Transtech Revived

Comments on "Advanced A.I.":

I'd always thought that having the Quintessons or Unicron behind the reformatting was one explanation for it. If you take the view that the reformatting was for the express purpose of weakening Cybertron, it does make sense that the Transformers oldest enemies might try something as far-reaching as altering the entire planet and its population.

The question that raises is this: if the reformatting was a plan by Unicron to weaken the planet, then who was Optimus talking to when he was offline and seemed to be speaking to the Allspark? Are you going to set this up as an illusion created by Unicron, or something along those lines?

New Allies:

Not as much to say on this one. Interesting how time passed differently in and outside the Oracle, or at least the perception of time. Odd to see Obsidian calling Cheetor 'pussy cat', though his motivations for acting are sound. Cybertron comes first for him, as it should.

Interesting stuff. Keep it coming!

Inside the fake Oracle is similar to another place some characters will visit eventually. I guess you could say for every megacyle that passes, inside only about 10 cycles pass. So it's like a 1/6th ratio. This fake Oracle has an artificial intelligence that allows it to think for itself while still be bound to it's masters will. So whether it's truely self-aware or not is unknown, but, under pressure it can still act and respond quickly. When Optimus questioned if what he was doing was right or not, it responded by creating an illusion of the allspark/matrix where Rhinox strengthened his resolve. So Rhinox did not repent. His thoughts in death are also unknown. Basically, it's an advanced computer that f*cks with people. The next portion, which I'm gonna write tonight, will shift focus from the Maximals to a certain someone. Maybe a rehashed character, but, it's like yin and yang. Can't have one without the other.

Note: In this case, Ops didn't die. His body was 'temporarly displaced' and datatracks altered so he wouldn't remember where he was. More on that in later chapters.

Well, that was quick. Enjoy. Hehe...

The Minion:

The pain. The pain never ended. Eternity, was pain. His existance, became pain. It didn't matter how much he screamed, how much he begged for mercy. It never ended. He was a laughing stock. His comrades saw him as a joke and a failure. Cybertron looked down upon him as if he were a clown. The laughing never ended. He wanted a higher purpose. To be feared, respected, and obeyed. Even in death, it was his desire. Not that it was an option. He couldn't understand why it disappeared, but, the vivid imagery of Cybertron and his enemies laughing at him faded. Faded into nothingness. Blackness, everywhere. It was then he heard a deep, powerful, and frightening voice.

"I hope I have your attention as I hope your afterlife has been... unpleasent." He could see nothing, but, he'd always had a clear perception. However, this voice seemed to come from everywhere.

"Whose there? Show yourself?! Face me, coward!"

"Do not anger me. Unless, you enjoyed... This!" The imagery returned, but, it was brief. The darkness surrounded him again.

"What do you want from me?!"

"Ahh, to the point. I like that. Consider this your summoning. You are a brilliant mind, and a manipulative leader. I respect that. Very few posess the ability to sway minds, the way you do. That is why I need you."

Need him? Why? What is this voice getting at? "Is this what you 'summoned' me for? To praise me? Not that I mind. I rather enjoy my ego being stroked, but, ...get to the point already!"

"You do not command me! Feel lucky, I do not continue your punishment longer! This punishment!" The imagery returned and dispersed again.

"Alright, alright! Enough already... I will obey. Just no more of that."

"Good. Now listen. You failed to achieve your dream. Your goal. Your purpose for existance. Now, you'll serve me. My goal. My dream. My reason for my very long existance. I am far beyond the power of death. And life is not far beyond my grasp. To give life, I am capable. I am offering you life. A new life. One of servitude to me. Can you accept that?"

"I serve no..." Thinking about it carefully, having to see those laughing faces again was not worth resistance. Perhaps, with new life, he can find freedom... and the ability to destroy this entity, and make him suffer. "Very well, command me, master." That was hard to choke up.

"You make me proud already. Soon, a light will befall you. And when it disappears, you will be back on Cybertron. Await my orders. Even if you must wait... an eternity."

"What?! An eternity?! How can anyone wait that..." He was cut off by a blinding light. Brighter than any star. It was then it dispersed. He felt diagnostics being run. A symtom of life. His optics booted up. He was in a manufacturing facility. One of the days inventory. There were others near, all coming online for the first time... or second even.

"Go on, get out of here. Move it, single file. Out the door with ya. I'm sick of looking at you all." The supervisor clearly wanted to go home already. Many couldn't grasp what was happening, but, he knew all too well. He was online, his memories intact. Now came something he'd dreamed of in his own personal pit. Revenge.

"Yesssss..."

yeaay megsie's back woow

A New Threat:

One by one every new Predacon exited the manufacturing facility after giving themselves a name. Using the touch pad he searched the database for the name he desired. After locating it he had noticed the name was banned. Apprarently, the Predacon's don't want another as troublesome as he'd been. He waited for all the others to exit until it was just him and the tech-head in charge of updating the database with new identification tags. He looked through the holographic screen and noticed one bot had remained whom had not given his identity yet. "Hey, you! We're closing up, so pick a name and get out of here already! I haven't got time for Predacons flawed with indecisiveness!"

The bot turned to him with a grin that fragmented his processors. In most aspects the bot was quite frightening. He looked civil enough, but there was something genuinely evil in his presence. The tech-head didn't let that stop him with the insults. "What?! Got damage in the datatracks?! I said..." The bot started approaching him. He walk was condescending, and there was a hint of lust in his eyes. A lust for power. The bot passed by his desk and stopped at the exit. Pressing a nearby button the entire room locked up. "Hey get away from that!" The tech-head stood from his desk and started heading for the door to push this bot out of the way only to be stopped in his tracks as the very large hand of this bot grasped him around his throat, lifting him with one arm off the ground.

"If you wish for your death to be as painless as possible I'd suggest you cooperate with me." His voice was deep and cold, yet, sophisticated. This bots stare was enough crash a weaker Predacon's motherboard. "Here's how this is going to work. I'm going to sit you back in your desk and you're going to alter the inventory for the day. You see, my shell was never created. Understand?" The tech-head nodded unable to so much as look at him in the eye. "Is that fear I sense? Why, yesss, it is. How delightful. I think once you finish here you deserve a nice vacation... permanently."

For the next twenty cycles the tech-head began obeying the bots instructions. Eventually he altered any data that this bot had come online. Once finished he could feel his impending doom was inevitable. He'd hoped, had he cooperated, the bot would have had a change of spark, but, that was clearly not the case. Making the tech-head walk in front of him, slowly, they made their way out of the facility to a nearby scrapyard. After the Great War ended, Vos, a once great Decepticon city, was turned into a tomb. It became an infamous wasteland where the bodies of murder victims were dumped. Not even the bravest of Maximals would enter, in fear, the rumors were true, of it being haunted.

"Ahhh, yess. Vos. A lovely vacation resort for those unfortunate victims, whom, angered a short-tempered Predacon, stupid enough to stick their noses into another Predacons business, seen the face of a Predacon whom does not wish to be seen, or, like in my case... all three." He grasped the tech-heads throat again and held him off the ground again, squeezing so tightly, the metal, coils and wires began compact sending his circuits into a fritz. Diagnostics were giving warning signals he could not address.

"Why are you doing this?! I won't tell anyone, I promise! Just let me go!" A lesser Predacon might have sympathized with him, but, this bots grin widened.

"Ahh, such a noble promise, I'm sure you'd keep, but, I'm afraid I won't risk it. Enjoy the pit. And let Cybertron know...," He began squeezing harder, his fingers ripping through the neck of the tech-head, "Megatron has returned! Ahhh hahaha!" His laughing was the last sound the tech-heads receptors would pick-up on. Soon one coil was all that was left holding the body and head together. Megatron held the body over the cliff to the dumping grounds when the coil snapped and the body fell in. He brought the lifeless head towards his own, facing him. "Now, my first order of business, is to deal with those meddlesome Maximals whom dared interfere with my great conquest of this universe!" As he said this he tossed the head into the distance. "And the other, I'll deal with soon enough."

c'mon megsie

The Decision:

In the great hall of the citadel, the three high elders were discussing what to do with Cheetor and the others. "I understand that it is plausable the timelines were, indeed, altered, but, to think that these Maximals could function properly in our current society is not logistically sound. Especially not the supposed, Vehicon generals. If they did serve the rogue Megatron then they are a liability." Black Convoy approached this meeting like any other. He was cautious. Perhaps too cautious at times. A diagnostic drone could blow an exhaust port on neutral territory in a slum, and he'd wanna updated status to code orange.

"I'm only suggesting we give them time to adjust to these unfamilar surrounding. They have been through much and deserve the freedoms we offer all citizens. As for Obsidian and Strika, we could offer them Predacon priviledges. Same job opportunities and real estate options, but, with careful monitoring and the lack of permission to obtain a leathal weapon." Omega Prime was often considered the most 'compassionate' of the Primes. He wasn't the strongest, or the most politically adept, but his calm, patient demeanor won him over amongst the Maximal community.

"Are you kidding me?! I can accept the Maximals, but, the 'Vehicon' generals. They claim to have served Megatron! His insanity was ten-fold then that of his namesake! I don't care if they accept that their 'war' is over. They are and always will be a liabilty!"

"While I agree with your relectance to the 'Vehicon' generals, they are still Maximals and we are required to treat them as such. Therefore, I agree with Omega Prime. Revoke their status to that of a Predacon and begin close monitoring of their personal lives." Leo Primes and Omega Primes decisions outnumbered that of Black Convoy.

"As usual, take the side of the pacifist..." Black Convoy was not happy with their decision. It seems, that often, in their decision making, he's always being over looked.

"This is not taking sides Black Convoy! They are two of Cybertrons greatest war heroes. They deserve better than to be imprisoned as you suggested." Leo Prime hoped he would not regret his choice.

"And the Maximals?" Omega Prime asked.

"Given, they seem to have no rememberance of how things are run, they will be reeducated, along with the with Obsidian and Strika. Once they complete this educating, they can go back to the lives they had, before the Beast Wars. This meeting of the high elders, is adjurned."

Outside the great hall, the Maximals and Vehicon generals awaited their fates. "You know, I'd much rather be fighting you two then have to go through all this." Silverbolt pointed to Obsidian and Strika as he said this.

"Couldn't agree with ya' anymore fly-boy. This is why I hate politicians. All talk, no action." Rattrap amused himself.

"With the transition of the time streams I'm surprised you can still call me fly-boy. I could have ended up in a cycle form, like you. Fortunately, I can keep my name as is. I've grown quite fond of it." Silverbolt added.

"I don't know what you could call me. I've been reduced to a speedster, a form that lacks the ability to create fear in my rivals." Blackarachnia missed her former organic form.

"Look, regardless of what happened to our old forms after we returned, now there are more pressing issues. I don't know what you experienced, but, I believe Unicron will attempt to rise again, and we can't allow that to happen." Optimus stated with renewed faith in his friends and would support them till the day his spark would extinguish.

"Unicron rising isn't what's worrying me right now. I wanna know who killed Megabolt!" Nightscream stared at the entrance to the great hall not glancing away once.

"Wait a second. Where did you friend Rhinox go?" Strika observed.

"There was an urgant message from his crew. He left to take it." Cheetor said.

"What's more important than to stop Unicron from rising again?" Obsidian looked at Cheetor. With that the doors to the Great Hall opened as the three high elders emerged. Everyone stood and bowed their heads to them.

"We have reached our decision. Optimus Prime, " Optimus turned his head to Leo Prime, "Cheetor, Rattrap, Silverbolt, Blackarachnia, and Nightscream will remain as part of your new team. You will keep a close eye on them and alert us if anything appears out of the ordinary. Furthermore you must ensure they enter reeducation, so that they understand the changes that have occured on Cybertron since the Beast Wars. Lastly, they are on probation and unable to leave Cybertropolis for the time being."

Cheetor was about to step foward and contest, but, surprisingly, from behind him, Obsidian placed his hand on his shoulder. Cheetor looked back at him and Obsidian only shook his head. "Understood, sir." Optimus responded.

"As for Obsidian and Strika, you two will have your Maximal priviledges stripped to Predacon status, and too, will be placed into reeducation, and probation. However, we leave you a choice. You can go off on your own way, within the confines of Cybertropolis, where new work must be found, and have close monitoring from our security crew, or, you too can go with Optimus and his crew. The choice is yours." Leo Prime finished and everyone turned their attentions to the Vehicon generals.

"Obsidian, I say we go off our own way. We don't need Prime or his crew." Strika said, speaking softly to Obsidian, had convinced herself they were better off alone.

"I understand your feelings about them, but, what will we do, where will we go. There will be very limited job opportunities. We are considered criminals now. With Optimus at least there will be work, sure, beneath our expertise, yet, still work. Besides, when I interacted with Vector Sigma I was tasked with... well, it would be best I stayed close to them." He glanced over at Cheetor and back at Strika again. "I'd rather you be there by my side old friend." Obsidians eyes gazed at Strika. He would never lie to her, but, would prefer to keep his mission protecting Cheetor to himself for the time being.

She sighed. "Very well."

"Your decision?" Black Convoy waited impatiently.

"We will stay with Optimus and his crew. Perhaps that might one day restore your faith in us again." Obsidian responded.

"Optimus!" Everyone turned their heads towards the entrance to the citadel lobby, where Rhinox was running back to them in quite a rush.

"Rhinox, what's wrong?! Did something happen?!" Optimus ran towards Rhinox till they reached one another, Rhinox leaned over with his hands on his knees catching his energon reserves.

"Not necessarily! My crew found and picked up Waspinator! However, he's acting... strange!" Rhinox raised his arms slightly and shrugged.

"Umm, define strange. Like not himself strange, or, out of his mind strange?" Rattrap asked.

"Out of his mind? Too late for that." Blackarachnia mumbled.

"Both! He has no recollection of myself, is talking in a different voice, refering to himself as Thrust!" Rhinox explained.

"Thrust?!" Everyone, except Optimus, Rhinox, and the elders, exclaimed.

c'mon dude this is exciting

The next part is coming soon. I'm finishing it up. It's quite long too. At least from what I can see

Tweedledee and Tweedledumb:

The group walked outside the Citadel where Rhinox's ship, the Nexus, awaited. It was the same class shuttle as the Axalon, an exploration ship. Serial number 2315-141115. "I see you've done well for yourself since your promotion." Optimus acknowledged.

"Can't say I don't miss the old ragtag crew we had in the Beast Wars. Everyone aboard my ship is by the book. Well, with the exception of Rattrap" Rhinox responded.

"Gee, who does that sound like?" Rhinox sensed the sarcasm in Optimus' voice.

"Very funny."

"If you two are finished, you think, maybe, your friends could explain to us just who Thrust is?" Leo Prime asked in a demanding tone of voice.

"Thrust was one of Megatrons Vehicon generals like us. He ordered the cycle drones, and was undeniably loyal to Megatron." Strika explained.

"Oh gee, it'll be such a pity to have to tell him ol' Megahead is dead." Rattrap mocked.

"Silence rodent!" Strika took great offense to Rattraps remark.

"Easy Strika. We've been through this already." Obsidian said trying to calm his comrad.

"Look, just because Megatron is dead doesn't mean he can insult us for serving him." While the Spark Wars were over, Strika still considered herself a loyal follower of Megatron.

"All of you stop this immediately! I won't have any of this childish bickering!" Black Convoy was hoping for a quiet walk to the Nexus. Finally, they reached the rear walkway leading into the shuttle. Through this passage gave them a good look at the shuttles engine, taking notice of how differenty it looked from the Axalon.

"Whoa! Look at the size of that thing! Never seen an engine... so advanced!" Blackarachnia was impressed with how much had changed since the Beast Wars. The engine was a much larger size than the Axalons with a series of rings rotating around a bright glowing orb, that was the shuttles core.

"Blackarachnia," Optimus said, "you helped design it."

"No way! I don't remember... oh." Blackarachnia had almost forgotten she had no recollection of this new time stream.

"After we returned from the Beast Wars," Rhinox explained, "and notified what had transpired, the elders decided that transwarp technology was too dangerous if in the wrong hands. One of the first orders was the grounding of all nearby Cybertronian shuttles and the dismantling of their engines."

"So far, approximately 97.2% of ships with transwarp technology have been accounted for." Omega Prime added.

"What about the other 2.8%?" Obsidian asked.

"Let's just say some Predacons weren't too happy about the decision." Leo Prime responded.

Rhinox continued, "Regardless, this put a hamper on exploration expeditions and so research for an alternate form of effecient travel was decreed. Blackarachnia and myself volenteered for the project, and were chosen to lead it. Wormholes do make it easier, but, all you need is one rogue Cybertronian to use it for the wrong reasons. Instead we looked into ancient methods of intersteller space travel. More specifically, space bridges."

"You mean primative methods. Come on! Space bridges! Didn't the Decepticons prove that was inefficient with the great energon implosion of 2134 on Earth. Would have loved to see that. I heard their still trying to find all the parts of Shockwave." Rattrap, while amused with his nostogic reference, still felt space bridges weren't a good idea.

"That was over 200 stellar cycles ago. We've advanced far beyond the tech of old days. This new tech uses a fusion stabilizer. The old fusion driver did nothing with the excess energy it created. Sometimes that energy got in the energon reserves causing a chain reaction that... well, Shockwave could probably tell you best. The stabilizer takes that excess energy and and converts it to energon stored in the ships reserves. When the reserves are full the ship diverts it to its internal systems, which the computer can use for stasis pods, weapon systems, etc. Once the core is active it opens a gateway from point A to point B. When you enter, you instantaneously reach your destination."

"If it can open a gateway from point A to B, what if point B is in the past or future?" Cheetor was curious what made this so different from transwarp tech.

"Well, first of all, travelling to the future is an impossiblity. You have to know where you're travelling to. Dinobot put it best. The future is not fixed. If we don't know when, where, and why, we can't go there. As for the past? The core opens a direct portal. Portals have no means to access the past. Let's say you open a portal from Kaon to Cybertropolis. If its morning where you are then it will be the appropriated time in your destination, time zones applied."

"However, there is that one miniscule probability." Black Convoy added.

"Umm, miniscule probability?" Silverbolt didn't like the way Black Convoy said that.

Rhinox sighed. "Well, it still has yet to occur, but there is a very small percentage that the core will open a portal in the exact location, at the exact time, however, in an alternate reality."

"Alternate reality?! You're talking inter-dimensional travel, aren't ya?" Rattrap pointed out.

"That's right. But, as I said, the percentage is really small." Rhinox emphisized.

"How small are we talking?" Blackarachnia asked.

"0.0003765%." Rhinox answered.

"Well, at least you weren't sugar coating it." Obsidian didn't see what the fuss was all about.

"Regardless, this driver makes deep space travel faster, and more reliant." Rhinox finished.

"Wait, you said that the stabilizer converts the excess energy to energon, and diverts it to other systems. What happens to the energy when all systems are fully powered? Eventually, the remaining energy will turn this ship into a radioactive oven, cooking eveything on board." Cheetor realized.

"Not necessarly. The ship has a waste containment that stores the unused energy. When the tank is 95% full we drop into low orbit of a nearby planet where the energy is discharged. This usually takes about 30 cycles to complete. You can travel for about 2 solar cycles before a discharge is needed." Rhinox finished.

This seemed to satisfy their curiousity where they remained quiet until they reached the holding cells. "I damand you release me now. Megatron will not take my imprisoning lightly." They could hear Thrusts complaints down the long corridor.

"That's definately Thrust." Strike noted.

"Why are there significantly more holding cells than the Axalon?" Blackarachnia wondered aloud.

"Given your reports from the Beast Wars, two cells wouldn't be enough to cage them all." Leo Prime answered.

Upon reaching Thrusts cell they noticed that it was Waspinators body that was contained in the cell. "Well, Tweedledee in Tweedledumbers body." Rattrap couldn't resist.

Thrust looked over at Rattrap. "I know that voice. The mouse!" He'd never forget the wise-cracking insults Rattrap was known for, contrary to his new form. It appeared as if Rattrap transformed into a small scouting cycle. He also noticed that Rattrap, while still the smallest of the group, was much taller than before. "Looks like the pipsqueak finally hit his growth spurt."

"Hoohoo, the unicycle made a good one. Not as good as me, but not bad either." Rattrap, easily convinced that he is the king of wise-cracks.

"So it would appear in the alteration of the time stream, that Thrust was the dominent personality." Strika said, noting that Thrust endured in Waspinators body.

"Strika?! You're here too? Why are you with the Maximals?!" Thrust was feeling betrayed by his own kind.

"Strika and I, made the logical choice of moving on beyond the Spark Wars. Megatron is gone and there is no sense in holding our grudge when there is nothing left to fight for." Obsidian was trying to clear things up for Thrust.

"Obsidian?! You too?!" Thrust couldn't believe the descension of his former comrads. "With the fall of our master you would descend to the Maximals?! And you called yourselves Vehicons! How dare you disgrace the name of our lord, and give up the fight for the preservation of Cybertron?!"

"Perhaps you failed to notice that Cybertron is back to normal. There is no more technorganic, and we have since abandoned our former cause?" Silverbolt attempted to clear up.

"Uhh, it is? Man, what happened while I was out?" Thrust was unable to piece it altogether.

"What do you mean by 'out'?" Blackarchnia asked.

"I guess there's no harm in telling ya'." For the next megacycle, Thrust explained all that had happened to him since the time stream altered. He claimed the last thing he recalled, before the change, was he went offline when Cheetor removed his Spark. When he awoke, he was on board a strange shuttle with Cybertronian he could not identify, at the time. He would not explain what was going on and if Thrust attempted to reveal his identity he would wipe his core before he could succeed. Thrust claimed a shell program, similar to Blackarachnia's in the Beast Wars was installed and all conversations and messages would be monitored. The slightest hint at whom this mystery bot was would result in his death. Thrust was never the fearful type, but, this bot scared the willies out of him. After about half a solar cycle, Thrust blacked out. When he awoke, it was days later and he was alone on Cybertron. It was then he was picked up by Rhinox's crew.

"How does one manage to 'black out' for days? It makes no sense. We often only require a few megacycles to recharge." Blackarachnia felt there was something more to this black out.

"If I knew why, I would have told you by now. I'm still trying figure out why, if the Spark Wars never happened, I still exist." Thrust looked down, contemplating why there was any reason for his existance.

"How long ago since you blacked out?" Optimus asked.

Thrust looked up again and thought about it, before shrugging. "I dunno. About 12 or 13 megacyles ago. Why? You don't think I'd black ou..." Thrusts optics went dark as his straightened body fell back on the floor.

"Hehe, talk about convenience." Rattrap was happy he didn't have to hear more of Thrusts yacking.

"What?! How did you know Optimus?" Leo Prime thought it was too convenient.

"I didn't. I was just curious. I thought, perhaps, if it wasn't long ago, that there might still be evidence of the location where he woke and whom he was with." Optimus stroked his faceplate.

"Maybe this mystery bot is causing the black outs." Cheetor suggested.

Just then Blackarachnia noticed Thrusts optics coming back on. "Look!"

"Well, that didn't take long?" Black Convoy noted. Thrust got up to his feet holding his head. He seemed in a daze and unaware of his surroundings. Optimus approached him.

"Thrust? Thrust?" He didn't respond to Optimus. "Thrust, are you alright?"

"Why is Waspinator in prison cell?" A familiar voice emenated from his vocal processors.

"Wha...?!" Everyone responded in unison, they optics widening and glowing.