Through The Rift

Chapter Thirteen: Realization

Starscream gasped in shock. There it was, that small tug on his spark that he had been dying to feel for what seemed to be eons.

Artemis was alive.

The Seeker immediately left the Med Bay, leaving Breakdown mid-sentence and urging him to come back. Starscream shouted a thanks to the new medic and continued on.

His heeled pedes clicked against the metal of the Nemesis as he made his way to the flight deck. Hope blossomed in his spark when the warm light of Earth's sun washed over him. Finally, something good happened. Starscream transformed and flew to the ground below, where the site was located.

It had been a full sol since the mine had collapsed, and a full sol of endless digging and excavation. Insecticons and Vehicons alike were digging in shifts to clear out the heavy boulders and dirt. Airachnid aided in using her unique ability to dig beneath the surface at an advanced rate to find the right path, and others helped as well.

A twinge of guilt twisted at his spark. He had been working nonstop until Megatron had to order him to take a break. Only then did he notice that his energon levels were dangerously low and had to visit the Med Bay for repairs. He hadn't even given himself time to get to know Naia...

Now, he was going to make up for that.

While the Seeker was making way to find the humans, a sudden shout stopped him in his tracks.

"Commander Starscream! We found something!"

Starscream hastily jogged to where the Vehicon had called him, "What is it?" He peered into the dark tunnel to see the vague, hulking shape of an Insecticon.

"Thorax and I found him in the mines, sir." Steve explained, despondently. The Commander could see why.

The Insecticon carried out the deceased body of a Vehicon. Starscream looked over the frame. Beneath the layers of dirt and grime, it was a sleek black and purple, a rare mix amongst the wide variety of colors the troops possessed. However, the only other Vehicon bearing the colors now wore an Autobot insignia and this one wore a purple Decepticon symbol.

"Do you recognize him, Steve?"

"No." The Vehicon sighed, "The others have no idea who this mech is."

"Steve, come quick!" A cry echoed through the tunnel, "This one's still online!"

The Insecticon was ordered to take the frame to Shockwave for an autopsy and both Seeker and Vehicon sprinted into the cave. In a lighted area, three medics hurriedly worked on a downed soldier.

"We need to get him to Breakdown!"

"His vital signs are going into the red!"

Starscream and Steve stayed a careful distance away from them, but noticed that this mech looked exactly like the one before. They both knew that this was very, very wrong. No two Vehicons ever looked like perfect copies. It is what made them stand above the mindless Autobot drones. This showed that they bore what those robotsdid not.

A spark.

A feeble, static-filled voice wheezed out, "H-help."

Starscream hastily took command of the situation, "Hotwire, put him into stasis!" The field medic did so. The wounded Vehicon's visor dimmed and his helm fell against the floor, going limp.

The Seeker pointed to one of the Insecticons, "I need you to get him to the medical bay as fast as you can and be gentle!"

The mech nodded and gingerly picked up the smaller mech, minding the freshly-welded wounds as he carried the bot out.