TRANSFORMERS ALIENS IN DISGUISE No sooner had Doc Brown and Marty McFly left then Fox decided to send one of his warriors on a spy mission to find out what Team StarWolf was up to at the moment. The volunteer in question was Bucky Hare of course the hero of the universe. FOX: Find out all you can. It is most important that we know what Wolf and his horde are planning so we can foil them as usual. BUCKY: No sweat, boss. FOX: Remember the fate of the earthlings and their world including our own lives depends on that knowledge. BUCKY: I'll be back before you know it sir. A few hours later the top gun ace was in sight of the Decepticons fortress stronghold built into the side of a mountain range. He scanned the area with his power ring but detected no sign of enemy forces anywhere so they must be indoors at the moment he told himself. Keeping under cover, he reached the inner sanctum of the base and staying in the shadows witnessed the StarWolf leader with his daughter and Fiona Fox in some sort of conversation. WOLF: Work on repairing our starship is going according to plan. But it will all be in vain if we cannot complete the power system. FIONA: But it is completed as you requested sir! It only needs assembling. WOLF: It also needs to be tested to be certain nothing goes wrong. Report, Kate. KATE: Ion-drive power system requires testing as you suggested daddy. Unfortunately there is not enough space in our base to perform that task. Therefore I recommend exploration. FIONA: We are wasting time! Is our alien technology that bad we cannot trust our own work? KATE: I did not say it was bad. FIONA: Who asked you... WOLF: Don't you start a fight with Kate less you want her to strike you down accidentally. FIONA: My magic is just as strong as hers, he-he! Now if I had my way the ion-drive would be installed and online within seconds and we would be on our way back to CORNERIA. KATE: Oh really... you really think that would solve everything. WOLF: You do not have your way. And until then, which is unlikely to occur...you will continue to carry out orders, follow them to the letter that is. FIONA: Oooooooooh! Kate O'Donnell produced a set of blueprint plans for her father to look over as Bucky himself scanned it with his power ring. BUCKY: Now what have we here? What kind of invention is this. It was a design for a space-drive test rig which was to be an enormous tube five meters across and sixteen hundred meters long. The inside of the tube would be lined with electronic and electromagnetic equipment. BUCKY: No wonder Team StarWolf are stranded like we are. There's no place big enough to hide something like that. FIONA: Why can't the tube be created by boring into the side of a mountain and I don't mean this one. WOLF: We do not have the magic for such a huge task. FIONA: Well then sorry if I brought it up in the first place. Only trying to be helpful of course. That is when Kate detected another presence spying on her father and shouted an alarm. KATE: Alert! I detect we are not alone, someone else is spying on us. WOLF: Who dares spy upon me? KATE: A Team StarFox Autobot of course but I do not know who he or she is. BUCKY: Damn! She found me out, better evacuate the premises quick. Bucky Hare fled the same way he came into the enemy stronghold with the StarWolf terrorists firing on him trying to take him out! He returned fire back at his attackers forcing them to take cover then kept on running until emerging into the open air again floating down to the ground with the aid of his power ring then changing into Chevy Camaro disguise and raced off at top speed in a cloud of dust. Laser bolts hit the ground on both sides as the StarWolf mutants blasted away until Wolf stopped them. WOLF: He's out of range already, cease firing. Have Ravage deal with him instead. KATE: Ravage, dispose of the spy. The alien feline predator snarled and leapt off on the trail of the Camaro. Ahead the country was hilly and wooded. Bucky thought that if he could reach the cover of the forest and hills, he would have a chance of eluding his pursuer chasing him. Ravage was gaining fast as Bucky reached the hills and hit a narrow dirt road which wound through the trees. It took all of the StarFox warrior's skill to stay on course as his tires slipped and skidded on the loose gravel. But try as he might, he could not shake off Ravage. BUCKY: He's still on my 6:00...got to find some way of getting rid of him. Ahead, the dirt road was crossed by a rough narrow track running parallel along the bottom of a deep, narrow ravine. At the exact moment that Ravage opened fire with its laser gun shaped like a tail, Bucky slid in a perfectly executed four-wheel drift off the road and onto the track. BUCKY: Nyah-nyah, you missed me sucker. The track was covered with weeds and a layer of dead leaves, and Bucky's tires left easily followed ruts. Ravage closed in on its prey preparing to fire its tail gun again, but Bucky was out of sight around a bend in the track. Following the ruts, Ravage bounded into view - and then the alien feline crashed into the side of the ravine tumbled head over tail of course, blinded or disoriented by the glare of Bucky's headlights in the shade of the high banks. Bucky had remembered that Ravage's weakness was its sensitivity to bright lights. BUCKY: Down he goes for the 10-count, yes! Now to get out of here before he regains consciousness and comes after me again. By the time Ravage regained its sensors, Bucky Hare was no longer to be seen anywhere, made good his escape and long gone. Ravage prowled along the track hoping to pick up the StarFox warrior's trail, but Bucky managed to scale the steep slope leaving no evidence behind him. Growling with anger, Ravage turned a last bend and saw the ravine came to an abrupt end against a sheer hillside thickly clad in trees and undergrowth. There seemed no way through but Ravage pushed its way through the foliage. Soon he was close to the hillside - and made a discovery. There was a wide opening in the hill! Hidden from outside by the trees, a high arched entrance to what must be a cave of sorts above the feline's head. Activating its sensors, the Decepticon saboteur passed through the arch. Making its way through the darkness of the cave, Ravage's sensors recorded much data. A short distance inside, the vegetation gave way to a rough stone floor, which appeared to be level. Two strips of metal ran down the center, and there was no exit to be seen. Seconds later the alien predator was back at HQ showing its leader the holographic images it discovered. Wolf laughed madly. WOLF: Team StarFox and Bucky Hare have done us a big favor. This cave may be the means of our testing the ion-drive. With luck it will convert nicely as a space-drive test rig. I will make a personal inspection. Soon after led by Ravage who found its way back to the site of its discovery with no trouble, Wolf and his daughter explored the interior of the cave itself. KATE: Data suggests primitive earthling artifacts. Its purpose unknown at this time. Partial destruction by collapse but otherwise rest of cave remains intact. Section measures 1600 meters, diameter 5 meters. WOLF: Just what we need my dear. KATE: Yes father. Metal strips on the dirt floor suggest crude energy conductor system. WOLF: Ignore those for now. Contact base at once. I want work to begin immediately on transporting the equipment. Nothing must stand in our way of assembling the space-drive test rig and testing the ion-drive system. While at the same time Bucky was reporting to McCloud and company. BUCKY: From what I could come up with, Team StarWolf are having problems with their ion-drive. JENNY: More trouble than they're worth honey. Give me good old fashioned neutron-drive every time. This should keep those terrorists stranded for years to come. FOX: There's no guarantee of that. The Decepticons are not only evil and ruthless, they are also highly ingenious too. They will find a way out of their troubles one way or another. DEAD-EYE: Unless, that is, we can do something to stop them cold. FOX: Bucky, return to enemy HQ and see what else you can learn. But seconds later he was back with bad news to report. BUCKY: Wolf and his horde have left their HQ taking with them their technical alien equipment with them too. FOX: Oops, not good. This is worse than I thought. So he dispatched Monkey Kahn and Tigress to head out and try to pinpoint the enemy's new coordinates to which the martial artist masters of kung fu & wushu did as ordered. For a long time they scanned with their light rings reaching out through the magic before finally detecting tremor vibrations in the Force so to speak then were back as quickly as possible. It took only a moment or two to plot the location onto a 3D topographic map. William DuWitt the engineer put his finger on a small range of low hills. WILLY: Team StarWolf have set up shop somewhere there. His father Dr David DuWitt was studying the map as he spoke. DAVID: This area at one time was famous for its stone quarries in the 20th Century. They are all abandoned now but an abandoned quarry would be just the place for the Decepticons to work undisturbed. WILLY: It might be worth having a look-see. FOX: That will be difficult to say the least. Wolf and horde will be on their guard since the dark-side would alert them to our presence at all cost. WILLY: Ah, Houston...we have a problem. DEAD-EYE: Aye, what sort of problem mate? WILLY: Groceries are running low at home so Dad and I will have to drive into the city to stock up so Mom doesn't worry about having enough grub in the house. ARI: No sweat, I'll take you. I'm built for carrying supplies in my TopKick form and I enjoy a spin into San Francisco anytime. DAVID: Thanks, we could use your help sir. A short time later Ari disguised as the GMC TopKick C4500 pulled into the parking lot of a supermarket as David and William went inside to make their purchases. Soon after they returned pushing a shopping cart loaded with bags of food and drink then began loading them into the bed of the TopKick. ARI: I didn't know you humans consume so much food. Don't you ever go on a diet now and then? DAVID: We do plan carefully in eating healthy and working out too. WILLY: Hey, Dad! Look at this! He showed his father a flyer of an upcoming Auto Rally to be held in a few days notice. It detailed a map of the course from Start to Finish beginning at Fisherman's Wharf then across the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County before concluding in Hill Valley's Main Street at Courthouse Square. The route passed through the hills, along back roads...right through the area where the StarWolf Decepticons had set up shop that is. This might be just what the StarFox Autobots were looking for! DAVID: Let's get these groceries home first then back to HQ and show this to McCloud. ARI: Already on it Professor. However I'm careful not to speed or cause accidents. DAVID: Uh, try not to talk because people would not understand a car or truck that speaks while driving itself. ARI: Yes sir! WILLY: We're out of here. Moments later back at StarFox HQ, William explained the whole idea to McCloud and company. WILLY: So on the day of the rally, the back roads leading to Hill Valley will be busy with all types of off road vehicles. Team StarWolf cannot hope to stop all traffic because it would give them away. Therefore I suggest we take part in the race. FOX: Good thinking, William. Sally can be our entry in the rally, with you as driver. DAVID: You'll need a navigator to tell you when to speed up or slow down, like going into turns and such. KRYSTAL: I'll do the honors Professor. I'm good at navigating. FOX: Meanwhile I will transport the rest of my teammates in style. We'll be ready to strike once you, Sally and Krystal locate Team StarWolf. SALLY: Aye-aye! Ready to hit the open roads, he? WILLY: Ready as I'll ever be. DAVID: The route crosses the line of an old railway. And that line itself leads to one of the old stone quarries - the only one big enough to be shown on the map. My prediction is that the Decepticons are holed up there. LUPE: Ahem, Sally...if you're going to be rallying I'll have to give you a physical checkup first. SALLY: Go ahead, Doc. Make sure I'm healthy and not sick that is. LUPE: Of course... come with me then. KRYSTAL: So when does the rally start? WILLY: Possibly tomorrow is what it said on the flyer, oh here it is. KRYSTAL: Okay...so this is the route from Fisherman's Wharf to Courthouse Square in Hill Valley. What does navigators do in rally racing. William explained how they instructed their drivers when to speed up in the straights then slow down or shift to lower gear going into the turns occasionally sliding or drifting around the corners then back to high gear in the straights again. Krystal listened nodding all the while believing she had it down just right. Sally returned with Lupe saying she was in tip-top shape and ready to race to glory that is but was informed the rally began the next day so she agreed to wait until then. LUPE: Just remember to be careful out there. SALLY: Aren't I always careful? LUPE: Yes, I'm just concerned for your welfare. SALLY: Thanks, Doc. WILLY: Dad, ready to go home? DAVID: Right, better get back before your mother starts worrying about where we are. KRYSTAL: Then allow me to take you back in style, ahem! FOX: That's my wife. BUCKY: Cool...see you later William! WILLY: You too Bucky! Then the mind reading expert was on her way taking father and son back into San Francisco and home that is... END OF PART 4 OF CHAPTER 2