Once Human, Now Cybertronian

Once Human, Part 3

"I'm telling you, it was real! It destroyed my barn and attacked us! I was lucky to chase it off with my shotgun!"

A familiar-looking farmer with a drawl was yelling out, his fear clear. This is what Ralph has been trying to quell for a whole hour. Ralph was a scrawny man in a green military garb, holding a heavy-duty pad in front of him. He adjusted his thin, rectangular glasses to keep his cool, but his patience was being stretched thin.

"Sir, it is not that I don't believe you, but I think that you are not recalling everything exactly."

"Like hell! I saw that giant robot! And so did my daughter! She hadn't slept through the whole night, scared for her life! What is that thing, huh!? An enemy robot!? Are we at war!?"

The farmer kept asking questions, and Ralph was trying to think up a response, but then his pad sounded an alert. It was Aiko, telling him to wrap things up and meet him at a rendezvous location. What could it be now?

"Well!? Am I right!?"

Ralph was snapped out of his thoughts and was stuttering.

"Uh– uh– It was a robot, yes, but... it's a project! Yes, a company was attempting to create an autonomous robot for construction, but it went haywire, and started running around. Thankfully, no one was harmed, but they will be looking to repay the damages to your farm," Ralph sighed, thankful at his fabrication.

"Damn companies. I'mma make them pay out the ass for this! My animals will not be going cold tonight... wait... what company was it?"

Ralph silently cursed, before hearing another alert from his pad. They wanted him there now.

"Uh, here," Ralph quickly wrote and handed the farmer a number, "This is a spokesperson that will talk about your case. Duty calls."

Ralph went away, leaving a slightly displeased farmer for a yellow-and-black muscle car. He entered it and sighed, looking at the car's dashboard screen.

"Alright, you heard them, right? They're calling both of us to... this location," Ralph pointed at the blip on the map of the dashboard screen.

After Ralph said that, the radio responded with beeps and droning noises.

"No no no, it's not a fight. They just want us for an investigation... although it's odd... doesn't matter. Let's get moving, Bumblebee," Ralph said as he looked at the Autobot symbol on the driver wheel's horn.

The muscle car named Bumblebee sped off onto the tarmac, while Ralph held onto his seat.

"Going a little fast there, eh, 'Bee?"

More beeps and drones that almost formed a confused sound.

"Sorry, sorry, I just prefer driving myself," Ralph apologized to the autonomous car.

Eventually, the vehicle seemed to relent by extending his wheel slightly, and Ralph took the wheel and pedal to control the ride there.

"Thanks, 'Bee."

A single beep as a response was all Ralph needed as he drove to the rendezvous, until eventually, the human-autobot pair reached an empty field, far from the road and curious human eyes.

Ralph picked up his radio and asked, "This is Ralph. We're here. Where are you?"

"They'll be there. Judge is just having problems driving," said Ratchet over the radio.

"... Roger... wait, who's Judge?"

Ralph's question went unanswered as a ground bridge opened in the center of the field, causing the grass underneath to sway as though it were being affected by a heavy wind. And out of that came the black pick-up truck Ironhide, drifting far into the grass.