Book VI
     "Dark Times, Part III"

     Chapter XXX
     "The First Circle, Part III"


     "Damn it", said Blitzwing.
     "This is pointless", said
Onslaught.
     "I hate to admit it Optimus, but
I've got to agree with them on this",
said Springer.  "We simply don't have
enough information to plan an attack. 
Let's face it, we needed that
information from the Decepticon's
computer.  Without it, we don't know
what we're getting into.  We won't
even know what we're up against.  It
will be suicide."
     Optimus hated to admit it, but
he was right.  Bumblebee and Ravage
were to gather the most important
information, and without it, they
were no better off than when they
started.
     "Their is no point in dwelling
on it further tonight", said Optimus. 
"Why don't you three go recharge."
     Springer and Onslaught left the
room, but Blitzwing remained.
     "Something I can do for you
Blitzwing", asked Optimus.
     "No, not really."  He turned to
leave, but stopped.  "Optimus, their
is something that you need to know."
     "Yes", said Optimus.
     "What I am about to tell you is
going to be difficult to accept",
said Blitzwing.
     "What is it", asked Optimus. 
Optimus was more than a little
curious.
     "Before today, had you ever
heard of the First Circle", asked
Blitzwing.
     Beyond the cryptic reference in
the intelligence that the tapes had
gathered, Optimus had heard of the
First Circle, but not for millions of
years.  Not since before he was
Optimus Prime.  The First Circle was,
a legend known to Orion Pax.  "If
memory serves, the First Circle was a
myth.  I have not heard it mentioned
since before Alpha Trion remade me to
Optimus Prime, from Orion Pax."
     "That does not surprise me. 
What do you know of the First
Circle", asked Blitzwing.
     "Well, as legend had it back
then, the First Circle was a group of
Decepticons who believed in honor and
glory through peace, not war.  I
never have seen any evidence that
they were more than a myth."
     "They were more than a myth
Optimus", said Blitzwing.  "The First
Circle was against the war.  Their
hope was to build a new leader for
the Decepticons, one who would end
the war.  They had the Constructicons
build the body for their leader, and
his personality was carefully
programmed."
     "What happened", asked Optimus.
     "The result of the First
Circle's attempt was Megatron.  The
first thing Megatron did was quickly
kill almost every member of the First
Circle.  Every member, but three."
     "You were one of the three,
weren't you", asked Optimus.
     "Yes, I was", said Blitzwing. 
"I was the leader of the First Circle
then, as I am to this day."
     "What went wrong", asked
Optimus.  "How could Megatron have
turned out so opposite to what you
had intended him to be."
     "Megatron was programmed by an
outsider.  Someone we knew we could
trust.  I know it wasn't anything he
did.  The other surviving members of
the First Circle were responsible. 
You see, we had a personality program
written.  It was to be merged with a
life force, and would then become our
new leader.  The First Circle
carefully and quietly had Vector
Sigma construct a life force that we
could merge with the program to
ensure a being who would hold true to
our ideals.  Somehow, the life force
was corrupt."
     "And who was it that wrote the
personality program", asked Optimus.
     "Alpha Trion", answered
Blitzwing.
     "Alpha Trion", said Optimus. 
Optimus felt as if he had been hit by
a meteor.  He felt numb.
     "Megatron was programmed by
Alpha Trion.  That kind of makes you
and Megatron brothers of a sort",
said Blitzwing.
     As much as this news hit Optimus
hard, at least one thing was now
clear.  He knew why he was going to
spare Megatron's life that day in
Autobot City.  He knew why he wasn't
going to kill him.  It was
subconscious, but that had to be why. 
Megatron, like himself was created by
Alpha Trion.  Alpha Trion was as much
a father to Megatron as he was to
him.
     "Blitzwing, why are you telling
me this", said Optimus.
     "The First Circle still exists. 
Many Decepticons are members.  We
meet in secret, and are careful. 
There are only a handful of
Decepticons who know I lead the First
Circle.  Most of the members don't
even know I am a member.  I think
when the time comes, this could prove
to be useful."
     "I agree", said Optimus.  "Thank
you Blitzwing.  This explains a great
many things."
     Blitzwing turned to leave, but
Optimus stopped him.
     "Blitzwing, who were they, the
ones who altered the life force",
asked Optimus?
     "I know who one of them was.  It
was Soundwave.  The identity of the
other, I do not know.  Many members
of the First Circle kept knowledge of
their membership to a minimum.  Even
as the leader of the First Circle, I
am not aware of every member.  I
can't even say for sure if the other
still exists, or even if Soundwave
knows who he was."
     With that, Blitzwing left
Optimus alone.  He kept thinking
about what Blitzwing had said.  If
Alpha Trion created Megatron, then
why didn't he tell him?  Why didn't
he warn him?
     "Why didn't you tell me Alpha
Trion?", said Optimus to himself. 
"Why didn't you tell me?"
     At that moment, Optimus felt
strange.  All of a sudden, as if he
was being willed to by another mind,
he opened his chest compartment.  The
Autobot Matrix of Leadership floated
out of his chest, and hovered in
front of him for a moment.  Then
Alpha Trion appeared before him.
     "Optimus, I am sorry I couldn't
tell you the truth", said Alpha
Trion.
     "You couldn't tell me, or you
wouldn't tell me", asked Optimus.
     "For many years Optimus, I kept
the Matrix safe, while I waited for
the one who would lead the Autobots
to claim it.  I helped the First
Circle build a personality program
thinking that perhaps the one I was
constructing for them would be that
leader.  Even though the First Circle
were Decepticons, they held the
Autobots beliefs of peace.  You
already know what happened."
     "You didn't answer my question",
said Optimus.
     "After the Aerialbots brought
Orion Pax to my lab, as I rebuilt
you, I felt the Matrix call me.  I
knew then that you were the one who
was to bare the Matrix", said Alpha
Trion.  "I knew then, that your and
Megatron's futures would be
invariably linked.  I knew that one
day it would come to pass that you
would have to fight Megatron, and
perhaps one day destroy him."
     "So you didn't tell to make it
easier for me if I had to destroy
him", said Optimus.
     "Yes.  Somehow you knew
subconsciously", said Alpha Trion. 
"Subconsciously you have known all
along that there is a link between
yourself and Megatron."  Alpha Trion
paused.  "Now that you know part of
the truth, you should know the rest
of it."
     "What is it", asked Optimus? 
"What more could there be?"
     "Blitzwing said it well, you and
Megatron are like brothers, but it
goes beyond that.  The program I
wrote for the First Circle was merged
with a corrupt life force, creating
Megatron.  You are a merging of that
same programming, and the life force
of Orion Pax.  In effect, you and
Megatron come from the same program. 
You might almost be called twins."
     This was almost more than
Optimus could believe.  Megatron was
not only his brother, but almost a
twin.  Millennia of war with Megatron
suddenly took on a whole new meaning.
     "Does Megatron know any of
this", asked Optimus.
     "He knows that he was created by
the First Circle, and that Soundwave
and one other were responsible for
the failure of their plan.  He does
not know that his programming was
done by me", said Alpha Trion, "and
he does not know that you were
created with that same programming."
     "Perhaps I should enlighten
him", said Optimus.
     "If you do, be cautious. 
Megatron will likely react badly",
said Alpha Trion.
     "That is an understatement",
said Optimus.
     With that, Alpha Trion
disappeared, and the Matrix returned
itself to Optimus's chest.


     "This is the command ship, we
are ready to depart", said Kup.
     "Cleared for takeoff", came
Spike's voice over the radio.  "Good
luck."
     Rodimus sat in the command
chair.  Ultra Magnus, Kup, Arcee, and
Blurr were on the bridge.
     "Rodimus, what's with Daniel? 
As soon as he came aboard he said he
was going to the ship's target
range", said Ultra Magnus.
     "Ultra Magnus, there are a few
things you should know about Daniel. 
Kup, Blurr, you should know too."
     Rodimus told them the whole
story.
     "Poor kid", said Kup.  "It must
be tearing him up inside."
     "He's got a lot of anger, and he
doesn't want to let any of it out",
said Ultra Magnus.
     "I promised Spike he'd be
alright."
     "Don't worry Rodimus", began
Arcee, "he'll be alright."
     Rodimus hoped she was right.


     The alarms were sounding all
over the base.  Optimus and the
others raced to the mouth of the
cave.  The proximity sensors had
picked up something moving towards
the base.
     "Something is approaching", said
Hook.  "Readings indicate a single
life sign, definitely Decepticon, but
very weak, and approaching slowly."
     The Autobots and Decepticons
took up defensive positions.
     "No one fires until I say so",
said Optimus.  Optimus was trying to
concentrate on what was happening,
but his mind kept drifting back to
his conversations with Blitzwing and
Alpha Trion.
     Something emerged from the
jungle.
     "Ravage", said Optimus.  He ran
from his position to where the
Decepticon cat stood.  Before he
reached him, he slumped to the
ground.
     The others gathered around them
quickly.
     "Ravage", what happened", asked
Blitzwing.
     "Where's Bumblebee", asked
Optimus.
     Ravage weakly told them what had
happened.  "After the explosion, I
ran for the end of the tunnel.  I
escaped just before the Decepticons
found the tunnel entrance.  I knew
that Skyfire would never be able to
pick me up with the area crawling
with Decepticons, and I could not
chance flying."
     "You walked to South America
from Washington", said Optimus.
     "Yes.  The data collector is on
my back."  Ravage released the force
field, and Optimus took the unit.  A
moment later, Ravage lost
consciousness.
     "Percepter, First Aid, get
Ravage to the repair bay.  He is
almost completely drained of
energeon.  Springer, Blitzwing,
Onslaught, and Skyquake, with me, we
need to see what they got."
     "Wait", said Ravage, regaining
consciousness, only for a moment. 
"Bumblebee asked me to give you a
message Optimus.  He said to tell you
that he was wrong, and that he was
sorry."
     With that, the other went
inside.  Optimus lingered outside for
a moment.  Bumblebee must have died. 
He could never have survived the
explosion.  Another name to add to
the list of those whom he had sent to
their death.  Another friend gone. 
Bumblebee had probably taken some of
them with them.  The Xformer Storm
was probably dead.  That was of no
comfort to Optimus.
     Optimus, Springer, Blitzwing,
Onslaught, and Skyquake spent the
next several hours going over the
data.
     "We have a complete schematic
for their defense satellite network,
and the locations and strengths of
all their ground based weapon
systems", said Blitzwing.
     "We should be able to plan
something now", said Springer.
     Meanwhile, in a dark corner of
the cave, Swindle had made a
decision.  The data they now had made
them a real danger to Megatron. 
Megatron would be even more grateful
to know their location now.  Swindle
sent off a signal from his
communicator.


     Rodimus walked down the hall of
the command ship towards the target
range.  They were half way to Earth,
and Daniel had been there the entire
trip.
     Rodimus walked into the room,
and saw Daniel shooting at some
targets.  One by one, he hit each
target dead on.  It hadn't taken him
any time at all to master his
blasters.
     "Daniel, maybe you ought to get
some sleep", said Rodimus.  "It's
been a long day."
     "I'm not tired Rodimus."
     Rodimus didn't want to push him,
and sound like a parent trying to get
him to go to bed, so he dropped the
issue.  "So, how are the blasters
working.
     "Great.  I can get them to fire
on command without concentrating so
much like before.  The anti gravs
work good too."
     "I'm glad it's working well. 
Why don't you take a break."  Rodimus
sat down on the floor leaning against
the wall.  Daniel sat down next to
him.
     "Daniel, you know, if you want
to talk to me about anything, I'm
here, and I'm ready to listen.  Your
dad said you haven't wanted to talk
about the accident..."
     "It was no accident Rodimus. 
Megatron attacked the base.  He is
responsible for what happened. 
Rodimus, I want you to make me a
promise", said Daniel.
     "What is it Daniel", said
Rodimus.
     "Promise me I'll have a shot at
Megatron", said Daniel.
     "Daniel, your blasters, and even
your strength are no match for
Megatron", said Rodimus.
     "Maybe not, but I still want a
shot at him", said Daniel.
     "You know Daniel, revenge can be
a very destructive thing.  You know
what it nearly did to Optimus", said
Rodimus.
     "I don't care Rodimus.  I'm
going to get him for what he did to
me."
     "Daniel, that's not a promise I
can make to you, and you know it."
     "I know Rodimus."  Daniel got
up, and headed back to the range.
     Rodimus stayed for a minute, and
then returned to the bridge.  It
didn't seem like there was anything
else he could say to Daniel.