Swivel's Diary Part I

TO THE READER

Do not assume to know anything in this diary unless, through RP, you have managed to get a hold of Swivel's Diary. She does not back it up on any cloud storage or have it available on any network. It is strictly local content to her collection of datapads. So hacking without the physical object would not let your character be privvy to it.

If you DO want your character to somehow get a hold of it, just fire me off a page or @mail and we can discuss it.

Without further ado...

Entry #1

"So a new log. I used what little shanix I had left to buy this cheap datapad.  It will do.  New log.  Well.  I dunno where to start.  I mean, I just got back to Cybertron.  I JUST got back.  Already, I seen Blurr.  I didn't expect to see him so soon.  But he was at the space port.  Then he saw me.  Then he hugged me.  HUGGED ME!  Maybe I should get checked for bugs later.  But now I am going to recharge."

Entry #2

"Well, I've had worse rests. At least no body parts are stolen.  I was too exhausted to write everything.  But now I will.  I got here because a nice femme named Aegis was heading back to Cybertron anyway, so I paid her what I could and she took me back.  We were the only arrivals.  A lot of people were leaving.  I mean, a lot.  There were a lot of rumours that Cybertron had gotten worse.  But Blurr said (when I met him and talked to him) that the caste system was gone.  Why didn't that make things better?  I don't know enough and I gotta find out.

Entry #3

Beep. That was scary. I guess I got used to not living in the slums of Nyon, because seeing mechs start a fight in the middle of the street really got me on edge. I mean, just, bam! None of that whatever it is called when people try to make themselves more important than the other person. No insults. Just one guy walks up to Starscream (I saw him in the commercial district of Iacon) and throws a punch. I think I know the mech, but I'm not sure. He turned into a scary beast thing! SCARY! They fought and both got real low on energon and I was scared someone was gonna die so I stepped in. Wish I didn't. Turns out, it wasn't just a street skirmish. Anyway, Starscream got captured. Poor Thundercracker.

Entry #4

No jobs yet. I am being very careful with my energon because the prices are so high. I heard Nyon is all rubble. Not sure what I'm gonna do now. I gotta figure something out. There's gotta be a job or two that needs doing.

Entry #5

Blurr again. While I was looking for work, there he was. He introduced me to a mech named Springer. He seems like the real confident but nice kinda mech. I hope I didn't make things too awkward but I bet I did. Blurr asked about Backdrop and mentioned the recall. I spilt that Backdrop was one of the YX cleaners. Things got intense. I guess Backdrop became a Decepticon? I defended his decision in the middle of Iacon. Maybe not smart. Blurr says Hot Rod is one of them now. That scares me. What is the world coming too? He wants me to join. I don't know what is what anymore. What am I to do? What about Thundercracker?

Entry #5

Got enough to leave Iacon. I needed to see for myself. They said Nyon is just a bunch of rubble now. I don't got the details. But they weren't kidding. I mean, I expected things to change, but I didn't expect a whole city to be gone. I'm really sad about this. I mean, really really sad. Nyon was my home. I mean, yeah, anywhere I parked was home, but it was my homiest home of homes. I'm a Nyon femme. What does that make me now? An artifact? I'm too young for that.

Entry #7

With Nyon gone, and Autobots bugging me to join (BLURR IF YOU ARE READING THIS SHAME ON YOU!) up. I don't want to get involved, really. Not in the big stuff. I mean, I'm not saying I won't work with someone because they are an Autobot. Or a Decepticon. I just want to like who I want to like. I can't ethically join a side, it would be what they call a conflict of interest. I think. Either side. I can't. I also can't believe what they done. Anyway, I'm headed for Rodion.

Entry #8

Aaaah Macadams. I like the place. I can forget the bad things when I'm in Macadams. I sometimes do jobs just for engex. Hey, it's energy, isn't it? I also do jobs for other stuff that I need just to keep myself running. Not everyone wants to part with shanix. Mech oh mech, the price of energon is steep. People seem poorer for it. But I'm not going to worry over everyone's suffering or even my own right now. Right now I am just going to enjoy a moment of me time.

Entry #9

I met an interesting mech today. Didn't say his name. He talked kind of funny. Yeah, I know I don't talk well. But I sometimes over do it on purpose just because it's what people expect. I could talk better if I tried, and I will try when I think it matters. Anyway, guy isn't from Cybertron, so he says. He didn't seem like Velocitronian nor Camian. Somewhere else I guess? I didn't ask. He was vague. Vague, but pleasant. We danced. Well, he sort of pulled me to the dance floor, but it wasn't like I was dragging my heels. Forgetting bad stuff and enjoying myself is why I go to Macadams. Though I seem to go there a lot. Maybe I'm letting myself forget too much. I don't want it to become so familiar that I don't care anymore, like so many people. But it's not like I'm a bad person because I don't want to spend my time wallowing. Okay, I like to spend SOME of my time wallowing. I also like dancing.

Entry #10

Dance guy? Yeah. Decepticon, according to Blurr. Blurr just started shooting him in the middle of Rodion. He didn't really have a right. That's right, Blurr, no right. AND STOP READING MY PRIVATE THINGS! Other mech wouldn't fight back so that I didn't get caught in the crossfire. I couldn't applaud him for it in front of Blurr, though. Not while he has a weapon. It's not that I am a liar exactly, I just like to choose when to tell the truth. So he huffed off. Oh well. He was a potential friend, but, well, this whole crazy situation on Cybertron makes friend-making really hard. Bummer. Blurr pretty much told me that I was going to have to murder someone some time if I wanted to live a long life. I told him I planned to live a long life without killing. Maybe I am just going to get myself killed. And when I think about it, I'm not so scared right now. I'm sure when I get in danger again I'll become scared of dying again. I like obeying the rules, the real ones. Those, um, I don't know what you call them, but hidden rules that people follow without knowing it, I sometimes break those and I don't mind it so much when I do. This is one I'll break as long as I can.

Entry #11

Dang cheap datapad. I had an entry all written up and it ate it. Oh well. I can try telling it all again, but all my worked-up-ness seems to be gone and I don't think it will be as intense. Actually I don't even feel like really writing about it again. So I'll just say I almost got a job in the bar, Autobots stuck their nose in it for my well being, guy offering job grabbed me when I tried to decline and pulled a gun... and it just kind of went to the pits after that. I mean, I got off okay. Springer was there. He was the one busting in on business. I mean, I didn't really want the job once I was told I might want to clear out as fast as possible once delivering it, because usually that means bomb or bad news to someone real real hot-tempered. Or both. Mech that would suck all kinds of slag. Anyway, mech threatened to shoot me unless he got out of the bar fine. Then he pushed me and bolted. Springer told me I don't have to take that kind of bullying. I wasn't going to tell him that, yes, I do. It's my lot in life, caste-less system or not. He's probably a lot like Hot Rod. Believing so much in what's right that everyone can get rolled over to get it done. Or getting people who can't fight to stick up for themselves only to get thrown in a smelting pit. No, it's easier just to be the down trodden tool for terrorists. That's got a ring to it. Down trodden tool for terrorists. I mean, they don't arrest the guns, do they? Well, unless the gun IS the... ah never mind. Anyway, back in Iacon. I still have the dataslug with directions and the case. Should I still deliver it? I don't know if the Autobots really can protect me without keeping me confined. I need to find my other friends somehow, and I can't if I am stuck in Iacon. I should be grateful. I am, actually, that someone wants to help. But I have my goals, and it kinda conflicts with them. Maybe I will just take a peek at the instructions then decide...

Entry #12

Right now I'm in Nyon, or what's left of it, which isn't much. But it's nice and quiet. I been doing a lotta jobs in round Iacon and other safer places. Okay. Maybe not lotsa jobs. About the same as ever. It's not any easier to get work, but I get mugged less. I miss working for Steamcore. I wonder if he's still alive and still running a courier business somewhere? I'd work for him again if he'd have me. I need to find some of my old contacts and try to track him down. I peeked at that dataslug. It's for Starscream. I'm surprised. I think I will keep this to myself for now. I hear something, so I'm cutting this short.

Entry #13

Well that is a load off! I got rid of that horrible parcel. I didn't deliver it though. I gave it to that mech I danced with that one time. He seemed buddy-buddy with the jerk that held me hostage and forced a job on me. I still have the instructions, though. What a mess. I guess I should explain how that happened. I was in Nyon minding writing my thoughts when I saw, well, heard then saw Hot Rod. It was great seeing him again and he seemed happy to see me although he didn't really seem himself. But I was away for quite a while so I guess I should expect changes. I mean, Blurr seemed different. Still trigger happy and pushy though, but he's pushy with me because he cares. So we was talking, then some salvagers came in and I guess they were poking at something that upset Hot Rod and he sped off to deal with them. I stayed back because I had no idea what was going on. While Rod was off yelling at them, that mech swooped in and began demanding to know what was in the package the meanie from Macadams gave me. So I gave it to him. Package gone so yay! He can deal with it. Not my problem no more. He thinks everyone is bad, and that is sad but I can see why. There is a lot of ugliness here. But I can make my own beauty and his downness can't stop me.

Entry #14

I kinda miss Two-bit's mouthiness. I wonder if he's still alive? I kinda miss Backdrop's weird movie summaries and adorable quirks. I still haven't heard anything about him. If Blurr doesn't know, who would? I miss them all. Gentle Duster, persnickety Luster, laid-back Bristle, busy Bustle, hopeless romantic Solder, witty Cogoil, hardcore race fans Speedy and Pitstop, and of course those explosion loving knuckle-heads Ignite and Friction. Are any of them alive? They will be hard to find if they are. I don't even know what names they would go by. I know some of them had to get new frames. I feel kind of alone. I mean, yeah, I've seen some familiar faces, but no one down at my level. I never really felt alone, not really, until I left Cybertron. I thought the feeling would go away when I got back just being with my own kind again. It's not as bad as it was, but something is still missing and I don't know what it is. It's kinda weird.

Entry #15

I'm tired, exhausted, done! It's been a crazy cycle. Falling and being tightbeamed from left and right and seeing a familiar face just to be yanked away and being carried around and being yelled at more... it was a messy job. I decided I should warn Starscream that someone tried to hire me to send him a dangerous package. I mean, I don't actually care so much about Starscream except that him getting hurt would effect Thundercracker. I still haven't seen plate nor bolt of Thundercracker. But Starscream mentioned him, so I can assume he's okay. Going to Starscream's place in Vos after that trial seemed risky. I don't wanna be seen around with him more than what's for my job. Mostly because I don't want to get in trouble. I'm not brave. Not like some. Well, I was climbing the ladder to his place when I saw someone I didn't know go into his habsuite, so I did something really stupid. I lept onto a nearby ledge. It wasn't as wide as I thought, so I was stuck. I was stuck there for a good while before I finally decided to just try and jump back onto the ladder. That didn't work, and I broke my fingers trying! I was so scared while I was falling! Luckily, I landed on someone! Still don't know if they were trying to break my fall or just happened to be passing by. I got back onto the ladder, and suddenly, I had Starscream screaming at me from his penthouse, and beneath me there was some femme I don't know and Blast Off asking what was going on and THEN that jerk from the bar was yelling at me frantically about delivering the package. It was just too much I wanted to just shut down! If I fainted then and there, maybe Blast Off would take care of me. Maybe. But otherwise I didn't trust anyone there with my unconcious chassis. Wasn't worth it. I told bar-jerk I didn't have the package and told Starscream I had a delivery for him because I really couldn't get away with being there if it wasn't a delivery, what with all these people suddenly aware of me. Bar-jerk kept yelling at me over my frequency, and I saw Blurr, so I was trying to talk to Starscream like a regular job while radioing him with a warning he didn't listen to. So all in all, I fell and nearly crashed for nothing. And exposed myself. Bar-jerk suddenly stopped radioing me... now that I think about it, that was kind of weird and abrupt. And he also sounded a bit panicked more than mad. I didn't really notice ir before, but now as I play it back in my processor, something seemed really off. Now I got a bad feeling about all of this. I wonder what Blurr was up to?