Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

Bridge

Wheeljack’s spark skipped a pulse when he heard Red Alert’s initial message echo across the bridge’s main intercom followed closely by a second one over Jack’s own personal comm line. The paranoid mech had apparently picked up a scent once he left the training room and it led him right to the shuttle bay doors. Of course it did. Why not the one place I didn’t want him to go? Naturally! The mad scientist placed a hand on his forehead and sighed before opening a channel back to Red Alert:

>>Okay, Red, don’t get your circuits in a twist. I’ll be right down.”<<

Wheeljack then stood from his chair and turned to the other Autobots present on the bridge. “I’ll head on down there to see what’s got Red all in a bind. I'm sure its nothing serious. Be back soon, I hope.” The mechanical engineer then grabbed his toolkit and headed for the doors but was quickly stopped by Bluestreak.

“You need any help down there, ‘Jack?” The gunner asked with a friendly smile. “If there is a cyber-rat infestation aboard you’ll need an extra hand to help deal with them. Those things can be pretty vicious and even very large at times. I can remember encountering a few back on Cybertron before we departed and let me tell you they were not happy to see me. One tried to bite my whole head off even! Can you imagine that? That’s how fraggin’ big it was! Then there was another one that was much smaller, but it’s bite still hurt like a....”

Wheeljack raised his hand into the air to stop Bluestreak’s neverending ramble. It’s not that he didn’t appreciate Blue wanting to help, it’s just he didn’t need an entire oral essay on cyber-rat behavioral patterns and size differences. “I’ll be fine, Blue. It could be nothing but Red’s over developed sense of paranoia again. Besides, Inferno’s already down there, as well, so between the three of us I think we’re covered. I’ll comm you if we need additional assistance. Okay?”

Looking a bit defeated, Bluestreak nodded. “Oh, sure, that’s fine. I’ll be right here if you need me, ‘Jack. Be careful.”

“Don’t worry, Blue, I will,” Wheeljack replied as he patted the talkative gunner on the shoulder before turning and walking off the bridge.

Corridors

As he made his way through the hallways of the ship, Wheeljack couldn’t help but feel a little bad about rejecting Bluestreak’s offer of assistance. The black and silver mech meant well, but there were already enough ‘Bots being drawn to the shuttle bay as it were. ‘Jack didn’t need to try and deflect yet another one especially since Blue would surely talk his audio receptors off in the process, making it very hard to concentrate.

Taking a turbo lift down to the lower decks, Wheeljack stepped off and took his time traversing through the remaining corridors that would lead him directly to Red Alert’s location. Sure, the paranoid mech would get even more antsy during the long wait, but ‘Jack just wanted to make sure Smokescreen and his femme had enough time to vacate the shuttle bay before the scientist had no choice but to finally let Red in. He could only stall his anxious comrade for so long, after all.

Rounding one final corner, Wheeljack was now in sight of Red Alert standing in front of the shuttle bay doors. The mechanical engineer smiled under his face shield before walking up behind the paranoid mech and giving him a good hard pat on the back. It would likely startle Red Alert, but that was the point. Sometimes, it was fun to watch his overreactions, if not a bit mean.

“Hey, Red! Sorry it took me a while to get down here. I had to grab my tools along the way. Almost forgot where I put them. Heh heh.” Wheeljack’s little white lie was plausible enough, considering his toolkit had actually been near him up on the bridge, but Red Alert didn’t need to know that. “Now, let me take a look at these doors.”

The mad scientist stepped closer to the control pad and entered the security codes to see for himself. Wheeljack knew what the outcome would be, he even knew the cause, but he wanted it to look as if he was approaching this situation for the first time with no knowledge of what actually was wrong. “Yeah, it's likely just a blown circuit or something. Probably caused by a power surge during the transwarp jump. Things like that can happen sometimes. I’m going to have to bypass it in order to get us inside.”

Wheeljack placed his toolkit on the ground before opening up the access panel on the wall next to the hangar doors. He then bent down and grabbed a soldering torch from his kit before returning his gaze to the exposed circuitry and cables. After studying the various connections for a few moments, he started pulling out some of the wiring and establishing new pathways around the broken, or in this case missing, circuit board. “Mmm, this may take a little more time than I originally thought. I’ve got a primary board that’s blown here. I should be able to get around it, but it might take a few breems. Bare with me.”

In all honesty, Wheeljack could bypass the missing circuit in less than half a breem with both hands locked in stasis cuffs behind his back. However, in order to give Smokey plenty of time to get going, ‘Jack decided to stall Red Alert a little longer. He hated doing so, but he owed the rallybot one and the scientist always made good on a promise. “So, Red, you really think we’ve got cyber-rats nesting in there? What makes you say that? Have you seen any of their energon droppings lying around or is it just that sniffer of yours acting up again?"

Cargo Bay Entrance

Inferno had a hard time keeping up with Red Alert once he took off at full speed toward the cargo Bay. He was not very mobile, even Bumblebee was faster than him. He had hoped Red wasn't leading him on a wild goose chase. Cyber rats seemed fairly unlikely to him.

He thought to himself, "Cyber rats? On this ship? About as likely as Ironhide being fuel effecient...still Ol' Red has been right about this kind of thing before. I guess I'll have to see how this pans out. Who knows, maybe I'll get to exterminate the little pests."

Inferno become a little worried when he heard Wheeljack would be joining them. wheeljack made Inferno a little uncomfortable. He was always afraid he'd be fodder for one of Wheeljack's upgrades or experiments. The mad scientist always put him on edge. Without saying a word though, Inferno clumsly came to a hault as Red Alert looked anxious to get into the cargo bay and Wheeljack fussed with the door.

The wait started to make Infenro impatient. While he was no sort of engineer and didn't understand what exactly Wheeljack was doing with the wiring, he did understand one simple fact. There was a door impeding him from his objective. Perhaps a more simple approach would suffice?

Inferno asked Red Alert and Wheeljack, "Uh guys, wouldn't it save a lot of time if I just forced the door open? I'm certain I can pry it open, or rip it off it's hinges. If there is a nest behind there don't we want to take care of it post haste?" Inferno waited for a response, simling at the thought of tearing the door down.

For a search and rescue specialist, he was rather destructive. Inferno wouldn't have it any other way though.

Outside Shuttle Bay

“What?!” Wheeljack exclaimed as Inferno made the suggestion to pry the doors apart or rip them off their hinges and possibly wreck them in the process. “No, no, Inferno. There’s no need for that. This is not an emergency that requires damaging the doors further, which I’ll just have to waste my time repairing later. It’s not like Decepticons are on the other side, after all. Cyber-rats can be nasty little critters, but they're not going to destroy the entire ship. Just let me do my job and we’ll be in there before you know it. I’ll try to speed things up, but please just be patient.”

Wheeljack quickly realized that between Inferno’s and Red Alert’s eagerness to get inside, he would have to finish his task quicker than he would have liked. Otherwise, they may just ignore his pleas and rip the doors open anyway. Hopefully, Smokescreen and Tracer had already departed, leaving the shuttle bay void of any mechs, cyber-rat or otherwise. If they hadn’t, well, ‘Jack would worry about that later. For now, the mechanical engineer simply focused on making his slow rate of speed believable as he got closer to successfully bypassing the missing circuit board.

Signal to Tracer from Oil Slick

>>”The appointed time has arrived. Coordinates for our rendezvous follow. Come alone and be on time as previously discussed.”<<

Corridor- Outside Shuttle Bay Door

Red Alert paced back and forth numerous times as he waited for Wheeljack.

"Why is he taking so long?", he said to himself flustered, "Doesn't he get how serious this is? They start chewing through the walls, then the ships circuitry, then the next thing you know we're trying to hold the ship together, overrun with cyberrats while the Decepticons laugh and take out whatever's left of us!"

Suddenly he felt something touch his back. Without warning Red Alert sprung into action, pulling out his rifle and spinning around to face his would-be attacker. Those rats wouldn't take him alive.

"GET BACK YOU!!!", Red Alert shouted as he readied to fire on- Wheeljack. His cooling fans taking in more air to cool his overworked circuits, he lowered his rifle, "SLAGGIT DON'T DO THAT!! If you had been a cyberrat I would have blown your head off! What took you so long?"

Red Alert watched anxously as the engineer started getting to work, listening intently to what he had to say. Before long his good friend Inferno had made his way there. Both tried to calm the security director down, trying to reason with him the unlikely chances of cyberrats. Red Alert would have none of it.

"Now look, my olfactory sensors are working just as perfectly as the day I went online.", he insisted, "I know what I smelled, it was some kind of Cybertronian animal, and we encounted a number of the pests when he were in Iacon. What else could it be? Did Mirage bring some turbofox along to hunt? Or does Arcee have some little petro rabbit as a pet?"

Red Alert became more and more fidgety as Wheeljack seemed to take forever to get the door open, all the while Red Alert processed what the others were saying, trying to explain some of the inconsistencies in his reasoning. No, he hadn't seen any droppings, but still.... Oh slag no!

"Dear Primus, it's worse then I thought!", Red Alert deduced, "Don't you see what happened? The cyberrats didn't just get bigger while we were gone, they got smarter as well! Wheeljack you need to work faster!"

Red Alert began to pace again, "It all makes sense now! They knew enough to keep their droppings out of sight, and they must have done something to cause the power surge! It's no wonder we haven't detected them on any of the sensors, they're smart enough to either avoid them or disable them without us knowing! But they weren't counting on me to sniff out their scent, and that will be their downfall!"

Red Alert waited for Wheeljack to get the door open, getting more and more impatient by the astrosecond. Inferno seemed to be getting antsy too, as the search and rescue specialist suggested forcing the door open with his great strength.

"We may just have to break it open, Inferno!", Red Alert agreed, his digits twitching in anticipation, "For now we have the element of surprise on them, but how long will that last? Wheeljack if you don't get this door open soon they'll figure out we're on to them!"

Outside Shuttle Bay

Oh, brother, Wheeljack thought to himself as he was forced to listen to Red Alert’s paranoid rants about the newly intelligent and likely non-existent cyber-rats. It was almost as bad as one of Bluestreak's tirades. Red was clearly delusional if he thought those little critters could hide their own droppings and intentionally cause a power surge that would short out the shuttle bay doors in order to protect their nest. Sure, it was possible for a cyber-rat to accidentally short out an electrical device, but not deliberately. They weren’t that smart regardless of what the security mech thought.

“Relax, Red. I’m sure the cyber-rats aren’t on to us. Everything will be fine. And there’s still no need to break anything, like I just said. Besides, I’m almost done here. Just give me a few more astroseconds, okay?” Wheeljack pleaded as he sped up his work, knowing that his stalling tactics had pretty much come to an end. It should be all right, however, as Smokescreen has had plenty of time to leave the ship and head on down planet side. At least, I hope he's gone by now. No telling if he ran into any more problems. Although, if he had I’m sure he would’ve commed me by now.

Making the final bypass connection, the mechanical engineer closed the access panel and re-entered the security codes. This time the shuttle bay doors parted down the center and opened wide with a hiss, exposing the vast room beyond. Wheeljack then held one hand up to both Red Alert and Inferno to stop them from proceeding in first. “Allow me, gentlemechs. I’ll go in and see if the coast is clear.”

Shuttle Bay

Wheeljack then proceeded into the chamber where a variety of shuttle craft were docked. He looked around, pretending to search for cyber-rats when in all reality he was checking to see if Smokescreen and Tracer had left yet. Unfortunately, his scanners would be largely useless considering the fact that the wayward ‘Bots were using his very own signature inhibitors to shield themselves from detection. The scientist would simply have to rely on his optics to determine if they were still here or not.

After walking around the room a bit longer and finding no mechs or warming shuttles in sight, Wheeljack concluded that Smokey and his companion were gone. Thank Primus, ‘Jack thought as he turned back towards the open doorway where he fully expected Red Alert and Inferno to already have entered through. “Looks like the coast is clear, guys. I don’t see any cyber-rats anywhere.”

Inferno waited quietly, if somewhat impatiently for Wheeljack to finish and open the cargo doors. He became even more impatient when asked to wait a few seconds more.

"This is driving me binary!" Inferno thought to himself. "First it takes forever to open the pitt forsaken door now I have to wait when there is potential danger? Still...I don't know a thing about cyber rats, other than they sure are fun to shot. Best let the whacko scientist go in first. He'd be better at locating the nest than I would. Once he finds them though, their ugly little hides are mind!"

Inferno checked all his systems during the wait, and he was operating at full capacity. He did transfer a little bit of energy from his sensors to weapons though. Between Red and Wheeljack, sensor sweeps would be covered. A little extra firepower might go along way though. Finally the all clear signal came from Wheeljack. Inferno began stepping into the cargo bay.

"Be ready Red Alert, these little things can be pesky. Just point me towards their nest and I'll take of them..."

Shuttle Bay

Red Alert held his rifle up, his index finger just off the trigger as he entered behind Wheeljack and Inferno.

"I'll be the judge of that, Wheeljack", the security director replied, "If there's any sign of them, even the slightest drop of waste or so much as a wiggle from one of their nasty tails, my sensors will detect it!"

Red Alert moved in a constant circle as he walked through the shuttle bay, to keep anything from sneaking up on him as well as not allowing anything to pass his notice.

Where are you, you disgusting vermin? You may be able to trick Wheeljack, but you won't fool me any longer!

With each passing astrosecond that Red Alert searched he became more and more alarmed from the lack of any readings or signs, and it wasn't for a lack of trying. Wherever he looked he scanned over every micrometer with his sensors, searchign for even the slightest hint of any cyber-rat. But there was nothing. What was going on?

"I don't get it!", Red Alert said confused, "Even if they knew we were coming, there should still be some signs of them! Some chewed up cables, or a hole in the wall! Even the original scent I picked up has gone cold, what's going on?"

The security director continued scanning, though he was beginning to thing that maybe Wheeljack was right about the cyber-rats. But that didn't mean something wasn't up. The unusual scent, the door to the shuttle bay being disabled. There had to be something. And as Red Alert neared the end of the shuttle bay, another piece of the puzzle showed itself- or more precisely wasn't there at all. His neurocircuits went into a frenzy he saw one of the shuttles missing from it's designated spot.

"Wheeljack! Inferno! Over here!", Red Alert frantically shouted, "One of the shuttles is gone!"

Shuttle Bay

Wheeljack’s amusement at Red Alert trying to determine where the cyber-rats had gone was quickly replaced by a sense of dread at the security director’s discovery that one of the shuttles was missing. Thankfully, the mechanical engineer had already altered the logs to reflect one less shuttle, but he still needed to come up with an actual reason for why they were one short. His mind raced quickly to come up with another lie to tell. In all honestly, this was becoming more than just a bit of a burden for him. If it had been any other mech he was covering for other than Smokey, he would have respectfully declined.

As it were, Wheeljack had made a promise and he was going to fulfill his end no matter what. He ran over to where the neurotic ‘Bot was standing and patted him on the shoulder. “Whoa, easy there, Red. Don’t blow a gasket. We were one shuttle short when we left Cybertron,” the scientist replied as he pulled out a datapad and accessed the log. He then handed it to Red Alert for his own examination. “See, it’s right there. I updated the log myself a short time ago.”

Of course, Wheeljack also knew that Red Alert would demand a reason for the missing shuttle. What exactly had happened to it? Well, the engineer had managed to come up with a quick answer that would hopefully satisfy his paranoid comrade. “The reason we’re one short is due to my own failure back on Cybertron. I was attempting to install a new plasma coil of my own design that was intended to make the shuttle fly more efficiently. Unfortunately, once I had it hooked up, the coil overheated and exploded, damaging the craft beyond repair. We were then suddenly called back to Earth. I didn’t really have all the necessary parts I needed as the damage was too extensive, so I just discarded the broken craft before we left. No need to haul around a useless wreck after all. I have to admit, I was a bit embarrassed by the whole thing, which is why I never mentioned it to anyone.”

Wheeljack hoped that his explanation would satisfy Red Alert and Inferno. But, just to be absolutely safe, ‘Jack decided to try and shift the conversation back to the possiblity of a cyber-rat infestation. “As for where those cyber-rats disappeared to, I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe they….wait an astrosec.” The scientist had another one of his brilliant ideas.

Moving away from his two suspicious comrades, Wheeljack jogged down the bay a bit before going behind one of the other shuttles where no one could see him. He then quickly bent down and opened his toolkit and reached inside. He pulled out an old rat trap of his that he had forgotten about until now. He had tinkered with it back on Cybertron after the initial encounter with those creepy rodents. However, it never worked right, so he just discarded it into his toolkit with all the other junk.

“I think this is what that nose of yours picked up, Red!” Wheeljack called out as he reappeared from behind the shuttle, pretending that he had just found the trap undereath the craft. He walked back down towards the two ‘Bots, holding the device in his right hand while still carrying his tool bag in his left. “It’s an old trap that I invented. It’s supposed to give off a cyber-rat scent that lures them in and then zaps them dead. This one must have just run out of scent. That’s probably the source of the odor you detected and why it just stopped. I must have placed this in here just after we had first arrived on Cybertron and completely forgot about it. That was a while ago, after all. Sorry to throw you for a loop there, buddy! I meant no harm.”

Wheeljack sincerely hoped that this would finally lay to rest all of Red Alert’s suspicions. Everything had been accounted for: the shorted out doorway caused by a power surge, the cyber-rat scent caused by the old trap, and the missing shuttle caused by Wheeljack, himself. They were all lies, of course, and ‘Jack felt terrible about havig to tell them. Hopefully, this would put Red Alert’s paranoia at ease so that he didn’t have to tell any more and they could all move on to other things more important.

Shuttle Bay

So someone stole a shuttle, but why and when? Does it have anything to do with the cyber-rat smell? Was a decoy, or some part of their plan, or was it all just a coincidence?

Red Alert's mind filled with questions, his processors working overtime to figure out what was going on, when he was startled by Wheeljack patting him on the shoulder. Fortunately for the engineer he didn't get the barrel of the security director's gun in his face this time.

"Slaggit stop doing that!", Red Alert frustratingly said.

Before the security director started alerting the other Autobots in the system, Wheeljack explained the reason for the missing shuttle. It was certainly plausible, everyone knew there was always a risk of something exploding whenever Wheeljack tested one of his new inventions. After taking the datapad from the engineer, Red Alert took a thorough look through the log. Aside from the fact it had been filed late, everything checked out. Rather than relief, though, Red Alert felt a great deal of frustration at the whole mess.

"Wounded pride is no excuse for creating holes in security!", Red Alert scolded the engineer, "I should have been informed about all of this the astrosecond it happened! Did it ever occur to you that someone might have taken advantage? If the Decepticons had known about this they could have easily planted a replica of the shuttle in here without me knowing any better, and loaded it with explosives or a commando unit to take control of the ship while our guard was down! And how do you explain for the cyber-rat scent, hm?"

At first Wheeljack wasn't sure how to explain the possible infestation, then he suddenly remembered something. Red Alert stood and watched as the engineer ran over to a shuttle far away, got down to the floor and picked up some kind of device. Like many of Wheeljack's devices it was difficult to tell what it was until the engineer explained it. A trap that used cyber-rat smell to lure them? That certainly made sense. Red Alert rubbed his chin a he thought about it.

That would seem to wrap everything up- the smell, the locked door, the missing shuttle. But it was rather convenient that Wheeljack would explain things only now. He's not an idiot, surely he would have remembered such things earlier. But still, I can't be chasing around phantom rodents, not when there's always the chance of a Decepticon attack.

"I suppose that does explain everything.", Red Alert said thoughtfully as he rubbed his cranial plate, "But can you get that trap running again? I'd like to confirm it was the same odor I picked up. And if you can get it to work it would be most assuring to know we have it, just in case."

Red Alert took a long look around the shuttle bay. Something still didn't feel right, he could feel it deep in his spark. Whether it was cyber-rats, Decepticons, or something else, he just knew there had to be something else going on, something he wasn't aware of. He hated that feeling and hating not having any kind of evidence to act on it. For now he would just have to monitor his sensors and play things as they came.

"Then I guess there's no more reason to stay in here.", he said to Wheeljack and Inferno, "We should go back to the bridge where we can keep a better watch on things. If they took my warning seriously, even though most bots don't, they should have run a sensor sweep of the ship for any rodents. And if there aren't at least we can keep a better watch on whatever the Decepticons might be plotting."

With that the security director turned around and headed out of the shuttle bay.

This isn't over yet. Something is happening without my knowing. I just need to be more vigilant.

Inferno's processors were starting to hurt with all the current events. There was a cyber rat infestation then suddenly there wasn't. A shuttle was missing, then it wasn't. It was torture to Inferno, and he couldn't even fathom what went through Red Alert's head on a daily basis. Slowly, Inferno realized there was no threat and he began returning his weapons to normal levels.

He began following Red Alert to the bridge and opened up a dialogue with the security director, "Well Red, I can't make a lick of sense of what has happened here but if your satisfied...then I am satisfied.: Inferno took a quick glance back to Wheeljack, and remembered how uncomfortable the mad scientist made him feel,
"Er...no offense or nothing 'Jack...but I suppose you answered Red's questions to his satisfaction. That's good enough for me. You, take it easy alright?"

Inferno turned and followed Red Alert up to the bridge. His statements to Wheeljack almost sounded forced, but were not meant to be impolite. The scientist just creeped him out that much. To distract him of that, Inferno started dreaming up when the Decepticons may attack next, and the glorious battle to ensue.

Shuttle Bay

Wheeljack felt a great sigh of relief when Red Alert finally conceded that there was no credible threat from either cyber-rats or a wayward shuttle thief, even though the latter was the actual truth. At least the security expert had not discovered what the scientist had been desperately trying to hide, thus keeping Smokescreen’s little trip a closely guarded secret for the time being. Now the only problem will be getting him back up here. How in blazes am I going to explain the reappearance of the missing shuttle? I guess I’ll worry about that when the time comes.

“Again, Red, I’m very sorry for not telling you before about the destroyed shuttle. I’ll be sure to swallow my pride and inform you of any more accidents in the future,” Wheeljack replied to Red Alert before considering the security specialist’s next request about getting the rat trap working again. “Sure thing, Red, I’ll do my best. Although, the thing looks kinda fried, but I’ll give it a whirl and let you know later if I’m successful.”

The mechanical engineer then turned to Inferno and nodded approvingly. “No offensive taken. I’ll be down in one of the science labs setting up a new workspace for myself. I’ll see you guys later,” Wheeljack said as he watched his two comrades leave the shuttle bay and head up to the bridge. That was just too close for comfort. If I hadn’t remembered about the broken trap in my toolkit, Red would still be sniffing around in here. I hope Smokey appreciates what I’m doing for him and his femme. Even though I owe him one, this all goes above and beyond what I initially had in mind. At least he’s a good friend which makes it all worth while in the end, I suppose.

After a few more astroseconds of contemplation, Wheeljack placed the rat trap back into his toolkit and quickly exited the shuttle bay, heading for the science labs that were located just down the corridor. Since his old lab was still drying out and likely wouldn’t be full functional again for some time, ‘Jack decided it prudent to begin setting up his equipment down in one of the labs aboard the Ark-22. No one would likely care just as long as he didn’t blow himself or the ship to pieces.

Easier said than done, of course.

Bridge

Red Alert marched onto the bridge just ahead of Inferno, still flustered over his most recent false alarm. Looking around the were the same 'bots that had been there since they left Kup and the others went over to the Guardian to discuss things with Prowl. The mechs still on the Ark-22- Springer, Bluestrak, Arcee- all seemed to be just going through the motions, just waiting for something to happen.

"Did anyone run a sensor sweep of the ship?", Red Alert asked as he took his usual place at the security console, checking the sensor logs to get his answer before anyone said anything, "No, of course not."

Without even thinking the security director ran the sensors throughout the ship, searching for any kind of non-transformer type of life. Even though Wheeljack had explained everything, Red Alert still wanted to be one-hundred percent certain.

"Once again you all just assumed it was nothing, 'that crazy Red Alert is crying cyber-wolf again!", the security director ranted to everyone as the scans completed.

Looking over the data, there was nothing out of the ordinary. The only lifesigns were Autobots that had been assigned to the Ark-22. Red Alert felt some relief, but at the same time a little embarrassment. Once again the other Autobots would have reason not to believe his warnings.

"All right fine, so it turns out there are no cyber-rats onboard.", Red Alert announced, swallowing his pride, "But it's better to be safe than sorry! There's danger out there, everywhere, and the Decepticons are massing around this system, and you'd be sorry if cyber-rats had chewed this ship apart when the Ultrax has it's cannons aimed at us!"

Red Alert looked back at the security monitors, searching for anything out of placed, any anomaly, any inconsistancy in any readings on the Ark-22 and whatever he could find out about the Guardina and the-

"Wait a minute,", Red Alert said out loud, "How long has the Ark-19 been gone?"

Bridge

The silence on the bridge had become deafening to Bluestreak not to mention boring. He had first tried to make friendly conversation with Arcee, which worked for a while until she got tired of his ramblings and pretended to have a cranial ache. He then tried to convince Wheeljack to let him come along on the supposed cyber-rat hunt, but he was rebuffed there, as well. Now, all he had was the typical mundane chore of running computer diagnostics and watching as endless numbers and equations filled the screen before his optics.

Regardless, the silence was still there, allowing all of the thoughts and images of his home city’s destruction to seep back into his core processor. He off-lined his optics for a brief moment, but that only made things worse. No, he had to remain busy somehow, otherwise the dreadful quiet would drive him insane. Keep it together, Blue, just keep it together.

Just then, Red Alert arrived, entering the bridge with Inferno close behind him. The paranoid one reluctantly admitted that he had been wrong about the cyber-rat infestation, but quickly followed up his admission by stating that it was better to be safe than sorry. Bluestreak could agree with him to some extent, but considering Red’s past history with blowing little things out of proportion, it was hard to take him seriously sometimes. Still, it was nice to have someone around that paid so much attention to detail. Red was really the perfect choice for head of security.

“Sorry I didn’t run any scans, Red,” Bluestreak apologized as he stood from his station and approached his paranoid comrade at the security console. “I was already preoccupied with system diagnostics.” That wasn’t entirely the reason as it would have been easy to run a diagnostic and scan the ship at the same time. No, it was more Blue’s own inner demons coming back to the surface that prevented him from scanning for cyber-rats. However, that was something he was not willing to admit to anyone, especially not to Red Alert.

Bluestreak’s attention was then drawn to the security monitors as Red Alert questioned how long the Ark-19 had been gone. The black and silver mech scratched his head in bewilderment. “I don’t know, Red, I didn’t even realize it was gone until you just said something. I’m sure everything’s okay, though. Prowl probably just sent it out for further repairs or something like that. He would’ve contacted us if anything was wrong. You know the ol’ prick-bot is always on top of things, kinda like you, Red, just not as extreme.”

The Autobot gunner chuckled as he patted Red Alert on the shoulder before realizing that his friend might take what he had just said the wrong way. “Not that you’re a prick-bot or anything! I didn’t mean it like that! Not at all! I just meant that you and Prowl are both very attentive and serious about your jobs. If something was wrong, you would both act quickly and not waste any time in alerting others of a breach in security. That’s why I’m sure everything’s fine. The Ark-19 was pretty banged up from what I could tell, so it probably needed extensive repair work that could not be done here. But, I’m sure you’ll check with Prowl just to be safe, won’t you?”

Bridge

If any 'bot rambled on for no good reason Red Alert would suspect them of trying to hide something, that they were nervous and overcompensating for some information that they didn't want him to know. Any bot, except for Bluestreak that is, who Red Alert saw as more of an attention-grabbing annoyance. Especially as he checked the logs and records for any orders given to the Ark-19.

"Would you shut off your vocal components for 10 astroseconds so I can concentrate!", Red Alert yelled, his work was far too important to be nice about it, "I didn't become security director to make friends, so stop apologizing! If you really need someone to talk to then talk to Inferno!"

Despite whatever Bluestreak thought, the fact that Prowl had not informed the security director about the Ark-19 was a troubling development. The two had worked together countless times, and they had developed something of an understanding of each other. Prowl had to know that withholding any major orders, such as the deployment of a ship, would only create suspicions and panic in the security director. From what information Red Alert was able to gather, something had definitely gone wrong.

"No, no, no, this wasn't supposed to happen!", Red Alert said out loud to himself, "The Ark-19 had a skeleton repair crew, but Prowl never ordered her to leave to any repair station. The Ark-19 just ejected an escape pod and went to transwarp without any authorization!"

For Red Alert this seemed like a worst-case type of scenario, he slammed his fists on the console in anger. If the Decepticons had managed to take the Ark-19, there was no telling what kind of important information they would acquire- technical schematics, tactical strategies, troop deployment- it would be an energon mine for the Decepticons! How could this have happened?

"I need to contact Prowl, NOW!", Red Alert frantically opened a comm-link to the Guardian.

>>Red Alert to Prowl, what's going on over there? What happened to the Ark-19? Have the Decepticons taken it? WHAT'S HAPPENING!?!<<

The security director incessantly tapped his fingers on the console as he waited for a response. Looking around the bridge, he gave every Autobot a suspicious, accusing look. He started to wonder.....

Inferno placed his hand Bluestreak's shoulder when Red Alert finished rebuttling him. He used a soft tone to the Autobot gunner, and offered him some reassurance.

"Don't worry about to much big Blue...ya know old Red. He might be a raving lunatic when it comes to security at times, but his spark is in the right place. And don't you worry to much about offending him. I spent more time around the guy to know he's already forgotten as he's processing about four hundred different scenarios as to what the Decepticons might be doing."

Inferno offered Blue a hearty smile. He liked Bluestreak and considered him a valuable soldier and friend. Inferno didn't want to have him distracted if a fight was inevitable, and it was true that Decepticons were mounting in the area.

Even more important, was the fact that the Ark 19 was missing. While Inferno wasn't focusing in on every single possibility on what could have happened to the 19 like Red, he was focusing in on the simpler fact. It was gone. If a Decepticon assault occured right now it would mean the 22 was on her own. The 22 was alone, undermanned, and outclassed against an invasion force, and quick reinforcements seemed unlikely.

It seemed like a great fight to Inferno, but a costly one. The price that may be paid for that could mean his own spark, or worse, the spark of his fellow crew members. That was unacceptable to him. Red Alert had a point, finding the Ark 19 had to be a top priority. Though not fully accustomed to it, Inferno began a sensor sweep for anything unusual. He called over to the security cheif, and apparent commander.

"Hey Red, gimmie some pointers...what should I be scanning for? Ion trails...life signs? What'd be most useful to you?"

Bridge

Bluestreak was quite taken aback at Red Alert’s belligerent response to his comments which the talkative mech thought would help to calm the anxiety-filled ‘Bot down, but it only seemed to make things worse. Of course, if he hadn’t inadvertently insulted the security director, the reaction would have likely been different. “Sorry, Red, I was only trying to help. Maybe I can make it up to you, I could...”

The black and silver mech’s new tirade was mercifully cut way short as he felt Inferno’s hand on his shoulder in an attempt to reassure him that Red Alert meant well and was only doing what came naturally to him. “Yeah, you’re right, Inferno,” Bluestreak replied as the fire expert attempted to run some scans for the missing Ark-19. “I keep forgetting how stressful his job is. I can’t imagine being in charge of security for everyone on board not only this ship but now for the Guardian and the 19, as well. Of course, the 19 isn’t here anymore, but I guess it still counts.”

Bluestreak then turned his attention back to Red Alert, who was waiting for a reply from Prowl regarding the sudden disappearance of the Ark-19. “You know, Red, there are ways to reduce stress. Meditating’s a good option from what I understand. Howlstrike’s good at that I think. Maybe he’d be willing to help you. Although, I don’t know how much he can be trusted. Being that he’s a former Predacon, he might make you even more stressed out than you already are. So, I guess it’s a no win situation.”

It was then that a response from Prowl came across the ship's intercomm:

>>”No, Red Alert, the Decepticons have not taken the Ark-19. I’ve sent the ship to get a major overhaul and weapons refitting, which could not be done here with the limited resources at our disposal. There’s nothing to worry about. Prowl out.”<<

Once the communique was finished, Bluestreak patted Red Alert on his shoulder. "You see, Red! I told you the 19 was just sent out for repairs! Prowl just forgot to tell you that's all. You really need to stop worrying so much, buddy. It's not good for you to be so wound up all the time. Your nerve receptors will end up shorting out! Why don't you, me and Inferno all go down and get an energon drink or something. Maybe a little relaxation is all that you need."

Inferno was relieved to hear Prowl announce the 19 was called away for routine maintenance and upgrades. It wouldn't take to long for her to get refitted and back on the line. A simple calm surged through Inferno's circuits. As he heard Bluestreak and Red Alert chatter he began breaking it down in his processors. To himself of course.

"Meditation?" Inferno thought to himself, "thats for new age emo-bots...nothing beats a good ol' fashioned fist fight. That's how I relax! Pounding a few decepti-bums back their assembly line and it always feels like a great weight has been lifted internally..."

Inferno's thoughts of pounding Starscream and going ten rounds with Motor Master was quickly broken when Bluestreak mentioned having an energon drink. Inferno hadn't used much energy in the training session he recently completed, or the wild goosebot chase in the shuttle bay, but a little recharge wouldn't hurt. He called to to Bluestreak.

"What type of drink are you talkin' here Blue? Something a bit fissionable I hope?" Inferno would lick his lips if capable. After rescuing his friends and pounding the enemy, have a good stiff energon drink was among Infeno's favorite activites, especially when he could boast about war stories. He also knew Red Alert could probably use a little distraction, and eveyrone could use a distraction from Red Alert. And if Bluestreak, a gunner, was coming with them he was bound to have a good war story or two.

Bridge

Red Alert blocked out the idle chit-chat of both Bluestreak and Inferno as he continued to go over sensor logs while he waited for a reply from Prowl. He had to keep busy, he had to go over every bit of information he could until he knew what was happening. At one point he stopped, his optics widened as he noticed something off about the ship's sensor readings, something he only noticed after looking over the data numerous times. He was about to shout his discovery when the Autobot strategist gave his reply, assuring that he had ordered Ark-19 away for major repairs.

"WHAT!?! THAT CAN'T BE!", Red Alert yelled incredulously, "WHAT ABOUT THE-"

Before he could finish, the security director felt someone touch his shoulder. Once again instinct took over as Red Alert turned in a flash, ready to punch the possible assaillant- but he stopped when he saw it was only Bluestreak.

"SLAGGIT WOULD ALL OF YOU STOP TOUCHING ME BEHIND MY BACK!", Red Alert shouted as loud as his vocal components would allow, "CAN'T YOU SEE HOW SERIOUS- THIS-"

Red Alert lowered his fist as the Autobot gunner tried to calm him down. For once Bluestreak's talk actually helped Red Alert to see things more clearly. With everything that had happened over the past few cycles since they learned of Optimus' disappearance his processors had been working on overdrive. Inferno seemed to agree as well. Red Alert sighed as he did his best to calm himself.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I have been straining my circuits a little too much lately.", the security director said relieved, a small smile starting to come across his face, "I think I will join you in the mess hall for a drink. Maybe a full tank will help me see things more clearly. I just have to go to my quarters for a breem first to file a few reports, then I'll join you."

Red Alert returned the friendly pat on the shoulder to Bluestreak, then gave Inferno one as well as he headed out of the bridge.

Corridor - Red Alert's Personal Quarters

Red Alert's relatively calm demeanor vanished the instant he was out of the bridge. As security director his quarters were close to the bridge, though he hurried his way there anyway. Standing in front of the door he looked in all directions cautiously to make sure no one was around. Once he was certain he was alone he began entering in an extraordinarilly long security code, stopping several times to make sure there was still no one around. After what seemed like a full breem the door opened, and Red Alert hastily entered. Just before the door shut he poked his head out to be absolutely certain no one was following or watching him.

Once the door closed behind him Red Alert entered in several more codes, not only locking the door but also activating sensors to alert him of anyone nearing his quarters. Red Alert allowed almost no one into his room, usually just whoever was in command such as Kup or Ultra Magnus, and only while he was in there. Even his best friend Inferno had barely seen the inside of his quarters. Red Alert just couldn't be too careful.

If anyone did come in they would notice that, despite Red Alert being stationed there for a few vorns, it was quite bare. There was a small desk with a computer, and several computer consoles and security monitors, but Red Alert kept no personal belongings. If anyone took an even closer look they would notice the edge of every wall panel and computer monitor were worn out from being broke open and carefully put back into place, a sign of Red Alert's paranoia over the possibility of being monitored.

Red Alert wouldn't have time to check the walls this time, he couldn't keep Bluestreak and Inferno waiting for too long. He didn't want them to get suspicious. This time Red Alert relied on his keen senses to make sure he wasn't being monitored, listening, looking, smelling over every nook and cranny in his office. Everything seemed to be clear, but the next time he would have to do a more thorough check just to be safe.

Going to his desk he turned on the computer and entered in another long security code. Once he had access Red Alert went to his personal log and opened up a new one. For a moment Red Alert calmed himself enough to sit down in front of the computer, which activated a visual sensor and several audio sensors to record him.

"Security Director Red Alert's personal log; I should have seen this coming earlier when I learned of Optimus' disappearance. I worried so much that without Prime the Decepticons would be more aggressive with their attacks, but now I see that our greatest enemy is right within our ranks!"

Red Alert got out from his chair, he was too worked up to sit still. He paced around his personal quarters, the audio sensors still recording his every word.

"Several breems ago I picked up an unusual scent in the Ark-22 hallways, which eventually led me to the shuttle bay to discover that one of the shuttles was missing. Wheeljack gave me plenty of explanations, all conveniently AFTER I discovered them, not to mention a report on the missing shuttle THAT HAD BEEN FILED OVER A CYCLE LATE! At first I only had suspicions, but after looking over the ship's sensor logs I noticed something; the sensors had been DIVERTED AWAY FROM THE SHUTTLE BAY!"

Red Alert had to stop himself for a moment. His frustration over Wheeljack's lies was getting him worked up. He needed to clear his processors before he continued.

"But there's more! Later when I returned to the bridge I discovered that the Ark-19 had jettisoned an escape pod and gone to transwarp. No one told me anything of this, so of course I contacted Prowl to find out. His was response was that the Ark-19 had been sent for repairs and weapons upgrades. Well that certainly makes sense, after all the ship was badly damaged and we don't have enough resources to get it fixed ourselves. But.... THAT STILL DOESN'T EXPLAIN THE ESCAPE POD! WHO WAS ON THAT ESCAPE POD? WHY WAS IT LAUNCHED IF THEY WERE AUTHORIZED TO LEAVE FOR REPAIRS!"

Red Alert punched the wall as he yelled this, partially opening one of the panels he had checked behind in the past. Prowl's deceit over the Ark-19 was the most unnerving thing. After working with the strategist countless times on so many of the most top secret operations in Autobot command, he thought he could trust him. Again he cleared his mind before he continued- he would have to finish soon before Bluestreak and Inferno started to wonder.

"There's a conspiracy here, and it goes all the way up to Prowl! For now I'll have to be extra careful, to perform my duties without making it obvious that I'm on to them! Right now I'll be going to the mess hall for drinks with Bluestreak and.... Inferno. Slaggit I hate to think that I can't trust my own friend, but there's no telling how far this conspiracy has gone! For all I know he may have lured me to the training facility as a distraction, to keep me from finding out what I have! Maybe the next few breems will help me decide if I can trust either of them, for Primus' sake I hope Inferno isn't a part of this! But whatever is going on, I will find out and stop it before the Autobots are destroyed from within!"

Red Alert walked back to the computer and shut off the recording monitors. As he entered in a series of encryptions and security codes to the log file, he wondered why he made the log. It certainly helped clear his spark, getting his suspicions out, but otherwise there was no logical reason for doing so. Still he didn't have much time to contemplate such things, he had to join up with the others quickly.

Shutting off the computer, he went to the door and went through the the arduous task of unlocking it with more codes before the door opened and he stepped out.

Once in the corridor the security director turned around and entered another complex series of numbers to lock the door behind him. The security director's cooling fans took in a long inhale, then exhale.

"Right then, just act natural.", Red Alert nervously said to himself as he turned and waited for Bluestreak and Inferno, forcing a smile one his face.

Just act natural, just act natural....

Bridge

Bluestreak was ecstatic to hear both Inferno and even Red Alert agree to have drinks with him down in the mess hall. It would do them all a bit of good to just relax for awhile after the long trip back from Cybertron. None of them had really gotten a chance to just rest and recharge and that was especially true for the paranoid security director who always seemed to be on duty and worried about something going wrong. Red’s overreaction to being touched too many times along with his apparemt reluctance to believe Prowl’s explanation for the missing Ark-19 only served to reinforce that notion. At least now they could all kick back and remain calm. “Glad to hear it, buddy,” Blue replied as Red Alert abruptly left the bridge for his quarters. “No rush. We’ll be along shortly. Don’t you worry!”

Once the chief of security had left, the gunner turned towards the fire-bot and smiled. “What type of drink? Well, any type you want, Inferno! The energon synthesizers here on the Ark-22 can concoct any kind of drink you can image with whatever additives you can think of. Of course, it’s not the real deal, nothing is, but it’s better than some of the slag I’ve tasted. And let me tell you, I’ve had the displease of tasting some real disgusting stuff during my time amongst the Autobots. Quite often I think the higher-ups just get the cheapest synthesizers available or they simply don’t care to keep up with the maintenance. The one back on Cybertron was absolutely terrible, I mean the lowest of the low. The energon that came out of that dispenser was like drinking cosmic rust. Yuck! Of course, that one hadn’t been turned on in countless vorns, so I guess I could understand why it didn’t work so well. However, we don’t have to worry about any of that here on the 22. The synthesizer down in the mess hall produces some of the best energon substitute this side of the galaxy. You won’t be disappointed!”

Bluestreak then checked his internal chronometer and realized that a breem had already gone by. Had I really been talking that long? It didn’t matter as it was time to go see if Red Alert was finally ready to head on down to the mess hall with them. “Come on, Inferno, time to meet up with Red. He should be done whatever he’s doing by now and even if he’s not, we’ll just pound on his door until he opens up. Heh heh!” The talkative mech then turned and exited the bridge, assuming that the fire-bot would be close behind him.

Corridor outside Red Alert’s Quarters

It was a brief walk to the security director’s personal quarters as it was located not far from the bridge, itself. Bluestreak immediately noticed Red Alert waiting patiently in the hallway for them. He appeared to be a bit agitated, but at least he was now smiling which was an expression that was not often seen coming from the paranoid ‘Bot.

“Hey, Red, you take care of everything you needed to in there?” The black and silver mech asked with a smile spread across his own faceplate as he stopped a few feet in front of his anxious comrade. “You don’t have a cute femmebot stashed away inside do you, Red? Come on now, you can tell me. I won’t say a word....or two....or even three. I can’t promise I won’t say four words, though. Ha ha! Just kidding! Come on, let’s go get that drink now!”

Corridor

Dear Primus, this is going to be hard, Red Alert thought as he kept the smile on his face as best as he could while Bluestreak prattled on and on.

"Heh, HA HA!", Red Alert forced out a laugh, "Good one, Bluestreak! Only if she broke the law! HA HA! But yes, I've filed my reports."

I hope that wasn't too obvious. But then, if I was running a conspiracy, would I want Bluestreak to be a part of it? He runs his vocalizer like his life depended on it, such a talkative bot couldn't hold a secret. Or maybe that's what Prowl wants me to think! Wait a minute, where's Inferno?

"I suppose Inferno is lagging behind, isn't he? He's never been particularly fast on his feet. Maybe we should wait for him and try not to walk too fast for him to catch up.", Red Alert said as casually as he could.

Or maybe he stayed behind to monitor my actions on the bridge! Could my best friend Inferno really be a part of this plot? Did they really turn my most trusted comrade against me? Of dear Primus, don't let it be true!

The security director continued to smile, even as his mind filled with accusations of betrayal and treason.

Corridor

Bluestreak smiled as Red Alert laughed at his poor attempt at humor. Of course there was no femme hidden away in the security director’s quarters, and even if there had been she’d never be able to handle his perpetual paranoia for long. Red would probably accuse her of being a spy who was trying to steal sensitive data from the Ark-22’s computer. Then Red would find himself being slapped hard across the faceplate before the angry femme stormed out of his room. That would surely have been a sight to see if it wasn't just one of the Autobot gunner's silly jokes.

“Well, that’s disappointing. For an astrosec there, I thought you had actually gotten lucky, Red! Ha ha! But, it’s good that you got your work done. That’s never a bad thing. You certainly don’t want to get backed up too much and find yourself buried under a ton of paperwork,” Bluestreak said to Red Alert, glancing back down the corridor at the mention of Inferno having not caught up to them yet. The black and silver mech scratched his perplexed cranium before returning his gaze to the security specialist. “Yeah, I don’t know what happened to him, Red. Inferno was on the bridge last time I saw him. I just assumed he had followed me out. Maybe he got caught up with something Springer wanted him to do at the last astrosecond. You never know. But we can walk along slowly for awhile and give the fire-bot a chance to catch up with us. No problem!”

The Autobot gunner gave Red Alert a friendly pat on the shoulder as he walked along beside the paranoid ‘Bot. Taking their time to the mess hall would allow for a good conversation to develop between the two. Naturally, it would mostly be one-sided with Blue doing most of the talking unless Red was able to find a way to get a word in edgewise somewhere in the continuous ramble. “I tell you Red, it’s good to get off the bridge finally. I was really getting bored running diagnostics and whatnot. Plus there weren’t that many mechs left on the bridge to talk with in order to help pass the time. That is, except for Arcee, but she seemed to be preoccupied with something else and mostly just let me do all the talking. Then she got a cranial ache. So, I don't think she likes me very much. I seem to have as much luck with femmes as you do! Ha! I'm just teasing, Red. Anyway, I then thought about going to look for Howlstrike to see what that crazy former Pred was up to, but then you and Inferno entered the bridge and, well, here we are!”

Bluestreak briefly paused as the two mechs rounded a corner before his vocal processor kicked in to high gear once again. “You know, Red, I was telling Inferno a little bit ago that the synthetic energon here on the 22 is some of the best around, real good high-grade stuff. No where near as good as the real thing, of course, but still much better than the usual slag we get stuck with. Goes down real smooth and easy. Have you had a chance to try it yet? If not, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

Corridor

Red Alert said nothing, but listened as intently as he could as Bluestreak went on about fembots, work, and Inferno, all the while smiling like a greeting-drone.

Could Inferno be following some order from Springer? It's possible. He may be slow, but Inferno wouldn't be this far behind us unless he occupied with something else- like monitoring my movements! Maybe my friend really is part of this, how could he? And what about Springer? He hasn't left the ship since we arrived in this system, and he doesn't have as much of a history with Prowl as Bluestreak or Wheeljack, but he could have helped cover up the missing shuttle, even authorized the false shuttle report. Slaggit, I need to find an ally soon if I'm to keep track of all the pieces in this puzzle!

Just then the Autobot gunner patted the security specialist on the back. It took every byte of Red Alert's self control to keep from freaking out like he normally did. He noticibly twitched, but otherwise didn't do anything threatening or suspicious. Red Alert continued to listen.

Arcee seemed pre-occupied? It's possible she was just trying to avoid Bluestreak's nonstop banter, or maybe she's in on this too. That's one more for my list of potential conspirators.... Howlstrike? Yes, it would make sense that he would be a part in this. Maybe that's the whole reason he's here, tear the Autobots apart from the inside to make us easier targets for a Decepticon attack.... No, no, that's too obvious.... Unless that's what Prowl wants me to think!

Rounding a corner, Bluestreak began to rave about the quality of the energon in the Ark-22's dispensers. As he finished, the two reached the door to the mess hall.

"To be honest I'm usually too busy to refuel here, I usually have to get my recharge in the CR chamber.", Red Alert admitted, "But from what you're telling me, it certainly sounds good."

Yes.... Maybe too good.....

Red Alert pushed the button that opened the mess hall doors. At first he looked into the room with a level of suspicion, but quickly looked to Bluestreak with a friendly grin.

"After you."

Mess Hall

“Ahhhhh, you don’t know what you’re missing, Red,” Bluestreak said to the security director as they reached the mess hall doors. “I know that just plugging yourself in to a wall socket can be a nice way to get a quick recharge, but sometimes you just gotta sit back and relax, you know? Take your time. I think that may be half your problem, Red. You don’t relax enough. Well, that’s about to change, ol’ buddy, because now it relaxation time! Ha ha!”

Bluestreak watched as the paranoid mech pressed the controls, causing the doors to slide apart to reveal the vast chamber beyond. Red Alert then told the gunner that he could lead the way. “Don’t mind if I do,” Blue replied as he entered the large hall and quickly made his way over to the very energon dispensers he had just been raving about moments ago. He grabbed a tall glass and placed it under one of the nozzles, triggering the automated sensors that allowed the glowing purple liquid to cascade down and fill it up to the brim.

“Beautiful,” was all the black and silver mech could utter before raising the glass to his mouthpiece and gulping about half of the contents down. Bluestreak then placed the receptacle back onto the counter and wiped the excess from his faceplate. “Now, that’s some great energon derivative right there! I tell you Red, we should open a bar up here and sell this stuff. We’d make a bundle, especially after a long, hard battle with the ‘Cons. Mechs would come in and want to drink their woes away after a loss or celebrate a victory. We’d be rich, I tell you, rich! I....” The gunner stopped himself suddenly and looked over at Red Alert, a bit embarrassed as he realized that he had forgotten to get his anxious comrade a glass of his own.

“Frag, I’m sorry, Red. I didn’t mean to forget you. I guess I just don’t know when to shut up, do I? Story of my life. Heh! Anyway, your drink’s coming right up!” Bluestreak then turned back to face the energon dispensers where he filled a second tall glass up just like the first one, which was still sitting half full on the counter. “Here you go, Red. Would you like an additive or two mixed in? Perhaps something to spice your drink up like a pinch of beta-12 or maybe even a joint relaxant to help you unwind? There’s plenty to choose from here, you just gotta let me know." The gunner smiled before then adding, "So, what’s your poison?”

Mess Hall

Red Alert cautiously follwed behind Bluestreak into the mess hall, his advanced sensors keeping him fully aware of anything that could be going on.

No heat or energy signatures besides Bluesreak..... No unaccounted for sounds..... No visual clues to indicate any other mechs in here..... Doesn't appear to be an ambush....

Despite there being no signs of a suprise attack, Red Alert was not completely convinced. In his processors he kept repeating Bluestreak's earlier statements about the quality of the energon, trying to determine if there was something he gunner was saying without saying it. Red Alert had to stop his deep thinking though, as he realized Bluestreak was at it again.

Does his vocalizer ever wear out?

"I think bartenders spend more time listening to their customers then talking.", Red Alert replied with a smile, trying to make a good natured jab at Bluestreak's talkative nature, "Personally I'd rather just stick to security."

Red Alert took a seat at the nearest table, as the Autobot gunner apologized for making Red Alert wait for his drink.

"It's all right, Bluestreak.", Red Alert said as he magnified his optics to watch he gunner pour his drink closely.

Red Alert listened to Bluestreak as he described a few additives the securiy director could have in his drink. It was the last sentence, though, that made Red Alert's opics widen.

"Poison?", the security mumbled to himself, hoping Bluestreak didn't hear him.

Bluestreak wouldn't have asked 'what's my poison' if he was really going to poison me. Or maybe he said that because he knew that's what I'd think! Or maybe this is just a normal, non-lethal drink and he's being funny. This is where I find out if I can trust him, or if he's doing Prowl's dirty work.

"Nothing that will kill me too quickly! HA HA!", Red Alert forced a laugh.

Was that too obvious?

"Whatever you think is good, I'm not picky.", Red Alert answered as his optics focused on Bluestreak's hands and his drink, "I'm just dying to see if this energon substitute is as good as you say it is......"