Yay! Updates are great aren't they? Well, I finished chapter 18 today. Yay! Oh boy things are heating up! Thank you all again for your support and reviews!

Chapter Six: To each his own…

With a tired sigh, Ratchet fell back into his chair. Nearby, Wheeljack collapsed onto an empty cot. Both fully drained of energy, they looked over to survey their work. A top of a work table off the main entrance of the med bay was a slightly raised platform with foam padding lying across. On this padding was the sleeping form of the Autobot ship's newest arrival, Madelyn. The last few hours had been most tiring for the Medic and Engineer who had to make sure the entire ship was able to sustain organic function; Which translated simply to maintaining a certain pressure and temperature as well as having just the right blend of gasses in the air so the little human could breathe. On paper the requirements were easy enough, but actually getting up and carrying such tasks out was an entire different story. Also adding onto the very inconvenient ordinance from Prime at having Madelyn's presence a secret from those aboard the shuttle save for those who already knew and a few others whom Prime decided to inform. With that and having forced nearly half the maintenance staff to help convert the ship to the new standards, a good portion of the Gigas Marta was now thoroughly ticked at Ratchet and Wheeljack for various grievances ranging from the new pressure setting being too low, to the temperature of the ship being too high. And of course, being the proud Mech he was Ratchet felt the need to chew each and every complaintee a new gear shaft – which nearly caused their secret to be spilled a few times.

"Are we done?" Ratchet asked looking over at Wheeljack doubled over in the cot.

"Primus willing," Wheeljack said lifting his head. "Oh scrap, I forgot."

"What?"

"What about fuel?"

"Frag. What type of fuel do humans take?"

"To the pit if I know," Wheeljack said. "The kid's part of an unidentified species, so there isn't any previously collected data on her to check."

There was a pregnant pause before Ratchet replied. "Do you think Perceptor's busy?"

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"It's called Hurai-kur," The new Autobot, introduced to her as Perceptor, said, indicating to a container of light brown liquid. "When I visited Nebulos, they taught me how to make it. It's not hard to create using the original ingredients, but quite difficult to replicate using synthetic materials."

Madelyn studied the cylindrical container before her with a certain amount of disgust, thinking it reminded her of a giant cup of coffee with creamer. It smelled, however, like boiled asparagus.

"My scans indicate human anatomy to be near exact as that of a Nebulan as are the dietary requirements," Perceptor continued. "Except that Nebulans are herbivores while humans appear to be omnivores. Regardless I adjusted the formula accordingly to compensate for the lack of protein. Therefore this should be all your body requires to function."

Madelyn looked at those around her; Ratchet, Wheeljack, Perceptor of course, and Daiga all looked at her expectantly.

'What's wrong?' Daiga asked through the link.

'I don't think I want to drink this stuff,' She told him. 'I don't think I'm hungry enough yet…Besides…it looks…really…ew.'

Daiga frowned. 'I don't thin that's a good idea. If Ratchet found out you were starving yourself because you didn't like the way it looks, he'd have a fit. And when he gets into a rift he stays like that for a while and takes it out on anyone in his path…then you'd have a bunch of other Autobots peeved at you for getting Ratchet going onto them…no pressure.'

'Easy enough for you to say,' She thought. 'You don't have to drink it!'

'At least try it,' He offered. 'It can't be that bad…'

'Why do I have a feeling,' she thought absently. 'That I'm about win a Darwin Award?'

"Something wrong?" Ratchet asked, eyeing Madelyn. She couldn't meet the medic's optic for fear she may burst into flames. In the short time she had been aboard the Autobot shuttle, she had learned one important rule; don't cross Ratchet! Which translated into a couple things: do what he says (ESP if you're in the med bay at the time), don't make him mad (which is a challenge in itself), and refrain (if possible) from making frequent visits to his office especially if you're there for something stupid.

"She doesn't want to drink it," Daiga told the CMO with a laugh. Madelyn turned on the bronze Autobot.

"HEY!" She snapped, blushing. "My private thoughts stay private! Don't forget I can hear your thoughts too mister! Or do you want everyone on this ship to know all the stupid stuff you think about them?"

Daiga looked away as all the optics in the room turned curiously to him.

'Touché,' He thought. "OK, OK."

"I assure you Miss Madelyn," Perceptor told her. "The brew is very safe."

"It's not like I don't believe you…and I really appreciate all the trouble you going through for me but," She told him. "It's just that humans have this thing called instinct and right now my instincts are telling me 'Hell no'."

Perceptor, surprisingly, laughed. "I don't suppose if I were in your place, I'd be much encouraged to consume it either. But it's the only thing we could replicate on such short notice."

"Just try it," Wheeljack urged. "It can't taste as bad as it smells."

"Ha! Famous last words," Madelyn did a double take and stared at the masked scientist. "Wait - Mechs have olfactory senses? You can smell?"

"Some Mechs though not all," Wheeljack explained. "Most of the time Mech will be created with them if their function requires it, such as a tracker or a medic."

"Oh," She said. Turning back to the containers and its brown content, she felt her stomach rumble. "I guess I could…try it…"

Ever aware that she was the center of attention, Madelyn walked up to the container that was just a few inches above her eye line. Reaching a cautious arm in, she dipped her finger and, with eyes closed shut, stuck the liquid soaked finger into her mouth… and immediately regretted it.

"Igh!" Shuttering against the horrid taste in her mouth, Madelyn spit the liquid out and whipped her mouth dry on her sleeve. The taste was like dirty swamp water mixed with V8 fruit juice except sour instead of sweet. Perceptor, Daiga, and Wheeljack couldn't withhold their amusement.

"I take that as to meaning," Wheeljack said rumbling with laughter. "That it does taste worse then it smells."

"I suppose we'll just have to figure something else out," Daiga shrugged.

"No," Ratchet said sternly. Everyone fell silent as they turned to the medic. "We don't have the resources or the time to be searching for a solution to bad tasting fuel. Optimus had already scheduled a stop at Nebulos so they'll be alternatives there, but for now this is what we have. We're in the middle of a war and we can't be falling over ourselves in attempts to solving trivial problems."

Madelyn suddenly felt guilty as the CMO stared her down. "If you don't like it tuff bolts. It's what we got for you."

"Oh, let her be Doc," Daiga told the CMO sternly. "It's hard enough for her as it is without having you making it worse."

Ratchet sneered at the young Autobot. "We all have it bad as it is Daiga. Playing the 'who got shafted the worse' game isn't going to help anyone here so you might as well get use to it. If she wants to be prepared for what it's really like, better start showing her little by little now instead of having it fall on her later."

'Ratchet's right Daiga,' Madelyn thought. 'You don't have to defend me. I'm a big girl…I can take care of myself.'

'He may have a point,' Daiga replied tartly. 'But he doesn't have to be such a glitch about it!'

"Even if she's a Key," Ratchet continued. "We can't make exceptions. Things are hard enough around here without having to bend to the will of a child...anymore then we already have."

Madelyn beheld the cylindrical container with a very high wish to just dump it all down the sink as the Mechs around became engrossed in their bickering. Bravely stepping up she held onto the edged of the rim and hoisted herself up. With a bracing breath she bent down and began to down as much of the murky water as she could stomach.

Jumping down after resurfacing, she coughed and gagged at the taste in her mouth. Looking up she met Ratchet's optic defiantly.

"Happy?" She asked, breathlessly.

Ratchet smirked. "It's a start."

"God this stuff tastes horrible…" She said under her breath, wiping her face with her sleeve. "I don't know what Transformers eat, but it can't be as bad as this…"

"If you were to try and consume Energon, it'd melt your insides," Wheeljack told her. "So yes, it is worse then that stuff."

"I'll take your word on that," Madelyn replied.

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Darwin Awards – Funny book that describes and awards people who have died doing something incredibly stupid. Like a lawyer who accidentally shot himself in the head with a gun that was being used as evidence to prove his client was innocent because the gun didn't work.