Hello! Finally back with more. I've written far enough into the future of this story that I can feel comfortable posting this as a consistant and stable chapter, if that makes sense. Sorry for the wait, but there's never been a real schedule.

On we go!

Ratchet moved forward, stepping fully into the room and allowing the door to slide shut behind him. Nora was hesitant at first, the proximity of the large being not exactly comfortable but the cell added some peace of mind as he crouched before it, looking at her from between the bars.

"First off, your name. You have said your name is Nora Kennedy, is this correct?" He asked her.

"Yes," she replied, moving backward onto the bed and leaning back against the wall. Sitting was probably the best option at that point.

"However, I could not find an identity matching your description in the human databases. Is Nora Kennedy your full name?" He asked then. Nora felt flustered suddenly, hoping he had not taken the use of her nickname as a reason for suspicion. She clarified quickly.

"No, my full name is Eleonora Wright Kennedy," she said. "I just go by Nora. Nobody calls me Eleonora. I forget sometimes that it's my full name," she babbled frantically, cringing at herself. But Ratchet just nodded, as if he already knew.

"Yes, this name came up when I ran facial recognition. I only needed to clarify," he told her. Nora knew she'd be pissed if she wasn't so relieved. He'd already known her name. "Now then, how old are you?"

"Nineteen." She wondered why he bothered asking if he had all of her information already, but didn't question him. He nodded in acknowledgement once more.

"I would like to ask you about this mini-con now, the one you found when you got caught in our ship's tractor beam," the mech said, gesturing to the smaller bot. As Nora looked at it, it moved its gaze from Ratchet to her as well, letting out a small sound when it noticed the eye contact.

She wasn't entirely sure what a 'tractor beam' was, but she guessed he was talking about the invisible force that pulled her up.

"Mini-con. Okay. It...he? Fell from the sky," she said a bit awkwardly, not wanting to offend anyone with objectification.

"Mini-cons are neither mech nor femme, as they do not populate the way my or your species do, by the joining of a couple. However, many will take on more...effeminate or masculine characteristics or forms, which often genders them in the eyes of others. Although many also remain ungendered," Ratchet explained, not missing her slip-up. "In Cybertronian, our language, we have ways of referring to beings who are genderless. But since English does not, it may be best to give the mini-con a definitive pronoun."

She was surprised he'd caught onto her confusion so quickly. Pretty keen for an alien, Nora thought, and she wondered if they had encountered humans before to have such savvy social skills. A question she would have to ask later.

"Seems like a he to me," she commented with a glance at the small bot, and the mini-con's eyes brightened at the attention. Ratchet hummed as he observed it as well, nodding his helm.

"It leads me to wonder what his purpose is, then," Ratchet said, his gaze moving from the mini-con back to Nora. "Normally it would be apparent. So tell me, when you found the mini-con storage pod, did you awaken it? And if so, how?" He asked.

Nora blinked at him in confusion, looking between the small bot and Ratchet. "Awaken him? I - no. I mean, maybe? Was the storage pod shaped like this?" Nora asked, drawing a pentagon in the air with her hands. Ratchet nodded.

"When it is touched by a Cybertronian, the mini-con inside will activate and bond with the one who has it in his or her possession," Ratchet went on. "So I suppose I should ask this way; Did you touch the mini-con before it left its pod?" He asked, his voice becoming serious.

Nora suddenly felt nervous, like a child who was caught writing on the wall. What do I do? Should I lie? He said they wouldn't hurt me, but what does it mean if I'm the one who woke up the damned robot?!

Her mind was spinning in turmoil and she swallowed, debating on what the tell the giant alien who could crush her with his foot. How was she supposed to know not to touch it?

"...Is it bad if I did? I mean, doesn't it only respond to - to your kind?" She asked tentatively. He seemed to sigh, shifting a bit and she fidgeted.

"Well, to my knowledge, nothing like this has ever happened before," he told her. "There has never been a known instance where the mini-cons have encountered a sapient species other than Cybertronians. There would have been no way to tell if they are only compatible bonding with our kind," Ratchet finished. "It would be the easiest explanation from what I've seen, however. Especially with how he is so attentive to you."

Nora's train of thought halted as she took in his implications.

"...Wait, attentive? How does - no, I mean, what does that even mean? If I'm the one who woke him up, does that mean he's gonna follow me around or something...?" She asked, not even sure what her question really was at that point. "I'm definitely not bonded to him. I mean, he's - he's a - " she started, trying to find a word that wasn't robot. " - an alien, so..."

Ratchet shook his head, seeming to sigh again. Nora cringed.

"Unimportant. No, according to him, you are his partner," Ratchet insisted. "Your opinion is of no matter and, it would seem, your species as well. I strongly believe that he has bonded to you."

Nora glanced back at the mini-con, eyes wide. He chirped at her, lifting a metal arm to grip at the bars again and tilting his head at the acknowledgement.

Ohhh no, no way no way. Nora wanted to laugh, running a hand down over her face as she fought her own anxiety. An uncomfortable feeling was digging a hole in her stomach. I'm too freaked to even go near any of them, much less have one actively trying to follow me.

"I just touched it," she argued, looking away from the mini-con. "That's all. I didn't shake it or move it, I just put my hand on it."

"It is enough when we do it - just a bit of contact is enough for one to be brought online, although I'll admit that for us it does involve a bit more...intention. Of course, it doesn't always work, even for our kind. In the past, mini-cons have been known to not activate for Cybertronians they cannot assist. And considering that your body and brain are organic, I wouldn't have thought it possible for a mini-con to be activated by something… someone without an electronic signature like we possess, someone unable to convey their 'intention' to the mini-con. To begin with, their scanners aren't compatible with human anatomy, rendering them unable to detect the capabilities of a potential partner in humans anyway," Ratchet told her. But then his gaze became contemplative, shifting to stare at her form below him as he continued.

"But regardless of all that I know of their species… only the facts remain here. And it would seem that this one, somehow, believed he had something to offer you."

Nora let the comment hang in the air, and although Ratchet was still watching her, it didn't feel like he was really speaking to her. But his expression, to her relief, was more contemplative than critical, and she tried to relax under the stare. Clearing her throat, she attempted to push past the silence, feeling that it was her turn to say something.

"Well… I mean, like you said, I'm human. I can't really do anything with it-him, even if he did decide to wake up for me," she said. "So then, can't you like, put him back to sleep and let someone else wake him up again, or…?" she inquired, her mind going back to the frightening black robot - er, mech - who had initially caught her. He had been asking her about the mini-con, although at the time she hadn't known what he meant.

"Why don't you just tell me if you touched my mini-con?"

Nora shuddered, remembering the demand she had had no hope of answering. Would that one be angry and come kill her when Ratchet left?

"Primus, Ironhide wishes we could," Ratchet said, and Nora flinched as his comment coincided with the question she'd posed in her thoughts. He let out a sound Nora thought might be a chuckle. "Originally, this mini-con was supposed to be his," he admitted, but perhaps seeing Nora's discomfort he added, "He'll get over it, though. If Ironhide's name is any indicator, the threats he throws are only 'skin-deep' as you humans say. Inside, his hardware is actually pretty soft - I know, I do his check-ups - though don't tell him I said so."

Nora wasn't seeming the humor, but Ratchet appeared content to enjoy his own joke for a few moments more before moving to stand.

"If you're up to it, our leader would like a word with you now that you've calmed a bit. I will remain as well, if only to reassure you. How do you feel?" He asked, and she visibly swallowed.

Definitely not reassured, she thought sarcastically, but kept it to herself. This was no place or time for smart remarks.

"You spoke with him briefly already," Ratchet reminded her gently then. "He just wishes to meet you more formally this time."

"And I am not the only one," another deep voice suddenly interrupted, and Nora's eyes spotted the new bot immediately. He stood leaner and taller than Ratchet, she could tell, even though she was peering around Ratchet to see him standing in the entranceway.

"Sir," Ratchet acknowledged respectfully, standing from his crouched position so the new mech and the girl could clearly see one another.

"Eleonora Kennedy," he said, his deep voice resonating throughout the space. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Optimus Prime," he told her, and paused. Nora blinked, realizing he was waiting before frantically trying to find something to say that didn't sound stupid. Her mind was blank as she stared at him, and she ended up deciding on a safe 'hello' that was quiet enough for her to rest assured that her voice wouldn't break.

"Tell me, what has brought you aboard our ship?" he asked then, getting straight to the point. Nora vaguely wondered if she'd have to go through it all again with the leader.

"I got pulled up with him," Nora said simply, nodding at the mini-con. The mini-con was looking at the leader with interest.

"I see," the large bot tilted his head. "So you had no other motivation to be in that position than your own curiosity?"

"Yes, I-I mean no," she stammered. "I mean, yes, I just wanted to see what had fallen from the sky. That's it," she pressed again, feeling like she was in the hot seat for reals now. But the leader only nodded and continued from there.

"Then, when our transport beam pulled you up, were you alone? Did you have anyone near you who may have witnessed the incident?" He asked. There was a pause then as Nora opened her mouth, then closed it in consideration. It was a loaded question.

If I lie and say there was, she thought, would it change my circumstances at all? Could I use it to my advantage to say that someone had seen?

But she already knew the answer was no. If anything, she'd have to tell them who - and then what would she say? Would they abduct the blissfully unsuspecting person she accused? Her grandma? No, she couldn't do that.

But still, it went against whatever small survival instinct she had to tell a bunch of aliens-in-hiding that she had no witnesses to her abduction. She'd basically be telling them 'do what you want cuz nobody knows I'm here'.

But I think Ratchet is monitoring me for signs of dishonesty, she remembered with a shudder. Nora swallowed, preparing to speak.

"...I'm not sure," she said finally, deciding on using the indefinite to her advantage. "I guess someone could have seen what happened. It was all out in the open after all," she told them. Ratchet narrowed his optics at her in analysis (or perhaps suspicion? Nora couldn't tell), but when the leader's optics dimmed slightly, Ratchet shifted his focus to him.

"What is it sir?" He asked when Optimus's optics lit back up. Optimus looked over at Nora.

"It was Prowl," he told Ratchet in Cybertronian, and then switched to English as he addressed Nora. "Your town has reported our activities as a 'freak storm', blaming the displaced earth on a tornado. Your disappearance has also been reported but it seems they are not sure if the 'tornado' was involved. Your grandmother claimed you left with her dog but did not return when it did. Is this the case?"

So Adonis abandoned me and made it all the way back home, huh? she thought with a sigh.

"Yes, it is," she admitted. "And my grandma is probably really worried about me. I need to get back to her," Nora couldn't help but add. "I swear, I won't tell anyone about you guys. You've all been, uh - really nice, and uh - I don't think you're bad, so I won't say anything. I just want to go home now, please," she continued, remembering her manners. But their mistrust was stronger, and his answer was immediate.

"I apologize but I cannot allow it. Not until we complete our mission here," the leader said, not budging. Nora sulked. "I am sorry. We had hoped to not involve any humans in our mission on this planet," he continued then.

I certainly didn't want to be involved either, Nora thought dismally and resisted the urge to scoff. She was distracted when Optimus continued.

"But it would seem that this time, it was our fault you have found yourself in this position. Ratchet?" He addressed the medical bot.

Ratchet spoke up then. "There are no evident signs of dishonesty. The girl's cellular device and records provide a strong case for her innocence as well. Even without that, she is 19 years old - the likelihood of of any organization giving a mission like this to an agent so young would be extremely low. Her small and untrained physical build is further evidence to support this," Ratchet mused aloud.

My phone, he has it! Nora realized, perking up.

Optimus nodded to Ratchet and his optics moved back to Nora then.

"It seems that we can clear you of suspicion in that regard then, young one. However, it does not change the fact that you will remain here. We cannot risk exposure by any indiscretion on your part," he explained without apology. There was a blunt finality in his words that left no room for argument (even if she did stand a chance in asserting her will against giant robotic aliens).

"What of the mini-con, Prime?" Ratchet asked, changing the subject. "Ironhide will wish to know if it truly did bond with the girl," he explained.

Optimus regarded him seriously for a moment, then turned his gaze to the mini-con which had been standing quietly and patiently off to the side, still holding the bars to Nora's cell.

"I suppose the only way to know for certain is to allow contact between them," the leader responded, reaching for the barred door of her confinement space.

The mini-con trilled in excitement at this action, metal feet tapping on the hard floor as he approached the door.

"Wait," Nora interjected, her voice coming out in protest despite herself. The turn of events had come so quickly, she hadn't had time to prepare.

"Not to worry, femme," Ratchet tried to soothe. "He won't harm you. We just need to see how he responds to you."

But Nora had already decided she would rather not explore that option.

Her eyes moved to the little robot in alarm as he slipped inside, and his curious, wide optics did not leave her as he approached without hesitation.

Calling him 'little' was an accurate description only when comparing his size with that of the other aliens. Unfortunately for Nora, the same description would not apply if he stood next to her; the mini-con was easily six feet tall, and along with being somewhat stocky, made an intimidating figure as it approached her slight 5"4 human form quickly and purposefully.

Nora had stood from her position on the bed and moved down to stand on one side. When the mini-con approached her excitedly she climbed to the other side, her nervousness overruling Ratchet's reassurance. The bed between them, he tilted his head in confusion but soon began climbing over himself.

Nora backed up, but the speed at which he came at her did not decrease. If the mini-con had been more cautious or deliberate, perhaps she wouldn't have felt so apprehensive. But she was beginning to feel like a threatened animal in a cage. And when he lifted an arm to reach out to her, she had enough.

"Stop!" she screeched, lifting both hands in front of her to try and get the robot to halt.

To her surprise, the mini-con did stop. But his arm did not lower as he shuttered his optics at her in bewilderment.

Still keeping her own hands up, Nora spoke again.

"I-I don't know what you want," she told it.

The mini-con took another step toward her, but paused again at her quick exclamation.

"Don't-!" she yelped. "Don't come near me," she told him nervously. But he didn't seem especially put-out as he tilted his head to one side. Nora turned her eyes up to the Autobots for help.

"What does he want?" she demanded.

"Only he knows for sure," Ratchet told her. "There is no easy way to know how a mini-con can respond to a human. It will be quickest if we just let him show us. However, I am sure it couldn't be anything harmful to you, I should think. Mini-cons exist to assist their partner, which he seems to recognize as you.

"Yes yes, I know that. But I don't know what that means, and honestly it all sounds insane," Nora blurted, fear driving her tact out the window. "I am not a robot," she continued, ignoring her slip-up at the term. "I'm human. What if he hurts me? You said they don't bond with humans. What if they shouldn't?" She asked, keeping her eyes trained on the mini-con. It didn't seem to understand her plight.

Optimus regarded the query with seriousness, uncrossing his arms. "What do you think, Ratchet?" he asked the medical officer. Ratchet's optics shifted between the mini-con and the human in deep thought. Then, he vented in frustration.

"As I said, I would not think a mini-con would be capable of causing their partner any harm, Cybertronian or other. But… I also wouldn't have thought a mini-con could bond with a human," he conceded. "The girl has a point. It isn't like we have proof of this. Perhaps we let our curiosity get the better of us when we decided to put them together in order to discern the mini-con's function," he admitted with some force.

Opening the door again, Optimus lowered his servo at the entrance and called to the mini-con. The little bot looked over in alarm, and Nora thought she could pick out the feeling of anxiety as it crossed its features. It seemed to have realized what was happening. The mini-con shook its head in denial, and to Nora's alarm, turned back to her and came at her with more persistence this time, its servo reaching for her once more.

Nora's fight or flight instinct took over and immediately she bolted, taking off toward the cell door.

"Mini-con!" Optimus called again with urgency this time, and she heard Ratchet's voice join in with his.

The mini-con had come after her, confused by her actions and running to catch up with the one he identified as his partner. Hearing its footfalls behind her, Nora sped up, shooting through the door and in between the Autobots' legs as she made for the room beyond.

The mini-con was close on her heels as she shot out, but was quickly scooped up by the Prime.

"Gotcha," he said, holding the little bot in his hand. It trilled and chirped and pushed at his fingers, looking down at Nora as it did so. Nora slowed to a halt, gasping for air and turning to look back.

"What the hell…" she breathed, hands on her elbows as she looked up at it.

"Calm down, little one. You can come visit again - but we must make sure your purpose isn't inadvertently harmful to the human. You wouldn't want that, correct?" Ratchet spoke to the little bot, but it did not appear to be listening as it continued to struggle.

"I don't want to know what his function is. I just wanna go home," Nora interjected, making her demand more forcefully this time as adrenaline shot through her veins.

However, she was immediately reminded of her position when both the bots' gazes turned down on her. It occurred to her then that she was outside the safety of her cell, at the feet of two very large aliens.

Oh.

Looking toward her cell, Nora sidled toward it nervously. But the Autobots had turned their attention toward each other already and seemed to be speaking seriously in their own language.

"What do we do, Prime? If the human doesn't wish to interact with the mini-con at all, then…" They glanced briefly at the mini-con, who was peering down at Nora with an anxious expression. "What will happen to it? I cannot recall a time where a mini-con was abandoned willingly."

"Except by offlining," the Prime commented. "Perhaps our decision to put them together was premature. Is there a chance the mini-con will reset if it believes the girl is leaving purposefully?" He asked.

"More than likely the mini-con will continue seeking her out," Ratchet responded, shaking his helm.

"I would not wish to put a mini-con's intelligence in question, but surely it is able to understand her intentions. It is sensitive enough to know what has happened now," the leader argued.

"I am not saying the mini-con will not understand. I am saying it will not care. Even if I could not see how this particular mini-con responds to the humans rejection," he nodded to the little bot, who was squirming and watching Nora scurry into her cell, "Mini-cons in general have been known to be somewhat single-minded where their partners are concerned. The fact that this mini-con seems to have a stubborn and forthright personality does not help."

Optimus sighed. "Would have been an appropriate partner for Ironhide," he commented. Ratchet snorted, nodding in agreement. "Regardless, it poses another problem. Whether or not she accepts or rejects him, the girl will return home when our mission is complete. The mini-con will perhaps wish to follow, and even if she did wish for it, it cannot be allowed either way. We would be sending the mini-con to a cruel fate at the hands of humans," Optimus said, lowering the mini-con to the ground after the human had shut herself into the cell again. It quickly went back to the door, whining dismally. Ratchet nodded at the leader, then brought his brow plates together in thought.

"Not to mention the one it sees as its partner will not even live a fraction of its natural lifespan. It would likely reset itself once more in less than a vorn when the girl dies, and we would not be around to collect it. Or if we take the mini-con from her, it's possible the mini-con will continue seeking her out long after she is offlined. After all, the mini-con has no mental connection to her; it cannot know if she is dead," Ratchet added.

The two stood still at this realization settled in.

"...Well," Ratchet began again finally, giving the leader a serious expression before continuing. "we could choose the easy way," he started, his optics darkening to a deep blue. "We could offline the girl, hasten the process of the mini-con's reset-protocols," Optimus looked at him as though he'd suddenly gone mad, but Ratchet continued. "Or else, there is always the rather cruel option, and that is to not allow the human to return. We lie to her, we collect the rest of the mini-cons, and we leave this planet with her and the mini-con in tow. We do not have time to keep an eye on a mini-con who is constantly trying to escape from us. And after all, what is a vorn in our lifespan?" He said. "Nobody would ever know what happened to one human teenager."

Optimus gave the medic a hard look, but did not reject his proposals outright. There were times when he almost forgot the kind of work Ratchet did - the history he had of making hard calls, of seeing bots (and also humans) die in his care and living with it, accepting it as the war raged on through thousands of vorns. Ratchet was good at his work, was good at making his patients comfortable with him. One could see it just from watching him and the wary human converse. He could speak gently and kindly and provide reassurance - and even lie to them.

As Optimus looked at Ratchet, he was reminded again that one did not live this long through a war by being gentle or kind. Ratchet could be extremely cut-throat, no matter how much he sympathized with his patients.

Optimus glanced again at the girl. She was perched on the berth, watching the mini-con with a furrowed brow as it chirped and called to her through the bars.

Time and time again, I fall into the same trap, the leader thought. But I cannot allow my soldiers to make the hard calls for me. The girl suddenly met his gaze and he looked away quickly.

Venting a long sigh, Optimus addressed Ratchet.

"We are not Decepticons. It is not important that the mini-con is partnered with an Autobot, I suppose. As long as it is not a slave to the Decepticons, I can accept it," he stated. "At least for now."

"Prime, the Decepticons are regrouping. There will come a time in the future, perhaps not even so far from now, where we will need all the help we can get. If the mini-con is still searching for the girl at that time, it will be vulnerable, easy pickings for the cons without protection from our forces," Ratchet countered.

"I see your reasoning - I do feel that it may be difficult to bring her with us. How long could one human live away from its kind? Or rather, how long can one human last in a Cybertronian war ship as we travel space?" Optimus thought aloud. Ratchet nodded.

"We have human life support systems on board, which should still be usable. But it is something to consider - the ship could not lose pressurization even for a moment, it must be kept between certain temperatures, and it must have breathable circulating inside of it at all times. It would only take one battle while we're in space to offline her if even one environmental factor changes too much. It may be more merciful to dismiss her sooner rather than later, if we're even considering that option." Optimus gave his friend a dark look.

"...Ratchet, just what solution are you trying to convince me of?" He asked the medic. Ratchet looked back at him and his expression became pained.

"Prime, I am saying there may not be a solution here that ends well for everyone. We have already forsaken the humans to fight their own battles without our help. Do we sentence this mini-con to vorns of confusion over one of them? Could we not, just this once, focus on our own war rather than sacrificing to protect those who aren't involved?"

There was a long moment where Optimus just looked at Ratchet, wondering if the pain of this endless war had finally beaten down the principles they had once enforced together. There were times where he wondered if he should abandon them himself.

Optimus clenched his fists.

"For now, look into the mini-con's bond with the girl. We will begin preparing for the next drop while you focus on that. Let us see how the situation plays out before we make a decision," Optimus said, then added, "Until we see that there is no other option, my word to her still stands."

Ratchet nodded, relenting as the Prime made his decision. He watched him go without moving for a moment. Ratchet had always marveled at Optimus's seemingly endless well of compassion. But this time…

I can only hope there are no unforeseen consequences of this inaction, Ratchet thought, sparing the girl one final glance before scooping up the mini-con and leaving.

So, there's chapter four.

Ah, a tidbit about Nora's full name - I was still considering whether or not I wanted to name her Nora, and I thought, "But isn't that supposed to be short for something...?" So I looked it up and found several names that Nora is short for, historically...

The first one that caught my attention was "Alianora" which immediately settled my decision. It was so close to "Alien" I couldn't help but find it a little funny. Still, I didn't want it to be too cliche or obvious so I ended up going with a different but similar name on the list, which was Eleonora. I thought it was a more subtle rub on the "alien-abduction" theme than Alianora would have been. The name Adonis as well, while being associated more with mythology, can also be seen astrologically. It's not all that important at the end of the day but eh, I had fun with it.

As always, thanks for reading! To you all out there, I hope your days have been good, and that your school or work or whatever else occupies your time is fulfilling to you.

-PK