Ep. 1 - The House of Stone and Light - Closed - Finis

[Deleted]

It got rougher.

But the view was spectacular, at least. Even as the river flowed through Marble Canyon and swept down into the Grand Canyon proper the landscape grew vast, sprawling. The red walls gave way, rearing upwards into colossal escarpments and winding gullies that stood thousands of feet high. Billions of years of the planet's geological history lay exposed upon those banded red and yellow and tan stone faces, forming a strata of time itself. Through the floor of the ancient ravine wound the Colorado River, a blue ribbon of water and reflected clouds.

The yellow raft trailed down the river, guided by the current. Sometimes the water was cool and calm, the air so still that the lap of their paddles echoed back to them from rocky overhangs that loomed hundreds of feet above the water. At other times the river would thresh between a narrow cataract in the canyon, where the water churned muddy and brown and beat itself into foam against the rocks. The raft tumbled through all obstacles, ungainly and supple, rolling through the white water amidst sheets of heaving spray.

Mark and Sarah worked hard to steer the raft through the worst of the rapids. The long oars beat against the water, propelling the small craft towards the safest gaps. Dart and Veronica were left to keep the stern from shoring up against any menacing boulders or drops. Veronica showed the courier how to use her paddle to thrust the raft from the deep holes that eddied in the shelter of the nastiest rocks. Other times she laid her paddle across her knees and sat back as the raft pounded down the river, squinting through the mist that speckled her glasses.

Once, after a long ride down a staircase of uneven drops down into a shallow pool, the humans let go of their oars and hung their legs over the sides of the raft and let the river carry them downstream while they caught their breath. Above them, lush hanging gardens of redbud, orchids and flaveria clung to the rocks, while trickling seeps and springs plunged splashing into the water below, filling the air with mist.

Feet dangling in the river, Veronica lay on her back and snapped pictures of the vista with the cell phone. She took one of Mark and Sarah, who lay on the packs with the tops of their heads together. She took two more of Dart, while joking that the story of their epic rescue was going straight to Facebook. She even dared to snap a quick shot of Max in the bow when he finally lay back against the gunwale, his hand on his bloodstained chest, staring exhaustedly into the rosy sky.

The day drew on into evening. The air grew warm and drowsy, even as the sky deeped into dusky shades red and violet. Wispy pink cirrus cloud floated overhead, above which twinkled the first few pale stars. As the sun sank low it painted the very top of the canyon with bands of light, and turned the leafy tips of the highest cliffrose trees into spun gold. Midges droned over the water, and over the heads of the rafters.

Finally, Sarah hauled up her oar. She waved the flies from her face and pointed to a tiny beach on the northern shore, a little cove of sand sheltered by a steep cliff and honey mesquite trees.

"What do you think?" she said. "It's gonna be dark within the hour. Spend the night here and then pack up at dawn? Work for you guys?"

Mark only yawned and fanned his face with his hat.

She cast a worried look at Max next, who waved it off and nodded. The man looked tired, drawn.

Sarah swivelled to face Dart.

"What about you, Rachel?" she said. "Feeling okay enough to toss up camp here? You guys must be wiped."

[Dart]

As the hours progressed, the courier seemed to have forgotten that she was actually sitting a long ways distant in a cave with a rifle pointed firmly in her general direction. Maybe it was because Max had settled himself among the packs and he'd been quiet. No, more likely it was because Dart was a creature of the here and now. She was a creature of sight and scent, of wide open spaces and long silent nights without anything but wildlife around her, or if she was lucky, tucked into a parking spot in the city, watching, listening, taking it all in.

Her confidence seemed to lift with every hour that they swept down the river. The courier herself settled into the role of simply human as easily as she would have normally bounded across the low areas of the Colorado River to find a path up the other side.

She laughed with them, and actually seemed to understand their jokes. Sometimes she pointed out things to the three rafters; about the rocks, the strata. Once she suddenly leaned on the edge of the raft to scout out a group of Bighorn Sheep. It was a wonder she'd seen them, they were as grey and red as the riverbank. When pressed, she just grinned and said she'd always had a good eye for motion, that's all.

Still, she always grew serious when Veronica went to teach her things, listened and nodded, concentrating on doing her task just so, taking suggestions as if they were orders. Dart was soon spying the warning signs with incredible focus. She reacted off a tiny whirl of motion from the river, and was instantly there to nudge her paddle in and apply just the right amount of angle and pressure.

When it was quiet though; the courier often was leaning carefully on the side of the raft, her nose turned into the spray and the breeze. Once she cautiously dipped her hand into the river and held it there, letting the water splash through her fingers, watching it with utter fascination until oh, right-- whoops, get the paddle up, rapids ahead.

It was incredible; and Dart did not stop taking it all in. The only hesitant part of the day was when Veronica snapped that shot of Max, lying in the front of the boat. Dart tipped her head, and there was a look of utter concern on her face that stayed there for a long, long moment before she shook it off.

The mech had mostly stopped glaring, and while she couldn't help but appreciate that... it wasn't good.

Neither was the fact that somewhere in the back of her head, she could feel it. Back in that other place, Dart was starting to huff a bit, to try and shift her weight without making him nervous.

"Yeah," she agreed, as Sarah pointed out the cove. "We should stop now, agreed. I'm okay with this. I think it works. I'm- I'm pretty wiped, and the Professor..."

She glanced over at the Autobot, who hadn't moved from where he'd been lying in the boat. Dart was utterly grateful they hadn't walked this distance.

"I think stopping for the night's a good idea," she said quietly. "I can help toss, promise."

[Deleted]

"I'm kinda beat too," said Mark. "And starving."

Sarah playfully jabbed him with the end of her oar. "I told you you should have eaten the rest of that sandwich at lunch."

She sobered a moment later. With a dubious glance at the silent man in the bow she said, "But yeah, I think this is a good time to pull in for the night. We're not too far out from the Ranch, but it would still be a few solid hours of paddling to get there. Let's beach this thing and get some rest."

Veronica stretched her arms back, her paddle raised over her head. She worked her head from side to side to ease out a crick in her neck.

"I'm sore as hell," she said. "All for calling it a night."

The water was smooth, as red as the sky. It swirled into the small cove with barely a ripple. It was simple enough to row the raft to the beach with long strokes of the oars. Sarah and Mark drove it onto the sand with one last push, and the bottom of the raft rasped softly as it heaved onto the beach. It lay there, its stern bobbing in the gentle current.

"Whew." Sarah leaned on her oar, her head back. "I'm so beat. That was a good day though. Oh my god, I'm so burned."

While she prodded at her red, tender arms in dismay, Mark stood up on wobbly legs and stepped from the raft into the shallow water. His feet splashed.

"Hey, Rachel, can you grab the line on the other side of the raft and help me drag it up onto the shore once everyone is out?" he said. "We'll pull out the gear we need once it's beached."

Using her paddle as a crutch, Veronica stood up also.

"Come on, S, hustle yo butt," she said, and smacked the blade across her friend's rear.

Sarah jumped. "Ow! I'm an abused child. Okay, I'm moving, I'm getting out. Oh, here, Mr Freeman! Lean on me, we'll head up the beach and pick out a place to build a fire. How do your ribs feel?"

The man did not argue as he allowed himself to be pulled from the bow of the raft. He didn't bother to glare at Dart as he passed, merely trudged in silence as Sarah led him up the beach with her hand on his arm, still talking.

[Dart]

That- that wasn't good. Actually, what was worse was... huh, what- what if he finally went into stasis. Would- would he blink out, leaving her to explain to a bunch of very confused humans about that? Worse was the concern that he might have some sort of emergency back up detonator that might automatically go off when he finally collapsed.

Dart's look shifted to one of quiet determination again. The courier simply watched him grimly set himself and go forward as they they moved up the beach. Dart knew that walk. She'd done that walk herself; you just didn't show how hurt you were, you couldn't stop. Once you were down, you were gone; on your feet, soldier. Keep moving, or I'll let you rust here. It made her chest ache, and for very different reasons than it normally did.

The courier's fingers opened and closed in a quietly helpless and frustrated gesture. For someone who'd been out on the water all day, her pale skin didn't have the hint of a tan.

"Yah, I've got the line, Mark," she said. "No worries."

Without any of the stiffness of the others; she hopped lightly out into the water. There wasn't even the slightest hint of a splash. Dart had the line drawn through her palms; she waited until they were clear, before she set herself into it and pulled. It caught, tugged and then simply fell right through her hands into the river.

"Dammit," she groaned, and for the first time, the frustration curled out of her voice as she scrambled to try and get it again. It took scrabbling, desperate fishing in the water; and finally there was one big splash as she lost her footing; pinwheeled for a second and went down to her hands and knees in the river.

The courier bounced up a second later, streaming water. She got to her feet and stood there, apparently rather put out by the experience. Then Dart shook herself from nose to foot with a couple of snorts and huffs thrown in there for good measure.

"Come here, rope," she muttered, and reached out to grab it firmly. It held. Thank goodness.

Finally having it securely in her hand, Dart looked back over at Mark. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought," she sighed. "Aw well. Come on."

With that, she helped him beach it. She dug in like a plow horse and didn't stop pulling until it was completely secure on the shore.

"They find a spot yet?" she asked him, before rubbing the back of her hand over her eyes.

[Deleted]

Caught in mid-yawn, Mark had first looked taken aback, then concerned when the courier had gone down onto her hands and knees in the water. But when she had jumped up again with the rope in hand the look had vanished and he had hauled on his own rope with a good-natured, 'Heave!'

When the raft lay upon the sand, dripping wet, he rested his hands on the small of his back and flexed it.

"Good question," he said, and looked up the beach. Beneath the shade of a mesquite tree Sarah and the man had hunkered down together. He sat in the sand with his back to the tree and his wrists on his knees, plainly weary. The dark-haired girl crouched over her toes nearby, chatting amiably. As the light faded from the sky and a velvety twilight fell over the cove their figures became darker, less distinct, melting into the brush behind them.

"Probably up where Sarah is sitting is where she'll want the fire," he said. He pushed back his hat, letting it dangle around his neck from its strings. "I think it'll just be a small one tonight, enough to heat up some food. There should be a bit of decent kindling in that brush."

He turned back to the raft. Veronica had already dug out two backpacks with rolled tents lashed to them and was carrying them up the beach, her feet slipping in the loose sand. Mark reached into the raft for the small cooking pack, which he tossed to Dart.

"Whup, catch!" he said. "Hey, so did you want to share a tent with your prof tonight, or would you rather bunk with Sarah and Veronica? That guy looks like he needs about fifty hours of serious sleep. I don't mind sharing a tent with him if we wanna split it boys/girls. I don't snore."

[Dart]

Dart followed Mark up onto the shore, waiting patiently as he spoke. When he stretched, she inclined her head and then decided to do the same. She dropped easily onto the sand into a runner's crouch, stretching one leg behind her before switching sides. Then she rose back to her feet and padded off to trail after him to the boat again.

Her eyes went a bit wide as the pack was suddenly sailing through the air at her. It was automatic, a gesture born out of many firefights where she'd been running for her life. Something got tossed at you? You dodged, because otherwise you were decorating the walls, the floor, and half a good acre of previously unspoiled forest. The courier spun on the red sand like a cutting horse; and had begun to bolt before she realized where she was, where it was, and what it was and that she was supposed to catch that.

Why does the world have to be so full of throwy things, standy things, paddley things, and catchy things? Why?

A desperate grab; and-

It thunked solidly into the center of Dart's chest. She grabbed it to her and curled up around it, clutching the pack with white-knuckle fingers. She didn't dare let it go, or lose concentration. Instead she staggered back a step before she shifted her weight on the sand, legs slightly apart. "I got it," she gasped, before she laughed with stupid relief. "Whoops. Haha, wasn't quite expecting that..."

She stood there holding the pack. It took Dart a few seconds to regain herself and answer his question. As much as it was incredibly tempting to say yes to the whole splitting up the tents theory she knew that the Autobot wouldn't go for it, not one bit.

Besides, it wasn't quite fair to Mark either. No one deserved to be glowered at for eight straight hours. Dart would bet that Max even could glare in his sleep somehow.

Not to mention that they just couldn't let down their guard for an instant in that scenario. All it would take was her generator deciding to give out or even his and yeah, that would be tough to explain without resorting to her stealing and then paraphrasing an episode of X-Files. The thought of Max's avatar looking like Agent Mulder did crack her up though.

"Aw, it's okay," the courier said quickly, not letting go of the pack. "I can bunk with him. We've got used to sharing some really tight spaces lately... Totally okay. I better keep an eye on him anyway. He's in stoic mode right now, you know?"

"Besides, it's not you who probably snores," she offered with a grin. "I won't make you suffer through that, scout's honor. Be like sleeping next to a guy with a chain gun pointed at you, trust me."

[Deleted]

Mark guffawed.

"No problem," he said, grinning. "Okay, I'll take a tent with the two ladies. I mean, Sarah snores too, but not like, that bad."

He slung his own big pack out of the raft and onto his back and motioned for Dart to follow him up the beach. Sarah's good-natured chatter echoed down the sand. The man's deeper voice answered it. Evidently even the Autobot could not keep up his silence in the face of her cheerful mood. She had coaxed a water bottle into his hand and he held it awkwardly, like he had little clue what to do with it.

Veronica stood nearby, kicking out tightly rolled sleeping bags from one of the packs. Sarah paced the beach nearby, her eyes turned downwards. She had kicked off her sandals and was worming her bare toes into the sand.

"Who wants to rock-hunt with me?" she says. "We gotta make a firepit. Oh, thanks, Rachel! Just throw that pack down over by Veronica."

She flashed Dart a smile.

"I'll toss up the tents," said Mark. "Lady, don't kick me in your sleep again."

Veronica made a face at him.

"What are we eating for dinner?" she said.

"I was thinking something quick and easy, like hotdogs or beans," said Sarah. She unburied a rock and picked it up. "Rachel, Mr Freeman - any preferences?"

[Dart]

Dart trotted after Mark and hung onto that pack like it had the power to melt Nazis. She picked her way across the sand. Her feet pressed into the light, dry soil. When she finally got to where she could pop the pack down, she did so, and had a self-satsified little grin as it thumped into the ground. Dart couldn't help dusting off her hands with a tiny snort. Take that, backpack.

As her gaze shifted to where Max and the girl were, she couldn't help frown a bit. Huh... she watched humans all the time. She'd studied them, she'd spent hours - no, days, simply observing every motion and the nuances, the same way she watched horses and birds and all the other living things around her. It was fascinating to her... but it was also company. Her function required her to trot through long stretches of wilderness a lot. Not many Decepticons used the land like she did, and often it was... well, it was lonely. Sometimes, anyway. Sometimes it was just nice to get away from... yeah. That.

Humans though... they ate, they drank, they snuck out and peed in the bushes when they were camping.

They also did the same thing in alleyways when they were really drunk, but that didn't apply at all to this moment.

However... this was going to be tough. Eating. Drinking. The Autobot didn't look as if he had a clue. Dart shifted her weight- okay, well... it was likely going to be up to her to fake what she could. His behavior they hopefully could pass off as exhaustion and pain; animals shut down when that happened. She'd seen deer that were badly injured just curl up in the woods and die with forage and water close.

"I like rock hunting," Dart offered, perking up as she pushed those thoughts aside. "I'm good at finding rocks."

"Also aw, I'll eat anything," she said. "Trust me, as long as it's not three week old oil sludge in the bottom of an Alaska pipeline storage tank, I'm good to go."

A pause. "I take that back, I'd eat that too, if I was hungry enough. Um... er, hotdogs sound great, so do beans."

She shifted her weight again, and peered over at the mech where he just sat holding the water bottle. "S'okay, sir? Hotdogs?" Her voice couldn't help landing on that note of concern again as she observed him.

[Deleted]

For once, the man did not glower up at her. He slowly turned the water bottle around between his hand, thumbing the cap. His eyes were heavy-lidded, his worn, unshaven face grey.

"No," he murmured. With a glance at the humans nearby he added, "Thanks. Decker. I'm not hungry."

Sarah paused, another rock in her hand.

"Are you sure?" she said. "We could brew up some coffee if you'd like. It doesn't taste the greatest, but it'd be good and hot."

"No. Thank you."

"I'll take hotdogs and beans!" said Veronica. She pulled open the cooking pack, where collapsible pots and plates and drinking cups were stack neatly inside. "I'll eat anything right now. So hungry."

"Put me down for hotdogs," said Mark as he unrolled a tent.

Sarah waved to Dart.

"Just pick up any rock you can find!" she said. She held up one of the stone's she had already gathered, and then gestured to the darkening beach. Already a few stars were reflected on the surface of the river. "About this big works best. We'll make a ring of them and then I'll go look for some kindling. If you see any dry grass nick that too! It's a good firestarter."

[Dart]

"You- you're welcome," Dart stuttered and unfortunately didn't hide her surprise well. The fact that he'd actually said thank you registered. As did the dull look. She lifted her head, sniffed, tried to pick up something, anything; something that would register...

Back in the cave, the courier's action mirrored that of her avatar. A slow, careful rise of her chin, a sniff; she tipped her head and just-- looked at him. Past the gun on his knees, past his hands, past everything. Just... him.

A low, odd whine started to work itself out of her throat, and then she swallowed it back.

Dart started to take a step towards the mech and then hesitated. Her hands dropped to her sides. Her toe came up and started to paw at the sand. Her worry was evident in the tip of her shoulders, the shift of her chin.

"I know. It's okay, honest. Just a bit longer, sir," she murmured. "Promise. Cross my heart, okay? You'll be fine."

Then she turned back. "Hmph. I don't pick up any rocks... I just pick up the good ones." she replied, setting her hands onto her hips. Her thumbs flicked restlessly, as if she was searching for something she usually carried around her waist. "Got it. Dry grass, rocks, will do."

With that the courier turned to go scope it out. She stayed in the mech's line of sight though, and was careful not to step behind the plane of his body as she traveled up the beach a bit. It took her a bit of scouting, and a few tries to bring some back. She apparently was a bit of a perfectionist; this rock was too big, this one too small - nope, this one wouldn't come out of the ground even with her digging at it. On the way back once she dropped one square on her toe and was thankful for the shadows and the darknening sky, because it went right through it.

Dry grass proved a bit more tricky; and half of it ended up scattered in her wake. She had to go back and pick the rest of it up.

Finally, she crouched by the firepit, squatting easily on her haunches, touching her fingertips to the soil to balance herself. "That's enough, right?" she asked Sarah.

[Deleted]

Sarah already crouched at a rough half-circle of rocks, inside which the sand had scooped out into the shape of a small bowl. A small bundle of loose twigs and small branches sat beside her feet, already broken into kindling.

"Oh, that's perfect, yes, thank you!" she said.

She took the rocks that Dart had gathered and arranged then into ring around the pit. The dried grasses was pressed into a soft bed inside, upon which was stacked the trigs - smallest first, with a few larger sticks laid on top.

"Thank you so much - I'll get the fire going and then we'll be set," she said. She grinned the courier and pretended to shiver, rubbing her arms. "I just want some heat. It's not that cold out, but ugh, I got so damp today from the spray. I can't wait to dry out. You're really not supposed to start fires in the Canyon outside of the provided grills, but those camping spots can get so filled up with people sometimes you can never find an empty grill for your fire. So we've just been making small ones so we can stay away from the crowded parks."

She winced, smiling, even as she dragged the cooking pack over to the pit. "Not the greatest thing to do, but we always try to be super careful."

Meanwhile, Mark was busy erecting two small gun-grey tents beneath the honey mesquite trees. They were light and rugged, wind-stable domes with sturdy lines and J-stakes. One sat near the packs, while the other was nestled a little further back into the scrub brush. To his surprise Max had silently climbed to his feet and limped over to assist. Despite his exhaustion his holoform showed its robust simplicity - it allowed him to haul down upon the line tensioners without a flicker. The two men spoke quietly as they worked, careful and polite.

"Fire!" said Sarah.

A flick of a waterproof match had sparked alight a tiny flame, which now crackled and snapped hungrily at the dry grass. A little smoke threaded up into the night. She leaned over her knees and blew on it. "Come on, you! Burn, dammit, my butt is effing soaked. Okay, I'll build this up and get some dinner going - go check out the tents if you like, Rachel! Pick out which one you want. You guys had rocks fall on you, so you totally get first choice."

[Dart]

Fascinated, Dart simply watched for a moment, crouched down next to her, peering at the firepit. "I didn't know that," she said, and ticked it away into her box of learning things. "I mean, there's not many regulations like that in Oregon, but I guess I can understand why here. It- be easy to um... set a bunch of dry brush on fire, and that would be dangerous."

She lifted her head, started to sniff the air, and caught herself. "Wind too. Wind down here will push it right into narrow places. Blowback, you know? Canyons are really not the safest places for firefights-- firefighting. Firefighting."

Dart rocked back on her heels. "Because if there's a firefight going on in this canyon, I can't see anyone wanting to stick around, that's for sure. Well, fires, either. Whoa, I am so tired I'm thinking in circles."

She grinned over at Sarah and leaned back and rubbed the side of her nose. The match burst into flame, bright and hot and cheerful, and as the grass curled and crisped, the smoke twisted up. It swirled slightly in the air, a thin grey ribbon against the growing dark. "No kidding, that was... um, really wet. Hooray for fire though! Isn't that a movie?"

Dart looked thoughtful, and then her brow raised. "Ohhhh... No, wait, that's Quest for Fire, um... wow, that wasn't a good one, either. Well, what I got to see of it."

With that she hopped to her feet and nodded. "Aw I can sleep anywhere, trust me. A rock. Dirt's fine. I've slept in my share of parking garages, too -- this is practically a luxury room, a tent. I'll see if he's got a preference though. Be right back and... thank you so much. You guys have been absolutely amazing. I- I really can't thank you enough for all your help."

A chuckle- and then she was trotting up the beach where the two men were working on the tent.

Dart realized that she was coming up behind Max rather quickly though and altered course to circle him wide before approaching. Yeah, no. Not a good idea. She'd learned her lesson, once was enough. "Sarah said to pick a tent," she called, even as she trotted up near Mark and eyed the Autobot again. "I dunno, is there one you want more than the other, sir, or does it matter to you at all...?"

If she'd been out here by herself, she probably would have picked the one that nosed into the wind direction. Best not to bring that up.

[Deleted]

Sarah just pshawed and waved off the thanks, though she unpacked the portable pots and dishes with a little more verve as the courier left.

Back by the trees, Mark stood with his fists on his hips and regarded the two tents with satisfaction. He looked around when he heard Dart's footsteps on the soft sand.

"Did she?" he said. "Yeah, you guys go ahead and pick whichever one you'd like. They're both good tents, and I don't think we're gonna have to worry about anything like rain or high winds tonight. I think we might have a spare blanket if you need it as well. Nothing fancy. And the life jackets make decent pillows."

He poked his thumb back over his shoulder. "I'll go grab a couple for ya. Whichever tent you want, just go for it!"

He jogged off. Halfway down the cove he took off his hat and threw it like a frisbee to Veronica, who lunged to catch it with a startled exclamation. Laughter erupted into the night, mingling with the smoke and the stars.

Max sat on a rock beneath a mesquite tree. He eyed the humans as they gambolled on the beach.

"The one closer to the trees," he said. He motioned to it with a jerk of his head. "They're both fine. But it's out of the way. Less chance of the humans walking past our tent if they wake early in the morning."

He kept his voice low, his hand pressed to his side. Beneath his palm the bloodstain on his old plaid shirt had spread again, creeping from his chest to his left hip. The growing darkness concealed it a little, as did his fingers. "I'll be feigning sleep shortly. I contribute nothing to this operation. I'll only be in the way. You are... going to have to retire from the proceedings as well."

The words were quiet, for once devoid of a threatening tone. Max studied her, his gaze unreadable. "You're enjoying this, aren't you? Interacting with these humans."

[Dart]

As Mark headed off down the beach, Dart had to laugh at the frisbee. The courier braced herself in the sand; oh, she could totally catch up, catch it, snatch it out of the air. It was play. It was the same sort of play that long-legged moose calves did, bucking and dashing around their mothers, or dingo pups did with a scrap of hide. Really, contrary to popular belief, Decepticons played too. Okay, a lot of them had a horrid sense of what was fun, not exactly fun for anything else around them, no, and... oh.

Her gaze slipped to his hand and the bloodstain now trailing over his hip. Then she politely turned her eyes back on the sand. Her toe scuffed at a little clump of grass.

"The one closer to the trees," she agreed with a nod. "It makes sense, sir. Everything's been okay, but I- I know I can't keep this up much longer. I don't think I can keep concentration on both places at once. It's okay. I'll just tell them we're both exhausted, they'll understand, I'm sure."

Dart settled back on her heels. Her chin dipped slightly so she could look at the mech. hands tucked behind her, lacing at the small of her back. The patched sleeve of her sweatshirt fluttered in the wind, as well as her tangled, scruffy bangs. Her t-shirt caught the breeze as well; the galloping horse logo rippled in mid-stride as if it too wanted to be free and running on somewhere over the landscape, among the rocks and the dry brush.

Her expression was hard to read perhaps in the growing dark, but her eyes had gone distant with his question. They were wistful, even longing. However, her shoulders straightened, military-perfect, as if she was being questioned about something else and unsure over what was the appropriate thing to say, in case it proved to be the wrong thing.

Then Dart sighed, let the air trickle through her avatar's teeth. Funny, there was no air involved, but you could still make all the right noises. Neat, that. Then actually turned to meet the mech's grey gaze and didn't look instantly away.

She shoved her hands in her pockets. Rocked back from foot to foot. Then finally offered the mech that lopsided, quirky little smile.

"Yes sir," she said. "Aren't you?"

[Deleted]

Max's face grew hard.

"No," he said.

Then he grimaced and wiped his eyes. He bent over to rest his elbows on his knees and scrubbed his hand down his face, slowly rubbing at his chin. After a moment he lifted his gaze back up to meet hers, his hand still raised over his mouth. He eyed her.

"The humans are decent company," he said gruffly. "They're all right. The female, Sarah - she treats people well. Like a medic. And the view down here has been... very impressive. Lots of light and open space. Most architects on Cybertron couldn't design structural landscapes half as well."

He trailed off, staring into space. Then:

"Did I hear you say you say you'd been to Alaska? Something about oil drilling."