The techno-organics
Chapter 24
By the time everybody reached the abandoned warehouse they were all exhausted. Both physically and emotionally. No one knew where the Decepticons were or how they would save the ones they lost. They feared for the worst, feared that they lost three more comrades.
Back in the unknown facility, there was little room to socialize or make bonds of any kind. But there was moments that could expand into entire days were they were left unsupervised for unknown reasons. They used those opportunities to break out of their cells and meet those who were suppose to be their future brothers and sisters in arm. And most importantly, to see the new babies. The scientists grew babies in artificial wombs like greens on a farm. Those who survived birth were tested, the ones that succeeded the testings were raised and trained along side the rest. But those who didn't survive the birth or succeeded the tests, well, there were no use of them. Their creators got rid of them, they just killed the babies of and cremated their bodies. The twins were the oldest, the first successful specimens, and therefor were assigned the task of taking care of the children when they were still young. KO-31 and KO-32 raised all of them and deeply cared for their younger siblings, but when the time came, Anastasia and Nikolai had to let their creators take the children away and start training them. And even then, those that didn't reach the criteria was executed; right in front of their comrades as a warning. A warning for what would happen if they didn't become good enough.
"You're back!" Widow cheered and had to stand on her toes in order to put her arms around Toni's neck. She placed a kiss on Toni's cheek, but when her girlfriend didn't answer, Widow knew that something must have happened. She let go of Toni and looked up into her beloved's eyes, they were shiny but Toni refused to burst into tears just yet. She swallowed heavily before turning to the group.
"It's best that we all go to sleep. Go to your rooms, I'm just gonna take a moment to talk with Widow." No one protested and they all went upstairs. Toni spoke when she was sure that she and Widow was alone.
"Where are the boys?"
"I put Wasp to sleep a few hours ago, Flash is no longer upset about that human. As for Nikolai, well." Widow felt that her jacket became too heavy and took it off, no longer hiding her six arms. She folded the clothing neatly and put it over one of her arms. "We put him in his room and he was crying for hours after waking up. But, he doesn't want any of us to enter, both me and Flash asked but he keeps saying that he wants to be alone."
"He misses Anastasia, just give him some time." Toni said, her voice thick as she fought the need to cry.
"What happened? Why do you look so sad?" Widow placed her hands on Toni's cheeks, thumbing away the tears that slowly made their way. Toni brought her hands over Widow's and held them closer to her skin, absorbing her comforting warmth. She looked down into those big pink eyes and noticed every part of her face, appreciating them in a whole different way. From the creamy bronze of her skin to her adorable dimples and to her heart shaped face. Watching her made Toni thank whatever creature or thing responsibly for not letting Widow get caught by the Decepticons too.
"We can't find them." Toni breathed and kissed the palm of Widow's hand. "They upgraded their firewalls and Canary hurt herself when she tried to track them, even with the Autobots's tech." Her tears ran free as she finally fell to the ground, holding Widow tightly against her body. Widow quickly started to feel her chest tighten and travel all the way up to her throat and to the back of her eyes. She wrapped all six of her arms around Toni like a protective shield and let the coat filled with weapons fall lazily to the ground.
Miko sat at the steps of the school entrance, doodling in her sketchbook. These days she usually drew the Autobots but this time she drew the techno-organics. The Japanese girl eagerly waited for them to return, even if it had only gone a day. She liked them, even though they were a bit violent, and somewhat weird. Jack and Raph had both gone, either to work or to study at the library. That meant that she got to spend time with the Autobots all by herself; without Jack always complaining and calling her reckless or an adrenaline junky. She heard the familiar sound of Bulkhead's engine and quickly gathered her things.
"Turn on track three, Bulk." She said as she jumped onto the passenger seat. She started to bang her head and mime the lyrics as Bulkhead roared and made noises. But they were soon interrupted by a knocking on the window. Miko shrieked embarrassed as Bulkhead turned off the Music, and when they looked out they saw Rock waving sheepishly. Miko cheered and jumped out of the car in order to run up and give Rock the hardest hug she could. Which showed to be very uncomfortable when she felt the metal under his clothing hit her entire right side. Miko quickly let go and held her soar arm and finally noticed that Wasp was their too.
"I didn't expect to see you so soon. How did you find us?" When she looked at his face she saw that his left side was covered in bandage.
"Canary hacked into the registers of the schools in Jasper and looked for you names until she found out where you went. She then sent us and we have been waiting for you to end school." Miko looked down at Wasp who finished his soda before throwing it into nearest garbage bin.
"Lucky that you didn't miss us. We were just about to return to the base." Bulkhead said as he opened the door to the passenger seats. They all crawled in as Rock smiled unsure and greeted his original.
"How are you guys feeling? Things didn't end very well when you left." Miko asked as they drove off. Rock licked his lips uncomfortably and put hands into the pockets of his hoodie. Ever since they all returned, the whole warehouse seemed to have turned into a haunted mansion. All the games they used to play and all the bickering and jokes were no were to be heard. Everybody walked around like ghosts. After a while Rock needed to leave and get something else on his mind. At one point he had walked up to Valkyries room, intending to return a doll he had found lying around; and was just about to knock before remembering that she wasn't there. That was when he knew that he had to leave, just for a few hours. Rock asked Canary to find any of the humans and when Wasp heard of where he was going, the youngest techno-organic begged to come with him.
"I would rather not talk about." He said and Miko left Rock alone, shifting her focus to Wasp.
"Are you excited to meet your daddy again?"
"Yes. I want to play with daddy." He swung his legs delighted with a wide smile.
"We'll be at the base soon, so you just be patient." Bulkhead said and Wasp quickly sat still and folded his hands in his lap, fighting the smile that refused to leave his cheeks. Soon the disguised silo came into view and they drove trough the exposed tunnel. The sound of Bulkhead's engine echoing before they reached the main room. All the Autobots were present as Miko jumped out.
"Guess who came to visit." Miko called as the boys crawled out. Rock felt uncomfortable at the sudden attention and didn't know were to look. Wasp on the other hand started to look for Bumblebee, and when he finally spotted the scout, Wasp flew forward. He was was aiming for Bumblebee's face, but the Autobot gently caught the boy before he crashed.
"I didn't expect to see any of you so soon." Ratchet said, looking up from whatever work he did on the computer.
"I hope it's not a bad timing." Rock apologized and started to remove the bandage he wore around his head and his arm.
"We just needed to leave the building for a while, and Wasp really wanted to meet his dad again." He glanced at Wasp who seemed to have a conversation with Bumblebee. Despite not being able to talk, Wasp still seemed to understand his original.
"You don't have anything against it if we stay here for a while?"
"Of course not. You and your comrades are going trough a hard time and I feel that it's our responsibility to help any way we can." Optimus said, partiality blaming himself for the techno-organics imprisonment.
"And besides, Bumblebee seems to be just as glad to meet Wasp again." He looked at the two with a soft smile. Rock thanked him and followed Miko to the human area.
Freedom sat on the deck of the space ship. She dangled her legs right over the edge and breathed in the thin air as she listened to the humming of the engine. They had entered the atmosphere again and it further reminded her of how powerless she was. Freedom could fly away right now but couldn't leave her comrades all alone with the Decepticons. It had almost been a day since she was captured and she still didn't know what Megatron's plan was for her. Other then that little show she did out of Breakdown, he hadn't given her any missions or assignments. Maybe he wanted to let her to torture herself for a while before letting her go anywhere.
"So this is where you are hiding." That dark husky voice walked up behind her and and a cold shiver crept trough her like a silent alarm. What did he want with her now?
"Aren't you sitting too close to the edge?" He walked up beside her but she refused to look at him. Freedom looked down at the big blue and green beneath her, imagining just for a moment what would happen if she pushed him off.
"Heights are no big deal to me. I can fly." She raised her head from the ground below and locked her hands together, fighting the urge to push the metallic monster off the ship. Megatron raised an surprised eyebrow at her statement before a smile, which could be described as pleased, crept over his lips.
"Another attribute you have inherited from me." Freedom sighed mildly disappointed, knowing now that her idea wouldn't work.
"As much as I would like talking, I have a mission for you." Freedom finally looked up and made eye contact. She quickly rose up, but even when standing on her full height he still towered over her. Freedom hated feeling so small and weak. Among the techno-organics and even most humans she was the biggest and strongest, she had control back then, but not anymore.
"Millions of years ago, the Autobots sent a series of data cylinders into space. These cylinders were contained with much valuable knowledge ranging from mythology to star maps and scientific data."
"And luck must be on your side, because one happens to be on this planet." Freedom concluded, crossing her arms. Megatron nodded while smiling in a way that Freedom did not like. It seemed to bring him joy whenever she seemed to show any resemblance to him. Whatever it was about skill and abilities or personality.
"And I'm also going to assume that they send these valuable cylinders into space to keep them from letting you get your claws on them."
"That's one way to phrase it." Megatron never let any of his subordinates talk to him the way she did, but he gave her a pass. He rather enjoyed it since she reminded him of his younger self, back when he was still Megatronus.
"I trust you to bring back that cylinder." He said that sentence with a threatening hiss, making Freedom tense up. She did not want to know what he could have meant, not when her comrades were at stake.
Bulkhead and Miko was cheering at the TV, loudly. Rock was reading a book he brought and Wasp was sulking in his lap. The loud volume from the TV combined with the screaming and grunting from both Bulkhead and Miko made Rock turn off his own audio receptors. Although it was annoying, it was not nearly as disturbing as when the twins boasted about their sexual conquests. Rock never thought he would ever miss having those two in the same room. Ratchet turned around, and with annoyance clear in his voice, asked the two to lower the volume. When no one of them did as he requested he turned to Rock and Wasp. At least Ratchet was grateful that Rock didn't have any of Bulkheads loud interests.
"You could be helping Optimus in the field right now?"
"Aw, he doesn't need my help to search for some ancient educational... thing-a-mo-bob." Wasp tapped Rock on the chest and made a twisting motion over his ear, telling Rock to turn his hearing back on. When Rock raised his head, Ratchet had put an image of the data cylinder on the TV. This peaked the boys interest and made them listen to the doctor as he explained what it was. Ratchet became really passionate when he spoke about this object and made the techno-organics want to know more, until Miko sighed and interrupted Ratchet.
"Switch it back, I want to see the hoe down show down." Bulkhead complained.
"Seriously?" Rock spoke for the first time in a long while. "I found that way more entertaining then what you were looking at."
"Ratchet," Optimus's image showed up on the computer. "A Decepticon ambush. The cylinder is at risk, we require backup." Miko and Bulkhead turned to each other smiling as he rose up. Rock quickly saw his chance at maybe find out what happened to Valkyrie, Freedom and Anastasia. He wouldn't fear getting taken by the Decepticon since the Autobots were already on the scene. Rock gently moved Wasp from his lap and waited for the doctor to turn around. But when he saw Miko run trough the groundbridge, he clenched he hissed annoyed but decided not to stop her. Rock quickly jumped down the stairs and ran trough the groundbridge, right behind Miko. They both stopped and witnessed a violent battlefield with metallic titans fighting each other. Rock gasped as an weird mixture of relief and confusion filled him. He saw Freedom fighting among them, but she was fighting against the Autobots. Rock saw Bumblebee charge and trying to attack her, but Freedom caught him and threw him into a mountain wall before running towards the cylinder. Rock didn't know what was happening or why Freedom was fighting with the Decepticons, but he couldn't let them take the cylinder. Rock grew to his full size and tackled Freedom to the ground.
"Rock?" Freedom gasped with the same mixture of feelings he experienced just moments ago. "What are you doing here?" She groaned as she kicked him off. Rock landed on his feet before sending a series of attacks towards her.
"I'm wondering the same thing about you." He was surprised with a cloud of fire, and jumped out of its way before hitting Freedom in the side.
"I'm sorry," Freedom said strained by the pain, "He's making me do this." They locked hands and tried to force the other one back. Though furious, Rock knew Freedom must have an explanation, and so he listened.
"He's holding the others prisoners, he's using them to make me do this." Freedom managed to take him down and put her knee to his chest. Her expression became soft and pleading as he looked down on someone she considered a brother.
"Tell everybody I'm sorry. And tell Alabaster I miss her." They both heard a weird humming sound and looked up to see the cylinder shoot a red ray at Bulkhead. Rock shouted his originals name and Freedom quickly ran forward and caught the cylinder.
"You really took one for the team Bulkhead," Knock Out walked up beside Freedom. "My team." Their groundbridge opened and Knock Out, Breakdown and Freedom ran trough while the Vehicons transformed and flew away.
"Bulkhead," Optimus called. "Are you..."
"Fine." Bulkhead interrupted him. "Didn't even smart." Miko smiled relieved but it was cut short.
"Did you see?" Arcee said as Rock joined them, "Freedom was fighting with the Decepticons." She was just about to say something else, something that would make them doubt Freedom, but Rock was quick to defend his comrade.
"She didn't do it because she wanted to." They all turned to him. "They are holding Anastasia and Valkyrie hostage in order to control Freedom. She told me so."
"I believe you, Rock. Megatron is an masterful manipulator and he has a long history of tricking those he knows he can make use of."
"I don't get it," Bulkhead said. "Why only use her when he has two others he can also use."
"Because Freedom is the strongest out of us. She held back when she fought me, and I still lost." He knew from experience that Freedom could cause serious damage if she chooses to. Although he didn't really put up a good fight either for the same reason as she.
"Even stronger then Alabaster?"
"That's debatable." Rock then scoffed and shook his head. "The point I'm trying to make is, Freedom is a prisoner just like them and she has not joined them, and least of all turned her back on her family."
"I helped lose that thing, I wanna help find it. I need to be in the field with Optimus. " Bulkhead said impatient and rose halfway from the berth before Ratchet turned around and stopped him.
"Your under my watch now. Optimus's orders." The doctor said and pushed Bulkhead back down on the berth. "And running a full scan of your neuron network will be a wiser use of your time." Bulkhead tore off the cable on the side of his head.
"Come on doc, there's nothing up there to scan." Bulkhead said jokingly and rose up as he took of the device that scanned his brain. Miko shrugged her shoulder, dismissing the potential harm Bulkhead could have been inflicted to. That did not sit well Rock who also saw the red beam shooting at his originals head. Ratchet finally gave up with an exhausted sigh. He insisted that Miko and Bulkhead could instead use their time cleaning and handed them a mop.
"Is he always like this?" Rock asked the doctor, still in his full size. Miko and Bulkhead walked away from the med bay.
"You have no idea?" Ratchet muttered before looking up at Rock. "But I thank Primus that you're not like your original."
"Primus, Is that like your deity?"
"Yes, he is actually." Before they could continue, Miko called Rock over, asking him to join them. Wasp already made them company and fluttered around like a insect. Rock recalled the beam shooting at Bulkhead and how he feared losing his original before getting to know him. The techno-organic engulfed himself in green light and shrunk to his human size.
The warship soared above the planet again. The darkness combined with the cold of the warship's metallic walls made Freedom feel trapped. Freedom hated the cold, now especially because she was just fighting in a stone desert; the first real warmth she had experienced since coming to this warship. But right now was not a good timing to think about that. He had given her permission to return to her quarters, but she heard something about the cylinder being broken or something. Freedom feared how he would react, if he would be angry with her or punish her by hurting Valkyrie and Anastasia.
Freedom looked around the room, looking for something to distract herself with, she then saw the computer and got an idea. Maybe she could use their network to find out where her comrades were. It was a long shot and she was sure that they had encrypted that information, and she didn't speak or read their language, but she had to try.
Freedom hovered her sharp fingers over the keys of the computer, curling and uncurling them as she tried to figure out what key to press. She laid eyes on her left hand and got another idea. The techno-organic brought her finger to her mouth and bit down hard enough to draw blood before pressing it onto the computer. And just like any other computer, it absorbed the dark energon and the screen that before was dark purple turned crimson.
"Bring me information about where they're holding the techno-organics." She ordered the computer and it did as told. The screen got filled with text and she somehow understood what it said. It was like the alien letters and worlds and numbers translated themselves right before her eyes.
'This is new.' She thought and read trough the text. It said were they were but it was useless when she didn't yet know her way around the ship.
"Bring me a map of the warship." Once again, the computer obeyed.
"First, show me where I am." A dot appeared on the screen, "Now, show me where the brig is." Another dot appeared. "And, prison cell 1." When Freedom saw where they all were located she realized that they had been placed in different sections of the ship in order to keep them as far apart from each other as possible. She also knew she couldn't just walk over to their cells without any problems. But if she found an alternative way to get to them, then it might work.
"Show me a map of the ship's ventilation, and point me the brig and prison cell 1 on it too."
Wasp flew over to Ratchet, his insect looking wings was buzzing mechanically and disturbing the medic. Ratchet turned around, intending to ask the young techno-organic to either leave or be quite.
"Excuse me, sir." Wasp spoke gently. "Miko told me to fetch you, she thinks Bulkhead is acting odd."
"In what way is he acting odd?"
"I don't know. He's just drawing weird images and talking to himself." Wasp flew ahead as Ratchet followed and muttered sarcastically about something.
"Ratchet," Miko cried, "I think something might actually be wrong with Bulkhead." She pointed at Bulkhead drawing something at the wall with white paint, and the doctor realized.
"That is not art, it's science."
Bulkhead was back on the berth again with the device back on his head. Rock did not yet know what Ratchet had discovered, but he knew it had something to do with the data cylinder. Wasp sat on Bumblebee's shoulder as the white and red robot showed an image of Bulkhead's brain.
"This hot spot you see here is information, living energy." Before he could continue, Miko interrupted.
"Hold on, it's alive, it's on fire and it's in Bulkhead's brain?" Though Miko could annoy Rock with minimal effort, he did share some of her concern.
"That sounds both extremely dangerous and painful. How couldn't you feel that something was wrong."
"Chill, guys. The data is only inhabiting a fraction of my brain. Infinitesimal by standard neuron net densities." Bulkhead suddenly opened his eyes in surprise. "Wait, how do I know all that?"
"Based on what we witnessed during our skirmish," Optimus began, "The living data must have been programmed to eject when it sensed unauthorized access."
"A security measure." Ratchet said, admiring the geniality.
"It would have jettisoned heavenward, lost to the stars."
"Except my fat engine block got in the way." Bulkhead joked and got up. Rock had a bad feeling in his gut. Although the data occupied such a small area of his brain, it couldn't be without consequences. When Bulkhead painted those equations it was like something else controlled him or he seized being his full self. Rock couldn't help but think about the twins and the horrifying experiments that damaged their brains. Could Bulkhead end up in similar way? Bumblebee's data sounds made Rock shift his attention.
"Are we staring at genius, or gibberish?" Arcee asked and pointed at what Bulkhead had written on the wall. Rock didn't know how it was possible but he somehow understood what all those alien symbols meant. Sure, it was an insanely hard equation but he somehow knew what all those figures meant separately. This was really interesting, he wondered if Wasp somehow understood as well; if any other techno-organic could, if they all could but never had the opportunity to realize it before.
"I do not wish to falsely rally anyone's hopes, but these equations appear to be the formula for a synthetic energon." Ratchet said and the Autobots reacted very positive to it, although the boys didn't yet realize why it was such a good thing.
"Rock, Miko, do you understand what this means?" Bulkhead leaned forward in order to get closer to their eye level. Before any of them could answer, Bulkhead happily explained to them.
"Energon provides our fuel, our ammo, our life force. With the natural stuff in such short supply here on Earth, this could solve a whole lot of problems."
"Such as providing us with the edge we need to turn the tide of this war." Optimus said with a faint joyous tone.
"Or handing us the key to revitalizing Cybertron."
I had to break this chapter into two parts since it became really long and I felt I needed to upload something soon. I still hope you enjoy it and will be waiting for the next chapter.