ebookpocket.com #616 - Chapter 53: The Tragic Megatron
#616 - Chapter 53: The Tragic Megatron
Megatron's plan was well-conceived, but it encountered an unexpected snag right from the outset because the secrecy surrounding his scheme with Sentinel Prime was remarkably effective. Even Megatron's top lieutenants were kept in the dark.
At its peak, the Decepticon army numbered in the tens of billions. Even in the later stages of the rust plague, despite a significant reduction in strength, there were still nearly half a billion Decepticons scattered across Cybertron, its outer orbital stations, and surrounding colonies. The commanders in charge of these areas essentially functioned as warlords.
Starscream, as the governor of the outer ring provinces, commanded the largest Decepticon aerial forces. As fate would have it, the Ark happened to pass through his territory. What a stroke of luck! The Autobot leader was isolated and within his grasp. How could he let such an opportunity pass? Starscream immediately led a squadron in pursuit, ultimately destroying the Ark just before it entered transwarp space.
The ill-fated Ark was lost in the vastness of space, its whereabouts unknown. Sentinel Prime, in his final moments, entered self-stasis, caring little about the fate of his subordinates.
When Starscream returned to claim credit for his deed, Megatron was furious. He nearly beat Starscream to death. It was then that a few of the top commanders learned that the Autobot leader was preparing to surrender. With the war seemingly on the verge of ending, Starscream had blasted it all away, leading to a collective beating from the others.
What infuriated Megatron the most was that Sentinel Prime's successor, Optimus Prime, although a former friend, proved to be an intractable hardliner. The previously improving situation gradually escalated back into intense conflict.
The war on Cybertron was quite peculiar, relying almost entirely on resource attrition. It was divided into several zones. Each side would painstakingly develop for decades or even centuries, then fight for a few years until their numbers dwindled, before retreating. They would then return to continue developing for centuries, only to fight again!
Thus, this intense and protracted war continued for millions of years. The planet, ravaged by war and shrouded in smoke, gradually became a barren wasteland, its once-abundant resources nearly depleted.
As time passed, Megatron could no longer endure this endless cycle of consumption and destruction. He realized that even if the Decepticons ultimately won the war, the entire Cybertronian civilization would be driven to the brink of collapse. To save their crumbling homeworld, Megatron made the resolute decision to leave, embarking on a journey into the vast universe to find the lost AllSpark.
In the boundless expanse of space, Megatron journeyed alone, constantly exploring uncharted territories. One day, he encountered the Fallen, who was also wandering through the cosmos. Initially, suspicion and hostility filled the air, but after some so-called "friendly" negotiations, the situation took a dramatic turn.
Megatron discovered that he was no match for the Fallen. In a series of battles, he was thoroughly defeated. However, unexpectedly, the Fallen did not deliver the final blow but showed a hint of mercy. He helped Megatron repair his damaged body and revealed his former status as one of the Primes.
Faced with such a powerful and mysterious being, Megatron felt a surge of awe. After careful consideration, he made a significant decision—to acknowledge the Fallen as his master. From that moment on, Megatron became a loyal follower of the Fallen.
The Fallen revealed a crucial secret to Megatron: on the edge of the galaxy, there was a remote star system. Within this system, on a blue life-bearing planet, lay the core technologies left behind by the Cybertronian Primes. These technologies possessed the power to restore sparks, capable of saving the endangered Cybertron.
After careful consideration, Megatron resolutely changed his original plans. Filled with anticipation and a thirst for the unknown power, he sped towards the Solar System.
As Megatron appeared in the Solar System, he quickly locked onto the blue planet—Earth. Without hesitation, he approached Earth at an incredible speed.
However, to Megatron's delight, he unexpectedly detected the AllSpark's energy signature, instantly igniting the flames of greed within him. He unhesitatingly adjusted his course, heading directly towards Earth.
But just as Megatron crossed the Earth's atmosphere, an inexplicable force suddenly struck, catching him completely off guard. He felt a darkness engulf him, and his consciousness vanished in an instant. Having lost control, Megatron's body plummeted like a meteor, crashing heavily onto the ice sheets of the Arctic region.
Over time, snow gradually covered Megatron's wreckage, burying him deep beneath the thick ice. Thus, the once-invincible Decepticon leader fell into a long slumber, lasting for twelve thousand years…
It is worth mentioning that when Megatron set off for the Solar System, he sent an important message to the Decepticon base on the other side of the universe.
The Decepticon commanders lived up to expectations; each of them was an elite who had survived millions of years of war, emerging from countless life-and-death struggles. Even without Megatron, the Decepticons still achieved final victory.
Of course, the consequences of war are often complex and far-reaching, with numerous aftereffects. Take Starscream, for example. He originally controlled the outer ring provinces, which were completely destroyed in the continuous warfare and turned into cosmic dust. Having lost his territory, Starscream had no choice but to follow in Megatron's footsteps, embarking on a journey into the universe.
However, Starscream was not the only one with the same goal. Figures like Shockwave, Soundwave, and many other Decepticon members, harboring their own thoughts and expectations, embarked on this path of uncertainty and challenge.
As time passed, in the 7,000 years since Megatron's crash, Earth has been visited by various Transformers. These visitors had different identities; some were wanderers searching for resources, who quietly left after failing to find what they needed; others were sent by the Fallen, carrying mysterious missions. Of particular note were the envoys sent by the Fallen, who personally instructed the ancient Egyptians to build the magnificent pyramids, cleverly using this massive structure to conceal the powerful Sun Harvester.
These uninvited guests from outer space brought undeniable influence to human civilization. Many myths passed down to this day are actually carefully crafted based on the images of these alien visitors. As such, the image of tall and mighty giants has always been an indispensable and eternal theme in various myths and legends.
In 1786 AD, Shockwave was the first to arrive on Earth. Despite searching for some time, he did not notice anything special about this seemingly ordinary planet. He then unhesitatingly flew towards the neighboring star, seeking any trace of Megatron.
However, at this time, a dramatic change was quietly taking place on Earth. As Earth's technology entered the First Industrial Revolution, various mechanical creations emerged in large numbers. After careful consideration, some Transformers decided to stay in this vibrant land. Among them were wanderers, as well as a small number of Decepticons and Autobots.
Time passed, and the 20th century arrived in the blink of an eye. Especially after the end of World War II, the level of human technology advanced rapidly, as if on a high-speed train. The United States of America, as the world's leading power at the time, had the ability to conduct in-depth research on Megatron. Since then, humanity has officially started the information revolution.
It is worth mentioning that almost all of today's modern advanced technologies actually stem from the reverse engineering of Megatron. Of course, besides Megatron, other Transformers have also had a non-negligible impact on the development of Earth's technology. Unknowingly, Earth's technology has gradually evolved into an important branch of Cybertronian civilization.
Finally, the year 1961 arrived. The Ark, which had been drifting alone in the vast universe for a full 100,000 years, suddenly appeared without warning! It ultimately crashed on the surface of the moon due to a series of unfortunate events.
Upon hearing this shocking news, Starscream immediately led his team to the moon. Megatron had already revealed the secret deal with Sentinel Prime, and Starscream harbored a grand dream of becoming a Cybertronian hero. After careful consideration, Starscream resolutely chose to keep silent about the situation of the Space Bridge.
However, the cautious Starscream knew that if this matter were to be exposed, the consequences would be disastrous, especially when facing Megatron, his powerful and strict leader. Therefore, he did not dare to act rashly, and he did not touch Sentinel Prime or the crucial Control Pillar. Instead, he quietly took all the remaining hundreds of Space Bridge pillars back to Earth and carefully hid them in an unknown corner.
Over the decades, the Autobots, who had been tracking the Decepticons, finally arrived on Earth. At the same time, the Decepticons also confirmed through various clues that both the AllSpark and Megatron were on this blue planet.