Ch. 164

Starscream cursed under his breath and hissed when he clipped the tip of his digit on a small clamp. The view was obscured by his chestplate momentarily, the red Decepticon sigil noticeably dented and scuffed. With a small 'ah ha!' of triumph, the seeker finally pulled back and smiled in a smug fashion, leaning back to sit in one of the lab chairs.

"Well, a thought came to me soon after all of this..." his red optics frowned and he looked up, his servo rolling lightly as he tried to find the right word, "... hm, I guess it's just 'all of this', started to happen. So, ah, today is I believe event number..." he scowled and searched the messy desk he was sitting at for a data pad, "I have it logged somewhere..."

Optimus's optics were wide as he watched the video Wheeljack had been tasked to find, hidden away in a data file under a mess of laboratory equipment. The rest of the Autobots watched with him, each in just as much surprise as their leader at seeing the seeker in a state of unknowing. The file must have been made early on.

"Ratchet," the Prime murmured, "what is this?"

The medic shook his helm, "I... I am hoping to Primus it's not what I think it is."

Wheeljack smirked, "Looks like a 'tell-all' to me. Guess we get to learn about some future events, huh?"

Ratchet turned on the still injured mech, glaring, "It is unfair for us to know! We shouldn't! The risks outweigh any advantages we could culminate from such knowledge! Theoretical paradoxes, event distortion, we could even-"

"Haven't we dealt with all that already?!" Knockout growled, "It seems we may be too far gone into exactly how Starscream described it: 'all of this'! What's this going to hurt now? Cause it sure as frag can't get-"

"Don't finish that sentence," Arcee snapped, quieting the bickering mechs, "And if you can't keep it down, then get out..." her optics settled back to the still talking seeker on the computer monitor, "some of us want to watch this..."

"Let's see, I think I might as well get on with this," Starscream shrugged, "no one really believes these things anyway, so I suppose this is more for my records than anyone else... Ah, I just finished collecting the Phase Shifter, so I figured I'd have more than enough time to gather up the last of these relics. That means that the next event I should be worrying about will be this Unicron awakening in a few days," he grimaced and set down a datapad, "You know, I'm really rethinking being a part of that, but it causes so many problems down the line..." he set the pad aside, "just going to clean that up... Um... After that comes... a lot. Maybe I should be making this for someone else and not so much for me? I mean, why leave a message for no one?"

Optimus shuttered his optics, setting a servo over his spark, "Oh, Starscream..."

Ratchet patted his arm and paused the video with a sigh, "Perhaps we should give this time to... air out. Wheeljack just brought it to our attention. Maybe we should come back to this in a few hours?"

"Why wait?" Bulkhead said in confusion, "The Cons aren't going to wait. We need to figure out where we are in the previous timeline and see if they have any tricks they're planning on using."

Ultra Magnus had been observing quietly, the dynamic of Team Prime not a structure he was used to, and gruffly cleared his throat loudly, "We stand on the edge of something I find hard to believe, soldier," Bulkhead silenced, his stance straightening, "Optimus did his best to help me understand and I still find this difficult to wrap my processor around. Four Decepticon officers defect because one of them has abilities that surpass mortal capabilities, one of which has been to predict future events."

Knockout shrugged, "Well, not so much as 'predict' as-"

"I'm not finished," the larger blue mech frowned, "I have also been informed that due to these miraculous abilities, Megatron has devolved into a state that borders irrational reasoning. In war, when the enemy has changed their tactics, you need to adapt and change your own. Ratchet, you have every reason to hesitate over this decision. The future should not be known or tampered with by any of our servos. And Bulkhead. Your eagerness to understand what may arise is understandable. But to prepare for something that may not happen is just as dangerous as doing nothing in the face of certainty. So it is not for us to decide," he turned, looking to Optimus, "it is for our leader to judge..."

Ratchet stared worriedly at the Prime, his voice nearly a whisper, "Optimus... can we risk this?"

Optimus's optics remained shuttered in thought. To know was just as fatal as not knowing... and to not know was just as naïve as knowing. The risk, the reward, the take away, the loss... the loss they already had.

"I will stay," Optimus finally spoke, "and watch the entirety of this file myself. Whomever wishes to leave will not be judged. Those who wish to stay will have made their choice."

Breakdown gestured to himself and Knockout, "Cursed either way and the doc and I know enough. I'm staying to watch."

"Soundwave: curious. Solution: staying."

Bumblebee beeped, saying he wasn't going to leave.

Arcee and Wheeljack wordlessly nodded and Bulkhead clenched his servos tightly, "Scream left us this, didn't he? Then I'm gonna watch it for him."

Smokescreen frowned, "If this means we can save Starscream and take Megatron down, then I'm staying, too.

Ratchet sighed quietly; he knew regret was already beginning to fill him as he spoke, "Just... start it up again before I change my mind..."

Ultra Magnus leaned forward to reactivate the file as Arcee crossed her arms, "What do we tell the kids?"

Ratchet shook his helm, "We need to get them somewhere safe..."

"We shall talk with them," Optimus answered, "after we have seen what Starscream has left us."