Sanctuary TFP/RB

Chapter 3

Arcee brought the motherboard closer to her face, squinting to take in all its miniscule components.

"No, no, I checked that one already!" Ratchet took it from her hand. "I already told you, these are the ones that haven't been checked yet!" He gestured impatiently towards one of his many piles.

Arcee growled under her breath. "Well, maybe it would help if you didn't have so many piles right next to each other!" She snapped back, struggling with everything she had to maintain some semblance of patience.

She knew Ratchet was doing the same. The CMO had been working nonstop since Jack's call, and practically snarled at anyone who dared to suggest he take a break. She was lucky he had even allowed her to help. A little.

He glared at her. "What, you want me to spread them out all over the base?" He picked up a motherboard and thrust it at her. "For Primus's sake, just find any damage, and put it here so I can get to it!" He pointed sharply to another pile. "If it doesn't have any, just set it aside. Don't make this harder than it already is, please."

He turned his back on her and looked into his microscope again, at the board he was currently repairing.

Arcee sighed and looked over her own board, searching the tiny nodes for anything fried or shorted out.

"Arcee?" Arcee started and looked up as Optimus approached. "Have they contacted us?" She asked, scrambling to her feet a little too eagerly.
"No. But I believe it is now safe to attempt to contact them."
Arcee looked around at the mostly empty base. By 'safe', Optimus meant that Jack's frantic mother, the kids and Bulkhead, the one Autobot who still hadn't been let in on the secret, were all out and busy.

She left the medbay and followed him as he walked over to the largest screen, stepping gingerly over all the removed panels on the floor. She found herself hanging back. Did she really want to see them? Yes, she told herself firmly. She had to know for sure that Jack was out of danger.

Optimus gave her a final glance before tapping into the comm system. "An alert will soon be sent to the Sigma. I expect it will not take them long to respond."

"Can we really expect them to be able to protect Jack?" Arcee asked quietly. Optimus turned to face her. "Their anonymity gives them protection, Arcee. But regardless, I do not expect the Decepticons will continue to search for Jack. As long as they do not learn of the Rescue Team, he will be safe with them."
Arcee sighed miserably. "I hope you're right."

Optimus turned back to the screen as four unfamiliar faces appeared. Arcee felt her optics narrow slightly. These were the bots Optimus had entrusted Jack's safety to? They were definitely not warriors. They looked too...soft.

"Optimus?" The red bot in the middle greeted the Prime. He must have been their leader, Arcee reasoned.
"Heatwave. Thank you for your quick response."
"Of course, sir. Can we assume you're calling about the kid? Jack, is it?"

Arcee felt her spark give an irregular pulse in her chest. So Jack really had made it. Optimus gave a single nod. "Did he arrive safely?"
"Yes sir." said Heatwave. "He's upstairs right now."
"More like up-elevator." The orange and white bot interrupted. "There aren't really any stairs there."

Heatwave gave him a look. The bot shrugged. "What? I'm just saying."
"Anyway, Jack is resting upstairs. He wasn't in the best shape when Dani and Blades got to him, but he was able to leave the hospital and come here."

Arcee's spark sank a little at the word "hospital". Optimus had told her he was injured, but a hospital trip could mean almost anything for a fragile human. "What happened to him?" She demanded before she could restrain herself.