Ep 0.5 "New Ground" (closed)

Optimus had been discussing with Agent Fowler, somewhat tensely, that the Autobot power consumption had been literally halved in the last half month and would continue to fractionally drop as their engineers worked. Fowler’s reply, to his great consternation, had been that the United States and their allied NATO backers were still reviewing the cost to benefit ratio of keeping the Autobot base running regardless of their drastic and immediate reduction of cost. Fowler said he was backing Optimus and his team all the way because he too was getting heat for this.

‘I don’t like it, Prime. I mean I don’t like it when your Bots crash land in corn fields and set civilian undershorts on fire, but I don’t like being jerked around by my own species even more. I dunno where this pressure’s coming from. I got a few friends I can ask… but it’s strange. I’m feeling a political push of some kind. I’ll keep you briefed. Meanwhile, keep pushing down power-levels and keep your Bots on good behavior. Don’t give ‘em a reason. Ya hear me?’

Optimus’ immediate thought had been ‘A reason to do what, precisely, Agent Fowler?’ but reined that back in favor of ending the call. He sensed that one of his Autobots had move into the fringe of his sensor range. Troubled, he did not let that reach his face as he turned to look at Rhinox.

"Of course, Rhinox. What do you need?"

Optimus blinked, nonplussed for a moment at the request because… well, he just didn’t have a precedent for it. He supposed some of his former scientific advisors had asked for sanctions to experiment – sections of land to conduct research, supplies, allotments of power and the like but the situation had never been like this. He wasn’t sure was to make of a request to garden, of all things, and not to further the war effort so much as for… pleasure. Not unlike Bumblebee begging to be allowed to get time at the race tracks from time to time or a trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Optimus shifted his weight slightly, tilting his head. “That is not an unreasonable request provided such a… garden were not in an area that human witnesses would be a risk. There is also technology that allows for indoor gardening if you would prefer to avoid the question of security risk all together.” He folded his arms. “What kind of study are you looking into?”

Optimus nodded, a flicker of vague fondness crossing his field at Rhinox’s obvious love for this kind of study. The engineer’s enthusiasm for all things organic, the life that still flourished so freely on this planet, was sincere and heartening. It was almost… upsetting how easily Rhinox’s gentle requests and interests surprised him. He’d become so used to war that the simple interests outside non-military application now came to him as foreign or startling and that bothered him a little bit – that he had forgotten the pleasure of research and data-gathering when sucha thing had once been the core of his function back on Cybertron. He offered the other mech a small smile.

“Attempt to find a secure location of your own choosing and I will inform Agent Fowler after we cross reference the area for contact-risk with humanity, but it should not be a problem. The earth is densely populated, but only where civilization is viable. There is room for your inquires, Rhinox.”

“Agent Fowler,” said Prime, pausing briefly, “is always less than pleased. I have assumed it as a baseline for his temperament and am generally unaffected in that regard. Report to me when you’ve found a suitable area to conduct your research and I will get you the necessary clearance.” A note of amusement crossed his EMF. “It is unlikely that Agent Fowler will trouble his superiors over the acquisition of a suitably private section of soil. I predict a swift approval for no other reason than to cut down on legislation.”

Or as Fowler liked to call it, 'bullshit on a patriotic cracker'. Red tape affronted the man to no end and red tape around an intergalactic alien defense team tended to be dense and time consuming.