Book VI
     "Dark Times, Part III"

     Chapter XXIX
     "Things Unknown"


     Optimus Prime, Springer,
Blitzwing, and Onslaught had spent
most of the day discussing possible
strategies to use against Megatron. 
There was little they could really
plan without reliable intelligence on
the Decepticons.  Skyfire, and the
intelligence gathering team were due
back any minute.  The base had been
supplied, the defenses made ready,
and the holo shield activated.  All
that, and not one problem between any
of the Autobots and Decepticons. 
Optimus Prime thought it was too good
to be true, but everything seemed to
be running smoothly.
     "Optimus Prime", began Hound. 
"Scanners detect Skyfire and the
others approaching."
     "Excellent", said Optimus Prime.
     A few moments later, they came
in.  Noticeably absent were Ravage
and Bumblebee.
     "Where is Ravage and Bumblebee",
said Optimus.
     "I don't know.  They were to be
my first pick up, but the tunnel
entrance was crawling with
Decepticons.  I went back after
picking up everyone else, but there
was no sign of them."
     Not Bumblebee, thought Optimus. 
They couldn't have got Bumblebee. 
But he couldn't deal with that.  He
had to go over the intelligence that
had been gathered.


     "How did this happen", bellowed
Megatron.  "How was it that you
didn't know about the tunnel."
     Wolverine, Spider, Thing,
Cyclops, and Soundwave stood before
him.
     "It wasn't in the plans for the
building", said Cyclops.
     "What is the condition of
Storm", asked Megatron.
     "She's dead", said Soundwave. 
"I couldn't repair her."
     "And the spy, he's dead as well,
I trust", asked Megatron.
     "No", said Soundwave.  "He
survived.  The energeon grenade he
used did not explode completely.  The
majority of the blast hit Storm.  He
threw the grenade right in her face. 
He was lucky.  It was a one in a
million chance."
     "Put him back together
Soundwave, so I can enjoy taking him
apart."
     "Xformers, leave us.", said
Megatron.
     The Xformers quickly departed.
     "Was he alone", said Megatron.
     "We don't know.  Storm was the
only one who saw them.  The guards
couldn't keep up with her, she was
too fast.  if there was another, he
escaped.  We did find residual
Decepticon energy traces, but that
may have come from our own troops",
said Soundwave.
     "Did you find the data he
stole", asked Megatron.
     "No, but it could have been
destroyed in the explosion."
     "See that there are no further
security breaches", said Megatron.
     "Nightbird to Megatron, please
respond", came Nightbird's voice from
Megatron's communicator.
     "Megatron here."
     "Megatron, we have an incoming
message for you.  It's from Swindle,
audio only", said Nightbird.
     "Trace it, and patch him
through."
     "Well, Swindle, what can I do
for you", said Megatron
sarcastically.
     "Well, Megatron, I'd say it's
about what I can do for you", said
Swindle.
     "Of course it is", said
Soundwave.
     "I'll get right to the point.  I
can provide you with the location of
the Autobots and Skyquake's
Decepticons", said Swindle.
     "And what do you want in
return."
     "The usual, power, energeon",
said Swindle.
     "Of course.  Now where are
they", asked Megatron.
     "Not so fast.  I'm still not
sure I want to sell out my allies. 
We've got some new friends."
     Megatron could tell what he was
implying.  "Are you saying that
Skyquake is now allied with the
Autobots", asked Megatron.
     "Did I say that", asked Swindle. 
"I don't recall saying that."
     "Swindle, don't play games with
me", said Megatron.
     "I'll signal you if we have a
deal, Swindle out."
     "Nightbird, did you get a fix on
him", asked Megatron.
     "No.  He's in the southern
hemisphere, but he was jamming the
signal, and we couldn't get any more
accurate.
     "Soundwave, order all patrols to
the Southern hemisphere, I want the
Autobots and the traitors found."


     "Now Daniel, I'm going to have
to make some adjustments to your
robotic implants, so I'm going to
give you a sedative", said Hoist.
     "Alright Hoist, I'm ready", said
Daniel.
     Hoist pressed some buttons on
his control panel.  Rodimus watched
as Daniel closed his eyes.  Hoist
went right to work.  He removed
Daniel's arms and legs, and began his
work on them, and adjusting Daniel's
robotic implants.
     "That's odd", said Hoist to
himself.
     "What is it", asked Rodimus.
     "Well, someone has reprogrammed
these implants.  Although Doctor
Hollas designed these limbs, I aided
in their design, adding Autobot
technology.  That's why it has the
skin that can grow or dissolve as
needed.  It's obvious someone has
changed the programming."
     "Who would have done that",
asked Rodimus.
     "I don't know.  Whoever did it
only needed to be a good programmer."
     After a half hour, he was done,
and a few minutes later, Daniel woke
up.
     "How do you feel Daniel", asked
Rodimus.
     "I don't feel any different",
said Daniel.
     Hoist brought Daniel into
another room.  It was a test room
where repaired Autobots could test
their weapon systems.
     "Daniel, point your hands at
that wall", said Hoist.
     Daniel did as he was told.
     "Now, Daniel, concentrate on
firing your blasters."
     Daniel concentrated.  A second
later, from his hands he shot a blast
at the wall.  It blew a whole in the
wall.
     "You'll need a little practice",
said Hoist, "you should be able to
control which arm fires, and the
intensity in no time."
     Now, Daniel, I also implanted
some anti-gravity units in your legs. 
You control them the same way as the
blasters.
     Daniel concentrated on flying,
and began to rise into the air.
     "Daniel, I want you to remember,
these aren't like jets.  You can rise
up, and control your descent.  You
can't really fly.  You won't be able
to get more than forty feet off the
ground. if you try to go higher, they
will not function, and you'll fall."
     "I understand Hoist.  Thanks."
     Hoist nodded, and Daniel and
Rodimus left the repair bay.
     "Thanks Rodimus", said Daniel.
     "Daniel, you do know, I'm not
going to let you go into battle.  The
weapons are for emergency use only."
     "Rodimus, how old was my Dad
when he started going into battle
with the Autobots", asked Daniel.
     "Well, I wasn't around then, but
from what I have been told, only a
little older than you."
     "And he didn't have implants
that gave him super strength", said
Daniel.
     Rodimus stopped.  "Daniel, what
are you talking about."
     "My Mom and Dad told the Doctors
to limit the power output of my arms
and legs to my normal strength. 
Well, I've been around computers a
long time, long enough to learn a
thing or two, and programming is my
best subject in school.  My Dad says
I'm a lot like Chip Chase was with a
computer.  I reprogrammed my
prosthetics to give me the maximum
possible, strength."
     Well, that was one mystery
explained, thought Rodimus.  "Daniel,
just how strong are you."
     Daniel turned to the wall of the
hallway.  As with most Cybertronian
construction, it was 12 inches of the
hardest metal in the cosmos.  Daniel
gave it a punch with his right arm,
He punched right through to the other
side.
     "That's how strong", said
Daniel.