Energy and Motion
Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers or Luke Skywalker
Ativii, Ricochet, Sixth Prime, and the place Infinite White belong to me
Chapter 6: Life Begins
"And once yer percentage bar hits one-hun'red, ye'r good ta go!"
Ativii patiently watched the percentage bar on her HUD fill one hundred percent. Jazz had instructed them on how to run system checks and get their systems in sync. They were finally on the last stages of the synchronizing process.
Ricochet drummed his digits on his thigh as he patiently waited for it to fill. He'd been the most anxious to get moving because he was the one without motor relays for the longest. His digits beat on the metal armor of his protoform faster and faster, and then the blue seams started to glow brighter on his servo. After a chink of metal, Ricochet started pulling really hard at his servo. He grunted and pulled at it with his other one, and Ativii could hear "I really got to get this under control," muttered under his breath as he struggled.
Ativii quietly giggled to herself. Ricochet had gotten his digits magnetized to his armor again with his impatience. The first time was pretty funny actually.
As movement had returned to Ricochet, he'd excitedly clapped his servos together to test his new movement and in doing so he had accidently magnetized them. He strained and pulled against the stuck appendages and looked up at Jazz and Ativii accusingly.
"Okay…which one of you put superglue on my servos?" Jazz and Ativii just stared at him like he was crazy. Then Ativii broke out in a full out laughter as she fully realized what he'd just said. Jazz took one look at the glare Ricochet was sending her and he quietly chuckled too at the friend's antics. The two friends bickered at each other as Ricochet declared it was 'not funny' when clearly it was. Jazz ended up polarizing his servos to free them so that they would hopefully stop arguing.
When the percentage bar hit 'complete' Ativii nodded to Jazz. "It's done," she said. "What now?"
Ricochet also noted that his system recalibration was done. Jazz quickly waltz over to him before he could get up and helped flip a few small switches in the base of his neck. "Ye'r gunna wan' ta keep that protected. It's the main message relay fer yer magnet ability."
The mech bounced to his feet and stood besides Ativii's ledge. "We're gunna get ya walking, thwat's what." Jazz held out his clawed servo for Ativii to grasp. "It meh take a while, but you'll get it."
Ativii grasped Jazz's larger servo and he pulled her from the ledge and set her one the sandy ground. Her lithe black frame hummed slightly as her equilibrium protocols switched online at full force. Jazz stood by as the slightly shorter black femme stood up on her fused leg. She wobbly grasped the armor platting on Jazz's leg, and when she was up she vented softly with relief.
"Now ya'll want ta firs' master the art of standin' up without help. Trust yer instincts, they won't fail ya. Most uniwheeliers use their arms fer balance, they hold 'em out an' usually lean tha way they wan' ta move. Most 'bots of yer kind have tha strongest arm strength Ah've ever seen, and they never quit. No mat'er what."
Ativii smiled up at Jazz's kind words. "Thanks Jazz, that means a lot. You won't except me to quit on you that easily."
"That's positive thinkin' Shwarty. Keep it up." Jazz gave a thumbs up as he slowly leaned away from Ativii as she began to get her balance.
After many hours of getting walking, jumping, and running down, Ativii and Ricochet could move around fully. Jazz had left a few times to let the two bots get used to their new frames and enjoy running around the cavern. Boy, did they feel like little kids.
The whole sensation was enthralling. Ricochet loved to use his long limbs to climb up the columns and swing between them like a metal monkey. When Ativii had teased him about it, he just went around banging on his chassis making animal sounds. Jazz didn't get the action, but he smiled whole-heartedly as Ativii giggled at Ricochet.
Ricochet increased his speed and scaling ability with time. Soon him and Jazz where racing up through the columns and bridges of the cavern like two squirrels in a tree. Ativii would pick a Cyberglyphs for them to race to and she'd time which one was fastest at climbing to the top. With hydraulics hissing and engines revving, the two mechs competed to win the challenges.
Eventually Ricochet was able to match Jazz in the climbing races. His longer limbs and increasing stamina would beat the smaller mech. But, knowing Jazz, he always had a trick up his sleeve and he wouldn't be beaten that easily. He'd either come climbing up Ricochet's back struts like he was the jungle gym when he'd fallen behind, or he'd launch himself forward with some spectacular moves.
The Prime would sometimes show up as the two mechs ran around and around in the air over stone bridges and overpasses. The tan sand would cascade off the columns and pillars and catch the light as the two blurs had fun. The wise Prime would tell Ativii secrets on how to beat these two idiot climbers, which she took gladly.
"You might want to stand back," said the Prime as they witnessed another race. Ativii glanced up at him and carefully hopped back. There was a not-so-manly yelp and Ricochet lost his footing. The two mechs came crashing down from the pillars and landed on top of each other with a mighty crash.
The two dog-pilled mechs' systems where heaving as they drafted sandy air through their vents. Jazz rolled over and kicked some sand at the downed gray mech.
"Be prepared Ric' cause that won't happen again," said Jazz with a mock glare.
Ricochet rolled over and brushed the sand off of his armor. "Next time, don't use me as your jungle gym. Or some mech's digits are going to get bit off."
"Biting off digits? What are you two doing up there?" asked Ativii in friendly horror.
The Prime pointed to Jazz with his shaft. "This one here was trying to blind Ricochet with his servos from behind. Ricochet almost got a bite at Jazz's digits to try and shake him off."
Ativii held up her servos and scoffed, "You two are such younglings!"
Ricochet and Ativii continued to learn how to construct files and send them to each other. Communicate and access a communications link, and access memory and audio files.
The Prime also revealed more information about their frames and different fighting stances he had seen over the years. The Prime also continued to test their reading abilities at the Language of Primes, which they were excelling at. Jazz also started telling the history of the War, as the Prime talked about Ancient Cybertron.
As the new information continued to sink in, their old memories disappeared with time. They were quickly forgetting about their childhoods and family members as time progressed on.
Ativii was sitting up in the 'Y' shaped branches of the cavern; she was reading the Cyberglyphs on the rock around her with mild interest. Sixth Prime had swung himself up to her level and he quietly asked her what she was thinking about.
"I'm just thinking about what has and is going to happen, you know? A lot has happened and I should be scared and confused and weary about what is going on. But I'm not," she looked down at her arm and studied the bars, gears, and rotating heads in it. She flexed her servo and watched them shift like some Luke Skywalker hand. "I guess a lot of it has to deal with having Jazz here. He makes everything seem so easy and he takes it all in stride. I wonder if this is really me who is in here." Ativii tapped her chassis, right over her spark.
The Primes amber gaze softened as he looked at the shafted-light cave from the many pinpoints and crevices of the mountain. He vented heavily and his links on his headdress settled.
"Ativii, I know what you are thinking. Why you are able to take everything in stride is because it is you who can. Your personality and strengths, and they way you think allows you to take it 'in stride'. You are you, and you haven't changed. Never forget that."
Ativii looked at the ancient mech, and she nodded softly. She turned her cobalt gaze back to their surroundings and surveyed the place. "What is this place anyways?"
The Prime shifted his palm out and displayed a blue hologram of shifting images and glyphs. Outlines of figures showed up as bright white sparks spun idly in space. "I am told that it is called the Infinite White. Primus had created this place for preparation for something in the future. He's told me it will be very important to all Cybertronians. It's sacred, I can tell. Can you feel it?"
Ativii checked herself and she felt a deep awe fill her spark. "There's definitely something here. It's peaceful for a place underground and it makes my spark feel at rest."
"Indeed."
Ping. Ping. Ping-ping.
Ativii hopped from place to place, her form spinning high in the air as she vaulted over pillar bridges and up to new heights. Ricochet was quickly scaling the rock to her left; his wide servos quickly found handholds as his toe-digits dug into the cracks in the pillar.
They reached the center of the Infinite. Skylights poured through the dusty air and glinted on the metal that was imbedded in the stone Cyberglyphs. A whistling echoed through the cave as the sound of cycling air-filled the quiet space. Jazz and the Prime have not been seen around today, so Ricochet and Ativii were left to their own devices after they woke up from recharge. They had chosen to do some more climbing for the time being.
Ricochet stopped, an orange signal icon flicked on in his HUD. He stilled and held a servo up for Ativii to do as well. She too noticed the signal icon that had updated and it looked like Wi-Fi bars. Ricochet accessed the link and information suddenly started streaming through his processor.
Accessing U.S. Military Satellite A-7
"Ativii! Are you getting this?" asked Ricochet as his first contact with the outside world was made. Military chatter and radar quickly streamed through his processor as weather and worldwide news reports could also be seen.
"It's the Internet!" gasped Ativii as realization struck her.
"This means we could find out what is happening," Ricochet said. "Even maybe with the Autobots and NEST."
Ativii nodded eagerly. "Before we start surfing, we'd better disguise our signals as a passive watcher. Especially since this is a military satellite. Do you remember how Jazz instructed us to do that?"
"Yeah, I do."
After the two bots had constructed their near-perfect disguises to surf the Internet and satellite links, they quickly spent the precious moments they had to find out what had happened in the outside world. Ricochet narrowed down information about the attack in Mission City. According to the date: October 2007, the city was well under rebuilding and the assault was disguised as a 'terrorist attack.' The agency Sector Seven had been disbanded, and the alien remains dumped in the Laurentain Abyss.
Thirty short minutes passed and the military satellite orbited out of range. The Internet connections were severed and the two bots groaned in complaint as the only connection to the outside world was cut.
"And it was just starting to get real good!" huffed Ricochet. "I was looking up the newest movies from the summer!"
"I guess we'll just have to wait till it comes back around," sighed Ativii as she rubbed a servo on the back of her helm. "We'll just have to watch what's happening to judge the timelines. I think at least the next… uh movie happened in the summer? I can't really remember when."
"Yeah, maybe," Ricochet let his legs hang over the ledge of the bridge and he rested his elbow joints on his knee joints. "Time sure does fly in here."
"It sure does. Who knows how long two years will really feel like? It's already been a few months I believe,"
Ricochet hummed as he played with his servos. He picked up a piece of iron-imbedded rock and he let it hover between his digits. The mech had begun to master the simple skills of his polarizing ability and he now could have rocks orbit his digits like he was doing now.
"You're getting really good at that," said Ativii as she watched her comrade orbit the rock.
"Yes. But it's not as easy as it looks, it takes a lot of concentration," Ricochet dropped the rock as his concentration dropped. "See? You made me loose my concentration."
"Hey, you were just impressing me with your skills, wise guy."
Ricochet shifted and brought one leg to rest on the bridge. "Jazz told me that we'd begin training in the next few days. Maybe then you can find your special ability 'Tiv. 'Cause there has to be something you are good at,"
"Maybe so. And then I can have something to brag about with you and Jazz." Ativii puffed up her chest and looked proud and bold.
"I wouldn't put it past you."
KTAB: So here's a glimpse into the first part of Ativii's and Ricochet's life and training to be a Cybertronian. I'm thinking there's going to be at least three parts for this stage of the story. I got Training and Driving in plan. So... friendships are being formed and things are going really well for my bots. Jazz and Ricochet are becoming great friends and the Prime and Ativii are forming a friendship also. It's going really well for everybody and the Jazzman and Ric' are playing like squirrels in the cave! LOL And more plot line is being revealed! (did I just say that? O~o)
Thanks: mjkcsk for the favorite and follow
ForgotMyName2Day: Jazz was totally playing Ninja with you! Ninja vanish!
Ricochet: KTAB, I can't believe you cut my Internet connection! I was this close to finding the newest blockbuster! *pinches digits really close to show*
KTAB: Ric' you're in 2007. You've seen all the good movies and the news ones weren't even in production yet.
Ricochet: *huffs* Well maybe I wanted to see when the next Star Trek: Into Darkness trailer is coming out! And the next Iron Man movie, maybe even some more info on Transformers 4! *Contiues to explain why the Author tunes him out*
KTAB: Did you just hear what I said? Apparently not... you big overgrown metal squirrel...
Ativii: I think he hit his helm to hard on that last fall with Jazz. Can I have my Internet back?
KTAB: Sure thing, 'Tiv. Since you aren't an idiot climber like Mr. Smarty Pants over there.
Ricochet: Hey!