A Sign from Primus

Log Title: A Sign from Primus

Characters: Bumblebee, Dust Devil, Seaspray, Spike

Location: Command Center - Ground Floor - Autobot City

Date: January 17, 2017

TP: End of Days TP

Summary: Bumblebee and Spike discuss what to do about the hidden Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber.

As logged by Bumblebee

Command Center - Ground Floor - Autobot City
Once you enter this gigantic room, the first thing you notice is the huge mainframe sitting against the far wall. Looking a bit like an updated version Teletraan One, the main computer of Metroplex runs constant checks on the perimeter defenses of Autobot City, keeping the network current. The gigantic viewer takes up most of the wall, and currently displays the area outside Metroplex's gates. Several smaller monitors bear different images, some a satellite-uplinked view of Earth, others of complex data readouts. From here, Earth's situation can be ascertained almost instantaneously. Along the other walls are assorted computer terminals, linked to Teletraan II, that are used by individual Autobots for data processing and accessing information from the main computer core. On the north wall is a large portrait of Cybertron, apparently the artist's conception of the fabled Golden Age.

Spike is at the human-sized area in the command center. Sort of devoid from his usual cheerful self, he has a sober expression on his face, looking through on his screen - housing prices. He hasn't bought a house since a few years before Megan was born. And now, he's trying not to let on - but Sean Berger Jr's threat makes him think he may need a backup plan.

Bumblebee be-bops into the room, humming a jaunty tune. When he sees the human, a huge smile breaks across his face. "Spike!" he enthuses, bounding over to his smaller friend (and of how many of his comrades can Bumblebee say that?). Instantly picking up that something is wrong, Bumblebee's cheerful grin turns upside down. "What's wrong, Spike?" he asks with concern. "Is everyone alright?"

Spike lightly grins, fake it 'til you make it! "Uh...heyah! Uhm...nothing's wrong. Just...doing some research about the incoming president, and maybe his cabinet." He gets up and pats his best friend's arm. "What's goin' on with you?!"

Bumblebee accepts Spike's attempt at cheeriness, and brightens again, happy to help. "The usual! Gathering as much information as I can before I go to Optimus with what I'm hearing. I suspect Dust Devil has gone after Vector Sigma again, and this time the Decepticons followed him! It was bound to happen eventually -- I just hope Optimus approves a team to go get him before it's too late!" Bee smacks his right fist into the palm of his left hand for emphasis.

Spike gives a concerned look at his best friend in the whole wide world. "So...he's been spotted? So, he's NOT dead?!"

Bumblebee frowns. "Who? Dust Devil? I sent Seaspray to keep an optic on him, and he radioed me back and told me he was following Dust Devil down into the tunnels beneath Cybertron -- a dangerous path even without the cyberquakes! Meanwhile, Shockwave took a team of his own to known underworld accessways I've been keeping watch over just in case, and this time bingo -- we hit pay dirt! Dust Devil and Seaspray could be in trouble!"

Spike frowns and shakes his head, "No..no - I don't care about Dust Devil!" He carefully, and calmly rephrases, "Alpha Trion...I mean, Vector Sigma...aren't they like...merged?" Spike restates "Is Alpha Trion alive?!"

Bumblebee sighs. "Starscream killed Alpha Trion to re-activate Vector Sigma. If Alpha Trion is alive, he'd be merged with Vector Sigma again, yeah. I'm not sure how Dust Devil is accessing Vector Sigma without a Key, but he claims he has, and seems pretty sincere about it. He thinks Vector Sigma holds the key to saving Cybertron - no pun intended!" He frowns again, and glances around the command center conspiratorially.

Carly would have figured this shit out in a sec, but he's Spike...so...well...he's got a good heart, right? Spike gulps and says cautiously "Dust Devil...he doesn't know...about the key, right?" "The...'key' - that ONLY you, and I...and maybe...Carly know about?"

Bumblebee says in a low voice, "I was just wondering about that. I haven't told him, and if you haven't either, I'm not sure how he'd have found it, or even heard of it! Snoop, maybe, but not him. What does your Key do, Spike? Do you have any idea? Maybe it's what this whole thing is all about." Bee looks around again, as if maybe expecting Red Alert to be leaning around the corner listening or something. "Maybe we should go check to see if it's still there? Or will that risk leading someone to it?" Bee seems uncharacteristically uncertain.

Spike looks at Bumblebee and stammers "I...I don't know! I don't know WHY he gave it to me. I don't know why he told me not to tell ANYONE...which, I obviously sucked all aft for that." He gestures to Bumblebee "Look, I know things are bad on Cyb'tron, but what if this was for something MONUMENTALLY bad? Like...something dozens of times worse? Sort of like...you know...if I was given a choice to go back in time, I could only prevent ONE major incident in the world, maybe something like 9/11 is relatively small in comparison?" Spike puts his hands to his side, "Would it make you feel better if you JUST knew it was safe?"

Bumblebee considers Spike's jumble of words for a long minute. "Optimus wouldn't have entrusted you with it if he didn't think both that it was important, and that you could handle the responsibility. He had to have had a reason to give it to you, Spike, and whatever you decide to do is probably what he'd intended when he gave it to you, right? It'll be OK -- the world has been in our hands before, and you've yet to blink when the chips are down."

Spike looks up at Bumblebee and says in a slightly guilty tone, "Bee...I've never TOLD Prime about this - Alpha Trion told me to keep it to myself before he..." He looks at Bumblebee and says in a wavering voice "You're the ONLY Autobot I've told."

Bee glances up towards the ceiling, and Metroplex's ever-watchful cameras. "Well, we might want to watch where we discuss things if we want to keep it that way. In vague terms, though -- what did you want to do about security for the Item? Check on it, or leave it be? I can see pros and cons of both decisions. I just wish I could do more to help you decide what's the right thing to do! For once, I just don't have enough information to help you make the right decision."

Spike rubs his forehead and sits down. "Bumblebee - I'm almost positive it's safe right now. Buried. (he hid it in the drive-in where he and all the other Witwickys used to go to a drive-in). "It hasn't been picked up yet - and I'm worried that going out there again will just draw attention to where it is. Whereas right now, only you and I know where it's at." He adds "...and Carly." Spike looks up at Bumblebee "Cybertron is currently flooded by dark energon, but what if it's just ...like a flood. What if Alpha Trion wants us to save the devise for something like - a thousand times worse?"

Bee nods. "OK. Great! So it's safe, and no other Transformer but me knows where it is -- not even Optimus! It's a good first step." Bee nods at Spike's concerns, and smiles to reassure him. "Well, with luck, that... 'Energon Matris' or whatever rejuvenated the dead energon, protecting Cybertron from further harm. If Dust Devil is right, this is just a sort of reformatting, and Cybertron will settle again on its own. So, if we decide to sit on this for something bigger -- I think that's OK!"

Spike smiles nervously at Bumblebee, "I just wish he was here...to tell me I'm doing the right thing, or say I'm totally botching this."

Bee is talking to Spike in the command center, keeping his voice low but trying to be reassuring at the same time.

Seaspray hurries into the command center with Dust Devil, looking banged to the pit like he's been through a gauntlet of flung boulders and just made it to the other side. He's cut and dirty and looks thrilled just to have made it back to the city.

Spike quickly shuts up as he sees Seaspray enter. "Jeez...you look like you've been shelled - need me to patch you up?"

"Eventually, yes, please, but right now there's no time!" Seaspray gargles. "We've been to see Vector Sigma, and Dust Devil has brought back a message!" Seaspray steps back, letting the younger mech speak.

Spike looks over at Dust Devil and doesn't say anything.

Dust Devil is limping and looks like whatever fun Seaspray had, Dusty joined in. Has quieted down near the end of the trek. Optics look up when he realizes that he's being spoken of. "Oh...sorry. Little overusage of the forcefield. Cybertron needs us ta find a key....it was hidden so no mech could get it and it goes ta a room that no mech can go in. And we need ta find this by the time we pass a dyin sun.....do that and Cyberton will be restored."

Spike looks like any color he has - has been effectively been drained from him. He gulps "Who...uh...who told you this, Dusty?" He looks over at Bumblebee. Spike is definitely an agnostic sort of guy, but even he isn't blind to these types of 'Primus, just give me a sign of what to do!' moments.

Bee looks quickly at Spike, his bright blue optics narrowing in a cagey expression so unlike what people expect of Bumblebee. His optics meet Spike's eyes, and he nods, feeling roughly the same thing his best friend in feeling. Primus, what timing! He looks back at Dusty, quiet now to let the exhausted Autobot speak.

Seaspray goes to help Dusty stand, making sure the young Autobot doesn't collapse right here in the command center. As bad as Seaspray looks, Dusty looks worse.

Dust Devil smiles at Seaspray and well he's more that happy to find a spot on the floor to sit so that Seaspray doesn't have to hold him up. "I....I mean we....well...me and seaspray....and shockwave and that other guy....we all went ta Vector Sigma and spoke ta him and Alpha Trion. They gave us the clue...right before rubble buried the chamber."

Spike gulps. He looks a bit cagey, then looks at Dust Devil and Seaspray. "I better set up the med bay."

Bumblebee nods. He gives Spike a meaningful look. "Talk after?" he asks evasively.

Spike nods. "Sure..."

Seaspray sits with Dusty and waits for the medbay to be ready. He means to look after the younger mech, but instead he passes out, himself.