Ascendent

Part 7-Unearthed

Disclaimer: I don't own the Transformers. They officially belong to Hasbro and Takara. I'm taking them for a short spin.

From the journal of Dr. Daniel Jackson:

Jan. 11

It's been a very busy couple of days. Kup did bust Mitchell's aft, as he put it, and the two of them have come to an understanding, as have Mitchell and Hot Rod. As I said before, Mitchell and Hot Rod together, in the same place was a disturbing thought. Turns out I was right. They've hit it off like nobody's business.

Also, an explanation as to how the Cybertronian species has twins has not been offered, although I plan on asking Kup about that when I get the chance.

In other disturbing news, I was informed yesterday Rodney McKay will arrive tomorrow. It's actually more like business, but the way Landry made it sound, it's like McKay is on a casual jaunt instead of traveling 18 days one way to reach Earth from Atlantis on the Daedalus. He's bringing something "of importance" (quoting here, those were his exact words, although what it is, I can't imagine.

McKay. Perceptor. Wheeljack. Together. To say this terrifies me is an understatement, although I have a feeling Perceptor and Wheeljack will put him in his place if needed. And for backup, there's always Optimus Prime.

-----

Mccarran International Airport, Las Vegas, NV

Rodney McKay dragged his rolling suitcase through the concourse, cursing silently. More than two weeks on the Daedalus, then a commercial flight from Denver to Las Vegas, in coach no less. He was one of the leading scientists on an expeditionary force stationed at a mythological city in another galaxy and here he was, playing errand boy. If he got a chance, he'd rip Gen. O'Neill a new one. He pushed that thought from his mind when it sunk in he was in Las Vegas. Just a couple of hours away from Area 51. Maybe he could sneak off and go see Samantha Carter? No, not if someone was waiting to pick him up, and he remembered somebody said it was supposed to be Col. Mitchell.

It wasn't his fault he'd found the journal. The blame could be placed on Col. Sheppard this time. They'd been going through some of the rooms in an unexplored part of the city. Sheppard fell through the floor, discovering a hidden chamber that had glyphs all over the wall. That in itself was important, but the journal was another matter. He had pictures of the glyphs saved on his laptop and the journal safely sequestered in his luggage.

McKay stopped when his Blackberry went off. He dug it out of his jacket pocket, saw he had a text message, from Mitchell. McKay stuffed the Blackberry back in his pocket, turned around and headed the other way, towards the parking garage, where Mitchell was waiting.

--

Mitchell looked at his watch. 9:30 a.m. Figured the plane was late, and now McKay was taking his time finding him.

"We could leave him," Hot Rod said.

"As tempting as that sounds, I don't want to get chewed out for it," Mitchell said, leaning back against Hot Rod. There was no one around, so he didn't feel bad about talking to a car. Not that he cared anyway.

Mitchell took another look around and finally spotted McKay coming their way. He waved and McKay shot him a look as he walked up.

"What happened to your car?" McKay asked, eying the Mustang Mitchell was leaning against. "That is not a 1965 fastback, and I don't think 67s came in this particular color combination."

"I think I know that," Mitchell said, opening the trunk for McKay to stow his suitcase. "This isn't my car."

McKay gave him a questioning look.

"Lamorghini orange pearl with silver stripes is a custom job, and I didn't pick it. He did," Mitchell said, nodding toward the car.

"What are you talking about?" McKay asked, climbing in.

Mitchell grinned, anticipating McKay's reaction. He knew about them, but the colonel didn't think the scientist figured one of them would be giving him a ride to see Jackson. And Hot Rod was just the type to wait and surprise McKay.

"Buckle up," Mitchell said, starting up the engine. McKay did as he was told, and they pulled away from the garage.

"To answer your question, Dr. McKay, I chose this form myself," Hot Rod said, a hint of mirth in his voice.

McKay turned white.

"This is one of them? We're inside one of them?"

"Yup," Mitchell said. "Introduce yourself."

"My name is Hot Rod. Welcome to Earth."

-----

Daniel tried to keep from looking at the time but it was difficult. It was after noon, and his stomach was growling. He knew he could grab a ride into town from almost anyone but he didn't want to miss McKay when he arrived. Mitchell and Hot Rod were assigned to retrieve the scientist and whatever it was he had.

Mitchell and the Autobot shared the same penchant for speed, so he figured they'd be arriving soon. And he was right. Wheeljack and Perceptor looked up from their work when they heard voices outside.

"NO, you can't look at it. . ." McKay said.

Daniel got up, peeked around the partition separating his part of the lab from the rest. McKay was clutching something to his chest with Mitchell standing a few feet away, staring at McKay like he'd lost his mind. Which wasn't far from the truth, Daniel reflected.

McKay saw Mitchell looking toward the back of the lab, perked up when he saw him.

"Ah, Jackson, just the person I wanted to see. I was informed to deliver this into your hands, and no one else," McKay said. He quickly closed the distance between himself and the archaeologist and thrust the package into Daniel's arms.

"Uh, thanks, I think," Daniel said, setting the parcel down on a table. "What is it?"

"Can I tell you with them here?"

"Do you have any orders to the contrary?"

"No," McKay said. "It's a journal. Alteran in origin, from what we can tell, but there are passages in a language we cannot translate. That's where you come in."

"Why go to all the trouble to bring this to me in person?" Daniel asked.

"I'm just doing what I was told," McKay said. "There's more I have to tell you, but right now I'm starved. Can we go get something to eat?"

--

Daniel suffered through lunch with McKay and Mitchell, who had the gall to choose Wienerschnitzel for their meal. Then he had to listen to McKay gripe about staying at their apartment, on the couch, when they dropped off his things. More griping about being stuffed into Hot Rod's back seat. Neither Mitchell nor Hot Rod spoke on the way back, which was not a good sign, Daniel thought. Not that he could blame them. McKay was going to drive him nuts by the time they were done.

But now they were back at base, he could start digging around in the journal and rid himself of McKay for a while at least.

-----

Daniel didn't know how long he'd been reading the journal, translating from Ancient as he went, making occasional notes. He knew the journal was written by a scientist named Tyrnis.

"We found that a new form of life evolved on this planet, a world called Cybertron. We also became aware they had a powerful ancient artifact, called the Allspark. . ."

And there was more, which Daniel had a harder time translating.

". . .satus lux tribuo ut . . .Pax Orionis enim assero. . .oris, aspicio, electus ab Primaevum. . ."

-----

Gen. Landry stared at Jackson, leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled.

"Are you sure about this?" Landry asked.

"I've been over it three times already," Daniel said.

"So you're saying the Alterans, our Ancients, the race that built the stargates, Atlantis, learned to ascend, had contact with Cybertron?" Landry said.

"Not the entire planet, at least one individual, or a small group. Some of the pages are damaged, but it says that they found a new form of life, non-organic life forms on the planet Cybertron, who had an artifact called the Allspark. It also says the Ancients, at the Pax Orionis, were given the satus lux to protect and something about the avatar, oracle and chosen of Primus," Daniel said.

"Any idea what any of that last part means?"

"No, but with your permission, I'd like to ask Kup and Perceptor about it," Daniel said.

"I'd hold off if I were you, at least until we inform Secretary of Defense Keller," Landry said. "Then you can tell them."

"Sir, no offense, but this is huge, and I think they need to know there was a link between them and us, even if it was in our distant past," Daniel said.

"They've waited this long," Landry said. "A few more hours won't matter."