The tenacious MT was determined to discover the whereabouts of his fellow troopers. So far, he was unable to pick up even the slightest signal from his unit, but did manage to gather bits of intelligence about something disturbing called Zorennor. From what MT-106 could piece together, a rift in space had appeared somewhere in Glyos. It was believed to be extremely dangerous, and reports of missing ships had-
The realization hit him hard. The MTs are lost...in Zorennor! He cursed his sentience as thought after thought bombarded his synthetic mind, eliciting feelings of sadness, dread, anger. Why am I on this cursed planet instead of with my unit? Maybe I could have saved them!
MT-106 got his emotions in check before contacting MT-09. There is a chance the MTs are still alive, and getting mad won’t help them. He told his leader what he had learned from the intercepted transmissions and MT-09 agreed that chances were high their unit’s lack of communication had to do with the ominous Zorennor. An emergency meeting was called to share the facts with MT-27 and MT-48.
Rushing to meet the troopers, MT-106 almost missed the faint but steady beeping that began to emanate from the portable receiver. The signal analyzer, automatically comparing the tone to the countless samples in its database, quickly identified a match: the homing beacon of the MT Transport.
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MT-09, MT-27, MT-48, and MT-106 were in agreement; they would disobey a direct order and depart before Argen’s return. Blatant disregard of a command went against every fiber of their being, but what was the alternative? Leave their commander and fellow troopers in peril? That was not an option.
“OK, listen up,” MT-09 barked. “The MT Transport’s signal has been analyzed and confirmed. I have secured and armed a small shuttle for us. We leave immediately.”
The realization of what they had decided silenced the battle-hardened gendrones. Never before had they defied authority, but they knew what had to be done. The MTs cared deeply for MT-01 and their unit, leaving no choice but to search for them. The transformation from obedient hunks of metal to free thinking beings was complete and emotions ran high.
“Do you remember how glorious we were in battle?” MT-48 asked wistfully. “Wave after wave of green death crashing down upon our enemies without mercy. I long for those days again. We have to rescue our brothers!” The MT raised his arm, fist tightly clenched. “We must find...the Lost Wave!”
Without another word, the troopers marched off toward the ship. Once on board, MT-106 docked the portable receiver and programmed the navigation system to follow the signal. The MTs lifted off and slid out of Rilleco’s atmosphere undetected. Their journey into the unknown had begun.
