Darkness

Ch.5, A New Direction

~~~Very far from Earth~~~

I couldn't help but keep glancing over at him. He had largely been ignoring me, giving me my space, but part of me still felt uneasy turning my back to him. Visions of approaching metal hands kept replaying in my mind.

Still, my nervous walk around the room had given me time to calm down. Without giant eyes staring down on me, I felt like I could properly think. In the silence, I felt like me again, not some lost kid, or someone who had properly lost their mind.

As much as it all still felt like some strange dream, the reality of the situation was trickling in. I was properly stuck here, with a ship full of giant robots. I would have to be around them, and talk to them, and be placed in the center of their attention. A million eyes burning me away.
Would they be as friendly or as patient? What power did I have if they weren't? I looked down at my shaking hands.

No.

I had to keep it together. I would get through it. I survived the dark room, I survived the hallways, and I had to believe I would survive this too.

I eyed the toolbox that was now next to me; it only barely reached my chest, and the metal edge seemed rather thick. Before I could think about it, I heaved myself up. Twisting around to place myself on its corner. Just like the wall of my garden, where I watched and named the birds around Dad's feeders. Automatically, my legs swung beneath me, the rubber heels of my tennis shoes bouncing off the side.

"So," I said, my voice faltering immediately, "what are you working on?"
At first, I was afraid my voice wouldn't carry, but despite my quiet volume his response came immediately, "Just standard repair: ship got pretty torn up during our last fight. I shouldn't be too much longer here."

I stopped kicking my legs, "A fight?"

Still facing away, he paused, as if studying the dark square hole resting in the wall before him, "With our rivals, the Decepticons." He reached into the wall, "Feels like we've chased each other halfway across the galaxy, or just about." The rest of his arm disappeared, and when his shoulder promptly bumped into the edge, he pulled back with a huff, "Why they gotta put the connectors so slagging far in?"

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, see, when they designed the maintenance levels I don't think they anticipated we'd need to cram so much in, for the upgrades-"

"The fighting," I interrupted.

"Right," the laugh he gave fell flat. Now wielding something that resembled pliers, he made his second attempt on the wall. "I mean, I think this time it was just pretty much routine: they pick us up on their radar, so they go for it."

"But why?" I pressed

It seemed to stump him a moment, and he paused his work, arm still extended. "Oh. You mean like the start of the war?" he said at last, shooting me a glance over his shoulder, "It's kinda complicated. We can get into all that later."

War.

I gripped the edge of the box with white knuckles.

An audible click came from the wall cavity, and he pulled back cheerfully, "There we are!" When he turned and grabbed the panel resting beside him, his eyes flickered up to me. He let go of the piece and sighed, "You didn't know, did you? About any of that?"

I didn't respond.

"Forgot you're new to this," he admitted, "Most people have at least heard bits about it. I should've mentioned it sooner."

"How long have you guys...?"

"Ages," The weight that fell around his shoulders was immediate. Fingers picked at the edge of the panel absentmindedly, "Nearly my whole life now. It is what it is, but I'm worried it's never going to end." He didn't look at me, and for a moment the expanse of the room seemed to swallow him up. "My bad," everything snapped back, "You shouldn't have to worry about that mess." The panel was swiftly pulled off the floor and placed back over the hole seamlessly.