Ch. 5

The first thing Bud Shuckworth registered as he woke was pain. Not the blinding agony he vaguely remembered from the crash earlier, but a kind of dull throbbing agony that was focused mainly in his shoulder and head. Bright light pierced through his closed eyelids and a rhythmic beeping pounded into his ears. A sharp antiseptic smell hung heavy in the warm air which made Bud almost certain he was in a hospital of some sort.

Almost certain because the second thing Bud Shuckworth noted as he regained consciousness was that there was something warm and furry pressed up against him.

A... a dog? Who lets a dog in a hospital? At the same time, Bud had to admit that he was grateful for whoever had allowed the furry creature to lay next to him. Despite the aches and pains flooding his body, there was something reassuring about the warm furry form nestled next to him. For a moment, Bud was reminded of sick days when he was a child and how his family's big Burmese Mountain Dog Jack would always lay in bed with him. Colds, fevers, and even that time he'd had measles had seemed a little more bearable then. His eyes still closed, Bud slowly worked his arm out from the confines of his blanket and ran it lightly over the soft thick fur next to him.

"Oh, you're awake."

What? The voice was that of a young girl's and it was right next to him. But the only other presence close by was...

Bud groaned and forced open his eyes, squinting against the bright light. The room certainly looked like that of a hospital, what with its muted white walls, blinking machines, and spotless scrubbed floor. However, Bud only spared the room a glance before his attention was fully grabbed by the creature leaning against his bed.

Looking up at Bud from the edge of his bed was something that looked like an animal, yet Bud was more reminded of a happy little girl than anything else. Still, the creature's streamlined furry body, slightly short limbs, and thick heavy tail brought to mind an otter than had started to turn into a human. Or rather, a little girl who had turned into an otter and retained her overall human-ness. The otter girl's body was covered in thick, chocolate-brown fur with lighter, cream-colored fur on her underside. She also sported thick black hair that framed her face, brushed her shoulders, and ran above her eyes in obvious bangs. Sprouting from the side of the creature's head were two long stiff appendages that Bud would have thought were horns had he not noticed them quivering slightly. The creature stood with her hands on his bed, but she still had to stretch up a bit and balance on her tail in order to meet Bud's eyes. Her eyes were brown and below her velvety muzzle, her mouth was wreathed in a wide smile that displayed sharp white teeth. However, there was no mistaking the sheer joy radiating from the creature's entire being and for a moment, Bud was utterly captivated by the strange, but friendly face inches from his own.

Someone should make a stuffed animal to look like her. They'd put teddy bears out of business. Actually, Bud had to admit he wouldn't mind a cuddly toy of this creature for himself.

The creature continued to smile at Bud as she spoke again.

"How are you feeling?"

"Uh... huh?"

"Oh." The creature tilted her head slightly, her expression changing from wide smile to gentle concern. "Can you... can you understand me? Is my translator working?"

"Translator?" Bud blinked as the creature tapped her chest. To his surprise, she was wearing a silver vest that, despite being made of shiny silver metal, looked like it weighed almost nothing at all. At the center of the harness were the straps connected, the metal sported the visage of a stern-looking face in a slightly darker shade of silver, making it look like the design hadn't so much been painted on as branded into the harness. The creature tapped the visage with a small black claw.

"Yes. You can understand me, right?"

"Y-yes. Yes I can."

"Good!" The creature's sunny smile returned and her tail wagged a bit. "And how are you feeling?"

"Like I was run over."

"That would hurt," the creature said with a nod. "Ratchet said you'd be feeling sore for a while."

"Ratchet?"

"Yes, he's our chief medical officer. Ratchet was the one who treated you and your friends. He's a really good doctor."

"Huh?" Bud turned his head to see Lenny and Chad laying in similar beds next to him. Neither one had woken up, but their faces were pretty bruised and Chad's tan looked washed out in the harsh light of the room. Bud also noticed that his friends had wires snaking out from under their blankets that were connected to beeping machines. Glancing down at his torso, Bud saw he was wired to a similar device, but the machine looked different from the medical equipment NASA had used during his numerous physicals.

Small wonder. I guess that answers any questions about whether or not there's life on Mars.

"Ratchet said you'd wake on your own, but he'd come to check on you soon. I should get him for you since you're awake," the little creature said.

"Uh, thanks, um... wait, who are you?"

"Oh, right." The smiling creature straightened up a bit. "I am Miara of the Autobots. What's your name?"

"Uh... Bud. Bud Shuckworth." Bud winced as his head throbbed again. "My friends are Lenny Shanks and Chad Showler."

"Bud Shuckworth," Miara repeated. "It's nice to meet you."

"Thanks." For a moment, Bud wondered if it had been a good idea to divulge his identity so quickly, but considering Miara's people had seen fit to bring him and his friends to a hospital probably meant that they weren't totally hostile.

Or at least they think we'll have some worth. Might as well let them know messing with us could cost them once NASA finds out they've taken us prisoner.

"And your friends are Lenny and Chad, right?"

"Yes. You said you're of the Autobots?" Bud asked Miara.

"Yes. That's what we are."

"Uh-huh. And you live on Mars?"

"Mars?" Miara's head tilted in confusion. "No, we live on Cybtertron."

"Cybertron?"

"Mmm-hmm. That's where we are now."

"Wait, we're... where is Cybertron in relation to Earth?"

"Where is Earth?"

"That's where we're from. My fellow astronauts and I." Bud winced as he gestured to his unconscious teammates. "We crash-landed on Mars after getting caught in an asteroid storm, but we're from Earth."

"Oh, you call that red planet Mars."

"Yes. Earth is close by."

"Oh, well..." Miara tapped her chin. "We're pretty far away from Earth then. Several light years at least."

"What?" Bud tried to sit up, but his head swam and his whole body flared up with pain. He fell back against his bed with a groan as spots swam before his eyes.

"Oh no, are you alright?" Miara laid a gentle hand on Bud's arm. "I'd better get Ratchet for you. He'll help."

"Yeah... okay. Thanks." Bud shuddered as his vision cleared. "But we need to-"

"Don't worry; we'll help you get home. Autobots are always willing to help." Miara flashed Bud another grin and then darted off on all fours. Bud started in surprise as one of the walls parted like the Red Sea before Moses to allow the strange little creature to pass and out she streaked like a flash of brown lightning. The wall closed shut again, leaving Bud alone in the room with his still unconscious companions.

Bud leaned back against his bed, his head swimming from both his injury and from his encounter with Miara. Truth be told, the little creature's absence left him feeling far more unsure about his current situation and already he was missing the comforting warmth of her fur. Had she been left with him solely to keep him calm when he woke? If so, she had done a good job as Bud was now fully able to take in his surroundings.

Despite the room having the overall look and feel of a hospital, it was far larger in terms of scale than medical building Bud had ever seen. The ceiling stretched high above him and there were machines and padded slabs that looked more suited to the race of giants England had come in contact with only last year. But the giants had lived in a very primitive land; this place looked like something out of a science fiction comic book. Though he had little doubt the machines he and the others were hooked up to were indeed medical equipment, Bud couldn't see any other medical tools that a race of otter-like creatures would use to treat their ill and injured.

Actually, Bud couldn't fathom a race of otter-like creatures existing in this setting. Miara looked like she would be more at home at a beach rather than in this world of chrome and metal. And what was more, she was tiny; no bigger than a seven or eight-year-old. Why in the world would her people need so much space?

And why would a race of otter creatures be called Autobots?

A groan from next to him made Bud turn his head on his pillow. Lenny's eyes flickered and then squinted closed again.

"Hey, back to the land of the living, Len?" Bud tried to grin, but he couldn't deny the effort it took to speak.

"Ugh, what happened?"

"We crashed."

"Yeah, no kidding." Lenny reached up and scrubbed at his eyes. "But where are we?"

"Believe it or not, on another planet."

"We crashed on Mars, didn't we?" Chad's voice, lacking its usual light bravado, joined those of his companions. The blond-haired man's eyes were huge in the light and though he didn't seem able to lift his head, Chad's weary smile was a welcome sight to Bud. "Guess Martians really do exist, huh?"

"We're... not on Mars."

"Huh?" Lenny blinked and managed to sit up somewhat. "We... we crashed on Mars, Bud."

"Yeah, but apparently we're on a planet called Cybtertron."

"Huh?"

"What the heck's Cybertron?"

"The home of a race of creatures called Autobots. I just met one of them and let me tell you, I would not call what Miara is Autobots."

"Miara?"

"Yep, one of the locals." Bud grinned. "You'll meet her soon and trust me, she's adorable. Apparently, we've been treated by a doctor named Ratchet and Miara went to get him." Bud chuckled. "We had it wrong, gentlemen; it's otters we should have been sending into space, not dogs or chimps."

"Otters?"

"That's what Miara looked like to me."

"Otters call themselves Autobots and live on a planet called Cybertron?" Chad managed a weak laugh. "You sure she wasn't just a robot in disguise?"

Bud would have attempted a laugh at that moment, but the sound of heavy metal footsteps approaching promptly killed off even the hint of a chuckle. Bud turned his head to see the doors of the room sliding open once more and the biggest robot he'd ever seen stepping into the room with Miara at his heels.

"Ahh, good, you're all awake." The robot, a vision in gleaming white and shining red, said in a pleasant voice. Unfortunately, neither his kindly tone nor his reassuring smile could put Bud, Lenny, and Chad at ease. Pausing, the robot tapped his chest, which was covered by a glass pane. Said pane slid open and the robot reached inside to pull out a large square instrument nestled inside one of several compartments built into his frame. The three astronauts lay frozen in shock as the robot made his way over to them, keeling down to view the three men. "That's an encouraging sign."

"And you're Lenny and Chad." Miara ran over to Bud's bedside before pulling herself back on her hind legs and peering over Bud at the other two. "Bud told me your names. I'm Miara and this Ratchet. We're really glad to see you've reactivated."

"Indeed we are." Ratchet tapped at the square instrument in his hands and light flared up from the device, bathing the robot's white face in a soft glow. "I was worried that the injuries to your heads might have caused some internal processing damage I didn't know how to treat, but Miara said you were able to hold a conversation, which is a relief." Ratchet looked down at Bud and nodded as he knelt down to get a closer look at the incredulous astronaut. "Still, injuries to a human head are no joke, or so I'm told. As such, I'm going to be keeping a close optic on you for a bit. Now, let's see how you're healing-"

"Don't let him touch you, Bud!"

Everyone, Miara and Ratchet included, started at Lenny's yell. The man was cowering against his bed, hands clutching at the blanket covering him. "I know what this is! They're going to make sure we're healthy enough to eat and then it's down the hatch with all of us!"

Ratchet blinked at Lenny, his blue eyes wide in his silver face. Next to him, Miara's furry brow was furrowed in confusion as her ears twitched slightly against her head.

"I assure you that you're in no danger here," Ratchet said gently. "I'm a medic; you're in our Med Bay. And we are certainly not planning on ingesting you."

"Uh-huh. And that thing you have there isn't going to blast us into a million pieces, is it?"

"This?" Ratchet held up his device. "This is a diagnostic scanner I use for examinations. I would never use a weapon on a patient."

"A likely story! You're going to torture us!"

"Are you scared that it'll hurt?" Miara asked. "I promise it doesn't."

"Indeed. I just want to make sure-"

"You're not harvesting my organs!"

"Oh-kay." Ratchet heaved a heavy sigh before turning to the little otter-girl. "Miara, perhaps you could help me here."

"Certainly. What can I do?"

"Since our friend seems a little nervous, why don't I give you your post-mission checkup now? That way, he and the others can see what I'm going to do."

"Oh, yeah, like the doctor used to do when I was a kid," Chad said with a grin. Lenny scowled, but he kept his eye on Ratchet and Miara. The otter-girl wagged her tail as she stood back from Bud's bed.

"Ready!"

"Alright." Ratchet focused his device on Miara and a red beam burst forth from the top of the instrument and ran over Mira's body. Thought it only lasted a second or two, Bud could have sworn he saw a glimpse of muscle and bone in that brief flash of light. Ratchet clearly saw something because he nodded as he viewed the screen of his scanner before holding it closer to Miara's chest.

"Deep breath." The light on the screen flickered as Miara obliged. "Good, no blockage in your lungs. Open your mouth, Miara."

Ratchet held the screen close to the little creature's mouth and nose and then peered at her eyes. "Excellent. Any pain anywhere, Little Sandstorm?"

"No."

"Any feelings of illness or fatigue?"

"None."

"And your appetite?"

Miara giggled. "I am hungry."

"I figured." Ratchet smiled and gently ruffled the top of Miara's head with the tip of his finger. "You're in perfect shape, Sandstorm. Optimus will be pleased. Now then," the medic said as he turned back to the three men. "May I proceed?"

"You... promise that's all you're going to do?" Bud asked.

"Examine you? Yes."

Bud sighed. "Alright, you can do me first."

"Bud!"

"It's fine, Lenny." Bud nodded at Ratchet. "Go ahead."

Ratchet held his device over Bud and once more, the red beam flared. Bud steeled himself for any kind of discomfort, but other than a light tingling sensation, there was nothing. Bud watched as Ratchet viewed the results, noticing that the robot has red crosses reminiscent of the designs on Earth ambulances painted on the sides of his arms. Between Ratchet's coloring and his occupation, Bud rather felt like he was being examined by a walking, talking ambulance.

"Good, your frame is healing well. I understand you're still sore, but that will clear up in time," Ratchet said. "All the same, your skeletal structure may be weak where your bones were broken, so you'll need to take care not to overwork yourself until I'm satisfied the injury is fully healed. Hmm, an infusion of calcium may help."

"My bones were broken?"

"Specifically, your clavicle and the radius in your right arm. It only took minor invasive care to repair them."

"What?"

"Yes, you were lucky." Ratchet held his device over Bud's chest, just as he did with Miara. "Take a deep breath, please, and hold it."

Still a bit stunned, Bud inhaled and watched as Ratchet studied both his chest and then his head for some reason. The robot medic must have seen what we was looking for because he looked pleased as he gestured for Bud to exhale.

"Lungs are clear and oxygen is reaching your brain. I don't see any major swelling or bleeding in your skull either. I was worried about that."

"Have you treated humans before?"

"No, you're my first human patients. Open your mouth."

Bud did so, feeling a little ridiculous as the massive robot held his scanner over Bud's open maw.

"Hmmm. Close your mouth and turn your head to the left. Good, now to the right. Thank you. Now look up at me. Right. Can you tell me your full name?"

"We're not allowed to give out any personal information!" Lenny protested.

"Too late; they already know our names," Chad reminded him.

"Actually, I know the answers to all of the questions I'm going to ask you," Ratchet said mildly. "I'm merely checking your brain's processing ability, so I need to know if your answers are accurate. Name?"

"Bud Aaron Shuckworth."

"And your place of origin?"

"I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska."

"Good. And where do you reside now?"

"Currently housed by the NASA Space Program in Houston, Texas."

"Excellent. As far as I can tell, your processing ability is in fine working order, but I'll want you to see a human physician when you return to your home planet and-"

"Wait, return?" Chad winced as he tried again to lift his head. "You're going to... send us home?"

"Of course we are." Ratchet looked surprised. "Once I give you medical clearance, that is."

"But what about-"

"First things first." Ratchet held up a hand before turning to Lenny. "Let me examine you and then I will answer your questions. Hold still, please."

With some bad grace, Lenny obeyed the medic, though Ratchet looked more than a little concerned as he checked the astronaut's lungs.

"Hmmm, I'll want to keep an optic on that."

"On what?"

"Your rib cage was damaged. The cracks are healing, but slowly. Probably from the first time you broke them."

"You've accessed our medical records, haven't you?" Bud asked.

"I did. I had to in order to treat you, after all. I understand they are confidential and, rest assured, they will be with me. Turn your head please, Lenny."

Lenny did so and was able to answer most of Ratchet's questions, though he had to think for a moment before remembering he had been born in Idaho, but had lived in Iowa since he was five. However, it was Chad who seemed to worry Ratchet most, as the youngest of the trio was unable to lift his head fully from his bed.

"Can you move your arms?"

"Yes." Chad waved them.

"Hmmm, move your right leg. Good, now your left. And can you turn your head?"

"Yeah." Chad did so. "It just hurts."

"I thought so. Deep breath, please." Ratchet frowned, holding his scanner closer to Chad's head. "Again."

"Is he okay?" Bud asked. Beside him, Miara leaned over him to peer at Chad.

"Hmmm. Full name?"

"Charles... Nicholas Showler."

"Where did you originate from, Chad?"

"I... North... no, South Dakota."

"Okay. And what do you remember about your family? Do you recall any names?"

"My... my mom... she's Mary. Yeah, that's right. And... my Dad's name is Harold."

"Okay, good." Ratchet tapped his scanner and the light turned off. "At least those answers were correct, even if it took you an astrosecond to think of them. You were pretty banged up so I'm going to check you again later and see if your condition has improved and then we can-"

"And then you're going to ransom us off to Earth in exchange for global domination, isn't that right?"

"Oh for Pete's sake, Lenny!" Bud groaned.

"I think," Ratchet said after a moment, "that I'm going to keep all three of you on mandatory bedrest for the foreseeable future." The huge robot straightened back up. "In the meantime, I'm going to let Optimus Prime, our leader, know you are, for the most part, alert. Would you be up for speaking with him? He was just as worried about you as I was."

Bud glanced over at his friends. Lenny looked sullen, but Chad just looked dazed. Despite the obviously advanced care Ratchet had been able to give, Bud knew he'd feel better once Chad was examined by Earth doctors who had treated more than three humans in the past. And if talking to the leader of these robots was a step closer to getting home, then so be it.

"Yes, we'll talk with him."

"Good. I should also let you know we've manage to contact both NASA and your country's president, Lancelot R. Gilligrass."

"You talked with the President?" Despite his injuries, Chad's bruised face still managed to radiate amazement.

"And NASA?" Bud asked. "They know where we are?"

"Yes, we let them know you were safe in our Med Bay and they were kind enough to have their medical staff send over necessary information when it came to treating damage to the human brain." Ratchet chuckled. "My goodness and I thought Miara was delicate." Next to him, Miara giggled and wagged her tail.

"So, they know we're on... Cybertron?"

"Yes, they do. And like I said, once you're medically cleared, we will send you back to Earth. Optimus will make sure of it, just as I will make sure you get the best care we can offer you. Speaking of which, your bodies need both nourishment and to be rehydrated. Your vessel held copious amounts of rations; if I brought them to you, could you manage to eat and drink?"

"I'd kill for a glass of water," Chad said with a grin.

"No need for that here; I'll see about bringing you what you need. Miara, could you stay with them until Optimus arrives?"

"Yes, Ratchet!"

"Thank you, Little Sandstorm. I'll be back shortly, but in the meantime, please stay in your berths. The last thing I want is for you to injure yourselves further."

"Will do," Chad answered with a tired grin.

"Like we have a choice," Lenny muttered.

"Doctor's orders," Bud replied with a shrug. "And thank you for your help, Dr. Ratchet."

"I'm glad I could help you." Ratchet smiled and left the room. The door of the Med Bay shut behind him and the three men were left alone with Miara once more to await the arrival of Optimus Prime.