I'm having trouble getting done with another installment of Quantum
State,  but the next one will be extra long, and I'll repost the first
three parts for  anyone who hasn't seen it. (Since there's been a lot of
fanfic and feedback  lately, I want to take advantage of the trend!:))
In the meantime, here's  another story, which will ultimately fit into
_my_ continuity which includes  QS and the next story _Brave New
Universe, one part of which is done but  not posted because it would
reveal something about QS that's not quite ready  to come out yet...

As usual, send all comments to- unicron2k5@aol.com, not this address. I
am  posting here thanks to the whim of a friend, and I don't want his
mail  cluttered. Sorry for any inconvenience!

Legal BS: Hasbro has the copyrights to all Transformer characters. I'm
not doing this story for $$, so they have no reason to sue me.

Anyway, thus is a prologue to yet another upcoming story which reveals 
some secrets about Primus and Unicron, and ultimately explains Unicron's
first 'return' in 2005. I'm sorry if jumping around with my continuity
is  confusing, I just ask that you hold on for a month or two until you
have the  whole explanation.  I have attempted to incorporate elements
from both the  cartoon and the comic as best as I can, that is, the
stuff I like. Vector Sigma,  Alpha Trion- these things are worked into
my continuity but any events  involving them in the cartoon never
happened. They simply exist. In the  future, I have my own universe of
stories completely unrelated to Furman  development, but for now, I'm
enjoying developing that universe...

<------------------------------------------------------------------

????- Deep Space
	The Chaos Bringer struck again. And closed in for the kill. At
last, at  long last, not only would he cleanse the heavens of another
source of life, but  this source of life! This, the cursed Primus! In
fact, he had already won. This  was just the finishing touch. Primus had
already lost the battle, now he was  just buying time, fighting a
hopeless battle in cyberspace with no remaining  resources, his broken
body back in the physical world. He had everything,  Primus had nothing.
And the other knew it. Even though it was just a mental  projection, he
could see the desperation in Primus's eyes. He could see the  frantic
look of an animal, backed into a corner but without its claws, without 
its teeth. And the Chaos Bringer smiled.
	Primus's final mental shield collapsed. The enemy was through.
His  last defense was gone. But he still had his mind, the cold weapon
of logic  which still struck sharp and deep. That mind had not been
concentrating on the battle- that had been hopeless from the start. The
Chaos Bringer had had more raw power, the element of surprise. So
Primus had to even the odds by devising a trap. His body broken,
adrift, he had led the battle into cyberspace, into the realm between
minds, to move the combat to a more even plain. He  was still losing, a
powerful mind without his physical energy resources to  back it up. In
cyberspace, he retreated, barely dodging the barrage of blows  from the
enemy. But Primus was dodging in a very specific direction. And he  saw,
just as he hoped, that the other didn't care, didn't try to guess his 
motives. His only thought was the obliteration of Primus.
	Primus began to dissolve, warping back to the physical universe.
The other followed, barely at his heels. Primus almost hesitated. What
could he do next? That was unknown. But whatever it was, it was better
than losing the battle here and now. He jumped, back into reality. And
Unicron followed.

				*  *  *

	Time was short. Reconfiguring a barren planetoid was taxing
enough, but the main task remained to be done. The enemy would be aware
of him, of  his basic plan, but his location - that had to be kept
secret until the time was  right, until all was ready.  
	There was no choice. For any hope of success, Primus had to 
deactivate.
	But his world needed a caretaker, one who could be trusted. One
who could realize the absolute necessity of the plan, one who would
complete it  without error or change to the perfectly wrought scheme.
And so, Primus  summoned one.
	His name was - irrelevent. When he stepped into Primus, he
became the Keeper. A new name could not remake the ancient being it
described. He, and Primus, and the others, had existed so long...
	The old mechanoid materialized at the center of Primus's new
body, joints creaking as he stepped off the transfer grid. In the dark,
he might have almost looked organic, but his sculpted, etched features
were carved in metal.  Scrawny but powerful limbs flexed as he tested
his long dormant reflexes.  Flecks of dust and debris tumbled off him as
he moved. "Nice change," he rumbled, as he surveyed the huge chamber
which housed the mind of Primus.  It was mostly barren rock, and almost
completely dark, but chunks of matter whirred through the air, detaching
and reattaching to the walls in intricate  patterns.  Parts of the
cavern glowed as the cold rock burned and was reborn as metal. Directly
in the center a huge column was forming, twisting and  hardening into
new shapes. "You're really moving up in the universe!" His voice began
to modulate as long unused audial emitters cranked into motion.
	"Save your humor. The battle, the plan, has drained almost all
my energy. Time is short. You will be known as Keeper now. Use the
interface and learn the details of your new duty."
	Keeper stepped over to the giant central console, slowly
reforming, as  he watched, into a giant face. He leaned both hands
against it, legs back and  apart, and wires whistled and crackled out of
the darkness, plugging  themselves into his sensory inputs, jacking him
directly into cyberspace,  lifting his body atop the swirling pile of
reforming matter. A swirl of electrical  energy surrounded the Keeper as
he foraged through the raw data being  poured into him, his body jerking
in overload at the sudden input. Several  minutes later, he detached
from the machine and stood silent and still for a  few seconds.
	"Take this. You know what to do with it." A brilliant beam of
pure white light flickered around the chamber as a small globe rose
through a crack in the crumbling rock and floated towards the Keeper.
The fissure slammed shut. If one were to dare to look directly at the
globe, sparks could be seen dancing around the surface, various limbs of
energy seething inside in a million directions, forming lines in
constantly changing patterns. Keeper extended a quavering hand. He
thought he could almost hear- voices whispering from the globe as it
moved towards him. The globe dropped into the outstretched hand, and
went dark. Keeper turned around, looking for - something - in the
darkness. There was another silence.
	"You realize, Primus, the duration of time your plan could
take?"  He said, abruptly.
	"Of course. Time, as we both know, is largely irrelevant."
	"Not in this matter, surely. Many lifeforms will die!" 
	"More will be saved this way, by my calculations, then in a
further battle now.  "
	"You could finish it, you know. Metamorphosize into a new body
like his. The battle could be ended for all time!" Keeper's statement
sounded almost like an accusation.
	"Such a battle could have destroyed all life in this part of the
universe.  And I still could have been defeated again. I probably would.
My way is - better. It gives us all - time."
	"That's a lot of coulds!"
	"Enough!"
	Keeper finally fell silent. "All right," he said. "I will follow
the plan.  My power is at your command. " He laughed dryly. "MY power!
Your power. Not that I have much choice. You knew I'd agree, didn't
you? "
	"That was part of the bargain, Keeper."
	"Of course it was. We were so eager. We all wanted it that way.
And whatever I don't have, I do have my honor."  he paused. "We've
wasted time here. You should shut down. Now."
	"YES."
	Keeper began walking toward an exit tunnel. Halfway there, he 
stopped. "Primus?"
	"Yes, Keeper."
	"Do you ever wonder which of us was really the original? Or the 
closest to the original?"
	"No. It is - unimportant. That is - here, no longer even the
past. We are something different now. Our purpose supercedes the
necessity of such  knowledge. "
	"To you, not to me. You came out on top."
	"What you think doesn't matter, remember? That was in the
bargain too, Keeper."
	"Yes."
	"And Keeper, - never question me again. Never speak of -
_before_  again."
	"Yes, 'Prime.'"  Keeper reached the exit. "See you in a few
million years. We hope."  He was gone, not caring for a reply. The
archway he had  come through was already blending into another metal
wall.
	It was just as well, for there was no reply to hear. Primus was
still and silent. For a _very_ long time.

*	*	*	*

December, 1990- Planet Cybertron

	Unobserved, a single bolt of energy streaked away from the
battle. No one noticed. They were too pleased to be alive.

June, 1991- Planet Progath, 6 light years distant from Planet Cybertron

	Every electrical system on the planet Progath was scrambled as a
beam of energy passed through the outer atmosphere. Magnets went crazy,
electronic records were jumbeld. Later, scientists would be baffled at
how the energy actually avoided the planet without diminishing its
speed or intensity.  And they would be totally baffled as to what the
form of energy was...

December, 1992- Deep Space

	
	

				*  *  *

May, 1991- Planet Cybertron

	The tremors continued. Keeper could feel every quiver, as the
once- proud cities of Cybertron, tarnished by the war, battered by the
asteroids,  nearly demolished in the battle with Unicron, crumbled.
Without the life-force  of Primus to sustain it, the form the rock
called Cybertron had held for so  long was rapidly dissolving. If anyone
was still alive on it, the Last Autobot  should be dealing with it,
Keeper could feel his presence, though growing  distant. But in the
center of the planet, it was chaos. Keeper screamed. He  sat, plugged
into scanners which monitered every part of the planet. An  energon feed
ran into his chassis. Gaping wounds covered his body. The  Decepticons
had nearly destroyed him; then Unicron had destroyed his  master. And
now he could feel the death of this world, HIS world that he had 
watched and guarded for so long.
	Next to Keeper lay the shattered remains of the Autobot Emirate 
Xaaron, recently holding the consciousness of Primus. Unicron had
crushed  them both. Keeper had retrieved them in the confusion after
Unicron's defeat,  and spent days trying to find a sign of life. But
there was nothing to find.  Two heroes were gone. The Autobots and
Decepticons were gone, they had  left to destroy each other. Keeper was
dying.
	He bowed his head.
	Soon, very soon, nothing would remain of Primus and his
children.

    Source: geocities.com/emg117