Usual disclaimers. For some reason I still don't own the rights to Transformers. Blatant reuse of old Transformer names on new characters in effect.

Minicon Dawn

Chapter 6

By isoner

Cybertron.

The stray transformer wandered the streets of Cybertron wearing a tattered cloak. The cloak was really unnecessary given that transformers traditionally don't wear clothing, but he liked the image it gave him. The many homeless who had become his followers, tagged along behind him, keeping a respectful distance.

When he had first wandered into town, most of them considered him a lunatic, but then many of the things he said came true. Such as the sudden decrease in available housing due to a sudden growth spurt of vines and weeds which was responsible for most of the newest batch of homeless. The homelessness was presently Cybertron's second greatest crisis.

Even Gigatron was beginning to take note of the vagrant prophet. He kept agents around him at all times, taking careful measure of everything he said. In time he planned to bring him into his own movement, and all his followers as well.

The prophet suddenly stopped in his tracks, and his followers began circling around him, as well as a few of Cheetor's security personnel, ready to prevent a riot if needed.

"Its another vision," someone whispered.

The Prophet spoke. "Oooohh. Catbot and Truckbot make a deal. Catbot keeping shortbots hidden, but will meet with Truckbot soon at his base to discuss terms."

The whispers resumed, "Catbot? I think he means commander Cheetor. Isn't Cheetor off planet now? Who could this Turckbot be?"

"Awww. Plantbot has a headache. she is loosing control. The planet is no longer in balance. too much organics. need more mechanicals in order to survive."

"Plantbot? Could it be Botanica? No one has seen her in ages. This is all her fault! It could be another from her colony. We should raze the plants to the metal ground!"

"The Great Head is distressed that so many bots have not learned how to use their new bodies. That's why bots starve!"

"What does he mean? What is this great head? How does one learn to use our bodies? Maybe he really is a crackpot."

***

"That's what he said all right, every word." The stooge finished his report to Gigatron.

"Interesting. And just who is this person anyway? Have we determined who he is or where he came from?" Gigatron asked.

"Yes, My Lord," Dinobot answered from behind him. "As near as our agents have been able to tell, he wandered in from the outer sectors. We think. he is a Predicon survivor from before the plague, named Waspinator. But he does nothing but rant on about nothing. Why are you interested?"

"Because, Dinobot," Gigatron replied, "He is right, about the reason for the starvation. I know that one first hand. And everything else he has stated has also been true. least everything we have been able to verify. We have no idea how long Cheetor is going to remain off planet, just so long as he is gone long enough for us to complete our plans, but it sounds as if we will have the time we need.

"Send Thrustol out to recruit this Waspinator to our cause. Make sure he does so in a subtle way. We don't want our valuable prophet to feel coerced so that he may turn against us."

****

Fixit was one of the few new cybertronians who was ambitious enough to dedicate themselves to the medical field. It was extra difficult a task, combining what he could learn about Cybertronian mechanics from what had been salvaged from the archives with what texts he could find on organic life, most of which had been written by a scientist named Arcana. The difficult part was that neither technology directly applied to present Transformer anatomy.

It was difficult enough dealing with the techno organic transformers that were animal based, it was even more difficult to deal with the plant based organics of Botanica.

He was helpless, standing next to her, unable to do anything but simply watch her writhe in pain on the floor.

Botanica was in too much pain to tell what little she could that would have helped her, for she knew the cause of her pain. She had pushed too hard, too far, too fast. It was all out of control now, and she did not know how to fix it, or herself.

****

Earth's Moon.

"Your history is nothing like mine." Starscream said.

"Well, I guess we can't be identical, then can we?" The voice from the computer answered. "Still, there must be some way we can help each other."

"What can a possessed computer do?"

"My usual. method of operation is to possess the first body I come across, and quickly climb through the ranks, until I can take command myself."

"I've been trying that trick for years. Trouble is that upstart Cyclonus getting more Minicons, and that was just pure luck on his part. Nothing I do seems to help."

The glowing face on the computer seemed to smirk. "Then why don't I aim straight for the top. You help me get Megatron's body, and you will be my second in command!"

Starscream grinned. An upstart ghost in a body it doesn't know anything about should be easy. Who should he make his second in command? Thrust? Maybe Demolisher. Better yet, that naïve upstart Wheeljack.

"I think we have a deal."

****

Earth.

"Man. I do not like this. It feels too much like a trap, and I know traps," Rattrap said as he and the other Maximals walked through the tunnels that led to the Autobot's base.

"I agree," added Black Arachnia, "This is exactly how I would like my meals prepared."

"Don't worry, Beloved," said Silverbolt with his noble voice, "The Autobots are suppose to be the good guys."

"So all we have to worry about is the 'supposed to' part," said Nightscream.

Cheetor listened to it all in silence. There wasn't anything the others were saying that he had not already thought himself. Just to be on the safe side, he had left the Minicons they had rescued at their ship, and gave them instruction on how to launch it to return to Cybertron if the Autobots should prove less than honorable. He mostly trusted Prime, but he wasn't so sure about the others.

The large yellow robot Hot Shot, greeted them at the inter gate to the base with a smile. "Hey guys! What took you so long?"

"We had a hard time finding the place," Cheetor said, no point in mentioning that thanks to his scout, he already knew exactly where the base was. The reason it took so long was their caution. Never be where an enemy expects you to be, when they expect you to be there.

Hot Shot began by giving the Maximals a tour of the base, showing them their training areas, living quarters for both themselves and the Minicons. They found Scavenger snoring loudly in one of the storage rooms.

Throughout the entire tour, Cheetor and the others were aware of the small group of human children that kept watching them from the shadows as they went from place to place. They were too curious to stay away, and too afraid to come out into the open.

The tour ended in the briefing room where Optimus Prime and Red Alert was waiting for them. "Welcome Cheetor," Optimus Prime said, "The Minicons will be here shortly to hear what you have to say. Before they get here, I want to know, why are you making this effort for them?"

"We got the distress signal that went out when they were first activated on this planet too. It woke up Duster, and he told us the situation on your planet. So we decided to help." Cheetor said.

"That is very noble of you, and I agree. I believe that freedom is the right of all sentient beings, Cheetor, even the Minicons, but the Decepticons don't see it that way. We need the help of the Minicons to defeat them. But tell me Cheetor, there is more to it than that isn't there?"

"That sounded like something Bigbot would say. Yes there is. When I was younger I use to read a lot from the Cronicles of Rodimus Major, who lived through most of our races most radical changes, from the dwindling of the Autobots and Decepticons to the rise of the Maximals and Predicons."

Optimus Primes Optics widened at that, but Cheetor did not notice.

"In one part he writes about a time when Autobot scientists came up with the idea to merge Humans, Nebulans, or Micromasters from Master with Autobots to improve their overall efficiency. The process did all it was suppose to and more. Other beings became our guns to improve our aiming, and reduce the energy drain the weapons had on our systems. They became our heads to improve our abilities of strategy and endless other skills. They became our engines to give us an extra power boost. And of course the Decepticons duplicated the technology to gain all the same advantages. Rodimus Major himself had a Nebulan counterpart who became his gun. The passage he wrote describing the pain he felt when the Nebulan died was. very moving."

Rattrap interrupted, "Hey, my great aunt was a Headmaster for a while. When he was killed, it drove her insane for a few hundred years."

"Not only was the emotional blow when their companions died unexpected," Cheetor continued, "But so was the callousness we began to feel for these races as a whole. Some of us began to view them more as a resource than as living beings. One transformer even forgot completely that his gun was alive when he threw it down, killing it. Naturally when he realized that, he was devastated. That was the sort of thing that led to us abandoning all contact with Earth some 300 years ago. No life form deserves to be used that way. No Micromaster, Nebulan, Human, or even Minicon should ever be subjected to that by any Transformer, no matter what planet they come from."

"Your words have the harsh ring of truth, Cheetor," Optimus Prime said, "I too have caught myself thinking of Minicons as tools from time to time. I don't want to, but if either the Autobots or Minicons are to survive, we have to make use of the Minicons and their abilities. But I swear to you, Cheetor, the second this is over, all such Minicon use will stop."

"You make it sound like you will be turning them off."

Before Prime could reply, the Minicons began walking into the room and taking their seats. Once they were seated, Cheetor began talking about a world where they would not, and in fact could not, be used as they had before. A world that had finally found peace that would accept them with no expectations being given.

Then Optimus Prime spoke about duty, seeing things through to the end. About how they could never truly be free until the threat had been looked in the eye and faced down. They both spoke the same old rhetoric the Minicons had heard before from one person or another. In the end, some of them did decide to go with Cheetor to the new Cybertron, while many others chose to stay behind to help the Autobots fight their war against the Decepticons for freedom.

Neither Cheetor nor Prime were really pleased since neither got a decisive victory. But it was just the first round. In another day, Optimus Prime would meet the Maximals at their camp where he would have a chance to state his arguments to the Minicons there. Then they too would have a choice between staying with the Autobots or going to Cyberton.

Optimus Prime escorted Cheetor and the Maximals out of the base. "What happened to the Autobots on your world, Cheetor?" he asked.

"Evolution." Cheetor said. "I'm not sure I should say more than that. Some died, some retired, others became Maximals. A few are rumored to be around, but due to recent events none are on Cybertron anymore. Only Cybertronians live there now."

"I find it hard to imagine, Cheetor." Prime said. "I envy your planet, I think. Peace is a forgotten dream for most of us."

"Well, I think you would find a half organic Cybertron hard to imagine, I know I couldn't have imagined it until it happened."

"I got the impression that you, yourself have been on Earth before?"

"We crashed here once. A long time ago, as a clock flies. Not so long for me. Things didn't quite go as planned though."

****

"Megatron it was over here!" Starscream called, hurrying ahead of his commander, leading him to the computer bank where the disembodied spark of Air Commander Starscream waited.

"This had better be important, Starscream!" Megatron said, he had been practicing with the Star Saber, and had not welcomed the interruption. Leader-1 followed a respectable distance behind.

"It is Megatron. There is this face in the computer and it keeps asking for you. Here it is." They stopped in front of the computer, the glowing eyes gazed at Megatron.

"I suppose it was too much to hope that you would have a jet mode," the eyes said.

"Who. what are you? What do you want of me?" Megatron asked.

"I don't want much. just your body!" the voice said. A ball of lightning shot from the computer bank and charged at Megatron.

Megatron raised up the Star Saber to defend himself. He struck at the lightning, which the sword seemed to absorb instantly.

They were alone, just Megatron, Starscream, Leader-1 and the Star Saber.

"If that was a threat, it was greatly overrated!" Megatron said.

Starscream stifled a growl of frustration.

Then the unexpected happened. The Star Saber freed itself from Megatron's grasp, and separated into its three component Minicon jets.

The three jets flew all around Megatron and the corridor. They displayed acts of flying skill that Megatron had not known possible. Each of the jets screamed through the air, making attack runs at Megatron.

Megatron raised his hands up to defend himself, while Leader-1 and Starscream fell flat.

The first jet took full advantage of Megatron's raised arm to powerlink to it. The second powerlinked on his back turret, while the last jet linked to the treads beside Megatron's head.

Megatron screamed. then silence echoed.

++

Now. how should I keep your consciousness occupied while I make use of your body, Starscream thought, while sifting through Megatron's mind.

Before when I possessed that insect, it had been easy, I simply let him relive my memories of the Insecticons. He had so idolized them. But Megatron is different.

Finally Starscream decided, I know. We are so alike in our dreams and ambitions, I shall let you live within my own dream of total conquest!

++

Megatron stood triumphant. All bowed before him, Optimus Prime, Rodimus Prime, Optimus Primal. all acknowledged him as the one true leader, while the remains of a silver gun Megatron lay on display.

He basked in the sincere adulations of the crowds.

He entered battle, unstoppable. All of his enemies fell before him.

And yet in some part of his mind, Megatron couldn't quite shake the thought that this was in some way wrong. Somehow it was not his Cybertron at all. Could there be more than one?

He conquered another world, and returned home in triumph. He couldn't help noting the navigation settings on the ship. He was returning to Cybertron, all right, but it was not the one he remembered.

++

"Megatron?" the red and black Starscream asked, "Are you Ok?"

Megatron smirked.

****

Thrustol waited until most of the crowd surrounding Waspinator had moved on before approaching him. In fact he waited until Waspinator seemed to be sleeping.

He approached the sleeping Transformer, but stopped when Waspinator suddenly raised his hand in a 'Stop' jesture.

"Stop, do not bother, Waspinator now. Waspinator has plans!"

"How did you."Thrustol tried to ask.

"Compound eyes not just good for seeing visions. I have to go now, to be where the vision said."

Waspinator jumped up and transformed into a techno organic wasp, which in turn transformed into a jet, and flew off across the planet.

Thrustol looked dumbfounded at the area of sky where the Predicon had once been, but then had to move quickly. The vines and weeds all around him had begun to grow rapidly and wrap themselves around him.

He screamed and ran. as if there was anywhere he could run to.

To be continued.