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Engineering Deck

“You are not experiencing hallucinations. This is, in fact, Optimus Prime. However, should you be facing any other strange symptoms, it would be best to inform them. I am deeply apologetic for any pain that it may have caused you. You all look exhausted. If you don’t mind, could I ask… what did you experience?” Magnus said.

Fireflight was relieved to find out that he wasn't hallucinating. But then a whole new reality took hold. What had they just said? That was Optimus Prime? He was back!?

A wave of elation washed over him. Optimus Prime. He was dead. Or gone. Taken from them with no conceivable way of being returned to them. And yet the universe decided otherwise. The Aerialbot was a little more than gobsmacked, to be honest. Still, it had been too many vorns since he had felt this good. He would ride this current as far as it would take him.

He didn't know what to do exactly with Optimus Prime to show how much he appreciated him being there. Not only being there, but checking in on them. He might have said a hundred different things, each one more garbled than the next. So instead, he opted for a head nod of acknowledgement and appreciation. Ultra Magnus' question still needed answering.

As Fireflight listened to the other Aerialbots speak, he couldn't help but nod silently in agreement. Once they were finished, he added his own thoughts.

"Yeah, like they said. I'm...thrilled, really....really thrrilled that Optimus is not a hallucination. B-But, that's not the only thing glitchy. My head is full. My head is full....memories...experiences...conversations....just slices of each, and I know that only a fraction of them are mine. We're trying to make a super-warrior here and I get it, but it's like you mashed our brains together with a shredder and a hammer."

Engineering Deck

After bounding back on board, an irritated Jetfire found his way back to the project room.

"Ok, First Aid, what went wrong? I barely got the scans I was wanting to do. There is still interviews with Omega Supreme and SkyLynx I want to do to get a personal view of the combination process. It would surprise me the mechanical procedures went wrong. The simulation program should have given the Aerialbots a taste of what to expect."

First Aid walked up to the flier scientist and got into his face the best he could considering the height difference which put First Aid about chest level. The doctor poked as hard as he could into the mid section of Jetfire.

"Your fragging slag of a gestalt program was screwing up the Aerialbots. Sure it seemed to somehow connect their minds but it caused quite a bit of pain. They were twisting in their slabs in agony. I wasn't sure what was happening since this was a new procedure. It was Ultra Magnus who had the spark to hit the emergency kill switch. Did you think this would work the first time? I know you have much better track record than Wheeljack and you had plenty of help developing this idea but still you should have waited to see how it went before going planet side!"

Jetfire looked shocked at the outcome and than saddened by the harm the experiment caused the Aerialbots. This was one reason he opted to test his own designs so only he would feel any negative consequence.

"I...I...am sorry and you are right, First Aid. I should have stayed and seen this test run through the end instead of getting caught up in the future prospects. By no means am I the programmer like others but I did take extensive notes when we were writing the program. Let me bring up the code and see what happen."

Jetfire walked over to the control panel while giving Ultra Magnus a half felt salute with a solemn look on his face. Before he brought up the code, he disconnected the Aerialbots from each other through the program and then the program from them. The next thing he did was run a program debugger.

"Hmm, it looks like we might have rushed this a little. Here are a couple of typos which caused a bug."

Jetfire fixed the typos which fixed the current line of the code and several others in the program. Jetfire than ran the program again and found a few more bugs. After a couple of cycles of going through this process, the known bugs were gone.

"Now, the debug program says all is good. The design of the program is for only portions of the different personalities to be joined into the gestalt mind. Ideally the more logical part of Skydive mixed in with the courage of Air Raid with Fireflight's penchant for understanding his environment and the other contributions from Silverbolt and Slingshot. Theses smaller portions should have kept the issues you described from happening. We tried to duplicate a shell program the Insecticons use but the biggest challenge was how it would interact with the individual minds of the Aerialbots and trying to merge those smaller parts into a collective functioning whole."

Jetfire reviewed the logs of the initial test run and noticed the physical strain First Aid had mention in the records. Jetfire doesn't spend much time in the med bay but has picked up a few things here and there. The problem now was what caused the aggravations. Did the program bugs the problem or was it wrong logic in the coding?

"I hate to put you five through more pain but we need to start the process up again but I will initialize it on a much slower scale. This was one reason why we are doing a hologram version instead of in field testing. If this test works than we can try in field. If there are more problems, than it looks like back to work for my team and I? Personally I don't want to give up on this project and now see the wisdom of taking it slow even if it takes several vorns to make it right."

[Engineering Deck - Project Room]

If he hadn’t been alongside these mechs, Magnus might have palmed his face. He also might have gripped it and ripped it off eventually, though that would be a bit extreme. There was just… a lot going on, and he felt a pang of anxiety on whether or not he could handle all of it. But, nonetheless, he had to fulfill his duty. He got voted by the majority to stay in command. He was going to make sure that he saw it through.

First Aid wrote:"I am glad to see all five Aerialbots functioning still. I will guarantee this was more programming error than any physical misalignment. As bad as this may sound, part of me is glad it was a simulation triggering this or physical harm might have happened. Part of me wants to scrap this whole crazy idea and undo what we had done to them. There has to be another answer instead of building one giant to take down another giant. If you allow me to summon Jetfire back here to answer questions we can get to the bottom of this fiasco."

“Well, First Aid, I do place my trust in you. Although it would be preferable not to have any harm at all, we have already made significant progress - to halt it now would be negative utility.”

Silverbolt chimed in with his own two cents. “Magnus is right. We’ve come too far to give up what we’ve done. If any of you,” he said, looking at the other Aerialbots, “Wish to leave, then that is fine. I wouldn’t blame you. But I’m willing to put myself up for this, if it means getting some advantage in this war.”

Magnus nodded in agreement with Silverbolt’s words. It once again showcased what a selfless commander he was.

Ironhide wrote:>>Ironhide reporting in. With your permissions, I would like a word with you. ‘Bot to ‘Bots.<<

So it seemed that the Dinobots had returned. And Ironhide was still in one piece. Of course, it would take a lot to bring down the old-timer anyhow. He was one of the toughest ‘Bots around. But Prime had some concerns on his mind as well.

Optimus Prime wrote:“We better check up on him. He’s usually very outspoken if something’s troubling him, I wonder if everything’s okay.”

“I understand wholly, Prime,” he said, reading his mind, “If you are concerned about having another berserk moment, then understand that we are better prepared this time. We both know Ironhide well, and I am sure you two could use some catching up with each other. But do not forget - he is Ironhide. He will be able to take care of both himself and you should the need arise.”

He paused for a moment, casting his vision straight into Prime’s optics. “Inform him about everything that has happened. I have the killswitch, but I hope I don’t have to use it.”

The city commander opened his comm-link back up on their shared frequency. >>”I read you, Ironhide. I’m sending Prime up from engineering. You two can explain everything to each other.”<<

And a personal comm, just to Ironhide. >>”Keep an eye out for Prime, Ironhide. I’m trusting you with the safety of everyone around.”<<

Trust. Trust was a weak concept, only existing within minds, with no physical bonds to uphold it. But it was what separated the Autobots from the Decepticons. Autobots had trust, and that’s what kept them together at the end of the day. It was their greatest asset, stronger than any weapon, and it was what allowed them to stand united.

He turned back to the Aerialbots, who had all finished discussing their various experiences with the simulation. Mixed memories? That was the largest point of concern for Magnus. “Understood, Aerialbots. First Aid, do you have any solutions to this issu-”

Before he could finish, Jetfire stormed his way into the room, not looking too happy. What followed next was… a bit more than just concerning to the city commander. First Aid practically snapped at Jetfire for the faults in the simulation programme. Jetfire, however, did his best to recoup and express his regrets. At least to Magnus, that was a step in the right direction. He had acknowledged the faults and had begun to work on them immediately.

As Jetfire described the mind-melting process, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a way to shut out all the components entirely, and have the combined form be its own unique entity. “Now, I am not as qualified to talk about these kinds of things, Jetfire, but would it not be a better idea to simply create a new personality component from scratch instead of trying to fuse the existing ones? That might prevent them from experiencing that memory-sharing bug from earlier.”

Slingshot looked up at the ‘Bots at the front of the room, almost worried about what they were going to do. He really didn’t want to have to sit through another one of those. But he reluctantly swallowed his pride, looked back at Silverbolt, and said, “I’ll do it too. It sucked the first time, but I guess if we have to…”

The city commander shook his head. “We are going to wait on the second simulation. For now, I require some information from Red Alert.”

[Engineering Deck - Project Room]

Blaster wrote:>>”Magnus, Prowl, I’ve caught up with Red Alert and his meeting. Everyone in the meeting seems to be in favour of the plans. I’m attaching a copy of the minutes of this meeting. Since Prime isn’t taking charge right now, can I get you to guys to look through all this?”<<

Ultra Magnus read through the minutes. Red Alert may sometimes be a bit too paranoid for his own (and everyone else’s) good, but there was no doubt that he was a brilliant planner. Clearly, he had thought things through with Prowl, and the HR meeting from earlier had done well to invoke everyone’s thought processes. He replied back to Blaster. >>”Approved. I will let Prowl handle the specifics. Comm everyone who needs to be involved. We’re commencing operations immediately.”<<

Blaster wrote:>>”Jetfire, Magnus, we're looking to do field testing of any science projects down in Africa. There's a cool science guy here, name's Anomaly. Could you guys let him into the databases? And also, can we get field testing in Africa approved? It's pretty isolated, so it'll be good for that stuff anyway.”<<

Magnus turned to Jetfire. “This one is your call, Jetfire. I’ll be taking leave for now to manage the fleet. However, I will return as soon as most of these operations are underway.”

He turned to Prime, the Aerialbots, First Aid, Ironfist and Jetfire one last time. “Take care, all of you.”

As he walked out of the project room, he opened another comm channel to Hot Spot. >>”Hot Spot, meet me at the bridge of the Guardian. I’ll be there in a few breems. We have a lot to discuss, and this includes the renovation of your ship.”<<

[Urgent Comms]

Blaster wrote:>>”Attention, all Autobots. There is a new initiative being taken, and it’s to help strengthen our fleet. Some of you might be confused or scared, but don’t worry - we’ll stick together through this and we’re gonna make it through, alright? For the benefit of our cause, you can take some simple steps and make a big difference.”<<
>>”Be alert and vigilant at all times. Pay as much attention to your surroundings as you can, and encourage your friends to do the same. The more we look out for each other, the stronger we become. Tell your mind that all is well, and stay sharp. Remember - only use encrypted frequencies, and don’t go to places you shouldn’t be at.”<<
>>”Autobots, to reach the goal at the end, we have to first take a small step towards it. And now marks the moment where we all begin to take that step. A step towards a brighter future - and you can be a part of it. For those who are suitable to the following mission requirements [attached file: mission briefs], please report to Hangar Epsilon of the Guardian as soon as you can.”<<
>>”And remember - no matter how much you feel like you’re struggling, there’s always another ‘Bot who’s got your back. This is Blaster, over and out.”<<

Engineering Deck - Project Room

Jetfire looked over at the Aerialbots pleased to hear they were willing to continue this project. A small part of him wondered if the Aerialbots were fighting this process on a sub processor level since the idea of joining together is repulsive to most mechs. He then heard the request from Red Alert about field testing. This idea is on the schedule but with the first failure of the simulation, the physical testing didn't sound good. The location didn't sound promising with all of the wind and blowing sand. The addition of another science member might be wise since the rest of his previous team seemed to be busy with other things.

Jetfire opened up the personnel database to see about this Anomaly. From what he read, this mech would do wonders in the ore 13 research instead of the gestalt technology.

>>Red Alert, it is still a bit early to try a physical test run for the Aerialbots. We won't move down to the surface until I feel safe with the Aerialbots and all who will be around. Once the time is right, we will find a suitable location for the testing but I do appreciate the suggestion. As for this Anomaly mech, I would suggest for him to work on the ore 13 project Perceptor and Wheeljack been involved in. <<

After the communication, Jetfire returns his attention to the room

"I understand your concerns for doing an simulation but this time we will go in very slowly. I have disabled the physical triggers in the program so your bodies should remain motionless. Once we know the program is running smoothly, I will turn it back on. If there is any major mental discomfort, First Aid will deactivate the program."

Bridge – Conference Room

Time.

Time could be a friend or enemy, depending on the individual currently at its mercy needed.

At the moment, Ironhide found himself wishing he was some place else. Had he been more of an imaginative ‘Bot, he would’ve imagined traveling back in time to prevent his rusted hulk from bouncing anywhere.

Awe, enough of this junk. Gotta get mah head outta mah tailpipe.

Still, given there wasn’t a lot to look at in the conference room, that was a tall order. Normally, he would’ve asked one of the bridge crew to connect him to a duty listing or rundown of what he’d missed. He hadn’t for one simple reason: he didn’t want for Optimus to feel compelled to reinstate him.

There was never a question in his processor that Optimus would forgive him, but he wanted to allow his friend to make his decision with as clear a conscious as possible.

“And if it means Ah’m guardin’ a garbage scow, so be it.” It took him a moment to realize he’d spoken to himself, and that brought a groan out of him and he forced his facial servos to lock so he wouldn’t do it again. The irony at having told countless Autobots to sit still and wait wasn’t lost on him. Ah pick a great time to start actin’ like a young punk. Ah should know better at mah age.

Ironhide jerked in his seat as Ultra Magnus’ message came through the shared channel Ironhide had opened between them and Optimus.

Ultra Magnus wrote:>>”I read you, Ironhide. I’m sending Prime up from engineering. You two can explain everything to each other.”<<

Why’s he sendin’ Optimus? Ironhide thought before responding, >>Roger, Ultra Magnus. Ah’ll be waitin’.<<

Somethin’s goin’ on here, Ironhide thought as the comm line closed. He regretted not attempting to check the ship’s logs, assuming he still had access to them. If he did so now, Optimus would probably walk in right when he was in the middle of it and Ironhide’s desire to save his friend more complications would’ve been wasted.

Ultra Magnus wrote:>>”Keep an eye out for Prime, Ironhide. I’m trusting you with the safety of everyone around.”<<

Ironhide’s processor ceased sending commands to his servos for an astrosecond as the meaning behind Ultra Magnus’ words sunk through his thick cranial unit.

A thousand and one thoughts raced through his processor as he remembered Ratchet’s account of how Optimus was, and Ironhide fought the urge to punch the conference table. Ah was too busy worrin’ about my problem to really listen, and now I have to look after everyone… from Optimus?

He couldn’t believe his receiver or his logic circuits, but if that was Ultra Magnus’ orders, what could he do? Ah’m bein’ trusted with this after what Ah did? He shook the thought off. He hadn’t been here when Optimus had needed him before, but he was there now.

>>Roger that, Ultra Magnus. Optimus and me’ll be outta everyone’s way.<<

As he ended his communication, his first thought was, Protect everyone from Optimus? Somethin’ ain’t right.

Blaster wrote:>>"Attention, all Autobots. There is a new initiative being taken, and it’s to help strengthen our fleet. Some of you might be confused or scared, but don’t worry - we’ll stick together through this and we’re gonna make it through, alright? For the benefit of our cause, you can take some simple steps and make a big difference.”<<

>>"Be alert and vigilant at all times. Pay as much attention to your surroundings as you can, and encourage your friends to do the same. The more we look out for each other, the stronger we become. Tell your mind that all is well, and stay sharp. Remember - only use encrypted frequencies, and don’t go to places you shouldn’t be at.”<<

>>"Autobots, to reach the goal at the end, we have to first take a small step towards it. And now marks the moment where we all begin to take that step. A step towards a brighter future - and you can be a part of it. For those who are suitable to the following mission requirements [attached file: mission briefs], please report to Hangar Epsilon of the Guardian as soon as you can.”<<

>>"And remember - no matter how much you feel like you’re struggling, there’s always another ‘Bot who’s got your back. This is Blaster, over and out.”<<

Ironhide shook his head and mumbled, “Ah leave for a short while and everyone loses their bearin’s. Ah shoulda let Starscream blast me.”

With a final grumble, he stood from his seat and headed for the bridge. He’d have plenty of time to sit around once Optimus got there.

For the first time in a while, he was feeling more like his old self. How long that’d last once Optimus got there was something he tried not to think about.

[Comm to Jetfire]

Red Alert wrote:>>”I, I get what you mean, Jetfire, but we can’t have another incident happen, even if it is just non-physical simulations. W-we don’t want another… “Optimus” to happen. And have you had a look at the location? It’s p-perfectly fine! There’s not much wind, it’s isolated and uh, it’s going to be our primary field testing location for all future projects - the harsh environment would allow us to improve on projects more than ever. I’m also going to be letting Wheeljack and Perceptor know about this kind of stuff. With Wheeljack’s track record, that Ore-13 stuff might just blow a gigantic hole in the hull of this ship!"<<

[Engineering Deck - Project Room]

Jetfire wrote:"I understand your concerns for doing an simulation but this time we will go in very slowly. I have disabled the physical triggers in the program so your bodies should remain motionless. Once we know the program is running smoothly, I will turn it back on. If there is any major mental discomfort, First Aid will deactivate the program."

Silverbolt nodded. He was thinking deeply about the effects of the whole thing, the vivid flashes of memories that weren’t his own, the near-trauma he experienced and how taken aback he was at the stress and intensity of all this.

But this wasn’t going to be about him. He swallowed the anxiety that he’d been carrying since waking out of the simulation. This was something that they needed to do.

“If the rest of you are fine with it,” he said as he looked over at the other Aerialbots, “Then I would be all for going to the surface. Anything to further this project. I know there are a lot of things to work through, but I would be willing to persevere through it.” The clarity and resolve in the Aerialbot Commander’s voice was apparent - he was here to uphold the Autobot cause.

He paused and thought for a moment, reflecting on the events of the past cycle. “I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt again.”

“I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt again.”

"Agreed," Fireflight said, echoing his commander's concerns. "I would be willing, but only with the unanimous support of everyone on the team. If anyone has reservations, then I'm inclinded to agree with them. But...I'm not going to be the sole objector. I can adapt. It might take a little more focus than I'm used to giving, but so be it."

Engineering Deck

Optimus was a bit reluctant when Ultra Magnus gave him the all clear to go see Ironside by himself, but nodded sagely at his brother’s foresight in the event there’s another outburst. He turned back towards the Aerialbots and gently waved them all farewell.

“Silverbolt, I wish you and the other Aerialbots a safe recovery. I wish I could’ve stayed and caught up more with you all.” He spoke sincerely before pivoting and making his leave from the engineering bay.

-

”I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt again.”

“C’mon, do you really expect some sort of rejection from me?” Air Raid chimed in with his usual bravado, “The more dangerous these things are, the better I like ’em! Count me in.”

Bridge - Conference Room

When the doors slid open, Optimus was quickly greeted to Ironhide appearing as though he was beginning to make his exit from the conference room. Strange, he thought this is where he wanted the meeting to happen. Maybe he got a bit impatient, Primus knows he was always one to let his motors lead him before his processor sometimes.

“Ironhide,” Optimus began, the red and blue Autobot placing his actuators on the grizzled mech’s shoulder plating, “it’s been too long old friend.” The former commander smiled behind his face plate at the sight of one of his longest friends and comrades. “I’m sorry Ultra Magnus can’t accompany both of us here, there’s a lot of things he’s managing over right now.”

He took a couple steps further into the room before taking a spot at one of the various chairs circling the large central table.

“You mentioned you wanted to discuss something? Is something troubling you?”

Encrypted Communique from Prowl to Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime:

>>”Commanders, this is Prowl reporting back from the Autobot City Site. I’ve fully debriefed both Springer and, more importantly, Omega Supreme. I’m sending you both the notes of those briefings now. In short, Scorponok and his fleet have attacked Garrus-9. According to Omega, it is likely a total loss and he does not recommend a rescue attempt. Omega was able to secure and escape with Aequitas, which he has in one of his storage banks. I have seen Aequitas for myself and it is in good condition. This explains why Scourge and his Sweeps were chasing after Omega Supreme on the outer edges of the Sol System. I have also been informed that the Phase Sixer, Overlord, is now in Scorponok’s possession. Although, he is severely damaged. It is highly probable that Scorponok will try again to find Omega and retrieve Aequitas. When that happens, we will have TWO Phase Sixers to deal with. This makes creating our own STAG more important than ever. I am currently heading to the Epsilon hangar onboard the Guardian to join the African mission where I hope that our own Phase Sixer project can begin in earnest. I will update you both when I have something to report. Prowl out.”<<

Bridge – Conference Room

Patience was a virtue and something Ironhide had explained to younger ‘Bots a million times. It was a simple concept that one sometimes had to wait for things they couldn’t control — much like being caught in an artillery bombardment, one spot was as good as another.

That didn’t mean he was above trying to alter things to suit his purpose. Ironhide had earned his reputation and moniker for being the one that charged the enemy during a bombardment. Sure, it generally ended with him spending time in the medical bay and having another layer of armor put into place, but more times than not he’d succeeded in turning the tide. The times he hadn’t, well, it was better not to think about those.

Each of those times had cause undue stress on Optimus and led to a few breems of being under Ratchet’s not-so-loving touch, ie: critical cynicism.

And Ah go and help history repeat itself. But there was no glory to be had this time, was there?

Tired of taking his own self abuse and wanting to learn more about what was going on with the new heightened security measure, he got up from his seat and headed for the conference room door.

Ah gotta figure out what’s goin’ on before I drive myself crazier than I already am, he thought, approaching the door.

He stopped as it slid open and his energon pump tried to relocate itself into his vocalizer as Optimus Prime stood before him, looking every bit his old self except for a concerned weariness in his optics Ironhide knew few others would notice.

Optimus Prime wrote:“Ironhide,” Optimus began, the red and blue Autobot placing his actuators on the grizzled mech’s shoulder plating, “it’s been too long old friend.”

Hearing Optimus’s voice and feeling his touch would’ve pleased him under other circumstances, but only added to the weight he’d already heaped on himself. Seeing the joy wash away the previous emotions in Optimus’ optics didn’t help ease the betrayal Ironhide felt he’d committed toward his friend.

Why couldn’t I be a smarter ‘Bot and not caused any issues? Pushing those thoughts aside, Ironhide focused on having Optimus up and about. Just seeing him fully functional filled his energon pump with pride, as he knew it did the others over the millenia.

“It’s good to see you, too, Optimus.” There, that wasn’t so hard, was it? Ironhide ignored any response his processor offered.

Optimus Prime wrote:“I’m sorry Ultra Magnus can’t accompany both of us here, there’s a lot of things he’s managing over right now.”

Dodged one laser bolt, Ironhide thought as he sidestepped for Optimus to enter the room. Now, to step on the largest gravitic mine possible…

“Ah’m not surprised, given the recent communique."

Ironhide waited as Optimus took a seat, warring with himself whether he should join him or remain standing. He knew what the proper protocol was, but he wanted to lessen the strain on his friend as much as possible. If, it was possible. In the end, he chose to remain standing as if he were holding a briefing. Ah suppose Ah am.

Optimus Prime wrote:“You mentioned you wanted to discuss something? Is something troubling you?”

Leakin’ lubricant, is somethin’ ever. He’d known doing this wouldn’t be easy. In fact, he expected it to be the hardest thing he’d ever endured. Unfortunately, his expectations were no where near close in this one.

“Yeah, you could say that,” Ironhide said, fighting against a part of him that wished he’d found another way to do this. After all his preaching to others about needing to be made of sterner stuff, here he was floundering to work up the nerve to cruch the one mech he respected and loved more than any other. “Optimus,” he began, trying to drum up the courage and the correct words to use, “Ah’ve had my moments, but this time, I…”

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he fought to keep his optics locked on Optimus’. The movement was nearly imperceptible, but it was there. “Ah wanted to tell you this before the pipline reports or a chatterbox did…”

Come on, out with it, ya lunkhead

“Ah know this is bad timin’, but Ah took a few of us — myself, Pipes, and Starfire—” He resisted the urge to smack his cranium at forgetting to look in on Starfire before coming here. He’d been so worried about Pipes and himself, he hadn’t even thought of her. Making sure that would tops on his list following this meeting, he continued, “to Earth, or that was the plan. The bounce chambed glitched or somthin’, and it sent us to Sol-4 — Mars — by accident where we had a run in with Starscream and his cronies.” He shuddered as he forced the next words out. “Ah did so without permission or tellin’ anyone we were goin’, and it nearly got Pipes killed.”

He paused as the next part was the hardest to vocalize. “Because of actin’ like a young punk, Ah wasn’t here to help when Megatron escaped and you needed me most. Ah failed my duty and betrayed your trust. Ah no sorry don’t begin to make up for my actions.”

He wanted to add more, like he could only imagine the turmoil he caused Optimus, especially now, but that would’ve only colored Optimus’ reaction. As much as he wanted to put it behind him, Ironhide knew it would be best for Optimus not to have him play the friendship angle.

If there’s one thing Ah’m gonna do right… he thought as he finished. They should’ve left me there to rust.

[Engineering Deck - Project Room]

Optimus Prime wrote:“Silverbolt, I wish you and the other Aerialbots a safe recovery. I wish I could’ve stayed and caught up more with you all."

“Thank you, Prime,” were Silverbolt’s only words, but by the time he said them, Optimus had left.

Air Raid and Fireflight were both on board for going down to Africa to work in a better environment, the former being rather excited for the thrill of it, despite just having suffered from an attack to the senses. Skydive also piped up, curling a few of his digits. “I do agree - I will gladly take part in the endeavour to improve our odds.”

Slingshot rolled his optics for a second after the other three had stated their stances. He was still annoyed after waking up from all… of whatever that was. He did want to go, but his usual insecurities had to bleed through first. “Ugh, fine, I’ll go as well. Not like I have anything better to do.”

Silverbolt nodded in acknowledgement of all of his team members agreeing. “I appreciate all of you being so willing. So, Jetfire, what’s the plan?”

Bridge - Conference Room

It didn’t take a professional to tell something was wrong with Ironhide. Tough as his exterior may be, he wore his spark on his shoulders and wasn’t afraid to really tell you how he felt. Prime sat attentively as the grizzled warrior tried to explain what’s been irking him.

“Ah know this is bad timin’, but Ah took a few of us — myself, Pipes, and Starfire— to Earth, or that was the plan. The bounce chambed glitched or somthin’, and it sent us to Sol-4 — Mars — by accident where we had a run in with Starscream and his cronies. Ah did so without permission or tellin’ anyone we were goin’, and it nearly got Pipes killed.”

Prime continued to sit quietly and absorb what he was hearing. His optics remained focused on his old friend as he tried to read his body language the best he could. The tone in his voice sounded like that of guilt, but he was holding back something still...

”Because of actin’ like a young punk, Ah wasn’t here to help when Megatron escaped and you needed me most. Ah failed my duty and betrayed your trust. Ah no sorry don’t begin to make up for my actions.”

And that confirmed his suspicions. Optimus pondered his next words carefully, he was no longer in command and his absence really shook the ranks more than he was expecting. And he mentioned something about Megatron escaping? Here? Was he taken aboard at some point? Unfortunately his answers from his old friend only left him with more and more questions.

“You’re right.” Prime finally spoke, slowly rising to his feet and approaching one of the various viewports looking down towards Earth’s atmosphere. “There’s no amount of apologizing that will rectify this.” His Blue optics scanned over the blue and green planet below, as if he were looking to the planet for his next choice of words. “However, I myself have been— out of commission for longer than I wished to have been and have only just began to feel like myself again. When I first awoke, I... I directly harmed some of my closest allies, my friends.” He paused for a moment as his head dropped low from the painful reminder, losing himself to those visions only to return to the pained and panicked screams of his fellow Autobots.

“In a way, we’re both in the same boat here. We’ve hurt our friends and our trust in them is a bit shaken at the moment.” Optimus turned from the window and approached Ironhide. He brought his blue actuators to his shoulder armor once again and patted his old friend with reassurance, smiling behind his mouthplate. His next words almost pained him to say because it was hard for himself to even admit. “We’ve made mistakes, but we aren’t going to fix anything asking for forgiveness right now. Now is the time to prove that we can get back up before we knock ourselves down.”

Optimus’ words were cut off as his comm-line immediately began to bring. Encrypted call from Prowl, something’s going down...

“By the Allspark...” Prime muttered aloud as he heard Prowls communication. His optics were darting rapidly over the transmitted data Prowl had passed along to him.

Fortress Maximus... I can only hope that you managed to save as many of your men as you could and escape...

“I’m sorry, old friend,” the red and blue prime said beginning to move towards the door, “but I’m afraid we may need to continue this conversation on the go. I need to see Omega Supreme.”

[Periapsis of Sol-3]

The Ark. Such a symbolic name, now descending upon this very planet known as Earth. With cloaks and heat shields fully active, the Ark-22 had begun to enter the atmosphere. It would be a while before it reached the Peruvian valley that contained Autobot City. The low rumble of orbital reentry lightly shook the entire hull. Silverbolt could feel it, and knew that it was good that he had done it. The sooner the Ark was down planetside, the better.

The ship descended further. Only a matter of breems before the ship perched upon the surface.

Bridge – Conference Room

There it was. Ironhide had managed to get it all out without blowing a transistor.

Optimus had remained quiet throughout, as was his way. While Ironhide appreciated not being interrupted, he almost wished his friend had become angry, threw or punched something, berated him some way. But instead, he remained stoic, thoughtful. And it glitched Ironhide’s processor to no end.

Optimus Prime wrote:“You’re right.”

The simple response cut through Ironhide’s armor better than a laser scalpel. It was similar to what he’d expected to hear, but hearing Optimus actually voice it renewed the feelings of betrayal Ironhide had been beating himself up over since arriving back on the Guardian. There’s more, he thought as he watched his oldest friend rise and approach the viewports.

Optimus Prime wrote: “There’s no amount of apologizing that will rectify this.”

This is like an acid bath, Ironhide thought as he raised his hand and opened his mouth, but his vocalizer failed him as he fought with himself to keep from making it more difficult on his commander. He’d insisted on this meeting to put it all out on the table and to await his punishment. Speaking up now wouldn’t just damage his self-respect, but would add to his humiliation.

Optimus Prime wrote: “However, I myself have been— out of commission for longer than I wished to have been and have only just began to feel like myself again. When I first awoke, I... I directly harmed some of my closest allies, my friends.”

That time, Ironhide’s mouth fell open without a sound. He’d heard the reports, but he’d refused to believe them. He’d been locked onto there being a mistake or a fake Optimus Prime that had run amok. Now, hearing the words from the one mech he respected above all others…

He rested a hand on one of the chairs to steady himself. Optimus had heard his confession without flinching, and Ironhide would do that same. He owed him that.

Optimus Prime wrote:“In a way, we’re both in the same boat here. We’ve hurt our friends and our trust in them is a bit shaken at the moment.”

Ironhide tried to hide his internal pain as Optimus approached him and took hold of his shoulders. Though Optimus’ smile was hidden, Ironhide had been with him enough to know the signs, and he felt reassured as he looked into Optimus’ optics.

Optimus Prime wrote: “We’ve made mistakes, but we aren’t going to fix anything asking for forgiveness right now. Now is the time to prove that we can get back up before we knock ourselves down.”

Ironhide couldn’t help but return the smile and nod in agreement. He always knows what to say, he thought with a twinge of shame for not being worthy of his mercy and wisdom. Still, his pump had never been shy before. What’s better than us against the universe. “You bet, Optimus. When do we get started? I like our odds.”

Ironhide recognized the sudden faraway look of a communication coming in and curbed his newfound enthusiasm. Another thought came to him, but he pushed it away.I don’t care if hes not in command; everyone knows comin’ to Optimus is the smart thing.

Optimus Prime wrote:“By the Allspark...”

The sudden shift in Optimus’ mood immediately brought Ironhide’s old self to the surface. Leakin’ lubricant, what punk did somethin’ stupid now? Several immediately came to mind, and he started checking their names off out of habit when Optimus spoke again.

Optimus Prime wrote:“I’m sorry, old friend,” the red and blue prime said beginning to move towards the door, “but I’m afraid we may need to continue this conversation on the go. I need to see Omega Supreme.”

Ironhide fell into step alongside his friend and commander without any hesitation. “Ah’m with you, Optimus.”

Looks like Ah’ll get to visit Earth after all, he thought.

Engineering Deck - Project Room

It enlightened Jetfire's spark to here the Aerialbots still wanted to continue the procedure. He started the process of going under very slowly with First Aid watching the read outs of the individual Aerialbots.

"Personally I think the new Peru Autobot City would make a better choice but it might be a bit too busy down there to test whatever you all become. My impression is all of the brains will be in Africa so when things goes wrong, we will have others who can contribute their processors. It would still be nice to get an in depth look into SkyLynx and Omega Supreme at Peru though to see how they are able to control their multiple parts and processors."

First Aid watched as the Aerialbots slowly went under and Jetfire started up the hologram again. First Aid hoped this time would be much smoother on the team with them learning in case the Protectobots goes through it as planned.

"More information is often times good if it can be put to good use, Jetfire. It seems we won't have the luxury of time to asks the questions for the understanding. Do we have any idea what sort of resources there be at Africa?"

Jetfire walks over to another computer terminal and brings up the latest information. A loud grunt comes from the aerial commander and scientist.

"Nothing worth noting which is why I prefer either staying here or at Peru. It is wide open but not much in an actual base. The construction was preliminary at best before the whole Fallen mess. There could be one positive, the science community can make it into whatever we want assuming Prowl allows us the freedom to construct what we need instead of making it another military listening outpost."

The slow decent of the ark was noticed by Jetfire and First Aid who looked at each other.

"Hmm, I think there was a plan to land the ark-22 at the new Autobot City site. It seems they are moving forward with this idea."

"Let us hope, Jetfire, this doesn't disturb the second test run."

"We better make sure everything is secure than."

Jetfire walked around the tables and checked the straps on the Aerialbots. First Aid made sure the rest of the equipment was secure.

"Once we land, I'll loosen up the straps again. We don't need you all sliding around during entry."

[Engineering Deck - Project Room]

Jetfire wrote:"Personally I think the new Peru Autobot City would make a better choice but it might be a bit too busy down there to test whatever you all become. My impression is all of the brains will be in Africa so when things goes wrong, we will have others who can contribute their processors. It would still be nice to get an in depth look into SkyLynx and Omega Supreme at Peru though to see how they are able to control their multiple parts and processors."

”The more insight we can get, the better. I will wait for you to handle the rest.” Silverbolt said calmly, feeling the ship’s descent in action. The ever-so-slight rumbling of atmospheric entry caused an almost soothing sensation in his circuits. At least things were getting put into action.

Jetfire and First Aid talked about some other things, but Silverbolt couldn’t focus properly. His mind was elsewhere. Quite literally too, because it didn’t feel like he was in his own mind. There were things in his memory drives that felt… foreign. He couldn’t describe it properly, nor could he access these memories, but they just felt like the oddest things to him. Maybe it’s a side effect of this process. Whatever he could do to help the cause. If it meant having a few strange thoughts here and there, fading in and out, that was okay. Hopefully, it wouldn’t distract him when he needed to point a gun at someone.

The straps were tightened as the angle of the ship tilted slightly. Silverbolt didn’t need much explanation, the first time around had already taught him the process. He offlined his optics, lying flat on the berth, waiting for the moment when everything would start again.

And just a few moments later, he found himself in another reality.

Engineering Deck - Project Room

Fireflight was again lost in his own thoughts. Well, at least he thought they were his own. They could be any combination of he and his teammates now. Or maybe not. He didn't understand exactly how that all worked.

He heard some chatter about the fact that the Ark was going to land. He supposed that was good. The combination process had been more than a little traumatic, to put it diplomatically, but the reassurances of his teammates much less the fact that Optimus Prime had been standing here not that long ago went a long way to making sure Fireflight felt better about this whole process. Whatever the Decepticons had cooked up, this combined Aerialbot was going to go a long way towards throwing a wrench in their grand plans.

And with that reassuring thought, Fireflight nodded his approval as the straps were tightened and the process was reignited.