From calohan@promethean.demon.co.uk Thu Oct 29 06:53:06 1998 Received: from post.mail.demon.net (post-11.mail.demon.net [194.217.242.40]) by grex.cyberspace.org (8.6.13/8.6.12) with ESMTP id GAA04533 for ; Thu, 29 Oct 1998 06:52:59 -0500 Received: from [212.228.69.110] (helo=promethean.demon.co.uk) by post.mail.demon.net with esmtp (Exim 2.05demon1 #1) id 0zYqct-0002ex-00 for suz@cyberspace.org; Thu, 29 Oct 1998 11:52:27 +0000 Message-ID: <363855AB.D8435300@promethean.demon.co.uk> Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 11:46:51 +0000 From: Jac Milnestein To: "Suzanne M. Ferree" Subject: Re: "Apotheosis" comments References: <199810262150.QAA16513@grex.cyberspace.org> Status: RO "APOTHEOSIS" BY JACOB MILNESTEIN Email: codeine_door@mailcity.com or calohan@promethean.demon.co.uk Two of the first ever comic books I brought were "Transformers" and "The Knights Of Pendragon". Both were published by Marvel UK and both involved very complex plots that were far beyond the normal stories of Superman saving some small town in middle class America that seemed to be the Be-All-And-End-All of the kind of books my friends brought. Jonathan Hibberd, who is now editor of "The Other", and myself both soon became fascinated by these giant mechanoid life forms and set about collecting all the comics and toys and when these were scarce we often created our own. The "Knights Of Pendragon" and its main character, one Captain Britain, were a different matter all together. Jonathan was never really interested in superheroes like I was and when it came to our nation's own Captain I think he saw nothing more than a pale Captain America copy-cat (like the Justice League of Europe) who would probably get beaten up by Wolverine or Batman very easily and just wasn't as interesting as someone like the Doctor. I on the other hand approached the UK's sole nationalist meta-human with a different frame of mind. Coming from a working class Christian-Jewish background I viewed this strange man who wore the Union Jack (much like Noel Gallagher's guitar) as a total fascist - a bastard whose arrogance was beyond anything I'd ever seen. But the cool thing was that Marvel UK had a great continuity and pride in presenting it's publications - two things that really influenced both of us when we came to working on "The Other". For Marvel UK, "Doctor Who", "Transformers" and the American Marvel universe were all one big tapestry that, with the right mind, could be interpreted as anything to the right people. So that brings us to "Apotheosis" which demands that you should forget all of the current "Beast Wars" cartoon and turn back to the comics, indulge yourself in a strange piece of Britpop Fiction. If, like Oliver Melendez, you're looking for timelines and continuity then I would sit back and unlearn all that you have learnt because events in this would probably give you a headache if you wanted them to tie in with the current cartoon's line. And, on the other hand, if you've been able to read the Marvel UK titles before they all went bankrupt then good luck to you too, all I can really say is I hope you enjoy! This was the kind of story I always wanted to read and the kind that Marvel UK excelled in (only they did it better than me!) For "Transformers" fans all you need know is that the Excalibur team are (in my eyes) a unique group of British government operatives and for "Excalibur" fans all you need to know is that the Transformers are a race of huge mechanoid life forms from Cybertron who have the ability to change their forms and that there are two main power groups - the Autobots and Decepticons. And for "Spider-Man" fans....Oh, I'm sure you know what's going on! All "Transformers" characters owned by Hasbro "Spider-Man" owned by Marvel Comics All "Excalibur" characters owned by Marvel Comics UK All other characters owned by Vietnamese Wallflowers Text (C) Vietnamese Wallflowers 1998 * Aeons had passed and now, at long last, the waiting was over. The Cybertronian God known as Tornatron looked out across the vast expanse of the abyss. Now was the time of vengeance, a time to cast his intense illumination over the world and the people which had forsaken it. Within the confines of its florescent being, the ancient being smirked and then it was upon the planet, spraying forth its divine vengeance, corrupting the surface and draining life from its inhabitants. Tornatron had waited long enough. Now was a time of pure evil, of beings that cast no shadows and drunk the life from all cybernetic lifeforms. Now was the time for the vengeance of gods and an age old score that would finally be settled. A darkened smile broke out across his hideous primate face, tufts of hair jutting out from the useless follicles that peppered the macabre masque of his features. Hands of dark gunbolt metal and rotting ape flesh moved forwards. The transubstantiation of his new form was hideous to behold but for Black Jack it came as a blessing. Free from the fuel addled nature that a cybernetic form relies upon, he found new acts of degradation and perversity to indulge himself in, it was as if he had been reborn, a creature of synthesis incorporated into the fruit soft flesh of a dying animal. The Decepticon known as Megatron had pioneered experiments into prosthetic limbs and biogenetic fusion through slave trading and fear, Black Jack however had seen the advantage that a hybrid between the flesh creatures and native Cybertronian lifeforms had been a wise step in furthering the lifespans of his people and now Black Jack was planning to enforce statutorily conditions of transformations. By raiding the graves of decomposing carbon based units and extracting their DNA, Black Jack had transformed himself into one of the most powerful sentient beings in the cosmos. He had been the first to undergo transubstantiation and his now primitive bio-grafts were testament to that but a new army was arising from within the ranks of the Maximals, new warriors for new times. While his primary servants, the Decepticon jets Thundercracker and Skywarp and the bounty hunter Scourge, had refused to undergo the operations there was still time to 'convince' them. Through the ravaged remnants of his face, Black Jack found himself smiling. Without warning or reflection, a light so blinding as to corrupt the purist of souls. Rattrap looked up, his dark blue eyes almost overwhelmed by the sight. "Great Primus." He whispered. At his side, Kup and Galaxy Shuttle also looked out across the burning horizon. Then came the moment of impact, tendrils of light falling from the sky and ripping into the heart of their energon souls, crippling them - twisting metal and reforming cybernetic limbs. With a single unified voice they cried out, falling back to the harsh titanium ground, their circuits burning and their eyes fading to black. Black Jack also saw the dawn as the new sun entered Cybertron's solar system yet he was not afraid. This situation had been engineered and now Cybertron would be free of the accursed rebellion that had plagued it for so long...free for him to take compleat control. In a single disjointed movement he threw his head back and howled with laughter... Metal limbs blossoming out from his side, Gears transformed into his more familiar robotic form. Patiently he waited, a layer of snow settling upon the blue and red veneer of his frame. His audio circuits twitched, the sound of spiders spreading their webs a distant symphony in time with his melancholy. Not since the days of the first Earth landings had Gears felt truly at rest but now, as he approached the end of his lifecycle, he could feel himself descending into the dark well of apathy that he had spent his youth preparing. Suddenly he felt the impact of something hit his shoulders. He turned. A small human, its face obscured by a primitive cloth mask and its body clad in a costume of varying shades of red, black and blue had descended onto the ruffled metallic surface that supported his neck. Gears looked down at the human, a small black pictogram of a spider on the creature's chest twisted as it moved into a standing position. "Well I didn't expect to see you after all this time, old buddy." The human exclaimed. "Much time has passed." The ancient Autobot noted. Beneath his masque the human pulled a quizzical face. "You don't say." He smirked. "So, what's the plan?" The Autobot cast its optics out towards the sky. "We wait." He replied. Underneath the protective costume that concealed his identity, the meta-human known as Spider-Man found himself rolling his eyes. With increasing frequency the sun tore into the dull metallic exterior of the planet's surface. The Decepticon leader, Hun Grrr brought his proton cannon to level, giving himself a clear shot at his predecessor - one the many other Decepticons audacious enough to attempt to assume the mantel of divine leadership. Shockwave turned, his single Cyclops eye flashing with distaste as Hun Grrr disrupted his studies. Quickly he brought his gun to bare. A momentary pause and suddenly the shadows blossomed with fire, burning Shockwave's arm and twisting the gun from his grip. Hun Grrr smiled and his minions, Blackarachnia and Tarantulas emerged from the darkness, weapons raised. Shockwave's solitary eye widened. "Are you insane? That thing outside will destroy us all!" Hun Grrr nodded. "I am fully cognisant of this fact which is why I am here." He smiled darkly. "I want an escape craft, preferably before Mindwipe and his rival Decepticon faction turn up." Shockwave calmed himself, allowing logic to flow through his systems - his mind becoming void of emotion. Slowly he nodded. "Yes, I can see the logic in this." He agreed, beckoning with his hand. "Quickly, this way." His hand slipped over a small opening phase and the door slid open... Grimlock scowled, the neon lights of the advanced Cybertronian computer banks flickering across his battle scarred face. A double helix structure, made entirely of light, engulfed the screens, drawing his focus more than the warnings of various technologically cloister bells. Slowly he shook his head from side to side as if in denial. Both Swoop and Star Sabre looked across at him, weapons sliding from the grips of their palms in the intense heat. The coming of Tornatron had taken them all by surprise. Legends had spoke of the Last Dark God but no one had actually believed it still existed, though a small cult devoted to the 'Beast of Light' had surfaced during the times of darkness when Primus had seemed all but lost and the Fallen One had all but destroyed their world. No one had expected the Light, no one. Yet the Decepticons had known how to take advantage of the chaos and soon a wave of terrorism had broke it beneath the backdrop of Tornatron's own decimation of their home world. Star Sabre shook his head in disgust and for the first time ever he found himself becoming increasingly nervous. "What is it, Grimlock?" He snapped, his voice tainted by a dangerous edge. The Dinobot Prime looked up at him, his brow furrowed in deep confusion and anxiety. "Me, Grimlock no want to understand this." He growled, his voice deep and even more guttural (if that were possible) than usual. Star Sabre reiterated the urgency of the situation. "What is it?" He demanded again. Grimlock remained silent for the briefest of moments then, as he began to speak his fears; he waved his harsh masculine arms in the air. "It all around us." He warned. "Me no longer know what coming from Iacon and what not." He exchanged a worried glance with Swoop. The Autobot known as Star Sabre leant forwards, pushing past the two ancient Dinobots and planted himself firmly in front of the mushroom shaped control console. "There must be a way to tell what else is happening." He muttered, punching up certain co-ordinates and searching for energon traces that were not in some way related to Tornatron. "Me no think so." Grimlock offered. But Star Sabre's mind remained clear, focused even. Despite the overwhelming assault of the Cybertronian God, he knew that some how the Decepticons would be using it to their advantage, if only he just find out how.... Iacon's main terminal unleashed an urgent high-pitched bleep. His hands flickered across the mushroom shaped console, desperately attempting to isolate the source of the signal. A deep frown crossed his mechanoid's face and Swoop, hovering at his side, urged him to elaborate. Star Sabre turned to look at him, his face creased with worry. "There's a craft leaving Cybertron," He paused briefly, his mind chewing over the facts. "It's a Decepticon craft." Grimlock snarled. "Me Grimlock go find Prime." He said, turning his back upon his comrades. Star Sabre reached out and laid his hand on the old Dinobot's shoulder. "You can't." He whispered in a dry voice. The veloceraptor turned. "Why?" He demanded dangerously. For the second time in so many moments Star Sabre gave in to his worry. "Because...Because no one knows where he is." He stuttered. Spider-Man frowned. "So what you're trying to say is that there's this great ball of light and it's intent on destroying your world?" Gears looked at him as if he were a child. "It is not simply a 'great ball of light'," He reiterated. "It is one of our Gods." The meta-human scratched the crown of his head and offered Gears a puzzled, if not concealed, expression. "So you want me to help you destroy one of your own Gods?" He paused in an attempt to take in all of the facts that the ageing Autobot offered him. "Shouldn't you be talking to the Fantastic Four about this?" The Autobot shook its head. "They would prove to be no help." He replied. "I need to acquire transport without being discovered by the governments of your planet." Spider-Man found himself nodding lamely. "Uh-huh." Another pause. "Then you will help me?" Gears finally asked. Spider-Man smiled broadly. "Ah, why the heck not. Once more around the block and all that, if only for old times' sake." For the first time in nearly half a century, the Autobot, Gears found himself smiling. With tendrils carved from the bones of infinity, Tornatron smothered the world that had once worshipped it. Like toy soldiers they fell, their physiology snapping between the grasp of his artificial limbs. A deep guttural sound echoed throughout the carbon atmosphere, shattering even the most durable of glass and twisting metal beyond recognition. Then came the distraction... A small craft the size of its left eye soared out from the centre of the planet's surface. Something was wrong, it reflected then like a blinding flash - a vision of Primus, Tornatron knew what was wrong. The craft left no energon trail. The door broke open in a flurry of unprecedented violence, showering debris and shards like confetti over the Maximals that cowered within. The shadow of a figure, smoking weapon in hand, emerged from the blinding cataclysm of light outside. Scourge brought his weapon to bear. "Don't you ever die?" The former Decepticon hissed. The energon cannon that had once maintained sentience in its life as the Nebulan, Fracas hummed as Scourge prepared to open fire. Without warning Black Jack, the Maximal Gog-Ma-Gog, thrust his putrid hand before the being that had once been Fracas. He made a gentle tutting sound and smiled darkly. "No, my dear Scourge," He said with glee. "This," He paused. "Creature is mine." The Autobot who had once been known as Optimus Prime stepped forwards into the neon glow of the covert Maximal base. "How I've waited for this moment." Black Jack hissed; clicking his knuckles and smiling a revolting smile. "Tornatron, the War, all this..." He gestured with his arms. "All this was for you, Prime, all to lure the fly into the spider's web - all so I could finally eliminate you and take my place as the new Xaaron." Beneath the mask that covered his mouth, Onyx Prime smiled as one who has recently been complimented on his good taste. "How touching." He replied and in turn raised his own weapon. Black Jack waved his hand and Prime reframed from shooting the creature dead where it stood. "All in good time, my dear Onyx," The ape-creature grinned, revealing a row of hideous yellow teeth. "First I'd like you to meet an old friend." He beckoned towards the shadows and a second Autobot stepped forwards, the metallic sheen of its red and yellow continence now adorned with yellow and black Cheetah flesh. The Autobot's eyes were dull and tired, Prime noted but he was still recognisable as the Autobot that in a parallel time would take up the mantel of High Autobot Leader. "Hot Rod?" He asked in surprise, taking several tentative steps forwards. The other Autobot showed some faint gleam of recognition and then Black Jack fired. The lighthouse was cold during winter. As Peter Parker, Spider-Man had always insisted they try to repair the central heating but Brian had always insisted that it added a certain 'atmosphere' to the old lighthouse. Before leaving by a US Government 'unmarked helicopter', Parker had made sure that he had emailed his old comrade with all the necessary information that he had gathered from snooping around the Military's Arpanet system. The whole caboodle was there, the files on the bounty hunter, Death's Head and even what little was known of the man responsible for mechanoid being transformed to human size, the dimension rider known only as the Doctor. He was sure Brian would have gathered this information from UNIT or one of its various off shoot divisions but still, you can never be too sure. Gears looked decidedly uncomfortable, he decided but that's what you get for being more than twice the size of a human being. Parker's reflections were disturbed by a sudden sensation of burning. He turned, narrowly dodging a thin stream of fire, and faced Lockheed, Kitty Pryde's 'pet' dragon. "Not the welcoming party I had in mind." Gears mumbled. Spider-Man shrugged. "Beggars can't be choosers." He smiled. The Decepticon craft hurtled through space, the harsh titanium of its shell blistered and burning. Tarantulas looked up from his navigator's position to where Hun Grrr hovered behind him. "There's no way we can avoid Tornatron." He exclaimed in a decidedly organic fashion. "It's impossible." If Shockwave had a mouth he would have smiled. "Improbable but not impossible." He smirked. "Or do you forget that this is not a standard energon drive craft?" Hun Grrr looked anxious. "Then what's keeping us afloat?" He demanded. To Hun Grrr, Shockwave's 'face' seemed to exude smugness. "By Furmanite of course." He replied. The unique team known as Excalibur consisted of the shape changer - Meggan, the two metahumans whose haircuts quite liberally qualified as 'mullets' - Nightcrawler and Phoenix, the intangible Shadowcat and the meta-human Dionysus, Captain Britain, all of whom now stood, framed in a heroic pose in the doorway that had allowed Lockheed to enter. Spider-Man waved his hand feebly. "Hallo." He offered by way of greeting. There was a long silence in which Captain Britain's expression remained unchanged. "We prepared the transport twenty four hours ago." He said and finally broke into a smile. "What kept you?" The stench of burning flesh and corrupted metal filled the air. Prime raised a hand to his head in a vague attempt to clot the fluids yet the continued to seep through his palms and stain the floor. Black Jack gloated eagerly. "You such a fool, Prime. Did you think that a new body could save you from this? Who do you think supplied Mindwipe the technology to form Darklore, who made it possible for Rodimus Prime to travel from an alternate reality?" Prime looked up at him. "Who has signed the death warrant of his home world?" Black Jack frowned, as if he had forgotten something. "Tornatron?" He asked and then broke into a hideous laugh. "Tornatron is my puppet." Without warning the foundations of the building began to crumple and then came Light... Rattrap flexed his restored limbs and fixed Star Sabre with a cynical glare. "You not seriously considering this are you?" He demanded. The tall Oriental Autobot nodded in a half-hearted fashion and finished adding the final weapons systems to the battered craft that he intended to pursue the Decepticons in. "I'm sure Prime would do the same..." His voice began to drift off. "If anyone knew where he was." Rattrap pulled himself off the operating table and scowled at his superior. "Who do you plan to take with you?" Star Sabre rose himself up to his full height but still he looked distracted. "Grimlock, Rhinox..." He paused, a faint smile curling up on his lips. "And yourself of course." Rattrap began to back away in a nervous fashion. "No way, not me..." Suddenly a sheering bolt of energon sliced through Star Sabre, cutting his head from his neck and sending his body falling to the ground. In slow motion, Rattrap turned. The gleaming form of Mindwipe waited across the other side of the room. The RMS AC Chapin broke free of the Earth's atmosphere and made the jump to hyperspace. It was closely followed by its sister craft, the RMS James Joyce. Within a short while they would enter Cybertron's solar system and then, then would the war truly begin in earnest. The light burnt down against both metallic and organic skin, burning small holes in their bodies and rippling out across the surface of Cybertron, contaminating every form of sentient life on the planet's surface. With its primary tentacle, Tornatron help Black Jack aloft, giving the Decepticon craft just enough space to move past. "So, little one," It snarled. "You are the vile creature that has summoned me." Black Jack opened his mouth to say something but no words came. "It is no matter." It smiled. "All will soon be fodder for my will." And in a single motion it devoured the Maximal. Hot Rod helped his fallen leader up to a standing position. "Iacon." Prime whispered. "Must return...to Iacon." The youth smiled understandingly. "I may be a bit rusty but I'm sure we can get you there in true Hot Rod style." And with that he transformed into his cheetah form, allowed the weakened Prime to climb upon his back and speed away from the Maximal headquarters. Gears flicked a communications switch and hailed the Joyce and the human team onboard. "This is where I do my bit for Cybertron." He said, his voice cold and aching. There was a burst of static and Spider-Man's voice came through the speakers, smothered in static and interference. "What do you mean by that, old friend?" Gears looked out towards the blinding heart of the fallen God. "Thank you for all you've done..." He whispered. "Old friend." In a blinding burst of flames the Chapin crashed into the Cybertronian God's face... Rattrap twisted on his side and opened fire; a volley of searing energon bolts burning scars deep into the grafted flesh of Mindwipe's exterior. All he had to do was hold until Grimlock and Swoop returned but somehow, Rattrap suspected that he didn't have that long till Mindwipe secured a decent aim. He shrugged silently to himself and moved out into the line of fire. Light... Deep masses of swirling consciousness, pulling his inorganic body and leaving nothing but his mind. So this must be what's it like when you die, he thought. Yet somehow he didn't think he was going to die, not now and not for a long time. With a single thought, Gears realised he was the pebble dislodged in the swamp of Tornatron's mind, still there was ample time inside the mind of a God to engineer the genesis of its downfall...he just hoped he didn't complicate matters even further... It took approximately two seconds for Mindwipe to register that his head had been torn from his shoulders. Another two seconds after that and his head exploded. Grimlock spat the charred metal out onto the smooth ground then proceeded to remove the remnants of shrapnel and teeth that still lingered within his mouth. Behind him stood the broken Autobot Prime propped up by an Autobot he had never seen before. He looked up at the mis-matched group. "Hey, I've been expected you...so where the Decepticons apparently." Grimlock, now in his organic veloceraptor mode, gave him a dark scowl. "Me Grimlock want to know what happen to Star Sabre?" He asked, indicating Star Sabre's fallen body. Prime staggered forwards. "We don't have time." He said in a harsh voice. "Rattrap, ready the shuttle for launch." The being known as Tornatron swayed and loosened its grip, retreating back from the planet's surface. Gears closed his eyes, or rather what was left of them, said his goodbyes and allowed his psychic grip to fade and then waited. Briefly he thought he heard the thrusters of another craft bank to his right and head off into hyperspace and then the Heavens shook as the fallen angel exploded, scattering itself across a thousand separate dimensional planes. Spider-Man and the Excalibur team watched as the God spread itself out across infinity in order to minimise destruction. A single tear stained his masque and he had not the effort to wipe it away. Kitty Pryde leant forward and put her arms around his proud shoulders. "He was a good man." She whispered, not quite comprehending the complexities of Cybertronian life. Peter Parker nodded and turned his back. A new sun was dawning over Cybertron... Several thousand million years earlier... For four days he had put off making the decision and now, standing at the heart of the space craft he had first arrived on Earth in and he wished he had put the decision off for much longer, maybe an eternity. His mobile form, now powered by Furmanite picked up the inanimate form of his first incarnation and suddenly he understood the Grandfather Paradox that seemed to be so important in time active societies. With solemn eyes he looked out across the horizon and nodded his head as if a silent voice was speaking in his ears. "And so it begins again." He whispered. "And so it begins again."