Author's Note: The reviews have been good, so here is the fourth chapter of this sequel. Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed this fic since I posted the first chapter.
Disclaimer: You know what it is already. I don't think I have to repeat myself again.
Years of Darkness
Chapter Four: Suspicions and Awakening
The Autobot army was tired and worn out. For several weeks the Decepticons had been staging raids on nearby planets, forcing the Autobots to go out and drive them away. So far they'd managed to hide Ultra Rodimus's absence from the Decepticons, but they suspected that their enemies were close to figuring out that Ultra Rodimus was off-line. None of them really wanted to find out what would happen when the Decepticons finally did realize that.
That time came a lot sooner than they'd expected.
The battle was on a nameless planetoid in a nearby star system. Galvatron looked around for the Autobot leader, but he was nowhere to be seen. The insane Decepticon sneered at Ultra Magnus.
"And where is your fearless leader, Autobot?" Galvatron sneered. "I don't see him here. I haven't seen him at all lately. Is he even functional?" A surprisingly rational thought surfaced in Galvatron's hate-filled, twisted mind. "He's not functional and you're trying to cover for him!"
"He is on an important mission elsewhere!" Magnus bellowed at him.
"You lie!" Galvatron cackled.
The Autobots, though weary, rallied and drove the Decepticons back, wounding many of them badly enough to keep the rest of the Decepticon army grounded for several weeks. Once the Decepticons were gone, the Autobots boarded their ships for the trip back to Cybertron, wondering what they would do next.
Once they were all back on Cybertron, Magnus called an emergency meeting of all command staff. Once all of the various commanders had assembled, Magnus began.
"Our worst fear has become a reality," he announced. "Galvatron has figured out that Ultra Rodimus is off-line. We need him to be active during the next battle, but can we spare the energon needed to get him up to full power?"
First Aid stood up. "We won't need to. I've finished mapping out Ultra Rodimus's circuitry, and the converter is ready. Once it's installed, he'll be able to generate his own power."
Magnus nodded. "Perceptor, how's your project coming?"
"My analysis and models show that there is no way to reduce the energy needs of Ultra Rodimus's laser cannons without sacrificing his overall firepower."
"So we'll have to choose between leaving his laser cannons alone and letting them use up most of his power, or rewiring them and cutting back on his attack power?" Magnus frowned. "That's not a very good choice."
"You won't have to make that decision," Perceptor corrected. "I have found an alternate solution."
"What is it? And, Perceptor, speak in small words so we know what you're saying."
The scientist nodded. "After I realized that there was no way to rewire his laser cannons, I started thinking about an alternate power source. That was when I thought of the power source I use to run my lab, and it hit me. An antimatter reactor."
"A what?" Smokescreen asked, looking around for some kind of an explanation.
"What's anti-whatever?" Jazz wanted to know.
Perceptor walked over to the wall monitor and brought up a diagram. He pointed to it. "Antimatter is the opposite of matter. When antimatter and matter encounter each other, they annihilate each other. The reaction produces an unbelievable amount of energy. I use an reactor no bigger than my two fists to power my entire lab. A small one, less than half the size of the one I use, could be installed into Ultra Rodimus's weapons systems and used to power them."
"If antimatter and matter destroy each other, how can you keep them separate?" First Aid asked curiously.
"The antimatter is contained within a magnetic field, which keeps it from coming into contact with even a single atom of matter. The magnetic fields are layered, so that if one fails, there are others to keep the antimatter safely contained. I can build a reactor small enough to fit into Ultra Rodimus's circuitry, and construct a containment pod for the necessary amount of antimatter. The actual amount won't be very large. The containment pod will be no larger than the first knuckle of my thumb. The amount of antimatter used in the reactor itself will be very small."
"How small?" Springer asked, leaning forward.
"To borrow a human phrase, the amount used in the reactor will be small enough to not only fit on the head of a pin, but could hold square dances on the head of said pin. The amounts are measured by the microgram."
"And if all the magnetic fields should fail?" Blaster cut in.
"To say it bluntly, it will give a new and less strictly astronomical meaning to the term 'big bang.'"
There was silence as the gathered Autobots considered that. Then Perceptor spoke again.
"The layered magnetic fields will be maintained by the reactor itself, so they will not fail unless the reactor itself stops working. That cannot occur until all of the antimatter has been used up. I use a reactor to power my laboratory. It is large enough to destroy this entire city if the fields fail, but it is a safe power source. I spent years perfecting the design before actually building one."
"So it could be used to power Ultra Rodimus's weapons systems?" Sideswipe repeated.
"The reactor will provide more than enough power to run his entire weapons system. He will not need more antimatter for at least eighty years."
"How long will it take you to build this reactor?" Magnus asked.
"I already have."
"First Aid, you bring Ultra Rodimus out of stasis and explain to him what's going on, then install the energy converter. Perceptor, you fetch that reactor and prepare to install it."
The medic and the scientist nodded. Then Magnus dismissed them.
In the repair bay, First Aid shut down the stasis pod and began to revive Ultra Rodimus. Perceptor arrived, carrying a small piece of machinery and a stasis box.
"It will take several minutes for him to revive completely," Medic Alert told him.
Ultra Rodimus stirred as his systems began to go back on-line. He felt disoriented, but that was normal for someone waking from stasis. He waited until the ceiling stopped spinning and he felt more normal before sitting up.
"Welcome back to the waking world," First Aid quipped.
"I expect you've found a way to install that energy converter?"
"Yes. And Perceptor has found an alternate energy source for your weapons systems."
"Tell me."
The two brought Ultra Rodimus up to date on what was happening. The young Prime listened carefully, then thought it over. He decided to allow the reactor to be installed.
"I'll get the operating room ready." Medic Alert walked out of the room.
Ultra Rodimus rose to his feet, swaying slightly. He rapidly regained his balance, walking around the room to make sure his equilibrium was normal.
"Let's go, big guy."
In the operating room, Ultra Rodimus stretched out on the table and went into repair mode. First Aid pried his chestplate open and stared at the masses of circuitry that lay exposed.
"You do know where to put that thing, right?" Medic Alert asked.
"Yes, I do. I'm just figuring out the best way to get past his sensor net without damaging it."
A glimmer of blue-white-green light caught First Aid's optic. He turned his head to locate the source and realized that it was leaking out of the shielded compartment that held the Matrix. The light crept along the circuits. The circuits twitched, then began to move, pulling apart to expose Ultra Rodimus's body cavity.
"I don't think you'll have any problem with that," the other medic commented, peering in at the young Prime's internals. The circuits and conduits that the converter would be hooked up to had lifted themselves free of the tangle and were waiting. First Aid shook himself and got to work.
The installation went quickly. Once First Aid had attached all the necessary connections and activated the converter, it lowered itself into position, and the rest of the circuits resumed their original positions.
Then it was Perceptor's turn.
The installation of the antimatter reactor went off without a hitch. Once it was in and active, a sphere of Matrix energy surrounded it, shielding it. Perceptor closed the young bot's chestplate, and it sealed shut. Ultra Rodimus came out of repair mode.
"How do you feel?" First Aid asked.
"Same way I always feel after someone's been poking around in my systems. Exhausted." Ultra Rodimus levered himself up into a sitting position. "Off-balance and exhausted."
"Go get some rest."
"Good idea."
Ultra Rodimus made it all the way to his quarters before his weariness got the better of him. Fortunately, Sandstorm had been warned, and he was prepared to handle the larger bot. He half-dragged Ultra Rodimus into the inner room, stood on his toes to pull off the helmet Ultra Rodimus wore, and steered him over to the recharge bed. Ultra Rodimus collapsed onto it and was instantly out like a light. Sandstorm smiled to himself, rearranged Ultra Rodimus's long limbs, and pulled the light blanket up over him. Then he left the younger bot alone to get some rest.
In a few days, Ultra Rodimus had gotten used to the new converter and the reactor. The new power sources drastically cut back on his energon consumption. Once he'd adapted to his new systems, he began planning for the next encounter with the Decepticons.
That encounter took place several weeks later.
The site of the battle was a planetoid named Malaren. It was home to a sentient race of quadrupeds, but they tended to keep to themselves. The Decepticons hit the planetoid, and the Autobots responded.
"GALVATRON!" Ultra Rodimus bellowed, his deep voice cutting easily through the din of battle.
The insane Decepticon leader spotted him, and a twisted grin spread over his face. "It's about time you showed up! Gestalt teams, attack!"
To be continued...
I'm learning the art of cliffhangers now. You know what to do if you want more. Review for the battle!