CHAPTER FOUR
--Paradron--
According to the boastful sign out front, Beachcomber's Amazing Souvenirs For The Ride Home claimed to have a wide variety of collectibles from all across the galaxy. Just from Skids' initial perusal, he could verify that it was not a lie.
In the aisle he was standing in alone, there were Forever Glass imprints of historic Nebulan sites, miniature Femaxian structures encased in globes, and Force Chips with famous Cybertronians embolden on them. Hedonia could eat its spark out; this was the epicenter of culture.
Looking around, he could see that the others were already enraptured by the selection: Nautica was digging through databooks, Tailgate was trying out a hoverboard... even Cyclonus was taking an interest in some snowglobes, of all things.
Skids, on the other hand, had no interest in any of these knick-knacks. Instead, he was keeping an optic out for Dion, hoping the time-displaced Autobot wasn't getting into too much trouble. Last he had seen, Brainstorm had been with him....
Turning around the corner, Skids suddenly found himself being grabbed and pulled into another aisle. Before he could say anything, a claw fell over his mouth as Whirl shushed him from behind.
"You are not going to believe this," the ex-Wrecker whispered. "Look out the window to my right."
Rolling his eyes, Skids did as instructed and saw a large sign outside. On it was a yellow and orange mech with large hydro-wings on his back and a wide smile on his face while giving a thumbs-up. Below him read the words Vote Sandstorm of Altihex For Paradron Leader!
"Do you know who that is?" Whirl asked.
"Yeah, it's Sandstorm isn't it? Your old--"
"Don't say it!" Whirl hissed, covering Skids' mouth again. "If word gets round that I'm former comrades with someone in politics, I'll never hear the end of it! Slamdance will be hounding me for questions! Fever Dream will make jokes about me on his show!"
"Okay, okay, I get it," Skids grumbled, pushing Whirl's arm down. "What do you want me to do about it?"
"Just pretend I'm not here. Don't say a word about this to the others. If we keep things on the down low, then maybe no one will--"
"Hey, Whirl!" Swerve appeared from around the corner, pointing at the sign outside. "Isn't that Sandstorm, your old--"
"Arrgh!" Whirl hollered in rage as he sprinted down the aisle and crashed through the window. Transforming to his alt mode, he proceeded to ram himself repeatedly into the sign, eventually succeeding in bringing it down.
"Sheesh," Swerve said. "What's his deal?"
Skids sighed as he caressed his nose. "What isn't?"
--The Lost Light--
"There you are! I've been looking all over for you."
Sitting on the edge of the oil reservoir, Convoy looked over his shoulder to see Archforce walking up to him. The Optimus clone said nothing as his counterpart sat down next to him.
"What are you doing here?" Archforce asked. "Is there something special about this place that I'm not seeing?"
Convoy shrugged. "No, I just... I just needed some time alone."
Archforce placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's bothering you?"
Letting out a sigh, Convoy said, "Do you ever have dreams, Archforce?"
"Dreams?"
"Yeah. Or more like... recollections of a past life. A life other than yours."
Archforce shook his head. "Can't say I have."
"Well, I've been getting them ever since we left the Floating Fortress. I remember faces I've never seen before, names I've never heard...."
"What kind of names?"
"I don't know, just... names. None that I can properly recall or pronounce." Convoy fell silent for a moment before saying, "Doomshot's been having the same problem."
"Has he?" Archforce asked.
"Yeah. He's with Perceptor now, last I saw. Don't know if he's gonna tell him about the dreams or what."
"Have you told anyone? Maybe you should see Rung."
"He's gone down with the others. Maybe when he gets back I'll--"
He suddenly fell silent and Archforce tilted his head at him.
"You all right, bud--"
Without warning, Convoy got up to his feet and wordlessly turned on his heel, rushing out of the reservoir.
* * *
"Um, Ratchet?"
"Yes, Velocity?" Ratchet called back as he searched through his cabinets.
"It's... it's Cannonspring. He's talking in his sleep."
"That's perfectly normal," Ratchet replied, retrieving an empty vial. "That happens a lot with patients who are under stress. So long as he doesn't start thrashing in his sleep, he should be fine."
"Oh. Well, he's doing that too."
Ratchet quickly closed the cabinet and rushed into the next room. Indeed, Cannonspring was thrashing against his constraints, muttering nonsense in his fit.
"Pinion. Clocker."
"He just started without warning," Velocity said, standing near the mech's bedside. "I hadn't done anything to disturb him."
"Mainspring. Chaindrive."
"Wait a nanoklik." Ratchet stared down at Cannonspring. "Those are names he's saying."
"Are they?"
"Yes. I knew a Chaindrive back on Cybertron -- I served alongside her during the Forth Vorsk Offensive. And Clocker... I swear I met a bot by that name during the fight against Unicron."
"What do you think it means?"
Before Ratchet could answer, Cannonspring suddenly shot up, optics wide open. Both medics moved over to calm him as he vented heavily.
"Find them," he murmured. "Must... find them."
"Easy there, soldier," Ratchet said as he gently laid the bot back down. "You're not finding anyone in the state you're in."
"You don't understand!" Cannonspring said. "If I don't find them soon, then... then...."
"Just rest," Velocity said softly. "Once you've recovered, you can bring this up to Rodimus. Right now, you need to rest."
"But--"
"Coax him back into stasis lock," Ratchet ordered. "It's the only way we can...."
He trailed off as he caught sight of a blue and black mech standing in the doorway. Looking up at Convoy, Ratchet narrowed his optics at the clone.
"Can I help you?"
"Let him go." Convoy's voice sounded so much like Prime it wasn't even funny.
"I'm sorry, but you are in no position to order me like that," Ratchet said sternly. "I only answer to Rodimus and Ultra Magnus."
"Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you though."
The clone moved in a blur and before Ratchet knew he was on the floor along with Velocity. The medic lifted his head up in time just as Convoy ran out the medibay, carrying Cannonspring in his arms....
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