The spirits of the dead are all around us. We're not always able to see them but that does not mean that they are not there. This is a story of one who wanted to believe and another who did not and a third who did not know what to make. Beware, for this is not for those of the faintest of hearts.
It was a clear, cool October day. The sky was a pale shade of blue, the sun was shining, and the leaves of the trees were changing colours. Across the sky flew three jets, one red, one blue, and one black. All three looked like they had seen better days.
"Thundercracker, Skywarp, report!"
"Stabilizers damaged badly. Won't make it back to base without repairs," Skywarp stated.
"Energy level's almost in the red. Gotta land soon."
An audible curse was heard over the comm channel. Not that Thundercracker and Skywarp blamed Starscream for it. They, too, had wanted to be a lot farther than what they were. Primus only knew if the Autobots were tailing them.
"There's a large cave up ahead," Starscream said suddenly. "It's protected rather well and it gives us a better defensive position. We'll stay there."
Slowly, carefully, they began their descent and transformed at the right moment to avoid further damage. As their feet touched the ground, Thundercracker nearly collapsed to his knees. Immediately and without saying a word, Starscream and Skywarp were at his side and helping him up. Whether it was from a mutual need or the close bond that the three of them had, none would say. Their survival was at stake and they each intended to survive. There were no jokes or jibes as they walked to the cave. The situation was far too deadly for that.
Once they were inside the cave, Skywarp and Starscream helped Thundercracker to sit down. The blue Seeker looked ready to fall offline at any moment.
"Skywarp, guard the entrance while I tend to Thundercracker," Starscream ordered quietly, kneeling in front of their comrade.
Skywarp started to protest but a pointed glare from Starscream shut him up. Sullenly, he walked to the cave entrance to stand guard.
"Didn't think you cared, Starscream," Thundercracker muttered.
"I don't," Starscream replied evenly. "I just want to get out of here as quickly as possible. Now hold still."
Thundercracker snorted and leaned back, his optics going over their temporary "shelter."
The cave itself was enormous by human standards but, for the three Seekers, it was just large enough for them to move around in. The light from outside reflected off of the walls, lighting up little silver rivers.
It's kind of pretty, Thundercracker thought idly when a slight movement in the corner of his optic caught his attention. When he looked, he thought he saw a human female standing there but when he blinked, she was gone. As he hadn't been able to make out any distinct features on her, he dismissed it.
Energy levels must really be low. I'm seeing things.
With that in mind, Thundercracker let his mind wander again and his optics to trace the little silver rivers on the cave walls. After a while, he wondered when Starscream was going to be done with his repairs when another movement caught his optic once more.
It was the human female again and Thundercracker wondered why Starscream and Skywarp weren't doing anything and how she even got by them. Sitting up, he got a closer look at her.
She wasn't tall but then most humans weren't very tall. Her face was dark-complected and smooth with a small nose and round chin. Brown eyes looked at him, holding his gaze. Then, slowly, she started to change. Thundercracker watched, horror-struck, as she went from looking fairly young to an old hag with blood pouring from her eyes, nose, mouth, and forehead. On the wall behind heer came a bloody message:
You're next.
Thundercracker bolted forward, causing Starscream and Skywarp to look at him. Wildly, he looked around.
"Thundercracker?"
Thundercracker looked at them, bewildered. The human, and the blood on the wall, wasn't there, and, from the looks of it, the sun had set. He caught bare traces of light outside but there was nothing else out of the ordinary.
"Thundercracker?"
He glanced at Starscream.
"Yeah?" Thundercracker winced at how shaky his voice sounded to him.
"Something wrong?"
"N-no," Thundercracker stammered. "Just fine."
They both gave him a dubious look, like they didn't totally believe him. He didn't blame them but what did they want him to do? Tell them that he thought he saw a human female and blood writing on the wall?
I don't think so, Thundercracker thought, shifting himself around some. Even without those images in his mind, the cave was starting to become uncomfortable. He saw it in Skywarp and Starscream as well.
"When did I fall offline?" Thundercracker asked off-handedly.
"You weren't offline," Starscream said, giving him an puzzled look. "Were you?"
He started to say something when he stopped. Thundercracker i thought /i he had fallen offline but now he wasn't so sure. If hehad fallen offline, would he have even came to? Thundercracker wasn't so sure.
"No . . . guess not . . ."
"Get some rest, Thundercracker. We leave in the morning," Starscream stated.
If we're not dead first, Thundercracker thought morbidly. Carefully, he leaned back to stare at the ceiling, clearing out his mind as he did so.
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Starscream watched Thundercracker as he settled back to get some recharge, scrutinizing him. Something weird was going on with him. He had noticed the blue Seeker staring at the wall a while ago before he had jumped at something.
Wonder what it was that he saw, Starscream mused. Must be he's hallucinating. His energy levels have dropped rather low . . .
After a moment, Starscream turned his attention away from Thundercracker and back to the woods in front of the cave. The last rays of sunlight were filtering through the trees then were gone in an instant. The only sources of light were the stars faintly peeking out and the full moon sailing high into the night. A faint breeze picked up, carrying the faint smell of wildflowers and the song of nearby crickets. It was a peaceful moment, something that was rare for all of them.
"What do you think he saw?"
Starscream looked at Skywarp, a bit started.
"Excuse me?"
"He saw something. I could tell and I know you could tell, too. What do you think he saw?"
"Don't know," Starscream shrugged. "He needs to rest to regain some of his energy and strength. It could have been anything."
Skywarp nodded and turned his attention back to Thundercracker, his expression somber. Starscream looked at the woods once more. It was a totally unique situation that they were in and they hadn't been doing anything other than flying around when they'd been attacked. If he hadn't been injured some himself, he might have just left Skywarp and Thundercracker behind to get some kind of reinforcements.
But the situation is deadly, deadlier than what I thought it was, Starscream thought. Can't leave either one of them behind or Megatron would have my head. Not to mention that the Autobots would slaughter them and that I cannot allow.
A slight movement in the corner of his optic caught his attention at that moment. When he looked in the direction where he saw it, however, there was nothing there.
Must be the lack of light playing tricks on my optics, he thought, shaking his head some. I'm starting to see things.
Satisfied with that answer, Starscream turned to check on Thundercracker. It wouldn't do, after all, to lose a wingmate to energy deprivation. What he saw surprised him.
In front of Thundercracker stood a human female. If he were to venture a guess, Starscream would've said she stood around five foot even but he was never good at judging the heights of humans anyway. Most of them barely stood as high as Rumble's chin and Rumble was among the shortest of the Decepticons. Curious as to how she got past him and Skywarp, Starscream started to creep towards her to get a better look and, maybe, catch her at unawares.
If he had known it, Starscream was looking at the very same human Thundercracker had seen moments before. Her long, dark hair flowed freely behind her and her clothing was made out of the hides of many animals. She looked at Starscream, causing him to pause. Her dark eyes met his, her face calm and void of any expression.
Like she's not even afraid of us, he thought. For some reason, her calm demeanor and lack of emotion chilled him and he did not like it. He wanted to be rid of her as quickly as possible.
He started to say something to her when she and Thundercracker both began to change. Horror-struck, Starscream watched as Thundercracker's optics dimmed until the light in them died out and his body turned grey. The human aged rapidly, blood pouring from every part of her head. Bloody writing appeared everywhere, including on Thundercracker and it said the same thing that it had when Thundercracker saw it:
You're next.
He gave a startled yelp at the same Skywarp did.
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Skywarp had been watching Starscream from the corner of his optic and had been ready to say something when he noticed someone approaching them. Quickly on guard and aiming his blasters in the same direction, Skywarp saw a human male garbed in some animal hides.
As far as humans went, he was slightly tall, taller than the ones that hung around the Autobots, and he had dark hair and dark eyes and a jagged scar running from his left eye to his jaw. He had several very primitive weapons at his side and Skywarp wondered what he was doing there for he did not appear the least bit threatening. Skywarp was about to say something to Starscream when he made optic contact with the human and something held his gaze. What happened next struck a miniscule chord of fear in him.
Slowly, the human changed He aged rapidly, his skin sinking so deeply that his bones jutted out from it, the very visage of death. Blood began to leak and drip from his eyes and his mouth, adding to the already grisly vision.
Behind him, the landscape changed as well. The trees rapidly wilted and died, and the grass turned brown until nothing of it was left. In the horizon, an orange glow had appeared and began to move towards them. Soon, the entire forest was engulfed in flames and the human stood there, aged and impassive. From out of the flames came a fiery message:
You're next.
Skywarp let out a startled yelp at the same time that Starscream did, his horror and fear finally getting the best of him.
"What's going on?" Thundercracker asked, extremely alarmed.
Starscream looked at him, his optics wide with terror. Skywarp, too, looked at him with horror-filled optics. The memory of his own experience still very near to him, Thundercracker realized what had happened and adjusted himself some before speaking quietly.
"What did you two see?"
For a second, they looked at him in disbelief, like they couldn't believe he had asked them such a question. It was a short-lived expression, however, and they quickly sat next to him, huddling as close as they both dared. Starscream and Skywarp took turns in recounting their tales to him. When they were finished, he told them what he had seen, and, once they had finished, they sat in silence for some time.
"What is going on?" Skywarp raised the question several moments later. "Why is this happening?"
"It's probably due to our injuries," Starscream speculated.
"Humans believe in these things," Thundercracker mused.
"What things?" Starscream demanded.
"Ghosts roaming the Earth and spiritual power points," Thundercracker explained, shift his weight around once more. He suppressed a wince as pain lanced through his side. "Maybe it's possible that this cave is a spirtual power point. I mean, we still don't know a lot about the planet itself other than what and where the resources are."
"I doub that there are such things as ghosts and spiritual power points," Starscream scoffed. "There has to be another reason or explanation."
"Then how do you explain what we saw?" Skywarp retorted.
"Our minds playing tricks on us," he snapped. "The facts that the Autobots have Hound and that we are injured comes to mind as well."
"Then how do you explain the fact that you and TC saw the same human?" Skywarp pressed. "He didn't even say anything until after we saw what we saw!"
"Coincidence, Skywarp. There are no such things as . . ."
A shrill scream in the distance cut off what he was going to say next. The three Seekers froze and listened intently for it continued for a few moments before ending abruptly. It was a few minutes longer before they finally spoke.
"Sounded like a human being murdered," Skywarp commented in a hushed tone.
"It did," Thundercracker agreed. "I thought I even heard whoever it was begging for mercy . . ."
"But the nearest human settlement is over three hundred miles away. No one could've gotten to this area that quickly. We haven't been here for long . . ." Starscream trailed off.
"I don't like this . . ." Skywarp began.
"I think we should leave," Thundercracker stated. "Something is going on here and I don't like it."
"We take the risk of being caught by the Autobots," Starscream warned.
"I don't care, Starscream. Anything's better than being here and not knowing what's going on. I think we should leave."
"I agree," Skywarp echoed.
Starscream hesitated for a moment only then he nodded his agreement. Carefully, they each stood up and headed for the cave entrance. When they reached it, however, the entire area in front of them was engulfed in flames. The flames were getting closer, making it impossible for them to take off. Thundercracker felt something hit him in the chest and he stumbled to the ground. Pain erupted at the point where he got hit and spread through him like wildfire. He remembered no more after that.
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Megatron sat in Repair Bay, watching as Soundwave and Hook finished the repairs to Thundercracker. Skywarp and Starscream were in medical beds next to Thundercracker, both repaired by other mechanics yet still unconscious. He had assisted as much as he could when and wherever possible but the rest of the blue Seeker's injuries were internal. Those had to be taken care of by those with more medical expertise than what he possessed.
He was not in a very good mood. Of course, he had known that the three Seekers had left the base. They had needed some time away and, for once, he had been feeling somewhat generous, thereby allowing them to go out for a few breems. He had not expected them to get into a dogfight with the Aerialbots and Skyfire. According to Soundwave, his three warriors had been doing nothing but flying. The fight had been started by the Autobots and Megatron intended to have some words with Optimus Prime about it. At that moment, he wanted to rip someone's head off, preferably said Autobot leader's. The sound of tools being set down caught his attention and he looked over to Thundercracker once more.
Soundwave and Hook had finished the repairs and were now walking away from the Seeker. Hook immediately left Repair Bay and Soundwave approached him. Something in Soundwave's posture sent alarms ringing in his head. He was puzzled by something and Megatron wanted to know what.
"What is it, Soundwave?" he demanded quietly.
"They experienced something," came the reply. "Something not normal or usual to the kinds of injuries that they sustained."
Megatron raised an optic at that. Something not normal?
"Like what?"
"Humans decaying instantly in front of them. Unusual fear of what was going on."
"What?" Megatron roared. "That's impossible! How do you know this?"
Quietly, Soundwave recounted the details he had gotten from Thundercracker. Apparently, the blue jet had been extremely terrified of what had happened and had been desperate to cling to some sort of reality so Soundwave "talked" with him. The only way Soundwave had known to even use his talent with the Seeker was because Thundercracker had barely whispered "power point" in his unconscious state.
Megatron listened, frowning the entire time. It had seemed absolutely absurd to him that it had even happened but Soundwave had affirmed that the images he described to Megatron were very vivid in Thundercracker's mind and very real. When Soundwave had finished, Megatron nodded to himself then stood up.
"Let me know when Thundercracker is able to leave Repair Bay," he ordered. "I want to speak with him about this and go over the possibilities that he mentioned."
"As you command, Megatron."
Megatron left Repair Bay and headed for the command center. Even though the thought and very idea of ghosts being real was ridiculous to him, he was very curious about what Thundercracker had said and meant about spiritual power points. He wanted to know if it was possible to harness that power and use it and he also wanted answers on what had really happened before they got there. The only way to get those answers was to do research. After all, the more he learned, the better off he was in his planning.
It didn't hurt to know, after all.
Finis