Well, it still about the middle of the month, so I'm going to say this chapter's on time. I know for sure the next one will be late - my family is going away on Memorial Day weekend and I never get much writing done when I've spent the entire day mowing (push mower, not riding)
Thank you for reading, faving/alerting, and reviewing! Even when things are tense in my house, you really cheer me up. I only hope my writing will continue to live up to your expectations.
A special thanks to Bookworm Gal, who inspired the Wheelie scene! (you'll know what I mean once you read this chapter)
corrected as of 7/31/2012
(chapter replaced with new-and-improved-and-edited version)
Chapter Twenty Six
Truth
Katrina awoke with a start to find herself in total darkness again. A sharp gasp escaped her mouth as she sat up, eyes searching in vain for a hint of light. Morse beeped in her hand and she spread her fingers, allowing her friend's transformation into his normal spider shape. His blue optics glowed, and the girl relaxed a little, grateful for the small bit of illumination. It almost made the otherwise lack of light bearable, though Katrina doubted she would stay sane for long under these conditions. Closing her eyes did nothing to help, instead it brought all-too-recent memories to her attention, ones that made her remember how it felt to tumble into that strange place which was nowhere and everywhere at once.
"Where did everyone go?" she asked her friend quietly, not hearing any movement in the room save their own.
NO, Morse replied, meaning he did not know, and Katrina stood slowly. It was difficult to maintain her balance when she was unsure of her surroundings. Morse's optics were not bright enough to light the table she stood on, and the girl could not see where the edge was. Forced to move forward an inch at a time, feeling with each step for the drop-off, Katrina held Morse close.
This is strange, she thought, after walking quite a few steps without reaching the table's edge. "Morse, can you see where the table ends?"
NO TABLE.
"What?" Katrina's grip tightened a little, causing her friend to beep in protest until she took a breath and loosened her fingers. "Sorry, Morse. What do you mean, there's no table?"
FLOOR.
"We're on the floor?" That didn't make any sense, but her friend nodded in reply, the up and down motion of his optics revealing his movement. "Is anyone around?"
There was a slight pause before he replied. NO.
Why move me to the floor, then leave? Katrina was more than a little concerned by the fact she hadn't woken up in the process. "Did you see them leave?"
RECHARGE. Morse sounded apologetic, and she sighed.
"Don't feel bad, I didn't notice either." Katrina took another hesitant step forward, then stopped. "Can you make your optics any brighter? It's hard to see."
In response the soft glow doubled, the little spider's optics now giving off enough light to resemble a candle, albeit one with blue and non-flickering flame. With this the girl's eyes were able to adjust to their surroundings enough to see shadowy shapes, though color and sharp definitions were lost. Nothing seemed to be moving, but Katrina did not relax. Moving slowly forward the girl searched for a place to hide. If the Decepticons needed her further, they would not find it an easy task, not if she could do anything about it.
A sharp whistle from Morse warned her to dodge to one side when metal flashed from the darkness toward her face. Diving, Katrina attempted to roll to her feet. The movement was thrown off balance by her having only one hand to use – the other clutched Morse tightly, not about to lose him again – and Katrina collapsed on the floor a second before something leapt onto her back, making rough hissing sound she recognized all too well.
"HELP!" the girl screamed, then something jabbed her neck and darkness dragged her down.
Venting air, Optimus raised his hand to knock, only for the medbay door to slide open before his fist could rap on the metal. Ratchet gestured him in, then shut the door. "No need to knock, you could have sent a message, or told the door to open."
"It was for the humans' benefit," Prime replied, the medic nodding in agreement, no doubt remembering a recent argument about their internal comms. The human scientists had little trouble grasping the concept, but were terrified at the possibilities it opened up. "It's like having email, instant messaging and a phone line, all in your head," was how Epps had eloquently put it, and for some reason this alarmed the humans, who thought it could be a security breach. Even after Ratchet had explained the complexities involving encryption and a system of 'tagging' that prevented other mechs from receiving and reading comms not meant for them, the humans had attempted to wrangle a promise from Optimus that no military-related information would be shared over internal comms. The current compromise made neither party happy, but as long as the Autobots did not state they were comming intel, the humans pretended it didn't happen.
"Makes my processors ache at times, trying to figure out how their minds work," Ratchet grumbled. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to be in a meeting with Galloway."
"He left, complaining of a headache."
The medic brightened. "Perhaps he picked up a foreign virus during his impromptu vacation in the desert."
Optimus hid his amusement at this comment and the medic's apparent delight. He turned to Barricade, who was currently pacing around the medbay, wearing a track in the floor. "Barricade, how are your wounds?"
"I am fine," the Neutral said, keeping his irritation in check for the time being and managing to maintain a civil tone. "Have you gathered the information I need yet?"
"We currently do not know the location of the Decepticon base," Prime said. "I am sorry. As of yet we have been unable to take a Decepticon prisoner alive."
"Hey, Optimus!" Sam called from his current position on the berth Barricade had vacated several hours ago. Despite Ratchet's protests, the human had somehow kept himself from being evicted, and the Neutral had to admit the boy's tenacity was admirable, considering how much he had been through in the past few days.
Directing a grave nod toward the human, Prime said, "Good morning, Sam. Shouldn't you be resting?"
"I have been considering tranquilizer for both of them," Ratchet remarked, busying himself with some tools that needed to be packed away until he required them again. "He's been here all night and barely got any sleep thanks to Barricade pacing about the entire night, muttering to himself."
"I wasn't muttering," the Neutral grumbled. "I was thinking aloud."
A wrench clanged against the mech's shoulder. "Don't talk back to me, I outranked you when you were a soldier and I still do now."
"Could you listen to me for a second?" Sam shouted before Barricade could do more than begin to move into an aggressive stance.
"What is it, Sam?" Optimus asked, moving over and crouching in order to be eye-level with the human.
"We do have a Decepticon prisoner. Well, we did-"
"Where is he?" Barricade growled, freezing in his tracks and turning a dark red glare on the human. "Why didn't you mention this before?"
"I didn't even think about him," Sam confessed. "He's pretty easy to forget, we almost left him in the desert. I'm not sure where Mikaela stored him away, but she was taming him before and he's turned Autobot now so-"
"I don't care about his life story," interrupted the Neutral. "I want whatever information he has on the Decepticons. Where is he?"
Sam pulled out his cell phone, raising one finger in the universal sign for wait. Dialing a number, he waited a long moment before someone finally picked up. "Mikaela? Where's Wheelie? Prime needs to speak with him. We're in the medbay. All right, see you." Snapping the phone shut, Sam grinned. "Mikaela's on her way, information in tow." He had barely begun to speak when the medbay door opened and Mikaela walked in, Wheelie trailing behind her like a dog on an invisible leash.
"...was busy, Warrior Goddess," the little mech was whining, though he hushed upon seeing Ratchet and Optimus, his silence lasting a few seconds before he blurted out the question, "What's this all about?"
"I want to know everything you know, right now," Barricade said, walking around the berth to stand directly in front of Wheelie, his head tilted forward in order to see the little mech.
In retrospect, perhaps he should have been a little more cautious of how he approached. The sudden appearance of a red-eyed mech looming over him sent Wheelie diving for the door, the only thing that stopped him from making his escape was the chain that went taut between his neck and Mikaela's clenched fist.
Jerking at the end of his leash, the little mech whimpered, "Please don't let him kill me, Warrior Goddess, don't kill me, I swear I don't know anything, please-"
"Sam," Mikaela said, her voice holding a tight note as she locked eyes with the teen so casually sitting on the same berth Barricade had been leaning against, "what are you doing in here with him?"
"Would you relax? He's on our side, remember?"
"I remember him trying to kill us, and kidnapping Katrina, who is now in the hands of the Decepticons. What if he turned her over himself?"
Optics narrowing, Barricade remained silent, knowing an argument would only provoke the girl further, no matter how much he wanted to protest.
"No," said Prime, "his mere presence here shows more about his change of spark than you could understand, Mikaela. The very fact he requested our assistance and has been patient with us despite your government's attempts to prevent us from aiding him proves that Barricade is no Decepticon."
"He could be a very good actor," the girl said, unconvinced. "His eyes are still red, Optimus."
"Neutrals do not change their optic color unless they have good reason to," Prime replied. "It is a difficult process and as Neutrals seek no confrontations with either side, it rarely matters if they have blue or red optics."
"It also takes a medic to do the alterations, and he hasn't seen one since he left us over a year ago." Ratchet leveled a glare on Barricade. "Self-repair nannites can only work for so long before they need replacement material, and you were injured when you left before. It's a wonder you are still functioning."
"I have gone for much longer without medical attention," the Neutral snapped. "That's not the topic of discussion here, anyway. I need information and I will have it."
"Don't leave me alone with him, he'll kill me!" Wheelie wrapped himself around Mikaela's nearest leg, shaking. "I know that bot, he got experience, please don't leave me here, Warrior Goddess."
"Wasn't planning on it." Mikaela frowned, looking to Optimus for confirmation. "Once he knows whatever Wheelie does, will he leave?"
"If it is enough information to act upon."
"Could you just tell him whatever you know?" Mikaela reached down and stroked Wheelie's head. "I won't let him hurt you, I promise, just tell him everything you think might be useful."
"No, tell me everything," Barricade growled, folding his arms. "I'll decide what is useful and what is not."
"I don't know anything, I'm just a salvage drone."
"You knew what those strange symbols were, the ones I drew," Sam called down. "You recognized the Seekers and showed us where to find them. You must know something. Anything. There's a kid who is going to die if we don't rescue her soon."
The little mech perked up. "A girl? Is she h-" A cuff from Mikaela stopped that question in its tracks. "-er, never mind. How'd a kid end up working for the Decepticons?"
"She was kidnapped." Prime considered how much information the mech should be privy to, then decide it might be best to tell him what they knew. Perhaps it would jog a memory or two. "Do you know how Sam was able to find the Matrix?"
"I'm not stupid. He had a map in his head from the AllSpark shard zapping him," Wheelie said.
"Somehow Katrina has a similar power, though hers is the gift of life we thought lost with the AllSpark."
The little mech cocked his head, digesting this information. "She got zapped, too?"
"It is currently unknown how she gained that power," said Optimus.
Ratchet vented air. "I still think it would be worth it to give some truth serum to Galloway. Or perhaps Simmons. They both know more about her than we do."
"Simmons is on our side," Prime said, "and Galloway is our liaison for the moment. Also, that serum is illegal."
"Not the human's version," Ratchet said with distaste. "I've developed a new serum that's a little more sophisticated."
"What does this have to do with the kid?" Wheelie asked, more confused by the second.
"We believe the human government may have performed experiments on Katrina, but have been unable to track down any hard evidence."
"Because you won't allow anyone to hack into their encrypted databanks," Ratchet grumbled.
"Freedom includes the right to privacy," replied Prime. "They will tell us when they are ready."
During this brief argument, Wheelie had put two and two together to make trouble. "I don't like where I see this going. You say she can bring things to life?"
"Or back from the dead," Barricade said quietly, remembering Frenzy's return.
"Like the Fallen?" Wheelie said, optics almost popping out of their sockets with fear. "Oh, man, I should have stayed with the Decepticons, you guys are going to get slaughtered."
His statement was followed by stunned silence, during which the other three mechs and two humans all shared horrified looks.
Prime shuttered his optics as Ratchet and Barricade both sagged against the nearest berth. "I didn't even consider it a possibility."
"Too horrific an idea for us, but Megatron would do it," Ratchet said, venting air. "We will have to prepare for the worst."
"Katrina wouldn't-" Sam started to say, then fell quiet, shaking his head as he remembered how just a few minutes in Megatron's presence had had him begging for his life only a few days ago.
"I thought you were an Autobot," Mikaela told Wheelie, her frown deepening.
"You've seen what he can do," the little mech protested. "Think Prime can kill him again? He got lucky last time."
"It wasn't luck," Sam retorted, glaring down from his high perch.
"He had help, too, didn't he? That rusting old Seeker's not here to lend him parts again. I'm telling you, I'm out of here."
Barricade reached down and plucked the leash from Mikaela's hand, ignoring the human's protest. Raising the little mech until they were optic-to-optic, the Neutral paid no attention to Wheelie's melodramatic choking gasps. "You will tell me what you know," he said, enunciating each word carefully. "Katrina is my charge. If she dies and you could have prevented it, I will send you to the Pit in such small pieces not even your creators could recognize you."
Wheelie pawed at the chain wrapped around his throat. "All right, I'll tell you whatever you want to know, just put me down, you're going to break my neck."
"Not likely," said the Neutral, unmoved by the little mech's distressed appearance. "You salvage drones are tougher than you look. Tell me what you know."
"Put him down," Prime said, his voice firm. "You are not a Decepticon, Barricade, do not act like one."
Barricade's cooling fans kicked in, and though he did not feeling like apologizing for his abrupt act, he gave Optimus a short nod before setting the little mech down, acknowledging the rebuke as appropriate. "If you are concerned about retribution-"
"The Decepticons will kill me if they ever get hold of me again," Wheelie said fearfully, "but if I told you anything they'd torture me first, and I've seen what Scalpel can do."
"How about if Mikaela torched your other eye?" Sam offered with a little too much enthusiasm, earning him a dark look from his girlfriend.
"I swear on the Matrix the Decepticons will not harm you," Prime said, crouching in order to be closer to Wheelie's level. "You will be safe as long as you remain on this base."
"Death or eternal prison," moaned the little mech. "I don't know what's worse. Besides, I'm staying with Warrior Goddess, right?" He scampered over and wrapped his arms around Mikaela's leg. "Right, Warrior Goddess? I can stay with you."
"We'll see," she said, with an unreadable expression on her face that worried Sam. He resolved to speak with her as soon as he could – surely, she couldn't be considering the idea of taking the mech home.
"Would you at least tell us where the Nemesis is located?" Optimus requested. "We have rudimentary knowledge of the ship's outlay and should be able to launch a rescue mission, if we knew where to begin looking."
"You swear you'll stop asking me about it if I tell you where it is?" Wheelie pleaded.
"Yes," said Prime promptly, giving Barricade a sharp look when the Neutral did not immediately agree.
"Very well," Barricade said at last, spark aching at the thought of losing even a small source of information, but he could tell this was the best he was going to get from the cowardly mech.
"They've been hiding right in plain sight." Wheelie pointed at the nearest window. "You can't see it right now, but your moon is hiding their ship."
"They're on the moon?" Sam groaned. "How do we get out there?"
"Beyond the moon," Ratchet guessed when the little mech shook his head at the human. "Moving in synchronized rotation, so the moon is always between them and us. That's almost too smart a move for a Decepticon."
"It does explain why we haven't found them yet," Optimus sighed. "This will be difficult, Barricade. We did not come down with the Ark, and even if we had it on hand, it would be at least an orn before the ship was ready to take off."
"Space shuttle?" Sam suggested.
Ratchet shook his head. "Your primitive means of space travel would be detected by the Decepticons long before we left Earth's atmosphere."
"May we leave?" Mikaela asked, gesturing from herself to Wheelie, who had returned to clinging to her leg like a drowning person to a life preserver.
"I'll come with you," Sam offered, moving to the edge of the berth. He was surprised when Barricade offered his own hand for transportation before either Autobot could move, but accepted after a slight hesitation, ignoring Mikaela's barely concealed panic at him being so close to the Neutral. "Thanks," the teen called over his shoulder, nudging Mikaela toward the door before she could protest. "I'll see you guys later."
"Don't overexert yourself," Ratchet warned. "Otherwise you'll be spending two months in bed instead of two weeks."
Sam rolled his eyes. "Yes, mother." He shut the human-sized door behind him and all three mechs followed his and Mikaela's joint path down the corridor until the humans exceeded the range of their sensors.
"Prime-" Ratchet started, but Barricade jumped ahead of him.
"I know this will be close to impossible," the Neutral said, "but I still want to try any option we have."
The medic frowned. "We aren't made for space travel. Without a ship, we have no way of reaching the Decepticons, and it is unlikely they will bring such a valuable prisoner to Earth."
Barricade shifted uncomfortably. "Actually, we might have a ship available, but you won't like it."
"The ship itself or the process by which you think we can procure it?" Ratchet inquired.
"Both. I know the location of a bounty hunter. Rather, I knew the area he was in a little over a year ago, but I can guess where he would be if he isn't still there."
"What is a bounty hunter doing on Earth?" Prime asked. "There aren't enough Autobots here to make his presence worthwhile."
"He had a disagreement with some Decepticons and they damaged his ship. Last I knew, he hadn't managed to repair it yet."
"Perfect," Ratchet said. "We should be capable of completing the repairs, and Ironhide can exercise his cannons a bit."
Prime nodded, slightly amused by the medic's last comment. "I will let Ironhide know he will be needed for this mission. Barricade, would we know this bounty hunter?"
"Most likely," Barricade said. "His name is Lockdown."
"Good," Ratchet said grimly. "I have no qualms about stealing his ship. Optimus?"
Prime shook his head. "In this case, I would call it liberating, not stealing." After a slight pause, he added, "You will have to excuse me, I am needed elsewhere. Ironhide is on his way to discuss this further with you, Barricade. We will leave sometime tomorrow."
"Why not immediately?" Now that they had a destination and a possible means of transport, Barricade could not help worrying that Lockdown might decide to leave Earth, if he hadn't already. They didn't have time to waste.
"Because you need to rest and let your nannites finish repairing your chassis," Ratchet said in a firm voice that would allow no argument. "And getting permission for a mission will take Optimus all night, and probably most of the morning."
Humans and their foolish power games. Barricade couldn't comprehend how the Autobots managed to live like this, hindered at every turn by the very species they were trying to help protect. He did understand, though, that he didn't have a choice in that matter if he wanted the continued help of the Autobots, and without their firepower it was doubtful he would be able to rescue Katrina. "Very well," the Neutral said, slumping a little against the berth. He was surprised when Prime laid a friendly hand on his shoulder, but shrugged it off at once. Sympathy was not something he deserved from these mechs, he would be content with their assistance in saving his charge.
Optimus showed no sign of disappointment that the other mech would not accept the comfort he obviously needed. "We will leave as soon as we can." With a short nod to each mech, Prime turned and walked out, leaving his medic to deal with their troubled guest.