Firebreathing Hijacker

Every spacecraft tells a story, and this is the story of the Axalon. About three hundred years after the Neogens were transferred to “new” Cybertron; a society of Maximals had evolved. They fought briefly with the Predacons (an almost separate “race” evolved from Decepticon Neogens) over territory and other political nonsense. They settled their differences, and thus the Pax Cybertronia was formed. Shortly after signing the agreement, both the Maximal Elders and the Tripredacus Council agreed to make efforts to find their true homeworld. Only these six Neogens knew the true origins of their race. Under the guise of “peaceful research,” several exploratory missions to locate Cybertron were commissioned. The first mission ended in disaster due to unstable Transwarp technology: Thunderjaw’s missing crew was presumed dead. After some more years in the laboratory, the Maximals launched a twin exploration mission, test-driving their new, improved Transwarp. The two ships were called the Aurora and the Axalon.

Alas, a Predacon renegade by the name of Megatron stole the Golden Disc—guided to “new” Cybertron at the will of the Oracle to restore organics to the planet. The Axalon was called upon to intercept Megatron’s ship. Megatron had decoded a secret message on the Golden Disc left by the original Megatron and led the Axalon four millions years into the past, to a prehistoric Earth.

The Axalon remained on the Earth until its present occupier found it in 1999.

“Sky-byte, report to me at once!”

A face melted onto the central viewscreen, slightly misformed (okay, I’m being too polite here, I mean ugly), with a metallic fin mounted on the head. “As you predicted, commander, that was one hell of an explosion! The energy we collected at the facility in Alaska was a great start to the plan.” There was a pause as Sky-byte looked down. “But I’m afraid we lost a few of the team.”

“That is of no concern of mine, Sky-byte. I have a stasis hold full of protoforms,” said the robot, tapping his chest, “and I still have the Transmetal 2 Driver.”

“Sir, I may be wrong but wasn’t the Ark buried inside the mountain we just totalled?”

“You have nothing to worry about, my dear shark. I already checked: Optimus Prime’s head was obliterated and not repaired. It seems whatever happened on this planet’s past isn’t affecting us now.”

“So, why start with Mount St Hilary, anyway?”

“Irony, Sky-byte. Irony.”

“Yes, commander.”

“Now, get yourself to El Salvador, and I’ll have a new team prepared for you, yes.”

“Thank you, Megatron. Sky-byte out.”

Megatron stood up from the comms station and made his way to the stasis hold. He walked proudly down the portside corridor, pausing briefly outside one of the quarters. The door slid open automatically. Inside Megatron could see three silver swords mounted on one wall and the skin of a tan and pink velociraptor on another.

“Traitor,” he hissed.

Megatron was about to enter the stasis hold when he suddenly fell to the ground. A searing hot pain in his abdomen spread out to his limbs and he cried out a high-pitched yelp – the same you get if you tread on a puppy’s tail.

“Sky-byte’s team will have to wait, I need to get this extra Spark into a protoform.”

“I repeat, come in, Megatron!”

Megatron ran into the Axalon’s bridge and activated the comms station. “What is it now, Sky-byte?”

“Sir, check the long-range scanners. I’m picking up Autobot energy signals on the planet!”

“What?”

“Twenty-five in total, somewhere in Russia. Say, have you got a new body sir?”

Megatron flexed open his hands and closed them into fists again. “Why, thank you for noticing! But it’s not purely cosmetic, I had to transfer the original Megatron’s Spark to another body.”

“Looks good.”

Megatron shook his head in slight confusion. “Umm, anyway. Hold your position and continue the plan. These Autobots will prove no match for me.” (Pause for effect.) “Yes.”