About twenty minutes later, in the repairbay, Ratchet looked up from the scanner readout. He looked confused. "well, according to all the data, he *is* Wheeljack, all the way down to his molecular structure." He motioned to the clone, still out like the proverbial light bulb, then he looked over at the real Wheeljack in the corner. Jade asked "But how can that be?" these clones can't possibly be us." she shook her head.
"On the contrary." Perceptor walked in. "If the Decepticons were able to obtain the basic NmDm from any of us, it is possible they could create an exact replica, right down to the most basic computational patterns."
"Whosa Whatsa?"
"NmDm. NanoMolecular Data Molecules." Perceptor shook his head slightly, as though teaching a child the most basic math. "It is similar to what you humans call DNA."
"But, wouldn't that require a spark, and a whole bunch of other stuff?" Jade gave him a really confused look.
"Could they artifically create a spark?" Alpha asked from where she sat, crossed-legged, at Rachet's desk. She was fiddling with something, a left-over project that her mentor had no time for anymore. "I mean, if they could create exact copies of us, they could spark something. But it wouldn't last long..."
Omega blurted "Like a lightbulb?"
Alpha gave her brother a look. "Like a faulty lightbulb. No. Like a battery, I suppose would be a better term. But they don't last long. Barely a few hours. And since our friend has lasted this long..."
Klutch looked over at the clone. Yes, he was still here. Ratchet was apparently putting up with him for the time being. The blue mech thought for a second. "I don't know anything about sparks, but getting the Myallic systems to match identically... well, the odds are phenominal." he shook his head.
"English, Klutch." Jade reminded. He gave her a look, then corrected himself. "The myallic system is what you lamens refer to as the core processor. But, Weldline used to work in a forging facility, he would know about sparking and that sort of thing."
"That's allright." Ratchet sounded annoyed. "If the Decepticons did have a spark, they might be able to make a facsimilie, provided they had the nanomolecular data..."
Jade narrowed her optics in thought slightly. "I'd heard rumors, and keep in mind this is just a rumor, but couldn't someone... split a spark or something, I mean artificially?" she glanced at Ratchet. "Yeah, I've been sneaking into the repairbay and reading your textbooks."
she thought again for a moment before continuing "But if that's how sparks are naturally created, with data from both individuals who bond..." she trailed off, getting a digusted look from everyone present. The femme shut up, blushing slightly.
"You're suggesting the entire Decepticon army decided to rub their-"
"Omega!"
The seeker grinned over at his sister, giving a little wink, then turned to Ratchet. The smile fell, just a little. "So what's the deal, Ratch? Did they decide to create a giant metal orgy, or split some poor soul's spark into two?"
Jade grinned, stifling a chuckle, and looked over at Klutch, who made sound like clearing his throuat and shifted his weight, slightly embarrased. Prime looked like he wanted to dissapear into the wall he was standing next to.
Ratchet harrumphed. "We are all adults here. Well, some more than others." he didn't specify who.
"But, if they had a single spark, and given the right method, theoretically, mind you, it could be done. Artificially. But, it would require data from more than one person. A spark's core can't be reprogrammed, per-se. But it could be injected with core data from another spark..." Ratchet sounded confused.
"So," Jade was grinning again. "bonding is the only way thyey could..." she trailed off into giggles. "I'm sorry, it's just so...I keep getting this image of Megatron and Starscream..."
"JADE!"
"EWWWWWW!"
the seeker clapped both hands over her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Omega snorted, reaching up to cover his mouth. The light behind his visor, however, was evidence of his grin. "So Jack here is the unholy pitspawn of-"
"For the love of Primus, Omega."
Another snort from the boy, who elbowed his sister. "'Ey, we all know what's going on there. Pure hate f-"
"Back on topic!" Alpha held up a hand, then looked at Ratchet, as if begging for him to fix this. "You think they actually created a sparkling? Well, the spark of a sparkling, I guess would be more appropriate? I can't quite concentrate with all this..." she waved her hand, "...going on."
Ratchet gave all three an evil look, then half-shrugged. I honestly couldn't tell you. But that is Wheeljack." he pointed to the clone. "And so is he." he pointed to the real one. In the background, Klutch walked across the repairbay to talk into his comm in a hushed voice.
Prime looked over at the clone. "That is quite the unsettling thought. If they could clone Wheeljack, perhaps they could clone any one of us." Ratchet made a noise of agreement. "But," Jade put in "they would have to have the right information." Ratchet nodded. Klutch walked back over. "I just spoke with Weldline. He'll be here within the Orn. And he said that it is possible." he looked slightly worried. "And He thinks he may know who's behind it." he half-sighed.
Prime nodded "go on." Klutch glared at the wall in front of him, and positively growled the name. "Stance."
Jade folded her arms. "What? that helicopter guy... the one that was after you a while back?" the blue carmech nodded. "Decepticon scientist, and he's worked with Shockwave in the past. I wouldn't put anything past the pair of them.
"So," Prime sounded "Shockwave could be here?"
"No, just Stance, and I don't even know that he is. He may have been behind the technology, but that's all that I know right now." Klutch folded his arms. Jade walked over to the clone. "So they are practicing splitting then." she turned. "I'm suprised they've been this successful at it, to produce stable clones."
Klutch looked at her with suspicion. "And you seem to know quite a bit about it, why is that, I wonder." She rolled her eyes. "It's called one too many science fiction movies."
Alpha's optics rose as soon as Klutch started to talk, then narrowed. She was quiet for a long, long moment before murmuring, "You're starting to sound a lot like Cliffjumper. No wonder you annoy me." She turned to Ratchet. "Permission to take the clone to the brig, sir? Perhaps I could try to look inside its mind? Record what I've found."
"I'll go with you." Omega was quick to voice his opinion, moving closer to his sister. "Someone has to make sure you don't get lost in there. Especially if he is a true clone."
"Not even Jack's mind is a very stable place."
Wheeljack nodded, once. "That's ri- ... hey wait a klick!"
Prime nodded. "I think that would be the best thing to do for the time being. Just make sure none of the other Autobots see you. It might arouse suspicions if they do."
Jade sighed and sat on the edge of the nearby desk. "Great. so someone cloned a bunch of us. Anyone know how they got their hands on our genetic imprints?"
"I can name one way," Omega said, grabbing the Jack clone and throwing him over his shoulder, "but I have a feeling none of us ever went there."
Alpha shot him a look, and he added "Oh, of course. Excuse me. Not with a current Decepticon."
"Omega!"
But he was out of the room before she could even grab her spanner. With a sigh, Alpha shot Jade an apologizing look, "Alert me if you learn anything, okay? I'm going to see what I can get out of him."
Klutch watched them go, then turned to Prime. "I should go check in with my superiors. They probably want to know what's going on." Prime nodded and he left.
Jade nodded to Alpha, then thought for a second. Can't humans make a human clone with a blood sample or something? she looked at Ratchet
The machine beeped again and he pressed a button. "aha." Prime walked over. "What is it Ratchet. Have you found something?"
"I believe I have Prime." the medic leaned over to read the readout. "The clone of Wheeljack doesn't actually have a fully developed spark. It's like Jade said." the femme made a suprised "hm."
"It looks like it was split from the original spark, then injected with the personality data, and somehow they got it to replace the missing spark data..." he trailed off. "I don't even know how to *begin* to explain this." he read over the readout, amazed at the sheer complexity of what he was looking at.
Outside, Ironhide and the twins were waiting. "Ironhide walked up. "Here, lemme lighten your load." he grabbed the Wheeljack clone and tossed it over one shoulder with a light smile at Alpha. "We'll meet you in the brig." he turned and walked away, the scowling Lamborghini twins following. "We'll be there in a minute." Alpha turned back towards the repairbay doors, hearing Ratchet's analyzing machine beep. Omega followed her as she went back in.
Ratchet scrutinised the readouts. "The spark is partially fractured, though. It's missing a huge chunk of it's core data." he pointed to the readout. Prime just listened, pretending to understand what he was reading.
"This data... it isn't from another mech's spark! this is the generalised data that we all have, it's carried throughout the system..." Jade looked around and realised Klutch was missing. Ratchet finished explaining to Prime and saved the data from the scanner.
"So the Decepticons could have easily extracted the data from any one of us, if they knew how to strip it down to the basic code?" he asked. Ratchet nodded.
Jade's optics widened slightly. She remembered seeing one of the cassetticons standing over Wheeljack with some kind of needlelike device last time they had a scuffle with the Decepticons. But he'd been checked for viruses after the battle. They weren't trying to inject him with anything. They were gathering data!
As she listened, Alpha's face just continued to fall. They had collected data from them? From all of them? Her optics shifted from Jade, to Prime, then back to Ratchet before quietly murmuring, "If they were going to go through all this trouble, why didn't they just shoot us when they tried to take the data? Wouldn't that have just been simpler?"As she spoke, the medic gathered up the rest of her supplies.
Wheeljack seemed to put the same thing together, and he pressed his lips together. "...so they took a piece of me? To make that thing?" His headfins flashed once, twice. "They had to know we would figure it out. What's the point?"
Prime spoke now. "That's what he have tO find out." Jade added "And I don't think they got all of us. I only saw Rumble and Skywarp last battle we were in." she looked around. "I don't think they would go to the trouble of getting all of us."
Ratchet looked at them. "So far they haven't even appeared *with* the Decepticons, why?
Alpha gave a little sigh, but nodded. "Update me on any more information, please. I'll be back!" And with that, she was hurrying towards the brig, supplies in her hands.
Meanwhile, out in one of the Ark's corridors, Klutch glanced behind him before turning down a hall to the right, towards the brig. The exit where he was supposed to meet Weldline was to the left. But he knew that.
When Alpha reached the cell, her brother was already waiting there, whistling one of his favorite songs. He gave her a grin as she approached, waving.
"What we got?"
"Well, he's grumpy, he says his knee hurts, aaaaaand I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be opposed to-"
"No."
"But aren't twins supposed to share?" He almost sounded as though he was whining.
"Primus, I hate you." Alpha placed her supplies down, then scooted towards the bars. She crossed her legs, dimmed her optics. And, without a word to her twin, she was delving into the clone's mind, searching for whatever she needed.
Klutch crept into the brig section, hoping Alpha had allready finished whatever she was going to do. His ride home would be here soon, and he didn't want to keep them waiting. He smirked. He had told the Autobots it was Weldline who was coming, and they had believed him! he could walk right out, and they would be none the wiser.
He looked around then kept walking, wistling a tune. Along one side, two shadows moved along with him. He looked around, then whistled twice, signalling them over. The two ATVs grinned and nudged each other. "See, told ya it would work." the blue one joked.
"Shut up, afthead, we're not out of the woods yet." the red one shot back.
"Come on we haven't got all day." klutch stopped outside the cellblock and looked around. The red mech peeled off the outer casing of the door lock. The blue one produced a wandlike device, admiring it. Klutch eyed it. "Where'd you get that?"
"the locker over there." the mech nodded. Klutch shook his head. "do you know what that is for?" he asked. The blue mech shrugged "keepin' mechs in line." Klutch looked at him, then decided against saying anything. He was partially right. The baton could create a powerful electric jolt. Enough to knock any mech on his skidplate.
Inside the brig, Wheejack grinned back at his 'interrogator', knowing what she was doing. He thought of the dirtiest, most disgusting violent things he could. That would teach her.
"Hey, pitspawn?" She shot back a dirty thought, accompanied by an angry lash, a spike of mental pain. "I have a twin brother. Your disgusting thoughts are nothing compared to his."And with that, she slipped past his surface-level thoughts, digging into his memories, his past. A grin curved her lips. Without caring for his discomfort, his pain, Alpha grabbed a handful of memories and pulled back."I'm a lot stronger than you want to give me credit for. And I think I'll look through this later." Her optics flashed. "How's the headache, bitch?"
Two faces peered into the main room of the brig section, then dissapeared. "They're still in there." The red ATV-mech, Mesh said. Klutch folded his arms. "We only have a limited window of time before they figure out what we're up to." The blue ATV mech grinned and held up the wand, making an arc of electricity appear at the end. Klutch made a noise. "Put that thing away. We're not savages, you know." he scolded. Crossfire looked dissapointed, but the pilfered baton dissapeared into subspace nonetheless.
Klutch looked up at the ceiling above where the twins were sitting outside the cell. There was a security camera. They could probably get the clone and get out before the Autobots knew to look for them. Klutch pulled out a stunner. "You two get the twins, I'll get the clone. And whatever you do, don't. miss."
both twins grinned and pulled out identical stunners. Klutch looked up at the ceiling. He didn't feel completely right about doing this, but he had his orders. And the general did NOT like it when he disobeyed orders. He winced at the thought, and at the headache that formed slightly as well.
Alpha's optics brightened almost immediately, stiffening her back. Decepticons.
Her head turned to the door. Omega seemed to realize what she was saying, moved to step in front of her. There s no way we let one of those bastards in here. We counted. Omega reached for his rifle - only to realize he had left it in medical. A curse escaped his lips. You d think. Omega glanced back at her, a small smile on his lips. "You got what you wanted from him?"She nodded, once. Got what I could. I guess it ll have to do for now.
But what they were sensing was not Decepticons.
Mesh and crossfire leaned in and aimed...
then fired.
Omega gave a little cry, a snarl, but stumbled back, falling in front of his sister. He took the second shot, a grin on his face, even as the stunner began to do its work. It didn t buy them long, only enough time to fire a quick shot back. But in that time, Alpha did the only thing she could think of. She reached out, grabbed Ratchet s mind, and gave a powerful tug.
The two mechs ducked back behind the doorjam as the twins fired back at them. Klutch stepped out and fired his own stunner at Alpha. "Let's go." he hurried towards the cell.
Meanwhile in the repairbay Ratchet froze and dropped the beaker he was holding. He cursed out loud. "I needed that!" he told the air around him angrily. He shook his head and clicked his comm. "Ironhide, get to the brig. Klutch is trying to take off with Wheeljack's clone."
Klutch pointed his gun at the clone. "Pity I can't offline you right now. But I have to have an Autobot clone in my custody when I return home. It doesn't matter who. You're just the lucky mech to be in the wrong place at the right time."
Ri ht on it, Ratch! Be there in two nano s! Ironhide pushed away from the table he had settled at, starting down the hall. His blaster was already out and cocked.
He turned the corner, almost sliding across the tile, and held the blaster up. It was aimed right at Klutch, right at his spark."Now 'old on there, kiddo. I don' remember Priame sayin' you coul' take Jack's twin."
Klutch narrowed his optics. Mesh and Crossfire stepped out to stand behind Ironhide, their blasters aimed at his head. "And we don't remember him telling us not to."
Klutch smirked. "lower your weapon, or you won't get any older."