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A man visits a little town in the middle of nowhere. He is alone, too impatient to wait for colleagues to accompany him. He is chasing folk tales and legends that once could only be stories made up over time. But machines have fallen from the sky that were made by no human hand. Destruction is unfolding across humankind's world.
Now these tales of madmen from centuries past - of impossible structures of metal and lights with no source - are of great interest to this man of science.
The man talks to the locals. He asks and questions and digs. The man is used to people frowning at him, at his skin, at his accent, and ignoring him at best. It did not matter to these people that he had lived in that country his whole life. It mattered to him. It frustrated him. The suspicions and superstitions and racial biases leave him so frustrated.
Some warn him about the dangers out there if he goes poking his nose in those woods. Only madness or death will find him out there. And some warn him about the dangers right there if he stays. He is not welcome. He should leave, before something happens to him.
The man goes into the woods anyway. He is prepared - food, water, a compass, a map. He is not prepared. When was the last time he had ever been in the wilderness? Anywhere but in front of his computers and machines in one large city after large city? The man has never been one for the outdoors.
The man quickly feels that he has made a mistake. Trees and bugs and humidity and climbing. He should have waited. He should not be alone.
The man of science pushes on. He has brought science with him, technology he has built. Humanity is depending on quick discoveries. The edge that they need in this unpredictable conflict with extraterrestrials. It will be worth it when he finds - anything. He just has to find something. How hard could it be to find metal in the woods?
The man is lost. He did not bring enough water. His map and compass are no good. He does not know how to use them. He discards his technology as it becomes too heavy and he becomes too tired. He has to keep going. He will make it out and learn from this. He will. He has to. He cannot die here.
The man of science meets a fairy. It is the only thing he can consider in his dehydrated state. His imagination. To think some people said he did not have one. But the stone with stars inside and the booming voice in his ears and the eye searing green illumination - and her. It could not be real.
The man chooses to drink the glowing cave water. It may be full of harm, but he is not strong enough to resist. He needs to get his wits about him. The hallucination drinks the water with him. Copies him. He refuses to acknowledge it. Now that he can feel a little of his strength returning, he is sure that his own lucidity will banish the hallucination.
The man stumbles away back into the suffocating forest. The creature from the cave follows him. He can hear it, a pair of bipedal footsteps doggedly keeping up with him. It doesn't go away. The hallucination does not fade. And he remembers the stories about these woods. He cannot bring himself to look now.
The man is losing his mind to the growing terror he feels. The man feels terrified. The man feels terrified. Like seeing double but with emotions. Compounded.
The man walks faster. The man runs. The man trips. He screams as the creature dives to the ground alongside him. It - is hiding. Pressed against him and shivering. It turns large luminous blue eyes on him.
"What are we running from?" the fairy asks, voice warbling with fear. "Why are we scared?"
The man of science looks at the impossible and very real little creature. Small and childlike, humanoid, with large blue eyes and accompanying eye spots symmetrically lining its body. No wings, because it is not a fairy. This is a robot, an impossibly advanced robot. A machine that no human hand could create. The man of technology and computers would know.
The man knows the robot's name. The robot knows the man's name.
The little robot helps the man leave the woods. And the man studies the robot. The alien robot. And the man learns everything humanity needs to fight back.
The man hides the robot. His - the - little fairy will suffer. He hides the -
It is not safe. She is not safe. She does not belong. She will never be safe.
The man hides his daughter. No one can know what she is.
BREAK
Isaac never expected to have to take care of anything besides himself. He'd never had a pet or a girlfriend, not even a plant. Despite the nagging of his parents and other nosy relatives, he had just never been interested in a family of his own. He'd always been nose deep in his studies. And after the first time he'd gotten his hands on a microcomputer while in college, he could never find it in him to care about anything else, even to his own detriment.
Then aliens attacked the planet. Enormous, powerful living machines. His obsession and proficiency with the developing computer technology led to him being hand picked by the government for humanity's survival. Yet he could only do so much without a direct source to dissect. The Autobot faction was playing nice with the native species, but not nice enough to allow humans to learn too much about them. He needed to get inside their systems and take a look at the back end.
One of the aliens let slip that Cybertronians had visited this planet in eons past. That led to speculation. Isaac wasn't one for science fiction or conspiracies, but one of his colleagues was. Said colleague had theories about the tales of impossible happenings across human history actually being a result of Cybertronian spaceships or structures left on Earth. He was supposed to have met him in Witwicky to investigate a source of many tall tales in the area, but he had gotten held up and unable to communicate that to him due to a lack of phone service in the county.
So Isaac had gone ahead on his own.
Now he had an alien to smuggle back into his lab. He really should share this discovery with all of his colleagues immediately. The more hands and eyes on this the faster they'd have answers. The sooner they'd stop the senseless civilian deaths.
But, something held him back. Some part of him just knew that if he turned Sari over, she wouldn't live through it. He couldn’t allow that.
He had spent a few days in a hotel recovering from his near death experience in the wilderness, and in that time had gotten horribly attached to the little alien. She was vibrant and alive and happy and so easily bored. It was like looking at a physical manifestation of his own cluttered mind. They also had some kind of connection, like a psychic link. It was both unsettling and fascinating.
He couldn't let anything happen to her.
Once back at the military base, Sari obediently sat quietly in a crate which Isaac first tried to carry in but quickly had to locate a hand truck. Sari was deceptively heavy for such a small robot. He had very little difficulty getting the box into the lab after that. Everyone on base was used to how scatter-brained the otherwise brilliant Dr. Sumdac was and waived him through security check points without proper protocol. It was both worrying and insulting that people would rather circumvent security measures than deal with the bumbling inventor.
Thankfully the lab was empty. It usually was at this time of day, which is why he came then. Still, he would have to work quickly if he wanted to keep it that way. Isaac lifted the lid off the crate and whispered, "You can come out - "
And Sari vaulted out of the box with a joyful exclamation. She was zipping around the lab touching things and asking questions before Isaac could stop her. He shuffled after her as fast as he could, shooting worried looks at the lab's entrance as her high-pitched voice loudly bounced around the room. His little jaunt in the woods had proven to him that he was far more out of shape than he previously believed.
" - but be quiet! Shhh!" Isaac finished. He finally got her to calm down and quiet down. She wasn't happy about it. He could feel that she wasn't happy about it. It was surreal.
She was incredibly fidgety as he began examining her. She didn't like it when he plugged a human computer into her impossibly high tech body to copy her coding. She didn't like it when he x-rayed her. She didn't like much of the tests and scans. Thanks to their bond, he could feel when he was pushing too much or too fast and slowed down for her comfort. He found that it helped her when he narrated his thoughts out loud. She was smart and curious.
But time was passing too fast. He had to hide her. Maybe he could take her to his apartment. He couldn't keep taking a box out and bringing a box in over and over. No, that wouldn't work. Eventually, his suspicious crate would be investigated. But for now though, he didn't have a better plan.
For a brief moment he considered claiming that he made Sari. He had made many incredible technological inventions. Surely it wouldn't be too much of a stretch. It would be more believable if he branded her somehow. An image of drilling a Sumdac Systems serial numbered plate into her skin - her plating - came to mind and he immediately shuddered. He felt nauseated by the imagery. He shook his head to clear that morbid plan. That was an awful idea, bad Isaac, he told himself. Sari cocked her head and looked at him curiously. She'd felt his disgust.
"You need to get back in the crate," Isaac told her.
"I don't want to," she whined. She kicked the side of the wooden box. "It's boring."
“You can’t be seen,” Isaac reminded her. “We’ve been over this.”
The two bickered. Sari was being stubborn and Isaac was getting more fretful as more time passed.
Isaac turned away, scanning the work stations and lab equipment for some kind of bribe. He'd be in a lot of trouble if he took anything home, but only if he got caught. He startled as a grid of light washed over him. He whipped back around to the little robot to scold her for playing with the lab equipment but stopped. He gaped. Her plating was turning inside out and stretching in some areas and shrinking in others and through it all the unmistakable noise that Transformers emitted when they shape-shifted. In seconds, there wasn't a little white robot with glowing blue highlights. Instead there was a little girl that looked a little bit uncanny. Skin as dark as his own. Red strands a little too thick to be hair. Bright blue eyes a little too bright. Transformation seams were visible on the torso. Her "skin" was firm but malleable enough to pass. But altogether -
"Oh!" Isaac shouted and fumbled with his lab coat. He nearly tore it in his haste to get it off and quickly clothed the very naked little robot.
Sari looked as smug as she felt. "Now I don't need to get in the box. Checkers!"
"Checkmate," Isaac absently corrected, his mind working hard.
This was incredible. The Transformers were well-known for their shape shifting capability but had always chosen vehicle forms. Mechanical, metal, inorganic. This level of organic replication was unheard of. An amazing discovery, but oh, the amount of paranoia this would bring down on humanity. There was already rising distrust surrounding cars and other personal vehicles. If anyone knew that these shape shifting aliens could do this too…
"You are far too young to be my little sister," Isaac muttered. "A niece? No, that won't work either. Hmm."
"Huh?"
"Never mind. You still have to get in the crate."
"Ugh."
Sari’s protests were cut off by the sound of approaching voices. Isaac’s fear skyrocketed and Sari scrambled into the container, looking as scared as he felt. He felt bad. He hadn’t meant to scare her with his own panic. It was going to take some getting used to, this link he now shared with a living, feeling machine.
He was eternally glad that he had been the one to find her. Or make her, he still wasn’t entirely clear on whether her creation was his doing or not. She insisted that her first memories had been in the glowing cave with him. But that may have meant that she had been in stasis. Still, he was uniquely suited to looking after her, willing even to keep her safe and hidden even if he damned his own species protecting her.
BREAK
Isaac had to leave Sari alone in his apartment most days. He hated doing that to her, but it was for her own safety.
He had successfully spun the story of suddenly learning that he was a parent to his bosses, but if he took her to work with him he ran the risk of someone discovering the truth. His colleagues were too smart and he was not a good enough liar. And while Sari was doing well blending physically, she was still far too lacking socially. It didn't help that she had someone like him to learn mannerisms from. He'd always been an odd one to his peers. So while his neighbors knew that he had a very weird little daughter, very few of his coworkers knew that she even existed. And he would keep it that way.
It would only take one small incident. One small suspicion. And the little make believe story would fall apart.
Whenever he could, he took his work home with him so she wouldn't be so lonely or bored. She loved watching TV but that couldn't be the extent of her education. He brought books from the library but reading bored her. He felt absolutely gobsmacked when she declared that books were boring. He managed to get around that by reading out loud to her. And when he finally started taking her to the library with him, he found that it wasn't the reading but the solitude involved in reading that bored her.
It turned out that his little fairy was just an extrovert. It was hard finding a balance between her social needs, his aversion to the public, and keeping her real identity a secret. But for her, he would do anything.
"Hey, dad," Sari mischievously singsonged. She tapped the spine of a book on his desk. "This book says you have to give me an allowance. It's what parents do for their children."
Isaac rolled his eyes. Apparently reading wasn't so boring whenever it suited her. He took the book from her and skimmed through, pretending to read. He dramatically gasped and tutted.
"Oh my! This book says that children require lots of sleep." He turned the pages and tutted some more. "Lots and lots. Oh no, and you don't get any sleep. Oh, you are so right. I've been failing my responsibilities, my dear. Come on." He playfully shoved her toward his bedroom.
"It does not say that," Sari claimed indignantly.
"And three year olds require so, so much sleep, oh dear me," Isaac continued with mock seriousness. "Off to bed with you."
"Nooooo," Sari whined accusingly. "You're being silly."
The two playfully bantered for a while longer before Isaac relented and Sari began haggling in earnest.
He got plenty of money from the government now. And it was only because of Sari. He hated that his legacy was going to be military weapon patents. He hoped that Sari would never figure it out. That the anti-Cybertronian weapons that helped humans turn the tide and bring about the deaths of the seemingly invulnerable giants only existed because of her involuntary contributions. The ease of which humans could now kill her fellow Transformers was thanks to him.
And when she did find out, because she would the clever little robot that she was, he hoped that she would forgive him.
BREAK
Sari bounced into the room and tugged on her dad's arm. He was busy at his computer, as he seemingly always was. She was careful not to pull too hard. She was much better at remembering her own strength than she had been in her first year.
"Hey, dad, I want to play outside today," she sang out, swinging back and forth impatiently. "Let's go to the park please please please."
"Now, Sari, you know we can't," he said, holding his finger up as he did when lecturing her. "People will see you, and we can't have that."
"Huh?"
Sari scrunched her face up and looked down at herself. At her dark skin that looked and felt so acceptably human albeit a bit too cold. At her yellow “dress.” Discovering that she could transform outfits out of herself had been probably the most exciting week of her life. The texture was all wrong for fabrics, but most people didn’t go around touching other people’s clothes. She tugged on her dark red pigtails to prove that her "hair" was still there too. She held her hands in front of her face to check if her eyes were glowing again. As far as she could tell, she looked as passably human as she had since the day she transscanned Isaac nearly a decade ago now. What made this time different?
"Why can't I play outside today?"
"Sari, my fairy, you do not look like a human," Isaac said solemnly. "People will take you away and - "
"Dad, what are you talking about?"
Isaac finally looked up at her from his laptop. His face went through several expressions. He finally smiled and chuckled unconvincingly. "Ah. Silly me. Must be getting old. Yes, let's go outside."
Sari felt dread. And she didn't think that it was hers.
BREAK
"Dad? What are you doing?"
Isaac startled. He looked up from his tools and smiled at her. He tapped a screwdriver against a metal band around his wrist. There were scratches on his skin now where the metal seamlessly cut off. It was a device that connected the two on some mental level that Isaac had never been able to fully understand. He had managed to alter its appearance once, changing it from the sprawling alien arm covering to something more discreet. He'd never been able to do it again though.
The armlet was as old as she was. And Isaac knew that it didn't come off.
"Ah, I seem to have gotten this stuck on - it's an incredible thing. I can't recall what I made it for but - "
"You. Don't know what that is," Sari said thickly. "Do you?"
Isaac froze. He slowly mumbled, sounding so painfully bewildered, "Did I make this? I don't… But I must have…"
Sari felt panic, and it was not just hers.
"Oh, uh, I made that," she quickly blurted the lie. She crossed her arms in feigned bratty anger. "You said you liked it. Don't you like it?"
"Oh, of course I do!" Isaac quickly fumbled over himself to apologize and assure his daughter that he loved her little gift. He would love anything that his little fairy made. He'd just forgotten, just silly old dad being silly old dad. And he was suitably distracted from the alien device and seemed to forget it entirely in a few minutes.
Sari understood. She looked at her dad's ever graying hair and she understood more than she wanted. She felt a deep fear that would never leave her alone now.
He couldn't forget about her too. Could he.
BREAK
Sari sat on the counter, swinging her legs back and forth. She sorted through her dad's emails on her HUD. She started doing that about a decade ago, after she painfully watched her brilliant father fail to use his laptop one day. He couldn't remember how to turn it on. He couldn't remember which desktop icon was the web browser. And after Sari pointed it out, a second later he couldn't find it again. If someone saw the great Dr. Isaac Sumdac, pioneer of reverse-engineering advanced Cybertronian technology, struggle with a measly human computer, they might joke. Sari did not want to hear anyone laugh about this, ever. Her father was losing his brilliant mind, and she did not know how to help.
Sari Sumdac did not exist, not legally. It was getting harder to do just about anything anymore without a legal identity. She had been so excited when the war ended and it looked like Transformers were going to be welcomed into human society. She could finally be a person.
But her dad anticipated what was coming next. She believed that he was just being paranoid at the time like he always was. She argued and fought with him for the first time in her life. He was right though. He prevented her from unwisely revealing herself. Because GHOST emerged next. Transformers would always be unwelcome on this planet.
She needed her dad as much as he needed her.
So she sorted through his electronic mail while he "played" at making breakfast. "Playing" was what she called it these days, when Isaac started going through the motions of some bone-deep familiar activity. She didn't stop him anymore. If he believed that he was making toast for them to eat and wasn't aware that there was no toaster and no bread and that she couldn't really eat anyway - as long as he was happy she would humor him. Reminding him that he was untethering from reality just upset him and left the bond full of anxiety and shame.
Junk. Scammers. Junk. Newsletter. Oh, what's this.
"Hey, dad?"
"Mhm?"
"Do you know someone named Dr. Alex Malto?"
"Malto? Alex?" Isaac muttered thoughtfully for a long moment. "Oh, yes, the purple boy. Nice young lad. Purple everything - notebooks, shirts, even socks sometimes. Very sharp, he was. Oh, he got that doctorate degree! How exciting! I always knew he could do it."
He rambled onward about everything that he could remember about this Alex person. And several things that Sari recognized as stories that did not belong to Alex. It made her wonder what he remembered about her. Sari pushed those fears down before they could consume her. She never wanted to find out.
"He wants to meet with you," Sari relayed. "Says he'll be in the area in a few days and wants to know if you want to catch up."
Isaac boisterously agreed. "Of course of course! I haven't seen him in so long. Knows Cybertronian as well as I do, you know?"
Sari set about writing a response while Isaac chattered in the background. She let her eyes wander over the horridly messy apartment. Takeout and trash bags were beginning to pile up. She kept the place clean enough for human habitation, but the rest wasn't worth keeping up on. Isaac was too paranoid these days, one of the things that stuck to him while he forgot other things. It would take some months, but eventually he would become certain that they had to hide. So certain that someone had found out what she was. So certain that someone was coming to take Sari away. And he would not calm down until they moved. They used to move whole cities away every time. But now, she could just move them down the street or even to a different floor of the same building, and that would be enough to soothe her dad's worries. He wasn't aware enough anymore to see through her deception. And Detroit never lacked for shitty apartments to move out of and move into.
She briefly wondered how Dr. Malto knew where they were living now. They'd moved so often. She put those thoughts aside. Isaac was paranoid enough for the both of them as is. She needed to be the sane one here.
Still, they couldn't bring someone here. Sari consulted the web from the comfort of her own head. Oh good, there was a little cafe not too far away. Not exactly a nice one, but it was in walking distance and that was what mattered. Isaac wasn't very strong anymore. He had never been very fit to begin with. He’d been losing weight despite her efforts.
Her mood dipped as she let her fears creep up on her. And Isaac fumbled with the "toast" and frowned vacantly. She quickly shoved her personal anxiety down and pulled energy and happiness to the surface. She resumed swinging her legs childishly and noisily blew a bubble with her gum. Her favorite stimming activity even after all these years. It worked. Isaac smiled at her, eyes twinkling familiarly in his unfamiliarly worn face.
She had to keep it together. He needed her to keep it together. She would not let him forget her even if she had to forever pretend that she was still just his little fairy.
BREAK
Sometimes it was hard maneuvering Isaac around now that he couldn't always be reasoned with. But she got him to shower and he looked far less unkempt than usual. She even planned for the time that she would need to convince her shut-in dad to actually go outside today. He never wanted to leave anymore.
Once outside though, he fondly held her hand. He instructed her to hold on to him and to always look both ways before crossing the street. As though she didn't already know that. As though he hadn't taught her those things ages ago when she was actually a kid. She smiled and played her part as she led him to the cafe.
To Sari's immense relief, Isaac recognized Dr. Malto. He greeted the younger man with friendly gusto. Alex looked happy to see him as well. Then her dad introduced her.
"Oh yes, this is my daughter, Sari."
Sari kept a straight face. It had been hard enough to pass as his daughter when he was in his forties, but now that he was past sixty, well… Alex's expression betrayed his doubts about the statement but he politely didn't press it.
"Oh, it's nice to meet you Sari. You can call me Alex. How old are you?" His tone reminded her of the parents of children she played with. Used to play with. She didn’t hang out with anyone anymore, too busy keeping her dad from coming to harm.
"Ten."
"Oh, I have a daughter your age. Well, she'll be ten in a month."
"Ah, you got married - who, don't tell me," Isaac interjected, tapping his chin. "Oh who was it, you always talked about that one girl."
Alex didn't wait for Isaac to not remember. He shared the new events from his life, his marriage and his two children, though he stumbled over that detail a few times in the telling.
The trio ordered some food and drink and found a table to sit at. Sari didn't have a problem with drinking fluids. Her systems were built to manage fluids. But food was harder. It took so long to “digest” and left residue in her tank that made her cough. She avoided it whenever possible. But here in this setting it would look suspicious not to eat. She pretended that she didn't notice Alex's occasional worried glances in her direction. She picked apart her scone, miming putting pieces in her mouth and squishing the pieces on her plate so it would look like less. She alternated between pretending to eat and making her dad remember to eat his fresh breakfast.
The two adults - adult humans - continued sharing small talk. Alex's face got a little funny after Isaac congratulated him on his doctorate. And Isaac repeated himself too many times in other areas for Alex to not notice that something was wrong. Sari noticed that Alex noticed and it made her tense.
After they had eaten, the conversation wound down while they sipped on their cooling beverages. Alex's expression turned grim and he straightened up in his chair.
"I had a reason for coming to see you. Have you heard about what happened to Dr. Meridian?"
"Dr. Meridian?" Isaac began muttering to himself. “Who...”
Sari stiffened. She didn't know enough about that person to prompt his memory. A brief internet search was not revealing anything recent about the man either. And Alex looked concerned the longer that Isaac struggled to place a colleague that he should remember as easily as he did Alex.
Alex interrupted Isaac's failing recollection, "Oh, well, you may not have heard. I wasn't sure what you hear about since you aren't involved with, well, GHOST and those things. But, well, Paul's dead." Alex paused to let that sink in. "It was, it was an unpleasant situation and happened around my family. And it made me think about the rest of you, my dear colleagues. So I've been taking my family on a road trip to check in with all of you and see how you are doing. Family vacation and reunions all in one. So, how are you doing, Dr. Sumdac? Honestly?"
Sari could feel Isaac's emotions. The mention of GHOST and death were beginning to unravel him. She tried to help him manage his emotions. But despite her efforts he was becoming stiff and anxious, looking around like he was suddenly very aware that they were not in the apartment anymore. He wasn't answering the question either.
"We're fine," Sari lied in his place. "Just fine."
Alex did not believe her. He had been looking at Isaac for most of the meeting, but now he was looking at her and only at her. She didn't like the attention. It made her anxious for the safety of the - oh, that was dad wasn't it. She needed to get dad back to their apartment, and soon, or he was going to make a scene again.
Alex turned back to Isaac with a friendly smile. "My family is going to be at the beach this afternoon. Would you and your daughter like to join - "
"No!" Isaac's shout startled the surrounding tables. "It is not safe, not safe. No, Sari - she cannot – no no - "
Sari drooped with a sigh. Isaac was too wound up now. She stood up and tugged on his arm, trying to distract him. Trying to talk to him. Trying to… she was so tired of trying.
"Dad, come on," she whisper hissed. She tugged with her real strength, pulling him up out of his chair and to his feet. "Let's just go home, come on. You're making a scene."
They were being stared at. Patrons, staff, and Alex. It was always so embarrassing. She hated it. She hated that this was her life now. She hated that she hated so much anymore. Life used to be so fun.
As she tugged Isaac away she glared back at Alex. She mouthed "stay" at him.
She led her dad back to their apartment with little difficulty after getting him out on the sidewalk. He tired out so quickly after his outbursts. He was so weak anymore. Now he was lost in a brain fog that she could feel. Scared and small. It was not her holding onto his trembling hand now so much as it was him holding onto her hand. He was shaky and weak from all of today's exercise too. Soon she was more a walking cane as he leaned most of his weight on her. It was a good thing she was so inhumanly strong.
What would he do without her.
Once back in the apartment she helped him into bed. He was out quickly. She waited by the bed for another minute, watching his steady breathing and giving herself a moment to collect herself.
She left the apartment alone and sped walked back to the cafe. Dr. Malto was still there. She felt her metaphorical heart pound in her chest with the chance she was about to take. But nothing was getting better. Everything she did and everything she could do was leading nowhere.
"What beach are you guys going to?" Sari demanded.
Alex opened and shut his mouth a few times. She stared him down expressionlessly. Finally, the adult stammered about not wanting to go against Isaac's wishes while also asking about Isaac's health. He was concerned. That was good. That could be good. This could be good.
"I'll take care of dad," Sari said with a little shrug. "I'm good at that."
Alex relented and told her.
BREAK
Sari returned to the apartment and waited. She felt so excited and apprehensive. It had been so long since she felt so much. She spent so much time and effort regulating her emotions to help dad. But maybe today something could change.
She had an old swimsuit saved in her archives, but she worried about being modern enough. She was going to hang out with someone "her age" who would surely notice if she wasn't wearing something in right now. It had been so long since she worried about wearing something that would blend in. So long since she socialized with anyone. She browsed the internet for pictures of swimsuits and articles of opinions adults had on children's swimsuits. She picked out a modest one piece, large enough to cover the most noticeable transformation seams around her torso.
She transformed her long sleeved dress into the chosen swimsuit, accompanied by the tell tale sound of her t-cog. Yellow, of course. Her favorite color. What kid didn't wear their favorite color whenever possible.
She grabbed a towel, the cleanest one, and played around with it to decide on the most casual and normal position to carry it in. She settled for draping it around the back of her neck. She anxiously checked on Isaac one final time. He was still sleeping soundly. Would be for hours yet. He looked so frail. She worried about him so much. It was all she did anymore.
Sari left the apartment, alone, for the second time that day. It felt thrilling.
Sari the Transformer in hiding knew all about blending in. A self-acclaimed expert. She had so much practice by now and was wiser than she had been when she was young. She didn't make mistakes anymore like letting her bright blue eyes glow when she thought too hard. Or forgetting to at least say “ow” if she ran into something or something ran into her. Keeping her "pigtails" from shifting with her moods was still difficult, but that could always be blamed on the wind. But just looking like a human did not guarantee a low enough profile.
The trick of blending in was to just be confident. Walk with a purpose. No eye contact. Do not acknowledge the stares. Ignore the whispers. And people would forget that they ever saw her.
She was just one little girl in a crowd of - wait where were the other kids? Today wasn't a school day was - oh shit it was. Oh no, she looked so suspicious didn't she. Just keep going, she told herself. But now she was tense with awareness.
That awareness made her pay closer attention to the whispers around her.
Sari couldn't stop herself from freezing in place. She did at least stop herself from looking at everyone around her. She didn't need to, not with her own memory files to condemn her inattentiveness.
How did she not notice that everyone was wearing coats?
How could - dad! She had noticed him shivering earlier but thought it was nerves or just physical weakness. How could she be so neglectful? So stupid? He was going to get sick and it was all her fault and what if he died and it was all her fault -
She hated her sturdy temperature resistant body. Why couldn’t she just be human.
"Oh, sweetie, are you okay?"
Sari's miserable fugue was broken and she became aware that she was being being stared at by all the passerby and a few had stopped near her. Taking pity on the poor lost child who must surely be freezing. An elderly couple were fussing over her, so genuinely concerned about her well being that it hurt.
She couldn't handle this right now. Or ever. She had to keep moving. She had an appointment to keep.
The second trick of blending and moving about in the public was to just be rude sometimes. No one cared about brats except that everyone wanted them far away and out of sight. And she had perfected her bratty little, well, brat persona ages ago. She mustered the snottiest "hmpf" she could manage, stuck her nose in the air, and stomped away. As though the humanity being shown to her had been the most offensive thing anyone could offer. She felt bad, listening to the concern turn to griping about kids these days.
Sari pushed her self-consciousness and self-loathing aside and sped up. Normally she wouldn't walk so fast, it didn't look natural. But she was already too obviously weird today so it didn't matter anymore.
She needed to make it to the beach in time. She needed to make it to Alex. He cared about dad. He could help dad. He had to help them. Someone had to help her.
BREAK
There were Transformers on the beach. Not just one, not two, there were - six?! All different sizes ranging from cassette class to mid-class. Five were scampering around the beach with two human children. Playing like children. The last Transformer was hanging around two adult humans, one being Dr. Malto. And of course there was no one else on the beach. Because it was both a school day and too cold for real people. Sari briefly wondered why Dr. Malto was taking his family on vacation during what should be school season for real children. Maybe they were home schooled or something.
The sight of the Transformers was jarring. Sari had never seen another Transformer in person. Isaac made sure to keep her away from the Autobots when they began forming alliances with humanity. Humanity had been very hostile to the intergalactic aliens, which was reasonable given the war and destruction. However the new bonds slowly forming between humans and Autobot allies did not mean that the same allowances would be offered to Sari. Though Sari could fool humans effortlessly, her fellow robots posed too much of a risk. He didn't want anyone to recognize what she was. He wanted to keep her safe. And so he kept her isolated from her own species.
The Maltos seemed to be friendly with these bots though. Very friendly. It gave her hope.
The adults had been preoccupied with watching their kids fearlessly play with the Transformers. Neither saw her approach and they both startled when she tugged on Alex's arm. She chaotically pointed out at all of the bots.
"Is that allowed? What are they - are they with you? What about GHOST? Is that allowed?" She stumbled over her words, too flabbergasted by the happy scene to put her thoughts together. "They shouldn't be out here. It's not - it's not safe. Right? Are they Autob - "
The woman derailed her disjointed rambling with an exclamation. "Oh honey, aren't you cold? Where's your coat? Is that - you are not swimming, young lady!"
"I'm fine - I'm really warm blooded," Sari declared a bit too loudly for the casualness that she was going for. She sheepishly tugged on the ends of the towel draped around her neck. "And, well, of course I'm not going to swim - that would be silly of course. This is just a trend," she finished lamely. "It's - all the kids are doing it. Yup."
Neither adult looked like they believed any of that. Sari shrank down a little.
"Dottie, this is Sari. Dr. Sumdac's daughter," Alex intervened. The emphasis on the word daughter made Sari uneasy. "Sari, this is my partner, Dottie."
Alex's wife was just staring at her now. Her previous motherly concern had morphed into uncomfortable scrutiny. Like she knew she wasn't looking at a normal little girl. The two story tall yellow Transformer was staring at her too now.
"Oh, and this is Bumblebee," Alex cheerily introduced.
"Bumblebee's dead," Sari blurted unthinkingly. She backtracked at the looks she got. "I mean - that's what dad - dad said Bumblebee died and I - "
Sari felt cold doubt seep in. What if this wasn't real. What if she'd just imagined all this. The kindly Dr. Malto. His Transformer-friendly family. The infamously human-friendly Bumblebee. What if this was all too good to be true because it was. What if she was the one who was actually losing touch with reality.
Deep down she always feared that everything that was happening to Isaac was her fault somehow. That their emotional bond had damaged the human that had been unlucky enough to pair with her. That if she hadn't been born then he wouldn't be like this now. That she was hurting him just because she existed.
A hand on her shoulder brought her back to the two humans who she very much wanted to be real. They looked at her in the same caring way Isaac used to look at her when she was younger and still needed to be looked after.
"Do you want to go play with the kids?" Dottie offered. "We told them you might be coming. Um, we did not tell them what you are but none of them will mind."
"What do you think I am," she asked stiffly.
Judging by the way the parents stumbled over each other, they thought that they had offended her. They told her that of course that was none of their business what she was or wasn’t.
Sari shook her head dismissively. She nervously fidgeted with her towel again. She instinctively glanced back in the direction of their apartment and checked on the bond. Still calm and still. But there was no telling how much longer she had.
"I need help with dad."
She rushed through an explanation, part because she worried she might run out of time and part because she felt embarrassed. She was unused to asking for help. She'd always been so naturally good at everything and dad helped her with everything else. She was asking so much from these strangers. She worried that they weren't going to take her seriously.
At one point, Dottie turned to Bumblebee and whispered something about keeping the kids distracted. The large Transformer nodded and walked away toward the kids and Transformers who had moved further down the beach in the time they'd been talking. Then the woman crouched down so she was eye level with her. Her expression was considerate.
"Honey, it sounds like you need to take your dad to a doctor. They can help."
"Dad won't go to doctors anymore," Sari whined, tugging on her pigtails in exasperation. "And I can't - I don't exist. I'm not a real person." It hurt to admit that out loud. "I'll never see him again - they'll take him away - they'll take me away because I'm not a real person and I'll never see him again - and - and - "
Sari choked off, all her fears rising up to smother her. Her core felt like it was burning as her repressed emotions finally broke through her failing resolve. She couldn't stop her tears though she closed her eyes and rubbed furiously. She was too old to be crying like this. This was so humiliating.
And when the woman hugged her she just cried harder. She couldn't stop.
When she did stop it was because she was tired. And thirsty. Being able to cry was an important part of pretending to be human, also very useful to put on some waterworks when she wanted someone in public to leave her alone. But it drained her water reserves and left her worn out. Dad never did figure out why water was so much better for her than energon. It just was.
Sari glanced back at the city again and sighed. Her little breakdown must have woken Isaac up. Oddly, he wasn't panicking like she assumed he would be. He felt confused but otherwise all right. She hoped that he hadn't left the apartment to look for her.
"Dad's awake. I have to go." Her hair was drooping lifelessly over her shoulders, a reflection of how drained she felt inside. She added quietly. "Please - I don't know what to do."
"Do you have a phone?"
Sari hesitated before sliding her phone out of her wrist. The humans looked surprised when her "skin" split apart and ejected the device. Normally she'd stick her hand in one of her dress pockets and pretend to pull it out. That way no one would see the microtransformations and scream. But neither looked disgusted or weirded out. Because they really were friendly with the alien Transformers.
The two adults exchanged numbers with her. They promised to look into it and get back to her. Sari tried not to sound too pathetic when she thanked them fervently.
Sari dashed off. She activated her t-cog and transformed her swimsuit back into her normal dress.
"Wait, you're a - "
She was too far away to hear the rest of the startled exclamation but turned and waved with a farewell and final shouted thank you. She felt giddy with hopefulness. She'd done it. She'd taken a chance and changed something.
On her way, she looked up restaurants. As long as she was out, she'd pick up something freshly cooked for dad. And some water for her.
BREAK
"Dad, I'm home!" Sari announced. She kicked the door shut and tossed the nice hot takeout box in the air a few times. "I've got - "
"Oh my, how did you get in here?"
Sari froze, pinned by the startled look Isaac was giving her. "What?"
"You've got the wrong apartment, dear. Oh my, did I leave the door unlocked?"
Sari whispered barely audible, "Please say you're joking."
But Isaac continued to fuss over her as though she were someone else's lost child. And that accursed bond let her know how sincerely confused he was about her presence in his home. He told her that he'd get his phone so she that could call her parents before sifting through the cluttered counter tops.
Sari couldn't move. Static filled her lines. No wonder he hadn't been panicking when he woke up with her gone. Her earlier crying had left her feeling too empty to cry again. She was unaware of how long she stood there until Isaac's voice broke through her daze.
"Ah, Sari, there you are. Can you help me find my phone? I can't remember where I put it. Can you call it?" Isaac stopped futzing with one of the trash bags and turned back to her when she didn't respond. He frowned at her with worry. "Sari? My fairy? What’s wrong?"
He shuffled over to her, continuing to call her name and getting more upset the longer that she did not respond. Sari didn't want him to stop saying her name. She trembled as Isaac hugged her and all she could bring herself to do was drop the takeout and hug him back.
Because one of these days he'd never say her name again. She couldn’t deny that.
BREAK
The fairy returns to where she was born, thirty years since the last time she had been there. She lives on a farm with a large family, with people just like her. The man moves to a nearby large city. He lives in a place with doctors. The fairy visits the man as much as she can.
The fairy still knows the man's name. The man doesn't know the fairy's name.
The fairy buries her father but she's not alone.
No one calls her a little fairy ever again.
END