Transformers Short Story

Rescue Academy

Golden Prima (Rose) walked shoulder to shoulder with her creators as they toured the halls of the Academy. Chase motioned them toward the training field, where you could view their students practicing various simulations with Boulder calling out the occasional quip. Golden Prima smiled down at their efforts, the Matrix sending a soft whirring sound throughout her form, acceptive of the structure. Chase smiled at her obvious curiosity, "Would you like to see it up close?" Golden Prima tilted her head to overlook the current simulation (a gas fire where the students had to practice using their foam guns to contain the flames) before turning to meet Chase's gaze, "I'd love to...I've never seen a training simulator quite like this one before." Chase nodded his head at her compliment, "Dr. Greene helped build this section of the Academy, we are quite pleased with its abilities." Golden Prima studied the bots closer before turning to meet Optimus's optics, "Are those the cadets you were talking about?" Optimus shared a look with Ratchet before nodding, "I'd like for you to meet them." Golden Prima smiled and nodded at Chase, "Lead the way!" Chase showed them the main entrance to the simulator, stepping back to allow the doors to sweep open with a resounding whoosh. Boulder, distracted by the sound, watched them enter, his faceplate lightly up when he recognized their guests. He sent them a small smile and a wave before turning his attention back to his students, "I'm powering down the simulation...good job everyone." A red and yellow mech, pouted at their unfinished mission, "We didn't finish though." Boulder patiently smiled down at him, "Not everything goes according to plan Hotshot." Hotshot shook his head, while a blue femme helicopter giggled at his reaction, "That was a good one Professor." Boulder tipped his head in her direction before addressing the group, blocking the student's view of their guests, who were still positioned by the entrance, "Hotshot, Whirl, Hoist, Wedge, and Medix you all did great today on this training simulation...remember the things I had you work on, you'll be using them later...now we have some very special quests for you to meet!" Whirl smiled eagerly up at Boulder, "New guests or old ones!?" Boulder's smile grew wider, "You've already met two of them... one new." Whirl smiled, "Ooo, I'm so excited!" Wedge rolled his optics, "You say that about everything Whirl." Whirl sniffed at the orange mech, "I do not, right Hoist?" The light blue tow truck build wrinkled his faceplate, shying away from the question, "You're not gonna get mad at me if I agree with Wedge are you?" Whirl shrugged, "Maybe." Hoist narrowed his optics, "Okay...I agree with Wedge." Whirl gasped, mocking hurt, "How dare you Hoist...my sparks in pieces." A white and red mech spoke up, his voice a low drone, "That is not possible, verbal agreements such as the one Hoist made shouldn't break your spark." Whirl smiled at the medic, "Yeah, yeah I got it Medix." Golden Prima smiled at their conversation, honing her scanners on the medic, he seemed familiar but she couldn't place it. She refocused her optics on her carrier before looking at the red and white mech, "Medix huh? That designation sounds familiar." Ratchet opened his intake to answer but was interrupted as the students spotted them...or more accurately when Whirl did, "IS THAT GOLDEN PRIMA!?" Golden Prima pinned her audio fins to the sides of her helm, wincing at Whirl's tone. Whirl sprinted in her direction, sliding to a stop at her pedes and staring up at her in awe. The rest of the students quickly joined their teammate, optics wide with excitement. Hotshot's intake was hanging open slightly and he stared between her creators and then back at her frame, towering over him, "No way! This is awesome!" Golden Prima smiled, leaning down on one knee to speak to them on a more equal level, "It is a pleasure to meet all of you...Optimus has told me much about you...you must be Whirl," she motioned to the blue femme with a wink before evaluating the rest, "Hoist...Wedge...Hotshot...and Medix." Hotshot practically went into stasis as she said his designation, Medix holding onto his arm with a firm grip. Golden Prima tilted her head to study the medic again. Medix checked over his teammate with a sigh before meeting her gaze with excited curiosity, "Goldie! I haven't seen you in forever! Uncle Ratchet said you'd visit sometime but I didn't think it would be this soon." Golden Prima raised her optic ridges at him before it hit her, she sent Ratchet a sharp tug on their bond, before smiling down at her cousin with a warm expression, "It has been a while M. What have you been up to?" Whirl interrupted Medix from answering with a shrill gasp, gripping onto his arm tightly, "Goldie? Wait, you're related to her too! That's awesome! Why didn't you tell us Medix!?" Medix winced at her tight grip before relaying calmly, "You never asked." Hotshot's optics blew wide and he wrinkled his olfactory system at him, "What do you mean we never asked!? I did." Medix shrugged and answered bluntly, "I knew you'd be intimidated." Hotshot opened his intake to retort but closed it with a hmmph, knowing he was right. Golden Prima watched the two interact before a smirk overtook her features softly tugging at Medix's bond after finding it and replying, "Hotshot huh? Didn't think you liked his type."  Medix blushed softly before it morphed into a glare at his teammate's questioning looks, "Don't start...I already got the talk from Ratchet." Golden Prima stood to her full height with a chuckle, "It's good to see you again Medix...we'll have to catch up sometime." She sent a meaningful look in Hotshot's direction before smiling at him to which he returned. Hotshot watched them with a confused look, "What was that about?" Medix waved him off, "I'll tell you later." Golden Prima caught Boulder's attention, smiling at him fondly, "Boulder, how have you been!?" Boulder motioned to his students with a chuckle, "Busy but good...Graham will be excited to see you." Golden Prima's smile grew warmer at the mention of her brother, "I hope so, is he here now?" Boulder shook his head, his EM field radiating a sad but fond glow, "He's on the main island but he should be back in a couple of days." Golden Prima sent him an amused look, "Don't worry he misses you too." Boulder straightened up with a sheepish grin, "I know." Golden Prima shook her head fondly, motioning to her creators with a more serious tone, "I've come to tour the Academy today...I'll be staying in Griffen Rock for a few days and Optimus thought it best if I met you all now." Optimus nodded his head in agreement, looking proudly at his sparkling before Golden Prima continued, "I look forward to seeing you train." The students shared nervous looks before Golden Prima let her EM-Field wash over them with a quiet calm, "Do not worry...I'm only here to watch and learn." Medix smiled as her EM field wrapped around him, "Well...I could show you the med bay if you like?" Golden Prima nodded, stepping aside to follow him back toward the simulator entrance after Boulder had cleared him. Golden Prima felt the presence of her creators at her back struts as they turned the corner and Medix placed his hand on the door, unlocking the seal so they shuttered back. Medix smiled proudly at his pristine med bay as it came into view. Golden Prima nodded her head with a smile, he was just like Ratchet. Medix briskly walked inside, pointing out each station he'd set up, showing off each cabinet and stacking stations before turning on her with a small smile, "What do you think?" Golden Prima cycled her optics before smiling impressively at the Medic, "This is amazing Medix...the similarities between you and Ratchet are uncanny." Medix sent her a cool look, "You used to say that all the time." He overlooked his gleaming counters before turning back to Golden Prima with a hesitant look, "If you don't mind me asking...what happened to your Medic Build?" Golden Prima tilted her head and pursed her derma at his question, "I didn't even know I had a Medic Build, Medix...what I do know is that from the earliest memories I can find...my frame has changed quite a lot from what it used to be." Ratchet cleared his throat when Golden Prima fell silent, "You shared similar characteristics of my frame when you were sparkling, and even now you still retained heightened senses, sensitive servos, and durability...along with organization, memory, pattern retention, and analytical attitude." Golden Prima raised her optic ridges at her Carrier, "I didn't realize all those traits were specific to a medic built." She looked to Medix to confirm and the smaller bot nodded with a small smile on his face plates, "Some argue that it's purely genetic but most medic bots are born with these frame mods." He shrugged nonchalantly before eying her new frame, "I think this frame suits your current job more effectively anyway." Golden Prima recycled her optics with a whirl, "Thank you...I think." She turned away to view the medical bay closer, "You really keep this place in order, it looks amazing." Medix gleamed under her praise, smiling at the med-bay as if he was seeing it for the first time, "After our first year, our professors had specific rooms or areas modified for us! This space is modeled after Ratchet's lab on Cybertron!" Golden Prima nodded, noting how some areas took after the familiar white lab while others integrated more human technology, "I'm impressed, your professors have done a lot with this Academy." Medix nodded seriously, "They have...my sire says this place rivals his own Academy back when he went to school!" Ratchet chuckled, interrupting the two, "Fuse was excited to see the reopening of the Medical Academy...Snowwidge staffed it with good bots too." Golden Prima pursed her lip plating, "Not First Aid and Beat?" Ratchet smirked, "Exactly, First Aid, Beat, Pulse, Meter, Code Blue...she had a hard time tracking them all down and asking them to leave their facilities but she managed somehow." Golden Prima smiled fondly, "That's why she makes such a great council representative...I don't think I'd ever see the Academy's flourish but she made it happen." Ratchet smiled softly, "She did...your council representatives have all made due on their parts...though I was surprised to see you didn't choose Beat to take this position." Golden Prima pinned her ear fins thoughtfully, "He wasn't my first pick...I know Beat has council experience but a little birdie told me most of his ideas were not original."