Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. Hasbro and Dreamwave do. If I left anyone out, I apologize. Please don't sue me. This is for entertainment purposes only.
This is my first in a series of screenplays. This is my continuation of the original Transformers cartoon. It picks up where the original cartoon left off and continues from there.
This story is called "Cause of Madness." It was written by Robert A. Jung. You can visit his website called "Electric Escape." I am using this story by permission. Thanks, Rob!
CAUSE OF MADNESS
PART 1NARRATOR: MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO, ON THE DISTANT PLANET OF CYBERTRON, THERE LIVED A RACE OF BEINGS KNOWN AS THE TRANSFORMERS. THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE PLANET'S HISTORY, IT'S TWO RACES, THE AUTOBOTS AND THE DECEPTICONS, HAVE WAGED A BRUTAL CIVIL WAR. IN THE YEAR 1984, THE WAR HAD COME TO EARTH, WHERE THE AUTOBOTS, LED BY THE COURAGEOUS OPTIMUS PRIME, HAD ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE HUMANS, AMONG THEM SPIKE WITWICKY. HOWEVER, BY THE YEAR 2005, THE TREACHEROUS DECEPTICONS, LED BY MEGATRON, HAD FINALLY CONQUERED CYBERTRON. THEN CAME UNICRON. HE CARED NOTHING OF THE AUTOBOT-DECEPTICON WAR. HE MERELY WANTED TO DEVOUR CYBERTRON AND ELIMINATE ALL LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE. COUNTLESS TRANSFORMERS DIED BEFORE UNICRON FELL. AMONG THEM WERE OPTIMUS PRIME AND MEGATRON, WHO WAS REMADE INTO GALVATRON. AFTER UNICRON WAS DESTROYED, THE HEROIC AUTOBOTS, UNDER THEIR NEW LEADER RODIMUS PRIME, EASILY REGAINED CONTROL OF THEIR HOMEWORLD. HE LED THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR 2006, FREQUENTLY THWARTING THE SCHEMES OF GALVATRON, WHO WAS NOW COMPLETELY INSANE. BUT WHEN THE HATE PLAGUE BROKE OUT AND INFECTED NEARLY ALL OF THE TRANSFORMERS, OPTIMUS PRIME WAS RESTORED TO LIFE. HE MANAGED TO STOP THE PLAGUE AND REGAIN LEADERSHIP OF THE AUTOBOTS. NOW, IT IS THE YEAR 2007. IT HAS BEEN MONTHS SINCE THE RESTORATION OF CYBERTRON'S GOLDEN AGE. WITH THE HEROIC AUTOBOTS IN FIRM CONTROL OF THEIR HOMEWORLD, THEY, ALONG WITH THEIR HEADMASTERS AND TARGETMASTERS, HAVE REBUILT THE PLANET NEBULOS. NOW FREE OF THEIR HEADMASTER AND TARGETMASTER PARTNERS, THE TWELVE AUTOBOTS, EXCEPT CEREBROS, HAVE RETURNED TO CYBERTRON. AND WITH HIS INJURIES FULLY HEALED, SPIKE'S SON DANIEL HAS BEEN FREED FROM HIS BOND TO ARCEE. NOW HE AND SPIKE HAVE REUNITED WITH CARLY AND HAVE ESTABLISHED RESIDENCES ON BOTH CYBERTRON AND EARTH. AS FOR THE EVIL DECEPTICONS, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN HEARD FROM SINCE THE DISASTROUS INCIDENT WITH THE PLASMA ENERGY CHAMBER. FROM WITHIN THE SUPER-HEADMASTER SCORPONOK, THEY HAVE ATTACKED REMOTE WORLDS AND DRAINED THEM OF THEIR ENERGY, STOCKING UP ON MUCH-NEEDED ENERGON CUBES FOR SURVIVAL. NOW, BACK ON CHARR, THEIR HEADMASTER AND TARGETMASTER PARTNERS HAVE BEEN SLAIN AND SCORPONOK DESTROYED. THEY GATHER THEIR NUMBERS IN HOPES OF ONE DAY RECLAIMING CYBERTRON FROM THE AUTOBOTS. THEY KNOW THAT, WITH THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP, THEY MAY SOMEDAY RESTORE THE GLORY OF THE DECEPTICON EMPIRE.
(WE SEE GALVATRON SITTING ON HIS THRONE)
NARRATOR: MANY WONDER, HOWEVER, IF THEIR CURRENT LEADERSHIP WILL LEAD TO THEIR DOWNFALL INSTEAD.
(GALVATRON LAUGHS MANIACALLY)
(COMMERCIAL)
(WE SEE TROJAN UNPLUG HIMSELF FROM A COMPUTER. HE CLIMBS OUT OF HIS SEAT AND CHECKS HIS INTERNAL CHRONOMETERS. HE BLINKS HIS OPTICS IN SHOCK.)
TROJAN: TEN ASTRO-HOURS? BY THE MATRIX! I DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS ON THE COMPUTER THAT LONG!
(TROJAN WALKS OUT OF THE COMPUTER ROOM.)
D/D
(TROJAN IS WALKING INTO THE LOUNGE. HE SEES DREADWIND SITTING NEARBY, HOLDING A CAN OF LIQUID ENERGON.)
TROJAN: (AS HE IS SITTING DOWN) HELLO, DREAD.
DREADWIND: WHAT'S IT TO YOU?
(HE TWIRLS THE CAN AND STARES AT IT.)
DREADWIND: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
TROJAN: POUNDING ON THE COMPUTER, AS USUAL.
DREADWIND: (GRUNTS) DOES GALVATRON REALLY EXPECT YOU TO FIND A HOLE IN THE AUTOBOTS' DATA NET?
TROJAN: YOU NEVER KNOW. A LOT OF THEIR STUFF'S OPEN AIR.
DREADWIND: (GRUNTS) NOTHING IMPORTANT, THOUGH?
TROJAN: NO, NOTHING IMPORTANT.
(HE LACES HIS FINGERS BACK AND FORTH)
TROJAN: BUT GALVATRON SAID SO AND THAT'S THAT.
(TROJAN LOOKS UP. ASTROTRAIN ENTERS THE ROOM. HE PULLS UP A CHAIR AND JOINS THEM.)
ASTROTRAIN: HI, TROJAN. HELLO, DREADWIND. WHAT'S GOING ON?
TROJAN: OH, JUST TALKING ABOUT GALVATRON A LITTLE BIT.
ASTROTRAIN: OH, PLEASE!
(HE CLAMPS HIS HANDS OVER HIS MOUTH. HE GLANCES AROUND, THEN RELAXES. HE LEANS FORWARD SLIGHTLY.)
ASTROTRAIN: HE'S BEEN MAKING ME RUN PATROLS OUT NEAR SERRIUS SECTOR FOR THE LAST SIX DAYCYCLES. DO YOU KNOW HOW DULL IT IS OUT THERE?
(DREADWIND TAKES A DRINK)
DREADWIND: PATROLS FOR WHAT?
ASTROTRAIN: HE SAYS IN CASE THE AUTOBOTS ARE BUILDING A SECRET BASE. WELL, LET ME TELL YOU, THERE AIN'T ENOUGH OF ANYTHING OUT THERE TO BUILD A TOASTER OVEN WITH, MUCH LESS A BASE.
TROJAN: YOU KNOW, BACK ON CYBERTRON, I WAS OUT IN KELSAR DOING HACK WORK FOR LORD THUNDERWING.
DREADWIND: (GRUNTS) THUNDERWING. HE WAS A BLOW HARD.
(TROJAN SHRUGS)
TROJAN: ANYWAY, I SAW A LOT OF PERSONNEL RECORDS IN MY DUTIES, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER HEARING OF GALVATRON BEFORE. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HE EXISTED UNTIL I GOT HERE.
ASTROTRAIN: THAT'S NOT SURPRISING. NOBODY HAD HEARD OF GALVATRON, CYCLONUS, SCOURGE, OR THE SWEEPS UNTIL RIGHT BEFORE UNICRON POPPED UP.
TROJAN: OH, YEAH?
(HE LEANS CLOSER TO ASTROTRAIN.)
ASTROTRAIN: YEAH. I FIRST SAW HIM WHEN I GOT BACK TO CYBERTRON.
(WE FLASH BACK TO EVENTS IN "TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE")
ASTROTRAIN: (VOICE) MEGATRON HAD LED THE INVASION OF AUTOBOT CITY, ON EARTH, WHERE HE KILLED OPTIMUS PRIME. BUT MEGATRON WAS REALLY DINGED UP FROM THE FIGHT, AND I WAS LOW ON FUEL FOR THE TRIP BACK, SO STARSCREAM GOT HIM DUMPED INTO SPACE. THEN STARSCREAM GOT HIMSELF NAMED AS DECEPTICON LEADER—I'M STILL NOT SURE HOW—AND WE WERE AT WARRIORS' HALL FOR HIS "CORONATION CEREMONY." STARSCREAM WAS JUST STARTING TO MAKE A SPEECH WHEN GALVATRON AND CYCLONUS SHOWED UP. STARSCREAM MUST HAVE BEEN REALLY SURPRISED, BECAUSE HE THOUGHT IT WAS MEGATRON AT FIRST. GALVATRON THEN BLEW HIM AWAY LIKE HE WAS NOTHING.
DREADWIND: (VOICE) HEH! HE HAD IT COMING.
ASTROTRAIN: (VOICE) YEAH. ANYWAY, NOBODY WANTED TO MESS WITH THAT KIND OF POWER, SO GALVATRON BECAME TOP 'CON. HE WASN'T LOONEY THEN EITHER. I DIDN'T GET TO SEE HIM MUCH THEN, BUT YOU COULD SENSE THAT HE WAS CUNNING AND MERCILESS, THE KIND OF DECEPTICON YOU COULD ADMIRE, YOU KNOW? BUT I THINK HE LOST IT AFTER UNICRON WAS DESTROYED. I'M PRETTY SURE THOSE TWO HAD SOMETHING GOING.
TROJAN: (VOICE) WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?
ASTROTRAIN: (VOICE) WELL, I REMEMBER SOMETHING, SOON AFTER UNICRON CHOMPED ON ONE OF CYBERTRON'S MOONS. WE WERE ALL STILL AT THE HALL, AND GALVATRON SHOUTS . . .
GALVATRON: NO, UNICRON! CYBERTRON AND ITS MOONS BELONG TO ME!
ASTROTRAIN: (VOICE) THEN HE KEELS OVER IN PAIN, CLUTCHING HIS HEAD, AND SCOURGE SAYS . . .
SCOURGE: WE BELONG TO HIM.
ASTROTRAIN: (VOICE) SOMETHING LIKE THAT. ANYWAY, GALVATRON RAN OFF AND STAGED SEVERAL ATTACKS, BUT I GOT REASSIGNED AND DIDN'T SEE MOST OF THAT. AND AFTER UNICRON GOT BLASTED, . . .
(WE NOW SEE EVENTS IN "THE FIVE FACES OF DARKNESS")
ASTROTRAIN: (VOICE) . . . THEY FOUND GALVATRON LYING FACEDOWN IN A LAVA POOL ON THRULL, JUST BURBLING AWAY.
(FLASH BACK TO REALITY)
ASTROTRAIN: NEVER HEARD HOW HE GOT THERE, BUT I'LL BET THAT'S THE REASON WE'RE ON THIS ROCK RIGHT NOW.
DREADWIND: (JOKINGLY) MAYBE HE'S ATTACHED TO THIS PLACE.
(HE FINISHES HIS DRINK)
ASTROTRAIN: YEAH, WELL, HE CAN GET REALLY SENSITIVE ABOUT UNICRON. DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN NEEDLENOSE GOT KNOCKED UP IN THE INFIRMARY LAST MONTH? THAT WAS BECAUSE HE HAD SUGGESTED TO GALVATRON ABOUT SETTING UP AN OUTPOST AT UNICRON'S HEAD, TO MAKE IT EASIER TO SPY ON THE AUTOBOTS. NOSE DIDN'T GET IN AN ACCIDENT; GALVATRON DID ALL THAT DAMAGE. THEY SAID HE WAS READY TO TEAR THE GUY TO PIECES IF SCOURGE HADN'T BUTTED IN. FOR A TIME, I THOUGHT MEGATRON AND GALVATRON WERE THE SAME GUY. NOW I'M NOT SO SURE.
TROJAN: HOW COME?
ASTROTRAIN: WELL, ONE TIME I ASKED HIM ABOUT MEGATRON, AND HE HAD NO IDEA WHO I WAS TALKING ABOUT. HE SAID THE ONLY THING HE KNEW ABOUT MEGATRON WAS THAT HE HAD FIRST KILLED OPTIMUS PRIME AND THAT HE WAS NOW DEAD AFTER PRIME INJURED HIM WITH HIS DYING BREATH. AND AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TO NEEDLENOSE LAST MONTH, I'M AFRAID TO ASK HIM ANYTHING ABOUT UNICRON.
TROJAN: (TEASING) YOU MAKE IT SOUND LIKE GALVATRON'S NOT FIT TO LEAD!
ASTROTRAIN: HEY, NOT ME! I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT I HEARD! THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I BELIEVE ANY OF THAT STUFF.
(ASTROTRAIN GLANCES AROUND THE ROOM)
ASTROTRAIN: ANYWAY, I HAVE TO GO.
TROJAN: (WHILE GETTING UP) I'D BETTER BE GOING AS WELL. I'VE GOT TO GET BACK TO WORK. GOOD-BYE, ASTROTRAIN. GOOD-BYE, DREAD.
(DREADWIND GRUNTS)
D/D
(TROJAN IS WALKING TOWARD THE COMPUTER ROOM)
TROJAN: I KNEW I HAD NEVER HEARD OF GALVATRON BEFORE. I'VE FOUND PROFILES OF OVER 14,000 AUTOBOTS AND DECEPTICONS AND DETAILED RECORDS FOR OVER 2,000 MORE. GALVATRON, SCOURGE, AND CYCLONUS SHOULD HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO ME A LONG TIME AGO. THE CHARR COMPUTERS HAVE NO RECORDS OF THEM EITHER, AND I'VE FERRETED OUT EVERY HIDDEN FILE AND CLASSIFIED RECORD IN THE DECEPTICON SYSTEM.
(HE WALKS INTO THE COMPUTER ROOM AND SITS BEHIND HIS DESK. HE FLIPS HIS RIGHT INDEX FINGER TO REVEAL A DATALINK CABLE. HE PLUGS HIMSELF INTO THE COMPUTER.)
TROJAN: THE ONLY WAY GALVATRON'S PAST COULD REMAIN UNKNOWN TO ME IS BECAUSE THAT DATA WAS NEVER ENTERED AT ALL. ASTROTRAIN JUST PROVIDED ME WITH A TREASURE CHEST FULL OF NEW INFORMATION. I HAVE TO KNOW MORE.
(COMMERCIAL)
(TROJAN IS FLYING TOWARD THE HEAD OF UNICRON IN HIS JET MODE. HE FLIES BEHIND IT SO THAT IT IS INVISIBLE FROM CYBERTRON. HE FLIES OVER THE TOP, AND THROUGH ONE OF UNICRON'S SHATTERED EYES. HE LANDS AND TRANSFORMS TO ROBOT MODE. HE LOOKS AROUND WHERE HE IS.)
TROJAN: WOW!
(HE TAKES HIS FIRST STEPS HESITANTLY. TROJAN TURNS ON HIS MICROPHONES AND OPTICS FOR ANY SIGNS OF ACTIVITY. THERE IS NONE. A LAMP LIGHTS UP ON HIS HELMET.)
TROJAN: IF GALVATRON KNEW I WAS HERE, HE'D BLOW MY BRAINS OUT.
(FLASH BACK TO EARLIER IN THE DAY. TROJAN IS TALKING TO GALVATRON, WHO IS SITTING ON HIS THRONE.)
TROJAN: MAY I REQUEST SEARCHING FOR ASTEROIDS NEAR CYBERTRON?
GALVATRON: WHY SHOULD I ALLOW YOU TO DO THAT?
TROJAN: MAYBE THERE ARE A FEW THAT ARE SUITABLE FOR A MONITORING CENTER. THAT WOULD MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER TO SPY ON THE AUTOBOTS.
(GALVATRON THINKS IT OVER)
GALVATRON: ALL RIGHT. YOU MAY GO.
(FLASH BACK TO REALITY. TROJAN WALKS THROUGH THE HEAD OF UNICRON. HE IS AMAZED AT WHAT HE SEES AROUND HIM.)
TROJAN: LOOK AT ALL THESE AMAZING GADGETS! THIS IS BEYOND BELIEF! WHOEVER BUILT THIS GUY MUST'VE BEEN REALLY DEDICATED. BUT THIS TECHNOLOGY IS SO ALIEN TO ME. MAYBE I CAN FIND SOMETHING I AM FAMILIAR WITH.
D/D
(TROJAN IS ENTERING A LARGE HEXAGONAL ROOM. HE SEARCHES AND FINDS A CIRCUIT CARD.)
TROJAN: YES! A CIRCUIT CARD.
(HE FLIPS HIS LEFT RING FINGER, DISPLAYING A METAL CLIP.)
TROJAN: HERE GOES NOTHING.
(HE ATTACHES IT TO THE CARD. HE GAINS ACCESS TO SOME OF THE COMPUTERS.)
TROJAN: IT'S WORKING!
UNICRON: (ALL OF UNICRON'S LINES ARE VOICEOVERS) WHO?
(TROJAN LOOKS UP IN CONFUSION)
TROJAN: (NERVOUSLY) H-H-HELLO?
UNICRON: WHO . . .DARES?
(TROJAN DISCONNECTS HIMSELF AND ADDRESSES THE CEILING)
TROJAN: UNICRON?
UNICRON: YES.
TO BE CONTINUED