Decision
Title Based off of Steve Jablonsky's Transfromers: Age of Extinction (Official Soundtrack) Song "Decision"
Basically the theme for this Story
Written by KeepingThemAtBay
Characters owned by Paramount Pictures and Hasbro. Evac is from the Transformers: The Ride 3D Theme park attraction at Universal Studios
A Transformers Age of Extinction FanFiction
Summary: Without NEST Evac is on the run for his life. As Guardian of the AllSpark and former Knight of Cybertron, Evac should have options but finds few that will save his life. His option now is to run from this extinction before it's too late, or give it a fighting chance. TF:AOE
Chapter One
Something was wrong. Or something was going to go very wrong. The hangar was quiet with no activity, the floors waxy, spotted and streaked with oil, and the gutted forms of planes surrounded by scaffolding and cranes loomed in the darkness. Only a lamp and computer screens sitting on the desks at the mobile command unit and the EXIT signs above the doors along the hangar walls were the only light available. The half-moon shone bright that late March night and the moonbeams slipped inside the hanger, all milky and white.
Evac initiated his transformation sequence as quite as possible, and only his hydraulics hissed in the stillness. His scanners and sensors picked up nothing unusual, and a visual check proved that one squadron of escapee NEST recruits were asleep on cots along the wall, and the remaining members of the second squadron were whispering quietly amongst themselves at the mobile command unit; coordinating their next movement with what separate divisions of the FBI and supportive CIA members were still on their side. The military was out of the question, since they had been given the order by the president himself, to cease all communication with bodies outside of restricted government access and other military forces.
He hummed to himself – a human trait he had picked up – and stood to his full height. Moonbeams from the windows sliced across his azure armor and an audio pickup proved there was no activity around the perimeter of the hanger. As still as it was, something had awoken him from his recharge cycle, and it caused a sinking feeling in his shocks.
That's when he felt it, in the springs of his feet and along the steel frame of the hanger. A deep rumbling vibration in the cold air alerted his sensors to an approaching aircraft coming in from the north.
"Bridges? What is our air traffic status?" Evac asked the squadron commander near the mobile command unit. He couldn't pick anything up without stepping outside of the hangar to see who was coming for them.
Mike Bridges, the appointed commander of their squadrons, turned to the radar and refreshed the results. Evac saw his posture stiffen and his head drop in a quick act of frustration.
"What is it?"
"Three bogies, seven miles out, and flight plan is set directly to this location," he replied stiffly. "They aren't showing up on Air Force Radar, but the close proximity radar. They clearly don't want to be seen."
All aircraft showed up on the Air Force Radar, except those who could pull the strings to make sure they were not seen. Bridges and Evac shared a look, knowing exactly what waited for them seven miles out. Evac's optics flashed and he nodded his head in silent agreement. He knew what was coming. Bridges replied by springing into action without another word; he strapped on his radio and holstered his weapon in his waistband, and shouted orders at the rest of his squad to get the rest of their men awake.
Cemetery Wind had found them again.
The new branch of the CIA, codenamed Cemetery Wind, was a highly skilled taskforce in charge of hunting down all remaining Transformers, will it be Decepticon or Autobot. The United States and UN approved program was ruthless, cunning, and persistent. Using old Sector Seven detainment tactics and NEST equipment and tracking abilities along with highly trained Special Ops forces, it was a Transformers and supporters number-one enemy.
In mere minutes, the NEST recruit squadrons were awake and suiting up what body armor and ammunition they had left. They took strategic positions along the hangar and readied their escape trucks; one group was setting up their heavy artillery guns to cover Evac's escape if they were cornered. They didn't have anything else besides a few stun weapons and smoke grenades for cover.
It was their fourth encounter with Cemetery Wind, over the past year and during each encounter, a squadron fell with good supportive men who gave their lives for the cause they truly believed in. Worldwide, what was remaining of NEST was on the run, or being rounded up to be retrained and inserted back into their respective countries militaries. It was not the easy way out, and it definitely was not the way a NEST soldier would have like to have gone. Those who retaliated were killed without mercy, or captured for questioning. Cemetery Wind was becoming impatient.
"Evac!" Bridges yelled. "Take the hard drives and go!" Everything was in position, and the aircraft were closing in fast.
"You wont' be able to coordinate a strike attack or a retreat without your communications," he stressed.
"I don't have a choice," he ground out. A hard and steely gleam shined in Bridges' eyes and his voice was icy cold. This was a man who was tired of running and retreating and hiding from the government that was once their ally and supporter.
"Keep my recognition communicator then. If you survive, we'll regroup again. And if you don't…"
"We'll give them a run for their money. No easy way out."
Evac recognized the NEST recruit motto. "I'll finish prepping," he cocked a panel on his forearm, activating the weapon there. "I'll make my leave through the side doors. Have the decoy ready, until then, Evac out."
Bridges ran off to help his men load a transport vehicle, while the other squadron leader was organizing the rest of the supplies and evidence.
Evac was handed the hard drives, back up files, contacts, and logs, along with few crates of NEST classified weaponry and Autobot-designed blueprints. He transformed in a fluid movement into his recon SWAT truck mode. The drives and crates were tucked safely away in the dark blue beefed up truck.
His SWAT dressed holoform activated in the driver seat, and a phony, but heavily encrypted fake license plate added to the disguise of a human registered vehicle. He was invisible to nearly all scanners besides thermal readings and visual contact, due to a special shielding device designed by Que. He left with the decoy that turned south as he headed west.
"Evac has left the premises sir," a soldier notified Bridges.
"Listen up team!" Bridges climbed the ladder to the scaffolding around one of the planes. "No matter what happens tonight. You will not give Evac's location away by any means necessary. If there is a chance for you to escape tonight, I encourage you to take it. I don't want to lose any of you, and I don't want to lose all of you. That is your final order, and may God watch over us."
xXx
"What's their status?" asked the man in the long dark coat.
"No one has left the premises sir. The hangar walls are shielding most activity inside, but thermal scans show that there is activity," replied the agent.
"Do we have a lock on him?"
The agent scrolled back on the program on his computer to create a larger picture, a colored bulge which was bulkier and taller than that of a human was moving around on the far west side of the hanger. "We believe this is him. I can't confirm because the incoming storm is messing with my scanners. It's a 63% lock."
"That's good enough for me," the man picked up his radio for the choppers and other ground units. "We have 63% lock on target. Intel shows those inside are runaway NEST recruits. We believe this is the same group we encountered before, so don't expect much more of a fight. They're low on ammunition and we have the element of surprise and bigger guns. I want a full front attack. We'll wait for them to make the first move and pin them in the back. And let's make this quick people, the man upstairs is getting impatient."
His units were moving to intercept and stake positions around the hangar as directed. NEST forces were still inside and Cemetery Wind still had no visual on their movement.
"Sir, we have two vehicles leaving the premises, one heading west and the other heading south to the freeway."
The man in the coat looked at the radar himself. "Get me a lock on them. What are their readings?"
"Southbound one is hot and locked on as the Transformer, westbound is coming up blank, and nothing's coming up on thermal or other scans."
"Visuals?" he demanded.
"A team is already on the southbound one. The other is heading west, out of the area."
"Follow him and get two units on the other one."
xXx
"Bridges! I'm tracking a bogie on his tail. I think they know it's him," Collins, their communication expert said. "I'm picking up on radio chatter from Cemetery Wind. They're going to surround us and wait for us to make the first move."
They were out of options. Evac could not be hunted down, and Bridges was tired of waiting for the enemy to come for them. "Then we'll give them what they want. I want a crack in those hangar doors, we're going out blazing."
"But sir!"
"Just do it Collins!"
Collins fired off the order and the hangar doors cranked open. The huge slabs of metal slid back a couple of yards like a giant curtain. In the front, his men were hiding behind barriers and the heavy artillery guns were loaded and ready. The planes, cranes, and scaffolding provided cover and would make it harder for return fire.
"On my mark," said Bridges into his radio. "Three… two… one."
There was a breath of silence then everything broke loose. Though outnumbered, they caught Cemetery Wind by surprise.
And it would be their only surprise.
xXx
Evac picked up the gun fire exchange behind him and he knew that NEST would not go out without a fight. Already he was off the old air base and traveling on the private stretch of highway that was connected to the nearby train yard and town. It was in a disheveled shape with pot holes and cracks and not lights. He wanted to turn back and help his comrades because he promised to protect them, but he knew if he did so he would be captured or killed, and their sacrifice would be in vain.
He tracked the helicopters as they neared and began following him along the highway. He needed to lose them before this went way out of hand.
Ahead there was a river winding through the forest. The highway went right over it before connecting to the town and bustling train yard. Cemetery Wind would not stop for civilians, and he had to lose them before innocent human lives were at stake.
Hitting the brakes, Evac pulled behind the helicopters search lights. They were sweeping ahead for a speeding vehicle, not one that was under the speed limit. He jumped the metal barrier and took to off-roading through the trees. The river was directly ahead, and one helicopter swung back to do a double check. His scanners also picked up signs of more traffic coming his way, most likely a ground crew.
His alternate handled the rocks and jumps as he bobbed towards the waterfront. Dirt, rocks, twigs, and mud splashed and scraped against his form when he drove through a dry creek bed. Engines roared, but they were drowned out by the sound of helicopter blades overhead. Switching to sonar, he flipped off his head lights and went dark.
Ahead was a ledge before the ground dropped to the waterfront, Evac jumped it and transformed at the same time. He splashed in the water, lights dark and optics dim. Headlights flashed over his head and the SUVs soared across the bridge. They probably would track his tire tracks when they came back around, but by the looks of it they didn't see him.
Evac stepped under the bridge looking for a place to hide. The water was cold against his feet and ice clung to the shoreline under the permanent shadow of the bridge. The water level was low enough to easily be searched, and there would not be somewhere to hide for long. There was a support gap just big enough for him to squeeze into and press his body against the back side of the road near the pinnacle of the bridge. He grabbed a beam and pulled himself up, hoping it would hide him enough.
Minutes later, an advanced search team was moving down the shoreline to check under the bridge. Their flashlights attached to their guns made the water and ice sparkle like tiny white blades along the stone.
"There's no way a Transformer could hide under here," one of the searchers said. "He probably took off through the forest to the tracks. The only thing we are going to find down here are trolls."
One of the men briefly laughed.
The leader cut in with a disciplining tone. "Shut it! If we don't check and clear it out, Savoy will have our necks."
A boulder cracked against another one when it slipped from its footing, the sound echoed briefly under the bridge. The men stopped, and muttered to themselves tensely, Evac took the moment to shift slightly and get a better holding.
Seconds later, they began talking again. "They say these things are the masters of disguise. It shouldn't be that hard spotting a car, it's not like they can transform into a rock."
"I've heard they can mimic bugs, birds, panthers, and cellphones."
"What a bunch of bullcrap Carlos! We're meant to kill these things, not fantasize about them."
The leader sighed and picked up his radio. "Savoy, there's no sign of him under the bridge. We're sweeping the forest next.
There was a reply.
"Alright, let's move out boys. Savoy's stopped the fight and he has the NEST team arrested. We'll continue scanning for that Transformer from the air until they can crack some answers out of those eggs."
The men chuckled at their leader's play on words.
The humans headed to the road and the vehicles drove away. After at least two minutes of intense silence, Evac released his grip on the support beams and dropped to the riverbed. He kneeled there, two fingers to his head and listened for radio frequencies from his team.
There was only static, and he had no idea how many survived. The roads were monitored from the air, and they would most likely hunt him down if he appeared again in any form. Cemetery Wind was usually too quick, too precise, and he couldn't believe they never looked up.
The night became colder, the air stirred and the moon was moving behind cloud cover. The river headed west and away from the base and followed the tracks. He'd run downstream for a couple of miles, then stowaway on one of the cars and go back into hiding. He'd keep his communications open for word from NEST; maybe even try contacting the FBI or CIA, maybe the NCIS through the servers he had to gather information on what exactly happened at the hangar, if Cemetery Wind released anything. He needed to know if anyone survived, and deep down he knew many would not.
Evac's options were few, and he had no communication with any of the surviving Autobots since a couple months after the Chicago War. They dropped off the face of the Earth, and didn't even bother to contact him about it.
Who was he to blame? They probably thought he was dead or captured. Optimus' team viewed him as a rookie, some 'bot that couldn't take care of himself in battle. He'd proven his worth during a skirmish with the Decepticons, but that was before the Chicago War. Before the War, Evac stayed mostly with the recruits and the AllSpark vault, as Optimus' team toured the world, looking for Decepticons.
Presumed dead and without back up, there was only one way to go, and that was downstream.
He took off running along the riverbed. Plumes of water sliced through the darkening night. Thunder rumbled overhead and it covered him as he kicked boulders over while moving downriver. It was not easy footing, climbing a building would be far easier, but he kept going.
The clouds thickened and it began to rain. For a March night, it suddenly became very cold, and very lonely.
Faced with extinction and hatred from the people he once promised to protect, Evac knew it would be a very lonely path in the future.
A long and dark one indeed.
Chapter Last Edited: 7/27/14