Chapter 91 – Seeker, Sounder and Technician
(WPOV)
Someone was knocking on his door again.
"Who is it?" Will called out groggily.
"It's Jerry! Director Matteer is here!" the tech called out apologetically.
Will rolled out of his bed and opened the door.
"Director, what can I do for you?" Will asked groggily.
"I'm afraid I need to speak to you and Angel," Barry stated quietly. Will was awake in moments and gesturing the man to follow him. He knocked on Kae's door. No answer.
"What time is it?" Will asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Three thirty," Jerry stated quietly.
"Mats then," Will yawned, walking toward the central. Sure enough, Kae was slowly dancing through her stances, her eyes closed.
"Who am I to kill?" she asked, not even opening her eyes.
"We've come across echos," Barry stated quietly, handing her a file. She scanned the papers and pictures calmly.
"I'd best wake Optimus," Kae stated calmly, walking out the door with the men following close behind. "Do you see that signature there?" she asked, handing Will the file. He scanned it with a frown and jumped when she pointed to an errant heat signature.
"What is that?" he frowned, looking closer at it.
"That's why I'm waking Optimus," Kae stated grimly. "That looks very much like a burrowing scout hiding underneath the radio chatter."
She walked placidly into her quarters and through the adjoining door to Optimus'. Will winked at the director and Jerry and politely turned his back on them.
"Optimus," she whispered before her voice morphed into the string of deep tones and clicks that Optimus certainly seemed to adore, and Will actually found rather beautiful now.
"Do I have to get up?" Optimus rumbled groggily the next moment.
"I think just your holoform will do for now," Kae murmured consolingly. Will turned around to watch as Optimus rolled carefully to his side, making sure to not crush his Kae. The holoform winked online a second later as Kae slid down the ladder. Will handed him the files and the holoform quickly flicked through them.
"Prime calling Jetfire," he rumbled a moment later, seeming to look well into the distance.
"Jetfire responding," the scotch seeker replied instantaneously over Prime's speakers.
"What is your position?"
"I'm jus' coastin' o'er headquarters now, what are the co-ordinates sir?"
Will grinned as Optimus listed off the co-ordinates and Jetfire gave an ETA.
"We should adjourn to communications," Optimus rumbled a second later, his holoform winked out and his body rose, offering Kae a hand. She settled into it with a smile and clambered up to his shoulder a moment later. Will jogged out of the enormous bay doors with the director keeping pace with him easily as Jerry raced ahead.
"Good... morning Director, do you never sleep?" Optimus rumbled calmly a second later, striding carefully behind them.
"Rest is for the dead," Barry stated cheerfully.
"And now I know where you got that from," Optimus snorted.
"It's a handy credo from time to time," Kae stated defensively with a low laugh.
"Prime!" Jerry called out. "I didn't know if you wanted us to call Jetfire with our lines or yours!"
"We will use my frequency," Optimus rumbled intently. "As secure as your line is, I am uncertain who else may be using your satellites."
"Aye sir," Jolt grinned, extending a fibre to Jerry the next second. The man grinned and directed him into the computer proper.
"Bringing up Jetfire," Jolt intoned cheerfully as the screens came alive.
"Two minutes to co-ordinates," Jetfire murmured softly, "sending visuals now."
"Gods I wish I could just hire your lot," Barry muttered quietly. Will snorted.
"You did," he murmured. "You didn't think that it's a one-way street? We did specify a willingness to provide backup to your lot."
"I didn't know that meant surveillance too!" Barry stated with wide eyes.
"Co-operation," Optimus rumbled placidly.
"Awesome," Barry whispered, looking at the massive holo screens.
"Switching to infrared and energonic signatures," Jetfire rumbled. "Oh! I knew this spot was familiar! That's Gouger, the pit is he doing awake?"
"Status!" Optimus commanded sternly.
"Looks like he's settin' in a mine there, permission to infiltrate?"
"Permission granted, be quiet," Optimus commanded.
Jetfire landed lightly and strode toward the signature. The bot unearthed himself a second later, scuttling toward Jetfire. Will listened intently as they began speaking Cybertronian.
"What're they saying?" Barry whispered. Optimus turned and lightly set Kae down on the catwalk, she leaned toward them and began whispering a rapid fire translation, pointing to the readouts on the screen, indicating who had spoken what.
"Jetfire! When'd you wake up? - Couple of months, you? - Bagh! Always awake, active a month, by that little scrap-eating Starscream. Now 'e's tryin' ta make me dig 'im a complex, in scrapping sandstone! With no proper lubricant or enough energon! - Loyalties! - Fagh, if there be a Prime alive, let me swear to him - Gouge is grumbling-" Kae added quietly, "I'm sick o' this. Kin offline me if'n ya like, 's better than puttin' up wi' these little rips what call themselves the new order. Not lastin' much longer I'm not."
"Orders Prime," Jetfire rumbled in english.
"Bring him back," Optimus rumbled patiently.
"Right oh, you coming Gouge?" Jetfire snorted.
"I ain't flyin!" Gouge growled. "'s the frequency?"
"Opening frequency," Jolt called out.
"Righ'! Who's this then?" Gouge's voice called out, much clearer.
"Optimus Prime," Optimus growled.
"Yeah, bot or con?"
"Bot."
"Good. What're yer orders Prime, you helpin' them humans out yet?"
"We are."
"Good, they listenin?" Gouge called out curiously. Optimus looked at Will.
"Yeah, we are," he called out curiously.
"Good. You got a good coalmine nearby? Funny creatures you are, done saw some o' you tryin' t' dig beneath the flat, useless you are. Lemme do it."
"Er..." Barry murmured, frowning at the co-ordinates.
Mikaela quietly leaned against his side. He looked down at her.
"Thirsty Lake?" she murmured.
Will grinned as Barry immediately dove at the computer.
"Mr. Gouge?" he called out curiously.
"Yeah, who's this?"
"Director Barry Matteer, if you will allow Jetfire to fly you one hundred miles, we have a particularly small complex that I would gladly allow you to re-model. There are several coal seams nearby, and I will gladly supply you with whatever fuels and lubricants you wish."
"Mmnph. Yer a human?"
"I am."
"How many o' yall am I supposed to deal with?"
"At the complex you'll only be dealing with Gramps. He'll more than likely leave you to your own devices save for a bit of gossip." Barry called out.
"One. Good. Fine. You drop me Jet and I'll bury you." Gouge growled, transforming in front of Jetfire.
"I 'ent dropped you yet, coward," Jetfire snorted. "Co-ordinates."
Barry listed them off cheerfully and the feed cut out. Optimus looked at him with amusement for a long moment until Barry looked at him curiously.
"You realize that he is going to build an anti-grav hive do you not?" Optimus rumbled with snort of amusement, lightly depositing Kae back on his shoulder.
"What's that?" Barry asked blankly. Optimus and Jolt began laughing as Optimus brought up a holoform. Barry just stared at it for a long moment.
"So you call it an anti-grav because..."
"Gouge's kind swim through the ground, clearing out tunnels regardless of gravitational pull," Optimus rumbled with a snort. "It will likely be smaller than this, but that is the general shape."
"But I'd be able to put a flat floor in those bubbles right?"
"We frequently did so, yes."
"Then it's perfect!" Barry enthused. "I want it! Nobody could break into my castle if it looks like that!" Will stared at the director and burst out laughing alongside Kae and the bots.
"Hey! That's the schematic for Teletran!" Jolt grinned. "I knew it!"
Optimus shot the communications bot a mildly withering glance.
"The fact that as Prime I remember the schematics for every major city-complex and several of the smaller ones has nothing to do with it?" Optimus rumbled with a smirk.
"Scrap it," Jolt grumbled, disconnecting from the computers.
"Whaat?" Will asked with a laugh.
"We're still trying to figure out which hatchery Optimus onlined in," Jolt grumbled.
"It does not matter," Optimus rumbled placidly. "I am first a Cybertronian."
"Do I get to know?" Mikaela piped up curiously. Optimus turned his head carefully to look at her.
"...perhaps," he rumbled with a smirk, "Was there anything else this morning, gentlemen?" he rumbled politely.
"Nah, I'm going to go to bed in a minute," Barry laughed. "Sooner if Will is kind enough to let me crash here."
"Welcome to," Will chuckled. "We'll put you in the guest quarters."
"I shall bid you good recharge then," Optimus rumbled calmly, turning to return to his quarters with his Kae still lounging comfortably on his shoulder.
"What's the catch?" she laughed at her Optimus.
"If you can find it in my spark as I ravage you, you get to know," he rumbled cheerfully as Jolt howled with laughter.
"Oh! Challenge accepted," Kae laughed, squirming on his shoulder to sit closer to his cheek as the doors closed behind them.
"Good god," Barry choked.
"What does god have to do with it?" Jolt asked curiously, lounging against the catwalk.
"How... how..." the director muttered.
"Very, very carefully," Jolt answered the director with a shit-eating grin. Will sat down, laughing at the scandalized look on the older man's face.
"You know they're engaged," he laughed.
"Yes, but still, how..."
"She fits in his spark chamber," Jolt shrugged.
"Yeah but how does that work?" Will asked curiously, looking at the bot. "Everybody keeps saying 'she fits in his spark-chamber' but what does that mean?"
"Well..." Jolt began, and trailed off. Will stared at him as his optics took on a tinge of pink amidst their normal blue, his faceplates glowing a little.
"Are you blushing?" Will asked curiously.
"Ratchet's better at the explaining bit," Jolt grumbled. "Someday I wanna see him get embarrassed about something... anyway... you know what our sparks look like..."
"No, actually," Jerry stated quietly.
"Really?" Jolt asked curiously, looking at the human in shock. "Well that one is easy... actually, hey Lena, wanna interface?" the bot grinned at her shamelessly. He brought his holoform online, leaning against the railing beside the female officer. He blushed and looked down. "I mean, only if you want, and it doesn't have to be sexual..."
"Do I get to keep my clothes on?" Lena asked curiously.
"Well yeah, sure, I mean I'm smaller than Prime, so I can't actually fit you in my spark chamber like he can with Kae. Can only imagine how intense that feels..."
"So we'll pretend that it isn't sexual for the sake of learning," Lena grinned at him. Jolt grinned right back at her, gently taking her hand and leading her to himself. Will watched fascinated as the bot's chest plates slid open and bared a glowing sphere.
"Right, that's my spark-chamber, which I guess you guys know already," Jolt's holoform stated patiently. "It's about as sensitive as... your guys' faces, or I dunno, back of your legs maybe?" Lena reached out and ran a gentle hand down the chamber. Jolt groaned and the chamber opened beneath her hands as his holoform winked out.
"Are you okay?" Lena asked in a shocked and worried tone.
"That feels really, really good," Jolt murmured, leaning against the catwalk and into her hands. "Right, that's my spark-chamber, but this is my spark," he whispered as a diaphanous light reached tentatively out of the opening, it coalesced somewhat.
"May..." Lena whispered, reaching tentatively toward the light. It reached for her and lightly caressed her hand. It was her turn to moan softly. "Gods Jolt, that feels incredible," she murmured, Will looked at her eyes curiously and found them blank.
"Lena?" he asked worriedly.
"I'm still here, but... I'm... also..." she mumbled.
"Here," Jolt whispered gently, the sound seeming to emerge from the light, "go back to your body, Lena, just like that." the light gently unwound itself from her hand and receded into the chamber again.
Lena blinked and stared at Jolt for a long moment.
"Thank you," she whispered in a soft, humbled tone.
"No," Jolt murmured with a smile, "Thank you, your hands are very gentle."
"Wait, you said Optimus can fit Kae inside his spark-chamber!?" Lena burst out the next second, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.
"Yeah, can only imagine how intense that feels, for both of them," Jolt snorted with a broad grin. "Lucky bastard-bot."
"Okay we saw, now explain," Lennox grinned at the tech bot.
"It... it was..." Lena murmured with a dreamy expression in her eyes. "I mean Jolt was a total gentleman, but even with just my hand touching his spark, it felt like he was massaging my back and shoulders... I don't..." she trailed off in thought.
"You were a bit tense, I figured you could use a back rub," Jolt shrugged.
"I honestly think I could drop off and sleep for hours now," Lena laughed softly, she reached up and touched her shoulder. Will watched with amusement as her eyes bugged out again. "How'd you get the tension out without even touching me!?" she asked wide eyed.
"Well, I did sort of touch you," Jolt shrugged with a grin. "Your muscles react to what your nerves tell your brain. I told your nerves that you were getting a relaxing massage, which relaxed your muscles. It does the same thing. That's how I control my body, how I feel things."
"None of us, are ever allowed to tease Kae about marrying Optimus," Lena stated firmly. "I can completely understand why now."
"Why!?" Jerry demanded with a broad grin.
"Because just touching Jolt's spark was a complete out of body experience," Lena grinned. "I actually think you've ruined me for human companionship, Jolt," she laughed at the bot. "If a hand can do that, I can completely understand if Kae decides to say she's addicted to a bit of Prime lovin'."
"You know where my quarters are baby," Jolt winked at her unrepentantly.
"Temptation your name is Jolt," Lena murmured.
"In other news," Will coughed, blushing right beside Barry and the rest of the techs.
"Oh right, humans are uncomfortable with sex, sorry," Jolt stated immediately. "It's kinda hard to remember that when you guys are talking about sparks and interfacing. You are allowed to call out TMI you know."
"Nah, we asked for it," Jerry shrugged. Will looked at Lena curiously.
"What'd it feel like?" he asked softly.
"It... it felt like..." Lena murmured. "I don't even know how to describe it, for a moment, it was like I was the holoform... or... in another place, and Jolt and I were the same size... and I could hear his thoughts a little, bits and pieces of information alongside the feeling of hands massaging my back and the absolute knowledge that in no way did he want to hurt me. It... it's..." she smiled gently. "It was simply incredible, there aren't enough words, it's just simply incredible." Lena reached out and laid a gentle hand over Jolt's. "Thank you."
"Anytime," Jolt smiled, reaching a gentle finger to cover her hand on his. "It's been a long few vorn without someone to touch my spark."
"What does it feel like? For you?" Will asked wide eyed.
"There isn't a parallel," Lena and Jolt said at the same time, they grinned at each other.
"You did manage it!" Jolt laughed.
"I felt what you felt!" Lena grinned. "It was like... gods, there's no parallel."
"She touched my spark, my soul," Jolt shrugged. "Maybe you should ask Kae, she's damn good at translating, especially when the two of 'em are on the same frequency."
"Oh! I need to call Gramps," Barry stated suddenly. Jerry grinned and waved him over.
"You good for the rest of the hour Lena?" Will asked worriedly as the tech yawned slightly. "Did you want to knock off a bit early?"
"Nah, I'm good, but thanks," Lena grinned, plopping back in her chair. Jolt grinned and settled back into his spot, his optics dimming as he resumed scanning the frequencies.