Transformers Prime: Princess of Cybertron

Chapter 13: Cybonic Plague

Sari's POV

"Optimus, you're not going to believe this," Ratchet called out. "I've just pinpointed the location of the Decepticon warship."

"Wait, what?" I asked.

"How did you penetrate their cloaking technology?" Optimus added.

"I didn't," Ratchet explained. "I was experimenting with variable frequency wavelengths when I stumbled upon it. Even still, their ship must be experiencing some kind of electromagnetic breach."

"With Megatron deceased and the element of surprise..." Arcee said.

"We could cause some serious damage," Bulkhead added.

"Enough to cripple their forces?" I asked Melody.

"That's kinda the plan, sweetspark," she said, making my face heat up.

"Also on the same frequency, an Autobot emergency beacon," Ratchet said.

"The Decepticons can wait," Optimus said decisively. "There may be Autobots in distress. Ratchet, bring your medical kit."

"I don't know about you, Mellie, but I've got a very bad feeling about this," I said.

"No..." Melody said, and I could see the fear in her optics. "No, please, not this!" We watched with bated breath as Ratchet hauled a severely weakened Optimus back through the GroundBridge. Upon closer examination, I found that the metal around the Prime's right optic was discolored and brown. What's worse is that the discoloration was slowly spreading.

"Cybonic plague," Ratchet said as he ran his scanner over Optimus's frame. "It's only contagious if contact is made with the infected Energon."

"What was a plague doing in an Autobot spaceship?" Mellie asked.

"Yeah," I added. "I've never seen anything like it, and that's saying something considering the fact that I've had a few run-ins with Oil Slick. And that's saying something, since his 'greatest invention' turned out to be Cosmic Rust."

"Huh?" Melody asked me. "What's Cosmic Rust?"

"I believe you guys would know it as the Rust Plague," I explained.

"Gotcha," Melody said.

"Its passengers were infected," Ratchet continued, having ignored our short conversation.

"The virus wiped out millions on Cybertron during the great war," Arcee added.

"Cybonic plague was engineered in the Decepticons' biological-warfare program by Megatron himself," Ratchet said darkly.

"You... have a cure, don't you?" Jack asked.

"No... cure," Optimus wheezed. It was honestly terrifying to hear the Prime's baritone be reduced to nothing more than a whisper.

"Optimus, please, save your strength," Ratchet ordered the Prime.

"Would Megatron create a disease without creating a cure?" Jack asked. "I mean, what if he caught it by accident?"

"It's not like we can ask Megatron, Jack,' Bulkhead told him. "He's pushing up lug nuts."

"But we might be able to access the Decepticon database," Ratchet added. "For the moment, we still have a fix on their warship's location."

"Bumblebee, come with," Arcee said as Ratchet activated the GroundBridge.

"I'll go too," I said, transforming into my robot form. "I just need to do something to take my processor off... all this."