Beast Wars and all characters and things related are copyright and trademark of Hasbro and Mainframe Entertainment. This work, however, is the original work of the author.
Note: This story takes place immediately after "Saving Cybertron."
A Whole New World, Chapter 10
By TVfan
Cybertron, Maximal Elders Building
"Oh… what a mess," Rattrap spoke about the pile of pieces that Waspinator had just dropped down on the street in front of the building where the Maximal Elders had once governed Cybertron from.
Nuts and bolts, random pieces of wiring, and a few small levers numbered among the various pieces that had been found. He knew that Optimus wanted to get something going so that they reactivate the sparks that the Tripredicus Council had stolen on Cybertron, but this mess of random parts from a protoform manufacturing center would make for a near impossible task. Especially since the parts that that were brought to him had no specific marking as to say which parts they were.
"Sorry," Waspinator buzzed, "these on parts not smashed by rubble."
"Ain't your fault," Rattrap sighed, "and likely just something that we'd have to deal with anyway… unless one of the other flyers in one of their sectors finds a protoform factory that wasn't destroyed by the Tripredicus Council."
"You want me to get more?" Waspinator buzzed his question.
Rattrap sighed and then nodded, "Yeah… it'll be a mess, but if we're to get a working protoform factory going… even if it's centered for one protoform at a time, we're going to need all the parts we can get."
Waspinator nodded and prepared to fly off when Rattrap called to him again. He looked back to see the transmetal rat looking at him with one hand raised and the pointer finger extended. Rattrap then shook that finger for emphasis.
"Just remember to make sure that every piece you bring back is completely intact," Rattrap reminded Waspinator, "we're gonna being cobbling stuff together, so we don't want any pieces that are busted in any way."
"Right," Waspinator nodded and flew off.
Rattrap nodded and only watched for a few moments as the Predicon defector flew off. With that, Rattrap looked back to some of the others that had been watching the exchange and looked at the pile of parts lying on the ground just outside the Maximal Elders Building. Eventually Rattrap made out Rhinox's approach to him. Rattrap felt some relief at that, as while was a skilled engineer and could cobble together a protoform piece from the parts that made them, Rhinox had more scientific knowledge and was a bit more familiar on protoforms than he was. Rhinox's help would be invaluable.
"It'll be a mess, big green," Rattrap said to Rhinox, "but I think we can manage it… I think."
"You think you can manage it?" Rhinox asked as bent down on one knee and picked up one of the pieces that Waspinator had set down, "There are a LOT of parts to a protoform 'factory.' Even if all we make from these is one plant… there will be a LOT of parts. It could be easy to get duplicates. And none of us are experts on the system…"
"What about the buildings computer systems?" Runner spoke up, making both veterans of the Beast Wars look to him, "The Maximal Elders kept just as many pieces of diagnostic equipment and so on within the building as well, some scanning equipment for security reasons and lengthy computer files to catalog things found on colony worlds or worlds that Cybertron has allied with, like Earth."
Rattrap rubbed his chin for a moment, and then asked, "Would they have a list of parts for a protoform factory, including the individual machines?"
"Maybe," Runner said with a shrug, "I'm sure here or in one of the connected buildings they had to have all the patent records. The list of parts would probably be with them."
"And with the Tripredicus Council destroyed and their drones offline when we defeated them…" Rhinox mused, "We would be able to get the buildings systems up and running… provided we can get wiring that's still connected to the city's main power grid."
"That might work," Rattrap agreed, "as the Tripredicus Council didn't cut the power to the old Maximal areas… You up for a bit of an adventure Rhinox? Get the buildings computers and scanners up and running?"
"If it helps get Cybertron back on its feet faster," Rhinox said slowly, "I'm ALL for it."
Spaceport, the Liberator…
"Even with the name… I'm not sure this is going to go well," Depthcharge commented as he, Cheetor, Jawbreaker, and Ultra Mantex made their way toward the warship that they had commandeered as part of the battle to make sure the Tripredicus Council supporter Druyd wouldn't be able to bring back Unicron. "If the colony worlds managed to preserve their defenses… they may fire on us."
"Have to play the chips we've dealt," Cheetor commented, "Besides don't you know some Maximal codes that might get each colony world to recognize that we aren't Predicons…"
He paused to look to Jawbreaker who scowled at him with some irritation. The crocodile transformer wanted nothing more to chomp both Maximals, as rivalry other factors that remained from the Beast Wars still ran strong in the Predicon. He may have seen Megatron as a failed warlord, but that didn't mean he liked the Maximals, and he'd only gone along as per a request by Queen to make sure that this mission would represent the Cybertron she wanted, where Predicons would have at least a leading share in ruling Cybertron rather than being held as second class citizens by the Maximals. It was for that, that he didn't say anything about Depthcharge's comment, not that it didn't irritate him.
"Present company accepted, of course," Depthcharge finished for the transmetal two cheetah, "Maximal colonies are bound to feel threatened by Predicon designs after being attacked by the Tripredicus Council using the Predicons for their own ends."
"So long as you can get them to not blow us up, I don't mind," Jawbreaker eventually spoke grudgingly, as he could agree there. Getting blown up was not on his agenda, and he had to admit that he would agree with the Maximals on that particular point.
"I think we can all agree that we don't want to get vaped," Ultra Mantex commented, "and if Depthcharge has actual recognition codes… that should keep them from trying to destroy all of us."
The others nodded as they arrived at the main ramp to the Liberator and began to climb up it. Ultra Mantex then continued as they walked along.
"And that should let us move onto the real agenda," Ultra Mantex spoke, "a new Cybertron. Those of us that have worked with Queen in the resistance have seen it fairly clear… and given your inclusion of members who were Predicons at one point or identify with them demonstrates that they aren't all genocidal warlords that care about nothing but their own advancement."
Cheetor nodded and though about Dinobot, the Predicon who had been part of Megatron's original crew and defected to the Maximals when it became clear that Megatron had no sense of honor. Blackarachnia came to a similar decision when Megatron made it clear that he had no qualms with strategies that would kill her for his own personal victories and thus why she had joined the Maximals in the Beast Wars. In way, that did confirm to those that had been in the Beast Wars that not all Predicons were like Megatron or the Tripredicus Council.
"Regardless of whether or not the Autobots made offers to the Decepticons at the end of the Great War or not… their Predicon descendants have felt alone and isolated," Ultra Mantex spoke with firmness, "and in many cases… many were left impoverished by this. That's where our mission comes in. A new Cybertron where we are one and working together."
"A noble goal," Depthcharge thought quietly. He agreed that individual Predicons could change and were different from those like Megatron, but the sort of world Ultra Mantex was talking about was going to be one that would take a lot of work on the part of Predicons to prove it. The fear raised by transformers like Megatron and the Tripredicus Council wasn't going to go away just because some Predicons promised to change. "Just remember that goals are one thing. Realities are another."
They made their way to the bridge and carefully set about to their places. Cheetor and Ultra Mantex moved to the pilot and navigation seats while Depthcharge hesitantly approached the captain's chair. He was about to sit down when he heard Jawbreaker speak to him from behind.
"And where do you want me to go?" Jawbreaker asked in a rather demanding tone, privately feeling that he was really just the token Predicon on the mission. If they really wanted to make a new Cybertron HE would command the mission on Queen's behalf.
"We'll need you to be at the weapon's station," Depthcharge answered, "We shouldn't have to fire shot… but we may need to come in with our shields up."
"Okay," Jawbreaker said slowly.
"And remember we aren't going to these colonies to wage war," Depthcharge spoke in a low tone, "am I clear?"
"Crystal," Jawbreaker grumbled.
"Let's put aside rivalries for a moment," Cheetor commented, "things may be tough now… but in a way we have things set up for a better future. We got to have hope and not be a bunch of downers."
Depthcharge wanted to nod, but as the Liberator rose into the sky he could see the cityscape of Cybertron's capital city. Some buildings looked fine, but there were plenty that looked damaged to some degree. Some had only moderate damage while some clearly looked as though the battles against the Tripredicus Council had left the buildings nearly demolished. It was not a particularly hopeful sight and not one that anyone would see as hopeful. In fact, all Depthcharge could see as he looked at the damaged cityscape was a warzone.
Of course, Cheetor did tend to be more optimistic than most and he didn't agree with the negative commentary or sentiment that had been made earlier. It was true that Cybertron looked like it had wrecked, or at least seriously damaged thanks to the Tripredicus Council, but in a way Ultra Mantex was right it that the defeat of the Tripredicus Council offered new opportunities. If Cybertron could truly unite and a world where Predicon and Maximal lived together in relative harmony and each side trusting each other, Cybertron would surely heal from the damage. From there, the possibilities were endless. Maybe Cybertron would become a mixture of organic and inorganic, the way their own forms were split between a robot and beast mode. Maybe in time Cybertron would be healed and restored to its former glory once the transformation lock virus was filtered out of the atmosphere. The future was that open.
And as the ship rose into the space outside of Cybertron some things did look better. Sure there was the wreckage of the weapons satellites that had been erected to defend Cybertron and the station Omega One orbited the planet in the distance as a reminder of what had been done to Cybertron, but Cheetor figured they could be cleaned and dismantled as well. The future was that open.
"So what would be our first colony to visit?" Ultra Mantex asked as he looked over his shoulder to Depthcharge.
"The closest one to Cybertron," Depthcharge, "There will be a lot to go through, might as well start at what is the closest to us. Hopefully things won't be too hard."
"Right," Ultra Mantex nodded and brought up the coordinates for the closest colony world to Cybertron and brought the map and time route map up to send to Cheetor's console.
From there, Cheetor set in the coordinates into the computer's main engines to allow for a successful transwarp jump. That part of the piloting was done more by Ultra Mantex as the ship's navigator, but Cheetor also knew that he would then be needed when they left transwarp space and either landed on a star base or on a planet's surface. He hoped that the colonies did well and that they'd be able to provide some help as they began to rebuild Cybertron.
Elsewhere on Cybertron
The mission to recover the parts from the various protoform factories to then reassemble them into one or two working plants was one that was ever expanding. While there might be hope finding a factory that was largely intact, and one would be heavily used if they could find one, the mission to put one together was a massive one if they couldn't find an intact factory. Protoform technology had revolved heavily around the use of Nano-technology to build Cybertonian nanites that made up the protoforms used for them. This required precise machinery in its own right to put together the parts that made up each nanite unit in a protoform, and complex computer programming to give each nanite unit a brain, but also to have the programming firm enough that the nanites in the protoform would respond to external commands and essentially solidify into an actual transformer rather than a collection of tiny machines that looked like a transformer.
It was a complicated process, and one that couldn't allow for corners to be cut. This required any and all transformers who could fly to be able to get to the wrecked protoform factories and carry the parts back to the Maximal Elders Building. Each had sections of Cybertron to check and maps that showed the known locations of protoform factories, which was hoped would allow for the fastest possible completion of the work required. The flyers could move quicker and carry things, particularly the larger things or more of the little things without requiring a massive increase in the number of transformers visiting one site.
And that is what brought Cybershark to what had once been a protoform factory well to the south of Cybertron's capital city. While his robot mode was firmly grounded, transforming to his Great White Shark based beast mode activated anti-gravity units in his body and allowed him to fly through air as though he were swimming.
"Cybershark to Rattrap, do you read?" Cybershark spoke into is radio link and hoped he was still close enough for the others at the Maximal Elders Building could pick up the signal, "Come in Rattrap, do you read me?"
Cybershark was only greeted with static echoing through his radio link. Normally communication would be no problem. Satellites that ringed Cybertron would allow transformers to communicate with each other through their own radio systems, of if they had access to communications towers and systems, they would send signal either by similar radio links or by a direct cable link to the intended recipient station. Thanks to the Tripredicus Council, those means were largely gone, and Cybershark really wished they weren't.
The factory he had arrived at was like so many others in that it had been a deliberate target for attack. Scraps of metal lay in "piles" and was twisted in all directions after the building had been brought down, or nearly completely so. That made it pretty clear that they wouldn't be able to use the factory, but he did decide to check and see if any parts might have survived. A good many pieces had been completely destroyed or were at least seriously damaged. That made something that Rattrap probably couldn't use, but eventually he did come to something that MIGHT be useful.
It was actually a stasis pod and it had apparently survived intact, which was a surprise in and of itself. He had found it on what had probably been a waiting or loading platform for a protoform to be placed in it, and was placed in such a position that when the building was brought down that one of the twisted pieces of metal from a support beam or from the walls itself had bent in such a way that the collapsing building couldn't crush the pod that Cybershark had found. It gave him some hope that they might be able to cobble at least one protoform factory piece together, as they'd probably need a pod to place the protoforms before sparks were joined to them and then activated. At least that's what Cybershark thought.
"Hopefully they will need this," Cybershark said to himself as began to carry the pod away to a clearer area. He'd check the rest of the area for any factory pieces that might still be workable.
Maximal Elders Building
Meanwhile, Rattrap, Rhinox, and Runner were going over the efforts of getting things in line to make sure that the parts that were being brought were parts that they needed weren't repeat parts and that they could at least let the flyers know what parts to look for. That presently had them in one of the security rooms that were in a central hallway to the council chambers where the Elders and elected officials debated matters. The security rooms had connection to the scanners that made sure no one went in armed or with their weapons charged if they were part of the transformer's body.
"The scanners were designed to prevent lone assassins from sneaking in," Runner commented, "and the computers they're connected to should be good enough to pick up and analyze the parts you need or are looking for."
"Provided we can alter the program," Rattrap answered as he sat down at the computer terminal, "these are security scanners. Their base programming won't recognize the parts we're looking for and might even call them a weapon and activate the security systems… and that's IF they survived the Tripredicus Council's assault."
"It's better than trying to remember all the parts and pieces on your own," Runner countered.
"That I can agree to," Rattrap commented and began flip the switches on, "I just hope this works…"
The computer systems all came on and in the hall, Rhinox could hear the sound of the electronic and scanning systems begin to turn on. He looked carefully around to see the lights that marked scanning plane began to turn on and glow with a relatively bright light. That marked it as active and was a positive step in seeing that things still worked.
"Well… it's working as intended," Rhinox reported and made his way into the office where Rattrap was looking into the computer's programming, "if you can rewrite the programming, I think Runner's idea will not only work but will work well."
Rattrap nodded kept typing to get into the computer's main programming files. He found much of the base programming working fairly well and easy to manipulate, which would make things easier with reprogramming it, though he would still need the parts list and other related info as to what the parts were. Rhinox and Runner watched fairly closely as Rattrap began going through the programming. After a few brief moments, Rattrap turned back to both of them.
"Well… we got some good news," Rattrap answered, "The programing was rather simple. Nothing major… I ain't the best programmer, but the system works well."
"Probably from a simple detection program," Rhinox commented, "all it needs to do is detect the weapon or its charge and then take appropriate action…."
"Which is part of the good news," Rattrap gave a small smile, "It'll mean we just need to insert the programming list for the parts we need as well as the number of parts we'll need. Which we should be able to get from the main computers here in the old Maximal Elders Building."
"Is there any bad news?" Runner wondered after a few moments noticing that Rattrap had made mention of the words 'good news' a couple of times.
"Well… the bad news, if there is any is that it looks like the main security system is still operational," Rattrap answered, "operational and undamaged… at least in this hallway."
"It's possible that the Tripredicus Council had someone shut the system off before they stormed the Council of Elders," Rhinox commented, "and thus the system was never tested or damaged."
"Which is all nice… but if the system still works and we change the parameters of the scanners to detect parts for a protoform manufacturing system," Rattrap said slowly, "the security systems will come on and will retaliate."
Rhinox blinked and looked down with a heavy sigh, "Which could damage the parts we're trying to get or potentially damage the transformer bringing them…"
The older Maximal scientist heavily thought over some things that Rattrap reported. He was pleased that the programming for the scanners could be rewritten and easily rewritten, but if the security system was intact and functioning, they'd need to do some major work just to make sure their solution to the problem they had in getting all the sparks activated a viable solution.
"Why not just turn the security part off?" Runner asked, "You could do that that, right?"
"I could, but that would also shut down the scanner as well," Rattrap answered, "the point of these security scanners is to have the automatic measures for security be PART of the scanner. Otherwise, you'd need to put a bot to guard ever entrance and do the work the hard way."
"Is there any way to disconnect the wires or something?" Runner asked, "Render the defense and security systems inert but leave the scanning equipment intact?"
"That we'd have to actually check how these systems were designed," Rhinox sighed, "some take power from the main power lines, and channel it directly. Cutting that wire would then cut power to the scanning equipment as well. Though, if the security systems have their own power generators or power storage units, we might be able to disconnect that part of the system the main power lines."
"And that we'll only find out if we can get access to the files that relate layout of this building and all the things that went into it," Rattrap answered, "which can only be accessed from the main computer… and then begin disassembling the floor to get to the pieces we need to cut and remove. And if the design can't be accessed… then we simply dismantle the floor and hope for the best."
"A lot of this sounded a lot easier to do when I first proposed it," Runner gave a frustrated sigh.
"It is the easiest solution," Rhinox told him, "the trouble is that none of us that were in the Beast Wars KNEW about what was going on here on Cybertron and no one on Cybertron probably expected something that would take down the Maximal Elders the way the Tripredicus Council did. A lot of that has made the job bigger, even with the option taken being the easiest."
"Yeah," Rattrap agreed, "it'll be a lot of work… but as you said earlier… it'll beat trying to remember every part, what that part looked like, and how many parts are needed WITHOUT some technical help. This is really going to be just busy work."
Runner gave a relieved sigh and then nodded.
0-0-0
"And you're sure this system will work with transformation lock virus?" Optimus asked to Botanica as she showed him the designs for the filtration systems that would be used to remove the Trans-Lock 9000 Virus.
While he wasn't about to let himself be called 'king' and was still somewhat surprised by Queen's idea of a unified Cybertron under both of them, he could accept the role of being a leader or founding member of a 'provisional government' until a more permanent solution could be made that would benefit all transformers, not just Queen and not just those that had fought and won the Beast Wars. A tyrant who benefitted others was still a tyrant and Optimus was not about to let himself become that. But for the moment, it wasn't as though there was anyone on Cybertron to counter the notion of a provisional government. That would leave him with checking in on the others what progress had been made in dealing with the other problems that had to be dealt with.
"Yes," Botanica nodded confidently, "in many ways the mechanical aspects that will be used to help feed the trees and keep them healthy won't be affected by the transformation lock virus and will allow the trees to remove the virus naturally."
"But our main filter systems have always failed at controlling the Trans-Lock 9000 Virus," Optimus commented, "It's why the virus was such a devastating weapon toward the end of the Great War."
"Mostly because of the highly technical nature of the virus and how it attacks the mechanical systems compose the processing systems of Cybertronians," Botanica answered, "Or at least the base nature. The virus works like an excellent computer virus, which apparently transformers that turn into vehicles or other pieces of technological equipment have no extra defense against. For you and for us though… with organic based alternate modes… I believe quite firmly that something in the way our own systems function has been altered in a way that the Trans-Lock 9000 Virus can't infect. A sign that either organic layouts or mixed robotic and organic designs are immune to the Trans-Lock 9000 Virus."
Optimus thought over it and knew that his ability to transform wasn't affected. Everything still worked and he could still turn to his alternate modes, a gorilla and a specialized jet that was unique to him. None of the transformers from the Beast Wars had been affected, and they had agreed that the intermixing of robotics and organics on some level allowed them to keep their ability to transform.
"And since our organic forms have immunity to it and robotic filters do not," Rosalon added, "we found it likely that the Trans-Lock 9000 Virus affected many different technological devices in various ways, not just transformers, but couldn't infect organic matter."
"And since plant life served to filter out pollutants Earth," Orx commented, "though at great damage to the ecosystem as humans pumped more pollutants into their ecosystem, it was figured that something similar could be tried on Cybertron. The trees would breathe in the air, including the virus and store it. Our additions of equipment for fertilizers and health diagnostics for the plants would then help us make sure that the trees don't suffer or wither thanks to what we're asking them to take out of Cybertron's atmosphere."
"Can you be certain?" Optimus asked.
"If need be we can return to Vegatas with some samples of Cybertron's current atmosphere and run some coordinated tests," Botanica answered, "but I'm fairly certain that in the end this will work."
"The big thing will be getting the soil and either seeds or transplanting the whole tree," Pinebot commented, "which WILL require going to Earth or Vegatas for either the trees or the seeds and definitely for the soil needed for them to grow strong and healthy… unless when you rebuild Cybertron you intended to go down all the way to this earthen layer your members have mentioned."
"We may have to do that, given the weight issues that the Tripredicus Council's digger drones did to the under levels on Cybertron," Optimus sighed, "in their quest to hunt down Queen, they drilled through the tunnels in random ways to the point where the city as it is might be too heavy for the under levels to support… but that'll all be something that can wait until we've got the sparks activated, as it will be something on par with getting a government in order…"
Optimus glanced over to see Queen checking on a few of the other Predicons that had joined her service. He mind thought to some of the things that Queen had clearly stated that she wanted and the moves she had put on him with the Tripredicus Council defeated. Some of that was odd and he didn't know how to respond. It was possible that inter-faction relations could form and work, after all Silverbolt and Blackarachnia had seemed to put things together fairly well. But he had really only just begun working with Queen and there was the fact that much of what she wanted did relate to ruling Cybertron, in some capacity. Optimus wasn't quite sure on how to work with that.
"Massive in scale needing a lot of hands just to do the basic work for the project," Optimus then finished with a heavy sigh.
Over Cybertron
"Cybershark to Rattrap, do you read me?" Cybershark asked over his radio, hoping to finally be in range of the Maximal Elders Building.
He had managed to finish his search of the factory he had been at. Apart from the stasis pod he hadn't found much that had survived the battle that the Tripredicus Council had fought there, though he found no sign of destroyed or even damaged transformers there. Either the Maximals that controlled it had left it or it was a Predicon facility and the Tripredicus Council demolished it to prevent any new Predicons coming online that might join the resistance or would lack the connections to Unicron that the Tripredicus Council had. Regardless, Cybershark was sure the stasis pod would be needed, and so he was carrying it back with a set of chains wrapped around it and his beast mode as made his way back toward where everyone else was gathered at the old the Maximal Elders building.
The other pieces he found that were still good were inside the stasis pod, and Cybershark was trying hard to report in on what he had found. So far though, he'd only been answered by static. He sighed and would continue flying on and looked over the sights below him. Not every building was heavily damaged, and some even looked as though they hadn't taken a scratch, but many of these also looked like they weren't important buildings or places where anyone would go to hide or make some sort of last stand. Though, he did have to admit that he was outside the capital city on Cybertron, which might mean that there were fewer things that would be considered government offices or major defense locations. Still, he wondered what would happen to the areas that weren't damaged by the Tripredicus Council's actions.
"Cybershark to Rattrap," Cybershark tried again, hoping he'd come into radio range, "Come in. Do you read?"
For a moment he got static before he heard a faint voice answer him, though it might just be more static. He had to make sure.
"You're very faint," Cybershark reported in, "please repeat."
"This is Queen," came the answer. It was slightly garbled by static, but not as bad as before, which was a positive sign. "Rattrap is busy tearing up the floor in one of the hallways. What do you have to report?"
Cybershark wondered what that meant, but decided to ignore it. It wasn't likely that Rattrap would be doing something unimportant. He waited a bit to let the crackling in the radio grow a little bit less and allow for a clearer transmission.
"I have some good news, actually," Cybershark answered after a few moments, "it could be better, but it isn't bad news."
"What is it?" Queen asked with irritation clearly in her voice.
"I found an intact stasis pod," Cybershark answered, "we'll need to place the protoforms in something once made and provide a means to activate them. A stasis pod is the best way to do that."
"Did you find anything else?" Queen asked back.
"A few small pieces here and there," Cybershark answered, "the factory looked pretty much wrecked, like so many of the others appear to be. It's actually a miracle that even the stasis pod survived."
There was a silence as Cybershark continued to fly back toward the capital city. He couldn't see the Maximal Elders Council Building yet, but if he was within radio range, it wouldn't be too long before he would be able to see it.
"Miracles seem to be tough to come by," Queen spoke with a sigh, "but we really don't have too much else to hope for."
"I'm sure we'll manage," Cybershark answered, "Anyway, I'm on my way back with the stasis pod and what small pieces that weren't damaged when the building was brought down. It shouldn't too long before I arrive."
"Good work," Queen replied and then the radio link ended.
Maximal Elders Building
Meanwhile, Rattrap and Rhinox were working to essentially take floor area in the hallway that they intended to use as the main scanning area for the parts to the protoform plant they intended cobble together. While Runner had downloaded the relevant information from the main computers, Rattrap and Rhinox had both searched the building for any sort of maintenance room and hoped that it had been left intact by the Tripredicus Council. They did find one, which demonstrated the trouble that the Tripredicus Council had brought on them. The body of the maintenance officer was there and was either permanently offline or had been subdued to allow his spark to be removed.
"Well… at least he managed to put up something of a fight," Rattrap commented as glanced at the wrench in the bot's hand. It was long and heavy duty, obviously to rotate large pipes or nuts, and was bent at a way that made it clear that the tool had been used as a club against something else.
"That's irrelevant to our present mission," Rhinox said from the doorway behind Rattrap, "are the rest of the tools here and in working order?"
Rattrap looked around and could see a wide assortment of tools and devices. Wrenches, screwdrivers, fusion cutters, wire strippers, and even a few boxes of computer chips with markings that they were to be used for anti-virus programs all lined a series of shelves that ran along the wall in front of a small work desk. The wrench that the transformer had was busted beyond repair, but from what he could see, the rest of the tools were in perfect working order. He even found a crate that was on the floor to the left of the desk, and was quick to collect all of them.
"We have good news in that department," Rattrap answered, "the tools… with the exception of the wrench… are all in working order."
"That's a relief," Rhinox sighed as he looked to the presented crate of tools, "let's get going. The flyers are bringing in parts and the faster we get this scanner operational… the faster we can get to making actual protoforms."
"Right," Rattrap nodded and the two were soon making their way back toward where they planned to put together the old security scanner to be closer to a diagnostic and cataloging scanner.
0-0-0
Cybershark returned to the old Maximal Elders building to find Spine, Mammoth, and Packadex waiting for him just outside the hole that had been made in the exterior walls in order to get the spark containment unit inside the building. It looked as though they were waiting for him. He thought he could also see a shape flying off on the horizon as well as a tarp on the ground, but for the moment the shark transformer couldn't tell and didn't fully have the time. He still had the stasis pod to unload.
"A whole stasis pod!" Mammoth said slowly as Cybershark came in to lower the pod.
"Yes," Cybershark answered as Packadex and Spine moved to "catch" the stasis pod and Mammoth moved to help move the chains Cybershark was using to carry it, "It's a minor miracle that I found a whole one intact… but we would need it to place completed protoforms in."
"And if the activation software is still online," Mammoth began, as the others moved the stasis pod to set it on a large tarp where several other small parts had been carefully laid out, "it'll make activating the protoform inside easier. No wires to a CR chamber or CR tank and doing things that way."
Now that Cybershark was lower in altitude, he could easily see the tarp and the parts. He was actually amazed by the number of the parts that were available, but also noted as to how small many of the parts were. It might do for some portions of the machinery in a protoform manufacturing system, particularly for the small parts that made up protoforms, but they would need some larger parts eventually. Cybershark was sure of that. He did nod in agreement with Mammoth.
"This makes it quite fortunate that we found this stasis pod," Cybershark then spoke, "and there are some small parts that weren't damaged inside it at present."
"Hopefully different parts," Packadex commented and looked into the building, where Cybershark could barely hear some sounds that sounded like metal clanking on metal echoing from inside the building.
"I really don't know," Cybershark answered, "I just know that they weren't damaged parts."
Mammoth and Packadex gave an understanding nod at that.
"Queen made mention of Rattrap doing something to the floor when I reported that I'd found the stasis pod," Cybershark commented, hoping to get some explanation on what he could hear. "Do you know any more on that?"
"Rattrap and Rhinox are looking to alter a security scanner into a diagnostic scanner," Spine commented, "which I think will make the recovery mission a bit easier to see what we need to get and what we have."
"That would be good," Cybershark mused, "make things faster and know when we've gotten all the small parts ready…"
"Yes," Mammoth agreed, "there will be a lot of small parts needed for the manufacture of protoforms since they're all nanites."
The others did nod to that, though Cybershark was privately sure that the full details of getting the new protoform manufacturing devices would work.
0-0-0
Optimus was careful to approach the spot in the main hallway that Rattrap and Rhinox had been working in. He found the floor, wall, and ceiling panels removed and leaving the area open to wiring and the sensor panels that carried a slight green glow to them. Rattrap and Rhinox were kneeling on either side of the parts of the floor they'd opened. Rhinox was flipping through data-pad that was covering the schematics of the system that they were using for the security sensors.
"So, how's it coming?" Optimus asked to them as he approached.
"We think we have the sensors reprogrammed to work more as a diagnostic and cataloguing sensor," Rhinox spoke, "all that's left before we can actually test the sensor's new programming is to disconnect the security systems that the scanner is attached to."
"So we don't vape ourselves in the process," Rattrap added.
Optimus watched as Rattrap reached into the opening in the floor with a pair of wire cutters. He didn't see it, but Optimus did hear a small clicking noise, indicating that a wire had been cut.
"There, that should be all the floor units," Rattrap announced and tossed the small energy projection unit.
It clattered across the floor before finally stopping at Optimus's feet. The Maximal commander looked to it and then to Rattrap, who was already standing up and moving to the opened wall panel closest to him. Rhinox pointed to a couple of points in the open wall paneling, which had to be the wires to the security systems that were connected to the scanning equipment. Rattrap moved and cut the wires that the rhinoceros transformer had pointed to. He noted that the work was going fairly quickly and that Runner was absent.
"You're sure it'll work?" Optimus asked, sounding more curious than anything else.
"We're sure the scanning equipment should work," Rhinox answered, "as the programming was easily rewritten… The only question we'll have is whether or not it can actually count the parts in addition to identifying them. But we can't test that until AFTER we remove the security systems."
Optimus looked down to the collection of energy projectors that had been tossed at his feet while Rattrap moved to the other open wall panel.
"Once we got 'dem all out," Rattrap picked up on Rhinox's answer, "we'll have Runner turn the whole system on and get one of the pieces brought in. It should identify the part and if we're lucky… let us know how many more we'd need or at least count the number of the parts presented to the scanner and we can calculate how many more we need from there."
Rattrap then gestured back in the direction from which Optimus had come with one free hand. Optimus looked over to find Squeak standing by with one of the smaller pieces in her hands. Optimus nodded to her and turned back to Rattrap and Rhinox.
"And if all goes well… this will help us get a plant going quicker," Rhinox finished the answer as Rattrap tossed another energy projector at Optimus's feet, "letting us at least activate some of the sparks here on Cybertron."
Optimus slowly nodded to that. Reactivating the transformers that the Tripredicus Council had been holding in the spark containment unit was major necessity to getting Cybertron back on its feet. It would give them the workforce rebuild Cybertron and get things order and would allow for an honest Cybertronian government to be forged, not simply dictated out by himself or Queen. The damage that had clearly been done to Cybertron so far, though, had made having Cybertron be used for that somewhat difficult. If they had recovered Cybertron completely intact and undamaged from the Tripredicus Council, they could easily get enough protoforms online that the spark containment unit could be emptied in a matter of days, if not mega-cycles, but they hadn't. The fact that they hadn't made Depthcharge's present mission more important, but Optimus didn't have time to worry over that for the moment. Getting something going on Cybertron was more important.
"And hopefully this does work," Optimus said slowly as Rattrap finished with the last energy projector.
"Then be ready for our test," Rattrap spoke to him and turned to a nearby door. The door opened quickly and Rattrap called into it, "Okay Runner start her up!"
Optimus watched as the equipment there began to hum as the systems came on and without the floor's material there to muffle the sounds. The main sensor panel began to glow an even brighter shade of green as the sensor came online. It all looked as if it was working.
"Are you ready?" Squeak asked from where she was standing with the part.
"Yeah… come up with it and hold it over the sensor panel," Rattrap instructed.
The small field mouse transformer came forward and carefully held the small part over the green glowing sensor panel. All of them watched in fascination as the light from the scanning panel grew even brighter, almost creating a wall of green light that Squeak had put her hand through. This went on for a few seconds before the light dimmed and faded out.
"Did it work?" Squeak wondered.
"The scanning appeared to work," Rattrap nodded, "now all we need is for Runner to let us know how the programming worked."
Rattrap then turned and waited for Runner to appear in the doorway with a smile on his face.
"Well?" Rattrap asked him.
"We have one personality control chip," Runner said with a smile, "it works."
"A personality control chip?" Squeak asked looking at the part in her hand.
"It's a chip used to make sure that the nanites in the protoform don't go rogue or anything like that," Rattrap answered, "it broadcasts a command code that should make the protoform nanites accept and adapt to match the spark's personality. That sort of thing."
"It also helps assure whether or not the protoform will be a bot or femmebot when activated," Rhinox added, "which can also be determined by the spark's personality."
Squeak nodded and then looked down at the part while Rattrap gave a loud cheer at that.
"And with that we can make it easier to figure out which parts we need and which parts we have," Rattrap cheered while pumping one fist, "soon all we'll need is the raw materials and we'll be able to get all the Cybertronians back online!"
Optimus smiled at that, as while the problems hadn't been solved yet, they had made excellent progress in solving them. Now, all that was left was to get all the parts in and make contact with the colonies outside of Cybertron.
To Be Continued…