After the flight test, they continued with strength, agility, range-of-motion endurance and resistance tests. Dave insisted that I wear the jet boots for all of them. He explained that I might not have time to switch footwear after transitioning from flight mode.
I shrugged since I seem to be navigating on them fine.
Suzy watched me through all of them, taking pictures as I went through the exercises, and, by the end of the day, I was pooped.
We did learn that I had the same dexterity, agility and range of motion when I was in my normal form, but in my augmented form, my strength and endurance was typical of any Autobot. That made me quicker and more agile than any of the other Autobots because I was smaller. Maybe I shouldn’t use the phrase “other Autobots.”
During the testing, I fell down a lot, and Suzy was there every time to catch each pratfall on her camera. I wasn’t irritated – I took it with good humor. In fact, I would vamp after I fell yet again. Suzy laughed and laughed, and kept clicking away.
The conclusion was that, in my augmented form, I was more physically capable. The problem was that, in my augmented form, I didn’t look much like a normal human. I couldn’t pass for a normal at all, and wouldn’t be able to move amongst them as easily. Such an ability gave Decepticon pretenders a very critical advantage – they were at their optimum even while they pretended to be human.
It was the color of my skin and hair, more than anything, that gave me away. I then tried to think that through, and considered. Even if I could hide my skin and hair color by using some kind of make-up, and colored contacts to make my eyes look more normal, my height would still have given me away.
I thought the problems over, and while I was thinking, I heard the familiar Autobot transformation sound.
“RC!” Suzy exclaimed, and pointed at me.
“What?” I asked. Looking up, I saw her pointing at me.
I looked down at myself, and found that I had changed again. “Betty!” I called. “Bring me a mirror!”
Betty came and brought a full-length mirror, and I saw my new self. My skin was back to normal, or rather, it looked normal, with the same texture and flexibility as normal human skin, but it wasn’t my usual fair complexion – it was now a richer, lightly tanned shade. My face was also totally different, but still pretty. I now had brunette hair and green eyes. But…
Looking at my hand, it wasn’t seamed now except for the first joint of each finger, and there was also a seam at my wrist. I stretched my arm, turned it over and saw that it was plated like my original augmented arm except that the skin was more human looking. I then looked at my torso. I still had normal looking boobies but below them, it was like the rest of my torso was plated like an accordion. At least from what I could see through the pink suit.
As for the rest of me, my surface was still plated, but my skin color and texture was normal looking.
Also, I could see that I was a bit smaller given how loose the suit was and how I was falling out of my jet boots.
I concentrated and I was back to my regular platinum-haired augmented form. Whew.
“I didn’t know you had a second augmented form, RC,” Betty said.
“I didn’t, either,” I said. “Maybe it’s time to visit Perceptor again.”
-----
We got back home late, but we didn’t mind. It seemed that Perceptor missed something. But he was able to confirm that I had another augmented form, not that he needed to, as I had just transformed into that already.
What he did confirm was that the new form had the same capabilities as my first one. The only differences were the look, and my dimensions were a little smaller. Actually, a lot smaller. Suzy had started measuring me, and, she informed me that my new form was about five-eight now – a foot and a half shorter than my old form, with dimensions the same ratios as my old form except on a smaller scale. I was now 36-25-36, with a D-cup. Apparently, I was a fox, whatever I did! Heehee.
Perceptor was able to give a possible reason for my torso’s unusual configuration – apparently, my mass wasn’t changed even though I was on a smaller scale now. The accordion-like configuration allowed my form to be compressed. The only drawback was that Perceptor said I wouldn’t be able to hold the form for any stretch longer than about six hours. Being compressed in this way put a strain on several of my internal systems and I would need to change back to either of my other forms fairly quickly.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
I was wearing Susan’s clothes while Perceptor examined me in my smaller form. Given my new figure, I couldn’t very well use my usual clothes. Surprisingly, Susan’s clothes fit me real well, except for bras…
“So?” I asked Susan and turned in profile, bringing my bra-less condition into play. “How do I look, honey?”
She sidled up to me.
“Well,” she purred. “I don’t know. How about let’s go upstairs so I can, ummm, check things out?” She giggled. “See if everything is as advertised?”
We raced each other up the stairs.
-----
After a while, our life had started to settle down. I wouldn’t say it was a peaceful kind of life, but it’s ours. Susan was now the co-anchor of the nightly news program of her network’s local affiliate station in Seattle, and was her network’s chief science correspondent. Perceptor would usually help her with her background material, and she’d usually be able to come up with a lot of good pieces. There was even talk that her programs are in the running for next year’s Peabodys.
She’d take care of the news with her partner Mondays through Fridays, do a couple of science specials for the week, and sometimes go out in the field and do some human interest pieces. Sometimes she’d take over for her co-anchor and do the editorial for her show, too.
She was also getting used to our life together. I didn’t know about her, but I love waking up next to her every morning. I suppose some people would find our relationship a little weird, even deviant. After all, an Autobot and a human together, much less two women together. But the people that knew about us also knew about our backgrounds. And I guess those are the only people’s opinions that mattered, at least regarding our living situation. As for other people, if I didn’t transform, and Betty kept to her Volkswagen form, we looked like a regular couple. Well, regular lesbian couple. Well, actually, regular lesbian couple, with one of us over seven feet… Oh, shut up!
As for our “kid,” well, Betty has become very popular among the Autobots. Besides Aleta and Chromia, Betty had become the Autobots’ newest pinup queen. And she was rarely alone these days, with a lot of Autobots hovering around her all the time. As a result, Susan’s been feeling a bit left out. But I explained to her that Betty couldn’t help being a hottie. Susan sighed and tried not to let it bother her. But Betty was still totally devoted to us. We couldn’t help but love her.
Also, Betty was now a full-fledged Autobot. She has had the opportunity to go on several missions already. She had been relegated mostly to the rear but she had shown her adaptability and skills several times so Rodimus had decided to deploy her to the front lines more often. Her problem was that she didn’t have any long-distance weapons, so Perceptor helped her out by providing her with a sidearm.
As for me, I had found my own niche as part of NEST, and as part of my new family. I was now directly reporting to General Lennox and was now directly in charge of most of our forces. I guess my role was analogous to Rodimus’ role amongst the Autobots.
I was also learning about my new self. In truth, the biggest epiphany I had was that, despite what has happened to me, I was still myself – the body wasn’t really the full reality of who I was. But it did help to have my current form. Heehee. Or forms.
I was getting acquainted with my new brunette self, and have been able to use this second augmented form on a few missions already: in my second form, I had all the advantages of my first form, but looked normal enough that I could pass for a regular girl. Ultra Magnus said that I was actually a more convincing human than a Decepticon Pretender. This has allowed me to mix and mingle with regular folk while on a mission, and that has been very useful. The only problem was that my jet boots don’t fit. Perceptor was working on a new, smaller pair now, and I hoped that they'd be ready soon.
I guess I’m starting to get used to things. But I guess falling in love puts things in a better, rosier perspective. It was a lot like being reborn, actually.
Though my life is full of problems and conflicts, I guess my new family has put them in perspective. Decepticons and terrorists aren’t important – they’re just part of work. Bigots and gay-bashers aren’t important – they’re just distractions. Dirty old men and sexists aren’t important – they’re irrelevant.
You know what the big worries are? They’re things like deciding on what to order for dinner, what to do about Betty’s suitors, where to go during our vacation, and how to decorate our house. I’m sure you know what I mean, if you have a family already, or are in love.
Like, at the moment, the big deal was what to do about the empty space on the wall above the living room couch. Actually, Suzy had a solution, but I wasn’t too happy about it.
She actually mounted a couple of pictures that she took herself – one was of me in my brunette form when I was goofing around and acting all sexy before going to bed; the other one was of me in my platinum-blonde form when I fell down during my testing. In this one, I was vamping so I didn’t look like I just had a pratfall.
I didn’t really like pictures of myself being put up. I already knew how this would go – eventually, I’m going to give in to Suzy. But then again, that’s how things go in my new life. But I’m not complaining.
[http://www.tgstorytime.com/fic/317/images/Transformers_Revisited_LivingRoom.jpg]
[http://www.tgstorytime.com/fic/317/images/Transformers_Revisited_Bumblebee.jpg]
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