Chapter 13
Back at the underground chamber, the Maximal scientists (Rhinox, Perceptor, Wheeljack, and Ratchet) reach a door labeled 'Planetary Defence'. The bots notice an optic scanner, and the computer activates "Align your optics with the scanners to gain entry."
"I thought we were looking for Megatron's spark.." says Ratchet.
"Data gathered by spies indicate that Megatron's spark is in this room." Perceptor replies.
"But why here? Shouldn't it be in his throne room?" Rachet asks.
"By wiring his spark directly with the planetary defence grid, he has total control of every physical and holo drone, and control of all of the planetary and orbital weapons if he needed to. It also keeps his spark out of any potential targets. By placing his own spark underground, Megatron assures his survival." Rhinox replies to both of them.
Wheeljack scans the hallway and looks at a holo-display emitting from his wrist "There are no laser emitters here, we're not in any danger now." He says.
"Excellent, then I'll get to work." Rhinox says as he begins to remove a maintenance panel beside the optic scanner.
"Wait!" Says Ratchet. "There might be censors there to alert the Predacons about unauthorized access. I grabbed the head from one of the drones we encountered earlier."
"That was an attack drone, though." Rhinox responded. "But I may be able to bring up security codes for maintenance drones to feed to the head we have." Rhinox resumes removing the panel and begins to scan the various components in the wall as Wheeljack begins to disassemble the drone's head.
"Found it!" Rhinox exclaimed as he looks at the holo display emitting from his wrist. "All I need to do is transfer one of the codes to the drone. Are you done with that, Wheeljack?"
Wheeljack makes some final alterations on the drone's head. "Alright, I'm done." He responds and hands the drone's head to Rhinox. He plus in a cable from the wall to a port in his wrist, and connects a cable from the drones head into another port in his wrist. "Transferring now."
A few seconds pass as some of the Maximals soldiers keep watch.
"Transfer is complete" Rhinox says, disconnecting the cable from the drone's head. He carries the head over to the optic scanner and places the optics in line with the scanner.
"Scanning" The Predacon computer says coldly.
The Maximal star fighters and their allies continue across the planet, destroying the plasma turrets and re-cloaking almost immediately as they pass.
"Megatron, my Lord" Rumble calls out. "The turrets are unable to lock onto their star fighters. They cloak, fire, and re-cloak again."
"Can you identify the cloaking frequency?" Megatron asks coldly.
"Each one is using a randomized frequency each time they cloak."
"Based on their flight pattern, predict the next turrets to be destroyed, and create some holo-drones in those positions!" Megatron orders harshly.
"Yes, Lord Megatron." Rumble salutes as he begins to type away at the console.
On board the Maximal Flagship, the Maximal Commanders watch the holographic display, monitoring the attack as turrets and shield generators are destroyed in rapid succession.
"They've destroyed about sixty percent of the turrets and shield generators, Rodimus" Ultra Magnus says coldly.
Suddenly, they see the Maximal Star Fighters begin to fall from the sky, one after the other.
"I've been hit!" "They're on my tail! I can't sha…" "Pred holo-drones are in pursuit!" and other similar phrases begin to be heard from the intercoms.
"What's going on?" Rodimus calls out from his commander's chair.
"Our fighters are dropping like flies from the Predacon holo drones." Magnus replies.
"Try to find out how the Predacons are able to do this, we need to have every shield generator offline!" Rodimus exclaims.
"I got it!" Goldbug calls out. "They're extrapolating future positions based on flight paths when they decloak."
"Dammit!" Says Ultra Magnus.
"Gold Bug, open a channel to the fighters" Rodimus commands.
"Channel open, sir" Gold Bug states.
"The Predacons are predicting flight patterns based on your flight paths. Mix it up, we don't need to loose any more fighters."
The crew hears the confirmation call outs over the radio as the Maximal starfighters go on different flight paths.
"Once the turrets have been destroyed, send in ground troops planet wide." Rodimus commanded, as he watched the holographic display of the attack.
SilverBlade and Firewing are locked in an intense sword fight, with SilverBlade's long energy blades extending from his arm and Firewing's hand-held lightsaber, both bots are trying to out-power the other, neither brother getting the upper hand in the fight.
"What's wrong big brother? I've seen you plough through dozens of Predacons with ease. This is barely a challenge for me. Optimus has made you weak! Optimus has made you pathetic! Optimus has kept you back, kept you from becoming what you were intended for. You were built to lead, yet here you are, still just a puppet after several thousand years. I was built to take your place, when it should have been you at Megatron's side! Firewing angrily states as he continuously insults SilverBlade.
SilverBlade's eyes spark with electricity, indicating that he is pissed off to his extreme, begins to slash at Firewing with stronger/faster movements, with electricity now engulfing his hands and emanating from his energy blades.
"Good, good" Firewing smirks evilly as he enjoys seeing his older brother – a Maximal, show traits of a spark-less, cold, anger-filled Predacon general, while deflecting the slashes from the energy blades with his own.
As SilverBlade slashes at his brother with ever-increasing anger, the Maximal insignia on his chest begins to glow, leaving burn marks on the metal.
FireWing grabs Silver's wrists out of the air and looks him in the eye. "Are you even trying? I'm beginning to get bored. I thought you would have put up a better fight." He says, mocking his older brother.
SilverBlade knees Firewing in the stomach, causing him to stumble back. He then charges at Firewing, grabbing his neck, and pounds his body against the wall. "How does this feel?" He asks angrily as his hands surge with electricity, and electrocutes Firewing by the neck and hearing Firewing scream in pain.
As the Maximal scientist group enters Chamber 33, they see a computer console with a large screen attached to it, and down the corridor, they see a second sealed off door.
"Over there must be Megatron spark chamber." Rhinox says.
"Then lets end this!" One of the solider Maximals angrily says as he aims the plasma rifle at the door.
"STOP!" Wheeljack quickly grabs the weapon. "The door is protected by a level 10 force field. This will not do anything except to trigger the traps."
"That being?" the soldier asks annoyingly, as he grabs his rifle again.
"That being…if we were to trigger the security measures, this entire room would be filled with an acidic gas designed to dissolve cybertronian metal. It would kill us, even with Silver's new armor." Wheeljack explains.
"I knew he could not be trusted, he can't even get that armour correct." The soldier states coldly.
"The armour wasn't meant to take on acid…it only had energy blasts in mind. Now would you be less trigger-happy and guard the door?" Rhinox jumps in, getting annoying at the Maximal soldier.
As Rhinox and Wheeljack begin to discuss plans, Perceptor walks over to the other wall, which appears to be broken up into panels as he sees seams along the metal. "What is this?" he wonders out loud as he puts his hand along the wall. Suddenly, the panels vanish, revealing a window. "Rhinox, Wheeljack, look at this."
The two bots walk over to the window and they see another very large cavern, as far as their optics can see. Perceptor looks to his hand and notices that there are more switches. He taps all of them, and the lights activate within the tavern, revealing rows and rows of vertical columns. Each column extending from the ceiling to the floor – which looks like many thousands of feet high..
"What are they.." Rhinox inquires as Wheeljack bolts to the computer console, frantically tapping away.
"You won't believe this." Wheeljack says, as he partially turns around "Those are Maximals. Millions of them. Every one."
"No wonder they're so many columns." Rhinox mutters. "What else can you tell us about this?"
Wheeljack taps at the console some more. "Each body has it's original spark. It's like Megatron is using the original bodies to store the spark, instead of constructing a new storage facility."
"But how?" Rhinox questions. "How are the bodies not active? They all appear dead."
"Hold on, I'll find that answer." Wheeljack states as his fingers fly across the keys, digging further into the data. "Each body is wired into the columns to keep the body just active enough to keep the spark alive….wait. I spotted something." He pauses for a few second. "Slag…" he says with worry. "Each Maximal body is also wired with an explosive. If the spark – or body, are tampered with…" he begins to say, before he is interrupted by Perceptor. "They will explode and by doing so, we will effectively be killing our own comrades."
"Then we have no time to lose." Wheeljack says as the others move to the computer and they begin to discuss a plan of attack to this problem without losing more Maximals.