SoundFire Prime presents TFA: Season Four

Bumblebee drives up to an old farm down the street from San Venganza’s Emu Farm. On the property are a dilapidated farmhouse and a barn with a large satellite dish and an observatory-like telescope pointed up at the sky on the roof. A herd of alpacas is grazing out in the barnyard. A teenage Indian-American boy around Sari’s age with slick jet black hair wearing a personalized Detroit Lions jersey and dark blue jeans is watching over the alpaca heard while talking on his cell phone. Professor Sumdac and Sari get out of Bumblebee and walk up to the teenage boy, but he doesn’t notice them.

Kumar: “Can’t you just come back now? Look, I know you’re busy, okay? Yes, I know I could have come along with you, but you know darn well how I feel about…yes, I know. I know. Yes, Dad, I know the Overlook Hotel is a goldmine. Yes, I know there are potential…ARTIFACTS there for you to add to your…COLLECTION. Yes, I know you need to be there with all of your mercenaries and Mr. Lillard. Listen, I know this is a hobby of yours, and I do my best to respect that, you know I do, but don’t you think its just a little too……yes, Sir, understood, Sir. Okay, but for God’s sake, Dad, just be careful. You know how violent those animals can be. Huh? Oh, no, Grandpa hasn’t left the farmhouse since you dropped me off here. What? Oh, no, I’ve had to take care of Rockefeller and the alpaca herd. No, no, Grandpa just sleeps a lot now. I don’t know, I guess he’s just coping with Grandma’s…yes, Sir. Oh, wait; hold on, Dad, I think you’re breaking up. I can hardly hear a thing you’re saying. Dad, wait, I…Dad? Dad?!”

Kumar growls and throws his cell phone in anger.

Kumar: “I CAN HARDLY GET A DAMN SIGNAL OUT HERE IN DELIVERANCE COUNTRY!!!”

Professor Sumdac: “Um, hello?”

Kumar groans impatiently.

Kumar: “Oh, so I suppose you want to buy some alpaca wool sweaters, right? Okay, uh, let me just…”

Kumar turns to face Professor Sumdac and Sari. He breathes a deep sigh of relief and smiles.

Kumar: “Oh, thank the lord, for a second I thought you were white folks.”

Sari: “Do we LOOK white to you?”

Professor Sumdac: “Sari!”

Kumar shakes his head and chuckles softly.

Kumar: “Nice, and here I thought me and the old buzzard were the only Indians out here in ‘Hazard County’. Nice to get some FAMILIAR customers all the way out here. So, what do you call yourselves?”

Professor Sumdac: “I’m sorry? Oh, right, well, I’m Professor Isaac Sumdac from Detroit, and this is my daughter, Sari.”

Sari smiles and extends her hand to Kumar.

Sari: “Hello.”

Kumar frowns and arches his eyebrow.

Kumar: “You said your name is Isaac Sumdac?”

Professor Sumdac: “That’s right.”

Kumar: “…That must mean you’re my…my uncle.”

Sari looks at Professor Sumdac.

Professor Sumdac: “…Oh, my God…you’re Yasir’s boy? You look so much like him.”

Kumar slowly nods his head and sighs.

Kumar: “That’s what they tell me. Another thing they tell me is that you were an ungrateful little egghead who up and left your own family.”

Sari: “Well, you heard wrong. My father is the nicest, smartest, and most honest guy I know, and he’s very generous…right?”

Kumar: “That’s not what I heard. I heard your old man was a no good deadbeat…”

Professor Sumdac: “Look, son, I just received a less than warm welcome from the emu farmers up the street, and I was hoping I would be welcomed with open arms here.”

Kumar: “Well then, I’m afraid you might have come to the wrong place.”

Professor Sumdac: “Please, I just want to see my father. Is he here?”

Kumar gestures towards the farmhouse.

Kumar: “Sleeping upstairs, I imagine. That’s really all the old fart does now. If you want to say hello, go ahead, but don’t come crying to me when he grabs a chainsaw and slices you up into a spicy human meat pie.”

Professor Sumdac: “……Sari, stay outside.”

Sari: “Dad…”

Professor Sumdac: “I wasn’t ASKING you, Sari, now please stay here. I’ll be back.”

Sari: “…Be careful.”

Kumar: “Heh, biggest understatement of the year.”

Professor Sumdac walks up to the farmhouse. Kumar sighs and returns to watching over the alpaca herd grazing in the barnyard. Sari stands next to him and watches the alpaca herd.

Kumar: “…You know, contrary to popular belief, I’m not a gigantic ass. I’m usually a pretty nice guy…USUALLY.”

Sari: “Hmm…”

Kumar: “So…I guess since Isaac Sumdac is my uncle, and you’re his kid…I guess that makes us cousins, huh?”

Sari: “…Yeah, I guess.”

Kumar turns to face Sari and smiles.

Kumar: “I’m Kumar, Kumar Sumdac.”

Sari looks at Kumar and smiles.

Sari: “I’m Sari, in case you haven’t already heard.”

Sari and Kumar shake hands.

Kumar: “Nice to meet you.”

Sari: “Likewise.”

Kumar: “Again, I’m sorry for not making a good first impression.”

Sari: “Hey, no problem. I’m kind of used to it by now.”

Kumar: “Huh, so you’re dad is robotics genius Isaac Sumdac? You’re lucky. There are a lot of perks that come with being an heiress. You’re not an airhead, are you?”

Sari: “Do I LOOK like Paris Hilton?”

Kumar: “Point taken. So, your old man is probably going to be inside for a while. You wanna, I don’t know, talk about stuff, or whatever?”

Sari: “Sure, like what?”

Kumar: “Well…”

Professor Sumdac is snooping around inside the farmhouse. To his surprise, not much has changed since he left for college over forty some odd years ago. In fact, everything is exactly where he left it. Professor Sumdac walks up to the mantle over the fireplace and picks up and old family photograph with the alpaca herd grazing in the background. In the photograph are Professor Sumdac’s father, his mother, his older brother, and his little sister. Professor Sumdac’s resemblance to his father is uncanny, and his brother looks a lot like him when he was ten years old. Professor Sumdac’s sister, who was eight years old at the time the picture was taken, looks so much like Sari when she was eight years old, and it brings a tear to his eye. Clearly, Sari inherited many traits from Professor Sumdac’s mother and sister, including his mother and sister’s red hair, and some of his sister’s facial features. Sari had also inherited Professor Sumdac’s brother’s manipulative nature, much to his chagrin. But on a brighter side, there was not a doubt in Professor Sumdac’s mind that Sari inherited his sister’s innocence and caring nature, something that made him so very proud of her. Unfortunately, Sari had proven to be a little brash and hard-headed at times, a trait that was dominant in his father. Professor Sumdac places the photograph back on the mantle and jumps when he hears a loud yawn. He looks over at the bottom of the stairs and smiles as he sees an old friend. Aside from robotics and mechanics, Professor Sumdac was very passionate about organic life of all kinds as a child, and actually succeeded in successfully cloning a thylacine, a marsupial species that had long been extinct since the last living specimen died in captivity in 1933. Professor Sumdac “adopted” the thylacine as a family pet and named it “Rockefeller” after one of the most successful and powerful industrialists in American history, John Davison Rockefeller. Surprisingly, Rockefeller had not aged a day in the forty years Professor Sumdac had been absent. Professor Sumdac tiptoes over to a sleeping Rockefeller and bends down to rub his belly.

Professor Sumdac: “Oh, I’ve missed you so much, old friend.”

Rockefeller wakes up and gets up on all four. He stretches his legs out yawns.

Professor Sumdac: “Hey, Rockefeller, it’s me, Isaac. Don’t you remember me, boy?”

Rockefeller sniffs Professor Sumdac’s hand and almost instantly recognizes his scent. He nuzzles Professor Sumdac affectionately as he gently strokes his back.

Professor Sumdac: “I know I’ve been gone for a long time, but now I’m back. At least YOU’RE happy to see me today. Almost everyone in this town wants to kill me, but not you.”

Rockefeller yawns and exits through the doggy door built into the front door. Professor Sumdac takes a deep breath and walks up the stairs, down the second floor hallway, and into his father’s bedroom. Professor Sumdac’s father is sleeping on his bed. Professor Sumdac tiptoes to his father’s side and looks at him. Professor Sumdac is bombarded by memories of his childhood living on the Sumdac family farm, some good, and some bad, but most less than pleasant. Professor Sumdac’s father (voiced by Brian-Doyle Murray) breaks the deafening silence and startles Professor Sumdac by talking.

Khaled Sumdac: “If you’re the Angel of Death, I’m ready.”

Professor Sumdac: “Father…”

Khaled Sumdac opens his eyes and stares at Professor Sumdac in awe.

Khaled Sumdac: “Hey, you’re not the Angel of Death. In fact, you look just like…Lucifer.”

Professor Sumdac sighs deeply.

Professor Sumdac: “Hello, Father.”

Khaled Sumdac: “What time is it, boy?”

Professor Sumdac looks at the alarm clock on Khaled Sumdac’s bed stand.

Professor Sumdac: “It’s half past noon.”

Khaled Sumdac sighs and gets up out of bed.

Khaled Sumdac: “Damn, I’d better go chuck on Kumar, whiney little brat. Always bitching about his daddy.”

Khaled Sumdac puts his shoes on and heads downstairs with Professor Sumdac following behind.

Professor Sumdac: “Father, hold on a second.”

Khaled Sumdac: “So what brings you all the way out to Paw Paw? Shouldn’t you be in Detroit living it up like a filthy rich bastard? That’s what you always wanted, wasn’t it, to be rich?”

Professor Sumdac: “Father, just listen to me, please. I know it’s been a long time, and I’m sorry I never kept in touch, but I…”

Khaled Sumdac turns to face Professor Sumdac with a look of sheer disgust and speaks to him in a stern voice.

Khaled Sumdac: “Now let me tell you something, Egghead, you have a whole lot of balls showing your face around here after what you did to me, after the shame you brought upon our family. How dare you come back? You should have stayed in Detroit where you belong. What, did you think if you came back, you would be welcomed with open arms? Did you think this would all be some warmy touchy feeling family reunion like the freakin’ Brady Bunch? You’re a fool, Isaac. I see you haven’t changed one bit.”

Professor Sumdac: “Neither have you.”

Khaled Sumdac: “You better watch the way you talk to me, boy.”

Professor Sumdac: “Oh, bite me, Dad. You have no control over me anymore. I don’t live here now.”

Khaled Sumdac: “As far as I’m concerned, you stopped being a part of this family the day you left for college.”

Professor Sumdac: “I HAD to leave, Father. You think I became a genius roboticist overnight? I had to go to one of the most prestigious universities in the country and study hard to get the degrees I required to get to where I am today. I worked hard for my company. I worked hard to make a difference.”

Khaled Sumdac: “Oh, spare me. I know you worked hard to become a big fancy Doctor Frankenstein, but you never put any work into our farm. All you ever did was build crappy robots and gizmos and recycled gadgets. It was every day with you. All you would ever do is lock yourself up in the barn and tinker away with all that mechanical junk when you could have been helping us with chores on the farm. It’s a lot of work to run a farm, Isaac, and we needed all the muscle we could get. Even when you DID help out, you were the hardest working out of the three of you kids, but you had no passion for it, none whatsoever.”

Professor Sumdac: “There was never anything for me on this farm. There was nothing for me in Paw Paw. That’s why I left. Detroit is where I belonged. Detroit is where my future was.”

Khaled Sumdac: “All that money you made, and you never offered any to us? Do you have any idea how hard we were struggling to make ends meet?”

Professor Sumdac: “I thought about bailing you out, but then I decided against it. I mean, really, why should I do ANYTHING for you guys? Building machines was my passion, and you guys never supported me. You said it was a waste of time. You belittled and mocked me every chance you had, and it wasn’t long until the whole town began making fun of me. But I proved you all wrong. I worked my fingers to the bone to get to where I am today with no thanks to you, Mother, Yasir, Sanchita, or even San Venganza and Toby and Alameda. You all laughed at me. You all thought I would never get anywhere with my dreams, but now look at me. Sumdac Systems alone makes more than a billion dollars a year along with GM, Powell Motorworks, and Biotech Unbound, and you HICKS can’t even sell one damn alpaca wool sweater anymore to make ends meet. Face it, Dad, I won, you lost. I’m the bigger man now, and you’re just a filthy beggar scrounging around at the bottom of the barrel. I’m glad I had a falling out with you and the others, because frankly, you’re not my family. A real family supports each other no matter what. You guys never did that. As far as I’m concerned now, I have no family.”

After a moment of awkward silence, Khaled Sumdac roars with fury and punches a hole in the wall.

Khaled Sumdac: “GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE, YOU LITTLE BASTARD!!!”

Professor Sumac: “I’d love to, and then I’ll tear it down along with the rest of the farm and build a smoke-belching factory over it!”

Khaled Sumdac tries to attack Professor Sumdac. Professor Sumdac punches Khaled Sumdac in the face and knocks him down onto the floor. Professor Sumdac breathes heavily. Khaled Sumdac wipes the blood from his lip.

Khaled Sumdac: “You’ve changed, Isaac. Ever since the night you found that alien head out in the field, you’ve changed. I had hoped and preyed that you would see the error of your ways. Then the day came when that big old head burst out of your tower and tried to destroy the city. It’s your fault that Megaman is out there. Then I saw on the news how all your appliances formed a giant monster and killed near everyone in Detroit. I was hoping that would be enough to convince you that you had made a terrible mistake, but even after everything…you’re still just a damned egghead, and you always will be.”

Professor Sumdac: “Well, like father…like son.”

Khaled Sumdac: “It’s all my fault. I should have raised you right. I was too easy on you when you were a kid. I should have whipped you into shape more, then you wouldn’t have grown up to be a deadbeat ingrate building war machines and useless junk. I should have been a better father. I failed you, Isaac.”

Professor Sumdac: “That’s bull and you know it. You treated me like crap all the time. You were never easy on me. Instead of treating me like a son, you treated me like a filthy mongrel pup that was bred to cower with its tail between its legs whenever its master came near and dance and beg for treats. That’s how you failed. You were never a good father to begin with.”

Khaled Sumdac: “…Okay, fine, so maybe I was a little rough around the edges, but that’s the way fathers are supposed to be. Granted, I likely overdid it just a little bit, but still…”

Professor Sumdac: “That’s no excuse. You know, I can put up with my own family, my own flesh and blood never supporting me, but what hurts the most is that you never once said that you loved me.”

Khaled Sumdac: “Aw, son, come on, are you going fruity on me?!”

Professor Sumdac: “You never said ‘I love you’ once, not to me, not to Yasir, not to Sanchita, dammit, Dad, you never even told Mom you loved her.”

Khaled Sumdac: “I loved your mother and you kids more than you’ll ever know. Even now, I love you so much, that I…aw, damn!”

Professor Sumdac: “…That reminds me, there are framed newspaper articles about me all over the house. How do you explain that?”

Khaled Sumdac: “……Okay, so maybe I’m a little proud of you, okay? Well, more so than your brother, anyway. You’re sister’s got a good thing going too, but it just ain’t as impressive, to tell you the truth.”

Professor Sumdac and Khaled Sumdac smile.

Professor Sumdac: “…I’m sorry for everything I put you through, Father.”

Khaled Sumdac: “And I’m sorry I never supported you, sorry that I never...”

Professor Sumdac: “I love you, Dad, and I’ve missed you so much.”

Khaled Sumdac: “I love you too, Son, and I’ve missed you more than you’ll ever know.”

Professor Sumdac and Khaled Sumdac embrace each other and pat each others backs. Khaled Sumdac begins sobbing softly.

Professor Sumdac: “Dad…are you…?”

Khaled Sumdac: “Shut up!”

Meanwhile, Sari and Kumar are still talking outside.

Sari: “So, let me get this straight, your father…is a ghost hunter?”

Kumar: “Well, kind of. See, we own this big mansion up in Moosejaw, Saskatchewan, and, well, he likes to keep ghosts and stuff in the basement. Ghosts he captures all over the world with the help of armed mercenaries and a clairvoyant we contracted.”

Sari: “Whoa, hold on, he doesn’t have some sort of infinite devil machine in the basement, does he?”

Kumar: “Heh, I saw that movie too once. Thir13en Ghosts, right? Yeah, great movie. But don’t worry, it’s not like that at all, I swear it. He just catches them and sells them off on the Black Market. I don’t know if that’s really illegal or not, but hey, it puts bread on the table, so…”

Sari: “……”

Kumar: “Heh, you don’t believe me, do you? No problem.”

Sari: “Oh, I believe you, of course. After all, I’m half robot and my best friends are giant alien robots, so I’ll believe ANYTHING you tell me.”

Kumar: “Heh, you’re all right, Sari. I like you.”

Sari: “You’re pretty cool, too. So, does this mean we’re like…friends?”

Kumar: “Well, we’re related, sort of, so it’s pretty much in the job description that we have to be friends and hang out together and stuff.”

Sari: “Wow, that’s great, ‘cause I really don’t have many HUMAN friends.”

Kumar: “I don’t see why not. You’re really cool and nice. You should have plenty of friends.”

Sari: “Aww, you really mean that?”

Kumar: “Sure do.”

Professor Sumdac and Khaled Sumdac step outside and walk up to Sari and Kumar.

Professor Sumdac: “Father, I want you to meet my daughter, Sari. And Sari, I want you to meet my father, your grandfather.”

Sari: “…Hello…Grandpa.”

Khaled Sumdac: “Hello……Sari.”

Sari and Khaled Sumdac smile and hug each other.

Khaled Sumdac: “It’s so great to meet you. Oh, I need to start making calls to everyone. We are going to have the biggest, greatest Sumdac family reunion in the history of Sumdac family reunions. My God, there are so many relatives you have to meet. There’s your Uncle Yasir, your Aunt Sanchita, your great grandfather Taj, your great grandmother Lubna, your second cousin twice removed Achmed…”

As Khaled Sumdac talks away, Sari and Professor Sumdac look at each other and smile. For the first time, Sari knows what it truly feels like to have a family, and she and her father couldn’t be any more proud to be a part of it. And so, Khaled Sumdac taught Sari all about the history of the Sumdac family, and Professor Sumdac was gracious enough to pay him over a million dollars to help support his farm and even replaced some of the outdated tools and equipment with more modern and high tech machinery, mostly with Automatons designed to function as farmhands. Business on the Sumdac family farm slowly resumed booming once more, something to which San Venganza took notice. San Venganza, Dr Alameda Rebennack, and Tobias C. Underwood tried to intervene, but Sari was able to convince Khaled Sumdac and San Venganza to join forces and run a single farm that specialized in breeding both alpacas and emus and selling their exports for money. With the money Khaled Sumdac was given by Professor Sumac, he was able to renovate most of his farm and add on to make it large enough so that he and San Venganza could move forward with their joint venture. When everything was finished, Professor Sumdac took Sari out into the fields and showed him the exact spot where he had found Megatron’s remains fifty years earlier. Sari assured Professor Sumdac that what’s past was past, and that he didn’t have to feel guilty for having inadvertently reviving Megatron any longer. She assured him that he was a good man, and an even better father. And with that, father and daughter went home, but not without saying goodbye to Khaled and Kumar Sumdac.

To be continued…

Later that night, the Autobots and human military have returned to the N.E.S.T. facilities in Diego Garcia to discuss what should be done about how to handle the Fallen and the Decepticons via a video conference with President Peter Cullen and the United Nations. Meanwhile, Sari is lying on her bed thinking about everything that has been happening lately. Kremzeek is sleeping inside Sari’s alarm clock. Professor Sumdac comes in to say good night to Sari.

Professor Sumdac: “Good night, Sari. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Sari: “Good night, Dad. I love you.”

Professor Sumdac: “I love you, too.”

Professor Sumdac starts to leave the room.

Sari: “Daddy?”

Professor Sumdac looks at Sari.

Professor Sumdac: “Yes, princess?”

Sari: “…Can I ask you something?”

Professor Sumdac comes to sit at Sari’s side.

Professor Sumdac: “You can ask me anything.”

Sari: “…Are you proud of me, Daddy?”

Professor Sumdac: “What? Of course I’m proud of you, Sari. How could you even ask me something like that? I couldn’t even begin to tell you just how proud I am to be your father, and how proud I am to have you as my daughter.”

Sari: “…Well, could you try?”

Professor Sumdac laughs softly and gently strokes Sari’s head.

Professor Sumdac: “Well, you’re a sweet, generous girl with a heart of gold, you’re smart and friendly, everyone you meet wants to be your friend, and you always make the right decisions, not to mention you’re cute as a button.”

Sari: “That’s so sweet of you. Thanks, Dad.”

Professor Sumdac: “Anything for you, Niblet.”

Sari: “Aw, Dad…”

Professor Sumdac: “Hey, I always used to call you Niblet.”

Sari: “Yeah, when I was a TODDLER.”

Professor Sumac: “That may be, but you can’t help that you’ll always be my precious little girl, know matter how old you are.”

Sari: “Oh, I know.”

Professor Sumdac: “Is that all you wanted to talk about?”

Sari sits up in her bed.

Sari: “Actually, no. See, I’ve been thinking lately, and well…I feel like everything that’s happened is all my fault.”

Professor Sumdac: “…What do you mean?”

Sari: “Prowl, Bulkhead, Ratchet, Optimus, and all the others, they’re dead…because of me. Don’t bother telling me it’s not my fault, because you know as well as I do that it’s true.”

Professor Sumdac: “Sari, no, it isn’t your fault. Why would you think it was?”

Sari: “Because Bulkhead, Ratchet, and Optimus died trying to stop the Fallen when I wouldn’t do it myself. And if I had know sooner that it was my destiny to save the day and everything, maybe Prowl wouldn’t have had to sacrifice his life to recreate the AllSpark and save Detroit from Megatron and his Lugnut Supremes, and I wouldn’t have to choke back tears everytime I think about him. It’s time to face facts, Dad, Jetfire was right. I have a responsibility, and I’m too much of a coward to fulfill it, and so everyone I love has to die all because I won’t stand up to the Fallen. Optimus Prime sacrificed himself to save me, but he shouldn’t have done that. I’m nothing but a coward. It’s all my fault…all of it…everything. The Apocalypse is coming because of me, the Fallen is free to walk the Earth because of me, Earth has become a war zone because of me, my family is dying because of me, and the whole Great War is being fought because of me. Face it, Dad, my existence has done nothing but doom us all to early graves and make the universe a dangerous place. Maybe we all would have been better off if I was never born or built in the first place.”

Professor Sumdac speaks to Sari in a stern tone of voice.

Professor Sumdac: “Now I want you to listen to me and listen good, young lady, I don’t EVER want to hear you say that EVER. Do you understand me? You think things may be bad now, but you have NO IDEA how things would be if you really had never been born. If you weren’t here now, the Decepticons would have burned Earth to the ground long ago.”

Sari: “That’s not true! My key is what brought Megatron back to life, and that’s what brought more Decepticons here in the first place. If I hadn’t been born, the key wouldn’t have been made, and Megatron would still be a lifeless severed head in your laboratory, and things wouldn’t be as bad as they are right now. Not even YOU can argue with that logic!”

Professor Sumdac: “I can, and I WILL, just try me. I may be a little naïve at times, but you should never allow that to allow you to make the mistake that I have no idea what I’m talking about. I have fifty years on you, Sari. I’ve been around the block plenty more times than you.”

Sari: “Look, I’m sorry, okay?! It’s just that I…”

Professor Sumdac: “WHAT?!”

Sari shakes her head and fights back tears.

Sari: “I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do anymore. How can I make things right? That’s all I want to know. How can I make things better?”

Professor Sumdac: “……”

Sari: “Jetfire says I’m supposed to be the big hero and kill the Fallen. I’m so used to the Autobots saving the day, that I’ve been unable to comprehend the fact that for the first time, I’m the one who’s meant to be the hero. This whole time, I’ve been nothing but a cheerleader standing on the sidelines or an ally in their battles providing a little extra muscle. Now I’m the one who needs THEIR help. If I accept my destiny and fulfill it like Jetfire said, I’ll finally be the hero I always wanted to be, but what if I die trying to stop him? Or worse, what if he uses you to get to me, and ends up killing you? Dad, I could NEVER forgive myself if anything bad happened to you. You’ve always been there for me. You’ve always been there to look under my bed at night and check the closet for monsters, and I’ve always been able to come to you for advice and tell you things I could never tell anyone else. You’re more than just my father, you’re my best friend, and I don’t ever want to lose you, not after the last time. That’s why I haven’t been standing up to the Fallen. I’m afraid for you, and I’m afraid for myself. If I screw up, the humans, the Autobots, Earth, the whole universe…it’s all over…finished.”

Professor Sumdac sighs.

Professor Sumdac: “Sari, ever since the day you were born, the day I found you in my laboratory, I knew that you were destined for great things. I didn’t know exactly what those things were, but I knew deep down in my heart, that you were special. You were put on this Earth for a reason, as are many of us. I now realize that my destiny is to help mankind’s technology evolve, to make it more advanced and superior with each passing day for a better future.”

Sari: “See, you have a purpose in life, but what about me? Why am I here? What am I here for? What can I do to make a difference?”

Professor Sumdac chuckles softly.

Professor Sumdac: “Its funny, we ask ourselves that question everyday, but we never truly know the answer, now do we? But listen, when I was your age, I felt so alone. I loved technology, and I loved to build machines and robots and things. It was a hobby of mine, and I was very passionate about it. It sometimes became something of an obsession. I knew in my heart that my love for technology would someday take me to the top of the world, so to speak, and look where I am now.”

Professor Sumdac sighs.

Professor Sumdac: “But my family…they never believed I would get anywhere in life. They said I was just…wasting my time. They never supported me…not once…not ever. So eventually, after I had earned enough money doing odd jobs around Paw Paw, I set off for college for the next couple of years, and for the first time, I made real friends, real people who actually shared my vision for a better and more efficient world, real people…who actually supported me and cared about me. They became the family I never had. Then after I graduated with more degrees than I can count, I moved back to Michigan and settled in Detroit, and the rest is history. Over the years, I forgot about my family. I wanted nothing to do with them, and they wanted nothing to do with me. Then once day, I discovered a strange liquid metal body in my laboratory. I touched it, and then I blacked out. When I came to, there was a beautiful baby girl in its place. I knew that someone would have to care for this baby, whatever it was or wherever it came from, and something told me that I was the one who would have to take care of it. Well, I was never a ladies man, and the last thing I ever thought about was settling down and starting a family of my own, but I didn’t let that stop me. And so I raised that baby like it were my own, and over the years, I watched it grow into the beautiful young lady before me now.”

Sari: “……”

Professor Sumdac: “Don’t you see, Sari? You’ve showed me the importance of having a family, and you’ve taught me how to be a father.”

Professor Sumdac takes Sari’s hand.

Professor Sumdac: “If it wasn’t for you, I never would have worked up the courage to confront my father today and ask him for forgiveness. If you hadn’t come into my life, we still wouldn’t be on speaking terms. Sari, I have so much to thank you for.”

Professor Sumdac hugs Sari.

Professor Sumdac: “I could never tell you enough how much I love you, Sari. You are the sunshine of my life, the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. You’ve made me a better person.”

Sari hugs Professor Sumdac back.

Sari: “Ditto.”

Professor Sumdac: “My precious little girl.”

Sari: “…Daddy?”

Professor Sumdac: “Yes, princess?”

Sari: “…I think I’m gonna do it.”

Professor Sumdac: “Is that what you want? You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

Sari: “I know, but I want to do it. This may finally be my chance. I’ll be able to prove to everyone, especially myself that I can do great things, and I can’t think of anything greater than to save the universe from destruction. Now, I’ll admit, I’m scared, but as long as I have you, I’ll do my best to be brave.”

Professor Sumdac: “Okay, I’ll also have to admit, I’m worried about you going through with this. If it were up to me, I’d keep you from doing it, but if this is truly your destiny, I promise I’ll support you every step of the way.”

Sari: “Thank you, Daddy.”

Sari kisses Professor Sumdac on his cheek.

Sari: “I love you.”

Professor Sumdac: “I love you too, Sari.”

Sari: “So, if I’m going to fight the Fallen, I guess I should learn how to control my powers, huh?”

Professor Sumdac: “I would strongly advise you do just that.”

Sari: “Can I be honest with you, Daddy?”

Professor Sumdac: “Hmm?”

Sari: “For a long time since my upgrade, I’ve been afraid that I might lose my humanity, like Simmons said. I really don’t want that to happen. It’s the only thing I have that makes me a real human, and without it, I’m a cold, emotionless monster like the Decepticons……and Perceptor.”

Professor Sumdac: “But Sari, you ARE human, just with a few metallic parts, and you act like that’s something to be ashamed of, but its not. There are people who have prosthetic limbs made of metal to replace the real limbs they don’t have.”

Sari: “Dad, my entire bone structure is metallic.”

Professor Sumdac: “Yes, but you still have flesh, blood and organs that are 100% human, right?”

Sari nods her head.

Sari: “Well, yeah, but…”

Professor Sumdac: “Sari, you are a human, and I am your biological father. Please, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Your robotic nature makes you unique, and that’s a good thing, believe me. And ask yourself this: is anyone really normal? Think of all those supervillains that have been running around in Gotham City. You know, like the alligator fellow, and that Spanish gentlemen on steroids like Colossus Rhodes, oh, and that homicidal, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy.”

Sari: “…Well, I guess you’re right. There are much worse things than being half human and half robot.”

Professor Sumdac smiles.

Professor Sumdac: “Of course I’m right, Sari. I’m Isaac Sumdac. I know stuff.”

Sari rolls her eyes and smiles.

Sari: “Dad, that’s only cool when I say it.”

Professor Sumdac: “What, I’m not cool?”

Sari: “No, you’re ICE COLD, which is much better than just plain cool.”

Professor Sumdac: “Oh, well, thank you, Sari.”

Sari: “You’re welcome.”

Sari yawns and lies back in her bed.

Professor Sumdac: “I’d better get go get some sleep, too. These past few days have been just too much. Anyway, good night, Sari, I love you very much.”

Sari: “I love you too, Daddy.”

Professor Sumdac tucks Sari in and kisses her good night.

Professor Sumdac: “See you bright and early.”

Professor Sumdac starts towards the door.

Sari: “Hey, Dad?”

Professor Sumdac looks back at Sari.

Professor Sumdac: “Hmm?”

Sari: “…I was wondering if…you’d like to pray with me.”

Professor Sumdac: “Pray with you?”

Sari: “Yeah, I know we don’t do it very often, but things have kind of been crazy lately, and I’ve been feeling a little, you know, down in the dumps, so I thought maybe if we prayed…we could…you know, make things a little better…for us.”

Professor Sumdac smiles and walks back to Sari and sits at her side.

Professor Sumdac: “I’d love to pray with you, Sari.”

Sari: “I’ll go first, and then you try?”

Professor Sumdac nods his head. Sari closes her eyes and Professor Sumdac bows his head. Meanwhile back at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Prypiat, Ukraine, the Fallen senses Sari and Professor Sumdac’s prayers and bursts into towering flames with a demonic roar, startling Megatron and Starscream.

The Fallen: “DAMNATION!! UTTER AND TOTAL DAMNATION!! THE CHILD AND HER FATHER HAVE FOUND RELIGION!! THEIR NEWFOUND FAITH FORBIDS ME FROM HAUNTING THEIR NIGHTMARES ANY LONGER, AND HOW I WOULD TOY WITH THEIR DARKEST FEARS LIKE PUTTY IN MY SERVOS. WHAT’S WORSE; THE COWARD HAS FINALLY ACCEPTED HER DESTINY. SHE IS THE ONE. SHE CAN DO IT. I CAN SENSE IT. SHE HAS IT. SHE HAS……THE TOUCH. THAT’S IT! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! WE HAVE WASTED FAR TOO MUCH TIME HIDING IN THE SHADOWS. WE MUST SPREAD OUT AND FIND THE MATRIX OF LEADERSHIP!!”

Megatron: “But Master, you said so yourself, the AllSpark cannot help us discover the location of the Matrix of Leadership.”

Starscream: “Vector Prime and Jetfire could have hidden the Matrix ANYWHERE on this planet. We would have to search every city, every state, every country, every continent, and ever lake, sea, and ocean!”

The Fallen: “EXACTLY, LORD STARSCREAM! SO WE MUST SPREAD OUT AND SEARCH ALL ACROSS THE EARTH FOR THE MATRIX OF LEADERSHIP. WE MUST FIND IT BEFORE THE CHILD AND THE AUTOBOTS DO. WITHOUT THE MATRIX, AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, MY SOLAR HARVESTER WILL BE POWERLESS.”

Megatron: “Master, surely you are aware that if we set out in search of the Matrix, we will have to tear the Earth apart looking for it. The Autobots and human military will surely take notice and try to stop us. If time is of the essence as you say, they will only hinder our search, and that is something we clearly cannot afford. Perhaps if we were to search in our disguised modes and search for…”

The Fallen: “NO! IT IS POINTLESS TO REMAIN HIDDEN IN OUR VEHICLE MODES. THE WORLD KNOWS OF OUR PRESENCE. THEY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT OF US. IT IS THE END OF DAYS. THE DARKEST HOUR IS FAST APPROACHING. WE WILL TEAR THIS PLANET APART SEARCHING FOR THE MATRIX OF LEADERSHIP’S FINAL RESTING PLACE. NO MORE DISGUISES! NO MERCY! EVEN IF WE HAVE TO LET THE AUTOBOTS FIND THE MATRIX FOR US, IT MUST BE FOUND, AND IT MUST BE BROUGHT TO ME. DECEPTICONS, GO NOW AND FIND THE MATRIX! SEARCH EVERYWHERE FOR IT! LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED! FIND IT, AND BRING IT TO ME! THIS I DEMAND!!!”

The Decepticons transform into their alternate modes and spread out. The Fallen hisses like a swarm of cicadas.

The Fallen: “SO, YOU’VE FINALLY WORKED UP THE COURAGE TO FACE ME, HAVE YOU, GIRL? WELL, I HAVE TO SAY, I’M VERY DISAPPOINTED. HOWEVER, EVEN I MUST COMMEND YOU FOR ACCEPTING YOUR DESTINY. I TOO KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO EMBRACE ONE’S TRUE PURPOSE IN LIFE. I KNEW FROM THE MOMENT THE ALLSPARK SPAWNED ME THAT I WOULD DO GREAT AND TERRIBLE THINGS, AND HERE I STAND BEFORE A WORLD JUST WAITING TO BURN UNTIL ITS SURFACE IS BUT GLASS. YOU MAY NOT BE AFRAID OF ME ANYMORE, LITTLE TERMITE, BUT I PROMISE YOU, YOU WILL KNOW NOTHING OF FEAR UNTIL YOU MEET MY MASTER, AND HE IS VERY EAGER TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE.”

The Fallen transforms into a swarm of Egyptian scarab beetles and flies away into the darkness of night. Meanwhile up in outer space, Unicron and Judge Deliberata float towards Earth.

To be continued…