Solar POV
Wavelength and I looked down at the freezing water. The Golden Retriever was landed safely above us. The scans came back with some, interesting results. At least a little over half the mine tunnels had flooded. A majority of those tunnels we wouldn't have enough room to even attempt passing through.
"Yikes that's cold." Wavelength shivered.
"Yeah...." I shake my helm. "At least our frames have a heating system."
"And those will last long enough to do this?"
"They should." I frown. I certainly hope the systems last...
"How will we carry the energon?" Wavelength stepped away from the glacier water.
"Subspace and small carts. Speaking of which," I look over as Siege and Flare pull two small carts down the dock.
"Will these work?" Flare grinned.
"They should yes. Thank you!"
"Are there any points we may lose contact?" Siege looked down at the seemingly endless tunnel by our peds.
"Oh definitely." Wavelength mused.
"Then we should chart those areas." I advise. "Check in before and after crossing them."
"This operation is sounding more and more like a human horror movie." Eclipse laughed as she joined us.
"Oh don't say that!" Wavelength whined dramatically.
"We just won't separate!" I flash my friend a grin.
"Comforting." Wavelength flicked my helm.
"Are you two ready?" Siege pushed the two carts into the water.
"Ready as I can make myself." I stepped into the freezing water, and my winglets flick.
"Let's see what we can retrieve." Wavelength slipped in.
We both grab one of the floating carts and let ourselves float. I felt my peds dangle in the water below me, a few hundred of endless water stretched below us.
"Ready?" Siege kneeled down.
"Yep. Are the carts connected to the monitor?"
"They are. Get ready to sink." Eclipse confirmed.
The floatation system powered down to level 40/100. The weight of our metal pulled Wavelength and myself down into the flooded tunnels.
"Oh this is nightmare fuel." Wavelength whispered.
"It's terrifying. Pulling up the map now, what are your simulations saying?"
"So far so good. We aren't near any fragile rock walls."
"That's relieving. Ready to proceed down the first tunnel?"
"I am yes. Ready for cart lights?"
"Switching them on now." I flip the switch and the cart lights up.
"Well, I can see the tunnel now!" Wavelength laughed.
I snort and laugh. "Get moving!"
"Think I can pretend to be a shark?"
"Why?" I pause as Wavelength pushes the cart into the next tunnel.
"So I can feel like I'm not the one being hunted in the dark water." Wavelength chuckled.
"Alright fine. But which type of shark?"
"Thresher probably."
"Thresher?!" I snicker. "Why?"
"They're cute and have cool tails."
I shake my helm and smile. The map updated here and there. It felt like we were in the tunnels for hours.
"The exit point should be a tunnel ahead! From there the tunnel makes a turn into a cavern. That should have the energon we're looking for." Wavelength pointed ahead.
"Oh finally." Relief washed over my shoulders.
We readjusted the carts back to 100/100 and started floating. The dark water surface came into view. Wavelength's helm broke the surface before mine did.
"And I thought the water was cold..." I pull myself out of the flooded tunnel.
"Yikes..." I hear my friend come out behind me.
"How stable is the rock we're standing on?"
"I'm gonna say we're good." He stomped on the stone floor.
The carts are removed from the water and pushed down the tunnel.
"I don't have a signal down here." I tap my audio.
"Neither do I. Think it's the minerals around us or how deep we could be?"
I hum, thinking about the possibilities. "One of the seekers probably has it noted already."
"More than likely."
We fell silent as a blue hue had started pouring into the tunnel. I sped up before starting to sprint and turning the corner. Massive, bright, and glowing blue crystals. There were a few bare patches on the walls and ceiling.
"Whooooooah." I whistle amazed.
"Oh wow." Wavelength breathed.
"I think we finally found the luck we needed!" I start laughing.
"This will take ages to clear out!" Wavelength walked forward.
"We'll bring what we can. If I had to guess the energon in here could completely refuel the ship two or three times." I pull the tools out of the cart.
It took another hour to fill the carts and return to the ship. The bright daylight reflected above us as we neared our exit.
"WE FOUND ENERGON!!" Wavelength immediately screamed his cheers.
Harmony rushed down from the docks as the energon crystals popped up next to us.
*How much!!* Her face lit up with a smile.
"At least two refuel trips! There's tons in there to cover every system in the ship twice!!" I beam.
"Solar- that's-" Siege seemed stunned by the news.
Eclipse teleported down from the top of the ship and gasped. "This is amazing!"
"Isn't it!" Wavelength pulled himself up next to her.
"We still need about 12 more carts." I chuckle watching Harmony sign our fuel levels to me.
Wavelength sighed and dropped back in. Once the carts were empty, we made our second descent. Turns out our connection was lost permanently around the halfway mark. So, so many hours later we started swimming with the last two carts.
"I'm exhausted....." I say, taking a to moment relax.
"We'll need a better system next time." Wavelength agreed. "Our frames are going to feel this tomorrow."
I chuckle at his attempt to make a joke.
"I honestly don't know why no one looked any further?" I take note.
"Huh. Now that I think about it, while most everything is unstable, the path there was fairly simple. Long and deep underground, but simple."
"Maybe it just wasn't worth it the time?" I offer an explanation.
"Maybe. It was war after all." He shrugged.
"With dwindling men as well." I hum.
"And the drumming in my audios. I swear I can hear my spark beat after being down here for so long."
"You and me both." I sigh, letting myself float for a moment. "Sounds like it's echoing from elsewhere."
"Then that's probably our cue to leave. Our systems might be stressed."
"That's probably why the energon was left behind then."
We both agree and continue swimming out with our final two crates. The Golden Crew will fly yet another day.
YOU ARE READING
Infected
FanfictionWhen the news that a planet-threatening virus has made its way onto Cybertron, rapidly infecting a large portion of the population, life certainly isn't what it was for the lively friend group. When Wavelength, a young high school student, finds an...
