Chapter Text
Ultra Magnus could be a rigid commander with few social skills, but deep down he cared profoundly about his fellow autobots, even if he did not always know the best way to show it.
Ultra Magnus was currently standing in front of the controls of the ironwill, it had been so long since he had found another Cybertronian, and even longer since he had found one that he knew.
“I wonder if it is still worth continuing to search… I don’t even know if they would appreciate or need my help.”
Even though these thoughts were running through his mind, his expression remained unchanged, he was immersed in his solitary daydreams, whenever he thought about the past this happened, perhaps it had been too long since he socialized with someone else.
The iron will suddenly began to make a noise, on the locator there was a very strong energy signal, Ultra Magnus immediately began to check where the signal came from.
After pondering whether or not he should go to the origin of the signal, Magnus decides to adjust the route. It would take a while to get there, but he would arrive.
While leaving the ship’s controls on automatic, Ultra Magnus stood up and began to check his reserves for the 5th time in that cycle, according to his internal chronometer.
While doing this, more and more warnings kept appearing on his HUD, warnings of low energon and partial shutdown of some functions. Ultra Magnus simply removed them from his view and ignored them, as so many times before, it was not something he should worry about now, especially when his energon stock was short.
Of course, maybe Magnus should refuel soon, considering the amount of energon he lost in the last fight against that stray decepticon, but he did not want to break the routine he set for himself and consume a cube at the wrong moment.
After checking all his stock, he discovered that maybe he should stop at a neutral market on the way, after all there was one not so far from where the energy signal came from.
Magnus took a datapad from his subspace and began to update the file titled “Resources”.
- 3 cubes of diluted energon
- 2 cubes of medium-grade energon
- 1 dose of repair nanites
- 1 simple medical kit
He definitely needed to restock, especially if he had the remote possibility of finding another autobot from where the energy signal came from.
Ultra Magnus returned to the console and readjusted the route for a quick stop at the neutral market on the way, it would take only 1 cycle and a half to get there, Magnus could endure staying without energon during that time, he had already endured smaller amounts for longer without refueling.
One more warning appeared on his HUD:
Energon levels in yellow: 32%
Recommendation for saving: Turn off some less necessary functions
This time Magnus began to check which functions were still on to know which he could turn off. Two cycles ago he had already turned off the pain system and the voice system, after all who would he talk to if he was alone on the ship.
This part of Cybertronian anatomy intrigues Magnus a little, absolutely all functions consume energy, so to save it, they can simply turn off some functions, like pain system, voice, contact, tactical analysis — which Magnus is not foolish enough to do — among others.
But now he is only digressing.
Checking which functions were on, Magnus decided that he could leave the proximity sensors temporarily turned off, just until reaching the neutral market.
Optical sensors - Activated
Auditory sensors - Activated
Voice modulator - Deactivated
Contact sensors - Deactivated
Proximity sensors - Deactivated
Environmental sensors - Deactivated
Pain receptors - Deactivated
Self-preservation mechanism - Activated
Self-repair systems - Activated
Weapon system - Activated
Magnus stared at the name “Deactivated” in “Pain receptors” for a while, before raising his servos and brushing the digits slowly on the upper part of the helmet, in a gesture of confusion.
“How long have they been turned off? I can’t remember very well, I think it must have been after the planet Amberulus and those crazy doctors/scientists.”
Ultra Magnus sat in the chair in front of the navigation controls and kept staring at them for a long time without doing anything, motionless, without looking away.
“I wonder if things would have been very different for me if I had followed another path, maybe been less rigid, or maybe if I had never joined this war…” Magnus slightly shook the helmet, trying to remove the thoughts from his processor.
“It is better to focus on the present, there is no point thinking about hypotheses of a past that will not return and will not change.”
Ultra Magnus turned off the optical sensors, he intended to recharge only for a few breems or kliks, he ended up staying offline the rest of the entire cycle, only waking when his ship sent a proximity warning, the iron will was near the neutral market.
Magnus turned the optical sensors back on, his processor slowly began to function again, he felt his helmet heavy.
“Ugh… what…?” Magnus checked the internal chronometer, realizing his mistake. “Scrap, I did not intend to stay turned off that long.” He promptly took the ship’s steering controls and prepared to land.
In a few kliks Magnus found himself landing in a not so empty hangar, near a market with more autobots, neutrals and decepticons than he expected to find.
“Hmm….” Before leaving the ship, Magnus adjusted some of the sensors.
Optical sensors - Activated
Auditory sensors - Activated
Voice modulator - Activated
Contact sensors - Activated
Proximity sensors - Activated
Environmental sensors - Deactivated
Pain receptors - Deactivated
Self-preservation mechanism - Activated
Self-repair systems - Activated
Weapon system - Activated
Ultra Magnus considered whether he should also turn on the environmental sensors, but considering that they would only serve to warn if it was too cold, too hot or if he was changing temperature, he thought it better to keep them turned off.
He took some parts that he “found” in other sectors in his travels, most were taken from decepticons, so Magnus did not care at all about stealing.
Heading to the ship’s exit door, Magnus turned the fans on and off successively, calming himself and remembering to stay attentive to everything, when he was ready, he finally pressed the hatch button, the ramp descended, and Magnus was not in a hurry to leave the ship, in fact he stayed at the tip of the ramp, observing the surroundings, after confirming that there was no danger nearby, he moved forward, closing the hatch and heading toward the center of the market, which was crowded with Cybertronians and even some other species — selling and buying.
“I hope my negotiation skills are not rusty.”