Chapter Thirteen
20th December
1408hrs
"How have they been?"
The scientist asked as he entered the room and faced the young medic who was sitting behind the control panel.
"Essentially the same. Although, Sunstreaker has stopped screaming about spaghetti bolognaise".
"And Sideswipe?"
"Well, I've had to go stand outside the cell itself due to there being some kind of electrical issue with the microphone. All I keep getting is static".
"Really? Static? How interesting. Have you been able to locate any condition within the system which could be indicative of a defect?"
The scientist inquired. Inwardly impressed at how calm he'd managed to stay after the early morning… events.
"Yeah, its quite strange. I've run scans of them every ten minutes and after every outburst, but still nothing to indicate, or that could indicate a CPU split".
First Aid looked up at the scientist and with dimmed optics added.
"I just don't have any clue as to what's going on".
He paused.
"I'm… I'm scared, Percy, all this… everything that's happening, what they've said has been happening… some of the experiences I can't explain, stuff I've seen… it makes no sense and I don't know what to do".
The young doctor was definitely frightened by whatever prospect he was giving thought to be the causative factor.
"I am apprehensive to confess that I, too…"
Suddenly the door opened, startling both the Autobots and cutting short what the scientist was going to attempt to admit too, Chip wheeled in.
"Hey guys, how's it going?"
The young man asked.
The two Autobots looked at each other and then back at the human. Chip was in quite a sorry looking state, his shirt was ruffled and covered in cat fur, his eyes had bags under them and he the light fluff that was indication of missing his daily shave, his pants were creased and again, like his shirt, covered in cat fur. His own hair was a bit messy and his glasses dirty with smudges.
"Are you alright, Chip?"
First Aid asked as he stood from his chair.
"Yes, I must admit, albeit with an attempt to spare your feelings, that you don't look to be functioning at peak efficiency".
Perceptor stated.
"Did you recharge effectively?"
The doctor asked.
"Actually… I slept in my car, with my cat, who didn't seem too impressed to be sleeping in my car".
"You initiated recharge in your automobile?"
Perceptor asked, somewhat stunned.
"Attempted too".
"Why would you sleep in your car, didn't you make it home last night? And why was your cat in the car?"
First Aid added.
"You guys are going to think I'm going crazy, but because you're my friends, and I trust your opinions, both as friends and scientists, I guess there can't be too much harm in telling you".
He paused to see what kind of reaction he'd get.
"Tell us what?"
The doctor responded, obviously clued into Chip's thought process.
"Science is my friend. I believe in the laws of physics and science has never steered me wrong, but there's no way science can explain what I saw last night – my damn house is haunted!"
Chip paused, waiting for the moment when optic ridges would raise and sedatives would be administered. When this didn't happen he continued.
"I came home, went inside and I could smell spaghetti bolognaise, and I haven't cooked that in ages, and I haven't had any in the house for months. The closest neighbour is a thirty minute drive away and so there's no way any dinner smells they cooked could waft that far – plus, it was like 3 in the morning! Then things started throwing themselves around the room! I tell you, I got out of there faster then Blurr on a bender! Then there was the electrical disturbance and the temperature drop".
Still no odd looks. Still no sedatives.
"I tell you, I was freaked out. Einstein and I got the hell out of there. Either someone is playing a really sophisticated joke on me, or something else is going on".
First Aid sat back down and cupped his hands on his lap.
Perceptor simply leant back against panel and continued to watch the human.
"At least I can tell you guys and not end up in a padded cell".
Chip rubbed his hand through his grubby hair.
"But what the hell am I going to do? I'm a man of science and last night, I'm not ashamed to say to you guys, I was cowering like a little girl in the back seat of my car, thank god I had a spare of pants in the boot, cos Einstein browned all over me!"
"I am aware that there is a burgeoning science that focuses on the "paranormal", perhaps we could investigate its methods with the intent to discover the causative factors of the events that are transpiring".
It was ludicrous. But even Perceptor had a way of making the utterly insane sound perfectly reasonable and logical.
As they stood there in uncomfortable silence, the radio perked up, Blaster was requesting First Aid to come immediately to the firing range, someone was injured. The medic was up and gone within a matter of seconds, departing with the comment that once this was sorted he'd return and they'd begin this process.
"I saw Thundercracker this morning".
The scientist said to the human rather abruptly.
"What?"
Chip asked, stunned.
"In the passage, close to my quarters. There was a temperature drop and an electrical disturbance. I hadn't planned on informing anyone, but given your experience last night, I have concluded that these events are either related to the paranormal as the probability of us both experiencing hallucinations of a similar nature due to our lack of recharge is rather slight".
Perceptor explained.
"But isn't Thundercracker one of the Sweeps now?"
"Scourge, I believe".
The scientist replied.
"Then how can Thundercracker be a ghost if he's still alive, albeit in some form?"
"Perhaps Unicron only used Thundercracker's shell and gave it an entirely new spark, as Scourge's behaviour and personality is markedly different to that of Thundercrackers".
"But you'd think that if Thundercracker was going to be a ghos… well, haunt some place, it'd be where he died, and he didn't die here".
"I'm beginning to accept the possibility that there is no logic or reason to these events".
"So where does that leave the twins? Are they really being haunted?"
"Possibly. But the point of a CPU split must be continued to be investigated until it, or the paranormal explanation, has been ruled out".
"What now, then?"
Chip inquired.
"I do believe that you humans have multiple television shows that detail this particular branch of your science, or perhaps we could "Google" the information required".
"Well, we gotta start somewhere, I suppose".