Chapter 7 Project Yellow Revealed

This story's getting better I hope. Remember when Sunstreaker and Dani were talking about Project: Yellow? I decided that this would be a good chapter to introduce the green stone and Project: Yellow. Project: Yellow has nothing to do with Bumblebee though. Thought I let you know.

Dani finally escapes, but what happens when she's found by none other than favorite, black and yellow Autobot Bumblebee?

Regular POV

Dani found her room and spent most of her time, thinking about Project: Yellow. Project: Yellow was one of those secret things her father barely even revealed to her. As a matter of fact, her father didn't trust her with the assignments he had or the secrets he held.

However, Dani knew about the safe hidden in his study. She saw it, but never knew the combination. Dani tried to think of the time when she was younger and wandered into his study, looking for him. She was about five years old and wanted to show her Dad the macaroni drawing she did in school. This was when Pierce was picked up before her. She had been picked on during recess and lunch.

Dani saw a bunch of files and caught the code names of colors. She was learning the colors in school so when she saw the color, she'd call it out. She even remembered calling out 'Yellow'. She couldn't read the files so nothing mattered until her father came into the room and stopped her. He wasn't angry with her and she said, "Yellow. Blue. Red. Green."

Her father looked at her in amazement. "Baby? Did you just say the colors on these files?"

Dani nodded.

"Ahhh! Good girl! You did it!" he said, hugging and kissing her. Then he looked at her macaroni picture. "Ooooh! What a pretty picture! Is this for me?"

"Yes, Daddy."

Dani remembered her father's love and felt an empty hole in heart widening. Dani stifled her cries until she couldn't hold off her crying. She missed her father too much and no one came into her room to soothe her. She drew her legs up toward her body, letting the tears flow down her cheeks, wiping them every now and then.

After Dani finished crying, she got up and ran some warm water in the sink. She washed her face and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were red from crying and then shook her head.

"Project: Yellow's fault I'm here." She mumbled.

-0-

Dani's POV

"This sucks!" I said, leaving my room and heading down the hall. I decided to see if there was a way out through the mess hall. They always had doorways out of the mess hall especially where the cooks and mess hall staff was. I headed that way, pretending I was heading for a mid-morning snack. I sneaked behind the counter and made sure no one saw me. I went into the kitchen area, pretending to be looking for a piece of jewelry. "Miss? What are you looking for?"

"I went through earlier and my earring dropped somewhere. I'm retracing my steps." I said, trying to sound hysterical. "My Mother gave it to me my last birthday. It's sentimental."

"Let me go see if it's in our lost and found."

"Okay."

I still continued to pretend looking for my earring. When the guy disappeared into the office, I made my move out the door. That was almost too easy! I sneaked away from the building and using the side buildings as a way to get away from the main building.

I saw a drainage pipe and headed for that. I went into the drainage pipe, knowing that it would take me all the way to the end of the bases' road. I ran through it, despite all the water soaking my shoes, socks, and jeans. It didn't matter as long as I was away from it all.

Ten minutes later, I arrived at the end and listened for a moment to slip out of the drainage pipe. I looked around and saw nothing. Perfect. I started walking toward town, but stopped when I heard the gravel crunching behind me. "Oh! This had better be my imagination!" I said, stopping in my tracks. I turned around and saw the yellow Camaro. "Not you!" I exclaimed.

"What are you doing?" Bumblebee asked, his voice a bit scratchy.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked.

"Well. I was heading out into town and- You're not supposed to be out here." Bumblebee said. "What are you doing out here?"

"Well." I said, thoughtfully. "I was looking forward to, um, going-"

"Running away?" Bumblebee asked.

"Shoot. You're going to take me back, aren't you?" I asked in a small voice. I kicked a small stone around with my wet logged shoe. Then I looked down at the ground, trying to keep from crying, but then I couldn't help it. Tears began to fall from my eyes onto my cheeks. "I miss my Dad! All I want to do is go home."

Bumblebee rolled back and transformed into a yellow Autobot. I wasn't really watching him when he transformed. He bent down and used one of his hands to lift up my chin. He gently wiped my cheeks and apologized, "I'm sorry you miss your Dad. I did everything to keep him alive..."

"You mean you had him and-" We both heard an alarm from the base and a siren approaching us. I saw Prowl coming directly to us and I heard the metal on metal clanking, "Oh God no!"

"Prowl? What brings you out here?" Bumblebee asked innocently.

"Dani. What did–" Prowl began to say when he looked closer to see something different about me. I looked away from him. "Are you leaking?"

"No." I lied.

"You are lying. Tell me the truth! Are you leaking?"

"No. I'm not leaking! It's called crying." I said.

"Why are you crying?"

I looked at him. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

"I miss my Dad!"

"Why did you not come to us if you felt sad?"

"I don't know." I said. "I don't express my feelings very well. I know laughter and sadness."

"Dani. The next time you feel like this, come to us. We are not heartless. Let's get you taken care of and out of those dirty clothes. Come on." Prowl said, changing into his alt-form.

I did, but cringed when I realized I was wet from the jeans down to my shoes. "I'm sorry about my jeans and shoes. I'm going to mess your carpets."

"Do you think a little dirt and wetness is going to bother me?"

"Yes."

"I am not Sunstreaker."

I didn't say anything until we drove into the hangar. I stepped out of the car and waited for Prowl to transform into his robot form. Optimus marched out, almost ready to yell at me for disobeying. Prowl spoke to him, explaining what happened.

Richard walked over to me and took me to my room. I took off my shoes, socks, jeans and undergarment in the bathroom. I took a quick shower and emerged newly dressed. Richard sat there on my chair, looking at the gerbils. "Do they ever get out?"

"Yes. Only when I'm here." I said.

"What's their names?"

"Mork and Mindy."

"Mork and Mindy? From the old television show?"

"Yes." I said, lifting the tank's top. "This one's Mork," I pointed to the black and gray gerbil. "This one's Mindy." I pointed to a gray/ silver gerbil.

"Kind of looks like Megatron." Richard pointed out.

"Mega-who?"

"Megatron."

"Who's Megatron?"

"The Decepticons' leader. Have you-No I suppose you haven't heard of him."

"No."

"Did your father ever mention him?"

"No."

Richard stroked his chin and said, "Well, Megatron is after power. He's very greedy..."

"Like those rich people?"

"Dani! No. He's not like that. He's after the power of the All-Spark."

"The All-Spark?" I asked hurriedly.

"Yes. Have you heard of it?"

"I-" The green stone came across my mind. "Would this be about Project: Yellow?"

It was Richard's turn to look baffled. "Well. Yes."

"So the All-Spark is Project: Yellow to my father?"

"No. The All-Spark is the most powerful object in the universe. In the hands of the wrong faction, our world ends."

"That's bad."

"Yes and the Decepticons want to possess the power of the All-Spark because it is said to get the Spark of a deceased Autobot or Decepticon working again."

"These beings are from Outer Space, aren't they?"

Richard looked at me and nodded. "I'm not really at liberty to tell you where because Optimus set certain parameters. They are from another planet."

"I knew it!" I exclaimed. "I've got something at my house. It's important to me. My Mom gave it to me for my birthday gift."

"What is it?"

"A necklace with a green stone."

"Green stone." Richard repeated. "Is it a big stone?"

"Yes. It's like a baby's pinky." I said, describing it.

Richard was silent for while. "Dani. Would you describe it for me?"

"Well, it's dark green, not like an emerald."

"Not like an emerald?"

"No."

"Let's go."

"Where?"

"To Ratchet."

"Oh! I don't like doctors."

"I know, but come with me." Richard said, making sure that the top of the gerbil tank was back on.

We both walked up the hall toward a closed door on the right. He pressed a button and a door opened to an elevator. I almost went rigid. I didn't like riding on elevators or escalators. "No. I don't-can't go in there."

"Dani. It's an elevator." I leaned back into Richard.

"Don't like them."

Richard pushed me into the elevator and pressed a button. The one thing he didn't expect from me was to cover my ears again and cringe as the elevator descended. When the doors opened, I ran out of the elevator and into a wall. "Never again!" I said. "I'm taking the stairs."

Richard looked at me and shook his head. "There's no stairs to the Autobot's hangar."

"Oh! Like the huge room above ground wasn't theirs?"

"They go in there for other reasons. You."

"Ratchet's here?"

"Of course I am! Where will I go?" Ratchet's voice said. Turning, I saw him.

"Now tell him what you told me."

"What?" I shrieked indignantly.

"Tell me what and don't take that tone with me." Ratchet warned.

I looked down at my feet and took a deep breath. "Mom gave me a necklace." I mumbled.

"What necklace? And don't mumble. It sounds mean."

"Yeah sure! A necklace! Mom gave me a necklace with a dark green stone..."

"Where's this stone?" Ratchet asked.

"In my jewelry box."

"In your jewelry box?"

"Yes. In my room-"

"You will remain down here and I'm sending Sunstreaker and Sideswipe back to the house to retrieve your jewelry box. You are not going anywhere."

"What about the safe?"

"We will not need your help with the safe. We will get the documents ourselves. Remain here. The both of you."

"What does the green stone mean?" I asked.

Ratchet turned around and said, "Project: Yellow. The stone is Project Yellow. If the Decepticons have found it, then all they need is you."

"Me?"

"Yes you. Only you can activate it!"

I frowned as he left and looked at Richard.

"Tell me more about these aliens." I inquired.

Richard laughed and we found a couple of chairs. Richard told me about Sam Witwicky and Mikaela Banes and how they met the Autobots, battled Megatron, and then were considered Ambassadors for their race. Richard even told me that they were all Cybertronians.

"Cybertronians verses Cybertronians? Makes no sense! Why fight over power? Why not settle their disagreements peacefully?"

"Because Megatron doesn't give a slag." a new voice said. "Anymore questions about this and I'll tell Prowl and Optimus."

We turned and saw a blue Autobot standing there. "Who are you?"

"Haven't you heard of me?"

"No."

"Well, I'm Jolt."

"Nice name." I said.

"Thanks." he said. "You must be Dani."

"Yes."

"Nice to meet you, Dani. I'll be heading topside now."

"Have a nice patrol, Jolt."

"Will do."

Jolt left in the elevator and I wondered how Richard managed to reach the buttons.

"Is that a human elevator?"

"No. That's a Mech elevator. They made two different kinds of elevators for both of us."

"Oh."
"So, what do you like to do other than write stories?"

"I read and explore."

"A regular scientist then."

"I guess so." I said, nodding.

Ratchet didn't come back for a long time. When he did, he told me to slip into his hand. I couldn't! Richard convinced me that he was going to slip into his hand and show me that it was nothing to be afraid of especially heights. Richard clasped onto a finger and said, "See. Come on, Dani. Just clasp onto his digit here. He won't mind."

I slowly walked over to Ratchet, watching him carefully as I stepped onto his hand. I clasped my arms around the digit and clung to him. I closed my eyes as the floor left and I felt a swinging motion before I was cupped against a warm chest. I hazarded a look from one of my eyes. Ratchet walked toward his Med-Bay. It was so alien in there that I closed both eyes. I shuddered. Ratchet looked down at me and said, "Dani. It's all right. I'm not going to scan you or do anything medical to you. I'm setting you a room here for the rest of the day. I want to keep my eye on you."

Ratchet set me on a table with a human bed. There were bathroom facilities on the table. "See. We Mech's build places for humans to stay while under medical observation. Don't worry, the bathroom's private." he assured me when I pointed to the door.

I released a sigh. "Okay. Thanks. Have they found it yet?"

"They're looking at this time."

"Okay. Ratchet?"

"Yes, Dani?"

"Can I have something to eat? I'm hungry."

"Sure. I'll get you something from the kitchen."

"Thanks."

Richard sat down in a chair and I sat down on the floor to tell him about the kind of stories I wrote on a daily basis. He listened and all seemed okay now.

Dani's starting to really open up to the Autobots. I know you're wondering when the Decepticons are going to show up in this picture. I have no say so in this story. It has a life of its own now.

Project: Yellow has finally been revealed. Dani's green stone is Project: Yellow and Dani's the only one who can power up the stone. R and R. Oh yes! I'm a very fast uthor! I write, write, write, and don't stop. Guess that's good!