More Than Meets the Eye
Chapter III: Darkness Rising Part III
April 22, 2012-Alamo, NV
Jack was feeling absolutely terrible. Ever since he left the Autobots, he couldn't get them out of his head, or stop feeling so guilty. Though he buried himself in homework and his job, he couldn't stifle Sam's voice in his head saying that he had abandoned Optimus, that he had abandoned his family. Miko had come by the previous night to try and convince him to come back by appealing to his sense of adventure, but he was still resolved enough at the time to say no. Now, he almost felt like Hatchet on a bad day could convince him to come back if he tried! Wait, did he just seriously think that? Luckily for him, he didn't jinx himself, as when he got off work, it was Arcee waiting for him. "Nice bike," she jokingly said about his current mode of transport.
But despite his burning desire to return, he had to try to live a normal life. "Arcee, really, Miko already tried. Tell Optimus I respect him big time, but if you're at war with the Decepticons, there's nothing I can do to help." The by-now nearly infinitesimal part of him that still wanted to be normal, despite the memories and knowledge he held, hoped that she would be discouraged and leave.
But Arcee was tougher than he had hoped. "Optimus didn't send me, and no one's asking for your help."
"Okay, so if we both agree that I'm not warrior material, then why are you here?"
"Jack, you know I just lost someone I cared about. Maybe it's the grief talking, maybe you're growing on me, maybe it's the fact that when you left, it felt like my spark was breaking. But whatever it is, I'm just not ready to say goodbye."
Jack's own spark nearly broke at that, and he couldn't do anything but say "Alright, I'll come back with you, Arcee." And with that, he climbed aboard and the two of them rode back to the base.
Oddly enough, by the time they arrived, Optimus was ordering the 'Bots to roll out. When Arcee asked where they were going, Miko's simple response was "The final frontier."
"Space? But I thought you didn't have any way to get there?" Jack had to ask. Raf confirmed they didn't, except for an extremely dangerous attempt to use the groundbridge.
As such, they quickly said their goodbyes, though Jack was now sorely tempted to reveal his secret just to be able to watch over them. Ratchet on the other hand was quite simply upset at the risk. "Optimus, if you leave me stranded on a planet teeming with humans, I will never forgive you."
While they waited for news, Raf filled Jack in with what Optimus had figured out since he left. Apparently Megatron had returned with a substance called Dark Energon-a substance with the ability to revive the dead, and was planning on launching it through his space bridge to Cybertron in order to raise an enormous army of zombiecons to conquer the Earth and defeat Optimus. Yet five minutes after the Nemesis arrived at the spacebridge, nothing had happened. Curious, Optimus quickly scanned the ship and discovered that the Nemesis' interstellar navigation system had been damaged. When Bulk mentioned that he had done that, Jack just barely managed to keep from laughing as he realized that that must have been the dish that Bulk had used the previous day! When Optimus mentioned that, as a result of the damage, Megatron wouldn't be able to lock onto Cybertron, Raf had an objection. "Wait, don't the Decepticons know where their own planet is?"
Jack spoke up before Ratchet could. "Of course they do, Raf, but Cybertron is thousands of light-years away. If the spacebridge is off by so much as a millimeter, the vortex could miss Cybertron by light-years. Their aim has to literally be astronomically precise, or it's just a waste of Energon." Optimus agreed, but added the caveat that Megatron wouldn't have come without a way to aim the bridge remotely.
Ratchet could only scoff at the idea. "From what I know of Earth's technology, I doubt there exists a single radio telescope dish on this planet powerful enough to pinpoint Cybertron."
"What about a whole bunch of linked radio telescope dishes?" Raf suggested. "Like the Very Large Array in New Mexico," he offered as an example.
"Hmm, good idea, Raf," Jack said. "But how will we know which one is the right array? I mean, there are something like a dozen arrays just in America."
"That is actually the easy part," Ratchet stated. "Though it's rare that we do so, we can find the Decepticons, if they aren't in a shielded area, such as a mine or the Nemesis. So, assuming that Soundwave will actually be there instead of remotely controlling the array, we will be able to find him easily," Ratchet explained. Going to the computer, he quickly scanned New Mexico and found nothing. He then widened his search until "Ah hah! Soundwave is at the Hat Creek Observatory, using the Allen Telescope Array." Jack raised his eyebrows at that and asked Ratchet to repeat Soundwave's location. When Ratchet did so, Jack couldn't help but burst out laughing. "And what is so funny?"
Jack didn't speak again until he caught his breath, then he explained. "The Allen Array is controlled by SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, an organization dedicated to finding alien life! How ironic can you get?" Raf and Miko both started laughing at that while Raf went to work hacking into the array, but he failed, unable to get inside SETI's firewalls. "Raf, what if we could get you all the way in? Like inside the building in? Would you be able to stop Soundwave from locking onto Cybertron? Would you be willing to take the risk?" Optimus immediately refused, but Jack wasn't taking it. "Optimus, with all due respect, you said it yourself yesterday, this is bigger than the safety of three humans. It should be up to Raf whether or not he goes to the array."
Miko immediately voiced her support, and Optimus decided to leave it up to Raf. Raf didn't hesitate to say "I want to give it a shot." Ratchet gave the young hacker one of his rare smiles, and opened the ground bridge.
April 22, 2012-Hat Creek Observatory-290 Miles North of San Francisco
Seconds later, and the trio were on their first official mission for the Autobots. They managed to enter the control center of the array easily, as the door wasn't locked, and no one was in the building. Miko made a point of mentioning that "Security sure is lax in this place. Hey, what are you doing?" she asked when she saw that Jack was placing a chair at one corner of the room they'd chosen to work in.
"This place has been abandoned for a few years due to a lack of funding and was only reactivated about six months ago. As for what I'm doing, remember, Soundwave is here, so when Raf starts messing with the telescopes, he's going to be searching the building just to be sure. Better he finds out that a camera isn't working than know that we're actually here," Jack replied as he cut the cord leading from the camera to the wall. As he did so, Raf hacked into the telescope controls and discovered the spacebridge schematics and immediately downloaded them while battling Soundwave and his attempts to align the bridge. As the two battled for control of the telescopes, a piece of the schematics showed who was winning: three overlapping spheres, two of which finished overlapping as they watched, and the last grew closer to the others when Soundwave was winning and further apart when Raf was.
Soundwave could not understand what was happening. Why was it that just when it seemed he had finished locking onto Cybertron at this location, the dishes seemed to move against him? Laserbeak had encountered no trouble at the other two sites, so why here? He quickly scanned through the security tapes (humans were so courteous to him in providing them,) and found nothing except for one dead camera. Curious. He reversed the data stream and found the problem: three of the dominant native life forms that couldn't be more than the human equivalent of mechlings at the most!
Soundwave was a rarity among the Decepticons. Not only did he rarely fight and not only was he Megatron's information guru, he also had a code of honour that even the staunchest Autobot would appreciate. He was loyal, he never tortured anyone or did any of those terrible experiments like the monster Airachnid or Knockout loved to do, and he absolutely refused to kill anyone unless they were actual fighters. So a situation like this was extremely difficult for him. What could he do? He needed to complete his mission, yet he would never kill these humans, so what could be done that would satisfy both Megatron and his honour?
Then the solution came to him: all he needed to do was buy enough time for him to finish his mission and then cut the hard-line so that the youngest (was he even a mechling yet, or was he still a youngling?) couldn't stop him. The master spy sent one of his cords into their room and quickly grabbed the eldest human and tossed him around a little, while accidentally catching the femme in the process. Once they were out of the way, he sent the cord after his nemesis, scaring him away from the computer long enough to destroy it. When the femme tried to attack him with a human weapon (designation: axe,) he knocked her away while grabbing the axe. Soundwave was about to scare them when he completed his mission, so he retracted the cord and used the axe to cut the hard-line. The trio of humans burst in on him as he was about to leave, and the femme took a picture of him, so he did the same before transforming and flying to the ship. Megatron would be pleased.
April 22, 2012-Alamo, NV
They had all failed. Raf had failed to keep the spacebridge from locking on to Cybertron, and now Optimus had failed to keep the Dark Energon from going through to Cybertron. Jack's entire being had burned when the Dark Energon hit Cybertron, he knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that the Dark Energon was the blood of Unicron the Chaos Bringer, and now it had infected Primus' body, raising all the dead on Cybertron. No, my child,a voice suddenly said in his mind. It sounded vaguely like the Seven had when they spoke to Sam. That is because I am, in some way, their father. I am Primus. The dead that Megatron is now in control of are only those that were never properly buried, though the blood of Unicron does harm me. Primus himself! Sam had never had a conversation with the creator of the Transformers, the being that had become Cybertron! But why was he contacting him now? It is because I wish to give you hope, my child. Even now Ratchet and Raf are telling Arcee how to destroy the spacebridge, thus saving your world. Darkness is rising on your world, Jackson Darby, and you will help the Autobots to combat it, eventually as your true self. If all goes well, then the war will end soon, and all will be one again.
Why me, Primus? Why was I chosen for this? And how will I know when the time is right to reveal the truth?
My child, your fate was tied to Optimus even before Sam's essence merged with you. It is your destiny throughout the multiverse to meet my children, only the circumstances change. In this one, even without Sam's influence, you would have still met Arcee, still left and still returned to the Autobots. The only difference is that now, you will be able to be able to influence the outcome far more than if you were merely human. And you will know the time is right to reveal your secret when you see an old friend arrive here. He shall call you another name, and when he recovers, then shall you reveal the truth about yourself. Now, return to your family, for they have succeeded.
Primus left none too soon, as Jack immediately felt a severe hit to his gut, and he knew that Arcee had been hurt, badly. Jack didn't notice Ratchet opening the groundbridge, nor did he hear when the medic tell Optimus. His only thought was to Arcee, and their weakening bond. He quickly sent her a burst of AllSpark energy so that she could hold on just long enough for Ratchet to be able to start his repairs.
After what seemed to be an eternity of waiting, the Autobots started coming in. Optimus had clearly gone up against Megatron, and bore the wounds of his match against the undefeated gladiator of Kaon. Bulkhead looked no worse for the wear, then Bumblebee came running in, carrying Arcee. Both boys ran for the duo, Jack immediately going to hold Arcee's limp hand. He barely heard Ratchet ask the AllSpark that they wouldn't have to lose a second member, as he watched her eyes flutter and then barely open. "Arcee," he whispered, barely holding in the pain and fear.
"Really, Jack? There are other motorcycles in the world," she joked back.
He smiled back at her. "But you're my first, and no other bike on Earth could compare to you." He then turned to Sam's former guardian and said "Thanks for getting her, Bee. I don't know if I can ever repay you."
Then, to his surprise, Bee answered back saying "Ah, it was nothing." Raf quickly translated (sort of, he said that it meant 'don't mention it,') and Ratchet led his patient back to the med-room.
Just then, Miko asked Optimus the most pertinent question ever: "So, is this the part where you say goodbye and tell us we need to forget we ever saw you?"
Optimus pondered that before answering. "I do not know, Miko. Bulkhead and Bumblebee will accompany you home tonight, while I decide the answer to your question."
Without a means of leaving this world, we Autobots take strength in the bonds we have forged with our three young friends. True warriors, if not in body, then in spirit. My name is Optimus Prime, and I send this message: though we did not choose to be of Earth, it would seem we are here to stay. If you approach this planet with hostile intent, know this: we will defend ourselves. We will defend humanity. We will defend our home.
May 13, 2012-Somewhere in Afghanistan
For the second time in two days, Soundwave had to wonder just what Starscream was thinking in raising these sleeping warriors when the only reason Megatron would leave them there was because they were completely loyal to him. Oh well, at least it relieved the monotony of the day. But then, nothing could compare to what had happened yesterday! He had made no better decision than to bug Jack's phone! Oh, how Ratchet provided laughs then. He actually tried to help humans with their science projects and then took over the projects and turned them into projects that a youngling would do! Surely, even the most ignorant Cybertronian wouldn't do something so foolish, or at least, so he had thought. Fortunately for the humans, Jack convinced the others to complete their projects on their own and turned in Ratchet's projects after the class as evidence of their 'internship.' The teacher, having seen them, pronounced them 'the worst scientific creations I have ever seen, they show little if any hint of anything even resembling promise in the field of robotics.' And while Ratchet was a source of amusement, Jack was an enigma. The oddest thing was that when Ratchet suggested that they learn more about Cybertron, Jack scoffed at the suggestion, almost as if he couldn't learn more about Cybertron. Why would he think that? Too bad the locator beacon wasn't working, why was that?
Just as he finished reminiscing, they arrived at the second sarcophagus, and this one contained a Decepticon far more dangerous than Skyquake could ever be. This sleeper was as loyal to Megatron as Soundwave was himself, yet his weapons were powerful enough that it just might be possible for him to beat Megatron, and the few times that he had battled Optimus, the Prime had taken some serious damage. And to make things worse, this one was a true monster, willing to kill anyone and destroy anything in order to complete his mission, even sparklings!
As at the resting place of Skyquake, Starscream proclaimed himself the warrior's new master. "I serve only one master, as you well know, Stiletto!" the mech declared, calling him by the nickname he had created for the Seeker.
"Yes, well, about him, Megatron is quite possibly on his way to join the Well of All Sparks. So, until he awakens, I am you master."
The other mech seemed about to laugh, until it looked at Soundwave, who simply shook his head. No, this was not the time to eliminate him, for now, play along. So, the mech did so. "Very well, Commander Starscream. Until Lord Megatron awakens, Blackout is yours to command." Blackout then transformed to his original, Cybertronian alt mode and followed the duo, until he discovered a US military helicopter, model MH-53 type J/M Pave Low which he quickly scanned and reformatted into. With an appropriate vehicle mode acquired, the trio bridged back to the Nemesis, prepared for another showdown with Optimus and his allies.
A/N: Okay, first, Primus will only rarely show up, much like Alpha Trion did in the show. Second, I'd like your advice on a story to introduce Blackout to Team Prime and Jack, and quickly please, I want Blackout's intro to replace Speed Metal. Finally, before any accusations of copying can occur, let me assure you. While I do keep a copy of From Dusk to Dawn by Elhini Prime up while I'm writing, it is only so I don't have to keep a copy of the episode up on my computer all the time. I take an episode and decide how it will change due to my Jack or earlier changes. Finally, Jack's story will be told after Nemesis Prime.