Chương 27: LOG-025.

There was a low rumble as the Nemesis exited the spacebridge, the miasma of energy shutting down behind it. I stood in front of the primary viewing console, staring at the depiction of the Earth hovering before me. From my side, I heard Optimus shift slightly.

"We have arrived." I nodded, turning to face the mech.

"Indeed. We have some time before the Nemesis reaches Indomina's designated rendezvous point. Would you like to... converse for the time being? I wouldn't mind some company in the lab." The Prime smiled, inclining his helm.

"I would be happy to." I tilted my helm Dreadwing's way, the Seeker idly scanning over a datapad with Ultra Magnus beside him. He looked up as I spoke.

"I leave the bridge in your capable servos, Dreadwing." The officer didn't seem capable of preventing the slight burst of pride that hit him at my comment, even as he gestured for us to make our exit.

"Of course, you may rely on me, Shockwave." The brief byplay finished, I passed several vehicons hard at work sitting at their workstations and made my way out of the bridge, followed by Optimus.

Flicking a switch, I allowed the lights to activate before waving the Prime inside.

"Welcome to my humble abode." His mouth quirked upwards, even as he took in the lab.

"It is smaller than I first anticipated." I shrugged, reaching for a nearby storage module.

"It is efficient, and suits my needs." Then I pulled out the Forge, holding it up to inspect it in the light. Fully recharged, excellent. Optimus optics widened slightly as I hefted the long hammer over my shoulder, striding towards a nearby workbench.

"The Forge of Solus Prime. Is this why you requested my presence?" The disappointment in his voice vaguely inspired thoughts of a kicked canine. I shook my helm, opening a few side modules and scrounging for components.

"Negative. Your incomprehension leads me to presume that Ratchet has not informed you of recent events?" The Autobot crossed his arms, nodding once.

"I have not been in contact with Ratchet as of this time. Perhaps you could explain what you are referring to?" I lifted the Forge and started hammering at the small pile of scrap and discarded pieces. Optimus stared as the pile slowly started to change in shape, then shifted his gaze to bore into my own lone optic. And... picture taken. That was going in the gallery.

"You are using the Forge." The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I nodded, still lightly hammering at the pile, keeping hold of the relic with one servo.

"Your powers of observation are formidable." The Prime remained silent for a moment as I continued directing the hammer's internal nanolathe, reforging the separate pieces into a greater whole.

"How?" I tapped at my chest with my cannon's barrel.

"I created a device that can fool relics such as this into believing that I am a Prime." Optimus nodded as I set down the Forge, lifting the finished product up and inspecting it.

"I see." Tilting my helm, I turned to regard the Autobot fully.

"I won't lie, I was expecting a bit more surprise. Even if you have always been more of the stoic sort." At that, the Prime stepped forward, lifting the Forge from it's resting position and inspecting it.

"... I am surprised. I simply do not display it outwardly." His optics turned to regard me for a moment, before glancing back down at the Forge.

"This is dangerous, you know." I shrugged, slotting the now completed EMP Shotgun onto a nearby wall mount.

"We have been engaged in total war for eons as a species and are currently preparing to directly combat an enemy that could be considered a god. I am well acquainted with the concept of 'dangerous', Orion." At that, my fellow cybertronian sighed in faint amusement, setting the Forge down.

"When you word it like that, it all sounds so... foolish." Waving a servo back and forth, I made my way across the lab.

"Everything is foolish depending on who you ask. Some simply take certain things more seriously." Finally, I sat down on the medical berth jutting out of the lab's leftmost wall.

"... Optimus." My slight change in tone drew his attention, even as I allowed myself to exhale softly.

"Yes, old friend?" Old friend. Hm. You always were too good for this world, Orion. Bowing my helm, I stared at the floor for a moment.... Oh to hell with it.

"I intend to end this war, Optimus. One way or another." He was silent, arms falling to his sides. Then he spoke.

"That... is a common sentiment among both sides, Shockwave. One could say that the war itself has lasted so long partly due to both Megatron and myself harboring that particular intent." I looked up, shaking my helm.

"Yes but-It must end. If-if the fighting sparks back up after we are successful in our task-" We both ignored my assumption of us actually beating Unicron. Defeat wasn't something we could afford to consider.

"-then drastic measures will have to be taken." The Prime's optics narrowed slightly at my words.

"... What do you imply?" I pushed off from the berth, standing up and beginning to pace.

"There is a phenomenon among humanity that I have studied." Optimus' slightly bemused look at my admission of observing humans went away as I continued.

"That of the common enemy. Forces that would normally destroy each other at all costs readily uniting at the appearance of an outside threat." More pacing. Optimus remained silent.

"It is... intriguing. Our inherent similarity to such relatively inconsequential organics. The result of their planet's development around the Destroyer's core, perhaps? We are both bipedal. We both share similar warlike tendencies. Humanity have already unleashed weapons of mass destruction upon themselves, just as we have." Snapping my helm around, I turned to stare at Optimus.

"It is said the Thirteen united beneath Primus to assist in Unicron's defeat. An outside threat that had to be beaten back, correct?" I tilted my helm.

"Ages later, cybertron had fell to squabbling tribes left behind after their respective disappearances. There was nothing to unite us." Straightening up slightly, I took a single step forward.

"Then the Quintessons came. They enslaved us, Orion. Used us as... tools." I held up my cannon, staring at it.

"And what did they prompt? Unification. We rose up together to once more beat back an external foe. I was there. I worked tirelessly to discover their weaknesses. Everyone worked to take our homeworld back." I spread my arms wide, shrugging.

"And then we won. The Quintessons were forced to retreat and the battle was finally over. What happened then?" His voice was somber.

"We turned upon ourselves. Forming an inherently corrupt and unjust government. The treatment of the colonies. The questionable practices taken by our new leaders. Functionism." Questionable practices... hah. I held up a sharp digit, nodding. I ignored his increasingly worried facial expression. He'd understand. He had to. Otherwise... well.

"Cybertronians always unite when there is a new enemy threatening them as a whole. Unicron. The Quintessons. And now Unicron once more. But what happens once we defeat him? What happens once we bring Megatron back online after having purged his systems of dark energon. What happens once the external threat is removed?" The Prime frowned heavily.

"The fighting will resume. Our unity fracturing once more." At that, I pointed at him, snapping my digits together." Precisely. Cybertron needs a common threat to point at. Something that Autobots and Decepticons alike can look at and, in their sparks, understand is the true enemy. The true evil." I paused in my rant as a servo clapped onto my shoulder, turning to take in Optimus' grave expression.

"Shockwave... just what is it that you intend?" I paused, before shrugging him off and lowering my helm.

"To be honest with you Orion?" The red light of my optic left his faceplate tinted a soft red as I stared right back at him.

"I'm still figuring that part out." Shaking my helm, I waved him off.

"But enough hypotheticals, let us speak of other things, old friend." We did end up changing the topic, in the end. We spoke of old glories. Of more peaceful times. The bench was mentioned. Something I'd need to check up on once we restored cybertron. That was something I could maybe look forward to, at least. Yet despite the more relaxed atmosphere, I could tell that Optimus continued to dwell upon my words. Good. The sooner he understood my point of view, the better.