Today will never be repeated
TITLE: Loss or gain
RATING: K+
UNIVERSE: Bayverse, pre Transformers 2007 movie
CHARACTERS: Ronald Witwicky, Sam Witwicky
SUMMARY: Every story has a beginning - and every beginning was the end of something else
PROMPT: 1. Finding a picture or photograph
Ronald Witwicky answered the telephone on the fourth ring. “Witwicky Residence, Ron speaking.” He listened, sank down in the chair. “My Grandfather’s dead? My son and I’ll be over to pick up his effects.” He promised.
Ron hung up the phone. Blinked sightlessly. He could have sat in the chair all day, waiting for Samuel James Witwicky to arrive. He didn’t need to - five minutes after he hung up, his son walked through the back door.
Sam came in just to grab and apple, then he was going to go back outside and spend the remainder of the first day of summer vacation with his best friend Miles.
“Sam,” Ron spoke. He swallowed, tried again. “Son, I got a call - Archibald’s dead.”
Sam paused hand on the door handle. Why was this so important? He didn’t ever spend any time with his father’s sole surviving grandparent.
“I said we’d be there to grab his things.”
“But I was going to help Miles.” Sam whined. So not fair! Somebody he didn’t know died and his summer plans flew out the window?
“Samuel.”
“Fine,” Sam muttered angrily. “Let me tell Mile’s I’ll catch up later.”
Two hours went by. The youngest Witwicky remained sulking. How come his dad dragged him along? His mother tolerated the old geezer.
“Sam!” Ron barked from the office.
Sam got out of the car, slammed the door, stormed over to where his beckoning father waited. “What?”
“I know this must be hard for you,” The lady sitting behind the desk sounded sympathetic. “Loosing your grandfather without warning.”
Ronald gripped his only child’s shoulder before the boy could retort that the dead man wasn’t his grandfather.
The lady did not comment on the by-play.. “One more signature, and we can turn over everything that Mister Archibald owned.” She picked up a pair of old, glasses, complete with cracked and smudged lenses. “Including these antique eyewear.” She put them in a cardboard box on the table beside her.
Ron signed, where indicated on the forms. Samuel grabbed the box of old news articles, black-and-white photos, and papers with odd-looking symbols and weird glyphs.
“Can we go now?” Sam asked, trying to hide how those non-English characters and letters unnerved him.
Ronald Witwicky nodded. “Yes, we can leave.”
“I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Witwicky,” The lady stood up, ushering the grieving father out. “If there is anything I can do - “
Sam tuned her out. Pulled out the only object that wasn’t a flat sheet of something. Collectors would pay a lot of money for antiques.
TITLE: Questions and answers
RATING: K+
UNIVERSE: Animated
CHARACTERS: Sari Sumdac, Bumblebee
SUMMARY: Newspapers have something for everyone. Not everything in the articles is of interest to everyone.
PROMPT: 2. Scenario: an advice column
“Dear Abby,” Sari Sumdac read aloud. That was as far as she got.
Bumblebee groaned. “What the slag are you reading?”
“You asked me to share a newspaper article.” Sari stood up, hands on hip. “You acted as if you were interested in what I was reading yesterday.”
“I was,” Bumblebee shot back. “That was yesterday - this is today.”
Sari glared at the yellow bot. “You know what? I’m going to read aloud the ‘Dear Amy’s section and nothing you can do will stop me.” She picked up the newspaper, searching through the pages for the advice column just to irk him.
Autobot Bumblebee stepped over the human teen, walked outside where the rain coming down in sheets. Unruly weather, uncooperative (and unsafe) driving conditions had to be better than that claptrap. If Sari had chosen to read the sports, he might have stayed himself crossly, not knowing if that was true or a lie.
TITLE: Taking Turns
RATING: K+
UNIVERSE: Any/all - Generation 1
CHARACTERS: Ratchet, Hoist
SUMMARY: Who watches the medics?
PROMPT: 3. Vigil
A concerned Hoist walked into the medbay, approached Ratchet. “I’ll take over from here.”
“You’re not trained in combat medicine.”
“The patients are all in recharge - all that can be done right now, is wait for their vitals to change. Even Roller can keep an optic on the readouts, buzzing someone if the medical sensors move out of the green zone.”
“They are MY patients.” Ratchet protested.
“You’ve done all you can with the materials on hand. Now, it’s time for you to get some recharge so you’ll be able to help them when they do emerge from stasis.” Hoist saw First Aid approach his mentor, with a vial of some kind held in hand.
Before Ratchet could gather up the strength to issue another argument in favor of his remaining on duty, First Aid stuck the syringe in Ratchet’s main energon line and pushed the plunger, sending a fast-acting sedative directly into the mech’s system.
The Autobot CMO fell. He would have fallen on the floor, if Hoist hadn’t been close enough to catch him. The physician groaned under the unexpected weight. “You monitor the wounded, I’ll make sure this stubborn mech gets a full orn of uninterrupted recharge.”
TITLE: Season appreciation
RATING: K
UNIVERSE: Any/all - G1
CHARACTERS: Bumblebee
SUMMARY: One man’s fall, is another man’s trip.
PROMPT: 4. In over your head
Bumblebee liked winter.
The cold weather was invigorating, and the falling precipitation was not rain, but snowflakes. He liked the white dust of frozen rain - how it blanketed the world, sheltering the ground from further damage.
Snowstorms - not howling blizzards that even the tenacious humans retreated from - gentle snowstorms teased the sensors, tossed snow danced on microscopic air-currents, drifting where the wind blew.
Bumblebee decided ‘like’ didn’t fully express his appreciation. He loved winter.
The yellow Autobot spotted the local pond.
In the summer, it would be filled with teens, swimming, diving, having a good time in the permanent water hole.
Right now, it was abandoned - this cold snap had frozen the surface, resulting in a solid ice cap that covered the water. Bumblebee stepped onto the ice. Proceeded to walk across the frozen pond instead of driving around the lake.
Halfway to his destination, the ice cracked, sending Bumblebee plummeting into the freezing-cold depths below.
Bumblebee sank. And Sank. He kept on sinking until he reached the bottom, some thirty-five feet down, below the surface.
Trapped underwater, he decided he couldn’t wait for spring.
TITLE: Harmless yarns
RATING: K
UNIVERSE: Prime
CHARACTERS: Smokescreen, Miko N.
SUMMARY: A good scare is as much story as it is atmosphere, mood, and timing
PROMPT: 5. Scenario: telling a scary story around the campfire/slumber party/whatever
“Guess what day it is!” Miko bounded out of Bulkhead, ran over to Smokescreen.
“Uh,” The newest Autobot arrival hesitated, searching his memory banks. “Wednesday?”
“Not the answer I was hoping to hear.” Miko turned to bug Ratchet. “Guess today’s date.”
“But that’s what the commercials all say.” Smokescreen vented. “Any idea what’s gotten into her?”
Bulkhead transformed. “You’ll get used to her exuberance.” He slapped Smokescreen on the back. “I’ve got to finish with the last touches on my costume.”
“Costume? We’re already in disguise!” His forlorn look had Bumblebee explaining the local traditional events surrounding All Hallow Eve.
“Okay, that makes sense - but ghost stories?” Smokescreen looked from Autobots to humans, back to Autobots.
“It’s a popular past time.” Jack took off his helmet. “One I enjoyed while attending Boy Scouts.” He looked down, not meeting any optics. (From the volume, Smokescreen wondered if the next sentence was meant to be heard) “When my father was still around, anyway.” The human teen shook off the negative mood. “What’s your favorite haunted tale?”
“Don’t have any.”
“Then you’re missing out.” Jack proceeded to yell across the small cavern. “Smoky doesn’t know any good scary stories!”
“What?” Miko screamed back. Ratchet cringed, stepping away - she had yelled right into his audio. “I gotta tell one now!”
TITLE: Inverse Whistle
RATING: K+
UNIVERSE: Generation 1
CHARACTERS: Bumblebee, First Aid
SUMMARY: Some processes can be repeated backwards and forwards - but it’s not as easy going backwards
PROMPT: #6 Faamiti (Samoan) To make a squeaking sound by sucking air past the lips in order to gain the attention of a dog or child.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to whistle.”
“That doesn’t sound like a whistle, First Aid - have you heard the humans do it?”
“Yes, I have Bumblebee. That’s why I’m trying to replicate the sound.”
“Try exhaling, instead of inhaling.”
“Um, Bee, our circulatory systems are one direction.”
“Meaning”
“Meaning, if I reverse the air-flow, I’ll be blowing dust and other containments everywhere.”
“Ah, so that’s why Wheeljack looked like Pig-Pen last month.”
“… I thought a pigpen was a place where pigs reside - or a very messy room. Not a traveling dust cloud.”
“Sorry, First Aid. Spiek’s been showing me some human artwork. The cartoon clip ‘Peanuts’ as designed by Charles Schulz’s has a reoccurring character called Pigpen, who constantly has dust and dirt following him everywhere.”
“Now the nickname makes sense - and I am going to get the hang of whistling done.”
“Suit yourself, First Aid - but I tell you, its much easier to do so blowing out than breathing in.”
RATING: K+
UNIVERSE: Bayverse, pre Transformers 2007 movie
CHARACTERS: Ronald Witwicky, Sam Witwicky
SUMMARY: Every story has a beginning - and every beginning was the end of something else
PROMPT: 1. Finding a picture or photograph
Ronald Witwicky answered the telephone on the fourth ring. “Witwicky Residence, Ron speaking.” He listened, sank down in the chair. “My Grandfather’s dead? My son and I’ll be over to pick up his effects.” He promised.
Ron hung up the phone. Blinked sightlessly. He could have sat in the chair all day, waiting for Samuel James Witwicky to arrive. He didn’t need to - five minutes after he hung up, his son walked through the back door.
Sam came in just to grab and apple, then he was going to go back outside and spend the remainder of the first day of summer vacation with his best friend Miles.
“Sam,” Ron spoke. He swallowed, tried again. “Son, I got a call - Archibald’s dead.”
Sam paused hand on the door handle. Why was this so important? He didn’t ever spend any time with his father’s sole surviving grandparent.
“I said we’d be there to grab his things.”
“But I was going to help Miles.” Sam whined. So not fair! Somebody he didn’t know died and his summer plans flew out the window?
“Samuel.”
“Fine,” Sam muttered angrily. “Let me tell Mile’s I’ll catch up later.”
Two hours went by. The youngest Witwicky remained sulking. How come his dad dragged him along? His mother tolerated the old geezer.
“Sam!” Ron barked from the office.
Sam got out of the car, slammed the door, stormed over to where his beckoning father waited. “What?”
“I know this must be hard for you,” The lady sitting behind the desk sounded sympathetic. “Loosing your grandfather without warning.”
Ronald gripped his only child’s shoulder before the boy could retort that the dead man wasn’t his grandfather.
The lady did not comment on the by-play.. “One more signature, and we can turn over everything that Mister Archibald owned.” She picked up a pair of old, glasses, complete with cracked and smudged lenses. “Including these antique eyewear.” She put them in a cardboard box on the table beside her.
Ron signed, where indicated on the forms. Samuel grabbed the box of old news articles, black-and-white photos, and papers with odd-looking symbols and weird glyphs.
“Can we go now?” Sam asked, trying to hide how those non-English characters and letters unnerved him.
Ronald Witwicky nodded. “Yes, we can leave.”
“I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Witwicky,” The lady stood up, ushering the grieving father out. “If there is anything I can do - “
Sam tuned her out. Pulled out the only object that wasn’t a flat sheet of something. Collectors would pay a lot of money for antiques.
TITLE: Questions and answers
RATING: K+
UNIVERSE: Animated
CHARACTERS: Sari Sumdac, Bumblebee
SUMMARY: Newspapers have something for everyone. Not everything in the articles is of interest to everyone.
PROMPT: 2. Scenario: an advice column
“Dear Abby,” Sari Sumdac read aloud. That was as far as she got.
Bumblebee groaned. “What the slag are you reading?”
“You asked me to share a newspaper article.” Sari stood up, hands on hip. “You acted as if you were interested in what I was reading yesterday.”
“I was,” Bumblebee shot back. “That was yesterday - this is today.”
Sari glared at the yellow bot. “You know what? I’m going to read aloud the ‘Dear Amy’s section and nothing you can do will stop me.” She picked up the newspaper, searching through the pages for the advice column just to irk him.
Autobot Bumblebee stepped over the human teen, walked outside where the rain coming down in sheets. Unruly weather, uncooperative (and unsafe) driving conditions had to be better than that claptrap. If Sari had chosen to read the sports, he might have stayed himself crossly, not knowing if that was true or a lie.
TITLE: Taking Turns
RATING: K+
UNIVERSE: Any/all - Generation 1
CHARACTERS: Ratchet, Hoist
SUMMARY: Who watches the medics?
PROMPT: 3. Vigil
A concerned Hoist walked into the medbay, approached Ratchet. “I’ll take over from here.”
“You’re not trained in combat medicine.”
“The patients are all in recharge - all that can be done right now, is wait for their vitals to change. Even Roller can keep an optic on the readouts, buzzing someone if the medical sensors move out of the green zone.”
“They are MY patients.” Ratchet protested.
“You’ve done all you can with the materials on hand. Now, it’s time for you to get some recharge so you’ll be able to help them when they do emerge from stasis.” Hoist saw First Aid approach his mentor, with a vial of some kind held in hand.
Before Ratchet could gather up the strength to issue another argument in favor of his remaining on duty, First Aid stuck the syringe in Ratchet’s main energon line and pushed the plunger, sending a fast-acting sedative directly into the mech’s system.
The Autobot CMO fell. He would have fallen on the floor, if Hoist hadn’t been close enough to catch him. The physician groaned under the unexpected weight. “You monitor the wounded, I’ll make sure this stubborn mech gets a full orn of uninterrupted recharge.”
TITLE: Season appreciation
RATING: K
UNIVERSE: Any/all - G1
CHARACTERS: Bumblebee
SUMMARY: One man’s fall, is another man’s trip.
PROMPT: 4. In over your head
Bumblebee liked winter.
The cold weather was invigorating, and the falling precipitation was not rain, but snowflakes. He liked the white dust of frozen rain - how it blanketed the world, sheltering the ground from further damage.
Snowstorms - not howling blizzards that even the tenacious humans retreated from - gentle snowstorms teased the sensors, tossed snow danced on microscopic air-currents, drifting where the wind blew.
Bumblebee decided ‘like’ didn’t fully express his appreciation. He loved winter.
The yellow Autobot spotted the local pond.
In the summer, it would be filled with teens, swimming, diving, having a good time in the permanent water hole.
Right now, it was abandoned - this cold snap had frozen the surface, resulting in a solid ice cap that covered the water. Bumblebee stepped onto the ice. Proceeded to walk across the frozen pond instead of driving around the lake.
Halfway to his destination, the ice cracked, sending Bumblebee plummeting into the freezing-cold depths below.
Bumblebee sank. And Sank. He kept on sinking until he reached the bottom, some thirty-five feet down, below the surface.
Trapped underwater, he decided he couldn’t wait for spring.
TITLE: Harmless yarns
RATING: K
UNIVERSE: Prime
CHARACTERS: Smokescreen, Miko N.
SUMMARY: A good scare is as much story as it is atmosphere, mood, and timing
PROMPT: 5. Scenario: telling a scary story around the campfire/slumber party/whatever
“Guess what day it is!” Miko bounded out of Bulkhead, ran over to Smokescreen.
“Uh,” The newest Autobot arrival hesitated, searching his memory banks. “Wednesday?”
“Not the answer I was hoping to hear.” Miko turned to bug Ratchet. “Guess today’s date.”
“But that’s what the commercials all say.” Smokescreen vented. “Any idea what’s gotten into her?”
Bulkhead transformed. “You’ll get used to her exuberance.” He slapped Smokescreen on the back. “I’ve got to finish with the last touches on my costume.”
“Costume? We’re already in disguise!” His forlorn look had Bumblebee explaining the local traditional events surrounding All Hallow Eve.
“Okay, that makes sense - but ghost stories?” Smokescreen looked from Autobots to humans, back to Autobots.
“It’s a popular past time.” Jack took off his helmet. “One I enjoyed while attending Boy Scouts.” He looked down, not meeting any optics. (From the volume, Smokescreen wondered if the next sentence was meant to be heard) “When my father was still around, anyway.” The human teen shook off the negative mood. “What’s your favorite haunted tale?”
“Don’t have any.”
“Then you’re missing out.” Jack proceeded to yell across the small cavern. “Smoky doesn’t know any good scary stories!”
“What?” Miko screamed back. Ratchet cringed, stepping away - she had yelled right into his audio. “I gotta tell one now!”
TITLE: Inverse Whistle
RATING: K+
UNIVERSE: Generation 1
CHARACTERS: Bumblebee, First Aid
SUMMARY: Some processes can be repeated backwards and forwards - but it’s not as easy going backwards
PROMPT: #6 Faamiti (Samoan) To make a squeaking sound by sucking air past the lips in order to gain the attention of a dog or child.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to whistle.”
“That doesn’t sound like a whistle, First Aid - have you heard the humans do it?”
“Yes, I have Bumblebee. That’s why I’m trying to replicate the sound.”
“Try exhaling, instead of inhaling.”
“Um, Bee, our circulatory systems are one direction.”
“Meaning”
“Meaning, if I reverse the air-flow, I’ll be blowing dust and other containments everywhere.”
“Ah, so that’s why Wheeljack looked like Pig-Pen last month.”
“… I thought a pigpen was a place where pigs reside - or a very messy room. Not a traveling dust cloud.”
“Sorry, First Aid. Spiek’s been showing me some human artwork. The cartoon clip ‘Peanuts’ as designed by Charles Schulz’s has a reoccurring character called Pigpen, who constantly has dust and dirt following him everywhere.”
“Now the nickname makes sense - and I am going to get the hang of whistling done.”
“Suit yourself, First Aid - but I tell you, its much easier to do so blowing out than breathing in.”