To get to earth, Optimus and his crew won't be using the space bridge. In support of their mission, the Autobot High Council has assigned them a ship. But you didn't think this would be a boring trip, did you?
Optimus and his crew were informed by the Autobot High Council that they have been assigned a ship: a Vanguard-class Deep Space Interceptor, the Ark-32.
The day for Optimus to take command of the ship was an exciting one for Sari! She and her father were awed by the size of it. Ratchet was familiar with the Vanguard-class ships, and instructed them on its history, as well as its current defensive and offensive capabilities: "The Ark-32 is one of a fleet of numbered Autobot ships designated 'Ark'. They are named after the first legendary lost Ark. For engines, the Ark-32 features 4 Hyperfuel Intake Accelerators."
"We're fortunate that the Council has authorized her to be armed with 16 particle-combustion cannons port, 16 laser emitters starboard, a primary starfield missile launcher, and an overshock sonic battery. I wager she'll be ready for anything the Deceptiscum try to throw at us."
It will be six months – or six orbital cycles in Cybertronian terms, before Sari will be back to her apartment. Among her important mementos, she packs her picture of Prowl sitting next to his tree. "Good bye, apartment! See you in a little while!" she says.
The trip from Cybertron to earth takes two weeks, so the crew used the first few days to familiarize themselves with the ship. Sari and Professor Sumdac worked with Arcee on the long-range scanners, while Bulkhead drilled on the weaponry. Ratchet conducted inventory in the sick bay while Bumblebee botted navigation systems and Optimus captained the ship.
On the third day out, Professor Sumdac discovered a problem with one of the long-range scanning equipment's key components. "Arcee, there's a fault warning coming from the AE-35 unit. I am reading the output from the tests I ran last night and it is recommending replacement. According to the test report, if we do not replace it, 100 percent failure will occur within 72 hours."
"Then let's prepare for the replacement." Arcee replied. "Let me go to the storage chamber to check on the replacement units."
Arcee returned one megacycle later with a concerned look on her faceplate. "The fault warning's not the half of it, Professor," she said. "It appears we left Cybertron without a spare AE-35."
"What?" Said Isaac. "Oh my, oh my. That's bad. What can we do in that case?"
"Let's get Ratchet involved," said Arcee. "He knows a lot about the Ark-32 and all its components." Arcee headed off to sick bay to seek Ratchet's help.
"The AE-35 is Halonian in design and make," said Ratchet. "Extremely complex – way beyond anything we build on Cybertron. We purchase these parts from them rather than build it ourselves. I'm afraid for the most part, we treat it like a black box that gets plugged in to our system. There's not much in there in my opinion that can be modified - or altered."
"Sorry, guys," said Ratchet. "I wish I could give you better news."
"Perhaps I can fix it," said Sari. "Let me try. You know how I've been able to repair equipment so far."
"I'd be extremely careful if I were you, kid." Said Ratchet. "Once you go in there with your mod, you don't know what kinds of systems you'd be getting into – or what you might be taking back out."
"It's an alien system, Sari," said her father. "So far, every system you've fixed has been either from earth or from Cybertron. What will happen to you if you try to repair something else? Maybe nothing, maybe something – we don't know!"
"Before we proceed further, we need to discuss this with Optimus," said Arcee. "He is the Prime, the ship's Captain, and needs to make that call."
Arcee, Ratchet, Professor Sumdac, and Sari met with Optimus to brief him on the situation.
"What are the risks?" asked Optimus.
"If the AE-35 fails, I'm afraid our long-range sensors will not function. We will be blind to any oncoming Decepticon ships until they are within close range." Said Arcee.
"And without a spare to replace, once it fails, our vulnerability to attack will be very high." Said Isaac.
"The AE-35 is not a component, in my experience, that you can crack open and repair," said Ratchet. "It's an alien piece of equipment that we purchase from the Halonians."
"Optimus, I may be able to repair the AE-35. Let me try." Said Sari.
"And what might happen if Sari attempts a repair?" Optimus inquired.
"The AE-35 is a highly complex piece of equipment. There is a risk that Sari might be overwhelmed with the repair, or her work might cause it to fail sooner than anticipated." Said Arcee. "On the other hand, we are unaware of the extent of her capabilities."
"Professor, what's your opinion?" asked Optimus.
"It seems to me that Sari's capabilities are way beyond what anyone to date has expected." Said Isaac. "Regardless, I think Ratchet is the one most familiar with the AE-35 unit, and he has some very important concerns."
"My biggest concern, Optimus," said Ratchet, "is that this is an alien piece of equipment. So far, all of the machines and all of the systems Sari has worked on have been either Cybertronian or earth-based. We don't know what effect going into the AE-35 will have on her repair mod. Will she be able to repair it? Maybe, maybe not. But what will be the affect on Sari? That we don't know."
"So, the risk is we either allow the long-range sensors to fail which puts us at very high risk for a Decepticon attack, or we let Sari try to repair the AE-35." Said Optimus. "But we do not know what affect Sari connecting to the AE-35 might have on her."
"Maybe we should try sending a communication to Dataminer." said Sari.
"No, until our arrival, our trip to earth is under cover." Said Optimus. "We cannot allow any communication interceptions."
Optimus thought and considered the pros and cons very carefully. "Very well. Sari, see what you can do to repair the AE-35. But take care, and if you get the slightest sense that you are in danger, back away. I don't want you damaging your circuits. Ratchet, stay next to her and be ready in case something goes wrong."
So with the whole crew watching, and Ratchet beside her, Sari placed her hands near the long-range sensor control panel. Her fingers opened up and the prods penetrated the keyboard. Immediately her eyes went from blue to white and she began "seeing" the internal workings of the sensor equipment.
"The other long-range components are working fine," Sari said. "I am testing them all. The sensors are telling me about all ships within 15 parsecs: 8 in total. Of the 8, 6 are Cybertronian, 1 Nibarian, and 1 Povian. None Decepticon."
Sari started laughing. "I am receiving a transmission that Sentinel Prime is sending to Cybertron from his ship. Plugging his accomplishments of course, and..."
"Never mind that, Sari," said Optimus. "Continue on and see what you can do with the AE-35."
"Yes, sir." Said Sari. "Going towards the AE-35 now."
Sari followed the long-range sensor data paths to the AE-35 port interface. Once there, she began studying the schematics. It was like nothing she had seen before. The circuit paths led to seemingly unending layers of many-to-many relationships. If she wasn't careful about keeping track of the way she had come, she could get lost.
"All right, I'm going in," she told the group.
Sari allowed the AE-35 to tell her where the failing circuit was located. The pathway illuminated itself; ten layers down, a circuitous pathway. She must remember all the foreign key addresses on the way down so she could backtrack her way up.
Once she arrived at the location of the failed circuit, she was able to repair it. "That wasn't so bad," she thought," until she noticed it had a dependency on another component located at another site. "Oh boy. Do I go up, down, or over?" This one was over. She proceeded across to repair it.
Unfortunately, this one required yet another part be repaired, and she went ahead to that part as well. That wasn't the end, though. More and more dependencies! Sari proceeded to many, many other parts, until she finally arrived at the last dependent piece.
"Guys, I'm done! I repaired it!" Sari said triumphantly.
The team cheered, albeit prematurely.
Unfortunately Sari, in her haste, had neglected to keep track of her pathway! "Oh no! How do I get back out?"
"I've got a problem!" She said. "I'm lost in the AE-35! I don't know the way out!"
"Oh no!" Said Ratchet. "Sari! I'm not sure if I can help you!
Everyone was at a loss. "What are we going to do?" asked Isaac. "How can we get her out of there?"
While they were debating, Sari was desperate to find a way out of the maze. Inside the AE-35, she was panicking. "Help, help! Somebody, help me, please!" Then, she heard a calm voice. "Sari, Sari, listen to me."
"Who is that?" She asked.
"Sari. Meditate. Remember the cyber ninja techniques you had learned. Processor-over-matter, Sari. Meditate." The voice said.
"Prowl? Is that you?" Asked Sari.
"Meditate, Sari, meditate. Processor-over-matter." The voice repeated.
Sari calmed down. She began to meditate. "Processor-over-matter. Processor-over-matter." She repeated to herself. She slowed herself down. Slowly, ever slowly, one by one, the millions of other Halonian pathways dropped away, until the single way out appeared to her. She followed the path until she was back at the port which led out of the AE-35. Once there, she was able to return to the control panel. Her prods retracted back into her fingers, her eyes changed back from white to blue. She sat back in the chair, exhausted but serene.
"Sari, what happened?" asked Ratchet. "You yelled 'Help!' then you started chanting 'Processor-over matter' over and over again. I had no idea what was going on."
"Oh my Sari, I was so worried. I thought we lost you." Said her father.
"After I fixed it, I was lost in the AE-35 circuitry. There were so many layers, so many routes. I couldn't find my way out. I panicked, but then I heard a voice reminding me of my cyber-ninja training. Guys, you're going to think I'm crazy, but I believe it was Prowl helping me!"
"Prowl?" said everyone in unison. They all looked at each other.
Optimus put his servo to his chin and thought. "It may be so, Sari. I have heard of cyber-ninja bots who have kept their individuality in the Well of AllSparks. If so, Sari, you are truly fortunate. When you continue your training with Jazz, you can ask him about that."
"Well, all I know my Sari," said Isaac hugging his daughter, "is that you are back with us."
"I just ran a test of the long-range scanners," said Arcee, "and they appear to be running at full capacity. Sari, it looks like you repaired the AE-35. Well done!"
"I'm glad," said Sari weakly. "But if you don't mind, right now, I'd like to recharge. That whole effort took a lot out of me."
"OK, everyone," said Ratchet, "I think I'll take Sari back to my area for a well-needed rest, and an examination by yours truly."
So perhaps Sari received some assistance from a friend on the other side! I think Jazz might be able to shed some light when she receives her training in a few months – or orbital cycles. Thanks for reading.
