What Makes No Difference Is No Difference (WMNDIND 5)
-0-The next morning
Ratchet had come on station going through the steps of monitoring and searching for anything and everything. The overnight data had been calm, the threat of incursions limited. Two Decepticon flights had passed over but continued onward, their efforts to find the Autobot Base failures.
The sound of voices behind him spoke of mechs gathering to energize and talk. It was a pleasant sound and reminded him of Iacon and the big hospital he'd headed during the run up to the Fall. They had a big apartment, the Master of the Autobot Armed Forces and C.M.O. of the Army having enough where with all to have a nice home.
That had been then, this was now.
He pushed it out of his mind and concentrated on the screen before him. Heavy treads spoke of mechs coming into the great room and as they did a flashing light appeared on the screen. The alarm went off signaling a bogie. Everyone stopped to turn toward Ratchet.
"What is it?" Ironhide asked as he walked to stand beside Ratchet.
"It's an Autobot signal. Who? Its not known. Its traveling by transitional format and therefore has cloaked its identification signal."
Prime who had entered the room glanced at the others. "Very well. Wheeljack and Bulkhead, come with me and we will go find them. We will need a ground bridge, Ratchet."
Ironhide walked to Prime. "I'm coming, too."
Prime smirked slightly then nodded. The four turned to the bridge to wait.
"I have the projected landing site, Optimus. Opening a ground bridge now," Ratchet said as he leaned over and activated the device.
A flash of greenish-blue light swirled and settled into a tunnel maelstrom. The four transformed and drove into it disappearing almost instantly.
The others stared at it, then Ratchet. "Nice piece of work, Ratchet," Springer said.
"Considering its made from bailing wire and duct tape, I would agree," Ratchet replied.
Springer and Drift walked back into the base with Arcee and Bumblebee following. It was quiet. It would remain so until June Darby dropped off the kids. It was Saturday and they were off school.
Ratchet had come to hate Saturdays.
-0-Out there
They came out at the other side and found themselves on a flat landscape. Tall grass bent over in the breeze and far away mountains stood tall, their jagged white peaks indicating their young age geologically. The wind was soft but it rustled the tall grass which undulated like waves on a lake.
"This is nice," Bulkhead said looking around.
Ironhide nodded. "Organic worlds can be surprising." He looked at Prime. "How long were you together as a group before landing here, Optimus?"
Prime considered that. "We were together since Aleph 3. We got a shot at the AllSpark and transitioned after it, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Bulkhead and me. Arcee and Cliffjumper joined us later on when they fled Shockwave over a space bridge from Cybertron."
"They were still there? What happened to Shockwave?" Ironhide asked with surprise.
"They had a dust up and there were shots fired in the bridge. Arcee believes she put out his optic. Then it closed and they were here. They heard my message."
"So did we," Ironhide said. "We got off behind you from Aleph and never hooked up. We triangulated on the message heading this way. It was a miracle we found you. One degree or a fraction of a degree either way and we could've missed you by light years."
Prime nodded. "I know."
The sound of a thundering object overhead drew their attention as they looked up into the sky. A large meteor was streaking in through the atmosphere, a long burning trail of smoke and fire streaming behind. It arced across the sky, then thundered in striking the ground with an explosion. It screamed forward sliding on the ground before coming to a stop.
They ran toward it pausing at the leading edge of the long slide.
Ironhide looked upward as he scanned all around while Optimus jumped into the dug out trail walking to the hole where the protoform was unwinding. It became bigger and bigger before snapping finally into place, a smirking face looking at them at last.
Prime grinned and extended his servo.
"I'm smoking hot, Optimus," the protoform said.
"There are those who say I am, too," Optimus said offering a joke to the clueless bot before him. When he 'd downloaded the urban dictionary among others later, the newbie would have a big chuckle. But not now. He merely gripped the servo extended and accepted the greetings and laughs of those present.
"Ratchet to Prime."
"Prime here."
"You better come if you can. The Decepticons got the signal, too."
"On our way. Ratchet, open a bridge." Prime turned to the newcomer then grinned. "Our cue to go." With that, he walked toward a blossom of energy that had just bloomed before the group.
One by one, they entered and it closed to fall away into nothingness immediately. Seconds later, a flight of Seekers would fly over and beyond the trace of ground bridge energy, they would find nothing.
Again.
-0-At the base
They stepped out one by one as the others gathered with expectation. Optimus came first, then Bulkhead, Ironhide and Wheeljack. The crowd parted as the newbie stepped into view.
Ratchet looked at him, then shook his helm. "Oh great. You."
"It's good to see you, too, Ratchet," the newcomer said with a chuckle. "Feels like old home week with a welcome like that."
Everyone laughed at what appeared to be an old joke. Miko, Jack and Raf who'd been dropped off earlier stood at the banister of the mezzanine watching. The new bot was big, tall and lethal looking. He was red, black and white, had a really handsome face and finish and possessed a lot of charm.
Everyone was really glad to see him.
Ratchet wasn't, Miko thought. Ratchet was as exasperated to see him as he was to see her most of the
time. He must be a holy terror, she thought. She watched the bots talk, then Prime glanced at the three silent humans. He looked at the new bot, gesturing with a sweep of his arm at the trio. "I want you to meet three humans who live on this planet and who have been friends of ours from the beginning."
The group looked at the kids.
The big newbie moved closer to see.
Optimus began the introductions. "This is Jack, Miko and Rafael. They are colleagues and friends. Their species is the one who is native here. They are also among the handful of their kind who know we exist. We live here as robots in disguise. You will have to choose a vehicle format which will be your primary mode when you leave this base." Optimus grinned at the three. "This Autobot is called Sideswipe."
They looked at him then nodded welcome.
Miko considered him and stepped closer to the edge. "Are you a front liner? Do you carry heavy weapons? Do you like monster trucks? How many Decepticons have you sent to the Matrix?" she asked in staccato fashion.
Sideswipe looked at her, then smirked at Wheeljack. "Whoa."
Wheeljack nodded. He smiled at the kids. "They're all tough but the little femme can wreck with the best of them."
"Are you a Wrecker, too?" Miko asked.
"Too?" Sideswipe replied with surprise.
"She offed Hard Shell," Drift mentioned off handedly with a slight smirk on his face.
"Don't remind us," Arcee said in her droll voice.
"Hard Shell? I've been trying to snuff that fragger since forever," Sideswipe said looking at Miko with appraising optics. He glanced at the group. "Have any of you seen my brother?" he asked.
"Nope. But knowing Sunstreaker, he'll come. Mech needs an audience," Ironhide said with a grin.
"He does. He better get here. I hear Megatron is here. If that's so, he's mine," Sideswipe said bumping fists with Ironhide.
"Take a number and stand in line," Wheeljack said.
They chatted and laughed, then began to walk to the rec room. Optimus went with them to debrief Sideswipe as well.
The kids looked at Ratchet who had turned back to the screen.
Miko considered his attitude, then asked the question the other two had but would never ask. "Ratchet, what's up with this bot?"
Ratchet paused a moment to consider the answer, then looked at Miko. "He's you without the dress."
Miko looked at Jack and Raf who snickered. She frowned. She looked back at Ratchet. "I don't wear dresses."
"Yes. Yesyesyesyesyes," Ratchet said absentmindedly. He was hot on the trail of who knew what so the three walked to the couches.
Jack and Raf sat together grabbing a handset for the video player. They loaded a new program and began.
Miko watched them a moment, then walked to the stairs. She climbed down them and walked across the great room floor heading for the rec room and the laughter and the conversation she could hear coming out of there.
Sideswipe was new. He was a Wrecker. And he was her in Cybertronian format.
He was her kind of mech.
She was sure he'd tell her about Ironhide and Ratchet. And maybe if he did, he'd tell her about Bulkhead, Wheeljack, Springer and Drift. Maybe he could tell her about Cliffjumper and Arcee and …
She disappeared around the corner from view.
-0-TBC 04-22-13 01-23-2021
