Chapter 58 - Chips
(EPOV)
"How the hell was I supposed to know?" Galloway demanded as he was roughly ushered to the helipad.
"You were supposed to leave it alone like General Moreshower requested," Lennox stated coldly, watching a helicopter touch down. They shielded their faces against the blowing sand. The chopper whined as it powered down.
"But she's got a record!" Galloway stated defensively the second he could be heard.
"Which was expunged," General Moreshower stated coldly as Epps and Lennox saluted him smartly. "My but this is a mess for the President to arrive in."
"But...!" Galloway mouthed wordlessly as a second chopper came into view, then settled onto the pad.
"Sargent see what you can do about calming everything down in there will you?" General Moreshower asked calmly. "Will, I'm afraid I've got some good and bad news-"
"Yes sir," Epps saluted smartly and all but sprinted back to the hangar.
He looked at the group of holoforms surrounding a softly crying young woman and groaned. Optimus looked up and caught his eye.
"President!" Epps mouthed, pointing behind himself.
Optimus nodded and seemed to hold Mikaela even more tightly as he bent down to murmur in her ear. Ratchet's holoform grabbed a clean rag and pressed it into Prime's hand as several of the holos flickered out. Epps walked over to stand within earshot.
"Are you going to be okay?" Optimus asked gently, tipping her face up to dry her tears.
"Haven't got much choice," Mikaela replied quietly, but a small smile still caught and held on her face. "Go for a drive later?"
"You got it," the holoform leaned down to press a tender kiss to her forehead.
"That's adorable, but we got company," Epps murmured, knowing the Auto-bot could hear him. He spun about sharply, facing the doors as Mikaela composed herself.
(MPOV)
"I need to cut the holo," Optimus rumbled apologetically.
"Go for it, I'm alright," I said quietly, touching his cheek for a second. I dabbed at my eyes and walked toward the wash basin, clearing away the worst of the grime and erasing the tears with cold water. I glanced in the mirror before returning to the engine I was swapping the clutch in, immersing myself in the calm familiarity. I kept one earpiece in, listening to some calm, peaceful music. I had the clutch cover back on when Moreshower's voice rose.
"Petty Officer Mikaela Banes." I glanced up to see Lennox gesture toward me.
::. You may want to wash your hands.:: Optimus cautioned me over the iPod.
I obediently walked back to the basin and did a somewhat more thorough job of removing the grease and grime from my skin before walking back to my workbench.
A group of grim faced, upright people walked toward me. Lennox, trailing somewhat behind, waved to catch my attention. He pointed toward me and brought his hand to his forehead, mouthing "salute!"
I immediately snapped to attention and faced the General, presenting my arm with the precision of it being automatic.
"At ease, actually at ease Mikaela," the General said gently. I relaxed to stand with my hip resting against the table, arms lightly crossed and glancing at Lennox, who shrugged, looking confused.
"I came here originally on one unpleasant task and find myself caught up with another." Moreshower started, rolling his eyes at me.
"Efficient, if nothing else," I commented quietly, "what can I do for you General?"
"Well first off, I should do the official introductions, Mr. President, Mikaela Banes."
The dark skinned man offered his hand to me with a grave expression.
"Mr. President," I nodded to him respectfully, shaking his hand firmly.
"Miss Banes," the President acknowledged me quietly, "I'm sorry that I'm here to pass my condolences to you. And now to apologize for my Liaison."
"Thank you, Sir," I said calmly.
"Mikaela, I'm afraid we're here to regretfully inform you, officially, of the passings of Captain Calvin 'Cal' Robert Banes, Lieutenant Richard 'Brick' Javier Binns, Sargent Patrick 'Paddy' Joseph O'Reilly, Technical Sargent David 'Rig' Russel Kinsey and former Chinese Naval Lieutenant, Master Chen Kan Sho." Moreshower stated calmly.
I took a deep, calming breath and nodded my acceptance.
"Thank you, General," I stated in an even voice.
"They will all be posthumously awarded with the Medal of Honour, and their missions declassified. If you can provide any information on their missions it would be greatly appreciated." Moreshower said gently, then turned to the shocked faces behind him. "And please don't give her flack for not saying anything, the sheer fact that their missions were classified above my superiors states just how tied her hands were, and how reliable she is for keeping a secret."
I lowered my gaze.
"Mikaela?" Lennox asked worriedly.
"I am all about the getting cut up today," I sighed, "Ratchet, could I prevail on you? I can't reach this one."
"You have another implant?" Epps asked in a shocked tone.
"Technically? I have seven," I shrugged.
"One just below each breast, one in each wrist, one on each hip and one tucked well beneath her right scapula." Ratchet listed off, his holoform flickering into being in front of me. "The one in your shoulder I'm assuming?"
"Please," I said heavily, "I can get the rest of them."
"I'll get them," Ratchet said gently, squeezing my shoulder. I took off my coveralls to find a small patch of blood on my hip. I rolled my eyes at it and sat on my tall chair, turning to face the group of men and Auto-bots.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before," I said quietly.
"Man, I knew she was a military brat," Epps said suddenly.
"Dammit, my bet was CIA," Chance grimaced.
"Fully declassified?" I asked quietly, looking first at Moreshower then at the President.
"Fully," the quiet spoken man stated firmly.
"They were both," I said quietly, "Jacobs, you're a marine, you remember the rumour of a branch of CIA who were planted into the military, but not part of SAD?"
Jacobs nodded curiously. His eyes widened.
"That was my family." I said softly, "Fully trained marines hand picked for their abilities and specializing in the gathering of dirty intelligence and cleaning up messes. The thirteenth regiment."
"Holy shit," Jacobs said quietly, running his hands through his rigidly short hair before turning away, "Holy shit!"
"Miss Banes, I would request permission to bury them with full military honours." The president said, looking at me apprehensively.
"I would be honoured, as would they," I said quietly, "But could I make a request?"
"Go ahead."
"Master Chen Sho's daughter, Chen Li, was murdered by gang members seven years ago, we couldn't bury her properly, or even claim her body. I would ask permission that her remains be moved from the state tombs and laid with her father. They would both have wished to be cremated."
"I'll see that it's done," Moreshower said firmly. "But I have to ask, why are you about to cut a load of implants out?"
"Five of them are the individual reports made by the unit, the one under my shoulder contains the master reports. This one," I gestured to my laptop "is the one that proved their civilian lives and my innocence - that Uncle Sho hid for me to find. And this," I held up my right wrist, "this one I'll keep, it's the charm that Tinny gave me on our last birthday she was alive."
"Ready when you are," Ratchet said gently, I peeled my shirt off and bent forward, flexing my muscles so that my shoulder blade stood out. I felt the coolness of rubbing alcohol before the minor sting of a local.
"You do still care," I said softly, dropping my head.
"Kae, we'll always care," Optimus' voice murmured gently.
"Mind if I use something other than a pair of forceps to get this out?" Ratchet asked mildly.
"You're the doc-bot," I smiled.
"Oh man that's weird!" Epps suddenly shouted.
"Whoa, you're not the one feeling it," I scrunched my face up, fighting to not squirm at the feeling of microfine tentacles burrowing through my shoulder; avoiding the major nerves then retracting just as quickly.
"Got it," Ratchet stated calmly, "stay still a moment longer." a mild sting proved he was quickly taping the small wound closed again. He moved into my peripheral vision, delicately setting down the small glass bubble.
"I'm astonished they'd use glass," Moreshower murmured.
"They were designed to be destroyed in the event of massive trauma, and to destroy the contents if the wrong person tried to open them," I said calmly, flexing my shoulder. "Wow it feels weird to not have that there anymore."
"Considering it had migrated next to the bone I'm not surprised," Ratchet commented mildly, "I'll want to go after that scar tissue with a regenerative laser later."
"Okay," I said quietly as he carefully froze the next few sites.
"With as much secret keeping as you did, what's opened this up now?" Lennox asked curiously. Ratchet began carefully removing Brick's capsule from beneath my left breast.
"There were two circumstances for me to have these taken out," I said calmly. "When I turned twenty-five I was to take them to the Pentagon, or the second-"
"If all five of them had passed, and the President of the United States, accompanied by a four star General, both of whom you yourself would have to deem un-compromised and trustworthy were present to state that any information you could provide would be helpful." General Moreshower finished for me. "Your father sent me this letter, after you'd made your speech." he added quietly, pulling an envelope from his breast pocket. "I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you before."
"Well, that's flattering," the President murmured.
"They look like gemstones," Lennox murmured, looking at the tiny capsules being lined up on the tray by Ratchet.
"Paddy made them for me to wear on a necklace," I said with a sad smile of remembrance, "Except for the one that was under my shoulder blade."
"Why were they under your skin then?"
"Safer," I shrugged.
"Unless one of them splintered beneath your skin," Ratchet stated sternly.
"If I was hit hard enough for one of them to splinter beneath my skin it's best that they did just that," I said firmly. "I'm sorry that this is going to take a little while longer, Mr. President, I'd offer you some coffee, but it's quite dreadful out here."
"They're almost all out," the man frowned in confusion.
"The chips are encased in non-corrosive oil with a shard of pure potassium, if this splintered and mixed with your blood it would destroy the chip in seconds! And cripple you I might add!" Ratchet stated in shock, holding up one of the capsules.
"Or any moisture in the air," I shrugged.
"Then how do you get the chip out?" Moreshower asked in consternation.
"Carefully," I smiled, "They'll be fine for a moment Ratchet," I added as the medi-bot began to clean up the shallow cuts. I caught up a piece of plastic and the crazy glue, sealing it to the skin of my left wrist before wrapping more plastic around it to keep it secure.
"I promise I'll be good once these are safe," I added to the grumbling medi-bot.
"You better," he rumbled as I grabbed the rubbing alcohol, carefully rinsing out a small container with it before filling it with oil.
"What can I do to speed it up?" Ratchet asked grumpily as I picked up the first capsule.
"And why didn't you do this with the first capsule?" Lennox added as I plunged my hands into the oil with a small hammer.
"Uncle Sho gave me that one," I said calmly, "it was Paddy who made the rest of these, Uncle Sho wanted the one proving my innocence to survive." I took a deep breath before lightly tapping the hammer on the ridged end, splitting it open along an all but invisible seam.
"This is the unit report," I said, carefully pulling the chip from the oil and handing it to Ratchet to dry off.
"How can you tell?"
"Colour," I smiled softly. "Look more carefully at the colours, what do you see?"
"Service ribbons!" Morshower exclaimed. "Look at that! Arctic service, Iran, intelligence, I knew those boys were going to go far."
"Paddy made some of the most beautiful things out of glass," I repeated myself softly, breaking apart the next one. "This one is Brick's."
In a matter of minutes I had the capsules open and Ratchet had them clean and safely stored and labeled.
"Petti Officer Mikaela Banes you've done a great service to your country," Moreshower told me softly. He reached forward and shook my hand firmly.
"Thank you General," I said quietly, handing him the small case of microchips.
He snapped to attention and saluted me, I returned the favour instantly. In moments the group had turned sharply, headed quickly for the helicopters.
Ratchet firmly sat me down and began fussing over the slowly bleeding and swollen wounds he'd had to inflict. I sat obediently still, staring off into space as he sewed me back together.
"Kae?" Optimus' holo took my hand gently.
"I'm not special anymore," I murmured, "I honestly don't know how to feel about that."
"What are you on about?" Lennox asked, plunking down beside me.
"I survived acting the part of your average daughter of an average thief by always knowing that it was for a reason, delivering that information," I looked at the hangar doors, "Only now it's done and I'm right back to being average again."
"Oh pit no, you're my little sister," Sideswipe shot back.
"Deadly as sin," Ironhide added with a grin.
"Sexy as hell," that was Chromia.
"A damn good assistant," Ratchet rumbled firmly.
"And you do a brilliant oil change," Bumblebee chimed in, grinning at me.
"You, will never be simply average," Optimus rumbled firmly, catching my chin between thumb and forefinger with the holoform.
"Quit that, you're gonna make me cry," I half choked out, fighting back tears.
"For you? I can handle a bit of rust," Optimus murmured softly. "Once Ratchet has finished patching you up we will go for a drive, okay?"
"'Kay," I murmured, my face buried in his shoulder.
"Not to mention you're a shoe in for the medal of honour yourself," Lennox added mildly, sitting back in his chair while Epps, Graham and Chance wandered back toward us.
"More than a shoe, I'd say two feet and an arm by the way that lot were talking about you," Graham grinned.
"Oh, we so gotta go shopping too!" Arcee stated suddenly.
"Hey yeah, that's right!" Will shot up in his seat, "Funeral with full military honours is a state funeral! We gotta get you something to look right to bury five soldiers and a little girl, and put the security detail together, President'll be there, that's a massive target ground for the lot of us!"
"We will be there." Optimus stated firmly.
"Right beside you," Arcee added gently, touching my undamaged shoulder.
"You lot are the best, you know that right?" I asked softly, leaning my forehead against Arcee's shoulder.
"And we only accept the best," Lennox added, reaching out to lightly squeeze my hand.
"You're one of us, unfortunately," Chance grinned, "the Auto-bots are cool and all, but this human group leaves a bit to be desired yeah?"
I began laughing softly, standing up despite Ratchet's objections and turning to face the oddball group.
"I guess I can do this now, then," I said with a small smile. I snapped to attention, throwing up a sharp salute. "Celer Silens Mortalis, Semper Fi!" I barked, head held high and proud. Jacobs snapped to attention and presented his arm.
"The strength of the pack is the wolf, the strength of the wolf is the pack, Semper Fi!" he shouted back at me. He relaxed and grinned. "And I win the bet." he added offhandedly.
"Any more secrets you can't tell me?" Optimus asked, gently teasing as he tucked me into his holoform's arms.
"No, yes, no..." I groaned.
"C'mon! Spill!" Chance grinned.
I sighed and looked at Optimus with mild reproach.
"The last one?" I said quietly.
"Go for it, we'll share with you to even it up," Lennox grinned.
"My name is Chen Mikaela Leanne Banes, adopted daughter of Chen Sho and sister to Chen Li. I speak seven languages and have, in fact, been trained to kill a man in two strikes. And no, I'm not teaching you," I added in a grumble.
"Well you gotta show us at least!" Jacobs protested.
"Nope, now here's my final secret, Ratchet, did you do a deep scan on this one?" I held up my right wrist to him.
He looked at it with a frown and began swearing.
"Why the hell do you have that in your wrist!" he bellowed, instantly irate.
"This is my final insurance," I said coldly. "That is there to make sure that I never become the murderer I was trained to be."
"Ratchet what's in that?" Lennox asked in shock.
"It's a thinner glass capsule containing a silver dagger pendant and a dose of ricin." the Medi-bot snarled. "And I'm removing that if I have to knock you out to do it!"
"You will do no such thing!" I snarled back.
"Do you have any idea what would happen if that shattered!?" Ratchet bellowed.
"I would die after three days of intense illness and pain," I stated coldly. "No less than what I would deserve if I were to use that strike again."
The group surrounding us froze.
"You..." Lennox whispered. I looked around and sighed.
"Three times," I murmured softly. "The blow is called San ji. Three strikes. Not because it takes three strikes to kill, but because after the third time it's used it becomes deadly."
"But..."
"The first three times it is executed, the force is enough to break the forearm," I murmured, "greenstick first, the second time it shatters, the third time the last of the weak spots in the bone fracture. After that..." I trailed off.
"After that, the bone will have developed enough scar tissue that the force would be fully concentrated into the blow," Ratchet murmured, staring at me.
"The first time I used it was on a man who tried to kidnap me," I whispered, "he was ordered by the bloods. I was to be used as incentive to force dad to steal, and Sho to race for them. I was ten. Greenstick. The second was the same scenario two years later. Except he had been ordered by the Crips." I closed my eyes and crossed my arms protectively. "The third," I whispered, "the third I used on Wo Shang, six months before he murdered Tinny. It blinded him in one eye, and I'm told the other had double vision. I should have let him kill me," I finished harshly. "If I had died, Tinny would still be alive."
"No, she wouldn't," Epps stated coldly. "If you had died, all of you would have been dead, and all of the information you protected would have been lost."
I glared up at him.
"You're forgetting something Mikaela," Epps told me flatly, "we lived in the same area, only the information I'd received differed, Bloods thought you and your dad belonged to the Crips, I joined the military when they ordered me to take you and Tinny down."
Everyone stared at him in shock.
"You were supposed to be my first kill," Epps said quietly. "When I left I sent a message to your dad, told him you'd been targeted. So don't you dare keep that poison in your arm. We've all killed here, but there's a harsh line between murder and defence."
"How long have you known?" I whispered.
"Since you brought us to meet your dad." he said calmly.
I looked at him with a frown.
"I knew you only as Cal Banes' girl, not as Mikaela Banes," Epps said quietly. "It's how you hid, isn't it? You didn't need to change you name, nobody knew your guys' real names."
My throat tightened as tears finally tracked their way down my cheeks.
"Now," Ironhide stated calmly, "you're going to let Ratchet get that thing out of your arm, and you're going to teach us that strike. Hey!" he glared back at me as I whipped around to face him. "I swore on my spark that I would never let you be a murderer," he growled at me. "It ain't your fault you were trained to kill."
"It is not your fault you used your three strikes on men who would use you against others," Arcee continued, her holoform assuming an unyielding stance.
"And it is not your fault that they are gone," Optimus murmured gently. His holoform cupped my face in his hands. "Do not take yourself away from us because of a guilt you should never have had to feel."
I closed my eyes and bit my lip, hard.
"You're allowed to cry," Lennox added softly, "just because we're soldiers here, doesn't make us heartless."
"Shit, most of us would be incapacitated if we'd dealt with half the shit you've wound up traipsing through." Jacobs finished. I began laughing softly.
"What?" Chance asked, wide eyed.
"You know?" I said with a small smile, "Paddy always used to say that when life gave you shit, you needed to spade it into the gardens. It was God's way of testing you. If you worked hard enough that shit would make the roses bloom."
"That's awesome," Lennox chuckled, "I need to use that."
"Tell it to your baby girl, when she's down in the dumps," I smiled. "Space it out, use it three times in 18 years, and it will stick with her for the rest of her life."
The air vibrated behind me, warmth of a body drawing closer on silent feet. Instinct kicked in before I could stop it. I spun around and caught a wrist holding a syringe. Wrist control, the syringe was an inch away from his neck in a second.
"JESUS!" Epps bellowed.
"Damnit!" I shouted, immediately releasing Ratchet's holoform and backing away from him in horror. "How many times!? Don't sneak up on me!"
The men were standing and walking toward me quickly, boxing me in.
"FREEZE!" Ratchet bellowed. Everyone froze as I automatically tracked them. "That was my fault," he continued in a calm voice, "Mikaela's injured, her body is on high alert and in one pit of a survival mode." Ratchet looked at me with kind eyes. "That's why you want to keep that ricin, isn't it? It's for the day that you're in a position like this, the day you're injured and your survival mode is kicked into high gear. You're fighting yourself harder than you've ever fought Sideswipe."
"Please," I whispered, "please don't come near me for a little while, I don't want to hurt you, I don't want to hurt anyone." I fought the tremors that wracked my body, the hyperactivity of a massive dose of adrenaline that suppressed the pain and decreased my reaction time to an almost zero factor.
Ratchet was staring at me with a frown.
"Your adrenaline hasn't stopped being produced," he rumbled worriedly.
"Two hours," I whispered, "it takes two hours of meditation to come down, sedatives don't work, they'll only make me produce more to counteract it."
"Why the pit did you do that?" Ratchet demanded irritably.
"Name one instance that I ever had the option of changing my own evolution." I groaned, sliding down the wall and curling up.