Author's note: This is a work-in-progress, so by the time it's finished some things may change. This is the first time I've ever posted an unfinished fic, but I promise it will be finished in due time. I'm still alive and still writing! Thanks to Liz for her help.
Megatron studied the monitor, his optics focused on a blinking light on the three-dimensional map. He had been keeping an eye on that location since discovering it over a week ago. It was fascinating alone in that it held both natural gravitational and magnetic anomalies, but its energy levels also indicated the presence of energon. However, because of the anomalies he had held off on ordering a mining station built there. It was impossible to tell whether the energon was raw or stable, and he had wished to study it further.
But in the last couple of days, the site had really caught his attention. For the energy there had begun to build to levels signifying an incredible power source. Unfortunately, he could not pinpoint its exact location—the power seemed to be diffused throughout the cave network.
"Computer, describe nature of energy buildup. Is it alien?"
"Negative. Energy buildup is natural, focused by presence of energon and negative gravitational and magnetic anomalies."
Megatron growled slightly. That was of little help. "Computer, projection: When will buildup reach its peak?"
"Approximately twenty megacycles."
"Tonight," Megatron mused. "Now what could be causing this? Solar cycles? Phases of the moon?" He pulled up a map of the solar system and his eyes widened. "Well, well, how very interesting…"
*
"This is interesting," Rhinox said.
Optimus looked over his shoulder. "What is it?"
"Well, for one thing, you might want to set up your telescope for tonight. We're going to witness a planetary alignment."
"Really? Should be good for a look, then. Which ones?"
"All of them. All nine planets of this system will be in a perfectly straight line."
Optimus raised his eyebrows. "Well, that doesn't happen all too often. We should consider ourselves lucky that we'll get to see it."
"That's not the most interesting part," Rhinox added. "I calculated the coordinates of the locations exactly in line with the planets. One is completely normal, but the other—it seems that there's been a buildup of energy there lately. It's been increasing exponentially as we approach alignment." He brought up a map of the area to show Optimus.
Optimus leaned in closer. "That can't only be caused by the planetary alignment, can it? I thought that the idea that alignment could generate energies on a planet was just a myth."
"There are other factors involved there," Rhinox told him. "Things like gravitational and magnetic anomalies, and possibly the presence of energon."
Optimus stroked his chin in thought. "Hmm…well, keep an eye on it. It's far enough from here that it shouldn't cause us any trouble, but I think we should go have a look at it once the others wake up."
"Maybe you'd better get them up sooner," Rhinox said. "We have Pred movement."
"Where?"
"Just passing by the very edge of our sensor array at the limit of our territory in Sector fourteen." Rhinox's tone changed. "Optimus—I think they're heading in the direction of the energy buildup."
Optimus sighed. "Megatron never misses a thing. How long?"
"At this rate they should reach it in about three megacycles. You'd better hurry if you're going to catch up. It will be almost dark by the time you reach the place."
Optimus opened his comlink. "Rise and shine, Maximals. We've got places to be."
In a few minutes the Maximals had assembled on the bridge. Rattrap was the last to arrive, yawning sleepily. "This better be good," he muttered.
"All right, everyone, the Predacons are headed towards a location that has been building in power over the last few days," Optimus told them. "Whatever that power is, we have to make sure they don't secure it."
"I-is it alien?" Cheetor asked, thinking of Airazor and Tigatron.
"No. Strange as this may sound to us now, it's natural," Optimus replied. "But we need to get moving. Cheetor, Rattrap, Silverbolt, you're with me."
Dinobot noticeably shifted.
Rattrap smirked at him. "Ah, don't worry, Chopper-face. You can stay home and work on your knittin' or somethin'."
Cheetor snickered at that, and Dinobot growled towards them both before facing Optimus again with a questioning look.
"We're taking to the air." Optimus told him, ignoring Rattrap's loud groan. "Dinobot, you follow on the ground, but hang back. With all that energy, it may not be safe for non-Transmetals." He transformed to his flying mode. "Rhinox, you keep an eye on things and inform us if there's any change. Let's move, people! The Predacons already have a head start!"
*
Silence.
No animals moved, no birds chirped. Not a single plant grew; the ground was dead and barren in a perfect circle around the area of the caves. Beyond that, the tree line of the surrounding forest was abrupt and perfect. It was as if all life knew better than to come anywhere near this vast network of caves. And for good reason.
On any ordinary night, the atmosphere of this area would have made any passing animal feel the need to run. But tonight was no ordinary night. The power was building, and the world knew it. Had anyone been there to see it, they might have been fascinated by the reaction of the small plants on the very edge of the forest. Those that could had bent their leaves away from the direction of the caves. Those that could not were rapidly dying.
Time and space were conspiring, and all natural life on the world understood the message: Stay away tonight.
*
Megatron landed and transformed. Beside him, Quickstrike jumped down off of Inferno's back and Waspinator set Blackarachnia down.
Blackarachnia fiddled with her scanner. "The measurements are almost going off the scale," she commented.
Megatron smiled. "As predicted. And the power source will soon be within my grasp."
"Look at this place," Blackarachnia continued. "Have you noticed how nothing is growing within a perfect circle around these caves?" She walked over to the edge of the forest and poked at one of the dying plants on its fringe. "I know we usually only find energon in wastelands, but this is unusual."
Quickstrike peered into the cave and shuddered. "I dunno about this, Boss..."
"Not a word!" Inferno said harshly. "We will follow the Royalty anywhere!"
"Not this time, my dear Inferno," Megatron looked at Blackarachnia's readings. "I am expecting a substantial amount of raw energon inside the caves."
"It would only take a few moments for our robot forms to overload," Blackarachnia finished.
Megatron nodded. "However, I believe that Transmetals may have a much better chance. Therefore, Quickstrike and Rampage will follow me..." He trailed off and looked around, but Rampage was nowhere in sight. Sighing, Megatron pulled the Spark Box out of his compartment. "Rampage!" he called. "Do not try to hide from me!" He put the slightest bit of pressure on the Box.
A rumbling sound heralded Rampage's arrival through the forest. In tank mode, he bulldozed any trees that were in his way and crushed the last bit of life from the dying plants before coming to an abrupt halt just outside the tree line. The giant Predacon transformed and glowered down at Megatron with a growl.
"Ah, there you are." Megatron smiled condescendingly, then turned back to the others. "Now, as I was saying: Quickstrike and Rampage will follow me into the caves to locate and claim the power source. Inferno, Blackarachnia and Waspinator, you will remain outside to guard the entrance. I expect that the Maximals will have made the same calculations about this site."
"Aw, Boss, lemme stay out here!" Quickstrike groaned. "I'd rather get the chance to wail on some Maximal kiester than—"
"Enough!" Megatron interrupted. "The Maximals will undoubtedly be here soon. Get moving!" He ignored Quickstrike's grumblings and turned to Rampage. Surprisingly, the crab-bot was simply standing there, staring at the cave entrance in silence. There was an expression on his face that Megatron could not quite decipher.
"Rampage!" Megatron commanded. "You will follow us in. Do not do anything you will regret." He waved the Spark Box.
Rampage narrowed his eyes at the Predacon leader, but said nothing.
Megatron turned on his heel and started into the cave, ushering Quickstrike in front of him. For a moment Rampage lingered behind, gazing after them. Then, as if waking from a dream, he shook his head slightly and followed them in.
The remaining three Predacons found themselves alone and in utter, eerie silence. They were tense, but not because of the impending arrival of the Maximals.
Blackarachnia felt a twinge. "We'd better go to beast mode. The energy coming from that cave is enough to affect our circuits already." She transformed and the others followed suit.
"Waspinator not like this place." Waspinator's voice shook a little as his wings buzzed nervously.
Blackarachnia shifted her position as if trying to shrug the feeling off. "For once, Bug-Boy, I have to agree."
*
Cheetor flew up beside Optimus. "So what's the deal with this place, Big-Bot? Is there a lot of energon there?"
"There might be," Optimus replied, changing his position slightly to compensate as Rattrap shifted on the back of his jetboard. "Rhinox said that the readings could indicate that. But there are also the factors of the anomalies and even the planetary alignment. We don't know what to expect there."
"Besides Predacon presence," Silverbolt added.
"That's the only thing we know for sure. Megatron will have beaten us there." Optimus checked the coordinates, squinting to see them in the fading light of dusk. "We're coming up on it now. Prepare for a Predacon welcoming party."
All the Maximals were suddenly forced to swerve and dodge through the air as the barrage began from the ground below. Rattrap held onto the jetboard for dear life. "Ya know, a little more warning woulda been nice."
"I am reading three Predacon signatures below," Silverbolt called out as he avoided a laser burst. "Inferno, Blackarachnia and Waspinator."
"The non-Transmetal Predacons—I figured as much. Let's take them out!" Optimus ordered. He swooped straight down towards the ground, dropping Rattrap into the forest before landing and transforming.
Cheetor and Silverbolt were about to do the same when Inferno suddenly burst from his cover and rocketed towards them with a wild yell.
"The Royalty claims these caves!" Inferno shouted as he fired at the airborne Maximals.
On the ground, Optimus and Rattrap used trees and boulders for cover as they exchanged weapons fire with Blackarachnia and Waspinator.
"This is wasting time!" Optimus said to Rattrap as he was forced to duck behind a tree. "Megatron is already inside. We have to get in there!"
"Tell me about it," Rattrap groaned. "Well, I'd blast 'em out, but somethin' tells me that wouldn't be such a great idea in a place like this."
"I know," Optimus replied. "Even ordinary weapons fire is dangerous around here. Thankfully the Predacons aren't near the cave entrance—they're just cutting us off from it."
Above them, Cheetor and Silverbolt were trying to take Inferno down, but the crazed Predacon made himself a difficult target as he flew erratically, firing both laser bursts and flame.
"Yow!" Cheetor cried as he felt a flame singe his tail. He couldn't help slowing a little.
Inferno laughed as he set the Maximal in his sights, but suddenly stopped dead as blue energy began to shimmer over his body. "What? So soon?" Inferno growled as he fought to keep himself stable enough to take the shot. But the brief respite was all that was needed for Silverbolt to dive and slam into him from above. His propeller damaged from the blow and the energon buildup, Inferno spun out of control towards the ground on the other side of the forest.
The sound of the impact made both Cheetor and Silverbolt cringe. They grinned at each other before swooping down to join the others on the ground.
"Took ya long enough," Rattrap said as he took aim, finally catching Waspinator in his sights as energon buildup froze the Predacon outside his cover. The blast hit him squarely in the chest, and with a whimper Waspinator went flying nearly out of sight.
The battle stopped completely, and the Maximals abandoned their cover and carefully made their way towards the cave. Optimus aimed his gun at a nearby boulder. "You've lost, Blackarachnia," he called. "Now why don't you come out where we can see you?"
With a sigh, Blackarachnia stepped out and dropped her weapon. All the Maximals had their weapons trained on her, yet her cool demeanour did not waver.
Optimus noticed that she had not yet suffered energon buildup. "You didn't contribute as much to the battle as the others. Been biding your time in beast mode?"
She laughed. "Unlike those idiots. Any fool can see that the energy fields here are too strong to stay in robot mode for that long at once."
"What is this place?" Optimus asked.
"Find out yourself," she retorted. "I don't get paid enough to stick around places like this." She transformed and scuttled away, narrowly avoiding Dinobot as he arrived.
Dinobot growled after her and transformed, ready to follow.
"Let her go, Dinobot," Optimus told him. "And go back to beast mode. The energy fields are growing with each passing moment. It's too dangerous for a non-Transmetal."
Dinobot grudgingly returned to beast mode. "So what would you have me do?"
"I want you to stay out here and guard the entrance while we're inside. Keep taking readings and try to stay in contact with both us and Rhinox. We don't want to be completely cut off in there if we can help it." Optimus handed his scanner to Dinobot.
The other three Maximals were staring at the cave entrance. Cheetor shuddered. "Do you ever get the feeling that you're totally not wanted?"
"I'm certain Rattrap is used to the feeling," Dinobot said sarcastically.
They all turned to Rattrap, expecting a snappy comeback. However, Rattrap said nothing. He didn't even appear to have heard them as he gazed into the cave, his expression troubled.
"Uh, Rattrap? Hello?" Cheetor waved a hand in front of Rattrap's face.
Rattrap blinked, then scowled as he pushed Cheetor's hand away. "Yeah, yeah." He turned away from the others and went up to Optimus. "Do you really think we should go in there?" He kept his voice low.
"What do you mean?" Optimus asked. "What's wrong?"
Rattrap paused. "It's just...uh, it's nothin', I guess. I just don't like the feel of this place is all."
Optimus stared at him for a moment as if waiting for an elaboration, but none was provided. "Well, we have no choice. Megatron is already in there, and we have to stop him from getting his hands on the source of this energy."
Rattrap sighed, but didn't protest further. He was obviously not going to explain what was going on inside him.
"All right, people, let's move!" Optimus ordered.
The four Maximals entered the cave, leaving Dinobot alone outside in the darkness with only his scanner and the utter silence.
*
The cave network was bigger than Megatron had anticipated. He, Quickstrike and Rampage had been walking for nearly half a megacycle and yet found themselves no closer to claiming the prize...and with no idea where they were.
Quickstrike slowed his pace. "How much further, Boss?"
Megatron nudged him forward. "Just keep moving." Behind him, Rampage chuckled. Megatron growled to himself, rapidly losing patience with this mission. No matter how many large chambers and narrow corridors they had passed through, there had been no change in either the scenery or the energy readings. Megatron had finally stopped bothering to attempt measurements—the levels either skipped around wildly or went off the scale. And it seemed that each corridor, its stone walls glowing dimly from the blue light of thin energon veins, led them to the same cavern.
"We're walking in circles," Rampage sneered, clearly enjoying Megatron's frustration.
Megatron turned to glare at him. "Impossible. Each chamber has had only one entrance and one exit, and we have been following only one direction. These caves are extensive, but eventually we must reach the energy source."
Rampage laughed. "You'll never get to it."
"I grow tired of your attitude, Rampage," Megatron growled. He pulled out the Spark Box and squeezed it.
As he did so, it seemed that the cave came to life. Energy flickered between the walls of the corridor, the Box and Rampage himself. Instead of writhing in agony, Rampage simply stared at the energy, bewildered.
Equally amazed, Megatron released the pressure on the Spark Box. The energy disappeared abruptly.
Utter silence reigned for a few moments, then suddenly Rampage laughed. He turned, placed both hands against the wall—and passed right through it.
"What?!" Megatron's jaw dropped in disbelief. Immediately he placed his own hands on the wall through which Rampage had just disappeared, but it was solid rock. He felt all around the area, but the stone remained unchanged. "How?!" Megatron roared in frustration.
Quickstrike cowered behind him. "M-maybe we should get outta here, Boss."
"No!" Megatron raged. He shoved Quickstrike forward. "Keep moving! This place and all its power will be mine! And when we find Rampage, he is going to be very sorry indeed."
*
Dinobot paced outside the cave. He attempted to take another energy reading and snarled in disgust. The readings were almost nonsensical. At the very least, his scanner did not have the capacity to measure energy of this magnitude. Already tiring of this guard duty, he set the scanner on a nearby rock and decided to widen his pacing into a small patrol.
He began along the edge of the forest, noting the perfection of the circle of barren ground around the cave. The sudden cracking sound of dry wood caused Dinobot to look up, and he sidestepped just in time to avoid being struck by a falling dead branch. There had not been trees on the very edge when he had first arrived there, and Dinobot realized how rapidly the forest was retreating. He picked one weed flower, holding it as gently as his claws would allow, but it crumbled to dust in his hand and he gave a grunt of surprise at its accelerated state of decay. As a test he entered the forest and plucked a healthy weed, bringing it back into the barren circle. Once it crossed that invisible line, the plant began to die. Dinobot watched as it drooped, then wilted and turned brown. In only a few seconds the dust had slipped through his fingers.
A loud bang sounded behind him, and in an instant he was in robot mode and ready for battle, silently cursing himself for not being completely on guard. But there were no enemies to be seen. Instead, tiny flames were burning themselves out on a wrecked piece of metal and wiring that lay on the ground. The scanner had overloaded.
The scanner had obviously not been the most advanced piece of equipment that they had had, but the strange reaction of the vegetation was cause enough for concern. Dinobot activated his comlink. "Optimus, do you read?" He was met with only static. Switching channels, he tried to contact the others, but the transmission would not get through. Dinobot growled to himself. Optimus had not wanted to lose contact while he and the others were inside, and now after only a few cycles the comlinks were useless. Dinobot stared into the cave, pondering going after them.
Another cracking sound came from behind him, and he turned to see a tree plunge to the ground. It was the same tree whose branch had nearly struck him only a few cycles ago. Then the tree had still been covered in leaves. Now it was nothing more than a grey trunk. When it had fallen it had not merely broken off at a stump, but had pulled out of the ground completely, dead roots and all.
Energy flickered over him and Dinobot realized that he could not stay in robot mode any longer. He reverted to beast mode, listening to the dry snapping of branches from other trees as the circle of dead soil expanded. Again he thought about entering the caves, worry pulling at the back of his mind. If things were this bad out here, what would the others be encountering on the inside? Warrior instincts battled against the orders that he had been given, but he knew that he would not be able to use his robot mode at all inside the cave if the energy fields were this strong.
His comlink suddenly crackled to life, and Dinobot attempted to respond through the interference. "Optimus? Are you there?" He tapped his comlink again, but the transmission had been lost. Silence fell over the area once more. His frustration plain, Dinobot impatiently remained at his post.
*
Rhinox slowly shook his head as he watched his monitors. This was not good—the energy levels at the caves were climbing too high too fast. The increases seemed to come in leaps and bounds as the changes occurred faster than the scanner sweeps could pick them up. Rhinox worried about the possible dangers. If it were only energon causing this, then the effects would be easy enough to figure. But add in all the other factors, and there were too many variables that could compound each other and change the outcome completely.
Rhinox changed his viewscreen to show his orbital calculations and transferred the data into the form of an image of the planetary orbits. The planets would be perfectly in line in just under three megacycles. Rhinox sat back a moment to ponder the effects that an alignment might have. As Optimus had said, there were myths surrounding that sort of thing, but none had ever been shown to have any truth. Still, it could not be a coincidence that the buildup of energy had begun at this time. It seemed that everything that happened on this planet happened for a reason.
Pondering what else might be involved, Rhinox ordered the computer to pull up all the work he had done since discovering that this planet was in fact Earth. The temporal calculations and lunar cycle observations caught his eye. "Maybe there's another cycle involved," he mused. As he scanned those for anything that might stand out, the computer continued searching, cross-referencing through all its databanks. A human calendar from the xenology files popped up in a corner of the screen, barely noticeable under the pile of data windows already open. After a few moments the computer beeped, having matched Rhinox's calculations to the calendar. Rhinox brought up that display to see if anything was noteworthy. Give or take a day or two, this day would come to be known as the last of the tenth month. Rhinox looked at the date and shrugged. Did it matter?
A sudden flash of light filled the room, and a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Rhinox..."
Rhinox looked up from the console and smiled. "Polaris! It's good to—"
"Apologies, my friend," Polaris interrupted, "but there is no time for pleasantries. Your comrades are about to do something very foolish and dangerous."
"What do you mean?"
"They and the enemy Strangers have entered the Vortex. They will become lost, and I cannot reach them to guide them out. You must warn them before they go too deeply into the cave!"
Judging from the urgency in her voice, Rhinox decided not to waste any time asking questions as he opened the comm. "Optimus, come in!" He was met with nothing but static, and switching channels to contact the others resulted in the same. Rhinox attempted to boost power to the comms, trying to punch through the interference, to no avail. "They're not responding. There's too much interfer—" Rhinox suddenly stopped as the comm picked up a faint transmission.
"Thi—...Dinob—...—ome in." The words were badly broken up by static.
Rhinox rerouted more power to that specific channel and tried to eliminate some of the noise. "Dinobot! This is Rhinox. Can you hear me?"
"Barely. Ener—...fields are increas—..."
The static crackled loudly, and then suddenly decreased substantially. "I have moved away from the cave and into the forest," Dinobot said. "Is the signal clear now?"
"Not completely, but at least I can understand you now," Rhinox replied. "Dinobot, are the others still in sight?"
"Negative. They entered the caves approximately twenty cycles ago, and visual contact was lost immediately."
"Slag, too late," Rhinox muttered. "Have you been in contact with them at all?"
"I attempted contact just before I picked up your transmission, but received only static. I believe that one of them also made an attempt at communication, but the transmission was lost before I could respond. There is far too much interference."
"We have to find a way to contact them. The caves are too dangerous!"
"What have you learned of this place?" Dinobot asked.
"Not much—only that our friends might be in danger. I've just received a warning."
"From whom?"
Rhinox paused a moment before replying. "Our specter friend, Polaris."
Dinobot growled. "You are communicating with those beings again?"
"She's just trying to help, Dinobot." Rhinox sighed slightly. "I haven't been able to find out much about this place myself. I've been researching other possible natural patterns that may explain what's happening, but I haven't found a way to calculate what the combined effect of these things might be. I have no idea what the others might be experiencing inside. Is anything happening where you are?"
"The energy fields here are increasing with each passing moment."
"I know. It's because we're drawing closer to perfect planetary alignment." Rhinox paused as he heard a loud cracking sound on Dinobot's end of the transmission, followed by a muted thud. "Was that a tree falling?"
"Affirmative. As the field grows, any vegetation that finds itself inside the boundary dies within moments."
"If the energy fields are causing organics to die..." Rhinox trailed off. "They could be in a lot of trouble in there." He began pulling up all his data. "Keep trying to get through. It's too far away; by the time I get there it might be too late. I'm going to see what I can do from here first. Rhinox out."
Rhinox closed the channel. The date from the human calendar was still on the screen and he glanced at it once more before turning to the shining specter beside him.
*
"Stay close, people. We don't know what to expect in here." Optimus led the Maximals inside the blue-lit corridors of the cave.
Cheetor suddenly glanced over at the wall. "Hey, did you see that?"
The other Maximals looked. "What?" Rattrap asked.
"It looked like the wall just kind of…rippled there for a second." Cheetor pointed, but the energon-veined wall looked no different than the rest.
"Don't let your imagination run away with you, Cheetor," Optimus warned. He signaled for them to keep moving.
"Spooky place," Cheetor remarked to Rattrap as they continued on. "It reminds me of this movie I saw once back on Cybertron. Did you ever see it, Rattrap? It was about these four bots who went into this abandoned factory, and there was this freaky power surge that went through every inch of the building, even through the walls. It brought all these shells back to life, and went after each of the bots, and—"
Rattrap held up a hand to stop this line of conversation. "Whoa-kay, I think that's about enough of that, kiddo. We really don't need to hear stuff like that in here."
The four of them walked on mostly in silence, the caverns seeming to swallow even the sound of their footsteps.
"Has anyone noticed that this place produces no echoes?" Silverbolt asked, speaking aloud everyone's thoughts. "Even the grand open caverns that we have walked through are completely silent."
Optimus checked his internal sensor logs. "It's true; even my sensors haven't picked up any sound other than what we produce. No water dripping, no distant echoes, nothing. And I'm getting absolutely zero life readings. There isn't even any mold growing in here."
"Certainly unusual," Silverbolt remarked.
"Perhaps the strangest thing is that I can't find any evidence of water," Optimus' expression was baffled. "These aren't volcanic caves. Normally, caves like this are formed by water erosion, possibly from underground sources. But there is no water here."
"Maybe it just dried up," Cheetor offered.
Optimus shook his head. "No, what I mean is that there never has been any water here. There's no evidence of it anywhere, except that the cave itself exists."
There was a moment of silence as that sank in. "Then...what made it?" Silverbolt asked.
"I don't know," Optimus replied. "Perhaps it has something to do with the energon and the magnetism. It should be fascinating to study." He paused. "Unfortunately, we have more pressing matters. And we should check in with Dinobot." Optimus tried his comlink. "Dinobot, can you hear me?"
Static was the only response, and even that lasted only a moment before the transmission died. Optimus could not re-establish the link.
The others exchanged worried glances as they tried their own. All the comlinks were useless.
"Ain't that just 'prime'," Rattrap said sarcastically.
Optimus shot Rattrap a look, then sighed. "I was hoping that we'd at least be able to keep in contact with him if he was right outside, but I suppose that was just wishful thinking in a place like this. The energy fields are just too strong."
"And here's something else," Cheetor added. "Is anyone else's internal navigation offline?"
The others checked their own. "It's not offline," Optimus corrected. "It's just getting scrambled, nonsensical readings. Probably because of the magnetic anomalies."
Rattrap groaned. "Great, so we have no idea where we are?"
"Don't make such a big deal of it, RT," Cheetor told him. "We've been walking in a straight line ever since we came in here. There haven't been any forks in the road or anything. One way in, one way out. How hard can it be to just go back the way we came?"
"Famous last words," Rattrap muttered.
"All right, enough chit-chat," Optimus ordered. "Rattrap, let's see if you can get any readings on Predacon energy signatures. They have to be in here somewhere."
*
Megatron and Quickstrike walked on in silence. There had been no further incidents since Rampage's disappearance, but it seemed that the cave had taken on a different feel, as if there was a new intensity in the air. So far they had been unable to locate Rampage or the energy source, and did not appear to be getting any closer to either. Megatron was hesitant to use the Spark Box to try and call Rampage out—what had happened when he had squeezed it had been no natural occurrence. However, he would use it if necessary.
"Boss, I think there's someone up ahead," Quickstrike whispered, his eyes wide.
"Perhaps Rampage somehow got ahead of us," Megatron replied, keeping his voice low. "No matter. I'll see to it that he does not escape me again." Megatron readied his weapon, realizing the danger and hoping that he would not have to fire it. He and Quickstrike peered around the corner.
"You!" Megatron snarled.
Tarantulas gasped. "M-Megatron!"
Megatron did not lower his weapon. "What are you doing here?"
Tarantulas chuckled. "Undoubtedly the same as you. You didn't really think the energy increase coming from this area would escape my attention, did you?"
Megatron narrowed his eyes. "Scurry off, spider. This place is mine."
Again Tarantulas laughed, and there was a mad quality to it beyond what Megatron had come to expect. "You'll never possess it. This place will have you running in circles until you go insane."
"Is that so?"
Tarantulas suddenly stopped laughing and lowered his voice. "I have been in here for nearly two days. There is no power source. Or perhaps this place simply won't let me find it. But it also won't let me leave." Chuckles burst forth once more. "And now you'll be trapped, just like me. How the mighty have fallen."
"I am never trapped," Megatron growled.
"Oh, you'll see, you'll see..." Tarantulas trailed off, giggling madly.
*
"What do you know about this place?" Rhinox barely looked up at Polaris' visible form as he went through his calculations again.
"We do not know much of it. Our kind cannot enter through the energy it produces. And its power is building in such a way that we have never seen before."
"Because of the planetary alignment," Rhinox said.
"Yes." Polaris paused. "But there is something else."
"What else?"
"The power Darkwatch is concerned about is of a different kind. It occurs every full cycle on this night."
"Darkwatch? What does she have to do with this?" Rhinox's eyebrows lowered as rather unfond memories surfaced inside him.
"It was she who begged me to warn you about your friends. She fears for the ones she cares for. By her word, she is forbidden any contact with Strangers—but I am bound by no such promise."
"You came to warn us at her request?"
Polaris nodded. "I would not have come otherwise. We should not have contact with Strangers, or any mortal for that matter. Besides…you were safe here."
"So you wouldn't have warned us?" Although not surprised by her favouritism towards him, Rhinox couldn't help being a little disappointed by it.
"What Strangers choose to do is not our concern," Polaris protested. "We have all learned the possible consequences of our interference."
Rhinox decided not to press the matter further. "So what's so special about this particular night?"
"It is the night when the veil is thinned."
"The veil?"
"The veil between the worlds of the living and the dead. It is a very powerful night, and the Vortex will be a center for this. Darkwatch says that the combination is producing a brewing darkness. And that it will be almost…alive."
Rhinox gasped. "Is there anything you can do?"
"No, and there will be nothing that you will be able to do either. Should you enter, you will become as lost as your friends."
"We'll figure out something!"
Polaris shook her head. "There is nothing to be done against the Vortex."
*
As the others tried to get a reading, Cheetor peered down the next narrow stone corridor. The light was even brighter down that way than in the previous chambers, and Cheetor found himself walking towards it. The corridor opened up into another large chamber, and Cheetor's eyes filled with wonder as he looked around the room. No wonder the light in here was brighter—it was being reflected off glass that appeared to cover every inch of the walls like a house of mirrors.
Cheetor stared at the myriad of distorted reflections of himself all over the walls. The mirrors were imperfect, many rippled and some fragmented so that the reflections were malformed and disproportional. They seemed to all be watching him, but Cheetor was sure that that was just his imagination. He wandered over to the center of the wall for a closer look. The reflection directly in front of him was almost frightening, its face warped by the ripples in the glass. But when Cheetor looked closer, it seemed that the glass was smooth, and that it was the reflection itself that was wrong. He reached out and placed his hand on the mirror, watching as the reflection's hand did likewise. "Freaky," he muttered, staring at the gnarled hand that seemed so close to touching his own.
Movement caught his eye, and before he turned his head, he saw it—the reflection had turned its head first so that it was now looking straight at him. Wide-eyed, Cheetor stared back, unable to believe what he was seeing as the distorted face of the reflection slowly twisted into an evil smile.
At that moment the reflection's hand suddenly reached out, bending and shifting the glass around it, and seized his own.
Cheetor gasped, trying to wrap his mind around what was happening. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened still more as he stared at the reflection that was pulling his arm…
Pulling him into the mirror!
Cheetor struggled, trying to pry his arm loose as the mirror closed around it. The pull only became stronger, and he saw that more reflections had a hold of him now, each bearing the same look of evil on their disfigured faces. He put his other hand against the mirror, hoping for some leverage, but it too sank in as still more reflections closed in, reaching for him through the glass.
*
Rattrap knocked the scanner with his hand. "Aw, no good," he complained. "There's so much energon interference in here that we can't get any kinda readin'."
Optimus sighed. "Well, so much for—"
"Hey! What th—?" Rattrap suddenly cried. Silverbolt and Optimus turned to see the metal hand-held scanner changing shape in Rattrap's hand. Rattrap gasped as it melted together into a silver gelatinous blob. As the Maximals watched in awe, the blob began to ooze out of Rattrap's hand, slowly stretching out until it reached the floor. The last of it slipped through his fingers and joined the rest as a metallic puddle on the ground.
There was a moment of silence as the three of them simply stared at the blob on the ground, uncomprehending.
Finally Rattrap spoke. "Eh, it ain't 'sposed to do that, is it?"
Optimus and Silverbolt could only shake their heads in amazement.
They all gasped as a scream suddenly ripped through the cavern. A quick glance of apprehension passed between them. The scream was filled with terror—and the most frightening thing about it was that it had been cut abruptly short.
"Cheetor!" Optimus cried. "Slaggit, I told him to stay close!"
He charged into the next chamber with Rattrap and Silverbolt on his heels. What they saw shocked them to the very core of their Sparks, and they stood dumbfounded, barely able to process the scene before them.
The wall of the chamber was alive with writhing reflections. The grotesque forms crawled and piled on top of each other, all trying to get to the center of the wall. For there in the center stood Cheetor, as dozens of his own malformed reflections grasped and pulled at him in a frenzied attempt to make him as they were, to join him with them. The young bot was inside the glass, his face rigid in a horrified silent scream as he struggled to free himself.
"Dear Primus," Optimus whispered, finally finding his voice. "Cheetor!"
"What's happening?" Silverbolt cried.
Rattrap ran to the glass, frantically searching for a tear, a hole, anything to explain how Cheetor could have ended up inside the mirror. "There's nothin'! No way in! It's impossible!" He pounded on the glass with his fist. "Kiddo! Can ya hear me?"
Cheetor managed to jerk one hand loose and strike the glass once, but his features contorted with pain as the clutching hands seized his arm once more, twisting and stretching it. Still, he looked directly at Rattrap, his mouth forming the words help me…
"Just hang on, kiddo, I'll get ya outta there!" Rattrap drew his gun.
"Rattrap, what are you doing?" Optimus stopped him. "We don't know what that's going to do! You could kill him, and blow this whole place sky-high!"
Silverbolt suddenly gave a cry and quickly backed into the center of the room, away from a pair of reaching hands of his own reflection. Optimus and Rattrap gasped as they saw their own many images warping the glass of the mirrors as they too stretched out their hands.
"Well, we gotta do somethin'!" Rattrap holstered his gun, then in a rush of inspiration grabbed one of the maces off Optimus' back. "Hope this works," he muttered as he hurled the mace against the glass with all his might.
All the mirrors in the room shattered, accompanied by a horrible shrieking sound as the many reflections went to pieces. The Maximals shielded themselves as glass splinters rained down on them. When they looked up, they saw Cheetor stagger for a moment and then crumple to the floor.
"Cheetor!" Optimus ran to him. He turned Cheetor over and gasped. One of the young Maximal's arms had nearly been pulled from his socket, and some pieces of his superstructure
had been torn off. There were scratches all over him from the clawing hands. Cheetor's eyes were open, but glazed, and he stared straight ahead.
Silverbolt knelt beside him. "Cheetor, can you hear me? Are you all right?"
"No…impossible…not real…" Cheetor murmured, his optics still unfocused.
"He's in shock," Optimus said. "We need to get him out of here."
"What about the Preds?"
"We'll have to come back for them. This place is too dangerous—we have to get Cheetor to safety while we still can, and then return with reinforcements."
"But—what is this place?" Silverbolt asked. "What just happened? And how is it even possible?"
"We can't think about that now. Let's just focus on getting out. Silverbolt, you carry Cheetor. I'll take point. Rattrap, you watch our backs. We'll try and go back the way we came."
"Great," Rattrap muttered. This place really had him on edge. Darkness, nothing but darkness, the voice inside him said. Get out while you still can. Rattrap didn't like that voice, knowing that it was a remnant of his possession, but for once he couldn't agree more.
The Maximals attempted to navigate the tunnels in the direction from which they had come, but soon found themselves lost.
"This is all wrong!" Silverbolt said. "I am sure that this is the way we came—after all, there was not much choice—but none of this seems familiar to me. Shouldn't we have been out by now? We couldn't possibly have gone this far in!" He paused to shift Cheetor in his arms. The young Maximal had not yet come to his senses, and was still occasionally murmuring "impossible" under his breath.
"I know," Optimus sighed. "If only our internal nav comps were working."
"Nothin' works in here," Rattrap said, remembering the puddle his scanner had made on the floor.
Optimus took a deep breath. "Don't give up. There has to be a way out somewhere. Let's keep going."
They started walking again. Behind them, Rattrap paused for a moment. Had he just heard something? He peered into the darkness behind him, but could see nothing. He turned back to follow the others—and walked into a wall right in front of him where just moments ago there had been an open corridor.
"What the slag?!" he blurted. For a moment he thought that maybe he had gotten turned around, but the small light on his gun revealed that he was indeed in a dead end. The new wall was solid, made of the same energon-laced stone as the rest. He felt around it, looking for an opening or a way through, because this couldn't be; this wall couldn't have just appeared in front of him. But there was none, and he was all alone.
"Hey!" He pounded on the wall. "Hey, Optimus! 'Bolt! Can anyone hear me? Hello!"
"Hello," a deep voice said from behind him. "Well, well…just the Maximal I wanted to see."
Rattrap winced. He didn't have to turn around to know who was in the room with him. "Aw, slag," he muttered.
*
Silverbolt stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Optimus, wait! Where is Rattrap?"
"What?"
"He's gone! He was right behind—" Silverbolt suddenly gasped. "Optimus!" His normally calm voice was laced with fear.
Optimus turned to see Silverbolt sinking into the ground. The Fuzor was struggling to keep Cheetor from sinking as well.
"Optimus, take him! Quickly!" Silverbolt held Cheetor out as far as he could. Optimus leaned over and grabbed Cheetor, pulling him clear. Silverbolt then tried to pull himself loose, but he was trapped in the formerly solid floor and was sinking fast. He looked up at Optimus, his eyes wide as he sank in up to his waist.
"Silverbolt! Hang on!" Optimus reached out and took hold of Silverbolt's outstretched hand. He strained as Silverbolt tried to free himself.
"How can this be! This was solid stone a moment ago!" As in quicksand, the more Silverbolt fought, the faster he sank.
"Don't think about it! Just concentrate on getting out!" Optimus grunted. He was being steadily pulled towards the melted ground. "Cheetor! Wake up! We could use some help here!"
*
Rattrap groaned as he turned around. "You're the last guy I'd wanna meet up with in a place like this."
Rampage took a step forward, the eerie blue glow of the cavern making him appear even more frightening. "That's a pity," he said, "because I was hoping I would run into you."
"And why's that?" Rattrap's eyes darted around the cave, searching for a way out.
"We have a score to settle. You took her from me and ruined everything!"
Rattrap shook his head. "I dunno what you're talkin' 'bout, crab-legs." He groaned inwardly. Rampage was blocking the only exit.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten already," Rampage scoffed. "You joined with her and corrupted her. Now she will never help me!"
"Oh…" Realization flashed in Rattrap's eyes, and he backed up a little. "Listen, ya got it backwards…"
Rampage advanced with a threatening growl. "She should have chosen me!"
"Yeah, well, I'd hate to think what woulda happened then," Rattrap muttered under his breath. "Look, she was a rookie an' couldn't even handle the job! It ain't my fault she picked me—I never even wanted her!"
Rattrap dodged to the side as Rampage roared and lunged at him. He looked towards the exit, which Rampage had left open. Now if only he could get to it.
"Ungrateful rodent," Rampage growled. "You deny me the chance to be healed, yet you don't even appreciate that she chose you!" He transformed to beast mode. "After you, she refused to help me. I'll never be whole now—and you're going to pay dearly for that."
Rattrap decided to make a break for the exit, but Rampage slammed down a gigantic claw in his path. The sheer force of it shook the ground, causing Rattrap to fall. The small Maximal inched backwards away from the claw and barely managed to leap away before the crab-bot's other claw struck the ground. Again the cavern trembled under the force—and kept shaking, accompanied by a loud rumbling.
Rampage roared and transformed, but he quickly lost his balance as the vibrations in the ground became undulations.
"Aw, great, ya just had to go an' wake it up, didn't ya," Rattrap groaned. He tried to make his way to the corridor, but the waving and rolling of the cavern threw him to the ground. Getting up again was next to impossible as the floor surged ever more violently. Rattrap crawled on his hands and knees towards the opening.
Suddenly a hand closed around his ankle. "We're not finished yet!" Rampage shouted over the increasingly loud rumbling.
"Are you crazy?!" Rattrap cried. "Look at this place! We gotta get outta here!" He tried to kick his foot loose.
Rampage held on and began to pull Rattrap back. He laughed maniacally. "Afraid, little mouse? Don't deny it; I can feel it! I feed on it, much as this place does. Why would I want to leave? I've never felt more at home!"
Rattrap twisted around, aiming his gun at Rampage's head. "So stay here, then! Me, I'm leavin'!" He fired point-blank.
Rampage moved at the last instant, but the shot struck his shoulder, causing him to release Rattrap.
"I may be scared, but at least I'm still sane, ya psycho! You stay here an' get slagged! Beast mode!" Rattrap transformed and scampered off over the rolling hills of the undulating ground. It was much easier to keep his balance in beast mode, and he reached the corridor in a few seconds, with Rampage's roar echoing in his ears above the near-deafening rumbling.
The instant he entered the corridor, the rumbling and shaking stopped. When Rattrap looked back, there was a wall behind him as if the previous chamber had never existed. Everything around him seemed perfectly ordinary, and he was surrounded by an eerie calm. Scared? You betcha. He maximized and set off to find the others.
*