[video]

[sword_redemption]

[Haven, you know what? You look like you could really use one of Drift's wackadoodle theories right now. ]

The First Forged aren't telling us everything.

[Drift does not mince words. Bad guys, yes. Words, not so much.]

There were other settlers here before us. Over and over again. They died. We're not the first. We're not special or chosen. [And part of him hates that thought.]

And the First Forged couldn't--or didn't--protect them. [This is all review for the old-timers, but there are new people here, and besides, it's a dot he's trying to connect up.]

Wing and I and the others found a cave where some of them had lived. They died. All of them. But they're trapped here, as ghosts. [Another dot.]

And worse--we went back, and their bodies were...reanimated. Like zombies. They attacked us. They were trying to protect something in the cave.

[He frowns, because he really doesn't like public speaking, especially this next part.]

A lot of people disappeared recently. Like whatever it is--the call, Unicron, whatever--like it's gaining strength, picking up steam. We need to do something. Because I don't know about you, but, well, for a lot of reasons, I don't want to have to suddenly find myself fighting a zombie Ultra Magnus.

[Or Vandal. No, he can't even go there in his head. He's connecting dots and it is a really unpleasant picture.]

Comments

[Video]

[sword_redemption]

You haven't seen any?

[Wow, concrete thinking, you are, Pharma. ]

Why would I suddenly see a mech I've never seen run over to protect something?

And the zombies were pretty real. I can show you the scratches.

[sword_redemption]

What does it actually do?

[Why does he think maybe he doesn't really want to know?]

[sword_redemption]

They weren't. And if there was a human inside, well...there wasn't when we were done with them.

[They were pretty solidly dead.]

[audio]

[sword_redemption]

If they're a cliche, is there a way to stop them other than killing them?

[What? Drift trying to find a solution that doesn't involve stabbing?!]

[Video]

[sword_redemption]

Have you seen this before?

[He's not sure he wants to know the answer.]

[Video]

[sword_redemption]

Hnh. I wonder if that's what's in that cave, then. Is there any way to sense this Dark Energon?

audio;

[sword_redemption]

I know. We still owe this place not to destroy it with our wars. It would just feel better if we were, you know, wanted.

The question is, where do we get those answers? The First Forged are being awfully quiet.

[Seriously, what do they do all day? Mani/pedis?]

[dinnerdate]

Depends on the bot really... but nothing nice.

Re: [Video]

[organ_pharming]

You say that like you think I should have.

What I'm saying is, whatever you thought you saw, Drift, probably has a better explanation then zombies or ghosts.

audio;

[namesnotprowl]

I can't speak as t'the others, but Solus spends a lot of time working. C'n usually get into contact with her, though.

[He'd just have to find an Acolyte.]

Some of 'em might want us around, but I'll be the first to say we ain't exactly been easy to get along with, all things considered.

[deadlydoctor]

Then they weren't terrocons. Good to know about that.

[Knock Out approves of your way of dealing with this sort of things, Drift.]

[Video]

[neverputincharge]

Uh, it's got a different energy signal, then regular Energon. But it...can only be tracked if it's bein' used. At least from our experience.

Other than that, you just gotta look for the purple glow that it lets off.

[winged_knight]

Do you really think there's a chance we might...encounter..._{people we know}?

[The fact that they're gone is haunting him enough. The idea of having their remains, physical or ethereal, return...is not comfortable in the least.]

[Video]

[wherenobotsgone]

No, I haven't. That's... part of what worries me, in a way. I've seen plenty of things, but - this looks like something that had to be planned and prepared for.

audio;

[sword_redemption]

Working.

On what?

[Because really, how much stuff do they need? Don't they have Acolytes for that?]

They haven't been easy for us, either.

[Video]

[sword_redemption]

I thought others had, that's all.

[The whole ghost-demic that had driven him back to the cave, for one thing.]

Like what?

[sword_redemption]

Is there a way to take them down if it is that Dark Energon stuff?

[Video]

[sword_redemption]

If it's being used--meaning if someone's got it in their system? Already a zombie?

[sword_redemption]

Terrorcons? [He knows them. He shakes his head.] No, it wasn't them. For sure.

[He'd smell Blot, for one thing.]

[Video]

[sword_redemption]

There has to be a way to do more than, I don't know, post warning signs. There has to be a way to stop it from happening.

[Thinking thinking thinking.]

If we caught one, could you study it?

[sword_redemption]

We knew Overclock.

[In a manner of speaking.]

It just seems that the disappearances are picking up. It has to mean something.

[deadlydoctor]

Terrorcons. You know them? How so. [You are not from his universe, he's sure of it.]

[sword_redemption]

Because I served with them for a while.

[Like he owes you an explanation.]

audio;

[namesnotprowl]

She never said and I never asked; a mech's projects are their business until they choose t'reveal them.

[Besides, it's not polite to pester people about all their unfinished doo-dads. It always felt kind of like looking over someone's shoulder to Barricade.]

Yeah, I know. And I ain't usually one to cut Primes slack. We've all gotta meet in the middle here. Them and us.

[deadlydoctor]

I'm pretty sure that's not possible. Your served with dead Transformers infused with Dark Energon?

[Knock Out is more confused than anything else.]