Chapter 44: Are You a Mechanical Dinosaur?
"What's going on? What happened?"
When Red Spider (Starscream) rushed out of the underground base, the sight before him left him completely stunned. Though nearly the entire exterior had been reduced to ruins, a quick radar scan showed that the slaves of other races were unharmed. Only the Hunnic soldiers had been targeted ... and none had survived.
The attack had been disturbingly precise. Yet when Starscream had first arrived on this planet, he'd ordered the Transformer System to perform a full-scale surface scan ... and there had been no signs of advanced weaponry or super-systems.
However, the shrapnel and the powerful residual energy left on the ground were unmistakable traces of a laser cannon from an advanced civilization ... technology far beyond anything humanity on this planet could possess.
"Beep beep, alert, alert! Enemy detection confirmed! Incoming threat from the air! Execute evasive maneuvers immediately!"
Just as Starscream felt confused, the Transformer System's alarm blared. His massive form was being locked onto by some kind of air-to-surface missile system.
So this planet does hide secrets after all!
But there was no time to think. Responding instantly to the Transformer System's warning, Starscream sprinted across the grassland, his mechanical legs pounding the earth.
Unfortunately, he hadn't expected the ground beneath the plains to be hollowed out ... part of it had been previously excavated, unable to support his massive, multi-ton weight. After only a short run, the soil beneath him gave way, and he plunged downward.
"Oof...! That's one deep crater!"
But the fall turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Two old-model air-to-surface missiles streaked just over his head and exploded against a nearby mound, sending fire roaring skyward!
"BOOM!"
What was that?
Through the blazing firelight, Red Spider spotted his assailant: a massive bird-like creature with enormous bat-like wings and a long, razor-sharp metallic beak that glinted under the moon and firelight.
It was no living beast ... it was mechanical.
"Starscream ... transform!"
"System, help me lock onto that target! I need full pursuit tracking!"
Starscream was never one to back down from a fight. As commander of the Decepticon Air Force, there had never been a sky he couldn't dominate.
"Zzzzt, zzzzt, zzzzt!"
The mechanical bird immediately sensed danger from below. After its initial strike failed, it flapped its wings furiously and vanished into the clouds, hoping to use the darkness of night to shake off its crimson pursuer.
But Starscream never relied on sight alone. He hunted using radar and infrared sensors ... and now, aided by the Transformer System, no mechanical creature could escape him.
"Host, the target ahead seems to be a Transformer registered in our system. I need to get closer for a full scan."
Indeed, the entity that attacked him appeared to be a Transformer ... yet Starscream had received no reports of any others on this planet.
"No problem! No aerial prey has ever escaped me! Watch my acceleration!"
Following the system's directive, Starscream's thrusters flared outward, releasing a blinding jet of white light that doubled his speed, pushing him past Mach 2 as he rapidly closed the distance.
"Scan initiated. The target may be disguised, but it can't hide from the system!"
Apparently, the Transformer System's database contained not only Decepticons, but also temporary records of Autobots. Whoever had designed this supersystem clearly had extraordinary reach.
... Starscream, I didn't expect your propulsion and weapons systems to be so well-upgraded after all these years!
Perhaps realizing escape was futile, the large bird turned its head mid-flight and spoke to Starscream in human language. Its tone suggested familiarity ... as if the two had crossed paths before.
At the same time, Starscream's HUD flashed with the system's latest analysis:
"Beep beep beep! System match complete. Target identified ... probable identity: Dinobot warrior, Dart."
What? That thing is actually one of the legendary Dinobots? Didn't they vanish from Cybertron ages ago? How could one appear on this planet?
Starscream remembered fighting against the Dinobots back when the Autobots ruled Cybertron ... and, needless to say, he'd lost every encounter.
"You're Dart? How did you end up here? I remember your leader Grimlock ... a heroic warrior of Cybertron. But what happened to all of you? I heard it had something to do with Unicron. Is that true?"
After receiving confirmation from the Transformer System, Starscream instinctively deactivated his infrared missile tracking system ... the other was an Autobot warrior, not an enemy to destroy.
Of course, the mechanical pterosaur known as Dart had no such reservations. In his optics, all Decepticons were enemies ... especially that insufferable Starscream, once the lackey of Megatron himself.
"Heh, Starscream ... what happened? Did your homing missiles rust over the centuries?"
Dart was puzzled by the sudden loss of the infrared lock-on signal, but the cautious Dinobot felt no sympathy ... and absolutely no mercy.
(End of Chapter)