Transformers: Survival of Defective Products

Chapter 141 Setting Sail

After Megatron was seriously injured, Starscream briefly took command of the Decepticons.

Soundwave took Megatron away, while Shockwave remained on Cybertron to continue processing the space tower, energy samples, and research projects whose names didn't sound like they were destined for a normal conclusion.

The remnants of the front lines, the tracking squadrons, the command post, and the Karon dispatch chain all need to be controlled.

Red Spider readily accepted.

In the command center of Calon, Megatron's main seat was empty.

Red Spider stood before the main projection, its wings slightly raised, its tone cold and light:

"Contract the frontal line of Iron Fortress and hold the control node on the east side. Tracker formations shall regain control of the airspace surrounding Iron Fortress, and armored vehicles shall stand by."

A Decepticon officer hesitated: "Soundwave hasn't relayed Megatron's latest status yet."

Red Spider turned to look at him, and the officer immediately lowered his head.

"So?" Red Spider asked, "Are you planning to tell you how to stand guard yourself after he wakes up?"

The command room fell silent.

Red Spider scoffed.

He always knew what power felt like.

All machines will stop before you speak. Even when they hesitate, they will still look at you, even if they dislike you, fear you, or doubt you, they will still have to wait for your next instruction.

Red Spider likes this feeling.

The only drawback is that Megatron is still alive.

-

The Autobots' Ark has entered the final loading phase.

Inside the Iron Fortress underground dock, the massive hull completed its main closure. The long-range energy module, medical module, hibernation zone, deep-space navigation array, reserved modules for the new spark stabilization module, and spark source tracking system were successively put into operation.

On the other side, Tongtianxiao confirmed the final evacuation list.

The Ark cannot take all the Autobots with it.

Cybertron still has defenses, cities, medical districts, a judicial center, and countless machines that cannot be left behind.

The Thunder Rescue remained on Cybertron, continuing to hold back any potential renewed attacks.

Jack laughed and said that if the Ark really took them on board, they might blow up a new exit in the cabin first.

Alita will leave with the Ark, but she will leave behind a contingent of elite guards on Cybertron to take over the defense of several college districts, medical lines, and the outskirts of surviving cities.

She revised the order to be clear and concise, highlighting the evacuation threshold and pursuit clauses in red.

Those who remain will continue to face the war, while those who leave may not necessarily reach a safe place.

Outside the Iron Fortress, the last batch of high-purity energy transport vehicles drove from the underground storage area to the Ark shipyard.

This is the last one. Once it arrives, the Ark will have completed its minimum energy reserves before its long voyage.

Optimus Prime said, "The escort team has set off."

"Yes," the police car said. "But Soundwave is restoring the surveillance link, and Starscream is temporarily taking over the Decepticons. He does have the optical glasses."

The jazz leaned to one side: "Then let's hope he sees it later."

-

Red Spider isn't stupid.

When the last batch of energy transport vehicles left the Iron Fortress underground storage area, the Decepticons' peripheral monitoring chain detected an abnormal energy curve.

It was wrapped in layers of local confirmation agreements in Ironforge, making it look like a normal transfer of supplies.

But Red Spider stared at the screen, his wings slowly lowering: "Ordinary supplies wouldn't be transported using a three-layer camouflage route."

The tracker beside him whispered, "It's probably supplies for the medical area."

Red Spider looked at him: "You believe me?"

The other person immediately shut up.

Red Spider retrieved more data: Iron Fortress Underground, Long Voyage Energy Container, and the most recent material movement.

He concluded with a cold laugh, "The Autobots are hiding things."

He immediately ordered: "Move the armored vehicle convoy and intercept those transport trucks. Don't destroy the energy cargo hold; I need to know exactly what they're transporting."

Bao Chong was the first to respond, his voice brimming with obvious excitement: "Finally, I have work to do!"

Chao Nao burst out laughing: "I thought that after Red Spider took over, all we would do was wait around."

The attack interrupted coldly: "Execute orders."

Red Spider frowned: "I said intercept, not blow the route into a junkyard."

There was a half-second silence in the tank team channel.

"That depends on whether the Autobots cooperate or not," said the noisy one.

Starscream suddenly understood why Megatron always seemed to want to crush those moldy shark teeth.

-

The convoy was intercepted on the industrial transport belt outside Iron Fortress.

The shell landed on the road ahead, severing the guide rail.

The escort team immediately went into action, and alarms were sounded on the Autobot channel.

"Enemy attack! Tank convoy! Protect the cargo hold!"

Bumblebee, positioned on the left side of the escort team, had already rushed out when he heard the first explosion: "How did they find us?"

Ironhide, standing next to a transport truck, raised his cannon: "Now is not the time to discuss this!"

Hot Rod leaped off the roof of the transport truck: "I'll go to the left and disrupt their formation!"

Before the gunner could even finish speaking, the police car announced, "All escort units, prioritize protecting the cargo hold. Do not pursue."

The tank unit's firepower was fierce this time.

The attack was responsible for frontal suppression, while blasts and noise came from both sides, and vortexes dropped chaff and deception released signal jamming from above.

Bumblebee braved the gunfire as it passed through the transport workshop and attached the jammer to the Noisy Leg Armor.

The noisy man turned and roared, only to see a yellow figure disappear into the narrow gap between cars: "Who touched me?!"

The escort team managed to stabilize the situation.

But the tank crew clearly didn't really understand Starscream's line, "Don't destroy the energy cargo bay," or maybe they did understand but didn't care.

A powerful shot blast pierced the side support, sending a transport truck swerving off course. Ignoring orders, Bumblebee charged forward and forcibly dragged the two drivers out of the overturned cab.

Tong Tianxiao's calm voice came through: "Well done. You'll write a report when you get back."

Bumblebee: "...Do I still have to write code after saving the machine?"

Meanwhile, the attackers finally realized they were about to blow up the energy cargo hold and angrily shouted, "Cease fire! Don't blow up the cargo!"

The protesters cried out in discontent: "Why are the Autobots still fighting?"

The scammer's tone was tinged with exasperation: "Because we're robbing them."

The interception turned into a high-risk melee.

When Red Spider saw the first energy cargo bay's outer shell crack through the remote camera, his expression was far from pleasant.

"Tank units, cease fire!"

The attacker replied: "The Autobots are moving the cargo hold."

"Because you're about to blow it up!"

Just then, the scammers pried out a piece of residual information from the access records of a transport vehicle.

[The Ark's long-range energy module has been finally loaded.]

[Departure preparations: 97% complete.]

The tank team channel went silent for a moment.

Red spiders are the same.

Ark, energy module for long-distance voyage, set sail.

He looked up abruptly: "Send the data back to the Caron controller."

-

When Megatron woke up, the first thing he saw was sound waves.

The second thing to look at is the sealed protective cover on the outer layer of the maintenance compartment.

At a third glance, the repaired armor on his chest was still not fully closed.

Seriously injured, recovering, and out of command, this state of mind made him extremely irritable.

The sound wave stood to one side, and the data screen displayed nothing.

[Battle of Iron Fortress: Objectives not fully achieved.]

The core area of ​​Iron Fortress will be preserved.

Megatron: Severely wounded, retreats.

[Temporary Frontline Commander: Red Spider]

Megatron's red optical mirror suddenly lit up, and Soundwave continued to display the next set of data.

Starscream mobilizes a convoy of vehicles to intercept the Autobots' energy transport.

The interception operation is out of control.

[Target confirmed: Ark.]

The Autobots' long-range carrier is about to set sail.

Megatron sat up abruptly from the repair bay, tearing off two of the repair arms before they could fully detach.

"Red Spider".

Megatron's voice was deep and filled with anger.

In Caron's command center, Starscream was preparing to adjust the interception plan when the door was suddenly kicked open from the outside.

All machines froze.

Megatron walked in, his chest armor showing signs of repair, his red optical lenses cold and savage.

Red Spider turned around, his expression froze for a moment, then quickly put on that familiar smile.

"Megatron, you're awake. That's truly something—"

Megatron grabbed him by the neck and slammed the entire machine onto the control panel, causing the metal surface to crack instantly.

The red spider's wings suddenly spread open, then were pressed down, making a screeching sound.

"You've taken over my command."

"Temporary!" Red Spider managed to squeeze out, "and absolutely necessary!"

Megatron looked down at him: "And then they turned an interception into a chaotic melee."

"That's the tank crew's problem! I clearly stated not to blow up the energy cargo hold!"

"So you can't command them."

Red Spider's expression froze.

Megatron increased his force, saying, "If you want to sit in my seat, then unleash the power to make all machines obey you."

The red spider gritted its teeth, its reflection in the optical lens revealing anger and humiliation.

"At least I discovered the Ark."

This message made Megatron loosen his grip a little.

Red Spider seized the opportunity and continued:

"The Autobots are leaving. They've built a long-range ship, and the power module is in its final stages of installation. If you're busy dismantling me now, Optimus Prime will take your AllSpark clues and those Autobots and disappear into space."

The command room was deathly silent. Megatron stared at him, but Starscream did not look away.

A few seconds later, Megatron suddenly released his grip.

Red Spider slid off the cracked command platform, coughed while clutching his neck, his wings trembling, but he quickly straightened up.

Megatron turned to look at the main projection, and information about the Ark appeared on the screen.

As he read through it, his anger gradually subsided into something colder.

"They're leaving Cybertron."

Sound wave access channel: [Yes.]

"Then let's go after them."

Red Spider raised his head: "We don't have any long-range ships of the same class."

Megatron looked at another projection—the remains of the Ironhide Dragon.

After being knocked down by Optimus Prime, Ironhide, and Bumblebee, it became embedded in the ruins outside Iron Fortress. The Decepticons didn't take it all with them when they retreated; they only recovered a portion of the core control structure.

Shockwave Remote Access: "The main body of the Ironclad Dragon wreckage is severely damaged, but hull conversion is still feasible. If its deformed structure is dismantled and reconstructed into a pursuit ship, basic navigation capabilities can be achieved in a short period of time."

Red Spider frowned: "You want to turn that wreckage into a ship?"

Megatron coldly replied, "It is already a weapon."

Shockwave added: "Converting it into a warship is more efficient than repairing it into a giant unit."

Red Spider wanted to chuckle, but remembering the pain in his neck, he held it back.

The Emperor, whose power shook the world, ordered: "Immediately upgrade it. I need a warship that can catch up with the Ark."

The shockwave provided the solution, and the sound wave immediately implemented it.

Red Spider rubbed his neck, which was sore from being pinched, and stared at the screen with a gloomy expression.

-

The Ark finally set sail, its roaring thrusters blazing blue flames across the Cybertronian sky.

Looking down, the outer perimeter of Iron Fortress was shrouded in smoke, and flames still shone in the direction of Kalon. The main archives of the judicial center in Crystal City had been raised during the war and now almost reached the sky.

Inside the bridge of the Ark, Alita stood to the side and behind Optimus Prime, without turning around.

She left behind orders, guards, and many things she was unwilling to relinquish but had to do.

Arcy stood in the boarding passage, taking one last look at Cybertron.

The ambulance confirmed that all hibernation pods were locked inside the medical bay.

The jazz stood at the stern of the bridge, quietly gazing at the distant ground, his goggles concealing all his emotions.

Bumblebee pressed against the observation window, watching Cybertron recede into the distance, its wings drooping behind it.

Tinker was fiddling with weapons next to him: "Don't look like you're about to cry."

The bumblebee whispered, "I didn't."

Optimus Prime stood in front of the control panel.

Police car report: "The energy module is stable, the deep space navigation array is online, the residual trajectory of the spark source is not locked, but it can be tracked."

A communication from Cybertronian surface came through: "Ironclad is under our control."

Optimus Prime was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Take care."

Tongtianxiao paused for half a second: "You too."

Optimus Prime looked in the direction of Crystal City.

From this height, the city is no longer visible; only the points of light and cracks on Cybertron's surface are visible.

But he knew she was there.

They were leaving Cybertron to search for the AllSpark and to find a future that might not even exist.

Optimus Prime's fingers tightened at the edge of the control panel.

He remembered too many things: the time he had gently placed her hand on his forehead, and the unanswered questions he had asked in front of the hibernation pod.

Now he even wants to leave the planet she lives on.

He closed his optical glasses for a while, letting his emotions surge and rush within him for a moment.

His emotions were so intertwined that he could hardly tell whether it was guilt, longing, or pleading. After a while, he managed to calm himself down.

But he will come back, and then perhaps he will finally see her bright blue optics.

The Ark departed Cybertron's orbit.

They embarked on a journey to find the source of the fire, a journey that seems to have no end.

-

The Retribution completed its minimum departure shortly after the Ark departed.

It was born from the wreckage of the Ironclad Dragon. The hull is thick and heavy, with sharp and fierce lines, and in many places you can still see the original armor spines and turret fragments of the Ironclad Dragon.

Megatron stood in the center of the bridge, the repair marks on his chest having faded considerably.

The sound waves connected to the monitoring system from the side, and the laser bird landed on his shoulder.

Red Spider stood on the other side, her expression not pleasant, but she still held her chin high with haughty self-possession.

Barricade, Knockout, Deadfire, Thunderclap, Overturn, Skyquake, Haunted Wing, and most of the Decepticons boarded the Retribution.

Black Widow stayed on Cybertron, as did Shockwave.

They each had their own missions, and each had their own reasons for not being able to leave.

Megatron looked at the star map ahead.

The Ark's trajectory resembled a faint streak of light, extending into the depths of the starry sea.

The source of the spark is further away.

Optimus Prime is in front, and the Matrix of Leadership is on him.

The gravitational vectors still slumber on Cybertron.

Megatron suddenly remembered the hibernation pods in the Crystal City medical tower.

He had little doubt that she would wake up sooner or later.

A person with her talent wouldn't be trapped in a deep sleep.

When she wakes up, she will know that he left Cybertron to chase after the AllSpark, Optimus Prime, and the Ark that carries the future of the Autobots.

We also know that he will eventually come back.

Megatron didn't like to say it was a wait.

Waiting is like weakness, admitting that you cannot get something immediately.

A keyable vector is not loot.

She was the old name that had not been completely burned away by the war deep within his heart, and also the rein that prevented him from completely crossing a certain line.

One day, he will personally bring her to his side.

No longer needing to be separated by the neutrality agreement of Crystal City, hibernation pods, or the pile of laws, borders, and damned trials she left behind.

She will wake up and see him.

This thought was like a nail, firmly driven into Megatron's spark.

"Catch them up!" came the order that shook the world.

The Nemesis's thrusters lit up, and the massive warship departed Cybertron's orbit, plunging into the cosmos.