Disclaimer: See "Cause of Madness" Part 1 for my disclaimer.
This story is called "Legacy." Like "Cause of Madness," it was written by Robert A. Jung. Just like "Cause of Madness," I am using this story by permission.
LEGACY
PART 1
(WE SEE CHARR. WE FADE TO WHERE MEGATRON IS ENCOURAGING THE DECEPTICONS.)
NARRATOR: MEGATRON, THE GREATEST LEADER THE DECEPTICONS HAVE EVER KNOWN, IS BACK. HE HAS JUST SPENT HOURS AMONG HIS TROOPS, BOOSTING THEIR SPIRITS AND RAISING THEIR MORALE. THEY HAVE WELCOMED HIM BACK WITH OPEN ARMS AND BELIEVE THAT HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN TRULY LEAD THEM TO VICTORY. NOW, HE NEEDS SOME TIME ALONE SO HE CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
(MEGATRON IS WORKING AT A COMPUTER TERMINAL. HE LOOKS DISGUSTED.)
MEGATRON: I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT FOOL GALVATRON! THIS USED TO BE A BUDDING GROUP, SPORTING MILLIONS OF WARRIORS. NOW, BECAUSE OF HIS SO-CALLED "LEADERSHIP," MY ARMY IS LESS THAN 1,000! I'D BETTER CHECK THE AUTOBOT RANKS.
(HE PRESSES SOME KEYS. WE TURN TO THE SCREEN AND SEE A LIST OF NAMES. CLOSE-UP OF "OPTIMUS PRIME.")
MEGATRON: (WHILE SLAMMING HIS FIST ON THE DESK) NO! WHEN UNICRON MADE ME INTO THAT . . . THAT THING, KILLING OPTIMUS PRIME WAS THE ONLY JOY I HAD LEFT! BUT NOW, EVEN THAT'S GONE! I'D BETTER CALM DOWN, SCAN THE REST OF THE LIST.
(FOCUS ON MEGATRON'S FACE AS LIGHTS FROM THE SCROLLING LIST FLASH DOWN. MEGATRON TURNS AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER. HE CLENCHES HIS RIGHT FIST AND GROWLS ANGRILY.)
MEGATRON: I'LL DESTROY THE AUTOBOTS YET, EVEN IF IT TAKES ME ANOTHER SIX MILLION YEARS TO DO IT! (BEGINS TO CALM DOWN) NOW'S NOT THE TIME TO RANT. THERE'S OBVIOUSLY NO WAY I CAN CONQUER CYBERTRON WITH THESE MEAGER NUMBERS. AND SINCE THERE ARE NO NEUTRAL TRANSFORMERS I CAN RECRUIT, ANY NEW DECEPTICONS WILL HAVE TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. BUT WHERE?
(HE LIFTS HIS FACE AND HIS FACE LIGHTS UP. HE TURNS BACK TO THE COMPUTER AND BEGINS PUNCHING KEYS.)
(COMMERCIAL)
(WE ARE ON CYBERTRON. ULTRA MAGNUS IS WALKING THROUGH THE HALLS OF THE CONFERENCE HALL. HE TURNS AND SEES OPTIMUS PRIME ON THE BALCONY, LOOKING AT THE STARS. SWITCH TO OPTIMUS.)
ULTRA MAGNUS: (VOICE) PRIME?
OPTIMUS PRIME: YES, ULTRA MAGNUS?
MAGNUS: ARE YOU ALRIGHT?
OPTIMUS: I'M FINE. JUST THINKING, THAT'S ALL.
MAGNUS: ABOUT WHAT?
OPTIMUS: ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST YEAR. EVER SINCE MY RESURRECTION, I'VE WITNESSED THE HATE PLAGUE, THE FORMATION OF THE HEADMASTERS AND TARGETMASTERS, AND THE RESTORATION OF CYBERTRON'S GOLDEN AGE.
MAGNUS: YOU SEEM TROUBLED BY IT.
OPTIMUS: I KNOW. I GUESS I SHOULD BE FEELING PEACEFUL, YET I HAVE NOTHING BUT FEAR. AS IF ALL OF THIS WILL JUST DISAPPEAR IN AN INSTANT.
(HE TURNS TOWARD ULTRA MAGNUS)
OPTIMUS: DO YOU REMEMBER THE LAST TIME OUR WORLD WAS AT PEACE LIKE THIS?
(MAGNUS IS THINKING)
MAGNUS: IT WAS LITERALLY MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO.
OPTIMUS: EXACTLY. IT SEEMS THAT ALL THE MEMORIES I'VE EVER KNOWN HAVE BEEN RELATED TO WAR.
MAGNUS: MAYBE THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM. YOU CAN'T SEEM TO ACCEPT THIS TRANQUILITY BECAUSE OF YOUR PAST EXPERIENCES. BESIDES, WE HAVEN'T HEARD A PEEP OUT OF THE DECEPTICONS FOR MONTHS. IT'S AS IF THEY'VE GIVEN UP ON CONQUEST.
(OPTIMUS TURNS AWAY FROM HIM.)
OPTIMUS: EVEN SO, THERE MAY BE OTHER DANGERS OUT THERE. EVEN THOUGH UNICRON IS DEAD, HE REMAINS A NIGHTMARE FOR ALL TRANSFORMERS. AND WITH THE MATRIX EMPTY, WHAT CAN SAVE US SHOULD ANOTHER UNICRON-LIKE MENACE APPEAR?
MAGNUS: BUT UNICRON'S HEAD EXPLODED A FEW DAYS AGO. PERCEPTOR THINKS IT WAS EITHER A DELAYED SELF-DESTRUCT OR AN ASTEROID COLLISION.
OPTIMUS: I WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT, BUT SOMETIMES I WONDER IF IT'S PART OF SOMETHING DEEPER. MAYBE I'M JUST BEING PARANOID. I HOPE THAT'S ALL IT IS, BUT SOMEHOW, I DOUBT IT.
(WE HEAR A CHIME.)
OPTIMUS: WELL, IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER MEETING.
(THE TWO AUTOBOTS WALK INTO THE HALL TOGETHER.)
A/D
(WE SEE A CITY ON ANOTHER PLANET. WE SEE DESTRUCTION ALL AROUND, INCLUDING DEAD QUINTESSONS AND SHARKTICONS. WE SEE MEGATRON WALKING INTO THE BUILDING AND THROUGH A ROOM. FROM HIS VIEWPOINT, WE SEE THREE QUINTESSONS SURROUNDED BY SCOURGE AND THREE SWEEPS. MEGATRON APPROACHES THE QUINTESSONS AND FROWNS AT THEM.)
MEGATRON: YOU PATHETIC FOOLS! DID YOU REALLY THINK YOUR MISERABLE FORCES COULD STAND AGAINST ME?
(QUINTESSON 1 SPINS TO A NEW FACE.)
QUINTESSON 1: THE SHARKTICONS—
MEGATRON: SILENCE!
(HE FIRES HIS FUSION CANNON. WE SEE QUINTESSON 1 CRASH INTO A WALL AND FALL DEAD. MEGATRON TURNS TO THE OTHER TWO QUINTESSONS.)
MEGATRON: YOUR FORCES ARE FINISHED! MY DECEPTICONS HAVE ALREADY ROUNDED UP THE REMAINING JUDGES AND MAGISTRATES. EVEN NOW, MY PREDACONS AND TERRORCONS ARE HUNTING THE REST OF THE SHARKTICONS FOR SPORT. IF YOU WISH TO STAY FUNCTIONAL, YOU WILL SHOW ALL THE RESPECT YOU CAN MUSTER! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
(THE OTHER TWO QUINTESSONS SPIN TO NEW FACES, LOOK AT EACH OTHER, TURN TO MEGATRON, AND BOW.)
MEGATRON: (GROWLING) BETTER.
QUINTESSON 2: WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO US?
(MEGATRON SMILES.)
MEGATRON: YOU WILL ALL BEGIN WORKING IMMEDIATELY TO BUILD ME A NEW ARMY OF DECEPTICON WARRIORS.
(THE TWO QUINTESSONS LOOK AT EACH OTHER, SWITCH TO NEW FACES, AND TURN TO MEGATRON.)
QUINTESSON 3: WE CANNOT.
MEGATRON: WHAT? HOW DARE YOU REFUSE?
QUINTESSON 2: WE DO NOT REFUSE. (SWITCH TO NEW FACE.) BUT ONLY—
(WE SEE MEGATRON LEANING TOWARD THEM.)
MEGATRON: ONLY WHAT?
(QUINTESSON 3 SWITCHES TO NEW FACE.)
QUINTESSON 3: DON'T!
QUINTESSON 2: WE MUST!
QUINTESSON 3: BUT YOU CAN'T!
QUINTESSON 2: WE HAVE NO CHOICE!
QUINTESSON 3: YES. YOU'RE RIGHT!
(WE SEE MEGATRON AND TWO. MEGATRON LOOKS ANGRY.)
QUINTESSON 2: WE CANNOT DO AS YOU ASK BECAUSE ONLY JUSTICE HAS THE SECRET OF CREATING LIFE.
QUINTESSON 3: WE CAN BUILD THE BODIES, BUT PROGRAMMING THE PERSONALITIES IS SOMETHING ONLY SHE KNOWS HOW TO DO.
MEGATRON: (FROWNING) WHO IS JUSTICE?
(THREE SPINS TO NEW FACE.)
QUINTESSON 3: SHE IS THE GUIDING FORCE OF ALL QUINTESSONS. SHE LEADS US IN TIMES OF NEED.
SCOURGE: GREAT. RELIGIOUS NUTS.
MEGATRON: TAKE ME TO HER.
D/D
(WE SEE THE QUINTESSONS LEADING MEGATRON, SCOURGE, AND THE SWEEPS OUT OF THE ROOM. THEY GO DOWN A SPIRALING RAMP. ONCE DOWN, THE WALK DOWN A HALLWAY WITH GLOWING RODS ALONG THE WALLS. THEY WALK THROUGH AN ARCH INTO A DIMLY LIT ROOM. IN THE CENTER, THERE IS A CIRCULAR CONSOLE. WE SEE JUSTICE OPERATING IT. SHE WALKS TOWARD THE DECEPTICONS.)
JUSTICE: WELCOME, MEGATRON.
(COMMERCIAL)
QUINTESSON 2: HE IS HERE FOR—
JUSTICE: I KNOW WHY HE IS HERE. MAGISTRATES, LEAVE US. I MUST TALK TO THE DECEPTICONS ALONE.
(WE SEE THE TWO QUINTESSONS MOVE TOWARD THE ARCH DOOR. THE SWEEPS ARE BLOCKING THE WAY.)
MEGATRON: THEY CANNOT LEAVE.
JUSTICE: THEY WILL NOT ESCAPE.
(MEGATRON LOOKS AT HER SKEPTICALLY. HE TURNS TO THE SWEEPS AND NODS. THEY STEP ASIDE AND THE QUINTESSONS ZIP AWAY.)
MEGATRON: NOW, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO TELL ME?
JUSTICE: THE HISTORY OF THE QUINTESSONS.
MEGATRON: (FROWNING) YOU'RE TRYING MY PATIENCE.
JUSTICE: THEN I SHALL BE BRIEF. KNOW THAT THE QUINTESSONS ARE NOT FROM THIS REGION OF SPACE.
(A FLASHBACK SEQUENCE BEGINS.)
JUSTICE: (VOICE) THEY ONCE LIVED IN A REMOTE CORNER OF THE GALAXY, ON A PARADISE WORLD CREATED BY THEIR ANCESTORS. THEY ARE VERY INTELLIGENT IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, BUT THEY POSSESS ONE FATAL FLAW: THEY ARE INCAPABLE OF ANY INITIATIVE. THAT IS WHY I WAS CREATED. NOT ONLY DO I PROTECT THE QUINTESSONS, BUT I ALSO GIVE THEIR LIVES MEANING AND GUIDANCE. I DO NOT RULE IN A WAY YOU UNDERSTAND, BUT I SERVE THEM AS THEIR AUTHORITY. SO LONG AS I GAVE THEM TASKS TO PERFORM, THEY WERE HAPPY AND MY PURPOSE WAS COMPLETE. THE QUINTESSON HOME WORLD WAS DESTROYED WHEN ITS SUN WENT NOVA. BUT BEFORE THAT OCCURRED, I INSTRUCTED THEM TO BUILD A SPACE SHIP SO THAT WE COULD FLEE THE DISASTER. THEY SLEPT IN STASIS WHILE I FLEW THE SHIP IN SEARCH OF A NEW HOME. WE ARRIVED COUNTLESS YEARS LATER, ON A PLANET WHICH I NAMED QUINTESSA, IN MEMORY OF OUR OLD HOME. BUT IT LACKED THE RESOURCES TO MAINTAIN THE LIFE STYLE THAT THE QUINTESSONS WERE ACCUSTOMED TO. I WAS AWARE THAT A PLANET OF ROBOTS WAS NEARBY. A SEARCH OF THE COMPUTERS EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS CYBERTRON, AND REVEALED DETAILED SCHEMATICS AND PLANS. THAT WAS WHEN I AWOKE THE QUINTESSONS. I TOLD THEM OF ANCIENT HISTORY, WHERE THEIR ANCESTORS WERE THE ORIGINAL CREATORS OF CYBERTRON. AND I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD RETURNED THEM HERE TO RECLAIM IT. SO PLEASED, THEY THEN FILLED THEIR DAYS WITH SCHEMES TO CONQUER THE PLANET.
(FLASH BACK TO PRESENT.)
JUSTICE: EVEN THE DESTRUCTION OF QUINTESSA DID LITTLE TO DETER THEIR ENTHUSIASM. WE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED WITH OUR DESIGNS FOR MANY YEARS IF YOU HAD NOT ARRIVED.
(MEGATRON HAS HIS ARMS CROSSED.)
MEGATRON: WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH BUILDING MY ARMY OF DECEPTICONS?
JUSTICE: THE QUINTESSONS ARE NOT THE CREATORS OF CYBERTRON.
MEGATRON: WHAT?
(JUSTICE BOWS HER HEAD.)
JUSTICE: IT IS A LIE OF MY MAKING. IT SEEMED TO BE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME. IT GAVE THEM SOMETHING TO STRIVE FOR. WHETHER THEY SUCCEEDED OR NOT WAS IRRELEVANT. ALL THAT MATTERED WAS THAT THEY WERE CONTENT AND PREOCCUPIED.
SCOURGE: BUT . . . IF THEY DIDN'T . . . THEN THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO CREATE NEW ONES.
(JUSTICE NODS.)
JUSTICE: WE CAN MAKE THE BODIES, BUT WITHOUT THAT INDEFINABLE SPARK OF LIFE, THAT WHICH YOU CALL A "PERSONALITY PROGRAM," THEY CAN NEVER BE ANYTHING MORE THAN SIMPLE AUTOMATONS. THE SHARKTICONS ARE THE BEST WE CAN DO, AND THEY ARE NOTHING MORE THAN MINDLESS SIMPLETONS.
MEGATRON: (ANGRILY.) THEN YOU'RE USELESS TO ME!
(MEGATRON POINTS HIS FUSION CANNON.)
JUSTICE: WAIT! TAKE US!
MEGATRON: WHAT?
JUSTICE: LET US SERVE YOU. WE CANNOT GIVE YOU NEW DECEPTICONS, BUT WE CAN STILL PROVIDE YOU WITH ARMAMENT, EQUIPMENT, SUPPORT, AND REPAIRS. I HAVE BUT TO SAY IT, AND THE QUINTESSONS SHALL BE YOURS TO COMMAND.
MEGATRON: HOW CAN I TRUST YOU?
JUSTICE: I AM INCAPABLE OF DECEIVING YOU. IT IS BETTER FOR THE QUINTESSONS TO LIVE A LIFE OF SERVITUDE FOR YOU THAN TO BE EXTERMINATED NOW. MY DESIGN BINDS ME TO THIS.
(MEGATRON LOWERS HIS FUSION CANNON.)
MEGATRON: VERY WELL, JUSTICE. FROM NOW ON, YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE ARE MINE, TO DO WITH AS I PLEASE. BUT I WARN YOU, ANY SIGN OF BETRAYAL, AND I'LL TERMINATE ALL OF YOU WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT!
JUSTICE: I UNDERSTAND.
(MEGATRON NODS.)
MEGATRON: THERE'S STILL THE PROBLEM OF RESTORING THE DECEPTICON ARMY. I HAVE BUT ONE ALTERNATIVE REMAINING, AND I BELIEVE YOU MAY BE OF USE THERE.
D/A(WE SEE CYBERTRON. WE THEN FADE INSIDE A BUILDING WHERE SOME ROBOTS ARE WORKING. THE DOOR IS BLASTED OPEN. MEGATRON, CYCLONUS, AND SOUNDWAVE RUN INSIDE. ONE OF THE ROBOTS TRIES TO RUN AWAY, BUT CYCLONUS SHOOTS AND KILLS HIM. MEGATRON LOOKS AT CYCLONUS, SMILES, AND NODS IN APPROVAL.)
MEGATRON: CYCLONUS, GUARD THE ENTRANCE! SOUNDWAVE, GET ON THE COMPUTER AND BEGIN SEARCHING FOR THE TARGET!
(WE SEE SOUNDWAVE TYPING THE KEYS. HE TURNS.)
SOUNDWAVE: THE TARGET HAS BEEN FOUND.
(MEGATRON RUNS TO HIS SIDE AND LOOKS AT THE SCREEN, BEAMING.)
MEGATRON: EXCELLENT! NOW, FIND THE NEAREST ROUTE.
(SOUNDWAVE BEGINS TYPING AGAIN.)
SOUNDWAVE: INFORMATION RECORDED.
MEGATRON: COME, DECEPTICONS! OUR VICTORY IS NEAR!
(THE THREE DASH OUT THE DOOR AND FLY OFF.)
D/A
(WE SEE OPTIMUS PRIME STUDYING TWO DATAPADS.)
OPTIMUS: (TO HIMSELF) IT SEEMS THAT THE PROS AND CONS OF RESTORING THE GRAND HEXACOM CANAL WITH IMPORTED WATER SEEM TO EQUALLY CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT.
(WE HEAR A BEEP. OPTIMUS TURNS IN HIS CHAIR AND ANSWERS THE MESSAGE CONSOLE.)
OPTIMUS: WHAT IS IT, CARLY?
(WE SEE CARLY'S FACE ON THE SCREEN.)
CARLY: THE DECEPTICONS JUST ATTACKED THE CYRON DATASTORE! AND THEY'RE BEING LED BY MEGATRON!
OPTIMUS: (AS HE'S JUMPING OUT OF HIS CHAIR.) WHAT? WHAT WAS TAKEN? WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
CARLY: THEY'RE ON LONG RANGE RADAR HEADING ONE-THREE-THREE MARK SIX. ULTRA MAGNUS IS ALREADY LEADING A TEAM AFTER THEM. THEY DIDN'T TAKE ANYTHING, JUST DID SOME DATA SEARCHES. HERE'S WHAT THEY DUG UP.
(SCREEN DIVIDES INTO FOUR SECTIONS. CARLY'S FACE IS IN THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER. IN THE TOP LEFT IS A LIST OF KEYWORDS. THE TOP RIGHT HAS SELECTED ENTRIES. THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAS A MAP. PRIME EYES WIDEN IN SHOCK.)
CARLY: PRIME? PRIME? WHAT'S GOING ON?
OPTIMUS: HOW MANY AUTOBOTS ARE ON STANDBY?
CARLY: JUST HOT ROD, KUP, BRAINSTORM, AND HIGHBROW.
OPTIMUS: RADIO MAGNUS. TELL HIM THE DECEPTICONS ARE HEADED FOR THE DELRON SAR RADIO BASE. THEN HAVE THE OTHERS MEET ME OUT FRONT. HURRY!
CARLY: WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
OPTIMUS: TO VECTOR SIGMA.
(HE TURNS OFF THE MESSAGE CONSOLE AND DASHES OUT OF THE ROOM.)
TO BE CONTINUED