{A/N: Hey there readers.....86 hits in just January alone ^_^ That part is awesome! The part that makes me wanna tell people to kick rocks? Why that would be the part where there are 86 people who stopped by and 3 persons who left reviews! Shocking I know!
Thanks and Cookies of your choice go to FullfysBijin05, Raven Wolf1 & LostNeo, aka my three muskateer's of reviewing! I loves you guys bunches! }
{Adjustment as of 02/03/10--Technique Disclaimer: /start credits...Musashi/Antepathy and that person's partner in crime GabrielC invented the botatomy(bot+anatomy) and it's sexual usages as I use it in this story. Having seen it around I did not know it was not simply common usage until late last night when I was able to get back to my computer. My apologies to those two. also thusly this is updated and will be placed on all chapters! /end credits}
{also I apologies to any of the five people who might get all excited cause I posted these changes and not my chapter which should be up by friday at the latest in all its sucking glory cause my joy kinda went out of me}
The sound of a loud explosion woke her. The whole house was shaking. She had finished repairing the Jet Bot about nine in the evening and decided that supper and an early bedtime was in order. Now it was once again barely daylight. The sun had not yet cracked the sky but the pink of the coming dawn was corrupted by plumes of smoke and the smell of ruined machinery.
They had hit the barn. The two tractors, one always in a state of disrepair, and the other one she had bought from a distant neighbor, were both puddles of molten metal and shattered machine bits by now. The roar of a jet engine screeched by. Jet Bot had made it out of the barn.
Relief flooded her for a second before the despair of the certain doom of her home farm settled back into her world view. There was more then one Jet engine roaring by now. Jet Bot had Jet Bot friends that she recalled form the hologram he'd shown her and apparently they had arrived to help him fight. The Coppery form of Jet Bot in the shape of his Jet self was magnificent. A black Jet and funky Purple Jet roared by as well. Who ever it was who was shooting at them was on the ground.
Fate sense swirling with insistence she put on some clothes and threw some non perishable foods into a sack in the tow truck which she had been lucky to have moved out of the barn to let the Jet Bot have space for his 'recharge.' The last thing she grabbed out of the hallway mud room was a Hefty helmet with a grill like a football player's. It had been her cousin Marty's High school helmet. He'd given it to her before heading off to a war zone that he had not returned from. He'd been the last one of her generation alive besides her, and she was not going to lose this memento of his short but meaningful life.
Her eyes narrowed when she finally saw the robot who was shooting at the Jet Bots. Best Guess he would be a flat bed pickup himself when in his other shape. She recognized what the feeling was in her now. The same feeling that had led Marty to go to war against the terrorists, the same feeling of outrage coated with a thinly veiled layer of despair that this was how it was.
Her aim was not the best in the world when it came to guns or hunting with bows like she sometimes did, but she had practiced that until repeats had made lack of skill not an issue. However a poor aim was not an issue now anyway. After all if you could not drive straight into a robot the height of a multi story building you had other problems.
The impact sent the robot over the edge of a ditch and crashing to the ground. Grabbing up the bag of non perishables, she sprinted away from the wrecked tow truck and back to wards her house. That robot would not hesitate to fire on her, or so her fate sense warned. She had to be clear of him before he reoriented on her or she was quite dead.
Suddenly her hair was whipped into her eyes as the funky purple Jet Bot hovered in front of her.
"IN THE COCKPIT NOW HUMAN!"
This was not the time to argue that she was not a pilot or a flyer of any kind. She leaped up, and after scrambling across the wing, she managed to get herself in the cockpit of the Jet Bot. They launched out and up and away before she even fastened the safety restraints.
/Human recovered in functional condition Trine member. What I want to know is what purpose this human serves now that you have access to our repair bots and Medic Hook?/
/I wish to reward the xeno for her service to me. Allowing the autobots to eliminate her would be no reward at all. Let it go Skywarp./
/It is just one of his odd quarks warp. Best let be while you can./
/Does the human have any concept of what she is getting into?/
/More then the usual human would yes. However I doubt that she really knows things, it seems that it is more the nature of an instinct./
/I only hope for her sake it is enough, poor little squishy./
She had a feeling from the way that certain lights in the cockpit lit up that the Jet bot she was in was communing with the other Jet Bots on a personal frequency. She sighed and leaned back in the seat. There was nothing for it now but to go to wherever the Jet Bot's home base was, and make the best of it. She was glad that her trees would make due with mostly water from rain and not need tending to for a good long while. After all who knew when she would be able to return to the farm?
"Farmer-Human can you hear me clearly?"
"I am receiving you well enough Jet Bot."
"What is your preference for dietary intake? I will see to it that you are provided for while in our custody, but if I have your preferences on file I can make this somewhat less onerous an Ordeal then it might be otherwise."
She rattled off her preferences food and drink wise and her actual needs food and water wise, before adding that personal maintenance required a few other items beyond what had just been mentioned. The Jet Bot Acknowledged this, and while they were discussing the variances of different soap types and body washes, she realized that this Jet that was sometimes an alien Robot was going to be her keeper for the foreseeable future. That such a situation had developed without any of the normal courtesy type things that happened between people who decided to live together made her sigh.
"We have not exchanged the customary pleasantries or even designations. I am Rank: Air Commander, Personal Designation: Starscream. It has not been under pleasant circumstances but I believe that the expression "I am pleased to meet you," applies in any case. "
"Humans usually have two or more names for personal designation as well as rankings if any or acknowledged social standings. My personal name is Kalomel, and I am amicable to the idea of answering to the reduced version of 'Mel' if time is short enough to require it. I also have the family name of Nichols. Despite the wicked and ugly set of circumstances I am also glad to meet you. Now that we have exchanged the customary introductions you can present the persons of your companion Bots to me as well Starscream."
"You are presently within the chassis of Skywarp. Our other companion goes by the designation of Thundercracker. They are my Trine members. Among humans this would make us 'common law' spouses, the three of us together."
"There is nothing Common about us though." Skywarp added, with a more blatant sense of humor to his tone. She found it to be less stern then the voice of Starscream, but somehow not as moving emotionally. This of course was ready permission for the third member of their Trine to chime in with his two cents worth of conversation over the radio frequency they were presently sharing.
"Warp is correct of course. We are much the rarer and finer then the silly ground pounding bots you may have seen in the battle footage of Mission city and Qatar. We are Seekers! "
Kalomel grinned at the echoing resonance of pride and ferocious joy that were both in the phrase used by the black jet. When she made the mistake of merrily asking her new companions to explain to her what a seeker was exactly, she got a along long story from Skywarp instead of just a terse explanation.
"No all are flight capable among those who came from the all spark. Those who are, are not always fit to be Seekers. Some are capable of navigation only when within the gravitational and magnetic fields of a planet. These are fliers but not Seekers. Those who wish to be a Seeker must pass many competency exams and mental fitness tests before the very last of the tests comes to pass."
"Warp she does not need to hear the unpleasant truth about our final testing. I doubt she would appreciate the necessity and it might well harm her emotional sensitivities to be so informed."
"Thank you for your concern Thundercracker. However I am built of much sterner stuff then appearances might indicate at first meeting me. I will hear this and not judge since your culture is not mine, and your species is not mine, and thus I have to accept that some things will be way beyond my ability to understand. I have to accept them as what is, not try to somehow change them just because they might hurt my 'feel bads' as my cousin used to put it. I'll just file the information away under unpleasant facts of existence and let it go."
"When the testing time arrives, the would be Seeker is taken far from Cybertron and all familiar areas of space to which they have been before. Once they are sent to the farthest corner of space reachable in a planetary revolution of time they are knocked unconscious and left to return without escort or watcher to their home hangar on Cybertron."
"The unpleasant portion is that not all make it back then?"
"Indeed."
"They were brave enough and hopeful enough to try Skywarp. That alone makes them worth while people in my book."
The silence was suddenly heavy and oppressive. Kalomel thought that perhaps she had said something really bad somehow. It would not be until much later that she understood that it was the exact opposite.
~*~
It had been several hours before they began the final approach to their destination and she knew that she was going just about the speed of sound. That was a long trip. Her insides were reminding her that despite the depressing turn of her thoughts they kept on working anyway. Still she was lacking in enthusiasm about food and doubted that a machine oriented base camp would even have facilities for the disposal of her 'biological waste materials.'
Being a farmer who took care of most of her own fix its and repairs of both her household and her equipment meant that she was capable of making rudimentary things of that nature for herself. She hoped that she would somehow be able to access the internet and look up a few techniques and things. Otherwise Kalomel was going to have to be taken out for walks like a dog. It would not surprise her if all the jets now looked at her as Starscream's pet, but that was a touch more embarrassing then she cared to deal with at the moment.
"I do not know what will happen when I inform Megatron of your residency with us and its unknown duration. However I suggest that you be hidden in the tiniest of spaces in the furthest corner of our vessel from us at the time of that conversation."
"He is likely to not favor me then?"
"For the first few months of your residency until you prove you are more useful the annoying he will most likely only be convinced to not obliterate you because of courtesy to myself and my Trine mates."
"Do I need a collar and chain or is it sufficient that I kneel each time you pass Starscream? I have never been 'owned' so I don't exactly know how the procedures go."
The laughter was back again as the jets plummeted down into the water with a large splash. Kalomel Sighed. It was funny, but was it funny because it was true or funny because it was way far off base?
"We are Seekers Kalomel-Human. None of us own much more then ourselves and any barrels of oil or fuel we win in betting with the ground pounder bots. To own a sentient being is an idea that I for one find abhorrent in the extreme. Starscream is a bit 'cracked' though. He might find it amusing for a little while but not terribly long. "
"You will pay for that little remark later Thundercracker."
"Looking forward to it Copper Bit."
"Lick my after burners you sorry excuse for a singularity humper!"
"Kids, for goodness sakes, do not make me turn this carnival ride around!"
More laughter as giant metal doors opened and they passed through a force field into the dry hangar from whence they had come. The doors closed behind them and Kalomel braced herself. Though it had been making happy good job mumbles at her since she got into the Jet at her burning farm, She cringed at the resurfacing thoughts of her ruined home, the sense of fate had otherwise remained silent. Now it was giving her hints of trouble to come and none of them looked like they were going to be broken nails or stubbed toes.
She had been in the base for three days before she saw anyone other then the jet bots. They had brought her treats, supplies, and tools meant for human use so that she could carve out a little area for herself to keep to herself near the rear area of the huge ship that had brought them to earth. The bot she encountered was shorter then she was by more then a foot and had multiple blue optics. Not knowing what else to do she politely introduced herself and waited.
The little bot ran off with a startled squeak. Kalomel decided it was best if she went the opposite direction in a hurry and found a Jet to hide behind. This brought about her second encounter with a totally unfamiliar bot in as many hours. Sitting in Skywarp's palm and being told some sort of Seeker story that she was listening to avidly had caused her to forget mostly that she had encountered the little bot.
"SKYWARP! WHAT IS THAT XENO DOING IN OUR BASE!?!?!"
"Calm yourself Barricade, Starscream's will on the matter has been made clear. I also welcome this one as she repaired my Trine member after Ironhide nearly offlined him. Also this task was performed without sensor blockers, which means her life was in danger the whole time! Had Starscream lost control he would have slagged her! Anyone who risks their life, unaware or otherwise for my Trine is welcome…"
"… and doubly so!"
Thundercracker had come to his Trine mate's sub-vocal summons. He stood between his loudly painted Trine mate and the other mech while glaring with a vicious look in his optics. Kalomel shuddered when she saw the reflection of that look in the shiny parts of the land based mech. He would be a car of some kind and she started anyalyzing specs to figure it out to distract herself from her fear. By the time the argument over 'Starscream's ridiculous choice of pet,' was over she had determined that all those misplaced parts would make a nice mustang when put back together again.
"If she repppp…fixed Starscream then she's pretty smart for a fleee…human! Maybe we should keep her?"
"Um little friend do you need your audio modulator checked out? To my ears it sounds like its skipping a bit."
"I'm fffff… Frenzy and no one has been able to find out what happpp…did this to me! You can ttttry if you wwwwant!"
"I will give it a try later on after your larger friend has finished putting up a fuss about fated things that can't be helped by any of us. And as for you Mustang Bot. I would not be here were the choice mine, but that damned Barn burner Ironhide on your enemy's team burnt the barn and possibly my house when he came after Starscream! The Air Commander was civil enough to offer me a place here since I have no place elsewhere to go, and had worked hard and spent my own currency to fix him up! So, since my presence, or my business here is none of yours BACK OFF!"
"Human you would not be half as brave if you were not hiding behind a very large Seeker."
"Thundercracker, I hate to bring it up, but I think if he was a human he would have just called you fat. I may have misinterpreted that but…"
"BARRICADE!"
The mustang dodged fast as the jet swung at him. He was laughing and she could hear it clearly over the sound of Mech on mech combat. The two had a scuffle that reminded her of her Aunt's house when all the boys were still alive and young. Brothers roughing up each other was normal as could be, but god forbid it should someone else challenge them because then it would be back to back and battle it out against any outsiders.
"Nicely played fleshling. You will fit in well around here until someone forgets you are here and steps on you. I look forward to making Frenzy here clean up the mess!"
"Eat toe fungus you sad sack of a wannabe sports car!"
The mustang flipped her off before he walked out of the room leaving her with the two Seekers and one small bot.
"He was imppppressed. Barricade is hard to impress at the best of tttimes…without Blackout functional he is difficult. He has a hard ttttime trying to conttta…hold in his anger at Blackout's getting slagged by the humans."
"Bad things happen. Considering how long this war has gone on you think he would know that."
"Longer then humans eexxxxx- been in the universe! Yet he does not knnnn…realize how lucky he's been till now that no one he lllloves is dead!"
"He cared a lot about this Blackout?"
"Blackout was big slaggin dumb flyboy. You would say helicopter since that is what his form was here. Yes Barricade loved glitchy copter. Worst thing is he nevv…didn't tell him and now they might not be able to repair him enough to bring him back online."
"Who is trying to fix the stupid copter?"
"Hook is of course. No one is planetside right now to assssi..help him though."
"Call me no one then. This Blackout person deserves to know someone loves him and that dumb mustang deserves the chance to be publicly embarrassed while trying to tell him so. Fate has decreed it and I need to be there. Will you take me to that spot without my running into this Megatron these other bots are constantly worrying I'll meet?"
"Yyyy…Sure!"
"Yourself and Frenzy will fit between the paneling and into the access tunnels normally used by repair bots when they work on the Nemesis. Most of the poor things were blown out into space and got caught in the gravity well of that very large planet we passed by on our way here. If there are any then this will keep you out of trouble."
Thundercracker dropped a loop of bright silvery cabling with a funky pendant on it around her neck.
"Its an ally bbbeacon! I did not know you knew how to mma…create those!"
"Oldest trick in the book. Seekers were the ones who invented ally beacons to begin with. During the age of winds when so many of us were born we needed to know who was friendly and who was from an enemy clan. This one is a double frequency emitter though. Decepticon frequency is dominant but my particular clan's Frequency is a part of the underlying signal. Keep it close and I will be able to find you if need be."
"Can do Thundercracker. Thank you."
The large jet robot was looking down at her funny as he placed her on the ground next to Frenzy. She waved good bye and went with frenzy intot he access panel and down a small corridor that the regular decepticon would consider impassible.
"Decepticons don't normally say that."
"Say what?"
"Thhhank you. It is not something we ssss..tell each other. It can even be seen as a sign of weakness, esssspecially since silly autobots say it all the ttt…often."
"I had no idea about that. I will still say thank you anyways. My mother raised me with manners. Manners usually means saying thank you when given something that no one was forced to give you, or when you are helped in some way. So I thank you as well Frenzy."
"Helping Blackout will be thanks enough for my hhh…assistance. If he is back to functionality within a few days I will even teach you all the ways through the access tunnels that are not ffff…under water. "
"There are a couple of places where the hull integrity is that bad?"
"More then few…a lot."
