Transformers Prime: A New Beginning

Chapter 35: Orion Pax: Part 2: Unfamiliar Familiarity

Normal Perspective:

The dawn of another day approached.

Inside the missile silo that was Autobot Outpost Omega One, Starscream was wandering around, trying to find something to do, as the rest of the team, apart from Michael, who was recharging in his room, and Ratchet, who was still working on the Groundbridge, was out looking for the Spacebridge, which he didn't know about, and thought they too were still in recharge.

He soon became distracted by his thoughts of the events he had gone through ever since he arrived at the base.

He found it better than being beaten or nearly killed by Megatron, even if he did nearly get killed by him once in that time.

What he wasn't expecting was to literally run right into Orion, who was also wandering the halls trying to get used to the place.

"Optimus?!" He asked in shock, forgetting about exactly who he was talking to, for he had been too distracted by his own thoughts to remember about the young archivist being there.

Out of reflex, he pointed his missiles, which he had kept, right at him, startling the red and blue mech.

"Please!" The clerk said, trying to be reasonable. "I mean no harm."

Starscream then remembered, and lowered his missiles.

"Uh, O-Of course you don't." Starscream said sheepishly.

"And why did you call me "Optimus"?" Orion asked, confused. "My name is Orion."

"You... reminded me of someone I once knew, that's all." Starscream said, and headed back to his room.

Orion watched, and couldn't help but think.

The name "Optimus Prime" seemed.... familiar, somehow, but he couldn't place why. He knew of the leader from the stories the Autobots had told him, but they had all left out the same detail.

The Prime's origins.

He was also confused as to why Starscream had called him such, for he was far from being anything like Optimus, for he was just a simple archivist, and yet, he seemed to remind the seeker of the Prime.

He headed for his room, deep in thought.

In the Command Center, Ratchet and Raf, who had been brought to the base early to help, were testing out the now-modified Groundbridge, which they were hoping was successfully modified. Jessica, who had gotten up as early as Raf, stood in the human area, watching the test with interest.

"Rafael, is the test subject ready?" The CMO asked.

Raf put the test subject, which was a toy car, on the floor and tested its movements, then he activated the GPS he installed on it.

"Check." Raf confirmed. "Long-range GPS activated."

"I have doubts whether my recalibrations have successfully extended Groundbridge range, but there's only one way to find out." Ratchet said, and activated the Groundbridge, the green and white portal swirling to life.

Raf drove the car in, as the three occupants of the room watched.

"Come on..." Ratchet muttered, hopeful.

But their hope wasn't realized, for the car was destroyed and the bridge powered down, much to the medic's dejection.

"It was just the first try." Raf consoled.

"No, Rafael, it was pure folly. A misguided act of desperation." Ratchet said, disappointed. "It takes eons to master Spacebridge engineering. And no one is more accomplished than the Decepticons..."