Accident
For a considerable period after Steel Fork's perilous journey across the land bridge to reach the Retribution, support Arcee and Bumblebee, and obtain the antidote, no further anomalies occurred during his passage through the time tunnel. The ambulance was pleased to see the body's stats on the display screen returning to normal, though still somewhat low, but he remained concerned—what had caused this unstable state in a superhuman?
Cybertronians, like humans, get sleepy. Lately, Steel Fork has been feeling sleepy frequently; her processor seems to be slowing down, with a lot of useless data piling up and consuming memory. She needs to take a nap, which means going offline to organize her machine's data and perform a system self-check to maintain its condition. She also really enjoys staying in her room, more than ever before. She declined the invitations from Partition and Bumblebee to play a heavy game and instead stayed in her room to rest offline.
The beeping of an internal message woke Fork. She hurriedly got up, opened the door, and saw Panel standing outside, telling her that Optimus Prime had gone to find the data storage tank on Cybertron, that it was very important, and that he hoped she could help.
A green vortex opened in the sky, and an Earth fighter carrying a large green figure leaped out, the bulkhead crashing down like a meteorite. The blue-faced, red-armored Cybertron was pinned beneath the bulkhead, and after a brief moment of dizziness, he struggled violently. Until he saw the winged demon on his back, the nightmare of that day, he remembered how he had been humiliated and bullied beneath the Autobots, how he had been coerced into being knocked down, to the point that cleaning fluid covered his gleaming visor. He opened his optics wide, determined not to miss a single move by the Cybertronian named Grimlock. He forgot to struggle, his energy channeling into his voice, and he shouted with a voice that resonated throughout the battlefield:
"Knock him down! Run!"
Knockout, already under immense pressure from his battle with Optimus Prime, was no match for the Autobot leader. Upon hearing the sound of impact, he prepared to transform and flee. As for the data storage tank, Knockout thought guiltily, believing Megatron would understand that a mere medic couldn't possibly defeat the Autobot leader. The tires spun rapidly, kicking up dust as Knockout was horrified to find his vehicle form being lifted by Optimus Prime, who grabbed him by the chassis.
"Let's talk this out, don't scrape off the primer!" he said in a fawning voice.
Optimus Prime ignored him and gave the order from the inside: "Autobots—, retreat."
The data storage container and the escaped divine child are both here with the steel fork.
...
These data storage jars, originating from the Golden Age, each contain a vast amount of knowledge about Cybertron, covering star charts, medicine, ancient mythology, and more. After the outbreak of war, these jars were hidden in various corners of the galaxy. The jar obtained by the Autobots contained the formula for synthesizing super-energy beings, making it an extremely valuable artifact.
However, having a formula alone is not enough. Synthesizing super-energy beings requires not only raw materials but also the corresponding equipment and technology. For the Autobots, raw materials can be found, but their current equipment is rudimentary due to technological gaps.
She tapped the can containing a clear, bluish-green liquid with her fork, her optical glasses gleaming with anticipation. She looked at the orange-white machine beside her, which was also observing the experimental results, and asked, "Ambulance, what do you think it will taste like?"
"No." The ambulance, which had overcome the harsh conditions to synthesize the super-energy body with its own intelligence, knew that the experimental product had to be tested before it could be used by the Cybertronians. Moreover, it had modified some of the synthesis process based on actual conditions, making it even more necessary to test whether the experimental product was up to standard.
He moved the jar away, pulled out a vial of synthetic energy, and said, "I know what you're thinking, but at least for now, we can't use it to replenish our energy."
"Okay..." The wings drooped, and the steel fork quietly watched as the ambulance injected synthetic energy into the engine. Raffi came to the base after school to help, and he shouted at the strings of data displayed on the computer screen connected to various sensors, "It's working!"
"Don't rush, Lafite." The ambulance was naturally pleased with the successful experiment, its voice tinged with amusement. "We still need to test it a bit more before we can use it as fuel, ammunition, or for emergency medical care."
Natural super-energy sources are becoming increasingly scarce on Earth. Not only on Earth, but even on Cybertron, the Cybertronians' home planet, natural super-energy resources have long been depleted. Otherwise, before the Shockwave, Grimfork wouldn't have been relying almost entirely on plundering the energy of other life forms, such as the Ironhideen, to survive. Synthesizing super-energy sources and finding other ways to obtain them would allow the Autobots to escape their current situation of competing with the Decepticons for energy and facing insufficient energy reserves, providing another path to survival in the future when energy resources are exhausted.
Therefore, the experimental results needed to be put into application as soon as possible—a blue-green hue, different from that of natural super-energy, stained the ambulance's optical lenses, and synthetic super-energy flowed within its energy pipelines. The ambulance felt fantastic: its energy increased by thirty percent, its motor functions were at their best, and its central processing unit had never been so efficient…
"Did you succeed?" Steel Fork asked.
"Yes, it worked," the ambulance replied.
The steel fork tasted a little of the remaining sample in the cup, the liquid slowly caressing the taste sensors in the Cybertronian's mouth.
"It's sweet, has a bit of a fragrance, and a strange taste, but it's not unpleasant."
Excessive emotions generate redundant data and consume energy; too much emotion can even overwhelm a person. As the synthetic super-energy entity reached the brain module, making neurons more excited, Ratchet's emotions also fluctuated. Emotion took over, and reason could only follow its elder brother. He recalled the various disadvantages the Autobots had faced, focusing on planning his revenge against the Decepticons, and didn't notice that Grimlock was drinking sip after sip of synthetic energy until the glass was empty, leaving only a ring of light blue-green residue on the glass.
“We now have synthetic super-energy beings and plenty of ammunition. We can plan a surprise attack on the Decepticons and wipe them out in one fell swoop! No… let’s go now, let’s capture a Decepticon first… Grimlock—?” Ratchet muttered to himself about his grand plan to raid the Decepticons. He walked to the land bridge and tried to find and locate a Decepticon mine, and then he was grabbed by the waist armor.
Grimfork, a former Decepticon Autobot now active, had her wings slightly upturned. Her red optics seemed veiled in a layer of clear mist, widening the focusing aperture and giving her a dazed, unfocused look. She was laughing absentmindedly, appearing quite delirious. Yet, she remained strong, clinging tightly to the Autobot Medic's waist—a grip he couldn't break free from. Her visor was covered by a gray-black abdominal armor plate, her arms resting on orange components at her sides, her hands lightly and haphazardly groping across the large expanse of black back armor.
At this moment, the ambulance ignored Grimpus's unusual behavior and his touch. Although somewhat uncomfortable, he acquiesced to the young Autobot's actions, letting Grimpus hold him while he continued silently searching for the Decepticons' location.
"Ambulance, steel fork, what's going on with you?!" This heartwarming scene was what I saw when I returned to the base after picking up my child from school.
The goddess asked excitedly, "Wow! You two are progressing so fast? Are you together? Who confessed first?"
"What?" The ambulance finally lifted the optics from the control panel, glanced down at the steel fork, then at the god, "There's nothing between us. I need to find the Decepticons' signal, then ambush the Nemesis and wipe them all out. You're here just in time, take the steel fork with you."
"A hug through the partition~ A hug from the god~" Steel Fork said.
Then she lifted the goddess child close to the mask, and the goddess child happily pressed against it.
"Ambulance, what nonsense are you talking about? What's wrong with the steel fork?" the partition said.
She put down the divine fork and tried to hug him, but the large, round, pot-lid-like front armor prevented her from successfully hanging on the bulkhead. The bulkhead had to hold her arm to prevent her from slipping and falling. "Damn it, did you guys drink some high-purity liquor?!"
The "high-purity" energy liquid, as described by Cybertronians, is made from refined energy blocks incorporating special compounds. Naturally, it's quite expensive in Cybertronian society. High-purity energy is of superior quality, with different flavors depending on the compounds used. While replenishing energy, it also stimulates the Cybertronians' circuitry and sensors. It's a Cybertronian-exclusive beverage, but too much can be ingested at once. Without throttling the chip, Cybertronians will experience a state of "drunkenness." The person in the partition sensed that the other two in the base were also "drunk."
"The Autobots can't produce high-purity energy here," Ratchet suddenly exclaimed indignantly, then quickly laughed happily. "The Autobots can now synthesize super-energy beings, and they can produce high-purity ones too, all thanks to me! The Decepticons will be short of energy from now on!"
"Synthesize a super-energy body?" "Beep?" Bumblebee and Arcee each brought Rafijak, who had just finished school, back to the base one after another.
"Hug~" Grimlock released the partition and hugged Bumblebee first. The two machines were not much different in size. The Autobot Scout was a little shy. Grimlock's head sculpt rested on his shoulder, and the audio receiver on his head could clearly hear the vibration of her ventilation fan. The pulse of the Spark permeated through their pressed chest armor, and a gentle magnetic field surrounded him. Grimlock hugged him a little too tightly, and Bumblebee helplessly pushed away Grimlock's shoulder armor. Grimlock then hugged Arcee instead.
"Arcy~" Steel Fork half-supported, half-wrapped the blue motorcycle around the waist. Being larger than Arcy, it was natural that Arcy's feet were off the ground, making her taller than Steel Fork now. The petite female Autobot reached out to touch Steel Fork's head sculpt, then touched the wings on Steel Fork's back that undulated slightly with her movements, while Steel Fork gently brushed against her.
Steel Fork released Arcee and gave Raffi and Jack a "hug" in the same way that the Divine Child did.
"What's wrong with her?" Arcee asked genuinely. "But she's still quite cute."
“Although I don’t want to say it again, I’ll say it again when you get back.” Ambulance’s tone sounded impatient, but he stopped staring at the control panel and instead picked up another can of blue-green remaining sample from the lab table, showing it to everyone. “This is a synthetic super-energy body, made according to the equations in the data storage can. With it, we don’t need to compete with the Decepticons for natural super-energy body mines. The synthetic super-energy body contains even more energy and is purer than the natural super-energy body. I feel great right now!”
"Really, Lao Jiu?" the partition doorman exclaimed in surprise.
"Does Optimus Prime know?" Arcee asked skeptically.
“I understand now.” A deep, Optimus Prime-like voice came from the base entrance.
As soon as the Autobot leader entered the base after his patrol, he saw a group of people gathered around a blue-green transparent canister, and a steel fork lying half-lying on the ground, holding Arcee tightly. He heard every word the ambulance said.
“Leader!” Grimlock released Arcee and lunged at Optimus Prime, tightly hugging his waist. Her ample waist allowed her to easily encircle most of it with one arm. Her visor pressed tightly against the silver metal abdominal armor, gently rubbing against it, before she quickly seemed to lose her strength and released her arm. Optimus Prime lifted her by the arm and realized: Grimlock was offline. He carried her to the lab bed, intending to lay her down, but before he could leave, Grimlock hugged him again. What he didn't hear was Grimlock's broken and weak murmur: “Shockwave…”
“Ambulance, I think your act of experimenting on yourself is too reckless. I suggest that subsequent experiments be limited to machines,” the Autobot leader said, looking at the steel fork in his arms, “not to the Autobots.”
"What! You suspect I experimented with a steel fork?!" the ambulance driver suddenly shouted, almost yelling. "Her condition isn't fully stable yet, how could I experiment on her!"
“Old man, you need to explain what’s going on between you and Grimfork,” Optimus Prime said.
"Grim Fork drank the whole can of Synthetic Super Energy by herself, and she seems to be doing fine now. Optimus Prime, don't stop me, I'm going to teach those Decepticons a lesson, I'm going to take on ten of them!" Ratchet exclaimed excitedly.
The base fell silent for a moment, and everyone except the steel fork stared at the ambulance.
"What? Am I wrong?"
"Leader... I think Steel Fork and Ambulance are both drunk, and even Ultra Magnus would talk nonsense if he drank high-purity liquor," the partition said weakly.
Could it be that... the effect of synthesizing super energy is similar to that of high-purity energy?
Having guessed, Optimus Prime said, "Ratchet, turn on the throttle chip."
"Leave me alone." The ambulance driver said indignantly, but still turned on the throttling chip.
The optical mirror was still blue-green, but the chaos had turned into clarity. The ambulance regained its senses and said, "Optimus Prime, what just happened to me?"
"I believe you were influenced by the synthetic super-energy body. Although the experimental results are encouraging, more experiments are still needed."
"Hmm..." Steel Fork was restless in her sleep. She throbbed her wings and hugged Optimus Prime even tighter.
“You’re right, Optimus Prime.” The ambulance pulled up beside the fork. As a doctor, he needed to check the fork’s condition.
In a daze, Steel Fork recognized the ambulance's chassis. She softly followed the doctor's movements and hugged the arm with orange and white armor, rubbing against it.
Grim Fork really trusted them, Optimus Prime thought.
The Autobots are partners, and they've become family to each other, trusting and depending on one another. Therefore, losing even one of them is exceptionally painful.
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