A dire message

[Deleted]

Characters: Ratchet @ambulon
Location: Desert outside of Jasper
Content Warnings: n/a to my knowledge
Plot Summary: Unsure if he guess right on Pharma's last trail, Ambulon arrives in hopes to stop the medic from truly changing sides as well as to warn other autobots. He can only hope he's not too late.

[Deleted]

The ship was old and while it wasn't affected by the Red Rust plague due to it being a normal vehicle, Ambulon was no pilot. It was falling apart as it came into the atmosphere due to it's age and not being used to running for so long. Ambulon wasn't sure if this was the right planet let alone direction, he had lost Pharma long ago and was merely guess off of the last coordinators he had picked up briefly. It could've been wrong, a trick used to throw him off Pharma's trail. But...he had no choice but to trust them and to throw himself blindly into the galaxy. Adjusting a few dials as he got through the atmosphere, he did his best to keep a eye on the incoming ground.

"This is Ambulon of the Autobots, I'm a medic with a very important message to all Autobots. Please respond if there are any on this frequency! I repeat, I am Ambulon of the autobots with a dire message for autobots." Ambulon spoke into the communicator.

For Primus's sake...someone better respond. Ambulon thought to himself as he turned on his signal to allow for the autobots to find his location.

Course, the ship happened to land on the ground at the same time and skid to a screeching halt as parts flew off. A few coughs left him as he gave a annoyed sighed, and bushed the smoke away. A small glance made the communicator seem to be in good shape. He honestly could only hope it would be able to pick up a response and that the autobots found him. Sadly he would eventually come to regret crashing himself on this planet.

[Ratchet]

Everything was fairly normal at the base.  Ratchet had once again been manning the communications in the event of Decepticon activity being spotted.. or an Energon source.  You always had to be prepared when situations like that arose.

Of course, there was a third, unlikely event.. and that had been what transpired on this day.  Ratchet had certainly not expected to hear a comm from an Autobot that hadn't been on Earth, let alone another medic.  If this was legit, he definitely could use the extra help around the base.  With just Pharma, First Aid, Blizzard, and himself?  One extra leg hand certainly wouldn't hurt.

Not to mention it would help free up time to put focus elsewhere.

"Ambulon, we read you loud and clear.  This is Ratchet.  Send me your coordinates and I will gladly meet up with you."

[Deleted]

"Thank Primus." Ambulon said as he heard the response come through.

Adjusting a few dials, he sent the coordinates through to Ratchet. Ratchet...why did that sound familiar? Shaking his head at this, he pushed the thought away. He didn't have time to think he knew something. He had to focus on the task at hand.

"They should be coming through to you Ratchet." Ambulon said through the com. "I'm glad to see that coming here hasn't been wasted. I'll await your arrival."


With that, Ambulon waited for a response before leaving the ship. The medic was standing outside when Ratchet arrived. Relief was certainly a strong feeling he had as the fellow medic came over to him.

"I was worried that I made a mistake in heading this way, you're a medic as well right?" Ambulon asked. "I do need to inform your superior of this matter as well but you are a medic, and as such you need to know this as well. Have you heard anything about Delphi lately?"

[Ratchet]

As the coordinates came through, Ratchet plugged them into the ground bridge.  While it was true that they were in the vicinity of Jasper, you just didn't know..  If he needed to make a quick retreat, or Ambulon was too injured to transform and drive back with him, it was best to have the ground bridge in use.

"Coordinates received.  I will be making my way to you shortly, Ambulon."

The medic opened up the ground bridge after collecting his medical supplies in the event that he should need them.  Never could be too careful.  Once everything was packed away in his medkit, he made his way through the bridge.

It wouldn't take long for him to find Ambulon, spotting who must have been the mech standing by a crashed ship.  The mech was lucky he was intact as he was!  Once he approached, Ratchet held out a hand in order to greet the other medic.  "Yes, I am a medic.  Chief medical officer of the Autobot base here on Earth to be precise.  It's a pleasure to meet you, Ambulon."

What should have been a joy quickly took a 360.  When Ambulon asked if he knew about the events that had transpired on Delphi.. he flinched, a flicker of despair reflecting off his optics.  Immediately he remembered Tarn's words back when he was held on the Nemesis..

“Allow me to answer your question with another. Are you…happy? Are there those in your life whom you trust and adore? Optimus Prime, surely, but there are others…aren’t there? Roller, another I imagine. But more. Can you name a few perhaps? Hm? Because…one of them…is still deceiving you.”

Tarn had been talking about Pharma.. and even now Ratchet refused to believe him.  After everything Pharma had done for him, for Wheeljack, for Moonwing.. for everyone?  There was no way that Pharma would betray them.  There's no way he would kill others just to save himself..  "I..  I know that.. the Decepticon Justice Division went to Messatine.  To.. Delphi.  Pharma told me he was forced into staying there because of them.  But.. I should tell you.  They're here.  The DJD is here.."

[Deleted]

Chief Medical officer? Good. They truly needed to know then. Though he noticed the look in their optics but he kept quiet till Ratchet spoke. Course it was his turn for him to be shocked, as his optics went wide. A slight look of fear showing up in them before he did his best to push it away. Hearing word of Pharma being here, that just made it a little easier.

"My apologizes, I know...this might not be a good subject." Ambulon said. "I am the Warden Manger of Delphi, what I have come to you about regards Pharma. I must speak with him, he's about to make a choice that'll ruin him forever."

He did, he didn't want this path for Pharma. What he had already done was terrible but there was time. Time still for him to change back, to return to the same old Pharma he had met when he first arrived there.

"Pharma...has turned traitor, while it is true he was forced into it by the DJD, he committed a terrible crime." Ambulon continued. "In order to met the demands of the DJD, Pharma has created something horrible. Something that can destroy all Cybertronians. A virus, we called it the Red Rust viruses and it activates when a cybertronian turns into vehicle mode. He's killed many of our patients with it to meet the DJD's demands."

A sick demand, Ambulon didn't look happy. He wasn't happy. This was horrible when Pharma was once something...so much better. A deep breathe left Ambulon as he looked at Ratchet.

"I want to stop Pharma, I want to bring him back to our side. He still has time to change back. Please Ratchet, if you know where he is then I must speak with him. I know he will not be pleased to see me but I care not on that, I know Pharma is a good bot. A great medic with a good spark, there was just...darker forces forcing him to this path." Ambulon urged.

[Ratchet]

The words that had come from Ambulon had stung.  This was the same thing that Tarn had spoken of, though even the leader of the Decepticon Justice Division had failed to mention anything about a virus.  Just something that he had wanted Pharma to collect for him.  Ratchet shook his helm in disbelief, not even sure what to believe.

Two stories.. both with the same outcome.  Was.. it true..?

"No.. no.  Pharma would never..  He.. he couldn't.."  Ratchet turned away from the other medic for a moment, taking a step forward and covering his mouth with a servo.  "I'm sorry, I.. just need a moment to.. compose myself."

Ratchet closed his optics, letting it all sink in.  Perhaps it was because of how close he and Pharma were that caused him to deny everything about this situation.  There had to be some sort of explanation for all of this.  The Pharma he knew would never do something like this, but he had been trapped there by the DJD.  Maybe he had been coerced into doing it?  Forced to in order to protect something?  The elder medic had been a complete and utter mess when he arrived on Earth..

He turned back to Ambulon, looking at him sadly.  "I.. can't.  I can't take you to him.  The DJD have him..  He.. gave himself up in order to save me.  I was held prisoner on the Nemesis and.. he bought me and another dear to me time to escape."

[Deleted]

"I know it doesn't sound like him and truthfully I wish it wasn't." Ambulon urged. "But he admitted to it, but the real Pharma is in there still."

Ambulon nodded, dropping the matter for now. It was best to let Ratchet take it all in. But as they stood there, he had a feeling in the bavk of his mind. The feeling was hard to describe. But it was soon ignored before much more thought was put in.

Ambulon's face took a look of fear and worry. The DJD caught Pharma?! This wasn't good, not in the least.

"Oh Primus..." Ambulon muttered as he set a hand to his face. "That's not good.."

[Ratchet]

Whether it was true or not, it still hurt to hear such things being spoken about his mentor and adopted sire. It wasn't that Ratchet didn't want to believe Ambulon. It was just.. difficult. If it was true that Pharma did these things, he had to have a reason for it. He'd ask him when they met again. He had to keep telling himself that Pharma was alright and that they would meet again one day. If Wheeljack could rescue him in five months, Pharma would be alright.

"It's.. not. I've tried so hard to stay calm over the matter, but.. it hasn't been easy. When Pharma came here to Earth, he was practically a broken mech. Emotionally.. anyway. I've tried so hard to hold him together, but he never wanted to talk about what happened on Messatine. Just that those monsters as he referred to them as kept him trapped there. That it was too painful to talk about."

Ratchet looked down a bit, conflicted by this whole situation.

"I really should take you back to the Autobot base. Are you able to transform and follow me?"

[Deleted]

"The DJD are the monsters he meant right?" Ambulon asked.

He knew that the DJD were responsible for Pharma's downward spiral. However, Ambulon knew that Pharma had a strong dislike for him due to his past. Course at the mention of transforming to follow em, the medic wasn't really wanting the other to learn that yet.

"I can't." Ambulon. "My transformation cog has been faulty lately."

A lie, truthfully any real medic would tell if they paid attention to how he walked that his transformation cog worked just fine. There was no odd movement in his walking that went with a bad transformation cog. Course it was the only thing he could think of to cover up his alt mode. That was something he didn't want to share.

"Is there perhaps another way?" Ambulon asked.