randomplaces | Transformers-'verse. Nellis AFB. A call to Mr. Keller

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Transformers-'verse. Nellis AFB. A call to Mr. Keller

((Co-written

teh_rest))
Ratchet checked on his sleeping wife, feeling glad that the meeting with Captain Lennox was over. Finding her quiet and Columbia intent on a story from Ironhide, he turned and slipped into the workshop, then dialed the telephone and waited for the pickup. "Mr. Secretary, were you able to find a place for them?"

Keller's voice crackled slightly over the line. "Yes, we did. Mr. Chang-Oboa will fly one of my Cessnas; Mrs. Chang-Oboa has been offered a permanent part-time research position at the avionics department at NASA."

The yellow mech frowned slightly, concern coming into his deep voice. "In different states, sir?"

A sigh could be heard over the phone. "For now, yes, considering that they've both stated their intent to live coastal. Otherwise I would have Mrs. Chang-Oboa work in Virginia. Or I would assign them to you."

Ratchet nodded. "I see. Well it they're satisfied then I have no right to say anything. Thank you for going through so much trouble on their behalf."

Keller's smile was almost audible. "Of course. It's not a problem, especially if they're friends of yours."

"Jeimu has become a very dear friend to my wife, and I owe her my life," said Ratchet simply.

"I see. Is she adept, then, at medical procedures for your kind?"

"Not as such, but she's a brilliant engineer." Ratchet absently lifted Mischief and dropped him gently back onto the floor.

Keller chuckled as he heard Mischief's unearthly yowl over the line. "Fair enough. Do you know if she's involved in any research at present?"

"I believe she's finished all her latest projects." Ratchet aimed a soft blast of air from his intakes at the cat.

"Ah, I see. I was simply going to find her lab space if she'd required it, but since she doesn't, then..."

"Sir, when it comes to Mrs. Chang-Oboa lab space is never amiss," said Ratchet gravely, glancing under the table to the arrangement that the tiny human had set up under there.

"We do have grant money that was never claimed. But she needs to have a project proposal to get it."

"Really?" Ratchet's browplates rose with interest, then dropped with dismay as he caught sight of a familiar small form in the doorway.

"That is," Keller said with mild amusement, "how we operate here."

"I'll inform her of the situation when next I see her." He shot the woman in question a stern and forbidding look.

Jeimu stopped in her tracks and stared at Ratchet. "What?" she mouthed.

He ignored her, not knowing the details of when and where she'd written the test and not wanting to let on that she was where she might not logically be. "There's another matter that I was asked to speak to you about, sir."

"Oh? And what is that?"

"Were you able to do anything regarding the matter of Optimus Prime's employer?"

"And the immigration situation? Yes, we managed to get that cleared up. Vanessa reopened the investigation there directly, and it's been smoothed over. His record has been cleared and all his employees permitted to return to work."

"I'm sure Optimus will be glad to hear that when he returns." Ratchet's voice didn't give away his smile.

"Well, we're glad to help. You may also be interested to note that we have leads in the other investigation."

"Optimus said something about Sector 7?" He leaned forward, suddenly fully focused.

"That's correct. More to the point, one Agent Simmons had been spearheading the campaign. He is in custody now, but you'll have to remain on the alert, as we do not know how far this has gone. There is some evidence that... ah... private contractors were given orders."

"Simmons??" growled Ratchet with disbelief.

A sigh. "That's correct."

"I... see," he said with difficulty.

"I realize this must be shocking, if he attempted to... normalize relations with you and your family."

Jeimu hovered in the doorway of the workshop, rolling her eyes and folding her arms across her chest.

"He presented himself as a friend and helper." Ratchet turned a shoulder toward her, listening for the cat. "And seemed quite sincere."

Keller sighed. "I'm truly sorry," he said. "But as I said before, we are trying to ascertain how far this goes. So far we've turned up nothing that we cannot trace, and we've arrested six people already."

The cat was meowing in the corner, doing a very good job at not shutting up.

Ratchet turned back to Jeimu, pointing from the cat to the living room and giving her a pleading look. "We know that one of Technical Sergent Epps' men was involved."

Jeimu nodded and scooped the yowling Mischief up into her arms, taking him (though he protested, loudly) to the living room and closing the door behind her.

"Yes, from what the records show he was a relative newcomer to that unit... he was actually a former S7 agent, reintegrated into his former line of work."

"And rather unstable, to judge from his reaction when Bumblebee and Arcee became damaged from the tainted fuel."

The sound of Keller clearing his throat could be heard. "Yes, that too."

Ratchet sighed before realizing what he'd done. "Thankfully Jeimu and Jav can't be told from the rest of the population."

"This is very true," Keller said. "But until we close the case, they too must tread lightly and just be cautious."

"They will. Being members of minority races on their home worlds has made them adpt at it." He glanced toward the closed door, then peered through, noting that Jav was there... playing Guitar Hero with very peculiar flair.

"That's good to know. Is there anything else you need?"

"Not to my knowledge... but you're going to need to register another newcomer." Ratchet's happiness suddenly showed plainly in his voice.

"Pardon me?"

"Another Autobot arrived three days ago." He grinned, knowing that there would have been no report of anyone arriving.

Keller's confusion was plain. "There was no indication of anyone new showing up." After all, there were more than a couple of spy satellites being used to assist the Autobots in monitoring for newcomers.

"Because she didn't arrive from space." He couldn't contain his pride.

"Ah. I see. That kind of new arrival... she's yours, isn't she?" Keller was grinning on the other end as well, and it could once again, almost be heard. "How is she doing?"

"Yes. She's doing well, asking questions and learning about the world around her." Ratchet cleared away static. "Columbia is her name."

Keller couldn't help but chuckle. "An apt name. Was it Endeavour's idea?"

"Actually, it was my own suggestion," said the medic quietly. "As you say, it seemed fitting. Endeavour loved her sister a great deal."

"I see. Well, we'll open up a file on her as soon as possible."

"Ah." He winced at a sudden incoherent com message. "There is one more thing, sir."

"Yes?"

"Arcee and Starforge wish to be married, but with Optimus away we have to go to an outside source for the officiant. Bumblebee knows the local chaplain, but he's been ordered to stay away from us." Ratchet's voice made it clear that he didn't understand such orders when he himself had met the man and was inclined to trust him.

There was a sigh on the line. "I'll send a direct order, if you prefer to have this particular chaplain oversee the service."

"Arcee and Starforge aren't inclined to wait," Ratchet's growl of irritation nearly escaped as he was commed again.

Laughter. "Well, I am certainly not ordained to perform any such services."

"Nor are any of the remaining team here." Ratchet shook his head, then remembered one last thing. "How is your sparkling?"

"Oh, PB is doing fine. He's taken an interest in my stapler and seems to want to teach it how to transform, I think."

"Adorable." Ratchet chuckled.

"Indeed. I haven't the heart to try to explain to him that the stapler is just a stapler."

The medic's voice rumbled with sympathy for the tiny youngster. "Has he started talking yet?"

"Not really," Keller said. "He just kind of babbles on in what I assume to be your native language."

"Hmm, he could be like Honey, who seems to be developing nicely, but who hasn't spoken a word since she was put into her shell." Ratchet frowned, and then blinked as all heck seemed to break out in the living room. "I had better go. It was good to speak to you again, sir."

"Very well," Keller said. "Again, if there's anything else, please let me know."

"We will, sir. Thank you." Ratchet hung up gently and went to see if he couldn't referee, hoping that Jazz got home from the Nexus run soon.

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Ironhide growls and starts for his son, but Ratchet stops him, then jerks his head at Starforge. "Put her to bed and come back out here. We have important things to discuss."

Then he looks at Bumblebee. "You knew."

She nods slowly.

"Ya mean you didn'?" asks Chromia.

"I didn't say that." Ratchet's voice holds the tone it often does before someone gets seriously dressed down. But it's not his place to yell at these two, so he just puts a hand on Dev's shoulder and counts backward from twentyseven million.

"I knew they wanted to," says Bee quietly. "I didn't know they were gone now."

Edited 2007-12-02 05:28 (UTC)

Endeavour just looks around with a mildly confused look on her face, but doesn't otherwise say anything.

Although she can definitely ascertain that Ratchet is teetering on the edge of throwing decorum out the window.

She opens her mouth to add to the conversation, but decides better of it and cuts off her vocal processors, leaning back and shaking her head slightly.

Jazz finally returns after cooling down. "Alright. I can't deal with think up punishment right now if they even really deserve more than a good yelling at." He rubs his optics and sits back down next to Bee with a heavy sigh. "Alright, So me and Bee are stayin' behind. Dev is going as well as 'Forge if you've given him a clean bill o' health Doc, if not 'Hide, you have to go. Ratch, Do you think Dev can hand repairs well enough that you can stay for the sick ones? If not I need to make a few calls."

"He's fit," says Ratchet, at the same time as Ironhide growls about the kid needing to shut the pit slagged wormhole.

"I wanna go," says Chromia quietly.

And Ratchet looks at Endeavour to see what she'll say. This is going to be her first battle. He'll come if she needs him. "We could get Jeimu or Uzulee to come and monitor Elita 1."

"I..." Her optics flick to Ratchet for the briefest of seconds, and then she trains them on Jazz.

She finds she can't answer the question that she knows Ratchet wants answered. Her stubborn part wants to tough it out and insist that of course she can handle this on her own. Her sentimental, emotional part would like it very much if he were right beside her. However, if she asked him to come and something were to happen... she knows she'd never forgive herself.

"It's your call, Jazz," she says quietly.

Jazz thinks for a moment. "Lemme see if I can get Jeimu or Uzu to come handle this."

He sighs and rubs his optic again. "Anything I am missing?"

"My conversation with Secretary Keller?" offers Ratchet, his hand tightening slightly on Endeavour's shoulder.

"Oh, yeah! I'm sorry Ratchet." Jazz stood up straight. "Well, how goes the investigation? And you got anything for my head right now?"

Ratchet sighs, looking grave. "Optimus's boss has been cleared of all charges, and is back to work. And they've arrested six people in connection to the attacks, and found out who's spearheading it. But there is also proof that outside contractors have been hired."

Bee stares at him. "Hitmen?"

"Yeah ,Hitmen? It's good about Op's boss though. He'll feel a lot better when he's back to normal." Jazz hrrms. "So what do we know about these goons now?"

"We know," says Ratchet, his voice quiet with anger, "That Simmons' show of friendship was all a ruse, because he's spearheading the attacks."

There's a sudden dead silence in the room, even the sparklings pause their conversation to look inside.

Then Sam finds his voice from where he's sitting on the smaller couch next to Chromia. "Simmons is spearheading the attacks?? That...!"

"Watch yer mouth, kid," says Chromia absently, though she's got a full litany of curses scrolling through her CPU.

Edited 2007-12-02 19:15 (UTC)

"Simmons?" Jazz twitches again and mutters, "Get through the meetin'" A few times under his breath.

"Alright, from now on, until we establish trust with 'em, if one the new guys comes from S7, I want one of us and one of our guys to keep an eye on them. And they aren't allowed near the sparklings regardless until we get to the bottom of this rabbit hole."

Dev notices that Columbia is trying to come in, and she sends her daughter a message of reassurance that it's okay for her to be outside playing, and she needs to stay there for now.

That done, she turns to the adults again. "Sounds like a good idea," she says, her voice betraying the fact that she's extremely protective of her daughter.

"Nobody near the babies, gotcha." Sam nods, his face serious as the others nod or voice their understanding.

"What about taking Honey or Op with me when I go places?" asks Bee. She hasn't done it as much since Rap came, but now that Sam's quit his jobs she doesn't go out as much either.

"These 'hitmen' could be anyone," growls Ironhide.

Edited 2007-12-03 02:49 (UTC)

Jazz sighs again. "The Nexus and here on the base is okay, but keep close to home. If it's that big take one of us with you."

"I-is there anything else we need to address before we adjorn?"

"Okay." She nods and turns to check on the sparklings.

"I think that's it." Ratchet straightens and walks over to hit him with a painkiller.

"When are we doing the offensive against Starscream?" Ironhide seeks clarification.

"I'll call Mikaela and ask her to come out so I can tell her all this." Sam slips off the couch, lands on his rear, and walks toward the guys' dorm.

"I've got the same question as 'Hide does. Mostly because we need to come up with a game plan for that particular event. Should those of us who are involved in that aspect begin discussing it soon?"

Jazz thinks. "Day after tommorrow. We need to call Jeimu or Uzulee to look after Elita, and I wanna be sure she's stable before we move out. I don't want her to not be here when we get back." Jazz nods to Endeavour. "I'll leave it up to you guys. The only order I have is to be cautious."

"Easy," says Ironhide. "Arrive cloaked, then Dev lets us out as a distraction while she sends fire up his aft."

Out in the courtyard one of the sparklings looks up at the darkening sky and starts to whimper, wanting to eat and go to bed. Rap puts his arms around her and rocks gently, crooning a song.

Endeavour laughs, despite herself. "I'll need more specifics so as to tweak my engines for max performance, but I think that's a good place to be starting fro -"

Her sensors pick up on the state of the sparklings in the courtyard, and she stands up, intent on going out there to herd the children back in.

Jazz nods and lets her go. "Meeting adjorned. Get some food in ya boys and girls and rest and plan. Gotta heck of forty-eight hours coming up."

With that he salutes them and head out to bring his own kids in.

Bee goes with him, gently scooping up Optimus from where he's passed out sprawled on his back.

"You okay?" She asks her sparkmate.

Jazz smiles as he picks up Honey and helps Rap up.

"I'll be glad when things get back to normal. I swear, me you and the kids are goin' to Disney World. We all need some talkin' mice."

She chuckles as Honey stops whimpering and sticks a hand to his face. "Dev's got ones that glow under some kinds of light."

"Bbbbb!" says Honey.

"Tired," mutters Rap quietly. "'N hungry."

He laughs softly and kisses all of them. "Well lets eat and then you can sleep. C'mon we got some good fuel for ya." He wraps an arm around his son's shoulder and leads them all back inside. "Sorry about makin' ya'll stay out here so long."

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