Ch. 226

Miko rolled the Apex Armor's shoulders and reached up high, "Ok, 'King! I'm all ready to help take this door down!"

Predaking chuckled, "Patience, my friend. That is something Starscream had to teach me early on. We have seen that there are no extra traps installed. This is correct, Optimus?"

The Prime nodded from beside Ratchet, the larger mech fitting the wall's panel back into place, "Wheeljack and Ratchet have thoroughly investigated the wiring and components surrounding our obstacle; you are clear to remove the door using whatever means you see fit, Predaking."

Predaking's large smile moved from Optimus to Starscream, looking for confirmation from the seeker which came in the form of a surprised nod.

"I am ready," the Predacon announced, "and should I need the assistance," he gestured down beside him, "I know Miko will provide support."

The girl held back a squeal of excitement, "I'm ready when you are, dude! Let's take this thing down already!"

Predaking carefully moved forward and dug his claws into a small groove in the middle of the door, testing the grip he had before digging in further and slowly beginning to pull his weight to the side. It wasn't long before the great mech growled as he grit his dentals and his wings flared out to find purchase in the surrounding structures. The design of the Ark's doors and door frames was quite a bit different from what Predaking had mangled aboard the Nemesis. And it was a fair bit stronger, too.

Miko noticed the distress and hesitated to step forward, "What's going on? Is it snagged? Or a gear jammed?"

Ratchet scowled in frustration, "There shouldn't be any blockages! The mechanics alongside the wall are pristine!"

The girl held her hands on her hips, "Aw, well this is a super bummer. If 'King can't pop it open, I won't be much help... Hey, Starscream!" she beamed, looking back at the stiff seeker, "That glowing thing you did with Optimus- think you can juice up me and the 'King so we can rip the door down?"

Miko laughed at her own comment as Predaking snorted a strained chuckle, missing the anxious glance Starscream threw to Ratchet as the medic frowned nervously back.

"Aah... w-well," the lithe mech stepped forward, "I doubt that would help right now... but perhaps-" he reached out to gently touch the tips of his digits onto Predaking's arm, the great mech ceasing his actions to rest and turn his attention to the seeker, "we need a different perspective on this. You could be twisting the cap the wrong way."

Miko snapped her fingers, "Woah, yeah. Accidental righty-tighty."

Predaking took large intakes in pants, murmuring down to the smaller mech, "I have failed, my friend. My strength..."

Starscream looked up at the Predacon quickly, "Not only have we just begun but you have delivered a perfect performance. And yes, while it didn't work, it has also taught us that simple brute force will not be enough. Predaking, you did wonderfully and now we know we need to try something else."

Predaking's wings perked and he nodded, letting Starscream pat his arm reassuringly. Ratchet grumbled to Wheeljack and Optimus when Bulkhead let out an annoyed groan.

"You know..." he began, "the sound of the door when Predaking tried to pull it open... I've heard that sound before."

"Oh thank Primus..." Ratchet sighed, "Where?"

Bulkhead held up his servos, "Don't get too excited, Ratchet. You're not going to like this."

The medic pointed a digit at the green mech, "So long as it has nothing to do with what you know you did, I don't care."

Optimus smiled, "What can you tell us, Bulkhead?"

Bulkhead stepped forward, resting the palm of his servo against the door, "I never got a chance to do the fancier building work back on Cybertron. Frames, maybe. Demolition was the easier part... But I once worked a job that was for a huge security office. The doors they wanted didn't look anything like these... but how they worked, or at least, how this one seems to work... it was a lot like those," he backed up to stand by Miko, mimicking his servos on his hips as she had done, "If the construction is right, the locking mechanisms would be hidden on the other side."

Ratchet stared, dumbfounded, "W... They what?!"

Miko and Wheeljack pouted equally but Smokescreen crossed his arms, "Let's not get upset yet. How can we check?"

Bulkhead gestured on either side of the door, "We just gotta get the paneling off-"

Predaking suddenly lunged forward, surprising everyone and sending Starscream scuttling off to the side, and dug his claws into the weaker wall panels, pulling them down as though they were light tissue paper. When the wall was left bare to be admired and the Predacon stood back, he smiled wide to Bulkhead.

"Does this look like the ones you saw on Cybertron?"

The green mech nodded slowly, "Uh... yeah," he pointed, "Same kind of construction. The frame comes down so you can't torch any of the latches holding it in place. The metal used would have been high grade, heat resistant, the works."

Smokescreen sighed, "Not being able to phase in says all that..."

Predaking inhaled deeply and his wings popped up excitedly, "But the smell... the scent of... things unsettled," he took a few steps away from the door, "It is easier to sense it now. Something taken back and added. Done in the same movement..."

Miko looked confused, "Well how do you do that?"

Optimus watched Predaking's expression change as he tested different intakes of air, "The touch of a digit on a keypad, the use of a key," the Prime explained, "removes particles that will leave a fresh surface and will also add a scent that our friend Predaking will be able to hone in on. If removing the wall paneling from around the door's frame has allowed this scent to escape, then perhaps what we seek is a hidden activation panel that is capable of accessing this door."

Wheeljack smirked as he gave Bulkhead a passing high-five, "Demo it is then! Gimme a sec to grab Breakdown, he's gonna love this."

"That will not be necessary," Predaking rumbled, carefully maneuvering passed the smaller forms around him to make his way down the hall, "The scent became far more free on the right side... What is this way?"

"Ah, well, the other room, actually," Ratchet blinked, "But that one is just as sealed up as-" the older mech's optics widened and he quickly pointed to Wheeljack, "You! Upper levels, now! Get the data cylinder from Soundwave! Miko, Bulkhead! Start tearing down the panels that are by room number two. Predaking-"

"I shall continue removing these smaller opponents, Ratchet," the great mech growled excitedly, digging his claws into another slat of metal and enjoying the way the piece pulled off the wall.

Ratchet began to smile excitedly, "This is it! It has to be! Brainstorm, you evil genius! Locking the two rooms with the same type of security, latching mechanisms on the inside; the rooms have to be connected! You can't unlock just one! It makes sense, doesn't it?"

Smokescreen returned the smile weakly, "I guess? But... how do we know they're connected?"

"The rest of this ship," Ratchet answered smugly, "Remember what we talked about before? The computers?"

The younger mech shrugged, "Uh, yeah, they weren't able to talk to the master console."

"Precisely! And these rooms must have been one of Brainstorm's greatest creations! There's no 'one separate console'; the rooms," he emphasized, "the rooms themselves, whatever they were used for, must be fully equipped and integrated with multiple console stations-"

"They are the master computer," Smokescreen interrupted softly.

Ratchet smiled widely again at the younger mech's realization, "Yes. I know how incredibly insane that sounds, but every other avenue we've tried- and the size required for such a computer, for all the information this ship was supposedly feeding on and handling moments at a time- can you imagine-" the medic glanced back behind him, "Optimus, can you-..."

"Please, I'm fine," Starscream murmured, shying away from Optimus's servo as he stood up straighter, "I just wasn't expecting that."

The Prime's deep voice carried quietly, "Predaking's excitement more than startled you," he observed, "You did not move nor speak until I approached you."

"I... was just in thought, that's all."

"Starscream-"

"Optimus, stop," the seeker frowned, then sighed, "I'm alright. I just... need everyone to stop asking how I am. I don't want pity."

Optimus stepped aside to allow the smaller mech passed, following him, "This is not about pity. If you are not feeling well-"

"Optimus," Starscream said more firmly as the two drew closer to Smokescreen and Ratchet, "no more. ... I'll talk when I'm ready..."

The Prime's conflicted faceplates were speaking far louder than he wished they would. And though Ratchet heard the whole of their exchange, he kept his gaze elsewhere and said nothing at all.