Transformers Prime: Project Nitrox

The Worst Kind of Surprise

As Springer's team was in for a long ride, Silverbolt put the ship on autopilot and Springer told everyone to enter deep space stasis lock. The Hammerhead's dark matter drives made quick work of the journey. However, as they approached the planet, the ship got caught in some debris, damaging some of its sensors, specifically it's gravity assist sensors. So as the ship approached the planet, it could not detect the planet's gravity and didn't accommodate accordingly. The Hammerhead began to entire a nosedive headed straight for the ground, proximity alarms blaring. Eventually, the ship woke Springer from stasis, who groaned before realizing the situation.

"Scrap!" Springer shouted. He then quickly woke up the others and explained the situation, causing them all to immediately rush to their stations.

"Silverbolt, get us out of this nosedive!" Springer commanded.

"This ain't gonna be pretty. Hang on tight guys!" Silverbolt called out.

Silverbolt pulled back as hard as he could on the control stick, which pulled the Hammerhead out of its nosedive. However, it couldn't correct itself fast enough, as soon a line of organic spires appeared in the path of the Hammerhead.

"Brace for impact!" Silverbolt shouted just before hitting the spires. However, instead of the rough collision he expected, the Hammerhead barreled straight through the spires, knocking them out of the way.

"That was...anticlimactic." Bluestreak said in his bored tone.

"It looks like our ship is too durable for these strange spikes," Springer said, "Silverbolt, land us in the nearest open field."

"Sir!" Silverbolt responded. However as he began to fold out some landing skids, the ship shook slightly as several loud scraping and tearing noises were heard.

"What in the name of Solus Prime was that?" Minerva called back.

"That, Red, was our landing gear." Silverbolt replied.

"Scrap," Bluestreak said through gritted teeth, "Springer, what do we do?"

Springer looked at the instruments in front of him in hopes that one would reveal something. Lucky for him, one did.

"Silverbolt, are you slowing down the ship?" Springer asked.

"No sir," Silverbolt replied, "Do you need me to?"

"No no. These weird spires all slowing us down plenty, just keep lowering her steadily, and we should be free to land."

"Are you crazy?!" Minerva shouted, "The patient can't be jostled around and-"

"I know, Minerva," Springer interrupted, "but our landing struts are nonexistent. Our best bet is to land on the hull and let friction do the rest of the work."

Minerva growled, then sighed, "Yes sir."

"Silverbolt, on my signal, kill the engines." Springer ordered.

"Right!"

"3..."

Bluestreak hurried over to Minerva to help tighten the ship's hold on the stasis pod.

"2..."

Silverbolt began shutting of instruments as to make sure certain unnecessary alarms wouldn't go off.

"1..."

Minerva began pressing several buttons on the pod in an attempt to stabilize the pod before the crash, but before she could finish...

"NOW!" Springer shouted. Silverbolt cut the engines, and the ship hit the ground around the spires with a loud thud as it began to skid along the ground, leaving a rather large ditch in its wake.