It's not easy being a Mech on today's Cybertron Underworld.

I tried to muffle my steps, but there is only so much you can do to Muffle Cybertronium-ferris-carbide impacting with durra-ferris-chromide. I was in a hurry, and the passage was semi-blocked with rubble, preventing me from just shifting over to 'Vehicle' mode, as it would cost me energon, and I would have to revert to droid mode, costing me even more energon.

The roaring afterburns of the Seekers still patrolling the skies overhead, shook the beams, causing sand and steel girders to fall from the ceiling. No idea what they were looking for. The only Energon left on this 'Rock' was the 'blood' in our veins. Shockwave was the only one who would consider draining others for their Energon… and by that time, it would be a mercy. All Autobots had left in the last three exodus. The Decepticons had followed not half a solar-cycle behind.

I rounded a corner in the tunnel and there it was…

I was close enough to a 'Ground Bridge' or a 'Space Bridge' generator that was working for my 'special' trick to work.

Hardline Online

[00]

[ISDH]

[Gate Drive Engaged] Light blue Energon began to flow to a Matrix around my spark-chamber. My arms extended to either side, a hard-light projector in each palm drew a circle in the air before me. [Gate Vortex Confirmed] My arms snapped together before the center of my chest. [Interlock Connections: Blue. Vortex Stable. Transit is a go] A beam of pale blue light hit the plane contained by the hard-light circle...

A blue-white vortex swirled open before me, and I ran into it. This was my chance. I could finally get off this 'Rock'. Yes, it was my Home. Had been for hundreds of mega-cycles, but first the wars, then the scavengers… and because of my 'Trick' I was without a powered weapon, and my 'trick' took me offline for a few mini-cycles while I powered the 'Gate Vortex.

121

I exited the Gate vortex, just as it collapsed on my heels.

Overhead, the 'Vortex Stabilizer' was incomplete. It would never support a 'Gate Vortex Interlock' again. But thankfully I did not need it too. I could use it to lock-in for a return trip, so I logged in the 'Gate Id code'. I tapped the generator, using my 'Gate Drive Matrix' to open a small space-bridge. [Gate Drive Engaged] Deep Cyan Energon flowed into my Matrix, burning open the pathways. I went through my dance routine, first forming the hard-light circle, before snapping to my chest, [Gate Vortex Confirmed] My optics went offline as my Astral-Nav kernel crossed with my Vortex Projector. [Interlock Connections: …] numbers ran through my head, as I searched for any working gate out there... [Blue. Vortex Stable. Transit is a go]

A red vortex bloomed before me. But before I could inspect it… a Seeker Patrol found me, and opened fire, hitting the generator, which exploded throwing me into the vortex…

121

Jasper, Nevada.

Nothing exciting ever happens in Jasper, Nevada.

That is what three young teens thought just a few months ago.

Then Jack just had to try out that 'sweet ride' outside his work. This led him to leading the young Raf out from underfoot as four 'bots clashed in the storm drain. Of course Miko just had to get involved. Now the Autobot base was infested, with three squishies underfoot all the time. Energon was limited and dwindling, and the Scorched Wrecker kept breaking things!

Ratchet was just hoping for an afternoon of peace and quiet, but it was Saturday, and the kids had arrived early and Prime was out on Patrol. So everyone else was stuck in the base unless He found a good reason for them to be elsewhere.

Any reason.

Then a peeping sounded from his link to the spacegate. Something was coming through.

And it was coming fast…

And if he knew about it, he bet Soundwave also knew about it or would soon enough. "Bulkhead! Arce! Bee! I need Recon on an object falling to Earth…" The old medi-bot calculated the UFO's planetfall, "Somewhere over the Grasslands of Africa. Grab your Squishies, and roll out!"

The three humans perked up when the medic spoke up, and when he called them squishies, Miko cheered and threw herself off the top rail into the open cavity of Bulkhead's chest, just as the Wrecker shifted into his SVU form. Raf slung his pack, and slid down the ladder and trotted three steps into the Yellow and Black Charger. Jack had swung out on a 'firepole' and dropped to the ground. Once there, he just swung his leg over his 'sweet ride' of a Motorcycle, and buckled his helmet on.

Ratchet pulled the lever and the landbridge vortex spun into being. Bulkhead charged into the beyond, his voice and engine roaring, and yet Miko was still heard above him. Bee honked, and raced after. The Scout quickly overtaking the Wrecker. Jack on the Ninja Infiltrator, faded into the beyond as the matrix collapsed.

"Finally. Some peace and quiet."

121

(AN: While the story is set in the Prime Cannon, Soundwave will be G1. I will make him a duel changer ; his 'Boombox' form and an aerial form that I will leave open to a vote. Make it quick.)

A beeping drew the large royal blue Mech to look. It tapped a few panels, shifting the lights on the boards. Before hitting one panel off to the side.

"Soundwave. What is the Slagging Reason for your interruption of my … asking Starscream a few questions?"

Now Soundwave and an annoying Scout have similar issues. Neither can speak. Bee had his 'Voice Box' ripped out. Soundwave, to better mimic his marks, and to replay the 'Con-settes' when they are out spying for him and Lord Megatron. So instead of verbally answering he just replayed the sound of the beeping. Then he played something from the Human Cyber Data Network. "Incoming! Take Cover!" a scared human cried.

"Where did this signal come from." the growl from the speaker caused his gears to ratter.

This one was easier. The replay was from when the Great Lord had tried to raise the dead as an army. "[Gate Vortex Confirmed]"

"Send a squad to collect it. Send Breakdown and Knock-out as Command." the High Lord commanded.

In a few mini-cycles four troopers led way into a vortex followed by a very shiny red racer and a faded blue grey SVU. Just before the vortex matrix collapsed, the center of Soundwave's chest popped open, and a 'Cassette' ejected, only to transform into a black and yellow buzzard, which swooped after them.

121

I exited the Space-gate over a blue and green rock. The Space-gate had been just out of sensor range from the ground. The 'Gate was angled so as to not allow for direct exit and landing. As such I hit the Atmo and skidded for over sixty degrees, before friction slowed my flight enough for gravity to get a hold of my shiny Aft-thrusters. I was able to angle myself just right to use my replusor-lifts to slow my descent enough that when I touched down, the only sign I was here was the wind-bent grass and the dust cloud.

I knew the words for the plantlife, due to the many trips I took with the Primal Council Diplomatic Corp. No sooner than the dust settled, I sensed three bots approaching at speed from what I would later learn was the West. Just as I saw a Green machine chasing a yellow and black one, I noticed another group coming in from the south east. This time it was eight 'bots' approaching, but six were 'drone trooper' class. Decepicons had started using them just before the third exitus. They were 'cloned' sparks, allowing the overloads that Megatron and Shockwave had left behind to field six soldiers loyal to the Cause and Command where a standard 'Con could, and often did ask questions that could cause 'Offline'.

As the two vehicles roared up to me, enshrouding me in a new dust cloud, they each expelled a parasite, before charging off to engage the 'Cons. As the Dust settled again, I noticed a third parasite had joined the first two.

The middle sized one waved at me, before pulling out a pink object out of a compartment on it's hip. It flipped said object open, pointed it at me, and hit it with it's off-digit.

121

Jack leaned along Arcee's body. While he enjoyed riding a Ducati, it was not the fast bike on the market, nor the most comfortable. There were times that he wished she was a Yamaha, as they were shaped to force him to be more inline with her. Even a Kawasaki would have a different and maybe better profile.

He could hear Miko bouncing in her seat in Bulkhead, chattering about what they would find when they arrived. Ref responded with a scientific answer. Jack just shook his head. This com link Raf had put into his helmet, and tied everybody's phone into, allowed him to tap the Autobots' coms and to answer his phone with but a tap of a button. The 'nerd' even tied in a HUD and Face-Chat feature.

Ahead, a Mech stood allowing the dust to settle around him. He appeared shorter than Optimus Prime and a bit broader in the shoulders. He was Black, with a venom neon green trim and golden yellow highlights. As the three Autobots closed, he made no move to draw anything resembling weapons.

Bee squealed.

"I got them, Bee." Arcee spoke across the coms. "The Mech is not a 'Con, the humans can handle him." Almost as one, the three 'Bots stopped and dropped their humans off, before speeding off to fight some 'Con.

Jack removed his Helmet as he looked up at the 'Bot. Miko waved, before pulling her phone and snapping a pic.

Raph tugged his pack on tight, before yelling, "Okay big guy!, Bring us up!"

The Mech just stared at them.

Raph mimed laying his hand down so that something small could climb aboard… and after six seconds, the Mech dropped to his knee, so his palm could lay flat on the ground. The kids climbed aboard. Rather Raph climbed aboard, where as Miko jumped, and Jack just stepped. Then the Mech slowly stood as he brought the humans to his optic level.

A burst of garbled screeching was blasted at them.

"Ah!" Raph's smile widened. "First time hearing English, and do not have a sample to translate. I can fix that!" Then the short glasses wearing scaredy cat took a runny start and jumped from the Mech's hand to his upper chest, where he quickly climbed up the strange Bot, to behind where the human ear would be. Shrugging off his pack, and pulling out his laptop, he plugged it into a port in the Mech's head. A quick tapping of buttons, and the Mech's optics flickered… died… and blazed with new life as his core reset.

The Mech looked at Miko, his facegrill shifted as if tasting his words first… "CliffHanger!"