To Always Remember

“....we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender...” - Winston Churchill, Speech to the House of Commons June 4 1940.

Bumblebee rolled on to the sands of the beach, code named “Gold” (after a goldfish). Around him the tides were rising and the human troopers were stumbling and falling into the water. Bumblebee watched in horror as those troopers failed to get up, drowning in the sea. Bumblebee had seen the horrors of war for many years with his own race’s war on the planet of Cybertron. He’d seen all sides- the bravery and courage of his own Autobot comrades. He’d seen the terror that could be faced by a tyranny without end. He’d known loss, friends that had fallen and like those soldiers never recovered.

But the sheer mass of humans around him moving onto the sands, this was something else. He’d taken this reconnaissance mission- rumours of time-travelling Decepticons impacting key moments of Earth’s past had an importance to him. His new home, Earth and his new human friends meant everything to him as much as those back on Cybertron that he had fought with and that he had lost. In his vehicle mode - disguised as an armoured vehicle of the Humber manufacturer- he was being manoeuvred through the sands, past fallen bodies, between exploding shells. But these humans never gave up. And they were young. Oh so young. In his spark he just wanted to transform to robot mode, and use his larger form to protect them, to shield them.

He couldn’t, even though the urge in his circuitry was so great. But the very fact of him being here, alien technology, the risk of him being caught and that technology being used, the risk to corrupting the very history and timeline of Earth, was far too great a risk.

He had never expected to see such horrors. He’d seen much death in his years fighting on Cybertron, but the scale was nowhere near what he was seeing in this moment, in this time. A shell bounced off his front bonnet and he skidded sideways. The humans doing their best to regain control and he subtly helped them turning his wheels in the right direction.

On the boat over, he’d heard the groups of humans rallying themselves, raising their spirits in preparation for the coming conflict. They knew they were facing death. He’d known that same feeling, staring death in the face at the battle of Crystal City on Cybertron. He never thought he’d survive that. But the humans were quoting someone over and over. A speech that they all loved and revered. A speech he understood to be from the human’s leader on the island he’d just left. It talked about fighting on the beaches that they are now doing, fighting on the land and in the streets where he was heading. It encouraged them, it inspired them and Bumblebee marvelled at the bravery, the courage. He knew his human history and how significant this day, D-day as it became known in time, was to become for the planet.

He wasn’t prepared for the death and destruction he saw. Such loss on a massive scale. He had heard of it, but he just hadn’t been prepared to see it. And oh how he just wanted to transform! But he marvelled at the bravery, he marvelled at the courage. In his spark, his own bravery grew, his own determination. These humans with a skin so soft, easily damaged unlike his armoured hardened shell and yet they pressed forward, undaunted.

Bumblebee felt proud to be here at this moment in time with the humans. He would face the dangers, the tyranny with them. He would fight on the beaches, he would fight on the lands, he would fight in the streets and would continue to do so until his own spark expired. He would help to bring freedom. Whether for Cybertron or for Earth. He would bring peace, he would be with the heroes.

For the thousands of human heroes that fought on this day in history and for all that they achieved for Earth, for peace.

We shall always remember them.

Noel

Transformers is the property of Hasbro / Takara Tomy. All text my own. Images are created using AI technology plus photoshopping of my own images of my models.