Ch. 203

"This is impossible," Ratchet almost snarled, "unthinkable! Brainstorm's theories bordered on the insane at the best of times; if you're telling us, me, that he had anything to do with this ship, then it taints it all!"

"Even if they were, so what?" Bulkhead grumbled, "It's not like we found any of his research on board-"

"That is only accessible if we can get the ship fully online," the medic interrupted, "and then you can bet that we'll find all sorts of tools, schematics, weaponry disguised as tools."

Optimus held up a servo, "Enough, please. Your concerns are more than valid, Ratchet, but we cannot abandon such a find simply because of one mech."

Smokescreen nodded, "Optimus is right. This is a ship. A working ship. How long has it been since you've seen Autobot tech, Ratchet?"

The older mech scowled and turned away. Everyone around the room had their own looks of confusion or concern.

Raf watched Soundwave clutch onto the data drives he had discovered and adjusted his glasses as he cleared his throat, "S... so... Brainstorm wasn't exactly stable?"

Ratchet's optics widened, "Not exactly stable?! He was completely unmanageable! If the concept for even the most diluted and impossible theories hadn't been thought up yet, he'd already be on his way to proving them conceivable!"

"Hold on doc," Wheeljack frowned from a seat at the back of the room, "what exactly made his science less valid than yours?"

The medic rolled his optics, "Oh, let me start with his care towards basic safety and proper experimental procedures before I even begin to tear apart some of his scientific 'discoveries'."

Ultra Magnus grumbled from beside Optimus, "Ratchet isn't wrong; Brainstorm had no regard for his teams, when he could get a team that would work with him, and little, if any, concern for basic safety procedures. This could very well mean that if he had any interaction with this ship that we are putting ourselves at risk."

Knockout pouted, "But Smokey had a fair point: this is a working ship. Do you really want to give this all up because of an air of concern? I mean, how bad was this guy anyway?"

Ratchet rolled his optics. He'd had enough. He wouldn't be swayed with anymore discussion.

Ultra Magnus cleared his throat, "Let's just say... his type of science was the kind that one 'could' but, in light of morals and standards, one never 'should'."

Knockout grimaced. Ah, one of those. He was starting to see their point, his optics darting around the room as if daring some unseen experiment to ooze from the walls.

Optimus could feel the growing unease and held back a sigh, "Despite this," he said firmly, "we may not find an opportunity such as this again. Brainstorm's reputation was not among the highest of regards but he was not a fool. His work was his life. If these drives Soundwave found are here, then it is unlikely Brainstorm had a chance to rig some sort of trap. He would have simply taken his work with him."

Ratchet made a groaning noise. The rest of the room still had various looks of concern. Arcee was frowning, her gaze to the ground and her arms crossed tightly.

"... He really regarded his work that highly?" she asked; when Optimus nodded, she sighed, "Alright. Then I say we keep working. I like having a more stable roof over my helm. This place has its faults, but it's better than what we have now."

Bumblebee nodded quietly in agreement and Smokescreen smiled, "We get this thing off the ground, then we'll be on equal fighting measures with the Nemesis."

Breakdown chuckled, "No, not quite. The Nemesis is a warship. This is a research vessel. The best we got on it are some heavy duty engines and a smaller size, so we can at least go faster. Not much in the way of fire power there..." he smirked at Knockout, who returned his look with a sneer, "But give me and the doc some time and we'll fix that, too."

Wheeljack twisted in his seat a bit as he sat up straighter, "So, we're staying? We takin' the risk?"

"I believe we should," Optimus nodded, "but if anything should arise that is not safe, we will abandon the Ark immediately."

The matter was settled; discussion over. As the room cleared of bots who needed to get back to work, June broke away from the excited chatters of the children to go to Ratchet.

"Doctor," she said quietly, "we're still aboard this ship and we're still traveling with you. Just how unsafe was this scientist? Brainstorm?"

The older mech grumbled as he shook his helm and started clearing a console of debris, "Brilliant, I suppose, but erratic. Irrational. Sporadic. He liked testing the limits of physics, biology and patience... and if that wasn't enough to get a rise out of his peers, he'd take it a step further," Ratchet lifted a box of scraps and started carrying it out of the room, "which is why he was no longer allowed to conduct research back home..."