Transformers Short Story

First Meeting To Now

Orion Pax ex-vented as he looked over his section with irritation threatening to bloom over into his field. He took a deep vent before focusing again on the state of the haphazard books laying over the nearest table, seemingly forgotten. He moved closer to the table, pressing a button on his forearm to summon a cart. The cart came whizzing along swiftly to his location with a soft whirl, decompressing its wheels out to stand at the ready. Orion Pax nodded at the cart before pulling some of the closest books to his frame, looking over the titles curiously. The two he could get his servos on were Medical techs on various steroids or frame modifications and he thumbed through them quickly to find some of the pages tagged with removable data-pad notes. He opened the nearest notepad with a hum, looking over the neat servo writing with interest. Whoever had annotated this particular section was very analytical about their thoughts on the book. Orion Pax chuckled at a particularly vulgar comment about a personal bibliography of a bots experience with steroids and it's benefits. Orion Pax recycled his optics, inspecting the other books with a patient attitude, in no rush to clean up what appeared to be active research. The data clerk checked his internal chronometer with another vent, his section closed in only a few minutes and he would have to clean up this table if the owner didn't claim their books. Orion Pax placed the books back in their original position, ordering his cart to remain at the table and looked curiously around the closest shelves. He walked a couple steps from the table and peered down the nearest section, his audio fins flickering up to listen for any sound of his guest. He walked down the section, trailing his servos over the books or data-pads, fixing them or correcting their order with sharp optics. A quiet huff caught the data clerk's audio fins and he glanced shyly down the other side of the section, watching the bot from his hidden position. A white and orange bulkier mech with cyan optics was ruffling through various books on the lower portion of the shelf, sticking mainly to books he could reach. Another huff and the mech moved to the opposite shelf, rolling his optics at another book before replacing it with one that caught his interest. Orion blinked, straightening before moving slightly out of his hiding spot, hoping to still remain undetected by the mech. Said mech, paused in his mutterings and added another book to the stack in his arms, "I can sense you're there, you know." Orion recycled his optics, taken aback by the mech's sharp senses. The mech turned his way slightly, raising his optics ridges at the data clerk, "Oh, sorry I thought you'd be someone else." Orion moved fully into the section with a tilt of his helm, "I apologize if I interrupted you, I was just coming to tell you I have to close this section off in a few minutes...I'm happy to help you check out your techs." The mech gave him an unimpressed look before huffing, "Great, another thing I have to worry about...whatever I can always come back." Orion blinked, "Are you working on a project?" The mech shouldered his books and turned away, motioning for the data clerk to follow him back to his table, "Yes, a very important one too." Orion followed after the mech, keeping a comfortable space between them as he surveyed the new books he added to his pile on the table, "Steroids and frame modifications? That seems to be the focus of your research, does it not?" The mech gave him a curious look and nodded swiftly, "Yes, I've got to turn in a research paper in two days for my class." Orion hummed, looking over the impressive collection before turning away, plucking another book off of the higher shelves and adding it to the cart with a nod, "That should help then." The mech raised his optic ridges but accepted his offer, placing his mix of his books and data-pads on the cart. Orion clicked another button on his forearm and the cart whirled to life, hovering between the two bots before whizzing off to the center desk. Orion motioned to the desk with a polite smile, "I hope it helps...I can check you out now." The mech crossed his arms across his chassis with an almost sheepish look after checking his internal chronometer, "Oh, yes, yes...sorry about keeping you late." Orion shook his helm, waving away the apology with another small smile, leading the mech to the desk, "It is no problem at all." Both mechs made quick work to the checkout center and Orion pressed another button, slipping behind the desk to start the process of checking out his works. The mech shifted slightly as Orion finished, but handed over his card when prompted. Orion scanned it through with no resistance and handed the mech his books and data-pads, reaching back to give him his card but the mech had already disappeared to the elevators. Orion blinked, looking to the exit with his intake open to stop the bot but the door had already closed, leaving the data clerk with the mech's card. Orion glanced at the empty library, dumbfounded. He vented, pinching his olfactory system before clicking open his forearm controls, activating the cleaning bots. The small roomba shaped bots buzzed to life and spread out across the floors, making quick work of his vacant section. Orion glanced down at the card he was holding, examining the thin disc with polite curiosity. Ratchet, Medical Student. Orion hummed, that's why the mech had such keen senses and was doing medical research. The data clerk startled as his forearm buzzed, alerting him that the cleaning process was complete and all the cleaning bots had returned to their storage area. Orion clicked another button and all the karts plunged into their charging station with a satisfying ping. The blue and red mech looked around his office, quickly tidying up the bland desk before placing the card in his subspace carefully. He shook his helm before moving onto the shelves in his section, righting books or adding new ones to their collections. Once his work was done for the night he hastened to the exit, getting into the elevators and clicking the button to the first floor. The doors pinged merrily as the elevator shuddered to a stop and opened its doors, letting him out on the first floor. Orion waved to the night guard as he passed, going out a side door, jumping down the steps to make the walk back to his hab-suit; his thoughts occupied by the Medical student.