Ultra Rodimus' note:The return of Kate, and the first visit to the Farmer's Market. We also get to see Ulti putting the fear of Primus into the Saturnine, which will serve him well later.
Into Rapture
Two girls were the ones to first notice, mostly since Ultimus was currently had most of the other Little Sisters piling onto him. Or trying to, at least. He was very big true, but the girls were expert at climbing up on the Big Daddies. The two girls outside of the 'Get Daddy!' project exchanged looks before wandering closer to the one of two vents in the new safe house. The brown haired Sister jumping up to half pull herself in, listening intently to the strange sounds that came from there.
Should they tell Momma Tenenbaum?
Ultimus was staying still, having subspaced the drill for the time being. Most of him was hidden under the swarm of Sisters, and from the warm glow of his optics he was actually enjoying himself.
"Daddy, Daddy!" A new voice cut in and a small hand patted the Autobot's head for attention, "Hush sister- hey! I'm trying to talk!"
"Dinner!" Tenenbaum's voice lifted, saying the magic word for attention, "Let the Daddy breath girls, and go get some food in your bellies, not just ADAM." The woman had one of the girls clinging to her dress and eyeing a vent.
The redhead turned toward the girl trying to get his attention. "Yes?" He stayed still as the swarm scurried off him, going after the food.
The brown haired girl tugged lightly on Ultimus' own hair, nowhere near hurting, just wanting his full undivided attention. She pointed at the visible vent, "There's funny sound in the hidey-hole Daddy..."
Ultimus turned to look at the vent. Walking over to it, he poked his head in, inhaling deeply, curling his upper lip slightly to taste the air as well as check the scents. Pointed audial panels shifted slightly. "That's because there's someone stuck in there."
"A little one?" The woman asked from behind him, one eye on the girls that were eagerly eating as much as trying to watch the adults. She hoped it was true, though there was that nagging thought that mad her wonder if a splicer or two hadn't figured out how to get in the vents- the Packers did after all.
"Somewhat bigger, I'd say... Jack manages to get through the vents, and she's older than these girls. The scent is female. And she is stuck."
"Is there ADAM in her?" Tenenbaum asked, "Or can you tell where from...?"
Ultimus inhaled again, air hissing through his neck vents. "No ADAM. She's human. And I know that scent." He leaned into the vent again. "Kate, what in Primus' name are you doing in there?"
"God damn Thinker!" The voice drifted faintly thought the vents, the Autobot would be able to hear her words better.
"You got stuck in the vent trying to run the connection into here?" Ultimus blinked. "How far in are you?"
There was a pause, where Tenenbaum leaned in closer to try and catch the words as well. "...can't see light." Kate's voice said.
Ultimus hissed something in Cybertronian, looking around. He was wondering if he could ask one of the girls to see just where Kate was stuck in the vent, and if the girl could bring the cables all the way through. Jack had ducked down at the table to blend in, still unsure about her aunt and really this was pumpkin... The brown hair girl, judging that Ultimus wasn't upset at whoever was in the vent moved to hop up, grabbing the rim and struggling to pull herself up enough to peek in as if Kate would magically appear within sight.
Ultimus tilted his head at the girl on his shoulder. "Could you go in and find out just where she is, please?"
She blinked, "Is...is it safe Daddy? No monsters?"
"No monsters," he assured her.
"Take this," The older woman said as she stepped away to grab a bundle of twine, waiting for the girl to scramble in before offering on end. "Better estimation of distance then what the little ones come up with sometimes..."
"Then I can check the maps and see if I can pull her out, or if I have to go dig her out." Ultimus leaned toward the vent so the girl could climb in.
The Little Sister balanced between his shoulder and over the other girl, just managing to pull herself in without falling. She paused long enough to take the string before vanishing into the dark vent, her shuffling slowly fading a little as girl followed the grumbles, muffling them too. Ultimus waited patiently, his optics flickering as he accessed the maps and schematics he'd gotten in the Den. If he had to dig Kate out, he'd need a place to begin.
"Omph!"
"You fell," The little sister in the vent helpfully pointed out.
Kate coughed, glancing up and sighing, "Yes I did...what's that? string? ...oh there's an idea."
Ultimus' audial panels twitched again. Peering into the vent, he made an inquiring sound. Soon the shuffling came back and the Little sister poked her head out, puzzled but nonetheless holding out not the twine but a blue cord to Ultimus, "She said to bring this here cuz her shoulders were too big."
The big redhead took the cord, passing it to Tenenbaum. "Can she get out? Where in the vent is she?"
"About twenty feet in, but keep in mind that the little ones can and do go over and under piping in there." The woman said looking at the string that had gone out. Tenenbaum looked back up as the Little Sister ducked back in the vent to return to Kate, and returned with another cable.
Ultimus frowned. "Can you back out or are you well and truly stuck?"
"Can't go forward." Kate called, sending the Little Sister back once again with another thicker cable, "But this is working."
"Can you back out the way you got in?" the Cybertronian rephrased with a sigh, a small hiss of his vents.
"No, I have to find another grate once these things are through." The mechanic said, waiting in her spot for the girl to come back, she had two more cables. "Not too hard."
"Hopefully you'll be able to find another way out. Digging you out would be... a little messy." Ultimus took the cables, adding them to the cluster poking out of the vent.
"The Thinker may not like the process of the extraction." Tenenbaum pointed out, remembering some snippet of information from a long time ago, when Rapture thrived in its glory. Her golden age that now was past.
"I'm aware of that, but I already apologized to the Thinker in advance." Ultimus shrugged one shoulder. "I'm not spliced, I don't have any plasmids that would help."
"Daddy!" The Little Sister called on the last trip with the last cable. She was stretched out in the vent on her belly, holding her arms out to Ultimus in a silent plea to be picked up and out. Ultimus smiled, lifting the Sister out and placing her back on his shoulder for the time being.
Tenenbuam gave that small sad smile of her before stepping up to the vent, fingered the cables, noting the slack. "You, who is in the dark and sent by the Thinker." She called.
"What?" The mechanic yelled back.
"Do you have a radio?"
"Oh, yeah..."
"Channel six." Tenenbaum called again before moving to her bag to fetch her own radio.
"Her name is Kate," Ultimus corrected mildly, leaning against the wall next to the vent.
The Little Sister with brown hair pulled herself up and draped herself over the Autobot's head, playing with his bangs, "Who is it Daddy? The lady in the vents? Is she going to help us? Are you going to eat too? Do you have any more peaches?"
"Peaches!" two other girls echoed in agreement.
"She's here to connect us to the Thinker, so yes, she is helping us," Ultimus replied. He let out a huff from his vents. "I'll eat at some point, and there are peaches out in Arcadia. I just haven't gotten back out to collect them."
Tenenbaum rolled her eyes from where she was talking on the radio. Taking a moment to motion for the girl to come down, "Time to eat little one, climb down off your Daddy and come eat. After you can get cuddles again."
"Aw...!"
Ultimus let the girl down, flaring his armor plates briefly, then let them settle back into place. He remained where he was, watching.
"Herr Ultimus," The older woman spoke, touching the mech's arm, "Kate is going to the farmer's market, so not to draw attention to this section." she waved her other hand around meaning the safe house. "Could you see her safely here, and get a few things? The equipment here is to flora, not ADAM."
"Give me a shopping list and I'll collect what I can." The mech pushed himself away from the wall, indulging in a stretch. The overlapping plates down his spine rippled, rasping against each other.
Tenenbaum watched his movement intently for a moment before shaking herself. The woman paced over to the desk she had taken over while Ultimus and the Rumbler were getting the new 'toys.' She lifted a magazine that she had circled several things inside, "Here, though I must admit I do not know where to find them here in Arcadia, or if you have to go to other sections nearby."
Catching her watching him, Ultimus flared out his armor enough to reveal the under armor layer, then clamped the plates back down again. He trotted forward to take the magazine, looking over the circled items. "I'll see what I can find, and pick up anything edible while I'm at it."
Jack quickly stuffed the rest of her dinner in her mouth, inhaling the food before rushing over so not to be left behind. The girl latched onto Ultimus' nearer leg, "Mmm!" she 'said' as her mouth was still full. Looking down, Ultimus let out an amused snort, then lifted Jack up onto his shoulder.
Tenenbaum chuckled softly, "Perhaps if you bring the mechanic here first, she can hook up the computer while you search?"
"Good idea." Ultimus nodded, checking his internal maps. Tilting his head, he looked up at Jack, and then walked toward the door.
"Mmm!" Jack said again, wrapping her arms around his neck and hanging on tightly, not wanting to be left behind.
The big mech placed a hand on Jack's hip so she wouldn't slide off his shoulder, ducking slightly to get through the door without her hitting the frame. After a quick consult of his internal maps, he headed in the direction of the farmer's market.
"Ulti?" Jack finally asked once able to talk again, waiting until they were away from the safehouse.
"Yes?" Ultimus tilted his head to look up at her.
"We found my aunt Kate..." She fiddled with her dress and pulled the picture out of her sash, "Could we find them too?" Jack offered the picture for Ultimus to see.
Ultimus' optics dimmed, "When last we encountered your aunt, she said your mother is spliced out of her mind, and your father was killed. Your brother she didn't know about. So I suppose it is possible that we'll come across them eventually."
Jack pulled the picture back, hugging to her with one arm, her other hand holding onto the Autobot. She was very quiet as she rode before putting the picture back in the sash.
The Cybertronian reached up and around to stroke her back gently, his optics dimming further. The 12 year old leaned against Ultimus' head before shifting to try and slide down into his arms. She didn't cry, but wanted that feeling of safety from before. Ultimus let her slide down into his arms, holding her against his chest. He slowed down, dipping his head a bit and starting to croon ever so softly.
Jack sniffed, curling close and with her ear against his chest, "...she sure he's dead?"
"She said he was, but in Rapture anything is possible." Ultimus made a soft sound, indicating that he didn't know.
The child made a quite mental note to ask her aunt giving the chance. "...could we get some honey at the market?"
"If we can find some, then yes." Ultimus nodded.
Jack darted ahead as soon as the air lock opened, tilting her head back as she sniffed. Taking in the new smells that ranged from the earthy Arcadia smell, but also roasting scents of smoked fish, a twinge of wine and something else she didn't know well. There was ADAM inhaled deeply, cataloguing scents. He swept his scanners over the area, checking for strays.
The long call of a Big Daddy drifted in the air, attracting Jack's attention for a moment. The girl shook her head and hopped down the steps, looking around, "Where is Aunt Kate here?"
"Her scent trace is faint, but she is here." The big mech looked oddly like a bipedal bloodhound as he scented the air, tracking on that whiff of "Kate".
Jack took a left, her glowing eyes taking in the old booths and store counters. One of those she walked up to, sniffing again and reaching up to brush her fingers on a cheese wheel. Ultimus followed, eyeing the cheese wheel. Considering the damp and corrosion of the decaying city, he was wary of the food being moldy. Jack looked up at the mech, "What's this thing?" She touched the cheese again, trying to tug it closer.
"It's cheese." Ultimus sniffed it carefully, checking for any signs of spoilage. Not finding any made him vent in surprise. "Actually edible, surprisingly enough."
"Can I try?" She asked, recovering fully now with the ease that came from experience of how to push things from her mind in order to survive.
"Certainly," Ultimus offered her the cheese. She poked the cheese and managed to work off a bit to nibble on. Ultimus watched, then glanced around, taking stock of the area. Yellow optics skipped over broken booths and torn awnings, noting the side-to-side tracking of the red glow of a security camera farther down the row.
"Omph," Jack had pulled the cheese wheel off the counter and held it up to Ultimus with wide eyes, "Can we take it?"
"We can... It's actually still edible." Ultimus tucked the rest of the cheese into subspace, unsheathing his claws to slice open and raid a safe lurking under the counter before looking around again. The girl had followed him behind the counter, and then went under it, generally poking around and investigating. Jack made a happy sound, backing up with a few bills in one hand and a sucker-candy in the other. Happy with the world she sat to wait for Ultimus and the safe looking up at hearing an older female voice humming.
Ultimus tilted his head toward the sound, forcing air through his vents in a loud, distinctive hiss. Rather than going around the counter he chose to jump over it, landing with almost no sound despite his own mass. His sudden appearance, essentially popping out of nowhere to the Splicer, the woman made a startled, confused sound. Her mask, made of twigs like Jack's had been at first, jarring it but not knocking it off.
Started brown eyes looked up at Ultimus, the woman's once white dress was a bit tattered on the ends near her ankles, but it was stripped with red and brown, as well as having a few hand prints. By the smell it was blood.
"Wha...?" She asked, sounding sane at least.
The Cybertronian's lip curled back to expose his fangs. His right hand flexed, a moment later being hidden by his drill. Ultimus growled, a deep, rumbling warning for the splicer to back off.
"Holy shit!" The spliced woman took a hop back, lifting her hands. Confused she started to turn and vanished in a cloud of red. Unlike the teleports of the Big Sisters, there was the clear smell of blood not ADAM.
Immediately Ultimus' rivet gun was in his free hand. His sensors swept out, seeking where the teleporter would reappear.
There was the sound farther down the way, the splicer popping back in about thirty feet away, but the woman was heading down a set of stairs away from Ultimus. Wanting nothing to do with the strange metal Big Daddy. Ultimus' roar echoed off the buildings, making sure the splicer kept running. Any splicer who got too close would live just barely long enough to regret it.
It seemed like half of them did want to avoid him, the other half either too desperate or too far gone to care. Though it was strange to hear the spliced woman crying what sounded like, "Gods- gods- the god of war!"
The big redhead stepped back carefully, maneuvering so that he was standing over Jack, snarling at the shadows. His armor flared aggressively.
"Are there more?" Jack squeaked, moving so that she could latch onto the nearer leg.
"If there are, they're staying out of my sensors at the moment." The words were a good half growl and deeper than usual. The girl didn't move as he growled, if anything hugging closer. She was wary, not quite as trusting as a normal Little Sister to go right back out into the open. Subspacing the drill again, Ultimus carefully picked Jack up, tucking her into his side. The growl never ceased, only dropped in volume.
The girl didn't resist, looking around but other than hearing a complaining Big Daddy and the hum of the camera she couldn't hear anyone. Ultimus inhaled, checking for scents. When he didn't get any whiff of splicers, he relaxed slightly, his armor resettling itself. "They're keeping their distance for the time being."
"Then let's find aunt Kate," Jack said, and had to add, "And honey."
"Bees will lead us to the honey... And Kate's scent is getting stronger." Ultimus briefly cast about for the scent, then began walking in the direction it was coming from. Checking his map, he located where the beehives were kept as well.
A new sound came as the mech walked, soon turning into a mew. If he looked ahead and down Ultimus would spot a few black and white cats crouched down near the wall. Ahead of it was a larger one- the mother trotting back to her near grown kittens. Like the feline from around the start of this, this one had a high amount of ADAM in it, as did the smaller ones, but her fur seemed to conduct heat not sparks. In the mother cat's jaws was a New York sized rat that hung limp.
Jack eeped.
Ultimus blinked. He eyed the felines, smelling the ADAM from them, then eyed the rat.
It was not a pretty thing, at all. And would explain part of the reason why the cats were altered as well. Though in honestly the felines looked far more inviting when compared to the hairless and pale rodent that was dropped for the younger cats to pounce and start eating.
"Nasty." Ultimus made a face. He shooed Jack away from the group.
She was more than willing to go. "Those things are meaner then the bad kitties." she muttered.
"Rats in general are mean," Ultimus rumbled. Jack nodded in full agreement, now eyeing all around them- or what she could see from the Autobot's arms. The big mech moved away from the rats, inhaling deeply to catch Kate's scent again. Once he had it, he began moving in the direction it was coming from, detouring now and then to scoop up a stray bit of useful ammo, a piece of equipment, or a food item.
"Over there," Jack popped up suddenly as she patted Ultimus' arm and squirmed a little, pointing a sign that listed the way to two places to the left, one being Worley Winery, and the other Silverwing Apiary. She sniffed, smelling Adam and something sweet.
Ultimus tilted his helm in a way that indicated his audial panels were twitching. "I hear bees. Can you smell the honey?"
"I smell roses and sweet." Jack said after checking again. She looked down over Ultimus' arm and then squirmed to be put down, "Down please!" The big redhead obliged, placing Jack on her feet. He watched which direction she went in, and then followed.
Tbc...
Next time: Autobot vs honeybees XD
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