Ch. 26
Knockout glared at Soundwave from his peripherals as they stalked through the halls, grumbling, "This is ridiculous."
Breakdown shrugged, "I dunno. It might be nice to get Soundwave's thoughts on all this."
The red mech growled, "Well, how do we know he's not going to snitch on us to Megatron? This isn't exactly fair to trust someone who was always reporting back to the Big M."
Breakdown just rolled his optics, "Scream already told him everything. If he wanted to rat on us, he's had plenty of time to do something about it."
Soundwave said nothing, following the mechs to Starscream's old berth room. It was agreed to, rather quickly, that the now empty space would serve as a safe zone for the three mechs; a place where they could discuss, and plan, for the future Starscream was sure was going to happen.
Breakdown opened the door for the mechs, making sure to close and lock it when they all made it inside, "So, where should we start?"
Soundwave brought up a timeline, highlighting a date and time labeled 'Synthetic Energon Discovery'.
Knockout crossed his arms, "No way, we're not touching that one. We go through the motions and call it a day. Starscream has the formula memorized, so even if Ratchet can't figure it out in the end or something goes wrong, we'll have it. Let that one go."
The silent mech hummed lowly in disapproval, but deleted it off the timeline. Knockout smirked.
Breakdown watched the two and frowned lightly, "You know, maybe we should ultimately admit why each of us is doing this. Me? I don't want to die."
Knockout looked to his counterpart and sighed, grumbling, "The winning team is best..."
Soundwave piped up in a metallic tone, "Problem: Soundwave's loyalty and service is devoted to Lord Megatron. Solution: Future Lord Megatron sees flaws in Decepticon overrule. Sides with Autobots."
Knockout stared at the blue mech and dramatically shuddered, "You know, you NEVER said you could talk. That's withholding information from your primary physician."
"Knockout: not Soundwave's primary physician. Knockout: merely medical consultant."
The red mech scoffed, "A consultant?! How dare you! My repairs are both medically sound and purposefully flashy! I combine the best of feeling AND looking good!"
Breakdown held Knockout back from lunging at Soundwave, "Easy, we don't need a scuffle in here."
"Query," Soundwave continued, "safe to leave Starscream at mercy to elements and potential threats?"
Knockout wrenched himself away from Breakdown, grumbling, "It's not like we can change his mind. He says it happened before, that he was without factions for almost two weeks, but he'll come aboard the Nemesis after we get a hold of Orion Pax."
Breakdown groaned, "That's gonna be so weird... Optimus running around thinking he's a 'Con."
"Soundwave: agrees. Observation: presence of Orion Pax no longer useful. Starscream holds locations of Cybertronian relics; Iacon database decoding need not be completed by Orion Pax."
"Or the ship," Knockout mused, looking up at the lights in the room, "and I think we should make sure that doesn't happen. The ship's creepy enough as it is, we don't need it flying around thinking it owns the place because it is the place."
Breakdown sat on the end of Starscream's old berth, "I gotta ask, if Starscream knows all this stuff, and is changing some of it, like knowing the Iacon database coordinates, won't that effect him if decoding it doesn't happen?"
Soundwave's visor went blank in thought, then erupted in mass figures and equations, trying to figure out an answer to the question; Knockout looked lost as he tapped his helm to think, "Ah, well... Very good question, um... Perhaps him bringing changes with what he knows is a loop? Eventually, his knowledge will simply forego what he's actually done to prevent 'DEAD' and he will be dead again, but with the same knowledge?"
Breakdown hummed, "A never ending cycle?"
The red mech pointed at him, "Yes. That... Hmm," he crossed his arms, "or maybe at the same time, that doesn't even apply. Soundwave, stop messing with calculations and focus on this one."
The blue mech stopped his equations, drawing a blank screen, "Calculations: paused. Response towards pause: upset."
Knockout waved him off, "Just hear me out. The theory of multiple universes and timelines. Can you begin following me on this?"
"Soundwave: intrigued. Soundwave: suggests continued discussion so Soundwave will formulate better equations and theory than Knockout."
The red mech glared, "Anyway... I was thinking. Starscream doesn't really know how or what brought all this here; whether it's future sight or time travel or what, but what if it's actually a combination of different driving forces? Destination and time?"
Breakdown grumbled, "I'm going to let you have your sciencey moment, doc, because I know how much you love them. But I better get the not so sciencey version after you're done."
"Deal," Knockout murmured, "So, if Starscream somehow found himself drawn into a large enough energy source while he himself was expending a similar amount of energy, he may not have only jumped through time, but into the timeline next to it."
Breakdown frowned.
The red mech glared back.
"So... he's not our Starscream?"
"Breakdown's understanding: mediocre, though somewhat correct."
Knockout shook his helm, "No, no, it doesn't matter where or when he came from, he's still 'ours' in a sense. Alright, so he said he died."
Breakdown nodded, "Yes. He was dead."
Knockout pointed at him, "And you just asked whether or not his changes would effect the outcome if certain things didn't happen, if certain pieces of information he had didn't come to light for anyone else but him."
"Yes. That is what I asked."
"Well, if he did 'time travel', only his spark made the journey because when he 'arrived' here, he was in his old chassis, not the one that was mangled in the future."
"... Don't lose me here, doc, keep explaining things simply."
Knockout growled, holding up a digit on each servo, "This little digit is where Starscream lived," he wiggled one, "When he died, he moved to the one next to it."
Breakdown's optics widened a little, "Alright. Don't explain anymore. I'm just going to listen and pretend to understand to show you that I care."
"Soundwave: greatly enthused by Knockout's theory."
The red mech sighed, "Well at least someone is..." he looked to Breakdown, "All you need to know is that if this isn't a cycle Starscream is stuck in, then he might be on another timeline. Which means anything he withholds or changes at his will won't force a cycle to come up when something is undiscovered for us. Like... the Iacon database."
"So he can still predict certain events..." Breakdown mused.
Knockout smiled, "But it's also why he can't predict how minor events that conjunct off the larger ones will play out. Like when we watch those human videos where they play video games. Sometimes a player will die during a level."
Breakdown smirked, "Yeah, I get it now, doc. Go to the left, get smashed. Still go to the left, but wait before the smasher comes down..."
"And they got the golden key!"
"Soundwave: now thoroughly unamused."
The red mech scowled at Soundwave, but Breakdown finally stood, "I wonder how our two timelines were different? Think it was a big thing?"
Knockout shrugged, "Could be the littlest thing. And it could be anywhere, doesn't have to be here. Could be that in the middle of space somewhere, a comet is a little off course. Minor versus major differences in the timeline theory is a class for another day."
"Soundwave: has realized disturbing observation."
Breakdown frowned, "What?"
"Theory: Starscream's ultimate avoidance of 'DEAD' may remain unavoidable. If Starscream's death is final, major event in preconceived timeline, theory concludes he will suffer 'DEAD' again."
Knockout and Breakdown remained silent as they thought it over.
The red mech finally spoke, "Maybe. We don't know. And we certainly won't know until we get to that date, will we?"
Soundwave shrugged, "Query: do we ask Starscream?"
Breakdown slowly shook his helm, "You know, he's got a lot on his mind right now. Let's just let him do what he needs to..."