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Transformers: Mobian Chronicles Transformers: Mobian Chronicles (Arc 20: Racing to win)

TMC 20-1

Wind swept across a set of dunes on an alien world. A bug skittered across the sand to search for food. As it stopped, it surveyed its surroundings. It then felt something rumble from beneath its feet. It turned to see a massive thing roll towards it at breakneck speeds! It then crushed the bug, ending its life. The thing was one of many caterpillar treads that kept a city mobile. It continued scouring the sands for the lifeblood its inhabitants needed. As the city moved, a female bot looked out across the sands ahead with a forlorn expression. She then looked back to the closed stadium that served as the prow of the city. She thought back to all the good times she had, especially the one where she became leader of her planet. She imagined herself in the usual launch tube at the stadium for the usual event held there. The tube was dark as the door was shut. “Final checks,” called a voice.

“We’re clear,” replied an old voice. “Readings are good.”

“Prepped and ready, Override, Ma’am?” asked a younger voice.

“Do it,” replied the female robot, Override.

“Disengage!” called the young voice. “Set for launch!”

“OVERRIDE, BOOST!” Override’s chest then folded up as her head went into the torso while the legs folded up towards the front to make a pair of wheel-wells with headlights and a cockpit at the front. The arms sunk into the sides as the shoulders formed rear wheel-wells and the backpack became the rear of the car Override became. The instant she transformed, she burst out onto a racetrack with other cars accelerating, trying to pass her. They dodged all sorts of obstacles, walls, stun beams, winds going against them, you name it! Eventually, it came down to her and a blue bot. The two crossed the finish line, then transformed to bot mode.

“And it looks like it’s a photo finish!” called the announcer. “Let’s see the results!” The photo taken the instant the bots crossed the line then appeared on the screen. It was magnified, then enhanced. Override’s wheel wells were just ahead of the blue bot’s front end. “AND WE HAVE A WINNER! FEMMES AND GENTLEMECHS, I CAN SAY, WITH NO EXAGGERATION, WE HAVE OUR NEW NITRO CONVOY! OVERRIDE IS VELOCITRON’S NEWEST AND YOUNGEST NITRO CONVOY! THIS IS HISTORY IN THE MAKING!” Override raised her arms as if to tell the crowd to cheer louder. As she departed, multiple fans clamored for photos, autographs, stories, you name it! …Then her mind went to her recent decision. This time, the crowd was angry at her.

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS!” shouted a femme.

“I DON’T HAVE A CHOICE!” she answered on that day. “UNTIL OUR ENERGON STORES ARE BACK UP, RACING IS DONE!” She drew in a breath, then continued. “Look, do you guys realize how much of our Energon was imported? Our planet is so Energon-poor, we need to focus on survival. With the Space Bridge network down, we can’t afford to race anymore.” That earned more than a few grumbles and out-right vocal jeers.

“I can’t believe I cheered for you back then!” came a child’s voice. The crowd left, then the scene faded as the blue bot she raced back then approached her in bot mode. He then spoke at a rapid pace.

“Overrideit’sterrible!There’sapairofMetrotitansandthey’relandingonourplanet!Whatdowedo?!We-”

“Timing Actuators, Blurr,” interrupted Override. The bot, Blurr, then punched himself in the jaw.

“Sorry,” he replied. “As I was saying, we have a pair of Metrotitans landing on the planet!”

“What?! We can’t afford to refuel ONE, much less TWO! Who are they?!”

“Recent scans identified them as Fortress Maximus and Scorponok.”

“Well, we’re not exactly friends with Scorponok. Go to Fortress Maximus and explain the situation to him.”

“You got it! Blurr, BOOST!” Blurr’s head sunk into the torso as it folded up. His shoulders became the front wheels as his legs and arms joined together to make his hips the rear wheels. He then took off at the usual Velocitronian speed.


Hot Rod, Kup, Cheetor, Sonic, and Shadow carrying Maria zoomed across the sands of Velocitron. “Your civilization’s built on a mobile city?!” asked Maria.

“Sure is,” replied Hot Rod. “Represents our mobile way of life. Can’t stay in one place for too long, especially on this planet.”

“Why’s that?” asked Shadow.

“It’s Energon-poor,” explained Kup, “not as bad as planets like Chaar or Greengate, but Energon’s not our main export, it’s more like our main import.”

“But with the Space Bridge network down,” remarked Cheetor, “there’s no way you guys can survive!”

“Not unless we’ve shut down the races,” replied Kup. “Which, knowing Blurr, is a little hard to do.”

“Hey! Heads up!” called Sonic. “Something’s coming towards us!”

“It could be an Energon Pirate!” gulped Hot Rod.

“Then what are we talking for?! Shoot him!” called Kup. The Transformers went from their alt-modes to their bot modes and leveled their guns on the supposed Energon Pirate. They fired and the bot started dodging.

“HOLDITHOLDITHOLDIT!” wailed the bot. “CALMDOWN!RELAX!LIGHTENUP!IT’SMEIT’SMEIT’SME!”

“Wait, I recognize that voice!” yelped Hot Rod. “Hold your fire! It’s Blurr!” Everyone holstered their guns and allowed Blurr to approach. He transformed and dusted himself off.

“Wellthere’sgratitudeforyou!IwentoutsidethecitytogreetyouandendupgettingshotatasifIwereanEnergonpirate!ImeandoIlooklikeanEnergonpirate?!IwastheNitroConvoyandIgetshotatbybotsonelookinglikeanAnimatronian!Imeanwhere’stheUniversalGreetingandallthat?!OhwelljusttomakesureourvisitorsarefullyawareIamBlurrformerleaderofthisworldnowIhelpOverrideinmakingsureourcivilizationisn’tcollapsingthankstotheshut-downoftheSpaceBridgenetworkand-”

“Could you repeat that last past?” interrupted Sonic.

“Whatlastpart?”

“The last part after you transformed!”

“Blurr, do you have any idea how dangerous it is out here?” asked Kup.

“GiventhatscansdetectedyouandyourMetrotitansout-”

“Timing actuators!” Blurr’s optics flickered, then his face turned red.

“Sorryabouthat!Onecycle!” He slugged himself in the jaw, surprising the Non-Velocitronians, then he resumed speaking. “Like I was saying, YOU were the ones walking the sands out here! From your Metrotitans, I presume?”

“Metrotitan, singular,” corrected Hot Rod. “We came here aboard Fortress Maximus in pursuit of the Decepticon Forces aboard Scorponok.”

“Whoa, whoa, for once, slow down!” yelped Blurr. “Decepticons?! We ordered the war to stay OFF Velocitron and you idiots brought DECEPTICONS here?!”

“We didn’t have a choice!” argued Kup. “With the Space Bridge Network down, we needed to get to Cybertron the long way from Mobius! Sadly, so did the Decepticons!”

“Why did you even leave Mobius at all?!” asked Blurr. “Last time I checked, Unicron was still there! Now, if I didn’tknowbetter-!”

“Evidently, not yet,” remarked Cheetor. “They beat him.”

“…Youbeathim?TheChaosBringer?”

“Timing actuators, and yes, we did,” answered Hot Rod as Blurr punched his jaw again.

“…You know, you may be just what my successor needs,” he mused. Hot Rod and Kup stopped at that.

“…What do you mean ‘successor’?”

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