Voltlock walked down the halls at a slow pace. He was walking somewhere, but he was taking his time.
The hacker had succeeded. They were able to get through the firewall, and whatever information they were looking for, they found it. Before anyone could track the hacker, they disappeared. Votlock was told that it would take a while before anyone knew for certain which file was accessed, but as soon as someone did, they would immediately tell him. Voltlock was unimpressed with the amount of time it was taking to track a simple hacker, but he kept his vocalizer silent, as he didn't have any idea how to do it, either.
Voltlock shook his head. There was nothing he could do about it. He could only deal with the situation at hand.
He had to go meet Tanker. Tanker was supposed to come and claim Orion that Orbital Cycle. They had planned on meeting in the refueling station, where they would talk about the sparkling's needs over a cube of Energon. Voltlock was on his way there, walking slowly because he was early. Tanker probably wouldn't even be there. Voltlock turned into the room, and stopped abruptly.
The lights were still off. Voltlock raised an optic ridge. Surely the Energon sorter would have already be there and have turned them on? Voltlock shook his head, feeling the wall as he searched for the activation panel. Soon, his fingers hit something, and Voltlock pressed down on it. The panel glowed momentarily before the lights began to flicker on, brightness intensifying to a normal level, and enabled Voltlock to see something on the other side of the room that made him stiffen.
The sorter was laying slumped against the wall, a puddle of Energon beneath him. Voltlock ran over to him, making sure not to step in any spilt Energon, quickly scanning the sorter's limp frame. There was a faint life signal, and that gave Voltlock hope. He knelt down, placing a hand on the sorter's shoulder and gently shaking him. "Hey, can you hear me?"
The sorter groaned, faceplate twisting into an expression of pain. Voltlock slowly moved the sorter so he was laying down on the floor. Voltlock quickly spotted a large hole in the sorter's chest, though it didn't go completely through. He had been shot.
Voltlock quickly sent an alarm to the Emergency wing. It would take a Klik for them to get to the refueling station. Voltlock just had to keep the sorter alive until then.
"Hey, I need you to focus on me, alright?" Voltlock said, carefully turning the sorter's head so he faced him. The sorter's optics slowly opened, and he lookup up at the medic. He tried to speak, but he began coughing up Energon. Voltlock rubbed the sorter's arm to calm his down. "It's alright. You're going to be just fine."
The sorter's optics clearly showed that he didn't believe it. When the sorter began to drift away again, Voltlock quickly started a conversation. He couldn't let the sorter go just yet.
"Do you know who did this to you?" Voltlock asked, wondering if he should have gotten straight to the point or not. It was too late to question himself. The sorter slowly nodded, and Voltlock gave a soft smile. "Can you tell me who it was?"
"... Don't know his... name..." The sorter said with a cough. "... You know..."
He broke into another Energon filled cough, and Voltlock nodded. "I know, it's alright. You didn't meet him. I understand."
The sorter shook his head, as if Voltlock had gotten something wrong, but he couldn't manage to correct him. Voltlock heard a siren from down the halls. The Emergency team was going to be there soon.
The sorter's optics began to flicker, the light beginning to go out. Voltlock knew that the Emergency team was almost there, he just had to make certain that the sorter would hang on just long enough for them to arrive. He spoke again. "Can you tell me your name? What's your name?"
The sorter didn't speak, optics shutting and a strained breath leaving him. The room was silent.
The Emergency team rushed in, hurriedly moving to the sorter laying unmoving on the floor, while Voltlock stared. Voltlock was heaved to his feet and pulled away. He watched as the team scanned the sorter's vitals, and the other brought out a defibrillator to try and bring him back. The sorter was zapped three times before the team quickly gave up trying to revive him that way quickly lifted him onto a stretcher. They ran out of the room, trying to save him as they left. A remaining Emergency specialist, thanked Voltlock for his assistance before rushing off as well, leaving Voltlock standing alone.
Voltlock stayed there for a while, taking in what had just happened. He knew that the Emergency team would keep trying to bring the sorter back, but he also knew that they would not succeed. Voltlock shuddered.
He didn't even know the sorter's name.
So many horrible things had happened. The sorter was dead, and Orion was being taken away. Voltlock just wanted it to end and for everything to return to normal.
When he thought about it, Voltlock wondered if it would ever actually return to normal. Orion had been in the facility for so long. He had practically become a part of it, and very soon he would just be...
Gone.
Voltlock shook his head. It was for the best. It was the best for Orion, to get out of a Medical Center where he would only get hurt instead of healed. Where ever Tanker resided, Voltlock was certain that it would be better for Orion there. It had to be. There was barely anything safer than a hospital, so Tanker must live somewhere very, very safe. Otherwise, there was no reason for Orion to even go there. Voltlock and Tanker had both approached the Guilds of Cybertron with a request for Orion to be removed from Ratchet's care. They gave their reasons why, and is seems the Guilds had agreed with them.
Ratchet had been summoned to the Guilds, and while Voltlock didn't know exactly what transpired inside of the chamber, he knew that whatever had been said must have struck Ratchet hard, as he returned looking as if he had just seen his world crumbling down around him.
Voltlock felt terrible. He believed he was doing the right thing, but what it was doing to his friend and the sparkling was sparkbreaking. Ratchet had changed so much after Orion came into his life. He had found someone he cared about, and who cared about him just as much. Ratchet's grumpy attitude toned down spectacularly, and his brooding expression had been replaced with complete content, as if everything was finally right in the world.
And Voltlock had taken that away.
Voltlock mentally scolded himself. It was for the best. Orion had to leave if he wanted to live. Voltlock had no choice.
Voltlock checked his internal clock, and saw that only a few Kliks had passed as he sorted his thoughts. Frowning, Voltlock walked out of the refueling station and continued down the halls, walking in a direction he knew all to well, and was dreading to go to, but he knew that they had to be prepared, and he needed to make certain that they were.
He made his way towards his fellow medic's shared quarters, which would soon belong only to him. Votltlock's frown deepened as he went forward, finally stopping in front of the closed door. He paused. He didn't know what he could say that would make the situation any less painful for the occupants of the room. Having already come that far, Voltlock let out a nervous breath before the automatic door opened and he walked inside.
The first thing Voltlock noticed when he entered was that Ratchet was gone. That didn't concern him so much, though he did wonder why he wouldn't be spending time with his... patient.
The next thing he noticed was Orion sitting alone on his berth. The sparkling glanced up at Voltlock tiredly before he looked back to the open door, apparently expecting something to happen. Voltlock's negative feelings immediately vanished as he walked towards him.
"Hey, kid," Voltlock said, taking a seat next to Orion with a smile on his faceplate. "What are you doing here alone?"
At first, Orion said nothing. After a Klik, he answered, optics still locked onto the doorway. "I'm waiting."
"I can see that," Voltlock chuckled lightly, leaning back against the wall with a smirk. "What are you waiting for?"
"Ratchet," Orion said, still calm and patient as ever. He briefly glanced up at Voltlock as he spoke. "He went to get a cube of Energon."
Voltlock blinked, but his playful attitude remained. He didn't want to burden Orion with what he had just seen. "I was just in the Refueling Station, Orion. Ratchet wasn't there. He probably went somewhere different. Did he say anything else?"
Orion shook his head, speaking with the upmost seriousness. "No, he told me where he was going."
Voltlock's smile disappeared momentarily, but quickly returned. He watched Orion with an optic ridge raised. "Really? Did he say when he was going to be back?"
"He said he'd be back in a few Kliks, but it's been longer than that," Orion explained.
"And how long has he been gone?" Voltlock asked, curiously.
"Since last Orbital Cycle," Orion replied.
The silence that followed was unnerving. Voltlock's faceplate blanched. "Orion, why didn't you tell someone?"
Orion looked back up at Voltlock. "I promised Ratchet I'd stay here."
Voltlock stared down at the sparkling, optics wide. Ratchet had made Orion swear that he wouldn't run off alone again, and the sparkling fulfilled that promise. Voltlock slipped off of the berth, kneeling next to it so he was optic level with his fellow medic's charge. "Orion, this is really important. Do you remember Ratchet saying anything else, mentioning another place or area he wanted to go to?"
Orion shook his head again. "No. He told me he was going to the refueling station."
Voltlock stood up and rubbed a hand over his faceplate. He didn't know whether to be angry or concerned. If Ratchet had murdered that Energon sorter and ran off leaving the sparkling on his own, Voltlock swore to Primus that Ratchet would regret every single moment of his existence.
Voltlock was shocked with himself for even thinking such a thing. Then, he remembered that the safety of a sparkling was the most important thing, more important than any kind of friendship Voltlock wanted to have.
Orion watched Voltlock, confused at the medic's sudden change in demeanor. "Is everything alright?"
Voltlock, glanced at Orion with a very forced smile. "Yes, everything's fine."
Voltlock swiftly turned to the door. He had to find Ratchet. Voltlock wasn't sure about what he was going to do once he found him. Perhaps yell at him. Voltlock believed that would be an appropriate response. He was about to exit, when he paused midstep. Voltlock looked back at the sparkling seated on the berth, optics shifting their gaze between the door and Voltlock himself. Voltlock fought internally about something, then he let out a breath of exasperation.
"Orion, I need you to keep watch for Ratchet, okay?" Voltlock asked semi-calmly. "Once he gets back, tell him he needs to contact me immediately."
Orion eyed Voltlock carefully, but nodded. Voltlock gave a quick smile, and spun around as it disappeared completely and he swiftly exited the room. Orion watched the doorway which Voltlock had left through, waiting for something that always happened to occur.
The door attempted to close. The metal panels began to slid shut, pressed together, but at the last moment the door snapped open and stayed that way. Orion stared at the door, confused. That could have been the glitching of the doors Ratchet had talked about. The door remained open. Orion didn't think about it too long. He straightened his posture and watched the doorway intently.
Orion sat there silently, as Kliks turned into Breems, and Breems turned into Joors, and the crimson sun began it's slow decent.
An assistant medic came to check up on him, per Voltlock's request, and gave the sparkling a cube of Energon. Though Orion was reluctant to take it, as he was waiting for Ratchet to return with one, but he eventually gave in, as he knew that he needed to refuel. Though, even when he had more energy, Orion remained on the berth. At one point, Voltlock himself entered, wondering why the door wouldn't close, but soon dismissed it. He tried to get Orion to walk around, but Orion refused, waiting patiently for his caretaker to return.
Orion was alone. Occasionally, an assistant medic would walk past his quarters, glancing through the open door to see it the sparkling was alright. Orion knew that he was just fine. He thought that if anyone should be concerned about someone, they should be concerned about Ratchet. But, Orion wasn't concerned. Ratchet told him that he would be back in a few Kliks, and even though it was taking longer than that, Orion wasn't worried. Orion trusted Ratchet. He knew that Ratchet wouldn't lie to him. He wouldn't make a promise that he couldn't keep.
Orion could hear two sets of footprints walking down the hall. He perked up, listening intently. Maybe it was Ratchet. Maybe Voltlock found him. Orion straightened as he strained to hear the voices coming from the figures in the hall.
"... Shame what's happening, but he had it coming," One of the figures said. Orion deflated at the mech's voice. He didn't recognize it, which meant that Voltlock wasn't there.
And neither was Ratchet.
Frowning slightly, Orion continued eavesdropping on the conversation.
"Why would he even think about leaving it on it's own?" The second mech responded, a growl in his voice. "What happened was obviously going to happen with that medic watching over sparkling. The sparkling could have gotten killed!"
There was a short amount of silence as on of the mechs took a breath to calm himself down. The second mech spoke once again, with a condescending tone.
"I don't know what the Guilds were thinking, letting that self-centered, arrogant, glitch of a medic take care of someone so fragile. I wouldn't be surprised if it was scarred for life!" The second mech said, exasperated. "He's gone, too. Left a while ago. He abandoned the sparkling here."
"Poor kid. He doesn't deserve this," The first mech replied. Their voices were gradually getting louder as the came closer to Orion's shared quarters.
"That mech that saved his life, that..." The second mech paused, apparently trying to think of a name, seemingly coming up with nothing. "That black and white one, with the twitch. He's coming to get the kid later this Orbital Cycle."
Orion tilted his head, wondering what exactly they were talking about. He assumed that the black and white mech they mentioned was Tanker, but he didn't know what Tanker would be doing at the Medical Center. Perhaps a member of his family was being treated.
Orion watched as the mechs passed by his quarters, stopping to watch him for a moment before continuing on their way. They waited until they thought they were out of the sparkling's hearing range before they spoke. "Ratchet better get back soon. Orion needs to be prepared for the transfer."
Orion gasped in shock. He froze, staring at nothing. The footsteps of the two mechs was drowned out by sudden rush in his processor. His breathing quickened as he realized what was happening.
Tanker was going to take him away.
Orion slowly shook his head, voice barely above a whisper. "No..."
Orion covered his optics, as if not being able to see what was before him would make it go away. He couldn't leave him. He couldn't leave Ratchet. His caretaker was Ratchet, not Tanker. Tanker may have seemed nice before, but if he was trying to take him away from Ratchet, then Orion decided that he didn't like him at all. He hated him.
"No..." The sparkling shook his head again, uncovering his optics, though keeping them closed, as he was not ready to face what was going on. He didn't hate Tanker. It couldn't have been Tanker's choice. While on the datapad, Orion researched Cybertronian history. There were a select group of Cybertronians known as the Guilds of Cybertron. Apparently, they decided a Cybertronian's fate, what would happen to them, where they would go with their life, everything. No one could really choose, and if they tried to choose, their would have to be approved by the Guilds of Cybertron.
Orion never asked Ratchet about where he came from. He learned that sparks were born in the Well of All Sparks. They stayed there until they were ready to be brought into the world, and be placed inside of a protoform. The sparks that came out of the Well as full grown Cybertronians were placed by the Caste System into a Guild for training in what the Guilds of Cybertron believed would fit their skills most. That's were they were trained to do something before being sent to do what they were told.
On more rare occasions, the Well would produce a sparkling. In that case, the sparkling would be placed into the hands of a fully grown Cybertronian, referred to as a caretaker. They would watch over the sparkling and teach them as they grew up, then the fully grown sparklings would be sent off into a Guild for specific training, then be sent to do what they were told. The sparkling was just placed in a Cybertronians care, even though they had no connection to each other.
So, that meant he wasn't Ratchet's.
Orion opened his optics. No, he was Ratchet's. He would always be Ratchet's. No one else could replace the medic's place in Orion's spark. Being gone for so long, and the thought of everything that was happening with no one there to hold him close and tell him him would be all right, made Orion's spark ache.
He remembered another article. It was in the classification of sparklings. There were mechs, and femmes, but towards the bottom of the list, untouched, was defectives.
The sound of footsteps slowly crept into Orion's audio receptors. He looked up, and saw Voltlock watching him with warm optics. Orion quickly hid away all of his pain and fear. That was not something Voltlock needed to see. Orion was sure Voltlock had his own problems.
Voltlock. He had to have known. Nothing happened in the Protihex Medical Center that he didn't know about. He might have already known that Orion was going to be transferred into Tanker's care. If that was the case, Orion wanted to know why he wouldn't tell him. He had to hear it from some stranger walking through the halls. If it had been someone Orion had been close with, maybe that would have numbed the pain, but it was too late for that.
Voltlock gave a soft smile, walking up to Orion. "Hey, kid. How are you doing?"
Orion shrugged, avoiding optic contact. "I'm alright."
Voltlock's smile grew and he took a seat next to Orion on the berth. He crossed his arms and leaned his back against the wall, in the exact same position that Ratchet had done many times, and the familiarity of the situation made Orion's spark ache even more.
Voltlock said nothing for a moment, just watching Orion shift slightly on the berth. He frowned slightly, but quickly returned the smile so the sparkling wouldn't be upset. Voltlock knew that something was troubling Orion, but Voltlock also knew that it wasn't possible Orion knew what was going on. Everyone who knew had made certain not to tell any other Cybertronian alive, but apparently someone overheard, as the whole situation was being spoken of throughout the entire Medical Center. Even so, Voltlock was sure that Orion didn't know.
Voltlock noticed Orion's expression and posture. Orion was frowning as he thought deeply about something, and he was slightly slouched, as if something he had learned had devastated him greatly. Voltlock's expression shifted slightly, as his optics gazed over to the desk. He smile came back at full force before he spoke. "Did you learn anything knew, Orion?"
Orion finally looked up at Voltlock, watching him carefully before giving an uncertain nod.
Voltlock reached over to the desk and picked up the datapad, handing it to Orion before he relaxed slightly. "Got anything new to tell me about? You love to ramble about strange things."
The corners of Orion's mouth twitched downwards, and he looked down at the datapad in his hands, before he set it down and let out a breath. "Voltlock, can I ask you a question?"
Voltlock's optics gained a confused glow, but he nodded. "Go ahead."
Orion hesitated, unsure if he really wanted to know. He hadn't researched too hard on the subject, but he didn't know why. Perhaps it was because he was afraid of the answer. Orion glanced away for a moment, before he hardened his spark and he locked optics with the medic. "What is a defective?"
At first, it was Orion's tone that surprised Voltlock, but then the question the sparkling asked quickly took over the shock. He forced the smile to stay on his faceplate, though it was trying to disappear. "...Where did you hear that term, kid?"
Orion looked back to the datapad. "I was looking through saved files on the datapad. They were there when I was given it. One of the files discussed sparklings, like normal mechs and femmes, but I found a separate section about defectives. Why?"
Voltlock blinked, his optic ridges furrowing. "'Why' what?"
"Why is it separate?" Orion said, voice raising as emotions began to take hold. "Why is it set away from the rest them? Is something wrong with it?"
"Kid, slow down," Voltlock whispered, trying to calm the sparkling down, but it was futile.
"I heard you. I heard you say I'm a defective. Now I know why I'm always sick. Now I know why there's a virus in me that won't go away. Now I know why I'm so weak," Orion said, his voice breaking at the end of that sentence. He took deep breath, as the stress was beginning to make it harder to speak. "It... The file... It said that defectives should be destroyed on sight. Why am I still alive? Why... Why didn't they kill me, too?"
Voltlock gently reached towards Orion, concern beginning to show. "Orion, please-"
"Voltlock," Orion interrupted, taking a few deep breaths before staring up at the medic pleadingly. "What is wrong with me?"
He didn't know how to respond. Voltlock's mouth opened and closed a few times before closing when no sound came out. Voltlock didn't know how to answer that question. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what he could say. He didn't know what anyone could say to a question like that. He just didn't know, and that frustrated him to no end.
Orion's breath quickly became labored, as if he was having trouble with ventilation. "... Now I know why... Ratchet didn't like me... When we first... met."
The last word was cut off as Orion broke into a coughing fit. Voltlock quickly began caressing the sparkling's back, though Orion shifted away. Voltlock pulled his hand away and watched Orion in concern. Orion hadn't coughed like that since his virus was at it's peak.
Orion's cough slowly died down, and he inhaled deeply as he struggled to breathe. He looked up to Voltlock, who was staring at him in worry. Orion shook his head in a gesture to say that he was fine, even though he wasn't. He wanted his caretaker. Voltlock could tell.
Voltlock felt a wave of guilt crash down on him. Perhaps Ratchet had run off because of what he had said, and that was why Orion was alone. He glared, angry with himself, even though he knew that it couldn't have been his fault. Orion was in danger when Ratchet was around, so he had to place Orion somewhere safe, whether he wanted to or not. He just wanted the sparkling to stay alive, and he wasn't safe where he was.
Orion... Orion had never interacted with other sparklings. He was forced into a full grown Cybertronian situation. He had been ill all of his life. He never had the chance to be a sparkling for very long. He was thrust into a situation he had no control over.
Voltlock shook his head. There was nothing he could do to change the past.
But, he could change the present.
Voltlock knew that he had to find Ratchet.
He also knew that when he found Ratchet he wouldn't let his fellow medic see the light of day. Voltlock thought about helping Ratchet feel better about what was happening, but after the stunt he pulled how could he. How dare he abandon Orion. He left the sparkling all alone. Voltlock would never forgive him for what he had done.
Voltlock realized that Orion had calmed down, and was now watching him as he sorted through his thoughts. Voltlock gave a sad smile. Orion didn't deserve any of the bad things that were happening to him. He was just an innocent sparkling, though Voltlock wondered if any innocence remained. Voltlock stood up from the berth. "I'm going to meet with someone soon. After that I'm going to come back to get you, alright?"
Orion glanced away with a frown tugging at his faceplate, but he nodded.
Voltlock's soft smile remained, and he began to walk away. Just before he exited the room, he looked back. "Take care of yourself, kid."
With that, Voltlock turned and exited through the door, which stayed open as if it was waiting for something.
Orion's optics remained on the open door. A dull weight in his spark told him that something was wrong. He knew Ratchet was out there, somewhere, and no one else seemed the least bit concerned. What if Ratchet was hurt-
Orion shook his head, clearing the thought from his processor. Ratchet was just fine. He had to be. Ratchet said that he would come back, and he wouldn't lie. Orion trusted Ratchet with all his spark.
Orion looked down at the floor. He wondered if he should do what he knew he needed to do.
But, he had promised, didn't he? He said that he would stay. He shouldn't leave. If Ratchet came back and he wasn't there, Orion knew that Ratchet would fly into a panic.
Though, if Ratchet was hurt, then he would never come back.
Orion stayed still for a long while, staring at the door to see if a familiar figure would appear and make him decide not to do what he was going to do. When no one came, Orion frowned, before his expression hardened. He slowly slipped off of the berth, planting his feet firmly on the floor. He took a few steps towards the door, stopping as he faced the exit. He didn't really know exactly what he was planning to do. He didn't know what he could do.
All he knew was that if Ratchet needed him, he wasn't going to abandon him. Not ever.
Orion left the room.
And the door finally closed.