Author's Notes: Okay folks, this is the part of the fic that officially gets into AU territory, meaning that from this point on I can't guarantee continuity that matches the show. Then again if I just told the story of the show in the exact same way, then what would be the point? Anyway, this chapter turned out differently than I expected, but I think it came out even better than my original intent. I thank you all for reading, and I hope you will review, favorite, and follow My Spark Still Shines :)
Chapter 9
New Arrivals
Jack felt weird riding in the driver's seat of Bumblebee's alt mode. He had gotten so used to riding Arcee's motorcycle alt that anything else just didn't seem to fit. It didn't help that Bumblebee would every now and then frantically beep or whir to ask Jack something, but Jack didn't know what the 'Bot was saying.
Raf had been missing for several hours. He had gone into the cave with Jack to get Miko, but when they all made a run for the ground bridge no one had noticed that Raf wasn't with them. By the time they made it to the cave, Raf was gone. If Megatron had managed to get a hold of the boy Jack didn't know what they would do. Megatron had hurt Raf before. He wouldn't feel any remorse for doing it again.
Jack didn't feel qualified to offer any reassurances to Bumblebee. He was mature for his age, but Jack was still a teenage boy, and psychology wasn't his strong suit. He wished he could've rode with Arcee in the search, but she had her own problems at the moment.
Earlier that day the Autobots had received a long-range communication from deep space. Ratchet had answered the call in the hopes it was Autobot allies. As it turned out the call was even better news for the Autobots than they ever expected. Jack didn't know who this Ironhide fellow was, but hearing his voice on the other end of the comm had caused every Autobot to freeze in their tracks and smiles to grow on their face plates. Then when Chromia spoke to them, Jack could see Arcee was having trouble keeping her overwhelming joy in check. She was literally trembling with excitement!
"How long before you reach planet earth?" Optimus had asked; his voice filled with anticipation and restrained jubilation.
"Shouldn't be more than one earth day," Ironhide replied casually, "Oh by the way Prime, remember my red armor? Well, I changed it. Black was suited better for catchin' 'Cons by surprise since there was no sun on the planet we were stationed on. Hope you can get used to it."
Optimus actually chuckled at that statement, which surprised the human kids who never saw the dignified Autobot leader laugh.
"I'm sure we'll adjust," Optimus Prime replied; amusement clear in his tone, "We'll see you soon, old friend."
"Hey, Prime!" Chromia called out on their audio feed, "You better be takin' good care of our little femme. Tell Arcee we'll see her soon."
"I'm right here, Carrier!" Arcee shouted in reply, "I look forward to seeing you."
"We can't wait to see you too, darlin'," Ironhide replied fondly, "End transmission."
Ever since that transmission came through Arcee had been knocking herself out cleaning the base from floor to ceiling. Apparently her sire was a military commander and used to things running smoothly. Arcee didn't want to make a bad impression on her creators after all these years apart.
That string of events was what put Jack in his current predicament, sitting in Bumblebee's driver seat trying to comfort him and hoping Raf was safe wherever he was. Bumblebee beeped again, and Jack was about to answer him when he heard the static that meant a comm signal was coming through.
"Bumblebee, Jack, this is Ratchet!" Ratchet's frantic voice came through the comm link, "A Vehicon has just approached the outer perimeter of our base. It appears to be searching for us."
"So? Vehicons never find the base," Jack replied dismissively, "Just distort the shields or whatever it is you do to keep them out."
"You don't understand, Jack," Ratchet snapped; his voice tense, "The Vehicon has Rafael!"
Jack gasped and Bumblebee's engine kicked into overdrive. They knew what this meant.
Megatron was playing his hand.
PR-35 and Raf had driven for two hours to get to the outer perimeter of the Autobot base. Raf wouldn't tell PR-35 exactly where it was, and PR-35 understood completely. He certainly wouldn't share classified information with his enemies, so why should his enemies share such things with him? Still, it was strange to think of innocent little Raf as his enemy. The human just seemed so precocious and curious. He was just like a Cybertronian sparkling.
Thinking about Cybertronian sparklings suddenly made images pop up into PR-35's memory bank. It was nothing coherent; just flashing bits of data that didn't belong. He saw a red car speed down a track. He saw that crazy Autobot medic limping with a bad hip joint down some stairs. He saw a fire in Helex during one of Megatron's campaigns. He saw the face of a black and white mech with an orange chevron. He saw blurs of red and gold rush ahead of him while taunts were broadcasted that he could no longer remember. It was nothing but a garbled mess.
His processor was brought back to reality when Raf asked "Will you go back to the Decepticons after this?"
"Don't be silly," PR-35 replied; his deep Vehicon voice still managing to send shivers down Rafael's spine, "I'm not getting out of this alive. Your guardians will kill me with their bare servos. I'm not even worthy to have a price on my helm. I'm just an insect designed to annoy the Autobots for a short time before they kill me."
"What if they gave you a choice? Would you return to Megatron then?" Ran pressed the issue.
"Of course I would," PR-35 replied without question, "I was built for Megatron. Programmed by Megatron himself to serve as a warrior class drone. I can't exist without them."
"Them?" Raf asked.
"The Decepticons," PR-35 supplied, "I am nothing without them."
"But they're evil," Raf contended, "Do you really want to be evil?"
"Breakdown wasn't evil," PR-35 replied mournfully, "I'm glad Airachnid left. I wouldn't want to serve her after what she did. I would've done my job, but I wouldn't have liked it. Did you know Breakdown used to come to the Vehicon cafeteria and show us photos of his travels across the galaxy? It was so cool! I've never met an officer as nice as Breakdown. I wish Knockout was nice too. I wanted so badly to be his friend. Medics are the most powerful mechs in the universe because they can heal and destroy. With one servo they can cause you pain, and with the other servo they can make it all better. It has to be the coolest job ever!"
Raf just sat back and allowed the drone to drone on. It seemed like PR-35 had a short attention span and easily flowed from one topic of conversation to another. Raf could also tell that this Vehicon loved to talk, and it didn't matter if Raf was actually listening or not. Oddly enough, despite his initial fears Raf found that he liked the Vehicon.
PR-35 suddenly screeched to a halt, forcing Raf forward with nothing but a seatbelt keeping the boy from flying through the windshield. Raf gasped, and then saw why the drone had stopped. The Autobots had surrounded the Vehicon and were pointing their weapons right at him. There was Optimus Prime at the forefront, followed by Bulkhead, Arcee, Wheeljack, and even Ratchet! Raf was surprised to find however that Bumblebee wasn't there.
"Oh, scrap!" PR-35 practically squeaked, "They're gonna do it! They're finally gonna do it and I'm all alone! I don't want to die this way! I wanted to die with my Vehicon brothers by my side! Now I have no one!"
"That's not true," Raf reassured him, "You have me, and I won't let them hurt you. Just let me out and I'll vouch for you."
"I know you're lying, but I don't really care," PR-35 replied, and then he popped the door open for Raf to get out, "Go on and betray me, kid. I knew what I was getting into when I came."
The Autobots waited for the Vehicon to make his move; none of them lowering their weapons for a second. Optimus was sure the Vehicon would deliver a message from Megatron and then try to escape with the boy, but was surprised when the door opened and Raf exited the vehicle unharmed.
"Rafael, walk toward us slowly and carefully," Optimus instructed.
PR-35 hated this desert sun. It made his metal feel too hot, and the dust was getting in every nook and cranny of his frame. If the Autobots were going to shoot him, he began to wonder what was taking them so long. Were they trying to cook him before they killed him? Somehow that just seemed cruel.
"Optimus!" Raf called out to the Autobot leader, "Please, don't shoot the Vehicon! He didn't hurt me. He's nice."
"Nice?" Wheeljack asked derisively, "Kid, that thing is a drone. It doesn't have enough free will to be nice."
PR-35 had waited long enough for their decision. He transformed into robot mode and just as he predicted, he heard the hum of the Autobot weapons charging and preparing to fire. He held up his own gun arm, ready to go down fighting, when he heard Raf's voice shout for everyone to stop.
"Wait! You don't want to fight us!" Raf told the Vehicon, "Not really! You don't have to die here. There's another way. You could join the Autobots."
Bulkhead actually started laughing at that one, and that big hulking monster's laugh was one of the scariest things PR-35 had ever heard. He was sure that laugh would be followed up with a wrecking ball to the head.
"That's a good one, Raf!" Bulkhead said in between laughing, "You know that thing's not real, right? He's a programmed drone. He could no more join the Autobots than I could sing opera!"
Bulkhead continued to laugh, but Raf fumed. He knew PR-35 wasn't a mere drone. He knew this Vehicon had ideas and feelings just like anyone else. He just had to prove it to the Autobots.
"Optimus, you said freedom is the right of all sentient beings," Raf suddenly said; his voice passionate and contentious, "Well, if PR-35 does turn out to be a sentient being, then that means he belongs to a slave class that's being oppressed by the Decepticons. He needs help, and I know you wouldn't allow him to go back to someone who keeps him as a slave if you knew he was being subjugated. Please, at least test him. I know he's just as real as you or me. Just give him a chance, Optimus. Please."
Optimus didn't believe the Vehicons were actually Cybertronians. He had raided a few of their factories in his day and knew they were merely creations of Shockwave. Still, if these artificial beings had developed a consciousness, then he owed it to them to give this one the benefit of the doubt.
Optimus approached the Vehicon, and PR-35 started shaking at the nearness of the most hated and feared Autobot known to Decepticon kind. This was Optimus Prime, sworn enemy of Megatron, and destroyer of Decepticons and Vehicons everywhere! He knew he should try to fight or run away, but PR-35 also knew there was no escape, so he just stood there and hoped his death would be quick.
"What is your designation?" Optimus Prime asked him in an authoritative voice.
"My serial number is PR-35, sir!" PR-35 replied stiffly as he tried to hold onto his composure.
"I see," Optimus nodded to himself, and PR-35 feared what that gesture might mean for him, "Why did you return Rafael to us?"
"Because he belongs to you," PR-35 replied, "To keep him would be to invite your wrath."
"Do you value your own life, soldier?" Optimus inquired.
"Yes...sir," PR-35 replied; his voice faltering for a moment.
"What do you want in life?" Optimus asked; keeping his tone purposefully neutral to determine the drone's true motives.
"To bring glory to Lord Megatron, sir," PR-35 replied honestly.
"Anything else?" Optimus Prime asked pointedly.
"There is nothing else, sir. I am a drone," PR-35 replied matter-of-factly.
"If Megatron ordered you to offline yourself, would you do it?" Optimus asked.
PR-35 gulped, shifted on his pedes nervously, and then finally replied with "I would, sir. He is my master, and I would have no choice."
"But you do not want to?" Optimus asked for clarification.
"No, sir. I don't," PR-35 replied; his voice shaky, "Please be quick with me, sir. I gave you back Bumblebee's human. I even kept him warm when he was cold."
"I ask you again PR-35, why did you save Rafael?" Optimus asked; his tone softening when he saw how frightened the Vehicon was. He had never seen a Vehicon show fear before. This was a strange case indeed.
"I saved him because he was yours," PR-35 insisted.
"And?" Prime asked with a questioning look.
"And...He's a sparkling," PR-35 admitted, "I know I'm being weak, but he's a sparkling. I have no protocol for humans, and I don't wish to hurt them. They are small and helpless. They are everything I am not. I am a strong, big, expendable warrior. They are helpless, fragile, and irreplaceable. There is only one Raf. There are thousands of Vehicons like me. I don't matter like he does. That is why I returned him to you."
Optimus nodded once again, and then raised his arm. PR-35 flinched and readied himself for the blow, but all he felt was the Prime's hand on his shoulder guard. He was confused by the softness in the Autobot leader's optics. He had never seen that look on a Decepticon's face before, and therefore didn't know what it meant.
"PR-35, I am willing to offer you a choice," Prime told him, "If you fight us, you will be killed. However, if you surrender, you will be held as a prisoner of war. I promise that if you surrender you will be treated fairly, and may eventually qualify for political asylum. Choose carefully."
The other Autobots were surprised by the Prime's offer, but not nearly as surprised as PR-35 himself. Surrender to the Autobots? No Vehicon had ever done that before! Megatron would never take back a drone that had surrendered. It was treason! He knew the honorable thing to do was stand his ground and fight, but the truth was...he didn't want to.
PR-35 powered down his cannon and raised his arms up in surrender. He knew he was making a mistake. He was probably defective or something. He was concerned about his own sanity, but at least this way he would get to stay alive.
When Bumblebee and Jack had returned they both expected a shootout from the Vehicon. What they got was much weirder than that. Raf was safe and playing video games in his usual spot on the couch, Optimus had taken Arcee and Wheeljack to greet the new arrivals Ironhide and Chromia in Canada, and Ratchet and Bulkhead had stayed behind to guard a Vehicon prisoner.
At first Bumblebee was furious that the Vehicon had taken Raf and wanted to punch it into a wall, but Raf explained about the Vehicon saving his life, and this gave Bumblebee pause. A Vehicon doing something altruistic? It wasn't in their programming. He was definitely suspicious of the drone's motives, but for the moment decided to leave it alone. At least he had Raf back safe and sound.
On the other side of the room Ratchet ran a few diagnostic scans on the Vehicon to check it's vital statistics and figure out how the thing functioned. Bulkhead had stayed behind to guard Ratchet, but that didn't seem to be necessary since the Vehicon was even more terrified of Ratchet than it was of Bulkhead!
"Alright Vehicon, now I need to run a neural scan to see if I can detect processor activity," Ratchet said in a bored analytical tone.
"No!" PR-35 suddenly screamed as he tried to jump off the berth; only to be grabbed by Bulkhead, "No, please! Stay out of my mind! I'll tell you anything you want to know!"
Ratchet sighed and turned to face the Vehicon with undivided attention.
"You misunderstand, Vehicon," Ratchet said longsufferingly, "This is not the same as the cortical patch the Decepticons use. I'm just scanning to see if you have processor activity. I'm not going to download myself into your mind. Now, sit down."
"Yes, sir," PR-35 muttered compliantly, "Oh, and sir? I have a serial number. PR-35."
"You need a name," Ratchet replied disdainfully, "That is, if we find out you actually are a sentient life form. Of course I have my doubts."
"Yes, sir," PR-35 offered no argument, "Um, are you going to torture me? Because you don't have to. I'm not going to hide anything from you, so you don't have to torture me like you did to ICN-8675. I promise I'll talk."
"Like I did what?" Ratchet asked; confused.
"Oh, no! I didn't mean to offend you, sir!" PR-35 frantically apologized, "I'm sure ICN-8675 did something to deserve it. You're a mech, and mechs are always right! I don't know what a servant class drone could do to hurt you, but I'm sure you were well within your rights to melt part of his face off. I completely support your decision, sir. Please don't do that to me too, sir! I'm on your side!"
"You're talking about when-" Ratchet stopped himself when he remembered the incident PR-35 was talking about, "Listen, that wasn't- I mean I didn't-, listen to me, Vehicon...I had done something terrible to my body, and I wasn't acting like myself that day. My processor was under the influence of an untested substance. I would never torture a servant class drone under normal circumstances. We Autobots don't believe in harming non-combatants. You surrendered, and so far you have cooperated with me. I'm not going to hurt you so long as you continue to cooperate with us. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir," PR-35 nodded timidly, "Thank you, sir. By the way, I'm glad your hip joint healed."
"My what?" Ratchet asked obliviously.
"Your hip joint," PR-35 repeated, "You were injured and walking with a cane with a topaz handle. You were walking down some chrome plated stairs that had swirl marks on them. Was that recently? Wait, did that actually happen or did I dream that?"
Ratchet stared at the Vehicon like it had sprouted organic wings and a tail. He did remember the incident the Vehicon was talking about. He had that cane when he lived in Praxus. He had injured his hip joint when he crashed in vehicle mode against a recycling cube, and walked with that cane for 5 orns. There was no way a Vehicon could know about that, however. Vehicons hadn't even been invented yet back when Ratchet lived in Praxus with his sons before the war. How did this Vehicon know about that?
Before Ratchet could question the Vehicon further on the matter he heard a comm request for a ground bridge back to base. Apparently Ironhide and Chromia had made it to earth without incident.
The Autobot team made it back safely, and Optimus looked vorns younger after seeing his friend Ironhide. Arcee of course was very happy because her parents were there at her base and in her life again. Everyone loved to see her like that, since the tragedy of losing two partners usually kept her mood grim and solemn. Now she looked like a youngling again, and it was a wonderful sight to see.
"Hey Ratchet!" Ironhide greeted the medic with an exuberant smile, "It's nice to finally see someone around here as old as I am. I'm gettin' sick of these younglings always tryin' to show me up. So, how're you doin'?"
"As well as can be expected," Ratchet replied noncommittally, "Is there anyone else on their way here?"
"Sorry Doc, but we're it," Chromia replied bluntly, "Our team was killed during the raid on the New Polyhex Station. They killed Blurr, Sludge, Wheelie...They even got Jazz."
"No," Optimus sighed ruefully.
"Jazz? The saboteur?" Bulkhead asked incredulously.
"A fine Autobot," Optimus replied solemnly, "And a personal friend."
"Arcee tells me that no good fraghead Starscream killed Cliffjumper," Ironhide growled as he thought of the scenario, "Well, now we can finally get back at that snivelin' 'Con!"
"Yeah," Arcee replied gamely; grateful her sire was on her side in this.
"Hey, what the pit is that?" Chromia shouted heatedly as she pointed to PR-35.
PR-35 didn't move. He knew if he made an aggressive move now it would all be over. He still had a chance to save himself if he could just stay calm. Maybe later he could ask to be reprogrammed as an Autobot. He'd lose some memories and maybe some of his vicious edge, but it would be worth it to keep his spark intact.
"Do not attack him," Optimus ordered, "That Vehicon has surrendered to us, and is being treated as a prisoner of war. So far he has cooperated fully with us. Right, Ratchet?"
"Um, Optimus? Can I speak to you alone for a second?" Ratchet asked without answering the question, causing a few optic ridges to quirk in curiosity.
Optimus followed Ratchet to a dark corner of the room while Ironhide and Chromia toured the rest of the base with Arcee. Bulkhead kept his optics on the Vehicon, but PR-35 made no attempt to escape.
"Optimus, there is something odd about that drone," Ratchet said lowly.
"I am aware of that, old friend," Optimus replied patiently.
"No Optimus, you don't understand!" Ratchet insisted, "It told me something about myself that it shouldn't have been able to know. It knows about my life in Praxus before the war! How does it know? Not even Megatron knows everything, and I certainly didn't tell Megatron about the time I broke my hip joint!"
"The time you what?" Optimus asked in confusion.
"Never mind!" Ratchet snapped in frustration, "Optimus, that Vehicon has memory files about me, and I don't know where they came from. I'm not even sure the Vehicon knows where they came from. What should I do, Optimus?"
"I do not know, Ratchet," Optimus replied soberly, "Perhaps, however, you could start by calling PR-35 by his designation instead of just calling him it or the Vehicon."
Ratchet sighed deeply, but then nodded to indicate he would take his friend's advice. He didn't know what this PR-35 was, but he was going to find out.