CHAPTER SIX
"You want me to do what?"
"Come on, Que. You may be old, but your audio receptors aren't that faulty. You heard what I said."
Walking through one of the Axiom's corridors, Skids heard Que sigh heavily on the other end of his communicator. "Skids, we are seven hundred and ninety-one years apart. You are on a human-made ship made with technology that doesn't even exist yet where I am. How the slag am I supposed to know how to slice into their main security terminal?!"
Skids shrugged to himself. "It's not like there's more than one type of security terminal."
"Au contraire. Both the Tiresian Union and Galran Khanganete have developed terminals that--"
"Que, come on! These are humans we're talking about. Humans that got themselves ultra-fat and allowed robots to take over their lives for seven hundred years. How smart can they be?"
Que sighed again. "You know, I hate it when you're right. Give me the terminal's model when you reach it."
"Right." Putting the inventor on hold, Skids turned to EVE, who flew beside him with WALL-E in her arms. "Are we getting close to it?"
The probe bot nodded, leading him to an adjacent corridor that read Hall A1. They entered it and found the terminal straight ahead, guarded by two deactivated SECUR-T units. Skids moved over to the terminal and read the model number embolden on its side. He then spoke into his communicator.
"Que, it's model number is TZX-719-4891."
"Hmm. That's odd," Que replied.
"What is?"
"That model was banned by the Galactic Council for use outside of the Nebulon Republic. How did the humans get their hands on one of those?"
"I don't know, maybe Earth's a member of the Galactic Council in this future."
"Nonetheless, can you download a full schematic of the ship and send it to me? In the meantime, I've transmitted instructions on how to slice into the terminal."
"Consider it done, and thanks." As Skids went to work, he glanced over at WALL-E and EVE to make sure they were safe. He had no doubt that Windtrail would be sending security bots after them, and with a Decepticon like Viral on his side, Skids had reason to be wary of other robots on this ship.
After a few minutes, he finally reached the controls of the Autopilot through the terminal. As he put his hacking skills to work, Que spoke in his audio receptor again.
"Skids? I've finished going through the Axiom's schematics--"
"Dang, you're fast," Skids commented.
"--And I think you have reason to worry. The Axiom is equipped with Tera-rad Roche-class Hyperspace Engines, a DA5-1D shield generator, 21-IX sensors, not to mention dormant plasma cannons and turbolasers."
Skids didn't understand half the words Que had rattled off, but he got the gist of what the inventor was saying. "Do you mean to tell me that this cruise ship... isn't exactly a cruise ship?"
"Skids, I wouldn't even call it a mere ship. It's a dreadnought."
The Autobot agent shook his head in disbelief. "But... the humans built it."
"I have reason to believe they didn't, or if they did, they had some help in its construction."
"The million dollar question being 'who.'" Skids rubbed his chin, observing the schematics for AUTO he had brought up. "Maybe we should hold off on shutting down our one-eyes friend...."
* * *
"Eee-vah?" WALL-E could see the concerned look in EVE's cerulean eyes as they waited by the doorway. He waved his hand in front of her face-screen to get her attention. "Ooh-kay...?"
EVE glanced at him before looking off towards the distance again. She pointed her flipper arm at something in the darkness, which WALL-E strained his optics to make out.
A tall, rectangular shape was making its way towards them. By the glowing screen in its center and the yellow light bar on top, WALL-E could tell it was a SECUR-T steward robot. Upon coming within a few feet of him and EVE, the steward bot stopped, its light bar flashing.
"Rogue robots detected." As it said this, an image flashed on its screen, depicting a purple, angular insignia. "Contacting superiors."
"That's never a good thing." Having finished his work with the terminal, Skids emerged from the room and fired a gun at the steward, disabling it. "Looks like we should get a move on before--"
From the ceiling above the SECUR-T robot came the Decepticon known as Fearstorm. The steward's body was crushed as the Vehicon's weight fell upon it. Red visor gleaming with malice, Fearstorm extruded a gun from his arm.
"Before that."
* * *
"BnL starliners Ark and Voyager have joined Exodus."
"Excellent!" Windtrail exclaimed, watching as the large silver ships streaked out of hyperspace. "Everything is falling into place! Soon, my plan shall come to fruition!"
"Wonderful." Having returned to his original body, Viral stepped up to stand beside Windtrail. The Decepticon scientist regarded the scene coolly, or at least appeared to-- he lacked any discernible facial features, replaced only by an opaque face-screen.
"It may interest you to know that Fearstorm has gone after Skids and his companions," Viral went on.
"Good, good. Did you relay my orders to him?"
"Yes, to capture them."
Windtrail grinned. "Very good. Once the Autobot is out of our way, and the Earth robots repurposed for better uses, we can proceed to the final stage of our plan."
"Yes, our plan," Viral emphasized. "You're not the only one doing all of the work."
Windtrail glanced at him. "Are you trying to tell me something, Viral?"
"Oh, not really. It just... occurred to me." The lanky Decepticon gestured to himself with a blade-like arm. "I am quite capable of controlling a majority of the Axiom robots, as well as some parts of the ship."
"I am fully aware of that," Windtrail said irritably. "Why do you bring it up?"
"I was just wondering if you know what you're dealing with here?"
Windtrail turned around fully to face the spindly Decepticon. "What do you mean? Where are you going with this?"
"Where am I going?" Viral let out a cold laugh; it was enough to make Windtrail's wings shudder slightly. "I'm going back to Cybertron-- to our time-- with this fleet we're amassing, and taking back our homeworld."
Windtrail blinked, baffled by this statement. "What? No! That was never the plan! The plan was to bring the fleet to Shockwave and-- and let him do what he wants with them!"
"See, there's your problem," Viral said. "You rely too much on other people's orders. You have no personal ambition."
"I have plenty of ambition!" Windtrail protested, raising his hand over his head. "I have ambition up to here!"
"That is where you're wrong."
Viral moved in a blur, seizing Windtrail by the shoulders before throwing him to the floor. He then pinned the Decepticon Seeker there with his foot.
"This is mutiny!" Windtrail cried. "This wasn't part of the deal! You were supposed to be working for me!"
"I am making alterations to the deal, as well as to the plan." Activating his communicator, Viral said, "Fearstorm? Change in plans. In regards to the Autobot, the WALL-E unit, and the EVE probe, do not bother with capturing them. Kill them all."
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