Endings & Beginnings
Just a slightly brain-bending idea I had about Vector Prime and The Fallen... enjoy!
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Endings & Beginnings
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"The TransTemporal shield is failing, sir."
Ultimus Prime gazed out over what remained of the once immaculate landscape of Axiom Nexus, now little more the skeletal shells of abandoned structures, crumbling under the inescapable force of pure entropy. Only the central Transtech Tower remained, protected by the TransTemporal shield system - a bubble of frozen time, the only power in the universe capable of stopping pure chaos in its tracks.
At least, it was, until now. "How long?"
The technician looked up, fear and despair creeping through his voice. "A few hours, at current levels. We may be able to buy another couple of weeks if we evacuate to the reactor core, and constrict the shield to key systems only. We may yet find another viable universal stream..."
"Every single cataloged stream, save our own, has already succumb," Ultimas sighed, rubbing his brow. "We've extended our own lives... and what have we gained?" Setting a hand against the transparisteel window, he sighed. "The honor of being the last to fall."
"Prime, there's always a chance..."
"No," the old Transtech decreed, with a wave of his hand. "Summon everyone to the greatroom. I have... a difficult decision to make."
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Surrounded by the blue-white haze of his own temporal bubble, an ancient burgundy-and-gray mech gazed upon the last surviving pieces of Axiom Nexus; the last cohesive molecular structure in the entire multiverse, slowly deteriorating under the weight of its own age, and the inescapable forces of entropy crushing its reality into dust. "And so it ends," he whispers, his voice echoing through the void as only an ancient's could.
"And with it, us," the black robot at his side rasped, his body glowing from within with only the dull red pulse of a rapidly dying fire.
"Ultimus knew the fate of his existence," Vector Prime replied. "The fate of all existence... that, in the end, all that will be left is dust. Entropy claims all." As the TransTemporal bubble surrounding the Axiom Nexus tower began to collapse, all of that reality soon followed. "Better to make their peace and become one with the nothing, than strive in vain to resist the inevitable."
"So," Fallen sighed, "all that remains of existence are the two of us. One guardian of order, one of chaos. One builder, one destroyer. One victor, and one defeated." With a low cough, the dark herald bowed his head. "A hollow victory, to be certain."
As the remains of Axiom Nexus faded into a thin, hazy cloud, the city lights within sparking then falling silent, only the soft glow of two pair of optics remained alit: Vector's red, and Fallen's gold. "Not a victory, but a conclusion," Vector explained, reaching a hand to his long-estranged brother. "An ending, and a beginning."
"From this?" Fallen laughed, his internal glow surging for a moment, before drifting ever more hazy. "Your long life has finally driven you mad. There are no beginnings left."
"Haven't you ever wondered what came before?" Vector asked, his hand still outstretched. "How our fathers created reality?"
"Father. Though I once served the chaos-bringer... we are both children of Primus."
"No... WE are so much more." Vector pulls his brother into a tight embrace, shutting off his optics. "For a universe cannot exist without both. Order and Chaos, paired forces. A balanced spectrum. Primus and Unicron knew this. They claimed to be eternal enemies, for our benefit... but only now do I truly understand the true nature of who and what we were... are... and shall be."
As the last temporal bubble faded away, two mechs - rivals, soulmates, enemies, brothers - became one, the last of their universal powers collapsing into a singularity, at the core of all existence.
"We are that which will make anew."
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The explosion took place in a split second... chaos flooding the universe, as order rapidly organized it into atoms, then molecules. Space expanded, as mass contracted. Gas collected into stars, then flamed into life. Planets coalesced, then sprouted life.
And two ethereal beings, outside of reality, watched it all unfold.
"You see," the spirit of Vector Prime announced. "The Thirteen were designed to guide the multiverse as it grew and matured... but not just by Primus. Unicron, too, had a hand in our creation... to ensure that two would live to the end. Order and Chaos. A balance between extremes. Just as we are, now."
Fallen's essence shuddered, only now realizing the ramifications. "Just as they were for the last Multiverse."
Vector chuckled. "And as their makers were in the universe before, and as our creations will be for the next." Gesturing to two newly-forming planetoids, rich in metal and energy, he smiled at Fallen, who could only chuckle. "Our destinies await," he whispered.
"Shall we?"
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Endings & Beginnings
-----
"The TransTemporal shield is failing, sir."
Ultimus Prime gazed out over what remained of the once immaculate landscape of Axiom Nexus, now little more the skeletal shells of abandoned structures, crumbling under the inescapable force of pure entropy. Only the central Transtech Tower remained, protected by the TransTemporal shield system - a bubble of frozen time, the only power in the universe capable of stopping pure chaos in its tracks.
At least, it was, until now. "How long?"
The technician looked up, fear and despair creeping through his voice. "A few hours, at current levels. We may be able to buy another couple of weeks if we evacuate to the reactor core, and constrict the shield to key systems only. We may yet find another viable universal stream..."
"Every single cataloged stream, save our own, has already succumb," Ultimas sighed, rubbing his brow. "We've extended our own lives... and what have we gained?" Setting a hand against the transparisteel window, he sighed. "The honor of being the last to fall."
"Prime, there's always a chance..."
"No," the old Transtech decreed, with a wave of his hand. "Summon everyone to the greatroom. I have... a difficult decision to make."
-----
Surrounded by the blue-white haze of his own temporal bubble, an ancient burgundy-and-gray mech gazed upon the last surviving pieces of Axiom Nexus; the last cohesive molecular structure in the entire multiverse, slowly deteriorating under the weight of its own age, and the inescapable forces of entropy crushing its reality into dust. "And so it ends," he whispers, his voice echoing through the void as only an ancient's could.
"And with it, us," the black robot at his side rasped, his body glowing from within with only the dull red pulse of a rapidly dying fire.
"Ultimus knew the fate of his existence," Vector Prime replied. "The fate of all existence... that, in the end, all that will be left is dust. Entropy claims all." As the TransTemporal bubble surrounding the Axiom Nexus tower began to collapse, all of that reality soon followed. "Better to make their peace and become one with the nothing, than strive in vain to resist the inevitable."
"So," Fallen sighed, "all that remains of existence are the two of us. One guardian of order, one of chaos. One builder, one destroyer. One victor, and one defeated." With a low cough, the dark herald bowed his head. "A hollow victory, to be certain."
As the remains of Axiom Nexus faded into a thin, hazy cloud, the city lights within sparking then falling silent, only the soft glow of two pair of optics remained alit: Vector's red, and Fallen's gold. "Not a victory, but a conclusion," Vector explained, reaching a hand to his long-estranged brother. "An ending, and a beginning."
"From this?" Fallen laughed, his internal glow surging for a moment, before drifting ever more hazy. "Your long life has finally driven you mad. There are no beginnings left."
"Haven't you ever wondered what came before?" Vector asked, his hand still outstretched. "How our fathers created reality?"
"Father. Though I once served the chaos-bringer... we are both children of Primus."
"No... WE are so much more." Vector pulls his brother into a tight embrace, shutting off his optics. "For a universe cannot exist without both. Order and Chaos, paired forces. A balanced spectrum. Primus and Unicron knew this. They claimed to be eternal enemies, for our benefit... but only now do I truly understand the true nature of who and what we were... are... and shall be."
As the last temporal bubble faded away, two mechs - rivals, soulmates, enemies, brothers - became one, the last of their universal powers collapsing into a singularity, at the core of all existence.
"We are that which will make anew."
-----
The explosion took place in a split second... chaos flooding the universe, as order rapidly organized it into atoms, then molecules. Space expanded, as mass contracted. Gas collected into stars, then flamed into life. Planets coalesced, then sprouted life.
And two ethereal beings, outside of reality, watched it all unfold.
"You see," the spirit of Vector Prime announced. "The Thirteen were designed to guide the multiverse as it grew and matured... but not just by Primus. Unicron, too, had a hand in our creation... to ensure that two would live to the end. Order and Chaos. A balance between extremes. Just as we are, now."
Fallen's essence shuddered, only now realizing the ramifications. "Just as they were for the last Multiverse."
Vector chuckled. "And as their makers were in the universe before, and as our creations will be for the next." Gesturing to two newly-forming planetoids, rich in metal and energy, he smiled at Fallen, who could only chuckle. "Our destinies await," he whispered.
"Shall we?"