The Great Attractor: A Transformers/Mass Effect crossover

Chapter 9: The Battle of Kaliningrad

"I do not need electrodes to jack in." Orion politely declined Tali's and Kasumi's assistance - both organics seemed mesmerized by the Autobot leader suddenly walking among them like a normal human being - except that there was nothing normal about Orion's regal, collected, serene presence paired with the determination of someone hell bent on solving a problem that presented itself as the platinum-haired, purple-eyed woman smiling back at him as he entered Laniakea with his mind. He frowned as he explored the grid, disturbed by the millions of brain emulations either frolicking or lamenting their situation, depending on their prior conditioning during their previous life as biological people and how the Optimized User Experience catered to their dreams or reinforced their fears. 

[Welcome to the Laniakea Virtual Experience, Optimus Prime.] 

But then Orion became saddened over what he saw in the Laniakea VR - what humanity had come to in its quest for immortality - to become like the Cybertronians. As much as he wanted to believe Starscream had enclosed them in the Laniakea VR out of his usual trickery, he knew deep down that humanity did this to itself voluntarily in the hopes of attaining a better, easier life, to find meaning and seek the most exotic forms of pleasure.    

"Shockwave, what is the meaning of this?" he asked slowly. "Why are you trying to hijack the Lost Light's computers? We cannot take Vector Sigma to Cybertron at this time."  

And so Shockwave gave him an answer he wished not to: one filled with lies. 

[I am sorry I have been misleading you.] 

Shockwave told Optimus about Megatron's dark designs upon energon. The secret plot to take control of all sentient beings everywhere through any means possible and destroy their enemies from within or without. Of how on Earth a Dark Sentinel now controlled Quintesson society while even Shockwave himself was forced to obey...

"Vector Sigma was built by the Quintessons - it's a Quintesson computer!" Orion exclaimed, frowning again. "Therefore it appears to me that the Quintessons were able to hijack it. But if Soundwave already let Shockwave out before this happened, the real Shockwave is somewhere out there, possibly searching for Cybertronian technology to possess."

 He jacked out and stood up, turning to look at the other holomatter Autobots behind him as well as Tali and Kasumi. "We must go. This place should be sealed before the Decepticons get to Vector Sigma. They will most certainly try to take it to Cybertron and doom both the planet and all the human brain emulations inside it." 

His stern words were followed by a revering silence as he returned to the Lost Light and activated his hull to retain his robot form with the help of Wheeljack. Meanwhile on the Normandy, Tali and Kasumi went to explain to the rest of the crew what had happened with the Cybertronian supercomputer.  

"You're saying Optimus adopted an organic form?" Wrex huffed. "That's weird."

"They are Transformers, after all", Garrus pointed out. 

"But he looked so good!" Kasumi gushed. 

"He totally did", Jack confirmed. "We really should invite him over for a party!"

"For once we agree on something; I wouldn't mind seeing him again in that form", Miranda admitted with a faint smile.  

"This is not the time for celebrations", Samara reproached. 

"Oh come on, we need this", Jack said. "Even the robots had their own party last night! And don't say you didn't like the cult leader robot's new look or you are so not alive."