Six Hours
folder
S through Z › Transformers (Movie Only)
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
4
Views:
2,553
Reviews:
3
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
S through Z › Transformers (Movie Only)
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
4
Views:
2,553
Reviews:
3
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Hasbro or Transformers. Or Starscream (SIGH!!!) I don't make any money writing this stuff.
Six Hours
I'm trying to get a little 'romantic' with this one, because they seem to be the couple most...sappy. Don't know how well it works, or if there's too much romance and sap and not enough naughtiness. Please let me know.
Following "Tracking Desire"
Jennifer got into a routine—during the day, she would do all the things she was supposed to do—put up posters covered with cartoony flowers and ‘Welcome to Crane Dorm!’ in big loopy calligraphy and attend Orientation Counselor meetings and all of that nonsense—and at night she curled around the communications node Starscream had given her. She could barely wait until after dinner, sometimes, so she could excuse herself, go back to her RA room, and lie in bed listening to it. Her heart ached hearing the Cybertronian syllables again—so much of her research. She still had her notes and her preliminary lexicon, but these were too fast for her to translate, She could only pick out random words or phrases.
It reminded her of when she still had a chance for a career. She was going to be The Name—the person who unlocked the secrets of the Cybertronian language. Now, she had so many black marks against her she had barely been able to get this job, with a TA position for LING 101 in the fall semester. By the time she found another project and finished her PhD, maybe people would have forgotten enough about Jennifer Silver, the government bad-listie, enough to allow her to find some nice quiet obscure little teaching post somewhere.
Not what she’d ever wanted, but it seemed the best possible future right now.
The alien syllables poured over her, half-comforting, half-tormenting with the promise they once held. It was a pain she held close to herself, a reminder of…everything.
She heard the jet’s voice, enough to begin to try to guess his mood from the timbre. He seemed…more sarcastic or harder with the others than she’d ever heard him. Sometimes she heard muffled sounds like distant explosions in the background, sometimes a hollow silence. Still, it was his voice, and she felt some strange connection hearing it, even if she didn’t understand a quarter of what he had to say.
A few days later, right before the start of move in day, she was startled from her half sleep hearing her own name.
“Jennifer human,” Starscream’s voice came over clearly. “Are you there?”
Her hands shook with surprise as she pressed what he’d told her was the response button. “I’m here.”
“Why have you not contacted me?”
“I-uh, didn’t really have anything to say.”
“Nothing to say? Are you doing well?”
“Yeah, fine. Everything’s fine.”
“I remain unconvinced. Do you not wish to contact me?”
“No, it’s just that…well, you seem really busy.”
“I can see that you are listening during your night hours. We often engage with the enemy at night. It is tactically beneficial.”
“Yeah, busy. Like I said.”
“I am not occupied during the daylight hours. Why have you not tried to contact me then?”
“You have to sleep sometime, don’t you?”
“Sleep? Oh, recharge. We have facilities to force recharge in under one of your hours. That still leaves many available for you to contact me.”
“I do have a job, you know.”
“I am aware of your incredibly inconvenient employment, Jennifer human. However, if I can find the opportunity to contact you during my optimum expected efficiency hours, you can as well. If you want to.” She heard reproach and something else in his voice. Insecurity?
“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to bother you.”
His voice softened. “You do not bother me, Jennifer human. Such a statement follows no logic. Why would I give you communications ability and not desire you to utilize it?”
“I guess you’re right.” He wasn’t really good to argue with, she’d already discovered. Best just to change the subject. “So, what have you been up to?”
“Up to? I am unsure in what calibration you would like the answer.”
Stupid idioms. And she should know better. “I meant what have you been doing. These last few days.”
A tedious sigh. “Oh, this and that. Mostly small missions to harry the enemy. Disrupt their supply lines. Erode morale. Nothing of exceptional interest. And you?”
“Nothing. Just meetings and stuff like that. I made,” she felt really stupid saying this, “a big banner yesterday to put out for the new arrivals.”
“Ah, your dormitory is about to become populated?”
“Yeah, they should start showing up in about,” she glanced at the clock, “six hours.”
“And what is this banner for?”
She felt herself color. How stupid! “You know, to make them feel welcome. It’s really stupid, honestly. I drew flowers and the school mascot and stuff on it. Kinda childish, but, you know, not scary.”
“Why would a dormitory be scary?”
“Not the dorm, the whole college thing. First time on their own, most of these kids.”
“First time on their own and they have a safe place to stay? And they have no one trying to offline them? That still does not sound very scary. My first time on my own—no, wait,” he cut himself off. “Six hours, you said?”
“Yeah. Six hours before they start showing up.”
“I shall be there in under half.” He cut the comm.
Following "Tracking Desire"
Jennifer got into a routine—during the day, she would do all the things she was supposed to do—put up posters covered with cartoony flowers and ‘Welcome to Crane Dorm!’ in big loopy calligraphy and attend Orientation Counselor meetings and all of that nonsense—and at night she curled around the communications node Starscream had given her. She could barely wait until after dinner, sometimes, so she could excuse herself, go back to her RA room, and lie in bed listening to it. Her heart ached hearing the Cybertronian syllables again—so much of her research. She still had her notes and her preliminary lexicon, but these were too fast for her to translate, She could only pick out random words or phrases.
It reminded her of when she still had a chance for a career. She was going to be The Name—the person who unlocked the secrets of the Cybertronian language. Now, she had so many black marks against her she had barely been able to get this job, with a TA position for LING 101 in the fall semester. By the time she found another project and finished her PhD, maybe people would have forgotten enough about Jennifer Silver, the government bad-listie, enough to allow her to find some nice quiet obscure little teaching post somewhere.
Not what she’d ever wanted, but it seemed the best possible future right now.
The alien syllables poured over her, half-comforting, half-tormenting with the promise they once held. It was a pain she held close to herself, a reminder of…everything.
She heard the jet’s voice, enough to begin to try to guess his mood from the timbre. He seemed…more sarcastic or harder with the others than she’d ever heard him. Sometimes she heard muffled sounds like distant explosions in the background, sometimes a hollow silence. Still, it was his voice, and she felt some strange connection hearing it, even if she didn’t understand a quarter of what he had to say.
A few days later, right before the start of move in day, she was startled from her half sleep hearing her own name.
“Jennifer human,” Starscream’s voice came over clearly. “Are you there?”
Her hands shook with surprise as she pressed what he’d told her was the response button. “I’m here.”
“Why have you not contacted me?”
“I-uh, didn’t really have anything to say.”
“Nothing to say? Are you doing well?”
“Yeah, fine. Everything’s fine.”
“I remain unconvinced. Do you not wish to contact me?”
“No, it’s just that…well, you seem really busy.”
“I can see that you are listening during your night hours. We often engage with the enemy at night. It is tactically beneficial.”
“Yeah, busy. Like I said.”
“I am not occupied during the daylight hours. Why have you not tried to contact me then?”
“You have to sleep sometime, don’t you?”
“Sleep? Oh, recharge. We have facilities to force recharge in under one of your hours. That still leaves many available for you to contact me.”
“I do have a job, you know.”
“I am aware of your incredibly inconvenient employment, Jennifer human. However, if I can find the opportunity to contact you during my optimum expected efficiency hours, you can as well. If you want to.” She heard reproach and something else in his voice. Insecurity?
“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to bother you.”
His voice softened. “You do not bother me, Jennifer human. Such a statement follows no logic. Why would I give you communications ability and not desire you to utilize it?”
“I guess you’re right.” He wasn’t really good to argue with, she’d already discovered. Best just to change the subject. “So, what have you been up to?”
“Up to? I am unsure in what calibration you would like the answer.”
Stupid idioms. And she should know better. “I meant what have you been doing. These last few days.”
A tedious sigh. “Oh, this and that. Mostly small missions to harry the enemy. Disrupt their supply lines. Erode morale. Nothing of exceptional interest. And you?”
“Nothing. Just meetings and stuff like that. I made,” she felt really stupid saying this, “a big banner yesterday to put out for the new arrivals.”
“Ah, your dormitory is about to become populated?”
“Yeah, they should start showing up in about,” she glanced at the clock, “six hours.”
“And what is this banner for?”
She felt herself color. How stupid! “You know, to make them feel welcome. It’s really stupid, honestly. I drew flowers and the school mascot and stuff on it. Kinda childish, but, you know, not scary.”
“Why would a dormitory be scary?”
“Not the dorm, the whole college thing. First time on their own, most of these kids.”
“First time on their own and they have a safe place to stay? And they have no one trying to offline them? That still does not sound very scary. My first time on my own—no, wait,” he cut himself off. “Six hours, you said?”
“Yeah. Six hours before they start showing up.”
“I shall be there in under half.” He cut the comm.