Transformers Short Story

Explosives

Wheeljack surveyed his work, grinning at his stark reflection in the polished metal; perfect craftsmanship. The new boosters added to Ultra Magnus's ship plus reinforced linings on the belly of the vesicle would prove useful to the uptight mech; additions the commander couldn't find fault in. Wheeljack wiped the grease from his faceplates, no doubt he looked filthy everywhere else but it seemed necessary after welding machinery for the past hours. The clearing of a throat knocked Wheeljack from studying his work further and he turned to view one of the humans Bulkhead had been so fond of, "Hey Wheeljack, did you finish the modifications? Need anything?" Wheeljack smirked, turning back to admire his work cockily, "Not this baby...but if you're up for the task, I've got some new blasters I've been working on for OP...what do you think?" Rose smiled at his work, pleased the mech was trying to reconcile with his Commander; in his own way, "It looks great Wheeljack! Your welds are so neat it looks brand new!" She let awe fill in her voice, making the white, gray, green, and red mech straighten with satisfaction. She glanced at his other projects when she was sure the wrecker wasn't looking and grimaced at the blackened work surface. The blasters themselves stuck out haphazardly thrown onto the station, collecting streaks of black coal from the ash underneath. Wheeljack chuckled at her scrutiny, "Trust the process sweet sparks, didn't Doc ever tell you staring is rude?" Rose raised her eyebrows at his teasing tone before motioning to the workbench, "What kind of process are you trying to start, Jackie? From here all I can see is ash." Wheeljack rolled his optics, standing over his workbench to sweep the blackened piles aside so Rose could see the beautiful countertop underneath his servos. He hefted one of the blasters into his servo, "Beautiful aren't they? Too bad the control box is small but you can help with that!" He turned back to face her, excitement coloring his tone, "The wiring is simple enough, and with just a few tweaks to the codes I'll be able to hand it over to Boss Bot in no time!" He winked in her direction and Rose tried to stifle her laughter at his apparent excitement. Rose sighed, climbing the stairway so she could look down on his creation, her hands tentatively resting on the piece. Wheeljack flipped open his forearm and showed off the design plans on a shimmering screen. The image flickered and Wheeljack tapped his arm to keep the projection up, silencing Rose when he saw her nonplussed look at the malfunction, "Yeah, yeah, talk to Sunshine and get it fixed got it...now you see the main wiring here-it's highlighted in yellow but in the console it's really the same color as the rest. You're going to strip the head and reconnect the starter with this blue one here...no it won't be blue but you get the picture." Rose nodded, "Okay...the blasters off right?" Wheeljack hummed, turning to scan over his project before smiling at her in confirmation, "Yep, I've got the generator here to test it after the wires are properly fixed!" Rose rolled her eyes but started on the box anyway. She pulled the top panel away and looked over the wires, noting the ones Wheeljack had pointed out to her. The mech handed her a small toolbox, comically sized in his servo, and Rose fished around until she found flat-headed plyers. She carefully stripped the head of the wire and pinched any frayed strands before attaching it to the other port, twisting the two together to lock them in place. Rose checked the connectivity of the rest of the wires before she fully retracted her hand, nodding to Wheeljack when the work was complete. Wheeljack barely looked over her job before hooking the blaster up to the generator, offering his shoulder plating to Rose for the best possible viewpoint. His scarred lip plating turned into a smirk as the blaster powered on nosily, heat radiating from the bright center. It continued to elevate in power, scorching the rest of Wheeljack's work surface as it shifted slightly. Rose watched the project closely but it showed no signs of faltering. Wheeljack snapped the generator off but the blaster still glowed brightly; showing no signs of powering down. Wheeljack narrowed his optics before wincing, pulling Rose farther away as it whined again, "Ah well...I forgot to add a power distributor...must have been why all the rest failed." Rose shielded her eyes from the light, realizing the room was starting to heat up ominously, "Wheeljack! What's going to happen?" The mech pursed his lip plating, jumping out of the range as sparks sprang from the blaster's core, "It's going to explode." He threw a tarp over Ultra Magnus's ship hastily before edging towards the door, just making it out of the large lab when the blaster went off; exploding with a loud boom as smoke filled the side hanger. Rose coughed in the smoke, trying her best to shield herself in Wheeljack's neck cables; eyes watering as she turned to view the damage. Wheeljack swiped the smoke away, waiting for the smog to clear before smiling triumphantly at his lab, which still remained intact, "Controlled explosion...not too much damage! You alight little boss?" Rose breathed in the fresh air as Wheeljack set his cooling fans in her direction, wafting a breeze over her smoky form in a soothing pattern. Rose shook her head, punching his metal plate, "Yeah I'm good, are you alright?" Wheeljack studied his frame, experimentally flexing his limbs, "Still in fine condition! I've got to check on the aft's ship...maybe it exploded and I don't have to deal with it anymore." He poked his helm inside the door, cautiously entering when the blaster gave no sign of firing back up. He placed Rose on the workstation before uncovering the ship, wiping away streaks of black that seemed to be clinging to everything in his lab. Loud, angry voices alerted Rose and Wheeljack to the presence of multiple bots and soldiers outside the lab, most likely having heard the damage from all over the base. A stern call had Wheeljack rolling his optics, "Wheeljack! What in Primus's name are you working on? I did not authorize uncontrollable explosives within your lab and if that was my ship..." Wheeljack smirked, scrubbing away the smoke until the Commander's vesicle shone again, "No sir...just having a bit of fun is all." Rose slipped into his outstretched servo and they left his lab to greet the masses, which had congregated in the side hanger. Ultra Magnus seemed to puff up with more anger when he spotted Rose perched in his servo, "Endangering humans? Solider I told you to solo your projects, did I not? If you needed additional help you were to alert me." Wheeljack taped Rose on the head softly, scorn underlying his pleasant chatter, "I didn't realize your servos were human-sized Commander, Rose agreed to help, and seeing as she's under her own command I didn't think it necessary to alert you." Ultra Magnus narrowed his optics in warning, "If Ratchet or Optim-" "Wheeljack! Are you crazy? Rose could have been harmed!" Wheeljack hummed in greeting as the medic took Rose from his servo, "I'm fine too Doc, don't worry." Ratchet humphed, scanning over Rose's frame for a couple of minutes before placing the CO on her feet, safely away from the wrecker. Ultra Magnus's signature frown turned to a slight smirk, "Wheeljack you will be off all projects for a week...until then you can help me reorganize the ship's catalogs...from the beginning." Wheeljack groaned, glaring at Rose who had gone unnoticed by the Commander, "Fine...guess I'll have to provide some fun for you Commander." If this were any other situation Rose would have laughed her head off but the slight flush on Ultra Magnus's faceplates, plus the surrounding audience, made her keep her mouth shut. Wheeljack smirked at the mech's reaction, sending a triumphant look to Rose as he spoke again, "By the way sir I finished the repairs on your ship...you can look forward to multiple increases in power and thrust." Rose rolled her eyes at the wrecker but Ultra Magnus seemed at a loss for words for once. He nodded stiffly and then turned sharply on his heel sturts and made his way back into the main hanger. Wheeljack watched the mech leave before smiling down on her, "I don't think he knew what to do." Rose smiled, tipping her head in the Commander's direction, "You spooked him for sure...maybe you should go talk to him?" Wheeljack looked over his smoke-stained frame before ex-venting harshly, "Guess you're right."