Chapter 537
-0-On the ground
They flashed past, a posse of vehicles both human designed and Cybertronian as they headed to the silent resting format of the ship called Metrotitan. His sides were scored but the real damage lay in his engine region. On his massive superstructure, the purple emblem of the Decepticons stood out proudly against his beautiful white format.
Morshower and the soldiers finally stood up staring at the ship as the first responders made their way across the slippery surface of the landing pad. :That ship is a Decepticon: he said.
:I once asked Metroplex about his siblings. I heard that he had more than just Max. He told me that they were so many most of them only knew of each other by name. He said that Titan got in with a bad crowd and changed. He feared that he'd been infected with a virus or something. He spoke about him with sorrow, you know? Like a lost soul in the dark somewhere.
:'Plex didn't like to talk about it so I asked Max. Max said Titan has a scary hatred for Metroplex. He's overcome by the desire to kill him. They've actually shot it out in the past. Titan nearly killed 'Plex but he was beaten back. Metrobase came to the rescue. This was some long time ago. They haven't seen each other since. Its like the worst family feud imaginable: Jessie Landon said.
The Presidents and Prime Minister listened, then looked at Titan. :Ratchet has reached Titan: the US President said pointing toward the ship. They all turned to watch.
-0-Ratchet earlier
He stood before the slowly lowering ships keenly aware of his duty as the only one who still had the software to access them directly. When the great ships were built, Ratchet had learned to be a technician and big format physician because his skill and abilities were that great. Few doctors had the diversity to treat anything that Cybertron ever produced like he did. War had winnowed their numbers and others with the knowledge and internal configurations to work on this size ship had been scattered to the winds and the Matrix. He was in all the colony the only one left. He had synced his software long unused to Acroplex beginning the long symbiotic process of repair and refit between vessel and physician.
:Doctor, it has been a long time: Acroplex said as he set down wearily.
:Too long, Ace. I'm gathering data: Ratchet said as he turned toward Springer who came forward with two Wrecker crews and a pair of large format mechanics. :We're going to Titan to make sure he's in stasis. Can you hold him, Ace?:
:Yes. Hurry. He's in and out of consciousness. He's very ill. Something has infected his spark, Ratchet. HELP HIM!: Acroplex said as he began to tighten his beam grip on the silent form of his brother by shutting down systems ship wide.
:On our way. Come. Let's hurry!: Ratchet said as he transformed and peeled out in vehicle mode. Springer and the groups joined him chasing after the red and white hummer with the blazing lights and siren.
Prime who was watching transformed to join them, a huge semi truck flying along the side of the massive Acroplex, passing energon leaks and streaks of black scorching where glancing fire from Titan had barely missed its targeted mark. By the time he arrived, the mechanics had managed to force the great outer doors from Titan's hangar deck and they were transformed to go inside.
Prime transformed, too, walking quickly to Ratchet who had a meter and was scanning the dark seemingly lifeless mechanism. "What do you find, Ratchet?"
"I'm synced with his computer nexus. He's in and out of consciousness. He's also … off. Askew. I have specialized software for this format and something major is wrong with him. We have to go in fast to put him into stasis," Ratchet said.
"Can't you do it remotely?" Springer asked.
"If that were possible I would've done it to you slaggers already," Ratchet said with a slight grin. "Follow me. I'm going to use his schematics to get to the command deck as fast as possible. If he has power I can shut him down. We have to take his cog right away. We can't have him get sentience somehow until I figure out what's wrong. He could tear the place up, three other titans or not."
Prime nodded, then glanced at the others. "Show us the path, Ratchet. We will provide protection."
Ironhide arrived as he spoke, transforming to join them cannons drawn and powered up. "OLD MECH! YOU CAN'T GO INTO SLAG WITHOUT ME!"
Ratchet grinned as he climbed up on the deck. "Ah, you say the sweetest things, Ironhide."
Among cat calls and slag, the party stepped up and turned on their lights. It lit up the hangar deck which was in some disarray from the fight in space. His complement of vessels were damaged, two having broken free to pile up in a corner together. Fuel and other things were leaking. "Shut that down. A spark will blow us up," Ratchet said.
Springer dispatched two Wreckers who ran to the pile up to cut the ships' power. The group continued onward. Into a hallway they went, then paused as Ratchet consulted the specs. On the floor was energon and other spilled lubricants from two creased breaks in the bulkhead to the left and ahead. "He buckled. Frag," Ratchet said. "Lots of hand work there." He moved onward and so did everyone else.
-0-Elsewhere at the same time
Tie Down sat before the monitor watching the scene outside as IntraComm and The Hourly News reported each step in a miracle. He held Sunspot who was watching intently. Ravel sat on Ratchet's chair with Prowler who was recharging. The twins were playing in the next room with Hero. Orion, Praxus and Kaon were with Venture. They were at his house building things from the toy box he and Miler kept fully stocked. The little mechs and Miracle were upstairs with Kes and Tagg.
"What do you think, Tie?" Ravel asked as they watched Ratchet and the group with him enter Metrotitan. "Did you ever think our boy would be so good at what he does?"
"I did," Appa Ratchet said with confidence. "Ratchet was always a rascal but he has always had a good spark. Helping others … that's what he was meant to do."
They both looked at the elder mech, then grinned. "You're right on the rascal part, Appa," Tie said with a chuckle. They grinned then watched as Aleph, Gen-O, Jacx and Lim-Lee gave a second-by-second account of the process of repatriation.
-0-Earth …
The consortium broadcasts filled nearly every screen on every set on Earth as the breaking story pre-empted nearly every program set to broadcast everywhere. Talking heads were out in force.
"The American President is on Mars we're told," an MCA broadcaster said over the multi-network system that carried Cybertronian programming. "He went to Mars to see this recovery first hand with the Presidents of France, Russia and the Prime Minister of Great Britain. They're apparently on the scene with General Morshower, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colonel Fulton, Commander of the American Forces at Diego Garcia, Generals Martin and Morris of the Joint Chiefs who were with Morshower when this call came and General Sir Jonathan Avery, Commander of British Forces at Diego Garcia.
"They received the call that these vessels were coming into the system and went to Mars via the space bridges at Diego Garcia. That took them to Luna Base, then onward with the bigger bridge to Autobot City. We've heard from them and they'll be talking about what they've seen when the mission is locked down. Right now, they're all in a very safe place with an unobstructed view of the scene."
-0-On the ground
They stood up when the wind died down, then moved to sit on the boxes that had been their wind screen during the touchdown. The moons of Mars couldn't be seen nor any of the usual lights from orbiting satellites or ships due to the dark figure before them. Lights were being moved into position around the first one illuminating not only its gigantic mass but the battle scars it carried on its hull. It sat silently, its running lights and those in its superstructure blinking and/or slowly turning as required.
The Russian President smirked. :My bodyguards would be enraged if they saw me now. Kudos, Mr. President, in leaving them behind:
The American President grinned. :It's rather freeing not being followed everywhere:
General Martin who stood up to stare in amazement looked at the ship, then shook his helm. :I've flown everything that the service has as an airman but this … this is science fiction made real:
Morshower nodded. :It takes a while but get this, Bob. That ship is alive. It's as alive as you and me. These two are and so are the other two that are in orbit over head:
The group looked at Morshower a moment, then the ships.
:Fuck: General Martin whispered and no one in the group contradicted him.
-0-Metrotitan
They crept along, their lights illuminating the pitch dark of Titan's interior. They rounded a bend and began to enter the stores all the great ships carried. There were rations galore and munitions, all of them bearing the Deceptibrand. Exiting into a major corridor that led into different parts of the ship, Ratchet halted the group. "I have to deactivate his security systems. I need to find a node. Help me find one," Ratchet said moving to look at a schematic of the area that was fixed on the corridor bulkhead on a metal plate.
They flashed their lights around, then spread out looking for an interface, communications or mechanical substation node. From there, Ratchet would be able to link in to find the parts he needed to disable. A titan carried internal security that could entrap or even kill intruders. Even if he or she were unconscious, Metrotitan's systems would still work and they didn't have his codes yet to prevent it. Metroplex was working hard hacking his systems for them but it would take a while. There were Decepticon overlays to the real Metrotitan to break though.
:Ratchet:
:Metroplex: Ratchet replied pausing in his search.
:I'm attempting to initiate a search for his codes and I'm finding an alien interference:
:What kind?: Ratchet asked.
"Unclear. It's of alien origin and is therefore outside my frame of reference. It seems to be able to replicate itself into other systems. Titan appears to be infected with some sort of alien program or virus. I'm going to download a hunter-killer program to destroy it:
:That might give us a bumpy ride. Do we evacuate?: Ratchet asked.
:Negative. Getting him into stasis is imperative: Metroplex said worriedly. :I will attempt to find the virus, too:
:Very well. Ratchet out: He turned to the others. "Metroplex just said that Tyke is infected with an alien virus. He's downloading a killer program but the virus can defend. Prepare to get your aft kicked."
"Do we leave?" Prime asked.
"He says putting Tyke into stasis is more important. We better hoof it. FIND THE NODE!" Ratchet said as he began to hurry along the corridor.
It would take them half a joor to find one.
-0-Overhead
They came into orbit, two giant formats sharing space with Seekers. "Metrobase to Autobot City Flight Control."
"'Base … this is Max."
:MAX! IT HAS BEEN SO LONG!: There was a pause, then Metrobase was back. "Max, we're ready to land. Will it assist with Tyke if we do?:
:Hold on, Base. Max to Prime:
:Prime here:
:Metrobase and Metrocon are here. He asks if landing will help you with Metrotitan. If so, they will come down:
:Ask them to hold, Max. I will work out logistics. How much damage do they have?:
There was a pause, then Fort Max was back. :They can transform and move well. They have superficial injuries, Prime. Acroplex took the major blows:
:Very well. Stand by: Prime said. :Prime to Prowl:
:Prowl here:
:What are the logistics of bringing Metrobase and Metrocon down to the ground? They're ambulatory and express ability to help should Titan get out of servo:
It was quiet a moment. :We can have them land at the far end of the secured area. There's nothing but undeveloped land beyond and plenty of room for them to transform if necessary: Prowl replied.
:Very well. Have them coordinate with Fort Max to come down. Have them rest in ship mode unless this gets out of servo. Tie them into us but have them await the go for intervention: Prime said.
:Acknowledged: Prowl said. :Prowl to Fortress Maximus:
:Maximus here, Prowl:
:Help me land your brothers. I'm sending you the coordinates. Tell me what you need and want for this landing. I want them to remain in ship mode until or unless they need to transform to assist:
:Affirmative, Prowl. I will inform both to prepare to land:
:Affirmative. Prowl out: He looked up at the sky, then the vast pad stretching out into the darkness beyond. :Attention. Attention. Metrobase and Metrocon are coming in to land. They will settle at these coordinates: he said sending them on the emergency line all Cybertronians shared through their central communications node. :Heads up:
Morshower and Fulton glanced at each other. :More incoming:
As they said that, Fort Max was guiding two more of his long lost siblings to the ground.
-0-Inside Metrotitan
"HERE'S A SUBSTATION NODE, RATCHET!" Whirlaway yelled. The entire group pivoted to run to the big Wrecker. "I took the panel cover off."
"Thanks, Whirly Bird," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Step back, everyone. He could short me into orbit."
"OLD MECH!" Ironhide erupted. "GROUND YOURSELF!"
Ratchet glanced at him, then laughed loudly. "I'm built grounded, Only One." Then he inspected the systems and their manifest relays, transformed a digit into wire cutters, snipped several. He then got blown ten feet on his aft when he cut the last one.
The explosion could be heard outside the ship. Or it could've had Metrobase and Metrocon not begun their descent into the atmosphere and a landing nearby.