The motorcade escorting the two Cabinet members headed west, eventually arriving at a temporary base on the westernmost edge of D.C.
This temporary facility was crude, consisting of little more than a few tents clustered like a wilderness survey camp. One could easily mistake it for a civilian prospecting team on an expedition. The base was staffed only by essential information experts and technicians, lacking even a single perimeter guard until Clarice and John Keller arrived with their security detail, providing a formal defensive presence.
Upon disembarking, John Keller sought out Clarice. "Clarice, regarding the technical data traded from the Decepticons—the Department of Defense and the military each need a copy."
He wasn't about to miss out on the spoils. He might despise Clarice, but those files were the real deal.
"Fine," Clarice replied with a sharp glance, nodding in agreement. Since she had confessed to her prior cooperation with the Decepticon known as Skygnaw, she had anticipated this moment. At this critical juncture, she had nothing left to hide; she had already laid everything out before the Cabinet.
Having secured what he wanted, Keller was in a better mood. Clarice had several direct departments under her thumb, but his DoD was no lightweight—it outweighed several of hers combined. Her swift compliance successfully downgraded her in his mind from a "ruthless old woman" to just an "old woman."
"Let's go, Clarice. Our guest is arriving soon."
In a rare move, Keller personally opened the car door for her. As everyone knew, a nation's capital often held more symbolic meaning than anything else. To show sincerity, they had chosen this location on the edge of the district specifically for their meeting with Skygnaw.
As dawn broke, a Cybertronian assault craft descended upon the base. Immediately behind it, five fighter jets shrieked through the air, transforming and landing in a perfect row behind Skygnaw.
Skygnaw had actually arrived the previous day. At his current flight speed of several Mach, a ten-thousand-kilometer journey was a matter of an hour. However, he had waited for Dirge and the others to arrive before proceeding. Since this was a "negotiation," he intended to create an air of authority; he wasn't about to be looked down upon.
Thud—
Startled by the sound of the jets transforming, several staff members stumbled out of their tents, their jaws dropping. No one had warned them they would be facing these things. While the existence of aliens was global news, this was the first time they had seen them in the metal.
"Quite the entrance," Keller remarked.
Clarice and Keller emerged from a tent, both momentarily stunned by the presence of Skygnaw and his elite squad. Clarice's security detail held their ground—especially her lead officer, who had met Skygnaw twice—but Keller's guards were less composed. They reflexively raised their weapons, shielding the Secretary of Defense.
"Stand down!" Keller barked. His guards hesitated, then retreated to the perimeter alongside Clarice's men.
"Madam, it's been a while," Skygnaw greeted as he approached. It was a meaningless pleasantry; they had seen each other quite recently.
"Mr. Skygnaw, we met not long ago," Clarice replied smoothly, her voice devoid of the vitriol she had harbored previously.
"Is that so?" Skygnaw feigned confusion. "Perhaps I misremembered. So much has happened lately, after all."
"Indeed, far too much."
Clarice sighed. While the Cabinet's think tanks had predicted a variety of outcomes, this specific scenario had been deemed the least likely. She hadn't expected it to actually happen.
For a time, the two chatted about various topics, the scene appearing remarkably harmonious. There was no trace of the hostility one might expect between an invader and the invaded. Skygnaw was inwardly impressed; had he been the one played, he wouldn't be nearly this gracious. If he didn't hold an absolute advantage in power and life-tier, he really wouldn't want to deal with these politicians—you never knew when they'd sell you out and expect you to thank them for it.
"Clarice, stop circling," Keller whispered from behind. He had seen this Decepticon before, but he didn't know him. This negotiation was Clarice's show; he was just there as the President's eyes and ears.
Clarice ignored him. She didn't need him to teach her how to do her job. Initially, they had planned to speak directly with The Fallen, but they soon realized it was impossible. To The Fallen, all life on Earth was indistinguishable—just insects. One does not negotiate with ants; one either ignores the buzzing or steps on the colony.
Thus, they had to settle for Skygnaw. Compared to the clearly untouchable Fallen, Skygnaw—with whom they had a foundation of cooperation—was the perfect intermediary.
"Madam, please speak plainly. My time is valuable," Skygnaw said, his patience thinning.
"Mr. Skygnaw," Clarice began, her tone turning solemn. "We know you are not the leader of the Decepticons, but you are a powerful warrior. We hope you will convey our terms to The Fallen."
Skygnaw nodded. He liked the "powerful warrior" part. "And those terms are...?"
"If we capture the boy and hand him over," Clarice continued, "can the Decepticons promise to leave our planet in peace after the Autobots are eliminated?"
In the eyes of the Cabinet, the Autobots' defeat was a foregone conclusion. Sacrificing one boy to save humanity was an easy choice. As for Sam Witwicky? They'd simply call it "the greater good."
Skygnaw looked at her with a mocking half-smile. Clarice and her cohorts clearly didn't understand The Fallen's true intent. If they did, they'd realize how pathetic their proposal was. The Fallen was here to harvest the sun and extinguish the world; a single hostage wouldn't change that.
"I will pass it along, Madam," Skygnaw smiled, his tone shifting. "But tell me—have you actually found him?"
Clarice hesitated and glanced at Keller.
The Secretary of Defense stepped forward. "Mr. Skygnaw... we have deployed every asset we have. Not just in the States, but globally. If that boy appears anywhere on this planet, we will know immediately."
"Good. Secretary Keller, I trust you won't forget to inform me when that happens." Skygnaw now recalled exactly who this little old man was. In the race to find a single human, the Decepticon technology was formidable, but it couldn't beat the Americans' home-field advantage.
Keller exhaled, relieved. A demand meant a dialogue. He stepped back, handing the conversation back to Clarice.
"Mr. Skygnaw, if Megatron or The Fallen agree to our terms, we are prepared to assist you in dealing with the remaining Autobots."
Clarice sold out the Autobots without a second thought. Keller winced slightly but remained silent.
"Aside from three who are missing, the rest of the Autobots are at the NEST base—including the remains of the Optimus Prime you killed," Clarice said, her expression cold and pragmatic.
Skygnaw nodded once more. He knew these words would never reach The Fallen's ears, so he agreed readily. Humans were experts at sensing which way the wind blew. With Optimus dead and the Autobots on the brink of total defeat, the Cabinet was placing their bets.
Whether they fought to the death or turned coat, Skygnaw wasn't surprised. He wasn't even shocked that they were betting on the Decepticons. The situation was almost clear—if you didn't bet now, it would be too late. It didn't matter who survived, as long as the species continued and human civilization endured, right?
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