Start of Darkness

Summary: The Decepticons are visited by the herald of Alpha Q

NCC Command Center

''The blue metals used in the rest of New Crystal City have been darkened here, their reflectivity reduced without being eliminated. The lighting is a contrasting red that, once bounced off the blue of the surfaces, gives the area an ambience of very Decepticon purple. The walls of this very large, domed polygon alternate terminal and work station segments with large metal >PANELS< that curve overhead to join with the arch of the ceiling. The front of the room is distinguishable from the rest by the large monitors that replace four of the work stations and display various areas of the city. The three etched panels that divide these four monitors seem to glorify the city itself. >LEFT<, >RIGHT<, and >CENTER<, each depicts an incarnation of cities that have gone by the name of Crystal City. Almost conspicuous in its absence is any presentation of Airwolf's rebuild of Crystal City.

The city is currently in City mode at Mount R'lyeh, and the Lookout Tower is down. The city sensors are on.''

 Blueshift says, "Hey, I've noticed a red light blinking in the Command Centre. Is that a good thing?"

The room is completely normal, in its completely usual state of operation, apart from... what looks like a crack in the centre of it. The very air itself slightly distorted, glowing with an abnormal aura, hanging freely

Breakdown looks around, and notices the crack. "What the primus is that?.." He steps closer, cautiously inspecting it and drawing his gun.

 Rider says, "Uh...yeah, B. Dey lights, that just what they do. Blink and ish."

Arachnae pads into the command center, attention on a datapad as she ambles towards the spacebridge. No, she's not here for the blinking light. At least not intentionally.

Blueshift however, is here for the light. He keeps staring at it on the console, ignoring the crack that hangs in the centre of the room. "On and off" he mutters. "On and off and on and off..."

"Blueshift," demands Galvatron as he enters, giving the spatial rift a wide berth, "is this somehow your doing? Have you been pressing buttons again?"

Blueshift quickly snaps to attention. "No sir, should I be pressing buttons sir? I have been banned from pressing buttons after the last time, sir!"

Soundwave has been doing some basic filing work, approving this and that, checking reports, the sort of thing very important Decepticons do when they aren't punching Autobots and laughing at their suffering. He looks around inquisitively when he hears the report, though, about blinking lights. Where? "I do not see a blinking--" Finally his optic band settles on the... distortion? "What...?" He stands up VERY slowly.

Breakdown pokes the rift with his gun. "Heh guys..just what the hell is this? I wonder..maybe it's an Autobot portal of some kind!" With that announcement, Breakdown steps back, leveling hisgun shakily at the portal

Arachnae stops in her tracks and looks around. A blink, a brow raised and she stares at the.. rift-thing. Wings slowly twitch as she headtilts, optics shifting hues to study it in a different spectrum. "Did someone loose a science experiment?"

Any readings from the crack are insane - up is down and black is white, it causes any scanner to go haywire as it tries to understand it. And if anyone wants to get closer, there is something that feels like a static charge eminating off it. And as Breakdown raises his gun, it seems to react, sparking violently, then folding up into itself, to become a floating orb of light. That can't be good, can it?

"No, Blueshift," replies Galvatron gravely, "that will do fine. Continue to press no buttons. Soundwave, Arachnae: analyze the rift. I wish to know its origins- and more importantly, its destination!"

Soundwave's hand whips out his own concussion rifle, aiming it at the orb. "I advise against opening fire against the object at this time, but we should be ready to do so if necessary!" His head turns as Galvatron issues and order to him. "As you command, Galvatron. Commencing scan." He pulls his datapad out into his left hand, and begins to wave it purposefully at the orb, the scanner making booping sounds as it does whatever it does.

Breakdown says, "HOLY MOTHER OF PRIMUS! *Breakdown's jaw drops as his gun transforms* "Even Mary Sue has turned against me!" *He then notices Dead End out of the corner of his eye and runs over to his stunticon brother. "D..Dead End..it..the gun..!" He stammers, looking quite shocked and scared."

Arachnae hisses and steps back, raising a hand to her visor. "A bit.. disorienting." Datapad is tapped and shifted to scan mode while she takes another look with internal sensors. "As you wish, my liege." The datapad scanner is also aimed at the rift-cum-orb.

Dead End turns to look at his brother with his usually equiniminty as the other Stunticon rushes over to him all of a twitter. "I don't see what all the fuss is about, Breakdown. You should learn to calm yourself before you blow all the circuits in your neural net."

Breakdown twitches and has a look of almost disbelief at his brothers lack of reaction. "But.. the gun..and then.." He spins around, glaring at the rift. "DAMN YOU!" And shakes his fist at it."

As if in response to Breakdowns's words, the sphere flares suddenly, growing larger as it hangs in the air, and then... all the lights go off. And on again, and start to flicker intermittently

Breakdown is almost instantly cowering behind dead end.

Venom nods sagely at Breakdown. "Manic paranoia, with delusions of persecution." he notes. "A text-book case. I recommend electroshock therapy, possible sensory deprivation treatments." Then he turns back to the glowing orb to examine it along with the other scientific types.

Galvatron stands behind the others with his hands on his hips, waiting for the scientists to report their findings- or if necessary, to blast the living daylights out of the mysterious and wonderful, which is really what he's best at.

Dead End glances briefly up to the sphere as it flares before the lights go out and start to intermittenly flicker again. He takes a few steps forward from Breakdown as the other leaps to hide behind him before shifting into his vehicle mode and turning on the bright beams of his headlights on the spot where the sphere stands or stood, depending.

Scrapper has arrived.

"Ah, Scrapper, very good," says Galvatron from behind Soundwave and Arachnae, who are examining a glowing tear in space in the middle of the room with datapads and the like. "Some kind of rift has wandered into the control room. See what you can do about it."

As Dead End blasts light across the room, he highlights something else. Standing beside the sphere can now be seen a flickering humanoid figure, something dark, drifting in the air with what looks to be a solid helmet. It stares back at Dead End, returning the gaze until without warning, it shoots out a hand in the direction of the nearest computer monitor, which starts to quickly stream out its contents onto the screen

Soundwave glances at his scanner, shaking his head. "These readings are incomprehensible, Lord. Either my scanner is malfunctioning or it is incapable of understanding this object." He looks up at the lights as they begin to flicker. "That is not supposed to happen. We have multiple backups for the lights."

Breakdown screams at the sight of the helmeted humonoid and pulls out his other blaster, pointing it shakily at the figure. "AHHHHHHHH!"

Arachnae glances at Soundwave then confirms, "Getting readings that are utterly without comprehension on the scansets. Internal systems throw my stability core off when I try to parse the data myself." Slowly looking up at the flickering lights, "Did we flush the volcano outlets this month?" Thusly missing anything energing from the rift.

Dead End turns himself toward the figure that is revealed standing beside the sphere, stopping after only moving several inches, to better focus his beams on it. He remains unmoving as the creature gestures at the computer monitor and his Stunticon brother aims his weapon at it.

Soundwave watches in alarm as the object sticks its hand into one of the computer monitors. "It must be accessing our files! We must stop it, Lord Galvatron!" He begins to aim his rifle at, no, not the object, but the computer!

Breakdown screams "Dead End, get away from that thing!" as he then proceds to empty out his rifle into the icky thing.

Breakdown strikes you with Disruptor for 5 points of damage.

Scrapper steps into the room, and Galvatron is already telling him something. With the power flickering Scrapper naturally came here. He peers at the rift. "Oh my giddy aunt!" Scrapper exclaims, astonished at the strange anomoly. And then something seems to drift out, and Scrapper takes a step back, waving a medical scanner vaguely at the thing. "This just appeared out of no-where?" he asks Galvatron.

"It was here when I came in just now," replies Galvatron, with a shrug. "Mind, Blueshift was also here whenn I came in, so..."

Arachnae looks over at SOundwave, then hisses, "Then turn the power off to the computers! We have to have an off switch somewhere!"

Galvatron countermands Soundwave, "Don't just shoot them, Soundwave, turn them off!"

The creature, or whatever it is, seemingly ignores Breakdown's laser. There is a slight dissapating effect on it, and that is all. Instead it seems to be intently studying the data that streams down the screens. And then, slowly but surely, it turns to Breakdown, its mask still expressionless. "You... DARE?" it booms, in a voice that echoes throughout the rooms. "You would DARE strike the servant of your GOD?"

Dead End has decided that the unexplained creature that is glowering with voice alone at Breakdown is a threat now: he may not be the up and at 'em type but ingrained deep in him is the trademark Decepticon pride. He spins his wheels, building up speed for several seconds, before blazing forward to knock the thing through the wall with his bumper.

Dead End strikes you with Fender Smash for 16 points of damage.

Breakdown is looking and feeling rather frantic, and then nearly leaks himself as the thing eyes him down and speaks. "Your..your nothing but an Autobot trick!" Finding the gun rather useless, he puts it away quickly. He then looks around for someone to give him some sort of orders on how tohandle this thing. "Anyone.g..got any ideas here!?!"

Soundwave hnnhs. Shooting the computer would have been faster and guaranteed the data was destroyed, but whatever the boss mech wants! He dives under the console being accessed, punches his hands through the access panel, and begins to manually several power lines. He can always weld them back together, later. The voice is disconcerting to him, but he tries to ignore it for now!

"I am the only god Breakdown needs to recognize! I demand that you make yourself known to me!" shouts Galvatron to the spatial rift.

Breakdown says, "You Tell em Lord Galvatron!"

Scrapper cowers away from the creature as it yells at Breakdown. Better the Stunticon than him! Luckily, Galvatron steps up to the plate and threatens the thing, as he is wont to do. As a cautionary measure, the Constructicon draws out his laser pistol. "Hail Galvatron!" he calls out.

Arachnae skitters sideways away from the being/thing with wings spreading outwards with a snap. Nervous, she crouches to wrench open another panel under the computers, "Greed, red, blue, tell me we've labeled power conduits under here?" muttered as she extends forearm blade to get to cutting.

Breakdown levels his brow and raises a finger. "Uh, guys..if my gun didn't have any effect.."

Scrapper slides on over towards Arachnae, giving her technical advice, "If you need to, just reverse the polarity of the neutron flow. It'll short out the computer banks without doing too much damage." With his free hand, he draws out his laser screwdriver.

Soundwave rumbles as his legs stick out from under a terminal, "SILENCE, Stunticon! You may not be able to damage the creature, but we can stop it from hacking our systems!"

Arachnae ohs, reaching out from under the pnel she's working her way under to get the tool she somehow kows scrapper is handing, "Which two leads do I cross and would a pizeo-electricl pulse overload the fuses to further the forced shutdown?"

Breakdown snaps to attention at Soundwave's barking, and drops down, transforming so he can use his patented Breakdown attack on the computers.

The white Lamborghini begins vibrating, sending out waves that hopefully cause breakdown's in the nearby computer systems..and possibly his comrads...

The creature continues to float, regarding Galvatron with an impassioned glare before turning its attention to Soundwave. "Ignorant. Ignorant worms, deceived by Primus, you abandoned your ancestrial home, your heritage, your GIFT for this mudball. You deserve all you get." With that, it turns to the frantically working Soundwave, a waves a hand at the mech. "Let us see what you are made of"

You strike Soundwave with sonics.

Scrapper hands Arachnae the laser screwdriver, casually gazing back at the horrible and evil monster. He wonders if it's going to eat Breakdown. Scrapper would be ok with that. With his hand free again, he glances at the readings he's getting so far. "The rift is breaking space itself. Maybe even time as well..." Scrapper hmmms and tosses out a hypothesis, "A link between time and relative dimensions in space?"

Soundwave begins to shake under the console, his legs kicking out madly. "GrrrrrrrgghghhRRRRAAAAARRRGHHGH!" he cries. After a few brief moments, Soundwave stops spasming. Although it seems that he has stopped moving altogether, as well!

Arachnae jams the screwdriver into a section of wires as cacophony in the form of some sonic disturbance erupts a bit too close for comfort. "WHAt?!" The hum of dynamos powering up comes from her wedged in portion of the comp-sole. "NOt on my watch it isn't!" Jam, stab stab, jam.

"I have abandoned nothing!" exclaims Galvatron. "I need not justify myself to the likes of you!" Impulsively he swings up his right arm and fires a blast into the spectral vision (this is the way he deals with most things which frustrate him).

Galvatron strikes you with Fusion Cannon (standard output) for 31 points of damage.

Breakdown is getting more and more frightened with the thing messing with soundwave and all, and tries out his sonic attack on it in a vain hope of at least breaking it's concentration. He still thinks it's an Autobot trick however..

Breakdown strikes you with Supa Stunticon Sound System Sonic Attack for 12 points of damage.

"Pathetic" the creature mouths as it stares at Soundwave. "Millennia of time, and what progress is there? Nothing! As always, Primus was the weak link, the poor cog in the machine. Your destiny will be truly fulfilled with the master, your true potential realised. You have forgotten him, but he will return. And all those who stand against him will die." Once more, as he is hit by blast after blast, he seems to... absorb them. As if the energy meant nothing. Slowly, he raises a hand, palm out towards Galvatron. "And you, you have an unclean stench around you. Begone!"

You strike Galvatron with Smite.

Dead End tries for the tam, but as Brakedown's sonics start to fill the room his steering controls are affected causing to bash into the wall beside the creature. He reverses rapidly to sharply come to a stop beside Breakdown before he transforms beside his brother and levels his own weapon at the Wraith before pulling the trigger and filling the room with the sound of rushing wind as if he just didn't slam into a steel wall.

Dead End strikes you with Cutting edge HuffPuff tech for 10 points of damage.

"Careful!" Scrapper calls out to his fellow Decepticons. "We don't want to trash the entire command centre if we can avoid it!" Putting the medical scanner away, Scrapper takes aim at the strange creature. "What'd you just say about Primus?" he asks, sounding insulted as he fires off several blasts.

Galvatron is hurled across the room and fetches up against the far wall. "Ungh! This force, or creature, has remarkable power! It doesn't seem to be vulnerable to even my fusion cannon... perhaps out of phase with our reality. Scrapper, I insist that you get rid of it!"

Breakdown watches his brother collide with the wall, wondering if maybe his sonics did it..oops. He then witnesses the horrifying site of the thing attacking Galvatron. Well horrifing in the fact that if they lose Galvatron, who knows what other wacko will try to lead them. He transforms, pulling out his Air Compresser gun and firing at the thing in a vain hope of havign some effect.

Soundwave shudders a bit. If he heard the insane creature's words he gives no sign of it. For all intents and purposes, he seems to be out like a light.

Breakdown's components shift around until he finally changes into his robot mode.

Breakdown strikes you with compressed_air for 8 points of damage.

Arachnae continues to cross wires and jam the screwdriver into componants to short them out. Yes, she can hear the weaponsfire. But if she can't see it, she doesn't have to dwell on it. "Think I've got it!" Jam-*ZOT*

Scrapper stares back at Galvatron. "....yes sir!" he says, even though he has absolutely positively no freaking idea on how to get rid of this thing. He kicks the panel Arachnae is working on. "Any ideas on how to get rid of that thing?" he calls out loud enough so that she can hear.

Arachnae uuhhss, "Describe the symptoms?"

"Primus. The great betrayer. You were the last of his creations, and the most flawed" The being clenches a fist, slowly moving towards Scrapper. "But the master, in his infinite wisdom decided to spare you, and was exiled. Now he will return to take what is rightfully his - your race!" The creature is genuinely surprised at Arachnae's actions as the monitors go dead. "No matter. I have your pathetic histories, they are of no important. Soon, he will return...

You will witness the coming of ALPHA Q!

Symphony, having tucked herself right up into a corner, agitated by the situation, and already having been in a very unbalanced state. A low hiss emits from her vocoder, a brief sound of static surrounding it as she tucks back tight against the wall, weapons systems bristling all at once as she tries to make sense of what she's seeing.

"Hovering space rift-slash-pandimensional entity emitting energy blasts," Galvatron helpfully describes to Arachnae as he gets back up. "I belong to no one!" he snaps at the creature, although he has at least learned not to shoot it since it throws him across the room when he does so.

Dead End turns to look at his brother as he keeps his weapon leveled toward the Wraith before turning to look back at as it speaks while addressing Breakdown in his usual dry tone of voice. "I am beginning to think another impossible challenge is upon us, brother."

Arachnae ahhs and rattles off as she starts to wedge herself out of the space, "Forcefield, molecular sub-atomic shifting synchronizer and a stream of quarks or another sub atomic particle for containment. Bi-directional electron streams on rotating frequencies for disruptive purposes. Tends to have a nasty kickback though. Or possibly a sub-space frequency riding a variable pulse emitter." She pauses, "I don't *WANT* to see the coming of Alpha Q! I've got work to do!"

Breakdown sighs a bit but keeps firing. "Yeah, and this Alpha Q guy sounds like an Autobot to me!" He also quietly thinks this might mean Unicron or someone like him, and wonders when omni-potent planet eating beings are going to stop showing up on their doorstep.

Soundwave grunts wearily under the terminal, his legs shifting slightly. Still out of it, it seems.

 This is Charlie Foster for NBY news. Something uh... something.. I... the Statue of Liberty has... gone! I can't... In its place is this grotesque abomination. Is this a student prank? Has the Blayn appeared? Does anyone know?

Scrapper begins stumbling back as the creature approaches him. "Symptoms include being giant and possibly impervious to our weapons!" he shouts. Scrapper backs up and bumps against the consoles behind him. "Who in the blazes is Alpha Q?" he demands.

The creature waves a hand to activate monitors, all showing the scenes in New York. "A reminder." It booms. "Of my master's glorious presence over you. He is your master, Cybertronian, by law. You shall soon discover his majesty if you are still buried by ignorance. Cybertron... is his now."

Breakdown yells over to the creature. "Yeah, well I'd like to see the lease!" before popping off a few shot right above the creatures head.

"I AM THE LAW," insists Galvatron, in his inimicable fashion. Galvatron is a terrible negotiator.

 Green Gumby says, "Uh crikey guys, we're losing power all over Cybertron. This is nuts, I can't believe what I'm seeing!"

Dead End shrugs as he continues to fire himself. "If we don't know now who that is we will all find out eventually."

 Geo says, "Someone blow it up then."

 Geo says, "we're usually good at that."

"Nrrrgh," Soundwave emits as he begins to push himself out from under the terminal. He rubs his head as he stands up, looking around the room.

 Autobot Transmission Intercept: "Sneak Peek... ... ... earthen Autobots."

Arachnae gets back to her feet slowly, optics flickering, "Eeeeeh, teeechnically by Quintesson law, he isn't my master." Spanning wings out, "Scrapper, check Soundwave. If we want a subspace array, he's the closest one. I've got a variable pulse emitter, just need a source of particles to combine to see if we can contain it since we can't shoot it. Breakdown, focus on the Sphere, not the wraith. It had to come from *somewhere*."

Breakdown throws his gun down and jumps up and down on it in frustration. "Nothing..is..working!" He then picks up the gun, throwing it at the creature. "You Damn Autobot!"

Soundwave grumbles, "Must decrypt Autobot transmissions for more information..." He looks off to the side at something as his optic band flickers.

 Soundwave has encrypted this channel.

 Autobot Transmission Intercept: Don't care. There's a newly formed black hole that just apeared around Cybertron. I'm no scientist, but according to the computers, it's not exhibiting the properties of one beyond being black and hole-like.

Scrapper rushes towards Soundwave as the creature seems to stop harassing him. He slides along the ground and yanks the Cassetticon Commander the rest of the way out. "Hold still, tall and blue," he quips. He reaches for his medical scanner and laser screwdri- damnit, SOMEONE still has that.

 Geo says, "... what?"

 Arachnae says, "Gre-ee-eeaaat."

The wraith folds its arms, one hand now clutching the glowing sphere of light as it fades from view, its gaze in the direction of Arachnae, as far as can be ascertained. "In but a few rotations of this world, he will return to claim what is his - the factory world of Cybertron. Try to deny him, and he will /consume/ you." And then... the apparition vanishes, and the power all returns to normal

 Galvatron says, "Presumably not, if you've not been sucked into it yet. Scrapper, get our best minds working on this right away!"

 Autobot Transmission Intercept: Again with the not being a scientist, smart guy.

 Geo says, "What IS this?"

 Arachnae says, "Trouble."

Breakdown shivers with a look of inexplicable terror on his face. "B..but really..wh..what the hell..was that?"

Galvatron clearly expects a lot of Scrapper, but then, based on past experience there doesn't seem to be anything Constructicons can't do, so perhaps his expectations are not too far out of line.

Dead End turns to look at the shattered pieces of Breakdown's weapon as he replies drily to his brother's question. "Something that's going to need your weapon repaired before you'll have to fight it again."

Arachnae blinks, watches the.. thing fade away.. then looks around, "Why do the weird nasty things get all of the *cool* toys? And why don't we have something like.. whatever that was?"

 Autobot Transmission Intercept: I just know that it suddenly showed up, reads like a black hole in the visual spectrum, but not in the, you know, black hole spectrum stuff.

Soundwave presses the button on his shoulder, grumbling, "Geo, eject, Operation... Eject." No, he couldn't come up with anything better.

Abruptly, on it's own, Soundwave's chest WHOOSHES open and a pink tape flips out with a click. Fliping in midair, it unfolds into the form of Geo, who catches herself in midair and hovers in place. She looks around, looking a little more than confused. "Thank you, Soundwave," she says, turning in midair to look at her creator with a frown, a worried look on her face.

Breakdown recovers and pulls out another disruptor. "It's ok, I always pack a spare..or three. Never know when autobots will try to steal them off you!" He pets it, cooing and making cute little baby noises as he talks to it.

"Perhaps we should make one," muses Galvatron, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

<Decepticon> Scrapper says, "Yes my Lord."

<Decepticon> Scrapper said that real belatedly. Whoops.

Arachnae turns to look at the computer console, blinks then slowly turns to look at everyone else, settling down now that the thing has departed.

<Decepticon> Autobot Transmission Intercept: Thanks for making the time in what I'm sure is a busy schedule. We here on Cybertron appreciate it.