Maelstrom Chapter 38
Pilgrimage 2

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original Maelstrom Comics and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes!


Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!

Pilgrimage 2 - Part A

"I don't like the way that looks at all, do you?" First Aid asked.

Ratchet shook his translucent head. "No I don't," he muttered. "You sure you don't have any of the Ark's old records? A baseline scan would be really nice right now."

"The Ark took all the old records when it blew," First Aid said distractedly, looking over Optimus' neural patterns again.

"The Ark blew?" Ratchet asked.

First Aid stopped to look at him, and Optimus Prime tried to turn his head to do the same. Distractedly, First Aid took hold of Prime's chin and turned him back to face the right way.

"I forget sometimes that you have another history," First Aid said.

"We should catch him up First Aid," Optimus said.

"Yes we should but if you don't lie still I'm going to tie your head down Optimus! I don't want to start over again!" First Aid cried, exasperated. This test was long, tedious, and on its third attempt.

"Trypticon destroyed the Ark in 2006," First Aid explained.

"I see," Ratchet said sagely. "Who's Trypticon?"

"This is gonna take a while," Rodimus remarked from another exam table.

"You hush and lie still too," First Aid snapped. He was very out of patience with his patients. "Just go with we have no baseline data on either of them. I know it's stupid, but we don't. Optimus hasn't had a full scan in years, and Rodimus hasn't had HIS neural pathways mapped ever as far as I know."

Three pairs of Ratchet's new "arms" went wild - waving erratically in the air for a few seconds before stopping. No one said anything, but First Aid turned to look at his new partner again.

"Sorry," Ratchet said, embarrassed. "I can't always control that.... I just can't believe we have no baseline to compare with. I mean, Optimus I sort of understand. If there was no need for those tests in the last decade or so, I can see how you wouldn't have them since they're not part of the annuals, but Rodimus! After he was turned human and all...I would have done every test in the book!"

First Aid sighed and nodded. "I didn't have that book Ratchet," he regretted. "We just need to work around it. We have to go by what we have. Two Primes, two headaches, and two neural scans showing cascading faults in their cerebral synapses. Hold STILL Optimus! Not to mention erratic behavior!"

"I don't think we're behaving erratically," Rodimus observed.

"Oh no?" Ratchet asked. "You think smashing your fa...your partner into the wall is normal?"

"For us it is," Rodimus said. "We beat each other up. We tear each other down. He's mean to me. I lie to him. Status quo. Right Op? Since the beginning. I got him killed you know...more than once. He hates me. I resent him. It's not erratic. It's consistent."

To the two listening, the worst part of this statement was probably the tone with which Rodi said it.

He wasn't being vindictive or spiteful, bitter or nasty. In his altered state of mind, this was an appropriate and accurate commentary on the state of things.

Optimus covered his face with his hands.

"Put your hands down Prime," First Aid said gently.

Optimus shook his head.

"At least he's not trying to run out of the room this time," Ratchet sighed, watching First Aid gently pull Optimus' hands away from his optics. Optimus and Rodimus had both been saying uncomfortable things all afternoon and took turns upsetting each other, although neither seemed to mean anything by it.

Optimus put his hands down and to all appearances got kind of happy for a moment. The neural scanners couldn't read emotions, but they could track changes in thought pattern. It was like someone had flicked a switch and the readings were all different, as was his demeanor.

"Rodi?" he asked, somewhat cheerfully.

"Hmm?"

"What...what would you be doing if you weren't doing what your doing?" Optimus questioned.

"I dunno. Tracking down that slaver truck I guess. Can we go soon?" Rodimus asked, trying to sit up.

"Oh I don't think so," Ratchet said, pushing him back down with his handy new hands. It was nice having extra sets, he decided, needing four of them to hold the young Prime down. First Aid knew better than to actually restrain Rodimus but that didn't mean Ratchet wasn't sorely tempted.

"No silly," Optimus said, reaching over to bop Rodimus lightly on the arm over First Aid's protests to be still. "I mean with your whole life. If you weren't Prime...if everything was...finished... and you could quit and do whatever you want. What would you do?"

"That's easy. I'd find a nice place to raise the girls and spend my time with my mate and my children," Rodimus said wistfully. "Silly isn't it? Used to be all I wanted was a life of adventure and now that I have one all I want is to settle down with my family." His optics dimmed way down.

Optimus looked at him compassionately. "You think about it a lot don't you?"

"Yeah," Rodimus said. "I've missed so much already." His voice was odd.

"That's...a very good dream Rodi," Optimus said. "There's nothing wrong with wanting that."

"I'm glad you approve, but it's never gonna happen, and every moment I spend thinking about it is a waste of time I should be spending making everything....finished," Rodimus said sadly. "Why are you asking? What would you do?"

"That's the thing," Optimus said. "I don't know. I don't remember my dreams."

x
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x

Char:

Cyclonus was careful to keep his expression neutral as Galvatron stepped out of his suite behind the dias and took the throne. Evaluating the leader was an instinctive matter of survival on Char, and no one did it better than Cyclonus, but he was still surprised.

Galvatron's body language was different...relaxed. Smug. Well, he was often smug, but this time it seemed more immediate, as if the Con leader had something specific to be smug about rather than just be generally pleased to be... Galvatron.

There was something else too...the optics were focused. Steady. No sparks circled his head like an errant crown of diseased power. No random inappropriate expressions crossed his features. The look on his face was clear, cunning, and calculating. Cyclonus was amazed and a bit incredulous with himself. On the one hand he was always pleased to see something of Megatron on Galvatron's face. If using a young femme's body was what it took to encourage it, Cyclonus had no problem with that. Still, after all this time of trying to bring these traits out in his leader, he was finding them... disconcerting. Maybe it was because they were turned on him.

Retaining his usual demeanor of calm subservience grew a trillion times harder when Galvatron's private door opened and Adder slid out. Her thick, somewhat short snake form stood out against the dark walls of the throne room. She lifted her head, smelling the air suspiciously with her wide forked tongue, and then she explored the dias. Her metallic scales rasped slightly on the stairs as she made a full circuit around the throne. Cutting across the front, she actually ran her length over Galvatron's feet. He appeared not to notice. Finally, Adder wrapped herself around the base of the throne. She yawned, and for a moment it looked like her head would fold completely back on itself - revealing long fangs and ichor coated jaws.

Always one with an eye for detail, Cyclonus made somewhat panicked note of new pock-marks on the dias near where she was resting. Acid drips. Obviously Adder had been reposing there for a few days.

Cyclonus felt his somewhat overloaded mind having visions of Adder and Galvatron falling into Char's core and began making plans to replace the dias with something more acid-resistant. He was pleased though, that he managed not to change expression, even when he saw Galvatron was studying him as carefully as he usually studied Galvatron.

Ah. He was being tested. Pass or fail. Live or die.
That was fine.
That he could live with.

It was good he recognized the test when he did, or he might have jumped when one of Adder's live chew toys flew through the air from behind the dias as if tossed. Cyclonus was aware of each and every wriggling leg as the bug arced up from behind the throne towards Adder. She snapped it out of the air with a sickening crunch, and settled down immediately to work it between her jaws.

Viper stepped out from behind the throne. Unlike her sister, her muted colors almost blended into the throne itself. It was difficult to distinguish where her hand, laid casually on the backrest, started and the black metal of the throne began. She went around the throne to the right, sat her hip on the armrest, and leaned her sinuous body against Galvatron's.

She was beautiful with that powerful, deadly body and those vicious red optics. Cyclonus felt both drawn to her and resentful of her...with the resentment far exceeding the attraction. She was in his place, and she was smirking at him.

At the same time he was resigned. Galvatron's fears about his loyalty were unfounded. If Cyclonus was about to be killed, he accepted it. If he was about to be replaced...well...that was somehow harder to accept, but he would allow it if he had to...as long as Galvatron was secure on the throne. If his leader commanded he bow out to Viper, Cyclonus would do so, but he would watch. Protecting the Decepticon commander was always Cyclonus' first priority - even if it meant protecting Galvatron from himself.

"Where have you been Cyclonus?" Galvatron asked in a deadly whisper.

Lying right now was not an option, not that Cyclonus ever planned to. Look at those optics! he thought. It's like he's seeing right through me! In spite of his fear, some part of him was delighted.

"Cybertron," he said simply.

"Ah...yes. Cybertron," Galvatron said in a nostalgic tone. "Were you planning on running away from home Cyclonus? Thinking, perhaps, you might join Blitzwing amongst the Autobots?"

"Never, my Lord," Cyclonus said, bowing low. "I am your servant as always."

"You serve me by abandoning your post at my side? You see I had to find a substitute," Galvatron said mockingly.

"It was never my intention to be gone so long, Mighty One," Cyclonus said carefully, "and it is my Lord's prerogative to replace me whenever he sees fit."

"Why did you leave Char?" Galvatron asked, all trace of mockery gone. Time to report.

"My Lord, I feared we were not receiving truthful information for recent events on Cybertron, yet I also feared I was imagining things. It is unlike Optimus Prime to make false statements, so I chose to use my time off shift to seek answers."

"You saw fit to hide your activities?" Galvatron asked dangerously.

"I saw no reason to disturb My Lord with mere intuitions and speculations," Cyclonus said. "I intended to be back in time for my scheduled service but I was delayed."

"The Autobots found you?" Galvatron asked.

Cyclonus shook his head. "No my Lord, but nor did I succeed in my aims. I feel I was on to something, but the Autobots blew up the evidence. I was too close and got caught in the shockwave. I was unconscious for some time."

Viper smirked at this admission of weaknesses. Her hand was slithering around Galvatron's upper leg. Cyclonus noted the attempt to distract Galvatron, but also noted Galvatron's optics never wavered from his.

"What evidence?"

"There was a battle my Lord. A battle we never heard about. I was unable to collect definitive proof, but I suspect the Autobot commanders fought Vector Sigma...maybe even killed it."

"What?" Soundwave asked, not quite raising his vocalizer this time.

Galvatron merely arched an optic.

"What would make you say that Cyclonus? Optimus Prime is nothing if not a sniveling crony when it comes to our progenitor."

"Mighty One, as I said, the evidence is destroyed, but there was a great battle just outside of Vector Sigma's chambers. I suspect our enemies have lied to their followers about Vector Sigma leading them to the discovery of inter-Transformer breeding. They may have found it first, and Vector Sigma fought them to retain its power."

"What makes you think it was the commanders?" Galvatron demanded.

Cyclonus laid out the things he'd seen and worried. It sounded a lot thinner here on Char.

Viper justified his concerns.

"Paint scrapings? Tire marks? This is your evidence for an Autobot rebellion on Vector Sigma?" she scoffed. Her attitude was one of profound disdain, yet she took a moment to smirk at him.

"No..." Galvatron mused. "He is right. Of anyone on Cybertron, who else could fight such a battle and win? Cyclonus is well familiar with the tactics of our foes, and he is most observant. You should learn from him in this. Is there anything else?"

Cyclonus debated. "Yes, I learned what Rodimus Prime took from Viper," he said.

Viper flinched, her optics widened, and her oh-so casual rubbing of Galvatron's shoulders ceased.

Cyclonus fought to keep from gloating. He could say anything he wanted now...anything at all. Since she claimed not to remember she couldn't protest even if she really did. It would be so easy to bring her down, standing there on the dias with her body molded to Galvatron's side like an energon leech. Amnesia or not, if she had taken anything vital from Rodimus Prime and then hid it from her superiors....

Cyclonus met her wide, flaring optics and let the moment linger as a warning. You don't want ME as your enemy Girl...you skirt the edges of oblivion, leaning there. I know how to push you in.

Really...it was tempting. Even if it was something fairly trivial like an inventory or duty rosters, Galvatron would be furious. Enough to never trust her in the slightest. Maybe even enough to kill her.

And yet....

Cyclonus looked deep into Galvatron's optics and liked what he saw. Even if it made life more...interesting around here, Cyclonus liked what he saw.

"She took a trinket off his desk. Something personal to annoy him. Apparently he has been in a rage about it since she stole it," Cyclonus said. If anything, he had just made Viper's position stronger.

Galvatron stared hard at his second. A slow, sly smile spread over the Decepticon leader's face, unique to Cyclonus' experience. He longed to turn, to look over his shoulder and see what Soundwave made of it. Cyclonus had few clear memories of Megatron - just faint echoes from a former life, but he was fairly certain he had never seen this look before, ever.

When Galvatron spoke it wasn't to address his second however.

"Viper. You need to move. That's where Cyclonus stands."
x
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x

Cybertron:

"You didn't by the way," Optimus said. Right now both medics were working furiously to get the results they wanted, as both patients were acting somewhat morose, and were therefore relatively still.

"Didn't what?" Rodimus asked slowly. He hadn't said a word in nearly half an hour...since Optimus confessed not remembering his dreams.

"Get me killed," Optimus told him.

"You need to check his memory circuits Ratchet," Rodimus told the hologram.

"Shove the guilt-complex Rodi!" Optimus roared, jerking.

First Aid - who'd been as close as he'd come so far to completing his scan, hung his head between his arms for a minute and restarted.

"Maybe we should cut off their vocalizers...?" Ratchet mused.

First Aid shook his head, although he didn't want to say why. He had a feeling a lot of what was coming out at this very inconvenient moment, might never come out otherwise.

"It's interfering with scans! If they're quiet we might get to the bottom of it." Ratchet clearly believed most of this was physical in origin.

"I'm afraid some of this stuff IS the bottom of it, Ratchet!" First Aid whispered.

Oblivious, the two Primes glared at each other.

"I DID get you killed Optimus. I got in the way," Rodimus said matter-of-factly. "If I hadn't...."

"If you hadn't Megatron would have shot me anyway. I couldn't fire! I couldn't! Vector Sigma wanted me dead...you do realize that don't you? Vector Sigma told us I was starting to think about going on the offensive and it decided to get rid of me. That whole fight! So many of our people died...just to get rid of those most affected by living on Earth! Rodi it told us!"

"I...remember," Rodimus admitted very sluggishly.

Optimus half sat up. First Aid pushed him down.

"Rodi...when you decided to interfere...that was Sigma too. It TOLD us so! I was restrained and you were pushed! Remember? I knew you were Chosen...therefore it knew you were Chosen. That guilt is your first influence...and my decision to give the Matrix to Magnus didn't help! You have to get rid of it!"

Ratchet watched Rodimus' neural activity in fascination. The younger Prime was physically still, but his cranial circuits lit up all over the board. None of it was organized or focused though until right at the end. Then suddenly it was all about the memory centers.

"There's no implant," he finally said as though in confession.

"Rodi...I'm sure Hot Rod only needed a push...not a full blown implant," Optimus said sadly.

"I wanted to help you. I was trying to protect you," Rodimus whispered. His optics closed down and he sounded even younger than he was.

"I know..." Optimus answered.

Rodimus still didn't activate his optics.

"Optimus...forgive me," he murmured in Hot Rod's voice.

This time Optimus could answer him. "There's nothing you need to be forgiven for, but if it helps you...I do Rodi. For all of it. Can you...can you forgive me back? For not firing? For not acting? For sentencing you to this before you reached your first vorn?"

"It doesn't matter, but yes," Rodimus said, his optics flaring on again, "We need to heal these wounds. We need to become friends again and I'm worried. That takes time and it's time we don't have."

Ratchet shook his head and frowned. Rodi saw him, and quirked a smile. "What is it Ratchet?"

Ratchet shook his head.

Rodimus grinned. "Come on...Optimus and I can't seem to control what we say. Why should you?"

"It's not relevant. I'm just...shocked I guess. In my dimension it's just not like this. I realize I need to catch up on your history and Vector Sigma interfered, but in my dimension.... Let's just say I can't think of anything coming between Hot Rod and his father this way. Optimus is busy, and he gets frustrated with Hot Rod's... um... rambunctious behavior sometimes, but there's also pride and affection all around. Optimus makes time to talk to Hot Rod every day, if only for a few minutes, and if Hot Rod forgets to check in Optimus hunts him down to find out why."

Rodimus chuckled. Obviously it was his turn to get overly silly. "This is true. Phone calls every night at the Witwicky residence, if only for a tally of the property damage. It was so freakin' weird."

"Why do you say that?" Optimus said defensively. "Do you think if I had a child I wouldn't keep track of them?"

"No...I know you would. I just meant it was weird that it was me...sort of," Rodimus said. "The only time I ever spoke to you was to receive orders or when Magnus got fed up enough to send me to you for discipline. Not that there was anything wrong with that...it was just different."

"You're saying I ignored you," Optimus hissed.

"I'm saying you showed me exactly the amount of attention a busy commander would show a young soldier. You didn't ignore me, and you didn't show any favoritism. Why would you? I'm not complaining Optimus! It was just surreal listening to Hot Rod talk to his father. It's a totally different sort of relationship! It wouldn't have been appropriate for you to just pluck me from the herd and center on me like that. That would be like me...I dunno...deciding to adopt Slingshot and calling him every night just to see how his day went."

"Slingshot's older than you," Optimus pointed out.

"Ok...bad example. Cobalt then...or Anaconda....although maybe Ana could use it," Rodimus mused.

"Why did you say Slingshot then?" Optimus asked.

"Because I'm stupid!" Rodimus snapped.

"Now you say I'm calling you stupid?" Optimus snarled. His neural net was firing wildly, with random spikes showing up all over the board.

Rodimus took that as his signal to hide his face behind his hands. "By the Matrix what's wrong with us?" he asked no one in particular.

"If you would hold still, we might find out," Ratchet prodded with sweet venom, pulling Rodi's hands down.

"Did you like him better?" Optimus demanded.

"Who?" Rodi asked. "Slingshot?"

"NO! The other Optimus!" the elder Prime growled.

"I avoided him as much as possible. I let Hot Rod and Magnus deal with him whenever I could," Rodimus said.

"Because of me..."

"NO! ... Well...maybe a little," Rodimus confessed, "but mostly because I didn't think it was healthy for them to have me around."

"Explain yourself," Optimus ordered icily.

Rodimus sighed. "You know, if an older version of Edana or Alex showed up and said, 'Hi Dad, I'm not REALLY your daughter, but I'm an assassin in the middle of this hellish war in my own dimension and I'd really like some help getting back so I can probably get killed there,' I'm not sure I'd ya know... deal with it all that well."

Optimus laughed hysterically for a very long time...and Rodimus' brain finally settled down enough to let him get really, really scared.
x
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Char:

Cyclonus ascended the dias with a deep sense of satisfaction. Passed the test. On to the next one. He was also alert, wary, and careful to watch Viper's face. If she was angry at her displacement from Galvatron's right hand, she hid it perfectly, and merely used it as an excuse to run her hand lightly across the back of Galvatron's shoulders as she passed from right to left. The smile she threw at Cyclonus was seductive, but he sensed she was merely illuminating what he might have had.

Cyclonus' worries about her and his respect for her rose in tandem. This femme was extremely young, but she had mastered her emotions and was patient. This game between them would surely be...interesting...and he would have to make sure he never underestimated her.

He saw her smile widen as he walked up the steps. Ah...she was underestimating him.

Cyclonus set foot on the top tier and fought for his life.

Adder's strike was silent and instantaneous, but if Viper expected her sister to eliminate the competition she was to be disappointed. Cyclonus would not make the mistake of forgetting Adder ever again. As the snake struck, his hand lashed out and caught her by the neck just under the jaw.

He squeezed so hard her mouth gaped open, and he cocked his head at her.

Ignoring Viper's gasp of fear, and Galvatron's leer of satisfaction, Cyclonus addressed Adder directly - something nearly no one ever did.

"I hope for your sake you understand me Adder," Cyclonus rumbled calmly. "I will never say it to you again. Strike at me, ever, and I will kill you." He squeezed harder and watched dispassionately as her white scales grew greyish and dull. Viper was trembling with rage and fear, but she didn't dare move. Galvatron smiled lustfully, and took that moment to run his hand up her leg.

Cyclonus ignored them both. He stared into Adder's optics and watched them flicker once....twice....

He dropped the snake-femme contemptuously at his feet, as if daring her to bite him.

She didn't.

Adder slowly and painfully slithered back to her former position, ignoring him completely.

Cyclonus willed his fuel-pump to slow down and contained his surges. He hoped he would not be forced to teach that particular lesson every day, but he was resigned to do it. He was also becoming resigned to ignoring his own spiking energon levels.

Fear and violence.

Apparently Galvatron took inspiration from all that and took a seething Viper on the throne as well.

Cyclonus found a spot on the far wall to stare at while his commander made use of the femme.
x
x
x

Cybertron:

Rodi shut down his optics and wished he dared shut down his audios too.

Ratchet was running his scan again and Rodimus was determined to get through it no matter what Optimus said.

Don't answer...don't answer... he reminded himself again and again...along with the fact that he really did love, and really was worried about his partner.

On the table next to him, Optimus Prime cycled from anger to sorrow to laughter in an increasingly erratic loop - pulling random memories and emotions out of thin air to rant or chuckle or lament over.

"Maybe if I wasn't here..." Rodimus whispered to Ratchet.

"Blew...Ironhide's head off...I saw...the Mausoleum... . Why didn't you do that to me Megatron? Rodimus?! Why didn't you?!" Optimus roared. Then he chuckled. "Probably wouldn't matter...I don't need a head. Vector Sigma thinks for me."

"We need to compare your scans...and First Aid seems to think this is therapeutic. "Be still...I'm almost finished with yours. Maybe we can find out enough to help him."

"He's getting worse," Rodimus said. It was hard to lie there, not answering what he heard.

"Why didn't you kill me better?" Optimus asked, turning on him. "Why? You couldn't do that for me? If I was your father would you have done that for me? You damned sadist! You let the Quints use me! You should have left me there with Ironhide and Prowl!"

Rodimus' optics widened and flared with each new accusation. He shuddered and Ratchet used one of his limbs to clamp over Rodi's mouth. He whispered harshly into Rodi's audio. "He's delirious! Don't you dare feed into that!"

"But..." Rodimus started.

"But nothing....you had your moment too! You slammed him into the wall hard enough to split his armor! It may just be part of the process... your scans are looking better now." Ratchet said.

It was true. Rodimus' scans were looking more structured, while Optimus' were falling deeper into chaos. The young Prime had a few advantages over his partner. He was young and had less implants to start with. It had only been a few decades since his neural net had been tampered with...the normal routes his thoughts would have taken were atrophied, but they were still accessible, and they were re-setting themselves. Most of all though, he had a mind-linked mate as hard-headed as he was, and she locked his limbs for him every time he forgot to be still. Lancer also helped him keep his mouth shut when his own scrambled mind went AWOL and he started to respond to Optimus' ravings.

"Lancer's helping me," Rodimus confessed. She had waited, stubbornly, for him to ask for help, and he sensed with resignation there was trouble brewing there for him too. In the end though, he had been frightened by Optimus' delirium enough to reach for her. He knew she was dealing with Edana. He knew his daughter would feel a lot of his... illnesses or whatever this was... but he needed help and he had reached for his mate. Protecting his child...protecting his partner...he had to admit to himself he couldn't do it all, all the time.

"We can't lose him...not like this," Rodi whispered.

"His vital signs are optimal," First Aid told him. "It's just his mind that's malfunctioning."

"That's worse," Rodimus said. Optimus was now accusing Rodi of delighting in making everyone worry by getting sick when he and Lancer were separated.

"Has...has anyone gotten in touch with Elita?" Rodimus asked.

Ratchet and First Aid just looked at each other.

Continued in Pilgrimage 2 - Part B