My Falling Star Chapter 3

….:::~CHAPTER 3~:::….

Prime lay wide awake from a sleepless night. Thoughts blared through his processor too fast and at too much quantity that it was beginning to make his head ach. Raising his body off of his padded berth was slow and painful. It felt as if every piece of armor accompanied with every available muscle cable tightened and creaked. It was enough to make any bot fall back and groan in agony. Prime just sat still as every plate on his face held in the pain. Letting both pads slump to the floor, he slowly rose on both stabilizing servos and tried to stand at his full height and stretch out the kinks. Rolling his massive shoulders and neck, he tried to rid some of the pain from his systems. All the cables in his back cracked and shuttered.

Just then, the unthinkable happened.

It began as a sound similar to that of one of the human jets flying many miles above the base, then the sound grew closer and louder until it was a roaring sound that came and went with a loud crash that fallowed.

Having heard the commotion, Prime quickly ran out of his room into the main communication hanger to see humans running out the door. IronHide passed Prime but stopped suddenly.

"Prime, do ya have any clue as to what's going on?"

Prime shook his head quickly as he passed IronHide to fallow the humans in investigation. "I haven't the slightest clue, but I know of one way to find out."

IronHide nodded quickly as he turned to fallow.

….*****….

By time both Prime and IronHide arrived at the scene, the scene was massive and chaotic. A large trench dug several feet into the ground and went on for several yards.

The sight alone was enough to bring astonishment to any sentient being.

Just then William Lennox passed in front of the two and was stopped by none other than IronHide.

"Will, what in Primus' name is going on?"

Will looked at the two mechs and then back at the trench and the few hundred humans that were on duty and investigating.

"As far as we know, a meteor or something touched down little less than a mile away from here. Ratchet is on his way here to do some evaluations now."

Will then was called by another soldier and ran off quickly to catch a hum-V that was going to the crash site. Prime and IronHide merely passed glances to one another before transforming and fallowing the twelve trucks that were heading out there now.

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When they got there, Ratchet was already on the scene with human troops quarantining the area. They were not going to take any chances.

Both Prime and IronHide again took in this spectacular scene when they came across Ratchet who was heading for the actual crash site itself but was stopped by Prime's hand on his shoulder.

Ratchet turned to meet the worried gaze of Prime's optics. "Ratchet, do you have any idea as to what has happened?"

Ratchet shook his head and pointed toward the crash site. "As far as we know, it's a meteor until I take a look."

IronHide stepped in looking at both his commander and then the CMO. "Do you mind if we join you?"

Ratchet nodded slightly and looked to Prime before walking away with both commander and weapons specialist fallowing behind.

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Humans were running in all directions not letting any but the commander, CMO and weapons specialist pass. Major William Lennox stopped in his step when the mechs began to approach.

Prime steadied his massive shoulders and he slowed his step to address the human. "Major, any word as to what has crash landed?"

The human slowly shook his head and sighed. "Maybe you should go look for yourself…"

Looking at one another, the three mechs passed sideways glances to one another before slowly moving forward.

As the trio approached, the trenched lessened in depth and extended in length until meeting the center. Steam slowly rose off of a strange orb covered in dirt and debris, scorched by entering the earth's atmosphere.

Ratchet was the first to approach carefully scanning the object. Looking up to Prime suddenly his mouth dropped.

"Prime, I'm picking up a Cybertronian energy signal!"

Prime approached kneeling next to the CMO as the humans backed away. Looking at Ratchet raising his optic ridges he choked. "That's impossible; this looks nothing like a protoform mold!"

Looking away from his commander, Ratchet continued to scan and investigate the strange object.

Prime too looked away from Ratchet and watched him proceed to run diagnostics. Just then something under the crust of dirt on the orb caught Prime's attention.

…a symbol… a Cybertronian symbol…

Slowly Prime reached forward to brush the dirt and debris away.

Ratchet looked over and lurched for Prime's hand. "Prime don't—!"

But before Ratchet could stop him, Prime's steady hand rested on the object and slowly brushed the dirt away to reveal the symbol more visibly.

Smacking Prime in the back of the head he hissed. "What do you think you're trying to do? This thing is radiating with a unique energy vortex that I've never seen before, and YOU ARE TOUCHING IT?"

Rubbing the back of his head he stared coldly at the growling CMO but the pointed to the surface of the strange orb. Ratchet leaned in closer to investigate what Prime seemed to be pointing at…then gasped.

"THAT'S CYBERTRONIAN!"

Prime turned to Ratchet and scowled. "You think?"

Ratchet merely scowled back growling but then looked closer. "But that's not any symbol that I'm familiar with."

"That's because it's the language of the Primes."

Slowly Ratchet turned to his commander who calmly looked at the strange orb. Ratchet then looked at it and just had to ask.

"Can you read it?"

Prime slowly looked at Ratchet and dimmed his optics and pointed to the symbol on his right cheek plate. "Ratchet, what do I have this symbol on my face plate for…for decoration?"

Ratchet scowled wishing he had his wrench with him right about now but instead rolled his optics and motioned toward the orb. "Well, what does it say?"

Shaking his head Prime rested his mass on his knees and leaned in closer trying to read the symbols.

Running his long silver digits along the crevasses of the symbols, he carefully analyzed the marking and then sat up.

After standing back and remaining quiet, IronHide leaned in and looked at the bewildered Prime. "What does that say boss bot?"

Looking up at the confused CMO as well as the weapons specialist he pushed air through his intake valves and slowly spoke.

"It says…to save a dying world, one star shall shine brighter than all."

Looking up at Prime, IronHide scowled. "What the slag is that supposed to mean?"

Prime chuckled slightly not taking his optics off of the strange orb. "I haven't the slightest idea."

Ratchet looked down shaking his head. "It could mean any number of things."

IronHide scowled looking up. "Oh really, like what?"

And as IronHide and Ratchet started their argument, Prime continued to look over the strange orb with his soldier's voices fading. Then another set of symbols came into view.

Cocking his head slightly Optimus whispered.

"…within resides the spark of the future…"

Running his long silver index digit over the symbol meaning 'spark', the orb suddenly shifted. As Optimus lurched backwards, both Ratchet and IronHide were pulled away from their argument to see their Prime sitting on the ground watching as the orb almost seemed to be opening.

Not knowing what else to do, Ratchet swatted Optimus on the back of the head. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

Optimus looked up shaking his head. "I am unsure."

Two plates from the orb suddenly lurched outward and spread apart and a thick fog like vapor escaped.

All three bots including the humans standing several feet back watched and remained still as the vapor settled.

At the sight of what was inside the orb made Ratchet, IronHide and Prime speechless. A small robotic body laid nestled in a fetal position with its hands near its chest plate and head down… it was offline.

Ratchet was the first to inch forward and scanned it, then jumped up almost giddy. "Holy Primus it's a sparkling!"

IronHide ran up beside the CMO and scoffed. "That can't be a sparkling; its body only looks like a frame…not a whole protoform."

Ratchet turned to IronHide with optics dimmed. "That's because…" Suddenly Ratchet stopped and looked back at the little body.

Crossing his arms, IronHide growled. "That's because…WHAT?"

"Well, that's what doesn't make sense." Ratchet motioned toward the infant frame.

"In order for a sparkling to survive, they need a fully operational protoform body and spark."

IronHide shrugged. "So…"

Ratchet pointed. "A sparkling can't possibly survive with just a frame…unless…"

IronHide leaned in and growled. "Unless…WHAT?"

Ratchet pulled IronHide off to the side deep in conversation about the theory of spark production not even to realize Prime was still sitting on the ground…dumbfounded about what he was seeing. It was a sparkling…a real sparkling! He hasn't seen one for so many stellar cycles that he almost forgot what they looked like. But something told him that there was something missing. This spark before him wasn't complete.

Just then a burning sensation streamed through Prime's chest plate…through his spark. It almost felt like…someone was calling him. As he looked down at his own chest, something by the sparkling frame seemed to catch his attention. Its spark was glowing…brightly!

By now, Ratchet and IronHide were so in tune to one another arguing, that they didn't even notice Prime kneeling on the ground in front of the orb.

There was something calling to him. But he wasn't sure what. Thinking that maybe by getting a closer look, he could solve this mystery. Looking inside the open chest plates of the child he gasped in awe. It only had…half a spark? How could a sparkling survive with only half a spark? According to everything he knew about reproducing a sparkling, you needed two sparks; one female and one male (with added trans fluid provided by the male) to successfully ignite a single spark resulting in a sparkling. How could you take half of a spark and put it in a protoform body and expect it to survive? You couldn't! And more to the point, HOW DO YOU GET HALF OF A SPARK?

As Optimus pondered these questions rushing through his processer, he noticed something…something disturbing.

The spark or HALF spark that resided within the protorfom's frame was beginning to fade slowly. Not knowing what to do, Optimus turned to yell for Ratchet to come quickly when a voice told him not to. Turning back to the dying form in the orb he couldn't help but hesitate. Life was precious for their species, no matter how it came into existence. If there was a chance of more life for his race…even if in the form of a young sparkling…it was too precious to allow fading away into nothing.

'…touch the child…'

Prime looked up having heard a soft voice.

'…open your chest plates…and touch the child…'

Optimus looked down at his spark burning within his chest and then back at the dying form.

'…only then can you save it from the fate of death…'

Optimus looked over his huge shoulder and watched as the argument between IronHide and Ratchet elevated, then looked back at the sparkling whose spark was almost completely extinguished. If he was going to do something…he had to do it now.

Slowly letting air escape from his intakes, he put both hands on his chest and let the massive plates hiding his emasculate spark…his very source of life itself…open. He just hoped the voice in his head knew what it was doing. Having now opened his chest plates, revealing his spark in the dim morning light, he leaned over near the orb and let his spark's brilliant blue glow shine over the nearly offline sparkling. Leaning forward he carefully reached for its hand.

Major William Lennox had been instructing troops to secure the entire area when he shifted his glance and saw both Ratchet and 'Hide arguing. Then he saw Optimus…

"OPTIMUS?"

Both Ratchet and IronHide wheeled around and immediately lurched for their leader both waving their arms screaming.

"PRIME DON'T—!"

But as he looked over his shoulder, the sparkling tiny, weak and trembling hand was already in his.

That's when it happened.

Suddenly feeling a charge building up through his systems, he was forced to turn and look at the sparkling only to see a blinding light building up from the sparkling. Immediately Prime tried to pull his hand away and close his chest plates, but something was keeping him from doing it. He couldn't move his hand away and he couldn't close his chest plates. All at once a powerful surge of energy shot straight for his chest and hit his spark. It all lasted but a matter of seconds as the beam of energy shot into his spark and then retaliated back to the sparkling. Optimus…at this time had been able to release the child's hand and fell over. He lay motionless on the ground in front of the orb, optics barely online.

And the last thing he saw…were two dark figures kneeling down next to him screaming his name.

"…OPTIMUS!..."

"…OPTIMUS!..."

"…OPTIMUS!..."

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Then…there was nothing but darkness.

….*****….