Chương 33: LOG-031.

It had been a few days. Days well spent as the predacons quickly adapted to their frames and unlocked the dormant code within them, all under Indomina and I's direction. The killing instinct inherent to their kind. The atmosphere was one of anticipation as I led my creations through the groundbridge, emerging from the swirling green portal and glancing around.

The breach point was massive, even by cybertronian standards, the Nemesis hovering above the gigantic circular hole like a silent guardian, as barely visible Seeker patrols soared through the air. The incredibly dense air. The ever present mist that our outlying troops had initially reported had spread to such a degree that the only reason we were able to even see a few meters ahead of us were the industrial floodlights we'd set up around the digging operation.

At the very least, the ludicrous loss in visibility allowed us to hide the breach point from human civilians. How the Americans were going to explain the sudden fog wasn't my problem, thankfully. Let the organics sort it out on their own. They weren't fucking children, despite their short lifespans. Most of them, anyway. Turning to Indomina, I gestured to one of the larger prefabricated modules we'd set up on the surface via airdrops from the Nemesis, a few insecticons hanging around outside of it.

A mix between a barracks and guard post, essentially.

"Take your brothers and sisters, await my return. I need to speak with the rest of the command staff." I paused.

"If any of you want to spread out and assist the garrison with security or continue training, feel free to do so. But don't stray too far. Be ready to gather at a moment's notice." The predacon bowed her helm, before turning around and beginning to round up the large group of bestial cybertronians we'd somehow corralled through the groundbridge.

I let them sort themselves out, moving on from the small clearing we'd emerged from and descending down a natural ramp we'd allowed to form, sparing it from our excavation efforts. Dust covered vehicon miners straightened to attention as I passed, an unfortunately common habit, considering it slowed down production whenever I showed up. Oh well, if it made them feel better, the morale benefits would likely balance out the loss in efficiency. Hopefully.

"Hold it down!" I glanced at a group of Zakus crowding around a screaming husk of a creature, sickly purple light pouring out from the fucking hole in it's face. It was as if someone had decided to rip out a mech's faceplate, widen the subsequent gap in plating and then fill it with jagged metal scrap shards that could charitably be called teeth and then elect to staple additional limbs to various parts of the poor existence's frame. All while covering it with ludicrous amounts of rust and wear and tear, of course.

It was another aberrant, one that had probably managed to dig past the perimeter and make it inside. I noted the pair of dead vehicons being dragged away by cursing guards, their bodies scratched up and their limbs mangled.

"Now! Do it!" The terrorcon zombie let loose one final screech as two Zakus managed to pin down it's multi-limbed body, a third unclasping the heat-axe holstered at his side and flourishing it. The bright glow of the weapon's edge disappeared as the mech swung it downwards, digging into the thrashing creature. Then it reappeared for a moment as he ripped it out with a shriek of metal, before swinging again. And again.

After a dozen or so swings of the axe, the fucking thing finally stopped moving, the heat from the weapon having managed to successfully destabilise it's anti-spark after forcing it's way into the monster's rusted sparkchamber. That particular bit of knowledge had been interesting to note down as I'd studied Skyquake's own core. The cybertronian zombies, funnily enough, did not handle heat well. A convenient weakness that we were all too willing to exploit.

As the disposal team began to drag the corpse over to a nearby pit filled with similar newly killed abominations, I continued walking. Finally, I made it to the command center we'd set up. An unfortunate necessity thanks to the damn mist. Whatever it was made of, it messed with the rank and file's economy model comm units, forcing us to spread out our command staff in order to keep everything cohesive. Higher quality systems were able to breach past the interference, thankfully.

Passing through the doorway, I stepped into the main chamber as Optimus and a sour looking Ratchet looked up.

"Shockwave." Inclining my helm, I strode up to the large table bearing a hastily constructed holo-map of the breach point and it's various layers.

"Orion." Turning, I gave the Autobots' resident medic a nod.

"Ratchet." The red and white mech's optics widened slightly, taking on a surprised expression before his mouth tightened back into a grimace once more. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Where have you been? We've been taking losses left and right. The infirmary aboard the Nemesis is practically overflowing and Knockout can barely handle the constant influx. I had to come down here in order to set up a triage station and try to lessen the workload." Setting a servo on the table, I vented some air in a not quite irritated sigh.

"Preparing a bunch of newly created predacons for battle so that they don't enter the Chaos Bringer's body without at least a little idea of just what they're getting into. How is progress on-" We all paused, stumbling slightly as a massive tremor shook the earth beneath us. I whipped my helm around, glancing outside the doorway as a few mechs fell to the ground with cries of panic. Finally, the shaking subsided, pained groans and annoyed grunts flooding the area.

"What was that?" Optimus steadied himself, looking down at me.

"A consequence of our work. We have successfully breached the outer layers of Unicron's frame, but in turn it has prompted... shifts. Akin to a cybertronian's subtle movements when in recharge. Only minor tremors for now, but Soundwave projects far larger earthquakes the longer we spend digging."... Fuck. Crossing my arms, I glanced at the holo-map. It almost resembled an anthill of sorts. All intersecting tunnels which got blurrier the further down it went, indicating the limitations of our surface scans.

"I'll have to shelve attempting to defy death and reviving Skyquake for later then. Since it seems we're on a time limit." Optimus nodded, even as Ratchet spluttered behind him.

"You what!?" Waving the medic off, I gestured to the map with my cannon.

"Don't worry about it. Just get a message out to your fellow Autobots. I'll also assemble the Decepticon command staff. It's nearly time to begin."

This was likely one of the largest congregations of cybertronians on Earth in well... forever. Hundreds of vehicons, Zakus, predacons and insecticons stood around the ringed layers of the breach, surrounding the area relegated to the command staff, consisting of our own officers and the Autobots respectively. It was something straight out of my old memories. Before the war. Back when the Decepticons were still freedom fighters and still considered a righteous cause.

Optimus and Soundwave pouring over holographic images, Dreadwing and Indomina arguing next to a distinctly empty reliquary over battle tactics, hell even Arcee seemed to be rallying some heavily armed Zakus a little ways away from the main group. Everything paused however as I stepped forward, flanked by Knockout and a quietly snarling Backbite, Bumblebee and a vehicon grounder taking a step back as the reformatted beast glared at them.

"Your attention, please." Murmurs and whispers, but everyone slowly began to halt their activities and move to pay attention, the planners among us congregating around the holo-table we'd dragged outside. The hole leading down to Unicron's depths loomed just a few meters away, Zakus armed with heavy repeating blasters standing around it, prepared for potential incursions. Stepping up to the table, I glanced at Optimus. The Prime gave me a single nod, before stepping backwards.

A little ways away, Smokescreen silently choked on nothing at all. Hm. Alright then. Shifting a single digit into it's fabricator mode, I plugged into the table's internal system, before projecting a far larger map of the hellscape just below us. I called on my old memories, back when I'd held speeches for massive crowds just like this one, albeit in a more peaceful context, and allowed my volume to increase drastically." These are the tunnels our forward scouting elements have managed to map out.

I would like to thank Shrapnel, Hardshell and several other insecticons for their brave efforts in exploring these depths, finalising a path we will be able to use to reach Unicron's core." That got me a few boastful warbles from the bug-like mechs, a few of them punching each other's shoulders and generally acting like a bunch of warriors with more hydraulics than processors. Part of the anthill swapped from red to a bright orange, indicating our path.

"Now while Ultra Magnus and Dreadwing have no doubt done their best in informing everyone of our course of action-" I noticed the two mechs straighten slightly as dozens of optics turned their way "-I would like to reiterate the plan one last time." Stepping away from the table, I gestured to Optimus, then Indomina.

"The Autobots will form the core of an elite strike team, supplemented by predacon support teams that will act as our initial vanguard force. In other words, the tip of the spear." The map blinked behind me, swapping to two images. A terrorcon and one of Unicron's antibodies respectively. The latter image pulled directly from footage taken by the Autobots during their initial foray into the Destroyer's core.

"Initial resistance is anticipated to remain scattered and low, but will increase exponentially the closer we get to Unicron's anti-spark. As such, we have devised a plan of action in order to resolve this issue." I swept an arm through the air, a bit of mist swirling around the limb as it was scattered about. I did my best to inflect just a little emotion into my voice, even if it still remained mostly muted.

"For the first time in eons, Autobots and Decepticons will work together! We will leverage our numbers and armaments and establish a garrison within Unicron's frame! While our vanguard make their way towards the core, Decepticon elements will follow behind them, taking and holding ground in order to prevent reprisal attacks from their flanks!" I nodded to Soundwave, the silent mech inclining his masked helm in return.

"Soundwave will be directly in charge of organising all Decepticon garrison groups and scourer squads! This includes vehicons, insecticons and Zakus respectively!" Turning, I pointed at Indomina.

"Indomina will be in command of our predacon contigent, who in turn will accompany the Autobot troops under Optimus Prime's command! They will also be carrying the reliquary in order to disable Unicron as a threat!" I turned at Wheeljack's loud chuckle, the wrecker's battlemask up and a grenade slowly being flung up and down from his servo. Bulkhead standing next to him with crossed arms.

"Yeah, disable. Cause we do that to evil Chaos gods all the time. No big deal." Spreading my arms, I gave him a suitable reply.

"We're fragging cybertronians, this is a standard cycle for our kind." That caught him up short, the mech blinking dumbly at my response. A few chuckles rang out through the massive assembly, before I stepped back, nodding to Optimus.

"I understand we've all had our differences. And believe me, I know exactly how much of an understatement that is, but it's time we put aside those differences and worked together for the greater good. Unicron must be neutralized, and only we can do it. Together." My words were (thankfully) regarded by most with stern nods, straightened backs and affirmative hollers as the Prime stepped forward, picking up where I left off.

"Shockwave has stated most of if not all of what I had intended to speak of. So allow me to say this, and only this." His optics hardened.

"What we are doing is a good thing. The right thing. Unicron brings only chaos and destruction in his wake. It is his very nature. No matter our origins. Our allegiances. Our beliefs. We are all descendants of the Thirteen. Of Primus. And it is our duty to prevent his awakening..." Where I had been a voice of logical reason, he was the sort of charismatic figure that civilisations rallied behind. Yes, his IFF and upgraded code gave him a bit of an advantage, but that pure determination to do good?

To work together and improve things? It was all Orion Pax. Autobots and Decepticons alike listened with rapt attention as the speech went on, before the Prime raised a fist, transforming his servo into a gleaming blade.

"Together, we will stop this menace to our people! To all peoples! Till all are one!" Despite the inherent dislike of the concept of a Prime that most of the Decepticons present harboured, it didn't stop them from raising their arms or weapons or even both into the air, roaring the words back at him in a cascade of sound.

"TILL ALL ARE ONE!"

"TILL ALL ARE ONE!"

"TILL ALL ARE ONE!" As the avalanche of noise washed over us, I registered the surge of satisfaction battering at the walls the shadowplay had erected within my processor. I'd been right. My hypothesis proven correct. Even if only on a far smaller model than all cybertronian kind. Autobots and Decepticons. Cybertronians finally wisening up and redirecting their attention away from fucking killing each other every chance they got. The idea of an outside threat.

A foreign enemy that would force us to close ranks with each other in order to face it and win. And I knew there were enemies out there, waiting. My time spent interrogating the Forge's systems for even small scraps of information had revealed a number of things to me. A great threat existed. Beyond that of our fucking civil war. Beyond Unicron. Beyond the Quintessons. Beyond Primus. Beyond everything. But for now, that threat would have to wait. We needed to sort out our current problem first. No biggie.

Just a slumbering abomination bordering on being a physical god. Even if I didn't like that particular label. There was nothing godly about Unicron. Afterwards? Well. I'd figure something out.