Chapter 49 - Sit, stand, sit and pretend to be interested
(OPOV)
Optimus onlined an extra processor, listening to the television broadcast of the parade his scout was routing onto the primary.
"And coming up here, right on time, I might add, Mary - They're Military, Jason" a female laughed in counterpart. "God bless our men in uniform - Amen. Accompanying the soldiers are the much rumoured 'Auto-bots' seen and recognized in public for the first time, the topic of today's press conference. First are the three motorcycles, designated Arcee, Chromia and Flareup, and next is - check out that paint job! - Optimus Prime, Leader of the Auto-bots. There is a young woman sitting on his hood... We're being told that... That is Mikaela Banes! The young woman for whom the world was searching last week. She is apparently now the acting Ambassador to Optimus Prime! - Look Jason! She's wearing a very stylish outfit today, greatcoat and dress, and the shoes..!"
Behind him, Optimus could hear the footsteps of first a child, then a grown human.
"Mistah you got stuff on you!" the child announced cheerfully. The adult female was apologizing to Ironhide as the weapons master laughed.
::. Tell Kae I said 'Look Kae, I'm on TV!.:: Bumblebee sent to him gleefully. Optimus snorted and conveyed the message to his scout's sister.
"Getting vain aren't you little brothe-" Mikaela laughed.
There was a crack. An un-silenced rifle. He felt his Kae thrown back into his windshield.
"Behind him is - Oh my god the Ambassador has been shot!"
Optimus transformed in seconds, spinning around into a crouch with his hands cradled against his chest. His first thought to protect his marked reliant. Kae squirmed in his hands for a moment.
"Ladies and gentlemen the Auto-bot Ambassador has been shot! Three Auto-bots have transformed in the street, two miles away from the White-house..."
"EVERYBODY DOWN! RATCHET!" Optimus roared as a bullet tinged off of his shoulder. Better his than hers, he thought irritably. He looked up somewhat, noting his unit's stances with grim satisfaction.
"Auto-bot Ironhide seems to have taken a... no, no he seems to be covering the mother and child that ran up to him! The First Medical Officer Ratchet is facing forward and seems to be providing cover for the soldiers-". The commentary continued.
Behind the medical officer, Major Lennox clutched at a gun that wasn't there and snarled.
"Take it down a notch, Major," Mikaela grunted, knowing her voice was being carried by the primary. She began squirming again, pulling herself to the edge of his hand, and Optimus vented a low sigh of relief. His Kae would be alright.
"If you're just tuning in now, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Ambassador to the alien Auto-bot race has just been shot, two miles from the White-house..."
"I want vectors of where that bullet came from! Get men into that building and seal it off!" General Moreshower shouted. Arcee was transformed the next second, projecting a beam directly from Optimus' shoulder and spanning to a window in one of the buildings.
"Another bot has transformed, Auto-bot Arcee seems to be aiming for- Holy Crap! A man has just appeared out of thin air! Please tell me the cameras caught that! They did! A man just appeared out of thin air... Ladies and gentlemen we're being told that that is in fact the projected, holoform avatar of Auto-bot Ratchet, he is..."
Optimus straightened slightly and opened his hands more, letting Ratchet's holoform in to look at his Kae. Major Lennox ran toward them, standing beside him the next second. He was staring at her shoulder as Kae sat up, wordlessly accepting Ratchet's ministrations.
"We have a visual! Mikaela Banes, the acting Auto-bot ambassador seems to be alive, and is sitting under her own power, Auto-bot Medic Ratchet..."
"White phosphorus," Ratchet growled, "It's going to take the nanites a while to repair that." two fingers reached into the hole as Mikaela reached up and grabbed the medi-bot's shoulder. Ratchet's holoform pulled back and offered a fragment of a bullet to one of the soldiers, who trotted forward, holding a small glass jar.
The bleeding eased off and the holoform carefully cleaned her skin, holding a wad of gauze against it one moment and dressing it the next.
(MPOV)
"Why it's always you getting injured is beyond me," Ratchet stated flatly, carefully numbing my shoulder with a local before dressing the wound.
I smiled as Ratchet grumbled, patching me up with the ease of long comfort.
"Thanks Ratch," I said gently.
"Don't even think of using that arm for the rest of the day," he grumbled, carefully wrapping me in my jacket again. I looked at it in shock, the hole was there with next to no blood, he smirked at me. I laughed softly and pulled him into a one-armed hug.
"Only thing we found was the gun," Moreshower growled, marching toward us with his arms crossed as the people behind the barriers calmed.
"Let's roll then," I said calmly, stepping down from Optimus' hand, he transformed back into his truck form.
"You've been shot!" Lennox shouted.
"What are the ramifications if we stop?" I stated in an icy tone. "We're at the camera point right now, what are the commentators saying?" I looked at Optimus. He put the commentary on his speakers.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Ambassador is standing, holding her shoulder as the world waits with bated breath to see if this is now war..."
Moreshower buried his face into one hand.
"We keep going," I stated sternly.
General Moreshower sighed irritably.
"We keep going," he said with a deep frown.
"Are you alright?" Ironhide rumbled down to a woman holding her child as a man ran toward them, looking terrified.
"I... I am, thank you..." the woman stated, looking up at Ironhide in shock. The weapons master nodded and smiled at her slightly. "Boys! Let's load up and get there on time! Even I know better than to show up late to a peace conference," he rumbled at the soldiers, transforming the next moment. Soldiers quickly flocked to the vehicles.
I nodded and climbed up into Optimus' cab, reaching up and pulling my hair down somewhat to cover my shoulder.
"I want to know who," Optimus rumbled irritably.
"That's for another time," I murmured calmly, forcing my face to relax into a more neutral poise.
We drove somewhat more quickly, I still smiled and waved at the people as we reached the end of the parade and climbed up the slope to the front lawn where a stage surrounded by people and cameras stood waiting.
I got out and walked a couple of paces to Optimus' right as he transformed along with Ratchet and Ironhide. Their holoforms onlined quickly, and I struggled to take the arm that Optimus offered.
"I said stop using that arm!" Ratchet growled irritably.
The stern, forbidding look on Optimus' face melted as he carefully led me to the stage and helped me up the steps.
"Miss Banes!" Cole called out, running toward me. "Mikaela I am so sorry!"
"Worse things have happened, Mr. Westfield," I replied with a smile. "We shan't let it stand in the way."
Cole shook his head wonderingly.
"We've stepped up security around here at any rate," he sighed, "gods this is a nightmare. I can see the front page now! Alien ambassador shot during parade!"
"Let's make sure that the story is more interesting than the title," I stated calmly. "We will not allow this to start a fire. Unity and freedom is far more important."
"Your ambassador is incredible, Prime," Cole stated respectfully.
"Thank you, Mr. Westfield," Optimus smiled, nodding.
"If you guys would follow me, please, we'll get started," Cole said immediately. He ushered us to an airy tent filled with dignitaries.
Optimus kept a gentle hand on my lower back at all times, General Moreshower walked toward us with a grim expression. Will close behind him.
"Major, General," Optimus rumbled.
"I can't believe we have to go through with all of this still," Moreshower grumbled, he looked at me. "I'm so sorry Mikaela."
"We all have to take one for the team at times," I laughed softly.
"You took a hell of a lot more than one in Egypt," Lennox grumbled, "now we're going to traipse you about with a bullet wound."
"I believe my chances of survival are fair to excellent," I shot back at him with a half grin. "Better, seeing as Ratchet hasn't let up on scanning my vital signs yet." I shot the holoform a fondly exasperated look.
He glared back at me before smirking.
"You are still alive," he grumbled, "and giving me guff is not going to keep me from making sure you stay that way."
"Right well let's get going then," Lennox grinned, he lowered his voice. "Time to go sit, stand, sit and pretend to be interested."
I bit down a snort and followed Optimus' lead, he settled me into a chair before sitting his holoform down beside me. I bit my lip and folded my hands delicately in my lap.
"You will tell me if you need to go," Optimus rumbled with a small frown, looking down at me with worried eyes.
"I'm just fine," I murmured gently, reaching over and touching his forearm lightly, biting back a wince as my shoulder protested.
"Never the less," Optimus rumbled firmly.
"And stop using that arm," Ratchet added in a murmur.
"Okay Ratchet," I smiled gently, folding my hands carefully again.
As one, soldiers, holoforms and General rose. I stood with them, sitting again once the dignitaries had taken their seats.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States," a man's voice said over the speakers. We rose again as the man walked toward the podium.
"At ease," he said immediately, we sat. "First, let me begin by greeting each and every one of you today, during what is possibly one of the most important occasions of our time. However today is less a day of announcement, and more of acceptance. We are not alone in this universe, and it is our sincerest hope that with such a discovery we can find a way not only to exist peacefully with the Auto-bot citizens, but among ourselves as well." He looked up into the mass of cameras.
"Today we acknowledge that the path ahead of us is a rocky one. The ground untrod. But today it was also proven what true determination and bravery can achieve. Miss Mikaela Banes, the acting human-Auto-bot ambassador was shot during the parade earlier, and yet she still sits here with us today. So with respect to the Auto-bot leader and attending dignitaries, I would propose that we perhaps avoid standing every time one of us makes it to the podium." Obama said with a small smile, turning to look at the dignitaries behind him. There was some scattered, quiet laughter and murmurs of approval among the group of people around us. Optimus grinned and nodded his thanks beside me as I blushed lightly.
"With that being said," the President continued. "I would like to conclude by extending my personal welcome to the auto-bots, to the United States of America, and to the earth, and put forth my heartfelt entreaty for peace. Thank you." The man nodded and walked toward us, offering his left arm to Optimus.
His holoform rose and threaded his arm with the President's with a respectful nod. The President turned and offered me his arm for a second before breaking out into a sheepish sort of grin and offering me his right hand. I stood and shook it firmly with a smile.
I sat beside Optimus again as Ratchet scowled at me.
"I stand up when I shake a person's hand," I protested quietly. "I was shot in the arm, not the leg."
"Which keeps you squarely in the category of most difficult patient I have ever dealt with," Ratchet retorted with a snort, crossing his arms. Several dignitaries behind us chuckled.
I listened with interest to the next few speeches, mentally pulling the grandstanding apart and enjoying myself immensely.
Eventually, the welcoming finished and the leaders of the United Nations rose.
"Two weeks ago," the General Secretary began, "the world froze as we watched a worldwide broadcast demanding Miss Banes be handed over to the custody of the Decepticons, and in a panic, many governments worldwide searched for her for that purpose and effectively made her a fugitive of her own planet," he turned to look at me. "Miss Banes, instead of running fought alongside the soldiers and Auto-bots against a being who's intention was to destroy our sun, and almost lost her life in the process..."
"You didn't almost lose your life," Ratchet grumbled softly beside me.
"I'm alive Ratch, hush," I murmured with a small smile, glancing at him.
He shot me an irritable look. I reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
"Love you too," I murmured gently. He smiled, and we both turned back to listen.
"Today the United Nations ask for her forgiveness, for violating her right as a citizen of Earth to fair trial. To the basic freedoms we too often take for granted. She will be awarded recompense for this grave error. Miss Banes." he turned and held a hand toward me. I rose to join him at the podium as he gave me a small look of surprise.
(OPOV)
"I was going to bring the microphone to you," the man said with a small smile.
"I have been blessed with four strong limbs," Mikaela replied with a smile, her voice caught by the microphones. "I was hit in the shoulder, not the leg."
"You honour us with your strength," the man smiled, offering the femme a handshake. She shook it firmly and allowed the man to guide her to the podium. Optimus watched with amusement as she shot a quick glance at her watch and stood straight in front of the microphones.
"Good afternoon," she began with a calm smile as the applause lessened. "I would like to begin by thanking our United Nations, for having the courage to offer an apology that is by and large unnecessary, but truly appreciated none the less. I likely must ask your forgiveness myself because I'm not particularly talented when it comes to public speaking." there was some laughter in the crowd. Mikaela's teleprompter began bringing up the words to the speech Galloway had written. Optimus bit back a smirk as she looked down at the hard copy.
"On the way here today – and throughout these past few months of craziness – I have met several incredible, intelligent and brave people. Mr. Westfield in particular, who wrote me a very well-done speech for today and allowed me to edit it with him while we were flying. Except we've got the wrong one on the teleprompter." Mikaela shot him an apologetic smile. The man grinned in the crowd and cupped his hands around his mouth.
"Just wing it!"
"Wing it? Alright," Mikaela smiled. "Well, I'll try to keep it short then. The teleprompter wants me to say that I was raised to never be afraid, which is false, my father never once told me to never be afraid. Instead he taught me the value of fear, he taught me to ask why. Why is that barking dog scary, why are we afraid of something new."
"I want to meet her father," Ratchet murmured softly to Optimus.
"Agreed," he murmured quietly, glancing at his Medical Officer. He let a tiny bit of the grin show on his holoform's face.
"Father taught me that we have fear to keep us safe, it's the voice in your head that says don't jump out of the plane, don't go near the thirty foot auto-bot because frankly, he is enormous." Mikaela looked back to shoot a wink at Optimus' holoform. He couldn't stop the grin that broke out on his face at her tactics. There was laughter in the crowd again. Ironhide's holoform and body both reached over to lightly elbow Optimus in the chest plates. A broad, laughing grin on both faces.
"It is alright to be afraid," Mikaela stated gently, "there is nothing wrong with it. Fear is the instinct that keeps every creature in this universe safe from potential danger. But that fear should never be allowed to cripple us," her voice strengthened slightly. "The fear that makes us wary, can also make us freeze, and in that moment of frozen time, when fear makes your mind slow and turns your limbs to ice is the moment when your life is truly in peril."
There were a load of soldiers nodding firmly at that, Ironhide and General Moreshower among them. A few of the dignitaries looked at them in surprise and turned to look more closely at the diminutive girl at the podium.
"Two weeks ago I was a fugitive of this fear, which in retrospect sounds absolutely terrible. However I was a fugitive for less than five days and never once mistreated by the brave soldiers who offered me asylum at their own risk. I was kept safe and never suffered, so I request of you, Madam Pillay, Mr. Guterres to please take the money which has been set aside for me and use it to further your own causes. Because I am one, but there are hundreds, thousands more whose rights are denied every day. Prisoners and refugees. Please, help them before you award me."
The two dignitaries jumped up from their seats to shake her hand vigorously as an enormous crowd of people near the back cheered them on. Optimus scanned their faces idly and was surprised to find a great number of human rights protesters. A few of their blogs were protesting the necessity of giving one person a reward when so many others suffered. Optimus frowned slightly, when had she ever read those blogs? He passed the question on.
::. She didn't.:: Bumblebee stated cheerfully ::. She just knows the sentiments, watch, she isn't reading the speech, she's reading the people.::
Optimus couldn't help the small smile at the thought.
"Thank you, Miss Banes," the hispanic man grinned. "I will see that it is put to good use." Mikaela smiled and nodded to him, turning slightly to return to her seat.
"Ambassadorial speech!" Cole shouted up to her.
Optimus rose and took his Kae's left as she looked at Cole in surprise. Optimus rested a hand gently on her right shoulder. She glanced at him uncertainly. He smiled at her with a nod. She was the right person to speak. Mikaela took a deep breath and turned to the cameras again.
"Two weeks ago," she began calmly, "the world learned that we are not the only philosophical creatures in this universe, or indeed on our own planet. I had the honour of having my own hope proven correct two years prior, that we are not alone, and that the auto-bots are peaceful." Mikaela looked down at the speech Galloway had written for a moment. Optimus was surprised to find that it was his after all. That surprise turned into shock, she really was winging it.
Mikaela looked up, directly into the camera, directly into the eyes of the crowds and promptly stole his spark all over again, falling into a positively hypnotic rhythm as she spoke. A soft, gentle tone that made you listen.
"I know at heart, that the truth of their existence is hard to believe at times. Their very structures defy a great deal of what we understand to be possible. There are still days when I wake up and believe that I have just had the most extraordinary dream.
"But when I look out my window I often see a 'bot standing there, and I cannot help but feel a new surge of hope. Because it isn't a dream. They are real, a race of Autonomous Robotic Organisms who live and represent each and every aspect of humanity that we celebrate. The ability to create, to love, care, feel hope, grief, pain. Who live with the honour, morality and bravery so hard to find in today's fast paced world."
Optimus watched with a smile, directing his holoform to look at her, and her alone as he watched people nodding in the crowd. The presidents and dignitaries were listening with rapt attention, Galloway looked ready to have an apoplectic fit.
"For my own safety two months ago I became isolated from my friends and family, but instead of becoming a prisoner of circumstance, I became a part of a group who have gone out of their way to to make me feel at home. Soldiers and Auto-bots both, a unit I am proud to live with, to fight alongside, to call family. For all that I am the smallest, I am a stronger, and better person for knowing each and every one of them."
She paused to take a slow breath.
"President Obama is absolutely correct. The path ahead of us is a rocky one, but now is the time to face our fear of the unknown, because that is truly what our fear is based upon. The new, the uncharted territories, the most easily conquered fear because once we learn, once we understand, it is no longer an unknown."
Mikaela had them, there was no doubt in Optimus' processors, his Mikaela had elegantly rolled each and every listener into a neat little ball and pocketed them. Her voice rang out in the absolute silence.
"In life there is no trying, there are successes and failures. And so now I stand before you, to ask, to exhort my own race not to try, but to do. To fight for our success upon this new path, to not only stand and be heard, but to open our eyes, to listen with open hearts and minds.
"With respect, I leave you with a piece of wisdom that was passed onto me, by the person whom I consider to be my dearest friend." Mikaela's right hand crept up to cover Optimus' on her shoulder. She looked past the dignitaries and smiled at him, "Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing." Mikaela stated with a soft spoken air of pride. Optimus straightened with pride as she continued.
"And he is absolutely correct. Fate will always surprise us, and when she does we can lay down and do nothing, take the way of fear and stay frozen upon the well trod path. Or," Mikaela stated. She paused and softened her voice, looking at Optimus as he knelt, watching her. "Or we can face our fears and learn. Learn some of the most incredible things." Her eyes began to rove around the crowd again, somehow catching every eye. "Both about our own world, and a universe which has suddenly become once again incomprehensibly vast, and yet understandable. An immense space where everyone should have the right to live in freedom. Thank you." she nodded gravely to her shocked and silent audience before turning fully to his holoform.
Optimus winked before offlining the holoform. He moved carefully toward his Kae, leaning forward and offering her his hand. She beamed at him and delicately stepped into his palm, crouching lightly on her toes as he lifted her to his shoulder. She climbed to his shoulder with the ease of old habit as he straightened, perched lightly with her ankles delicately crossed in what he privately considered to be her spot.
"Oh god, they aren't even doing the polite 'well she tried' round of applause," Mikaela whispered very softly. Optimus could sense her beginning to feel mortified when the leaders of the United Nations suddenly burst into hearty applause, the rest of the dignitaries, soldiers and general public immediately following suit.
Mikaela blushed furiously beside Optimus as first Lennox, the soldiers, then groups of people stood, turning to cheer at her as she sat blushing on his shoulder, her head ducked and a small, secret smile playing on her lips.
::. Please!?.:: Bumblebee sent to him on the Primary.
::. Oh go ahead.:: Optimus chuckled, then smiled at his unit as they transformed, beaming at the tiny femme sitting on his shoulder and applauding her.
The President of the United States stood and took the podium, gesturing toward Mikaela as the crowd continued to cheer. Optimus recorded it, to use on her later if she started getting down on herself again.
"How..." the President began as the cheering slowed. "How do you follow something like that?" he asked with a grin, gesturing up at Mikaela again. There was a faster, somewhat more muted round of applause.
Optimus watched his Kae out of the corner of his optic as a final few speeches wound down through the afternoon. He did adore it when she wore his colours. A camera swung toward them, panning in to Mikaela's face occasionally as she listened attentively to the speeches. Director Galloway stood and occasionally shot what he thought was a concealed glare up at Mikaela as he read through his speech. She kept her face politely interested as she listened, reaching up and lightly holding the dressing on her shoulder.
The reporters rather gleefully made note of that.
He turned his head to carefully look at her as Galloway walked back to his seat, she was applauding him politely, the camera on the ground panned in to see her close from the waist up, he could hear reporters quietly noting the way she cradled her left arm as she clapped.
She was becoming rather pale.
"Mikaela?" Optimus rumbled in a concerned tone.
"I'm alright, Optimus," she said in a calm tone, "Ah, the orator," she smiled.
She listened attentively to the speech, applauding politely as he finished. Her body language was screaming her wish to cradle her shoulder. Still, she smiled genially when the man looked up at her.
"If you are feeling well enough, I should like to shake your hand," the dignitary said apologetically.
"Of course," she said with a smile, "Optimus, could you...?"
Optimus couldn't help the frown as he carefully lowered her to the ground, onlining his holoform the second she stepped off of his hand.
"Are you sure you are alright?" he murmured worriedly, guiding her gently toward the waiting group of men.
"I'm just fine," she smiled at him gently, touching his forearm with her right hand. She walked forward on fairly steady legs and shook each hand offered.
"I had planned on inviting you to dine with us this evening," the President stated calmly, "You are more than welcome to attend, although I believe you should be going to a hospital..."
"Thank you, Mr. President," Mikaela said with a gentle smile. "I'll leave that decision to Optimus, or more likely Ratchet. Although I would be honoured to attend."
"Rain check then," Mr. Moon smiled, looking at Optimus.
"Thank you, all of you," Optimus rumbled, shaking hands, accepting his own greeting and nodding politely as the dignitaries wandered away. He gently guided his Kae toward the grouping of soldiers.
Well, at this point, I must admit that speech writing was my first love. Hopefully I'm not too rusty. ;) ~K