Author's NB: My apologies, during the spell checker my stupid computer decided to throw a clot and stalled so the spell checker didn't finish the job, and when I restarted it, it started at an odd place and had A-OKed several misspelt words and I'm too dyslexic to figure out where those places are. Good luck.

--

Chapter 6

15th December, 2005

"Sideswipe, where are you going?"

"Ah…"

The red twin found himself facing one of the new to earth officers. An Autobot whose name he couldn't recall but he remembered this one as being stern and a good friend of Magnus – so he was just as strict.

"You're supposed to be patrolling Solias, aren't you?"

"Ah… yes sir".

"Then why aren't you in the Solias area? If my data banks serve me well then this is Latus section".

"Ah… um… I guess I just forgot, you know, this place is always changing, always being upgraded".

"Yes, I guess you did. Now get back to your post and report any strange going ons".

The senior Autobot turned and began walking away.

"What would you class as "strange going ons"? Sir?"

The officer stopped and began to turn back to face the Twin who had just spoken up.

"What the pit do you think I mean? Anything involving the Decepticons, criminals, people who aren't supposed to be in this area, any mischievous human younglings getting up to shenanigans! That's what I mean! Now get your aft plates back to patrol or so help me Primus I'll have you rusting in the brig by dawn! Optimus Prime and his co-horts may have put up with your slag, but I'm not going to, not by a long shot. The times have changed, and if we want to win this war we have to do it with strict discipline and obedience in the chain of command!"

The large black and blue mech literally screamed.

"Ah… yes sir, sorry sir…."

Sideswipe was still a little freaked from what he had just witnessed so he really didn't have much in the way of gusto to respond in any more amusing way.

He didn't dare return to the location where he'd had the run in with that… that… mist.

The warrior found himself contemplating the thing he'd seen. In all his solar cycles, he'd come to see and witness things that science and reason couldn't explain. Once Ratchet had reported seeing "something" in his repair bay after a horrid battle resulting in a great many Autobot deaths. Perceptor, in his esoteric self explained in no un-certain terms that anything Ratchet had witnessed was simply a figment of his CPU created to help deal with the wanton destruction he'd witnessed. Yeah, that was probably what it was… maybe? He was probably just run down, stressed, tired, in need of a vacation, his CPU was just playing tricks on him.

The senior officer could see the warrior was mulling over something and narrowed his optics with impatience.

"I don't have cycles to waste while you contemplate, solider, get back to your post, NOW!"

The officer gave a parting glare before turning and walking off into the darkness.

The red twin looked a little embarrassed, but was somewhat assured that this new to earth Bot wouldn't go telling everyone and their mechanical dog that Sideswipe was shirking his responsibility in some form. He scanned the area of his patrol radius and deciding there was nothing else there he began to search for a place where he could do his job without getting in trouble but without running into that thing again. After a few minutes he found a newer looking structure, he slumped against it and slid down into a sitting position and spent the rest of his shift staring at the bare branches of a tree that was sheltered from the snow by one of the larger fences, its twigs scrapping against the decommissioned guard tower.

--

The red twin was walking back to his quarters when he passed Chip in the hall.

"Hey, kid".

"Hey Sides, how's it all going?"

"Good, good… how 'bout you?"

"Oh, can't complain. It's been pretty quiet around here lately, but Percy is keeping me busy".

"Primus, I bet he is".

The twin chuckled, knowing fore well what the scientist was capable of dolling out – even to those he considered friends. The microscope didn't see scrubbing beakers as a punishment, and so gave it out to people thinking he was doing them a "favour".

"So, how's Sunstreaker? I haven't seen him around lately".

"Oh, you know he's keeping on; he found himself a new brand of wax that's he's been really excited about, so spends most of his spare time trying different buffing techniques".

"Hah, that sounds like him. Well, I best be off, gotta get back to the lab with these tech specs, Percy is working on something and he's at the stage where he's not telling anyone about it".

"Oh yeah, well, you have a good day..."

The red twin commented.

"You sure you're okay, Sides?"

The human may have been unable to walk but he made up for his deficenticies via way of noticing personality traits and quirks and concerns.

"Look, Chip, can I ask you something? I mean, it's going to sound crazy, but I need to just nutter this out to someone".

"Hey, sure, Sideswipe, you ask what you need to; I'm always here to listen for you if you need it".

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

"Wow. That was random".

"You don't have to make fun of me, seesh, I know you're smarter then the rest of us lowly mechs, but Primus, Chip, I was asking a serious question and if you're not going to take me seriously then I'll take my queries elsewhere!"

"Hey, hey, Sides, relax, I was just not expecting such a question. But I'm more then happy to talk to you about this".

"Oh… sorry. Well?"

"I believe there are things in existence that science can't explain – just don't Perce I said that. I've seen things, things that can't be explained and can't be rationalised and for lack of a better term, could only be labelled "ghosts". And I know that Sparkplug saw things during his service in the forces that he can't explain either and he was more then happy to claim they were ghosts or something of a paranormal nature. Shame he's dead now, he would have been happy to talk to you about them. But maybe when Spike gets back he could chat with you about it… I know Sparkplug told Spike about some of the creepier stuff he'd seen. Why do you ask? Seems kind of a strange thing to ask me… well, anyone".

"I've seen some stuff lately, Chip, spooky slag that I can't put a name to. I just wanna know if someone is pranking me or if its… well… you know".

"Sides, just tell me to shut up if you want, or ignore me or whatever, but maybe you should go talk to First Aid".

"What? He sees ghosts too?"

"No… well, I don't know, but I more suggesting along the lines of some form of counselling. You guys have seen some real horrors in the past through months. I saw the shells of Prowl, Ratchet and the others. Its some pretty heavy stuff to see the shells of anyone, even if you didn't get on with them. But you and Ratchet had history, maybe not a good history or a friendly history or whatever but you had history. Now, you and your brother keep the same room in the same corridor which also had the same rooms as a lot of other Autobots who died. I think you need to talk some stuff out. Then maybe the ghosts will leave you be".

"You reckon it could be that?"

"There's no shame in admitting you need psychological or emotional help. And First Aid is very professional, no one would find out about it you did go chat with him".

"Well, do you get psycho help when you need it?"

"Absolutely. Percy may be really esoteric, but he's a good one to chat with, especially for me. Prowl was one of my best friends, so was Ratchet, they're dead, I can't ignore that, I had to deal with it or it'll just sit inside me, getting bottled up until it explodes. I've been there, Sides, its not great to let things like this get on top of you. There's no shame, Sides, none what so ever, go talk to First Aid, or anyone, find someone you can trust with this sort of emotional baggage".

"Yeah. I guess my concern is that Sunny will think I'm weak or a pansy or something".

"I'm sure if you chatted with him let him know what you're thinking he wouldn't think that. You guys are twins, twins have a special bond, if that bond doesn't help him understand your pain or whatever you're going through, well, then, well, I don't know what to say. But chances are he's grieving just like you".

"But what if it isn't emotional, what if I really am seeing these things because they're really there".

"Optimus used to say, neither impossible nor impossible, with the amount of death that took place here a few months back, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if something, some kind of energy, a ghost if you will, still inhabited this place".

"How can I get rid of them… these ghosts?"

"Depends. If they were Autobot "ghosts" then perhaps whatever the faith of Primus teaches about removing such forces teaches, you could try that. If that fails, a good friend of mine who I went to school with is a Catholic priest, and those guys are the best chance of getting rid of anything "supernaturally" unpleasant".

"You must think I'm nuts".

"Nah, Sides, I don't, I just think you have a lot of issues and some of them are coming to the surface. Talk to Aid or someone first, and if that doesn't help alleviate your… hauntings… then look at the spiritual side of things. Science can't really help with this at its current state".

"Thanks, Chip, well, I best let you go, Primus only knows what Perceptor thinks you're getting into by being late".

"Hah, yeah, okay! You have a good day, okay, and don't' worry too much Sides".

--

"Hey, Perce, sorry I'm late, I got caught up".

"Oh! But of course, Chip. You have naught reason for overt anxiety".

"Here's your specs".

The scientist crouched down and took the digi pad.

"Hey, Perce, can I ask you something?"

"Certainly".

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

The scientist turned to face the human, his mouth slightly agape and for once in his life, speechless.

"Did you hear me okay, Perce?"

The scientist's right optic ridge rose slightly.

"I accept the probability of energy sources existing outside the realm of known science. If individuals wish to apply the semantic of "ghost" to such an energy source, then so be it. But do I accept the possibility of an energy source created by the demise or of a mech going offline and their spark continuing in this plane of existence, well, to be candid, I'm not sure. I haven't done extensive enough research on the matter, and do not view it as a necessary use of very limited resources".

"Fair enough".

"Why do you ask?"

"Someone balled me up in the corridor and said they thought they were being haunted… or that they were going crazy".

"I would staunchly propose psychological intervention for that individual".

Chip smiled and then wheeled himself over to a platform that would raise his chair to the computer's keyboard. The scientist was perplexed by who would the haunted mech be, but shrugged it off as he knew there was more important work to consider.