Human Bot

Chapter 2

- Cold Genesis -

When they got back to base, AirRazor, Tigatron and Dinobot had been put in the CR chamber for immediate repairs. Fortunately for the three of them, Optimus had gotten to them in time. Rhinox had been working on the pod's computer ever since then, his mind set on nothing but that.

He knew something the others didn't and no one had the courage to ask him. He had given specific orders to stay away from the pod and they had the feeling that it was best to obey them.

"Stay away from this pod. Believe me, it's safer for any of you." Though curiosity was in the air, they didn’t question the order. Why was this pod so dangerous compared to the others? How could defense systems be so violent when it was only meant to protect the being inside from danger with small warnings?

Not to mention, how could a pod still fall after the alien surge that has supposedly sent all of them back on the planet, killing most of the protoforms inside?

Rattrap and Optimus observed Rhinox's work from a distance, watching in case something happened and help would be needed. Optimus didn’t ask what was going on, but somehow, he felt he might not want to know. Somehow, he was afraid to know. Rattrap felt the same, but he was more concerned for his friend. Rhinox was obviously preoccupied by something. He was scared, had a hard time working. His hands were shaking, not helping the delicate situation...

"Rhinox?" Rattrap attempted, "What is it with `dat pod? What’s so special about it?" but the pod’s computer interrupted him.

[ORDINATEUR RÉACTIVÉ. ATTENTE D`INSTRUCTIONS.]

Rhinox's head went back and a long sigh escaped him, looking like he had just released a big load off his large shoulders.

"Hey, ain't ‘dat a human language?"

"True... It's French, Rattrap. French", Rhinox answered, lost in his world again. He shook his head, coming back to reality, and faced the two confused Maximals.

"I've reactivated the pod's computer. It's waiting for the instructions... if she wants to take them," he whispered.

Optimus risked a few steps towards Rhinox and the pod, "Are you telling us this pod comes from Earth?"

"More or less. This is a very different kind of robot, thus needed a special pod. The life form inside IS from earth however."

"I... don't quite follow. What is it you don't want to tell us? This crew is in danger with this pod aboard, and I cannot let it hurt anyone around."

"I understand Optimus... But this is very important to me. If anything happens, I'll be careful and you know that."

Optimus hesitated, and then nodded. He had always believed in Rhinox and trusted him, and he was not about to let go of that feeling yet.

"Rattrap, see if you can find a life form for this pod", Optimus pointed to the small robot.

"No problem! He DID say female, right?"

The Maximal leader shook his head, "Just do it."

Rattrap activated the scanners giggling while looking at the screen. Intrigued by the rat's reaction, Optimus and Rhinox took a closer look over Rattrap's shoulder.

"Rattrap!" Rhinox exclaimed

"What? What's with ya two? Dat's a nice little life form!"

Optimus slowly shook his head, "Figured."

(Just who do you think I AM??!)

"A MOUSE? A mouse!" Rhinox laughed, "Fiona? A mouse?!" The laughter was not forced, but close to it, being the only thing good left for now. It was the sarcasm and irony of it all that had caused him to laugh like this.

Rattrap pulled the switch and the information ran into the pod's computer. By then, Rhinox was not laughing anymore, but concerned. Never Optimus or Rattrap had seen him like this before.

"Hey! I survived the experience!" Rattrap shot but then his face turned somewhat pale and unsure, "...Wait a cycle... did ya say... Fiona?"

"Fiona?" Optimus repeated, "Rhinox this wouldn't be..."

(Stop it! You're hurting me! Dammit what IS this! A mouse? What the fuck??)

[SIGNATURE ÉNERGITIQUE REFUSÉE. 3 CYCLES AVANT DÉTERIORATION TOTALE. ATTENTE D'INSTRUCTIONS.]

"NO", Rhinox screamed "Rattrap, find another life form! Hurry! The energy signature's been refused! The spark will extinguish in 3 cycles!"

(Spark?)

Once again, Rattrap activated the scanners, his mind off the name Rhinox had let out. Optimus asked no more questions at this point, focused on saving a life. A bird appeared on the screens. He pulled the switch. No one spoke, waiting and hoping.

[SIGNATURE ÉNERGITIQUE REFUSÉE. 1.5 CYCLES AVANT DÉTERIORATION

TOTALE. ATTENTE D`INSTRUCTIONS.]

(Sorry buds but I ain`t no BUDGIE! Aaarrrgh! This is killing me stop it!!!!)

Rhinox punched the wall in rage. "You can't do this to me... Rattrap! Try again!"

A voice came out of one of the corridors. The kitten seemed to have escaped Cheetor and

Silverbolt and was running towards the pod, followed by Cheetor, robot mode.

"Hey! Come back! Come back!" Cheetor, as clumsy as he is, stumbled over one of the pod's cables and fell. He got up slowly, still dizzy...

(Leave me ALONE!!!!)

"What in the inferno?" Rattrap yelled, "Cheetor! Get outta there!"

"Hmmm… What?"

Cheetor didn't have time to realize what was happening: Five sharp wires came out of one of the pod's openings, trapping Cheetor by the neck, arms and stomach. The wires closed on him, chocking him at first, and then going for bending the metal until it was opened, letting red oil escape from the wounds they were making. When bloody oil ran from Cheetor's lips, time unfroze for the others and they attempted to free him from this hell.

Rhinox ran to the kitten, uncaring as it licked its paws. He rapidly took the cat in his large hands.

"The cat!" Rhinox shouted in exasperation, "Rattrap! Scan the cat!"

"But Cheetor?!"

"Just do it!"

The rat quickly turned to the computer, scanning the kitten and entering the information as fast as he could. He took another look at Cheetor, who wasn't moving anymore. The wires had stopped their killer hold and were releasing their victim.

(A cat isn’t so bad but why am I thinkin’ all that… approving what? What spark? What the Hell’s goin’ on?!)

[SIGNATURE ÉNERGÉTIQUE ACCEPTÉE. MÉTAMORPHOSE ENGAGÉE.]

Hearing this, Rhinox ran towards the wounded robot, grabbed him firmly and moving him to the CR chamber. Upon it’s opening, AirRazor and Tigatron stepped out to leave the place to Cheetor.

"Is the kid goin` to be okay?" Rattrap asked with much concern.

"He'll be fine," Rhinox answered with a low voice.

"It was the pod" Optimus said angrily, "It was the pod that attacked Cheetor! This is not a normal defense system. WHAT is happening Rhinox?! What's wrong with this pod?!"

Optimus was not the kind to get angry easily, but the situation was going too far. "It's killing off my crew!"

"I've never seen that in my lifetime," Tigatron said, "I thought pods were supposed to be cocoons; to protect and keep the creature inside alive... but I've never heard of a pod that could do this... except if..."

"Except if the life form was still conscious enough and had enough knowledge to control the pod... It wouldn't be the first time she's managed to cause damage even in dormant sleep" Rhinox continued for Tigatron while taking a stasis net in his hands "The energy signature's been accepted. She's gonna come out soon."

"What's the energy net for?" AirRazor asked.

"It will calm her down. It would be too dangerous to let her run free now."

The pod opened slowly, letting the pressure out into a loud hiss. Rhinox threw the net onto whatever creature came out of it. The net dropped an electrifying discharge on the creature that, in one wild scream, fell to the floor, and ceased to move.

As the other Maximals surrounded the net, AirRazor helped Rhinox remove it, discovering an unconscious white cat.

------------

"Tarantulas!" Megatron shouted, "Explain yourself! What was that all about? If we had been able to take control over this pod, we would have been rewarded with a nice weapon, and YOU did NOT help!"

Tarantulas slowly stepped aside, revealing one of the Predacon screens producing the picture of a human woman in her early twenties. Her hair was of a shiny blue, just like her eyes. In her left hand she held a sharp sword, and her right hand, a powerful magnum. She was wearing a tight camisole or some kind of bloody red undershirt with tight black shorts made out of denim fabric. Her arms and hands were roboticized to her elbows; like her feet and legs, to her knees.

"Not to be rude Megatron, but facing this woman in crisis is a bad idea", Tarantulas said.

"Fiona…" BlackArachnia whispered.

"Fiona, yesss: the oh-so-popular robot huntress. But it doesn't make any sense! She died years ago! How could she be here?"

-----------------------------------------------------------

"Because I saved her from certain death", Rhinox replied.

The Maximal crew watched the computer screen where Fiona's image appeared. Dinobot and Cheetor had gotten out of the CR chamber a few cycles back, the young robot still in shock by what had happened earlier, while Dinobot was going through his raging ways.

"How COULD you save someone so careless!" he growled, "this little vermin killed hundreds of Maximals, Predacons, Autobots, Decepticons and other races of robots!"

"That's enough, Dinobot!" Rhinox yelled, brutally getting up, "I KNOW all this! Do you take me for a fool?!”

"Rhinox", Optimus said softly as he put his hand on his friend's shoulder, "Calm down."

"I've known her since she was a child" Rhinox continued. "She was GoldenFire and Alana Frangiatti's daughter. Alana represented Earth on Cybertron, and GoldenFire represented Cybertron on Earth..."

"And he was proven to be a traitor!" Dinobot exclaimed.

As if he hadn't heard Dinobot's words, Rhinox continued his story. "One day, while I was on a mission on Earth, I decided to go see GoldenFire and Alana. When I got there, GoldenFire was not home, but a little girl was waiting for me", He smiled, "She jumped into my arms, laughing with great happiness. She had such an angelic face... but I never thought it would be the last time I would see her smile..."

(Flashback)

"Uncle Big R!"

The little girl ran towards the huge armored robot, who put his left knee on the ground, while opening his arms for the kid. She jumped into his arms, laughing. "Are you gonna stay for long?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not. I'm coming to take your father back to Cybertron for a couple of days."

"Really? Can I come too? Can I? Can I?"

The huge robot raised his head, seeing a young woman laughing at the sweet scene: Alana. Thick black hair, pretty face, and a little white dress for a beautiful young woman: GoldenFire certainly had taste.

"Hey! I guess I'm irresistible", the large robot told her.

She answered with a quick chuckle, and went back into the kitchen. As soon as she did so, though, a scream of terror rose, freezing the robot and the child. Curious, the girl left the large bot and headed for the kitchen.

"Mamma?"

"Fiona! Wait! Don't!"

It was too late. The young one had seen what would change her forever. Her mother was on the floor, her body lying in blood and burned to a crisp. Only this was a very small part of what traumatized her the most: surrounding her mother were four Predacons and her own father, GoldenFire, holding the murder weapon in his hands.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" one of the Preds snarled, looking at the paralyzed girl.

"GoldenFire, finish her!"

"Papa? " she asked in a confused voice.

GoldenFire raised his weapon at her, his finger on the trigger, ready to shoot. "Sorry sweetie, papa has to go, and so do you!"

A missile blasted GoldenFire in the chest, making him fly across the room. A powerful arm surrounded Fiona and took her off the ground. The large, green robot was protecting her with his left arm while pointing his chain gun at the Predacons with his right hand, "Touch only one hair of this child's head, and you'll look like Swiss cheese..."

The Predacons and the traitor watched as the huge being took Fiona out to safety.

"You'll never get away with this, RazorShell!" he heard from behind as he escaped the house.

Ignoring this, he was about to contact security when the kid kicked the robot's arm.

"Fiona..."

"Put me down", she said in an icy, hard voice. He obeyed, "They killed my mother..."

"Fiona, I promise you that those Preds will pay for--"

"NO! They weren't just Preds… They were... robots. Robots have no feelings. All that robots can do is kill... kill innocent people... like my mamma and-"

(Back to Reality)

"-they'll pay!' Her voice was so harsh and cruel", Rhinox finished. "When she looked at me, she looked like she had gained 10 years in 5 cycles. Her face was so severe... and that's when I realized that she would never be the same. Her angelic face had become one of the devils. Before running away, she told me one last thing. 'I don't hate you... now, I owe you my life... and I'll repay you, one day. Until then... good bye.' She ran away..."

"And became a Robot Huntress!" Dinobot shouted in rage.

"But Fiona didn’t start killin’ when she was a kid" Rattrap said sarcastically.

"She came back ten years later, being the most wanted criminal in the galaxy", Rhinox said sadly.

In a move of madness, Dinobot raised his sword to the snow-white cat, "Because she killed hundreds of--"

"Yeah, yeah," Rattrap interrupted, "We know. She killed hundreds of Autobots and Maximals and bla, bla, bla..."

"Grrrrrrr--"

"Hey! That's enough!" Cheetor snapped, getting between the two. "There's no time for this! You listen to Rhinox!"

The two Maximals looked at Cheetor with a surprised look. Optimus sighed, shaking his head, and turned to Rhinox who continued his story.

"Two years after her reappearance, I got to another mission on Earth... we... threw ourselves into Predacon arms and half of my crew was destroyed... and I was almost down. All I remember is that, all of a sudden, three-quarters of the Preds fell almost all at once... and I saw her... she had saved my crew, and… she fell to the floor, enveloped with blood. I had enough energy to take her in my arms... she opened her eyes, full of tears, and she said... 'I told you I would repay you...' and she fainted."

He looked at the white cat with great sadness. "Fortunately, I was able to convince scientists to save her, swearing that she would change. I left her at an earthling laboratory, and never heard from her again... until now..."

"Um, y'wouldn't have left her to any Sigma Corp. scientists would ya?" Rattrap asked him with much concern in his voice.

Rhinox simply lowered his head, looking away.

"Aw for bootin’ up COLD! You gotta be KIDDING me!"

Cheetor frowned, "Sigma Corp? What's wrong with them?"

"It's too much of a long story, kid. So y'tellin us we gotta keep that mindless killer on board?" he asked Optimus.

Optimus sighed, "Well I trust Rhinox is telling us the truth, so I'll trust she did change."

"That's almost sweet... but fuckin' dumb!" a woman's voice answered them all.

End of Part 2

Click here for part three