𝙷𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 | ʙᴜᴍʙʟᴇʙᴇᴇ

Chapter 2: Liaison

I glare at the screen in front of me, people at the NEST base on one half and people at the Pentagon on the other. Lennox and Optimus's teams having made huge fucking mess in China. China! Of all places they had to wipe out four blocks worth of city. The old men pitter patter along with formal greetings but it isn't until Lennox comes on screen do I pay attention, "Yes, sir. We have intel that I believe warrants an immediate debrief. Now with your permission, I can't let you see him, but I would like you to hear from the leader of the Autobots." He announces, shit this can't be good.

"Proceed." Morshower allows, I grin when I hear Optimus transform off screen. It's been a few weeks since I've seen him in the flesh. "General, our alliance has countermanded six Decepticon incursions this year, each on a different continent. They're clearly searching around the world for something. But last night's encounter came with a warning." Optimus reports, my eyes blow wide, "The Fallen shall rise again." An eerie recording plays. "The Fallen. Meaning what?" Morshower questions, "Origin unknown. The only recorded history of our race was contained within the Allspark and lost with its destruction. I was hoping some of Tracer's research may help." Optimus answers.

"I'll see what—" I'm then promptly and rudely cut off, "Excuse me! With this so-called Allspark now destroyed, why hasn't the enemy left the planet like you thought they would?" An unknown voice calls, "Director Galloway, our National Security Advisor. The President just appointed him liaison." Lennox informs with an eye roll, I muffle a laugh at the expression. "Well, I guess I didn't get that memo." Morshower grunts, "Me and you both." I mumble. Deciding to take a small side quest on my second monitor and do some digging.

"Forgive the interruption, General. Excuse me. Coming through. Excuse me. Excuse me, soldier. Um. After all the damage in Shanghai, the President is, um, hard-pressed to say the job's getting done. Now, under the classified Alien-Autobot Cooperation Act, you agreed to share your intel with us, but not your advancements in weaponry." This uptight looking man rambles on through the screen. I lock my jaw in an effort not to comment so brazenly on the first meeting, a curtsy Optimus advised me to adopt upon first entering the program. "We've witnessed your human capacity for war. It would absolutely bring more harm than good." Optimus responds, "But who are you to judge what's best for us?" The man argues back. "Extraterrestrial technology should be limited to a few humans or none at all. What you're asking of him is like you walking up to the Russians and asking why they haven't shared they're nuclear war advancements." I cut in.

The small angry man in the suit turns his attention to me, but Lennox being the man he is, quickly steps in. "With all due respect, we've been fighting side by side in the field for two years." Lennox adds in, "We've shed blood, sweat and precious metal together." I can hear Epps call from somewhere off screen. "Soldier, you're paid to shoot, not talk." The angry man orders, "And the, ah, newest members of your team, the most technologically advanced spec-ops team in the world and we handed operational controls to a what? Eighteen-year-old hacker?" The angry man lectures to the General. "Actually, I turned nineteen two weeks ago." I informed, "I wasn't talking to you." He snaps. "Easy." Optimus calls in a deep rumble that takes the tiny man in a fancy suit down a notch. I smirk smugly at the liaison when he looked at me, wonder what crawled up his ass and died.

"I understand they arrived here after you sent a message into space, an open invitation to come to Earth, vetted by no one at the White House." He points out, "Let me stop you right there, mister Galloway. It was vetted right here. And in my experience, the judgment of both Major Lennox and his team has always been above reproach." Morshower cuts in.

"Well, be that as it may, General, it is the position of the President that when our national security is at stake... No one is above reproach. Now, what do we know so far? We know that the enemy leader, classified NBE-One—" the man starts, my heart falls to my stomach. "Hey Stop." I call, "a.k.a. Megatron, is rusting in peace at the bottom of the Laurentian Abyss, surrounded by SOSUS detection nets and a full-time submarine surveillance." He continues on. "HEY Shut up!" I snap hurriedly trying to access their audio transmissions, "We also know that the only remaining piece of your alien Allspark is locked in an electromagnetic vault here on one of the most secure naval bases in the world." The man rambles. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I scream banging my hands on the desk. Effectively catching the chats attention, but I'm too busy digging through programming and files to say something.

The liaison took that as a cue to continue, "And since no one can seem to tell me what the enemy is now after. Well, there's only one clear conclusion! You! The Autobots! They're here to hunt you! What's there to hunt for on Earth besides that? The Fallen shall rise again? It sounds to me like something's coming. So. Let me ask, if we ultimately conclude that our national security is best served by denying you further asylum on our planet, will you leave? Peacefully?" He questions, he vaguely veiled threats only make me type faster. "Freedom is your right. If you make that request, we will honor it. But... before your President decides, please ask him this: What if we leave... and you're wrong?" Optimus questions right, I wish I was there to pat him on the back for that one.

Liaison paused and took my chance, "May I speak now?" I question. "Do you have something of value to say?" He responds. I glare at the man, he wants to play hard ball, fine, lets play hard ball. "Oh well excuse me for interrupting a very important meeting but as of oh, three minutes ago? When you decided to relinquish top secret information over a live transmission, a foreign and probably alien virus invaded our government satellite and received access to our transmission." I bemuse, I watch the tiny man pale. I lean forward and glare at the man through the camera, "I might just be some nineteen-year-old hacker to you but at least I have the common sense not to speak classified information over a live transmission. That being said, looking at your recent search history mister Liaison you seem to get your half-baked opinions from gossip articles and tabloids." I snort.

"You have NO RIGHT—" He challenges, pointing his finger at me and coming closer to the screen, Lennox's arm shot out and held back glaring fiercely like he was actually going to attack me. "I have every right when you come into MY house and demand something you have no right or authority to demand then proceed to try and bully us into submission with thinly veiled threats. I don't know if you didn't read all the fine print Mister Galloway, but under operational controls lead, I double as both the human and autobot ambassador for project NEST. I could not only have your restricted access resended but your entire fucking career shattered." I sneer. "Now suggest you make a few calls and make sure the shard and Megatron are put into hard lockdown before your mistake potentially gets us all killed." I sneer.

I watch the man off screen before relaxing into my chair with a tired huff, "Miss Trace?" The General calls, "Yes sir?" I question. "Outstanding job." He nods, I shot him a grin, "I've seen a lot of pricks in my time, but that man is a fucking cactus." I muse. Lennox bowed his head, but I can see the grin on his face. "Bee should be heading to the NEST soon. I'll catch a ride over there with him." I chime before logging off.