Disclaimer: Transformers is property of Takara-Tomy and Hasbro. I'm just borrowing it. Other characters are property of their respective owners.
Leo and Optimus drove out of town with Dr. Jones following behind in his old Ford Escort ZX2. Mudflap and Skids tailed at a discrete distance. Several kilometers outside of the town, Optimus spotted a suitably abandoned warehouse and pulled in. Jones followed a few moments later and the twins parked just down the road.
Once he was convinced the area was secure, Optimus' holographic avatar stepped down from Optimus' cab. Dr. Jones obligingly got out of his car and sat on the hood. Leo just stayed put in Optimus' driver seat.
"So, you said you'd like to share experiences, Mr. Paxton. Why don't you go first?" Jones suggested.
"Alright," Optimus agreed. "I am absolutely certain that the demons are the cybernetic beings that revealed themselves recently. The one that high-jacked the television system was a particularly ancient and odious member of the species named The Fallen, who was the instigator of the hostile incursions on this planet."
"So this, 'Fallen' is over 17 000 years old? That's hard to believe, even if the rest of what you're saying is true," Jones replied.
"The Fallen was considerably older than that, but how much I am not certain. The recorded history of the species does not go back far enough," Optimus said.
"So, why is he here?"
"The Fallen constructed a device to harvest the energy from the sun by causing it to go supernova. His action was in violation of the highest laws of the species. He was stopped by the other leaders of his people, but at terrible cost, and has been attempting to reactivate the device ever since."
"That's a very interesting story, Mr. Paxton, but you're not giving me lot of proof to back it up with."
"That is true. Relate to me your story and I will consider providing the proof you request."
"Fair enough. In 1957 my Pop and I went out to Peru to rescue my mom, who had been kidnapped by Russkie soldiers. We found this crystal skull, like the Mitchell-Hedges skull, but definitely not human and free of tool marks. Then the Russkies captured us, too, and took the skull. Their boss, a freaky broad name Spalko, was said that returning the skull to Akator, the Spanish called it El Dorado, would grant the person who returned it great power. She made Pop lead her to Akator, and she put the skull back on the crystal skeleton it came from. Then the room we were in, which held 13 of these crystal skeletons, started spinning and sucking everything into it. We had just enough time to get out of there before the entire valley was sucked into…I don't know where. Then a big silver saucer, just like in those goofy sci-fi movies rose out of the mess and disappeared."
"You mean it flew away?" Optimus asked for clarification.
"Nope. One second it was there, then a flash of light, then it was gone. The CIA and FBI grilled us about it for a two weeks straight, but none of us could figure out what the heck was going on. Ox, that's Harold Oxley, he found the skull before us and put it back he found it and then got caught along with Mom, he said the alien skeletons and the ship were extra-dimensional and had gone into 'the space between spaces'. I doubt I'll ever know what he meant by that."
"I have some information that could corroborate your story, Professor, but I doubt you will believe me until I provide you with the proof of my previous assertions," Optimus said.
"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Jones agreed.
"Very well. Leo, please exit the cab," Optimus called to Leo, who had been listening, but kept silent. Leo got out and joined Jones in leaning on the car. "Professor Jones, the man you see before you is not my true form."
"I figured something was up from the detached way you talked about Earth."
"What you see before you is a hologram," Optimus said before passing his hand through Leo's head.
"Jeez! Could you please not use me as your visual aide?" Leo demanded.
"My apologies, Leo," Optimus continued. "My name is Optimus Prime. I am the leader of the Autobots, a species of autonomous cybernetic organisms from the planet Cybertron. The beings that the ancient Egyptians referred to as demons were my ancestors and The Fallen was a distant uncle of mine. I killed him in battle at Giza less than two days after made his ultimatum."
"Well, Optimus Prime, other than a damn spiffy hologram, you don't look much like a demon to me," Jones said skeptically.
"The truck is the 'streamlined' form depicted by the Halfans. We call it an alternate mode. It allows us greater long-distance speed and disguise."
"Okay. Can I see your not-alternate mode?'
"I must warn you, Professor Jones, most humans find my primary mode imposing."
"I'll deal with it."
"Very well," Optimus said. Within moments the flame painted truck sitting in front of Henry Jones in the barn turned into a shifting, twisting, splitting, compacting, changing mass of metal parts before settling into a massive bipedal robotic form about 28 feet tall.
"Yup. That's pretty imposing," Jones agreed, his eyes wide with surprise. Had he not already been sitting on his car, he would have fallen on his butt. "I'll accept that your story has more than a little truth to it. You certainly fit the description of a jagged humanoid."
"Trust me, there are more jagged individuals on the other side," Optimus said as he bent down.
"The other side? You mean the species loyal to The Fallen."
"They are not a separate species from my own, merely a different political and ideological entity. They are called the Decepticons and are lead by The Fallen's disciple, Megatron, who also happens to be my brother."
"Your brother?!?" Leo squeaked.
"Hmm. That certainly fits with the stock heroic epic stereotypes," Jones said wryly.
"I have thought the same thing on many occasions, Professor," Optimus said with a head shake. "The gods have cruel sense of humour."
"So, you said you had some stuff to tell me about trans-dimensional aliens?"
"My people have met a species that hailed from another dimension. They called themselves the Vok, but we know little more."
"Interesting…You said something earlier about your recorded history not going back as far as The Fallen's origin. How far back does it go?"
"Only as far as the memory of our oldest living members," Optimus said. Jones looked shocked. "Our main repository of knowledge, the AllSpark, was destroyed two years ago after having been lost for millennia. I have come into possession of a copy of its knowledge, but I have yet to transcribe it to a readable form."
"That's a damn shame."
"A terrible shame, indeed," Optimus looked sad, but didn't feel it necessary to mention that the loss of the AllSpark was his fault. "That is why I want your help, Professor. Most of the Autobots started out as civilians and became soldiers out of necessity, but we are still too busy fighting the Decepticons to document our history or search for other artifacts of our past on Earth. Your knowledge of the ancient visits to Earth would be an excellent starting point for a thorough study of Cybertron-Earth interaction."
"So you want me to head up research into your past? Summarize and distribute the history of your living citizens and look into events here on Earth?"
"That is correct."
"Well, I can do part of it, but not all. I'm just too damned old to go treasure hunting anymore, so I'll have to delegate that. I'd be happy to help record your history, though."
"I am grateful for any assistance you can provide, Professor."
"Call me Mutt. Professor is way too stiff to be calling someone on a regular basis."
"Very well, Mutt. We will escort you back to your home now," Optimus transformed back into truck form.
"Uh, can I ride with you?" Leo asked. "I've got a ton of questions about El Dorado."
"Oh, fine," Jones agreed with resignation.
"Thanks, Mutt!" Leo said.
"Hold it! Optimus Prime can call me Mutt, you call me Professor. Or you can walk."
The occupants of the three cars and the truck were unaware that they were under surveillance as they left the barn and drove back to town. Their observer was nested in the branches of a tree along the road. It was also in communication with its master in orbit.
"Target of opportunity: Autobots' human allies. Mission: Termination," the unseen master commanded the observer.