PART FOUR

Prologue

***

I sat up on my berth with a start, my optics opened wide, my CPU dazed after being in recharge and then, quite suddenly, being jolted out of it.

Well, not jolted exactly, but I was suddenly scared stiff.

I looked around the dark room. It was about four in the morning and, for some reason, I was at unease.

I sighed, and got up, walking out of my new, larger-than-life room, and down the hall.

In the kitchen, I was surprised to find Zikya and Bianca.

"Morning you two," I said, and then looked at Zikya's ashen face. "Uh…morning sickness?"

"Uh-huh." She nodded miserably.

"Poor you." I said sympathetically.

I sat down.

We were joined in the next half hour by the rest of the females staying at the base – Elita1 and Arcee, Shadow and Arlexa, Andy and Stream Fire (who are best friends), Sky and Angelina, Moth and Dragonfly, and Kelsi, Honey Bee and Shooting Star.

"Where are all the mechs?" I wanted to know.

"In recharge, where else?" Elita1 said flatly.

"There's somethin' wrong with this picture…" Angelina said thoughtfully.

"I know, I'm just not sure what, exactly…" Arlexa agreed.

"I think most of the mechs need their heads screwed on straighter," Shadow muttered, and us older fems smiled.

"We should go out and do something today," Bianca said suddenly.

"Like what?" Asked Zikya, who was feeling better.

Honey Bee, Shooting Star, Dragonfly and Kelsi, who were currently using me as their own personal jungle-gym, all said in one voice: "Adventure World!!"

Us older fems blinked our eyes/optics. "You…wanna go to an amusement park?" Bianca said finally.

"I think Dragonfly's too young for that…" Elita1 said.

"No I'm not!" Dragonfly glanced at her Mum. "Mummy, please can we go?"

Moth held her hands up in a sign that meant: 'Ask your Father'.

Well, she absolutely should not have done that, because the next thing we knew, the four girls had all gone running off, to wake up the rest of the base.

Loudly.

Ratchet was going to blow a head-gasket.

Ironhide wouldn't be too thrilled either, for that matter.

"ALRIGHT!!" We heard Kelsi shout. "THIS IS GONNA BE THE BEST DAY EVER!!!!"

"Lucky we just bought new bathing suits, huh Ems?" Stream Fire said cheerfully.

And I forgot all about feeling worried.

That turned out to be the biggest mistake of the world.

STARSCREAMEMMABUMBLEBEE

OPTIMUSBIANCA

SENTINELELITA

JAZZSHADOW

SIDESWIPEARLEXA

SUNSTREAKERANDY

RATCHETSKY

ZIKYAWHEELJACK

STREAM FIREBARRICADE

JETFIRESHOOTING STARJETSTORM

SKIDSANGELINAMUDFLAP

BLITZWINGHONEY BEE

PROWLARCEE

HORNETMOTH

IRONHIDEKELSI