Friends We've Made Along The Way (And Other Mistakes)

- 1 -

Rewind didn't particularly like Swerve's bar. Scummy, loud, crowded... The epitome of true Cybertronian communal spirit, he supposed. He listened absently as Chromedome explained to an extremely intoxicated Trailcutter the rules of fullstasis, stirring his drink with a single digit. He'd only bought anything to humor his conjunx. Rewind didn't intend at all to drink, mostly because he never really saw the appeal of putting anything that negatively affects your performance in your body for any reason, but also because it was sort of unpleasant without a standard intake (or a straw).

"Attention, Lost Light crew." Rodimus' voice announced over the intercom. The raucous noises of the bar hushed. "Rewind of Lower Petrohex, report to the captain's quarters for a brief meeting. Thank you."

"Wait for it..." Trailcutter slurred into the tabletop. A row of patrons pinched shot glasses between their digits.

"'Til all are one." The intercom clicked off, and Rodimus' trademark closer prompted Trailcutter to lift his drink up into the air triumphantly, cueing a line of shots. The row lifted their respective glasses from the table and cocked them backwards, slamming them down and cheering.

"Primus. If you drink every time those words tumble out of his mouth, you'll die in a day," Chromedome muttered, standing up to get another drink.

"No, no, just take mine." Rewind pushed his drink over to Chromedome and sighed. "I wasn't gonna drink it anyway. Wonder what Rodimus wants. It's probably nothing, huh?"

"Probably nothing," Chromedome agreed. "Hey, listen, I'm gonna stay here and make sure Trailcutter doesn't die. You can manage on your own for a few minutes, huh?" Pistons clicked behind his faceplate, indicating a smile.

"Shut up," Rewind laughed. "Of course I can manage on my own. I don't know about you, though. Don't get too crazy, Domey." He tugged his conjunx down by a finial, tapping their faceplates together in a mock kiss. He rubbed the larger mech's shoulder affectionately. "See ya."

Rewind walked alone from the bar, the shouts and cheers dying down as he moved. The corridors of the Lost Light were never completely silent. People rushed from place to place, rarely just taking the time to take in the wonders of the infinite space they drifted in. Finally seeing the universe as it was meant to be seen, free of the steel grip of civil war. Seeing the universe "without a gun in your hand", as they were promised. Freedom, nearly in its purest form.

The subdued hum of the quantum engines accompanied Rewind on his walk to Rodimus' office, nearly leaving the mech alone with his thoughts. No speech, aside from the occasional hushed "excuse me" or "sorry" when he moved out of the path of another hurried mech. No sound, really, other than the ambience that shrouded the ship constantly.

Rewind made it his business to observe. As an archivist, it was quite literally his job. He looked out a window into the openness of space, taking the moment to record a tiny piece of the infinite universe. The mech synthesized an awed sigh as the beauty and color of the galaxies soaked into his optic receptors and camera lens. Quiet hums faded to silence. He snapped out of his boundless stare, realizing that he'd lost track of time and actually had somewhere he needed to go. So much for the purest form of freedom.