The Veiled Threat by Alan Dean Foster Page A

for a certainty, it’s that Optimus Prime
always
has his reasons. Keep in mind also that he knows this world and its dominant organic species better than anyone. We are no longer alone in this fight against Starscream and cannot act as if we are.”
    “Humans. If not out of consideration for them andtheir ‘feelings,’ we could scour this world far more openly. We would already have found Starscream and dealt with him! If he is even
on
this world any longer.”
    “Do not be so sure of yourself. Starscream’s cunning exceeds even his physical abilities. Furthermore, in his Earth guise he can travel farther and faster than any of us. It forces him to appear as himself when he touches ground, but it also gives him great range and the ability to conceal himself in many places.”
    “
I’d
find him.” Coming to life with a roar, the motorcycle lofted an impressive fishtail of beach sand as it wheelied toward the water. At the last possible instant it spun around, kicking sand and dirt into the sea, and returned to rejoin the tow truck.
    “You shouldn’t do that.” Longarm would have shaken his head had he been presenting one. “Even on this island across from the humans’ main base we’re not supposed to reveal ourselves or our abilities unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
    “What abilities?” Knockout flashed his headlight. “I haven’t altered my appearance.”
    “No, but there is no driver on your seat. It is not normal for human vehicles to move about under their own power without a guiding human on board. When we are out like this, even on the island that is headquarters for NEST, we need to be careful not to draw attention to ourselves.”
    Knockout rumbled sullenly. “So much time spent underground. Nowhere to explore. I chose this guise for its aesthetics and mobility, but also because it can cover long distances at high speed. I want to make use of it, not be strangled by it.”
    “As long as there are Decepticons to worry about, we must restrict our activities and our actions.” Longarm spoke sternly to his compatriot. “Our other objective is to protect our human allies. It is not to go gallivanting about this new world as though all were right with the cosmos.”
    “But it’s such an
interesting
world,” Knockout objected. “Even some of the humans, those not constipated by self-importance and a surplus of gravity, are interesting. I want to see more of their home and meet more of them.”
    “Collective survival must perforce take precedence over individual satisfaction.” Longarm’s tone was somber. “There will be ample time for exploration and enjoyment once our aims have been accomplished.”
    “ ‘Our aims.’ ” The motorcycle roared petulantly. “How many more long cycles must we wait before these are accomplished? Is existence until then to be restricted to nothing more than waiting and fighting, waiting and fighting?”
    “Until the last fight, it must always be so.”
    “And will there be a ‘last’ fight?”
    Engaging its engine, the tow truck started to back up toward the road. “Optimus thinks so. Megatron is finished. Terminate Starscream on this world and manage the journey back to Cybertron. Then we can at last begin to rebuild that which was destroyed, and recover all that was lost to us.” With the motorcycle hastening to catch up, the truck turned and rumbled out onto the island’s single track.
    “Meanwhile, Optimus Prime is our leader and wemust do as he says. I have never known him to err in judgment.”
    “There’s always a first time.”
    The truck’s brakes locked up. “What? What did you say, Knockout?”
    “Nothing.” The motorcycle’s engine revved loudly. “Race you back to the base!”
    Longarm did not even make the attempt. The other Autobot’s capacity to accelerate exceeded that of his own heavier guise by several orders of magnitude. Sand and gravel spit backward by the cycle’s rear tire clinked off Longarm’s grille and