Transformers Prime: Positron Fusion

by BMillsWrites

Raf feels betrayed when he discovers Optimus Prime and others have made secret plans for his own good. However, The Autobot leader must risk losing the young boy's friendship forever to save the entire human planet.

2. You Aren't From Around Here Much Longer

Transformers: Prime - Positron Fusion

General Disclaimer: Transformers: Prime and all related characters does not belong to me in any way shape or form. Their use in the following fan fiction is meant for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter 2: You're Not From Around Here Much Longer

Rafael Esquivel leaned back into Bee's passenger seat, and knew its comfort was offered to him in the same way that any older brother might drape an arm around the neck of a younger one facing a problem. Of course, Raf already had an older brother and three older sisters. He loved them, and they loved him - Bumblebee wasn't taking the place of anyone, or standing in for anyone in the boy's heart. The Autobot was just one more ... unannounced ... member of the busy Esquivel family. Besides, there was a better way Bee fit into the boy's life

Right now, Raf was the one Esquivel child whose age did not yet end with "teen", Sometimes it felt like noticing anything his brother or sisters did took no effort at all because it was "teen" pace, while attention for Raf required a household halt because it was still "not teen" pace. The youngest Esquivel had experienced this dynamic as an unintentional pattern, so the pre-teen had quietly let a few chances for recognition go by unnoticed. His Mom quickly realized he'd not said a word , and she'd just as quickly knew why. She'd come to him before he went to bed one night to remind him how lovingly proud of him as an individual she was. She'd apologized for making him feel acceptably forgettable in any way. She'd try to do a better job keeping up with his stuff too, and told him he shouldn't ever hesitate to bring his activities up at home. That conversation had meant a lot, and nobody in the family meant to forget or discount Raf. The reality that big families stayed busy held true, and so did the ways of making a busy family life easier. Realistically, Raf would come in and ask what was on the family agenda, knowing that he wasn't. His Mom would cup his chin gently in her hand and look at him with a smiling sigh to ask, "Are you really OK with it this way sweetheart?"

He'd look up at her with a nod to answer, "It's OK, Mama. Nine months, remember?" She'd laugh because he insisted that he was twelve and a quarter, and nine months would make that 13. Then the family could renegotiate its attention distribution. Raf had already patiently settled for the way things were at home when Bumblebee showed up. That happened and overnight Rafael Esquivel - in and of himself - became part of what kept the fantastic Autobot busy on a daily basis. The boy who didn't really need to be the center of attention got to be that for someone anyway. The patience for nine months to pass wasn't going to be a pain at all.

By contrast, the letter in his hand made Rafael want to wince with angry hurt again. OK, so Optimus Prime wasn't from Earth, and by his own admission, didn't take human procedures into consideration on the first try. The Autobot leader probably didn't really get that suddenly drawing central attention to a kid who was doing fine off the grid made that kid a bull's-eye for terabytes of parental worry. Agent Fowler was kind of old to remember that, but it was probably actually hand-written down somewhere, it could have been passed along. Instead, the Autobots' government contact was part of this "new-school-away-from-home-starts immediately" hoax. What was Optimus Prime doing, and why?

Raf knew, and better than most, that the Autobots could instantly communicate with each other across the vast expanse of space when necessary. To do that, they simply bridged the signal between any two far-flung points of transmission. In fact, that had been their starting point for developing the ground bridge technology for solid objects, at least according to Ratchet. The youngster kept his own inner geek from becoming too distracting. He needed to focus. The point here was that it should give Optimus Prime absolutely zero problem to make contact through Bumblebee- something that Prime either did himself each afternoon, or asked Ratchet to do, with all of the guardian Autobots. A brief contact usually confirmed that the human children were either en route to the Autobot base or safely headed to other scheduled responsibilities. So far this afternoon, though, Bee's communicator was silent. Bee was wondering about the same thing and offered a suggestion. :: I can call in for us Raf. The sooner we talk to Optimus Prime, the sooner we can start to get this mixed up letter thing worked out.::

Raf considered Bee's offer, and he understood the difficult position that Bee was in too. Bumblebee was a lot older than twelve and a quarter, but he was the youngest Autobot on Earth. Optimus Prime was more than just his home planet's leader, more than his unit commander while they mutually risked their lives in battle. Bee looked up to Optimus as a mentor, almost like a Dad. Rafael also knew what it was like when two people you really loved fought about something, and how offering help was like the fastest way to get them to stop. He briefly wondered if he could adapt the whole "our living apart out-of-state wouldn't be a divorce" talk in a way Bee could understand, then just dropped that idea altogether. Perplexed dismay was tempting Raf not to call ahead or even to accept a message if it finally came, but that wouldn't be fair to Bee. "Thanks Bee, hold that thought for a couple of minutes, OK? I'd still like Optimus to contact us first, and I'll bet you so would he. Give him two more minutes. If he still hasn't called us after that, then call him and tell him we're almost there."

One minute and fifteen seconds later the pair was hailed by Optimus Prime. "Bumblebee and Raf, can we expect your arrival shortly?"

Both Bumblebee and his charge knew that this was not as formal as the Autobot leader could be since the word "report" wasn't involved. Bee tried adding an informally bold question to his answer, ::The sooner the better. Optimus, what about explaining -::

"- the letter that Raf received after school today?" Prime easily predicted the scout's inquiry. There was silence for a moment and when Optimus spoke next he addressed the human boy directly. "Raf, ahead of any explanation, I owe you the way you truly want to begin discussing what has been decided, what has been arranged, and why it has become necessary."

"Optimus, I ...," Even though Optimus never meant to be intimidating Raf suddenly felt half his age. He was going to have to do a lot better because he wanted more than discussing Optimus' decisions. The boy started speaking again, stronger, "Optimus, I have too many questions about this letter to tie up communications with them right now. As soon as Bee and I get there, I hope you and I can have a face to face ... well face to faceplate ... talk about all of them. It will just be another minute or so anyway. I'll wait, thanks."

"Understood and agreed Raf. Over and out." With that, Optimus ended his transmission.

They were quickly advancing on the ruggedly desert contours of Autobot Outpost Omega One. Bee harmonically vocalized an apology to his human friend. ::Jump starting the talk with Optimus wasn't my place Raf, I'm sorry::

the youth shrugged in his seat and replied, "Don't worry about it Bee. I said we'd find out together, so it's OK. Optimus wants to talk about all this. That's a good start." Rafael dutifully tightened the seat belt around him and checked in all of Bee's mirrors before continuing. "I know I've never suggested this before, and don't count on it again, but we've been clear of the city limits for a while now - so, very carefully ... floor it." The Autobot scout revved his vehicle mode with pleasure while steadily, but definitely increasing speed all the way over the remaining distance to the base itself. The alien Camaro braked smoothly to a stop while pulling into the midst of the base. Raf had no intention of causing a rift between Optimus Prime and anybody else here. Even as he climbed out of Bumblebee and the young Autobot transformed, the pre-teen called out, "Hi everybody. Sorry that Bee and I ... are ... late ... today." The words faded from Raf's mouth when he saw who was included in the everybody that awaited him and who wasn't. No Jack, no Miko, no Arcee or Bulkhead. Present were Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Agent Fowler, and Mrs. Darby. Raf gulped involuntarily, this had the makings of an ambush. The boy normally respected and trusted them all, and he instantly saw genuine concern and sensitivity for him on their features. For the first time, Raf let himself admit just how game-changing the real news they were all there to break to him had to be, "This ... whatever it's about, it's really, really seriously, bad, huh?"

"I am afraid it would definitely become so, Raf." Optimus Prime acknowledged. Before continuing with the human child, the Prime instructed the small one's guardian. "Bumblebee, please assist Raf up to the second level platform." The Autobot scout servo-lifted the boy smoothly up and over the railing around the communications area that was routinely becoming his spot anyway. Optimus resumed, "Face to faceplate is indeed better. Those who are here have acted for your own protection and that is why you received the letter at your school today. What we have fully done is contrary to some of the rights that you have, and to all of the friendship you have invested in our trust. I apologize for the hurt we are causing you now, but I ask that you hold me solely responsible for it."

"There isn't a boarding school called Prime Academy ... well, I guess there might be at least one somewhere with that name, but there isn't the one meant by this letter. I know there isn't," Raf challenged.

The red and blue Cybertronian nodded. "You are correct, Raf. There is no school by that name, or any other, awaiting your arrival by transfer. It was both Ratchet and Agent Fowler who structured the online information to be specifically transparent to you. However, the ruse of a boarding school is necessary to cover your extended removal from the conventional educational format."

Rafael gripped the railing in front of him and closed his eyes behind his glasses to pray that he'd be right about the answers to his next questions. "Optimus, I think you're trying to tell me that there's something happening because of me that makes it dangerous for me to be in a public place like my school ... for now. That doesn't count my home too, right? Bee and everybody else can protect me at home, huh? That's still allowed, isn't it? We ... we can change it to home schooling, or something. Whatever I've caused I'm sorry for, but I can go home and be with my family, right?

"Raf ..." The small human's questions and the disappointment he assumed in his own conduct inflicted more damage on the Autobot leader than Decepticon weapons could hope to " ... this isn't something that is happening because of you or anything you have done. I'm afraid this is a result of something that is happening to you. Ratchet will explain with the assistance of Nurse Darby."

As Optimus Prime moved aside and Ratchet stepped forward, the boy looked himself over as best he could. He physically felt well, at least he thought so. Strangely un-gruff, remorseful words from Ratchet added to the youth's concern "Rafael, regardless of what Optimus has said of his sole responsibility, this situation is entirely my fault."

"Ratchet," Optimus warned in a steady voice.

"It's only the truth, Optimus. By Primus, Rafael, I promise you if it takes until Cybertron itself rusts to nothing -"

"Ratchet!" Now the young Esquivel shouted up at the Autobot medic, "Stop it! You're beginning to scare me."

The older Autobot apologized immediately, "I am sorry Rafael. The last thing I want to -"

Way past being overwhelmed, Rafael just halted the alien physician there. "I know you didn't, Ratchet." He thought of something his mother said when sorting out unneeded hyperbole. "Tell me calmly, and I'll understand calmly."

June Darby was already making her way over from the kids' improvised recreational lounge and arrived just in time to gently reassure Raf with a quick shoulder squeeze. She spoke firmly to Ratchet. "That's a cue for a time out Doctor! Raf, I know you want to get this all cleared up, but I really think you should take a break right now. Get a snack, play a video game, anything but this - for at least half an hour.

"Mrs. Darby, is thirty minutes going to make hearing it any better?" His question was guardedly innocent

She knew age didn't yet protect him like it protected Jack. If she told Raf that down time would make everything better, he'd likely believe her. That's why June looked at him squarely and answered. "No, Raf. Not at all."

Rafael Esquivel nodded. "No offense, then, Mrs. Darby, but if it's all the same let's keep going now."

This time the woman nodded to the boy. "OK, but let's try a different approach. Ratchet, knowing how Raf appreciates science and technology, isn't there a way to show him instead?"

The walking ambulance responded with a self-chiding why-did-I-not-do-that-first sensibility, "Rafael, come with me to the medical bay, please." Ratchet extended a servo as a traveling platform for the youngster, who climbed aboard for the shortest possible trip to Ratchet's enclave in silence.

Ratchet seated Raf down on the "guest exam table" that Ratchet now included for the more proper treatment of their human allies. Never mind that it actually started out as a spare Autobot instrument tray, Nurse Darby had assisted in its conversion and Bulkhead had adequately carried out the redesign to Ratchet's own standards. The change in location did immediate mutual good. The Cybertronian had many protocols to follow and calibrations to make in his determined attempt to be less alarming. Meanwhile, Raf easily zoned into the advanced science presentation being prepared for him. It was almost enough to let him forget that the presentation was going to be, in some way, about him.

The red and white Autobot began again in a professorial manner, bringing up a now familiar display on a screen, "Rafael, you can no doubt identify what this mathematical signature represents. Note the bright blue appearance when charted on the visible spectrum."

Any chance the pre-teen got to practically apply theoretical knowledge was just too cool, "Sure I can. That's Energon."

"Of course it is." Ratchet confirmed. A look from Optimus Prime cautioned against becoming lost in this human child's genius for understanding Cybertron's science. "Moving on," Ratchet changed the display and the Energon signature warped to an inverted version of itself. The spectrum charted the warp in a caustic shade of purple. "You have unfortunate experience with this signature too. The substance known as -"

"- Dark Energon." Raf finished instead.

Ratchet's mood became subdued with internal failing again. "I see the severity of your near-fatal infection with Dark Energon still haunts you, as it does me."

Raf wanted to keep things straight, "You and Mrs. Darby saved my life Ratchet. Mrs. Darby kept me stable long enough for you to figure out how to use Energon against the Dark Energon. I still felt bad for a little while, but not very long. Mom thought I'd caught the flu or something, which was kind of right, so I didn't correct her. The Energon and Dark Energon got rid of each other, right?. That let me reset. You both saved me, and I feel well, so I still don't see a big problem here."

"I can show you what the problem is." The Autobot medic brought up an energy signature that the young Esquivel had never seen. Ratchet continued his explanation. "As it turns out, the balance of Energon and Dark Energon within you did keep either from killing you, but not by destroying themselves in opposition. Rather, they fused to become an earlier Cybertronian power substance. It's referenced as Positron. "I've greatly amplified this scan of its signature, but it clearly matches the Iacon Database for the best projection of what the Positron signature was."

"Are you telling me that you scanned that energy signature from inside me?" Raf asked, looking at the screen with a mix of dismay and fascination.

"Yes, Rafael, exactly. It's a very faint reading. I encountered traces of the Positron signature as a distortion in the Energon infusion chamber's containment field after your ... treatment. I noted it for reference and generated a new field. I thought little more of it until similar distortions effected the equipment I used in the follow-up examinations of your recovery. This scan is from one of those. There is no doubt that you are currently infused with Positron." The red and white health bot disclosed finally.

Ratchet watched as Rafael's protective certainty retreated to the safety of scientific curiosity. "If I've got this Positron stuff inside me, and it's Cybertronian, then why do I feel so well? I really do feel good, honest."

The Autobot medic wasn't about to let any patient self-diagnose, no matter how perceptive. "Unlike either form of Energon, Positron appears to be compatible with organic physiology Rafael. In fact, your prepubescent resiliency was apparently part of what fused Positron back together." Raf squirmed and his face turned red. "Have I embarrassed you, Rafael? I am sorry."

The child's reaction was supportively echoed by Bumblebee's double-toned rebuke which both recognized as ::Hey, don't make fun of him::

The mortified human boy adjusted his glasses and tried to ask another question as unbothered as possible. "What happened to it in the first place?"

"The answer to that question delves more into its history than its science, so Optimus can best answer you there. ..." Ratchet paused when he saw Rafael sigh before adjusting to face Optimus Prime. "... Go ahead Optimus."

The Autobot leader had left Raf's most urgent question - the child's ability to return home - unanswered. Raf Esquivel believed he knew what Optimus meant by the non-answer, but the other possibility gave him a tense hope. Like it or not, all that tension focused on Optimus Prime. Raf concentrated on listening to Optimus, but it wasn't easy. "Primus became one with the core of Cybertron by the energy of Positron. Positron would power the seal that could forever keep Unicron out of the single universe of Primus. So it was intended that automated life would spark on Cybertron to be the ongoing circuit for the flow of Positron."

If Optimus Prime had more experience with other human children he might have recognized the not-the-way-the-story-goes look that furrowed Raf's small brow and required him to push his glasses back up into place as he asked, "Did the Decepticons mess things up?"

Optimus shook away the understandably human assumption, "No Raf. Although Unicron could not pass through the seal, it did not prevent him from sending a massive substance of his own through it as an attack on Cybertron. You also know of that substance, which we call Tox-N. Fortunately, Unicron underestimated the power of Positron. Cybertron survived. Yet Positron had prevailed for the last time. It was contaminated by the Tox-N and that contamination spread until half the flow had to be quarantined. That's when Primus, in union with the core of Cybertron, divided Positron. The uncontaminated portion became Energon - from which the spark of automated life would move forward. The contaminated half became Dark Energon. The hope was to scatter all of the Dark Energon far from Cybertron, out to the far reaches of the single universe. None imagined that Positron could be made whole again, until it happened inside you, Raf. The reality is that there is now a source of Positron on this planet, contained in you."

"I don't want to be a container for it Optimus," the human youngster firmly assured. "Ratchet can go ahead and do whatever he needs to. Get all the Positron out of me, get it out and bridge it as far from me as possible. Go ahead Ratchet, right now ... please." Raf knew the last word was more pleading than politeness, but he couldn't help it.

Ratchet placed a servo gently on Raf's back, but not to start some kind of alien procedure. "Rafael, I truly wish it was that simple. My theory is that your consciousness sprang back from a near terminal point and encountered the inverse energy sources inside you. With your unique combination of a human juvenile perspective on advanced Cybertronian tech, your mind realized that Energon and Dark Energon could bond into something else, and simply did it. Nothing I do short of killing you would disrupt such a connection."

Rafael Esquivel winced, "My Mom is right. Sometimes I can be too smart for my own good. When I go home today I'll admit how she really knows the score on that."

Optimus Prime finally had to say it. "Raf, There are consequences of this situation that make it best for you, and others, that you remain here at the base."

The large Autobot's bright blue optics were pained by the trembling gaze of the small human boy who only whispered in protest, "Except when I'm at home. You need to say except when I'm at home."

"At all times Raf. That is my decision." Optimus Prime ordered with no satisfaction.

"That's what I've been afraid you were going to say. But now we've talked about it, at least that gives us until Monday morning to work out a new solution. It really won't be a great thing for the team to have me underfoot all the time next week," Raf bargained, relying on the terms expressed in the phony letter.

Optimus maintained his sympathetic expression throughout Raf's determined attempt at an expected scenario, but the red and blue Autobot completed his unfortunate directive. "The schedule to report Monday was a convincing time frame for your school. However, your protection and the protection of others actually requires that your continued stay here at the base begins immediately. I am sorry. Know that all of Team Prime and resources of your own country will do everything possible to make your separation immediately plausible, with as little concern as possible, and will keep you in communication with your family every day. No one wants this for you Raf, but it has to be this way."

"No!" Raf's instinctive rejection felt strange for him to shout at anyone or anything older, bigger, and in authority. It was equally strange to hear it from him as anything other than "No, please," or "No problem." "That's not fair! If you're all going to make me start doing that right now, this afternoon, then I'm not going to do it at all!"

Agent Bill Fowler broke into the conversation with a little well-meant paternalism. "Now just calm down son. You've handled a lot of tough objectives with this team like a champ, but now you're the objective and that's too tough. You're going to sit it out and let Prime and your Uncle Sam be extra careful with you because that's what a good team player does. It's for the best."

Suddenly, the pre-teen stood up on the guest exam table that was still pretty high off the floor. Ratchet naturally moved to chide Rafael about knowing better, but Optimus Prime gestured the medic back. Fresh anger framed a scathing argument in the frustrated student's keen mind and words proved a laptop wasn't the only thing he could hack with. "You know what Optimus? Being a grown-up and being a kid must be universal concepts because you're all doing this and saying I have to take it. You say keeping me cooped up in the base is for the good and for the best. What you mean is that you're all older and bigger than I am, so I'm eventually going to have to do things your way regardless of how unfair it is to me. The only thing you haven't tried to sell me on is how right it is. I know why you haven't done that, just like you all do. You can't tell me it is because that's not true. You didn't do this right at all. You didn't tell me about the Positron in the first place or your big protection plan. Who needs to give a kid, especially a smart kid, input into a plan that you know the kid won't like, right? Just do it anyway because it's for the best and the good. The kid can understand later, or not, like that matters. You didn't even tell Bee, Optimus. Bee would never disobey you, even for me. You were probably worried that I'd just figure out something because Bee and I so close. Optimus, you can't you look at me and tell me honestly when it comes to arranging -not asking, just arranging - that I leave my school, my house, and my family that any you are being right about it. A guy still wants the grown-ups he knows, his government, and his heroes to be right!"

Raf took off his glasses, wiped away tears and replaced his eyewear. He sat down again to finish "I'll stay as long today as I told my Mom I was going to so I don't worry her, but then I'm going home. I know there are lots of ways to stop me from leaving, but I'll believe it's right to go and you'll have to be wrong to stop me Optimus. When I make it home, I'll tell Mom that whatever we heard about Prime Academy turned out to be a glitch in the selection process, and I wasn't transferred after all. I don't know what I'll have to hack into to pull that off for school, but I'll believe I'm right to do that, and you'll have to be wrong to keep me out. If you still think you have to put me in lock-down over a lame Positron signal that Ratchet had to amplify like 500 times to put on a screen, I won't make it hard. Come grab me out of family dinner or better yet, gym class. That's where I'm going to be, at home and in school. You can do what you need to Optimus, it can be for the best and it can be for the good - but I'm not going to let you do it to me and come away feeling right about it." With that, Rafael slumped in general resignation, bowing his head into the supporting rest of his own arms braced on his lap. A moment later he added. "Please call Jack and Miko back in from wherever you sent them. If this is going to be my last normal day here, one way or the other, then they should be here for it."

"Raf, we here hoped that even as severe as confinement to base is, it would distract you from the full danger of having Positron inside you," Optimus Prime admitted, "We badly disregarded your integrity and bravery, so overlooked simple courtesies have led you to the very dangers that we wanted to spare you knowing most. Now we will be right, because you do deserve to believe in what you have to do. Please consider two more things here. If leaving is still your choice afterwards, the right decision will be yours to make. " Optimus looked to his medic. "Ratchet, show Rafael the simulations first, then do the demonstration."

"Very well Optimus," Ratchet complied, "but right on not, this borders on cruelty. Rafael, please direct your attention to the screen. What you see is a computer generated simulation of Main Street in Jasper, Nevada. I'm about to show you a simulated detonation of Energon equivalent to the Positron signature I showed you earlier - basically an Energon fume.

In spite of himself, Raf had leaned toward the screen as he eagerly got into watching the generated effects. He quickly recoiled. "Whoa! That pulse was bright."

Ratchet nodded, "Yes, and as you can see in the simulation, the electromagnetic pulse is only the start. Broken glass, heated metal, chipped brick and pavement, smoldering wood and paper along an entire street. What's more, in the simulation there are no people to be hurt, as there would be in reality. The second part of this simulation tests another generated detonation, this time actually using the trace level of Positron itself. Remember, this is nothing more than a Positron fume. For this one we have to change our simulation area."

"Ratchet, that's not just Main Street. That's the surrounding block," Rafael noted.

"Yes, I know," Ratchet confirmed, "Watch."

The scenario began to play out again. The young Esquivel was more prepared but still squinted away from the flash of an even brighter pulse. Then he could only gasp in disbelief. "The block ... the whole block is ... toast!" The simulation had resulted in an ugly black square on the face of the small city, reduced to nothing more than broken foundations and ashen rubble. "That's just from the blip of Positron inside me?"

The red and white Cybertronian nodded. "It is Rafael. We can only speculate just how exponential the power of Positron may fully be on Earth, but lame it most certainly is not."

"I take it back Ratchet. I'm glad there's only that much Positron in me, and I've got it sort of bottled up. Optimus, I get why there are other people to think about than just myself. I try to do that anyway. I'm still sure I don't need to keep away from my home and school. I can manage not to literally explode. Most people do."

Optimus Prime prompted again, "Conduct the demonstration."

Ratchet sighed and took two empty miniature Energon cubes from nearby storage and placed them next to Raf. They were no bigger than blocks of sugar to the Autobot, but they were packing box size when placed on either side of the seated human child. "The Positron scan used in the simulation was taken some time ago. Rafael, please place one hand on each of the cubes. The moment that Raf did as he was asked, both boxes began to glow gold like supercharged alien light bulbs. When Raf was sure that the phenomena caused him no pain he repeated it with almost playful relief. "Thanks for showing me that my fraction of Positron can do productive things too. So it's a responsibility, got it." No one else was smiling.

"That is not the point Rafael," Ratchet stressed. "The point is that, given the limits of the human body to conduct Cybertronian energies at all, it would take a higher concentration of Positron than scanned before to demonstrate what you have just done. You are not just a container of a fractional amount of Positron, at least not anymore. You, Rafael Esquivel, have become a Positron battery. The substance is recharging in you, and from the molecular level it will grow until it has infused with your whole physical mass. Your own growing will soon destabilize into an adolescent physiology, therefore ..."

Ratchet paused when Raf turned in appeal to June Darby. The nurse braced herself to be as supportive as possible. "It's no one's fault that you're twelve going on thirteen Raf, especially not yours. Remember that."

The alien medical officer tried to finish with a scientific detachment for the child's sake, but couldn't manage it completely, "It is only a matter of time until the Positron will breech you as a container. In the simplest, cruelest terms Rafael this condition has turned you into a ... I cannot bring myself to say it -"

"I'm a bomb!" Raf realized, and terror gnawed at him. In numb recall of the negative simulation outcomes he asked, "You know I weigh about 75 pounds, so have you simulated what will happen when I, you know ...?"

Ratchet hesitated, "Rafael do not plague yourself with something we will do everything to prevent."

Rafael was resolute, "That means you've got one, so show me Ratchet." The metallic medic complied. This simulation wasn't animated but the numbers in it told the technologically-oriented boy enough in shocking detail. He could sum the scenario up with heart-sinking brevity: triggers planet-wide doom . "H-how long until ...?"

"We aren't simply going to stand by ..." Ratchet began.

"How long!" Raf demanded.

The Autobot ambulance knelt down as if he were displeasingly confronting the anguished human youngling, but Ratchet only cupped the digits of his servos gently around Rafael and looked at him steadily. "Three to six months, Rafael. That window is my best estimate. However, I am told that organic growth spurts in humans your age are unpredictable. The wrong combination of spikes in Positron concentration against your changing physiology could set a chain reaction into motion overnight anytime before then." Ratchet stood up, clearing away the small Energon cubes as he did so. "Optimus, I hope you are satisfied that Rafael has all the information he rightly needs."

June Darby interrupted, "Let's hold off on the ethical moralizing until we've dealt with the fact that we've got a twelve year-old boy going into shock right now. Ratchet lower that table now!" Raf had gone quiet and pale. His slack, wide-eyed expression never changed as the exam table was de-elevated much closer to the floor of the base. The woman shifted into professional mode as easily as Cybertronians transformed. "I'll get my bag, Agent Fowler bring me a blanket from your locker." The nurse turned her attention to her young patient with an authoritatively pleasant voice . "Raf, I want you to look at me pal. There you go. I'm going to give your vitals and responses a quick check, we'll get this blanket around you, I'd like you to take some steady breaths for me, and I'd really love to hear you say something, alright?"

"Alr-right?" young Raf Esquivel stumbled back into talking by blankly repeating the word at first. Then he shook his head from side to side in increasing despair "No, not alright! I'm going to die Mrs. Darby! I'm going to blow up and cause an extinction level event! You showed me Optimus, you really did. I'd be crazy to think I had the right to be around anyone at all now, especially the people I love most." The youngster's desperation pushed him into overreaction. "Get away from me Mrs. Darby!" He threw off the blanket and hopped off the table, "Get away and stay away from me, all of you! It's not safe to be near me any more! I can't ... I just can't!" Through a blur of tears the pre-teen scurried down one of the base's long maintenance corridors.

There were many calls after him and Bumblebee transformed to vehicle mode to give pursuit to the sound of his young friend's sobs, but June blocked the Autobot scout off, though he honked in protest. "Bee, give Raf some time to himself. That wasn't quite the way I'd hoped to break through his initial shock, but he snapped out of it. He's very upset, but like he said he's not crazy, so he's not a danger to himself. Optimus, I know we all want to help and comfort Raf, but I think we need reinforcements for that. Arcee and Bulkhead will have filled in Jack and Miko by now so ..."

"Agreed Mrs. Darby. Agent Fowler, I will also need you to coordinate between Ratchet and those who can be trusted for creating a token of Earth jewelry and its appropriate containment." Optimus Prime announced.

"Jewelry? Are you serious Prime?" The hefty agent questioned.

"Very," Optimus answered deeply, "I will need such as soon as possible. I intend to fulfill the expectation of a member of my team."

Later, Rafael Esquivel's panicked tears had given way to returning composure. He still sat compactly crouched in a particular one of the processor nooks that had once internally housed outdated computer hardware relaying information throughout the corridors at the base. It was like a think tank space just big enough for him. Raf had discovered this one while exploring the base in those first few days when he'd still considered Miko unnervingly loud and Ratchet still seemed a little too grumpy. It had become his place to go to keep out of the way or for some peace and quiet. Those early tensions seemed trivial these days and Team Prime felt like a second family with the base as a home away from home. Deep down inside, even deeper than the Positron went, Raf Esquivel didn't want that to change.

He was intent on being hardest on himself now. He had wimped out after being so high and mighty about getting the truth. Raf knew he had cried and run off instead of facing up to the extraordinarily difficult situation like the extraordinary kid the others believed he was. Raf also knew he should get back to the main part of the base, work past what had happened earlier, and respond in a way that actually deserved a place on the team. Raf wanted to do all that, but he thought that the collective desire might evaporate if he tested it too quickly. That's why he was still there for the moment. His shaky courage would take hold soon, he knew it would. Until then, at least Raf got some amusement in thinking about how Jack and Miko tried to include him in what Ratchet called "antics" while the younger boy also had this place to himself. Rafael could only imagine what Miko would say about his think tank.

At that very moment the square door on the small hatch access of Raf's nook popped open, and the startled boy turned to see the face of Miko Nikadai smiling fiercely back at him. "Sweet little clubhouse Raf!" She just as quickly raised her voice and called generally down the corridor, back toward the center of the base. "Yo Jack, I found him! Come look where he can fit himself into." She addressed Raf enthusiastically again, "Remind me not to play hide and seek with you unless you're all-time it."

"Miko?" Raf questioned, jolting up just enough to lightly bump his head on the low compartment's ceiling. There was no point in asking her all the obvious questions. If she was back at the base and had come looking for him, then the Japanese girl already knew everything she needed to know about what happened since he'd got here from school. That went for Jack too. Miko was intentionally being hyperactively involving, assertive, and assuring to overwhelm any kind of problem someone around her might have, or try to stop her with. In other words, she was being normal. Raf managed a weak version of the half grin that still made him look annoyingly baby-faced to people, at least in his own opinion. He could try to be normal for her too. "It's not a clubhouse Miko. It's a think tank."

"I don't know," Miko assessed, "If you think you could fit a tank into a clubhouse that small I'd like to see it. Come on out of there and let me have a look."

"Really funny Miko," Raf groaned. He scooted around and nudged himself toward the opening, taking the offered hand of Jack Darby in helping him to stand.

Jack closed the access panel of the vacated nook for his smaller friend and observed. "If Raf's got his laptop on him then my money is still on him."

"Boys ... typical," Miko mock-fumed with crossed arms.

"Anyway ..." Jack said while nonchalantly scratching the back of his head in that cool way of his that he insisted wasn't cool, but really was. Raf had secretly been trying to copy the same move himself at home - only to have his Mom guess he was in need of borrowing a pocket comb. "... so Raf, when did you start your club, and what's the dues like to join up?"

Rafael looked up at Jack and slightly less up at Miko. He nodded to them and got their small, confirming nods in return. They all knew what they were really talking about. "This afternoon, but it turns out that I can't let anybody else join. The price is way, way too high."

"Hey, it wouldn't be the first group we've had to be off-book members of, right. I think you're just going to have to get used to counting me in, and I think we're both stuck with Miko," the Darby teen noted.

"Oh it is to laugh - not!" Miko retorted. Raf Esquivel thanked Jack, who shook the smaller boy's hand with one playful exaggerated up and down motion. When Raf turned to thank Miko too, the boy found himself pulled into a sudden hug. "You're going to be OK mastermind, that's a promise!"

Jack smirked when the smaller boy cocked an eyebrow above his glasses to check what the oldest teen thought. The lanky boy managed to hold together a straight face to say, "Yeah, what she said. You know, I think there's group back the way we came who'd like to have a second chance to tell you that. So, my Mom was kind of wondering if you could come back with us and give them that chance. They all feel really bad about earlier Raf. They promise they'll take everything into consideration with you this time, nice and slow."

"Yeah, we'll see to that!" Miko affirmed boldly.

"Actually, I've decided to accept the fact that I have to be isolated until they - I mean until we find a way to solve my Positron problem. I'm glad they'd like a second chance Jack, but I need the do-over too. They all really care about me ... you all do. So let's go back and I can tell them I'm sorry too."

"Just start with giving and getting some apologies. Then like my Mom suggested nice and slow from the beginning. Ready?" Jack asked.

"Not really, but when have we ever let that stop us, right guys?" Raf replied.

Miko Nikadai looked over Raf Esquivel's head to tell Jack Darby, "See Jack, that's why Raf is the smart one."

As if to prove Miko's point, Raf easily and correctly guessed that Bumblebee would be waiting for them past the first bend the three kids walked back around in the corridor. The Autobot scout joyously lifted his charge high off the floor amid a rapid series of multiple tones, clicks and whistles. It still amazed the two older teens, as it did the rest of Team Prime that Bee and Raf carried on such natural conversations. Their exchange here proved it again. "I'm OK Bee. I'm sorry I worried everybody by running away, especially you. ... Thanks, but I think I should just walk back. Riding on your shoulder is fun, but that would be treating me like a hero or something. I'm not much of one right now. ... Because I'm not Bee, that's why. ... Well OK, and that will be faster too." Bumblebee set Raf down, then turned to transform to vehicle mode in the returning direction of the base's core. "Guys, get in. Bee's going to give us a ride back to the others." The short distance didn't make for much of a ride in a muscle car, but Miko and Jack were happy to oblige the reunited partners.

Going back wasn't nearly as bad as Rafael had worried it would be. The adults, human and otherwise, tried to gently downplay the nature of the young boy's exit and absence. All Mrs. Darby cautioned Raf about was wearing himself out. Agent Fowler just wanted to know if he had found whatever he needed to go looking for. The young Esquivel nodded. Arcee and Bulkhead had only come back with Jack and Miko, so they purposely greeted Raf the way they would usually do in the kids' after-school mode. Ratchet looked like he had a great many things to say to Rafael, ranging across a broad spectrum from disconcertion to relief. However, the Autobot medic stayed within an apparently pre-arranged statement, noting only that the constant presence of human children at the base had attuned his own disturbance sensors so high that Rafael's earlier actions simply no longer qualified as a bother. Raf understood that the casualness in these responses was practiced in order to lead him all the way back to fully settling the burden of the previous confrontation with Optimus Prime.

The pre-teen marched back up the concrete stairwell to the second level to better face the Autobot leader again. They each briefly hesitated in silence, then Optimus began. "Rafael I think you expect me to begin, and so I shall. You may also expect me to be stern or question your courage because you fled from us. On the contrary, I am a tested warrior who can survive most anything on your Earth. Yet, I stood here and watched as a human not fully grown felt effected by a devastating alien power for a second time since coming under Autobot protection. Though the circumstances of your exit worried us, I acknowledge the great bravery it had to take simply to last as long as you did."

"I wasn't brave, not even close," Raf insisted, "I'm still not. You and Bee, and all the Autobots could be ten times bigger than you are now, and this would still be scary. I'm sorry I yelled at you and everybody. I'm sorry I ran off, and I'm sorry that I worried everybody. I'm scared, Optimus, but I acted like a little idiot about it. Usually, I'd say that you'd better send me home for the weekend as a punishment. I guess since the safety of the Earth is at stake you can't do that. I accept that I'll have to do what it takes to keep others safe, even if it doesn't let me be happy."

"That itself would be a brave sacrifice from any mature being Raf. Your only real punishment is not being able to recognize that as such in yourself yet," Optimus advised and continued, "However, upon reflection, I also agree that it would be appropriate to send you home for the weekend in the same pattern of coming and going as always. We will not resort to your isolation until Monday. Those were the terms you understood from the letter, and they will be honored."

"Really ... that's the best Optimus, totally the best!" Raf steadied himself by quickly placing both hands on his head to keep it from spinning with relief. Yet, the seriousness of the Positron predicament made him ask, "How can I take that chance Optimus? One flare up at the wrong intensity and boom, it's all over for me and for everybody. I mean, that's the way it is, isn't it?"

Optimus Prime explained, as his own voice shared some of Raf's own excitement. "Nothing we have access to can yet prevent the encroaching infusion of Positron within you. Still, cooperation and ingenuity allow us to temporarily siphon the Positron off in a way that will allow you to safely remain unconfined until Monday. Agent Fowler, will you please do the honors.

Anticipating this request, Agent Fowler had already taken the elevator up to the base's second level. He approached the bespectacled boy. The agent took a small box from a his inner suit coat pocket saying, "You are now the designated owner of the world's first and only highly classified friendship ring. Wear it in good health ... please." The bulky man handed the box over to the short youth.

The box was covered in velvet-like material, but Raf could tell by the odd feel of the box itself that it wasn't made of wood or metal. He would have thoroughly examined it, but Miko was impatient.

"Open it up already Raf." The girl insisted.

Raf did as she prompted. Sure enough, the box contained a ring that looked like it had been shaped out of a square crystal. The ring seemed to have internal working parts, but the surface had been frosted opaque to prevent observation at close scrutiny. Rafael Esquivel suspected what it was for based on the material similarities. "A ring made out of something like Energon cube material? I'm guessing the box is made out of the same stuff. How is it supposed to help?"

"You get a work of art like that, and the first thing you want to know is how the gadget works? Like I said before, boys ... typical."

"In this case Miko," Ratchet noted, "Rafael is more than right to emphasize function over form." The Autobot medic ignored the human girl's exaggerated imitation of his own voice pattern as Miko repeated the last three words of his sentence. Bulkhead's deep chuckle was also ignored. "Rafael, when you put on the the ring for the first time, it will get a baseline on your molecular Positron level. Then as you wear it, the ring will absorb any Positron that exceeds the original baseline. When you go to bed over the weekend, place the ring in its box. The box will absorb the Positron from the ring, and you may repeat that process until Monday.

"Why can't I just keep doing that, or you know, set the ring to a higher capacity and let it drain all the Positron out of me?" Raf asked.

Ratchet shook his head. "Both the ring and the box have limited tolerances. They will both burn themselves out as Positron absorbers. I designed them for human constructors that way so they cannot become explosive themselves. Once their service is spent I will use the ground bridge to disperse them to undefined coordinates. The items themselves will dematerialize, without you to hold it together the Positron should, in theory, degenerate back to Energon and Dark Energon. This is not simply a matter of the correct plumbing. Remember, it is likely your instinctive awareness of their potential unity that is actually bonding them together."

Raf also wondered, "What happens after that, a new ring and box combo?"

"No, this is a stop-gap measure we can only risk once," The red and white Autobot insisted, "There is too much danger that pruning the Positron - so to speak - will result in its stronger growth later. Naturally, you have many questions Rafael, but for right now it is more important to calibrate the ring. Wait, before you put it on, let's take some precautions. Please come down to the medical bay again." Raf shrugged and yielded to Ratchet's overprotection. The boy came down the stairwell like he was headed for a math class - in a hurry. When he reached the requested area, the robotic physician helped him return to a seated position on the human-sized exam table. Satisfied, Ratchet gave permission, "Now, you may put the ring on."

Raf Esquivel was aware that everyone was watching as he cautiously slipped the ring onto the ring finger of his left hand. When it was in place the youngster gave a quick sigh of relief before saying, "For a second there, I thought it was going to hurt, or something."

Ratchet waved off that concern, "Nonsense Rafael, I designed it myself. It wouldn't possibly cause you physical pain."

Rafael nodded and was just about to ask if it was OK to get down again. Suddenly, the boy's eyes went wide behind his glasses. He felt a quick rush and an even faster draining sensation. It was like being in a one-car roller coaster at its highest point, then having the bottom fall out on the way down. Raf's small body lurched forward before being very gently eased back by the digits of a large metallic hand. The hand stayed in contact with him long enough to confirm that the prone human child was only unconscious, but otherwise stable. "This however," Ratchet noted quietly, "was a distinct possibility."

The next thing that Raf knew was opening his eyes again to realize that he was laid out on the table he'd been seated on just a moment before. Someone had removed his glasses and covered him with the same blanket that Agent Fowler had given Mrs. Darby earlier, so maybe more time had past than he thought. Raf started to move and it seemed the nurse was at his side from out of nowhere. She helped him sit up, but indicated that was plenty for now. "Feeling better, Raf? Good. Just sit for a minute. Oh, and here," Mrs. Darby carefully returned his glasses to their rightful place and her encouraging smile came into focus.

"What happened?" The confused boy inquired.

Voices above both humans drew the pre-teen's attention, and Raf looked up to see Ratchet responding to Bumblebee's intonations happily declaring that the small human had come back online. The medic reminded the scout that because Raf was a human, the stasis process was called sleep and coming out of stasis was known as waking up. Bee objected that either way his human charge now seemed to be improving. Ratchet groaned, then addressed Raf's question. "You passed out as the ring began to calibrate. It was a one-time occurrence. As you know, loading new software often requires the receiving system to shut down."

Rafael wanted to know, "How long was I out?"

"That probably depends on what you consider out," Jack Darby suggested as he and Miko approached the medical bay. "You were only unconscious for a minute or two."

"Yeah, the nap took up the rest of the hour." Miko teased.

Raf scrunched his face to insist, "I don't take naps."

"OK, OK ... well that ring sure gave you a good one then." The girl jibed playfully.

June Darby soothed Raf's indignation, "We could have woken you Raf, we just let you sleep for a bit, that's all. It's been a busy afternoon for you."

The only thing that Raf could do to get past his freshly vulnerable feeling was to appreciate their consideration and move on quickly. "Well, that's OK, but I can get up now, right?"

Mrs. Darby nodded. "Sure, I think you finally got that down time I recommended earlier. Besides, Optimus wanted to know as soon as you woke up on your own. Now you can tell him yourself. You're free ..."

" ... to continue recovering under the observation of friends," Ratchet insisted.

Raf heaved a sigh that he covered with unassisted effort getting down to the floor again. At least the friends that Ratchet meant were Jack and Miko. The three kids turned to head for the area where Optimus Prime was conferencing with Agent Fowler. The Autobot leader and the human agent paused to bring the three "junior interns" into their conversation, especially Rafael Esquivel.

"How are you Raf?" Optimus asked.

"Me? I'm good, thanks," Raf acknowledged with as much expedient sincerity as he could to change the subject from him back to whatever might be in the works to help him. "So ... Optimus ... Agent Fowler ... what can I do?"

The Autobot leader smiled encouragingly at the human boy's refreshed willingness. "We will need you to be ready for the brief window of opportunity that Team Prime has decided to attempt to secure this weekend." Optimus Prime noted approvingly that everyone had now joined them, and his conference with Agent Fowler expanded into a general briefing, still addressed to Rafael for the youngster's full consideration. "Ratchet is convinced that you have bonded Energon and Dark Energon into Positron at a level of awareness that simply is. If you were Cybertronian the solution would, in one respect be simple - locate that specific point in your awareness and slightly alter its configuration. There would be no bond, and therefore no Positron."

Raf gulped at the imagery behind the idea. "S-sure s-sounds s-simple to me. That sounds like the work of one of those Decepticon cortical patch jobs that gave Bee problems a while back. Have I mentioned lately that as cool as all of you are that I'm glad I'm not Cybertronian."

Ratchet spoke up, "I told you he would know Optimus. Rafael is a most perceptive human for any age."

"True," Optimus agreed. "We are indeed talking about a cortical patch Raf. Your haman safety is the most important block to the goal's simplicity, but as you point out, it is also exclusively Decepticon technology. We will prepare to invade and take over the scientific section of the Nemisis, procure the necessary technology and equipment for engaging a cortical patch and return here. Ratchet and Nurse Darby will work with remote specialists secured by Agent Fowler to adapt a safe human neural interface. Then, and only with your explicit permission, Ratchet will patch in with you to guide you in de-configuring the Positron fusion." The red and blue warrior saw how troubled the boy looked about the plan. "What's wrong Rafael?"

"Optimus, you can't risk an entire Autobot combat team just to save me from isolation. You are all that's stopping the Decepticons from doing whatever they want on Earth," Raf insisted.

"We are a combat team Raf. This is part of a war that has been waged for thousands of years before you. We appreciate your concern and your help, but we are here to protect you because you are in harm's way." The Autobot leader stated firmly.

Agent Bill Fowler followed up, "Don't worry so much, guy. We'll use some agency chatter to distract the Cons to a location that will be a perfect staging ground for the Bots to hit them quick."

"Hey, I like the sound of that," Bulkhead mused, cracking big, metal knuckles over a big, metal fist. "Hit 'em hard! Bust in to get what we need, and wreck what we don't!"

"Tell it Bulk!" Miko praised enthusiastically.

Arcee crossed her arms sleekly and her voice mildly, "Fan girl there aside Bulkhead, We're talking about medical tech and medical equipment. That suggests more of a surgical strike and stealth tatics. Of course, if any Cons get in our way, then we blast them."

June Darby arched an eyebrow as she looked quickly between her son and his Autobot gaurdian. Jack shrugged, "Uhm, that's my girl."

"Thank you Jack," Arcee observed pleasantly immediately followed by, "Say it that way again and I might just blast you."

A multi-level conversation about tactics and timing began that almost exclusively involved the Autobots and the adult humans. Raf Esquivel spent several minutes trying to break into the conversation, but even with Jack and Miko's help he wasn't making the queue. Finally, Bumblebee noticed what Raf wanted and intoned in loud, distinct segments ::Hey, Raf has something important to say!::

Rafael was taken aback by the sudden silence and attention, but only for a second. "Sorry, but thanks Bee. Everyone listen please. Even though that psionic patch thing doesn't sound like the best thing in the world, I'm willing to try it. But, I think there's a better way to do it than invading the Nemisis - no offense Optimus."

As a battle tested robotic warrior-chieftain, Optimus Prime had every right to dismiss the opinion of this desperate human child, but the values of true leadership had long ago taught him to do no such thing. "What do you suggest instead, Rafael Esquivel?"

"Well," Raf began, "Ratchet you probably already have similar Cybertronian neural equipment to the type that the Decepticons modified for those kind of patches. You'd just have to modify yours in the same way and go from there, right?"

"That's basically true Rafael, but I still don't have the necessary schematics or operating systems to make those modifications, much less to improve the way they run to control them at a much higher safety level for you. Those are still aboard the Nemisis."

Raf let himself get a little more excited, "Don't you see? Since all we need is the tech, no one has to invade. We can get it delivered. I'll bet there's one Con that makes it his business to have his visor in every single system that's ever been flipped on aboard the Nemisis. I'll hack him with a virus to reverse download everything on cortical patching back here to us."

"Soundwave?" Ratchet did nothing to hide the startled expression, "You think you can hack into Soundwave - and upload a virus ... of any kind? Impossible, Rafael."

For the first time all afternoon long Rafael felt a small bit of control over his own life come back within his grasp. "That's the great thing. You think that, so I know he'll think that, but I already know how I can. Optimus, If you'll hear this out, I'll tell everybody, because I'm still going to need everybody's help."