Chương 40: LOG-037.

Our arrival was met by surprise, excitement, dread, and numerous other emotions. The Predacons were glad to see that their creator had joined them for the fight ahead, and even more pleased to see their lost siblings returned to them. Suffice to say, with the added support of a trio of Predacons, a squad of Zakus and myself, alongside the rest of the vanguard force still fucking up anything that glowed purple in it's immediate vicinity... the terrorcon horde fell pretty damn quickly. The aftermath was...

predictable. I'd exchanged greetings with Optimus and Indomina respectively. Explained that I had arrived both to assist the effort to contain Unicron and to study the underlying physics involved in what might become history in a few millennia, then promptly buggered off to look over a few of the more intact terrorcon frames while the small army of Cybertronians we'd assembled boggled over the latest development within Unicron's sleeping body.

Namely, a certain beast that had suddenly proven itself to be just as much a Predacon as the rest of his brethren. Backbite had barely managed to brace himself for impact, right before hurricane Airazor had then dragged him into the midst of a few dozen curious and excited mechs and femmes. Questions such as when he'd transformed, what had taken him so long and what his favourite colour was were asked in rabid and rapid succession. Usually repeated a few times as well.

Most were answered fairly quietly, the former Seeker turned flying robo-lizard clearly overwhelmed at the sudden outpouring of decidedly positive attention for the first time in a long time. He was probably restraining himself from making a snide remark. I knew it was a habit of his, and he knew that my optic was glaring at him from a short distance away as he interacted with my creations. Say what you wanted about Backbite, but he had a pretty solid survival instinct.

It didn't stop Airazor from remaining perched atop his shoulders the entire time, though. Nonetheless, the time eventually came to get a move on. We couldn't keep up introductions forever after all. Not while we had a very, very important task to complete. Our combined forces were assembled into one large group, and promptly set off. Our destination? The core. It was time to finish this.

The sound of over half a hundred pairs of pedes impacting against Unicron's surface echoed throughout the massive vertical tunnel we'd found ourselves in. Though some groups had moved to different bridges, namely those capable of flight, the vast majority remained together, travelling down the same path. Those who strayed did so in order to act as sentries. Warning of potential attacks ahead of time. The entire area was... ominous.

And not just because of the fragments my human memories offered up of it, providing context for just where we were. It really felt like we were being watched. Or rather, that we were being watched more so than normal. Combined with a sudden cessation of attacks from Unicron's internal defenses, and a nervous, tense silence had befallen the entire task force.

So I did the logical thing and broke that silence, turning to glance at the tall Predacon striding next to me and speaking up with all of the abruptness of a brick thrown through a window.

"Indomina." Yellow optics turned to regard me for a moment, a few other helms tilting our way as well.

"Yes, creator?" I waited a moment, before nodding to myself.

"How have you and your fellow brethren fared against the reanimated forces present within the Destroyer's depths?" Indomina smirked a little, opening her mouth.

"Well-" "IT WAS GREAT!" Unfortunately for the draconic femme, she was cut off by a certain triple-faced sibling, Tiamat's 'happy' expression seemingly taking over.

"We've been scrapping hundreds of the things! And we're learning some interesting history stuff too! Like Prime and you being old friends!"... My helm slowly turned to glance at a decidedly silent Optimus, even as Indomina let out an awkward cough. Predacons didn't have a need to cough. Which obviously meant that it was a forced action, presumably learned while on Earth. My staring continued, even as a few of the Autobots looked away.

"Ah-yes. I was glad to learn some of your history via Optimus. Since, well... you haven't really spoken about it much. I wasn't aware that you were a senator before the war." Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I slowly nodded, looking straight ahead and electing to ignore Optimus' bemused look.

"I... was passionate about political change. But that was a long time ago. I'm more of a science mech now." That earned a few happy nods from some of the Predacons and Zakus. It also earned a collective shudder from some of the older Autobots. At the very least, I'd well and truly broken the silence that had dominated the group. Conversations began to spring up around us, a few of our number huddling closer in smaller groups. We had a decent way to go still, after all.

It was a long stretch down to the core from where we were. Even if the path was rather straight forward. Thanks to everyone else occupying themselves so thoroughly, with those who weren't talking instead busying themselves with keeping watch for potential hostiles, I took the opportunity to veer to the side slightly. Putting me in the perfect position to coincidentally walk alongside Optimus. We both stared directly forward as we continued to advance ahead of the vanguard force.

The outward refusal to acknowledge one another didn't stop me from speaking up, though.

"You have been talking to my experiment." I heard what sounded suspiciously like a sigh.

"Experiment?" I nodded.

"Correct." Optimus glanced at me, a frown marring his faceplate. Yet behind that, his optics seemed so very, very intrigued. I didn't think I liked that expression very much.

"An experiment that bears remarkable similarity to your own frame. Your prior one, at least. There's certainly a... facial resemblance." The frown slowly morphed into a smile. I was right. I didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Indomina is as much a sparkling as a scraplet is a glitchmouse." The Prime just nodded, remaining silent for a moment.

"She is fully grown in frame, I suppose. Though in mind I would consider her only slightly more advanced than a child." Then the fucker raised a servo, slowly lifting a single digit.

"Your creation has told me that she was formed from a fragment of your own spark." I let out a dismissive grunt.

"I have used the exact same method to form other constructs. Vehicons. Zakus. Other Predacons. Their upbringing is nothing like that of a traditional child. You know this. If that is your logic, her carrier was a tube in my lab." Optimus' voice grew amused. Another digit rose.

"She also has told me of the time you spent carefully raising her while stranded on Cybertron. Indomina was surprised when I brought up our prior history. But she certainly seemed far more interested in your past than a living weapon had any right to be." I looked upwards, admiring the distant, brutally crude walls and ceiling surrounding us.

"I am to blame for a sapient being wishing to know more about it's creator?" The Autobot let out a soft hum, glancing up at the walls, mirroring my own state. Behind us, I heard Smokescreen groan as Adam slapped a servo against his shoulder, laughing about... something. I didn't quite care enough to eavesdrop about it.

"I suppose." I had my own conversation to deal with after all. Especially considering Prime's expression changing to appear far more focused.

"Shockwave." I looked back down, finally letting my optic take in his rather serious stare. Sigh.

"Yes, Orion?" His mouth squirked upwards at the usage of his old name, but the Prime focused once more, hopeful optics staring back into my own lens.

"I would ask you a question. And I would hope you would be honest regarding your answer." Tilting my helm side to side, I stared straight ahead.

"Very well. Proceed." My old friend's voice softened.

"You have been acting... different. Like before. During the war, you were... broken. And I reserved no hope for you." I grunted, a flare of annoyance battering against the mental walls built up around my consciousness.

"Yes. I suppose I have become a bit of a monster, haven't I?" Optimus took on a briefly pained expression, before glaring forwards, carefully placing one pede in front of the other as he continued to walk beside me.

"I'll be direct, then. The Shadowplay. Has it... is it losing it's hold over you?"...

"Shockwave-" The red and blue mech reared back slightly as my helm whirled around, my crimson lens glaring into his blue optics.

"Do you think I'm ignorant? That I do not see my strange position regarding Indomina? That I do not realize I have been slipping into old habits? Making admittedly small, yet infinitely substantial displays of emotion for the first time in eons, Optimus?" Primus' chosen remained quiet as the dull irritation left my voice, leaving it toneless yet again. The lack of audible emotion only served to enhance the effect of my frame slumping slightly, before straightening back up once more.

"The Shadowplay is weakening, Optimus. There. That is what you wanted to hear, correct? I do not know how. I do not know why. Perhaps it was the result of my involvement in the spacebridge explosion caused by your soldiers. Perhaps it was something that was always going to happen. I don't know." I looked down at my own pedes as we continued forward, speaking quietly. Several of our Predacon contingent had enhanced audio sensors, and I didn't want personal details spreading around and causing undue interest.

"All I know... is that I am not prepared for my mutilation's complete reversal. Perhaps it sounds insane. Perhaps I am insane. There is plenty of evidence pointing towards that theory. Regardless, in the most sadistic example of irony this side of the universe, I have grown to prefer my muted emotions. And I do not know just how I would react to having their full range unlocked once more." Optimus nodded slowly, mouth set in a thin line.

"You do not wish for your emotions to return?" I shook my helm.

"I do not know what I want. Part of me demands their return. They are mine. Me. An integral part of my very being. Yet another part rejects them. Inefficient. Illogical. Pointless. Why take them back, when I have done so much without them?" I remained relatively quiet compared to the noise of the others around us, cannon hanging at my side and servo gesturing as I continued... not quite ranting. Babbling, perhaps?

"I do not feel fear. Yet if I could, I would fear the potential breakdown I would face upon being granted the capacity to experience shock and horror once again. This war, Optimus. It's ruined us. All of us. I'm just one of the more prominent examples. The best I can do now, is to try and salvage what's left, and to build something better than what we had before." Any response the Prime might have given was interrupted by a deep thrum. One that forced the rest of the suddenly alert vanguard into silence as well.

Ahead of us lay a massive opening, a deep purple glow shining from beyond it's boundaries. It was done. We had finally arrived to the very core of humanity's cradle. The center of the gargantuan entity we had been travelling through for the better part of a day and a half. Finally. Unicron's core.

Everyone snapped to attention as I stepped forward, raised my AstroMag cannon and began a steady march towards the spooky source of light, because of course Unicron's insides just had to look like some rusted hellscape bathed in violet.

"Ready the Reliquary for deployment. Today, the Chaos Bringer meets his fate, once and for all." It was time to finish this damn nonsense. I'd wasted enough time here as it was.