By:
Michael
Disclaimer: Clearly, I’d make a better owner of Beast Wars than Larry and Silent Bob.
“It’s finally complete!” cackled a maniacal voice, “My warp chamber is now active and fully functional!”
Tarantulas glanced at the tall machine that stood before him. It was quite wide with several wires hooked to it.
“All I need now is a test subject,” he said, scratching his chin, “Preferably one of the Maximals… but who?”
He turned to his screen and punched in a few codes.
“Computer!” he barked, “Run an analysis on which Maximal would be the perfect guinea pig for this! Whichever Maximal whose disappearance would most significantly lower the morale of the entire crew would be preferential!”
<< “Processing Information,” >> replied the computer.
Within a few minutes, a portrait of the Maximal leader, Optimus Primal flashed before Tarantulas.
“Hmm, Optimus, eh?” snickered Tarantulas, “No surprise there!”
He waited patiently as his computer processed all the statistics on Optimus.
“And you believe that Optimus would be the ideal candidate for this?” he asked.
<< “Affirmative,” >> replied his computer, << “Should Optimus Primal be transported across time and space, the Maximal team would stand only a 37% chance of winning the Beast Wars without his leadership.” >>
“Excellent, truly,” laughed Tarantulas, “This is a bargain! Not only will I be ridding myself of a thorn on my side… I’ll also tap into the potential of time travel with this machine!”
He cackled insanely.
“Now to tell that pompous fool, Megatron, of this,” he thought as he punched in the tyrant’s coordinates into his computer.
Within a few kliks, Megatron’s face appeared on the screen. It glared at Tarantulas angrily.
“You’d better have a good reason for interrupting my nap, spider,” he growled in a low and still drowsy voice.
“I do, in fact,” replied Tarantulas, “I wish to request a private audience with you right now for matters that may interest you.”
“Such as?” demanded Megatron.
“The death of Optimus Primal and the complete and utter destruction of the Maximals’ resolve,” Tarantulas told the sleepy Predacon commander.
“And how do you intend to accomplish such a task?” asked Megatron.
“Meet with me in private and I will tell you,” spoke Tarantulas slyly.
“Very well, arachnid,” said Megatron finally, “Meet me within five megacycles in my private chamber. But if your new plan is nothing more than a hair-balled scheme that will fail like all others before, I shall have your hide!”
“Absolutely, Megatron,” bowed Tarantulas and cut the connection.
“Hmph,” he snorted, “Like I’m really going to tell that lizard about my time machine!”
“Prime, just Prime!” groaned Optimus, “How exactly did this happen?”
Dinobot and Rattrap had been in a fight that had destroyed one of the Maximal long-range communication consoles.
“The vermin insulted my ancestors!” snarled Dinobot, “Honor demanded that I stand by my heritage and allow no Maximal to insult it!”
“Hey! Your ancestors were just a buncha war criminals and thugs!” retorted Rattrap, “B’sides, it’s written in the Cybertronian Chronicles.”
“Revisionist history always paints the defeated as great evils that must be purged,” spat Dinobot, “Your Autobot ancestors were the true oppressors, throwing our people into penury and segregation!”
“That’s enough!” shouted Optimus, getting in between the rat and the raptor, “I don’t care who started it! This console took over a month to build and right now, we don’t have enough materials to rebuild it in twice that time! Your petty bickering has cost us a big advantage in the Beast Wars! Do you even have anything to say for yourselves?!?”
Dinobot and Rattrap lowered their heads.
“Err, sorry,” whispered Rattrap eventually.
“I apologize as well,” spoke Dinobot softly, “I would not have fought with him today if I had known that our melee would destroy one of our communication consoles…”
“And to think I made you my second in command!” yelled Optimus towards Rattrap, “Let’s see how you handle leadership on a day-to-day basis, never knowing when a comrade might be taken from you or if you’ll get through the day, leading everyone out of danger alive!”
Rattrap decided the best policy was silence.
“And you!” Optimus glared at Dinobot, “You think you’ll make such a great commander, why don’t you take over? Lead us on a suicide attack near the Predacon base and get us all blown up!”
Dinobot also kept quiet.
“I expected better behavior from you both and THIS is what I get!” Optimus gestured towards the fallen console which had been impaled by Dinobot’s drill-bit sword and blasted a few times.
Rattrap looked down. Optimus was right. He and Dinobot had been too irresponsible and now, they had to pay the price for their recklessness. He looked towards the former Predacon. Rattrap was almost certain that Dinobot also felt the same.
Optimus sighed and turned to the console. With a display of strength that he rarely chose to display, he hoisted it back up. The satellite fell down and broke in half.
Finally, he turned back to Rattrap and Dinobot.
“Forgive me,” he finally said softly, “My stress circuits have been overloaded too much lately with everything that’s been going on. I apologize for having yelled at you two. In the future, just be sure to be more careful. That’s all I ask.”
“Ehh, don’t worry about it, Optimus,” replied Rattrap, “The seven of us are still alive, aren’t we? Plus, we’re more than a team… we’re like family. No way, we’re gonna lose to Megatron and his goons.”
“I wish that were true, Rattrap,” said Optimus, “But unfortunately, in war, you’ll never know when those you care about will be taken from you.”
Optimus closed his optics for a second as if recalling a traumatic experience in the past.
“Let’s go home,” he finally said to Rattrap and Dinobot. The two of them followed without argument.
“I see,” exclaimed Megatron, “And with your spark scrambler, you intend to destroy Optimus Primal’s spark for good, correct?”
“Absolutely,” replied Tarantulas, “And I have the perfect ploy to lead him on! We will issue an ultimatum towards the Maximals. If Optimus does not show up within my coordinates, the spark of this protoform will be extinguished by yours truly!”
Tarantulas ran his claw down a pod that the Predacons had retrieved earlier.
“With that bleeding heart of his, Optimus will certainly come to the rescue of a comrade in arms!” laughed Tarantulas.
“I understand,” said Megatron, “But tell me, how did you manage to create a spark scrambler with the few resources that we have on this planet? Spark scramblers are quite hard to obtain, even on Cybertron... not to mention illegal.”
“I, err, have the blueprints to making one… and with the mining that my spider drones do on a daily basis, I have scrapped up enough alloys and energon for the creation of the device. Besides, you forget my scientific prowess, Megatron.”
“Hmm, very well,” said Megatron at last, “I will take your word. Tomorrow, we shall issue the ultimatum! You are dismissed!”
Tarantulas left the room chuckling. Megatron glared coldly at him as the Predacon scientist left.
“I have no doubt in my mind that he wishes to cause harm to Primal but I know there’s something else he’s not telling me… something much more important!” thought Megatron.
Late at night, Optimus sat on the top of the Axalon, peering up into the starlit sky.
“Is something bothering you, Optimus?” asked a deep voice.
Optimus Primal turned around to face Tigatron.
“Oh, nothing too bad,” he said, “What are you doing up this late?”
“I prefer prowling the night more than the day,” came the response, “It is when I can truly be at one with this planet.”
Aside from Rhinox, Optimus always felt that Tigatron was the only other Maximal on the planet whom he could have a deep and intelligent conversation with. Not that he thought Cheetor, Rattrap, and Dinobot were stupid or immature or anything… well… maybe just a little bit on the immature part, but he never felt that he could get any of the three to sit down and have a conversation that he really wanted to discuss.
“I was really just wondering about our place in this universe,” Optimus decided to tell Tigatron, “Have the Beast Wars always been pre-ordained? And if so, is the victor of this battle pre-ordained as well? What about our fates, even?”
“Hmm, I cannot say that I have the answers,” began Tigatron, “But I do know one thing about the creatures of this planet. The concept of future, fate, and destiny were derived mainly from sentient beings who sought to define their place in the universe at large. The animals of this planet, however, think only of how they may survive their next day. Our abstract concepts mean nothing to them. They live for the moment. I am not saying that we should forget out programming but if we were to live like them, not worrying so much about things which are beyond our control, we may be more harmonious within our own sparks.”
“Hmm, insightful as always,” Optimus smiled.
“But I sense something troubling you even further,” remarked Tigatron.
Optimus sighed. “You’re right,” he said, “I’m just worried about the lives of my crew… how much further will Megatron go to further his own gains? I have no doubt he will do so at the expense of other lives. All of you are really the finest crew I have ever had the pleasure of serving with. It would kill me if any of you died because of Megatron’s actions… or mine.”
“Do not worry, Optimus,” replied Tigatron firmly, “By now, you should know better than anyone that none of us ever feel that you’ve failed us. As for Megatron, when the time comes, we will deal with him. You should not worry, however, because whatever Megatron does is beyond you. You cannot be everywhere at once to save everyone. We must simply accept that none of us are capable of everything. I do not have the strength of Rhinox, nor the fighting spirit of Dinobot, nor the skill of Rattrap. I simply accept myself for what I am. If you do so as well, you will be more at peace.”
“I suppose you’re right, Tigatron,” responded Optimus, “After all, my stress levels just keep getting higher and higher, especially in light of when Rhiniox, Cheetor, Dinobot, and Rhinox were blinded. I shudder to think of what would have happened if I didn’t arrive in time.”
“You consoled me after Snowstalker’s death,” said Tigatron, “What you told me about how you hated this war and how our mission was to explore and defend this planet finally stirred something within me and moved me to action. It’s only fair that I do everything in my power to help you, Optimus.”
“Thank you, Tigatron,” said Optimus gratefully, “It’s good to know that there’s one other person on this planet besides Rhinox who can keep me from going insane.”
“Haha, don’t mention it, Optimus,” replied Tigatron, “But the night is still young and I must return to my nightly patrols.”
“You take care of yourself, Tigatron,” Optimus told him.
“Same to you, Optimus,” said Tigatron and disappeared into the wilderness.
The next day came quickly and soon, Optimus had to go on his usual mega cycle-long patrol around Sector Bathory.
Optimus was feeling slightly better after last night. What Tigatron said really helped to make him feel better. Whatever dangers they faced, he and his crew would stand ready in the face of adversary.
Without warning, a probe zoomed past him. Immediately, Optimus followed it, knowing instinctively that it must be from Megatron.
Finally, the probe stopped at a certain point and projected into thin air, a hologram of… Tarantulas.
“Hello, Optimus,” the image sneered.
“Tarantulas…” growled Optimus, “And to think I was expecting Megatron.”
“Oh, Megatron may have a hand or two in this but ultimately, the ordeal is between you and I, Primal!”
“What do you want, Tarantulas?” Optimus demanded.
“This isn’t a matter of what I want only… it is what the both of us want,” Tarantulas’s holographic face told the Maximal leader, “I have within my lair, a fallen protoform with its spark still intact! And I know that you, being the righteous hero you are, will attempt to save it from my clutches! However, if you want the pod safe and sound, you will come to my lair alone and without backup of any kind! In fact, don’t even contact your Maximals to stand by at base, come to my coordinates right now!”
Optimus scrutinized Tarantulas’ image carefully, looking for any signs of deception, which he knew the spider was capable of. What if it was a lie? What if this was all a trick? He knew that he really couldn’t trust Tarantulas but at the same time, was it worth the possible life of another being?
Finally, Optimus firmly made his decision as he glared at Tarantulas’ image.
“Very well,” he said softly, “Just don’t tamper with its programming or its spark. I’ll be at your coordinates as soon as possible.”
“Good… good,” giggled Tarantulas, “Despite the fact that you are a naïve fool willing to risk your own life for idealistic causes… I will say that you’ve done the right thing after all, not matter how predictable you were in doing so… Bwahahahahahaha!!!”
The image faded and the small probe zoomed away.
Optimus blasted away towards the coordinates Tarantulas had given him. Even if it was a trap, he couldn’t risk the possibility of another Transformer losing its spark or being reprogrammed.
“Exchanging another life for my safety is not the Maximal way…” thought Optimus, “And more importantly, it’s not my way!”
“Argh! Shields failing!” yelled Rhinox. The Predacons, minus Tarantulas, were now at the gates, opening fire upon the Axalon.
“We can’t take much more!” yelled Rattrap, “We’ll be buried under if we stay in base. I say we hit ‘em now!”
“But what about Optimus?” cried Cheetor, “Where is he?!?”
“Currently, Optimus’ whereabouts are not known to us,” growled Dinobot, “And from the looks of it, we cannot afford the luxury of waiting on him. I agree with Rattrap. Now is the time to act!”
“I’ve radioed Tigatron and Airrazor,” said Rhinox, “They should be here within a few cycles! For now, we gotta take on the Preds ourselves!”
“Then let’s lock and load!” cried Cheetor as he grabbed his gut gun. The others loaded their weapons likewise and exited the Axalon.
“Hahaha!” laughed Megatron, “Without their leader, the Maximals will be easy pickings from here on out!”
“You said it, boss!” cried Scorponok. Having said that, a shot rang out from the smoke that covered the Maximal’s side and struck him in the chest, knocking him over and into stasis lock.
“What?!?” cried Megatron. He turned towards the direction of the shot but by then, it was too late.
Dinobot tackled Megatron with all his might, bringing the both of them down.
Blackarachnia took aim at Dinobot but was soon pounced upon by Tigatron in beast mode. He slammed her against a large rock, knocking her unconscious.
Rattrap and Cheetor took careful aim to the sky and after several shots with a final double blast, downed Terrorsaur who was engaged with Airrazor, thus giving Airrazor the convenience of dealing with just Waspinator.
“Ready to give Dinobot some support?” asked Cheetor who stood side-by-side with Rattrap.
Before either of them could act, a missile exploded near their feet, knocking both Maximals out.
“Death to all the enemies of our illustrious queen!” declared Inferno as he stepped over the unconscious forms of Rattrap and Cheetor.
“I don’t think so!” cried a voice. Inferno turned around to walk into a powerful punch dealt by none other than Rhinox. Inferno staggered back but did not fall down as many other Cybertronians would have, had they suffered from the same blow.
“You are quite the adversary!” yelled Inferno, “The Royalty declared you to be the most powerful soldier under the Maximals! No matter! I will crush you with my mandibles and present your hide as a gift to her majesty, the Queen!”
“I don’t think so,” replied Rhinox simply. Inferno slammed into Rhinox and soon, the two mighty warriors were fighting with everything they had.
Meanwhile, Dinobot twisted Megatron’s arm behind his back and tore off the T-Rex cannon, leaving Megatron only with his tail weapon. Megatron was not one to give up so easily and finally broke free of Dinobot’s grip, swinging his tail backwards and catching Dinobot across the head, knocking the raptor down.
“Time to die, traitor!” snarled Megatron, aiming his tail weapon at Dinobot, with every intention of firing a missile into Dinobot’s chest. Dinobot reacted quickly, however, and threw his drill-bit sword directly, impaling Megatron’s left shoulder, which held the tail weapon. Dinobot got up, ran forward, and slammed his sword even further into Megatron’s arm.
The tyrant howled in pain and finally dropped his second means of defense. Now, he was completely unarmed, save for the missile launchers strapped to his hips.
“I will not fall before this turncoat scum!” thought Megatron angrily as he used his good arm to punch Dinobot across the jaw with all his might. Dinobot was knocked back but leaped back to his feet quickly and with amazing agility.
“How pathetic it is that a warrior of such poor skill like yourself is leading the Predacons,” stated Dinobot. This enraged Megatron who threw another punch… only to have it caught by Dinobot in mid-air. Dinobot squeezed and soon, Megatron was on his knees, crying in pain.
Nobody was sure when exactly it happened but finally, a sickening SNAP was heard, accompanied by the anguished bellows of Megatron.
The battle that day was both furious and uncompromising.
Optimus, in beast mode, finally entered the lair of Tarantulas. The scientist was waiting for him near the entrance to the cave.
“I’m here,” he said, glaring coldly into Tarantulas’ optics.
“And right on time, too,” laughed Tarantulas, “To test out my warp chamber!”
“Where’s the pod?” demanded Optimus.
“Right behind me,” replied Tarantulas coolly, as he stepped aside to reveal the stasis pod containing the hapless protoform.
Optimus made a move towards the pod, only to have Tarantulas stop him with a single gesture.
“Not a step closer!” warned Tarantulas, “Unless you want me to press this controller in my claws, which will unleash a tiny swarm of nano-drones programmed to inject the spark with a fatal dose of Kerasite poison! The only poison deadly enough to destroy a spark within mere cycles! It has been banned by your Maximal Elders and for good reason, too!”
He held a small remote in his claws. Optimus stepped back finally.
“Good, good…” cackled Tarantulas, “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what might be going on in your mind. You’re thinking about possibly blasting me before I can press the button. But think of the risks! I could very well press it before you get off your intended shot! And then imagine the consequences you’ll face! In no time, the spark of this protoform will be writhing in agony until it dies within only three cycles or so! You wouldn’t want that on your conscience, would you?”
Optimus’ shoulders slumped.
“No,” he said sadly.
“Good,” mocked Tarantulas, “Then follow me!”
He led the Maximal leader through several tunnels until they reached the largest chamber within the cave.
“By Primus, Tarantulas!” cried Optimus as he saw the sight before him, “What have you created?!?”
“Oh… just a warp chamber, specially designed for time travel and such,” said Tarantulas absentmindedly.
“Do you have any idea what this could mean?!?” yelled Optimus.
“I do, as a matter of fact!” declared the crazed scientist, “I could travel to the past or the future and even to the beginning of time, where I could re-create the universe in MY image!”
“You’re out of your mind!” cried Optimus.
“Don’t fret, Optimus,” laughed Tarantulas, “I have good news and bad news. The good news is, I don’t really know if this machine will work or not. The bad news, unfortunately, is that you’re going to be my test subject!”
Optimus made an abortive move towards Tarantulas but the crazed Predacon merely waved the remote in front of Optimus’ face.
“Don’t even think about it!” he threatened, “You’ll do as I say if you want your precious protoform undamaged. Now step into the chamber and take a seat!”
Optimus Primal had no choice but to comply. Stepping within the large chamber, he sat down on the seat presented before him. As soon as he sat down, two large metal claws grabbed his arms and clamped them down on the seat to restrain him.
Seeing his victory, Tarantulas immediately closed the door to the warp chamber.
Peering through the window, he looked at Optimus with a mixture of contempt and amusement.
“Because you’ve done everything I’ve asked, I shall keep my promise to not harm the spark within that protoform,” he gloated before Optimus.
Tarantulas immediately threw the remote he had in his claws to the ground and stomped on it, destroying the controller.
“But,” he peered back into the glass, “I won’t guarantee that the Protoform will emerge as a Maximal! Ahahahahahaha!”
“Smelt you!” cried Optimus as he struggled to free himself. It was all in vain, however, for Tarantulas was already punching commands into the warp chamber’s database.
“Computer!” he cried, “Activate warp chamber and position its settings 15 stellar cycles into the future!”
<< “Complying,”>> replied the computer. The machine radiated with power and electricity.
“Astounding!” cried Tarantulas, “It’s working!”
Within the chamber, Optimus struggled to free himself and succeeded only slightly when he finally broke one of the mechanical claws that held him down. Immediately afterwards, a bright flash of light engulfed him and he saw no more of the world he knew.
Several cycles passed before Tarantulas gathered the courage to peer within the chamber again. Peering inside, he saw nothing.
“Could it be… is he really…?” wondered Tarantulas. An incoming transmission was seen on his computer instantly. He quickly turned the signal on.
“TARANTULAS!!!” screamed Megatron, “Your plans better have worked! We’ve never suffered such a huge defeat! Especially to a Maximal team without their cursed commander, Primal!”
Tarantulas noted that Megatron had several dents to his helmet as well as a few missing teeth. His armor was charred beyond recognition. Also, one of his arms appeared to be limp.
“And I am pleased to report to you that my plan has worked!” declared Tarantulas proudly, “Optimus Primal has been wiped off the face of this universe!”
Tarantulas chuckled slightly as he saw Megatron grin a big, toothless smile. “At least… off this face of our time,” he said to himself.
“You are certain?” asked Megatron.
“Go back to base and scan every bit of your files!” said Tarantulas, “They will all tell you that Optimus Primal has been terminated!”
Megatron quickly cut the connection. Tarantulas could tell he was in a hurry to get back to base to see if it was true.
A megacycle later, Megatron’s face appeared over the intercom again.
“You… you are correct, Tarantulas,” spoke Megatron with a voice that could barely conceal his excitement, “Optimus Primal has indeed been… destroyed! Oh happy days! This is the beginning of a new era! A new era where we, Predacons, will finally conquer all there is on this planet unopposed! Our power shall be limitless, YEESSSS!”
“Then we must make haste, Megatron,” replied Tarantulas, “Have one of the fliers come retrieve the pod I have. Then, we may have another loyal Predacon on our side to help reach your goals!”
“Yes, yes… absolutely,” said Megatron thoughtfully, “I’ll send Inferno over to retrieve our new soldier!”
Megatron cut the connection. “A new soldier… loyal to me, of course,” thought Tarantulas. He had added the proper chips within the new pod, already, insuring that the new Transformer would show fealty to Tarantulas… and only Tarantulas.
In a few short cycles, Inferno came and retrieved the pod. As he flew off again, Tarantulas walked back to his lair.
“How assuring!” he mused, “Everything is now falling into place. In time, not even Megatron will be able to stand before my power!”
A loud explosion was heard in his laboratory.
Alarmed, Tarantulas rushed forth to see what the problem was.
His entire lab was doused in flames.
“AHHH!!!” cried the scientist, “What could have done this?!?”
He felt something tap him from behind. He whirled around to a sight that would haunt him for quite a long time.
“NO! It’s not possible!” cried Tarantulas, “What are you?!?”
The spider’s screams filled the air.
It took quite a while for Optimus to regain consciousness. He snapped his head up as soon as he did.
“By the Matrix,” he thought, “What did Tarantulas do to me?”
He viewed his surroundings. Indeed, he was still bound to the same chair Tarantulas tied him to. Except… the chair was now different. The metal was rusty to the point where Optimus broke free of the chair and opened the chamber’s door easily.
Outside, it was still Tarantulas’ laboratory… except, nearly everything laid in ruins. Test tubes splattered to the ground… tables overturned… the place looked like it had been abandoned for years.
Carefully, Optimus examined and searched the place, looking for any evidence of what had happened to him. He found none.
“Well, that’s just Prime!” he thought, “Maybe the answers I’m looking for aren’t in Tarantulas’ lair.”
He quickly left the caverns through the way Tarantulas had led him in.
Outside, the planet looked like it always had. The skies were now darkened and it seemed that a storm was brewing. Optimus couldn’t help but get the feeling that the planet now felt more… arid than before.
For one thing, while Optimus knew that this was still the planet his crew and the Predacons were on, something had definitely changed. Optimus couldn’t quite put his finger on what, but he would soon find out.
Transforming into beast mode, the stalwart Maximal commander headed in the direction where the Axalon was located.
“Dear Primus! This can’t be real!” thought Optimus as he stared disbelievingly at the Axalon… or what was left of the Axalon.
The hulls of the once-great exploration vessel had been destroyed. Fungus and moss were now gathering everywhere. Shards of metal laid everywhere. Everything, ranging from the controls to the upper decks were already falling apart from rust.
“How did this happen?” wondered Optimus, “It looks like this ship has been abandoned for years!”
Ignoring the panicking fear in his spark, Optimus made the decision to enter into what was now the remains of the Axalon.
“Cheetor? Rhinox? Rattrap?” he called out, desperately hoping someone would respond, “Anyone…?”
Despite the fear gnawing away at his stomach, Optimus proceeded to look within what were formerly the rooms of his crew from Cheetor’s chambers to Rattraps… all the way to Dinobot’s. Still, Optimus found nothing, not a sign of life anywhere.
Soon, Optimus was back in what use to be the center control room of their ship. Looking high and low, he finally found one object worthy of his attention.
“A homing beacon!” he exclaimed, “And it’s sending out a distress signal right now!”
The small beacon, already covered with dust and cobwebs, beeped every few cycles or so, still sending out its signals of distress.
“Computer!” said Optimus, “Run a scan on this device!”
<< “Processing…” >> spoke his personal computer, << “This distress beacon before you appears to have been functioning for the past 13 to 14 years. With its current pace of operation, it should expire within another 10 stellar cycles or so.” >>
Then it hit Optimus. He had been sent several stellar cycles into the future by Tarantulas’ machine!
“Computer!” he cried, “Tell me, are the sparks of my crew still functional at this point?!?”
<< “Unable to say,” >> replied his computer, << “My interface is not tuned to the current settings and location we are in. Quite possibly, all Maximal units may have been destroyed in a final confrontation with the Predacon units.” >>
“That’s impossible!” yelled Optimus, “How could they have been destroyed by Megatron?”
<< “My data calculates only a 30 to 40% chance that all Maximal units would win the Beast Wars without your leadership and guidance. Therefore, it is highly probable that your disappearance caused their morale to plummet.” >>
“To the Pit with your statistics!” cried Optimus, “I’ve failed my crew! How could I have let this happen?”
His knees suddenly felt weak and he sank to the floor.
“I should have never let Tarantulas lead me into that chamber…” he said in a ghost of a whisper, “If only there was something I could have done to prevent this…”
Several, Several megacycles passed before Optimus finally drifted off to sleep.
“Optimus,
can you hear me, Big Bot?”
“Cheetor! Is that you?”
“Listen,
Optimus… don’t blame yourself for what happened here.”
“What
exactly happened, Cheetor?”
“It’s
a long story… and with the limited amount of time I’m allowed to talk to you
by the Matrix, I can’t quite explain everything but you will learn… once you
return to Cybertron.”
“Just
where exactly am I?”
“You’re
still on the planet of the Beast Wars, that’s for sure… except fifteen
stellar cycles into the future.”
“WHAT?!?”
“Calm
down, Optimus, just let me explain. Tarantulas’
time machine sent you fifteen stellar cycles into the future.”
“What…
what happened to everyone?”
“……It
kills me to say it, but the Predacons finally won the Beast Wars.”
“What!?!”
“Even
after you disappeared, we were still more than a match for Megatron.
However, over time, Megatron gained more powerful and dangerous soldiers
that we were unable to compete with. Within
a while, we were almost entirely wiped out, almost every single one of us… but
not without taking some of the Preds with us first.”
“You’re…”
“Dead?
Yes. Although, most of us in
the Matrix tend not to think of it in a physical way anymore.
But just know that it’s not your fault what happened to us.
You did the right thing by saving that spark’s life.
None of us fault you for it… except for one.”
“Who…”
“The
only Maximal who survived the Beast Wars. I
am not allowed to reveal the identity to you, but once you return to Cybertron,
you will know.
“Cheetor,
please stay with me… having the knowledge that most of my crew died because of
my actions is more than I can take…”
“Don’t
worry, Optimus. Like I said, none
of us up here blame you! The
important thing for you is to get back to Cybertron to stop Mega-jerk!
And much more importantly, Optimus, you must live… just be sure to
live. And never give up on
yourself! We certainly
haven’t.”
“I
will… it’s the least I can do to honor your memories.”
“That’s
more like it. Farewell, Optimus,
and may Primus watch over your spark!”
Optimus immediately woke up. That felt way too real to be a dream. It was almost as if Cheetor’s spark really was conversing with him.
And if it really was Cheetor speaking to him from the Matrix, then his crew really must have been dead for the past decade or so.
Optimus lowered his head to grieve for his fallen comrades.
After several cycles had passed by, Optimus attempted to get up… only to discover that he was chained down by an invisible force.
“What’s happening?” he thought as he tried to move but was firmly held in place.
A deep, throaty growl was heard nearby.
“Who’s there?!?” demanded Optimus. He did not have a good feeling about this.
“Ahahahahahahaha!”
“Who are you?!?”
“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
“What do you want?!?”
“And I thought you would never wake up!” came a voice tinged with an Earthling Eastern European accent.
“Is that who I think it is?” thought Optimus.
“I believe that by now, I should present myself,” said the shadowy voice as a figure finally materialized out of thin air. He was a roughly human-sized robot with the head of what seemed like a panther. His armored plating was white.
“Ravage!” cried Optimus, “I should have known!”
“Optimus Primal…” laughed Ravage, “Leader of the late Maximals aboard the ill-fated Axalon… and to think that Megatron’s suspicions about you being alive were true after all!”
“Megatron?!?” Optimus’s face contorted in rage, “What does he have to do with this?”
“He has everything to do with this, Primal!” roared Ravage, “My master is now the Supreme Overlord of Cybertron!”
“Megatron finally conquered Cybertron?!?” thought a befuddled Optimus, “How in the name of all the galaxy’s Heavens did he do it?”
“I suppose you want to know how I found you?” asked Ravage, “Well I’ll tell you. I was on another one of my missions aboard my Voyager shuttle when I detected a weak, but still decipherable distress signal emanating from a worm hole deep within space. Calculating that I had an 89% chance of coming out of the hole alive, I took that risk and here you are… alive and well. Megatron will be most pleased.”
“What happened to the Maximal Elders… and the Tripredacus Council?” asked Optimus.
“Oh… the Maximal Elders were purged from Cybertron and exterminated. As for the Tripredacus Council, they are currently under house arrest and have no say in the contemporary government of Megatron’s.”
“What are you going to do now?” asked Optimus.
“Why… take you back home, of course,” smiled Ravage. Optimus knew better than to trust the former Decepticon, however.
“Looks like I don’t have a choice,” said Optimus cynically. Ravage helped him up and led the former Maximal leader back to his ship.
The trip back to Cybertron was a speedy trip. On the way back, Optimus found himself behind bars and shackled down.
Ravage finally confronted Optimus for a second time when he had the ship on auto-pilot.
“So tell me, Ravage,” began Optimus, “What’s Megatron going to do to me once we get back?”
“Oh, knowing him, I’d say he will offer you one last chance to surrender and serve him,” replied Ravage, “But knowing you, I’d say that you will refuse his offer and he will then have no choice but to torture you to death or find some other unsavory way of destroying you.”
“You’re a real good judge of character, you know that, Ravage?” said Optimus sarcastically, “And it’s good to see that Megatron’s social skills are getting better.”
“And you are quite a piece of work, that you are,” responded Ravage with an equally mocking tone, “Abandoning your crew for fifteen stellar cycles, only to reappear when you thought it to be the safest. You are lower than a dog, Primal!”
“How DARE you!” screamed Optimus, “I never abandoned them! I would have died for my crew!”
“What really happened is of no concern to me,” replied Ravage indifferently, “Megatron shall be your ultimate judge, jury, and if necessary, executioner from now on.”
Ravage walked away without another word.
Optimus glared at the ancient Decepticon as he walked away.
The rest of the trip back to Cybertron took several more mega-cycles. Finally, drowsiness took over yet again, and Optimus drifted off into a restless slumber.
“Optimus,
can you hear me?”
“Dinobot?!? Is that you?”
“It
is. Do you realize why I am
reaching out to you?”
“To
guide me further?”
“Correct.”
“If
you don’t mind me asking, what really happened to you and the others on the
Beast Wars?”
“Most
of us did indeed fall in battle, including myself.”
“I
see…”
“Fret
not, Optimus, for the Matrix has given me the duty of guiding you to your next
steps once you return to Cybertron. I
am more than honor bound to helping you… I do it because you have been a true
friend to me.”
“Wow,
Dinobot. I never thought I’d hear those words from you.”
“I
did not either. However, death can
do a great many things to us. Are
you ready to receive your instructions?”
“I’m
ready.”
“Very
well. When you awaken, you will be led outside by the Decepticon in
power bonds and guarded carefully with a gun pressed to your back.
Look towards the ground carefully as if you have given up all signs of
resistance for when he tells you to stop, immediately lash out and knock the gun
out of his hand. Then, dispatch him
through any means possible. After
you are done with him, immediately fly towards the location of the slums, where
the lights shine the dimmest.”
“I
will, Dinobot. You can count on
it.”
“It’s
good to see you like this again, Optimus. When
the time comes, perhaps the both of us shall see each other once more …”
“Primal, it’s time for you to wake up!”
Optimus opened his eyes slowly. Ravage released him from the prison cell and cuffed him with two energy bonds.
“Time to leave,” said Ravage and dragged Optimus to the opening ramp. He kicked Optimus in the back and knocked him out the door. Optimus fell to the ground. He noticed that they were on top of a large building.
He got up painfully but was careful to hide his anger. Ravage picked him up from behind and pointed the gun to his back.
“Now I will take you back to Megatron,” laughed Ravage, “Perhaps if you begged for mercy before his Excellency, he may yet spare your life. Now go!”
Optimus kept his head low and walked towards the door which would lead them down the building. Ravage, as if sensing something was wrong, suddenly stopped.
“Wait, Primal, are you hiding something from me?”
“Not at all,” responded Optimus as he kept walking.
“Stop!” commanded Ravage.
Optimus saw his chance and immediately swung with both his fists, tied together, knocking the gun from Ravage’s hand. Ravage gasped. He had clearly not been expecting this.
Wasting no time at all, Optimus swung again, smashing Ravage across the face. Optimus decided now was the time to leave. However, before he reached the edge of the building, Ravage tackled him from behind.
“I was willing to show you mercy!” cried Ravage, “Now I will just kill you and present your body before Megatron!”
“Well, isn’t that just PRIME!” yelled Optimus as he flipped Ravage over, causing him and the panther to fall over the building.
Ravage plummeted, screaming.
“Prime Jets, ON!” cried Optimus and blasted through the air. He looked about his surroundings, surveying the buildings around him before he noticed several towers where there was hardly any light at all.
“ ‘Where the lights shine the dimmest…’” thought the gorilla as he flew towards the direction of the slums.
“By the Matrix!” thought Optimus as he watched the sickening decadence and poverty, which lay before him. Everywhere he looked, there were sickly Cybertronians all over the place, most of them to the point of death or struggling just to make a day-to-day living.
The thing that was even more disturbing to Optimus was the fact that giant statues of Megatron were everywhere! Everywhere he looked, from ads, to commercials, to works of art, to posters, was the face of the Predacon tyrant!
“What have you done to Cybertron?” thought Optimus. This was more than a culture shock to the captain of the Axalon. This made him sick to his very core.
“Aaaaahhh!” came a voice from an alley. Optimus immediately followed the noise.
Peering over the wall, he witnessed a rather unpleasant sight.
“You’ve been holding out on the taxes you were suppose to pay to Megatron, haven’t you?” growled a large, reptilian Transformer.
“No, I swear, I haven’t!” cried a smaller Transformer with mechanical wings on his back.
The reptiloid Transformer struck the smaller robot across the face.
“Oh, so you haven’t, eh?” sneered the lizard-like robot, “Let’s see if a little torture can get you to talk!”
He kicked the smaller Transformer to the ground and stomped on him several times.
Finally, he stopped the assault and took out a sword.
“Now to have some real fun!” he thought. A shot rang out and blasted the sword out of his clawed fingertips.
“What the slag!” he yelled.
“Leave him alone!” cried Optimus, “Why don’t you try picking on someone who can fight back?”
“And who might you be, friend?” growled the lizard-bot, “My name’s Iguanus, just so you know! Your name won’t really matter in a few kliks but just for the heck of it, tell me anyways!”
“Optimus Primal, and I don’t think hospitality is required on either sides.”
“Good to hear that,” said Iguanus and charged Optimus, with his fangs and claws both gleaming. Optimus step-sided the thug and grabbed him by the tail. Yanking with all his might, Optimus spung Iguanus around and around until he finally let go, throwing the lizard-like Cybertronian against the far-side of the wall to the back of the alley.
“Grrr,” snarled Iguanus as he picked up his sword, which lay on the ground. He roared again and charged Optimus. Optimus whipped out both his swords as well as he ran towards Iguanus.
Iguanus swung first and Optimus blocked with both of his swords. Seeing his opportunity, Iguanus used one free hand to grab a second sword he had strapped to his thigh. Laughing at the bewildered look on Optimus’ face, he plunged the sword into the leg of the Maximal commander.
Optimus cried out in pain and fell back. Iguanus flicked his tongue out, licking the mech fluid off of his sword.
“I remembered an Optimus Primal once,” said Iguanus, “He supposedly died sometime before I came online during the Beast Wars. You wouldn’t be that same Optimus, would you?”
Optimus held his leg but did not respond.
“Well, if you really are him, you’d be surprised to know what happened,” laughed Iguanus, “I was the one who slaughtered that fool, Dinobot! Stabbed ‘em right in the back, too! Literally! He was so busy fighting by that stupid code of honor of his that I took the chance to kill him! His spark had been exposed too! That stupid fool Dinobot died because of his own inability to adapt! His idiocy cost him his life! In the end, he was lower than a maintenance ‘bot! Bwahahahahahaha!”
“Shut up!” cried Optimus as he dropped both his shoulder cannons and fired. One shot, Iguanus easily ducked but the other missile sailed past his head as if it wanted to miss him.
“And you became leader of the Axalon crew with such bad aim?” wondered Iguanus aloud, “No wonder you were the first Maximal to die!”
For the first time since he returned to Cybertron, Optimus grinned.
“What’s so funny?” asked Iguanus as he raised his sword, preparing to strike Optimus, “You’re about to die! Do you really find your own death amusing?”
“It’s not my death that I find funny,” chuckled Optimus. Iguanus heard a whizzing sound behind him. He quickly turned around but it was too late. The spare missile struck him square in the chest plates, blasting him to pieces. There were several ducts that surrounded the walls of the alley. Optimus had noted them first hand and used them to his advantage, blasting his own missile into the ducts until them finally ricocheted back… right into Iguanus, who had dodged the first missile and shifted his body to where the duct, which bounced off the second missile, was aimed directly towards him!
Optimus turned to the one whom Iguanus had attacked.