New World Chapter 2: Checking Up, a transformers fanfic

Part 2 - Checking Up

Graham looked decidedly frazzled, Poppy thought, eyeing his face on the screen.

"Hello Matthew. Are you OK? You look tired..."

He managed a smile.

"I'm fine. Though I don't understand how you can run the place and still manage to find time to sleep... How are you?"

She smiled reassuringly, aware of her transformers behind the Wing Commander trying not to be too obvious. They'd all been assured, by Chatter, Prime and 'Beat, that all was well, but there was nothing quite like seeing the evidence with their own optics, and Philips, and Prime, had finally given her permission to contact home - although Prime had asked her to be chary of how much information she volunteered.

"I'm OK. It was a bit scary at the time, but I wasn't hurt, and Starsong is recovering nicely. Ratchet's fixed his wings and he's catching up with his feeding." She grinned at Steamy, who was peeking over the edge of the desk. "Speaking of which, I shall be very glad to get back to some decent food!"

"When are you coming home?"

She chuckled: the question had been spoken by at least five different voices.

"Soon. Ratchet and 'Spin are finishing up with the hatchlings over the next couple of days, then we can arrange our flight."

"Is Skyfire bringing you back?"

Poppy blinked at Steamy, who had now climbed onto the desk and was sitting between Graham's hands. The right was still bandaged, she noticed, but the wrapping looked smaller than before. "You heard about Skyf... ah, of course. Chatter and Ramp."

"No-one told me I wasn't supposed to say anything..." came Ramp's smug voice from the speaker. Poppy sighed.

"So you went ahead anyway."

"Of course. But it's not something we can keep a secret for long. He's not exactly someone you can keep in your pocket."

Poppy shook her head, then regarded Graham. "I don't know. I doubt it. He is rather big and even with his new cloaking thingy he's hardly inconspicuous."

"You'll have to tell us what he's like. This lot have led me to believe he's something of a legend."

"I can believe that." She smiled. "Anything happen that I should know about?"

"It's been surprisingly normal here. Quiet but busy. There's some correspondence waiting for you, but Beverley has handled anything urgent."

"Good."

"Is Phil handy?"

"Um, should be. Hang on..." The Lieutenant was talking with Jolt on the other side of the massive room; she beckoned him over. He saluted Graham then glanced at her: guessing it was official NEST business she took the hint and headed out into the sunshine. If she was lucky she might be able to grab a few words with Skyfire...

xxx

::Nova. After Nova Prime?:: Optimus stroked the hatchling's face with a finger: Nova purred at him. Ratchet 'chuckled', nestling the little grounder against his frame.

::I think it's more Nova, as in 'new'. Though he could be thinking of a stellar nova, I suppose:: The medic 'frowned'. ::Though how he knows of either is beyond me, at the moment. He's far too young to have such specific knowledge::

::But then again, you have said he is an exceptional sparkling::

Ratchet nuzzled Nova, earning himself a delighted squeal. ::He is that. By far the most advanced of the five, both mentally and intellectually - though don't tell Star that!::

Prime 'laughed'. ::Far be it from me to offend a Seeker creator...:: He inclined his head. ::Have you been able to establish why, yet?::

::Not yet. I will be integrating more tests in with the academic programme I'm instigating with Upbeat's assistance::

::Is that not a little early?::

The medic shrugged. ::I cannot remember the last time I came across a mind as curious, as aware and greedy for knowledge, as this little one. It must be encouraged - indulged::

::You know best...::

::In this instance, I believe I do:: He 'sighed'. ::However, that is not why I asked to speak with you::

Prime 'nodded'. ::Starstream's weapons::

::Yes. We made no provision for them when we were reformatting his protoform. He should not have them. He should not have either the knowledge or the capacity to create them::

::And we now cannot be certain of what else he can do::

::Exactly. I would say that that encounter with Walker reveals that there's more of Starscream than we believed left in his memory - except that he was protecting his hatchling, and I am sure that even the mildest of us may have done the same in his position::

::How stable is he?::

::I would say extremely. However, it's not my area of expertise. And I am not entirely unbiased...::

Prime 'nodded' decisively. ::I will speak with him. The Matrix will advise::

Ratchet vented his relief as the Prime turned to leave the medic's Lair. ::I would appreciate it. Thank you::

::I will let you know what transpires::

xxx

'Spin checked the scans again. ::Everything looks fine. I don't think we'll need to make any further enlargements for at least six months, but it depends on whether he 'puts on a growth spurt', as Poppy would say::

Ratchet nodded his agreement. ::Ideally I would like to create a final frame for him as soon as possible, to avoid the stress of continual upgrades, but not knowing his final size...::

'Spin eyed the recharging hatchling thoughtfully. ::I wonder if this problem was caused by his co-creator being a grounder. I mean, we know so little about Seeker reproduction; perhaps a Seeker/grounder hybrid would always result in growth problems::

::That would argue that his co-creator wasn't The Fallen, though::

::I know. But we don't know who else was on board the Nemesis. It may have been Shockwave::

::Perish the thought! I'm not sure Starscream would have survived had that been the case::

::Soundwave?::

::He is - was - a flier, originally::

::Brawl? Bonecrusher?::

::Mm. Possible, but unlikely::

::... I don't know of any others::

::I know too many - but most perished during the wars. Until or unless we can find out who crewed the vessel, we can't know. In the meantime, we'll continue with the agreed course of action::

'Spin nodded, not willing to argue. Ratchet's 'tone' had turned chill, which the smaller transformer had learned meant the conversation was straying into areas the medic found difficult or antagonistic to discuss. At that point it was best to change the subject.

::Are we going to have enough supplies to cope with the upgrades? And the newcomers' needs?::

::Now that Skyfire has joined us, we will be able to retrieve material from the Ark on Mars - and possibly from the Nemesis, if we can find it:: He quirked a brow ridge. ::No point in leaving it unsalvaged when we can use it!::

::Assuming there are no 'Cons left to defend it::

::If there are, we should probably... dispose of them. So they pose no threat to us or the humans:: He paused for a moment. ::We should retrieve the remains of the Ark on the moon, too::

::That's more than enough to keep us going, at least until Wheeljack and I can devise alternative resources on earth::

::Indeed:: The medic glanced down as Nova's optics flickered online and the hatchling wriggled, systems rebooting. ::We'll discuss it further later. For now, let's get this bitlet back to his creator. I'd like to check on Starsong's wings::

xxx

'Beat was enthralled.

He'd entered the rec room in search of Jolt - one of his sonic blasters needed recalibrating and he wasn't yet sufficiently confident of his own repair skills to risk fiddling with them - to find Hound and Trailbreaker there, with Jolt and Wheeljack, deep in conversation. Jolt had beckoned him over, made the introductions, and welcomed him into the group.

After a few seconds 'Beat switched into historian mode and started recording...

Information flowed faster than any human could have comprehended, detailed information of the planets the two scouts had visited in the eons they had been wandering space, all delivered with humour and affection. The pair obviously loved their function, and their enthusiasm swept their listeners along with them.

They'd paired up with Skyfire quite early in their adventures, which had saved them the inconvenience of having to travel in their old, slow - for Cybertronian - ship, and in the years that followed the three of them had thoroughly surveyed and explored over twenty thousand planetary systems - a tiny fraction of what was 'out there', Hound said, but still a useful record. He used his hologram-projector to display examples of some of the more spectacular planetscapes, which 'Beat had recorded for Poppy and Phil to see later.

::But we can't wait to explore earth...::

Trailbreaker 'nodded'. ::It's beautiful here. Overflowing with so much variety of lifeforms. It's overwhelming::

'Beat 'chuckled': almost since their arrival they'd been drinking up documentaries about the planet like a terrestrial sponge. ::Wait 'til you can experience it in full!::

::That's the problem - we can't wait! But the Prime is insisting on a full debrief and induction before we can leave the island::

::Well, the geo-political situation here is a little... complicated. And quite sensitive in some places:: He paused in thought. ::I can help you with that. It will speed up your induction::

Hound 'smiled' his appreciation. ::Our thanks, Upbeat. The sooner we can get out and explore this world the better::

'Beat frowned to himself. He'd had an idea about that, but needed to talk to Poppy before voicing it...

xxx

Morshower rubbed at his eyes. He looked exhausted, Phil thought. Mind you, with anti-alien riots still springing up sporadically in the States and the Middle East, the attack on NEST's New York base, and his own attempted kidnapping - four of the officers with him had been killed, but fortunately Mirage was on site and Sideswipe not far away: with their assistance Morshower had escaped relatively unscathed - that wasn't overly surprising. He saluted the image on the screen.

Morshower wasted no time on pleasantries. "We're going to need pictures and a statement regarding the newcomers. Can you meet with Prime and Poppy and get back to me in two hours?"

"Yes sir. Is there anything in particular you want the statement to address?"

"We need to reassure the people that our 'bots aren't staging some sort of invasion."

Phil groaned silently. This crap again? "Very well, sir. We'll contact you in a couple of hours."

xxx

"I deeply regret the consequences that have been inflicted upon your people by our presence. I fully understand that to allay their fears, we must be a little more... forthcoming." The Prime gestured at the assembled transformers. "Skyfire has agreed to assist your world in its first steps into space, delivering supplies to your International Space Station, for example, and repairing, upgrading or replacing satellites."

Morshower's expression brightened. "That would go a long way, Prime."

"In addition, we offer our help in installing a manned base on your moon - with the proviso that it must be a global base, not belong to any one of your nations."

Morshower nodded, smiling. "That'll certainly make a lot of people very happy. Will you have a presence there as well?"

"Since we are better equipped to deal with conditions there, we feel it would be advisable. Initially, Skyfire will provide transport to and from the base - I understand that the lesser gravity has a deleterious effect on the human metabolism, requiring you to spend only a short time there. Later we will focus our endeavours towards helping you create stronger, faster craft, so that you can be independent."

"Excellent." He leaned forwards. "There are questions being asked about the babies..."

"Would an interview with Starstream and his hatchlings help?"

Morshower blinked, then grinned.

"I think that would do it."

"Then we shall arrange transport for the major news teams from each continent to the island, and introduce them to the world."

xxx

"So, is this all going to happen before we go home?"

Phil nodded. "Boss wants humans here as contrast and to run interference if necessary. You're already known, and a familiar and friendly human face will go down well - and you can 'interpret' and make sure they all get the right end of the stick, because if this goes wrong it could be disastrous."

Poppy sighed. "Hostile reporters - what a dreadful thought." She frowned to herself, then grinned deviously. "But I can always complain that they're upsetting the babies."

Phil stared. "That would work?"

"Let me talk to them, with 'Song beside me. I'll have 'em eating out of my hands in no time flat."

The lieutenant chuckled. "I'm glad you're on our side..."

He waved as 'Beat approached them, then headed off towards the conference room to brief Graham in advance of the official instructions. The MGC inclined his head, then turned to Poppy.

"Can I have a word?"

"Always."

"The BBC will be coming, won't they?"

"Of course."

"And they have a Natural History Unit, don't they? That one that makes all the documentaries about your world and everything that lives here."

"Yes. It's very famous. Won lots of prestigious awards."

"How do you think they would react if Hound and Trailbreaker offered their services?"

Poppy stared for a moment, then grinned widely.

"That's a wonderful idea! I think they'd snap it up."

"The pair of them would be very useful, both as transport and as assistants. And it would allow them to do what they do best."

Poppy patted his arm. "Leave it with me..."

xxx

Prime gazed bemusedly down at the hatchling yet again snuggling against Ratchet's shoulder.

::He appears to have taken quite a 'shine' to you, as our hosts might say::

Ratchet 'nodded', field expressing surprise. ::I have no idea why. It's very soothing though, and I'm hoping it might make the separation a little easier once all the others start flying::

::Indeed, we all hope for that::

::What did Starstream say about his weapons?::

::That he felt that something was missing, and thought that he needed a means to help him protect the sparklings. He created them himself::

::He shouldn't have been able to do so::

::None of us know exactly what Seekers are capable of. However, I have impressed on him that they must remain hidden when he is in the presence of humans, at least for the moment, and definitely while the media are here::

::And he will? Can you trust his word?::

The Prime 'nodded', and Ratchet relaxed a little. Nova vented a tiny sigh and nuzzled Ratchet's neck as the medic stroked his helm. Prime 'smiled' at the sight.

::That also will appeal to reporters::

Ratchet 'shuddered' theatrically.

::I'll have to let myself be interviewed?::

::For the sake of our peace and the safety of our friends, I think it would be advisable::

Ratchet 'sighed'. ::Then I had better make myself - and my new... attachment - available. When is this farce scheduled for?::

::As soon as possible. We believe they can all be assembled here by the day after tomorrow::

xxx