TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA

THIRTEEN #3: SYMPATHETIC TO A FAULT.

byline: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

Scene: C-4

A-3 comes back online to Beta and Atwun, who look on in worry.

"It looks as though another mech blindsided you," notes Atwun.

"I am fairly certain that it was a Robo." A-3 then notes his missing Key. "It stole the--*"

"Forget about that!" spits Jim. "We have a friend to save."

"He chose to return to the Makers for repairs," A-3 counters. "I will not interfere with his free will."

"But he's stupid!" balks Jim. "Even if the Makers actually repair him to act like a standard issue Box Hauler--and we both know they'll just kill him--the idiot's completely forgotten that thanks to that damn MC-13, he won't have a home to go to."

"I think he recognizes the truth," counters A-3 again. "He may simply wish to die."

"I don't care!" spits Jim. "He doesn't get to die--not after what he put Datsun and me through. We lost our home because of him, those Micks and...."

"...and me." Sam pinches the bridge of his nose. "I didn't think Mick would do that."

"You didn't think about your own kind, either."

"Enough!" orders Beta. "Recriminations are pointless. A-3," she continues, "we will need every hand we can get to overthrow the Makers. Haulers are large, they are strong and they can memorize routes and lanes as well as communicate across long distances. We can use him."

"If you think it is that important...." A-3 nods to Atwun; they leave to rescue Hauler.

"For what purpose, Beta?" asks Datsun quietly. "Hauler has already been used enough by others."

"For his own freedom, his own purpose."

"His own purpose was to faithfully serve his G--jinzou Owner for the rest of his days, and that was taken from him. Hauler is a very simple mechanism, even with sentience; he just wants to follow his programming."

"You and Jim have established a bond with him. You may be able to convince him."

"Sure," scoffs Jim, "if you freedom-fighting haywires would ditch the Sam."

Sam scowls at Jim. "I don't have to put up with this. I'm going to find Mick, 'cause you'll need his help to do what you guys want." With that, Sam leaves.

Beta levels a scathing glare at Jim. "We truly do need all the help we can get, so you both would do well to learn to forgive." She follows Sam.

Scene: C-5

"I need to be reprogrammed." Hauler earnestly gazes at the reception droid.

"Clarify," states the droid.

"My programming's...faulty. I was manufactured here, so I thought that I could be repaired somehow. All I want is to carry out my programmed function; but if the program's buggy, I can't do that...."

After several minutes of analyzing Hauler's speech patterns, the droid relays a feed to a Blitzkrieg Twin Module (Blitzkrieg TM), a pair of robots that operated as one.

"Go with the Blitzkrieg unit," directs the droid.

"Which one?" quips Hauler, knowing "Blitz's" nature. After the expected lack of response from the droid, Hauler complies.

Scene: C-6

"Whistling in the dark, eh, Hauler?" grumbles Blitz.

"...I thought it was you," grins Hauler sardonically.

"I thought you'd be out of this hellhole by now."

"No. I was just a tool for a Mick-led invasion."

"How'd the fight turn out?"

"I don't know. During my return here, the sun of my supposed home went into supernova sooner than the inhabitants anticipated."

"I can get you out of this." The pace of Blitz's walk never changes. "It wouldn't be the first time, and now we've got friends. Some of yours, some of mine."

"Forget it, Blitz. If I can't be fixed, then let me die."

Blitz tenses a fist, but does not slow his walk. "Have it your way. Coward..." he adds in a lower frequency.

"Think what you want."

"I'd rather think you were a coward than a blasted idiot."

"I've recently latched onto 'blasted idiot'."

"First time being tooled by a Sam, I see. They can't be trusted--it's their dual programming.

"And for the record: I'm the coward, for walking this line so many times...." Blitz continues muttering to himself. "...acting like I'm empty. This is the last time. I'll throw in my lot with my brother Astronaut TM. Can't do this anymore.

"Hauler: you mention a word of this while committing Maker-assisted suicide, and I'll kill you first."

"I really don't care either way. I destroyed a planet. Nothing can atone for that, but at least if I'm destroyed, I can't be used in anyone else's plot."

"...fine by me." Blitz stands to attention, the usual terse Militron expression fixed on his faces.