Transitions I

Beast Wars Anonymous:

Beast Wars and all related belong to Hasbro. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission.

Transitions I, pt. 1
by Neale Davidson (neale@iquest.net)

There is light. Ribbons of colored energy circle in bright blue ambience. It is a place that isn't real, but a mere manifestation. It is the space of the Vokk, an energy life form far beyond modern humans, and even the Transformers themselves. Three of them are in discussion, the events of the past three years weighing heavily on their minds.

VOKK #2: The Beast Wars have apparently ended. The timeline is stabilized.

VOKK #3: What is your analysis?

VOKK #1: The timeline damage is permanent. We have veered heavily from our intended path, and we cannot reverse the stream.

VOKK #2: Then the experiment is over. We have failed.

VOKK #1: What are our options?

VOKK #2: Optimus Primal and his Maximals have departed. Without their influence, it may be possible to salvage what we have altered.

VOKK #1: Possible, but three Predacon signatures remain on Earth.

VOKK #3: Do they remain a threat?

VOKK #1: We cannot afford the risk to speculate. We must again take personal control of these matters.

As the three Vokk creatures speak, there is a ripple in the energy streams around them. It is subtle at first, but grows in intensity, then finally shakes the area around the three energy forms with tremendous force. The three Vokk remain in their place as lightning dances around them. Their cool expressions suddenly betray fear.

VOKK #3: The Matrix energy!

VOKK #1: What has happened?

VOKK #3: The timeline is rupturing. Critical damage is being done already.

VOKK #2: The Predacons that remain? Could they have tampered with the Matrix?

VOOK #3: No. This must be something else.

VOKK #2: Impossible, no Cybertronian would be foolish enough to damage the fabric of time yet again.

VOKK #1: Incorrect. There are plenty of foolish Cybertronians.

The cold rains of Earth's thunderstorms beat down on WASPINATOR'S body. The lone Predacon is slumped in his throne. His attendant proto-humans have long since found shelter from the icy rains. It's winter, trees are bare, the wind is harsh. The weather does nothing to aid his mood.

WASPINATOR: Waspinator happy not being evil. But Waspinator lonely.

WASPINATOR looks down to the ruined remains of QUICKSTRIKE and INFERNO, their bodies blasted into pieces by the firepower of the Nemesis. WASPINATOR looks over them both, shaking his head mournfully.

WASPINATOR: Two-head and ant-bot evil, but Waspinator miss them. Waspinator can't even use CR chamber to repair them. Last CR chamber all dried up for poor Waspinator.

STARSCREAM (disembodied voice): Poor Waspinator. You have the playground all to yourself and no playmates to play with.

WASPINATOR (fearful): Waspinator remember that voice. Waspinator not like that voice.

Another bit of lightning cracks through the air, and for a moment we can see the familiar form of STARSCREAM, standing in his robot mode, towering over WASPINATOR. When the lightning fades again, though, all that remains is a floating spark.

WASPINATOR (panicked): Starscream!

STARSCREAM: Very good, Waspinator.

WASPINATOR: Waspinator fight you. Bad things happen when jet-bot possess Waspinator!

STARSCREAM: Oh I don't want to possess you this time. I just need your help.

WASPINATOR (skeptical): What does jet-bot want? What does Waspinator get?

STARSCREAM: I'll repair your playmates, Waspinator.

WASPINATOR: Jet-bot can't repair anyone. CR chambers broken and dried up.

STARSCREAM: Oh, I have means.

WASPINATOR: Jet-bot does? What does jet-bot want, then?

STARSCREAM: I want a new, permanent body, and you're going to help me get it.

WASPINATOR rears back in a whimper as STARSCREAM moves forward. The glowing image of the spark being replaced with the towering Decepticon Seeker's old form with each lightning blast. As one blast hits the ground, it strikes a deactivated stasis pod somewhere deep within old woods. The blast dances from the first pod into another one resting nearby.

POD: Warning. System malfunction. Unable to compensate. Reprogramming commands accepted. Scanning for life signs.

The familiar beam scans around the area, and washes over a family of frightened rabbits. As the beam hits them, they break and run away from the area quickly.

POD: Replication complete.

POD #2: Replication complete.

Both pods open, and for a long moment, nothing happens. Finally and slowly, two soft white forms emerge out into the rain. One is a rabbit form, stylized a bit from the norm. The other is a shapely and too-cute female figure. She looks around, and sighs.

ARTEMIS: They left behind their stasis pods.

MOON: They may have not had the ability to scan for them all, and hoped to return. Notice that our own pods were deactivated in the meantime.

ARTEMIS: Can you tell where the time-stream is being ruptured?

MOON: Yes. But it's most unusual. How should we proceed?

ARTEMIS: We watch, of course.

MOON: And do nothing else?

ARTEMIS: We can't risk further contaminating the timeline ourselves.

MOON: Very well. The source of the chronological anomaly is -

Moon stops and looks over the horizon, suddenly getting a worried expression. ARTEMIS steps over and scans as well, and shakes her head.

ARTEMIS: What is it?

MOON (worried): It's moving, fast.

ARTEMIS: Moving?

MOON: Three Predacon sparks are moving with it, headed south.

ARTEMIS (confused): It's not a Predacon?

MOON: No. It's a Decepticon.

ARTEMIS: All Decepticons are accounted for. Unless -

MOON (understanding): Starscream.

STARSCREAM'S spark rushes over the terrain effortlessly. WASPINATOR's beast mode, however, is stuck with carrying the parts of INFERNO and QUICKSTRIKE, and is grumbling about it. The terrain sweeps under them both at high speed.

WASPINATOR: Waspinator tired of carrying parts. Spark-bot make Waspinator fly over half the planet. When Waspinator get there?

STARSCREAM (scowling): Waspinator complains too much. We're almost there.

WASPINATOR (whining): Spark-bot said that hours ago.

STARSCREAM: Keep complaining and I will take over your body.

WASPINATOR: Waspinator shutting up.

STARSCREAM: There it is!

STARSCREAM lowers down, followed quickly by WASPINATOR who starts straining to see the side of a jungle mountain. He lowers further, and we see glints of light dancing off of violet metal. WASPINATOR pulls back a bit as he realizes what it is.

WASPINATOR: The Nemesis?

STARSCREAM: The most powerful Decepticon space-cruiser built. Pity your Megatron wrecked it like that. But thanks to that maneuver, it's now right where it belongs, in the jungles of Peru.

WASPINATOR: But there's no CR chamber in there?

STARSCREAM: Tarantulas wanted to use that ship for himself. You and I both know that he would equip it with everything that he could. Now, land!

WASPINATOR: Waspinator get bad feeling about this.

The pair land, reaching the damaged hull of the ship, buried partly into the mountainside. From here, it's simply huge. WASPINATOR looks over it with a daunting dread.

STARSCREAM: Now. Put down that scrap and open up the hull.

WASPINATOR: This will take some time. Armor hull resistant to Waspinator's weapon.

STARSCREAM (impatient): Just do it!

WASPINATOR resigns and starts firing his missiles into the hull. From a great distance, we can see the flames of the explosions dancing on the horizon. In the jungles below, ARTEMIS and MOON both appear from the ether, having merely teleported here.

ARTEMIS: What is happening?

MOON: Disaster.

ARTEMIS: Starscream?

MOON: He's attempting to enter the Nemesis. If he gets there, all could be lost. We must stop him.

ARTEMIS: We mustn't interfere, Moon.

MOON: But if we don't interfere, all could be lost.

ARTEMIS (softly): It already is.

MOON turns to the explosions, which have seemingly stopped. All is still for a long moment, then wave of energy thunders out from the ship's location. STARSCREAM has entered the ship, and the timeline shifts yet again, sending a violent wave of energy over the terrain in a temporal storm.

Transitions I, pt. 2
by Neale Davidson (neale@iquest.net)

The hull of the Nemesis shakes and shudders, though remains intact. WASPINATOR, for his part, looks around, pleasantly surprised at not being a few hundred pieces at the moment. STARSCREAM's spark floats in through the wounded hull.

WASPINATOR: Waspinator still here!

STARSCREAM: If you weren't, we would be in a paradox. And nature hates those.

WASPINATOR (quietly): Spark-Bot changed time?

STARSCREAM: Not any more than you have, Wasp. WASPINATOR: Not Waspinator's fault. Megatron -

STARSCREAM: Got you to do his work.

WASPINATOR: Just like Spark-bot.

STARSCREAM: But I'm actually giving you something. Now, let's move to the control room. Tarantulas likely wired everything through there. Bring that scrap with you.

WASPINATOR turns to follow, moving past the large bodies of THRUST, DIRGE, RAMJET, and various other deactivated Decepticons of differing styles. WASPINATOR flies above them, following STARSCREAM's disembodied spark.

STARSCREAM (chuckling): Alas, poor Dirge. I knew you well.

WASPINATOR: Spark-bot know these bots?

STARSCREAM: Cons, not bots. They were my old flying partners, Waspinator. Dense as they were, I sometimes miss the old gang.

WASPINATOR: Spark-bot lonely too?

STARSCREAM (hesitant): Just help me find Tarantulas's control center.

The two forms move up and over the deactivated Decepticons, and make their way to the bridge area. The ship begins to feel more and more like a tomb as the forms of four more Decepticon warriors rest awkwardly on the floor below. WASPINATOR begins to get more and more nervous.

WASPINATOR: Spark-bot sure about this?

STARSCREAM: Trust me.

WASPINATOR (muttering): Waspinator worried now.

Outside and away from the mountain, two other Transformers are moving quickly onto the sight. ARTEMIS and MOON both reach the area, with ARTEMIS gliding through the trees and MOON's rabbit form bounds through quickly.

ARTEMIS: We must see what damage has been done.

MOON: And stop it?

ARTEMIS (hesitates): We - we don't know what more interference would do.

MOON: Would it be worse than this?

ARTEMIS: The chrono storm was minor. It already passed.

MOON: But there was a storm. How many more will come?

ARTEMIS and MOON both stop, watching the ripple of energy subtly change the landscape. Trees have grown a little differently. The cloud patterns are a little different. They may be very subtle changes, but changes none the less. The two look at one another a long moment.

ARTEMIS: Another divergence. We're being pulled from our own timeline.

MOON: And we still just observe?

ARTEMIS: We can't take direct action. We're forbidden.

MOON: We merely wait for Starscream's plans to unfold? Wait to see whatever the fates, and his meddling, has in store for us?

ARTEMIS: For now. Yes.

Inside the ship, WASPINATOR reaches what's left of the control tower. It isn't much, to say the least. Power flows to a few systems. Sparks and smoke fill the room. Stone rock makes up the ceiling, and only a few dim panels provide light. STARSCREAM's spark floats in, pulsing with life.

STARSCREAM: Plenty of working materials.

WASPINATOR: Waspinator see Predacon equipment, but it's all damaged. Everything messed up by Maximals.

STARSCREAM: We only need a few things working, Wasp. (cheering) Like that.

STARSCREAM floats over to a section of the command center, where a CR vat remains idle and depowered. WASPINATOR looks it over skeptically.

WASPINATOR: System is not functional.

STARSCREAM: Fix it. It's just not set up fully. Finish its connections while I select some raw materials for my new body.

WASPINATOR kneels and hooks up the cable. Of course, he's shocked as the power flows into him, but he manages to make the connection before he's thrown back into the wall of the ship.

WASPINATOR: Waspinator not having good day.

STARSCREAM: Oh, it's about to improve Waspinator. Now, take that black mass of scrap and place it in the tank. I'll use that for my new form.

WASPINATOR: Scrap is Decepticon. Already has a spark.

STARSCREAM: So? His body is dead. He won't be needing it anymore.

WASPINATOR (worried): What happens to other spark?

STARSCREAM (screaming): I don't care. Just do it or I'll make you do it myself.

WASPINATOR stammers, and runs over to the inert body. STARSCREAM floats behind, and settles into the tank.

STARSCREAM (calmly): It will be nice to have a warm body again.

Meanwhile, outside, the two observers reach the hull of the ship. As they do, they are again blasted by a wave of chrono energy coming from within. This one is more severe, sending the pair back flying. ARTEMIS crashes through the trees, while MOON is less graceful, rolling back from the blast and even flickers out of existence for a moment.

MOON: No. It's beginning.

ARTEMIS: Timeline stabilized, Moon.

MOON: The storm was more severe, we must do something. How much more can we observe.

ARTEMIS (sighing): How do we stop him? With these bodies?

MOON: We must find a way. There are no humans near here. The experiment can be shielded.

ARTEMIS (hesitant): It is not our place. Not yet.

MOON: Then who's place is it?

ARTEMIS (softly): I don't know.

Inside the ship, WASPINATOR rouses himself from blacking out. He looks up and sees two robot forms ahead of him. Both are in black and violet, and it takes a moment to discern them from the darkness. They are the forms of STARSCREAM, and BB, in robot modes. STARSCREAM steps forward.

WASPINATOR (weakly): Waspinator need CR chamber next.

STARSCREAM: Well done, Waspinator. I'm impressed.

WASPINATOR (quizzically): Spark-bot?

STARSCREAM: Starscream. I've got a nice new body now.

STARSCREAM looks over himself again, styled in a sleek black and violet jet-body. He looks impressed, though the faceguard hides his full expression.

WASPINATOR: Starscream keep up his end of deal now. Repair two-head and ant-bot.

STARSCREAM (smirking): Now why would I do that?

WASPINATOR: Waspinator live up to deal. Waspinator let you get new body.

STARSCREAM: Which means that I'm afraid that I've got what I needed from you. You're no longer useful to me.

WASPINATOR: Waspinator do his job.

STARSCREAM: Waspinator is too gullible. The first step in making a deal is to cover your aft.

WASPINATOR (worried): No.

The larger robot behind STARSCREAM steps forward now. He is a hulking brute of a Predacon. His arms and legs are armored, and a massive gatling cannon rests on his shoulder. This is BB, STARSCREAM's more physically able half.

WASPINATOR (worried): Stay away.

BB: Trouble, Scream?

STARSCREAM: BB, Get rid of this insectoid pest. We've got work to do.

WASPINATOR (fearful): No!

BB (cooly): Roger.

BB's hulking form steps forward as WASPINATOR desperately tries to back away from it. But there is no escape. BB's cannon begins to spin and opens fire. WASPINATOR's vision is filled with darkness, and nothing more.

Transitions I, pt. 3
by Neale Davidson (neale@iquest.net)

Five forms walk the ruined control room of the Nemesis. Smaller, much smaller, than the Decepticons that they once were, the new Predacons emerged from the CR tank, trying to adjust to the world around them. The last of them, MEGASTORM, steps out from the tank and joins the others: STARSCREAM, BB, THRUST, and DIRGE.

STARSCREAM: Well, what do you think?

THRUST: We're as small as Rumble now. What type of bodies are these?

STARSCREAM: It's the lastest thing, a new economy model. All the power with a fraction of the energon use. It's literally ages beyond our current Decepticon science.

DIRGE: And how did you come by it?

STARSCREAM: Oh, it's a long story, Dirge. And I'm afraid explaining it would only confuse you.

DIRGE (growling): Death comes to the one who insults me.

MEGASTORM: Enough of this, Dirge. Starscream, you were with the boarding party. What happened?

THRUST: We crashed.

STARSCREAM (hesitant): The Ark was shot down, but so was the Nemesis. All Autobots and Decepticons aboard were thrown into stasis lock. I was reactivated and traveled back here.

MEGASTORM: You know where the Ark is, then?

STARSCREAM (smiling): I do.

MEGASTORM nods and stands to the center of the group. From his posture and how the others, except for STARSCREAM, react, he's a Decepticon of some importance.

MEGASTORM: Well then, commander. You'll lead the fliers out to the Ark and reactivate the other Decepticons. We must return to Cybertron.

STARSCREAM: There's so much more, Megastorm. Surely a great ground forces commander like you has greater ambition than that?

MEGASTORM: Our duty is to the Decepticons, Starscream. We must see to their repairs.

STARSCREAM: You're wasting the opportunity of a million lifetimes.

MEGASTORM: I know of your treachery, Starscream. Why should I listen to you?

STARSCREAM: Why Megastorm, how narrow is your thinking?

MEGASTORM: What are you saying?

STARSCREAM: You would return to Cybertron immediately. Yet here we are, on a planet rich with energon. More than that, the Ark has been shot down, with a load of deactivated Autobots and Decepticons aboard.

MEGASTORM: The Decepticons I can see. But what do you care of the Autobots?

STARSCREAM: Why, there have been advances made in reprogramming, Megastorm. More than that, however, Optimus Prime is in that ship. And within him is the Matrix.

MEGASTORM (dawning): The Matrix. the source of all our sparks.

STARSCREAM (excited): And all the Autobots are stasis locked and are unable to defend it. It's ours for the taking.

MEGASTORM: I see. And the Ark is vulnerable? Are you sure.

STARSCREAM: I've already seen it, Megastorm. Teletran One has been battered around in battle. The Autobots are fully stasis locked. And Megatron is in the same condition.

MEGASTORM: So that's it? You've a plot against my brother.

STARSCREAM: Don't I always? And don't look so innocent. You've hatched a number of schemes yourself. I would imagine that Megatron would simply allow you to stay deactivated if he had the chance.

MEGASTORM: I'm too valuable. He would never allow that.

STARSCREAM (chuckling): Sure you are. We cannot miss this opportunity, Megastorm. Think of the power at our disposal. Think of what we can accomplish.

MEGASTORM seems to think it over a long moment, and then merely nods to STARSCREAM. The imposing former Decepticon crosses his arms and makes his decision.

MEGASTORM: Very well. Starscream, you take the jets and reach the Ark. I'll join you shortly.

STARSCREAM (hesitant): Very well. BB, Thrust, Dirge, you're with me.

BB: Roger.

THRUST: Let's do it.

DIRGE: Death comes to those who stand in our way.

The four warriors start to run down the hallway and transform quickly to their jet modes. Led by STARSCREAM, they fly out of the NEMESIS's hulk and pour into the air, passing by ARTEMIS and MOON. Oddly, the Predacon jets take no notice of them. ARTEMIS, however, notices the lead jet, and stares at it.

ARTEMIS (softly): That's Starscream?

MOON: His signature is different. But, yes, that is him. He has taken a new body.

ARTEMIS: I noticed.

MOON (concerned): And has reactivated Decepticon sparks as Predacons.

ARTEMIS (shaking herself): I know. But that shouldn't be possible. Doing that would invalidate himself, wouldn't it? He's risking being the center of a paradox.

MOON: Don't you see? He's a Transcendent Spark. He's immune to the paradox and time-stream changes. He has no reason to care what he does to the time-stream. His existence is not at risk.

ARTEMIS: Nor is ours.

MOON: But everything else is. If his plans succeed, our experiment is lost. Worse than that, it could fall into Predacon hands.

ARTEMIS (softly): We observe.

MOON shakes his head and steps inside the ruined ship. ARTEMIS watches STARSCREAM and his jets disappear into the distance, then follows her partner into the hulk. As STARSCREAM had done, they move past the deactivated Decepticons, barely lit by the flickering power cells of the ship.

MOON: See this? These were the original bodies of those jets. He's stolen their sparks, and likely reprogrammed them as well.

ARTEMIS: Your programming - you have Maximal influence.

MOON: As do you, but aside from that. We have a responsibility, and a mission.

ARTEMIS: How can we be sure? The experiment has been tampered with. Should we even try to salvage it at this point? Maybe we should just let it go.

MOON: We can't do that.

ARTEMIS: But we can't directly interfere, either.

MOON: Then we indirectly interfere if need be.

The duo continues on through the ship. MEGASTORM, however, is nowhere to be found. Instead, that particular Predacon has stepped to the lower and less damaged decks of the starship, heading towards the engineering section.

MEGASTORM: You're not being honest with me, Starscream. Not that you ever were. But somehow I sense there's much more to this than meets the eye.

MEGASTORM reaches the drive center and opens a main panel, revealing a large glowing crystal, seemingly ready to burst with energy. He slowly detatches it from its housing and takes it into his hands, smiling at it.

MEGASTORM: But then, you're not the only one who knows how to scheme.

Finally, ARTEMIS and MOON reach the main control area. As before, it's in ruins, though power has been set up for a few stations now. In a heap in the corner are the forms of WASPINATOR, INFERNO, and QUICKSTRIKE. The three Predacons are in stasis lock, and in pieces.

ARTEMIS: Here are the Predacons. I don't understand this.

MOON: Starscream has no need of them, now that he has his own Predacons to manipulate.

ARTEMIS: Are they dead?

MOON: No. Two are in dire shape. The third is functional, though will fade soon. None have very long left to them. Already their sparks hear the call of the Matrix.

ARTEMIS: Would they stop Starscream's plans?

MOON: Perhaps, but not with their current programming. The Fuzor's mind is damaged. The wasp is emotionally destroyed. The ant's programming has been corrupted with Megatron's influence.

ARTEMIS: Awaken the wasp.

MOON goes very still. As he does, the spark of WASPINATOR is pulled from the dying robot form, and hovers between the two alien protoforms. MOON moves again, to regard his work.

WASPINATOR (distant): Waspinator is lost.

ARTEMIS: What has happened here, young one?

WASPINATOR: Failure. Waspinator didn't mean to serve evil. Waspinator wanted friends.

MOON: He's simple, and innocent in his way. He's a Predacon child.

WASPINATOR (sadly): Waspinator let Starscream destroy time. Waspinator failure. Waspinator finally join Matrix. Then Waspinator be happy.

ARTEMIS: You're needed here. You and your friends.

WASPINATOR: Not friends. Two-head and ant-bot evil. They try destroy Waspinator. Waspinator too lonely to think straight.

MOON: Their programming was tainted. It can be corrected.

WASPINATOR: Why Waspinator needed?

ARTEMIS: We are forbidden to directly interfere. But I trust you will know what to do. The Matrix does not yet need you so much as this world does.

WASPINATOR: Waspinator stop Starscream?

ARTEMIS: Yes, but not alone.

MOON (quietly): Hurry, we don't have much time.

In another part of the world, MEGASTORM rushes over the terrain, headed to an all-too-familiar volcano. Below him are the four jet warriors, already digging at the rocks below, struggling with the amount of labor. STARSCREAM looks up and scowls as MEGASTORM lands.

STARSCREAM: It took you long enough.

MEGASTORM (coolly): I'm not a jet, and it too me some time to home in on your signal. This is where the Ark rests?

STARSCREAM: Buried in the rocks of the volcano.

MEGASTORM: And how did you manage to escape, Starscream?

STARSCREAM: It's a long story. Let's just say that I'm not the Starscream I once was.

MEGASTORM narrows his optics and is about to comment with a rush of energy washes past him. The blast smashes into the rocks near the jets, and all five Predacons turn to see three attackers bearing down on them. STARSCREAM betrays the most surprise.

STARSCREAM (angry): Impossible! The Maximals have left this world!

MEGASTORM: Maximals?

STARSCREAM: Children of the Autobots. Our enemies!

THURST: We outnumber them, and we are Predacons.

MEGASTORM: Predacons - that doesn't sound right. But we have little to fear from a trio of Autobot spawn. BB and I will continue tunneling through. You three, dispatch those Maximals and provide us cover.

DIRGE: Death will come in cold winds.

BB: Roger.

As another series of blasts start to bear on the rocks, STARSCREAM, THRUST, and DIRGE take to the air, rushing at their attackers. All three again transform to their jet modes and open fire at the three beasts coming at them. A cicada moves quickly, low over the ground. A beetle scurries impossibly fast through the ground cover. Lastly, a red lobster rips a path through the trees. The three beasts emit more firepower from them, but as the battle begins, we fade to black.

TO BE CONTINUED