It had been two weeks since Kelly's adventure on the Autobot base, and she still didn't have her paper done. She had about a page and a half which was a big improvement but it was due in a couple of days and she needed it to be done. It didn't help that Kelly had gone to the Autobot base everyday for the past two weeks. She had her notebook at the base and instead of exploring the ship, which the Autobots had named the Xantium, she sat herself down and plugged her headphones in and tried to write. She had a basic idea for her thesis but the words were just not coming together for her. Kelly was never good with words, she preferred actions but she knew that this class was more reasonable than her other dream. Taking a business class was a smart idea, she hated it but she knew it was a smart idea. The song that was playing was a catchy one and it was upbeat, she tapped her foot to the music and tried not to move any other body part to the music. She wrote down another few words and sighed, she dropped her pen and leaned back. She couldn't do it, not now, she couldn't concentrate.
Kelly dropped the notebook on the ground and stood up. She took a headphone out and turned to look at the ship. The Wreckers were working on the fuselage, which was a dangerous process as they were dealing with highly flammable material. She saw Leadfoot call for a break as the work they had done needed to settle first before they continued. The Wreckers backed away from the ship and headed towards the rest area for the Autobots. The rest area was a sheltered room with three huge boxes that the Wreckers used as chairs. Kelly walked towards the rest area as well eager to hear what the Wreckers were talking about.
Leadfoot was explaining about his latest invention. Kelly had found out that Leadfoot loved to tinker and build weapons. 'The bigger the boom the better.' He had told Kelly. It was something he did off to the side when he wasn't yelling or working on the Xantium. Kelly lifted her hand in greeting, Leadfoot did the same but did not stop talking.
"I designed it special for Ironhide, these big ass guns deserve to be his." Leadfoot said.
"I'm sure it'll fuck up the Decepticons good." Roadblaster mused. "You gonna make one for me?" he asked.
"Hell no" Leadfoot shook his head, "You aint ready for that shit."
"Long as those Decepticons die I don't care." Topspin said. "I'll pound em in."
"Ah but you forget, we are on repair duty, we cant go hunting." Roadbuster said. He sounded a bit grumpy about not being able to kill some Decepticons. Roadbuster sat on his box and leaned down and put his hand on the ground. Kelly climbed into it and he set her on the box next to him. "Hello lass."
"Hello" Kelly sat down and hung her legs over the edge.
"What's that you've got in your ear?" Topspin asked as he moved closer so that he might look at it.
"Oh, these are headphones. I listen to music through them." She pulled out her iPod and headphones and presented them to Topspin. He took them gently and examined it, his scanners going through the technology. Then through one of his fingers he let a wire out and plugged the iPod into it. Then he pressed play and Kelly's music was playing through his speakers. It was a techno song and Topspin was playing it loud enough for the bass to shake the roof. Kelly and Roadbuster laughed as Topspin began to bob his head to the beat.
And then suddenly Kelly heard her fathers voice over the music, "you should dance honey!" He shouted at her. Kelly swung around to look at him with wide eyes, she was shaking her head but Roadbuster's interest was already in full effect.
"Dance?" He looked down at Kelly "What is dance?"
"It's… uh…" Kelly was looking everywhere else but him.
"Kelly's really good at it." Orville said walking up to the Autobots. "Show them honey, we didn't pay for all those classes for nothing." Her father then gestured for Kelly to be put on the ground, Roadbuster picked her up and placed her on the ground and soon she was surrounded by the Wreakers and numerous humans all with curious eyes. "Come on honey. Don't worry, you're a great dancer."
Kelly frowned at him frowned at him "But dad…"
She was cut off by Leadfoot who shouted "Goddamnit just show us what dance is already!" Kelly jumped at his voice and turned to glare at him but nodded showing that she was going to dance. She walked to the center of the dance floor she had been given and tapped her foot to the beat and focused on moving her body to the music. As it was a techno beat she went with the robot style which the thought might also cater to the audience well. As she broke down only to start back up again she thought of the hundreds of lessons she had taken, and the thousand more internet videos she had watched taking ideas and moves from a lot of them and putting them into this one dance. Of everything in the whole wide world Kelly didn't love anything more than she loved to dance. She had devoted most of her child and teen hood to it only to be told by many that it was a lost cause and she would probably never make it into the big time. Kelly had accepted their words to be true and let go of her dream, much to her mothers delight. Her mother had been at the forefront of the whole scheme to make her quit dance as it was a waste of money, according to her "she's never going to make it, so why bother?" Had been the words Kelly overheard spoken to her father one night. Kelly had kept at the dance for a few more years even after that comment and the many more that followed it. She had been certain that one day she would be dancing professionally in front of movie stars and other such famous people. But in the end the words had gotten to her and she had quit dance and took an online collage course, this of course meant homework, and her thoughts were suddenly drawn back to the paper that was due.
Kelly frowned as the song changed and she changed from a robot to something far more graceful. Her arms lifted and she pretended she was flying. It was still and upbeat song perfect for twirls and drops, all of which she did to the amusement of the Wreckers and humans surrounding her. They clapped as she finished the second song and she bowed to their cheers. She grinned as one of the men tried to pull one of the more advanced flashy moved and in the end he looked like a flopping fish.
"That was certainly interesting." Roadbuster said. He had enjoyed the human dancing and wondered if his robot body could pull the same sort of moves. It seemed Topspin had the same idea and he had moved to the side of the crowd and picked another one of Kelly's songs and began to copy the robot break down move he had seen her do. Kelly crossed her arms as watched as what had taken her years and years to learn was accomplished by a robot just by watching her. She didn't let that get to her and instead she smiled and clapped for Topspin.
"Nice" She told him, giving him a thumbs up. "You should try the wave."
"What was that one again?" He asked.
"This." She demonstrated it for him letting her arms extend and then flexing and moving them in a way that it looked like a wave had moved through her body. Topspin paused for a moment after she had done it and then lifted his arms and attempted it. It was a good try but it just didn't look right, "Metal doesn't bend the same way as your arm does." was his excuse.
Kelly rolled her eyes at him "Whatever." She said with a smile.
"Shut up." Topspin said pleasantly as he did a few more moves and then flung his arms out as he had seen Kelly do, but there was only one problem, he done it too fast and the small object called the iPod in his hand flew out and shattered to the ground. "Oops…" He said softly.
Kelly ran to it and sighed as the front was completely off and the wires ripped apart. Her screen was smashed and it was broken beyond repair.
Topspin peered over her shoulder and spoke a word that came with difficulty "Sorry."
Kelly looked at him and winked at him "It's alright, the thing was a piece of shit anyway. Now I can get dad to get me a new one." The gears in her mind were already turning as she did the typical thing and tried to figure out a way for her father to get her a new iPod.
"Then I'm not sorry." Topspin stood up and took away his apology with ease, he hated having to apologize. When he had been younger he had been ordered by Optimus Prime to say sorry numerous times and it shamed him. He put the thought aside as Leadfoot stood up and clapped his big hands once and called everyone to order.
"Breaks over ladies, get back to work." He ushered the crowd of humans back to the ship like a mother hen and then he too disappeared into the ship. Topspin Waves his good bye to Kelly and Roadbuster stood in front of her his hands on his hips.
"What?" She looked up at him and copied his pose.
"Nothing." He didn't move and neither did she. There was silence for a long moment and then Roadbuster finally spoke. "You've been writing a in book for the past few days…" He began.
"Yeah… It's my homework for an online course I'm taking." She bit her bottom lip and sighed "It's due in a few days."
Roadbuster crouched and tilted his head "Have you finished it?" He asked, When Kelly shook her head he made a clicking noise and then reached forward and scooped Kelly up into his hand. He ignored her shriek of surprise and stood up. "What the hell you standing here for? Work on it, tisnt good to be late on assignments" He told her. He had been wondering about the book for the past week, he had seen her writing in it and when ever she did she looked so angry with it and he was curious as to why.
"Roadbuster! Put me down!" Kelly didn't want to do her homework, she wanted to do the childish thing and not do it at all.
"No lass." Roadbuster said happily as he lifted her even higher with his hand and then placed her on his shoulder where she hung on for dear life as he walked towards the spot where she had left her book. "You've got work to do so do it."
Kelly growled at him and muttered "Yes mom."
"Oh hush." He said "Get it done and loose that angry expression." He told her.
"Fine…" Kelly let out an exaggerated sigh as he reached her book, but instead of putting her down like she expected him to he bent down and even with such large fingers he plucked up her book and handed it to her.
"You can work on it at the ship." He said, "Tell me what you have to do; maybe some of the men can help you." Kelly looked at him and arched an eyebrow; really he wanted to know what she was working on?
"It's really boring." She told him.
"I gathered that. Now are you going to tell me what you have to do or not?" Roadbuster said impatiently as he walked towards the Xanthuim.
"Alright, alright, hold your horses." She flipped open the book to the question and began to read it out loud to him. "Write of the role that business plays in the development of the economic structures of the home country and international markets, while keeping in mind the principles of the free enterprise system and its relation with the legal, social, and political systems and environments of the home country. Also use a practical understanding of the dynamic business environment and successful adaptation to organizational and industry changes as a business professional and resource." She took a breath and looked up at Roadbuster who stopped walking so that he could use his full power to understand the question.
"Shit…" He muttered "You're gonna hafta write a whole fucking book." His head turned and his blue visor glinted in the sun "How much have you written?" He asked.
Kelly looked away and said very quietly "A page and a half…"
"Huh? Didn't catch that." Roadbuster said.
"A page and a half." She said louder this time.
"Shit…" Roadbuster said feeling sympathy for her.
"Yeah it's a big clusterf-"
"Kelly!" Kelly heard her father shout up at her appalled and she grinned down at him.
"Yes Dad?" She said sweetly.
"None of that language, you hear me?" Orville wiped some of the grease off of his forehead with a rag and stuck it in his back pocket, he then looked up at his daughter sternly.
"You've said worse." She argued, why can't I say clust-"
"Don't you even think about it!" Her father waved a finger at her, "If she says it give her a smack will you Roadbuster?" Orville smiled as Roadbuster saluted him.
"My pleasure sir." Orville nodded and was about to turn and go back to work when Leadfoot peeked around the corner and saw the three mucking about and doing nothing.
"OI!" He shouted loud enough to make the men hold their ears as the ship shook. Roadbuster sighed as the red robot waddled towards them as angry as his colour. "What the fuck to you think your doing just standing there?" He yelled.
Orville stood his ground and gestured up to Kelly "I was just telling my daughter something. I'll get back to work." Orville touched the brim of his cap and turned on his heel and headed back to work. Leadfoot watched him go and then turned his anger to Kelly and Roadbuster. "Well!" He shouted, "What the fuck you standing around for! Get to work." Leadfoot turned around and headed back around the corner he came from. Roadbuster and Kelly looked at each other as he walked away and then he simultaneously fingered him and then moved on.
Roadbuster reached his work area near the 4th engine and bent down and began to run tests by scanning and poking around. He had set Kelly down on a ledge and after watching him a moment she opened her book and looked over what she had written and tried to come up with more to say. They worked silently for a while Kelly scratching marks into the paper and Roadbuster pulling wires and setting them in place. After an hour Kelly had managed to add another page to her pitiful amount, she sighed loudly as a man walked into the area she and Roadbuster were in. She waved at him and he smiled and inclined his head in greeting.
Roadbuster looked up from his work and said "Epps, what can I do for you?"
The man named Epps looked away from Kelly and up at Roadbuster's blue visor "Topspin wanted to let you know that there's power available for engines 1 through 5."
"Alright, tell Topspin to keep the power off until we get all engines power." Roadbuster told him. Epps nodded and turned to walk away when Roadbuster stopped him. "Epps, how much do you know about business?"
Epps shrugged "Not much, enough to go on I guess. Why?"
"Kelly read him your question." She nodded, took in a deep breath and read out the question to him. After she was finished she looked up to see Epps trying to piece together the question and then actually understand it.
"Uh…" Was all he said. "Well, maybe… um…shit I don't know…" Epps shrugged and looked up at Kelly "Sorry I have no idea what that even means."
"That's ok, I have no idea what it means either." Kelly told him. She smiled and watched as he left muttering to himself trying to figure out what had been asked of Kelly.
Kelly chuckled to herself and picked up her pen and she began to write again, there was silence a little while more as she worked, then suddenly Roadbuster spoke. "How's it going?" He didn't look up from his work and neither did she.
"It's going." She said.
"That's good."
"Mmm Hmm" Was all Kelly said. They lapsed back into silence and it was a long while before anything else happened. It was near supper before Kelly looked up from her book, Orville walked into room and gestured for Kelly and Roadbuster to follow. "Come'on it's supper time." Kelly felt her mouth water at the word supper and allowed for Roadbuster to pluck her up and put her on his shoulder. They headed out towards the mess hall and Roadbuster glanced at Kelly.
"How much did you get done?" He asked.
"A few pages." Kelly shrugged feeling proud of herself.
"Good girl." Roadbuster said. He dropped her on the ground near the mess hall and sent her on her way. "Eat a big supper." He told her. "You deserve it."
"Yes sir." She saluted him and was about to enter the hall when she stopped and looked towards him, "Hey Roadbuster."
He looked over his shoulder and said "What?"
"Thank you." She smiled as he grunted and walked away. Then she walked into the mess hall helped herself to the desert table first and sat with her father and his friends. She was offered a beer and declined saying that she was happy with her water, she smiled as her father and his friends down one two, three and even four beer tankards. They all sang merrily and stumbled around like fools.
"What's all this racket then?" Kelly noticed Roadbuster at the window of the mess hall and walked over to him.
"The men are drunk." Kelly said simply. She looked over at her father who had jumped up on the table with another man, they were dancing gaily and singing very out of tune.
"I can see that…" Roadbuster moved out of the way as a tankard of beer came hurtling in their direction. Kelly ducked and once it clattered to the floor she got up and climbed out of the window just as the men started singing, loudly and terribly. Roadbuster stepped aside so that she could make it out and close the window to the men's version of 'Danny Boy.' She rolled her eyes and watched at Roadbuster stood up to his full height. "Sorry you got not audio receptors so that ye can turn em off." Roadbuster took a step away from the mess hall.
"It's alright, I got fingers." Kelly smiled and she stuck her fingers in her ears and hummed a happy tune until she and Roadbuster we out of ear shot. Kelly pulled her fingers out and sighed. "There we go." She said happily.
"So how long does it last, being drunk?" Roadbuster asked.
"A while. I don't think anyone's leaving the base tonight." Kelly said, "If one of them is trying to go home and he looks drunk don't let him leave. " She told him sternly.
"I'll make sure." Was all he said. "They've been like that before I just didn't know what they heck they were going on about."
"It's the alcohol, it makes em loopy." Kelly shrugged.
"We'll find a place for you to crash the night." Roadbuster, told her as they continued to walk around the base. "How long have you been dancing?"
"As long as I remember." Kelly smiled "It's always been a hobby of mine. I love it."
"I could see that when you danced today." Roadbuster changed subjects and steered the conversation to her homework "You finished?"
"About half way." Kelly told him.
"Good." He nodded at her and began to steer her back towards the base. "Lets find you a bed." She shrugged and followed after him.
"Roadbuster?" Kelly had to trot to keep up with him, "Will you're friends ever visit the base?"
"You mean the other Autobots?" Roadbuster looked down and saw her nod. "Yeah, they sometimes pop in just to make sure we haven't insulted the humans too much."
"Do you think they might come when I am here?" Kelly asked, she had heard the Wreckers talking of a bot named Optimus Prime and she was eager to see if he was as high and mighty as they made him out to be.
"Sure, They never really tell us when they are coming till the last minute but you might get to see them yet." Roadbuster stopped at a house and pointed at the door. "I've found a bed for you, none of the men sleep here so you'll have some privacy."
"Thank you." Kelly said.
"It's nothing, now off to bed." Roadbuster lifted his foot and pushed to the door. She laughed and opened the door and walked in.
The door closed and Roadbuster was walking away when Kelly popped her head out of the door and shouted "Night Roadbuster!"
Roadbuster didn't turn around he just lifted a hand and gave her a small wave before heading off to the mess hall, where he would watch in great amusement alongside with Leadfoot and Topspin the humans and their antics. Eventually the Wreckers would take bets on who would be the next human to pass out, all the while Kelly remained in bed and thought of Optimus Prime and wondered if she would ever get to meet him. In the end she fell asleep and dreamed of her paper coming to morphing into multiple buildings and skyscrapers and becoming a thriving city. She decided to take that dream as a good sign.
Once all of the humans had fallen and Topspin had won for guessing correctly the Wreckers left the men where they were splayed over tables and chairs snoring loudly. Then they too decided it was high time for bed and walked to their hanger where their stasis beds were waiting.
And so the base grew silent, filled with snores rather than shouting. Leadfoot couldn't help but frown as he settled himself on his bed and powered down his optics. Personally he preferred the noise.
