A canister was prepared with the elements loaded into it and the desired reaction programmed in. It was loaded into a launch tube aimed at the sands in front of the city. A crowd had gathered as Override stood by the launch button. The press was there too. Override drew in a breath. “…Here we go,” she mumbled. She pressed the button, and the canister was fired out of the tube. It went quite a few miles before it disappeared from view. Everyone waited a few seconds, then their shoulders slouched…just for a split-second before a brilliant light erupted from the ground. “SWEET NEXUS PRIME!” swore Override.
“Prime!” called Rhinox from his and Tails’ station. “We have an unknown energy reading that spiked five miles outside our perimeter!”
“Can you try and identify it?” asked Optimus.
“Tails and I are working on it now!” Rhinox’s fingers danced across the console as he typed in commands.
“Being refined now and…well, I’ll be dipped!” chuckled Tails. Rhinox then grinned.
“Now that should help them immensely!” he mused.
“They got it?” asked Optimus.
“All evidence points to yes.” Optimus smirked.
“See, Override? Outside help works!”
The light died down and revealed a massive crystal formation that could be seen from the city. “…Why are we just standing here?!” called Override. “Readings! Now!”
“Getting readout now!” reported Clocker. He read the results and stared. “…Element 214 on the Cybertronian Periodic Table!” he breathed. “It’s…It’s…It’s natural Energon! Enough to feed the city for a year!”
“The races are back on!” cheered someone in the crowd.
“Not yet!” called Override. That earned some quizzical remarks. “Femmes and Gentlemechs, we have the formula to make our own Energon, but our planet doesn’t have all the elements needed to make it. We need to be judicious about this and we need to reactivate the Space Bridge network so we can properly negotiate trade of the elements. Because of that, we need people to help the Autobots in their war against the Decepticons. To that end…I’m ending our permanent draft deferrals.” The crowd began jeering at this. “I know how unpopular this is, but there ARE those of us that WANT to fight!”
“This isn’t our war!” called a femme from the crowd. She looked similar to Shadow Striker, but with a white and silver paintjob.
“Roulette, like it or not, it IS! The Decepticons are allying themselves with the Vehicons and we need to stop them!”
“The Vehicons are desert-dwelling Energon pirates! We’re safe in the city! Whatever they do makes no difference to me!”
“Stay out of it and you get to keep the old Velocitronian way of life?! Is that it?!”
“I LIKE the old way of life!”
“DO YOU?!” That question shook everyone to their Sparks. “…Velocitron’s Golden Age, and we were quietly dying a slow death! With our obsession with racing, we’ve lost sight of the finish line and the Vehicons were happy to take advantage of that when the Energon Crisis hit us! …Racers and pit crews, I ask you, all those times on the track, was it the victories that kept us going? Or was it the chance to constantly inspire others to strive for more? We can still be an inspiration. Joining the Autobots and helping them in their…OUR war doesn’t detract from that.” The crowd had humbled looks on their faces. They knew Override was right. “…Well, I’m offering you guys the chance to inspire our friends once again, just not on the racetrack. Twelve million years ago, on our ancestral seat of Cybertron, Prima discovered he could change shape. Six million years ago, the Primes built the first Metrotitans and breathed life into them. Four million years ago, the Prime of the time turned down the first Decepticon Lord’s only invitation to surrender and formed the Autobot faction. One million years ago, we became a neutral world whose alliances leaned mainly towards the Autobots. What I’m about to do in a few days will rank among those moments. In a few days, the old space port becomes a launch pad. In a few days, I will board the Lost Light and join the Autobot fleet to reactivate the Space Bridge network. The Autobots need us and I’m going to fight alongside Optimus Prime…and I want those of you that are capable of fighting to come with me! Those under my flag are no longer running away from our problems, we, the Accelions, are running TOWARDS our solutions!”
“NO!” shouted Megatron. “If Override joins Optimus, we lose Velocitron!” Dirt Boss ran a hand down his face.
“I didn’t want to do this, since I’d prefer she joined us willingly,” he muttered, “but we don’t have that many options.”
“And that option is?”
“…Mental reconditioning.”
“Did someone say mental reconditioning?” cackled a voice. Tarantulas dropped down from the ceiling in his beast mode, startling the two bots.
“Will you stop that?!” snapped Megatron.
“I like to keep my allies on their toes,” replied Tarantulas. “In any case, I have a device that can recondition her brain to our desires!”
“Is it built?”
“As a matter of fact, yes!”
“Then get it online. Dirt Boss, she’s more than likely going to meet with Optimus. Take the soldiers you need and intercept her.”
As predicted, the next day, Override met with Optimus, as well as Goldbug, Sonic, Amy, Galen, Llyra, Kong Primal, and Cheetor. The meeting took place on an abandoned track that was being swallowed up by the sands. She brought Clocker with her, and he had a data cylinder with him. Override was grinning like it was her birthday. “You know, I thought outsiders were stuck-up idiots,” began Override, “but it’s good to be proven wrong on that one. This kid, Clocker,” she gestured to Clocker, “is the one that finally got my science team on track. After this, we’re building a mobile-city dedicated to science and naming it in his honor.”
“Ma’am, you don’t need to do that!” protested Clocker.
“Yes, I do! You just saved Velocitron and gave us the means to make our own Energon. Speaking of which, our friends need the formula.”
“True that,” agreed Clocker. He handed the data cylinder to Optimus.
“So that’s the safe Synth-en formula?” asked Goldbug.
“That’s the one!” replied Override.
“That formula’s ours!” shouted a voice. Everyone whirled around to see Dirt Boss and a pair of thugs with him as they stood on a piece of racetrack above them.
