A/N: Look who FINALLY got the motivation to finish this chapter! This is the third and final part of the pilot arc, and will have the first large-scale battle.
"No one would have believed, in the 84th year of the 20th century, that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space. No one could have dreamed we were being scrutinized, as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets and yet...across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this planet with envious eyes. And slowly, and surely, they drew their plans against. What nobody expected, though, was that they had already arrived four million years ago..."
Foreword to The Day They Came, a book written by a survivor of the Battle of San Onofre
Transformers: The Great War
Episode 3: More Than Meets the Eye, Part 3
September 21, 1984. A day that would forever live in infamy.
It was business as usual in San Clemente, California. The sun was shining, the birds were flying, and the beaches were packed. School had just ended for the day, and families were enjoying the last day of summer, whether on the beaches, or at the San Clemente Pier. Amtrak's San Diegan and ATSF freight trains frequently highballed past the pier, and railfans had their Kodachrome cameras on-hand to document mid-80s railroading at its finest.
2:43 PM Pacific Daylight Time marked the last moment of normalcy for mankind...
A family was on the T-Street Beach building a sandcastle. It had been a teacher workday for the kids' school, allowing them to take a beach day. The eldest child was putting some details on when he noticed some fighter jets.
"Mommy, look!" said the younger daughter, "Airplanes!" The parents thought nothing of it. Three jets flying in formation was nothing special, most likely a training flight from Edwards.
"Mommy, more airplanes!" chirped the daughter. This caught the parents' attention, as there were now eight additional jets following the first three.
"You think we should get to a fallout shelter?" asked the mother.
"Not until the sirens go off." replied the father, "Probably a large class at Edwards today."
They continued watching the jets, and saw even more emerge from behind the mountains. In all, there were at least 72 jet fighters.
"This doesn't look good..." said the mother.
"Something big's going down." said the father, worried.
Then, all of a sudden, the jets began divebombing.
"What the hell are they doing?!" cried a beachgoer.
"Communist saboteurs!" cried another.
Before anyone could react, the jets opened fire. Only they weren't tracer rounds or missiles.
They were lasers!
"We're being used as guinea pigs for laser weaponry, man!" shouted a hippie conspiracy theorist.
All around, the lasers impacted the ground. Sand and dirt was kicked up as people screamed and panicked. The lasers continued to rain down, hitting many people and stripping them to the bone, leaving nothing but dismembered skeletons and the smell of charred flesh.
The family began running for the parking lot, hoping to get on I-5 and flee this massacre. To their horror, though, one of the jets swooped in...and suddenly began reconfiguring itself.
"What is it?!" cried the son.
The jet landed on the family's car, but it wasn't a jet anymore. It was a robot!
"ALIENS!" screamed the mother, who ran in another direction, only for the robot to shoot her, turning her into nothing more than a pile of bones.
"MOMMY!" cried the daughter, who turned to the robot and began kicking it. "You meanie!"
"How cute." said the robot, who promptly stomped the little girl into paste, then quickly blasted what was left of the family to bone.
Lifting his foot, Starscream looked at the mashed, bloody remains of the little girl whose life he had just cut short. "Ecch." he winced, and scraped them off before continuing to fire on fleeing humans.
MEANWHILE...
In the town itself, there was a growing panic as the massacre on the beach continued. Nobody knew what these things were, but they weren't friendly in the slightest. It wouldn't be long until the aggressors turned on the town itself, and so panicked citizens began to flee in whatever direction they could.
The Decepticons had, in the span of five minutes, completely cleared the beach, turning it into a cratered wasteland. It was as if some maniacs had just reenacted D-Day with live explosives.
Starscream landed on the beach in jet mode, and opened his cockpit canopy.
"We have secured a beachhead, Lord Megatron."
Megatron, who was in his new altmode, a Walther P-38 handgun for some inexplicable reason, transformed and mass-shifted into his robot mode.
"Excellent, Starscream. Look how the humans run! They haven't the stomach for real battle! Soundwave!"
Soundwave was in Skywarp's cockpit, which opened and allowed Soundwave to exit and transform from his cassette player mode, before landing perfectly in front of Megatron.
"Hijack all signals on this planet! The time has come to bring our message to the masses!"
"AS YOU COMMAND." saluted Soundwave, and he transformed into his cassette player mode without mass-shifting. Honing in on a nearby transmission tower, he shot forth a massive burst of microwave energy to completely supplant its normal signal and use it to take over every other transmitter on the planet. Two minutes later, the deed was done.
"READY FOR TRANSMISSION."
"Override all signals."
On televisions the world over, there was static all at once. People began fiddling with their rabbit-ear antennas or banging on the sides of their sets. Then the signal came back, but it wasn't their program. It was some purple head that looked angry.
"Greetings people of Earth. I am Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. We are a race of robots from another planet known as Cybertron, a planet that the governments of your planet have kept hidden from you. We are here conquer this world, plunder its resources, and exterminate all carbon-based lifeforms! Your weapons of war are no match for our superior technology, not even your nuclear weaponry! I give you this ultimatum: surrender, and the end will be as painless as possible. Resist, and every waking moment will be a swirling torrent of pain and misery!"
The message, broadcast in every language known to man, was heard by every person in every part of the world. Many dismissed it as broadcast signal intrusion, especially those in the United Kingdom who remembered the infamous Vrillon incident of 1977. Others saw it as genuine, and across the globe, civil order imploded in minutes. In large cities, riots broke out, and stores were picked clean by looters. Elsewhere, people were killing each other. Most nations had to declare martial law and send out the military to put the riots down.
MEANWHILE...
"Prime! You may wanna see this!"
Sideswipe was staring at the screen on Teletraan I, fixated on the image.
"What is it, Sideswipe?" asked Optimus Prime.
"There's a transmission on all channels! Look who it is!"
Optimus stared at the screen. His eyes narrowed. His fists clenched. And a low growl came out from behind his mouthplate.
"Megatron..."
"Is...is this it, Prime?"
Prime said nothing. He was deep in thought.
After what seemed like hours, he finally spoke.
"Yes...yes, it is, Sideswipe."
He tore his gaze away from the screen and pressed a button on the console. All around Outpost Alpha, a klaxon went off, along with an automated voice.
"This is not a drill! This is not a drill! General quarters, general quarters! All hands, man your stations!"
Every Autobot, be they named or an Autotrooper, immediately dropped what they were doing the moment the klaxon went off.
"To your stations!" Ironhide barked at some Autotroopers. "Come with me." Ironhide briskly strode to the main muster station with Sunstreaker, Mirage, Tigertrack, and Zetar following closely behind.
Within two minutes, all Autobots not needed for skeleton crew duties at the outpost were mustered and standing in neat rows of eight.
"ATTENTION!" ordered Ironhide. All Autobots stood in attention as Optimus Prime began to speak.
"Autobots, this is it. The Decepticons have made their move. They are attacking a small settlement in Southern California known as San Clemente. Their goal is most likely to collect energon from the nearby power plant, which runs on nuclear energy. If they take over and hold that plant, they could harvest enough energon to power a direct assault on Earth's population centers. This is the plan:"
The lights dimmed, and a holographic map appeared.
"We will take this highway, Interstate 5, all the way to San Clemente. To avoid suspicion, we should stagger the departure. Jazz, Mirage, Wheeljack, you three will have to ride in my trailer. Race cars on a highway would be out-of-place. Blend in to the normal flow of traffic and obey all speed limits. Now that we know what measurements of time and distance they used on this planet, it should be easier to read the speed limit signs. You will receive orders through Field Marshalls. They are: Ironhide, Prowl, Jazz, and Brawn. Prowl, your group is up first."
Over the next 20 minutes, groups of six Autobots departed Outpost Alpha. Finding their way to SR 504, they followed it until they got to I-5, and turned south. It was going to take at least a day and a half to get to San Clemente. Optimus just hoped the Decepticons wouldn't cause much damage in that timeframe.
MEANWHILE...
Pandemonium. That was all that could describe the atmosphere in San Clemente. The Decepticons had moved up from their beachhead and entered the town itself. Civilians ran in every direction, or dashed into marked fallout shelters. The Decepticons were merely strolling, not opening fire just yet.
"Your orders?" asked Starscream. Megatron looked around, at the panicking humans and the police officers opening fire on them with their guns to no avail.
And smirked. "Decepticons! LET THE SLAUGHTER COMMENCE!"
All at once, every Decepticon opened fire in all directions. Lasers lanced through humans, reducing them to piles of charred skeletons. Buildings all around were blown to smithereens in seconds. Some Seekers flew to I-5 and turned it into a Highway of Death. Motorists who encountered the wreckage turned away to warn Los Angeles of the massacre in San Clemente. Others crashed into wreckage or were shot by the Decepticons.
Fire leapt from house to house. The population who hadn't quite grasped what was going on panicked and ran. They headed Westward towards the ocean, and their only hope of survival: ferries to Catalina Island.
As they hastened through the streets, more and more people joined the painful exodus. Sad, weary women, their children stumbling and streaked with tears, their men bitter and angry, the rich rubbing shoulders with beggars and outcasts. Dogs snarled and whined, no working cars were to be found... and here and there were wounded policemen, as helpless as the rest. They saw Seekers wading down the coast, repeating their actions at T-Street Beach – Riviera Beach, San Clemente State Beach. One appeared above Trestles Bridge on the ATSF mainline.
"PATHETIC FOOLS!" screeched one of the Seekers, "THERE'S NO ESCAPE!"
Never before in the history of the world had such a mass of human beings moved and suffered together. This was no disciplined march – it was a stampede – without order and without a goal, hundreds of thousands of people unarmed and unprovisioned, driving headlong. It was the beginning of the rout of civilization, of the massacre of mankind.
At least eight ferries had arrived at the nuclear plant to aide in the evacuation. To anyone who remembered, it was like Dunkirk all over again. As there were no piers at the plant, and the San Clemente Pier had been demolished in the initial attack, makeshift gangways had to be set up by stripping metal off of cars. All too soon, all eight ferries were filled to capacity, some beyond what was considered safe, but desperate times called for desperate measures. The gangways were cast off, leaving those still on land to certain doom at the hands of the advancing invaders.
The ferries began to move slowly away – but on the landward horizon appeared the silhouette of a Seeker. Another came, and another, striding over hills and trees, plunging far out to sea and blocking the exit of the ferries. Between them lay the first military asset to respond to the invasion: the silent, gray battleship New Jersey. Slowly it moved towards shore; then, with a deafening roar and whoosh of spray, it swung about and drove at full speed towards the waiting Decepticons.
There were ships of shapes and sizes
Scattered out along the bay
And I thought I heard her calling
As the ferries pulled away
The Invaders must have seen them
As across the coast they filed
Standing firm between them
There lay New Jersey
Moving swiftly through the waters
Cannons blazing as she came
Brought a mighty metal warlord
Crashing down in sheets of flame
Sensing victory was nearing
Thinking fortune must have smiled
People started cheering
"Come on, New Jersey!"
"Come on, New Jersey!"
The Seekers dropped their Cluster Bombs, but having not loaded their combat subroutines properly, they dropped them expecting them to act like torpedoes. They were also flying too low, and making no effort to avoid New Jersey's massive Mark 7 guns. Even with shielding, they stood no chance against the ships' high-explosive rounds, and the three nameless Seekers became the first Decepticons to perish on Earth.
Megatron and Starscream saw everything from land.
"The fools! They loaded the subroutine for torpedoes!" exclaimed Starscream.
"Nobody ever said the Vector Sigma Conduit created smart soldiers. And those guns...the humans really DO have an admirable capacity for warfare." mused Megatron, "Starscream! Show 'em how it's done!"
"Gladly." smirked Starscream. He, along with Thundercracker and Skywarp, transformed and took to the air. Flying high, they were well above the battleships' firing arc, and once in position, began their dive, firing their lasers and melting New Jersey's valiant heart.
Lashing ropes and smashing timbers
Flashing Null Rays pierced the deck
Dashing hopes for our deliverance
As we watched the sinking wreck
With the smoke of battle clearing
Over graves in waves defiled
Slowly disappearing
Farewell, New Jersey!Slowly disappearing
Farewell, New Jersey!
Farewell, New Jersey!
Farewell, New Jersey!When the smoke cleared, the ferries had reached the horizon, and over 3,000 civilians were safe. But the New Jersey was a total loss, taking with her many of the US Navy's finest. Those left on the shore began fleeing in any direction they could. To their surprise, the Decepticons didn't attack them.
"Let them go," ordered Megatron, "they're paltry compared to our prize..." He motioned to San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
Advancing on the facility, they found a rather unexpected site. A large US Army battalion had formed a defensive perimeter around the station. Infantry had their M-16s at the ready, M1 Abrams tanks were picking and choosing their targets, and AH-64 Apache helicopters hovered, ready for the kill.
Then, one of the soldiers stepped forward, holding up a white flag.
"We wish to parley!" he called.
Megatron responded immediately with a blast of his Fusion Cannon, vaporizing the young man instantly.
"There shall be no negotiation!" he snarled, "Only extermination!"
With their last hope for ending the conflict peacefully gone, the military opened fire. Most of the Seekers took to the air, while Megatron, Soundwave, his Mini-Cassettes, and Reflector's components stayed on the ground and opened fire.
"If it moves and looks organic, disintegrate it!" ordered Starscream.
The battle began to rage, much to Megatron's surprise. A few tank shells hit some of the Seekers who remained on the ground square in the chassis. One Seeker was thrown backwards by the blast, another crumpled to the ground, and a third had the upper half of its body explode. No matter how they reacted to the hits, one thing was clear: their sparks had been extinguished.
"DIE, YOU WORTHLESS ORGANICS!" screeched Megatron.
Fortunately, those three Seekers would be the last Decepticon casualties, as Starscream and the airborne Seekers made several strafing runs and cleared the perimeter in a matter of minutes.
"Their defense are broken!" said Megatron, "The plant is ours!"
As the last few soldiers either limped away or were stripped to the bone by laser blasts, Megatron, Starscream, and Soundwave entered the plant.
"Soundwave, have your cassettes round up the surviving civilians, as well as anyone inside the plant."
"AS YOU COMMAND, LORD MEGATRON." Soundwave deployed all thirteen of his cassettes, and gave them their orders. Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Garboil, Beastbox, and Wingthing would round up the plant workers, while the rest would head back to town and round up the civilians.
As far as the people of San Clemente and perhaps Southern California knew, the Earth belonged to the Decepticons.
Except, it didn't. They couldn't have known that the Decepticons who attacked San Clemente represented 99% of the total Decepticons on the planet. Even with Shockwave creating more Seekers back at base using the Vector Sigma Conduit, they still lacked the numbers to take on the entire planet.
Upon the ruins of San Clemente, the Decepticons began their brutal occupation. With the rubble as materials, a facility was quickly erected. Nobody knew what was inside, but any humans who went in never came out.
Two days after the attack, a group of survivors emerged from one of the fallout shelters to make a run for it. They hoped to get to the freeway, find a vehicle that was still functioning, and get to the edge of civilization.
They made it to I-5 without being spotted, and even if they were, the Decepticons paid no heed to those in the fallout shelters, Megatron having determined that getting inside would be a waste of effort if they were designed to protect against nuclear attack. While searching, they saw a small group of vehicles coming from the north.
"What are those?" asked one of the survivors.
"Whatever they are, they're working vehicles." said another. He held up a thumb, as if hitch-hiking.
But the cars didn't stop. There were at least six of them: a red van, a red Lambourghini, a yellow Lambourghini with an exposed engine block, a black camper van, a grey Pontiac Trans-Am, and a red Porsche 924 Turbo.
"Lambos?" one of them questioned, "What are Hollywood big-whigs doing here?"
All of a sudden, they transformed into robots.
"No!" cried one of the survivors, "There's more of them!"
They all braced for the end...which never came. Instead, they watched in awe as the newly-arrived robots turned their guns skyward and opened fire on a trio of Seekers. With a few well-placed shots, the Seekers were blown out of the sky and spiralled to the ground, crashing in a trio of large fireballs.
"Scratch three Decepticons!" exclaimed Sideswipe.
"Ironhide to Optimus," Ironhide radioed to Optimus Prime, "We've arrived in San Clemente. They've destroyed everythin' an' built some kinda facility. A few humans are standin' on the freeway in front of a large mass-uh wrecked vehicles. One of 'em, I think, tried hitchin' a ride."
"It's just as I feared. We'll be arriving in a few minutes. More groups may arrive first. Optimus out."
"What do we do now?" asked Trailbreaker.
"Dig in an' swat 'em like nano-gnats!"
The six Autobots, with the help of the humans they had just met, dragged some of the wreckage to create a makeshift trench.
"I've been itching to use this!" smirked Cliffjumper, as he pulled a large cannon out of his sub-space storage pocket. The other Autobots stared.
"Glass gas..." gasped Sideswipe.
"Where did you get that?!" spluttered Windcharger.
"Wheeljack has a way with weapons," replied Cliffjumper smugly, "or did you forget?"
Nobody responded to that.
The humans cleared out when they found a car that was still functioning among the wreckage, and made a beeline for Los Angeles. Five more Seekers approached, but they ignored the escaping vehicle, instead focusing on the Autobot squad.
"We've found what happened to Patrol Iota." said Red Wing through his comms.
"What was it?" asked Megatron. He, along with Starscream, Soundwave, and Ratbat, were in the facility.
"Six positive signatures...all Autobots."
Megatron snarled. He knew who was to blame for this.
"WHEN I GET MY SERVOS ON REFLECTOR, I'LL RIP OUT HIS ARMS AND BEAT HIM WITH THEM!"
"Shall I deploy the garrison, Lord Megatron?" asked Starscream, steeling himself for a potential hit. It never came. Megatron merely took a deep breath, and calmly addressed his second-in-command.
"That would be best, Starscream. We should secure a position on the highway. No doubt the Autobots are coming from the north."
"Very good, my lord." Starscream saluted, and exited to rally the Seekers.
On Interstate 5, the Autobots were slowly, but surely, regrouping after the long drive. After the teams of six arrived, Optimus Prime arrived, and unfolded his trailer to let Jazz, Wheeljack, and Mirage to exit.
"This trailer will serve as our forward operating base." said Optimus.
"The 'Cons are well and dug in." said Hound, looking through a pair of electro-binoculars, "This won't be easy, Prime."
"No one ever said it would be, Hound."
They were soon interrupted by the sound of screaming engines in the sky, heralding the arrival of Starscream and the Seekers.
"What's the plan, Starscream?" asked Skywarp, "Hit 'em full force?"
"No." replied Starscream, "A frontal assault would be needlessly wasteful. We Seekers aren't as reinforced as Megatron, so we'll use our speed to our advantage." Starscream wasn't the most physically-imposing Decepticon, or the strongest, but he more than made up for this by being one of the most-skilled and pragmatic Decepticons. It also helped that he was very smart, his faulty logic circuits notwithstanding.
"You heard him, boys!" called Thundercracker, "Hit 'em fast!"
The Seekers divebombed towards the Autobots, who either took cover or fired back. A few nameless Seekers were sent crashing to the ground, but most got quite a few shots off on the Autobots.
"Damage report!" shouted Optimus.
"We've lost four Autotroopers!" replied Ratchet. These Autotroopers became the first Autobot casualties on Earth.
"I'll get 'em!" called a voice. It was Cromar, the leader of the Powerdashers.
"Cromar, no! There's too many of them!" cried Prowl.
"Watch me!" replied Cromar haughtily, as he took to the skies and transformed. All Autobots looked to the skies, believing they were about to lose the Jet Powerdasher.
And were promptly shocked to see him immediately shoot six Seekers down in seconds. Another Seeker fell. Then another. And another. And another. Within three minutes, the skies above San Clemente were mostly cleared, with most of the Seekers either shot down or back on solid ground.
"Skies are cleared." announced Ironhide, "Your orders, Prime?"
"Advance the line." replied Optimus. The Autobots were soon organized into a series of lines of ten, with the first four being Autotroopers. Each of these first four lines were led by named Autobots, with Prowl leading the first line, Jazz the second, Ironhide the third, and Brawn the fourth. The fifth line was led by Hound and consisted of Wheeljack, Trailbreaker, Bluestreak, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Cliffjumper, Gears, Aragon, and Cromar (who had just landed). The sixth through eighth lines were all Autotroopers (line six was led by Clamp Down, line seven by Deep Cover, and line eight by Cordon), and bringing up the rear was the ninth line, led by Bumblebee and consisting of Hornet, Glyph, Tap-Out, Windcharger, Huffer, Bumper, and the last three were Autotroopers. The remaining Autobots, including Optimus Prime, stayed behind in reserve.
The first line slowly marched off the freeway and into the town, wary of any traps the Decepticons may have set during their occupation such as mines.
"Be ready..." muttered Prowl.
All throughout the town, it was quiet.
Too quiet...
Then...
BOOM!
A hail of laser fire came from behind the ruins of buildings.
"AMBUSH!" screamed an Autotrooper, just as he was cut down by a hail of laser fire. Prowl and the remaining Autotroopers returned fire, but couldn't see Decepticon positions clearly. Seven more Autotroopers went down before Prowl fired one of his shoulder-mounted wire-guided incendiary missiles.
"Missile away!" he called. It was regulation for Autobots to call out when a missile had been fired.
The missile soon found its mark, and several Seekers were driven from their hidden position. Prowl readied his gun.
"Have some acid pellets, on me!"
And he fired several acid pellets at the Seekers. Immediately, their insides were corroded and dissolved, and the Seekers suffered very painful deaths.
Optimus watched the situation, and knew that they couldn't take things slowly. The Decepticons were not going to fight a conventional battle, and had no conniptions about using guerilla tactics. They had to use scorched earth tactics to take as much ground as they could before reinforcements were called.
"Autobots, CHARGE!"
All lines broke apart, and the remaining Autobots in reserve followed Optimus Prime.
Unfortunately, this was EXACTLY what Starscream was banking on.
"Take to the skies!" he ordered, and the Seekers took off and transformed. The now-exposed flanks of the Autobot formation became easy pickings for a Blitzkrieg, and many Autotroopers went down.
MEANWHILE...
In the facility, Megatron had just finished pummeling Reflector for creating the conditions for the battle to take place, and walked back into the command center.
"Soundwave, report!"
"AUTOBOT FORMATION IS MOVING INTO THE TOWN. DECEPTICON CASUALTIES AT EXPECTED LEVELS. AUTOBOT CASUALTIES 200% ABOVE INITIAL PROJECTION."
"Excellent!" cheered Megatron, "Starscream's plan worked!"
"But, the Autobots are still pushing up!" said Rumble, confused.
"This occupation was never meant to be long-term, Rumble." Megatron explained, "We're simply here to collect enough energon to fuel larger operations. We have at least three months worth already. Starscream is merely buying us some time while the last few humans are processed."
"Eh, what's a month?" asked Rumble.
"A QUARTEX" replied Soundwave.
"So..." Ratbat began, "you gonna let Starscream have all the fun?"
"No, no, I...oh...very well!" Megatron smirked as he emerged from the facility.
MEANWHILE...
To the untrained eye, the battle seemed to have become a bloody stalemate, but in truth, the Decepticons were winning. They were doing their job in holding the line, and inflicting grave casualties on the Autobots. Even if the deceased were only Autotroopers, they still represented significant botpower losses.
Starscream, feeling more emboldened than ever with his recalibrated logic circuits, flew into the middle of an Autotrooper formation, knocking one down with a sucker punch before using his jets to spin around and shoot lasers in all directions. When he stopped spinning, every Autotrooper surrounding him couldn't even be identified anymore. The one Autotrooper he knocked down was still alive, and springing an oil leak, if you know what I mean.
"Please! Have mercy!" he squeaked.
"Decepticons show no mercy!" yelled Starscream, and was just about to blast the poor bastard when the Autotrooper was destroyed by a much larger blast.
"Couldn't have said it better myself!"
"Ah, Megatron! Come to partake in the slaughter?"
"What can I say? You can't keep Megatron away from a battle!"
The Decepticon leader and his second-in-command quickly began pushing up, blasting any Autotroopers foolish enough to overextend. By now, the Autobots had created a barricade using the debris of destroyed buildings, and this made very good cover.
But it couldn't withstand Megatron's Fusion Cannon.
"Starscream, catch!" Megatron called, and he transformed into his gun mode. Knowing exactly what to do, Starscream led a charge through the breach made in the barricade, wielding Megatron. Any surviving Autobots began falling back, but slowly, and they began inflicting casualties on the attacking Decepticons.
"DIE, YOU WORTHLESS SCUM! DIE!" screamed Starscream.
"We're pushing them back!" cried Skywarp in happiness.
Unfortunately for the Decepticons, Skywarp just so happened to jinx it.
As Starscream was about to continue the advance, he saw a very unwelcome sight.
"Megatron! It's him!"
Barreling right towards them was a large truck.
"OPTIMUS!" screeched Megatron, as he transformed back to robot mode. "Fall back, Starscream! The Autobots have brought in the big guns! Collapse our defense around the facility, and secure the supply line from the nuclear plant!"
"Yes, my lord!" saluted Starscream. As he flew away, Megatron began blasting in Optimus' direction. He completely missed Optimus, but did manage to score a direct hit on one of the Autobots next to him.
"AUGH!" cried the Autobot. It was Tigertrack. Immediately, he transformed to robot mode, and was down on one knee, trying to raise his gun.
"Fall! FALL!" screamed Megatron, as he fired his Fusion Cannon several more times. Three more shots lanced through Tigetrack, with the last one completely blowing his upper torso off.
Tigertrack became the first named Autobot to die on Earth.
His death sufficiently angered Optimus, and he transformed to robot mode, leaving his trailer unfolded so Roller could resupply other Autobots.
"So...we meet again at last, Prime."
"So it would appear."
This stand-off lasted a few seconds before they charged at each other. Trading blow after blow, this was where the war truly resumed.
"You destroy everything you touch, Megatron!" declared Optimus, as his right hand was replaced by an axe made of energon.
"Because everything I touch is food for my hunger!" Megatron spat back as his right hand was replaced by a mace made of energon, "MY HUNGER FOR POWER!"
"Was Cybertron part of your hunger for power? Was using Dark Energon worth it?!"
Megatron paused. His glare was replaced with a solemn look.
"The Dark Energon was a mistake," he sighed, "that I won't argue. But I'll be damned if I let that be my legacy!"
"No!" replied Optimus, "I'm going to end your hunger once and for all!" He swung his axe downward, knocking Megatron down, as he didn't expect Optimus to strike while talking. Clearly, Megatron thought, Optimus was done with such acrimonious acts like monologuing.
"Almost, Prime! But almost doesn't get the job done! You may take this town back, but in the end, you can't stop me!" He swung his mace, but Optimus jumped over it.
"You're old, Megatron!" Optimus taunted, "Yesterday's model! Ready for the scrapheap!"
"We'll see who's ready for the scrapheap!" replied Megatron, as he swung several more times, missing with each swing. Optimus was just too fast.
"Junk! That's what you are! JUNK!"
"SILEEEEEENCE!" screeched Megatron, who by now had had enough of this new side of Optimus. He swung again, this time hitting Optimus and knocking him to the ground.
"Hahahahaha! When I'm through with you, Prime, there won't be enough pieces to sweep up!" Megatron continued swinging, but distracted by the thought of dismembering Optimus, missed every swing, until Optimus parried a swing.
Optimus got back to his feet, and the two eternal enemies continued swinging at each other. Optimus was on the defense, waiting for Megatron to make a mistake and then strike when the time was right.
Eventually, though, Megatron received a panicked message.
"Lord Megatron! Autobots have breached the rear line!"
"WHAT?!" cried Megatron, "IMPOSSIBLE!" He immediately broke off from his duel with Optimus. This was a more pressing matter.
When he arrived, he found that Bumblebee's group had managed to flank around on the beach, where the Decepticons hadn't posted any patrols.
"Why didn't I take Starscream's suggestion?" he asked himself. There was no time to think about that now, though, as Megatron began firing on the Mini Vehicles that were now wreaking havoc on the Decepticon rearguard.
"We've got company!" called Bumper.
"And just like that, we're dead!" moaned Huffer.
"Quit whining and start blasting!" replied Windcharger.
The group of Mini Vehicles got several hits on Megatron, who actually felt them. He always had a healthy respect for this type of Cybertronian, calling them "deceptively strong". Weighing his options, Megatron knew he could take out at least one of them before the rest charged him, at which point he would have to pull back. And so, he decided to choose the Autobot that was annoying him the most.
"You can't see me!" said a voice all of a sudden. He looked down to see a green Mini Vehicle sharing Cliffjumper's body-type, waving his hand in front of his own face. Indeed, Megatron was so transfixed on the scout who had taken the shot for Optimus on the Ark that he didn't even see Tap-Out come up to him.
This Autobot would suffice, Megatron thought.
"GET OUT!" screamed Glyph, "GET OUT OF THERE! GET OUT!"
Megatron raised his Fusion Cannon.
"If you want some, come get some!" boasted Tap-Out, and he charged Megatron, taking him off his feet.
He stood on top of Megatron, posing triumphantly. "THE CHAMP IS HERE!" he declared, referencing his past as a wrestler on Cybertron. But Megatron was far from down, and stood up, knocking Tap-Out to the ground.
"DIE." he snarled, and fired his Fusion Cannon.
Tap-Out was killed instantly. Some of his lubricants splashed onto Glyph.
For a second, she was silent. Then she let out a piercing scream.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed, and she began firing at Megatron. The other surviving Mini Vehicles also began firing, setting their guns to full-automatic. They managed to get quite a few hits on Megatron, who took what was left of Tap-Out's head as a trophy before flying back to the facility.
With Megatron out of reach, Glyph turned her grief and rage on any Decepticon that moved. Bumblebee just let her, this was the only viable outlet he could see. Fortunately for the Autobots, Glyph's roaring rampage of revenge did a massive number on the Decepticons' lines, and they began collapsing their defense around both the facility and the nuclear plant.
Soon, they rendevouzed with Hound's group.
"Any casualties?" asked Hound.
"All of our Autotroopers and..." Bumblebee paused and looked at Glyph, whom Hornet was now trying in vain to calm down. "...Tap-Out."
Right after he finished his sentence, Cliffjumper charged at the facility, ready to avenge his cousin. "TASTE MY FURY, DECEPTICONS! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Cliffjumper's liberal use of glass gas cleared a way into the facility, and Bumblebee led Brawn and Windcharger inside.
In the halls of the facility, the trio gunned down every Decepticon they came across. When at last they reached the command center, they found it was completely empty.
"Quick, see if there's anything on the computer banks!" ordered Bumblebee. Windcharger checked the main computer.
"Nothin'." said Windcharger, "They knew we were coming."
"Uh, guys..." said Brawn from the other side of the room, "you may wanna come and see this..."
Bumblebee and Windcharger stepped through a door, and gasped.
The answer of where the humans brought into the facility went was finally answered. The entire room was shoulder-deep (from a human perspective) in human remains. More specifically, liquefied, gooey skeletons. To get a visual of what I'm talking about, think the engine room from Deep Rising. The Decepticons had done...something, to harvest energy from these humans. And the worst part was that they could still hear screaming, meaning some humans were still being drained.
"Nothing we can do now." said Bumblebee, mournfully.
MEANWHILE...
With the facility secured by the Autobots, the nuclear plant was now the last Decepticon-held position in San Clemente. All surviving Decepticons were now falling back, giving more and more ground to the Autobots.
Slowly, but surely, the Autobots began to surround the plant.
"Megatron, they're going for an encirclement!" said Starscream, "Shall we use the GroundBridge to get back to base?"
"We'll got to hold this position for as long as we can!" replied Megatron, "Just a few more units of energon!"
Not bothering to question his leader's logic, Starscream continued firing out the windows at the Autobots below. He barely avoided being hit in the head by a laser blast, then emerged from cover to shoot again. To his surprise, the Autobots didn't have much in the way of cover.
Realizing this, he began firing on positions he saw were uncovered, managing to take out a few more Autotroopers.
"We need cover!" cried an Autotrooper as he was gunned down.
"No!" cried Cordon, "We must press o-"
He didn't get to finish that sentence before a blast from Soundwave's Concussion Blaster blew his head off.
"Cordon!" cried another Autotrooper, before he, too, was killed, this time by a round from Thundercracker's incendiary guns, which burned him from the inside out.
All Autobots were doing everything they could to break the siege. Whether it be Mirage with his Rocket-Dart Hunting Gun or Jazz and his Photon Rifle, the Decepticons were holding this last bastion.
That is, until Sideswipe decided to do something about it.
"Missile away!" he called, having aimed his shoulder-mounted missile launcher at the entrance to the main administrative building.
"Secure that structure!" ordered Optimus. Immediately, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and Hound led some Autotroopers in. They now had adequate cover.
Quickly, they broke the windows in the adminstrative building with the butts of their rifles, and began firing at the building occupied by the Decepticons, which was for Unit 1, the only unit they were able to take.
Emboldened, the Autobots began advancing on the Decepticon position. The Decepticons, in response, intensified their firepower, but the Autobots were undeterred.
"Missiles away!" called Bluestreak. He had two shoulder-mounted missile launchers, one on each shoulder, which he fired at the Decepticon position.
"HIT THE DECK!" called Megatron. He, Starscream, and Skywarp dove just in time.
Sandstorm and Blackout didn't, and they were blown apart by the missiles.
"DIE! DIE!" cried Starscream, firing at the advancing Autobots. With this volley of null-ray fire, he took out six Autotroopers, and also winged Brawn in the shoulder.
"Ha!" Brawn laughed, "You think that can take me down?"
"I really think we should be falling back, Megatron!" exclaimed Starscream,
"I really think you're right!" he replied, frantically, "We have enough energon to last a few orbital cycles!"
Activating the communicator in his helmet, Megatron gave the order.
"DECEPTICONS! RETREAT! Shockwave, open GroundBridge!"
"As you command, Megatron!" replied Shockwave from the other end.
The Decepticons didn't need telling twice. The second the GroundBridge was open, they ran or flew through as fast as they could. Starscream and a few Seekers stayed behind to cover the retreat, being the last ones out (bar a few more Seekers who were killed).
Seconds after Starscream disappeared into the GroundBridge, it closed, just as the Autobots broke down the door.
"I want a room-by-room search!" ordered Prowl.
Clampdown and Deep Cover, aided by some of the remaining Autotroopers, did just so. With every room they checked, they called out "Clear!"
At last, they returned to the lobby. "Building is clear." reported Clampdown, "No stragglers."
"Good work." replied Prowl, who stepped outside. "Building's clear!" he called to Optimus.
"We've beaten them back!" announced Optimus, as the Autobots began to cheer.
Not all were cheering, though. Glyph was in tears over Tap-Out's gruesome death, and several Autobots lamented the loss of Tigertrack and Cordon.
Still, they were glad to have just survived first contact with the Decepticons on Earth.
A few minutes later, the Autobots entered the town of San Clemente, or what was left of it.
"People of San Clemente!" called Optimus Prime, "We are not your enemies! The ones who did this to you have been sent packing!"
Slowly, but surely, survivors who had hid from the Decepticon occupation began to emerge. They were wary of these robots, thinking they were a second wave come to finish them off.
But then they noticed something: these robots had a different insignia on them. And they looked much nicer than the Decepticons.
A young boy came towards Optimus, staring up in otherworldly awe. Optimus looked down at the boy.
"Are...are you an alien?" asked the boy.
"I suppose you could say that." replied Optimus.
As he finished that sentence, an army battalion converged on San Clemente.
"This is the United States Army!" said a voice. It was General Budiansky of the Air Force Space Command. "We have you surrounded! Lay down your arms, Decepticons!"
Optimus looked at the general, laid down his Ion Blaster, and raised his hands.
"Hey..." said the general all of a sudden, "you don't have the same markings as the Decepticons...what is your name?"
"I am Optimus Prime. We are Autobots from the planet Cybertron. The Decepticons are our enemy. For millions of years, our two factions have been fighting a brutal civil war. It pains me that it's spread to this planet."
General Budiansky stared at the alien robot before him. They had expected an invasion by a single attack force. The idea of the aliens being divided into two factions, one that attacked indiscriminately and the other that hunted down the aggressors and went out of its way to avoid civilian casualties, wasn't in any legislation or war plans related to extraterrestrial contact. This situation...was unprecedented.
"Well...Optimus Prime," began General Budiansky, "allow me to be the first to say thank you. I'm not sure what the Decepticons' objectives were here, but had you not showed up when you did, they could've attacked Los Angeles or San Diego. I am General Robert Budiansky of the United States Air Force Space Command. Would you happen to know anything about the shuttle that entered the atmosphere a few days ago?"
"There were no working shuttles left on Cybertron after the Great Exodus. Unless..." Optimus thought for a moment. Then...
"Shockwave."
"Who?"
"The chief Decepticon scientist. He's cold, calculating, ruled by logic. He has conducted innumerable unethical experiments, including on our own Lightning Force Coalition. If he's on Earth..."
There was a pregnant pause.
"I assure you, general, we WILL stop him. And the other Decepticons. For right now, though, we request an audience with the leaders of this planet. It's vital that we clear up a few things."
"I can arrange that, Optimus Prime." He turned to leave, but stopped briefly, "Oh, and before I go, you should probably know you've just vindicated hundreds of thousands of nutjobs around the world." Optimus understood what he meant.
MEANWHILE...
At the Decepticon base, the tired-but-victorious Decepticons were celebrating. Despite the Autobots winning a tactical victory, they had won a strategic victory. Many were now drunk on energon, and doing such things as singing wildly off-key, having drunken arm-wrestling matches, and even getting into physical fights with each other.
Megatron, however, wasn't one of them. He was in the command center, deep in thought.
"We're in a Catch-22 now. We made off with plenty of energon," he mused, "enough to keep us going for a few months. But...now the humans know who we are...and the Autobots are active..."
He looked around at the command center. The muted grey colors, the low lighting, the whirring of computer fans, the beeping of consoles, the flashing lights, and the big monitor around which many operations would be centered. This command center felt familiar, but at the same time, alien.
"What have I gotten us into?" he continued to himself, "Why did I think I could bend Cybertron to my will with Dark Energon? Dark Energon...NEVER AGAIN! I NEVER WANT TO SEE THE BLOOD OF UNICRON EVER AGAIN!"
He punched a computer console a few times, barely denting it (he would have to thank Starscream for building such durable equipment later), before calming down.
"So...this is where we are. Marooned on a primitive planet. Our home so close, yet we can't return...not until the Dark Energon infestation that I caused is gone. Where...do we go from here? How will I bring the Decepticons out of this?"
"You won't."
Megatron whipped around, and saw...
"So...you've finally worked up the courage..."
"Oh, now don't act so surprised, Megatron. I've waited long enough, after playing a long game."
"And you even caught me without my Fusion Cannon...bravo."
Megatron's would-be usurper advanced slowly, guns drawn.
"Beware...if you dispose of me, there will always be someone waiting to dispose of you. All THREE of you..."
"Let them try!" Viewfinder boasted, "I've waited for this moment a long time, Megatron...and my time is now!"
The three Photons who made up Reflector stopped. They wanted to draw this out for as long as possible, so they could relish this moment, and let it sink in for Megatron just who had outsmarted him.
After a few minutes, they raised their guns, ready to finish this.
It probably would have been better if they had just gone for the kill immediately instead of toying with their quarry.
"Oh, how it pains me to do this!" sneered Viewfinder, sarcastically.
And as one, the three Photons pulled their triggers.
So, this was it. The Mighty Megatron, the Emperor of Destruction, about to be usurped by three small, insignificant Photons, a caste that was lower than the Seekers (but still higher than the Mini-Cons). Nothing could save him now. At the very least, Reflector would quickly be taken out by Starscream, and the Decepticons would have a competent leader.
He waited. Waited for the end. The darkness. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four seconds.
BOOM!
He opened an eye to see if he was one with the AllSpark yet. To his surprise, he wasn't. The smoke he saw before him wasn't coming from his chest, but the ground before him. Looking down, he saw the crumpled form of Starscream, badly wounded in the chest, but still functioning.
"EXTINCTION TO ALL TRAITORS!" Starscream managed to spit out, raising his left Null-Ray to fire at the treacherous Photons. Within seconds, Spectro, Spyglass, and Viewfinder had all been terminated by Starscream.
Starscream tried to get up, but collapsed, the wound being that bad. As he faded from consciousness, he heard Megatron barking at whatever sober Decepticons were left to get him to the repair bay immediately.
Knowing he was in good hands, Starscream allowed the darkness to take him...
MEANWHILE...
The impact the Battle of San Onofre had on society cannot be understated. Upon receiving confirmation that the alien robots found at Mount Saint Helens in 1964 had awakened and were attacking humans, every single part of the United States military immediately went to DEFCON 1. The world's nuclear arsenals all went to the highest alert level possible, continuity-of-government plans were activated, evacuations of major population centers were ordered, and mass panic gripped the public.
After the Autobots intervened, however, the panic was replaced with confusion and curiosity. The public had always assumed that, when the aliens came, they would all be hostile. There was zero expectation that two factions of a single race would turn Earth into a battlefield, and even less that one of those factions would be benevolent. And yet, that was the scenario now playing out. Following the Battle of San Onofre, the question of "Are we alone?" was replaced with "Are we safe?"
In the hours following the Decepticon retreat, the Autobots set to work with rescue and recovery efforts in San Clemente. News cameras captured the historic moment, as human and Autobot worked side-by-side to dig out survivors and stabilize buildings in danger of collapse. In a matter of hours, the name "Optimus Prime" became a household name, and the 'bot himself became a symbol of inspiration.
That evening, an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council was held. The world's governments had known about the "Mount Saint Helens Anomoly" since Operation: Sacrifice was carried out, and had gameplanned possible scenarios in the event they awoke. It was feared that the "Mount Saint Helens Anomoly" was a self-replicating Von Neumenn Probe, and that the alien robots were mindless "Berserkers" programmed to wipe out all life on Earth ahead of a colonization by another alien race.
The one scenario they had failed to plan for, however, was that the "Transformers" were not only fully-sapient, they were also in the midst of a civil war. Plans had been drafted for a scenario where Earth became a battleground between two opposing civilizations or sides in a civil war, and that humans would be caught in the crossfire or forced to choose a side, but there was no single plan in which one of these races was not only benevolent, but actively went out of its way to defend humans.
Decisions made at the emergency sessions included opening a dialogue with the Autobots, namely their designated ambassador, Crosscut. There was some doubt, mainly among delegates from communist nations, that the Autobots were genuine, but the general consensus was that they could be trusted. Why would they help to rescue those trapped under collapsed buildings in San Clemente when they could just kill them?
Besides which, the public was in love with the image of the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime, and it wasn't hard to see why. Amateur footage of the fighting between the Autobots and Decepticons showed Optimus leading from the front, digging his heels in the trenches with his fellow Autobots. The decision to open dialogue and pursue closer relations with the Autobots was unanimous. Not even the Soviet Union would be stupid enough to exercize their veto power when planetary security was on the line.
MEANWHILE...
Dark. Darker. Yet darker. The darkness seemed never-ending. This was what stasis lock was like. Last time this had happened to Starscream was four million years ago, but that only felt like a blink. This time, it was longer. Was this...death? No, of course not. Reflector hadn't hit Starscream in a critical spot, but that didn't change how much it hurt.
Then, in the midst of the darkness, was a ray of light. It got brighter.
And brighter.
And brighter.
And soon, the darkness had been washed away.
Now Starscream was certain he was dead, and had just entered the AllSpark. But the AllSpark didn't have the sound of medical machinery, did it?
No. No, it didn't. Starscream was alive. And it wasn't long before he began to hear someone talking.
"He's regaining full functionality." Starscream recognized this voice. It was Glit, one of Soundwave's Mini-Cassettes, the only medic the Decepticons had, and probably the single-least malicious Decepticon ever forged.
"You've done me proud, Glit," said another voice. Starscream definitely recognized this as Megatron.
Slowly, he opened his optics. He was definitely still alive. The familiar forms of Megatron and Glit were looking at him.
"Oh, thank Primus, you're online", said Megatron, with a genuine smile.
"How...how long was I out?" Starscream asked, groggily.
"Not too long," replied Glit, "and the damage wasn't too severe. But what were you thinking, jumping in front of three assailants?"
"Saving Lord Megatron's life."
Megatron chuckled. "Soundwave owes me."
"You Macros and your bets..." muttered Glit.
"I had to do it." Starscream continued. "I was leader of the Decepticons once. And I brought us to near-ruin."
"You didn't bring us to ruin, Starscream," assured Megatron, "your faulty logic circuits did. When Reflector had me at gunpoint, I knew the Decepticons would be in good hands."
"You exaggerate..."
"I speak the truth. When I saw you in battle at the nuclear plant, I didn't see the Starscream of old. Not a coward who wouldn't give his opponents a sporting chance. I saw...myself in you. I was instantly reminded of the old days in the Kaon gladiator pits. And that spin technique you used on those Autotroopers? I might just have to load that as a standard combat subroutine in all Seekers!"
"I only did what was necessary, nothing more." Starscream said, dismissively, "My only goal is to further the Decepticon cause."
"You know...I thought this was all a trick of yours, to be honest. Exposing ourselves to both the humans and the Autobots this early in our time here on Earth will inevitably lead to complications. I thought you were setting me up for a fall. But then you took one for your leader. That is the mark of a truly-loyal Decepticon."
Starscream cracked a small smile. He wasn't used to this kind of praise, but he knew better than to let it go to his head. He then turned to Glit.
"What has become of Reflector?"
"They're all dead."
"Then our espionage capacity has been greatly reduced."
"We didn't need them." said Megatron. "Photons are obsolete, anyway. If we need any intelligence, we have Soundwave and his Mini-Cassettes."
All three were quiet for a few seconds.
"So, what now?" asked Starscream.
"We can't occupy any territory long-term in our current state," replied Megatron, "for now, we must use hit-and-fade tactics. Hit an energy-rich target, get the Energon, and get out of there before the Autobots show up. For right now, we should focus on searching for escape pods from the Nemesis."
"I hope...she's in one of them." Starscream was referring to his Conjunx Endura, Slipstream, a fellow Seeker, and the only one who could see past his faulty logic circuits.
"Mmm, yes. Slipstream would be a good addition to our ranks, same with Ramjet, Thrust, and Dirge."
MEANWHILE...
Three days had passed since the Battle of San Onofre had concluded. The United Nations in New York was abuzz with news reporters from all around the world. Even the Soviet Union had sent reporters from the Pravda newspaper.
In front of the building, a massive podium had been set up. Too big for humans, it had been built specifically for Optimus Prime.
All at once, everyone went silent. Not just those in attendance at the press conference, but the entire world. Everyone and everything came to a grinding halt. September 25, 1984 would go down as the quietest day on Earth since the last day before the first millipede clambered onto land 420 million years ago.
The first to step up to the human-sized podium was Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Secretary-General of the United Nations.
"Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, people of the world. For many years, a mysterious construct near Mount Saint Helens in the State of Washington, in the United States, has captured the imagination of explorers, dreamers, and conspiracy theorists alike. Was this a temple where sacrifices were made? Was it simply an unusual rock formation? Or, as many have come to believe, was it a crashed alien spaceship?
I have been authorized by the United States government to inform you today...that yes. This is indeed a crashed alien spaceship. Like the Biblical Noah's Ark, this ship was, too, an Ark, designed to carry refugees from their dying planet.
On May 18, 1980, Mount Saint Helens erupted. It was this eruption that brought the Ark back to life. A probe was observed launching from the ship, which the United States had investigated in 1964 as part of Operation: Sacrifice, the details of which will be declassified in the next several days. On September 18, 1984, this probe returned to the Ark, having scanned vehicles and objects around the world to program into the Ark's inhabitants to use as alternate modes.
With that, I shall turn the floor over to our honored guest. Ladies and gentlemen, the leader of the Autobots."
Secretary-General Cuéllar motioned towards the large podium, as Optimus Prime drove up to it in his truck mode, then transformed, to thunderous applause. The applause died down as Optimus Prime began to speak.
"Greetings, people of Earth. I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. We are a race of sapient robots from the planet Cybertron. Many of you call us Transformers. This is an apt description, though the true name of our species is Cybertronian. We convert all forms of energy into a special fuel known as Energon.
"Four million Earth years ago, our planet was in a state of civil war. The Autobots were a political movement aimed at peaceful reform. Our enemy, the Decepticons, were another political movement, aimed at forcing change by violent revolution. In the waning days of the war, the core of our home planet was corrupted by the leader of the Decepticons, Megatron, who believed he could use Dark Energon to bend the planet to his will. He only ended up causing the planet to have to go into shutdown until it could cleanse itself of the infestation. Cybertron is not like other planets. It the mortal form of Primus, our progenitor, who, in aeons past, chose to enter into a deep hypersleep as to avoid the depredations of his aggressive sibling Unicron. It is completely mechanical, as are all lifeforms on the planet. Personally, I've never been certain if the planet could support organic life.
"All Cybertronians are capable of transforming. Most of us transform from a humanoid robot mode to a vehicle. On Cybertron, we used these alternate modes for transportation, combat, or other functions such as construction or examination. On other planets that were not within our territory, we would use them for disguise, to move amongst the native population undetected. Some of us have two alternate modes, these being Triple Changers. There are a few who even have six forms, known as Six Changers. There are Cybertronians that transform into mammals, reptiles, insects, cassettes, and even entire cities. There is no limit to what we can transform into.
"It may not be easy to spot the difference between Autobots and Decepticons at first, but as a rule of thumb, Autobots are usually cars, and Decepticons are usually everything else, such as jets, guns, cameras, media players, and media storage devices. There were others on the Ark who were Autobots that transform into these, but as of yet, we haven't discovered them. It is known that, shortly before the Ark crashed, escape pods were jettisoned. They were also jettisoned from the Decepticon warship that pursued us, known as the Nemesis. We don't know where the escape pods are, though we did find a shuttle with ten Autobots onboard, three of whom...perished at San Clemente. We also know that escape pods were jettisoned from the Nemesis, and that the Nemesis crashed somewhere on Earth. You can recognize escape pods from the Ark by their yellow color, while those from the Nemesis are purple. We are currently setting up lines of communication, where you can report escape pods.
"The Decepticons are ruthless. They will not accept surrender. They WILL kill you. Our numbers are currently low, but Decepticon numbers are also low. Population centers are not currently at risk, but this can and most likely will change. For the moment, however, I have consulted with our military strategist, Prowl, and he has concluded that the likelihood of a major Decepticon attack on a large population center is very low. Their current priority is to locate sources of energy to refine into Energon, as well as other resources to use in the construction of new troops and weapons. We Autobots won't do the same, we'll simply ask nicely." Laughter met this witty remark.
"I know many of you are skeptical of us Autobots, that we are planning to turn on mankind after defeating the Decepticons. Let me assure you, we are NOT your enemy. I personally live by the motto: 'Freedom is the Right of All Sentient Beings', and it's a motto that I believe all should live by. I don't believe in prejudice or hatred. These are Decepticon ideals. Megatron believes in the paradoxical motto of 'Peace Through Tyranny'. There can be no peace with tyranny.
"Over the next few months, myself and the Autobots will be coordinating with the governments of the world in regards to combating the Decepticons. You will see special television programs about us, including a history of our race, how to identify certain Decepticons such as Megatron, what to do if the Decepticons attack your hometown, and others. Print media will also be distributed to all households for free.
"These will be trying times, I'm not gonna lie. There may be shortages caused by the Decepticons. We Autobots will do our best to mitigate these hardships. But we need not do it alone. I have studied your history. You are a young species by galactic standards, yet in that short amount of time, you have accomplished much. I've seen too many sapient spaces destroy themselves with nuclear weaponry. That you have gotten this far without doing so means that you are more enlightened than most species.
"Thank you for your time. Till All Are One."
Optimus Prime's speech was replayed over and over again on all networks, in all languages, all around the world. True to his words, human society changed overnight. Pamphlets were distributed to all houses for free, giving readers a primer on the Cybertronians, identifying Autobot and Decepticon markings, and Decepticon attack preparedness.
The United Kingdom, in particular, went all-in on such preparations. In the 1970s, the British government had produced a series of public information films and pamphlets called Protect & Survive. These were originally made to tell people how to protect themselves in the event of nuclear war, with all television networks to only show the PIFs if the government determined that nuclear war was likely to break out within 72 hours. Now, however, the program was being expanded to include Decepticon attacks. Brand-new PIFs were produced, with Patrick Allen once again narrating, with one of these airing five minutes before the top of the hour, every hour.
The Japanese, meanwhile, were enamored by the Cybertronians. There was a recent trend of giant robots in their media, including Gundam, Macross, and Super Sentai. Now there were actual giant robots among them, and major toy companies such as Takara and Bandai were quick to cash in, producing toy robots that could transform into various things.
All of this didn't go unnoticed by the Decepticons. Increased Autobot vigilence and human surveillence was one thing, but Megatron's hopes for hit-and-fade attacks were dashed when the GroundBridge projector in the Decepticon base had an irreplaceable component break, meaning the Decepticons would now have to travel the old-fashioned way. This also meant that not as many Energon cubes could be sent back to base as at San Onofre. This meant short-term occupations and supply lines were now the only option, and these occupations would have to occur within a certain distance of a base, meaning a set perimeter would have to be established. Megatron knew that the Autobots would quickly ascertain the extent of this perimeter, and thus be able to focus their efforts, so he made it a priority to obtain more resources to be able to expand the base and support more troops, as well as finding escape pods from the Nemesis; it was hoped that Astrotrain would be in one of them so the Decepticons could mine Near-Earth Objects.
The lines had been drawn. The first moves had been made.
The Great War had begun anew.
