Chapter 2
The Grand Tour
The Paradisians had arranged a welcoming tour of the Perfect Paradise Resort for all us Cybertronians, before our scheduled meeting with the Paradisian Confederation's Inter-Galactic Committee was to take place.
Two dedicated guides had been assigned, one to each group; one for us and one for the Autobots. The Autobots' guide was named Talak Ren. He was visiting from the Orbita exchange as part of Ambassador Shantar's crew, who was one of the dignitaries invited to attend our meeting. Talak had volunteered to assist the Autobots during their stay and to attend to any of their needs. Our guide was a Paradisian named Solan, who was a personal assistant to Representative Karlin. Karlin was one of the Paradisian dignitaries and a member of the Committee.
But anyway, to put it simply, the Resort was quite impressive. It even impressed Starscream, and that's saying something. Who would have thought that an organic race of beings, considered by most mechanoids to be rather primitive, could come up with something so accommodating to our needs? I mean, no kidding, they'd thought of everything. There was even a pond full of multi-colored electrum, not to mention a self-serve bar with all flavours of fuels and oils – some that I'd never even heard of before. There was one type of oil that would even change color simply by staring at it.
Oh, the bad part of the tour? We had to share it with the Autobots. You're probably imagining the looks on our faces when we saw them waiting for us to arrive – but especially Starscream's. And you'd be right. He wasn't too happy. But, ironically, he didn't say anything about it.
We were shown the Cave of Simulated Environments, Talak Ren had called it, which could simulate the atmosphere and environment of any world imaginable. All one had to do was select an option from a large range of possible environments, and then simply walk into the cave and instantly, the scene would change right before your optics. The experience looked and felt pretty realistic; so much so that we all began to suspect that these Paradisians were far more advanced than they let on, if their technological capabilities are anything to go by.
At one point, we were taken through this huge crystalline cavern, with walls that had been shaped and carved with such intricacy that it rivals even the Constructicons' best efforts.
"Amazing. What is this place?" the Autobot Hoist commented. He was standing there in awe, probably trying to figure out how the cavern had been constructed, and what its purpose was.
Talak looked at him and smiled. "This cavern is rich in a naturally occurring substance which, once understood and harnessed, can be used as an energizer," he explained.
"An energizer?" Wheeljack repeated, curious. "You mean like, some kind of power source or something?"
"Oh, yes, only it's much more than that. Here, why don't you go ahead and give it a try? Just step right over here and stand inside this alcove." Talak pointed to a spot nearby that was set into the cavern wall. Wheeljack did as he had instructed and everyone stood by, watching expectantly. Their guide continued speaking as the Autobot engineer looked back nervously at everyone. "Of course, this was originally designed for organics, so it probably won't have the same effect on your species as it does on ours. However, from the tests that have been done on various mechanoid life forms such as yourselves, you should experience no permanent side effects."
That minor piece of information did not seem to deter Wheeljack too much. "Side effects, huh? Oh, ok. Let's see what happens."
No sooner had he said this, than he was surrounded by a bright light. It only lasted a few seconds, and after it was over he slowly stepped out of the alcove. He glanced around at his Autobot pals, and slowly shook his head. "Wow, now that was really something."
"What did it feel like?" Ratchet asked. He had a look of strong scepticism on his face.
Wheeljack looked as if he was suffering from the usual effects of having consumed too much energon in one sitting. The cavern fell silent as everyone, Autobots and Decepticons alike, waited expectantly for his reply. "That was… you know, there aren't really any proper words to describe what that was." He said this slowly and carefully. When he attempted to take a step forward, he staggered slightly. "Now that you mention it, though, I do feel kinda woozy. How long did you say the effects last for?"
Talak answered him. "That will depend on your own unique physiology. For some mechanoids, the after effects only last a few seconds, but for others, they could last up to several days, sometimes even weeks. But I assure you that it is perfectly safe. Would anyone else like to try it?" He looked around at the other Autobots.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I think I've seen enough," Ratchet said, while he gripped Wheeljack's arm to help him stabilise his balancing mechanism.
"Of course." Talak was just about to move on with the next part of the tour when one of the mini-bots spoke up.
"I'd like to see one of the 'Cons try it out. Or are they too afraid?" I knew it was Brawn before I even saw who had spoken. Most of us tried to ignore him, but that's hard to do when you just feel like putting the little twerp in his place.
Optimus interjected before any of us could respond. "Cool it, Brawn."
"Apology accepted," Astrotrain said to Optimus with a confident smirk, and then looked down at the mini-bot. "I'll tell you what, Brawn. One of us will try it out, if you do." Everyone was silent again as they watched Brawn's reaction.
Wheeljack looked at him. He was sitting down now, with one hand on the cavern wall for support. "Uh, I wouldn't recommend it. I don't think your smaller frame will be able to take the sudden energy boost."
Brawn looked uncertain, but then asked their guide, who was smiling patiently back at them. "Are you sure it's safe?"
"Perfectly," Talak said.
"Okay," Brawn said, and stepped into the alcove. I think he was determined to prove himself, you know? Two seconds later, there was a flash of light just like before, and then… nothing. Brawn stood there for a long moment, as if he were in a daze.
That's when his pal Cliffjumper rushed forwards, worried that there might be something wrong with him. "Brawn? Brawn?" No response. "Brawn–" That's when Brawn literally fell over, right on top of Cliffjumper.
It was kind of funny to watch, actually. Long story short, Ratchet and Talak ended up having to carry the mini-bot all the way back to their room, to recover from whatever it was that he had just experienced, as he wasn't very responsive, though he kept muttering something that sounded a lot like 'I'll be fragged'. Of course, no one else wanted to have a go at the energizer after that, though I must admit I was more than a little curious, myself.
That was the highlight of the tour for us, I think. The rest of it just consisted of walking through a lot of jungle and canyons. Now, the events of the tour probably don't have anything to do with the assassination, but I don't want to leave out any details, just to be thorough.
By the time we arrived at the Hub – a Paradisian city close to the Resort – Brawn had recovered sufficiently to be able to speak again, though he ignored Astrotrain completely for the rest of the day.
We entered Central Hall, where the Autobots had already taken their seats around one side of a long, oval table in the center of the space, in preparation for the meeting. There were two Cybertronian Elders present; one I recognized as Alpha Trion, and the other was Traachon, though I don't know a great deal about him, other than his obvious antagonism towards Decepticons. The two Elders were both members of the Committee. The other three members of the Committee – Paradisian Representatives of the Confederation – were also present, and along with the Elders they were all seated together at one end of the table, discussing something amongst themselves. There were some empty seats beside them, and I'd figured they'd been reserved for a couple more invitees who were yet to arrive. Behind the conference table and standing around the inner perimeter of the hall quietly looking on were several other Paradisians, including both our guides, but the majority of them seemed to just be there to observe.
We each took a seat, ignoring the sour looks that many of the Autobots were giving us. Prowl mostly kept his thoughts to himself, but I could tell that he didn't approve our being there at all. Starscream sat directly across from Prime, kind of like in a leader-to-leader face-off.
Optimus waited a good while before he said anything, his expression mostly obscured by his face mask. "Where's Megatron?" he asked Starscream casually, though deliberately, as if he were accusing our leader of shirking some important responsibility.
"That's really none of your business." Gotta love Starscream's bluntness.
Optimus seemed unperturbed. "I'm only asking a simple question. He indicated that he would be available for this meeting."
"Well, he's busy. But don't worry; I'm perfectly capable of taking his place on this mission," our Air Commander replied, looking self-satisfied.
That's when two more official-looking people entered the hall. They silently took their seats beside the Paradisians at the head of the table, and then the entire assembly suddenly quietened down.
The Paradisian in the middle began the meeting with an official welcome. "My name is Mabus, I am here as First Representative of the Inter-Planetary Committee for the Paradisian Confederation. On behalf of all our peoples, we would like to officially welcome you to Paradisia. It is, indeed, an honour to have you all here." Mabus paused, looked at each of us briefly. He indicated with a hand towards his right to a tall male and a stately looking female. "This is Representative Karlin, and this is Ambassador Shantar from the Orbita exchange; she has agreed to offer her invaluable expertise on alien co-habitation and interplanetary diplomatic relations. And to my left," indicating with his left hand to two other males, "we have Representative Gadrin, and Commissioner Balek. The Commissioner is here to ensure that all our planetary laws and regulations are honoured." He paused again, and then looked towards the Cybertronian Elders seated beside Balek. "As always, our deepest gratitude to Alpha Trion, and Traachon, who have been of great assistance to our people over the past vorn."
"Yes, yes, indeed. Greetings to you, Optimus Prime! So glad that you and the Autobots are here today," Alpha Trion greeted the Autobot leader and his entourage with a very warm heart. "We have much to discuss. Yes, much indeed."
"Good to see you are well, Alpha Trion," Prime responded, then nodded respectfully at Traachon. "Traachon." The Elder gave him a slight nod but remained quiet, allowing Alpha Trion to speak for them.
Mabus then indicated towards Gadrin. "I do believe Gadrin and the Autobots are already acquainted?"
Gadrin nodded at Optimus Prime and the Autobots. "Indeed we are. I trust that your tour of the Resort was to your liking?"
Optimus nodded. "Ah, yes, it was very interesting. Thank you, Gadrin."
While the Autobots were having a great time, we were essentially being ignored, mostly by the Cybertronian Elders at this stage. This was to be expected; they don't like us much, and we don't like them.
On a side note, I noticed the way Astrotrain grinned at Brawn when the tour was mentioned, and I'll tell you – if looks could kill, Brawn would have killed him for sure.
Representative Karlin, seated immediately to Mabus' right, spoke up then, addressing Starscream. "And, likewise, I have recently had the pleasure of meeting your leader, Megatron." Well, at least the Paradisians know how to treat their guests, whether they like us or not.
"Yes, he did mention you, Karlin, along with your strong views on the subject of air space defense," our Air Commander responded.
Mabus waved for our guides to approach, who each brought over a tray of receptacles. "Now, before we get into official discussions, please try some of our highest quality liquid fuel, made especially for your species."
The guides passed around the fuel, and I picked up the clear glass container after Solan had placed it carefully down in front of me, slowly lifting it to examine its contents. The energon in it literally sparkled. I'd never seen anything so beautiful before. And it tasted just as good as it looked, too.
"I'm sure you all know why we are here today. Our dilemma is relatively straight-forward, and one that I am sure we can all come to an agreeable solution, with your gracious generosity and support." As Mabus spoke, his gaze fixed upon Optimus Prime. "We have reached a stage in our evolution where we feel that we are now ready to expand our horizons, if you will. Up until this point, we Paradisians have mostly kept to ourselves, and have preferred not to mingle too much with other species within our galaxy, including your own species. But, it is time now for us to venture forth." There was a long pause, as the onlookers began to talk quietly amongst themselves, whilst others captured the event on their recording devices, eager not to miss a single word. "As you are all aware, we will require use of the particular section of space that extends across Paradisia's galactic gateway if we are to progress forwards… and, as we are predominately a peace loving species, we do not wish to create conflict. So, it is for this reason that we are prepared to offer you generous compensation, in exchange for unhindered passage through that section." The First Representative paused again, patiently waiting for any questions to be asked.
It was Starscream who spoke next. "What kind of generous compensation, exactly?" The answer to this question, of course, was on all our minds.
Mabus looked at our Air Commander and smiled graciously. "We are prepared to offer you a substantial amount of our raw crystallite. This unique substance is only found in its natural form on our world and has an innumerable number of uses. You have experienced only but a small example of how we have successfully been able to harness it, but there is more, of course."
Before anyone else thought to respond, Alpha Trion made his official statement. "Mabus, if I may?" Mabus nodded curtly, waiting expectantly for the Elder to continue. "On behalf of the Autobots and the Cybertronian Empire, we would like to officially accept your offer. We see no reason to deny you the use of that particular section of space, nor do we wish to jeopardize any current agreements that we have in place with your world." That's when he paused to look at Starscream, and his tone of voice altered slightly with his next words. "However, as it stands we also require the Decepticons' agreement since, for the time being, at least, a large portion of that space is under their control."
That's darned right.
Mabus nodded in understanding. "Indeed, and it is for that very reason I insisted that representatives from both your factions be present for these discussions."
Now it was our turn to make our official statement. I think Optimus Prime knew all along what was going to happen next, but was holding out and hoping that, for once, the Decepticons would make things easy for the Autobots and their so-called Cybertronian Empire; but, that wasn't why we were here.
"Yes, that is absolutely correct, Alpha Trion, the Decepticons do control that part of space, and we are not about to give it up so readily," Starscream began, his gaze fixed steadily upon the Elders. Then he addressed Mabus. "That is indeed a generous offer, First Representative; however, I'm afraid that we cannot enter into a formal agreement with Paradisia as long as we Decepticons remain unrepresented on your Committee."
That came as a complete surprise to most of those present, including my fellow Decepticons. There was much anxiety and uncertainty amongst the Autobots and the two Elders, as Starscream's words made an impact. "What you are suggesting is simply out of the question!" Traachon finally answered him. "The Decepticons have no place on this Committee – which also represents the Cybertronian Empire!" He sounded incredulous, as if he had taken personal offense at Starscream's suggestion.
"I concur. The Decepticons are not a sanctioned establishment of the Cybertronian Empire, and as such they do not have any proper authority on their home planet. It is for this reason they should not be involved in Cybertronian-Paradisian affairs," Gadrin said, in full support of Traachon's views.
That's when Representative Karlin spoke up in our defense. "If I may speak in support of the Decepticons – they are, nevertheless, an independent military unit with undeniable control of vast areas of Cybertronian space. They cannot simply be ignored, and to that extent, I see no reason why we should not offer them an official partnership with Paradisia."
Soundwave, who was seated beside Starscream, said something to him in private. I didn't catch what he'd said, but Rumble, who was seated to my left, relayed it back to those of us within hearing range. "Ambassador Shantar doesn't look too happy," he said.
"Karlin is correct. The Paradisian Confederation has no quarrel with us. We've done nothing against them," Starscream added.
"Yes, that is very true," Mabus responded, and then added carefully, "However, the Committee must come to an agreement before we can proceed with any further discussions."
That's when Optimus Prime interjected. "If it's alright with you, First Representative, we would like a few moments to discuss this matter between ourselves… in private," he said, indicating Starscream and himself.
Mabus waved a hand in the air. "Of course. We shall take a short recess." He stood up to leave. Optimus stood up to leave also, but was stopped by Mabus. "No, please. Remain here. We shall return in a short while. In the meantime, please help yourselves to more refreshments." With that he turned and left the Central Hall, followed by the Cybertronian Elders and the rest of the dignitaries. The gathered crowd vacated the hall soon after, until all who remained were our guides. They brought us a second round of liquid fuel refreshments, and then exited the hall.