Chapter Text
Endlessly blue water lapped against the glittering shore and flooded the white-bleached stones buried in the sand.
Gold hexagonal irises contracted and expanded, silver lips parting with a choked exhale.
"What…"
D-16 looked up. A cerulean sky stretched over the lush green forest circling the lake, boundless, endless. D-16's legs trembled.
Orion dragged his gaze away from the beautifully strange landscape and turned right as D-16 backed away from the blue lake, chassis heaving with panicked vents.
Concern creased Orion's face. "Hey—"
"What is this!?" D demanded shakily, fingers arching while his feet sunk into the oddly soft, uneven ground.
However, green threadlike vegetation brushed against D's legs and he yelped, flinching away hard. Orion's optics widened and he reached out as D slammed back into a towering brown tree.
"D!"
The tree cracked. The silver miner fell onto his tailpipe while the tree tumbled with a mighty groan. It crashed to the ground, the earth quaking beneath it and flimsy green pieces flying. Some branches snapped off, pelting their metal bodies, yet Orion barely felt them, and D-16 just stared at the downed tree, venting harshly.
"D?" Orion strode over to him, wincing at the crunch of organic debris beneath his pedes—nothing like the smooth metal pavements or craggy mine floors he’d stepped across all his life.
"Hey, D?" He crouched before the silver miner, peering into those hexagonal irises.
D-16 stared right through him, venting panicked and quick. Protectiveness swelled inside Orion and he grabbed D-16's shoulders, squeezing.
"Hey, it's okay," he said gently but firmly. "You're okay. See?"
Golden irises rotated back and forth fast, whirring. Orion watched worriedly until his optics stopped and D-16 suddenly took a hefty vent. He released it slowly, his chassis settling. However, his voice still shook as he whispered, "P-Pax."
"I'm here," he assured.
D-16's optics regained focus, but they were wide, fearful. "This isn't Cybertron."
Orion grimaced. He turned around. White-tipped mountains peaked in the distance, thousands of trees crowding their hilly sides. He took in a shuddering vent, and rather than the sharp tang of metal, light, fragrant air filled his chassis.
He turned back to D-16. "Yeah. This is all…"
His gaze dropped. Pink and violet petals fluttered between the green threadlike blades. And it was beautiful. Yet so alien.
"Organic," Orion whispered, realization falling over his face.
They were on another planet—an organic planet. No organic planets existed in their galaxy. They were far from Cybertron.
"How did this happen?" D-16 exhaled, teeth gritting.
Orion frowned. "I don't know." His expression grew thoughtful. "Last thing I remember was lying against my berth and falling into recharge."
D-16's brow wrinkled. "That's what I remember too."
He gazed past him to the rich blue lake. His shoulders trembled under Orion's hands.
Orion swiftly moved to block out the alien landscape and D-16 looked away, embarrassed. "So we…we were abducted?"
Orion blinked. "Like by aliens?"
He wanted to dismiss it, joke that D had seen one too many sci-fi's. Yet the oddly malleable ground shifted under his pedes and something gurgled in the lake, a shadow slithering under the liquid's surface.
Orion's face contorted as he truly gave the possibility some thought. After a moment, he shook his helm.
"No." He tossed his hand towards the forest. "Why would aliens abduct us, then just dump us here?"
D didn't answer. He was looking up, lips parted. Orion followed his gaze. White clouds drifted lazily through the blue sky, sunlight warming his face. He…he'd never felt the sun up close before…it felt nice. However, they didn't belong here.
Orion looked back at D-16, expression strained. "I don't know how we got here." He scowled determinedly. "But I know there must be a way for us to get back home."
He glanced around, scanning the organic scenery. "Assuming this world is inhabited and has some technology…we can at least call for help."
"Technolo—you think this place has technology?" D-16 splayed his hands towards the abundant nature.
"Hey, c'mon!" Orion grinned. "Cybertron doesn't have much technology on its surface either. And besides, I'm sure with a little Pax and D luck—"
"Don't drag my luck down with yours,” D deadpanned.
"I know we can find a way back to Cybertron!"
Orion stood and offered him his hand. D-16 stared at it. His face became pensive. "You…really think we can get back home?"
"Of course!"
D-16's expression didn't change but he accepted his hand, and Orion pulled him up, saying, "All we need is a space bridge or a ship—"
"Neither of us can pilot a ship."
"Point is!" Orion raised a digit. "We can either call for help or just step through a bridge and be home in no time!"
D-16 frowned. "But if this planet is organic…there's no energon here."
Orion's smile dropped. The air stiffened around them. D-16's hands curled up.
"My levels are at thirty-five percent. You?"
Orion grimaced. "About the same."
D-16 closed his optics and exhaled, "We can last a day maybe." He opened his optics and turned to the forest. "No time to waste then."
He started trudging up the incline. Orion followed but glanced over his shoulder. The rich blue lake shimmered in the sunlight.
He couldn't help saying, "It's beautiful…"
D stopped. He looked back while Orion passed him.
"Yeah," he agreed quietly, shakily. "Beautiful…"
They stared at the mountains for a moment.
Eventually, they left, and Orion did his best to ignore how D-16 kept glancing back, longing burning in his gaze.
They traversed the forest until it was night—a night that came much quicker than a Cybertronian one would. Orion smiled at every little animal they came across throughout the day, even trying to draw some near.
Yet it was D-16 who had one bright blue bird drift to his arm. The silver mech froze, wide optics on the little taloned creature on his half-raised arm. Its tiny brown eyes blinked back. Then it hopped up his arm once, twice—
It flew away.
D-16 watched it glide into the sky, a shadow against the blue.
"It…felt fragile."
Orion's lips pressed together, and he glanced at the dirt floor. His prints stamped the ground behind him, a few trees lying broken beside them from when their shoulders accidentally clipped the wildlife. Everything here seemed fragile…
Night fell again. Blue circular irises glowed in the darkness, peering across the flat, desert terrain. Amber eyes stared back from a slim, tan muzzle. Orion smiled and bent down, motioning towards himself. Yet the canine bared its sharp teeth, growling.
"If it spits metal-corroding acid, I'm not saving you."
Orion almost rolled his optics, but then the lanky canine spun around. He slumped as the creature jogged away, fluffy tail bouncing against its hind legs.
"Aw, D!" Orion tossed up his hands, standing. "You scared it away—"
"What's that?"
Orion's mouth clicked shut. He turned to where D-16 was staring. Specks of lights glowed on the horizon. His optics grew big.
Artificial lights…a city.
"There is intelligent life here," D-16 whispered, stunned.
Orion beamed and nudged him with his elbow. "Alright!"
He swiftly burst into a jog, waving at D to follow. "Let's go meet some aliens!"
D-16 startled and tried to catch him. Yet Orion was far ahead, hope burning in his optics and dust kicking up around his pedes.
"Okaaay."
Orion smiled nervously, his face reflecting in the little rectangular window.
"When the building looked tiny in the distance, I thought it would be bigger up close but now that we're here—"
"They're…so…small." D-16 peeked through the window, wide-opticed with his helm almost bumping Orion's.
Pink, green, and violet lights flashed out from behind the glass. The window trembled to a muffled beat, rhythmic sounds drumming in their audio processors. Yet neither cared as they focused on the people inside.
Little aliens twirled under the lights, bodies rubbing against each other and arms pumping through the air. They were solid-colored, ranging from a rich brown to pale sandy tone. However, the bouncing curls and threads running down from their helms added some diversity to their looks, a few even having vibrant streaks shading them. Also, what they lacked in physical coloring, they made up for with the shimmering costumes covering most of their bodies—though the girls were oddly less covered than the boys.
"They're children."
Orion startled and whipped towards D-16. Yet the silver mech was staring grimly at the partygoers. So Orion turned back to the glass, peering closer at the alien's faces. Round cheeks painted by the flashing lights, some tall and lanky while others were shorter…because some were still growing.
Orion pulled back, face falling. "We can't ask children for help. We have to find their caretakers—"
Metal creaked. The music suddenly blared right beside them. Orion and D-16 whirled around.
A child gawked at them, his red cup slipping from his grasp and clattering to the ground. Oh, Primus.
"Pax," D-16 hissed without looking away from the stunned alien.
"Smile." Orion forced a grin, whispering through his teeth. "Just smile so he knows we won't hurt him."
D-16 sent him a disbelieving look. However, Orion was already lowering himself to the boy's level, raising his hands slowly.
The boy cried out, jerking back against the metal door, and it was a good thing there was music to cover the bang.
"Hey, hey," Orion soothed, waving him down. "We're not gonna hurt you."
The boy stared, blue eyes big and chest heaving under his black costume. Orion didn't want to scare him any more than he clearly was but readied himself to grab if the kid tried to run.
Recognition suddenly sparked in those alien eyes. The boy cocked his head, gaze burning into Orion. After a moment, his mouth opened—strange rolling sounds left him. D-16 recoiled at the alien language yet Orion watched the kid's face, trying to parse his meaning.
The boy quieted, gaze shifting between them…oh, he wanted an answer. But miners didn't have translators in their comms.
Thankfully, the alien seemed to realize this and frowned. He glanced at D-16. Wariness creased his face for a moment, but quickly he turned back to Orion. Determination slanted his brows.
The boy reached into his pocket and slipped out a metal rectangular device. He clicked it and the screen lit up, shining on his face as he typed fast.
"Oh—oh, no. That's a communicator." D-16 whirled to him in a panic. "What if he's calling the authorities and—"
The boy flipped the screen towards them. The duo froze, peering at the digital picture. A blue and silver femme smiled, crouched beside the beaming alien boy.
Orion gasped and D-16 choked, "A Cybertronian…" Shock burned in his optics. "There's other Cybertronians here."
He whirled and caught Orion's shoulder, excited smile blooming across his face. "We can get help!"
Orion blinked away his shock and smirked. "I told you somebody could help us."
D-16 laughed, too relieved to snark. Fingers snapped beside them. They turned. The boy stopped snapping and pointed at the picture, at them, and then made a pulling motion towards the photo.
"He'll take us to her." D-16 quickly understood.
Orion nodded, showing the boy they agreed. "Yes, lead the way."
The boy smiled and took back his rectangular comm. He said something, tone suggesting a question before he pointed past them. Orion glanced back. Vehicles were parked between white-painted lines on the blacktop. The boy gestured from them to the cars, brought his hands together in a cube shape, and twisted them around each other.
"Chu-chink-shoo," he imitated the sound of shifting metal shockingly well.
"Transforming…" Orion frowned. "He wants us to transform."
"But we can't."
D-16 stepped forward. The kid's eyes shot to him, and Orion frowned as the boy tensed. However, D-16 gestured at the hole in his chest, then pointed at Orion's empty slot.
"We can't transform." D shook his head, still pointing between their slots.
The boy frowned. He stared at the hole in D-16's chest. After a second, his eyes widened.
"Oh."
The boy's face fell. Yet soon, he shook off his dismay and looked around, carefully scanning the parking lot…making sure they were alone.
Orion's optics narrowed. Why was he worried about them being seen if his species had already met Cybertronians?
The boy stopped and stared seriously at them. He waved downwards, bending over in a crouching motion.
"He wants us to lie low?" D-16's forehead wrinkled. "But why? Who are we hiding from?"
He glanced at Orion. However, Orion just crouched and nodded at the alien to show they understood. "Not sure," he said without looking away from the kid. "But whatever his reason, I think we should listen to him."
D-16 frowned, yet also crouched low. The boy gave them a thumbs up and turned. He started running towards the back of the next building, gesturing at them to follow. Orion and D-16 quickly shuffled after him, keeping low and away from streetlights. Though, if anyone happened to look up from the rare passing car, they might have glimpsed two pairs of optics glowing in the darkness, gold as the sun and blue as the constellations above.
The boy took them to his house.
The miners waited in the short garage, stooped almost to the floor, with only an inch of space between them. Fortunately, it wasn't long before the boy stopped talking into his device and turned to the window, checking the street.
Anticipation rose inside Orion. Was the boy looking out for one of his alien vehicles…or a transformer?
Orion carefully leaned over the kid's little workbench, peeking out. Bright headlights shined into the garage. Orion flinched, optics snapping close. Something crunched beneath his elbow.
Thankfully, the boy didn't notice as he hit the button on the wall, and the garage door rolled up with a loud whir. Though ever attentive, D-16 side-eyed him. "Did you just break something?"
"No," Orion said too fast, optics shifting nervously.
D-16 raised a brow, but then his gaze fell on the street. His jaw dropped.
"Woah." He hissed under his breath, "He's huge."
Orion looked out. A large red and blue truck sat on the road, streetlights shining on its silver trailer. Yet it was the red robot symbol on the trailer's side that caught his optics. A Cybertronian…the kid got them help!
Said boy was already on the back of the truck, unlatching the trailer's doors. They clanged open, the kid hopped off the truck and turned to them, gesturing for them to come.
Orion frowned. He hoped the transformer knew they were boarding. Those with cogs rarely appreciated being boarded without giving their permission. Surprisingly, D-16 had no such worries and rushed out first, quickly hopping into the trailer. Orion glanced around, yet seeing no one, he also sprinted out onto the driveway and sprung into the trailer.
His pedes clanked on the metal, but the container held steady as he straightened up. D-16 was at the end of the long, dark trailer, looking around curiously.
The kid shouted something. The miners turned to see the boy waving goodbye before he pushed the doors closed. Darkness enveloped them. A clink echoed as the boy locked the doors.
Orion smiled sadly. "Thank you," he whispered, though the kid wouldn't understand.
The engine rumbled to life. D-16 and Orion tensed as the floor trembled slightly.
However, they couldn't say a word before a deep voice said, "Hello."
D-16 gasped and Orion startled.
"Please sit down, it will be a while before we reach the base."
D-16 immediately did so. "Of course, sir," he said with perfect manners, and Orion hated how quickly he slipped back into obedient miner mode, how easily his snark was lost behind a placid smile.
Yet Orion also complied, sitting across and adjacent to D, and bending his legs since there wasn't enough room to stretch them out.
"Are either of you injured or in desperate need of energon?"
"No," Orion said before he had to hear another mechanical response from D. "We're just, um, really confused. Neither of us has any idea how we got here." He shrugged. "Last thing we remember is recharging on Cybertron, then waking up on this planet."
The transformer hummed while he rolled forward, pulling away from the side of the street. "That is unusual."
Orion nodded. "Yeah." He brightened. "But if you and other Cybertronians are here, you must have a space bridge or ship…so you can take us home, right?"
A pause. Then a grave, "I will try."
D-16 stiffened, and Orion's smile faded.
"My team and I did arrive here by ship. However, we soon realized energon was limited and hard to find on this planet. So rather than repair our ship, we took it apart and used its pieces to build up our base."
D-16's jaw clenched and he stared at the floor while Orion's expression fell. These Cybertronians were stranded…and now they were stranded.
"Also,” the mech added gently. “While there is a space bridge somewhere nearby, its exact location is unknown."
D-16 hunched into himself, and Orion sent him a mournful look, knowing no words would assure him.
"However, you can stay with me and my team until we find you a way home."
Orion perked up as the mech continued, "And we'll help you adjust to Earth in the meantime."
Orion latched onto the name. "Earth?" His brows furrowed. "So that kid who found us is an earthling?"
"Yes, though they prefer to be called humans. And while they are different from Cybertronians in many ways, we have recently discovered we share a common ancestor—"
Orion's optics widened, and D-16's helm shot up as the mech went on to explain more about Earth, its population, and how they were tied to Cybertron.
The human kid was called Jack, and was one of the few humans who knew about Cybertronians. Overall, the transformers were robots in disguise on Earth, as to avoid panicking the human masses.
However, not all humans would be panicked by them, but interested—too interested. Some would even gladly take them apart for their own selfish gain, and many of their military weapons were strong enough to wreck havoc on Cybertronian bodies.
Above all else though, the transformer emphasized they were never to harm humans and to be careful around this planet's fragile, organic life.
"We are titans to them, and we can cause great harm even accidentally."
Orion cocked his head. Titans…huh… He'd never been called that before. He didn't know how to feel about that.
The truck slowed. The miners raised their helms as the transformer came to a stop, his engine shutting off.
"Before you exit, there is one more thing I need to tell you…D-16, Orion Pax."
Cold shock shot down Orion's frame and D-16 froze.
"H-how do you know our names?" D-16 blinked wide optics. "Have…we met, sir?"
"Yes," the transformer whispered softly, brokenly, and alarm rose in Orion's spark.
D noticed the tone too, his face wrinkling uncertainly. "I…I'm sorry but I don't recognize—"
"It's alright," the transformer said, yet his tone screamed it wasn't—nothing was alright. "I was very different when you knew me."
Heavy steps clanked outside. The trailer suddenly lifted. D-16 tumbled back with a cry and Orion caught his arm, steadying him as the trailer was set down.
"This will be a great shock to you."
The trailer doors unlocked and the heavy steps retreated, growing distant.
"Please prepare yourselves, and step out when you're ready."
Trepidation shivered through Orion's frame. He sensed something serious was incoming. D-16 looked similarly apprehensive, but perhaps his instinctive need to obey superiors kicked in because he soon rose. Orion also got up while D walked over to the doors, and pushed.
Light spilled into the trailer. Orion squinted, raising a hand over his face. Yet D-16 stepped out and Orion quickly dropped his hand, following him. Whatever was coming, he wouldn't leave D to face it alone.
Orion stepped out onto the concrete. He looked up. Bright lights shined on a large gray room that seemed to be carved out of a canyon. Orion glanced at the human-sized staircase leading to a mezzanine but soon found himself staring at the truck beside the trailer.
The transformer didn't move. Orion realized he was hesitating…and was the transformer actually afraid of them? Just…just who was he?
"My name…"
The truck pulled apart. Red pieces broke into blocks, silver struts flipped around, reassembling up higher and higher until—
"Is Optimus Prime."
D-16 choked. Orion's mouth dropped, optics blowing open wide. Prime? Who—?
"Pax…" D whispered harshly, urgently.
Orion was going to turn to him, but then he noticed the transformer's face. Sad blue optics…full lips thinned into a grim line…he knew that face.
"N-no," Orion stuttered, vents clogging up with shock and horror. No. It couldn't. How could it be possible?
The towering mech lowered himself to one knee and Orion stepped back from that silver face because…because—it was his face.
"But long ago," Optimus said, and Orion suddenly recognized that tonal pattern—no, it couldn't be.
"I was called Orion Pax."
Blue optics burned into Orion's own, both the same shade. D-16 choked on a scream. Orion stopped venting altogether. No, no, nonononono—
A large hand was suddenly bracing Orion's side, the blue bot's legs rattling hard. Orion stared blankly at the giant gray hand—his hand.
Orion ripped himself away. "No!" he gasped, wobbling dangerously though somehow he staggered away. "Y-you…I-I'm…"
He stammered, spark flaring and dimming painfully in his chassis. Orion grabbed his helm, lips trembling shut. By the Allspark, this couldn't be real!
"Take all the time you need," Optimus said gently, and Orion's teeth chittered. That kindness, the warmth in those blue optics…Primus, it was him. Older, bigger, with a T-cog, but it was himself staring down at him.
"We're in the future." D-16 shuddered, optics huge and blank with shock. "And y-you're—"
A tiny smile curved Optimus' lips, but there was pain in those blue irises as the mech said, "It's good to see you again, D."
A beat passed. Then—
"Sweet Primus," D swore, exhaling harshly. "It's really you, Pax?"
He whirled towards Orion. Disbelief rippled across his face. "You're a—"
"Prime," Orion exhaled shakily, covering his mouth with his hand as if he could catch his words and throw them away. Yet there was no hiding from the truth as his future self looked at him tiredly, sadly.
Suddenly, Orion was on his knees, arms falling limp and blue irises swirling violently. Someone called him in the distance, but he couldn't respond while the world crumbled around him.