Chương 22: LOG-021.

The Forge of Solus Prime was proving a truly fascinating and frustrating item to study.

"Attempt twenty three of analysing 'Prime' IFF signature for purpose of replication. Beginning test." The large hammer hung from a specially made harness, even as several cables connected to the side of it. A small, nearly inaudible hum could be heard as the console the cables were attached to came to life. And even that small bit of progress had been a monumental effort. The relic had been completely closed off. It had no access points. No vulnerable modules. No connection ports. Nothing.

I'd had to go over some old discarded notes and revive a few abandoned ideas in order to create the physical hard-connectors necessary to actually interface with the thing. The cable's attachment points almost looked like the mouth of a lamprey. If you squinted a little bit. And that wasn't even going over the problems that came with linking the relic to a standard console. Three of them had fried themselves after some particularly nasty anti-tampering protocols had kicked in. However, I had one distinct advantage.

I still had the hand of a Prime. And with it, the IFF necessary to control the Forge, forcing it to emit signals that I could actually scan. A crude but acceptable control method. For now at least. Suffice to say, there was a reason Optimus didn't have free reign of the Nemesis. There were a fair few (admittedly valid) motivations the Autobot would have to deck me, regardless of our old friendship. Desecration of a buried Prime was one of the bigger ones. Kind of a big no no, that.

Regardless, I couldn't quite duplicate said IFF just yet, but that was only a matter of time. Each scan exposed more of the hammer's innermost construction, netting me more ways to tease a few more scraps of knowledge out of it. Eventually I could probably convince any number of relics that I most definitely was a Prime, yes nothing to see here ancient security protocol. Despite that, the emphasis on scraps couldn't be denied.

The puzzle pieces pointed towards a vast, complex picture, one that I just couldn't quite make out. Yet. Keywords like 'nanolathe', 'masking program' and 'library' kept coming up in veritably ancient cybertronian script. Hell, I'd needed Soundwave to help in deciphering some of the pre-quintesson age symbols. It had been an... experience, seeing the normally stoic mech get visibly frustrated. Even if the average observer would never be able to tell just how irritated the spymaster had been. Seriously.

Not many things could make the old gladiator clench his servos like that. Not many at all. Letting the automatic program do it's work, I took the moment to step back and reach for a cube of energon. Just some low-grade, nothing too crazy. Intaking the fuel vital to my surival throuh my induction port, I sighed, taking a moment to just... relax. While I'd managed to mostly delegate responsibility to those more inclined to command, I'd still had to direct a fair few groups towards certain directives.

It barely gave me enough time to work on a few projects left waiting in my lab. Optimus had, to his credit, gotten to work immediately. The Prime certainly didn't waste time. He'd worked on creating both a secondary reliquary and a specialized charging station using the Forge (under heavy supervision of course, he was still technically our enemy after all) before boarding Ultra-Magnus' ship and taking both Wheeljack and said vessel's owner along with him, setting off to retrieve the Allspark.

I'd sent a detachment of vehicon Seekers with the trio of mechs, both to sooth my fellow Decepticons' doubts about our 'temporary' cooperation and to actually render assistance. Optimus didn't have his upgraded frame in this timeline after all. That meant no... oddly robust body. And no jetpack. Hence it was only sensible to send a few troopers capable of flight to help him out. A short tone alerted me to the scan's completion, and I strode over to observe the results on the adjacent terminal screen.

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"Hmm..." Leaning forward, I pulled up the glorified lexicon Soundwave had sent me via a discrete data-packet, inspecting the decrypted information. More of the same. Yet also a few more bits and pieces. I grabbed a small datapad from my subspace, noting down the words.

"Nanolathe. Commonly mentioned. Masking program, also commonly mentioned. Some kind of stealth system? Presumably to 'mask' the actual construction method." I let out an irritated grunt.

"Library... and another word. Mmm..." I took a glance at the lexicon, searching for a matching set of symbols embedded within the small square still displayed in a corner of my vision Aha!

"Sub-tier. Nanolathe sub-tier library." Something about that felt familiar, but the thought process was interrupted as I recieved a communication from one of the more competent vehicons I had been grooming for a command position.

"Commander Shockwave." I tilted my helm, setting the datapad down and deactivating the analysis program. I would return to it later, once I found the time. That barely audible hum disappeared entirely as I finished off my energon cube and responded.

"Report."

"Affirmative, commander. Subject A-1 of project Forge has stabilized. We are currently keeping the predacon under sedation." I made my way out of the laboratory, locking the door behind me.

"Understood, I will be present shortly. Maintain current protocol and await my arrival."

"Understood, commander." I rolled a shoulder plate as I strode down the hall, passing a few off duty miners. Yeah... I probably should have been worried about the ethics of this 'test-run' but honestly? I'd done worse. It'd be the height of hypocrisy to suddenly act the white knight now. Regardless of my slightly broader emotional capacity. And besides, project Forge would prove vital in the coming days. Assuming we managed to deal with Unicron.

After all, a solid 'plan B' would be needed if the Autobots and Decepticons continued to struggle against each other after literally defeating an evil God together. Regardless of all that, it was finally time to see how my method of dealing with a possibly immortal Starscream had panned out.

VS-106 stiffened into an attentive posture, his fellow Seeker replicating the act as the commander approached from down the hallway. The vehicon made to step away from the door, before the creator raised a servo.

"Enter the chamber. I could do with some assistants while Indomina and the Zakus are off collecting a few samples for me." Nodding, 106 turned around, placing his own servo against the scan-pad and unlocking the entrance. Stepping inside, he moved aside to let the other guard in as well, the two vehicons approaching the chained and restrained form of a large, draconic creature. 106 couldn't help but note some similarities to officer Indomina's alternate form. If far bulkier. And noticeably less... primal looking.

More modern, he guessed. The Decepticon flinched slightly as twin orange optics blazed to life, staring at him before turning to take in Shockwave, the mono-eyed scientist stepping forward.

"Hm. You're... blue." 106 nodded from behind the bulkier mech, hesitantly stepping forward.

"I ah... took the time to attempt a general repainting of the predacon's frame, commander. After all, you said you wanted all traces of 'Starscream' gone, so..." The trooper did his best to stand tall and not rattle as that circular crimson optic turned to regard him for a long and tense (in his opinion) moment.

"... Excellent initiative. Keep it up and I'll personally see to it that you are given an opportunity to rise through the ranks. Perhaps I could even refit you into a Zaku frame. Though that would require fortification of your spark..." The terrifying (yet strangely respectable) scientist seemingly shook himself, nodding his helm.

"Ah, but I am getting ahead of myself. Back to the subject at hand." Refit into a Zaku. 106 could see it now. A stronger spark. A stronger frame. Perhaps even a position of command over some of the others. Maybe even better energon rations. After all, a higher grade spark required higher grade fuel, right? Yeah, that'd be nice. It was certainly an opportunity that he'd never have gotten before the 'intervention.'

"Backbite." 106 tore himself from his daydreaming, turning to glance at Shockwave as the mech kneeled down to stroke the silent predacon's serrated maw.

"Commander?"

"His designation is now Backbite. Please search the small storage module on the left side of the chamber. There should be a portable cortical psychic patch inside. Once I ensure that all traces of his former identity have been erased and his loyalty protocols installed, I can label this a successful... prototype." 106 swallowed back a response, nodding silently and moving to bring the neatly wrapped cable over to his best bet at a better lot in life.

That disturbing helm turned to stare at the other vehicon in the room, gesturing to 'Backbite'.

"Apply the patch to the exterior of his helm. I will connect my own latch point." The Seeker, VS-079 if 106 recalled correctly, muttered a quite "Affirmative" before accepting the cable from his own servos, moving to step behind the cybernetic reptile. 106 didn't know what was more distressing. That the disgraced air commander-turned-predacon could lash out at anytime, or that it seemed oddly docile. Regardless, the process was quick.

Shockwave's optic dimming slightly as he presumably rummaged around through Starscrea-no. Backbite's processor. Finally, the mech yanked at the cable at the back of his helm, standing up as he removed the other end from the his newest creation. Walking over to a nearby control console, Shockwave deactivated the energon-restraints while also unlocking the physical chains. 106 stepped back as the large blue predacon rose up to it's full height, regarding the trio of cybertronians with cold, bestial orange optics.

Then it let out a quiet snort, bowing it's helm. Shockwave nodded, a pleased tone in his voice as he stepped forward, patting the giant creature on it's metallic snout.

"Through mutation, your old life and form are stripped away. Through refinement, your new frame and purpose are granted unto you." The mad scientist stepped backwards, inclining his helm and speaking with an almost bemused voice.

"I decree you Forged anew. May your new life outshine your old one." 106 shivered. Whether in fear or in awe, the vehicon Seeker couldn't quite tell. Probably both, if he was being entirely honest with himself.