Beast Wars Anonymous:

1999 Readers' Choice Awards Winner
Most Frightening

Beast Wars and all related belong to Hasbro. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission.

Author's Notes: This story is dedicated to my father. My father has been battling brain cancer for the past one and a half years. I would like to ask all the readers of my story to please put him and my family in your prayers.

Dying Young
by Colibri1999 (leblanc721@eatel.net)

Part One

"Okay, Cheetor. I'm all done." Rhinox told the young bot. Cheetor slipped down from the table and mumbled, "That was VERY disturbing..."

Rhinox laughed. "I'm sorry, Cheetor. But it's Optimus' orders. Everyone is having a physical." He placed a hand on Cheetor's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah..." Cheetor left. Rhinox shook his head and chuckled. Then he grabbed Cheetor's samples and brought them to a computer to analyze them. Optimus thought that Cheetor should be the last one because he never had one before. It was not hard to believe. General Starhopper hated them, and never let Cheetor go through the embarrassing situation.

Rhinox was almost finished analyzing when Optimus came in. He looked back and sighed. "Finished with Cheetor I see."

"Rhinox turned around and looked at Optimus. "He just left." He answered. "And he didn't like it."

"I know. He was growling all the way down the hall." Optimus said with a little laugh. Then ask Rhinox, "Are you finished with his test."

Just as he finished, the computer beeped, saying it was done. "Yep."

Rhinox turned back to the computer and read the report of the test. Optimus decided to wait until' Rhinox was finished. After awhile, Optimus felt he was taking to long, so he walked over to his friend, "What's wrong, Rhinox?" Rhinox shook his head. "I can't tell yet. I need Cheetor to take some more test." They looked at each other, both were worried. Optimus opened his comm link.

"Cheetor."

"Yeah, Big Bot?"

"I want for you to come back. We need more test."

"Oh, man. The first ones were bad enough!"

"Just come back, Cheetor."

The sound of Optimus's voice made Cheetor's mec fluid freeze. "Ok, I'm coming."

Cheetor laid in his bed in beast mode. He had been there for hours after the tests. He thought he couldn't wait for, what seemed like thousands, the tests to end. Now he knew better. The waiting was just as bad and just as long. Since he has been stuck in his room, he some times wish he were taking the test instead of waiting. Then he remembers what the tests were and changed him mind. All he could do is wait, and he hates waiting. He had call in Rattrap to talk to but he was still on Optimus's scout duty because Optimus stayed behind to help Cheetor when he had his on going test.

One of his test, he had to go offline. He had one of his most frightening dreams...

Cheetor stood on top of a small hill. He looked around and saw the Axalon. But it seemed different, quieter, and almost dreary. He walked down the small hill and toward the base. He kept his scanners open for any signs of trouble. His scanners didn't pick them up, but his brain did. He walked toward the base faster and faster, until' he was running. When he finally came up to the crash site, he stopped. The shift was down so he just went right up. It was dark when he entered the Axalon, he could barely see. He could just see the out line of Rattrap sitting at his post. He was making a small noise, something like a sob. Cheetor walked over to the mall figure and placed a hand on his shoulder, or tries to. His hand went right through him. He looked at his hand, it was transparent. "What's happened? I'm transparent!" Before Cheetor could ask or say anything else, Rattrap sobbed loudly. The young bot looked at Rattrap and stared. Then, the rat spoke, "Man, oh, man...why him! He was only*sob*...why..."Rattrap buried hid head in his hands. "Da kiddo...not da kiddo..."

"The kiddo? Wait...I'm the kiddo!" Cheetor shouted, "What is going on?"

"Rattrap?" Both Cheetor and Rattrap looked over the voice was coming from. Optimus stood there with a dreary face. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know, Optimus. I mean, who could be all right? He's . . ."

"I know, Rattrap. At least he didn't suffer as much . . .He went quietly in his sleep . . ."

'Went quietly? Does he mean . . .' Cheetor paled.

"He's dead! Dere isn't any other word for it!" Rattrap yelled, then dropped his head and sobbed. Optimus came over and put a hand on the smaller bot's shaking shoulder.

"We know, Cheetor was a very dear friend . . ."

"WHAT!!!" Cheetor screamed! "No!!"

"And I loved him as a son . . ."

"No! Wait! I'm right here!" Cheetor shouted, "I'm not dead!"

"But we have to accept it . . ."

"I'm not . . ."

"If not for ours sake . . ."

"I can't be . . ."

"For Cheetor's . . ."

"I'm not . . ." Cheetor fell to his knees and sobs, "Dead . . ."

Cheetor remembered the dream so clearly. He had awoken with a fright, he screamed. Scaring both Optimus and Rhinox. He told them it was just a dream and they went back to the tests. When they were done, they told him to stay in his room until they were finished. He only agreed to it because of the dream.

Cheetor got up and started to pace back and forth in his room. 'What was the dream about' he thought. 'Maybe it was just a dream, it probably don't mean a-'

"Cheetor?" The cat's thoughts were cut off by Optimus's voice. Cheetor walked to the door and opened it.

Optimus stood in front of him with a serious expression on his face. Cheetor looked down as Optimus spoke again. "Cheetor, we need want you in the bridge."

"More test?"

"No." Optimus stepped aside so that Cheetor can pass through and they both headed to the bridge. All the way there Cheetor thought, 'I rather have the tests.'

Cheetor sat on the table, as he, Optimus, and Rhinox wait for the others. Cheetor decided to wait until the others heard it with him. He didn't feel like repeating it over and over again, whatever it was. Dinobot and Rattrap came in first, then followed by Tigatron and Airrazor a cycle later. All gathered around the bridge, waiting for what Optimus had to say. Finally, Optimus cleared his throat when all were seated.

"As, you know, and felt, the physical we had the past few megacycles."

"Boy, did we. I never want ta go through dat again!" Rattrap commented, but no one else joined in. Only Dinobot saying, "Shut up, vermin! Optimus didn't ask for your, "Dinobot snarled, "Opinion."

"Yous wanna try sometin', dinobutt?"

"Will you two please stop it?" Both bots looked over at the table. Cheetor was staring at them, he looked almost drained of energy. In fact, for the past month or so, he looked the same as he did now. Both of them shut up and looked at Optimus. Optimus shook his head and continued.

"But we have come up with a problem." All the Maximals looked at Optimus. Optimus looked down on the young bot sitting on the table. Cheetor felt his stare and looked up. Cheetor knew what he was asking and nodded.

Optimus looked up at the rest. "And it's about a fellow Maximal."

Some of the Maximals gasped and looked around. Cheetor looked down at the floor, not looking at his fellow crewmembers. Optimus put a hand on Cheetor's shoulder, still he didn't look up. Optimus spoke again.

"During his first test, we found something not right in . . .Cheetor's body." All eyes looked over at Cheetor. He was still looking at the floor, ignoring all the people in the room except for Optimus. "So we had to take more tests to find out what was wrong. And we just got the results."

Everything in the room was dead quiet. Cheetor sighed, then looked up at Optimus. "What's wrong with me?"

Optimus didn't speak for almost a cycle. Cheetor almost could see the answer in his eyes, and it didn't look good. Cheetor stiffened a shutter and looked down again.

"Cheetor, we found . . .a virus, in your circuitry. It was a virus that was brought by some humans long ago. Most of the robot population has been vaccinated, but, since Cheetor wasn't born on Cybertron, but at his parents off planet home, Cheetor was never given the vaccine."

"What will it do to him?"

"Well, Airrazor, this virus will destroy the surface metal, it will be like he will waste away. His spark will also fade."

Optimus looked at the others and shook his head. "And since we don't know where we are, we don't know were Cheetor got it from."

"Is there," Tigatron asked, "Anyway we can cure it."

"I'm not sure." Rhinox said. "As far as we know, the only cure is back on Cybertron. And we don't even know were we are."

"That's major slag . . ." Rattrap shook his head. He walked over to Cheetor and sat down in a chair right next to him. "We'll cure ya, kiddo. Don't worry about a thing. If this slaggin' planet gave it to ya, well, it has ta give ya the cure. We just need to find it." Rattrap then looked up at Optimus, "Right, Fearless Leader?"

"I sure hope so, Rattrap." Optimus looked down at Cheetor, who had not spoken a word since Optimus told the news. If Optimus ever saw a more frightened child like look in his whole life, it didn't compare with the look Cheetor gave now. He was staring at no one, but it seemed like he saw everything. When Optimus put his hand on his shoulder again, it was shaking. Finally, Cheetor gulped and asked, "Am I gonna . . .die?"

The look Cheetor gave Optimus would make, even Dinobot's, heart melt. The look of shock and fright made him look even younger than he was. Like a lost soul, wanting to be found, but never was. Tears welled up in Optimus's eyes. He had to look away so not to cry. "I . . .don't know . . ." Cheetor looked down yet again. "I wish I could say no, but . . .we can't tell yet."

"Listen, Kiddo, " Rattrap started, "I'm sorry, but we-"

"I know, I know . . ." Cheetor got up and walked over to the door. "I want to be alone right now. I need . . .think it over."

"You may go to your quarters, Cheetor." Optimus nodded. Cheetor smile a bit but nothing was behind it. He turned and left. Optimus sighed. "You all may to you quarters or where ever to rest. I want you here by the morning." The others left and Optimus was alone. He sat down and thought. 'How could this have happened? Why Cheetor? Why . . .' Optimus let those tears that were in his eyes fall as he thought about what had just taken place.

In his quarters, Cheetor sat on his bed and sobbed. "I . . .don't wanna die! I'm too young . . .I don't wanna . . ."

Cheetor cried and flopped on his bed. "The dream is true! I don't want it to be true . . .I can't . . .let that . . .happen . . ." His sobs were quieted when he fell asleep. He had a nightmare of all the tests and the results haunting him thought the night. He tossed and turned, making enough noise for Optimus to hear and come to his room.

Optimus stared at the young bot tossing in his sleep. A few times the cheetah moaned about the dream was true, I'm gonna die, and some other stuff that Optimus couldn't hear or understand. 'What dream?' Optimus thought, Optimus looked at Cheetor one more time then left.

Cheetor awoke to the sound of an alarm blaring. He jumped up and looked around. "Oh. No! The Preds!" He got out of bed and ran out of his room. He ran all the way to the bridge. When he got there, he as out of breath. 'Man I forgot . . .I wish I can forget more often.'

He looked around and saw Optimus and Rhinox working on the auto guns. Optimus looked up and saw Cheetor.

"Cheetor, good. "I want you to stay here and man the guns while I go out there and help the others fight Megatron." Cheetor was to protest, but Optimus put his hand up, "Don't star