A Pet Squishy

Discovery

A Pet Squishy

Chapter 11: "Discovery"

Back on the Nemesis that same night...

Thundercracker swooped into the massive landing bay of the Nemesis as it closed its violet metal "jaws" behind him and plunged back beneath the ocean surface. Lana watched his cockpit glass darken around her and felt him land on his feet. The sway of his walk halted after a moment.

A very mechanical voice spoke from outside, vibrating the cockpit glass with its harmonic resonance, "Report."

....

Thundercracker stopped upon bumping into Soundwave at the end of the landing bay. He knew the communications specialist was fritzing silently about his late arrival to the Nemesis. Promptness and punctuality were Soundwave's sole codes of ethics and he didn't like late arrivals.

"I already told you Soundwave, I was polishing my combat maneuvers. Didn't Starscream rant and rave when he came back about how much of screw-up I was today?"

"Affirmative." the communications specialist confirmed, "Radio reports from the human Coast Guard confirming Decepticon attack on Ship 708."

"I thought I destroyed their radio capability." Thundercracker frowned.

"Negative. Reports made through satellite feeds."

Thundercracker tried to keep his mind blank, knowing the slightest hint of a lie would prompt the telepath to scan his mainframe. "Yeah. I messed up a couple of their ships. I needed to spice up my training."

"Also there are reports of an abduction of human female from Ship 708." he stated.

The blue jet Con shrugged his vented shoulders taking on all the casualness of Skywarp in his response, "Yeah I grabbed one. I just wanted to see its reaction to a little stunt flying—didn't go so well. They don't do well at high altitudes."

Before Soundwave could question further, Megatron's voice rang out over the communicator, "Soundwave, report to the control room immediately."

"As you command." the blue and white telepath turned slowly, marching to aid his leader. As an afterthought, he looked back at the Seeker, "Thundercracker, you will report to Cargo Bay 3 to perform Energon production on fossil fuels obtained."

A quiet groan issued from the blue Decepticon. Converting fossil fuels into Energon while on the Nemesis was so boring. It was far more thrilling to do it on site.

"All right just let me..."

"Now." Soundwave hummed intensely.

Thundercracker's internal systems relaxed with a low groan. That was too close. But now he had another problem. He had to work and there was no time to take Lana back to his quarters.

...

After listening to the conversation Lana was just baffled by Thundercracker's lying ability. But...was he truly lying? He obviously cared about her well-being, but was he truly that callous toward other members of her species? It was pretty clear the other giant robots saw humans the same way humans viewed rats or cockroaches—but was Thundercracker just "blowing smoke" or was he expressing how he truly felt?

"What was that all about?" she asked.

There was a pause and then Thundercracker explained, "I have to report to Cargo Bay 3."