CHAPTER EIGHT
"Artificial reality? Are you sure?"
"Almost positive," Sideways said as she led Krok, Spacewarp and Nickel outside. "See, Mederi's mission statement isn't to help people get better; it's to make their suffering less worse as they die."
"I've been to Mederi Seven," Spacewarp murmured. "That's definitely not how they did things there."
"Well, yeah, not since the offshoots were sold off to the Intergalactic Health Division," Sideways replied. "But this is the original Mederi. The one the Omega Guardians built to 'kill you gently and with your full cooperation.'"
"So it's a euthanasia clinic, basically," Krok said.
"I mean, when you get down to it, yeah, pretty much. It doesn't really try to be anything else besides that."
She suddenly brought the group to a halt. Up ahead were the rest of the Autobots from Skids' crew, standing beneath the giant Matrix... except now the Matrix was beginning to flicker and dissolve, as were the images of those who were deceased.
"What's going on?" exclaimed the one called Drift as "Yoketron" disappeared.
"Looks like someone took out the power source," Sideways muttered. "Eight guesses as to who that would be."
As if on cue, a group of eight bots emerged from the other side of the "temple" (which had since revealed itself to be a standard building). Sideways and the three Decepticons followed Star Saber and his team as they rejoined the others.
"Don't worry, everyone," Star Saber announced. "We can explain."
"Let me guess," said a glum Swerve. "This isn't the Afterspark."
"Nope," Sideways interjected, startling the Autobots with her presence. "It's an artificial moon designed to gently murder you. I'll let you decided how much of a difference that is."
Drift frowned as he looked back at the grey forms of Tailgate and Cyclonus. "So... we weren't about to ascend."
"I'm afraid not." Star Saber placed a hand on his shoulder. "But if it's any comfort... your map was correct."
Drift blinked. "My map?"
"To Cyberutopia. It was actually leading here, to Mederi. Thousands of years ago, Cybertron's first explorers -- the Knights of Cybertron -- came here after contracting a disease from contact with organics."
"Mederi generated itself to look like a perfect Cybertron," explained Apelinq. "The Knights were conflicted in their desire to return home and to discover new worlds, so the program made a compromise."
"So, wait." Swerve rubbed his helm. "You're saying... this is Cyberutopia? This is where the Knights came to?"
"Unless there was a completely different group of Cybertronian explorers that were active ten thousand years ago, then yes," Star Saber replied.
"Is that it then?" asked Roller. "Is the quest over?"
"I mean, this is the place we were trying to get to all this time," Skids pointed out. "So, I guess it is."
"Gotta admit, I'm kinda underwhelmed," muttered Riptide. "After everything we've been through, after all the people we've lost -- hell, we've just lost Tailgate and Cyclonus! -- only to find out that Cyberutopia was just... a clinic for really sick people."
"There's a joke somewhere in that," Whirl remarked. "But even I don't have the energy to make it."
"It's been a long day," Star Saber said. "For a lot of us, it's been a long quest. In any case, we should probably get back to Velocitron and rescue Vector Prime."
"T.I.'s found the Lost Light," Apelinq reported. "It's about ten mechameters away."
"Mind if we tag along?" asked Krok. "We've lost our ride. Again."
"How do you guys keep managing to do that?" Brainstorm asked.
"Well," Spacewarp muttered, "you try flying around in a Titan who thinks he's a dead Decepticon warlord...."
* * *
After recovering the Lost Light, the Crusadercons retrieved their dead and loaded them onto the ship. Star Saber had suggested they retrieve the Mederi telepaths as well, but when they returned to the "temple," they were unable to find the ward in which the aliens had been.
Once everyone was settled back in, Apelinq helped Signal Flare and Skyblast plot a course back to Velocitron.
"How did those guys even manage to send us halfway across the galaxy?" the latter inquired.
"My guess is they used the ore from Velocitron," Star Saber replied. "Ore-9, Space. Why they didn't just kill us is anyone's guess."
"We should probably contact Cybertron and tell Rodimus what's happened," Wing Saber suggested.
"Should we also tell him about Cyberutopia?" asked Nightbeat. "Or should we save that for later?"
Star Saber sighed as he slumped back into the command chair. "I'll decide when we get to that point. Apelinq?"
"Ready when you are, captain."
"Then let's say go."
* * *
The door to Brainstorm's lab was already open by the time Skids reached it. The Autobot scientist had moved all of his equipment to the main desk and was in the process of packing things into a briefcase.
"Closing shop already?" Skids asked.
"I have more crap than I know what to do with, so I might as well get a head start." Brainstorm paused to stare at a small microscope before resuming. "Not sure where I'm going to move to. I'll probably ask Perceptor to see what he's planning."
"Right." Skids took a hesitant step forward, deciding it would be best to get straight to the point. "Listen... about Quark--"
"I don't blame you, Skids," Brainstorm cut him off. "I know you well enough to know that you would never purposely send someone to their deaths."
Skids winced as he rubbed his neck. "It was still stupid of me to trust the Decepticons."
"Oh, undoubtedly. But we've all done stupid things in life. Hell, just look at me." Brainstorm latched his briefcase up before turning fully to face Skids. "Get over it, man. We're cool. No hard feelings. Stop acting emo."
"I'm not acting emo," Skids objected.
Brainstorm snorted. "Well, I sure did, if you think about it. Nearly destroyed the universe because I had an unrequited crush on someone."
"I'm pretty sure that's not what being emo means."
"Whatever." Brainstorm walked up to him and patted his shoulder. "Take care, my friend. Be good to Nautica for me, will you?"
"Uh, sure."
Brainstorm stared at him. "I mean it. Don't ever let her go."
"I hear you," Skids said firmly. "Loud and clear."
"Good." Brainstorm gave him one last shoulder pat before leaving the room.
* * *
Sideways stared out the viewport as the Lost Light jumped into hyperspace and Mederi vanished from view.
She couldn't explain even to herself why she was feeling so disappointed at what had become of the experience. Perhaps, deep down, she wanted to have gone to the Afterspark to find some validation in her existence. If she could have ascended like Cyclonus and the others had, then maybe she was more than just a "virus."
But no. It had all been just an illusion. None of it had meant anything or proven anything about her. It had all been a lie. A lot in life was like that, it seemed.
Turning away from the window, she was about to head for a hab suite when a voice stopped her dead in her tracks.
Uploading to central processor.
Before Sideways could process what she had heard, her body seized up and fell to the deck, the light in her optics going out....
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