Ch. 229

While it seemed the whole of the Ark was now posted outside the open doors of the mysterious 'two rooms', Ultra Magnus dared to hold everyone back, claiming there were 'protocols' and a 'chain of command' that needed to be upheld. Soundwave was noticeably absent, a fact that was expressed when someone, possibly Smokescreen, asked loudly where the blue mech was.

Ultra Magnus frowned, "Our unscheduled descent-"

"You mean the second fragging NOSEDIVE?!" Knockout called from the back.

"Unscheduled descent," Ultra Magnus emphasized loudly, "has left Soundwave checking the system for any other bugs. It would seem that opening these rooms was the cause and it appears that activating the fail safe has cleared the other 'slips' from the system. Soundwave is currently running a thorough diagnostic to be sure..."

Knockout scoffed, crossing his arms as he leaned over to whisper to the nearest pair of audials, "Frag these nosedives and these polychaetes, I swear..."

Arcee chuckled ahead of the red mech, "Just feel lucky the Ark floats."

Ultra Magnus held a mutter at the back of his mouth and stood up taller when he saw Optimus walk in with Starscream, "Sir, I felt it best to wait for your arrival before we began further investigations."

The Prime didn't speak. He only nodded and looked to Ratchet, differing to the medic to prevent the concerned thoughts he had swirling at the forefront of his mind from manifesting into spoken words.

Ratchet didn't waste time, "This one, to the right," he gestured, "I want detailed inventory, labeling of whatever we find-"

"Aw, we have to work?" Miko whined.

Bulkhead and Bumblebee groaned in unison.

Wheeljack started walking away, "I got a whole pile of guns that are lyin' around with the safety off..."

"We need everyone's assistance on this, soldier!" Ultra Magnus frowned, "That will include diffusing any suspicious materials we may encounter."

Wheeljack paused in his steps, "... The threat of more bombs, you say?"

Starscream rolled his optics and pushed through the group to enter the room on the left. His peds had barely passed the threshold when Ratchet's irritated voice stopped him.

"Where are you going?"

The seeker frowned, "You're working in the other one. Take Prime with you. I'll inventory this one."

Silence trickled over the previously energetic and curious nature of the group. Murmurs began to quietly form. Nervous questions began to arise.

"Hey, you think things are ok?"

"Don't know. Can't remember the last time Starscream called Optimus just 'Prime'."

"Did they have a fight?"

"What's going on?"

Optimus stepped forward before Ratchet could respond to Starscream's answer, "We will start by investigating the second room with Starscream. Everyone, keep your guards up. Do not assume that the previous trap we encountered will be the last."

Starscream didn't bother to wait for anything more. His irritation was at an all time high and his patience was at its thinnest. He took on the room he chose hoping to be alone. He wanted the solitude. He wanted the distraction from all the things he-

The seeker silenced his own thoughts and carefully slid his servo up the side of the wall on his right to find a light switch. The lights clicked on in an almost dramatic flare, sections of the large room turning on one by one. Workstation lights, all with cracked monitors except for one in the middle, tables fitted with lab equipment, two opaque glass-walled offices, all lit up. And a very joyous chuckle brightened up with them.

"Greetings!" a cheery voice called from somewhere in the room; everyone froze, "Welcome to Lab Room 1! The dedication you show here will ensure greater victories for Cybertron!"

Predaking huffed, "The voice. It sounds like the Brainstorm mech from the video I did not mean to find..."

Ratchet nodded, slowly moving passed Starscream to get into the room, "It is his voice... He seems to have downloaded his personality into a computer interface."

"Didn't you say Brainstorm was very distrusting?" Arcee frowned as she walked over to a work table and looked at an old microscope, "What better way to make sure you can trust someone than making a copy of yourself?"

Slowly, cautiously, the group made their way inside. No one was set to get comfortable anytime soon but that didn't stop Ratchet from verbalizing a warning.

"Don't touch anything," he murmured as he made his way to the back of the room, "This equipment could need special coding to use or operate-"

"No coding necessary!" the cheery voice responded, the large video monitor at the middle workstation displaying a blue colored vocal line, "All basic lab equipment has been unlocked at team leader Brainstorm's request! Data cylinder labeled 'Fulgor' accepted! Welcome back, Brainstorm!"

Jack blinked, "Fulgor?"

"I've never heard it used," Raf shrugged, "Is it a name?"

Bumblebee shook his helm and bubbled, saying it meant 'brightness'.

Raf nodded and turned to the taller boy to whisper to him. The two jumped when a pair of hands set themselves on their shoulders and turned them around.

Jack whined as he caught his breath, "Mom, what are you-"

June only crossed her arms and glared, "I mean everything I am about to say Jackson Darby: you three are not going to help with this and that's final."

Raf quietly grumbled while Miko was far more vocal in her upset, "Aw, WHAT? After everything we went through to crack these suckers open?"

"My point exactly," June pointed the children back to the door, "The last time you messed with these rooms, the ship fell out of the sky."

"But Starscream saved us..."

"I don't care."

Bumblebee whirred softly, telling the group he was going to follow the humans and keep watch, just in case.

Optimus nodded to the scout as he left, "Thank you, Bumblebee."

The air in the room felt more serious. With the children gone, the undeniable fact lingered that this place, while seemingly disarmed now, could be just as dangerous as it hadn't appeared to be before. This was still Brainstorm's domain; everyone had to remain cautious.

Breakdown slowly maneuvered his way over to the opaque glass offices on the right side of the rooms. He cupped his servos on either side of his optics as he tried to look in, grumbling when he pulled back.

"Hey, Brainstorm-voice-box?" he called out, "What's up with these tiny rooms?"

"The 'tiny rooms' you are referring to are the Office Reference Room and Brainstorm's personal office, Unnamed Assistant 1."

"The name's 'Breakdown'-"

Knockout rushed over to set a servo over the blue mech's mouth, "Don't give it your name, I don't want it talking to you-"

"Hello Assistant Breakdown," the voice replied again in its cheery voice, "Brainstorm gave me the name 'Nexus'."

Knockout glared at the vocal line and growled, pulling Breakdown from the opaque glass wall of the Office Reference Room, muttering quietly to himself.

"Nexus," Optimus spoke up, "can you enlighten our team to the current research the Ark is performing?"

"Negative," Nexus didn't sound so cheery now, almost sighing as it spoke, "No test subjects are available, thus there is no research currently being conducted."

The Prime found his gaze landing on Starscream's back that faced him from across the room, a part of him wondering if the red and white mech would speak up with his own inquiries. He felt glances fall back and forth between him and the seeker, members of his team quietly observing the distance the two clearly had away from each other. The lithe mech had his servos tight at his back and his optics in focused consideration of each placed item in the room. He slowly reached out and tapped his claws delicately against the table of one of the workstations, noting that the bases of the lab equipment must have been magnetized to keep everything so orderly. He, too, could feel optics staring at him but he dared not look. Starscream didn't want to know who was silently watching and judging his movements, a heavy feeling that related to fear telling him it was better to be uncertain than to risk knowing. Knowing things... just hurt so much more.

Smokescreen made his way closer to Starscream to sit at one of the workstations, "Hey Nexus? Why was the Ark flown all the way to Earth?"

A small double-beep emitted from the middle station's monitor before Nexus spoke, "Information pertaining to our flight pattern may only be accessed by team leader Brainstorm."

Smokescreen frowned and Bulkhead mimicked the same confused look, "Uh, Nexus? Why was the Ark crashed into the side of a cave?"

"Information pertaining to the impromptu landing may only be accessed by team leader Brainstorm."

The bots in the room began to exchange concerned glances.

Optimus approached the monitor displaying the vocal line, "Nexus," he began, "why did Brainstorm leave Cybertron? What research had he been previously working on?"

"Information pertaining to team leader Brainstorm's-"

"Nexus," Starscream interrupted, his gaze on the area around him and away from everyone else, "designate Brainstorm's location in the room."

Silence. Nexus didn't respond. The vocal line remained flat. Not even a beep made itself present.

The seeker's wings twitched in annoyance, "Nexus," he repeated more firmly, "designate Brainstorm's location."

Nexus remained silent.

Arcee frowned, darting her optics towards the door nervously, "Nexus?"

"Yes, Unnamed Assistant?"

The femme cautiously walked over to stand beside Optimus, "Why didn't you answer Starscream?"

The vocal line stayed flat.

"... Nexus," she began again, "designate Brainstorm's location."

"Team leader Brainstorm is standing within proximity of workstation four!" Nexus informed her happily, "The station is located at the back wall."

Optics turned to see Ratchet standing at the back wall, his look of surprise more than evident, "W-wait, I'm not-"

"Shh!" Starscream quickly hushed him.

Optimus smiled weakly at Ratchet, "We know you are not, old friend. But Nexus has designated that you are team leader."

Wheeljack chuckled, "This is what ya get for puttin' that data cylinder in the wall, doc."

Ratchet rolled his optics and grumbled when the station he was examining gave him no indication of what work it had been previously tasked with. He sighed before carefully calculating the risks of what he was about to do...

"Nexus," the medic began, "unlock all workstations and offices in Lab Room 1."

Excited whirring noises came to life as power diverted to the broken monitors and consoles at each station and the once opaque glass of the offices became translucent, side doors opening to allow access, "Lab Room 1 activated and fully restored. Awaiting further instructions!"

Ratchet rolled his optics and sat down to work with what he had. The cracked monitor he was currently staring into was still capable of projecting some information.

Everyone else in the room began to investigate these now working stations. Smokescreen smirked as he and Wheeljack messed with some of the equipment, ignoring Arcee and Ultra Magnus's murmurs to be careful.

Optimus saw that Starscream had yet to explore now that the room appeared to be up and running. The Prime slowly made his way over to speak to the smaller mech but his steps did not go unnoticed and the seeker flicked his wings before walking away, clearly indicating that he was aware of the larger mech and choosing to ignore him.

Predaking made his way over to Optimus and hummed deeply as he tried to keep his voice soft, "Starscream... he spoke of the many great things you did for him... Why does he ignore you now?"

The Prime wasn't sure how to answer but he found a smile amongst his feelings to give to the great mech, "I am not entirely certain. But my hope is that when he is ready, he will tell me."

Predaking liked the answer and nodded, smiling back.

Starscream wandered back towards the offices Breakdown had been interested in before. Nexus had called one of them Brainstorm's personal office, so logic dictated there be 'personal items' that could perhaps answer some questions in all this mess. The seeker could see why Ratchet wasn't simply asking questions in place of Brainstorm himself; just as placing the data cylinder into its fitted port had dropped the Ark from the sky, Nexus could come to realize that Brainstorm was not among the group. And who knew what that would ultimately entail?

Starscream stepped into the now visible office to stare dumbfounded at the strangest form of testing equipment he'd ever seen. The computer console and desk station coupled with comfortable seating was expected, but not so much the structure that stood before it. At first glance, it almost presented itself as a somewhat basic art piece.

"Whoa, what's that, Starscrimus?"

The seeker grumbled and sighed, "Smokey. By Primus."

"Never," Smokescreen smirked, rushing into the room before Wheeljack to sit at the desk, "This place is actually pretty nice! What do you think they were researching?"

Wheeljack shrugged and walked up to the 'art' piece, "If it doesn't have much of a 'bang', is it really science?"

"Yes," Ratchet scoffed from just on the other side of the glass, "Not everything in science has to explode, Wheeljack!"

Smokescreen held back a laugh as he joined the Wrecker, both examining the weird structure as Starscream approached and watched from the side. The structure was made up of two, thick poles on either side with strong looking rings locked in a short distance above their helms. There was a platform in the middle that only added a small bit of height to anyone standing upon it... but the whole of it seemed out of place.

"It's ugly," Wheeljack finally announced; he turned to Smokescreen when the younger mech snorted out a laugh, "Isn't that how the art critics do it? They say how ugly it is? And then how it means something else?"

Knockout scoffed, "Oh please," he peered through the glass, "First off, that's not art. It looks like giant human workout equipment. Second, it is ugly and I wouldn't be caught in the same room with it, so it's a good thing it's separated from me by this glass," he nodded smugly.

Wheeljack and Smokescreen exchanged glances that told of trouble. Starscream watched carefully as Smokescreen walked up the small platform first.

"Not much room," he commented, "but maybe Brainstorm was a smaller mech?"

Wheeljack shrugged, "Could be."

The younger mech reached up and attempted to pull himself up using the rings. It came to his surprise when he almost fell as the rings both slid downwards.

Wheeljack snickered, "Oh, so a moving piece of art?"

"Workout equipment!" Knockout shouted from somewhere else in the lab.

Smokescreen smiled sheepishly, "Well, that was stupid."

"Stupid, yeah," the Wrecker helped the younger mech up, "but I'm sure any mech lookin' to figure somethin' out feels stupid about not gettin' it the first time."

Smokescreen nodded then looked back at Starscream, "Hey, Starscrimus? Want to take a look?"

Starscream didn't. He didn't want all of these bots around him right now. But he was still looking for the distraction he so desperately needed. With a heavy sigh, the seeker stepped forward as the two white mechs moved out of the way.

"I don't know how I let you talk me into anything."

Smokescreen smiled, "My winning personality! I know it's why you and I are friends."

Starscream struggled not to smile back. He liked hearing that, unprompted, unasked.

He allowed the comment to sit with him a moment as he touched one of the rings, "It's a plated metal," he mused, "Heavily reinforced. Even if this were some sort of way to... workout, I don't see how it could be of use to a Cybertronian."

Wheeljack crossed his arms, "Could've gotten it on another planet?"

Starscream shook his helm, "No idea... You know, maybe..." he trailed off as he went from gripping the ring to sliding his servo into it and up his arm.

"Very fashionable," Smokescreen laughed.

"Fashion faux pas!" Knockout remarked from across the room.

Starscream smiled a little more warmly and began to remove his arm from the ring when the circle closed tightly around his wrist, "Whoa, oh, hello."

The seeker's wings tipped up and down in flitted movements as he tugged and tried to pull himself free. Smokescreen and Wheeljack moved closer to see what was happening, both looking nervous.

"Scream?"

"I don't know," the lithe mech tried to awkwardly laugh off.

"Starscrimus?"

"I, uh, I don't know," Starscream started to feel his spark rate quicken, "Get it off," he hissed, "get this thing off me right-"

The seeker stopped talking and tugged as Smokescreen and Wheeljack both grabbed onto the ring and dug in to pry it open.

"I can't-" Smokescreen growled, "It's flush against your metal, Starscream!"

Wheeljack huffed, unsheathing a katana, "Stupid, ugly art-scrap!"

"Don't you dare use that to get it off!"

Ratchet looked up as the commotion reached him. He was closest to the three mechs and let out a hefty sigh when he saw what he assumed was a generous sharing of half a processor between them. The medic didn't feel nervous until Nexus's cheery voice bubbled up from the monitor close by.

"Oh, how exciting. Our research is starting again..."

Ratchet bolted up from his seat without hesitation and rushed to the door of the office, "Get that off him, NOW!"

The growing commotion had everyone's attention now. Predaking groaned worriedly and followed after Ratchet to make his way into the office but the door slammed closed behind the older mech and sealed itself tight. Too many voices started clamoring to ask questions but the panic setting in for Starscream muddled it all together. He knew he could hear some of his teammates trying to ask Ratchet to let them in. He glanced back to see Wheeljack using his katana to now try to pry the door open. Everything was moving rapidly as his intakes came in pants. He was afraid and that was all he knew for sure.

"Ratchet!" Optimus pounded a fist on the glass, the act not leaving a scratch, "Can you open the door?"

The medic was immediately by Starscream's side, "Starscream, what's going-"

"I don't know," the seeker whimpered, "It won't come off; what is it doing?"

A whirring noise inside the poles on either side made the occupants in the room flinch and Starscream yelped as both rings lurched upwards, the restraint pulling him up by his arm far enough that he was forced to stand on the tips of his peds.

"Ratchet," the seeker whimpered shakily, "get me down, get this off, tell Nexus-"

"Nexus!" Ratchet shouted, "Shut this thing down! Shut it DOWN!"

But Nexus appeared to be humming, "Establishing potential of new subject now. Please wait..."

Starscream began to tremble. All the bots outside of the room were now trying to find ways in. Predaking had transformed and was ramming himself into the glass, if it even was glass, which refused to budge, chip or yield. The Predacon roared in frustration. Arcee and Bulkhead were using their blasters and allowing Breakdown to slam his hammer into the spot they'd chosen to weaken. Ultra Magnus was hurriedly COMMing Soundwave on the command deck. Starscream felt tears in his optics when something sharp pressed against the inner lining of his wrist.

"This thing's gonna stick him with a needle!" Smokescreen suddenly shouted, the young mech's optics looking at the empty ring that hung above them as it produced its own needle tip, "Nexus, STOP!"

"Nexus!" Ratchet tried again, transforming out his welder, "Cancel this test! Stop!"

"Negative," Nexus responded in a pleased tone, "Administering enhancement now."

Starscream yelped again as the needle dug into his softer protoform and his chassis went rigid, his optics widening as things began to slow down for him.

"O... Optimus..."

The Prime stopped assaulting the glass to move in front of the seeker, "Starscream, I am here," he assured him, "Ratchet will get you out."

"My welder isn't cutting through!" the medic hissed, "Wheeljack, you need to get back over here, I need that sword of yours!"

"Katana!"

"Not the best time to be correcting each other!" Knockout shouted.

Starscream shook harder as he tried to stare at Optimus on the other side of the glass, "Optimus... get this off me... please... It's doing something..."

Optimus set his servo against the glass, the smaller mech shakily doing the same, "You will be alright. We are going to get you out."

Starscream tried to nod but instead he felt the gold static beginning to build. Nothing about how it had felt before compared to now. There was something sick and twisted about it, whatever chemical coursing through him forcing the act simply because it could, not because he needed it... or did he? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that it didn't feel as though it was saving him; the entirety of his chassis felt like he was being torn apart.

"OPTIMUS, HELP ME!"

Starscream shrieked as gold sparks jumped off him, like they were rushing to escape. His form shook and vibrated violently, pieces fracturing, disappearing and reappearing in small sections. Ratchet stumbled back into Smokescreen and Wheeljack, the three mechs watching in horror as the seeker continued to wail in pain and looked like he was being torn apart.

"STARSCREAM!" Optimus banged on the glass again, shouting loudly, "NEXUS, STOP!"

Nexus ignored the Prime, "Registering data now... Assessing levels..."

Starscream wasn't even sure if he was screaming anymore. The ringing in his audials and the pounding in his helm was leaving him deaf and blind to everything else. All he knew, in this moment, was that this thing hurting him wasn't letting him go; his hiccup wasn't saving him from whatever this was. This terrified him more than he realized.

It was a few more long, drawn out seconds before the gold sparks fizzled out and the seeker's vibrating chassis settled again, pieces once fractured back where they should be. Starscream could only heavily and shakily intake, his optics wide and his faceplate stained with tears he didn't even realize had been flowing. The rings slid down slightly and the one around his wrist loosened, dropping him to the floor in a heap. The door to the room had barely begun to open by itself before it was swarmed by the bots that had been left out. Optimus carefully moved through to get to Starscream, while others pulled Wheeljack, Smokescreen and Ratchet out.

"Everyone!" Ultra Magnus directed, "Get them all to the med bay! Knockout, Breakdown!"

"We're on it!"

Optimus carefully pulled Starscream's trembling frame into his arms, Nexus's voice following the group as they exited the room, "Congratulations, newest subject. Team leader Brainstorm will be so happy to meet you. He's been waiting for you for so long..."