I only own my OC's!


This one leads into "Griffin Rock", which leads into "Mourning". Last part of Shatterdome!


Shatterdome Part 5

The computer beeps. "What is it?"

"Sir, it's happening. I just got two signatures with

unprecedented dilation, 40-meter spikes."

"What category?"

"Checking the ratios, Category 4."

"Where're they headed?"

"That's the thing, they're not heading anywhere. They're hovering just above the Breach. It's like they're protecting it or something."

"All right, Gipsy, Striker on deck."

"Sir, Herc cannot ride. His arm…"

"You heard me."


HONG KONG

Gottlieb is on his phone as Newt works to get the brain spike in. "Two signatures. Two? There are two Kaiju signatures in the Breach, not three like I predicted!"

"Hermann! I haven't exactly had a very good day, okay? I got about 5 minutes…"

"Should be three Kaijus."

"…before brain death occurs here! I don't wanna spend it talking about your theories!"

"This is all wrong! There should be three Kaijus coming through, not two!"

"There should be three and there's two? I'm sorry, it hurts to be wrong."

"I am not wrong, but there is something here we don't understand."

"Hopefully we can argue about any mistakes you made in your predictive model in the future! But in the meantime, the neural interface is way off the charts!" He finally gets the brain spike into the baby kaiju. "If you want to help, help with that!"

"Newton, I am not wrong." There is only one way

to make sure and that is to do this…" He lays a hand on Newt. "…together. I'll go with you. That's what the Jaeger pilots do, share the neural load."

"You're serious? You would do that for me?" He sighs. "Or you would do that with me?"

"Well, with worldwide destruction a certain alternative…do I really have a choice?"

"Then say it with me, my man: "We're gonna own this bad boy!""

"By Jove, we are going to own this thing for sure!"

Newt laughs.


SHATTERDOME

"Sir, I have to advise against this."

"I accept the advice, Princess, but no. I'd—"

"Rather die in a jaeger. I understand. I'd rather have gone with Ratchet, but I didn't. You've got to be hurting for Tamsin, but I still advise you not go. I can go."

"You've never drifted before. I have."

"But sir…" I sigh heavily. I really don't want to do this. "I can pull rank on you, as CMO."

"Don't, Sheyenne. It won't do any good." Herc sighs. "His mind's made up."


Chuck runs over to Tendo. "Oi, Tendo. Tendo!"

"You're not suited up."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that, Elvis. I need to know what's going on."

"He said suit up, so suit up."

"Tendo, I can't pilot Striker on my own, now, can I? Dad's hurt, so who's gonna be my copilot?"

The door opens, and Stacker walks through with Herc beside him. "I don't remember it being so tight."

Mako glares at him before following as he walks off. "Getting back into that Jaeger will kill you."

"Mako…" I run after her and lean over to whisper into her ear. "I already tried, Sister. He won't hear it."

"Not getting into one would kill us all." He turns to her and lays a hand on her shoulder. "Listen…you are a brave girl. I'm so lucky to have seen you grow. But if I'm going to do this…I need you to protect me." A tear rolls down Mako's cheek. "Can you do that?"

"You can. I'll back you up on that. You're a survivor."

Mako nods, smiling sadly through the tears.

"Right." He turns to the group. "Everyone! Listen up!" Stacker steps onto a jaeger foot. "Today…today… At the edge of our hope… At the end of our time… We have chosen not only to believe in ourselves, but in each other." I whisper the words with him, quietly, and to myself. I have seen few people, even among the Cybertronians, with this kind of wisdom and bravery, and it makes me…hopeful. "Today there's not… A man nor woman in here that shall stand alone. Not today. Today we face the monsters that are at our door… And bring the fight to them! Today we are canceling the apocalypse!"

Everyone cheers, and I step up beside him. "I may not be a commander at this base, but as a Princess and Sergeant, I feel I must add something to this—something my own mentor said when we took on something of this magnitude." I lay a hand on Stacker's shoulder. "We don't know how today will end, but in the name of freedom, we take the battle to them. Now let's roll!"

Everyone runs off to get the jaegers ready, while Chuck suits up.


Chuck runs up to Stacker. "Hey, marshal! You know, that was a great speech, but how exactly are you and I supposed to match up in there?"

"I carry nothing into the Drift. No memories, no fear. No rank." He turns to Chuck. "And as for you…well, you're easy. You're an egotistical jerk with daddy issues. A simple puzzle I solved on day one." Chuck's dog barks. "But you are your father's son, so we'll Drift just fine."

"Works for me." Stacker walks away, and Chuck turns to his Dad.

"Hey, now." Chuck looks down. "When you Drift with someone you feel like there's nothing to talk about. I just don't want to regret all the things that I never said out loud."

"Don't." Chuck sighs. "You don't need to. I know them all. I always have." His dog barks at his feet. "Hey. Hey, handsome." The dog whines. "Oh, I'm gonna miss you." He turns to his Dad. "You look after him for me."

Herc turns to Stacker. "Stacker. That's my son you got there. My son."


I sigh, and pat the foot of the jaeger—Gipsy Danger. I know she won't be coming back this time, and I want to say my goodbyes this time. "I'm gonna miss you, Girl. See you on the other side, Superstar." I pat the leg lovingly. "Say hi to Defensor for me."


INSIDE GIPSY DANGER

Raleigh gets Gipsy set to leave. "You know, Mako, all those years I spent living in the past, I never really thought about the future." Raleigh sighs. "Until now." He laughs nervously. "I never did have very good timing."

I watch them go through the drop before the copter takes off with them.


HONG KONG

Newt picks up the controls for the pons the two are wearing. "You ready for this?"

"Oh, yes, yes."

"Initiating neural handshake in five…four…three…two…one." The two start to shudder. "Are you okay?"

Gottlieb detaches the pons from his head. His nose is bleeding. "Yes, of course. I'm completely fine." He runs to an abandoned toilet and pukes, Newt following with a handkerchief. "The Drift. You saw it?"

"Yeah."

"Did you?"

"Listen, we have to warn them. The Jaegers… The Breach… The plan…"

"It's not going to work."


SHATTERDOME

"Disengaging transport."


FIELD

Chuck speaks up first. "Loccent, all ports sealed. Ready to submerge."

Raleigh's next. "All ports sealed. Ready to submerge."


SHATTERDOME

"Both neural handshakes at 100 percent."

"Neural handshake confirmed, sir. Two actives still in circle formation in the Guam quadrant. Code names: Scunner, Raiju. Both Category 4."


FIELD, STRIKER

"Roger that. Half a mile to the ocean cliff, we jump!

It's 3000 meters to the Breach."

"Half a mile? I can't even see a damn inch ahead! How are we supposed to deliver the bomb?"


FIELD, GIPSY

"Visibility's zero. Switching to instruments now."


SHATTERDOME

"Sir!"

"Gipsy, you have movement on your right. Three o'clock! Three o'clock!"


FIELD, GIPSY

100-feet radius clear.

Raleigh sighs. "Right flank's clear. I got nothing."

"Left now! And moving fast! Fastest Kaiju on record!"

The kaiju squawks. "I don't see anything. It's moving too fast!"

Chuck comes over their comms. "Eyes on the prize, Gipsy." They take the jump off the shelf. "400 meters and closing."

Tendo comes over the comms. "Bogeys are stopping."

"Striker! Bogeys are stopping. One o'clock."


FIELD, STRIKER

Stacker stops in his tracks. "Marshal, what are you doing?"

"They're stopping. Why the hell are they stopping?"

"I don't give a damn, sir! We're 300 meters from the jump!"

"Something's not right!"

"Striker, the bogeys aren't following. Take the leap now."


SHATTERDOME

Newt runs in. "Don't do it! Don't do it! It's not gonna work! Move, you fascist! Blowing up the Breach, it's not gonna work!"

"What do you mean? What's not gonna work?"

Gottlieb takes the mic. "Sir, Just because the Breach is open does not mean you're able to get a bomb through. The Breach genetically reads the Kaiju like a barcode at the supermarket and then lets them pass."

Newt takes another turn at the mic. "You're gonna have to fool the Breach into thinking that you have the same code!"

"And how are we supposed to do that?"

Newt comes back on. "By making it think you are a Kaiju." "You have to lock onto the Kaiju, ride it into the Breach. The Throat will then read the Kaiju's genetic code and let you pass."

"If you don't do it the bomb will deflect off the Breach like it always has, and the mission will fail."

Herc takes his place back at the mic. "All right. Now that you've heard all that, Striker, take the leap!"

"Sir! I have a third signature emerging from the Breach!"

Herc is horrified. "Third signature emerging from the Breach."

"It's a triple event."

"Oh, God, I was right."

"How big is it? What category?"

"Category 5."

"Striker…it's a Category 5. The first ever."


FIELD, GIPSY

The kaiju rears up and roars. Striker pulls out their weapons and prepares to fight.

"Striker, we see him. We're right behind you about 100 meters. We're gonna come around your 3 o'clock, try to flank him. Standard two-team formation. Just keep him busy for a few—" Raiju attacks, and they start fighting him off, leaving Striker to fend for themselves.


STRIKER

"Brace for impact!" Striker slams back into a rock face, jamming the bomb's path.


GIPSY

Chain sword deployed.

Raleigh yells as they attack one of the two category 4 kaiju with their sword, stabbing it in the head. They glance to one side and find a hot vent. "Let's get this son of a bitch!" They move the kaiju there and roast it. It throws them around before getting free. The arm Raleigh controls is now gone.

"Gipsy, coming up on your 12 o'clock! Full speed! Get out of the way!"

They force the chain sword out, and start cutting at the throat, cutting the kaiju completely in half as it swims.


STRIKER

"The release is jammed! We can't deliver the payload, sir! We're still armed. But the hull is compromised! Half our systems are offline, sir."

"We need to override the—"

The two are attacked by the remaining category 4. They stab it as much as they can in an attempt to break free, get to their feet, and attack with both arms, all but cutting the beast's arms off in the process. It calls for help, bringing the category 5: Slattern.


SHATTERDOME

"Both Kaijus converging on Striker fast!"


FIELD, GIPSY

Gipsy hobbles along on one wounded leg, trying to help them. "Hang on, Striker! We 're coming to you!"

Stacker comes over the comms. "No! Gipsy! Do not come to our aid! Do you copy?"

"Hang on!"

"Stay as far back as you can!"

"We can still reach you. We're coming for you."

"No, Raleigh, listen to me. You know exactly what you have to do! Gipsy is nuclear! Take her to the Breach!"

"I hear you, sir. Heading for the Breach."

Structural damage…

"Now."

…eighty percent.

"Unh."

"Mako. Listen. You can finish this. I'll always be here for you. You can always find me in the Drift."

"We're a walking nuclear reactor. We can destroy the Breach."


STRIKER

"What can we do, sir?"

"We can clear a path! For the lady!"


SHATTERDOME

"They're gonna detonate the payload."


FIELD, STRIKER

"Well, my father always said: If you have the shot, you take it! So let's do this!" He turns to Stacker. "It was a pleasure, sir." With that, they atomize Striker Eureka. Fish hit the seafloor from the nuclear energy, as the remaining jaeger pilots brace for impact and try to remain in the drift, and do so successfully.


WITH ME, SHATTERDOME FLOOR

"Striker…" No one deserves to die like that…


GIPSY DANGER

The two stand, re-brace, and stand again.

All systems critical. Fluid loss.

"Systems are critical! Fuel is leaking! Our right leg's crippled!"

Code red.

"Let's finish this."

All systems critical.


SHATTERDOME

"What are they doing?"

"Finishing the mission."

Raleigh comes over the comm. "Loccent. We have the Kaiju carcass. We're heading for the Breach. You guys better be right. Because one way or another we 're getting this thing done."


FIELD, GIPSY

Slattern roars. "On my count, rear jets! Three…two…one. Now!" Slattern screaches. "Hold on." Slattern screeches in pain.


SHATTERDOME

"Mako's oxygen is down. Half capacity!"

"Can you reroute it?"

"I'm trying, sir."


FIELD, GIPSY

Raleigh sighs. "Hold on, Mako."

Heat shaft purge.

"I'm gonna burn this son of a bitch."

They tackle Slattern into the breach, dead.


SHATTERDOME

"They're in."

"They're in!"

"It worked."


BREACH, GIPSY

They pull their sword out of Slattern.

Oxygen main left hemisphere, critical levels. Operating at fifteen percent capacity. Ten percent capacity. Five percent.

Raleigh detaches his oxygen and hooks it to Mako's suit.


SHATTERDOME

"He's giving her his oxygen."


BREACH, GIPSY

"It's okay now, Mako. We did it. I can finish this alone. All I have to do is fall. Anyone can fall."


SHATTERDOME

"Raleigh your oxygen levels are critical now. You don't have much time. Start the core meltdown and get out of there. Do you hear me? Get out of there now!"

"One pod is ejected. No detonation, sir."


BREACH, GIPSY

"Loccent, if you can still hear me…I'm initiating reactor override now."

Manual activation required.


SHATTERDOME

"What's going on?"

"Trigger's offline! He has to do it by hand."

"He's out of time. He has to self-destruct now."


BREACH, GIPSY

Manual activation required.

"No!" Raleigh yells as he slips and almost falls into the gears.

"Manual override initiated. Core meltdown in T-minus 60."

Reactor meltdown in 55 seconds. Fifty seconds.

The precursors chitter in surprise.

Evac pod engaged.

Five…four…three…two…one. Reactor meltdown.

At that, Gipsy Danger, goes nuclear.


SHATTERDOME

I hit my knees in the background, a hand over my chest. I form family bonds very easily—I always have—and she was alive—like family to me, for the very short time I'd known her…

"Direct hit! The Breach has collapsed!"

Everyone cheers in joy, not noticing me.

Herc starts screaming to the crews. "To the choppers! To the choppers now!"

"Visuals on first pod. Tracking solid. Vital signs are good."


MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN

Mako's pod pops out of the ocean. She opens her pod and starts looking around anxiously for Raleigh.


SHATTERDOME

"Okay, where's the second pod?"

"I'm tracking it, but I'm getting no vital signs."


MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN

Mako stands, looking for Raleigh's pod. Raleigh's pod pops up out of the ocean behind her. Mako dives in, swims over, and opens it before pulling off his helmet and checking for a pulse.


SHATTERDOME

"I can't find his pulse. I don't think he's breathing."

I stagger to my feet and rush over to them. "Shit."

"Can you read his pulse?" Tendo shakes his head. "Does he have a pulse?"

"Raleigh?"

Tendo sighs. "Mako, listen to me. It could be the sensors are networking. We can't be sure."


MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN

Mako starts sobbing. "No." She pulls Raleigh into her arms. "No. Don't go. Please."

"Mako."

"Don't go."

"Mako."

"No. Don't go. Please."

Raleigh finally comes around. "You're squeezing me too tight." He coughs, and she lets him go. "I couldn't breathe."

Mako laughs.


SHATTERDOME

Everyone starts cheering and applauding. Our heroes are alive. Herc comes over the comms. "This is Marshal Hercules Hansen. The Breach is sealed. Stop the clock!"

Chuck's dog barks in joy as everyone starts cheering again.


MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN

"Mako, Raleigh. We have your position. The choppers are on their way. Just hang on." The sound of choppers fills the sky, but the two are too busy kissing to notice. "Are you okay? Do you copy? Uh, guys?"


SHATTERDOME

The second the two are back, I run over and hug them, not caring about getting wet. "Thank the All Spark!"

"Hey."

"Glad you guys made it back. You had me scared."

Raleigh smirks. "Had us scared to." He sighs. "So, what's your plan now?"

"I'll finish out my tour here, then I'm going to look for the Rescue Bots."

"The who?"

"It was Gipsy's idea. You?"

Raleigh takes Mako's hand in his. "We don't know yet."

"But...let us know, what you find?"

"Of course. You're my family now."