At the Predacon base, Tarantulas was at the main console when it detected the same strange readings. "What's this?" He inspected them and found the same three fluctuating subspace lines of code. "Computer, identity."

"Unable to comply. The readings are of unknown configuration and origin."

"Interesting." He took a closer look at the base code and mused to himself, "These seem somehow...familiar. Whatever is causing them could prove most enlightening." He hurriedly started typing. "I must ascertain the exact coordinates before..."

"Before what, Tarantulas?" came the familiar smooth, resonant voice of the Predacon leader.

The spider quickly whirled around in his chair to find himself inches from Megatron's optics boring into him. "M-Megatron! I was..." he trailed off trying to cover the computer screen with his body. "I was...merely performing a routine perimeter scan. The, er, Maximals might be up to something, and..."

Megatron raised his brow and gave a faux smile. "Indeed? And you have something to report, I see." Without letting the spider get another word in, he pushed Tarantulas aside and inspected the screen. "Aaah, how interesting. These readings are quite unusual," he glanced sideways at him. "How fortunate you were performing a...routine perimeter check. Although I had no idea that sort of scan stretched all the way to the Maximal base..." Tarantulas shifted nervously. Megatron wasn't making eye contact. "Any further details you wish to share?"

"No Megatron. As you can see, I'm still working on identifying the base sequences..." He scooted back to the computer and started typing away once again. Megatron stayed by the spider's side, glaring over his shoulder. After a few seconds the computer beeped and the holoscreen popped up, zooming in on the coordinates. Tarantulas reported, "The readings are coming from Sector 7 of Grid Epsilon. Say no more, I shall go and investigate."

Before Tarantulas could leave, Megatron said silkily, "Why the rush, Tarantulas? Surely you weren't thinking of going without backup. No."

The spider stammered in response, "There's no time to wait for the field units to return! What if the Maximals pick up on the readings and get there first?"

"All the more reason to have backup," Megatron said firmly. He activated his com link. "Megatron to Waspinator, status report on your progress with our new project."

After a few seconds of static and beeps."Wassspinator reporting in. Wassspinator and Ant Bot almossst finished ssstage one."

"Excellent. Finish up immediately and make your way to Grid Epsilon. Tarantulas will rendezvous with you there. Keep an eye out for Maximals, they may have detected the same readings. I'll transmit the coordinates to you now. Megatron out." When he turned to address Tarantulas, the spider had already scurried away. He exhaled with a snarl. "Accursed arachnid. If you believe for a moment that your actions will go unmonitored you are sorely mistaken. Yesss."

Meanwhile Tarantulas, already in beast mode, was heading towards Grid Epsilon using his network of secret underground tunnels. I must reach the coordinates before those mindless insects, and especially the Maximals, he thought urgently to himself.

After meandering through several tunnels, and running into a few dead ends on the way, he finally reached a hidden hatch close enough to Grid Epsilon. He crawled up to it and gingerly pushed the rock that hid his exit to the side, scanning his immediate surroundings with his eight beady eyes.

He entered the Grid and began searching for the source of the strange readings to no avail. Nothing out of the ordinary to be found. All the spider could see was dirt and rocks. How frustrating.

Suddenly, his audio receptors picked up faint voices. He recognised them: Maximals.