Somethings Off at the Funeral

Remaining hidden, Sam, Mikaela and the Doctor follow the solemn Maximal crew back to their home base, their fallen starship named the Axalon. Each of the three, including the Doctor, were profoundly affected by the display of heroism and the Maximals' dignified sense of loss.

 

The Doctor leads Sam and Mikaela to the top of a ledge where they can watch the Maximals Rattrap and Rhinox erect a Cybertonian funeral pyre for the fallen hero, the saviour of the human race, the mighty Dinobot.

 

The construction of the pyre took less than one hour and in that time, each Mximal; Silverbolt, Cheetor and Optimus Primal came in turn to pay their respect. It was Dinobot's desire for his final send off to be attended by only those closest to him, Rattrap and Rhinox. Feeling tainted by one of his final deeds, suurrendering the golden disk to Megatron, the same disc he in turn died to destroy, Dinobot felt as though he were not worthy of someone as noble and possibly even more importantly to the fallen Maximal someone as militarily capable as Optimus Primal present at his final send off. With pain and regret, Optimus granted Dinobot his request, choosing to mourn in his own private chamber on the Axalon, leaving Rhinox and Rattrap alone for Dinobot's final goodbye.

 

Before the ceremony, both Rhinox and Rattrap returned to the Axalon to plead for Optimus to attend, but the Maximal commander insisted on respecting Dinobot's wish, and the pair soon returned for the ceremony without their commander.

 

Sam and Mikaela's eyes well up once more with tears as the Cybertronian ceremony begins. The pyre is activated and swirling smoke raised Dinobots body into the air, smoke which consumes the body and transforms the physical form of the mighty Maximal warrior to stardust. The ceremony is brief and noble, but...

 

Doctor: 'That's not right. That's not right at all.'

 

Mikaela wipes the tears from her eyes.

 

Mikaela: 'I know Doctor. We should have done something.'

 

Doctor: 'No, it's not that. Look! Look at Rattrap! Look at Rhinox for that matter!'

 

The Doctor points with urgency to the pair of grieving Maximals below. The obvious finally strikes Sam as well.

 

Sam: 'Wasn't he a Transmetal just before?'

 

Doctor: 'Yes! Yes he was!'

 

Mikaela: 'Maybe this is some way of showing his respect? Like a Cybertronian custom or something?'

 

Doctor: 'No, no, this is wrong! This is an already established series of events! It can't change, or at least it shouldn't! Why would it change? It can't have! Not without some external influence, and we are the only external influence here! Even if it were the Cybermen, why would they attempt to revert Rattrap back to his pre-Transmetal form? They wouldn't! They couldn't! Not without someone noticing. But there must be a reason! Something must have happened, and we've overlooked it! Gah! What have we missed? Think! Think!'

 

Sam and Mikaela try to consider the Doctor's request, but the entire premise of the situation is far beyond their limited experience. But the Doctor presses on!

 

Doctor: 'Ah ha! Yes! Of course! It all makes sense now! The paradoxical galaxy; the Quintessons; the Dalek technology; the Quantum-Chronological Interdimensional Transporter; the Cybermen's apparant bungled attempts to track us down and the ease in which we defeated them; the fact that the Quintesons had decided to us ethis particular location that already has a tear in the fabric of time and space due to the Vok, the Predacons and the Maximals sloppy use of time travel; and finally, the collapse of established time right here and right now! The Quintessons, the Cybermen, they never wanted us! We don't matter! They never wanted us at all!'

 

Sam struggles, but succeeds in mentally keeping up with the Doctor.

 

Sam: 'Well, what did they want?'

 

Doctor: 'They wanted to slow us down! They wanted to keep us away from their real prize!'

 

Mikaela: 'Which is?'

 

Doctor: 'The TARDIS!'

Done