Before we begin, let me warn you that the main character will at first seem like a Mary-Sue. I have actually taken two Mary-Sue Litmus Tests with her, and it turns out that she's only a teensy little bit. As you read the story, things will be revealed that will tell you why she's not, but to discover them you will have to read this all the way through. My writing gets better as the story goes along, and there's only so much editing that can be done without a complete rewrite – which I don't have the time or desire to do. For now, please bear with me, and thank you in advance for reading. Reviews are very much appreciated. Art for this story is located on my deviantART account, under the name of FuzzySlipper, which you can find using my homepage link. The artwork is also linked to at the bottom of my profile here. Also, this story is set close to one year after the '07 movie. And now, without further rambling, I present to you this tale.

Transformers:

I'm Crazy, Right?

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Book One of the

Ghost Chronicles

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By Falcon's Hyperdrive

Begun 9-18-08

Finished --

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Prologue

Misconceptions. People make them a lot, especially when they have no grasp whatsoever of the situation. You may have pieces of the puzzle, but that doesn't mean you know the image it is supposed to create. And puzzles of lives are the hardest of all to solve. One can liken it to pieces with flat sides, with no obvious way to link them together. And as more pieces are discovered, a more complete picture can be found.

People can easily be misread, especially when you wear fractured glasses. They are a piece of the puzzle, one that must especially be viewed correctly. And then, when you have gathered all the pieces, you still need to assemble the picture, even as memories and pieces threaten to slip away.

And then the question remains . . . Is the solution you came up with the right one?

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Chapter One – That Girl on The Highway

She supposed it had only been a matter of time.

Guess this is what happens when you're kidnapped, Kate reflected as she trudged along next to the empty, meandering highway. Or at least, when you've escaped on your own. Oh, well. It's not like it matters. I don't matter. No one thinks so, anyway. So what if I'm lost?

She sighed, a simple action filled with emotions. She was tired. Tired of being abandoned, tired of being treated like she was just some pet, tired of being messed with . . . She was just plain old tired of life. Hope was a foreign concept for her, with years of despair hammered into her. It was true, it seemed; no one cared for her. Her brother had, once, before he died. But he was long gone, and she was here, or wherever "here" was. All she had now was a backpack, headphones, a laptop, an iPod, a DVD, and the clothes on her back. Not much, and a lot at the same time.

Think of it this way, she told herself, resettling the bag on her back, her most precious possessions. You won't die of boredom.

No, she countered sarcastically. I'll just die of thirst and starvation, or a wild animal will kill me, or that pervert will.

She looked up the road, examining the concrete "sidewalk for giants," as she jokingly referred to it as, and the trees that flanked it. Out here in the middle of nowhere – Where is "here"? – it was all road, hills, and trees. She was on a flat stretch right now, but the road on the right dipped down toward a stream which threaded its way through the forest.

Again, she sighed, sourly berating herself for her strong will to live. How could one be so tired of life, and yet want to live so bad? You've got to admit, her voice of reason reminded her, it's rather fun.

All right, fine, she sighed, carefully inching her way down to the stream. You win.

I know, dearie.

Don't call me that, Vor.

"Vor"? Where'd that come from?

"Vor." You know, "Voice of reason."

Dearie, you've gone nuts at last. You're naming yourself!

As she knelt next to the water, dipping her cupped hands in it, she smiled to herself. I'm just surprised I didn't go crazy sooner.

Believe it, dearie.

Kate wiped the excess liquid off of her chin, her attention caught by something glinting in the water downstream, catching one of the few rays of light that made its way through the canopy. What's that?

Are you sure you want to find out? Vor asked her.

Of course. Despite all this technology in my bag – all of which I need to recharge, by the way – I'm extremely bored right now, especially after all that walking. A rest will do me fine, and I'd like to see what that is. Meh . . . Not even an internet signal to save my life.

Suit yourself.

"Oh, I will," she muttered, ignoring the immediate thought that talking to yourself was a sure sign of . . .

She got up and went over to the object in the stream bed. It was metal, with strange symbols etched into the surface, looking vaguely and strangely familiar somehow. Should I listen to Vor? she wondered, thinking about the possibilities.

Yes, you should! came the immediate answer. At this, Kate bent down and picked up the metal. As soon as she touched it, she felt like an electric jolt ran through her. "Woah," she whispered, startled. "Now that ain't natural."

Of course it isn't, you idiot! Vor shouted at her. I told you not to touch it!

I distinctly remember nothing of the sort, she scoffed, though wincing at the loud mental tone. Who knew an internal voice could have such sheer volume? Hey . . . where'd it go? She looked at her empty hand, a different sort of shock running through her at its sudden absence.

Dearie, you're such an idiot right now, Vor scolded. It's on the ground, there.

Kate laughed to herself as she picked it up, relieved that she wasn't going even more crazy. Where would I be without you, Vor? she teased.

Completely insane, said the voice in a matter-of-fact tone. Now get back on the road, unless you want to miss the only person for miles.

Kate heard it then, the pleasant rumble of a sports car. Never before had the sound of an engine been so welcome to her ears. "Yes!" she cried, pocketing the metal shard and scrambling back up the hill. "Oh, please, oh, please, let me get there in time!"

She reached the road with more than enough time to spare. Without thinking of the idiocies of such an action, she spread her arms and waved. If her voice of reason was in favor of this action, then it must be the right thing to do. Neither of us are hankering to die out here in the boonies.

The silver hardtop Pontiac Solstice slowed upon seeing her, and came to a stop next to the girl. The man in the driver's seat, a handsom dark-skinned man with unearthly blue eyes, lowered his visor-like shades and peered over them at her. "Need a ride, kiddo?"

Kate decided to let the "kiddo" remark slide. "Please," she said, her own ocean-blue eyes expressing more gratitude than any words could. "You have, I believe, just saved my life."

He smiled, leaning over and opening the door for her. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

The man waited until she had gotten settled, then put the car in drive and continued on. "What's your name?"

"Kate. And I'm seventeen."

He glanced at her. "My apologies, then," he said. "I'm Jack."

Kate frowned. "What are you apologizing for?"

"For calling you 'kiddo.' In my experience, older teenagers are particularly susceptible to becoming irate upon being referred to by such a title."

Kate found herself laughing. "I'm not one of those kids. It's a lot better than what I've been called in the past. You know what's funny?"

"Try me."

"You don't seem the type to use such big words."

He laughed with her. "You're right, actually." He winked. "Slang's my game."

"Is that a Big Apple accent?"

"Picked it up in New Jersey."

"So what are you doing way out here? I climbed a tree, but didn't see civilization for miles."

"Just drivin' 'round," he answered. "What were you doing way out here? Doesn't look like you had a car anywhere."

Kate kept her face perfectly straight. Inside, she could hear Vor laughing at the irony. "I'm an escaped prisoner," she deadpanned.

A grin blossomed across his face, revealing perfect teeth. "There's a jail thirty miles from here. Want me to drop you off?"

She decided to play along. "Only if they have a heated pool."

"I'm pretty sure they have wireless, too."

"Free breakfast?"

"Lunch and dinner."

Kate laughed. "I hear their beds are nice."

"Room to yourself, and you make lots of friends."

"Great!" Kate punched the air, her mind not registering the twinge of pain that action brought. "Let's go!"

Jack shook his head, clearly enjoying the laugh she had given him. "Seriously, little lady. Why are you out here?"

Kate shrugged. "I'm an escaped prisoner," she repeated. "Just . . . not from the police."

That caught his interest. "You were kidnapped?"

She nodded. "If you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about that right now."

"No problem," he answered, though his voice betrayed that he really wanted to know more. "We've got a few hours."

"Where are you headed?"

"Nevada, actually."

Kate frowned in thought. "Where are we?"

"Michigan, thereabouts. Lower peninsula. Where's home for you?"

She snorted at the word. "No such thing for me," she said bitterly. "My parents stopped caring about me long ago. The only place I could really stay put in was a dark room, but going back to that means torture and eventual death by the hands of that perverted . . ." She trailed off, but her silence said it all.

He winced sympathetically. "Well, if you'd like, you can come with me."

"Really?" Her gloomy look made the transition to a bright, cheery smile in an instant at those words. "I can? Honest?"

He grinned at her, obviously relived that she was smiling again. "You sure can. That is, if you don't mind."

"I think it's one of the best ideas I've ever heard."

You're being naïve, dearie.

You wanted me to catch a ride, Vor.

I didn't mean for you to catch a ride all the way across the country.

As if I have anywhere else to go?

Point taken.

Jack regarded her for a short while in his peripheral vision. "You do know I could be one of those kidnappers, right?"

She shrugged. "I figure, right now, a not-so-sure thing is better than a sure thing. Staying back there would have been sure death. Going with you, at least I know I'm going to survive, which is sign of defiance on my part. Everybody I know doesn't care if I live or die. I'm just around because I'm useful."

"Wasn't there anybody who cared?" By the tone of his voice, she could tell he was angry, but not at her. In answer, she shrugged. "My brother did, and so did my grandparents, but they're all dead. No aunts, no uncles, no cousins that I can remember. No friends."

Jack seemed to hesitate. After a moment of silence, guiding the sleek car around a corner, he spoke. "Well, Kate . . . I'd be honored if I could be your first friend."

Kate's eyes went wide, and Vor was shocked into silence. "Fr- friend?" she stammered. "You want to be my . . . friend?"

"Is that so wrong?"

"I . . . No one's ever wanted to be my friend before. I'm crazy, you see."

Vor mentally whacked her. I take offense to that!

You said it yourself, earlier, Kate returned.

"Really?" Jack laughed. "I think I can handle crazy."

What do you think, Vor?

Well . . . All right. Fine. I like him. Happy?

Very. Kate grinned at the man, unable to name the emotion running through her right now. It was more than happiness. It was like . . . utter contentment. Peace.

"Vor likes you," she said. "Therefore, you must be a nice guy. Friends?"

He smiled back at her, a kind expression filled with warmth. "Friends," he finalized. It took him a few moments for her previous statement to sink in.

Wait for it . . .

He blinked, completely dumbfounded. "Who's Vor?"

Edited 4-21-10