Tales of the Intermezzo - I Am A Transformers Universe Story copyright 1998 by Dave Van Domelen based on properties owned by Hasbro =========================================================================== "intermezzo - n. A brief entertainment between two acts of a play." - American Heritage Dictionary I am. It is important to remember. I am Omega Supreme, the last of the Guardians. I am among the oldest of Cybertron. I am no more. * * * * I found it! I found it!" Scavenger crowed triumphantly. Deep beneath Polyhex, the Constructicons moved through the rubble of the destroyed Decepticon base. "Well, bring the spacetime modulator to Mixmaster, and be quick about it!" Hook ordered. "Bonecrusher reports that he found a squad of those annoying Microns sweeping the area, and he can't guarantee that he killed them all." "Eww...like scurrying vermin," Scrapper shuddered. "Almost as bad as humans. I wish we didn't have to work with them ourselves." "Facts of life," Hook shrugged. "With resources fewer and fewer, it makes more sense to build the smaller troops. What worries me is that they're starting to think of themselves as a separate race...what good will it do to wipe out the Autobots if our own Micromasters turn on us?" "Philosophy for another day, Hook," Mixmaster sneered. "The space bridge controls are completed. We need only wait for the Autobot fleet to be lured into position, and we can send them on a space bridge journey with no endpoint!" * * * * <> came the commander's voice over the fleet frequency. <> "I WILL DEAL WITH THE CONSTRUCTICONS," Omega Supreme rumbled. <> It was wrong. The commander was wrong. Omega Supreme knew that. He knew the Constructicons would not be planetside unless they felt they could gain more than a single antiship gun. He knew them better than anyone else, knew the truth despite the myriad false stories they spread about themselves. But no one would believe him. He could not disobey a direct order. But he could not break his primary reason for existence...to guard. Nor could he ignore his one remaining emotion...hatred of the Constructicons. He needed something to break the tie, something to tip the scales in favor of his desires. No. He did not. The Autobots were his family, but so many had already died...to protect was to serve better than to obey. And he had no kinship with the tiny Micromasters who filled the ships of the fleet. He would be true to himself and accept the consequences if he was wrong. <> the commander barked over the radio. He ignored it, turning off his radio as he dove into the atmosphere. Then the slim, shimmering diamond started to open in the path of the Autobot fleet.... * * * * "It's working!" Long Haul cheered. "Of course it's working, I built it!" Mixmaster sneered. "And the field will widen faster than those ships can veer off, so they will have several precious moments to see their doom before them and be unable to prevent it." Scavenger was in vehicle mode, his scoop waving uncertainly in the air. "Um, I think we have a problem. Someone's coming!" Hook looked into the long range scanners. "Damn! It's him! We have to stop him from destroying the Space Bridge...Constructicons! MERGE TO FORM DEVASTATOR!" Just as the last of the six Constructicons slammed into place to form the gigantic gestalt, Omega Supreme transformed and landed with such force that the space bridge flickered for a moment, the diamond in the sky rippling as if it were on a disturbed pond. As was his custom, Omega said nothing, merely pointing his cannon hand at the space bridge controls and firing. "NO YOU DON'T, AUTOBOT!" Devastator blocked the shot with his hand. Omega stepped forward and grabbed Devastator in his mighty claw, trying to wrestle the Decepticon out of the way so he could get a clear shot at the controls. Devastator countered by falling back and throwing Omega into a pile of rubble, an uncharacteristically elegant maneuver for the normally dimwitted giant. Unfortunately for the Decepticon's cause, this flash of fighting prowess set off a chain reaction which collapsed part of the flooring around Omega Supreme...including the support for one of the space bridge pylons. Suddenly, the diamond vanished from the sky and reappeared between Omega Supreme and Devastator, wavering weakly and drawing in air with a mighty rush of wind. "DEVASTATOR DESTROY YOU THEN FIX MACHINE!" Devastator boasted, pulling his rifle from subspace. Omega realized they were right. Perhaps he would prevail in this battle, but if they escaped they would only do this, or something like it, again. A permanent solution was needed. And he knew what it was. * * * * I am Omega Supreme. I am adrift in the nonspace between endpoints of the space bridge, as are the Constructicons. Perhaps they remained together, to learn to hate each other as much as I hate them. Perhaps they drifted apart, to die alone and unloved. Perhaps I no longer care, having drifted here until time had no meaning, space had no meaning...and self started to have no meaning. Which is why it is so important that I remember. I am. "Yes, you are." What? I heard that but my audio and radio receptors register nothing. And somehow...I feel a light. Not one that I see, but one that I feel. The weight on my mind seems to be lifting. I can feel something other than hate! Is this death? "Perhaps. Your spark has reached the Matrix, Omega Supreme. The war is over, for you especially. Come and know peace." The Matrix? But that's carried by.... "The Matrix is infinity bounded by the finite. What you see is only the boundary, where everything that isn't impinges on everything that is." I'm...I'm not worthy. I'm not a great leader of the Autobots. "You aren't? I know many who would disagree. There are more ways to lead than simply giving orders and making plans. But it is of no matter, the Matrix is more and less than what you think it is. Come...all will be revealed." I am Omega Supreme. I am the last of the Guardians. I am one with the Matrix. ============================================================================== Author's Note: Thanks to Jameel for inspiring this one. Don't let the recent burst of writing fool ya, tho...I don't expect to be cranking these out at this rate for much longer.