** Higher Ground ** 
Second in the -Underground- Trilogy
by Ivy Bohnlein, based on characters created by Hasbro and the admin and 
players of the Transformers 2k5 MUSH     



     "What on Cybertron is going on out here?" A deep voice demanded 
gruffly, arresting the attention of my bemused guard.
     As Hot Rod turned to face the newcomer, I peered over to take a 
look for myself.  He was huge!  He reminded me a little of Optimus Prime 
- he had the same kind of red and blue color scheme, after all, and the 
same stocky body shape in a much larger model.  His expression was severe 
and professional, but despite his cautious bearing, there was a warmth 
and kindness shining through behind his blue optics.
     "Here's our intruder," Hot Rod said, still a bit uncertain.  "She says 
her name is Whiz."
     I nodded, smiling despite my apprehension.  "And I wasn't lying.  My 
name really is Whiz, and I'm one of Elita-I's Femmes Fatales."
     Ultra Magnus merely nodded, but Hot Rod looked back at me in 
disbelief.  "But... they're all..."
     "Optimus told me of your continued existence," Ultra Magnus said 
solemnly, ignoring our companion's confusion.  "I didn't expect one of 
you to walk right up to the gates, however."
     "I didn't have much choice," I replied.  "I had Shockwave and a 
seeker-tracker on my tail, and I couldn't lead them back to our base.  I 
figured they already knew where Iacon was, so I headed here.  Little did 
I know that your gate guard would try to kill me.  Good thing he has 
lousy aim."
     Hot Rod grumbled.  "It was just a warning shot."
     The larger Autobot formed a trace of a smile.  "This 'gate-guard' is 
Hot Rod, but I see you've already met.  I'm Ultra Magnus, the City 
Commander here in Iacon.  Welcome back to the Autobot fold, Whiz."
     Back?  I never had a chance to leave.  "Yeah, uhm, thanks," I said, a 
little overwhelmed.
     He looked me over once more, his optics narrowing slightly.  "You look 
like you could use a trip to the medbay.  We don't have much in the way 
of supplies..."     
     "That's okay," I said quickly, waving my hand dismissively and 
noticing the way his optics followed the stump of my missing finger.  
"I'm used to making do with the bare minimum."
     "Yes.  Well, I suppose you would be.  You're a medic then?" Ultra 
Magnus asked.
     "More or less.  I'm sort of a Whiz-of-all-trades," I offered, "But I'd 
be happy to help in whatever way I can."
     Hot Rod, just starting to recover from the embarrassment of the 
'warning shot', looked surprised again.  "You mean, you're staying?"
     I hadn't really thought about it.  Yeah, I had to go home and 
everything, but I didn't want to leave just yet.  I hadn't even been 
*inside*, after all.  There were so many new things to see, and so many 
*people*...
     Ultra Magnus noticed my look and nodded slightly.  "At least until 
she's well again, Hot Rod.  And we have to make sure she's not followed 
once she leaves."
     "I really should contact the others, though, to let them know I'm 
safe.  If I could use one of your terminals..." I allowed my voice to 
raise at the end in hopeful questioning.
     "Of course.  Hot Rod will show you to our communications room and then 
over to the medical center," Ultra Magnus said.
     "But..." Hot Rod protested.  "The gates..."
     Ultra Magnus opened a panel on his wrist and tapped a few buttons.  
"Your shift was nearly ended.  I'll just call Blurr out to the gates 
early."
     Hot Rod gestured to the large armored doors of the entrance.  "All 
right then, let's get moving."
     I looked between him and Ultra Magnus.  "Shouldn't we wait for this 
Blurr to get here first?"
     Hot Rod chuckled at me, while Ultra Magnus smiled slightly and shook 
his head almost indulgently as he replied, "No one has to wait for Blurr."
     I couldn't hide my puzzled expression, but the answer became clear 
soon enough.  A blue flash of motion burst from the armored doors and 
zipped up to Ultra Magnus, stopping abruptly to give me a glimpse at the 
slender, young blue Autobot at its center.  I had no doubt that this had 
to be Blurr.
     "What'sUpWhat'sUpWhat'sUp?HereIAmI'mAtYourServiceReadyToGoAndManThe
BigCannonsAndKickSomeDecepticonButtIfAnyOfThemAreStupidEnoughToComeToThe
GatesWhileBlurrIsAroundAndOnTheJobYessirThey'llBeSorryIfTheyTryAnythingOnMy
Watch!"
     I grimaced at Blurr's rapid speech and got a commiserating nod from 
Hot Rod.  I guess we all have our social handicaps, and some are just a 
little bit more debilitating than others.
     Ultra Magnus bore Blurr's excitement stoically, then pointed him in my 
direction.  "Blurr, meet Whiz.  She's an unexpected ambassador from 
Elita-I's band of Femmes.  I called you over early so Hot Rod can escort 
her to the medbay."
     Blurr stared at me in disbelief.  To be helpful, I raised a hand and 
waved.
     Hot Rod snickered and whispered to me in a low voice, "Whaddya know, 
you've managed to leave him speechless."
     I couldn't resist a smile.  "It's a pleasure to meet you, Blurr.  
Thank you for coming out here early."
     By then, Blurr had plenty of time to recover and had done so with a 
vengeance. 
"OfCourseIt'sMyPleasureAndYouKnowI'mAlwaysHappyToWelcomeAnotherAutobot
EspeciallyOneOfTheFemmesCauseIMeanEverybodyThoughtYouGuysWereDeadAndNowOf
CourseIt'sObviousYouAren'tAtLeastNotAllOfYouBecauseYou'reHereRightSoAnyway
I'mHappyToMeetYouAndMaybeWeCanBeFriendsHuh?"
     It took a moment before I caught up.  "Of course we can," I assured 
him, "I just have a few stops to make first."
     Blurr nodded vigorously, his face disappearing into a smear of motion. 
 "GreatI'mSureWe'llSeeEachOtherAgainSoonSoNiceToMeetYouWhizIHaveToManThe
Tower!" And with that, he sped up into the guard tower and disappeared.
     Ultra Magnus was next to speak, as he turned to head back into the 
base.  "Whiz, I'll have some temporary quarters prepared for you just in 
case you're with us for a while.  By the time Hot Rod finishes showing 
you around, they should be ready.  And once again, welcome."  He turned 
and disappeared inside.  Hot Rod shrugged a bit, then followed, with me 
tagging along in his wake.
     I was impressed by the size and openness of their base.  Even though 
the surrounding city had been trashed by the constant warfare, the 
fortress itself still managed to convey a sense of hope.  I probably made 
a fool of myself by staring around, but I couldn't help it.  This was so 
different from our cramped little command center in the tunnels.
     Hot Rod watched me with a wry smile. "It doesn't take long to lose its 
charm."
     I looked down at my feet, suddenly embarrassed.  "Uhm, it's just my 
first time here," I mumbled as we passed into the main hallway.
     "Ah, don't take that the wrong way.  I was just joking with you."
     I nodded, still a little self-conscious.  "It's not what I'm used to."
     "Yeah, I can imagine," he agreed, then switched the topic to indulge 
his curiosity.  "You know, if you're one of Elita's Femmes, why haven't I 
seen your name in the history files?"
     "I was created and added to the team after the split already happened. 
That's why I've never lived anywhere but underground."
     "Really?" he asked in a slow, sarcastic voice.  "I never could have 
guessed."
     I was pretty sure he was just kidding again, but it was so hard to be 
certain.  With the Femmes, it was always so easy to tell, but I didn't 
know him well enough yet.  Plus, I couldn't afford to mess things up 
here.  They'd just send me home to the Femmes and tell me not to come 
back - or worse, they might tell *all* of the Femmes to stay away.  All 
because Whiz blew it again.
     "That was a joke too," Hot Rod supplied.  "You really need to lighten 
up."
     I couldn't suppress a short burst of laughter.  Imagine!  Someone 
telling *me* to lighten up.  I wished I could record it and play it for 
my sisters the next time they lectured me on buckling down and being 
serious.
     He stopped in his tracks to regard me curiously.  "Oh great, now I'm 
only funny by accident..."
     I halted and grinned at him.  "It's just that 'lighten up' is usually 
my line."
     He chuckled.  "Yeah, that's right.  Well, you promised to make my life 
more interesting, didn't you?  This place could sure use it, so stop 
being so nervous.  We don't bite."
     I agreed solemnly, "Right.  You just shoot cannons."
     "Come on, it was an honest mistake.  Besides, I didn't hit you," he 
protested.
     "Not for lack of trying," I said slyly.
     He looked about ready to reply when a large grey and silver Autobot 
clanked over to us.  I recognized the form from my studies of Earth 
culture.  It was a dinosaur - and from the small arms and oversized jaws, 
I'd say a Tyrannosaurus rex.  "Who dat?" the tyrannosaurus demanded, 
pointing at me with one of his silver claws.  
     "This is Whiz, Grimlock.  She came here to escape from Shockwave and 
his trained goons," Hot Rod explained.
     I grinned and waved.  "Hi Grimlock."
     Grimlock laughed, a growly laugh that came from deep in his chest.  
"Now Shockwave pick on puny, skinny little Autobots.  No able to come 
after Grimlock.  He know that Grimlock stomp his one eye flat!"  Then he 
stomped about and thrashed his tail in a demonstration of his ferocity.
     Hot Rod groaned.  "She's not puny, Grimlock, she's built differently 
because she's a Femme.  A girl."
     "Ho ho ho!  Shockwave pick on little girls.  And lose!  No match for 
me, Grimlock."
     I grinned.  "The hard part is catching me.  Care to dance, Grimlock?"
     Hot Rod looked at me in half a panic.  "I don't know if that's such a 
good idea..."
     "You little and you still injured.  Me Grimlock go easy on you," the 
big dinosaur grinned toothily as he took up a more alert stance.
     I studied the reach of his front paws, then swept my optics 
calculatingly along his back.  Bingo.  "Well, come on then, big guy."
     He roared and ran toward me with all of the subtlety of a steamroller. 
Hot Rod covered his optics with his hands in horror as Grimlock plowed 
closer, but I could swear he was peeking.  At the last moment, I 
sidestepped the charge, then leaped onto Grimlock's back as he rushed 
past.  Locking my legs around him and holding onto his neck for dear life 
with my left arm, I reached up with my right and began to scratch at the 
base of his head, where he couldn't possibly reach.
     "No fair!  You come down and fight!" Grimlock roared.
     I grinned.  "And get stomped by the Terrible Lizard?  I don't think 
so."
     His little arms reached up to swat me, but fell short.  "Stop that!  
Me can no reach there!  Hey... ah... wait..."  He stopped flailing and 
started rumbling contentedly.  "That not so bad."
     I glanced up to see Hot Rod staring at me in absolute disbelief.  I 
flashed him a superior look and turned back to Grimlock.  "You're not so 
mean.  You're just a big friendly dino."
     "Not friendly dino," Grimlock said petulantly.  "King Dino.  Me squash 
'Cons into scrap metal."
     "Of course you do, but I'm not a 'Con," I said cheerily, hopping down 
from my perch with a few last scratches.  "So will you be a friendly dino 
for me?"
     Grimlock thought it over for a minute.  "Me be your friend.  Maybe 
more Decepticons try to attack puny Femme, and me Grimlock can bash them 
to pieces."
     I chuckled.  "I'm going to take that in the best possible way."
     "You need help, you call Grimlock.  Me go." And he stomped onto a 
people mover that whisked him down a long hallway.
     Hot Rod shook his head.  "Ultra Magnus smiling, Blurr speechless, and 
now Grimlock the big friendly dino?  You're almost scary.  I hope I'm not 
your next target - you might actually make me start acting *responsible*."
     I grinned.  "What would you be doing if you weren't giving me this 
tour?"
     He shrugged.  "I don't know.  Probably goofing off with one of the 
practice drones in the training room."
     I looked at him slyly.  "And what are you doing instead of goofing 
off?"
     "Showing you around, like Magnus..." He stopped short and his optics 
narrowed.  His mouth opened to reply, then snapped shut with a frustrated-
sounding growl.
     I made a mock bow.  "The prosecution rests."
     He gave me another appraising look.  "You really are spooky."
     Laughing out loud, I pulled at his elbow.  "C'mon, I need to call the 
others."
     "I'm surprised you can't convince the comm terminal to come to you," 
he chuckled, leading me through a pair of doors into the quiet hush of 
their communications center.  There were a few other Autobots stationed 
inside, but they were glued to their sensors and monitors, and didn't 
even spare a glance for us.
     My optics practically popped out of my head as I saw the dazzling 
array of consoles, monitors, readouts, and blinking lights that stretched 
before me.  So many toys, so little time...
     "You can use this terminal here," Hot Rod said in a low whisper, 
gesturing to an unoccupied chair.
     I sat down and appraised the system.  Not so different from the setup 
back home, except more compact.  This was obviously a much newer model, 
with extra style.  I tried out the controls and found that I could 
operate it on my own with no trouble, so I patched through to the Femmes' 
encrypted frequency.  
     "Whiz!" Arcee shrieked as soon as she appeared on the screen.  The 
irritated faces of Iacon's sensor squad turned to regard me coldly from 
all around, chastising me for interrupting their work.  On the other end 
of the connection, the reaction was much different.  Chromia and 
Sunrunner dashed up behind the seated Arcee, staring over her shoulders 
at me.
     "Whiz? What happened to you?  We've been searching and searching..." 
Sunrunner said excitedly.
     Chromia turned to Arcee first, telling her, "Call Elita and Firestar 
back to base. Tell them Whiz has finally checked in."
     Arcee nodded to Chromia and turned to the side to hold a hushed 
conversation over her personal comlink.
     Turning back to regard me carefully, Chromia said dispassionately, 
"Whiz, I'm happy to see that you're all right. You had us all worried. 
But now that we know you're alive... where *are* you, Whiz?"
     "Uhhh," I stammered. This wasn't going to be pretty. "I'm in Iacon."
     "Iacon?!" the three of them demanded in chorus.
     "Are you out of your mind, Whiz?" Arcee continued.
     Chromia grimaced at Arcee. "Hasn't she always been?"
     "Hey!" I protested.
     "You know the rules, Whiz," Sunrunner said with uncharacteristic 
seriousness.  "Silent and unseen. Even by the other Autobots."
     "Whiz, after all of the times we've *told* you not to go to Iacon -- 
how could you do this to us?" Chromia asked, her optics flat with anger 
and her voice clearly showing her disappointment.
     I seethed. "I had Shockwave, Guillotine, and Windfinder the 
seeker-tracker on my tail, and I'd just gone through *torture* to keep 
them from finding our base.  Would you rather I'd just waltzed on home 
with them right behind me?" I demanded hotly.
     "It wouldn't have been a problem if you'd listened to us instead of 
running back to set that bomb," Chromia said calmly.
     "I had to set it, or Shockwave would have nabbed us all! I can't 
believe you're blaming *me*!" I shot back. I hate it when she gets all 
cold and quiet. She just lets you get as mad as you want and it doesn't 
even touch her.
     "What's happened is past. Just don't get too comfortable - as soon as 
Elita and Firestar get back, we're coming to pull you out of there," 
Chromia said firmly. "We'll be in touch by comlink once we reach the 
surface. Chromia out."  The screen went blank as Sunrunner cheerfully 
waved into it one last time.
     I continued to stare at the dark monitor for a long moment, then 
sighed.  That could have gone better.
     "Um," Hot Rod said, looking a bit confused, "I guess that means you 
won't be staying long."
     I nodded slowly.  "Guess not."
"I'm sure Ultra Magnus could talk to them for you, if you wanted," Hot
Rod suggested helpfully.
     "No," I said, rising from my chair.  "I belong with my sisters."
     "They sure don't seem to appreciate you much.  You went through a lot 
for them." He looked down at his feet.  "Sounded like Kup and Ultra Magnus
talking to me."
     I shrugged.  "They were just worried, that's all.  Maybe they'll have 
cooled off by the time they get here."
     "If you say so," he agreed doubtfully. "But it doesn't leave us with 
much time to get you fixed up.  I'll take you to our repair bay."
     I smiled.  "Thanks.  I appreciate all of your help."
     "It's no problem, really," he said with a hint of a smirk.  "All in a 
day's work."
     "Maybe someday I'll be here long enough to return the favor somehow," 
I said hopefully as he guided me out the doors and around a corner.
     "I hope so.  Iacon needs more headstrong, responsibility-shirking 
young misfits for the old veterans to push around."
     I looked up at him, startled and unsure if he was joking.  His wide 
smile assured me that he was, and I chuckled.  "How many of those do you 
know already?"
     "Just the one," he replied mischievously.  "But he's very good at it.  
A real Prince Charming, too --  or so they tell me."
     "I think that 'they' have been exaggerating that last bit," I observed 
mildly, prompting him to laugh.
     "You're probably right.  Well, here we are."  He opened the grey door 
and gestured me inside the Iacon MedCenter.
     If the communications center was paradise, this was nirvana.  I 
couldn't imagine anyone saying that this place was understocked.  A bit 
on the disorganized side, yes, but just look - shiny medtables, all this 
new computer equipment, an automated assembler, and even little medical 
drones to collect and recycle old materials.
     "Doesn't look like anybody is around right now - I'll call whoever's 
on duty..." Hot Rod volunteered, either not noticing the blatant way I 
was coveting those brand new circuit splicers or choosing to save me 
embarrassment by pretending not to see.
     "No -  no need," I said vaguely, fascinated by a bank of part 
replicators.  So much stuff!  What I wouldn't give for some of *these* to 
play with back home...
     "You sure?  How can you do repairs on *yourself*?" he asked 
skeptically.
     "I guess I'm not used to having much help," I shrugged.
     "Well, there's no sense in doing it on you own when we've got medics 
here to help you out."  He looked at a computer terminal and punched up a 
display.  "Looks like Slapdash is on duty."
     Slapdash?  Doesn't speak much for quality control.  But then again, 
with gadgets like this, *anybody* could repair an injury.  I picked up a 
laser scalpel and held the blade up to the light, admiring it, as Hot Rod 
spoke softly into a personal radio.
     "He's on his way," Hot Rod announced, coming over to see what I was up 
to.
     By that time, I'd moved on to investigate the control panels on the 
schematics terminal.  "Great."
     "You know what all these gizmos do?"
     "Mostly.  Yours are all so much newer than ours.  After Alpha-Trion... 
left us... we didn't have access to the newest technology.  I had to keep 
patching up the old stuff instead.  I kept it functional, but it's not 
nearly as cool as what's in here," I explained.
     "Riiiiight.  Cool," he grinned.  "You need to get out more."
     I laughed.  "Who am I to argue?"
     "You're handling yourself all right so far.  If you can win over 
Grimlock, you're going to be just fine.  Plus, now you'll have a phalanx 
of Dinobot bodyguards following you around the base."
     "Hmm?  You mean there's more like him?"
     He nodded with an exaggerated groan.  "There's a whole team of them on 
Earth.  Wheeljack created them there from scratch.  Grimlock's their 
leader - he's just up here temporarily because he was guarding the latest 
energon shipment."
     I sighed wistfully.  "I've read so much about Earth.  I wish I could 
see it."
     "I haven't been there, actually.  The trip's pretty long, and the 
Decepticons have this nasty habit of attacking the shuttles.  Plus, you'd 
have to wait for the next shipment before you could get back.  But once 
they start construction of the new Earth-base, maybe you could help out," 
he suggested.
     I frowned.  "I couldn't leave the others for that long."
     "You never know," he said. "Maybe someday they'll want to see it too."
     Just then, the doors slid open and another Autobot came in to join us. 
"Where's my patient?" he asked cheerfully.
     "She's right here," Hot Rod said, indicating me with a sweep of his 
hand.  "Slapdash, this is Whiz."
     I smiled and waved a little, hopping up to sit on one of the med 
tables.  "Nice to meet you."
     Slapdash's optics opened wider, startled, and he turned to Hot Rod with
an unspoken question on his face.  Hot Rod just nodded sagely, as if his 
short acquaintance with me had suddenly made him the authority on Femmes.
     "Yes," I said cheerfully, "I am."
     Slapdash laughed heartily.  "You've seen that reaction before, have 
you?"  He was tall and stocky, looking more like a warrior of the field 
than a resident of the medbay.  His silver shoulders were broad and 
square, with a triangle of midnight blue pointing downward over his 
chest.  The same blue circled his waist, traced a line down his arms and 
legs, and was reflected in his cheerful blue optics.  "Well, I apologize."
     "That's okay, I don't blame you for being surprised.  At least you 
didn't shoot at me," I said lightly, sliding my gaze over to Hot Rod.
     "Hey!" he protested.
     Slapdash looked between our faces, confused.  "Who shot at you?"
     "You were an unknown careening toward the front gates.  How many times 
do I have to apologize?" Hot Rod groaned.
     "You haven't yet, as I recall," I grinned.
     "You shot at her?" Slapdash asked in disbelief.
     "I thought she was an intruder.  And I'm *sorry*!"
     I smiled sweetly.  "Apology accepted.  Thank you."
     "Arrrgh," Hot Rod said, slapping his forehead with the heel of his hand.
     "Sounds like I missed the best of the excitement.  Ah well, let's see 
what we can do for you," Slapdash rumbled, scanning me with a compact 
device.
     Hot Rod harumphed and wandered over to check out the contents of a few 
supply cabinets.  "So, what do you do for the Femmes?  Aside from heap on 
personal abuse?"
     I chuckled.  "Mostly repair and maintenance stuff.  But I'm also the 
demolitions expert of the group.  And I study Earth culture, keep up on 
current events, stuff like that.  They keep me busy."
     Slapdash checked over his readings.  "Too busy to take proper care of 
yourself?"
     "Well, the Decepticons worked me over pretty well, and the others just 
have to do the best they can with me," I explained.
     "Nevermind that.  Well, ol' Slapdash is going to fix you up right.  
New parts, installed by someone who knows what he's doing.  How's that 
sound?" Slapdash smiled at me, then headed over to retrieve some parts 
from a supply cabinet.
     I'd never been embarrassed about the state of my parts before - it 
never really crossed my mind.  It seemed natural to live with patches on 
patches, especially when that's all that surrounds you.  But here, it was 
like a sign of being an outsider.  I was the little country mouse, come 
to visit her city cousins.  I frowned and looked at the floor between my 
feet, wishing I had just done my own repairs after all.
     Slapdash must've misinterpreted my silence as fear.  "I assure you, 
you're in good hands.  I'll have you feeling as good as on your creation 
day in no time at all."
     "Yeah," I said hollowly, lying back and letting him get to work on my 
slashes, bites, burns, and scars.  One cheerful thought led to another 
and I was soon wondering what Chromia and Elita were going to do to me 
once they arrived.  Sure, they'd be happy to see me for about a minute, 
but then -- pow!  How could you do it, Whiz?  Silent and unseen.  
Plausible deniability.  Security in secrecy.  And *you* screwed it all up.
     I *still* didn't see what choice I had.  Okay, maybe I shouldn't have 
run back to set the explosive, but if I hadn't... and besides, all the 
wishing in the world wouldn't have changed that once Shockwave was on my 
trail.  I did what I could, right?
      Hot Rod finished his tour of the supply cabinets and meandered back 
over to grin down at me as Slapdash whipped up a replacement for my 
finger.  "See," the younger Autobot asked, "Much easier than trying to 
repair yourself."
     "I guess," I agreed with a chuckle.  "And this time I have someone 
else to blame if anything goes wrong."
     "Hey," Slapdash protested good-naturedly.  "Have a little faith."
     "Yeah, we guy-bots have our uses too," Hot Rod concurred.
     "At least I said 'if', and not 'when'," I said in the same joking tone.
     Slapdash smiled.  "If I could get you to turn over and transform, I'd 
get better access to your hoverjets."
     I wiggled my new finger experimentally, then shifted into my 
airskimmer mode and puffed my jets lightly in the air.  Slapdash took a 
look at my structure, then continued his work.
     "So, you said you'd have somebody to blame *this* time.  Do things 
often go wrong with your repairs?" Hot Rod pressed.
     I made a noncommittal noise, remembering the mistake that had gotten 
me into all this in the first place.  Stupid explosives.  "I'm in your 
repair bay getting overhauled while I wait for the other Femmes to come 
lecture me about what got me here in the first place.  What do you think?"
     "I think it just goes to show you that sometimes mistakes turn out for 
the best," Hot Rod said wryly.
     "Yes," Slapdash agreed.  "Otherwise, we would never have met you."
     A warm glow crept over me.  They were right, after all.  The day had 
its drawbacks, but it more than compensated for them.  After all, look 
where I was!  In Iacon!  With all of the other Autobots, and their toys, 
and their spare parts...
     "And more important," Hot Rod added, "You wouldn't have met *us*."  He 
smiled widely.
     I chuckled to myself.  "How could I have gone on living?"
     "You would have been pretty bored," Hot Rod suggested.
     Slapdash grinned at us both.  "At the very least, you wouldn't have 
gotten these repairs.  All done, by the way."
     I transformed back into my robot form and sat up on the table.  I felt 
pretty good, actually.  "Thanks much, Slapdash."
     He beamed.  "You're welcome.  It's nice to have someone appreciate my 
work for once."     
     I started to reply, "I know how it feel..." but was interrupted by an 
insistent tone from my comlink.  I frowned.
     Hot Rod recognized immediately what it was, and he frowned as well.  
Slapdash just seemed puzzled.  "Aren't you going to respond to that?  
Sounds urgent."
     I smiled halfheartedly.  "Yeah.  Guess I'd better."  I turned my 
attention inward to the comlink.
     -Whiz here.-
     -Whiz, this is Elita-I.  Chromia and I are on our way to Iacon.  Meet 
us at the gates and make sure nobody *else* sees you.  Let's keep your 
exposure to the other Autobots as low as possible.  We'll discuss this 
further back at the base.-
     -But... Elita...-
     -That's enough, Whiz.  Just keep your damage to a minimum.-  She said 
firmly.  -Elita out.-
     I sighed deeply.
     "Not good, huh?" Hot Rod asked with apparent concern.
     "I have to leave.  They want me to be at the front gates and not to 
let anyone else see me."  I frowned.  "I'm supposed to keep my damage to 
a minimum."
     Hot Rod looked frustrated.  "Damage?  Why is it damage for me to know 
you?  We could actually help each other out, after all.  And it's not as 
if the Decepticons don't already *know* you exist."
     Slapdash nodded.  "I'm not sure I understand either."
     I shrugged.  "You guys have already seen me, no harm in you walking 
with me to the gates.  If you'll clear the way, I'll explain the story to 
you while we walk."
     "Ultra Magnus will probably want to be there too, Whiz.  And since 
he's seen you, there's no more damage to do there, right?" Hot Rod 
suggested.
     "There's *always* more damage to do.  But sure, invite him too.  
Make it a party," I smiled.  "As long as it's a quiet one."
     Hot Rod nodded and Slapdash took a look out the door.  "We're clear," 
the medic announced.  "Whenever you're ready."
     "Magnus is on his way," Hot Rod reported.  "After you, Whiz."  He made 
a reasonable facsimile of a sweeping noble bow, indicating that I should 
precede him.  
     I made an awkward imitation of the curtsies I'd seen in my videos 
about Earth, then headed out into the hallway.  Slapdash and Hot Rod 
followed me, keeping their eyes out for unwelcome guests.  We made it out 
to the courtyard without incident, then settled in to wait for Elita and 
Chromia to arrive.
     "So, explain why you have to maintain this policy of secrecy, even to 
your allies," Hot Rod pressed.
     "How are we a threat to your security, Whiz?" Slapdash queried, now 
that the subject had just become current again.
     "That's a question I'd like answered as well," Ultra Magnus nodded as 
he joined us in the courtyard.
     I grimaced.  Well, no hope for it now.  Just pass on the same story 
you've heard all your life, Whiz.  No reason why they won't agree with 
it, after all.  Even though it's never made sense to you, either...
     "It all started when Optimus Prime originally left for Earth.  You 
guys made your place in Iacon, while the Femmes sought solitude 
underground.  They grew closer to each other over that time, especially 
once it was learned that Optimus Prime had disappeared.  Eventually, they 
were so effective that they no longer needed Iacon.  So, to protect their 
location and maintain secrecy about their existence, they allowed you 
guys to think they were dead.  Pretty simple," I explained.  "Even though 
the 'Cons know we exist again, half of them don't really believe it yet.  
Plus, they don't know where we are.  As long as that's the case, we're 
safe."
     "So?  It's not like we're demanding the location of your base," 
Hot Rod cut in.
     "I'm not quite finished.  See, it's all the principle of plausible 
deniability.  If you guys can swear honestly that there are no more 
female Autobots, and really believe it yourselves, the Decepticons might 
start doubting it too.  Eventually, we fade back into Cybertronian myth 
and continue our fight without them finding out who we are and where we 
live."  I looked around at them, hoping that was sufficient.
     "I understand the strategy, Whiz," Ultra Magnus said carefully, "But 
nothing can stay the same forever.  It's impossible to deny the 
inevitable need for change."
     "I agree," Slapdash added.  "Sometimes strategies may outlive their 
adaptiveness and actually become obstacles."
     "The Femmes are never good about knowing when to quit," I told them,
regret tingeing my words.  My comlink got my attention with a tone 
and I turned my attention toward my sisters.
     -Whiz, we're approaching the gate.  Make sure their guards stand 
down,- Chromia's voice told me.
     -I'll do it,- I promised.  The connection severed, and I looked up at 
Ultra Magnus.  "Don't forget to tell Blurr not to shoot them," I said, 
"We don't want him making the same mistake Hot Rod did."
     "Hey!" Hot Rod protested.  "I apologized!"
     A smile crept over Ultra Magnus' face.  "She has a point.  I've 
notified Blurr."
     "How can you take her side?" Hot Rod demanded.
     Ultra Magnus said simply, "Because I *know* you, Hot Rod."
     Hot Rod grumbled, and I smiled sweetly at him.
     Soon the gates swung ponderously open, and Elita entered with Chromia 
at her right.  Ultra Magnus saluted her crisply and said, "Welcome to 
Iacon.  I'm Ultra Magnus, the City Commander here.  It's an honor to have 
you with us for the first time in so many years."
     Elita nodded curtly.  Outwardly, Chromia couldn't have looked less 
interested, but I could see her optics taking in every detail of the 
courtyard and the base beyond.  Elita shot an irritated glance at me, 
then said,  "It's a pleasure.  I apologize for whatever trouble Whiz has 
been into."
     "Not at all.  She's been a wonderful guest," Ultra Magnus assured her. 
"We hope she, and the rest of the Femmes, might visit again soon - and 
for a longer time."
     Whoa!  Ultra Magnus breaks out of the leader-type small talk first to 
hint about resuming relations.  Bold move for the big guy.
     "Perhaps someday," Elita said stiffly.  "But we are quite comfortable 
with our present arrangements."
     Ouch.
     Ultra Magnus didn't falter.  "Well, it has been a pleasure 
nevertheless.  Do you wish an escort to your base?  We understand that 
Whiz had some trouble with Decepticons in the tunnels."
     "No.  We can take care of ourselves," Chromia replied shortly, her 
tone inviting no argument.
     "Come on Whiz, let's go home," Elita said to me, and I headed over to 
her side.  With a final wave backward at Hot Rod, Slapdash, Ultra Magnus, 
and even Blurr, I headed out of Iacon and heard the heavy iron doors slam 
shut behind me.
     I looked up at the impassive faces of my sisters and flinched.  This 
homecoming wasn't going to be a picnic.  I sighed.  Well, it was fun 
while it lasted.
     Elita turned to look down at me while we walked.  "You had us all 
worried about you, Whiz.  We thought you might have been killed."
     I nodded miserably.  "I know."
     "What you did was brave.  You risked your own life to save ours, just 
as we would have done for you.  From what you've said, you obviously 
thought it was necessary and acted on that.  So we all owe you a great 
deal," Elita continued.
     I perked up.  Hey, this was a lot different from Chromia's speech.  I 
could get to like this one.
     Chromia looked around a bit.  "With all respect, Elita, we're too 
exposed here.  You two should continue this back at the base."
     "You're right, Chromia," Elita agreed.  "Femmes, transform and roll 
for home.  Remember, Shockwave may be waiting for Whiz to leave Iacon so 
he can follow us, so keep your sensors on full scan."
     "Understood," Chromia said, folding down into a hovercar.
     I transformed too and said, "Gotcha, Elita."
     Elita nodded, then compacted down and drove off, leading the way back 
to our base.  I kept my sensors scanning on a wide, intensive sweep in 
search of any unusual activity, but my mind was otherwise occupied.  What 
did Elita's words to me mean?  Had I been forgiven?  But why was she so 
cold to Ultra Magnus?  He at least deserves her respect, after all.  
Maybe she was just mad that she had to talk to anybody.  Or maybe it's 
just been too long since they'd seen the other Autobots.
     I heard Alpha-Trion's voice in my mind from a long, long time ago.  
"Elita and her followers have been in isolation for too long, Whiz.  
They've become experts at surviving, but they've forgotten how to live.  
You can remind them.  You're new to life and new to this war, too new to 
have been jaded by disappointment and loss.  You must change their old 
ways for their own good."
     He'd been right then, and he was right now.  It had been too long 
since they'd been forced to really interact with anyone other than 
themselves.  Maybe going to Iacon was a reluctant step in the right 
direction.
     We took the direct route this time, heading over to a particularly 
scrapped and scavenged area of Crystal City's wreckage.
     "All scans show we're clear," Chromia reported.
     "I haven't got a blip," I agreed.
     "All right then.  Femmes, transform." Once we were all in robot form, 
Elita punched in a coded sequence on her wrist and a chunk of rubble slid 
aside.  A warm yellow light rose out of the ground as our entrance was 
revealed.  Chromia was first to step into the golden glow of the 
suspension field, and once she had floated safely to the floor below, I 
followed.  As I stepped out into the base, Elita came along behind and 
sealed off the entrance.
     "Whiz!  Thank the Matrix you're okay!" Arcee shouted, getting to her 
feet and racing over to me.  Sunrunner quickly ran after her, with 
Firestar heading casually over behind Sunrunner.
     "What happened to you?  How did you make it out of there?  What was 
Iacon like?  Did you meet any of the other Autobots?"  Sunrunner and 
Arcee were asking different questions at the same time, so I was lucky 
just to decipher what they were asking, if not who was asking what.
     "One thing at a time!" I laughed.
     Elita nodded.  "Indeed.  Whiz, why don't you explain all of it from 
the beginning?"
     So I told them my whole story of adventure and woe, beginning with my 
quick thinking in the cave-in and running through my experiences as a 
meal for turbo-rats, a pincushion for Guillotine, and a visitor in Iacon.
     "I can't believe that guy *shot* at you," Sunrunner commented.
     "Yeah, no wonder they felt like they had to patch you up," Arcee 
agreed.
     "Oh, it was just an honest mistake.  After all, if they don't know we 
exist, why wouldn't they automatically identify us as enemies?"  As hard 
as I tried, I couldn't keep some bitterness out of my voice.
     "You know the rules, Whiz," Firestar reiterated.  "We have security 
through secrecy."
     I was so tired of hearing that same line over and over, as if it 
explained everything. "No we don't.  We have stagnation and isolation in 
the name of a false sense of security.  The Decepticons *know* we exist 
and they're going to find us eventually.  We won't be able to hold them 
off by ourselves if they hit us with a full scale assault!  At least we 
could call on the others for help if we start maintaining contact," I 
argued.
     "We don't need them for anything!" Firestar shouted heatedly.
     "Whiz could be right, Firestar," Arcee said, surprising me.  Usually 
she just agrees with whatever Elita-I says.
     "Whiz, Arcee, I know what you're thinking," Elita said gently.  "Don't 
think that we haven't had the same ideas.  But you haven't been doing 
this as long as we have.  We know what works, and we know what's best."
     "What's best for the past isn't always best for the future," I said 
bitterly.
     "Whiz, watch it.  Elita is still your leader, even when you disagree 
with her," Chromia interjected in a warning tone.
     I bit back my response and maintained a sullen silence.
     "If Iacon is what you really want, Whiz, you're welcome to go back to 
them.  But your access codes will be erased from our computers and you 
will no longer be one of us," Elita offered, her voice and face carefully 
controlled to betray no emotion.
     I gasped.  Throw me out?  "I couldn't do that!" I blurted out 
immediately.  "How could I leave you guys?"
     Elita's face softened.  "I'm glad to hear you say that, Whiz, though I 
never doubted that it would be your answer.  Welcome home."  Her voice
held nothing but love and relief as she opened her arms to me.
     Firestar grinned.  "Yeah, welcome home, li'l sis." The others crowded 
around to echo the sentiment, and I felt an old, familiar warmth rekindle 
itself.  This was home.  As long as I was with the other Femmes, I was in 
the right place.
     If only it had nifty gadgets, too....

[End of "Higher Ground"]



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