CHAPTER 67
"To your left ... Again! "
They got started right away.
In a distant echo, the alarm continued to sound.
Through voice control, Father John ordered the armour to manually raise their arms to open the laboratory circuit breaker to select the cables to disconnect or possibly cut.
Under the directives of Glacius and Ratchet, Father John tried to be as attentive as possible. He had never been good at mechanics, but he knew he shouldn't be wrong.
At first, Father John had believed he could force the bars of the cell, but Glacius had immediately warned him that they were laser bars and touching them would risk electrocuting him, or at best, damaging the armour. When Ratchet had come up with the idea for a code, Glacius had also rejected the idea. If it had been that simple, the armour would not have been essential.
Father John had understood Glacius better when he'd said that they would not have the size or the strength to take them out. The last solution had been the circuit breaker and it was in a high compartment, almost touching the ceiling according to information from Glacius.
Fortunately Glacius had the necessary knowledge. He was his eyes and as soon as Father John went to the wrong place, the Cybertronian immediately called him to order.
It was not easy to handle, but for the moment, ordering the armour to make the gestures to deactivate the prison bars was not the most complicated. Unlike the walk where Father John fell several times from his seat, the priest could stabilize it at a standstill and remain upright while the armour contented to use its arms.
"Okay, now you're holding the black and blue cables. Try to join them!" Shouted Glacius.
This technology was beyond him ... but trying it would surely only happen once in a lifetime.
Father John did so.
"Join them together," he ordered calmly.
A sizzling noise was heard, even though it was muffled by the insistence of the alarm that kept ringing.
As long as it would rung ... they will have a delay.
A slight glow illuminated his usual black… It disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Father John guessed that it was a sparkle.
"Father John! What have you done?" Glacius yelled, no longer trying to hide the terror in his voice.
His heart jumped into his chest. Yet he had followed Glacius' directions. Had he committed a mistake? Had he inadvertently made a wrong move by joining the cables?
If so, what about ...?
Suddenly, a loud noise cut Glacius in the middle of his sentence.
Then Ratchet's voice echoed behind them.
"It worked !" He exclaimed.
"Bars…"
"They have been deactivated!"
In choir, Glacius and Father John let out a single sigh of relief.
They had succeeded. Ratchet and Mary were free.
"Turn around" Father John ordered the armour that was carrying him.
Once again, Father John fell forward. But this time, he was prepared for it because of the number of times that it had happened during the only trip from the mechanical room to the laboratory of Tarantulas. Not surprisingly, he stretched out his arms and absorbed his fall by placing his palms on the ground. Shortly after, he grabbed his seat to climb onto it.
He heard the footsteps of the Cybertronian grow heavier, a sign that the latter was approaching him.
He was clearly out of his cell. Then, after a silence, Ratchet's voice rose.
"…Who are you ?"
His tone was dark, suspicious.
After what he had just experienced with Tarantulas, it hardly surprised him.
And then ... How long had he been stuck here? The priest cleared his throat, searching for his words.
"My name is Father John. I'm Mary's friend."
"A human ... another human who discovered our existence," murmured the one named Ratchet. "Who is in the Sanctuary without any consequences?"
"Yes. But I don't want to hurt you. No more than Mary. I discovered your existence when Wing came to Earth."
"Wing?" repeated Ratchet.
Ha. Maybe he didn't know him?
"Wing comes from the Circle of Light," Father John told him. "Like Outrigger."
"What are you talking about? How do you know about the Circle of Light?"
He wasn't believing him.
If Father John had been able to see, he would no doubt have seen the closed and cold expression of the former captive.
"It's impossible. It's impossible they're here. They don't meddle in our business with humans, anyway."
No. He shouldn't say that….
"They allied with the Autobots. Your friends ... Arcee, Bumblebee and Cliffjumper are here on Earth" he hastened to tell him.
The surprise fell.
He guessed that Ratchet had widened the optics of stupor and perplexity.
"…No. They ... they came back?" he said, his voice dull and disconcerted.
"I'll explain. But you can trust me. Trust us. Mary, Glacius and I" he added reassuringly.
"... They are there ... My friends."
Father John smiled.
They were going to meet. He was going to find his friends. Just like Wing was going to find Gasket again.
Immediately he called Mary's name. The latter answered him and her voice guided him to her. The priest smiled and ordered the armour to reach out. When he felt he was close enough to her, he stopped the armour.
"…What… ?" asked Mary, her voice weak and hesitant.
"I'll carry you."
"But ... is it reliable?"
Father John hesitated to answer.
Was it reliable?
"... I chose to trust Cybertronian technology" he replied simply.
"John ..."
"I'll carry you," he repeated softly.
He could at least do that. Help her out, extract her from this place when she was injured.
"Trust me."
Mary might seem small compared to him in this armour ... but he could guess a shiver going through his friend's spine.
A few moments later, a sound of movement was enough to make him understand that Mary was climbing on the giant hand. Father John ordered the armour to keep his arm outstretched and not to let go of Mary under any circumstances.
"We have to go now!" shouted Glacius. "We have to go to the ground-bridge room if we want to escape from here."
Yes. Mary had to be evacuated. Let her receive the necessary care.
"No," replied Ratchet, without any warning.
Silence fell on the group.
Neither Father John, nor Mary, nor Glacius understood.
"No? How's that "no"? We've just released you, Autobot!" spat Glacius, panic returning to the surface.
"I will not leave without Undertone."
Undertone ... Yes. From the conversation they had witnessed, it was someone important to Ratchet. Father John should not have forgotten him.
"Where can we find him?" asked the priest.
"You won't find him. It is out of the question that you put yourself in danger!" growled Ratchet. "Mary is injured. You have to go if you want a chance to get out of it!"
"But we can't leave you behind either!" retorted Mary.
"I won't abandon Undertone. He was there for me! He gave everything for me! And then ... you must ... you must ..."
Ratchet began to cough. Many times. Once he got some air, he completed his sentence.
"They have weapons. Weapons of mass destruction. Tarantulas, Airachnide, Glowstrike… they must not be left in their possession. Otherwise, the entire universe, including your planet, would be in danger of being destroyed."
"Are you talking about the artifacts?" Father John calmly asked him.
He felt Ratchet tick.
Again, he felt this stupor.
"How do you know?"
"This is the reason why the Circle of Light has joined the Autobots" replied the priest. "They are looking for them. We have one. The others are on their way to recover the fourth."
Ratchet took a moment to respond, in a shaky voice.
"... And they have two. They must not find others."
"We know it."
"That's why you have to leave!" cried Ratchet, annoyance and worry dominating him. "It's my fight! It's not about humans! You chased us! But Optimus… Optimus would have fought for you."
"You can't stay! You can't stay with Tarantulas" retorted Father John.
He understood Ratchet. He really understood him. And he wanted to help him. But Mary had to be evacuated too.
They could not fight on two battles at the same time. But Ratchet would not leave without Undertone. Nor without an artifact.
Father John did not know what to do. Putting Mary and Glacius in safety or following Ratchet and help him find what he looked for?
No… it didn't have to be such a difficult choice.
Suddenly, Glacius' voice rang again.
"Maybe I have an idea where the artifacts would be hidden," he said, his tone concerned. A
ll attention immediately focused on the Cybertronian.
"On the way to the room of ground-bridges ... there is a door which leads to a room of treasures. No one has the right to enter. It's closed by an automatic mechanism ... but maybe I can freeze it and force the entrance to access it."
"Freeze it?" marveled Mary.
He paused.
"I have ice powers."
"Why would you help us?" Ratchet growled, anger animating his tone. "You are with them ... You are a Decepticon ..."
Glacius' response was quick.
"We don't have an official Deployer ... and Father John has promised us a home. To Swelter and I. If I ask Swelter to come join us ... I think he will listen to me eventually."
He felt Mary's questioning look on him.
Father John decided not to pay attention and just nodded.
"We could try to access it, that's right."
"And how would you transport the artifacts?" asked Ratchet.
"Without me, humans would not be able to open a ground-bridge," Glacius replied. "I'll open the door ... and Father John will just have to go inside and retrieve the artifacts while I open the ground-bridge."
It was not a bad idea. But Father John had to impose his condition.
Only one.
"In this case, you will lead Mary to the ground-bridge. Lead her to a place where she can be treated. This is the priority. She shall be evacuated first."
"No!" retorted the concerned.
In turn, her voice trembled.
"I don't want to split up!"
"Mary… I'll be alright…"
"I refuse to leave you alone!" yelled Mary.
"He won't be alone. I will join him as soon as possible ..." cut Ratchet, the severity evident in his tone. "I don't want to endanger humans ... I don't trust him but Glacius' plan is not stupid. And his armour would be good to carry the artifacts."
"And you are telling me that you can open a ground-bridge?" spat Mary.
"It happens to be so," replied Ratchet.
Entrusting Mary to Glacius… recover an artifact… tip the scales…
They might not have another opportunity. And if Glacius had helped him escape, he trusted him to bring Mary to safety.
"I agree…"
"John!"
"I'll join you as soon as possible, Mary."
He had the opportunity to be helpful. To be useful to her. He guessed that Mary was shaking her head frantically.
"Mary ... Glacius will get you out of here."
She refused ... She refused to accept.
"No. I don't want it... I don't want it!"
"Mary ... you have always been the one who defended me" he declared, taking a soft and tender tone.
Yes. Against the aggressors, against the pitfalls of life ...
"... This time, it's my turn to defend you. I am not a fighter. I will not be able to fight, even with such an armour ... But I can at least try to protect you."
Even though he and Mary had taken different paths, Father John no longer forgot what she had done for him, during all the years they had shared, even though illness had finally separated them.
He had stopped letting the outcome of their relationship cloud their memories. Their good memories.
"... This is not your role" repeated Mary.
"This time it is," he replied calmly. "Let me do this for you. Please."
He owed her that.
He didn't see her ... but he could almost feel Mary's warm tears rolling down her cheeks.
"... I always thought that I had to protect you to ... to redeem myself. For having not been there for you when you had lost your sight."
He who'd fallen ill, she who'd stopped fighting and who'd packed her bags to leave overnight. This passage of his life ... he relived it even while sleeping.
He guessed a smile through his friend's tears.
"But ... maybe you don't need it. That you don't need me to defend you. Maybe I still haven't figured out that ... I couldn't erase the past."
Father John opened and closed his mouth. He wanted to tell her something.
Something to comfort her. He was in this armour. He couldn't hug her no matter how much he wanted to.
"If that's what you want" said Mary after a while, "I'm not going to stop you."
He didn't know if she could see his expression despite the armour that separated them.
In any case ... the choice was made. And she wouldn't object, no matter how painful it was.
"I'm sure Undertone isn't far behind," said Ratchet. "I'll join you right away, Father John. In any case, move as little as possible until I get there."
Father John nodded.
"Wait ..." Glacius suddenly cut them off.
Silence fell. Nobody spoke.
"… Listen…" the Cybertronian ordered them softly, his voice becoming low.
Father John froze.
"Listen…"
Listen…
The silence. Silence in the laboratory.
The alarm no longer rang. They understood what it meant.
Already far away… coming from the corridors, the stairs… Father John could hear faint bursts of voice…
"Hurry up," Ratchet ordered them in a whisper. "Hurry up! Tarantulas is coming back!"
He's coming back… As well as the others ...
Father John kept his arm outstretched, carrying Mary in what was probably the palm of the armour.
"Walk," Father John commanded vocally.
"Over there!" Glacius guided. "Over there!"
Even though Father John fell from his seat again, the armour kept walking. Father John ordered it to follow him, no matter where he went.
He kept his arm outstretched, not daring to accelerate out of fear that Mary would fall to the ground.
He heard faint moans from his friend ... the pain was coming back to her. He was afraid that the injury had worsened.
Father John's heart quickened. As he followed Glacius, he tried to reassure her.
I'm here, he tried to tell her. I got you.
He was trying hard not to change his mind and tell Glacius that eventually he would follow them to the ground-bridge. Just to check that Mary would be safe.
But Glacius was sincere. He felt it. He would watch over her… even though it was painful for Father John to hear Mary suffer like that.
Finally, Glacius called out to him to stop. Father John grabbed hold of his seat.
"We are at the door," he informed them. "The treasure room."
Father John heard Glacius' footsteps walking away. He backed away.
"The mechanism is there. With my powers, I might destroy it and open the door."
"I know you can" comforted Father John with an encouraging tone.
The next moment, a noise resembling that of a block of ice breaking in the sea was heard. He understood that he was using his powers ...
A deafening shock was heard, resounding violently in a metal door near them.
Again, silence. Then, the same shock returned knocking on the door.
Again and again. Glacius continued. He continued to use his powers.
He growled in impatience. Father John understood that the door did not give way. But he persevered.
And little by little, even though the priest was safe in his armour, he felt the air cool considerably.
"This door is completely indestructible!" spat Glacius.
"Hold on. Try to trap it in the ice."
Maybe he could help him out. Gently and carefully, Father John ordered the armour to depose Mary. Father John wavered when the armour leaned over to gently drop her on the ground.
"Will it be okay for you?" addressed the priest to her.
"Yes" reassured Mary.
"Face the door," ordered the priest.
The armour swivelled. Father John ordered it to stop.
The shock would be violent for him. He was preparing for it.
But if it was useful, he might as well endure it.
"…Hit the door."
Father John clenched his jaw as the armour gained momentum.
Then, the next moment, he was thrown into the wall while the armour knocked with full force on the metal door.
Again and again…
Father John could not say how long they spent beating on the door. Glacius used his powers, Father John used the armour to at least stamp it ...
But the reactions of Mary and Glacius did not change. Nothing had moved.
"We should go! Maybe we're doing this for nothing!" Said Mary.
Yes… But they shall at least try ...
They should at least try to find out if the artifacts were trapped inside. Finally, Father John opted for another solution.
"Is this a door that opens vertically or horizontally?" he questioned him.
"… The vertical."
"Guide me, Glacius."
He ordered the armour to stoop. Maybe it was something to try.
Father John took a breath, preparing for the new turbulence to come. Then he ordered the armour to reach out and try to force the door, trying to open it from below.
Glacius yelled that it wouldn't work. Father John felt violent vibrations pass through his environment. He couldn't even sit back down until he was abruptly pressed to the ground, face down.
The armour obeyed. It was trying to open the door, force any opening.
"Again..." stammered Father John.
Vibrations and tremors intensified.
Quakes that reminded him of the earthquake that had hit Crown City recently.
"Again ..." he repeated, trying not to falter.
The armour did not stop. It was obeying his orders ... when it could destroy it or at least seriously damage it.
Father John wanted to give up.
But it was necessary ... it was necessary ...
"Again !"
Father John was propelled forward. Again, his head hit the wall. For a few seconds, Father John saw the stars cover the usual darkness as he felt his body fall to the ground, his wheezing, his breath taken.
He didn't know what had happened. For a few seconds, Father John remained in this position. He heard Mary's voice ring out.
But it was like he was underwater ... her words, her words were incomprehensible.
"... two meters ... the opening ..."
Two meters…
Finally, Father John found his hearing. Gently, he straightened up. A vague nausea took him by the throat but he chose to ignore it.
"You managed to force an opening of two meters!" he heard Glacius.
Father John breathed in and out slowly, gradually catching his breath.
"We won't be able to access it!" shouted Glacius.
"Yes, we will"
Two meters ... it was enough for a human size. His size, at least.
"... Open up" he ordered the armour, his voice exhausted.
Father John took a step and did not realize that he had already left the armour until he touched the ground.
"John!" Mary called him, worried. "Everything is fine ? Talk to me!"
His forehead was sweating and he was currently in full tachycardia: his heart was beating in his chest at high speed and the nausea had not disappeared.
It was strange. Yet it was the armour that had made all the effort. Not him.
"You do not look well."
"I'm probably a little nauseous because of the roller coaster" joked the priest. "Do not worry about me. You had to focus."
They weren't safe yet and the hard part was yet to come.
"Open a ground-bridge and run away. I'll wait for Ratchet."
"John ..."
Father John smiled again.
"... It will be fine. See you soon, Mary."
"... Right away" she replied in a soft voice.
Helped by Glacius, Father John managed to find the opening with his hands and prepared to slip inside the room.
"… Thank you, Glacius" he gratified, grateful. "Thank you ... for taking care of Mary."
"And you ... take care of Swelter."
He did not hear the end of his sentence.
Glacius and Mary were gone. Had they already joined the ground-bridge room?
Silence fell. Father John called. No one answered him.
And as he turned around, the black around him, the black who had always accompanied him since the beginning of his blindness ... suddenly became bright.
It felt like a dream.
In dreams, Father John saw.
He relived his memories. He relived his youth. He relived the period in which he could still discern the multiple colours. Blue, red, yellow, white…
Not just the black that lit up over time, but that left nothing else to appear.
This unknown black, like a warm blanket that enveloped him but cut him off from so many things ... so many things he could only access by other senses ...
The multiple colours… everywhere.
The Christmas garlands, the sunlight, the blue of the sky, the green of the meadow and the pale pink of the lips of the memory of Mary younger.
The first thing Father John saw was a bright red. A distant red glow.
Father John remained motionless, not daring to move. He thought he was asleep.
But even while walking, pinching himself, he found it hard to believe. He could hardly believe it was true ... that it was reality.
This red glow… which became more and more clear… which let appear a form of diamond… like a ruby…
A diamond…
Father John stopped. Voices, whispers came to his ears ...
The priest turned around ...
A silhouette was discerned. A human figure this time.
But he recognized her. He hadn't seen her in ages, but he recognized her ... He would never forget it, even in its final moments.
Her back was facing him ... but he knew who it was.
The sight of Father John blurred.
With his throat tied, his jaw clenched, he risked taking a step.
Her brown hair ... her square shoulders ... that blue shirt ... Like the one time he had met her.
The one who'd defended him from his attackers outside a bar.
Father John took his face in his hands.
Mary ... it was Mary ...
He saw her again ... He was blind, he had lost his sight for a long time ... And he saw her again... She was in front of him.
His eyes… his eyes saw!
"Mary ..." he called weakly, his voice strangled.
His cheeks were wet. He realized he was crying.
With joy… tears of joy. He turned around again.
In the distance, another silhouette. Much bigger than him… infinitely bigger than him… The size of these buildings of old times ... of these skyscrapers ...
Father John did not understand. He stared at the figure, tears running down his cheeks without stopping.
A silhouette made of metal ... white and red ... light reflections ... Blades on his back ...
This description ... there was only one.
"Wing" he called.
Wing's back faced him.
He couldn't see his face. No more than that of Mary.
Why didn't they turn around? He saw… he could finally see… and they didn't turn around.
Again, that red glow entered his field of vision.
This diamond shape ... floating in the dark.
You want to be useful ...
Be useful ...
Father John blinked.
Mary risks dying ... the universe risks being destroyed ... Wing risks being eternally unhappy ...
Death ... Eternally unhappy ...
The distinct figures did not move at all.
You would be ready to give up everything… you would be ready to destroy everything to better rebuild…
Father John did not understand.
Your deepest desire ...
To see ...
Basically, he had always wanted to cover the view. He had always wanted to see Mary… in person, with his eyes, despite the doctors saying that it was impossible.
He believed in miracles ... It was a miracle happening.
So why… did he also feel deep anxiety?
The key to destroying and rebuilding everything ...
The key to saving Mary…
The key to saving the universe ...
The key to making Wing happy…
Father John realized that he was holding something in his hand.
Your deepest desire ...
Father John blinked.
He couldn't quite see what he was holding in his palm ... it seemed so small, so fragile ...
Something metal, gray and black ...
His brain was spinning, trying to remember what it was.
He did not see well through tears ...
Your deepest desire.
He remembered… This shape…
A USB key.
This key ... is in your hands.
And as he looked up to bring his attention back to the red glow from the ruby floating in the distance ... the light blinded him again.
And when he opened his eyes ... there was nothing but black.
This black to which he had always been accustomed since the beginning of his illness.
Father John waved his hand.
He saw ... he saw now.
Nothing appeared before his eyes.
He waved it again, more and more desperate at the thought of seeing something.
Nothing ... nothing appeared ... He no longer saw…
Without a word, he fell to his knees.
Violence and despair invading his whole being, the priest could not endure any longer.
With reality painfully resurfacing, he still prayed with all his heart for the opportunity to see again.
Father John started sobbing.
The tears of joy had turned to tears of pain ... and he cried like he had never cried before.
"Father John ..."
The first time, Father John did not react.
He stayed in the same position, hearing only the faint echoes of the voice of Ratchet, his usual black mask that barred the priest's eyes from seeing the Cybertronian.
He'd almost forgot the situation they were in ...
Him. Mary. Ratchet. Glacius.
He was in the Sanctuary. He was in the Sanctuary and no longer saw.
"Father John! You hear me?"
Father John wiped his cheeks.
It was useless… the pain was still too present.
"I'm here," he replied, his voice strangled.
"You forced an opening. I will try to force it further to let Undertone pass."
So, he had found Undertone.
Father John nodded, without reacting.
"You did a good job."
The next moment, a deafening noise was heard.
Ratchet had probably stooped to lift the door to let Undertone pass through.
Footsteps ran towards him. Father John felt an unknown, albeit reassuring, hand touch his shoulder.
"… Undertone?"
"Yes" replied a male voice, with a fairly calm tone.
Father John snorted.
"…Is everything fine?" Undertone asked him.
"Yes. The Diamond ... the Diamond is here."
He paused.
"…Watch out. Wing spoke of the dangerous power of these artifacts."
"What do you have in your hand?"
Father John frowned. He hadn't noticed that he was holding something.
Something small ...
"... I don't know" he replied in a dull voice.
"A USB key ... where did you find it?"
A USB key…
But ... he had dreamed. He had dreamed of all this. From this illusion ...
The Diamond of Adaptus had imprisoned him in an illusion ...
"I don't have any key ..."
"Yes. You hold it right now. A USB key…"
But ... He hadn't invented it, had he?
But when Father John touched it with the tip of his finger, the warm metal answered him.
It was real ...
This key ... is in your hands.
Why ... why taking his sight away from him ... and leave him with a USB key?
He didn't understand ...
"Father John!"
Father John was cut off from his thoughts.
Yes. The diamond. Mary. Flee.
Quickly, he slipped the drive into his pants pocket. He felt Undertone grab his hand and inviting him to follow him.
His gesture indicated that he was holding something in the other arm. Father John did not try to ask. He just used his hands to exit the room through the same opening he had used to enter.
"Did you get the Diamond?" Ratchet asked, addressing Undertone.
"Yes."
"What about the Crown?"
Father John guessed a negative response from Undertone. Ratchet let out a deep sigh of impatience.
"They always keep an artifact!"
"We don't have time" replied Father John. "We have done enough for today. Only one fight at a time."
Only silence answered him. Undertone was the first to approve.
"He's right, Ratchet."
Yes. They had done enough ...
Father John wiped his eyes as they were still wet.
"Are you okay, Father John?" asked Undertone softly.
"…Yes."
He had to get used to it. He had been temporarily out of his blindness ... for a short time.
He had to get used to it again. In a weary voice, Father John ordered the armour to reopen.
"Is it really a good idea to drive it?" Ratchet asked, concern evident in his tone.
"Yes."
He didn't understand what this artifact had tried to show him ... or why he had this USB drive in his possession.
But this was not the time. They had the Diamond. They were to find Mary and Glacius. He forced a smile before guiding himself towards the entrance of the armour, helped by Undertone.
Then, once again on board the armour, Father John ordered it to open its chassis so that Ratchet slipped the Diamond inside before closing it.
Was it a good idea? Father John feared that he would be imprisoned in a new illusion with the Diamond so close to him.
Everything will be fine, he tried to reassure himself.
He shouldn't panic. Everything will be alright…
At the rushed footsteps of the two Cybertronians, Father John guessed that Ratchet and Undertone had started to run.
Father John immediately ordered the armour to follow them. He gripped his seat so as not to fall during the journey.
Everything will be alright…
"The ground-bridge room is right there!" he heard Ratchet.
Everything will be alright…
The black became lighter.
They were going to join Mary and Glacius. They were going to join his church. They were going to join the Autobots.
They went…
"You're not going anywhere."
This voice…
Father John froze. Immediately, he ordered the armour to stop.
Tarantulas stood in front of them.