Issues

Darklight8121

Disclaimer: Really? Mine Ohhhhhh thank you!!!!! Wha...? whatdaya mean it's joke! Asshole. Not mine.

A.N. Anybody ever have 'writers block?' I know I get it! Well I have a wonderful little work sheet made up by antepathy (who's job it is to put up with whiny little college kids, that I once was.) It helps. Really. Please review and let me know where I screwed up at!

Blech.

This day could not get any worse. He had been up until two a.m. this morning studying his freaking European History exam. Only to Rise and Fracking Shine at a happy 5:45 in the bloody morn. Just so he could run around the base fifty freaking times and heave his breakfast up through his nose and then after the obligatory clean up he had to head BACK to the computer lab to take the frackin' history test for four hours!

Again, blech.

Seriously, if he had to be part of the P.E. why couldn't he have had an elective? Like… belly dancing? Or racket ball? Volleyball? But noooooo… the military had to step in and assure his class advisors that they would handle his 'Physical Training.' Freaking yay. Why couldn't they just let him do it via computer too? Please?

Grumbling, Sam headed towards his billet to change shirts and get a few books. He debated on what he would read to Mikaela today. She had been unconscious for two weeks now and research showed that coma patients tended to recuperate better when they had a stimulus going. He had already read her Bare Bones by some southern doctor chick and had finished Shadowfall by James Clemens. His reading material was at best eclectic and weird but she loved him so was probably putting up with his weird choices in books just to make him happy.

When he had been told she was alive, he had barely believed it. It wasn't until Bumblebee came for him and using the radio told Sam himself through the window. It had taken way to long to get discharged from the Psych. Ward of the hospital and had climbed out of said window and inched along the outer wall till 'Bee saw him and started buzzing and squawking at him in anger.

Ehhhh… what was a fall from four stories up when he had been shot and killed by Megatron and chased by the selfsame megalomaniac... what? Twice now?

'Bee had pulled him down and lectured him in a variety of voices that left the young man feeling both chastised and amused. Then the yellow bot had transformed and taken Sam around to the other side of the hospital to see his fiancé.

Forget favorite family members, 'Bee was just cool about the best stuff.

After being apprehended by security, watching Bumblebee get all-protective, Ironhide get loud and Optimus flustered; Sam had finally gotten in to see his girl. She had looked perfect. And apparently, that was the problem. The explosion had burned her severely; there was no question about that. She also was trapped in a pressure chamber for a couple of days that just happened to also contain a Spark that should have killed her instantaneously.

Instead, she was healthy, clean and surprisingly alive. Some things Sam had just learned to accept and go with it. Hard not to do when your freaking world turned on its ear since they were sixteen.

Accept it, go on, and be thankful for every day you had with your loved ones.

Once he arrived at the hospital, Sam passed the info desk with a wave. They knew him by now. He had been coming every day since she was allowed visitors. He headed towards the elevators but before he got there a shout caught his attention.

"Hey! Mr. Witwicky! Sam! "

Turning he saw another one of the help desk people trotting towards him. The black woman came up to the young man with an apologetic look.

"They didn't tell you, did they son?"

Immediately, he was on alert. "Tell me?! What? Tell me what?!"

"Calm down, calm down." the woman patted the air in a placating gesture. "It ain't nothing to worry about. They just transferred your lady out this morning. You'll have to speak with her doctor if you want more information."

"Transferred? Transferred where? Why?" before Sam could work himself up into a frenzy the woman patted the air again and shushed him.

"I have no idea. I saw you coming in the door and checked her availability for you in case a doctor was in there or she was out for tests. The computer just stated she had been transferred off the island around seven this morning."

Diego Garcia had the latest in technology and every patient had an availability schedule up for visitors unless it was one of the critical care patients. It was, according to Ron Witwicky, crazy that you had to 'have a freaking schedule just to piss.' While it wasn't that bad, it was rather creepy how things ran in the hospital.

Pressing his lips into a thin line Sam spun on his heels and headed towards the elevator. He was going to get answers.

Wheeljack onlined to the strangest sense of connection and sensation of movement. When his optics booted up he realized that he was lying on a berth in the…

Wham!!!

Yup. It was the medbay. He'd know that wrench to the head anywhere. He automatically cancelled his audio's reboot. His processor hurt enough he didn't need Ratchet's yelling to make it worse.

After cringing and wincing away at the appropriate times, he gauged the medic's temper visually. By the amount of time the other' bot was waving his wrench about Wheeljack knew he had screwed up royally. He dimmed his optics trying to access his last memories and encountered a firewall.

Ratchet's work.

Glancing up at the medic he saw that the yellow 'bot had crossed his arms and was watching him carefully. With a sheepish chuckle, he rebooted his audios and attempted to smile innocently.

"Of all of the things you have done Wheeljack, this incident has rather simply been your worst mistake ever. Prime is busy trying to ensure you won't be exiled from Earth or deactivated for murder." His tone of voice was void of all emotion.

The inventor stared in shock. Silence reigned in the medbay for a few clicks.

"Mur- murder? Exile? Ratch… what did I do? Ratch, you gotta tell me. At least let me see my own memories."

The medic's optics dimmed, communicating with someone, possibly Prime, about something. It took a surprisingly long time. While waiting Wheeljack became aware of the sensation of movement once more. As well as a sense of connection and loss.

Reaching up with a hand, he rubbed at his armor over his Spark chamber. He felt like a major part of him was gone yet all diagnostics showed he was whole. What was…?

"All right 'Jack. I just got the go ahead from Prime. Here we go. I'll be piggy backing along to ensure everything is alright." It was unsaid that the medic could subdue the inventor easily if they were already connected. That meant the memories were bad. Hands reaching up towards his medical ports in his neck, Wheeljack shut off his optics in preparation of viewing the memories.

Seconds later he onlined his optics in stunned shock and his ventilation expelled all air from his systems. Ratchet was already shutting his power down to standby. His only word was lost to the sounds of system shut down.

"How?" was Prime's only thought. His own processors were running full time trying to understand the situation.

Ratchet vented softly and lifted his hands in an 'I don't know' gesture. One he had picked up from the humans.

"I cannot tell you precisely what happened or really how it happened. I have a theory but nothing concrete. Wheeljack would be the best candidate to explain something like this but…" Optimus Prime nodded to the medic. Acknowledging the inventors expertise as well as noting his inability to add his input.

A flick of the Prime's hands encouraged the medic to continue.

"I'll start with the known facts. Wheeljack was becoming attached to the femme. What was left of his circuitry reveals that his Guardian programming was coming online in the time preceding the accident. Since she was the default ward of Bumblebee and you had not assigned him the task of guardianship the programs were only 28 percent active."

Prime settled back for a click, reviewing the interactions from months prior that he himself had had with both Mikaela and Wheeljack. Indeed, Wheeljack had begun displaying guardian tendencies. Ratchet shifted slightly catching Optimus's attention once more.

"According to Wheeljack's memories they did not go to his lab immediately after their training run on the course. They had gone driving to talk about personal matters regarding Mikaela's bonding ceremony. Shortly before 0900, they entered Wheeljack's hangar, upon exiting the interior of his alt. mode Mikaela noted the strong odor of rotten eggs. Wheeljack had not returned to his lab after his confrontation with Mikaela and had no prior notice of the smell. Believing the source of the odor to be spilled chemicals Wheeljack did not start an atmospheric analysis."

Ratchet frowned at this but continued. "For several minutes they spoke of the project they wished to work on before Mikaela complained of a headache and took an over the counter medicine. During this time, Wheeljack readied and lit his plasma torch. As you have already noted the smell of rotten eggs is a key signal for a gas leak in human homes. That precaution is here on the base as well. The heat and 'flame', as it were, from the torch ignited the gas into a silent flash explosion. Mikaela was caught in the flash. During the time between the flash explosion and the primary explosion, Wheeljack sent his message and began his memory and personality backup as well as seeking to protect the human femme. All examination of his logic relays reveal that his last decision was to allow the femme to die quickly rather than to roast her alive in his hands. Conversely, his emotion/guardian programs were running survival possibilities for the girl. It is unclear what their outcome was due to the extent of the damage."

Optimus Prime sat back on the crate he had confiscated as a chair of sorts, questions already plaguing his processor. Nodding again towards his friend to encourage him to continue.

Ratchet vented once more and pinched the bridge of his nasal ridges. He had an impression that this would not go down well at all. Looking up once more at his Prime, he nodded signaling his readiness.

"All Cybertronian have nanites. When a protoform comes online, they are a blank shell without nanites. As basic personality codes are uploaded into the processor from the spark, blank nanites are introduced into the Spark chamber for activation. When the nanites activate inside the protoform's Spark chamber, they imprint with their owners spark signal. They are only capable of working with the bot that they have imprinted upon."

Prime nodded his understanding. This was common knowledge to most Cybertronians but if Ratchet felt the need to reiterate this fact, he was by far the last to argue with him.

"Nanites do not have a finite number. As a bot ages and as injuries occur nanites are destroyed or sacrificed. To compensate for that nanites are capable of scavenging parts to create new nanites that imprint upon the spark energy from the bot. Sometimes nanites have been known to scavenge alien metals and parts to create new nanites. These alien elements are reconfigured to match our Cybertonian elements. Thus creating hybrid technology within our own bodies."

Prime blinked. Truly? Nanites were…evolving? That opened up a flood of questions that demanded answers. Shaking his head to clear the strange thoughts from his processor. Ratchet had halted his explanation, expecting Optimus's reaction. Seeing the massive bot focus on him again, he continued.

"Every Cybertronian is capable of basic communication with their nanites through maintenance requests, HUD alerts and re-routing orders. Some Cybertronians are capable of higher communication. Wheeljack is one such bot. He is capable of directly accessing his nanites and directing their movements with complex orders. They in turn are capable of asking questions as to what he wants or what they should do. Similar to using his internal comm. I believe Wheeljack realized the amount of danger he was in and ordered his nanites into his Spark chamber to protect his spark."

The medic vented heavily. "That is all I have in facts or scientific deductions. Everything I tell you from here on out will be pure guess work, sir."

"Go on ahead Ratchet. In this instance, your guesswork is all we have. I trust your judgment, you know this." Optimus replied simply.

"I mentioned earlier that Wheeljack was running survival tactics in his emotions/guardian program. I believe he concluded that he could store Mikaela safely in his Spark chamber as long as he ordered his nanites to protect her and to ensure her continued health. Once Mikaela was safely inside the chamber, his nanites swarmed her. Having previous access to human physiology, his nanites noted her injured state attempted to repair her damage. They were unable to due to the fact that she did not carry his spark signal."

The medic twitched uncomfortably. This is where things became truly vague.

"It is my belief that once cut off from Wheeljack's consciousness his nanites acted on his previous orders. To ensure her safety and health. The nanites simply remained in her body but exposed her to Wheeljack's spark radiation. Her body was too weakened by the injuries she sustained and was unable to resist. With her body flooded with his spark radiation the nanites were able to do repairs on her body by changing into something partially organic. Once their repairs were complete, they formed a protective gel sack to keep her safe. Wheeljack, while not conscious as we know it, was still aware; accepted the consciousness of the femme into his spark. This is what I believe happened due to what little facts I have present."

Silence reigned in the Autobot hanger. Though the entire conversation had occurred in their native language, the humans moving around were painfully aware of the tense silence from Optimus Prime. Ratchet was just glad the other Autobots had been ordered out of the hangar and told not to return until otherwise noted.

"Ratchet, are you saying that Wheeljack made the decision to Spark Bond with Mikaela? A human?" came the incredulous question from the massive red and blue bot.

Before Ratchet could reply, the sound of squealing tires echoed through the hangar as Bumblebee raced towards them. Coming to an abrupt halt the door to the Camaro flew open, revealing a furious Sam. The scout transformed with great haste as well.

"Optimus! Ratchet! She's gone and no one can tell me where they took her! They took her and didn't tell anybody! Unless you knew! Did you know? I can't believe they took her!"

"Sam! Sam, calm down. Took whom? Who is gone?" Ratchet started. He began running scans on the younger man, noting his elevated heart rate and blood pressure as well as his autonomic systems that dictated his fight or flight reactions. Something had the young man extremely upset.

Optimus stood then knelt close to the shaking man. "Sam, please calm down and tell us what has happened."

"Mikaela. She's gone. She's not in the hospital or anywhere on base. No one is telling me anything and you're telling me you didn't know about it?"

Looking up at his scout for further information Bumblebee warbled an upset sound. : I looked into the human logs. She was checked out of her room at 0645 this morning sir. Then at 0800 hours, she was listed as a transfer in the systems. A check of base aerial traffic shows that there are only incoming planes for the rest of the day, the only out bound flight was at 0730 and it was a transport for Liaison Galloway and other governmental officials. However, it did have medical transport capabilities.:

:What! I never received a notice about a transfer!: Ratchet screeched over the link. The yellow bot stepped back and began reviewing his incoming mail.

:It wasn't on the medical computer system. It was located in the general information logs.: Bumblebee replied.

: They sought to keep us from finding out about it before they moved her. I don't like this. Bumblebee, remain with Sam. Ratchet see what you can do to find out where they transported her. I will speak to Lennox.: Optimus replied curtly. Leaning down towards Sam once more Optimus promised the young man that they would do all that they could to find Mikaela.

"Really? Like you promised Lennox that you'd do everything you could to help him out? Yeah, ok. I need to go talk to Mikaela's dad. He's gonna freak when he hears this." Shaking his head Sam turned from Optimus and headed towards the exit. Stunned Prime remained where he had knelt.

Glancing up at Bumblebee, the younger bot held his eyes for a moment before looking away in guilt. Another look over his shoulder revealed Ratchet's hard look before he turned towards his medbay.

Optimus Prime vented softly. Sometimes he wondered just what these people expected of him. Running his hand down his facial plates, he heaved another ventilation. So much to do so…

Mikaela was missing. Mikaela was bonded to Wheeljack. Wheeljack more than likely knew now. Sweet Primus, this day was going to get worse.