Chapter 538
-0-Outside the ship
The din was enormous but audials including those in the human suits dialed down. Two formats were coming downward to the ground through the sky side-by-side nearly two miles away, an astonishing sight even for the Cybertronians who watched. Their lights were bright and their engines roared as they slowly descended. The humans stood up to watch, some walking out of the protection of the box stacks to see better.
The lights of the rescue were brilliant and threw illumination miles past the end of the sculpted landing zone. Both ships were colossal battle platforms with city formats during peaceful times. Now they were prodigal sons returning to hearth and home, hopefully to a peaceful future among family and friends.
The dust kicked up hard swirling upward in the harsh light of their landing beams. They pooled together making harsh and shadowy their surroundings as they slowly lowered themselves to the ground. The rumble of two behemoths landing lifted the humans off their feet. They stumbled, some falling as the shock wave rolled out in all directions. Emergency vehicles sped toward the great ships, fire department and medical personnel hurrying to assist them in whatever they required.
The humans dialed into the channel that carried most of the official traffic and commentary of those assisting. Listening in through the translations, they watched the spectacle that they knew was being sent to Earth as well.
:Metrobase, this is Inferno. What do you require to go into resting mode? What do you need, Metrocon?:
:Metrobase to Inferno. I'm down and securing my flight systems. I'm good for now. I'll stay in condition one until Metrotitan is secured. We are prepared to go into root mode to handle him on the ground if necessary. It is advised that you and others nearby stand well back if we have to transform. We will go into emergency transformation and we don't want to hurt anyone. We will announce with a siren blast:
:Affirmative, 'Base. Do you need refueling or can it wait?: Inferno asked from his vehicle format which was idling in front of the two big vessels and looked dwarfed in comparison.
"We are adequate on our solar reserves, Inferno. When Titan is in stasis it would be much appreciated: Metrobase replied.
:We're ready for you and will sustain you when things settle. Do you need medical attention?: Inferno asked.
:Tyke needs it more. Ace, too. We're going to be fine for now. Thank you, Inferno: Metrocon said.
They chatted a moment in Cybertronian that didn't translate, then Inferno was back. He entered his vehicle and drove back toward Acroplex. :Attention. Everyone pull back from Metrobase and 'Con. If they need to transform, you'll be crushed. Pull back to the secondary position and be ready to bug out if either of them have to go root mode to subdue Titan. Acknowledge:
The line was filled with voices, then fell clear again. A pair of bots standing nearby were having a conversation so the comm pickup switched to them.
:Ace looks terrible but Tyke is worse. I remember when I was a sparkling visiting Acroplex. My grandada worked there. He was the most amazing thing and he hasn't changed a bit. Look at the wounds. He's got Tyke by the throat. If he gets free, this is going to be a fiasco. If 'Base and 'Con have to transform and grab him, we're going to be goo under their peds:
The other bot nodded.
The humans glanced at each other, then looked behind them. There was only flat open space. Morshower did the math. :Run like the devil is after you if you see Titan transform. If he does, the others will, too, and it will be the end of us if we stay too close:
:What about bugging out?: someone in the group posited.
:We're showing the flag. Anyone who wants to go can start walking that way. It'll take a few minutes to get back to the city but you'll be fine along the shoulders of the highway where the sidewalks are: He turned back to the show.
Everyone glanced at each other, then turned back to watch, too.
-0-Inside Titan
He came to sentience slowly, the concussive blast bouncing him off Prime, then Springer. He landed against the wall and ended up underneath a number of equally rattled Wreckers. In the smoke and debris around him and in the air, he watched as Prime and Ironhide stood up checking out their various functions and body parts.
"How about getting these slaggers off me?" Ratchet called out.
The two hurried to pull Wreckers to their peds. Ratchet being last stretched, feeling his extremities as he did. He'd broken a small strut which was annoying and painful. Standing up, he tested his leg. It hurt. "Slag. I have a broken strut."
"Frag," Ironhide said. "What now?"
"We move on. Whatever is plaguing Titan is watching. Hurry to the command center. I think I got all his primary and secondary security systems disabled," he said limping forward.
Ironhide and the others followed with guns drawn. They disappeared into the darkness ahead, their lights throwing pools of illumination in the pitch dark.
-0-Prowl
He watched the two ships land, then turned back to Acroplex. That mech was straining to hold his beams on Titan. Considering that, Prowl looked around. :Omega Supreme:
:Omega here:
:If you and your siblings were to come forward to grip Titan, would it allow for the same security as Acroplex holding him or is he too big for all of you?:
There was a pause as discussion was made, then Omega was back. :We can hold him. If he tries to transform, we will buy time for 'Con and 'Base:
:Very well. Please proceed. Acroplex:
:Acroplex here:
:Did you listen?: Prowl asked.
:Affirmative. I'm ready to standby for Titan if they can manage him for a bit: He paused. :I am fatigued:
:Understood: Prowl replied. :Omega, proceed:
:Process: Understood: Omega said reverting to his normal clipped speech pattern outside of family.
The humans listening in glanced to the northern edge of the landing pad. There seven behemoth transformers, all of them in the range of 600-700 feet tall glanced at each other as they discussed the situation. Then as one, they stepped over the top of the rescue crews and equipment to walk toward Metrotitan, some of them walking around him. The ground tremors under their massive weight were astounding. The humans danced like water drops on a hot frying pan.
Omega walked to Metrotitan, his form still tall enough to be seen around the monster ship. Kappa walked to the front, Zeta, Gamma and Alpha around the side closest to the humans. Beta and Xantium took position closest to Acroplex, all of them turning to glance at Omega. :Take charge now. Ace?:
:Here, Omega:
:Grip is optimal. Relax now: Omega said.
The beams that held Titan began to dim as the big formats gripped the massive ship. Their strength was beyond calculation, emerging into the range of the Metro formats. Now seven of them were prepared to hold one of them down. It was enough for Acroplex to power down slightly.
Prowl began to walk toward Metrotitan. He hadn't heard from the boarding party yet, so he walked headed that direction. :Prime?: he asked.
:Prowl:
:I hadn't heard from you in a while:
:Titan's security is fighting back. What is happening with Acroplex?:
:He's weary so the Supremes have stepped up. They're going to control him so that Acroplex can dial down and rest. Metrobase and Metrocon will have time to transform with them helping if Metrotitan decides to make a fuss: Prowl replied as he continued onward.
-0-Inside
Ratchet limped forward surrounded by guns and mechs. He lead them, moving onward, their foot pads echoing in the vastness of the ship. Ratchet paused to check the schematics. "This way," he said as they walked down another corridor. As they did, lights came on to indicate their presence, something that brought concern to all. "Straight ahead is the command center. I don't think we'll be slammed but we might find the problem plaguing Tyke there. Be on your peds."
They nodded, then continued to walk onward. They paused outside the door at last that stood between them and the command center. Prime pressed in the codes that all Primes carried, the ones that allowed them entrance into all of the major vessels of Cybertron. The door slid back silently.
Prime with gun in servo peered inside, then slipped into the dimly lit room. The others followed, then Ratchet with meter in servo.
The room was vast like all the city-plex formats. The interface panel that was Titan's face to the rest of the world in ship or city format pulsed erratically. Walking to a computer station, Ratchet sat and called up Titan's internals. For a moment, he got nothing, then glitches foreshadowed screen after screen of data. They flew past but not so fast that Ratchet couldn't read it. He'd been a doctor of this format helping to develop them into the magnificent creatures that they were way the frag back in the orn. He was internally configured to find anything and fix everything. He paused a screen, then swore under his breath. "Here we go."
"What is it?" Prime asked walking to stand behind Ratchet along with Ironhide.
"Straxus. He planted a virus in Titan. He poisoned his logic centers."
"What can you do about it?" Ironhide asked.
"I can take him apart but we have to remove his cog first. If he can't transform, he can't fight. I'll put a block on his propulsion centers. They're in bad shape anyway. They don't call Acroplex Ace for nothing. I couldn't have done a better job standing right next to them with a gun." He rose and keyed in a door lock nearby. It slid open exposing a massive transformation cog inside the square room. "There it is. Come on, Springer and Ironhide. I'll need muscles."
He entered and the others followed as the rest watched outside. As they stood tensely, Ratchet reached for a panel to begin the power down of the systems. As he did, the door to the room slammed shut.
Prime who was startled walked to the door and pounded on it. "Ratchet! Springer! Ironhide!"
Everyone silently listened but there was no return reply. Glancing at the panel, Prime walked to it. "Metrotitan, this is Optimus Prime. I command you to release the door."
There was no sound for a moment, then a deep voice replied. "I do not obey a Prime."
Everyone glanced at each other in surprise, then the panel.
Prime who glanced around saw very little change in the technology around him. He had no idea how strong or able Titan still was. "You were designed to obey Primes. I order you to obey."
"I do not obey Primes. You are my enemy, Optimus Prime. You are an enemy to my faction."
"The war is over. Megatron lost," Prime said testing Metrotitan's tolerance and sanity. "Shockwave is in prison. Soundwave is running. Megatron disappeared. The faction is defecting to me. You are to obey me."
"You lie," Titan replied. "You are the king of lies. I sense the presence of Metroplex."
"Metrobase, Fortress Maximus and Metrocon are here, too. You are under their line of fire. It would be unwise for you to do anything rash," Prime said.
"I will kill them," Metrotitan said. His panel lit up, filling the room with light as his rage began to rise.
"Straxus poisoned you," Prime said. "He poisoned you with a virus, turning you against your family and your home world. Straxus is responsible for what has happened to you. You hurt Acroplex," Prime replied.
There was a pause.
"Ace and all the others … they are the enemy. Straxus didn't do a thing to me, Prime. You are lying."
"I am telling the truth. Let the Matrix tell you," Prime said stepping closer.
"NO! LIES!" A rumble began in the belly of the beast as the ship began to move slightly. He rumbled for a moment, then settled. He didn't speak for a moment, then he did. "Who are you to tell me what to do? You are a traitor to our people. You betrayed all of us. You would have me surrender to you, then you will deactivate me. You will take my technology like the bounty hunters. YOU ARE NO DIFFERENT!"
-0-Inside the now dark room
"Well, this is fragged," Ratchet said as he turned slowly in the room. Lights flooded the room from Ironhide and Springer. He turned on his own lights, then looked at the cog. "I have to take off that panel so we can pull the fragger straight out. The moment that happens, he can't move." He glanced at the two who looked at him pensively. "Pray for me. I'm going in."
"RATCHET!" Ironhide sputtered as Ratchet turned toward the panel.
Transforming his digits, Ratchet placed a specialized screwdriver into the first screw. He began to turn it slowly.