Chapter Twenty-two
Starship, Part One
“SPECS! Get me some readings on this thing, now!”
The mop-topped ensign pushed her glasses up on her
nose and frowned as Taz propped her zapper on the boulder
in front of them and levelled it, looking across it as a
shadow loomed far larger than it should have at the mouth
of the cave below.
“According to my spectrometer, it’s not your standard
robot sentinel, Lieutenant-Commander, it’s -”
“An Autobot,” Taz said, a shiver of anticipation rushing
through her as the shadow materialized into its hulking
metal form. They hadn’t been expecting that.
“I thought they had all been destroyed -”
“So did I,” said Taz quietly, setting her zapper to kill.
Specs eyed her warily. “Lieutenant-Commander, this is
just a recon mission, isn’t it? Commander Li-”
“The Commander didn’t expect us to find a dead
goddamn Autobot though, did she?” Taz said, taking careful
aim. Not one of the bastards should be left alive. Not
according to her. “Besides, what Li doesn’t know-”
“But Lieutenant-Commander -”
“Shut up, Specs, I’m trying to concentrate.” This one’s
for you, Up. Just like every other.
She pulled the trigger.
The explosion below far exceeded the power of her
zapper. Taz shoved the ensign down and both Rangers
covered their heads as stones and bits of cave rained down