Can you hear me? Please...I need you to hear me. There's so much I need to tell you but there's so little time. Both for myself and for all of you.
There's too much at stake and I can't do this by myself, Drift. Please. I need you.
Even if you can only hear part of what I'm saying, you need to find the ancient temple. It's beyond the sea of rust...
Drift...
Drift...?
....Drift....
Drift jolted awake from recharge, his optics meeting a dark nearly pitch black room as he laid there his sleep deprived processor trying to catch up with what he had just dreamed about. His room was only the bare basics of what he needed; a berth, a window and a place where he could keep his swords. It was a fixed up room back on Cybertron in a building that was semi-restored so he and all those on the Lost Light could sleep while planet side. Though being an officer he didn't have to bunk with anyone but his room was also right next to Hot Rod and right across from Ultra Magnus and Skyfire. He lifts a servo up and covers his optics, checking his internal clock for the time. The speedster groans quietly to himself as he reads the time.
3:23am.
The red and white colored mech rolls onto his side and looks out the window and out over the destruction that had been left behind in the war.
War... I've only ever heard about it but I can see what it's done. This was supposed to be where I was born. Not Ka-Tire. The thoughts were quiet, a whisper almost. He and his best friend Hot Rod had been born long after the war that destroyed Cybertron was over. There were a few mechs and femmes on the Lost Light that were from those times but they didn't speak much about it. And clearly no one had returned to try and restore this broken planet. There's really not a whole lot left to salvage. All the Energon is dried up or gone to waste. Drift takes a moment to let his thoughts wander before he drags himself up out of the berth into a sitting position on the edge of it, never looking away from the scenery outside. He knows he should still be in recharge, since in an hour and a half he, Hot Rod and Ultra Magnus had to go out scouting when the light of the sun is just starting to peak. They're only leaving so early because they'll be gone all day from the others and need to make the most out of the little time they have on this world before they move on.
Drift ran one of his servos down his face as he exvents slowly, hunching over tiredly with one arm draped across his lap. He was exhausted but he couldn't do much about it. He's been getting hardly any rest and he hasn't been able to hold down his energon when Hot Rod would want to eat with him. It was either really strange dreams or it was like someone was trying to talk to him and this night was the worst. At about 9:20pm he had tried to recharge but that voice...three times tonight he woke up from that same dream.
But this time it sounded so much more clear. He could hear most of what was said but it was hard to make out the words, like he was underwater and they were softly talking. Something about the sea of rust, he was certain. And speaking of, there was something about time as well.
Drift lowers his hand from his face and looks over to his great sword that was innocently leaning against the wall by the rack holding his two katanas and the gem on it softly glowed. Looking at the glowing gem he got a sense of foreboding and heaviness and he stands up and takes careful and quiet steps over to it. He walked quietly because these rooms weren't soundproof and easily echoed, and having a room right next to a heavy sleeper while also surrounded by light sleepers in this corridor of officers...well, it wasn't such a pleasant time. For anyone. He reaches his great sword and takes it in hand by the handle, feeling that familiar comforting warmth for a moment as he holds it close, soothing those feelings of foreboding and heaviness. The crew may question his beliefs, may question the validity of whether or not the sword he is holding is actually alive but Drift believed in it. He had faith.
After settling those feelings he carefully puts the great sword back in its' original spot and turns towards the window and makes his way over, stopping about a foot away from it as he looks down across the ruins. Drift tried to imagine what it could have looked like back in the Golden Age, to see why mechs like Ultra Magnus held this planet in such high regard but...he just couldn't. With a disappointed sigh he goes back to his berth and sits back down in his original spot. Might as well meditate, I'm not going to be getting much more recharge tonight... Drift thinks to himself and gets into his meditating pose, closing his optics as he lets his exhausted frame relax...
---
"DRIIIIFT!"
Jolting out of meditation Drift blinked his optics as his Amica, Hot Rod, bursts through the locked door - having put in his captains' override code - and looking like the morning person he knows some of the other officers aren't. That shout had probably woken everyone up on this floor from their nice deep recharge but the white and red speedster couldn't help but find it amusing as he smiles at his best friend and stretches out his limbs. "Good morning to you as well, Captain." Drift teased, feeling much better than he had an hour ago not that he's meditated. Hot Rod sticks out his glossa with a cute pout before his expression changes back to his happy one. "We're going to be looking through the sea of rust today per Mags' suggestion." Hot Rod stated and now Drift knew why his red and yellow colored Amica was so excited. The ever famed 'sea of rust' that some of the older mechs have mentioned. Hot Rod had declared ages ago that the next time they visited Cybertron that they would have to check out the sea of rust.
"You mean by your declaration? I remember quite clearly, Roddy, that you once stated that we would visit that place?" Drift lifted an optical ridge, giving his friend a look.
Hot Rod's faceplates heat up a little and he pouts. Drift just rolls his optics at this and stands up, stretching his stiff arms above his head and feeling his tensed shoulder cables loosen and ah, that felt better. "Need a minute to go through your morning stretches Drift?" Hot Rod asked, always willing to put plans on hold if someone needed a moment and Drift just waved a servo dismissively. "I don't need it. I went through them last night since I couldn't sleep." Worry crossed the red and yellow colored mech's faceplates and he crossed the room in a few strides and grabs onto white shoulders and two sets of bright blue optics lock onto each other and for a moment all was quiet before Hot Rod spoke up again this time sounding serious, "Again? That's the sixth time in a row that you haven't gotten any sleep." the slightly shorter mech pauses for a second, "If you need to talk Drift you know you can come to me right? We're Amica after all. And if you need some time to yourself today-"
"Roddy, no, stop. I'm fine." Drift interrupted and reaches up and places his own hands on Hot Rod's shoulders. "I promise, I'm fine. I'm still good to go in coming with you two." Drift could see that Hot Rod was not convinced and Drift's expression turned into something more comforting and silence was all that was between them for a moment as they silently communicated to each other. Hot Rod's faceplates brightened and Drift's spark eased at seeing his best friend believe his words. "Well if you're fine, then that's all that matters to me! Anyway, Mags is down in the rec-room and said that we're to be leaving in five minutes." The swordsmech nods his helm at this in understanding. Though he couldn't quite keep the surprise off his faceplates at hearing that Ultra Magnus was already up and about.
"Mags has been up for the past ten minutes." Hot Rod said, noticing the surprised look. The white and red mech shook his helm and grinned back at Hot Rod. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Magnus is already up. He always gets up before the sun dies no matter where we are." He said with amusement and the red and yellow speedster in front of him laughs. Drift always liked it when his best friend laughed, like nothing was wrong and he couldn't help but place his servo on top of Hot Rod's helm and playfully shoves the other mech away. A playfully offended squawk leaves the other's vocalizer and golden fists are raised. "You want to go Drift?" It was all in jest as Drift raised his own servos and grinned back. "I'll take you up on that challenge, Roddy. Just don't cry to Magnus when I beat your aft again."
"Oh it is on!"
---
Ultra Magnus, the second in command of the Lost Light and one of Hot Rod's close confidants, was impatiently waiting by the entrance of the rec-room for both Drift and Hot Rod. It was twenty minutes past the time they were supposed to have left to go scout around for any materials to repair the ship so they could continue their journey to the Hub to restock. Springer, a mech of soft shades of yellow and green, was sitting at one of the makeshift tables with a cube of energon in his servos as his blue optics watched the officer's slightly pinched expression. "You know, Magnus, you're going to permanently look like you just swallowed a rust cube if you keep your faceplates so pinched up like that." Springer said with a slight smile as he lifted the cube to his intake. Ultra Magnus turns his head to look at the triple changing mech and pinches the bridge of his nose. "It's been almost twenty-five minutes and we're behind schedule. The others will be waking up soon and Hot Rod, Drift and I have to get going if we're to repair our engines before the Lost Light runs out of fuel sitting out there."
A hum from Springer was the blue and red mech's reply to his words.
It wasn't a huge cause of worry for the engines, they still have four backup ones but Ultra Magnus didn't want to have to wait on the repairs. At the very least cut down on the cost of said repairs when they get to the Hub or some nearby planet where they can hire a mechanic for the engines. In all honesty Springer could understand why Ultra Magnus wouldn't want to stay for longer than necessary; things on Cybertron have gotten...rather dire. As in, there's creatures here that have developed since the planet went dark. Old experiments of Shockwave's that escaped and mutated.
Or so Springer has been told by the older mechs.
"I understand Magnus, but I highly doubt that they would have left without you. Captain seemed rather excited last night to explore Cybertron with you and Drift. Nor do I think that the two are sleeping in, Drift is very good at getting up on time for just about everything so if anything he's probably trying to get Captain out of the berth." Springer explained, leaning back so his back was against the wall as he lowers his energon cube down onto the table.
The large mech just huffs, crossing his arms across his chassis.