Part 8
"…so what we figure is that while Jazz and the twins were captured, this 'Mindscape' character did something to alter or splice Sideswipe and Sunstreaker's memories." Wheeljack explained to Prowl. "We can't be sure, but I'm starting to think that Shockwave ordered that they got let loose."
"Agreed." Prowl said, leaning against one of the empty berths and rubbing his chin as he processed the information. Jazz stood next to him, while First Aid and Perceptor were carefully securing the twins to their berths.
"Have you been able to isolate this memory yet?" Prowl queried.
Ratchet looked up from the equipment he had set up at the head of Sunstreaker's berth. "Working on it." He reported. Prowl crossed his arms and frowned. "When you have it, I want Smokescreen in here. He may be able to advise us on our next course of action. In the meantime, I'll radio Iacon and arrange for Mindscape to be captured. He may provide us with valuable information."
"Wait Prowl, I'll handle that." Jazz spoke up. "There's a bot or three back on Cybertron who owe me a favour. They'll be able t' get t' the freak-o dude faster than your contacts could."
Prowl was about to ask whom, but decided against it. He did not know much about Jazz's past and his associates in the Black Ops, but he did know enough to know that Jazz preferred not to talk about it. The black and white nodded his agreement and watched as the saboteur left.
Jazz returned some time later, Smokescreen in tow. "Jazz filled me in on the way here." The Subaru said. "Any new developments?"
"Not yet." First Aid replied.
Smokescreen nodded, then his optics fell on the twins. "Why are they restrained?" he asked.
Ratchet and his protégé exchanged a look. "The last set of Mindscape's victims were released in the Kelos badlands." First Aid said. "Originally there were about eight of them. Only one was found still functioning."
"But what do you mean?" Smokescreen asked.
"There was only one functional, and he was dying from energon-depletion." First Aid said. "The rest had been killed several weeks earlier, probably immediately after they were dumped there."
"You mean he…?" Smokescreen trailed off, horrified. Everyone within earshot repressed shudders with varying degrees of success.
"I've isolated the memory file!" Ratchet called out. Everyone crowded around the monitor to watch. The image was grainy and unfocused, but it was clear enough to make out. Nobody said a word. Ratchet let it play through once then shut off the monitor.
"Mech, no wonder they freaked out." Jazz said after a long pause. "I'm surprised they didn't go postal on us earlier."
"Indeed." Prowl said. "They were tormented by this for days."
"Yeah, six days of Sunstreaker watching Sideswipe get gunned down by…us. And Sideswipe watching the same thing happen to his twin." Ratchet shook his head slightly, then his optics narrowed. "Mindscape has a lot to answer for."
"True, but now that we know what the problem is, how do we solve it?" Prowl asked. "And why has this memory only resurfaced now?"
"I have a theory about that." Wheeljack spoke up. "I can't be sure until I find out exactly what Mindscape did, but I think he used a limited A.I. retro-virus to implant the memories. They were active until the twin's self-repair program recognised the threat, effected counter measures and moved to delete it. The memory-carrying virus became dormant until the A.I. could get around the firewalls."
"But why?" Jazz asked. "Seems a lil' odd t' invest so much inta these two an' just let 'em go."
"That may have been the intent." Prowl said, brow furrowed in concentration. "According to the original plan, once a safe distance had been achieved, the majority of the crew would have gone into temporary stasis to conserve fuel while a skeleton crew searched for an energy-rich planet we could mine. We only came across Earth by accident."
"An' if everythin' had gone accordin' t' plan," Jazz continued, "the twin's would'a been on th' first shift. They'd've gone psycho an' slaughtered everyone."
"So how do we help them? Can we delete the virus?" Smokescreen asked.
Ratchet shook his head. "No. It's obviously buried deep in their code, and only they can identify and dig it out. I can equip their systems with more powerful programs to do so, but the twins have to be conscious to implement them."
"And if we wake them up, they won't be coherent enough to do so." Smokescreen finished. "We'll have to help them through the psychosis first."
The Subaru paused, rubbing his chin in thought. "We'll need an empty, secure room. Judging by what Jazz told me about the first time, there will have to be minimal lighting, Cybertron- standard temperature and zero humidity, and two people that they trust in there with them. One person would be perceived as a viable target, three would make them nervous from being outnumbered. It'll have to be two."
"I'll do it." Jazz immediately volunteered, but Smokescreen shook his head.
"Not a good idea Jazz." He countered. "We're dealing with the sub-conscious mind here. It knows that something bad happened to them at Polyhex and you were with them at that time. It might just put two and two together and designate you a threat. Ratchet and Prowl will have to."