Artificial Mind

12

When morning arose, Minnie woke up with a start. She had got used to nodding off to sleep in the cold cage in Shockwave's lab. Putting her hands on her lap, she sighed heavily. Reaching down, she opened the door and jumped down. It seemed Optimus was still sleeping. Walking quickly down the corridor she turned the corner and smiled at the sight of Ratchet. Just the bot she wanted to see. "Morning." She said, Ratchet gave a start and turned to look down at her.

"Morning to you too, how are you?" Ratchet's usual blunt tone was seemingly replaced by one of genuine care and concern.

"Hm." Minnie appreciated his worrying over her. But how could she go about answering that question? She herself was okay, she supposed. But mentally? So many things were going through her head. With more questions, Shockwave probably would've told her more, but surely Ratchet was just as good? He was of a scientific mind too.

"A bit like that?" Ratchet smiled, Minnie nodded slowly. "What is it?"

"Hm?"

"What is it? You look like you want to ask me something. You humans have this expression when you wish to ask a question." Ratchet said while pointing a digit at her face, Minnie wasn't sure she was pulling a face, apparently she was.

She smiled and shook her head, there really wasn't anyway to hide things from Ratchet. "Can I talk to you in confidence?"

"I don't like the sounds of this already."

"Ratchet, I don't think I'm human." Minnie said, Ratchet laughed and waved a hand at her. When he saw she wasn't joking, he coughed awkwardly and composed himself. Honestly, it was the reaction she was expecting. She wasn't expecting him to take her seriously, not straight off the bat. She rolled her eyes though, not taking his reaction to heart.

"Why do you say this?"

Minnie lifted up her hand and winced as the skin split, metal clinked against each other and she was soon aiming a gun up at him. "Humans don't tend to be able to do this."

"By the All Spark." Ratchet said distantly. He leaned down, "What did Shockwave do to you?" Ratchet's optics scanned over what he was seeing, he truly couldn't believe it at all. His mind reeled with questions and possibilities, but it all depended on how much Minnie was willing to divulge, or if she truly knew anything at all.

"Nothing, nothing on board. On Cybertron however-"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute." Ratchet held up a hand, Minnie lowered her arm and winced as it returned back to normal. "Are you suggesting...? Oh, of course you are...that Shockwave..." Ratchet said to himself. Clearly he was processing everything to himself. "Does Optimus know?"

"No."

"I really think he should."

"Can you not like...give me a check up before telling him?"

"Minnie," Ratchet sighed. "Keeping something this big from him for any longer isn't going to end well."

"Fine! I'll go wake him up and tell him. But if he's grouchy and sleep deprived, I'm pinning the blame on you." Minnie said and pointed a finger at him. Turning, she shuffled awkwardly down the corridor. She passed Optimus's room and ducked into her adopted one. Pulling out clean clothes she changed into a simple black vest and green hoodie and jeans. Pulling on her boots again she walked back down the corridor.

——

There was a very distinct tapping, Optimus became rather alert to it because he didn't know where it was coming from. When he become more awake he realised the tapping was someone tapping against the front of him. Shifting he looked down, Minnie of course it was. "I really would rather let you sleep because you did do a very daring rescue, and I never said thank you, but thank you, and there's something I have to tell you. I would prefer it if I could tell you after you had rested more, but I spoke to Ratchet and Ratchet thought otherwise, and perish the thought of going and doing the opposite of his words." Minnie rambled out rather quickly.