Transformers: The Cross

Chapter 13 - A New Roommate

     As soon as the words left Optimus' mouth, the room had erupted into conversation. Some people were utterly confused, especially the humans of the group. All three of the triplets were asking questions and commenting, their voices on the verge of becoming one.

     "What does that mean?"

     "Can you translate more?"

     "A key. We must look for a key!"

     The last one made sense. The Decepticon on the voice message said they were trying to open a door, and apparently they couldn't just blast through it by their usual villainous methods. They'd already found their doomsday device, they just couldn't get to it.

     Sideswipe leaned forward and placed his hands on the table. "But what kind of key?"

     "Oh, I bet issa blade!" Clay-head shouted next to me. I sent him an irritated look, but he was in the process of being hyped up by his brother.

     "Yeah! Like the Terminus Blade or the Star Saber!"

     Taking a wild guess, I figured the key would've most likely been literal, like a series of numbers or a physical trinket that fit inside of a hole. Maybe it was a blade of some sort.

     Wait, why am I trying to figure this out? I'm not staying.

     "Okay! We're looking for a key," Sergeant Epps' voice cut through everyone else's, and everyone settled down to listen. He'd been growing frustrated with the disorganization. "So what's the plan, Prime? Lennox?"

     "I say we contact any archaeological organizations," Major Lennox piped up. "We need to see what we can get that's already been found. Or even better, we can start with the storage unit and file through what Sector Seven might have previously discovered."

     Elita shook her head, a bittersweet look in her face. "As far as artifacts, the only things they had were the Allspark and Megatron. Both are have been terminated."

     "Yes, those were the only artifacts, but they had files, pictures, documented missions of alien investigations," Major Lennox explained to her. Then he looked down the table at Optimus. "My data clerks could snoop around until they find something, and we'll let you know?"

     Ironhide shot up from his seat before the Prime could answer. "Why are we assuming that these translations have anything to do with our predicament? They could just be random slag for something else entirely!"

     I pursed my lips and drew my arms back under the table, forcing back an exasperated sigh. This guy didn't know how to let go of a grudge; if I so much as breathed the wrong way, he'd find an excuse to chop off my head. What was I doing to give him the incentive that I wanted to end them all?

     "I've had a few revelations of my own, Ironhide," Optimus told him simply. "When you receive a transmission containing decoded phrases of cyberglyphics, you do not ignore it."

     "How do you know it wasn't somebody making a prank call? Or if it's just bait?" Sergeant Epps peered down the table.

     The skin around Optimus' eyes squeezed into laugh lines, and his gaze grew distant. "I am sure no Autobot or Decepticon could imitate the energy signature of Primus."

     Ironhide sat down and joined the silence that followed his words. The looks on the holoforms' faces were half disbelieving, half in subdued excitement. This must not have happened often.

     Although, I'd never heard of this 'Primus' character. Was he in the later movies? Mom had never....

     A mental wall came up before her face could consume my forethoughts.