"Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles, and kindnesses, and small obligations, given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort." –Humphrey Davy

Ch 9

000

He didn't remember returning here he couldn't even remember what he'd been doing at first. Then he did. Earlier today he'd been spending most of his time in his office attempting to catch up on work that he desperately needed to catch up on. Prowl and Jazz, for the most part, had been helping but now Optimus felt bad, for he was sure he'd swamped his two officers in work. That and he just knew Jazz hated it but would never openly complain to Optimus.

The Porsche understood the circumstances and how much stress his commander was currently under. That was no excuse though. In the past couple of weeks they'd all been under a load of stress from the Nightmare as well as among other things.

He owed the two a lot.

Thinking back he recalled getting a small cold energon cube and heading to his sleeping chambers but he had no intention of actually falling into recharge. He was just going to sit down and let his processor clear for a while. Thing was he didn't even remember lying back yet some how he knew he had at some point.

Something was off though he could fell it but not identify it. His processor was in a fog and he felt heavy yet at the same time he felt like he was floating. Almost forcefully he on-lined his optics and giving them a few moments to clear he attempted to take in his surroundings.

That's when he'd found out where he was. Up-righting himself he was slightly surprised that he was in fact floating. Normally he seemed to be standing though there was no floor.

Suddenly he was hit completely out of nowhere with overwhelming sense of vertigo that made him sick to his tank. He was sure he would have doubled over if it weren't for him floating. Optics lids shut tight he tried to ease the horrible sensation but it didn't help much, but a little was welcomed.

Slowly for what felt like eons the vertigo dissipated only leaving a ghosting sensation in and on him. Now though he felt a slight chill over his frame like he'd been dumped in a warm pool of water and pulled back out to cold air. Like a human who had phenomena. What was going on? This had never happened before. Maybe it was the way he'd gotten here. Finally daring to online his optics, pushing his anxiety and panic down, unfolding his arms where he'd had them wrapped around his abdomen he was met with a site like none other.

It was space, nothing but it. Stars were twinkling in the distance larger than he'd ever seen them. Normally space was black but here it was a dark indigo and violet and looked like it was straight out a science fiction artist's head. It was just captivating.

Turning his body slightly he drifted around taking in all the beauty before him. In the distance probably a few thousand miles away was a sun glowing in a beautiful halo of its own light. He wondered if it was actually space. No it couldn't be, that was impossible. Something moving out the corner of his optics caught his attention. Turning against he squinted his optics attempting to see what it was.

It was bipedal was his first assumption and it was glowing in a mist of white around its form. Cocking his head to the side hoping that somehow it would help him figure out what it was. And amazingly it seemed to help but only just. Slowly his optics widened in utter disbelief the fact that it was a mech wasn't it.

"He looks like me!" Prime muttered ". . .that's impossible."

The mech's frame from what he could tell from where he was it nearly one hundred percent white but he believed there was blue somewhere on his frame. But the mech did indeed look like the Prime or at least his original Cybertronian mode.

Something flickering just in front of the mech drew Optimus from the mysterious mech. He wasn't sure what it was besides some sort of slowly rotating black mass. In all his years Optimus had never seen such a thing. As if almost cautiously the mech raised his arm and to Optimus Prime's surprise and slight horror the mech stuck his hand right into its center, all the way to his elbow joint and it didn't appear out the other side.

'What in the Pit?'

After a few suspenseful moments he started pulling his arm back out a glow coming out with it. Optimus watched mystified as the glowing white mech pulled out, what he wasn't quite sure except it glowed brilliantly white almost more brilliantly than the mech holding it. The black mass had long since disappeared. He held the little glowing object tenderly to his chest though he wasn't actually touching it in his light blue hands. He lowered his head so that his bare faceplate was only centimeters from the little glowing orb.

Without warning the white mech looked up as if suddenly sensing something and the only thing that ran through Prime's processor was that he had been caught. And fears worsened as the mech looked directly had him. Optimus felt like he'd just intruded on an private (he knew he had) moment he didn't dare move. Looking closer he was surprised to find that the mech's optics weren't blue but where lustrous ruby red. Against his white frame they seemed almost menacing though they showed no sign that he was hostile from realizing there was an intruder.

Once again Prime was left bewildered as the mech smiled at him as another large black mass akin to black mud in a blender materialized to his back. The Autobot commander could do nothing but drift where he was as the mech nodded, turned, and disappeared in the portal, which disappeared a few moments later.

For a long moment Optimus just floated there body tense processor left dumbstruck not quite sure what just happened. Finally sighing Prime leaned back looking up at space trying to calm himself down. He was trembling while his spark was shuddering in his chest.

What, indeed, just happened?

Swiftly the mech's face flashed before him in his 'minds eye' and Prime found him self-musing to himself slowly relaxing as he zoned out.

'Why did he look so familiar? Was it because he looked so much like me?' shaking his helm 'No that's not it. I should know him! Why should I know him. . .where from?'

Abruptly Prime snapped back up right. "The voice it. . .it's his!"

"You asked of me a request."

Startled out of his musing Optimus felt his spark jump again. 'I can't take much more of this' Sighing, lowering his hand off his chest plate he glanced around his body sluggish as his frame sparkled from the light that the stars and the near by sun.

He knew who it was almost most by instinct. "I—I did."

There was a moment's pause, which succeeded in making Optimus nervous. "Then I have instructions for you which you must follow. . ."

And Optimus listened to them intently remembering every word but still the earlier events played in the back of his processor. More importantly he wanted to know how he knew that that mech had been the voice that had plagued him those days ago. It was unsettling.

It failed brilliantly to click with he what the glowing orb was.

000

". . .Optimus? Optimus!?"

Electric blue optics snapped online but quickly offlined and a groan escape the Autobot commander's vocalizer. He didn't dare sit out to fast then again he really didn't want to at the moment. He found it hard to actually wrap his processor around what had just happened.

"Optimus?"

Hesitantly Prime on-lined his optics and slowly sat up straight letting his back lean against the wall behind him. Glancing around he found himself where he last remembered being. In his personal quarters on his berth, the only thing he could guess was that he fallen into recharge, he just didn't remember doing so.

Looking down Optimus finally saw who was calling him. "Blair?"

She was seating now by his right knee joint legs tucked under her a worried concern expression written on her face. Glancing up at the door to his room the glancing back down at her.

"How'd you. . ."

Standing up straightening her shirt out; it was a worried sometimes-nervous habit of hers. "Teletran was trying to contact you but you weren't responding so he sent me to see if you were alright since I was closest. He bypassed the security access to your door so I could get in." she paused moving over while he slide his legs off the berth. "You all right?"

Just as he was about to attempt to calm her worry the sound of the door opening again distracted the both causing them both to look up. Walking in was slight haste in his step was said hacker.

"Primus." He breathed rubbing a red hand down his faceplate. "What the Pit where you doing? You actually worried me there for a moment!"

Teletran was currently in the main mech in charge of security here in the Ark. Naturally he took his job serious. If something had really had happened to the Prime he would probably never forgive himself. The hacker most of the time didn't seem like that kind of mech but he was.

That and the two mech's present had been friends for a while. Despite the fact that they both looked out for each other it usually ended up with Teletran looking out for Optimus. It was rare that I was the other way around.

"My apologize Teletran, I'm fine, but. . .I need to go speak with Ratchet."

Cocking his head to the side, "If your fine then why do you need to see Ratchet?"

At first the Ark colored mech received no answer but he watched his superior close not sure what was going on. Prime glanced back at his berth, Teletran could see just in the way that the red and blue mech moved that something had. . .upset him. Maybe that wasn't the right word but it was the first thing he could think that seemed to fit.

The way the Prime walked, even held himself, made him look like he was over energized on high-grade but he knew that wasn't it.

"A new development." He finally stated.

Teletran flickered his optics and bluntly sighed. Going over he held his hand out to Blair who climbed on only to be set on the mech shoulder. That was a first for both of them.

Making sure Blair was secure on his shoulder he walked over to Optimus and put his arm around the larger mech's shoulder, "C'mon I'll escort you. You look like your fixing to trip over your own feet for being over energized or something." He muttered leading the larger mech whom followed without protest

Optimus looked over at the hacker a light smile under his mask. "Thank you, Teletran."

Chuckling, "No problem."

000

Space, it is infinite. It continues, for all we know, forever. We don't know if it has a bottom or a top, nor walls. Space hold's infinite possibilities and secrets, and we'll never know them all. But how can we tell what's actually space and not just an illusion, a trick of light. Simple. We can't. There are both natural and artificial phenomena's that can and have occurred throughout time.

Black hole's for example, rifts, wormholes, twin suns. Plants colliding and forming one large mass if they're lucky, and some of those can be caused both naturally and by someone, or something. Or further more, life. Life, its self on planets are rare phenomena's that are either gifts from the gods or just freak happenings.

How about the creation of a universe? What should we call that?

Oblivion and Roulette, for their age, had seen many 'phenomena's' in their time. Some good some bad. Roulette had seen more than her slightly older brother just because of the, we shall say, title she carried. But that wasn't by choice.

Both had seen and witnessed things in their time that the other might have not gotten a chance to see. But just as much as she envied her brother she felt slight sympathy for him.

Fate was bitter even to fate his self.

Roulette had been musing over this while her and her brother floated where they were now. In real space.

"Boss mech's arrived." Muttered Oblivion

Pail blue and dark blue optics watched quietly as a large muddy black vortex open before them like a door. With in a few moments the vortex was gone and a large mostly white mech was floating before them. Roulette always wondered how her brother could sense doors opening before they actually did.

Roulette floated over to the newcomer and bowed lightly.

"Sir I hope everything went as planned." Roulette stated as her companion joined her at her side

The large white mech nodded his head bright red optics dropping to gaze down at the small glowing cylinder container he held tenderly to his chest. Roulette and Oblivion noticed it instantly and were awestruck.

"It went better than I had expected."

The tall white mech stated voice quiet as he gazed down at his precious little cargo. Within in its cylinder thin rare metal bars held it in place without actually touching the orbs frail core. Protecting if from cold space outside were thin glass panels that seemed completely non-existent even to the one holding it, but they were there. It was pulsing quietly, steadily.

The tall white mech's different shaded blue gazed up at his superior and seeing the light caring smile on his master's faceplate brought a smile to his own face. It wasn't everyday that either Oblivion or Roulette saw a genuine smile on their superior. . .their friends lips.

"This means you're an uncle now, sir."

Beside Oblivion, Roulette chuckled seeing the expression on her superior's faceplate.

Finally coming over his slight stupor he smiled, "I guess so." Gazing back down at cylinder containers and its contents in his large powerful light blue hands.

For a moment nothing was said as he mused over what he just realized but the pleasant atmosphere couldn't last. Sighing and letting an serious expression come back he turned to Oblivion.

"Oblivion."

"Sir?"

Glancing down at the orb in its protective casing before glancing back up at the mech. "You will be the one delivering this."

The blue, white, and silver mech balked back face distorted in something akin to shock.

"Sir I can't do that!" raising his hands up in defense "That's a job that should be carried out by you. You are the sparks uncle after all."

Carefully switching the container to the crock of his arm he reached out and put a light blue hand on Oblivions shoulder a calm smile in his light gray faceplate.

"You're the Angel of Mercy, Oblivion, you delivering this spark to my brother would be a blessing, good luck, and a very good omen. I'd personally would be honored if you did this for me." smiling

Still looking completely unsure with himself and the idea in general it was clearly written on Oblivions light gray faceplate. Roulette moved over and wrapped an arm around her brother's shoulders showing that she knew he could do this. Sighing deeply, nodding his head he leaned forward and carefully took the small container that was offered to him. Staring at it in awe for a moment Oblivion then held it close to his chest feeling the warm little spark flutter felling his own spark so close.

Comforted and giving comfort.

Taking in a deep intake of cool space Oblivion turned and lifted his hand up. Cutting the power to his optics he concentrated for a moment before they flashed back on foggy white arm glowing with odd symbols running up it. Just a little over an arms length in front of the blue and white mech was another milking vortex waiting.

Looking over his shoulder, "I will not fail you, sir."

Nodding his head, "I know you wont Oblivion. God speed and good luck."

"Good luck, bro!"

Nodding with a smile on his face Oblivion tightened his grip around the container before he disappeared through the vortex. A few moments later the two left behind disappeared through their own portal leaving true space once again empty and silent.

000

A/N:

Lot more satisfied with this chapter than I thought I would be. Still didn't come out like I really hoped it would. I think its good for now though. No, the white mech isn't Ultra Magnus, Revoltech or other wise, btw. Close. And yes I know 'sound' can't be made in space but if George Lucas can get away with it in Star Wars, I think there's nothing wrong with it in a fanfic.

Please review; constructive crit. welcomed.

To MyBlueOblivion whom this fic. is kindly created and dedicated for. Thanks bro!

TF's and all related char(s) belong to Has/Tak and associated co.

Except for Teletran, Blair, Oblivion, Roulette, and the plot, which are mine

Names and/of char(s) are entirely coincidental