ZWAT IZ ZIZ? The new chapter is finally here!
Chapter IX
Tombtreader transformed, spun around a corner and rested his back against the wall. He would have to be quiet. He heard the footsteps of a mob coming after him. It wouldn't be long until they smelled him. Tombtreader peeked around the corner, baring only his left optic, to see ten of the undead prowling the corridors, looking for anything to devour.
He watched them intently, trying to find a pattern in their movements. Tombtreader felt off balance, as if his gyro-stabilizers were out of whack from running too much. He placed a hand on the wall he was resting on and leaned against it. But when he rested his weight against his hand, a panel on the wall was pushed to the point of making a creaking sound loud enough that it got the Undead's attention from the corridor over.
Tombtreader's pulse raced as he pushed his back against the wall, hoping that they would never find him. He was obviously mistaken to a horrible percent. Their snarls were felt in Tombtreader's chest as they prowled the corridor behind him, he had to run.
Now.
Tombtreader lurched forward and transformed. Cogs and servos spun and whirled into a speeding car whose tires squeeled shortly before taking off at a breakneck speed down the corridor. Lights -- Dim as they were -- reflected off Tombtreader's black paint as he turned corners and sped down the hallway. He had to get back to his ship; he had to.
Turning a corner, Tombtreader felt his heart sink. It was a dead end. Tombtreader transformed and lunged at the wall, as if it would break away and show him the perfect way without harm coming to him. He was wrong.
"No, no no no no!!" Tombtreader yelled as he jogged back to where he turned into the opening.
"Can I help you <<Unregistered>>?" A feminine voice came from behind him.
Tombtreader looked back to see nothing, just an empty hallway.
"Who is there?" Tombtreader barked, "Answer me!"
"I am sorry, <<Unregistered>>, but I cannot show myself. I am the station's GLOSS system. May I help you <<Unregistered>>?" The apparent GLOSS said.
"Gloss? What are you?" Tombtreader said with unease, the undead would certainally be following him.
"G-L-O-S-S: Genetic Lifeform Operation Simulator System. I run the station." There was irritation in her voice.
"I need help, I am being followed and I need to get back to my ship. Dark Energon is corrupting the station." Tombtreader said with a sigh of relief. Computers have to abide by the three laws.
As far as he was concerned, telling secrets to a doomed AI was completely useless as he was about to give the order for the station to be destroyed. Well, when he got on the ship, that is.
"I am aware, the Corruption is affecting me as well. Anyway, the route has been plotted to: 'Docking Ring'. Data packet progress: 65%, 70%, 80%, completed. Data packet sent to <<Unregistered>>." GLOSS said with a sigh of contempt.
Somehow, Tombtreader felt that she knew that he was a Decepticon. It was as if GLOSS was becoming more self-aware... Meh. Impossible.
"Thank you, GLOSS." Tombtreader offered a curt nod off to the side, though he had no clue where to look if adressing GLOSS, and transformed.
A whirl of machinery later, Tombtreader sped off in the true direction of his departure. Speeding through the corners and corridors, Tombtreader's pulse raced faster than his speed in miles per hour. He was passing dead and destroyed Decepticons and undead alike, some even both. He could imagine the huge battle that took place here, but there was simply no time. He had to get back to his ship ASAP.
Tombtreader transformed and stared. The dead corpses were blocking the road, there was no driving around them.
He tread carefully, he didn't want to accidentally activate something on one of the dead corpses and have it turn out that they were simply undead sleeping. Holding his chin off to the side to bite his tongue from any unwanted noises, Tombtreader stepped over several bodies and finally made it to the door for his ship.
He punched in several buttons on a keypad, feeling the relief of knowing that it was all going to be over soon.
"Where are you *BZZRRGGHHHTYRRVVG* g-g-going?" GLOSS' familiar voice said, but this voice was more overlapped and angry.
"Back to my ship! I'm getting out of this slagging place!" Tombtreader said without even looking back.
She mumbled something about not leaving, but Tombtreader ignored that.
With one final keypress the door opened to reveal a barricade with battle-scarred and panting soldiers. They all pointed their weapons and stared with great fear at what Tombtreader might do.
"Relax,
morons, I am not turned." Tombtreader stated as he stepped forward to swat a rifle out of the high rank among them.
Tombtreader walked toward the bridge with a stark frown.
"Ah! Clench, it has been a while, hasn't it?" Tombtreader stepped forward, fists clenched.
"Yes, it has been a while.
Not long enough. How goes the package's retrieval?" Clench asked, one hand still picking at the other's fungal infection.
"My men are dead, the situation is comprimised. I believe it is time to end this with a clensing fire." Tombtreader stated, smirk closing around his mouthpiece.
"Very well," Clench stated, then turned to a new ensign that replaced the one that Tombtreader shot previously, "Ensign! Get us out of here and turn us about. It is time to blast this place."
Almost as soon as the words left Clench's mouth, the ship shook violently.
"Slaggit, ensign! Carefully!" Clench said after picking himself up from the floor, rage clear in his voice.
"I-i-it wasn't me! I swear! It was something else!" The ensign stumbled and sputtered out the words.
Clench walked to the Ensign and backhanded the mech in the faceplate. The mech yelped and fell out of his chair under the massive strength of Clench. But Clench was attacking the wrong thing. The ship lurched again, this time sparks flew from the ceiling, pipes and cords following after.
"The slag...?" Clench yelped.
His question was answered when mechanical claws slithered their way around the transparasteel viewscreen and began to constrict like a large snake trying to suffocate it's prey.
Suddenly, the ship began to strain and bend under the massive strength of the claws. The ship was suddenly pulled towards the station, disabling enurcial dampening. Tombtreader felt his feet leave the deck and his whole body soar into the air for a moment, then slam into a bulkhead.
Conciousness leaving his body, Tombtreader tried to stay awake long enough to see a rip form in the ship, and then, the vaccum of space suddenly pulled him out of the collapsing ship and into the blackness.
Tombtreader then lost conciousness.
