The Hunt Begins Part 3

Arcee traveled as fast as she could, as her vehicle mode was a motorcycle, she was by far the most agile of the Autobots in certain situations.

She drove into the small town, using a hologram to simulate an ordinary person driving. She began to search carefully for Lux, trying to be discreet so as not to arouse suspicion, remembering his physical characteristics from the first and only time she had seen him.

[Come on, where are you? You can't have gone very far.] Arcee thought, using her magnified vision to detect any sign of her target.

***

On a high road, a fat-looking driver with a badly shaved beard was calmly driving his lorry north, beside him a passenger he did not know, but who was offering a reasonable amount of money for a ride to the next town.

The entire cabin of the truck was a mess, with soda cans rolling across the carpet and a small Christian cross hanging from the ceiling, swinging in different directions as the truck rocked.

"So you're some kind of nomadic people?" The driver asked, looking at the teenager, who looked to be in his 20s or so, beside him, watching the road through the window.

"Hmmmm... you could say that, I don't really have a home, I just follow where the wind takes me." I replied, leaning my arm against the window of the truck, watching the scenery and feeling the wind on my face.

"It must be lonely, don't you have any family?" the driver asked.

"No... you could say I was an orphan all my life." I said, remembering my tribe, long extinct, and to be honest, I barely remember them. Although I might have some lost memories in my dreams, what I really dream about when I sleep are memories of other lives. For 90% of the time, my dreams are fragments of memories from deceased Cybertronians who merged with me after their deaths. Is it something weird? Yes, but it's normal in my everyday life.

"From the looks of you, you must have left the orphanage some time ago, I feel sorry for you." The driver said, feeling a bit of compassion for Lux. "My father was a rather complicated person, but my mother taught me a lot. I may not have a great job, but it's enough to put food on the table for my wife and 7-year-old daughter."

The way the man talked about his family made me smile, and I couldn't deny that I was a little jealous of his good fortune. "Appreciating the few things we have makes us appreciate life in a unique way." I said, looking at the clouds in the sky.

I guess I needed a normal conversation like this, no aliens, explosions or action, just a normal and peaceful conversation. Talking to this man was strangely therapeutic, perhaps because he was a person who seemed happy with what he had achieved for himself, and not arrogant enough to show it off.

The driver smiled at the answer, understanding the hidden message in his temporary travelling companion's words. "I'm sure you'll find what you need in time."

"What if I don't?" I asked, looking at the man.

"We are all destined for something, no matter how simple, maybe one day I will save a life or win the lottery. Often it may be chance or self-effort, but there is still a destiny that we must follow, I have faith that you are destined for something great in the future". The vivid way this man expressed his support surprised Lux again for a moment.

I sighed, the man beside me was wiser than he let on, and I couldn't help but think that my life could take an even greater turn now than it did millennia ago. It was almost ironic that I was the oldest person in the world and a humble man was teaching me a life lesson. It was obvious that even at my age I still had a lot to learn, I just hope I have the chance to solve my unusual problems.

Now that my human identity had been compromised, all that was left was to hope that I wouldn't be persecuted or buy time to hide. I guess I always knew it could happen one day, but after 300,000 years of living the way I did, just watching humanity evolve, I ended up feeling like that day would never come, and now that it has, I'm a bit scared.

I don't even know if I can be considered human, maybe only in the physical sense, but inside me, in my heart, I am already more than that. I know that the Allspark is much more than just a source of power and that there is something dark out there in the universe that wants to destroy me, I suspect what it might be, but the likelihood of its return is virtually nil, but the sensation of a faint pulsation that I felt long ago, like a heartbeat, gave me an unpleasant shiver that made me more cautious of alien life.

I can't help but sigh in bitterness, I can't afford to be naive, I've spent most of my life just putting off the inevitable, just treating it like an adventure that will never end. I know I'll have to act like it at some point, but I don't feel ready, not yet. It was strange that the last few days were so much more intense than a whole lifetime.

What makes my situation worse is that technology now extends to every medium. This means that if I move to a big city, it is quite obvious that I will be found even faster. Humans are creatures that have evolved into a society based on communication and language, which means that any device such as mobile phones, laptops or surveillance cameras will be hacked in real time to identify me. I need to find a way to stay hidden until I know what to do in the long term, as I will most likely not have much time before I am revealed as the Allspark.

After a few hours of travelling we finally arrived in a town in the late afternoon, I must say I miss my cars, in situations like this I could be in other towns in no time.

When I got out of the truck I stretched my back and it cracked for a moment. This is a consequence of having lived more than 3,000 times the current human lifespan. "Here friend, I'll get the money as promised."

"No need, you should use the money for yourself, I already have more than enough." The driver smiled, showing a smile and a friendly look. "The little I have is more than enough for me."

I couldn't help but open my mouth slightly in surprise, a bitter feeling coming over me for underestimating him by believing he did his deed for money. "I hope from the bottom of my heart that you have a good life. Thanks again for the ride."

"No problem, but remember, we are always meant for something, no matter how small. May God be with you." The driver advised, still smiling, and drove off in another direction, leaving Lux alone.

I watched the truck slowly disappear, it seemed a sad farewell somehow, but also a satisfied one. "Till all are one... my unexpected friend." I whispered without realising what I was saying.

Now that I was in danger of being identified by the Cybertronians, it was better for me to stay in the shadows for a while, and fortunately I finally had an idea of how to stay hidden without attracting attention for a few months, hopefully years, but my luck is being tested many times and it's not a good sign.

As much as I have adapted to life in the new technological age of mankind, my origins are ancient and old habits die hard. I walked through the small town until I found a very specific shop with a slogan of a hunter with a rifle shooting a deer.

As I entered the shop, a small bell rang and an elderly looking salesman suddenly appeared from under the counter. The shop was stocked with all manner of survival equipment, including rifles, axes, knives, tents, blankets and even bear traps.

"So, my enthusiast, are you here to camp or hunt?" The salesman asked, adjusting his prescription glasses.

"I'm looking for equipment for a practical survival situation," I replied, examining some axes and ropes on the wall behind the salesman.

"Hmmm... I see, what kind of situation would that be?" The salesman asked curiously.

"Let's say I was looking for emergency supplies and rations for a long time, like crackers, dried fruits and vegetables, rice and some spices," I said, watching as the salesman wrote everything down on a notepad.

"How long will you be camping?" The shopkeeper asked, grabbing a few things from under his counter.

"Without equipment, I can manage a solo camp for a few months without any problem, but I plan to stay without contact with civilisation for at least a few years, so I want to have at least a minimum of enjoyment." I confessed, noticing that the salesman didn't seem surprised.

"Follow me to the warehouse." The salesman picked up a stick and walked unsteadily with Lux at his side. "My back is old, I can't carry much weight."

"That's not a problem, it's the duty of the young to help the old as much as possible. Excuse me... I just remembered, do you have an old radio?" I asked.

"I'm a war veteran, young man, I can get you anything you need." Said the salesman.

***

Arcee was parked in a car park, married and stressed because she hadn't been able to find Lux. Her other war buddies were watching other parts of the city, but it was obvious that none of them had been successful.

[[Optimus, I think it's pretty clear that Lux is not in this city.]] Arcee commented, her irritation obvious.

[[We must not lose hope, if he is somehow here, I want to make sure he is safe.]] Optimus replied, driving through the city in his vehicle mode.

[[Optimus, if the Decepticons are not in this city, it means they intend to capture him the moment he makes a bad move. Now he should be on the lookout for any suspicious activity ahead of him, whether it's Autobots or Decepticons.]]Ratchet said as he viewed several hacked images from the city's security cameras, but was unable to find Lux. [[The boy is like a ghost, and we don't have time to invest our resources in finding him, so the wisest decision at the moment is to ask Agent Fowler for assistance. He and his military contacts can conduct a wider and more discreet search than we can.]]

Optimus sighed softly and stopped at the red light, waiting to continue his search. Bumblebee approached in his vehicular form and honked his horn, agreeing with the group's doctor.

[[You're right, if Lux managed to escape the Decepticons' own ship, I think he can hide until we find him.]] Optimus nodded a little worriedly, feeling that he had to find Lux before something irreparable happened. [[Autobots, let's go home.]]