The Maximals were lucky to be alive again. They had traversed the tranwarp conduit linking the Earth and Cybertronian systems, survived multiple attacks by Omegracon’s minions and their great master, and escaped from a power dive that would of killed them all.

Silverbolt flew the Sky Lynx over a section of western North America. They were going to head back to Autobot City and see if there was anything that survived the attack. Much to the horror of Cheetarus Prime and Silverbolt, most of the American cities had been destroyed. Most cities like Vancouver, Olympia, Portland, and San Francisco were nothing more than smoldering rubble. Only a few small, apparently insignificant settlements were spared from Omegracon’s ravaging attacks - and even these isolated sanctuaries were at a loss without adequate power and food.

Botanica entered the bridge after a long stay in the science lab, where she’d been monitoring Adam’s frail condition. Cheetarus Prime, Rattrap, and Silverbolt turned to her, noticing the brilliant green gone from her face. She looked tired and quite weary, with a downcast look of dread.

Rattrap felt her sadness, and wished to comfort her so badly, but he had to put aside his emotions for a cycle and concentrate on finding a decent place to land the Sky Lynx on this ravaged planet.

"How’s Adam’s condition?" Cheetarus dared to ask.

Botanica made a long sigh. It wasn’t good. "His vital signs are growing weaker with each megacycle. His nervous system is continuing to degrade, despite all my attempts to mend the damage. At best....a solar cycle, possibly two. There’s nothing more I can do...."

Cheetarus looked around Botanica’s shoulder, eyeing the white light coming from the lab. He saw the shadow of Adam’s stretcher cast against the hall. The human’s chest rose very slowly, his lungs coughing frequently. It was enough to make the Prime reprioritize his objectives.

"There’s one possibility." Cheetarus Prime timidly suggested, "Find the other humans. If we can’t heal Adam’s broken body, surely they would stand a better chance at it...."

"Tracking humans might not be a bad idea, either," Silverbolt spoke up, eyes still focused upon the horizon, "All our systems have taken a beating, and out power’s down to eight percent. We need a spot to land the Sky Lynx in the next thirty cycles or we’re permenantly grounded."

Rattrap approached the main console. He gently pushed Silverbolt out of his way and jutted his tail-interface into a computer socket. A scanning display popped up on the screen before them.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Silverbolt shouted irritably. He grabbed Rattrap’s tail and attempted to pull it out. "Using the scanning array wastes too much power! Power we need to keep this bird active! Besides...." Silverbolt waved an arm out toward the cockpit window, saying "Scanning for human signatures is useless! They’re too scattered and isolated...."

"And our sensors," Cheetarus further added to the dilemma, "Still can’t register organic life fully, even after the technorganic modifications."

The rodent turned and spoke with a stern, snarling voice, "I’m NOT trying to find the humans. Don’t you think I already know they’re not Cybertronian?" He accessed the sensors, adjusting them to track for neutrino-neutron emissions. "What I AM look’n for, on the other hand...."

In half a millicycle, the display pointed to a beeping icon toward the southeast. "Scan complete. Nuclear fusion generator located six point three kilometers south by southeast." reported the computer.

The Prime approached the screen with slacked jaws. "By the Matrix!" Cheetarus Prime declared, "Power plants! Human power plants!"

Rattrap crossed his arms with a very smug look on his silvery face. "Hmm-hmm!" he cheerfully mumbled, "Humans may not be machines, but like machines, they need power....which I just happened to locate for our convenience...."

"That’s some good work, Rattrap," Botanica congratulated him, "Now let’s get there...while we have time."

The Sky Lynx hummed toward a Canadian mountainside roughly two hundred kilometers east of Vancouver’s ruins. At first they saw nothing but coniferous trees and snow-covered bluffs, but sure enough the scanners spotted an outcrop of rock with a mine embedded within it.

As the Cybertronian ship began to land, tens of humans began to pour out of the hole like ants from a nest. Many had rifles, plasma, laser, and old fashion lead varieties, but didn’t fire just yet. The Autobot icon on the side of the Sky Lynx must of tipped them off that this was aid, not a threat.

All the Maximals exited the Sky Lynx through the undercarrage ramp, walking out before a small band of rebel humans. Cheetarus Prime made no sudden moves as he came forward to announce them.

"Humans," he raised his voice to them, "I am Cheetarus Prime...head of the Council of Maximals and...Prime of the planet Cybertron! We come in peace!"

ThunderClaw rolled his eyes, mumbling to himself, "I think I’m gonna be sick...."

One human, presumably the leader, came up, wearing a raggedy old camouflage suit. "Maximals? We thought you were Autobots." The man raised his plasma rifle up and pointed toward Cheetarus’ chest. "All right. Who are you and what do you think you’re...."

Before the human could flinch, Black Archnia shot out a web blast, knocking the plasma rifle out of the man’s hands. Five more humans raised up their weapons and cocked them. The Maximals prepared to strike, but Cheetarus ordered them to stand down.

Returning his attention to the humans, Cheetarus said, "We aren’t here to fight a war. We’re here to help you save this planet."

The humans didn’t appear to be in a very trusting mood. Those that had weapons still had them trained upon the transformers, targeted directly at their torso plates. In all, there were about thirty gathered around in a semicircle, with the Maximals at dead center. With or without weapons, it was they that were in control here.

Just then, a fleshy seed flew into the air. It planted itself directly into the thick, grass-covered soil, immediately germinating. A dozen rifles shifted away from Cheetarus Prime and towards the ship, where Botanica was standing with Adam’s body in her lower limbs.

"I’m afraid we haven’t time for this," she strongly addressed the human crowd. The seedling shot tendrils out, grasping all the plasma and laser rifles within reach. As the humans gawked at the small plant that was now devouring their weapons, Botanica todded down from the Sky Lynx and up to the commader himself.

She showed him Adam in his dying state, growing weak and pale. The commander was shocked, and looked to Botanica with anger begining to rise. "What did you do to him?" he demanded to know.

"He was one of the survivors of Autobot City, who came to Cybertron for aid. When we were heading out, we all were attacked and he...suffered the most extensive injuries." Botanica told him.

The commander stared at Botanica, as well as Adam. "I know him. The ‘last of the diplomats’ as your kind called him. Good kid...but our medics are stretched as it is. We can’t do much...."

"Please!" Botanica pleaded, "We’ve tried to repair the damage ourselves, but the treatments aren’t holding. In a matter of days, if not megacycles, this human will die! All I ask for is a treatment room and some minor medical equiptment! Doesn’t this one’s life mean anything to you?"

After thinking for a moment, the commander made his decision. "We’ll see what we can do." he told Botanica. He turned around and met eyes with Cheetarus. "Come. You’d all better come with us. The swarms will be coming in less than an hour once they register your ship’s power core...."

Rattrap gulped. "Swarms? As in...those huge collections of drones?!"

The humans and Maximals made their way through an abandoned mine shaft. Just a few meters down, it became a lead-lined tunnel, complete with sealed, tritanium-reinforced airlocks. The airlocks closed behind them, securing the only surface entrance to the hidden base beneath the Earth.

At the end, the tunnel opened into a huge underground facility, one crammed with thousands of human citizens living in destitute and hardship. In one quarter was a large hydroponics bay, devoted to razing the food so desperately needed. Another section was reserved for emergency supplies, and another holding the command center.

This underground refugee camp was the closest thing the Maximals could compare to a ghetto on their home world. And to make things weigh more heavily on their minds, the Maximals realized this was a mere fraction of the human race; Whatever became of the other nine billion, nine hundred million-odd humans was unknown.

As the Maximals strode through the masses, a small child with her two brothers approached them cautiously. Black Arachnia noticed the girl, and saw her torn clothes and unwashed hair. Her heart went out to them. "What happened here?" asked Black Arachnia.

"Omegracon." flatly said the commander, "He came out of nowhere, first blasting the Autobot stronghold, then sending his troops to wipe us out. First it was us in the Americas, but then the NATO nations, and even China. It was just one monumental disaster...."

The commander, Andrew Carter as he informed the Maximals, told the story of the Earth take-over. With no Cybertronian aid in the least, every Earth coalition and faction was trampled by Omegracon. The strongest nations were hit the hardest, struck down in a highly militaristic, highly strategic pattern - frequently starting with power and resources. In literally one day, the Earth was vanquished, leaving only a few idle strugglers and survivors to hide in crude, subterranean facilities.

"The only other intact facility like this," Commander Carter said, "Is in a place called Cheyenne Mountain - a former command center for the entire U.S.N.A. Together, we’re holding six hundred thousand refugees. Not much is known about the rest of our country, let alone our planet...."

"Any estimates on survivors?" inquired Silverbolt.

Carter could only give the most vague of clues. "Locally, eighty million were taken during the initial seige. World-wide, probably two hundred million. In the following two weeks, another six hundred were added to that list. Today we just can’t be certain. Without a satellite link-up, we can’t monitor or communicate over long distances. Taking into account variables like disease, starvation, and..."

The commander paused for a second, seeking out the best terms. "Internal....conflicts..." he reluctantly spoke. For the Maximals, that translated into civil wars, rebellions, even murderous anarchy and mob rule. "Up to two billion people could be dead as far as we know...but we pray that it’s far less than that."

The Maximals felt pity for humanity and its banes. Cheetarus Prime in particular felt for the Earth. What Omegracon is doing here is parallel to what Megatron attempted on Cybertron not long ago...but we were fortunate. By saving the billions of sparks, we saved most of our people. Humans don’t have that luxury.

Cheetarus made a vow then and there. "By the Matrix itself, I swear we’ll do everything in our power to ensure not one more life must be paid for this...."

Botanica and Rattrap, along with Adam, were taken to the medical ward of the facility. At least a hundred other humans were here as well, many wounded and far worse off than Adam. They were hooked to primitive devices, most likely salvaged technology, that kept them in comas. There were just too many here to care for, leaving many pale faces staring at the transformers walking in on them. Botanica noticed an odd room sectioned off from the rest. Peering past a creak in the door, she noticed a foot with a tag attached. The Maximal instantly turned away, unable to bear the sight of death.

Three nurses led them to a specially prepared room. It consisted of a metal operating table, some life-support devices, and a cardiopulmonary monitor. "Sorry if it’s primitive by your standards, but it’s the best we can offer." one nurse appologized.

"Thank you all the same," Botanica replied, grateful for any small sacrifice.

Adam was placed carefully onto the table, so as to ease the pressure on his lower back. He began to stir to life, awakened by Botanica’s movements and the cold metal beneath his stripped body.

"Where...am I?" he asked, stretching his neck out to look.

Botanica put three of her arms on his shoulders and gently pushed him back down. With a forth she pulled a sheet over him to keep him warm. "Hush now. You’re perfectly safe, Adam. We’re back on Earth....in a hospital."

Adam smiled, his face telling Botanica that he already knew. "You’re lying. It’s not a hospital. It’s a refugee camp...one I’m not going to last long in. Don’t try lying to me...it’s useless."

"You’re right. Lay down for now though, you need your strength." said Botanica.

Another few minutes later, Adam was out...possibly for the last time. The monitors showed his systems falling to a minimum with fading vital signs. Botanica set to work immediately with Rattrap at his side.

"I-I don’t know about this shrubs. Organic...(gulp)...blood doesn’t go easy with my stomach." he admitted his pre-operation jitters to her.

"Don’t worry. All I need from you are the proper tools and your scanning systems. The gore I can spare you...." Botanica assured him.

The human nurses aided Botanica, telling her where the best places for incisions would be. Adam was giving an anesthetic injection - a definite luxury in a place like this - and was completely out. The cardiopulmonary monitor beeped in sync with his heart, ensuring them he still lived.

Botanica worked exhaustively, the three nurses continually at her side and exchanging tools with her. Rattrap was pushed to the side, brought up only to give an x-ray scan of his spinal column.

Rattrap analyzed the data on human anatomy and compared it with Adam’s fractured spine. "No good. Everything from his tailbone up to his torso plates...I mean, uh, rib cage...is cracked. The nerves themselves are dying...loss of oxygen I think."

"It isn’t good," the first nurse said, "Most of those nerves are of vital importance. If they go, Adam goes."

Botanica thought it through and made suggestions. "Can we, by chance, graft something onto these nerves? Bypassing the damage and reinstating his vital signs?"

The second nurse agreed with her suggestion, believing it could possible save Adam. However, just as Botanica saw a ray of hope shining, the nurse also added, "But we don’t have the supplies for such a transfer. Other patients are giving us pressing needs, and nerve transplants are among the most difficult to take...."

"I will not give up on this one!" Botanica refused to let Adam go.

The third nurse shook her head. "We have little choice. If we can’t save a patient....it’s best to...put them to sleep. Either in a coma, or...."

Botanica’s face grew stiff and hard. The three nurses at her side were telling her to give up, that Adam was a lost cause. He was also one among a hundred thousand that needed help, one against the many. They could not afford to take the measures needed for one human being, least the many others perish as well.

Rattrap tried to support Botanica’s optimism, but there was little he could do either. "Whatever you need of me, sprouts," he firmly stood by her, "I’ll do for you, and him as well..."

"There is one very risky option remaining." said Botanica, looking over Adam’s opened body. "Get RedStreak’s remains from the Sky Lynx. They’re still in cold storage, no?"

Rattrap raised an eyebrow, unsure of Botanica’s intent. "Whatever...for?"

"His technorganic material is still active, just barely but nonetheless. Since I can’t obtain a human graft, I must make do with what we have." Botanica stated, "It just might be possible that Adam’s purely organic organs will accept a technorganic implant."

"EWW! SHRUBS! BUT I CAN’T JUST GO OUT AN RAID A MAXIMAL BODY!" protested Rattrap.

Botanica got up and yelled at him. "WE HAVE TO! ADAM WILL DIE IF WE DO NOTHING, AND I SIMPLY CAN’T ALLOW THAT! SPEAK TO PRIME IF NEED BE, BUT I NEED THE TECHNORGANIC FOR ADAM!"

Just a few minutes later, Rattrap was before Cheetarus Prime, Silverbolt, Black Arachnia, and ThunderClaw, explaining Botanica’s bizzre request of RedStreak’s body. None of them could allow for a transformer body to be violated, but Rattrap made it clear that Botanica needed it to save Adam’s life.

"A transplant from a Cybertronian? She’d gotta have a couple of screws loose!" ThunderClaw grunted.

Black Arachnia was equally skeptical, though she spoke her mind in more appropriate terms. "Not that I want to let the human die, but we’re taking about raiding a Cybertronian body for an organic one. Aside from the moral obligations, it’s impossible! We’re purely technological...."

"Not for the past thirty cycles we haven’t been," countered Cheetarus Prime, "We are just as much organic as we are technological. Instead of hearts we have sparks and turbo-pumps, but we’re just as much organic."

"Well, what am I to tell Botanica?" asked Rattrap, "Are we or ain’t we?"

Cheetarus fell on his vow. "I made a promise to every human here that not one more will die so long as we’re around. Adam’s life is just as important as any others. RedStreak would be wanting to help too if he were still online, and gladly donate a part as much as I want to. Let’s do it..."

Commander Carter objected to the idea, claiming it would risk security to the refugee. However, he permitted three to go, so long as they were quick and fast. "I’m giving you an eight minute window of oppertunity before the airlocks are sealed again. No more and no less." he told them.

Rattrap, Silverbolt, and ThunderClaw were selected to go since they were the fastest. The trio ran down the tunnel as fast as possible, with Silverbolt and ThunderClaw in beast mode while Rattrap retained his robot mode. The final airlock opened, letting in the evening sunlight.

Outside it was eeriely quiet, looking about as typical as any wilderness setting in the Rocky Mountains of North America. The Sky Lynx was waiting in a dormant state just a few meters outside the mine entrance, its ramp still deployed and cabin left open for the Maximals. RedStreak’s frozen body was just inside, stowed away in a cargo container.

"Should be a piece of cheese cake." Rattrap smuggly said.

Without warning, ThunderClaw’s and Rattrap’s internal sensors started going off. "Warning. Unknown energy signatures detected. Multiple signals closing rapidly." their internal computers alerted them.

Before Rattrap could say, "Slag!", a wide-spread cloud came over the horizon, accompanied by a sound reminescent of bees buzzing. Rattrap saw through his visor that they were drones - several million drones to be exact, all swarming towards their position.

"Oh my! What makes things more interresting is this! They look almost identical to Obsidian’s drones in the Techno-Organic War!" Rattrap hollered to Silverbolt.

"Well if there’s any ressemblance, switch to beast mode quickly! They might lock onto any form of energy signature they find! So transform!" Silverbolt ordered.

Immediately Rattrap did just that, switching over into his rat body. He ran alongside with ThunderClaw into the Sky Lynx, taking cover as the swarm began to descend. Silverbolt took off for a near-by redwood, watching carefully from behind dense branches.

The swarm descended rapidly, then halted just a couple of meters off the ground. The whole lot of them just hovered in the air, not even doing anything. From outside, Silverbolt watched diligently from his tree-top hiding place. There were at least fifteen drones all around him, but none made a move so much as a millimeter towards him.

So far so good, thought Silverbolt, They haven’t noticed me. Rattrap was right. They are like Obsidian’s drones...in configuration AND behavior. I might be able to formlate a plan around that.

Silverbolt observed four drones dropping down from the drone cloud and move in towards the Sky Lynx. They circled about at first, but their true intentions were made clear: they were going inside it.

At first, Rattrap and ThunderClaw thought they had picked the best hiding spot. Unfortunately, it quickly became too obvious that they hadn’t. The loud whirling of helicopter blades and rocket fumes in the air foretold the coming of enemies.

"Quick! Duck!" Rattrap screeched to ThunderClaw before leaping behind a cargo crate. Two nano-clicks later, three drones floated up the ramp with the ugliest mugs on their faces. ThunderClaw stayed in the shadows, away from where they could directly see him.

The drones stopped at the dead center of the cargo bay. For a moment, they were lifeless, like statues. It was enough to make Rattrap start to wonder. Then the mechanical monstrosities transformed, their helicopter rotors becoming weapons extending from their arms. The blades, looking so very sharp, glimmered even in the twilight of the ship’s interior.

The three split up into different directions - one headed straight for the cock-pit, the second back to the engine room, and the third began to sweep the cargo bay. The first two didn’t bother the Maximals, but the third and last troubled them.

ThunderClaw watched the drone, but didn’t plan on merely observing it forever. He jumped onto a support beam. It moaned a little under his weight, causing the drone to react. Three bright lights came on, pointing upwards. The drone saw nothing but the inside of the hull; ThunderClaw wasn’t there, for he’d moved to spot scarcely a meter within the shadow of the unsuspecting drone.

A growl rumbled from behind the robotic entity. Just as the drone started to turn, huge claws went down on him, cutting his neck out. The drone roared, it’s body headless and running around like a chicken. It started firing random shots all over the place, causing plasma bolts to ricochet off walls.

"Oh that really helped!" Rattrap yelled.

Out of despiration, ThunderClaw transformed into his bipedal and well-muscled form. With large fists he pummled the drone into submission. Now they had another problem - Maximal energy signatures....

Suddenly a fourth drone flew in and started attacking. The rodent groaned angrily, slamming a paw into his forehead. "Great! Now they ALL know we’re here! Doh!" Finally, Rattrap himself transformed and speeded across the cargo bay, distracting the new drone. "Let’s just grab the body and get outta here!"

Meanwhile, Silverbolt began to observe a disturbance within the cloud of drones above the Sky Lynx. The pack of drones that came upon the ship were all inside, including the fourth that originally stood guard outside. Only one thought came into his mind.

ThunderClaw...ugh! I knew his temperment would ruin this. Oh well, no use groveling over spilt milk now. There was only one obvious course of action to take now before the whole swarm started attacking - and that was to strike first.

"HOOOOO!" shouted Silverbolt, leaping into the atmosphere. In a split second, he transformed, launching all of his feather grenades into the air. They detonated, taking down roughly fifty drones altogether. Against a force of countless thousands, it was hardly a nick in their armor, but it was a good distraction for the Sky Lynx.

His attack triggered a chain reaction in the entire swarm. Each and every drone transformed and began attacking with full force. A rain of firepower came down over the entire landscape. Silverbolt landed on the ground and ran as fast as possible.

Out of the mindless chaos above came a small comitee to greet Silverbolt. A row of drones landed right in front of Silverbolt and deployed their blades. One charged at him, and hit! It left a good-sized wound in Silverbolt’s right arm, exposing positronic circuits in his technorganic body.

"That does it! You want to play rough! So be it!" Silverbolt proclaimed. The bird-bot kicked the drone in the chest plate, knocking him down. Before he could finish it off, another came running at him with his blades twirling like a food blender. Silverbolt grabbed the fallen drone and raised it up, using it for a shield. Metal ground loudly, and almost immediately the first drone had been reduced to scrap, and the weapons on the second were horribly twisted.

Rattrap and ThunderClaw came running out, a cryogenic cell strapped to the panther-bot’s back. "We got what we came for! Let’s roll!" Rattrap hollered to Silverbolt.

ThunderClaw, huffing and puffing from his burden, pointed out another problem ahead. "Look!" The airlock leading into the tunnel was closing, just as the human commander said it inevitably would.

"GO!" Silverbolt shouted, ripping a blade from a dead drone. He wielded it like a sword, cutting ten more drones down the middle. Rattrap and ThunderClaw dashed through it as the thick doors continued to move together.

Finally, Silverbolt made a break for it, but the drones refused to get off his back. He pointed his pointed fingers out at the mass of drones before him. Willing it, Silverbolt launched them, sending a wave of explosive talons at them. While the drones burned, he turned and ran like a bat from the Inferno. At the last moment he jumped through the gates, letting another batch of drones perish by crashing into the reinforced alloys.

Silverbolt looked down at his hands, rendered into mere stubs with thumbs attached. Then, automatically, a new set of fingers popped out, regenerated from his technorganic body. "I’m definitely glad I got these on my last upgrade..." Silverbolt grinned.

Not very far away (on a cosmic scale that is), Omegracon observed the Maximal incident on Earth - specifically in a region of North America known as "McNeil Park." He, as well as Obsidian and Strika, watched as his countless drones blasted apart the powerless Sky Lynx, sending the Cybertronian vessel back into space in the form of dust.

The drones’ attempt to gain entrance to the subterranean human fortess, on the other hand....

"We could be sent down there, my liege, and simply blast our way in." Obsidian suggested, "All I need are less than two hundred troops and the place could be ours in less than a megacycle!"

"No...Obsidian...." Omegracon’s voice boomed unquestionably, "The humans and Maximals do not concern me...for the moment. The time for you to perform your third task is at hand, my minions."

"We live to do thy bidding, Omegracon. We shall do what thoust commands." Strika and Obsidian bowed to their lord.

Between where Strika and Obsidian stood, a portal opened up from beneath the floor. A glowing cylinder arose from it, shining a brilliant red, almost as if it had been heated. It unfolded, revealing a smaller cyclinder within. The smaller cylinder unfolded, revealing yet another, and so forth until the last cylinder laid bare a red, diskette-sized circuit. The tiny device pulsed, almost like a heart, growing brighter and then dimmer.

"The third task that I require of you is this," explained Omegracon, "I wish of you to bring this to the massive megacomputer on Cybertron....Vector Sigma. It shall merge with it, bringing the very heart of Cybertron under my power, as with the Autobot matrix."

As commanded, the Vehicons took the glowing device. When Strika touched it, a jolt of electricity ran down her arm. It was enough to jolt her away, but the second time it did not affect her at all. When she gazed upon it, it seemed to glow brighter, more energy building up within it.

Once the Vehicons left, Omegracon focused on one other task - or rather ritual, as he likened to call it - that he needed to perform himself. Another cylinder emerged, this time mounted on the top was the matrix of leadership. The mystical device was connected to several cables and held in place firmly. It was lifted high into the air, where it was forced between two giant capacitors. Omegracon focused upon the empty shell, charging the capacitors.

Energy beyond the scale of gigawatts surged between the capacitors, flowing through the Autobot matrix of leadership as well. The device seemed inert at first, hard as a rock and just as determined. But Omegracon was patient, and he compensated slightly by charging more power through his systems.

Then, after so many centuries of slumber, the matrix reopened....

Omegracon’s essence surged into the matrix of leadership, mingling with the unlimited energy within. But the sparkless entity wanted more, and pushed further. There is more to this matrix than mere power...there is also...THE Matrix itself....

The seemingly formless wall of energy ripped open, forming a widening portal into the All-Spark that linked all transformers from past to present to future. The energy wall was nothing more than a curtain, an illusion. The matrix of leadership’s power didn’t come from the device itself, but it flowed forth from the vast Matrix beyond.

This, realized Omegracon, Is the true power of the matrix, and its greatest secret. Its power does not stem from the device, but the strength of the generations before and the generations to come. The untold and infinite strength of Primus’ progeny. Now, to summon its true powers....

Omegracon plunged deeper into the Matrix, deeper into the portal. He passed innumerable sparks, transformers of all names and all lives. Together, they were strong, but any individual spark was too finite for his use. What Omegracon desired was the spark that formed....

The axis of the Matrix, Omegracon saw. At the core of the Matrix, there was indeed one very powerful spark, the apex of all transformers. It was separate, and yet one with the rest of the Matrix. It had a great deal of power that could be used were it to be tamed and controlled. Omegracon reached out and tried to grasp it....

Zap! He was repelled, forced away. It was a surprise to Omegracon, actually able to find a spark that resisted him!

"We are one with the Matrix," the spark spoke with the harmonious voice of the Matrix, "We are one. The Matrix is our strength, and we are the strength of the Matrix...."

"You," Omegracon beckoned to it with bravado, "Are now mine to control. You are merely a spark, one of an infinite number."

The axis-spark refused to give, slipping from Omegracon’s grasp every time. "You can not have what you are not a part of. You, spawn of Unicron, are not part of the Matrix. You have no power over us." the axis-spark told Omegracon.

"You are powerful indeed," Omegracon actually admitted, "But far from infinite. I know of your spark’s true nature!" With that, Omegracon reached for the spark, and this time grabbed it! His negative energy flowed over it, forming a crack in it. "You’re not one, but two, fused into one! United, you’re unstoppable....but separate...."

The yellow-white spark screamed in pain as it was ripped apart. The axis-spark divided like a single-cell into two lesser sparks, now screaming in two distinctly different voices. One was a majestic blue spark, the knowledge and guidance of the axis-spark. The second was fiery red, the unbridled power and rage of the axis-spark.

Omegracon then fled from the Matrix, taking with him two precious sparks that held the power of the mighty axis-spark. He held his grip tightly, never letting go no matter how the sparks tried to fight him.

But then, as Omegracon neared the portal leading out into the real world, the Matrix struck back at him. Billions of sparks rammed him, jolting Omegracon from the path. It was an unguided and blunt hit - for without the axis-spark the whole Matrix was weaker...but the Matrix had done what it needed to.

Of the two fragment sparks that escaped, the blue spark slipped by while Omegracon was still unbalanced from the blow. It was not until later that he realized that the receptive spark managed to escape his all-mighty control....

"Excellent work, Rattrap," Botanica beamed at the sight of the stasis cell, "I couldn’t of asked for more."

"Hey! Me and Silverbolt did our part too!" ThunderClaw protested.

Silverbolt put his taloned claw on the panther-bot’s shoulder. "Forget it kid, between the two of them, anyone else slips by." said Silverbolt, pointing out the rodent and flower’s affections.

"Ahem..." Turning around, Silverbolt found Black Arachnia staring at him. ThunderClaw raised an eyebrow, not bothering to even ask. Silverbolt made no comments.

The operation had to begin quickly. Botanica pressed down on a square button. The stasis cell slid open, hissing as visible clouds of cryogenic vapor exited. A chill overwhelmed the entire room as the Maximals looked inside. The segmented, charred remains of RedStreak rested inside, the once-vibrant red fur a dull brown and his face tortured.

Turning to the nurses, Botanica said, "Let’s get started. I’ll be needing your assistance with the operations...." They complied, wheeling Adam’s unconscious body next to the stasis cell.

Their work began without a moment to give pause. Upon comparing RedStreak’s and Adam’s physiology, Botanica came to a new conclusion. "This is going to be more complicated that I anticipated. We can’t just graft the components to Adam....he has to be grafted to them."

Botanica and the nurses weren’t going to take small pieces of RedStreak and put them into Adam; They were going to take large pieces of both and fuse them together. Botanica scrapped off the vestigial parts from RedStreak, making room for Adam’s organs. The nurses made the incisions into Adam’s body - lifting out very gingerly the most vital organs and sawing chunks of bone and cartilage.

The entire procedure lasted for almost three megacycles - but it was worth it. Adam’s heart, nested inside of a dead Maximal’s torso, beated, but dangerously slowly. His lungs were connected to technorganic trachea, crisscrossed by positronic wiring instead of blood vessels. A large portion of his skull, with mind intact, was capped by RedStreak’s cranium and snout.

The cardiopulmonary monitor went dead, screeching as it continued to read a blank from Adam’s pulse. "What’s happening? Why has he gone dead?" Botanica frightfully yelled to the nurses.

"His body must be going into shock!" a nurse quickly explained. She went over to a near-by shelf and grabbed pair of metal pads. Shoving them into Botanica’s hands, the nurse barked, "We’ve gotta administer pulmonary shock, stat!"

"We can’t! It might damage the positronics inside!" Botanica tried to explain.

The nurse forced her hands down upon Adam’s chest, contacting the organic muscle. Before Botanica could further protest, another nurse yelled "CLEAR!" A pulse of electricity pulsed through Adam’s chest. Another jolt was sent down, then another, causing the body to jump every time.

Finally. after wailing for the longest time, the monitor beeped. Botanica watched Adam’s heart start pumping again, this time at a stronger rate. But something else began to happen as she watched.

A near-by positronic circuit flashed. Then, all over the hybrid body, minuscule lights began to glow. The Maximal components were coming online! A finger twitched on the table ever so slightly. Botanica saw it and smiled. "Yes! He’s alive!"

Suddenly, a blue-green fluid started pouring out of RedStreak’s former body. The nurses backed away as it began to spark. It’s just like organic core liquid! Botanica realized. The strange fluid flooded the body cavity, engulfing all the human organs.

Flashes of energon shot out at Botanica, knocking her right into the other Maximals. Rattrap came to her side, but was also hit by energon energy. Without another doubt, the Maximals backed away, watching a small-scale energon storm erupt from Adam’s new body. It struck the lights in the room, causing them to burst open. The cardiopulmonary monitor overloaded in a dazzle of sparks.

"What the pit is going on?" Silverbolt cried out.

"I dunno," ThunderClaw said, raising an arm to block his eyes, "But I’ll tell you this much: it doesn’t look good!"

In the midst of energon flares and instruments exploding, the body opened its eyes. They glowed bright yellow with energon shooting out. Its muzzle opened, exposing a mouthful of steel teeth. The reincarnated creature sat up, its sights centered upon the Maximals.