Chapter 8
When All Gears Stop
Airachnid stared down at the human female before her.
She'd been on her way to the med bay when she saw the creature sneaking through the ship. Wondering why Soundwave hadn't noticed the little intruder wandering around, she followed the girl along the ceiling. The spider bot had originally intended to get fixed up, and go find Jack to play with for a while, but a bit of fun hunting this new child wouldn't hurt.
She waited, until the human stopped to check behind her, before dropping down, and watched her jump startled.
"Well, well, what have we here?" Airachnid crooned.
"Scrap." The girl gulped and backed away.
"You must be one of Jack's friends." The spider bot began to circle her prey.
"His mate perhaps?" The human blushed with a mortified look on her face.
"Me and Jack? No way!" She protested, "What kind of girl do you take me for?"
"The easy kind." Airachnid purred, "Easy to hunt, rather."
"I'm not your prey you stupid con!" The child stated fiercely and kicked at one of her sorer legs. The Decepticon femme hissed at the unexpected pain.
"You little insect! You'll pay for that!" She screeched, but the female was already racing down the hall, the racket having caught the attention of the patrols.
Airachnid chased after the human, until the spider bot was smashed into the ship's bulkhead, by Bulkhead.
She'd be lucky if she remembered anything by the time she woke up.
Bulkhead drew his wrecking cannon back from the unconscious femme and dodged Decepticon lasers. The whole ship was on alert now and his team was covering his back as they returned fire. He looked down the corridor, where his charge was running, about to be cut off by more soldiers.
"Oy, Miko!" He shouted, she turned to see him a happy expression on her face.
"Get down!" He warned. Miko hit the deck as he took precise shots at the Decepticons behind her, destroying them. He raced over, scooped her up, and set her down in a doorway, which led to a thankfully empty room, out of firing range as he concentrated on protecting her.
"Where's Jack?" he asked over the roar of blaster bolts.
"I don't know." Miko replied, trying to see as much action as possible. She was surprised to see Bumblebee there knocking a few cons around.
"Wasn't Bee hurt?" She asked.
"He decided to come with." Bulkhead grunted, "You really don't know where Jack went?"
"No, but I'll help you find him."
"You'll do no such thing." Optimus was suddenly with them firing to cover the big mech's back. Arcee and Bumblebee took cover across from them in the curvature of the wall.
"I need you to take the bridge back to base and give Ratchet your information. In the meanwhile, we'll look for Jack." The Autobot leader told her.
"But-" She tried.
"No buts, Jack's freedom depends on you, right now." The red and blue bot reminded her.
Miko stopped her protests and nodded, she'd do more good, for her friend, doing what was asked of her than going to look for him. Soon the blasts died down, as the Decepticons retreated to regroup, and finally there was silence.
"Ratchet open the ground bridge." Optimus ordered. The white swirling gate soon appeared in the middle of the hall. Miko stepped toward it, before she entered, she looked back at them.
"Bust up the cons real good this time, especially Megatron." She stated with conviction.
"You can count on it, Miko." Bulkhead promised, punching his fists together.
She smiled at him, turned, and walked through the portal. Optimus looked to his team as it closed.
"Split up and search the ship. Bulkhead, go with Arcee. Bumblebee with me. Comm. as soon as you find him." He said to them, as more Decepticons showed up. The group pivoted as one to meet them.
"Autobots, roll out."
They moved at the command, dodging blaster fire, and broke through the enemy line, smashing up cons as they went. At the next intersecting corridor the two teams separated, tearing off in different directions, with pursuing soldiers behind them.
Nothing would stand in their way.
Starscream didn't know just what had crawled into his wiring to be doing this.
After what happened the last time he was on the Nemesis, he'd vowed to stay away, until he had a viable plan to take down Megatron. When Prime broadcast his challenge to the jet con's former leader, however, it had been too good an opportunity to pass up. Luckily for him, it only took him a couple hours to trace the ship, unlike before, when it took him months. Fortune smiles on the crafty.
So here he was, back on his previous home, sneaking about for some energon and keeping an audio open for information. Like any place, that required long hours of boredom, there was gossip to be had, and Decepticon gossip tended to be pretty bad. It didn't take long, what with listening to the comms, for Starscream to pick up on Megatron's latest scheme.
He'd thought first that his audios were glitching. Really, a human with power, who'd ever heard of such a thing? Then he thought Megatron's Processor must be missing a few nodes, not that it hadn't been to begin with. After all, the 'great' and 'mighty' Megatron stooping so low as to keep one of those insignificant flesh creatures. Preposterous!
So naturally Starscream went snooping in Megatron's quarters to find out.
The slim silver mech knew, the most impertinent information, about any of the Decepticon leader's plans, would be kept in his room. Getting past the guards was a simple matter, for the former second in command, although, getting past the secure locking measures on the door was something else entirely.
Starscream examined the key pad next to it and decided to frag it. His ex-commander could fix his own slagging door.
With a couple blasts from the seeker's weapon the entrance to Megatron's quarters caved. If he'd tried this, when he was following the Decepticon leader, he would have been instantly dismantled, not that it wouldn't end that way if he was found here, anyway. As it was, he'd better hurry and get his aft out of Kaon before Megatron returned.
He stepped through. The Decepticon leader's private quarters were clean and sparse, with few things, if any, lying about. There was only a desk and a berth in the small space, with another door which, he knew, led to a washroom. Over on the desk, something caught Starscream's optics, amid the small neat stacks of reports and equipment, lay a tiny human notebook.
"What's this?" Starscream picked it up, "Megatron reading human literature now? How amusing."
He carefully opened it and turned the pages scanning them. The more he continued to read the more amazement showed on his face. So it wasn't just a rumor running about the ship, there really was a human with powers. Very interesting.
Deciding that the information was indeed of very great use to him, the rogue Decepticon palmed the small book and quickly exited the room. On his way out of the Nemesis, however, he ran into the two mechs he never wanted to be caught by, Soundwave and Megatron.
"Well, Starscream," The bigger silver mech growled, "I see you've returned to defy me yet again."
He eyed the book the smaller mech was holding and his red optics smoldered.
"You've been stealing from my quarters!" He hissed.
"M-Megatron, please wait! I can explain!" The seeker gasped in fear, oh, he was about to be so much scrap, he thought, as he backed up.
"Ever since you snuck aboard last time, causing Orion to grow suspicious of me, I've been highly annoyed with you. So it's time I tied up some loose ends." The Decepticon lord approached him menacingly unsheathing his arm blade.
"It's not my fault if you can't even deceive an amnesiac Autobot properly." Starscream cried impulsively.
Oh, slag, he shouldn't have said that.
Megatron snarled and swiped at his former SIC, but the crafty bot ducked with a girly yelp, and, like the coward he was, transformed, and blasted off.
"Not this time, Starscream!" The warlord roared, and quickly changed to his own flight mode, and tore off after the fleeing rogue.
The two swept past hallways, and other Decepticons, at high speed.
They almost hit Jack and Breakdown as they sped by.
"Whoa!" Jack cried out, as he was almost knocked over by the wind stream of the two racing ships. He'd taken his time, walking through the Nemesis, and found himself in the same corridor as Breakdown. He looked after the two cons as they sped down the hall.
"Was that Starscream?" He asked the mech beside him who nodded.
"Looks like Screamer's getting run off by Megatron, too." The smirking Decepticon looked down at the human.
"Wanna go watch?" He asked, the boy grimaced.
"Uh, no thanks." Jack said, he didn't want to see his captor's display of cruelty on someone else, even if they were a former Decepticon. He'd had enough of that himself, thank you very much.
"Hmph, I should probably take you to see Megatron anyway." Breakdown said as he transformed and opened his passenger door.
"Get in." He ordered.
Jack reluctantly did as he was told and felt the seatbelt wrap around him. Once secured, the blue armored truck sped off, just as the alarms sounded.
"What's going on now?" Jack wondered not expecting an answer.
"The intruder alert. There must be Autobots on board." The Decepticon replied, and suddenly swerved around the next corner, shoving the human into his side door with the inertia.
"Hey, where are we going?" The kid protested. He thought they were headed for Megatron.
"We're gonna intercept them like good soldiers, that's what." The armored truck stated.
"Wait, what? Er, shouldn't you, um, let me out someplace so you can take care of it?" Jack asked hopeful, he did not want to fight his friends again, it had been hard enough the first time.
"No. Lord Megatron ordered for you to have as much experience as possible. Get used to it." The blue and silver mech told him harshly.
Jack sighed. Great, it was just like the Decepticon leader to do that and ensure his revenge on him at the same time. Maybe though, if he was clever, he could ditch Breakdown without hurting the Autobots. Megatron hadn't ordered him to attack yet after all.
They swerved around another corner and Jack felt his stomach sink again.
"Arcee." He said softly to himself.
She and Bulkhead were surrounded by enemies. Arcee was using her great acrobatics to jump and dive out of the way of blaster fire, while simultaneously causing cons to shoot each other.
She flipped over one Vehicon, and immediately ducked down as the new Eradicon in front of her fired. The Decepticon behind her was hit, as she kicked out and smashed the one before her into his buddies, then she turned and shot an enemy to her right.
Bulkhead alternated between blasting and pummeling cons with his wrecking cannons. He smashed one's helm in with his right and fired at another with his left. He used his massive frame to barrel through enemy clusters like they were bowling pins, and threw cons into each other.
He and Arcee were quickly making short work of their opponents.
Breakdown transformed, setting Jack down, and called out to a nearby Decepticon.
"Watch him, and make sure he doesn't run off. Megatron would be displeased if anything happened to his pet." He ordered.
So much for that plan, Jack thought.
The blue and silver mech brought out his hammer before launching himself at the Autobot wrecker. He struck Bulkhead, in the side of his helm, throwing him down the hall with the momentum. Then he followed up by catching Arcee in her side, and sent her crashing into a pile of scrapped Eradicons hard enough to scatter them.
Bulkhead smacked a Decepticon, trying to take advantage of the downed bot, into a wall as he got up and faced his old enemy.
"You come back for round two, Breakdown?" The green mech taunted seeing the dents hadn't been repaired yet in his opponent's chassis.
"Yeah, but this time you'll be the one leaving all banged up. I'll personally cave your spark in." The blue bot threatened, slapping his hammer's head into his other hand. Bulkhead raised his own weapons.
"Then let's dance."
A flurry of blows followed as the two faced off.
Down a ways, Arcee was dealing with problems of her own.
As she picked herself up, from the literal scrap pile, she spotted Jack being watched by an Eradicon, who was clustered in a group of them, as they fired at her. While Bulkhead was engaged, she raced towards them, transforming into her alt mode to present an even smaller target.
She drove up one of the walls, jumped, and rammed into a con, then transformed, as she forced him to eat metal, jumping off of him with a kick that sent him crashing to the floor. The momentum carried her as she back flipped, grabbed the soldier she passed beneath her by his shoulders, and threw him into his fellows as she landed and straightened up. She rolled and fired her blaster at the remaining three until they were nothing but twisted metal.
She turned to Jack, who'd moved close to the wall to avoid the carnage, and carefully approached. Jack backed away from her looking down in shame, causing her to stop, as she realized she couldn't get close to him.
"Jack?" Arcee felt hurt, but he looked up at her, as though to say something, and she understood he was keeping his distance to protect her. He must have been told to attack them if they got too near, she thought.
"We're going to get you out of here." She told him, there was no way she would leave him a second time. Jack was her partner.
"Miko got information about that device." She watched his face alight in relief and knew he had something to do with it.
"Ratchet should be working on it right now."
Indeed it was so.
The Autobot base was a hive of activity, metaphorically speaking.
Computers were active, while the intel Miko gave them raced through the system, to be analyzed, in seconds.
"An impulse disrupter? Of course, I should have recognized it before!" Ratchet said in surprise. The humans, who stood waiting a bit antsy, stared at him questioningly.
"What exactly is an impulse disrupter? Isn't that like mind control?" Miko asked, that's what it had sounded like to her when Knockout was explaining.
"It's similar," Ratchet began, "A true mind control device would ultimately be fatal for the victim, as it pressures their minds, causing strain that kills them. This is more like brainwashing, it replaces the natural impulses for programmed ones." Seeing their continued confusion he clarified.
"When your mind makes decisions, based on input from your surroundings, chemicals react in your brain. When you act on this activity, it's called an impulse. These impulses can be read and predicted by frequencies. But frequencies can also influence the actions of your brain because it's how it communicates." He continued.
"An impulse disrupter can intercept the messages in your mind that tell you what reaction to take. It's close to the same way you control your actions. Like when you want to fight, you can ignore the feeling to do so, this is called discipline. Mind over matter." He turned back to the computer.
"This device however, by using voice programmed frequencies, enforces discipline to the point that it's stronger than the victim's will. Jack's own mind is holding him back, while allowing him free thought at the same time. Unless the disrupter is removed, he is forced to follow whatever command Megatron gives him."
The four humans looked horrified.
"There's got to be someway you can remove it." June said with frustration.
"Yeah, whatever you need Ratchet, just say the word, and I'll give my boys a call to get you the equipment you need." Fowler declared.
"I appreciate the thought, but Jack's disrupter was crafted from Cybertronian technology, modified from the ones that the Decepticons used early in the war. We would have to bring him here to remove it, but if I know Megatron he will have already thought of that and countered it." Ratchet clenched his fist feeling helpless. He hit the side of the keyboard.
"Blast it!" He cried, "If we had more time I'd construct a more portable De-melding device."
"De-melding?" Raf wondered he was in deep thought as a plan began to stir.
"It's a device that unlocks a Cybertronian's alt mode, if for some reason they get stuck in it or are unconscious and need medical attention. I've used it on Autobots for just that purpose."
"Why would you need one though?" Miko asked.
"Because the Impulse Disrupter is designed to adjust to each person by transforming, until it fits them precisely down to the last angstrom, then lock itself into place, so it can't be removed without causing serious harm." He burst out.
"Maybe we don't have to remove it." Raf said thoughtfully. His friends turned and looked at him.
"What do you mean?" Ratchet asked, willing to listen to just about anything at that point.
"I have an idea." Raf began.
Back on board the Nemesis.
Megatron had just trapped that little menace Starscream, near one of the exits, when Optimus Prime, with scout Bumblebee, raced around the corner, in their alt modes, and barreled into him. The seeker, whom he'd had by the throat, took off again, as the Autobots transformed, escaping with the notebook. He would pay, oh how he would pay.
Later.
Megatron glared at Optimus and the yellow mech beside him.
"How did you get on this ship?" He demanded outraged.
"It's called ingenuity, yo!" Bumblebee's radio chirped. Megatron's optics narrowed.
"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter." He said unsheathing and raising his arm blade. "I'll tear out your sparks just the same."
"Where's Jack?" Optimus approached him, with his own blades out, and the two began circling each other. Bumblebee turned to deal with a few Vehicons that had followed them, blasting them to pieces.
"What's the matter, Prime? Do you need a human to command your troops, now?" The silver mech slashed, with power behind his strike, but the red and blue leader parried, using more speed than brute strength.
"The boy has no place on the battlefield in our war, Megatron. Let him go." Optimus said between the flurry of swipes.
"I'm rather attached to my pet. How about, no." The Decepticon leader teased. He locked blades with his counterpart and they struggled for dominance.
"You know what your problem is, Prime? You're just far too sentimental. Giving the key to Vector Sigma to that child, you put far too much faith in these humans." He kicked the Autobot leader forcing the two of them away.
"And your problem, Megatron, is that you could never inspire much loyalty, only enforce it. You also underestimate humanity's strength." Optimus straightened up and rushed him.
Using one blade to defend, he attacked with the other, and got up under the silver mech's guard, leaving a new scratch on his faceplate to match the other. Megatron hissed at him as the two parted again.
"Funny you should mention loyalty, Prime, when you're little friend was so easily turned against you, with a few simple commands." He feinted right and changed his thrust into an upward slash, but the red and blue mech blocked the sword, before it reached his chassis.
"Only because you force him. Jack's true loyalty is not to you." The Autobot leader grunted. Megatron looked into his optics.
"That's the idea." He grinned. As the two warring leaders began to fight in earnest, Optimus got a call from Arcee.
"Optimus, we've found Jack." She reported.
"Can you retrieve him?" He inquired, still focused on defending himself.
"Negative. We can't get close without one of Megatron's orders activating." Was her reply. Megatron who was listening smirked.
"You see, Prime? Why inspire when enforcing is so much easier? It costs me far less to see you suffer over such an insignificant life form." He laughed darkly.
"All your ruling by fear has ever got you, Megatron, was an army of back stabbers, who turn on their leader at the slightest weakness." Optimus countered. Megatron growled.
"There is one I have now, Optimus Prime, and he will not disobey me."
On the other end of the comm.
Arcee could make out a little that was said between the two leaders, as she waited for a response. She and Jack had moved to a new location, her partner keeping his distance all the while. Bulkhead and Breakdown had disappeared somewhere and the Decepticons had yet to regroup. Their area was silent for the most part.
"Arcee," Optimus came back, "Do what you can for now until you hear from Ratchet. We will not leave before he reports in."
"Understood." She confirmed and the call ended.
"Well now, looks like I get the femme all to myself." Jack and Arcee whirled to see Knockout come towards them, with his electric staff out, the mech's frame shined like new.
"This party's about to get a lot more interesting." He held his weapon up sinisterly. Arcee prepped her own blasters to fire.
"You came awfully overdressed to the occasion." She needled as they squared off.
"I like to look nice when serving up fried Autobot." He grinned.
"Funny, I was just thinking of having barbecued Decepticon myself." The femme rejoined.
"Hm, I should take you out for a spin sometime." Knockout leered.
"Sorry, you're not my type. I hate cheap paint jobs." Arcee prodded. That wiped the smirk off the arrogant slagger's face.
"You'll be worrying about more than your paint, when I'm through with you." He snapped.
Jack watched the two Transformers go at it.
Arcee, with her speed, made a difficult target, and she was able to get in far more hits than her enemy. Knockout was no pushover, however, and took her blows without significant harm, while his shock rod was crippling when it struck.
The femme bot kept out of range, using her blasters to great advantage, and dodged or deflected with her blades, when the red mech struck too close. The vain sports car was crafty though, and began to predict her patterns, getting closer each time to the Autobot with every attempt.
Then it happened.
Knockout made as if to lunge, and instead plunged the rod into the floor, then used it as a balance to launch a swinging kick. Arcee flew into the wall, hard enough to bounce off, and lay there stunned. The red mech walked up to her as she sat up on her arms.
"Any last words?"
He held his weapon up to finish her off.
AN: An angstrom is 10 million times smaller than a millimeter. This chapter as well as the next were difficult to write with all the action and jumping around, but I got em. Hope you guys have enjoyed everything so far.