Note: This chapter was mostly finished years ago, but I couldn't figure out how to end it, so I started swapping episodes around and now it makes more sense coming after the Soundwave episode.
Blast from the Past
The trip to the Dino Drive started off well, Professor Sumdac joining them in an effort to work past his current block on a project until one of the workers overheard the Tutorbot.
The docent stared at Tutorbot. "That is completely wrong! Where did you get this education program, the internet?!"
"Well, yes, doesn't everyone?" Professor Sumdac blinked.
The Docent took a deep breath. "Sir, what your Tutorbot is teaching as fact are instead popular myths. Fossil fuels do not come from dinosaur fossils, but instead come from organic matter, mostly plants, that existed during the time of the dinosaurs. It's not ground up fossils! And the tyrannosaurus was from the Cretaceous, not the Jurassic period- that's a common mistake for those who only watch Jurassic Park which is also filled with outdated information!"
With that the indignant docent took over the tour.
"These animatronic dinosaurs were made in the late nineties to show what we thought was the range of movement, later studies proved that the dinosaurs actually moved faster. And as you can see by the murals, many Dinosaurs actually had feathers. The next exhibit has the proper feathered models."
"Hmm." Professor Sumdac was lost in thought. He had merely programmed Tutorbot with the information that had looked correct. He was a robotics scientist, but he had wanted Sari to have a well rounded education, however it seemed he had made a mistake. "I'm going to ask the drive about updating the exhibits, it seems a shame to leave the outdated information on display."
The docent looked equal parts hopeful and concerned by that pronouncement.
Isaac decided he would start on the Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops and Pterodactyl.
"I really should have done more research. Let's see about these scientific studies on Dinosaurs." Isaac was fascinated by the computer models, even the ones depicting how dinosaurs might have fought each other.
"Amazing. And these were once the dominant life forms on this planet?"
"Yes, millions of years ago, Megatron." Isaac explained to his friend.
"I am curious about those creatures, they look strong."
"We call them dinosaurs. They were wiped out by a combination of a meteor and rapid climate change." Isaac began to explain about the three he had brought to his lab.
Megatron listened reluctantly. But he had an idea.
"Perhaps I can help. I use to be quite good with structural anatomy." Megatron offered, leaving out that he had been good at it solely to tear Autobots limb from limb.
This was his chance to get a new body ... he just had to manipulate the overly trusting fleshling before him.
Chromia stretched on the couch, listening to Ratchet grumbling as he settled down to watch.
Today they'd find out what secret Carmelita's father Diego was hiding, there had been little hints but no answers yet.
It was bound to be a doozy, he'd been willing to shoot his own wife to keep it secret, and it was luck that had her surviving the shot with amnesia. A fact Manuel, always looking to get an edge over his brother and the rest of the cast, had just discovered.
"Here we go." Chromia sat up a bit to watch.
"It was a different time! A different place, I was young and didn't care for the consequences."
"And yet you do now?"
"You wondered why, years ago, I refused you and your brother chances to dance with Carmelita?"
"Because you look down on our station!"
"No! Because you are her brothers."
"What?!" Chromia nearly hit the ceiling.
"Well there's the first time Manuel's ever been shocked silent." Ratchet sipped his oil.
"I cannot legitimize either of you, not as long as my wife's brother lives. He had his fortune told by a witch, who said a son of mine would be his doom. He already smothered one baby to avert it, I will not let him kill you both as well!"
"So baby Rafael was murdered?!" Chromia clutched a pillow. "Oh, that explains so much."
"I knew it, they made a big deal over the old nurse never accepting drinks." Ratchet grumbled as it went to commercial.
"Having fun?"
"Hey Elita, care to join us?"
"No, just wanted to let you know Prowl and I are going to see the improved dinosaurs at the exhibit tonight." Elita informed them. "Everyone's welcome to come."
"I'll pass."
"I'll go!" Chromia grinned.
All Megatron had to do was get the key. All the dinobots had to do was get the child to upgrade them with her key.
Only the child had apparently learned from the Soundwave incident.
Time for the backup plan. He reached for his control over the flying one.
"Dad this is amazing!" Sari climbed onto Bulkhead's head to watch as the Pteranodon (and wasn't that a surprise, Pterodactyl referred to a group of flying dinos… and apparently they weren't dinosaurs by definition. Sari was a little confused how Tutorbot could be so wrong.) swooped overhead.
"Be careful, Sari."
She was not expecting for the dinosaur to swoop down and grab her.
"Hey! This isn't nice!" She jabbed the key into its leg. "Don't drop me!"
"What." Megatron lost control of the flier, which was unexpected. He swiftly took control of the other two, using the weapons systems he had sneaked in under the guise of propulsion tanks.
Sari was not expecting flames to be spat at her.
The pteranodon dodged, but dropped her the short distance to the back of the triceratops.
"Don't hurt me, please!" She used her key to get the robot to avoid the T Rex coming at them with flame breath. Bulkhead slammed a wrecking ball into the Rex.
Metal hands wrapped around her, snagging her from the back of the triceratops.
"Prowl!" Sari grinned up at the Ninjabot.
He gave her a small smile before refocusing on the Rex.
"I'll get you onto its back, use your key to shut it down." Prowl jumped, using the trees in the exhibit to get behind the Rex.
"Stop being a bully!" Sari slammed the key into the Rex.
The Rex stumbled to a stop.
"What were you thinking? Putting a flamethrower in a museum exhibit?!"
"I don't understand, the only tanks are for my new propulsion systems… oh dear. I must've made a mistake."
"You stopped sleeping again didn't you?" Sari groaned. "Dad! I told you that's not healthy!"
"But it was such a fascinating project!"
"Fascinating…" The Pterodon spoke up, landing on a tree. "Where?"
"You're talking?!"
"You hit me!" The T Rex snarled.
"You almost hurt the humans!" Bulkhead retorted. "Of course I hit you! That fire could have killed some one!"
"Me not care! Me King!"
Megatron turned off the screen, annoyed. Whatever upgrades the key allowed, it apparently also added intelligence and possibly a spark!
Which meant he needed a body and then use the key on himself.
'Flamewar to Megatron, you better actually be Megatron and not Starscream making a trap.'
'Flamewar. Project Diode.' Megatron gave the code. 'Starscream isn't subtle.'
'My lord! I was worried this little Soundwave had a glitch saying he was hearing you and the message ping wasn't detailed.'
'I'm in a bit of disrepair. My body is somewhere on this planet.'
'Where are you?'
'Safe for now, I have an organic convinced I'm an autobot in need of repair and too embarrassed to report to a Prime, but I need my body and the strange key the organic in the autobot's care has.'
'We'll look for your parts, then.' Flamewar promised. 'This Soundwave will be of use. He's capable of tracking signals, even though he doesn't understand it. He mentioned a key being used on him?'
'I will fill you in once you find my body. Do not delay.'
'As you command, my lord, my price is the same, the spark of Arcee!'
Megatron paid attention as the professor entered.
"How did it go? Did the propulsion system work?"
"I don't understand, the dinosaurs had flamethrowers! Did you know?"
"Flamethrowers? That's imposs- oh." Megatron made sure to sound horrified. "I may be more damaged than I thought … they have the same base design."
"Is there any way to help you?"
"I need a body … and your daughter's key may be able to help." Megatron hesitated. "What happened to the Dinobots?"
"Oh, the autobots had to move them to an island, they weren't willing to listen to anyone." The professor began mumbling, distracted.
For now. Megatron needed to make a few utterly harmless technical plans to make him forget this.
End Note:So, I have a passing interest in dinosaurs and paleontology. That Docent is basically my self insert having a meltdown because fossil fuels are not ground up and liquidated fossils, T Rex is from the Cretaceous and so on.
Next up, 'Now you see me', where Nemesis has been a busy bot, Flamewar and Soundwave run into Starscream, and oh, hey, Detroit has a human superhero?