Maelstrom Chapter 37
Pilgrimage 1 Part A
Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original Maelstrom Comics and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.
Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes!
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!
Maelstrom Chapter 37
Pilgrimage 1
Part G
Continued from Part F
Earth:
Rodimus fell forward onto his folded knees, colors greyish, optics dimmed.
Optimus was convinced his partner's sudden silence was due to energon depletion, rather than actual calm, but maybe it gave him an opening.
Tentatively, he touched Rodi on the shoulder. Rodimus flinched and looked at him sharply, but he seemed to recognize his partner.
Something perverse rose in Optimus. "Better now?" he asked with a chuckle.
Rodimus gaped at him a second and then threw Optimus a classic Rodi glare. It was enough to tell the senior Prime his partner hadn't gone permanently over the edge. Rodimus tried to push himself up to his knees, failed, and collapsed back down. Groaning, he rolled over and stretched out flat on the floor. Then he reached up and grabbed his temples with both hands.
"Implant headache?" Optimus asked compassionately.
"Yup," came the listless reply.
"Bad?"
"Worst yet..." Rodimus said. His optics dimmed. "My internal temperature is spiking," he continued, slurring his words a bit.
"Rodimus! Are you sure it isn't a self-destruct program?" Optimus cried.
"Well...funny you should mention it," Rodimus muttered.
"MORPH!" Optimus commanded, and then got on the com and roared for First Aid.
x
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Maelstrom:
Edana woke up very sluggishly. Her inflamed nerve channels were aggravated again and she felt feverish and achy. She blinked in the dim light of her bedroom and knew Aunt Claudia was there before she saw her. The avian alien slipped under the girl's head and shoulders, cradling her in her lap and wrapping long, downy arms around her.
Lancer was still unconscious and Edana knew she was somehow responsible, but she didn't know how she did it. She just wanted Lancer's searing rage and pain to stop, had willed it to stop, and somehow, Lancer had obeyed as if commanded. The girl knew her father was the source and even though he was on Earth, and they were orbiting Cybertron, she felt him, dimly, and she was afraid.
Claudia did her best to calm the child, but Edana lay in bed, her eyes open and unseeing, with tears slowly running off her face.
x
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x
Earth:
Optimus watched, horrified and terrified all over again, as Rodimus struggled to invoke the change from robot to organic. It had somehow become habit to see his friends shifting from one state to another, and Optimus realized to his amazement that he had come to think of it as routine.
Naturally it was normal for Rodimus to not just change his form but his very substance.
Or not.
Rodimus ground his jaw and then eventually his teeth, while he fought to shift down, as he called it. The nearly instantaneous change took almost three minutes this time. Not long really, all things considered, but when you're a worried friend watching parts of someone melt, and bubble, and... stuff...three minutes could seem like years.
First Aid arrived just in time to miss the show. Optimus was somehow resentful of that, but he dutifully tried to explain what happened. He thought he was doing pretty well, but First Aid looked up from his main patient, reached into his gear, pulled out something, and injected it into Prime's fuel lines at the elbow-joint.
"Hey! What was that?" Optimus asked.
"A sedative. You're stammering. Try everything you just said again, because Optimus, not a word made sense."
Optimus took in a huge, cooling intake and started over. "We had an argument. I think it stirred up a Sigma implant and it got all mixed up with the stuff from his time with the Jabez. I don't know. He was irrational and kept talking about lasers, drills, and people screaming. Look at the wall! He slammed me into it! The Matrix was surging I was trying to talk him down the Maelstrom tried to talk to me and told me Lancer went crazy too and then he just started screaming. When he was done he confirmed it was a Sigma implant and that it set off a self-destruct sequence so I told him to morph, which was hard for him and then you came in."
First Aid looked up from Rodimus again - he was mostly unconscious but he seemed stable. Optimus, on the other-hand was talking like Blurr.
"That made no more sense than the first time," First Aid said grimly. Optimus geared up to repeat it yet again. "I heard you! It just doesn't make sense! Rodimus doesn't scream, Optimus."
"He did today," Optimus assured him.
"Hmmph. Maybe you didn't need a sedative after all," First Aid mused. He noticed Optimus was clenching and unclenching his hands. "Or maybe you need another one!"
"Will he be alright?"
"I don't know! Even Ratchet's at a loss with these Sigma implants! You told me the Matrix saved you, but he won't touch it," First Aid said.
"Going human saved him last time," Optimus said.
"Assuming the last one actually set a self-destruct sequence off. No one looked at him," First Aid pointed out. "He's hot...but he seems stable."
"Should we move him to med-lab?"
"Probably, but how will you explain me suddenly seeing human patients?" First Aid asked facetiously. "I've got everything I need right now and if I have to get something I will."
"Right," Optimus snarled unexpectedly. He stood, glaring about him fiercely, and finding no other outlet, threw several metal-crushing punches into the wall.
First Aid decided his faceless design was an asset after all.
"Ouch," Optimus remarked.
"When he is better," the medic said firmly, "I am ordering both of you on leave, right after Ratchet and I do a complete diagnostic on your neural systems! You are both acting erratically, especially you Optimus!"
"Am not," Optimus said sullenly.
"Are too," First Aid said.
"Am NOT!" Optimus snarled.
"OPTIMUS PRIME!" First Aid yelled.
Optimus winced. "Sorry 'Aid," he apologized, "but you can't send us on leave."
"Magnus can handle things for a few days," First Aid said firmly.
"No..he can't. HE'S on leave Marissa's having the twins right now!" Optimus said.
First Aid, gentle, compassionate medic though he was, said some words Optimus was surprised he knew.
x
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x
Marissa swore.
"Godammit, Magnus! What the fuck did you plant me with? This kid feels like Metroplex!"
He had learned very quickly not to answer such statements directly, but to respond at once with some kind of placation.
"You're doing great Marissa. It'll all be over soon," Magnus said soothingly. This line was not of his own creation. Lady Jaye had whispered it in his ear after some bumbling response of his had sent his straining mate into a rabid assurance that if she survived that he would never come within ten feet of her again. Magnus was stressed enough to take her literally.
He really thought he had prepared for this. They didn't dare take Marissa to a hospital for the delivery unless it really looked like they were hitting life or death complications. Researching everything about human child birth was only prudent. He'd carefully studied the whole process, including as many of the possible problems as he could find. Video footage, medical documents, personal testimonies, coaching techniques were all part of his exhaustive investigation.
He even abased himself so far as to ask a sniggering Rodimus what it was like.
"Oh Great Cybertron, you don't want to know!" had been the only response he could get. Real helpful sort, that boy.
Still, Magnus felt himself prepared.
Reality felt differently.
This was not some stranger, lying here with her face sweaty and flushed with strain. It was Marissa...and right now the real possibility he might lose her if something went wrong seemed a lot more plausible than the idiotic notion he might become a father!
Death was a very real concept to Magnus.
Little human children of his own, not really. Nope. Not clear on that at all.
All of his research evacuated his mind in an instant, leaving him with nothing to say and nothing to do but hold Marissa's hand and panic.
Lady Jaye just thought he was the cutest thing, and helped him whenever he faltered.
Marissa groaned, and Magnus groaned with her as he marveled that his crushed fingers could actually be made to match his paint job.
Look there! he thought hazily, They're blue!
x
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x
Char:
Viper pulled back a little from Galvatron's embrace.
He smirked, optics flaring, looking neither spent nor entirely satisfied in spite of the tremendous power surge she had taken from him.
She was neither shamed nor entirely displeased with his unexpected actions, but she realized very clearly, as he no doubt intended, that she had underestimated him. By taking her here, with witnesses, he had assured she would not be able to seduce anyone else, as if he was marking his territory and crushing any ambitions to join with her. Certainly, he had made it clear she would not simply be dictating this gambit on her own terms.
No doubt he would keep her close so that when they took the time to make a fertile bonding there would be no question of paternity as well. She saw her little plans to pull the males around like so many puppets on strings go to waste. The only real regrets she had about that were Soundwave and Cyclonus - merging with them would have given her inroads to all the real power there was in this pitiful little band.
Still, she had some of what she wanted...a place on the dias, close to him, where she could observe and learn and maybe...influence.
She supposed he expected her to protest being used this way in front of everyone, but she didn't mind. She had enjoyed it - taking great pleasure in both the physical and metaphorical power she was taking from him. The risk of it all was intoxicating too - she knew he might kill her at any second and she found the fear only added fuel to her lust. It was a Decepticon's job to be used by their leaders - and he had a use for her none of the others could claim. The many optics on her triumph excited her.
Besides, leaders changed, didn't they?
She met Galvatron's optics again. He seemed to be waiting for her reaction - as if she would cry or argue or flee the scene. It seemed she was not the only one guilty of underestimation today.
Viper answered his smirk with one of her own, made it plain she was neither cowed nor humiliated, and reached for his interface circuits again. Her snake-like form wrapped around him, and he cried out involuntarily.
This time, it was Galvatron's turn to be taken by surprise. She took her time.
x
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x
Rodimus didn't protest when First Aid picked him up and flopped him down on the office desk. His head pounded, but not with the same increasing pressure that it had as a robot. His thoughts were jumbled and erratic - as if the implant was some kind of pressurized cork that had held his mind down, but once released had sent everything erupting. Now he had to sift through what was left to see how to put it all back together. Reaching for his mate instinctively didn't help. She was still unconscious.
"How do you feel Rodi?" First Aid prompted, wishing for the millionth time that his medical knowledge of humans was even as good as his knowledge of Transformers.
"Did...Did I smash Optimus into the wall? Please tell me I didn't," Rodimus asked weakly.
"OK...you didn't," Optimus said cheerfully.
First Aid looked sharply at the elder Prime. One minute he was punching walls, and the next he was practically humming.
Rodimus opened his eyes slightly, took stock of his partner's form and winced. "That lie would've worked better without the dents," he remarked.
"I thought I'd give you a taste of your own medicine," Optimus sassed.
"I can't reach Lancer," Rodimus said, in no shape to deal with Op's eccentric behavior.
"Is everything under control down there?" Robert's voice sizzled in over Op's com line.
"Oo...slag! I forgot about them," Optimus cussed.
"That remains to be seen," First Aid said with trepidation.
Rodimus laughed hysterically. Optimus joined him.
"Er..." Robert said. "We're en route. We should be within teleport range shortly."
"Ohh-Kay!" Optimus chirped.
"Weirdo," Rodimus remarked.
"I gave him a sedative," First Aid explained. "At least I hope that's his problem."
"Ah..." Rodimus said. "Can I have one?"
"You? No!"
"Why?"
"Because you're in human form!" First Aid pointed out.
"Ah...that's hardly fair," Rodimus pointed out logically. He was proud of this reasoning, because it was the most focused thought he had at the moment. Trying to put together the last few minutes only called up emotions he wanted nothing to do with. Slowly though, things began falling into place and his drowsy confusion vanished.
"Lancer!" he breathed, suddenly really realizing she wasn't "with" him. Concentrating on her, he found her slowly coming around.
"What happened?" he cried.
Optimus cheerfully filled him in.
Just as Rodi was getting ready to apologize, Jazz's frantic voice cut in over Op's comm lines.
"Enough with the calls already!" Optimus snapped.
"Wha...?" Rodimus said brightly.
"We've got a situation!" Jazz informed them frantically. "Cyclonus is crashing our party!"
"Really?" Rodimus cheered with a huge smile. "Good for him!"
"I'll be there in a few minutes," Optimus snarled. "He'll be dead in an hour. Prime out."
x
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Cybertron:
Cyclonus knew where he was going for a change. Getting in would be another matter.
True, under normal circumstances, finding one's way through the tunnels without knowing your way would be a problem, but the citizens of Cybertron were oh so very helpful. Elita's "discovery" had been neatly marks with signs, all of which apologized for their temporary, unembellished nature, assuring the reader that new and better signs were coming soon to lead you to the celebrated place.
Paradronians. Even the temporary signs had pretentious lettering.
They do come in handy once in a while, he thought, stashing the body on the side of Omega's charming chasm. By the time the reconstruction workers got this high and the body was found, Cyclonus would be safe on Char, or dead at Galvatron's hands. By Cyc's estimate, it would be a few weeks before they could reach his victim and if he was really lucky they'd assume the dead Paradronian was killed in the collapse.
Cyclonus fussed for a minute with his stolen Autobot insignia. If he ran into a warrior, they'd just shoot him, but he doubted many of the teeming Paradronians would look past the brand. If he got caught, oh well. His reception at home was likely to involve cannon fire anyway.
The most annoying part was having to walk like a good little Autobot rather than fly. He slipped into the small crowd of sight-seers who were heading down. He trailed behind them and listened to their chatter, mostly on the excitement of this find and the possibility of new sparks. No one really took note of him, for all that he stood a full-head over the tallest of them.
Down they went. It didn't take long, as new (also unfinished, with signs begging forgiveness) tunnels had already been cut to eliminate annoying twists and turns.
The site itself was cordoned off with force fields. The Paradronians were duly respectful and peered in. There wasn't much to see, just an old Quint lab. He recognized their work.
"Vector Sigma's last gift," one of his "companions" muttered reverently.
"Pardon the intrusion," Cyclonus asked solemnly, trying to make his voice sound friendly.
The Paradronian turned to look at the strange voice, but was optic level with Cyc's "borrowed" insignia. The little Autobot slowly turned his optics upward, nervous in spite of the comforting brand.
"Yes?"
"What do you mean...'Vector Sigma's last gift'?" Cyclonus asked.
The Paradronian stared - why did that smile seem so...predatory?
"You haven't heard?" another one of their companions asked in shock.
Cyclonus shook his head.
"Vector Sigma was dying...that's why it led us here. It's passing was announced yesterday! Optimus Prime has declared an official month of mourning. I can't believe you didn't hear!"
"I...was traveling," Cyclonus said. True enough. He was traveling from Char to Cybertron. "That is grievous news indeed." A least that statement was sincere.
x
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Maelstrom:
Lancer awoke slowly, and immediately tried to clutch her head. Not happening...too many stitches.
Nervous friends watched to see what she was going to do.
"Medical wing....why am I in the medical wing?" she asked for starters.
"Cause you went nuts and tried to blow us all up," Malice simpered.
Lancer picked her head up to stare at her friend. Bad mistake. "OW! God my head!" Rodimus sent her a sincere and abashed apology, and an update on everything in a jumbled rush.
You screamed? You did! How in the hell?
Implant. I got it...I think the Matrix may have helped, but I can't remember . He treated her to his gnarled recollections of everything from the quarrel with Optimus, to the pseudo-flashback, to the near-miss with the self-destruct program.
She sent him sympathy and energy. I'm sorry I couldn't help you! I nearly lost you! That really freaked her out. It was a given fact in her mind that she would die first.
You were out cold, Lady Assassin. Nothing you could do. Optimus helped me...he really did.
It's wonderful that he did, but I should have been there for you, not out cold...hey! Why was I out cold?
No idea... Rodimus sent. He couldn't keep up with all the things he wanted to worry about....something about Op killing Cyclonus tried to intrude.
"Malice?" Lancer asked. "Why was I out?"
"Well," Malice said, shrugging at Jordan, "You went nuts, your daughter outran Claudia to get to you, and then you went out. Near as we can tell, she told you to."
Lancer stared up at her friend again. "Edana..."
"Yes..."
"My six year old," Lancer gasped.
"Last I checked she was yours," Malice said.
"My six year old is capable of knocking me out?" Lancer asked.
"That's going to make grounding her interesting, don't you think?" Malice said.
"Wait..." Lancer said. "She was there? She saw me spaz out?"
"Yeah, but...." Malice started, but Lancer was already sprinting out the door.
"Never a dull moment," Malice told Jordan. He nodded serenely and she hated him for it.
x
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Cybertron:
Cyclonus waited impatiently while all the brain-dead Paradronians milled around, peering vaguely through the force-field and swallowing every word of flowery description on the signs recounting Elita's discovery of Quint reproduction records. Clearly they were in a state of near-religious thrall of the senior femme's "being guided" here by Vector Sigma. They muttered to each other about Prime being Chosen of the Matrix and Elita being Chosen by Vector Sigma.
It gave Cyclonus the surges, and it was all he could do to not pull a blaster and start shooting. Finally, they drifted away in ones and twos, and he hoped he had time before the next batch of pilgrims made their way back to what was surely becoming a shrine.
A nasty little Quint lab - this was their shrine.
Cyclonus wasn't going to waste a second. He tore the panels off the wall next to the door, pulled his blaster, set it on continuos fire and started melting his way through the wall.
x
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x
Jazz was getting ready to kill one of his leaders. He couldn't decide which one though. Magnus was unreachable and Op and Rodi had taken forever to respond. When they finally DID respond, Rodimus sounded over-energized and Optimus sounded even worse. He couldn't get a clear response out of either of them, but Optimus wouldn't relinquish the com line. He was just ranting about Cyclonus but not really doing anything about it.
First Aid's, almost drowned out by Optimus' diatribe, finally yelled loud enough for Jazz to catch a few words about another Sigma implant in Rodimus and some kind of fight between the Primes.
This did nothing to tell Jazz what he should do about Cyclonus, but he knew better than to just pull the alarms.
It was Rodimus who finally got it together enough to talk to him with some kind of sense.
"Wha's happenin Jazz?" he slurred.
"Rod-man I don't know if I should tell you sounding like that!" Jazz flipped from being annoyed to worried.
"Headache...talk," Rodimus said.
In the background Optimus was threatening to send every combiner group they had to get Cyclonus.
"Cyclonus is on Cybertron! I told you once already!" Jazz reminded Rodi.
"Hmm...forgot. S'ok. What's he doing?" Rodimus asked.
"He's been down in the Sigma Tunnel...I don't know how long. Now he's followed a bunch of Paradronians down to Elita's big surprise!"
Jazz really fretted when Rodimus let out a long, ill sounding chuckle, afraid Rodi hadn't been able to follow what Jazz felt was a developing crisis.
Eventually Rodimus said, "Irony! All these years we've watched them night and day, but he picks now t' make a move. What'd I do to d'serve? ... Don't answer..."
"...and Warpath, and Tracks, and Sludge, and Spike, and..." Optimus was saying.
"What happened to Optimus?" Jazz asked anxiously.
"Frs' Aid gave 'im a sedative," Rodimus told him. "He wasn' makin' any sense."
"This is better?" Jazz cried.
"Um...no. W'rse. Kay...Cyc is prob'ly lookin' for why we hit Ch'r and mayb' the riots...Better give him sum answers..las' thing we need is Cyc wonderin' too much."
Slurred voice notwithstanding, Jazz couldn't argue with that.
"What do I do?"
"KILL HIM!" roared Optimus.
"Ow! Op my head!" Rodimus groaned. "We can't kill Cyc...he's th' only one holdin' th' Cons together."
"Ah! You're just like Vector Sigma! Holding me back!" Optimus accused loudly.
"S' help me Op, if you don't quit yellin'...and who are you callin' Vector Sigma?" Rodimus snapped.
"WHAT DO I DO ABOUT CYCLONUS!?" Jazz bellowed.
Optimus had the nerve to look surprised. Rodimus turned all shades of green and smashed his eyes shut, wishing somehow that he could turn down human ears. The others waited somewhat respectfully as he vomited nothing for a few minutes.
"I am gonna get y' both back f'r this," Rodimus threatened.
"What do I do about Cyclonus?!" Jazz whispered.
"Send everyone!" Optimus purred. "Missiles! Big Missiles!"
"No!" Rodimus said. "Send Blitzwing! Optimus...get him on the com!"
"Why don't you do it yourself?" Optimus asked sarcastically.
Rodimus, in human form, blinked up at his partner and just waited.
"Oh...right..." Optimus finally caught on. "Wow...what did you give me First Aid?"
"Something I'm never giving you again, that's for sure!" First Aid sighed.
"Right..." Optimus said, contacting Blitzwing.
"Blitz here," came the the ex-Con's voice over the line. "What can I do for you Prime?"
"Rodimus wants you to go kill Cyclonus!" Optimus frothed.
"NO I DON'T!" Rodimus countermanded. "Ow...Look...Blitz. Here's what you need to do..." Rodimus began.
Continued in Part H