Dark Wizard Presents

The Anime Universe... Transformed!

It is a world where aliens and humans of unimaginable power battle for dominance, where young girls from other dimensions and worlds fight for justice and love, and where Outlaws and Galaxy Police officers take down criminals across the Milky Way. It is a dangerous, unpredictable world where nothing is as it seems. And now, something from the stars is about to land on Earth and add a completely new dimension to it. Something so alien, so inhuman, and so powerful that it will literally transform this universe!

It is�

The Transformers

Issue 1: Robots in Disguise

Planet Cybertron - 3,997,999 years BCE

Cybertron. A completely mechanical world inhabited by completely mechanical beings. Though looking quite peaceful from a distance, this mysterious metal planet has been ravaged with the flames of civil war for the past two million years. The planet�s robot inhabitants have divided into two factions: the peaceful, democratic Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, and the brutal, dictatorial Decepticons, led by Megatron.

Recently, the war has turned sharply in the favor of the Decepticons, as more and more Autobot strongholds are overrun by their forces. It is the final stages of Megatron�s campaign to completely wipe out Autobots�no prisoners, no mercy. But Optimus Prime has a few plans of his own�

Three pyramid-shaped fighter jets and a heavier, triangular jet dove down on towering steel fortress, launching missiles and firing their lasers at the Autobot stronghold. The Autobots quickly returned fire, scattering the nimble fighters with a firestorm of orange blasts.

"Cursed Autobots!" the lead, red and white jet hissed. "We�ll never be able to take that fortress as long as they have defenses like that! Blitzwing, why don�t you make some use of your worthless metal carcass! Destroy those guns!"

"My pleasure, Air Commander Starscream" the triangular jet replied. Blitzwing broke off and headed for the other side of a large moat, diving for the ground. Just before impacting, Blitzwing�s body began to shift, changing shape, until he has transformed into a towering tan and purple robot.

He gazed up at the gun towers defending the fortress. "Typical, pathetic Autobots," he growled. "Too frightened to fight us face to face, they rather coop themselves up in a fortress and fight behind walls like the cowards they are! Well, they can�t hide from us forever!" Blitzwing again began to transform�but not into a fighter jet. He instead shifted into the shape of a futuristic heavy tank and, taking aim, fired on the gun towers one by one. Each tower exploded into thousands of metal shards, forcing the robots behind the fortress walls to take cover.

"We need to get everyone into the escape tunnel now!" a tall blue Autobot exclaimed as he dodged a very large piece of shrapnel. "Those Decepticons have an easy way of getting in by air now, and they�ll slaughter everyone in sight once they�re inside!"

"But Ultra Magnus" a small, yellow and purple robot replied, "The main door controls were destroyed when Starscream and his thugs made that first air raid! We�d have to open them manually and we�d need to use some of the guys holding defense positions to do it!"

"I don�t care if it takes every soldier we�ve got in here, Huffer! If we don�t get those doors open, we might as well start ripping ourselves apart for the scrap heap right now!"

Huffer grabbed as many Autobots as he could find, and Magnus joined them, in opening the massive, heavy metal doors that led to a wide, long tunnel. It was their only way of getting in and out of the fortress. And at the rate of the doors� opening and the Decepticon assault, not many would get out alive.

The three Decepticon jets again dive-bombed the fortress, blasting apart towers and shredding fleeing Autobots apart with laser fire. "Run! Run little Auto-brats!" the black jet shouted with sinister glee. "Skywarp is coming to get you!"

"Oh look," Starscream interrupted. "Here comes the mighty Megatron himself�and by himself, I mean with our entire army so he doesn�t have to get himself dirty in battle!" A large purple transport ship and several more fighter jets were approaching from the distance. Inside the transport, Megatron was already prepping his troops.
"Astrotrain!" he said. "Open the assault hatch! All Decepticons, prepare for battle. We will annihilate every last one of these Autobot vermin! And it will bring me one step closer to winning this war!"

"We need this thing open now!" Ultra Magnus� panic was becoming more urgent as Decepticon fighters continued to strafe the groups of Autobots trying to open the escape doors and those trying to give them cover. "We�ve almost got it�there!" The hatch was open, and Ultra Magnus quickly led them in. "Come on, everyone! We need to get out of here, and we need to make sure those Decepti-creeps don�t follow us!" Magnus transformed into large hover truck, and many of the others that got in quickly transformed as well, speeding off to safety.
"I�m so sorry, Optimus" Magnus thought. "I�ve failed you again. Hopefully, whatever it is Perceptor is cooking up will work�at least he doesn�t fail every time."

"Wait! Wait for us!" A group of five Autobots were running towards the tunnel, catching Huffer�s attention. He then watched in horror as his five comrades were consumed in a gigantic purple fireball shot form above. He looked up with a statement of pure fear. "Megatron!" he said weakly, as he saw the menacing silver Decepticon descend alongside his two henchmen, Soundwave and Shockwave.

Huffer quickly caught Megatron�s attention. "Shockwave! That Autobot down there! He doesn�t look worthy of a death by the hands of Megatron! Destroy him!"

"As you command, my liege," the square-bodied, purple robot replied as he transformed into a giant, flying beam gun. "Die Autobot!" he shouted as he fired a wave of deadly blue light at Huffer.
"Holy sparkplug!" the Autobot screamed, quickly transforming into a six-wheeled tractor and driving off to avoid the blast. He jumped in the air as the shot impacted right in front of the tunnel, sending metal flying everywhere and shaking the ground violently.

"Well, I�ve always wondered why they call him Shockwave. Now to make sure they don�t follow us in! If Megatron decides to come after us, he�s in for a bit of a surprise!"

The fortress was a burning wreck, and the lifeless bodies of countless Autobots lay scattered across the ground. Megatron violently kicked one out of his way upon landing, joined by Soundwave and Shockwave, back in his robot form. Megatron�s red optics glared into the tunnel.
"Follow them" he said.
"I would strongly advise against that," Shockwave said. "The probability that the Autobots have laid booby traps in that tunnel is approximately�"
"Shut up, Shockwave" Megatron hissed. "I have no time for your worthless mathematical calculations! This tunnel undoubtedly leads us to more Autobot bases and thus victory over our adversaries. I can�t believe Prime was so stupid as to build such an important infrastructure and then leave it vulnerable to infiltration by us!"

"Or," Shockwave countered, "that�s what he wants you to think." Megatron glared at Shockwave menacingly.
"You are seriously beginning to try my patience, Shockwave! I think you�ll find it logical to keep your voice amplifier shut!" He turned around to face his Decepticon army. "You four," he picked out from the crowd. "Go in after them!" Hesitantly, the four robots transformed and entered the tunnel. Seconds later, there was a huge explosion as all four let out a terrified scream�then fell silent.

"Well done Megatron" Starscream said sarcastically. "Plan to send any more in just to make sure there aren�t more traps like that?"
"If you weren�t still of use to me, Starscream, I�d be more than happy to make you the first!" Megatron snapped furiously. "How dare those Autobots trick me! What kind of any idiot do they take me for? And Starscream, don�t say a word if you know what�s good for you!" "Actually, I was just going to let the very irony of it stand" Starscream thought.

"My lord," Soundwave said. "It is possible that these traps were only set to ambush large foot-soldiers�the type the Autobots most expect to pursue them. However, it is possible that one of my cassettes could breach their defenses." Megatron grinned. He had outsmarted Prime, after all.
"Very well then, Soundwave. Have Laserbeak see where this tunnel leads to."
"Understood." Soundwave pressed a button on his shoulder and his chest flipped open, releasing a black and red tape. The tape quickly transformed into a metal bird of prey and fired its rockets, soaring into the tunnel.
"Soon Prime," Megatron chuckled, "You�re failure will be complete!"

******

Three Autobots�Prowl, Fortress Maximus, and Optimus Prime�exited an elevator and walked towards a computer console where Wheeljack�a silvery robot with a missile launcher and V-shaped solar panels on his back�and Perceptor�a red robot with a cannon on his shoulder�were fixed on a holo-projected viewscreen. On it was a rotating image of a nine planet star system, with the view focusing on the third from the star. "Wheeljack, Perceptor, what is it you have to report?" Optimus asked them.

"Optimus, I believe we�ve found our newest base location" Wheeljack replied. "The third planet in this system. It�s perfect."
"The amount of Energon we detected on it is amazingly high," Perceptor added. "There�s enough to supply an army ten times the size of our current force. Plus, the terrain is extremely flexible for construction."
"Yeah," Wheeljack continued. "In fact, our scans have shown that the terrain of this world is amazingly diverse. There�s all kinds of nooks and crannies there for us to build weapons factories, training facilities, shipyards and spaceports�if we get a strong foothold there, we could turn the tide of this war against the Decepticons."

Prime put his fist to his chin in a thoughtful manner. "Hmmm. It definitely has its strategic advantages. But first, tell me�does this planet have life on it?" Maximus sighed while Perceptor and Wheeljack fell silent, looking at each other as if not knowing how to respond.
"Uh,�yes" Perceptor finally replied. Prime just shook his head.
"Then we can�t do it. If we were to colonize it, we would be abandoning our own principles: that life is invaluable and is not to be exploited. To do what you�re suggesting would be like bowing down to the Decepticons."
"But that�s also what we might end up doing if we don�t Prime," Fortress Maximus countered. "We�re fighting a war�and losing. If we�re ever to defeat Megatron�s forces, we�re going to have to use every resource available and seize every opportunity we have to strengthen ourselves."

He put his gray hands on Prime�s shoulders. "I know you believe very strongly that no one has the right to interfere with life, no matter what their intentions�and I respect you for that. We all respect you for that. All of the Autobots believe what you believe in." Maximus began to squeeze. "But Optimus, surely even you realize that sometimes sacrifices have to be made�sacrifices of supply, of life, even of principles. That�s what happens in war. It�s a consequence we just have to live with. Primus knows we�re all sick of it, but it won�t end until we�or the Decepticons�make it end."

Optimus stood there, deeply contemplating everything Fort Max had just said. He finally spoke. "Prowl, gather as many of the Autobots as you can and have the Ark prepped for takeoff. Wheeljack and Perceptor, assemble the necessary engineering and scientific equipment. Fortress Maximus, from the moment the Ark leaves, you�re in command. You should start assembling a new staff, because I�m taking most of the current one with me."

Optimus headed for the elevator, and then spoke to them again just as the doors opened. "I don�t like having to do this, but we have little choice. All we can do is pray that this expedition doesn�t turn into a conquest. That kind of barbarism is for Decepticons!"

The Autobots left, never looking up�so they never noticed that Laserbeak was perched in a corner, recording the entire conversation. "Oh, Lord Megatron is going to love this!" the bird squawked. He took off and began to make his way back to Decepticon headquarters.

******

"�I�m taking most of the current one with me." Prime�s words came from the video footage Laserbeak was playing on Soundwave. Megatron and several other Decepticons watched with the utmost attention. As the recording ended, Megatron began to laugh.
"So, Prime is not only leading us to a strategically vital planet, but he�s also bringing his most important commanders and warriors with him!" He turned to face his army as Soundwave transformed into robot mode. "Decepticons, this is the perfect opportunity for us to strike the fatal blow to the Autobots! If we destroy their leadership and put the resources of this planet to our own uses, we can finally vanquish the Autobots once and for all!"

"Such talk," Shockwave thought to himself. "Yes, Megatron, this is an excellent opportunity�an excellent opportunity for me to seize the leadership of the Decepticons from your incompetent and illogical grip! Your stupidity is holding us back from total victory. So it�s only logical that a more intelligent leader�like myself�should take your place. Your reign is soon to come to an end�Blitzwing and myself can guarantee that."

"We will follow this Autobot ship and then strike, killing them all and taking this Energon-rich world for ourselves. Shockwave, prepare the Nemesis! Soundwave, Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Reflector, Dirge, Ramjet, Thrust, Skyfire, Blitzwing, Astrotrain, Runabout, Runamuck! Ready your weapons and report to the Nemesis within the hour!"

******

"Optimus, I can�t!"

"You need to, Ultra Magnus" Prime said. "You�re the best second in command I�ve ever had, and I won�t be able to carry out this mission successfully without your expertise. If something were to happen to me, the Autobots would be lost without a leader. You�re the one I trust the most for that duty."

Magnus was still hesitant. "Optimus, I know you trust me�but why? Three times now, an Autobot-held city under my command has fallen to the Decepticons. If I can�t protect our troops from them, how will I protect them from danger on an alien planet?"
"None of what happened was you�re fault, Magnus. I would�ve done the same as you did in each of those situations. Please, old friend, we need you on this mission."

"Okay, Optimus," Magnus sighed. "I guess I should trust your judgment. It�s managed to keep us alive up to now." The two walked across the loading bridge on the rocket pad, entering the Ark, a massive golden starship. The vessel began to roar its monstrous engines to life.

"Sideswipe!" Optimus called out on the bridge. "What�s our launch status?"
"All engines at full power," a red robot replied. "Liftoff in one minute!"
"You think we�ll make it and finally turn the tides, Jazz?" a small, yellow robot asked a taller, blue and white one.
"I sure hope so, Bumblebee" Jazz replied. The ship began to rumble violently.
"You gonna miss Cybertron, Prime?" a heavy red Autobot asked the leader.
"Of course I will, Ironhide" Prime replied. "We all will. But its just one of those sacrifices we have to make. Hopefully, we�ll be able to see it again."

"Ten seconds to launch!" Sideswipe shouted. "Nine, eight, seven�" "Farewell, Cybertron" Optimus thought. "Do me a big favor and don�t fall to the Decepticons while I�m gone."
"�two, one, launching!"

The massive ship rocketed off the ground, soaring miles above the surface in a matter of seconds. Moments later, the metal world of Cybertron began to shrink into the background. They had left the war zone, but the Autobots were hardly safe from the Decepticons. On the far side of Cybertron, a hellish, dark blue warship was waiting, its crew watching the Autobot ship blast into space.

"Thundercracker," Megatron said to the light blue robot from his massive command chair on the bridge, "begin pursuit, but stay just outside of their sensor range. I don�t want to strike until the Autobots reach their destination." Megatron smiled. "This will be a day well remembered in Decepticon history."
"Yes," Shockwave thought. "Mark my word, Megatron, it certainly will�but it won�t be about your victory." The Nemesis� engines roared to life, and the trident-like battleship gave chase to the Ark.

******

Nine days passed, and the Autobots finally reached their destination. "There it is," Wheeljack said as the bridge viewscreen showed a soft blue planet, covered in patches of white clouds and green land.
"Sideswipe, Beachcomber, start looking for a landing spot" Optimus ordered.
"Wow," Bumblebee gasped. "It�s magnificent."
"I feel kind of ashamed that we�re gonna have to tear some of it up," commented Hound, a dark green Autobot. "Because this place is just gorgeous."
"We can do some sightseeing later, people," Ultra Magnus said. "Right now we need to concern ourselves with touching down and setting up a base. Right, Optimus?"

Optimus Prime didn�t answer immediately, for he too was caught up in the extreme beauty of the planet. "Right," he finally said. "Remember everyone, our primary mission is to establish new base and resource manufacturing facilities on this planet�scientific exploration is a secondary goal. If everything goes as planned, we can give Megatron a run for�" Prime was cut off at the sound of an explosion and a violent quake on the Ark. Every alarm on the starship instantly went off. "Prowl, report!"

"We just took a laser hit, Optimus!" Prowl replied. "Sensors are detecting a Decepticon warship approaching from our rear at high speed!" His face widened in fear. "It�s the Nemesis!"
"Megatron�" Prime said.

******

Megatron was quickly preparing his troops for the final assault. "Skyfire, Dirge, Ramjet, Thrust! Stay here and continue to pilot the Nemesis! Shockwave, you have command of the bridge. The rest of you, come with me! We will board the Ark, destroy the Autobots onboard and take the ship and this planet for ourselves!"

"Excellent!" Shockwave thought. "Now�s the time to carry out my plans!" Shockwave caught Blitzwing as he headed for the hatch. "Blitzwing," Shockwave whispered, "Now is the perfectly logical opportunity for us to dispose of Megatron once and for all! Do whatever it takes, but make sure Megatron does not return from this raid alive!" Blitzwing grinned.
"No problem. Heh heh heh�"

The Nemesis made several more hits on the Ark, rendering the Autobot ship defenseless. It then moved forward and began to travel parallel to the Ark, and soon a long, snaky bridge shot out from the Nemesis� side and grabbed a hold of the Autobot starship.

"Prime!" Ironhide shouted. "Those Decepti-creeps are about to board us!" For the first time in as long as any of the Autobots could remember, Optimus looked panicked�and the panic began to grow to anger. "Not even light years away from Cybertron can we escape Megatron�s brutality!" Prime thought. "If he has his best warriors with him�which he undoubtedly does�our chances of winning are slim! I was afraid we would run into a dangerous force on this expedition�but I never expected Decepticons! They�re just too driven to destroy everything in their path�and that might include this planet we�re heading towards! I can�t allow my crew to be responsible for a Decepticon initiated genocide on this world, so we have only one choice!"

"Autobots!" Prime said. "Prepare for battle! If Megatron is leading the attack on us, then now is the time for us to defeat him once and for all�even if that means destroying the Ark in the process!" There were mixed expressions among the Autobots about this, but all generally agreed with Prime: if they were to ever defeat Megatron and his thugs, now was no better time to do it. "If it�s a fight you want, Megatron, it�s a fight you�ll get!"

Every Autobot in the ship took position near the hatch, which suddenly began spew white-hot sparks. Seconds later it swooped open, and Megatron ferociously led his troops inside, guns blazing. "Decepticons, attack!" All the Autobots took cover as Megatron and his henchmen fired inside the bridge, and returned fire whenever the opportunity arose.
"You think you�re so tough, Megatron?" a small, boxy, green and yellow Autobot challenged, and charged at the Decepticon leader. "Let�s see just how tough you really are!"
"Brawn, no!" Ironhide cautioned his comrade.

But Brawn continued his assault, and just as he leapt for the evil tyrant, Megatron grabbed him in midair. "Foolish Autobot!" he shouted, lifting Brawn above his head. "No one is powerful enough to attack Megatron in such a fashion!" He hurled Brawn across the bridge, crashing him into two other Autobots. "That was just a warm-up!" Megatron armed the giant fusion cannon on his arm and opened fire. The blasts sent a few of the Autobots flying, and shook the ship with each impact.

"Now is the time!" Blitzwing thought. Standing behind Megatron, Blitzwing drew his heat sword and prepared to take a swipe�until a blast hit him from behind, sending him to the floor face first. Furious, Blitzwing kneeled up and looked behind him to find a small, red robot with a cannon mounted on its chest.
"Pretty big punch for someone my size, eh Blitzwing?" the Autobot asked with a smirk.
"Curse you Warpath!" the Decepticon screamed as he charged. "Can�t I get anything done without you interfering?" Warpath fired several more shots, knocking Blitzwing onto his back.
"As long as I�m around," Warpath chuckled. "No."
"Then I�ll see to it you aren�t around for much longer!" Blitzwing roared as he transformed into his tank mode, firing.

Starscream kicked Ultra Magnus against a control panel with great force, causing it to short out upon Magnus� impact. With a yell, Starscream rushed at the large Autobot, but Magnus quickly moved out of the way. Each throwing a few punches, the two were soon locked arm to arm. "Auto-rat!" Starscream hissed. "Let it be known that my face is the last thing you�ll ever see!"
"Sorry, Starscream," Magnus grunted, and he lifted the Decepticon over his back and slammed him onto the ground behind him. "But I plan to live for a couple million more years!" Starscream quickly got himself up and fired his laser rifle, hitting Magnus in the back. After falling forward a bit in searing pain, Magnus turned his heavy body around and landed his metal fist on Starscream�s face. The Decepticon fell to the floor, nearly unconscious and in terrible pain. "And that�s why you should never shoot someone in the back!" Magnus grunted.

Wheeljack and Hound were gaining up on Soundwave, and now had the Decepticon in a corner. "Let�s finish him off, Wheeljack!"
"Time to even the odds," Soundwave said, opening his cassette-holding chest. "Rumble, Frenzy, eject and dispose of these two Autobots!" A blue and a red tape ejected from Soundwave, each turning into identical, human sized robots.
"Time to Rock n� Roll!" Rumble shouted as he and Frenzy�s arms transformed into cylindrical pile drivers. The pile drivers started up, shaking the ground violently as they hit they floor. The miniature quake sent Wheeljack and Hound collapsing onto the floor, as well as several other Autobots and a few Decepticons nearby.
"Those are pretty effective weapons," Sideswipe commented. He then jumped and flew across the bridge towards the two earth shakers. "Except when used against people with booster packs!" Sideswipe body slammed the two robots, putting an end to their tremors and knocking them out. As he got up, Sideswipe was struck with a series of laser shots and forced to the ground, wincing at the burning pain�Soundwave obviously hadn�t taken kindly to the Autobot�s attack on Rumble and Frenzy.

"Stand still, Prime!" Megatron shouted as he continued to fire his fusion cannon at the Autobot leader. Prime jumped as each shot came near him, eventually doing a back flip and firing his rifle as he landed. The shots directly hit Megatron each time, forcing the Decepticon leader to wince and grab his wound.
"Give it up, Megatron!" Prime said. "You�ll never beat us, so surrender while you still can. Order your troops to do the same and I might see to it that the Autobot court goes easy on you when you�re tried for your crimes�once we get back to Cybertron, that is." But the Decepticon leader, panting with rage from his injuries and the stalemated battle, only responded by charging his fusion cannon to maximum firepower.
"How can you do that," he said menacingly and, in a flash, raised his cannon. "If you�re dead, Prime? Die!"

Optimus jumped out of the way the moment Megatron unleashed a heavy, purple blast from his cannon. But the powerful shot traveled directly across the bridge towards the helm�hitting the control panel. The panel exploded on impact, and the Ark�as well as the connected Nemesis�began to spin out of control. Everyone stopped fighting and watched the viewscreen in horror as the ship began to make a sharp, tumbling nosedive towards the planet.

The extreme speed and movement tore the assault bridge connecting the two ships apart�leaving the hatch wide open. All of the Autobots and Decepticons held onto dear life as the vacuum began to suck anything it could grab out the hatch. Struggling to stay on the floor, Prowl made his way to the hatch and pulled the emergency hatch switch, shutting the door. But it didn�t change the fact that the Ark and all inside were still coming in steeply towards the alien world. Sideswipe quickly made his way to the helm to regain control, and Thundercracker, completely forgetting about the war for the moment, rushed over to help him.

"Sideswipe, report!" Prime ordered, holding onto his command chair.
"The ship controls are completely fried!" Sideswipe replied. "We can�t get out of this dive!"
"We�re all gonna be scrap metal!" Thundercracker screamed in panic. Optimus Prime glared across the bridge at Megatron, his blue optics full of horror and fury.
"Megatron, you fool!" he said. "Because of you�re arrogance and ambition, everyone on this ship�yourself included�is going to die!" Megatron just scowled back at him.
"If it ends like this, Prime," he began, as the ship started to shake even more violently, "so be it! Now I can go on to join the Greater Spark knowing that after two million years of fighting, I finally beat you! Even if I die, my forces on Cybertron will still annihilate your pathetic army!" The viewscreen began to fuzz, but a picture of a rapidly approaching mountain range still came up on it. "And now, Prime," Megatron continued as one mountain began to rush at the viewscreen, "Your failure is complete!"

The Ark screamed across the blue sky as it headed straight for a mountain at thousands of miles per hour, the gold plating on it�s scorched hull flying off. Seconds later, the wide Autobot starship plunged into it�s base, rock and metal flying everywhere, uprooting tress and tossing up a gargantuan dust cloud thousands of feet into the air. The crash let out a massive boom sounding off for miles�and was then muffled by the roar of falling rock as the entire mountainside collapsed, covering the ship. A few seconds later, the dust was blown away by the wind, the falling rock settled, and the Prehistoric valley was tranquil once again.

******

Mount Ryo-Aru, Japan � 2001 CE

Four million years later

Mount Ryo-Aru. An active volcano 60 miles away from Tokyo. According to geologists, it has not erupted in six million years, keeping the residents of the Japanese metropolis safe�and the mountain�s fantastic secret even safer. Until now�

Mount Ryo-Aru shook furiously, rocks sliding off in the hundreds on its every cliff until the mighty mountain could take no more. It�s needle top exploded, liquid hot magma and ash shooting into the air. The eruption shook the mountain even more, causing the base of one side to completely fall apart�slowly exposing the four massive engines of the Ark, still intact after being completely buried for four million years.

The same could be said for inside the Ark�almost. Though rock and metal were strewn everywhere, the ship�s interior was still in one piece. It had become the perfect tomb for the Autobots and Decepticons still on the bridge of the starship. They all lay there, offline and oblivious to time. As the mountain shook, so did the ship. Suddenly, one of the computer screens flickered, then came completely on.
"TELETRAN 1: ONLINE. CURRENT LOCATION: UNKNOWN. PERFORMING SHIP SCAN�HULL LEVEL CRITICAL, 66% OF SYSTEMS NON OPERATIONAL, CREW STATUS�CREW MEMBERS OFFLINE AND DAMAGED. BEGINNING EMERGENCY REPAIR PROCEDURES."

A pair of robotic arms and a camera exited from the wall next to Teletran 1, searching the ground for the nearest robot so it could begin repairs. Unwittingly, the Autobot computer found a Decepticon�Skywarp. The camera quickly scanned Skywarp�s body, and sent information back to Teletran 1.
"INITIATING ALTERNATE FORM SEARCH."

A small, flying metal ball was shot from the Ark, and it took off into the sky like a bullet.
"EXPLORE! EXPLORE!" The probe soared across the landscape at incredible speed, searching for an object to match Skywarp�s form. It finally stopped upon reaching a military airfield, and hovered right above a row of parked F-15 fighter jets. The probe scanned every component of one of the F-15�s and sent the information back to Teletran 1 in less than a second, then flew off.

"REPAIR! REPAIR!" Several different robot arms with repair tools appeared, and began to reassemble Skywarp. Minutes later, a black F-15 was where Skywarp had been laying, and the Decepticon transformed into his robot mode.
"Where�where am I?" he asked, then he caught eye of his comrades�offline. "I need to get these guys online! But I can�t do it all alone, especially with some of the more complex ones like Soundwave�where�s Ratbat?" He looked around and finally saw a gold and purple robot bat, one of Soundwave�s cassettes. He quickly got Teletran 1 to repair Ratbat, and soon the metal bat was fully operational.
"Skywarp?" Ratbat said, not believing his optics.
"Yeah, it�s me. Listen, I don�t know where we are or how long we�ve been offline, but we need to repair the others if we�re gonna find out. Since you�re the computer and engineering expect, I thought you�d know better than anyone else how to do that."
"Very insightful of you, Skywarp. Let�s get to work."

The two began to repair their fellow Decepticons, and in an hour almost all were back online. "These two characters are ready!" Rumble called out. In front of him were a purple MiG-25 fighter jet and a purple Space Shuttle, both of which began to transform. The MiG changed into a tan T-80 battle tank and the Shuttle turned into a purple locomotive. They finally transformed into the robot modes of Blitzwing and Astrotrain, respectively.
"Wha�what�s going on? I�m alive?" Blitzwing asked the world.
"Alive and kickin," Thundercracker said. "You and Astrotrain both. Now come on, we need you guys to help get everyone else back online."

While Astrotrain went with Thundercracker and Rumble, Blitzwing just stood and looked around, until he saw something near one of the control panels.
"Megatron�" he whispered to himself. As he approached the non-operational Decepticon leader, Shockwave�s words rang in the back of his head. "Make sure Megatron does not return from this raid alive!" Blitzwing drew his heat sword�but hesitantly. "Should I do it?" he thought. "Yes, it was Shockwave�s orders�but for all I know, Shockwave and the others are lying in a million pieces somewhere. After all, the Nemesis took a nosedive with this ship, too. Of course, Megatron�s the whole reason we crashed in the first place. So�"

"Hey, Blitzwing!" Skywarp called out, walking towards him. Skywarp�s optics widened as he came closer. "Hey! We�ve found Megatron. Good work, Blitzwing!" He then noticed the sword in Blitzwing�s hand. "What are you doing with that?"
"Uh�uh�" Blitzwing then saw an Autobot nearby and grinned sinisterly. "I was just gonna take a few practice swings," he said. He walked over to the offline Autobot, raised his sword, and swiped down in a flash, slicing it�s metal body open. "Now, this one is permanently offline!"

"That�s a good idea!" Astrotrain commented, drawing his laser rifle. "I think I�ll do some target practice while I�m at it." He took aim at one the Autobot�s and fired three shots, making three, neat holes in its body, from which red smoke rose. The two continued to randomly destroy helpless Autobots, until the last of the Decepticons were once again fully operational�and fully under Megatron�s command.
"You can stop with the slaughter, Blitzwing and Astrotrain" Megatron said to the two triple-changers. He gathered them outside the Ark, where they faced a wall of rock. "These Autobots won�t be going anywhere. Right now, we need to determine where we are. Since the computers on this old rust bucket won�t be of any help, we will need to do it the old fashioned way. Where�s the exit?"
"I do not believe there is one, my lord," Soundwave replied. Megatron grunted and charged up his fusion cannon. He then fired at the wall of rock, blasting it apart and letting bright sunlight in.
"There is now," Megatron smirked.

The Decepticons exited the cave and found themselves looking across a green mountain range, though the ground in their area was covered in ash, and a few fires could be spotted in the distance.
"This seems to be a bit of a chaotic world," Soundwave said.
"Ooh, chaotic!" a dark blue robot said with glee. "I think I�m gonna like this planet!"
"Don�t get too used to it, Runabout" Starscream said flatly. "I�m sure we�ll be getting off this rock as soon as possible!" Megatron looked at Starscream questioningly.
"What makes you say that, Starscream?" he asked. "We just got here."
"Yeah," Skywarp added. "Besides, we were going to start mining this planet for its Energon resources."
"That is, unless, the current residents have already taken it all up for themselves" Ratbat interrupted.

Everyone�Megatron especially�focused their attention on the Cassette robot.
"What do you mean �current residents�?" Laserbeak squawked angrily. "When I spied on the Autobots they made no reference to any kind of civilization on this planet!"
"True," Ratbat replied. "But I�ve been doing some calculations based on our systems records, and I�ve determined that approximately four million years have passed since then, Laserbeak."

All of them gasped. "Further," he continued, "All of us have completely different transformations, and that change was made when the Autobot computer revived us. These forms could only be based on what is present on this planet, so there has to be intelligent life here." Megatron growled in anger.
"If whatever is here has already taken up the Energon supply," he snarled, "I swear I�ll wipe them out! Every last one! That Energon belongs to me, and no one else! We must set out and search for a location for a base! Once a base has been constructed, we will begin the search for Energon. Ratbat, Soundwave! Strip whatever you think will be useful from the Autobot ship! Astrotrain will carry it."

The Decepticons were able to quickly gather all they wanted and load onto Astrotrain, but not all were satisfied with Megatron�s plan of action.

"What kind of idiotic plan is this?" Starscream ranted, not talking to anyone in particular. "We should finish what Blitzwing and Astrotrain started and kill all of those Autobots while they�re vulnerable! And why should we start building a base right now? We haven�t even tried looking for the Nemesis yet, or even tried to see if Shockwave and the others are still alive!" He then began to chuckle. "If this is what you call leadership, Megatron," he said to himself. "Then taking it for myself is going to be easier than I thought!"

"Decepticons!" Megatron shouted. "Move out!" He took off into the air followed by Soundwave and his tapes. Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp took off as they transformed into their F-15 forms, and Blitzwing followed in MiG form. Runabout, Runamuck and Reflector hopped in the back of Astrotrain�s locomotive mode, which gained speed and chugged along the ground before transforming into Shuttle mode and following the others.

******

Inside the Ark, the Autobots that hadn�t faced destruction at the hands of Blitzwing and Astrotrain still lay there inoperative. But Teletran 1 was not. The scanning camera of the computer, after inadvertently aiding the Decepticons, finally found an Autobot�Optimus Prime. After scanning Prime�s body, Teletran 1 again contacted the probe.
"EXPLORE! EXPLORE!"

The probed scoured miles of landscape until coming upon a warehouse in an industrial part of a city. It stopped above a parked eighteen-wheeler truck and quickly scanned every minute component of it, then shot off.

"REPAIR! REPAIR!" The robotic arms quickly began reassembling Optimus. A few minutes later, a red eighteen-wheeler with a gray trailer stood there in the Ark. Optimus transformed back into robot mode and looked around.
"All the other Autobots," he thought to himself. "They�ve been damaged, and�oh no! The Decepticons, where are they? They should still be here unless�oh no. I�ve got to get the others online, fast before it�s too late! I�ll need Ratchet to help me."

Optimus guided Teletran�s camera to where Ratchet lay, and after scanning him, the computer began reviving the Autobot. When the repairs were finished, Ratchet was in his new vehicle form�a white Toyota ambulance. He transformed into his robot form and looked at Optimus in disbelief.
"Optimus? Is it really you?"
"Yes, Ratchet. I think everyone survived the crash�unfortunately, so did Megatron and the Decepticons."
"You mean they�ve escaped?" Ratchet gasped. "Yes, and there�s no telling where they went or what they�re up to. That�s why we need to get everyone back online fast, for this entire planet could be in jeopardy with the Decepticons present. Think you can do it?"
Ratchet smiled. "I am the doctor."

Optimus and Ratchet worked as fast as they could, dragging Autobot bodies to Teletran�s camera. Soon, almost the entire crew had been revived, but some could not be�five were dead and six were missing.

"These wounds look fresh," Perceptor said, examining the fatal injuries of one of the Autobots up close as a giant microscope.
"And we can all guess who did," Ironhide said, the anger quite apparent in his voice. "Cowards, killing these guys when they couldn�t even put up a fight! Prime, I say we go after these Decepti-thugs right now and tear them apart circuit from circuit!"
"Not yet, Ironhide," Optimus replied. "We can�t concern ourselves with revenge right now."
"But Prime!" Ironhide roared. "They basically just killed Snarl here in his sleep! Add to that they seem to have kidnapped the bulk of what would�ve been our construction team and stole numerous supplies, I think we have every right to want revenge!"

"Listen Ironhide!" Prime ordered with the utmost authority. "We will go after the Decepticons, because we will have to go after the Decepticons! But we can�t do it now! We�re on an uncharted alien world�have been for the past four million years according to Wheeljack. We know nothing about the terrain, weather, possibly dangerous life forms, or the native culture, and we�re extremely low on supplies thanks to Megatron. We can�t risk more lives by going out there ill equipped and ignorant about what this planet is like. We can, however, try to scout the area and get an idea� and I�m going to need you, Hound, Trailbreaker and Mirage to do it."
"If you don�t mind, Optimus," Bumblebee said from behind him. "Me, Cliffjumper and Jazz would like to go, too."
"If it�s okay with Ironhide, you�re perfectly free to" Optimus replied. "However, I don�t want any of you staying out there for more than 24 hours, and if you run into any trouble with the Decepticons that you can�t handle, retreat. No heroics, understand?"
"You got it, Prime!" Ironhide replied with a salute.

Ironhide, Hound, Trailbreaker, Mirage, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper and Jazz exited the Ark and began their scout mission, transforming into their new vehicle modes�a Toyota van, an Army jeep, a Nissan camper truck, an Indy racer, a VW Beetle, a Honda minicar, and a Porsche, respectively. "Good luck," Prime thought as he watched the seven depart. He looked up at the morning sky, with the sun still slightly above the horizon, tucked between two mountaintops. "It�s as beautiful as I imagined. It�s so peaceful, so ordered�and I fear that all may change now that we�ve arrived. Well, there�s not much that we can do to change what�s happened�we�ll all just have to accept that this is a whole new world."

Next time:

Angry teachers, playful schoolgirls, giant transforming robots�life just isn�t easy for Tenchi Musaki and his friends! Nor is it for the Autobots, as Megatron goes on a rampage in Japan during the Decepticons� search for Energon. Not even Tokyo proves to be immune from their deadly ambitions�not unless five pretty soldiers have anything to say about it! It�s all coming up. Don�t miss it!