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The miners all worked with listless energy. Even as he strolled past them they at least looked. Some managed to sault but it was all half-sparked. Megatron paused studying the nearest quad of miners. Their visors hardly lit; the bio lights flickered. Megatron sighed, shoulders slumped as he moved to the cart. Picking up the pale near white crystal, turning it over it couldn't tell if it was closer to pink, purple or blue. "Cease your valiant efforts." Megatron ordered placing the crystal back. "There must be a richer vein than these."
"We haven't found any other veins for months sir." One Vehicon stated pausing in his work to see if the tyrant was serious.
"Take two shifts off, the whole mine. Ensure your energon levels are at 50% and try again. Someplace else." He looked at the cart. "These are not worth the effort to mine."
"Yes sir." with a little more enthusiasm the Vehicon chirped.
Megatron nodded and headed further along the mine. As he moved he noted more and more equipment paused and stopped. Things being placed away. The carts being brought to the area were quarters full, one managed half full of opaque white crystals.
One miner looked uncertain as the tyrant came closer. "We all are allowed two shifts off sir?" It dared asked.
"Yes. The entire mine." Megatron affirmed.
"Thank you, Lord Megatron." The miner bowed heading off.
If the masked mech could smile, Megatron was sure there was one behind it. The miners all had a little more life to their strut-deep fatigued frames. While watching all the activity from the staging area, the worried frown never leaving Megatron’s' face. All of the carts held the same weak energon crystals. Stopping he tapped the edge of a cart. "Where is the supervisor?" He demanded of a passing drone.
"On the way." The drone saluted.
"Hrm." Megatron nodded, turning towards running pedes. The indistinguishable mechs from all the others hurried to a stop and saluted. "Sir. Supervisor of his mine branch reporting."
"Are there any other energon deposits within this mine?" Megatron inquired.
"No sir, what we have found have all been less than stellar quality energon. sir."
"I'm seeing that." His optics cast around to the various carts. "Take the two shifts. Afterwards I want the mine to be condensed and ready to shut down. "
"Sir?" The supervisor paused. "Sir.... this is the only active mine right now... if we shut down..." He left the implications hanging.
Megatron was certain there had been other mines. The Autobots? "Take three shifts. If no one redirects you to a new mine. Continue here." He rumbled. "It isn't the quality we strive for, but it is fuel. And.... we need energon."
"Yes sir." The Vehicon nodded understanding.
"Open the ground bridge and go on your needed respite." Megatron waved the mecha away.
"Yes sir! Thank you sir." The happy supervisor bowed again heading to the controls.
The portal swirled open in the sickly white, purple, and pale blues it worried Megatron to the spark as he walked through. Troubled about the quality of energon, the lack of mines, he hardly registered he was aboard the Nemesis bridge until the bright light vanished leaving him in dark.
Adjusting his optics, he took in the bridge. Dark, imposing, just as he left it. And yet.... not.
Only two mechs there. Nodding to Shockwave and Soundwave as he passed, he realized Soundwave had repainted to a white. He paused. Oh, that was not good. "Where is Starscream?" He growled. A missing seeker is a plotting seeker.
"In the Containment Chamber with the others My Lord." Shockwave spoke up with a confused tone.
Megatron nodded satisfied, he left the bridge, walking down the hallway with the trouble of energon on his processor until he stopped with a jolt. "What containment chamber?" He growled out loud half turning to look back the way he came from.
"Sir?" A drone called, this one painted white with red highlights holding a datapad.
Turning back to see the smaller mech, smaller than any he recalled having a board the Nemesis. Smaller than Knockout, clearly a medical droid.
"Grand Master, Lord and Savior Megatron the Containment Chambers are just the next right. Sir." The voice was that of a droid. Possibly sparkless?
"That was embellished." Megatron rumbled under his breath. Speaking up "The one Starscream is in?" Optics tracking down the corridor.
"A-1, first on the left." The droid instructed.
"Hrm." Megatron nodded continuing his way. Spotting the door, it was clearly marked. "Containment. Authorized Personal Only." He stepped forward and the door slid open without any security. "Soundwave." He spoke out loud. The spymaster was clearly tracking his movements and clearing obstacles out of Megatron's way.
Megatron's energon went cold as the door closed and the fog cleared exposing the coldness of the containment chamber. The perfect setting for holding in-stasis mechas and the smell aside from the cold metal, under hinted long term unmaintained mechas. Scanning the frosty seekers, he walked slowly down the hall. Both sides held glass cases, each seekers wings raised up with wires and tubes connecting to their standing frames. Each of them coated well in thick frost with a medical monitor upon their chest. All silver, with slight color highlights here and there. Yet none held the familiar red crest upon the helm. Until he found Starscream. Opening the glass door, Megatron froze. "Frag." He hissed, seeing what appeared to be tubes in the wings, hooks! Hooks through holes in the wings keeping them erect. The monitor on the mechs chest indicated the long term statis. He backed up looking over the Air Commander, then the rest of the air force. They have been here far longer than Megatron was in the mine for. Closing the glass door, re-sealing Starscream in. Megatron turned and headed back out into the hall.
"Grand Lord Megatron?" Soundwave approached.
Megatron turned. "Soundwave." He looked over his trusted mech and knew this just wasn't his Soundwave. "How low are we on Energon?"
"Our mines output is at .7% sir."
"I have seen the lack of quality, and the other mines?" Megatron demanded.
"There are no other mines." Soundwave stated.
"Other Decepticon controlled mines?" Megatron repeated louder.
"Megatron? There are no other Energon mines. Decepticons control the only energon rich Mine." Soundwave stated.
Megatron froze. "Pit." he hissed realizing just what he did, what he allowed the drones to do. "The Autobots?" He demanded. Maybe he could revise that mistake.
"Are above us sir." Soundwave stated tilting his helm. "Megatron, are you malfunctioning?"
Megatron rumbled. "No." He started to walk away. Attempting not to look at each and every Containment Chamber. Primus. He spotted the lift and entered it. It closed before Soundwave could reach him. Were the Autobot's in the same dire situation? Were they living it up and using the energon all up for themselves. Bracing himself for something, anything when the door opened.
What he didn't expect was Optimus waiting for him when the doors opened. And no one else in the pristine white hall. "How bad is it?" Megatron demanded stepping off the lift.
"With what you just did?" Optimus snapped.
"Scrap." Megatron growled.
Blue optics narrowed. "Who are you?" Optimus demanded.
"Megatron of Tarn." Megatron stated. "And yourself?"
"Optimus of Cybertron..... Megatron of Tarn? Where.... where is the real Megatron of Cybertron?" Optimus demanded.
"I do not know. I don't know where I AM." Megatron snarled fists clenching.
Optimus stepped back. "We do not need to fight."
"Don't we? Why is my army frozen!?" Megatron shouted.
"The same reason the majority of Autobots are. We are out of energon." Optimus stated.
"Then why is the command awake?" Megatron snapped.
"We are protecting the base Megatron." Optimus said keeping calm while still trying to figure out this.... clone?
"From what?" Megatron demanded. "With both armies in status what could we possibly be threatened by? To allow them to do this to themselves?"
"Oh." Optimus relaxed.
"Megatron, come with me to the bridge. You need to see what we are experiencing." Optimus turned his back to Megatron, walking away.
Megatron sighed. He hated how Optimus could make any order sound like he was asking. He followed. "Where are we?"
"We are on a space station."
"Trypticon?"
"Yes." Optimus nodded. "That is Cybertron." he pointed to the dark planet below.
Megatron frowned. "The war?"
"No... the Quintessons." Optimus stated.
"Are they gone?" Megatron scanned the stars, the missing moons.
"They are, at a greater cost than any of us expected." Optimus sighed.
Megatron frowned. "Our Colonies?"
"We have had no contact with them since the start of the invasion. We destroyed ALL of the space bridges to stop the Quintessons from expanding."
Megatron nodded. He would have done the same. "And... the outposts...?"
"What outposts?" Optimus turned to face the strange mech calling himself Megatron.
"Messatine?" Megatron said the first that came to mind. "Croteus 12, Velocitron, Caminus?"
"Velocitron and Caminus are cut off, the other two, I do not know of" Optimus stated.
Megatron's optics brightened. "Pit." He hissed. "They were energon mines. We do not have the personnel for a scouting mission?"
"We do not. We will have to go." Optimus stated sourly.
"Is there anything, anyone left on Cybertron?" Megatron looked down at the dark planet with a frown.
"No. The planet can hardly support the scraplets." Optimus rumbled with a frown.
"Then it would be in our best interest to bring the miners and equipment aboard and head to the nearest planet." Megatron rumbled looking over the dark moons. "Provided the hotspots are cold."
"The center of the planet is cold." Optimus sighed heavily. "I'll see to the energon stores."
"I'll bring the miners aboard." Megatron turned heading to the lift again.
Optimus watched the clone or something that almost looked like Megatron leave the upper bridge. "It's worth a shot." the Prime muttered under his breath.
With a puzzled frown, Megatron headed back the way he came. Soundwave gone from the hallway. Interesting. Then again, this wasn't his Soundwave. Finding his way to the bridge was easier than standing on it and turning to the two mechas that resembled his trusted lieutenants.
"If I do not return. Messatine is an energon rich mine. It is a frozen planet. Find the planet. Go there.” he ordered placing in the location into the computer.
"Yes sir." The two nodded as one.
"Open the spacebridge to the mine. We will be bringing the equipment, energon and miners aboard."
"Yes sir." Again, the dual voices echoing as one. The space bridge opened.
Shaking the dread off his plating, Megatron walked through the portal and stepped into a mine. As the spacebridge closed, Megatron looked around with confusion. "This isn't the same mine..."
Guns ratchet, locking onto the imposing figure.
"HANDS UP!" A Vehicon shouted.
Megatron raised them looking around. He sighed. "Tell me, are we at war with the Autobots. Are we on Earth? Is Cybertron dark?"
"Yes to all three questions." The Vehicon answered.
"Is Starscream an active backstabber eager to take command?" Megatron smirked.
"Yes." the guns eased in their owners’ arms.
"Was there another Megatron here confused that our mine is full and active?" Megatron asked looking around.
"Yes." The guns went away.
Megatron dropped his arms. "Primus, wherever I was, was not pleasant." Looking over his shoulder to the spot the spacebridge closed.
"Megatron what happened?" one drone dared asked.
"I do not know. The Quintessons took over Cybertron. Her moons gone, the core cold and what population was in status on the Trypicon space station." Megatron shook his head. "I sent them to Messatine."
"Where is Nuke produced?" One Vehicon spoke.
Megatron paused. "Hopefully Tarn isn't active to find out." He headed to the exit. "I am flying back. Do not call for a spacebridge for any reason."
"Yes sir." The miners saluted watching the warlord with confusion and concern.
"Get back to work!" Megatron shouted from the tunnel.
Machines started as the drones got back to work happy to have their familiar tyrant back.