Transformers Prime – New Cybertron

The second chapter of the New Cybertron story, it starts with a small time-skip (a week or so) after the last chapter ended.

At the time of writing, I have not seen any indication of how cybertronian ships go FTL or the effect it has on the crew, so I've taken the liberty of adding a small quirk to explain the lack of massive space-battles.

As always, any errors are mine, the intellectual properties belong to Hasbro/Taraka.

Chapter Two

Jack stumbled and almost fell, but a large hand blocked his fall. Grabbing onto it, he let it slowly lift him back to his feet, then he looked up into the concerned optics.

"Thanks, Arcee."

"You need to take it easier." Arcee said, her voice slightly scolding. "You know that it'll take you a while to adapt to your new limbs, even with the advanced tech Ratchett implanted in you."

"But the sooner I adapt, the sooner we can move on." Jack said, smiling up at her. "You know how stubborn I am, love."

"Very." sighed Arcee, rolling her optics in resigned exasperation. "Okay, but go a bit slower, huh?"

Jack opened his mouth to toss off a flippant reply, then paused as he saw the worry in her expression. Nodding, he gripped the support rail once again and took another step on his new, metal leg.

"It's a pity you missed the ceremony. Seeing Optimus place the first foundation-spike for the Fowler Hall and New Cybertron, it was moving."

"How's the moon-gate holding up?"

"Stable." Arcee said with a shrug. "Wheeljack was really full of himself for a while, then Soundwave punctured his ego with a single recording. Those two seem to be getting on very well."

"Heh." grunted Jack as he balanced himself and prepared for his next step. "They're both good with tech and both great fighters, they've got lots in common."

"Autobot and Decepticon working together." Arcee mused. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"Well, technically they... woah!" Arcee caught Jack before he could hit the ground and set him upright again. "Thanks. Technically they aren't 'cons or 'bots any more, just cybertronians."

"It'll take me a while to adjust." admitted Arcee, moving slightly to follow Jack as he took his next step. "With Megatron gone..."

"Yep." Jack said, a mixture of triumph and sadness on his face. "I know. It needed to be done, but..."

"I know." Arcee said softly, remembering the first few nights after Jack had killed Megatron, how he had woken up crying or screaming from his nightmares. "I know."

"Anyone here? I'd like you to meet someone."

Jack looked up at the red-and-gold 'bot standing by Elita-one's side. The newcomer returned his gaze, then turned slightly and let out a low whistle.

"Helloooo, gorgeous! I'm Hot Rod, the best pilot this side of Old Cybertron. May I invite you for a long drive? I've seen some lovely areas nearby..."

Arcee shook her head and picked up Jack as she walked forwards. Jack leaned against her shoulder as they approached their visitors and Arcee circled Hot Rod, looking at him measuringly.

"Well, you've got the servos, I'll admit, but I don't think you can match the bearings of my partner."

"Hey, I've got the biggest bearings..." Hot Rod began, only to be interrupted by Elita.

"Her partner's the one who took down Megatron."

Hot Rod let out a low hum, then looked at Arcee. "Your partner took down the big Meg? Wow, I gotta meet him. Hey, dump the organic and let's go find him so I can shake his servo... ow! What was that for?"

Elita shook her head as she delivered a second slap to the top of Hot Rod's helmet.

"You don't have processing-cycles for anything other than flying and driving, do you?" she asked in an aggravated tone. "Now shut up a moment. Jack, Arcee, this is Hot Rod, ace pilot and pain in the gears. Rod, this is Arcee of Team Prime and her partner, Jack Prime, the one who deactivated Megatron."

Hot Rod froze, staring at Jack with wide optics.

"You... You're the one who..."

"Hot Rod here went up against Megatron once." Elita said. "He was in the medical wards for... in your terms, almost a year. Almost went off-line four times."

"Yeah." Hot Rod said, nodding slowly, his optics unfocused. "I thought I could take him. I was young, brash..."

"Stupid."

"That too." Hot Rod agreed cheerfully. "But I got better."

Elita snorted and turned back to Jack and Arcee.

"Orion sent me. He'd be here himself, but with that worldwide summit going on, he couldn't make it. He wanted to ask for a favour from you."

"Whatever he wants." Jack stated and Arcee nodded in agreement. Elita laughed.

"Okay. Mind if we sit down? It'd probably be best if you weren't standing for this."

Arcee stared at Elita as Jack shook his head.

"Okay, let me summarise. Optimus has stripped all the weapons off the Nemesis and mounted them, and lots of armour, on the Ark. He wants me to join a human and cybertronian team and travel to Cybertron to collect Vector Sigma and bring it here."

"Well, he wants you to lead the team." Elita said. "He sent this, he said it's still synched to you."

Jack accepted the box and opened it. Nestled inside was a familiar crystalline shape. Hot Rod let out a long whistle.

"The Key!" he said quietly. "Wow, I thought that was a myth... wait. Still synched? You've used it before?"

"When I had to restore Optimus' memories after he sacrificed his Matrix of Leadership to destroy Unicron, yes." Jack said, picking up the key and turning it over in his hands. Hot Rod's eyes widened.

"Unicron? Great Primus... I thought he was a... what was he doing here?"

"Huh, well, turned out that he was Earth. Or Earth had formed around him, or... it's complicated. But he's gone, dispersed, off-lined or whatever. Optimus and Megatron had to team up to take him out. We almost lost Optimus, but after I went to Cybertron, we got him back."

Hot Rod blinked a few times, then turned to Arcee, who was leaning back with a wry smile on her face. "He's teasing me, isn't he? Isn't he? He isn't?"

Jack shrugged and looked up at Elita. "When do we go?"

"Oh, not for a while yet." Elita said. "Still plenty of time for you to get used to your new limbs. We're still reconfiguring the ship for a human flight crew."

Arcee leaned forwards. "Human flight crew?"

"Yep." Elita said. "Seems that human's aren't affected by translight like we are. No need to enter stasis before making the jump, and they can adjust course en-route rather than rely on autopilot."

Jack looked up at Arcee, who nodded. "She's right, although trained 'bots can handle jump-stress for up to five minutes before their processors de-cohere. Lets them jump, then they get into the bridge-pod. Most ships rely on autopilot, though. Human flight crew... that'll really change things."

Elita nodded. "Yep. In-jump navigation, immediate maneuvering capabilities on emergence... if only I'd had a human on the Ark, I wouldn't have taken so much damage trying to escape."

"Hey, I got us out, remember?"

"That you did, Hot Rod. But we'd have taken less damage if someone had been able to change course instantly when we emerged into the decepticon fleet. We'd have kept more of our engines, for one thing."

Hot Rod nodded slowly. "Yeah. Would have been nice to have had those secondary thrusters. Could have avoided the whole solar flare incident."

Jack looked up at that. "Solar flare?"

"You first. Unicron?"

"Wow."

From a distance, the Ark had seemed like a toy against a sparkly black background, but as the Jackhammer moved in closer, it expanded first to something recognisable as a starship, then into a massive monolith of metal that slowly flowed by.

"The Ark." said Hot Rod proudly. "The ship which we used to evacuate all the sparklings after the Battle of Triton Alley. The ship which they searched for and couldn't find. Yours to command, Jack Prime."

Jack shifted uncomfortably. "I'm just Jack, I'm not a Prime."

"You carry the Key." Hot Rod stated, glancing at where it glittered on Jack's artificial arm. "Only a Prime, or one with the potential to be one, may carry the Key. You carry it, so you are a Prime."

"He's got you there." Arcee chuckled from behind them as Hot Rod piloted the Jackhammer into the landing bay. Setting it down so gently that not even a tremor was felt, he powered down and opened the main hatch.

"After you."

Jack nodded and walked down the ramp, Arcee beside him, ready to grab him should his new-found sense of balance desert him. As they reached the bottom, a stentorian voice sounded.

"Ark Command arriving!"

Jack glanced up and his eyes widened as two dozen cybertronians and over two hundred uniformed humans snapped to attention. He stopped in his tracks and one of the humans marched over and saluted.

"Jack Prime, Arcee, welcome aboard the Ark. I am Captain Carlson, USAF, detached to Operation Vector Sigma. It is a great honour to meet you both."

"Thank you, Captain." Arcee said, smiling.

"Hot Rod, welcome back."

"Good to be back, Carlson. Everything fixed?"

"It is. Did you dent my ship?"

Arcee turned and her smile widened. "Wheeljack! What are you doing here? Are you coming with us?"

Wheeljack grinned and winked. "I'm the one who oversaw the refitting of the Ark, but no. I'm not going with you. I'm taking the 'hammer back to the moon and helping to build New Cybertron. Once we get the first few atmosphere domes up, it'll come along a lot faster."

"I... thought cybertronians didn't need air..." Jack said, slightly bewildered and Wheeljack laughed.

"We don't, you do. We've already got several thousand applications for immigration, so once we get the first few domes up, we can let humans in to help too. You humans are very useful, you know that?"

"We have small hands, and can get into the nooks you can't." Carlson said with a grin. "That's how we were able to refit the ship so fast. We have hydroponics, sleeping chambers, plumbing, all the mod... I mean all things that humans like to have to live comfortably. If you'll come with me, I'll give you the tour."

"I'm heading back." Wheeljack said, climbing into the 'hammer. "Got loads of work to do."

"Understood." Carlson said as the hatch started to close. "You're clear for departure.

"What. A. Ship." Jack exclaimed as the door to their shared quarters closed behind them. Arcee laughed and looked round.

"And what quarters." she said. "Recharge couch, datapoints, energon storage area, weapons locker... I'm going to have to get some weapons for that."

"Bathroom, wardrobe, cupboards... bunk here..."

Jack looked at the bunk, then over at the 'bot-sized couch on which Arcee was reclining, looking round. Walking over, he climbed up using the integrated ladder on the corner and sat down, letting Arcee wrap her arm around him.

"We leave tomorrow."

"I know." Jack said quietly. "Seven day voyage... I'll miss you."

"Silly." Arcee said. "I'll be here, just in stasis."

"In there. Yes." Jack sighed, looking at the stasis pod in the corner. Arcee'a arm tightened slightly in a reassuring hug.

"It's necessary." she whispered. "But it'll be fine, you're here for me."

"Always."