LoC Second Dawn: Log 28

Megatron folded his arms, looking up at the technical display. "What have
you found?"

"Nothing obvious." Swiftshock answered. "Exposition: All the changes have
been made to your central processing functions - This isn't a simple shell
program."

Another section highlighted, zooming in to the neo-cortex.

"Someone reprogrammed me?!" Megatron hissed.

"N-no!" Swiftshock answered. "Maybe. You see, the changes weren't
EXACTLY encoded directives, or even concrete alterations toward an
obvious goal."

DN watched from her spot in the corner, her form was cloaked due to the way
her father acted earlier. He seemed as if he wanted to hide this...

"Its all very delicate, very subtle alterations. Equations in the processing
subroutines return with a result of 1.333382 instead of 1.333381, for
example."

Dante was also listening. "So they what exactly are you saying?" He asked.

"Er, clarification: I don't exactly know. These alterations are likely designed to
work in tandem - They arent separate directions all added to a shell program,
they ARE one directive in all likelihood, the pieces spread out through the
neurological pathways like a puzzle."

DN raised an optic ridge, her arms crossed. He needs to use smaller words...

"Then translate them!" Megatron barked. "Someone wanted me to act to their
benefit. Once we know what they wanted, we can determine who did this."

Dantes optics narrowed at this information "so what that means is...
the changes are cryted in such a way that no one will be able to
tell what they are untill they are activated?" He replied.

"Thats a slight problem, Megatron." Swiftshock continued. "The necessary
computations could take deca-cycles at the very least."

He nodded to Dante. "Or I would need a very long time to try to decode them,
but... neurological science isn't a very exact science. We know very little,
fundamentally, and experimentation is... tricky."

"Can you restore me to my previous state?" Megatron folded his arms.

"Er, that... is very unlikely, Megatron. Every brain module is structured
somewhat differently, and..."

"Hurmm who poseses such knowledge to alter a processor in such a way... i
know shockwave experimented with this as well as some medical officers..
but not many are privy to this knowledge or intelligent enough to perform
such operations sucessfuly.." Dante thought outloud scratching his chin.

"Dante, see to it our friend here has ample access to the prisons. He can
practice plenty their." Megatron paused. "And find Seph-Blade. He may have
information taken from Shockwaves little cult."

Dante noded "Understood." He disapeared into the wall to make the necisary
arangments and then fetch Sephblade.

Swiftshock looked... a bit nauseous at the idea of experimenting on live cyber-
brains.

"DN." Megatron looked over his shoulder.

Red optics narrowed though they were unseen. Her form appeared in the
corner, "How'd you know I was here?"

"You always are, and your stealth systems are not perfect." He shrugged.

"Be on the look out for the femme you saw earlier. She is connected to this."

DN smirked, "Also you know me too well dad..." she walked over to him by
the berth.

DN blinked, "The one that stole my hair style?"

"Yes." Megatron answered.

She blinked again, "Okay..."

Megatron descended into silence, looking over the readout.

"...I wont have to experiment on live subjects, will I?" Swiftshock quietly
asked DN.

DN shrugged, grimacing at the thought, "I dont know..."

"Hope not." Swifthock fidgeted.

"Well?" Megatron asked, apparently to no one.

"I found out. I had the scan."

He turned, looking up. "YOU SAID YOU HAD ANSWERS YOU CRYPTIC
WENCH! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

DN jumped, optics wide, "Dad..." she whispered, "Take it easy..."

His optics smoldered as he paced, grumbling dire threats under his breath.

The dark femme sighed, crossing her arms, "We should head to the brig," she
patted Swiftshock on the shoulder, "Get started on the...experiments..."

"W-we should?" Swiftshock squeaked uneasily, though following her
obediantly nonetheless.

"That way he can cool off," DN motioned her head to her father.

"Y-yes, but..." He looked back as the door shut, then back to her. He kept his
voice low, as if Megatron could hear through the reinforced plating.

The room was silent, Megatron was left alone...

"B-But I'd be experimenting on LIVE subje-- No, live mechanoids. And i'd be
assuredly killing most of them! They wouldnt even be willing!"

"You know," a smooth voice spoke through the walls, "You really shouldnt
yell like that." It echoed as it chuckled, "You'll scare the children..."

"I tire of your pointless jibes." Megatron growled.

He turned, optics burning. "Give me the answers I seek or I will simply beat
you until they fall out."

"Say what you will," Pandora emerged from the wall, "But my presence here
is risky enough. I do not wish to put DN in harms way..."

He rolled his optics. "I've heard your sanctimonious prattle long enough. The
first time was enough."

She chuckled, "Come now love..." she said,

She frowned, walking over to him and looking at the results on the monitor
screen. "So you've found that there is a disturbance in your CPU?" she asked.

"Of course." Megatron scoffed. "I did as you asked. Now you must keep your
end of this."

A soft sigh, her red optics turning to him with saddness, "You're being
controlled love..."

"I KNOW!" Megatron barked irritably. "Did I not just tell you I had the scans
completed? Surely you had been watching the whole while!"

Her optics narrowed, "By whom," she continued, "Well...you've never heard
of them before..."

"At least I dont think you have..."

"Tell me whom, then. Don't dance about the issue." Megatron glared. "I want
their names, then I want their heads!"

"As powerful as you are love you cannot kill them..." Pandora crossed her
arms, resembling the same position DN was in earlier.

"You have no idea how often I've disproved that sentence."

"Tell that to the Quintessons love..." Pandora said gravely.

He raised an optic ridge. "The Quintessons? The five faced creatures that
legend says enslaved our race?"

"I'd thought them a conveniant myth the Council used to solidify their power
base."

A smirk, "You asked. I answered..."

"You did. Now, where are they?"

"That is an excellent question," Pandora sighed, leaning against the control
panel next to the monitor. She twirled a piece of synthetic hair, "But I do
know that they are watching you..."

He frowned, and without warning, shot her in the foot.

"Answer. The. Question." He growled.

Pandora disappeared, "You idiot!" she shouted, " Their whereabouts are
unknown, the only way to find them is to crack that little leash they have on
you."

"The only one being a fool is you." He retorted. "Playing your games, as if I
was a pup who let all the HARD work be done by some pet army."

"Because if you know too much they'll go after others..." she reappeared,
optics blazing, "Even DN..."

"Oh, and my lack of knowledge magically protects me from their wrath?"
Megatron sneered. "Do you think I'm an idiot? That I let Soundwave do all my
thinking for me?"

"In an instant, they can kill you here and now..." Pandora hissed, "You do not
know how powerful they really are. Why do you think I left? Because I
WANTED to abandon you?"

"You stayed long enough to give birth. You had plenty opportunity to have
given me warning - BEFORE THEY ALTERED MY MIND!"

"They had altered it after the wreckoning..." she sneered, "That much I know.
My goal was to keep you OUT of the equation, but after the wreckoning they
needed a way to get more energy. You were perfect oppurtunity..."

"In the end, you are simply wrapped up in your hunts." Megatron turned
away. "Too in love with your solitary crusades to see sense. I am Megatron - I
am what others fear, not the other way around. Being secretive accomplished
nothing to protect me. It may have actually helped to KNOW they were still
active."

"If you did," Pandora's optics blazed bright red, "You and DN would be dead
right now."

She was silent as she disappeared.

"YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT!"

He turned back to the display, optics still burning, the frown etched on his  face.