note: e-mail address now shalott@netspace.org Article 16217 of alt.toys.transformers: Path: usenet.ins.cwru.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!news2.near.net!cat.cis.Brown.EDU!cis-ts4-slip8.cis.brown.edu!user From: shalott@brown.edu (the lady of shalott) Newsgroups: alt.toys.transformers Subject: [FANFIC] Final Peace (Part 3 of 9) Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 04:15:31 -0400 Organization: Brown University Lines: 211 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: cis-ts4-slip8.cis.brown.edu X-Newsreader: Value-Added NewsWatcher 2.0b19.1+ Chapter 1 Soundwave strode through the halls of the Council Tower in Crystal City, his expression betraying nothing of his thoughts as he marched towards the Council Chamber. He nodded calmly to the ceremonial honor guard outside the door, noting with some surprise that he did not recognize the two young soldiers outside the door, despite their Decepticon symbols. _Our numbers have grown_ he mused silently. _There was a time when I knew every Decepticon and Autobot in the ranks... unfortunate that the humans' numbers have grown more swiftly._ Evidently the two guards had no such difficulty in recognizing the indigo-armored Soundwave, as they quickly snapped to attention and pulled the doors open for him. There was something near hero-worship on their faces, and Soundwave found himself wondering whether these two had ever been tried in battle... and how they would act when they were. He stepped swiftly into the council chamber, noting that all the other members were there and already embroiled in discussion as the doors closed behind him. "Ultra Magnus, you're a fool! We could have that world's resources at our disposal in less than a week if you'd cease these ridiculous objections!" Starscream gestured sweepingly in annoyance. Ultra Magnus stood, planting his hands on the table. "And you, Starscream, are unprincipled and have no concern for any other life form! There are TWO species on that world that are on the verge of achieving sentience according to our computers -- we cannot invade their world and disrupt their progression towards civilization!" "As if organics really ever _get_ to civilization," sneered Starscream by way of reply. Deciding that the time was ripe, Soundwave interjected, "We are faced with a difficulty because at least one species of them evidently has succeeded in progressing, Starscream." The five Cybertronians all turned to him. "Soundwave, you return!" said Hook, sounding relieved at the interruption of another of Starscream and Magnus's interminable arguments. Red Alert leaned forward anxiously, "Your report was most distressing, Soundwave -- quickly, tell us what the situation is!" Starscream sank back into his chair, rolling his eyes. "Distressing indeed. As if those fleshling humans could actually ever threaten *us*." He drank from the container of energon at his side. Ultra Magnus frowned at his tone, then turned to Soundwave, "Much as I dislike agreeing with Starscream, I have to admit I find it hard to believe that the humans would turn against us, Soundwave. We've been allies for milennia now. Are you sure you just haven't mistaken the situation?" "Negative," Soundwave harmonized. "The situation is as I reported it. The danger to Cybertron is not illusory. Terran resources are vast and constantly expanding at an exponential rate -- one we cannot match. Projections indicate that at our present rates of progress, should a war occur one century from now, the outcome would inevitably be Terran victory. At this moment, our chances of victory are slightly greater than 19%." His words fell like stones into the well of silence that the room had become. Finally, the fifth council member, Kup, broke the silence. "Well, sounds like we're in trouble if the humans are really out to get us," the elder Autobot said laconically. "But you still haven't answered Magnus's question -- what makes you think they _are_ out to get us." By way of reply, Soundwave transformed into his compact secondary form and linked up to the display screen. Sending a silent command to Laserbeak, who had accompanied him on the mission, he began to play back a recording... *** Jameson Butler stands at a podium, facing the glaring lights of hundreds of video tranceivers that will carry his image and voice to the Thousand Worlds of the Terran Empire. A sea of humans is massed around the platform where he stands, shifting back and forth as they wait for him to begin. He smiles, pleased with the crowd that numbers in the hundreds of thousands, sensing their eagerness for his words, the conjunction between their energy and his directing will. [Soundwave interjected, 'This is the leader of the Humanitarian Movement, as he spoke at a gathering less than two weeks ago.'] A sigh passes through the crowd as he steps up to the podium and begins to speak -- he disdains notes and speaks directly from the heart. "Fellow humans!" he starts, his voice warm and encouraging, "We are gathered here this day to begin a crusade! A crusade of liberation." He points out over the crowd to the darkening sky beyond, where a few faint stars are beginning to appear. "Out there lie a people enslaved, a people chained and downtrodden, a people who have been kept from their destiny for too long!" His voice rises to a shout, "But NO LONGER!" The crowd collectively leans forward, moving like a single body. [None of the Cybertronians could repress a shudder at the image, so eerie, of the mass of beings all seeming to act as one. 'How can they do that?' said Starscream, his face twisting in disgust. 'They look positively mindless.'] Jameson continues; his voice thunders through a thousand thousand ears and resounds in halls and homes across the swath of galaxy called home by humankind. "That people is the Terran people! Yes, we ourselves are enslaved! We have been kept from our true path! How, you ask?" He waits a moment for the crowd to find its voice, for the roar that affirms his words even though it is not intelligible. "I WILL TELL YOU!" he shouts back in response. "We have enslaved OURSELVES! We have accepted the temptations of luxury and ease, and we have turned away from the path of struggle and achievement! We have willingly turned our lives and our minds over to our slavers --- and do you know who those are?!" The crowd's collective throat swells with the wordless response once more. He stabs a finger out across the crowd, gesturing forcefully, "The machines! We have crafted machines to replace our own minds! And we have let them control our destiny!" His voice drops to an intimate softness, "But tell me, my friends... can a machine have a soul? Can any amalgamation of metal and wire ever comprehend beauty, or know joy?" He raises his voice once more. "NO! It can NOT!" [Ultra Magnus looked bewildered... 'I don't understand, Soundwave. If they've decided to hate machines they've created, what does this have to do with us?' 'Attend a moment,' Soundwave responded as the speech continued. As it came to its close, all the Transformers' attention was riveted on the screen.] Butler concludes, "My friends -- my fellow humans. We have begun our liberation with the destruction of those 'Artificial Intelligences' that we ourselves created. And we have accepted our own blame for having allowed this to happen. But we are NOT ALONE AT FAULT!" He smiles softly as he sees the crowd's new eagerness, the sense of coiled anger gathering. "We were led astray by those who would deny us our destiny!! By those who would see our race stagnate and die, that they might have dominion! YOU KNOW WHO I MEAN! I mean those abominations, the Cybertronians!" ['How dare he!' protested Starscream, 'I will personally *squash* this flesh creature!' 'Quiet,' snapped Kup, straining to listen.] "Those soulless machines, who gave us the means to create the AIs that enslaved us! Their existence is eternal if they are not slain -- and who is to say that our race is their first victim? Who knows how many intelligent species they have betrayed and sent down the path of destruction?" He shouts now, his voice nearly hoarse with evident rage, "We must not let this happen again! We must protect our descendants and all intelligent life of the galaxy from their insidious threat!" Slamming his fist down on the podium, he finishes, "I say that we are at WAR! And not just any war, but a HOLY WAR for the minds and souls of all the life of the galaxy! _This_ _is_ _jihad_! And we will not stop until we have cleansed the galaxy from all their kind! Are you with me?!" The crowd's cheering seems to go on for an eternity before it is suddenly cut off as Soundwave terminates the link. *** The council members all looked at one another, some bewildered, some in shock, some enraged, but none unmoved. Starscream whirled on Ultra Magnus. "NOW you see what comes of pandering to flesh creatures!" he hissed. "If you blasted fools hadn't stood in our way, we Decepticons would have eliminated this problem before it ever became one!" The tall Autobot was still shaking his head in disbelief. "I just can't believe it..." he murmured half to himself. "It seems like just yesterday that I was talking with Marissa or Spike..." "Maybe that's the problem," interjected Kup quietly. "We don't realize it, but humans move on and change and die while we're just about standing still. It's been just a couple of piddly centuries for us since we were real allies with the humans, but for them that's more than a lifetime." Agitated, Red Alert jumped to his feet. "The cause of this doesn't matter anymore! We've got to _DO_ something! And fast -- before the Terrans start attacking us! We are _totally_ unprepared for an attack of any magnitude." Hook nodded. "Cybertron's defenses aren't _bad_, but they won't stand up against the kind of firepower the Terrans can throw against us if they really mobilize." All eyes turned to Ultra Magnus and Starscream almost instinctively, in a near-automatic return to the mentality of the war days when a single leader was needed to centralize command. Starscream didn't miss the shifting orientation and quickly leaped to his feet. "As ranking Decepticon commander, *I* am naturally the clear choice for commander of our defenses in this crisis. Therefore, I will take command of our armies and mobilize them-- " "Hah," snorted Kup. "As if any Autobot would ever follow you, Starscream. You're still the same treacherous snake you always were, and none of us is about to give you control, so you can forget it." "Why you-- " Starscream stepped towards him angrily. "Hold it!" snapped Magnus, stepping in between them. "We don't have time for this -- we can't quibble over leadership, and we can't afford dissension now." "Suggestion:" harmonized Soundwave. "Autobots will follow Magnus, Decepticons will follow Starscream. A division of command will be less harmful than extended dissension over command." The others slowly nodded, except for Hook. "May I remind you all that this sort of thing has been tried before?" he asked dryly. "Multiple leadership has never worked for us, and _neither_ Magnus nor Starscream is going to get the kind of mobilization from our people that is necessary to defend Cybertron." He looked at the two of them. "Frankly, neither of you is a particularly inspiring commander. And if *we* have a hard time believing the humans to be a threat with all the evidence that Soundwave's sent us, how do you expect to convince the populace at large that they are either?" Kup looked at him sardonically. "Got any better ideas?" With a frown, Hook slowly shook his head. "Not at the moment." "Then it sounds to me like we'd better get started with what we've got," responded the older Bot, standing up and pushing away from the table. With a murmur of agreement, the others all rose and left the room, heading grimly towards the duties of mobilization... leaving only Hook, sunk in thought, behind in the council chamber. ----- Send comments! Please! :) *****TRANSFORMERS 2005 MUSH GOES IC MONDAY MAY 1ST!***** rowan.liii.com 5555 our nifty home page: http://www.netspace.org/~shalott/TF2005.html * Out flew the web and floated wide * * The mirror crack'd from side to side * the lady of shalott Naomi_Novik@brown.edu * shalott@iglou.com * shalott@netspace.org Cyclonus @ TF 2005