by Shadow Fox » Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:19 am
Okie dokie people, I know I was going to leave this until I was at least a few chapters in but my compulsiveness has gotten the better of me once again. This is my first bash at a TF fic and only a second or third out of the scope of wrestling ones. It's set around season 3 of G1, but I'll be taking certain amount of liberties with it in later chappies. That being said, I will try and keep the liberty taking under control.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy my offering. Much aussie luv!
CH1-CHANCES.
"Absolutely not."
"But we won't find anyone better to participate in the programe."
The military advisor glowered at the head scientist and stalked over to the large window that looked out onto the vast factory sized labratory. Considering the nature of the project underway, it looked more like a giant machine shop than anything else. Running a hand through his thick steel grey hair he considered the potential candidate the scientist had been pressing on him and hated it. Ever since the incident, the candidate was now walking the fine line between a dishonourable discharge and court marshal "The pilot you're suggesting is a complete maverick."
"With the estimated survival rate on this project, how many others do you seriously think are going to sign up?" The scientist stood up and smoothed out the few creases in his white lab coat and joined the General by the window "Besides, with what this potentially offers, the Liuetenant would do pretty much anything you asked to get this chance." Both men stood looking as dozens of mechanical engineers buzzed around the project like dutiful worker ants "Besides out of all the possibilities, Esser is the most expendable if anything unfortunate were to happen."
"That's cold, even for you."
"Harsh maybe, Gerald, but true." the scientist shrugged "Esser has no children and has the perfect motivation thanks to the circumstances that caused the death of the Lieutenant's fiancé and mother in Greece."
The soldier's shoulders slumped as he heaved a resigned sigh, personally the last part is what was bothering him the most. The way he saw it, that would more than likely work against them in his opinion. But they had been having this argument for nearly an hour now and he wasn't getting anywhere "All right Scott, you win. I'll bring Esser in to begin the fundamental training. By the time the training is complete this part of the project should be ready." He said with a wave of his hand waving at the activity on the other side of the glass "Provided we don't have any mishaps."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
The sky was clear and beautiful, with only a few wisps of white clouds scattered in the unending blue. A solitary hawk soared lazily on the thermals as it's sharp eyes scanning the rolling fields of green below it for a potential meal. Nature in all it's quiet, simple glory "Lieutenant Esser, the General will see you now." The young secretary announced, snapping the pilot out of the day dream in the landscape photograph. Standing up the Lieutenant stopped a small distance from her as she opened the door and ushered Esser inside. Esser eyed the surroundings, wondering what the problem was now. It wasn't the first time in the past few months that the Lieutenant had been summoned to see a superior officer and he wondered why they hadn't had enough yet and simply kicked him out of the service.
Maybe today was the day?
If only he could be that lucky. He stood at attention and waited to be acknowledged by the CO, who so far hadn't even looked up from the papers he was reading "At ease Lieutenant." the General finally said with a dismissive hand gesture. When he looked up from his reading a brief look of disapproval crossed the older man's face, forcing Esser to keep his neutral composure from slipping and rewarding the General with a smug smirk. The rather noticeable purple bruising around one of his sable eyes along with several small cuts and scrapes that marred his otherwise handsome face didn't exactly put him in the picture of the ideal member of the United States Air Force that they would like to display to the public. Ever since they decided to bust him from Major to Lieutenant and not to let him fly any more in the hopes the punishment would make the pilot get his act together, Esser's aggressive behaviour and complete apathy for the consequences had only progressively gotten worse.
General Gerald Lange evaluated the young man before him who fell very short of the mark he saw that all personell of the USAF should hold themselves. Their eyes locked for a fleeting second and he was sure that Esser's had narrowed in a flash of contempt. To say that Esser wasn't fond of him would be more than a slight understatement. When it came down to it, the General felt the same way. He now saw the younger soldier as a failure and a disgrace. Before the Lieutenant's personal tragedy he had been one of the best on offer. Now he was angry and bitter, his regard for rules and authority had been on a downward landslide at breakneck speed since he had been grounded "How would you like to be promoted back to Major and in the sky, Esser?" He asked with some difficulty after a tense moment of silence.
Esser nearly did a double take. Here he was thinking they had finally come to the decision to throw him out on his ass, only to be asked if he wanted to fly again. He didn't care about the rank, it was money he'd probably just squander away any way. But to back in a pilot seat again? He wasn't going to lie, it was the only thing that made him feel remotely alive any more. Since he had been reprimanded nearly three months ago he was sure he was losing his mind. Something about this offer seemed to good to be true though, he wondered what it was as he answered with a measure of suspicious caution "Sir, what would it involve exactly?"
General Lange gestured for Esser to take a seat only to be refused "Well Esser, first and foremost you would have to clean up your act." he paused momentarily at a fleeting twitch in Esser's jaw before continuing "Because you have been selected for a new experimental programme. For this you will need to be in the best shape of your life. If you do choose to participate, all current strikes against you will be forgotten."
Esser had to fight the urge to laugh in the General's face. Nothing was forgotten in the military, he had learned that from experience "Experimental as in what way, Sir?"
"As in a classified one." the CO stated simply "That's all I can tell you until I know if you except or not."
Esser turned away and stared at a random spot on the opposing wall, he hated this cloak and dagger bullshit. He was determined to get something out of the General before he made a decision on anything, so he changed tactics and tried going down the path of indifference "What makes you think I would even be interested?"
"You'll get a chance to strike back more... directly, at the Decepticons." At that he watched as Esser gave him his full and undivided attention for the first time since he walked through the door. The only thing the pilot was focused on besides his own self destruction any more was that of the alien malefactors. Holding the General under an intense stare, the superior officer waited almost a full minute before breaking the silence "Well Lieutenant, what's it going to be?"
"I'm in." Esser's quiet answer belied the determination and hatred that lied beneath his words. He had been waiting a long time for an opportunity like this and now he was finally going to get his chance.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Esser had been staring at it for five minutes now and still couldn't believe it "You want me to pilot that?"
Scott Black looked at the newly re-instated Major with evident amusement "What's the matter soldier, afraid you're not up to it?"
Esser quickly recovered his composure under the scientist's humoured expression, he'd be damned if he'd let Dr Frankenstein here have a laugh at his expense "Please, if it's got wings and an engine you won't find a better pilot than yours truly."
"I hope you can live up to that statement, Major Esser."
Pilot and scientist turned around to face the big service elevator behind them as Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus stepped through it's open doors. The young leader of the Autobots studied the project's newest recruit carefully and Esser responded in kind. While he didn't hate the Autobots, the Major held absolutely no love for them either. After he was done Esser turned back to examine what they would have him fly, running a hand along a large jet black forearm when a thought struck him and looked back at the pair of mechs "Why not simply turn this thing into one of you? Why have a human pilot it?"
"The point of this project is to enable humans to take a more active role in defending themselves and the system from Decepticon attack." Magnus answered "If everything here goes well, mass production has a good chance of being approved."
Esser couldn't help but think that had so much potential to go wrong on so many levels. As if mankind wasn't a violent enough race already, now they wanted to put them in these... things? Imagine if a terrorist organisation got their hands on something like this. It wouldn't be just the Decepticons making peoples lives hell any more. Who was going to say which country could have them and which couldn't? Stop it, Esser told himself you're worrying about things beyond your control. Just focus on the opportunity this gives you to really put a dent in Decepticon ego for what they did.
Esser pulled himself up and walked along the wing of the creation, completely ignoring the disapproving stares of those who had worked so hard to build it. When he reached it's chest he looked down at the head of the inactive machine. It didn't have a full face, but instead looked more like that of the Dinobot leader, Grimlock. The only major difference there was the colour of the optics, Grimlock's where red, this one had green. But it made sense if he was going to be seeing through it's 'eyes', humans could see more shades of green than any other colour.
Rodimus and Magnus watched the pilot as he continued his examination "What do you suppose is going through his mind right now?" Rodimus said quietly to the soldier standing beside him.
"He's probably thinking up the best way he can use it to lash back at the Decepticons." Magnus replied "I still don't think that this was a wise idea Rodimus. The least the humans could have done was choose a pilot that follows orders more readily than this one."
"So he bends the rules a bit, who doesn't? Besides you have to admit, not many other pilots have his level of skill."
"'Bends the rules'? We were looking at the same personnel file, weren't we?" Magnus turned to his young leader with a questioning look "You're starting to sound like Black."
"Are you quite done in your appraisal of me?" Esser asked in a flat tone. Neither Autobot had noticed he had come down and stood a few feet away from them "Let's set this straight right now. What I do in my own personal time is my business, but don't you worry about it interfering with this precious little experiment of yours. I'll do what I'm told like a good little lab rat so long no-one screws me over." He took one more glance over at the machine before facing the scientist "So when am I going to be strapped into that thing and make it dance?"
Rodimus couldn't help but grin, obviously no-one had told him where his initial training was to begin. He doubted the Major would be quite so eager if he knew exactly where he would be staying for the next few months "Hold your horses there fly boy, you haven't even started the basic training for it yet, and there's only one place where you'll be able to do it."
"What do you mean wh-" Esser cut himself short as it sank in "Oh no, not there. Anywhere else but there."
"Afraid so Major." Rodimus replied, a small part of his programming already looking forward to try and restore the man's faith in the good intentions of Autobots towards humanity "Pack what you think you'll need, because for the foreseeable future your home is going to be none other than Autobot City."
