Neobirth

2360, and… bang!

The superstructure of Galvatron’s Warworld fractured under the pressure of the explosion, falling into the white-hot core before being pushed out again by the blast. Swoop grappled at the controls of the Salvation, weaving the shuttle between shards of spinning debris. Grimlock barked an order at Blaster, telling him to radio Cybertron and prepare them for casualties. Optimus Prime was one and, more seriously, Ultra Magnus another.

Star Saber and an emergency medical team led by Perceptor rushed them into the Citadel. It was only a matter of weeks before Ultra Magnus was back online and given command of the Autobots’ military forces. Optimus Prime was never seen again, and no one ever questioned his whereabouts.

Fire Convoy stood alone at dusk in a field of grass somewhere in northern China. The wet blades felt alien against the soles of his boots. It was cold, he was cold. He hated the cold. The cold weakened him mentally and physically. He had boasted that he could swim through the heart of a star where lesser Autobots would be reduced to slag, but he’d kept quiet when asked if he could swim through water. He had boasted that the heat from Cybertron’s sun powered his cells more than any amount of energon, but here on Earth he felt weakened and useless.

He felt useless against the sparkfusion-powered Megatron. Twice now, a Predacon, a repulsive, part-organic Neogen, had beaten him. Fire Convoy couldn’t think of anything worse, fusing his circuits with flesh. It disgusted him. It disgusted him because it disgusted Star Saber.

Then there was David. The human had shown Fire Convoy that maybe, just maybe, all life was important whether cybernetic or organic. The very idea was like sandpaper against the grain of his upbringing. Fire Convoy tapped the Autobot symbol on his chest and wondered whether it was to start thinking more like his progenitor.

Only when science is at its most cruel that it is at is most exciting. It was by chance that an Imperial-sanctioned experiment yielded the first Neogen. By arresting the development of the gestating biomorphic protoform, a new kind of Transformer with the ability to regenerate and fuse with organic material was born.

Unfortunately for the host, it was all the more painful than traditional biomorphic birth. Neobirth, as it was dubbed, was more painful than anything a Transformer had experienced before. Which is exactly the reason Star Saber induced Optimus Prime to become a neobirther.

The Autobot Citadel, 2387.

Star Saber was called away from his daily visit to Optimus’s crucifix by the surveillance unit. They’d been assigned to monitor any transmissions from his deepcover agent planted under Fire Convoy’s command. The ruler of Cybertron was impatient to learn of Ultra Magnus’ fate, to find out if the carefully positioned pawns had removed him from the board.

There was no news from the alternate Earth, but instead something equally delicious.

Pitstop had raced over the Russia-China border, smashing through the barriers. It was rare for him to leave the confines of his medical centre within the Brave Maximus. At last he’d found Fire Convoy making circles in the wet grass, and readied himself to do something undecidedly un-Autobot like.

The two robots argued over regeneration. Pitstop presented medical data on the phenomenon and Fire Convoy’s ability to self-repair. Fire Convoy fervently denied everything, threatening to smelt his own doctor. Pitstop reasoned that the reason Fire Convoy returned unscathed from all his solo Cybertronian defence missions was because he could regenerate, not because he was simply that good or powerful enough to walk through starcores. Fire Convoy screamed at Pitstop. Pitstop took out an energon scalpel and sliced open Fire Convoy’s arm.

They both watched as the wound healed itself. Fire Convoy then asked what Pitstop would do with the truth. Pitstop threatened to tell the others if he didn’t immediately yield command to Ultra Magnus and let him save the planet Earth. Pitstop promised that no one would ever find out that Fire Convoy was the same as Megatron if he gave in to Magnus’ ideals. Fire Convoy threatened to kill Pitstop where he stood. Pitstop called his bluff, and told him they’d all find out from the medical records, and only he had the codes to delete them.

Fire Convoy cursed Pitstop’s intelligence.

Novena, 2387.

Air Raid was just finishing a routine aerial surveillance sweep when he received the encoded transmission. He plotted a course back to his comrades and immediately demanded that Fireflight check the back his neck for foreign circuits. He found a mnemonic chip that was feeding his processor with false memories.

Fireflight removed it and suddenly Air Raid wondered about the whereabouts of Optimus Prime. Air Raid then checked his fellow Aerialbot’s neck; a chip was there. They checked Slingshot and Skydive, finding more chips. Silverbolt, too, had a chip attached to the back of his neck.

The five Autobots ran through the streets of New Iacon checking necks and finding chips. As each one was deactivated, the thought of Optimus Prime pervaded the population of Cybertron.

2360.

Star Saber wondered if he ever birthed a Neogen that it would be as powerful as Optimus’s offspring. After all, it was all down to the vorcode. Optimus stared at his own gaping birthwound and then at the Neogen. It was like looking in a mirror.

Star Saber ordered the Neogen to be killed. He wanted it incinerated immediately, but there was a problem. The Neogen refused to die; its optics only glowing brighter the hotter it was burned. Star Saber pumped the heat of a volcano into the furnace, but still the Neogen clung to life. He considered Ultra Magnus and powered down the incinerator, affirming to “Fire Convoy” that there were worse things than death.

The Autobot Citadel, 2387.

Bumblebee had made a terrible error. Blaster had warned him that the signal could be traced, but the Autobot spy was willing to risk it anyway. There was no way he could fight Star Saber alone, and it was imperative that the Autobots found out about Perceptor’s mnemonic chips so they could help liberate Optimus Prime.

Star Saber was too clever for him: His surveillance unit had detected the transmission instantly and triangulated Bumblebee’s position. The ex-Imperial suspended the spy next to Optimus Prime with a grappling hook through his right shoulder and vowed that they would both be dead within the orn.

Bumblebee silently prayed to Primus that the Aerialbots spread the truth in time.