Transformers Prime: No Autobots Are Idiots.

Chapter 4: New Arrival: Pipelock.

(Transformers Prime Universe #192,394,596,203,495,867,019,183, Saturday, April 30th, 1988, third person POV...)

Long after the Great War rendered Cybertron an inhospitable graveyard of destruction, darkness, and death, a young Autobot medical student named Pipelock was among a giant slew of others aboard the Splinter Chip who went through all manner of space, traveling from one uninhabited Energon rich planet to the next, delivering gigantic amounts of Energon to Primus in the hopes that the Energon infusions would assist in repairing him, and with the Matter Duplicators and Matter Multipliers assigned to their crew, Pipelock and his friends literally had more than enough Energon to also power themselves and their bases on Cybertron as well as assist in repairs, nurturing sparklings, helping Autobot femmes in the process of delivering sparklings, and launching guerilla strikes on Decepticons that were still left over from the Great Exodus.

So far, they've had a high success rate. But they knew that their success rate would run down to zero soon, so, they invented clones of themselves with the Matter Duplicators to lead the Decepticons astray if in the event any Decepticons on Cybertron or somewhere else detected the Splinter Chip and proceeded to attack it.

One day, while delivering a vast amount of Energon to Cybertron, an armada of rogue Decepticons attacked the ship.

The captain of the ship knew in an instant what was about to happen and ordered the crew to begin the counterplan.

The captain quickly went down to the berths and wash racks to wake up everyone he could find and instruct them to "take a pod and escape," knowing that the Decepticons would likely be onto them if he gave them different orders.

He himself was about to leave as well, but then he realized that Pipelock was missing.

Just then, Pipelock turned up, carrying some of his medical equipment as he hurriedly and gently puts it all in his subspace.

The captain and Pipelock got into the escape pods, and, using his special ability inherited from Soundwave's twin brother Sonicwave, he opened a Space Bridge with coordinates set for Earth, and ensured that he, Pipelock, and the others would make it there.

Pipelock then whispers in prayer, "(Softly) Primus, I beg you, send me, Bellwhistle, and the others to Earth. I'm begging you, please spare us from terrible fates and allow us to help our comrades on Earth. Please, Primus, I beg you, send us to Earth."

As if it were a sign from fate, the pods went into long distance mode and arrived on Earth in less than 3 solar cycles without difficulty.

Pipelock's escape pod's computer then says as it enters Earth's atmosphere, "Alert! Alert! Escape pod at 70% integrity."

At the crash sites, the Autobots managed to make their ways out of the escape pods and while even Bellwhistle was undamaged, Pipelock was damaged to the point where he was gonna bleed out and to the point where he was blind.

Meanwhile, in Autobot Outpost Omega One, Ratchet was working on the monitors when the signals of the 15 Autobots appeared on the primary screen.

Ratchet then says as Optimus Prime comes over, "Optimus, I'm picking up 15 weak Autobot and Energon signals."

Optimus asks, "What is the current location for the signals?"

Ratchet answers, "Nine clicks from the base."

Optimus replies, "Understood. Smokeedge, set up the newly upgraded Space Bridge. Bulkhead, Orange Beetle, Bluefly, Bumblebee, Rockskipper, Taildog, Stormsmasher, Blazejet, Windout, Arcdegree, you go with Ratchet to investigate the signals. It may be a trap. However, if my suspicions are on the mark, we may have injured Autobots in need of repairs."

A Space Bridge portal opened, and the away team entered it.

After getting the fifteen Autobots into the largest medical bay capable of housing several thousand Autobot patients, Ratchet managed to have the other medics as well as Nightimus, Jumpbee, Overshard, Overhide, Mosssound, Optimus, and Smokeedge, help him give the fifteen Autobots repairs.

And thankfully, the process to repair the fifteen newcomers didn't take too long.

Three days later, Pipelock awakens.

Pipelock looks around in confusion before he notices Cogwheel working at a terminal.

Cogwheel then notices Pipelock's awareness and asks, "Fellow Autobot, are you alright?"

Pipelock answers before asking, "I'm definitely feeling better than I was three days ago, if my chronometer is accurate. What's your name, sir?"

Cogwheel answers before questioning right back, "I'm Cogwheel. I'm an Autobot medic who signed up at the beginning of the Great War. Who are you, by any chance?"

Pipelock answers, "I'm Pipelock."

Cogwheel nods before inquiring, "Are you recovered enough to walk?"

Pipelock answers, "I don't think so, and I'd rather not take that chance. My frame got some serious shock to some of my systems which may have caused some moderate systemic and micro internal damage. This may have caused my stabilizing servos to become rendered unstable, and it could cause further damages if I ever took a tumble."

Cogwheel then quizzes, "And you are a medical student, Pipelock?"

Pipelock answers, "Yes, and I was just about finished with my final stellar cycle of studies when the incident happened."

Cogwheel nods before saying into his commlink, "Optimus, this is Cogwheel. Our first guest is awake, and he turns out to be a medical student. You may proceed at your pace."

Optimus replies, "Understood, Cogwheel."

Cogwheel then says, "Our leader Optimus Prime needs to debrief you on our current status, so be patient."

Optimus then comes up and asks, "Pipelock, is it?"

Pipelock nods.

Optimus then says, "I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. This is our base of operations, established on the planet known as Earth. Our goal is to protect this planet and its inhabitants from Megatron and his Decepticon army. And hopefully, when the time is right, you'll be invaluable to our forces with your own knowledge of medical work."

In no time, similar greetings and debriefings are had among Bellwhistle and the other thirteen Autobots, and Smokeedge retired to his quarters for exercising.

Granted, Smokeedge liked using the SAFE for exercise and training, but he also liked exercising in his massive quarters so that he can also think to himself without being disturbed.

And besides, like Drift, Smokeedge tends to pull out his swords and guns whenever he's startled or otherwise spooked.

Smokeedge then says to himself, "Well, at least Luna Nova, Martha, the Light Squadron, Lightbounder, and the others are present and accounted for."

The End.

(Author's notes: See you all in chapter 5: Luna Nova.)