Beginning?
"How do you know this?" -Jazz
000
It never changed that he had come to accept a long time ago. It didn't mater if he was on a planet, moon, orbital space station, shuttle, heck even in an asteroid belt out post, it was always the same. Him being stuck with minor maintenance that no one else cared to do and called him up to do the work. The only good thing about it that he didn't mind was at least he go stuck working with technology or alone that line.
He understood or at least what he knew was that there were a few Autobot's here in Autobot Grand city were some of the best Architects, and engineers. One, the chief of engineering had a habit of blowing things up spontaneously and without warning.
In his past tinkering Art had accidentally blow up a few things, or singing his digits, scrapping some body part, he'd even accidentally electrocuted himself making his right arm go numb for a couple of breems. But from what it sounded like this engineer could rock city blocks with his accidental explosions.
Or it could be that Artificer had never been privileged enough to actually sit down and work on a project without anyone bothering him about it. He'd never had an opportunity to really show off what he had, what he knew, what he could really do.
Stopping momentarily in his work Artificer stared up at the bolt he was unscrewing but his optics betrayed him. One optics aqua blue the other gold had that distant look like he was staring off to space. He'd been in a gloomy mood since he'd on-lined from recharge last night from a night of restless sleep.
Shaking his head trying to rid himself of his thoughts Artificer went back to his work which was repairing a small camera in the War Room. Being a low ranking member here at Autobot city he had to get clearance via a mech with a proper rank and authority to get inside the large room. A small pass card was still seating in his sub-space pocket showing that he was, indeed, allowed to be inside here.
The large room was mostly dark except for the large screens that sat attached to the farthest walls. They were huge stretching all the way to the ceiling to standard arms reach where the counsels sat. In the center of the large room was a long obsidian table that glistened from the screens glow. There were only two mech's in the room with him who'd been here before he'd arrived. One he knew without a drought, and not because of the accent, was Ironhide. The other slightly spazzy 'bot he didn't recognize. They'd been working on the large screens.
When he'd come in they'd only asked how'd he'd gotten in, who he got permission from, and why he was here. He gave them the answer to their questions and that was all the two 'bot had to do with him.
The glow from the large vid-screens provided the luster to the table. And if Art looked closely enough he could see slight fragments of Cortez that gave off an appearance that tiny crystals where inside of the table. At each seat small vid-screens were drawn back flat onto the table top inactive and by Art's knowledge some of the most high-tech vid-screen on the market.
He'd controlled his urged to grab a tool, any tool, and get to work on one to see how it worked. But that wouldn't be a smart thing to do so he submitted to working onto the equally high-tech security camera. It was one of those black domed security cameras. The camera itself just basically hung by wires from inside the ceiling that was protected by the Plexiglas dome. The only way you could see the camera itself was getting up close.
Right now though he wasn't working on the camera itself, he was working on replacing the wires that sat in the ceiling and checking the data feeds. The camera itself sat lying on the obsidian table in an order that only Art knew. Mindful of how polished and well kept the table was he used a cloth to help protect the table's surface from scratches.
But for some reason he felt one of his audio receiver fins twitch involuntary. The thin plates, eight in total four on each side of head, looked like little feathers or premature wings attached to the side of his helm held on by gold disks with a glass center disk in the center. His 'fins' or 'feathers', they'd been called many different things, were very sensitive not just to touch. They helped pick up sound frequencies of all sorts that most mech's wouldn't be able to detect he didn't usually use them much though.
They rarely twitched without a purpose but usually when they did that it meant something was going on or was about to. The reason why he couldn't hear anything though and wouldn't be able to detect why they just suddenly twitched was because he was listening to some music he'd been allowed to download from his computer terminal. If he hadn't been listening to music they probably wouldn't have twitched.
Shutting the music off completely Art looked around; an outburst from the other side of the room caused him to snap his head around.
"What do ya mean ya can't fix it?!" That was defiantly Ironhide "That's the only reason why I called up in here!"
Art watched the smaller red and silver mech stand up from where he had had his head stuck inside the consoles inner workings.
"Look I can't help it! This is out my abilities there's a lot more slag that slagged up in there that I hadn't predicted at first though and I don't know how to fix it!"
"We have a meeting in here in two breems!" exclaimed Ironhide throwing his arms up in the air for emphasis "It needs fixin'!!"
"Well don't complain to me!" the red and silver mech growled crossing his arms over his chest
Artificer watched the mech grumble something while he walked over and took a seat at the obsidian table to the left of the center chair. Staring down at the camera he was standing in front his indigo hand resting near the table's edge. Glancing over his shoulder at the now partially finished hole in the ceiling. He couldn't finish it till he put the camera in place.
"I might be able to help."
Admittedly a set of blue optics snapped up to lock with his few shades short of lavender colored optics and gold optic. For the first time in so long he couldn't remember Artificer didn't feel uncomfortable suddenly being in the limelight. Apparently Ironhide had noticed, even though the two had only spoken for a short time, because Artificer watched as small smirk crossed the elder mechs faceplate.
"You're kidding." Art's gazed snapped over to the red and silver mech who sat up in his seat, aft barely off the chair hands firmly planted on the black table top. "You're not even qualified to work on such high tech. What—"
"Oh can it, Status." Snapped Ironhide fixing the red and gray 'bot who slunk back into his seat. Turning back to Art Ironhide nodded his head in a signal that Art deciphered as it was alright from him to give it a shot.
Gathering up a few basic tools from his own supplies that were seating in a tool box next to the lift he'd been using to work on the camera Artificer jogged over not wanting to try Ironhide's, apparently short patience.
All his life Artificer had never gotten to show off what he had his abilities were always over looked for his timid, submissive, nature. And probably being so young which usually didn't cut it for Transformers of higher stature. Being young admittedly got you deleted, or marked off their list.
Sinking down, only glancing back up at Ironhide once to make sure, getting a nod he got down on to his hands and knees he admittedly got to work popping his head under the consul through an open panel, that same that 'Status' had used. He worked for a good half a breem working out all the kinks that he found and put wires that Status had put in into new places.
Using a terminal in his arm that he didn't let Ironhide and most definitely Status, whom he could feel the mech's blue optics drilling holes into his back, to see. They probably wouldn't have approved of him doing suck because it would have looked suspicious but he was working under the clock and pointless chatter was. . .well pointless.
It was then that he noticed it. There was something wrong here. In the past he'd worked with his own computer and computer while on the job and often did work with wielders, and other such devices, he'd long since come accustom and familiarized himself with what tools left behind. There was something wrong here. Continuously testing him self, he'd take a computer apart and put it back together again, properly, to see how fast he could do it.
Then he noticed sure evidence that something wasn't right. Marks. Small but with his 'trained' optics they were large as Autobot city it's self.
"There's. . .something wrong here." He didn't realized that he'd whispered that to himself
"What?"
Artificer let out a startled gasped than a yelp of pain when he hit his head on the top of the console above his head. Sliding out nursing his sore helm Art looked around to his right where Status was leaned now literally over his shoulder hands on his knees. Art's optics widened with the sudden proximity with the mech who had his nasal plate only a hands length in front of his.
"Well?" the mech chirped like a mad bird. Art found he didn't like this mech and it took him a lot to dislike a person. "What's wrong? You said there was something wrong here what—"
"Frag it Status! If you don't bolt your mouth shut I'm going to do it personally." Art was glad he had already looked away from Status because he let a smirk of amusement escape on his face at Ironhide's threat.
Art felt the large black and red mech lean over to look over his left shoulder and found he couldn't make optics contact.
"Well what's wrong Art?"
A small customized tool still in hand Art used it to point inside the inner workings of the terminal. "I'll put it blunt." Artificer began. "There's evident that someone came in here previously possibly and from what I can tell did it quick and this is delicate circuitry. So. . ." Artificer let the sentence finish its self.
He watched from the corner of his optics as Ironhide stood straight crossing his arms tightly over his powerful chest a scowl on his face.
"You mean like sabotage?!" gasped Status from behind Art's right. Art could hear the panic rising in the red and silver 'bots voice "This isn't good what so ever. This terminal as a direct access to Teletran, Teletraan-1 and Metroplex himself?"
"Shut it Status." Barked Ironhide making Art jump again. "Artificer. Can you tell how long it's been since whom ever this sorry slagger had been here?"
"There's still wielding dust near the section the mech or femme used as a point of entry. Who ever this person was didn't know how to clean up after him self."
Art watched the scowl slightly dissipate on the elder mech's faceplate as he looked down at him where the young mech was still sat on the floor.
"Lets hope that's a good thing for use." He nodded down to the ivory and indigo mech before turning sharply to Status who was still fritzing out "Status! Teletran is under the hood(1. Go get him! Tell him what's happened then get your aft back down here." Ordered Ironhide
Giving a quick salute and a 'yes sir' Status was out the War Room a record speed. Artificer felt his audio wing receivers tingle signaling that someone was using a private communications frequency. Looking up as the stood back up Art saw that fare away look on Ironhide's face. He must be the one using the comm. contacting, who, Artificer didn't know about what he had discovered.
A firm yet not harsh black hand with red digits coming down on his shoulder stopped Art. Turning back he met the dark blue optics of Ironhide. For the first time since he'd met the old mech, even though they'd only spoken twice before, this being the second encounter, Art saw something that was rare for him. He couldn't name what that looked was in the elder mech's optics and on his face though.
One side of his synthetic lips curved into a smirk that was more of a smile, "Job well done, Artificer." He said "Considering who strung out we are right now, it could have been days, Pit, even weeks before we found this."
He didn't know what to see after first and didn't realized he had his jaw slightly hanging, mouth open, until Ironhide nodded his head and lowered his hand from were it was perched on the young mechs shoulder.
"Your. . .welcome, sir." Art said his voice softer than he meant it to be. "Thank you."
That smirk was back, "No thank you."
000
The young ivory and indigo Artificer stood there at the far end of the obsidian table a fully completely little camera lying between his indigo hands. The War Room was a commotion now far from how quiet it had been only a few moments ago. He'd already but up his tools, closed, and locked his tool box, which was still seating beside the lift he had also been using.
A hand on his shoulder snapped Art out of his thoughts but was thankful that he didn't jump like he usually did.
Standing just behind him, which the black hand belonged to was special operations officer, Jazz.
"Ya found this?" he black and white asked
"Urm. . .yes sir"
Art watched some what absent minded as a handsome kind of cheeky grin snaked over the black and whites faceplate just under the crystal blue visor. "Great job." Jazz said "Like ya said this is fresh. Teletran believes he can find out what slagger did this."
For some reason he couldn't find a smile even though that was good news. "Who ever did this had a play back on the camera. He was sloppy and probably un-intently loosened wires, which caused it to malfunction later."
He couldn't see the black and whites face but the mech had his mouth ajar slightly astonished. "How do you know this?" he asked
Artificer held up the camera so that its side was facing the special ops officer. Using his other hand he held out a small green chip. That was all that Jazz needed to know how the young mech knew. Art placed the green chip in Jazz's left hand and placed the camera in the other. The black in white watched the Art gather up the cloth stuffed it into his sub-space, gathered up his tools and left. He'd already called for someone to pick up the lift.
Jazz was left in the War Room slightly lost as to what just happened.
000
Teletran is under the hood: A slang term for him working in his station. I'll explain further later.
A/N:
(passes out) I can't believe how long its been since I last updated. I want to do more to this but my muse is ten feet under. So sorry. I was going to use Red Alert -since he may have seemed more appropriate- but b/c he's going to place an important role later one, I decided against it. Don't try to understand my logic. Its screwed up, I know.
Should I be starting another story when I haven't finished my others? No, no I shouldn't. But I am, heh.
Transformers and all related char(s) belong to HasTak and associated co.
Except for Artificer(Art), Status, and the plot, are mine.
Names of/and char(s) are entirely coincidental
