Seduction of a Scientist

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The fanwork "Feminine Troubles" by author Thornwitch is a cute, mostly lighthearted story in which Primus turns all the Autobots into femmes. Suddenly there's a huge urge on the part of both factions to pair up (or trio up in some cases) and settle down to the business of ending the war and preventing the extinction of their race. Readers take heed—the M-rating is directly tied to this business.

Perceptor's story takes off in Chapter 16, in which she's been accidentally transported to Cybertron and ends up being captured by Shockwave's drones. The cyclopean scientist is quite aware of the mass Autobot Gender Swap, and to his delight it fits in very well with his plans for the planet. He's even more delighted when he finds that the femme his drones have captured is Perceptor, whose scientific work he much admires. The need for a mate has hit him as well, and his plan is to be as charming, suave, and persuasive as he can.

"Feminine Troubles" was left unfinished (*sob*... but I still highly recommend reading it) and we're left with Shockwave having Perceptor repaired and cleaned up and then subjected to some lackluster small talk in chapter 20.

I decided to write a conclusion to femme!Perceptor's adventure on Cyberton.

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Chapter 1: Scientist and Statesman

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Perceptor eventually fell into recharge upon the plain berth, only to be woken the next morning by a knock at the door of the small, simple room she'd been placed in. A moment later, one of Shockwave's personal drones entered, marked as one of a higher rank by the purple banding around his Decepticon insignia. "We are taking you to meet with Shockwave again," announced the faceless thing.

"Am I to be released?"

The drone did not answer, already on his way out into the hallway.

Perceptor rose and followed the drone out, finding several other drones in the hallway. Again there were seekers there to stare at her, leering from the back of the group. The bright green one seemed especially pleased to see her.

The group moved down the hall, following the chief drone. "Tell me, will I be allowed to contact my party on Earth?" asked Perceptor hopefully.

"That would be Shockwave's decision," came the flat answer from the chief drone.

"They may request demands for my release," Perceptor told them. "A prisoner exchange might be most prudent."

"Again, that is up to Shockwave, Glorious Guardian of Cybertron."

"Yes I see, but..."

The chief drone paused in transit and turned to her. "You are an Autobot guest. Those questions are only to be answered by Shockwave."

Perceptor sighed. This was indeed frustrating. But something told her that she would not be harmed. In fact there had been a decided care taken with her person. Perhaps Cybertron's steward had more in mind for her than simply using her as a bargaining pawn.

Most of her treatment indicated it. Why else would he have bothered to have her repaired? None of the injuries she had sustained in capture were spark-threatening or even serious. She would have survived easily on the efficiency of her own self-repair systems. But then she'd been washed and her plating tended to, leaving it in better shape than it had been in a long as she could remember. A multitude of tiny drones had been dedicated to it, swarming over her frame for more than a cycle to deposit wax and then buff it to a brilliant shine.

And why else had Shockwave spent so much time talking to her? It wasn't gloating or threatening talk either. It was small talk. And while his pointless chatter left her far from charmed, he was obviously trying to be nice. And to what ends? It took effort to talk. If Shockwave were just going to execute or exchange her it would have been so much simpler just to leave her locked up somewhere.

"Shockwave is inside," said the chief drone, cutting off Perceptor's train of thought as he turned suddenly and halted before a door. The broad door slid open and Percceptor was ushered inside.

It wasn't Shockwave's control hub—the place she'd been taken to the previous day—but some other center of operations, and Perceptor soon realized that he was looking at the base of operations for Shockwave's science projects. The scientist himself stood at the far end of the room near a large window, obviously waiting to meet them. "Ah, Perceptor. I trust that you are well rested."

It wasn't a rhetorical question. Nor was it 'villain gloating' that Perceptor still somehow expected. The cyclops actually seemed to be expecting an answer.

"Why yes, as a matter of fact I am. In fact I must say that so far your hospitality has been quite surprising, considering my position." The seekers that had come in to gawk at the prisoner yesterday had even been chased away.

Shockwave chuckled lightly. The previous day had been only a stalling tactic—a soft pause to warm her up to the idea that things would happen at a gentle pace around here—to ready her for the coming courtship. It wouldn't do if she were stressed or fearing for her life. It wouldn't do if she were unnerved by the fear of hacking or torture.

"You, my dear, are a most surprising guest." The big purple mech came forward and to Perceptor's continued surprise he took the microscope's hands and held them as an old friend would. "I'm still amazed at this unexpected transformation. You look a lot different from the last time I saw you though."

"I am sure you've heard of our most recent developments."

"Quite a bit, though many of the details have been left out."

"And I suppose that you're looking for answers as to the why and how. I tell you this though, I don't know and we haven't even investigated. The Will of Primus is enough understanding for us."

Shockwave chuckled again, and he actually sounded amused, and not in some sick, menacing way. "Perceptor, you have nothing to fear. I suppose you've been imagining that I'm about to strap you to a table in my laboratories and perform all manner of unholy experiments upon you in my quest for knowledge. I'm certain other unpleasant things have come to mind as well, given your new..." His muzzle hand gestured down at her frame. "...your new physical state. However, I assure you that that is not my intent. I've heard and learned enough from Megatron's contingent as well as from some of my own spies, to simply accept this as you do—as the Will of Primus."

"You would guarantee my safety and well-being then?"

"As long as you are my guest here, you need not fear. And in time I am sure you will be returned to your own faction."

"Will I be able to contact them before that? To let them know I am alive?"

"Yes, you will be allowed to contact them. I would allow you the use of a communications console right now, but regrettably we are past the daily window of opportunity. Tomorrow though. I guarantee that as well."

Perceptor was indeed quite surprised. This had not been at all what she'd been expecting.

"So until that time, I shall torture you with a long and probably rather dull tour of my main laboratory and afterward force you to ingest a cube of energon. Later there may be a painful view of the sunset along with an equally tortuous serving of high-grade. And if you should survive all that, know that only a cosy and thickly padded berth awaits you in a moderately heated room, before the whole miserable process begins again tomorrow."

Perceptor blinked. Shockwave was being funny? His sarcasm was a little entertaining if it were just sarcasm.

"Come, let me show you my facilities, here," said Shockwave congenially. His hand moved to Perceptor's shoulder and guided her gently toward the window, his nozzle hand gesturing out. "May I present my laboratory."

Perceptor was stunned. While the room beyond and below was barely lit, it was illuminated enough to reveal a huge, factory-like space filled with scientific equipment, projects under construction, and experiments underway. The sheer scope of it was overwhelming—overwhelming enough to have Perceptor speechless once more.

"Well?" Shockwave prompted eventually.

"It's... it's amazing," Perceptor stuttered. The room stretched on and on.

"Come downstairs. I'll show you more."

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For the next five cycles Perceptor and Shockwave toured the enormous laboratory, viewing Shockwave's work. Sometimes the Decepticon would hurry Perceptor past a station, saying something along the lines of "Not until the war's over" or "Only if you switch your allegiance." At others, Shockwave would pull Perceptor in and explain the workings before her in detail only a true scientist would appreciate.

It became obvious to Perceptor that Shockwave was trying his best to charm her now, not with an appeal of personality, but with an appeal to her own scientific leanings. And even on recognizing this, Perceptor still found herself drifting into a deep admiration of the Decepticon's work.

And the further along they progressed the closer Shockwave stood and the more physical contact he made with the Autobot. Until at last when Shockwave suggested fueling, he escorted Perceptor out of the enormous laboratory on his arm. If Shockwave had a mouth it would have been smiling broadly. Step three of his seduction was complete and so far everything was going to plan. Make her feel safe and at ease, and then dazzle her with an appeal to her intellectual sensibilities.

And most importantly, Perceptor was reacting in the anticipated manner.

He led the rosy femme out of his immense workroom and through a few corridors and then up an elevator to what appeared to be a more residential area of his headquarters. There, on an external balcony a table had been set for them, a place with a view of Tarn and an impending sunset.

"Well this is certainly elegant," said Perceptor, taking the seat offered by the attending drone. This servant was of a domestic design, unlike the guards and workers she'd seen previously—smaller, unarmed, bipedal, almost friendly-looking. Her optics flitted to the tablecloth which was made of a woven organic fabric rather than the usual plastic fibers. A low bouquet of crystal flowers formed a centerpiece, and while the pale pink blossoms were hand-constructed of individual crystals rather than grown whole, their appearance was both a luxury and a delight.

"And intimate..." Perceptor continued as Shockwave sat in the opposing chair. The table was not large. For a moment she'd thought that she would be sitting alone, but apparently they were to refuel together.

A second domestic drone came forth and served them each three small cubes of energon, each resting on a square plate of kiln-hardened clay. How long had it been since she'd had her energon on a plate? And these were ceramic plates nonetheless—a relic of the past when art and artists thrived. The drone opened the seals on the six cubes and a charged mineral aroma floated forth from each. "Flavored?" Perceptor queried.

Shockwave nodded.

"Perhaps things aren't as bad on Cybertron as I'd thought."

"They are as bad as you think. But this..." He paused and looked at his prisoner approvingly. "This is a special occasion."

"Special?" Perceptor leaned forward to draw the scent of the offered fuel across her olfactory sensors.

"It isn't every day that I get to entertain one of the foremost Cybertronian scientists. Not to mention the prettiest."

Perceptor stared at the Decepticon. He was back to small talk, only now with a different bent. "You flatter me unreasonably," she answered. There are far greater Cybertronian intellects than myself. And as for appearances..."

"You're far too modest," interjected Shockwave. He placed his hand over one of the cubes and the level of energon inside of it lowered. "Perhaps there once were greater minds and more successful intellects, but they've been lost. You and I are what remains."

"So we are winners by default. There's little sense of accomplishment in that." Perceptor countered. Everything felt one step away from flirtatious banter.

Shockwave laughed and the sound seemed awkward, as if he'd not laughed in vorns if not millevorns. "Again, you're too modest. Now as for your looks..."

"You're too ready to compliment." Perceptor picked up the rightmost cube and sipped from it, the flavors of molybdenum and argon splashing over the chemical sensors within her mouth. "Oh! Delicious!" she exclaimed.

"One of my favorites," said Shockwave in a softer tone of voice.

Perceptor drank further, and on putting the empty cube back onto its plate noticed that Shockwave had his hand over the next cube and was draining it.

"So what did you think of my laboratory overall?" he asked.

"A most impressive facility. I could lose myself for days in a workroom like that, flitting from one experiment to the next."

"Would you like to?"

Perceptor's reaching for the next cube drew to an abrupt halt. "Excuse me?"

"Perceptor, I have researched your previous work when here on Cybertron and seen some of your accomplishments since your waking on Earth. Your talents would be a highly complementary addition to my own endeavors."

Perceptor suddenly stood. "If you are asking me to change factions, I will tell you now that I refuse." She took the middle cube and drank it defiantly. If the other scientist's hospitality was about to come to a sudden end, and going into it fully fueled would be a wise idea.

Shockwave remained calm and unnaturally relaxed. "Your defection would be a delight, but if Megatron and Optimus can work to end the hostilities in light of this recent development, then defection would not be necessary." His expressionless faceplate tilted at a playful angle.

Perceptor's sighing response was tinged with bitterness. "Megatron has yet to present us with a reasonable peace treaty. So far all the ones he's offered have read more like 'terms of your surrender.' We may have changed and we may be a bit distracted by that, but I assure you that we're still all fully mentally competent."

"I realize the Emperor's shortcomings," said Shockwave.

"You do?"

The cyclops pulled a data pad from a pocket. "I have drafted my own version of a peace treaty. There are no true statesmen amongst the Decepticon contingent upon Earth, so I was going to submit this to them within the next orn. If you wish to read it over and comment... or perhaps advise me on a few changes. He handed the document over to Perceptor. "I am willing to adjust it to be more to an Autobot's preference."

This was a delightful surprise. Eagerly Perceptor began to read. And as she read Shockwave studied her. She was so intelligent and so beautiful. He'd seen pictures of the changed enemy, and had found himself enjoying what he'd seen. But there had not been any good video captures of her and he'd expected little when he learned the identity of the prisoner seized by his security drones. But this... A mind equal to his own carried in such a delicious little frame. Who knew she would turn out to be so physically appealing on making the change? His wildest fantasies had her approving his draft, throwing all caution to the wind, and leaping upon him in a sudden-found passion, the pretty thing begging to share both his laboratory and his berth.

But without the veil of fantasy over them, she sat quietly, sipping at the final cube of energon, completely engrossed in his draft of a peace treaty. And when she'd read it, she asked for a work console so as to make some adjustments.

Shockwave had anticipated this. On his command a drone brought out a keyboard and the Autobot connected it to the datapad, and she soon was deeply involved with changing the document.

Shockwave continued to watch as the fellow intellect worked, completely ignoring the beautiful sunset and the lighting of the flame-lamps along the balcony, touches he'd hoped would sway the scientist's emotional state to a more romantic one. But he didn't want to interrupt her. From what he observed now, the bright glimmer of a forthcoming peace would do the work of the strongest aphrodisiac. Sunsets and torchlights were the thing of romance fantasy novels. Diplomacy and the chance to have a lasting effect were the reality.

Eventually Perceptor finished, smiling and sighing as she disconnected the datapad and handed it back to Shockwave. "There. See what you think," she said proudly. And then she looked about the balcony. "Oh, it's gotten dark. You should have said something,"she exclaimed.

"You were so intent on your work that I didn't wish to disturb you." He leaned his faceless head into one hand and admired her yet again. She was definitely a delicious subject.

Ignoring his gaze, Perceptor stood and stretched.

"Would you like more energon? I do have a special distillation of high-grade that I would be willing to share on this special occasion," Shockwave offered.

"Perhaps a little more..." She said, looking out over the darkened landscape that was Tarn. Few lights shone in the abandoned streets. "Your chemical blends and refinement processes are quite different from those we've been utilizing on Earth."

Shockwave turned and nodded to the domestic drone, who went into the building. And then he placed the datapad into his subspace. "I hope you will not be offended if I do not read your changes and suggestions until tomorrow. It's been a long day here, and I've had a lot to deal with. But I promise to read it first thing tomorrow after I've recharged. Perhaps while you contact your faction."

The rosy lips smiled. "I suppose it can wait."

The drone suddenly reappeared with two small cubes of high-grade that glowed an ominous orange color.

"Ah... for you! Something else special."

"What is it?"

"Try it."

Perceptor lifted the cube to her mouth and sipped, gasping on feeling the partially crystallized high-grade bursting across her glossa. "Oh! That's wonderful!" she exclaimed.

"My own blend, but still a rarity around here," Shockwave said gently, his spark spinning with excitement. Everything was going so well.

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"Seduction of a Scientist" continues Chapter 2: "Contact and Kaon"

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Transformers and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of Hasbro and Takara Tomy. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.

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