Orion Pax, Part 2
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| "Orion Pax, Part 2" | ||||||
| Production company | Hasbro Studios | |||||
| Airdate | February 25, 2012 | |||||
| Written by | Mairghread Scott | |||||
| Directed by | Scooter Tidwell | |||||
| Animation studio | Polygon Pictures | |||||
Jack learns how to restore Optimus's memory.
Synopsis
On the Nemesis, Starscream points his missiles at Orion Pax. Accidentally addressing him as Optimus Prime, the Seeker realizes something is wrong. Through a brief conversation, Starscream learns of Orion's deception at Megatron's hands, and states that the archivist has much to learn. He begins to speak, but is interrupted by a team of apprehending Vehicons. Starscream leaps into action and makes a quick escape, and Pax is ordered to stay in his quarters, his curiosity spiked.
Back at base, Ratchet finishes adjustments on the GroundBridge's power level, hoping to increase its range. Raf pilots a test subject in the form of a toy car into the bridge, but upon reaching the end, it is destroyed. He consoles Ratchet on the failure, saying it was only the first try, but Ratchet thinks it was a doomed idea from the start. In an effort to cheer him up, Raf tells a story of his slow triumph over the rope climb in gym class, but it falls on oblivious ears, since Ratchet loudly asks what does attempting to increase the GroundBridge's power level have anything has to do with gym class.
In the halls of the Nemesis, Starscream deftly maneuvers his way past many guards, blasting a door out in his bid for freedom. Seconds away from escape, a laser blast catches his tail, and he spins to the ground. Orion is soon visited by Megatron, who apologizes for the commotion. Orion asks why Megatron told him Starscream was dead, and he replies that Starscream is dead to the Decepticon cause—a defector to the Autobots. Megatron departs, but Orion's interest is piqued by Starscream's reference to him, and he begins to read more about this "Optimus Prime." On his page, Orion reads that he was the leader of the Autobot faction, and not Ratchet, as Megatron told him.
Bulkhead arrives at base, and reports no leads on the location of the Decepticons' space bridge. About to send Bulkhead on his way to the next search quadrant, Ratchet recieves a high-frequency message of peculiar nature: it is addressed to him, and is from Starscream. The plane tells him that he must come alone with a medical kit to repair him, in exchange for valuable intel about Optimus.
In a forest, the GroundBridge portal opens, to the surprise and dismay of the wounded Starscream, for both Ratchet and Bulkhead step out. Ratchet plays no games with his help, refusing to repair him until he gets some information. Realizing his compromised position, Starscream tells all, but succumbs to horror when he finds the Autobots already know it as well. As Ratchet and Bulkhead depart, the medic responds to Starscream's pleading with the ultimatum that unless he knows anything about the space bridge, he's going to rot. The jet is amazed that his troops finished his project when he was gone, then realizes that this is the information Ratchet is looking for. He smugly shows the Autobot where it hurts.
The group convenes at base to discuss the plan of action in seizing the space bridge. June voices her concern at the prospect of Jack traveling to another planet, but is reassured by Arcee and Fowler, and realizes the necessity of his mission. Ratchet works out a plan, where all four Autobots storm the space bridge chamber, jamming communications to block the deployment of Decepticon reinforcements. Fowler offers Jack a spacesuit for use on Cybertron, and Arcee volunteers to go with him. The GroundBridge opens, and the team enters.
At the Space Bridge complex, the team makes quick work of the guards. One attempts to send a message to control, but is stymied by Ratchet's scrambler and Bulkhead's fist. They arrive at the bridge, and Jack, fully suited, is bridged to the location. The space bridge is activated, and the duo step through to Arcee's home planet and Jack's destiny.
In the complex, the remaining Autobots are stopped in their tracks by a transmission from Breakdown, asking for a status report. As he makes continual demands for a report, who should take the call is fumbled over, as Ratchet and Bulkhead's voices would be recognized, and Bumblebee can't speak at all. Ratchet settles on Agent Fowler, and he is patched through. He manages to field the call, and turns it around, asking Breakdown how he was, to surprising success.
Meanwhile, Orion searches through all files he can on "Optimus Prime", only to find that they have been encrypted, to his chagrin. However, Orion, a skillful hacker manages to get past them long enough to find an image that shocks him; he is Optimus Prime! This does not go unnoticed by Soundwave and Megatron. The latter vows that he will see to it that Orion completes Project Iacon, even if he has to inflict grievous pain on him.
On Cybertron, Jack and Arcee follow the Key's signal and are surprised to find that it leads to Kaon, the Decepticon capitol. As they advance on foot, they cross a bridge, unaware that underneath them, something is transforming and beginning to follow them...
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"You really have been kept in the dark, haven't you?"
- —Starscream, upon learning of "Orion's" deception.
"It's a ship, it moves!"
- —Thanks for stating the obvious there, Starscream.
"It hurts most right here...Doctor."
- —Starscream is one smug bastard.
"The Decepticon Space Bridge is located right here, deep within an energon mine."
"Adjacent to a raw fuel supply, clever. What's our intel?"
"A....Reliable source"
- -Ratchet talks to Arcee about their tip, without realizing he's calling a Decepticon reliable.
"Don't worry, Space Bridging is just like Ground Bridging."
*Space Bridge fires up with a loud noise*
"JUST A LITTLE MORE INTENSE."
- -Arcee tries to ease Jack's nerves about going on the big boy rides.
"Command, this is Space Bridge Control! We are under attack! Command, do you read me?"
*commlink static*
*Bulkhead smashes the Vehicon's face*
"Shhhh."
- —A Vehicon is reminded of the no talking rule by Ratchet.
"Space Bridge control, do you read me? Space Bridge control this is Breakdown, your status report is overdue."
"Scrap"
*Bulkhead clears his throat*
"No Bulkhead, he'll recognize your voice."
"I can make it lower. Higher?"
- -Breakdown calls to check in while Ratchet explains that Bulkhead probably can't mask his voice from his rival.
"Somebody say something, pronto!"
"Rafael, patch in Agent Fowler."
- -Agent Fowler gets exactly what he wants, just not what he expected.
"You have one nano-cycle to respond or-"
"This is space bridge control..situation normal."
"Normal? You sure about that?"
"We were just, calibrating the sub-systems and, we uh, had a surge, but it's fine now. How are you?"
"Uh,uh, never better. I know it's thankless down there, keep up the good work huh?"
"Will do, control out."
- -Fowler learns that hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good "how are you" at your side.
Notes
Animation and technical errors
Continuity errors
- When Starscream escapes from the Nemesis, he is shot near his tailfin, which is located on his back in robot mode. When he appears later, he is nursing a leg wound below the knee, even though that should have required damage to his undercarriage in jet mode.
- The crash itself may have caused the damages to his leg.
- Despite Megatron's orders to wipe all sensitive files regarding Optimus Prime off their systems, at least one file remained, hidden behind a false image of the "Invader" Optimus Prime. However the file on Optimus Prime wasn't deleted, but instead encrypted. Maybe Soundwave got lazy or perhaps he is succumbing to jealousy of Orion taking his place as main hacker?
- This could be to throw off Orion should he search the name "Optimus Prime" due to the false picture, but then why not remove the encrypted file behind it?
Continuity notes
- Raf has undergone a rapid recovery; the braces on his legs from last episode are gone.
- Kaon, the Decepticon capital, makes its first actual appearance, following Megatron's dream recreation of it in "Sick Mind". Jack remembers it from the events of that episode after Arcee identifies it.
Transformers references
Real-world references
- The scene of Fowler talking to Breakdown is a reference to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
- Though it makes fictional sense, it is ironic that Kevin Micheal Richardson, who has played a Vehicon in the series, did not make the call.
Trivia
- Aww, Breakdown cares about the little guy.
- This is the second time Megatron denounces a mistake relating to Starscream that he "does not intend to make again".
- Miko wants to join a dangerous assault against a Decepticon stronghold. Apparently the lessons of her previous near-death experiences have been completely forgotten.
