I'm having trouble getting done with another installment of Quantum State, but the next one will be extra long, and I'll repost the first three parts for anyone who hasn't seen it. (Since there's been a lot of fanfic and feedback lately, I want to take advantage of the trend!:)) In the meantime, here's another story, which will ultimately fit into _my_ continuity which includes QS and the next story _Brave New Universe, one part of which is done but not posted because it would reveal something about QS that's not quite ready to come out yet... As usual, send all comments to- unicron2k5@aol.com, not this address. I am posting here thanks to the whim of a friend, and I don't want his mail cluttered. Sorry for any inconvenience! Legal BS: Hasbro has the copyrights to all Transformer characters. I'm not doing this story for $$, so they have no reason to sue me. Anyway, thus is a prologue to yet another upcoming story which reveals some secrets about Primus and Unicron, and ultimately explains Unicron's first 'return' in 2005. I'm sorry if jumping around with my continuity is confusing, I just ask that you hold on for a month or two until you have the whole explanation. I have attempted to incorporate elements from both the cartoon and the comic as best as I can, that is, the stuff I like. Vector Sigma, Alpha Trion- these things are worked into my continuity but any events involving them in the cartoon never happened. They simply exist. In the future, I have my own universe of stories completely unrelated to Furman development, but for now, I'm enjoying developing that universe... <------------------------------------------------------------------ ????- Deep Space The Chaos Bringer struck again. And closed in for the kill. At last, at long last, not only would he cleanse the heavens of another source of life, but this source of life! This, the cursed Primus! In fact, he had already won. This was just the finishing touch. Primus had already lost the battle, now he was just buying time, fighting a hopeless battle in cyberspace with no remaining resources, his broken body back in the physical world. He had everything, Primus had nothing. And the other knew it. Even though it was just a mental projection, he could see the desperation in Primus's eyes. He could see the frantic look of an animal, backed into a corner but without its claws, without its teeth. And the Chaos Bringer smiled. Primus's final mental shield collapsed. The enemy was through. His last defense was gone. But he still had his mind, the cold weapon of logic which still struck sharp and deep. That mind had not been concentrating on the battle- that had been hopeless from the start. The Chaos Bringer had had more raw power, the element of surprise. So Primus had to even the odds by devising a trap. His body broken, adrift, he had led the battle into cyberspace, into the realm between minds, to move the combat to a more even plain. He was still losing, a powerful mind without his physical energy resources to back it up. In cyberspace, he retreated, barely dodging the barrage of blows from the enemy. But Primus was dodging in a very specific direction. And he saw, just as he hoped, that the other didn't care, didn't try to guess his motives. His only thought was the obliteration of Primus. Primus began to dissolve, warping back to the physical universe. The other followed, barely at his heels. Primus almost hesitated. What could he do next? That was unknown. But whatever it was, it was better than losing the battle here and now. He jumped, back into reality. And Unicron followed. * * * Time was short. Reconfiguring a barren planetoid was taxing enough, but the main task remained to be done. The enemy would be aware of him, of his basic plan, but his location - that had to be kept secret until the time was right, until all was ready. There was no choice. For any hope of success, Primus had to deactivate. But his world needed a caretaker, one who could be trusted. One who could realize the absolute necessity of the plan, one who would complete it without error or change to the perfectly wrought scheme. And so, Primus summoned one. His name was - irrelevent. When he stepped into Primus, he became the Keeper. A new name could not remake the ancient being it described. He, and Primus, and the others, had existed so long... The old mechanoid materialized at the center of Primus's new body, joints creaking as he stepped off the transfer grid. In the dark, he might have almost looked organic, but his sculpted, etched features were carved in metal. Scrawny but powerful limbs flexed as he tested his long dormant reflexes. Flecks of dust and debris tumbled off him as he moved. "Nice change," he rumbled, as he surveyed the huge chamber which housed the mind of Primus. It was mostly barren rock, and almost completely dark, but chunks of matter whirred through the air, detaching and reattaching to the walls in intricate patterns. Parts of the cavern glowed as the cold rock burned and was reborn as metal. Directly in the center a huge column was forming, twisting and hardening into new shapes. "You're really moving up in the universe!" His voice began to modulate as long unused audial emitters cranked into motion. "Save your humor. The battle, the plan, has drained almost all my energy. Time is short. You will be known as Keeper now. Use the interface and learn the details of your new duty." Keeper stepped over to the giant central console, slowly reforming, as he watched, into a giant face. He leaned both hands against it, legs back and apart, and wires whistled and crackled out of the darkness, plugging themselves into his sensory inputs, jacking him directly into cyberspace, lifting his body atop the swirling pile of reforming matter. A swirl of electrical energy surrounded the Keeper as he foraged through the raw data being poured into him, his body jerking in overload at the sudden input. Several minutes later, he detached from the machine and stood silent and still for a few seconds. "Take this. You know what to do with it." A brilliant beam of pure white light flickered around the chamber as a small globe rose through a crack in the crumbling rock and floated towards the Keeper. The fissure slammed shut. If one were to dare to look directly at the globe, sparks could be seen dancing around the surface, various limbs of energy seething inside in a million directions, forming lines in constantly changing patterns. Keeper extended a quavering hand. He thought he could almost hear- voices whispering from the globe as it moved towards him. The globe dropped into the outstretched hand, and went dark. Keeper turned around, looking for - something - in the darkness. There was another silence. "You realize, Primus, the duration of time your plan could take?" He said, abruptly. "Of course. Time, as we both know, is largely irrelevant." "Not in this matter, surely. Many lifeforms will die!" "More will be saved this way, by my calculations, then in a further battle now. " "You could finish it, you know. Metamorphosize into a new body like his. The battle could be ended for all time!" Keeper's statement sounded almost like an accusation. "Such a battle could have destroyed all life in this part of the universe. And I still could have been defeated again. I probably would. My way is - better. It gives us all - time." "That's a lot of coulds!" "Enough!" Keeper finally fell silent. "All right," he said. "I will follow the plan. My power is at your command. " He laughed dryly. "MY power! Your power. Not that I have much choice. You knew I'd agree, didn't you? " "That was part of the bargain, Keeper." "Of course it was. We were so eager. We all wanted it that way. And whatever I don't have, I do have my honor." he paused. "We've wasted time here. You should shut down. Now." "YES." Keeper began walking toward an exit tunnel. Halfway there, he stopped. "Primus?" "Yes, Keeper." "Do you ever wonder which of us was really the original? Or the closest to the original?" "No. It is - unimportant. That is - here, no longer even the past. We are something different now. Our purpose supercedes the necessity of such knowledge. " "To you, not to me. You came out on top." "What you think doesn't matter, remember? That was in the bargain too, Keeper." "Yes." "And Keeper, - never question me again. Never speak of - _before_ again." "Yes, 'Prime.'" Keeper reached the exit. "See you in a few million years. We hope." He was gone, not caring for a reply. The archway he had come through was already blending into another metal wall. It was just as well, for there was no reply to hear. Primus was still and silent. For a _very_ long time. * * * * December, 1990- Planet Cybertron Unobserved, a single bolt of energy streaked away from the battle. No one noticed. They were too pleased to be alive. June, 1991- Planet Progath, 6 light years distant from Planet Cybertron Every electrical system on the planet Progath was scrambled as a beam of energy passed through the outer atmosphere. Magnets went crazy, electronic records were jumbeld. Later, scientists would be baffled at how the energy actually avoided the planet without diminishing its speed or intensity. And they would be totally baffled as to what the form of energy was... December, 1992- Deep Space * * * May, 1991- Planet Cybertron The tremors continued. Keeper could feel every quiver, as the once- proud cities of Cybertron, tarnished by the war, battered by the asteroids, nearly demolished in the battle with Unicron, crumbled. Without the life-force of Primus to sustain it, the form the rock called Cybertron had held for so long was rapidly dissolving. If anyone was still alive on it, the Last Autobot should be dealing with it, Keeper could feel his presence, though growing distant. But in the center of the planet, it was chaos. Keeper screamed. He sat, plugged into scanners which monitered every part of the planet. An energon feed ran into his chassis. Gaping wounds covered his body. The Decepticons had nearly destroyed him; then Unicron had destroyed his master. And now he could feel the death of this world, HIS world that he had watched and guarded for so long. Next to Keeper lay the shattered remains of the Autobot Emirate Xaaron, recently holding the consciousness of Primus. Unicron had crushed them both. Keeper had retrieved them in the confusion after Unicron's defeat, and spent days trying to find a sign of life. But there was nothing to find. Two heroes were gone. The Autobots and Decepticons were gone, they had left to destroy each other. Keeper was dying. He bowed his head. Soon, very soon, nothing would remain of Primus and his children.