Lying flat on his back, Galvatron stared into the depth of apparent nothingness. "How is it that when I end up separated, it’s usually alone with a Prime?" he asked himself, "Is this my lot in life? Fate? Someone hitting on me?" He found Rodimus lying beside him in much the same manner, maybe awake, maybe not: "Or is it that you and Optimus love me that much?" Galvatron added aloud.

Rodimus raised aching arms and clutched his throbbing head. "Oh, my aching schlong."

Galvatron: "that’s an incorrect reference to use, Rodimus. What is it with you and the penis? You don’t have one... that I know of."

"Did I say that?" Rodimus snapped, "I did not say that. I am not here. And neither are you. We are not here." He shut his optics off, hoping he’d wake to something resembling his quarters in Fort Max.

"Here’ is irrelevant, Rodimus." Galvatron countered, "And not because it’s a presently perceptive form of reality but because we are currently sharing space."

Rodimus groaned as the ache in his head sharpened. "Take a breather, Galvatron. I’m sharing nothing with you." He sensed Galvatron’s grin and did not care whether or not the Decepticon actually did. Rodimus’ optics darkened. "Know what? You stand-or sit-all the way over there, wherever there is. And I will stay here... wherever that might be. And we can be in our own two... places and share nothing."

Galvatron did not smile but an inkling of concern itched the back of his head. "I really don’t bite as hard as I used to."

"Shut. Up." Roddi tried to see into the dead dark. He groaned, rolled over and lay on the floor. At least it was a floor; cold, flat, smooth. This was good.

"You know," Galvatron sang, ‘we’re accomplishing nothing by doing nothing." Rodimus grunted. "I think I will do something," the Decepticon continued. "I will proceed to do whatever it takes to annoy you."

"You hate me." Rodimus muttered.

"How can you tell?"

Rodimus actually had to think about the answer. He moaned. "Everything does. My head hates me. My body hates me. You hate me. Primus hates me."

Galvatron sighed, "Primus hates everyone."

Rodimus sat up on his elbows. "Does he?" he thought it over, "yeah, I think you’re right. He... well, Optimus said Primus hated him. And you know, Galvatron, it takes a lot to hate Optimus."

"Rodimus, I don’t know what to say. I think Optimus is adorable too."

Rodimus’ irritable mood worsened. "Are we going anywhere with this, or are we going to just roll around and talk each other to death?" He did not hear Galvatron answer if the Decepticon said anything. An explosion of agony pierced his cranium and slithered down his infrastructrual rod. Rodimus screamed until the pain barreled his sense of reality off the map.

A cold solid object struck the left side of his face and Rodimus gasped for air.

"Rodimus!" Galvatron’s voice brought the Autobot leader back to the moment and the solid darkness. Rodimus’ arms floundered and the moment he found Galvatron, he clamped tightly as fear caked his insides with ice.

"Don’t let me go," Rodimus whispered. "Oh, Primus. Oh Primus! What was that?"

"What was what?" Galvatron kept his tones even and did not complain of discomfort. "Rodimus?"

"I was... I wasn’t here. I was... laying upside down on a desk in an office, talking to Optimus. Except... he didn’t look like Optimus."

"A dream," Galvatron surmised. "You were out for four minutes. I thought you’d fallen unconscious."

Galvatron did not know what to make of it. Taking charge, he levitated them both off the floor then lowered so that Rodimus now stood. "Perhaps we should just start moving. I’ll scan ahead so we don’t smack your head again."

That pissed the Autobot off and he yanked free of Galvatron’s support. "This isn’t funny, Galvatron! I don’t know what’s wrong with me!"

Galvatron folded his arms. "Don’t make me write a list. I don’t have any letter heads with me."

"Oh for friggin’ Primus’ SAKE! Can’t you be serious for one fucking second?! I’M FREAKING OUT HERE!"

Galvatron did not need to see to know where Rodimus stood. He tightly gripped the Autobot’s upper arms. "Get a hold of yourself, Rodimus-"

Rodimus shoved him away. "Get a hold? Get a hold!?" his physical temperature skyrocketed and in the darkness, Rodimus grinned. "I held onto the hope that I could save my people, Galvatron!"

Galvatron flinched. "What? Wait, that’s a little off-track, Rodimus."

"TRION!" Roddi spat. "He took everything from me! He destroyed everything! The world, the people, the FUTURE!"

"Trion has been gone for quite a while, Rodimus." Galvatron stepped back as he considered the possibility that he no long spoke to Rodimus Prime but the Virus. "Maybe you’re experiencing a time shift or something-"

"I was THERE! I was the Autobot leader!"

"Okay."

Flummoxed, Galvatron did nothing at first. It was one thing to watch Optimus fall apart but Rodimus made the moment awkward. He dragged Rodimus off the floor as one would a child in emotional distress. Galvatron bridal-carried his Autobot companion under the back and legs. Rodimus draped his arms around Galvatron’s shoulders and buried his face against the Decepticon’s metal plating.

"Optimus came back from the dead," Roddi whimpered. "But it was wrong. It was all wrong. He said he was the Matrix. He said... and then we died. Nobody knew. He destroyed the Matrix!"

Galvatron struggled to understand. "Optimus? You mean Optimus destroyed the Matrix?"

"No! No, no, no..." Rodimus wailed, "Trion." his voice went very small: "It’s all in pieces. All gone. Oh, Galvatron, why? Why?"

All too familiar with meltdowns himself, Galvatron empathized. He should have recognized the symptoms moments ago when Rodimus underwent the anger stage. With his mood swinging this quickly, chances were that Roddi’s emotions were bound to shift again. And sonofabitch, if Galvatron had to suffer through an overly-happy, annoyingly hyper Rodimus Prime.

Utilizing his limited sonar sensors, Galvatron maneuvered around large blocky objects, passed under tall archways and down an unlit corridor. He entered another great room with dimensions that yawned beyond his scanning range. He slowly lowered Rodimus to the chilly and dusty floor and crouched low. They needed a better plan than feeling their way around like a pair of ants in a mine shaft.

A rectangular window of unnaturally bright static faded in from nowhere, floated in the air and reflected off nothing. Galvatron stared at it partly in dread and partly irate. This could NOT be happening! He was not in the mood to welcome a visit from the Virus. Yet one glance at the near-comatose Prime, Galvatron reminded himself the Virus was as close as the debilitated Autobot before him. Static and ‘snow’ sizzled across the bi-dimensional visual until shapes slowly emerged and focused into the heavy physic of an ancient robot. He welded a large rifle in one hand, a shield in the other. A mean streak lit his red optics and he stared straight at Galvatron. Megatron.

Cold surges shot down Galvatron’s back. He knew that robot more certainly than he knew himself. He also loathed him and what Megatron represented. Why didn’t anyone eliminate that... monster in the past? Sadly enough neither mortal nor super creature held the power or the means to prevent the inevitable. Megatron was, after all, Vector Sigma’s finest work; the one-in-a-tera-trillion best of the best. The Quintessons plotted decades to ensure the monster landed in their sticky tentacles.

Megatron’s fighting methods and tactics became the law among Cybertronian warriors. His reputation earned him names, titles and respect among his peers. But that same prestige painted him a target for Quintesson manipulation and conspiracy. By means of torture and irreversible reprogramming they installed for him a new purpose and hatred which bordered on madness. On Cybertron, Megatron turned prejudice into hate and hatred into brutality. His own rage burned until it consumed everything of him inside-out.

Galvatron shook his head to clear the damning images. His past sins held no sway over his present. "I do not need to see this," he said out loud. Rejecting the Matrix memory, he leaned to gather Rodimus up. The window flew around and faced him again. Galvatron stepped back, mortified and surprised. He drew his weapon but changed his mind. After all, the window was a memory; visible but intangible. He stooped again to haul Rodimus to his feet but the window refused to be ignored and it slipped down so that Galvatron had to keep watching. Again the former Decepticon leader withdrew, momentarily baffled.

Daring to play the Virus’ game by his own rules, Galvatron shut his optics off and yet again reached for Roddi’s prone form. This time Megatron’s arm shot from the two-dimensional window and punched Galvatron across the left. Galvatron smacked his back on the floor. He instinctively rolled over and skittered backwards on hands and feet, racing from the window. It followed him; its ghostly illumination chased the darkness in a freakish blue light.

When his back thunked against a partition, the Deception decided he had enough. "Very well," Galvatron said aloud. "Being nice won’t work." He rocketed up and leapt through the window. Galvatron landed lightly on his right shoulder. He stood and came face-to-face with a stoic Rodimus Prime. Roddi’s dark optics barely registered in the unlit world.

He spoke with a chilling double voice, "IGNOT TOR, ZH’XN."

Galvatron’s life blood churned cold. "Is this Void? Are you speaking to me, Void?"

"AVH AOCHATAY."

"I’m somewhat impressed that you can speak ancient Quintesson. But it does nothing to frighten me. That is, naturally, if such is your intent. Leave the Autobot and find another hobby."

Rodimus set his face scant inches from Galvatron. "SON OF ZH’XN, THIS... MINE."

Galvatron gave Void-Roddi a strong right-cross. Rodimus stumbled backward three steps, caught his balance and popped a kink in his neck. Galvatron punched him again. "You have no influence over me," he snarled. "And shortly you’ll have no hold over the Primes."

The Virus roared. "I. AM. THAT. WHICH. IS. VOID. AND. DESOLATE! I AM THE DARK!"

Galvatron almost did not see it; a biped incarnation of the Virus shot out of Rodimus and through the Decepticon’s thorax.

Galvatron tumbled backward like a dead tree in the midst of a cyclone. He lost control of his senses and spiraled down, down. Images flashed around him; moments flipped away like photographs caught in the tail of a comet. Faces blinked in and out of perception like a filmstrip.

Galvatron landed with a grunt. Cold desert ground crunched under his frame. He lay there; knees up, optics fixed on the sky. Dry air carried dust along a stiff morning breeze. Rodimus approached. His weight ground small rocks into the packed dirt, eliciting a soft crunching noise. The Decepticon sat up and darkened his optics against the rising sun.

"This part always sucks." Rodimus said without greeting. "Just when you thought sanity was a permanent fixture in your head, it pops out of you like a zit and runs away. I’m always looking for it."

Morning vanished from the landscape and with it, the bearable, eighty-plus-degree temperature. Galvatron stood and bounced a glance from Rodimus to the bleak environment then back to the Autobot leader. "First of all, you’re lucky I understand what you’re saying. Secondly, am I dreaming this? If not, are we stuck in your head or mine?"

Rodimus snorted with a grin. "See, Galvatron, the thing about reality is that it’s all about perception."

"Aw, Primus, here we go," Galvatron moaned.

Rodimus faced the cruel sun and spread his arms. "You think you’re here, when you may not be anywhere at all."

"Of course, Dear Alice. That’s why I’ll take on the role of the Cheshire Cat."

Rodimus glanced over his shoulder. "Your sarcasm is not amusing. I am not laughing."

"Aren’t you going to tell me to shut up?"

"Why? What’s the point?"

"We’re lost. And most likely in your head which..." Galvatron’s voice faded as Rodimus walked away. "Never mind." He caught up with Roddi as the sun baked the ground with an intensifying temperature. The air and its dust particles soaked in UV’s and roasted all life forms at a not-so-cozy high of 135 degrees. "So!" Galvatron declared. "Is this the warm, safe place you go to when you’re stressed out?"

Rodimus abruptly stopped in his tracks and faced his companion. "No. Is it yours?"

"No. Not that I’m consciously aware of."

"Then why are you asking me?"

"Because I think you’re under Viral influence."

Rodimus stared, uncertain. His expression shifted to confusion. "I remember, now. It wasn’t a desert after all. Or... rather, not an organic desert."

Galvatron slightly inclined his head. "What’s that?"

Rodimus scanned the bleak sweltering horizon. "It wasn’t a desert," he repeated. "It was on Cybertron. It was ruined and desolate and depressing." As he spoke, the sunlight dimmed to a dirty grey. The sky loomed, its clouds weighed with radioactivity. The landscape washed away and with it, the desert heat. Now the temperature dipped to twenty-three degrees. Broken buildings stood around them, bent and grey like burnt trees. The world stood stark silent, its life long since gone.

Galvatron suppressed a shudder. "I don’t remember this place at all."

"There was a trial," Rodimus continued. And again the scene vanished and they stood in an empty courtroom. A sniveling female voice filled the air with tones of contempt:

Galvatron watched as people faded in and populated the scene. A femme at the table furthest from them picked up three digipads. "I have here documents bearing Rodimus Prime’s very own signature."

Rodimus answered in monotone, as though reciting memorized text: "if I did, it’s a damn good program and I’d sign up for it myself."

"So does that mean you agreed to this contract?"

"No," Rodimus replied in the same voice, "It means I knew nothing about it and that my signature was forged."

Galvatron gripped him hard. "Rodimus!" he growled, "we’re not here! This isn’t real!"

"It was," Roddi replied sadly. "It’s like... I’ve lived all this all before. Like another life, another time that I was alive."

"Pull yourself OUT OF IT!"

Rodimus stared as a single tear welled from his right optic and lined his face with moisture. "It all went horribly wrong here, Galvatron."

"I know," the Decepticon said sharply, "I got the email-" Galvatron dropped his reply when another memory window appeared. It grew from a small square to the size of an outdoor movie screen; encompassing their vision. The screen cleared itself of static and the eye-symbol of CBS News faded in:

Galvatron turned to Rodimus and pointed at the oversized TV screen. "The Virus WANTS you to see that, Rodimus. Call it off!"

Rodimus glared hot, "You think I want to see this? Don’t you think I’d do it if I could?"

Galvatron’s optics flared. "I am not here to play the Virus’ game. Stay if you wish." he stomped off not more than five feet when the huge screen split in half so that Rodimus faced one and Galvatron the other. Rodimus’s optics settled onto the Decepticon, his expression like that of child lost to sadness. "NO!" Galvatron snarled. "Turn it off or I’ll promptly decapitate the Prime!"

Roddi’s optics narrowed and his face turned dark like a churning storm. "EXPLAIN," he said with the Viral double-voice.

"No."

"EXPLAIN THIS! EXPLAIN THE UN-LIFE!"

Galvatron shoved the infected Autobot through the memory window. Rodimus slammed against an unseen wall. Before he spoke again, the wall behind them slightly shifted and skipped. ‘Jack’s voice filled the air:

Galvatron’s optics flared again. "The death of the Matrix," he said to himself. "You’re confused because this speaks of the death of the Matrix. And you can’t understand death. You can’t because you have no soul and no hope for another life." Although he was inclined to laugh, Galvatron did not because the conclusion he reached was not as funny as his words made it out to be: "you’re screwed."

Virus-Rodimus hissed and lunged into Galvatron with more weight and strength than the Decepticon anticipated. Light from the memory windows flickered in death as the Decepticon crunched against the wall behind him. Rodimus’ fingers dug at Galvatron’s face and tried to pry his optics out. Galvatron held Roddi’s hands by the wrists and shoved him off.

Rodimus rolled away and rolled away, grunting and screaming as though demon possessed. Galvatron readied his weapon for heavy stung. He held still when Rodimus ceased movement. The environment stagnated with silence, the seconds ticked off one by one, by one.

Galvatron opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. He waited. The darkness thickened with oppressive anticipation. "Rodimus?" he asked quietly and carefully. The Decepticon picked up his resolve, "Rodimus," he called in stronger tones.

Roddi’s weak voice filled the moment and the unseen area in a sad poem:

"Ten little Autobots walking on the line.

He hummed. His weak voice squeaked one or two notes but it did not bother him. Rodimus acknowledged nothing around him.

"Two Autobot Primes walking in time.

Galvatron had no idea how to answer that: "I know the lyrics to ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." he paused and dared two steps closer to Rodimus’ decumbent form. "You know, Roddi, P. For such a short song, it has a very long title. Don’t you think so?"

Rodimus did not answer for several seconds. When he spoke, his voice filled the dark with wishful tones. Galvatron toed three steps nearer and listened to determine which persona was in charge. "I’d like to fly," the Autobot’s voice cracked. "Always liked how birds fly with such ease. Sometimes they don’t even flap their wings. They just go higher and higher. As if it’s the most exhilarating thing in life."

Galvatron paused and cocked his head slightly. "I don’t think we’re talking about the same thing here."

Rodimus abruptly laughed though no joy colored his cackles. When he spoke again, the double-voice darted the air with razor-sharp consonants. "BURDZ AND BURDZ. NOT SEEN THINGS. FEATHERS AND WINGS. BEAK AND TWITTER. NANGT. EN TAMNU." Rodimus rolled face-down, optics lit violet-blue. They bled and the blue hues traced Roddi’s distorted face. "DAMN YOU, GALVATRON! MIND YOUR OWN FUCKING BUSINESS!"

Galvatron crouched, baiting the Virus. "I’m bored with this game, Void. How about we play something different?"

Rodimus did not even take to his feet. He lunged from the floor and shoved everything he had into Galvatron’s middle. The Decepticon lost his rifle and tangled with the infected Autobot leader. They wrestled: alligator verses prey. One rolled over the other until Void-Rodimus gained the upper hand. He pounded punch after punch into Galvatron’s face until the Decepticon decided it time to dirty his hands. He shoved the Autobot off and barreled into Rodimus, crashing their bodies onto the ancient metal flooring. With one foot pinning Roddi’s left arm and an arm on the Autobot’s right, Galvatron held him still. But Rodimus never did well under captivity.

Rodimus’s neck stretched fearfully long and he tried to bite a chunk out of the Decepticon with unnaturally huge metal teeth. Galvatron flinched back as Rodimus’ mandible clanked shut. Void-Rodimus held his pose a moment longer. A low growl rumbled deep inside him.

Galvatron studied the Autobot’s feral expression. "Do you want to kill me or eat me?" he skipped a beat, "Or are you too confused to do either?" Strangely enough, Rodimus calmed and lay still. Galvatron retreated, but remained within striking distance.

Rodimus covered his face with his arms. "BURDZ AND BURDZ." His voice sounded a little normal; scratchy and edgy without the creepy double-tone. "Feathers, wings and babies."

Galvatron frowned. "Your single-sided abstract conversations are really irritating, Rodimus."

"No," Rodimus moaned as his voice slowly returned. "It’s about babies."

"You didn’t have one, did you?"

"One."

Galvatron inclined his head. "What?"

Rodimus pushed himself up by his elbows. "One. One. ONE." the Virus’ influence modified his voice again. "BABYBIRD. JUST ONE. NO WINGS OR FEATHERS. THEY SAY ‘BIRD’. BUT THERE IS NO BIRD. ONLY... HER."

Galvatron crouched before Void-Rodimus. "Are you talking about Rusti?" The corner of Roddi’s mouth twitched and Galvatron took that as a moment of uncertainty.

Rodimus tilted his head this way, that. "She spoke of unlife."

Galvatron huffed with impatience. "Back to that topic again? You’re really worried. How about we just find a way out of here and continue the conversation outside?"

Rodimus hissed. "SHE SAID. SHE SAID. SSSSSS....NNNN SSSS...SSSSS. ALL UNLIFE."

Not thinking about the danger, Galvatron took hold of Rodimus’ chin. "You’re a pain in the ass."

Void ignored Galvatron’s bravado. "HAVEN’T WON ANYTHING,’ SHE SAID." it hissed. "GIRL SAID ‘HAVEN’T CONQUERED... UNTIL THEY’RE DEAD.’ THAT’S UNLIFE."

Galvatron was not interested in the Virus’ rambling. Rodimus rolled over and crawled away. "Hey! Galvatron called. "Just where do you think you’re going?"

"SSSS...NNNN. SSSSS...SSSS."

Galvatron heaved a sigh. "Come along, Rodimus... Void. Whichever. I’m supposed to have a chaperone." Naturally he received no response. "Well, at least let’s get you off the floor." Undaunted, he leaned over to pick Rodimus off hands and knees. Void-Rodimus snarled and screamed. With fingers morphed into thick steel claws, it sliced and ripped Galvatron’s exterior. Galvatron tumbled backwards, grimacing in pain. The Virus’ attack left a trickle of light acid that seeped into his wounds. Galvatron withdrew to give his auto repair systems a moment to kicked in. The Virus thrashed Rodimus’ body about the floor; a maddened thing in need of shackles and a solid cage. It slammed Rodimus against the wall then smacked his body on the floor. It squirmed, limbs flailed like a dying bug struggling to fly away.

Galvatron grunted as pain subsided. He located his fallen rifle, checked the setting then shot the infected Autobot. At first Rodimus did not respond. He screamed and rolled along the ground as though in a seizure. He smashed his head against a wall one second, pounded his fists into the flooring the next. Galvatron swore and shot him again, twice, raised the setting, shot him again.

No results.

Wrong.

There was one result: Rodimus retaliated. Galvatron’s head clanged against the floor. Static frosted his optics with disinformation. Rodimus growled and sank long sharp teeth into the Decepticon’s chest casing. Galvatron wedged his foot between them and shoved the possessed Prime off. Rodimus flew, landed hard and snarled.

Galvatron clutched his wounded chest. Life blood seeped between his fingers. He drew in cold stale air to cool his systems as he forced himself to stand. The softest of scraping sounds betrayed Rodimus’ position and Galvatron met the crazed Autobot face-to-face. He caught Rodimus’ splayed hands, now deformed into deadly armor-piercing claws.

An insentient scream bellowed from the depths of Roddi’s chest. He struggled to overpower the Decepticon and attempted to kick Galvatron off balance but Galvatron held his ground, stable as a rock. He waited long enough for Void-Rodimus to assume their grip as a draw then unexpectedly, Galvatron snapped to the right, throwing Rodimus’ strength off his center and the Autobot crashed face down. Galvatron landed on Prime’s back and secured one arm under Roddi’s chin; the other tugged his left hand backward.

"How’s it feel, Void? Eh? I’m guessing Rodimus didn’t know that I used to wrestle Terrorcons for fun. Oh, wait! I never told him that." Galvatron steeled his grip as the Virus bucked and grunted under weight and power. Seconds stretched into minutes longer than Rodimus’ patience. The Virus kept struggling, kept squirming until it realized Galvatron was not moving.

"I. AM. THAT. WHICH IS VOID AND DESOLATION." Roddi’s voice graveled in a pitch not his own.

Galvatron leaned over and kept his voice steady and undaunted. "I am the son of Zh’Xn, you son of a bitch. You can’t touch me."

Void-Rodimus screamed as if his whole self turned inside out. And in the pitch of darkness, Galvatron did not see what black abhorrence crept out Rodimus’ mouth. It stretched and lengthened until Galvatron realized too late he faced the Virus’ bipedal form. The Decepticon released Rodimus who lay still under him.

Galvatron and the Virus-now standing on two legs- stared at one another a breath before the Virus kicked Galvatron under the chin and launched him into the dark. Galvatron grunted upon landing. His wound took the brunt of the fall but accustomed to pain, Galvatron willed his strength and reforged his determination. "Finally decided to deal with me on your own terms, did you?" the Decepticon reclaimed his ground, drew his weapon and set it to kill.

"INDIFFERENCE TO THE OPPOSITION. INTERFERENCE NOT TOLERATED."

"I know the feeling." Galvatron fired time after time. But the power of each shot disappeared and left the Virus unaffected. The Decepticon resorted to a delay tactic: "I want to know one thing," he paused. "Tell me one thing."

The Virus took the bait and held still. Long arms ending in long fingers with long claws twitched at its sides. "QUESTIONS KEPT SHORT."

"Right. What is your fascination over the girl?" Galvatron covertly connected the rifle to his body and subtly adjusted the rifle’s settings to fire from his own core.

"GIRL ALIEN. NOT ALIEN. AUTOBOT. NOT AUTOBOT. PRIME. NOT PRIME. OPTIMUS. NOT OPTIMUS. GIRL CAN’T EXIST."

"But she does," Galvatron concluded. "You just can’t figure her out."

"PRIME. NOT PRIME. MATRIX... MAYBE."

He had Prime and now he had an answer.