I woke up maybe an hour later. Optimus drove over an obscenely large pot hole and jolted me awake. As in I fell on the steering wheel and made the horn honk.
"Sorry, Alison," Optimus said as I sat back up, his voice coming from the radio. "Some of your Earth roads are in desperate need of repair."
"You can say that again," Mikaela said. She didn't move far, but that was because she was wearing her seatbelt.
"It's okay, Optimus," I said, reaching for the seatbelt. When I clicked in, I leaned back in my seat. "How long until we get to the base?"
"Captain Lennox radioed that we were twenty minutes out five minutes before the pothole," Optimus said.
"Okay." I nod and sigh. "That means we've got fifteen minutes to figure out how we're going to explain me becoming one with the AllSpark."
"We will simply tell the truth," Optimus said. "Though I am more intrigued at what you said to Megatron about the hatchlings."
Mikaela nodded. "Optimus explained what they are, but how'd you know about them?"
"When the AllSpark was hurtling through space, she was still making baby Cybertronians," I said. This I'd kinda planned before, so I knew what to say. "She remembers all her children, and she knows they're under the care of some Decepticons in this solar system. But they're dying, starving. They don't have pure energon, and synthetic stuff won't work. That's what I gave Megatron, a cube that creates pure energon to take care of them."
"So you guys eat this energon stuff?" Mikaela asked Optimus. "You don't just guzzle gas or something?"
"It is possible for us to process natural resources like your gasoline and oil, but energon is required to keep us functioning long term." Optimus said.
"Keeping in mind that this is a species who once thought they were immortal because it took almost a billion years for one to die of old age," I added. "Even Bumblebee's got a good couple thousand years on him."
"Really? Huh." Mikaela shrugged. "I'm starting to get used to these kind of surprises.
"Yeah. It's really weird. I think my surprise meter's broken now, with all this AllSpark knowledge in my head." I shook my head. "The point is, I – and the AllSpark – wanted the hatchlings to live. And Megatron seemed like he wanted that too."
"Were those decisions your own, or the AllSpark's?" Optimus asked.
"Both, I guess." I shrug. "When she's active, it feels like she and I are one. And if I did disagree with it, it'd probably be able to convince me."
-We're here- Epps said over the radio.
Mikaela and I looked up and saw the convoy had stopped at the gates of a base, Lennox talking with the checkpoint guard before the guy waved us in. We drove until we reached a hanger, where Keller, Glen, Maggie, Banachek and Simmons were standing.
Optimus and Lennox's jeep pulled up closest to the group and Mikaela and I hopped out, walking with Lennox and Epps to meet Keller.
"Captain Lennox, girls," Keller said, nodding to us. "Do you have the Cube?"
"We do, sir," Lennox said. "Though not in the way it left."
"What do you mean?" Keller asked.
"It's better if we discuss it where we won't be spied on," I said, gesturing to the hanger behind him. "Is that for us?"
"Yes, yes, let's go in. The Autobots too." Keller turned and led the group inside. The Autobots followed, as well as the jeeps with Coppertone and Bumblebee's trailers. Once inside with the doors closed, the tarps over the two were taken off, and the Autobots transformed. Ratchet checked the two over and the others waited for us humans to get into place. A conference table had been set up on some scaffolding, but I think they were using Bumblebee as a scale, cause it only came about waist high on Optimus.
"Ratchet, how are Bumblebee and Coppertone?" I heard Optimus ask.
"They're doing well, Optimus." The medic helped Bumblebee sit up, and looking over Coppertone. "Her injuries are still healing, even now. It's like her self-repair has been given double speed."
Optimus nodded and turned to Keller. "Secretary Keller, I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. This is my advance team, here because we were searching for the AllSpark."
Keller nodded to him. "It's good to meet you, sir. I am sorry for all of this hubbub involving Sector Seven and your soldier. In truth, I never knew of their existence or activities until yesterday."
"It is understood, Secretary Keller."
Lennox stood at attention. "Sir, permission to start the mission briefing?"
"Permission granted, Captain Lennox. Start with what happened after you left Hoover Dam."
"We encountered Decepticon forces on the highway, one of which transformed and started attacking. Optimus dropped back to fight him, while the rest of us advanced into Mission City. We were strafed by a Decepticon called Starscream, alternate mode a F-17. The attack resulted in Bumblebee's injuries and was followed by a Decepticon tank attacking us. My men and I retreated, only to be cornered by the helicopter who attacked SOCCNET and Megatron. Autobots Jazz and Coppertone attacked Megatron while my men and I returned to our previous position, where we found Alison and Mikaela hooking Bumblebee up to a tow truck, the AllSpark by them. I scouted out a building and instructed Alison to take the AllSpark to it so that the Blackhawks could pick it up, while Autobots Ratchet and Ironhide guarded her. Mikaela took Bumblebee away from the battle, only to return and help us defeat the tank. Optimus arrived not long after this and started fighting with Megatron, who was pursuing Alison. The helicopter attempted to join them, but my men and I were able to defeat him. At this point, I turn my briefing over to Alison, so she can tell of her part."
I was surprised, but stood up. "Well, after I was given the AllSpark, I ran, only for Starscream to attack and injure Ratchet and Ironhide. They told me to keep running to the building. I did, and shortly after this, Megatron left his fight with Jazz and Coppertone and started pursuing me.
"I reached the building and ran up to the roof, Megatron almost right behind me. I activated a flare on the roof, but before I could hand off the AllSpark, Starscream fired a missile at the chopper and they went down. Megatron cornered me on the roof and knocked me off. Optimus managed to catch me and we descended to the ground. Optimus instructed me that, should it come to it, I was to shove the AllSpark into his chest, which would destroy the AllSpark and kill him. Megatron and Optimus stares fighting and I was caught in the middle. The AllSpark, at this time, shifted into a stake shape, and my options were to let the AllSpark be destroyed by shoving it into either Megatron or Optimus, but something told me not to do either. Instead, I stabbed the AllSpark into my own chest."
The humans who hasn't been there had looks of utter shock on their faces.
"You stabbed yourself!?" Glen asked, barely picking up his jaw to do so.
"How are you standing here?" Simmons asked. "That kind of energy should have killed you, blown you up!"
"If I may continue my briefing, I will explain," I said.
"Go on, Alison," Banachek said.
"I have a pacemaker, sir. Ever since I was a child, and I believe when I stabbed myself, the AllSpark connected to it. Since it turns electronics into Cybertronians, then it started doing that to the pacemaker. But instead of turning it into a chest burster, it instead kind of… dissolved into it. Then something happened in my head and I was swamped with knowledge that came from the AllSpark. After a minute to the world, an eternity for me, the AllSpark bonded to me and healed me. So I am now the AllSpark."
The new humans looked stunned and stayed quiet for a few moments. Then Simmons smacked a hand on the table.
"No. No. That can't be true." He pointed at me. "You're lying. You lost the AllSpark, or you handed it over to Megatron and we're all doomed. Because we put the fate of the world in the hands of a girl and her Camaro.
I suddenly felt a foggy feeling and my mind took a step back. "Do not doubt me, Reginald Simmons," my legion voice said. Of course the AllSpark knew his name, his family had been involved with S7 since its inception. "The AllSpark is here, in Alison, and she is angry at what you have done to her, and to her children."
"Children?" Banachek asked.
"The Cybertronians you killed in that box and in experiments." Alison felt anger over take her voice, though it was much stronger than her own. "She created them harmless at first, and you took them, played with them until their sparks gave out. She gave them weapons to defend themselves, and so you just murdered them at birth. Were she more vengeful, she would have made Alison give the full power of the AllSpark to Megatron." The anger died off a little. "But even now, Primus consoles her, and tells me to calm my rage. So I let you live, and give you time to learn from your mistakes. Pray you won't repeat them, for then I will not hesitate."
The AllSpark faded out and I was back in full control, with a slight headache. I put a hand to my temple and bowed head. "Ow. I hope that doesn't happen again today." I looked up to see everyone's reactions.
Mikaela and the soldiers had seen AllSpark-Alison back in Mission City, but all he humans had looks of shock and, in a few human cases, fear on their faces. The bots looked infuriated, though Optimus was trying to keep it behind a calm exterior.
"What do yah mean yah killed hatchlings!?"Ironhide roared, taking a few steps toward the scaffold before Ratchet put a servo on his arm to stop him.
"Hold, Ironhide," Optimus said, then looked down on the humans. "I would also like to know more of this."
"When we had the Cube in our possession," Banachek stood to explain, "we used its power to turn electronics into robots. We truthfully had no idea that they were sentient beings, and were concerned with our people's safety when the ones with weapons were destroyed."
"You can't hold a grudge against them, Autobots," I said to them. "Humanity is young and foolish, and we'd not barely developed proper flight before the AllSpark was found, and were already dreaming of the stars. Yes, it was horrible, but you cannot tell me that Cybertron has not done things as bad or worse, the AllSpark has shown me. And seeing as you are stuck here with humans, the best thing we can do is try and put the past behind us, and be open to a new future as allies."
Everyone was quiet after I finished talking and I took in their reactions. Keller and Banachek seemed impressed, Simmons a little freaked, and the others a mix of surprised and impressed. Ironhide still looked mad as hell, but he stepped back, and Ratchet released his arm. Optimus looked like he was musing on what I said.
After a few minutes, he knelt so his face was level with the humans. "My Autobots and I wish to extend a branch of peace to humanity. We have need of a new home, and fighting between us would be devastating to both sides."
Keller nodded. "I accept the branch and will present it to the president as soon as the details here are sorted out.
"What happened next?" Maggie asked then, and I thought the question was directed to me. "You joined with the AllSpark, but she said she'd have made you give the full power to Megatron. What does that mean?"
"Well, when the AllSpark is active, it's kind of like I take a step back into my own mind, and the two of us control me. Sometimes she takes completely over, like just now, or I'm more in control, or we work together. After I came back from the initial merge, Megatron attacked me for destroying the AllSpark, but I jumped away. Then I stopped the soldiers from firing on Megatron by sending a small electric pulse wave at them." At the stunned/questioning looks, I shrugged. "Part of the AllSpark's knowledge encouraged me to create a cube that creates energon, an energy source that is the Cybertronians main fuel source. I gave it to Megatron so he can take it to his ship and feed the hatchlings that are there."
"So you willingly gave an enemy the resources needed to return with reinforcements!?" Simmons asked.
"Maybe, but he won't," I say confidently. "At least, not for a while. It takes a good bit of time for hatchlings to grow into anything even capable of fighting. And, with hope, something can be done in that time to end this war."
Ratchet snorted. "You think that we can find an end to this conflict in a few decades, after millennia of fighting?"
"It never hurts to try. And you have each side has something you never had before."
"So Megatron has left for his ship?" Banachek asked.
I nod. "Yes, but don't bother asking me to tell you where they are. Not on Earth is all you're getting, and there is no chance of us getting to them. As of now, the only Decepticons on this planet are Barricade, Frenzy and Scorponok in Qatar."
"Was Frenzy a little crazy guy?" Glen asked. "Cause he's dead now. And what happened to Starscream?"
"He took a pot shot at Megatron and fled with the other F-17s. Megatron's probably chasing him for that right now." I smiled despite myself.
"So what happens now?" Maggie asked.
"Now, the government needs to decide what will be done about our transformer friends," Keller said. "And we must wait for the president to receive our reports on the issue."
"Sector Seven has to go," I said.
"It must," Optimus said. "While you have kept Megatron contained, we will not work with the murderers of hatchlings."
"Who, then, will handle covering your arrival and Mission City?" Banachek asked.
"We're already working on it," Keller said. "Robotics project that went haywire."
"You just need to replace S7 with another division to handle the bots and cons," I said. "I mean, I guess some folks could stay, like your paper shufflers and interns and maybe Simmons. But a totally new division is the best choice."
Keller nodded. "We will take that into consideration." He looked back to Optimus. "Is there anything you need for your interim stay?"
"Just a place where we can stay and rest. Especially our comrades, Coppertone and Bumblebee. They are both need major repairs after the battle."
"That one's still alive?" Glen asked, looking over at Coppertone. I could understand what he was thinking. In deep stasis like she was, she was very still and to the untrained eye would look dead.
"Yes, though barely, and only because of Alison and the AllSpark," Ratchet said.
I nodded. "After Megatron left, I used the AllSpark's power to heal Coppertone of her worst injuries. Then I reattached Jazz's leg. Bumblebee's were kinda scattered all over a street and we couldn't collect them. But, a couple of days and Ratchet will get him back to shape. He's the best medic this side of the galaxy."
"Likely the only medic this side of the galaxy," Ratchet mumbled, but still seemed a little happy at my compliment.
"And then the army guys got trailers for Bumblebee and Copper, and clean clothes for me, and we came here," I wrapped up. "So, now we're at the point of just figuring out what to do."
Keller nodded solemnly. "Alison, I must thank you, for your sacrifice. What you've done today might have saved hundreds of thousands of lives."
I nodded. "The AllSpark is life. I'll do all I can to protect it."
Suddenly, Mikaela gave a large yawn, which then went to Glen and Epps, then everyone else, including me.
"All of you are showing signs of exhaustion, physical and mental," Ratchet said, running a scanner over us. Simmons freaked a little, but the rest of us didn't pay attention to him. "I recommend getting a full rest and continuing discussions tomorrow."
No one looked like they were going to argue, except Simmons. We all were tired, especially the army guys and Mikaela. I was a little better for my nap on the way here, but that couldn't have been more than a half hour, tops.
"Follow me," Keller said, standing. "A barracks has been opened for our use."
"We're just going to leave the NBEs here unguarded?" Simmons asked, even as everyone else stood.
"The hanger will be guarded until we come back, and you wouldn't mind being confined in here, would you, Optimus?" Keller asked.
"We'll remain in the hanger, Secretary Keller," Optimus said. "I hope you all rest well."
"You get some rest too, Optimus," I said. "You've earned it."
We walked out of the hanger and over to a barracks. There were enough room for all of us if we bunked up, and naturally me and Mikaela took a room. I was about to just flop on the bed when she put a hand on my arm.
"We need to talk," she said when I turned to her, and sat us on one of the beds. "What was that earlier today?"
"What was what?" Then it hit me. "Oh, the kiss. I, well, I…" I kind of trailed off.
"Cause I need to know, cause it was good, and I've never been attracted to a girl before but the past few days has kinda been changing my mind, and I need to know where you stand so I can know where I stand." She said it all in one breath, and that amazed me.
"Alright," I said. "The truth is I love you. But I'm not going to push you. The kiss, I still didn't know if my plan was going to actually work or not. I figured I'd rather die knowing what kissing you was like. But there's more than just my visions at work here."
"What do you mean?" Mikaela asked.
"I can't to explain it now. It's a little complicated, and you'll possibly hate me afterwards, but I need Bumblebee for the explanation too. And it can't get beyond us three, so we'll have to wait until his legs are fixed and Ratchet discharges him." I took Mikaela's hand. "Can you trust me that long?"
Mikaela thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes I trust you. But the first opportunity, you are going to explain, got it."
I smiled. "Yes, ma'am. Good night, Mikaela." With that, I got up and went to the other bed. I crawled under the covers, and was asleep within seconds of hitting my pillow.
Sorry I'm late again! I was really busy yesterday, so this completely slipped my mind. Pretty boring chapter here, as will the next one be. Shifting the story focus from adventure driven to day-in-the-life does that. I will try to update on Saturday, but sorry in advance if I don't.
