Chapter ten

"You're familiar to me, miss, have we met?"

He asked. While Astro would often speak in similar language to how he would scribe his books, he found humans had difficulty in deciphering him.

"Yeah… nah… I dunno… I think we have met, actually…"

Marie wasn't entirely sure herself. As humans barely reached the kneecaps of most of these things they weren't exactly in a position to get a good look at their faces. However, she did have that "I know you from somewhere, but where?" feeling.

"So, what happens now? You dump me out from ten thousand metres?"

"Of course not! I would never do something so heartless! I'm a Decepticon".

"OH… yeah, that's right, you guys have factions. Autobots – bad, Decepticons – good".

"Yes, thank you".

He sounded slightly exasperated.

"Are they chasing us?"

"Not yet, but the Autobots don't have a wide selection of aerial capable warriors. The Aerialbots, however, could give us trouble, but the likes of Cosmos and Powerglide are nothing to get chicken bumps about. We could have issues if Skyfire makes it through the clouds, though".

"Chicken bumps?"

"Yes. Isn't that what you humans call those phenomena when your skin goes bumpy?"

She paused, thinking…

"Oh, you mean goose bumps?"

"Heh, yeah, I guess that's what I mean. I'm not around humans enough to pick up your jargon and colloquiums".

"So, where do get our slang and such from?"

"We have access to DVDs of When The Kitchen Sinks and other shows".

"Never heard of that show".

She confessed.

"Really? We can't get enough of it. I'm hoping that when the war ends you humans start making it again".

"Yeah, cos I'm sure that'll be at the top of our list of things too do after the establishment of civilisation".

She said with a light hearted sarcasm, Astro seemed to pick up on it.

"Look, I don't mean to be a nuisance or anything, but I don't feel safe dropping you off at any human base. If the bots are following me the last thing I want on my conscience is the murder of innocent humans just trying to survive this mess".

"Sure, that's okay, but to be honest, I can't remember the last time I was with the humans you guys left me with last time. I have no idea how long I was stuck in that hell".

She explained, inwardly confused as to how she should feel about being whisked about by a robot.

"I can only imagine the horrors you must have been subjected too".

There was a long pause of silence, it wasn't somewhat uncomfortable but it had a hint of sadness too it. Chances are, given Astrotrain's age; he probably had more then just imagination in regards to what Perceptor could craft.

Marie enjoyed the quiet that existed at that moment, the only real sound was Astro's engines, but they were just a slight humming. For so long the noise that surrounded her were screams, prayers, tears, evil laughter and loud clanking racket from somewhere in the Ark. Now to just have so little onslaught to her hearing was a welcome relief. The pain then made itself known. It was unpleasant, and wondered what it meant – how serious was it? Was there massive internal injury? Was she going into withdrawal to something? She'd been told by multiple victims that the Autobot scientists had created a drug to control humans. She wasn't sure if she had been given the narcotic, but she wouldn't be surprised if those plonkers had slipped it into one of those damn IV lines. A wave of nausea swept over her, she was somewhat aware of the Decepticon saying something to her, but instead she had lost consciousness.