Fic! Renewal, Part Nine
The last time I posted a chapter in March, the next update came in August, so, uh, at least I've got one up on that..? Except that, sadly, that was last year and this same fic.....
I'm going to do what I should have all along and include story info. Characters are listed by scene/order of appearance.
Title: Renewal
Series: Transformers Movie 2007
Rating: PG (mild language)
Characters: Bluestreak, Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Dirge, Thundercracker, and various Decepticons;
Trailbreaker, Skywarp, Epps;
Tracks, Firestar, Swindle;
Chromia, Sam, Mikaela, Bumblebee, Arcee
Author's Note: This is a last minute attempt to tie in Bumblebee's concern for Sam and Mikaela in Reunions to the new movie. I HAVE NOT SEEN REVENGE OF THE FALLEN YET. I DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING. PLEASE DON'T POST COMMENTS WITH SPOILERS. This is also to tie in some pre-planned mixing with the Dreamwave universe, for, if you can spot the references, I'm throwing a little bit of every continuity in as I go along. ;)
Renewal - Part Nine
"Prime! Down!"
Optimus threw himself to the deck as Bluestreak let fly a stream of rifle fire over him at Ramjet. His aim was true, striking a wound opened by Prime, and something exploded, causing the Decepticon to turn sideways and slam into Thrust. Both crashed onto the deck and slid just feet from Optimus. He paid them no heed as he hauled himself up and staggered over to join the rest of the team. He leaned one arm heavily against the side of the tower as he took stock of their condition, only to be met by Ratchet's studious gaze.
The medic was scanning his injuries. Optimus turned to let him assess the severed fuel lines on the left side of his back. "Fixable, if we have three, maybe four minutes."
Prime looked to Bluestreak. "Where is Thundercracker?"
"Still below, if not invisible." The gunner kept his rifle trained on the two jets.
"We'll assume he's on his way." Optimus glanced across the deck, listening for sounds of the Decepticons below. All he heard was Ratchet rising and moving to stand behind him.
"The Hercules should be on its way," the medic commented as he sealed the leaking tubes. "Should we try to contact the pilot?"
"Not yet." As Ratchet stepped back Optimus turned to look at him then Bluestreak. "Have either of you received word from Arcee?"
"No."
"No." Ratchet knelt to continue working on Dirge. The former prisoner was watching him dully, his optics barely lit.
Prime tapped the side of his helm. "Arcee, do you read? This is Prime, over." Bluestreak spared him a questioning glance. "Jammed," he said. "Soundwave is still operational." He and the gunner both shifted toward the tower entrance. Optimus took half a step, then Ratchet suddenly looked up, alert.
"Audio receptors to low, now!"
A second later Optimus felt what he was referring to. A deep reverberation was building from below the deck. They could dampen the sound but they could feel the vibration of it. It wasn't a sound made by Tidal Wave.
It was something meant to incapacitate him.
Ratchet manually adjusted Dirge's audio receptors since he had no indication the damaged mech would accept the suggestion. A moment later the sound reached the surface, the concussive force pushing Prime away from the tower entrance. It was like a sonic boom amplified fivefold -- and that was after traveling through the ship. The strength at its source must have been even more powerful.
Having not received the warning, out on the deck Ramjet and Thrust were thrashing around, their systems disrupted and preventing them from being able to transform and escape. Bluestreak gave up holding his aim on them, concerning himself instead with keeping to his feet as the floor shook violently.
When it stopped the three Autobots looked at each other, then waited, expectant glances shifting to the tower entrance. Optimus cautiously brought his audio receptors back to normal input. He raised his gun as he heard footsteps on the stairs, though lowered it as Thundercracker's head cleared the doorway. The Neutral gave him a quick nod then pulled something from his shoulder -- an arm ending in clawed fingers, which left behind several puncture wounds. He tossed the arm to Ratchet. "Parts for you. Can we evac him?"
"Yes. If the plane returns," Ratchet replied, stripping wires from the limb.
"The plane?" Thundercracker effected a smirk. "Tidal Wave is down along with the others. We have a ship."
Prime shook his head. "That would bring the Decepticons right to the humans' doorstep."
"What were you planning to do with them, then? Sink them again? There are plenty of large scale Decepticons that could take the form of this type of vessel and fish them out. Or if word has gotten out -- and Soundwave had plenty of time to do it -- they might skip the disguise altogether. We were lucky they bothered this time. We should put them all in stasis lock and hold them until someone makes a move -- the Combaticons are still out there and we will probably hear from them soon. And we should completely destroy Megatron's shell to be certain this time."
Ratchet had stopped what he was doing and was studying Thundercracker critically. His optics flashed as he ran an open scan. "You need a recalibration."
"It can wait."
"And--" Ratchet paused when his scan showed a small shape tucked inside Thundercracker's outer rib assembly.
Realizing what he had seen, Thundercracker gently removed Blues' body and laid it on the ground. "I presumed Broadcast would want him back. I didn't want to leave him down there amongst them. The shell is not functional but deserves better."
Ratchet nodded and said quietly, "I am sure Broadcast will appreciate the gesture." He looked to Prime. "I support the idea of using Tidal Wave as transport to land. When I finish here I will ensure that the Decepticons remain in stasis lock."
Optimus gave a nod. "I may need you to access the manual controls."
"That will be next, then."
Bluestreak wandered across the deck to confirm the status of Thrust and Ramjet. Both appeared to be knocked out. He prodded Ramjet's head with his rifle. "I don't know. Even stasis lock seems risky." He placed the end of the rifle against the middle of the Decepticon's forehead.
"With Megatron completely gone they might choose to switch sides, or become neutral," Thundercracker replied. "Everyone deserves that chance." He glanced toward Dirge.
Bluestreak removed the rifle and glanced back at Thundercracker, weighing the comment. "Let's hope that works on a large scale." His expression was disturbingly grim as he added, "But we should disable Soundwave. He's dangerous even when offline."
"Even Soundwave will take a while to recover from that boom," Thundercracker assured them. "But I agree he would need watching. Ratchet, I would like to talk with Dirge. I will tend him while you see to the others."
The medic waited long enough to wield an armor patch back into place before standing and following Optimus below deck. Bluestreak remained by the two jets, keeping watch for the returning C-130. Thundercracker knelt and did his own scan of the damaged mech. "Dirge, I know you are aware. You have a chance to live now. What will you do?"
The red optics brightened a little, defiant. "I will not join the Autobots. But... I will not harm them, either."
Thundercracker nodded. "They can give you full repairs and you will be free to go afterward. You can be a Neutral, as I am, and we can do work elsewhere. From what I have learned of its history, I doubt this planet will suffer us."
"I will... think about it."
~*~
Ratchet was impressed by the effects of a full force boom when he saw it for himself. His readings indicated instant stasis lock, the system disruptions guaranteed to last for several hours. As Bluestreak feared, however, Soundwave was already recalibrating even if it would take those hours to bring him completely online. Ratchet quickly lengthened the delay before checking each of the Constructicons. Scrapper had been the one to ignominiously donate his arm to Dirge's repairs.
Meanwhile, Optimus went over to inspect Megatron's depleted shell, taking readings as well. There was residual energy from the power system but all trace of a spark was gone. He would have liked to know the details first hand.
He would also have liked to know if Jazz had been successfully extracted. He had glimpsed two small bots in Arcee's arms but it had been more important to keep Thrust and Ramjet busy than to confirm anything. Yet with Soundwave down now he might be able to contact the rest of his troops and find out.
There was one more thing he needed to do first.
He turned Megatron's body over and opened his chest cavity, finding the spark chamber. He used his blade to sever all of the cables, then removed the chamber. He placed it against the remains of the main console then drew back his arm and, with only a second's hesitation, brought the blade down, slicing through what would hopefully be the only means to try to bring Megatron back. The two pieces of the spark chamber fell to opposite sides, not so much as a flicker of electricity in their wake. Optimus was satisfied that they had finally seen the last of the Decepticon leader.
Ratchet waited silently, assessing Megatron's shell from a distance. When Optimus turned to him, he said ruefully, "I am sure you want the entire shell disposed of, and I would heartily agree, although I must offer the irony of using the material to complete repairs on Dirge."
"Better not to chance it. It was horrifying enough that Megatron could be sustained by the sparks of others. I almost wouldn't put it past him to become infused within his armor itself."
"Haunted plating. A disturbing thought. I'm not sure I could scientifically support that. But then, as you said, no one knew consuming the sparks of others could result in what we saw. He did live again, he was cognizant, and he did try to stop Broadcast."
"Speaking of whom, I'm going topside to try to reach Arcee. I should be able to get through now." He glanced toward Soundwave. Ratchet nodded and moved off to inspect some of the equipment. "Will you be all right by yourself?"
"There is nothing else online or living around this area. I will be fine."
"Very well." Prime exited and took the stairs two at a time, hauling on the railing for balance. He felt confident that they finally had things in hand. When he reached the deck he nodded to Thundercracker and Bluestreak, then opened an Autobot-only hailing frequency. "Arcee, do you read? This is Optimus Prime. We have secured Tidal Wave. What is your status?"
Her response was immediate. "I'm relieved to hear from you, sir. I haven't been able to get through. There has been trouble. Tom Banachek has turned on us. He took over the Edwards base and diverted all operations. D.C. said they have it under control now, but it looks like there's a problem there as well. I lost contact with them just minutes ago. It seems Swindle is involved, too, although from how it sounded, he's a victim for once."
Prime shuttered his optics, fists clenching at his sides. Bluestreak noticed the change and lowered his rifle, his own disappointment settling heavily. "What is the current status of our teams?" She gave him an update on everyone's location.
He hailed Prowl. "Yes, Prime?"
"I'm putting you in complete charge of operations until I can return to land. Have Tracks and Firestar search for Swindle and Banachek. Keep alert for any more surprises. We're on our way."
"Affirmative."
~*~
Trailbreaker transformed the moment he cleared the garage. He had a building between him and Skywarp, but he could see the top of the Decepticon's head over the roof. The cover didn't mean much to protect the Autobot, so he dashed around it, force field generator cranked to full capacity and prepared to reverse in hopes he could contain Skywarp as he had Rumble. Skywarp was bigger and more geared toward fighting, however, so Trailbreaker had no idea if the tactic would work a second time.
As he rounded the corner he saw that Skywarp was just standing there, facing a line of brave policemen and the beginnings of a National Guard line of defense. The Decepticon was posing in a menacing fashion yet appeared to be... making faces at the humans. They didn't know what it was, probably seemed to them like he was threatening them, but Trailbreaker knew the pattern of shifting face plates. He shook his head. Skywarp was a strange bird. A deadly one, but his love for pranks made one wonder at his intelligence sometimes.
At least it gave the Guard and Epps' specialized team time to get into place. Trailbreaker decided to risk buying them a little more time. He got as close to the busy Decepticon as he could then activated his reversed force field, starting it between Skywarp and the humans, and hoping he could seal it before his opponent retaliated.
Skywarp did turn as the yellow-tinged field came into existence. He pivoted and glared at Trailbreaker, then made a mocking face. The Autobot held his gaze, glaring hard.
"Just one Autobot to face me? And the slowest of the lot? Come on, I know there are more of you here! Where's the little data nerd? Is that how you Autobots work now? Leaving one to fight a big bad Decepticon all on his own?"
Trailbreaker could just imagine Rattlelatch cringing at being called out. "Oh, stow it, Skywarp. Don't underestimate the numbers we Autobots have on our side. What about you? Do you have a petition for Congress? Do the Decepticons want to make a formal apology to the President? You aren't my first pick for the language of diplomats."
Skywarp sneered, then hissed in Cybertronian, "The days are numbered for these fleshlings. Are you really that stupid?"
He heard the Autobot reply, "No!" in Cybertronian, but in English Trailbreaker said, "Now!" and a dozen humans scurried out from behind him and fired through the section of force field not yet closed. To their relief the sabot rounds still worked to damage Decepticon armor.
Skywarp hissed again and thrashed as the assault stung him in numerous places. This was not part of the plan. He lunged forward, extending his arm panels to shove Trailbreaker. The force field retreated for a moment from the Autobot's concentration being broken. Skywarp threw himself past the gap, tried to step on some humans as he landed, then jumped up into the air and activated his thrusters -- knocking humans off their feet and causing them to clutch their ears, he was pleased to see. He hissed at Trailbreaker again, then transformed and shot off -- disappearing into nothingness three seconds later.
Trailbreaker tried to scan for him, but the Decepticon's teleportation range ran farther than his equipment. He turned instead to check on the humans. Epps was there, helping a man to his feet who was cradling one of his arms. Trailbreaker put in a call for medical help, then transformed and encouraged the lesser injured men to get in.
"What the hell was that about?" Epps asked angrily as he helped his charge into the passenger seat.
"More than it seemed," Trailbreaker cautioned. "Decepticons don't just randomly pop in, trade insults, and leave. It may have been a warning." As he spoke, his radio emitted a crackle and they could hear faint chatter about the sudden appearance and disappearance of an oddly colored F-22 near Andrews Air Force Base. Trailbreaker rumbled unhappily. "Couldn't keep up with him even if I could track him. We'll just have to get everyone on alert. He could be going anywhere." Trailbreaker fell into a disappointed silence as a medic came over to do a quick evaluation of his passengers.
Epps gazed at the last spot Skywarp had occupied while on the ground. "Yeah. And after we hear how Optimus' team is doing, I think we all need to go on the offensive. If all the 'Con's aren't with their leader, they could be anywhere on the planet."
Elsewhere in the area, a small group of robots were settling into their new cover modes. A message went out on a secure Decepticon frequency, beyond the reach of Rattlelatch's communication modifications. "Thanks for the ride, 'Warpie. Have fun gettin' home." It was followed by an unhinged cackle and several curses. Not long after, the humans lost random, but important, communication lines.
~*~
Tracks broke through the cloud cover as he shot past Firestar. Their target was in sight, going about ninety miles an hour on the long stretch of highway that seemed to go nowhere. Yet the two Autobots assumed nothing about the appearance of the landscape. There was always going to be one more hidden Sector Seven installation.
"I'm sure he has registered us," Tracks said over an encrypted line, "but I think we should hold back and see where he is going. We might gain insight to his plans and be able to send word to Prowl and avoid another betrayal."
"Agreed." They both moved to a higher altitude and began scanning ahead for anomalies in the surroundings. They didn't locate the one they suspected until Swindle pulled off the highway and sped toward a sheer outcropping of rocks about a mile into the desert. The Autobots had to grant Sector Seven that; they knew their isolated locales. It seemed the red car was going to crash into the rock, but then it braked hard, doing a 180 turn. The two in the air heard a loud cry in Cybertronian as sparks came from Swindle's undercarriage. When the car stopped completely, Banachek climbed out of the driver's side.
Tracks and Firestar veered before they came close enough to be seen, keeping watch on Banachek via radar as they made wide circles to come back around. The human appeared to slam his hand on Swindle's hood, then he walked through the rock face to the hidden section behind the facade. Neither Autobot could discern what type of cloaking technology was involved.
They landed, transformed, and cautiously approached Swindle in case he had faked the distress call. But they were greeted by a genuinely desperate voice. "Thank the Vok! I knew you had to be there. I never let on to Banachek, I swear! He's got a dampener on me! Don't touch the wall! He said something about only organics from this point on. Believe me, it can't be anything good. He's insane, I tell you!"
"Hush up," Tracks snapped. "Did it occur to you that he may have bugged you as well?"
Swindle uttered a burst of apologetic static. The two Autobots walked around him, scanning for devices that could be transmitting to the human. They correctly suspected that there was equipment broadcasting to elsewhere -- as if Swindle would halt all business even when he was a captive.
The motion they had seen from Banachek had been the placement of a subsonic inhibitor, Swindle explained, after they described the device on his hood. It kept him from transforming. Unbeknownst to the human, Swindle had the answering device to cancel it. He instructed Firestar to open his trunk, close it, then open it again. Where it had been empty the first time, the second time it contained something that looked like an extraction container, with four grasping prongs at four opposing points, a stream of energy dancing between them in a cross hairs. "Make sure you center it exactly on the inhibitor or...uhm, I'm not getting up for a while."
Firestar did as instructed and successfully removed the device. Swindle immediately transformed, only to stagger once and fall on his skidplate. He grumbled and recalibrated his gyro stabilizer while Tracks and Firestar inspected the rocks -- yet keeping a subtle watch on Swindle. His camera head was tilted downward, not seeming like a threat, and the two agreed that they could trust him.
"Swindle," Tracks said, "Do you know anything at all about what this might be about?"
"I can't say I believe half of what Banachek told me to trick me into this mess, but it might have something to do with this." He stood and pointed to an image on his chest screen. It was an odd combination of the top three-quarters of the Autobot emblem with the lower half of the Decepticon symbol.
"And what is that supposed to be?"
"Beats me. First time I've ever seen it, and that's saying something. It's got Banachek riled up." Swindle replaced the image with that of a Cybertronian robot from the shoulders up, presumably how he would appear if he had such a head design.
Firestar studied the rocks again. "We need to get in there and find out what is going on. Banachek was our ally. Somehow this thing has changed his mind."
The mech on Swindle's screen moved in accordance when he replied, "Are you really so sure he has been your ally this entire time?"
The Autobots traded glances. "As reports go," Tracks said, suddenly feeling uneasy, "Banachek slipped away from the action at Hoover Dam once Lennox had taken charge of the escape operation and Simmons had gone with Keller's team. After the fight with the Stunticons he also disappeared rather quickly."
Swindle nodded. "Seems to me he likes to observe and not actually get very involved. Did you bots ever profile these Sector Seven characters?" Again the two looked at each other, and both took on guilty countenances. "Presumed too much, then." Swindle's image turned its head back and forth. "A shame you counted on mere logic here -- humans are small and while adaptable still need your help against the Decepticons. True, but not all of them are going to sit back and just complain about you." He showed a news clip of the recent protest outside the White House.
"All right," Tracks snapped again. "You do not need to rub it in our faces. Let's figure out how to get to Banchek, and perhaps we can stop this from getting even more out of hand."
Swindle switched back to the mech's image, which nodded, then he moved to inspect the rock. "EMP shield, if I'm not mistaken. Amped up to fry anything that tries to pass through it. Tuned to Cybertronians specifically, or else it would even interfere with the electrical impulses in human bodies."
"I assume you have something to counter it?" Firestar asked. She folded her arms. "For a price, of course."
"Not exactly. Something that might get past it for us, yes."
"Us?" Tracks looked at him with a raised optic ridge. "So you are allying with the Autobots?"
Swindle pulled himself to his full height, though still shorter than either of them. "I am a good businessbot, you know. You were willing to respond to my request for help. Anyone else might have left me to my fate, whether or not you were actually after Banachek and had no plan to save me. Plus..." He paused, both his camera and screen image searching Tracks' optics. "They've got something that is a threat to all Cybertronian kind, and could have effects across the whole universe. I'm not going to just stand back and watch. So yeah, I'm with you." He put out his hand. With hesitancy Tracks took it and shook in agreement.
Swindle then stepped back and several compartments opened along his sides and legs. He rummaged through them, taking out various small parts. "I have to keep the pieces of this thing separate. They have a habit of reassembling themselves."
"Looks robotic," Tracks commented. "Won't it also be affected by the barrier?"
"It has a little something extra put in by its creator."
"And that would be who?"
"Don't know," Swindle replied cheerfully. "It was a bonus from a deal with the Vok."
"You keep mentioning them. Who are they?"
"Some very nice overlords from Nexus Zero. They understand the balance of, well, everything." He completed the construct and held it within his hands, fingers forming a cage. It was about six inches high and looked something like an insect, but with an oval light on one end instead of a distinct head. The six legs twitched and began to batter at his fingers, the light blinking. Swindle spoke in a language that sounded vaguely related to Cybertronian, then set the construct down. The light stopped blinking and shown ahead like a flashlight. As it scurried toward the facade, Swindle's chest screen filled with static, then resolved into a bug's-eye view of the rock.
"Come on," he ushered the two Autobots toward the side of the outcropping. "In case there's something in there that will start shooting out at intruders when that thing enters." Once in position he watched on his internal feed from the construct while sharing it on his screen. It passed through the barrier unmolested.
Despite Banachek's words about organics, the entrance and tunnel beyond could accommodate an average-sized Cybertronian, based on the scale included on the feed's HUD. The construct was small, but it moved quickly; there were several turns and stretches of downward ramps, but it passed through them as if the three were walking at their own normal pace. As the construct rounded one last corner, there were gasps from all three watchers when they saw what lay at the bottom of the ramp.
To the left and ahead, the walls were inscribed with layers of Cybertronian glyphs, as was the floor, which lowered in tiers. The construct slowed to a cautious crawl, its light going out. There was plenty of illumination in the chamber, anyway, coming from large spotlights shining up from the far right wall. There was a bank of computers and about a dozen humans in archaeological garb moving around, Banachek among them. As the construct slowly turned, it showed that the tiered floor had a raised dais in its center, and upon it was a carving of the symbol Swindle had shown them.
"Fascinating," Swindle murmured. "Here I thought they were hiding an anti-Cybertronian weapon. Instead, they found an ancient Cybertronian...something."
Firestar's professional mien had given way to awe. "But what is something that belongs in one of our temples doing here on Earth?"
Swindle's screen showed the construct going up to the wall and running scans of the nearest glyph, highlighting specific details of it. "It's genuine," he confirmed. "Those were not made by human hands." He looked from one Autobot to the other. "Banachek was trying a bluff. Sector Seven made the barrier, but this is definitely not for organics only." If his camera lens could look sly, it did at that moment. "If I could get a personal scan of those glyphs, I could date them and perhaps prove that this was claimed as Cybertron's territory before the humans began walking upright. We could be the owners of this planet, not them."
Tracks frowned at him, all too aware of how like a Decepticon he sounded. "If anyone from Cybertron came to colonize this place it was never in the history data tracks. We have no claim, with or without a settlement, and unless we can get a complete scan of all of those glyphs, we don't even know the story. It could have been an explorer who set down a record and then wandered off to other solar systems."
"Or perhaps it was erased from the data tracks, and the 'explorer' never left at all." Swindle's screen was focused on one particular set of glyphs. He displayed a translation into modern Cybertronian, then his camera whirred as it refocused in a serious gaze, waiting for their reactions.
"I'm calling Autobase," Tracks blurted. "If anyone knows for certain, it will be Perceptor."
~*~
"Bumblebee, why are there civilians in my full alert base?"
Two humans and a suddenly hunching yellow bot turned to face the wrath of Chromia, standing in the doorway of the communications room and fuming as if they posed egregious harm to her battle strategy.
"Uh, my fault, Ma'am," Sam quickly spoke up from where he sat in Broadcast's chair. "I wanted to see Jazz."
Mikaela, perched on the edge of the console, nodded, rushing to add, "We barely got past an introduction before. It's so great that he's back."
Chromia pointed to the main screen. "That does not look like Jazz."
Arcee, who was the one on the screen, looked just as guilty as the rest of them. "I apologize, Chromia. With contact from D.C. lost, and being able to only wait on Prime's team and Firestar's, I wanted to make contact with who I could."
Chromia glanced from the screen to Bumblebee and back, then shook her head, cycling air out of her vents. "Fine. But what is Jazz's status? And Broadcast?"
"Jazz just stepped out. He is functional although obviously needs to adjust. He seems... depressed, worried about Broadcast. We all are. He is stable, and Moonracer is working on a new spark chamber, but we could really use Ratchet here to help." Arcee looked pained. "I worry that the Decepticons planned this. Split up our forces, hindered our communication lines. I want to go out and stop them, but we obviously underestimated where they all were."
Bumblebee made a sympathetic noise and put one hand against the screen. Arcee did the same, matching her fingertips to his.
Chromia huffed with more vehemence this time. "I want to find and fight them, too."
The others were silent. There was an unspoken rage and resentment in her tone. Fortunately, they were diverted from the subject by a smaller window opening and requesting encryption clearance. Chromia darted forward to input permission. Tracks' face appeared. "Chromia, we have successfully found Banachek's location, and Swindle has allied himself with us. We also found something that... has to be seen to be believed. I want Perceptor to review it."
"May I see, or is it too sensitive?"
"It involves all Cybertronians, so of course you may. Patching to the Ark as well."
Arcee nodded. A third window opened, larger and partially cutting off the visual from the Ark, and a feed as labeled as from Swindle's data tracks played a slow pan around some type of cave covered in glyphs. "Ancient Cybertronian," Chromia exclaimed, her hands gripping the edge of the console. "Where is this?"
As Tracks began to explain, Sam leaned closer to the monitor, first moving to the edge of Broadcast's chair, then setting his hands on the console and slowly crawling forward. Mikaela and Bumblebee were intent on what Tracks was saying and didn't notice until Sam slapped his hands against the screen right over a line of glyphs. Mikaela jumped at the sound.
"Sam, what are you doing? Sam?" He didn't answer, instead rising to his feet and reaching to touch more of the images.
"Sam!" Mikaela and Bumblebee reached for him at the same time, with her being the one to grab his shoulder and turn him toward her. His eyes were distant, almost in a trance. "Sam, are you okay..?" She shook him lightly.
He focused on her for just a second, then turned his gaze back to the screen as the image zoomed in on the set of glyphs Tracks had wanted Perceptor to confirm.
To Be Continued
I'm going to do what I should have all along and include story info. Characters are listed by scene/order of appearance.
Title: Renewal
Series: Transformers Movie 2007
Rating: PG (mild language)
Characters: Bluestreak, Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Dirge, Thundercracker, and various Decepticons;
Trailbreaker, Skywarp, Epps;
Tracks, Firestar, Swindle;
Chromia, Sam, Mikaela, Bumblebee, Arcee
Author's Note: This is a last minute attempt to tie in Bumblebee's concern for Sam and Mikaela in Reunions to the new movie. I HAVE NOT SEEN REVENGE OF THE FALLEN YET. I DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING. PLEASE DON'T POST COMMENTS WITH SPOILERS. This is also to tie in some pre-planned mixing with the Dreamwave universe, for, if you can spot the references, I'm throwing a little bit of every continuity in as I go along. ;)
Renewal - Part Nine
"Prime! Down!"
Optimus threw himself to the deck as Bluestreak let fly a stream of rifle fire over him at Ramjet. His aim was true, striking a wound opened by Prime, and something exploded, causing the Decepticon to turn sideways and slam into Thrust. Both crashed onto the deck and slid just feet from Optimus. He paid them no heed as he hauled himself up and staggered over to join the rest of the team. He leaned one arm heavily against the side of the tower as he took stock of their condition, only to be met by Ratchet's studious gaze.
The medic was scanning his injuries. Optimus turned to let him assess the severed fuel lines on the left side of his back. "Fixable, if we have three, maybe four minutes."
Prime looked to Bluestreak. "Where is Thundercracker?"
"Still below, if not invisible." The gunner kept his rifle trained on the two jets.
"We'll assume he's on his way." Optimus glanced across the deck, listening for sounds of the Decepticons below. All he heard was Ratchet rising and moving to stand behind him.
"The Hercules should be on its way," the medic commented as he sealed the leaking tubes. "Should we try to contact the pilot?"
"Not yet." As Ratchet stepped back Optimus turned to look at him then Bluestreak. "Have either of you received word from Arcee?"
"No."
"No." Ratchet knelt to continue working on Dirge. The former prisoner was watching him dully, his optics barely lit.
Prime tapped the side of his helm. "Arcee, do you read? This is Prime, over." Bluestreak spared him a questioning glance. "Jammed," he said. "Soundwave is still operational." He and the gunner both shifted toward the tower entrance. Optimus took half a step, then Ratchet suddenly looked up, alert.
"Audio receptors to low, now!"
A second later Optimus felt what he was referring to. A deep reverberation was building from below the deck. They could dampen the sound but they could feel the vibration of it. It wasn't a sound made by Tidal Wave.
It was something meant to incapacitate him.
Ratchet manually adjusted Dirge's audio receptors since he had no indication the damaged mech would accept the suggestion. A moment later the sound reached the surface, the concussive force pushing Prime away from the tower entrance. It was like a sonic boom amplified fivefold -- and that was after traveling through the ship. The strength at its source must have been even more powerful.
Having not received the warning, out on the deck Ramjet and Thrust were thrashing around, their systems disrupted and preventing them from being able to transform and escape. Bluestreak gave up holding his aim on them, concerning himself instead with keeping to his feet as the floor shook violently.
When it stopped the three Autobots looked at each other, then waited, expectant glances shifting to the tower entrance. Optimus cautiously brought his audio receptors back to normal input. He raised his gun as he heard footsteps on the stairs, though lowered it as Thundercracker's head cleared the doorway. The Neutral gave him a quick nod then pulled something from his shoulder -- an arm ending in clawed fingers, which left behind several puncture wounds. He tossed the arm to Ratchet. "Parts for you. Can we evac him?"
"Yes. If the plane returns," Ratchet replied, stripping wires from the limb.
"The plane?" Thundercracker effected a smirk. "Tidal Wave is down along with the others. We have a ship."
Prime shook his head. "That would bring the Decepticons right to the humans' doorstep."
"What were you planning to do with them, then? Sink them again? There are plenty of large scale Decepticons that could take the form of this type of vessel and fish them out. Or if word has gotten out -- and Soundwave had plenty of time to do it -- they might skip the disguise altogether. We were lucky they bothered this time. We should put them all in stasis lock and hold them until someone makes a move -- the Combaticons are still out there and we will probably hear from them soon. And we should completely destroy Megatron's shell to be certain this time."
Ratchet had stopped what he was doing and was studying Thundercracker critically. His optics flashed as he ran an open scan. "You need a recalibration."
"It can wait."
"And--" Ratchet paused when his scan showed a small shape tucked inside Thundercracker's outer rib assembly.
Realizing what he had seen, Thundercracker gently removed Blues' body and laid it on the ground. "I presumed Broadcast would want him back. I didn't want to leave him down there amongst them. The shell is not functional but deserves better."
Ratchet nodded and said quietly, "I am sure Broadcast will appreciate the gesture." He looked to Prime. "I support the idea of using Tidal Wave as transport to land. When I finish here I will ensure that the Decepticons remain in stasis lock."
Optimus gave a nod. "I may need you to access the manual controls."
"That will be next, then."
Bluestreak wandered across the deck to confirm the status of Thrust and Ramjet. Both appeared to be knocked out. He prodded Ramjet's head with his rifle. "I don't know. Even stasis lock seems risky." He placed the end of the rifle against the middle of the Decepticon's forehead.
"With Megatron completely gone they might choose to switch sides, or become neutral," Thundercracker replied. "Everyone deserves that chance." He glanced toward Dirge.
Bluestreak removed the rifle and glanced back at Thundercracker, weighing the comment. "Let's hope that works on a large scale." His expression was disturbingly grim as he added, "But we should disable Soundwave. He's dangerous even when offline."
"Even Soundwave will take a while to recover from that boom," Thundercracker assured them. "But I agree he would need watching. Ratchet, I would like to talk with Dirge. I will tend him while you see to the others."
The medic waited long enough to wield an armor patch back into place before standing and following Optimus below deck. Bluestreak remained by the two jets, keeping watch for the returning C-130. Thundercracker knelt and did his own scan of the damaged mech. "Dirge, I know you are aware. You have a chance to live now. What will you do?"
The red optics brightened a little, defiant. "I will not join the Autobots. But... I will not harm them, either."
Thundercracker nodded. "They can give you full repairs and you will be free to go afterward. You can be a Neutral, as I am, and we can do work elsewhere. From what I have learned of its history, I doubt this planet will suffer us."
"I will... think about it."
~*~
Ratchet was impressed by the effects of a full force boom when he saw it for himself. His readings indicated instant stasis lock, the system disruptions guaranteed to last for several hours. As Bluestreak feared, however, Soundwave was already recalibrating even if it would take those hours to bring him completely online. Ratchet quickly lengthened the delay before checking each of the Constructicons. Scrapper had been the one to ignominiously donate his arm to Dirge's repairs.
Meanwhile, Optimus went over to inspect Megatron's depleted shell, taking readings as well. There was residual energy from the power system but all trace of a spark was gone. He would have liked to know the details first hand.
He would also have liked to know if Jazz had been successfully extracted. He had glimpsed two small bots in Arcee's arms but it had been more important to keep Thrust and Ramjet busy than to confirm anything. Yet with Soundwave down now he might be able to contact the rest of his troops and find out.
There was one more thing he needed to do first.
He turned Megatron's body over and opened his chest cavity, finding the spark chamber. He used his blade to sever all of the cables, then removed the chamber. He placed it against the remains of the main console then drew back his arm and, with only a second's hesitation, brought the blade down, slicing through what would hopefully be the only means to try to bring Megatron back. The two pieces of the spark chamber fell to opposite sides, not so much as a flicker of electricity in their wake. Optimus was satisfied that they had finally seen the last of the Decepticon leader.
Ratchet waited silently, assessing Megatron's shell from a distance. When Optimus turned to him, he said ruefully, "I am sure you want the entire shell disposed of, and I would heartily agree, although I must offer the irony of using the material to complete repairs on Dirge."
"Better not to chance it. It was horrifying enough that Megatron could be sustained by the sparks of others. I almost wouldn't put it past him to become infused within his armor itself."
"Haunted plating. A disturbing thought. I'm not sure I could scientifically support that. But then, as you said, no one knew consuming the sparks of others could result in what we saw. He did live again, he was cognizant, and he did try to stop Broadcast."
"Speaking of whom, I'm going topside to try to reach Arcee. I should be able to get through now." He glanced toward Soundwave. Ratchet nodded and moved off to inspect some of the equipment. "Will you be all right by yourself?"
"There is nothing else online or living around this area. I will be fine."
"Very well." Prime exited and took the stairs two at a time, hauling on the railing for balance. He felt confident that they finally had things in hand. When he reached the deck he nodded to Thundercracker and Bluestreak, then opened an Autobot-only hailing frequency. "Arcee, do you read? This is Optimus Prime. We have secured Tidal Wave. What is your status?"
Her response was immediate. "I'm relieved to hear from you, sir. I haven't been able to get through. There has been trouble. Tom Banachek has turned on us. He took over the Edwards base and diverted all operations. D.C. said they have it under control now, but it looks like there's a problem there as well. I lost contact with them just minutes ago. It seems Swindle is involved, too, although from how it sounded, he's a victim for once."
Prime shuttered his optics, fists clenching at his sides. Bluestreak noticed the change and lowered his rifle, his own disappointment settling heavily. "What is the current status of our teams?" She gave him an update on everyone's location.
He hailed Prowl. "Yes, Prime?"
"I'm putting you in complete charge of operations until I can return to land. Have Tracks and Firestar search for Swindle and Banachek. Keep alert for any more surprises. We're on our way."
"Affirmative."
~*~
Trailbreaker transformed the moment he cleared the garage. He had a building between him and Skywarp, but he could see the top of the Decepticon's head over the roof. The cover didn't mean much to protect the Autobot, so he dashed around it, force field generator cranked to full capacity and prepared to reverse in hopes he could contain Skywarp as he had Rumble. Skywarp was bigger and more geared toward fighting, however, so Trailbreaker had no idea if the tactic would work a second time.
As he rounded the corner he saw that Skywarp was just standing there, facing a line of brave policemen and the beginnings of a National Guard line of defense. The Decepticon was posing in a menacing fashion yet appeared to be... making faces at the humans. They didn't know what it was, probably seemed to them like he was threatening them, but Trailbreaker knew the pattern of shifting face plates. He shook his head. Skywarp was a strange bird. A deadly one, but his love for pranks made one wonder at his intelligence sometimes.
At least it gave the Guard and Epps' specialized team time to get into place. Trailbreaker decided to risk buying them a little more time. He got as close to the busy Decepticon as he could then activated his reversed force field, starting it between Skywarp and the humans, and hoping he could seal it before his opponent retaliated.
Skywarp did turn as the yellow-tinged field came into existence. He pivoted and glared at Trailbreaker, then made a mocking face. The Autobot held his gaze, glaring hard.
"Just one Autobot to face me? And the slowest of the lot? Come on, I know there are more of you here! Where's the little data nerd? Is that how you Autobots work now? Leaving one to fight a big bad Decepticon all on his own?"
Trailbreaker could just imagine Rattlelatch cringing at being called out. "Oh, stow it, Skywarp. Don't underestimate the numbers we Autobots have on our side. What about you? Do you have a petition for Congress? Do the Decepticons want to make a formal apology to the President? You aren't my first pick for the language of diplomats."
Skywarp sneered, then hissed in Cybertronian, "The days are numbered for these fleshlings. Are you really that stupid?"
He heard the Autobot reply, "No!" in Cybertronian, but in English Trailbreaker said, "Now!" and a dozen humans scurried out from behind him and fired through the section of force field not yet closed. To their relief the sabot rounds still worked to damage Decepticon armor.
Skywarp hissed again and thrashed as the assault stung him in numerous places. This was not part of the plan. He lunged forward, extending his arm panels to shove Trailbreaker. The force field retreated for a moment from the Autobot's concentration being broken. Skywarp threw himself past the gap, tried to step on some humans as he landed, then jumped up into the air and activated his thrusters -- knocking humans off their feet and causing them to clutch their ears, he was pleased to see. He hissed at Trailbreaker again, then transformed and shot off -- disappearing into nothingness three seconds later.
Trailbreaker tried to scan for him, but the Decepticon's teleportation range ran farther than his equipment. He turned instead to check on the humans. Epps was there, helping a man to his feet who was cradling one of his arms. Trailbreaker put in a call for medical help, then transformed and encouraged the lesser injured men to get in.
"What the hell was that about?" Epps asked angrily as he helped his charge into the passenger seat.
"More than it seemed," Trailbreaker cautioned. "Decepticons don't just randomly pop in, trade insults, and leave. It may have been a warning." As he spoke, his radio emitted a crackle and they could hear faint chatter about the sudden appearance and disappearance of an oddly colored F-22 near Andrews Air Force Base. Trailbreaker rumbled unhappily. "Couldn't keep up with him even if I could track him. We'll just have to get everyone on alert. He could be going anywhere." Trailbreaker fell into a disappointed silence as a medic came over to do a quick evaluation of his passengers.
Epps gazed at the last spot Skywarp had occupied while on the ground. "Yeah. And after we hear how Optimus' team is doing, I think we all need to go on the offensive. If all the 'Con's aren't with their leader, they could be anywhere on the planet."
Elsewhere in the area, a small group of robots were settling into their new cover modes. A message went out on a secure Decepticon frequency, beyond the reach of Rattlelatch's communication modifications. "Thanks for the ride, 'Warpie. Have fun gettin' home." It was followed by an unhinged cackle and several curses. Not long after, the humans lost random, but important, communication lines.
~*~
Tracks broke through the cloud cover as he shot past Firestar. Their target was in sight, going about ninety miles an hour on the long stretch of highway that seemed to go nowhere. Yet the two Autobots assumed nothing about the appearance of the landscape. There was always going to be one more hidden Sector Seven installation.
"I'm sure he has registered us," Tracks said over an encrypted line, "but I think we should hold back and see where he is going. We might gain insight to his plans and be able to send word to Prowl and avoid another betrayal."
"Agreed." They both moved to a higher altitude and began scanning ahead for anomalies in the surroundings. They didn't locate the one they suspected until Swindle pulled off the highway and sped toward a sheer outcropping of rocks about a mile into the desert. The Autobots had to grant Sector Seven that; they knew their isolated locales. It seemed the red car was going to crash into the rock, but then it braked hard, doing a 180 turn. The two in the air heard a loud cry in Cybertronian as sparks came from Swindle's undercarriage. When the car stopped completely, Banachek climbed out of the driver's side.
Tracks and Firestar veered before they came close enough to be seen, keeping watch on Banachek via radar as they made wide circles to come back around. The human appeared to slam his hand on Swindle's hood, then he walked through the rock face to the hidden section behind the facade. Neither Autobot could discern what type of cloaking technology was involved.
They landed, transformed, and cautiously approached Swindle in case he had faked the distress call. But they were greeted by a genuinely desperate voice. "Thank the Vok! I knew you had to be there. I never let on to Banachek, I swear! He's got a dampener on me! Don't touch the wall! He said something about only organics from this point on. Believe me, it can't be anything good. He's insane, I tell you!"
"Hush up," Tracks snapped. "Did it occur to you that he may have bugged you as well?"
Swindle uttered a burst of apologetic static. The two Autobots walked around him, scanning for devices that could be transmitting to the human. They correctly suspected that there was equipment broadcasting to elsewhere -- as if Swindle would halt all business even when he was a captive.
The motion they had seen from Banachek had been the placement of a subsonic inhibitor, Swindle explained, after they described the device on his hood. It kept him from transforming. Unbeknownst to the human, Swindle had the answering device to cancel it. He instructed Firestar to open his trunk, close it, then open it again. Where it had been empty the first time, the second time it contained something that looked like an extraction container, with four grasping prongs at four opposing points, a stream of energy dancing between them in a cross hairs. "Make sure you center it exactly on the inhibitor or...uhm, I'm not getting up for a while."
Firestar did as instructed and successfully removed the device. Swindle immediately transformed, only to stagger once and fall on his skidplate. He grumbled and recalibrated his gyro stabilizer while Tracks and Firestar inspected the rocks -- yet keeping a subtle watch on Swindle. His camera head was tilted downward, not seeming like a threat, and the two agreed that they could trust him.
"Swindle," Tracks said, "Do you know anything at all about what this might be about?"
"I can't say I believe half of what Banachek told me to trick me into this mess, but it might have something to do with this." He stood and pointed to an image on his chest screen. It was an odd combination of the top three-quarters of the Autobot emblem with the lower half of the Decepticon symbol.
"And what is that supposed to be?"
"Beats me. First time I've ever seen it, and that's saying something. It's got Banachek riled up." Swindle replaced the image with that of a Cybertronian robot from the shoulders up, presumably how he would appear if he had such a head design.
Firestar studied the rocks again. "We need to get in there and find out what is going on. Banachek was our ally. Somehow this thing has changed his mind."
The mech on Swindle's screen moved in accordance when he replied, "Are you really so sure he has been your ally this entire time?"
The Autobots traded glances. "As reports go," Tracks said, suddenly feeling uneasy, "Banachek slipped away from the action at Hoover Dam once Lennox had taken charge of the escape operation and Simmons had gone with Keller's team. After the fight with the Stunticons he also disappeared rather quickly."
Swindle nodded. "Seems to me he likes to observe and not actually get very involved. Did you bots ever profile these Sector Seven characters?" Again the two looked at each other, and both took on guilty countenances. "Presumed too much, then." Swindle's image turned its head back and forth. "A shame you counted on mere logic here -- humans are small and while adaptable still need your help against the Decepticons. True, but not all of them are going to sit back and just complain about you." He showed a news clip of the recent protest outside the White House.
"All right," Tracks snapped again. "You do not need to rub it in our faces. Let's figure out how to get to Banchek, and perhaps we can stop this from getting even more out of hand."
Swindle switched back to the mech's image, which nodded, then he moved to inspect the rock. "EMP shield, if I'm not mistaken. Amped up to fry anything that tries to pass through it. Tuned to Cybertronians specifically, or else it would even interfere with the electrical impulses in human bodies."
"I assume you have something to counter it?" Firestar asked. She folded her arms. "For a price, of course."
"Not exactly. Something that might get past it for us, yes."
"Us?" Tracks looked at him with a raised optic ridge. "So you are allying with the Autobots?"
Swindle pulled himself to his full height, though still shorter than either of them. "I am a good businessbot, you know. You were willing to respond to my request for help. Anyone else might have left me to my fate, whether or not you were actually after Banachek and had no plan to save me. Plus..." He paused, both his camera and screen image searching Tracks' optics. "They've got something that is a threat to all Cybertronian kind, and could have effects across the whole universe. I'm not going to just stand back and watch. So yeah, I'm with you." He put out his hand. With hesitancy Tracks took it and shook in agreement.
Swindle then stepped back and several compartments opened along his sides and legs. He rummaged through them, taking out various small parts. "I have to keep the pieces of this thing separate. They have a habit of reassembling themselves."
"Looks robotic," Tracks commented. "Won't it also be affected by the barrier?"
"It has a little something extra put in by its creator."
"And that would be who?"
"Don't know," Swindle replied cheerfully. "It was a bonus from a deal with the Vok."
"You keep mentioning them. Who are they?"
"Some very nice overlords from Nexus Zero. They understand the balance of, well, everything." He completed the construct and held it within his hands, fingers forming a cage. It was about six inches high and looked something like an insect, but with an oval light on one end instead of a distinct head. The six legs twitched and began to batter at his fingers, the light blinking. Swindle spoke in a language that sounded vaguely related to Cybertronian, then set the construct down. The light stopped blinking and shown ahead like a flashlight. As it scurried toward the facade, Swindle's chest screen filled with static, then resolved into a bug's-eye view of the rock.
"Come on," he ushered the two Autobots toward the side of the outcropping. "In case there's something in there that will start shooting out at intruders when that thing enters." Once in position he watched on his internal feed from the construct while sharing it on his screen. It passed through the barrier unmolested.
Despite Banachek's words about organics, the entrance and tunnel beyond could accommodate an average-sized Cybertronian, based on the scale included on the feed's HUD. The construct was small, but it moved quickly; there were several turns and stretches of downward ramps, but it passed through them as if the three were walking at their own normal pace. As the construct rounded one last corner, there were gasps from all three watchers when they saw what lay at the bottom of the ramp.
To the left and ahead, the walls were inscribed with layers of Cybertronian glyphs, as was the floor, which lowered in tiers. The construct slowed to a cautious crawl, its light going out. There was plenty of illumination in the chamber, anyway, coming from large spotlights shining up from the far right wall. There was a bank of computers and about a dozen humans in archaeological garb moving around, Banachek among them. As the construct slowly turned, it showed that the tiered floor had a raised dais in its center, and upon it was a carving of the symbol Swindle had shown them.
"Fascinating," Swindle murmured. "Here I thought they were hiding an anti-Cybertronian weapon. Instead, they found an ancient Cybertronian...something."
Firestar's professional mien had given way to awe. "But what is something that belongs in one of our temples doing here on Earth?"
Swindle's screen showed the construct going up to the wall and running scans of the nearest glyph, highlighting specific details of it. "It's genuine," he confirmed. "Those were not made by human hands." He looked from one Autobot to the other. "Banachek was trying a bluff. Sector Seven made the barrier, but this is definitely not for organics only." If his camera lens could look sly, it did at that moment. "If I could get a personal scan of those glyphs, I could date them and perhaps prove that this was claimed as Cybertron's territory before the humans began walking upright. We could be the owners of this planet, not them."
Tracks frowned at him, all too aware of how like a Decepticon he sounded. "If anyone from Cybertron came to colonize this place it was never in the history data tracks. We have no claim, with or without a settlement, and unless we can get a complete scan of all of those glyphs, we don't even know the story. It could have been an explorer who set down a record and then wandered off to other solar systems."
"Or perhaps it was erased from the data tracks, and the 'explorer' never left at all." Swindle's screen was focused on one particular set of glyphs. He displayed a translation into modern Cybertronian, then his camera whirred as it refocused in a serious gaze, waiting for their reactions.
"I'm calling Autobase," Tracks blurted. "If anyone knows for certain, it will be Perceptor."
~*~
"Bumblebee, why are there civilians in my full alert base?"
Two humans and a suddenly hunching yellow bot turned to face the wrath of Chromia, standing in the doorway of the communications room and fuming as if they posed egregious harm to her battle strategy.
"Uh, my fault, Ma'am," Sam quickly spoke up from where he sat in Broadcast's chair. "I wanted to see Jazz."
Mikaela, perched on the edge of the console, nodded, rushing to add, "We barely got past an introduction before. It's so great that he's back."
Chromia pointed to the main screen. "That does not look like Jazz."
Arcee, who was the one on the screen, looked just as guilty as the rest of them. "I apologize, Chromia. With contact from D.C. lost, and being able to only wait on Prime's team and Firestar's, I wanted to make contact with who I could."
Chromia glanced from the screen to Bumblebee and back, then shook her head, cycling air out of her vents. "Fine. But what is Jazz's status? And Broadcast?"
"Jazz just stepped out. He is functional although obviously needs to adjust. He seems... depressed, worried about Broadcast. We all are. He is stable, and Moonracer is working on a new spark chamber, but we could really use Ratchet here to help." Arcee looked pained. "I worry that the Decepticons planned this. Split up our forces, hindered our communication lines. I want to go out and stop them, but we obviously underestimated where they all were."
Bumblebee made a sympathetic noise and put one hand against the screen. Arcee did the same, matching her fingertips to his.
Chromia huffed with more vehemence this time. "I want to find and fight them, too."
The others were silent. There was an unspoken rage and resentment in her tone. Fortunately, they were diverted from the subject by a smaller window opening and requesting encryption clearance. Chromia darted forward to input permission. Tracks' face appeared. "Chromia, we have successfully found Banachek's location, and Swindle has allied himself with us. We also found something that... has to be seen to be believed. I want Perceptor to review it."
"May I see, or is it too sensitive?"
"It involves all Cybertronians, so of course you may. Patching to the Ark as well."
Arcee nodded. A third window opened, larger and partially cutting off the visual from the Ark, and a feed as labeled as from Swindle's data tracks played a slow pan around some type of cave covered in glyphs. "Ancient Cybertronian," Chromia exclaimed, her hands gripping the edge of the console. "Where is this?"
As Tracks began to explain, Sam leaned closer to the monitor, first moving to the edge of Broadcast's chair, then setting his hands on the console and slowly crawling forward. Mikaela and Bumblebee were intent on what Tracks was saying and didn't notice until Sam slapped his hands against the screen right over a line of glyphs. Mikaela jumped at the sound.
"Sam, what are you doing? Sam?" He didn't answer, instead rising to his feet and reaching to touch more of the images.
"Sam!" Mikaela and Bumblebee reached for him at the same time, with her being the one to grab his shoulder and turn him toward her. His eyes were distant, almost in a trance. "Sam, are you okay..?" She shook him lightly.
He focused on her for just a second, then turned his gaze back to the screen as the image zoomed in on the set of glyphs Tracks had wanted Perceptor to confirm.
To Be Continued