Game Over

Chapter 3 - Back to Reality

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Rodimus' optics onlined to a vision that was neither the Lost Light, nor the Allaxian Outpost Mines, and not even the skies of Thanatos Six. In fact it looked like nowhere he recognized. It was some sort of industrially-furnished room with unpainted metal walls and a considerable amount of technology within it. There was one thing he recognized though. Directly in front of him stood Chromedome, whose optics were also flickering on. Though he wasn't so much standing as he was strapped in a slightly reclined upright position to what seemed to be some unholy combination of a life-support system and an interrogator's table. From all around came the sound of equipment,humming and hissing in what sounded like a slow reboot. Looking to the side, he saw Minimus Ambus affixed to another rack. Giving a quick count he saw there were nine of these racks in the room plus the one he occupied. Atop each was a familiar name. Two were empty... the two labeled 'Pipes' and 'Trailbreaker.'

"Minimus?!" choked a voice instantly recognizable as Swerve's. "Where'd the Magnus armor go?"

Rodimus looked about a second time. There were five of them stirring. Himself, Chromedome, Swerve (who seemed a bit taller), Minimus Ambus (in his irreducible form), and a mech that he didn't recognize. Glancing up, the unknown mech's rack was labeled 'Whirl.'

"What happened there? Oh Primus!" Swerve shrieked in some distress. "The DJD've got us! They're going to... Tarn's going to... No, wait, he already did... He...he..."

Swerve's panic trailed off in confusion and was finally broken by a pleasant but disembodied female voice coming from several small speakers, one of which was close to Rodimus' head. Soft, chiming music accompanied the announcement.

"For the last three meta-cycles, you have been engaged in the total immersion video game 'Lost Light.' As with all role-playing adventures, you will experience a certain amount of disorientation on leaving the game. It will be several breems or so before your real life memories return; so, in the meantime, please relax until an attendant is free to answer any questions you have. On behalf of Leisure World International, may we be the first to say 'welcome back to reality'."

"A game? That was a game!?" spluttered Whirl's voice. But it was coming from the mech Rodimus didn't recognize. It couldn't be Whirl though. Whirl didn't have hands. Whirl didn't have a face. He especially didn't have a handsome face like the one the white and polished bronze mech possessed.

A game? The Lost Light had been some computer simulation? They'd been playing for fun?

"This is a very popular game, this Lost Light," answered the mech entering the room—a drably-plated one marked with the orange stripes of a service technician. "It's got a two meta-cycle waiting list. We've only got twenty machines here."

No, this couldn't be real,could it? Rodimus struggled against his bonds but they held tight. The others were struggling as well. But then the clasps over his arms and legs released their grip with an easy hiss.

The mech with Whirl's voice squawked and fought against the cradle he was in.