No Rest For The Wicked

It's Just the Programming

We must be willing to get rid of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us ~Joseph Campbell

 The cargo plane touched down roughly, momentum fighting to throw Darcy--and everyone else--towards the nose of the plane as the pilots hit the brakes to slow their speed.

She'd lost count of the hours, but it'd felt like longer than it should have. No one had been allowed to disembark the plane when they'd touched down for fuel, a fact Darcy had been rather sour about. But now the flight was finally over for good. They had landed on Diego Garcia, her new home for the foreseeable future.

To save herself from getting underfoot of all the soldiers preparing to exit the plane, she returned to Prowl's passenger seat, her leg bouncing with nervous energy. The Autobot, for his part, made no comment about it.

The cargo plane rumbled along the tarmac, slowing ever further until it finally came to a halt. Not even Prowl's frame could block the hiss that escaped the bay doors as the ramp cracked open, lowering to release them upon the island. There was nothing but blinding light to see at first, Darcy and the soldiers squinting at the sudden onslaught to their vision. The ramps continued to drop, revealing cloudless skies and black pavement guiding the way towards a hanger that could easily fit the cargo plane itself.

Prowl rolled forward the moment the ramp clanged against the ground, the soldiers trotting off alongside.

Darcy glanced around as they exited the aircraft, taking note of all--the little that it was--that she could see. Several other planes had already landed, soldiers unloading cargo as another rolled in behind them. A handful of Autobots stood out in the open with them, gesturing in some direction or picking up massive crates and carrying them into one of the several hangers that stood open. Ratchet rolled off behind them, transforming once he was far enough to not bang his head on the tail of the plane and shouting something about his medbay still being in one piece.

"You can walk around here?" Other than necessity during confrontations with Decepticons, she hadn't seen a single Autobot walk about outside. They'd always kept it confined to the base.

"NEST has secured this side of the island, the surrounding airspace, and water. There is no risk of us being seen here. Your governments would prefer if we did not, but it is...nice to stretch our legs, as you humans say." His words made her realize just how confined they really were. She'd never asked about it, but surely staying in the form of a car all the time had to feel...confining, if not stifling. To only be able to walk around, to be themselves when they were underground or in a fight...well, she knew she'd go stir crazy.

He rolled away from the hub of activity, revealing a line of what looked to be a bunch of hangers attached together to make one sprawling, interconnected, Autobot-sized compound. A few structures stood separate; older, human-sized buildings with a steady stream of soldiers going in and out and had to be the barracks and mess hall. Prowl came to a slow stop in front of the latter. "I allowed you to skip your meals on the flight, but you must refuel now."

Granted, he'd only allowed her to skip those meals after Ratchet so kindly stepped in to tell him that it was normal for humans and she would be fine.

It was just the programming. He would get used to it.

She tugged at her shirt that she'd effectively been wearing for near on two days now. "Any chance I can do a shower first?"

"Detective..." His tone was a clear warning that she was fast approaching his limits. "It has been nearly 30 hours since you last consumed anything. You should be famished."

"I am! But I'll eat more if I can do it clean."

He vented but relented, his tires rolling forward once more to a few odd stares from the soldiers filing out towards the landing planes.