Spike Witwicky was sitting on a chair inside Fortress Maximus when he felt like someone stuck a blender in his stomach and turned it on full blast. The massive transformer he was bonded to faded out for a second and then solidified.
'Spike, this is Cerebros. I have detected a complete loss of life outside,' the other Autobot that Spike was bonded to sent
Spike frowned and telepathically contacted Fortress Maximus. 'What's the status outside?'
"We are adrift in space. The planet Nebulos has vanished. I am picking up some distress signals near where Cybertron was being directed to us and to Earth. Only the three of us are still in Nebulos space."
Cerebros and Spike both sent, 'Cybertron was?'
"Affirmative. Cybertron has vanished from its position around the star, along with the moons and the head of Unicron."
Spike stood up and put on his Nebulon binary-bond suit and said, "Transform to space ship mode and head to pick up the survivors."
"Confirmed."
Spike looked out a window of the fortress and slammed his fist into the wall beside it. "Daniel. Carly."
A tense hour later, Fortress Maximus arrived and pulled the few Autobots that were still around inside himself. Spike looked at the survivors and frowned. The Ariealbots, Blurr, Blaster, Rewind, Eject, Ramhorn, Steeljaw, Warpath, and hoist were the only ones left besides Cerebros and Fortress Maximus.
Spike asked, "What happened?"
"An unknown disturbance caused Cybertron to vanish. We are the only Transformers left," Hoist replied.
"Cerebros, pull in any information you can get from Earth," Spike said.
"I'm on it. There is no records of any Autobot or Decepticon activity being transmitted on any Earth broadcast," Cerebros stated.
Blaster stepped forward and looked up to the catwalk that Spike was standing on. "Until we find the others Spike, you are the leader of the Autobots. You do have the highest rank via Fortress Maximus."
Spike looked down and then nodded. "All right. Hoist, when we get to Earth, a modified version of your Solar Power Tower will be needed. Afterwards, you're going to have to take over the medical duties."
"Understood," Hoist said.
Silverbolt stepped in front of his team. "Not that I'm objecting, but why Earth?"
"We need answers and it looks like Earth might be the only place for us to start. We have no idea what happened to Nebulos or Cybertron," Spike replied. "Blaster take the cassettes and come up with some way to stealth Fortress Maximus."
"Roger," the orange Autobot replied
After a three-day journey, the Autobots arrived at Earth. Fortress Maximus started scanning the area for any active cybertonian readings.
"Spike, take a look at this," Eject said, from one of the scanning stations.
Spike, still in his armor, looked at the screen. He saw half of a wrecked spaceship on the moon. There was a green logo with a stylized M emblazoned on the side.
"What is that?" Spike asked.
"I have no idea. It appears to be a ship for robots around your size or mine. The other half is on Earth inside a mountain that has a weather research station nearby, and no it is not Saint Hillary. I've picked up some cybertonian life forms that correspond with the energy signature of that ship. I've also picked up two energy signatures that correspond with the Pretenders, but not quite. Those two are near Saint Hillary," Eject said.
"Head for Saint Hillary. That ship of robots doesn't look like it has any bearing on us," Spike ordered. "If there are two Transformers that survived like us, I want to know who they are. I don't care if they are Autobots or Decepticons."
The Autobots acknowledged the order and went to work to hide Fortress Maximus from Earth's sensors.
'Spike, are you doing all right?' Cerebros sent
'I lost my wife and I lost my son. Until I know one way or the other, I don't think I'll ever be all right,' Spike sent back
'I hope there is no more fighting,' Cerebros said.
'I hope so too, but I have the feeling that we're going to go back into battle. I know you detest battle, but there might not be a choice.'
===/\===
Night in the desert surrounding Mount Saint Hillary was a calm peaceful affair. The only unusual thing about it was the two beings that lived in a cave in the mountain. The taller of the two was brown with a blue face. The other was green with yellow highlights. The two beings saw lights in the sky headed towards the mountain.
"Bug, I thought you said the Autobots and Decepticons of this time wouldn't head for Earth until they detected those silly Minicons," the brown one stated with a snarl in his voice.
"Waspinator was so sure that this Cybertron is.....Wait that space ship is Autobot. Waspinator thinks its name Fortress Maximus. Waspinator thinks Waspinator and Dinobot will have company soon."
"Fortress Maximus? The city Transformers are impossible for this Cybertron to build. The gestalts like Devastator or even the expanding trick that Soundwave had are not possible for this Cybertron," Dinobot snarled.
"Mystery then. How come a city Transformer that should not be is here now? Wonder if Autobots would accept former Predacons."
The two former Predacons watched as Fortress Maximus landed on the ground and then slowly sank under the sand. The two Beast Wars transformers were stunned when the Autobot plane gestalt team deployed and helped cover the massive Autobot and waited for the Autobots to approach them. They didn't have to wait long as Rewind and Eject homed in on their signatures.
Eject radioed back to base. "Spike, we have two oddities here. One looks like a warped Insecticon and the other looked like a warped Dinobot. The insignias they both have looks to be some kind of insect head."
"My name is Dinobot," Dinobot said sourly.
"Waspinator is Wapinator's name. Both former Predacons," Waspinator declared.
Rewind said, "Foul. You don't look like you are part of the Predacon team."
"Not the Predaking Predacons," Dinobot growled. "Can we carry this conversation elsewhere?"
"Come with us," Eject said.
The four robots went into a tunnel that was extend up from Fortress Maximus and went inside the massive Transformer. The group headed to one of the meeting rooms. A catwalk for the smaller Transformers and the now missing Nebulons surrounded the central table. Spike entered the room and looked at the two Predacons.
"You say you two are former Predacons, but I have never seen you before. Maximus and Eject have the data profiles on all known Transformers of both sides," Spike said.
"That is easy to explain, we were created after your records were made," Dinobot said. "The two of us were part of a renegade branch of Predacons. Our leader took his name from the leader of the Decepticons and called himself Megatron."
"I don't like they way this is going," Blaster said.
"Neither do I, but let's hear them out," Spike replied.
Dinobot grinned wickedly. "Megatron had acquired a golden disk from Voyager One that the original Megatron had inscribed instructions on in case the Decepticons lost the Great War, which they did."
"Easy everyone," Spike ordered, feeling the hostilities rise.
"Our Megatron traveled to the past and did his best to alter history, so the Decepticons would win the war and have information on how to handle Unicron, but both Megatrons' plans failed and the universe changed radically," Dinobot said.
"Sick of fighting, sick of Megatron, most of all sick of getting blown up," Waspinator muttered.
"My Megatron violated my peace and my warrior's death by merging my body with X or Rampage, as he called himself. I'm now like Starscream and have an immortal spark," Dinobot said. "I did find all the pieces of the Maximal Depth Charge and gave him a proper burial for freeing me from that half-life prison Megatron kept me in and since I had died fighting as a Maximal an opposing Megatron, it was appropriate. I think Waspinator has an immortal spark as well."
Spike stood up. "Waspinator? Were you helping Megatron near the end?"
Waspinator replied, "Waspinator left Predacons. Megatron not care about Waspinator after he gained dragon form. Waspinator stole Dark Side's CR chamber and found safe place to store it."
"Dark Side?" Spike asked.
"It was the name of our ship," Dinobot replied.
"I see. You both quit and that Megatron altered time after you quit," Spike said, in a very level tone. "Tell Eject everything. Maybe we can figure out why we are still here, after time has changed."
Cerebros transmitted his voice through the speaker systems of Maximus. "There is no need for that. I have already figured out why we were spared and no one else was. Spike, you protected myself and Fortress Maximus through the binary bond. All of us were on Cybertron when the power of Vector Sigma was unleashed and created a new golden age is one of the components in our survival."
"And the other?" Spike asked.
"Time travel. All of you have traveled into the past at one point and returned. As to Dinobot and Waspinator, their immortal sparks acted like the power of Vector Sigma and they were in the past and..."
"We traveled to this time the hard way. One day at a time," Dinobot growled.
Spike nodded. "Thank you Cerebros. Now if the rest of you will excuse me,..."
Spike left and pulled his Nebulon armor off and headed for his quarters. He slammed the door closed and put his head on the desk and started crying.
"Daniel. Carly. You don't exist anymore. If it wasn't for my time in Camelot, I'd be with you in oblivion."
'Spike, I'm sorry,' Cerebros sent. 'I never thought...'
Spike sighed. "It's going to take me time to accept this old friend. I know I'm going to be needed to lead the remaining Autobots, but for right now I want to grieve over my dead wife and son and all the friends that are now gone."
'What of Dinobot and Waspinator?'
Spike allowed a small smile to come to his face. "It seems like those two had already turned against Megatron before the time change and we really shouldn't punish them. They had to live through untold millions of years knowing what had happened. They've been punished enough."
'I'll let the others know,' Cerebros said and then hesitantly asked, 'Spike? I've noticed that there is something in your mind that seems Cybertron related that didn't come from the bonding process. I've been wondering about it'
"Ah yes. Autobot X. I was put in a coma and my awareness was transferred into a composite robot made up of Autobot parts. My thinking was hazy like Sludge with a headache when I was Autobot X."
'I see. Was this before or after you helped with the Dinobots?'
"Before? Why do you want to know?"
'I'm trying to confirm something that has bothered me about them.'
Spike shrugged and felt Cerbros leave his mind. He pushed aside the curiosity and allowed his grief over his lost family and friends take center stage.
===/\===
Cerebros reported that Waspinator and Dinobot were to be left alone and the Autobots nodded at that.
"Cerebros? How is Spike doing?" Blaster asked. "We're all warriors and we've been though something like this before."
"He's still grieving, but I gave him something to be curious about so he won't give into despair," Cerebros replied. "How is Hoist doing with the tower?"
"Warpath and the Ariealbots have helped him finish building it. It is now in the process of being camouflaged. We should have energy to spare."
Dinobot and Wapinator were busy talking to the Autobot archivist Eject and doing their best to dredge up their memories of the past and present. They hadn't gotten to the new Cybertron yet when the Cybertron of the current time detected the Minicons on Earh and the start of the this timeline's Great War began.
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(Posted Sat, 27 May 2006 11:58)
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