The Last Of Us (DISCONTINUED)

The Truck Transformed

"There's just us and them - and you chose them."
_

"Tra-...," Lucas said, then ran, Tessa following behind him. "Evacuate!"

"Guys!" Dad shouted.

Me and Dad followed them outside, where Tessa was throwing a fit because she wants 'it' out of here.

"Dad!" Tessa exclaimed. "Are you out of your mind? You need to get that thing out of here!"

I cringed at the word 'thing.'

"Now, you don't need worry!" Dad said. "We've been in there all night! We're fine!"

"You know what?" Lucas said. "That's not a truck, okay? It's an alien killing machine!"

"It's been DO8! Recalled! Done!"

"So listen - there's a number, that you call - you're suppose to call - the government, it's the American thing to do! You're suppose to - you're suppose to call, and if it turns out to be an alien, you get 25 thousand dollars - "

"That's not true!" I cut him off. "It's not a guarantee - "

"And if you tackle it, like a wild wilderbeast - you get a 100 thousand dollars."

Tessa looked straight at Dad, her face all lit up. "Dad, we're making the call!"

"No!" I blurted out, then quickly shut my mouth.

"I've seen the commercial," Dad said. "They don't say that! It's not a guarantee!"

"Don't let them, Dad." I said.

"Look, if that's a Transformer from the Battle of Chicago, I need to know how it works. I'm an inventor! This could be a game changer for me! If I can apply that technology to me and Kyrie's inventions, we never have to worry about money again! Right, Ky?"

"Um," I said. It was a tough decision - should we be the ones to rip it apart? Or should we give it to the government, so they can rip it apart? How about neither? Is that an option?

"I've heard that before." Tessa said. She went inside the barn, me and the rest followed.

"25 grand," Tessa continued. "Piece for my college, piece for the house."

"Besides," Lucas said. "you used my money to buy the truck, right? So technically, that's my truck. Don't you think?"

I was just leaning against the side of the truck, catching my breath, not really arguing about whether he - the truck, I mean - should be ripped apart by us or by the government.

"You also signed a contract regarding all research lab IP."

"Research lab? It's a barn, dude."

"You signed it," Dad said. "And now your competing. Any idea of yours is mine. Every thought you have, I own it. So basically, I own you."

"I don't think you can own someone. That was like, a while ago. Even in Texas."

Dad put on one of his dirty aprons. "Bring the torch over and help me with the pulley arm." He commanded. "Take the shrapnel to the power cord. Oh, and Tessa? See this?"

He started hitting the truck with one of his hammers, which made both of us cring for different reasons.

"Would an 'alien killing machine' let me do that? Look, I'll make the call, we'll get the money - just let me see if I'm right! You wanna hide in the house? Go ahead."

Tessa nodded and walked out of the barn, muttering not-so-nice stuff. I just went over to one of the tables and threw Dad his iron mask. 

If you can't beat them, might as well join them.