Dedicated to Almighty God
Whose Light shines within us all
Last Stop Station
Cybertron, approximately 4.5 million years ago, during the Cybertronian Wars of Independence…
"Are you sure you have the right co-ordinates?" Starscream circled above the expansive Sonic Canyons in his seeker form, preparing to retrace the same flight path for the third time.
"Pretty sure," Thundercracker replied. "I received them from Shockwave directly."
"But there's nothing here!" Starscream interjected impatiently. "We're wasting our time; let's just return to base–"
"Hey, hold on a klik – what's that down there?" Their fellow seeker, Skywarp, tilted his nosecone towards a spot on the ground far below and began to descend.
"Down where? I'm picking up absolutely nothing on my scanners," Starscream insisted. He, like his two trine mates, was growing wearier by the klik and was looking forward to returning to their base in Polyhex and entering straight into recharge. Whilst returning from a reconnaissance mission into Stanix, they'd been asked to make a small detour on their way home at the last minute. Shockwave required a fresh supply of Cybertonium crystals and had arranged to meet a supplier, who went by the name of Nova, at a designated point somewhere near the Sonic Canyons. Shockwave had been unable to go himself as something else had come up, so he'd contacted Thundercracker and his team to go in his stead.
"I know – there's nothing on my scanners, either. It's only a visual, but it might be something," the purple and black seeker patiently informed his trine leader.
"I see something, too. Let's go check it out," Thundercracker added, following after Skywarp.
Starscream joined them, adjusting his course until the three of them were descending towards the distant blip on the ground below. They simultaneously transformed into their robot modes just before touching the ground, and then surveyed the area in silence for several moments.
The blip that Skywarp had spotted turned out to be a quaint-looking structure, relatively small, with a couple of large, closed windows on either side of a trapezoidal-shaped door. There was not another mech in sight, nor was there any indication that the structure was at all occupied.
"Huh – that's funny. It's out in the middle of no-mech-land," Skywarp noted before stepping closer to the lone structure to examine the only sign that hung above its door. The message was written twice; once in Autobot and once in Decepticon Cybertronian letters. "'Last Stop Station – Strictly No War Zone – Find Your Fulfilment Inside'. That's weird. Never heard of the place before." He reached out to touch the access panel on the door, which yielded to his touch and quietly slid open. Then he looked back at his two wing mates to see whether they had any intention of going inside.
Thundercracker walked closer, stopped momentarily to glance at his friend and shrugged. "If there's anybody here, they might be able to tell us where we can find this Nova character. It's worth a try, I guess." Then he stepped inside, followed by Skywarp and then Starscream.
"And if nothing else, maybe we can get some fulfilment and a little recharge," Starscream said.
The interior of the refuelling station was surprisingly well furnished and tastefully decorated, complete with a bar, tables and chairs, and two spacious lounge areas. It seemed much larger on the inside, and was divided by décor and color scheme into two distinct sections; to the left, the theme was red with the Autobot faction symbol displayed prominently on the left hand side wall, whilst the right side was dominated by the familiar Decepticon purple – complete with the emblem of their allegiance proudly displayed upon the right hand side wall.
It was obvious to the three seekers that the place was open for business, though there appeared to be no bartender – or anyone, for that matter – around. Nor were there any other customers; other than themselves, the place was empty.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Thundercracker began to walk towards the left side of the room before stopping to look back at his two wing mates. "Well, are you two coming or what?"
Apparently, if there existed some rule or unspoken protocol that said that a customer had to stick to the section that reflected his own allegiance, Thundercracker ignored it, deliberately choosing the Autobot decorated section of the room – but this was only typical of his particular sense of humour, and his friends did not protest it.
"Hello?" Thundercracker called out into the darkened, empty space behind the bar. "Anybody here?" Then he settled down into one of the seats in front of the unattended counter, near the red-themed tables and chairs. The two other Decepticons each took a seat beside him; Skywarp to his right and Starscream to his left, and the three of them began to wait.
After several minutes, Starscream looked towards his two best friends with upturned palms. "There's nobody here. This is stupid… let's just go home."
Thundercracker gave him a disappointed look. "Don't be a party pooper."
Starscream was too depleted to play along and debate the simple fact that the Last Stop Station was anything but bustling with entertainment. "Fine. We'll stay," he said in resignation.
"Hey, do you think the other guys know about this place?" Skywarp contemplated. He received a simple shrug from Thundercracker.
"Well, this is ridiculous. The Last Stop Station – the only structure anywhere in sight within our given co-ordinates – and there's still no sign of anyone who might be Nova," Starscream offered.
"But there's got to be somebody around," Skywarp said, lowering his voice unnecessarily – as if that someone might be listening. He pointed towards the rows and rows of bottles that completely filled the shelves behind the bar; the wide variety and large quantity of all the different high-grades and oils that one could imagine seemed almost too good to be true. "They would have had to have brought those in from somewhere… and, besides, who in their right mind would just leave a bar filled with exotic and expensive fuels unattended? Anybody could just walk right in here and steal it all."
"He has a point," Thundercracker said. Starscream looked at the two of them amusingly and then stood up. "Hey – where are you going?"
"I'll be right back. I'm just going to go and have a look around. Who knows, I may even find our station owner, though he's most likely fallen asleep in the back room somewhere," their blue, red and light grey Air Commander said, before he walked around and disappeared behind the bar.
"That's a great idea. We'll just wait here, then," Thundercracker said, once his trine leader was well beyond audio range.
After several moments, Skywarp looked across the room towards the Decepticon-themed section of the station. "Do you think we should, you know… wait over there instead?"
Thundercracker considered the idea, for a few seconds. Then he shrugged. "Nah."
The entrance door suddenly slid open, and the two seekers glanced back to see who had activated the door, before exchanging glances between them as they realized that it was two Autobots. Though the station declared itself to be a strict No War Zone, the two newcomers began to approach the counter with obvious wariness, and it became immediately apparent to Thundercracker that they were extremely uncomfortable being so close to Decepticons. They took their seats without saying a word, but then began to talk amongst themselves.
"What is this place? We – we must have gotten lost on our way through. There's got to be someone around here who can help us," one Autobot said. His speech pattern was overly nervous.
His friend continued the dialogue. "Well, I'm sure glad we found it! I could do with a drink." As he looked around for the bartender, his gaze settled upon the two Decepticons, and his discomfort seemed to increase. "You're… not supposed to be in this area, you know. It's against the rules."
Thundercracker turned to face the two Autobots; they appeared to be spark mates – or very close friends. Cut from the same mould, so to speak. "Really? I had no idea we were breaking any rule," was all he said, showing no concern.
The first Autobot looked at him oddly, exchanging silent glances with his partner, before slowly lifting a finger to point at the Autobot faction symbol on the wall nearby. "Well, it's kind of obvious, isn't it?" He seemed uncertain, as if he wasn't sure whether these two Decepticons posed any threat to them or not, despite the fact that they were in a No War Zone.
"Oh, that. Yeah… it's not really my color." Thundercracker looked away from the Autobots and back toward the bar, remaining where he was.
After several more seconds of silence, the second Autobot spoke up again. "I really think you two should go and wait in your designated area." His thumb pointed back towards the Decepticon-themed section of the room. "For Decepticons?" he explained.
"Designated area, huh?" Thundercracker looked briefly at the Decepticon faction symbol that was emblazoned across the wall on the opposite side of the room, before looking around the interior of the large station. "Well, I don't see any sign that says we have to go over there. Do you, Skywarp?"
"Nope. We're good here," Skywarp said.
The Autobots gave both of them awkward looks, but did not push the issue. Instead, they moved a couple of seats over towards the middle of the bar, and continued to talk amongst themselves in lowered voices. When Starscream reappeared from behind the bar, they glanced up at him in mild consternation.
"Well, it's just as I thought. There's no one else here," the Decepticon Air Commander informed his two trine mates as he observed the two Autobot newcomers.
"Are you sure?" Thundercracker wondered. The apparent oddness of this place was drawing his interest more and more. "No one?"
"Yes, I'm sure; you can check for yourself if you like."
"Nah. In that case maybe we should–" Thundercracker started, just as the entrance door slid open again. All five mechs turned to see who had entered the station, and immediately recognized him as one of the Decepticon triple changers.
"What the frag's Octane doing here?" Skywarp asked his wing mates in mild surprise.
They all watched as Octane paused to survey the scene and then, giving them all a smug look, strode into the Decepticon-themed side of the room, took a seat in the lounge and settled down to wait for service.
Thundercracker shook his head, and then turned back to face the bar. "Probably smelled the energon a mechano-mile away."
Octane called out to them from across the room in a mocking manner. "Hey, Screamer! What's a mech gotta do to get some service around here?" The Autobots remained quiet, not wanting to give Octane any reason for him to focus his attention on them, while Starscream gave him no reply. "Hey – I'm talking to you!" he shouted again, and it was clear that he wouldn't quit until he got a response.
Starscream finally acknowledged him. "Do I look like a bartender to you? Go stick a pipe up your exhaust port, Octane."
Octane smiled at the seeker's comeback, unaffected by it. "Well, you could have fooled me," he retorted.
Then the front door slid open again, and two more mechs walked into the station. They paused briefly before heading towards the Autobot-themed area, and then took their seats at the bar, beside Skywarp.
One of them introduced himself to the two Autobots seated to his right. "Hey. I'm Drift… this is Whirl."
"Brainstorm." He offered Drift a smile.
"Tumbler, hi."
"We must have gotten lost… we've no idea how we even ended up here, out in the middle of nowhere. Fancy that, huh?" Drift explained, before finally turning his attention to the Decepticon trio. "Uh, you three realize that this is the Autobots' section of the bar, right?"
"Oh, is it?" Starscream answered nonchalantly.
When Starscream didn't offer him any further response, Drift became curious. "Say... you three look familiar." He thought intensely for a moment, eyeing them critically. "Oh… no, don't tell me – you're the so-called Ace Flyers, am I right?"
"Uh, nope," Thundercracker offered.
"Yep, that's us," Skywarp said simultaneously. Starscream simply ignored the question, taking his seat beside Thundercracker.
Confused looks were exchanged between Drift and the other Autobots. Then his tone changed, and he pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "Well, either way, you're, uh… supposed to be over that side. You know, being Decepticon and all."
Thundercracker studied him for a few moments before responding. "What did you say your name was?"
"It's Drift."
"Ah, Drift. That's right. Drift. Well, I'll tell you what." He shifted in his seat to face the Autobot directly. "If you've got a problem with our being here, I suggest you take it up with management… or just drift right on out of here again," he said, giving him a wink. "Either way's fine by us."
Drift slowly shook his head, giving Thundercracker a smug smile. "Ha! I bet you think you're real funny, don't ya?" Then he shifted his focus towards the darkened area in the back of the bar. "Hey! Hello! Anybody here? Hello! Are we open for business here, or what?" No response. His gaze fell upon the generous assortment of fuels that lined the extensive shelves. "Sure could do with a drink, though."
"This is pointless. Let's get the hell out of here," his friend Whirl commented, starting to rise from his seat. He was stopped short by a hand upon his arm.
"Hey, not so fast," Drift said to him. "Relax. We just got here." Whirl reluctantly sat back down again. "Besides… I'm not leaving until I find out who's running this place. Let's just wait and see what happens, okay?"
"All right, fine."
No one said much for a good minute afterwards. Then, a strange mech quietly appeared behind the counter, though he acted as though he had been standing there all along; no one had noticed from whence he had come, nor had his entrance been audibly detected. He rummaged around behind the counter, arranging the barware in preparation for serving his patrons.
Tumbler was visibly taken aback by his sudden appearance, and gripped his friend's arm, who had not yet noticed the mysterious arrival. "Brainstorm…"
Brainstorm looked up to see the cause for his partner's alarm. "Where the frag'd he come from…?"
The three seekers were equally as puzzled; though they were all seated close to the counter, not one of them had noticed the bartender's entrance. Just like the other two Autobots, Drift and Whirl, their attention was now fully focused upon the mysterious bot behind the bar. Even Octane, the mean-spirited triple changer with a penchant for making fun of those who he considered less worthy than he, had taken notice of the strange appearance.
The mech behind the bar seemed to be oblivious to all the startled looks being cast his way – or, if he were aware of them, didn't seem to care. If anything, he was calm and collected, smiling to himself as he proceeded to pour a selection of drinks into canisters as if he were the happiest bot in the universe. Judging by the looks of him alone, his frame type was non-standard, and his design looked quaint, based upon the likeness of an organic species, complete with a simulated beard and cape, and he sported a bright yellow and red color scheme.
He hummed softly to himself as he worked, paying no heed to his curious patrons until he finally looked up at them all, holding up a serving tray filled with an energizing array of drinks. "Come now, everyone. Please, take one – there are plenty of refreshments to go around," he proclaimed, and then placed the tray in front of Starscream, smiling warmly at him. He had an affable, good-natured manner about him, and a deep, soothing voice. Picking up one of the canisters, he placed it squarely in front of the seeker. "Ah… here you are! Your absolute favourite – triple refined high-grade, with just a hint of raw, shaken crystal. Wouldn't you agree?" He smiled, nodding his head in satisfaction as Starscream slowly picked up the canister to examine it.
"How did you…" Starscream began, puzzled, not to mention a little uncomfortable with the fact that this mech, somehow, knew his favourite choice of fuel; very few mechs even possessed such knowledge about him – let alone some stranger that he'd never met before. He cautiously put the canister back down again and glanced at his two wing mates, but they had no explanation, and were just as surprised as he was. However, before he could ask the bartender how he'd come across such personal knowledge about his fuel preference, the affable host slid the tray across the countertop towards Thundercracker, and proceeded to pick out another canister to place in front of him.
"Now, for you, my friend… I have just the refreshment you require." He motioned emphatically for Thundercracker to pick up his canister. "Please – try it! I guarantee that you will enjoy it very much!"
Thundercracker did as he was asked, and raised the container to his mouth before taking a slow sip from it. He carefully put it down again. All mechs in the room were watching him intently, their curiosity having gotten the better of them. Even Octane had walked over from the lounge area to get a closer look, his interest piqued.
"Well? What's it like?" Skywarp asked his friend.
"It's surprisingly good. Tastes just like natural energon – my favourite." The expression on Thundercracker's face was one of pleasant surprise. "Where'd you get this stuff?" he asked the bartender.
"Ah, that's because it is natural energon, my dear Thundercracker. Nothing less will do for my esteemed Decepticon guest, hm?" the mech replied.
"Esteemed Decepticon guest…" Drift whispered to Whirl with sarcasm. "Yeah… right."
Thundercracker ignored the Autobot and looked back up at the smiling bartender. "So, uh… what's this going to cost us?"
The hospitable bartender laughed – a friendly, auspicious laugh. "Oh, no, no… please, it's free – on me. Drink up! You three are weary from the adventures of your day – and do require sustenance, no?"
The three seekers looked at one another in quiet astonishment, although undeniably pleased with the mech's generous hospitality. Thundercracker and Starscream lifted their canisters to their lips and drank, while Octane and the Autobots continued to watch.
"Hey, do I get one?" Skywarp said, not wanting to be left out, and his request was soon granted. The bartender selected another canister from the serving tray and handed it to him. "What's this?" he asked expectantly.
"Ah, I'd never dream of leaving you out, my dear Skywarp. Now, I have something very special, just for you. Please, enjoy."
Skywarp joined his two comrades and drank from the canister that had been handed to him. When he put it down again, his delight was obvious. "Oh… what is this?" he asked.
"That, my friend, is Paradisian Gold – the finest, most purely extracted oil in the galaxy – as you are well aware," the bartender replied amusingly. "Why, I just knew you would enjoy it." Skywarp was speechless. It was, indeed, the best tasting oil he'd ever had. While he considered the unique properties and the rich, smooth flavour of the drink before him, the bartender moved his tray across the countertop until he stood in front of the four Autobots. He picked out four specific canisters and placed one in front of each of them. Then he picked up the last canister left on the tray and held it out to Octane, who stepped forward and grabbed it out of his hand.
"For you, my good friend, I recommend this Lithonian delicacy," the bartener said to Drift, indicating towards the canister in front of the Autobot. Then he spoke to Whirl. "And for you, nothing but Nebulon Oil will do, yes?"
"Wha… how… how'd you know I like Nebulon Oil?" Whirl asked.
Drift was equally astonished, as he studied his Lithonian fuel. "How'd you get this? There's no way you can import this stuff."
But the mech seemed unperturbed by their suspicion. "Well, yes, normally that is true. However, I am able to procure any fuel in the galaxy, without limits," he answered Drift, and then leaned across to face Whirl, smiling warmly. "Oh, I know all about you, Whirl. You enjoy simple, yet refined fuels – though with a little kick. Am I right?" He punched the air with a fist in emphasis when he said the word 'kick'.
Whirl did not know what to say; he was confused, and wasn't sure whether he should feel awed by the level of knowledge that this mech possessed about him, or wether he should be angered by it.
"Okay – just hold on a second," Drift spoke up finally, glanced at his comrade and then back at the bartender. "How do you know all this stuff about us?"
Brainstorm also found it disconcerting, and backed up Drift's sentiment. "He's right. He must be some sort of spy."
Drift slowly stood up and stepped back defensively, and then drew his power sword with surprising swiftness. He held it firmly in front of him, its glistening point directed at the bartender's chest. "Alright, just what the hell's going on around here? Huh?" The other Autobots exchanged uncomfortable glances, while Octane stood beside him, watching his reaction with amusement. "What the slag are you laughing at, Decepticon?" Drift threw at him. "Are you in on it?" He looked across at the Decepticon seekers. "What about you three? You're all in on this, too, aren't you? If this is some sort of a set up–"
"Hey, we've never seen this mech before," Thundercracker explained to Drift, indicating towards the bartender. "We didn't even know this place existed an hour ago. Why don't you put that thing away before you get hurt, huh?"
But Drift would not be convinced so readily. He kept his gaze fixed upon the bartender, who continued to keep a calm, collected countenance as he moved around the counter to approach the alarmed Autobot warrior. "Don't come any closer!" he warned.
The bartender did not appear threatened at all. He extended his hand and, as if by magic, Drift's sword followed the movement of the mech's hand as it guided the weapon away until it was pointing safely down at the ground. No matter how hard Drift tried to take control of it, the sword would not yield to his will. "Come now, there's really no need for violence. I mean you no harm. Please, finish your drink. You're going to need it to keep your strength up for tomorrow's rescue mission, you know."
"What…" Drift staggered backwards, apprehensive of the bartender and what he'd just demonstrated in front of his optics. "How… how can you know about that? It – it was supposed to be top secret," he whispered, his optics wide. He stumbled backwards and almost fell into a table, before he bolted straight for the door, as if his life depended on it.
"No, don't go out there – it's no longer safe!" the bartender called out after him. "Drift, please, listen to me! If you go out there now, you'll be caught in the magnetic storm!" But Drift was determined to get the hell out of there; he didn't even stop to wait for Whirl to follow him out. Everyone in the room watched the two Autobots leave, the door sliding closed behind them. Then the bartender dropped his shoulders slightly and sighed, shook his head. "They never do listen, do they?" he said to himself, before turning to the others and raising his arms in encouragement. "Ah, no matter! Now, where were we? Ah, yes…" He walked over to Tumbler and Brainstorm, sat in the seat where Whirl had been. "Why, you haven't touched your refreshments. Drink up, drink up! I prepared them especially for each of you, with my blessings."
Octane downed his canister, placed the empty vessel down on the counter. "Whew! Now that was a good drop." He took his seat beside the bartender, on the same seat that Drift had recently occupied. "Energex – the finest pink liquid this side of the galaxy. How'd you know?" He held up a hand. "No, wait, don't tell me. You know everything about us, right?"
The bartender smiled. "Indeed, I do."
Octane had not expected a serious answer. But before he could query him further, Brainstorm interjected. "Oh, yeah? And I suppose you can predict the space weather, too?"
"Oh, but of course!" the mech answered, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Why, space weather is one of my most favourite subjects. Ask me anything you want to know and I promise you, you won't be disappointed!" He was met with an awkward silence as each mech in the room began to realize that something strange was definitely going on, and not only with the bartender, but with this whole place.
"Well, I don't believe you," Brainstorm continued after several moments. "I think you're a liar. That's what I think."
He had expected the mech to respond with a refutation of some sort, perhaps even in defence of his honour, but the response that he actually received was just as infuriating to Brainstorm as ever.
The bartender simply smiled warmly at him, nodded in understanding. "And I would expect nothing less from you, Brainstorm."
It was Tumbler's turn to speak up. He prided himself on being a scientist, and enjoyed the challenge of proving others wrong with his extensive knowledge of how the universe worked. "You mentioned a magnetic storm… but I checked the forecast only a few minutes ago. There was no indication of one happening today – as a matter of fact, the chances looked very slim."
The bartender did not need to think about his response – it was immediate. "Ah… you are the clever one, yes? I would suggest that you check your forecast again. There was a small error in the transference of data to the main satellite due to a stray meteoroid… fifty-five mechano-inches in diameter… colliding with the remote probe; however… I believe that it has since been restored."
Tumbler connected his data link to the satellite's information, and waited a few moments for the information to be downloaded to his processor. When he was finished, he looked at Brainstorm in consternation – he looked as though he'd seen a ghost.
"Well?" Octane prodded, curious. "What's the forecast say?"
All the Autobots and Decepticons gathered were all audio receptors, eager to hear what Tumbler had to report. When the scientist finally spoke, it was in a low, shaky voice. "'…An unusually strong magnetic storm is expected to hit the entire southern hemisphere within the next two breems… please remain indoors, if possible. All flyers should remain grounded until all danger has passed…'"
But this display of unexplained knowledge did little to placate Brainstorm's growing anger at the situation, and he turned to Tumbler in protest. "How the frag could he possibly know all that stuff?" Then he confronted the bartender. "No… this… this isn't possible. Drift was right – this is some sort of trick!"
"Oh, I can assure you that there is no trickery involved–"
Brainstorm shook his head in exasperation. "Oh… I know what this is about–" He abruptly stood up, looked around cautiously, as if a hidden trap door might suddenly give way beneath him and he would free fall into a bottomless pit to his death. "You wanted Drift and Whirl to leave… didn't you? Yeah, that's it… isn't it? You want us all to go out there into the magnetic storm so that you can finish us all off!" he yelled, pointing towards the door.
Once again, the bartender was not intimidated at all by Brainstorm's accusations. Rather, he seemed sympathetic to the Autobot's fears. "Please… sit down. You have nothing to fear. I do not wish to harm any of you."
Brainstorm hesitated, still on guard. "Oh, yeah? Well, what about those two who just left, huh? What's… what do you think's going to happen to them?" he demanded.
The bartender walked closer to Brainstorm until they stood face to face. "Do not be concerned about them. Whirl and Drift will return soon enough, safe and sound, though perhaps a little shaken. Mark my words."
The Autobot slowly shook his head in bewilderment, but allowed the bartender to guide him back to his seat. He stared into his canister, which was filled with an irresistible, rich, aromatic oil. "I can't believe this is happening…" he said to himself, before taking a swallow of his drink.
"Alright…" Octane began, standing up and pacing the room with a confident gait. "I think it'd be fair to say that I speak for everyone here. We deserve some answers. No more games."
The mysterious mech met his gaze with a calmness and self-assuredness that defied all explanation. "Well, of course, of course! I am, after all, here to serve," he answered, smiling. "If there's anything I can do for you – anything at all – please, all you need do is ask."
Octane turned back to face him, his gaze steady. "Okay, then let's start with this: who the hell are you?"
The bartender glanced around at every mech present, looking upon each of them with an unspoken, yet intense level of compassion and warmth, as if he were their guardian. "I am Primus," he answered simply.
"Primus? As in… the Primus? Our Creator God Primus?" Octane reacted, incredulous.
"Yes," Primus confirmed in earnest. He appeared to be completely serious.
"Oh… ho-ho!" Octane broke into a chortle. "That's good… that's really good." He turned to the three seekers, shaking his head in disbelief and gesturing with a hand towards the mech who had just named himself Primus. "Do you believe this guy? He's got to be some total nut case." No one said anything; the three Decepticons and two remaining Autobots were still in a state of confusion.
Finally, Thundercracker turned to look back at Octane. "Well, I mean… he did know stuff about us… stuff that he shouldn't have known."
"Like what? Our favourite fuels? Anyone can find out that sort of stuff, if they were keen enough. Hell, I do it all the time. It's called gathering intel – perhaps you've heard of it?"
"But there are other things, too. For one thing, he already knew all our names. And if you think about it, this place shouldn't even exist. It never even showed up on our scans–" Skywarp defended, dismayed at the triple changer's condescending attitude.
Octane held up a hand. "Okay, stop." He paused dramatically, gave them both a reprehensive look. "Would you just listen to yourselves for an astro-second? I mean… in all seriousness, you actually believe that he's Primus?" Octane said, pointing again to the bartender, who stood watching them with what seemed like all the patience in the world.
But Thundercracker's patience with Octane was beginning to wear thin. "Look, I never said he was Primus. All I'm saying is that, whoever he is… something strange is definitely going on." He paused, and then added, "And sometimes… it pays to consider all possibilities, no matter how unlikely they may be."
"Okay, fine… have it your way." Octane let out a long exhalation as he looked down at the floor and shook his head in disbelief. Then he began to walk away, opting out of the conversation.
In the awkward silence that followed, Skywarp shared his thoughts with his two wing mates in a lowered voice. "If this guy really is who he says he is, then he should be able to prove it… right?"
Thundercracker nodded in agreement. "Yeah… you have a point. If he's lying, it shouldn't be too difficult to show him up. And… if he really is Primus, well…" He shrugged, had no words to express how he might feel if the latter scenario proved to be the case.
"I agree. Let's entertain the possibility." Starscream had not spoken much since he'd taken his seat in front of the counter; in fact, he found the whole concept of an unintentional encounter with Primus at a refuelling station quite amusing, if nothing else. "So… how do we get him to prove that he's Primus, beyond any doubt?"
"We could ask him questions…" Skywarp whispered, briefly glancing back at Primus, who was now busying himself with collecting the empty canisters upon the counter. When he reached across for their canisters, he gave Skywarp a reassuring smile.
"How about another round of refreshments for the three of you, hm?" Primus asked them generously.
"Ah… no, thanks. We're good," Skywarp said tentatively, and Primus took the hint, smiling knowingly before he moved away to attend to the Autobots' needs. The seeker turned back to face his comrades. "We should ask him to tell us things that only we could possibly know," he whispered.
"Yeah, that could work," Thundercracker said. "Okay… you go first."
"Who, me?" Skywarp said.
"Yeah." His friend waved for him to go ahead.
The black and purple seeker hesitated, but then cleared his vocal processor as he considered what question he should ask Primus. "Ah… excuse me, Primus?" he called across the bar. "Would you come over here a moment?" He watched as Primus stopped to notice his request. "Please?" he added; somehow, the thought that he might actually be talking to Primus himself, no matter how ludicrous, made him feel strangely humbled.
When Primus approached the three Decepticons, his countenance was one of pure joy. "You called for me?"
"Ah, yeah. We were wondering…" Skywarp began, but then faltered. Asking Primus to prove himself was a lot more difficult than he thought it would be.
Primus placed a hand on his shoulder and took a seat beside him. "Ah… allow me. You wish to ask me some questions… to see whether or not I am really who I say I am. Yes?"
"Well… something like that, yeah," Skywarp answered uncertainly.
"He must have overheard us," Thundercracker said.
Primus smiled at Thundercracker's comment – a warm, friendly smile – but said nothing in response. Instead, he nodded at the three of them encouragingly. "Well, then, in that case what are you waiting for? Go ahead and ask away. I am, after all, here to serve you."
"Okay, uh… just so we're absolutely clear," Thundercracker started. "Who did you say you were again?" Just in case there had been some kind of misunderstanding.
"Primus," the mech affirmed again, just as assuredly as the first time.
Thundercracker slowly rubbed the side of his face, and then clasped his hands together, nodding in reflection. Then he gestured for Skywarp to go ahead and ask his question; for the time being, at least, he had nothing further to say.
Primus watched Skywarp intently, waiting with patient expectation for him to speak. But just as the seeker was about to formulate his question, Primus raised a hand, indicating for him to stop. "Better yet, if you'll allow me, hm?" Skywarp shrugged, and so he continued. "Ah, my dear Skywarp… do you know that I still remember the very moment you first came online, as if it happened only yesterday?" He chuckled to himself, shaking his head as if in recollection of a very fond, personal memory that he held very dear. "Do you remember what your very first thought was, Skywarp?"
Skywarp's optics widened in surprise. Now that was something that no one else could possibly know but him. "My… my first thought? Uh…"
Primus smiled at him, ever patient. "Ah, you have always been very, very special to me. Indeed, I am so very, very proud of you – of each one of you," he said, gazing at each of the seekers in turn with deep, abiding empathy. "And I never want you to forget that."
"You haven't told us his first thought," Starscream said, fighting to remain impassive, though it was proving to be quite a difficult task; Primus seemed to possess a very tangible, invisible power that was beginning to affect them in a very real way, though for the life of him he could not explain it. "What was it?"
Primus smiled again and turned back to Skywarp, his optics sparkling with yellow light. He looked just like a father reflecting upon the precious memory of his beloved son. "You wanted to know about your place in the universe. You asked for my guidance and protection," Primus said, reaching out to grasp his hand, and the seeker did not pull away. "And I have been with you ever since." He paused, smiling again. "But… you have not always been able to hear my voice. No matter how hard I tried sometimes…" His gentle smile faded somewhat, and he squeezed Skywarp's hand to let him know that, regardless of how difficult things had gotten sometimes, or of the trials and tribulations that he was yet to face, he would never abandon him.
Skywarp found it difficult to speak as he fought to stave off a sudden well of emotion. His two trine mates did not need to ask him to confirm whether or not what Primus had said was true. The answer was evident in his optics, and on his countenance – clear as day.
Then Primus changed his tone to a more light-hearted one, as he spoke about Skywarp with genuine pride and compassion. "Ah, now here's something you might not remember so well. You, my dear Skywarp, you have always wanted to be first at everything." He laughed, lovingly recalling a much younger version of Skywarp, one who was still inexperienced and naïve – barely a vorn old.
Skywarp looked back at him in awe. "I did?"
"Oh, yes!" Primus said emphatically. "Why, it didn't matter who you had to walk over to get what you wanted – well, with a few exceptions. So much so, that many of your generation found it almost unbearable to be around you. But… your natural charm and, dare I say, generally good-natured intentions managed to win them over in the end."
"Heh. I don't remember that," Skywarp said, smiling to himself in amusement.
"Sounds about right, though," Thundercracker commented with a half-smile. By now, his curiosity had gotten the better of him and he decided that it was his turn now to ask Primus a question. "Okay, enough about him. What about me?"
Primus gave him immediate optic contact, and emanated the same warmth and loving attention that he'd given Skywarp. "Ah… my dear Thundercracker, what can I possibly tell you about yourself that you don't already know, hm? What would you like to ask me?"
"Okay, let's see… what creature did I first encounter on my tour of the Blue Planet?" Thundercracker threw at him.
Primus gave him a twinkling optic and chuckled. "You'll have to try harder than that, my good friend. You've not seen the Blue Planet yet – though, you would like to."
"Okay," Thundercracker continued, unperturbed. "What's my hidden talent?"
"Why, that's easy; your hidden talent is your wonderful sense of humour," Primus returned, without skipping a beat.
Interesting response. "What's my current charge level?"
"Your current system is charged at precisely fifty four point six nine per cent of full capacity, and steadily dropping."
Pause. "Why did we come here?"
Primus smiled. "You were looking for Nova. But… why you are actually here? Now that is a different question entirely, wouldn't you agree?"
Thundercracker's attention was so captivated by this mech who claimed to be Primus in the body that he didn't notice Octane quietly walk up to stand behind him in order to listen in; the triple changer's curiosity had finally gotten the better of him, too. "What's my favourite adage?"
"'One's worst enemy is always fear itself'," Primus answered him. "And, I must say, that is one of my personal favourites, too."
Thundercracker was beginning to feel a little unsettled; it was a feeling that he was not particularly used to, but he pressed on with his questions, regardless. "First words I spoke today?"
"You said, and I quote, 'Primus knows.'"
"Yeah… in response to what?"
"You were replying to a comment about the possible location of a hidden city beneath Stanix, one that is believed to be controlled by an independent Autobot sect."
The seeker looked at Primus in apprehension, and asked slowly, "How'd you know about that?"
"It is my job to know all things, is it not?" Primus replied evenly.
"Okay…" Thundercracker had hoped to catch the mech off guard with his volley of questions, but so far it looked as though he had failed in his task. He tried a different approach. "Does the underground city exist?"
This question caused the two Autobots seated nearby to stop what they were doing, their attention now captured. Up until now, Tumbler and Brainstorm had kept their distance from the Decepticons, but as the conversation between Thundercracker and Primus progressed, they couldn't help but overhear, and were more than a little curious to find out what Primus had to say about the legendary hidden city – regardless of who this mech actually was, he did seem to know a lot of things that he shouldn't really know.
Primus took his time answering the question, well aware of the fact that he now had everybody's undivided attention. "Indeed it does exist," he finally said, breaking the stillness that had suddenly pervaded the room.
"How can we find it?" Starscream interjected, beating Thundercracker to it.
Primus smiled knowingly. "It is not so much a question of how… but of when."
"When will it be found, then?" Thundercracker asked.
"It shall be found when it is meant to be found, and not one moment sooner." Just as Primus finished speaking, ominous sounds could be heard coming from outside the building, and all six mechs looked up at the ceiling and towards the closed windows, as if expecting a sudden attack or ambush.
"What the frag was that?" Brainstorm said, jumping from his seat and sprinting towards the windows, his blaster drawn. "Dammit, this was all a set up!" he proclaimed in anger. Primus remained where he was, unaffected by the latest display of hostility and alarm, and even as Brainstorm strode back towards him, demanding answers, Primus did not give in to his coercion. The Autobot reached across to grab Primus' shoulder with the intention of forcing the mysterious bartender to answer him, but as soon as his hand made contact with Primus' armour, Brainstorm jerked his hand back in shock and surprise. "What the…"
Tumbler watched his partner curiously, half afraid but unable to take his optics away from Primus. "What happened?" he asked.
Brainstorm held his hand, staring at it. "He zapped me!" he exclaimed. Skywarp couldn't help but laugh. "What the hell are you laughing at? It's not funny!"
Before anyone could say anything more about it, the unusual sounds that had begun to bombard the exterior walls of the Last Stop Station returned, though this time the intensity had increased, and Brainstorm forgot all about his hand. He held his blaster up to the ceiling, ready to shoot the invisible intruders at any moment. "What's going on? What is that?"
Primus stood up and turned to face them all, beckoning with outstretched arms for everybody to calm down. "Please, do not be alarmed. I assure you that none of you will be harmed."
"It's the magnetic storm, isn't it? It's got to be!" Tumbler said in sudden realization, looking up at Primus.
"It is indeed," Primus confirmed, smiling back at the Autobot with an unbreakable calmness. "If you all remain where you are, your safety will be guaranteed. I give you my word."
"You give us your word, huh?" Octane piped up. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not fully convinced that he's Primus yet."
"Well, what about Drift and Whirl… are they going to be safe?" Tumbler asked, expressing his concern for the safety of his fellow Autobots. "Maybe we should go out and find them, bring them back here?"
"That won't be necessary, my dear friend. I have returned them. Behold," Primus answered him, motioning towards the front entrance with a sweep of his hand.
And, right on cue, the front door slid open and two distraught Autobots stumbled into the station, struggling against the onslaught of the magnetic storm's debilitating effects. Drift and Whirl looked a little worse for wear, but were otherwise unharmed – just as Primus had predicted.
"Holy scrap…" Octane let out in a disbelieving whisper. He turned to look at Primus with a new set of optics, filled with apprehension, and fear – emotions that the triple changer rarely experienced. Normally, he was the one to give others reason to fear, not the other way around. "How did you do that? No… don't tell me. You're… Primus, right?" However, despite all he'd seen and heard so far, he was still not entirely convinced.
Primus simply smiled at him, his arms folded across his chest. Then he made his way behind the counter and proceeded to fill two canisters with a purple liquid. When he was done, he set the canisters down on the counter, and beckoned for Drift and Whirl to take his offering. "Come, my friends! I have just the thing to help you recover your nerves – mineralized oil, sourced directly from Klo."
Leaning with their backs against the wall, Drift and Whirl had paused momentarily for a much needed rest after their recent bout against the magnetic storm. Their attention now drawn to the refreshments that awaited them, they slowly began to approach the bar, though kept their guards up. Judging by the odd expressions and lingering confusion of the other mechs in the room, Drift and Whirl got the inkling that something had happened in their absence, though were reluctant to ask anyone about it.
"What happened to you out there?" Brainstorm finally asked, as the two Autobots reclaimed their seats in front of the counter.
"We got caught up in a sudden magnetic storm… can you believe it?" Drift informed them exasperatedly, still heavily cycling air. "Just came upon us seemingly out of nowhere." He paused in realization. "Wait – Whirl? How did we find our way back here so quickly?"
"No fragging idea. It's crazy out there, though. Haven't seen a storm like that in several vorns," Whirl added, downing his drink gratefully.
Thundercracker shifted his attention back to Primus. "How about that second round? Since we'll be staying for a little longer than we'd planned."
However, even before he'd stated his request Primus was already behind the counter preparing three more drinks. "Ah… I just knew that you would ask!" he proclaimed happily, and placed the serving tray on top of the counter. "Please, enjoy! I am here to serve." Drift gave them all a doubtful glance, but said nothing.
The three Decepticons each took a canister from the tray, and sat in quiet contemplation as they enjoyed the rich, flavoursome varieties of fuel that had been specially selected for each of them.
"So, how long until this storm passes?" Thundercracker asked casually.
"Ah… let me see," Primus said, leaning with his elbows on the counter. "Give it another… oh, two and one quarter hours?"
"Two and one quarter hours…" Thundercracker repeated. "Okay."
"But we're already behind schedule as it is," Starscream reminded his wing mates. "There must be some way for us to navigate through the storm."
Primus shook his head. "Trust me; it will be far better for you three to wait out the storm right here – not to mention, it will save you much time, too – in the long run. Besides… there is plenty of fuel to go around, and the best part, of course, is that it's free."
"Oh, yeah – what's the catch?" Octane managed to slip in a sardonic remark.
"Heh. Sounds good to me," Skywarp said, ignoring Octane. "Two hours of all the free high-grade you can drink, served by Primus himself? It doesn't get much better than that."
"Primus?" Drift repeated in a low voice, confused, and looked to the other Autobots for answers. "What the hell's he talking about?"
"Maybe he's had one too many already," Whirl joked, took a swig from his canister. "Gotta admit, though; this stuff's pretty good."
"So… Primus," Starscream began, as he resigned himself to the fact that they would have to shelter at the Last Stop Station for the next two hours. "Since we have a little bit of time to kill, I have some questions for you as well."
"Ah, yes… I just knew you'd ask, my dear friend. Please, go ahead. What would you like to know?" Primus replied, smiling warmly.
"Well, for one thing, if you're really Primus, you would already know what I'm going to ask you," Starscream pointed out.
Primus chuckled cheerfully. "Ah, but of course, my dear Starscream, of course. Why, you are most certainly correct. But, remember… you are always free to change your mind, are you not?"
The Air Commander slowly nodded in understanding, and then asked Primus his first question. "I don't suppose you would be able to tell us where we can find Nova?"
"Ah, yes… of course!" Primus responded emphatically. Then he straightened and began to move to the back of the bar as he gestured for them to remain seated. "Please, stay right where you are. I shall return in just a moment." The three seekers exchanged curious glances, but said nothing until Primus reappeared, only a few moments later. Holding a sealed case in one hand, he placed it on top of the counter in front of them. "Here, take it. It's yours."
"What's in it?" Thundercracker asked, as he examined the metallic container.
"Well, why don't you just open it and find out?" Primus encouraged jovially.
Thundercracker did as suggested; he released the seal and lifted open the lid. His expression turned to one of surprise when he realized what the case contained. "Cybertonium crystals…"
His two wing mates peered into the container so they could see the precious crystals for themselves. "There are enough crystals here to last Shockwave several vorns!" Starscream exclaimed.
"You can tell Shockwave that he is most welcome," Primus said, beaming with happiness.
"Hold on just one astro-second–" Thundercracker began, looking curiously up at Primus as he resealed the container in sudden realization. "You… you're Nova, aren't you?"
Primus chuckled mischievously. "Indeed I am."
"Son of a glitch…" Thundercracker said in pleasant surprise. "Wait, so… you knew we'd find our way here, didn't you?" he queried, attempting to fit together more pieces of the puzzle. He was determined to get to the truth about the Last Stop Station and this mech called Primus, no matter what he might discover.
"Oh, yes, that is very true. Very true, indeed," Primus answered matter-of-factly.
"Hey, let me see," Octane said over Thundercracker's shoulder, reaching out to grasp the case.
Thundercracker pulled it away from his reach. "Mind your own business, Octane," he rebuked, and the triple changer backed off, walking away as he gave the seeker a sour look. The strange sounds due to the magnetic storm outside suddenly increased in intensity again.
"Why us?" Starscream asked through the noise, and Primus turned his attention to him. "I mean… if you're really Primus… why us, of all mechs on Cybertron?"
Primus' optics twinkled with what looked like infinite knowledge and wisdom. "I guided you three here for a purpose. Oh, yes, indeed. You three are very, very special to me, and most important to my Plan. You may not realize it yet, but you will."
"What… what Plan?" Thundercracker asked doubtfully, but the conversation was interrupted by Drift as he leaned closer to the small group.
"What the hell did we miss?" Drift glanced at the three Decepticons with suspicion, and then at Primus, who simply smiled back at him. "You… you three really believe he's Primus?" He pointed with a finger at them all, his tone giving away his cynicism. No one answered him. "Hey, Whirl, we're being served by Primus himself," he said, gesturing towards the bartender.
The two Autobots laughed nervously. "Yeah. Crazy, huh?" Whirl replied.
"So, what if he was? Does it bother you?" Thundercracker challenged them, after a pause.
Drift straightened as Primus offered him another fill, and he nodded appreciatively. "So, you do believe it, then?"
"Didn't say that," Thundercracker returned simply.
The mostly white, sword yielding Autobot didn't pursue the matter any further; instead he decided to change tactic. "Okay. Let's say… you really are Primus," he said to the bartender. "Let me ask you something."
"Go ahead, my dear Drift," Primus replied readily, smiling. "I am here to serve, after all."
"If you're our all-powerful, all-wise Creator, then why the hell haven't all the Decepticons been wiped off the face of the planet yet?" Drift swallowed some more energon, looking smug, and an awkward silence engulfed the room.
Then Thundercracker spoke up in defence of his allegiance, before Primus had a chance to reply. "You know, you've really got some nerve… to come into a No War Zone and talk like that. And you know what else? I'm getting real tired of hearing the sound of your voice."
"And you've got some nerve, sitting here when it's obvious to the rest of us that you're ignoring the rules," Drift responded, pointing to the Autobot-themed side of the bar. For Drift, the deliberate disregard for the station's designated areas on the part of the three seekers was a strong sign of disrespect. Thundercracker shook his head in disdain, but then turned his gaze away from the Autobot; it wasn't worth a response.
Drift refocused his attention back to Primus, waiting expectantly for an answer to his question.
"Ask yourself; is that what you truly want?" Primus said to him, but he did not expand further.
Drift shrugged. "What I want is an end to the war, and for us to be able to live peacefully," he said, with a hint of retribution.
"Ah… yes," Primus answered, pausing to consider the Autobot, "and do you not think that that is exactly what many Decepticons want, too?"
"No," the Autobot shot back, "because if they did, they wouldn't have a long history of rebellion and violence against us, which started the Wars to begin with, by the way."
Primus looked directly at him, leaned across the counter. "But have you never asked, 'why?'"
"Why? Why, what?"
"Why a state of conflict exists between you… and them?" Primus clarified, indicating towards the Decepticons as he spoke with all the patience in the world. He emanated an unexplained authority that forced Drift to pay attention, despite his reservation.
"Well… sure," Drift replied, though he was obviously uncomfortable and filled with uncertainty.
"You see, a mech will always believe what is in his heart to believe… and, hence, will always manifest the very evidence to support those beliefs. Once his mind is made up and his heart is set on a certain path… no one can convince him otherwise, not even I." Primus paced towards the large Autobot sigil on the wall close by, appeared to study it. "Allow me to explain further. What do you see here?"
"It's… our symbol, the Autobot symbol," Drift answered, slightly perplexed.
"And why is it here?"
"Why is it here…?"
"Yes. Why is it on this wall?"
Drift shook his head, looking for the most obvious answer. "I don't know. Because… it's the Autobots' section of the bar."
Then Primus pointed towards the Decepticon-themed section of the bar. "And… over that side? What do you see?"
Drift gave him a strained look. "That's… the Decepticons' side. Look, I don't see what this has to do with the Wars–"
"You saw those two symbols on these walls and you gave it a specific meaning, even when that meaning was never intended to be such. And, then, you created a set of rules based purely upon the meaning that you gave those symbols… rules that you would have been prepared to defend, and even enforce. Yes?"
"Well, sure, but–"
"Whilst it is an analogy, the Wars that exist between your two factions started in very much the same way, and continue to this day for much the same reason. But what you do not realize, my dear Drift, is that without the Decepticons to maintain a balance of power, Cybertron would have been conquered by a malevolent group of explorers a long, long time ago – or would have fallen to some other powerful race of beings, sooner or later." This statement spoken by Primus affected everyone present, in a very tangible and unexpected way.
Tumbler, who had been listening attentively, broke the silence. "So, then… what's the real meaning of those symbols?"
Primus focused upon the Autobot scientist. "The real meaning is that I placed these two symbols here to remind you all that they simply represent two different sides of the same coin." As he spoke, the eerie sounds caused by the magnetic storm outside continued to pervade their audio sensors.
"Pfft. Okay… whatever. I'm supposed to sit here and believe that some vague analogy about our faction symbols has something to do with the Wars, particularly when we have an official recorded history that clearly shows otherwise?" Drift argued, becoming increasingly impatient with the whole situation. "And that's without even knowing who the hell you really are," he added, looking directly at Primus.
Primus slowly nodded. "Ah, but not all of your… official recorded history is accurate, I'm afraid."
"What do you mean?" Drift challenged, almost accusingly.
"Are you not aware that such records can, and are, quite often altered to suit the agenda of those in power? As a result, you end up with a distorted view of your history."
Drift's countenance dropped, and Whirl looked agitated. Not even Tumbler or Brainstorm could maintain their sense of self-assuredness.
Octane had remained quiet as he'd listened to their conversation with reserved interest, and was now curious. "How much of recorded history has been distorted, exactly?"
"Oh… more than you imagine, Octane. More than you imagine." Primus walked back to his place behind the bar, and began to clean and stack empty canisters on shelving beneath the counter.
"I'm curious… there's a long-standing debate among many scholars regarding the origin of our species," Starscream began, changing the topic. "Some say that you are the first true Autobot, and that all first-sparked Cybertronians were created in your likeness. Others say that you remain unaffiliated, but that you created the Autobots first and, hence, that Cybertron is theirs to rule. Yet others would argue that you never created us at all, but rather that an alien species called the Quintessons created us – both Autobots and Decepticons – while others, as you would know, don't even believe in your existence at all. What do you have to say to that?"
"Hey, that's right. I've always wondered about that," Thundercracker added.
Primus smiled, listening patiently as he looked at the three seekers in turn, but did not offer any immediate answers.
"Well… I noticed you're not displaying the Autobot insignia. Not sure if that means anything, though," Skywarp offered.
"Ah… a very good observation, my friend," Primus said. "Indeed I carry no insignia."
"Well, if Primus exists… he'd be no Decepticon, that's for sure," Brainstorm interjected.
"Why don't you just shut the slag up and let him answer, huh?" Thundercracker rebuked the Autobot, indicating Primus as he returned his attention back to him.
"The very first Cybertronians that I created were unaffiliated… as I am unaffiliated. However, both Autobots and Decepticons have been a part of my Plan since the very beginning," Primus answered calmly and assuredly.
"What about the Quintessons?" Skywarp queried him.
Primus explained. "Ah… the Quintessons… they are a very ancient race, indeed, from your perspective. They, too, are my children, and thus are a part of me, also, as are all things that exist in the universe. Indeed, I created them a very long time ago, and guided them to help bring your species into existence."
"Wow." Skywarp stopped to contemplate the profundity of this revelation. The answer to a long debated problem was so simple, and he was in awe of the way Primus had explained it. "There are a lot of mechs who claim that you're actually Cybertron itself," he pointed out. "I guess they're wrong, huh?"
Primus laughed affably. "You are most correct, my dear Skywarp. Whilst it is true that I created Cybertron and it is a part of me, as are all things, I cannot be limited by any physical form, hm?"
"No, I guess not," Skywarp replied.
"So, then… tell us, Primus: who should rule Cybertron?" Drift asked; his unspoken challenge against the Decepticons.
"I created Cybertron for both your kind to equally rule and to enjoy… and, one day, this shall be so," Primus replied simply.
"One day?" Octane queried, doubtful.
Primus folded his arms as he considered his response. "Yes… a lasting day of unity and peace shall come… however; it shall not be for quite some time yet."
Drift leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, frowning. "Okay, so… if you're really Primus, then why even let it happen at all? All the fighting and conflict – if you're as all-powerful and all-knowing as they say you are… why don't you just… you know? Only allow peace."
"Ahh…" Primus leaned across with his elbows on the counter, and met Drift's gaze without reservation. "Now that… my dear friend… that is an excellent question. And the best way for me to answer it is to assure you that I created you all with freedom of choice, and with individual desires… so that you may all learn to fully realize the power that lies within each of you."
"Power… what power?" Drift stared back at Primus in puzzlement.
"Why, my power, of course… the power… to create universes!" Primus whispered emphatically, his hands sweeping up and his optics lighting up with a zeal and enthusiasm that was as compelling as it was mystifying. Then he moved away from the counter and disappeared into the murky blackness of the space behind the bar.
"Hey, where'd – where'd he go?" Whirl said after a moment, getting up to peer beyond the counter.
Drift was wary of the bartender's sudden disappearance, but then he shrugged it off. "Eh, he's just a delusional old mech, nothing more. Can't wait to get out of here."
"So… you don't think he's, you know?" Whirl asked in a lowered his voice, so that the Decepticons wouldn't hear him; he couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious, particularly as a permeating quietness settled across the room.
"What – Primus?" Drift completed for him, and made a sardonic face. "Nah! He sure was entertaining, though – I'll give him that." The two of them laughed, releasing built up tensions, while the two other Autobots seated beside them joined them in their merriment.
Thundercracker picked up on their sentiments, but gave them no recognition. Instead, he indicated to Skywarp and Starscream that he wanted them to move across to the Decepticon-themed section of the station. "Come on… let's go." As he stood up and began to walk past the Autobots, they gave him curious glances, but he ignored them.
The three seekers settled into their seats in the lounge area. Their faction symbol, prominently displayed upon the wall behind them, made them feel more comfortable. Thundercracker stared into the empty space behind the bar, and after a while it became evident to his friends that he was deep in thought.
"Hey… you okay?" Skywarp asked him, his voice partly drowned out by the violent magnetic storm that continued to bombard the exterior of the building.
"Huh?" Thundercracker's attention was drawn from his current train of thoughts. He was about to dismiss what had been on his mind, but then thought better of it; if he couldn't confide in his best friends, then he couldn't confide in anyone – not even in Primus. "Just… this whole thing with Primus – it's got me thinking." He spoke in a lowered voice, despite the fact that they were now far enough away from the group of Autobots that they could easily converse in private.
Skywarp offered him an easy smile. "You think he's for real?"
Thundercracker shrugged. "I know it's crazy, but…" Trailing off, he was troubled by his own doubts. He turned to Starscream. "What do you think?"
"I think… I think it's possible." It wasn't an easy question to answer by any means, even for the Decepticon Air Commander. "At the very least."
As the Autobots continued to talk amongst themselves in the opposite side of the room, the three Decepticons sat together in silence to ponder their own thoughts and feelings about the mech who had identified himself with their legendary Creator, until Skywarp interrupted their introspection. "Well… I think he's real," he declared.
His two wing mates glanced at him curiously, though neither of them disapproved – if anything, his confession helped them to consider the possibility with less mental restraint.
"The others are probably wondering where we are by now," Starscream observed, changing the topic.
"Heh. I can just see the looks on all their faces when we try to explain to 'em that we encountered Primus at some bar," Thundercracker entertained, amused by the thought.
"Of course… they'll think we're joking," Starscream replied, stating the obvious.
"Maybe. Maybe not." Thundercracker cast his gaze down at the box full of Cybertonium on the table in front of them, and in his mind's vision saw Shockwave's futile attempt at offering a plausible explanation, or Megatron's bewildered expression as he listened to the seekers' incredible story.
Though their incredible story was not yet over. As the three of them sat in the lounge, contemplating the strange events of their evening, the front door of the Last Stop Station burst open and three mechs stumbled through. One of them fumbled to close the door just before they all collapsed to the floor, cycling air heavily in an effort to recover from their ordeal, and to regain their strength. Drift and the other three Autobots rushed to their aid, helping them sit up and calling out for the bartender's assistance, while Octane stood by and watched from a safe distance, amused by the whole scene.
"Welcome to the Last Stop Station," the triple changer told the newcomers with obvious cynicism. "Where's Primus when you need him, eh?" The three newcomers ignored him, oblivious to the meaning of his quip.
"Storm's pretty bad out there," Drift told the mechs. "You're lucky you found this place when you did."
The three mechs were all Autobots; two of them flyers. Two were already beginning to recover from the effects of the magnetic storm, but the third – one of the flyers – appeared to be offline.
"You sure can say that again," the heavy-set, non-flyer replied, shaking his head and rubbing his helm. He leaned across to examine his off-lined comrade for a brief moment, and then grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him in anger and desperation. "Dammit! Come on, Deftwing – wake up!"
Drift grabbed Deftwing by his legs, and looked up at the other flyer – a white jet. "Come on; let's get him to the lounge. We've got to try and get him back online before he sustains permanent damage."
Once they had Deftwing in a horizontal position, his comrades attempted to jolt start him awake, but after five straight minutes of trying, it began to dawn on them that they were getting nowhere.
"It's no use!" Drift shook his head, and then paced away from them in frustration. He glanced towards the seekers seated in the Decepticon-themed lounge area across the room, and couldn't help but feel angered – almost hurt – by the way the mech who had claimed to be Primus had entertained, even respected, these Decepticons. He had already lost a number of comrades because of the Wars, and it did not even remotely look like the conflict was coming to an end any time soon. If it was up to him, any Decepticon – including any mech who supported their cause – would have been banned from the Last Stop Station. But, alas, it was not up to him.
In fact, if it was up to him, all Decepticons would have been put to death a long time ago.
He turned his back to them, fighting the urge to suddenly unleash his deadly katana upon all four Decepticons before any of them would know what had hit them. He imagined that they'd be off-lined before they hit the ground.
But this was not the time, nor the place. Drift strode back towards the group of Autobots seated in the Autobot-themed lounge, and took a seat, folded his arms across his chest.
The three seekers had watched the whole drama unfold, but had not made any moves nor had they offered the Autobots any help.
Thundercracker noticed his friend observing one of the newcomers with interest, and ventured to ask. "Hey, Starscream… something the matter?"
Starscream kept his gaze focused straight ahead. "We used to know one of them," he said simply.
"We did?" Thundercracker examined the newcomers again from a distance, and then nodded in realization. "Oh, yeah… that's Skyfire. What's he doing here?"
Starscream shrugged. The Autobot in question had made no indication that he was even aware of them. "I presume he got caught up in the magnetic storm along with his two comrades."
Thundercracker laughed, and Starscream acknowledged him with a smile. Then the moment became quiet once more, before the blue and grey seeker spoke again. "Once an Autobot, always an Autobot."
"Ah. Yes," Starscream said simply. Then he glanced towards the bar, thought about calling out to Primus for another canister of triple refined high-grade, but decided against it. He was still in need of recharge, and the strangeness of the day's events thus far had not helped his condition. His gaze returned to the Autobot he'd known as Skyfire, who seemed to be struggling with the fact that his comrade, Deftwing, might not recover from the damage he'd sustained during the magnetic storm.
Then, as if sensing that he was being observed, Skyfire glanced over towards the seekers for the first time since he'd arrived at the station, and began to slowly walk towards them until he came to a stop in front of the three Decepticons. "Hello… Skywarp… Thundercracker… Starscream," he said, nodding at each of them in turn. "It's been a while." His expression appeared benevolent, yet he was nonetheless wary, and spoke reservedly.
Thundercracker nodded toward Deftwing in the far side of the room. "How's your friend doing?"
Skyfire turned to glance back over his shoulder, before slowly facing them again. He shrugged. "He probably won't make it." He looked around the Decepticon-themed area, until his gaze settled upon the faction symbol upon the wall. "Strange place. I didn't know there were any No War Zones still left on Cybertron."
"Neither did we," Skywarp offered.
Skyfire looked back at them, met Starscream's gaze. "You know… if we were anywhere else… I'd have no choice but to exercise our Prime directive and take you all into custody." Then, after an awkward moment of silence between them, he turned and walked away.
Angered, Thundercracker rose from his seat, fists clenched, ready to stand his ground and challenge the Autobot's authority. "You can go shove your Prime directive–"
"Forget it, Thundercracker. He's not worth it." Starscream held him back with a hand on his arm.
Thundercracker hesitated, looking down at the Air Commander, and then sat back down again, sighing in resignation. "Yeah. I suppose you're right."
"Of course I am."
That made him smile. When he looked back out across the room, he noticed Octane approaching.
The triple changer took a seat beside them, leaned back and clasped his hands behind his head. Then he kicked his legs up and rested his feet on the table. "Sooo…" he said, looking at the three of them. "How're things back at headquarters?"
"Fine. Not that you give a flying scrap," Thundercracker replied.
Octane put on a hurt face. "Aw... now, that's no way to talk to a fellow Decepticon."
"Go away," Skywarp told him. "I don't remember us inviting you over here."
"I don't need an invitation to sit here, crank sucker."
"Watch your mouth, or I'll make you wash it out with acid," Thundercracker threatened, in defence of his friend.
Octane smirked, but decided not to push it. He knew the seeker meant what he said and was quite capable of carrying out his threat, should they successfully have him cornered. He motioned with a hand towards the wall. "This is a Decepticon designated area, isn't it? And I'm a Decepticon, so…"
"So, nothing. You're a Decepticon, in name only," Thundercracker clarified for him.
"What the slag's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that when you decided to turn your back on all of us and team up with Sixshot, you stopped being a Decepticon," Thundercracker said, pulling no punches.
"Hey – for your information, I never turned my back on anyone. I'm just trying to survive the Wars, just like everybody else," Octane defended.
"For your information, Octane, aligning yourself with a murderous, tyrannical control freak who, need we remind you, has attempted to usurp Megatron more times than we can count, does qualify you as a traitor," Starscream rebuked him, speaking up suddenly.
Octane looked at him in surprise, but then was determined to quickly dismiss the entire conversation. He wasn't in the mood to defend his honour. "Pfft… whatever." With that, Octane settled back against the head rest of his seat and dimmed his optics.
Several minutes later, Skywarp sat up straight as he looked ahead. "Hey, look – it's Primus."
His trine mates followed his gaze and, sure enough, there he was; the bartender had reappeared to serve the Autobots, holding a tray of drinks that he carefully placed upon their table. A lively conversation developed between Drift, Primus, and the heavy-set Autobot, whose name they did not know. Though they could not make out what was being said, it looked like Drift was angry, almost hostile, but Primus did not appear threatened by him at all, nor did he appear to pay much heed to the off-lined Autobot.
Then Primus walked around the counter and began to put together another tray. Once he was done, he approached the Decepticons, smiling broadly as he placed the tray on the table in front of them. He picked up a canister and offered it to Starscream, who took it. After he'd handed Thundercracker and Skywarp their canisters, Primus took a seat opposite them. One more canister still sat on the tray, unclaimed. "Ah… leave him be... he has much heaviness in his heart, you know," Primus said empathically as he glanced over at Octane, who was now in a state of semi-recharge.
"How do you know–" Thundercracker began, but then stopped and shook his head. "Ah, never mind." He had to remind himself that it was Primus he was talking to.
Yes; Primus.
"What's going to happen to him?" Skywarp asked, as he took a sip of his drink. "Uh… the Autobot, I mean. Not Octane." He gestured towards the off-lined mech lying in the Autobot's lounge in the far side of the room.
Primus answered him happily. "Oh… they need not be so concerned for their friend. He is in auto-repair, and will awaken in precisely one hundred ninety six point seven two astro-seconds, hm?"
Thundercracker began an internal countdown. "No scrap."
"I tried to tell them, but… well, you know how it is," Primus explained. "Some mechs… they simply refuse to listen."
"Can't you just make 'em listen?" Skywarp said, intrigued by Primus. "I mean, since you're all-powerful."
Primus gave him a warm smile. "Ah… indeed I am. But… I much prefer to allow all my children the chance to learn and decide for themselves."
"Freedom of choice, right?" Thundercracker reiterated.
"Exactly!" Primus replied emphatically, and chuckled.
"I have a question," Starscream said, as his red optics met those of his Creator.
"Go ahead, my dear Starscream. Remember; I am here to serve."
"You said earlier that we have the power to create universes. What did you mean by that?"
"Ah!" Primus smiled and nodded approvingly. "That is a most excellent question, indeed." Then he paused, taking his time to reply. "Do you know what I see when I look into your optics, my dear Starscream? Hm?" Primus' stare was mesmerizing, and Starscream had to force himself to answer, but before he could think of his response, Primus turned to Thundercracker. "Or you, my dear Thundercracker?" Turned to face Skywarp. "Or… you, my dear Skywarp? Hm?" The three of them looked back at him, and could not help but be captivated by his very presence, hypnotized by his very words. "Let me tell you what I see," he continued. "I see the very spark of Primus in each and every one of you!"
"The… spark of Primus… is in us?" Thundercracker repeated, confused.
"Yes, yes, indeed!" Primus smiled, laughed jovially. "When I look into your optics, I see myself reflected back to me, and believe me… it is a most joyous thing for me to behold!"
"So… you mean…" Starscream faltered, though he was sincerely trying to comprehend what Primus was telling them.
Primus gazed back at him with an infectious zeal, and a fervour that was unmatched by any mech. "I created each one of you in my own image. Listen: you are each like a seed… of my very being. You begin your lives ignorant of your own nature, of your own unique, wonderful potential… however, all that you need to realize and express your truest power and abilities already exists inside of you. But… you must first make the choice. You must desire it, from the very depth of your spark… and, then, you must trust the process, allow it to unfold and to guide you."
"So... what you're saying is… that each of us has the potential to become just as… knowledgeable, just as powerful, as you?" Starscream said. It was a novel concept; one that he'd never seriously entertained before.
"Yes!" Primus smiled reassuringly. "Oh, yes indeed. You see, I exist complete, in all things, both seen and unseen… and that includes all my creations. It cannot be any other way."
"Wow…" Thundercracker looked down into his canister. He realized that he was being given a rare insight – a revelation – into the inner workings of the universe and of his own existence, and was momentarily speechless. No one but Primus could possibly impart this kind of knowledge or wisdom.
Primus continued speaking. "There are an infinite number of universes – and each one offers its own unique experience – yet they are all connected. They all share my substance. Indeed, it is my nature to continually expand and to grow and to create new universes… yet, I do not wish to do so alone. That is why I created individual sparks."
The three of them pondered his words for a moment, deep in thought, until Skywarp asked the next question. "What if an individual spark decides to use all his power for evil, instead of for creating good?"
Primus nodded in acknowledgment, and smiled, placed a reassuring hand on Skywarp's arm. "Such a scenario, my dear friend, occurs more often than I would like. Indeed, such sparks choose not to follow the highest path that I have set out for them... often through their own ignorance."
"But… what happens to them?"
"Oh… they are free to play whatever role that they have chosen for themselves… for a time… until their true nature eventually catches up with them, and they see themselves for who they truly are. Indeed, they shall receive their just rewards… and then they will be able to unite with me once more. While it may take a little longer for some sparks to return to me than others… in the end, return they must… and return they shall." Primus paused, considered the three of them in quiet reverence. "For, you see… for want of a better term, that which you understand to be evil, by its very nature contains the seed of its own undoing, and… whilst it may have expression, for a time… it cannot last. It must surely destroy itself... for all that I am, is good, and I cannot sustain that which is not good for very long."
"That's… pretty amazing," Skywarp said after a pause. He spoke for all three of them; indeed, what more could be said? What they had just learned from Primus himself truly was amazing. Several moments of silence followed, as the three of them absorbed his teachings in quiet reflection.
"So… why us?" Starscream said, indicating the three of them. "Why… why did you bring us here? It could not have been a coincidence. Surely, you had a good reason?"
"Ah… a reason? Yes. Good? Always. Indeed, there truly are no coincidences." Primus' expression seemed to turn sombre, though it was only for a brief moment. He leaned closer to the three of them, as if he were about to divulge to them some very deep, very sacred knowledge. "There is a good reason that the three of you are here." He paused, looked into each of their optics in turn, smiling warmly. "I brought you three here… because there is something important that I want to tell you."
Starscream glanced at his two wing mates, and then at Octane, who appeared to be blissfully unaware. Then across at the Autobots gathered together in their lounge area, watching as they shouted in surprise and amazement as the Autobot who had been off-lined began to slowly sit up, confused yet surely alive.
"Heh… right on time, too," Thundercracker said, as he and Skywarp noted the ensuing celebrations and words of gratitude and encouragement the Autobot received from his comrades. His internal countdown clock indicated that the precise number of astro-seconds had passed since he'd activated it, just as Primus had indicated.
"You did that, didn't you? You… you brought him back," Skywarp said, connecting the dots.
Primus smiled at him and nodded, his optics twinkling with the unspoken answer.
"So, what is it that you wanted to tell us?" Starscream said, refocusing his attention back to the topic at hand.
Primus clasped his hands together, making sure that he had their full attention before continuing. "There shall come a time… in the distant future… when the Decepticons shall be called upon to lead the way towards peace. However… the task will require all of your strength and all of your resolve to complete, for it shall be during a time of great turmoil, where much sorrow and conflict will have befallen our universe… and where confusion, trickery and deceit will be the order of the day. For many will have forgotten the lessons of their past… and will have all but laid aside the principles that I have taught you today… and so, because of this, they shall be doomed to repeat their mistakes, and as a result shall suffer needlessly for many vorns yet to come, if I do not intervene." He paused, watching the three of them intently, making sure that they had sufficient time to absorb and process the information before they were ready to hear more. "There will come a time… when your kind shall encounter an alien race from a blue world… a planet unlike any you will ever encounter. Its inhabitants will reach out to you for help… and you must acknowledge their request, for I will have sent them to you. If you choose to ignore them… or my advice… then peace cannot come… not for their world, nor for yours… and the destruction of both shall become imminent."
Primus' words instilled in each of them a sense of purpose and responsibility that they dared not take lightly; there was a solemnity and gravity in his message that shook them to their core. It was a message that all three would carry with them for a long time to come.
"Why us?" Thundercracker finally managed to ask, repeating his wing commander's sentiments. "Why… us?"
"Because… only your kind, and your kind alone… will be prepared to do what is necessary."
"What… kind of things… will we be prepared to do… exactly?" Starscream ventured to ask.
Primus' expression became almost sorrowful, his usual cheerfulness temporarily absent. "You will be called upon to say and do certain things… to carry out certain directives in a way that will only make sense to a select few. It will all be a part of my Plan; however, in playing your part, you will encounter much adversity. You will have to endure much injustice spoken against you. Many will declare you criminals, deceivers, and thieves… and your name… the truths and values that you hold so dear… will be tarnished by never ending lies and fabrications that will be concocted to disarm you. You will suffer much vilification and be much maligned for my purpose… and will become something to hate, and to fear, throughout the universe."
The three of them remained absolutely still as they listened to his words. And in the silence, they thought that Primus could read their very minds and hearts. "Why…" Thundercracker began, but couldn't find the right words. He was confused, and disheartened, and his two wing mates felt much the same way.
"Well, the Autobots already hate us, so…" Skywarp offered, and shrugged.
"And it will only get worse, before it gets better," Primus replied. "But you must prevail against all adversity. And prevail you shall, and vindicated you shall be, and emerge victorious, for the good of all." His smile returned once more. "I am so very, very proud of you all. Please, do not ever forget that, and do not ever lose sight of the truth of who you all truly are. For you are all loved deeply, and cherished, and you must always know that I am with you, always."
Skywarp's red optics settled upon his friends' faces, and he thought he could hear their thoughts, see what they saw, feel what they felt. He turned back to look upon Primus. "What about the Autobots?"
Primus smiled warmly, his bright yellow optics emanating warmth and filled with unending empathy. "What about them, my dear Skywarp? They, too, shall be called upon to play their part… and play their part they shall."
"So, they'll still be around…" Skywarp deduced.
Primus laughed heartily, and Skywarp couldn't help but smile as he, too, saw the humour in it. "Oh, yes… the Autobots will surely still be around."
"So… let me get this right. What you're saying… is that these blue planet beings… they're going to seek our help, and not the Autobots'?" Thundercracker said.
"Hm. Yes… and no." Primus glanced down at the three empty canisters on the table in front of him. "Now, before I continue – please, who would like another, hm? Thundercracker, how about some more of that natural energon?"
Thundercracker smiled and shook his head. "While that's a very tempting offer… I'm going to get over-energized if I have any more of that stuff."
Primus chuckled warmly. "Nonsense! It is impossible for you to become over-energized in my presence. Please, all of you, enjoy!" And with a simple sweep of his hand, all three empty canisters were instantly refilled, each with their individual preferences of highly prized fuel.
Starscream pointed at the canisters, his optics widened. "Hey, did you–" He looked at Thundercracker and then Skywarp, who were just as captivated by Primus' miraculous demonstration as he was. "How did he–"
Thundercracker shook his head, picked up his filled canister. "No fraggin' way."
"Why didn't you do something like that before?" Starscream said to Primus, finding his voice again. "You could've easily put Drift and the others in their place."
"Ah… perhaps, but remember; a mech will only ever see what he is ready to see," Primus explained patiently.
"Heh. True," Thundercracker replied, and swished the energon around in his canister before taking a swig. "So, uh… where were we?"
Primus picked up from where he'd left off. "Now, as I said before, there shall come a time when your assistance shall be sought by a small group of individuals from another world… a world that will have been overcome by much evil… though many of its inhabitants shall be unaware of the extent that the evil has taken hold. Largely because of their ignorance, and their unwillingness to recognize me in themselves and in all things… the majority will allow their species to suffer, and will permit greed and corruption to flourish upon their world. Only a small remnant will remain who will be aware of the fate that shall befall their planet if something is not done to stop it."
"So… it's this remnant… they're the ones who will seek our help?" Starscream reasoned.
Primus nodded affirmatively. "Yes."
"What about the rest of the inhabitants? What will they do?" Thundercracker asked.
Primus looked to him, yellow optics meeting red. "They will find consolation in the company of the Autobots."
The prophecy seemed to become more intriguing yet more difficult to grasp the more Primus revealed of it, and it almost didn't make sense. "But if they have the Autobots to look after them… why would any of them seek our help?" Skywarp asked.
Primus smiled at him; it was a kind, empathetic smile. "Because… my dear Skywarp… just like the majority of the inhabitants, the Autobots will be unwilling… or unable… to acknowledge the extent to which the evil exists. It is only the remnant who will be able to recognize things for the way they truly are. They will learn your true intentions – intentions from which the Decepticon cause was born – and, in doing so, will seek your assistance. They will see themselves in you, and shall consider you their kin."
Thundercracker cleared his vocal processor, leaned forwards and clasped his hands beneath his forehead, as if in a position of prayer, gathering his thoughts. "Okay, so, then… how will we know it's them? And how are we supposed to help them?"
Primus smiled once again. "If you listen to my words, and do not stray from the path that I have set out for you, all will be revealed to you and you shall know what to do… when the time comes. Do not doubt… and do not listen to those who would try to bring you down."
The magnetic storm outside seemed to have abated, and a surreal stillness settled inside the entire room and all about them.
"Does… does Megatron know about this?" Thundercracker asked, breaking the stillness.
Octane stirred, and slowly began to shift his position, sitting up and looking around him. "Hey, is the storm over yet?" he asked the group of four mechs seated near him.
"No." Primus met Octane's gaze as he answered, but then turned to Thundercracker and smiled. "Though he will, soon enough," he said in a low voice, away from Octane's immediate attention.
Octane noticed the filled canister on the table, reached out to grab it. He hesitated. "Thanks?" he said to Primus, before guzzling it down.
"You're most welcome, my dear Octane," Primus replied, and received an uncomfortable yet curious glance from the triple changer, who continued to drink the contents of his canister until it was empty.
Then Octane slammed the canister down on the table in satisfaction. "Whatever that was… I've got to admit, you sure know how to serve one hell of a drink, Primus. Mind if I ask where you sourced it from?"
Primus chuckled gleefully, though Octane missed the humour. "All things come from me."
"Right…" Octane said, and looked at him with a wary optic. "So, you still think you're Primus, huh?"
"Oh… Indeed I am," Primus replied with a smile. Nothing seemed to faze him.
"He really is Primus," Skywarp said, with all the sincerity in the world.
Starscream nodded affirmatively, while Thundercracker gave Octane a wry look; "true story," he said.
Octane couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You four are having me on… or are officially insane." When he got no further response, his expression turned sober as he waited for the punch line. None came. He stared at Primus. "You guys are serious…" Still no response. "Okay. If you're Primus… then you should know everything about me, right?"
"Of course," Primus answered him. "Even better than you know yourself."
"Oh, here we go. This should be good," Thundercracker said, smiling and folding his arms across his chest.
"Oh, yeah?" Octane leaned forward in his seat, swung his feet off the table. "Then what was I doing, exactly one week ago from now?"
"Ah… that is almost too easy, my dear friend. Precisely one week ago from this very moment, you were pondering what it might be like to allow the Autobot femmes to take refuge within your large aircraft alternate mode." Primus smiled, and Octane's complexion seemed to turn one shade darker.
Skywarp ejected a mouthful of his drink in reaction to Primus' answer, spilling the liquid on the floor. Thundercracker chuckled in amusement at the thought. "There's no surprise there," he said.
Starscream smiled, enjoying the triple changer's uneasiness. "Careful what you wish for, Octane."
Octane attempted to throw doubt upon the situation. "That's bull scrap. Anyway, there's no way he can prove it."
"That's not the point. You've got to prove it to yourself," Thundercracker corrected him.
Octane rubbed his nose in thought. "Okay. Primus… let's see if you can answer me this. Where were you when I needed you most?" The question was heavily laden; his voice had changed in tone, burdened by some unexpressed anger. It had caught the three seekers off guard; they had not expected him to confront Primus is such a manner, nor had they any idea of his true motives in doing so.
"I never left you, Octane," Primus responded without skipping a beat. "I have always been there for you, and always will be."
Octane's expression turned dour. "Don't give me that scrap," he whispered in a strained voice. "If you really are Primus, then you have a lot to answer for, let me make that damned clear."
"Hey, how about showing a little respect for our Creator, huh?" Thundercracker intervened, irritated with the triple changer's hostile attitude, but Primus held up a hand.
"It is quite alright, my dear Thundercracker. I know what is in his heart." Primus faced Octane without any regrets, looked upon him with unreserved kindness and compassion. "My dear Octane, you are mistaken. I wish for you to know the truth, so that it may help set you free. I was with you, when Sixshot failed to keep his promise to you. I was with you when you witnessed him terrorize that village. And I was with you… when you stood by and watched as he took from those villagers all they had before he killed many of them, and burned their homes to the ground. And you… have carried that burden ever since. But it was not yours to carry, though you blamed yourself for his actions."
Octane shook his head as he looked down at the floor, trying not to let his emotional turmoil show, though it was to no avail. "No… it was my fault. I let him do it… don't you get it? I let him get away with it. I didn't try to stop him!"
Moments of silence passed by, as Primus allowed Octane to recompose himself. "Why did you not try to stop him, hm?"
"Because… I was afraid. I was afraid of him and what he would do to me," Octane confessed. He didn't seem to care any more what the other Decepticons might think of him.
Primus smiled at him. "You did not try to stop him… because you listened to my voice." Octane looked back up at him, puzzlement evident upon his face. "Oh, yes, that's right, Octane. I was right there with you, guiding you, helping you… even if you did not know that it was me. But it was me. Do you remember… that small voice inside of you that whispered to you, told you not to confront him? Told you to run the other way, and to take as many villagers with you as you could? Hm?" Octane slowly nodded, and he continued. "You helped save many lives that day. I took your fear and I guided you to help save those people. And let me tell you something else. Had you not run when you did, had you stood your ground and confronted Sixshot… do you know what would have happened? Hm?" Octane shrugged, and then shook his head. "Well, then let me tell you. Sixshot would have slain them all – every single villager would have died by his hand. Not a single one of them would have survived. Not even you."
Octane remained motionless, as he relived the events of a time and place that still haunted him – events that had set him upon a slow path to self destruction. He had been unable to forgive himself.
Primus reached across and touched his hand, and he did not pull away. "You needn't hold on to your guilt any longer. It will do you no good. Let it go," Primus told him quietly. Then he slowly, gently retracted his hand and stood up.
"Wait – where are you going?" Skywarp asked him.
"The Autobots will be in need of my assistance very soon. However, I shall return shortly." With that, Primus made his way back toward the bar and, no sooner had he done so, than the Autobot who had been off-lined shouted out to him from across the room.
The four Decepticons sat together in silence for several minutes, watching as Primus interacted with the Autobots. They watched as Primus collected their empty canisters, returned behind the bar to refill them, and then walked back towards the Autobots with another tray of drinks.
Thundercracker shifted his attention to Octane, studied him carefully. The triple changer seemed to have sufficiently recovered from his weakened emotional state, and was now enjoying his drink. "So… do you mind sharing with us what that was all about?" He wasn't sure how Octane would respond, but decided to ask him anyway.
To his surprise, the triple changer did not attempt to push him away or shut him out. Instead, he slowly cycled in air, centering himself before speaking. "The truth is… I teamed up with Sixshot because… I wanted to accomplish something… something greater than just fighting in some never-ending war with the Autobots. I was tired of it. I wanted to explore the universe, you know? Conquer worlds. Be somebody." He paused, seemed lost in his memories. "Sixshot was my answer. He told me he'd show me things… said that we'd make an invincible team together. He was a conqueror – afraid of nothing, and nobody. I guess I respected that. One day, we were exploring the Omega Centauri cluster and we were in need of some fuel… we happened to pass by some out-of-the-way planetoid. When we landed on it, we discovered that it was populated by some organic beings. We stayed there a little while… I got to know some of the inhabitants; they even started to trust me. Then… they offered to help me, so they showed me to an abundant source of fuel, found naturally on their world. But, then… Sixshot found out… and he… he wanted to kill them all." Octane looked up at the three seekers, who had been listening intently to his story. "And, well, you know the rest."
"So… Sixshot conquered that little planetoid," Starscream summarised, leaning back in his seat a little more and looking up at the ceiling, "so that he could claim its resources all for himself."
Octane nodded ruefully. "Yeah. He'd told me that he wouldn't harm the villagers… and I believed him. Huh - stupid!" He knocked back the rest of his drink and placed the empty container down hard on the table. Then he stood up. "Eh, I could do with another refill," he said, and headed towards the bar.
"I never liked him, anyway," Skywarp said, as he watched Octane walk away.
"Who, Octane?" his friend Thundercracker queried.
"Sixshot."
There was sudden commotion coming from the Autobot-themed side of the room as Octane's presence triggered one of the Autobots to react defensively. As the three seekers watched the unfolding drama, it soon became apparent to them that it involved the heavy-set Autobot.
A brawl broke out, as the Autobot threw the first punch, sending Octane sliding across the counter-top, causing a handful of canisters to fly off the counter and spill their contents all over the floor. Octane quickly picked himself up and charged forwards, tackling the Autobot and sending him crashing backwards into one of the lounge seats.
Thundercracker stood up and motioned for his two wing mates to move closer to the action. He knew that Octane could easily take care of himself – there were few Autobots who could match him in a fistfight – even still, the Autobot who had just challenged him was large and well built, not to mention well armed. "Looks like someone's decided to break the rules," he said to them.
Starscream glanced briefly at the two opponents beating into one another across the room, but then returned to his resting position, waving for the two other seekers to go ahead without him. "Tell me about it later."
Skywarp followed Thundercracker until the two of them stood beside Primus in the Autobot-themed side of the bar. The three of them watched as the Autobots all cheered on his comrade, who was unrelenting in his attack as he slammed fist after fist into Octane's visage, though the Decepticon took it all in stride, giving back just as easily as he received. Neither Skywarp nor Thundercracker made any attempt to intervene.
"You going to stop them?" Thundercracker asked Primus, more in curiosity than from any amount of concern for Octane.
Primus turned to him, chuckling genially. "Oh, no," he said. He continued to watch the fight for another minute. "Both of them needed a good punch up to clear their processors. Believe me, it will do them good, don't you worry."
"Don't worry; I believe you," Thundercracker said.
Both opponents put up a good fight, but it was Octane who eventually emerged the winner. He had the Autobot pinned down flat on his back, struggling against the Decepticon's weight. They were both heavily cycling air.
"Get off me… you piece of slag!" the Autobot managed, grimacing.
"No fragging way," Octane told him. "Not until you admit you're wrong."
Primus stepped towards them and placed his hands on his hips, looking down at them both. "Please, get up from the floor, the both of you. You've had your fun." Octane hesitated for a moment, but then released the Autobot with a shove and stood up.
At the same time, the Autobot was offered a hand up by his friends, but he roughly pushed them away. Then he pointed an accusatory finger at Octane as he held his other hand against a cut lip. He looked badly beaten. "Decepticons are not allowed in this area!" he declared scathingly.
"Mmm…hm." Primus crossed his arms and made a show of looking around the room for any evidence of the stated rule.
"Especially not one as immoral as him!" the Autobot added, to help justify his position.
"Ah… if you'll excuse me for saying so, Ironfist… but, you do realize that this place is strictly a No War Zone… do you not?" Primus explained to him calmly. A look of confusion overcame Ironfist's face. "No? Ah." Primus pointed towards the front door. "There is a clear sign just above the door outside… you must have missed it. There exists no division in here."
Ironfist clenched his fist as he saw Octane smiling at him derisively. "No division, huh?" He spat out some energon from his cut lip. "What are you talking about, old mech?" He swept an arm around at the two separately themed areas of the station. "Then, why the hell is this place clearly divided?"
"The division exists only in your mind," Primus answered him. "Your perception is indeed more powerful than you know."
Ironfist couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Do you take me for a fool? Look." He pointed towards the Autobot symbol on the wall behind him. "This is the Autobot's side of the bar. No Decepticons allowed." Then he indicated towards the Decepticons' bar and lounge. "And that… that over there is obviously their side. See? It's real simple," he said, exaggerating his words in a condescending fashion. "It's not my perception – it's just the way it is."
"Is that so? You see, I designed the space not to cause division, but to hold the balance of power," Primus returned.
"Balance of power? Look, I didn't come here to tell you how to run your bar, but if you're one of those pacifists or non-affiliated nut-jobs, I really don't want to hear it, okay?" Ironfist said, beginning to get irritated with the bartender.
Primus nodded as if he were weighing up the Autobot's words. "Well, then, my dear Ironfist, if you have declared it as such, then it must be so."
Not quite getting the message in Primus' statement, Ironfist pushed his way past the other Autobots and took a seat at the counter. "I could do with a refuel."
Primus made his way around the counter and began to fill up a canister. When he was finished, he placed it in front of Ironfist. "Here we are – your absolute favourite, hm?"
Ironfist took a gulp of his drink, before putting it down again in surprise and confusion. "This is… this has got to be at least five thousand vorns old… where'd you get this stuff?"
"Oh… let's just say I have a rather large collection of vintage fuels and oils," Primus replied, chuckling, "including your absolute favourite."
The Autobot stared down at his canister, and then looked back up at Primus. "Wait… how did you know? This used to be my favourite drop, before it became scarce."
Primus leaned closer to him. "May I offer you a timely piece of advice?"
Ironfist gave him a cynical look. "From you? I don't think so."
Primus nodded in acknowledgment, and straightened. "Very well. I am here to serve."
Ironfist shook his head disparagingly, and then looked around the station. "What the hell is this place, anyway? It doesn't exist on any map that I know of."
"This is the Last Stop Station," Primus answered, smiling.
"The Last Stop Station…" Ironfist repeated, frowning. "Why is it called that? And who the hell are you?"
"Because, my dear Ironfist, it is the last place on Cybertron where you might find true fulfilment. And, I am Primus." With that, Primus moved away to serve his other customers, leaving Ironfist in a state of bewilderment.
When Primus returned to the Decepticon-themed lounge, Starscream was in semi-recharge.
"Hey, you awake?" Thundercracker said, nudging him.
The Air Commander sat up slowly and looked around. "What happened? Is Primus still here?"
"Oh, I am always with you, my dear Starscream," Primus said, smiling and taking a seat opposite him.
"Ah. That's good to know," Starscream replied, though the humour had not been lost on him. "So… how much longer before the storm passes?"
"Oh, not long now, my dear friends, not long at all. The storm is almost over," Primus informed the three of them.
"Two hours sure went by real quick," Skywarp observed.
Thundercracker reclined in his seat beside Starscream. "I guess we should thank you, Primus… for everything. Can't wait to get back to base, though. I'm spent." His two wing mates nodded their agreement.
Primus smiled. "Truly, there is no need to thank me. I am here to serve you, always."
"So… will we get to see you again?" Skywarp asked.
"Oh… we shall meet again, of that I can assure you, my dear Skywarp, though you may not recognize me as I appear to you now." Then he leaned forward across the table. "Remember, I am always with you… even when you do not see me. That is the most important thing of all." The noise from the storm outside seemed to have finally stopped, but Primus kept his focus on the three of them. "Now, before you leave, there is one more thing that I must tell you. Particularly you… Starscream."
Starscream's attention was fully upon Primus and what he had to say, and Primus continued, extending his hand to touch the seeker's. "I created each of you with a very special purpose... a very special purpose that must be revealed to each of you only when the time is right. But you, my dear Starscream… it is right that I reveal to you now the purpose that I have set out for you, so that, when the time comes, you will know what to do. Now, listen carefully to what I have to tell you."
Starscream looked down at Primus' hand, listening intently. Oddly enough, Primus' presence felt comforting to him, and familiar – like an old friend – though he'd never seen this mech before today. He remained still, allowed Primus to continue speaking.
"Just as the Autobots are able to connect directly to my wisdom through their Prime… so, too, is your kind able to do the same, but especially you. For you are all my children, and you are all equally loved."
The significance of Primus' words took Starscream by surprise, and he waited a few moments before speaking. "…How?"
"The ability is already within you, my dear Starscream. All you need do is fully recognize it. Should you ever seek my guidance, you need only to think of me, and you shall hear my answer."
Thundercracker met his friend's gaze and smiled. "See? I always told you you had it in you."
Starscream sat in silent contemplation. He wasn't quite sure how to handle this revelation, though he was eager to hear everything that Primus had to say.
Primus continued speaking. "But you must guard your ability against those who would seek to harm you and your kind. It is absolutely critical that you do so, for if you fail, you… and those dearest to you… shall be in great danger, and you shall become the target of much envy, and they will not stop… until you are all dead. Do you understand me?" The strength and seriousness in his voice, and the message he was conveying, impacted all three of them in a very profound way.
Finally, Starscream nodded. "Yes. I understand," he said.
"Good." Primus pulled his hand away and slowly sat back. "If you remember that I am with you always, no harm can come to you."
Primus stood up and made his way to the center of the station, so that all could hear him – both Autobots and Decepticons. "My dear friends… the storm has now passed, and it is safe for all of you to return home, with my blessing." Then he walked around the counter to the back of the bar, and was never seen again.