Chapter 6

Blue.

That was all that Sari had known since she had awoken. A baby blue sea with a whitewashed tone in which she'd been floating for an indefinite amount of time. Could have been seconds or millennia or any time in between or further, all she knew was the peaceful tone of blue

Sari. A voice whispered in her ear. The speaker vanished before she could turn.

Sari. The voice said again, and what she assumed to be her head whipped around to catch the speaker.

"Who's there?" she shouted at the wind as she turned desperately. She tried to summon an orb, only to find that she could not transform her hands. Although she was momentarily elated to see she had hands again, she also felt oddly naked without her weapons.

Sari.

"Where are you!?"

The voice echoed around her, taunting her with sound. It surrounded her, cornering her into what she guessed was the center of the area.

"Where am I?"

"Where all are one," said the voice as its owner stepped out of the blue.

Tears sprang to her eyes as she recognized the figure.

"Prowl?"

"What the FRAG do you mean they're gone!?"

"I'm sorry sir, but Optimus Prime and his team left megacycles ago," said the waitress, "Though I'm sure they want their privacy all things considered."

"What do you mean Lightbright?"

"Oh, hey Glyph, been a while. Licky went with one of them to let the Minicon rest," she explained, "she just commed me that she passed away while in stasis. She and the mech were apparently best friends so the poor guy's devastated."

"The Minicon's offline?" asked Glyph with a downtrodden tone.

"Are they sure it was offline?" pressed Vector.

"Well, she was completely grey so…"

The gold mech pondered the new information for a moment.

"Glyph, let's go. Lightbright, which hospital was the Minicon taken to?"

"Why?"

"We have to get to her before Perceptor does!"

"How are you here?" asked Sari as she looked up from her perch on Prowl's chest.

"If I were you, I'd more worried about being here," he replied, "this is the Well of All Sparks. Only those who's sparks have left their shells come here."

"This is the Well? What's with the smelter on the way in?" it wasn't exactly the same thing, but burning one's guests didn't seem like a very heavenly thing to do.

"That was the Pit," he replied, "only "pure" beings are allowed here. The Pit serves as a cleanser."

"Didn't the guy in charge ever hear of rehab?" she groaned, "wait, the Well? I'm dead!?"

"Well, yes."

If Perceptor still had a full range of emotions, he would be doing a little happy dance at the very moment. A technorganic, modified by the Allspark ready for dissection! The effects of the Allspark on her frame where largely unknown. However, being the former protégé of one of the oldest Autobots alive had the perk that he had access to information that even the reigning Magnus did not.

He had recognized the technorganic for what she truly was the second he had seen her. Only the last Guardians would be able to recognize her at this point. Although he had little doubt that Vector Prime and Alpha Trion would arrive eventually, by the time he did Perceptor would have enough information to produce as many Guardians as he wanted.

Cybertron would be safe. No matter the cost.

"I can't be dead!" she cried out, "I was sleeping just a moment ago!"

"Just because you are dead, doesn't mean you'll stay that way."

"…WHAT!?"

"Look, we do not have much time," said Prowl, "there is much to explain. The first thing you must know-."

A shudder swept through the Well.

"Wh-what's going on?" groaned Sari when a sudden jolt of pain shot through her chest.

"Perceptor," growled Prowl. Whatever elation the two had felt at their unexpected reencounter was lost once Prowl realized the danger that Sari was under.

"Sari, listen to me. Perceptor is probably dissecting your body. You need to go back soon. You can't return to your body if your spark chamber is destroyed."

"Go back?" she groaned as the pain spread to her stomach, "but I'm-."

"Offline, technically," he clarified, "we do not have much time, so I will make this short. Humanity faces extinction, and you can't save everyone."

"Out of my way!" yelled Vector after running a truck of the road. The poor worker was left to pick up his cargo as the ancient mech sped by.

"Sir, don't you think we should slow down?" called Glyph, keeping an optic on the Autotroopers behind them.

"No time Glyph. Come on Magnus, you vainglorious fool pick up!"

Vector Prime had been trying to reach Ultra Magnus' office for the last twenty decacycles as he dragged his intern to the hospital.

"Finally!" he cried, "Metroplex General? This is Vector Prime. I need you to communicate me with Ultra Magnus… Then connect me to whoever CAN connect me to him!... Ah, perfect. Jazz, is it? Are you near the offline minicon?... I know because I know! We don't have much time. Don't let Perceptor anywhere near her!… Autopsy? Are you insane!? Tell that medic of yours to put her back together and nail Perceptor to the wall!… Because she's not offline you blundering hack of a cyber-ninja! Didn't that idiot Yoketron ever tell you about the keys!?… Don't you dare hang-! Hello? Jazz? Jazz! For the love of-! Glyph, your generation is full of idiots!"

"Of all the stupid jokes," growled Jazz after hanging up what had to be the most distasteful prank call in history.

"Jazz? Is everything all right?" called Alpha Trion. The mech had arrived shortly after the team got the news, having heard of the endearing femme's demise.

"Everythin's fine, sir," he replied, "jus' some idiot with too much time on 'is servos."

"Well, all right then. Just contact me if you receive a call from a mech called Vector Prime or a femme named Glyph."

Jazz's optics widened.

"That was actually him, sir," he said with a hesitant tone.

"Really? What did he say to upset you?"

"Just that Sari was alive," grumbled Jazz, "don't even know how he knew we were here. Crazy old coot."

"You watch your tongue soldier. That mech saved my shell more times than I could keep track of. Other than Prima himself, Vector may be just about the oldest mech I've ever met but he's never steered me wrong. Now, what did he say?"

"Just something about Sari and her key," he waved, "that mean anything to you sir?"

"Were those his exact words?" asked the ancient chairmech tensely.

"Uh, not exactly," confessed Jazz, "he actually asked me to nail Perceptor to the wall, to have Ratchet undo the autopsy."

Alpha Trion felt a chill.

"Not possible," he said under his breath before speaking up, "did he mention Master Yoketron, by any chance?"

"Well, yeah," said Jazz, surprised at the mention of his old teacher for the second time in as many cycles, "asked me whether he had ever told me about some keys. I figured he meant Sari's key but- Alpha Trion, sir? You feelin' okay?"

Alpha Trion was most certainly not "okay". He opened a compartment from his back and the hilt of a blade folded out.

"Are you armed, soldier?"

"Always," he replied, eyeing the hilt wearily, "what's this all about, sir?"

"Call your team," he stated coldly, "Where is the autopsy room?"