re_alignment | 001

Entry tags:

tf: prime | ratchet

001 | Video

[The feed flickers to life and Ratchet peers into the communicator he has, tinkering with it. At least it's working... somewhat. He looks like he has woken up in the temple of Solian Temple.]

Blasted thing. My own communications aren’t working. It must be scattered or something. [The video flickers and Ratchet smacks it a few more times, to make it focus again, grumbling under his breath as he looks around.]

Ultra Magnus, Bumble Bee, if anyone can hear this, I require assistance. I don’t know if you can triangulate my transmission and find my exact location or not, but-- Oh, what am I saying?

[He rubs at his face, his mind raking for ideas.]

That bot said this is Cybertron but... it's not one I'm familiar with. [He pauses with a heavy sigh passing through his vents.]

For all I know, I could be just talking to myself with this thing.

[...]

Scrap.

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[No. It can't be. This place wouldn't do this a third time. That was...almost cruel. He almost ignores it, chalking it up to the Badlands doing...what the badlands do: play tricks on him.

But something in his spark tells him this is the real deal.

We'll stick to audio for now.]

Doc...?

...

Ratchet?

[There's a quiet shake in the voice. He'd wanted -- he'd wanted someone. Someone familiar. Supportive. And the medic had looked after him frequently in the past, before...]

[He hesitates, all the same.]

[Maybe it's not real.]

Oh. Well, it's about bloody time someone with a decent processor in their components showed up!

[BECAUSE THAT'S A HELPFUL WELCOME, PERCEPTOR.]

[Oh thank Primus, someone was listening to communications. He perks up to attention.]

Wheeljack, are you nearby?

Yes?

[That was an unfamiliar voice.]

Who is this?

[He should have known this was coming. He did, probably, on some level.]

[But... hearing that question. That hurts.]

You don't remember.

Do you?

{Ratchet is taken aback by this bot's response and blinks owlishly before recomposing myself.]

Do... I know you?

Don't remember what?

[A frown could be heard through his voice.]

Am I supposed to remember something?

[Between Miko disappearing on him a few days, and Barricade announcing he's leaving too, Bulkhead's mostly been ignoring the link lately. But he just happened to be checking it when Ratchet uses it.

Not again. Are they really going to do this for a third time? But he can't help respond, cause Ratchet sounded...lost. Plus...a part of him is happy to hear from him again.]

Ratchet?

[There's a touch of happiness to his voice. But he also sounds wary.]

[In response, Perceptor just. Stares. Like Ratchet grew a second head.]

Of course you do--!

... Ah. I see. Memory loss related to departure and potential exposure to whatever in blazes is out in the Badlands, yes. How... irritating.

[Because the last thing that Fracas is going to do is let people from his world know there's a Vehicon here until he's sure they won't murder him.

One can't be too careful when it comes to the "Doctor of Doom", after all.]

This is a different Cybertron. It's just getting started. A-and you're not alone, there's a lot of us here.

You look like you're in Solus Prime's temple. Not that knowing that will help much for now, but... you did ask.

[First Wheeljack, and now Bulkhead sounded unsure.]

Yes, it's me, Bulkhead! Who else would would it be?

I don't know what's gotten into you and Wheeljack...

[Finally! Some answers.]

A different Cybertron? [He mulls it over for a moment before speaking again.] An alternate universe perhaps...

How long have you been here?

[Ratchet stares on in confusion and shakes his head, holding up his hands.]

Hold on a nanosecond! You're going too fast here.

What do you mean by memory loss and badlands?

Uh, yeah it's a different Cybertron. See that big tear in the sky? That's gonna be the cause of all your problems from now on.

[he pauses. this is gonna be a shitty idea but whatever. look he even shows his glyph to the camera!!]

We're all in the same boat here.

I...

No. Never mind it.

[He really needs to stop doing this. The whole, getting his hopes up, thing.]

Forget that I spoke up.

You spoke up for a reason.

And you knew my name.

[You have some explaining to do.]

[Well, at least he's heard that one before.]

Every time some unfortunate goes wandering about in the so-called "badlands", they vanish, typically permanently.

However, those who do spontaneously wind up here again are always missing large gaps of memory.

You are going to break it if you keep hitting it, old man. [Hi Ratchet, hi. Have a grinning Knock Out. He's still mocking the other Autobot as always but the old malicious tone is dimmed.]

No saying bad words on the network, there's children looking.

[Ratchet almost squints. Was that a bot? But he decides against asking.]

Everyone has that glyph? [He glances his his shoulderpad of a shoulder, seeing the glyph within his own metal. Faded, but still visible against the white paint.]

Yes. I do know your name.

So do most of the robots here. Don't they?

[Nope. Nope this. Nope.]

Please tell me there's someone else there I can talk to. [Besides you.]

You're saying... I was here on this Cybertron once before?

Yes, because I know them.

I don't know you though.

Precisely.

And if Grimlock hadn't smashed the data to scrap metal, I'd prove it.

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