Sanctuary TFP/RB

Chapter 5

-SIX DAYS AGO-

"No, no, no, c'mon!" Miko furiously pressed the controller buttons. "Why is it lagging again?"

Jack glanced over from the loveseat. Raf and Miko had been at this for hours, both of them so worked up that he was surprised the TV was still intact. Even Raf, who was normally so patient, looked ready to throw something.

Bumblebee, watching from behind the couch, warbled in dismay as twisted static squares flashed across the screen, causing Miko's car to crash. "Nononono, my controller isn't working!" She shouted. "This lag is going to make us lose!"
"Again." Raf put in through gritted teeth, his thumbs moving at lightning speed. He mumbled something that Jack couldn't hear.

He raised an eyebrow at them. "Maybe you all should take a break."
Miko shot him a glare that could have dried up an ocean. "Seriously? We've come too far to lose now! We're on level thirty!"

She turned back to the game. "Besides, there's nothing else to do while everyone is out, and Bumblebee isn't allowed to leave the base." She spoke the last part loudly, directed towards Ratchet in his customary place at the main console. He ignored her, keeping his optics on the monitor.

Miko was right though. Jack sighed and looked back down at the notebook in his lap. He really wasn't much of a doodler, judging by the misshapen squiggles filling up the page. But he could tell he wasn't likely to get a turn on the TV anytime soon, so it was better than nothing.

He'd just put the finishing touches on what was supposed to be a bird when the familiar sound of the GroundBridge echoed through the base. Optimus, Arcee and Bulkhead emerged, each with yet another armful of gleaming blue energon crystals. Smiling, he stood up and made his way over to the railing. "Wow. Looks like you've hit the motherload!"

Arcee nodded cheerfully as she set her energon next to the enormous pile they'd built by the wall. "I don't think we've found this much in one place in the entire time we've been on Earth! We'll be set for weeks, maybe longer if we're lucky."
Ratchet grunted. "If you can bring all of it back."

"Relax, Ratch!" Bulkhead laughed. "What little we haven't collected yet wouldn't be much of a prize. The Cons' would probably take one look and decide it wasn't worth the fight!"
"Regardless, we will remain alert." Optimus reassured Ratchet. Wasting no time, he gave him a respectful nod and walked steadily back through the GroundBridge, leaving the other two Autobots to hurry after him.

Jack watched wistfully as Arcee disappeared again, half tempted to pull a Miko and follow them. Despite the size of the main hangar, the walls of the base felt like they were closing in on him. He shook his head in an attempt to banish the feeling. What he really needed was a good long ride with his guardian.

Whenever that would be.

Frustrated, he stepped away from the railing and turned back towards the humans' area, but a sigh from Ratchet caught his attention. The Autobot medic stood completely stiff and alert, typing away at the monitor and muttering under his breath.

Jack hesitated. Ratchet had snapped at him, Miko and Raf several times today for even mentioning any of the...problems they'd recently acquired. Namely, the power surges strong enough to take down the commlinks. If it were possible, he seemed more grumpy than usual.

He's just stressed. Jack reminded himself. Ratchet always tried to be efficient, no matter what task he found himself with, but now, faced with a problem he didn't understand, efficiency wasn't really an option. In fact, the surges seemed to be getting worse over time.

After a long moment, Jack found himself heading Ratchet's way. The white and red bot gave him an impatient glance from the corner of his optic. "What?"
"Nothing." Jack looked up at the monitor. "What's going on?"