Updated - 31~07~2019

The Steams

Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 14th Paxian 3217, Iacon, 13:30 pm

After few hours, organising my time table and after being shown my quarters, they let me some free time to have a look around the base, and have a quick shower plus polishing my finish. I walked through the different hangars, I decided I should get a cube of energon and meet people. If I was lucky enough I would meet pilots, and maybe be told some good stories about fights and Terrorcons.

I entered the canteen and everyone turned to look at me. I localised Ratchet, and I walked towards him. I sat by his side, and soon there were people around me. A mech in my right talked to me, with a Kaonian accent. "So, you're the new engineer that will modify our robots, right?"

"Yes, that's me. I'm Knockout." I said looking at him. He was a flyer, strong, but also slim. He had a dark golden green paint job with some white and grey details and wore a red translucent visor, which let me meet his intense crimson optics. I offered a hand, but he didn't shook it.

"Well, I'll tell you something. If you ruin our robot, if you leave us without a fight, we will make some changes in your chassis too." He said disdainfully approaching more. "If we lose any Jaeger, we will make you responsible for it. Be sensible, Knockout, and leave now you have the chance for it." Hissed before walking away. That was the usual Kaonian way of being.

I was quite shocked. I looked at the scientist, and Pharma answered my mental question. "No, kiddo, you haven't done anything, yet. The Steam brothers. Pilot Skywarp and copilot Soundstricker." He signalled a grey mech with his helm. "Sky is the eldest one, he just tries to remark himself. Silence on the contrary is younger, but cautious, he knows when to act. You will get used to them." He took a piece of energon. "Specially because you will have to work with them side to side for a while." He added full mouthed.

"Their reaction is not Logical." Shockwave gave his point of view. "But not all the people is the same around here. I'll present you Soundwave later. He doesn't speak, but he does know what respect is."

"Thank you Shockwave." I said trying to make myself easy.

"I suggest you to start with them, the earlier you finish with Cherno, the further you'll be from them." Ratchet added finishing his cube. "Good luck."

So I did as soon as I finished my lunch. I went to my quarters, and I lied down the berth with the schedule of Cherno Alpha in my servos. I studied it carefully, starting from the physical machinery and ending with the Conn-Pod.

This Jaeger was the newest one from the oldest ones. It had quite good tech for the moment, but I could improve it. Now the questions were, Where should I start from? What should I change? How to do it without encountering its pilots?

I decided to start sketching the external modifications, which fortunately were few. And once I got it, I focused into the seams and the joints. I didn't even noticed but five hours were gone while doing that. I stretched myself leaving the scrawled holopapers on the table and I decided to have a walk around, taking the data pad with me.

People looked at me, some amazed, others surprised, but I just greeted them with smile as I continued walking. Suddenly, a faceless mech stood in my way. I looked at him quite unsure and then he offered me a servo. I shook it still confused until I remembered Shockwave's words. "So... You are Soundwave, right?" I asked shyly. The mech nodded, as we walked side by side. "Well, Shockwave has talked me about you. He says that you don't talk at all." I commented.

"That's right." A recording voice sounded. There was a silence.

"Could you show me the base?" I asked him. "I'm still trying to locate myself." I laughed. He nodded.

We walked into the different hangars, from the training rooms to the Jaeger room, and into the command station. During our walk, he told me how did he joined the project. It was the year the R.R.D.C. was created. He was a Vosian before coming to Iacon. He just perceived that something was wrong before the first attack, because he had registered strong lectures, hours before the first Terrorcon made land. He also told me that he was the responsible of detecting new attacks and the one who kept the communication stables.

A while after, we walked towards the command station, where I hoped to find Alpha Trion. As I thought there he was. I greeted the silent mech and I approached to them. Shockwave was there as well, talking about probability. "... My calculations are exact, if this happens, that it will, we have just two more weeks before the next attack occurs." He explained.

"... Then, we will have to hurry up the modification process... I see. I will tell Knockout." Alpha said thoughtfully.

"Well, I've already started with Cherno Alpha." I stated shyly. They turned around to face me. "I have started modelling the main plates and joints, and I thought I could find Shockwave here to help me checking the neural connections with the pilots." I gave him the data pad I'd been working on, hoping he would give me green light.

"Well, not bad at all, but we need calculations of the budget it will cost, the materials you'll need, precision in the final result, and... Need you to do it perfect but fast." Alpha asked me. "But well done."

"Ok, I'll get on it right now." I said ready to leave. "Oh, by the way, could we just check the neural net in two hours? I hope to have finished marking the physical part by then." I added before rushing out directed to Cherno.

Half an hour later, I found myself in front of the robot, I took out my alternal floor soles and jumped out of the catwalk, so that I was now walking on the air. I approached to the titan and started marking white lines on Cherno's frame to get the reference of what plate should be changed, polished or repainted. By the time I finished with the pedes of the giant, I had already marked what I needed to change. But I failed on noticing that the pilots were observing me.

As soon as I hit the ground, the mech that had talked me before stroke me. I hardly avoided his hook to my face, but fortunately, I knew how to fight. I dodged him in few occasions, trying to talk him down, but he couldn't stand seeing his Jaeger full of marks. When I was tired of dodging him, I just did what any mech would do, I answered back.

I launched my fists toward him, hitting him hard enough to make him retreat, and after that, I just pushed him with my pede backwards until he fell to the ground. Prowl make it to us, and stopped the fight.

"Both of you, back to your work, now." He ordered us firmly. I nodded leaving the scene behind.