Adaptations of Love - Chapter 03
Pairings: Sam / Bee, Swerve / Mikaela
Rating: R
Author’s Notes: This is going to be a multi-part fic so please be patient as we churn out the chapters around schoolwork, work and sleepy-time. We LOVE reviews!! We also LOVE FanArt, so if you can't think of anything to write but you can draw, we're happy! Also, a small part of this fic is in answer to Umashino's challenge at beexsam to make Bumblebee look different than the standard white/Caucasian, blond-haired, blue-eyed guy, so you won't find any of that here. ^___^
Summary: Sam's graduated, Bumblebee's admittedly in love and Wheeljack has plans that are surprisingly diplomatic in nature.
Adaptations of Love
By Winged Dreamer and Nightmare
----------
Author’s Notes: By the way we tweaked the concept of Energon just a bit because we can. It’s a minor adjustment really, but it works and it sounds better than any definition we’ve found in our humble opinion. It also takes care of a lot of questions that we now don’t have to answer. Yay!
----------
Chapter Three
----------
It wasn't terribly unusual to see a caravan of vehicles traveling together on the busy roads of California's belly. Monterey Bay was only about thirty minutes away and Mikaela could feel the excitement of a highly anticipated trip tingling in her belly. Fidgeting, she reached out and caressed the dashboard. "Turn the AC up a little more please, Swerve?" she asked softly and caressed the steering wheel with gratitude when he immediately complied. It was sweltering, but then early summer in California always was. At least there was beach front where they were headed.
The decommissioned Fort Ord military base, or at least what was left of it that hadn't been taken over by California State University Monterey Bay, was a site of much speculation of late according to Schwiggle the search engine. Word hadn't really reached peaceful Tranquility yet, but apparently the government had erected a temporary wall of solid block and canvassed over a pole-construct that was a temporary and "sectionally" removable roof, leaving only enough room between the University and the apparently re-commissioned base as to be polite and unobtrusive to the students. The whole of Fort Ord covered roughly the same amount of space as the city of San Francisco, so it wasn't like there wasn't room to spare. Mikaela had done her research after finally getting a location out of Swerve. It had taken a little polishing and tweaking, but her Corvette was usually so much putty in her hands these days that it hadn't been any sort of a trial.
"So let me make sure I'm getting this right. The surface is a completely remade military base that they're calling Fort Pax and claiming is for training, research and storage, and the Autobot city is beneath that?"
Her phone chirruped its "you've received a text message" signal, and Mikaela flipped it open to read Swerve's answer. "That's correct. It was the best they could do for us and really, living underground is pretty much what we're used to anyway in a way," the message said.
"Still, it kind of sucks that you guys don't get to be outside all the time. I know it's not like you can't come to the surface and mess around as vehicles. There's always traveling to remote locations in the mountains and deserts for vacations and stuff, too, I guess, but still."
The chirrup of the phone interrupted her the second she paused. "We honestly don't mind. We're just grateful that we've been treated so hospitably once all of the confusions were cleared up."
Shaking her dark head, Mikaela turned her eyes out the window for a moment, taking in the scenery. "If you guys are happy, then I'm not going to complain. I know there weren't a lot of options. Alaska, as remote as that is, is cold. The desert is too unpredictable and difficult to build in, and the mountains on either coast are too heavily trafficked. Honestly, I'm really glad you guys are so close. It makes me feel a hell of a lot safer."
There was a long moment of silence. Long enough that Mikaela thought Swerve had turned his attention elsewhere for a moment before her phone chirped at her again. Her heart constricted oddly at the sight of the words on its little screen. "I'll always keep you safe, Mikaela. You never have to worry about that."
A second chirp distracted her from chasing the oddity of that flutter when it heralded the words, "We're here."
Looking up through the windshield as she tucked the phone back into her purse, Mikaela saw huge fence gates swinging open just up ahead of them and felt her heart start to pound just a little in anticipation. And if that was how she felt, she couldn't even imagine what Sam and Miles were going through in the black 1972 Trans Am-Transformer ahead of her or Swerve for that matter, though she had a pretty good idea.
It took her eyes a minute to adjust to the dimmer lighting as they rolled through the second set of gates that allowed them into the construction dome and the military base's embrace. It looked exactly like she had expected a military base under construction to look, the only difference was that there were robots that stood over fifteen feet tall helping with the construction. The mini-convoy rolled to a stop a safe distance from the actual construction, and Swerve popped his door at the exact same time that Chromia and Hotshot did their human passengers all climbing out at once to stare in wonder at the creation coming into being before them. Mikaela barely noticed the sounds of four Transformers resuming their Autobot forms all around her.
"New Tyger Pax is much farther along, but that's because of the help of the tiny piece of the All Spark that Optimus Prime recovered from Megatron's chest," Hotshot informed the Witwickys, Miles and Mikaela as they all looked around in wonder.
"I think that it looks great. It's come a long way since last I saw it," Chromia stated in a distracted tone as her optics scanned the area. They apparently found what she was looking for because a split second later she murmured, "Excuse me."
The deceptively delicate looking Autobot raised a hand and started off toward a hulking shape in the shadows to their left. There was no mistaking Ironhide's gruff greeting as he and Chromia neared each other and stopped to converse. A Cybertronian shout from their right called Swerve's attention and the red Autobot excused himself as well, hurrying over to greet what was presumably a friend - an Autobot that was colored a vibrant blue and seemed to be stuck at ninety-miles-an-hour. It wasn't until Hotshot called out a greeting to an approaching contingent of army personnel that the humans were able to pull their eyes away from the entertaining if blurry movements of the Autobot conversing with Swerve.
Sam immediately recognized the officer at the head of the party coming towards them and grinned. "Look who got the cushy assignment!" he called, striding towards the soldiers to meet them halfway. "I bet this beats fighting Decepticons, huh, Captain?"
"It's Lieutenant Colonel now. Apparently the Mission City Battle warranted two jumps in rank." Grinning in welcome, Lt. Colonel William Lennox firmly clasped Sam's outstretched hand and nodded. "Looking good, Sam. Maybe even… Private material?" He raised a brow that was only half teasing.
"Uh, how about no?" Changing the subject, Sam turned to the laughing officer next to Lennox. "Sergeant Epps! How you been, man? Are you still a sergeant?"
"Yes and no. I'm a First Master Sergeant now." The former Technical Sergeant caught Sam's hand in a friendly knuckle-crusher and laughed when Sam winced. Turning to Mikaela, Bobby Epps winked. "Hey, Mikaela. Beautiful as ever."
"And legal now," Mikaela teasingly greeted and leaned in to kiss his cheek. She then repeated the action with Lennox. "It's good to see you both."
Ron and Judy stepped up then, and Miles got a thorough introduction to the troop. There were seven new recruits in the group total. Each soldier was introduced to the guests by name and rank. They were all as awed by the Autobots as Sam and the others were, and all of them were just as thrilled to be at the new base as the entourage with Hotshot. Short stories and comical remarks flew amongst the group of humans.
It wasn't until the last soldier - who had been standing at the back of the group watching the reunion in silence - came forward that the familiar and friendly greetings slowed. Lt. Colonel Lennox clapped the young man on the shoulder and the guy removed his sunglasses, folding them neatly into his left hand before offering his right to Sam with a smile.
Lennox introduced the last new soldier with every ounce of enthusiasm he had introduced the others with despite the drop in overall energy in the group. It was hard to imagine where the man was getting his energy reserves from. "This is Alex. His specialty is recon, and I'd say he ranks a fair few levels above the other boys here. He's going to be your tour guide in the sub-base since there's nothing worth seeing up here. And if I'm not mistaken, Optimus is waiting for you guys at the bottom of the lift."
"Cool. Nice to meet you, Alex." Taking the offered hand, Sam was surprised to find it cool despite the black turtleneck he wore and incredibly smooth. Not a single callous to be felt to Sam's surprise, but that surprise paled in comparison to Alex's gold eyes. Mostly Asian in appearance, the unfamiliar soldier's features spoke of other ethnicities blended in, particularly that strange, slightly slanted gaze. A mop of artfully messy short hair perfectly accentuated his attractive golden-skinned face, a slight contrast to the lithe bulk on his unexpectedly wide frame.
"Dude, your eyes are yellow," Miles bluntly pointed out, nose scrunched a bit in mild distaste. And then dodged Sam's elbow.
"They are. Well, actually they're supposed to be brown, but as fate would have it it's a 'brown so gold it looks like warm honey,' so I've been told," Alex agreed with a smirk and obvious good humor. "I'm sorry, but that's the color I came with."
Miles may have dodged Sam's elbow, but he hadn't even seen the cuff to the back of his head coming from Mikaela. "I'm Mikaela. It's nice to meet you, Alex. Thanks for offering to show us around. We really appreciate it."
Ron offered his hand after a reproving look was shot in Miles' direction. "Yeah thanks. My name's Ron, and this is my wife Judy. Sam's our son. We're pleased to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine," Alex replied and shook both Ron and Judy's hands before taking a step to the side and gesturing beyond him. "If you will all just come this way please. Hotshot and I will take you down into New Tyger Pax."
"Ron. Judy. If you need me, I'll be up here with the rest of the Autobots. It looks like they could use some extra hands up here." Trailbreaker had been silent up until then, but it was obviously more because of his observation of his surroundings than because of any form of shyness or obliviousness. "Just in case you need me. For, you know, anything."
"Thank you, Trailbreaker," Ron answered with a broad smile. "Enjoy a little time off. You've earned it."
"Thank you." Turning, Trailbreaker headed for a group of hard-working Autobots none of the newly arrived humans had seen before.
After a moment of silence, Alex broke in with a soft, "Shall we?"
Hotshot added an affirmative, "Yeah, we shouldn't keep Optimus waiting too long."
"Alright. Well, we'll probably see you in the canteen around dinner time, eh?" Lennox slapped Sam's shoulder good naturedly then turned to his men. "Alright, boys, let's go. You've met Earth's savior. Remember his face and treat him with the respect he deserves! Now, move it! Back to posts."
The soldiers moved out as Hotshot headed past the humans he was escorting and strode off toward the very center of the upper base. Alex smiled at them and fell into step beside Sam as they followed. "So, how has your first summer of total freedom been so far?" he asked of the brunet beside him as he resettled his sunglasses on his ears and nose.
Sam shrugged, not all that surprised to hear that the military knew he had just graduated. Considering that the government was still keeping a close eye on his family for their protection, it wasn't that much of a stretch. "Okay. Kind of crazy. The folks and I went to the Grand Canyon for a couple weeks right after graduation and when we got back, I found Hotshot sitting in the driveway instead of Bumblebee. Part of the reason I'm here is to return to sender my new 'car' since he's a little temperamental," he joked with a smirk.
"Hotshot is that," Alex nodded with a small laugh. "He's also a hothead, a bit of a prankster and he's generally pretty loud, too."
"I can hear you," Hotshot called back over his shoulder, getting a laugh from the humans behind him.
"But honestly, he wasn't too much trouble for you was he? He's just a bit new in dealing with humans." Alex seemed genuinely concerned, or maybe that was just curiosity leaking into his voice and facial expression.
"Well, there was the time he dumped me out of the front seat for no reason..."
"No reason? You interrupted something absolutely unnecessarily and then you were being pigheaded about telling Miles. Not to mention you called me names, kicked me - after the fact yes, but still - and you insulted Mikaela, and I like her better than you, so don't give me that 'no reason' bullshit." Hotshot's tone said plainly that he was taking the harassment very well, especially with the laughter lurking in his voice modulator. His small speech got a laugh out of his human compatriots again and a glare from Sam, but the giggling tapered off when he stopped beside a non-descript, black Suburban. "Everybody get inside. We've got a ways to go yet and this is far faster and safer than walking."
Hotshot transformed back into his Trans Am self as soon as the Witwickys, Mikaela, Miles and Alex arrived at the Suburban's side. Alex immediately slid behind the wheel. "We'll see you at the hangar," he informed the rumbling Trans Am. As soon as the words had left his mouth, Hotshot had spun and gunned it, tearing through the growing military city with practiced ease. The Suburban started without trouble and, once everyone was seated and belted in, Alex put it into gear and drove off after the speeding Pontiac.
It was fifteen to twenty minutes later that they finally pulled to a stop beside a large airplane hangar that sat smack dab in the very center of Fort Pax's city sized base. It sat alone in the very center of a large parking lot that made the massive Quonset hut look fairly small. It was into that oddly placed building that they were lead by their escorts through large hangar bay doors and right to a large lift situated in the very center of the building's broad floor plan. A touch of a button on Alex's part and down they went, the lift jerking only once as it started to lower.
The change was immediate. It was apparent that the lift they were on only looked like a normal, clunky military style lift like one would see in any number of video game RPGs of the military variety, but the second it lowered the human and Autobot eye below ground level the very walls around them changed. Lit only by the faint glow of something that was probably electricity once the lift doors above them closed, the walls of the square, bare elevator shaft that fitted right up to the edge of their fenced in platform were made of some gleaming silver metal. The very manner in which the walls were constructed spoke of unearthly craftsmanship and science-fiction movie sets.
"Wow," Mikaela murmured and reached over the railing of the lift to touch the wall. Blue energy harmlessly arced to her fingertips and she drew back in surprise.
"Energon," Hotshot supplied, having transformed back into an Autobot when the walls had changed. "The stores of it that most of the Autobots bring back with them are mostly put into getting New Tyger Pax up and running. It's being rationed heavily right now which is a disadvantage for some. Like poor Trailbreaker who needs to consume large quantities of Energon to maintain basic functions. We're still trying to devise a safe and stable way to ready what we're harvesting now for consumption and other uses, but we haven't caught back up to Cybertron's technology yet. It'll just take some time."
"Energon?" inquired Alex, his eyes wandering over the walls over the top of his sunglasses.
"Irradiated crystals that come from all over the universe in various forms that can be processed to a liquid state. In the liquid state it's safe for Autobot consumption and usage as a power supply. Originally, it was native only to Cybertron, but Optimus had Wheeljack, Swerve and several other scientists research ways to keep the Energon supply available even if the original supply on Cybertron ran out. It was implanted on uninhabited planets all over the universe by remote controlled Dronebots and once we rebuild the Dronebots we'll be able to harvest a more ready supply. Energon is self-replicating, but it's slow. That's why we were sure that the Energon supply would run out on Cybertron. We were using it up faster than it could really regenerate. The implanted Energon supplies will have had plenty of time to grow and with as many mines as Optimus had created, we shouldn't have to worry about running out for a very long time once we're able to access it."
"Will it hurt the environment of the other planets? I mean, it is a-a foreign invader, isn't it?" Judy looked a little taken aback by the audacity of the Autobots in just implanting a foreign anything into a planet just like that.
"No. It will remain isolated from the environment and do no damage to its surroundings other than take up a little bit of space. Like I said, the planets were completely uninhabited. Barren of all forms of life. We made sure."
"Dronebots," Miles broke in with a grin. "This is so cool."
Sam grinned in perfect agreement and nudged Alex with his elbow, feeling oddly comfortable with the new human. Maybe it was just his excitement at being so close to seeing his friends again, especially Bumblebee. "I thought you were supposed to be our tour guide. Shouldn't you know all this?"
"It's a lot to take in," Alex answered with a small smirk. "I know the base. I never said anything about long-winded, scientific explanations about the way things work."
"So just how far down are we going exactly?" asked Ron, plugging his nose to relieve the growing pressure in his ears.
"How are you guys even managing to build a city underground like this without anyone knowing?" added Sam, looking up to see how far they had already gone. Using Hotshot's height to judge, he would have guessed about three thousand feet so far. Maybe. It was hard to guess without a good frame of reference. "I mean, the fault line isn't exactly stable. How are you not setting it off?"
"Actually, the Autobots are helping the government to stabilize it. Believe it or not, the number of earthquakes that occur in California should drop dramatically in the next two or three years." Alex looked pleased by the information and pulled his sunglasses off, hooking them into the pocket of his army-issue pants, before folding his arms over his chest and leaning back against the railing. "The city of New Tyger Pax and the Fort Pax military base don't want earthquakes any more than the average civilian does."
"Between five and six miles," Hotshot answered Ron's question with a nod to Alex's explanation of the state of the San Andreas Fault line. "At that depth we're well below the power lines, gas lines, sewer systems and subway systems of the cities above us."
"Wow. That's pretty deep." Mikaela too looked up, plugging her nose so relieve the pressure in her ears as well.
"Yeah. So how long is this trip?" Miles leaned over the railing to make the Energon arc to his fingertips. Deciding he liked the sensation, he did it again, "catching" the soft blue light in his palm. "'Cause I don't think we've gone down even a mile yet and we've already been in here, what, ten minutes?"
"It's a long trip, but we don't have any other choice. When the lift is full of just Autobots, it goes much faster, but that's because they aren't as pressure sensitive as humans are." Amused, Alex watched Miles as the other young man played with the arcing blue light. "Touch Sam or Mikaela while you're touching the wall," he advised with a smirk.
Eager to see what would happen, Miles reached out towards Sam and laughed when Energon arced from his fingers to the other boy's arm. "Dude, that is so cool. Jeez, I can't believe I'm here right now." Smirking, he whacked Sam's arm. "And you didn't want to tell me about all this."
Scowling yet clearly amused, Sam whacked him back. "How many times do I have to say that it wasn't my secret to tell and I thought Optimus would want to keep it on a need-to-know basis? So apparently our definitions of 'need-to-know' are different. So what?"
"Boys. We are not having this argument again." Her tone firm, Mikaela stepped between them and gave Sam a small shove to step him away from Miles. "Behave. We're guests here even if this is our friends' home."
Alex and Hotshot exchanged an amused look and Alex resettled against the railing of lift a few times before he was comfortable again. "Well," the brunet began. "At least he took it well. A few of the newer recruits to the base wigged out completely. Those few had to be psychoanalyzed and briefed on acceptable conduct and the like."
"Are they all okay?" asked Ron as he eyed the walls, tempted to try what Energon felt like himself.
"Those poor boys," Judy murmured absently as she herself caressed the wall as it slipped slowly past. She started when the Energon basically caressed back and then giggled. "Ron! Try this! It's like those static globes in those specialty stores!"
Sam quietly groaned and firmly put his back to his mother. And parents said they couldn't take their kids anywhere…
Judy's delight with the walls of the lift tunnel got a chuckle out of Hotshot and a grin from Alex. "Yeah they're all fine," the Japanese youth confirmed. "They just needed to adjust to the idea that humans aren't the only sentient race in the universe. That's all."
"Well, duh, we aren't the only sentient race," said Miles with a roll of his eyes. "What, did they not believe in aliens?"
"It's one thing to believe in aliens. It's another to actually meet one," Sam pointed out.
"Exactly," agreed their tour guide.
Sam looked up the tunnel again. The ceiling couldn't even be seen anymore, the tunnel walls simply converging into a light blue haze far above them. "How fast are we going, anyway?"
"A little less than five miles an hour," answered Hotshot, obviously proud that he was able to provide so much information. "We've already gone down a mile and a half. When there are just Autobots on the lift, it can go up to twenty miles an hour, but humans can't handle so fast a change in pressures and at that speed the pumps can't regulate the pressure in here."
"Pumps?" asked Miles, joining Sam in looking up.
"When the doors close, that completely seals off the shaft. As the lift goes down, pumps force air from outside into the growing space, keeping the pressure in here as equal as possible. We haven't perfected it yet, so there is still some detectable pressure change, but that's mostly because we're going so far down into the earth." The Autobot shrugged in a silent whirring of gears.
"I feel like I'm in a science fiction movie," giggled Judy. Energon continued to arc to her extended fingers, making her hand glow faintly.
The next hour passed in curious conversation about the current size of New Tyger Pax, future plans for the hidden city, and the state of relations between the Autobots and the government. Alex and Hotshot only gave bare-bones answers, cheerfully frustrating their guests with comments on patience since most of their questions would be answered during the tour.
Sam was just about to ask Alex how long he had been in the army when the tunnel walls suddenly brightened. "Are we there?" he asked hopefully. Maybe Bumblebee would be waiting for him at the lift entrance.
Alex nodded and pushed off the railing. "Just a few more minutes. I ask that everyone please step towards the center of the platform."
Sidling closer to Mikaela, Sam murmured, "Who do you think we'll see first?" He double-checked his pocket to make sure his camera was still in there.
"Probably Optimus," she responded and gave a small giggle. "God, I can't believe how excited I am over this. I mean, yeah it's cool, but I'm a grease monkey not a sci-fi nerd. But I think I'm as excited as Miles is."
With a slight inclination of her head, Mikaela brought Sam's attention to his childhood friend. Miles was eagerly bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, eyes darting everywhere. He looked very much like a hyped up squirrel, and Mikaela whispered as much to Sam just for laughs. It was at that moment that the lift slowed to a quietly humming stop. All of the humans fell silent as a hissing whine issued briefly from the wall opposite the lift's console.
The giant doors silently opened, and the glowing metal walls were replaced by two sets of complex mechanical legs - one red, blue, and silver and the other simply red and silver - standing a few feet in front of them. Innumerable gears turning, one pair of legs bent to lower the tallest Autobot known to man closer to the humans' level. Kind blue optics swept over the small group before they received a sincere nod of welcome.
"Sam, Mikaela, it's good to see you again. Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky, Miles, it is a pleasure to meet you all. I am Optimus Prime. Welcome to New Tyger Pax." The deep rumbling of Prime's voice echoed faintly in the lift tunnel, masked only a little by the soft sound of machinery as the leader of the Autobots extended a hand in greeting.
Miles could only gape, stunned by how large Optimus was even when compared to the already large Autobots he had already met.
Grinning, Sam happily set his hand in the center of Optimus' palm. At least eight months had passed since they had last seen each other, and Sam would be the first to admit that he had missed the noble Autobot. "It's good to see you too, Optimus. Are you going to go with us on the tour?"
Optimus gave a small shake of his head. "I'm afraid not. I am currently needed elsewhere, but I'm sure Alex will be able to give you a thorough tour of the city. He's down here almost as much as Wheeljack's assistants." Amusement rang in his tone.
“I’ll do my best, sir,” Alex confirmed with a definitive nod. He did not, however, snap to attention or anything of the sort.
“Optimus!” Mikaela greeted, and placed her hand next to Sam’s in the middle of Prime’s palm. She then looked over her shoulder. “It’s okay, Miles. It’s really the only way to shake hands with him. Come here.”
At that, Ron and Judy stepped closer as well, waiting for Miles to greet the Autobot leader before doing so themselves.
Unsure, Miles shuffled forward. "H-hi," he muttered, reaching out to put a light hand on one of Prime's fingers.
"Sissy," Sam murmured under his breath in teasing. He just grinned when Miles glared at him.
"It's nice to see you as something other than a big rig," joked Ron as he briefly gripped an unoccupied finger.
Judy patted Optimus’ thumb smiling broadly, “How are you doing, dear?”
Prime replied with a polite but amused, "Fine, Mrs. Witwicky. Thank you."
"Optimus," Hotshot greeted with a respectful nod once the humans had begun to back away to allow the gigantic Autobot room to stand.
"Hotshot," greeted Prime while rising to his feet. "Good work on your assignment. You are effectively relieved until your next one." Taking a few steps back, he turned to another towering Autobot waiting patiently at his side, red paneling making up most of their outer body. "Everyone, I would like to introduce you to my partner, Elita One."
Sam's first impression of Elita One was that it was definitely a she, making her the second female Autobot he knew; second was that she looked very much like a female Optimus - kind, patient, and probably killer on the battlefield. The amusement in her optics as she swept her gaze over them probably meant Miles was gaping again. Grinning, Sam waved. "Nice to meet you."
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Samuel Witwicky. It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I hope your stay here in New Tyger Pax is a comfortable and enjoyable one. If you should need anything, any of you, just find the nearest Autobot, and they will be glad to see that your needs are taken care of. You are our most welcome guests." Elita One's voice was, like Optimus Prime's, very noble, but where his was proud and powerful hers was soft and sweet.
"Thank you," Mikaela responded with a big grin as Elita One knelt before them and offered a hand in greeting just as her partner had.
"So you're like...his queen?" Miles blurted when he touched her hand with Mikaela and the others.
Elita One chuckled. "No. The Autobots do not recognize rulers like those of olden Earth. I am simply Optimus' partner. I am his consort, yes, but neither he nor I are what you would call a King or a Queen."
"Think Commander and Vice Commander, I guess," offered Ron.
Optimus nodded in agreement. "That would be more accurate. Now, we're holding up your tour. I believe you're scheduled to join the troops for dinner at six, so we will let you go on your way. If there are any questions you have that Alex cannot answer, feel free to ask the nearest Autobot or myself later." With that, he and Elita One stepped aside, unblocking the lift exit.
Jaws dropped as the vast underground city unfolded before them, their view at last unhindered. Perfectly simulated sunlight emanated from a ceiling that was easily half a mile above their heads, making the bright tunnel they stood in seem dim. Gleaming metal buildings seemed to grow right out of the bedrock they sat on, objects of an alien yet beautiful architecture, Cybertronian hieroglyphs carved into their doorframes. Autobots flowed through the passageways between buildings, some with a clear purpose in mind, others simply meandering as they took a break or waited for something to do. Most had vehicle paneling making up their outer bodies, but a few didn't; smoother, silvery, and more filled out, they looked almost… elemental.
"Excuse me, everyone, I see a couple friends of mine," said Hotshot as he waded through the crowd of stunned humans. "I'll catch up to you later. Optimus. Elita One." Nodding his goodbye, the young soldier jogged over to two identical silvery Autobots.
"Those are the twins, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe," Alex provided with a smile at Sam's questioning glance. "You'll meet them later. Come on. We have a lot to see."
The next few hours flew by in a blur of information that Sam at least was more than happy to absorb. New Tyger Pax was still small, more of a village than a city when it came right down to it since there were barely twenty Autobots living there, yet in sheer scale it felt like a small city, especially since there was a clear division between the individual residences and the buildings where the Autobots worked on projects that were either necessary for their continued survival - the processing of Energon - or for staying on good relations with the American government - the creating of new technologies for which the government would buy the patents, thus providing New Tyger Pax with a source of income. By the time Alex announced that their next stop would be the medical bay, Sam had stopped trying to take all the information in and had shifted his focus to learning where everything was so he could have Bumblebee explain it all to him again later.
Giant double doors parted with the hiss of hydraulics as they approached the front of the Autobot Medical Hangar. Alex informed them that the human medical facilities sat just on the other side of the building they were now entering and that they would see that some other time. It was at that moment that the rapid clock-clock-clock of running heels drew the attention of every human in group. Maggie Madsen launched herself from three or so feet away and hugged Alex tightly around the neck, laughing.
“You’re amazing!” she exclaimed. Her Australian accent was as thick as it had ever been. “The data is through the roof. I can’t believe you’ve held it this long! Look, if you can just…hold it - just a little longer - we’ll be able to make huge leaps in progress.”
Alex carefully put her away from him and Maggie immediately fell into step beside him, gesticulating broadly with one hand while the other held his elbow steering him, and by proxy his following into one of the sectioned off rooms of the giant garage that looked like a cross between Joe’s Auto Repair Shop and some Cybertronian…Opera House.
“Maggie. I’m tired. I can’t hold this any longer,” the Japanese youth responded, but…his voice sounded different. Smoother. More cultured. Less…punk.
"Just a few more minutes! Glen and Wheeljack just need a few more minutes, I promise," Maggie insisted.
Sharing a deeply confused look with Sam and Mikaela, Miles tapped Maggie on the shoulder. "Uh, hello, a little out of the loop here. What's Alex supposed to be holding, and why is it such a big deal that he keep holding it?"
It was at that moment that they entered the back half of the room they had just entered, pushing past the curtain that separated the two halves. Ron, Judy, Sam and Mikaela immediately froze at the sight before them. There, reclining on the medical slab and still as death, lay Bumblebee.
Chapter Four...
Rating: R
Author’s Notes: This is going to be a multi-part fic so please be patient as we churn out the chapters around schoolwork, work and sleepy-time. We LOVE reviews!! We also LOVE FanArt, so if you can't think of anything to write but you can draw, we're happy! Also, a small part of this fic is in answer to Umashino's challenge at beexsam to make Bumblebee look different than the standard white/Caucasian, blond-haired, blue-eyed guy, so you won't find any of that here. ^___^
Summary: Sam's graduated, Bumblebee's admittedly in love and Wheeljack has plans that are surprisingly diplomatic in nature.
Adaptations of Love
By Winged Dreamer and Nightmare
----------
Author’s Notes: By the way we tweaked the concept of Energon just a bit because we can. It’s a minor adjustment really, but it works and it sounds better than any definition we’ve found in our humble opinion. It also takes care of a lot of questions that we now don’t have to answer. Yay!
----------
Chapter Three
----------
It wasn't terribly unusual to see a caravan of vehicles traveling together on the busy roads of California's belly. Monterey Bay was only about thirty minutes away and Mikaela could feel the excitement of a highly anticipated trip tingling in her belly. Fidgeting, she reached out and caressed the dashboard. "Turn the AC up a little more please, Swerve?" she asked softly and caressed the steering wheel with gratitude when he immediately complied. It was sweltering, but then early summer in California always was. At least there was beach front where they were headed.
The decommissioned Fort Ord military base, or at least what was left of it that hadn't been taken over by California State University Monterey Bay, was a site of much speculation of late according to Schwiggle the search engine. Word hadn't really reached peaceful Tranquility yet, but apparently the government had erected a temporary wall of solid block and canvassed over a pole-construct that was a temporary and "sectionally" removable roof, leaving only enough room between the University and the apparently re-commissioned base as to be polite and unobtrusive to the students. The whole of Fort Ord covered roughly the same amount of space as the city of San Francisco, so it wasn't like there wasn't room to spare. Mikaela had done her research after finally getting a location out of Swerve. It had taken a little polishing and tweaking, but her Corvette was usually so much putty in her hands these days that it hadn't been any sort of a trial.
"So let me make sure I'm getting this right. The surface is a completely remade military base that they're calling Fort Pax and claiming is for training, research and storage, and the Autobot city is beneath that?"
Her phone chirruped its "you've received a text message" signal, and Mikaela flipped it open to read Swerve's answer. "That's correct. It was the best they could do for us and really, living underground is pretty much what we're used to anyway in a way," the message said.
"Still, it kind of sucks that you guys don't get to be outside all the time. I know it's not like you can't come to the surface and mess around as vehicles. There's always traveling to remote locations in the mountains and deserts for vacations and stuff, too, I guess, but still."
The chirrup of the phone interrupted her the second she paused. "We honestly don't mind. We're just grateful that we've been treated so hospitably once all of the confusions were cleared up."
Shaking her dark head, Mikaela turned her eyes out the window for a moment, taking in the scenery. "If you guys are happy, then I'm not going to complain. I know there weren't a lot of options. Alaska, as remote as that is, is cold. The desert is too unpredictable and difficult to build in, and the mountains on either coast are too heavily trafficked. Honestly, I'm really glad you guys are so close. It makes me feel a hell of a lot safer."
There was a long moment of silence. Long enough that Mikaela thought Swerve had turned his attention elsewhere for a moment before her phone chirped at her again. Her heart constricted oddly at the sight of the words on its little screen. "I'll always keep you safe, Mikaela. You never have to worry about that."
A second chirp distracted her from chasing the oddity of that flutter when it heralded the words, "We're here."
Looking up through the windshield as she tucked the phone back into her purse, Mikaela saw huge fence gates swinging open just up ahead of them and felt her heart start to pound just a little in anticipation. And if that was how she felt, she couldn't even imagine what Sam and Miles were going through in the black 1972 Trans Am-Transformer ahead of her or Swerve for that matter, though she had a pretty good idea.
It took her eyes a minute to adjust to the dimmer lighting as they rolled through the second set of gates that allowed them into the construction dome and the military base's embrace. It looked exactly like she had expected a military base under construction to look, the only difference was that there were robots that stood over fifteen feet tall helping with the construction. The mini-convoy rolled to a stop a safe distance from the actual construction, and Swerve popped his door at the exact same time that Chromia and Hotshot did their human passengers all climbing out at once to stare in wonder at the creation coming into being before them. Mikaela barely noticed the sounds of four Transformers resuming their Autobot forms all around her.
"New Tyger Pax is much farther along, but that's because of the help of the tiny piece of the All Spark that Optimus Prime recovered from Megatron's chest," Hotshot informed the Witwickys, Miles and Mikaela as they all looked around in wonder.
"I think that it looks great. It's come a long way since last I saw it," Chromia stated in a distracted tone as her optics scanned the area. They apparently found what she was looking for because a split second later she murmured, "Excuse me."
The deceptively delicate looking Autobot raised a hand and started off toward a hulking shape in the shadows to their left. There was no mistaking Ironhide's gruff greeting as he and Chromia neared each other and stopped to converse. A Cybertronian shout from their right called Swerve's attention and the red Autobot excused himself as well, hurrying over to greet what was presumably a friend - an Autobot that was colored a vibrant blue and seemed to be stuck at ninety-miles-an-hour. It wasn't until Hotshot called out a greeting to an approaching contingent of army personnel that the humans were able to pull their eyes away from the entertaining if blurry movements of the Autobot conversing with Swerve.
Sam immediately recognized the officer at the head of the party coming towards them and grinned. "Look who got the cushy assignment!" he called, striding towards the soldiers to meet them halfway. "I bet this beats fighting Decepticons, huh, Captain?"
"It's Lieutenant Colonel now. Apparently the Mission City Battle warranted two jumps in rank." Grinning in welcome, Lt. Colonel William Lennox firmly clasped Sam's outstretched hand and nodded. "Looking good, Sam. Maybe even… Private material?" He raised a brow that was only half teasing.
"Uh, how about no?" Changing the subject, Sam turned to the laughing officer next to Lennox. "Sergeant Epps! How you been, man? Are you still a sergeant?"
"Yes and no. I'm a First Master Sergeant now." The former Technical Sergeant caught Sam's hand in a friendly knuckle-crusher and laughed when Sam winced. Turning to Mikaela, Bobby Epps winked. "Hey, Mikaela. Beautiful as ever."
"And legal now," Mikaela teasingly greeted and leaned in to kiss his cheek. She then repeated the action with Lennox. "It's good to see you both."
Ron and Judy stepped up then, and Miles got a thorough introduction to the troop. There were seven new recruits in the group total. Each soldier was introduced to the guests by name and rank. They were all as awed by the Autobots as Sam and the others were, and all of them were just as thrilled to be at the new base as the entourage with Hotshot. Short stories and comical remarks flew amongst the group of humans.
It wasn't until the last soldier - who had been standing at the back of the group watching the reunion in silence - came forward that the familiar and friendly greetings slowed. Lt. Colonel Lennox clapped the young man on the shoulder and the guy removed his sunglasses, folding them neatly into his left hand before offering his right to Sam with a smile.
Lennox introduced the last new soldier with every ounce of enthusiasm he had introduced the others with despite the drop in overall energy in the group. It was hard to imagine where the man was getting his energy reserves from. "This is Alex. His specialty is recon, and I'd say he ranks a fair few levels above the other boys here. He's going to be your tour guide in the sub-base since there's nothing worth seeing up here. And if I'm not mistaken, Optimus is waiting for you guys at the bottom of the lift."
"Cool. Nice to meet you, Alex." Taking the offered hand, Sam was surprised to find it cool despite the black turtleneck he wore and incredibly smooth. Not a single callous to be felt to Sam's surprise, but that surprise paled in comparison to Alex's gold eyes. Mostly Asian in appearance, the unfamiliar soldier's features spoke of other ethnicities blended in, particularly that strange, slightly slanted gaze. A mop of artfully messy short hair perfectly accentuated his attractive golden-skinned face, a slight contrast to the lithe bulk on his unexpectedly wide frame.
"Dude, your eyes are yellow," Miles bluntly pointed out, nose scrunched a bit in mild distaste. And then dodged Sam's elbow.
"They are. Well, actually they're supposed to be brown, but as fate would have it it's a 'brown so gold it looks like warm honey,' so I've been told," Alex agreed with a smirk and obvious good humor. "I'm sorry, but that's the color I came with."
Miles may have dodged Sam's elbow, but he hadn't even seen the cuff to the back of his head coming from Mikaela. "I'm Mikaela. It's nice to meet you, Alex. Thanks for offering to show us around. We really appreciate it."
Ron offered his hand after a reproving look was shot in Miles' direction. "Yeah thanks. My name's Ron, and this is my wife Judy. Sam's our son. We're pleased to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine," Alex replied and shook both Ron and Judy's hands before taking a step to the side and gesturing beyond him. "If you will all just come this way please. Hotshot and I will take you down into New Tyger Pax."
"Ron. Judy. If you need me, I'll be up here with the rest of the Autobots. It looks like they could use some extra hands up here." Trailbreaker had been silent up until then, but it was obviously more because of his observation of his surroundings than because of any form of shyness or obliviousness. "Just in case you need me. For, you know, anything."
"Thank you, Trailbreaker," Ron answered with a broad smile. "Enjoy a little time off. You've earned it."
"Thank you." Turning, Trailbreaker headed for a group of hard-working Autobots none of the newly arrived humans had seen before.
After a moment of silence, Alex broke in with a soft, "Shall we?"
Hotshot added an affirmative, "Yeah, we shouldn't keep Optimus waiting too long."
"Alright. Well, we'll probably see you in the canteen around dinner time, eh?" Lennox slapped Sam's shoulder good naturedly then turned to his men. "Alright, boys, let's go. You've met Earth's savior. Remember his face and treat him with the respect he deserves! Now, move it! Back to posts."
The soldiers moved out as Hotshot headed past the humans he was escorting and strode off toward the very center of the upper base. Alex smiled at them and fell into step beside Sam as they followed. "So, how has your first summer of total freedom been so far?" he asked of the brunet beside him as he resettled his sunglasses on his ears and nose.
Sam shrugged, not all that surprised to hear that the military knew he had just graduated. Considering that the government was still keeping a close eye on his family for their protection, it wasn't that much of a stretch. "Okay. Kind of crazy. The folks and I went to the Grand Canyon for a couple weeks right after graduation and when we got back, I found Hotshot sitting in the driveway instead of Bumblebee. Part of the reason I'm here is to return to sender my new 'car' since he's a little temperamental," he joked with a smirk.
"Hotshot is that," Alex nodded with a small laugh. "He's also a hothead, a bit of a prankster and he's generally pretty loud, too."
"I can hear you," Hotshot called back over his shoulder, getting a laugh from the humans behind him.
"But honestly, he wasn't too much trouble for you was he? He's just a bit new in dealing with humans." Alex seemed genuinely concerned, or maybe that was just curiosity leaking into his voice and facial expression.
"Well, there was the time he dumped me out of the front seat for no reason..."
"No reason? You interrupted something absolutely unnecessarily and then you were being pigheaded about telling Miles. Not to mention you called me names, kicked me - after the fact yes, but still - and you insulted Mikaela, and I like her better than you, so don't give me that 'no reason' bullshit." Hotshot's tone said plainly that he was taking the harassment very well, especially with the laughter lurking in his voice modulator. His small speech got a laugh out of his human compatriots again and a glare from Sam, but the giggling tapered off when he stopped beside a non-descript, black Suburban. "Everybody get inside. We've got a ways to go yet and this is far faster and safer than walking."
Hotshot transformed back into his Trans Am self as soon as the Witwickys, Mikaela, Miles and Alex arrived at the Suburban's side. Alex immediately slid behind the wheel. "We'll see you at the hangar," he informed the rumbling Trans Am. As soon as the words had left his mouth, Hotshot had spun and gunned it, tearing through the growing military city with practiced ease. The Suburban started without trouble and, once everyone was seated and belted in, Alex put it into gear and drove off after the speeding Pontiac.
It was fifteen to twenty minutes later that they finally pulled to a stop beside a large airplane hangar that sat smack dab in the very center of Fort Pax's city sized base. It sat alone in the very center of a large parking lot that made the massive Quonset hut look fairly small. It was into that oddly placed building that they were lead by their escorts through large hangar bay doors and right to a large lift situated in the very center of the building's broad floor plan. A touch of a button on Alex's part and down they went, the lift jerking only once as it started to lower.
The change was immediate. It was apparent that the lift they were on only looked like a normal, clunky military style lift like one would see in any number of video game RPGs of the military variety, but the second it lowered the human and Autobot eye below ground level the very walls around them changed. Lit only by the faint glow of something that was probably electricity once the lift doors above them closed, the walls of the square, bare elevator shaft that fitted right up to the edge of their fenced in platform were made of some gleaming silver metal. The very manner in which the walls were constructed spoke of unearthly craftsmanship and science-fiction movie sets.
"Wow," Mikaela murmured and reached over the railing of the lift to touch the wall. Blue energy harmlessly arced to her fingertips and she drew back in surprise.
"Energon," Hotshot supplied, having transformed back into an Autobot when the walls had changed. "The stores of it that most of the Autobots bring back with them are mostly put into getting New Tyger Pax up and running. It's being rationed heavily right now which is a disadvantage for some. Like poor Trailbreaker who needs to consume large quantities of Energon to maintain basic functions. We're still trying to devise a safe and stable way to ready what we're harvesting now for consumption and other uses, but we haven't caught back up to Cybertron's technology yet. It'll just take some time."
"Energon?" inquired Alex, his eyes wandering over the walls over the top of his sunglasses.
"Irradiated crystals that come from all over the universe in various forms that can be processed to a liquid state. In the liquid state it's safe for Autobot consumption and usage as a power supply. Originally, it was native only to Cybertron, but Optimus had Wheeljack, Swerve and several other scientists research ways to keep the Energon supply available even if the original supply on Cybertron ran out. It was implanted on uninhabited planets all over the universe by remote controlled Dronebots and once we rebuild the Dronebots we'll be able to harvest a more ready supply. Energon is self-replicating, but it's slow. That's why we were sure that the Energon supply would run out on Cybertron. We were using it up faster than it could really regenerate. The implanted Energon supplies will have had plenty of time to grow and with as many mines as Optimus had created, we shouldn't have to worry about running out for a very long time once we're able to access it."
"Will it hurt the environment of the other planets? I mean, it is a-a foreign invader, isn't it?" Judy looked a little taken aback by the audacity of the Autobots in just implanting a foreign anything into a planet just like that.
"No. It will remain isolated from the environment and do no damage to its surroundings other than take up a little bit of space. Like I said, the planets were completely uninhabited. Barren of all forms of life. We made sure."
"Dronebots," Miles broke in with a grin. "This is so cool."
Sam grinned in perfect agreement and nudged Alex with his elbow, feeling oddly comfortable with the new human. Maybe it was just his excitement at being so close to seeing his friends again, especially Bumblebee. "I thought you were supposed to be our tour guide. Shouldn't you know all this?"
"It's a lot to take in," Alex answered with a small smirk. "I know the base. I never said anything about long-winded, scientific explanations about the way things work."
"So just how far down are we going exactly?" asked Ron, plugging his nose to relieve the growing pressure in his ears.
"How are you guys even managing to build a city underground like this without anyone knowing?" added Sam, looking up to see how far they had already gone. Using Hotshot's height to judge, he would have guessed about three thousand feet so far. Maybe. It was hard to guess without a good frame of reference. "I mean, the fault line isn't exactly stable. How are you not setting it off?"
"Actually, the Autobots are helping the government to stabilize it. Believe it or not, the number of earthquakes that occur in California should drop dramatically in the next two or three years." Alex looked pleased by the information and pulled his sunglasses off, hooking them into the pocket of his army-issue pants, before folding his arms over his chest and leaning back against the railing. "The city of New Tyger Pax and the Fort Pax military base don't want earthquakes any more than the average civilian does."
"Between five and six miles," Hotshot answered Ron's question with a nod to Alex's explanation of the state of the San Andreas Fault line. "At that depth we're well below the power lines, gas lines, sewer systems and subway systems of the cities above us."
"Wow. That's pretty deep." Mikaela too looked up, plugging her nose so relieve the pressure in her ears as well.
"Yeah. So how long is this trip?" Miles leaned over the railing to make the Energon arc to his fingertips. Deciding he liked the sensation, he did it again, "catching" the soft blue light in his palm. "'Cause I don't think we've gone down even a mile yet and we've already been in here, what, ten minutes?"
"It's a long trip, but we don't have any other choice. When the lift is full of just Autobots, it goes much faster, but that's because they aren't as pressure sensitive as humans are." Amused, Alex watched Miles as the other young man played with the arcing blue light. "Touch Sam or Mikaela while you're touching the wall," he advised with a smirk.
Eager to see what would happen, Miles reached out towards Sam and laughed when Energon arced from his fingers to the other boy's arm. "Dude, that is so cool. Jeez, I can't believe I'm here right now." Smirking, he whacked Sam's arm. "And you didn't want to tell me about all this."
Scowling yet clearly amused, Sam whacked him back. "How many times do I have to say that it wasn't my secret to tell and I thought Optimus would want to keep it on a need-to-know basis? So apparently our definitions of 'need-to-know' are different. So what?"
"Boys. We are not having this argument again." Her tone firm, Mikaela stepped between them and gave Sam a small shove to step him away from Miles. "Behave. We're guests here even if this is our friends' home."
Alex and Hotshot exchanged an amused look and Alex resettled against the railing of lift a few times before he was comfortable again. "Well," the brunet began. "At least he took it well. A few of the newer recruits to the base wigged out completely. Those few had to be psychoanalyzed and briefed on acceptable conduct and the like."
"Are they all okay?" asked Ron as he eyed the walls, tempted to try what Energon felt like himself.
"Those poor boys," Judy murmured absently as she herself caressed the wall as it slipped slowly past. She started when the Energon basically caressed back and then giggled. "Ron! Try this! It's like those static globes in those specialty stores!"
Sam quietly groaned and firmly put his back to his mother. And parents said they couldn't take their kids anywhere…
Judy's delight with the walls of the lift tunnel got a chuckle out of Hotshot and a grin from Alex. "Yeah they're all fine," the Japanese youth confirmed. "They just needed to adjust to the idea that humans aren't the only sentient race in the universe. That's all."
"Well, duh, we aren't the only sentient race," said Miles with a roll of his eyes. "What, did they not believe in aliens?"
"It's one thing to believe in aliens. It's another to actually meet one," Sam pointed out.
"Exactly," agreed their tour guide.
Sam looked up the tunnel again. The ceiling couldn't even be seen anymore, the tunnel walls simply converging into a light blue haze far above them. "How fast are we going, anyway?"
"A little less than five miles an hour," answered Hotshot, obviously proud that he was able to provide so much information. "We've already gone down a mile and a half. When there are just Autobots on the lift, it can go up to twenty miles an hour, but humans can't handle so fast a change in pressures and at that speed the pumps can't regulate the pressure in here."
"Pumps?" asked Miles, joining Sam in looking up.
"When the doors close, that completely seals off the shaft. As the lift goes down, pumps force air from outside into the growing space, keeping the pressure in here as equal as possible. We haven't perfected it yet, so there is still some detectable pressure change, but that's mostly because we're going so far down into the earth." The Autobot shrugged in a silent whirring of gears.
"I feel like I'm in a science fiction movie," giggled Judy. Energon continued to arc to her extended fingers, making her hand glow faintly.
The next hour passed in curious conversation about the current size of New Tyger Pax, future plans for the hidden city, and the state of relations between the Autobots and the government. Alex and Hotshot only gave bare-bones answers, cheerfully frustrating their guests with comments on patience since most of their questions would be answered during the tour.
Sam was just about to ask Alex how long he had been in the army when the tunnel walls suddenly brightened. "Are we there?" he asked hopefully. Maybe Bumblebee would be waiting for him at the lift entrance.
Alex nodded and pushed off the railing. "Just a few more minutes. I ask that everyone please step towards the center of the platform."
Sidling closer to Mikaela, Sam murmured, "Who do you think we'll see first?" He double-checked his pocket to make sure his camera was still in there.
"Probably Optimus," she responded and gave a small giggle. "God, I can't believe how excited I am over this. I mean, yeah it's cool, but I'm a grease monkey not a sci-fi nerd. But I think I'm as excited as Miles is."
With a slight inclination of her head, Mikaela brought Sam's attention to his childhood friend. Miles was eagerly bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, eyes darting everywhere. He looked very much like a hyped up squirrel, and Mikaela whispered as much to Sam just for laughs. It was at that moment that the lift slowed to a quietly humming stop. All of the humans fell silent as a hissing whine issued briefly from the wall opposite the lift's console.
The giant doors silently opened, and the glowing metal walls were replaced by two sets of complex mechanical legs - one red, blue, and silver and the other simply red and silver - standing a few feet in front of them. Innumerable gears turning, one pair of legs bent to lower the tallest Autobot known to man closer to the humans' level. Kind blue optics swept over the small group before they received a sincere nod of welcome.
"Sam, Mikaela, it's good to see you again. Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky, Miles, it is a pleasure to meet you all. I am Optimus Prime. Welcome to New Tyger Pax." The deep rumbling of Prime's voice echoed faintly in the lift tunnel, masked only a little by the soft sound of machinery as the leader of the Autobots extended a hand in greeting.
Miles could only gape, stunned by how large Optimus was even when compared to the already large Autobots he had already met.
Grinning, Sam happily set his hand in the center of Optimus' palm. At least eight months had passed since they had last seen each other, and Sam would be the first to admit that he had missed the noble Autobot. "It's good to see you too, Optimus. Are you going to go with us on the tour?"
Optimus gave a small shake of his head. "I'm afraid not. I am currently needed elsewhere, but I'm sure Alex will be able to give you a thorough tour of the city. He's down here almost as much as Wheeljack's assistants." Amusement rang in his tone.
“I’ll do my best, sir,” Alex confirmed with a definitive nod. He did not, however, snap to attention or anything of the sort.
“Optimus!” Mikaela greeted, and placed her hand next to Sam’s in the middle of Prime’s palm. She then looked over her shoulder. “It’s okay, Miles. It’s really the only way to shake hands with him. Come here.”
At that, Ron and Judy stepped closer as well, waiting for Miles to greet the Autobot leader before doing so themselves.
Unsure, Miles shuffled forward. "H-hi," he muttered, reaching out to put a light hand on one of Prime's fingers.
"Sissy," Sam murmured under his breath in teasing. He just grinned when Miles glared at him.
"It's nice to see you as something other than a big rig," joked Ron as he briefly gripped an unoccupied finger.
Judy patted Optimus’ thumb smiling broadly, “How are you doing, dear?”
Prime replied with a polite but amused, "Fine, Mrs. Witwicky. Thank you."
"Optimus," Hotshot greeted with a respectful nod once the humans had begun to back away to allow the gigantic Autobot room to stand.
"Hotshot," greeted Prime while rising to his feet. "Good work on your assignment. You are effectively relieved until your next one." Taking a few steps back, he turned to another towering Autobot waiting patiently at his side, red paneling making up most of their outer body. "Everyone, I would like to introduce you to my partner, Elita One."
Sam's first impression of Elita One was that it was definitely a she, making her the second female Autobot he knew; second was that she looked very much like a female Optimus - kind, patient, and probably killer on the battlefield. The amusement in her optics as she swept her gaze over them probably meant Miles was gaping again. Grinning, Sam waved. "Nice to meet you."
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Samuel Witwicky. It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I hope your stay here in New Tyger Pax is a comfortable and enjoyable one. If you should need anything, any of you, just find the nearest Autobot, and they will be glad to see that your needs are taken care of. You are our most welcome guests." Elita One's voice was, like Optimus Prime's, very noble, but where his was proud and powerful hers was soft and sweet.
"Thank you," Mikaela responded with a big grin as Elita One knelt before them and offered a hand in greeting just as her partner had.
"So you're like...his queen?" Miles blurted when he touched her hand with Mikaela and the others.
Elita One chuckled. "No. The Autobots do not recognize rulers like those of olden Earth. I am simply Optimus' partner. I am his consort, yes, but neither he nor I are what you would call a King or a Queen."
"Think Commander and Vice Commander, I guess," offered Ron.
Optimus nodded in agreement. "That would be more accurate. Now, we're holding up your tour. I believe you're scheduled to join the troops for dinner at six, so we will let you go on your way. If there are any questions you have that Alex cannot answer, feel free to ask the nearest Autobot or myself later." With that, he and Elita One stepped aside, unblocking the lift exit.
Jaws dropped as the vast underground city unfolded before them, their view at last unhindered. Perfectly simulated sunlight emanated from a ceiling that was easily half a mile above their heads, making the bright tunnel they stood in seem dim. Gleaming metal buildings seemed to grow right out of the bedrock they sat on, objects of an alien yet beautiful architecture, Cybertronian hieroglyphs carved into their doorframes. Autobots flowed through the passageways between buildings, some with a clear purpose in mind, others simply meandering as they took a break or waited for something to do. Most had vehicle paneling making up their outer bodies, but a few didn't; smoother, silvery, and more filled out, they looked almost… elemental.
"Excuse me, everyone, I see a couple friends of mine," said Hotshot as he waded through the crowd of stunned humans. "I'll catch up to you later. Optimus. Elita One." Nodding his goodbye, the young soldier jogged over to two identical silvery Autobots.
"Those are the twins, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe," Alex provided with a smile at Sam's questioning glance. "You'll meet them later. Come on. We have a lot to see."
The next few hours flew by in a blur of information that Sam at least was more than happy to absorb. New Tyger Pax was still small, more of a village than a city when it came right down to it since there were barely twenty Autobots living there, yet in sheer scale it felt like a small city, especially since there was a clear division between the individual residences and the buildings where the Autobots worked on projects that were either necessary for their continued survival - the processing of Energon - or for staying on good relations with the American government - the creating of new technologies for which the government would buy the patents, thus providing New Tyger Pax with a source of income. By the time Alex announced that their next stop would be the medical bay, Sam had stopped trying to take all the information in and had shifted his focus to learning where everything was so he could have Bumblebee explain it all to him again later.
Giant double doors parted with the hiss of hydraulics as they approached the front of the Autobot Medical Hangar. Alex informed them that the human medical facilities sat just on the other side of the building they were now entering and that they would see that some other time. It was at that moment that the rapid clock-clock-clock of running heels drew the attention of every human in group. Maggie Madsen launched herself from three or so feet away and hugged Alex tightly around the neck, laughing.
“You’re amazing!” she exclaimed. Her Australian accent was as thick as it had ever been. “The data is through the roof. I can’t believe you’ve held it this long! Look, if you can just…hold it - just a little longer - we’ll be able to make huge leaps in progress.”
Alex carefully put her away from him and Maggie immediately fell into step beside him, gesticulating broadly with one hand while the other held his elbow steering him, and by proxy his following into one of the sectioned off rooms of the giant garage that looked like a cross between Joe’s Auto Repair Shop and some Cybertronian…Opera House.
“Maggie. I’m tired. I can’t hold this any longer,” the Japanese youth responded, but…his voice sounded different. Smoother. More cultured. Less…punk.
"Just a few more minutes! Glen and Wheeljack just need a few more minutes, I promise," Maggie insisted.
Sharing a deeply confused look with Sam and Mikaela, Miles tapped Maggie on the shoulder. "Uh, hello, a little out of the loop here. What's Alex supposed to be holding, and why is it such a big deal that he keep holding it?"
It was at that moment that they entered the back half of the room they had just entered, pushing past the curtain that separated the two halves. Ron, Judy, Sam and Mikaela immediately froze at the sight before them. There, reclining on the medical slab and still as death, lay Bumblebee.
Chapter Four...