Episode Review:

The Spark

Season 1

Reviewed by Pacerpaw

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In Earth’s orbit one of the Maximal stasis pods is hit by a chunk of meteorite and damaged. The pod prepares for a very rough landing as it enters the atmosphere.

At Predacon HQ, Tarantulas is on monitor duty. He sees the pod entering the atmosphere. Just then Megatron appears behind him and sees it as well, ordering the closest units Blackarachnia and Scorponok to go to the best estimated landing coordinates.

Tarantulas wants to go there as well, claiming his programming skills are needed there. Megatron tells him his skills are needed at the base. Tarantulas is not pleased and it seems the Predacon leader doesn't thrust him. They exchange muttered insults as the scene changes to a rocky, barren and desolate area out in the open.

Rhinox has been checking an area for usable energon without any luck. What he does find is too unstable to be of any use. Just as he is about to leave, he spots something far up in the sky and Maximizes to take a closer look with enhanced optical sensors. “A stasis pod!”

He immediately tries to contact the Axalon but only gets static in response. The unstable energon in the area makes it impossible to use the comm. link. “Looks like I’m on my own” he states aloud then leaps down from the cliff, lands safely on the ground below and starts to run in the general direction of the down going pod. 

In another area further away Cheetor sees the pod as well and contacts Tigatron telling him it’s coming down in grid Vega. Cheetor goes after it and Tigatron tells him to be careful. A bird of prey watches the Cheetah and screeches, flapping it’s wings.

Elsewhere Scorponok and Blackarachnia crawls onward. Scorponok sees the pod and comments that it’s there just as Megatron said. The black widow repeats those words mockingly asking him if he ever gets tired of groveling to that Saurian. Scorponok responds that Megatron is their leader, that he rewards loyalty and punishes those who oppose his will.BA isn’t impressed though and makes another mock comment then laughs. 

The pod finally crashes in what looks like a valley with natural but odd stone formations and cliffs. Rhinox arrives and leaps down. The Maximal jogs up to the pod with a characteristic “Uh oh” comment when he sees it’s in bad shape and there is a large rock on it.  The engineer removes the stone and opens the hatch seal. What he finds is disturbing, the protoform within is in bad shape. When he tries to activate the protoform and begin the dna scanning sequence, the computer informs that the systems damage is too extensive and that the activation sequence is offline. Repair is required or the Protoform will cease to exist. Rhinox responds with a dismayed “Oh no”. He opens the side of the pod and takes out a burnt out chip.

Cheetor arrives. Surprised, Rhinox asks him what he’s doing there. Cheetor responds and says he didn’t expect to find Rhinox there. The engineer says he needs help because the protoform is dying. “If I don’t do something quick, the protoforms spark will be extinguished!”

Cheetor asks what they should do and the Rhino says he wish he knew. 

Meanwhile Tigatron runs trough the jungle toward grid Vega and detects Predacons so he Maximises and hides behind a tree to surprise whoever it is. Scorponok walks around wondering where “that sour spider” went. Stripes steps out and holds Scorponok at gunpoint asking where he is headed in such a hurry. The Predacon says he’ll tell nothing and is about to transform but gets blasted by stripes freeze gun and trapped within the ice. Stripes says he has no time to play but then BA comes down from a tree behind him and transforms. “What a pity!” he turns and fires. But the spider hits him with cyber venom and the big cat is down and out. She laughs and says she’ll deal with him once she has the pod and the protoform within. 

At the crash site Rhinox tells Cheetor “This could be dangerous. If you soak up too much energon without a locking chip you’ll fry every system you have.” the engineer warns.

“Our new bud bot there deserves some kinda chance. You know more about protoforms then

I do. Cheetor maximise!” Spots replies. Rhinox tells him it’s only going to take a nano click but that the cat has to go offline. Cheetor takes a ‘snooze’ and has a strange dream about Rhinox explaining a few things about Sparks.

Cheetor: “A spark!” 

Rhinox: “Yup, The very things that makes us what we are. Every Cybertron: Maximal or Predacon has one, and each is different. When a spark goes online there is great joy. When one is extinguished the universe weeps.”

The dream ends and Cheetor wakes up commenting that that was Ultra gear. Rhinox tells him to tell him later and go back to beast mode and he complies. The engineer replaces the burnt out chip with Cheetor's locking chip then types in a few commands. It works! The protoform’s stasis lock is stabilized but it only bought them some time. Rhinox must get the activation sequence going again.

They have another problem though, BA has arrived! Cheetor fights the black widow to keep her away from the pod while the engineer works to save the protoform.

BA beats on Cheetor but the feline manages to hit her with her own cyber venom arrow. But Waspinator arrives! Cheetor fires at him but then Terrorsaur arrives! Cheetor has to go to beast mode due to energon overload and has no choice but to run and lead the Preds away.

Still working on the pod, Rhinox orders the pod computer to download the dna sequence program thru his central processor. The computer warns that it might cause damage to his neurological circuitry. Rhinox tells it to just do it and it complies. It succeeds, the activation sequence is back online! but his circuitry is damaged and he gets a jolt from it and falls. The engineer has to go back to rhino mode then collapses into stasis lock.

Meanwhile Cheetor manages to avoid getting hit by the flyers and leaps over a crater spewing unstable energy. Waspinator passes over it and is hit by it. Unfortunately for Cheetor, Terrorsaur was biding his time and shoots the feline. Terrorsaur laughs and comments that the pod will be his.

Back at the pod site the computer drones that it has found no compatible life forms to scan. Things look even bleaker for the two when Terrorsaur arrives.

“Well, well Rhinox and the pod, this must be my lucky day! And your last!” the Predacon gloats as he prepares to shoot the damaged and downed Rhinox. A Peregrin Falcon flies past, gets scanned and the pod’s dna sequence proceeds!  There is a bright light, startling and distracting Terrorsaur. Out flies a huge bird of prey! Rhinox has recovered enough to stand up and asks Terrorsaur if he’s still feeling lucky.

The bird grabs his shoulders with her claws and heads straight for a cliff face, knocking him against it. Terrorsaur activates his shoulder guns and goes after the bird. But most of his shots misses and he only manages to knock off a few feathers. The bird, Air Razor maximizes and ducks a few more shots. The two fliers tangle in the air a while then break apart. The Maximal female proceeds to blast Terrorsaur to bits and saves the day.

 Air Razor returns to the pod and Rhinox. She knows his name though isn’t sure why when he asks her how she knew. “I think I owe you my life” she continues. “Let’s say we’re even” he calmly replies.

  Later when Cheetor and Tigatron has been retrieved, the Maximals have gathered in the Axalon command central and Optimus primal welcomes Air Razor among them. Rhinox seems to be very proud of the female beast warrior and tells the others how she scrapped Terrorsaur.

Air Razor says she doesn’t know what to make of it all and Rattrap tells her that if she is smart she’ll make tracks. Cheetor tells her to pay no attention to the rodent, whom according to the feline was born with a major glitch. Optimus offers to give AR a tour of the base and the two walks off. Rhinox gives them a cryptical glance and says “When a spark goes online there is great joy” Cheetor looks at him, remembering the dream he had before.