Bin Nadal had best keep those suckers at range. A good action sequence as it's looking like Sintina is really in it now.
ST: Independence 10 - "Machines of War"
- Thread starter Dnoth
- Start date
CHAPTER 7
Supplemental
USS Independence, Conference Lounge
In Orbit of Cybertron
After the attack, Karim bin Nadal gathered his resources in a hastily convened meeting. He sat at the head of the curved, black marble-topped table.
In addition to begin the chief engineer, Ethan Windslow held the title of second officer. He sat on Karim’s right. Zo’Kama, the ship’s doctor, as well as Kimula and Chief Hatora were present.
“The good news is: Tang and D’nas seem to be safe for the moment.” Karim tapped his compin, “Can you hear me, Mr. D’nas?”
The audio activated. “Yes sir, I’m here.”
The Arkonian doctor immediately cut in, “What’s Lieutenant Tang’s condition?”
The science officer’s voice could be heard over the line, “I’m fine, doctor. Sore…but fine. I just got knocked out. I might have a concussion. I don’t know.”
“Do you have a med-kit?” she inquired as a slight look of annoyance crossed the first officer’s face.
“No. It was in the shuttle.”
With a huff, the reptilian yielded to bin Nadal.
The Persian instinctively seemed to address the ceiling. “Has the…car you’re in told you where it’s taking you?”
*****
In Sideswipe’s cabin, D’nas saw a small display screen come to life. It showed a map and what appeared to be a travel plan. It came simultaneously with its explanation.
A slightly synthetic voice said, “Our forward scout post; it’s 41 kilometers from here on an azimuth of 004 if my current direction is the reference plane. We should be there in 12 minutes. …Any other questions?”
D’nas and Tang still didn’t quite know what to make of their situation. There was a silent concern in both their minds. Their rescue felt a bit like a kidnapping...or a set up. After an uneasy pause, the Tamarian prompted, “Did you receive that, sir?”
*****
“Yes.” bin Nadal rejoined. “We’ll make that our landing spot. The bridge will continue to monitor this line. Take care of yourselves.”
“Understood, sir.”
The first officer transferred the communication back to the bridge. He immediately commented, “Just because one faction seems to be friendly doesn’t mean I trust them.” He looked at his senior chief, whom had over twenty years of security experience, “I want to take as many precautions as practical, Chief.”
Hatora picked it up, “We’ll do a fly over of the area before we set down. We can also come much better prepared than the original away team did. I recommend a full load out: tactical EVA suits, phaser rifles, photon grenade launchers. If those things try anything, we’ll at least be able to fight back.”
The Andorian counselor leaned in, “It’s a shame we don’t have any fighters anymore.”
“There’s no point in wishing for things we don’t have. Besides, the Type-10’s are the next best thing to fighters,” responded Windslow.
Bin Nadal refocused the group, “We’ll take two shuttles. A Type-10 will provide cover for the landing team.” He turned to Zo’Kama, “Doctor, you’re coming with me in the landing party.” Next, he addressed the NCO, “Chief, I want you piloting the support craft.” Then, to Windslow, “Commander, you’ll be in charge up here. Be ready to provide us artillery fire. We’ll decide our COA to recover Captain Aurelia if we get Tang and D’nas back without a problem.” He stood, “Let’s go.”
*****
The Tamarian exchange officer had been ignoring the lateral, hairline crack that ran across his visor. Some motion caught his attention out the right window. Another white ‘car’ had pulled up beside them. It was much boxier then Sideswipe. D’nas sat up with a start, “What’s that other vehicle?”
Sideswipe vocalized, “Don’t worry about him. He’s with me.”
*****
The new car transmitted, <What happened to Trailbreaker?>
<I’m not sure. He wanted me to get these sentients safe. I couldn’t go back for him.>
<Kup will understand,> was the somber response.
<Hold on, one of these creatures is asking questions about you. Tap into my com system. You can answer it yourself.>
*****
“Does it have a humanoid form like you?” asked Tang. Any tenderness from his injuries was now pushed far from his mind. His fear was overshadowed by his curiosity. For all intents and purposes, for the first time since he joined Starfleet, he could be a real explorer.
A different voice entered the cabin. I seemed a bit more mature sounding than Sideswipe’s, “Of course I do.”
“What are you…you robots?” piped up D’nas.
“Autonomous Robots to be precise, I’m called Wheeljack,” responded the new voice.
From Wheeljack’s tone, Lieutenant Tang made a supposition, “Autonomous Robots? …Is that like a…a brand name?”
“These fleshlings catch on quick, uh, Wheeljack?” sarcastically observed Sideswipe.
The other vehicle professionally elaborated, “Autonomous Robotics was a manufacturing line for our creators, the Quintessons. We prefer the term, Autobot.”
D’nas blurted untacticly, “Sideswipe…Wheeljack…both seem like odd names.”
Again, Wheeljack fielded the observation, “In our society, names aren’t permanent. They are sometimes given as a reflection of your actions or attitudes.”
Zian added, “That’s not uncommon, D’nas. Some American Indian tribes from Earth do the same thing.”
“Back in his day, ‘Swipe was a pretty good racer,” taunted Wheeljack.
“Back in my day?” repeated the sleeker vehicle with mock indignation. “I can beat you without straining a servo.”
A laugh was heard, “Of course you can. I’m too busy fixing everyone else to optimize my own systems.”
Sideswipe chided, “Cry me a river, as the human saying goes.”
The science offer shuffled in his seat, “How do you know that saying?”
“I’ve been downloading information from your tricorder’s database,” the sporty car casually responded.
Suddenly feeling violated, Zian said, “You shouldn’t do that. Some of that information is sensitive.” He immediately questioned his decision to confront the powerful alien robot about it.
The Autobot engineer offered, “You’ll have to forgive us. It’s just easier for us to get information about you that way.”
“It is better to plead for forgiveness than beg for permission, right Zian?” prompted Sideswipe.
Not sure how to respond, Tang drifted off, “Well…”
Fortunately, D’nas took the conversation to another topic, “So are there factions of Autobots? Is that why that cat and purple-thing attacked us?”
The question quickly elicited a reaction from the sleek machine, “Aww, I should kick you out right now for calling that hunk of scrap an Autobot.”
Wheeljack took a much less combative approach, “What Sideswipe means to say is, the commercial line are the only ones referred to as Autobots now. There was another Quintesson product of military robots. We’ve called them Decepticons ever since they launched a sneak attack against Kaon nearly 9 million years ago.”
“And you’ve been at war with the military line ever since?” asked Tang.
“That’s right,” came from Wheeljack.
Sideswipe corrected, “War…hell. We’re just trying to survive at this point.”
Tang wanted to follow up on the statement, but the Tamarian spoke up first.
“What ever happened to your creators, the Quintessons?”
The racer answered with pride, “We overthrew our slave masters long before the Great War. They’re probably extinct by now.”
The exchange officer rejoined, “You were slaves?”
“Products…servants…slaves,” began the white vehicle, “Pick your term. Both Autobots and Decepticons were sold to all kinds of species, for all types of reasons.”
Sideswipe added, “Until we forced the Quints to flee Cybertron.”
Tang questioned, “So what caused this ‘Great War?’”
“Typically, the military brand robots are bigger, stronger,” explained Wheeljack, “They decided they were superior to the commercial brand…and set out to take over the planet.”
The conversation stalled for a moment after the revelation. A few seconds later, Wheeljack volunteered, “Where almost at the rally point. Our cell’s commander, Kup, is waiting for us there.”
END CHAPTER 7
Supplemental
USS Independence, Conference Lounge
In Orbit of Cybertron
After the attack, Karim bin Nadal gathered his resources in a hastily convened meeting. He sat at the head of the curved, black marble-topped table.
In addition to begin the chief engineer, Ethan Windslow held the title of second officer. He sat on Karim’s right. Zo’Kama, the ship’s doctor, as well as Kimula and Chief Hatora were present.
“The good news is: Tang and D’nas seem to be safe for the moment.” Karim tapped his compin, “Can you hear me, Mr. D’nas?”
The audio activated. “Yes sir, I’m here.”
The Arkonian doctor immediately cut in, “What’s Lieutenant Tang’s condition?”
The science officer’s voice could be heard over the line, “I’m fine, doctor. Sore…but fine. I just got knocked out. I might have a concussion. I don’t know.”
“Do you have a med-kit?” she inquired as a slight look of annoyance crossed the first officer’s face.
“No. It was in the shuttle.”
With a huff, the reptilian yielded to bin Nadal.
The Persian instinctively seemed to address the ceiling. “Has the…car you’re in told you where it’s taking you?”
*****
In Sideswipe’s cabin, D’nas saw a small display screen come to life. It showed a map and what appeared to be a travel plan. It came simultaneously with its explanation.
A slightly synthetic voice said, “Our forward scout post; it’s 41 kilometers from here on an azimuth of 004 if my current direction is the reference plane. We should be there in 12 minutes. …Any other questions?”
D’nas and Tang still didn’t quite know what to make of their situation. There was a silent concern in both their minds. Their rescue felt a bit like a kidnapping...or a set up. After an uneasy pause, the Tamarian prompted, “Did you receive that, sir?”
*****
“Yes.” bin Nadal rejoined. “We’ll make that our landing spot. The bridge will continue to monitor this line. Take care of yourselves.”
“Understood, sir.”
The first officer transferred the communication back to the bridge. He immediately commented, “Just because one faction seems to be friendly doesn’t mean I trust them.” He looked at his senior chief, whom had over twenty years of security experience, “I want to take as many precautions as practical, Chief.”
Hatora picked it up, “We’ll do a fly over of the area before we set down. We can also come much better prepared than the original away team did. I recommend a full load out: tactical EVA suits, phaser rifles, photon grenade launchers. If those things try anything, we’ll at least be able to fight back.”
The Andorian counselor leaned in, “It’s a shame we don’t have any fighters anymore.”
“There’s no point in wishing for things we don’t have. Besides, the Type-10’s are the next best thing to fighters,” responded Windslow.
Bin Nadal refocused the group, “We’ll take two shuttles. A Type-10 will provide cover for the landing team.” He turned to Zo’Kama, “Doctor, you’re coming with me in the landing party.” Next, he addressed the NCO, “Chief, I want you piloting the support craft.” Then, to Windslow, “Commander, you’ll be in charge up here. Be ready to provide us artillery fire. We’ll decide our COA to recover Captain Aurelia if we get Tang and D’nas back without a problem.” He stood, “Let’s go.”
*****
The Tamarian exchange officer had been ignoring the lateral, hairline crack that ran across his visor. Some motion caught his attention out the right window. Another white ‘car’ had pulled up beside them. It was much boxier then Sideswipe. D’nas sat up with a start, “What’s that other vehicle?”
Sideswipe vocalized, “Don’t worry about him. He’s with me.”
*****
The new car transmitted, <What happened to Trailbreaker?>
<I’m not sure. He wanted me to get these sentients safe. I couldn’t go back for him.>
<Kup will understand,> was the somber response.
<Hold on, one of these creatures is asking questions about you. Tap into my com system. You can answer it yourself.>
*****
“Does it have a humanoid form like you?” asked Tang. Any tenderness from his injuries was now pushed far from his mind. His fear was overshadowed by his curiosity. For all intents and purposes, for the first time since he joined Starfleet, he could be a real explorer.
A different voice entered the cabin. I seemed a bit more mature sounding than Sideswipe’s, “Of course I do.”
“What are you…you robots?” piped up D’nas.
“Autonomous Robots to be precise, I’m called Wheeljack,” responded the new voice.
From Wheeljack’s tone, Lieutenant Tang made a supposition, “Autonomous Robots? …Is that like a…a brand name?”
“These fleshlings catch on quick, uh, Wheeljack?” sarcastically observed Sideswipe.
The other vehicle professionally elaborated, “Autonomous Robotics was a manufacturing line for our creators, the Quintessons. We prefer the term, Autobot.”
D’nas blurted untacticly, “Sideswipe…Wheeljack…both seem like odd names.”
Again, Wheeljack fielded the observation, “In our society, names aren’t permanent. They are sometimes given as a reflection of your actions or attitudes.”
Zian added, “That’s not uncommon, D’nas. Some American Indian tribes from Earth do the same thing.”
“Back in his day, ‘Swipe was a pretty good racer,” taunted Wheeljack.
“Back in my day?” repeated the sleeker vehicle with mock indignation. “I can beat you without straining a servo.”
A laugh was heard, “Of course you can. I’m too busy fixing everyone else to optimize my own systems.”
Sideswipe chided, “Cry me a river, as the human saying goes.”
The science offer shuffled in his seat, “How do you know that saying?”
“I’ve been downloading information from your tricorder’s database,” the sporty car casually responded.
Suddenly feeling violated, Zian said, “You shouldn’t do that. Some of that information is sensitive.” He immediately questioned his decision to confront the powerful alien robot about it.
The Autobot engineer offered, “You’ll have to forgive us. It’s just easier for us to get information about you that way.”
“It is better to plead for forgiveness than beg for permission, right Zian?” prompted Sideswipe.
Not sure how to respond, Tang drifted off, “Well…”
Fortunately, D’nas took the conversation to another topic, “So are there factions of Autobots? Is that why that cat and purple-thing attacked us?”
The question quickly elicited a reaction from the sleek machine, “Aww, I should kick you out right now for calling that hunk of scrap an Autobot.”
Wheeljack took a much less combative approach, “What Sideswipe means to say is, the commercial line are the only ones referred to as Autobots now. There was another Quintesson product of military robots. We’ve called them Decepticons ever since they launched a sneak attack against Kaon nearly 9 million years ago.”
“And you’ve been at war with the military line ever since?” asked Tang.
“That’s right,” came from Wheeljack.
Sideswipe corrected, “War…hell. We’re just trying to survive at this point.”
Tang wanted to follow up on the statement, but the Tamarian spoke up first.
“What ever happened to your creators, the Quintessons?”
The racer answered with pride, “We overthrew our slave masters long before the Great War. They’re probably extinct by now.”
The exchange officer rejoined, “You were slaves?”
“Products…servants…slaves,” began the white vehicle, “Pick your term. Both Autobots and Decepticons were sold to all kinds of species, for all types of reasons.”
Sideswipe added, “Until we forced the Quints to flee Cybertron.”
Tang questioned, “So what caused this ‘Great War?’”
“Typically, the military brand robots are bigger, stronger,” explained Wheeljack, “They decided they were superior to the commercial brand…and set out to take over the planet.”
The conversation stalled for a moment after the revelation. A few seconds later, Wheeljack volunteered, “Where almost at the rally point. Our cell’s commander, Kup, is waiting for us there.”
END CHAPTER 7
Here is an amazing pic of Wheeljack I found (ignore the 'Terran' decals, of course).
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bayfilms/2150913724/
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bayfilms/2150913724/
I remember Kup from the animated Transformers: The Movie back in the late eighties/early nineties or whenever. Does this mean we'll see Hotrod and the others?
In my original draft, I had Hot Rod, but I decided to not use him. IMHO, he's been over done.
The only Autobots I'll be using in this story are: Sideswipe (red hovercar), Trailbreaker (Heavy Utility Vehicle), Wheeljack (white hovercar), Kup (...kinda like an old pick-up truck), and maybe one more. I haven't decided yet. I'm going to limit myself to that number of Autobots. I'll explain why in the story.
I'll mention more Decepticons, but most are background grunts.
The only Autobots I'll be using in this story are: Sideswipe (red hovercar), Trailbreaker (Heavy Utility Vehicle), Wheeljack (white hovercar), Kup (...kinda like an old pick-up truck), and maybe one more. I haven't decided yet. I'm going to limit myself to that number of Autobots. I'll explain why in the story.
I'll mention more Decepticons, but most are background grunts.
You're doing a great job with the story-line, D'noth! I have to admit, I was skeptical of this particular cross-over, but you've made it both entertaining and plausible (in the Star Trek sense 
). 'Course, the Captain and landing party are still in deep stuff and I look forward to how you extricate them.
). 'Course, the Captain and landing party are still in deep stuff and I look forward to how you extricate them.
Sounds more like the Autobots need extricating-the hints I'm picking up tell me the 'Bots are in trouble and losing The Great War...y'know, I can't say enough how much fun this is-and all I know about Transformers is what I learned from the commercials. Keep up the good work!
I like how you explained the origins of the Autobots and Decepticons. And now it's looking like Bin Nadal is getting in on the action.
CHAPTER 8
Supplemental
The Fortress of Kolkular
The State of Kaon, Cybertron
Fortress Kolkular was a large, elevated, domed complex. Kaon and its fortress capitol were the first places on the planet to be secured once the military took their rightful place as stewards of Cybertron.
Shockwave reflected somberly about those early days as he entered the heart of Decepticon territory. All Cybertronians celebrated the end of Quintesson tyranny, but which brand did most of the work? Which brand suffered the most losses? …The Guardians…the Decepticons.
It wasn’t long before the ‘civilians’ wanted to control the actions of the military. Why should the commercial brand have any say over a prize they did not win? Megatron was the first to make the Guardians see how the military had removed one master, only to fight another.
The massive Decepticon entered the space bridge control room. The space bridge itself hadn’t been used in eons. It had been an invention of the Golden Age of Cybertron. Energy for the war effort drained their resources, however. Now, there wasn’t enough energy on the whole planet to active the space-folding device. The control room had become Shockwave’s personal lair. Most of the time he, like most Cybertronians, sat idly in standby mode.
A few times a century, something required his attention. Occasionally, an Autobot would be detected. He would organize an attack party. Sometimes the rebel would be destroyed…sometimes the Autobot would escape.
Neither the Decepticons nor the Autobots had the energy to launch a respectable offensive. The Cybertronians spent most of their active time desperately searching for any remaining energy sources on the planet.
In the past, the Autobots had gone the length of sending out distress calls to passing aliens. Shockwave suspected that was the case with the fleshing he was holding now. He carelessly dropped the creature. It cried out as it hit the metal deck.
Sintina heard and felt two pops from her ankles as she landed. There was no doubt they were broken. She propped herself up as best she could and gazed at the giant. The captain was amazed her EVA suit didn’t rupture. She fought back the pain and surveyed her environment. The machine had put her in the corner. It was a cavernous room with a large pillar in the center. There appeared to be few monitors and control panels in various places, but all were far beyond her reach.
She then noticed a few small, spider-like machines converging on the giant. He was oblivious to them. The crawled in and around Shockwave, presumably conducting repairs to the larger robot’s systems.
Shockwave’s single ‘eye’ focused on the intruder. “What arrangement do your people have with the Autobots?”
The captain was still unsure what her best response should be. Would feigning knowledge of the other faction buy her time? If she told it the truth, would the robot kill her now? She had to say something. In the end, she couldn’t think of a good lie. Her pain, rage, and remorse were indicated in the tone of her reply, “I don’t know anything about the Autobots! We were just exploring, like I said!” Aurelia dared, “Return me to my ship or my vessel will level this whole damn place!” She hoped bin Nadal could still hear her over the comline and act. Unfortunately, the heavily shielded fort prevented transmission.
The purple robot tilted its head, “You are a very foolhardy creature, aren’t you?” He knelt down. His head was as tall as her whole body. The Decepticon declared, “You have sealed your fate, insect. If you are cooperating with the insurgents, I will destroy you and your vessel. If you are not; you have trespassed, attacked me, and threatened to annihilate our capitol. …So…I will destroy you and your vessel.”
“We were defending ourselves!” she spat.
The metal floor under Sintina shook as the machine shifted his weight and stood. “So are we.”
Another slightly smaller, but still huge, humanoid machine entered. Unlike, Shockwave, it had a recognizable ‘face.’ Its glowing, red eyes glanced at Sintina with what looked like distain.
Shockwave regarded the newcomer, “Cyclonus, report. …No respond in their language. I want it to hear about your attack.”
Cyclonus’ wings folded neatly against his back. He reluctantly proceeded. “The attack was ineffective.”
“What?”
The fighter commander continued, “They have a defensive electro-static barrier surrounding their ship. It is quite powerful. Scourge, Blitzwing, and Dreadwing were all destroyed.”
A defiant smile emerged on Aurelia lips. Since she would surely die anyway, she saw no reason to not pour salt in the wound. “Bit off a bit more than you could chew, huh? That’s a shame.”
Shockwave’s head jerked toward her. He slammed his foot down centimeters away from the seated Sintina. The reverberations were deafening. The Guardian looked back at Cyclonus. <Proceed with your report.>
<If we could find away around the energy shield, it would greatly increase our odds at defeating them,> Cyclonus determined.
The former tank ignored the obvious statement, <Dirge met with failure as well. He lost contact with Sideswipe when the rebel went underground.>
The Seeker leader added, <I was able to scan the interior of the vessel. They utilize a matter/anti-matter power source.>
Shockwave stepped closer to him, <That could reactivate Vector Sigma! How much anti-matter do they have?>
<One point five-seven cubic cenivuns.>
<With that amount, we could revitalize the entire planet.>
Cyclonus crossed his arms, <The problem remains…how can we circumvent the barrier?>
The red beacon on the Decepticon’s face turned to Captain Aurelia. <Sometimes insects do have their purposes.>
END OF CHAPTER 8
Supplemental
The Fortress of Kolkular
The State of Kaon, Cybertron
Fortress Kolkular was a large, elevated, domed complex. Kaon and its fortress capitol were the first places on the planet to be secured once the military took their rightful place as stewards of Cybertron.
Shockwave reflected somberly about those early days as he entered the heart of Decepticon territory. All Cybertronians celebrated the end of Quintesson tyranny, but which brand did most of the work? Which brand suffered the most losses? …The Guardians…the Decepticons.
It wasn’t long before the ‘civilians’ wanted to control the actions of the military. Why should the commercial brand have any say over a prize they did not win? Megatron was the first to make the Guardians see how the military had removed one master, only to fight another.
The massive Decepticon entered the space bridge control room. The space bridge itself hadn’t been used in eons. It had been an invention of the Golden Age of Cybertron. Energy for the war effort drained their resources, however. Now, there wasn’t enough energy on the whole planet to active the space-folding device. The control room had become Shockwave’s personal lair. Most of the time he, like most Cybertronians, sat idly in standby mode.
A few times a century, something required his attention. Occasionally, an Autobot would be detected. He would organize an attack party. Sometimes the rebel would be destroyed…sometimes the Autobot would escape.
Neither the Decepticons nor the Autobots had the energy to launch a respectable offensive. The Cybertronians spent most of their active time desperately searching for any remaining energy sources on the planet.
In the past, the Autobots had gone the length of sending out distress calls to passing aliens. Shockwave suspected that was the case with the fleshing he was holding now. He carelessly dropped the creature. It cried out as it hit the metal deck.
Sintina heard and felt two pops from her ankles as she landed. There was no doubt they were broken. She propped herself up as best she could and gazed at the giant. The captain was amazed her EVA suit didn’t rupture. She fought back the pain and surveyed her environment. The machine had put her in the corner. It was a cavernous room with a large pillar in the center. There appeared to be few monitors and control panels in various places, but all were far beyond her reach.
She then noticed a few small, spider-like machines converging on the giant. He was oblivious to them. The crawled in and around Shockwave, presumably conducting repairs to the larger robot’s systems.
Shockwave’s single ‘eye’ focused on the intruder. “What arrangement do your people have with the Autobots?”
The captain was still unsure what her best response should be. Would feigning knowledge of the other faction buy her time? If she told it the truth, would the robot kill her now? She had to say something. In the end, she couldn’t think of a good lie. Her pain, rage, and remorse were indicated in the tone of her reply, “I don’t know anything about the Autobots! We were just exploring, like I said!” Aurelia dared, “Return me to my ship or my vessel will level this whole damn place!” She hoped bin Nadal could still hear her over the comline and act. Unfortunately, the heavily shielded fort prevented transmission.
The purple robot tilted its head, “You are a very foolhardy creature, aren’t you?” He knelt down. His head was as tall as her whole body. The Decepticon declared, “You have sealed your fate, insect. If you are cooperating with the insurgents, I will destroy you and your vessel. If you are not; you have trespassed, attacked me, and threatened to annihilate our capitol. …So…I will destroy you and your vessel.”
“We were defending ourselves!” she spat.
The metal floor under Sintina shook as the machine shifted his weight and stood. “So are we.”
Another slightly smaller, but still huge, humanoid machine entered. Unlike, Shockwave, it had a recognizable ‘face.’ Its glowing, red eyes glanced at Sintina with what looked like distain.
Shockwave regarded the newcomer, “Cyclonus, report. …No respond in their language. I want it to hear about your attack.”
Cyclonus’ wings folded neatly against his back. He reluctantly proceeded. “The attack was ineffective.”
“What?”
The fighter commander continued, “They have a defensive electro-static barrier surrounding their ship. It is quite powerful. Scourge, Blitzwing, and Dreadwing were all destroyed.”
A defiant smile emerged on Aurelia lips. Since she would surely die anyway, she saw no reason to not pour salt in the wound. “Bit off a bit more than you could chew, huh? That’s a shame.”
Shockwave’s head jerked toward her. He slammed his foot down centimeters away from the seated Sintina. The reverberations were deafening. The Guardian looked back at Cyclonus. <Proceed with your report.>
<If we could find away around the energy shield, it would greatly increase our odds at defeating them,> Cyclonus determined.
The former tank ignored the obvious statement, <Dirge met with failure as well. He lost contact with Sideswipe when the rebel went underground.>
The Seeker leader added, <I was able to scan the interior of the vessel. They utilize a matter/anti-matter power source.>
Shockwave stepped closer to him, <That could reactivate Vector Sigma! How much anti-matter do they have?>
<One point five-seven cubic cenivuns.>
<With that amount, we could revitalize the entire planet.>
Cyclonus crossed his arms, <The problem remains…how can we circumvent the barrier?>
The red beacon on the Decepticon’s face turned to Captain Aurelia. <Sometimes insects do have their purposes.>
END OF CHAPTER 8
Last edited:
Good stuff, I'm really enjoying this.
One criticism though, you use the phrase "meant with failure" - don't you mean "met with failure"?
Also "went the Autobot went underground" should be "when the Autobot..."
Other than that, great stuff and keep it coming.
One criticism though, you use the phrase "meant with failure" - don't you mean "met with failure"?
Also "went the Autobot went underground" should be "when the Autobot..."
Other than that, great stuff and keep it coming.
I thought of trying to come up with a good excuse as to why I made those mistakes...I can't.
...And the corrections have been made, thank you.
This is coming along nicely. I'm curious to see what the Decepticons have cooked up here--I have a feeling though that they're going to meet their match in Sintina and Bin Nadal.
CHAPTER 9
Supplemental
USS Independence, EVA Locker Room
In Orbit of Cybertron
Karim had only worn the TEVA, sometimes called a ‘hardened’ EVA suit, twice; once for mandatory training in the academy, the other for a mission during the war. He loved the suits. The helmet utilized a Heads Up Display that could show any number of things. It reacted to verbal command or eye movements. The suit itself hid bio-signs and, while it didn’t have a cloak, it did use stealth technology. Several ‘grab-points’ held tools and weapons. It also had nearly half a centimeter of ferrofibrous armor. Each suit was custom replicated for the wearer. So, despite the armor, the precise joints actually allowed for greater articulation and mobility than the standard EVA.
Chief Hatora walked up, fully dawned in his own TEVA. His helmet attached to his chest. He reported the status of one of the three Type-10 shuttles the Indy held, “The Frazi is ready to launch, sir.”
The first officer sealed his left boot and stood, “And the Cullen?” referring to the landing craft, a Type-8.
The Illyrian nodded, “Ensign Lemipil is doing her final checks.”
“Lemipil,” bin Nadal repeated. “She’s the senior officer in the security division now, isn’t she?”
Hatora confirmed.
The executive officer thought absently, “It’ll be awhile until we can get a replacement for Virak.” He lingered for a moment…and began to mourn for the Vulcan.
The Chief of the Boat volunteered, “If she gets over her head, I’ll help out, sir.”
“I know,” Karim responded. He took a breath, understanding there wasn’t time to grieve…not yet. He regained his command mentality, “Have you ever seen anything like those…things before?”
“Not exactly,” the Illyrian rejoined, “I’ve seen war walkers on Kentares IV, but they didn’t change form…and they were manned.”
Bin Nadal began to move to the adjacent shuttle bay, Hatora in tow. The cavernous bay was three decks high. The lower level stored the remaining small craft. The main area was the launch deck and the upper level, shuttle control. They entered the launch deck. The exterior door was open. The Cullen and Frazi were abreast of each other in departure position. To the XO’s surprise, Lieutenant Commander Windslow waited near the aft hatch of one of the shuttles.
The chief engineer offered, “Commander bin Nadal, I had a flash of inspiration. I’ve loaded the Frazi with four Mark 22 torpedoes.”
Karim searched his mind and had to admit ignorance. “Mark 22?”
“The Border Service uses them more often than the main fleet,” explained Ethan, “but we had a few in inventory.” He stepped forward, excitement on his face, “You see the problem with using photons, even at low yield, is the possible proximity to the crew.”
Bin Nadal was pleased to see Windslow excited…about anything, but still broke in, “And the 22’s help us, how?”
The disgraced captain said, “The 22’s don’t use a matter/anti-matter charge. Instead, they produce an electro-magnetic pulse. The Border Dogs use them to disable small, poorly shielded craft.”
Hatora interrupted, “Sounds just like it’ll work just fine on our robot friends.”
Windslow continued, “It’ll disable the TEVA and shuttle’s systems as well, but the suits will work fine without the onboard computer.”
Lieutenant Commander bin Nadal dared to place a hand on Windslow’s shoulder and smiled, “Good thinking.”
Ethan glanced at the hand, but allowed the gesture and curtsied.
*****
The hovercars neared a standing figure in a clearing of the chrome landscape.
Tang found himself staring at the automaton as they approached. Kup appeared to be about 5 meters tall. He was mostly turquoise and gray in color. The machine had obvious battle scars on his frame.
Sideswipe and Wheeljack came to a stop.
The sports model’s doors lifted open. After the two Starfleet officers hesitated, Sideswipe offered, “Trust me, you don’t wanna be inside when I transform.”
Various parts on the white vehicle began to move, slowly at first, then faster, until the shifting gears and pieces became a blur. Ultimately, all the parts reformed Wheeljack in humanoid form. The entire process didn’t take more than two seconds. The Autobot commented after the ballad of moving metal was over, “Besides, it would take forever to clean the stain you would leave.”
D’nas and Tang shared a concerned look for only a moment before vacating the hovercar. Soon after, Sideswipe assumed a bi-pedal shape, as well.
Upon shaking off his astonishment, Zian thought of a question, “Are you machines really sentient or just a collection of programmed responses like a hologram?”
The nearly two story tall cell leader knelt down and seemed to examine the officers. Tang examined back. Its blue, glowing eyes were so intricate. The same glyphs he noticed on the building were etched on his ‘helmet.’ This robot seemed to have more superficial damage than the other two.
Kup rejoined in an elder voice, “Prove to us that you’re sentient, lad.”
“What?”
The Autobot prodded, “Prove to us that you’re not just a collection of responses that you’ve learned from your own culture.”
The Tamarian jumped in, “A valid point.”
The science officer stumbled, “Uh…I guess I’ve never thought about it like that.”
Kup stood back up, “Maybe you should.” He shook his head, “You couldn’t have landed on a worse part of the planet.”
“Yeah,” said Sideswipe, “you landed right next to the Decepticon stronghold.” He added with a large, raised thumb, “Good going.”
The senior officer attempted to defend himself with, “There was a concentration of power signatures nearby.”
“Of course,” confirmed Kup, “it’s where the ‘cons horde their supply of energy.”
D’nas noticed a pattern. All three of the machines had some type of emblem displayed, “What do those red…faces on you mean?”
Wheeljack answered, “It’s the icon of the commercial brand. The Decepticons have a purple one.”
“Are your systems positronic?...isolinear?” blurted Tang, still soaking in as much information as he could.
The question seemed to confuse the towering figures. Finally, Wheeljack, the engineer, responded, “We don’t know.”
The seemingly elder robot spoke, “We do know that our sparks are what give us consciousness.”
“Spark?” repeated D’nas.
“Technology the Quintessons acquired and incorporated into us,” said Wheeljack. “They called it a lasercore.”
‘Swipe added, “Only Vector Sigma, a super-computer, can produce them and it’s been powered down for eons.”
The consequence of the Autobot’s statement was not lost on Zian, “So you…your species… can’t reproduce.”
“That’s right,” Kup acknowledged.
The science officer followed up with, “So how many Cybertronians are there?”
The Autobot engineer informed them, “There are 64 Decepticons and …with Trailbreaker gone…11 Autobots on the planet. Several others, of both factions, are scattered about the galaxy.”
“You’re outnumbered six to one,” observed the exchange officer.
The red ‘bot said, “Now you see why we hide.”
END OF CHAPTER 9
Supplemental
USS Independence, EVA Locker Room
In Orbit of Cybertron
Karim had only worn the TEVA, sometimes called a ‘hardened’ EVA suit, twice; once for mandatory training in the academy, the other for a mission during the war. He loved the suits. The helmet utilized a Heads Up Display that could show any number of things. It reacted to verbal command or eye movements. The suit itself hid bio-signs and, while it didn’t have a cloak, it did use stealth technology. Several ‘grab-points’ held tools and weapons. It also had nearly half a centimeter of ferrofibrous armor. Each suit was custom replicated for the wearer. So, despite the armor, the precise joints actually allowed for greater articulation and mobility than the standard EVA.
Chief Hatora walked up, fully dawned in his own TEVA. His helmet attached to his chest. He reported the status of one of the three Type-10 shuttles the Indy held, “The Frazi is ready to launch, sir.”
The first officer sealed his left boot and stood, “And the Cullen?” referring to the landing craft, a Type-8.
The Illyrian nodded, “Ensign Lemipil is doing her final checks.”
“Lemipil,” bin Nadal repeated. “She’s the senior officer in the security division now, isn’t she?”
Hatora confirmed.
The executive officer thought absently, “It’ll be awhile until we can get a replacement for Virak.” He lingered for a moment…and began to mourn for the Vulcan.
The Chief of the Boat volunteered, “If she gets over her head, I’ll help out, sir.”
“I know,” Karim responded. He took a breath, understanding there wasn’t time to grieve…not yet. He regained his command mentality, “Have you ever seen anything like those…things before?”
“Not exactly,” the Illyrian rejoined, “I’ve seen war walkers on Kentares IV, but they didn’t change form…and they were manned.”
Bin Nadal began to move to the adjacent shuttle bay, Hatora in tow. The cavernous bay was three decks high. The lower level stored the remaining small craft. The main area was the launch deck and the upper level, shuttle control. They entered the launch deck. The exterior door was open. The Cullen and Frazi were abreast of each other in departure position. To the XO’s surprise, Lieutenant Commander Windslow waited near the aft hatch of one of the shuttles.
The chief engineer offered, “Commander bin Nadal, I had a flash of inspiration. I’ve loaded the Frazi with four Mark 22 torpedoes.”
Karim searched his mind and had to admit ignorance. “Mark 22?”
“The Border Service uses them more often than the main fleet,” explained Ethan, “but we had a few in inventory.” He stepped forward, excitement on his face, “You see the problem with using photons, even at low yield, is the possible proximity to the crew.”
Bin Nadal was pleased to see Windslow excited…about anything, but still broke in, “And the 22’s help us, how?”
The disgraced captain said, “The 22’s don’t use a matter/anti-matter charge. Instead, they produce an electro-magnetic pulse. The Border Dogs use them to disable small, poorly shielded craft.”
Hatora interrupted, “Sounds just like it’ll work just fine on our robot friends.”
Windslow continued, “It’ll disable the TEVA and shuttle’s systems as well, but the suits will work fine without the onboard computer.”
Lieutenant Commander bin Nadal dared to place a hand on Windslow’s shoulder and smiled, “Good thinking.”
Ethan glanced at the hand, but allowed the gesture and curtsied.
*****
The hovercars neared a standing figure in a clearing of the chrome landscape.
Tang found himself staring at the automaton as they approached. Kup appeared to be about 5 meters tall. He was mostly turquoise and gray in color. The machine had obvious battle scars on his frame.
Sideswipe and Wheeljack came to a stop.
The sports model’s doors lifted open. After the two Starfleet officers hesitated, Sideswipe offered, “Trust me, you don’t wanna be inside when I transform.”
Various parts on the white vehicle began to move, slowly at first, then faster, until the shifting gears and pieces became a blur. Ultimately, all the parts reformed Wheeljack in humanoid form. The entire process didn’t take more than two seconds. The Autobot commented after the ballad of moving metal was over, “Besides, it would take forever to clean the stain you would leave.”
D’nas and Tang shared a concerned look for only a moment before vacating the hovercar. Soon after, Sideswipe assumed a bi-pedal shape, as well.
Upon shaking off his astonishment, Zian thought of a question, “Are you machines really sentient or just a collection of programmed responses like a hologram?”
The nearly two story tall cell leader knelt down and seemed to examine the officers. Tang examined back. Its blue, glowing eyes were so intricate. The same glyphs he noticed on the building were etched on his ‘helmet.’ This robot seemed to have more superficial damage than the other two.
Kup rejoined in an elder voice, “Prove to us that you’re sentient, lad.”
“What?”
The Autobot prodded, “Prove to us that you’re not just a collection of responses that you’ve learned from your own culture.”
The Tamarian jumped in, “A valid point.”
The science officer stumbled, “Uh…I guess I’ve never thought about it like that.”
Kup stood back up, “Maybe you should.” He shook his head, “You couldn’t have landed on a worse part of the planet.”
“Yeah,” said Sideswipe, “you landed right next to the Decepticon stronghold.” He added with a large, raised thumb, “Good going.”
The senior officer attempted to defend himself with, “There was a concentration of power signatures nearby.”
“Of course,” confirmed Kup, “it’s where the ‘cons horde their supply of energy.”
D’nas noticed a pattern. All three of the machines had some type of emblem displayed, “What do those red…faces on you mean?”
Wheeljack answered, “It’s the icon of the commercial brand. The Decepticons have a purple one.”
“Are your systems positronic?...isolinear?” blurted Tang, still soaking in as much information as he could.
The question seemed to confuse the towering figures. Finally, Wheeljack, the engineer, responded, “We don’t know.”
The seemingly elder robot spoke, “We do know that our sparks are what give us consciousness.”
“Spark?” repeated D’nas.
“Technology the Quintessons acquired and incorporated into us,” said Wheeljack. “They called it a lasercore.”
‘Swipe added, “Only Vector Sigma, a super-computer, can produce them and it’s been powered down for eons.”
The consequence of the Autobot’s statement was not lost on Zian, “So you…your species… can’t reproduce.”
“That’s right,” Kup acknowledged.
The science officer followed up with, “So how many Cybertronians are there?”
The Autobot engineer informed them, “There are 64 Decepticons and …with Trailbreaker gone…11 Autobots on the planet. Several others, of both factions, are scattered about the galaxy.”
“You’re outnumbered six to one,” observed the exchange officer.
The red ‘bot said, “Now you see why we hide.”
END OF CHAPTER 9
Good segment. So, the Autobots are heavily outnumbered and basically in hiding. D'nas and Zian should be grateful that the Autobots took such a risk to save them.
The Mark 22 torpedoes are a good idea and might prove useful against the Decepticons. (Glad to see the big boys using some of the Border Dogs' toys!).
This keeps getting better and better - more, please!
The Mark 22 torpedoes are a good idea and might prove useful against the Decepticons. (Glad to see the big boys using some of the Border Dogs' toys!
).This keeps getting better and better - more, please!
