Chapter 50 Beginning the Search for Skyfire
"Host, I'm afraid I must assign you a new mission. I believe what this human said. On the surface, this planet doesn't appear to harbor any advanced civilizations, but judging from the era of these humans' ancestors, we have reason to believe that a great battle between Transformers once took place here. Moreover, the Dinobots who arrived before us...along with Skyfire...surely know something. Therefore, I'm entrusting you with the task of finding them and uncovering the truth about this world."
Just as Red Spider was still reflecting on the information gathered from the humans, the Transformer System seemed even more intrigued than he was, even activating a mission mode.
But… that old Skyfire seems to have vanished long ago, and there's no trace of any Transformers on the planet's surface. Where exactly was he supposed to find him?
"Hey, System, are you kidding me, Starscream? You're just giving me random orders out of nowhere! We don't even know if Skyfire is still on this planet. This mission is way too demanding!"
Starscream's first instinct was to reject the mission entirely. Regardless of whether Decepticons or Autobots had ever existed here, he had already recharged his energy. Returning to Cybertron immediately was far preferable to wandering this primitive world.
"Host, I suggest you accept this order first. If you don't complete it, you won't be able to progress through the main storyline. And if you stop progressing, this system will gradually deactivate the functions you've already unlocked. Think carefully!"
Alright, fine. The Transformer System always showed special concern toward Optimus Prime back on Cybertron, which made sense...after all, it had likely been created by the Autobots.
But why would such a low-level civilization on this planet trigger a mission from the Transformer System? And according to the system's analysis, this current mission was just an appetizer...far greater challenges and rewards awaited ahead.
"I really don't understand what's so special about this planet. But since this is an order from you, Chief System, I'll do my best to complete it. However… do you have any new leads on that missing veteran Decepticon?"
According to standard Decepticon search protocols, as long as Starscream could detect even the faintest signal from that old warrior Skyfire, his targeting system could pinpoint his exact location.
After all, Starscream's successful energy recharge on this planet had been thanks to that very Decepticon veteran...this mission could be seen as a way of repaying that favor.
However, despite inspecting Skyfire's old Decepticon outpost and scanning the planet's surface, Starscream hadn't detected a single Transformer signal. Even Dart, a member of the Dinobot squad, seemed to have completely vanished.
Was the system seriously expecting Starscream to look for clues in human myths and legends? What a joke!
"Host, according to my database and our previous encounters, I believe the surface of this planet isn't as simple as it appears. It may be covered by a layer of advanced material that specifically interferes with our electromagnetic signals. That's why we can't locate the others."
Fine! Putting aside whether Skyfire was even still on this planet, there was that Transformer pterosaur, Dart, whom Starscream had personally seen in battle. From what he remembered, the Dinobot squad had always been inseparable...meaning that the legendary General Grimlock might also be here.
Grimlock's alternate form was that of a massive mechanical Tyrannosaurus Rex tens of meters tall. His mechanical energy output would be incredibly powerful even on Cybertron. If not for some kind of strong interference or signal shielding, Starscream would have detected him easily.
"So, what now? Should I team up with these primitive humans and look for answers in their mythology? Or start digging around the ground like those Huns? Don't tell me these humans actually have detailed treasure maps!"
For someone used to relying on high-tech instruments, asking Red Spider to change strategies like this was clearly pushing it.
"Host, while your methods have merit, I believe we should employ more advanced techniques than the humans. For example, we could construct a satellite resistant to strong electromagnetic interference. We should shift our focus from surface exploration to subsurface...and even underwater...scanning. What do you think?"
Excellent. As a piece of advanced technology, the Transformer System couldn't possibly expect Red Spider to just grab a shovel and start digging like a human archaeologist. That would be far beneath the dignity of a high-ranking Decepticon warrior.
Although there were indeed strange interference signals across the planet's surface, Cybertron's mechanical civilization had developed over eons...they surely had specialized methods to deal with such issues. And conveniently, the system's database contained many of those very techniques.
The required materials were readily available, too. There were still plenty of components left in the abandoned Decepticon outpost. As long as the basic energy collection device was intact, even dismantling the central computer wouldn't be a problem.
"Chief System, your plan is brilliant! How did I not think of that earlier? Judging by how we discovered this Decepticon outpost, we can safely assume that the humans...or rather, our Decepticon ancestors...had a fondness for burying things underground. Maybe they feared being discovered?"
What Starscream didn't realize was that humans on this planet had an inexplicable connection with the earth itself. They buried not only all sorts of secrets and treasures but even their dead along with them...something completely incomprehensible to Transformer logic.
"Very well, Host. Since you agree with my plan, let's begin. I can now retrieve all data regarding Skyfire from the outpost and synchronize it to our new satellite. This should greatly assist in future global searches!"
(End of Chapter)
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