Shockwave impersonally stared into the bar, his yellow eye flickering as he gathered data about what lay beyond the doors. Knock Out and Starscream were crumpled up at the bar, their optics shaking as they stared dead ahead, numb to the bystander. Shockwave cocked his flat head, observing what had become of the communications captain.
Soundwave had toppled from his seat, now splayed across the ground, his plexiglass chest hatch ajar. The sixteen minicons that were usually snuggled away inside were also strewn about, drugged by the Kremzeek that had poisoned Soundwave's energon.
Shockwave slowly meandered up to the bodies, lightly shoving Lazerbeak with his clunky foot, making sure the drone truly was out. After no response, Shockwave muttered, "Interesting discovery."
The Kremzeek could be used to disable Soundwave and the minicons if their master ingested it. Connected energon shares, perhaps?
Shockwave shook his head before leaving the bar and trekking back to his lab aboard the Nemesis. Megatron was off recharging, and the vehicons that scuttled about the hallways were given specific instructions to never wander near the lab. Shockwave was supposed to be gifted full silence so he could concentrate on his inventions. No other Decepticons were aboard the ship. A few Seekers would arrive tomorrow, but until then, Shockwave would remain undisturbed.
Shockwave slipped into the lab, red and green diodes on the computer systems blinking. He had just constructed a complex line of code, and as the computer system digested what he was commanding it to do, Shockwave decided to utilize this time to do something he never expected himself to do.
Shockwave's fingers conquered another computer's keyboard, lightning fast as he entered a secure wavelength, preventing others from listening in.
To any Autobots who this may concern,
Megatron is preparing a peace treaty to terminate the war.
Shockwave peered up at what he had typed into his digital letter. The Autobots would believe it; it was true, anyways. Optimus was always desperate to latch onto any sign of returning to Cybertron and bringing balance back to all Cybertronian kind.
He has suffered incredible damage to his neural network, and even though Knock Out and I attempted to salvage all that we could, his jurisdiction region has swelled, almost double in size to what is previously was.
Starscream is interested in commencing a second operation to undo what has occurred to our liege. Even though this route of action appears logical
Shockwave pulled his hands away from the keyboard, contemplating how he should phrase this without seeming...too much like a traitor.
Even though this route of action appears logical, I believe it to be in the best interest of our species for Megatron to remain in this state. His memories and personality are still intact, but he does indeed have more of a handle on his temper. He also appears to have accessed more emotional capability, and even though I strongly believe emotion obstructs invention, this transformation might be of positive utilization.
I would like to discuss the current situation with any Autobots, preferably with Ratchet for a scientific viewpoint, before Megatron releases his peace treaty.
The computer produced a vip as the message darted off through space to the Earth that lay below. Shockwave lowered his head, shame suddenly flooding through him. It was the first emotional sensation he had experienced in quite some time, and he kneeled down, trying to take the blow to his spark.
The engineer hastily pulled himself back up as another sound belted from the computer, announcing an arriving message.
Shockwave,
Meet us at the following coordinates now. Just you and no weaponry.
Shockwave read the message from Optimus again before gazing down at the permanent ray gun that was melded to his arm. It could not be removed in a timely manner, so he unhooked the tube connecting to a charging pack on his back, letting the chain drag behind him as he activated a bridge.
. . .
The wilderness was turning amber as the sun sank on the horizon, the mountains appearing to pull it down. Shockwave was settled atop a boulder, observing the solar mass's disappearance. A ground bridge ripped open ahead, and the genius calmly watched Optimus exit the portal with Ratchet and Elita at his sides.
Optimus spotted the engineer sitting cross legged. "Is it true?"
Shockwave rose, exposing the disconnected tube. "Yes. And my weaponry is disabled."
"What happened to Megatron exactly?" Ratchet approached the other fellow engineer, desperate to collect information.
Shockwave slowly stalked down the boulder, his ankles clanking as he made his way to the forest floor carpeted with rotting leaves. "Our only source of explanation, Starscream, reported that a fight with the Autobots resulted in a large boulder falling on Megatron, damaging his brain. I am unsure if this information is legitimate."
"It is," Elita said. She approached the enemy scientist, wary of his disconnected cannon. "We forced Starscream and Megatron into a ravine and loosened a few boulders with our own guns. The boulders fell into the ravine, but we were convinced they had escaped untouched."
"How are the other Decepticons responding to this?" Optimus stepped forward, desperate to aid Shockwave in deciding what to do.
"Most discourse regarding the matter is uneasy. Many are afraid."
"Pff, like they weren't scared before?" Ratchet snapped. Soundwave slowly looked to him, glaring in his own cold, expressionless way. "What I'm trying to say is your leader is finally showing something besides anger, and you all are afraid of him now?"
"Megatron wants to dissolve the Decepticons," Shockwave informed. "Even if the peace treaties he is preparing are not accepted by the Autobots, the Decepticons will be no more. That is what they fear. My unease lies not with Megatron but with who is going to rise up against the Autobots next. Starscream, to my understanding, is disturbed by our leader's change, but he is willing to remain loyal to him. I overheard him talking to Knock Out, and I decided to listen in.
"Knock Out, on the contrary, believes Megatron's transformation will make him all the wiser and stronger. Starscream is who we must be concerned about. He still despises your kind, and he is still set on eradicating all of you."
"I will accept those peace treaties," Optimus quickly spat.
"I know you would say that." Ratchet crossed his arms, starting at a dandelion poking through the soggy grass. "Megatron was a lunatic before, and only Primus knows what he is like now. Why would you accept something written by any version of Megatron?"
"Megatron is actually...wonderful in this current state," Shockwave corrected, feeling strange for calling such a formidable being "wonderful", as if he were some sort of father figure or friend.
"Shockwave, give us some time." Optimus gathered up the other two Autobots, and as they discussed in hushed voices, Shockwave pulled out his portable research tablet.
The scans of Megatron's brain pulled up, and Shockwave stared at the altered region, flipping between the scan from about a kilocycle ago to about two solar cycles ago. A sudden realization overcame Shockwave. He accessed scans from other Decepticons that were saved away on the tablet, scans that were just part of regular checkups that Knock Out administered. Shockwave had hacked his way into the records. He completed a handful of calculations.
"Optimus," Shockwave approached the group, showing the images to the Autobot leader. "I have made a pivotal discovery." He presented the other Decepticons' scans, comparing them to previous Megatron and new Megatron. "The other Cybertronian's jurisdiction areas consume about twenty three percent of their neural network. This percentage is acquired from a ratio of their brain size and jurisdiction size.
"The Megatron we used to know, he only had a jurisdiction percentage of about seventeen. A six percent difference might not appear to be significant, but Megatron's predicament has revealed otherwise. Now, Megatron's jurisdiction region is twenty four percent. He is not unstable. He is what he is supposed to be."
