Artificial Mind

16

"Is there 47 of something in the universe?"

"Planets."

"Wait," Minnie folded her arms and frowned lightly. "There's only eight planets in our solar system." She paused. "Where have the other 39 just cropped up from?" Optimus just merely looked at her. "Of course. Aliens, lots and lots of aliens..." Minnie trailed off in thought. Shaking her head she looked up at him. "Why did you lie earlier on? Why didn't you just admit you hadn't a clue to what this riddle was on about?"

"I believe it is a concept to make one feel better."

"Sugar coating the truth, hm?" Minnie fidgeted in the chair she was sitting on and looked at him with a determined expression. "Come on, with your brains and my...whatever, we can solve this. Once this is solved we can figure out where to go." Optimus merely blinked yet gave a small nod. It seemed he couldn't contradict her words. "So, 47 spheres align, planets, right? You think this is planets? Like when there's a solar eclipse, the moon moves in front of the sun. Could this alignment happen with these other planets?"

"It seems that it is more than plausible, yes. If that is so then two of the planets are Earth and the other is Cybertron." Optimus looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling. "The alignment could create a gravitational distortion, this distortion could very well wake Unicron."

"What's a world forged in chaos all about? Sounds like the Four Horsemen or something." Optimus looked puzzled by this. "The apocalypse, the end of days, all of that stuff." Minnie explained quickly.

"Earth," Optimus looked down as Minnie fidgeted again. She had managed to sneak a chair into his room. She currently sat trying to get comfortable in it while Optimus sat kneeling nearby.

"Earth?" Minnie raised an eyebrow. "Yeah see, you've lost me."

Giving a sigh Optimus looked down at the ground before looking up at her. "Before you came, we had readings which came from the centre of your planet. Readings which seemed similar to that of a living thing."

"Your Chaos Bringer is inside the planet?"

"He is the planet." Optimus said seriously, Minnie frowned at this. She didn't look like she wholly believed him. "After his defeat at the hands of Primus back on Cybertron, Unicron's comatose body drifted through space."

"He had his own gravitational pull that he formed a planet? Not just any planet, he is the basis of Earth?"

"Essentially, yes."

Minnie twitched her nose in thought and gave another fidget. This chair really wasn't comfortable to sit in. "The weak shall perish? I have to be honest here, but that seems all to self-explanatory."

"I would disagree if I could. But it seems you are right."

Leaning forward she leaned against her knees and entwined her hands together. "Wouldn't you be the main target? I mean, you're a Prime, right? You'd be the first target to make this line come true. Then eventually all of us humans."

"Anyone who opposes would be considered weak."

"Rising darkness, Unicron." Minnie ran a hand through her hair. "So in lame man terms; 47 planets are going to align, thus awakening Unicron who just so happens to be sleeping soundly at the centre of the Earth. Once he's awake, and no doubt in a foul mood, he's going to basically destroy all. Miss anything?" Optimus shook his head slowly. "Does Megatron know?"

"Of Unicron? Yes, he does."

"He's going to aid in trying to wake him up, right?" Minnie asked. She didn't know the small matter of Megatron having Dark Energon flowing through him.

"I fear that he may."

"You all explored these readings, right? He was there then?"

"He was." Optimus paused. "Believe it or not, he aided us in stopping Unicron awakening then."

"Wow...somehow I am debating whether to believe you or not."

"Have I ever lied to you before?"

"Apart from this small matter of riddle solving, no." Minnie smiled. "What now? I mean, Unicron went back to seemingly snoozing. But if he's waking up again, what's going to happen? There'll be more conflict with the Decepticons, that's for sure."

——

"Nah-huh," reaching out and grabbing a hold of Miko's sleeve, Minnie stopped her in her tracks. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Readings! Bad mojo! Super massive freak out!" Miko rambled and managed to wave her arms around despite Minnie still holding her.

"Excuse me?" Minnie questioned confused, she let the younger girl go and watched as she jumped to face her. "In English, please, and from the top."

Miko took a deep breath and clapped her hands together. "I do not think you are alone in knowing of this riddle."

"There's no way anyone else could know of it." Minnie said, frowning slowly she looked at her. "Decepticons? They're the cause of your moment?"

Miko nodded quickly. "I just appeared and all of a sudden there's sirens going and flashing lights and...so much drama!" She clapped her hands to her cheeks and looked at Minnie with wide eyes.

"...They're hunting out Unicron."

"Again! I didn't think this would happen again." Whining Miko fidgeted from foot to foot.

Minnie just nodded agreeing with her. She couldn't openly comment. She wasn't present when Unicron last popped up to scare everyone. She had briefly heard Fowler reminiscing with Ratchet about the last time. Numerous earthquakes and such freaks of nature. It seemed by chance that Unicron was put back to sleep.

Walking down the corridor she turned into the main room and was immediately confronted with noise and chaos. Wincing she edged her way past Smokescreen and Arcee who were seemingly having a discussion, Ironhide was standing beside Ratchet, and ironically enough Ironhide was complaining about the speed of which Ratchet was working. This just caused the medic to huff and not answer.

"What's going on?" Tapping the foot plate in front of her she looked up.

Optimus leaned down, "There may have been something which I failed to inform you about."

"Yes?"

"Unicron and Megatron are linked."

"So, he found out about this the same time I did?"

"Correct."

"How, and why?"

"There is a form of energon which is corrupting. Megatron has this running through him, it is his spark. Dark energon is also known as the blood of Unicron."

Minnie took this information in and shook her head slowly. "He didn't have an irritating riddle to solve! He probably got swamped by Unicron in his power downed dreams! Which means they're ahead of us."

Optimus frowned, she was right however and he couldn't disagree with her on that. "Megatron got denied by Unicron the last time," Optimus explained, Minnie looked back up at him. "But I do believe that deep down he wishes for recognition from Unicron. Which means that he won't aid us this time."

"The first time was a fluke." Minnie hung her head and sighed. "What do we do?"

Optimus stood back up. "Fowler is requesting aid from the air force and army."

Frowning Minnie tilted her head to this side. "You mean to put Megatron down...for good?"

"It is a path I never wished to take. But it is also an inevitable path which cannot be avoided. If it means the safety of your planet, and the prospect of many lives being saved; then we must stop Megatron and the Decepticons at any cost."

——

(Edited: 6/August/2020)