Chapter Text
Psychological Case Studies of Combiner Team Members
Conducted by Dr. Rung of Iacon, Psy.D.
Case Study Interview #1: Silverbolt of Portland
Dr. Rung: Hello. I’m Dr. Rung of Iacon. Optimus Prime brought me in from Cybertron to perform a psychological examination of all the new combiner team members on this planet. It’s called Earth, correct? (Client nods.) Everything you tell me will be strictly confidential. Obviously, I will have to give this information to Optimus Prime, but he has assured me that no one else will be privy to this information. Do you wish to proceed with the interview?
Silverbolt: (clearly nervous) Yes, sir.
Dr. Rung:
Good. What’s your name?
Silverbolt:
Silverbolt, sir.
Dr. Rung: How old are you, Silverbolt?
Silverbolt: I’m five months old, sir.
Dr. Rung: Months? (Client is using a term that the evaluator is unfamiliar with)
Silverbolt: Lunar cycles. I...I’ve spent most of my life on Earth, sir.
Dr. Rung: I see. Are you related to your gestalt team?
Silverbolt: Yes, sir. My teammates are my younger brothers...although there isn’t that much of an age gap between us, really. I’m only a few seconds older than them.
Dr. Rung: Quintuplets? I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of that many sparklings being created at the same time before, but given what I’ve been told about your origins, it makes sense for you to all be the same age. So, Silverbolt, what role do you play in your gestalt?
Silverbolt: I...I’m the leader, sir. I form Superion’s torso.
Dr. Rung: I see. Do you find it difficult to lead at such a young age?
Silverbolt: It...it’s not easy, sir. Slingshot’s arrogant and confrontational, Air Raid’s reckless, Fireflight never pays attention to where he’s flying, and Skydive...well, frankly, he’s a better flier than I am. A lot of the time, they don’t really listen to me. The only reason I was even made leader is because Optimus Prime thought it would help me get my mind off of my fear of heights.
Dr. Rung: Can you elaborate on that last point, please?
Silverbolt: My body was created from a very low-flying Cybertronian shuttle, sir. I feel terrified if I get more than 80 feet off of the ground. It’s awful! I feel dizzy and sick and….it’s just terrible. What a joke! I’m the leader of a team of aerials, and I can’t stay in the air for more than a minute without feeling like I need to land.
Dr. Rung: I can certainly understand why you don’t like flying, if you feel anxiety every time you do it. How frequently does this feeling of anxiousness occur?
Silverbolt: Every time I leave the ground, sir. Sometimes, I can ignore it, but it’s always there...and my team knows. They say it doesn’t matter, but they all love to fly. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be for them to have a leader who never wants to leave the ground.
Dr. Rung: Yes, I can see why that might worry you. How often are you expected to fly?
Silverbolt: At least once or twice per week, sir. I can’t very well lead my team in aerial combat if I never practice for it. Even during aerial maneuvers, I try to stay close to the ground, but...well…that doesn’t always work.
Dr. Rung: Would I be correct in assuming that you try to return to the ground as quickly as possible?
Silverbolt: Yes, sir. It’s the only thing that really makes the fear go away.
Dr. Rung: Hmmm. Well, from what you’re describing, I’d say it sounds like you have acrophobia-an intense fear of heights.
Silverbolt: Yes, I do. Is there anything you can do about it?
Dr. Rung: As a matter of fact, there is...but I’m afraid that we’ll need to have more sessions in order to solve the problems. Phobias can certainly be cured, but the first thing you need to know about overcoming a phobia is that you can’t expect it to go away overnight, even with treatment.
Silverbolt: If it enables me to lead my team more effectively, I’m willing to work for as long as it takes. I can’t let my fears impede my ability to lead my team.
Dr. Rung: Good. It was very nice talking to you, Silverbolt, but I’m afraid that I have nineteen more interviews to carry out today. Therefore, I’ll have to cut this interview short. I can certainly arrange for a longer session tomorrow if you’re interested, though.
Silverbolt: I’d be very interested in that. Thank you, doctor.
Evaluator’s Preliminary Observations: Silverbolt clearly has a specific phobia, namely acrophobia, that is interfering with his everyday life. It is also possible that he may have some form of social anxiety, as he seems to have very little confidence in his ability to lead his team. Beyond this, Silverbolt seems to be a polite, well-meaning, and very responsible young mech. I will look forward to working with him again.