Chapter Five – Prime Directive

A few hours later, Optimus Prime, Spike and a few other Autobot members stand around the large monitor inside the central control room as they listen to the report of a familiar female human friend.

"So what's the verdict Carly?" Prime says as he folds his arms. "Will your world governments support our strike against Archeville and his secret base?"

The huge face of the beautiful blonde woman stares back at them all and gives a sigh of regret.

"They have no answer Prime. None are willing to make a move without some sort of official army presence there. The only problem is…which of their armies to send in. The United States is firm on handling this as an 'internal problem'…but other countries feel they need to send in their own just to make sure. It's a mess here in the U.N. Optimus, I'm trying my best to settle this all."

Prime unfolds his arms and gives her a nod of reassurance. "You're the best one we could send as our diplomat Carly. I know this isn't what you had in mind when you agreed to join the Autobots as a liaison…but I feel you are the most qualified to do this task on our behalf."

"Hang in there, Carly." Spike says with a smile. "I believe in you…"

Carly smiles as she sees Spike again, "Thank you Spike. It's good to see you're doing well after all this time. Hopefully when all this is settled you and I can have that date we've been putting off. Don't think I haven't forgotten about that, Mr. Witwicky."

Spike nearly blushes after hearing her admit that for all the others to hear. Bumblebee happened to be standing next to him as she uttered that and started to mimic a 'kissy face' at the embarrassed young man. Spike cleared his throat as he tried to change the subject.

"So…ah…Do we get permission to storm the place or not Carly?"

The woman sighed and shook her head. "No. The answer is no. Even though I brought Mirage with me to explain why the Autobots had to do this so soon…it just didn't do the trick. Sorry Prime."

"I see." The large leader breathed out as he lowered his eyes. "So they're reluctant to do anything and let this madman get away unpunished."

"I wish things had gone as you'd hope Optimus. I really do. You know…after listening to all these politicians and nation leaders…it makes me wish that you were the one in charge of the planet." Carly said to him with of pride. "I trust your leadership more then any here I've met so far."

Prime walked over to the screen and looked up at the large face of Carly staring back.

"Kind of you to say Carly. But this is your planet and not mine. Your governments are going to have to come together soon or there will be no peace found. Trust me…the last thing you want to see is a dead planet hanging in space with only hate standing between you and all that you value most in life."

Carly sighed again and fluttered her eyes at the leader. "Still…it would have been nice to have a leader like you. Too bad you're not human. Anyways, I should be getting back to the meeting. Mirage has been showing off his disappearing trick to the council and I think all the attention is getting to his ego."

Cliffjumper standing in the small crowd behind Prime snickered at the thought. "What a show off. I think that blast from Megatron sent a power surge to that thick head of his."

Carly laughed at the comment and gave a last smile to them all. "Probably Cliffjumper…probably. Anyways, take care for now guys. Sorry to give the bad news, but whatever you decide you get my full support. Bye Spike! Carly out."

As the image of her cut out and the monitor switched off, Optimus Prime stood there in silence as he stroked his manifold deep in thought. Bumblebee once again mocked Spike as he lowered himself down to the human's head level and teased him of Carly's last words.

"Bye Spike! Kiss Kiss! Awwww…are we someone's special man?"

"Knock it off bolt brain!" Spike grumbled at him and shoved his face away. "We're…just good friends for now. You know…friends."

Jazz came up behind him and joined in on the playful mocking.

"Oooh…friends. Friends that like to go out and eat dates…hmmm?"

Spike turned around and corrected his misinterpretation of what she meant.

"Not dates that you eat. A date…a…time for two people to go out and have fun. With dinner…and…and a movie…maybe."

Bumblebee giggled again, "And maybe more…right? Hm? Huh? Ooooh yeah, Spike and Carly gonna get it on!"

"Oh shut up B-man…" Spike bemoans in irritation. "What do you guys know about courtship anyways? You're robots…it's not like you could love someone."

"That's where you're wrong Spike." Prime suddenly speaks as he hears the conversation.

Walking over to him and looking down at the small human, Optimus lowers his eyes at him and gives a serious gaze.

"Love is at the very core of our being. We Cybertronians are not beyond such emotions you know…many of us, at one time or another, had special relationships with our female counterparts. Many died before we could even get the chance to bond with them one last time."

Spike could see that the leader was thinking of that very someone he was talking about and quickly softened his tone as he realised it hurt the leader to hear his harsh comment.

"Sorry Prime. I…I didn't know there was any female transforming robots. I didn't even know you guys could…you know…have those types of relationships."

Blaster standing at the back of the room soon raised his voice so that Spike and the others could hear what he had to say.

"We're more complicated then you think Spike my man. You see…we aren't what you might call a 'sterile' race of beings. Heck, if we were just as bland as the 'cons…man our planet would have died out a long before we even stepped off the assembly line!"

Spike gave some thought to Blaster's comments and looked back up at Optimus still looking down at him.

"Hmm. I guess love really does conquer all…even in emotional robotic beings such as yourselves. It must be the one truth that binds the universe as a whole."

"Love is a word Spike." Prime now says with wisdom. "It's the emotion or feeling if you will that gives us the strength and the reason for existing at all. Our spark began with that feeling…it's what fuels us all to aspire to something more then what we are."

Spike smirks and gives a simple phrase. "Love is all you need."

The leader raises his head and looks at all of the Autobots standing around him.

"Well…enough of this deep discussion. The time to act is now."

Huffer and Hound look at one another with a curious look.

"Act? Uh…Prime…didn't you hear Carly?" Huffer points out.

"Yeah. You heard what she said, the humans won't allow us to storm the base." Hound adds.

Prime breathes in and flashes his eyes. "The humans might have said no…and by all rights we shouldn't interfere. But we don't have the luxury to sit around for days, months or even years to wait for their collective agreement to proceed. Cybertron needs us home…I will not and cannot allow this corrupt human to keep us pegged down on this planet for his own amusement."

Hound shakes his head in disagreement, "I dunno bout this Optimus. If we go charging in there…well…well we might just lose the trust the humans have given us so freely. There must be another way."

"We've got to my friend." Prime says to him. "I know it goes against what I've preached to you all while we are here…but I'm tired of being bullied around by people with agendas. Megatron, Archeville…who or what will be next? No. This has got to stop…"

"Hound has a point, Prime." Spike speaks up. "If you do this…some of my people might pull out of the treaty you signed with them. They may see this unauthorized attack as a prelude to war…maybe even think of you as no better then the Decepticons."

Blaster snickers at the limited choices they have. "Man…do nothing and we're as good as permanent residence on this rock. Do something and we risk alienating an entire planet that welcomed us with open arms. Looks like I awoke in the wrong place and in the wrong time."

Prime turned away from them and looked at his fist in frustration. "So…this is what the vision was talking to me about. I would have to choose between worlds. So little options…if only there was one clear answer before me."

Cliffjumper's eye rose as he heard the leader mumble, "Uh…what the heck are you talking about? What vision?"

Prime snapped out of his train of thought and spun around to explain.

"When I was damaged after Sherman Dam…I had…a…a vision. As if the Matrix was telling me of something…some unforeseen danger."

"Like what?" Huffer demanded to know.

Optimus looked at him and shook his head. "I…I don't know. Whatever the vision was about…it was clear that I had both worlds to worry about now. Almost like our destinies where connected and that the fate of both worlds now lies with us…or with me. I just don't know how to interpret it."

Spike rubs his chin as he listens and gives his thought.

"Maybe this is about Project N? Maybe whatever secrets Archeville is hiding will end up harming this world and yours in some manner? If that's the case…then perhaps you're right to charge in there and stop him before it gets out of hand."

Prime gives a delighted look at Spike as he shares in the concern. "Exactly. We saw the types of weapons that man built, Primus only knows what's in store for us all next. I think he's held on to those secrets long enough…time to show the world what he's been up too and put that project out of commission for good."

"All right!" Blaster screams. "I've been itching to do some major ass kickin'...let's saddle up the posse and slam on the tunes for battle! Yeow!"

Huffer shakes his head at Blaster as he turns on his radio receiver and begins dancing to the Earth style hip-hop music.

"I think the first thing we should do is bury his sorry butt back in that chunk of rock we sprang him from."

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Meanwhile, deep within the ocean inside the Decepticon's ship, Megatron walks through one of the many corridors and soon has Starscream joining him from behind.

"I want to talk to you Megatron!" Starscream shouts in his irritating whiney voice.

Megatron sighs at the sound of the air commander and never stops in his walking pace.

"What is it now? Not enough light in your lab? No comfortable seating for that pompous posterior of yours?"

"Archeville." Starscream utters as he finally catches up with him. "I don't trust that human."

"Is that all you're concerned with? BAH! Don't waste my time with such insignificant matters!"

Starscream quickly steps in front of the Decepticon leader and manages to stop him in his tracks. The grey jet transformer lowers his red glowing eyes at Megatron and holds his hand against the leader's silvery chest.

"We should kill this human, why are you keeping him alive? Why not just use Soundwave to draw out the memories from this creature and toss him out of an airlock?"

Megatron looks down at the commander's hand in anger and looks back up at him as if to stay 'get that hand off of me'. Starscream could read that thought in his eyes and quickly drew his hand away with a smirk.

"There is much that Soundwave couldn't get out of this tiny human's brain." Megatron growls at him. "I intend to use this creature as a means of locating this Project N he seems so hell-bent on protecting. If we drain his memories too fast, he may keel over before he gives us the location or give us other useless memories that serve no purpose to our goals."

Starscream scowled at his answer. "You're keeping this fleshling?! I thought you'd rather stamp out inferior life forms rather then taking advice from them! You've changed Megatron…you've become soft some how, a sign of weakness in leadership."

"Careful Starscream!" The leader snaps at the brash officer. "Be very careful of what you say next! If I were you…I'd not dwell on the matter any further! I don't need to explain my every thought to the likes of you or anyone else on this ship for that matter. Just do as you are told and obey my orders without question!"

Leaning in to his face and staring him down, the silver polished leader pointed at Starscream's chest this time and tapped him forcefully.

"Never forget that I am the leader, Starscream. I am! Not you. So continue to challenge my authority and I will have you tossed out the air lock and make that human your replacement."

The air commander trembled at the raised voice of his superior and gave a nervous laugh that trailed off as he tried to back away from him.

"I…I didn't mean it like that Mighty Megatron. I…I just don't trust the human is all I'm saying. That's all."

Megatron eases down from his anger and folds his arms as he stares at the cowering Decepticon.

"I don't trust this human either. I don't trust any of these weak flesh creatures…but for now, I shall give him the luxury of thinking he is worth something to me. I want to discover what this Project N is and anything else Archeville is hiding from us. The technology is not of their own design and I want to know why and how they got their scheming little hands on it. Once we have the secrets of this project…the Doctor will more then likely out live his usefulness to me. Then Starscream…then you may do with him what you will. Is that satisfactory?"

Bowing to the leader and giving a delighted chuckle, Starscream agrees with his plans.

"Very much Megatron. That's all I needed to hear."

Unimpressed with the jet commander, Megatron pushes him out of his path and continues to walk down the corridor to a door sliding open as he approaches. Turning back to look at Starscream one last time, the Decepticon commander tapped his fingers on the side of the archway and scowled.

"One more thing Starscream. Have the Constructicons report to me in one hour…I have a few tasks for them to perform. Now go and keep an eye on our…guest. See to it that he gets new clothes to wear…these humans seem to have humility when it comes to their naked forms. Now go do it…and never bother me with this trivial concern again!"

Megatron steps through the door and shuts back loudly. Starscream lowers his eyes and clutches his fist in anger.

"Just you wait and see Megatron. I'll be leader in no time at all…and then we'll see who gets thrown out of an air lock on that day!"

Starscream slowly starts to giggle and then continues to burst into laughing as he thinks of that fateful day of when he will rise to command the Decepticons and becoming the ruler of Cybertron.