Chapter 51: Ruins of the Underground City
"Master, these are all the data and records stored in our outpost about Skyfire, along with his previous movement trajectories and black box logs. Please, review them!"
As a Transformer equipped with a flying machine, Skyfire had one major advantage ... the black box. Although it only recorded his original movement paths, integrating them could roughly determine his area of activity and the regions he frequented. Perhaps these places still held traces of Skyfire.
Logically, as a veteran Decepticon warrior, Skyfire wasn't just any Transformer. Even during the Autobot era, he possessed a formidable reputation. Therefore, his sudden disappearance over the past centuries could only be explained in two ways.
The first: he suffered an unknown mechanical failure and crashed somewhere on this planet.
The second: he fell victim to an unprovoked attack and was destroyed.
Starscream couldn't think of a third possibility beyond those two guesses. But speculation is just that...speculation. To confirm the truth, they would have to wait until the exploration satellite was launched into orbit to find out what had happened.
Using easily obtainable materials, the Transformer system constructed a mini-satellite in less than an hour. This satellite could provide full reconnaissance of any designated location on the planet. Since Skyfire's trajectory had been completely traced, exploring that target area wouldn't take long.
Based on his previous knowledge of these primitive humans, Starscream had discovered they loved to dig tunnels, burying all sorts of gold, silver, and gemstones...along with their own secrets. Perhaps Skyfire had met a similar fate hundreds of years ago!
However, the idea that low-level humans armed with primitive weapons could defeat a super Decepticon was absurd. Driven by curiosity, Starscream launched the satellite into outer space.
"Starscream...transform!"
Because the planet's civilization was still in its early stages, there was no space debris. Starscream's task was simply to deliver the satellite and set it into orbit.
Within five minutes, everything was ready, and the synchronized images began to appear on Starscream's monitor.
"Host, it looks like we're in luck. There's a massive underground city along that Skyfire's path, and we're detecting a strong energy reaction from silicon-based life forms. We're not sure if it's Skyfire himself, but we can go investigate."
"Well," Starscream replied, "even if the Transformer System isn't completely certain, that reaction must belong to Skyfire. Perhaps, due to the absence of any advanced civilization on this planet, that guy has been trapped alone in that underground city for nearly a thousand years."
However, Starscream was an aerial combat commander...not a miner. Even knowing there was a suspicious energy source beneath the ground, he couldn't dig it out himself!
Let the Huns handle that. They were completely obedient to him now, and though their tools were primitive, many hands make light work. Perhaps that young man named General Rylen and his companions could also help...they might know something about this underground city.
"Truly, Your Excellency, you've already found the entrance to the underground palace? That's wonderful! According to our ancestral records, there are many underground palaces in this world, and the newest one lies right beneath this vast grassland. I never imagined we'd actually find it!"
Interesting. So the underground city Starscream had discovered wasn't entirely hidden. These Huns had spent years digging and searching through this prairie. According to their accounts, the underground city might contain their sacred totems...and given the celestial fire-like energy reaction, it could even be a large-scale Decepticon base.
Starscream couldn't help but wonder: what were these Cybertronians doing traveling all the way to such an insignificant planet? Could it be hiding a greater secret?
"Host," the system reported, "I've transmitted additional data and completed the analysis. You'll never guess what we found! There are more than one silicon-based life forms down there...each one stronger than the last. It seems this planet hides far more secrets than we thought. Things are getting interesting."
"Well, it's surprising that there's more than one Transformer on this planet. At least three energy signatures have been detected within that underground city. If one of them is Jetfire… who are the other two?"
This information only deepened Starscream's interest in the underground city. His Hunnic excavation team worked efficiently, clearing a rough outline of the structure in less than three days. Yet the entrance they uncovered was strange...it bore two symbols: one was the familiar Decepticon insignia, and the other, the Autobot crest.
The building itself was fascinating. Long ago, during the Autobot reign over Cybertron, similar structures had existed...supposedly built to demonstrate the Autobots' respect toward the Decepticons. Either symbol could activate the portal.
But the scene before them left the Hun high priest utterly dumbfounded. He kept muttering, "How is this possible?" and "How can this be…?"
"Do you recognize this mark?" Starscream asked, noticing the Hun's expression. The man nodded vigorously.
"Your Excellency, this… this is the mark of the Yellow Emperor...the mortal enemy of Lord Chi You! But why are both symbols here at once? How can this be?"
Well now...this explanation only confirmed Starscream's earlier speculation: a battle between two Transformer factions had taken place on this planet...the Decepticons and the Autobots.
However, such a battle was not recorded in any Cybertronian archives...not even in unofficial tales.
What kind of truth were the higher ranks of the Transformers hiding?
(End of Chapter)