Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen
Memories Fading
A couple of hours past and Bulkhead was sitting on the silo floor painting on some large slabs with the paint covered mop.
As he painted the symbols, he muttered to himself and Pandora and Kemeko continued to watch him from the stairs.
Arcee and Bumblebee also observed from the side.
"Gotta admit." Arcee said to her yellow comrade.
"It's weird seeing Bulk in brainiac mode."
Bumblebee shrugged and bleeped in reply as if to say 'I know right?'.
Arcee walked over to Bulkhead and pulled a slab away, then no sooner did she do so, than Bulkhead continued working which made Pandora gasp in exasperation.
"Come on Bulk!" Pandora said impatiently "You've been at this for ages!"
Kemeko looked at her hybrid cousin and placed a hand on her arm.
"Calm down Pandora." she said "Once he's got all that stuff out of his system, he'll be ready to spend time with us again!"
Pandora frowned.
"Hope it's sooner rather than later." she grumbled.
Kemeko sighed then looked up to the raised platform where the rest of the Hamato Clan, Tyroth and Sephie were socializing and the twins were playing some video games.
Culpepper had since gone back home but said he would return later if needed.
Arcee and Bumblebee meanwhile had brought the slab over to Ratchet who stood at his screens with Donatello on his shoulder and Optimus next to him.
"Got another round for you to log Ratchet!" Arcee called over.
Ratchet meanwhile looked at his screens showing Bulkhead's brain.
"This is Bulkhead's neural net as you saw earlier." he showed Optimus and Donatello then he changed the screen showing another scan of Bulkhead's brain.
"This scan was recorded just minutes ago." he reported and the Prime and Donatello looked at it, and saw that the blue parts on Bulkhead's brain scan were turning red.
"It's just as a feared..."
"What?" Donatello asked "What does it mean?"
"The data seems to be actively and aggressively rewriting Bulkhead's neural nets." Ratchet explained.
"What!?" the brainy turtle cried "You're saying that this data that was blasted into his head is basically overwriting his brain?"
Ratchet sighed.
"I had hoped he was purging the data, but he seems to be merely transcribing it as it..."
"Comsumes his mind." Optimus said gravely.
"Oh no..." Donatello breathed as he looked over to Pandora and Kemeko who were still watching the wrecker painting on the slabs that Arcee and Bumblebee kept bringing to them.
"How am I going to explain this to the girls?" he thought to himself.
"From all indications." Ratchet went on "by the time Bulkhead completes the formula, his own thoughts, his memories, could be wiped clean!"
"But if we stop him." Arcee said walking over to see the scan "Goodbye synthetic energon."
"You assume we posses a means of stopping him." Ratchet said looking at the femme. "I don't exactly have instant access to the wisdom of the ancients."
Optimus frowned.
"I will not allow another one of our own to be sacrificed." he said sternly "No matter the cost."
Ratchet looked back at the screen.
"If the living data transmitted itself from the cylinder, perhaps we could somehow coax it back inside?" he suggested.
"How are we supposed to get it back from the Decepticons?" Arcee asked.
"Yeah how?" Donatello agreed.
"Megatron will bring it to us." Optimus said, narrowing his eyes.
Donatello looked at Optimus then back at Bulkhead who kept on painting the slabs.
He then looked at the screen then towards where the rest of his family were.
"Prime?" he said "Ratchet?" he said "May I explain what you've discussed to my family?"
Optimus sighed.
"Donatello." he said holding his hand out to the turtle who climbed off Ratchet's shoulder and into it.
"You may speak to your brothers, sister, and friends about Bulkhead's condition, but you must no utter a word of this to the children."
"I understand Prime." Donatello said "But, curiously, how will Megatron bring the cylinder to us?"
"I have reason to believe that because the cylinder was brought to him empty, he may try and negotiate with us to get the data back."
Donatello thought for a moment then looked back up at Optimus.
"I see your point." he said then looked to the platform where his family were gathered.
"I'll tell the others what I just heard." he said "But I won't let the kids know, not yet anyway."
"I would appreciate that Donatello." Optimus said as he walked to the platform and placed Donatello on it.
As he did that, everyone looked up from what they were doing to see him.
"Optimus? Donatello?" Splinter said looking up from reading a book.
Tyroth who had been in conversation with Leonardo and Raphael also looked over, Sephie and Monalisa had stopped talking and looked over and Michelangelo who had been reading a comic also looked up.
"Guys." Donatello said quietly "We need to talk."
Tyroth frowned.
"What is it?" he asked in a serious voice.
"Just follow us." Donatello said gesturing with his head.
Tyroth nodded and looked at the others to follow him, yet he turned to the geckolings were were watching the TV.
"Freya, Loki." he said making them turn around.
"What dad?" Loki asked.
"Stay here okay? Me and the adults need to talk for a bit!"
"Um, sure thing!" Freya called over, yet her heart sank as she saw and heard the seriousness in her father's tone and she looked at her brother.
"Somethings not right here." she said.
"What?" Loki asked looking over his shoulder as the grown ups walked over to Ratchet's area.
"I think when it came to that beam being shot into Bulkhead." Freya whispered "It's affecting him more than just making him speak techno babble!"
Loki bit his lip and looked over to where Bulkhead was sitting with Pandora and Kemeko watching over him.
"By Odin..." he muttered "I hope it's something they can sort sooner rather than later."
About another hour past and Bulkhead was still painting on the slabs still muttering to himself.
Pandora was pacing up and down impatiently whilst Kemeko just sat there looking worried.
Finally Pandora let out an exasperated cry.
"That's it!" the hybrid cried out "I can't take this anymore!" she looked at Bulkhead and took out Mr Swinger.
Kemeko's eyes widened.
"Pandora!" she cried yet before she could stop her, Pandora swung her weapon and aimed it at the mop before wrapping the ball end around it and yanked it out of Bulkhead's hand!
"Hey!" Bulkhead was snapped out of his muttering then looked up to see Pandora holding the mop.
"Finally!" the hybrid snapped "I got your attention!"
"Give that back!" Bulkhead snapped back "I'm trying to concentrate!"
"No way!" Pandora said "You're starting to sound like Ratchet!"
"Who?" Bulkhead asked.
Kemeko who was just about to jump in and stop Pandora from loosing her temper stopped in her tracks as she heard Bulkhead's response.
"Wait what?" she asked and looked at Pandora who looked equally shocked and she dropped the mop which Bulkhead caught and started painting on the slabs again.
"Did I just hear that right?" Kemeko asked going pale.
Pandora said nothing but looked back at Bulkhead.
"Bulkhead!" she said in a desperate voice "Do you remember when Wheeljack visited?"
"Who?" Bulkhead asked looking up again.
"Wheeljack!" Pandora cried "Your best friend! Part of the Wreckers?"
Bulkhead stared at the hybrid then looked back down at the slabs.
Pandora felt her heart pound with fear.
"What's my name?" she wailed to which Bulkhead looked at her in silence but then looked back at the slabs and continued to mutter the equations and paint.
Pandora clenched her fists then she looked over to see Ratchet pull away the slab so Bulkhead could work on a new one.
"Keep them coming Bulkhead." he said.
Kemeko and Pandora looked up at the medic and Pandora felt herself getting angry.
"Ratchet!" she said "What's wrong with Bulkhead?"
Kemeko instantly stepped in front of her hand held up her hand.
"I'll handle this." she said "Ratchet? What's happening to Bulkhead? He doesn't seem to remember us at all!"
Ratchet froze on the spot for a moment, as this was something he didn't want to tell the girls, but given how they had started to notice what was happening, he couldn't keep it from them.
Kemeko saw his demenre and her eyes widened.
"Wait!" she said "You...you knew?"
Ratchet vented and put down the slab before turning to the girls.
"Pandora, Kemeko." he said gently "We didn't want to frighten you."
"You mean Bulkhead's never going to be the same again?" Pandora cried as she stepped towards Ratchet "No! How? How could you!?"
"Pandora!" Kemeko turned to Pandora and stopped her from lunging at Ratchet.
"How could you!?" Pandora shouted.
Ratchet was taken aback until he saw Kemeko stand inbetween him and Pandora.
"Pandora! Stop! Stop it!" Kemeko shouted as she pushed her hybrid cousin back "This isn't Ratchet's fault!"
Pandora glared down at Kemeko and took a breath as she thought about it, then looked up at the raised platform where the geckolings were at the TV area.
"No...you're right." she said softly, "it isn't..." she stepped away from Kemeko then started to make her way up the stairs.
"Oh no.." Kemeko muttered then ran after Pandora "Wait! Pandora no!"
But the hybrid was deaf to Kemeko's calls when she ran up the stairs and to where the geckolings sat on the sofa.
"Freya! Loki!"
The twins practically jumped out of their skins as they looked towards Pandora who glared at them.
"That cylinder!" she said "Because of you touching it! It's affected Bulkhead! So much so he's not himself!"
Freya bit her lip and Loki looked worried.
"Because of you!" Pandora shouted "He doesn't remember us!"
Loki and Freya jumped up.
"We didn't know this would happen Pandora!" Loki said "I swear! We thought that he would be expelling the data!"
"We all thought that!" Kemeko chimed in "Please Pandora! Don't be mad at Freya and Loki, they didn't know this would happen!"
"No-one did!" Ratchet called up "Please! I know this is hard! But Optimus is working on a plan!"
"A plan?" Pandora demanded "How exactly?"
"What's going on in here?"
The kids and Ratchet looked over to see Tyroth and the other grown-ups returning along with Optimus and the other Autobots.
"Dad!" Freya said then looked at Pandora who walked up to Tyroth.
"Say it isn't so, Uncle T!" she demanded "Bulkhead's mind is being wiped clean because of that data from the cylinder!"
Tyroth glared then looked over at Ratchet who quickly held up his servos.
"I said nothing!" he said.
"He didn't!" Kemeko said coming to his defence "We kind of figured it out ourselves when trying to talk to Bulkhead!"
Tyroth looked at the girls then at Ratchet and his face softened.
"I see." he looked at the others who looked worried and Raphael, Monalisa and Leonardo went over to comfort their daughters.
Optimus lowered his optics in sadness as he realized that the girls must have found out on their own what had happened but it made him all the more determined to try and find the cylinder and save not only his comrade but the girls's friend.
Optimus looked at Ratchet.
"Prepare the Ground-bridge." he said to which Ratchet nodded and powered it up then turned to the other Autobots who followed him through the vortex.
Tyroth watched them go then looked at Kemeko and Pandora who were being comforted by their parents.
"Donatello called us into a conference and told us everything." he said "I'm so sorry." he said.
Pandora just hugged her parents and tears fell from her eyes.
"Will they be able to find what they're looking for and save our friend?" Kemeko asked.
Freya and Loki looked at each other and felt so guilty.
"This was all us sis!" Loki lamented "We shouldn't have touched that cylinder!"
"We only wanted to help!" Freya said looking over at Bulkhead then back at Pandora and Kemeko who were still upset and hugging their parents.
"But it seems we might have lost the Autobots a soldier, and Pandora, Kemeko and ourselves a friend!"
Pandora and Kemeko have gotten wind of Bulkhead's condition, much to their horror, and Pandora is quick to get angry at Ratchet and the twins, not that I blame her, but again, they didn't realise until now themselves.
What's gonna happen next? Well, I'm sure a lot of you can guess!