After her physical with Dr. Atwood, Sari was back at the Autobot Base with Ratchet.
"So, Sari, how did your physical with the doctor go?" asked Ratchet.
"It was very good," she said. "Human physicals are very different than bot physicals, though. You take all your clothes off and wear this flimsy gown that opens up in the back."
"What? Whatever for?" he asked.
"So they can more easily examine you. Then they poke and prod you all over the place, looking inside every human - opening. Not too terribly pleasant an experience, I have to tell you."
"What the…to look inside?" Ratchet was flabbergasted. "Why don't they just use lasers like the kind we have on Cybertron?"
Sari thought for a moment. "Well, perhaps organic components are more difficult to properly study with lasers than bot components. They might need to actually examine them with their eyes." Sari looked at Ratchet and raised her optic. "Maybe, because humans are…squishier?"
Ratchet liked that observation. He shot Sari a smile. "Hey! You could be right!"
"But here is the strange part," she added. "Human doctors also have other devices that can penetrate the body without touching it. These devices have names like X-rays, MRIs and CAT scans. They produce two and three dimensional images of interior organs."
"Wait a minute," Ratchet said. "So they CAN see inside. But human doctors still need to examine orifices?" Ratchet scratched his helmet. "Unbelievable."
"Well, that's not all. They also take samples of organic fluids and examine them. But when that's all done and all the output is produced, you sit down and go over everything with the doctor. I did learn a great deal. For one thing, he said I was the healthiest person he'd ever seen!" Sari smiled.
Ratchet chuckled. "Well, you are a healthy bot as well, Sari. Good to know my human counterpart agrees. So, did the doctor answer your question about your ability to have children?"
"Yes," Sari answered. "He said my human half does have that ability. However, he cautioned me about it. Before I consider getting pregnant, I have to know what happens to the fetus while I am in bot mode. I have to learn where the human organs go, and how they are kept alive to make sure the growing human child isn't harmed."
"So what exactly happens with my organic components, Ratchet? Right now, I am in bot mode. Where are my human organs?"
"Well, Sari, that's an excellent question! And I'll answer it by asking you a question. Did you ever wonder where Optimus' trailer goes when he transforms?"
Ratchet's question made Sari pause. Where DID that trailer go? "You know, now that you mention it, I always kind of wondered."
"I'll tell you. After all, it's a part of a young Autobot's curricula; Arcee used to cover it back when she was a teacher. Every bot, and that includes technorganics like you, has a personal storage area where things go. It's a "compartment" in another dimension that we call subspace. We can teleport anything to or from subspace at will for storage purposes."
"For example, that is how you make your energy hammer appear. It comes into your hands from your subspace compartment."
Sari was amazed. "Wow! My own personal subspace compartment. But, can anyone else get into it?" she asked.
"Nope. Can't happen, Sari. You are "frequency locked" to a certain pocket of subspace, so there isn't any possibility of some bot stealing things that you place into your subspace compartment."
"So that's where that stuff comes from," she thought.
"Now, to get back to your question: I would assume the same is true for your organic components when you go into bot mode. They go to your subspace compartment."
Sari raised an optic and made an awkward face, thinking about her human organs "floating" around in her subspace compartment. "My human organs go there? But how are they kept alive by my bot components here in this dimension? How does that work?"
"That's a darned good question, kiddo. I'm afraid I don't know. That's something you'll have to ask Dataminer when you see him – he's probably the only bot who would know."
"Oh. Ah well. At least, between you and Dr. Atwood, I got a lot of my questions answered. Thanks so much for the ones you can answer, Ratchet! I'll have to talk to Dataminer when I see him."
"That's right Sari! You're due back on Cybertron in a month, aren't you?" Ratchet asked.
"Yes. It's hard to believe it's been almost six months since we arrived back on earth!" Sari said. "A lot has happened, hasn't it?"
"You've got that right, young ninja!" Ratchet smiled.
Later that afternoon, Sari was over at Adam's house. He was doing his physics homework, while Sari was on her pad hard at her online coursework.
"Oh, I'm ready to take a break!" Adam stretched. "How about you, Sari?"
"Sounds good," she said. "Snack time?"
"Let's see what my mom's got in the fridge." They headed to the kitchen, and Adam looked inside. "Microwave pizza?"
"Works for me!" Sari smiled. "And here's some soda." They opened up the pizza box, popped it in the microwave and sipped the sodas while it heated up.
"Hey, Sari, want to go to the movies this Saturday? That new show premiers this weekend at the mall."
"Sounds great!" she said. "Let's go to the 3D IMAX one. Then we can grab a bite to eat at the food court."
Adam put down his soda. "So, you're leaving in a month? I'm sure gonna miss you Sari," Adam said. "You'll be gone for half a year?"
"I'm afraid so." She said. "My assignment with the Autobot High Council requires me to spend half the year here on earth and the other half on Cybertron. I need to learn more about my Autobot half, seeing as how I grew up here on earth. Jazz told me that he will be spending a lot of time training me at Yoketron's Cyber-Ninja Dojo."
"What's Cyberton like, anyway? Is it anything like earth?"
"No, nothing like it at all," Sari explained. "For one thing, Cybertron's surface is completely covered with metal, and large towers on the surface of the planet are clearly visible from space."
"Wow. It must be something to see!"
"More than meets the eye!" Sari winked. "Most of the Autobots there are a lot taller than humans, too. You've seen Optimus and the bots here, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, imagine a planet full of them, and you walking around. You have to make sure you don't get stepped on. I have to kind of watch out a bit. Another thing; most of them never really met a non-Autobot. They call people like you and me 'organics' and they kind of freak out when they see us. When I'm there, I stay in my bot mode just to be safe. Some of them go 'Oooh, yuck an organic!' and run away. Others may say 'Let's step on it!' Of course, that's just some. Many of them aren't like that at all."
"Good grief!" said Adam. "If I ever visit, I'd better stay near you to protect me." He smiled.
"You heard about what happened to Captain Fanzone, right? He didn't have a good time there when he accidentally landed in the middle of a bunch of those types," Sari said.
"Yeah, I heard about that," he smiled.
"He always says," [imitating Fanzone's voice] "'This is why I hate machines!', and maybe that's one reason," she laughed.
"Poor Fanzone!" Adam chuckled. "Anyway, I'm glad your Dad helped us set up a video link to Cybertron from Sumdac Tower," said Adam. "You and I will be able to keep in contact with the video phone."
"No problem," said Sari. "He's got some kind of link-up that the Autobots put together. It really works well; my dad and I used it the last time I was there."
"My dad was worried about the long-distance charges," he laughed.
"I don't think anything Cybertronian will show up on the bill," Sari smiled. "Just a charge from your house to Sumdac Tower."
"Hey who knows? Maybe someday, I will come visit Cybertron!"
"That would be awesome, Adam!" Sari said. "You can come see my apartment."
The microwave beeped, announcing the pizza was ready. They took it out and sat at the kitchen table enjoying their study snack.
Adam looked at Sari. "Will you let me come up to the space bridge on Sumdac Tower to say goodbye when you leave?"
"Oh Adam, I wouldn't want it any other way!" said Sari. "If you weren't there I'd never forgive you!" she semi-scolded.
So Sari's got one month left before she has to say goodbye to earth and return to Cybertron. And bid farewell to her Dad – and Adam! Thanks for reading.