Of course, even if he obtained it, Morin couldn't use it right away. At the moment, any life created by the AllSpark would become Decepticons. He had no intention of spending time and resources just to summon minions for someone else.
As for why the AllSpark only produced Decepticons now, Morin wasn't completely sure. His guess was that the Decepticons had modified it. Originally, the AllSpark simply turned machines into sentient life.
"No rush. I'll just wait for them to come to me..."
Morin used his hacking skills to mark the glasses as "Sold" on Sam's marketplace account and attached the purchase link to his newly uploaded video. After that, he started looking for a place to stay.
This strategy was called waiting for the robot to come to you.
Because of system rules, Morin couldn't use "special means" to push his video onto trending lists. He could only make sure it wouldn't be deleted or quietly suppressed by the platform.
In short, cheating was forbidden. Reasonable self-defense was allowed.
Still, Morin was confident. With his filming skills, his effectively unlimited budget, and the subject matter he planned to cover, making money wouldn't be difficult.
After all, who would turn down a content creator offering a first-person perspective of a Transformer?
A 1974 Chevrolet Camaro sat quietly in a used car lot, waiting for Sam's arrival. Based on all intelligence analysis, the robot had concluded that Sam would be brought here to buy a used car. The vehicle looked old and worn, and its radio seemed broken, constantly switching between channels and emitting strange sounds.
He was Bumblebee, an Autobot scout.
He had already located the glasses containing the AllSpark coordinates. All that remained was to wait for the opportunity to interact with Sam, explain the situation, retrieve the glasses, and scan them for information. As long as the Decepticons didn't appear, everything should proceed smoothly.
That was what Bumblebee was thinking-until he noticed something wrong.
He had been monitoring Sam's account. A transaction update appeared.
His spark skipped.
He checked again, only to confirm that Murphy's Law was very real.
The glasses had been sold.
"Oh, no, no! No~ no..."
In an instant, four different "no's," each with a distinct tone and origin, blasted from Bumblebee's radio. His voice module was damaged, forcing him to communicate this way. It sounded strange, but by stitching together different radio segments, he could express himself.
Bumblebee read the sales description and opened the link.
Soon, he was watching Morin's video.
A silicon-based lifeform processed video far faster than a biological one. In an instant, Bumblebee had scanned the entire recording.
Morin introduced himself, showed the bag containing one hundred thousand dollars, explained his test and his goals, then displayed the transaction with the blurred-out seller. All identifying details were censored. No human could recognize the man.
But Bumblebee wasn't human.
He was Cybertronian, and he had already conducted a thorough investigation into Sam.
Just as he was preparing to act, the target item had already been sold.
What kind of development was this?
Grumbling internally, Bumblebee started his engine and drove off to locate Morin. This time, he decided he would be direct. There wasn't much time left. If the Decepticons reached Morin first, the consequences would be unpredictable.
As for Morin's claim in the video about a "huge secret" hidden in the glasses, Bumblebee assumed it was coincidence. The human simply wanted to sound dramatic.
It just happened to be true.
As for Sam...
Forget him.
Sam, naturally, knew none of this. He was happily showing the money to his father. When his father suspected theft and nearly called the police, Sam showed him the video. Once the source was clarified and the money proven legal, the family began celebrating their sudden windfall, commenting on how rare someone like Morin was. If there were more people like that, they might be living in a seaside mansion next year.
Walking down the street, Morin neither knew nor cared how Sam's family viewed him.
Other people's opinions were just that.
What mattered was his own judgment and the utility of his actions. Living for approval was pathetic. A habit of the weak.
Morin didn't wait long.
A rusty, battered Chevy Camaro drove up and stopped beside him. The driver's door swung open.
No one was inside.
Morin didn't hesitate. He got in and took out the glasses.
"Save the speech. I know what you're after," he said calmly. "Agree to one thing, and the glasses are yours. Actually-two things."
The Camaro remained completely still, as if the door hadn't opened on its own. It looked like nothing more than a scrap-heap vehicle.
Bumblebee was caught off guard by Morin's directness.
He had planned to explain alien life, watch the human panic, and then take the glasses. Instead, it felt like the situation had reversed.
What the hell?
Did this human really know the truth from the beginning?
Did he know about Autobots and Decepticons?
How was that possible?
Bumblebee instinctively searched his database for information on Morin. Everything checked out.
Too clean.
He wasn't a simple AI. As a sentient being, Bumblebee's logic closely resembled a human's. He understood that when something was too perfect, there was usually a problem.
The issue was that he couldn't find it.
And the situation didn't give him time to.
Seeing no response, Morin moved straight to pressure. "Then I guess these glasses are useless. Might as well crush them."
"Wait!"
A voice burst from the radio.
"Who are you? What do you know? And what are your two conditions?"
The sentence was stitched together from different radio channels-male voices, female voices, singing, shouting. It sounded bizarre. Without strong comprehension skills, it would take several listens to understand.
"I know a lot. Too much to explain quickly, so I won't," Morin said with a faint smile. "As for who I am... haven't you already checked? I'm sure your database has run those files over and over, looking for holes."
He paused.
"Let's talk conditions. First, you take me with you during your operations."
"Impossible," Bumblebee replied immediately. "What we're doing is extremely dangerous."
"Dangerous for you, maybe. Not necessarily for me," Morin said, shaking his head. "Second, you cooperate with my filming."
"...Filming?"
The headlights flickered.
If Bumblebee were in robot mode, his optics would probably be blinking in confusion.
"I'm a content creator," Morin continued evenly. "A rookie. I need engaging footage. First-person, eye-catching material. So I need your cooperation. As long as you work with me unconditionally on filming-nothing against your moral code, just actions or lines-I'll help you."
He paused, then corrected himself after mentally comparing the size of his Mecha-Aatrox suit to a Transformer.
"Probably more than a little."
"It's not about help, human," Bumblebee said seriously. "You don't understand what you're facing."
Autobots were kind by nature. He didn't want Morin caught in the crossfire. His scan showed Morin was just an ordinary human.
Which, coincidentally, was exactly what Morin claimed to be.
An ordinary human with a few too many part-time jobs, each requiring a few too many professional skills.
"Let me fix your misunderstanding," Morin said. "Do this instead."
He opened the door and stepped out.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Bumblebee asked. "I really need those glasses!"
This guy is almost too kind.
Morin stopped, turned around, and said, "Transform."
"What?"
"Transform into your Autobot form. I already know about it. Don't worry-I won't be scared."
"..."
After a brief hesitation, the Camaro shifted with smooth mechanical movements, revealing Bumblebee's true form. He looked impressive, though his round optics gave him an oddly innocent appearance. He crouched carefully to Morin's eye level.
"Like this?"
"Yes. Now turn around."
"...Okay."
Bumblebee complied, unconcerned about Morin fleeing.
A few seconds passed.
"Now turn back," a voice said.
Bumblebee turned.
And froze.
Morin was gone.
Vanished.
In his place stood a towering alloy pillar.
A pillar?
When did that appear?
On closer inspection, it wasn't just a pillar. It had form.
He activated his scanners.
The scan climbed upward.
And upward.
Until the object's size exceeded his scanning range entirely.
Bumblebee froze.
His mouth opened.
No sound came out.
"Now..."
A massive electronic voice echoed through the street. The colossal mecha leaned down, its presence alone nearly crashing Bumblebee's systems. Its head was so enormous that a single eye dwarfed Bumblebee's torso.
Instinctively, Bumblebee recoiled.
"Let's re-introduce ourselves," the voice said. "I am a Universal Mecha Designer."
Bumblebee's gaze went blank.
He had just seen it.
The incomprehensibly massive mecha vanished in an instant, and Morin appeared out of nowhere.
How?
Why had he never heard of such a terrifying human?
Or such a terrifying creation?
The fragments of data his scanners had captured from the Mecha-Aatrox armor made him feel insignificant. If they fought, he would be crushed by a single step.
Reduced to scrap.
And that core-its energy readings were absurd.
Not to mention the vibrating particle blade.
"As you've seen, and likely guessed," Morin continued calmly, "my identity on this planet is a disguise. My real identity is a Mecha Designer from the Galactic Federation, responsible for mecha design and manufacturing. Functionally similar to silicon-based life."
He spoke smoothly, his Master Deceiver routine running at full efficiency.
"My current hobby is content creation. I didn't expect your arrival, but once I learned about the AllSpark, my interest was inevitable."
"No! Impossible!" Bumblebee shook his head vigorously. "The AllSpark cannot be used on your mecha, sir! That would cause a planetary catastrophe!"
"I know," Morin replied. "Right now, it only creates Decepticons. But that wasn't always the case. Which means someone figured out how to use it."
He smiled.
"And if it can be changed once, it can be changed back."
Honestly, Morin was very much looking forward to seeing what kind of mind the Mecha-Aatrox would have after conversion.