LOG-002.

  "Begin diagnostic."

  I turned away from the berth as the console gave an affirmative beep, reaching for today's cube of lowgrade.

  Energon itself tasted like a peculiar mix of batteries and lemonade. Or at least the lowgrade did. That is, if the lemonade had been diluted to almost nothing.

  Suffice to say, it didn't taste all too great, but considering I could just turn off the sensor that provided that data (and subsequent taste), it wasn't too much of an issue.

  Empurata forced me to ingest energon through an auxiliary port anyway, so it wasn't like I was drinking or eating through traditional methods.

  I'd been in the middle of finishing off the cube when a ping drew my attention back to the berth, and the frame currently resting against it.

  I'd gone for one of the more intact Decepticon Grounder bodies I could find, using it as a base even as I overhauled various components with parts sourced from...well. Other corpses.

  Something about it felt right, giving a loyal soldier a second chance to serve. Beyond death.

  Of course modifying the frame to resemble the project's namesake had been the fun part. I'd had to cultivate a few of my less useful cyber-bacteria samples in order to produce a decent enough dye module.

  There'd been a lot of welding and soldering. Although a crude way of putting it considering how advanced the equipment was, it was essentially what happened.

  I'd even had to hollow out an Autobot's helm that somewhat resembled the Zaku's, then filled it with the appropriate cyber-modules and processing units.

  In the end, assembling the actual body had been an interesting exercise in creativity and the utilisation of what was essentially scrap and dead cybertronians.

  The ping indicated that the separate parts had finally set, and that the programming had finished checking for possible errors. As expected, there were none.

  Additionally, the software had accepted and integrated the modified neutron assault rifle I'd linked to the frame. It was a solid, dependable weapon. One that had seen widespread use throughout the Great war and one that would serve it's new owner well.

  However, there was, as always, one small issue. My Zaku lacked a spark. Without the power source, it would lack true life. At best, I could juryrig it to run off energon batteries, but it just wouldn't be the same.

  Thankfully, I'd already solved that issue with the vehicons. I just needed a small, near miniscule shard, and conveniently, I had a spark available.

  "Prepare secondary berth for auto-surgery. Operative code A-67. Initiate."

  The voice controlled virtual intelligence I'd programmed during one of my more productive days acted immediately, the aforementioned berth lowering from a nearby wall, allowing me to rest against it and begin the process of exposing my spark chamber.

  In general, cybertronians made a lot of fuss about spark related medical science, but it really wasn't that dangerous. I'd practically invented spark separation, so if there was anyone more qualified for something like this, I'd love to meet them.

  Armor plates slid aside, even as I let the operative arms drop from the ceiling, the spindly limbs carefully lowering into my chassis.

  Obviously, shattering one's spark was fatal, but chipping off a piece? That's essentially just the basis for cybertronian reproduction. It was perfectly natural, and the missing shard would eventually grow back so long as the spark was supplied with sufficient energon.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  I was just...guiding the process along a different, more efficient path. If anything.

  "Mh!"

  Didn't mean that having a precision laser detach a piece didn't hurt like a bitch though.

  "F-finalize process."

  I let another arm inject a small dose of short lived repair nanites. They'd do their job and then go inactive, eventually being filtered out of my energon stream.

  Sealing up my chest plating, I slowly sat up, staring at the glowing crystal fragment that even now was being isolated in a specially prepared liquid medium. The fluid would keep it stable long enough to be fitted into a proper containment unit. Or in layman's terms, a spark chamber.

  "Shiny."

  ---

  Vehicons were interesting.

  They were cybertronians, technically. But lesser. A single spark could, generally, be separated into sixty four shards. It's what allowed the Decepticons to have such a vast numerical advantage. Our troops were produced en masse.

  The tradeoff for such large numbers was that each shard was rushed. Without proper time and materials, the proto-sparks would fail to grow properly, remaining stagnant. This meant a smaller energy output overall.

  Vehicons were equipped with economy blasters and armor not just because it was cost effective, but because they quite literally couldn't handle higher quality gear. The energy required would offline them.

  This was considered acceptable, considering I'd designed the vehicons to be mass produced cannon fodder.

  The Zaku would be different, yet similar. For one, the shard I'd successfully separated from my spark would remain in a nutrient solution similar to what I was immersing Predaking in. The enriched energon present in the solution would harden the shard, and enhance growth speed.

  Once it reached a sufficiently large size, I'd implant it into the frame, giving the amalgam I had welded together and painted a dark green the glorious spark of life that it deserved.

  Similar to a vehicon, the Zaku would be preprogrammed. Rather than going through the traditional stages of a sparkling, slowly obtaining knowledge and data from it's carrier, sire and general environment, the Zaku would awaken aware of it's capabilities, it's allegiances and it's purpose.

  Very convenient, preprogrammed directives. Let me skip right past the whole training part and straight to sending the future minion to work.

  Of course the shard wouldn't be ready for another week or so. Meaning I had time on my servos.

  In the end, I decided to let Predaking out for some more testing. Because that's what it was. I was testing the dragon's capabilites and anyone who said I was playing with him was a liar and a slanderer.

  ---

  The far larger, almost pony sized dragon was helpless against my probing digits, curling around my arm like an armor plated, fire breathing cat.

  "Ticklish. A good data point for future models."

  My attempt to extricate my servo to reach for the nearby datapad to record my findings failed when the cybertronian dragon latched onto my arm with a chuff.

  I like to think my lone optic managed to adequately convey the deadpan look I was giving the Predacon, despite my lack of a faceplate.

  "Oh, so you're large and in charge now, hm?"

  Predaking growled. Playfully. I think. Either that or he was being possessive.

  Then he yelped as I poked him in his weak spot a second time, rolling across the floor and raising his hackles with a hiss.

  I crossed my arms.

  "And that's why I'm still the boss."

  The new perspective did give me a better view of the Predacon's form. Alongside something that had continued to worry me.

  "Still slim looking. Compared to what I remember at least. Perhaps I picked up an alternate CNA sample, and you're not the original Predaking?"

  My companion chuffed at me, moving to sniff around the Zaku's berth.

  "Hm."

  ---

  I gently shoved Predaking's inquisitive helm away with my gun arm, my sole servo busy carefully lowering the far larger shard into the Zaku's spark chamber.

  A glance at the nearby console gave me the information I needed. With luck, this would work without any large complications.

  "Readings are...stable. Activating."

  The flip of a small switch was anticlimactic, since it took another few minutes for the Zaku to actually boot up.

  Then a single red optic flashed to life, swivelling to stare at me.

  Predaking growled, I pat the paranoid lizard on the helm, moving forward to stare back at the new life I had brought into being.

  "Greetings. I am Shockwave. Your creator."

  The optic jerked upwards, dilating slightly. It was definitely more advanced than the average model, especially once I had finished upgrading it.

  "You are my creator. What are my orders?"

  I gave the Zaku a satisfied nod of approval, holding out a servo which the green mech silently accepted, pulling him up.

  "You are a prototype. The first of your kind. For now, you will ensure my safety and assist me in a general manner. This may change later down the line. Do you know your designation? It should be recorded in your precepts."

  A moment of silence.

  "Affirmative, creator. I am prototype Zaku unit Zero."

  I clap the mech on his heavily armored shoulder plate, nodding.

  "Correct. We'll go with Zero for now. More efficient that way. Now let's get some energon in you."

  Zero nodded back with a soft affirmative, the Zaku following behind me while glancing back at a now curious Predaking.

  And thus, we went from two to three.