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Shuttle Serenity

Hot Spot looks back at the sandy location and noticed his crew walked up with their cargo. Managing the Protectobots can be rather hard with such polar opinions about the war. First Aid and Groove being the pacifist while Blades and Streetwise don't mind the fighting. Blades sometimes enjoys it a bit too much but overall the team balances itself out.

"Hey Hot Spot, do you know if we get to come back here later? The sand is rather irritating but I think something like this would go a lot farther to end the war then facing whatever we are in the next few breems."

"I know where you are coming from, Groove. Peace obtained through a barrel or blade doesn't last long because often it leads to more fluids being spilled. Often times it is those who have the greater courage to lay down arms have the greater chance of surviving in peace. I know Optimus Prime and fairly certain Ultra Magnus both agree with the thought. This base may one day serve the purpose Magnus has in mind but at a different time. However our immediate concern isn't the Cons but this Fallen creature and his minions."

"So how many do we get to slice up? I hope I'm not the only air support the Bots will have."

"If I know Ultra Magnus, Blades, he will throw everyone he has to eliminate this threat. It wouldn't surprise me the Aerialbots will be there as well as a few of the other flyers. We have the triple changers with us who could give some aerial support if needed."

"Do we have a map of the location? I'm hoping the ground is a bit more solid then this sand we are currently on. We are lucky we didn't hit anything real loose because I doubt First Aid would want to repair a jammed servo or anything else due to bad footing."

It is a little odd for his team to have this much to say but possible the idea of what they will be facing is bothering them all.

"I don't know if we have any such information. We will have to wait until we get there and see what Ultra Magnus and others have come up with."

With three of his four speaking up, he turns to First Aid waiting for him to bring up something. It wouldn't surprise him if his medic said something about being cleaned out of all the sand particles. Something like that though is usually better done on the Guardian or Ark-22 with their proper facilities.

"Springer, I don't know if you are going to take command of this shuttle but all of the Protectobots are here and ready to go. The equipment is on board thanks to Blurr and everyone else. Wherever we are going, it might be time to get us there."

Shuttle Serenity

First Aid was not sure if he was happy to be moving from the sand locked locale or if he’d prefer to stay longer if only to prolong his meeting with the Fallen and his followers. The Protectobot doctor hadn’t spoken much since the small team arrived in Africa. How could he? No matter how hard he tried his processor kept going back to that first meeting with the fiery mech.

The thought caused a slight shiver to run down his spinal strut.

He had followed Hot Spot and the others aboard the shuttle but he kept quiet and out of sight. Although everything that the others were discussing made it to his audios he found it unnecessary to add to any of it.

That was until he heard Blades. "So how many do we get to slice up?”

Of course it had to be the energon hungry mech of the group to be gun –ho and ready to gut everything and everyone.

First Aid stood up and looked at the ‘Bots in the area. He studied each one’s features carefully before he lowered his gaze to the floor. “These things, they’re no joke. They’re fast. They’re incredibly strong and they can endure damn near anything,” the doctor said softly.

He shuffled from one foot to the other before he raised his head and met Springer’s optics. “I was with Ultra Magnus. I was with him when this thing… this Fallen showed up.” Aid stepped a bit closer. “Two of them. Two of his Heralds tore two of Magnus’ crew to pieces. You were there, Hot Spot. All of you were there. You remember!”

First Aid looked back to the Protectobot Commander. “How do we even stop something like that?! How do we help them?” He held his superior’s gaze for a moment before he backed away and flopped into a seat.

Surprisingly Sideswipe had made it through one whole breem without drawing attention to him. Instead the crimson terror settled in against one of the bulkheads and watched.

It did get much more interesting when First Aid started to glitch. That brought a smile to Sideswipe’s face. It was about time someone flipped out.

Although once the show was over Sideswipe became bored. He took his leave, weaving his way from the hold and deeper into the shuttle.

He quickened his pace when he began to hear familiar voices.

Moments later he was right where he wanted to be. “Oh would you look at this scrap.” Sideswipe crossed his arms over his chest and took in the occupants. “Now I thought they sent a crack team to pick me up so I could bash some supernatural entity’s tight aft, and now I find out it’s just…you.” The red twin lowered his head and shook it dejectedly. “A blabbermouth. A motormouth. A massive target. You,” he motioned toward Sandstorm before continuing, “Primus knows what we’ve got up front. But you’re all in luck!” Sideswipe took on an imposing stance with his head held high and his chest puffed out. “I’m here now!” The warrior looked back down and flashed each mech one of his charming smiles.

Shuttle Serenity

"I know I missed most of the carnage back at the Yellow Sea, First Aid, but I did review each of your findings. Most of us were engaged with the Cons but the odd sight of Fallen walking through the portal was something to see. The other strange sight was watching Ultra Magnus and Onslaught talking about what to do instead of shooting each other. It is that meeting which is leading us to the joint forces of Cons and Bots to take down the Fallen. Ultimately we hope we will be able to save each of the corrupted individuals especially our fellow Autobots. I have to remember what Prime has said countless times, each life no matter whose it is worth saving. At this moment I wish I knew what Ultra Magnus has in mind for the crew on this shuttle. It is probably safe to say we will be notified on the way there."

"Yeah, Hot Spot, you did miss out on a lot of the fun. I still owe a certain Seeker some clipped wings and a dirt nap but doubt I get to in this fight unless it is a misfired shot or he gets in my way. As for the Fallen and his gang, it wouldn't surprise me if Wheeljack and group figured out a way to knock them all out so they can be purified. The Cons probably would want to slag them all including their own which won't bother me too much."

"Blades, remember this will be no time for revenge. This world and more is at stake. If we are still functioning and this planet still exist, then you might get your shot in."

"Yes, commander, I know what needs to be done."

"Peace and cooperation are things I've longed for with our fellow Cybertronians but I have to wonder how long it will last after we defeat the Fallen. The other thing is how many of us will be left standing. Hopefully this truce will finally shine the light on the other famous saying Prime and others have said many times. Till All Are One."

"Groove, I do hope this will show how we as a race can be one. We are one in our efforts against this creature who has our friends in bondage."

Hot Spot then turns his attention over to Springer.

"Hey Springer, any word from Ultra Magnus on the plan or ETA for this gathering? It wouldn't be good if we are late since we will need every servo in this fight in their respective areas."

Shuttle Serenity - Interior

Bluestreak remained seated as the shuttle landed to pick up the African team. Everyone on board had wanted him to shut up and so he obliged them. Being silent wasn’t an easy task for the gunner as it allowed all sorts of terrible memories to intrude into his processor. Specifically, the destruction of his home city of Praxus. It was an experience Blue would never forget or forgive. It was the source of not only his hatred for the Decepticons but of his tendency to talk non-stop. It helped him to forget and to suppress those horrible thoughts.

Survivor’s guilt was another thing Bluestreak suffered from since he was the only one to live through the devastation of Praxus. Often the black and silver mech had considered seeing someone about his emotional issues, someone like Rung for instance. Unfortunately, there was no one in this sector that was really qualified in that area of mental health. He found solace in talking to others even if they couldn’t stand hearing his voice for endless cycles.

The gunner took a deep intake of air as he tried to keep the memories at bay without running off at the mouthpiece. Finally, as the African team entered the shuttle, someone sat down next to him and had the courage to ask him how he was doing and risk starting another onslaught of words from the chatterbot. It was Blurr whose own vocalizer revealed the nervousness and anxiety he was now feeling especially with the upcoming battle not far off. Bluestreak chuckled and shot the speedster a friendly smile.

“Well, Blurr, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, I guess,” the black and silver mech said as those bad memories receded into his subconsciousness. With those terrible thoughts now gone, Bluestreak was feeling a bit more like himself. “I’m not looking forward to working with the Decepticons, but then again who is right? I mean, I hate their guts and they can’t be trusted but what choice do we have? The Fallen and his heralds are very strong and capable of great destruction on a grand scale. I’m not even sure if Optimus Prime would be able to defeat the Fallen. I know that sounds sacrilegious, but Optimus doesn't have supernatural powers. Although, being a Prime might give him the ultimate advantage. It’s too bad he’s not here. I’d also feel much more comfortable and sure of things if Optimus was leading the charge. I mean, nothing against Ultra Magnus. He’s a great leader, as well, but I’m not sure he’ll be enough to win the battle at the end of the day. It might take Primus, himself, to defeat the Fallen and return our comrades to us. But, how likely is that to happen, you know? We can only hope and pray that our combined forces will be enough to win the day. Otherwise....”

Bluestreak’s words trailed off as images of his destroyed home city once again flooded into his processor like a sudden tidal wave. This was a first and very unexpected as these memories have never resurfaced before while he was in the middle of actually talking. Perhaps the mere thought of the destruction the Fallen and his heralds were capable of reminded the gunner too much of his city’s own desolation. Maybe, like before, Bluestreak would be left as the only survivor again. Only this time, he’d be the last Cybertronian anywhere. The last of his race. Bluestreak tried to regain his composure and managed to finish his previous sentence. “....otherwise, we’ll all be doomed.”

It’ll be Praxus all over again....only far worse.

Shuttle Serenity

"Better start setting course for Australia, Dome, my man. Doesn't look like we'll be here too long."

The mnemosurgeon pivoted himself back around to his seat at the helm per Blaster's suggestion. Seems the shuttle and it's crew were all loaded up and revving to go, no sense in keeping them waiting.

"You got it, Blaster." Chromedome replied as he set himself back into his seat and began running through the take off procedures once again.

"I'm so excited!" Eject announced from Blaster's side,"Autobots are up to the plate and we aren't gonna strikeout this time! It's game time baby!!"

---

Springer let out an amused chuckle as his fellow triplechangers began retorting their usual wrecking crew banter towards one another. As Sandstorm began his quip towards Broadside, Springer reached for the data files secured against the bulkhead of the shuttle that Ultra Magnus had told him about in his last communique. He opened the metallic casing and pulled out the data pad inside and began reading over the intel as he took a seat across from where Sandstorm and Broadside sat.

“I was with Ultra Magnus. I was with him when this thing… this Fallen showed up."

First Aid said as the doctor approached Springer, looking into his optics as he spoke. The Protectobot doctor began going over what he and his fellow Protectobots had seen back aboard the Guardian.

"Supernatural entities, eh?" Springer said as he broke his stare with the red and white Protectobot and gazed to the floor. He began stroking his chin with his left hand as he pondered the Autobots current situation. He shifted his attention back towards Ultra Magnus' data pad orders and scanned the coding once more. Springer then rose from his seat and approached First Aid, placing a soft hand against the doctor's shoulder armoring.

"Don't worry First Aid," Springer began in a hushed tone, "It's gonna be okay. We're gonna stop this Fallen entity, and we're bring our possessed comrades home safe and Fallen-free, I'm sure of it. But for now, we need to keep calm, the moment we all panic is the moment we lose the fight. Panicking now means the Fallen has already won the fight before the battle even breaks out...."

Springer then stepped back to give First Aid some more breathing room, Primus knows what all that 'Bot witnessed back on the Guardian.

"We can do this Aid, just gotta keep a clear mind." Springer then tapped the side of his cranial unit with two actuators before turning towards the pilots cabin. He could only hope his words spoke loudly to the medical bot, it wasn't much but it was something.

"Chromedome! We ready to get this rust bucket up into the air yet?" Springer yelled up into the pilots cabin.

"Engines are warm and it seems we're all packed up."

"Excellent! Looks like everyone's aboard, let's go kill us a mythical Prime!"

Chromedome pulled back on the controls and the Serenity began to transcend into the Egyptian night sky.

"Blaster, open a comm line to Arcee and her team in Detroit," Springer issued as he continued to read over Magnus' report, "We've got a pit stop to make before we head to Austrailia."

Shuttle Serenity

"Autobots are up to the plate and we aren't gonna strikeout this time! It's game time baby!!"

Blaster smiled down at his subordinate with a nod. "You bet it is, Eject," he offered. As Chromedome began the takeoff procedures, Blaster did a swift check of the system to ascertain that everything was still operating at optimum efficiency. An automated reaction really, but it never hurt. Everything came back crisp and clear. They were a-go as soon as Chromedome finished up.

It wasn't long before Springer hollered up to the pilot's cabin where the mnemosurgeon, Blaster, and the cassettobot resided. With a slight upward tug, Blaster became aware that they had taken flight. Blaster glanced out of the view port. It looked like dawn was just beginning to arrive. Doing some quick calculations in his head, he figured that it was just about noon over in Australia. Broad daylight. Humans might notice...

"Blaster, open a comm line to Arcee and her team in Detroit," Springer issued as he continued to read over Magnus' report, "We've got a pit stop to make before we head to Austrailia."

"You got it, Springer," Blaster replied as he went to work opening up a comm link between the two shuttles.

>>"Yo, this is Shuttle Serenity shouting out to the folks on the Longevity! Anybody read me? We're gonna make a detour to Detroit to pick up 'Cee and her crew for added reinforcements. Copy?"<< Blaster transmitted as he locked onto the Longevity's signal.


Blurr listened as Bluestreak went on about the situation and their odds, merely confirming what the speedster already knew. It did not look good for them. Blurr let out a sigh. Despite Bluestreak's accurate statements about Optimus not being supernatural, the blue speedster would feel much better with the big red Autobot's reassuring presence about. Pit, he'd even take Megatron as much as he hated the bucket head! At least it was something!

Blurr's shoulder plates slumped as Bluestreak added his last statement. That pretty much summed it all up. Win or die. Blurr glanced up as Springer shouted into the pilot's cabin. It looked like they were about to get underway. Good. The sooner they got there, the better. If there was something that could kill the speedster, it was a long wait.

[Earth Atmosphere - En Route to Abandoned Military Facility]

“This’ll, uh, be a second base?” Anomaly asked with a bit of nervousness. Rook wanted to chuckle, but he stifled it for the moment. That mech was a greenie, in both experience and in colour, so it wouldn’t be justified.

“Well… yes and no at the same time. It’ll be an outpost for testing. By no means is it meant to be permanent, but we’ll see how things go.”

Quickswitch fiddled with his fingers. “...Sir?” His nervous voice was directed towards Prowl. “What exactly is a phase sixer anyway?” He wanted to know what was going to happen to him.

Maybe the upgrade might fix him.

Private message to Ultra Magnus, Prowl, and Optimus Prime

>>Ultra Magnus, Prowl, and Optimus Prime, the simulation was a success the second time around. This doesn't mean the process is done since we still need to test it out on the field. I will still like some time in the near future to chat with Omega Supreme and Skylynx on how they operate with their combinations. The combining process will still need advancing even if Superion does work. I know the science division is being rerouted to Africa and I am wondering how soon that will be.<<

Earth Atmosphere – En Route to Abandoned Military Facility

Quickswitch wrote:“…Sir? What exactly is a phase sixer anyway?”

Prowl looked up from the datapad he had immersed himself in and regarded the obviously nervous Quickswitch for a moment before answering. “Phase Sixers are ultra-powerful mechs that Megatron commissioned many vorns ago who are tasked with unleashing their destructive powers on a planet once it had finally entered phase six of infiltration. The world in question would basically already be on the brink of collapse and the phase sixers would completely ravage it so that the planet could then be stripped of every last natural resource by the Decepticon war machine.”

The military strategist paused for a moment to let what he just said sink in. “Megatron picked his phase sixers from his Warriors Elite, Sixshot and Overlord being two such Phase Sixers. These elite super powerful warriors have all be modified or somehow physically altered to make them almost indestructible. Sixshot, for instance, has a sealed, self-regenerating power core that practically eliminates the need to recharge. It’s scans of Sixshot that we will be using to base alterations of your own frame in order to make you indestructible like him.” Prowl smiled for a brief moment before returning to his usual stoic expression. “Have I answered your question sufficiently, Quickswitch?”

The black and white then received a transmission from Jetfire, informing him of the progress with the gestalt program.

>>”Understood, Jetfire. My team and I are currently en route to an abandoned military facility in the nation-state called Egypt, which is located in Northern Africa. We will be there soon to set up our outpost for projects testing. I will let you know when we are ready. Prowl out.”<<

The black and white cut his comm line and put his datapad away before getting up from his seat. After entering the pilot’s cabin, Prowl looked out of the window as the shuttle passed through the clouds over Africa. “How much longer until we reach our destination, Rook?”

[Outside Abandoned Military Facility]

Quickswitch listened carefully to Prowl’s explanation of what was about to happen to him. While he was speaking, he turned his optics to his hands, staring closely at the empty palms, tracing every little detail around his fingers. Indestructible. That was the word Prowl had used to describe the planet ravagers. The star killers. He was going to be on their level? Well, hopefully those scans didn’t turn him into a murderous maniac, because if he was going to be indestructible, he wanted to be stopped.

Did he though? Indestructible.

“Indestructible…” he said, blankly, nodding after a little bit of delay, “Yeah, I think I get the gist of it now. Thank you.”

Indestructible. What if I tried to kill myself?

Quickswitch sank into his corner, fading away from Prowl’s attention, thankfully enough. His mind sank into another corner. Primus… His optics watched as his open palm tightly shut into a fist.

Prowl wrote:“How much longer until we reach our destination, Rook?”

"Long enough for you to turn your sights towards the exterior, sir." And it was a surprisingly quick journey, though it seems like Prowl's attention had been taken up by his explanations to Quickswitch. The shuttle landed promptly after Rook's response, and not too far off on the visual monitor was the sight of an abandoned military outpost.

Last he had been informed by Red Alert, the outpost had been cleared out by the previous team that was here. It was time to inspect the scene. Though he doubted that anything would be alive and moving in such an arid, barren land, he wasn’t going to take any chances. After all, Rook’s specialty was defense. He slung his rifle from over his shoulder and held it firmly in both hands, an actuator on the trigger. Standing at the rear of the shuttle, he looked around at the crew that was going to help him get started on this project, and smirked. “Open the shuttle’s bay, and get ready to move the equipment out. We’re going to make this quick,” he said, while gesturing to two of the Autotroopers.

The shuttle’s rear door lowered into a ramp, and Rook stepped out first, rifle ready, alert and out. His optics scanned the horizon.

Nothing. The wind was dead, and his sights were only greeted by the yellowness of the endless sand around him. With an internal sigh of relief, Rook lowered his gun slightly, slinging his rifle back over his shoulder shortly before rolling into his alternate mode, his heavy-duty wheels taking little to no extra effort driving across the sand. His tracks from the ship to the facility weren’t long, hardly a hundred meters, but they had to cover it up afterwards.

Anomaly drove behind, following the tracks that Rook had left. Quickswitch would be the last to leave the shuttle.

Rook stepped up into robot mode once again, observing and taking a thorough look through everything that existed here. He ran some calculations in his head. Though he was no Prowl, he was adept at his line of work, and he knew how to fortify a base well. “Quick, move all the essential equipment inside. We need to get working on the defense and security systems.”

True to his morals, Rook didn’t consider himself a highbrow mech, choosing to aid the Autotroopers in their tasks. He towed a few crates himself, and once all the materials were inside, the Autotroopers got to work.

“Anomaly, do what you need to in order to get things set up around here. I don’t know much about how a science lab functions, but if you need anything, ask either one of us,” Rook gestured to Prowl. Anomaly eagerly nodded and went off, helping set up the computers in the facility.

“Sir,” the defense specialist said as he turned to Prowl, a little further away from the rest of the group, “I’ve noticed Quickswitch being a little… well, he doesn’t seem to be taking it the best way, from what I can see. I do have a few ideas in mind for others who might be good for the job, but… well, I would prefer to hear your opinion first.”

Quickswitch was standing at the entrance, staring off into the horizon of the great desert.

Approaching Abandoned Military Facility

Rook wrote:"Long enough for you to turn your sights towards the exterior, sir."

The military strategist turned and looked out the side window to see the military base situated down below a short distance away. They were here and none too soon. Prowl wanted to get the science lab and testing facility up and operational within a few cycles tops. They had plenty of autotroopers with them along with Quickswitch, Anomaly and Rook to help make it happen. Rook, for his part, wasted no time in getting down to business once the shuttle had landed.

Once commands were given to the autotroopers to move the equipment, Rook exited the back of the shuttle. Prowl remained silent as everyone descended the ramp into the brilliant sunlight outside. The black and white stepped onto the soft sand of the Egyptian desert. The wind was calm and the scenery was desolate. Besides the military installation in the distance, there was nothing for as far as the optic could see. It was completely isolated from prying human eyes. This place would be perfect to test both the Autobot gestalt and Phase Sixer projects.

Rook then transformed and took the lead. Anomaly and Quickswitch followed as Prowl transformed into his Nissan GT-R police cruiser alternate mode. He hadn’t gone very far when the military strategist wished he had changed his vehicle form before leaving the Guardian as a rear-wheel drive cop car was not well suited for the sandy conditions of the desert. Still, the prick-bot managed well enough, following the others within the tracks they left in their wake. Prowl’s back tires sped out a few times, but he ultimately got to the military base.

Prowl returned to his robot mode as the others had already begun setting things up. The strategist was impressed by Rook’s leadership of the group. It was nice to have someone else around that could get things done without Prowl having to micro-manage every detail. How long that would last was yet to be seen.

Rook wrote:“Sir, I’ve noticed Quickswitch being a little… well, he doesn’t seem to be taking it the best way, from what I can see. I do have a few ideas in mind for others who might be good for the job, but… well, I would prefer to hear your opinion first.”

Prowl listened as Rook spoke before glancing over at Quickswitch who was staring off into the vastness of the Egyptian desert. “Yes, he’s a odd mech to be sure,” the black and white replied, returning his attention to Rook. “However, according to his file, medical tests have shown that there’s nothing actually wrong with him, at least not physically. Whatever it is, it’s deeper than a faulty circuit. Regardless, Quickswitch doesn’t appear to be power hungry, which makes him a good choice for the Phase Sixer project. A mech that craves power is more likely to abuse it once he gets it than a mech who doesn’t desire power. Quirkiness and mood swings can be managed if necessary. Megalomania, however, is far more dangerous and harder to deal with. I want someone who will follow orders, not someone who wants to give them.”

The military strategist paused for a moment to let what he just said sink in. “Still, if you have other potential candidates in mind then I’m open to hearing about them. Fire away, Rook.”

[Abandoned Military Facility]

Prowl knew his stuff, and that didn’t come as a surprise to Rook. After all, the current second-in-command should be aware of current happenings. The defense specialist turned his head slightly to eye Quickswitch from underneath his helmet, keeping his audio receptors open to Prowl.

Prowl wrote:"Whatever it is, it’s deeper than a faulty circuit. Regardless, Quickswitch doesn’t appear to be power hungry, which makes him a good choice for the Phase Sixer project. A mech that craves power is more likely to abuse it once he gets it than a mech who doesn’t desire power."

”Right. His combat history isn’t shabby either - the constant mood swings seem to be of some use in combat. Unpredictability makes a tough opponent. I have trust in you that this upgraded tech will do something to improve his reliability. Maybe a few sessions with Rung could be beneficial, after the upgrades are complete.”

Rook turned away from Prowl for a quick moment to talk to some of the Autotroopers from afar. Placing one hand on his hip, and using the other to point, he micromanaged them. “Reinforce the structure of the second level section and tear down the eastern wall if you need more space. Don’t set down the volatile materials into storage until the flooring foundations are solid enough. Make sure there is enough room in the operating rooms!”

This will go well.

Prowl wrote:"Still, if you have other potential candidates in mind then I’m open to hearing about them. Fire away, Rook."

Rook took a couple of steps over to one of the work-in-progress stations, lifting a datapad off of it and scrolling through some files.

“A few of the wreckers, such as the triple changer trio, could be of appropriate conditioning to receive heavy upgrades, should we continue down the Sixshot route. Some others scattered between our forces here and Garru-” he cut himself short, stopping halfway through the word. Two Autotroopers were gesturing for directions, and Rook gave them a quick point in the right direction without saying a word. He paused for a moment before continuing, “Names such as Skyklik, Pyro and Deftwing come to mind. Animus is a point-one-percenter, and therefore a suitable candidate, but he’s… let’s just say that I haven’t exactly had the fondest experience working with him.”

Quickswitch didn’t know what he was going to do until the setup was done, so he decided to try and not feel completely useless by asking some of the Autotroopers if he could help. “Is there anything I can help with? Please?” He felt his inner system getting desperate for something to happen. One of them handed the triple changer a crate of materials, and pointed him towards another who was walking to the other side of the facility. Quickswitch sighed and dragged his feet along, taking the crate over for unloading.

Abandoned Military Facility

Rook wrote:”Right. His combat history isn’t shabby either - the constant mood swings seem to be of some use in combat. Unpredictability makes a tough opponent. I have trust in you that this upgraded tech will do something to improve his reliability. Maybe a few sessions with Rung could be beneficial, after the upgrades are complete.”

“We shall see how well the upgrades improve his reliability,” Prowl replied stoically, as Rook gave directions to the autotroopers. “I think regular sessions with Rung would be beneficial from a psychological perspective. Still, having a chit-chat with a therapist every so often will only go so far. We’ll need a fail safe to ensure that Quickswitch does not go rogue. Autobot Intelligence indicates that Sixshot and the other Phase Sixers have such a fail safe in case they were ever to try and overthrow Megatron. A ‘kill-switch', I believe it's called. It shuts them down before they can do any damage. Such a ‘kill-switch’ would be a useful precautionary measure in Quickswitch’s case.”

Rook wrote:“A few of the wreckers, such as the triple changer trio, could be of appropriate conditioning to receive heavy upgrades, should we continue down the Sixshot route. Some others scattered between our forces here and Garru-. Names such as Skyklik, Pyro and Deftwing come to mind. Animus is a point-one-percenter, and therefore a suitable candidate, but he’s… let’s just say that I haven’t exactly had the fondest experience working with him.”

Prowl glanced over at Rook, his optics narrowed. “Springer, Broadside and Sandstorm would all make suitable candidates,” the black and white admitted, bringing his arms from behind his back and crossing them over his chest plate. “The others you mentioned I think we’ll keep on a secondary reserve list for now.”

The military strategist turned his attention to the various autotroopers who were quickly getting their base up and operational. Prowl’s thoughts then switched to what Rook had said regarding Animus. Curiosity got the better of him. “Rook, you said you had a bad experience with Animus? What exactly happened? Do you feel that perhaps we should eliminate him from the list of potential candidates all together?”

[Abandoned Military Facility]

Prowl wrote:“I think regular sessions with Rung would be beneficial from a psychological perspective. Still, having a chit-chat with a therapist every so often will only go so far. We’ll need a fail safe to ensure that Quickswitch does not go rogue. Autobot Intelligence indicates that Sixshot and the other Phase Sixers have such a fail safe in case they were ever to try and overthrow Megatron. A ‘kill-switch', I believe it's called. It shuts them down before they can do any damage. Such a ‘kill-switch’ would be a useful precautionary measure in Quickswitch’s case.”

”Right.” The idea of a killswitch was completely understandable, in all honesty. They didn’t really know what they were dealing with here. If Quickswitch went berserk, with his new added firepower… it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience for anyone standing in the immediate vicinity. “I’m in favour of that idea, then. Does Intelligence have any specifics about the killswitch’s design? If not, I’d suggest remote activation, and allowing several key mechs in high command access to the bypass.”

It was risky business, for sure, but even riskier would be putting up a fight against Megatron when he had Sixshot and Overlord in his arsenal. There was that whole Constructicon combiner issue as well, and who knew how many more of those the Decepticons had? This facility would have to be as efficient as possible in making sure that they wouldn’t lose the footing that they had right now.

Rook sighed internally.

Prowl wrote:“Rook, you said you had a bad experience with Animus? What exactly happened? Do you feel that perhaps we should eliminate him from the list of potential candidates all together?”

”Dishonesty can cause many issues with trust, and I am sure you are well aware of that feeling. Animus, though a capable mech, is capable of inflicting that feeling, especially in situations where being upfront is a necessity rather than a luxury,” Rook’s blue optics stared right into Prowl’s, as if they were piercing daggers. “He and I were at an outpost some time back with some others, and we were waiting for an evac shuttle. I believe he was in charge of communications. Before we knew it, he had boarded the shuttle by telling the ship’s operators that he was the sole survivor from the outpost. We ended up having to call for another shuttle after we’d realised what had happened several breems after.”

Rook crossed his arms. “I’ve heard similarly bad stories from others, such as how he lied to get onto the Ethics Committee. Quickswitch may be temperamental, but at the very least he isn’t a cheat.”

Behind Prowl and Rook, the facility was coming together nicely. With the abundance of Autotroopers that had been brought down, the refurbishments were coming along quite nicely. Things were getting cleaned up, replaced and installed. Quickswitch seemed to have found something to entertain himself with by helping with the renovations.

“Say, what are the extent of Overlord’s abilities that we know of? I haven’t exactly had the chance to read too much about him, but I have a feeling that there’s more to being a Phase Sixer than simply just more alternate modes and stronger armour. We should always look for other suitable candidates too.”

Abandoned Military Facility

Rook wrote:“I’m in favour of that idea, then. Does Intelligence have any specifics about the killswitch’s design? If not, I’d suggest remote activation, and allowing several key mechs in high command access to the bypass.”

“We have no specifics beyond that the killswitch forces Sixshot into stasis lock,” Prowl responded plainly to Rook. “It’s activated by a codeword that only Megatron and a select few others know. I suggest we have similar means at activating it if need be.”

Rook wrote:”Dishonesty can cause many issues with trust, and I am sure you are well aware of that feeling. Animus, though a capable mech, is capable of inflicting that feeling, especially in situations where being upfront is a necessity rather than a luxury. He and I were at an outpost some time back with some others, and we were waiting for an evac shuttle. I believe he was in charge of communications. Before we knew it, he had boarded the shuttle by telling the ship’s operators that he was the sole survivor from the outpost. We ended up having to call for another shuttle after we’d realised what had happened several breems after. I’ve heard similarly bad stories from others, such as how he lied to get onto the Ethics Committee. Quickswitch may be temperamental, but at the very least he isn’t a cheat.”

Prowl rubbed his chin as he carefully considered what Rook had just said. “Based on what you have just told me I think it’s an obvious decision to keep Animus off the list of potential candidates. We’ll make due with what we have.”

Rook wrote:“Say, what are the extent of Overlord’s abilities that we know of? I haven’t exactly had the chance to read too much about him, but I have a feeling that there’s more to being a Phase Sixer than simply just more alternate modes and stronger armour. We should always look for other suitable candidates too.”

“Overlord is a sadist in the worst possible sense. He lives to kill and destroy,” Prowl began to explain before continuing. “He was already an immensely powerful mech even before he underwent the super warrior process and became one of Megatron’s Warriors Elite. Overlord was stripped down to his endoskeleton which was then bonded with ununtrium. He is virtually indestructible as a result. It’s impossible to reach either his spark or his brain module. He has unique sub-neural processors that allow him to analyze any opponent on an instinctive level. Overlord also has an internal weapons factory that allows him to create whatever weapons he needs. He’s a duocon that can split into a tank and a jet or those modes can combine into one super jet. He, too, has a killswitch installed and rumor has it he has some kind of virus installed that makes it impossible for him to figure out how to harm Megatron. Not exactly sure how that works, but that’s what the intelligence says on him.”

Prowl then looked back to see that the autotroopers were making great strides in getting their base up and operational. At this rate, they would be able to begin testing the gestalt project within a few cycles. “Things are coming along nicely,” the military strategist commented, placing both hands behind his back. “Soon, we’ll be ready to call the Aerialbots down and also begin analyzing the data from Sixshot. Then the upgrade process to Quickswitch can commence.”

[Abandoned Military Facility]

Rook found himself nodding along while he listened. “As far as the killswitch goes, I’d say we’re best off setting a trigger-activated stun. Maybe in a worst-case scenario, I wouldn’t be opposed to a temporary system shutdown. There are the obvious ethical issues with that,” he said, looking down for a second, “But that line of ethics had been long crossed with the war’s advent of physical modifications.” He sighed. There was a lot to this honestly. But it was either temporarily incapacitating one mech or permanently offlining thousands. The choice seemed obvious. Prowl probably wouldn’t have even bothered thinking about that choice.

Listening to Prowl’s description of the absolute abomination, the monstrosity known as Overlord, made something inside of Rook grind his gears a little tighter. He ran a number of scenarios in his head. At the very least, Overlord wasn’t here… yet. That bought them some time, but would it be enough to fully start and do what they were aiming for?

The idea of a Duobot seemed appealing, but Rook shook his head at the thought. They should focus on getting at least one up. If they had at least one soldier who could stand up to the likes of Sixshot, that was already a massive step ahead. But there were some things did pique Rook’s interest from Prowl’s information about Overlord. “Having ununtrium bonded armour and the enhanced sub-neural processors is an advantage that anybody could have, regardless of their other unique abilities,” he said, “And although Quickswitch would require heavy conditioning, probably by Rung, to improve his sensors, the question lies of how we would obtain samples of ununtrium. It decays rather fast, from what I recall, so a stable isotope would be necessary. Would you have any ideas about that?”

Overlord can’t kill Megatron? That sounded extremely important. “An interference module specifically against the big guy? I’d suppose it’s to prevent a mutiny, what with the cutthroat power struggle within their ranks. Though it would be useful to have, considering what happened with Optimus’s… well, you know.” The rampage was certainly… something. “Definitely something to consider, but I doubt Quickswitch would need an anti-friendly-fire virus just yet.”

The autotroopers were getting themselves set up quite well by now. Equipment seemed to be getting into place, the facility started to look more like a laboratory than an old tin can.

Prowl wrote:"Things are coming along nicely. Soon, we’ll be ready to call the Aerialbots down and also begin analyzing the data from Sixshot. Then the upgrade process to Quickswitch can commence."

”Wouldn’t hurt to send them the call right now, it will take them some time to arrive, after all,” the defense specialist suggested. Rook scanned the facility with his optics. Equipment all set up? Check. Autotroopers on guard duty? Check. Quickswitch?

The triple changer seemed to be having a hearty conversation with one of the autotroopers. “Oh, yeah, they’re going to be doing something to me and suddenly I’m going to get really powerful and stuff. Something like that, heh.” From a distance, it looked like whatever tensions he had before had suddenly all disappeared. The autotrooper responded with a slight amount of surprise in his voice. “More powerful eh? Ah, if only I could get one of those upgrades too. But, you know how we are, we gotta serve the way we are!”

The autotrooper’s words inspired something inside Rook’s mind as he raised a brow and smirked.

Abandoned Military Facility

Rook wrote:“As far as the killswitch goes, I’d say we’re best off setting a trigger-activated stun. Maybe in a worst-case scenario, I wouldn’t be opposed to a temporary system shutdown. There are the obvious ethical issues with that. But that line of ethics had been long crossed with the war’s advent of physical modifications.”

“It has been my experience that ethics quite often get in the way of what needs to be done in a time of war,” Prowl said stoically and without regret. “Hard choices need to be made and we can’t be concerned with hurting others’ feelings when the safety and security of entire planets is at stake. As for a trigger-activated stun, I would prefer an audio trigger, a password or code that can be spoken. A physical trigger or device can be lost, stolen or destroyed. An audible passcode would be best.”

Rook wrote:“Having ununtrium bonded armour and the enhanced sub-neural processors is an advantage that anybody could have, regardless of their other unique abilities. And although Quickswitch would require heavy conditioning, probably by Rung, to improve his sensors, the question lies of how we would obtain samples of ununtrium. It decays rather fast, from what I recall, so a stable isotope would be necessary. Would you have any ideas about that?”

Prowl thought for a moment, rubbing his chin guard with his actuators. “Ununtrium was an element that the humans just discovered within the last fifteen or so years. They currently have no real use for it outside of scientific research. It was developed in a laboratory in the nation-state called Russia. I’m sure said lab has a stockpile of the element. We would need to send a team to acquire it, of course. The other option is to simply make some, ourselves. If you bombard americium-243 atoms with ions from calcium-48 you get Ununtrium. We would need a cyclotron in order to achieve that though.”

Rook wrote:“An interference module specifically against the big guy? I’d suppose it’s to prevent a mutiny, what with the cutthroat power struggle within their ranks. Though it would be useful to have, considering what happened with Optimus’s… well, you know. Definitely something to consider, but I doubt Quickswitch would need an anti-friendly-fire virus just yet.”

“Agreed,” Prowl replied with a nod. “A killswitch will suffice for now.”

Rook wrote:”Wouldn’t hurt to send them the call right now, it will take them some time to arrive, after all.”

Prowl gave Rook another nod before opening a secured comm line to Jetfire and the Aerialbot Commander:

>>”Jetfire, Silverbolt, this is Prowl. Our research and testing base is almost ready. Prepare yourselves and the Aerialbots for departure to Egypt ASAP. I’m sending our coordinates now.”<<

“Transmission sent,” Prowl said, looking over at Rook. “They should be here soon.”

[Secured Transmission from Silverbolt to Prowl]

Silverbolt wrote:>>”Roger that, Prowl. We will be en route shortly.”<<

[Abandoned Military Facility - Autobot Research Outpost]

Prowl wrote:“Hard choices need to be made and we can’t be concerned with hurting others’ feelings when the safety and security of entire planets is at stake. As for a trigger-activated stun, I would prefer an audio trigger, a password or code that can be spoken. A physical trigger or device can be lost, stolen or destroyed. An audible passcode would be best.”

It wouldn’t be Prowl if it weren’t for his moral ambiguity. Rook found himself agreeing, and not because Prowl was convincing or anything. No, it was because he himself was outfitted with a custom-crafted set of durabyllium armour, specifically made to endure warlike conditions.

Though his idea of an audio trigger was viable, there were still shortcomings to the plan. “A spoken killswitch can still be overheard by someone else. If anything, I would recommend a programme that eliminates both physical and verbal needs. Such a program can easily be installed into the systems of the killswitch holders, and can be activated remotely, mentally and without any risks of being stolen. And,” Rook paused, tilting his head downward to highlight the blue of his optics, “Should a killswitch holder be captured, we can set a failsafe to annihilate the programme internally to prevent the code from being stolen through interrogation or experimentation.”

Prowl wrote:“Ununtrium was an element that the humans just discovered within the last fifteen or so years. It was developed in a laboratory in the nation-state called Russia. We would need to send a team to acquire it, of course. The other option is to simply make some, ourselves.”

”Whether we retrieve or make, resources will still need to be expended. As you said, we need a cyclotron, but the assembly of one will take time and, if I recall correctly, the amount produced by bombardment is… minimal. We already have multiple teams across the planet, and our mechpower would be stretched a bit too thin if we were to go ahead with that now. Would it be possible to bond the ununtrium after the initial process is done? Unless, of course, the acquisition team can be prepared and ready to go without too much strain on personnel.”

While they had been talking, the Autotroopers in the background seemed to have set up all the materials and scientific equipment as necessary, cleaning out the interior of the abandoned military facility and setting up shield and holomatter projectors. The space was relatively small, but practical, and it could be expanded if need be. Prowl had called the Aerialbots. With the gestalt project and Quickswitch, and many others on the way, they’d finally be able to push their own edge.

“Let’s get to work then, sir,” Rook said to Prowl, looking over at Quickswitch who was standing firmly at the side.

Outside Abandoned Military Facility

Egypt. How in the glitches of Primus did I get myself assigned out here? Pharma asked as he materialized by the shuttle the others had landed in.

He’d spent a great deal of time studying the information they had on this desolate wasteland. Enough that he’d spared himself the joylessness of sharing a shuttle with a group of overeager underachievers out to prove a reason for their function.

Was that too harsh? Pharma thought for a second as his optics took in more and more of the gritty soil. No. I was much to gentle.

During his research, he decided Prowl and the others may be in a hurry to find themselves surrounded by this… sand, but he was not. As if to emphasize his feelings on the matter, he lifted his foot and shook the loose debris from it and groaned.

“This is going to be more damaging than those organics in the jungle,” he physically shook at the thought of having his systems invaded not by a living thing, but what was dust. And his conniving to get off this mudball had resorted to him being put in a worse position than previous.

Well, it wasn’t conniving, per se. Sure, he oversold his idea for creating a gestalt. But surely they didn’t expect a medical technician of his caliber to stay on this planet voluntarily? Never mind it’d been his idea to come there to reprove himself. That part of the process was forever confined to a dirty corner of his processor where the filthy little glitch deserved to be.

Only enlightened thoughts would enter his processor… As soon as I develop a lubricant to keep this dust out of my servos.

Shaking his other leg, he wondered why he’d bothered to call in a couple of favors to be bounced here instead of another ship. Surely, Ratchet couldn’t take care of the entire fleet, and those medics… Well, there was no need to mention them. He may have trained a few, but they were still medics while he was a renowned surgeon and former chief medical officer.

That should allow me the choice of appointments instead of sticking me here to watch after irritants that could’ve been avoided. Does one walk into a laser by chance or on purpose? he asked, then answered, These mechs would do so on purpose just to spite me.

Still, he had to admit there was a certain charm about the area. The chances of them being discovered were slim at best. The odds that any failures in the gestalt program were even smaller. Assuming the clods in charge knew how to properly hide the evidence. Not that he had any experience in doing that. He’d just been lucky enough to clean up said messes left by the Decepticons.

Cursing and groaning to himself, he followed the team’s tracks to the abandoned facility and paused to question his role in the cosmos. When he felt ready to proceed, he did. Making sure to shake off as much sand as possible.

He may hate this place and those that brought him here, but he refused to allow a microbe of dirt into a workspace.

When he was sure he kicked off as much as possible, he continued to where he heard voices. Stepping into the room, he nearly went into stasis lock at seeing the conditions left for them. He glanced at Prowl and Rook. “Surely, you’re not allowing clumsy clods such as these,” he said, motioning to the Autotroopers, “to handle precise equipment? Might as well resort to what the humans call a socket wrench.”

Abandoned Military Facility – Autobot Research Outpost

Rook wrote:“A spoken killswitch can still be overheard by someone else. If anything, I would recommend a programme that eliminates both physical and verbal needs. Such a program can easily be installed into the systems of the killswitch holders, and can be activated remotely, mentally and without any risks of being stolen. And should a killswitch holder be captured, we can set a failsafe to annihilate the programme internally to prevent the code from being stolen through interrogation or experimentation.”

Prowl carefully considered Rook’s idea of a killswitch program hat neither had to be spoken or physically initiated. The military strategist was impressed with this mech. His ideas were sound and well thought out. “Not a bad idea, Rook,” the black and white stated as he lowered his arms to his sides. “Seems to be the safest and most efficient option. If it can be done then do it. You can install said program into my system first. Since this is my project, I will be one of the few with the ability to activate the killswitch.”

And perhaps the only one, Prowl thought inwardly before turning his attention back to Rook.

Rook wrote:”Whether we retrieve or make, resources will still need to be expended. As you said, we need a cyclotron, but the assembly of one will take time and, if I recall correctly, the amount produced by bombardment is… minimal. We already have multiple teams across the planet, and our mechpower would be stretched a bit too thin if we were to go ahead with that now. Would it be possible to bond the ununtrium after the initial process is done? Unless, of course, the acquisition team can be prepared and ready to go without too much strain on personnel.”

“Not likely,” Prowl replied. “As I said, Overlord was literally stripped down to his endoskeleton which was then bonded with ununtrium. Once the initial process is competed on Quickswitch, much of it would have to be taken apart again in order to fuse his internal skeleton with the alloy. Unless, of course, we forego bonding the ununtrium to his endoskeleton and simply bond it to his outer armor once we can acquire it after the fact. Although, ununtrium is not a necessity here as Sixshot does not utilize that alloy and he is virtually indestructible, as well. So, it may be best to base Quickswitch’s armature more on the STAG then on Overlord.”

Rook wrote:“Let’s get to work then, sir.”

“Yes, let’s,” Prowl agreed as he made his way towards the near complete Autobot Research Outpost. He then stopped in his tracks when he heard another familiar voice come from behind.

Pharma wrote:“Surely, you’re not allowing clumsy clods such as these to handle precise equipment? Might as well resort to what the humans call a socket wrench.”

Prowl’s stoic expression did not change as he turned to look at the newly arrived CMO. “They do their jobs well enough, Pharma,” the black and white stated plainly. “If you would like to oversee their progress, be my guest. They’re almost done setting up, so if you see anything that you feel needs to be changed, inform them now.”

Silverbolt wrote:>>”Roger that, Prowl. We will be en route shortly.”<<

Prowl turned back to Rook. “Just heard from Silverbolt. The Aerialbots will be here shortly. We should be prepared for when they arrive.” Wasting no further time, the military strategist then entered the facility and began to survey the equipment that had already been set up.

[Autobot Research Outpost]

Prowl wrote:“Seems to be the safest and most efficient option. If it can be done then do it. You can install said program into my system first. Since this is my project, I will be one of the few with the ability to activate the killswitch.”

”Understood, sir. I’ll get to work on it right away.” Rook nodded, realising that his speciality in defence had just been further pushed into the realm of kill switches. He’d have to ensure that the ins and outs were well done, because there was no way he was going to let some careless amateur mistakes be the factor that caused Quickswitch to go rogue. They already had the odds stacked against them, they didn’t need more on top of that pile.

Pharma’s arrival couldn’t have been any better timed, as Rook and Prowl had just concluded discussing future matters, but his first words within the outpost were… not exactly something that had the intentions of making anyone’s day any better.

Pharma wrote:“Surely, you’re not allowing clumsy clods such as these to handle precise equipment? Might as well resort to what the humans call a socket wrench.”

Thankfully, Prowl had beat him to the chase, and given the medic a decent enough answer. But had Prowl not been around, the words from Rook’s mouth would’ve burned a bit more bitter. Nevermind that for now, though, it’s time to get to work.

[Autobot Research Outpost]

The facility had been beautifully converted by the Autotroopers, cleaned out and refurbished, being freshly outfitted with state-of-the-art scientific and research equipment. Quickswitch had found himself helping along, and that, somehow, had gotten his mind off things for a bit. But as soon as he saw that there was nothing much else left to do, a creeping sensation of panic started to crawl down his circuits. When he turned his head and saw Prowl, Rook and Pharma approaching, that creeping sensation started to burn a little bit too fast for his liking. He took a step back, without thinking, and almost found himself getting defensive. But he couldn’t do that here, not with Prowl in front of him.

He eased up his tension and loosened up, resigning to the reality of things and made his way over to the berth on which he would be operated upon. The Autotroopers began to file out and cover the various areas of the building, and some stayed close by to assist with whatever procedures necessary. Rook himself turned to one of the computers, initiating some kind of program and loading some kind of code on the screen. Quickswitch was no techie, but even he could get the gist of what was happening. They were beginning the process.

The triple changer laid down on the berth, mind running wild, and offline his optics without a word from anyone.

[Outside Autobot Research Outpost]

The team of stealth-cloaked jets had quickly made their way across the surface of the planet. As they quickly approached the coordinates, Silverbolt pulled down his altitude, getting closer and closer to the ground. Phew. Stretching his wings felt nice, but being back on somewhat solid ground was nicer, at least for now. He transformed mid-air, and landed on his feet, some sand being kicked up by his landing. Behind him were the other Aerialbots, alongside Jetfire, who was in charge of the knowhow of their combiner project. The Aerialbot commander opened his comms up right after disengaging his cloaking device, spotting the outpost not too far away from where they had landed.

>>”Prowl, we are outside. Let us know where we should go. Are we starting the physical tests now?”<<

Autobot Research Outpost

Prowl was more than satisfied with the work the autotroopers had done to recondition the outpost into a working Autobot research facility. On the outside it still looked like an abandoned human military structure. On the inside, however, it looked as if they were in one of Jetfire’s scientific laboratories on board the Ark-22. It was quite amazing, actually, and the military strategist was very pleased.

After looking over the various equipment, computer consoles and machines, Prowl took note that Quickswitch had already quietly laid down on one of the berths and off-lined his optics. The black and white approached Rook, who was preparing to begin the process at one of the terminals.

“Here,” Prowl handed a data pad to Rook. “Sixshot’s scans are on there. Once they’re uploaded into the computer, we can start the analysis and then the upgrade process will begin thereafter.” The strategist briefly glanced over at Quickswitch before returning his attention to Rook. “Seems Quickswitch is ready to go. I didn’t even have to ask him to lie down. Either he’s raring to go or he’s very nervous. Either way, we should keep a close optic on him as the process proceeds forward.”

Silverbolt wrote:>>”Prowl, we are outside. Let us know where we should go. Are we starting the physical tests now?”<<

“Ah, Silverbolt is here,” Prowl told Rook before opening a comm line to the Aerialbot Commander:

>>”Excellent, Silverbolt. We will begin the physical tests shortly. You and your team may enter the facility for now. Tell Jetfire that I want a full briefing on what alterations have been done to you. Then we will proceed with the gestalt testing.”<<

Prowl cut his comm line and looked over at Rook again. “Everything is proceeding well,” the black and white commented as a grin formed on his faceplate.