Chương 50: chapter 42
Though not as vast as the silo that contained the frozen body of Megatron, the chamber that held the Energon Cube was just as impressive. The Cube itself hung in the center of the brightly lit room, swathed in a web of um-bilicals that both supported and monitored the alien artifact in their midst. Visitors and technicians alike could observe the Cube from an observation deck walled with panels of transparent, double-thick polycarbonate. As his charges moved close to the panels to examine the interior of the chamber, Banachek filled them in on some of what was known. "Carbon-dating of organic debris recovered near the Cube and from the same frozen strata puts its arrival here around ten thousand bc. We didn't find it till 1913. Its actual age is unknown. A few years ago we managed to obtain a tiny sample of the outer coating utilizing a high-energy industrial laser." He shook his head. "We couldn't make a determination on anything, much less radioactive decay. We couldn't find any potassium-40 and there are no uranium elements. We thought we might have detected traces of thorium-232, but that turned out to be a false positive.
As far as datable iso-233 topes go, the recovered alloy sample continues to drive our people crazy. "It was stored nearby in a deep salt mine in Utah until President Hoover had the dam built around it." He pointed straight up. "One hundred football fields of concrete thick. Perfect way to mask the energy it's leaking from being discovered by anyone on the outside."
"It's not perfect," Alexander corrected him with assurance. "Optimus says it calls to them every thousand years. That's why they came. I guess all the necessary conditions were finally right for making contact."
Simmons frowned and muttered,"So that's how they found it?"
While noone noticed Frenzy arrived next to the AllSpark, its ethereal glow reflecting off his metallic form. He tapped into its power, his body regenerating in a series of rapid, intricate transformations. His optics flashed as he sent a message in Cybertronian: "AllSpark located."
At a US airbase, Starscream lay in wait. As he received the transmission. A holographic figure of a man appeared in his cockpit. "This is Starscream: All Decepticons, mobilize."
Barricade, fully repaired and in his sleek police car form, raced through the city streets. His engines roared as he responded, "Barricade en route."
In the shadow of a military depot, Devastator, disguised as a heavily modified General Dynamics M1A1 Abrams Tank, received Starscream's call. His powerful engine rumbled to life as he acknowledged, "Devastator reporting."
At a different military base, Bonecrusher, camouflaged as a Buffalo H MPCV Mine Sweeper, received the communique. With a growl of engines and grinding metal, he rolled out of the motor pool, announcing, "Bonecrusher rolling."
High above, Blackout, in his alt form as a Sikorsky MH-53J Pave Low III, received the message. He banked sharply, altering course towards the United States. "Blackout incoming... All hail Megatron!"
Returning back Maggie tore her gaze away from the Cube and looked back at Banachek. "Wait a minute, back up. You said the dam hides energy that's leaking from the Cube? What kind of energy, exactly?"
"I could give you a thick file to read through. There are more equations than words. Come," he told her quietly, "and I'll show you."
The next chamber they entered was barred by a thick steel door that opened to reveal a laboratory that must have been founded some time in the 1930s. While much of the equipment and technology on view was state-of-theart, some that had been pushed aside or stored near the back hinted at experiments that had been conducted much earlier. The slender tentacles of electrical and other cables spread out in all directions from a central transparent box mounted on a high dais. The cables ran to it. A couple of uniformed technicians were waiting for the visitors. Busy preparing instruments and checking readouts, they spoke hardly at all.
"Everyone step well inside, please," Banachek told them. "They have to lock us in."
Lennox looked unhappy. "Why do they have to lock us in?" The vault-like door swung shut behind them with a loud, decisive boom. This was followed by a series of metallic clicks as heavy bolts were slammed home. Unlike the visitors, Simmons looked like he was enjoying himself. "Kind of a tricky bit of science they do in here. You never know how things might develop." He grinned humorlessly. "Could turn out to be a bad day."
Epps gestured toward a series of deep parallel gashes that scored the far wall. "Who did they have in here? Freddy Krueger?"
Alexander whispered to Maggie, Keller and Mikaela."They must have used the Cube to transform a tech, which probably tried to escape."
Keller, Maggie and Mikaela looking at gashes nodded.
Simmons indicated a sign that proclaimed we have worked 322 safe days, then pointed to the gashes.
"Those happened three hundred and twenty three days ago." Now even his severe smile vanished. "That was a real bad day." He nodded to one of the techs who was working nearby. "Charlie was a good man." The tech nodded back.
"Anybody have any advanced electromechanical devices?" Simmons asked them. "BlackBerry, key alarms, flash drive, cell phone?"
Maggie brought the cellphone she used in past before Alexander gave her more advanced one.
One of the techs handed her a pair of heavy-duty industrial safety goggles. "Hey, what are these for?"
The tech didn't reply, moving along to hand goggles to everyone else. "Ohhh, Nokias are real nasty. You've got to respect the Japanese. They know the way of the samurai."Simmons was murmuring knowingly as he considered the device.
Maggie whispered to Keller,"Nokia's from Finland."
Keller agreed." Yes, but he's, you know... a little strange. He's a little strange."
Banachek passed the phone to one of the technicians. Opening the box, the man placed it inside and proceeded to attach to it a couple of cables no bigger than wires. He then stepped back, closed the box, and locked it down with enough seals to secure a rampaging wolf.
Simmons while Activating couple lever added,"We're able to take the Cube radiation... and funnel it into that box."
"Goggles everyone, please?" Banachek advised them.
No one saw fit to argue with him by not donning theirs. Once everyone had proper protection in place, he moved to a console and thumbed controls. Energy flowed into the transparent box—a minuscule bit of energy channeled from the Cube in the next room. Alexander, Mikaela and Maggie leaned forward. Was the phone shaking? It began to vibrate violently, trembling on the platform inside the see-through box. Without warning it sprang to loud life, blasting music into the room. The box, clearly, was not soundproofed. Then the phone began to transform. Lacking intelligence, without anything to guide it but with the Cube spark to animate it, the device went mad.
Legs and arms sprouted in all directions. Impelled by the powerful but aimless life force with which it had just been imbued, the trembling, jerking, writhing mechanism threw itself violently against the side of the transparent enclosure, fighting to break out. Every one of the newcomers instinctively jumped backward, away from the insanely flailing machine. Looking on as it all but beat itself to pieces against the unyielding transparent polycarbonate, shooting small mounted mini gun on it's side and a small rocket was launched later causing more cracks to appear on glass. It was chattering something in cybertorian.
Maggie warily said."That thing is freaky!"
"Mean little sucker, ain't it? Kinda like the Energizer Bunny from hell." Fearlessly, Simmons approached the container. Sensing his presence, the transformed multilimbed phone began battering rabidly at the transparency that was all that separated him from the soft-fleshed human. Leaning toward the box, the agent studied it phlegmatically. When he had seen enough, he nodded at Banachek. "Better zap the little freak. Before it figures a way out."
Removing a small cylindrical charge from a standing container full of them, the other agent slipped it into a straightline tube that pierced one side of the container. Patiently, he waited until the struggling phone was directly opposite the tube before pushing a switch. The box was filled with a blinding flash. When it cleared, everyone could see that the insane shrieking mechanism had been torn apart. Emitting a horrific electronic squeal, it flipped onto its back. Everyone could clearly see the hole in the center of its body where frame and components were melting away. The steaming circle continued to widen as they looked on. Stunned silence filled the room. One by one, the numbed spectators removed their protective goggles and handed them wordlessly back to the waiting techs.
Simmons grinned, contentedly this time. "Well whaddya know: sabot rounds work. Even mini sabot rounds." Reaching out, he gave Lennox an approving smack on the shoulder. "Nice work."
Alexander spoke up,"Now that we have confirmed Megatron can use this to create an cybernetic army."
Simmons and Banachek agreed with that part now.
Outside, the air distorts as Starscream, in his F-22 form, bullets through the sky, leaving a deafening roar in his wake.
Starscream crests a mountain, revealing, in the distance, HOOVER DAM!!!
With a predatory grace, Starscream swoops in like a dragon. Mid-air, he transforms into his towering robot form, with a burst of energy and a series of mechanical whirrs.
The jet's wings unfold with a graceful precision, detaching from the fuselage and separating at the wing joints. As they unfurl, they fold into flaps on Starscream's back, retaining their sleek design and adding to his formidable presence. Jet thruster engines also detach and reposition, becoming part of Starscream's back, accentuating his aggressive silhouette.
The jet's nose cone splits apart, revealing the sinister visage of Starscream's head and face. Panels rearrange and fold, concealing the jet's cockpit while simultaneously revealing Starscream's distinctive crown-like structure framing his narrow optics and sharp features. His expression is one of ruthless determination as he emerges from the transformation.
The jet's fuselage unfolds and condenses with intricate movements, forming Starscream's chest, torso, and legs. Panels shift and rearrange, emphasizing his menacing silhouette as he takes shape, mirroring the aerodynamic lines of his former jet form.
The jet's tailfins fold in or become seamlessly incorporated into Starscream's body in robot mode, adding to his streamlined appearance and enhancing his agility in battle.
Finally, the jet's landing gear folds up and compacts, seamlessly integrating into Starscream's feet in robot mode. With a final surge of energy, the transformation is complete, and Starscream stands tall and imposing, ready to unleash his wrath upon any who dare to oppose him.
Starscream's face features angular and metallic shapes. His eyes are narrow, glowing with a fierce red light, and are set deep within a visored brow, giving him a formidable appearance.
Instead of a nose, there's a vented grill, and the mouthpiece is composed of interlocking metal plates or gears, resembling fangs rather than human teeth. The cheek areas are protected by layers of armor plating, leading up to the temple area, which flares out slightly and then curves back into the helmet structure.
The forehead is adorned with more armored plating that comes to a point above the eyes, suggesting a crown or crest, signifying his high rank among the Decepticons.
The chest is wide and armored, featuring mechanical ribs that converge on a central triangular piece, possibly representing an insignia or core of the character. Starscream's shoulders are broad and angular, with blade-like structures that add to his intimidating silhouette.
His arms are segmented and mechanized, suggesting great strength, and end in clawed hands with long, pointed fingers. The waist narrows slightly, leading to thick, sturdy legs designed for stability, with articulated joints and feet equipped with sharp talons, indicating potential for grasping or tearing.
His back features prominent wing-like structures that extend outward and upward, akin to those on a fighter jet, with sharp angles and pointed tips that add to his aggressive look. The body is adorned with panels, gears, pistons, and interlocking metal pieces, alluding to his advanced technological capabilities and strength.
He targets the plant attached to the dam and unleashes a barrage from his missile launchers, explosive rockets streaming from his wrists. The missiles streak through the air and strike the row of generators, erupting in a cascade of fire and shrapnel. The explosions reverberate through the canyon.
Just then inside with Alexander and others the floor rocked beneath them. Not enough to knock anyone off their feet, but sufficient to indicate that for a locality that was supposed to be tectonically inert, something was badly wrong. If they could have seen the approaching transformed bots, from the F-22 Raptor to the MH-53 assault helicopter to the eclectic assortment of oddly perfect vehicles that was presently rushing the dam, some of them would freak out .
A lack of familiarity with Decepticons and their capabilities did nothing to still the tide of dread that was rising inside Maggie. Moving to the port that overlooked the Cube suspended in the larger room nearby, she gazed anxiously at the alien relic. It was completely covered in static alien glyphs—except that some of them now seemed to have acquired a slight shimmer. Nothing more than a trick of the artificial lighting—she hoped. Lennox was looking upward. "Those are concussion blasts."
In the old laboratory far below, lights exploded and instrumentation went crazy. The lab went black, but only for a moment until battery backup power kicked in.
Keller bit his lower lip. "Gentleman they are here."
Everyone in the lab knew who he meant. Knew what he meant. Turning, he looked toward the chamber that held the silent, pulsing Energon Cube.
Alexander agreed and spoke up."We have to find my car, he will know what to do with the cube."
Banachek quixkly went to comms nearby," Banachek.What's going on?"
A S7 Technician responded."Well, the NBE-One hangar has lost power-"
Banachek in slight fear yelled."What!"
S7 Technician continues. "-and the backup generator is just not gonna cut it."
Lennox questions."Do you have an arms
room?"
Frenzy unseen and unchallenged, it roamed through the base and reached the control room, killing the Technicians there and hacking the intricate system that maintained the vast room at a specific predeter-mined temperature.
That room was beginning to warm up. With the power to them now cut off, while Frenzy
chatters in Cybertronian and chuckles."Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah! Megatron! Megatron! Megatron!"
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