It may come off as weird and freaky working with cybernetic aliens from another planet that are fighting another faction of cybernetic aliens and I'm helping one of them, but I'm not complaining.
It's been a few days or so since that whole fiasco with Megatron and the space bridge got derailed by us and its safe to say things are settling in nicely for us. My human friends continue to come and go when they can between the base and their regular lives and the Autobots continue to monitor and keep track of as best they can of any Decepticon activity.
Me though, my time revolves primarily around the base since I don't really need to go out and socialize so my time has been spent going to the outside top of the base to take my classes from my computer, since the inside has that jamming signal in place, and taking stock of the giant workshop area inside the base.
The main function from what I can tell of the room is a sort of assembly line and manufacturing part of the base. It's not mean to be on the scale industrializing but more so single or small scale items. A lot of the equipment is dusty, old, and in need of some tune-up but with some effort I can get these working again to make… well, whatever I feel like.
Right now though I'm working on getting the computers properly online. They did turn on but since this base was decommissioned so long ago and given to the Autobots, leaving the majority of the equipment to rot, as well as giving Ratchet considerable headaches left and right on the ancient equipment and gear, I've decided to focus my attention on the computers first. "Geez these things are ancient. No wonder Ratchet is angry all the time and encounters so many problems." I grumble as I continue to type away on the massive computer. I'm having an even worse time on these computers that Ratchet since he incorporated Cybertronian tech into his equipment while I'm working on solely human tech. Thankfully, the hardware and physical body of the computers are relatively advanced compared to the general public, despite being old, but it's the software that's giving me obstacle after obstacle. None of this stuff has been updated in the past dozen years or so, meaning that trying to give any sort of update completely crashes it with the sheer influx of new coding and intel on the unfamiliar computer terminal. "I'm gonna have to get Raf down here to help sort this stuff out." I mumble as I tear through the information. Mostly I need to regulate what goes where and it's giving me a massive headache to do so. Frankly, after figuring out the problem at first, now it's just a matter time as I work on this stuff. "Hopefully soon I can get this working and figure out what I have to work wi—"
*BOOM*
The loud explosion sound echoing off the walls and permeating the near silent atmosphere I'm engrossed in makes me jump out of my chair and stare wide-eyed out the door. "That was inside the base!" I loudly declare to myself before running over to my motorcycle and turning it on without missing a beat. A problem with my workshop and new living area is because it's centered close to the back of the base, I have to walk that takes a little bit to get to the front entrance. Not wanting to waste any time at all on the potential enemy attack, the wheels on my motorcycle peel out before gaining traction and I speed out the doors to the front. I grab my shotgun I have strapped to the side and with a twist one-handed, load a shell into the chamber, ready for action.
"Decepticons! We're under attack!" I faintly hear Ratchet say from the front. As I come around the corner, I slide to a halt in front of a billow of smoke and aim into it. The same goes for Optimus and Ratchet as we stare at what caused the explosion.
A paper-mache brown volcano was not what I was expecting.
"It's no attack, Ratchet. It's my volcano." Raf informs us as we stare at the item in question, which promptly melts into a goo pile on the stand its on. "Or was." He moans depressed as his volcano melts.
I lower my shotgun and after turning off my engine, walk over to the thing confused. "Wait, what's going—"
"Hold still, Bulkhead." Those of us confused look up to the second floor at Miko's voice to see her with Bulkhead, who's holding what looks like a model replica of our solar system. "Jupiter needs its red spot." She brings her brush up but a large drop of it splatters on the floor. "Whoopsie!"
"Huh?" I moan confused as I place my shotgun back on my bike before moving more to the center of the room.
"What. ln the all-spark. Is going on in here?!" Ratchet demands in equal parts irritated and confused.
'If I didn't know better, I'd say they were working on—' "Our projects are due tomorrow." 'Ah, okay. That answers that then. Thank you Jack.' I think as I look at my human friend in question as he and Arcee are working on what looks like a disassembled motorcycle.
"Maybe it needs one of these doohickeys." Much to my and Jacks' confusions, she indicates with the unattached muffler in her hand.
"You're a motorcycle, Arcee. Shouldn't you know how to build a motorcycle engine?" Jack asks smugly of her.
"You're a human, Jack. Can you build me a small intestine?" She retorts.
"Ha he he he he." I chuckle at the comeback. "She's got us there Jack." I say as I come up to them. Still though, you'd think she'd have some idea of how a motorcycle works but evidently not. "What class is this for?"
"Autoshop." He answers as he goes through some more parts.
"Well, you can't work on these projects in here. You're… making a mess." Ratchet tells everyone.
"But the science fair's a big part of our grade." Raf informs him of the importance of their projects.
"Yeah, if bulkhead doesn't help me finish this model of our solar system—"
"Oh!" Ratchet interrupts Miko. "And what does bulkhead know of your solar system, or Bumblebee of your volcanos, or—"
"Arcee of our motorcycles?" Jack finishes Ratchet's rant.
"Precisely. We're not earthlings. And they're not scientists." He flat out tells them, much to some of their chagrin.
"But the autobots are their guardians, Ratchet." Optimus decides to chime in. "Would it hurt to learn more of earth by helping our young friends with their schoolwork?"
Ratchet grimaces at his leader no doubt taking their side on this. "Well, maybe our young friends should try learning more of Cybertron."
"Isn't your planet a barren wasteland filled with zombified Cybertronians?"
"…" At the stares I suddenly feel on me from every angle, I realize now just how stupid that was to say.
"Okay stupid thing to say." I mutter as I slowly start moving to my motorcycle. "Yeah, really stupid of me. Sooo I'm just gonna… yeah… bad call on my… sorry…" I keep muttering to everyone as a means to somewhat stall as make my way to my motorcycle. "Sorry that was really reall… sorry!" I quickly add before jumping on my bike and taking off back to my workshop before I get mobbed, which in hindsight I will deserve. As soon as I pass the doors, I jump off my bike, letting it slide away from me before I close the door and bar them shut. Once I twist the last lock into place, I keep myself pressed against the door before with a sigh I go onto my knees. "Uhhhhhhhh whywhywhyyyyyyyy." I moan and proceed to thump my head against the door over and over again. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." I angrily mutter at my own stupidity as I continuously thump my head against the door.
After my sad and depressed state, and a headache forming from the continued banging, I decided to go back to getting my computers back into working order as best I can. Half an hour has passed and I made some good progress in getting them back up to proper operating standards but still need some more work to do before that happens.
Now though, I decide to stop working since the headache is starting to come back with all the work I've been doing. "Ow. I need to relax." I mutter and proceed to shut everything down before heading to the door. Once I open the doors I head back to the main room so I can at least see how everyone is doing, and maybe apologize. The walk is a bit relaxing and much needed for me. As I come around the corner, I notice Ratchet is hunched over what I think is Raf's volcano using a sort of arc welder or blowtorch attachment on the project. "Hey, guys I wanna say I'm so—"
"Shh! Ep! Ap! Ap!" Ratchet cuts me off with shushing sounds. "Let's see… Where is it?" He mutters for some reason. I first think he doesn't wanna talk to me because of my words from earlier but he doesn't really acknowledge me as he seems especially focused on the task at hand.
"Um, what is it?" Raf asks as he gets close to the creation.
"Youuuuu'll find out." He replies with much enthusiasm.
"But, Ratchet, shouldn't I be doing the work?" Raf asks.
"Yeah it sort of is his pro—"
"Eh, yep yep, yep! Don't touch! Just watch and learn." He interrupts us.
Since I'm not getting anywhere with him, I shrug and walk past them to the stairs up to the next level with Jack and Miko. I pass by Bulkhead and Arcee, which we all shrug at the attitude and enthusiasms Ratchet seems to have on the project at hand.
"Soooo, we're just gonna go help Jack and Miko finish their—"
"Without my supervision?!" Ratchet interrupts Bulkhead in what could be described as surprise to him. "You want them to be right, don't you?" He asks and both Bulkhead and Arcee can't give an argument to the statement. "Then watch a master at work!" He declares before returning to the volcano.
"Control freak." Miko mutters with Jack and I right next to her on the second floor, leaning on the railing too.
"I'm getting some mad scientist vibes here." I mutter after seeing the mad look in the medics eyes. Everyone else can't help but nod as well.
"So, what do we do now?" Bulkhead asks. Since it's pretty much apparent that no one is going to help or have any input on how the projects are going to be built, thanks to Ratchet, we now got nothing else to do.
After a bit of thinking, I guess now's a good a time as any to show them. "Wanna go see my room?"
No one objects.
*CRASH*
Dust and chunks of concrete fall to the ground from Bulkhead breaking down the section of wall to my workshop. "Thanks Bulkhead." I call out once it's clear enough for us to go.
"No problem." He replies and transforms his hand from its breaking ball like attachment back to normal. Me and the humans navigate the broken cement chunks as we make our way inside while Arcee and Bulkhead trudge through the newly made doorway. "So this is where your staying?"
"I've never been here before." Arcee adds too.
"Not surprised." I reply as I kick away some small chunks that came close to hitting my bike. "This was one of the rooms that you guys couldn't get into when you first moved in no doubt. That was the only doorway in." I point back to the now much larger entryway.
"That explains it. We couldn't get into every single room in this place, so we just assumed the rooms were too small to be of any use to us." She comments as she stares around before focusing her eyes on the clawed arms and conveyor belts. "Guess we were wrong."
"Maybe a little. This stuff hasn't been used in a long time and I'm still trying to get anything operational."
"Wait, so it was really alright for me to bust through the wall like that?" Bulkhead asks, a little worried that the section might come down on us.
I shake my head. "Yeah we're good. Those walls didn't have any support columns to keep the ceiling up so it's all good. I do plan to fix the wall a bit later once I settle in a bit more. For now though it'll have to do until I can get some giant doors to put on it so everyone can come and go with ease." I explain.
"Ask Ratchet when's he not… crazy." Arcee proposes. "Pretty sure he's got a list of all the spare materials in this place."
"Thanks Arcee. I'll do that." I thank her and after I finish tidying up just a bit I walk to the center of the room and turn back to everyone with my arms outstretched. "Well… what do you all think?"
"Duuuuude!" Miko breathes in amazement finally at all the gear around us. "This place is wicked!" She says excitedly as she looks at the claws.
"Whoa!" Raf is amazed too as he goes over to the computer installed here.
"This is… quite a setup." Jack comments as he looks over at the stacks upon stacks of crates in the corner of the room.
"Yeah, it is." I say as I start walking around. "If I can go through those crates, get this machinery working, For now I've been working on that computer trying to get it working."
"What's wrong with it?" Raf asks as he sits in the chair.
"This things been offline for a long time so they weren't able to be updated. When I tried to get this thing working, the sheer flood of data crashed the computer and I've been trying to get it working again." I explain as I come up next to him. "I was meaning to ask you if you could help me."
With a smile, Raf pops his fingers before typing away. "Leave it to me."
"Thanks." I look back and decide to go over to the Autobots. "By the way, where's Optimus and Bumblebee? I didn't see them with everyone else." I ask curiously.
"We found an energon deposit on the move and while the rest of us were supposed to stay and help with their projects," Arcee explains with a gesture to the human students, "Optimus and Bumblebee decided to go check it out."
"Ah, okay then."
Everyone goes into a small silence as they continue to mill about and examine everything here with Raf typing on the computer being the loudest.
"What's in these?" Jack asks from the crates.
I shrug. "Not sure. Haven't really had a chance to open one of them up." I explain as I walk up to him.
"Well," I look to the side at Miko's voice and it's only because of my reflexes that I catch the crowbar she throws at me when she talked. Looking at the tool in hand, I see she has one in her hand and is twirling it around. "How about we find out?" She asks with a smug smile and walks over to the crates next to Jack. Taking one last look at the crowbar, I shrug and follow her.
Once the both of us come upon a wide crate, we both grab the crowbars firmly before pushing them into the crates. With a push downwards, the crates lid pops off the nails and allows us to open it completely. As I peer inside the crate, I can't help but smile at the materials inside.
"What is this junk?" Miko complains unfortunately. What's got her not as enthusiastic as me is the fact that all that we see is several blocks of what I think is different types of metals. "This is just… hunks of steel and metal." She begins grabbing blocks and after looking at them for a second proceeds to toss them out of the box behind her. While she starts haphazardly throwing them, I reach in and grab the only piece of paper in here and read it. Right off the bat, it's an inventory of all the items in this box. Namely, all the different types of metals that are in here. From regular steel, iron, titanium, and one that has my interest is tungsten.
"Ooooh. Nice." I comment at the variety.
"Nice?" She asks confused after she stops chucking the blocks, which don't really get damaged as they hit the floor. "What good is this stuff?" Ignoring her, I put the paper back in and go to another crate. "Hello?" She asks but I still focus on my task at hand.
Leveraging the lids open, I see the next couple crates are still more material for me to use. However one in particular that I open makes me raise my eyebrows in confusion before I smile at what they are exactly. "Ohhhh, this is nice."
"What is it?" I look back at Arcee to see everyone else staring at me. I simply chuckle before taking a closer look.
After my bit of focus on the contents of the crates, the others decided to go ahead and head back to the main room to see when Optimus and Bumblebee will be coming back and check up on Ratchet.
The stuff I found though in the last crate were actually special containers one can use in a forge with molten metal to mold it into different shapes. The molds I found actually turned out to be ones I can use to help me make bullets. What type exactly I'm not sure but the implications seem interesting to me. After they left, I went ahead and focused again on my computer to get it working. Whatever Raf did he did it swimmingly and managed to limit the amount of time I would need to spend on working on it.
The next day passed soon after and Optimus and Bumblebee hadn't returned. The others proposed to go out and possibly look for them but they returned well enough. Don't know what happened exactly but it left the both of them just a bit battered. Now while Arcee and Bulkhead left to go pick up Jack, Miko and Raf from school, Bumblebee is in Ratchets medical station.
"Bumblebee, putting yourself at risk was perhaps not the wisest of strategies, but you performed admirably." He says while Bumblebee steps out of the station.
He replies to Optimus's words and while I can't understand him, the tone he speaks leaves me to believe he's alright with it.
A horn starts honking from the main tunnel entrance. Ratchet gets a giddy look as he races to meet the others. "Aha-ha-ha! There you are." Jack comes in on Arcee while Raf and Miko are riding with Bulkhead. "Well? How were my— Uh, our projects received?" He asks as they disembark from their respective Autobots and give him awkward stares. The three of them concede though and Miko recalls how no one else on earth, especially the teacher, never heard of Cybertron so that got her an F on her unique take on the solar system. Jack's 'bike' apparently went haywire as it was constantly changing all the way into the hallway, and Raf's volcano burned a hole through the school's roof… and almost to the planets ozone. 'Huh, that explains that odd notification I got about an explosion at the school.' "Well, on our planet, you would have been awarded the highest honors. Absolutely no gratitude. See if I help them." Ratchet grumbles the last parts as he walks away.
I stare at him for a second before turning to them. "Sooooo, things really went crazy?"
"Oh you have no idea." Miko answers. I shake my head at the lengths that Ratchet went to 'help' them with their projects. 'You say Ratchet they should learn about Cybertron, but maybe you should learn more about Earth.'
Bumblebee walks up to Optimus and speaks to him.
"Indeed, Bumblebee. Our human friends would have been wise to stray from Ratchet's path." Optimus says.
"Maybe a little." I can't help but add as I walk by them to Ratchet. While I walk up the stairs so I can get to more eye level with the medic, I think on the fact that while his tastes in construction may be a bit excessive for school projects, my needs may be just what I need. "Hey Ratchet?" I call him.
"Hm? Yes? What is it?" He looks away from the console and towards me.
"You know, while the others may be a bit… unappreciative of your work," I say to him with a smile and lean on the railing. "I however, have some ideas that may be able to make better use of your… talents."
The confused but intrigued face he does gives me my answer.
A relatively short chapter but it works. As the show was Ratchet definitely got a bit carried away with the kids projects and all. Wasn't surprised with the way how he made a replica of Cybertron but the crazy completely ballistic transforming motorcycle and nuclear blasting volcano that tore a hole through the roof of the school threw me for a loop. Bad for them to use as school projects, possibly good for Mason in making something particularly useful in the future with his help.
In any case, things seem to be going smoothly but I think I may go into another chapter spree for my Steven Universe story. It's not confirmed yet but I'm mentioning it now just in case this and my RWBY story aren't updated anytime soon. Apologies to those expecting regular updates for this but with my classes starting in less than a month, I want to try to get as much content out as I can. I can better do that by working on one story consistently and it's 'A Tale of a Jade' that's more fleshed out in my mind.
Anyway, thank you all for your continued support, have a great day, and as always, have fun reading.
