"Vector Sigma is supposed to be on Cybertron." Starscream argued, knowing well the lore of his planet. "Locked away in some place unknown, revealed only by the Key to Vector Sigma!"

         "I had that very same notion," Optimus Prime nodded, a digit on his chin thoughtfully, "but Vector Sigma explained rather simply that it wasn't completely the case."

         "The device is sentient," Lennox started his list, "it provides your guys' personalities and is older than all of you combined?"

     The group of humans on the platform stared at Marissa, who frowned at the attention, hiding the bracelet beneath her unbruised hand. She wasn't fond of the attention, considering Optimus had explained earlier that the ancient sentience had taken an interest in her. 

     She was the first life form Vector Sigma had come in contact with in a long time, and her personality, not from said entity, was most fascinating. It likely would have taken interest in anybody, but Marissa was the first to notice it, and even converse with it.

         "And has the ability to manipulate sparks," Ratchet hummed, earning the shaking of Optimus Prime's helm.

         "No, not quite." Their leader hummed. "While only for a short time, Vector Sigma was willing to answer a few questions, one of these being why it manipulated Starscream and Barricade's sparks to do its bidding."

         "And?" Blurr urged for the mech to continue.

         "There was no change to either of their sparks, nor yours." 

     The news struck the two Decepticons like a cold, wet towel to the face. Barricade's original disbelief morphed to denial as he barked something about never having cared about anyone before, much less a puny lifeform such as a human. Starscream, on the other hand, was strangely quiet as his gaze slowly lowered to glare at Marissa. The woman only stared back with an apologetic expression. Why she'd dawn such a look, Starscream had little idea. His stare broke once Optimus won back order after Ratchet had to separate Barricade and Ironhide.

         "Vector Sigma is part of the creation of our sparks," the Prime noted, "therefore it knows us, our secrets, past selves and even our wants. Coming in contact with Marissa in any normal circumstance would not have resulted in a bond as strong as you three have already, however, the presence of Vector Sigma allowed for your sparks to ease. That familiarity that crafted your very personality introduced you to another life much like our own, and encouraged the part of you that loves life and individuality to introduce yourselves in your own ways."

         "I did make a few stunts I normally wouldn't with a squishable lifeform in my subspace." Blurr noted. "Sorry for that, kiddo."

     Marissa only shrugged.

         "You were excited, I can understand."

         "That doesn't explain Barricade." Starscream noted sourly, mostly in hopes that his reason for being so susceptible would be ignored. "Not once in his lifetime has he ever experienced a care for lower lifeforms. He was never even a peace keeper on Cybertron, just a student in one of the academies."

     Optimus found it difficult to explain, at least in a way that wouldn't make the interrogator angry. Barricade was the manipulator, not the manipulated, but how else could one explain his strange want to protect the human? The mech had always had a track record of violence, even early in his life on Cybertron, enough to expel him from his schooling, even. The answer to his dilemma manifested in Marissa.

         "Did you ever experience any kind of respect gained from something other than fear?" She spoke absentmindedly, unbruised hand tapping her chin in thought as she stared at the platform's base. Vector Sigma thrummed on her dangling wrist, meaning it was likely giving hints through whatever wavelength Marissa thought on. "You never really tried to crush me, and frankly were far more convincing when it came to giving you the bracelet, almost kind in a- antagonistic sort of way."

         "I challenged you." Barricade huffed, crossing his massive arms.

         "Yeah, especially at remaining quiet for hours on end." The woman rolled her eyes. "Which I did because you don't like conversation while you're driving, not because you scared me into it. We made a deal, even, remember? That was my respect for you, and obviously you didn't mind because you could have just shut me up in general."

     Barricade only frowned at the holder of Vector Sigma. She was right, and he didn't recognize the mutual respect they had developed between each other, though it was small. She was right that no one simply respected him to respect him, his boundaries, likes and dislikes. It was something that had to be earned, even smaller things like a quiet drive. How that was earned didn't matter, as long as he got it. Vector Sigma had made his spark sensitive to the simple kindness and the mech, not knowing how to recognize it, instinctively wanted to find out the motive for it. There being none except that she didn't want to get squished, and her being curious about his kind resulted in a mutual curiosity that allowed his spark to accept the abnormality and come to be content with the human.

         :Did you share stories too?: Starscream questioned, allowing his colleague some privacy on the matter.

         :I wasn't going to let you make the airways sound better than the highways.: Barricade huffed in return.

     The question was raised by Bumblebee about how on Cybertron Vector Sigma made it to Earth if all the lore and ancient stories stated that it was hidden somewhere on their home planet. The disappearance of the Key in the midst of the war didn't help matters, so how could the entity be released in the first place? If it could be, anyway. 

     Knockout suggested a transfer of conscience, much like how it was speculated the original 13 Primes made the Matrix of Leadership. Starscream opposed the idea with the fact that Vector Sigma is supposed to be Primus' own conscience, his brain, so why would he allow his whole self to separate from his planetary body?

         "We have a book," Shane Faireborn spoke, "and it describes two different entities in one human being. A soul and a spirit. We have reason to believe that the spirit is our very energy, while the soul is essentially our personality, collective memories and thought patterns. It's been noted that when we die, our body loses weight in that moment, meaning these two things have mass that can be calculated, and they leave our bodies at the time of death."

         "Are you saying our very creator is dead?" Starscream glared at the man, who shook his head, glaring in return.

         "No, I'm saying the Allspark thing and the Vector thing have the ability to leave their physical body as energy and power. You can't see our soul or spirit, and we can't harness them like these powers, but I see the similarities. Obviously, you're a far different creation, so your souls and spirits are different as well."

     Marissa smiled at her father, the elderly man nodding in return. He still didn't want these beings staying around any longer, especially the two evil ones, but if he could provide clarity on a matter, he sure would try.

         "Optimus, you said Vector Sigma explained why it wasn't hidden?" Ratchet noted, to which the Prime nodded soberly, surprised that the human could grasp such an idea as was explained by the entity already, to him.

         "Yes, nearly exactly what Mr. Faireborn had described, only with more detail as to why it left Cybertron with the Allspark. Essentially, as it felt its other half drifting away, it fed itself inside the Cube, as there is no true life without personality."

         "A powerful entity essentially yeets itself into space to catch up with its girlfriend and you guys don't detect it?" Miles spoke, Sam facepalming beside him while Mikaela giggled.

         "Yeet?" Ironhide raised an optic brow.

         "To be frank with you, young Lancaster," Ratchet sighed, "I doubt even Soundwave would have thought of watching for such a happening."

         "I can confirm that theory." the only Seeker stated rather icily, stretching his marred pede after Ratchet finally finished repairing it with less than adequate parts from around the hangar. "About the time the Allspark was launched into space by you Auto-scum, he was searching for the Requiem Blaster! A useless endeavor, and Megatron knew it, the fool." 

         "You idiots were looking for that thing?" Ironhide barked. "That's a myth."

         "You only say that because you couldn't shoot it." Barricade chuckled darkly, earning a warning glare from Ratchet, which turned to Ironhide as well.

         "If only history class was this interesting-" Sam mumbled, making the two other teens and Bumblebee chuckle.

     Marissa stroked the warmed metal around her wrist absentmindedly. She had certainly been wrapped up in a strange adventure. Though unwanted, she wasn't wholly opposed to the change in pace. She was more worried about being selfish, keeping these strange beings from going back home, than her own comfort within the confines of her own little world in the corner of Wisconsin. If she learned anything from Children's Bible School, it was that helping those who needed it was the best thing she could do.

         'Though, I doubt I can help out much more.' She speculated. 'I'm not exactly adept at anything- alien-based. Sci-Fi never really interested me.'

     Barricade and Starscream both spoke with Optimus Prime about their respective agendas concerning Vector Sigma. Neither wanted to admit to wanting the thing for themselves, but everyone immediately assumed such a theory was plausible. It was also assumed they didn't want Marissa, despite the sped-up attachment caused by the entity. She would only slow them down in their quest to-

     To be truthful, they didn't know what they could do, or would do, if they somehow were able to steal the trinket again. 

         If Vector Sigma wanted to be found by Optimus Prime, and was taken away, would it call to the sparks of their kind again to be returned? 

         If they somehow separated the device from Marissa, would it force a guilt on them they couldn't stand?

     So many 'what if's, so little sense or evidence to prove them right or wrong in their theories. Therefore, it made no sense to oppose the six Autobots just to hit another dead end. The Decepticons attracted many idiotic degenerates, but these two were never considered part of those groups of undesirables. Remaining with the Autobots wasn't exactly preferred but it kept their afts from getting beat by other Decepticons and Vector Sigma from continuing that annoying pull on their sparks.

         "Optimus Prime, sir," Shane Faireborn spoke, interrupting the Prime's conversation with the two Decepticons, "when will Marissa and I be returned home? You have your device; can't you go back to your planet and restore it?"

         "It's more complicated than that, fleshling." Starscream snapped, earning a glare and crossed arms from the older human.

     Optimus held out a stern servo before Starscream could make the man's mood toward them worse before explaining.

         "Vector Sigma, though with your daughter for a little less than a month, has found her as a reliable source of information of your planet. In short, it wants to learn more, particularly how one of your species views other personalities and lifeforms, but also your customs, what shapes you as individuals-"

         "We've discussed this already: the thing took a liking to her and intruded on her very thought process. My question is when she can go back to living her own life, without being controlled by some dependent alien device?"

         "I'm not being controlled." Marissa frowned. "Vector Sigma plants a question in my brain and I answer. Whether or not I say it out loud is completely up to me, so I don't know if it can hear my thoughts or not, but some questions I haven't even mulled over silently, even when I wasn't aware someone was asking them."

         "So, what now? You're going to speak out loud every time this thing asks a question?"

         "Mr. Faireborn," Optimus interrupted the father-daughter quarrel, "I was not quite finished. Yes, Vector Sigma wishes to rely on your daughter as a source of information, but she is also considered a worthy carrier for the time being, as he has found her own personality to fit its purposes."

     Shane was silent as he stared at the titan questionably, mulling over what the Prime had just explained. 

     It was quite unsettling, his clearly raging silence.

         "That thing is using her as a shield to protect itself?" His steady question didn't match the inferno in his eyes, and dagger-like, accusatory stare.

         "Dad." Marissa set a hand on his shoulder, to which the man calmed enough to look a little less eruptive. "It's not like it's a parasite, robbing me of my own energy," the woman reasoned, "and there's no physical change to me, or in my personality. If I have to hold this thing on my wrist for a little longer, then I don't mind, as long as it helps them." 

     Nodding her head towards the group of bots, the two were met with a combination of smiles, scowls and straight faces. She showed no sign of being worried, or scared, despite admitting to being terrified of her captors. It eased her father's worried heart mildly, but he still held an amount of contempt toward the two enemies and the sentient being practically clinging to his daughter's arm. 

     He felt it was using her kind personality for its own, twisted gain, as he knew Marissa loved helping others. 

         Was it right to allow her to continue with these extraterrestrials? 

         Was she safe, even among a faction that wishes the best for humankind?

         Was she safe with a species that can wage war for eons?

     Shane wasn't sure, but he swore to himself if Marissa was put in danger one more time, he would take her back home whether she forgave the Autobots or not.