"The first method," Scalpel explained, "is the AllSpark. It radiates life. It can turn your Energy Core into a true Spark."
Nathan nodded. This was his plan A.
"The second method..." Scalpel's voice took on a gruesome tone. "Is surgical transplantation. You take a functioning Spark from a donor and force it into your chassis."
A donor.
Nathan dismissed the idea immediately.
To get a Spark, I'd have to kill a Cybertronian. And not just any grunt—a real one.
Autobots are tough. Decepticons are tougher. And Jetfire is sleeping in a museum, but he's huge. I can't exactly Mug him.
"I think I'll stick with the Cube," Nathan murmured.
"Wise choice," Scalpel said dryly. "Transplants have a high rejection rate. Usually, the host body just explodes."
Great. Plan B is suicide. Plan A it is.
...
Over the next three days, Nathan turned into the world's most inquisitive lab assistant.
He milked Scalpel for information. The old doctor, bored and isolated, was surprisingly willing to lecture.
Nathan learned the holy trinity of Cybertronian physiology:
The Brain Module (Cerebral Unit): The CPU. It held the Information Chip (programming), Memory Crystals (RAM/Storage), and the Quantum Neural Net (Consciousness). As long as this unit survived, a Cybertronian could be rebuilt. This explained Megatron's constant resurrections.Identity: Verified by Spark Frequency (DNA) and Carrier Waves (Bio-signature). You couldn't just swap bodies and fool a scanner.The Energy Unit (Spark/Core): The Soul. The battery. Without it, the body is just a shell (like Galvatron in Age of Extinction).The flaw of the Energy Core: It doesn't regenerate. It doesn't evolve. A Spark grows stronger with age and experience. A Core just runs out.The Cap: With a Core, Nathan was hard-capped at Middle-Tier. He would never be a Commander. He would never be a Prime.The Transformation Cog (T-Cog): The shapeshifting organ.
So, I'm basically a high-end toaster until I get a Spark, Nathan concluded. I have no potential cap. I just have a battery life.
And if I run out of juice in a fight? Game over.
...
Three days passed.
Scalpel was as good as his word. He finished the tests and immediately prepped the surgical arm.
"Alright, T-22. The data is solid. Time for your payment."
"Thank you, Lord Scalpel!"
Nathan lay back as the lasers went to work.
When he sat up an hour later, he felt... heavier. denser.
He pulled up his internal diagnostic—a custom HUD element he had coded for himself based on Scalpel's explanations.
[ SYSTEM STATUS: T-22 ]
Class: Middle-Tier Warrior (Ground Unit)Armor: Titanium Alloy Plating (Upgraded from Manganese)Energy: Energy Core (86%)Weapons:Right Arm: Integrated Grenade LauncherChest: 12.6mm Rotary CannonStatus: Optimized.
Titanium.
It wasn't Cybertronian metal, but it was the best Earth had to offer. It could shrug off small arms fire and take a hit from a tank shell without crumpling.
"I also refueled you," Scalpel grumbled, eyeing the second empty Energon Cube. "You owe me."
"I will work hard to find your spider ship," Nathan promised.
"You better."
Scalpel signaled Reedman. The thin bot dragged a cart over, displaying three metallic objects.
"T-22. There are three Middle-Tier weapon modules compatible with your frame. Choose one."
Nathan looked down.
The modules were small, condensed by Subspace Compression Technology.
Cybertronian Tech Rule #1: It's bigger on the inside.
(Along with Mass Displacement for size-changing and Space Bridge for teleporting, this was one of the god-tier techs.)
Nathan studied the three options.
Two looked like heavy cannons. One looked like a rifle.
"What are they?" Nathan asked, his optical sensors zooming in.
"Option 1: A Plasma Cannon," Scalpel explained. "High damage, slow fire rate. Good for armor penetration."
"Option 2: A Rapid-Fire Gatling Blaster. High rate of fire, medium damage. Good for suppressing infantry."
"Option 3: A Sonic Disrupter. Non-lethal to bots, but liquefies organic targets. And it can stun sensors."
Nathan considered.
Plasma fits the heavy trooper vibe.
Gatling fits the suppression role.
Sonic fits a spy.
But he was going to the Hoover Dam. He was going to fight humans and maybe Autobots.
"I'll take..."