Chapter 117 – Scanning
Sideswipe P.O.V
''We took old, alien technology and made it better in every way. Introducing Stinger. KSI. We make the world,'' the image of the attractive human female on the large screen greets us as we roll into some sort of holding or display room. We had just managed to get past the guards at the gates, I thought Shane was going to shit his pants but luckily, he held it together.
Pullin' up in the room a large pink and black, sleek Transformer dominates the room. ''That is a bad-ass robot!'' Shane comments with enthusiasm as he gets out of Dino and walks towards the robot.
Cade, who is sat behind my wheel, comments to Bee as he gets out, ''He kind of looks like you Bee.''
''But so much cooler, it has to be said,'' I can't help but comment.
''I'm gonna knock you out! Mumma says knock you out!'' Bee angrily shoots back at me and I ignore him, still smiling.
The image of the woman continues, ''Here is the past. And now the future.''
Cade eyes up the impressive model, clearly thinking something through. ''They're trying to build their own versions.''
''But why? What reason would they have to do that?'' Tessa calls out through Bee's window.
''Well, at least they're picking cooler cars than this,'' Shane gestures back to Bee and
I have to bite back a snigger as Bee revs his engines and fires back at Shane. ''You talk to me like that?'' and flicking his rear around he gives Shane a ''nudge'' that sends him stumbling.
''Bee!'' Tessa yells.
''Now get out,'' Bee opens his doors for Tessa to get out.
''You see what happens from being a wiseass? You piss people off Lucky Charms,'' Cade has a smug smile on his face as he takes a shot at Shane.
The brunette beauty continues to unwittingly insult Bee, ''Stinger, inspired by Bumblebee, but better in every way.''
''Oh snap! That's harsh Bee,'' while I try to throw a little sympathy Bee's way, a snigger escapes my dermas which only serves to piss him off even more.
''What? Son of a...!'' Bumblebee revs his engines and begins to do burn outs. Normally I'd be impressed and inclined to join him, but we have a mission to carry out.
''Bumblebee!'' Dino calls out, ''You musta calm down or you will give us all away! Per favore calmati!''
''He's crazy!'' Shane backs up warily from Bee.
''Bee, please stop!'' Tessa begs.
It's only when the sound of someone speaking Chinese and a number of footsteps approaches us does Bee decide to pause in his tantrum. The smoke from burnt rubber drifts suspiciously up the ramp towards the visitors and I feel my spark constrict. /If we stuff this up now, Prime will kill us – after Jazz has a crack of course!/.
''Our factory does not have enough Transformium for production because you don't keep your promise to supply it,'' a slender Chinese woman berates a bald-headed man with glasses.
/Joyce!/. I feel the energon in my lines momentarily bubble away in anger.
''My delicate flower, I can't understand you when you're angry. Actually, I...I don't really understand you at all,'' Joyce tries to placate the woman.
''Our entire factory is up and running... '' though she does not get to finish as Joyce glances in our direction, noticing the settling smoke and the sound of Bee revving his engine definitely one more time.
''Excuse me, one second,'' Joyce excuses himself, ''Hey! Hey, you three! Grease monkeys.''
/Oh shit! We've gone and done it now/. I prepare myself to take some sort of action, what I don't know. I'm not a leader I just punch things and blow things up so worst case scenario…./.
''What the hell is going on here?'' Joyce angrily demands as he strides over to Cade, Shane and Tessa.
Cade plays innocent, ''Hunh?'' Who us?''
Joyce snorts indignantly, ''Of course you! There's no one else in here with you! What's with this vintage crap? We're not scanning collector car junk. What do you think it is that we make here? Hmm? We make poetry. We're poets.'' At that point Joyce notices me and Dino and an appreciative look crosses his features.
''Well, what about these then?'' Tessa speaks up, trying to distract Joyce from Bee and vice versa.
Joyce walks towards us and runs a hand admiringly over my shiny, silver roof. I almost tell him to fuck off, or at least buy me dinner first, but I manage to refrain. ''Hmm.. now this is more like it.'' He looks at Tessa and Shane. ''Alright, take these two in for scanning.'' Turning to Cade, Joyce warns him, ''You work for me, you get one mistake. One. Understood?''
''Yeah. It won't happen again,'' Cade grinds out, clearly not sorry at all.
''It certainly won't. So, let's get this pathetic thing out of here. And you, too,'' Joyce nods dismissively at Shane and Tessa before walking back to the waiting woman and the group, apologising for the interruption.
Cade glares at Joshua as he walks off before nodding at Bee and addressing Tessa and Shane, ''Watch him. I'm going to see what I can find, try and get some evidence of some sort to pin on these bastards. Quietly get out of here and report back to the others. Wait till you hear from me.'' Looking towards us, Cade gives me a small smile, ''Well, Sideswipe and Dino, looks like you're in. Remember the plan. Lay low, blend in..''
''Yeah, yeah, I got it! I'm not a fucking sparkling Cade,'' I snap at him. ''I know what we have to do, you just hold up your end of the plan.''
Before Cade can retaliate, the sound of Bumblebee transforming interrupts our conversation as Bee heads over to Stinger. /Oh Primus here we go!/.
''Bee, you gotta calm down right now,'' Shane tries to reason with Bee. ''Don't listen to that arsehole.''
''I'm perfectly calm, dude,'' Bee lies as he steps up close to Stinger.
''You gotta breathe, or just do whatever it is that you do,'' Shane continues to try and coax Bee into calming down to no avail. The young scout is pissed, and I don't blame him.
''I'm calm. I'm calm. I'm not even touching it. Okay, I'm barely touching it,'' I actually laugh out loud as Bee gets right up in Stinger's face and grabs it by the throat.
Shane rounds on me, ''NOT helping Sideswipe! Bee, turn back into a car right now!'' Shane tries to order Bee.
''Bee please listen, we gotta get out of here!'' Tessa tries to appeal to him. ''Sideswipe, Dino, talk to him!''
''Bee. No. Stop it, don't do it,'' I half-heartedly call out in a monotone voice. ''See, he's gonna listen to us!'' I feel a smile spread across my dermas. /Let him have some fun/.
''Get out of my face, alright?'' Bee waves Tessa and Shane away as he walks over to the screens.
''Our design team started with the Bumblebee.'' The voice of one of KSI's director's or some such calls out from a screen in the room. /Oh, here we go!/.
''But really, this alien's design was decrepit and, let's face it, antique.'' Another annoying and smug face blithely insults Bee.
''What the...?'' Bee's anger is simmering away ready to boil over any second.
''Don't take it personally, Bee.'' Shane looks like he is about to shit a brick and Tessa is looking about freaking out.
''Kind of old and ratty.''
''You mean ugly.''
''Oh, hell, no!'' Bumblebee turns and stomps in anger towards Stinger.
Shane's hands are on his head and his eyes are closed tight as he makes his final pleas with Bee. ''No, no!''
''You think you're better than me?! Bee walks up and kicks stinger to the ground. ''Yee-hah!'' A look of triumph and satisfaction on his face.
::Prime, this is Sideswipe:: I comm the others as I have a feeling this is about to go to the pit.
A moment later Prime's deep voice bursts into my audials ::Yes Sideswipe. Have you managed to gain access to Joyce's facility? Have you remained undetected?::
The sound of footsteps echoing down the walkway alerts us to the return of Joyce's lackies. Bee immediately transforms back into car mode and Tessa jumps in, leaving Shane standing there, hands in the air looking guilty as hell.
::Ahh…. Define undetected:: I cringe down the line.
There is a moment of silence and I can practically hear Prime growl. ::Do you require backup?::
''What did you touch?'' one of Joyce's director's demands angrily.
''Uh... '' Shane looks around him confused and shocked.
''I told you, homeboy, can't touch this,'' Bumblebee starts playing MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This". I smirk momentarily before focusing on the task at hand.
''My office in fifteen minutes,'' the same man angrily orders Shane before walking off in the direction of said office with his toadies following behind.
It is only then that Shane seems to let go of the breath he has been holding. Without realising it I too cycle air deeply. ::Sideswipe to Prime. Negative, all clear. Cade has begun his search for evidence, Dino and I have been accepted for scanning and Bee, Shane and Tessa have been asked very nicely to leave::
After a moment Prime replies, ::Good work. Have them meet us at the designated rendezvous point and Sideswipe..::
::Will do. Yes Prime?::
::Be careful. Report back if you feel there is anything of importance we need to know. If your safety is at all compromised – both of you take whatever action is necessary to get out of there! That is an order. Prime out::
The sound of Bee's engines revving snaps me back to attention. Tessa waves as does Shane, who hangs out the window, ''Good luck guys, be careful!'' and with that, Dino and I sit alone in the room with a damaged Stinger and the acrid smell of burnt rubber assaulting our olfactory senses.
I continue to sit there for a moment, Prime's words echoing in my processor. /If you're safety is at all compromised – both of you take whatever action is necessary to get out of there!/. We have waited three years to get in here and find out what is going on, to try and learn why they had to kill Leadfoot. And if Joyce gets his hands on what we all think he is after, then I'll be fragged if I am abandoning the chance to stop him. There was no way I was bugging out of here anytime soon. A smirk spread across my dermas. /Too bad I've never really been any good at following orders. They're more of a guideline really/.
::Hey Sideswipe, whadda we do now?:: Dino's voice enquires down the comm breaking into my thoughts.
Once again I feel a smile form on my dermas.:: Well Dino, I guess we wait 'till someone collects us for scanning::
And so, we do.
