On the barren planet where the Lost Light has put down, Rodimus, Ultra Magnus and others go about gathering up the Autobots who have been scattered across the world's surface. Brainstorm radios in that he has discovered the source of their explosive mishap: the Duobot Ore was standing too close to the quantum generator when it activated, and wound up being "totally mashed" into it. Perturbed by Brainstorm's general tone of levity, Rodimus orders him to start helping with the search, then takes a call from Chromedome, who is with Rewind and Hoist, hauling Cyclonus out of a lake.

Meanwhile, in the skies above the planet, a small ship materializes. Its sole occupant is Skids, who awakens with an inhibitor claw on his back and the knowledge that he is running from something... but cannot remember what, finding that all of his recent memories are missing. Spotting a mode lock on the shuttle's console and realizing that it is trying to transform into something, he sets the ship on collision course with the planet and bails out. He watches the ship crash, but from the flames, its remnants transform into a trio of gigantic robots; one was killed, presumably in the crash, but the others are quite alive and quite hostile, advancing on Skids while wielding giant swords and repeatedly intoning the cryptic phrase: "nineteen eighty-four". Apparently lacking in any weapons, Skids improvises with the nearby corpses of Polaris and Hyperion: he magnetizes the former to one of the giant robots, then uses the latter's gun to blow Polaris up, taking the monstrous mechanoid with it.

Aboard the Lost Light, Ratchet tends to the wounds Rung received before take-off, startling the timid psychiatrist by smashing his own hand with a hammer to loosen his joints. They discusss Tailgate, who is being carbon-dated by Swerve, and Ratchet grumbles about Drift's newfound sense of unbearable positivity before half-heartedly turning his attention to the unconscious Whirl. Suddenly, Whirl awakens, seizes Rung, and begins throttling him, heedless of Ratchet and Swerve's attempts to calm him. The maddened Autobot only stops when Rung chokes out the warning that if he kills him, he'll go back to prison. Whirl snaps out of it and stalks off, the ruckus having awakened Tailgate, who is relieved to find out he did not kill the unhinged Autobot. Realizing that Tailgate is a 'bot out of time, Swerve begs Ratchet to allow him to be the one to tell him, and the "gentle" manner in which Swerve relates the information elicits a horrified bellow from Tailgate that is heard outside the Lost Light.

Elsewhere on the ship, Rodimus meets with Cyclonus, who explains that he attached himself to the hull of the Lost Light to join in its mission. Though unapologetic for his past actions, he pleads his case for being allowed to stay and manages to sway Rodimus to his side, though Ultra Magnus is less than convinced. Having found Whirl skulking around, Magnus brings him into the room, and orders him to settle his argument with Cyclonus. Whirl does so without admitting any guilt, and is surprised when Cyclonus hugs him... only for him to whisper during the embrace that Whirl should watch his back, because he's going to kill him.

Swerve and Tailgate go for a walk outside, with Tailgate rebuffing Swerve's request to see his alternate mode on the basis that Ratchet told him to take it easy. They meet up with Chromedome and Rewind for some proper introductions, when Skids suddenly falls out of the sky with the last of the giant 'bots on his tail. Recognizing the Autobot—and noting that he has long been thought dead—Chromedome removes Skids's inhibitor claw for him, allowing him to deploy his weapons and finish his pursuer off with impressive ease. As things calm down, though, Chromedome points out that Skids has been holding a handgun all along, which Skids somehow never realized...

Skids returns to the Lost Light with the other Autobots, quickly discovering

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