Chapter 9: Confusing Problems

Perafax dragged Ruse to the end of the hallway. They entered a large room filled with Autobot jury members. In the front of the room was a long table. Seated in the middle of the table was the great Autobot leader, Optimus Prime.

Immediately Ruse turned around, but he didn't see the trading post. All he saw was a long, seemingly endless hallway.

Ruse turned to Perafax with a desperate look. "You turned me in!"

Perafax did not react. He was focused on the front of the room.

Optimus Prime spoke "Ruse, you have been charged with numerous accounts of being absent without leave. As you know, the Autobots are very lenient in many of their policies. However, your flagrant disregard for authority during this wartime is irreconcilable. You may now state your defense."

Ruse began walking up to Optimus Prime, but two rather large guards held him back. "Wartime? Wartime! Ever since there have been Autobots and Decepticons we've been in a perpetual state of war. It's not going to end, and all of you are fools for staying!"

Optimus Prime sat emotionless. "We do not prevent Cybertronians from leaving our ranks. However, repeatedly leaving your battle station in the heat of battle is in-excusable."

"Awe, can't take a joke?" Ruse said with an uneasy grin.

Judgement in such trials could take many hours. In this case, the decision seemed instantaneous.

The lighting became very dim. Optimus Prime's optics were glowing a bright red. He raised his arm and pointed at Ruse. "Guilty!"

Before Ruse could react, the two guards whisked him away from the court into a backroom.

One of them spoke up. "Prime's not here now traitor."

"I've lost too many of my comrades in battle, you should have stood your ground and died just like they did" the second one told him.

Ruse pulled out one of his guns but the second guard whacked his hand, sending the gun flying. With his other hand, he shoved Ruse up against the far wall. The first guard walked over to him and began choking him. He lifted Ruse into the air with both hands still clenched around his neck. Struggling, Ruse finally broke free by kicking the guard in the face. Ruse transformed into hovercraft mode and sped towards the door of the room. It closed before he could reach it.

Ruse transformed back into robot mode and stood with his back to the door. "Wait a minute, something's not right here."

The two guards came closer. "I was on the space station, then I slipped into this nightmare. Nothing makes sense. These events, they seem too - condensed. I should've been hacking into Autobot design systems at this point."

The two Autobot guards picked up Ruse. Ruse struggled. "Die Autobot scum!" They shouted

"If this is all a nightmare, then you two aren't real!" Ruse shouted back.

Suddenly, the surroundings started rippling, as if turning to water. Slowly they faded, and eventually disappeared. Ruse fell to the ground, disoriented. Off in the distance he could see two bots running away. Ruse looked around, and discovered he was back on the station.

"What the heck just happened?" he pondered.

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Somewhere on the station, a shadowy figure stood watching. "How disappointing, he escaped our grasp so easily. Perhaps I was going about this in the wrong manor. No matter really, the next one has given us far more to work with."

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Scamp wondered about the station. He looked everywhere he could to find even the slightest sign of activity.

As he walked up and down the station, Scamp had a very uneasy feeling. "At least that blasted bird isn't with me."

Although he would never admit it, Scamp wished someone was with him.

He tried to comfort himself with his own voice. "I've seen enough Earthling performances to know nothing good will happen here."

Seemingly without cause, Scamp's head began searing with pain. He clenched his head with his hands dropping his guns. When the pain stopped, Scamp looked around.

Scamp stood in awe. Whispering to himself he said, "I'm back home, back home at the Seeker Corps."