog. Op and me visited our stray dog last night. A difficult and unpleasant task.”

Rusti batted her lashes and nodded. “I’m so sorry you guys are having to deal with him. Maybe the next city or town we visit, we could just leave him there.”

Rodimus slouched over the table supporting his head by the elbow and hand. “Cultural contamination is a bad thing, Lady-friend,” he said. “Your sperm donor would end up mailed back to us, parcel post, with payment on delivery. It’s not a bill either Op or I want to pay.”

Bookworm gave everyone a glass of deep red fruit juice plus a pitcher on the table if more was required.

A soft baritone hum drifted along the table in the absence of conversation. All eyes turned to Galvatron who stared at the table cloth, lost in thought. One note. Two, three, four. One, two, three. Four, five. Repeat. The simple melody compelled everyone to listen as the Decepticon hummed it again until he realized what he was doing.

Galvatron smiled sheepishly. “I don’t know where it’s coming from but I hear it in my head. It’s constant. Beautiful. Maybe I dreamed it.”

Rodimus grunted. “It’s your fairy godmother calling you from her grave, Galvatron. She’s begging you never procreate.”

“No worries,” Galvatron answered smoothly. “I’d not trust you around offspring of any species, Rodimus. Knowing you as I do, I’m willing to bet you read horror stories to Rusti at night.”
Rodimus sat up a little to make eye contact. “Age-appropriate, I assure you, Galvatron.”

Rusti cut in: “Uh, Rodimus, Edgar Poe, Steven King and Warther D. Lukensvaldt were not age-appropriate. Believe me. I’m scarred for life.”

Roddi’s face lifted with a smile. “They were appropriate for me.”

The kitchen door opened and Plucky joined them at the table. Magnus followed him and sat beside Cyclonus. Plucky poured himself a glass of juice and handed one to Ultra Magnus.
“Morning, everybody,” Plucky greeted. “News is Parthon isn’t feeling light and fluffy today. So we’ll be staying here until tomorrow. And not to worry, Rain, we’ll make the rendezvous on time.”

“Hope so,” she replied without enthusiasm. “This isn’t just a simple pick-up-and-drop-off assignment.”

The door opened again and Cloudstreaker stepped in followed by Pipsqueak who yammered without skipping a beat.

“See here? We found them. Not to fret. Men are the easiest things to find in the galaxy. Morning, Plucky! What’s going on today?”

“Staying planet-side.”

Pipsqueak clapped her hands together. “Excellent! Cloudstreaker and me were discussing the inconsistencies in manufactured tri-thermal crystalized passive inductors verses natural linear peridot formations.” She paused, “well, that and she got turned around. Mmmm! Is that tea cakes I smell?”

Without mouthing off, Bookworm brought in two large platters piled with meat and miniature pancakes, or so Rusti guessed. The chef vanished then returned two seconds later with two jars, each contained syrup of a different color.

Dot swiftly piled her plate and poured red syrup over it all. “Pitstop still at the bridge?” she asked.

“Uh-huh,” Bookworm confirmed. “He’s negotiating with that weirdo on Dawmalli.

“It’s a bad deal,” Dot warned. “I’m telling you, he’s not to be trusted.”

Bookworm shrugged as he took a seat beside Rain. “Offer’s too sweet to resist.”

Dot shook her fork at him. “That’s exactly what they said in the War of Five. Security was too sweet a deal to pass up. Few people cared whether or not they’d end up enslaved. Pipsqueak, hon, I’ll need extra juice this afternoon for the SLZ interview.”

“Got it.”

“Can’t let a little delay keep me off the radio.” The old lady pointed a finger at Rusti while taking a gulp of juice. “That reminds me. I’d love to know about music from Earth. Titles, artists and eras. Doesn’t matter which or what.”

“Music?”

Bookworm nodded toward Dot. “Her super-hobby. Dot collects music from all over the galaxy. If music were rocks, Dot would have her own planet.”

Rusti smiled sadly. “I’m sorry, Dot. I can give you the information but...” she choked up and pursed her lips to control tears. “All that’s gone now. The Quintessons destroyed it all.” Rusti held her breath to keep from crying. Optimus offered his napkin and kissed her head. She leaned toward him, sniffing.

Rain narrowed her eyes. “The Quintessons?”

Rodimus pushed food around his plate until it resembled Galvatron with a cigar in his mouth and a zit on his nose. “Yeah, Quintessons,” he confirmed. “Freaks with five faces, a metal egg for a body and tentacles. They ambushed us and sorta took over. We’ve been trying to...” he sighed and frowned. “...get back for some time now. Seems the universe at large is just tossing us around like a deflated football.”

Rain smiled with a slight roll of her eyes. “We know what Quintessons are, Dummy. Who else would skip the tip and off the hard hats who built that time window out there?”

The Mozart’s crew glued eyes on her, surprised. Rodimus broke the pensive silence when he pushed his plate away. “They’re the scourge of the galaxy, aren’t they? They’re everywhere except printed on Galvatron’s underwear. If I had a piece of currency from anywhere for every time we’ve encountered those bastards, I could buy my own universe.”

Dot wiped a line of syrup with her finger and licked it. “Sounds to me like you have quite a story to tell. Care to tell it?”

Optimus and Roddi told their side of the story first, starting as far back as the Hate Plague. Optimus touched on the Nebulos Incident then the string of disasters and tragedies that followed. Rodimus talked about the Virus and that he learned the Quintessons designed it and planted it in Optimus when his corpse rested in the Autobot Mausoleum.

That was the first Rusti heard of it. She covered her mouth in horror, snuggled into Optimus’ arms and kissed his hand.

Magnus recounted the invasion on Earth and the planet-wide destruction. Their new-found friends listened attentively until Rain tilted back in her chair, wiped her face and sat straight.
“That... that is way tough, as in ever. It’s right miraculous you still have some skin intact. Dot’s got stories of Quintesson obliteration. Nations, planets, solar systems... they’re like an ulcer rot.”

Galvatron leaned forward and nodded at Optimus. “They haven’t mentioned the Inoux. Tale’s not finished. There’s intrigue, forbidden alliances, miserable planets, time fragmentation and

 Decepticons.”

“Decepticons?” Pipsqueak repeated. “You mean like Skorponok?” All eyes trained on her and Galvatron and Cyclonus froze. She scoffed nervously, “Should I suppose you know him?”
Rodimus smacked his lips. “You could say that, yeah. Dated him recently, have you?”

“Maybe,” Rain answered in equal tones. “She thought about setting one up between you and Zarak. Lovely couple you two would make; like an egg and a hammer.”

Rodimus shook a finger at her. “You, you’re funny.”

Rusti grew impatient with the smart remarks and eyed Rodimus. “How do you know him?” she asked Rain.

“Skorponok is Psyklenex’s dog without a leash. He runs Toranoth like some mechanism from Torments. Skorponok and his creepy mechanical dung worms punked Mechlatex some fifty turns ago. They upped Rurur City from a nice town filled with sweet old ladies to a damned fortress. People go in, soldiers come out.”

Rusti sized Rain up, really looked at her. Was there something off about Rain, about the Infraction’s entire crew, or was Rusti herself perceiving things incorrectly? “Do you do business on Mechlatex?”

Rain ran her tongue over her teeth and shook her head. “It’s not family-friendly. No pets allowed. The natives love visitors and invite them as dinner. The populace are uptight. Half are hysterical and the other half very religious. If the government cranks and their G2 system don’t box you, the citizens will. And they’ll think they’re doing you a favor. The folks there aren’t treated nicely, but they’re loyal to their homeworld.”

Dot jumped to her feet and from a pocket in her light jacket, she produced an ear microphone. “I hate to leave this converse,” she said. “Hit the pause button and we’ll continue it later. Right now, it’s zap-time.”

She rushed out the door and down the hall.

Pipsqueak grinned. “She’s late for her broadcast. Meanwhile, Cloudstreaker, would you care to show me your ship-that is, if it’s right? If there’s some thingamajig you need, I can pass it on or snitch it.”

Cloudy smiled before the group broke up and scattered.

Magnus accompanied Cloudstreaker and Pipsqueak. After all, the Sagittarian Mozart was his ship and no one was to peak under her-HIS panels without the captain around.
Rodimus made himself scarce. Optimus thought it uncharacteristic of his friend to set out alone. He did not ask, however. Roddi needed space.

Cyclonus went one direction, Galvatron another. The former Decepticon leader said something in passing about accompanying Dot.

Optimus and Rusti stepped into a gentle afternoon sun. A perfect breeze combed the long grass around them. Rusti felt so peaceful, she thought of one thing to make it better: a nice dress. Sure the outfit she had on was great for ‘adventuring’ but it was far from romantic.

Optimus, too, reveled in the moment. He gazed upon the world with a different type of visual sensors, but that did not change the sensation. The sun caressed his face with warmth. A million wonderful smells tumbled with the light wind. But he abandoned the world around him and gazed upon a different type of perfect beauty. In spite of her worn out jeans, tough military and standard-issue shirt and jacket, Rusti’s kindhearted spirit shone through; the same sweet soul who cared about him as a person.

Once he counted all the freckles on her face. Now, now he could kiss them. Joy swelled within him like a great ocean wave, powerful and amazing.
And then she smiled.

“Rusti...” her name fell from him like the most beautiful melody. “Rusti,” he almost could not say it right, “Will you marry me?”