AN: So sorry for the slightly longer wait. But what can I say it's Halloween! Yay! Enjoy this chapter of filler and a tiny bit of plot development!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own characters and the plot. Don't sue please! Reviews are love and make me write faster!
Chapter 2: Catching Up
When the bi-weekly status meetings between the humans and the Autobots had initially begun, it had quickly become apparent that the only way the humans would be able to participate in the conversations would be if they sat on one of the bots. An issue which was thankfully being addressed for the new base. Andi on the other hand had no problem, being used to perching on Axle, and made herself at home on either his leg or shoulder.
Today, she motioned for him to lift her up to his shoulder, and within seconds was quite comfortable resting her arm on his head for support. Mikaela and Sam made themselves comfortable on Bee's knees, and Will and Bobby perched on First Aid, seeing as their usual perch, Ironhide, had yet to take his seat.
Optimus waited until they were seated before speaking. "Now that we are all present, we can begin."
Andi cringed slightly, knowing the statement was directed towards her and Axle. "I'm sorry, Optimus, really I am. But one of these days, I'll introduce you to my mother, and then you'll understand."
"Do not worry, young one. I did not mean to pass blame. What I meant to say was welcome home." He gave the bot equivalent of a soft smile before turning to the three rampaging bots behind him. "Ironhide, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, we are ready to begin."
The three bots slowly came to a stop and made their way to the group. Ironhide was mumbling what Andi could only assume was Cybertronian obscenities under his breath as he took a seat next to Ratchet. While Sunny and Sides were still rumbling with laughter, calming only after they took their seats on Axles' right hand side. Andi hid a smile as she felt Axle heave a sigh under her, his exasperation with his two friends almost tangible.
Optimus began.
"What is the status update on the base?"
"Everything is on schedule," Will answered. "Construction for updating the pre-existing facilities began on time. If all goes accordingly, the main construction should finish in two months time. Then we can go in and start work on the technical aspects."
"Excellent."
Talk continued for some time about the technical aspects of the NEST base and jobs which needed to be finished before the construction was completed. Andi listened with one ear while she absentmindedly played with several of the wires extruding from Axle's neck and the metal plating around his face. She frowned when she noticed a small scratch on the side of his faceplate; that was new.
"What's this from?" she whispered to Axle.
"Hmm?" He was obviously paying more attention to the meeting than she was.
"This scratch."
"Huh? Oh, uh, the twins…I think. It's nothing, don't worry about it."
"Mmm." Andi smiled and refocused her attention on the meeting. The twins were always ganging up on Axle, it was no surprise that he received some damage in the process.
Optimus was speaking once again. "I received a communication two days ago from Perceptor. He, Wheeljack, Arcee and Hoist are all in route and should arrive on Earth in approximately 4 months."
This news garnered varied reactions from the group. All of the bots were excited. The teens were happy for their friends, but the military men groaned slightly, recognizing the potential increase in their workload.
The twins laughed. "Wheeljack, huh? I don't think Earth is ready for him," Sides chuckled.
Andi glanced down at Axle. "Who's Wheeljack? Why aren't we ready for him?"
He turned his head to look at her. "Wheeljack is one of our scientists. Unfortunately, his inventions have a tendency to…not work…at first anyway."
Ironhide snorted. "'Not work' my aft." Andi grinned, she had heard Will use that turn of phrase plenty in the months since they had met; he was rubbing off on Ironhide. "What he means is that they have a tendency to blow up…every single one of them."
Sam grinned. "Sounds like fun."
Optimus interrupted before anyone else could. "Wheeljack will be provided with his own laboratory once the base is complete, until that time, I will inform him he is to refrain from experimenting." His reassurance seemed to calm the masses if only slightly. "Once they arrive, I will speak to Wheeljack and Perceptor about assisting your government's scientists with their work on the energon detectors."
That drew Andi's attention more than anything said yet. The decision to create energon detectors as a form of warning system against the Decepticons had been one of the first agreements the Autobots and the Military bigwigs had made. Right along with Andi's bot-proof firewall. Had she not been so busy with the firewall and helping Ratchet and First Aid repair Jazz she would have loved to have been a part of that project.
"Has there been any progress made on the plans for the detectors?" Andi asked, curious to see if she had missed anything worthwhile while she was away.
Prowl answered her. "Nothing substantial. The biggest issue we are facing is coming up with alternate Earth technology to take the place of our Cybertronian tech. Especially as there is now talk of making the detectors portable for military personnel to carry on their person during any future missions. Our previous detectors were all large and bulky by OUR standards; they'd be immense by yours."
Andi nodded in understanding and fell silent again. As much as she would love to offer her help on this project she realized that at this stage it fell slightly outside of her expertise. Computers, mathmatics and other forms of tech were her babies. Chemistry and physics on the other hand, not so much.
Optimus continued with the meeting.
"Andrea, Axle, I'm assuming since I wasn't told otherwise that your trip was successful."
Axle nodded in affirmation. "Yes, Prime. We encountered no problems."
"Excellent. The firewall was met with approval?"
"Wholeheartedly," Andi confirmed. "Everyone who was present for Frenzy's initial attack was ecstatic. The governments cyber division has been running on red alert for months now; watching and wondering if they were going to see another attempt by the little devil. When I first arrived at the hub holding the servers and hardlines, they literally had soldiers posted waiting for the order to sever the lines in case of an attack. Installation took no time at all and went without a single glitch. The rest of my time was spent teaching a select few the ins and outs of the programing and maintenance. I'd like to go back in a few months and perform a diagnostic myself, just to check on everything but I'll talk to Secretary Keller about that later.'
"While I was there, I was informed by Keller that there has been some major recruiting going on by the Defense Department for cyber and technology specialists. Which is legal jargon for hackers." Several eyebrows/plates rose at this as she continued. "Apparently they are creating a think tank of sorts who will take the firewall I built, study it, and continuously update and improve it. Which is excellent and what I would have had to do on my own before this new development. Now I can focus on running Control's systems and later the base's."
"Why'd he let you in on that?" Epps broke in.
"He wants me to go over the list of possible members and add or subtract from it as I see fit. You too Glen," she shouted over her shoulder quickly to the duo at the table. He raised his hand in acknowledgment while never lifting his gaze from the papers in front of him. "The hacking community as it were is based on a type of anarchical form of self-government. There is no set list of rules. There are however a set of morals if you will that true hackers follow. One of those morals is that a true hacker will cause no harm to others. We explore and create programs, not destroy them. The people who crack into systems and plant viruses are not true hackers, they're crackers. Some of them have the skill, but are not the right kind of person the SecDef wants working on this project. Just because I know how to create a virus that could wipe out an entire server of computers in a matter of seconds does not mean that I should do it.'
"So Glen and I are going to be going over the list of names and handles Secretary Keller gave me and check it to make sure there isn't anyone on here that shouldn't be and add any names we think they should get into contact with."
"Handles?" Sam asked.
"Code names, LadiesMan217." Andi smirked as Mikaela giggled and Sam blushed. "Every hacker has one. It's actually really rare that you ever lean the name of another Hacker. Glen and I met by chance a few years ago. Before then I had only ever known him by his handle."
"What's yours?"
"Access10," she answered truthfully. There was no reason to deny her identifier now that she was working for the very people who once had it out for her.
"What's it stand for?"
"Wouldn't you like to know, LadiesMan." Andi grinned again as Sam scowled over at her. He opened his mouth to retort but was interceded.
"Guys, focus." Will broke up the sure to ensue argument before it could begin.
"Right, sorry. So all in all, everything seems to be in order and as soon as we can get this list back to Secretary Keller we'll have even more help headed our way."
Optimus nodded in agreement. "Excellent. Very good work, you two."
Andi felt Axle sit just a little bit straighter as he basked in a job well done being acknowledged by his superior. She smiled at him softly. Axle took all of his jobs and assignments very seriously and strove for perfection. His leader's acknowledgement of a job well done meant more to him than it would to others. He was a people pleaser through and through. Or bot pleaser as it were.
The meeting was finally coming to a close and Andi couldn't have been more grateful. Her left cheek had started to go numb several minutes ago. And not the one on her face.
"If there is nothing else, we are finished here," Optimus began.
"One thing, Optimus," Ratchet spoke for the first time since the meeting began. "First Aid and I have nearly finished our work on Jazz. I estimate only another few hours before we will be ready to attempt awakening him." This news brought an excited buzz to those present.
"That is wonderful news, my friend." Optimus replied.
Andi was shocked and elated. "Already?" she exclaimed. "You told me two weeks before Axle and I left."
Ratchet shrugged. "My estimations were off slightly. We will need you to run the diagnostics on the Shard and then operate the power circuits for it."
"Of course. Like I'd let anyone else run my diagnostics." She responded enthusiastically.
"Good. Then we will leave you all now and get back to work. There is much to be done. Prime, I will send for you when we are ready." With that Ratchet and First Aid stood and began walking away.
Andi grinned excitedly and jumped down off of Axle's shoulder, stumbling slightly on the landing before jogging to catch up to the two bots heading out of Control and towards the medical hanger.
AN: And thus this author has BSed her way through more hacking technicalities. Please don't try and correct any mistakes that may appear in Andi's explanation of the hacker lifestyle. I am perfectly aware that much of it is wrong/made up. However, for things to work the way I need/want them to this is how it's going to be. It's fanfiction, and in this story, I am goddess supreme. Thanks. Ta da! Filler! Woot! Until next time…Reviewers will be given Halloween cookies. ^^ Happy Halloween everyone!