eugenesis-text

‘I agree, actually. Revive him.’
Prowl bit back his surprise, and Autobots who had just now argued against repairing the Decepticon
looked to one another for support. Without someone as vocal as Kup to stand against Prowl, they lacked
confidence.
‘I don’t argue against you for the sake of it,’ continued Kup. ‘I argue when I think you’re wrong. I
say revive him.’
‘And I say it’s not that simple,’ interrupted Red Alert, who had been poring over the Decepticon’s
body while High Command locked horns. ‘Soundwave cannot be reactivated without energon. Those in
favour of revival will have to donate a portion of their own fuel.’
The naysayers had walked off before Red Alert had finished speaking. Kup loitered by the body,
shook his head and left without another word. The other Autobots, detecting the seismic shift in mood,
followed him, leaving only Prowl and Red Alert.
Prowl looked at the retreating ranks. ‘I’ll do it. Prepare the transfer, Red Alert. I don’t have much to
spare.’
Chromedome was the first back inside. ‘I’ll give something.’ Throwback, Getaway and Highbeam
pledged their support. Others returned to witness the transfusion.
In the corridor outside, Kup smiled to himself and ticked another four names off his list.
Nightbeat and Siren stood in the viewing gallery overlooking Delphi’s medical chamber. Down
below, Optimus Prime’s body sizzled quietly beneath the diced and filtered light.
Cloudraker tidied rows of instruments while Sunrunner, Treadbolt, Phaser and Blastmaster limped
away, having been given the all clear. The Micromasters had escaped Kledji with only minor burns, but it
had been close (it was always close). As they left, they could not resist a peek at Optimus Prime.
Siren watched them exit the chamber and remembered the frenzy of their return home. Armed
guards had ferried an offline Galvatron, locked in gun mode, to the science labs and put him under lock and
key. ‘I can’t believe we’ve captured him,’ he said to Nightbeat. ‘Four Micromasters succeed where High
Command has failed for seven years.’
‘It’s certainly a feather in Delphi’s cap, even if it wasn’t a fair fight.’
‘So you’ve read Blastmaster’s report’
‘No. But you know how word gets around.’
‘Galvatron teleported into the concentration camp and was injected with a paralysis chip. The Micros
saw it all. What’s so funny’
‘Nothing. It’s just that another Micromaster, Emyrissus, witnessed Galvatron’s abduction in the first
place.’
‘Where was he taken’
‘Who knows Probably some off-world headquarters – the Quintessons’ real base of operations,
wherever that is.’
‘Until we know more about them, Nightbeat, we’re facing an infinite enemy. Who knows what
percentage of the Quintesson army is on Cybertron There could be millions of reinforcements waiting in
the wings.’
‘I don’t know if “reinforcements” is the right word, not anymore. “Colonists” would be more
applicable.’
As soon as Red Alert had finished the transfusion, Soundwave was carried into a makeshift cell. Prowl
stood in the corner, screwing his hand back into place while Throwback, Getaway and Chromedome
trained their weapons on the Decepticon’s twitching body. Funny, he thought, how Autobots who were
prepared to shoot and kill were those who, moments earlier, had donated a portion of their energy to save
Soundwave’s life.
Soundwave fidgeted on the workbench and made clicking and whirring noises, lost in the throes of
pseudo-shutdown. His optics fizzed behind his visor as he adjusted to the new environment. ‘Autobots,’ he
said, half to himself, and with a strange weariness. ‘Who’s in charge here’
‘I am,’ said Prowl, stepping out of the shadows. ‘We repaired you. You’re under arrest.’