Override stopped by her favorite hang-out, the Circle, as Blurr brought the Autobots up to speed. The Circle is, or rather, WAS, a major club for racers. She stood at the red walkway and looked up at the once-proud sign. She closed her eyes and thought back to the evening of the race that decided her current political position. She imagined herself all clean and polished, her lipstick as sharp as her cocky smile as the lights of the cameras caused her armor to sparkle. The sides of the walkway had barriers as the news crews started asking her questions and congratulating her on her win. It was then that someone asked something that seemed odd at the time. \u201cOverride, Ma\u2019am, what are your thoughts on the Mobius Crisis?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExcuse me?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is your take on the current activities concerning the Autobots and Decepticons over the supposed war against the Chaos Bringer and what it means-?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe what now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Surely you know what\u2019s happening? You watch the news?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFriendo, I don\u2019t WATCH the news, I AM the news!\u201d She entered the Circle with her entourage and was immediately bombarded by music and lights. She was dancing with all sorts of mechs and femmes, shimmying against their frames and letting them caress her. After a good solid hour, she sauntered over to the bar. \u201cHold your tears back, boys and girls!\u201d she called. \u201cJust gotta fill my tank and then you\u2019ll be feeling me on you once again!\u201d She sat next to a purple mech with his tires attached to a backpack. \u201cHey there! Dirt Boss, yeah?\u201d she asked the Mech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s me, the self-proclaimed seediest bot on Velocitron!\u201d joked the mech. \u201cWant a drink?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy else would I be here?\u201d chuckled Override. Dirt Boss then called to the bartender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey! Two cubes here!\u201d The bartender then poured them each a cube of liquid Energon. The two bots then clinked their cubes and guzzled them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMore Energon!\u201d called Override once they finished. Her optics then caught sight of a pair of mechs sitting in a booth with some sort of device fastened to their heads, connecting them to a strange machine. \u201cHey, Dirt Boss!\u201d she called as they got their refills. \u201cKnow anything about that?\u201d She pointed to the machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe bots that made it call it \u2018Simultronic\u2019, something that creates \u2018reality inside reality\u2019,\u201d replied Dirt Boss. Override looked at the permanently dazed expressions of the bots hooked up to the machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLooks like they\u2019re frying their brains. Who would ever want to run from a world like this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo kidding. Hey, one more round?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSure thing! Then I better see you on the dance floor! You don\u2019t wanna miss me shimmying up to you, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSounds like something I wouldn\u2019t DARE miss! Bartender, one more round!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you bots ever slow down?\u201d asked the bartender as he poured out one more cube for each of them. Override made an exaggerated gasp and put her hand to her chest in mock horror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2018Slow\u2019? Us?! You insult us! Wealth! Fame! Endless upgrades! Racing forever! Velocitron FOREVER!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVELOCITRON FOREVER!\u201d called everyone in the Circle. Their cheers then faded as Override returned to the present day. The Circle was dim, empty, and quiet. Override walked down the now-faded red walkway and entered the club to see only one bot hooked up to a Simultronic machine in a booth by himself. The bartender was now in danger of cleaning his cubes again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis place still dead?\u201d asked Override.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a fuel shortage, remember?\u201d grunted the bartender. Override simply put her Shanix onto the counter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs this enough for a bottle?\u201d she hissed. The bartender looked at the amount, then grabbed a bottle and empty cube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKnock yourself out. Really, do that.\u201d Override took the bottle and cube and made her way to an empty booth. It was a booth with a Simultronic machine. She poured herself some Energon, then took out a device and put her finger to it. It opened an Energon tube in her finger and took a reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cInnermost Energon Toxicity: 62%,\u201d it reported. Override looked at the stray cranium connection draped across the table. She held it in her hand briefly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t you call it a brain frier a year ago?\u201d asked a voice. Override looked up to see\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDirt Boss?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGlad you still remember me from that night,\u201d chuckled Dirt Boss. \u201cMay I?\u201d He indicated he wanted to sit across from her. She nodded and he sat down. \u201cYou know, from your comment about Simultronic last year, I figured you and I agreed that such a device was for the weak, not the strong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m just visiting a friend. I was told this became a hangout for you, even after you announced the fuel crisis. Tell me, have you ever felt loss? Remorse?\u201d Override\u2019s optics flickered. \u201c\u2026Let me put it this way: how much do you REALLY care about those around you?\u201d Override snorted at that question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf this is gonna be a conversation about how cold and arrogant I am, trust me, I\u2019ve heard them all before!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrom people scared of your gifts, I\u2019ll wager.\u201d Dirt Boss\u2019 face then became sympathetic. \u201cBelieve me, I understand you better than anyone you\u2019ve ever known! Tell me, what do you REALLY care about, my friend?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRacing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust the racing?\u201d Override then hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026No. The crowds. When I can feel them behind me. The lights. The roar. And that moment, that one single moment, when I know what I\u2019m doing really matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPower. It\u2019s POWER you care about.\u201d Override arched her eyebrow at Dirt Boss\u2019 statement. \u201cPower over the crowd! Power over those around you! Like me, you have a single-minded devotion to achieve! You have little time for those around you and care only for what YOU want! What YOU can get! Others would want you to believe that these qualities are bad, not my group!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGroup?\u201d Override arched an eyebrow again. Dirt Boss continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur belief is simple, only the strong should rule! YOU are strong, Override, my friend! You\u2019re superior to everyone around you! At the moment, I lead a group that exists to bring freedom to those like yourself! Freedom from that which exists to deprive Velocitron of what we TRULY deserve! That which took away your dream! We call ourselves the Vehicular Constructs, the Vehicons!\u201d He handed her a business card-shaped piece of metal with the Vehicons symbol on it. \u201cWe could really use someone with your gifts, your clarity. Like I said, I command them at the moment, but I\u2019m perfectly willing to let the Nitro Convoy take the helm. This will give you what you want, freedom from the Racer\u2019s Curse! All those races, all those victories, and you STILL felt hollow, didn\u2019t you? Rule or serve, Override. You\u2019ll know what to do.\u201d He then left the building. Override examined the metal card, then she spent her remaining time finishing off her bottle. She put the empty bottle and cube back at the bar, then left the Circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dirt Boss smirked as he saw Override leave the Circle. \u201cShe\u2019ll join us,\u201d he remarked to someone in the ally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI should hope so, for your sake,\u201d rasped the bot shrouded by the ally\u2019s shadows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRelax, she\u2019s young and malleable. She\u2019ll come around to our way of thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI suffered two setbacks on the way here, one on Nebulos and the other on Animatros. Both were the result of arrogant idiots thinking that their one single plan was fool-proof!\u201d The mystery bot stepped out of the ally to reveal Megatron looming over Dirt Boss. \u201cI trust YOU aren\u2019t an arrogant idiot?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cN-No, my Lord!\u201d gulped Dirt Boss. \u201cI\u2019m not an arrogant idiot! I have backup plans should my main plan go south!\u201d Megatron\u2019s sweet smile didn\u2019t reach his optics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood. It would be nice to have at least ONE colony flying Decepticon colors.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Override stopped by her favorite hang-out, the Circle, as Blurr brought the Autobots up to speed. The Circle is, or rather, WAS, a major club for racers. She stood at the red walkway and looked up at the once-proud sign. She closed her eyes and thought back to the evening of the race that decided […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,681],"tags":[146,337],"class_list":["post-4868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-transformers-mobian-chronicles","category-transformers-mobian-chronicles-arc-20-racing-to-win","tag-sonic","tag-transformers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4868"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4869,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4868\/revisions\/4869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}