Chapter 20: Darkness​

“It’s done. Get out!” Destron said as he opened the door.

Neither Striker nor Bumblebee were anywhere to be seen. But Whiteface was there. Magnus waved ... which drew a scowl from Destron.

“I remember Shockwave.” he announced, “It would seem that he has some strange ideas about what it takes to muster someone out. Follow Whiteface.”

“This way.”

Whiteface led him into Destron’s home, through a concealed door and down some poorly lit steps. After 505 such steps they came to a small tube car platform. A car soon arrived and they climbed in.

“There will be no talking in the ranks!” Whiteface commanded.

Not quite 22 microcycles later the car stopped. It had used inertial dampeners and the tube was unmarked, so really Magnus had no idea how far they’d gone.

Except for the light coming from the tube car the platform beyond was completely dark.

“From this point on set your anticorruption gear and modulate your voice. I’d suggest dropping it 1/3rd an octave in pitch and using a slower beat to make up for that Iaconian accent. Don’t address anyone by name. Especially Destron! And take off your badge.”

“My badge?”

“All of them. You will use the name Destron gives you.”

“Did Bumblebee decide not to go back?” he couldn’t keep concern out of his voice.

“I don’t know anything about any ‘Bumblebee.’ Your main concern is staying on the path.”

“The path?”

“You’ll see.” he laughed quietly.

The door to the tube car popped open and it’s cabin lights went out. With only their eyes and the car’s running lights, which soon disappeared, it was really dark. Then Magnus dropped his visor and even the slight red glow from his own eyes disappeared. He wasn’t worried though, he still had infrared sensitive eyes and could see Whiteface’s heat signature.

Whiteface led the way into the darkness across a floor that seemed designed to be noisy but lack any reverberation. As they progressed the surrounding temperature became closer and closer to that of an operational chassis. At one point Magnus just stopped in his tracks, unable to really tell where Whiteface was any more.

“You did better than most.” a voice in the darkness, from not quite where he thought Whiteface should have been.

“Thank you.”

“So those really are command grade optics? On a 4th Lieutenant yet?... Rookie, you have to follow the sound of my footsteps. No combat computer allowed. That’s the first test. Unless I want to yell at you I won’t say anything from here on out.”

He stomped his feet loudly.

“Walk exactly where I walk. There are pitfalls and you’re too big for me to rescue on this slick floor.”

Magnus concentrated on following Whiteface around in the darkness. They would walk and even jog. The floor always helping him to know where Whiteface had been stepping. Though he couldn’t see any pitfalls, he was sure the winding path they’d been following could easily accommodate substantial dangers.

At one point Whiteface stopped moving.

“You haven’t taken off your badges yet. Why?”

“No place to put them.”

“Explain?”

“I’m to keep myself sealed up at all cost. My doctor is so old that contamination is a big problem for him.”

“Give them to me.”

Magnus removed them with great reluctance. Had he really messed up that bad? He felt them being snatched from his hands. How could he end up here?

“No going back.” Whiteface grumbled as he slapped something against his chest.

Apparently, he was right.

Then they started moving through the darkness again.

Magnus followed Whiteface for a full cycle before he was told to stand and wait. Soon others were there with him. He’d heard them come in and get left behind too. They seemed to be standing in a line.

Then a pair of shining blue eyes pierced the darkness in front of them. The features of a gaunt face barely visible in their radiance. Heavy footsteps from one side of the line towards Magnus.

“Primon, Duon, Trion, Quartis, Quintis, Sextis, Septan,” a finger tapped Magnus on his face plate, “Octan, Nonatan.”

The eyes turned away from “Nonatan” and Destron walked five paces in the darkness before he turned towards them again. His blue eyes narrowed menacingly.

“I am the Slag Maker!” his voice boomed in the darkness, “You will learn what it means to be heroes or you will become slag! Do you understand me?!”

Voices barked out their understanding. The eyes considered Magnus at length.

“I asked if you understood me?” he repeated.

“Sir, yes, Sir!” Magnus found his voice.

“Septan. Take two steps forward.”

Magnus complied.

“Take one more step but don’t place weight on your foot.”

There was nothing. Only empty air.

“Return to your place.”

He complied.

“Does anyone else doubt that the pitfalls are real?”

No response.

“Good!”

Destron turned and walked away a dozen paces before turning back again.

“Do you know why you’re here in the pit?”

No one answered.

“Nonatan, you are squad leader. If anyone gets out of line you do something about it before I do. Am I clear?”

“Sir, yes, Sir!” Nonatan barked.

“Good. Follow me.”

With that he began running away from them in the darkness. Magnus followed Octan and struggled to keep track of Destron’s steps as well as those of the others in front of him. Unlike Whiteface, he was intentionally mixing up his stride.

Someone behind Magnus misjudged a turn and crashed noisily into what sounded like a junk pile somewhere down below. Destron stopped.

“Leave him! The eight who remain close ranks and keep moving.”

They ran at an irregular pace for another ten microcycles before Destron’s steps stopped.

“Nonatan, step right and reform your line.”

“Sir, yes, Sir!”

“In battle you trust the hero leading you!” Destron thundered, “If he moves forward, you move forward. If he turns to a side, you turn to a side. If he shoots, you shoot. If he falls you keep going just as he would have. This pit is where you start to learn to trust your leader more than you trust yourself. You may have survived the second test by counting steps, but unless you were listening for me you learned nothing!”

A smaller figure started moving before them. He handed Magnus a rifle as he passed.

“Status of your rifles?”

He went through the motions even if he couldn’t see the gages.

“About a half charge.” Nonatan announced.

“Octan?”

“Slag Maker, Sir!... I’m not sure.”

Magnus was relieved, he wouldn’t be the only one!

“Take out the magazine and start counting rounds.” Destron commanded.

Which sounded like a good idea!

“73 of 200 rounds.” Octan announced while Magnus was still counting.

“161 of 200 rounds.” he announced moments later.

After they had all given their rifle status, Destron returned to stand at the end of their line.

“Follow me. Shoot when you see a target. In the unlikely event I fall, keep moving. I hope you were paying attention earlier, because we’re running backwards through the maze.... Don’t fall behind.”

As they ran, figures would light up momentarily here and there. It sounded like Quintus fell while trying to shoot and run around a corner at the same time.

“Let him climb out on his own!” Slag Maker thundered without slowing, “Close ranks!”

Despite a few near missteps, Magnus made it to the end with the other six.

“I want you to break down and service your weapons.” Destron announced, “Then redistribute your ammunition evenly. You can talk among yourselves while I’m gone.”

His blue eyes disappeared and they heard the sound of a hover platform.

Magnus knelt and began to carefully lay out his weapon on the floor.

“Septan, you’re a big one!” Octan said from nearby.

“You should see my brothers.”

“I thought we were they?” a voice he recognized as Primon’s seemed to accuse.

“Yes, of course.”

Magnus was sure no one here was near his size. Wherever Striker was, he wasn’t here. That was for sure.

He broke down his weapon and reassembled it, which was easy enough given that he actually had files on what turned out to be an HRA-18SF. Soon they’d redistributed the ammunition. Each had either 136 or 137 rounds.

“So, Septan,” it was Octan again, “how long do you figure we’re going to be down here?”

“I wish I knew.”



Destron returned and inspected their weapons in the darkness. Magnus could hear him spend extra time partially disassembling and reassembling his. When he finally finished, and Nonatan had told them how much ammunition they had, he had them follow him off in a different direction than before. The drill reminded Magnus of the formal escort strut that he’d used earlier in Vilnacron. Destron had them reform their ranks again.

“Septan, have you fought without using a combat computer before?”

“Not very well, Sir!”

Quartis laughed.

“I agree, it is funny.” Destron didn’t seem amused, “Quartis, please return to the maze and run it alone.”

“S–Sir?!”

“You’ve run through the maze twice now. It should be easy. We’ll wait for your return.”

Steps receding into the darkness. Soon, shots were heard. Flashes of white from plasma shells cast dim shadows across the dull finished surfaces of the place.

“Well,” Destron’s voice was actually jovial, “we’d best start moving. Someone with Quartis’ skills will certainly have no trouble catching up to us on his own.”

“Sir, yes, Sir!” Nonatan exclaimed.

Magnus wasn’t sure, but Nonatan could be Bumblebee. He seemed the right size.

“Same drill as before!” Destron commanded as they set off into an unfamiliar maze.

For another full cycle they ran in the darkness through various mazes. Duon misjudged his steps and fell during the first course that featured modest changes in elevation. A very subdued Quartis eventually caught up with them towards the end of their last rest period. It was while Destron was elsewhere, possibly reviewing their performances more critically than mere survival.

“I wonder what happens to those who fall?” Quartis asked.

“You haven’t learned your lesson yet?” Nonatan joked.

“Septan,” it was Octan – he seemed to have latched onto his bigger brother, “How is your accuracy?”

“Maybe half. I’m getting better.”

“Braggart!” Primon accused.

He didn’t see what there was to brag about. Though the targets were getting smaller and cycling faster they were hardly small or momentary flashes of light.

“I’m more worried about energy reserves.” Sextis confessed, “I wasn’t fully charged when I came down here.”

“I’m ok for energon.” Octan said, “But I haven’t got anything to transfer it with.”

“Sounds like my situation.” Primon mused, “Hey Septan, a giant like you has to have some compartments they missed?”

“I don’t have any compartments.”

“What, you mean they’ve got that huge frame of yours full of equipment?”

“Effectively true.”

Primon laughed: “Where did they find you?”

“Enough of that!” Nonatan scolded, “You know the rules.”

“Right. It’s a whole new life.”

“Sextis, what is your exact status?” Nonatan asked.

“27.2%. Another full cycle at this rate.”

“We can’t assume that ‘this rate’ will remain steady. I’ll tell Slag Maker that he needs to feed the troops when he gets back.”

“A sound plan.” Destron’s voice broke the darkness, “But what if I refuse?”

Nonatan seemed to snap to attention: “Then what about Sextis, Sir?”

“He should have come better prepared. And you’re correct, things will be getting tougher.”

“What do I do, Sir?”

“Options? Do you know that you don’t need a flask to transfer energon from one to another?”

“How?” Nonatan seemed bewildered.

“If necessary you can drink straight from a companion who is in better shape.”

Magnus got a big grin: “I was nearly at capacity when I came down here.”

“No!” Destron’s voice was commanding, “You’ve the best tactical capabilities. In combat this unit would depend on you and you’ve no right to weaken yourself!”

Silence.

“I’m not doing bad for energy reserves. What with all that slow crawling along.” Quartis laughed, “Slag Maker, Sir, how do we do this?”

Destron talked them through the transfer and they brought Sextis back up to 41%.

“Remember this! If necessary you can share more then your ammunition. Energon and even some parts are transferrable. But the strongest in any unit must be kept functional. Especially if there is a real difference between tactical capabilities.”

Another full cycle of running and shooting through ever more difficult courses. Only this time when Quartis fell they went back for him.

“Sextis, you’re energy reserves?”

“Less than 5%, Slag Maker, Sir.”

“Now you know about being prepared! Anyone else running low?”

Octan and Quartis were. Destron had them level up from Primon and Nonatan before he surprised them all: they would drain Sextis down.

“Sir?” Nonatan was incredulous.

“Octan won’t last another cycle. The rest of you will barely make it.”

“What about me?” Magnus asked.

“You get to carry Sextis while he’s in stasis. Don’t you feel lucky?”

“Yes, Sir! No one gets left behind, Sir!”

“Not now, they don’t.”

He personally supervised Sextis’ energon drain. Only 0.75% left.

“If you don’t mind,” Destron announced, “I need some time to regenerate.”

He laid down and his eyes went dark.

“Septan,” Sextis said before he went inert, “if you drop me, I don’t care how big you are, I’m going to hurt you bad once I’m awake!”

“So, Primon, what was it like when you mustered out?” Nonatan asked after a while.

“Me? Same old thing. Shoot a few motionless targets and try not to shoot myself.”

“I got some simulations.” Octan offered.

“Me too.” Quartis laughed, “In retrospect, I can’t believe I’m here.”

“What about you, big guy?” Octan asked.

“Same old, same old. Except ... for this buff raid.”

They laughed.

“You left a life of buff raids behind?” Primon poked at him with his rifle.

“Yeah ... I left a life.”

“So what about you, squad leader?”

“Same old, same old. No buff raids.”

Magnus pulled his rifle up to him: “Listen, you guys get some down time and save your energy. If I’m everyone’s bigger brother then I’ll keep watch. After all, I’ve got to put my energon to use somehow. I’ll wake you up when it’s time.”

They nodded. Octan was the last to stop moving.

Magnus was alone in the dark.



“You really screwed up, you know that?” Destron sat up.

“Yes, Sir. I know it now.”

“What’s with them?”

“I had them conserve their energy. I’m standing guard.”

“A sound decision.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Let them rest.”

“Can you see?”

“Within a small area, yes. Optics are tuned to pick up blue wave lengths. All together we’d have enough to slowly get around. It’s a useless ability when moving fast.”

“What about red?”

“No benefit to any but red.”

“So what’s the next maze going to be like?”

Destron chuckled: “Why spoil the surprise?”

He got up and left in the direction of the unknown.

“I wish I had something to read.” Magnus moped three microcycles later.

Instead, he thought about Artemus. Remembered the night at the Theorum. It seemed like so long ago.

“If I ever go home, I’m never running away again!” he told himself.

Destron returned exactly 220 microcycles after he left. Magnus woke the others before picking Sextis up. They reformed their line.

“You five have managed to make it this far. Now you have to make it the rest of the way without me. This time the targets will shoot back if you don’t take them down first. If you can work as a team you might have enough ammunition to make it to the other side. The only rule is: no trading ammunition unless someone runs out first. You pass the test if you make it out on your own.”

He walked away.

“Well, frag!” Primon grumbled.

“We should let Septan take all the shots since he seems more accurate.” Octan said.

“This is my squad.” Nonatan announced, “We work as a team. Every test has built on what came before it; but, we worked alone until now.”

“So what do we do?”

“Septan, what do you think your accuracy is like?”

“Maybe 60%.”

“Primon?”

“40%.”

“Quartis?”

“45%.”

“Octan?”

“40% tops.”

“So either this course is very short or we aren’t expected to finish at all.” Nonatan mused, “Unless, of course, we don’t cheat.”

Magnus smiled: “He said the only rule–”

“Was not trading ammunition!” Primon finished the thought.

“We can use our combat computers!” Octan rejoiced.

“A CC can’t predict a transitory enemy.” Quartis pointed out.

“True. But they can make sure a second shot counts if the first misses.” Nonatan was tapping a foot, “Octan, I want you to take point and only shoot when someone misses. If you lift your visor you should be able to see well enough for us to move faster. We’ll follow your footsteps. Then I’ll cover the front quarter. Next Primon covering our right. Septan, you cover the left. Finally Quartis, you cover our back. You’ll have to take your own second shots. If, for any reason, we have to vary things up then Primon and I will cover the front while Septan and Quartis cover the rear.

“Also, if anyone runs out of ammunition we’ll pass off rifles down the line rather than fumble with magazines. Octan, you’ll give up your weapon first. If that happens everyone will have to take their own second shots. If we find any cover then, and only then, will we see about moving ammunition around.”

“Don’t you get shot, big guy.” blue eyes appeared in the darkness.

They took their places and Nonatan had them move out.

It wasn’t running, but they were moving. The path went up as it twisted left and right. Then there were a series of obstacles to climb up or over before a descending path.

“Everyone, don’t forget to look up. I’ve got a nasty feeling about this.”

The path’s downward slope became steeper. Still no targets.

Then a light from behind them. Quartis fired twice. More targets to the rear all at once.

“Multiple targets!” Magnus said as he shot one that Quartis couldn’t possibly react fast enough to shoot at too.

Several targets appeared off to the front right and drew fire from both Nonatan and Primon.

“We cover the whole front?” Primon asked.

“Right. Change arcs. Octan, move faster!”

More burst from left and right flanks at the same time. A hit nearly pushed Primon off the path.

“They keep messing with us!” he griped.

“Keep to your arcs of fire!” Nonatan commanded.

They pressed forward as the slope became steeper still and began a sweeping s-curve.

Most of the fire from the rear was from above and behind. Targets were cycling faster too.

“The path ends!” Octan shouted, “I can see the opposite side. An easy jump.”

Rifle fire from the front. The sound of someone jumping and landing.

“Move!” Nonatan commanded.

Primon jumped.

“Move!”

“If we start going up–”

“Just move!”

He could see the other side in the dim light from Octan’s eyes. The jump was little more than a long stride.

After a series of small jumps and barely keeping Quartis from being shot off the path they began to climb again. Nonatan had Magnus follow Octan. A wise move since most of the targets were from the rear now.

Nonatan ran out of ammunition first. Octan kept his rifle and Primon gave up his instead.

Magnus realized that they weren’t shooting at him. Of course! Striker had to have told Destron about his condition.

“Octan, behind me! Everyone form up behind me.”

“That’s crazy!” Nonatan scolded.

“My armor can take it.” he lied.

“Do it!”

Magnus lifted his visor and convinced his eyes to actively project blue wavelength light. To his delight the path before them was visible for easily four times what Octan must’ve been able to have seen. He picked up the pace. Also, he didn’t bother with looking for targets straight ahead, only those who might get an angle on his companions.

He ran out of ammunition next. Took Octan’s rifle.

A hundred paces later the floor leveled out and widened beyond the range of his vision.

“I don’t like this.” Nonatan announced.

Targets appeared from all sides. Magnus thought he saw a rifle fly towards one – someone was obviously out of ammo.

“Which way?” he demanded.

“Just move!”

Most of the targets were off to the left, so he ran straight towards them and the others followed.

A dozen paces and it became quiet again.

Sounds of clapping.

“Not the anticipated tactic to pass the test, but it will do.”

“Slag Maker, Sir?” Nonatan sounded confused.

“Septan has been badly injured. He must have realized that we couldn’t shoot at him.”

Magnus spotted Destron and several others approaching from their right.

Despite everything, he was satisfied. Sure, he was a foul-up, but he’d passed just the same.

“Sir, about Sextis?”

“Lieutenant?”

“Yes, Sir.” it was Whiteout.

“Shut those things off!” Destron commanded, pointing at Magnus’ face.

Magnus sat his inert companion down as his eyes returned to normal. Whiteout came over with a flask in hand.

With his visor up he could see the others. Bumblebee wasn’t here. Probably never was. He took careful note of his friend’s features.

“What happens in Kaon stays in Kaon.” Whiteface reminded him.

“I’m not real good at obeying orders.”

“I don’t know,” it was Sextis, “you didn’t drop me. That’s one order you obeyed!”​

 

Chapter 21: Place​

Whiteface led Magnus away from the rest.

“Another maze?” he asked once they were alone.

“I’m thinking a round at Cashways.”

“So what was the ‘anticipated tactic?’”

“Normally they use the light from all their optics. No telling why your squad leader only had one of you leading point?”

“Yeah, no telling.” Magnus laughed uneasily ... he’d apparently dropped the ball earlier since Destron had told him about that very trick.

“But you still made it through. Of course, now we’ll have to deal with a legend about a command grade Combaticon in our midst. That’s going to be a pain!”

“You could always say I was a Predacon. ”

Whiteface laughed: “You still owe me that speech!”

“So this is it?” he grimaced silently, “Now I’m a rebel. Whoopee.... Hurray for me....”



“So what’s the deal with the darkness?” he asked after they’d been walking for ten microcycles.

“It teaches people to trust each other and work together even if they’ve just met. Helps them get by without a combat computer too. And though I don’t imagine anyone will forget you, it also preserves anonymity.”

“I stand out in a crowd.”

“No, that thing on your brow is what stands out. Primus! What were they thinking?!”

“A bit of flash so I don’t go become a detail freak?”

“If you say so. I’m just glad they probably didn’t get a good look at more than your eyes. Well, enough of this, we should ride the rest of the way.”

“Huh?”

A whirr from a repulsor motor announced the sky cruiser dropping down right beside them.

“Tall ceiling.” Whiteface laughed as a rear door opened to let them in.

Magnus climbed in. It was a cab with no windows.

“Do you mind scooting over a bit?”

“Oh, sure!”

Whiteface got in and closed the door.

“Caris. I’m thirsty.”

Several microcycles passed without a sound or any sense of motion.

“The problem we face is two fold:” Whiteface explained, “first, these drivers are crazy; second, they know they can have fun and get away with it.”

“Meaning?”

“Never ask one how he got you from point A to point B. You don’t want to know.”

Soon they were on the outskirts of nighttime Caris. Whiteface handed Magnus back his badges and waited for him to reapply them. He took back the Autobot badge that he’d applied earlier.

Destron stepped out of the shadows between buildings.

“He’s all yours.” Whiteface said as he walked off.

“I don’t get a drink?”

Destron shook his head and pointed back down the alley.

“It would have been better for you if you hadn’t looked at their faces.” he said after a few paces.

“Why?”

“If you see them on a battlefield somecycle you might hesitate. It could cost you.”

“Wait ... I’m leaving? Are you finished with me?”

He laughed: “Not hardly! But I can’t get rough with you just now. It’s bad enough that you abused your status earlier.”

“So, I’m still here to stay.” he said listlessly.

“Still a foul-up!” Destron corrected.

“What happens next?”

“Next,” Destron turned, “you stop watching the ground in front of your feet and look up for a change.”

Magnus looked up. In the distance, parked by Cashways’ little cruiser, was Wildway’s. Striker and Bumblebee were both there.

“Magnus, don’t be a stranger. In fact, I expect you back soon. You have a lot to learn.”

“Yes, Sir!”

“Just don’t bring company with you, ok? Not unannounced.”

Magnus nodded.

“Go!”



Striker tossed him a cleaning rag and told him to see to his scuffs. Then they boarded the cruiser and took off.

“Lieutenant,” Bumblebee leaned forward, “I’ve been told I’m to stay near you.”

“Not my prisoner.” Striker informed.

“So, you’re going back?” Magnus half turned around.

Bumblebee forced a laugh: “They can’t study my functions if I’m dead. I’ve got some time left. Maybe some options too. At least anything besides your ‘choice 3.’”

“The judge is going to be beside himself.” Striker announced.

“Why?”

Magnus turned away from Bumblebee. They were heading straight into the heart of Kaon, towards the brightest part of the city. There was a huge star shaped building covered in commercial displays of all kinds. Striker landed on the roof and handed the key off to a valet.

“Don’t touch the restraints on the floorboard.” he told the Autobot.

“Lieutenant,” Bumblebee turned to Magnus, “I hope your friend isn’t here.”

“Who?”

“The one who wanted to shoot me. Wasn’t his name ‘Buzzer’?... Volatile Autobot.”

“Don’t worry,” Striker laughed, “this thing is invitation only. By the way, Magnus, faceplate.”

“Is Alpha Trion here?” Magnus asked as he withdrew his faceplate.

“Maybe.”

“Then Buzzer could be here.”

Striker led them across the roof towards a cordoned off area surrounded by luckless, sparkling Decepticons. Poor guys. Wrecker and Phase were with a small group standing in the gap, a reception area of sorts.

“The profligate returns at last!” Wrecker announced, nudging a smaller individual.

It was Brexas.

“You must be Magnus!” the politician grabbed his hand and gave it a mighty shake, “I must say, it was poor form for your brothers to debut you outside of your own home town! But welcome home just the same! I’m Brexas, your representative on the Governing Council. If you need anything and you think I may be able to help, feel free to call me.” he turned to Striker, “Striker, my friend! How have you been? You worried me last election cycle when you didn’t absentee vote!”

“It slipped my mind.”

“That’s why we have schedule minders!” Brexas beamed, “Remember, I don’t care who you vote for, but everyone needs to be involved for democracy to work!”

Phase mouthed something, seemed like: ‘Yeah, right.’

“And you ... Bumblebee! That’s a neat name! One I’ve never heard before.”

“I’m from Iacon.”

“Well Lieutenant, welcome to Kaon! I’m always glad to interact with people from Gamma Duon’s stomping grounds. You have a good representative in him!”

“Yes, Sir.” Bumblebee actually seemed embarrassed.

“Magnus, please stay handy, there are some good friends I want you to meet.”

“Yes, Councilmech.”

“Please, just ‘Brexas.’”

Wrecker pulled Magnus and Bumblebee away, one in each hand.

“Lieutenant,” he was looking at Bumblebee, “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“No more than I am to be here, Subcommander.” he actually laughed this time.

“I trust our subordinate officers haven’t been causing you too much trouble?”

“It’s been different.”

“Yes.” Wrecker looked at Magnus, “I’m sure it has been.”

“How bad is it?” Magnus asked.

“Let me put it this way: it helps me that you seem to be absolutely paranoid around Shockwave ... as we’ve started a little wager on when and how he extracts pay back. Aside from that, it seems a suitable punishment to let our mutual friend torment and whip you into shape. After all, you sought him out.”

“Can I get some of that action?” Striker asked.

“If by ‘some of that action’ you mean a little special time with Soundwave, sure. I’ve never seen him as mad at anyone as he is with you right now.”

“Eeeep!”

“That sums it up nicely.”

“I must say,” Bumblebee said as he accepted an infusion from a waiter, “this evening is already looking up!”

Magnus took and infusion too. Sipped. Extra-sweet style.

“Magnus,” Phase grinned mirthfully, “we’re going to take you and your guest over to see someone. Striker, it may be best if you aren’t anywhere nearby.”

Striker raised his mug before retreating.

“Now, Bumblebee,” Phase crooned, “when we get to where we’re going, please expend the effort to say hello and introduce yourself.”

Bumblebee gave him a quizzical look.

“It’ll be worth it.” Wrecker smiled, “And Magnus, try to move quietly. You’re practically stomping.”

He had been. A holdover from Destron’s pit, like when he was looking down earlier.

The four of them weaved through the crowded party, past Combaticons and Autobots of all descriptions, and maybe every femme in town. They were heading straight towards a collection of Magnus’ brothers ... and Terrakas. Wrecker moved in front of Bumblebee.

Terrakas saw them approach first, and prodded Oculon in front of him. As the latter turned, Wrecker side stepped a bit so they could see Bumblebee.

Oculon’s mug hit the ground and shattered into a thousand shards. His eyes grew big and jaw went slack. He stammered as Bumblebee introduced himself.

Wildway began to snicker.

“Brother, you knew about this little surprise?” Oculon turned on him.

“I must say,” Terrakas sighed, “this moment feels much less awkward with both of you here.”

“Sir, I’m sorry about that.”

“You couldn’t help yourself, Bumblebee.”

“Terrakas, Sir.” Magnus stood at attention.

“Magnus. I’m happy to see you.” he held out his hand.

Magnus took it: “I’m happy to be seen, Sir. You don’t know how happy!”

“If you don’t mind me saying it, Sir,” Bumblebee interjected, “the Lieutenant here needs a lot of polish. His brothers have made some arrangements to deal with that.”

“I don’t mind you saying that at all, son.”

Terrakas nodded towards Oculon.

Who was still stammering, shaking even.

The drone that was trying to clean up the mess was having a hard time not getting stepped on. It kept saying: “Excuse me, Sir!” every time it almost got flattened.

Shockwave and Wildway, among others, were very entertained. Heavy Iron brought Oculon a new mug equipped with some kind of grip.

“I really think that’s enough.” Terrakas said as Oculon glared at Heavy Iron, “After all, it could have been my mug that poor drone was cleaning up.”

“But it wasn’t!” Wildway laughed.

“Magnus, where did you get the idea that you could just take ... our friend?!” Oculon demanded, “And why wasn’t I informed?”

“Fastrack. And the judge said I could have him as long as I wanted.”

Oculon raised a finger and seemed like he was about to say something.

“Face it, Transformer,” Phase was grinning, “you got yourself better than Shockers possibly could’ve imagined.”

“The look on your face was priceless.” Shockwave purred, “I think you actually distorted your features without realizing it.”

“No distributing pictures, Cone-boy!” Oculon threatened.

“Hey, I know when I’m beat.”

“There better be no scuff marks on my cruiser.” Wildway menaced Magnus.

“None.” he hoped he was right.

Soon Brexas had brought over a number of people to meet Magnus. These included several local politicians as well as the 135UHs from Vilnacron. They were all interested in him, or rather they were interested that he was here. The 135UH Combaticon in particular.

“Magnus,” Strobacon said as he pulled Magnus and Bumblebee off to a side, “how’s Powertech doing?”

“He’s well, Sir.”

“He always hated parties. I can’t say I blame him.”

“He said something about neighbors that don’t throw parties without inviting him.”

Strobacon sighed: “Same old Powertech.... I hear he’s finally taken on an apprentice?”

“Yes, Sir. A Seeker named Sapphira.”

“I’m sure she’ll do him proud.... And you, Bumblebee, what are we to do with you?”

“I’ll get by.” he shrugged.

“That’s not good enough.” Strobacon informed, “Magnus, it’s been good to finally meet you. Lieutenant.”

“Well, that pretty much concludes this party where you two are concerned.” Shockwave announced from behind them.

“Commander Shockwave, Sir?” Bumblebee turned around.

“Lieutenant, if you don’t mind, I’ve got a job for you. You seem more responsible than Striker.”

“Anything, Sir!”

He led them back out to valet parking. Magnus’ grunt sled was on final approach. It’s landing was far from graceful.

“We’ve got to do something about that drone.” Shockwave sighed before turning to them, “Magnus, I’ve decided the best place for you right now is in orbit observing communications silence. I’m sending our friend with you to insure that you don’t leave orbit till you’re summoned.”

“Isn’t that a role reversal?” Bumblebee asked.

“You haven’t run off yet, Lieutenant.”

“No, Sir! I don’t plan on starting now.”

“Good.”

There was some hubbub with the valet about a sky cruiser. Shockwave ignored the Autobot, pushed Magnus onto the ship and forced the door closed behind them.

“What do you call your drone?”

“Wayside.”

“Wayside, take us into orbit.”

“Well, frag me! Where in orbit do you mean, 233 variant designated as Bumblebee?”

“Ummm ... just get us a place in orbit where we won’t be disturbed.”

“You mean I get to choose? That’s just what I’m here for, slagging drone commander in chief! MilSat K-1, this is a rust bucket requesting clearance for any old orbit. If you want, you could park us by the space telescopes so our circuits could slowly fry. My commander, Alpha designated as Magnus, would be ok with that.”

The ship started to buck and shake as it took off.

Bumblebee was hanging onto a bulkhead: “Interesting drone.”

“Isn’t it?”

The space traffic controller’s confusion over Wayside’s behavior was obvious. He directed them into a high polar orbit. Wayside complained loudly about the assignment and wouldn’t give the controller a break. To his credit, the controller neither lost his temper nor reassigned them to another orbit.

“I inherited it.” Magnus announced.

“I think I understand you better, Lieutenant.”

Bumblebee began exploring the shaking ship.

“Lieutenant, I think it would be better if you stayed in your office for now.”

“You’re putting me in a cell?”

“I need some quiet time to think, Lieutenant. Off with you.”

“Sir!”

Since he could hold onto the roof beams, it was easy to not get jostled around by Wayside’s flying. To his amazement, all sense of motion ended when he entered the office.

“Of course! Captain would’ve had inertial dampeners on in here to keep the place tidy.”

He sat down in a chair that was a noticeably better fit. He looked around more carefully than before. Above the book shelves, which were full, was a recharging station for his cannon complete with a phase coupler. He’d missed that earlier.

He reached up and took The Case of the Impounded Megaboosters in hand.

The file opened to the beginning of chapter 96 with Zahzey leading Lastus, Tech and Palrex hot on the cold trail of a planet killer.



“What are you reading?” Bumblebee asked when he was half way through chapter 112.

“I thought it was a true crime story about smuggling, but instead it’s turned into a who-done-it on a planetary scale.”

“Sounds exciting.”

“Not for the last 16 and a half chapters. I’ve already realized that the writing reflects the attended to details of the main character’s life, but I’m starting to think the writer is attending to too many details.”

“Let me guess, he writes in the cycle-as-chapter style?”

“Do you read a lot?”

“I used to.” he looked down.

“Didn’t you get to do anything while you had that thing inside you?”

“I’d say ‘Sit around and be bored.’ except ‘be bored’ would’ve been something to do. Every so often someone would come by to move me around or run me through combat simulations.”

“Then 16 or so cycles of navigational data and ship’s gossip wouldn’t be boring to you?”

“Not at first.” he smiled but the smile quickly faded, “I might make it through 30 chapters like that before I started skipping forward.... You’ve got a lot of books.”

“It sure seems like that now.”

“So you say there’s navigational data?”

Magnus nodded.

“Come on! We don’t have to leave orbit or use the comm to have your obnoxious drone run the numbers.”

He followed Bumblebee to the front of the ship.

“Wayside, my friend!”

“The horrors I may be about to face boggle the core.”

“That’s the spark!”

“Which I lack.”

“How do you put up with it?”

“Actually, Wayside has pretty much dropped the profanity. It is more rude than before.”

“177UHEX designated as Captain's programming is adaptive up to a point. Unlike your sense of style.”

“I’m thinking I preferred the cussing.... Wayside, I want you to run navigational plots for me.”

He provided the details for Malitos’ position from way back in chapter 91 to begin with. Wayside pulled up a 3-D representation of empty space.

“There is no system at the designated spatial coordinates.”

“No insult?”

“How can I improve on your display of competence, Alpha designated as Magnus?”

“Well, that’s a bust.” Magnus grumbled.

“Not necessarily. Wayside, your display is showing minute gravitational data. Is there a nearby star system?”

Wayside zoomed the display out. There was a star 3/10th of a parsec away from where Malitos sun should have been. An orange star named Heitos.

“Rookie, how old is that book of yours?”

“Why?”

“Your coordinates are slightly nearer to the galactic core than Cybertron. For the star to have drifted that far relative to us ... those are some old coordinates!”

“I don’t think it’s that old.”

“One way to find out. Wayside, how long ago would that star have been at Magnus’ coordinates?”

“Between 31.4 and 31.7 million megacycles ago.”

“That’s a long time ago.” Bumblebee muttered while looking at the stellar summery, “Nothing much of a system. No charted navigational hazards. It looks like Heitos-3 has been turned into a debris belt since the system was first surveyed. And there’s no sign of any Heitos-4. Space garbage orbiting Heitos-5. Does your book say which planet is the ‘it’ in your ‘who-done-it?’”

Planet?

“I think Malitos was supposed to be the fourth.”

Bumblebee stared at the display for a moment before shaking his head: “The empty orbit.... Is that what you would expect?”

Magnus nodded.

“Navigational data isn’t so boring now. Is it, rookie?”

“No.... It isn’t.”

Magnus remembered that The Lost had been written 31.59 million megacycles ago.

“So, what’s the next coordinate set?”

“The Seekers in the book had backed off a good distance and were tracking the planet killer visually, of all things.”

“I guess it’s a sound application of theory.”

He paged forward and started providing coordinates. Wayside began tracing a bright red line moving away from the star system.

“No, that’s wrong.” Magnus said as he watched the last plot end in empty space, “In chapter 98 there’s supposed to be a star system called Goross there. It’s in the middle of a nebula cluster.”

“Wrong spike-headed Alpha designated as Magnus! The Goross Cluster is located here.”

The view panned out till Wayside could highlight a group of stars almost a third of the way around the galactic disk.

“This is the only location designated as ‘Goross.’” Wayside added for good measure.

“Might as well keep working on the plot.” Bumblebee tugged on Magnus’ arm.

In chapter 103 they came across another place name that didn’t match the plot. Only this time there where three other places with similar names scattered around the galaxy. Bumblebee had Wayside highlight these and they went on.

It happened again in chapters 110 and 123.

“I’m starting to doubt these coordinates.”

“Magnus, have you been paying attention to the star system summaries for all our displaced locations?”

“Not really.”

“In each case, sometimes several times in each case, there are no inhabited worlds.”

“So?”

“Our people aren’t in the habit of naming uninhabited systems or star clusters. I may have been ... on a shelf for a long time, but I’m pretty sure of that.”

Four more chapters and the red line ran straight to a star system that would’ve been there. It had no name.

“Just a moment, they’re actually moving to investigate this one.”

Magnus began paying closer attention to the details.

A white dwarf with three remaining planets, which did match the star system summery.

“It looks like they investigated the innermost planet. Wayside, do you have any data on that world?”

“Negative, Alpha designated as Magnus. That fragging system is uninhabited. It was last cataloged by Seekers 3 point 724 point 115 megacycles ago ... lazy mechs!”

“But, do you have data on it?”

“Does this look like the slagging Seeker, Alpha designated as Magnus?”

Bumblebee laughed: “We won’t have access to anything better than system summaries on this boat.”

“Fine. Fine.”

Magnus dropped down into Captain’s seat as it was the only one big enough for him up here.

The Seekers arrived at the first world and found a massive ruin. There was “considerable residual power” at the top – whatever that meant? An energy shield of some kind was protecting an exposed area. Zahzey identified trace radiation as possibly from the same energy lance. They put together a landing party consisting of Lastus, Zahzey and the strongest Seekers.

“Finally! Chapter 128.”

“What are they doing?”

“About to investigate a ruin on the first planet.”

The landing party entered at the base of the structure in hopes that they could bypass the shield from below.

“Lots of detail about the interior of the ruin. I guess their difficulty in moving about is one of those attended to details.”

“Either read it out loud or shut up! Ruining a book.... You really do need to get over yourself.”

Magnus nodded.

The interior of the ruin was in a shambles. Still, if it had been hit with a weapon capable of rendering a planet what else should it be? Something seemed wrong with the text, though. As if something were missing.

Halfway through chapter 128, right where Lastus was helping Palrex move some debris from in front of an emergency lift that they hoped could bypass a lot of the structure, Magnus realized what it was.

There were no people!

Why leave them out? By rights the chapter should be full of statements about Seekers having to move broken chassis out of the way. It was so obvious! So why no people?

The lift took them up to a lower roof. From there they could see their goal. There were no remains in the upper portion of the ruin either.

In chapter 129 they finally found a way past the shield and entered what seemed to be a massive science complex – now open to the sky.

“‘I’ve found someone!’ Navigator reported, ‘Here, underneath this wreckage!’”

They dug out two forms. One, a coppery 135UH whose name had been ... Wayside?

Magnus looked at the drone. Shrugged. Another piece of the puzzle?

Wayside’s shattered form was draped over another as if protecting it. A strange Quintesson like individual with only one face who was clutching a glowing orb. There was residual power in his systems: he was alive. He woke after they removed the devise from his grasp. The energy shield dissipated too.

The creature dismissed them and told them to return to Cybertron. He did so without them telling him where they’d come from. He also refused an offer for transport. He wouldn’t even acknowledge them after that. Far too busy fussing over his lab. The scientist didn’t even say anything when they removed the broken Combaticon or his “data core” – the orb which he said was useless to him now even though it had apparently protected him earlier.

Rather than try and follow the monster any longer, they went home just as instructed.

Chapter 130 was an epilogue: Lastus’ boss giving he and Tech a lecture about their irresponsible behavior. Docking their pay and all that.

What a strange ending.

He stood up and moved over to Wayside.

“Save our session with the nav comm. Give it classified status. Only the proper master of this ship can read it.”

“If we hurry, we may be able to follow up on your coordinates before some of those stars finally explode.”

“Are you through?” Bumblebee stirred.

“Yes. You can read it if you want.” he tossed him the book, “It’s late in a series though.”

“More than I’ve had access to in a long while! I only hope I can finish before my little vacation is over.”

“Read fast.”

Magnus returned to the office and took Murder in Iacon: One Cop’s Revolutionary War Journal from its place.​

 

Chapter 22: Medicine​

“It looks like my vacation is over.” Bumblebee called from the front of the ship.

Magnus left the tranquility of his office and its inertial dampeners for a ship that was shaking from haphazardly applied course corrections.

“I’m guessing this is the reason why the office has an inertial dampener. How far did you get?”

“If I recall, the office serves double duty as an escape pod so it has separate systems. And they haven’t left Cybertron yet.”

“I’m sure Alpha designated as Magnus will neglect to tell you what happens. I’m still waiting on him to adapt a simple medical protocol for some idiotic experiment of his! Alpha designated as Magnus wants me to tell him when I’m about to malfunction, so it would be nice if I actually could!”

“Did it just call you a slacker?”

“I’ve been getting that a lot lately.”

Magnus took his seat.

“Started a new book, I see.”

“Starting from the beginning this time.”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll put this back. They won’t let me keep it.”

They were heading for Kaon again. Heading for the crypt. The grunt sled landed with a convincing thud and shutter.

“Good work, Wayside! That was almost as smooth as on Quevald.”

“I don’t need this kind of abuse.”

“My condolences, Lieutenant.” Bumblebee nodded towards Wayside.

Shockwave, Oculon and Blackfire were waiting for them. Blackfire took Bumblebee away in his van.

“Not taking him yourself?” Shockwave asked Oculon.

“And let you be alone with the kid?”

“He’s ... probably safe.”

“It’s the ‘probably’ that concerns me.... What is that?”

Oculon was pointing towards the book.

“It’s a book.”

“It’s a source of contamination. Put it back!”

Magnus returned the book.

“Why did you have Wayside land so far away from the pyramid?” he asked as he watched the gang plank close.

“The odds of there being a funeral procession are small, but not inconsequential.”

As they walked on in silence he was tempted to ask why, if they seemed to know so much about the rebels, didn’t they end the fighting? One way or another it might mean fewer trips to this place. But: “What happens in Kaon stays in Kaon.”

Instead of taking the main elevator, Shockwave led them around to the side of the pyramid where he opened a concealed door. There was a simple service lift attached to grooves in the walls. They descended at least as deep as the level that Powertech’s lab was on.

“I don’t get it, shouldn’t we have actually passed through the tombs?”

“There are several service lifts that crawl through the crypt’s support pillars. They allow access to the between spaces. Right now we’re in the floor below the level that has Powertech’s lab.”

He looked around at the blank walls.

“So how to we get access?”

“‘You’ don’t.” Phase’s voice caused Magnus to literally jump, “Why do you think they named me ‘Phase?’”

“You get used to it.” Oculon said with a smirk, “What threw me off earlier was that we were in an open space and he wasn’t sneaking up on me.”

“Variations on a theme.” Phase sounded pleased with himself.

Magnus blinked.

“I can move through stuff.” Phase informed.

He placed his hands on the wall and concentrated.

“Or let others move through stuff.” Shockwave pushed Magnus straight at, into and beyond the wall.

They were in a dark space. Magnus took a few steps to make room for the others and barely avoided whamming his head against something thanks to the light from his eyes.

“That would be the roof.” Oculon said as he found the light activation panel, “This space has been cut out to let us walk around. Before Phase there was an actual opening but now that he’s here we covered up the entrance.”

“This leads to Powertech’s lab?”

“It will once Phase has joined us. Phasing a wall like that takes a lot out of him.”

“Magnus, about the book. Haven’t you finished that thing yet?” Shockwave sounded genuinely curious.

“Actually, yes. The one I had is the first book in the series.”

He wanted to tell them about Lastus’ little off world adventure, but that might ruin the series for them. There was always later.

After a microcycle Phase came strolling through the wall: “I’m glad the lab’s well stocked! I need energon.”

Phase led the way through a relatively narrow passage formed by trenches cut into the floor above and the ceiling below. They navigated several twist and turns and ducked structural members before coming to a bulkhead-style door.

It opened into a small white room with a similar door on the other side. Shockwave and Phase set their anti-corruption gear. There was a flash of light and heat before a fine dust-like powder filled the room. Another flash of light and heat more intense than the one before it. The opposite door didn’t open.

“We don’t get to leave yet?” Magnus turned around.

His brothers looked like they’d been brightly polished in just that instant.

“What was that?”

“Cybertronium.” Shockwave pointed to tiny ports in the wall as more powder settled on them.

Another intense blast of light and heat. The far door opened.

“I hate being this clean!” Oculon fussed as they walked into a small white lab.

“You didn’t have to come.” Shockwave suggested.

“No, the old mech needs to perform routine service. I’ve been experiencing form memory in my imaging matrix again.”

“You sure that isn’t from a guilty conscience? From passing yourself off as your own officers too much?”

“I wish!” Oculon laughed.

“Is this how we get back into the lab?”

“The work table acts as a service lift too.” Shockwave pointed at a bulkhead door set into the ceiling.

“Is this how you got me inside last time?”

“There’s a smaller passthrough upstairs.”

“I was disassembled?”

“Magnus, there’s a table over there. You know the drill.”

While Shockwave ran a series of scans, Phase provided the ambiance with his singing and clinking around in the distance.

“Did he keep sealed up like he was supposed to?” He asked as he came over with mugs for Oculon and Shockwave.

“Amazingly, yes.”

“My turn.” Oculon pushed Magnus off the table.

He looked around the lab. It was a well equipped medical bay. There was also some parts neatly stacked on a nearby bench. He picked one up. It was from Sapphira’s armored carapace, maybe an inner-upper leg based on the size and shape.

“I don’t think she’d appreciate you fondling her like that when she’s not around.” Phase laughed, “A little something.” he held out a mug.

It was extra-sweet style but there was an aftertaste that he couldn’t place.

“It’s just a bit of carapace.” he sat it down, “What I don’t get is, if she’s going to end up with an Alpha-class chassis, then how does that work?”

“Really?” Oculon sounded interested.

“Down boy!” Shockwave grumbled.

“Well, I’d not heard about this amazing bit of trivia before! So, Magnus, what don’t you get?”

“Wouldn’t she miss her old ... self?” he motioned towards her armor, “I did Rightway’s horns.”

“They’ll reshape anything she’ll miss to fit her final design.” Oculon sounded very happy, “Powertech will probably need an assistant for the procedure.”

“I repeat: ‘Down boy!’”

“I would be the very spark of respect and decorum.”

Shockwave and Phase began laughing.

“Really!” Oculon protested.

“I should point out,” Magnus came over to the table, “that she seemed to have a nasty right hook with only the 287HL.”

“The kid’s finally catching on.” Phase lifted his mug in a toast.

Once Shockwave finished his infusion, he drank even slower than Magnus did, they summoned the work table from above. Oculon went up first. Then Magnus.

He sat up. Oculon, or rather an unusually small Oculon – now the same height as Sapphira, was talking to Powertech. From Me hopped up on the table beside him and gave his right arm a big hug.

“I missed you too.”

Which was true enough.

“We saw you on the periodical broadcast. You will bear watching in the future.” she laughed.

Magnus rubbed his head. He felt strange. Relaxed without being relaxed.

From Me reassured him that she wasn’t going anywhere.

“Where would you go?”

Someone was pulling him down from behind. He heard Sapphira’s voice reassure him too.



His chronometer told him that not quite five cycles had passed from when Sapphira had said that everything would be all right.

“What?”

Great! He was held motionless again.

“Welcome back!”

“Magnus, I must say it: you did choose well.” Powertech sounded pleased.

The two of them were standing by his head.

“This has certainly been one for the redacted record books.” Sapphira added as she leaned over him from the other side.

“If they’re redacted, how do you know it broke any records?”

“How do you feel?”

Though he started a series of system checks, he didn’t wait for them to finish.

“Really good.”

“We resurfaced your core processor,” Sapphira began counting off on her fingers, “over half of your subprocessors too, recrystalized the cybertronium diamond that forms the gap element in your spark-chassis bridge, replaced a whole slew of disjointed nanofibers in your internal data bus, rebuilt and reconditioned your whole spark containment array, and added a tertiary inertial dissipation field to your core – and all of that is just the highlights recap.... Magnus, if you ever let yourself get beat around like that again, I promise you that I’ll find a large, blunt object and forcefully reprogram you!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“It would ruin my career to go after General Terrakas for his part in this, but I’m tempted just the same.”

“I didn’t hear that.” Oculon laughed from nearby.

“It would serve him right.”

“Maybe. But he didn’t know about Magnus.”

“It’s ok between us.” Magnus allowed, “I’d follow him into battle any cycle!”

“Spoken like a true Combaticon!” Oculon chimed as he regained his normal height.

“The system check’s done and it confirms the way I feel. So can I get up now?”

He felt Sapphira do something somewhere. He was mobile again.

“You know, I tried that trick of mine where I imprinted a speech on an infusion but it didn’t work.”

He carefully sat up.

“The star wasn’t in sync with your systems.” Powertech explained.

“So will it work now?”

“Yes, you’ll be able to read the cup again. Though the results you’ll get will be curiosities at best.”

Magnus laughed: “Reading the cup? That’s what you called reading those files of yours.”

“Magnus, when Artemus welcomed you to life and asked you if you had a name, he didn’t say anything about another name, did he?”

“Not really, he said they had a good one for me but it ended up being unnecessary.”

“Magnus, that name, your name, is Primus.”

He just stared down at Powertech.

“You must know it’s the truth.” his engineer added.

“I think Wildway is right: I’m absolutely paranoid about Shockwave.”

Oculon laughed.

“Magnus,” Powertech continued, “the Star of Cybertron is the heart of Primus, or at least the Coordinator of the armies of Cybertron, that Primus.”

“But ... why?”

“Because you were compatible. It took megacycles for us to be sure, but this time the spark with a shadow really was compatible.”

“Me?”

“I told you that this scenario was most likely!” Powertech announced proudly.

“Congratulations, Father.” Oculon nodded.

“But Oculon–”

“Powertech’s been waiting for a long time, brother. This is all his show.”

“Let me tell you about Primus.” Powertech began.

He started with the story of how they’d met and become friends; some of their adventures together before his injuries in a Quintesson attack took him far from any action; scheming up the Primus project as a way to ensure another Primus; scheming up the whole Alpha project to provide cover for the ongoing Primus project; then seemingly random stories about his long gone friend.

Eventually, Powertech seemed to be embarrassed that he was going on and on like he was. He had Magnus get up and buff his own chassis down to a proper level of shine. He also insisted that Oculon get on the table without delay.

“Well, we’re finally done here.” Powertech said with evident pride as Magnus finished de-glossing himself.

“Just don’t forget we’re down here, ok?” Sapphira added, her smile turning into a sarcastic smirk.

Magnus just shook his head, no way they should worry about that. Even in jest!

“Magnus, I’m ready to leave too.”

“Well, then ... I guess it’s time to go.”

“Not so fast, Magnus.” Powertech said without looking up from his scanner controls, “There’s something you need to do before you leave the crypt. You need to go have a little talk with your predecessors. It’s a tradition of sorts.”

“But–”

“There’s no place in this place that you haven’t the right to go. Or I suppose take a friend with you.” he looked at From Me, “I think she’ll be interested to see our living history. That and it might be nice to have someone with you. In the past they were all led by Deltacron.... Maybe you can answer her questions the way he used to answered theirs?”

“I want all the good gossip.” Sapphira added mirthfully.

“We’ll still be here when you get back.” Powertech waved him on.

Magnus looked around ... what was he feeling?

“Right, the ‘good gossip.’”

“View them in order, Magnus!” Powertech commanded.

“Right, ‘in order.’”

From Me transformed and climbed up to Magnus’ shoulder before they moved into the airlock. Once through it she changed back to her mech form.

“You really are welcome to come along with me, if you want to.”

She visibly brightened and nodded her consent.

He decided that they would start with Megatron and then Artemus. It just felt right to pay respects to them too. After all, they’d been Cybertron’s kings. He took the same side path he’d used with Bumblebee, the long way around, so that they would see Megatron first.

From the corner of his eye, he watched From Me in silence as they walked through the crypt. She was taking in all the faces just as he’d done and every so often made a curious sign with her right hand.

“Did Shockwave bring you in through the floor before?”

“I was not ready for the truth of this place.”

“Second thoughts?”

“No. Never!” she smiled.

By the time they stood before the slab on which Megatron lay – his factually shattered form carefully worked over to conceal the fact – Magnus decided that this little hand sign of hers was one more thing he wanted to know about. But when to ask her?

From Me clambered over to, and up onto, the slab to look at Megatron’s lifeless face.

In form he was little distinguished from an old 128, even if there were some distinctly odd features to his chassis when seen in person. Magnus told From Me all that he knew of Megatron and how he’d been the focus of so much hope. When he finished she seemed to be peering at him reverently. Then she kissed Megatron’s forehead before turning away.

“Please let me meet your Artemus now. My people remember him from the last time.”

“He does leave an impression.” Magnus admitted as he picked her up rather than make her climb.

As with Megatron, they found Artemus reclined. Though this was because, given the extra height of his pedestal, he was simply too huge to stand here.

Magnus found himself doing that weird sucking in air action again as he actually looked down on Artemus’ face for the first time. He had always been looking up before. He felt From Me’s hand on his cheek. She stayed on his shoulder as he told her about Artemus and pointed out where Blitz was.

To actually be able to see his face or touch his hand.... As they started out for Primus’ tomb, he muttered that he couldn’t understand Autobots. How could they just be scrap?! How could anyone think that?

He pondered the difficulty he’d face to actually stand before Primus now. No way he was going to be able to squeeze past the honor guard.

As they neared the wall that separated Artemus from Primus, he clearly saw what he’d been too short to see before: an ornate door that was not far away. It had been sealed. It was much smaller than the one that had allowed Artemus to pass, but it would’ve easily been big enough for himself ... or for a Quintesson.

Inside Primus’ tomb the sealed door met up with a smaller path he’d not seen before either. There was plenty of room to walk beside the wall too.

“From Me, we are going that way.”

The smaller path led straight to Primus who was actually posed facing it. So were many in his honor guard.

He let From Me down as he looked intently at Primus.

His face still looked creased from care and wear. It was an odd fact considering how lifeless other faces here looked.

“I am supposed to talk to him somehow?” Magnus wondered as he considered him.

From Me had climbed up the pedestal to stand by Primus.

Her standing there by him reminded him of a line in the play: “But now I’m the butcher of a whole world whose only crime is that they are too weak to stand up for themselves!”

Then, without warning, the Combaticon holding the pipes among the honor guard moved out of Magnus’ way!

He didn’t say anything and kept ramrod straight at attention, but Magnus thought that his eyes flared to life briefly as he’d moved.

“They are not dark.” From Me informed.

Magnus nodded in ... not disbelief. Something else.... Reverence?

This really was an honor guard!

He carefully moved between the Combaticons and knelt before Primus, barely down to eye level with him.

“We did it! They’re finally free.” he muttered, lifting hands to gently rest on Primus’ and From Me’s shoulders.

Primus made no response. Unlike the guard there was no sudden and unexpected sign of life from the old leader.

Magnus sighed as he looked down at him. What was he supposed to ... do?

Primus was posed with one hand held out and upwards towards their side path. From this angle he could see that there was a small crystal rod clutched lightly in his fingers.

He easily removed it without disturbing the hand. There was writing: “I, Caris, the twenty-third Primus after Primus, the King, from Time Immemorial. I brought Liberty and Justice to Cybertron.”

“What does it say?”

“Only the truth.” he said thoughtfully.

From Me turned her attention back to Primus and seemed to study his features. Then she hugged him.

“Thine one was beautiful.” she managed in believable Cybertronian before letting him go.

Magnus returned the rod to Primus’ hand and helped From Me back to his shoulder. He took note how the Combaticon quickly returned to his post before seeming as lifeless as the rest. Well, almost. Now that he looked intently at them, some in the honor guard didn’t seem so lifeless.

It was something about their faces.​

 

Chapter 23: Primus​

Thinking that the path he was on was the path to take, Magnus kept to it.

He told From Me what had been on the rod.

“As have thee for mine.” she managed again in his speech.

After a while, but before the next ornamental door, he corrected her that it was Maximus’ doing rather than his.

“Then I owe him a big kiss.” she retorted, “The loss is yours!”

Magnus chuckled at the mental image of From Me’s tiny form planting a “big kiss” on Maximus’ massive face. Even in this new chassis he wasn’t as tall as the Supreme Commander’s knee should be – assuming ordinary proportions – and she could ride comfortably on his shoulder.

In the next tomb, past the guard at the door, Magnus noted that the chassis were all familiar 100 series. Had there been no real reengineering of the basic chassis for almost all of her history?

He was also aware that most of these soldiers had never been free. A sobering thought. How different Cybertron must be now with the Quintessons gone?

As before, they found Primus posed facing the path. This time, several of the honor guard moved as these had been standing closer together.

From Me made no attempt to get down.

Magnus looked on a much younger face than Primus’ ... maybe only as old as someone like Terrakas, possibly as young as A-3. Mature, but not old.

There was no sign of battle damage. For some unknown reason, that didn’t bother him. Not even the fact that this Primus’ face still carried something of a ... laughter? That didn’t bother him either. He was sure it was something that should have bothered him.

As before, his hand was held out. Only to someone of lesser stature. For someone with a chassis like Primus’ own.

He fumbled with the crystal rod – the angle was all wrong – before it easily slid out.

“I, Timaeus, the twenty-second Primus after Primus, the King, from Time Immemorial. I suppressed a Rebellion of those who call themselves Decepticons.” Magnus read aloud before pausing, “This is quite awkward, Sir, seeing as I’m a Decepticon. Though not a Decepticon. I’m still not sure what that means.”

Primus didn’t respond, of course, but something about his face caused Magnus to realize that he would’ve enjoyed the joke that fate had played.

“Timaeus?” From Me asked.

He blinked.

It was true, the name on the rod wasn’t “Primus” ... just as....

“I think Timaeus was his real name. Just as Caris was Primus’ real name. That makes sense. I guess.”

“I wonder what Megatron’s real name was?”

Magnus strained to look squarely at her where she was sitting on his shoulder. Did she now imagine that all Cybertronians had two names? A real one and one for show?

He carefully returned the rod to its place before settling in to examine the face before him.

Why did Primus die when he was still so full of life? He must have been in his prime.

Magnus retreated to the path and watched the honor guard retake their places.

He thought to complement them, but he knew the drill for honor guards. So he nodded instead.

Then he stepped back to look all around at the host of his brothers. A great assembly standing as if ready to follow their leader again, now complete with Artemus ... here.... He gave them a formal salute before starting off again.

“Not exactly the job I would want.” From Me said not long thereafter, “I mean, it must be an honor to stand there with him, but it seems like it would be very boring.”

Magnus stopped looking at faces long enough to chuckle. Even going really inactive the job made what he’d endured in Vilnacron seem tame by comparison.

Before long they came to another ornate door, on a lower level, with a guard at the door – a highly polished 135UH whose great age at death could not be hidden by lifelessness. They’d posed him with an air of defiance, as if taunting anyone to violate his protectorate. His name had been Kup and he’d been an attendant of Vector Sigma.

Magnus saluted absent mindedly. Indeed, Kup was proving to be a relatively common name. How many were named Kup because it was their name and how many because it had been given to them? No way to know, but it was something to think about.

Again, Primus was posed to hand his treasure to someone of his own size.

“I, Nevell, the twenty-first Primus after Primus, the King, from Time Immemorial. I alone am Free among all my Brothers.”

Magnus paused on reading that.

“This is yours to free who you will, when you will, as you will. As you have been freed so may they be freed.”

“Magnus?”

“He never freed them.... Nevell, there is so much I would ask you if only I could.” he sighed and rolled the rod around in one hand.

“He seems a very sad individual.” From Me observed.

Magnus looked at the face. There was not much of anything there but there was –something–.

“Maybe he was lonely in life.” he shrugged before adding, “I mean, if he was truly the first of us all to be free.... When no one else was.”

He thought his explanation to the honor guard and From Me not especially satisfying. Timaeus had seemed a happy sort who’d not let being the only free Combaticon get him down. But then, he hadn’t freed them either.

Magnus returned the rod. This time he formally saluted the guard before the assembled host.

“What is that thing you do?” he asked her after they’d been gone a while.

“What thing?”

Magnus repeated her motions: “This thing?”

From Me seemed deep in thought.

“The old ones of my world taught us to do that, the first of us, when we were as young as you are.”

“What Are You?”

“Yes, What Are You.”

Magnus marched on is silence, sure that From Me would tell him more when she was ready.

“You remind me of Mine Equal, New Hope. He asked them questions too. Never got a satisfactory answer for anything. Even why our names are not like the names of the rest of our people.”

They were nearing the next guard at the door. It wasn’t a “Kup.”

“You will like him.” she added.

Magnus nodded. It sure seemed like he would.

Their journey was taking a long time. A full cycle had passed by the time they got to the next Primus, who also seemed very old. This was Yahchin, who had peace and security in his time.

Magnus wondered how one could be an effective commander and still lack free will? It didn’t seem a suitable combination. But then again, Deltacron was the real commander and Primus was his coordinator.

How would Deltacron respond if he knew that he’d thrown Primus out of an airlock?

Magnus paused. It felt real for the first time. For some reason it wasn’t a good feeling either.

“Will you still be Magnus?” From Me asked as he was putting the rod back.

“Excuse me?” he blurted and almost dropped the rod.

“Well, will you be?”

He finished putting the rod back.

He was Magnus, wasn’t he? He couldn’t really be Primus? Not like Primus had been. The question haunted him as they walked on.

What followed was a sequence of names and faces with the meanest of descriptions of their achievements, interspersed with casual conversation with his friend.

Before Yahchin, it was Hollis. Then Jarvik followed Xaron followed Brant followed Kup – Magnus knew there HAD to be at least one!

“I, Kup, the fifteenth Primus after Primus, the King, from Time Immemorial. I defended Cybertron from a Great Alliance.”

Kup’s tomb was different than those above it. It seemed brighter somehow. Another odd thing was the chassis they were walking past were all brightly polished. A few almost looked like statues rather than the remains of persons. It was a very subtle difference.

Kup followed Tovin followed Havid.

By now the crypt was undeniably brighter and Magnus knew why: cybertronium. Not just refined, but pure in ways that defied notions of merely being refined. Glasslike. The soldiers here, including the honor guard, sparkled like jewels surrounded in multihued splendor.

More and more seemed like mere statues. From Me had hesitantly commented about that.

As for himself, he could also feel the crypt’s power washing over him. He had no doubts about what was happening, even new as he was, since From Me was already brighter by half, as if she’d just been to an over zealous detail shop.

Havid followed Wess followed Solaeus followed Hemaeus followed Zahzey.

Magnus considered Zahzey long and hard before repeating the message: “I, Zahzey, the ninth Primus after Primus, the King, from Time Immemorial. I found Malitos.”

No doubt about it, this was Zahzey. It had to be! It had actually happened.

“What else,” Magnus silently wondered, “was in those books?”

As he reviewed the honor guard, he noticed something he’d missed earlier. Havid had one less guard than those after him, still one more than Hemaeus but the same number as Zahzey. Had there been a shortage of volunteers for some reason? There were more chassis turned to statues around them too. And the difference between chassis and statue were more obvious.

Though it could have been a trick of the cybertronium, the light down here seemed brighter than just being bright. Splendor was slowly giving way to something more, something which confirmed that Magnus still didn’t have the similes he needed.

From Me laughed infectiously when he told her about it. Started giving him suggestions.

Before Zahzey it had been Rhea, who claimed to have witnessed the “Fire of New Worlds.”

Rhea was down five guards compared to Zahzey. Magnus was starting to doubt it had been a problem with finding volunteers.

The end of Rhea’s tomb came just where the path ramped down to the next level. Without a proper door, the guard – still a chassis – stood there bravely in the middle of the ramp, his tiny form barely bigger than From Me’s.

But it wasn’t the guard that got Magnus’ attention so much as it was his shadow. He was backlit by a suffused brilliance, an intense wash of color as if from oil diffracted light erupting from below. Hard like diamonds and bright as the sun.

“Almost good enough.” From Me informed him as they looked on and past the vision of this guard – this Drifter.

“Any suggestions?”

“I am completely tapped out.” she tried to smile even as she –really– made that little thing of hers.

Magnus followed suit. It seemed right somehow.

This was Saval’s tomb.

“Another familiar name.” Magnus mused after he’d read of his fame.

He looked around, so very many were not chassis anymore and a still smaller honor guard was in attendance. Even they looked like the very substance of the crypt itself.

Magnus wondered if it was even cybertronium they were feeling?

“I have never imagined something greater than the Radiance of Life.” From Me seemed to echo his own thoughts.

“Is that what your people call cybertronium?” Magnus asked.

She tasted the word with obvious disdain before giving him a wry smile: “No wonder you lacked proper similes!” she laughed.

He watched her for a few microcycles as she explored the immediate area. Touching surfaces that were as much mirrors as not, as much transparent as not. Even though he knew she must have been transformed into a jewel of black and green chrome by now – more than a cycle having passed since they’d seen Kup – she still seemed like a dark smudge in this place. An almost unforgivable imperfection in its ... glory....

But no less so than the shadowy form that he, himself had to be.

For his life, Magnus desperately wanted to bring Sapphira down here some cycle. He just couldn’t say why.

From this point, they walked on together at a pace comfortable for From Me.

Before Saval, they had been Artemus, Aral, and Willom. Each had a smaller honor guard than the last. Each stood in the midst of something that, even if not greater, was somehow brighter the deeper they pressed.

Here there were relatively few actual chassis left. Magnus could see no way to distinguish why some were like statues and some weren’t. It was also obvious that, one and all, this place had erased any sense of age from those posed here.

“How does this place go so deep?” she marveled, “And why is it almost full?”

He nodded. It was something he’d not thought of before. But he’d been growing more concerned that the honor guards weren’t the only ones who hadn’t seemingly turned to statues. Even Willom, of all Primuses the same. Like a glittering thing. But also a real mech. It was something Magnus really couldn’t dismiss even as he tried to.

Before Willom, there had been Choron, who was last to serve under the wisdom of the King from Time Immemorial.

Without warning, Magnus flopped down in the path amidst splendor unimagined, possibly unimaginable, to those far above. He looked intently at the honor guard.

There were just five now, the fewest thus far encountered.

“I don’t suppose ... you could –would– talk to me?” he asked, unsure of what he wanted to know.

They said nothing and no life came into their eyes. At least not again.

“Magnus?” From Me sounded concerned even in his own language.

He smiled as he gazed at her, she wasn’t so darksome anymore: “I don’t know what I want to know. Maybe they can tell me? They may have even known Primus, the real Primus.... Maybe one of them would know what I want to know?”

“They may not even remember who they are if they have been here this long.”

He nodded: “Thirteen, Blaster, Scout, Corax and Brightwind on the pipes.” he called out their names hoping that such would stir them.

Not even Brightwind responded to his name. As the piper and an officer he’d logically be in command. He’d be the one to respond if any of them did.

Sitting there, Magnus thought of one last gambit. He commanded Brightwind to give a status report.

Nothing.

They sat there for most of a cycle.

From Me managed to engage him in conversation from time to time, but she couldn’t get him to get up to either go forward or else go back.

Finally: “From Me, can you see sparks?”

She nodded: “I have the sight. They say that since I am the What Are You that I was given gifts from what you would call the Allspark.... Yes, they are somehow dimmed, but they are still here. Everyone of them that you call ‘Primus.’ They are all still here.”

Numbed, he just shook his head. He wanted to say that he couldn’t imagine what that would be like, but he somehow sympathized with them: these luckless Primuses. It had to be presumption on his part! There was no way he could possibly understand.

Yet ... was this his fate too? Why? Why this!?

Choron.... Choron was also the name of a town in Kaon. As was Caris and all the others. He had put things together there, too. There were lots of towns in Kaon, but some were obviously named after Primus. And pitiable little Caris, the smallest of the lot, was the youngest such town by that light.

Then there was the Great Seal of Cybertron on this pedestal ... it was complete and exactly resembled the thing that Magnus had seen reflected on the floor in Vilnacron.

He reflexively reached up and rubbed the golden spike they’d placed on his brow. Maybe it would be better to term it a spire? He shuttered to imagine if at some point in the distant past, that this very ornament had some other use on some other brow. It was missing from every other Great Seal they’d seen.... All those times when people had said–

How barren his Cybertron’s Great Seal was! He’d seen how it had changed.... It was all too much to deal with! He was desperately unhappy about the whole thing and he didn’t know why.

He finally acknowledged From Me’s comment about Primus. Offered to pick her up again. She declined, saying that she liked walking for herself. She smiled as she said it. It had been cycles since she had smiled at all.

They walked on talking about the implied achievements of all the Primuses seen thus far. Those around them were obviously only statues now. Aside from the two of them, or Primus and his honor guard, there was no one else here at all.

Just Cybertron.

Walking up to the next Primus, he noted that there were nine survivors. These were tough soldiers!

“I, Cezar, the second Primus after Primus, the King, from Time Immemorial. I saw Life and Death at Chaar.” Magnus smiled despite himself, “Blitz was right From Me, Chaar happened a really long time ago.”

“What is Chaar?”

“A world destroyed by its own prosperity? Because it had too much energon?... Maybe Cezar knows.”

“How can a world have too much life energy?”

“You tell me? When Captain Nine finally has her ship we can go investigate these things properly.”

“An explorer? New Hope always dreamed of exploring the universe. ‘Some day,’ he would always say, ‘I will see everything I can and I will laugh gleefully at the Overlords who have harmed my people!’”

The sadness in her voice evaporated as she talked of New Hope.

“I like him already.”

“He has always managed to live up to his name.”

With an end in sight, they moved quickly. Though it turned out that From Me’s eight legged form – she’d transformed – was so fast that she wasn’t the one having to keep up. He remarked that her form would probably be fast over any terrain. So she showed off her speed and agility. She was amazing!

Then they came to just two solitary individuals left of all the rest. Primus and his own piper, who had no need to step aside and so he didn’t.

“I, Chronos, the Primus of Cybertron, served with Primus, the King, from Time Immemorial. I saw Life.”

Magnus was struck by the words and they brought shame.​

 

Chapter 24: Delirium​

“Magnus?”

“I walked away.” he muttered while trembling, “I almost.... Twice!?”

“You are young and have suffered much loss.” she consoled.

“Self-absorbed and blind! Careless– I would’ve disappointed them.... Disappointed Artemus! How– How?!”

Magnus was visibly shaking now and feeling ever so much unlike the way he’d felt when he’d found Artemus. Then he’d just been sad, but now he was simply unworthy. Unworthy to even be here much less be.... Primus!

From Me transformed and hugged his leg, possibly squeezing him with all her might. Not that he could tell given how powerful this chassis was.

“But you came back!” she insisted several times, each more forcefully than the last.

Magnus sank to his knees and the crystal rod rolled out of his hand. Rolling away from him towards the piper.

From Me continued to hold him close like it was the only useful thing that she could do.

“We should go on, my Lord and my Lady. There is one left, yet to see.” an ancient and pained voice shook Magnus out of his distress.

It was the piper. He’d just put back the rod and was looking at them with an almost expressionless face.

“Follow me, please, my Lord and my Lady.” he said even as joints that had not moved in untold megacycles started him off down the path.

Magnus blinked in amazement, was this what it took to get one to respond?!

“Excuse me?”

The piper only motioned for him to follow.

From Me was tugging at his hand as if to pull him to his feet again. He let her pull him up, even though she dangled momentarily from his hand once he was standing. She started to climb up his arm, so he lifted her to his shoulder again.

They followed the piper for a microcycle in silence.

“Who can there be before Chronos?”

The piper’s steps slowed even more: “I do not know. But that is what Commander Deltacron always would say when he would bring you here. ‘There is one left, yet to see.’ Deltacron is not here. If I do not take you where I know not, you will not go.”

“Did Primus free you too?”

Surely Caris would’ve freed them?

The piper stopped and looked up at him: “Free? Are you free?” he said with amazement, “That must be something!”

He turned around and started back down the path.

“No,” he said after a while, “it must be the delirium. I’ve seen it before....” his voice trailed off.

He lifted his pipes and began a mournful dirge, like the one they’d played for Artemus, but moreso. After that song, another dirge, but then a happier tune. Joyous even.

There was a monotony among the chassis turned to statues now. They looked more than a bit like the savage drones that Shockwave had introduced him to his first cycle. But they still wore badges. They had once been Combaticons.

The piper stopped playing mid tune. Sank towards the floor.

“Piper?!”

“So this is what it’s like to be free?” he wondered even as he slipped to the ground.

From Me transformed and leapt from his shoulder to the piper’s aid with amazing speed. She propped him up even as she turned him over.

He was smiling a great big smile. One that seemed to threaten the structural integrity of his very face.

“Piper?” Magnus pressed.

Piper looked up at him.

“He must be further on, this other Primus. Please tell Primus that I’m sorry I couldn’t stay with him. Not to feel badly of me if he gets lonely.”

“Yes, soldier.”

The piper lifted his instrument to Magnus’ hand: “You do know how to play? Please let me hear.”

Magnus had absolutely no files on this thing. He’d only seen them played twice including now. He lifted it to his mouth and produced what could only be described as a “blatt-tah.” Piper grimaced.

“You’ll learn.” he smiled again even as his eyes flickered out for real this time.

In the microcycle that Magnus knelt there watching him, he ceased to be a chassis and became just another statue. Doubtless one that could not be posed without breaking.

“We should go on.” From Me said even as she disengaged herself from the piper.

Magnus looked at the badge. His name really had been Piper. He hid the ancient instrument away in his chest cavity before following From Me down the path.

Soon they saw another ornate door up ahead. There was no guard and the light from beyond was brighter by half still. From Me waited for Magnus to go on ahead of her.

It was a room of indeterminate size that was somehow dark inside no matter what it had looked like beyond. Just walking through the portal made his carapace tingle like he was improperly grounded while standing near a powerstation.

Magnus glanced around, unsure of what to make of this new phenomena. Then he got a real shock when he turned back to From Me. She was as tall as he was ... even if still physically insubstantial and unarmored. He knew her. She was radiant like nothing he’d ever seen or imagined before. Not even the lowest levels of the crypt could compare.

The darkness around them wasn’t dark, even if it wasn’t light either, and they weren’t alone.

He turned to face another, two actually. Like faces without substance. Unpleasant faces a bit like the desiccated visage of a Quintesson.

Between them stood himself. Or an image of himself at the very least. The name on the badge was “Primus.”

“Greetings, Mightiest Primus.” the one on his right said in a somewhat feminine voice.

Me.... Primus.... Like the others still here?...

“They would weep who could see thy abode but not live there.” Magnus quoted the eleventh verse of the ninth essay of Tannas’ Ontology.

That drew a surprised and disgusted look from the speaker even as the other seemed to scowl.

“So you know where you are?” the other broke the silence with a definitely more baritone voice.

Magnus nodded, this was the Allspark.

“To live a life without regret and to endure even knowing the truth behind truths!” From Me boldly stepped forward and firmly took his arm.

There was more than a hint of bitterness in her voice. Though in a different language, he couldn’t help but recognize it as some of the exact same words found in Primacron’s Till All Are One.

The face with the masculine voice regarded From Me: “Daughter of Quevald, YOU bear only our imprint.... This bears consideration.”

“You have seen. Return your way. Great Primus.” the other had regained her composure enough to dismiss them from the vision.

“Magnus.”

This time the masculine one expressed astonishment.

“My name is Magnus!” and with that he turned to leave on his own terms.

From Me had been right. Even if it was Tannas that he held dear, she had known what to say and whom to quote. There was no more doubt or shame.

Emerging from the Allspark they were again as they had been, radiant and beyond polished versions of themselves to be sure, but they were once again back on Cybertron.

From Me might be tiny, but she didn’t seem so anymore. Nor did she seem weak. And even if this shining glory she now possessed failed her – as it probably soon would – Magnus couldn’t bring himself to believe that he would ever look at her the same way again.

“I am glad you will remain Magnus.” she smiled broadly.

He nodded: “Come, we have some work to do.”

First he moved Piper off of the path. Carried him back to where Primus was.

For a moment he regarded the old leader with folded arms.

“It will not do to have you become lonely.” he said at last, “From Me, will you handle the pedestal for me?”

He carefully lifted Primus up, making sure the rod was accounted for, and started back up the path. Behind him he heard From Me labor over the pedestal. He assumed a slow and respectful formal march to let her keep up without letting on he was doing her any favors. When at last he saw where Cezar was he shifted Chronos to seem to hold him more respectfully still.

Several of the honor guard responded to their presence.

“I want you to make sure he doesn’t get lonely.” Magnus commanded.

One of the guards moved with something like an attempt at haste to help From Me with the pedestal. She shooed him away and finally managed to scoot the thing into place, just a few paces farther down the path from Cezar in a well placed and suitable alignment so he could be viewed in his own right somecycle.

He returned Chronos to his pedestal like he’d been before. Returned his rod to where it should be.

The mobile guards glanced among themselves silently till their own piper, smiling, raised his hand, giving the thumbs up. They shuffled their positions to now surround Chronos too.

“I’ll be back every so often to check on you lot.” Magnus said before holding out his hand to From Me, “My Lady, would you like to ride or to walk?”

“I think I shall walk.”

​

The Beginning​

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