Den (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dens_extra_pups) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
dens_tf_den2016-11-03 12:58 am
dens_extra_pups) wrote in dens_tf_den2016-11-03 12:58 am
Entry tags:
NaNoWrimo 2016 Fic Day 3: 5635 words
Continued from here
Den could hear Optimus and Perceptor talking quietly in the next room as she bustled about the kitchen, getting the ingredients to put together a bechamel sauce. She was still uncertain about what pasta to use with the sauce, which would determine whether she would use cheddar, mozzarella, or goat cheese in the sauce. She was quite proud of her ability to cook supposedly "complicated" dishes with ease, though she suspected that it was because she was always seeking to learn more techniques... She did enjoy learning new things, after all.
Which reminded her again of the fact that there were currently two tiny Transformers discussing something in her living room. It had taken every ounce of willpower for her not to squeal with delight at how small and adorable Perceptor and Optimus had turned out to be. Optimus barely came up to her knee, and Perceptor was about midway up her calf, at best. It made her wonder who else had arrived, and what size they would end up being.
----
"And at the current moment, I have not been able to detect any Decepticon presence, though the processing capability of this particular computer is quite limited." Perceptor explained as he showed Optimus his progress in locating their allies and friends. "Though I do have an approximate location of six of our fellow Autobots, within a ten mile radius of our current location."
"Good work, Perceptor. It is concerning that we are not able to locate the Decepticons, but knowing that we have the ability to locate our comrades is a relief." Optimus stated, gently patting the scientist on the shoulder opposite of his scope barrel. He could hear Den moving around her kitchen and getting things out of cupboards, and part of him wondered how the woman had known where to find Perceptor, or if it was simply a coincidence that she had been in the area at the right moment to find him and bring the scientist to safety.
Wondering about the timing and possibilities of prior knowledge also brought to his mind questions about the sort of person Den was. First impressions were that she was, at least, a kind hearted individual, quite talkative, and even tempered. He had noticed a flash of red on her calf when she had knelt to address him out in the brush and bushes earlier, and the fact that she had what was clearly a decorative ring of metal through one nostril, as well as a pair of blue metallic tunnels in her ear lobes suggested that she was not the sort to conform to standard cultural norms in terms of appearance. Perhaps she was what Sparkplug occasionally referred to as a "punk kid"?
Optimus' musings regarding the character of their hostess were cut short by Perceptor making a startled sound.
"Optimus Prime, sir, I am observing some very unusual energy signatures... I am uncertain as to the identity of the signatures, as the limitations of this computer prevent me from in depth investigations..."
"Oh... If you need something with more processing power, I have a desktop and a newer laptop... You are welcome to use them." Den stated from the doorway, having been drawn to the living room by the sound Perceptor had made. Both the scientist and the Autobot Prime looked up, having failed to notice her approach. "... Er... Sorry. I thought you heard me coming." Optimus noted that Den looked a bit sheepish at startling himself and Perceptor.
"I believe that would be quite prudent, Miss Den, though I am not certain I would be able to access the locator program on another system." Perceptor explained, concern clear on his face.
Den chuckled softly, expression and posture relaxing. "You would be able to. I have all three computers set up on a network, and I can log on through the network to access any of them from any other computer on the network. Do you want to work on the desktop or the newer laptop?"
----
An hour later found Optimus and Perceptor peeking out of the fabric shopping bag that Den had suggested as a means of transport. Instead of taking the sport utility vehicle to the location Perceptor had identified as the next closest arrival point for whomever was waiting in the area. It was strange, being a passenger in a vehicle, especially one where the driver was situated in a seat ahead of the passenger seat.
Though it was amusing to hear Den muttering about the driving habits of other drivers on the road. Perceptor looked quite scandalized at the number of obscenities Den knew, but Optimus was reminded of both Ironhide and Kup. Thinking of the weapons specialist and the drill sergeant made him wonder who had arrived at the location he, Perceptor, and Den were currently en route to retrieve.
He was not sure who he would prefer to encounter, his only hopes being that they were uninjured and an ally. He could not guarantee that Den would be safe in the event that it was a Decepticon, though perhaps she would be able to either hold her own if things came down to a battle, or she would have the sense to hide until the battle was over... Which reminded him, yet again, how this incident had begun...
It had been a quiet day at the /Ark/, and there had been no word of Decepticon activity at the construction site for what would become the new base of operations for the Autobots and their human allies. It was quite unusual, and Optimus, Jazz, and Prowl had set up a training exercise to keep everyone ready in the event of a sudden surge of Decepticon activity.
All the available bots had been debriefed on the rules of the exercise, with the Dinobots happily playing the role of "good guys" just for the chance to be rowdy and fight for the sake of fighting, the Aerialbots had been divided to be air support, with Powerglide assisting as a "Seeker". Silverbolt, Skydive, and Fireflight had been assigned to the "good guys" team, with Slingshot and Air Raid accompanying Powerglide as "Seekers". Wheeljack had gone to the "bad guys" side for the exercise, with Perceptor on the "good guys" team.
Thinking back, perhaps having Wheeljack on the opposite side of the field had been a poor judgement call on his part. He had not anticipated the fact that Wheeljack would have a new invention to field test, nor that the new invention would react negatively to a stray shot from Fireflight. Really, though, he should have anticipated that something would go wrong. While Wheeljack was quite brilliant and an essential part of the Autobot forces, at times, his inventions were a battlefield hazard. Both to himself and to others.
"Okay, we're here. Gotta find somewhere to park, then we can begin looking." Den stated, interrupting Optimus from his musings. The Autobot Prime was surprised to discover that he had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he had missed the arrival at the park Perceptor had identified as a potential search area. "At least it is a school day, so there are no kids running around and scaring whoever it is that is hiding out here." Den stated as she pulled her vehicle into a parking spot and put it into park.
"Alright. We should check the bushes and any areas that may have hidden places for someone to hide in if they are similar in size to Perceptor and myself." Optimus pointed out. Den nodded as she moved to get the shopping bag that he and Perceptor were currently occupying.
"Yeah, and right now? I think it would be safer if you two stay in the bag. I am pretty sure I can outrun most anything that would want to chase us, and it would make me feel better about having you two out here, and not in the car."
Optimus frowned slightly at Den behind his face guard, trying to understand the logic behind her words. So far, there had been no sign of the Decepticons, and no other obvious threats...
Den sighed, knowing that Optimus wanted an explanation for her stance. "Look, I may want to believe that people are inherently good and mean no ill will toward others, but that tends not to always be the case. I have seen it far too often and have paid the price for it time and again for being too trusting, and I really do not want to put you or Perceptor at risk if I can avoid doing so. It is a rough world out here, for anyone. Human, Autobot, or otherwise. Plus, if something did happen to either one of you, I would feel terrible for allowing it to happen. So humor me, please?"
Perceptor made a soft sound of sympathy, compassion for the woman who had taken himself and Optimus into her home without question beating strong in his spark. He could not begin to imagine what had occurred in her past to make her feel as though she could not fully trust other humans to behave in a kind manner, but the scientist suspected it was most unpleasant, and quite possibly very recently occurring.
Optimus nodded, better understanding now why Den had insisted that they remain in the shopping bag, though it was clear she would have much rather they remained in the safety of her car. He was grateful that she was willing to compromise and concerned that she felt there may have been an unforeseen danger that she would have to protect himself and Perceptor from. "I understand, Den. Thank you."
Den squared her shoulders and nodded, sighing quietly. "I just hope whoever is out here is a friendly and not an enemy. I really do not have time to deal with Decepticons or anyone evil."
----
He could see the human woman he had heard speaking moments before clearly now that she had walked past the playground equipment. It helped that she had a bright pink bag. She seemed distracted by whomever she was talking to in the bag, but he did not think it would be wise to attempt to approach her at this point. For now, he would observe, as quietly as he possibly could, and hope that she did not see him. He had hidden himself in some pleasant smelling plant life near the edge of the park, and had observed various humans and their offspring pass through the park before the rains had started and they had retreated to the safety of their vehicles or had left the area entirely.
It was a strange feeling, being smaller than most human children, he decided. He was not sure, but he suspected he was not much taller than the Lennox child. It was quite disconcerting being so reduced in size, and very likely reduced in weapon power. He had not tried to test his weaponry since arriving in this location earlier in the day, but it would not have surprised him if it did indeed turn out to prove true that his weapons were far less effective in combat.
Continued here.
Den could hear Optimus and Perceptor talking quietly in the next room as she bustled about the kitchen, getting the ingredients to put together a bechamel sauce. She was still uncertain about what pasta to use with the sauce, which would determine whether she would use cheddar, mozzarella, or goat cheese in the sauce. She was quite proud of her ability to cook supposedly "complicated" dishes with ease, though she suspected that it was because she was always seeking to learn more techniques... She did enjoy learning new things, after all.
Which reminded her again of the fact that there were currently two tiny Transformers discussing something in her living room. It had taken every ounce of willpower for her not to squeal with delight at how small and adorable Perceptor and Optimus had turned out to be. Optimus barely came up to her knee, and Perceptor was about midway up her calf, at best. It made her wonder who else had arrived, and what size they would end up being.
----
"And at the current moment, I have not been able to detect any Decepticon presence, though the processing capability of this particular computer is quite limited." Perceptor explained as he showed Optimus his progress in locating their allies and friends. "Though I do have an approximate location of six of our fellow Autobots, within a ten mile radius of our current location."
"Good work, Perceptor. It is concerning that we are not able to locate the Decepticons, but knowing that we have the ability to locate our comrades is a relief." Optimus stated, gently patting the scientist on the shoulder opposite of his scope barrel. He could hear Den moving around her kitchen and getting things out of cupboards, and part of him wondered how the woman had known where to find Perceptor, or if it was simply a coincidence that she had been in the area at the right moment to find him and bring the scientist to safety.
Wondering about the timing and possibilities of prior knowledge also brought to his mind questions about the sort of person Den was. First impressions were that she was, at least, a kind hearted individual, quite talkative, and even tempered. He had noticed a flash of red on her calf when she had knelt to address him out in the brush and bushes earlier, and the fact that she had what was clearly a decorative ring of metal through one nostril, as well as a pair of blue metallic tunnels in her ear lobes suggested that she was not the sort to conform to standard cultural norms in terms of appearance. Perhaps she was what Sparkplug occasionally referred to as a "punk kid"?
Optimus' musings regarding the character of their hostess were cut short by Perceptor making a startled sound.
"Optimus Prime, sir, I am observing some very unusual energy signatures... I am uncertain as to the identity of the signatures, as the limitations of this computer prevent me from in depth investigations..."
"Oh... If you need something with more processing power, I have a desktop and a newer laptop... You are welcome to use them." Den stated from the doorway, having been drawn to the living room by the sound Perceptor had made. Both the scientist and the Autobot Prime looked up, having failed to notice her approach. "... Er... Sorry. I thought you heard me coming." Optimus noted that Den looked a bit sheepish at startling himself and Perceptor.
"I believe that would be quite prudent, Miss Den, though I am not certain I would be able to access the locator program on another system." Perceptor explained, concern clear on his face.
Den chuckled softly, expression and posture relaxing. "You would be able to. I have all three computers set up on a network, and I can log on through the network to access any of them from any other computer on the network. Do you want to work on the desktop or the newer laptop?"
----
An hour later found Optimus and Perceptor peeking out of the fabric shopping bag that Den had suggested as a means of transport. Instead of taking the sport utility vehicle to the location Perceptor had identified as the next closest arrival point for whomever was waiting in the area. It was strange, being a passenger in a vehicle, especially one where the driver was situated in a seat ahead of the passenger seat.
Though it was amusing to hear Den muttering about the driving habits of other drivers on the road. Perceptor looked quite scandalized at the number of obscenities Den knew, but Optimus was reminded of both Ironhide and Kup. Thinking of the weapons specialist and the drill sergeant made him wonder who had arrived at the location he, Perceptor, and Den were currently en route to retrieve.
He was not sure who he would prefer to encounter, his only hopes being that they were uninjured and an ally. He could not guarantee that Den would be safe in the event that it was a Decepticon, though perhaps she would be able to either hold her own if things came down to a battle, or she would have the sense to hide until the battle was over... Which reminded him, yet again, how this incident had begun...
It had been a quiet day at the /Ark/, and there had been no word of Decepticon activity at the construction site for what would become the new base of operations for the Autobots and their human allies. It was quite unusual, and Optimus, Jazz, and Prowl had set up a training exercise to keep everyone ready in the event of a sudden surge of Decepticon activity.
All the available bots had been debriefed on the rules of the exercise, with the Dinobots happily playing the role of "good guys" just for the chance to be rowdy and fight for the sake of fighting, the Aerialbots had been divided to be air support, with Powerglide assisting as a "Seeker". Silverbolt, Skydive, and Fireflight had been assigned to the "good guys" team, with Slingshot and Air Raid accompanying Powerglide as "Seekers". Wheeljack had gone to the "bad guys" side for the exercise, with Perceptor on the "good guys" team.
Thinking back, perhaps having Wheeljack on the opposite side of the field had been a poor judgement call on his part. He had not anticipated the fact that Wheeljack would have a new invention to field test, nor that the new invention would react negatively to a stray shot from Fireflight. Really, though, he should have anticipated that something would go wrong. While Wheeljack was quite brilliant and an essential part of the Autobot forces, at times, his inventions were a battlefield hazard. Both to himself and to others.
"Okay, we're here. Gotta find somewhere to park, then we can begin looking." Den stated, interrupting Optimus from his musings. The Autobot Prime was surprised to discover that he had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he had missed the arrival at the park Perceptor had identified as a potential search area. "At least it is a school day, so there are no kids running around and scaring whoever it is that is hiding out here." Den stated as she pulled her vehicle into a parking spot and put it into park.
"Alright. We should check the bushes and any areas that may have hidden places for someone to hide in if they are similar in size to Perceptor and myself." Optimus pointed out. Den nodded as she moved to get the shopping bag that he and Perceptor were currently occupying.
"Yeah, and right now? I think it would be safer if you two stay in the bag. I am pretty sure I can outrun most anything that would want to chase us, and it would make me feel better about having you two out here, and not in the car."
Optimus frowned slightly at Den behind his face guard, trying to understand the logic behind her words. So far, there had been no sign of the Decepticons, and no other obvious threats...
Den sighed, knowing that Optimus wanted an explanation for her stance. "Look, I may want to believe that people are inherently good and mean no ill will toward others, but that tends not to always be the case. I have seen it far too often and have paid the price for it time and again for being too trusting, and I really do not want to put you or Perceptor at risk if I can avoid doing so. It is a rough world out here, for anyone. Human, Autobot, or otherwise. Plus, if something did happen to either one of you, I would feel terrible for allowing it to happen. So humor me, please?"
Perceptor made a soft sound of sympathy, compassion for the woman who had taken himself and Optimus into her home without question beating strong in his spark. He could not begin to imagine what had occurred in her past to make her feel as though she could not fully trust other humans to behave in a kind manner, but the scientist suspected it was most unpleasant, and quite possibly very recently occurring.
Optimus nodded, better understanding now why Den had insisted that they remain in the shopping bag, though it was clear she would have much rather they remained in the safety of her car. He was grateful that she was willing to compromise and concerned that she felt there may have been an unforeseen danger that she would have to protect himself and Perceptor from. "I understand, Den. Thank you."
Den squared her shoulders and nodded, sighing quietly. "I just hope whoever is out here is a friendly and not an enemy. I really do not have time to deal with Decepticons or anyone evil."
----
He could see the human woman he had heard speaking moments before clearly now that she had walked past the playground equipment. It helped that she had a bright pink bag. She seemed distracted by whomever she was talking to in the bag, but he did not think it would be wise to attempt to approach her at this point. For now, he would observe, as quietly as he possibly could, and hope that she did not see him. He had hidden himself in some pleasant smelling plant life near the edge of the park, and had observed various humans and their offspring pass through the park before the rains had started and they had retreated to the safety of their vehicles or had left the area entirely.
It was a strange feeling, being smaller than most human children, he decided. He was not sure, but he suspected he was not much taller than the Lennox child. It was quite disconcerting being so reduced in size, and very likely reduced in weapon power. He had not tried to test his weaponry since arriving in this location earlier in the day, but it would not have surprised him if it did indeed turn out to prove true that his weapons were far less effective in combat.
Continued here.