Chapter 159 – Real-estate and Servos
(SePOV)
Sentinel sat, comfortably ensconced in the central, watching the goings on and attempting to solve his latest puzzle.
Teaching humans.
He had a set style of teaching, one which he knew worked very well.
Except humans couldn't simply plug into the mindspace. That was a problem. Their minds, their builds and single processor were so very different from his own...
Sentinel began pacing. Kae was the better with holoforms, and Optimus an absolute master, but even they would not be able to accomplish what he now needed. He shook his head and strode toward the med-bay.
Kae was sitting with her head in her hands in a rare moment of still silence. She straightened abruptly and looked at him calmly.
"Trade you," he stated quietly, settling down across from her.
She looked at him curiously now.
"Your dilemma for mine," he rumbled with a small smile.
"My dilemma has not changed," she snorted quietly, burying her face into her hands again. "Let's start with yours."
"Humans are a remarkably visual, and emotional race," Sentinel stated calmly. "And yet I do not know how to truly impart the information they wish to learn."
"You mean diagrams and whatnot?" she asked curiously.
"Indeed."
"Holoform?" Mikaela asked mildly.
"Is not as manipulatable as I would wish," Sentinel grumbled quietly. "It requires set programming or visual memory for holoformatic diagrams."
"Well, what would you wish?" Kae asked in amusement.
"I would bring them to the mindspace, as I do all my pupils," Sentinel stated with a frown. Mikaela nodded and smiled at him.
"So we'll host your seminars in the central," Mikaela shrugged.
Sentinel stared at her.
"What? It's big enough to hold five hundred humans and five bots comfortably," she shrugged, a pensive look crossed her face. "Or rather, we don't necessarily want them here, do we." she murmured almost to herself. "Mm... that means I have a bit of work to do, at that. Don't worry about it, Sentinel, that is something I can take care of easily once the space for your seminars has been found."
Sentinel smiled at her, he couldn't help it.
"And your dilemma?" he asked gently.
"Mmnph, Mico and I are both frustrated with me at the moment," she groaned. "Thirty-six more times the space in my mind and I still can't grasp what she's trying to teach. So much for being an intelligent human, I feel like one of the dumbest bots in existence."
Sentinel couldn't help but chuckle, reaching out and laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Does it ease the sting to know that I find you to be one of the more intelligent bots I've come across in seven hundred vorn?"
"Which is all well and good," Mikaela snorted softly. "Except compliments, no matter how appreciated they are, don't help me understand what the scrap Mico means by..." she trailed off helplessly. "I can't even translate it!"
"Come," Sentinel rumbled with a low laugh, lightly catching her arm. "We two are overdue a venture into the mindspace together."
Mikaela laughed gently and rose, striding beside him in comfortable silence.
"Kae?" Optimus rumbled behind them.
"We're going to see if Sentinel and I thinking together can understand what Mico's going on about," Mikaela smiled over her shoulder at him.
"Room for a third?" he asked with a smile.
"Always," Sentinel snorted, grinning at his former pupil. "You feel you even need to ask young warrior?"
"I would never impose upon a student and her teacher," Optimus rumbled with a smile, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to his Kae's temple.
Sentinel jumped. That hadn't even occurred to him. He looked at the femme with a small smile.
"May I call you my pupil?" he asked gently.
"I would be honoured to name you my teacher," she smiled at him.
And that was just excellent.
"Which also eases your processors somewhat more," Optimus snorted quietly.
Sentinel looked at him and rolled his optics.
"Translation?" Mikaela murmured, lightly nudging her mate.
"It is somewhat less of a tangled three-way if we both call him mentor," Optimus murmured into her auditory receptors. "Which on that note-" he lightly caught her waist and gave her a gentle tug toward their quarters.
"Primus help us if you ever stopped trying to get me into your berth," Mikaela teased her mate gently. "How am I supposed to attend my lessons when you're dragging me to our quarters at every available second?"
"More than a second," Optimus rumbled with a small smirk.
"Mmm, I'll make you a deal," Mikaela purred. Sentinel couldn't help but grin at her as she delicately twined herself around his young friend. "We spend a couple of hours seeing if Sentinel can help me understand Mico, and then spend a few hours seeing how many times you can overload before I can't rouse you from your auto-recharge."
Sentinel had to cover his vocal processors as Optimus' processors clicked out.
"Oh, I still got it," she purred into his auditory receptors.
Another click. His backup processor. Mikaela smirked as she held him from falling.
"I don't know why that's so much fun, but it really, really is," she commented cheerfully.
Sentinel couldn't help it, he was laughing as he caught Optimus' other side, and between them carried the young Prime into the Central.
"Really, you blew his backup processor? Really!?" Ironhide demanded with a laugh.
"Can you blame me?" Mikaela asked innocently.
Ironhide surveyed the three of them critically for a moment.
"Nope," he snorted, reaching up and lightly tapping Optimus' helm. "Rise and shine youngling, gorgeous femme in your arms and you're just gonna stand around?"
"Not my intent," Optimus snorted, finally syncing his processors.
Sentinel couldn't help but laugh at his young friend, lucky little glitch that he was. He settled down into the collective and smiled at the intertwined sparks beside him.
Then frowned.
It was as though there were three intertwined.
Mikaela's spark rose and split, and Sentinel fell on his face.
Mico herself. In the central, in the mindspace.
"Oh quit that," the voice whispered in amusement. "Pupil of Primus do not prostrate thyself before me."
Sentinel rose, shaking. He couldn't stop staring.
Mico. Was right in front of him. Not simply 'the cube' or 'the All-spark' the very presence of his race creator.
Right in front of him.
"Well, are you going to stand around staring all day, or shall we teach my disciple?" Mico asked in amusement. "Come, once my daughter has been taught, then may I rejoin with my Primus."
Mico reached out and lightly touched his spark.
What followed, left Sentinel's processors reeling.
The information, easy for him to understand. The speed? Surge upon surge of information that he himself would need a few orn to digest.
"Translate for her," Mico commanded gently, her presence receding to a place Sentinel was dying to understand, it was a dimension he did not recognize. Archangel was watching him with wry amusement.
"If you have any idea what that means you may have to beat me with it," she stated with a tone struggling to contain it's laughter.
"One cannot beat another with information, it is not a tangible force." Sentinel informed his pupil patiently. Optimus looked back and forth between the two of them and settled for staying in place.
Laughing at them.
(JePOV)
Jetfire rolled off of his berth and smirked.
He had a berth. He strode into the corridors and immediately began receiving comms from his fellow seekers, asking questions, asking him to relay questions, and relaying the reports from the various scouts.
The way it had been so many vorn ago. Except now? Now he was on the right side.
He logged the reports, answered the questions and held the relay questions in processor.
The Primes were recharging, he'd ask them later, as yet there was no emergency.
He strode down the corridors of the primary headquarters and glanced around at the sound of rapid footsteps.
One of his favourite humans was sprinting toward him, no doubt hoping for a reprieve from his normal duties in the form of going air-scout duty.
Not that he really had to attend to air-scout duty, but such things were his specialty.
Really, any excuse to get into the skies.
Jetfire laughed and leaned down, offering the human his hand. Chance was already wearing the g-suit constructed by the Prime's senior medic.
The one which allowed him to fly at high speeds with little to no damage to the fragile, fleshy frame.
Excellent.
"Comin' tae keep me company are yeh?" Jetfire asked the human with a grin, waving to his granddaughter as she made her way toward them. She smiled and nodded before her optics dimmed somewhat.
Already she was being commed by someone, the reports of the Nevada-based aerial bots could easily wait. After all, it was the same report.
Nada.
He grinned to himself and strode to the entrance bay, folding around the excitable human.
"Yeh know th' drill," he snorted, feeling the human's body become somewhat rigid as he blasted into the air.
"So what's on the menu today?" Chance asked cheerfully.
"Ach, I though' we'd mosey aroun' South America a wee bit, the weather there's showin' some lovely thermals," Jetfire stated cheerfully.
(MPOV)
I rose, early in the morning and pressed a gentle kiss to my Optimus' lips.
His optics onlined, and his mouth opened. I shook my head slightly.
~I don't want to wake Sentinel~I sent through our joined sparks ~I will return soon, but I've an early meeting with the i-NERD co-ordinators this morning~
Optimus made something of a face.
~I didn't say you have to come with me~ I told him in amusement ~Go back to your recharge, beloved~ I leaned down and feathered gentle kisses along his neck struts.
Optimus looked up at me for a long moment before nodding.
~You're not going to get out of sync with me again, are you?~ he asked rather plaintively.
~Abso-fucking-lutely notI smirked slightly. My Optimus grinned and squirmed down onto the berth a bit more, dropping back into his recharge.
I rose and summoned my armour to my frame, smiling as my Optimus automatically rolled onto his right side, pulling Sentinel into his arms.
The lucky bastard-bot. I rolled my optics in amusement and strode quietly out of our quarters and down the corridor.
"Morning Kae!" Chance bellowed cheerfully, fairly sprinting toward Jetfire as my grandfather laughed and leaned down, offering his hand.
::. Kae?.:: Jolt sent curiously.
::. Jolt?.:: I smiled back at him.
::. Cole's on the phone for you.::
::. Pipe him through?.:: I asked him with a laugh.
::. You got it.:: Jolt snorted. I smiled as the connections went through.
::. Good morning, Cole.:: I sent cheerfully.
::. Kae!.:: the man replied cheerfully ::. What are my chances of catching a ride with you?.::
::. Where are you flying off to?.:: I laughed at him ::. We're supposed to be meeting with the i-NERD aren't we?.::
::. Yeah, I meant land mode.:: Cole snorted.
::. Aww, spoilsport.:: I snorted ::. Here I was going to make a dramatic entrance. Spoiled. I'll be there in a few, you at home?.::
::. Yep, you're the best Kae.:: Cole grinned.
I chuckled and strode toward the entrance bay.
"Kae!" Will called up.
"Will!" I called back.
"I need a Prime decision," he called up.
"On?"
He pointed toward communications central.
I rolled my optics and leaned down, lightly scooping the Colonel into my hand as he jumped into it. New habit.
"Jolt could you call Cole and tell him I'm going to be a few minutes?" I asked tiredly, striding into the communications room.
"On it," Jolt nodded. I turned and looked at a half dozen Directors on the screens.
"Gentlemen, Director Mearing," I stated calmly, looking at the screens. "Unfortunately I'm already swamped at the moment, could I prevail on you to paraphrase?"
"Got you covered," General Moreshower's voice grinned. "Topics in order. One. Weapons technology upgrades."
"Still a no." I stated calmly. "We can yell at each other later. Number two?"
"Sentinel's symposiums," Director Mearing stated calmly.
"Is actually the first thing on my to-do list today, I'm supposed to be on the road to pick Cole up on the way to meeting with the i-NERD crew." I stated calmly.
"Scouting?"
"Jetfire is already in the air with Lieutenant Chance." I stated calmly. "No doubt he will give either Optimus, Sentinel or myself the aerial scout's reports later today."
"Furtherance of the training of our soldiers using our own weaponry?" Director Matteer shot at me.
"Ironhide already has the syllabus in his processors, the final go-ahead is going to be said the second you lot and Optimus can agree on the terms on the training." I stated calmly.
"Brotherhood of Man?"
"No comment," I stated calmly.
"What!?" Director Mearing demanded.
"That is a one on one conversation," I stated firmly.
"Oh, gotcha," she nodded calmly. "You busy later?"
I glanced at my schedule.
"I'll be working med-bay shift from sixteen hundred to oh four." I stated calmly. "If you can fit yourself into those twelve hours you are more than welcome, the lot of you." I nodded to the screens.
"That covers it then," the woman stated cheerfully.
"Excellent," I smiled at her. "I'd imagine I'll see you later. Archangel out."
The screens blinked out and I turned to look at the Techs.
They were staring at me.
"What?" I asked curiously.
"What the hell do you need us for?" Will demanded with a laugh.
"Company," I smirked at him. "I can deal with the five minute meetings because we have one of the most comprehensive and skilled group of technicians, aides and allies laying out the groundwork and gathering the information."
I winked at the lot of them and turned.
"I'll be back in a few hours if Optimus and Sentinel haven't woken up by then," I called over my shoulder.
I strode to the entrance bay, stretched and folded into my truck form... well... my version of Optimus' truck form, but it was remarkably comfortable.
First stop was Cole's apartment, I parked and lightly touched my air horn. He was running through the lobby the next moment as I laughed.
"Dunno why you'd fly, this form is just stylish!" Cole stated excitedly.
I laughed and pulled into the traffic again, driving across the city. Or trying to at any rate. The traffic was insane, and then we were stopped.
Hemmed in on all sides. Traffic jam.
"This is why I fly everywhere," I grumbled, scanning the area. "Screw it. Cole, put your briefcase in your lap and your feet up on my seat, will you?"
"Wait why?" Cole asked even as he obeyed. "I can just as easily call ahead..."
"I've got a bit of a tight schedule Cole, never thought I'd ever say that, but I do." I grumbled, "Don't worry, I'm not going to squash you."
I carefully transformed into my bi-pedal form and jumped into the air, using my forcefields until I was above the buildings and transforming into my flight mode.
Cole was sitting somewhat shell-shocked as I brought my engines online, flying casually over the buildings. Two minutes and I transformed again, lightly depositing Cole into my hand and landing lightly in the parking lot.
"Far more efficient," I stated mildly. "You good?" I looked at him with a small smile.
He was grinning like a madman.
"Of course you realize that I'd intended to talk to you while you were driving," he stated amicably. "You know, sort out what Sentinel's going to need.
"A large enough space to fit us," I replied with a snort as several of the i-NERD people began walking toward us. "Sentinel is insisting that if he's going to teach he's going to do it in the Cybertronian style." I told him calmly, letting the others hear us.
"How's he gonna do that?" Cole asked with a broad grin.
"Well, I'm going to have to build him a Central," I shrugged, kneeling down and lightly depositing him on the ground.
"We need to build an entirely new building!?" one of the people demanded.
"What? No, don't be ridiculous," I laughed. "I can retrofit any halfways open space with a central and take it down when we're done. Easy."
"Oh... okay..." the man shrugged. "Right... what was I thinking again... Oh! Right, open space, did you want to do an amphitheatre type deal or complete circle?"
"Ooh, that's a good question," I murmured. "Amphitheatre I think, hang on..."
::. Jolt?.:: I sent silently.
::. Kae?.::
::. Do you know if Sentinel is awake or not?.::
::. He just walked in.:: Jolt grinned.
::. Sentinel?.:: I sent over the primary with a smile.
::. Kae?.::
::. Did you want your lecture hall a complete circle or an amphitheatre style?.:: I asked cheerfully.
::. Amphitheatre!.:: Sentinel grinned over the primary.
::. Excellent.:: I smirked. I looked back at the humans. "Yes, definitely amphitheatre."
"That's efficient," Cole snorted.
"Yeah, comm system is awesome," I snorted, I looked politely at the i-NERD committee as they watched us with surprise.
"Okay, so let's go real-estate shopping," the man grinned. "I've got a couple of places in mind... uh..."
I laughed and resumed my truck form, onlining my holoform beside my fender.
"Sorry, once I'm in my root form I start to forget about the hiding bit," I snorted.
A short drive and we pulled up in front of an enormous building.
Immediately, I had a good feeling about it. The man quickly got into the building and opened up a bay door off to the side. I drove in, looked around for a moment and transformed.
Fifty foot roof, excellent. It was a massive space, the human's footsteps echoing into the far corners.
There weren't any seats, that was just fine. I scanned the room for a long moment and grinned.
"This, is perfect." I stated cheerfully.
"Wait, really?" the man asked curiously. "This is the entrance, we were going to set up tables and stuff in here. I was thinking this room..."
He led the way through a second bay door, I looked around for a moment and shook my head somewhat, it was a larger space, but it didn't feel... right.
"I think you'd be better off putting the tables and whatnot in this room, that first room has just the right feel to it." I stated calmly.
The man shot a happy grin at me.
"So did you want to see the other places?" he asked curiously. "I'll admit that I was hoping this building would suit you, the others are a bit smaller..."
"I'll take this room," I smiled through my holoform. "So t-minus three weeks, do I need to sort out renting this room, or do you have the paperwork and whatnot?"
"Oh, well I'll swing by and you can sign it, how's that?" the man grinned at me, he frowned. "Or... when are you not terribly busy?"
"I'll be working the med-bay shift from four this afternoon to four in the morning tomorrow, so anytime then is just fine, don't worry about whomever else may be in to see me, I grant you the welcome to be barging in invitation." I smiled as the man whooped.
"Now, what else is on the dockett?" I asked curiously, kneeling down to look at the humans calmly.
"I need Sentinel's final decision on his class schedule," the man stated calmly.
"Immediately, or can I spend a couple of hours working on it with him and I'll hand it over when you barge in with the paperwork?" I asked with a smile.
"That's perfect," the man snorted. "I think that's about all you need to worry about now, tables in that room, lectures in this one, you're taking care of the decorations in this room?"
"I am," I smiled.
"Cool, so, ladies and gents let's see about the rest of the convention details." the man nodded, looking at his entourage.
"Do we need to worry about keeping space open for you guys to look around the rest of the convention?" a woman asked worriedly.
"How do you mean? Are you scheduling all of us for something or another in the convention?" I asked in amusement.
"No, I mean for you guys to walk around at the convention," the woman stated earnestly.
"No, I'd imagine we'll just use our holoforms to wander around the tables and whatnot," I smiled at her. "It's far easier to see it properly, that way."
"See it properly?"
"Well, when I'm walking around twenty feet above you, it takes a bit of magnification to see everything on the tables. I have the ability to magnify and see what's on the tables, but it's more fun to just walk around as a human again." I laughed gently.
"See you later Kae," Cole told me cheerfully.
"Did you want me to stick around to ferry you about?" I asked him worriedly.
"Nah, that's what cab's are for. I just figured car-pool here would save some time," Cole snorted, he glanced at his watch. "Which is awesome because that traffic would have had us meeting you guys right around now."
"Free up an hour or so," the lady laughed.
"I'll see you later then." I smiled at them, ducking through the bay door and straightening in the bright sunshine. I cloaked myself and idly jumped into the air, flying casually back to headquarters.
Nine in the morning. I shrugged and went to sit in the central, onlining my holoform and plunking down between Jacobs and Will in the mess hall.
"Sup?" I asked cheerfully.
"Kae's back!" Jacobs howled, hauling my holoform into an enormous hug.
"What'd I miss?" I demanded with a snort.
"You missed the latest pool," Will stated in a saddened tone.
"Oh crap, on what?" I grinned.
"Jolt and Lena," Jerry stated seriously. I raised an eyebrow at them, sensing Lena walking into the mess hall behind me.
"And what of it?" I asked neutrally.
"When they're gonna announce their wedding plans," Jacobs stated with a shit eating grin, turning to look at her.
Lena snorted and squirmed in beside me.
"So much harder to feel intimidated when I've got you lot with me," she smiled as I wound a gentle arm around her waist.
"So what do you think, are you going to do a human level wedding as my Optimus and I did, or are you simply going to bond when the time comes?" I asked her gently.
"Oh, that's a good point," Lena stated, sitting back somewhat and pursing her lips. "I'm gonna have to ask Jolt."
"Where is he, anyway?" Jerry asked curiously. "This is like, first time I've seen one without the other."
"He's hiding from Ratchet," Lena snorted.
"Oh right, spring overhauls," I snorted, rising. "Which means I need to track down both sets of twins, call my brothers in, get Chromia and Arcee to put Ironhide and Ratchet down for the count and blow Optimus and Sentinel's minds."
"Busy day today," Jacobs grinned at me.
"So it would seem," I laughed, stealing a sausage from his plate before waving at the soldiers, whacking at shoulders and giving Lena a hug, I held onto her for a second. "If you need anything, I'm probably in the med-bay, just ask one of the bots." I smiled.
She beamed at me and tucked into her own breakfast.
I stretched somewhat and searched along the frequencies.
::. Jolt.:: I sent gently.
::. I don't want to use up Ratchet's time for a full overhaul.:: Jolt sent back immediately.
::. Translation. You don't ever want to submit to something even close to slagging.:: I replied calmly ::. Ratchet and I already discussed it, Jolt, it's your choice, however I do want to see to your lubricants and conversion matrix.::
"Oh, okay," Jolt stated behind me.
I turned to smile at the technician.
::. Although I thought you'd want to be your best for your Lena's onlining.:: I added teasingly. ::. I'm not going to slag you, but I do think you could potentially handle me working on you in holoform mode. Get you aligned and dancing about again...::
Jolt stared at me.
::. I. Did not even think of that...:: he stated musingly.
I gave him a gentle, teasing shove.
"Come on, you seriously thought we'd slag you?" I snorted.
Jolt shot me a guilty look.
I laughed and wound a gentle arm across his shoulders.
"Come on, I'll see to your lubricants and conversion matrix, and you can ponder how much of a re-alignment you feel comfortable with," I smiled gently.
Jolt immediately perked up and strode beside me into the med bay. It took me all of ten minutes to tweak his conversion matrix, and another five to change his lubricants.
That alone had him looking far more comfortable.
"Now then, do you have anything you want me to adjust or fix or anything?" I asked with a low laugh. "And you don't get to use the 'don't want to take up your time' line, I'm completely free and bored."
"Well..." Jolt hummed thoughtfully. "Could you take my legs and carry me to communications? I'm on duty in twenty..."
"Are you sure?" I asked gently.
"Y... yeah, I think I am..." Jolt nodded, leaning back on the berth.
I onlined an extra processor and gently began disconnecting his legs, watching him for any upset.
I carefully closed his systems back up and set his legs aside.
"Communications?" I asked gently.
"Please?" Jolt asked softly.
I nodded and gently picked him up.
"Alright then, Jolt, bear in processor if you feel any kind of stress for not having your legs while you're in communications I don't care if we're suddenly in the middle of a nuclear war, I want you to call me and I'll come get you," I told him firmly.
Jolt grinned and relaxed in my arms.
"Just because you said that, you know it's gonna be one pit of a trick to get stressed out now," he stated cheerfully.
I laughed softly and stepped through the doors to Communications central.
"Jolt!?" Lena called out in a worried tone.
"Kae's working on my legs, I hate watching that stuff," Jolt snorted as I gently settled him down onto his bench. I made sure he was well balanced and comfortable.
"Quit fussing," Jolt snorted, then covered his vocal processors.
"It's nice to have you back Jolt," I murmured with a small smile. "You remember to call me-"
"If I get stressed out," Jolt nodded cheerfully. "Got it."
I laughed at him gently and patted his shoulder, striding back to the med-bay. In moments I was scanning his legs and shaking my head.
Shoddy re-build.
In minutes I was already taking the first apart, my holoform and my hands working in concert as I patiently rebuilt his legs, realigning them, welding the occasional tear and flashing energon through the metals to integrate the repairs properly.
Two hours, one for each leg.
I scanned the servos again and nodded to myself, delicately picking them up and walking back to communications. I stood in the doorway for a moment, nothing critical happening.
"Jolt," I murmured calmly. He turned to look at me and stared at his legs in my arms. "Ready to have your legs back?" I asked cheerfully.
"You're already done!?" he demanded incredulously.
"They weren't blown up," I shrugged. "Maintenance takes less time than a full rebuild." I knelt down in front of him and gently began reconnecting his legs as he stared at me in shock.
That was done in minutes, I ran a gentle surge of energon through his neurals, re-introducing his legs to his systems.
"Right then," I stated calmly, delicately catching his hands. "Give them a try."
Jolt stood and staggered for a second, re-adjusting his balances.
Then, then he took a few steps.
The shock in his optics was priceless.
Then, then the best grin I had ever seen on his faceplates.
"Now that feels awesome!" he practically sang, taking a few more steps then breaking out into a little jig. He transformed into his vehicle mode and back again.
"Niiice!" he laughed.
"Good," I chuckled. "Bring me your arms when you're off duty?"
Jolt nodded cheerfully and plunked back down onto his bench again.
"I can do that," he stated gleefully, bouncing his legs about a bit.
"Take it easy," I laughed at him, lightly laying my hands on his knees. "Give your body some time to re-integrate properly!"
"Yes Ma'am!" Jolt grinned, I turned and walked toward the doors.
"And quit calling me ma'am," I added over my shoulder.
"Alright Kae," Jolt snorted.