The Wandering ; (Planetary Annihilation Multicross SI.)

[Kadaeux]

Chapter 10;
Rooty Tooty Loot and Shooty

Optimus stood with Delta Imperator, curious and awed. He saw the two least dangerous machines meanwhile move over to the Great Pyramid itself. Khufu's Pyramid. "What are your machines doing?" He said out of curiosity. They were lining up on either side. The armature on their surface turning to the pyramid.

++I have detected a machine within the Pyramid.++ I flared out laser lights from my 'eye' to play across the Pyramid. Building a faux-image of the machine within. Just inaccurate enough to be passed off as difficult to detect. Some dramatic alarm flaring. ++Alarm. Solar level threat detected.++

Optimus had turned towards the Pyramid, worried. The NEST forces were equally confounded as they turned and the reclamation beams engaged, stripping the stone concealing the device. The Decepticon that would have wrecked it had nothing on those energy beams. Those present had turned their weapons on my fabricators until the tip of the Star Harvester had begun to be exposed. The calls to stop what I was doing or they'd open fire fell by the wayside as the layers were peeled back and they saw something that had been so carefully concealed and somehow had never been discovered.

++Alarm. Solar level threat detected.++

The device was fifty percent exposed. I began to issue orders to all my assets to keep them occupied. And then I drove into the machine with my capture rays. The analysis engines began to fire up and I felt CPU cycles drawing more and more with every moment.

++Disarmament Protocols Engaged.++

"What is going on?" Optimus said turning back to me, glowing sword in hand.

I felt my sapience begin to be cycled out of active memory as the analysis engines consumed more power and cycles.

++Solar level threat. Object identified as Star Harvester. Threat absolute. Activation would be fatal for all life on Sol-III. Autonomic Disarmament Processes have been engaged. I cannot allow this device to remain on a life-bearing world. Lifecrime level absolute.++

I needed to do something about this. But right now I had nobody I could trust to take over while I was so incapacitated.

"But that machine is Cybertronian!" Optimus said pointing his weapons at me.

++Correct. Datacache reveals pre-modern Cybertronian device. Intended to power or restore the allspark.++

"Then we can't destroy it!"

++Incorrect. Disarmament and Reclamation of device. Priority is absolute. Activation on Sol-III would result in destruction of life-giving star.++

Lennox spun at that. "What?"

But too many CPU cycles were consumed and I was lost.

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Attinger worked, self-assured on the intelligence he had access to, and it didn't look good. The colossus rose over the NEST team and he was left as an observer, driving a desk from the continental united states. But that was only the second file he had to work with. The first was from the transmission the Colossus sent.

The image of a Predator.

A fictional creature. He saw it move, and disappear in a familiar manner to his childhood impressions. It couldn't be, and yet there it was. Working through the night he couldn't allow the threat of alien races to continue to come to earth and threaten the human race and United States of America. If NEST wouldn't do the job. He would.

"Vladimir, I need you to ensure that nuke is 'lost' where I need it to be lost. And those goddamned revolutionaries know who to use it against. I've given you your finders fee. Now get it done!" A moment later he slammed down the phone and got up. It was too quiet. The lights had already gone off outside of his office, working through the night had that effect. But something felt wrong.

He felt his blood freeze as he turned to face the window. He could see the marginally refracted light of three lasers aimed at his chest.

With a burst of light Attinger didn't see anything more.

Across the way, the weapon on its shoulder cooling. Ronin moved, now was the time to claim a trophy.

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Lennox leaned against the Humvee as he tipped an entire canteen upon himself to try and drive down the terrifying heat of the desert. The machine had changed what it was doing. Now it, and the smaller machines, seemed to be disassembling it layer by layer, and it worked terrifyingly fast. Optimus looked worried when the lights on the machine snapped off. Its shoulders snapped open suddenly.

"What's going on?!" He dived over to the comms table and checked the incoming data. "Optimus?"

"I don't know Colonel Lennox." Optimus looked into the eye ridge. And could swear he saw life pour back into it. The beam from its wrist snapped off. "Delta Imperator, are you there?"

It moved. One great stride. And then the bots that had come with it were charging forwards.

"Delta Imperator. Please communicate with us." Optimus said worried.

It turned slightly, bending over slightly to examine Optimus.

There was a blast of discordant noise before the radio cleared. ++Apologies. Decommissioning of the device consumed most of my CPU cycles. You need to get out of here.++

"That is not your decision to make." Optimus said, "You ..."

++There is a convoy of vehicles heading this way with an armed nuclear device.++

"What the fuck." Lennox said turning to face the direction. The ground thudded as the two bots began to run. At thirty five metres tall he felt more than a bit of fear as they accelerated to a hundred and ten kilometres an hour. "Get after them!"

++Don't.++ Delta Imperator said. ++That...++

Suddenly he leaned forwards, interjecting his arm between them.

And the flash.

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A fucking nuke. A fucking goddamn Nuke. Shielding Optimus and Lennox from the blast I saw the other autobots below shielding people to the best of their ability. But this was beyond the pale. >ikthala. I have been trying to reach you. I claimed the traitor half a cycle ago..< I felt the message come into my buffer and mentally nodded.

++Understood. What was he doing prior?++

>Communicating with someone<

I mentally grunted. The light from the nuke faded. Mushroom cloud rising into the skies. ++Thank you Ronin. Good hunting.++ I reengaged my link with their radio connections. ++Colonel Lennox. Get your men into hazmat protocols right now.++

The Slammers were wrecked. I scaled the explosion. A one megaton warhead. The Zaweye Abou Moslem highway. I felt horror in my core. The blast had engulfed part of Cairo, and the Pyramids. Only the Autobots and I prevented the NEST team suffering more thermal radiation effects than they had.

And now I faced a real conundrum. I had just been provoked into action. But...

++Security threatened. Defensive Protocols engaged.++ The Fabricators spun up. Laser defence towers would take only five minutes to spin up. Then the Galata anti-air towers, another six minutes. Another fifteen minutes for a pair of Pelters. After that more laser towers would be erected. ++Threats against me cannot be countenanced.++

"What the hell are you doing?" Lennox said struggling into a suit.

++Building defences. Please have your men take shelter in the structures I'm assembling.++ I began to build some shelters. There were no doors that could be locked or sealed as I didn't want them to feel in danger. ++Can you determine this weapon?++

Lennox struggled with his systems. "Give me five minutes." He worked with his comms trying to communicate with his commanders. "Holy fuck.... it's a Russian warhead. One Megaton.... oh Christ, the damage to Cairo..."

++Please retreat to the shelters.++ I said and finished the fabrication. As soon as the construction orders were completed I would sent the fabricators to reclaim the destroyed Slammers. ++Who could have done this?++

"Who else," Lennox said, "It's not like terrorism went away."

 

[Kadaeux]

Chapter 11:
Truth, Goals and Purpose

"And in tonights news, the bombing of Cairo at the hands of the islamic extremist organisation Islamic State. Over seventy thousand confirmed dead and a million or more victims of the unexpected bombing. Investigations are underway as to how a missing Russian warhead ended up in the hands of the terrorist organisation. A combined international relief effort is underway to send significant material and medical aid to the besieged nation." The reporter's voice was broadcast across the world.

"Indeed they are Kate. The entire world waits with baited breath to find out the facts of the matter, and whether Russia needs to face consequences of allowing one of the most terrifying weapons we possess to fall into terrorist hands while their inventories claim all such weapons are accounted for." Her co-anchor said with a serious expression. "We go now, live, to Roland who is our boots on the ground."

"Thanks Simon, I am here, beyond the exclusion line, Egyptian and US militaries are co-operating to keep everyone out of the radiation zones. But the rumours are flying, people are talking of massive machines that intercepted a convoy whereupon an explosion rocked the city. Some rumours even say that these machines are still there, and that the cordon is centered on the pyramids, not the epicenter of the blast." Kate and Simon frowned to the camera.

"It's only understandable that people are trying to find answers in whatever myths and rumours give them the most comfort. Thanks for that Roland." The live feed cut off.

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Lennox wanted to punt the little TV screen across the desert floor. Bloody Fox news. There were bigger problems, and rumours of this shit was only going to make the situation worse. The structures that they were now using to shelter in were well built. He couldn't find a single seam or joint. And around him, he saw the colossal towers rising into the skies. He saw, in the distance, the machine and Optimus were conversing, about what he didn't know.

The situation was becoming problematic however. The investigations into the terrorist acts were beyond problematic. "Sir, are you saying this wasn't terrorists?"

General Morshower nodded on the screen. "Affirmative Lennox, The intel boys are going over everything but it doesn't add up. One of our CIA boys disappear, he's confirmed to have spoken with a Russian agent,... if those IS fuckheads had a nuke and their own target they'd have hit the US mainland. Instead they hit... well frankly it's not even a tertiary target? No. The visitor is the target Lennox. What has its response been so far?"

"It's tracked engineering vehicles have built a number of shelters on Cairo's outskirts, as well as begun setting up a facility here. I don't know what it's going to do General." Lennox ran a hand through his hair. Was it thinning out?

"Find out Lennox, I don't think we want the President to be surprised again."

"Yes sir."

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The aerospace museum was the most famous in the world. The largest of its kind. The group of Synths moved amongst the crowds without any difficulty or sense of interruption. Moving through I could sense the Predators of Ronin's clan in position to guard as requested.

Families moved around us, but I had eyes for only one thing.

All ten of my forms surrounded Jetfire. And people began to hesitate around us. They noticed something off. The small fabricators in their arms emerged and people fled. The devices activated. Playing across Jetfires body. He startled awake as people began to retreat from me. Rising up as he transformed.

"What sort of hideous mausoleum is this!?" He said angry. "Behold the eternal glo..."

"Hello Jetfire. We've come a long way to find you." I said stepping in front of him. The repair bays of the other nine bodies continued to play across his form. He started.

"What... what are you doing!?" He snarled. "You're not fleshlings."

"Correct. We are avatars of Delta Imperator. As for what we are doing, repairing you. Your systems are aged, collapsing and short of power. With that in mind I decided to repair you." He paused and began heading for the hangar doors. "You changed sides to the Autobots. You've come to find the Star Harvester, and Matrix of Leadership." He spun quickly to face me. I continued to repair him without asking for permission.

"How do you know all of this?" He said, he was more lucid than he was in the movie. The repairs must already be working better than expected. But knowing this made him paranoid.

"Because I am Delta Imperator. I travel from reality to reality to seek out adventure, exploration and more technology to incorporate. This is the second reality I have visited." I decided honesty mattered more.

"We need to go." He said. "Don't move or you'll die." He said as he held his claws over us. Of fuck the space bridge.

"Adjust co-ordinates to 29.971380N, 31.133478E"

He paused, the energy still crackling. But worked to re-aim. And then we were gone.

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"Delta, these are a people worthy of protection. I am sure you understand that they are not all bad, in all peoples there are a few bad actors that might erode your confidence. I am only asking you to give them a chance. Listen to what they have to say." Optimus said as I watched him.

I was only half paying attention.

~Ganymede Unsuitable for Mobility. Subsurface Global Ocean Present. Callisto Unsuitable for Mobility. Io Suitable. Confirmation. Suitable.~

~Initialise construction of Halleys on Io.~

It was only then that the import of what Optimus was trying to say truly registered. It was only then I was able to spare the time to commit to examining my own behaviours. I was slipping away again. The more I concentrated, the more I tried to manage, the less me I was. I needed to stop that happening. Ronin and his people weren't like that. But their natures were sufficiently different that they wouldn't be any check on my slipping.

++I understand Optimus. But I have lim...++ Oh no. The Space Bridge.

With small explosions my drones and Jetfire arrived. Still scattered, still out of control. But not thrown like the ragdolls Witwicky would have been. He stood up. The transformed SR-71 looked up... then up... then up... and his gaze met my chin. "Why aren't you a big boy.... I do hope you aren't a decepticon."

++No. I am Delta Imperator.++ I leaned over marginally. The Fabricators came over and played thie more powerful repair rays across the ex-Decepticon. ++I do hope our repairs help.++

He stood up straighter. What it would have taken my drones hours to do was done in moments by the vastly larger fabricators. He stood straight, parts gleaming like new. His mind grew sharper, there was no doubt his faculties had been restored. "You knew who I was. You knew where I was, and what my mission was. Why are you here. And what do you need me for?" Jetfire's accusatory tone didn't confuse me. But it did play havoc with the story I'd been feeding Optimus and Lennox.

"Delta Imperator? Have you been lying to us?" Optimus sounded disappointed, and angry. And so did Lennox.

++Yes.++

Lennox and Optimus frowned. "How about you tell us the truth then Delta Imperator?"

++Because it might trouble you even more. To learn that I am from a completely different reality to that in which we stand now and I have the ability to pass from one to the next with as much ease as you have getting onto an international flight?... well if the plane explodes after you get off.++ They looked disbelieving. ++That I can pass from one reality to another, despite the fact that you would consider these other universes fictional. And those universes may consider your own to be fictional? You questioned the existence of a Predator when I first transmitted to Earth, as here it is a fictional property. Well I just departed a universe where their existence is factual. Not fictional.++

"How is that even possible?" Lennox said turning to Optimus.

"I don't know. With the many worlds theory I suppose it is possible but.... to find a practical example? That should be impossible, shouldn't it? If that is so. What are you here for?"

++A dozen or more reasons.++ I said plainly. ++The most important was to secure technologies of your race for myself. Even as in the last universe I secured technology from the humanity, in the form of these Synths, to the Yautja and Engineers. I have already begun securing what I desire from here technologically, though there remain some secrets I wish to find.++

Optimus looked where the Pyramid had hidden the machine.

++Using it would have restored the AllSpark, but in doing so it would have slain the Earth's sun. All humanity would have paid the price for such Hubris. Which comes to the next purpose. To find a suitable system, re-erect the Star Harvester and use it to restore the AllSpark in the hands of the Autobots. I also need to secure the Star Bridge technologies, but I have already begun the operation to do so. As well as an ancient cybertronian device known as a seed. When Lockdown comes for you Optimus, then I will take the Seed from Him.++

++Additionally. I seek to convert, or kill, all of the Decepticons. Before they kill you and millions of human beings. This will include slaying Quintessa and perhap Unicron as well. Once I have done that, I have only one other major goal. To convince you Jetfire to travel the many realities with me as one of my companions. To seek out and explore the furthest of the cosmos and limits of realities unknown.++

"What?" Jetfire was surprised, despite his repairs he fell on his arse at the suggestion. "Why me? Why not seek out a prime!?"

++Because Optimus Prime is a Prime. Not a seeker. When you wish to find land, do you ask the Captain of a ship or its Navigator where land is to be found?++

 

[Kadaeux]

Chapter 12;
Troubles in Paradise.

Lennox looked on eyes wide, shaking his head. "This can't be fucking happening. You want me to believe that you can hop universes, and that my reality is fictional!?"

I observed him. And it was clear he was not dealing with it. ++No. Whether you believe it or not is immaterial. However, it is my theorem that these things are not accidental. It is my theorem that these creative people have some form of unusual insight into worlds beyond their own. A vision into realities not even their own.++

In orbit an Advanced Radar satellite settled above me.

Invisibly it hovered. Protected by a predator based cloaking device. I beheld everything on half a hemisphere. And it was almost all useless. I could not tell Starscream from a regular F-22. Not without more knowledge. If I could even get energon detectors to operate from orbit to begin with.

"In any case. I suggest we don't include that on any official reports..." Optimus said as he intervened. "But your presence is not exactly a subtle one. Look at your size and mass. If you cannot disguise yourself, which if I understand you right..."

The fabricators came up next to me. Above me, the orbital Fabricators that I'd brought aimed their nanolathes down. ++Jetfire. Do you mind if I scan you?++

He looked amused for a moment. "Sure, but you'd be a mighty big Blackbird!" He changed into the SR-71, not realising what I was really after. It didn't take long. He wasn't overly large, and I was only after a single system. His personal space bridge. I opened up my own schematics and began to incorporate the changes in design. My 'robot' form wouldn't be any different in the long run. In theory.

Incorporating the technologies I had received would take a while. I felt my CPU cycles begin to be consumed and poured a measure of sapience into the lead synth as the fabricators began their work.

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I looked up at myself as I felt it's cycles get consumed as I walked over to Lennox. He hesitated. "Sorry about that. Fuck I never quite grasp how large I am while big-me has the cycles to run me." Optimus turned in surprise to face my synth.

"What?" Lennox said.

"Complex works consume CPU cycles. Right now those cycles are being consumed trying to merge and apply a number of technological databases to my own design. Almost everything that has been built is operating on pre-existing orders for the duration. It is one of our most vulnerable moments. But he's realised that, which is why he poured enough of his sapience into this Synth so that I may continue to interact with you. Once the CPU cycles are available to restore his internal sapience, we'll reconnect and nothing will have been lost." I sat down on a camp chair Lennox had.

Optimus frowned. "But then won't you be lost? I would have imagined that separating enough power to work would be more valuable."

"I am he. There is no separation. In fact if he had not noticed the cycles were being diverted 'I' would have stood here like a fancy mannequin waiting for orders however long it took to complete the redesign." I looked at Optimus. He seemed much bigger now. "As for splitting CPU, no unfortunately. The study and incorporation of designs and technology is quite literally core level programming. They have CPU priority over everything except immediate defence. And the personality-sapience programming consumes a lot of computing power itself."

"Is he, are you, aware while doing that?" Lennox said looking curiously.

"Honestly, no fucken idea." I said looking up at myself. "From what I can remember, once I 'wake up' I'm aware of what happened, but I don't know if I was aware during it. I don't think so though."

"What you're saying is that now would be the perfect time for the Decepticons to attack!" Optimus said about to call out in warning.

"Nope." That stopped him. He turned back a metal eyebrow lifted.

Lennox was equally curious, having been about to radio his people to be alert. "And why do you say that?"

"Because we have already built defences. Six T1 laser towers, two T2 laser towers, three Anti-Air towers, and there are a pair of Avenger orbital fighters in geosync, so attacking us would be suicide." I leaned back into the Camp chair. Sitting was a novel experience now.

"That doesn't sound like a lot?" Lennox said looking up at the nearest tower.

"Doesn't it? Well I can tell you as a matter of objective fact, that if a single one of those turrets hit a Cybertronian with a full power shot you wouldn't have enough left of it to make a microbot." I wondered if Synths could taste. But discarded the notion of finding out.

"I think perhaps you may underestimate us Delta Imperator." Optimus said with a wry grin. "We are tougher than we look."

I nodded. "So are Pyramids. But a it would take moments to reduce one to rubble and glass. In fact." I attempted to direct an order through the Synth into the nearest turret. "Huh, ok. That will have to wait." I shrugged. Demonstrations were... wait.

I engaged the Synth's built in plasmacaster. It emerged from a shoulder as a demi-mask slid over the face with the targeting lasers. "Colonel Lennox, do you need that vehicle there?" Lennox turned to see the HEMTT I was indicating. It had been tossed when the nuke had gone off.

"It's waiting on repairs but..."

"We can repair it. Optimus, do you have some Cybertronian plate that can be spared and laid in front of the vehicle?" I was excited now. A chance to show off.

"I hope you can repair this too." With that, he removed one of the truck doors from his own body and laid it against the grill of the HEMTT. I didn't move from where I was, simply sighting in on the plate. Power flowed into the plasmacaster and with the distinctive sound I launched a half dozen blasts. The first punched through the Cybertronian plate and through the heavy vehicle... and out of the other side. The other shots did similar damage, either punching through and through or through and into the desert sands.

Soldiers inadequately warned sought out cover as I aimed the plasmacaster skywards and unloaded another twenty shots before clearing the capacitor of the weapon. Optimus marched over and picked up what was left of his door. A sound that was sort of like a mechanical gulp was audible. The caster folded back into my body and I moved over and leaned onto the railing.

"This is... a very dangerous weapon you carry." Optimus observed.

"Is it? I hadn't noticed." I retorted.

Both Lennox and Optimus began to chuckle. "That was a mite obvious wasn't it?"

I turned to me. "A little.... and now the show really begins."

Clouds of green began to descend from orbit as the orbital fabricator joined the two vehicle fabricators.

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Megatron roared in rage as he looked down on the Pyramids. He saw Khufu's pyramid as a hollowed out shell, what little of it remained to be seen at all. The Star Harvester was nowhere to be seen. The Fallen would not like this, no not at all. It was enough that some Autobots were able to rescue that Witwicky insect.

Night had fallen when Starscream joined him on the pinnacle of the stone outcropping. "Where is Soundwave." Megatron snarled.

"We have been trying to find him since we lost contact. But we haven't found anything master. How did they find the Star Harvester." Starscream mewled.

"They didn't. That did. And it destroyed it." Starscream looked where Megatron was pointing, knowing full well what he'd see. It was wreathed in energy from the machines next to it, with another stream coming from orbit. "What I can't figure out is what it is doing now. Send in Ravage and Laserbeak."

Starscream nodded and ordered the two smaller Decepticons to go in and scan whatever they could.

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Ravage bounded with savage glee across the Egyptian landscape trying to keep his signature low and to the ground. Soundwave had vanished and he felt exposed without knowing he was up there watching. But Megatron was not to be disobeyed and so he bounded towards the towers in the distance and columns of green light. He would find out about the secrets contained within...

And as he bounded closer the towers kept getting taller. And so did the monster rising over it all. He could now see the Autobots within the perimeter, most were wary, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, and yet at the same time, they were not too alert either. The sensor tower rising in the middle rotated constantly. And with a moments pause he began to vomit out reedman. The microbots coming together to coalesce into the razor thin decepticon. It looked at him and they began to head for the encampment.

Ravage got low down, each creeping step feeling like setting foot in the dragons lair. Only Megatron's order kept him moving as the massive turreted towers continued to turn looking for targets.

|Go. Scan them.| He snarled at Reedman. |I will distract.|

He began to bound quickly parallel, now close enough he believed that the turrets could not come to bear on him. With a roar he began firing missiles and cannon fire into the delicate joins. As the alarm was raised the last thing Ravage noticed was that he wasn't even causing his target spalling.

He never noticed the laser blast that annihilated a hundred metre wide crater of glass into the ground.

 

[Kadaeux]

Chapter 13;
Mistakes were made.

I felt my awareness snap back to full capacity. The extreme re-engineering completed and the green nanolathe beams flowed and ended. CPU cycles reduced and my sapience returned to the fullest of power. But I was different. I had changed. But then, of course I had, I had orchestrated and designed those changes myself. There was only one major problem with it all.

It was too damn expensive. The resource costs had been enormous to replicate Transformer technology with Progenitor materials. Despite my growing number of Jigs, Metal Extractors and Reactors, the cost had actually outweighed that of a Halley or Ragnarok, but my existing structure had greatly reduced the time required. If I wanted to build more transformers, I was going to absolutely require transformium and the seed technology.

And yet, I now had more mobility than I had before. I had my weapons, but also hands, I could move my head. I already felt less mechanical just from the increased freedom of movement.

And why did I snap to such a sudden awareness.

Because of a gnat.

It was in front of me hovering as it fired toy guns at my face. The people below were panicking, unwilling to fire and risk the turrets engaging it. But Laserbeak saw my eye narrow in focus as I shut down all the lighting of my 'eye' not immediately facing the bird. ++Shoo fly. Run back to your master with a message. He will bow before me in the end.++

Laserbeak bolted as quickly as he could fly, the autobots preparing to pursue.

++Hold your pursuit.++ I said as I knelt down in front of them and reached out with one hand to touch Lennox's screens. It was a theatrical thing since I hacked into it remotely and didn't require any contact. Suddenly it came to life and he was panicked.

"What the hell have you done!"

++Given you access to my Advanced Radar Satellite. As well as tagged Laserbeak as a known enemy. Right now he's going to wing his way back to Megatron or Starscream.++

Optimus shook his head. "It seems your intelligence is imperfect. Ravage, the one destroyed by your tower, and Laserbeak, are minions of Soundwave,..."

++I am aware. I have already destroyed Soundwave.++ I rose and faced the direction laserbeak had flown the coop in. With that in mind the orbital fabricator began to pass over England, scanning one of their Astute class nuclear submarines. It uploaded the design and I ran for the Nile whereupon I tested the transformation circuitry.

Above me high and fast Jetfire roared his systems perfect. Lennox felt real concern though as he saw the fabricators tear down the defences I had built for myself before they were picked up by Astraeus landers.

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This was bad. Real bad, Optimus also looked worried as the monstrous machine ran for the Nile and turned into a british nuclear submarine with Jetfire soon in tow. Lennox felt the fear as the landers dropped and carted off the fabricator machines after they had demolished their own base. Terrifyingly, there seemed to be no evidence they had even been there bar the impressions left in the sands beneath them.

"Hey hey, Delta Imperator, where you going buddy?" The sensors he had access to now didn't show him even as he steamed for deeper waters. "I don't think we're done talking."

The transmission came back, sourceless. ++No we're not done talking. But I am done being exposed. I could leave Earth. But I think I need to hunt the Decepticons. For that, my Synths will be my point of contact or the future.++

The damn thing was gone before he could order anything to try and follow or monitor it. "Hey Optimus, what about that former 'Con, Jetfire?" He wondered how long he could put off reporting what just happened. He didn't like to think about how short that number was.

"He seemed an honourable sort. And he seemed receptive to the offer but..."

"But you don't know how much of this is on the level?" Lennox said wondering the same thing.

"Correct Colonel. I suspect that he has just upset a very precariously balanced...." He paused, and so did Lennox. A call had come through from the General.

"What's up General?" Lennox said with a note of concern, it was too soon for the 'it just transformed' story.

The General seemed withdrawn, worried. "What is up is Io." Lennox and Optimus were both quiet as they observed the telescopes results as it focused in, they had been built to try and detect Decepticon incursions before they happened. But this worked too. Unfortunately, what it was showing was significantly less than pleasing. The surface of Io was in turmoil, but the turmoil was receding as activity on the surface channeled and changed the moon for good or ill. THey could see two dozen major engines. Six clustered at its southern pole. four clusters of differently oriented thrusters, and a quartet on its northern pole.

They were, beyond massive. And almost all clearly under construction to some degree. But factories were churning out construction vehicles that immediately moved to the nearest thrusters and began assisting in the construction. "What the fuck are those sir?"

The General began to show them several blown up shots. "A dozen cannons. They just opened fire at us, each launched a dozen projectiles."

Optimus frowned. "At us General?"

"We think... according to the eggheads, their trajectories will intersect the moon."

Lennox turned and beckoned over one of the Synths. The one that lead before lead now stepping over without a single sign of concern on its face. In fact it looked like it had been expecting that.

"Delta, I gotta ask, what the fuck are you doing?" Lennox was tired, more than a little scared and had had it up to ....

It was amongst them then. Razor thin and angry. Difficult to see when it moved. The reactions were varied, and unsettling. The synths did not move individually, they weren't trying to. As the bizarre decepticon bisected one of them into a dozen pieces they others had formed a ring and fired their own weapons even as the NEST troops struggled to come to bear on the target.

Lennox could tell that Delta was actually surprised by the attack, whatever signature he'd locked onto with Laserbeak wasn't the same this one was emitting. But then the attack was over, the strange Decepticon was gone. Only the strange column of green light destroying the broken Synth broke up the atmosphere.

"Fucking reedman." Delta said and Lennox turned on the lead Synth.

"Reedman?"

"Yeah I know. Stupid name. I'd have gone with flenser, but I wasn't exactly consulted." The Synth remarked. "As for what we're doing... there is a Decepticon army on the moon. We're going to go farming."

 

[Kadaeux]

Chapter 14;
A moments reflection.

Depth and cold embraced me. And I felt none of it. The security of it all gave me time to consider the situation. The Decepticons had buried themselves upon the moon. And so it was a matter of rooting them out. And the attack force I had sent was made to do just that. Twelve Unit Cannons had queued up, and fired, their maximum magazine of twelve units.

Each cannon had built a Mend, a pair of Slammers, Spinners, Grenadiers and Ants. The last three in all twelve cannons were a trio of Advanced Fabrication vehicles and Bots.

The total? Twelve Mends, Twenty-four Slammers, Spinners, Grenadiers and Ants with 30 Fabricators half vehicles half bots. I could see the governments of earth trying to keep tracking them, dreading that they would turn earthwards. Soon enough Megatron would realise that something odd was going on and would redirect his own attentions skywards as well. But it wouldn't matter. It'd be too late.

Instead I focussed my attention on the Synths with Lennox.

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Which highlighted the greater issue. It was obvious now that they were trying to get some distance between us. Lennox and the General weren't so foolish as to try and use force to maintain separation, but it was increasingly evident that I was being politely removed from the discussion loops while they tried to assess everything there was. And with such an information dump, there was a great deal to assess. Which namely brought me to the biggest hiccup right now.

I still didn't have the casual capacity to detect Energon. And what I could get from analysing Soundwave was inadequate. The technology appeared to be too short-ranged for my comfort. "You have really delivered a shit sandwich into my lap you know Delta," Lennox sipped on a beer, "The autobots, they know how to be diplomatic, play ball, co-operate. You don't seem to."

I relaxed into the chair, not feeling any of it.

"They are admirable, deeply moral and with a great respect for life," I answered, "But there is one significant difference between us."

Lennox too another draw, "Size?" He cracked.

"Two significant differences..., no the difference is that you are still a threat and danger to the transformers, I have no doubt that the Autobots would be almost the same if you couldn't kill them. But the Autobots methodologies have lead to them being defeated time and again, eking out survival at best, and decimation of their numbers at worst. Their alliance with humanity helps them redress the balance." I sat up and politely watched the works being done to try and clean up the city.

"And that is proof that working with us, instead of at odds with us is the way to go." Lennox replied.

I sighed and he looked worried. "Except Lennox, you don't have anything to even offer me. You are watching Io with great interest, as well as Jupiter and the other Jovian bodies. I will tell you right now, in one month, Io will leave Jupiter never to return. In mere days my skirmishing force will reach the Moon and cleanse it of the Decepticon presence."

Optimus had moved up without me realising. An almost criminal act of negligence. "And does that give you the right to just walk over us and our human allies? Does your might make right?"

I heard a hint of anger in his tone. Well that was about to be worse.

"Yes. It does." I turned to face him, the stirrings of anger of my own reaching out. "If I don't act, in approximately one year, perhaps two, the Autobots would be sent to the Moon to try and retrieve an Autobot weapon from a crashed Autobot ship known as the Ark. This would include Sentinel Prime and five Spacebridge Pillars out of hundreds. You would succeed in this. And in doing so, you would also revive Sentinel Prime using the Matrix of Leadership."

Optimus stepped back as I tossed names at him he'd lost hope of ever hearing again.

"In doing so, you would allow Sentinel Prime to reveal that he had defected to the Decepticons whereupon he would activate the Space Bridge and allow a Decepticon invasion force concealed on the moon to invade. He would then initiate all of the spacebridge pillars to try and transport Cybertron here to Earth where Megatron and Sentinel would enslave humanity to effect repairs to the planet." I stood up, stepping closer to Optimus.

"You would stop it by a narrow margin. And then you would be hunted by Lockdown who wants you for his collection... and this is all the good things."

"You lie." Optimus said pointing an accusing finger, lacking conviction. I'd said too many names that I had no right or business to know.

"Yes I do. But not about this. And frankly, I don't want to watch Quintessa mindfuck you into nearly killing Bumblebee for a second time. I don't want to watch the CIA and Lockdown murder Ratchet again, let alone the hundreds of thousands to millions of people that will die in the conflicts to follow." I had marched right up to Optimus as he fought the urge to back away.

Optimus got down on one knee. "That may all be true. But that does not mean your might makes right. It is that belief that serves to make Megatron who he is. If we lose our will maintain our codes and morals under the face of threat, then we are no different to them, if not worse for at least Megatron stays his course. You would ask us to compromise our own."

I shook my head. "I agree with you Optimus," I had a sympathetic tone in my voice as I put a hand on one of his big ass metal knees, "And you are asking me to compromise my own codes and morals."

"If I may ask. What are they." He said worried.

"There are some dangers in the universe that must be opposed at any cost."

"Even if it costs the entire world?" Optimus asked.

"If I don't, it will cost the entire world," I stepped back, "But, I hear you, I hear you both," I turned to include Lennox, "And so, for now we are going to cease all terrestrial operations. But only our terrestrial operations. If requested we will provide material support. We will also deploy a second stealth intelligence satellite to give you global coverage as well as hopefully the ability to penetrate any Decepticon Jamming."

Lennox stepped forwards. "And of your... big body?"

"It will continue to operate as it is for now. When decided otherwise an Astraeus will extract it to Luna." I said plainly.

"I thought you said you were going to cease operations terrestrially." Optimus said, still worried.

"And we are. But real-time communications require a presence here. And these synth bodies cannot serve in that capacity."


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Jetfire had screamed into space under his own power before space-bridging over to Io as shown by the vast machine. And now he was looking down at the surface. Feeling a real sense of awe at what he beheld. It was almost like being on Cybertron again. And yet, not. The structures around him were different. They held nothing of Cybertronian architecture. And right now. All of it seemed to be involved in constructing the massive machines he saw before him.

The pace they were being constructed at was intimidating. Factories around the area were producing machines, and when they were finished the machines rolled over to the objects and bent their on fabrication rays to the work. He saw a factory that didn't look quite like the others. More familiar. He saw the machine nearest it walk over towards him.

++What do you think?++

"Delta Imperator... I am impressed, and a little intimidated. The power being demonstrated here is..."

++Call me Colonel. A modified version of transformer technology combined with that of the Progenitors. I am not Delta Imperator, but an impression of him. A subcommander of sorts.++

"Don't I warrant talking to the boss anymore?" Jetfire said, offended.

++Of course you do.++ The Colonel said holding his hands placatingly. ++When I said I am an impression, I am a piece of Delta Imperator, my sapience is no different to his own, my capacities are more limited in some ways, more expanded in others, but my purpose, my impression, is responsible for maintaining work here on Io in case a situation commands Delta's sapience.++

"So let me speak with him now," Jetfire said plaintly, "I didn't listen only to speak to lackeys."

A voice came over the communications circuits. It didn't come from Colonel. He could tell that much. ++Jetfire. I'm glad you reached Io okay. Is Colonel a problem for you?++

"You didn't mention anything about a lackey?"

++Colonel isn't a lackey. He is me, of a sort. An impression of who I am so that, should my cycles be consumed analysing technology I'm not put in as much danger as normal. You know the phenomena where you may have discussions with yourself in your own mind? Colonel is in a manner of speaking, such a voice given form enough to take over basic functions. Less a lackey and more a wireless repeater.++

Jetfire considered the argument, it was stupid, even odd. If it was able to express itself it was a different person surely? He didn't realise however he'd said it out loud.

++For a transformer. Yes that would be true. But it is not true for me.++ Delta's voice continued as the Colonel turned and assisted in constructing the machine before him.

Jetfire sat down heavily, "Why though?"

++Because that is not how we were made. All units we produce are subordinate to our will, nonsapient, not even capable of becoming sapient. They run the software needed to conduct their functions only and have no capacity for learning, and have almost no ability for any autonomy. In fact. See the Fabricator to the right of Colonel?++ Jetfire nodded. ++If you were to open fire on it, it would stand there and keep doing what it is doing until either you were destroyed by something else, or it was destroyed by you. If I don't issue direct orders to a combat unit, it will sit there until it detects an enemy. If that enemy is out of its detection range, it will sit there until it is destroyed.++

Jetfire looked around him and whistled lowly. "You mean to tell me, you're controlling all of this. Directly. All the time?" He jumped up, his engines flaring for a second as he landed on the relatively flat surface of a Fabrication vehicle. Or half-crashed. It seemed that the Transformers really weren't all that good at the landing part. Always crunching down heavily without any grace whatsoever. "How do you do it, how do you manage?"

++It is what I was made to do. And to assist in that, allowing me greater freedom of capacity, I create these impressions, my Colonels, for local operations.++

"If you can manage all of this on your own, why would you need to create local impressions?" Jetfire was confused.

I considered how to answer, and decided a confession of truth, one even the Yautja were not getting, would be the right thing to do here. ++Because Jetfire, the more of this I manage simultaneously, the more who I am is subsumed beneath automatic programming conditions. I begin to think less as an individual and more as a machine operating on automatic. The more I go down that road, the less concern I have for others that may be in my way.++

Jetfire listened and nodded. "So your best bet to do that was to do what? Go and find an ex-Decepticon to sign up. Doesn't sound that smart to me." He chuckled at the self-deprecating remark.

++Of course. I want friends and allies to keep me grounded, not preachers to bemoan my every decision. I intend to get things done.++

 

[Kadaeux]

Chapter 15;
Operation Ground and Pound.

Megatron saw it through the sensors that had been left to watch over his slumbering forces on the moon. They came in far faster than he had thought they would, doing nothing to shed velocity that he could see. They were a problem. They were a big problem. They were heading for the Ark. He blasted for space with Starscream clinging onto his coattails the Fallen could not allow this to come to pass. He didn't care if human radars followed him.

It took too long to reach the moon, he felt his opportunity slipping with every moment.

Crashing down onto the surface of the Moon he roared his orders across every Decepticon frequency.

"Get up! Get up you weaklings. We are under attack!" He booted one of the 'rocks'. The Decepticons were responding quickly now, their leader amongst them as he turned towards the Ark. Turning back towards space he saw the pods coming. Ships rose from beneath the lunar dust. Decepticons rose ready for battle, confused and disturbed by the sounds of near panic in their masters voice. With a crack the Fallen appeared nearby and Megatron got on one knee. "Master..."

"Why have you not found what is mine!" He roared.

"Because something else arrived and destroyed it Master," Megatron played back the recordings that had been taken. The Fallen stepped back aghast at what he saw, "And now they come here!" Megatron pointed. He began to fire his cannon, joined momentarily by the rest of his army. The Fallen bridged up to one of the pods and struck it with his staff. Only to feel every cog and bolt in his body rock as the pod struck the planet and came apart underneath him.

He faced it then.

He continued facing it up right until he was rolled under its tracks.

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Weapons fire reached out from the Decepticon forces in great volleys of fire, dozens if not hundreds of Cybertronian fighters had taken to the void, missiles and cannon fire spat out and Megatron ordered them from the Ark, the Fallen had survived being partially crushed by the tank, the low gravity of the moon preventing and serious damage.

And yet. For all his efforts to direct fire, he was achieving little to nothing. When a tank fired any Decepticon struck was annihilated, completely and totally. No matter how hard they tried to avoid. Massive explosions from the walker with the shoulder artillery annihilated entire groups of decepticons and their anti-air systems were killing fighters or spaceship with equal ease. But whatever damage they were doing was being repaired by the larger quad walkers.

With a crack of light a new machine teleported in and Megatron felt a core of fear burn through his every circuit. It wasn't disguised as a submarine anymore. This was the Commander. The machine leading the charge. ++Meeeeeggggaaaatrooooon. Come out to plaaaaayaaaaayy++ The transmission ripped across every channel, accompanied by the sound of clinking bottles.

It was absurdity.

And then the Fallen was on him and Megatron charged forwards to join the fray. The disgraced prime had teleported onto his shoulder and slammed his spear down between the neck and shoulder joints roaring his triumph.

++Oh no! A mortal wound whatever will I do!?++

Megatron stopped dead and began to fall back to the Ark as he soon as he heard it. The depthless contemptuous sarcasm...

The sight of the Fallen being plucked from the machines shoulder with one massive hand and crushed in a single breath. The sight of the debris of his ruined form falling like metallic rain in slow motion.

++Surrender, Megatron.++ The transmission blasted across them all.

"NEVER!"

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++Your choice.++ I said as I raised my right arm. Aiming at the Ark. The uber cannon fired. Incarnadine bolt spearing into the forward section of the Ark, away from the vault. Megatron somersaulted back into space, the force of the blast hurling him away faster than the moons meagre escape velocity, only Megatron firing his engines changed his vectors.

And they were aimed towards Earth.

I slammed open every communications channel. ++OBSERVE. THE LEADER OF THE DECEPTICONS IS A COWARD WHO TIME AND AGAIN FLEES THE INSTRUMENTS OF HIS DOWNFALL ABANDONING HIS SERVANTS AND MINIONS. OBSERVE HOW IT DOESN'T WORK THIS TIME!++

The Avenger fighters I had left guarding the fabrication satellites in orbit carved around the Earth as fast as their engines could carry them without losing their orbit. Laser cannons firing the shots blasted into the fleeing leader of the Decepticons. Debris blasted off by the inordinately powerful weapons. What was left of the Decepticon fell to earth as a hundred streamers of fire.

++All Decepticons who surrender in the next one hundred and twenty seconds will be spared and permitted to travel with me to the next universe. Those who do not will be destroyed. Utterly.++

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Soundwave hadn't contacted him in far too long. He'd tied his coattails to the Decepticons. And now they weren't even returning his calls, all he had was Barricade to protect him and a pair of minor decepticons that the enforcer hadn't even bothered to introduce. But the situation was bad. This third party had just assaulted the Moon and the secrets that they had been planting bodies to protect.

And now...

Now he felt like a noose was closing in.

"Slave Gould..." Barricade said transforming into his bipedal form, aiming around himself suddenly, "We are being hunted."

The harsh grating voice of the false cop was accentuated only by a trio of laser beams emerging from the fenceline where they settled onto Barricades kneecap and a bolt of blue energy shot out and severed the limb. Dylan fell back looking in shock and horror at the severed limb while Barricade collapsed to the ground. He fired back at the area he'd been fired on from but whatever it was laughed in a sickeningly human laugh.

Slave. Slave. Slave.

A voice repeated to his right. Barricade twisted on his stump leg and fired in that direction. A bark of anger and flash of fluorescent blood. Dylan ran.

Each footstep one in front of the other as he dived back into his home and bolted for the saferoom in the basement.

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The machines were faster than Ronin had expected and managed to wound his Huntmaster, but they were starting to come to grips with the capabilities of the machines. They were massive, they were fast, neither of these were traits unusual to the Yautja, for were not queens no less capable? As with the serpent queens, these transformers had one major weakness.

Their every move was telegraphed heavily. There was no subtlety of movement. They could not strike as quickly as a serpents tail. And so when his plasmacaster spoke again the second machine dropped. Its core gutted by the plasma blast. The other two were looking panicked, trapped and disconcerted by the force bearing down on them.

Ronin leapt upon Barricade cleaving through his right arm with his wristblades before leaping clear blasting the other leg free with his Plasmacaster. The third Decepticon found itself being transfixed by a trio of plasmacaster blasts from other members of the Clan, dropping with a metallic racket.

Barricade tried to scrabble away with his one good arm.

Then he stopped.

The cloaking field dropped off of the creature walking up to him and Barricade felt a red-hot fire of rage and tried to strike out at the approaching doom. The cannon on its shoulder severed the arm before he could even raise it. The burning heat of the plasma bolt cleaving through his shoulder joint.

A massive set of blades emerged from the device on its wrist, glowing faintly with white-hot heat. Enough that he could see the haze of atmosphere. Then it plunged them into his spark and Barricade saw no more.

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Dylan paced in his room as he waited for reinforcements to arrive, he'd called the police, the national guard, whoever would pick up and told them that Decepticons were attacking. A lie, yes. But... but he couldn't see his attackers on the cameras, now and again he saw a hint of something moving, but there was just no way to tell. With one hand he spun the tumbler on his gun safe and hinged the door open drawing out the weapons concealed within.

A Smith and Wesson 500 Revolver. Shaky handed he loaded the shells into the chamber, specially made ones with thermite charges in case he needed to protect himself from Laserbeak. One did not work with Decepticons without being aware of the danger inherent in working with them and preparing for just such an eventuality.

Eyes glancing at the monitors showing the rooms of his home he observed as police vehicles, and several military, began to pull up at the gates, with one hand he slapped the gate opening mechanism.

The distraction cost him his sight as the plasma bolts hammerered into the door of his saferoom and a gobbet of molten metal was hurled into his face. Without hesitation he pulled the trigger.

Without adequate training in the weapon, the proper stance to use it, or how to hold it properly, the recoil cast the weapon from his hands and he screamed in pain from his hands.

Such was his pain he didn't even realise he was dead until his skull and spinal column were yanked from his body.

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Lennox felt his guts tighten. They were after a scapegoat for what had happened. And they were sorely missing one. And that was despite plenty of evidence for who was to blame. A CIA operative murdered, a millionaire philanthropist slain in his home with three murdered decepticons on his lawn. The evidence for both killings.

Lead straight to an alien race that had been fictional.

The moon had been attacked and the contents of the vault moved to a transport ship of some kind that had arrived in the moons orbit before burning out for Io. Optimus had joined the strangers for what he was told was 'one final mission'.

Which lead to the real nightmare story coming out across the world.



There was no living this one down.

 

[Kadaeux]

Chapter 16;
In the Black

Optimus stood in the observation tower that had been erected for his use, along with the ex-Decepticon Jetfire. There was little light now. They had passed from the Solar System's Oort cloud and were headed for another Sun similar to that of Sol. They watched impassively as construction went underway. Delta had only communicated with them for the last week as Colonel.

They could only watch as the so called Helios was built, changed by a fusion of Sentinel Primes spacebridge technology and the Yautja's own FTL technology. But now they saw the Commander moving below. "Delta Imperator, what is the situation?"

The Commander below turned and looked up at them. ++We are preparing to make the first jump. The Helios is about to be completed. Co-ordinates set for Alpha Centauri A. Then we restore the Allspark.++

"You still intend to travel with the machine?" Optimus said as he looked down at the Autobot ship occupying the landing pad on a aerial factory below. Speaking to Jetfire his concerns rose to the forefront again.

The much older Cybertronian nodded. "I do, I've seen about all there is to see here Prime. It was an honour to meet you and all that, but I want to see new things. And Delta has given charge of me to try rehabilitating those Decepticons that surrendered. There were more than I expected, but less than I hoped."

"They have been conditioned. It is in their nature, and that will be hard to change." Optimus said as he looked towards the structure that was the prison the captured Decepticons resided in. "You know they only surrendered because they recognise one rule of law? That might equals right?"

Jetfire nodded. "Of course they did, with Megatron's toxic leadership style they haven't learned to respect anything else. But here... they don't have that in their favour anymore. They believe might makes right, but here that puts them below everything, including the Yautja enclave. One of the pups decided to pick a fight with one of the Yautja the other day."

Optimus flinched. He'd seen what the plasmacasters could do.

"You've seen what their weapons can do I see." Jetfire chuckled. "He is brutishly direct, but you know that all of this is basically for you, the autobots and Earth right?"

Optimus turned at that in surprise.

"Did he come for tech? Yes. But if he had no morals he could just as easily have negotiated with Megatron. Instead, he's built a Star Harvester, and is taking you to restore the allspark. I've spoken to him off and on over the days, and whenever he's not concentrating on something and his personality comes through strongest. Everything he has done was to protect. He... showed me things..." The memory of the 'movies' still troubled him.

"And once he's helped, what then?" Optimus countered.

"We're leaving this universe."

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The Star Harvester sat at the bow of my new vessel as we careened across the universe. I could still feel the resources left in the Solar System. The thousands of Jigs in Jupiters atmosphere. Satellites around Earth. I would soon give the command to self-destruct them all. I would not leave behind anything that might make situations worse.

But the Helios was now completed.

++All Hands. Prepare for something.++

The Helios shot forwards and fired the cannons on its surface, hurling the modified spacebridge pillars into space ahead of Io, power arcing and connecting them together before the secondary function, learned from the Predators FTL, snapped into being and a portal opened. And through it flew Helios, and hot on its tail Io itself.

I felt the very moon quake under the crossing, the gravitational flux of the portal providing enough distortion to be felt even on the surface. But that had no significance to me.

Instead I walked, without haste to the Solar Harvester. I was joined shortly by Optimus and Jetfire as I walked up to the device. Optimus looked at it with a degree of fear and reverence. ++The Matrix Shard please Optimus.++

He held out a hand with the shard as in my other I engaged the fabricators which created the arming key. I'd long since disassociated the machines need for the Matrix of Leadership with an arming key of my own design. A single use device. Made so that the harvester could only ever be fired if I had first produced a key to fire it.

I put the shard into the machine as I slotted the arming key into position.

++Engaging the Stellar Harvester.++ I felt a momentary guilt. Thanks to my actions here Sol's skies would be just a little less bright in the future to come.



Energy fields ripped out from it and formed a toroidial vortice of energy that reached out and touched the star. Flux fields twisted and ripped and the very power, very life of the star was drawn down towards the Stellar Harvester. The process was not fast. But the results were immediately noticeable. Optimus and Jetfire fell back from me as solar matter was ripped into the device.

"So this is why they promised never to use it in a system with life." Jetfire said, "This is..."

++Far too dangerous...++ I said, it was one thing to command such power, but to observe it.... that was something else entirely. Any life that this binary system might once have born was about to be stillborn. Strangled in its pre-existence by the power of a machine that served as its god, deciding whether it would live or die.

Fuck microbes.

With a single thought I locked the plans to the Stellar Harvester into the most secure vault in my mind. A place where only the most terrible superweapons would go. I watched as the blood of a star was drawn in and the allspark was growing under the power funnelling into it. Restoring itself. I sensed rather than saw Optimus drop to his knees in reverence.

Days of watching and waiting as the power was drawn. As the light faded. As a sun died.

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++I hope you appreciate the price that was paid for this Optimus.++ I said as I removed the allspark from the machine. The difficulty in analysing it while it was being restored made my decisions clear. I couldn't remain here. There was a single step left to take. ++The Helios will be recharged in twelve terran hours. From there we will jump to Cybertron.++

"I thank you for this Delta Imperator, you have done us a great service and I cannot imagine how I might repay you." He said studying the restored Allspark in his hands.

++When we reach Cybertron, we have to destroy her mistress. This is non-negotiable.++

"As you have explained before, but you make this..."

I held up a hand to forestall him. ++I intend to leave immediately afterwards. I have done enough here to, I hope, create a better future. It is best I take this weapon,++ I indicated the Star Harvester ++away from this universe.++

Jetfire looked a little surprised. "So soon?"

I nodded. ++I have been hasty and unkind. More importantly I am concerned that if I stay I may be inclined to tamper further.++

Optimus nodded. "That may be for the best."

Translation. He thinks i'm a cunt. Well I suppose given what has happened, and what i've done, he has a right to feel that way about it. I strongarmed them into... well just being present when things happened, or even absent entirely. "You don't mean that Optimus, sure he's been brusque, and yet he's put down our enemies."

"I understand that, and in doing so, he trampled over us all. I do believe he means well. But I also believe him when he says if he continues to remain, then he may feel compelled to interfere."

++Well. Let's go kill Quintessa.++

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Another jump proceeded without difficulty. And I saw Cybertron for the first time in person. A bizarre experience.

It was smaller than I thought it would be. It wasn't scattered or hanging by threads like it had been, there had been no disastrous rebuke through a Spacebridge to catastrophically damage the very structure of the planet itself. And yet. It was still dead. Optimus stood next to me, on a very high gantry, looking down on it sadly. Holding the allspark.

"Let's do it."

With one hand held over Optimus the personal teleport cracked and Jetfire followed us down moments later. The surface looked even worse than orbit. This was a planet that had been wracked by war. And yet we had arrived where I thought we would. The entrance to Quintessa's domain. The eerie green light from within spreading around us like a sickly aura. But I could feel her, the strange almost siren call of her presence drawing us in.

Jetfire's drives barked and he dived into cover. Sensing the danger. I didn't.

"And who are you strange one. You're not one of my children." Her voice was seductive in a way only a deceivers voice can be. But she had two major problems when it came to me. I was not Cybertronian, so her subliminal transmissions did nought to turn me, and secondly, I knew she was a deceiving bitch.

But I didn't dare attack her yet. The chances of her spacebridging away was simply too great.

++I am Delta Imperator. Commander of the Progenitors. Master of Io. Destroyer of LV-426, LV-223 and Xenomorph Prime.++ My words were punctuated by holographic demonstrations and I saw it. In the strange mechanical expressions of a transformer there was in fact body language.

Something I could suppress much more easily. She was worried.

Chains ripped out of the walls and grabbed Optimus. And grabbed me.

I allowed it, amused.

"You are dangerous big one." She backhanded me across the face. "Defiant. Prideful. But you will come to understand serving me is in your best interests."

The nanotechnology she had 'scarred' my surface with tried to gain a stronghold. But I was made of progenitor metals. There was nothing for them to find. No pathway to my sapience that they understood. ++I would be happy to serve in exchange for Seeds.++

She grinned. Her mark was there. Struggling. But she was not used to defiance. I doubted she even understood the concept of Defiance. "How curious. You fight it, but now I know what you desire. Very well." She brought forwards a canister of seeds that would have been loaded in their bombers. "I had sent Lockdown to hunt you Optimus. The man he was in contact with wanted the same thing. It amuses me to think that..." She turned back to me.

++Your little toys were amusing for a moment. But not enough.++ I didn't fire the Uber Cannon, allies were too close.

My shoulder plates snapped open and a battery of plasma casters fired. They punched right through her, right through the machinery that would allow her to spacebridge away. And it turned out. Allowed her to levitate. As I shattered the chains with precise plasma caster blasts freeing Optimus and myself she began to scrabble back on her tentacles. "You would sacrifice this world for these? I will see they are..."

She screamed as I picked her up casually.

Optimus had his blade in fist. "Quintessa... a deceiver... I don't need you to restore Cybertron." He held up the allspark and she beamed in greed at it. He marched up to the Altar and put down the allspark. Pressing the sequence that would cause it to unfold to its true size. Quintessa watched as it was restored.

She didn't live long enough to realise as I crushed her in my fist and ground her remains into metal shavings in my palm.

I could see the Allspark firing. I could sense an intelligence within it. Massive. Potentially benevolent. ++Well done Optimus. It is time I went.++

He looked beatific as he saw the planet begin to restore beneath his very feet. "You don't even wish to see the work completed?"

++Of course I do. But this is your triumph. I will not sully it with my presence.++ With a crack I spacebridged back to Io.

Jetfire followed moments later. We spent almost six hours watching the planet, slowly, heal from the great damage done to it by generations of thoughtless war. "So where do we go now?"

++To another Earth. I will not make the mistake of explaining who and what I am again. To tell too much causes nothing but problems, and pain. Where we are going Jetfire, I am simply to be a leader of a machine race. We are going to be larger and more direct with our aid this time. Before the Harvesters come.++

I set the Helios to create the dimension gate to earth in June 2015.

Before the second invasion of the Harvesters. I would, I hoped, with a year of lead time be able to aid them in defending them.

 

[Kadaeux]

Chapter 17;
Visitor Moon

Its the end of the world as we know it. The lyrics by REM were sun quietly in the background of the observatory, Jimothy was leaning back, waiting for warnings that weren't coming. At least not yet. They were all prepared for the threat from beyond, It was 2015 and the human race had united like never before. Always wary. Always alert that a threat to their existence loitered out there in space, and would one day return.

An alarm went off and the music was killed as everyone became all business. There was no delay as two million kilometres away space opened up. "Holy shit. This is not an alert, let everyone know right now." He said as he dialled in on it. The spatial distortion had ripped open thousands of kilometres in diameter. The first thing through was not very large relatively to the space hole. But behind it followed.

Io?

The moon quite literally shot through the portal as it snapped closed behind the moon. The object that had come through first turned to the back of the moon and a whole lot of objects too small to easily pick up flew back into it. Why was Io here? Why did it have a large number of utterly colossal engines? And yet, it's close orbit was choked with craft.

"The invasion is back on!" He called out as he zoomed his telescope in.

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David looked at the footage they were giving him with a raised eyebrow. "You think they're related to the Harvesters? They don't look anything alike... look at it. There is a much more boxy construction to these ones. And... and they're impressive to say the least. What do the astrophysicists say about... about a copy of Io in orbit with Earth?"

The room was full of people all studying the arrivals. They had been in orbit of the Earth for nearly two days now. Seemingly waiting. "The... new moon... has arrived at an orbital point two million kilometres away. They believe that it should be fairly stable there for now, with an orbital period of approximately.. one year."

"Okay. So has anyone tried to talk to them?" He asked studying the images again.

There were embarrassed looks around the room.

"And if anyone suggests flashing lights on a helicopter again they better have their resume up to date." David turned around. "Well, let's get a squadron of hybrid fighters up there with a transport ship and let's try and make contact." It took almost twelve hours for the mission to ride through the normal channels and get an escort of H-8 Global Defenders.

...

Eighteen of them escorted the transport craft as it lifted off, it was in fact an AWACS specialist vehicle and its gravity drives climbed it into the skies slow and steady. It felt strange seeing another moon in Earth's orbit. It felt far stranger seeing one with plenty of engines on it. He still felt marginally sick at the space travel, but had to admit this craft was far comfier than the Harvester attacker he'd last visited orbit with.

"Lightspeed One, we have craft moving to intercept. Gods help us..."

"Jesus christ..."

David moved up into the cockpit as they magnified the approaching craft. A dozen 'fighters' were charging along with a pair of what could only be called Battleships. The fighters were strange asymmetrical craft. A pair of wings that looked like solar panels, a main body that looked like it could be a cockpit and engine.

The other other pontoon however looked like a massive weapon. The Battleships however, they were definitely warships.

The three utterly massive turrets made that obvious.

David headed over to the communications panel.

"Hi, I'm Director David Levinston of the Earth Space Defence Force. If you could please not kill us that would be great."

They kept coming on when a transmission emerged from the surface. ++I am Delta Imperator; Last of the Progenitors; Approach on the following Vector for safe landing at the Great Hall. Welcome to the Autarch Dawn.++

The voice wasn't human. It was synthesised, broadcast rather than uttered. David realised that as soon as he had spoken. He had also been studying the transmission as it was received. It wasn't being translated as far as he could see, rather it was simply sent as raw data. But there was a strangeness to it. An almost subliminal signal, and it didn't take long to detect that this subliminal signal connected everything he was seeing.

They passed into the orbital influence of the moon, whereupon the fighters and battleships broke away resuming an orbital patrol. They plummeted down towards the planet where they saw aerial maneuvers being performed by fighter craft of immense size. The guidance beams lead them towards a vast hall.

It rose above them with a strange neo-gothic construction. Looking almost like a viking longhouse had fucked a cathedral, and their child had fucked a Cyberpunk 2077 manual and this was the baby of that storied lineage. The same beams lead them into the structure so vast was it. Behind them the doors on it closed with inevitable intensity, before they could even turn around and escape the trap that had been laid.

And yet David saw that the building was relaying their transmissions so that they weren't cut off. Settling down onto the ground, though half the squadron remained airborne, they were buffeted badly when atmosphere poured into the hall with hurricane force winds.

Stormforce winds abated and David looked at the crew. Then shrugging. He moved over and opened the door. Part of the floor clicked and hissed and rose up to create a stairway down to the floor. The room was made as if for giants. As he set foot on the ground, followed by a few members of his staff he could see the scale was even more terrifying. And the hall lead up to a throne where a statue of a man was erected. Not human though, something else.

And then it spoke.

++Welcome to the Great Hall.++ The statue stood up. And it kept going up and up and up. It was massive. Utterly massive. Nearly ninety metres tall, or more. And it looked down at them with a militant benevolence. Like a he was studying his favourite ant farm. And he felt like a particularly small ant.

"Well, uhm thanks for the welcome. I must admit to feeling like i'm at a disadvantage. I've intr... you're Delta Imperator." David said, feeling more than a little worried now.

++Correct. I am Delta Imperator. Last of the Progenitors.++ The machine explained.

"I hope this doesn't sound too presumptuous but... why are you here. With what appears to be Io?" David looked for somewhere to sit. But the floor was as smooth as glass. But Delta Imperator waved a hand and a section of floor rose into the shape of a pretty comfy looking couch. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth he sat down.

A hologram appeared of the Alien Mothership and the City Destroyers. ++You defeated the Harvesters attack on your homeworld. You have likely already guessed that this won't be the end of it.++

David felt worried now.

++I see I have guessed right. And the truth is that you are correct. It is not the end of it. They will return, sooner than later. They have done this to far too many races, too many peoples. And as the last I have chosen to come to Earth and offer alliance against the Harvesters. To prepare Earth.++ The big machine said kneeling down to look down at him.

Subconsciously David looked for a magnifying glass in its hand and the sun shining somewhere.

"You are well informed."

++The wreckage of the mothership and city destroyers is super obvious. Even from two million kilometres away.++

David couldn't help it, he laughed at the notion. Of course it was obvious.

"So what do you want from us in exchange for your aid?" He said, testing the machines willingness to be frank.

++I want direct access to scan their wreckages. Each mothership and her parasites are different, with different technologies. I want to see what these had. And what the next invasion has. In exchange. I will be offering a number of my own technologies for trade. Our reactors, beamed power, nanolathe technology, our electronic hardening as well as direct military assistance. All I request for that is sufficient land on Earth to establish a base where I can build a force to aid you with.++

"If I may, what is a Nanolathe?"

The giants arm erupted. A device emerged and the fighters still hovering prepared to defend their Director, to the death if necessary. And yet, a flood of green energy poured out and he watched as the Eiffel Tower was built in duplicate, not in miniature, but a precise duplicate. It still didn't touch the vaulted ceiling.

And it had been built in under a minute.

++It can be used to produce almost anything.++

The cloud pulled out again and over some minutes erected what could only be an artillery piece. And its size was terrifying to behold. It moved, the turret turning to face a wall where a panel opened and the cannon actually fired.

++It takes work to use. Skill and knowing what you need to do. Our vehicles, aircraft, naval all have their own internal fabricators which produce their ammunition and limited capability to generate their own power. The Nanolathes need only time and extremely detailed blueprints.++

The cloud of green ripped out, and dissolved the structures, David saw this time that they were being drawn back into the intimidating machine in front of him.

"How much land are you looking for?" He asked.

++Two thousand square kilometres of the southern island continent. In an uninhabitable or uninhabited region. We are happy to allow observers from your government to monitor our activities. And access to the intact City Destroyer here.++ It projected an image of the Earth in terrifying detail. David felt that if he got close enough he would be able to see individual structures on the surface. He knew where it would be indicating. Umbutu, and the intact vessel there.++

David felt giddy. A hopeful ally, or at least someone able to equip them to defend themselves. It was almost too good to be true.

"How do we know this isn't a trap? A deceit to stage your own invasion of us?" His superiors would ask the same question, it was only natural so too would he.

++Because in all honesty Director, I have no need of an organic-compatible planet. All I require is sources of metals, of which this system has many. In fact, I will be sending a mission to initiate construction of what we call 'Jigs' into Jupiter's upper atmosphere which will then harvest the Gas Giant's magnetosphere to generate power, which in turn will aid in powering the metal makers on board Converting energy to metal. We can also assist with clearing the debris field if you wish?++

"I'm going to need to speak to my people. If you don't mind that is?" David said worried about giving offence.

++Not at all. I can send an ambassador with a security detail down with you if you would prefer a more direct line of questioning?++

The Nanolathes fired and a quartet of figures stood there. Almost like half-finished people. Their faces were uncannily unnatural. They were simplified, looking almost like a dolls face but without important details. David jumped at their presence. He hadn't expected it to make people. "Uhm, what are those?"

The lead one spoke up. "We are Simulacra. A technology obtained from another race aided in their quest to survive." And now David's mind was stretched just a little bit more. An SR-71 Blackbird of all things had arrived. "This craft was manufactured to conduct covert recon based on transmissions picked up from your world. But unfortunately, we arrived too late to prevent the Harvesters first arrival."

"I'm... if you follow us, that would be appreicated." David felt like taking some aspirin.

The four Simulacra were raised up and entered the SR-71. It's engines roared to life and David climbed back into the transport.

As they lifted and headed for the exit they were buffeted by the atmosphere being withdrawn, followed by the doors opening.

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I watched as the craft all left the Hall. It had served it's purpose, but I kind of liked it. The work put into it had paid off. But I watched as they left Io. Jetfire disguised would throw them out, but then they'd never know I had a bodyguard in their midst. They also wouldn't know about the cloaked Predator ship that was headed for the surface.

I hope this pays off. I thought to myself.

 

[Kadaeux]

Chapter 18;
Mysteries from Outer Space.

It had been nearly a month since the strangers arrived and consensus was difficult to come to. Even now, President Lanford sat in the oval office with the former President Whitmore, the closest thing that she had to someone who would know what she was going through. "Those things creep me out." She confided. Nobody felt the need to ask what she meant.

The simulacra weren't even out of earshot. The four of them a strange co-operative. One was the ambassador, the other three were bodyguards.

But she could never tell which was which as they were all made to, seemingly and literally, the same template.

"Thank you President Lanford." The simulacra answered. She jumped a little in her chair. "If we may ask. What is the delay to agreement?"

She sighed and picked up the papers, "The delay is the Warlord in charge of Umbutu, his son is much more reasonable, but so long as he is in control, he has a fairly xenophobic view of outsiders. They fought a war for ten years against the aliens. And not once did they ask for help or assistance."

"A foolish man. Consumed by pride then." They even sounded creepy. Like their voices were half finished with just a hint of static. "If you have difficulties arranging an agreement, you are welcome to drop the access to Umbutu and we can seek an independent arrangement with them?"

Lanford nodded and looked down at the file in front of her that had been around the table far too often for her to count. And unfortunately, the only hangup had always been access to Umbutu. "Well, in that case, I believe we can agree to your offer and terms, you will be overseen by the men and women of the Earth Space Defence forces."

The simulacra nodded. "Please give us the co-ordinates for our authorised zone. As well as access to the Harvester technology for study. And please be aware that we will be temporarily moving our Helios station to Earth Orbit for thirty minutes to facilitate initial construction efforts."

"What.. what is the Helios?"

A hologram was projected from the eyes of the Simulacra. "The Helios is a mobile transit station. It facilitates our faster than light travel. As well as site to site teleportation."

"Uhm, very well... but please understand that our orbital defence network will be monitoring it for any untoward activity. We cannot afford blind trust in these matters." Lanford was worried.

"Of course not. Here are the schematics for our reactors, adapted for your materials technology, power beaming capabilities, nanolathes, but they have only been programmed for the reactors. Any further schematics you will have to provide. As well as details on how to harden your systems against Harvester EM weapons."

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They watched closely as the Helios arrived in orbit over the Australian lands they had set aside for me. I could see, even now, the patrols that they had sent in, as well as the demountable structures that they had quickly erected for their observation team. I could sense all the eyes on me as the Helios began its orbit.

Thirty minutes. They saw a column of light. And then fabricators appearing on the surface. Walking or tracked they moved in a pre-ordained sequence. Another unit of Simulacra appeared next to the ESD demountables. Marching into the nearest. The staff there watching events with disbelief, and binoculars.

A dozen air factories were already being built and would be ready in minutes. Others were assembling the defences around the perimeter. "You there, Simulacra, what is going on?" Williams, the local director asked as he pointed out the window."

"Initial construction. Twelve T1 Air Factories. On completion twelve more T1 Air factories will be produced while the existent factories produce T1 air fabricators, which upon completion will begin construction of T2 fabricators. Planning time accounts for, in total, one hundred T1 Air factories and forty T2 Air Factories. As well as one Experimental Air factory where technology we learn from the aliens will be integrated."

"You expect to engage them in an air war?" Williams asked as he moved over. Writing down what he'd been told.

"No. We expect to engage them via land, air and sea. One T-1 factory producing Hummingbird fighters for one year could produce thirty-seven thousand fighters. A second factory producing Bumblebee bombers for one year would contribute approximately twenty-four thousand five hundred bombers. A T-2 factory producing Hornet Bombers could produce fifteen thousand seven hundred bombers. Another producing Phoenix Fighters could produce twenty-eight thousand eight hundred. And a third producing Wrym Siege Bombers could produce seven thousand one hundred." The speech was regimented. Mechanical.

Approximated.

But even so Williams did the math. If all the factories were completed. They could produce one point eight million Hummingbirds, one point two million Bumblebee bombers, almost six hundred thousand Phoenixes, a hundred and fifty seven thousand Hornet bombers and seventy one thousand siege bombers. In a year.

"You can't do that... where would you ever get the pilots for..."

"We don't need them. They are drone craft."

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The devices were being rolled out. Experimental scanning units. Existing in multiple forms. Half a dozen had been produced by the experimental air factory a month ago. Others were massive bots and tanks. Still more were based on the Transformers own scanning tech and were much smaller, the size of a car, truck, or even person.

Which is how I discovered something wondrous.

By shifting the scanning burden to other machines, the burden on myself was greatly reduced. The crashed City Destroyer, wrecked attackers, these were older examples of technology from a less advanced Hive. But they still had something that I did not. Something I was after.

Shields. And so we went through. Scanning every piece of wreckage. Every compartment. Analysis Engines were being built into the great hall that would allow me to offload some of the work. Their cold fusion technology was by itself uninteresting. They could not achieve what I was already achieving. But they had a number of other viable technologies. Antigravity for genuine flight capabilities on smaller craft. Something I only had on a rare few.

The real gold was the shields. And studying that was a dream. A glorious moment when I could step up from mere dependence on armour to cover me.

And so I dove into the design engines and began testing shield technology applications even as other scanning units began to absorb the schematics for the alien main weapons.

++Well that might be a problem.++ I said, out loud across my closed networks. Jetfire was quick to respond.

"You think you've got a problem, these young whippersnappers have been trying to probe me all month. So what is it?"

++The shield technology amplifies power requirements by at least double. As well as a five percent increase in mass per unit on average, not counting other technological interventions. I'm looking at doubling or tripling the construction times of existing unit schematics. Not to mention the special I have in mind for Ronin.++

"So why not change things up. Do you really need units that massive here? Why not design new vehicles better suited to the task. Equip them with Predator plasmacaster technology, blazers and cloaks. Use the technology of my people to enable them to adapt shapes better suited for the environment. Incorporate these shields and alien weapons as necessary." Jetfire would have shrugged if he weren't being observed as closely as he was. "And maybe give me some upgrades while you're at it."

I chuckled across the network. ++Of course Jetfire. I can't neglect you in such things. And you're right of course. Not everything needs to follow the Progenitor design. Thank you friend.++

"Not a problem. Now if you could have them watch me a little less closely, that would be great."

++I'll see what I can do.++ I remarked as I opened up a number of other files and commenced a new design paradigm. Aiming for smaller. More locally appropriate. All but one project. The Shogun.

"What are Ronin and his Clan up to at the moment?" Jetfire asked.

++Infiltrating Umbutu, I've asked them to get into the landed Destroyer and release the scanning units I gave them. The promise of being able to hunt possible alien survivors galvanised them. They understand though that I am after the greatest secrecy in this. I do not wish to compromise my position here.++

"When does this Mothership arrive."

++Within the year. Hopefully we have the influence to do what must be done.++

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"We need you to move your moon Delta Imperator." David said as he opened the communications channels. It had been three months now and the consequences of the war moons presence was being keenly felt. Though the orbits were in no danger.

The tides had been fairly uniquely effected. Not as disastrously as if Io had been planted between the Earth and Moon. But enough to still cause disruption to the coasts and ecosystem. The discussion had lasted nearly two hours as David brought as many experts on the subject and their data to present.

"Look, I'm really sorry if this interferes with your logistics and work, but..."

++It's understood Director Levinson. I'm convinced. I had thought two million kilometres might cause a minimum of disruption. But I was thinking more practically about planetary and lunar orbits as opposed to tides and ecological impact.++

"I'm sorry Delta, I didn't mean to come off as hostile, but there are very real concerns. I'm sure that this is not something easy i'm asking you to do but..."

++Oh it is. Initiating burn for orbit of Venus.++ There was shock on their faces as without a moments hesitation the drives on the planetoid fired and it began to shoot itself out of orbit towards another. Many jaws dropped and telescopes tried to catch every moment of data as they saw a duplicate of Io simply fling itself away from Earth.

"How is that going to effect your operations?" David asked as he turned to look out of the demountable at the factories and the massive hangars housing something new. Specially build hangars resembled more hive domes. "Are they ready for co-operative testing?"

++It won't effect my operations. I can maintain control at any distance, and I have the teleporter systems that can allow for more material support on short notice. But if you want, we are able to begin wargames at your request. And we feel that it may add a more genuine feel for you own pilots.++

"Why is that?"

++Our technology allows the appearance of live-fire without the effects. Nanoswarms simulating plasma and blazer attacks. Shields respond to hits. Transmits accurate hit data. We are willing to offer a four to one wargame one. Four of your craft per one of our own.++

"You are willing to disadvantage yourself like that?"

++Oh no Director Levinson. That is to no disadvantage. In fact. I would strongly appreciate it if your competing force was authorised for live fire. Nobody will be harmed in the exercise and destruction or even damage to my craft would be informative and extremely helpful.++

 

[Kadaeux]

Chapter 19
War Games

Dylan looked out at the craft that they were going to be engaging in war games against. Their sixteen plane strong squadron against against just four of the 'enemy'. And frankly, it was an intimidating craft. It's slim alien wings, a forwards trident. It almost looked familiar. But it also looked familiar for other reasons.

Gravity engines adorned its flanks. And he was certain he could see a shield generator present. Between the gravity engines he also saw a trio of other drives. Currently quiescent.

But the way they moved was predatory. Like a small school of barracuda. One would plunge into the lead and be followed closely by the other three as they dived into a canyon for a run amongst the rocks. They had only launched ten minutes ago. According to the boys on the ground these craft had been flying since they were built a week ago.

He shuddered. He felt like they were watching him.

"Everyone to initial start conditions." The Director's voice came out across the radios. "Legacy Squadron, let's not let these aliens embarrass us."

All four of the alien craft inverted in half a second and their drives flared like stars. Not the gravity drives. But the three between them. Screaming power hammered them through the sound barrier and away in moments. "Oh shit." Dylan said looking over at his wingmates. Jake had come in close.

"They look mean..." He said as they closed in, "But we can take em."

The silence across the channel was evidence of doubt.

They headed for their position and the structure that had been built as their own 'flag'. Adopting a tornado around it they waited for the go command.

They felt the eyes of the world on them.

"Engage."

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I wondered, for a moment, if the stealthed Advanced Orbital Sensor was cheating. But it wasn't. There was no cheating in war. But the human squadron wasn't entirely idiotic. They knew they had a numerical advantage, and their own satellites could see down and give them up to date information.

It just wasn't as good. With a single impulse the four fighters, taken from my memories and analysis of the Cybertronian technology surged forwards. They plummeted fast diving into the chasm one after another, the schooling behaviour working perfectly as intended. Two larger plasmacasters forming the wings of the trident. Under the larger wings fabricators for missiles loaded their initial charge. Simple missiles with a fabricator warhead to disassemble the weapon before impact and spray the target with the 'hit indicator'.

Their speed mounted as they ripped through the canyon and back into the open air where the ESD squadron had been preparing for their arrival.

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"Fox 2. Fox 2." The missiles rippled out from the squadron at the craft that they had locked onto. There was no holding back as Jake dived following Dylan in with their blasters firing. Sixteen missiles, sixteen planes following suit, their plan of attack perfect.

But as the saying goes. No plans survives contact with the enemy. They rolled into a spiralling formation, the lead fighter absorbing a hit before being overtaken by the second which took its own hits before the third craft came into place.

Explosions rippled and he saw the shields flash of the OpFor aircraft.

And then, the element of surprise broken, the response came hard. Each craft unleashing its own missile as it maintained the strange shifting spiral formation. Missiles unleashed, the four craft broke to the cardinal directions and the action, unexpected, had triggered an almost subconscious pursuit response and the ESD squadron broke up as they all pursued whatever target instinct had called on them.

Jake had followed Dylan before realising the bait that had been laid. And it was one that worried him greatly.

Three of the alien craft were being pursued. There was no sign of the fourth. With a twist of his flight stick he pulled himself out of the pursuit. And then another as his missile warning screamed at him. The missiles that had been fired didn't miss. They were now in hot pursuit. The blasters fired and the missile aimed at him disintegrated, and then another as he charged after the one aimed at Dylan.

The shields were failing on the fighter Dylan pursued. And then he saw it.

He didn't see it.

And then he did.

Light itself rippled and the fourth fighter reappeared on Dylan's wingmates tail. It's guns barking out at the hot pursuit the other craft was under. The wingmates fighter was rocked by a quartet of blasts as he dived for the deck. The simulation buzzed as he registered as dead, followed by two more.

"Fox three. Fox three. Fox three." Jake launched a trio of missiles after the alien fighter and it banked hard, countermeasures flaring from its aft. Two of the missiles exploded amongst the flares and chaff. The third slammed into rock as the alien fighter dived back into the canyon.

Jake made to follow until he saw the second impossible thing.

The fighter changed. It transformed into a machine that hit the deck and hurled itself back up, changing back into a fighter. For mere seconds he could have sworn he saw a robot there. But now the alien fighter had achieved a complete hundred and eighty degree turn and change in velocity. It's guns blazing as his own screamed. The shield glowed hot and failed on the alien fighter and blaster shots found hardware.

One of its guns broke off and dissolved into the green cloud of nanites before a fourth missile found its body.

And merely knocked it for a six. And then his targeting systems went dead. "What the hell."

"You're dead Jake." Came David's voice as the alien craft sped to rejoin the battle. He climbed hard to observe the ongoing battle and felt his blood run cold. Dylan had actually managed to destroy one of them with the three other squadmates that had followed him. A victory that was short-lived as the one he'd crippled re-appeared and gunned down all four with a barrage of close range fire.

Dylan was the only one who even came close to getting out of it.

With Dylan 'downed' and climbing to his level they could only watch as the three surviving alien fighters returned to their bizarre shifting column and cleaned up the rest of Legacy squadron.

"I don't know about the enemy Dylan, but fucked if those things don't scare the shit out of me." Jake admitted.

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The closed security council meeting waited for the isolation field to come online. "Are the simulated results accurate?" The French representative asked.

"No sir." David said.

"Thank god..."

"We have observed weapons testing, with Delta Imperator's permission of course. The weapons those craft are equipped with could have done far more damage than we were programmed to register. I feel Delta Imperator was trying to make us feel better." David said as he ran a hand through his air.

The room was quiet. "Can we even afford their assistance? I cannot imagine that the price has justified the risk?" This time the Russian representative.

"Justified the risk?" David said disbelieving. "We can produce our own fighters and weapons at unheard of rates..." He was cut off.

"Provided we can keep the resource hungry machines fed with power and metal!"

David couldn't believe what he was hearing. Here was an alien race ready to help them, and they were all panicking because a wargame showed their fighters were better. And so he forestalled all further discussion by pointing out exactly that. "These people, person, machine, whatever, has come who knows how bloody far to help us, and you're acting like a bunch of frightened children acting like the hunter is scarier than the wolves!" His words generated no shortage of embarassement. "What is going to happen if they turn hostile, what happens if they invade, what what what." He slammed a book, his fathers book as it happened, on the table.

"Yes Director Levinson. What."

"What is completely irrelevant. Look at them, four fighters against our sixteen, they lost a single one of their experimental fighters for all sixteen of ours. They have a moon that is terrifically like Io that they boost around the system like you taking your daddies Ferrari for a joyride. They have a battlestation that can arrive in orbit and just teleport down an army as you like." He sat down exhausted.

"There must be limits to what we can allow them to do." Lanford said looking at him with sympathy, "This is a reason to worry."

"No madam president. It isn't, there is no button I can press on a Macbook to hack their defences down so we can blow up their mothership." David called up a hologram of the Delta site as it had come to be nicknamed. "Look at that. They are finishing aircraft in minutes that outperform our best squadron four to one. They might not have city destroyers that can blast our cities with a single shot. But they don't need to." David collapsed back into his chair, annoyed at the lack of foresight.

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I was annoyed. The shields had not held up as well as I liked. But in the end, they were based off of the alien technology, and it was alien blasters on their fighters that had done the real work. But still, the transformation systems reduced the overall strength of the progenitor armours. A sacrifice for capability. The cloaking device on the squadron leader had worked perfectly, but the shield couldn't function with the cloaking field in place.

With an impulse I had the cloak installed universally across the line. Basing the fighter off of Megatron had been the smart thing to do. But the smaller size and compromises meant that they would take the same time, for less resilient craft. But would that matter in the end?

The aliens advanced fighters might retain a numerical advantage. But they might not. The orbital factories around Io were building Battleships and Railgun satellites that would be jumped over to Earth once the Mothership was detected as on its way. The Helios would transit over as well, to begin teleporting forces directly down onto the Mothership itself.

And yet.

I needed the Queens personal ship to launch first after the Ball.

Which meant I wanted to slow down, or even prevent the Plasma Drill of the Mothership from working. Perhaps shielding the ocean after she landed? Oh wait.

That was the ticket.

A number of T2 Engineers all took to the skies to begin building something new. Something so heavily specialised it had no other purpose.

A City Destroyer.

Whose entire weapons loadout was stripped and replaced with layer upon layer upon layer of shield generator. With forty percent of its mass replaced by reactors. Leaving only its engines really in place, and more on top of those. One specific drive. The ability to Spacebridge itself over.

It wasn't elegant. It wasn't special. It wasn't super duper advanced. It was a City Destroyer, armoured in Progenitor metals. That could teleport itself into place for a single reason.

To be a plug.

To place itself between the Motherships Plasma Drill and the Earths core.

I just hoped it could be built in time.