Transformers Regenerated: Origins - Alone Together

ALONE TOGETHER

Rung's Case Notes File TM-3-10-98
Submitted: Cycle 9099
Subject: Ariel

    Right then. This one's a tricky case.

    Ariel was constructed cold on Cycle 8514, approximately three hundred years before the start of the Second Great War. However, the spark she was spliced from was incredibly drained; as a result, several of her systems, including her transformation cog, were rendered non functional.

    Because of being, effectively, a monoformer, as well as being constructed cold, she was frequently bullied and picked on by her peers at the Omnihelix Academy. This eventually became too much for her, and she screamed for them to stop... only to unleash a super-sonic scream that destroyed a good sixty-seven percent of the academy.

    As a result, Ariel was incarcerated at Garrus-16 by High Command. However, her sister bailed her out and promised to keep a careful optic on her. Several years passed without any incident... that is, until two months ago when Ariel vanished while the scout team she was a part of investigated a breakout at the Ferromax Detention Center. Afraid that she had been abandoned by her somewhat bigoted comrades, I personally asked Autobot Detective Nightbeat to find her.

    Thankfully, just last week, he returned with Ariel, who was unharmed. I put her through a therapy session to hear her tale.

    The results were... starling, to say the least.

--Transcript of session--

    Rung: Would you like a glass of energon?

    Ariel: No, thank you....

    Rung: Very well, then let us begin. First, tell me how well you got along with your teammates.

    Ariel: I... they didn't like me very much. They always picked on me and made fun of me not being able to transform. One of them... he called me an Action Master. I... I don't even know what that is.

    Rung: The Action Masters were a subgroup of the Militiant Monoform Movement. They were a bit more... anarchist than the rest of Triple M.

    Ariel: Why did he call me that then?

    Rung: I don't know. He could have been trying to provoke you, which, thankfully, he failed in. How did you get separated from your teammates.

    Ariel: We... we found these... these ruins in an asteroid belt. We were exploring it in our ship and....

    Rung: And...?

    Ariel: ...And I was playing with Sparkle.

    Rung: Sparkle?

    Ariel: My doll.

    Rung: Ah, I see. Go on.

    Ariel: I was playing with Sparkle and... and Plummet started teasing me about playing with toys, then he... then he took Sparkle and... and threw her out the ship.

    Rung: What did you do?

    Ariel: I went after her and then... and the others... flew away.

    Rung: I see. Then what happened?

    Ariel: I found Sparkle and... we went exploring on the asteroid. I... at first, I wondered if Plummet and the others were playing a game with me, but... they probably weren't, were they?

    Rung: I... very much doubt that. Please, go on.

    Ariel: Then I found this cave and... I could hear noises. Someone was in there.

    Rung: It could have been something. It was dangerous to go in there.

    Ariel: Yes, but... there was a very nice person in there. He was big and red with green optics and--

    Rung: What was his name?

    Ariel: X.

    Rung: Just that?

    Ariel: Yes.

    (Silence)

    Rung: Did he say anything to you?

    Ariel: Oh, yes! We talked about lots and lots of stuff. We had a lot in common.

    Rung: Such as?

    Ariel: Well, he said that people didn't like him either. That he got made fun of too. That's why he was on the asteroid all alone.

    Rung: So... you became friends with him?

    Ariel: Of course! I wanted to keep him company, and he seemed to like having me around. 

    Rung: Is that right? So, when Nightbeat found you....

    Ariel: I was outside the cave, collecting gems-- there were lots there!-- when Nightbeat appeared and told me it was time to go home. I was happy that someone had found me, but I couldn't leave without X. I tried to tell Nightbeat, but he wouldn't listen....

    (Silence)

    Rung: Right. Um, you see, Ariel... there's something you need to know.

    Ariel: What, Rang?

    Rung: It's Rung. See, not every 'bot can be your friend-- I'm sure you know that what with your experiences with Plummet and the others.

    Ariel: Plummet's mean!

    Rung: But X is even worse.

    Ariel: Wh-what?

    Rung: Ariel, X is wanted for the deaths of hundreds. Those ruins your team were exploring? He mad them that way.

    Ariel: N-no... X would never do that.

    Rung: He would. He has. I do believe he was planning to kill you.

    Ariel: But... but he acted nice to me!

    Rung: A ruse, most likely, so you wouldn't expect--

    Ariel: You're lying! You just don't want me to have friends because I'm... I'm different!

    Rung: Ariel, please, I'm only trying to--

    Ariel: You're mean! All of you! (The sound of running)

    Rung: No, don't--!

    (A door slam. A crash. Silence. Then, a door opening)

    ???: That went well.

    Rung: Not now, Kaput.

--End transcript--

    Yes, that certainly could have gone better. We were eventually able to calm Ariel down and I went through more sessions with her. Over time, she learned to control her emotions and her power scream. As far as I know, she is now serving on another scout team, this time with teammates who accept her for who she is.

    As for her encounter with Protoform X... I must confess that I am curious. Ariel was with him for two months. For as... naive as she is, X could have easily tricked her into being murdered far earlier than that. Could it be that he actually found a kindred spark with Ariel, who had been rejected by society as well?

    Alas, the answers lie only with the mad.