Exposure
"This...is...not a good thing?"
"……time……"
"For safety...we must..."
What are they... saying?
[Wake up, my apostle—]
what happened……?
[How did you get yourself into this state?]
I turned on the optical lens.
The color signals arrive at the brain module, where they are analyzed and re-encoded to form an image that I can understand. Objectively, this should be how it should be, but my image processing function clearly has a major problem. No warning window pops up, no color blocks are displayed, the optical lens is functioning normally, and my field of vision remains completely dark.
No matter which direction I look, no matter how I rotate the optical mirror, all I see is darkness. No, the darkness doesn't come from the optical mirror, but from my brain module.
I didn't see anything.
I opened my optical glasses wide, wanting to reach out and touch it, wanting to turn my neck and observe it from another direction.
I can't move.
It was then that I realized my hands, my shoulders, my feet, my entire body were separated from the head sculpt. All I could perceive and control were the head sculpt, the body control center connected to it, and the spark chamber.
how……?
[An Apostle?] The voice of the Cosmic Emperor rang out once more, [I am merely in hibernation... Can you still understand...?]
Language module reloaded successfully.
[Can you understand what I'm saying?]
"Yes, sir," I said.
[You...you're still too complacent.] The voice of the Cosmic Emperor sounded somewhat hesitant. [It seems your processor is finally starting to run again. I've cleared out those viruses that parasitized your logic circuits; stop making me do this tedious maintenance.]
[You are the spear I use to pierce Prems; if you become dull and break, you lose your purpose. Remember your mission: you were born to help me defeat Prems.]
"Yes, Unicron," I replied.
After that, Unicron fell silent, but I knew he was still watching me.
My vision and hearing have been restored, and my thinking is much clearer than when I first went online. I need to figure out what's going on.
The images transmitted through the optical lens and the humming of the instruments all told me that this was a shockwave laboratory. I was lying on the experimental table—to be precise, my head sculpt and central control system were placed on the experimental table, and next to the experimental table was my body, which was supported by various instruments.
This scene seems a bit familiar. Okay, okay, I tell myself that my task now is to figure out the situation and fix myself, rather than letting myself get caught up in anger towards the shockwave.
He must have done all this while I was offline, leaving me lying here like... a disassembled machine, a broken piece of metal, while I, foolishly, let my guard down and logged off right next to him! I lost consciousness!
I need to calm down, I told myself again, and that's all I can say to myself now.
The sounds of Shockwave, Optimus Prime, and an ambulance mingled with footsteps; they seemed to have been in the analysis room next door and were now coming to my lab.
I closed my optical glasses, pretending I wasn't online yet. I needed to figure out what they were planning and what their next move would be.
"Why is the ignition chamber empty?" came the sound of an ambulance.
"The spark link hasn't disappeared; the steel fork's spark hasn't returned to its source," came the voice of Shockwave.
"Fire Seed Link? What did you do to the steel fork?!" The ambulance's fist slashed through the air and struck the shockwave's body hard.
"Ambulance, calm down!" came Optimus Prime's voice.
Shockwave's voice was devoid of emotion: "As a companion of the spark, she allows me to sense her location at any time, which is extremely advantageous in the current situation."
The ambulance siren sounded angry: "Then tell me, where is the spark of the steel fork now!"
"Right here, on the body of the apostle."
Do they want the pitchfork back with them? Will they think I'm her?
“But we didn’t find anything…” The ambulance’s volume gradually decreased until it disappeared, then quickly rose again. He realized something. “She’s a superhuman! I’ve seen her disappear on the spot. Maybe the disappearance of the spark works on the same principle.”
"Yes, people with superpowers are so rare, and the effects of each person's superpower are different. The reasons why people with superpowers exist and the source of their superpowers are still not fully understood. It is logical that the unexpected situation happened to Steel Fork."
Ambulance, could you please explain in detail the ability of the steel fork to make itself disappear on the spot?
"Some of it she said herself, and some of it I guessed. Her ability is to warp space. I think the principle used by the land bridge can probably explain part of her ability. Let's say the space we're in is a piece of paper, and we're the patterns on that paper..."
Shockwave interrupted him, “I think it’s more appropriate to describe it as a water surface. My reasoning is that the steel fork’s ability is to stir the water’s surface. When the water surface is stirred, the paint floating on the surface will also move, which explains why she can move objects.”
"You're right. If space is like water, then her ability to make herself disappear is simply scooping out the paint and water together. That explanation is absolutely perfect!"
“Based on your explanation, the spark of the steel fork… most likely exists in another dimension. I can sense the spark on the Apostle’s body, perhaps because she, as a superhuman, has some mysterious connection with the separated dimension.”
I heard the ambulance driver say:
"You don't know her condition? Wasn't Steel Fork your experimental subject?"
"Linking scientists with superhuman test subjects is just your prejudice fueled by social rumors, and it doesn't make sense. Steel Fork wasn't my test subject, but we did live together for a while."
"Heh... So what's with all this equipment? To prevent the Apostle from going online midway, it's necessary to dismantle her body and a significant portion of her functions to ensure safety. But in such a short time, you managed to bring out a whole bunch of equipment and use it on the Apostle's body. You've been planning to target Steel Fork for a long time, haven't you?"
“I don’t deny it. And you can’t deny that everything I’ve done has been in our best interest.”
"..."
After a long pause, Shockwave said:
"I hadn't found the opportunity before."
He paused, then continued, "I'm very curious, how could she have changed like this in just a few cycles? And why did her abilities change? After leaving the AllSpark, the abilities of superhumans rarely change. This doesn't make sense."
I'd like to know too. My mecha was modified from hers, so could she be considered my past life? But I can't think like that; I've been watching too many human-themed films lately.
The three Cybertronians pondered for a moment, and then the ambulance said, "While this sounds absurd, based on analogies with Earth creatures, is it possible... that Steel Fork is going through puberty?"
"Please explain."
"Adolescence is the transitional stage in human development from juvenile to adult. Human individuals undergo significant changes during adolescence; their body size increases, and their physiological structure also changes. During this process, some individuals encounter many physiological problems, which corresponds precisely to the changes in Grimfork's superpowers."
The ambulance added, "I remember humans would send individuals who harm sub-adults to prison. Shockwave, are you and Steel Fork Spark mates?"
"Judging from its physiological development stage, the steel fork is already a fully mature individual. Your assumption is incorrect."
"Tsk."
Optimus Prime's voice interrupted the conversation between the ambulance and Shockwave:
"Have you noticed that Steel Fork's brainwaves are currently very active?"
Upon hearing this, I almost opened my eyes, but I held them back.
"Optimus Prime, this only means that her consciousness has come online. We dismantled most of her body and programmed her brain modules to block her vision, hearing, and logical thinking. She should not be able to see or hear us now."
The ambulance driver sighed softly, "Well... she's having trouble even thinking right now. But this won't last long; we'll get her cured."
Cure? There's nothing wrong with my body, and I'm not her.
"Let's solve the second problem: how do we get the torch back?"
"..."
"The Leader module doesn't contain the relevant knowledge; at most, I can only purify her body."
"Then I think we should purify the body first, and then keep it as it is and continue to observe it."
"When humans reach maturity and exit puberty, many physiological problems will automatically disappear. Perhaps the same applies to steel forks? As long as we wait patiently, steel forks will recover."
Optimus Prime's voice rang out again:
"Whether the cause is Unicron's contamination or... 'adolescence,' she is first and foremost Steel Fork, one of us. Let's begin."
I can't keep up the act any longer.
I manipulated the space where Optimus Prime's spark resided, twisting, cutting, and shattering it. From then on, he would disappear, and there would be no more enemies to threaten me.
...
Every Cybertronian I've met has a flame burning at the core of their machine, but I don't.
Human literature often features the theme of reincarnation, and when Cybertron was still prosperous, the theme of reincarnation was also quite common in literature. I can glean some insights from the stored materials.
If the brain modules of the body are where Cybertronian memories reside, then the spark is the soul of Cybertronians, something more instinctive and fundamental about them.
From the moment I gained consciousness, I could perceive the space around me and the objects beneath it. I discovered very early on that there wasn't a single, living, real spark like those inside the Decepticon soldiers in my spark chamber. Does this mean I don't have a soul? Then what am I? A corpse, or a robot that thinks it's a person?
So I took advantage of the fact that the Cosmic Emperor was still conscious and asked him: Why don't I have a spark? Didn't you say that I am your creation?
"Of course you have no spark," Unicron replied. "Your structure is very special."
[The spark of Prems is a weakness, a shackle. But I bestow my blood upon you; it is your soul, the source of your eternal power. I created you for conquest and destruction.]
I didn't quite understand what was going on. I don't know the underlying principles or anything like that. I just felt that the Cosmic Emperor was incredibly powerful.
I remember the Cosmic Emperor saying:
[As long as my blood flows in your veins, your strength will never run dry.]
"Including now?" I asked.
[Including now.]
………
Almost the instant I activated my abilities, Optimus Prime leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the attack. Was it a warning from the Matrix of Leadership, or his own reaction speed? As he dodged, his armor snapped shut, and his hand cannons materialized, pointing directly in my direction.
There's no need to keep pretending. I opened the optical lens and looked directly at the solid, super-energy blue body reflected in Optimus Prime's optical lens.
“Apostle, stop attacking,” he said. “There is still a possibility of peaceful coexistence.”
“I will not abandon the mission entrusted to me by Unicron, and you will not give up trying to stop me—the struggle is inevitable. Or do you still believe I am Steel Fork?”
The Cosmic Emperor said that I am his apostle, so I must be his apostle. I cannot betray him, for he gave my unique existence meaning.
“Objectively speaking, your body belongs to an individual called ‘Steel Fork’,” Shockwave interjected from the side. “Consciousness is based on the existence of matter, so the consciousness existing in her body—that is, you—is also part of Steel Fork, which makes sense.”
But I have no memories belonging to Grimfork. If it weren't for the stored data, I wouldn't know Shockwave, Optimus Prime, or any other Autobot. I only know Unicron. Everything I possess was given to me by Unicron. How could they treat me as someone else?
"I am not her! Don't mistake me for her!" I roared as I retorted to Shockwave. "I am an apostle of Unicron, and the destruction of Primus is my sole purpose for existence!"
Yes, I must complete my mission. I must destroy Primus, and I must destroy his apostle—Optimus Prime.
One mistake doesn't mean it will happen every time. I continued to manipulate space, chasing his machine like trying to catch a floating duckweed on a ripple. Just as Optimus Prime was cornered with nowhere to hide, the sound of an ambulance interrupted the battle:
“Apostle,” the ambulance approached me anxiously, standing in front of the experimental table where I lay, “don’t you want to know what happened? How did the steel fork fall into the hands of Unicron?”
What does that have to do with me?!
"I! Don't! Want! To! Know!" I immediately refused.
The ambulance continued on its own: "At that time, Unicron awoke, and to protect humanity and the Cybertronians, we had to go to the Earth's core and seal Unicron away. Fork also participated in this operation."
He sighed, the speaker turned on and off, emitting a series of electrical noises.
He continued, "Her physical condition had been unstable until Unicron awoke. I wanted to stop her from participating in this operation, but she took advantage of our inattention and flew onto the land bridge to join the operation team."
After Grimfork and Optimus Prime reached Earth's core, wave after wave of monster hordes attacked them relentlessly. Grimfork, in the process of fighting off the monsters, flew too far, and we, too confident in her strength, didn't pay enough attention. By the time Arcee realized she was falling into the abyss, it was too late; we couldn't catch her, and we could never find her again.
He looked at me, the energy lines of the optical mirror outlining a melancholic green-lake blue. "I'm glad to see you, Apostle. So,"
"So what?" I interrupted him. What was he trying to say? Was he saying he was glad to eliminate you so that his companions might return? What exactly did he mean?
I intended to continue the attack, but I discovered that Optimus Prime had taken advantage of my distraction and retreated several steps away—it turned out that his ambulance had been stalling for time!
A surge of rage coursed through my brain, my deep purple blood nearly boiling. The surrounding space distorted; scalpels, chainsaws, welding torches… all the laboratory equipment floated into the air, their blades pointing directly at the ambulance, weaving a net from which he had nowhere to escape. I focused on the space where his spark resided, cutting, twisting, pulverizing.
Even though Optimus Prime wanted to push his medic away, he had to dodge the successive blades.
However, my attack missed again.
A sudden ring of eerie blue light illuminated the floor, and an arm covered in blue and white armor extended out and rested on the leg armor of the ambulance.
Then, I could no longer sense the ambulance's presence. I watched helplessly as the blade, like a phantom, passed through the ambulance's body, and the orange-white machine quickly disappeared into the floor, vanishing without a trace.
What on earth is going on? This has never happened before! Has my ability failed? Yet the equipment in the lab is still floating in the air.
Soon, the blue and white armored machine sprang out from the floor. It put its arm on Optimus Prime's arm armor, and once again, I suddenly couldn't feel Optimus Prime's presence.
He greeted me with a grin, "Hello, Apostle? I'm Smokescreen. You look so pathetic right now, I don't even feel like scolding you."
All the instruments shot toward their location at once; some collided and fell to the ground with a clang, while others passed through like phantoms, achieving nothing.
The smokescreen and Optimus Prime disappeared into the floor.
Meanwhile, an annoying sound echoed in the air:
"I'll take the leader with me."
Besides me, there was another person in the lab who seemed to have been forgotten.
But I will not forget.
"Shockwave!" I roared. "Fix me now! Or you'll be seeing Primus!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
