Queen's notes: Yeah, Drift is rapidly becoming an expert in distraction for our dear Percy XD
Chapter Four:
Come in for coffee?
It didn't take overly long to get the rest of the living, wiggling and yipping cargo loaded. By the time the last cyber wolf pups were put in their carriers, and Hightop had gone over the controls of the loader, the pups had all passed out, leaving the start of the ride more or less quiet. Perceptor, thanks to her lack of over armor, could quite easily sit with Drift in the front, though she was humming in a bit of embarrassment.
Not over the fact that she had to stay right up against the white mech, neatly pressed against his energy field... no, the tinge of orange on her visor was from the fact that the red femmie realized she had no problem with their positions.
Drift's engine purred, his plating vibrating slightly against hers. One strong white arm was wrapped around her, holding her close to his frame. To keep her from sliding off, or so the white mech claimed. His energy field brushed against hers from time to time, his plating warm where it touched the smaller femme's.
Perceptor was oddly quiet, as most of all her attention was on the mech. Her slender fingers ghosted over pale armor when given the chance, exploring by touch when Perceptor dared. The red femmie was able to help with directions, but most of the time it was driving straight on the speedways once they got back into the deeper levels.
Every now and then dark fingers would brush against or over her plating, just short of actually touching, as if stroking Perceptor's energy field. Most of Drift's attention was on where they were going, but part of him was focused on the femme pressed against his plating.
She was flexible enough to fit in close, closer if need be. Perceptor couldn't help small shivers as the mech's own fingers brushed near more sensitive areas, where a sensor was under the light plating.
Oh bugger... he was trouble of the best kind it seemed, if Perceptor was allowed to use Topspin's descriptive words. There was a not so tiny thought of making sure there was no available rooms once back home, so she could offer hers... would that be too much of an abuse of power?
Drift's fingers stroked idly along Perceptor's upper arm. "It looks like we're getting close, if I'm interpreting these screens correctly."
Perceptor cleared her intakes and leaned forward to peer at the displays, bracing a hand on Drift's thigh, "Yes, we will be coming to the front of the platform, so Sludge and Tar will more than likely announce us."
"Definitely going to be an interesting meeting." White plating shifted, hot air from his vents puffing against Perceptor's armor.
"Yes, the boys are a sight to see on their own I suppose." Perceptor admitted, thinking of the massive more beast like mech-creatures that her Crew was using to pull the new platform. She blinked as the femmie realized that she was leaning into the heat from Drift. "I, ah..."
"What?" Drift tilted his head at her. He hadn't seen anything wrong with her leaning closer to him.
It took a moment to realize he didn't mind, and the femmie smiled a bit, "Though I have mentioned it before, it should be said again. You Drift, are quite a mech in all regards." Perceptor had that bit of shy-ness back but also a hint of her Wrecker line that she did admire him.
The white mech tilted his helm. "Thank you. And you, Perceptor, are quite an interesting femme." Light fingertips lifted to brush against her scope.
Both of her hands tightened around Drift's thigh, Perceptor's optics widening at the sensation that ran from the scope and right down into her nerves. A shiver of completely unexpected pleasure worked down her frame as Perceptor refused to let go of the white armor under her hands. Drift tilted his head to the side, intrigued by this response. He repeated the touch, trailing his fingers along the full length of the barrel, one fingertip tracing the edge of the lens.
"Oh...ohmy..." Perceptor got out, her inner workings more than a little warm then it had been on the trip over and back down, she couldn't see the screen displays thanks to having no focus. In all honestly no one had ever handled or touched her scope when Perceptor was conscious, it had so many sensors in it...
"I take it this is a first for you?" Drift pressed his palm against the scope barrel, running his hand along its length.
"Y-yes," Perceptor admitted, shivering again and had to readjusting her grip on the off-white armor.
Drift shifted his arm around her, making sure she didn't slip off the seat, holding her closer to his frame. Warm air from his vents swirled over her armor. "Do you want me to stop?"
The heat was welcome, however warm her systems here starting to burn, the outside was still cool. It was the underground after all, and Perceptor had to wrap her arms around the one around her. The femmie considered the question very hard, reminded herself that she was a Wrecker... but in an honest word. "No... I do not believe I want you to..."
A slow smile slid over the mech's face. Keeping an optic on the screens, so he would know when they were approaching their destination, he continued to stroke over Perceptor's scope, exploring along the barrel. Perceptor's fingers curled around Drift's supporting arm, her back pressing against his bigger frame in reaction. Her energy field flickered erratically for a few long moments before seeming to soften, easier to mesh against. It could be only a minute or a several hours until they got to the platform, Perceptor didn't care as in this moment she finally decided that she didn't want Drift in any room but hers this night, and tried to say as much.
Drift's engine purr increased in volume, his frame vibrating against Perceptor's. He continued to stroke along her scope, humming softly, head tilting to the side at her attempts to form coherent words.
"Can... I keep...?" Perceptor gave a little huff, of all times for her words to fail... but at the same time not wanting to speak, just focus on the mech's exploring fingers. Her own system making a lighter humming counterpart to Drift's purr, as she had no alternate engine.
"Keep? Keep what?" Drift traced one fingertip along the edge of her lens, blue optics drinking in her reactions.
The red femmie leaned her head back, Perceptor's bare green optics looking up to Drift's, wiggling a little in his grip for a moment. "You?" The word was soft, a little shy and again, honest.
Drift's hand paused for a moment as he pondered that. then the stroking resumed. "I don't see why not." His voice was a purr.
"I would very much like that..." Perceptor got out now, and noting that the speedway was slowly inclining down, the passage that held the road was opening and soon they would be in the area of the platform. Massive enough to have a dark sky above with reflected glitters here and there.
Drift looked around, continuing to stroke her scope barrel while taking in their surroundings. "I've never seen anything like this, but then, I've never been this deep."
"The main passages aren't just for... the platforms, though they are very large." Perceptor muttered, still trying to be guide. Although the constant flow of feeling from her scope still very distracting, she was getting used to it a little. "Like... main energon lines in the planet... letting Wreckers get where we need to be."
"Makes sense, if the platforms are as large as you say they are." Dark fingers followed a seam along the length of the barrel.
The red femmie shivered against his frame at that, nodding in agreement to Drift's words. Her green optics flicking ahead to glimpse the first look of the leading edge of the platform. It looked like a ship on rails, with the two massive semi-beasts that were tethered to the front of the platform.
"Is that it?" Drift also caught sight of it, his hand stilling on her scope.
Perceptor nodded, taking a few deep breaths to cool down a bit. "Platform X-E 490."
As the speedway started to curve, going out and then back in, while lowering, it gave a better view. The platform was large enough to hold a full Crew of 200 plus mechs, though not all of them were at the platform at any one time very often. It was silver mostly, with highlights of bright blue and green painted on the angles.
In the front was a very interesting sight. Two... creatures, far more massive than any cyber beasts on the surface were in a carefully made and rigged tethers, tying them to many points on the ship. The creatures in human terms were long necked dinosaurs, only in transformer scale. They were waiting of a command before leaning forward, straining at first, before the whole platform started to move after them, being dragged along the rails for a body length of the creatures.
"Those are Sludge and Tar." Perceptor semi-introduced while motioning to the massive creatures.
"Impressive." Drift ran his hand along Perceptor's scope once more, then withdrew his hand with great reluctance, giving her a chance to regain her composure before they actually reached the platform. "That is most definitely something I have never seen before."
"There is only a dozen or so of their kind left." Perceptor said, shifting but not getting off Drift's leg she was almost sitting on, "Only the oldest Crews had them..." Taking a breath to cycle through, she pointed to the place in the middle of the platform where ramps and loading docks were lowering again. "Over there, we should give this loader to Leadfoot and his sorting crew. He's the big red mech."
Nodding, Drift guided the loader in the indicated direction, taking the indicated ramp. "You get to do the introductions, since they don't know me and are going to be looking at me warily."
"Of course," Perceptor nodded, her light armor ruffled and smoothed out again, running a hand down her sides to be sure it was flattened again. Once the loader had stopped, parked, the femmie smiled politely at the older mech thumping over to them. "This here is Leadfoot, Drift."
Drift kept his expression neutral, inclining his head to the other mech. "Leadfoot."
The dark red mech grunted, eyeing Drift up and down. He was stocky and had a curve in his armor, where he kept his tools in easy reach on his front. The glowing visor turned to Perceptor, back to Drift, and then Leadfoot smirked. "Aye, got a bloke at last Sheila? AH! 'Bout time." He motioned to the platform, "Go on then, we'll take care of the Loader."
The white warrior shifted slightly. "Where will the wolf pups be taken? One of them has... taken a liking to me."
"Bay 21, near the middle o' the platform," Leadfoot smiled, he was gruff, but not unkind, "Percy, you're over due for being off shift- again. Get lost and show yae'r friend around."
Perceptor gave a nervous smile, inclining her head as she had clasped her hands behind her back, "That is a wise idea... yes, yes it is."
Drift nodded. "I'm probably going to get lost a few times until I learn my way around this place." He tilted his head to Perceptor. "Perhaps you could show me around when you get the chance?"
"I shall be delighted to." the femmie assured, "As I am off shift for the next shift cycle. If you would like we could start now."
"A good idea. I'm sure there are many mechs here for me to meet and be interrogated by while we're at it, as well." Drift spread his hands, gesturing for Perceptor to lead the way.
"If you want to stay, it is the Foreman you will need to speak with," Perceptor said as she led the way up one of the many ramps that dropped from and led into the belly of the platform. For being 'night' on the surface, there was no real lack of activity here, with enough Crew members to keep going all the time. Perceptor extended her coms. linking up to the base system of the platform, "He's on a site right now," She admitted.
"Why would I want to leave?" Drift tilted his head to the side. "You're here, and so is that pup who's adopted me."
"Really?" The question was out before Perceptor could stop herself, pausing near one of the elevators that ran between decks and bays.
"Really." The white warrior nodded.
"Roadbuster won't be back until next shift...?" Ah, well Perceptor at least realized that 'flirting' and outright offering were not her best of subjects of skill. Though he had said yes back in the loader... Humming in the equivalent of blushing, the mostly red femmie stepped into the nearest and correct elevator. Hands clasped behind her back to keep her fingers from fidgeting.
Drift followed her into the lift, shifting so that he was standing right next to her, his armor almost touching hers. "I look forward to meeting him."
"Er... Foremen are quite like the Primes." Perceptor felt compelled to warn, remembering the drinking contest three shifts ago and the Crew leader staggering around singing show tunes.
The white mech chuckled. "It promises to be an interesting meeting, I think."
"Very." the femmie nodded, watching the white mech shift, his armor and frame, not the numbers that said what level and section they were in.
White plating ruffled and resettled showily, brushing against Perceptor's arm and shoulder. "How many mechs are on the platform?"
"Hmm? Oh!" The question belatedly sank in after a moment, "The full Crew, including contractors number over 265 at last count."
"I predict that it is going to take me quite a while to meet all of them and be able to remember who is who." Drift shifted one of his hip-mounted swords slightly, the sheath brushing against Perceptor's leg.
She made a soft sound at the touch, standing quite straight and still, Perceptor was not sure what to do with herself in truth. In the loader the two had been closer, in contact and now she could but Perceptor's nerve seemed to come and go whenever it liked.
Drift looked around, taking in everything there was to see, which wasn't much inside the lift. "Where are we headed first?"
"Mid-decks," Percy said, finally moving, her fingers flicking out over a holographic control panel to pull up the basic lay out of the platform. "So you can pick out a set or rooms. All quarters are in the middle three decks, right above the core. The Foreman is near the middle so if needed he can get to any part of the platform within the same amount of time."
The white warrior hummed softly as he regarded the schematic. His hip sheaths shifted, one brushing ever so lightly against Perceptor's leg. "Where are your quarters?"
The lens of the scope on Perceptor's shoulder shifted, giving a tiny whirring sound while the femmie looked down at Drift's sheath. "Lower mid-deck... near my labs... on the same level the open rooms are currently at."
Well that wasn't fully true, but there were free rooms there. It was also the deck the lift was slowing down for.
"Maybe we should start there, then," the mech suggested, shifting slightly and causing his hip sheath to stroke along her thigh.
Since her hands were occupied with the holographic display or clasped behind her back, Perceptor was already reaching to touch the hilt of the sword. Fingers delicately feeling over with light touches, exploring to where the sheath was attached to the hip. Perceptor was very hands on with something new or something (someone) she liked, and her claws though retracted still had the points that left a faint tingling feeling on his energy field, as there were a lot of sensors in her hands.
"Of course!" Perceptor yipped, recalling herself and nearly pulled her hands back but really didn't want to.
The white mech's engine purred as her hand explored his hip scabbard, and he leaned slightly into the touch. "I look forward to seeing them." There was a purr under the words.
Perceptor didn't have much armor, enough to protect her from general life bumps and the occasional fire in her lab (honestly, it was just fires, nowhere near the scale of Wheeljack having fun), but she still had armor. And that armor lifted just a little before shivering back down into position... Who was this mech that was getting her in ways Perceptor wasn't used to at all?
It was baffling, but thrilling, and Perceptor was fairly sure he was meaning to drive her cross-wired.
To any casual observer, Drift's movements looked perfectly innocent. His expression showed only interest in his surroundings. Only if one looked closely would they notice a pattern to his shifting. White armor flared, brushing against Perceptor's arm and side.
The mostly red femmie chirped at that, a true chirp that much, much later on would fit in with one of her alternate forms. But for now it was an interesting reaction since it seemed out of place. Perceptor finely looked up from Drift's middle, the finger tips of one hand still on his hip strut while the lift stopped and the doors opened onto an empty hall way.
Drift tilted his helm slightly. "Our floor?"
Perceptor looked over and then nodded, "Ah, yes. Yes it is." She started to pull her hands back, paused and then took one of Drift's larger ones as she attempted to half pull him out in the mental excuse that he wouldn't get lost if Perceptor had a hold of him.
Drift's fingers curled around hers, a smile touching his lips as he followed her out of the lift, staying close to the smaller femme. White armor ruffled and fluffed, brushing her arm. This time Perceptor leaned into the mech as he did that, her other hand coming up to explore over the back if his hand and the wrist, just above the red cuff like design. Sometimes the femmie just couldn't seem to hold still, or maybe there was just a need to want to touch and feel in Perceptor.
The white swordsmech's engine purred, and he leaned into the touch. Warm air from his vents brushed over her armor, his free hand lifting to brush lightly over her arm.
Finely she couldn't help it, "You are very distracting." Perceptor pointed out, looking back up at the mech's optics. At the same time it wasn't a complaint at all, just had to point it out.
Frag, where was her room again? There, over there on the left.
"Who, me?" Drift gave her a perfectly innocent look. She could almost see the halo hovering above the audial finials of his helm.
"Yes, you," Perceptor miffed a bit, the lens in her scope barrel whirring again, and then cleared her intakes, pausing to motion to a door on the left. "Ahem, well, this is me here..." She blinked realizing that her name was printed on the door, and just like every other door there along with the name was a list of 'Prides' that she liked call it.
Each Wrecker did it, putting their main accomplishments and ranks on the doors to their quarters. Under Perceptor's name-glyph was her current rank of Platform Manager, and then a list that started with; Sniper, tech, chemical specialist, structural engineer, medic grade 3, xeno-biology studies, deep-level cultural major
Then to the side, hand written by someone added on, Makes best fragging energon goodies- 'Buster. Foreman
Oh dear... how could she forget about this? Perceptor glanced back up at Drift, worried because she had never really disclosed all of her skills, and most possible partners had been put off by her high intelligence for reasons she couldn't understand despite said intelligence.
The white warrior's optic rims went up, "A very, very smart femme." His fingers trailed lightly along her side. "Very impressive."
"Yes, I am... I mean thank you!" Perceptor paused and then used two knuckles to lightly thumb the trigger, her door sliding open and into both sides. It wasn't locked nor a code needed, as she fully trusted the security teams that protected the platform and those living inside. "Um... Would you like an energon goodie?" She asked, Perceptor fairly sure she sounded silly.
"Certainly." The purr was back in Drift's voice as he followed her inside, his white armor almost glowing.
