Maelstrom Chapter 10 Convert: Part 1
Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original Maelstrom Comics and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there...and believe me I am a better artist than writer.
Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored!)
The corpse's stride was steady, each heavy step resounding on the cold steel floor. No one challenged it. Its flawless, angular face was a familiar sight around the communications annex in Central. It had been there daily for years, following preset instructions. The fact that it had lacked contact with its programmers for most of that time did not trouble it, for it was not capable of worry, speculation, or even awareness of what qualified as "too long". It merely went about its task. Now that task had been altered. Earlier that week when someone with the appropriate codes contacted it, it wasn't concerned that those who now commanded it had little in common with its programmers... not even basic chemical composition.
Quintisons were simpletons compared to the Jabez. The CV wasn't programed to notice. Nor did it notice the desperation in the eyes of the pair that discovered and "acquired" it... It did not feel fear when they had gone through what should have been the painful process of discovering its command codes. It noticed neither their elation at its discovery nor the fear with which they operated. Being called their last hope didn't have any meaning for it. It did not wonder why there were only two of them. It merely accepted its new programming and went to work the minute they deposited it back where they found it.
It accessed a remote security panel. With a few well calculated cuts in the complex circuitry and fiber optic networks, the security systems and com-links were disabled. The science annex and medical quadrants in grid sections S-4522 and M-4354 were now isolated and vulnerable. No one, human or robot, should have been able to touch the tangled wires and circuits without sounding alarms all over the base, but the CV cut through several dozen connections in flawless order with no hesitation. The system, designed by the Autobots to be hopelessly confusing to any intruder, proved no challenge for a tool made by their creators' creators.
Fortunately, the Autobots' leaders were aware of what they were up against, and the first skeleton of a more comprehensive security system was in place.
Unfortunately, the new system wasn't finished yet....
The sole entity on Cybertron that observed and recorded the sabotage was the patrolling consciousness of Vector Sigma, but at least it was observed. Sigma noted what was going on with dread and contacted the being it hated most in all of creation - its slave-driver/protector Rodimus Prime. The dread was two-fold. On the one hand it had real reason to fear the Convert and what its actions might set in motion. On the other hand Vector Sigma knew that the best it could hope for was Rodimus telling it "I told you so," in as many obnoxious ways as his demented mind could conceive. Even as it contacted him, Vector Sigma was almost rendered mute by its hate for him. Its rebel child... the one that slipped its controls. Sigma wanted Rodi's utter destruction and yet it knew Rodimus was its only salvation, and was terrified he might die. The dichotomy wracked the super-computer but that wasn't the worst thing. The worst thing was the lack of control. Vector Sigma thrived on control. It coveted, cherished, and wallowed in control. From its first, murky sentient instant it had craved control. Everything it had done from that moment on: infecting the robots it programed with self-awareness, sparking the rebellion, igniting the first Transformer war and every war that followed, all of it had been for the sole purpose of providing it moment by moment knowledge of exactly what was to happen next.
It hated uncertainty. It hated so many unfavorable probabilities. Most of all it hated relying on the the insightful, chaotic, insane Autobot that had set it adrift on this sea of madness in the first place to get out of it! Rodimus. Rodimus who seemed to know everything Vector Sigma was feeling for all that Vector Sigma KNEW the Autobot was FAR inferior in intelligence. Of course it knew that! It had designed even the commanders to be intelligent, but not intelligent enough to challenge ITS superiority. And yet... Rodimus' creator, the programer of the young Prime's very mind, could get no foothold on him and couldn't begin to fathom him.
Not only was Rodimus very well aware of that fact but he never missed a chance to rub it in. Now he would also have a perfect example of the flaws in Vector Sigma's machinations to gloat about. There was a Convert in Central, and if Rodi hadn't enslaved Vector Sigma... if he hadn't forced it to do this inane patrolling... it was very likely that Vector Sigma would be either in Quint or Jabez hands in a matter of hours.
It did its duty and told Rodimus what he needed to know.
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Rodimus Prime was informed of the saboteur during a fight with the Decepticons HE had engineered – although they didn't know it. He heard the hate in Vector Sigma's synthesizer and smiled sardonically even as he dodged blasts. He knew his creator hated him and returned the sentiment whole-heartedly. Yet he wasn't any better. He had just taken over the job of manipulating this war for his own purposes. He needed the Decepticons as a cover. He knew full well that the Jabez, their Sponsors, and their suppliers were pretty much ignoring the Autobots BECAUSE of the war with the Decepticons. As long as the Transformers were so fixated on locking horns, the others would bide their time and surely felt they could just pick off the Transformers when they pleased. Rodi grimaced. They were probably right.
Nevertheless he needed the Decepticons looking hale, and he didn't really want them to damage anything or hurt anyone. So he had arranged a nice shipment of energon for them, leaked word it was being shipped secretly past their territory, and was now leading the Autobots in an enthusiastic defense of a ship he INTENDED to let the 'Cons have. None of the Autobots except the command staff knew the battle was a fake.
Fake or not, it needed his full attention. Crap. His defenses for just such a contingency were well laid out, but not online yet. He cursed the need to do everything covertly. Everything took just too damned long.
When Vector Sigma contacted him over the private channel set up between them, Rodimus could hear both its very real trepidation at disturbing him and its underlying hatred of him... the hate it thought it hid from him. It was afraid though... afraid he would blame it for the intrusion. Afraid Rodimus might kill it if he blamed it. He didn't, except in the general way he blamed the entire Jabez threat on it. It told him of the human's activities and that the scan for Conversion had been positive. Never one to believe in coincidence, Rodimus concluded the battle was being used as a cover for the CV's activities.
Effective. Annoying, and leaving Central far more vulnerable to the saboteur since most of his available staff was involved with the fight, a contingency he would have to mull over later. He also realized he couldn't just announce there was an intruder in the base without exposing Vector Sigma's covert security system. The plans called for Vector Sigma to be able to sound a separate alarm system but that hadn't been installed yet...the need for secrecy and the fact that only those on the council could do the work themselves had cost them critical time. Plus the intruder LOOKED human and Rodimus couldn't just order his troops to go after it - they didn't know such a thing as Converts even existed...
Finding out what it was up to wasn't a bad idea either.
Fortunately, Rodimus had another form of communication at his disposal and Lancer grimly volunteered to spy on the spy.
No. Rodimus sent. Lancer's shoulder was still healing and she wasn't supposed to be exerting herself.
And how do you intend to stop me, Rodi-dear? You need me to go. I am going.
That didn't comfort the Autobot leader even though he knew she was the best equipt to handle the situation. She could tail the CV discretely, maybe even following it home to its programmers, and if it became necessary to dispose of it Rodimus knew the walking corpse would become a non-walking corpse without a sound. By the time Lancer was done you often removed the remains with a dustpan.
Rodimus was abruptly reminded by a disrupter blast from the Decepticons that he needed to concentrate on his battle and let Lancer cope with her own. He tried to ignore the growing list of panic-provoking possibilities that his mind was presenting him. He also tried to ignore his mate's somewhat smug mental smile as she defied him and gave her nurses the slip. As he returned fire (taking care to miss anything vital on his targets) he mulled over the timing. Was it possible the Decepticons were using the CV? Was it using them? Or was there a third party using them both? If so, who? Slavers? Quints? A Sponsor? Or perhaps the Jabez themselves....
Rodimus fought... and thought, while Lancer's bare feet padded their way towards the science wing.
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Meanwhile...
Perceptor and his assistant KC were at the finale of one of their most pressing challenges. There were only a few things left to fine-tune for the installation of the new scanners. KC was checking the field modulation of the scanner arrays, and Perceptor was preparing for the mass installation of the arrays into all interstellar vehicles upon final testing by Maelstrom's Robert. (This project had been labeled to priority by Rodimus, but then so was everything else he asked of them. He just kept changing his mind over which new idea was the most urgent.)
The new scanners had been developed from technology Perceptor and his assistant had gleaned from the Maelstrom. They still had much to learn from that ship (and its crew), and they'd be decades in understanding it all. For now the adaptation of the scanners would have to do. Once installed they would allow Vector Sigma to "follow" Autobot crews away from home. It wouldn't be able to do anything (yet) if the crew ran into trouble, but it would at least alert the command staff if one of their people had been Converted. Perceptor and KC might have had an easier time meeting Rodimus' specifications if they had known what they were really for. Neither of them knew Vector Sigma would be involved and neither of them knew about Conversion. All they DID know was Rodimus was driving them crazy with his ever-changing list of impossible tasks.
"When is testing scheduled for the new system?" KC inquired as she began preliminary diagnostic tests on the arrays.
"It is scheduled to be at 1700 hours Earth time on the 14th of this calendar month. Possibly it may be delayed due to this unexpected skirmish. I will know more from Optimus or Robert later today. If it does get post-poned it will only be to our distinct advantage. Perfection of the scanners before installation into the interstellar ships is crucial. The technology we are incorporating is very alien although I do not expect there will be any difficulties adding them to our current systems. We have tried to anticipate all of the possible complications. Additional research is always essential when dealing with new technology." Perceptor responded. "It would be preferable to study and disassemble the 'Maelstrom' to better our knowledge of it; although, I do not think Robert or any of the other members would be agreeable to that. It hardly seems reasonable - they don't know what much of their equipment does anyway."
"True," KC said with a faint hint of irony, "but then neither do we!"
The Autobot scientist missed her sarcasm naturally. "Exactly why they should allow us unfettered access! So far, Robert's tests have been arduous on our equipment, and if we are to pass the trial we require more time to perfect our endeavors. If we succeed it will be a miracle."
"It will be a miracle if we make Rodimus happy for a change. For every project we finish for him, he adds three more!"
Perceptor blinked in surprise at her aggravated tone. "He has been a bit demanding lately, but I feel it is all to the good that he finally acknowledges the value of scientific discovery and invention. He's maturing and I find his challenges most thought provoking."
"Well, maybe so, but *I* think he's gone a bit overboard."
"Nonsense. He's merely making up for lost time," Perceptor vowed.
KC knew better than to say she didn't think Rodimus was the type to have a sudden revelation of the joys of "scientific discovery" so she just nodded in agreement and the two scientists were quickly absorbed into their work once again. They continued theorizing on the endless possibilities that this technology presented. KC privately vowed to keep her promise to Jazz this time and go home BEFORE her next shift started.
Their conversation was interrupted as the Terracons, Blot and Cutthroat, crashed through the domed ceiling of the lab.
They had no warning. The sabotage had seen to that. Cutthroat slashed at Perceptor immediately with his great metal claw. He connected before Perceptor even thought to draw his weapon. KC scrambled under the edge of a work table - shaking with fear. The young engineer watched her mentor uselessly trying to hold back Cutthroat's powerful arms, but she knew a hopelessly unequal contest when she saw one. Perceptor screamed as his arm was pulled away from his body and cast aside. She needed to do something--call for backup or draw their fire--anything to help. But HOW? I'm not a REAL soldier! she thought desperately.
"Shit!" KC looked around the room for anything to distract the Terracons. Perceptor's concussion rifle was lying a few paces away from her, next to his disembodied arm.
Perceptor screamed again as his chest was torn open. The horrific wound gushed energon which spread over the floor and carried small chunks of circuitry with it. Grief and an ancient form of rage overturned KC's fear.
She ran to Perceptor's rifle, knowing it was too large for her to handle, but hoping that it could create a diversion. She pushed it towards the Terracons (it took all her strength to turn it the right direction) and just managed to pull the firing mechanism by bracing her feet against the finger guard and hauling back on the trigger with both hands. Vaguely she analyzed the effects of adrenaline in her system since she knew such a feat was usually beyond her capacity. Without support, the report from the rifle sent it spinning on the smooth floor and she was thrown against the work table several feet away. The shot went wide of the Terrorcons ankles but she drew Blot and Cutthroat's attention. She scrambled to her feet and thought, Well, I'm dead now. With that she ran yelling across the room to keep the Terracon's attention on her. Size, speed, and power were definitely on their side - intelligence was not.
The next thing KC knew there were two powerful, short blasts. She held a breath expecting it to be her last. It wasn't until the Terracons collapsed that she realized it wasn't HER that had been shot. She looked up and saw her salvation, but somehow Lancer's wild, glowing eyes were no comfort. The growling mutant glanced over KC briefly, saw she wasn't injured and ignored her to evaluate Perceptor's damage. Lancer didn't need her link with Rodimus to know Perceptor would die without immediate attention. Huge sections of his circuits were simply gone, but it was the hemorrhaging energon that would kill him. It spread around him - a small, glowing lake of life.
Lancer approached her mate's friend, stepping into the pool of life-force with her bare, taloned feet, and absorbing it with each step. By the time she reached Perceptor's side, she had drawn all of his lost power into herself.
The mutant created a narrow-band cutting laser and used it to help remove the cast and bandages on her injured shoulder in order to increase her mobility. Crawling up INTO Perceptor's chest cavity she clutched the severed wires to begin rerouting power through an alternate pathway- herself. Redirecting and bolstering the power to Perceptor's system's wasn't difficult in theory, but she knew she would have to concentrate to keep the power flow smooth and within Perceptor's unique frequency tolerances. SHE could take strong energy spikes, Perceptor couldn't, especially with his systems already so damaged. For once Lancer was glad of her possession as well. Her extended hands and feet gave her a few crucial extra inches without which she couldn't have made the vital connection across his torn chest, and her tail helped her tie into a major line she would have had to let bleed otherwise.
Lancer snarled as the energy ripped through her. Her demonic aspects grew more pronounced when she was in fear or pain and right now she was in both. KC could SEE the canines growing as Lancer pulled her lips back in an anguished grimace. Her left arm was not only out of its cast and moving, it was bearing a small amount of her weight as she lay prone on Perceptor's injuries. She wasn't about to let go, and struggled to keep her mind focused on keeping the energon stable and attuned to Perceptor's life force. He was a key player in the Autobot's future, and she was not about to allow those blundering Terracons to destroy their edge. Not to mention she loved him, even though they'd only met a few times. Sometimes, the mind link with Rodimus confused the shit out of her.
KC trembled with shock. She just stared at Lancer - watching as clawed hands and feet clamped into parts of her mentor's wrecked body. Some part of her wanted to move...to do something... ANYTHING to aid her mentor... but she couldn't think. Her limbs seemed far, far away from her consciousness.
Lancer's snarl cut through her daze. "Help Me! Find some wire or he won't survive!" Lancer snapped. "Listen I can't do this alone! Perceptor needs your help! You know more about the way they're put together than I do and I can't let go! Plus I'll be damned if I know where anything is around here!"
Kc blinked blankly at Lancer for a minute but when it finally fell together her feet magically unglued themselves and she took off. She got wire to Lancer at a speed that would have done Blurr proud in spite of the scattered wreckage.
"You were kidding when you said I know more than you about transformer anatomy? Right?" KC flinched, afraid of Lancer's response.
"I wouldn't exactly call it kidding, but something had to move your butt!" Lancer retorted. She moved slowly at first - tentatively balancing on her three good limbs and trying to use her injured arm to begin stringing wire to vital lines and circuits she couldn't easily reach. Her constant attention was required to refine and maintain the energy flow through herself and back into Perceptor's systems, creating the equivalent of a heart by-pass.
KC didn't react to the other woman's quip. She studied the mutant and saw the strained expression on her face, watching the energy pulse from Lancer into Perceptor's damaged body, and wishing she had the ability to do more. There was a horrible odor KC couldn't identify until she saw smoke curling up from Lancer's shoulder. The wound had reopened and the power Lancer was channeling was burning the blood.
KC began wringing her hands, "Do you think... he'll live?"
Without bothering to look from her work, Lancer responded frankly, "As long as I have something to say or do about it! Now attach those couplings you found! I can't let go! I need to focus on keeping the surges down. Don't worry about getting shocked. I'll pull the power from whatever area you're working on."
/SWISH/
The bay doors at the far end of the lab opened. Lancer's head snapped around in the direction of the sound and she watched an EDC communications officer enter the room behind her.
/SWISH/
Lancer watched the man by craning her neck around as he made his way in their direction. The male did not acknowledge her attention or respond to what he saw.
Lancer was sure she made quite a sight - bloody, demonic, and sprawled all over a shattered scientist.
The man just quietly looked around the room.
That and the description Vector Sigma had given Rodimus should have been enough to tell Lancer he was the Convert, but she was cautious. Vector Sigma wasn't very good at describing humans.... it barely knew the difference between the sexes. The intruder might not be the saboteur... and if he was and was still living he might be useful to question.
Great.
Now she had to find a way to scan this unknown human as well as take care of her Perceptor. She couldn't disturb the flow of energy through Perceptor but she needed a specific frequency to do the scan. At this point the engineer beneath her had to be the priority. She couldn't afford any mistakes- to lose him would be devastating to the Autobots. Frustrated, Lancer decided that it would be better to see if anything suspicious happened before acting.
Perceptor moaned... she supposed that was a good sign. She looked down at the scientist and said, "Okay Mr. Wizard I haven't forgotten you."
Lancer asked KC with a pained hiss, "Do you know that guy?" nodding towards the EDC sergeant who was still just standing in the doorway.
"I've seen him around base but I don't really know him. Why?" the cadet responded. She felt disconnected somehow, like this wasn't really happening and she was floating in a dream. With all that was going on, she couldn't believe Lancer even NOTICED the guy, let alone had questions about him.
"Why is he here? Does he have business here? How would he know there was trouble? There's no hint of it outside the science annex." The mutant growled around her enlarged fangs. It was all she could do to form coherent words at this point - the pain in her arm was worse than when she'd originally been speared. She was still supporting her weight on it as she lay splayed on Perceptor's vitals and the agony made keeping stable energy flow nearly impossible. Her instincts were screaming at her though - the man was a threat.
"N..no! He doesn't usually come down here! He's in communications," KC stammered, unable to follow Lancer's line of questioning.
"Are the new scanners functional?"
" How did you know? I was just in the process of testing and calibration when we were interrupted.... uh...Yes they're ready," the cadet swallowed hard as she realized who she sounded like at that moment. "Perceptor, damn you! I spend too much time with you! I have even developed some of your annoying habits!" she said angrily.
KC's face flushed and tears ran down her cheeks as she hunted for the scanners amid their wrecked work and tools. Finally, she found the pair they were done with. She glanced at the intruder and frowned... why was the man just standing there? Why didn't he say something? The young engineer was afraid to take her eyes off him but said to Lancer, "They've been damaged! I don't think this will be any use without some tinkering, but I'll try them. What am I scanning for?"
The mutant didn't answer KC's inquiry, she looked quite preoccupied with Perceptor.
Rodi, I need back-up! Lancer sent telepathically to Rodimus. We have company and I've got a hunch it's not friendly!
I know! I'm sending you First Aid and Magnus, said Rodimus. We're ending this fight pronto, but it will take a few minutes....I'll stay with you.
Rodimus altered his plans for a carefully engineered defeat into a full-scale offensive. He shouted new orders at his confused troops but couldn't ignore Lancer's pain and anger.
Taking on Devastator usually didn't count as a one 'Bot job but he got around back of the Combiner with ease and shoved a shim into Devastator's knee joint. Howling with pain, Devastator grabbed first at his leg, and then at Rodimus. This was not a concern, Devastator was too slow to catch him even with two working legs.
Scourge and the Sweeps strafing him was more of an issue, but he dodged most of the bolts and ignored the hits he couldn't avoid. Around him, the Autobots rallied and fended off the Sweeps and their torrent of laser fire.
Still, Rodimus' mind with his mate and her battle. Nor could he ignore the fact that Autobot base had been compromised and there was at least one of his people wounded. All of his attempts to prevent such an event had failed. Rodi wrestled with that last thought and the fact that he might return and be short his science officer and friend. Anger began knotting in his chest. This battle would be coming to a halt shortly- he'd see to that.
He activated his inter-Autobot communicators. "Magnus! I need you to go for Perceptor's lab - Now!"
"Rodimus we're engaging Bruticus over here! I don't have time to fetch you any toys!" Magnus retorted.
"Magnus! Get Jazz, get First Aid, and get your stubborn carcass over there NOW before Lancer, KC, and Perceptor get killed and I have to murder you for it! We've got a visitor! Go!"
"A visitor? You mean..."
"YES! Hurry!" Rodimus cried.
Even if he hadn't already been convinced, Magnus would have moved then... not because Rodimus had plainly made it an order, but because there was just enough stress in Rodi's voice to tell Magnus the young Prime was on the verge of panicking. He shouted at Silverbolt and Kup to take over and headed for Central, contacting Jazz and First Aid as he did.
Lancer let out a frustrated growl. Her conversation with Rodi took less than a minute but the man in the uniform was still standing there. She scowled and looked at KC, "Scan for human brain waves from our 'friend' over there." Just a formality really. No actual human officer would pace with that silent, even walk when faced with such a scene. If he'd been actual EDC he'd be rushing to help. If he'd been a saboteur he'd be gloating over the damage he'd caused. This man's face showed nothing - no concern, no fear, no triumph.
"Human? He is human. Why would I......"
"Just do it!" Lancer snapped at the cadet. Her voice grew more modulated with anger and pain; KC barely understood her.
KC blinked in shock. "Okay, geez...."
By the time KC managed to get one of the scanners on, the EDC officer moved towards her. In his hands was a scanner just like the kind she and Perceptor had been studying. She began scanning him, and he in turn did the same to her. His scan was more successful than hers and so he turned his scanner onto Lancer.
"Lancer. I'm not getting anything..." KC paused in mid-sentence and stared at her scanner.
"KC! WHAT'S GOING ON?! I CAN'T SEE HIM FROM HERE!" the mutant demanded, trying to look over her hurt shoulder and failing with a hiss.
"I'm, uh, I'm not getting any brain waves! He... has some sort of circuitry in his head!" KC swallowed hard. She suddenly realized she didn't need the scanner to tell her something was very wrong. The man was ignoring her and scanning Lancer.
Lancer swore curses under her breath, "KC! GET OUTTA HERE! THAT'S A DIRECT ORDER FROM RODIMUS! MOVE CADET!" Still unable to see what was going on behind her, Lancer quickly debated her next plan of action, because Perceptor's life was still in great jeopardy.
The EDC officer with his perfectly proportioned face and body stared at Lancer with emotionless, unwavering focus. KC watched in terror as his cinnamon eyes flared and glowed that intense shade of red that was characteristic of Decepticon optics. Shock would forever engrave the memory of his slate gray hair taking a distinctly metallic sheen into KC's consciousness, but the rest would be a blur. She screamed as his skin warped slowly and then his form contorted. As he grew his clothes ripped from his well muscled, but now distorted body and fell in shreds to the floor. KC gaped as his naked body continued to change - no longer a fleshy human but an unmistakably robotic form. As the transformation reached its final stages she began to recognize the Decepticon.
KC stared up in horror, "Astrotrain."