Author's Note: Before you start throwing things at me about how long it took me to update this fic, allow me to explain the delay. I have only one word in my defense, and you will instantly understand the delay. And that word is: Ivan. Apparently mauling the US wasn't enough for hurricane Ivan. It came plowing up the eastern seaboard, gaining strength as it went, turned into a nor'easter, as close to a hurricane as we get in Atlantic Canada, and smashed into us, plaguing us with hurricane-force winds, power outages, and downed trees. To my readers down south, we have your hurricane. You can have it back now. To everyone else, if you're still mad at me about how long it took me to update, take it up with Ivan. Last I heard he was on his way to pound Newfoundland flat.

Disclaimer: You get the idea.

Unexpected Encounters

Chapter 6: New Arrivals

Ultra Magnus was swaying slightly on his feet, staring out of the shuttle into space, toward the place where a dimensional cross-rip had opened and pulled his mate into another reality. Other Autobots scrambled around him, preparing to reopen the breach. A team led by Magnus would be going through their find their leader.

Perceptor approached the second-in-command, tapping him on the shoulder. "We are ready."

The larger Autobot nodded slightly and turned away from the main viewscreen, heading for the airlock. Springer, Jazz, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Kup, and Smokescreen waited there, all carrying their weapons and ready to fight if necessary.

"About time," Kup muttered gruffly. "I had to chase off the Dinobots. All five of them wanted to tag along with us."

"Not a bad idea," Springer commented.

The old Autobot stared at him. "Are you considering bringing those maniacs with us?!"

"Why not? We may need them. And since Ultra Rodimus has neatly defeated Grimlock every time that Dinobot took a swipe at him, all five are loyal to him. They follow the strongest leader, and Ultra Rodimus is definitely the strongest," Jazz pointed out.

Kup growled something.

"Me Grimlock want to go find Prime!" the Dinobot leader growled.

"Will you behave yourselves and obey my orders?" Magnus asked.

The T-rex turned his head toward Magnus. "You Prime's mate. We listen."

"Then you can come."

Perceptor joined them. He was needed to open the breach from the other side once they found their Prime. Once the Dinobots had gathered, the group left the shuttle, hovering in space. Perceptor signaled the shuttle.

A massive explosion tore through the dimensional barriers separating their reality from the other. The hole's vicious winds grabbed hold of the waiting robots, dragging them in. The normal shriek of the tunnel itself made the Dinobots growl, but they didn't do anything stupid, remaining in a group. The Autobots felt themselves changing as they passed along the screaming, twisting tunnel. Then it spit them out.

Most of them were used to dimensional travel, so they recovered quickly. The Dinobots needed a bit more time to adjust.

Magnus was on his feet as fast as he could move. He noticed that he was human, but dismissed that fact and surveyed the area.

The group had landed on the bridge of a strange, organic ship. Humans in strange black uniforms and pale, hairless creatures were staring at them. Magnus's gaze settled onto one of the creatures, and he aimed the business end of his rifle at it.

"I want answers, and you're gonna give them to me," he snarled.

Zo'or was frozen by surprise. The shrieking hole had opened again, depositing another group of strangers on the bridge of the mother ship. All of them bore the same face-shaped insignia Ultra Rodimus bore, but these ones were wearing what looked suspiciously like body armor, and they were armed.

The leader was a tall, powerfully-built man. His armor was colored in red and blue. Long blue hair hung down his back. His blue eyes showed intelligence and anger. In height, he was the largest human Zo'or had ever seen, nearly seven feet tall. He carried a nasty-looking rifle of alien design, and it was pointed right at him. The barrel was crackling slightly, indicating that it was powered up and ready to fire.

The others were mixed. One had hair that was green one moment and gold the next. He wore green and silver armor, and he carried a broadsword. Another had short black hair, black and white armor, and a strange type of gun in his hand. Behind him stood a redhead in a white lab coat, dressed in red and blue. Two others, twins stood side by side. One was black-haired, in red armor, and the other had golden hair. His armor was gold and black. Next to them stood another black-haired man, this one in red and blue armor. The last stranger was obviously the oldest. His hair was iron grey, and there were creases in his skin, the creases of age. His armor was grey.

Something moved behind them.

"Me Grimlock have headache," a deep, rough voice announced, and a prehistoric monster appeared behind the others.

Zo'or had seen pictures of dinosaur bones, but he'd been told the creatures were long extinct. But he was staring at a very much alive Tyrannosaurus rex, the tyrant lizard king, and it didn't look the least bit extinct.

It was nowhere near the size of the ones Zo'or had seen pictures of. It was taller than a human, a bit bigger than a draft horse. The jaws were lined with razor-sharp teeth. Its tiny arms ended in nasty claws. Its feet were fully clawed. In color it was grey and red.

Another dinosaur stood up, this one a pteranodon. The flying reptile flapped its wings and screeched. It had a wingspan on more than fifteen feet from wingtip to wingtip. The claws on its feet scraped loudly on the floor as it moved.

A Brontosaur shook its head as if to clear it as it staggered to its feet, its long tail snaking across the floor. One of the Volunteers scrambled back to avoid being swatted by that powerful tail. The dinosaur, fortunately, was nowhere near the size of the ancient giants, but its head nearly reached the ceiling.

A grunt revealed the presence of a Triceratops, the three-horned face, and a Stegosaurus, the roofed lizard. The Triceratops sported three long horns, scarred and scraped from use. Its bony head shield was pitted and scratched. The Stegosaur thumped its tail against the floor, making the four deadly spikes on the end rattle.

The blue-haired man took a step forward, dragging Zo'or's eyes back to him. That weapon was still trained on him.

"I said I want answers. So listen up, and answer my questions. I'm not in the mood to be nice right now. Understand?"

"I understand," Zo'or answered.

"Good. First question: where is Ultra Rodimus?"

To be continued

Another cliffhanger! This is your cue to send me some reviews, and I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can!