"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do." -Edward Everett Hale
Ch 2
000
'Listen you have a mission, only you can complete something special and of utmost importance.'
Systems hissing violently from trying to cool down his body Optimus Prime shot up on his recharge berth his body wrapped in a thin layer of coolant. Why was he reacting this way, they weren't even nightmares yet he still felt the terror when he was in recharge mode? His spark was racing in its chamber from the unwanted excitement and it was almost painful.
Leaning forward Prime put his elbows in his knees and placed his face in his shaky blue hands. This was ridiculous! When was the last time he had gotten a dissent nights rest? That Primus forsaken voice refused to leave his processor and it always said the same things! Its presence wasn't the only thing that bothered the Prime; it was the familiarity of it. It was almost eerie, it reminded him of a ghost or spirit whispering in his audios from behind. He'd heard it somewhere before but the name, the face, it stayed out side his grasp like the humans saying 'an itch you can't reach'.
Ever since the Nightmare virus had been eradicated from the Ark and its crew Prime hadn't had a decent recharge, many of them still didn't even the ones who'd been spared. It had been weeks, a month since then, since the living Nightmare had been destroyed.
The sisters had said that even after the Nightmare virus had been ejected from the body the Nightmare would never effect you again since it considered you worthy. But-that little three-letter word that made a world of difference, the effects from his toxins would never really leave you. They'd been painfully right.
Jazz, Ratchet, Sideswipe, Windcharger, Brawn, Trailbreaker, Gears, and Mirage, even the Dinobot's Grimlock, and Snarl were infected by the virus. With himself included nearly half the Ark had fallen victim and that didn't included how many of the Decepticons had been infected that would probably remain unknown.
He'd already tried to fall into recharge several times this night but had always ended up in a similar state he was in now: just as exhausted as he had been before. Running his hands down his face Prime got up not even making a action to dim the lights on. The lights would probably hurt his optics relays anyway.
Unlocking the door to his private quarters and walking into his office, Prime took a seat behind his desk and turned on his computer. Letting it boot up Prime sighed heavily letting his self be defeated knowing he wasn't going to get any recharge tonight. Elbows on his desk and once again face in hands Optimus Prime let his processor drift back to the voice that had no face and a name that escaped him.
Letting his arms fall to the desk he stared out into open space not really focusing on anything. 'Only you can complete something special and of utmost importance.' What had that young male voice meant by that? It made no since he didn't even relate to trying to get the Prime out of the nightmare he was in, to will himself to get up and fight. Why couldn't he get it out of his CPU?!
But most importantly what did it mean that's what he wanted to know?
Attention momentarily on the bright glowing blue screen to his right Prime just stared at it for a long moment for the first time nothing occupying his mind. Glazed light blue optics from the lack of recharge flickered once then twice before the Autobot leader got up from behind his desk. Going over to one of the many selves he started pulling off old document containers that hadn't been used in a while as if by random and placing them in the crock of his arm before continuing his search for more.
His movements seemed odd not portraying how sleep deprived the Autobot leader really was. They seemed stiff but at the same time fluent and to the point. Optimus Prime seemed to find what he was looking for without even searching for it was more odd that many of the records seemed to have not been moved from their resting place for years.
Office only half lit not really with the need of light anyway a small light on the resident CMO's desk light up the room brightly enough to let Wheeljack fiddle intently with something in his lap.
Ratchet sat behind his desk in his chair, inventory he needed to get the work on feeling out yesterday sitting on his desktop lonely. He had his right elbow on his desk and its red hand holding his head up as he watched the inventor toy with . . .whatever he was preoccupying his attention.
The buzzer to the main do that also lead to the med-bay went off. Wheeljack's 'fins' flickered sighing Ratchet ignored him and pressed a button on his desk to unlock the door. The single door slide open letting in a tall figure draped in darkness except for a slight hint of bronze almost. A pair of orange yellow optics glowed through as they turned to Wheeljack who was still fiddling with the device in his lap as if not noticing there was a guest present.
"Hey 'Tran" greeted Wheeljack not looking up from his work
"You wished to speak with me Teletran?" asked Ratchet watching the inventor lift his legs up in his chair and cross them
Nodding his head Teletran walk forward toward the CMO's desk "Hey 'Jack" facing Ratchet "and yes I did Ratch'"
Attention completely on the hacker Ratchet leaned back and narrowed his light blue optics waiting for the tall Ark gold mech to take a seat in one of his office chairs. The CMO took notice that once again Teletran didn't have his secondary chest armor attached letting his foremost armor underneath leaving it exposed. It never had really bothered Ratchet it didn't many mechs but that was from knowing the gold hacker for so long. Many of the 'bots would had just met the hacker way back when on Cybertron before the Project Ark had thought it was rather odd if not inappropriate.
Ratchet had just told them to quit bitching and deal with it; it was just the Temporal way. That and Teletran did care what they thought anyway if they had something to say about it they could come and say it to his face.
Ratchet grinned inwardly remember when one of the Autobot's had actually dared to say it directly to the hackers face. Needless to say Ratchet had a visitor to his clinic and a trip down to the brig to repair Teletran's hand. Things had gotten out of hand there needless to say.
"What about?" Ratchet asked
Looking down at his lap as if pondering on which words to say or where to start "Optimus." Was the single word "I don't think he's doing as good as you think he is."
That was Teletran, straight to the point 'never betting around the bush' as the saying went. Ratchet could hear it in the hackers tone how low it was and serious. The clicking and the sound of metal pieces sliding that had been Wheeljack toying with the little device stopped promptly.
"What you mean by that?" Ratchet asked while still suspected what Teletran was implying
Teletran was by nature a thinker his processor never stopped running processing everything that ran through it. The CMO could prove that fact. One incident back on Cybertron had left the hacker in a dangerous situation and in his med-bay but not serious enough were the hackers processor would shut down to conserve energy to the rest of his body. Ratchet was rather surprised to find that even in stasis his processor spun.
So Teletran always thought before he spook, well most of the time anyway, but even when you think he doesn't he does but really doesn't care for or about the pros and con's.
Reaching around to his hip Teletran de-subspace a small black object that looked like a little black cube. Standing up Teletran walked over and around Ratchet's desk pulling a small cord out of a small compartment from arm he plugged it into the little black cube and then the other end in the side of Ratchet's terminal.
"I recorded this last night just after he left your medical bay" voice just above a whisper optics narrowing to slits
Wheeljack deposited the device he'd been working on in his chair and jogged around to the other side of the desk to the medics left and watched as a recording started to play. The image on the screen showed their leader walking down the hall that lead to his quarters his movements slow. Nothing really looked odd about what was playing, it was completely normal but the recording wasn't done yet.
After a few moments of watching the recording stopped, Teletran unplugged the black cube device and put away the cord. Wheeljack leaned back and stared with a critical optic at Ratchet's screen even though the recording had long since stopped. The ivory medic had leaned back in his chair, arms crossed tightly over his broad chest shadow on his face.
He didn't like what he had seen.
Teletran leaned back shutting off his optics in deep contemplation. Bring his gold and red hand up he rubbed the back of his neck gently and sighed. "You know as well as I that I don't get into other 'bots business, it goes against my personal morals, but when I come to the others health I will step in." looking down at the medic who was looking up at him with those serious light blue optics under his chevron.
Nodding his head in understanding Ratchet turned his head back around and placed his chin on his collar. Slight movement to his left didn't distract him as he watched Wheeljack head back to his seat to most likely fiddle with the little device of his. If he knew Wheeljack as good as he thought he did toying away at some random device was a good method that seemed to work while the engineer need to think.
"Its alright Teletran I understand" leaning forward "I'm glad you did show me this. He's showing signs of depression and or PTSD1. . .far worse than we are, considering. But I can't make a clear diagnostic without a complete consult."
Meeting the hackers orange yellow optics Ratchet looked into them as he looked back. There was always something strange about the hacker before him optics. When you looked in his optics they just seemed to stare back almost as if they were looking into your very spark finding all your past misdeeds or what you were really thinking. They were unnerving at times. Ratchet knew it was just the way Teletran was and if he was doing that well he'd probably never know the truth.
Right now though they had a look Ratchet wasn't familiar with, he just couldn't pin point what it was.
"Teletran you know I wouldn't ask this of you, your personal moral and all, but I need you to keep a close optic on him."
Nodding his head in understanding "I will. I wanted to run this by you just to make sure."
"Good I'm pleased you did."
The room feel silent, well minus Wheeljack's tinkering, which had finally gathered Teletran's attention now that his conversation with the medic was over. Making a face the hackers narrowed his optics and tried to figure out where he had seen that little device before. It was familiar but he didn't quit remember it being that big it was probably a human invention that the inventor had re-sized for his needs or. . .entertainment.
Leaning down Teletran whispered in Ratchets audio "What is he doing?"
Shrugging "Don't know he's been at it for an hour and half now?"
"Its called Rubik's Revenge2, and I can hear you two ya know!" The two grinned and realized what the multi colored cube was now.
000
PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Rubik's Revenge: 4×4×4, Invented by Péter Sebestény (source wikipedia)
A/N:
Okay I said I'd would get this chapter up sooner unfortentally my computer decided to go on the fritz big time and I've just recently gotten it back. Apologies for the wait. Well I hope you enjoyed it please leave me a review, which would be most appreaciated.
This story is dedicated to MyBlueOblivion for everything; you've been a big influence on me as an author. I owe you a lot my friend!
Transformers and all related char(s) belong to Has/Tak
Except for Teletran's persona, and the plot, are mine
Names and characters are entirely coincidental