Out of the Past
A Transformers: Armada Story
By William Rendfeld
Cybertron, a world forged by war. Millions of years ago, its inhabitants, races of sentient robots collectively known as Transformers, cast off the shackles of their masters and claimed their independence. Since then, however, their world has been threatened by forces from within.
He stood within the Grand Citadel in the city of Iacon. He was a massive Transformer, leader of one of the more powerful factions, the Autobots. His name was Optimus Prime. As he stood there, he thought upon the past, how Cybertron had began in the flames of war. He had been there, the ten million stellar cycles prior when the Autobots and their fellow Transformers had freed themselves from the grip of their masters, the Quintessons. Soon after, however, several factions began developing, each with a different plan of ruling Cybertron. Most, however, had agreed to the independent leadership of both major factions.
As he looked up into the Cybertronian sky, however, he thought on some of the actions of the past, and how he regretted them...
Light years away, on the pristine blue world of Earth, a teenage boy silently rode his bike along the streets of a small town in Oregon. The boy's popular nickname was Rad. He was a young, alert teenager, just entering his thirteenth year. Now, however, he found himself heading towards school, one place that he had mixed feelings about.
On the one side, he enjoyed being with his friends. On the other side, however, he had to deal with two problems. As he pulled into the school's back lot and chained up his bike, the two made themselves evident.
"Well, we were wondering when you'd show up, Rad," a familiar voice intoned.
Rad turned to the voice's source. Standing near the school's entrance were two boys, one short and stocky, the other tall and skinny.
"Billy, you know as well as I do that school's about to start," Rad noted. "I'd kinda like it if the two of you could let me in."
"Sorry, Rad, not gonna do that," Billy replied.
His short, stocky companion then looked at him in shock, then said, "We aren't?"
"No, Fred, we aren't," Billy said in a low voice.
"Oh, you aren't, are you?" a mature, feminine voice asked.
Both boys jumped to attention, then turned around to see a tall woman with long brown hair behind them.
"You two do realize that detaining anyone from entering a school building is a federal offense," the woman said. "And not entering it yourselves, and not being in class after the tardy bell, is a school offense that could mean suspension, or worse. You do realize that, don't you?"
At this point beyond nervous, Billy replied, "Of course, Ms. Masters. In fact, we were just about to head to class right now." He swiftly muttered, "C'mon, Fred," and he and his portly companion swiftly went off to their first class.
Ms. Masters watched them as they left, then turned back to Rad with a compassionate smile on her face and said, "They do anything to you, Rad?"
"Nah, I'm fine," Rad said, ascending the steps. "But thanks for showing up, Ms. Masters."
"It wasn't a problem," Ms. Masters said. "C'mon, get going. I'll cover your back."
Rad smiled slightly, then replied, "Thanks."
Elsewhere on Cybertron, a young Autobot silently moved through a large maze-like area of roads and crossways, his guns at the ready. Suddenly, his sensors detected something heading towards him. He readied himself, steadied his aim, and fired, taking out his target. Several more showed up around him, and he quickly took each one out with ease and practiced aim. Suddenly, an attacker came out at him from behind. Before he could turn around and defend himself, the attacker was hit by a laser blast from a short distance away.
"Well, looks like the Blue Dart's losing some of his skill," a familiar voice intoned. "You okay, Blurr?"
Blurr turned to the voice's source, a yellow-and-red colored robot, and replied, "I could've taken him, Hot Shot, you didn't need to butt in."
"Hey, we're supposed to work together, remember?" Hot Shot asked. "Watch each other's back and all that."
"I remember," Blurr replied. Suddenly, his sensors beeped, and he said, "We've got incoming. Three fliers, two ground vehicles."
"The gropos are all mine," Hot Shot said in a cocky tone, transforming to a four-wheeled vehicle and heading off to face off with the oncoming ground units.
Blurr watched Hot Shot drive off, his optics following the yellow Autobot down his course. Shaking his head, he transformed into his vehicle mode, a hover unit, and began heading off to combat the oncoming fliers.
The two Autobots soon went into combat against the attacking units, and began to hold off their attackers. Blurr quickly defeated one attacker, and swiftly avoided assault from another. As he dealt with the second attacker, the third swooped in and attacked him, locking on.
Meanwhile, Hot Shot weaved and moved unpredictably away from the oncoming blasts, deftly avoiding them with ease. He then transformed and fired his gun, taking out one attacking unit and avoiding the attack of another. Hot Shot then blasted the remaining ground pounder, then blew away the smoke issuing forth from his gun.
"All too easy," he said with a cocky grin.
Then, he heard the roar of engines, and turned around to see the remaining enemy unit heading towards him, its weapons trained. As he took aim, he received the radio signal. He had been hit.
"And, end simulation," a voice intoned.
As the maze of roads disappeared, Hot Shot and Blurr both moved to each other's side and stood at attention, their instructor entering the area.
The massive echoing footfalls signaled the entrance of their instructor, Scavenger. He stood before them, crossed his arms, and said, "Well, I'm certainly proud of you two. You've been slagged." Sharply turning to Hot Shot, he asked, "Hot Shot, remind me, what were your orders for this simulation?"
"We were to stay together and watch each other's backs, sir," Hot Shot replied.
Scavenger nodded. "Obviously, at least one of you heard. I'll say right now, you two know how to listen to orders. You just don't know how to listen well." He turned to Blurr, and began, "Both of you, however, did do some things right. Blurr, you've obviously been practicing your shooting. Your aim has improved significantly. However, you follow the guidelines too hard. You seem to have a problem with thinking on your feet." He turned to Hot Shot and continued, "You, however, are another matter, Hot Shot. You were adapting, anticipating their fire and acting to avoid it. You've improved on following your spark in these matters. However, because both of you neglected to pay attention to your partner you were both destroyed. That is your main problem."
"My apologies, sir," Blurr said.
Scavenger smiled, then said, "Don't. That's why you're here with me, to learn how to fight and fight well. And both of you are making remarkable progress. Keep practicing, and eventually you'll be able to fight me off." Regaining his stern manner, he then ordered, "The next training simulation will be in twenty mega-cycles. Dismissed!"
Blurr and Hot Shot saluted their instructor, and began to exit. As he neared the hatch, however, Hot Shot turned back and asked, "Sir?"
Scavenger turned to him and said, "Yes, Hot Shot?"
"Permission to speak freely, sir," Hot Shot requested.
"Granted."
"Sir, I've been wondering what these training simulations are for," Hot Shot asked. "There has to be a good reason for them."
"There is, Hot Shot," Scavenger replied. "It's called 'just in case'. Some rogue Decepticon faction may end up going on the warpath tomorrow, or worse. This is to make certain that raw 'Bots like you and Blurr are prepared. Is that all?"
"Yes sir," Hot Shot replied. "And thank you, sir, for explaining that to me."
"You're welcome," Scavenger replied. "Now, get going."
"Yes sir!" Hot Shot answered with another salute, then exited.
"History, as is clear to anyone by now, is filled with odd occurrences," Ms. Masters said as she walked through the classroom. "A prime example of which are the subtle similarities. For example, the Mayans and the Egyptians. Both cultures built pyramids, and developed systems of mathematics and astronomy that have had an effect on our lives today. How this happened, however, in two separate corners of the world, is a mystery."
Rad sat at his desk, paying great attention to his teacher's words.
"Now, who has any ideas why all these similarities have popped up?" Ms. Masters asked.
One student, a Hispanic boy about Rad's age, raised his hand.
"Carlos?" Ms. Masters asked.
Carlos brought his hand down, then said, "Aliens could've helped them."
There was a collective snicker from many of the other students, Billy included.
"That is a possibility," Ms. Masters said, ending the snickering. "None of us were around then, so anything could've happened. Aliens could have aided in building each of the past civilizations on Earth, thus creating a slight similarity in construction design. On the other hand, both the Egyptians and the Mayans may be descended from Atlantis. Or it could just be one big coincidence. That's why we learn about the past, study it, and try our best to add to the knowledge." Walking up next to her desk, she turned to the class and replied, "And that's why your homework assignment for this weekend is an outline of Chapter 6, section 4, over the Egyptians, due first thing Tuesday." The bell rang, and she then finished, "Class dismissed."
As the numerous students filed out of the classroom, Rad and Carlos walked side-by-side to their lockers.
"Aliens?" Rad asked in disbelief.
"Hey, it could've happened," Carlos replied in his defense. "Not like you can prove it either way, like Ms. Masters said."
"Yeah, point," Rad replied as they arrived at their lockers and opened them. "So, you still up for exploring the caves later?"
"Rad, you sure you want to do something like that?" Carlos asked. "Not like we're gonna find anything. All the gold was in California and Alaska, you know."
"Wouldn't hurt to take a look, would it?" Rad asked in return.
"Only if you don't get killed," a feminine voice reminded them.
Both boys turned to see a familiar shorthaired girl standing at her locker, placing a few books back into it before closing it.
"You both realize that climbing around the mountains is dangerous," she reminded them.
"Of course we do, Alexis," Rad reminded her. "We'll go prepared. Flashlights, radio, the whole mess."
"Still, it'd be wiser for the two of you to go with someone else, someone sensible," Alexis continued, slinging her backpack over one shoulder. A mischievous grin growing on her face, she added, "Namely, me."
Both boys looked at her in surprise, and Carlos replied, "You're kidding, right?"
"Nope," Alexis replied. "You two are gonna need someone with some sense to go along. Besides, if Ms. Masters can go around digging up the past, I don't see why other girls can't."
Both boys looked at each other and shrugged. "Okay, you can come," Rad replied. "But you're gonna need a ride. I think I might be able to fit two people on my bike..."
"Then you two ride it," Alexis replied. "I can borrow my brother's moped." As she walked off, she finished, "I'm sure you boys'll enjoy the trip together."
Both Rad and Carlos looked at each other in surprise.
"You think she was serious?" Carlos asked.
"Nah," Rad replied.
Both boys made sidelong glances in other directions, however, then inched away from each other slightly.
On Cybertron, a mini-Seeker unit streaked through the skies above the city of Darkmount. The Decepticon soon landed, transforming as he did so, and entered a large structure. Within, another Decepticon waited for him.
"I was wondering if you'd be coming back, Thrust," the second Decepticon noted. "Do you have anything to report?"
"All reconnaissance reports go directly to Megatron, Starscream," Thrust replied. "You should know, you designated the protocols."
"I remember," Starscream replied. "However, Megatron is currently in his rest cycle. Since he cannot receive the reports, they go to me until he awakens."
"Then I'll wait until he awakens," Thrust replied, heading away from Starscream towards the main computer bay.
Starscream narrowed his optics, watching Thrust leave. "Until he awakens, then," he muttered.
On Earth, Rad and Carlos pedaled up on their separate bikes to the foot of Mt. Saint Hilary, a massive dead volcano a few miles away from their hometown.
"You want to go climbing around here?" Carlos asked.
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Rad replied.
"Dude, it's a volcano," Carlos pointed out. "Those things tend to have lava in them."
"I remember," Rad said. "But this is a dormant volcano. Saint Hillary hasn't had an eruption in over a century."
"I'd say it's about due, then," Carlos noted.
"C'mon, where's that adventuresome guy I've seen at the skate park?" Rad asked.
"At home, with his photos of Bigfoot," Carlos replied. With a sigh, Carlos relented, "Well, if you want to do this, fine. But if I die in there, I'm coming back to haunt you."
"Deal," Rad replied as Alexis pulled up on her moped.
She looked up at the mountain, then back at her companions and asked, "You want to climb that? A volcano?"
"Don't bother, Alexis, I already read him the riot act," Carlos broke in as Rad hitched up his bike and grabbed a backpack full of gear. "He's dead serious about doing this."
Looking up at the volcano's peak, Alexis replied, "Interesting choice of words."
Rad, already starting towards a path on the mountain, called back, "Hey you two, you coming or not?"
Alexis sighed, climbed off her moped and said, "Like we have a choice," before she and Carlos followed him up the path.
As they continued, Rad led them into a small cave, barely large enough for the three of them to walk through without crouching down. As the trio turned on their flashlights, he noted, "Watch your step, guys. There're probably a few bats around in here."
"Wonderful," Alexis muttered to herself, not too fond of the idea of walking through bat guano.
As they continued, their flashlights keeping them aware of their surroundings within the cave, the three teens remained cautious. Suddenly, however, something unexpected happened.
"Hey, wait a second," Alexis said to herself, attracting the attention of the boys. "Hey guys, look!"
"What is it?" Carlos asked.
"Look at the wall, right where my flashlight's beam ends," Alexis instructed.
The three of them noticed as light reflected off where the beam ended.
"Some kind of crystal?" Rad asked as Alexis walked up to the reflective surface.
"Nah, wrong kind of rock," Alexis replied. She put her hand to the surface and said, "Hey guys, this isn't rock. It's some kind of metal."
"Metal?" Carlos asked. "You mean it could be some kinda UFO?"
"Let's not jump to conclusions," Alexis replied. She felt along the surface and, feeling something akin to a door, said, "Then again, you may be right." Pulling out on her flashlight's nozzle and turning it into a lantern, she set it and her backpack down on the ground and pulled out a crowbar.
"How'd you get that in there?" Rad asked.
"They don't just teach us how to sell cookies in the Girl Scouts," Alexis replied, putting the crowbar against an edge of the hatch. She struggled, trying to open the door, then turned to the boys and asked, "You mind giving me a hand?"
Rad and Carlos looked to each other, shrugged, then took off their bags, set them down on the ground, and moved to help Alexis, taking of positions with the crowbar.
"On three," Alexis said. "One...two...three!"
The three teenagers pushed down on the crowbar with all their might, and finally the hatch opened. The crowbar fell to the cave floor, and the three teenagers corrected themselves as the hatch opened.
"Okay Carlos, for once, you're right," Alexis said as the three viewed their handiwork. "It might just be a UFO."
"So, what now?" Carlos asked.
"We go inside," Rad said. "For all we know, this may be an opportunity to prove you right. And if all that stuff about Roswell is true, then we'd be better off taking a look while we can."
Alexis grabbed her crowbar from underneath the bottom hatch, then explained, "Just in case."
The three teens looked at each other, then Rad led the way through the hatch. As he entered, however, the small structure they were in suddenly became illuminated, strong artificial lights blinking into existence.
"Must be automatic," Alexis said as she entered after Rad. She turned back, grabbed onto Carlos's jacket, and said, "C'mon."
"I'm coming," Carlos said, albeit with a nudge of uneasiness in his voice.
The three looked around the pod. It was large, about the size of a small dining room in a modern home. It was circular, a few computer displays near the hatch and a group of six large units in the center against a support column.
"Well, this isn't so bad," Alexis said.
Rad, meanwhile, went about examining one of the consoles. He pressed a small button, instantly setting off a massive alarm.
The three teenagers instinctively covered their ears, trying to protect them from the high blast of sound. Alexis swiftly walked over and pressed the button again, turning off the excruciating sound. She then turned to Rad, and said, "Don't touch anything."
"Right, hands off," Rad said.
Suddenly, another klaxon went off, albeit deeper in pitch and not as hard on the ears as the other sound. Both Alexis and Rad looked to Carlos, who replied in his defense, "Hey, don't look at me, I don't have a death wish!"
"Somehow I don't think you caused this," Alexis said.
Suddenly, a small portion of the console extended, an orange colored robotic unit rising from it. The small unit, shaped somewhat like a digital camera, transformed into a small bird-like robot.
"What is that?" Rad asked as the robot flapped its wings and bobbed its long head up and down.
"Some kind of robot," Alexis realized as the small unit activated a group of flight jets, popped from its compartment, and flew out of the pod.
Meanwhile, on Cybertron, a Decepticon sat at a small console, nearly drifting off. A loud beep awoke him, and he quickly checked over the computer screen before him. However, the signal ended as abruptly as it began.
"Huh," the Decepticon noted.
Starscream came up to him and asked, "Something wrong, Cyclonus?"
Cyclonus turned to him and replied, "No, just something odd. We just picked up a Quintesson signal coming from a planet less than five mega-parsecs from here. It stopped in less than a cycle, but..."
"Where...did it come from?" a voice thundered.
Both Cyclonus and Starscream turned to the voice's source as he entered the large chamber.
"It came from a small planet less than five mega-parsecs away, Lord Megatron," Cyclonus replied.
"Play it," Megatron commanded.
Cyclonus quickly replayed the transmission, and all three Decepticons listened to it.
"Sounds like a distress signal," Starscream noted. "The Quints must've taken a wrong turn at Sol or something."
"Perhaps..." Megatron mused. "Or perhaps it is something else..."
Starscream turned to him and asked, "You don't mean...?"
"I do, Starscream," Megatron replied. He turned to his lieutenant and commanded, "Find Demolishor, and tell him to prepare for combat duty. We'll need someone with heavy firepower if I am correct."
Starscream nodded and exited as Thrust entered and announced, "Lord Megatron, sir, I completed..."
"Ah, Thrust, my loyal scout," Megatron said, turning to the small Seeker. "Tell me, did you find anything of interest during your last patrol?"
"I believe I have, sir," Thrust replied. "Our fellow Decepticons have become lax in their security. A small shuttleport in the southern sector is down to half its normal guard."
Megatron smiled hearing that news, and said, "Perfect."
Elsewhere, an Autobot worked at another communications console and detected the same signal. He called, "Jetfire, sir, I have something on the communications grid!"
Jetfire walked to the console and asked, "Yes, Smokescreen, what is it?"
"A Quintesson signal, coming from a planet in a nearby solar system," Smokescreen replied. "Its tracking signature matches that of the ship launched following the Uprising."
Jetfire absorbed that data, then said, "By Primus, that means..." He turned to Smokescreen and ordered, "Verify that data, Smokescreen."
"I have, sir," Smokescreen replied. "It matches."
"That's what I was afraid of," Jetfire replied. "I'll tell Optimus, he'll need to know."
Optimus Prime stood in the command office of the Citadel, looking out at Iacon as countless Transformers, Autobot and Decepticon alike, moved about, going on with their lives. Suddenly, his communicator beeped.
"Prime here," he replied into it.
"Optimus, we've detected a signal coming from the Sol System," Jetfire reported. "It's a Quintesson distress signal. Its signature matches that of the ship launched following the Uprising."
Optimus's optics widened, and he said, "Are you certain?"
"Smokescreen's in the process of triple-checking, but we're pretty certain," Jetfire replied. "They've been found."
Optimus sighed, then replied, "It was only a matter of time. Contact Red Alert and Scavenger, and get a ship ready. We'll need to get there quickly. If we've picked it up, you can bet they know by now. I only hope we aren't too late."
"What do you think all that was about?" Carlos asked.
"Maybe it's some kind of UAV," Rad suggested. "Like the Predators the military uses."
"Maybe," Alexis replied. "Let's just take a quick look around, make sure there aren't any more surprises. And don't..."
"...Touch anything, I remember," Rad replied.
The three teens continued looking around the small room, not finding much beyond what they had already found.
"Whoever made this thing made it to last," Carlos pointed out. "It doesn't look like it was built, though. It's more like it was poured."
"Some kind of die-cast construction?" Alexis replied. "If it is, than it's a lost art. No one makes stuff that way anymore."
At that point, the small drone returned, hooking itself back into its slot and downloading the data contained within it. The three kids walked up to it, watching the computer screen in front of them with interest.
"I guess it was some kind of UAV," Rad said. "A scanner of some kind. Look, it scanned our stuff!"
"The bikes, my skateboard, the moped," Carlos said. "A car, a helicopter, and a dune buggy. Weird. Why'd it do that?"
Alexis turned away from the screen, and pointed out, "Uh, guys, you remember those pods? One of them is doing something!"
The boys turned to the pods as one of the six began to react to something. Several displays at its side reacted and glowed. Soon, they blinked into a static pattern, and the pod opened.
Within lay a thin robot, about their height, with a deep blue body, light blue covering what appeared to be its feet, legs and arms, white on its face.
"What is it?" Carlos asked.
"It's some kinda robot," Alexis replied as the robot's optics came online.
"'It'," the robot said in a feminine voice, "has a name, thank you."
"Uh, sorry," Rad said as the robot climbed out of the pod. "We didn't know, uh..."
"High Wire," the robot corrected him. "And who might the three of you be?"
"Uh, well," Rad began, "I'm Rad, this is Carlos and Alexis."
High Wire nodded in understanding, then her optic blinked and she noted, "You're organic." Shaking her head, she added, "My apologies, but this is the first time that I've ever seen organic entities. Where I came from, we are all machines. Where exactly am I?"
"Earth," Rad replied. "Specifically, Mt. Saint Hillary."
"Earth," High Wire replied. "If this is the planet the units were supposed to settle down on, then it's obviously gone through some changes. The only things that we detected even remotely like you were more primitive." Suddenly, she noticed something on the console monitor and said, "Oh no," then rushed to it, quickly checking over the systems. She turned back to them, then asked, "Who touched this console?"
"That would be Einstein here," Alexis replied, pointing to Rad with a thumb.
High Wire turned to them, one hand still resting on the console, and said, "Then, 'Rad', I have you to thank for possibly signing the demolition notices on myself and my friends."
"Why, what happened?" Rad asked, concerned.
"You activated the communications systems, and sent out a distress beacon," High Wire explained. "Granted, it lasted for less than a cycle, but it was long enough that someone, anyone could have picked up on it."
"And, why are you worried about that?" Rad asked.
High Wire sighed, then said, "You'd better sit down. This is a long story." As the three humans took seats on the metal floor, she began, "Ages ago, a race of beings known as the Quintessons came to a metal planetoid in what you know as the Alpha Centauri system. They found resources, raw materials there that could build an empire the likes of which none knew of. They used those resources to build starships, weapons, and units to build all of those things. For a long time, they used those units on that planetoid, soon dubbed Cybertron, as a workforce, little more than slaves."
"You sound as if you were there," Alexis said.
High Wire looked directly at her and answered, "I was. There were three kinds of units that they built; heavy labor, defense, and precision labor. I am among what became of the 'precision labor' class. Anyway, something happened to their labor force that they didn't expect. We came alive, gained knowledge, sentience. We could move and act on our own without orders, without guidance. Soon, we realized that we were being mistreated, used. We rebelled. The Autobots, the heavy labor units, became the leaders and planners of our revolution. The defense units, now called the Decepticons, were the front-line soldiers in the rebellion. We precision workers, now calling ourselves Mini-Cons, served as valuable reconnaissance units throughout the war. Over the course of the battle, two technologies were developed by our side to win, technologies that the Quintessons couldn't duplicate; transformation, and Powerlinx. Transformation, obviously, allowed an Autobot, Decepticon, or Mini-Con to transform into a different configuration for added speed and maneuverability. Powerlinx technology enabled an Autobot, Decepticon, or Mini-Con to combine with other Mini-Cons and gain a boost in strength and power."
"And you won," Carlos surmised.
"Yes, but it took a long time and a high cost," High Wire said. "Eventually, however, the Quintessons were expelled from Cybertron, and we had our freedom." Her optics taking on what seemed to be a dreamy look, she continued, "I can remember the celebrations in Iacon, in Darkmount. 'We were free', they said. 'We were at peace', they said." Her optics dimmed, and she replied, "They were wrong." She turned to them and asked, "Tell me, do your people fight amongst themselves?"
"More than we'd like to admit," Carlos replied.
"Then you have something in common with us," High Wire continued. "About four million Earth years ago, a Decepticon faction began making attacks against Mini-Cons in and around Darkmount. Many were used as weapons, power-ups to aid the Decepticons in their eventual conquest of Cybertron. They were stopped, and the Mini-Cons rescued, but there was little stopping someone else from trying it again. So, it was decided among the Autobots, the remaining quotient of the Decepticons, and we ourselves, that the Mini-Cons would go into self-imposed exile on an unknown planet. We used a ship, a remainder from the days of the Quintessons, and modified it to carry all the Mini-Cons to a random location, selected by its own computer from dozens on the star charts. It was a wonderful plan, except that the rouge faction wouldn't stop trying. They attacked our ship as it left Cybertron's orbit, trying to capture all of us. The Autobots and other Decepticons held them off long enough for the ship to go into TransWarp. When we emerged, the computer directed the ship towards this planet, and we sealed ourselves in groups of six in pods just like these. We'd hope to remain undiscovered, undetected." With a sigh, she finished, "And now all those plans have fallen into the Pit."
"Wait a minute," Rad said, rising to his feet. "You can't give up yet. You guys haven't been captured by anybody, and there's no way they could get here in less than five minutes."
"Your point?" High Wire asked.
"My point is, that you can get your friends out of those pods and get to safety before anyone else shows up," Rad replied. "If they come and find nothing here, they'll probably call it a false alarm."
Both Alexis and Carlos looked at him, astounded. "Wow," Alexis noted, "that's one pipe dream of yours that might actually work. I'm impressed."
"While it does seem a little crazy, it does sound at least a little plausible," High Wire noted. "Besides, I've always been a 'shoot-from-the-hinge' kind of mech. Let's do it, then."
Optimus Prime stood in the main conference room of the Grand Citadel, collecting his thoughts. With him were Jetfire, Smokescreen, and a third Autobot, whose markings identified him as a medic. He was Red Alert, one of the top Autobot medical officers and scientists.
At that moment, Scavenger entered the large room, followed by his two recruits, Hot Shot and Blurr.
"Scavenger, welcome," Optimus said in greeting. "I take it these are the two recruits you were speaking of."
"Yes, Optimus," Scavenger replied. "This is Hot Shot and Blurr."
Both saluted and said, "Sir!"
"Relax, you two," Optimus said. "Now, let's get down to business. Jetfire, if you would please summarize for those not totally in the know."
The lights dimmed, and a holographic projection started up in the center of the room.
"One half mega-cycle ago, we picked up a transmission from the third planet in the Sol System, approximately 4.3 mega-parsecs from this system," Jetfire began. "It was on a Quintesson frequency, but the ID tracer matched that of the ship launched following the Uprising." The hologram cutting off and the lights returning to normal, he continued, "We believe that they've been found."
"The Mini-Cons?" Hot Shot asked. "But I thought they were just legend."
"They're anything but, Hot Shot," Smokescreen replied. "There are two problems that have cropped up now. One, who woke them up. Two, who else heard that transmission."
"Correct," Optimus Prime replied. "A ship is already being prepped for launch to the planet." Turning to his second, he said, "Jetfire will stay here and lead the Autobots in my place. The rest of us gathered here will be going there, to find and protect the Mini-Cons."
"Sir, are you serious?" Blurr asked. "I realize this is a great honor, but certainly there are better soldiers than us. Hot Shot and I are only recruits."
"Yes, but both of you have been training under one of the best instructors on Cybertron," Optimus replied. "Also, he tells me that the two of you are the best he has, and that you easily balance each other on the scales of combat. Besides, we need as much help on this mission as we can get."
Both Blurr and Hot Shot looked to each other, nodded, then turned to their commander and saluted again.
"Welcome aboard, then," Optimus said, a smile in his voice. "Now then, as soon as the ship is prepared for us, we'll..."
Optimus was interrupted by an alarm klaxon. At that point, a radio transmission came in.
"Optimus, this is Sideswipe," the transmission began. "We've received word from Decepticon High Command. One of their spaceports is being attacked by a rogue faction." Sideswipe put emphasis on his next words as he said, "Megatron is leading the charge, sir."
"Megatron?" Scavenger said in alarm.
"That tyrant again," Smokescreen said bitterly.
"Sideswipe, contact Lord Straxus," Optimus ordered. "Request that he hold them at bay for as long as he can."
"Understood, sir," Sideswipe replied before shutting off the transmission.
"Just like last time," Red Alert began. "He's after them again, he picked up on the signal."
"It's possible the Quintessons may have also picked up on the transmission," Scavenger noted. "Provided they're still out there."
"We may be facing that possibility soon enough," Optimus reminded him, then continued to all gathered, "nevertheless, this only emphasizes the importance of us leaving Cybertron and heading for that planet. If we don't, then Megatron and his forces will have the firepower to conquer Cybertron, and maybe the entire galaxy. I'd rather not see that happen." As those gathered rose to receive their orders, Optimus proclaimed, "Autobots, roll out!"
Meanwhile, at one of the central spaceports of Darkmount, Decepticon forces fought to keep Megatron and his band away from the primary craft. Many of them, however, were overwhelmed as numerous Seekers and mini-Seekers flew in from overhead. At their head were Starscream and Thrust.
"Skywarp, Thundercracker, occupy the main forces," Starscream ordered. "Thrust's team will keep the secondary guard busy. Cyclonus and I will enter the ship and ready it for launch. Decepticons, advance!"
The various Decepticon units entered the fray, executing Starscream's strategy as he and Cyclonus entered one of the larger vessels, the Nemesis. Quickly entering the primary control center, Starscream transformed to robot mode and started up the primary ignition sequence for the launch boosters. Cyclonus soon entered in his hovercraft mode before transforming and asking, "How's it coming?"
"Assuming they don't blow us up on the launch pad, we should be fine," Starscream replied. "How are things out there?"
"It's a regular frenzy," Cyclonus answered. "I'm glad we're the ones attacking."
Outside, the battle continued with added force as a large ground assault vehicle lumbered through the area, missiles and bullets flying from it. The assault vehicle transformed, then noted, "Who would've thought this'd be so easy? These guys aren't worthy to be called Decepticons!"
"Calm yourself and focus on the mission, Demolishor," Thrust reminded the ground pounder Decepticon from above. "Our job is to secure and launch that ship without great difficulty. Remember that!"
"Yeah, I remember," Demolishor said, continuing his assault on the other Decepticons.
At the same time, a massive hover tank equipped with a fusion cannon stormed onto the scene, ready and capable of doing damage to all those who stood in his way. He fired several shots, blowing away and damaging numerous Decepticons, before he transformed to robot mode, revealing himself.
"Ah, the joys of combat," Megatron said to himself. "A small sampling before we set out to collect our Mini-Cons. We'll need practice for when we return, after all."
At that point, engine start-up sounds could clearly be heard coming from the Nemesis.
"Ah, our cue," Megatron noted. "Demolishor, Thrust, to the ship! All other units, keep our hosts entertained! Leave three cycles after we depart!" As he began moving towards the large vessel, he noted to himself, "I think I'll rather enjoy this vacation, yes."
On Earth, the teens and High Wire were busy reactivating the remaining pods.
"Blue button, then red," High Wire instructed, demonstrating on one of the others.
Rad, Carlos and Alexis did as instructed on three of the remaining four, then Alexis repeated with the last.
The process soon started up again, as vehicular data was transmitted into the five pods, reconfiguring the Mini-Cons inside for Earth's environment. Within a few short minutes, the remaining five Mini-Cons had awoken and stood within the chamber.
"High Wire," a yellow and cream colored unit said, stepping up to the much thinner one, "what's happened? Why are we back on line?"
"To make a long story short, Sparkplug, we picked a poor planet to hide on," High Wire explained. Pointing out the three humans, she continued, "This is Rad, Carlos, and Alexis. They're the ones who found this pod, and woke us up."
Sparkplug looked at the three, then said in disbelief, "You kids woke us up?"
"It was an accident, really," Carlos said in their defense.
Sparkplug smiled, then replied, "Don't worry, I kinda figured that. No offense, but you guys don't look as if you can read Cybertronian." Turning back to High Wire, he continued, "Anything else we should know?"
"Yes," High Wire replied. "One more accident. They briefly activated the distress beacon. Unless we get moving, we'll be found by whoever gets here first. And considering two out of the three groups I think got that signal, we'd be wise to move quickly."
"Agreed," Sparkplug replied. Turning to the kids again, he noted, "Just so we get squared away on everything." He pointed at each of the kids individually, and asked, "You're Rad, Carlos, and Alexis, right?"
"Right," Alexis replied with a nod.
Sparkplug nodded in turn, then pointed to himself and said, "Sparkplug. You've already met High Wire." He continued sounding off the Mini-Cons and said, "That's Grindor, Rollbar, Jolt, and Sureshock. Now that that's squared away, let's get moving. Kids, lead the way."
Rad led his fellow humans and the Mini-Cons out of the cave, the three children retrieving their bags as they went. With the added illumination of their flashlights, coupled with the built-in light units on Sparkplug and Rollbar, the nine soon exited the cave.
"Daylight!" Carlos exclaimed as they exited the cave. "And not a moment too soon."
The Mini-Cons looked about the lush organic environment with a slight degree of awe.
"Not half bad," Jolt commented. "If we'd been awake all this time, I would've enjoyed this place."
"I kinda prefer Cybertron," Rollbar said as they continued down the path. "More even ground. However, I like those green and brown things. What are they?"
"Trees," Alexis explained.
"Trees, huh?" Rollbar replied. "Not bad."
After walking for a few minutes, they arrived at the foot of the mountain.
"On your guard, everyone," Sparkplug reminded them. "Things seems a little too quiet."
At that point, a massive rumble roared through the air around them. The three humans and six Mini-Cons steadied themselves against the rock face.
"What was that?" Carlos asked. "Some kinda tremor?"
"No," Sparkplug replied, looking up with a note of fear in his voice. "Something a lot worse."
The others looked up. Standing before them, his foot crushing the kids' vehicles, was Megatron.
"How nice of you to come to me," Megatron said. "Hello there, little Mini-Cons. I hope your long dormancy hasn't dulled your memory banks."
"Megatron," Sparkplug said, his voice grim. "I thought you learned your lesson last time."
"Yes, well, as the Quintessons discovered long ago, all Transformers, Decepticons especially, are stubborn," Megatron said. "Now, come to me, Sparkplug. You wouldn't want me to hurt your friends, or the fleshlings, would you?"
The six Mini-Cons tensed up, ready to try and defend themselves.
"Kids, when I give the word, run," Sparkplug ordered.
"What?" Rad asked in disbelief. "But you can't...!"
"It's us he's after, he won't follow you," Sparkplug reminded him. "Besides, we can stand being around him. You can't. Just tell the Autobots, if they come looking for us, that we held him off, and that we're waiting for them."
Rad nodded, understanding.
"I always enjoy the cheesy moments in a story," Megatron noted, before his face turned sour, "but it is pointless at this point. They cannot outrun me, especially since their vehicles are literally..." At this point, he chuckled and noted, "Under foot."
"He hasn't changed one slagging bit," Grindor noted. "Bad puns and everything."
"We'll hold him off," Sureshock said. "We've still got our old tricks."
"Enough talk!" Megatron bellowed. "Come to me, Mini-Cons!"
As he lunged at them, a voice commanded, "Stand down, Megatron!"
Mini-Con, Decepticon, and human alike turned to see another massive figure shimmer into view, a massive cannon and a smaller pistol in his hands. As he came into focus, one could easily see the Autobot emblem gracing his shoulder.
A smile growing on his face, Sparkplug said, "Optimus!"
"Prime, what an unexpected pleasure," Megatron noted, a smirk on his face. "You're just in time to see me claim the first of many Mini-Cons for the Decepticon cause."
"Step away from them, Megatron," Optimus commanded. "Or suffer the consequences."
"What consequences?" Megatron asked with a chuckle. "You Autobots stick too closely to your ethical codes. You wouldn't dare shoot first. I, on the other hand..." At this point, Megatron rose to his full height, aimed his fusion cannon, and proclaimed, "Am another matter entirely!"
At that point, he fired. Optimus Prime, however, dodged the blast and retaliated with his own weapons, hitting home and blasting Megatron to the ground.
"You're right, Megatron, we Autobots don't start things," Optimus replied. "However, we do finish them."
Megatron growled, then began to rise to his feet.
"This is our chance, he's distracted," Sparkplug realized. Turning to the other Mini-Cons and the kids, he said, "Get to safety!"
"But what're you gonna do?" Rad asked.
"Stay and help Prime," Sparkplug replied. "Get going!"
"You heard the 'bot, let's move!" Jolt replied, transforming to his helicopter mode.
Rollbar soon followed, transforming into a dune buggy and revving up his engines.
"You kids won't get too far on your own," High Wire said, transforming into her bicycle mode. "Better hitch a ride."
"Thanks!" Rad replied as he climbed on, taking his helmet out of his bag and strapping it on.
Carlos and Alexis soon followed his example, climbing onto Grindor and Sureshock in their alternative modes.
"Better hang on," Grindor said as he deployed straps to help keep Carlos in place. "I've always been a bit of a speed demon."
"Hey, don't worry!" Carlos shot back. "I was born to ride!"
"Kid's got spirit," Sureshock noted, buckling Alexis in.
"Yeah, well, he's young," Alexis replied, holding on tight.
With those words, the five Mini-Cons shot off, heading away from the battle and to safety. It did not go unnoticed, however, as Megatron growled to himself. He then smiled, and noted, "No matter."
"Forgetting something, Megatron?" Optimus Prime asked.
"Ah, yes, I was," Megatron noted. "Thank you for reminding me, Optimus. One Mini-Con still left."
"Sorry, Megatron," Sparkplug yelled as he transformed into vehicle mode. "But this ride's taken!" Driving off as Megatron attempted to grab him, he exclaimed, "Optimus! It's been a long time!"
"Too long, Sparkplug," Optimus admitted. "Powerlink!"
With those words, Sparkplug flipped into the air, plugging into a slot behind one of Optimus's shoulders. The energy readings on his weapons changing colors, he continued, "Now then, Megatron, where were we?"
Jolt coursed through the air, flying away from the battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron at high speed.
"Well, at least there's only one Decepticon here," he muttered to himself.
"Guess again, Mini-Con!" a voice proclaimed as laser fire started lancing around him.
"Guess I spoke too soon," Jolt said as Cyclonus continued firing on him. Thankfully for the little red Mini-Con, he was far too agile for the larger Transformer.
Eventually, the chase took them both over a large meadow. As animals below ran in fear of the large machines, Jolt continued running from Cyclonus, barely avoiding his laser bolts.
"You should make this easy on yourself, Tiny," Cyclonus taunted. "Just give up now!"
Suddenly, a four-wheeler blasted out of a warp gate slightly above Cyclonus, crashing into his hoverfans and causing him to fall to the ground.
"Obviously you Decepticons aren't that perceptive," Hot Shot said as he transformed to robot mode. Noticing Jolt, he said, "Relax, I'm one of the good guys!"
"I'm a helicopter, not a drill tank, kid!" Jolt replied. "My optics are just fine. Glad to see Prime brought some decent help with him."
"Hey, don't short-circuit my modesty circuits," Hot Shot asked, just as Cyclonus struggled out from under him and transformed to robot mode.
"Well, a raw little Autobot all alone," Cyclonus pointed out. "It'll be real fun taking you to the scrap heap!"
"Correction, Decepticon!" Jolt yelled. "He's not alone!"
"Powerlink!" Hot Shot called.
With those words, Jolt connected to a point on Hot Shot's left arm, forming a large buzz saw.
"So you've got a melee weapon, big deal," Cyclonus said. "I have guns!"
With those words, he opened fire. Hot Shot, however, countered by using Jolt's rotating rotor blades as a shield instead of a buzz saw, deflecting the numerous blasts. Cyclonus halted his assault, seeing the futility in wasting more Energon.
"Hey, Jolt," Hot Shot said, sharing information through their link, "you okay?"
"Just fine," Jolt replied. "Hot Shot. And thanks."
"No problem," Hot Shot answered.
Elsewhere, Rollbar drove through the forest, scaring away animals as he went and trying his best to avoid them. He eventually entered a clearing, turned to look back, and said, "Looks like I lost 'em."
A missile blast connecting near him, a voice yelled, "Guess again, Mini-Con! You found me!"
"Aw, frag," Rollbar said as he began making his way away from Demolishor's missile attacks. "Hey Decepticon, can't you do something other than blow those guns at me?"
"Being in stasis didn't help your weapons catalogues, Mini-Con!" Demolishor yelled in reply. "These are missiles!"
"And this is a fist!" another voice proclaimed.
Taken aback, Demolishor noted, "Huh?" before being knocked in the side of his head by Scavenger's closed hand.
With a smirk, Scavenger noted, "Gets 'em every time."
"I don't believe it!" Rollbar said in surprise, turning around to rendezvous with Scavenger. "Scavenger!"
"Rollbar," Scavenger said, the smirk turning into a smile, "Glad to see you're safe. Ready to get back to business?"
"Ready and willing, partner," Rollbar replied.
"All right then," Scavenger said. "Powerlink!"
With those words, Rollbar used his backup struts to literally jump into the air, then latch onto Scavenger's primary Powerlinx point. A weapons indicator going red, Scavenger noted, "Good to have you back."
At that point, Demolishor rose to his feet and said in astonishment, "Scavenger!"
"So you remember me, Demolishor," Scavenger replied. "Glad that you do, because now you'll know what to do with this!"
With those words, a missile fired from Scavenger's side. It connected, blasting Demolishor away and sending him crashing into the ground.
"Not bad," Scavenger noted with a smile.
Meanwhile, the kids continued to make good their escape, the Street Action Team giving them a massive head start.
"So how many Decepticons are there?" Rad asked as High Wire literally drove herself, making her way through the forested area.
"As many as there are Autobots," High Wire answered. "However, the majority of them feel the same about us as the Autobots themselves, that we earned our freedom as they did, fighting the Quintessons. Megatron, however, felt differently."
"But why would he go to all this trouble?" Alexis asked.
"He's a power hungry megalomaniac," Sureshock replied. "They tend to not need reasons."
As they emerged from the forest, it appeared that no one had given chase. They soon discovered, much to their chagrin, that it was unnecessary to follow them; someone was waiting for them.
His guns trained on the three kids and their Mini-Cons, Thrust said, "Abandon the Mini-Cons now. I'd rather not have whatever you fleshlings substitute for mech fluid on my hands."
"Sorry to disappoint you," a voice said, answering for the kids, "but no Decepticons are laying any fingers on any Mini-Cons so long as the Autobots are around!"
With those words, Blurr, in his hovercraft mode, slammed into Thrust, knocking him to the ground. He transformed, aimed his guns, and added, "I suggest you retreat now, you're in no position to continue."
"That's debatable, Autobot," Thrust replied, his optics giving off a glimmer of contempt. "Still, it'd be pointless for me to shoot you, wouldn't it?"
"That it would," Blurr replied. Keeping his guns trained, he turned his attention to the kids and Mini-Cons and asked, "You all okay?"
"Yeah, thanks!" Carlos replied. "Nice timing!"
"I aim to please," Blurr returned.
Meanwhile, the battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron continued. Even with his weapons charged up thanks to Sparkplug, Optimus couldn't get the upper hand.
Finally, as both fighters stood, their weapons recharging, Megatron noted, "It seems as if we are indeed at a stalemate, Prime. Even with your Mini-Con, you and I are on even ground."
"So it seems," Optimus returned, readying his recharged pistol.
"We'll continue our little clash another time then, when both of us are fully prepared," Megatron returned. He then boomed over the radio, "Decepticons, return to the ship!" before warping out of the area.
Storing his guns, Optimus looked skyward, Sparkplug transforming and taking a position on his shoulder, and said, "So it begins."
"The more things change, the more they stay the same," Sparkplug noted.
"It's surprising that a Transformer didn't coin that phrase," Optimus replied. He then activated his radio, then asked, "Scavenger, Hot Shot, Blurr, report."
"Scavenger here, Optimus," Scavenger's voice replied. "I managed to stop Demolishor from getting Rollbar. He's safe with me."
"Hot Shot here, sir," Hot Shot piped in. "Cyclonus is gone. Jolt's with me."
"Blurr reporting," Blurr added. "I found the Street Action Team and the humans. Thrust's already left."
"Good," Optimus noted with relief. "Report to my position immediately." Clicking onto a different channel, he then said, "Smokescreen, come in."
"Reading you loud and clear, Optimus," Smokescreen replied. "Good news, I hope?"
"We won the battle," Optimus answered. "But the war's only begun. Bring the ship in for a landing near my location, and keep the cloak activated. I'd rather not get more humans involved in this war."
"Understood, sir," Smokescreen replied, logging out.
"You fools!" Megatron bellowed to the three Decepticons that had accompanied him to the Earth's surface. "Not one of you was able to capture a Mini-Con!"
The Nemesis had already landed on Earth's moon, activating its cloak to remain undetected to human technology.
"But Megatron, sir, the Autobots..." Demolishor began.
"I don't care!" Megatron bellowed. "The Autobots wouldn't send a massive force to a planet this backward and remote! You are Decepticons, you could have defeated them easily!"
"But some of them Powerlinked with the Mini-Cons, sir," Cyclonus noted.
Megatron fumed for a moment, digesting that information. "It seems as if we will need to intensify our efforts somewhat, yes. We'll start with attacking the humans, I doubt they would be willing to defend against us."
"I would advise against that, Megatron," Starscream added as he entered the chamber. "I've been using the ship's computers to access the human satellite network. I managed to find something called the Internet."
"Yes, what of it?" Megatron asked.
"I've used it to determine the human military capabilities," Starscream replied. "They have aircraft capable of travelling faster than sound, submersible watercraft, and thermonuclear weapons technology. An attack against the entire race, even with all the Decepticon forces under your command, would only lead to our obliteration."
Megatron took that into account, then noted, "Then it appears we are left with few choices. What do you advise, Starscream?"
"That we adopt new alternative forms to fight the Autobots on Earth, disguised from the humans," Starscream replied. "If they do not know of us, they will not attack us. Besides, the human weapon technology is powerful. Perhaps we can pick up a few of their tricks."
"Very well," Megatron replied. "Use the human satellites to find suitable vehicles to disguise us. Then, we shall begin our search. If Earth is to be our battleground, then we shall have the upper hand, yes. Snap to it, Starscream! The rest of you, prepare the CR Chambers for the conversion process!"
"Yes, Megatron!" the four Decepticons replied, before scurrying off to their assignments.
As he walked, Starscream thought to himself, So, the Autobots have already arrived. This simplifies matters. If I'm to have any luck of stopping Megatron before he gets too far, I'll need help. Besides, there is the old fear. I can feel it in my spark. He's coming...
Optimus Prime and Sparkplug stood waiting as their comrades rendezvoused with them. Within a few minutes, Scavenger, Hot Shot and Blurr arrived, the kids and Mini-Cons in tow.
"Excellent work, everyone," Optimus said as they arrived. "We've managed to stop Megatron from capturing any of the Mini-Cons from the pod. Well done."
"Not too hard a job, considering," Hot Shot added.
"Don't be too hotheaded, Hot Shot," Scavenger reminded his student. "This is only the beginning. Megatron won't enjoy losing this time, or any other time. He'll be back to try again."
"Well said, Scavenger," Optimus replied. "Now then, Blurr, where are the children?"
"Right here, sir," Blurr replied, pointing out the three teens as they dismounted their Mini-Con companions.
Finally getting a good look at the Autobot leader, the three kids were in slight awe. "Whoa," Carlos noted, "I didn't think the other Transformers would be this big."
"Not all of us can be as small as the Mini-Cons," Optimus noted kindly as Sparkplug jumped down from his shoulder.
"Kids, this is Optimus Prime, the Autobot leader since the time of the Quintessons," Sparkplug explained. "And my partner from the old days."
"Whoa," Rad noted in astonishment before looking up to Optimus and saying, "Thanks for coming after us, Optimus."
"It was our duty, and pleasure," Optimus replied. "Allow me to introduce the rest of my team." Each Autobot nodded in turn as he said, "This is Scavenger, Hot Shot, and Blurr. Red Alert and Smokescreen should be down shortly." Regaining his authoritative voice, he continued, "In the meantime, we need to secure the area. Hot Shot, Blurr, reconnaissance. Scavenger, direct the Ark when it lands."
The other Autobots saluted, and went off to their jobs.
"Meanwhile, I have the best one to myself," Optimus noted, looking down on the kids and Mini-Cons, "catching up with old friends, and making a few new ones."
The End