I thought I'd throw out another one-shot before I work on Coalition some more. I'm terribly sorry for the long wait. Read the end notes for more.
This is still subject to change. I haven't proof read. Title thanks to my dear friend Zuti.
Note: Transformers Prime, hints of Generation 1. Set after the events of Predacons Rising. Flashbacks should be in chronological order for the most part.
Flashback / Thoughts
Lyrics
Autobot Outpost Hangar E
He turned the small mineral over in his servo again before making note on a datapad.
Sodium. Aluminum. A basic compound. He had taken to examining minerals and gems located on Earth's crust. Being made of dirt and minerals, over Cybertron's metallic surface, it peaked his interest in their environment. Something he failed to admire upon first arriving on the planet. The human data network Miko had referred to as Google could provide him with supple information on the stone, but he preferred to make his own observations. He was never one to be spoon fed information, especially from a species that believed their core was composed of molten lava and they were the only sentient species in the galaxy.
Pulling out a blank datapad, he labeled the file and started recording his observations.
Data Log #4
Moonstone
A sodium potassium aluminum silicate. (NaK)AlSi3O8
It has an opalescent luster, the name being derived from its sheen, caused by light diffraction within a microstructure consisting of a regular succession of feldspar layers. Visually appealing, could be polished and used for ornamentation. This stone originated from a mine located within the United States.
Leaning back in his desk chair, he rolled his shoulder struts, pistons popping and hissing from the movement. Picking up his stylist once more, he scribbled down a few more notes.
Chirp.
His audio receptors twitched at the foreign noise but he chose to ignore it. His optics dilated as he inspected the gem more closely. The sample he currently had was tinted a light pearl, though there were many colors possible for this specific gemstone.
Chirp.
He readjusted his optics as his helm shot up, spotting nothing in particular to have created the noise.
Chirp.
There it was again. Maybe he was just imagining it. Pushing away the thought he hefted himself to his pedes to look behind some boxes, and even far enough to look beneath his pedes as if he had stepped on something.
Chirp. Chirp.
He was starting to grow irritated, not only by the noise, but by the mess surrounding him. Other than the occasional visit from the kids or scientists assigned to work alongside him from time to time, he was left to his work. Alone. That's what he had always wanted, wasn't it? He had his home back, and the humans hardly bothered him, so lonely was the best way to describe his situation.
After having been around the humans for so long, he almost-Primus forbid-missed the clamor that came with their company. Now, it was just him and his studies with no interruptions except the tepid tapping of his stylist or the occasional creak from within the confines of the base.
Chirp.
Except that. This time it was followed by a fluttering noise and something being knocked over. The quiet echo of a bass resounded from the area of the offending chirp. He made his way over to a cluttered work station in the back as the plucking stride of a ukulele and the tinkle of a tambourine joined the bass, creating a catchy beat, he had to admit.
The workbench was nothing more than a few abandoned projects and pieces of human technology. What really stood out, however, was the small birch colored bird twittering nervously to itself as it teetered around the mess. It repeated that chirruping of it's as it meticulously pecked at a few stray wires before attempting to pull them free from a base board.
"So you're the one disrupting my work. Well, I don't need you making a mess, so scram!"
The bird merely continued its desperate tries to pull free the wires, seemingly ignoring him.
It's not startled by me? Earth species really do have no common sense.
He nearly jumped at the sound of another instrument being added to the mix. He had obviously forgotten about the residing music from his newest distraction. It didn't take him long to locate the small human sized radio. Human sized being the key word; he would most likely crush it if he attempted to shut it off.
He huffed at the small critter, unamused.
"I'll assume you're to blame for this as well."
His gaze dropped back down to the small creature. He knew it couldn't answer or even understand him, but addressing something animate rather than ranting to the empty silo relieved something heavy within his spark. Knowing there was another being as lonely as he was comforted him for a moment, if only that.
What the bird was trying to accomplish, he had no clue, but he knew it would never get the wires free by yanking carelessly at them. He pulled out a laser scalpel and, gently shooting the bird away, he sliced them free from their base and left them in a neat pile on the side. He assumed the creature was hiding somewhere, as it was nowhere to be found. Maybe he would find out what it was doing later.
In the meantime he still had a rock sample to analyze.
Here I am.
I'm on my own.
He stopped short at the return of the radio.
For the first time really on my own.
For some reason unknown to him he couldn't shake off a feeling of helplessness in his spark. His friends-no, family, were billions of stellar cycles away, happily rebuilding their home planet. Were it not for the space bridge, he may as well be stranded.
So will I make it will it work alright.
But it had been his choice, after all.
Can I make it through the night?
None of the humans, even Rafael, were proficient enough in cyber engineering to be left to handle communications and the bridge by themselves. So he opted to stay on Earth to run communications between Earth and Cybertron, also in the rare case that others having received Optimus's transmission were to arrive on Earth-Autobot or Decepticon.
And I go ohhh.
Ohhh ohhh.
So much had happened in such a short time.
I am flying.
Memories long forgotten.
"Ratchet, look what I made!"
"The spark is the life force of the Cybertronian, remember this."
"My name is Orion Pax. Do you require assistance?"
"Where is my mentor?"
"He's dead. There was nothing we could do."
"You have been promoted to CMO, sir."
"First Aid, don't touch that."
"Orion, I'm not certain I trust him."
"Pit fighters're gettin' worse, somethin' big 'es comin'."
"If you will not grant me the Matrix of Leadership, then I will claim what is rightfully mine. By any means necessary."
The good times…
"We welcome the last of the Primes, the 13th. Optimus Prime."
…and the bad.
"First Aid-NO!"
"They're calling themselves Decepticons."
"You're all we have left, you're our leader now."
"They're comin' in the Capital, comm Prime!"
"He's not going to make it, First Aid, call Jazz!"
"We can't hold them off much longer!"
After all our loses…
"His chassis is crushed beyond repair, there's not much I can do."
"I always dreamt of a world where the cast system would be abolished and we could all live equally."
"Our planet is dying, it won't be long now."
"This is your fault, why didn't you kill him when you had the chance!"
"Our home can no longer sustain life, Autobots retreat!"
"I never imagined it would come to this."
And I go ohhh.
Ohhh ohhh.
In all cons pace.
He shook his head a few times.
"I need some air," he growled to no one in particular.
His plates shifted and rearranged into his vehicular form as he rolled out of the base, the radio's tune fading away behind him.
"These humans have absolutely no taste!"
Sure it was new and vastly different from the traditional metallic sounds of Cybertronian music, but nothing he could personally listen to. Jazz would like it, he mused. The mech liked just about any genre. Good thing he wasn't here, though. The saboteur could sure drive a mech up a wall. He always wondered how Prowl could stand Jazz for so long.
Babe, babe, babe, ohhh.
He quickly shifted to another channel. Justin Bieber? He didn't know much about human designations, but it sounded like a mech. Then why does his vocalizer sound like that of a femme? Only humans…
I've got a feeling.
That tonight's going to be a good night.
Definitely Jazz.
Although it was cloudy when he left the base, rain was something he did not expect. They were in a desert, for Primus sake! Small beads of condensation were quickly appearing on his dash. Hopefully it wouldn't downpour, the sensation of ice cold water creeping into your armor was hardly something he wanted to experience again.
I've got a feeling.
Ohhh ohhh.
His radio dial shifted once more. This time, the soft vibrations of a piano resounded from his speakers. The diatonic melody was very soothing, something he could stand to listen to for a change.
Step one, you say, "We need to talk."
He walks, you say, "Sit down. It's just a talk."
He smiles politely back at you,
You stare politely right on through.
Some sort of window to your right,
As he goes left and you stay right.
Between the lines of fear and blame,
You begin to wonder why you came.
"Outta the way!"
"Move it we got wounded!"
He moved quickly around the room, grabbing necessary tools and equipment. Mechs and femmes rushed by the room, some shouting orders. Countless frames were wheeled into the room, other medics hurrying to their aid. A yellow minibot was swiftly placed on a berth before him, energon quickly pooling around the limp form.
"Doctor, is he going to make it?"
He swiftly grabbed a rag to clean up the energon, pressing it firmly into the wound, nearly reeling in disgust when he saw the full extent of the damaged area. Energon poured from broken main lines, fusion coils still hissing and sparking.
"Let me through, that's my creation!"
"Sir, we're taking care of him, please wait outside."
Further into the wound he discovered the remains of the minibot's voice box. Crumpled was the best word for it. The small box was covered in a black soot from the bombing and crushed beyond repair, the marks of a servo clearly present around the bot's neck cabling. The yellow mech didn't even so much as twitch when he set to work clamping off main energon lines. More shouts sounded from outside.
"I need to see my creation! Bumblebee!"
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend.
Somewhere along in the bitterness.
And I would have stayed up with you all night,
Had I known how to save a life.
"Sunny!" Sideswipe glanced helplessly through coolant streaked optics at his disheveled twin. Wires and tubes snaked from the yellow form on the berth. Both legs and one of his servos from the shoulder strut down were missing and his optics thrummed dimly, flickering slightly.
"There's nothing else I can do." A voice whispered to the side.
"What do you mean there's nothing you can do?! You're a medic, help him! You're supposed to save lives, why are you giving up on him!" He cried, a tear slipping down his cheek.
"I-I've done all I can," the other mech said more forcefully, turning and rushing out the med bay doors, frame shaking.
Let him know that you know best,
'Cause after all you do know best.
Try to slip past his defense,
Without granting innocence.
Lay down a list of what is wrong,
The things you've told him all along.
Pray to God, he hears you,
And I pray to God, he hears you.
"Optimus!"
"What's wrong with him?"
"Is he going to be okay?"
He looked down at the dying form of his leader, unable to provide words of comfort. If they hadn't followed that signal he wouldn't be here suffering. If he had more medical knowledge to devise a cure, then perhaps he wouldn't be sitting here helplessly watching his oldest friend die. The rest of his team stood nearby, silently urging the medic to do something, anything to help the Prime. There was nothing he could do. He had never felt so helpless in all his vorns of being a medic. One of the young humans stepped forward, turning to face the group.
"He'll pull through, he always does."
And where did I go wrong, I lost a friend.
Somewhere along in the bitterness.
And I would have stayed up with you all night,
Had I known how to save a life.
"Bulkhead, you have to wake up! Please!"
"Miko, I don't think-"
"Why aren't you helping him? He needs you, do something!"
"I-I can't."
"What do you mean you can't? You're the only one who can save him!"
"There's nothing else I can do. My scanners aren't showing-"
"Forget your stupid scanners! You're a doctor, save him. Please."
As he begins to raise his voice,
You lower yours and grant him one last choice.
Drive until you lose the road,
Or break with the ones you've followed.
He will do one of two things.
He will admit to everything,
Or he'll say he's just not the same,
And you'll begin to wonder why you came.
"I've done everything I can. Considering the limitations of my equipment, and less than ideal spare parts. It remains uncertain if Ultra Magnus's new appendage will be fit for battle, though it should prove functional; after requisite amount of therapy. "
"That is all we can hope for, old friend."
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend.
Somewhere along in the bitterness.
And I would have stayed up with you all night,
Had I known how to save a life.
Primus must have a cruel sense of humor.
Rain harshly dropped from the darkening sky, chilling him to the spark as it reached through his armor to the protoform beneath. His tires nearly began to swerve with all the mud trailing itself onto the road.
He was carefully making his way through curves and slopes along a steep pass overlooking what appeared to be a small woodland. He seemed to now realize how long he had been driving with the newly sighted evergreens.
Flicking rain off of his mirror and windshield, it was still difficult to make out anything through the downpour and dark skies. He almost didn't have time to slam on his brakes as bright tail lights met his optics, momentarily blinding him as his form swerved in a desperate attempt to slow down.
His sensors were on the fritz as his alt mode sung to the side, clearing the vehicle in peril. The rubber on his tires burned in protest and left dark streaks in their wake. Expanding his EM field and turning up his audios he was able to distinguish the cries of distress of a young human femme from within the vehicle adjacent to him. There's no other way.
His plates shifted to his bipedal form as he towered over the small van. His servos shot out, wrapping around the hull of the car before it could sip any farther over the edge. Pulling with whatever strength he was able to muster, the vehicle was safely lifted from the edge. Just in time too, a moment later and the human would indeed be what he initially presumed them as, "squishy".
As he shifted his weight to his back pede and intended to put the car down, the mud and gravel caked upon his wheeled heels abruptly shifted. He cried out in alarm as his tire strut slid forward, bringing the rest of him with it, resulting in him skidding down the steep slope. He tightly grasped the van against his chassis as sharp rocks and branches assaulted his frame from behind. The ground abruptly sent him careening forward, luckily landing on his side so as to not damage his precious cargo.
Warnings of offending substances clogging his motor functions broke him out of his daze. Joints groaning in protest, he was able to partially sit up, using a large evergreen for support. His gaze was immediately drawn to the untouched van at his side. His sensors were able to detect the human's presence and another foreign substance, iron; human blood.
His self-repairs would take a few minutes to right themselves, he figured. He didn't know whether the human had seen his form or was unconscious, but he'd rather not risk the former. Meticulously folding down into his alt mode, his holoform, a middle aged man dressed in a white lab coat, strode over to the van. Peering in through the windows his sensors were proven correct as he took in the form of a young femme, in her twenties at most. Her hair was that of a brunette, her features fairly thin to match her small stature. A long gash ran across her face from her cheek to her ear, blood still flowing freely from it. Struggling with the door, he managed to pry it open enough to gently lift her up from behind her mid back and knees.
He brought her over to the back of his alt mode as it shifted open to reveal a small area filled with a few cabinets and monitors with a single roll away berth. He delicately placed her on the berth then hooked her up to a heart rate monitor. Digging through the cabinets, he took out some gauze, tape, and antiseptic to properly clean and bandage her wound. Bending over the still form, he reckoned how lucky the femme was. The cut was the only visible injury he could discern, as she seemed otherwise unharmed. Taking the antiseptic soaked cloth, he gently placed it against the gash, blood quickly being soaked up. What he didn't expect was for the femme to abruptly jerk awake with a cough and outcry at the stinging pain.
He pulled back before gently pushing her down when she attempted to rise.
"Don't try to sit up yet, you were hurt during the fall."
Her eyes hazily drifted up and down his form before settling on his optics. "What happened? Where am I?"
He gave her a small reassuring smile. "You're in an ambulance, I saw your vehicle go over and came as fast as I could. Your face has a gash on it from your windshield, if you would allow me to finish treating it."
She looked unsure for a moment before nodding as she attempted to bring a hand to her face to feel. She hissed in pain before grasping her arm tightly as a sharp pain overtook her. He took her arm from her, gently feeling over the soft skin while his vehicular form ran a scan.
"Your arm is badly sprained. You're lucky it wasn't broken."
He placed her arm across her midsection before finishing bandaging her cheek.
"W-What's your name?"
His mind stumbled for a moment at the sudden question before he once again rummaged through his drawers.
"Ratchet." No point in trying to come up with a human name, something he was foreign to.
"That's an odd name." She said, giving him a small smile. "I like it."
He spared a glance at her before coming back around with a brace for her arm.
"My name's Cora."
He acknowledged her with a nod. "That's a… fine name for a young female."
"Can I sit up now?" She questioned as he finished his work on setting her arm.
"Yes, go slowly," he nodded, helping her sit up.
She grunted slightly from being sore but was able to sit up on her own. Thunder suddenly clashed from outside, startling her for a moment.
"It's still storming heavily so I will remain here with you until paramedics and police arrive. How are you feeling?"
She examined the cast over her arm, also noticing how her cheek didn't relatively burn anymore. "Just a little sore, nothing to worry about."
Cora glanced over at him quizzically. "Is something the matter? It looks like something's troubling you."
He seemed surprised for a moment before he let out a sigh. "It's a… long story."
"Well," she brought her legs up to her chest, "I've got some time." Another clash of thunder had her hugging her legs tighter. "Could we turn on the radio? Storms aren't my favorite."
He gave her a slight questioning look. She was well out of her youngling frame and yet she was still afraid of storms? He leaned up into the cab, turning the dial on his radio to a channel before a guitar came out of his speakers. Dominant third, diminished leading tone, major root chord, he though, remembering some things Miko would prattle on about at times.
"I love this song." She relaxed slightly from the soothing music.
A silence seemed to settle over them, Ratchet at a loss for words. How do you tell someone that you've been fighting a war your entire life and how many lives you've failed? Given up on. Had to watch slip away because you were powerless to save them. The cries and angry shouts of carriers and sires for not saving her loved ones. The lives lost that went un-mourned, their greyed frames left to mar their home world, bathed in their own life blood.
Cora spare him a sympathetic smile at his silence. "Here, I'll start. My name is Cora Waterford. I work in a flower shop in Jasper. I studied botany through college and I love plants. Now your turn."
He cast her a glance before beginning shakily. "My designation is Ratchet. I… was in a war for most my life as a field medic."
Her eyes glowed in fascination. "So you're a veteran? I'm sure you've saved many lives," she said, glancing down at her arm.
The heavy sound of metal crashing broke her thoughts as the tray beside him lay on the floor. "S-Saved? But how many have died under my care? How many have I had to watch perish because I lacked the knowledge or tools essential to spare their life?"
She leaned away, as if struck, her features contorting into a grimace. "Ratchet, you can't keep blaming yourself. From what little I've seen you're great at what you do, and I'm sure it was out of your power to help them."
Ratchet glared at her in return, fists clenching tightly. "And what do you know about me? About what I've gone through?"
"I don't, but I do know blaming yourself won't help you. You don't have to constantly blame yourself for their deaths, you just have to remember and push forward."
Feeling my way through the darkness,
Guided by a beating heart.
I can't tell where the journey will end,
But I know where to start.
"Your creation is going to be just fine, sir. The doctor will be with you shortly."
The mech nodded in return and returned to his bond mate's side, clasping a servo on top of hers, just above their creations spark. Moments later the sound of a door swinging open reached their audios.
"Doctor, I-"
"Please. I have some unfortunate news about your sparkling."
"The nurse said he would be alright, what's wrong with him?"
"He's going to be fine, but his voice box was… heavily damaged. It will never be fully functional again, I'm sorry."
The mech locked optics with the medic a moment before rushing forward and clasping servos around the mechs chassis in a deep embrace.
"T-Thank you." He stuttered, frame trembling.
"W-what? But Bumblebee's voi-"
A femme appeared near the two, gingerly clasping her servos around the medic's.
"He's alive, that's all that matters. Thank you for saving his spark. Please, might I know your designation? I wish to let my creation know just who it was that saved his life."
His optics widened as he was at a loss for words, finally stuttering out a response.
"Ratchet."
They tell me I'm too young to understand,
They say I'm caught up in a dream.
Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes,
Well that's fine by me.
"If he hadn't taken the hit for me, he'd be fine. We wouldn't be here in this mess, he'd be back in his studio creating new works and-"
"Y-you'd be s-slagged."
Blue optics flickered on, images coming into focus from their former hazy blurs.
"He's waking up!"
"Thank Primus!"
"Someone get Ratchet, quick!"
A red helm slowly lifted from the med berth, turning to face the identical yellow helm of his twin.
"S-Sunny?" He choked out, lubricant threatening to spill from his wide optics.
Blue optics redirected themselves on the red front liner. "H-hey, Sides".
"H-hey… How ya feelin'?"
"Like slag."
Sideswipe chuckled, for once in relief to hear his brother's crude remarks. He glanced up as the Autobot CMO appeared on Sunstreaker's other side, surmising his work on the yellow lambo's newly constructed pedes and servo.
Ratchet motioned towards Sunstreaker's new appendages. "How do they feel?"
Sunstreaker tilted his helm to face the medic. "Better… Thanks."
So wake me up when it's all over,
When I'm wiser and I'm older.
All this time I was finding myself,
And I didn't know I was lost.
A clear fluid shot through a tube into the Prime's systems. His team waited by anxiously, as if expecting him to rise then and there as if all was well.
"Well? Is he going to get better?" An impatient voice laced with worry asked quietly.
"We won't know for a few joors, Miko."
The young teen huffed and walked back over to her guardian, planting herself at his pedes. As time went on and it grew into the late hours of the night the team slowly filtered out of the main silo to their respective rooms with their partners, leaving the medic alone to his thoughts. He rested his helm on a servo as he watched his oldest friend and Prime rest, studying the way his chassis rose and fell with even intakes. It was only a matter of time. His vitals were steady and increasing, but his wound was still an unpleasant sight, slightly worrying the medic. What if the cure didn't work? What if he had read a variable wrong and made a mistake? His vents hissed out air in the form of a sigh as he closed his optics.
"Optimus, I… Please recover. I cannot handle another failure, not now. I don't know what I would do… Should you…" His vents hitched as a single bead of lubricant trailed down his face. He hardly took notice of a servo being placed upon his own.
"Ratchet."
His servo trembled as he hesitantly made optic contact with the Prime.
"All will be well, do not doubt your abilities, old friend." He whispered, a smile gracing his features as he settled back into a steady recharge.
I tried carrying the weight of the world,
But I only have two hands.
Hope I get the chance to travel the world,
But I don't have any plans.
"Go slowly."
Ultra Magnus nodded his helm and proceeded to gently clench and un-clench his new servo. Satisfied by his work, Ratchet transformed his servo and stood back to allow his commanding officer adequate room to stand. Rising to his full height, Ultra Magnus laid his newly formed appendage on the medic's shoulder strut.
"Thank you, Doctor. I knew you would pull through."
Wish that I could stay forever this young,
Not afraid to close my eyes.
Life's a game made for everyone,
And love is the prize.
"Thank you, Ratchet."
He looked back over at Cora in surprise. "W-what?"
She allowed herself a small smile as she adjusted her shirt. "I said, thank you. For saving me."
So wake me up when it's all over,
When I'm wiser and I'm older.
All this time I was finding myself,
And I didn't know I was lost.
Mud sprayed out beneath his tires as he pulled back onto the road, the young woman's eyes following his retreating form for as far as he could sense. He smiled inwardly at the thought.
Didn't know I was lost.
I didn't know I was lost.
I didn't know I was lost.
I didn't know.
His engine thrummed tiredly as he pulled into the silo, plates shifting and rearranging. Sore as he was, his spark felt a lot lighter, better than he had felt in a long time. Before turning to go into the wash racks, he remembered something and headed towards the back wall.
A nest.
There among twisted wires and tattered pieces of old rags sat the small bird, chirping contentedly.
"I guess I'll be seeing you around more often."
"Hey Jack, check this out!"
"What is it Raf?" The older teen asked, peering over his younger friend's shoulder.
"A woman got in an accident last night," he said, Ratchet's audios perking up at the statement. "Out past the forest reserve, just off the highway. There was a huge mud slide that she got caught up in. The authorities say they received a call from a man soon after the incident. He was gone by the time they-Oh, look, there's an image."
"Is that…?"
"It looks like…"
"No way…"
They both glanced between the medic tending the monitors and the image in shock. Ratchet internally grinned in satisfaction.
Yes, Optimus. All will be well.
Finally got a one-shot of Ratchet outta the way. I truly love his character, there's so much behind him that the other characters don't even know about (or the viewer). We should all be fans of Ratchet. If not, I shall convince you until you are. I wrote this on a whim and as a thank you to everyone who has been reading/reviewing my stories thus far. Hope it was worth the wait. I really appreciate the positive commentary and am humbled when authors of stories I enjoy reading come back and read my own stories. Thanks guys. I can only assume that given the completed formula healed Bumblebee, Ratchet would be able to repair Ultra Magnus' servo correctly (and the kids still visit the base from time to time).
The bird in this doesn't play a huge role, but does stand for something. You may interpret it however you like.
I am in college, hence the slow writing, but today marks the beginning of Spring Break. I have another one-shot lined up and I plan on updating Coalition soon…eventually…maybe. I would update it sooner, but I refuse to post chapters shorter than 2000 words..! I plan to write a short story with Starscream & Shockwave as well (maybe 5 chapters?). I hope you all enjoyed your Winter Break & enjoy your Spring Break if you have one. Accidents happen with all the ice and slush this time of year, so stay safe. As Dream'sRealm would say, God Bless!
Pertaining to the three songs I featured in this, I encourage you to listen to them.
P.S. JazzxProwl fans, if you squint real hard, you'll notice I killed Prowl. Oh, and First Aid. Yeah.