DISCLAIMER: I do not own this franchise I am only using it and some of its characters as a base universe for this story.
Chapter 29- Project Iacon
POV: Rainjet
": :" Bumblebee talking
(Note: this chapter takes place during season 2 ep 1 "Orion Pax part 1" of TFP)
"Attention crew." Megatron started on the announcement that would add detail to the events that happened yesterday, Soundwave and I were videotaping him for the speech so it could be broadcasted throughout the ship to the cew. When Megatron had returned home from his excursion to Unicron he'd brought something back with him, or someone. Optimus Prime, or it was his body. He doesn't seem to recognize his own name and only responded to "Orion." which led me to believe that we'd lost a Prime and gained an Archivist. Which was completely fine with me, he and I knew each other before when he was trying to kill the Decepticons on the battlefield. So having Orion take over Soundwave's area until he stopped being useful was completely fine by me.
"Our guest is currently in isolation to help ease his transition. But when Orion Pax emerges he is to be shown every courtesy, and the first to address him as Optimus Prime will have their voice box torn out." Megatron finished solemnly, he scared me, like a lot, when he was happy to dish some destruction and this time was no different. Soundwave and I cut the camera feed for the rest of the ship once Megatron was finished speaking. And before Arachnid decided to intrude on us, but that was usual around here.
"Lord Megatron, is it wise to allow an Autobot, current or former, full run of the premises?" Airachnid questioned, she was standing in front of some of the vehicons and eradicons that were stationed on the ship. Nobody spoke but her and what she was doing could have her in the same situation Starscream had himself in on the regular. "Nothing happens aboard this ship without my knowledge, and he will have Rainjet watching over him while he works. You will do well to remember your place before questioning my decisions, Airachnid." Megatron replied stone cold, I thought he was done speaking but apparently long pauses were a thing and before I could even take a step he started to talk again so I stayed silently in my place like the others until I was addressed.
"But, there's no need for concern, Orion does not possess the same fight Optimus is so renowned for." Megatron finished, he was done talking but Airachnid had questions to be answered. Megatron was right, she needed to understand that he didn't need to be questioned, kind of like your carriers. Unless they're asking you to kill someone you don't really question what they're asking because you know just to do it, "Then what use is he to our cause?" Airachnid questioned the re-turned lord. He was facing me and Soundwave again instead of Airachnid like he had before. "Rest assured, Orion Pax will indeed earn his stripes." Megatron replied, basically dismissing any further questions from her.
"Rainjet, could you please go get our guest from his isolation so I may show him something?" Megatron asked me, he seemed less annoyed now and kind of… happy? I think that's how you would put it. "Of course, Megatron." I said addressing him before heading for the doors. From what I knew, Megatron had sent Orion to Knockout's lab for a new symbol and I wasn't against it. It was nice to have someone else around here that was a familiar face, Soundwave and Megatron had always been around but I hadn't talked to Orion, not Optimus since before the war broke out. "Maybe he has some memory of our time together at the archives." I thought as I approached the door to Knockout's lab. I could already hear the sounds of sparks flying as a welding torch ment the armor plating on Orion's shoulder, once where his Autobot symbol had been.
I didn't knock, I usually didn't. Besides I already knew Knockout was already almost finished with the readjusting, I stepped through the door and into the dark space. I still had no idea how anyone on this ship could work in such low light conditions, maybe I was just used to the constant light from my computer screen but the whole ship seemed awfully dark for no reason whatsoever. "Knockout." I said to get the doctor's attention, he looked up from working on the new symbol on Orion's shoulder and turned off his torch before addressing me. "Rainjet, I didn't expect you. What is it that you need?" He asked from where he was, which was sitting next to the examination table.
It had been propped up at the right angle for Knockout to work at and for Orion to lay comfortably on it. "Megatron wanted to speak with him, so if you're done I'll take him to go see him." I said still waiting by the door, I wasn't going to move. It was the perfect vantage point to see the whole lab and be alerted if anyone was coming up behind me or any fowl play happened with Knockout it would make a good exit. One can never be too careful on a Decepticon warship.
"Well you're just in luck, I finished up just as you came in." He replied before getting up from his seat to let Orion know he was finished. "How do you like it?" Knockout asked once I could see his handy work, though it was just finished and still glowing molten reddish orange, the new Decepticon symbol looked good. Much better than the one I'd seen on Twinwave the night before when we had our meet up in the dead zone. I flushed a little blue at what I remembered she'd last told me, "I didn't think you'd like it that much." Knockout said when he noticed the colour that had come to my faceplates.
"It's not that, but it does look better than the other one. Much better." I commended before turning and leaving, I could hear Orion's pad steps behind me as we walked back to Megatron. "What do you mean 'better than the other one'?" Orion asked as he finally caught pace with me, I tensed a little remembering that he had literally no memory of being a Prime, Autobot or hating Megatron's guts. But with luck I remembered that every Decepticon had a refined lying skill so I'd better put it to use, "Megatron will explain more. But what I can tell you is that Autobots always mark their prisoners." I replied.
He didn't seem to give any looks of a distinct flashback or any clue what I was talking about, so a sigh or relief was in order as we met Megatron at the door of the bridge. He greeted us with a helm nod before turning and walking into the bridge, both servos were clasped behind his back as he walked in sort of a hunch towards the screen that covered the widows. I, of course, was following behind him, I was here to bring up the imagery and listen to their conversation because I had nothing better to do. Orion followed behind him, and moved his helm back and forth to take in his new surroundings.
"You have been a captive of the Autobots and locked in stasis for quite some time, Orion. Long enough for us to be in exodus on another world." Megatron said as they walked towards the screen, I was behind them but I wasn't really here. I was just here to access the numerous files to bring up imagery at Megatron's que. "Exodus, why?" Orion asked his 'old friend' as we got closer to the screen, I picked up my pace and walked over to the computer on the bridge and pulled up an image of dark Cybertron and prepared to send it to the screen before me. "Because the warlord Ratchet's careless actions led to this." Megatron said, he nodded his helm at me to bring the image to the big screen. Of course they'd come to a stop where the platform ended and where they had a good view of the imagery.
A click or so later the image popped up onto the screen and I watched Orion turn his helm from Megatron to it and gasp, "Cybertron…" He said trailing off at the sight of our now dark planet. I wasn't against lying and manipulation but blaming the destruction of our planet on someone other than himself instead of wearing the badge proudly, made it seem like more than what I thought Megatron had originally had in proccor to 'brainwash' Orion.
"I can not believe Ratchet is capable of such horrors." Orion said, during his pause to take in the image he'd just seen, I had dissolved it to relieve our planet's surface as we toured it via the Nemesis. "Yes, and to think the doctor of doom's mad quest for power continues. His marauders pursued us to this planet's orbit; we feel it's species are not ready to behold us." Megatron said, turning from the window to now face the door of the bridge as he continued to mash lies of our cause and truths of the Autobots. "But we have resolved to protect this world from the same tragedy which was dealt to our own." Megatron finished as he paced away from Orion and I, again I was all for lying but this was getting a little too out of servo for my liking. "One question, Megatron.' Orion asked Megatron, the Lord paused his pacing as a signal for Orion to continue speaking. "Why are we called Decepticons?" Orion asked.
This one was going to be fun to cover up, but I knew there was a whole sheeple Megatron had prepared. He'd used it to convince a human once, but I couldn't tell you what happened to her after she'd found out the truth. "Another craven Autobot scare tactic. The name was meant to demonize us instead we wear it as a badge of honour, for if speaking the truth is Deception then we are gladly guilty." Megatron said as he walked back over to the mech and stopped right in front of him, looming over him of sorts.
Orion gave a solemn nod of his helm, the very nod that Optimus had given me days before when he'd promised to send my message back to my once beloved. "Now please Orion, there will be plenty of time for catching up. You must rest and let Rainjet take you back to your quarters." Megatron said as he turned from both of us to leave the bridge. He of course stopped short when Orion addressed him again with a finale statement, "Megatron. I will do my part to stop Ratchet's unspeakable crimes of aggression. This I vow with all my spark." Orion said as he curled his servo into a fist.
Megatron didn't say anything but instead left us to our own devices. "Alright, I think that's enough stimulation of right now. I'll take you to your workstation and berth room." I said motioning towards the door. Orion nodded his helm and I left the computer to join him in walking towards the door. We got out to the hallway and down it a little way before he broke the silence between us, "Rainjet, whatever happened to you and the femme you were spark mates with? I haven't seen her around the ship." Orion asked me, it took my breath (if they of course breathed) and my whole body tensed up when he asked that. I could lie just as well as everyone else on this ship, but when it came to Wave I had always found no point in it.
So I told him the altered truth, "Well, when the Autobots started their reign of terror on Cybertron she and I had a falling out of sorts. She viewed the Autobots side as the only way to get things accomplished while I tried to reason with her that the Decepticons were the path she should choose. But we didn't agree on it so in the midst of the chaos and war we slipt and the only thing that we still had other than memories was our bond which was served when they took us prisoner." I recounted, though most of this was a truth there was still a bold face lie that I had trouble working into it.
But Orion seemed to buy it because when we got to his room and stopped before entering it he spoke to me again, which I didn't mind but I knew Megatron needed me. "She should have chosen your way, now you two have to face down on the battlefield as emeries instead of facing down your foes together." Orion replied to my statement before opening the door to his room and vanishing inside it, I lingered for a moment taking in what he had said. I would have rather us be on the same side tha different but alas our views didn't align and I wasn't going to betray my kind just to run away with her.
I shook off the memories that had come flooding into my proccor and the possibility of tears here in the hallway, instead I just headed for the meeting I was sure Megatron would need me and Spundwabe for in the same spot he'd briefed our troops earlier. It was a whole lot of walking and catching up to Soundwave but I managed to get there just as Soundwave arrived and our personal briefing started. "It seems we have successfully achieved control of Orion's spark. Now to put his processor to work, have you sanitized the data core?" Megatron asked Soundwave after a short monologue, my partner gave a nod of his helm before Megatron continued speaking.
"Excellent, our new archivist will require unlimited access to our files. Rainjet I'm sure you can grant him that, and it would be counterproductive for him to stumble upon any sensitive information." Megatron said to us, he was now fully turned in our direction and we both gave nods of our helms in understanding before leaving. I was headed back to my work station, where Orion and I would be working for the next however long and Soundwave went to do… whatever Soundwave did when he wasn't working with me.
I walked the halls back towards my work station, which had been moved from the time being from the computer room to the room across from the energon storage vault, which meant more security for Orion instead of just me. But I understood the precautions, I mean he could find something Soundwave forgot to scrub and revolt against Megatron. But that was besides the current events, I had reached my new workstation and opened the doors to it to find Orion silently typing away at some coded messages on his screen.
I just shrugged and didn't intrude because I didn't really care about what he was up to instead I went to my work station and started running diagnostic scans of different world areas in search for energon. The dim room filled with the sounds of digits hitting keys and the occasional beep from both of our computers when I found something or when Orion decoded whatever he was doing, everytime I found energon I would pinpoint the location and rough area it was in before marking down the coordinates and running another scan somewhere else. This went undisturbed in our little room until I had just finished my second or so scan and coordinate marking down before Megatron felt the need to come check on Orion.
I heard the doors open and turned momentarily to see who had come to disturb us but it was only Megatron so I turned my helm back around to my screen and just listened. Orion I noticed hadn't turned around when he'd heard someone enter but instead trusted the bots on this ship enough that they wouldn't come in to kill him or something. "How fairs project Iacon?" Megatron asked Orion when he'd entered, he'd stopped at the door just behind Orion before Orion spoke.
"I am a bit rusty I fear, I've only managed to decode three entries." Orion replied, still not turning around to face Megatron, I thought I'd seen him do this when we were working in the records hall. Someone would come in to deposit something and Orion wouldn't look up from the screen he was typing on but would still manage to hold a conversation with them. "And what do these entries comprise?" Megaton questioned Orion, he was doing a similar thing Ariachnid had done earlier but instead was actually getting useful information instead of questioning Megatron's authority and decisions.
"They were logged by Autobot archivist during the war, after I entered stasis. My only knowledge of their contece so far is that they are coordinates." Orion said before he turned around to face Megatron to explain some more, "Targeting locations on this very planet." Orion continued as he brought up a holo-model of the planet we were currently inhabiting. "I surmise they could indicate hiding places for vessels shuttled from Cybertron for safekeeping." Orion finished, I could tell by the pitch in his voice he didn't really have a grasp on what was actually in those containers but he was doing his job and that was the only thing that mattered. "Such as historical documents or cultural artifacts?" Megatron asked as he approached the holo-model of the planet, he was milking everything he could out of Orion before he let him get back to work. "My greatest feat would be weapons of mass destruction, hidden away for later use." Orion replied.
I could still tell he had no idea what was in those things but when we went to investigate we would find out, Megatron turned to face Orion again as I tried to make myself look busy in the background. I ran another scan on an area I had already as I listened in to their conversation a little more, "All the more reason it is essential that we do everything in our power to keep said vessels from Autobot reach." Megatron started, he approached Orion to congratulate him on a job well done because it really was.
"We are fortunate to have you on our side, Orion Pax." Megatron commended, he'd even put a servo on his 'friend's' shoulder where his new symbol was to congratulate him. After the thanks Megatron displayed he turned to leave for the door before Orion stopped him to ask another question, "Lord Megatron." Orion addressed. Megatron of course turned at the mention of his name and when he did Orion felt the need to continue, "I am puzzled by one particular finding. I have discovered several historic references to Starscream as your second in command." Orion said. He turned and hit a button that pulled up a diagram of Screams, who at this present moment was a rogue and a scavenger who wasn't with any side.
"Yet I have not seen him aboard the ship." Orion continued, Megatron turned to face Orion to give him his answer, "Sadly Commander Starscream is dead." Megatron said with a dash of fake remorse before turning and exiting. He left his lie hanging in the air, at this present moment we didn't know if Starscream was in fact alive or dead but there was a very good indication that he probably wasn't.
Megatron left our work station, and Orion and I both went back to doing actual work. I continued to add a new location to my area scanner to see if I could find more energon, so far I'd tried Canada, Russia, Alaska and Antarctica but so far those location had come back negative with only a weak signal coming from Canada, somewhere the Humans referred to as Saskatchewan however weird that spelling was. I enhanced the location and jotted down the coordinates of the weak signal before trying another spot in the United States of America, the scan was taking a while so it gave me some time to take a pause and look around the room.
Of course Orion was still at his workstation decoding but the lovely sound of blaster fire was already echoing through the halls, "You've got to be fragging kidding me." I muttered as I heard it get closer. The vehicons at the energon storage vault had probably already abandoned their posts to help stop the Autobot or rogue intruder. "Rainjet, do you hear that?" Orion asked me, he'd looked up from his work station and was now heading for the door. I ran ahead to try and stop him from leaving, "Probably an Autobot made it onto the ship, we both don't have weapons that are charged so it's better to remain in here where it's safe." I replied. Orion nodded his helm before turning back to his work station and walked back to it, I let out a sigh of relief before going back to mine to see if the scan had completed itself yet. Which thankfully it had and I went back to enhancing its area range to see if I could pick up the signal's exact coordinates.
I was working on my signal tracing before I heard the door to our room open again. "Orion, please return to your workstation. Lord Mgeatron's orders." I heard a vehicon say to a clearly very curious Orion Pax, "Scrap." I muttered again as I looked towards the door. It of course had to shut right as I looked towards it, I was about to lose Orion and my head would be hung on a wall for it. "No no no, what is that idiot doing?" I thought as I left my workstation to go after him, when the door to our room opened the hallway was completely empty but of course Orion had gone towards the sound of a motor and blister fire which wasn't hard to track.
I just had to follow the sound of the fire until I got to its source, which was what I was doing because we didn't need to lose Orion and gain Optimus right now. "Orion, where are you?" I whisper shouted down the hall as I went after him, there was no reply because he was either deaf or too far ahead of me. "Soundwave is everything alright? I heard a commotion." I heard Orion's voice ask my partner around the corner ahead of me, I picked my pace up a bit and rounded the corner to find Orion standing in the middle of the hallway looking dazed and confused.
"Orion, there you are, I told you to stay at our workstation. You could have gotten hurt! Or worse killed." I said grabbing his wrist and semi-dragging him away from Soundwave who was currently walking away from us. "How long has it been since he spoke?" Orion asked me, which was really out of the blue. "What?" I said blatantly confused, "Soundwave didn't answer my question he just walked away, the entire time I've been on the Nemesis he hasn't spoken." Orion replied trying to explain a little further. "Wow the Autobots must've done a worse job on you than I thought. He hasn't spoken since we were a little older than sparklings, maybe nine or ten. He had his voice box ripped out by that femme you asked me about earlier." I replied as we approached our door.
We went through the short hallway like thing that was in front of it before walking through and it shut behind us, Orion was clearly thinking over what I had just said because he hadn't asked another question since I'd spoken. "Why would she do that? I thought she liked your friends." Orion said breaking his silence, I snorted at Wave liking my friends, that whole idea was clearly off the table.
"No actually, she hates you guys. Well she likes you but Megatron and Soundwave not so much. And I don't know, jealousy maybe?" I replied before I turned by to my work, this time when we sat down and went silent there was no blaster fire to be heard in the background as we both went back to work. I finished my enhanced energon scan in the Nevada area, it turned up negative though before there had been a weak signal when I'd done a broad range scan. "That's weird." I thought as I tried another enhanced scan, it came up negative again. I decided just to abandon it because I wasn't getting a clear reading on the scan nor was it coming up positive when I tried to find its location but I knew it was somewhere in the desert from the looks of things.
I looked over to check on Orion, who thankfully was still here and not wandering the ship. I sighed just as the doors opened, I turned my helm to see who it was. They were carrying energon cubes so I really didn't see much of their faceplates, Orion turned around from his station to see who was at the door and got a very different reaction which we both had not been expecting. "No! Optimus Prime!?" Starscream said, he dropped the stack of energon cubes he was carrying and raised missiles towards Orion who had no idea what was happening. Orion just looked confused and scared by the weapons being raised at him, this was definitely not a good time for this to happen. "Starscream? I thought you were dead!" I said with actual surprise and trying to cover the detrimental mistake that had just happened on Starscream's behalf.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave some feedback for me so I can make it a better reading experience for you guys!
Instagram fan account: ×twinjet×