The Star Harvester. A machine of planetary desolation designed to strip a star of its fusion energy, converting it into raw Energon to replenish the AllSpark.
According to the records, the one in Egypt had been constructed eons ago by The Fallen.
The AllSpark was never an infinite well; it was a cosmic battery. To keep it charged, the Thirteen Primes had engineered the Harvesters. They had established a sacred protocol—the Prime Directive—stating that no star sustaining a planet with life would be harvested.
But Megatronus, the Prime who would become The Fallen, had betrayed that vow. A million years ago, he attempted to activate the engine on Earth, despite the presence of prehistoric humanity. The ensuing war between The Fallen and his six brothers left the planet scarred and the Primes broken. The Harvester was neutralized, and its only key—the Matrix of Leadership—was sealed away behind a tomb of their own remains.
If Starscream is circling the Giza plateau, he's not just looking for a machine, Nathan calculated, his processors running at peak efficiency. He's looking for the Matrix.
But it raised a tactical question: Was the Air Commander acting alone, or was he already a puppet for the ancient master?
In the cinematic timeline, Starscream fled to The Fallen's ship only after Megatron's death. But in this reality, the variables were shifting. Nathan didn't have hard data, but his survival instinct suggested the two had already made contact. Perhaps a long-range transmission had been intercepted, or Starscream had stumbled upon the derelict ship during a sub-orbital sweep.
It doesn't matter, Nathan decided, dismissing the thought. The Fallen won't reveal himself until Megatron returns. And Megatron is currently an ice cube at the bottom of a dam.
He had no intention of interfering with the Egypt search. The Primes' seal was a masterwork of ancient Cybertronian engineering; if a Commander-class like Starscream hadn't cracked it after weeks of searching, a Mid-tier drone like Nathan had no chance. Besides, the AllSpark was a much more attainable prize.
Maintaining his persona of a blank-slate soldier, Nathan listened as Scalpel continued his analysis.
"Even without knowing his specific target, I can deduce his intent," Scalpel rasped, his eyes flickering with a cold yellow light. "Starscream is acting in shadows. He avoids human radar. He is searching for something precious—something left behind by the Ancients. He wouldn't waste this many fuel-cycles if the reward wasn't god-tier."
Nathan felt a flicker of respect for the medic. Scalpel was a cynic, but his logic was sound. He didn't know about the Matrix, but he had correctly identified the "archeological" nature of the mission.
"Of course," Scalpel added with a mocking trill, "there is another possibility. Perhaps the High Protector or the AllSpark is buried beneath those stone monuments. What do you think, little one?"
"I think your analysis is logical, Doctor," Nathan replied neutrally. Logical, but wrong.
Nathan suspected Starscream already had a lead on Megatron's location but was deliberately ignoring it. With his high-tier sensors, the Air Commander could likely triangulate the abnormal energy readings coming from Hoover Dam in a matter of hours if he truly wanted to. But why find a master when you can serve a ghost? If Megatron stayed frozen, Starscream remained the de facto king of the Decepticons on Earth.
"I will assist you, Doctor Scalpel," Nathan said, finalizing the deal. "I will monitor the Commander's movements and look for the spider-marked ship."
It was a lie, of course. Nathan intended to do the absolute minimum required to keep the Doctor satisfied. He was playing both sides, a double-agent in a war of three.
He settled back onto the diagnostic slab, the cool metal a stark contrast to the heat of his thrumming Synthetic Core. He needed to get stronger.
"Doctor Scalpel," Nathan began, his head tilting toward the medic.
"Speak."
"How can I evolve? How do I turn this Synthetic Core into a true Spark?"
The question was a calculated move. A newborn drone's natural instinct was to seek power; the question wouldn't flag him as an anomaly. It would just make him look ambitious—a very Decepticon trait.
"Ze-ze-ze~ You want to climb the ladder of the hierarchy, T-22?" Scalpel's eyes glowed. "Most drones never think beyond their next fuel cube. You're... focused."
"I merely wish to be more useful to the cause," Nathan lied.
"Well, keep your designation. I'll call you T-22 for now." Scalpel tapped a command into the console. "As for the Spark... our understanding of it is incomplete. But there are two known methods for an artificial unit to achieve a true Spark-evolution."
Nathan's internal sensors sharpened. Two methods? I thought it was AllSpark or nothing.
"Tell me, Doctor. I am listening."