Chapter 1
''Backstop, what in Primus are you doing?''
Strongarm stepped over the large pile of wreckage at the entrance of Backstop's hanger. After several instances where his salvage scrap injured someone, the Cybertron City commanders had decided to give him a whole hanger, hoping it would keep him out of trouble. They realised that it wasn't going to be that easy when Backstop blew out one of the walls a week after moving in. From behind a nearby pile, a short, yellow autobot popped up. (just picture beachcomber, but with lighter armour). He possesed a cheerful smiling face with yellow optics. He smiled at Strongarm as he climbed over a pile to stand in front of the taller, jeep transformer.
''Just a new project. trying to build a new prototype for a fighter ship. If it works it'll weigh less, but have more weapons and stronger armour''.
Strongarm shook his head, ''Backstop, we haven't used the fighters we've got for the last ten years. Why are you bothering to build a new one. Its not like its ever going to be used''.
Backstop bent over and began picking up various pieces of wreckage. He turned and hurried over to a large metal frame in the middle of the hanger. As he went he called back, ''You never know. We could be invaded by some hostile alien or something''.
Strongarm laughed to himself. As usual, the thought that his invention would never be used did little to damp Backstop' spirits. It was the building he loved nd whether it was ever used or not was a secondary concern. As he watched his small friend work away, he almost for got why he'd come to the hanger.
''Hey Backstop, we need you in the medical bay. Last night they brought some mech in that they found outside the gates. He's pretty banged up. They asked me to find the best medic I could, but he was busy so I came to get you''.
Backstop looked up, and looked at the smiling face, ''Hmmm, ok, I guess I'll have to come and have a look. Better not take too long, or I'm going to fall behind''. He reached down, picked up a cloth, and wiped the grease and diesel from his hands, then hurried up to stand beside his friend, grinning up at the large mech. ''Come on, decepti-dud, lets go make a house call''.
The former decepticon laughed at the autobot as he said, ''Whatever ou say, auto-clown. Lead the way''.
'I don't like it. I don't like it at all''.
''I don't care if you like it or not. I sent Strongarm to get him, and your going to smile, laugh at his jokes and do as your told''.
Hypocrates scowled at Commander Turbine. To think, one of the top graduates of the Cybertronian medical academey, taking orders from some amateur. He had come out top of everyone of his classes, had dedicated himself to cybertronian health, he'd even changed his name when he'd been stationed on this back water dirt ball, in some semblance to give recognition to the so-called medical history of this world. He should be the one giving the orders. But Turbine had a soft spot for the slagging dune buggy. The story went that during the war, Turbine had been badly injured in combat, and Backstop had been the field medic who took care of him. ''Worked a miracle'', thats what everyone said. Hypocrates knew better, he was positive it had been only a minor injury, and Turbine and Backstop had set it up between them to make it out to be something special, so they could get the ''celebrated'' assignment of working in Autobot City. And ever since then, Turbine had everyone convinced that this unprofessional, undiscaplined youth was some sort of genius. Hypocrates looked at the battered mech on the table. In his professional opinion, this was a hopless case. But no one would sign off until Saint Backstop made his ''diagnosis''. Hmm, well maybe when he's slagged this up, people will see him for what he is. Hypocrates almost grinned at the thought, but realized Turbine was waiting for a response.
''Fine Commander, but I'm telling you this is a hopeless case. But if you want to put your faith in this fool be my guessed''.
Turbine sighed. If he'd had his way, Backstop would be the chief medic in Cybertron City, but he wasn't the one in charge of making those decisions. Looking down at he battered cat-bot, Turbine layed his hand on its shoulder. It had been out since the night before and Turbine knew it wouldn't feel the touch, but it was the thought that counted. But before he could reflect on the situation more, he heard a door open, and a cheerful voice say, ''Heya Turbine, whats the scoop, heard you needed the best''. Turbine smiled as he turned to see the sunny face of Backstop, with Strongarm standing behind him.
''Yes I did, but I suppose you'll do''. The smile vanished from his face as he explained the situation, ''...the guards brought him in, abd Hypocrates has been examining him since last night. I hoped you might be able to find something he might have missed''.
Backstop pushed his way past Turbine and began examinging the damaged mech, giving the scowling Hypocrates a quick smile. As he went over the mech, Turbine heard him whisper, ''Don't worry, I'm better than I look''. Again, a smile appeared on Turbine's face. Backsop had said the same thing when he'd found him scrapped in the middle of battle field. It had made him laugh, or it would have if energon hadn't flooded into his voice box. If Backsop could have saved him, Turbine was sure he could find a way to save this mech.
The door opened again, and Turbine turned to see a maintenance mech standing in the doorway.
''Sir, they request your presence in the briefing room at once''.
Turbine nodded, and as the mech left he turned back to the table. ''Backstop, any diagnosis?''
Backstop looked up, with a concerned look, ''This guy is as close to being scrap as anyone I've ever seen-''. He suddenly turned to look a Hypocrates, the cheerful look gone from his face, ''You say something, Dr?''
''No, no, carry on''.
Backstop gave him a piercing look before turning back to the other two mechs. ''As I was saying, this guy is pretty slagged BUT I think I might be able to save him. Its not going to be easy, and its not going to be fast. I'll need complete access to anything I ask for, and, with the...good doctor's permission, access to all scans he's made since this guy got here''.
''Done. You'll get it all, right Hypocrates...''
The doctor looked up, as if he wasn't listening, ''What...oh yes of course, whatever our saviour needs''.
Turbine glared at the doctor for a moment, before turning to Strongarm, ''Can you take care of getting Backstop what needs''.
''Sure thing, Commander, whatever he wants, the auto-clown gets'', Strongarm replied with a smile.
''Good. I'll be back soon everyone. Now, get to it''. He needn't have bothered giving the order, as Backstop was already beginning the work. Feeling some hope for the unknown mech's future, Commander Turbine left, heading for the breifing room.
Commander Nightbeam turned as one of his sub-commanders entered the briefing room.
''Turbine, good. How's the mech''
''Not good Sir. But we've got our best man on it''.
''As long as he doesn't blow anything up, I suppose things should work out''.
Turbine smiled as the commander turned to face the computer screen in front of him, ''Sir, what was it you wanted to see me about''.
Noghtbeam took a moment before answering, ''We've scanned his physical form into the system, and thankfully we got a result''.
''Really Sir, thanks great''. Turbine had been worryed that this would be some unknown, left over from the war. Over the past ten years one or two had shown up, although most of them had been considered dead and had been erased from the system when the truce was instigated, in a gesture of leaving the bitterness of the past behind.
''Yes, indeed it is Turbine''. Nightbeam pressed a button on the screen, and a schematic appeared, showing the mech in robot mode, slowly rotating. Beneath the image were the words 'Project Daggerjaw',
''Project Daggerjaw?''
Night beam pressed another button, and another screen appeared, ''According to this, his name is Daggerjaw. He was assinged to earth about 30 years before the truce''.
Turbine nodded and waited for Nightbeam to bring up the next screen. However, the commander shut down the console.
Turbine looked at his commander with confusion showing in his face.
''That's all there is. We know his name, and the time he came to earth. That's it. There's no information on his mission reports, where on earth he was stationed, no character evaluation, no combet record nothing. Everything else in that file has been deleted. In fact, its been made impossible to retrieve. If he had been assumed dead, his entire file would have been destroyed. Instead we're left with nothing but a name''.
''Sir, what do you think this means''. Turbine knew what the commander was going to say before he said it.
''It means Turbine, that someone somewhere, doen't, or didn't want us to know anything more about this guy then his name. And, Turbine, I want ou to find out why''.
Well there's chapter one, as always,m I ask you to both read, and review, cause I'll know if you just read it