TFARCHIVE FORUMS

The Dai Atlas Shuttle had just finished it's third massive accelleration, this time around Neptune. Using the massive Gas Giant to continue their accelleration out of the Sol system. With a quick burn and adjustment, Dai Atlas pointed them on an intercept course with Nebulos. At current speed, it would take them several days to reach the planet. But Dai Atlas knew that things were a little differnet once they reached open space. With out gravity or solar wind affecting things, he would be able to cut that time in half.

The G forces subsided and his enertia dampeners sighed in relief. He activated the artificial gravity in the shuttle and his voice came over the comm:

"We're leaving the Sol System. It'll be several hours before I need to do another burn like that, so feel free to move around and what not. I'll inform you before the next one."

Speeder hopped out of the Micro Master chair, and streched. His old joints popping and crackling at the hours of inactivity that went with leaving the Earth and traveling to the outer reaches of the solar system.

Hot Rod didn't get up. Instead, he stared out the nearest viewport. It had been a while, he realized, since he'd last seen the stars from a spacecraft. When he'd been Rodimus, he realized, he'd constantly been hopping from one planet to the next. At the time he hadn't given it much thought, but now that his duties kept him tied down to one planet for long stretches he realized how much he missed the travel.

I guess it's true what the humans say...you don't know how much you care about something until it's gone...

That phrase, he realized could be applied to more than one thing he had grown acustomed to in those days.
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Recoil slowly stood, his stomach more than a little unsettled by the heavy Gs they'd been pulling.

Chromia leaned back in her chair and smiled. She loved flying.

Sometimes I wish I had flight capability....To be able to soar through space without needing a ship....

She scanned the cabin around her. Hot Rod was looking out the window as well as many of the others. Recoil had gotten up and was walking around. Bluestreak was.....

Well, he was still in his corner.

Since she now had a few days to kill, she took out a data pad and started to go over some old files.

Leaving the other femmes on the old outpost had given her more freedom than she was used to, even with having Blurr tag along. But, she still had responsibilities to attend to......

However....

She looked back over to where Bluestreak was muttering to himself about Praxus.

Praxus. She shuddered slightly as the memories came back. Luckily, she wasn't from Praxus and had been far away when the news came in about the attack.

But she had been one of the ones who had gone in after to help look for survivors......Only they never found any.

She put her file away and edged closer to him.

"Bluestreak? Are you okay?" She asked softly.

Tracks yawned. It was the down side to interstellar travel, as far as he was concerned. It was boring. Driving was fun. Flying was fun. Getting a good detailing was certainly fun.

Part of him had been sorely tempted to volunteer for what he'd done the last time somebody was going on a long, interstellar trip. Unfortunately, the copying equipment and the crystal technology had long ago been lost.

So, he was stuck here.

On the up side, there was a whole planet full of people who hadn't yet been introduced to the beauty of his vehicle mode. This, of course, would soon be changed.

After a few moments of silence, the silver and black gunner slowly looked up at Chromia, a haunted look in his optics, then repeated "Couldn't save them, couldn't help them, shuttle exploded, fire and pain, just like back home"

Oh, this doesn't sound good for the mission....

Chromia looked at the younger bot with a combination of pity and shock.

She sat down next to Bluestreak and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know. I remember what happened there. But what happened wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done. Trust me."

She smiled at him...

"Now, we need you to hold it together for the mission. Alright? I know it's hard, but I'm sure you'll do fine."

Bluestreak started shaking for a moment before he tensed like he was getting a grip on himself, then he reached over to give Chromia's hand a grateful squeeze and slowly rose to his feet, moving to take one of the proper seats.

Recoil headed over towards Spoilsport.

"Am I just getting old, or is this whole space travel thing a little bit rough on us Nebulans?"
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Hot Rod shook his head, forcing away his reverie.

Standing, he headed towards the cockpit, to talk to Dai Atlas. Then, realizing how silly that was (the entire ship being Dai Atlas, and all...) he just called out generally.

"Dai, you don't happen to have a training droid onboard, do you?"

Dai Atlas' voice came though the comm:

"I keep a few aboard. But they only get used in base mode. Considering the size of the space in here* - I doubt the others would apreciate you fighting on their laps."
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Speeder looked over at Recoil:

"I think it's just part of getting old. Every time he does one of those high speed things, I feel my joints start to seize...."




*(OOC: Dai Atlas isn't all that big inside for shuttle mode. Think of him as a Leer Jet for Transformers.)

(ooc-I'm assuming everyone can hear the comm)

Chromia listened as Dai replied to Hot Rods question and smiled inwardly.

Kid's getting restless already. Well, at least we won't have to worry about him slacking off, I guess.

As Bluestreak wandered off to find a comfortable seat, she also overheard Speeder...

"Yeah, I know how you feel."

She said to him.


"I love to fly, but sometimes the takeoff's are a real pain."

Spoilsport gave a friendly chuckle at Recoil's question.

" Well you ARE getting old " Spoilsport joked " But lets just say that I hope there isn't too many more high G burns like that again ".


Sureshot nodded as Hotrod asked about the training droids.

" I know what you mean. I could use a little target practice " Sureshot said " But I don't think Dai wants a few new veiw holes hehe "

On Nebulos

A sleek blue and white craft hovered over an enormous dig site. It looked more like a quarry than an archeological excavation, but such was the extent of the ruins that were being unearthed, such large scale digging was necessary.

Below the craft, a team of Nebulons were attaching cables to a huge rock. The other ends of the cables were attached to the craft above.

"This is so demeaning, for someone such as myself," Highbrow grumbled.
"Yeah, well you're lucky to be here at all," the Nebulon in the cockpit replied with a smile.
"Lucky? As if there was any doubt that I would be here."
"Doubt? You called the head of the Nebulos Science Academy a half-witted buffoon. You're lucky you're not stuck polishing the N'yato Messa."
"Well he is a half-witted buffoon."

"You'll get no arguement from me," Gort replied with a grin. If he were honest with himself, Highbrow's outburst had come as something of a relief. The man in question was one of those academics all too convinced of their own superiority.

"It was so much easier when we were fighting the hive," he thought, but immediately felt sickened by the thought. That wasn't true. Many of his friends... Many of his family had died in the rebellion. But at least back then he had been active. He'd been granted a seat on the Council for his role in the rebellion, which had meant long hours of sitting on his rear, being bored.

It had at least been useful in finding out about this dig though. Ever since he'd met the Autobots, and become a Headmaster, he had been fascinated by the Transformers, and Highbrow, with his enormous penchant for talking, coupled with a vast knowledge of Cybertronian history had proven a goldmine for his eager mind. And now, the possibility was that ancient Cybertronians had come to Nebulos, and he was here, at the dig. Despite Highbrow's complaints, Gort knew that his partner was happy to be here too.

"Haul away," came a crackling voice over the radio.

Slowly, Highbrow's rotors hoisted the heavy weight below out and away, revealing a perfectly round hole, that descended into the bowels of the earth. Nebulon scientists had been unable to figure out the purpose of the hole when it first showed up on their seismic scans, and hoped that the imminent arrival of a team of Autobots from Cybertron would shed some light on the mystery. Gort, on the other hand, hoped that he'd get to reunite with some old friends, and comrades.

Hot Rod shrugged.

"If you say so, Dai. The Dinobots never minded that, though..."

He looked over his shoulder to Sureshot. "Our Nebulans wouldn't like it too much either. What with the suffocating and all."
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Recoil shrugged to Spoilsport.

"I know what you mean. And unfortunately, unlike our Micromaster friend," he glanced back at Speeder, "I can't just get new joints plugged in when mine start to go."

Chromia went over and sat by Pincer.

She had pulled up several files on Nebulos before leaving, but had the feeling that she was....missing something. Not wanting to go into any situation unprepared, she decided to gather as much information before they landed.

"Excuse me, Pincer? Since you are the resident scientist, and seem to be very knowledgeable about this "Hive". Would you care on bringing me up to speed, so to speak?" Se asked him.

"Alright Lady and Gentlemen," Dai Atlas' voice broke through the din of Conversation, "We've just cleared the system and are in open space. I'm prepairing for one final burn. Please take your seats - and I'll get us to Nebulos."

Once again, the shuttle started to rumble, as the main engines came online.

"Here we go again...." Speeder said, a bit dismaly...

Chromia leaned back in her chair as Dai advised.

"So.." She asked Pincer..."Exactly how far is it to Nebulos?"

Tracks: -takes his seat, wondering how well maintained the Nebulan roads are-

Pincer braced himself for the burn and turned to Chromia.

"Actually, I've never been to Nebulos before. So I don't know much about the planet, the people, the Hive or how long it will take us to get there. The last of your questions will be answered when we arrive. As for your other questions, I'm just ready to absorb all of the knowledge possible.

While learning about the culture of the planet will be most benefical, I'm especially excited about what new and wonderous discoveries lay ahead in the Ancient Cybertronian temple."

Bluestreak turned to face away from the others, half-listening to what they were saying and staring out of the window, his whole body tense.

Chromia listened to Pincer's reply.

"I see. Well, do you have any theories yet? I mean, about who may have built it?"