Arc 2: 02 Sparks

by Macx

Enter: the cat! A faulty machine combined with Ralyk's strange sense of humor provides Megatron with a personal pest.

Sparks
by Birgit Staebler
-- Stage four upgrade --
-- Proceeding --
-- Proceeding --
-- Upgrade complete --
-- Realigning --
-- Balancing --
-- Web activated --
-- Running security checks --

* * *

A strong, grey tail slammed into the wall and it crumbled under the impact. Another blow flattened the remaining rest and the large robot regarded its work with a pleased expression.
"Dinobots!" Grimlock called. "Destroy next building and be quick about it!"
The four Dinobots rumbled and growled, all of them targeting the next ruin while the Dinobot leader kicked at some of the rubble.
"Slow work," he told the much smaller robot at his side.
Sideswipe shrugged. "But safer than ripping the stuff apart with explosives. Last time we did more damage than good." He smiled ruefully.
Grimlock nodded. At that time the shockwave of the explosions had sent Optimus Prime and Nightmare plunging deep down to unknown levels of the Inner Maze. He watched his Dinobots work and decided to help them. One of Swoop's rockets blasted a building while Sludge burned large holes into the supporting structure until it collapsed. None of them ever suspected that the few tremors they created could bring along another unexpected surprise.

* * *

Not far away from the demolition team, not even under the surface of Cybertron but right in one of the old buildings, a machine reactivated.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Accessing data which had long since been either destroyed or become barely readable.
Determined to follow its most basic orders, it tried to undo the damage.

* * *

Megatron walked out of the doorway chamber, his mood swinging between amusement at the encounter and rage that this .... female ... had managed to surprise him like this. Sphere was truly fascinating, but she would be off limits for some time -- at least until everything had quieted down once more and he could start his attempts anew.
The elevator took him to the surface and he flew off instead of entering the South Port complex.
Somewhere in the distance something exploded and he landed on a near-by building. Demolition works, he discovered. The Autobots were wasting no time to get South Port up into a position where the command center was fully secured. This meant bringing down empty and ruined buildings, which would be the perfect place for attackers to hide. Most of the buildings would stay down, giving the South Port a center position in a wide circle of emptiness, which had the positive effect of a plainly visible territory. Optimus Prime had consulted him concerning defenses once, which had surprised Megatron at first, and the Decepticon knew that many of the defense systems would be hidden just beneath the treacherously smooth surface.
He jumped down from the building and walked away from the demolition site, his path leading him, unknown to him, right into a weak scanner beam.

* * *

-- Security check positive --
-- Trial run activated --

A low rumble passed through the globe of Vector Sigma.

-- Trial run positive --
-- Going on-line --

* * *

Spook felt nervous, though he had no idea why. His serpent body moved restlessly over ground of the the large quarters assigned to him. He didn't know what gave him this strange feeling of premonition, of anxiety.
Something was about to happen.
Soon.
And then it hit him.
He roared in pain, his tail denting the wall as it hit it with major force behind it. His golden-yellow eyes flared with a mixture of pain and despair.

* * *

A bright light flared in the sky of Cybertron and the alarm all over the South Port went off, whining shrilly. Optimus ran down the corridor to the command center and stormed in, facing a hectic crowd of Autobots.
"What is going on?" he demanded.
Jazz turned away from his post and walked swiftly over to him. "Unknown energy flare in the Southern hemisphere, Prime! We can't get a fix on the origin or on the pattern!"
Optimus went over to the control monitors and stared at the display of colors, all registering as a different energy pattern, all belonging to the strange phenomenon.
Someone else stormed into the room and he discovered that it was Nightmare. The Gatekeeper looked almost panicky, which was a rare sight.
"It's a doorway!" he breathed.
"What?!" Optimus nearly yelled.
"That's doorway energy!" Nightmare repeated. "Spook felt it opening and I recognize it! That's a doorway exit!"
"But there is no doorway up there!" Jazz exclaimed.
Nightmare nodded, trembling a bit. "I know....."
Optimus felt a chill deep inside of him. "Defense perimeters on-line!" he ordered. "Nightmare, where's Spook?"
"Outside. He's in bad shape. The doorway up there hurt him. He's on-line with the system and it flooded him."
Optimus whirled around and ran out of the room. "I don't care if he liked it or not, I want to know how that could happen!"
Nightmare followed.
They found Spook outside the complex, wings extended, claws dug into the ground, tail moving nervously. His golden-yellow eyes stared up into the sky, which was a display of light. As they ran toward him, he turned and Optimus froze slightly. The expression in those eyes was pure alien.
"What is happening?" the Autobot leader demanded.
Spook returned to staring at the doorway up in the sky. "It's random," he whispered. "There are no random doorways."
"But we are facing one!" Optimus snarled. "So what is happening now?"
Spook flinched slightly, giving a soft whimper of pain as if he had been hit. "It's transferring," he breathed, his tail lashing out wildly.
Optimus was saved from a close encounter with the strong tail by Nightmare's reaction. The Gatekeeper threw him aside and they both landed on the ground in a heap. Optimus got to his feet, watching the half-serpent recoil like under a blow.
"He's still in the system," Nightmare explained softly. "He feels it all!"
"Can't he get out?"
"No."
Optimus stared at the trashing and whimpering Spook, then looked up into the sky. "What is coming through?" he whispered.
Nightmare shuddered. "Let's hope it's friendly."
Optimus shot him a sharp look. "Could Tji create random doorways?"
"Not to my knowledge," Nightmare answered truthfully. "If they could, why bother with reaching a stationary one? Then again...." His optics flashed. "What if this was all a diversion... what if they could do it....?"
Their optics met.
"Primus!" Optimus whispered.
And then the sky exploded. Spook roared in pain and Nightmare and Optimus flattened themselves against the wall. His wings brushed by too close for Optimus' liking, but suddenly he broke down, lying limply on the ground. The optics went dead.
"Incoming!" Nightmare yelled.
Optimus stared at the sky, which flickered with remnants of the doorway energy exploding. And then he saw the figure descending from the sky. Nightmare had his weapon in hand and was aiming at the stranger, keeping himself between Optimus and the intruder, Optimus noted with surprise.
The intruder touched down without a sound. He was colored in black with a glowing, flaming pattern of red and purple on his chest. His whole body was completely black, though, almost like Midnight's.......
"Who are you?" Optimus demanded.
The intruder smiled, pointing at the drawn weapons. "Is that a way to greet a friend.... Orion?"
Optimus stared at the stranger. "Firefall....?" he gasped.
The black female only smiled.
"But....." Optimus was nearly struck speechless.
Firefall ignored him for a second and looked over to the motionless form of Spook, her face displaying shock for a second. Then she got herself back under control.
"It is a long story," she simply said.

* * *

It had taken weeks for the machine to come to this point where it could actually start running the manufacturing program. The power levels were below optimum, but it had to continue now or it would never complete the last order it had received before....
It had no idea what had shut it down in the first place, only that the shut-down had lasted millions of years and that now it had only one shot. If it failed, it would die without completing the last order.
The machine tried to make sense of the program it now came upon. It was all a garbled mess and since there was no alternative, it simply went with it. It sent out a request.

* * *

Rodimus had changed offices with Optimus Prime and the Autobot leader was back on Earth while Rodimus had taken over matters on Cybertron, glad to get away from Kup and Ultra Magnus. The two Autobot commanders were not exactly thrilled by the alliance between Autobots and Decepticons and they let him feel it. Kup had been raging on about this 'foolishness', while Ultra Magnus had only shook his head, telling Rodimus that they would live to regret it. Rodimus had listened to them, ignored many outbreaks and managed not to lose his temper more than once every three days. Shanygn had once jokingly commented on it and that had earned her a vicious glare. It took a lot of nerve to talk to Kup about Decepticons and it was even harder when he was in one of his moods. Now Optimus would deal with them and maybe pound some sense into them. Hopefully.
And while he was at it, he could also have a word with Nicholas. The engineer was back at Autobot City, allowed to do some light work like reading papers and signing stuff.
Rodimus in turn would handle the continuing demolition works and the securing of South Port. The building was stretching out above and underground. There was a also a small, but steady flow of Cybertronians coming out of hiding, many of them Decepticons, but also a few Autobots. Cyclonus had taken over handling the Decepticons, explaining everything to them. Raven was his constant companion, showing the new-arrivals what they were facing and what they could expect. The war was drawing ever closer and they needed as many warriors on their side as they could.
Megatron had come to give valuable ideas to the pool of thinkers who had to secure the building and with it the command post of the Cybertronians. Rodimus had to agree with him on many things and through it they had come to split the command and control center throughout several buildings and underground.
And then there was Firefall's sudden and unexpected return, which had brought with it new problems. She was reluctant to talk, kept to herself and seemed to have changed a great deal since she had disappeared -- not only on the outside. He had no idea what would follow her reappearance and he was kind of glad that she had gone with Optimus to visit Earth. And he was twice as glad that she had managed to take Talon with her. He sighed.
"Hi," a soft voice suddenly said and he discovered Silhouette leaning against the corner of this corridor meeting another one. "I thought I heard some rumor that you would be back here soon."
He smiled, a bit embarrassed. "I wanted to call you."
She shrugged. "A lot has been happening lately and I understand it ... really."
Rodimus nodded, aware that he should have called, especially since their relationship had gone through a lot when Firefall had arrived the first time and her return might trigger not-so-pleasant memories for his life partner.
Silhouette smiled and touched his arm. "It's okay," she told him. "No ill feelings. Not any more."
He smiled. "I'm glad to hear it."
"What did you plan now? Storm the office and get to work?"
Rodimus pretended to ponder this. "Maybe...."
She gave him a soft blow to the arm. "You are a bore!"
She smiled devilishly at her. "Why? Have any better ideas?"
Now Silhouette pondered this. "Maybe...." she said and her smile gave him an idea just what it was.

* * *

Ralyk received the incoming request while it was busy rerouting power to activate some more connections to Moon Base One. It continued its task, but part of its attention focused on the request. It came from an old creation machine, designed to produce pets for the ancient Cybertronian race. It was unusual that the machine was still active, but then, nothing was impossible. Ralyk pondered the request. Mainly it was about supplying a personality cube for a body shell. It quickly saw that the machine was in reality asking the wrong terminal to supply the personality. In the old times it would have been answered by one of the lower computers, which would supply a suitable personality cube for a pet, mainly designed after the wishes of the new owner. Since a lot had been either damaged, obliterated or was no longer routed along the same paths as before, this request had ended up with Vector Sigma -- Ralyk.
Ralyk pondered this and decided to grant the 'wish'. It went through the personality components, those never used anywhere before, and chose a suitable one for the body shell in question. Since the body shell was unable to transform, the personality would have to cope with that as well. It would be a drawback. Ralyk sent the personality file and also supplied some needed power for the birth -- as well as something it had thought of only seconds ago. If it could have smiled, it would have. Then it turned its full attention back on its original task.

* * *

She stirred restlessly inside her protective shell as the first dreams came.

* * *

The machine desperately tried to find a complete owner pattern, its limited awareness telling it that it would run out of energy soon and that this would mean the end of itself and the body shell it had just finished.
The scanners had picked up a life form walking by weeks ago and it was the only pattern it really had. It latched onto it with desperation, uncaring whether it was the owner or not. It simply acted out the last sequence of the activation, then shut down with a final whir.

* * *

-- Web balanced --
Ralyk watched the net of energy channels covering the factory planet and its satellite go from red to blue, indicating that the power was up everywhere and that it was stable. Pleased with its work it concentrated on the next problem, which had taken on a slight urgency.
Trbeca.

* * *

She stirred, stretching a bit. A yawn escaped her and reluctantly, very reluctantly, she opened her eyes. Blinking she tried to focus on something in her immediate surroundings. She was in some kind of old building, everything around her rather run-down and close to collapsing. She carefully tested her legs and found she was fully charged and that everything responded smoothly to it. She accessed her data bank and found she was in a rather unusual body with a rather unusual design and general make-up. She shrugged. Well, somebody must have decided this fit her and so she didn't think about herself any more. Except that she wanted to find a reflective surface to take a look at herself.
A part of her told her that she needed to gather information. She was too new to hold any real knowledge about anything except for the rudimentary data supplied to every newly born. She hopped out of her chamber and walked noiselessly to the door, slipping through into the corridor outside, which was in the same state of disrepair as everything. She made it out of the building by instinct, using the shortest way and wasting no time to explore other corridors. When she was outside, she looked around.
Impressive.
Tall buildings, though all very badly maintained, wide streets, no people anywhere in sight. She shrugged and slipped through the streets like a shadow.

* * *

The situation had started to get serious. The doorway was in imminent danger and Ralyk knew that it had to act soon, though it was not really ready to show itself quite that clearly. If it acted now, it might also lose the Trbecan team.
Alpha Trion made himself heard and Ralyk let him inside the bubble that housed most of the active mind of the ancient intelligence.
"What will you do?" he asked.
-- Proceed as always --
The first generation Autobot looked around and noticed the many programs running simultaneously. "You will go through with it and destroy the doorway?" he exclaimed. "That's madness! What about those guarding it?"
-- It is the only way --
-- They will survive --
"But only if those Tji don't kill them first!" Alpha Trion said angrily.
-- It is a risk --
-- There is always a risk --
With that Ralyk shut him out again. It needed to be alone with its thoughts. It knew that if it truly acted out the program activated in the stage four upgrade, then it would also doom two robots who might be important later on. There was a chance that the team could be saved, but the chance was slim and depended on the cooperation of one individual, who would not be thrilled.
The entity sighed.

* * *

She sat in one of the air conducts and watched the action below. Through wandering through all these narrow tunnels she had come upon many interesting things and she had got to know the robots around here quite well. She had learned the difference between the males and females, between those called Autobots, Decepticons, Sentinels and Seekers, and those who were few and seemed to hold a special position. She had memorized names, positions and professions, and she had made out those who seemed to be the leaders.
She sat down and flicked her ears, thinking hard about what to do now. She had not yet found that one person she needed to, though she had no idea why, and somehow she had no idea what else to do now. She sighed and walked back to the entrance to the conduct, then jumped out and made her way through the empty corridors.
Maybe she should show herself....
No.
Not such a good idea.
She came upon a new corridor she had not yet explored, and she walked it, reading the door plates. One of the rooms was open and she sneaked in. It was an office she decided and it looked like the occupant wasn't home.
She heard steps.
Wrong! Someone was home!
Before she could move, someone grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and lifted her bodily off the floor. She gave a yell of protest, then was faced with two angry, red optics.
"Now who are you?" the stranger asked, his voice cold and holding a dangerous edge.
Something inside her recognized him as the one she had been looking for, but his manners needed adjusting, and so she wasn't displaying overly happy emotions.

Megatron had stepped into his office to find an intruder.
A small intruder.
A small, four-legged and furry intruder!
Megatron grabbed the creature and lifted it up, looking into two emerald eyes in a black face.
"Now who are you?" he asked coolly.
The four-legged intruder looked at him, its brows drawing down and the whiskers vibrating. Then, quicker than he had thought it possible, Megatron was treated to a paw full of sharp claws. The claws did no real damage, but they came too close to his optics and he gave an enraged yell, dropping the intruder. It took its chance and whisked out of the room. The Decepticon leader fired his cannon, but he only succeeded in blasting the door out of its hinges.
He ran after the black streak and nearly collided with his second-in-command. Cyclonus had his weapon drawn and his optics were looking for the enemy, but he found no one, except for his leader. Megatron looked left and right down the corridor.
"Where is it?"
"What, mighty Megatron?"
The Decepticon leader rubbed his face. "The furry creature!" he snarled.
Cyclonus looked confused. "Furry creature?"
Megatron gave a growl and ran down the corridor to his left.
Raven flew down the corridor and landed on Cyclonus' shoulder. "What is going on?" she asked, slightly confused.
"I'm not sure," her partner answered. "But I will find out." He ran after Megatron.

* * *

Archer watched IceAngel work and he knew they had trouble coming their way. Big trouble.
"They will arrive in about three Trbecan months," the female Gatekeeper said calmly. "We should be ready for them by then."
"How?" Archer asked.
"I have locked down the doorway and secured it. Without the correct activation codes, they will only manage to get themselves killed if they try to use it." The dragon-head swiveled to meet his eyes. "Are the both of you ready?"
Archer nodded slowly. None of them had any idea how they would be attacked and if the Tji would try and take any of them over. He looked at the doorway, then let his optics wander to the sky above. Everything was calm and quiet. But for how much longer?

* * *

She sped down the corridor and found out too late that it was more or less a dead end. She cursed softly and turned, but was faced with another robot, this time one with a different insignia on his chest than the silver one. This robot she had seen before and she had identified him as one of the leaders. His name was Rodimus Prime. Someone much smaller was at his side, clad in a metal armor. She had seen this one before and she knew it was not a robot. There were different species running around here and this one belonged to the 'humanoid' one. She knew it was female called Shanygn.
"Who are you?" Rodimus asked, surprised.
She backed away, ears flat on her head, giving him a warning look.
"Looks like a cat," Shanygn commented, giving her a curious look. "But it's not one I saw before. It's much too large to be an Earth cat."
"I see you found it," the rougher voice of the silver robot could be heard.
"Found what?" Rodimus asked, turning around.
"The intruder," the other one replied.
Rodimus regarded her curiously and Shanygn shrugged.
"It was in my office when I came in and it attacked me," the silver one explained, his expression a far cry from friendly.
The purple colored robot, who bore the same symbol, regarded her curiously. On his shoulder sat a black bird, its yellow eyes glinting with the same curiosity.
She hissed at them all and the one who had nearly caught her leveled his gun at her. She hissed more.
"Hey, wait a second, Megatron!" Rodimus held him back from shooting her, pushing the gun aside.
Megatron glowered at him, clearly annoyed by the interference.
"We don't know what it is and we should find out. Don't you see that it is different from everything we know, as far as I can see it?"
Megatron snorted, but didn't aim at her again. His red optics still glowed in anger and she saw that her claws had left some superficial marks, but nothing major. A bit of polish and he would be as good as new. If she had really wanted to hurt him, he'd be missing an optic right now. She pondered this. Maybe she should have clawed his optic......
"I see that it was in my office and certainly trying to spy on me!" he growled. "It is most likely a spy unit from the Tji."
"Don't make me laugh!" Shanygn told him. "Why should they use something like a cat and why should they be so obvious about it? You caught it right away and this doesn't sound like a spy unit to me! It's stupid!"
Megatron glared at her. "Watch your tongue, human."
"I'm not human!" Shanygn returned. "And I'm certainly not intimidated by that glare!"
Megatron snarled something under his breath.
Rodimus had ignored the two and approached her carefully, bending down. "I won't hurt you," he told her softly.
Megatron made a noise of disgust. She decided to play nice with Rodimus, just to enrage the other robot even more, and jumped into his arms. Rodimus looked surprised for a second, then smiled, tenderly holding her to his chest. Megatron simply continued glowering.
"Let's take it down to Perceptor and First Aid. They should have a look at it."
"It should be terminated," Megatron growled.
Rodimus gave him a sharp look, then walked down the corridor, followed by Shanygn.

*

First Aid was surprised when not only Rodimus Prime, but also Megatron and Shanygn entered the medical area. A Decepticon was a rare sight down here. And then his optics fell on the bundle of fur in Rodimus' arms.
"Rodimus, what...?"
"Megatron found this sneaking into his office." Rodimus couldn't suppress a smile. "It looks like its a robot, but it also has fur." He sat the furry creature down on an examination table.
"Looks like a cat," came the comment from further down and Rodimus discovered Carly Witwicky. He remembered that she had arrived a few days ago to visit her daughter.
Shanygn smiled. "I thought the same. But why would anyone choose such a form, especially with fur?"
"Nightmare has a mane, as have Knight and Sphere," Carly reminded her.
"That's different. Their bodies still have metal skin."
First Aid gently touched the black fur and the cat looked curiously at him, not at all growling and hissing. Megatron glowered even more.
"Intriguing," the medic muttered. "Synthetic, but covering the whole body."
"Like Midnight's skin," Rodimus commented.
"Well, he has no fur," Shanygn smiled. "Or he shaves every day."
Carly giggled a bit, then turned serious again, though her eyes sparked with amusement.
"This is nothing like Midnight's skin," First Aid told them."
"Whatever it is, keep it here or somewhere else. If I see it ever again, it's dead!" With that Megatron turned and left the medical bay in fast strides.
"What's eating him?" Carly asked.
"Besides the fact that the little fur-ball nearly took one eye out....?" Rodimus chuckled.
First Aid gave Rodimus a look, but the Autobots' second only shrugged. The medic set to work on finding out just who this cat-like creature was.

* * *

"So they truly have Scorponok," Optimus sighed, shaking his head.
Megatron nodded. "None of the attackers were Headmasters, though. The Tji must have eliminated them."
Optimus Prime nodded. So it was true, all the rumors and gossip, as well as the blurry picture of the fortress The Hive had built.
"What about the Quintesson?" he asked.
"Dead," the Decepticon leader said levely, not moving a muscle.
"I see." Optimus looked at him, blue optics narrowed, but he didn't ask any more questions. "Has any more data come in about the trajectory of the fortress?"
"Obviously it's still on its way toward Trbeca," Megatron answered slowly.
Optimus looked troubled and Megatron knew why. They had no way to help the team on Trbeca. A conference had been called in when the trajectory had been known to lead Scorponok to the doorway planet and they had discussed if sending Wild Card there would be of any help. No one else would be able to use warp gates like him, exit where he needed to. A regular voyage would take too long and might be too late. Wild Card alone was no real help, even if he could shoot down some Tji.
"Let's hope they can discourage them," Optimus muttered.
Megatron thought that this was a futile wish. If the Tji couldn't take them over, they would kill them. Archer had to keep IceAngel's back free long enough for her to self-destruct the doorway if it came to the worst case scenario. Before the doorway destroyed itself, they would also have to get inside and travel back to Cybertron. He had doubts that this would work as smoothly as they wanted it to.
He disconnected the com line and leaned back in his chair, smiling faintly as he thought about what he had just done. He had talked to Optimus Prime like he was just another Cybertronian, not someone who had been his enemy for over nine million years. This alliance had its edges and problems, but the two commanders were working better together than he had ever imagined. They were not so different at all, Megatron had discovered, and there was a rather ruthless and very new edge to Optimus Prime. The Decepticon had thought long and hard about this change and he suspected that the events of the last two decades had evoked it. Rodimus Prime had changed a lot as well, and this meant not only the pseudo-Interface with the handicapped humanoid. The insecurity was gone, as was the 'young' aura. He looked older, his eyes appearing as ancient as Prime's from time to time.
Megatron played with a pen on his desk. If he had known what the two of them had for all this time, trying to keep it all from his troops, having no one to talk to but maybe one or two others, he might have changed like this as well. Now he knew the same; now he also had to keep it a secret. Except for Cyclonus and Soundwave, no one of his own troops knew the truth behind the Tji and the attacks, as well as the looming war soon to break upon them. Like the Autobots, the Decepticons knew only that there was a new enemy out there, one who was able to take over robot bodies to use as their own, one who would make a run for the doorways to conquer Cybertron, and who had nearly obliterated the Quintessons.
The Decepticon leader rose from the chair and left his office. He wished he had someone beside the two Autobot leaders around to discuss the war that would soon hit them. Cyclonus was busy reintegrating the Decepticon rebels, running this task parallel to what the Autobots tried to achieve with their own underground fighters. He was working side by side with Hound and Jazz, and it was a difficult job, mainly trying to convince the underground fighters that this was no trick, but the truth. Soundwave was on Charr and had his hands full.
He passed some Autobots, who gave him suspicious glances. Megatron knew that he was in no danger to get shot. Optimus Prime had made it very clear that they were allies and that their enemy would only be too happy if the Cybertronians re-entered their petty civil war. If any Autobot felt the need to shoot Deceptions, he could always use the holo-chambers. Or he could get transferred somewhere else where no Decepticons were around.
Megatron left the building and stood outside the walls of South Port, gazing up into the sky of Cybertron. He would never have dreamed to be back here so soon, without the danger of an Autobot ambush, and in his own body. And soon they would be at war again, this time all of them together: the Cybertronian race; no more difference between Autobots and Decepticons.
It took such a powerful threat, from our own creators, to reunite he factions, to make them work together and maybe establish more than an alliance......
He banished those thoughts. There was no time for it now.

* * *

"This is a very fascinating creature, Rodimus," First Aid told the young Prime two hours after he had started his examination. He had immediately reported to Rodimus after he had been done. "This cat is a robot and her body shell is covered by synthetic material simulating fur. She can control the fur by complicated means, making it rise on her back like a real cat's. Her body shell is a rare model and was once known as a pet's. They were constructed to be companions to old Cybertronians and they were generally like dogs or cats to humans. Not very intelligent, but loyal."
"Is that the reason it looks like a cat?" Rodimus asked.
"No." First Aid shook his head. "At the time these body shells were constructed, millions of years ago, we had no knowledge of Earth. I suspect that whoever programmed the machine also gave the design specs for the final look of the body."
"And that is....?" Shanygn wanted to know.
"I have no idea who designed it, sadly so." First Aid shrugged. "Now, there is more to this cat's body than what I found about pets and their design in the old files. It is the original body shell, but the mind is more active than a pet's. I suspect it is an individual and aware mind, mixed with a pet. Curious. She is highly intelligent."
"She?"
First Aid smiled. "Yes. Her name is Sparks."
Rodimus looked surprised. "She talked?"
"Not at first. It looks like she wanted to assess the situation first. She's quite a personality, by the way. Perceptor had a hard time handling her and her behavior after she apparently judged the situation as 'safe' and acted normal."
"Then I think I need to ask our guest a few questions." Rodimus rose from his chair and left his office, very much interested to meet this 'pet'.

* * *

Sparks sat on the examination table and groomed herself, in perfect cat fashion. When Rodimus entered, she looked up, studying him with those intense, green eyes.
"Hello, Sparks," he greeted her.
She tilted her head.
"My name is ...."
"Rodimus Prime," she finished the sentence.
Rodimus looked at First Aid, who held up his hands.
"Don't look at me. She knew me as well. Looks like she's been visiting us for some time." He smiled.
"Did you?" Rodimus asked.
Sparks looked smugly at them.
"Where did you come from?" he wanted to know.
"Pet shop," she answered and he wasn't sure if this was meant seriously or as a joke.
"What were you doing inside Megatron's office?" Rodimus continued asking.
"Learning. Looking. Searching." She shrugged and her tail moved slowly from left to right.
"Searching for what?"
She smiled. "For him."
"Megatron?" Rodimus exclaimed.
She nodded.
"But ... why?"
"I don't know. I just knew I had to search for someone and he is the one." She stretched and yawned, hopping down from the table. "Now I need to take a nap, so if you excuse me....."
Rodimus watched her move out of the room, tail and head held high, movements majestic and graceful. He looked at First Aid, who shrugged.
"She's not dangerous, at least weapons-wise. Except for those claws she has no weapons at all."
Rodimus thought back at Megatron's superficial scratches. He wondered if this was all she could do or if those claws could also take out an optic.
"And she can't transform," the medic added.
"Come again?"
"She is stuck in this cat mode. Pets have no transformation abilities, Rodimus."
"I see. Could you change it?"
"Maybe." First Aid rubbed his chin. "I would have to study the basic form and see what would need modifications. Some of those changes would be rather big. It also depends on her size and whether she could access subspace to shunt or draw material. Assigning her a pocket is no problem; the access might be. The synthetic fur and skin might be a problem as well, since it would have to open to let her transform."
Rodimus saw that the medic was already thinking about what to do. If he got Perceptor in on it as well, the two of them would get something cobbled together for sure.
"Just try it. She might appreciate it," he said.
First Aid nodded absent-mindedly and Rodimus smiled, leaving med bay.

* * *

Melissa Witwicky was on her way down to the doorway chamber to spend some time with Nightmare when she saw the black cat. It was large, she saw, and it wasn't an organic life form. She felt its mind brush by, ever so faintly, just like every other robot life form she had ever met. It was about as large as a small horse and had white paws and a white spot on the chest. The tail had a white tip as well. And it had fur. This startled Mel more than everything about this stranger because she had never seen a robot with synthetic skin except maybe Midnight, but he was different; and she doubted this cat was a Sentinel.
The cat stopped and eyed her, the emerald eyes sparkling softly in the artificial light.
"Hi," Mel greeted it and became aware of Nightmare coming down the tunnel. His impression on her mind was always very sharp.
The cat tilted its head, now looking puzzled. It sniffed carefully, its head stretching toward her, and its ears moved nervously. Mel stayed where she was, interpreting the cat's movements as caution and curious interest. Nightmare stepped into view and the cat jumped back, its ears flattening against its head.
Mel held up a hand to stop her large friend from doing anything and then stepped toward the cat. "It's all right. He won't hurt you. He's a friend."
"Who is this, M.J.?" Nightmare rumbled.
The cat's eyes perked up again and it gave Nightmare a once-over.
"I don't know," Mel answered. "It's a cat, but a robotic one, and it has artificial fur. I have no idea whom it belongs to and how it came down here. I don't even know if it can talk."
"Of course I can talk," the cat suddenly said.
Mel smiled and Nightmare's equine head went up a bit, the ears turned forward, his red eyes flashing in surprise.
"My name is Sparks. And I belong to no one .... technically speaking."
"Technically?" Mel echoed.
The cat sighed. "It's a long story. Who are you?"
"My name is Melissa Witwicky, but you can call me Mel. This large guy is Nightmare. He's the resident Gatekeeper."
Sparks looked up the longs legs and strong neck of the black horse, right into the red eyes. "What is a Gatekeeper?" she then asked.
Mel smiled. "Come on. Let's give you a tour. Then you can explain just who exactly you are and where you came from."
The trio started to walk down the corridor to the doorway chamber.

* * *

The tour had been interesting and it had taken her mind off other things. Sparks strode through the corridor as if she owned it and her cat side told her that she did. She arrived at the door to the office of the robot called Megatron and studied the lock. It was sophisticated, but her mind supplied her with knowledge no pet should have. With the knowledge surfaced a few more memories and deeper knowledge, imprinted on her by her creator.
The door opened.
Sparks slipped in and now began the exploration of this room in earnest. She had time and she was completely alone, so she was very particular about it. The office was sparsely furnished, with just the necessities. The adjoining private room was equipped with a recharge bed and some items that could be called personal. She jumped onto the bed, tested it and decided it was okay, though it could be better. Sparks sat down and examined the rest of the private room from her elevated position. Very, very sparse, almost spartanic.
She returned to the office, jumping from the chair up onto the table and looked at it. Nothing much was on the table, except for some data files and a few pens. The terminal was shut down and the keyboard access panel was locked. She studied it, then decided it was a very easy locking mechanism and no challenge at all. She turned several times around herself, her paws treading on the spot, then she settled down, rolling into a tight bundle. Burying her head on her fluffy tail. Her ears still perked up alert, even though she closed her eyes. The white tip of her tail moved slowly from time to time.

Megatron entered his office, closed the door behind him and -- stopped dead. His red optics widened, then narrowed dangerously. Just in front of him, on his desk, lay a bundle of black fur. This was impossible! How had that creature come in here? He had locked the room! The Decepticon leader strode toward his desk, slamming his hand on the surface of the desk with a force that rearranged several of the files in complete disorder. The cat didn't even flinch, only lifted its head, the emerald eyes regarding him calmly.
"How did you little scruff ball get in here?" he hissed.
The cat rose and stretched lazily.
"And what are you doing on my desk?" Megatron continued, aiming his cannon at the small creature.
The cat gave him a critical once-over, looking haughty, then began to lick her paws.
Megatron tried to grab it by the neck, but it clawed at him and once again he was treated to a few superficial scratches, this time on his hand.
"Bastard!" he snarled, trying it again.
This time the scratches were deeper, penetrating the first two layers of skin.
"Don't touch me!"
Megatron reeled back, surprise written all over his face. "You can talk?"
"Yes," the cat replied haughtily. "And my name is Sparks, not scruff ball or anything else."
Megatron blinked. "Sparks?"
"Yes." Sparks sat down on her haunches, giving him a lofty look. "And you are Megatron."
"How do you know my name, fuzzy face?"
She smiled a cat-smile. "Intelligence."
"Get off my desk."
Sparks ignored him, her eyes wandering over the interior of the office once more. "Rather sparse, don't you think?"
"I said get off the desk, fur ball!" he growled.
Sparks gave him an annoyed look. "You are rude. And the name is Sparks." She walked over to the edge of the desk, then jumped down and bounded gracefully over to a chair, climbing effortlessly on the high back and settling down on it. It gave her an even more elevated position.
"What do you want?"
She smiled. "Nothing."
"Then why are you here?" Megatron demanded, about to lose his remaining restraints and shoot this annoying creature.
Sparks' green eyes locked with his. "I belong here," she declared calmly.
"What?!"
"I said, I belong here. Sheesh, you need your audio receptors checked!"
He stalked over to the chair she sat on, erect and radiating a dignity that was incredible for such a small being. He pointed his finger at her chest.
"If you don't get out of her in the next five seconds, you belong to the scrap-yard, fur ball!"
Sparks regarded the finger with interest, then looked up at him. "No."
Megatron was baffled. He feigned to grab her by the neck with his right, then, as she hissed and clawed, grabbed the cat with his left. Sparks gave a meow of protest as he lifted her bodily off the chair.
"No fair!"
Megatron's face was set in a grim mask of determination as he carried her out of the office.

Rodimus Prime looked up in surprise as his office door was opened with a loud bang. Megatron strode into the room, holding out Sparks like an disease ridden rag, dumping her on his desk. Sparks gave a hiss of indignity, staring at him with a nasty expression in her eyes.
"I don't know where this fuzz-ball escaped from," the Decepticon leader said coldly, his red optics blazing with suppressed anger. "But you better lock it up again. If I see it in my quarters one more time, this hairy annoyance will be terminated!"
He turned and strode out again, banging the door behind him.
Rodimus sat at his desk, mouth slightly agape, staring at the closed door. Then he turned his attention on his guest. Sparks looked just as annoyed as Megatron and started to groom her ruffled fur back into shape.
"What happened?" Rodimus finally asked.
"He is rude," was the answer, accompanied by a snort.
"He's Megatron," Rodimus muttered, then shook his head. "What did you do?"
"Go back," was the answer.
"Why?"
Sparks looked pained. "I belong there." At his slightly perplexed look she elaborated. "This body is the body of a pet, as is part of the mind. But another part is an independent individual, who wants to scratch this guy's optics until he goes blind! I can't help it that I feel I belong to him -- as a pet of course, not as an individual!" Sparks sighed explosively. "It's embarrassing and annoying to have this urge, I know. I wish I could do something about it."
"Uh, why Megatron?"
"Ask me something easier," she replied sadly. "The computer creating me programmed my mind with the pattern of an individual, my owner -- if I were a pet. It was an incomplete pattern and I searched for some time, doing it by instinct. I couldn't fight it." She sighed again. "He fit the pattern." Sparks shook her head and walked to the edge of the desk, looking down, then returned.
Rodimus frowned. "Maybe First Aid can help you. He might determine which part of your program needs to be altered to make you a free person ... errr .... cat."
Sparks shrugged and watched him rise. "Maybe. It's worth a try." She jumped down from the desk and followed him.

*

First Aid ran several more scans and then requested more data about the pets of old times. It all came up with the same result.
"This owner pattern is lodged deep down inside of you," he told Sparks, who was sitting attentively on the examination table. "It is entwined with a lot of other programs, as well as your personality core, which was apparently supplied by Vector Sigma."
"What?" Rodimus asked in surprise.
"All personality components come from there," the medic told him.
"I know, but ... hers as well? How?" The Autobots' second was confused.
"I'm not sure, really. All I can say is, the two minds are meshed and we can't simply delete the pet program." First Aid gave Sparks a sad look. "I don't know why it is Megatron, but you are, or at least a part of you, is 'owned' by him. This urge or instinct can't be removed."
Sparks shrugged. "It could be worse." At Rodimus inquiring look she explained, "I could have no mind at all."
"What will you do now?" her asked. "Megatron is not exactly on friendly terms with you."
"I don't know. First of all I want to get to know more about myself. Then.... wait and see." She smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me....?"
Rodimus let her jump off the table and watched her leave med bay once more. He turned to First Aid.
"How dangerous do you think is it to leave her running around on her own?"
"She is as intelligent and self-aware as anyone. I think she can take care of herself. As long as she doesn't get into Megatron's way, I believe she is in no danger."
Megatron.
Rodimus sighed. Yes, the Decepticon leader wouldn't be thrilled by Sparks popping up again and again, but she was partly drawn to him because of her pet program.....
"Let's just hope he won't shoot her right away every time she appears," he muttered. Aloud he said: "How is your work on the transformation coming along?"
"I think we can pull it off," First Aid told him. "A bit more research and time, and I can give you a definite answer."

* * *

Sparks had fought against her programming as long as she could, but now and then her paws carried her down the corridor where Megatron's office was located. She had resisted the urge to break into it and make herself at home, but it was becoming harder and harder each time.
Until she surrendered.

Megatron woke out of his recharge sleep with the odd sensation of not being completely alone. He remained completely motionless, his sensors coming up full.
Yes, there was someone there. He read a faint energy signature in the room. He was only able to pick it up because he had shut down to the most basic levels and because he had always been a very cautious person, always checking before reactivating fully and giving himself away.
Location: at the foot of his bed.
He frowned.
On his recharge bed.
Energy signature: faint.
Pattern: unknown.
Dreadful premonition rose inside of him as he added the rather faint energy signatures to the small size and the position on his bed.
Megatron activated his primary circuits and sat up. What he saw at the end of his bed let him freeze, anger rising slowly inside of him, intermixed with curious puzzlement. Curled into a tight ball of black fur was Sparks, claiming a spot on his recharge bed just at the end of his feet. How had she come in here again? He had changed the combination on his door and he had made sure that the motion detectors were active as well. Now this.
He slipped from the bed and checked his energon levels. Everything was perfectly recharged.
Sparks moved, raising her head and yawning, stretching in the progress. He glowered at her as she turned her emerald eyes on him, looking as innocent as a guilty person could look.
"How did you get in here?" he demanded.
"Through the door," she answered, rose and stretched once more. Then she settled down again and began to groom herself.
Megatron felt the incredible urge to blast her. "The door was locked!" he snarled.
"Not for a cat." She stopped her grooming and smiled.
"You broke the code?" he wanted to know, incredulous.
"Nothing to it."
Megatron stared at the small creature, anger and surprise battling inside of him. She had managed to break his personal code!
"How?" he asked.
Sparks jumped off the bed, following him into his office where she jumped onto the table and settled down on an empty spot.
"Cats have their ways."
"That is not an answer!" he growled.
She smiled. "No, it isn't."
He stared right into those unreadable green eyes, glowering menacingly at her. "Then how about giving me one, fuzzy face?"
Each and every one of his troops would have cowered down now and told Megatron what he wanted to know. Sparks merely gave him a haughty look.
"You are rude." With that she turned her back on him.
Megatron clenched his hands into fists, ready to strike her, then settled back to simply sitting down and angrily punching the computer on-line, trying to ignore the annoying ball of fur not far away. But when he read over the latest messages he forgot all about Sparks.
Scorponok had apparently arrived in the Trbeca system, but their contact, who had kept them informed about its movements, was gone. No word had been heard from him since this last report and it was suspected that he was dead. This rid them of precious information and more.
"Bad news?" a soft voice asked.
Megatron was jerked out of his musings and discovered that Sparks was watching him and reading the information on the screen.
"Maybe," he muttered, then rose from his chair, forgetting for a moment that he was talking to the annoyance called Sparks. He started to do a quick calculation of when Scorponok would arrive at the planet. Two more standard weeks at the current speed. Not much.
Without another thought he left the room and was only peripherally aware that the cat followed him, its paws making no noise at all.

* * *

"There is nothing we can do!" Rodimus Prime sounded frustrated and it reflected the feeling everyone had.
Midnight drummed his fingers on the table, looking over to Spook, whose optics had dimmed a bit and who was apparently once again scanning the doorway system. He had come to tolerate the half-serpent, though it was hard for him to be in the same room. It would need a lot more time for the emotional wounds to heal.
"We have only two more weeks," Megatron said into the silence following the exclamation. "Then the fortress will be at Trbeca. What will happen if they manage to best the team on the planet and take over the doorway?"
"IceAngel will have the doorway locked," Nightmare explained. "Only the Gatekeeper knows how to do it and even if she is terminated, the Tji won't be able to access the system."
"But in time they would most likely break the code lock," Spook said calmly. "They built the doorways, maybe not they in particular, but their race."
Everyone was silent for a minute.
"Could you lock the centerway that they couldn't get through?" Optimus Prime finally asked. He had returned from Earth for this conference.
"I don't know. It would be an effort and they have time. We could change frequencies, change codes, change and change and change, but they would eventually break through."
Midnight looked decidedly disturbed.
"What does it take for a Gatekeeper to destroy his or her own doorway?" Rodimus asked calmly. "How much active would IceAngel have to be to explode it?"
Nightmare sighed. "Not much. We are connected to our doorways and know them. When I destroyed mine, I only had to access a certain link and it happened."
"So even if she is taken out, she could still do it if she is conscious enough," Megatron said.
Nightmare nodded.
"We can't do more than wait," Optimus told them. "I hate it as much as anyone, but we can't help Archer and IceAngel and we also can't send only Wild Card."
Rodimus nodded. "Spook, keep watching the Trbecan doorway connection," he told the half-serpent. "If something happens, let us know immediately. Anyone of us."
Spook nodded. "Of course."
"Nightmare, you better try and work out a way to hold the centerway locked as long as possible, under any circumstances," Optimus turned to the Gatekeeper. "Take both teams, if necessary. I want that doorway as secure as possible."
Nightmare nodded. "Will do, Prime."
As the meeting dispersed, Optimus became aware of a small, furry creature sitting beside Megatron, watching all of them curiously.
"Who or what is that?" he demanded.
Megatron looked down and seemed surprised for a second, as if he hadn't known about it. "It's a pain in the diodes," he replied, staring down at the cat with an angry glow in his eyes.
Rodimus joined them and couldn't suppress a smile. "Optimus, that is Sparks. I told you about her."
Optimus nodded. "You sent me a report. Hello, Sparks."
Sparks jumped onto the table and gave Megatron a nasty look. "He at least knows how to treat a visitor," she told him. "Hello," she then turned to Optimus Prime.
Optimus smiled behind his half-mask. He knew most about Sparks, especially that she was 'imprinted' with Megatron's signature and that she somehow felt drawn to him.
Megatron grabbed the cat, which was not quick enough, and shot Optimus a warning look. Then he walked out of the room. When he was gone, Optimus turned to Rodimus.
"How did she get in with us?"
"I have no idea. Sparks even broke into Megatron's quarters -- twice. She somehow circumvented the codes and nobody knows how. She won't answer questions either."
"How much can we trust her to shut up about what she hears from us about the Tji?"
Rodimus answered the serious look with an equally serious expression. "I think I'll talk to her."
"You better do."

* * *

First Aid nodded as he read over the design profile, then turned to Perceptor. "We could so it. It would take some time and might be painful at the first transformation when the skin splits, but we could get her turned into a Transformer."
"All we need now is the agreement of the patient," Perceptor reminded him.
The medic nodded. "I'll see if I can find her somewhere."
A smile flickered over Perceptor's face before he turned back to his work. "Try Megatron."
First Aid chuckled a bit, then got on the intercom to inform Rodimus Prime of their project.

* * *

The attack came sooner than expected, but not completely by surprise. Archer watched the small dots turn into distinguishable robots, all marked as warriors of the old race. IceAngel was nowhere in sight, but that didn't mean she wasn't there. Her chameleon circuits had kicked in and she was near-by, waiting.
>> Dis is it Mike said softly.
>> Oui Archer answered just as softly.
He looked at the doorway looming over them. This was what they had to defend under all circumstances and what would have to be destroyed if they didn't succeed. He would hate to do it. The doorway was an artifact and had been here for millions of years.
>> 'eads up, 'ere dey come!
Several robots landed on the ground and one of them approached Archer, his eyes dead and the walk slightly jerky, as if the body was moved by someone who didn't know how to control it.
Archer held his weapon tighter, feeling Mike Interface as much as he could. Yes, this was it.

* * *

Ralyk became aware of the battle the moment it began and it knew that it might have to follow the stage four upgrade program for this scenario, even if it pained it to do so.
-- Observation continues --
-- Ready to intervene --
-- Activating fail-safe program --
-- Zero minus three --

* * *

Spook listened to the doorway system, watching, waiting, for the worst to come true.

* * *

Sparks sat in med bay and let Perceptor run a last test on her construction. Rodimus Prime was also present and he watched the proceedings with interest. The Autobot had explained to her that whatever she heard in those meetings she always popped up in or read in files on Megatron's desk, it was 'Eyes/Ears Only' and she was not allowed to tell anyone about it. She understood and she had come to think of the reports as something like it already.
"You are completely aware of what this means, Sparks?" First Aid asked, preparing some tools.
"Of course." Her emerald eyes regarded him calmly. "It means a lot of work for you and another life for me." She smiled slightly.
He smiled in return. "You will keep your cat mode just like it is now," he told her once more. "As for your robot mode, you won't be very tall but we might just give you subspace access and then we can debate about size."
Sparks chuckled, her tail flicking back and forth. "Size is not everything, First Aid."
He nodded. "That much is true. Now, if the lady is ready...." He gestured at the already prepared operating table.
Sparks nodded and jumped from her current position to the table, where she lay down and waited for her surgeons. First Aid nodded at Perceptor and the two of them set to work. Sparks shut down her functions.

* * *

Ralyk had no other choice.
-- Activating defense perimeter --
-- Stage four --
-- Channels open --
-- Starting countdown --
-- Zero minus two --

* * *

Archer was no longer aware of anything but his pain. He had no idea where IceAngel was and his last memory of the Gatekeeper was her going down in flames close to the doorway. He felt Mike inside of him, comatose and wrapped in a protective shell to keep him alive.
Destroy the doorway!
The thought was deep down inside of him, but he had no energon left, no power, to follow it. His fingers dug into the ground, but that was about all he could do.
We lost......
And then he blacked out.

* * *

-- Zero minus one --

* * *

The doorway structure on Trbeca shuddered like under a blow and creaked ominously. Then it shuddered again and large cracks appeared in the rune-covered surface. The ground was trembling, bucking, and the Tji lost their footing, stumbling away.
IceAngel lifted her head, a faint smile crossing her features. Yes. She rolled her optics to see where Archer was and discovered him lying a bit further away, apparently unconscious.
And then the structure exploded. IceAngel felt several pieces hit her and some lodged themselves deep into her skin, which was fluctuating wildly, unable to decide on her form. She wanted to cry in pain as the doorway she had guarded for so long was destroyed, but she no longer had a voice.
Darkness claimed her.

* * *

Spook's head reared up and he cried in pain, his optics flaring. Nightmare whirled around and was caught hard by the lashing tail, flying against the wall. Spook calmed down nearly immediately, but he was shaking badly.
"No!" he exclaimed.
"What is wrong?" Nightmare demanded.
"The doorway.... it .... self-destructed."
"IceAngel destroyed it?"
The half-serpent shook its head. "No. If she had, I would not have felt it like this. The command to self-destruct... it came along the lines of this centerway."
The two robots stared at each other.
"But who....?" Nightmare whispered.

* * *

The whole doorway system shook under the impact of the self-destruct order issued by Ralyk. On Arry, ShatterX stared at her own doorway, which was rocking under the output of power channelled through the system and which reached the nearest doorways to Trbeca with unprecedented force. Hellfire gave a growl and crouched down a bit, keeping himself between the Gatekeeper he had to protect and the doorway.
On Hedora, Oblivion moaned, sadness sweeping through him as he recognized the hum coming from his own doorway as what it was.
"One of the others was destroyed," he told his Sentinel shield.
Wyrdlight frowned. "A doorway or the Gatekeeper and shield?" he asked in dread.
Oblivion gave him an unreadable look. "Most likely both."

* * *

"We are done."
First Aid straightened from his work and nodded at Perceptor. The scientist activated the observation sensors and the two looked at their project. Sparks looked like she had before and her systems were working perfectly. Now she only had to respond to the energon feed and come back online, then they could see if the changes they had performed worked as they wanted them to.

* * *

"Ralyk!"
"You think so?" Rodimus asked doubtfully. "But how... I mean... is it possible?"
"Yes!" Optimus felt enraged by what had happened. "It has started to cover Cybertron with a web of energy tunnels and rerouted circuits, filled storage tanks with energon ... changed things."
Rodimus' eyes narrowed. "Changed things? What, for instance? We saw no changes."
"It put up bubble-like shields around Cybertron and the Moon Base."
"Shields? And what else changed?"
"We," Optimus answered levely.
Megatron, who had been silent for some time, looked sharply at him. "Who is we?" he demanded.
"I'm not sure. Ralyk contacted me and told me about the changes it made inside me, and it also mentioned that it changed others. It calls it 'modifying'."
"What changes?" Rodimus asked, feeling chilled.
"I don't know," the Autobot leader confessed. "Apparently one change is that Ralyk can contact me without any links necessary."
-- I can -- a soft voice echoed through him and judging from the startled looks, the other two heard it as well.
-- You have questions --
"What is this?" Megatron demanded, looking around, eyes flashing.
-- Modification --
"How dare you touch Megatron!" the Decepticon erupted. "What did you change?"
-- Many things --
-- To prepare --
"Disregarding this modification for a moment," Optimus interrupted before Megatron could rage on. "What did you do to the doorway?"
-- Destroyed it --
"What?!" Rodimus exclaimed. "How? Why? You effectively trapped Archer and IceAngel there!"
-- It was necessary --
-- They were about to break through --
"The Tji?"
-- Yes --
-- They know how to break the codes of locked doorways --
-- It was necessary --
"But what about our people there?" Rodimus exploded.
-- I don't know --
Optimus felt like Ralyk was lying about something, but he didn't press on.
"You don't know?" Rodimus nearly yelled. "You left them to there die!"
There was only silence greeting this accusation and Optimus felt cold anger rise inside of him.
"What will you do with the other doorways?" he asked neutraly.
-- Nothing --
Megatron didn't even look halfway convinced, his lips twisting in a sneer. "Of course," he said sarcastically. "Until the Tji get there. If you are able to blow them, why did we send out shields? Why not just destroy them all?"
-- Unnecessary --
Megatron simply snorted, turned and walked out of the room. Rodimus was looking angrily at Optimus, but the anger was not directed at the Autobot leader. Only at Ralyk.
"This ... thing ... is worse than Vector Sigma!" he hissed.
Optimus sighed softly and leaned back against a wall. "It has started to secure Cybertron against the Tji, Rodimus. It means well and we need its expertise. It's ancient; it is used to acting on its own."
"Not when it's tampering with our circuits!" the younger Autobot exploded. "I'd like to be asked! It happened when I took the Matrix and no one asked me first! It happened a second time, again the Matrix! Now Ralyk!" He slammed his fist on the table top. "When does it stop? When can we finally decide what happens to us?!"
Optimus understood his friend's anger -- only too well. He had gone through the same, for millions of years, getting things slammed into his face, revelations about events in the past..... Now Ralyk was starting something similar to what Vector Sigma had done, only this time it told them -- still too late, but at least not after millennia.
"We have to find a way to get Archer and IceAngel back," Optimus said calmly.
"If they are still alive," Rodimus whispered darkly, then pulled himself together. "What about Firefall and her abilities to create doorways?"
Optimus nodded. "It's worth a try. She isn't talking about it, but it never hurt to ask."
His second grimaced. "You are talking about Firefall, Optimus...."
Optimus chuckled. "You are right."
They left the room, neither of them aware that Ralyk had been linked to them all the time and only now pulled slowly out of their minds. It knew the commanders, all of them, were angry. And they would get even more enraged if they were ever to learn of the extent of the modifications, but it would have to keep that a secret for some more time. Right now it hoped they could convince Firefall to retrieve the Trbecan team. If not.... Ralyk would have to see.
Ralyk was ancient, but it was not Veneran by origin. Still, it could call upon an authority that might just make a difference.

* * *

Sparks felt a moment of disorientation and she had to adjust her motion controls, as well as her equilibrium. Her center of gravity was suddenly much higher and she also had to adjust to the problem of being upright on two legs.
Someone helped her, taking her arm and stabilizing her.
"Whoa, take it easy!" First Aid called. "You have to get used to this sudden change."
Sparks blinked and the medics face suddenly loomed over her. "I think I have it now," she said and carefully detached herself from him.
She took a few steps toward the second examination table and felt her circuits adjust. She stopped and looked down her body. She was still colored in black, but her hands were pure white, as were her feet and lower legs, giving her the look as if she were wearing gloves and boots. A broad white triangle covered her chest and her face was a lighter grey. Part of the synthetic skin was still visible, mostly on her forearms, hips and back. The rest had folded inside. Her fingers sported claws, she discovered, which she could retract. All in all she was very lightly built and barely had any weight at all, just like before.
"How is your subspace link?" First Aid asked.
"I ... I think I can feel it...." Sparks frowned. "How does it work? I didn't know what to do, but I still drew on it."
"It is a very complicated system, operated by the means of your mind and the subspace field," Perceptor told her and then launched into a mind-boggling explanation of just how a subspace field worked and why she could access her own small part, not someone else's.
Sparks held up her hand after some time. "Thank you," she said. "I think I understand the basics." She smiled and turned to First Aid. "Can I see myself somewhere?"
The medic led her over to a mirror and she gave herself another close look. She was about twice as tall as a human, which made her rather small in Cybertronian terms. She had a slim design and her green eyes were almond-shaped, standing a bit vertical, giving her an exotic look. Sparks touched her mirror-image with one finger.
"Well, milady, what do you think?" First Aid asked.
"Thanks," she said, sounding moved. "Thank you very much."
He laid a hand on her shoulder. "You are welcome."
She smiled. "I have to get used to it," she answered truthfully, running one hand over her new exterior. "But I like it."
She transformed again and was greeted by the cat form she knew so well. Nothing looked any different. She transformed back and this time she experienced only a slight and quickly gone problem of keeping her equilibrium.
"The balance problems will disappear when you try this out more often," First Aid explained, sounding immensely pleased and satisfied. "If you have any complaints, trouble or problems, let me know and we see what we can do."
Sparks nodded and transformed back into a cat. "One favor, please?"
The two Autobots looked at each other.
"Yes?" First Aid then asked.
"Please don't tell one specific person about this change."
"Who?"
"Megatron."
Perceptor smiled. "I think I can safely say that I won't tell him."
First Aid nodded. "Same goes for me."
Sparks chuckled. "Thanks." With that she bounded out of med bay.

* * *

An'rhenjx stared at the rubble and debris that had once been the Trbecan doorway and shook his head. Rae walked up to him, his robot shell showing severe injuries from the attacks of the two defenders.
"The Gatekeeper is gone," he reported. "And the Sentinel is dying. He is worthless anyway. He Interfaced."
An'rhenjx sighed deeply. No success in any way. The doorway was destroyed and the two robots were worthless. Ath'antheia would not be pleased.
"Leave him to die," he told his fellow Tji. "We will return to the fortress and report to Ath'antheia."
Rae nodded and the two of them took off. The other warriors, those who had survived, followed. The Tji who had lost their body where nothing but sparkling clouds of shapeless energy, trailing a faint trace of shadowy lines as they managed to tear themselves out of the dead husks.

Archer was faintly aware of his surroundings, but he was not really conscious. His fuel pump beat painfully, his circuits shut down to the most primary levels to keep him and Mike alive.
Mike.
He groaned silently and checked on his partner. He was safe in the protective bubble, but he was badly hurt, just like Archer. They needed help. The fight had been quick and dirty, many of the Tji falling under the firepower of both Sentinel and Gatekeeper, but they had an endless string of new bodies and had finally taken them down, though Archer felt pleased that many of their body shells were beyond repair.
With this last, conscious thought, he shut down even further, only the essential programs still running.

* * *

Megatron sat in his office, the lights turned down to minimum level, and glowered at nothing in particular because except for him, no one was here.
How could this .... entity ..... dare to modify his circuits?!
And when had it happened?
He had run a self-check and had come up all right. His circuits were perfect with nothing altered or 'modified'.
Something moved in the twilight and he lifted his gun arm, but the silent shadow turned out to be only the Nuisance. Sparks moved gracefully toward him, then jumped onto the desk, her emerald eyes glowing softly. She didn't say a word, simply sat with him.
Megatron lowered his arm and drummed his fingers on the desk top, ignoring her. He had found out that ignoring her didn't make the cat go away, but he was not about to acknowledge her presence.
His mind went back to what he had found out. He just couldn't accept that someone had tampered with him, had changed him without his knowledge. Unicron had done it before, changing him into Galvatron, imprisoning his mind in this different body and enslaving him. He had very clear memories of the whole process and he hated every day of this existence. He remembered the incredible, mind-numbing pain when Unicron had been destroyed -- the maddening pain. Now Megatron was back and the very thought of another entity linking to him, even at this low level, evoked disgust and rage.
Sparks rubbed her head against his drumming fingers and he automatically brushed his hand over her furry head. She moved closer and he began to stroke her absent-mindedly. He wasn't really aware of what he did; his mind was too occupied to really see it.
He wouldn't be enslaved again! Not by anyone! Least of all this strange entity!
-- No one enslaves you --
Megatron jumped from his chair and Sparks gave a hiss, her emerald eyes narrowing.
"Get out of my mind!" Megatron demanded.
-- The modifications won't control you; they free you --
-- You need them to survive --
"I have survived for a long time! I don't need your modifications! What have you changed? Did you tamper with my mind?"
-- No --
-- You are yourself and you will stay yourself --
-- Your abilities have changed --
-- You have to accept --
-- Nothing can be turned back --
-- It is final --
Megatron slammed his hand on his desk and Sparks jumped a bit, giving him an accusing look. The Decepticon leader snarled angrily and felt like tearing something apart. He strode out of the room, tearing through the corridors like a mad streak, ignoring everyone. He was followed by a small, black cat.

* * *

Optimus had asked Firefall to come to Cybertron and the female Guardian had arrived an hour later. He didn't know what her reaction to his request would be, but he found out soon enough.
"No." Firefall stared coldly at him.
"Why? You said you can create doorways at random! We need you to help Archer and IceAngel!" he told her seriously.
"They are most likely dead."
Optimus bristled at her emotionless statement. "We don't know that. They could be alive."
"I won't risk my life on an assumption, Orion!" she told him and he clenched his hands into fists as she used his old name again. "The Tji never waste anything!"
"They might be alive, Firefall, and I won't leave them! Archer is of no interest to the Tji and ..."
"And he is of no interest to me!"
Optimus' optics flared dangerously. "He is a friend!"
Firefall's face was expressionless. "Yours maybe, but not mine. IceAngel will most likely be acquired and beyond help or she was destroyed. I won't risk my neck for a Sentinel!"
Now his optics were bright blue flames. "We are working together here, Firefall, and if you came back here to sit idly in a corner and watch, then do it! Just do it somewhere else! Like on another planet in a faraway system!" he hissed. "I won't leave the Trbecan team to die!"
"They are already dead, don't you see it?" she yelled back. "The Tji are lethal and they killed them! If Ralyk destroyed the doorway it means IceAngel was in no state to do it herself anymore!"
He faced her, his mask only inches from her. "We don't know that!"
"And because we are facing the unknown, I won't open a doorway!" she hissed.
Optimus stared at her and he was close to back up his arguments with bodily force. Then he simply turned and stalked out of the room, his body radiating rage.
Firefall watched him go, equally angered, but mostly at herself. She left the room and strode through the complex, searching for a way out. She ended up in a large square. And she was not alone.
"Hello, child."
She winced at the name and sighed slightly. "Spook," she acknowledged him.
Spook smiled slightly and watched her. "You are angry."
"You're damn right I am!" she snorted.
"What happened?"
Firefall sighed deeply and told him about Optimus' request, then noticed with a start that Spook was frowning in displeasure. "What?" she demanded.
"He is right," the ancient robot said slowly. "You are the team's only chance."
"Are you all blind?" she asked in disbelief. "It could be a trap! They could be all dead and we could run into the whole Tji army there! They could be just waiting for me to supply them with the means to come here without delay!"
He lowered his head to look at her. "Could, yes, but not definite."
"Exactly why I won't go! As long as I don't have a definite situation report I won't go!"
"We all take risks and at war times we need to take even more risks than ever," he said softly. "You of all should know, Firefall. You of all should be aware of what this means. You are an asset. You could strengthen the forces here by returning those lost to us right now. Many Gatekeepers are stuck on planets too far from here to reach in a reasonable time. Archer and IceAngel could be alive and we could need them later."
"I won't risk my life for a Sentinel!" she snarled.
"What if it were Midnight?" Spook asked calmly.
"He is no Sentinel."
Spook chuckled. "I dare to contradict, and so would he. He is a Sentinel."
"A Sleeper. He is different." Firefall crossed her arms over the flaming pattern on her chest. "I won't do it; for no one."
The half-serpent sighed softly.
And then something brushed over her and she flinched. She hadn't felt this entity for a long, long time.....
"Get out!" she whispered.
-- No --
Firefall gave a mental growl and tried to shove Ralyk out of her mind, but it stayed. Gaelon remained passively inside of her, neither moving nor talking.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
-- Your cooperation --
"No! I won't do it!"
-- You would have to follow my order -- Ralyk reminded her.
"You can't do this to me!"
-- I can --
Firefall shook with anger. "I won't open a doorway, not even for you!"
Ralyk brushed closer to her and suddenly she was thrown into a world of black and blue. It looked like the station, the one Ralyk had inhabited for nearly infinity, where she had met it for the first time. At that time the entity had been ancient. Firefall had always wondered about its age and origin, but not even her merging with Gaelon had answered that question, though she suspected Gaelon knew.
-- You are their only chance -- Ralyk whispered all around her and the world changed yet again, showing her Trbeca.
And what was left of the doorway.
Firefall winced as she saw the bodies, the dead husks, of warriors and a few of the acquired Cybertronians as well. Close to where the doorway had once been lay IceAngel, her body badly damaged. Archer was a bit further away, equally in bad shape.
No Tji was visible.
"This is now?" she asked.
-- Yes --
-- Retrieve them --
"You can't make me do it!"
-- I can -- Ralyk repeated.
Firefall trembled. "But.....you are...." she said, unsure. "You have no command over me."
-- I have --
-- I am ..... here --
-- I command --
Firefall watched Trbeca shrink away and the blue/black world returned. It enveloped her, touched her, sank into her...... And suddenly she understood. Ralyk had never been a part of the station, a computer, it had been inside the station, growing, stretching, a living organism.
"Where do you come from?" she asked.
-- Everywhere --
She shivered.
-- Retrieve them --
"What if I don't?" Firefall tested her options.
-- I control the system --
-- All of it --
Realization hit her and Gaelon only confirmed it. Even though her doorways were random, they were still a part of the system, and when Gaelon had turned her into a walking centerway, she had also connected her to the system -- and to Ralyk.
:: You made me a puppet!! :: she accused her symbiont.
:: No :: was the soft answer.
-- You are your own, Firefall -- Ralyk explained.
-- I won't control until driven to do it --
-- Don't make me do it --
She shook with rage, then calmed down. She remembered the situation on the planet. The Tji were gone.
"Okay, " she whispered. "I'll do it."
She felt Ralyk smile and then she was returned to the real world. Firefall stumbled a bit. Spook was still beside her, looking neutraly at her. She suspected her knew what had happened -- at least to a degree.
:: Don't be angry :: Gaelon said softly. :: You are their only chance ::
She ignored her friend, rage burning inside her, and walked stiffly back into the South Port complex to find Optimus Prime.

* * *

Megatron stood in the middle of a field of debris, his cannon smoking slightly, his energy pump beating furiously. The red optics were glowing brightly and he only now felt a certain calm settling in. It settled slowly, but at least he no longer felt the urge to destroy something. This building had been enough.
Sparks sat on a large chunk and regarded him critically. She had kept out of the way as Megatron had taken some work off the shoulders of the demolition team and had flattened this building.
"What?" Megatron demanded as he strode through the debris, stopping in front of her, glowering.
"Beside being rather rude, you are also in bad need of some self-control."
The Decepticon leader bent down and stared the cat right in the eyes. "If you don't watch out, scruff ball, you'll be introduced to this gun." He held the barrel of the cannon under her nose.
Sparks grimaced at the smoke rising out of the steaming weapon. "It stinks," she said.
Megatron stared at her, then drew up to his full height. This cat always managed to react exactly the wrong way. She wasn't scared, she was obnoxious and she was annoying. And she kept following him around. Locking her in storage rooms or lockers was an impossible task because she managed to get out in no time. She was not impressed by threats and she sat and lay where she wanted to, whatever he had to say about it.
"Why don't you go off and chase a mouse!" he growled.
Sparks seemed to ponder it for a second, then shook her head. "No, thanks."
He threw up his hands and once again the idea of blowing the annoyance away with a well-place shot crossed his mind. He sighed. It wouldn't exactly help the alliance, he told himself and walked back to South Port. Sparks followed silently, gracefully, as always.

* * *

Optimus wished that once in a while something would run its course without major problems piling up in its way. Trbeca was lost and Firefall refused to help them look for possible survivors. He slammed his fist against the wall and stared out of the window overlooking South Port. It couldn't hurt to ask, he had thought. Well, Rodimus had had the right answer. They were talking about Firefall.... What they knew about her and her strange symbiont Gaelon was next to nothing and when she had disappeared, he had thought she was gone for good, leaving no evidence of her visit behind, except for Talon. Optimus sighed and turned away from the window. They had to get a scout and rescue mission underway nevertheless and he knew that Midnight was the most likely candidate. As if on that thought, the Sentinel leader stepped into his office.
"You wanted to see me?"
Optimus pulled himself together. "Yes, Midnight. Rodimus briefed you on what happened to the Trbecan doorway?"
Midnight nodded.
"Good. We don't know what happened to Archer and IceAngel, and it's important for all of us to find out."
The Sentinel agreed. "And you want me to Gate there."
Now it was Optimus' turn to nod. "Yes. I know it takes a lot out of you, but I also don't want to call Wild Card away from his duty of visiting the closest doorways. Do you think you can do it?"
Midnight frowned a bit. "I think so. I won't be able to make it in one go, though. I've never been that far and I suppose I need to home in on Trbeca now and then, which means exiting two or three times. But yes, count on me. When do I leave?"
"As quickly as possible. It deprives us of a Sentinel shield for the centerway, but I believe we can manage." Optimus looked seriously at Midnight. "No heroics, Midnight. If the Tji are still on Trbeca, get the hell out of there!"
"Understood." Midnight smiled. "Don't worry."
"I always worry," Optimus replied softly. "It's my job."
The Sentinel leader chuckled. "Remember, I have the same job."
"You do. Will you have to recharge before you go?"
Midnight shook his head. "I'm fully charged. Let's go. I want to Gate outside the complex, not from within. Even though those are only walls, they are making a difference to an empty area....."
"All right, I ...." Optimus looked past Midnight and his optics narrowed. "What do you want?" he asked coldly.
Midnight turned and discovered Firefall. The female Guardian walked into the office, her face a strange mixture of annoyance and anger.
"Sending Midnight would be a stupid move," she told Optimus.
He glowered at her. "I don't think this should be your concern."
She glowered back, clearly annoyed at something, though now it was clear it wasn't purely Optimus Prime. "He'd be too weak to fight any possible opposition when he arrives!" she said forcefully. "Gating draws upon energon supplies."
Midnight smiled. "You are not telling me something new, Firefall. I've done this before."
"No, you have not!" she shot back. "Not this distance."
He shrugged. "True, but there is always a first time."
"And it is our only chance to bring back possible survivors," Optimus said levely.
"No, it isn't." Into the ensuing silence she added, "I will do it."
Optimus expression didn't change and she was a bit perplexed for a second. "Why?" he asked, his voice revealing nothing. "Why the change of heart?"
"That is none of your concern," she told him.
"I see."
Midnight looked from one to the other and sighed silently. Well, they might not be exactly on the same frequency here, but at least they had one less problem.
Firefall turned on her heels and walked out of the office. Optimus slowly shook his head when the door of the office had closed.
"I'll never understand her."
"Maybe you are not meant to be," Midnight quipped and then left as well.
"And maybe you are right," Optimus muttered.

* * *

Ralyk watched the random doorway open and smiled.
:: You didn't have to be that hard :: a soft, female voice intruded upon his thoughts.
-- I don't think you were any better --
-- You never told her that her ability made her part of the system --
Gaelon sighed. :: I know, old friend. She was already less than thrilled at the changes ::
-- Understandable --
:: But she adjusted. They always do ::
-- And she is a bit ... grumpy because of it --
Gaelon seemed to smile. :: Only too true ::
The ancient entity chuckled a bit, then turned back to watching Firefall enter the doorway and take Midnight through. He was the only likely option in case there were still Tji around, which there weren't, but she didn't trust what Ralyk had shown her. Gaelon was taken with her when she entered and the contact was interrupted. When the doorway had deposited them safely on Trbeca, Ralyk turned back to monitoring everything else, fixing things here or there, as it always did. And it made the final connections between the modified robots and the Web. Everything came up positive and Ralyk now had perfect read-outs.
It became aware of Alpha Trion and let him in. The ancient Autobot looked at the read-outs and then at the entity drifting all around him.
"This is major," he whispered.
-- It is necessary --
"But .... ! You still haven't told them....."
-- They know --
"Not everything!" Alpha Trion contradicted. "You gave them abilities which they don't know about! If they don't know them, they can't use them!"
-- It is not yet time for them to know --
"Then when?"
-- Later --
With that Ralyk ignored him again.
There was so much else still to do.