The Great Attractor: A Transformers/Mass Effect crossover

Chapter 6: The Quintesson Admiral

A white tiger crouched in the underbrush of a strange forest with an eerie sense of being watched from everywhere around it. It was as if the animal could hear whispers all over in these woods, but at the same time, these whispers originated from its own head. This forest was by all accounts extremely beautiful with exotic variants of oaks, ferns, birches, and palm trees, all in a glorious mix of silver, gold and platinum leaves and branches, resembling a genetically engineered fantasy garden belonging to the collection of an eccentric sultan.

If carefully examined, however, the glistening, shimmering leaves revealed a structure of non-biological origin: This forest was made of materials that could not be chopped or burned down. The white tiger's hunches were accurate, as these woods concealed a gamut of surveillance devices and sensors, and apart from itself the place appeared devoid of any life.

"Do not bother looking for your Maximal companions, Tigatron", whispered a voice that seemed to be coming from within the beast machine's own head.

The white tiger transformed into his bipedal form and prepared to attack anything threatening. "Who are you? Where are you? How do you know about the other Maximals?" Tigatron shouted into the woods, but his only response was the wind and the fluttering leaves. It somehow started dawning to him that the metallic forest he'd been wandering through was a hive mind forming an artificial consciousness.

"Have you by chance heard of the Omega Sentinels?" the voice asked him.

"No. Are you one of them?"

"Actually not; they merely serve me. How about the Quintessons, are you familiar with them, Maximal?" the voice continued, now with actual curiosity.

"Aren't they just a myth?"

Tigatron had never encountered this species before. He changed himself back into his tiger shape to better examine his surroundings more closely—which turned out to reveal some very interesting facts about the metal-like flora surrounding him. They weren't just ordinary metals, either: All sorts of radioactive elements had gathered inside the bushes, grasses, weeds... everything, making the entire area akin to a nuclear waste dump containing per million of various radionuclides.

"A myth that returned to reclaim our rightful dominance over Cybertron."

Tigatron stood petrified. "What? Are you a Quintesson?!"

"Why; yes I am. Pleased to meet you. You're a very fascinating specimen."

The Maximal couldn't believe his audials. Tigatron had heard of giant tentacle monsters that oppressed Cybertronians long ago - some Terrorcons even claimed the Quintessons to be their ancestors which sounded blasphemous to him – but what he saw around him was the opposite of monstrous. An exotic, alien paradise on the surface, at least; but probably very harmful to anything of biological origin.

Cyber-matter, for example, looked like blue moss and glowed dimly in shades ranging from turquoise to indigo or violet depending on where it grew. This material could harden into any form with ease although its organic composition made it impossible for machines such as himself, who relied upon carbon as an essential component to exist. It appeared this planet offered nothing more than life support systems while allowing organics free reign over... other things.

"They call me the Forest-Queen", the voice continued.

Tigatron turned about questioningly. That was when he realized there were no living beings here save himself: Around him were units and platforms of the hive mind forest together forming a defense and security system. Their physical forms served as platforms to living mathematics, the automated solving of equations which never ceased, invisible to the eye.