Hey everyone! Wow, two updates in one week! And this is the last chapter before we move into Season 2! I hope you like it.
Transformers Prime: The Medic's Assistant
Chapter 30: One Shall Rise Part 3
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Prime
(Autobot Base)
Still waiting, the remaining seven watched the news playing on the computer screen.
"More than sixty volcanoes are erupting worldwide, and downtown Honolulu is under six inches of snow," the newsman reported, "scientists continue to devise theories connecting these unprecedented natural disasters with the planetary alignment which-" The signal suddenly cut out, leaving everyone quiet.
"...So, who wants to play a game?" June asked the kids, hoping to lighten the mood.
The kids don't say anything as they look at Jack, him sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
"That tears it!" Fowler said as he made his way towards the elevator.
June looked at him. "Where are you going?"
Fowler stopped and turned around. "I can't just sit on my hands while the world spins out of control."
"And what exactly is it you intend to do?" Ratchet asked him.
"Anything!" the liaison exclaimed, "hook up with my boys at the Pentagon, figure out a way to burry that monster for good."
"In the event that Optimus can't?" the medic asked with a frown.
"Don't you mean Optimus and Megatron?" Fowler asked.
"No one here is thrilled about this arrangement, Agent Fowler," Ratchet said, "myself included. But with Optimus and Megatron together again-"
"Whoa, w-wait, again?!" Jack asked.
"Megatron was an autobot?" Raf asked.
"Optimus was a con?!" Miko asked.
"No, on either count," the medic said, "but, there was a time back on Cybertron, in the twilight hours of the Golden Age, when Optimus and Megatron were not sworn enemies. Do you recall when I mentioned that Optimus wasn't always a Prime? Well, he wasn't always Optimus either. He was once a clerk in the Iacon Hall of Records named, Orion Pax. But as he learned more about Cybertron's past, he grew increasingly concerned about the present corruption in high places, and inequality among the masses. Orion became inspired by the words and ideas of a gladiator, one who had named himself after one of the thirteen original Primes, Megatronus. Megatronus vowed to challenge Cybertron's leadership and demand that all cybertronians be treated as equals. This gladiator turned revolutionary rapidly gathered a loyal following, Soundwave chief among them. Orion began corresponding with Megatronus, who came to be something of a mentor to him. As Megatron left the gladiatorial arena for the political, he saw fit to shorten his name. Before long, Megatron, appeared before the High Council to propose his vision for a just society, and it was here that he began to reveal his true colors, proclaiming the need to overthrow the old guard with force and arrogantly demanding to be named the next prime. But Orion did not believe in violence as a means of achieving justice. The sparks and minds of the Council were moved by Orion's words. Here, for the first time since Cybertron's Golden Age, stood someone worthy of being a Prime. But that honor could only truly be achieved by earning the legendary Matrix of Leadership. His ambitions thwarted, Megatron spitefully severed all ties with Orion and the Council and came to wage war on all who opposed him through his growing army of followers which he named Decepticons. He vowed to claim the Matrix for himself, wherever it might lie. In time, warfare consumed Cybertron, poisoning the planet to its core. Orion journeyed there, hoping to reverse the ill effects, and found himself before the very spark of our life giver, Primus himself. The ailing Primus sensed the unique nobility within Orion, and bestowed the Matrix upon him. It was thus that a surprised and humbled Orion Pax came to be, Optimus, the last of the Primes."
"Wow," Sierra said soon as he was done.
"So, Optimus got the Matrix from Cybertron's core, and now he's gonna give it to Earth's?" Miko asked.
"Yep," Stormracer said.
"What's to stop Megatron from just claiming the Matrix for himself this time around?" Jack asked.
"Only his greater desire to save this planet so that he may in turn conquer it, as he so compellingly argued, provided the Lord of the Decepticons can ever be fully trusted," Ratchet said. He looked at Fowler. "I know you want to help protect your world, Agent Fowler, but the only one who can stop Unicron is Optimus. We need to have faith in him and the others."
Agent Fowler let out a sigh and made his way back to June and the kids.
Time passed as everyone continued monitoring the screen. After a while, Stormracer looked over at the kids, knowing they were worried. Thinking of something, she turned to face them. "Hey, maybe once things go back to normal, we should all go on a vacation," she said, trying to be optimistic, "we could go hang out at a tropical beach, go on a road trip through Europe, ooh, or go skiing in Canada, eh?"
The kids only gave her a look.
Her smile fading, Stormracer vented. "Hey, everything's going to be okay. The others will stop Unicron and they'll come back. All of them."
"How do you know?" Miko asked.
"Because I believe it," the femme said.
The kids were quiet for a bit.
"Bee did say he and I would go see the Pyramids again," Raf said with a small smile.
"And you did promise you'd take me to Paris for my birthday," Sierra said to her guardian, smiling at her.
Stormracer smiled back. "And I intend to keep that promise."
Ratchet soon got everyone's attention.
"Communication links are down as expected," he said, looking at the computer screen, "but we've lost their signals."
"Doesn't that mean.." Raf started to ask worryingly.
"Usually," the medic responded, "but a more likely explanation would be the severe interference caused by these electromagnetic anomalies."
"So, if we can't track them and they can't contact us-" the younger boy said.
"How we gonna know when they're ready for pick up?" Miko finished.
Hearing a tapping noise, everyone looked over to see Jack leaning against the rail as he looked at the screen. In his hand was a small cybertronian key card as he tapped it against the rail.
Ratchet's optics widened. "Where did you get that?" he asked him.
Looking at the medic, Jack held it up. "Optimus. Honestly, I don't know why he gave me the key to the groundbridge power supply."
Stormracer was confused. "Um, Jack?" she said, "we don't have a key to the groundbridge power supply."
Jack looked at her in confusion before looking at the key card. "But then... what is this?"
"That is the key to Vector Sigma," Ratchet said.
"The what?"
"You are holding one of Cybertron's most important relics."
"I shouldn't have this," Jack said as he tried to give it to the medic.
"Optimus entrusted it to you, Jack," Ratchet told him.
Jack looked at it. "But that doesn't make any sense. Why?"
Ratchet sadly glanced away. "Because he doesn't plan on coming back."
"What?!" everyone else exclaimed.
"What do you mean he's not coming back?" Sierra asked.
"You don't mean..." Stormracer went to say, not wanting to finish the sentence.
"I don't know," the medic said, "but Optimus does. It has to be the reason why he gave Jack the key card."
"But for what purpose?" June asked.
Ratchet was about to say something until the base started shaking.
"Earthquake!" Fowler exclaimed.
"Take cover!" Ratchet shouted.
The humans ducked down as Ratchet and Stormracer shielded them. The quake was getting worse, making them worry if the bots were too late. After what seemed like forever, the shaking finally stopped, making everyone look around to see they were okay.
"There could be aftershocks," June said as she and the others stood back up.
The computer screens soon returned to normal.
"Do you think...?" Jack asked Ratchet.
"I do," the medic said.
Sure enough, the bots' signatures popped up on the screen, including Optimus'. Everyone cheered, happy that their friends were still online.
"Yes!" Fowler cheered as he hugged June, surprising her. He soon realized what he was doing and immediately let go of her before awkwardly chuckling.
After a while, the others contacted them. Everyone made their way over to greet them as they walked through the bridge. But it was only Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee who returned, all three looking upset.
"Where's Optimus?" Stormracer asked.
"Is he...?" Ratchet went to ask.
"Dead?" Arcee asked, "no."
"But he looked right at us without recognizing us," Bulkhead said, "didn't even know his own name."
Hearing that, Ratchet realized what had happened. "When Optimus surrendered the Matrix of Leadership, he lost more than the collective wisdom of the Primes," he said, "he lost his own memories."
Stormracer looked back at the others. "Where is he now?"
"With Megatron," Bumblebee said.
"Megatron took Optimus?" Raf asked.
"No," Arcee said, "Optimus went with him. It was like they were friends."
Ratchet and Stormracer glanced at one another, both having the same worried look on their faces.
And that was the season 1 finale! I am super excited to be moving into season 2! There will be more Stormracer and Knock Out chapters plus we get to see Dreadwing and Smokescreen! I also plan on doing a couple flashback chapters for Stormracer. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I actually went ahead and got most of the next two chapters typed out, so hopefully I will update the next one soon. Until next time! God bless.