My plasma tests went well, if you don’t count igniting The Range on fire. After the flare-up, I pulled IronHide out of storage to dig a trench between The Range and the treeline of the forest. I figured it wouldn’t hurt. Remember, only you can prevent forest fires. I said that to Elita but she gave me a confused, what-are-you-on-about, look for my troubles.

Once I got the containment field working properly, I was able to hold a mass of superheated plasma at the blunt end of my second hammer. The first one was sacrificed in learning that I needed to use the containment field to protect the hammer itself from the heat of the plasma. The mass was intentionally quite thin, only a few millimeters thick, but it was more than enough to cause some pretty serious damage to whatever came in contact with it.

By the way, my left hand is now down to three fingers until I can get a new finger replacement crafted. My inner, right digit... melted... The tiniest little blob of plasma touched it, but that’s all it took. A lot like burning your finger when working with a hot-glue gun, I suppose. Something else to toss on the list of body parts that need repair or replacement along with the right side of my face and eye. I'll get to it eventually.

When the plasma is outside of the containment field, it dissipates and cools rapidly— which is a good thing. I figured that I’d have to charge it up before use and then it would only be good for a single attack. Still, it should pack a heck of a wallop. With the hammer finished, I was able to power through the rest of the armor as it was mostly standard armor and motorcycle bits.

I was in the middle of wrapping copper wire for LandMine’s wheel motor when Alfred and the Knight Watch squad arrived at the front gate. Via Sentinel, I went out to greet them along with Mara as well as Scara and Mixie from the construction team.

“Mornin’,” Sentinel called out to them, “You’ve had quite the trip. Wasn’t too exciting, I hope. Plenty more excitement to be had, this afternoon. I’m Sentinel Prime, come on in, and welcome to AutomaTown.”

Each of the newcomers had been given temporary pass tokens that would allow them passage through the gate and past the barrier system. Once through, Alfred tossed the token to Sentinel, who pocketed it before reaching out and touching Alfred’s chest. A brief, wireless exchange, and a data packet with a permanent, code-based token was transmitted for Alfred to install.

“Master Prime?” Prowl asked, passing through the gate.

“Nope, I’m a proxy too. I’m the chief of security ‘round here and try to make sure that all our residents have what they need to be productive and happy.”

“Just how many proxies are there?” asked Alika, passing through the gate.

“Active? Or in total, including offline proxies?”

“Active, I guess,” Alika shrugged.

“Lessee,” Sentinel said as he looked to the sky while mumbling and counting on his fingers. “Seven.”

“Seven, that’s crazy,” Kalua said, coming through the gate. “This Prime guy, can control up to seven puppets? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Is that all of them?” Remi asked, stepping past the barrier.

“Not telling,” Sentinel replied, “any other questions?”

Rebecca stepped though but didn’t say anything. In fact, she looked defeated and worn down.

“Um, I have a question,” JaffMeern said, raising a hammer. “How do I get in? The gate’s a bit small for me. Oooh, yeah it is, in’t it. I adn’t noticed at first.”

“No problem chaps,” Alfred stepped out. “I’ll lead you around to our larger gate for carts and such. We’ll get you sorted.”

“Thanks Alfred, yer da best. Yes, thank you Mister Alfred.”

JaffMeern followed Alfred further up the road as the former Knight Watch looked uncomfortably to one another.

“Not to worry,” Sentinel assured them, “while they make their way around to the heavy gate, let me just say that we’re happy to have you. You’re more than welcome to stay with us, and we’ll even do what we can to give you your own space and make you comfortable. We just ask that you help out where you can.”

“I appreciate the offer,” Alika said, stepping forward and looking to the others. “But, I think I’m going to keep moving east. I want to see what has become of my homeland.”

“Me too,” Kalua said, placing a hand on Alika’s shoulder. “I’ll go with you at least until we get to the border. I don’t know if my tree-top village is even still around. I think it’s been thirty years since I was abducted from it.”

“I really don’t have anywhere to go,” Prowl reasoned, suddenly looking shy, “I think I’d like to try living here... if it’s okay.”

“Of course,” Sentinel said, collecting the tokens from Alika and Kalua. “We’ll get you set up with a permanent Token soon. Each one is unique so that we can track who comes and goes through the barrier.” To Rebecca and Remi, he said “How about you guys?”

Remi looked thoughtful for a while before answering. “Eventually, I’d like to go back out to sea... but for now, I’ll throw in with you lot.”

“Welcome aboard. Rebecca?”

“I’m sorry, this seems like a really nice village and all, and I appreciate what you’re trying to do for us... but I need to find out what happened to my children,” Rebecca said, looking apprehensive.

“I understand,” Sentinel said, as he took the offered token from her. “If the three of you need anything, let us know. You’ll always be welcome here. Thank you for bringing Alfred and the girls here safely.”

Alika nodded and took Sentinel’s offered hand before heading back out the gate to wait for the others. Prowl wrapped her arms around Kalua and Rebecca, giving them hugs and Remi gave them a casual salute.

“I hope we’ll meet again,” Prowl said, giving them another squeeze. “I love you guys, you’ve been like my family.”

Kalua rubbed the top of her head, “Stay clean 17.”

Rebecca returned the hug, picking Prowl up in her large arms. “I’ll miss you 17. My babies need me, but then we’ll come back here.”

With good-byes said and hands waved, the three former guard Automata continued on the road leading to Trone. Sentinel turned to regard the remaining two.

“I’m glad you guys are here and that you decided to stay with us,” he began, “but full disclosure, we are expecting a contingent from the Capital in just a few hours and we expect that they mean to wipe us all out. Just so that you know.”

“So we’ll need to fight,” Prowl stated.

“Only if you want to. I’m pretty confident that we can send them packin’, but if in the event that we can’t... then yes, or run. No one will judge you for either choice.”

“Okay,” Remi spoke up, “so what do we do in the meantime?”

“Right, pardon my ill manners. This is Scara and Mixie,” Sentinel said, gesturing to the two. Both had feminine looking frames with reinforced and upgraded shoulders, arms, and legs, while Scara was about five feet tall with long yellow-green wire hair and Mixie was four and a half feet tall with spiky purple hair. Both of them wore dusty, gray coveralls. “They are members of our construction team, chat with them and they’ll find available rooms for you if you desire and work on any reconstruction that it might need for you. Once you’re done with them, Mara here from our hunting team will give you the grand tour and introduce you to everyone.”

“Will we get to meet Master Prime?” Prowl asked.

“Sure, Mara, bring them to the workshop after your tour, or The Range if you don’t see him.”

Mara nodded and led our new residents over to the inn along with Scara and Mixie. Back at the workshop, I’d completed my wheel motor and was attaching the linkages I’d need in order to let me transform while in the armor. Massive and heavy thuds shook everything in the workshop and all the tools and materials rattled around with each one.

I set down my work and stepped out onto the covered porch in front of my workshop to find Elita sitting on the couch playing Battle Beasts with Grappa, another from our construction team. In front of my shop, and disconnected from the boulder cart, sat JaffMeern, looking slightly afraid, and extremely nervous. His head swiveled around trying to take in as much as possible and glancing at every movement around him as other residents went about their morning routines.

“Jaff and Meern, I presume. My name is Prime. What can I do for you today?”