Maelstrom Chapter 36
Before the Dawn
Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original Maelstrom Comics and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.
Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes!
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!
Maelstrom Chapter 36
Before the Dawn
Part D
Continued from Part C
Cybertron:
"Yes I'm absolutely serious!" Optimus Prime stated firmly to a restless and ugly crowd. "There will be no accidental Sparks among the Autobots. There CAN'T be. It requires the willing participation of both parents. Therefore, if you go to the trouble of beginning a new life you will be responsible for it whether you end up raising it or not! We will have means to care for any orphans of course, but this is not a fad! It is not something you get to try on a whim and then wash your hands of when it proves too difficult! It isn't easy! Ask your human neighbors if it's easy! They will laugh at you!
I'm sure there will be problems. I'm sure there will be people who start off with the best of intentions and find themselves simply unsuited for the task. However, if you chose to bring a new life into this world then you will cover the costs of their education and upkeep until they are independent - regardless of who raises them! Anyone attempting to side-step their responsibility will find their wages garnished. Anyone trying to dodge that will find themselves in detention. Their assets will be seized and sold to off-set the costs of raising their young!"
The crowd continued to mutter, but to Prime's audios it sounded more like mixed reviews among the civilian Autobots but among the human reporters he heard something else. Respect.
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Perceptor sat in his lab, typing rapidly at his workstation. His fingers flew and any passers-by would have assumed he was extremely busy. He wrote, "Evidence inconclusive. Evidence inconclusive. Evidence inconclusive. Evidence inconclusive. Evidence inconclusive. Evidence inconclusive...."
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Kup headed for Jazz's quarters and rang. There was no answer, but Kup was pretty sure Jazz was home anyway, mostly because there weren't reports of his whereabouts coming in.
Kup could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen Jazz lose his cool, in spite of millions of years serving together. Those few times were always memorable...and obvious. Ringing the door-beep again got no answer, but he noticed the door was dented - from the inside.
Concern trumped manners in Kup's book and he opened the door. It wasn't locked but it only slid back a few inches. He could hear a strange crunching sound from the other side and sighed.
Forcing his fingers into the small crack, Kup braced one leg up on the side of the doorway and pulled with all his strength. He needn't have tried quite so hard because after a brief resistence it gave suddenly and he tumbled to the floor. This sprawled him at eye-level with a small avalanche of Jazz's things, which spilled into the hallway in a shattered heap.
The Specialist sat with his back to the door. He didn't turn around.
"Go away," he said.
Kup sighed again and took a moment scraping the small hill of debris blocking the door back inside so it would close. Privacy, always privacy these days. Jazz would never be able to mourn KC's murder publicly for what it was. Her heroism, going to Char to see that their enemies didn't become pawns for the Jabez, could never be acknowledged. Such courage deserved a public memorial, a plaque, a statue...some statement of gratitude and respect, but it would never be.
Kup wondered if the command staff he was just now truly becoming a part of knew fact from fiction in their own lives.
"Jazz, Prime sent me down to check on you," Kup said compassionately.
"Oh yeah? Which Prime was that? The one that ditched me or the one that lied to me about it until they were long gone?" Jazz snapped.
"Rodimus isn't back yet. Optimus wanted to know how you're doing, but he's..." Kup started to explain.
"He's obviously REALLY concerned if he sent a messenger boy down to ask!" Jazz ranted, throwing something at Kup.
The veteran noted the metallic finish on the object and ducked out of the way. However, when it hit the wall behind him it made a plastic-sounding whack rather than the metallic thunk he was expecting. Ah. It was a plastic bowling trophy. A bowling trophy?
"He's up to his optics in news conferences. You know that," Kup said gently. "He's worried you might be taking this too hard...."
"Figured that out all by himself did he?" Jazz sneered. "Really? What else has he noticed? That things fall down? That water is wet? Or how's about that little human girls do not belong on CHAR?"
"She knew the risks Jazz," Kup reasoned. "Don't discredit her involvement in that choice. She was the best operative we had and she wanted that mission."
Jazz only turned his back on Kup.
"Jazz...you know they did..."
Earth:
"...what they had to do. They did what they had to do. They did..." First Aid muttered to himself over and over.
Hotspot was starting to get really scared now. First Aid didn't even seem fully aware of him. He stood up, unable to rouse his brother, and put his hands on his hips. Debating his options, he considered getting help, but who would he call if this break-down was due to classified issues? Should he just spirit First Aid out of Metroplex? Maybe time with the Protectobots would help him.
As he stood there, Arcee and Springer strolled in.
The laughing new parents-to-be took in the scene before them. First Aid curled up and muttering to himself in the corner. A scowling Hotspot loomed over him. The Protectobot commander saw the smiling couple transform into grim warriors before his optics.
Springer drew his weapon and aimed it at Hotspot's face.
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Char:
Cyclonus stared at Adder.
Adder stared back.
Neither moved.
Cyclonus was painfully aware of his predicament. He couldn't believe his stupidity. He had heard Adder strike the door when he knocked on his last visit. He had seen the traces of venom on the back of the door where it had eaten its way down in thin trickles from numerous strikes. If she kept that up the door would eventually crumble. The floor at the threshold was pock-marked where the poison had eventually found its way down.
What made small dents on the heavy, heavy metal of a Transformer's floor would work a bit faster if it got pumped into his fuel system to be spread around his circuits in seconds.
He made note of the two-meter long fangs folded in Adder's mouth. They dripped a combination of venom and green ichor from one of her masticated vermin. The drip of liquid from her mouth and the dry rasp of her diamond-shaped white scales were driving him to surges, but she hadn't wavered in the slightest and he didn't dare move.
Where was Viper? She was the only one who could control this menace!
The acid drop on his torso finally chewed through to his inner circuitry and he winced slightly at the sudden up-surge in pain.
Adder's optics brightened and her gaping mouth closed for a moment, but she didn't strike.
Then Cyclonus heard another faint noise from elsewhere in the base and had a moment of panic.
What if someone walked past the room? He'd be dead!
Desperate now, he drew his right foot back half an inch.
Adder hissed very lightly.
He slid his left foot back another half-inch.
This is going to take while, he thought grimly.
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"Quit wiggling bitch and you might live to see tomorrow," Rodimus said to the writhing female under him. "If not, don't think I'm gonna cry over your loss."
Viper was more than gagged - she had on a full sized muzzle and mask combination that prevented her from even opening her mouth. She could glare though, and if she could have shot her venom through her optics Rodimus' face would be a smoking ruin.
Rodimus lowered his head down over hers and glared back - giving as good as he got. The green of his optics reflected back at him from her pale face.
"I love you too Sweetheart," he whispered to her.
They had lashed her to Magnus' carrier section, but Rodimus and Elita were sitting on her for good measure. Speed was more of a priority than stealth at the moment since they could hardly sneak around with a wriggling hissing snake-femme. Haste was a relative term on Char. Magnus' bulky truck form could only maneuver so fast through all the debris and rent terrain. Lancer was scouting ahead of them, blasting a path through the mess in as straight a line as she could manage to get them back to Pagan's teleport zone.
Once there, they would retrieve KC's body and Kain would probe the femme's mind. If she hadn't told anyone then he would erase her memories of the human ever being with her and they would let her go. If she had told just one or two people, the Autobots might decide to retrieve and probe them too, but if it was more than that...
Well, then Char would meet the Maelstrom's matter devouring engines.
Rodimus hoped it wouldn't come to that, and not just because the Decepticons made for an easy excuse for lots of his activities. One genocide in a lifetime was more than enough for an Autobot commander... at least until he caught up with the Jabez.
"You could have just let her go Viper!" Rodimus snarled.
From around her gag, Viper laughed.
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Earth:
"Back away from First Aid," Springer ordered. They could hear the medic muttering to himself, and were afraid of what he might be revealing.
"Springer! I didn't hurt him! I couldn't hurt him! He's my friend! He's part of my team!" Hotspot protested.
"Not anymore," Arcee said compassionately. She had the presence of mind to both lock the door and use her command codes to shut out Metroplex's omni-present "ears."
"You two are involved aren't you? You know why he can't come home!" Hotspot cried.
"Get away from First Aid," Springer repeated.
Hotspot got angry. "I just wanted to talk to him! I'm trying to save my team! The Protectobots are falling apart Springer, in case you haven't noticed! Defensor is falling apart too! He's...wounded.... or mentally ill maybe. His mind is deteriorating little by little. It gets worse every time we merge! Like he's a building with the foundations washing away a bit at a time. Doesn't anyone even care?"
Springer and Arcee exchanged horrified looks. None of them had realized it had gotten so bad with the Protectobots - if anything they chalked up their fallen performance to being a 'bot and an arm down. Hotspot had relevant concerns, but they couldn't tell him what he needed to know. They suddenly understood what Magnus had felt the day he realized THEY were onto the council's shady dealings. Cold fear, knowing that any misstep on their part could send the assassin Prime after the whole Protectobot team gripped the two of them.
Arcee went over to First Aid and knelt. She gently lifted his chin to force optic contact.
The sight of his number one patient brought First Aid back to the present.
"Arcee! Are you well? Is something wrong?"
"I'm fine First Aid. I'm just here for my daily check-up, but it looks like you could use a break," Arcee said quietly.
First Aid shook his head and stood. He took in the sight of Springer holding Hotspot at gunpoint. It felt like he was in some horrible dream.
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Cybertron:
Perceptor fell forward onto his console. He had been overdue for a recharge when the news of KC's likely death made him forgetful. Now he slid senselessly into stasis lock.
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"All I know is I've been the talent manager, messenger boy, and all around gopher for those two ever since that rolling eyesore came home human, and they pay me back by ditching me! Like I've never gone on a rescue mission before!" Jazz ranted.
"You are in no state to rescue anyone," Kup tried to point out.
"Get out of here! You don't understand! It's insulting they left me behind!" Jazz roared at Kup. He threw another object at the older 'Bot, in spite of the old veteran's sly attempts to slide some of the more undamaged treasures out of Jazz's reach with his foot. This time Kup caught the missile. A black and purple lava lamp? Reminded him of Cyclonus. Maybe he should have let it fall.
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Char:
Cyclonus felt like he was going insane. Here he was, powerful Decepticon second-in-command, unable to save himself from one deranged femme. Unable to do more than move a few spare millimeters at a time towards safety.
The eternal drip of vile fluids from Adder's chin was enough to make him want to scream.
He kept his optic on the door. It would close automatically when he was far enough back and its motion would either save or end him.
Another step edge back.
Drip.
The floor let out a faint puff of smoke.
Another step.
Drip.
Sizzle.
Oh Great Cybertron how his chest hurt. And the SMELL!
Another step.
Drip.
There was the faintest whir from the doorway and Cyclonus threw himself down and to the left.
*WHACK WHACK!*
He heard the repeated strikes of Adder's head against the door and the hiss of more corroding metal. Cyclonus lay on the floor, too over-loaded to move, and laughed a bit inside his head.
He was having visions of the floor falling through and Adder dripping herself all the way to the planet's core.
The hysterical laugher erupted then and he lay on the floor in the dark, laughing a wee bit insanely to himself.
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"I love my life," Ultra Magnus sneered. "Always full of adventure."
They were winding their way back with appalling lack of progress.
"Quit bitching and drive," Rodimus barked.
"Are we there yet?"
"Elita!" Rodimus snapped. He glared at her over his shoulder.
She shrugged, "It seemed appropriate."
"We've got about a half-mile to go," Lancer disembodied voice told them from up ahead. "It's not far, but if they see us we're sitting ducks out here."
"I wish we could have just knocked her out," Magnus complained.
Rodimus shook his head. "We need her awake and clear for Kain's probe to be effective."
"Why is it none of you morons can fly?" Lancer asked.
"I dreamt I was a Decepticon triple-changer once," Magnus informed her.
"Thanks for sharing Major General. If we get spotted Galvatron might decide to dig up the robo-smasher and make all of your dreams come true," Rodimus said. To Viper he murmured, "Save your strength. And don't worry, it's not the end of the world...unless you've talked too much that is!"
The reptilian Decepticon had a date with a reptilian telepath - soon.
Continued in Part E