fandomweekly | [#202] Safety Technologies (Transformers G1)

Theme Prompt: 202 - Catastrophe

Title: Safety Technologies

Fandom: Transformers G1

Rating/Warnings: General - Language (one mild swear)

Bonus: Yes

Word Count: 581

Summary: In which Ratchet and Megatron take the Hyperjump on vacation. (Related to and takes place years after the events this long fic, but isn't necessary for context.)

“We should have sold this useless thing for scrap,” Megatron said, his head under the floor paneling of the shuttle’s cockpit as he searched for the fault in the impulse drive’s circuitry.

Presumably.

Ratchet honestly had no idea what the big fool was actually looking for or what the problem was. It was just as likely that Megatron was searching around down there for some piece of hardware to be mad at. It would explain all of the banging noises as he slapped around seemingly aimlessly under the floor.

“You still don’t really grasp the concept of sentimentality, do you?” Ratchet said, arms crossed as he stood nearby to “supervise” in case Megatron accidentally electrocuted himself for the umpteenth time.

It had been easy enough to get Prime to grant him the Hyperjump as a part of the peace arrangement he had forced everyone into.

With its now functional warp drive, the shuttle was also the perfect size to take for rare vacations with his partner. Neither of them were good at relaxing, but Soundwave had recently given them vouchers for a visit to resort world known for its geothermal hot springs. It was the perfect opportunity to dust the shuttle off.

Though, Ratchet too was beginning to regret telling Megatron they would be keeping the Hyperjump all those years ago after the glitchy experimental shuttle had been their only place of refuge for many months in unknown space. At the time, he had thought it would be nice to have something to remember their weird ordeal by, but, now as they orbited their vacation destination with a dead impulse drive, he was reconsidering.

“We warped all the way here,” Ratchet said, frowning at the floor where Megatron was wedging himself further into the maintenance crawlspace, “and now we can’t park.”

It was just their luck.

More banging echoed across the cramped cockpit, followed by a loud zapping noise.

Megatron recoiled with a frustrated grunt, clearly having been the cause of the zap.

“Could anything else possibly go wrong?” he growled, redoubling his efforts to do… something down there.

“Do you need help?”

“No, I can fix it!” Which is what Megatron said when the impulse drive wouldn’t start up after they came out of warp. The problem remained to be fixed.

Another zap. He caught the acrid scent of smoke.

The shuttle lurched downwards, Ratchet stumbling with it.

Rolling across the cockpit’s floor, he could hear Megatron madly scrambling out of the crawlspace.

The shuttle plummeted through the atmosphere; arms wrapped protectively around him as the planet’s gravity asserted itself.

This way they would at least arrive at their destination, he thought bitterly, though almost certainly not in one piece.

The cockpit heated up as the ablative heat protection panels on the hull were pushed past their limit.

The warning alarms sounded, lights flashing.

:: Imminent collision detected ::

Ratchet turned off his optics and waited for impact.

:: Warping to a safe distance in three… two… one… ::

“Warp?”

Suddenly the alarms stopped.

The intense heat began to dissipate.

Were they dead?

:: Collision avoided. Orbital stability re-enabled. ::

No, not dead.

Ratchet onlined his optics and twisted in Megatron’s firm grasp to peer out of the viewport.

They were in orbit above the resort world once more; the plumes of some of the massive geysers were visible from their vantage point.

“I’m calling for a tow; they’ll fix the damn thing in port.”

Megatron sighed in defeat, arms still wrapped tightly around Ratchet.

“Agreed.”

[#202] Safety Technologies (Transformers G1)

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