Shane Freak
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Chapter 573: Autobots Base (Part 1)
🕑 Added 2023-09-13 08:32:29 +0000 UTCTransformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List
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Even though it was only a temporary base in their eyes, the Autobots were constructing it at a much faster pace than Sun Cheng had anticipated.
As soon as the drone he had dispatched crossed into the Solia territory after passing Kenya, it was detected by the Autobots.
"Commander, we've detected a human aircraft!"
"Don't shoot it down yet. Send someone to inform the commander!"
"Yes!"
Ironhide, who was receiving treatment from Ratchet inside the underground facility, had been entrusted with the role of commander by Optimus Prime before he left.
And he didn't disappoint Optimus Prime. Although Ironhide had a fiery temper and was occasionally stubborn, his experience in combat and leadership, having gone through two Cybertronian civil wars, made him one of the top Autobots in terms of both.
After accepting Optimus Prime's appointment, he assigned tasks to all the Autobots in the underground base.
The Autobots who had been injured in the Mariana Trench battle were temporarily housed in the "warehouse" to receive medical treatment from Ratchet and rest.
The remaining Autobots were divided into three groups under his command:
One group, appointed by Ironhide, became the security team, patrolling the vicinity on a schedule, setting up scattered fortifications around the "warehouse," and reinforcing the sand layers above to enhance anti-air capabilities.
Another group, appointed by Ironhide, was tasked with reinforcing and remodeling the "warehouse." While Sun Cheng had created a large warehouse, it didn't entirely meet the Autobots' aesthetic standards. The interior, being too monotonous, needed to be redesigned to accommodate a command center, living quarters, and more. Ironhide specifically selected several Autobots skilled in design and manufacturing to use their unique Cybertronian abilities to create power generators and other tools for the "warehouse."
The remaining Autobots were sent by Ironhide to investigate nearby mineral reserves. Although Optimus Prime hadn't made a final decision to establish a new home for the Autobots on Earth centered around this warehouse, there were already over a hundred Autobots on Earth, and their daily energy consumption was significant. If they were to engage the Decepticons in another battle, their energy consumption would be even greater. As the temporary base's commander, Ironhide needed to be prepared.
In just a few days, the area of the "warehouse" had increased by only a few thousand square meters, but Dump Truck, an Autobot, had transported tens of thousands of tons of sand from a desert area dozens of kilometers away to raise the sand layers above the "warehouse" by over ten meters.
Internal facilities like the command center, medical room, living quarters, and more had already been planned and were taking shape. Newly manufactured power generators were operational, burning kerosene and gold refined by Sam, who had undergone a transformation with the Autobots' help, which had been purchased from the Solia people.
When news about the drone reached Ironhide, his first instinct was to shoot it down, but he restrained himself and calmly issued orders: "Stay hidden for now. Don't engage it. Let's see what it's up to."
Claudia, who had also participated in the Mariana Trench battle and had suffered injuries, had been left behind when Optimus Prime led a team to search for the Leadership Module.
"What do you think?" Ironhide asked her.
Claudia frowned. "Could it be the United States?"
The Autobots had cooperated with the United States Government for over a year during which the U.S. government had collected intelligence on them through various means and methods.
Similarly, the Autobots, using their Cybertronian abilities, had gathered a lot of classified information from the U.S. military.
Although many human countries' militaries had equipped drones, the only one that had truly weaponized them was the U.S. military.
The Autobots had recently severed ties with the United States Government, withdrawing many Autobots from U.S. military bases and refusing to hand over Sam, the United States boy they intended to trade with the Skytiger Legion. The United States Government couldn't be pleased about this. Initially, while some Autobots were within U.S. borders and others were inside U.S. military bases, the United States might have been cautious about causing them harm, fearing the consequences. But that didn't mean the United States, accustomed to having its way, wouldn't seek revenge later.
Ironhide snorted; he was one of the Autobots most opposed to cooperating with the United States Government.
The United States had often used derogatory terms like "they," "machines," and "cars" to describe the Autobots. Prowl and Bumblebee had infiltrated The Pentagon and the Department of Defense on several occasions, witnessing numerous discussions about how to deal with these extraterrestrial beings in the military's confidential memos.
After issuing the command, Ironhide's Autobots, who had locked onto the drone, chose not to shoot it down. As a result, the drone, under their watchful eyes, hovered above the warehouse for a while before dropping a metal object attached to a parachute and flying away.
As soon as the drone moved away, Skids, with a somewhat quirky personality, ran out and picked up the metal object that had just fallen to the ground.
"Decepticon..."
When he saw the emblem on top, he instinctively wanted to destroy it.
However, he suddenly thought of a possibility and gritted his teeth, choosing to hold back.
"What is it?" Claudia asked.
Skids tossed it to her, saying with a hint of annoyance, "It's probably something sent by Frenzy!"
Skids knew that among those who would still send things to their temporary base, there was likely only Frenzy.
Although he was unhappy about it, he couldn't forget that his brother, Mudflap, had also fallen victim to Frenzy.
But Skids wasn't completely irrational. After the Autobots had a falling out with the United States Government, didn't even their leader, Optimus Prime, accept their goodwill?
If he wanted to avenge his brother, he would have to wait for the right opportunity in the future.
After Claudia took the metal object, she realized it was a specially made storage disk. She understood why Skids had said it was sent by Frenzy.
They had received such items several times before.
Although Claudia wasn't the base's commander, she was Ironhide's girlfriend and was renowned throughout the Autobot camp for her intelligence.
Taking the metal storage disk, she scanned the internal information with beams of light shooting from her eyes.
There wasn't much on the metal storage disk, but after Claudia finished reading it, she furrowed her brow. Then, she handed it to Ironhide without saying a word, as if she hadn't noticed his inquisitive look.
Ironhide was even more curious as he received the metal storage disk and began scanning its contents. After reading it, he fell into silence.
"What does it say inside?" Skids, who had been sulking nearby, couldn't help but ask.
Ironhide replied, "Frenzy and the others were recently attacked by the Skytiger Legion. Ramjet and Surfboard were killed."
After a brief hesitation, he continued, "Frenzy suspects that not only him but also us are being targeted by the Skytiger Legion. So, he plans to go into hiding for a while."
"And there's a set of coordinates inside."
Claudia took over the conversation and said, "The coordinates point to a larger underground base not far from here, about four hundred kilometers away. Inside, there are some supplies and energon, which is Frenzy's final assistance to us. He wants us to send someone to pick it up!"
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Next Chapter >>Chapter 574: Autobots Base (Part 2)
