42.) Audio

[meinxxherz]

[Saying Herz sounds 'a little frantic' could possibly be an understatement.]

Don? How--h-how are you? I just--I hadn't--

I-I--I wasn't--I was keeping off Ship-Net to--

I--I-I don't know. I--I didn't know. Y'know. What happened. Until, like--Jesus, a---a-a few minutes ago? You're okay, now, right?

Can--c-can--can--can I get you anything?

I'm sorry!

[He

Comments

[locked 50% unhackable]

[meinxxherz]

Right.

Aaa-a-and--and you know? It's pretty nice of you, y'know, going out of--o-of your way to, uhm, to--to replace the, uhm, the books. For Ratchet, I mean.

[locked 45% unhackable]

[meinxxherz]

SSs--

Wel--

Ju--j-just--

I-I--I-I don't see...the captain...really...

...intruding on--on--on you guys if you...y'know...weren't always so...s-sss-sso--so professional. No one--no--no one would. No one you couldn't handle.

Look, I just...I-I think...y'know, I--I think you guys should just be...happy. You--you deserve to be happy!

[And Herz's definition of happy involves pairing off with someone, and raising 3+ adopted children.]

[locked 85% unhackable]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[Oh. Now it clicks.]

We... are happy. For whatever that is worth. We are friends. We have always been that way. And I am better off not... becoming otherwise. Both of us are.

...

I know you saw. And you can forget about it. Understand me?

[locked 50% unhackable]

[meinxxherz]

Right.

I--I-I'm--I'm sorry, Ir--I--Ironhide. You know your--y-your relationship better than I would.

[locked 85% unhackable]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He sputters.]

There--there is no relationship! Nothing! Must everyone have a mate to your kind!

[locked 45% unhackable]

[meinxxherz]

[Yes.]

I--I-I--I meant a--a platonic relationship! Re-r-relationships are what friends have, too! I-I--I mean you can use that word to-t-t-to mean both. Platonic--friends--and-a-a-and romantic--mates. Which--w-which you and Ratchet aren't!

I--I-I'm sorry.

[locked 85% unhackable]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He does not want to think about this right now, why are you making him think about this.]

Should have made that clear before you go giving an old 'Bot spark failure! Think I know what this language nonsense means... hmnf. We are not. Never... will be...

[But there's a hesitation there.]

What do you care, anyway?

[locked 45% unhackable]

[meinxxherz]

Well-w---well--well, you know organics? Matings really im--i-important to us...

Having...someone like that...it's ideal? So...y--y-you know...

With...friends...well, w-we're--we're--we're friends, right?

I want you to--t-to be happy. Happy to me is...well, if--i-if--if it makes you happy, finding someone.

To...be mates wi-ith.

[He adds hurriedly.]

B-but--b-but--but-but I thoroughly stand cor-corrected. ...stand...thoroughly corrected? something...l-like--like that.

[locked 85% unhackable]

[heavyweaponsbot]

Not important to me. Gone millennia without it! And I have survived!

Stupid... just... ridiculous. Very idea is just...

[Pause. There... should be a subject change. Something less confusing. Yeah, that's a great idea.]

I will be happy to get off this ship. And return home. I will be happy to have my weapons returned. To have energon, back on the base. With the others. To defeat my enemies.

Not... mate.

[locked 45% unhackable]

[meinxxherz]

[Your denial is painful; coming from him that should mean something.]

Right. I---I-I hope--I hope you--y-you-you get to.

[He's not with you there, but hey, you're his friend. He wants you happy.]

I mean. The--the other stuff. Not--

oh jeez.

[locked 85% unhackable]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[Ironhide is captain of his own boat. On a river in Egypt.]

...

Yeah. Me too. The "other stuff".

[locked 45% unhackable]

[meinxxherz]

[Toot toot.]

Yeah...

Well, uh, there--th-ther--there's always...Energon. In, uh, I-In--in Sergei's...

[locked 85% unhackable]

[heavyweaponsbot]

Yeah... I know.

Conjure up a beachfront on Diego Garcia... maybe you would have something there.

[Little hunk of rock wasn't much... but it was home.]