WALTZ INTO THE FIRE
By: Mark Harris
The Predacons have decided to go for a full frontal assault with Decepticon
slaves as the cannon fodder. The Maximals had to save the Ark and if possible
themselves, but the Ark was number one priority, yet they couldn’t destroy the
Decepticons either. “Grimlock, what in the pit are we going to do? We can’t
destroy the Decepticons, we can’t let them destroy the Ark and Predacons are
elsewhere doing Primus knows what.” Dark Night is frazzled, the Sentinel
shields are barely holding. “We destroy them and hope for a decent future if
not, we come back and we do it all over again.” Grimlock nonchalantly. “We
can’t do that; it would wipe out the Predacons and Maximals altogether!” Dark
Night screams over the increasing sound of laser, missile, and mortar fire.
“Thus creating a paradox, if we destroy the Decepticons, it wipes Maximals and
Predacons from existence thus preventing the war that caused them to be wiped
out. What happens then? That is why we gamble on a livable future since for
time to exist all paradoxes must be solved. If Maximals and Predacons are wiped
out, Jawbreaker, you, and I will go correct it no matter what it takes. The Vok
who have entrusted into me in preserving Maximal and Predacon life, because for
the Vok to exist Maximals and Predacons must continue on until a splinter
group breaks off and evolves into the Vok. To insure this they have given me
the power to live outside of the constraints of time and space if need be and
to take whoever I may need to do this.” Grimlock ensures hope into Dark Night.
“Sentinel, arm all auto guns and fire upon anything that moves,” Dark Night
orders. “Auto guns online,” Sentinel replies. The auto guns are raised and
open fire upon everything that moves. The Predacons had not thought that the
Maximals would be so reckless with the future of millions of Cybertronians and
did not order the Decepticon slaves to respond to auto gunfire. The
Decepticons were being slowly destroyed one by one. The Maximals go to through
a secret exit in the top of the cave and open fire as well upon the
Decepticons. Gravity was on their side offensively as well as defensively. The
Decepticons turned their fire upon the Maximals when they started to be
attacked from above. At one point Decepticons had just fired as a Maximal
barrage was coming down. The resulting explosion caused a time storm stronger
than Optimus Prime’s from when Megatron attacked. The Maximals started to
phase in and out of existence until Grimlock activated an internal command
subroutine and placed his hands upon his comrades. They were teleported to
another time and place.
The Maximals closed their eyes once Grimlock’s command subroutine kicked in.
They were taken to Cybertron. It has been 20 years since the two smaller ones
had seen Cybertron, for Grimlock it was has been a year. He was one of the
sparks saved by Optimus Primal and his Maximals. When Cybertron was saved
there was great joy at first but that soon turned to hatred of the organic in
Techno-organic. Many tried to purge themselves of the Organic to only find
themselves dead cycles later. Those who were off world when the planet wide
reformatting took place declared war upon the Techno-organics. Cybertron was
thrown into utter chaos for years. Techno-organic vs. Techno-organic,
Techno-organic vs. the ones who want to follow the ancestral path of pure
machine. The reformatting was supposed to lead Cybertron into a permanent
golden age. Grimlock took the side of the Pro-Techno-organic. He was made
leader of the movement for one reason only: he has the battle experience, the
will to destroy the ones to oppose the Oracle’s will, and he has the Matrix.
He watched former friends die at his and his friends’ hands. He saw new
friends die at former friends' hands. As a result of this he began a new
meditation process to purge emotions from oneself.
“Grimlock, how much has Cybertron changed?” Dark Night questions his second in
command. “It has changed a great deal. All the work the Great Optimus Primal
did has been erased from Cybertron completely.” A car races by. “Looks like
Maximals never existed.” A jet chases after the car shooting at it. “Same for
Predacons.” They enter a nearby building and Grimlock goes to work on a
computer to get whatever information he can to find out what has happened.
Dark Night and Jawbreaker are standing guard.
Grimlock finally breaks the encryption. He turns to his comrades. “Welcome to
the Great War, the same great war that sent the Autobots and Decepticons
crashing to Earth a billion years ago.” Grimlock informs them of their fate.
“Has Transwarp technology been invented yet?” Dark Night inquires. “Nope,
looks like we are home for a while, at least until I can invent for this
Cybertron,” Grimlock says with great sadness. “We need to find a place to
stay,” Dark Night commands. “Good luck finding any place decent to stay on Decepticon HQ. Earth is Autobot HQ. The few Autobots here are slaves,” Grimlock informs his leader. “Let’s steal a ship and go there then,”
Jawbreaker says half cackling. “Trust me cub, you don’t want to go there. A
human would describe the current state of Earth as Armageddon. Earth is
dangerously low on energy resources. Humans have fled Earth and are still
looking for a new world to live on that hasn’t been destroyed by the Great
War. The universe hates Cybertronians and searches for a way to purge them
from time and space. We are a hunted species now. Earth and Cybertron are at
war with each other and the Universe. Cybertronians used to believe in our
creator Primus, but they have forsaken him now and he has forsaken us. Welcome
to the beginning of the end of Transformer existence,” Grimlock informs, his heart
would have broken if he had one.
The Maximals convert to vehicle mode and go underground to find a place to
call home until they can get a transwarp drive installed into a stolen ship.