When Answers Aren't Enough
A/N: Because the plot bunnies wouldn't leave me alone with my other favorite unofficial parings, I decided to work on this inevitable story. My third favorite Jackie and Ratch. Mostly G1 with some Prime bits thrown in later perhaps.
Transformers isn't mine unfortunately. I just love to play in the sandbox.
Chapter 1: Beginnings: Wheeljack
Approximately four vorns before the war for Cybertron…
"Necessity is the carrier of inventions" the large green and grey mech told his not so young anymore mech of his. It was a phrase Wheeljack heard as far back as he could remember and he reminded the young mech of it once again. His Mech creator, Roadblock, was constantly tinkering with things and finding ways to improve life in their medium-sized apartment outside of Iacon. "It sparked Cyberton's greatest inventions from the atmospheric and weather controls, to the unique and beautiful architecture of Polyhex, and even interstellar travel itself. When you need it inspiration will always come."
Wheeljack listened intently his optics wide watching his creator in his makeshift lab. He liked the stories about the inventors and discoveries for the planet. He heard them thousands of times but they never got old. He would one day be a part of all that.
"Hopefully it will help carrier with her assignment in the city too" Roadblock had already improved the elevator in their apartments and made adjustments on bridges for the increasing number of grounders. This time, however, Roadblock was working on redesigning engines that could use less energon but still have the same energy output, and hopefully later be adapted to be used by the bots themselves as adaptations on their own internals. So far the small lab had not exploded in the attempt. Wheeljack could only hope he wouldn't have to call in Lifeline this time.
Blaze, Wheeljack's femme creator, was a chemist in Iacon and was at work in the city more than she was at home. Her current assignment was on ways to counter the inescapable fuel shortage that was bound to happen. There were too many bots wasting what energon they had and tensions were growing among the classes, her own working/middle caste was feeling it, even more so than they had in the past. She feared the worst but kept her concerns at the lab and would not let her emotions affect her at home. She laughed with Roadblock and encouraged Wheeljack to follow his goals and attend the academy of Science and Engineering in Iacon. 'He definitely had the interest and was at least as talented as his sire'. She laughed quietly to herself as she prepared to leave for the evening. She walked in on the conversation about Roadblocks work and Wheeljack leaving for the Academy.
"Just be careful. Energon can be volatile and I am sure Lifeline is off duty. She will not want to come piece you and I back together." Wheeljack finally said.
"Yes, yes. I know. I wouldn't do anything dangerous. Especially with you sitting right here Jackie. I'll give you a vorn or so if you even need that long. You'll go off to the academy next lunar cycle and come up with better things than I ever will or better than even Blaze's discoveries."
"No doubt he will! Glad to see you are taking precautions with Wheeljack in the room." the femme's voice answered as she came in the lab. "Been working hard too, I see? I hope you are closer to a solution on your end than we are." She smiled but her voice dropped. "The politicians are getting restless."
"They stay that way, carrier. The answers lie in science and technology not in politics anyway. Mainly because all the politicians care about is themselves not making Cybertron better for all bots. It is necessary that we find something, so we will. Necessity is the carrier of inventions". Wheeljack repeated smiling optics and fins bright. There is a reason Iacon is front and center here and will be for vorns to come."
Blaze only smiled and shook her helm. "You are absolutely right my young mech. What will we do while you are away at the Academy next Orbital Cycle?"
"What you always do." He said as he left the lab to go refuel and read some before recharge cycle. He watched the bustle of bots leaving the city and heading out into the suburbs as evening turned to night. He watched the stars and was suddenly hit with anxiety. He knew that the answers would come in science and technology as he told his creators before but what if they didn't come soon enough? What if war did come over something like energy reserves? Would they rust away to nothing or die in battles trying not to rust? What if the answers came but no one cared to listen? He had to be prepared for anything. He would continue to seek the answers and enroll in the Academy as he planned next Orbital Cycle but he would take combat classes too somewhere. He would be a warrior and an engineer if he had to be. Somehow that thought brought him comfort and he reclined on his berth and fell into a peaceful deep defrag level of recharge.
The following solar cycles and vorns passed without incident. Wheeljack did well in his studies and was getting ready to graduate from Engineering School. He surprised himself with only a few explosions and because of that found himself a new friend who happened to be a medical student there at the Science Academy who was a year ahead of him.
"I swear Wheeljack you alone are going to be my case study. No doubt you are becoming a brilliant engineer but somehow I don't think creative ways to get to the Well in hundreds of pieces are going to be required in your line of work. My professors laugh when I tell them my field experiences all come from the same patient. They want to meet you. You are becoming quite the celebrity in Medical"
"Whatever, Ratchet, just fix the hand okay." He really liked the soon-to-be-Doctor but today it was getting on his last circuit. "This one was actually going to work. I was sure of it. The energon was almost-"
"Energon! You were blowing up your own fuel?"
"No, doc, I was trying to make it last longer. An ongoing experiment that my family started vorns ago. I thought I was getting close"
"Well that is one way not to do it, and don't call me Doc."
"Lifeline said the same thing to my creators, well Roadblock in particular."
Ratchet paused and looked him in the optics. "Of course, Wheeljack, it makes sense now. You are not as fragged up as I thought. At least you come about it honestly. I have heard Lifeline's stories. One day you will have a breakthrough or you will break through to the Well." He continued with the minor repair. "Wheeljack, be careful." He finished up. "You can go. Maybe you should take that experiment of yours and sneak it into the senate"
"Shush Doc. You don't want to be overheard saying that. Not in these times."
"Yeah I know. Good thing everything in this room is confidential now get."
"Thanks, doc, I mean thanks sunshine."
He left the infirmary and went back to class. Things went on like that and he kept up with Ratchet now that they had acquaintances in common and therefore more to talk about than just being accident prone. Shortly after he graduated it all began. It started with a communication from Blaze that there had been an attack on Tarn and Polyhex. Roadblock had been in Polyhex and was captured by the Decepticons. War had started. It was too late.
A/N Next chapter Ratchet's take. This will be like my others for now. Odd chapters Wheeljack and even ones Ratchet.