Transformers Regenerated: Lost Light II, Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

--The Lost Light, Rodimus' office--

    "Perceptor, you know how science makes me twitchy. Can you please explain this all without using big words no one's heard of before?"

    Perceptor frowned as he crossed his arms. "Fine. I've examined the time machine and familiarized myself with his geopositioning system. From what I've gathered, Brainstorm's made four jumps so far, each one going back a hundred years, though he's spaced them so as not to drain too much power from the hyper-drive."

    "So where is he now?" 

    "That, we're still trying to figure out. Right now, Que is working on creating a new control case from the materials Brainstorm's left behind and his knowledge on Transwarp drives. Also, we've found that Brainstorm has placed some security measures on the time machine; it requires his spark-type in order to operate it, though given enough time, Que and I may be able to remove it."

    "Do whatever you need, Perceptor," Rodimus said as he propped his legs on his desk. "Just try to make it quick. We're on the clock."

--Swerve's--

    "...And this is my place!" Swerve said as he led WALL-E and EVE into his bar. "This is where all the fun stuff happens!"

    "Like what?" WALL-E asked.

    "Well, Bluestreak hosts Movie Night every second day of the week, Jackpot does Game Night every fourth day, Trailbreaker leads the unofficial anthem every single day... there's tons of stuff to do!" 

    "Is it always this loud?" EVE asked, wincing as two mechs tackled each other to the floor.

    "Pretty much. Anyway, if you need me, I'll be serving drinks. Feel free to mingle-- except with Cyclonus. He doesn't like mingling."

    With that, Swerve left to return to his duties. WALL-E glanced at EVE, who paid him no heed as she went off to an isolated corner. Sighing dejectedly, WALL-E made his way over to a table where Skids was sitting at along with Nautica and another blue mech with a purple face.

    Noticing the saddened trash bot, Skids bent down to pick him up, setting him on the table next to a can of oil which he had just drained in three seconds. "Hey, little buddy! Why the long face? Sparkmate ignoring you?"

    "You could say that," WALL-E murmured.

    "Hey, you know what I do when I'm having problems with my sparkmate?" the purple-faced mech said.

    "You have a sparkmate?" Nautica asked.

    "Well, no, but if I did, I would turn to the Lost Light Insider for advice."

    Nautica rolled her eyes. "Not this again. The whole thing's a scandal sheet, Riptide. It titillates its reads with gossip, mockery, slander, and--" 

    "Why, just look at today's edition." Riptide drew out a datapad and brought up the Insider on its screen. "They say there's this comm channel you can call for relationship advice. Let's see... I know it's here somewhere."

    "Actually, Riptide, I don't think WALL-E needs the help of some faceless radio jockey," Skids said. "He needs the help of his friends."

    "Fine. See if I ever help you again."

    "So, WALL-E," Nautica said. "What's going on between you and EVE?"

    "Well, see, she's not the exact same Ee-vah I knew before all of this... time travel stuff. The Ee-vah I knew was kind and sweet and nice. This one... isn't. She hasn't even talked to me since we got back onto the ship."

    "Ah, the silent treatment," Skids said. "Classic maneuver. You'll need to fight fire with fire with this one."

    "Oh, good grief," Nautica muttered, pinching the ridge of her nose.

    "What do you mean?" WALL-E asked Skids.

    "You need to give her the impression that you don't care about her anymore-- I know you still do, of course I do-- but maybe if you pretend that you don't, she'll come back around and try to talk to you again. Make her feel like the unlucky one."

    WALL-E turned his head towards where EVE was sitting at before looking back at Skids, a blank look in his eyes. "I... don't think that'll work."

    "You won't know until you tried. Trust me on this one."

    Nautica leaned forward and rested her chin on her hand, giving Skids a look. "Something tells me you've had experience with this kind of situation."

    "Not with relationships, but it's a standard Secret Service tactic for getting information. If you feign disinterest, the person you're trying to get info from will just want to part with it even more."

    "Look, I appreciate your guys' help, really," WALL-E said. "But I think for this, I'll just... go with what I think works best. Play it by ear, as the humans say."

    "You don't have ears," Riptide commented.

    "Shut up."

    "WHOA!" Skids exclaimed. "Score for the little guy! Where did you pick that response up?"

    "From you guys." 

    Nautica rubbed her helmet crest. "I knew you two were bad influences...."

--Hab Suite 221--

    Nightbeat stared out the porthole of his hab suite as Luna 1 fell behind the Lost Light. He still wished that they had had more time to explore the moon, or at the very least try to learn everything Boltax knew about it. Unfortunately for him, it appeared that his thirst for knowledge was not shared by his crewmates.

    A knock at the door broke him from his thoughts. "Come in, Ratchet. The door's unlocked."

    "How did you know it was me?" the medic asked as the door slid open.

    "No one else has servos that creak with each step they take. Plus, I heard you grumbling words that are probably not fit for young audio receptors."

    Ratchet snorted. "I'm glad you're in the mood for showing off, Nightbeat, 'cause I've got a mystery for you."

    "Excellent! Let's hear it!"

    "When the others and I were in Boltax's cell, Swerve noticed two odd markings on the wall." Ratchet produced a holoprojector and handed it to the detective. "Rewind took a capture of them."

    Nightbeat took the projector and turned it on, bringing up a holographic representation of the two symbols. One was green with a green circle surrounded by a triangular shape, while the other resembled a grimacing skull.

    The detective frowned at the latter one. "Is that...?"

    Ratchet nodded. "The mark of the Builders, yes. Cybertron's earliest known rulers, after the Knights of Cybertron left."

    Nightbeat held his chin in his hand. After a moment, he finally said, "I hope you're not expecting me to solve it now, because this is going to take some time."

    "Take however long you need. I just thought it was something that needed an expert to handle."

    Nightbeat smirked at him. "Then you came to the right person."

--Brainstorm's workshop--

    "Found him." Perceptor turned away from the computer he and Que had hooked up to Brainstorm's time machine, showing the different time periods he had jumped to so far. "He's just jumped to five hundred years in the past-- specifically the day Sentinel Prime passed the Functionist Act."

    "Awesome." Raising his hand to his communicator, Rodimus said, "Windblade, prepare another Transwarp jump. We're going--"

    "Wait!" Perceptor said. "I don't think it would be wise for the entire ship to jump."

    "Why not?"

    "Because it would drain too much power from the hyper-drive. You'll need to take a smaller team with you, using the new control case Que is working on."

    "And how long will it take for him to finish it?" Rodimus asked. "Time is of the essence here."

    "Wait no more!" Que said dramatically as he proudly held up a briefcase. "I have created a second control unit!"

    "Brilliant! And the security measures?"

    "You'll still need a compatible spark-type to operate it, but if you have the others on your team mask their own spark signatures, they might be able to evade the time machine's sensors and accompany you."

    "In that case, we should all be set to go," Rodimus said. "Let me just organize my Time Team."

    "'Time Team?'" Perceptor repeated, with some incredulity.

    "You were thinking of a better name?"

    The scientist shook his head. "Forget it."

--Luna 1--

    Red optics observed the Lost Light as it took for the stars. Boltax watched the vessel until it had become a mere speck before moving back down from the ceiling. Gathering below him were all of the Vehicons he had made to serve him. If Rodimus and his crew succeeded in stopping their history from being rewritten, Boltax and all of his creations would be erased from it.

    A necessary sacrifice, he told himself, for a better tomorrow.

    He looked upon his children, who looked up at him expectantly. He had no words for them; instead, he let the music speak for him.

    It only takes a moment / For your eyes to meet and then / Your heart knows in a moment / You will never be alone again.

    As the melodious tune went on, as the Vehicons became entranced by its dazzling sound, Boltax produced from a compartment in his arm a lighter. It was the last remnant of his old life that he had; his last reminder of her.

    The tiny flame danced in the darkness to the song. He continued to stare at it even as he sang to the last notes; the last notes anyone present would hear.

    "And that is all / That love's about / And we'll recall / When time runs out / That it only took a moment / To be loved a whole lif--"

TO BE CONTINUED

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   Lyrics from "It Only Takes a Moment" from Hello, Dolly