Optimus and Hoist exited the command facility and transformed for the trip to the ninth runway of the Moon Base. Hoist wondered why Optimus had picked him to go with him. What could it mean?
Skyfire was waiting for them at the runway in his robot mode, offering a white distraction to the otherwise black and grey of the Moon Base. He too did not know what was happening, but he would do his best to help.
Optimus and Hoist transformed and Hoist turned to his leader. "You do not intend to just send us to the storage asteroid, do you? No one knows where that is," he pointed out.
"I know where it is, but I cannot leave here to take you to it. That is why you are going Hoist. Among the Autobots, you were the last person to see the forge. If it is there, you can recognize it. Skyfire, as a scientist, will have the requisite skill to handle the computer. Between the two of you, I believe you can find the Forge," said Optimus.
"What's this about a forge?" asked Skyfire.
"I am sending you and Hoist to go to Alpha Trion's data storage asteroid in high orbit. You are to find out what our old friend did with the Forge of Solus Prime and then contact me here," said Optimus.
"That religious relic? Is this worth our time?" asked Skyfire.
"Yes. Here are the coordinates. Be careful you two. I do not know what surprises Alpha Trion may have left on the asteroid," said Optimus.
Optimus stood back as Skyfire became his spacecraft mode. Hoist loaded in from the bottom and in a few seconds they had lifted off the moon and were on their way to the coordinates from Optimus. Prime watched them go and then began walking back to the command center. He hoped it was not the last time he would see them.
Skyfire's luck held on the approach. The asteroid was there all right and no Decepticon had seen him leave the moon base. He slowed down and fired his retro engines to approach an object with no obvious landing zone. He managed to land gently on the rough surface. Hoist exited and the Skyfire transformed to robot mode.
"Not particularly descript," said Hoist.
"I can see a door, follow me," answered Skyfire. The two made a short trek to a big black bunker door. As they approached it, a scanner of red light swept over their bodies. Once it had completed, the door opened and the two started down the hallway.
"These old installations should not be too much different than the support facilities around Trypticon. Which means the main terminal should be…" started Skyfire.
"Hold on. There is something here," said a curious Hoist. He had pulled out an energon detector in case the forge was here somewhere. It had not gone off, but Hoist could hear something.
A lone energy leech emerged from the hallway intersection up ahead. It was tiny compared to the two Autobots, but Hoist knew the dangers. Such leeches had once been used to drain dark energon from infected robots, but they were dangerous to leave attached too long.
"It doesn't seem dangerous. Maybe…" started Skyfire.
"Where there is one, there are others. I recommend you reverse the polarities of your internal systems. They won't feed on that," said Hoist.
"That seems a bit cliché," noted Skyfire.
"And I suggest we move faster," said Hoist. The two walked by a large blob of the leeches when they made the turn. As Hoist had said, the leeches made some attempts to drain them, but gave up quickly. The two entered the main archive, noting the numerous security drones stationed around the place.
Skyfire approached the massive monitor with its controls below. He sat down at the chair provided, which much have been designed for a larger robot than Alpha Trion and proceeded to enter in passwords. That gave him access to the archive's search function. Looking for entries on the Forge itself started leading Skyfire in circles through different documents and references.
"It's almost like he did not want this thing to be found," said Skyfire.
"While you work this angle, I am going to scan for the forge here. There could be a secret compartment or something. Or maybe it is just hanging on a wall somewhere," said Hoist.
Skyfire merely nodded as Hoist pulled out his energon detector and began scanning the various rooms of the storage asteroid. Skyfire put his logical mind to work. There was something odd about all these entries regarding the Forge. He isolated the entries in a single search. He stared at the string of documents. Each had an entry number, a first line entry, and an author.
Skyfire looked away at the item next to the computer. It was a map of local space. The bright stars and planets seemed to twinkle at him in the darkness of the room. He noted the grid system that the star map used. Then it occurred to him. Was it really that simple?
He entered the file numbers with forge references into a navigation program on the computer as coordinates. Sure enough a pattern emerged, pointing to a planet off in the distance. Skyfire noted that the 'planet' did not appear on the map. It was merely a point in space from the trajectory offered by the code he had broken. Yet Skyfire was certain that the forge was there.
"Hoist, this is Skyfire. I have found it," radioed Skyfire to his companion on this trip.
"Be right there," said Hoist. The medic appeared momentarily. "Where is it?"
"I think it is on this point right here," pointed Skyfire to the screen.
"There is nothing there," noted Hoist.
"Let me do a gravitational overlay," said Skyfire. Sure enough, the gravity forces around the spot were not consistent with a blank space. There was something thing there. Something big. Skyfire entered some more figures into the computer and suddenly the mystery planet came into full view. Well a projected model anyway.
"Wow. How did Alpha Trion ever get the forge out there?" asked Hoist.
"His data logs on the forge note that he was concerned for the object's safety after the launch of the Ark. He was afraid Shockwave might find some way to use the power of the forge without needing to be a Prime," said Skyfire.
"Anything else?" asked Hoist.
"I inadvertently discovered Ultra Magnus' birthday. One of the entries speaks to Alpha Trion's discoveries in using the forge to remake the guy," said Skyfire.
"We should see what Optimus wants to do next," said Hoist.
"Right. This computer should be able to line up some communication channel. Scripts and subroutines are somewhat archaic, but I think I have it," said Skyfire.
"Something is coming in on the screen," said Hoist encouragingly. The screen fuzzed and unfuzzed and then showed the main control room of Moon Base One with Jazz and Cliffjumper.
Hoist pushed the broadcast button. "Jazz, this is Hoist. Come in, Jazz," he said.
"Well, what do you know Cliff, they found it," said Jazz. "Hey Hoist, what's happening?"
"We reached the asteroid. The hammer is not here, but we think we have pieced together a map that Alpha Trion left for where the forge is. Is Optimus around?" asked Hoist.
"I am. You say you found the location of the Forge?" asked Optimus.
"Skyfire has a theory," said Hoist.
"Well, we don't have the resources for an expedition. Any big move would be noticed by the Decepticons anyway. I must ask the two of you to try to retrieve it," said Optimus.
"Oh…uh…" started Hoist.
"We will do it, Optimus," said Skyfire.
"Well, then get to it. We will maintain radio silence with you until you get back. If you have to, you can return direct to Earth and Metroplex. Good luck you two," said Optimus. The feed terminated.
"So that is that. Well, Hoist, I know we haven't really gotten the chance to know each other. Looks like we are going to get the chance," said Skyfire, getting up from the computer terminal to tower over Hoist.
"Well, no point in waiting then," commented Hoist. The pair avoided the energy leeches and walked outside to the surface of the asteroid.
Skyfire transformed into his spacecraft mode and lowered a gangway which Hoist boarded and then he walked into a room where there were screens and seats. It was not the Skyfire's bridge or his cockpit. However the area allowed Hoist to monitor Skyfire's progress. Hoist watched as Skyfire programmed his navigation cues toward the first object in the pattern. Hoist noticed some g forces indicating that Skyfire had taken off.
A few hours later the two had reached the first guidepost. The debris in the area suggested there had been a planet here at one time. Where the planet should have been was a giant gate. The gate was unlike anything that Hoist or Skyfire had ever seen.
"What do you think is the story with that gate?" asked Skyfire through his intercom.
"I don't know. Do you think Alpha Trion wanted us to go through it? Or ignore it? The path doesn't seem to need special sauce. I wish Perceptor was here," said Hoist.
"I'll give it a look," said Skyfire. He flew closer to the gate when suddenly it opened and sucked them in.