(Please see the first chapter for story and universe background.)
Disclaimer: Transformers universe is copyright Hasbro. I don't own Transformers or any of their characters, universe, or any other recognizable situations. I do not make money from them. The following is done for entertainment only.
Chapter 2... Warning
Ratchet rested his head in one hand as he scribbled away at a data pad. Outside, Earth's sun was setting in a brilliant array of gold and red. As he had become accustomed to the planet's day cycle, and as he had little recharge the night before, his energy was fading with the light. On the other side of his office, the sarcoa Klayadra was working furiously on her reports. But he noticed the occasional telltale nod of her head when she stared too long at a particular paragraph, followed by a whispered expletive as she retyped the section.
Faint voices filtered up the hall. Warm gentle air hissed from the overhead filtration units as the chill of night settled in. Crickets chirped their tender lullaby and both CMOs lingered a little too long on their last data entry, soft air cycles whispering a relaxing melody in the stillness.
"We've got a problem!"
Ratchet and Klayadra sat bold upright as the Seeker sisters marched into the office, disturbing their unintended rest. Nova tossed a burned microchip to the sarcoa medic.
"What is this?" Klay turned the chip over, examining the unfamiliar markings.
The silver Seeker took an uninvited seat on Klay's desk. "The 'Cons called in an 'electromotive inhibitor'."
Klay swore in her own language.
"Mean anything?" Nova watched her CMO.
"They're illegal," Klay muttered. Ratchet leaned over her shoulder to get a better look.
"Tell that to the 'Cons," Tirel grumbled, leaning on the cluttered desk beside her Air Commander.
"But this is different," rubbing her optics, the gold and green mech set the chip aside and began typing on her computer.
"What in the..." Ratchet wasn't sure what to make of the small component. Bent traces dug into the cracking structure. It had clearly seen better days.
"You alright, Nova?" Klay asked without looking up. The silver Seeker stole a glance at her sister and shifted positions to better hide her injuries. Tirel just looked away with a wry smile.
"Fine!" she beamed.
Ratchet glared at her.
"And I'm a Prime," he muttered. Klay just shook her head. She knew exactly what was going on, but this took precedence. If her fears were correct, they were all in danger.
Klay stopped at a particular entry and read it closely. The runes meant nothing to Ratchet, but he could tell by the look of his counterpart that it wasn't good news.
"We have to tell Keldawn and Optimus," she growled.
"They're recharging," Ratchet argued as she jumped from her seat and hurried out, followed closely by the Seekers.
""Trust me," she called, "They'll want to see this."
The last time, excluding battles, that Optimus had been awoken this abruptly involved Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and several tons of Play-dough® . Now as he sat hunched over the broad conference room table, struggling to keep his optics online, the Autobot commander hoped for their sakes it was an actual emergency. Across from him, the sarcoa commander Keldawn yawned and rubbed his eyes. Optimus never imagined he would be sharing the meeting with an enormous white bear.
"So who got a new polka dot paint job during recharge, this time?" Keldawn asked as the medics entered, followed by Nova and Tirel.
Ah, a kindred soul. Optimus smiled. He knew he liked Kel for a reason, bear or not.
Ratchet glanced at Klay and raised his optics. She obviously knew what was going on. He sure wished he did.
"No one, Kel," she finally answered. "We have a new problem."
"And it couldn't wait until morning?" he asked.
"There's something you need to know about us, Optimus," Klay continued, carefully.
Optimus raised an eyeridge. What could possibly come up to make their tenuous alliance with the Sarcoa more complicated?
"We have to shift forms," she announced to a clueless audience.
Ratchet and Prime exchanged empty looks.
"No," Tirel broke in, "what she means is we have to shift. If we stay in one form too long, it causes problems."
"What kind of problems?" Optimus asked, not sure he wanted to know.
"Lots of problems," the Sarcoa medic continued, "severe pain, disorientation, hallucination, cascading damage to major systems, and even, if it goes on long enough, permanent deactivation."
"Could this be used to gain information?" Ratchet tried.
"It's not a very useful form of interrogation," Klay told him, "as the victim quickly loses his or her mind."
Nova narrowed her optics and crossed her arms tightly over her cockpit.
"It is, however, a popular form of execution," the medic explained carefully.
Prime swallowed. "Do the Decepticons have this information?"
Klay held up the chip. "They know how to do it," she sighed, "but so far we don't think they don't know the damage it can do."
The Autobot commander leaned back in his seat and tried to think. Ratchet was the first to voice his concerns.
"So, how often do you have to shift?"
"It varies," Klay told him, "it really depends on the individual."
Keldawn turned to his Autobot counterpart and tried to elaborate.
"Take us, for example," he began slowly. "I can go a month, maybe two. Tirel and Nova, a few weeks."
Optimus cocked his head.
"Whereas Klayadra here," he continued, "has to shift multiple times per day."
Klay cycled air heavily and looked down. Surprisingly, it was Nova who came to her defense.
"A medic's systems change constantly in order to help their patients," the Air Commander explained. "As her energy field fluctuates to meet the demands of treating various wounds, she shifts back and forth to correlate treatment between organic and mechanical systems."
Klay smiled slightly and nodded.
Optimus tapped on the table nervously. "So where exactly did the Cons get this thing?"
"That's the scary part," Klay answered. "There's only one place to get these – on our homeworld, Srilar."
Even behind his mask, Optimus' gaping stare was evident.
"I thought the Srilari were peaceful," Ratchet snapped at the Seekers, "you said they would support us."
Nova's optics flared. "You can't expect an entire planet to follow the same ideals. Yes, most of them are peaceful and want nothing more than for these wars to end. But some are disillusioned with the whole fragging thing!"
Tirel put what she hoped was a calming hand on Nova's wing.
"We can barely fight a war on one front," the Autobot CMO continued, "now you're telling us that your perfect little planet may harbor enemies?"
The Air Commander shook off her sister's grasp and balled her fists, optics gleaming. "I'm telling you they're sentient, civilized creatures. The Cons have lied to you – how many more have they lied to? The Srilari aren't use to the two-faced, backstabbing mechs we're dealing with."
"And some of your little peace-loving aliens are helping the Cons," Ratchet growled, advancing on her.
"Which would never have happened," Nova added through gritted denta, meeting his stare, "if we hadn't been kicked off the planet in the first place!"
Optimus and Kel rushed to place themselves between the two mechs, who looked as if they might come to blows at any moment.
"We need to step back and address this calmly," Kel told them.
"He's right," Optimus added, placing a hand on Ratchet's shoulder, "we don't know for sure if the Srilari are involved, just that it likely came from the planet."
"Nova took in a deep cycle of air and nodded. "It's true, Optimus, we could be dealing with a faction outside of their control."
"Look," Keldawn tried softly, "I know we don't want to believe the Srilari are capable of this, but until we know for sure, we have to investigate every angle."
Optimus nodded, "Judging from your descriptions, this technology is too dangerous. We have to find the source."
The Seekers exchanged a wary glance. Ratchet ignored them and spoke up.
"I'd like Wheeljack to take a look at it."
The Autobot commander sighed and nodded, "perhaps he can uncover some details which will aid in tracing it's origin. Ratchet, you and Klayadra assist Wheeljack."
"Let us know," Keldawn added, "if you find anything useful."
Nova grumbled something about wasting time, which earned her a swift jab from her sister's elbow.
"And you," Klay rounded on the silver Seeker, "it's late and you above all need rest. But bright and early I want you in med bay."
"I'm fine-" the Air Commander began, only to be grabbed by the wing and hauled unceremoniously out of the room by her sister, but not before she sent one final warning glare to Ratchet.
"She hates me," he muttered.
Klay patted his arm, genuinely trying to calm the situation.
"She doesn't hate you," she purred, "just your civilization."