The last emo
Steel forks dislike being alone.
Shockwave believed that loneliness was a flaw of Cybertronians, and that emotions would only have a negative impact in most cases.
Being alone is not unusual; it's the norm on this planet. The desolate planet is vast and chaotic, with very few encounters with others. Shockwave spends most of his time conducting experiments in his base. Even in prosperous times, few could understand him. Being completely immersed in his own world within the laboratory is, for him, a source of joy, regardless of the number of people on the planet.
Only occasionally does he find himself overwhelmed with work.
Loneliness is a flaw of Cybertronians. Unfortunately, Shockwave is a Cybertronian, and while he may be emotionally detached, that doesn't mean he lacks emotions.
The machine's automatically stored data showed that the special nutrients needed for the giant monster's growth had been exhausted. When the shockwave noticed, the content and purity of the liquid in the culture tank had reached a very dangerous level.
In other words, if the embryonic giant monstrous creature continues to starve, it will have to eat its own waste.
He habitually sent a message to the inside: Steel Fork, why didn't you adjust or change the culture medium?
Shockwave then remembered that Grimfork had already left the base, crossed the space bridge, and the Spark Link hadn't disappeared, so she must already be with the Decepticon forces.
The massive optical mirror flickered with red light. The operator on the purple Cybertronian heavy tank's control console paused, his movements halting. There was no news from inside; not even a month had passed. The processor selected the optimal course of action, and Shockwave turned to the workbench for preparing the culture medium. With his assistant gone, maintaining the base and laboratory became his task. The workload had doubled, and Shockwave had to hurry.
...
Scattered, open incubation chambers, walls covered in rust, the whooshing of airflow through the ruins, and unrecognizable wreckage—when she saw, heard, and felt these things, Steel Fork felt a stifling discomfort, as if the embers were being squeezed, but in reality, she was unharmed. Now she could compare the electrical signals generated by this emotion with data, and the emotion with the most similar spectrum was named "loneliness."
The feeling of being alone was awful. Shockwave's presence had perfectly filled the void created by loneliness. Fork never imagined they would separate. She didn't want to go back to living alone; she wanted to be with Shockwave forever, especially since they had formed a Spark Link. Fork didn't know the difference between a partner and a friend, but she was certain that the Spark Link was incredibly important to Cybertronians, so they shouldn't be separated.
Now they were separated. Steel Fork sat on the edge of a cliff near the base, a full moon hanging high in the sky. The starry sky of Earth and Cybertron was different; the atmosphere, the terrain, the Cybertronians, and the humans here all felt utterly unfamiliar to her. The humans had gone home after their conversation. Watching their retreating figures, Steel Fork felt bored. The ambulance beside her was engrossed in its controls, saying nothing more. The surrounding air immediately began to assault her body, and Steel Fork decided to go for a walk.
Sitting on the edge of the cliff, her mind kept replaying memories of her birth, Cybertron, and the base. The wings behind her drooped involuntarily. Steel Fork suddenly felt a mess, but upon closer inspection, she couldn't figure out what she was thinking. She stared blankly at the moon, trying not to think about or do anything, and only then did she feel a little calmer.
Arcee placed the remnant of the flying mountain's horn on the cliff edge to commemorate her comrade. Having lived on Earth for so long, she was inevitably influenced by Earth's customs. Whenever the big, round moon hung in the sky, she would come to the cliff edge to see her comrade and talk to his horn.
"Over the mountain, a Decepticon joined the Autobots the day before yesterday. She's special. I think I can understand Optimus Prime, but I still... can't accept it. Anyway, Bumblebee, Blockboard, Ratchet, Optimus Prime, and I are all alive and well, without any missing limbs. I wonder how you're doing at AllSpark?"
Arcee didn't finish her sentence. She turned her head and noticed the newly joined Autobot "Former" Decepticon Grimfork. At this moment, her wings were drooping behind her, and the moonlight shone on her body, casting a long shadow behind her.
"Missing friends?" Arcee sat casually on the edge of the cliff, deciding to investigate Grimfork's thoughts, understand her personality, and determine if she was acting or genuinely wanted to join the Autobots. She definitely didn't empathize with a "former" Decepticon!
“I have no friends.” Steel Fork frowned, her visor furrowing. She paused abruptly. She considered Shockwave a friend, even after the deception, conflict, and threats. She still felt Shockwave was her closest Cybertronian, but Shockwave didn't seem to like her. Steel Fork didn't want to say much to Arcee; she didn't want to touch on anything that touched her core.
The emotions emanating from the spark remained calm, though some of the signal frequencies leaned towards a sense of "loneliness." Steel Fork couldn't help but wonder: Is this shockwave thinking of me?
Arcee thought of Flying Over the Mountain, her comrade-in-arms. Seeing that Steel Fork was no longer speaking, she sat down beside him and muttered to herself, "Life is unpredictable on the battlefield. Even the closest comrades-in-arms can suddenly disappear. Yesterday it was him, tomorrow it could be me."
As soon as the voice stopped, Arcee began to regret it. Good heavens, she was expressing her dejected feelings to a former Decepticon.
"I don't know. We're together today, but we might be separated tomorrow," Steel Fork said, shaking his head with disappointment.
“But I don’t want to do this,” Arcee and Steel Fork’s voices rang out simultaneously.
Steel Fork was surprised that their voices almost overlapped, and a little flustered. This was a bit too much. She hurriedly said, "You are an Autobot, I am an Autobot, we are allies... You even helped me and gave me Energon cubes... I will protect you."
"Don't think you're so powerful that you can protect everyone, you superhuman," Arcee said coldly, then sighed. How many people could she possibly protect?
"Is that what you think?" Steel Fork asked abruptly. "Do you think I'm not strong? I have superpowers that you don't. I can fly but you can't. Why do you think I'm not strong?"
Arcee gave the steel fork beside her a deep look: "What do you think strength is? Is it power? Can you fly? Do you know how many superhumans have returned to the AllSpark during the war? Even powerful beings like the Base's King Kong have suffered considerable damage. In my opinion, we are no different."
"Do you think we're the same kind?" Steel Fork counted on his fingers. "Are Ratchet, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Optimus Prime also the same kind?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? We're not the same kind, so why would we be vortex foxes?"
"So Shockwave really wasn't lying to me after all..." Steel Fork exclaimed. She had always been skeptical of Shockwave's claims about being of the same kind, after all, they were so different—their body structure, appearance, spark frequency, presence or absence of superpowers... there were simply too many to count. Only now, seeing the Autobots' diverse forms, could she finally confirm the fact that there were indeed so many differences among their kind.
"What?"
Steel Fork continued, "What if you have a friend who doesn't trust you and tries to control you..."
"What kind of friend is that? Listen to me, cut ties with him as soon as possible." Arcee thought that the friend the steel fork was talking about was most likely Shockwave.
"But...but he's very important."
"A friend like that isn't worth your time. Even after you break up with him, you'll still have to be wary of him all the time."
"But there are delicious energy bars and a comfortable charging bed..."
Arcee was exasperated: "Are these things the Autobots can't give you? You're so fixated on him? Our conditions aren't great, but the Energon cubes won't be full of slag, and the charging beds won't be uncomfortable. At the very least, can't you refine the Energon cubes yourself and make your own charging beds? Are these things that difficult? Is he really that important?"
Steel Fork quickly retorted, "But his paint scheme is really good."
"Who gave you that impression? The Autobots aren't as good-looking as the Decepticons?"
"No, no! I just felt... um..." Steel Fork sighed in disappointment.
"Forget him as soon as possible, stay away from him. Who knows if you still have any of his tricks up your sleeve?" Arcee scoffed, then pulled up her database to change the subject, "I have some photos of me and my comrades here, cool equipment, do you want to see them?"
"Where? I want to see!" She wasn't disappointed at all when it came to the steel fork; as she leaned closer to Arcee, her wings billowed high. The two machines were so close that the large wings brushed against the blue back wing when they were raised. No damage was done to the machines, but the paint on both was definitely damaged.
Amidst the steel fork's apologies, Arcee snorted coldly and decided not to pursue the matter further.
………
The base's perimeter does not require maintenance or repair for the time being, but shockwaves still managed to escape through the base's gates, and the sandstorm outside seemed even more intense.
The sky above Cybertron remains unchanged: the Milky Way is still the Milky Way, the constellations are still constellations, the black background remains black, and there is no sign of the spacetime vortex of the Space Bridge appearing.
A hint of cheerful emotion came from the other end of the Spark link, disturbing the previously calm Spark. Was she really that happy staying with Megatron...?
To reiterate, loneliness is a flaw of Cybertronians, and unfortunately, Shockwave happens to be a Cybertronian.
May the Primordial Lord of Heaven grant Megatron his return to Cybertron with his Grimlock soon.
...
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