Chapter 4: A Journey Through History

Jetfire flew over the Atlantic, heading back to shore. The worker that had sent the distress call noticed a ship outside. "Hey, there's the Coast Guard! Could you land here?"

"I don't think that'd be a good idea," said Jetfire. "I doubt they would allow it."

"Then let us contact them," said another worker. "Do you have a radio?"

"Yes," said Jetfire. "Go ahead and use it. They're more likely to trust you than me."

The worker that had sent the distress call went over to the radio and said, "Coast Guard, come in, do you read me?"

"I read you loud and clear," responded a Coast Guard member. "What's going on at the rig?"

"It's been destroyed," said the worker. "Some of us are hurt, but we all made it out alive. We're in a jet right above you."

"A jet?" asked the Coast Guard member in surprise. "How'd you get a jet out there?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," answered the worker. "Request permission to land."

"Permission granted," said the captain of the ship. "Proceed."

Soon, Jetfire landed on the ship, the Coast Guard members wondering what was going on. Once all the workers had exited, Jetfire took off. When he was gone, the captain asked, "What's going on here? Where did that jet come from?"

The worker that had sent the distress signal took out a tape and said, "Take a look at this. This will tell you everything you need to know. I just hope it hasn't been messed up."

The tape was placed in a VCR. Fortunately, it was still intact. And it had captured everything. "Oh, my gosh," said the captain. "We need to get this to Washington, ASAP."

Back at the rig, the Autobots were unable to see Optimus Prime through the fire. "Prime!" cried out Arcee as the fire surrounded her leader and the four humans he was trying to rescue.

"Is he alright, Arcee?" asked Ironhide.

Arcee adjusted her optics, allowing her to see better through the fire and zoom in. "He's fine," she answered as her optics reverted back to their normal state. "But if we don't do something fast, those humans on his shoulders won't be."

As his hands retracted, Ironhide said, "A blast of some super-cool nitrogen should put that fire out."

As Ironhide took a shot at the fire, Inferno said, "I'll give you a hand." He then began spraying foam from the weapon mounted on his shoulder.

"I'll help too," said Wheeljack. He was another one of the few Autobots who could fly, so he took off and put out the fire where Ironhide and Inferno couldn't reach, shooting the same foam out of his retractable hand.

Zack, Cody, Bailey, and Maya watched as the fire was put out. When it was gone, Maya sighed and said, "That's a relief."

"Now, to get you out of here," said Optimus.

"Catch!" cried Jazz as his right hand retracted and was replaced with a grappling hook. He shot it and Prime caught it. Optimus held on as Jazz reeled him and the four youngsters in.

When they got on the level part of the rig, the foursome jumped off of Prime's shoulders. When they got down, they looked up as Optimus stood up. "Thanks," said Zack. "We owe you."

"Think nothing of it," said Prime.

Bailey looked around at the Autobots in amazement. Finally, she asked, "Who. . . what are you?"

"We are autonomous robotic organisms," answered Optimus. "Also known as Autobots. We hail from the distant planet of Cybertron."

"I remember that Megatron guy talking about that," said Maya. "He was talking about plundering our planet's energy and taking it back there."

"Yes," answered Optimus. "We must stop Megatron and his Decepticons before they destroy your world." His blue optics flashed as he spoke with conviction.

"What about the oil?" asked Cody. "If it stays here in the water, it'll pollute it and kill any fish and people who might come here."

"Don't you worry none about that," said Ironhide. "We'll have this place cleaned up in no time flat."

"So let's get started," said Inferno.

"But we'll need something to put the oil in," said Wheeljack.

"The rest of us will take care of that," said Prime. "The three of you get this oil out of the water."

As Ironhide, Inferno, and Wheeljack began sucking the oil out of the water, the rest of the Autobots took the biggest chunks of metal they could find and welded them together. When the makeshift container was finished, the oil was placed inside of it. The water had been cleaned up in a matter of minutes. "Wow," said Bailey in astonishment.

"Just in time, too," said Windcharger as he pointed to the sky. "Jetfire's back to give us a lift." Jetfire approached and landed.

"And not an astrosecond too soon," said Sunstreaker. "That saltwater bleached my body enamel."

The four young peopole looked at him with puzzled looks on their faces. Sideswipe smiled and said, "Excuse my brother. He's kind of vain that way."

"He sounds just like London," said Zack.

"What's a London?" asked Sunstreaker.

"She's a friend of ours," answered Cody. "The two of you would get along just fine. . . that is, once she got past the fact that you're a giant talking robot."

Ratchet then took a whiff and realized something. "Hmm. That's interesting. The two boys' pheromone levels suggest they want to mate with the females."

Zack and Cody just stood there in disbelief. "Okay," said Zack. "That was. . .awkward."

As Bailey giggled, Maya let out a chuckle of her own as she said, "Yeah, like we didn't know that already."

"Alright, Autobots," said Prime. "Let's move out." Soon, everyone, including Cody, Bailey, Zack, and Maya, boarded Jetfire and took off.

Back at the cave, Optimus Prime was in a room with the four human visitors. Standing on a platform, they watched him as he slowly approached. Like Megatron, they noticed by the way he stood, walked, and spoke, that his presence commanded respect and attention. However, unlike Megatron, he didn't induce fear. Instead, he seemed to radiate a quiet authority and because of that, his subordinates were comfortable in his presence.

Finally, Cody was the first to speak up. "I suppose we should introduce ourselves. I'm Cody Martin. This is my twin brother Zack, my girlfriend Bailey Pickett, and Zack's girlfriend Maya Bennett."

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cody," said Prime. "I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. I assume you all have questions for me?"

"I do. At the oil rig, the Decepticons drained the oil and converted it into Energon cubes," said Cody. "What is Energon anyway?"

"Energon is the fuel and life-blood of all Transformers, both Autobots and Decepticons alike," answered Optimus. "It is also what powers our cities and our industries on Cybertron."

"Hey, Optimus?" asked Bailey. "Could you maybe,. . . you know,. . . tell us more about Cybertron?"

"And how you came to Earth?" asked Maya.

"I will do better than that," said Optimus. He then reached for his chest as he said, "I will show you." He opened up his chest, revealing an object inside with a glowing blue crystal. The crystal glowed brighter and the light washed over the foursome as Prime said, "Prepare to take a journey through history."

Zack, Cody, Bailey, and Maya looked around in astonishment as they appeared to be floating in space. Soon, they came across what appeared to be a large metallic sphere. "Is that. . . Cybertron?" asked Maya, almost in a trance-like state.

"Yes," answered Prime. They couldn't see him, but they could hear his voice. "This is where we came from. Our origins are unknown, even to us. What is known, however, is that long ago, two classifications of robots were manufactured on Cybertron: Consumer goods and military hardware." As Prime said this, the four friends now found themselves on the planet's surface, seeing two robots standing before them. One had a variation of the Autobot symbol, the other had a variation of the Decepticon symbol. "These would later become known as the Autobots and the Decepticons."

Zack, Cody, Bailey, and Maya watched in amazement as various activities and events played themselves out before them. Prime's voice explained, "For a time, we lived in harmony. But unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. Whereas the Autobots sought a peaceful existence, the Decepticons wanted conquest." The youngsters then saw a robot hidden in the shadows as he ordered, pointed, and fired at robots, killing many and injuring others. "But there was one in particular who forcibly rose to leadership of the Decepticons through a combination of brute strength, military cunning, ruthlessness, and terror. He was known as Megatron." Megatron's now-familiar face was shown to the four humans as they watched him arousing his troops and laughing as Autobots were slaughtered and parts of Cybertron were laid to waste.

"Slowly but surely, Megatron built his army," continued Optimus. "And when he was ready, he made his move." Megatron and his troops forced their way into a building. Several robots in a circular room watched with widened optics as Megatron approached with his troops and attacked. "He destroyed the ruling council of Cybertron, the Council of the Primes, including the head of the council, Sentinel Prime. And so began the war. A war that ravaged our planet until it was consumed by death. All who defied Megatron perished. Every Autobot who served or had served on the council was hunted down and destroyed. All but one: Alpha Trion, the oldest and wisest among Cybertronians and a former head of the council in his own right." The foursome watched as Alpha Trion went to the now-destroyed chamber of the council, searching for Sentinel Prime. He found Sentinel Prime, who opened his chest, revealing the object that Optimus had in his own chest. He passed it to Alpha Trion and died.

Recognizing the object, Cody said, "Hey, that's what you have in your chest!"

"What is that?" asked Zack.

"That is the Matrix of Leadership," answered Optimus. "At that point in time, whoever possessed the Matrix was head of the council. It isn't alive or intelligent in any way we measure it, but the bearer doesn't choose the Matrix, the Matrix chooses them. And with the council destroyed, Alpha Trion realized that the Matrix would now have to be entrusted with someone who could lead the entire Autobot population. But with Megatron and his army swiftly taking control, the Autobots were powerless to stop them. So Alpha Trion led many of them underground where they could find shelter. It would also buy Alpha Trion the time he needed to help build the Autobots into a force strong enough to combat the threat that the Decepticons now brought. However, some didn't follow him. They chose to remain on the surface. One of them was Sentinel Prime's son. Like his father, he was a gentle robot, a young, perhaps naïve, archivist named Orion Pax. One fateful day, Megatron broke into the archival hall, demanding information from Orion. He wanted to know where the Autobots were hiding. When Orion was unable to answer, Megatron blasted him and left him for dead. Fortunately for Orion, some of his friends found him and took him to Alpha Trion."

Zack, Cody, Bailey, and Maya watched as Orion Pax was taken to Alpha Trion. Alpha Trion's chest opened up, the light of the Matrix shining brightly on Orion. Optimus then continued, saying, "Guided by the Matrix, Alpha Trion was able to save Orion, rebuilding him into a new type of Autobot. Thus, Orion Pax became. . ."

The four friends' jaws' dropped as the rebuilt Orion Pax stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself. "Optimus Prime!" cried the four of them in unison.

"Yes," continued Optimus. "I didn't become leader right away, though. At first, I was unsure of myself, questioning my purpose, questioning my faith, and wondering if Cybertron was even worth saving. But I endured all the trials and tribulations, rising through the ranks until I earned the title of Commander. And when the time was right, the Matrix was passed on to me."

The four of them watched as Optimus Prime aroused his troops and led them into many battles. "With the Autobots finally able to fight back, Megatron soon realized that his conquest was going to be met with much opposition." The youngsters continued to watch as several battles flashed before their eyes. "But centuries of war drained our planet's once-rich sources of energy. And both sides soon realized that unless a new supply of energy was found, nobody was going to win the war. Having anticipated that we may be forced to leave Cybertron someday, I had ordered a spacecraft to be constructed, dubbed the Ark. I selected a team of warriors to accompany me on the journey and we left Cybertron, searching for the energy we would need to revitalize our home world. However, the Decepticons followed."

The foursome were now inside the Ark as the Decepticons broke in. "After a brief battle, we lost control of the Ark, crash-landing here on Earth." The four friends seemed to drift through the Ark. They watched as the Ark went down, crashing into a mountain. Once the Ark crashed, they were brought back to reality. The light from the Matrix' crystal died down and Prime closed his chest, his story finished.

Zack, Cody, Bailey, and Maya stood there speechless for several moments before the silence was finally broken. "This is awesome," said Zack with a smile. "Robots from another planet."

"Robots with free will," added Bailey.

"Robots with emotions," said Maya.

"Robots. . . who can die," finished Cody.

"How long have you been on Earth?" asked Zack. "When the Decepticons were reactivated, one of them asked if Cybertron even existed anymore."

"I, too, worry if Cybertron still exists," admitted Optimus Prime. "As for how long we've been here, well, from what we've been able to figure out, we have laid dormant here on your world for approximately five thousand years of your time." All four humans' jaws dropped.

Hours later, at the Decepticons' temporary base, Megatron was pondering his next move. He said, "This is taking too long. Time is no longer on our side. I've had the Constructicons move the starship's construction elsewhere. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw cannot find energy on their own fast enough for my liking. And somehow, the Autobots are still alive to block us."

"They wouldn't be if you had allowed us to destroy them while they were still in stasis, Megatron," said Starscream. "It's foolish decisions like that that will cost us this war."

Megatron frowned at Starscream, saying, "You test my patience, Starscream. As for the Autobots, we will. . ." He trailed off, realization dawning on him.

"We will what, Megatron?" asked Starscream, a smile coming across his face. "Are you out of brilliant plans?"

"Far from it, Starscream," answered Megatron as a smile formed on his own face. "We may not be able to find the energy we need fast enough on our own, but perhaps the Autobots have found it for us." He then turned to Soundwave, saying, "Soundwave, recall Laserbeak and Buzzsaw. And send Ratbat to infiltrate Autobot headquarters. Have him gather all the information the Autobots have on this planet's resources."

"As you command, Megatron," said Soundwave. "Ratbat, transform. Operation: Infiltration." A tape ejected and transformed into a mechanical bat before flying off.

Some lights flashed and beeped on Megatron's chest. He pressed a button on his midsection and asked, "What is it, Scrapper?"

"We've completed the engines for the new starship," was Scrapper's response.

"Building the rest will be easy compared to this," added Scavenger.

"Right, right, right!" agreed Mixmaster. "Piece of cake, cake, cake!"

"So stop talking and keep working," ordered Megatron. "The others will bring you all the materials you need. The rest of us will join you shortly. Megatron out."

Ratbat made his way to the Ark. He made his way to Teletran-1's nearest console and transformed, inserting himself inside when no one was around. He found the information Megatron wanted and began recording it.

While Ratbat was doing his work, the four human guests were talking to the Autobots, trying to get to know them better. Bailey asked Arcee, "So, um. .. Arcee, is it?" Arcee smiled and nodded. "Back on Cybertron, are there any other female Transformers?"

"There are," answered Arcee with a nod. "Most aren't soldiers, though, like Nightracer and myself. Most of them prefer to function as medics, scientists, or technicians. But I chose this path. In fact, whenever a situation gets too hot to handle, more often than not, Prime will call on me. I guess you could say I'm his. . . how do you say it here on Earth. . . 'go-to bot?' I'll also volunteer for even the most dangerous assignments."

Zack had introduced Blaster to the world of heavy metal and hard rock music. Zack yelled over the music, "How do you like our music, Blaster?"

"I love it!" answered Blaster. "When the music's rocking, I'm rolling!"

"But why do you transform into an old boom box and your little buddies transform into cassette tapes?" asked Zack. "Why not a CD player and CD's? Or an i-Pod and memory cards?"

"Well, apparently, when Teletran repaired us, those were the only forms we were compatible with," answered Blaster. "So unless we wanted to stay dormant for another five thousand years, we were forced to, as I believe you put it, go retro."

Eject was watching sports on another one of Teletran's screens. He was watching a Red Sox game, saying, "Wow! We never had sports like this back on Cybertron! I might have to incorporate some of this into my fighting style!"

Cody was talking to Grimlock and his bunch. "Optimus Prime says you guys are the strongest Autobots of the group. Is that true?"

"Yes," answered Grimlock. "Me Grimlock strongest Autobot. Me Grimlock should lead, not Optimus Prime!"

"You don't like Optimus Prime?" asked Cody in confusion.

"Optimus Prime good leader," said Sludge. "But Grimlock better leader."

"Optimus Prime strong," said Slag. "But Grimlock stronger."

Cody decided to try and steer the conversation from dangerous waters. "But you are Autobots, right? Considering what you transform into, Dinobots is more like it."

"Dinobots?" asked Snarl. "What you mean by that?"

"You transform into dinosaurs, right?" asked Cody. "I mean, it fits, doesn't it?"

"Dinobots," said Swoop as he thought about it. "Me Swoop like!"

"Yes," said Grimlock with a nod. "That be name of unit from now on: Dinobots!"

Cody then asked, "Why don't you like Optimus Prime?"

"Optimus Prime make poor decisions," said Grimlock. "He fight for the weak. Among the winners, there is no room for the weak."

"Hey, you watch your mouth, mister!" said Cody as he frowned and pointed at Grimlock. "The weak outnumber the strong! All my life, people have called me weak and worthless, including my own brother, but that doesn't justify your attitude! He may not admit it to my face, but I know that Zack would gladly lay down his life for me, and I for him! And judging from what Optimus Prime told us, he would do the same for you! And if you can't appreciate that, I pity you! Besides, if there was no weakness in the Universe, what would be the point of being strong?" This seemed to surprise and confuse the Dinobots. Cody then turned to join his friends.

Maya was talking to some of the other Autobots. She asked, "Why do you transform into cars and such?"

"Disguise," answered Trailbreaker. "Besides, it sure beats walking, especially on long trips."

Maya smiled and said, "You've got a point there. So, could I see you transform again?"

"Sure," said Hound. He then proceeded to transform into his Army Jeep mode.

Maya shook her head and said, "Incredible."

"If you think that's incredible, check this out," said Hound. A man seemed to appear in his driver's seat.

Seeing the driver, Maya reached for him out of curiosity. . . only to have her hand go right through him! "What the?" asked Maya in surprise.

"It's a hologram," said Hound. "They can even come in handy in battle."

"But I've never seen a hologram so lifelike," said Bailey in fascination as she joined Maya. "What other tricks can you do?"

Mirage smiled and said, "Try this one, Bailey: Now you see me. . . now you don't!" Mirage had seemingly disappeared!

Zack and Cody had seen this as they approached. Cody smiled and said, "So that's why you're called Mirage!"

"Some of us have more than one alternate mode, however," said Springer. "See?" He demonstrated by transforming into a car, then a helicopter, then back to robot mode. "I'm what's called a triple-changer," Springer explained. "If traffic's backed up, I can always take to the air. Double the convenience."

"Yeah, until you get you shot out of the sky," said Hot Rod before laughing.

"Hey, you watch your mouth, Hot Rod!" said a fuming Arcee as she got in his face. "You're just jealous because he's twice the bot you are!"

"What's jealousy got to do with any of this?" asked Hot Rod defensively. "It was a joke!"

"Some joke," huffed Arcee as she put her hands on her hips.

"Alright, calm down, you two," said Springer as he tried to play peacemaker.

The four friends watched the. . .interaction between Hot Rod, Springer, and Arcee. Finally, Zack said, "That's an interesting love triangle if ever there was one."

While all of this was going on, the Decepticons were making multiple strikes, stealing materials for their new starship. Nightracer led Runabout and Runamuck (as a group, they were dubbed the Battlechargers) on one strike, causing massive property damage in vehicle form. They then transformed to their robot modes and fired, causing more property damage and stealing whatever materials they saw fit. Some people were able to escape with their lives, others, however, weren't so lucky. Slugslinger, Misfire, and Triggerhappy attacked elsewhere, doing much the same, as did Thrust, Dirge, and Ramjet.

Bumblebee was walking through the Ark when he saw one of the computer screens flashing. He scratched his head and asked, "What's going on here? I thought this console had been turned off?" He looked over the computer before being caught by surprise as Ratbat ejected and began firing on him. "Whoa!" cried Bumblebee as he dove to avoid the gunfire. He scrambled and made it to an alarm.

This surprised the Autobots. The four humans heard it too and ran to the source of the alarm. They saw Ratbat fire on Bumblebee again before seeing the approaching Autobots. "What the feathers is that?" asked Bailey.

"That's Ratbat," answered Cliffjumper. "He's one of Soundwave's deployers!"

"Get him!" cried Brawn as he and the other tried to shoot him. But Ratbat screeched and began making his way out of the cave.

Blaster cried out, "Steeljaw, transform! Bring that bat back!" A tape flew out of his chest, taking on the form of a small lion. Steeljaw roared as he chased and fired on Ratbat. Ratbat, however, escaped.

Prime and some of the other Autobots approached, Prowl asking, "What happened?"

"Ratbat happened," answered Trailbreaker.

"He got into Teletran and took some information," continued Bumblebee. "There's no telling how much he knows now."

"Steeljaw will never catch him," said Jazz.

"But how did that thing get in here?" asked Maya. "Don't you have radar or alarms?"

"We do," answered Ratchet. "Unfortunately, Blaster and Soundwave's deployers can't be detected by even our most advanced sensors."

"We'll need to seal up the entrance to this cave," said Optimus. "The Decepticons know we're here, and we know where they are, but they can always move. I want a few of you to start sealing the cave. Wheeljack, I want you to explore this cave and see if there's another way we can exit to get from here to the road."

At the White House in Washington, D. C., the President was sitting in his office, watching the tapes from the military base and the oil rig. "Unbelievable," said the President. "They destroyed that base like it was nothing. Our weapons were totally ineffective."

"There must be some way to keep this under wraps," said one of his assistants.

"If there is, I'd sure love to hear it," said the President. "Besides, too many people have already seen them. We've gotten reports of more strikes from these robots in different countries around the world, both allies and otherwise. I've already spoken to the other world leaders and they seem to agree that there's no way we can cover this up. They're all planning to broadcast this to their people. I'm afraid we'll be forced to do the same."

At the Tipton Hotel, Carey was sitting in the lobby, worried for her kids and their girlfriends. She already had the police on it, but Carey wasn't sure that would be enough. She had hardly been able to concentrate on her rehearsal for her performance later that night, and she just couldn't shake the feeling that something big was about to happen. And that somehow, Zack, Cody, Bailey, and Maya were all involved.

Suddenly, London ran in, saying, "Carey, the President's about to make an address! I think it's about those big robots we saw!" Carey's eyes widened as she went with London to see the news.

"So, I guess all we can do now is wait for the Decepticons to make their next move, huh?" asked Cody.

"What do you mean 'we?'" asked Ironhide. "This is our fight. We don't want to put the four of you in danger."

"You don't understand, Ironhide!" said Zack. "It's my fault all of this is happening in the first place!" Now it was Cody's turn to look at Zack in disbelief. Since when did Zack ever admit when he was wrong, he wondered.

"What do you mean?" asked Prowl.

"What I mean is, if I hadn't found this cave and convinced my friends to come in here with me, then none of this would be happening!" explained Zack. "If I had just listened to them, everything would be fine. Believe me, I never would have come in here if I'd known it was going to start a war."

"Don't blame yourself, Zack," said Optimus. "It was only a matter of time before somebody found us. If you hadn't, somebody else would have."

"Somebody better could have found you guys," said Bailey.

"Perhaps, Bailey," agreed Optimus. "But judging from what little we know about your kind, somebody worse could have discovered us as well."

Ratchet then ran in, saying, "Optimus, Teletran-1 just picked up a transmission. Someone called the 'President' is making some sort of speech about us!"

The Autobots and their new human friends looked at each other before going to join Ratchet. It was a news report concerning the appearance of the Transformers. Maya said in a whisper, "Oh my gosh. You're all over the news." Video clips from the attacks on the military base as well as the oil rig were shown, along with amateur videos sent in by witnesses.

Back in Boston, London, Carey, Esteban Ramirez, Arwin Hawkhauser, as well as various other employees and customers were watching everything at the Tipton. Carey said, "If I hadn't seen those things with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it."

"But what do they want?" asked Esteban. "Why are they here?"

"Maybe the President knows," said Arwin.

Soon, it was time for the President to speak.

To Be Continued