Ch: 199-207
Chapter 199
I don't remember any Transformers movie turning Blue Planet into this mess!
And on the surface, you hardly see a soul.
Bai Ye only detected a handful of humans hiding underground.
Did the Transformers wipe humanity out?
Bai Ye was puzzled; something felt off, so he scanned Blue Planet several more times.
Now he was even more bewildered.
Seriously—T-1000? Are you kidding me? The Terminator's here too!
Bai Ye's mind was reeling; he remembered the bot that had traded Liu Yi Qi Yi Ba Si Si Ba Wang Ba Quan blows with the Transformers.
Bai Ye couldn't help grumbling, "What kind of stitched-together World is this? Skynet's Terminators versus Transformers?"
After venting for a bit, though, his expression turned gleeful.
For a guy who lives for chaos, this World was a playground.
Not only could Bai Ye enjoy the spectacle, he could also harvest two tech trees to feed the Power of Ten Billion Gods.
Skynet-style A.I., nanotech, time-travel machines—
And the Transformers? The allspark alone is absurdly potent.
Per the comics, their ceiling is sky-high; there are Multiverse-level heavy-hitters.
There's even a Great Dao Unity Transformer just a notch below OAA.
The live-action films are the weakest version; the U.S. nerfed them hard to flex its own might.
Otherwise, comic-book Transformers would've curb-stomped America long ago.
To figure out the upper limits of this Universe,
Bai Ye widened his scan to the Milky Way Galaxy and beyond.
But to his surprise, he found no truly mighty presences.
Could this really just be a mash-up of live-action Transformers and Terminator Worlds?
Whatever—time to head topside and take a look.
Bai Ye stayed in stealth mode, locking onto the life-sign coordinates.
He'd start by talking to humans and learning what had happened.
Skynet, after all, doesn't do dialogue.
These days the surface is almost empty of people.
Despite looking like a stitched World, Skynet's drones still hunt humans everywhere.
Who knows if the human alliance still calls itself the Resistance… On a vast interstate, two cars were barreling along.
Above them, swarms of armed drones attacked in pursuit.
Thanks to Serpentine Maneuvering, the cars dodged every strike.
And the Autobots weren't pushovers: a battle-scarred off-roader popped a Gatling out its rear door.
The spinning muzzle roared, spitting tongues of fire that shredded drones one after another.
'F***!!'
In the beat-up off-roader, Anthony slammed the steering wheel.
"Hey, kid—watch those hands!"
A deep mechanical voice rumbled inside the vehicle.
The Autobot clearly disliked Anthony's rough handling.
"Sorry, Toxitron," Anthony apologized.
He'd just lost control for a second.
They'd collected less than half the medical supplies they needed.
If not for his screw-up, the drone swarm would never have spotted them.
"Enough—let's deal with the tail first!"
From the passenger seat, Martina in camo gear spoke up.
She'd just shot down two drones and ducked back inside.
Martina chewed bubble gum, blonde hair, blue eyes—classic Euro-American blood.
Though a girl, her face was all grit.
She reloaded her pistol with practiced ease, no fear in her eyes—if anything, a spark of excitement.
Clearly, this Martina was one hell of a soldier.
By past experience, once drones spotted you, killer bots weren't far behind.
Mission 693's objective: scavenge the dwindling emergency meds.
"It's all my fault!" Anthony groaned again.
Toxitron braked hard and jinked left, dodging a shell; Anthony yelped.
Martina shot him a weird look.
A grown man chirping like a schoolgirl… "Man up—quit yapping!"
Martina barked at Anthony.
"Looks like you need more time on the battlefield!"
"Come on! Take Big Sis's prized piece!"
With that, Martina slapped a fresh magazine into the pistol and tossed it to Anthony.
"Hurry! Didn't you promise to show me your manly side before we set off?"
"Shoot down a few drones and let me see it!"
Still chewing gum, Martina blew a bubble, leaned farther out the window, and fired at the swarm behind them.
Anthony fumbled the catch; his face cycled between white and red—he'd barely touched one of these things.
But firearms were a survival requisite; he at least knew the basics.
His profession was Doctor, and on this run he was their main hope of finding medicine.
"Screw it!"
Clenching his teeth, Anthony copied Martina and stuck his torso out the window.
"Aaaaargh!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Eyes shut, Anthony emptied the mag—every round missed and drew instant return fire.
Cursing, Martina yanked him back inside.
The next second bullets shredded the spot he'd just occupied.
"Unbelievable—who shoots with their eyes closed?"
She snatched the pistol back and rolled her eyes.
"Give it here; don't waste my bullets!"
Anthony's face burned, whether from her scolding or the adrenaline he couldn't tell.
"Toxitron, floor it!"
A deep metallic voice crackled through the cabin.
It was a signal from the other off-roader.
"Large drone detected astern—robot payload closing fast!"
"Copy that, Scout—move ahead!"
The vehicle nicknamed Scout didn't argue; it surged forward.
In a straight fight Scout was weaker than Toxitron; this was no time for bravado.
"How far to the next detonation point?"
With the heat on, Martina stopped blowing bubbles.
The large drone's fire-control system was insane.
Under concentrated fire even Toxitron would be Swiss-cheesed in seconds.
And that wasn't counting the liquid robot riding the drone—an even nastier piece of work.
It packed serious punch against humans and Transformers alike.
In liquefied form it could rot a Transformer's frame wholesale.
"One hundred fifty klicks to go!"
Toxitron answered while hosing the pursuing swarm.
"Can we hold out?"
"Not looking good," Toxitron replied flatly.
One-fifty meant over an hour at their current cross-country speed—if Skynet left them alone.
The terrain was trash; only the off-roaders could keep it up.
At that junction waited a survivor-built directional EMP rig.
A single pulse could freeze Skynet's army—for a while.
Skynet wasn't about to oblige; the large drone was already in visual range, closing fast.
"Scout!" Toxitron hailed the lead vehicle without hesitation.
The two rigs were old partners; Scout knew the drill.
Scout slowed and pulled level with Toxitron.
Both doors slid open in perfect sync.
"Martina, Anthony—switch cars!" Toxitron barked.
He would stay behind to block the hunters; split-second decisions were survival.
The meds were in Scout, and Scout was quicker—better odds of escape.
No one wasted breath on sentiment; apocalypse life made such exits routine.
"Toxitron, stay sharp!"
Martina shoved Anthony into Scout first, then shot him a last look.
"On it—move!"
She vaulted into Scout and slammed the hatch.
The engine spat a snarl of flame; the rear end squatted under torque.
Power surged and Scout catapulted forward—gone like a bullet.
Chapter 200
Seeing this, Toxitron clicked his tongue in wonder and said directly:
"As expected of the new generation of youngsters, we old guys can't compare!"
Ever since the allspark was taken from Earth, the speed and quantity of energy communication for the initial batch of Transformers had become increasingly difficult, as if their energy cores were aging.
After sighing, Toxitron slowed down while continuously dodging the hail of bullets.
As he approached the drone swarm, Toxitron's entire vehicle body suddenly emitted a clanking sound of transformation.
An off-road vehicle quickly spun into the air and completed its transformation mid-air.
Then, an intricately crafted metal greatsword, as it spun, directly slashed towards the drone swarm!
The drone swarm couldn't dodge in time, directly triggering a chain of explosions.
One large drone carrying a T-series robot was directly knocked down.
The drone was destroyed, but robots aren't so easily eliminated.
The drone swarm split into two, one part staying behind to engage Toxitron.
The other part directly pursued the Scout's direction.
"Come on! You bunch of scumbags!"
The Transformer that Toxitron transformed into was eight or nine meters tall.
His body was covered in matte black and red interwoven paint, crisscrossed with numerous cracked marks, which were his accumulated battle merits.
His metal face had mechanical pipe-like beard decorations, and he held a smoking metal great cigar in his mouth.
His left hand's six-barreled gun continuously spewed flames, and the giant metal longsword in his right hand swung with powerful force.
Toxitron in his Transformer state was more than capable of dealing with a few drones!
After all, drones equipped with guns were just ordinary conventional weapons.
The real combat power lay with the liquid robots called T1000s!
While fighting, Toxitron stumbled, his left knee suddenly collapsing to the ground.
"Scumbag!"
It turned out a T1000 was dismantling and melting the mechanical structure of his leg.
Toxitron threw away the six-barreled machine gun in his hand and directly pulled out an energy hand cannon from his back.
With a bang, he blasted both the leg and the T1000 flying; he was a ruthless one!
He raised his gun again, blasting away another approaching T1000.
The two T1000s turned into puddles of liquid, twitching on the ground, blue electric arcs flashing on them, preventing them from reforming.
This hand cannon was Toxitron's life-saving weapon!
It was an energy weapon similar to a plasma cannon.
This thing had a miraculous effect on T1000s, able to restrict their body recovery.
Free electrons continuously performed repulsive reactions on the surface of the T1000s' bodies, preventing them from forming for a long time.
"Hahahahaha! You little brat."
Toxitron laughed heartily and continued to spray bullets with his machine gun.
"You're far from being able to compare with your Lord Toxitron!"
As Toxitron continuously sprayed with his machine gun, before long, there were only a few drones left in the sky.
But the situation was not optimistic; at the end of Toxitron's line of sight, he could vaguely see overwhelming black dots rapidly approaching.
"Damn it, it looks like I'm going to kick the bucket here this time!"
Toxitron sighed and took a deep drag from his big cigar, puffing out thick, oily smoke.
"It's worth it! There are at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, Skynet dogs who died by my hand!"
Back in the day, Toxitron was also a formidable warrior.
But ever since Optimus Prime left Earth with the allspark, he had been unreachable.
Toxitron had accumulated more and more injuries over the years.
His energy was also dwindling, seemingly having entered his twilight years.
Without the allspark's energy replenishment, even without this battle, Toxitron wouldn't live much longer.
A massive swarm of support drones rapidly approached Toxitron.
A dense, dark mass, obscuring the sky, with more than ten large drones deployed.
Seeing this, Toxitron knew he couldn't escape, and struggled to his feet.
"Optimus Prime, I haven't disgraced the Autobots!"
Toxitron roared, machine gun in his left hand and cannon in his right, once again engaging Skynet's 857 dogs.
The cannon continuously shot down the front-row drones in the air.
But the sheer number of drones was too great; the damage Toxitron inflicted was like a drop in the ocean.
Just as the drone swarm was about to engulf Toxitron.
A purple, semi-transparent energy wave suddenly struck down from the sky!
The energy wave, accompanied by a shockwave, rapidly swept across the battlefield.
Wherever it passed, it cleared everything in its path, and any drones it touched instantly sparked, falling to the ground and exploding into fireworks.
"Your daddy's here!" Bai Ye quipped, flying down from the sky.
The purple energy wave on his body continued to sweep.
Countless drones continuously fell, and within a few breaths, the once dark sky was once again bathed in sunlight.
All the drones dispatched by Skynet were destroyed by Bai Ye!
Having dealt with the drones, Bai Ye landed in front of Toxitron.
His small form, roughly human-sized, and the black armor covering his face made Toxitron feel he wasn't a good person.
His small form, roughly human-sized, and the black armor covering his face made Toxitron feel he wasn't a good person.
"Who are you?!"
Toxitron, having narrowly escaped death, did not relax his guard in the slightest, pointing his huge hand cannon at Bai Ye.
"A new type of robot?"
Although Bai Ye had attacked the enemies upon arrival, the experienced Toxitron did not consider him an ally.
Look at that energy wave earlier; could a carbon-based lifeform do that? Even the Decepticons wouldn't believe it!
"Good afternoon, big guy!"
Bai Ye retracted his armor, revealing a distinctive human face.
With a smile in his eyes, he greeted the grizzled old Transformer in front of him.
Bai Ye hadn't seen this model in the movies.
But Bai Ye had witnessed the entire escape of Toxitron and the Scout earlier.
"I'm not an enemy! Let's talk later!"
Bai Ye turned around, looking at the drone wreckage scattered on the ground.
He deliberately exposed his back to Toxitron, a signal to show that he was indeed not an enemy.
Have you ever seen an enemy dare to expose their back to you?
Except for a certain quasi-"kick-ready" red beetle.
More than ten T1000s had not been destroyed, but had merely disintegrated and fallen to the ground under Bai Ye's deliberate action.
In this short time, they had already reformed into human shapes and began to charge towards Bai Ye.
Bang!
"Kid, be careful!"
Seeing this, Toxitron raised his machine gun and fired first at the T1000s.
Bai Ye destroying the drone swarm and unhesitatingly exposing his back to him successfully won Toxitron's favor.
Before, because Bai Ye was shrouded in black armor, he seemed mysterious.
Toxitron couldn't be sure if he was human or robot.
But Bai Ye revealed his face and exposed his back, so at least for now, he wasn't an enemy!
Moreover, Bai Ye's warrior aura and extremely bright presence made Toxitron feel that this wasn't something a bad person could possess.
He had only seen this kind of confidence and composure in Optimus Prime!
The hit T1000 twitched on the spot, unable to move for a long time.
Hearing Toxitron's words, Bai Ye smiled and said directly, "Watch closely, big guy!"
As he spoke, Bai Ye directly extended his hand, and powerful Telekinesis immediately enveloped all the T1000s, instantly twisting them into a ball in mid-air by Bai Ye.
It looked extremely cruel, but mechanical constructs, like super beasts, don't feel pain.
The best way to deal with these things is to simply evaporate them.
Bai Ye unhesitatingly used the power of the Sun.
Blazing red light shot onto the metal ball formed by the T1000s.
This was the high temperature of the Sun's core; a mere T1000, in one second, was directly evaporated in mid-air, with no possibility of recovery!
"Holy crab!"
Toxitron exclaimed, took a deep puff from his big cigar, and then unreservedly gave a thumbs-up.
Such miraculous methods were not just 'holy crab,' but also satisfying!
"Here, want a puff?"
Toxitron held the metal big cigar in front of Bai Ye.
This was a true powerhouse.
Hmm, worthy of Toxitron's respect! He could be granted a puff of the oil cigar!
Bai Ye looked at the oil cigar, which was taller than him and emitting thick smoke, and couldn't help but twitch his mouth, politely declining:
"Thanks, but I don't smoke that stuff!"
Toxitron scoffed, clearly a bit disappointed by Bai Ye's refusal.
"How can a true man not smoke cigars?"
"Speaking of which, kid, who are you? I've never heard of someone like you before."
Toxitron tossed the cigar back into his mouth; such clean and decisive combat methods should be active on the front lines of battle.
Toxitron was familiar with warriors and power-holders from various human factions, but he had never seen Bai Ye.
"That's because I've been traveling in the Universe!" Bai Ye explained casually.
"Hmm, an alien?" Toxitron wasn't particularly surprised.
Transformers were considered aliens to Blue Star, after all!
"Something like that!" Bai Ye smiled, not saying much more.
"Oh, right, do you want to help your companion?!" Bai Ye pointed in the direction the Scout had left.
Before Bai Ye arrived, a group of drones and T1000s had already gone after the Scout!
"I wish I could! But my leg..."
Chapter 201
Toxitron grunted twice, knocking on the mechanical thigh that he had blasted away.
"How are we going to chase after them like this?"
"Now we can only pray that that kid, Scout, runs fast enough!"
Toxitron sighed and coughed up two mouthfuls of black smoke.
Hearing Toxitron's words, Bai Ye asked him, "Can't you use the allspark to recover?"
Bai Ye could easily fix the problems with Toxitron, but he deliberately brought it up.
Because when he scanned Earth before, Bai Ye discovered that the allspark and Optimus Prime were not present.
So, Bai wanted to ask about the situation of this Universe in this way.
"Hmm?"
Hearing Bai Ye's words, Toxitron's eyes narrowed.
"How do you know about the allspark?"
Bai Ye's mention of the allspark made Toxitron a little wary again, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself.
The guy in front of him, who casually unleashes energy shocks, may not even be a carbon-based lifeform, and he actually knows about the allspark?
"Of course I know, after all, I've been traveling in the Universe, and I've heard of Cybertron..."
Bai Ye explained, his eyes meeting Toxitron's.
Looking at Bai Ye's unblushing eyes, Toxitron sighed again.
"The allspark is possible, but it's no longer on Blue Star!"
Well, in fact, for some humans, the allspark is not a secret.
Bai Ye nodded when he heard this, but he did not immediately ask where the allspark had gone, as this would make Toxitron even more vigilant.
After all, why would a stranger care so much about someone else's life core?
Bai Ye touched his chin, and an idea was born in his heart.
"Perhaps, I can help you..." Bai Ye pointed to Toxitron's broken mechanical leg.
"Oh? How can you help?" Toxitron became interested. "Are you also a mechanic?"
"Me? I can barely be considered one! But people don't usually call me a mechanic," Bai Ye shrugged and replied.
"But rather, a God!"
Bai Ye said jokingly, then stretched out his palm and began to twist the broken limb of Toxitroncounterclockwise in the air.
Green magic circles appeared on Toxitron's limbs.
As if time was reversing, his mechanical thigh was constantly being restored.
Under the effect of the law of time, Toxitron's limbs were restored in just a few seconds!
"Holy crap."
Toxitron looked at the incredible scene in front of him, so shocked that his cigar fell to the ground.
"Are you really a God?"
...Five minutes later, the roaring sound of a blasting engine echoed through the interstate highway.
"Woohoo!"
Toxitron started burning rubber and ejected from the warehouse.
The huge wheels left two long black marks on the ground.
The old off-road combat vehicle of the past has been rejuvenated, and its power is unbelievably strong.
Toxitron was speeding on the highway at an unbelievable speed, and the speedometer went straight to the bottom.
Bai Ye sat in the car, and the glittering energy magic acted on him.
"I've never felt so young!" Toxitron howled excitedly.
Without Bai Ye even stepping on the accelerator, the speed of the car never dropped below 200 mph!
(Miles, 200 mph equals 320 kilometers per hour.)
Having lost the supply of the allspark, Toxitron, who was originally in his twilight years, returned to his peak.
The energy produced by energy magic is also extremely pure.
Bai Ye applied it to Toxitron's vehicle, which was simply a super-large, high-quality power bank.
Although its functionality may not be as compatible as the allspark, its energy supply has the same effect.
Toxitron used the energy wantonly, without worrying about consumption at all.
The energy magic that Bai Ye casually cast can autonomously extract Universe energy to supply power.
It is inexhaustible and inexhaustible, enough for Toxitron to use until the end of time.
"How is it, how is the energy of my energy magic?"
Bai Ye put the seat back, put his feet on the steering wheel, and asked leisurely.
If anyone else dared to do this in the car, Toxitron would have thrown him out long ago.
But in Toxitron's eyes, Bai Ye was already a big shot.
Regardless of whether he is a real God or not, just showing his power casually makes him a big shot.
So, Toxitron has no problem with whatever the big shot wants to do!
"Extremely awesome!" Toxitron responded excitedly.
"Although I don't know what the principle of your power is, the purity of the energy is even more intense than the allspark!"
Under the blessing of Universe energy, Toxitron's entire vehicle is constantly being strengthened.
The old injuries from the past have long disappeared, and the cannons hidden inside are as shiny as if they were brand new!
"By the way, you just said that the allspark is no longer on Blue Star, what's going on?" At this time, Bai Ye asked casually.
Taking out energy magic earlier was not only to gain the favor of the Transformers, but also to pave the way for this question.
Toxitron, in a state of excitement, really didn't think much and explained directly, "Optimus Prime took it away!"
"A few years ago, after Optimus Prime took the allspark away, we couldn't contact him anymore."
"Our communication with the allspark has also become extremely weak, seemingly there and seemingly not."
"So, the older generation of guys have more or less withdrawn from the battlefield!"
"The current battle can only rely on the younger generation!"
Transformers can absorb clean electrical energy.
But this thing, whether in terms of quality or quantity, cannot be compared with the Universe energy produced by the allspark or energy magic.
For Transformers, electrical energy is really charging for fifty days and using it for two minutes...
After thinking for a while, Bai Ye asked Toxitron again:
"Do you know where Optimus Prime is now?"
The development of Transformers in this Universe is completely outside the movie plot that Bai Yewatched.
At least there is no Skynet and Terminator in the movie.
"Of course I don't know!" Toxitron replied.
Optimus Prime is the leader, and he doesn't need to notify them what he wants to do.
Toxitron recalled the scene when Optimus Prime left.
At that time, Optimus Prime did not explain the reason for leaving too much.
There were no Skynet and other bastards at that time. If Optimus Prime could return to Blue Star, the war would probably be over long ago!
"Is that so..."
Bai Ye muttered to himself and didn't ask any further.
Don't worry, Bai Ye came here to experience the fun, and unknown things are the best.
I hope Skynet and Transformers can bring him a lot of fun.
"Hey, young man, don't think so much!"
"I'll take you back to Base to meet some other old buddies. Maybe some other old buddies will have the information you want!"
"Although I don't know why you are looking for Optimus Prime, I am willing to help you!" Toxitron said with a smile.
"Oh? How do you know I'm looking for Optimus Prime?" Bai Ye asked with a smile.
"You said it yourself, young man!" Toxitron snorted, smugly.
"Although I am different from you humans, my brain is smarter!"
"Of course, if you can lend this magical magic to some other old buddies, I believe they will like you too!"
Hearing this, Bai Ye raised his eyebrows. This is what you're after!
Letting himself use energy magic to recharge the older generation of Transformers?
But Bai Ye said he didn't care. Energy magic is just something he can set up casually.
Charging a few Transformers in exchange for some allspark information is a very worthwhile deal.
Toxitron wasn't worried that Bai Ye would plot against Optimus Prime. He didn't think Bai Ye was that kind of person.
Well, to be honest, Toxitron actually had blind confidence in Optimus Prime.
He didn't think Optimus Prime would be plotted against by any conspiracy.
Bai Ye clapped his hands and agreed to Toxitron's deal.
"Okay! No problem at all!"
Hearing Bai Ye's answer, Toxitron was overjoyed, but he didn't show it.
"Now, let's meet up with Scout first!"
Toxitron added, and silently stepped on the accelerator again.
Scout hadn't left for long. With a sufficient supply of clean energy, Toxitron could catch up with Scout in a short time!
Thanks to the brand-new state and the blessing of energy magic, Scout could be observed within sight in a short time.
"I see him!"
Toxitron reminded, then accelerated again.
The input of energy magic gave him inexhaustible strength!
Behind the Scout vehicle, there were also large numbers of drones floating, and the two sides had already entered a state of engagement.
Scout belongs to the new generation of Transformers, but this "new" is also compared to Toxitron's generation.
After Optimus Prime took the allspark away, no new Autobots were born on Blue Star.
The energy storage and utilization efficiency of the older generation is obviously not as good as that of the new generation.
With the help of his evasive maneuvers and Martina in the cockpit, Scout kept fighting with the drones behind him.
As the two Autobots quickly closed the distance.
Bai Ye saw Martina sticking out of the car window at a glance. Her marksmanship was amazing, and every shot could take down a drone!
Chapter 202
"Whoa, what a fierce girl!" Bai Ye exclaimed in admiration.
"Need me to make a move?" This remark was directed at Toxitron.
"No need; just watch, sir!"
Toxitron declined Bai Ye's help, his bumper transforming mid-drive.
Several energy cannons unfolded at the front of the vehicle; those barrels were among Toxitron's prized assets.
But he rarely deployed them—because the damn things burned through energy like crazy.
Right now, though, with energy-magic backing him, he wasn't worried in the least!
"Fire!"
Toxitron roared, and the fire-control system launched a synchronized salvo.
Azure energy shells flooded toward the drone swarm, setting off fireworks in the sky.
"It's Toxitron!"
Inside Scout, Martina swapped magazines; she caught the spectacle through the rear-view mirror!
"Old-timer, are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Scout patched straight into Toxitron's onboard comms...
The sky-filling blue barrage stunned Scout.
With the veteran's current reserves he could manage only a few shots!
"Trying to get killed?"
Toxitron snorted at Scout's words.
"Kid, you're too green—watch Grandpa show you a trick!"
Only a few shots? Toxitron would demonstrate exactly how many!
The energy barrels spun like a Gatling, firing at blistering cadence.
Shell after shell—cheap as dirt—scattered the drone swarm like moving targets.
In mere seconds Toxitron fired well over a hundred rounds!
The dense drones barely needed aiming; one blast obliterated multiple units!
Extravagant—utterly extravagant. Even large drones couldn't survive the onslaught.
"What the hell—what's with the old man!" Scout was lost.
"Did you hook up with the allspark?"
Only the allspark could supply enough juice for such reckless expenditure.
Still firing, Toxitron replied, "No allspark—but I've got a super-source that replaces it."
"Enough talk; let's team up and wipe the rest out!"
"No problem!"
Scout answered tersely, then opened up with full ordnance, coordinating with Toxitron to hammer the sky.
Under the well-fed firepower of the Transformers, Skynet's drones became mere appetizers.
Even T-1000 units couldn't withstand the high-rate energy barrage!
After an earth-shaking roar of guns, the scene turned brutal.
When the cannons fell silent, the road was littered with burning electronic refuse.
"Hell yeah!"
Toxitron whooped, pulling alongside Scout.
He hadn't cut loose like that in ages—felt fantastic!
Because the two vehicles ran side by side, Martina spotted the male human in the cockpit at once.
"Hey, handsome—who are you? Got a girlfriend?"
Martina rolled down her window, teasingly arching a brow at Bai Ye.
Was Bai Ye good-looking? Absolutely.
His strength and experience gave him an aura of confidence.
To a young woman that glow was like a firefly in the night—irresistible!
This girl is hitting on me?
It was the first time a complete stranger—let alone a girl—had brazenly flirted with him.
Bai Ye's eyes glinted mischievously; he smoothed his stylish hair.
Then, glancing left and right, he leaned in and whispered solemnly, "Smell anything?"
Martina blinked. "Smell? What smell?"
She sniffed—gunpowder and motor oil, nothing unusual after a fight.
"I smell..."
Bai Ye's grave tone hooked her curiosity.
"...the reek of a fox in heat!"
Martina wasn't stupid; she caught the insult and glowered.
Unfazed, Bai Ye shook his head, giving her no chance to retort.
He rolled the window shut, sealing the stream of curses outside Toxitron.
Seeing Bai Ye's move, Toxitron burst into laughter:
"Young man, that razor tongue of yours reminds me of myself in my prime!"
Bai Ye's face filled with question marks: ???
"Dude—do you even want a face?"
"I feel like I'm looking at the younger me!" Toxitron went on.
"Back in the day, when I abandoned medicine and—"
Just as Toxitron was about to brag about his past glories, Scout's voice cut in again: "Old-timer, can you finally explain that energy-source problem you mentioned?"
"Uh…" The interruption irked Toxitron.
"Back to Base first—then we'll talk."
…The Base lay underground, nothing like the shabby ruin Bai Ye had pictured.
The cavernous space was vast, with a complete closed-loop ecosystem.
The surface bristled with surveillance gear and a ring of EMP machines to fend off Skynet strikes.
Escape Tunnels ran in every direction—every contingency covered.
The Autobots must have lent a hand building it.
Otherwise, with Skynet on humanity's tail, constructing a Base this size would've been nearly impossible.
And there were many more like it around the World, large and small.
Screech!
Toxitron and Scout rolled through the checkpoint and braked inside the Base.
A squad that had gotten advance notice hurried forward.
Leading them was a middle-aged man in camo.
Though the World teetered on the edge of apocalypse, he remained bright-eyed and unbroken.
The doors opened; Martina and Anthony stepped out, and the man greeted them with a smile.
"Anthony! Martina—welcome back!"
"Uncle Laimeng!"
Martina beamed; Anthony, still pale, hadn't shaken off the shock of their narrow escape.
Laimeng nodded, then studied Anthony's pallor. "You saw combat?"
Martina gave a casual nod. "Just a hiccup—sorted."
"Oh, right—we brought the goods. They're in Scout's trunk."
She sounded breezy, as if firefights were nothing worth mentioning.
But battle-hardened Laimeng knew every clash with Skynet was life-or-death.
Flesh and blood against steel—how could it be easy?
"You two did well."
Laimeng sighed and waved the Soldiers over to collect the supplies.
If manpower weren't so thin, the Base would never send kids to scavenge.
Youth and children are the future.
As long as they survive, humanity has hope.
"By the way, Uncle Laimeng—we also found a Survivor."
Martina turned toward Toxitron as she spoke.
Why hadn't that handsome guy climbed out yet?
She naturally assumed Bai Ye was a wanderer scraping by outside.
These days, one careless night outdoors and Skynet—that Bitch whose sole hobby is erasing humans—would level your hideout.
Curious, she stepped closer to Toxitron and peered through the window.
Inside, Bai Ye sat staring ahead, eyes glinting with faint gold.
Martina tapped the glass; only then did he turn to her.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
Easy-going and thick-skinned, she'd already forgotten his earlier sarcasm.
Bai Ye shook his head and smiled. "Thinking."
With that, he dismissed the magic circle on Toxitron's steering wheel and opened the door.
Moments ago he'd been scanning the entire Base through his eyes—Channel 870.
It was sizable: roughly a hundred-thousand people.
Most were women, children, and elders.
Young adults like Martina were scarce, and Soldiers fewer than he'd expected.
Casualties of the long war, no doubt.
As for Toxitron's "old buddies," Bai Ye had glimpsed them too.
At the Base's center stood a huge Garage packed with Autobots.
Since Bai Ye wouldn't be frank, Martina couldn't be bothered—strangers will be strangers.
Chapter 203
"Hello, young man!" Laimeng greeted him with shining eyes.
"Welcome to A113 Base."
The moment he saw Bai Ye, Laimeng had the idea of drawing him in.
Bai Ye was only wearing a T-shirt, and there was no way to hide the smooth muscles under his clothes.
This kind of person, with a little training and put into the team, would be a good assault soldier!
In the Base, young people are the backbone.
Whether it's searching for supplies, or training them and putting them in the team, they might be able to play a vital role.
It's a pity that the young people in the Base have suffered too many casualties in battle..
"Hello, I am Bai Ye!"
Laimeng didn't show any surprise at Bai Ye's Asian features and name.
Although they are not the same race from the same region, everyone is human.
When facing mechanical groups like Skynet, of course we must stick together for warmth!
"Young man, where are you from? Do you have an organization?"
Laimeng tried to make his smile look kind.
Before Bai Ye could answer, Toxitron began to transform with a click-clack.
"Little Laimeng, Bai Ye will not join the Base!"
Toxitron guessed Laimeng's thoughts in a second, which was nothing more than wanting Bai Ye to stay at the Base to serve.
But Toxitron, who had communicated with Bai Ye, knew a thing or two about him. Would a big shot stay in this kind of small place?
"Oh?"
Laimeng turned his head to look at Toxitron, who had turned into a huge robot, and frowned: "What do you mean?"
For Toxitron, middle-aged Laimeng was still a child, so there was no problem with Toxitron calling him Little Laimeng.
"He possesses power you can't imagine!"
"I'm going to take him to see my old buddies now!"
Hearing this, Laimeng narrowed his eyes and carefully sized up Bai Ye again without leaving a trace.
Toxitron breathed out.
"Let's go, Bai Ye! I'll take you to see them!"
"Scout, you come too!"
Bai Ye nodded and greeted Laimeng:
"I'll go see the other Autobots first, Mr. Laimeng!"
As the saying goes, one should not hit a smiling face. Laimeng's attitude towards Bai Ye was friendly and kind, so Bai Ye should of course show the politeness of an Easterner.
Although he and Laimeng will basically have no contact afterwards.
Scout flashed his headlights twice and slowly followed the two of them.
He didn't immediately ask Toxitron about the energy.
Even if they are in the same camp as humans, they will still not reveal some racial secrets.
In the long struggle, they have learned about human habits and learned to protect themselves!
"What is the origin of that young man named Bai Ye?"
Seeing them leave, Laimeng immediately asked Martina.
Autobots are important combat units for humans to survive.
But Toxitron took a young man he didn't know to see them?
Martina stared at Bai Ye's leaving back and shook her head blankly.
"I don't know either..."
"I only know that Toxitron stayed behind to cover the rear, and then drove him to catch up!"
Saying that, Martina became even more curious about this handsome man. She rolled her eyes and said to Laimeng:
"Let Anthony tell you, Uncle Laimeng, I'll go and see!"
Before Laimeng could refuse, Martina directly strode out with her long legs and secretly followed behind Bai Ye and the others.
"This child..."
Laimeng squinted his eyes and smiled and cursed, then turned to look at Anthony, whose face was still a little pale.
"Anthony, tell me what happened before?"
...Let's talk about two things separately. Bai Ye was chatting with Toxitron one after another at this time.
With his strength, he had naturally discovered the little tail hanging behind him.
However, Bai Ye didn't expose Martina. If she wanted to follow, let her follow. Anyway, it wouldn't affect his fun.
"Originally, there weren't that many Autobots."
As he walked, Toxitron answered some of Bai Ye's questions.
"But in the year before Optimus Prime left, the allspark exploded once."
"Explosion?" Bai Ye heard this, his expression changed, and his face was thoughtful.
"Yes! The allspark exploded inexplicably," Toxitron continued.
"So we guessed that Optimus Prime left with the allspark, probably to investigate the cause of the allspark's explosion!"
"It was because of that explosion that a large number of new generation Autobots were born!"
"Look, this Scout is a new generation of Autobot!" Toxitron recalled with some emotion.
"Well, you may not know, the newly born Autobots are a bit irritable!"
"Optimus Prime spent a year managing these Autobots."
"Then he left Earth with the allspark."
"How did he leave Earth?" Bai Ye asked curiously.
According to his memory, Optimus Prime doesn't seem to have the ability to fly autonomously in outer space.
Not to mention that Cybertron is so far away, it is not a simple flight that can be reached in a short time.
"That's because of a spaceship!" Toxitron replied.
"As for what kind of spaceship it is, it is the secret of our race."
Toxitron was obviously unwilling to say more about this matter.
Bai Ye didn't deliberately continue to ask these questions.
Could it be the spaceship from Transformers 4?
Bai Ye was a little uncertain. That spaceship should have been destroyed.
In the movie, Optimus Prime even got a mechanical Tyrannosaurus as a mount.
But the Transformers series of movies, the first three are okay, as for the last few... Bai Ye didn't know how to evaluate them. Anyway, he skipped through them when he watched them, and he didn't remember the content clearly.
Moreover, this Universe may not be the movie version of Transformers.
"Okay, we're here!"
While Bai Ye was thinking, Toxitron brought him to the front of the huge garage door.
Squeak!
The heavy metal door was pushed open by Toxitron, raising a cloud of dust, and the lights inside were a little dim.
"Toxitron!"
A thick metal sound echoed in the huge garage.
A Lamborghini near the door turned on its headlights.
Bai Ye raised his eyebrows. He found that he actually recognized this car.
The black body dotted with orange lines is the centenary commemorative edition, Centenario-LP770-4
The corresponding Autobot title seems to be Hot Rod?!
Bai Ye saw it in the fifth movie, but he was not sure whether other Autobots used the appearance of this Lamborghini.
After all, after the Autobots scan it, they can turn into other models.
"Old buddies! Stop pretending to be dead! Come out and meet a new friend!" Toxitron shouted at the garage.
These bastards usually like to lie there quietly pretending to be dead when nothing is going on.
As soon as he finished speaking, several mechanical transformation sounds suddenly rang out in the originally quiet garage.
At least five or six Autobots transformed at this moment.
The other part is still selectively pretending to be dead..
"Huh?"
Bai Ye saw the familiar Bumblebee at a glance.
Plus the Lamborghini that was suspected to be Hot Rod just now, it seems that it should be the sequel to the movie Transformers plot..
"Tsk..."
Seeing that only these Autobots had transformed, Toxitron was a little dissatisfied.
"Bai Ye, that thing you had before... what was it called."
"That's right, Energy magic! Show it off and let these hicks take a look!"
Bai Ye shook his head with a smile when he heard this. This Toxitron was really interesting.
When Bai Ye opened the Energy magic circle that he had used to charge Toxitron with one hand, there was a crackling sound in the garage.
This time the sound was louder and more massive than before.
"Is it new energy?"
"I feel a full source of energy!"
"Is Optimus Prime back? Is it the allspark?"
"No, it's not the allspark, but it's equally powerful!"
This time, almost all the Autobots transformed.
They subconsciously surrounded Bai Ye, their eyes cast on the Energy magic circle in Bai Ye's hand without any scruples.
They could feel the amazing energy contained within, which was the source of their survival!
"Although I've seen it once, I still have to admire it."
"What pure, full energy!"
Toxitron stared at the Energy magic circle in Bai Ye's hand and exclaimed.
"Toxitron, did you bring new energy?!"
Chapter 204
Among the many Autobots, one stepped out whose movements were somewhat stiff.
The Autobots needed a leader. After Optimus Prime left, this truck-type Autobot named The Watchertook on the position of temporary commander.
"Yes, I brought energy!" Toxitron affirmed.
"The energy comes from this powerful individual traveling the Universe!"
"He can recharge us, provided we answer a few questions!"
This was the deal Toxitron and Bai Ye had discussed earlier.
Bai Ye would use an Energy Magic Array to recharge them, and they would tell Bai Ye everything they knew about Optimus Prime!
Toxitron deliberately emphasized the words "powerful individual traveling the Universe."
The purpose of doing this was to prevent these old partners from having any inappropriate ideas.
The Watcher, like a wise elder, pondered for a moment and said, "A very reasonable transaction!"
"So, young man, what do you wish to ask?"
The Watcher had no doubt about what Toxitron had said.
Such a huge energy source was right before their eyes; why would they question it?
"No rush!" Bai Ye smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Let's recharge you first!"
Bai Ye's questions involved the core secrets of the Autobots.
He needed to give them some benefits first to make them willingly reveal the information he wanted without reservation!
Generally, Bai Ye was very easy to talk to; unless they were enemies, he was usually willing to offer some benefits.
Back when he was in the Jackie Chan Adventures World, Bai Ye had given benefits to many people and animals who obtained talismans.
As soon as he said this, the Autobot group immediately became restless.
"Silence!" The Watcher roared.
His prestige among the Autobots was absolute, and they immediately quieted down.
However, the Autobots' gazes toward the Energy Magic Array became even more fervent.
Heaven knows how long it had been since they had received adequate energy!
"Young man, thank you for your help!"
The Watcher looked deeply at Bai Ye; Bai Ye's gesture of providing energy first won his favor!
After speaking, The Watcher instructed the Autobots behind him, "Starting with Bumblebee! Line up for recharging!"
"Young man, you can tell me now, what information do you wish to know?"
Making a powerful person wait was not a good habit, so while the Autobots were recharging, The Watcher began answering Bai Ye's questions.
Seeing a group of Autobots lining up to stand on the Energy Magic Array for charging, Bai Ye withdrew his gaze.
"I want to know exactly where Optimus Prime went."
Optimus Prime's departure and the disconnection of the allspark link were interconnected events.
Directly asking about the allspark might arouse The Watcher's suspicion.
Therefore, Bai Ye planned to approach the topic indirectly; finding Optimus Prime would likely lead to finding the allspark.
The Watcher showed a look of recollection and said straightforwardly, "Optimus Prime?"
At the time Optimus Prime left, no one paid much attention.
Everyone thought it was just a brief separation, but who knew Optimus Prime would be gone for years.
"When Optimus Prime left, the executioners of Skynet hadn't appeared yet," The Watcher slowly recounted the situation at the time.
"The sudden eruption of the allspark back then gave birth to a large number of Autobots."
"To investigate the cause, and also to maintain the ecological balance of Earth, Optimus Prime took the allspark and left Earth."
"He told me then that he was going back to Cybertron to find a way to appease the allspark."
Not long after Optimus Prime left, Skynet appeared.
This couldn't help but make everyone harbor suspicion.
Was the appearance of Skynet also related to the eruption of the allspark?
But both Optimus Prime and the allspark are now out of contact, and all speculation lacks a way to be confirmed.
"This is all I know," The Watcher said, looking apologetic.
"At the time, I was on a mission and only saw Optimus Prime one last time."
"However, perhaps one of my brothers might know some hidden details."
Saying this, The Watcher turned his head and cast his gaze toward the Autobots lining up to recharge.
"My brothers! Does anyone know any other information about Optimus Prime?!"
The Autobots looked at each other, and one by one, shook their heads.
"I am very sorry..."
The Watcher apologized to Bai Ye, his expression somewhat awkward.
They had failed to provide useful information, meaning Bai Ye was at a disadvantage in this transaction.
The kind-hearted Autobots were not used to taking advantage of others... Bai Ye magnanimously waved his hand and said casually, "It's fine! This amount of energy is nothing to me."
It seemed things were just as he had suspected: he needed to make a trip to Cybertron first.
Although the result was expected, the feeling of gradually conquering a goal, much like progressing through a video game, still filled Bai Ye with interest.
Bai Ye planned to fly straight to Cybertron after these older Autobots finished recharging.
Just then, Toxitron spotted Martina, who had been tracking them.
"Martina, what are you hiding there for?"
Toxitron shouted toward the Shadow behind the large door.
This girl can't even hide properly; her skirt hem is showing...
"Oh no..."
Seeing that she had been exposed, Martina braced herself and walked out of the Shadow.
Seeing several pairs of bulb-sized eyes staring at her, Martina awkwardly raised her small hand.
"Hi!"
"I, I didn't mean to eavesdrop..."
Martina argued shamefully; getting caught tracking someone—this was too embarrassing.
Seeing this, The Watcher waved his hand magnanimously.
"No matter. The reason Optimus Prime left is not considered a secret!"
Bai Ye ignored Martina and spoke to The Watcher:
"In that case, I will go take a look at Cybertron first."
"Of course, I will wait until all of you have finished recharging!"
Hearing this, The Watcher immediately breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Bai Ye:
"Thank you, young man! You are a good person!"
Bai Ye's actions instantly categorized him as a good person in The Watcher's eyes.
Martina, however, walked over and spoke to Bai Ye with a curious expression: "Bai... Ye, is that right?"
Bai Ye raised an eyebrow and asked, "Yes, madam, how may I help you?"
Was this young girl planning to take revenge for his previous teasing?
But Martina didn't mean that. She continued to ask, "Why are you looking for Optimus Prime?"
Hearing Martina's question, The Watcher also cast a curious gaze, as he too wanted to know why Bai Ye was looking for Optimus Prime.
Because the transaction was unfair, The Watcher felt indebted to Bai Ye, so he hadn't asked Bai Ye this question.
"Why do you ask?" Bai Ye countered.
The young girl seemed a bit too curious.
"Oh, come on, I asked you first, so you answer me first!"
Martina used a childish tactic, speaking with a slight whine.
"Heh, I refuse!" Bai Ye wasn't buying it at all.
Although Bai Ye usually had some patience for beautiful women, he was calculating against A-cups!
"You! Do you have any manly spirit?!" Martina sputtered angrily.
"What does this have to do with manly spirit?" Bai Ye said with disdain upon hearing this.
"On the contrary, isn't it inappropriate for you to inquire about other people's business without reason?"
"I didn't do it without reason!" Martina argued somewhat indignantly.
"Optimus Prime said at the time... er..."
Martina almost let the secret slip and quickly shut her mouth.
But Bai Ye still noticed the anomaly, and his eyes narrowed.
The look he gave Martina became playful.
It seemed the young girl knew some hidden details? This was truly a pleasant surprise!
"What exactly did Optimus Prime say at the time?" Bai Ye asked directly.
"Uh, n-nothing at all..."
Martina lowered her head guiltily, keeping her eyes fixed on her nose, then her heart, and finally the Himalayan Great Plains across her chest.
But she didn't realize that her behavior further proved Martina was hiding something.
The Watcher slowly crouched down his massive body and said to Martina:
"Martina, what did Optimus Prime say at the time?"
"Mr. Bai Ye has helped us greatly. If you have any information we don't know, please tell us!"
He was also curious why Optimus Prime would entrust some information to Martina instead of the Autobots.
Martina hesitated awkwardly on the spot, stammering:
"But, I'm not sure if he is the person Optimus Prime mentioned."
"If he isn't, I truly cannot say!"
This was one of the reasons she had asked Bai Ye why he was looking for Optimus Prime.
Optimus Prime had indeed entrusted Martina with some matters at the time.
It wasn't that she was unwilling to speak, but Optimus Prime had given instructions.
If Bai Ye wasn't the person Optimus Prime had mentioned, Martina wouldn't tell!
0 Seeking Flowers
Martina covered her small mouth, looking as if she were keeping a secret tightly sealed.
"I really can't tell you, unless you tell me why you're looking for Optimus Prime first!"
Bai Ye's eyes narrowed. He understood now: Martina's question about why he was looking for Optimus Prime wasn't purely curiosity.
This reason must be the Security Phrase Optimus Prime set up for Martina.
Chapter 205
Could Optimus Prime have foreseen that someone would come looking for him?
The person Optimus mentioned—Bai Ye instinctively wondered if it was himself.
But Bai Ye didn't remember Optimus Prime ever having the ability to predict the future.
After analyzing for a while without results, Bai Ye decided to tell the truth.
He guessed that the reason he sought Optimus Prime was likely the very condition Martina needed to confirm his identity.
After another moment of thought, Bai Ye looked up and said honestly, "The allspark!"
There was nothing to hide—he wanted to study the allspark.
If not for his sense of morality, Bai Ye could simply go full rampage and seize it by force.
"The allspark?"
As the words left his mouth, The Watcher's expression turned grave.
His gaze toward Bai Ye became scrutinizing.
A human looking for Optimus was fine, but looking for the allspark—that was a problem!
"That's right!"
Since he'd decided to speak, Bai Ye admitted it openly.
"I want to study the allspark, to see how it gives metal life."
"Human, that's not something you can lay your hands on!"
An Autobot charging nearby lost his patience.
The allspark was the lifeblood of their Cybertron—no outsiders could study it.
Bai Ye had brought a new energy source, but if he wanted the allspark—
Sorry, then they were enemies!
The Watcher wasn't so hasty; with one look he sent the Autobots stepping back.
They were old veterans—why so irritable?
Bai Ye ignored the nameless Autobots and kept talking to Martina.
"Is that answer correct?"
Martina finally nodded; the information Bai Ye revealed matched Optimus perfectly.
When Optimus first spoke of it, Martina hadn't believed a human could energize Autobots.
She'd been so young then, but age and experience quickly changed her mind.
Aliens had appeared; AIs were about to wipe out humanity.
A human who could emit energy? Totally normal now!
"Now, can you tell me exactly what Optimus said at the time?"
Bai Ye didn't know how Optimus had foreseen part of the future, but the code phrase had matched.
Come on, girl—spill your secret to me!
"Of course!" Martina answered quickly. "Optimus said a human capable of releasing energy would appear in the future."
"He would seek the allspark, and when he appeared, I was to give him this!"
She rummaged in her pocket, pulled out a palm-sized metal device, and placed it in Bai Ye's hand.
"Optimus said the message he left is inside this."
"If you're really the one he meant, you should be able to open it!"
Handing over the device, Martina felt a sudden, inexplicable relief, as if a heavy stone had fallen away.
Optimus's commission had seen no movement for years.
Martina had carried the metal device everywhere, afraid she might miss the human Optimus spoke of.
Curiosity had turned, over time, into a weighty responsibility.
Now that she'd passed on the burden, she felt lighter than air.
Bai Ye took the small metal device and, piecing together what Martina had said,
realized at once it must be a high-tech projector.
Divine Talent plus Super Vision let him analyze the projector in an instant.
Then, to Martina and the others' amazement, the metal device activated in his hand.
Blue light flared around it; beams wove above the disk, forming a 3-D Hologram.
A miniature Optimus Prime appeared within it.
"Whoa!" Martina gasped.
She'd fiddled with the device in her spare time but never found how to switch it on.
Now, in Bai Ye's hands, it started instantly?
"Optimus…"
"Our leader…"
Seeing this, the Autobots crowded around, eyes full of nostalgia.
It had been years since they last saw him.
Optimus was more than a commander; he was their spiritual pillar.
With Optimus, the Autobots could overcome any obstacle!
The Watcher's optics went wide—who could have guessed Optimus still had this ace up his sleeve?
After losing contact with Optimus for so long, The Watcher was desperate for any news of him.
"Greetings, future one."
The hologram of Optimus began to speak, his words tinged with melancholy.
He didn't greet the other Autobots present; clearly this was only a recorded message.
"If you're seeing this, it means you've obtained the small device…"
Bai Ye's face twisted—Cybertron has pointless small-talk too?
"I know your goal is the allspark. Please bring Martina and come to the planet Cybertron to find me."
"Keep this projection device safe; if I'm no longer on Cybertron, it will guide you to me."
With those words the holographic Optimus vanished.
A very brief message.
In the end Bai Ye still had to make the trip to Cybertron.
That wasn't a big deal—so why bring the human Martina along??
Could… could Martina be Optimus's secret love-child??
Bai Ye gave Martina an odd look but refrained from scanning her body.
Except against enemies, he rarely does such things.
Martina: ???
No, no, impossible—Martina is obviously carbon-based life any way you slice it.
"You heard Optimus—are you willing to go to Cybertron?"
Out of courtesy Bai Ye asked Martina first.
Optimus's request aside, she might refuse.
Clearly he worried too much; Martina nodded like a woodpecker.
"Yes, yes! Of course I'm going!"
She spun and sprinted off, muttering so Bai Ye wouldn't leave without her.
"I'll tell Uncle Laimeng—wait for me!"
You absolutely have to wait!"
As if I, the ever-bold Martina, would miss a cosmic sightseeing trip?
An opportunity like this comes once in a lifetime.
Tears sprang to Martina's eyes—keeping that tiny device for Optimus all these years was worth it.
Watching her dash off, Bai Ye shook his head in resignation.
Taking Martina along would add complications.
But so be it; his power could handle anything that cropped up.
"Mr. Bai Ye!" The Watcher called.
After their talk they were on speaking terms.
Optimus knew of the man; continuing to call him "youngster" would sound condescending.
Though The Watcher's age made it technically true,
someone strong enough for Optimus to notice deserved respect.
"I have a favor to ask."
"Hmm?"
"Speak."
Bai Ye didn't know what The Watcher wanted and made no promises.
"When you go to Cybertron, could you take one of our brothers?"
Just one will do."
This time The Watcher even used the respectful form of address.
When asking for help, pulling rank is fatal; posture must be humble.
"We're worried about Optimus; if possible, please help us."
If there's any chance, we want Optimus back on Earth—humans and Autobots alike need him."
Before Bai Ye could answer, The Watcher laid out his thoughts.
If Bai Ye could bring an Autobot along, all the better.
Autobots can survive in space, but they can't fly through it.
Cybertron is so far away; without a ship or Portal who knows how long the journey would take.
Optimus has been gone too long; humanity struggles on apocalypse-ravaged Earth, and even the Autobots are in poor shape.
They urgently need a strong leader.
Bai Ye tilted his head in thought while The Watcher waited silently.
Take an Autobot to Cybertron?
He already had Martina; adding one more Autobot wouldn't hurt.
After all, Bai Ye only needed to open a Portal to reach Cybertron instantly.
Chapter 206
Of course, Bai Ye would never express it so simply.
If he made it that plain, some people would climb the pole without knowing when to stop.
"Fine."
After pretending to ponder, Bai Ye gave an affirmative answer.
The Watcher immediately showed a relieved smile, and hope flickered in his eyes—something that hadn't been there before.
As long as Bai Ye was willing, everything else could be discussed.
Find Optimus Prime, and both the Autobots and humanity would see a turning point!
"So, who do you want me to take to Cybertron?"
Once the decision was made, Bai Ye didn't dawdle; he signaled The Watcher to pick someone.
The moment the words left his mouth, the Autobots began to argue.
"I'll go!"
"Let me go!"
"You sure you can handle it, old-timer? Leave it to me!"
"Who're you calling old-timer? Want a taste of my cannon?"
Unlike the newer generation, these veteran Autobots were all natives of Cybertron, and every one of them longed to return home.
The Watcher frowned and barked, "Enough!"
He understood their feelings perfectly—homesickness is universal.
Were he not the interim commander with a vital role, he would've asked Bai Ye to take him along.
"Let Toxitron accompany you. Would that be acceptable?"
Toxitron had brought Bai Ye and knew him better than the others, so The Watcher naturally chose him.
And among the old guard, Toxitron was relatively steady—an easy pick.
Bai Ye nodded. "Sure."
With the choice made, the unselected Autobots drooped but couldn't refute The Watcher's decision.
The Watcher pulled Toxitron aside for a private briefing.
Bai Ye didn't eavesdrop; he simply sat waiting for Martina.
As soon as Martina returned, they could set off.
But more than ten minutes passed and Martina still hadn't shown up.
This girl—so slow!
Bai Ye muttered to himself; was she packing a mountain of luggage? Terrifying female carbon-based life-form!
"Mr. Bai Ye, your energy source!"
After every Autobot had recharged, The Watcher said reluctantly.
Bai Ye snapped his fingers, and the energy-array on the ground vanished.
Fully recharged, the Autobots looked reborn, every optic bright with vigor.
They seemed ready to launch the final assault on Skynet right then and there.
Just as they finished, Martina came jogging back, forehead beaded with sweat.
Bai Ye broke into a cold sweat: she was dragging a suitcase half her height.
Was she treating a cosmic trip like a vacation?
If she knew Cybertron was only a second away, would she cry after prepping all day for space travel?
But one glance told Bai Ye he'd misjudged the girl.
Inside were weapons and rations—clearly she wasn't just in it for fun.
"Sorry, sorry for keeping you waiting!" Martina apologized repeatedly as she ran up.
She'd finally persuaded Laimeng to let her leave for a while.
Even if she had to lie, she had to go; otherwise she'd regret it for life.
"No worries. Ready? Then let's move."
Bai Ye ordered; dallying on Blue Planet was pointless now.
Toxitron voiced no objection and shifted into Autobot form—the same black off-roader.
The girl tossed her suitcase into his trunk and eagerly climbed into the passenger seat.
"Then we're off!"
Once everything was set, Bai Ye opened the driver's door, greeted The Watcher, and sat down.
The Watcher waved. "Have a safe journey!"
"Toxitron, don't forget what I told you!"
Toxitron answered in a deep, muffled voice, "Got it!"
He felt the 940-unit responsibility settle on his shoulders—he had to bring Optimus Prime back.
After farewells, Toxitron rolled slowly out of the Base with the two aboard.
In the passenger seat, Martina's heart pounded, her face glowing with excitement.
She solemnly buckled up and asked eagerly,
"How do we get into space—are we heading to a spaceship?"
It was her first long trip—into the cosmos, no less—so of course she was thrilled.
A spaceship? I'm going to the cosmos and you think I need a spaceship—who are you looking down on?
Seeing her so excited and expectant, Bai Ye, who'd been ready to mess around, dropped the idea.
Anyway, Cybertron isn't far from Earth—just a few light-years.
With a bit of power I'll fly there in less than a second; consider it a little perk for her.
As expected, there's no deity more benevolent than me in this World!
"Hold tight!"
Bai Ye's Bio-Force Field unfolded, wrapping the entire vehicle.
Toxitron's wheels slowly left the ground, as though an invisible highway to the heavens had appeared in the air.
Under Bai Ye's power the whole car shot diagonally into the clouds!
The acceleration kept climbing; Martina's little face flushed with excitement and she couldn't help shouting:
"Thrilling!"
Moments later, Toxitron arrived in outer space under Bai Ye's power.
Once in space Martina didn't idle; she pulled out a camera she hadn't used in ages and began shooting the scenery outside the window.
In endless darkness, countless stars twinkled.
Floating in the vast cosmos felt nothing like watching sci-fi films on the Blue Planet.
The Universe's immensity is awe-inspiring; it makes a species like humanity truly feel its own insignificance.
Along the way Martina leaned against Bai Ye and snapped a selfie together.
Bai Ye didn't stop her—he wasn't some superstar; a photo was fine, no idol baggage here.
Still, space scenery gets old fast.
It's just glowing Planets of various colors.
Fly farther and you can see a whole galaxy, but it's an endless stretch.
Honestly, sometimes it's less spectacular than viewing the Milky Way through a telescope back on the Blue Planet.
Bai Ye deliberately slowed his flight to let Martina savor the thrill; she'd tire of it soon enough.
Sure enough, after ten-odd minutes Martina was already bored.
She poked the dozing Bai Ye twice.
"Hey, tell me."
"Why does Optimus Prime want you to take me to Cybertron?"
Bai Ye opened an eye, glanced at the curious kitten, and teased:
"I'm curious too."
"Maybe you're Optimus Prime's illegitimate child."
"Uh…" Stumped by the joke, Martina was left speechless, face full of black lines.
What sky-splitting thunder of an answer—are you serious?
"I'm human!"
Seriously—illegitimate child? How does a silicon-based lifeform produce a carbon-based one?
Bai Ye shrugged. "Then I've no idea."
"Toxitron, you tell me!"
Finding Bai Ye too perfunctory, Martina patted the seat beneath her.
"I can't fathom the leader's thoughts."
"He must have his reasons for doing this!" Toxitron gave a perfunctory reply as well.
He wasn't good at dealing with human females either—swap in a female Autobot and maybe.
Teased again, Martina frowned in frustration.
"Don't you guys find this boring?"
Space is silent and stuffy, with no sound at all.
"Oh? Bored now? And who was it clamoring for a good look earlier?" Bai Ye couldn't resist jabbing.
"I…" Martina was lost for words.
"All right, playtime's over—hold tight, I'm speeding up."
Before Toxitron or Martina could grasp what was happening,
the surrounding scenery blurred in the next second.
Then, the two of them and the car arrived outside Cybertron.
Staring at the sight, Toxitron and Martina were dumbfounded—what just happened?
"You…" Martina gawked at Bai Ye in bewilderment.
"We're here—done!"
Bai Ye couldn't be bothered to explain, urging them to focus on what lay outside.
Shaking off her daze, Martina instinctively looked ahead.
Through the windshield, a breathtaking scene met her eyes.
A colossal metal Planet stood in the boundless dark.
Its entire surface was sheathed in metal.
Countless interwoven metal pipes and nameless metal devices crisscrossed the globe.
Blocky metal constructs divided the Planet into several regions.
Chapter 207
The entire Planet was cast in cold, steel hues, brimming with high-tech grandeur and a weighty atmosphere.
As Toxitron neared the Planet Cybertron, Bai Ye raised an eyebrow and said, "Toxitron, watch yourself."
The moment the words left his mouth, a section of Cybertron's surface morphed into a turret that locked onto Toxitron.
Zzzt—!
A burst of radio static crackled as Cybertron's main control system linked with Toxitron.
"State your identity."
The cold mechanical voice belonged to Cybertron's identity-verification system.
With the words, the massive turret began to charge and a virtual screen popped up, showing a five-minute countdown.
Hearing the voice, Toxitron understood what Bai Ye had meant.
Watching the smart-system check, he felt his spark sink and said bluntly,
"This is bad—it's actually a smart-system verification..."
Held in place by Bai Ye's power, he could advance no farther; one more meter and he'd enter the turret's defensive range.
Defense cannons were Cybertron's heavy hitters; one shot could blast Toxitron to scrap.
"Hold on! I'm transmitting the key."
As he spoke, the verification system issued another warning.
"Designation: Toxitron."
"Identity key accepted."
"Welcome home, Toxitron!"
"Proceed to Landing Platform Zero-Seven-Seven."
After the ID was confirmed, the terrifying barrel retracted and the tension evaporated.
A blue virtual route appeared in space; Toxitron followed it toward Platform 77.
"Just now the Planet itself verified my identity."
With Bai Ye's help, Toxitron flew on, voice low.
"That's Cybertron's unique smart system."
"It wields sweeping authority and can reallocate any planetary resource at will."
"To prevent rebellion, its intelligence level is deliberately low and it's never linked to the allspark."
It was a failsafe: once a smart system gained a body and true self-will,
who could guarantee it wouldn't revolt? Earth's Skynet was a perfect lesson.
"Normally, when we return to Cybertron, designated brothers handle verification."
"Now that the smart system has taken over, there can be only one reason..."
Toxitron paused, then settled slowly onto Landing Platform 77.
A wide metallic tunnel stretched ahead; strips of light flared along the Ramparts, illuminating the way.
Toxitron restarted his engines and rolled forward down the tunnel.
"What reason? Out with it," Martina demanded, curiosity piqued.
This extraordinary journey would be etched in her memory for life.
"Per Planetary Regulations, the smart system only assumes full control when no life-forms remain on-world."
"N-no life-forms? What does that mean?" Martina asked, already sensing the answer.
"It means the entire Planet holds no other Autobots besides us."
"Cybertron has slipped into an ungoverned, lifeless state."
The silver-gray metallic Planet already felt frigid.
Toxitron's words made Martina feel an even sharper chill.
To her, the whole world seemed eerily silent.
A lifeless, mechanical Planet sounded utterly desolate.
"Rampart, connect to the master control and scan the entire Planet for life-forms."
Toxitron opened a comm-link to the planetary host and issued the order.
"Toxitron, Level-Four clearance insufficient; request denied."
The master system nicknamed Rampart replied coldly, then stuttered as if rebooting.
"Beep—no other authorized users detected."
"Temporary elevation: Toxitron clearance raised to Level Six."
"Scanning—please stand by..."
Though the system approved his request, Toxitron's mood only darkened.
No other authorized users—evidence supporting his grim guess.
Seconds later, Rampart's voice returned.
"Silicon-based life-form detected: count one."
"Unknown life-form detected: count two."
???
The answer stunned Toxitron. Unknown life-forms—what were those?
"Re-run the scan!"
Seconds later the result came back identical.
"Mark every life-form's position!" Toxitron pressed, unwilling to accept it.
Could someone else be on the Planet? Had Rampart not counted the three of them aboard Toxitron?
"Positions marked. Silicon-based life-form: Toxitron, carrying two unknown life-forms."
Hiss!
Toxitron jolted, his whole frame lurching as he barked at Bai Ye and the girl, "Aren't you two carbon-based life forms?"
At first he assumed the Rampart's sensors had glitched—how could they register two unknown life forms?
Cybertron's tech, after all, was centuries ahead of the rest, thanks to its all-metal planetary structure.
Omnipresent rays could pinpoint a life form's type at any moment.
The system's precise verdict—unknown life forms—could only mean Bai Ye and Martina.
Light dawned in Bai Ye's eyes; he glanced instinctively at Martina beside him.
So the girl wasn't simple—an unknown life form, huh?
As for Bai Ye himself, the Bio-Force Field could do anything.
With that field shielding him, no ray could pierce his body without permission.
Naturally, the Rampart couldn't classify him.
Yet Martina had also been tagged as unknown?
Interesting—very interesting indeed!
Bai Ye admitted she'd piqued his curiosity.
Still oblivious, Martina squirmed under his stare.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"No reason—nothing at all."
Bai Ye looked away; he'd almost given in to the urge to peek through her with his Clairvoyant Sight.
But ethics said no—heh.
A grin tugged at his lips; things had turned fun again.
"I'm carbon-based, of course—I just block every scan," Bai Ye explained to Toxitron.
"I can fly across the Universe because of this power."
"Martina can breathe in space for the same reason."
The clueless girl had never once wondered how she could inhale oxygen in vacuum.
Without Bai Ye's Bio-Force Field she'd have died to the void long ago.
Understanding flashed across Toxitron's optics. "So that's how it is."
Bai Ye offered no further details, yet Toxitron's imagination filled the gaps nicely.
He assumed the Bio-Force Field still shrouded the vehicle, so the Rampart couldn't read their signatures.
As they spoke the car rolled out of the tunnel into the interior of Cybertron.
Before them lay a city built entirely of steel.
Metal structures everywhere—interlaced transit bridges, suspended pavilions of alloy.
An endless metallic metropolis that left Martina stunned.
She yelped again, whipping out her camera to snap shot after shot.
"Where to now, Toxitron?" Bai Ye produced the tiny holo-projector and asked.
Cybertron was devoid of life now—convenient, since Bai Ye wouldn't need to hunt for clues.
Optimus Prime's parting message had said the device could guide Bai Ye to him if he left the Planet.
"To the planetary control core!" Toxitron answered.
He too had seen Prime's message; the next step was to let the projector lead them, exactly as Prime had instructed.
"Only the core can decode that metal projector; if Prime left a trail, that's the sole way to find him."
Bai Ye had no objection—he was here for the ride, content to nudge the quest bar forward bit by bit.
The control core lay deep inside the Planet; Toxitron ferried them into a Rapid-Descent Lift.
Such lifts reached the lower city levels far below.
The closer to the core, the higher the clearance required.
By rights, Toxitron's rank shouldn't grant access to the core zone.
But no other being remained on Cybertron with sufficient authority.
The Rampart's AI judged the Planet to be in a special state.
Thus Toxitron's clearance was elevated, letting him speed through unhindered.
The ride would take a while, so Bai Ye casually struck up conversation with Martina.
"Martina, how are your parents these days?"
The ever-considerate Bai Ye began fishing for the girl's secrets.
"My parents?"
Martina echoed, puzzled by the sudden question.
But the excitement drained from her face, replaced by a visible gloom.
"I don't know—I've never seen them since I was born."
The topic soured her mood; to her, "parents" was a distant, almost foreign word.