The rented Oldsmobile drove through the border with nary a pause.  Inside,
Geoff Cooper dabbed sweat off his brow even though the temperature was a cool
72 degrees.  He gave the sign a cursory glance, but the warning about "deadly
force" sent his stomach into a tight curl.  He had helped sneaked Soundwave
into the Federal Information Center offices as part of a tour group, and
Megatron had assured him the next day that his visit to the Ark was ready.
Still, Cooper worried that something might go wrong.

<What's Megatron going to gain by getting me killed now?> he asked as the car
continued into the Autobots' reservation.  <Nothing.  Stop worrying,> he
reassured himself.  Megatron had even agreed to turn over some of the plans
already -- "Half now, and half when you finish your end of the bargain."
Those plans now sat in the briefcase on the seat beside him, along with a few
SECT reports and a few of his own business papers.  Cooper had looked at the
plans earlier; though he wasn't an engineer, he had retained enough of his
college science courses to believe that they were genuine.

A massive railed tank suddenly glided in front of him, moving much faster than
its size suggested.  Cooper slammed on the brakes in panic and swerved to
avoid a collision.  The Buick's engine died from the sudden stop as a swirling
cloud of dust enveloped it.  When he finally caught his breath, Cooper looked
in the rear-view mirror, only to see the ominous red barrel pointed at him.  A
voice like the wrath of a displeased god demanded, "PRESENCE UNAUTHORIZED.
IDENTIFY NOW."

With slow movements that he hoped were not provocative, Cooper opened the door
and stepped out to face the tank.  "Geoffrey Cooper, from SECT.  I have an
appointment with Optimus Prime...?"

Omega Supreme scanned the human, checking him, his clothing, and his vehicle
for signs of Transformer life and any unusual electronic devices, satisfied at
finding none.  It radioed Teletran 1, asking for a verification of Cooper's
visit, and was surprised when the query came back empty.  Suspicions rising,
he sent Prowl a Level 4 alert while instructing the human to wait.

                                    * * *

Optimus Prime spotted Prowl hunched over his console in the Security Center
and sensed something amiss.  "Is there anything wrong?"

"I'm not sure.  The human, Geoffrey Cooper, is here to see you.  He says he
has an appointment, but I can't find the authorization in our records."

Prime stroked his chin thoughtfully.  "Have you checked with Washington?"

"I'm doing that--  ah, here it is.  Yes, they have a record of his visit.
Seems he made the request the day after your television appearance, and the
Vice-President approved it.  I wonder why we didn't get it in the daily
database update?"

"Perhaps there is a malfunction in our data link; I will ask Wheeljack to
investigate.  Meanwhile, you can escort Mr. Cooper to the command center."

                                    * * *

Cooper stiffened slightly as the police car pulled up next to his Olds and
unfolded into a giant robot.  "All clear, Omega," he said to the tank.  "I'll
take him in."  As the tank rolled away, the robot turned to him.  "Mr. Cooper.
My name is Prowl.  I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but we weren't notified of
your visit.  Optimus Prime is waiting for you."

"That's, ah, that's all right," Cooper said with a faint smile.  "I just
wanted to talk to him once more, to try and persuade him to change his mind
about SECT."

Prowl nodded in politeness.  The human's persistence was laudable, though he
did not think Prime would be convinced.  "Please follow me."  Prowl
transformed back into his vehicle form, then waited for Cooper to start his
car before heading for the Ark.

When they arrived, Prowl and Cooper stopped almost simultaneously.  Cooper
climbed out with his briefcase, then adjusted his shirt and tie while Prowl
watched patiently.  When Cooper was finished, Prowl guided him away, taking
the lead.  He failed to see the human take a small plastic disc out of his
jacket and adhere it on a console.

Prime greeted Cooper as they entered the command center.  "Mr. Cooper.  I was
not expecting to see you."

"I'm not surprised; our last meeting was a little ... pointed."  He glanced
momentarily at Prowl's exit, then returned to Prime.  "I just wanted to talk
to you once more about the possibility of releasing your technology to us
humans."

Prime kneeled to bring himself closer to Cooper's level.  "I must be honest,
Mr. Cooper.  I do not think you will change my mind."

"At least give me a few minutes of your time."  He dropped his suitcase and
popped the latches open, then pulled out a few sheets of paper.  "Now, let me
talk about the world food crisis..."

                                    * * *

Omega Supreme slowly continued his walk around the perimeter.  Once in a great
while, one of the other Autobots would ask how he could stand the dull
monotony of his task.  His reply was always the same: "PATROL ESSENTIAL.  MUST
FULFILL."  He was glad to perform any other duties required of him, but the
truth was that he welcomed the repetitive nature of patrol duty.  His life had
been shattered by chaos times before, one of which left his speech center
permanently impaired.  The patrol gave him a sense of stability and order that
had long been missing.

The radar suddenly lit up with a cluster of blips.  A second sweep confirmed
his suspicions -- low-altitude intruders, flying at just under MACH 1,
converging directly on the Ark from a 160-degree arc.  Motion detectors added
more bad news: additional ground-based units were arriving at speeds up to a
hundred and twenty miles an hour.  Even as Omega darted for the entrance, he
activated the Ark's alarms and defense systems for a Level 1 alert.

He was dumbfounded when the laser batteries remained buried underground and
the emergency sirens stayed silent.  Repressing panic, Omega next tried to
alert Prime, Prowl, Jazz, Blaster -- anyone -- on the combat frequency; for
this he was rewarded with a numbing silence.  "DECEPTICON ATTACK," he shouted,
then fired a half-dozen bursts across the sky for emphasis.  Unwilling to wait
any longer, he transformed.

The sight would have boggled the mind of any human engineer: miles of electric
railing retracted in seconds into massive overcrossings.  A launch tower
suddenly snapped in two the rocket it was holding.  Struts retracted, brackets
extended, giant segments weighing several tons gracefully soared through the
air while reforming and merging into new shapes.  Omega's tank component
shifted and flew, to lock into the exostructure with a reverberating boom.  A
shield retracted from the turret to reveal Omega's face, ready for battle.

Inferno, Sunstreaker, and Windcharger arrived just as Megatron fired.  "Die,
Autobots!" he cried, and an orange fireball blossomed in front of the Ark,
sending grass and dirt flying.  Nearly a dozen airborne shapes followed in his
wake, strafing the ground-based Autobots.

Sunstreaker leaped into command.  "Windcharger, alert Prime!  We've got an
invasion here!"  As Windcharger transformed and drove off, the Autobots
opened fire on the Decepticons, who readily dodged the uncoordinated attack.

An ominous shape suddenly blotted out the afternoon sun.  Before Omega could
react, Predaking swooped out of the sky and tackled him; the two fell with a
crash that shook the earth.  The Autobot titan and the Decepticon gestalt fell
and rolled apart.  Each immediately raced to regain his footing first.

A second blast from Megatron's fusion cannon sent Inferno and Sunstreaker
deeper into the entry bay.  Bluestreak and Skids arrived just then, and the
four dove for cover as the Decepticons landed in robot modes and continued
firing.

"There's too many of them!" Skids yelled.

Inferno laughed in total disregard for safety.  "Nine to four?  Get real!"

                                    * * *

Omega Supreme was having his own problems.  Predaking was promptly joined by
Bruticus and Devastator, who were now triple-teaming him.  Though the guardian
was larger and stronger than the combiners, they had numbers on their side.

He backhanded Devastator with his plasma blaster while grabbing Predaking with
his clawed hand.  Bruticus charged, but Omega spun his head and fired off his
head-mounted laser.  While Bruticus staggered from the point-blank burst,
Predaking punched Omega in his lower torso and squirmed free.

And more Decepticons were arriving!

Omega aimed at the newcomers, but Predaking knocked his blaster before he
fired.   The shot exploded far behind the speeding Stunticons, who swerved
around the lumbering giants and drove past.

                                    * * *

"Where are those zarking reinforcements?" Inferno yelled, all of his bravado
now stripped away.  Bluestreak laid motionless at his feet, a gaping hole in
his chest, his shoulder rockets sprayed around his head, locked in a look of
stunned surprise.

Sunstreaker was no strategist, but even he could see that the situation was
deteriorating.  Things were manageable at first -- the Autobots kept the
Decepticons behind the cave entrance, reducing the attack to a two-pronged
battle.  But then Soundwave dispatched the cassettes, and they were nimble
enough to break through the front lines.

Skids yelled as Ravage bit into the Autobot's thigh.  A point-blank burst from
his electron blaster sent the mechanical jaguar scurrying, but left him open
to Rumble's pounce.  Sunstreaker pried the small blue 'con off and rudely
hurled him away, then ducked as Laserbeak roared past.

"I hate to say this," Inferno hollered from across the bay, "But I think we
better run!"

Sunstreaker followed the outstretched arm, aimed at the arriving Stunticons.
The decision was immediate.  "Let's peel!"

Inferno transformed into a fire truck, his cherry red hull pocketed by scorch
marks.  He blanketed the entrance with fire-retardent foam, which sent the
smaller Decepticons scurrying away in surprise.  Under cover, the Autobots
quickly drove off.

The foam exploded seconds later as Motormaster plowed through.  Megatron
strode in among the drifting white globules, wearing a look of smug
satisfaction.  He surveyed the destruction with growing pleasure: the dry
smell of dying flames, the random crackle of exposed wiring, the burned walls,
the chaotic fields of white ... and the immobile Autobot on the ground.

The first of many.

He turned to the troops behind him.  "You have your assignments.  Follow the
plan, seize your areas, and exterminate every Autobot you see!"  He pointed to
the motionless Bluestreak, then softly growled, "But save the bodies."

"What for?" Thundercracker asked.

Megatron's grin grew wider.  "For the funeral pyre.  Now, ATTACK!"

The Decepticon squadron scattered through the maze of corridors.  The fall of
the Ark began.

                                    * * *

Optimus Prime was no longer paying full attention to Cooper.  The tremor had
surprised them, but Prime suggested that it was due to settling from the
dormant volcano that the Ark rested in.  The lack of aftershocks seemed to
support that theory, to Cooper's satisfaction.  But while he resumed talking,
Prime couldn't shake his own sense of anxiety.  The Ark's thick, insulating
walls normally provided lots of comforting silence, but now it added to his
worry.  He found comfort only from the fact that the emergency sirens were
also mute, indicating all was well.

But while Prime ruminated, he was also able to follow Cooper's conversation.
Now he interrupted, "But tell me this, Mr. Cooper ... if we were to repair the
ozone layer, what incentive is there for your factories to stop producing more
CFCs and ozone-destructive materials in the future?"

"The current threat of the hole has been enough motivation already."

"But you're asking us to remove that very threat--"

Windcharger barreled in, skidding to a halt next to the Autobot commander.
"Prime!  The Decepticons are invading the Ark!"

"What?  Why aren't the alarms--"

"--Jammed!  No alarms, no comm, no defenses!"

Prime turned to Teletran 1 and rapidly flipped a set of switches.  The
resulting status display was schizophrenic: video cameras showed Decepticons
gathering in the burnt wreckage of the Ark's entry, while sensors and alerts
shone in green tranquillity.  He began to form a counterattack plan, but with
no way to convey his orders--!

And he had a human to protect.

Prime whirled.  "Windcharger!  Take Mr. Cooper and get out of here!  Find
someplace safe, keep him out of danger!"

"Right, Prime!"  Cooper, though stunned at the news, retained enough sense to
climb in the Autobot.  The door slammed shut behind him and the two drove off.

Prime glanced at Teletran 1 again.  He pressed a series of switches and
buttons, but the interior defenses remained unresponsive.  The Decepticons
were beginning to spread out; soon they'd be everywhere.  The emergency blast
doors would stop them, but they, too, refused to close.

He began disconnecting and sliding the heavier pieces of equipment when
Sunstreaker and Skids ran into the room.  Skids shouted, "The 'cons are here!"

"I know," Prime spoke with a calm he didn't felt.  "Have you alerted the
others?"

"Inferno's working on that."

"Quickly, we must barricade ourselves and prepare for the Decepticons."

As Skids moved to comply, Sunstreaker asked in disbelief, "Shouldn't we get
out there and fight?"

"No!  I don't know how Megatron overrode our systems, but we have to try and
repair them somehow.  If the center falls, Megatron might turn our own
defenses against us.  Hurry!"

                                    * * *

Blaster's fingers flew over the dials and levers of the communications board
as he frantically tried to make sense of the situation.  After Windcharger
told him about the Decepticon attack, he realized that he would serve Prime
best by working to restore the comm net.  Sensors and tests revealed nothing
abnormal, and whatever was bollixing the system was no ordinary jammer or
counterwave mechanism.  Normally Blaster could have served as a substitute
broadcast center and bypassed the problem, but the Ark's heavy shielding made
that impossible.

The door buckled twice then exploded, destroying his impromptu barricade.
Ravage was first through the smoke, but was ambushed in mid-air by Steeljaw.
The two mechanical felines landed feet first and started pacing the other.

Blaster leaped out of his chair just as Soundwave fired; the concussion blast
seared through the empty seat instead.  He tumbled to a crouch, then sprang
forward and punched Soundwave in the jaw.  "Uh-uh!  That's not number one, and
you don't go platinum!"  The Decepticon staggered as Blaster grabbed him; the
two struggled, then went down grappling.  Overhead, Laserbeak flew in and
began searching for targets to destroy.

Rumble was halfway through the door when he was tackled by Rewind.  "Bingo!
What a blitz!" Eject yelled as he jumped into the fray, electro-guns at the
ready.  The three fell into a writhing tangle of arms and legs.

In the corner, Ravage hissed and snapped, to which Steeljaw growled.  The two
suddenly reacted to an unseen signal and pounced, disappearing into a frantic,
snarling cloud of metal claws and teeth.  Laserbeak circled high overhead,
trying to strafe Autobots without hitting a fellow Decepticon.  It was, even
for him, a very difficult task.

                                    * * *

Cooper was too absorbed in his own thoughts to watch as Windcharger raced
through the corridors of the Ark.  <What have I gotten myself into?  I agreed
to help Megatron spy on the Autobots, but not this!  How can that little disc
do so much? ... Or maybe it wasn't me!  Maybe this is something different, and
it's a coincidence that I'm here when-->

There was a burst of white, a tumbling sensation, and a sickening crunch.
Cooper suddenly found himself resting on his side, surrounded by a wreck.
Windcharger was crumpled against the corridor wall, black smoke pouring from
under the hood, immobile except for a free-spinning wheel.

Through the cracked and webbed windshield, Cooper could see someone -- or
something -- approach him, a massive gray blob that quickly grew larger.
Metal tore violently, and a large hand plucked Cooper out of the frame and
hoisted him through the air.

"Megatron?!"

Megatron grinned wildly and his voice oozed with sarcasm thick enough to be
poured.  "We meet again, Mr. Cooper!  Are you enjoying your tour of the Ark?"
With mocking exaggeration, the Decepticon kneeled and placed the human on the
ground.  From behind, Starscream watched in mild amusement.

Cooper stammered as a hundred words fought for contention in his mouth.  "Wh,
what is the meaning of this?"

"Why, we're invading the Ark!" Megatron answered merrily.  "And it's all done
with your help."

"You told me that disc was to help you spy on the Autobots!"

"Oh, it does that," Starscream explained.  "But it does a lot of other
things, too..."

"Yes, Mr. Cooper.  Starscream outdid himself this time.  But you needn't
bother yourself with the details."  Megatron reached into a compartment
beneath his chest and pulled out a computer disk, almost invisible in his
giant fingers.  "Now that you've completed your side of the bargain, here's
the last of the information I promised."  He let the disk fall to the floor.
"Our bargain is over."

Cooper let the disk lie still as he looked up at Megatron.  "You didn't tell
me I was going to be a part of an invasion!"

"Mr. Cooper..." Megatron growled.  His smile faded, all pretense of tolerance
quickly evaporating.  "I'm showing you the last of my generosity by sparing
you.  But if you don't leave immediately, you'll be a greasy stain beneath my
heel.  Do I make myself clear?"

"He means it, too," Starscream chimed in with a smile.

Cooper nodded, never taking his eyes off the Decepticons while he fumbled for
and pocketed the computer disk.  Still watching, he slowly backed away from
the two, then suddenly turned and bolted down the corridor.

Once he was out of sight, Starscream turned to the Decepticon leader.  "Why
didn't you just kill him, Megatron?"

Megatron smiled again as he answered, "Because he's more entertaining this
way.  Now, for the rest of his pathetic life, he'll have to live with the
knowledge of what he has wrought.  Besides, there's no way he can hurt us."

"He could call humans to help the Autobots."

"Ha!  You know their weapons are as nothing to us.  Even if they were to use
the information we gave him, they'd still be no match for any Decepticon."

He turned down the hall.  "Let's go; we have a meeting with Optimus Prime, and
I don't want to be late..."  The resulting laughter echoed through the hall.

                                    * * *

Prowl's right arm flapped uselessly against his body as he fired another shot
at the Decepticons.  The pain was fading, but had not disappeared entirely.
<At least I'm still conscious,> he reminded himself, glancing at Skywarp's
unconscious form to his left.  The teleporting Decepticon had done a lot of
damage before he was finally taken down.

"How're the repairs coming?"

Wheeljack's hands never stopped dancing over the nest of exposed wires and
circuit boards before him.  A hole gaped in his side, revealing burned
internal mechanisms.  The panels on the side of his head flashed rapidly as he
spoke, "No good!  I can't find whatever's clogging up the security systems!"

Hoist popped out from behind the toppled computer and fired another burst at
the doorway.  Turning to Prowl, he said, "We've got to get out of here!  Both
you and Inferno need treatment!"

"Nonsense," Inferno croaked, "...Just point me at the 'cons and..."  He
struggled to his feet, only to have Hoist roughly yank him down.  An arc of
ionized air from sizzled overhead and etched a bold black curve on the wall.

Prowl snapped at Hoist.  "And I'm sure Astrotrain and Thrust will be glad to
stop firing so we can take a break?"

"Maybe if we surrendered--"

"WHAT?  Our only hope now is for Wheeljack to get something back on line, so
we can start a counterattack.  Turning over the command center is the LAST
thing to do!"

Hoist nodded and looked at Wheeljack.  "I guess we're going to be here for the
duration, then."  A rocket exploded above them, and everyone ducked as debris
rained on their heads.

"I'm working, I'm working!"

                                    * * *

From behind and to the left, Predaking charged with power sword upraised.
Omega swung without looking.  His plasma blaster arm connected with a
resounding clang, sending Predaking sprawling and adding yet another dent to
his rapidly-growing collection.

Omega Supreme fought on.

He was exhausted.  Joints creaked, servos strained, and he felt pain in parts
that he never knew existed before.  He wanted nothing more than to sit still,
to relieve his burden and disengage his higher brain functions for a week.

Omega Supreme fought on.

Devastator came next, fists clenched for an overhead smash.  Omega's head spun
around and he tried to fire.  Only then did he remember that his head laser
was snapped and useless.  Devastator connected and Omega staggered back.
Grabbing blindly, he caught the jade gestalt in his clawed hand and tightened
his grip.  His head faced forward again; Omega wanted so much to see his foe
crumple like tin, fall away as a lifeless, impotent threat.  But this, too,
was denied him.

Omega Supreme fought on.

Even a moment's respite would have been decadence now.  To stop moving, stop
thinking, stop reacting for just a minute.  He couldn't, of course, for then
the Decepticons would raid the Ark and their victory would be assured.  And
above all else, he refused to let that happen.

Omega Supreme fought on.

Bruticus dashed from the right.  Omega twisted suddenly, swinging Devastator
like a club and hitting with a hideously loud crash.  Bruticus stumbled away
and smashed into Predaking, throwing off a shot from the other's laser cannon.
Omega aimed and fired a searing orange bolt that melted Bruticus' left leg.
The crippled combiner screamed as he toppled to the ground.

Omega Supreme fought on.

He shut his mind to what was happening inside the Ark.  Bad enough that he
couldn't fight those Decepticons as well, but this crisis was entirely his
fault.  He was lax in his duty, and for that the enemy slipped by his guard.
The fact shamed him; he'd beg forgiveness from Optimus Prime later, if there
was even a later.  But to think of that now would paralyze him and worsen the
situation, so he didn't.

Omega Supreme fought on.

Devastator snarled and broke free of Omega's grip, snapping off a claw in the
process.  A hideous jolt of pain shot through his body, but Omega didn't cry,
didn't react.  He wouldn't give his foes the satisfaction of seeing him weak
for even a second.  Instead, he swiped with the remnants of his hand and
delivered a scarring blow that sent Devastator pinwheeling away.  But even as
the 'con fell, Predaking charged yet again.

Omega Supreme, true to his duty, fought on.

                                    * * *

"Surrender, and I'll grant mercy!"

"Do you expect us to believe that?"

Megatron laughed in reply.  "Of course not!  You'll be dead before this day is
done, Prime!"

His particle beam cannon fired again for emphasis.  Optimus Prime leaped away
from the attack, but the monitor behind him shattered and sent shards of glass
into his legs.  He tumbled in the open, then rolled behind a console before
another shot ruptured the floor where he had landed.

Sitting up to get his bearings, Prime noticed that Sunstreaker was next to
him, shaking nervously.  "How the shock are we losing when we've got them
outnumbered?"

Megatron backflipped suddenly, transforming into an oversized version of a
Walter P-38 assault pistol.  He landed neatly in Starscream's hands, who began
sweeping the room with a lethal spray of blue fusion fire.  Sunstreaker and
Prime rolled apart as their console was riddled with holes; one shot hit
Skids, who yelled and collapsed.

                                    * * *

Cooper ran and ran and ran.  He was numb to the pain in his legs, the heaving
of his lungs, the panic in his heart.  His mind did not register any of the
blackened corridors or inert Autobots he passed; he focused only on where he
had to go and what he had to do.  Part of him prayed he was heading in the
right direction, and another wished he had paid more attention earlier.

With a loud gasp of relief, Cooper turned into the Ark's entrance bay.  The
damage here was the greatest he'd seen that day; machines sparked and
sputtered, the sooty odor of fires long dead, once-pristine walls charred with
ash, and white foam blanketed everything.  He paused for just a second, then
started digging through the slippery froth, trying to find where he placed the
infernal disc.

He stumbled around the fallen form of a robot half-buried in the chaos.  The
gaping hole in his chest left enough of a sigil to identify him as yet
another Autobot victim.  Cooper wondered if he was dead, then shoved the
thought away.  <I'll make amends later, after I undo this mess...>

Cooper slipped on a patch of water and grabbed another piece of equipment for
support.  He scrabbled forward, still searching, hands sliding frantically
over every surface available, looking for--

His fingers found it.  Cooper kneeled, verifying that it was the disc he
received from Megatron.  With trembling hands he grabbed it.  <Who knew this
little thing could cause so much trouble?  Well, now everything will be all
right...>

The disc refused to budge.

He grabbed again, but it remained stubbornly immobile.  He peered at it
nervously and saw that the thin plastic disc had fused itself to the metal
casing.  The intruder fit seamlessly and was now an integral part of its host.
Cooper's eyes filled with tears.

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