Transmutatione Carna Metallica 2
A Transformers Prime Fanfiction
"That was a remarkably unintelligent course of action," stated a scuffed and dirty blue mini-bot with hints of amusement and exasperation warring in her voice.
Exasperation because her chassis guard had once again gotten himself nearly deactivated over a triviality and amusement because the way he was sprawled across the cell floor across from her was really quite comical. The dark chambers held one berth each and would have been cramped to the point of claustrophobia for a standard framed mech but the smaller mech and femme easily had room to stretch out in the dim light of the energy bars. Glyph scooted up onto the hard surface and leaned her helm on her fist, resting her arm on one leg, and smiling down at her friend. Tap-Out snarled and staggered to his peds but followed suit. The two mini-bots stared at each other through the flickering containment bars until the green mech started laughing.
"Well, at least we are off of that, how was it you put it so often, organic pit ball," Glyph offered gold optic band twitching in amusement at the misstatement.
"Not the improvement I was looking for when we finally got the ship fixed enough to leave," her companion snorted. "Why'd they leave us together you think?"
"Energon conservation," she answered immediately running her servos over the walls of the deteriorating cell. "These blocks are powered in groups of three so it is logical to only use one unit while keeping us as far as possible from each other."
The green warrior growled at that and settled down in a belligerent pose as close to his charge as the humming and snapping energy grid would allow. Glyph smiled at the action. Tap-Out took his duties very seriously even if his professional objectivity had been compromised by their friendship. Her optic band wandered worriedly over his dented and battered frame. Those abrasions would become infected soon even if it was only from the left over silicate pathogens from the world they had just escaped. She could only hope that the commander and his second were in better shape.
"Quit worrying!"
The abrupt command caught the scientist off guard and her band flickered.
"Look! We've survived worse," Tap-Out let out a long ex-vent and smiled over at her. "There is nothing to be worried about."
"Then why did you feel obligated to challenge a Decepticon five times your gross mass to personal combat?"
"Didn't like the way he was looking at you," the warrior muttered glancing away from her patient gaze.
The femme trilled gratefully and held her hand out to the mech through the bars. Across the isle Tap-Out mimicked the gesture and their servos closed on empty air.
"As you can see the run was quite successful," Starscream stated the obvious loudly and clearly as the vain Seeker sauntered into the laboratory.
"As your report stated," Shockwave acknowledged without lifting his single optic from the readouts. "All objectives accomplished with a minimal expenditure of energy."
Caught off guard by the complete agreement the Decepticon paused and shuttered his optics rapidly at the wide segmented back wings flickering in confusion.
"Yes, well," Starscream sought to collect his thoughts as he approached the large capsule that was the central point of the chamber resetting his wings to their usual proud angle.
Lined along the walls were the remains of previous stages of the experiment; small cages, sterilized equipment that had once dripped with organic slime, the gleaming transparent cylinder that had been the scene of their greatest achievement since the two Decepticons had put aside their differences to achieve vengeance, and several remains of reinforced medical berths that had borne the brunt of the inevitable failures that good science always produced. Now they all lay cold and offline; of no further use but components too valuable to discard.
"It was no easy feat to capture the Autobots," the mech continued, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the other was pointedly ignoring him. "I will have you know that in addition to a high ranking archaeometrist and her troublesome bodyguard, both the second and third in command of the overall Autobot forces now rest in secure cells!"
"As your report stated."
"Yes, yes, but there are so many details that those clinical reports leave out. For instance how easy it was for me to subdue the Autobot Jazz," Starscream paused to let that sink in, his field crackling with smug awareness. "Even when he was backed up by the most brilliant processor that the Autobots can field."
The flyer waited expectantly and slowly wilted as the stoic mech steadily ignored him. With an exasperated ex-vent he sauntered over to pull up a readout. Shockwave noted with approval that the Seeker was making himself useful. As annoying as the dominance displays were the scientist had grudgingly accepted them as necessary. Starscream did not have Megatron's charisma and power to motivate the masses through his words alone, but his natural tendencies to establish and keep his place in any given hierarchy had given the smaller mech a set of skills over the eons that were a mystery to the emotionless scientist. Now those skills were the only thing keeping the few Decepticons they had managed to gather loyal.
"And how is our good lord progressing Shockwave?" eagerness flickered in the Seeker's wings even as he pressed glyphs requesting efficient data against the scientist.
"Lord Alchem will be ready to begin the interrogation of the prisoners shortly," the larger mech replied with data bursts detailing time and what the two had been working on in the other's absence.
"Excellent," purred the once second in command of the Decepticon forces as he eagerly ran his servos over the dark pod.
A signal from outside of the lab caught the Seeker's attention and he gave a tired ex-vent before setting his arms akimbo and shaking his helm.
"It looks like the incompetence of our assistance must once again be remedied. Keep up the good work Shockwave, and do free up you assistant," his faceplates smirked at the word, "soon. I cannot wait to once again lay optics on our glorious lord Megatron's heir."
"He will be ready to resume duties as soon as the present memory files are properly defragmented."
"Excellent, as much use as he is to you for the good of the cause we cannot have the troops questioning his existence now can we?"
"That would be counterproductive."
Satisfied with the agreement of the emotionless mech Starscream sauntered out of the lab leaving only the clicking of Shockwaves servos behind him. He glanced over and nodded regally at a lower ranked Seeker who was examining the consul beside the lab critically. The paneling was open and it appeared that more than half of the innards were spilled out over the corridor deck plating.
"Shard," Starscream stated in surprise, "I did not realize that you were mechanically inclined."
"Commander Starscream," the other flyer flicked his wings submissively, before letting them rise to the highest position that his lower rank allowed. "We must all take on many duties we were not originally programmed for in these times. Just as you yourself have risen to the challenge of leading the Decepticons," the ebony plating flared slightly in admiration and ancient Vosian glyphs for leader and ruler pinged into the larger mech's processor.
"Indeed, we must all make sacrifices to see that our glorious leader's plans do not crumble into memory," preened the Seeker under the praise. "But do remember who I am. I was programmed to lead."
"Yes, my lord." ~humility/submission~
"Carry on Shard."
With that commander strolled gracefully down the corridor. As soon as his back was turned and the proud wings flicked dismissal the smaller flyer returned to his work. His red optic band flashed intently as his scared servos manipulated the wires. Once his superior disappeared around the corridor he glanced sharply after the figure and reached into the mess of wires pulling out a heavily modified spark scanner. Neither wings nor voice gave any indication of what the submissive mech thought of the readouts but he continued to glance at it while he worked on the repairs.
Given the rather poor state of maintenance as well as the signs of energon shortages he had observed since being roughly pulled from the ship and tossed unceremoniously into his cell the mech could conclude with reasonable certainty that his comrade would be contacting him shortly. It disturbed the tactician greatly that he was unable to put an exact percentage to that certainty but the small disc that clamped to the base of his helm effectively disrupted his computational ability. Nevertheless such poorly maintained security systems would pose no challenge for his comrade.
The cerebral blocker itself was worrisome. It was obviously newly made and clearly the handiwork of Shockwave. That it had been Starscream to capture them indicated they were now at the epicenter of Decepticon power; odd to say the least and making it even more difficult to run probable scenarios. The planet they had crashed on had been nowhere near any prominent enemy concentrations and their presence in the sector was only due to them following up a trace of signal that had hinted at a Cybertronian presence. That the second in command of the Decepticon forces as well as their head scientist were here indicated it should be near a hub of activity. Either he had been unaware for far longer than he thought or there had been a major reorganization in the Decepticon ranks.
Every time his processor circled back to this conclusion it reached out for his battle computer and barked sharply into the barrier that the blocker had thrown up around it. Eventually his deliberate hacks and the subliminal efforts of his numerous AIs would find the cracks in the barrier but for now he was content to wait until his comrade found a way to communicate. He shifted and leaned forward on his knees as his doorwings attempted to twitch in annoyance at the confined space; an easily controlled urge. Patience has won him through many such situations. It would serve him well here.
