CHAPTER 10
Supplemental
Shuttlecraft Cullen
Moments until Planetside Rendezvous
Ensign Lemipil yawed the shuttle slightly above the landing site. Allowing Lieutenant Commander bin Nadal to get a good look and run security scans.
He reported, “It looks like each robot has plasma weapons and chemical explosive rockets as armaments.”
“With respect sir,” began the Zakdorn pilot, “If these three creatures are hostile, why did they rescue our people and allow them to communicate with us?”
“In my experience, Ensign,” he retorted, “rarely does anyone do something for nothing.”
The young officer quipped, “Even Starfleet?”
The remark caused a humorless grin to form on the first officer’s face, “Even Starfleet.” His scans returned more information, “They sure are built to last. The robots have an exoskeleton armor made of a matrix consisting of duranium, magnesite, carbon nanotubes, titanium boride, and silicon carbide.”
Lemipil commented, “That sounds stronger than our shuttlecraft hull.”
“It is,” confirmed the Persian. He opened a channel to their support shuttle, “Chief, I’m going to take us down. Maintain a holding pattern to watch our backs.”
“Acknowledged.”
*****
Science officer Tang sighed with relief when he saw one of the shuttles begin a descent maneuver. The craft eased onto the metal deck with a soft hum. The three, 5 meter tall beings stood casually waiting for the encounter. D’nas smiled through his cracked visor. The shuttle faced them. Unbeknownst to the group, the vessel’s two phasers were locked onto Kup and Sideswipe. A second small craft flew overhead.
The aft hatch opened. Four security personal in TEVA’s formed a defensive parameter around the boat. Ensign Lemipil could be seen through the shuttles forward window. She made to attempt to leave the pilot’s seat. Another figure, in a dark gray colored battle suit, walked with a slight bounce toward the looming automatons.
D’nas looked up at the Autobots. They seemed rather unimpressed with Commander bin Nadal’s show of force; Sideswipe, particularly, showed body signs of annoyance.
Zian’s EVA com chirped on, “Lieutenant Tang, are you alright?” He recognized the voice of this first officer. He assumed he was the figure walking toward them, though, he couldn’t see his superior’s face through the tinted visor.
The science officer gladly responded, “We’re fine, Commander. We haven’t been mistreated at all by this faction.”
An unenthusiastic, “Great,” came from the suited figure, “Will they be able to understand me if I activate my external speaker?”
“Yes sir.”
Karim, wielding a phaser rifle, calmly neared the large robots. “Thank you for getting my people out of there.”
“It’s about time someone said, ‘thank you,’” griped the red machine.
The older ‘bot snapped, “Shut up, ‘Swipe.” Kup took a large step toward the new encased biologic. “You’re welcome. Are you their leader?”
“At the moment, yes,” replied bin Nadal. He added, “There is another one of us. A purple tank…creature took her into a structure…”
“Shockwave,” volunteered Wheeljack, “He took her into Kolkular, our enemy’s compound.”
“Do you know how we could get her back?” Karim prodded.
The machines shared glances with each other. Finally, the cell leader said, “If you’re asking for our help…”
“More help,” Sideswipe bitterly inserted.
Kup continued after a brief shake of his head, “We can’t get you into Kolkular.” He meekly added, “We’d like to help, but the rest of the Autobots are on the other side of the planet, in Iacon.”
Bin Nadal huffed inside his suit. Immediately the air system evaporated the spot on his visor left by his breath. “I understand,” he conceded. “D’nas, Tang, get into the shuttle.”
Neither really wanted to leave. Their curiosity about this new species had engrossed both of them. Despite that, however, they made their way to the awaiting craft.
“Hold on,” stepped up Sideswipe, “That’s it? A thank you!”
As the other shoe dropped, Commander bin Nadal gestured for Tang and D’nas to continue. He addressed the towering robot, “What more do you want?” Hoping the dialog would at least buy enough time for his people to board.
The Autobot went down to his hands and knees, bringing his face close to the suited human.
Karim fought his urge to raise his weapon.
“Listen,” continued the former racer, “we lost one of our own saving your people from their own stupidity.”
“’Swipe…” began the elder ‘bot.
“No!” blasted the red machine as he regarded Kup, “The least these things can do is reciprocate somehow!”
“What did you have in mind?” tactfully questioned the first officer. On his HUD, he saw both Tang and D’nas were in the shuttle. The fact bolstered his position, slightly.
The massive, complex face turned back, “Some power generators. It doesn’t matter how the energy is produced, we can covert it into usable energon.” There was an obvious desperation about his tone.
Karim considered the request. It wasn’t an unreasonable appeal. The Prime Directive didn’t seem to apply. These beings seemed to have the know-how, but not the means. Starfleet regularly provided various races and colonies with microfusion generators. He looked at the three Autobots. All of them were, in turn, looking at him in anticipation of his answer. A doubt…a worry entered his mind. If he did this, would he be prolonging a war? If he refused them, could he and his team all make it back alive? He cautiously chose a third option. He clasped his rifle to his thigh and took out a tricorder, “Can you download information off this device?”
The white machine offered, “If we’re within a few meters of it, sure.”
Bin Nadal tapped on it and said, “We don’t have any power generators with us now. But don’t worry; we’ll be in orbit until we get our last crew member out of here. Are you capable of simple radio communication?”
“Of course,” impatiently replied Sideswipe.
The first officer responded, “I’m sending you a frequency that our ship will be able to pick up. So we can communicate at anytime.”
Kup moved closer, “So you are going to come back with some power sources?”
Karim hadn’t decided if this was a lie or not,…“Yes.” His first priority, however, was to get Tang and D’nas back to the ship safe and find Sintina.
With that, the former racing machine stood back up, “Well, alright then. When can we expect you again?”
The first officer wanted to delay as much as possible without upsetting the large robots, “About two hours.”
Kup approximated a grin, “We’ll see you then.”
Bin Nadal made his way back to the craft as calmly and quickly as he could. The security team retreated as well.
Once the Starfleet shuttle ascended, Wheeljack questioned, <Do you really think they’ll come back?>
The older robot rejoined, <If I were them, I’d get as far from this planet as possible.>
Sideswipe resentfully suggested, <We should have forced them to help us.>
Kup looked over, <That’s not how Prime would want us to operate, lad.>
The red racer gazed at the departing craft, now just a glimmer in the dark sky, “Don’t disappoint us.”
END OF CHAPTER 10
Supplemental
Shuttlecraft Cullen
Moments until Planetside Rendezvous
Ensign Lemipil yawed the shuttle slightly above the landing site. Allowing Lieutenant Commander bin Nadal to get a good look and run security scans.
He reported, “It looks like each robot has plasma weapons and chemical explosive rockets as armaments.”
“With respect sir,” began the Zakdorn pilot, “If these three creatures are hostile, why did they rescue our people and allow them to communicate with us?”
“In my experience, Ensign,” he retorted, “rarely does anyone do something for nothing.”
The young officer quipped, “Even Starfleet?”
The remark caused a humorless grin to form on the first officer’s face, “Even Starfleet.” His scans returned more information, “They sure are built to last. The robots have an exoskeleton armor made of a matrix consisting of duranium, magnesite, carbon nanotubes, titanium boride, and silicon carbide.”
Lemipil commented, “That sounds stronger than our shuttlecraft hull.”
“It is,” confirmed the Persian. He opened a channel to their support shuttle, “Chief, I’m going to take us down. Maintain a holding pattern to watch our backs.”
“Acknowledged.”
*****
Science officer Tang sighed with relief when he saw one of the shuttles begin a descent maneuver. The craft eased onto the metal deck with a soft hum. The three, 5 meter tall beings stood casually waiting for the encounter. D’nas smiled through his cracked visor. The shuttle faced them. Unbeknownst to the group, the vessel’s two phasers were locked onto Kup and Sideswipe. A second small craft flew overhead.
The aft hatch opened. Four security personal in TEVA’s formed a defensive parameter around the boat. Ensign Lemipil could be seen through the shuttles forward window. She made to attempt to leave the pilot’s seat. Another figure, in a dark gray colored battle suit, walked with a slight bounce toward the looming automatons.
D’nas looked up at the Autobots. They seemed rather unimpressed with Commander bin Nadal’s show of force; Sideswipe, particularly, showed body signs of annoyance.
Zian’s EVA com chirped on, “Lieutenant Tang, are you alright?” He recognized the voice of this first officer. He assumed he was the figure walking toward them, though, he couldn’t see his superior’s face through the tinted visor.
The science officer gladly responded, “We’re fine, Commander. We haven’t been mistreated at all by this faction.”
An unenthusiastic, “Great,” came from the suited figure, “Will they be able to understand me if I activate my external speaker?”
“Yes sir.”
Karim, wielding a phaser rifle, calmly neared the large robots. “Thank you for getting my people out of there.”
“It’s about time someone said, ‘thank you,’” griped the red machine.
The older ‘bot snapped, “Shut up, ‘Swipe.” Kup took a large step toward the new encased biologic. “You’re welcome. Are you their leader?”
“At the moment, yes,” replied bin Nadal. He added, “There is another one of us. A purple tank…creature took her into a structure…”
“Shockwave,” volunteered Wheeljack, “He took her into Kolkular, our enemy’s compound.”
“Do you know how we could get her back?” Karim prodded.
The machines shared glances with each other. Finally, the cell leader said, “If you’re asking for our help…”
“More help,” Sideswipe bitterly inserted.
Kup continued after a brief shake of his head, “We can’t get you into Kolkular.” He meekly added, “We’d like to help, but the rest of the Autobots are on the other side of the planet, in Iacon.”
Bin Nadal huffed inside his suit. Immediately the air system evaporated the spot on his visor left by his breath. “I understand,” he conceded. “D’nas, Tang, get into the shuttle.”
Neither really wanted to leave. Their curiosity about this new species had engrossed both of them. Despite that, however, they made their way to the awaiting craft.
“Hold on,” stepped up Sideswipe, “That’s it? A thank you!”
As the other shoe dropped, Commander bin Nadal gestured for Tang and D’nas to continue. He addressed the towering robot, “What more do you want?” Hoping the dialog would at least buy enough time for his people to board.
The Autobot went down to his hands and knees, bringing his face close to the suited human.
Karim fought his urge to raise his weapon.
“Listen,” continued the former racer, “we lost one of our own saving your people from their own stupidity.”
“’Swipe…” began the elder ‘bot.
“No!” blasted the red machine as he regarded Kup, “The least these things can do is reciprocate somehow!”
“What did you have in mind?” tactfully questioned the first officer. On his HUD, he saw both Tang and D’nas were in the shuttle. The fact bolstered his position, slightly.
The massive, complex face turned back, “Some power generators. It doesn’t matter how the energy is produced, we can covert it into usable energon.” There was an obvious desperation about his tone.
Karim considered the request. It wasn’t an unreasonable appeal. The Prime Directive didn’t seem to apply. These beings seemed to have the know-how, but not the means. Starfleet regularly provided various races and colonies with microfusion generators. He looked at the three Autobots. All of them were, in turn, looking at him in anticipation of his answer. A doubt…a worry entered his mind. If he did this, would he be prolonging a war? If he refused them, could he and his team all make it back alive? He cautiously chose a third option. He clasped his rifle to his thigh and took out a tricorder, “Can you download information off this device?”
The white machine offered, “If we’re within a few meters of it, sure.”
Bin Nadal tapped on it and said, “We don’t have any power generators with us now. But don’t worry; we’ll be in orbit until we get our last crew member out of here. Are you capable of simple radio communication?”
“Of course,” impatiently replied Sideswipe.
The first officer responded, “I’m sending you a frequency that our ship will be able to pick up. So we can communicate at anytime.”
Kup moved closer, “So you are going to come back with some power sources?”
Karim hadn’t decided if this was a lie or not,…“Yes.” His first priority, however, was to get Tang and D’nas back to the ship safe and find Sintina.
With that, the former racing machine stood back up, “Well, alright then. When can we expect you again?”
The first officer wanted to delay as much as possible without upsetting the large robots, “About two hours.”
Kup approximated a grin, “We’ll see you then.”
Bin Nadal made his way back to the craft as calmly and quickly as he could. The security team retreated as well.
Once the Starfleet shuttle ascended, Wheeljack questioned, <Do you really think they’ll come back?>
The older robot rejoined, <If I were them, I’d get as far from this planet as possible.>
Sideswipe resentfully suggested, <We should have forced them to help us.>
Kup looked over, <That’s not how Prime would want us to operate, lad.>
The red racer gazed at the departing craft, now just a glimmer in the dark sky, “Don’t disappoint us.”
END OF CHAPTER 10
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