Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook
From Transformers Wiki
This is Source MaterialThe content of this page is considered a primary source (probably a Japanese or German translation) used as the basis of other articles that may;
This page is not a 'live' article. It should not be altered or added to except to correct spelling, grammar or translation issues. |
This is a copy of the Ask Vector Prime Facebook page at the latest update. The original Q&A and AllSpark Almanac series answers can be found at our archives here. All spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors are left as is.
About
Vector Prime, one of our most venerable elders, answers some of your questions as a way to foster better understanding between Cybertronians and humans.
May 2015
May 13, 2015
Greetings, multiverse. Please ask your questions in the comments below, and I shall select a few to answer. Though no topic is off limits, please be aware that protoforms may be reading. I hope that my unique perspective on the multiverse is of interest to you. Attempt to avoid asking questions that have already been asked, or that I have previously answered.
Our first question!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I'm thinking of building a house, and was recently approached by three little pigs who seem to be in the construction trade. I'm just wondering... should I trust them?
.
.
A: Dear Prospective House Builder,
That is an interesting question. In my view, one shouldn't judge a potential craftsbot by irrelevant factors. All you've told me is that there are three of them, that they are small, and that they are pigs. Now, assuming they're not Deceptihogs from the Rovio stream or Porcineacons from the Uniend Cluster, their species shouldn't have any bearing. Their small stature may be cause for concern, though with three of them they may well be able to handle any materials needed.
Speaking of materials, this seems like a more relevant avenue to explore. Should they wish to use a durable material (I myself am partial to bricks from the Fornax cluster, as they are modular and sturdy) I would be more apt to label them competent craftsbots. On the other hand, should they wish to use flimsy curly straws or volatile energon sticks, I would be profoundly skeptical.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Which one of the freaky skeletonesque Primes from Revenge of the Fallen is supposed to be you, Vector? We're not going to make fun of you, don't be shy.
.
.
A: Dear Curious Revenge of the Fallen Fan,
I was the handsome one.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Which universal stream would you recommend as a holiday destination?
.
.
A: Dear prospective dimensional tourist,
The Malgus Cluster is beautiful this time of year, though I've always found the Viron streams to be somewhat underrated. I would suggest staying away from any negative polarity universes, in any event. They can be disorienting for the unwary traveler..
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How would the Transcendent Technomorphs classify the universe in which Optimus Prime, Megatron, Soundwave and Smooth Jazz formed the band "Knights of Unicron"?
.
.
A: Dear Heavy Metal Fan,
Knights of Unicron... not my favorite subject. Did you know, I was invited to hear them play at the Kranix Memorial Stadium as a VIP guest. If I am being perfectly honest, their music was a little on the loud side for my ancient audio processors. Nonetheless, the Lithon Protoforms seemed to enjoy the noises they were making from their instruments. Though, come to think of it, I'm not sure if that's the proper term for a Lithon young.
While we're on the subject, I find the name a bit... irreverent. Unicron is no joking matter. While I understand the desire to shock, some topics should remain sacred. Though I'm probably dating myself. I suppose some cycle "spawn of Unicron" will be the sort of invective hurled with nary a second thought.
In any event... what was the question again?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever been to the Legends universe where Rattrap and other Maximals and Predacons work and buy fictional versions of themselves?
.
.
A: Dear Well-Informed Traveler,
I cannot say that I have. When Cybertronians interact with fictional versions of themselves, they risk causing a time paradox capable of diverting the eddies in the time flow in dangerous ways. One must be exceedingly careful under such circumstances.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
In the G1 universe, who was Cyclonus created from - Bombshell or Skywarp?
.
.
A: Dear Inquisitive Fan,
I feel as if I have answered this before. Perhaps you should read this to see which topics I have already covered.
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Ask_Vector_Prime/src
Though it is currently lacking the answers I gave to the writers of The Complete AllSpark Almanac, I am certain the industrious editors of the Transformers Wiki will rectify that oversight in the near future.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is your favorite tune to listen/dance to?
.
.
A: Dear Music Fan,
These old servos don't dance much anymore. I enjoy relaxing music with overlapping harmonies. The organics of Eurythma create beautiful, intricate, complicated symphonies. I could listen to them for megacycles on end.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
When several of the Optimus Primes joined in the Convoy. The Optimus prime from both RID and the Unicorn trilogy met for the second time. Given that some time has passed and both of them had changed body's since then, were they able to recognize each other and perhaps catch up on how each of their universes are doing.
.
.
A: Dear Convoy Fan,
I wasn't present for such a meeting, so I could only speculate. However, I have always found Optimus Primes to be warm, caring mechs, so what you posit is entirely possible.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever been to a Quadwal universe?
.
.
A: Dear Multiversal Geography Fan,
That is not a place that one such as I can travel.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the true identity of Logos Prime? There is reason to suspect that he may be one of the Thirteen, but he is not listed in the Covenant of Primus. Is he one of Thirteen in another guise (Amalgamus Prime perhaps), or is he another entity altogether? If so, who is he and what is his role?
.
.
A: Dear Logos Fan,
Logos Prime is indeed his true identity. His absence from The Covenant of Primus should not be taken as evidence otherwise; the Covenant which you refer to is fundamentally a Uniend document, whereas Logos' tale was told in Primax 206.24 Gamma.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What subgroup of beast alt mode based Cybertronians are you particularly fond off?
.
.
A: Dear Beast Fan,
I have always been partial to the Dinobots. Noble and powerful, yet innocent. I think they have much to teach us.
Q: Dear great and wise Vector Prime,
The radical change in appearance and functions of the Cybertronians in the Iocus universal streams have caught my attention. How have the Cybertronians there managed to change themselves from small, launchable robots to large robots that can exchange their body parts at will to non-transforming robots that can dissasemble themselves and reassemble at will to large, bulky boxers?
.
.
A: Dear Iocus Fan,
Please, there is no need for flattery.
Your question is faulty in its premise. The Iocus Cluster is composed of multiple reality streams. Some streams have modular Cybertronians. Others have launchable robots. Some are Robot Powered Machines. Others are Masters of Battle. There is little travel between the various Iocus realities to date.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you see why kids love Cinnamon Toast Crunch?
.
.
A: Dear Toast Fan,
I've… seen things you humans wouldn't believe… Hyperfury ships on fire in orbit around Zeotopia. I've watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Hulla Filament. But I can't see why kids love Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is there any universe you could go to that you would refuse to go to no matter what?
.
.
A: Dear Morbid Traveler,
I would be hesitant to travel to a negative polarity universe. Given my status as a unique being in the Multiverse, it is possible that to travel to such a reality would twist the very fabric of my being. True, it is also possible that I would emerge with my personality matrix unchanged, but I wouldn't want to take that chance.
Q: So, Vector old boy, let's get some gossip going. Megatronus and Solus. What's the deal between them eh? Eh??? Eeeeeeeeeehhhhh???
.
.
A: Dear Salacious Human,
Don't be vulgar.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What's the deal with Optimash Prime and Bumble Spud?
.
.
A: Dear Potato Fan,
They're both quite nice bots. If you have something to say, they'll gladly lend you an ear. Keep an eye out for them.
- Q: What Universal Cluster are they a part of?
- Ask Vector Prime Iocus, of course.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How much metal could a chuckbot chuck if a chuckbot could chuck metal?
.
.
A: Dear Chuckbot Fan,
I can't say I'm familiar with chuckbots. I suppose, if a chuckbot could chuck metal, a chuckbot would chuck all the metal that a chuckbot could chuck, if a chuckbot could chuck metal. Is that too tautological?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you fear the Elder Gods that live in Transwarp?
.
.
A: Dear Cautious One,
One would have to be a fool not to approach that subject with trepidation. And, though I am many things, a fool is not one of them.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Will we be seeing any more of Blackarachnia, Beast Wars: Uprising, or TransTech Beasties in the future?
.
.
A: Dear Beast Wars: Uprising Fan,
Though my powers of prognostication are limited, I sense an important conflict over a critical piece of infrastructure in the near future of Primax 215.19 Epsilon.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever heard of an event called the Infestation? It managed to turn a Kup into a Zombie!
.
.
A: Dear Infestation Fan,
Oh my spark, what a horrible thing.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever been given a reward token from the Rodimus who commands the Lost Light, the kind shaped like his own face? And if so, what did you earn it for? If not, what do you think you would be likely to earn one for?
.
.
A: Dear Lost Light Fan,
What an amusing idea. No, I have never had that particular honor. Perhaps I could receive one for being the guardian of time and space.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
First off, thank you for answering all of our questions. It's quite humbling to know that such a wise and powerful being like you would take the time to participate with us humans and others of the multiverse. From all of us to you - many thanks!
I do have another question for you, Vector Prime, and it's a bit of a personal one, I suppose: How do you feel about answering our endless (and sometimes pointless, I'm afraid) questions? If there was anything you could change about yourself or your role, what would it be? Generally, in essence, what is it like, being the mighty Vector Prime?
.
.
A: Dear Polite Human,
You are very welcome. As to your question, answering questions from humans is an important part of my responsibilities to the Primal Program. Humans and Cybertronians have an intertwined destiny. If I can help foster improved understanding between our races, then perhaps we will be better able to face a dangerous and uncertain future.
There is little I would choose to change about my role in the tapestry that is reality. If I had to pick one thing, it is that in my role as guardian of time and space, I am sometimes lonely. I occasionally, reluctantly, pick up the Rhisling and do battle, which is exciting and terrifying to me. And, in rare instances, the multiverse aligns such that I am able to spend time answering questions. But much of my existence is spent as a solitary exercise, regulating the minute perturbations of the pan-reality cosmic tides lest unstable resonance develop and threaten one reality or another.
But do not mistake me, for I regret little. Mine is the life Primus intended for me, and to do so does honor to both the progenitor and to myself.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever met any Rescue Bots?
.
.
A: Dear Rescue Bot Fan,
I have not had the pleasure. I would like to some cycle if I could do so without placing them in any jeopardy.
May 14, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does every regular universe has a corresponding negative polarity one?
.
.
A: Dear Polarity Pollster,
There are times when I feel that this Rhinox here in Nexus 208.0 Epsilon is better suited for these questions. But I will try. I say "try" because I prefer to stay away from most negativity while in my travels. "Always stay positive", is more or less my adopted mantra. So while I have sensed a few negative universes while on my interdimensional travels through the void, I have rarely felt the compunction to visit and count them.
But, that feeling, and this might answer your question, it really is quite a rare one. Thank Primus. When you come across it feels like cold, soggy gelatin oozing across your plating as your entire being tries to flip polarities. At least that's how us Thirteen experience it.
That gelatin also has a flavor and it varies depending on the Cluster. Gargent tastes like rusty nails, Fornax has a copper tinge like old pennies, and Primax almost tastes like the fruit you humans call strawberries.
I will admit that I have brushed the negative polarity universe in the Malgus Cluster intentionally on occasion for its flavor though. It reminds me of an old Earth song that once got stuck in a loop on my internal radio.
"Yes, I like piña coladas..."
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
As the hub of Transformers multiverse, Axiom Nexus sees an innumerable amount of inter-dimensional travel. My question is, while the TransTech denizens of the Axiom Nexus universe were seemingly some of the first in the multilverse to realize there was a multiverse, how much control do they have over the extent of inter-dimensional travel? Did the TransTechs simply set up immigration protocols because bots were randomly appearing from other dimensions, or do the TransTechs, or some of their number, actually control the paths of inter-dimensional travelers, whether they end up in Axiom Nexus or not?
.
.
A: Dear Transdimensional Transit Tracker,
Your question is one that has two answers, more or less. And that's just in the instance of accidental interdimensional travel. I'll touch on intentional travel later in my answer.
You call Axiom Nexus a "hub", which is one way of looking at it, with the Nexus Cluster being in the center with other universal clusters emerging around it like spokes on a wheel. However, one can also approach the metaphor as a stack of Miyake joint weapons precariously piled on an overzealous warrior's alternate mode. They constantly sway back and forth as the "gravity" from the various clusters and streams push and tug on one another. At the bottom of this lackadaisically laced lattice, beneath everything else, is Axiom Nexus. So as the clusters part and pull, and bob and weave, there is actually a non-trivial possibility that a clear path will present itself to an unintentional traveler and they will simply fall all the way to the bottom of the stack, ending up in Axiom Nexus. This is, in fact, how the first Offworlders arrived.
The second answer is that, yes, the TransTech also have built a way to net and draw in interdimensional travelers and bring them through the dimensional gates here at the heart of Axiom Nexus. It is often a sensible policy, I must say. Having unintentional visits between streams and clusters is asking for trouble. In one instance, a high-ranking member of the Convoy Council traveled from Primax 498.1 Alpha, passed through Gargent 984.08 Alpha and ultimately landed in one of the streams in the Uniend Cluster. He created nearly unending confusion as he joined right in with the Autobots and helped them defeat their version Unicron with a bit more ease than they were intended to... Wait... Scrap my old circuits! That's not from this time, it hasn't happened... Oh scrap... That council member is actually still here in Nexus 208.0 Epsilon...
*Ahem* Well, moving along, I suppose that brings me to my point about intentional travelers. While those transported from their universe via accident tumble and flutter in the void, those that know what they are doing and where they are going shoot between universes like they're packed with hyperactive rocket boosters. Even if the TransTech wanted to use their net to grab one of these individuals, the probability of getting a lock on the target is three thousand, seven hundred and twenty to one! In other words... they mostly don't even try. And that's why you never hear of them bringing any of the Thirteen, or various Sideways, through the gates.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Tarn the leader of the deception justice division really Roller of the Rodion police force?
.
.
A: The Tarn I am most familiar with is a judge on the popular holovid program, Cybertron’s Got Talent. His enthusiasm for creative transformations and interpretive morphing is matched only by the sharpness of his wit.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us anything about the cyborg refugees from the Gargent Cluster who were secretly colonizing the Primax Cluster? With their home stream's Catalysm having been unexpectedly averted did they all return home? Are they among us now? Thanks for any insight into their ultimate fate.
.
.
A: Dear Gargent Fan,
While it is true that the intrinsic quantum damage to the structure of Gargent 984.08 Alpha is beginning to mend, the denizens of this place are still in grave danger. The damage wrought was extensive, and whether their universe can be rendered safe again is still very much an open question. I sense that this question will be resolved in the very near future.
As for their status in the multiverse, they have begun a Diaspora to a variety of other universes, some simply fleeing the Cataclysm, some seeking help. I've noticed that a small band of the GoBots have traveled to Primax 215.19 Epsilon and blended in with the Predacons, for instance.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I apologize for my numerous questions, but my thirst for answers for the deepest enigmas of the Multiverse is nigh-unquenchable.
That being said, have you encountered any "Plantformers" other than Botanica along your travels? If so, who were they, what were their alt-modes, and will we be seeing any of them in the future?
.
.
A: Dear Plant Fan,
No apologies necessary. I enjoy interacting with humans. They tend to be most inquisitive, one of your strengths as a species. It's no coincidence that innovation among my kind tends to flourish after Autobots first encounter humanity.
Plantformers are exceedingly rare in most corners of the universe. The may be for practical reasons, as most plants are sessile and are not particularly suited to many tasks. That said, it has been known to happen from time to time. Botanica is one example. I've interacted with a Predacon named Flytrap (not to be confused with the Gargent cyborg named Fly Trap) who had a triffid alternate form. I've also encountered a stream where some Autobot drones converted into mechanical representation of walking trees. This Treant Troop was quite potent, if my aging memory crystals don't fail me.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What's been going on with Safeguard?
.
.
A: Dear Considerate One,
Thank you for asking. I often think back fondly to my time with my loyal Mini-Con companion, Safeguard. Alas, we parted ways several solar cycles ago. He is now safely with his own kind. I do miss having a companion such as him, but my spark beats steadier knowing that he is removed from the grave dangers I routinely navigate.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you ever miss hanging out with Lori, Coby and Bud?
.
.
A: Dear Human Fan,
Of course I do. No one in the galaxy is quite as exuberant as a human youth. Though I suppose they would be much older if I were to encounter them again, assuming I followed the dictates of linear time. Bud is probably directing the next installment on Galactic Guardians by now, and Lori and Coby have no doubt married and gone to space. Humans accomplish so much, so quickly...
I think of them fondly.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Jet-Kun and the other My First Transformers from an Iocus cluster universe?
.
.
A: Dear Well-Informed Fan,
The Jet-kun you refer to, along with Dump-kun and Racer-kun, hail from Yayayarst 086.0 Beta. I am not aware of any Iocus iteration of those beings, though there is a Fornax incarnation.
May 15, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Would the Cybertron Satellite Primes not be allowed in Axiom Nexus?
.
.
A: Dear Cybertron Satellite Fan,
Perhaps I am not the best bot to ask. Dux non Intruitus is a principle the TransTech hold most dear. It is possible that even lesser Primes, such as the Satellite Primes of Uniend 713.01 Alpha, or the mid-ranked Primes of the Malgus Cluster, would be barred. But I am not an expert in TransTech legal matters.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
If you could speak to anyone throughout the multiverse who would it be?
.
.
A: Dear Inquisitive Fan,
As the guardian of time and space, I am capable of moving forwards and backwards through time, and traveling to virtually any point in space in whichever reality I find myself, at least for a short while. As such, it is almost always possible for me to speak to whomever I need to speak to. But I will admit, I do miss being able to spend megacycles in philosophical conversation with Safeguard.
Q: Dear wise Vector Prime,
Do you ever think about your old enemies from your time with the Autobots? You know, Ransack, Crumplezone, Thunderblast, etc?
.
.
A: Dear Analyzer of Antagonist Anamnesis,
My memories of combat would not be those which I reflect on fondly. I would prefer to think of my comrades from Aurex 802.23 Alpha than the villains of that universe...
At least I assume that is the universe about which you are inquiring. There are many Ransacks, Crumplezones, and Thunderblasts in the multiverse. In fact...There are even multiples of each inside a number of Aurex streams; some Mini-Cons tend to latch onto names of (in)famous "Bulks" in belief that they may use them as a form of intimidation to chase off would-be captors. This much like small prey animals of Earth adopt the coloration of larger predators to ward of those seeking to do them harm.
Case in point, if Decepticons were to hear that Thunderblast was in the area, they would think twice about tarrying there any longer. Her erratic personality has saved the Mini-Con Thunderblast on numerous occasions.
Q: Dear mighty Vector Prime,
Sorry for the potentially harsh topic, but what was the Leige Maximo like before the gulf between him and the other Thirteen happened?
.
.
A: Dear Inquirer about Deceptive Quislings,
Like Logos Prime, Liege Maximo was exceptional at social gatherings. With a fluid tongue as though comprised of molten silver, Liege Maximo could smoothly and with great craft concoct the most wondrous stories of his adventures throughout the multiverse. Of course, most were entirely fiction.
He was also one keen on scheming masterful escapades, always at the expense of his fellow Thirteen. He could provoke booming, boisterous laughter... and limitless embarrassment. It was he who had convinced me to don what I conceived would be a majestic white, gold, and mahogany color decoration, when it was expected I should wear silver, gold, and a velveteen burgundy. The scalawag!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who or what exactly is Megatron X, the Transformer who appeared in a version of the Beast Wars? Also, how does one categorize universes where there are multiple outcomes?
.
.
A: Dear Dimensional Inquisitor,
Megatron X has seldom appeared outside of Primax 1099.01-N6 Kappa or Primax 700.12-N4 Kappa. Both universes are highly, highly volatile. To put it mildly, they exist in a state of constant flux, with the probabilities churning through multiple resonance patterns and flipping from one state to the next to the next.
Interestingly, though there are an uncountable infinity of modalities for these universes to exist in, they tend to unerringly snap into one of twelve stable quantum-hyperwave endstates. Though I myself do not find it necessary to catalog each of these outcomes, I imagine Rhinox would choose to label them I through XII. Thus, one could travel to Primax 700.12-N4 Kappa IV, where Tigatron and Airazor are able to live blissfully together. Or one could examine Primax 1099.01-N6 Kappa XI, where Tarantulas led a battle fleet to prehistoric Earth, leading to disastrous consequences.
It is this very instability which attracted the Vok, agents of whom created Megatron X as an emissary, enhanced in the image of the most potent active spark in the conflict. In another timestream, the Vok would similarly create Tigerfalcon.
What is curious to me is that, despite many similarities between the aforementioned universes and the dimensions of Primax 1099.01-PS Kappa and Primax 700.12-SP Kappa, similarly chaotic realities, the Vok have never to my knowledge shown any interest in these realities. Perhaps this is because the latter reality-matrices have only two stable quantum-hyperwave endstate, compared to the dozen from the former.
Q: Dear Vector Prime'
Who is faster Blurr or Nanosec?
.
.
A: Dear Speedster Scholar,
What an interesting race that would be! It reminds me of some of the contests on Velocitron.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you think Tarantulas might have any relationship to Sideways?
.
.
A: Dear Genealogical Guru,
Relationships are different for Cybertronians than they are for humans. It is true that there are occasionally Cybertronians who self-identify as siblings, or parent/child pairs, or even more exotic relations. However, the vast majority of Cybertronians do not have such relations. To my knowledge, Tarantulas and Sideways do not think of themselves in this way.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What would happen if I stuck my arm in that hole in your chest?
.
.
A: Dear Incautious Individual,
I beg you, do not attempt to interfere with my Critias Gateway! The consequences to you could be disastrous! You could wind up at virtually any point in space and time, and humans are not as robust as we Cybertronians.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Do you watch My Little Pony Friendship is Magic? Have you ever been to Equestria? Is My Little Pony Equestria Girls in the same universe as Transformers Prime and Transformers Rescue Bots?
.
.
A: Dear Bold Bronie,
Alas, as the guardian of time and space, I seldom have time to watch human television. Equestria is not a place that one such as I can easily travel to. In many realities, especially in the Tyran cluster, My Little Ponies only manifest as toys and fictional media.
There have been rare and isolated realities where Cybertronians and Equestrians can briefly meet. In Primax 613.28 Lambda, for example, Optimus Prime encountered Pinkie Pie. But such encounters are as brief as they are unusual.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How did DreamMix TV convince Megatron to compete in World Fighters?
.
.
A: Dear Pugilistic Pundit,
In many realities, Megatron was a gladiator first and foremost. I imagine that finding a version of him willing to fight in a tournament did not prove difficult.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why did the Child of Primus Fireflight get stranded in Primax 509.28 Epsilon after the end of the Universe War?
.
.
A: Dear Universe Observer,
If his destination after the war was Primax 509.28 Epsilon, he is one of very few individuals to cross over into, or even out of, that stream. Whether a law of the universe or simply chance happening, it seems to be the way of things that not many travelers enter or exit 509.28 Epsilon. He should consider himself lucky!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Where does Thrustinator hail from??
.
.
A: Dear Hybrid Enthusiast,
He hails from Cybertron, as do most Transformers.
May 16, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever had a Conjunx Endura or an Amica Endura?
.
.
A: Dear Lovelorn,
I have never had occasion to use those words, though Safeguard and I were quite close. But for a being such as I, whose age is measured in the billions rather than millions of stellar cycles, forming such permanent attachments is... difficult. As ordinary Cybertronians view humans, so do I view ordinary Cybertronians. I do my best to boot up my emotional investment protocols for the likes of Optimus and Hot Shot, Jetfire and Wing Saber, but I know that ultimately their lives will span but a brief fraction of my own. Before the conflict betwixt Autobots and Decepticons, I was present when Malignus battled Guardians, when Mogahn the Mass threatened all of reality, when Shokaract made the Argos Cluster burn. Or perhaps some of that hasn't happened yet, and lies in our distant future. My perception of reality is not, cannot be, as linear as yours.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Did you once hold the Matrix?
.
.
A: Dear Matrix Meister,
Long ago, in a Golden Age before recorded history, I was entrusted with this burden. I am flattered that whispers and legends of such a time persist. I passed the Matrix on when I became aware of my destiny as guardian of time and space.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are any of the Thirteen Point One Percenters? Also what is your spark type?
.
.
A: Dear Spark Stalker,
There are millions and millions of realities in which Cybertronians exist, and each one has a population ranging from the thousands to the billions. There are only ten and three of The Thirteen. You might say that we are Point Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero One Percenters. Ha!
As to sparktype, such a concept does not really apply. We Thirteen are unique beings. Our sparks are similarly inimitable.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What do you think of Functionism and the Functionist Council.
.
.
A: Dear Form Follower,
When Primax 1114.26 Gamma snapped into existence, fully formed, it caught me by surprise. It's more common for universes to gradually branch than an acosmogenesis event. It certainly seems like an unpleasant place, at least for the denizens of Cybertron. Do not forget, though, that there are countless realities, and I have visited or observed a non-trivial fraction. There are places much, much worse.
I would be hesitant to dismiss out-of-hand functionism as a philosophy. The truth is, at least in my species, there is a tendency to gravitate towards extreme interpretations of creeds and ideologies. Few seem to have the intellectual rigor to understand that sometimes the optimal solution isn't functionism or utopianism, but somewhere in the middle.
May 17, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you travel to another Universe or only to another time in history?
.
.
A: Dear Time Travel Enthusiast,
I can see the multitudinous threads of reality and, when the need arises, step from one tapestry to the next. The ability is not unlimited; there are rules and strictures. I must employ complicated algorithms governing elements such as causality and quantum entanglement states to step from one realm to the next. They are second nature to me, but I marvel at groups of ordinary Cybertronians who have taught themselves this capability, however limited.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What were you doing in Formax 813.0 Gamma with Optimus Prime and the Kreon Autobots in their Metroplex when Megatron attacked arround Christmas time?
.
.
A: Dear Builder Buddy,
Keeping an eye on Sideways! He is a sneaky one, often out to cause dimensional mischief.
I did enjoy the Christmas celebration, it was kind of Optimus to invite me. Perhaps you humans can explain its cultural significance to me.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Brave part of the Transformers multiverse?
.
.
A: Dear Conversion Cataloger,
Although Brave features courageous individuals who can turn from one form to the next, it as a reality is not necessarily part of our multiverse.
In fact the transformations featured in Brave are only made by the invocation of magic - or indeed a curse - rather than through Cybertronian physiology. The Queen Elinor did not even choose to change her form, it was instead cast upon her by her daughter, the Princess Merida.
Fortunately, however, she did learn the rules of her changeform before becoming a mindless beast like Mor'du.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does Cybertron have any mythological creatures?
.
.
A: Dear Legend Liker,
Cybertron, like every other planet, has its myths and legends. Even for a species as long-lived as Cybertronians, history becomes memory becomes rumor. The Predacons of the Uniend Cluster were once considered mythological, until Shockwave's experiments proved them all too real. In Primax 984.17 Alpha, hushed stories were whispered about energy-draining monsters who lived under the surface of Cybertron, no doubt an ancient racial memory of the Trans-Organics. And, of course, many streams consider Unicron to be nothing more than a tale told to frighten protoforms... until he manifests to consume their reality.
May 18, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
As the Guardian of Time and Space you should know the Dark Spark, which is also capable of travel between times and places. Cybertronians in both Uniend and Tyran had theories but didn't know for sure what it is and where it comes from. So what exactly is the Dark Spark, who created it and why does it have so much power?
.
.
A: Dear Dabbler in Darkness,
If you will pardon the pun, I am as in the dark as they are. I have never personally encountered this malevolent force. Perhaps it is the dark essence of the Chaos Bringer himself, a focused matrix of Angolmois energy. Perhaps it is a fragment of the D-Void, dripping with the strange and necromantic energies of the Dead Universe. Perhaps it was once a Matrix of Leadership, corrupted by Violen Jiger and unleashed on the Multiverse as a weapon. Perhaps it is the essence of Megatron himself, from a timeline where his plot to assimilate all of the sparks on Cybertron was not foiled by Optimus Primal's Maximals. Perhaps some fragment of Mortilus survived to the current age to sow destruction. Perhaps it is an artifact created by the sinister Ebon Knights in their inscrutable service to the Elder Gods. In the end, what matters is that good bots stand against it, and never allow it to fall into the hands of those who would use it to subjugate others.
What is certain is that it is a force most powerful. It was the Dark Spark which punched through the quantum membrane separating the Uniend Cluster from the rest of the Multiverse, causing significant dimensional bleed and allowing for the TransTech to begin to build the taxonomy of its various streams.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Is Synergy from Jem and the Holograms related to T-AI in any universe?
.
.
A: Dear Connection Seeker,
Though the Multiverse is a strange and varied place, I am not familiar with any realities in which Synergy and T-AI share a kinship. Synergy, a quick scan of Primax 984.17 Alpha reveals, was a supercomputer constructed by the human, Dr. Emmett Benton. T-AI, however, was a Viron daughter of Teletraan I. That there could be some relation between two such disparate computer systems strikes me as outrageous. Truly.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Did the Vok hide the Origin Matrix on prehistoric Earth of Primax -408.24 Epsilon?
.
.
A: Dear Artifact Annalist,
If you are familiar with the Origin Matrix, you know that it was once the hilt piece on the "Star Saber" - A sword carried by fellow member of the Thirteen, Prima. The great hero hefted the truly fearsome weapon in our conflicts against our foe, the Dark God Unicron. However, its power soon drew the attention of Megatronus' desires and his jealousy coerced him to move against his brothers and sisters of the Thirteen. To prevent the conflict from escalating into a civil war, Solus Prime lifted her mighty Forge and smashed the blade into five pieces. Our brother Nexus Prime, master of combination that he is, then volunteered to split into his individual components and spread the fragments across the Multiverse in hopes that Megatronus could never find them.
The Origin Matrix, the most powerful of the fragments, was sent to the distant, "prehistoric" as you put it, past. It landed on the Earth of Primax -408.24 Epsilon and I initiated a temporal barrier... A time lock, so to speak. The artifact could not leave that particular era in time, and no travelers could venture backwards to access it either. Consequently, this is the reason that the Vok were chosen as the Origin Matrix's guardians. They had already taken residence on the ancient Earth to conduct one of their experiments.
When the Terminus Blade, another of our relics, ripped a hole between universes, it destabilized the time lock. At that moment, a lane of travel was opened and the Origin Matrix was at risk. To prevent it from falling into the hands of evil, the Thirteen asked of the TransTech to send their greatest tracker to procure the artifact.
I can now sense the Matrix in the present. On the Cybertron of Primax -408.24 Epsilon. What's more, it will soon not be alone...
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What are the actual identities of Convobat and Megaligator? Are they some version of G1 Optimus Prime and Megatron, or some version of Beast Wars Optimus Primal and Megatron, or different entities altogether?
.
.
A: Dear Beastie Boy,
In universes where they go by those names, such as Primax 209.0 Gamma, they tend to be their own entities. However, there are universes where those bodies (or ones very like them) were indeed upgrades for Optimus Prime and the original Megatron, rather than Optimus Primal and the second Megatron. Primax 196.0 Beta is one notable instance.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
If you had to turn into an Earth vehicle, what would you choose?
.
.
A: Dear Vehicular Virtuoso,
I find the dirigibles of planet Earth quite elegant, if a tad impractical.
May 19, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I hear that you are sometimes less than truthful about Five Faces of Darkness. Care to comment?
.
.
A: Dear Voracious about Veracity,
Ah, I have heard that particular rumor before. I normally strive for honesty in all of my dealings, though like all beings I am fallible. I have been known to make mistakes from time to time, due to forgetfulness or gaps in my database. I try to avoid deliberate faleshood.
I have traced the source of this rumor to a negative polarity universe. It is entirely possible that a version of me who travels to such a stream might indeed prevaricate on that and other subjects.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Is it possible that the killer in the Game of Clue is a Transformer?
.
.
A: Dear Accusing Actor,
I suspect Brimstone, on Gigantion, with the Umbral Blaster might know for sure.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What are your thoughts on the Quintessons?
.
.
A: Dear Five Faced Friend,
I find it sad that beings with such vast intellects waste it on what I would consider to be base pursuits. Though I once encountered one, or perhaps will encounter him in my future, who possessed five faces of wisdom. Perhaps he can help others of his species to transcend the mundane; perhaps he can do the same for my species. I note that some universes include him as a central figure in our Zodiac, and think that this must be a positive sign.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have any you ever many any Xobitor inhabitants? Are any of them in Axiom Nexus or other Universal streams not their own?
.
.
A: Dear Skalorr Savvy Stranger,
Xobitor is one of the most distant universal clusters that fall within the Multiverse. It is incredibly rare for any of their inhabitants to find their way to Axiom Nexus. I have certainly never encountered any of them.
May 20, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Overload and Rollout of Aurex 802.23 Alpha binary-bonded Headmaster partners?
.
.
A: Dear Headmaster Human,
That seems like a fair way to characterize their relationship. In fact, the more I investigate, the more I come to believe that the distinction between Cyberdroid and Micromaster and Mini-Con to be a false one.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Is there a universe where the Transformers robot modes have pony bodies?
.
.
A: Dear Pony Pal,
It is not unprecedented. In many universes where the Cybertronian conflict evolves to a contest between Maximal and Predacon, equestrian alternate forms are adopted. Strada and his Thoroughbred Corps is the example that springs to mind.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
In my universe there is a being that goes by the name of Megatron who competes in a sport we call "football." However, instead of being a Cybertronian and Decepticon, he is a human. Is it possible that he is a counterpart to other Megatrons or is he simply an imposter?
.
.
A: Dear Football Fan,
The Multiverse is a vast and wondrous place. Many different beings have been inspired to assume the mantle of Megatron. It is not inconceivable that a human could be so inspired. Perhaps this human is destined to find a Transtector body, or is in fact a Pretender shell. Regardless, he certainly wouldn't be allowed to step foot in Axiom Nexus.
May 21, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does Sentinel Maximus hail from Primax 698.20 Theta?
.
.
A: Dear Maximus Man,
There are many Sentinel Maximi throughout the Multiverse, though one indeed hails from the universe you specified.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I know this may seem like a strange question, but what's outside the Multiverse?
.
.
A: Dear Insightful Instigator,
That is an excellent question. Outside of the Multiverse that you and I know is the Omniverse, comprised of other Multiverses. Though there are millions of realities within the Cybertronian Multiverse, there are uncountable realities, numbering in the tens of quadrillion. Occasionally, the quantum-string vibrations of one of these universes drift close enough for one of them to temporarily merge with a reality stream in my domain.
You see, not every reality has physical and psychic constants compatible with Cybertronian (or human) life. In fact, the vast majority do not. The Multiverse of realities that we can perceive is but a tiny slice of the number of realities that exist. Curiously, while every reality compatible with Cybertronian life thus far observed is also compatible with humanity, the converse is not the case. It would seem that Cybertronian-compatible dimensions are a sub-set of human-compatible dimensions. Exactly why that should be the case is unclear to me.
One could also consider the interstitial spaces between realities as being outside of the Multiverse, though this is largely a matter of semantics. This Unspace can assume many different properties, depending on the point and method of entry as well as other, more esoteric variables.
In short, reality is a strange place, with wonders and horrors beyond imagination. It is only natural for my species (and yours) to attempt to name, label, classify and clarify, build a taxonomy. But there will always be realms that defy understanding, always be mysteries left to uncover, always be exceptions to every rule.
Isn't it glorious?
Greetings, multiverse. Please ask your questions in the comments below, and I shall select a few to answer. Though no topic is off limits, please be aware that protoforms may be reading. I hope that my unique perspective on the multiverse is of interest to you. Attempt to avoid asking questions that have already been asked, or that I have previously answered.
- Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist Vector Prime, Your Incongruous Eminence,
- When I interviewed the Minister of Higher Dimensional Sciences (see citation at the end of this question), I could not help but notice a stark similarity in his and your voices. And with Rhinox's universal stream imager now being tied to Heinrad's temporal powers, he himself is working towards becoming his own master of time and space.
- Are you and Rhinox somehow of the same origins? How alarmed should the citizens of Axiom Nexus be if your are? What are yours and Rhinox's true motives?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I am deeply concerned. I strongly suspect that pants are in league with the Decepticons. They're always in the way when I need to dispose of waste, and if that isn't evil, I don't know what is. Your thoughts on the possibility?
.
.
A: Dear Panicking Pant Person,
Now, refresh my memory. Pants are a kind of human beverage, correct?
May 22, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universe would Transformers: the ride take place in? A Tyran or a Quadwal?
.
.
A: A Tyran universe. More specifically, Tyran 1211.03 Theta.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is the negative universe that Ultra Magnus, Cyclonus, Marissa Fairborne, Wreck-Gar, and the Quintesson scientist entered when they got caught in a black hole a negative polarity universe?
.
.
A: Dear History Buff,
That would not be considered a negative polarity universe, strictly speaking. While it is true that some of the physical constants in that universe were flipped, they were flipped in a fundamental axis that does not correspond to our spark resonance.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Primacron has only been seen in the Primax Alpha streams, though he has been referenced in others. Are there other versions of Primacron across the Multiverse or is there anything Multiversally Singular in his nature? Characters of some universes have sworn by him. Is their something greater to him on a universal/Multiversal scale than just being a scientist? How is his "creation" of Unicron to be understood? Did he simply build a physical body for Unicron's Dark Essence to manifest within?
.
.
A: Dear Primal Person,
Primacron has been observed in Malgus streams as well. However, there is nothing of the singularity about him. Separate instances of him pop up occasionally, just as multiple instances of you exist throughout the multiverse. He does indeed possess a powerful intellect, so much so that some versions of him are able to construct that dimension's Unicron. Generally speaking, if a Unicron is built by him, it is not a part of the greater phenomena, though perhaps Primacron's mighty psyche is so in-tune with the cosmos that he draws inspiration from the nightmares of other realities.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is there any place or time you have visited that you missed dearly and would ever consider returning to for nostalgic reasons?
.
.
A: Dear History Hound,
My memory crystals contain the fragmented memories of nine billion stellar cycles, spread out over an infinity of realities. Sometimes I feel as if I spend more time in the past than in the present. While some memories are nightmarish hellscapes that defy description, others are seductively pleasant, virtual paradises filled with stimulating discussions, magnificent accomplishments, and worthy contemporaries. But I must forge ahead, albeit in my own non-linear way, or risk getting lost in the archaeology of my own antiquity.
May 23, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Are you Santa Claus?
.
.
A: Dear Yuletide Youth,
I am Vector Prime, guardian of time and space. Santa Claus isn't one of The Thirteen, isn't even a Cybertronian to the best of my knowledge. Though I suppose it is possible he has some ability to bend time and space himself, to visit so many human children in a single night.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
With Axiom Nexus's policy of Dux non Intruitus in place what happens to Optimus Primes or Megatrons who accidently end up there? Are they send back immediately or something more drastic such as terminating them?
.
.
A: Dear Leader Lookout,
Good Allspark! What sort of revolting robots do you take the TransTech for? "Terminating"? Goodness!
Any faction leaders not inducted into The Convoy are immediately returned to their universe of origin.
There are the extremely rare occasions in which the universe of origin has been destroyed or is otherwise unreachable, however. In these circumstances, a different destination is designated. Such as Primax 514.29 Gamma or another universe capable of housing multiple instances of Cybertronians.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are there any transgender Cybertronians?
.
.
A: Dear Gender Curious,
Cybertronians and humans (indeed, all biological organisms) have different conceptions of gender. There are vast rivers of realities where Cybertronians have no concept of gender whatsoever. In others, gender analogs exist but do not correspond to the same set of characteristics as they do in humans.
That said, there are examples where Cybertronians have gender that do not conform to a binary male/female state. Tigerhawk from Primax 496.22 Alpha is one example, as is Overlord from Primax 488.12 Alpha. In some universes where Spittor scans an organic alternate mode, his biological system conforms to female while his Cybertronian gender identity is male. In Primax 1005.19 Gamma, Arcee's gender was altered by experimentation. And, of course, here in Axiom Nexus, Escargon has been known to temporarily alter the genders of contestants on Cybertron's Got Talent.
Though not Cybertronian directly, many of the Second-Born Intellects in the Confederated Terran Colonial Fleet of Primax 209.0 Gamma choose to self-identify as neither male nor female but somewhere in between. As this technology was largely bootstrapped from Cybertronian designs, perhaps this counts to you?
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Is the Maximal named Under-3 a Headmaster?
.
.
A: Dear Academian,
Sometimes. In Primax 215.19 Epsilon, Lionhead is the headmaster of the Maximal Academy.
May 24, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How are some Cybertronians able to consume organic food?
.
.
A: Dear Gustatory Graduate,
Some Cybertronians adopt organic modifications, which includes a digestive system. Maximals and Predacons are particularly well suited to such additions. Other Cybertronianns, such as the Insecticons, have been known to adapt themselves to be able to access the chemical energy stored in plant and animal matter. This process isn't all that different from the barbaric practice known as "pink alchemy," employed by some of the more horrific incarnations of the Decepticons. In the end, energy is energy, be it electrical, chemical, nuclear, gravitational, psychic, magnetic, thermal, temporal, or something truly exotic.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Has any Beast War ever been visited by some time traveling children and a Robik?
.
.
A: Dear Robik Reporter,
I have never encountered a time traveling Robik, and am not entirely sure what one is. Perhaps said Robik was careful not to disturb the timestream. Had damage been done to the timestream, I or one like myself would have been compelled to become involved.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How are Wheelie's parents from Gobotron when he's Cybertronian himself?
.
.
A: Dear Go-Bot Genealogist?
Wheelie, if you recall, is an orphan. Perhaps his parents fled Gobotron as a part of the Diaspora, leading to Wheelie's crash on Quintessa. However, I have not observed such events myself.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are there any Transformers with the Quadwal universal cluster?
.
.
A: Dear Quadwal Questioner,
There are countless Transformers in the Quadwal Cluster... but, to date, all are non-sentient toys.
May 25, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Is there a universe where the G1 Dinobots turned into Ice Age creatures instead of Dinosaurs?
.
.
A: Dear Mammoth Master,
Indeed. Primax 706.05 Gamma springs to mind. During the Ice Age Wars of that reality, combatants on both sides assumed the forms of mammoths, saber tooth tigers, peccaries, glyptodons, harpagornis, and even more exotic creatures.
Dear Vector Prime,
Do you or the Transtech have any idea how the multiverse came into existence?
.
.
A: Dear Fledgling Physicist,
There are many theories about how multiverses originate. Some more mathematical than others.
In some circles, it is believed that the entirety of the Cybertronian Multiverse can be traced back to a single instance - often dubbed "the Big Bang" by humans. At this moment in time, the time that time began, a random explosion of homogeneous particles littered a singular, primordial universe with "inflatons". These inflatons spread themselves throughout the void, planting the seeds for matter to form. As the life-span of the inflaton is not one that is long-lived (from the quantum perspective that is), the inflatons began to decay, and from the dying inflatons came all the more familiar particles that matter interacts with today. Importantly, that moment when the first inflatons began to decay and started to form other particles, they also formed a group of particles collectively known as "observers". This is important since the inflatons themselves have neutral quantum vibrations, but begin to vibrate when in proximity to observers. These vibrations then generate a "bubble" effect, and those bubbles begin to inflate and form pocket universes. Some of these universes stay together in the initial cluster, but others begin to bud off and form their own clusters, completely individual from the first. The process continues over countless millennia until a multiverse such as ours is created*.
*Remember though, the inflatons are not immortal particles, and it takes an event as powerful as the Big Bang to create them. So according to this theory at some point, the expansion of the multiverse will slow and come to a halt.
Another theory is more philosophical. Existence began with The One. The One was existence - harmony and discord, order and chaos all existing in perfect balance in a state without time. It was this way until The One created entity known as Unicron. (There are countless more theories as to why it did so). The One then split Unicron into two and formed Primus. The latter inherited all of the qualities of Order, while the former retained near-every aspect of Chaos. So it was that existence was created outside of The One, and the split that formed Primus split this new existence, forming fragments in the void that would grow to create the many parallel universes in our multiverse.
One last theory, as philosophical as the prior, posits that a multiverse was always in existence. Right from the beginning of time, there were already multiple versions of our history. These versions, much fewer than we know exist now, sat and stewed before a powerful external force - let us name this force "The Forest Leer" as it was the first to see that original untidy thicket of trees and the potential it had to become a mighty and expansive forest - transformed these histories by the sheer will of identifying and classifying them. This spark of creativity was all that was needed to organize what had come before, and to build upon it exponentially until our multiverse became what it is today.
Take from these theories what you will. One may be correct or, somehow, all could have coincided at once. Even in my wisdom and vision of all time and space, I do not have a single interpretation for how time and existence started. Time travel, by its very nature, requires time in which to travel. Attempting to visit an era without time is futile.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Would Optimus Primal be allowed in Axiom Nexus?
.
.
A: Dear Beast Banishment Boy,
I am almost certain he would not.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Is there a Transformer that transforms into an Alicorn?
.
.
A: Dear Quintesson Queryist,
The Allicons are their own sub-species of Transformer, built by the Quintessons, similar to the Sharkticons. I am aware of no non-Allicon who shares an alt mode with them.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Who has asked you the most questions?
.
.
A: Dear Question Quantifier,
Humans are the most inquisitive race I have ever encountered.
May 26, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How do you feel about organic Transformers?
.
.
A: Dear Bio Buddy,
The Multiverse is a many-splendored thing, and Cybertronians as a race are nothing if not adaptable. I take great pleasure, and indeed pride, in noting how varied we are throughout the cosmos and beyond. Organic Cybertronians, modular Cybertronians, Cybertronians binary-bonded to other Cybertronians, Cybertronians binary-bonded to organic life, Cybertronians with organic shells, Cybertronians who combine their sparks with other Cybertronians, Cybertronians who can split their sparks in twain, Cybertronians who become cities, or insects, or starships, or even planets... it makes my spark pulse brighter.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Sandra in the Primax cluster? Is it that universe's version of Earth?
.
.
A: Dear Alternate Universe Aficionado,
Technically I suppose Rhinox would classify it as such, though only because it was visited from the Autobots of Primax 787.3 Alpha. Before that, it seemed to be a universe outside of the multiverse that beings such as myself and the Alternity normally have dominion over.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is the bot on the cover of G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3?
.
.
A: Dear Student of Sinister Skyscraper Shivas,
That menacing titan is Ragnarok, Destroyer of Worlds. His presence would have proved overwhelming to the time-displaced humans, so I, or perhaps it was the Alternity, or a being such as Heinrad, shunted him into a parallel stream, Primax 1104.10 Lambda. Thus were the human crusaders empowered to complete their task and, ultimately, the fissures in the chronal structures of that reality allowed to mend with a minimum of interference.
May 27, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Is there an Autobot named Teaspoon?
.
.
A: Dear Moniker Man,
I have never met such a being, though the name sounds familiar... Cybertron's chief dishwasher, perhaps?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Did the multiverse have its origins in Primax 1005.19 Gamma- namely, in a partially disabled briefcase? And if so, what does this mean for the relationship between the Thirteen that hail from this stream and the other corners of the multiverse?
.
.
A: Dear Genesis Guy,
To the best of my knowledge, when Perceptor tampered with the paradox locks on Brainstorm's time machine, it had a profound impact on the celestial mechanics... of that particular universe. Prior to its use, that reality was deterministic in nature. There were no offshoot realities. Now, though, that no longer appears to be the case.
I will offer a caveat, though, which is that if that event DID spawn the Multiverse, it did so with the Multiverse fully formed... meaning that, there is no philosophical way to know if the Multiverse, and my memories of it, and indeed your memories of your own existence, came into being the instant Perceptor's clumsy fumblings altered the causality constant of that portion of the universe.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Do the humans in Robotix count as Headmasters?
.
.
A: Dear Xobitor Xenophile,
Headmasters? No, they do not generally transform into the heads of the Protectons or Terrakors. However, I would characterize their relationship as one of binary bonding.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are the Thirteen Primes from the Uniend Universes, Primax 1005.19 Gamma Universe, and other Multiverse Thirteen connected?
.
.
A: Dear Singularity Stalker,
The answer to that question is more complicated than you imagine. As you know, "singularity" can be a bit of a misnomer. Different universe streams have different fundamental constants, meaning they behave by different rules. The Uniend Cluster, for example, was long separated from the rest of the Multiverse by some kind of cosmic proto-barrier. That changed recently, which has resulted in the Uniend Thirteen and the Thirteen from the portions of the Multiverse hospitable to Singularities to begin to blend their perceptions. For beings such as myself, it can be a confusing time, as I assimilate new memories and histories and mythologies and futures. The process is not yet complete, so beings with a truly Multiversal perspective may well notice inconsistencies.
Additionally, I have a premonition that the process will not get a chance to fully run its course. Why that might be is a mystery even to one such as I.
May 28, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Is there a universe with just the Superpowered humans from Transformers?
.
.
A: Dear Solo Superhero Student,
A universe with just superpowered humans? No stars or planets? They would need some mighty powers indeed to survive the cosmic void.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I have heard whisperings in many universal clusters, including Primax, Malgus and Lukas, of a mysterious wanderer in the fourth dimension known as "The Doctor". Have you ever encountered this individual, and could you shed some light on his true identity and origin?
.
.
A: Dear Temporal Tamperer,
I, too, have heard these whisperings, though I have never encountered such a being. The closest has been the organic time traveler Natasha Pyraniac, who caused some damage in the Malgus Cluster. I suspect that The Doctor hails from outside the Multiverse, from the greater Omniverse, and only occasionally can his agency be felt in the sphere of influence of one such as myself.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Sentinel Major, from Primax 509.28 Epsilon, an incarnation of the Primax cluster Sentinel Prime?
.
.
A: Dear Prime Pal,
There are two Sentinel Majors from that cluster. The first was a slave of the Quintessons, and eventually became a Matrix bearer and took on the mantle of Prime. The second, millions of years later, was named for the first. Interestingly, the second has a Multiversal analog in the Malgus Cluster who was also at one point named Sentinel Major. That bot had a meteoric rise through the ranks of the Autobots and was variously Sentinel, Sentinel Minor, Sentinel Major, Sentinel Prime, and even Sentinel Magnus, though he never bore the AllSpark or the AllSpark Matrix.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why do some Go-Bots in the Yayayarst cluster have Terran names like Billy or Roy?
.
.
A: Dear Name Naysayer,
Why do some humans have names like Megatron or Phoenix or The Rock?
May 29, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does Rook the Autobot news journalist have any connection to Rook the Protectobot SWAT van - for instance, are they counterparts of one another, or do they simply share names? For that matter, what about Rook, the Cybertronian Empire member who served Jhiaxus, or Sideways's mini-con partner?
.
.
A: Dear Rook Raker,
Each of those instances are their own being. It's not uncommon for instances of, say, the journalist to exist in the same dimension as the Protectobot.
The one possible exception is Sideways' partner. Given the ties of Planet X to the vestiges of the Cybertronian Empire, it would be reckless to disregard the possibility of some continuity of consciousness between his Combi-Micromaster partner and Jhiaxus' right hand bot.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How do Beast Era Cybertronians survive decapitation?
.
.
A: Dear Cranial Curious,
Only a human would think to ask a question like that. Remember that we Cybertronians do not have the same anatomy as you do. While the human brain will die if it goes without nitrogen for more than a few days, we Cybertronians have brains made of circuitry that is considerably more robust. Additionally, most of our cranial units have their own battery back-up, meaning that some of us can not only survive decapitation, but continue to function in a limited capacity.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universal cluster do the 2003 Dinobots come from?
.
.
A: Dear Dinobot Dynamo,
The Dinobot Grimlock with his loyal compatriots Sludge, Triceradon, Snarl, Terranotron, and Slapper did battle with the Destructicons Bludgeon and Smokejumper and Dreadwing and Scourge in Viron 403.0 Beta.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why does there seem to be no Primus in the Malgus cluster, I thought he existed in all clusters?
.
.
A: Dear Primus Pal,
I am not sure where you came to have that idea. While Primus is indeed usually the embodiment of my people's hopes and dreams, typically made manifest as the planet Cybertron, that is certainly not always the case. Different reality streams have different basic building blocks of physics. In the Malgus Cluster, for example, the non-linear WY-att pulse function generates interference waves in the 8.7 range, much higher than in any other dimension I have encountered. I believe that it is this constant that precluded the existence of Primus and other Multiuniversal Singularities. At least, for extended periods of time. I could pop in for a bit if necessary without creating a branched non-singularity self, in all probability.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Would Leader-1 or Cy-Kill from Gargent, or Nemesis or Argus from Xobitor, be allowed in Axiom Nexus?
.
.
A: Dear Lost Leader Looker,
If their positions amongst their factions were known to the TransTech, they would not be allowed in. However, Gargent and Xobitor are both sparsely mapped, ill-understood realms, and thus there is a strong possibility that these beings would not be recognized as the leaders they are.
May 30, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
If you had to take on an organic beast mode, what would you select?
.
.
A: Dear Organic Organizer,
Hmmm... I had not pondered such a thing. I find the cetaceans to be quite majestic.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why are you allowed into Axiom Nexus if your name is Vector Prime? And why do they spend so much time exploring the multiverse if they can just ask you?
.
.
A: Dear Axiom Alliance Inquisitor,
The answer to both questions is one-and-the-same. They consider me to be a harmless crackpot, millions of stellar cycles into senility. They venerate me for my age and experience and wisdom, but discount many of the specifics of what I say as harmless, self-contradictory babble, full of demonstrably untrue assertions and blatantly erroneous facts.
This does not bother me. Indeed, I have engineered the situation consciously. Knowledge handed to a species is not as valuable as knowledge gleaned from hard work and experience. Occasionally one of their researchers has had an inkling of the true depth of my being; in such instances, I am quick to play the fool and soon enough they have returned to the more challenging but more rewarding task of unearthing universal truths for themselves.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is the Evil One from Gargent?
.
.
A: Dear Evil Enthusiast,
Megatronus, in his shame, goes by many names. You may know him best as The Fallen. The Gargent Cluster birthed a version in which he became known as The Evil One. Sadly true-to-form, his Dark Heart nearly destroyed Cybertron--er, Gobotron, only to wind up under the Nazca Lines on Earth.
Interesting that in both the Gargent and the Tyran clusters, my tragic brother was drawn to your Pyramids. I note that Devil Z had similar affinities, both for the Pyramids and for the Nazca Lines. Hmmmm...
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What reality does the Dinobot combiner the Beast hail from? Has it been destroyed?
.
.
A: Dear Savage Supplicant,
Primax 504.0 Gamma was indeed destroyed. Following The Beast's rampage, so many on both sides of the war were damaged or destroyed that, when Unicron inevitably appeared, Cybertron's defense was pitifully inadequate. Though Unicron was driven off, he was able to inflict a fatal wound to Primus' slumbering form. Reality-quakes devastated the cosmos as the basic quantum sub-structure of the universe painfully de-cohered. By the time the remnants of this dimension were consumed by Hytherion, it could only be considered a mercy, and thus did beings such as myself remain uninvolved.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What makes Starscream so treacherous?
.
.
A: Dear Psychological Perusal Person,
That is one of the great debates among my kind. Not just Starscream, of course, but all of us. Polarity or Programming, the debate is often expressed as. Was he protoformed with his personality already indelibly stamped on his being, or did his experiences mold him thusly? I suspect that it is some combination of the two.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do Optimus Primes, Megatrons, Starscreams, etc exist in Gargent and Xobitor universes, the way bots like Cop-Tur and Cy-Kill seem to exist in Transformers?
.
.
A: Dear Existential Egghead,
It has been known to happen. Why, in one Gargent micro-stream, I believe manifested as a coloring book in the Quadwal cluster, the future branching adventures of the Guardians and Renegades featured the repeated slaying and humiliation of a 'borg that looked suspiciously like Megatron.
May 31, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is your arch nemesis?
.
.
A: Dear Opposite One,
I don't know as if I have a single arch nemesis. Certainly in my role as guardian of time and space, my most frequent opponent is Unicron, but he often seems barely aware of my existence. Sideways is, of course, a frequent morpho-thorn in my side. I once had a series of memorable encounters with Gigatron--the one hailing from Primax 603.0 Beta, I mean, with transmorphic regenerative abilities. Though, come to think of it, the Gigatron hailing from Primax 400.05 Alpha and his Destronger were also dimension hoppers.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you have a particular favorite incarnation of Optimus Prime? Megatron? Bumblebee? Starscream?
.
.
A: Dear Favorite Friend,
Each incarnation of Optimus and Bumblebee is special in their own way, and of course there are countless variants I have never even observed, much less interacted with. I will admit that the Optimus I fought besides in Aurex 802.23 Alpha seemed especially noble to me.
As to Decepticons, I do not generally enjoy their company, as they tend to be enemies of peace and life. The versions in Axiom Nexus seem less so, but some part of my spark still holds doubts.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have ever been to Rimmerworld?
.
.
A: Dear Galactic Galavanter,
I have never even heard of Rimmerworld.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is Primon?
.
.
A: Dear Progenitor Pursuer,
Primon is the Alpha Prime. Legend has it that he is older than Cybertron itself.
June 2015
June 1, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Are there any Transformers that have food as an alt mode?
.
.
A: Dear Gustatory Gourmand,
I suppose that depends on your perspective. Stampy, for instance, transforms into a rabbit, which I am told many humans enjoy in a stew.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
If you could have someone join you on your travels (and they would be perfectly find with it) who would it be?
.
.
A: Dear Companionable Character,
Hmmm... the first instinct was for me to say Safeguard. It would be nice for us to reprise our time together. Upon further reflection, it might be pleasant to travel with a human of some stripe. Adolescent humans certainly have a unique perspective on the happenings of the seemingly interminable Cybertronian wars that plague the cosmos.
Of course, I'd have to be able to see to their needs adequately, making sure they have plenty of hot boron to drink, adequately prepared horizontal surfaces of the appropriate viscosity for their sleep cycles, at least 7.2% of their time in privacy for necessary but taboo mating and voting rituals, and so forth. It is possible that my alternate mode could be retooled to accommodate such needs. Perhaps I should stop by Swindle, Swindle, and Swindle and investigate the time and resource requirements for such modifications.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Are there more than 4 Beast Wars Mutants?
.
.
A: Dear Genetic Guy,
There are reality streams where every Maximal and Predacon is a Beast Mutant, like Noble Savage or Poison Bite. Thus, there are millions and millions of Mutants throughout the Multiverse
Q: Hey Veccy,
Will we be seeing toys of the D.J.D. in the future?
.
.
A: Dear Impudent Instigator,
Veccy? I am the guardian of time and space. I would think you could afford to address me with a certain amount of respect. Why, I am twice as old as the very planet that you stand upon! Such familiarity seems flippant at best and contemptuous at worst.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How did the Multiforce get back to 2025 after being transported back to before Mt. Saint Hilary erupted in 1984 by the dimensional shock wave?
.
.
A: Dear Multiforce Man,
Oh ho, that dimensional shock wave was quite pesky, let me tell you. I believe it originated in Primax 984.20 Gamma, when a time-traveling Cybertronian got himself decapitated before his own creation. Messy indeed. The resulting timestorm swallowed planets whole and eventually fractured that timeline. Primax 290.03 Gamma was one of the main results of that schism.
In any event, the Multiforce got back to 2025 the old-fashioned way... they waited four decades, careful not to interfere with the events on Earth, Cybertron, or Micro that they knew were destined to transpire. Their adventures, exploring the Skomiloch Territories and clashing with the Predators, prepared them well to garrison the Vega Sector and eventually stop the Praetorian from using the corrupted Reconfiguration Matrix to rewrite all robotic life in that part of space into a mindless Scrapmetal horde loyal only to himself.
June 2, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Is Thor a Transformer?
.
.
A: Dear Norse Knowsmith,
Thor is not a Cybertronian, though he does sometimes pilot a mech built by Tony Stark utilizing our technology.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Are the rock creatures from Robotix the Rock Lords of that universe?
.
.
A: Dear Rocky Rascal,
Yes.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
A Unicron Cultist has recently moved in where I live. Normally I'm all for religious freedom, but he keeps coming to my house to pass out fliers about his "great devourer" and "the faithful will be consumed last" and screams "DEATH" when I close the door. Should I just accept him as is or try and stop him from trying to convert others?
.
.
A: Dear Torn Theologian,
An Acolyte of Unicron in your vicinity is no small matter. He seeks to bring about the end of days, and reveres one of the greatest monsters in the history of the Multiverse. Worse, simply by assuming the visage and appellation of the Chaos Bringer, this reckless cleric risks attracting the attention of the Devourer of Worlds or even merging with the Singularity itself. I would recommend you report his presence to the local Autobot authorities so that he can be dealt with swiftly.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why did Predaking have an organic brain in Zone?
.
.
A: Dear Mindful Man,
Are you sure? The only beings I am aware of who utilize organic brains to house their Sparks are from the Gargent Cluster, but Predaking isn't one of those. Though perhaps The Violent Chigger resurrected him using Gobotic technology? But where would he have gotten it?
Hmmm... this is most disturbing information. Perhaps their infiltration of our realities is deeper than I at first realized. I must consult with the Chronarchitect, the 時と空間を統べる者, at once.
June 3, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why is the phrase "ARE ALL DEAD" so common in the Multiverse?
.
.
A: Dear Phrase Parser,
That was the name of a smash hit by The Knights of Unicron. Oddly, in some realities, Shockwave is quite the, ahem, "metal head."
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the name of the Piano Transformer from the Marvel Transformers comics?
.
.
A: Dear Keyboard Killer,
Tusks. In some realities, he downsized when energon became scarce and became a Predacon, fighting alongside the reality-displaced cyborg Scales.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Are there other Jellyfish Transformer besides Rãge?
.
.
A: I believe in universal streams where English is the language Cybertronians primarily utilize to communicate with humans, she goes by Rage. But, in short, yes, the Multiverse is a big place and she is not the only cnidaria in existence.
I am reminded of Aurex 503.21 Gamma. Some three centuries after the events of the Unicron Singularity threatened this reality, the conflict betwixt Autobot and Decepticon had evolved into the contest of Maximal and Predacon. When a fleet of warships on both sides of the conflict found themselves in Alpha Q's Realm, they adapted themselves to survive the volatile Super Energon / Dark Energon star that illuminated this domain.
Each planet in this sphere hosted their own conflict. In the War of the Waves on the Ocean Planet, one highly unlikely splinter timeline, I suppose it would be Aurex 615.03 Epsilon, featured exclusively jellyfish Predacons against crustacean Maximals.
Because I am starting to understand how humans think, I will preempt the inevitable follow-up questions and let you know of the other conflicts in this realm. On the Iron Planet, the conflict was known as the War of the Mines. The Predacons assumed the forms of motile fungus and the Maximals, burrowing monsters such as purple worms, umber hulks, ankhegs, even xorn. On the Blizzard Planet, the Ice Age War was fought, and the combatants adopted the forms of mega-fauna. The Data War was fought on the Circuit Planet, with varying species of mechamorph providing the templates adopted by the Cybertronians. On the Rock Planet was The Colossus War, and Maximal and Predacon alike assumed the visage of the Rock Lords. The Jungle Planet hosted the Elemental War, where Maximal and Predacon assumed the visages of Battle Beasts. And, on the Plains Planet, the Dust War was fought, with Maximal creatures of earth, wind, and fire against Predacon oni, tengu, kappa, and the like.
All of these conflicts, collectively, were known as the Beast Wars, which came to a head on Planet Q. There was a bit of a time-paradox, the Alternity decided to get involved... all told, it was somewhat messy. In any event, ummm... yes, right. Jellyfish. Scads of them.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Given that Primus is infinite, and that the universe is also infinite... would you like a toasted teacake?
.
.
A: Dear Conundrum Cracker,
No, thank you. Though some Transformers can process complicated organic molecules and turn them into energon, I am not among them. Also, I just ate.
June 4, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
In at least one Primax universe Cybertron underwent an event called the "Great Reformatting" after the fall of the Vehicon army. I'm sure you're aware of the details, but if I may be so bold as to ask, were you there?
.
.
A: Dear Vanishing Vehicon VIP,
My presence was not required at that momentous occasion.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
What is with Decepto-Packs?
.
.
A: Dear Horrific Happenstance Human,
I shudder to think of the untold damage the Decepto-Packs wrought to Primax 185.0 Beta. In response to the success the Autobots garnered with their S.T.A.R.S. outreach to humanity, Decepticon City-Commander Galvatron reactivated Dr. Arkeville's Hypno-Chip Initiative. Humans were reprogrammed to the Decepticon cause, and given quasi-sentient Decepto-Packs to augment their own rather limited capacities.
Armies of brainwashed homo sapiens marched across continents, creating additional Stroboscopic Opticon facilities and, of course, Decepto-Pack production compounds. The Autobots were, generally speaking, unwilling to fire on the enthralled masses, and thus scores of them fell to the advance.
The S.T.A.R.S. recruits fought back valiantly, weaponizing Gold Plastic Syndrome and utilizing the Photodegradation Protocol in a desperate attempt to stave off disaster. It proved too little, too late. Galvatron, from his Decepticon Powerbase in New York City, successfully provoked a nuclear strike from the tattered remnants of the human nations, enabling him to collect enough energon to direct his vast army of slaves to construct an army of fearsome Zod drones, which he unleashed across that unfortunate reality. System after system fell to his relentless onslaught, and the galaxy looked poised to fall under a Decepticon bootstrut forever.
Succor came from the unlikeliest of quarters, the Quintesson Pan-Galactic Co-Prosperity Sphere. Their vast Terrorcon hordes met the Zod fleet in battle, and the stars themselves trembled. Civilization after civilization were mere collateral damage, brushed aside by the hands of angry gods struggling for the future of an entire reality.
Even this gargantuan action might not have been enough to thwart the Mad Emperor, had it not been for the actions of Ratchet, by then simply called The Autobot. The last Autobot left alive on Earth, perhaps anywhere, he and a few cybernetically-enhanced humans, the Dreadnoks, snuck aboard Galvatron's flagship, the Galvaberg II, in a desperate guerrilla action. At the cost of their own lives, they disrupted Galvatron when he was at his most vulnerable, as he transitioned his bloated, gargantuan spark into what was once Cybertron and what was to become Grand Galvatron, a planet-sized body from which he could sweep away the Quintessons who dared defy him. Thus did the Deranged Titan expire.
The leaderless Decepticons continued to war with the Quintessons for centuries. War ravaged the galaxy. What was left of humanity attempted to rebuild, only to find that the Galactic Council, representing a universe shattered and broken, held Earth responsible for the Decepticon onslaught. I...
I could go on, but it would be pointless. This reality continues to exist, but it is not a place that I would ever voluntarily visit. Decepto-Packs. If you hear the faintest inkling of them in your reality, take immediate, ardent action.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Alpha Q and the Terrorcons of Planet Q in Aurex 802.23 Alpha their reality's version of the Quintessons?
A: Dear Alpha Asker,
Alpha Quintesson is, of course, a Quintesson. The Terrorcons are not Quintessons themselves, though they are the semi-sparked minions of them, much as the Sharkticons or Allicons of the Primax cluster are.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are there any Cybertronians that turn into a fungi?
.
.
A: Dear Amusement Achiever,
I find that, if you give him barrel or two of oil to down, Ratchet can turn into quite a fun guy to be around. Not his usual grumpy self at all. I find that it is important to know how to relax.
June 5, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Where was the Planet X we saw in the Cybertron cartoon from?
.
.
A: Dear Fearsome Fact Finder,
I shudder at the mention of Planet X. Though in a different reality this planet was a tranquil producer of energy pods, in Aurex 802.23 Alpha it was a dimensional intruder.
The Planet X I would come to dread originally hailed from Primax 994.0 Gamma, where it was a peaceful world. Sadly, the Cybertronian Empire colonized and Mechaformed it. Though a species of local insects which devoured metal provided some token resistance, ultimately it fell to Jhiaxus' onslaught.
When the perverted Cybertronian Empire fell and the Liege Maximo's incipient godhood was thwarted, this world provided a fall-back point to the shattered remnants of his forces. Under the command of Liege Centuro Firecrest, the planet was fortified and cloaked. The Veteran and his forces never stopped searching, and Planet X eventually fled its home reality for greener pastures. For a time it existed in a small pocket universe, and the scourge of the Cybertronian Empire was again known. The inhabitants fought back, scorching their entire reality rather than allow themselves to be slaves of Planet X.
With all energy and life fading, the denizens of Planet X again sought to shift realities. Their resources were limited, and the method they employed thoroughly shattered the entire reality they left behind, leaving the inhospitable X Dimension. Thus did it come to war with Gigantion and did it, finally, meet its end.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Is the giant purple griffin from the original Transformers cartoon named Pickles?
.
.
A: Dear Griffin Guy,
I can't imagine Megatron would pick such a whimsical name for one of his dastardly inventions.
Vector Prime, Your Incongruous Eminence,
When I interviewed the Minister of Higher Dimensional Sciences (see citation at the end of this question), I could not help but notice a stark similarity in his and your voices. And with Rhinox's universal stream imager now being tied to Heinrad's temporal powers, he himself is working towards becoming his own master of time and space.
Are you and Rhinox somehow of the same origins? How alarmed should the citizens of Axiom Nexus be if your are? What are yours and Rhinox's true motives?
Citation #1:
https://www.facebook.com/AxiomNewsRook/posts/913803418663279
- Ask Vector Prime Dear Rabid Reporterbot,
- Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist Don't you alliterate me! Answer the question!
- Ask Vector Prime I, um, well, having two Cybertronians with similar voice capacitors is not all that unusual. Why, in some instance, Transformer life even has eerily similar vocal qualities to other species. I remember one human, the leader of a terrorist organization in Primax 984.17 Alpha, who sounded just like --
- 'Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist Don't give me your trans-dimensional mumbo-jumbo spiel! What are you and Rhinox hiding? The people have a right to know!
- Ask Vector Prime Hiding? I'm not hiding. Should I be hiding? Oh me, oh my, are Zeemon Magnus' goons about? I must protect what I know from the Great Purge, yes I must.
- Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist Zeemon... who the spark is... nevermind. We KNOW you are the guardian of time and space, so--
- Ask Vector Prime Oh, yes, that's me, guardian of time and space. Primus is my father. Unicron is my uncle. Epistimus is my cousin. I'm over 17 billion years old. I'm a Prime!
- Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist Drop the act, grandpa! Rhinox pretended to be some kind of television aficionado and I cut through that persona but quick. I'll do the same to you. Tell me what I want to know.
- Ask Vector Prime I don't remember a Rhinox. Is he related to Taurnotron? I play Triad with him every Dixosol. Such a nice old fellow.
- Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist Stop with the ancient history, I KNOW you are more than just a crazy old fool. Tell us--
- Axiom Nexus News Editor ROOK! What is the meaning of this? Badgering our senior advice columnist?
- Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist But, Bossbot, he's hiding something, I just know it. I think he might be one of The Thirteen, plotting something with Rhinox to--
- Axiom Nexus News Editor Excuse me? Plotting with one of the most erudite and respected researchers in all of Axiom Nexus? Cease this line of inquiry AT ONCE!
- Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist But, Bossbot--
- Axiom Nexus News Editor NO BUTS! Vector Prime, I personally apologize for my overzealous reporter. He and I will be having words. I'm sorry if his questioning upset you.
- Ask Vector Prime I... I'm confused. Is Max-Lock on the viz-screen yet?
- Axiom Nexus News Editor Now see what you've done?
- Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist The senility, it's an act! Can't you see? This is the guardian of time and space, one of The Thirteen original Primes who founded our race!
- Ask Vector Prime Oh, yes, that's me, guardian of spine and taste.
- Axiom Nexus News Editor ROOK!
- Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist I... fine. I'm sorry.
- Axiom Nexus News Editor Don't let me catch you harassing our other contributors. You know how hard it is to get reliable guest columnists on our budget.
- Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist Fine, fine.
- Ask Vector Prime ;)
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you have a pet?
.
.
A: Dear Pet Pal,
It is surprisingly rare for Cybertronians to keep mechanimals as companions, though it does happen. Soundwave and Blaster's menagerie, for instance, might qualify, as might the mutant Insecticon known as Bob. Curiously, in universes where nucleon removes the ability of large number of Cybertronians to transform, the custom is much more common. Perhaps spending time with a beast able to convert fills some important psychological need.
I myself have never had a pet. Though it might help fill the loneliness, invariably the difference in our projected lifespans would subject me to grief and loss. It can be hard enough connecting with organic life or even ordinary, short-lived (by my reckoning) Cybertronians.
Oh, my, what an unpleasant line of questioning.
- Axiom Nexus News Editor Again, apologies. It won't happen again.
June 6, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
The "Twilight's Last Gleaming" timeline of Tyran 208.28 Gamma looked peaceful when we last saw it - but did the Fallen, Sentinel Prime, or Lockdown ever cause any problems there when we stopped looking?
.
.
A: Dear Avid Alternate-Universe Admirer,
Tyran 208.28 Gamma indeed faced many challenges as-yet undocumented in the Quadwal Cluster, but the noble Autobots and beleaguered humans, generally speaking, did an excellent job rising to them in the primary timeline. As was writ in The Covenant of Primus, Datatrax 223.1961, It Never Ends.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What other sort of dimensions and realities exist outside of the Multiverse? What are they like, and who resides there?
.
.
A: Dear Omniversal Ontologist,
Imagine the strangest inhabited universe you can conceive of, places where gravity operates linearly and electromagnetism by the inverse cubed rule and topology has 13 basic dimensions instead of 17. How alien it must be. Then ponder the wildest universes those beings could articulate. Then realize that even these musings fail to capture the uncountable infinities that exist in the Omniverse.
That and more, much more, is what exists outside the Multiverse.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is the better fembot, Arcee or Flamewar?
.
.
A: Dear Fembot Fan,
Arcee is a courageous Autobot warrior, and Flamewar is a treacherous Decepticon. There is simply no comparison between them.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you think the Megatron of Primax 1005.19 Gamma has truly changed his ways
.
.
A: Dear Optimistically Minded Man,
Only time will tell. I fear that, after millions of years of brutality, even if his desire for reform is truly genuine it will prove a path most difficult to tread.
June 7, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the name of Omega Supreme's Headmaster? He's a Mini-Con, right? What about Omega Sentinel?
.
.
A: Dear Supreme Synaptic Student,
Am I to take it you are referring to the Omega Supreme of the Aurex Cluster? If so, then his Headmaster companion is called, simply, Omega. He would be considered a Mini-Con in the Aurex Cluster, though elsewhere he would be called a Micromaster or possibly a Cyberdroid.
Omega Supreme is the foremost of the Omega Sentinels. There are dozens more, though they are not as individualistic as the Omega Supreme. Each binary-bonded companion is known simply as Guardian.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have humans often found their way to Axiom Nexus? What typically happens to them if and when they arrive there?
.
.
A: Dear Organic Organizer,
It is incredibly rare for a human--indeed, any organic life form--to find their way to Axiom Nexus. The trans-reality scanning matrix is generally attenuated to the unique energies of our Sparks, and so non-Cybertronians are essentially never pulled here, even if cast adrift in the Multiverse. Perhaps there is some other agency that deals with such beings.
The few organic beings who do somehow travel to the Cybertron of Axiom Nexus are generally bounced back to their home reality, or a compatible one in the unlikely event that their dimension cannot be reached. The facilities to attend to their physiology just don't exist on the planet, nor are their beings with the expertise to cater to such exotic organic needs as "food" and "air" and "waste disposal."
The few organic beings who reside within Axiom Nexus generally arrived already binary bonded to a Cybertronian and usually have had their superstructure altered to be more robust, or otherwise carry with them the tools necessary to survive in our somewhat inhospitable environment.
- Axiom Nexus News Editor We of Axiom Nexus News would like to apologize for this column by Vector Prime, as it contains numerous factual errors. Please cut the old fellow some slack, as he is not a native to our ancient city and has not visited every part of it.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
If you were a Pretender what would your Pretender shell human form look like?
.
.
A: Dear Visage Visier,
Probably very similar to my holomatter avatar with a suit of high-tech armor.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Where are all these Lambda universes coming from? Are you able to keep up with them all?
.
.
A: Dear Lambda Liker,
Lambda universes tend to be offshoot realities, splinter timelines, micro-variant distributaries, and the like. Often enough they sputter into existence, flare brightly, and then realign with their primary. It's rare for a Lambda universe to have a lasting impact on the Multiverse. I have also noticed that Lambda universes seem significantly more likely to brush with the greater Omniverse.
Even for one such as I, my attention can only be split in a finite number of ways. With Lambda universes, I tend not to even try to keep track, as it's rare for a Multiversal threat to arise from such places.
June 8, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Where were the TransTechs, Alternity, and Cloud World Autobots during the Universe War?
.
.
A: Dear Multi-Dimensional Muckraker,
Time moves at different rates throughout the Multiverse. "Simultinaeity," as a concept, means little when some realms are running centuries, millennia, epochs ahead or behind or others. There are countless threats to the Multiverse, and the instant in which they are perceived varies from stream to stream. Rest assured, the Autobots of the Alternity and of Cloud World were not idle during the events of the Universe War, dealing with threats undreamed of by humanity. Have you not wondered why the Hytherion did not consume more worlds bereft of protectors and suffering from quantum decay due to the crudity of Unicron's predatory machinations?
The TransTech, on the other hand, did observe some unusual trans-dimensional activity during this time, but, as was their wont, were content with cataloging the anomalies. They were never aware of the true extent of the danger.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Planet X truly the body of Unicron? If so, is that Unicron a Multiversal Singularity?
.
.
A: Dear Extreme Erudite Explorer,
Sometimes it is. The Planet X that menaced Aurex 105.08 Alpha was, originally, the shattered carcass of Unicron from Primax 886.0 Gamma. Following its destruction by Rodimus Prime and the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, it was blasted into Tyran 609.08 Kappa, a universe previously devoid of any Unicron Singularity event.
At the outskirts of the human solar system, an undetected Tenth Planet, Unicron attempted to repair himself, a process that would have taken thousands of stellar cycles under the best of circumstances. But existing in a binary end-state universe, where that realities' Megatrons often successfully activated a Star Harvester, put a tortuous amount of strain on quasi-dormant quantum processors. His comatose form resurrected many of the Cybertronians he had previously consumed in an attempt to bolster his repair capabilities, and they dubbed their planet Planet X.
Utilizing the amazing capacity of their world, they transited to Primax 290.0 Zeta and began their reign of conquest. They were thwarted, naturally, by the Autobots of that realm, and with the power of Zodiac energy the taint of Unicron driven from that reality, splitting the planet in twain. One half remained behind, a virtual paradise. The other was shunted to Aurex 105.08 Alpha, where the denizens of Gigalonia were able to, finally, eradicate its scourge once and for all.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Do you know what Nightscream and Botanica looked like before Beast Machines?
.
.
A: Dear Beast Machine Body Manifestation Boy,
Yes.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you have a favorite city on Cybertron?
.
.
A: Dear Polity Person,
I have spent long periods of time experiencing Apophenia.
June 9, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever had to fight a Cataclysm, like the one that nearly consumed the Gargent cluster?
.
.
A: Dear Cosmic Crusader,
Indeed. Though I am not fated to intervene in every Multiversal threat, I have had roles to play, major and minor, in preventing such catastrophes for billions of years. Often we succeed, and there is much cause for celebration; tragically, we sometimes fail, and realities, sometimes entire rivers of them, are consumed or shattered or obviated or forcibly unified.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Where is Aquarius's dimensionally displaced associate "Dorothy" from?
.
.
A: Dear Hippie Hanger-on,
I believe Dr. Takahashi Chifumi (or C-Tach, for short) hails from some part of the Cymond Cluster.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Since reverse-pretender technology exists, is it possible for reverse-Mega Pretender, reverse-Ultra Pretender, reverse-Pretender Vehicle, and reverse-Double Pretender technology to exist?
.
.
A: Dear Reverse-Pretender Reader,
All things are possible. If a human can disguise themselves as a Cybertronian, why not a Cybertronian within a Cybertronian? Though I am having a difficult time visualizing what a Reverse-Pretender Vehicle might look like, as my understanding is that Reverse-Pretenders are fully capable of transforming from primary to secondary configurations.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universe did the Transformers who ran the letters column of the Marvel UK Transformers comics come from?
.
.
A: Dear Fourth-Wall Fanatic,
Primax 785.13 Zeta. A very strange place, its boundary with Quadwal -3760.925 Theta thinner than most.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Why are some universes affected by time travel while others have always happened that way?
.
.
A: Dear Fourth-Dimensional Fan,
I believe you are asking about determinism, no? Different parts of the Multiverse have different rules. Indeed, go far enough and realms become entirely alien, such as the home of the Flaternity, the Dead Universe, the realms of the Elder Gods, and even more bizarre meta-cosmic locals.
June 10, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do the Covenant predate the Thirteen in all realities? Are they Multiversal Singularities as well? What more can you tell us about the proto-Transformers known as the Covenant?
.
.
A: Dear Archaeologist of Ancient Autobots,
The Covenant were old when I was young, and stars have been born and lived and died since I was young. I remember the Liege Maximo spinning yarns of their exploits too fantastical to be true, to wonderful to be false. How my brother might have come to possess this forbidden knowledge is a mystery, but then, the Liege Maximo was full of secrets and ever-questing.
I cannot answer your questions definitively. The Covenant do not seem to exist in all, indeed most, realities. I believe they may well be Multiversal Singularities, albeit extremely limited ones. On the other hand, they may simply be archetypes so profound as to be duplicated across several realities nearly unaltered, an extreme example of trans-dimensional harmonic resonance. I remember tales of their creation on Methusula's moon, Protos, the template for what would much later become Cybertron. They were created immediately before, or perhaps immediately after, Primon, and the twelve-and-the-one were the templates upon which The Thirteen were created.
Or, perhaps, the Covenant and Primon ARE The Thirteen, are us, in a different guise, having walked a different path, partially divorced from our singular nature and yet still attenuated to us. Such things are more common than you think; observe that Methusula and Protos served as the laboratory for Primacron and his assistant in both Primax 984.17 Alpha and Malgus 1207.26 Alpha, from whence Unicron was unleashed upon the galaxy. Surely not a coincidence.
Regardless, they are tireless sentinels, awaiting Point Omega for the good of us all, or so the stories went. And perhaps that is all they were, in the end, a fanciful tale from my brother to amuse and enthrall and perhaps manipulate us.
Even legends need legends. Remember that.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
In the show Ben 10, the bounty hunter Khyber has weapons that clearly belong to the Lockdown and Grimlock of the Malgus cluster. Is it possible that there are Cybertronians in the world of Ben 10 Omniverse, or even that Ben 10 takes place in the Malgus cluster?
.
.
A: Dear Hero Handler,
Benjamin Kirby Tennyson, and of course the menagerie of alien forms his Omnitrix give him access to, is indeed a mighty hero, so mighty that I am aware of his exploits even though he resides outside of the Multiverse. I suspected that a Malgus Cluster stream drifted close to his native dimension, allowing Khyber to collect Cybertronian trophies. This reality bleed may explain why some species and musical ensembles native to Ben 10's universe can occasionally be found inside the Multiverse.
Of course, Ben 10 himself has been known to jump realities, so perhaps this Khyber fellow has similar trans-dimensional tendencies.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why are there Transformers of Dracula, The Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Fly?
.
.
A: Dear Monster Mashup Master,
Why wouldn't there be? Are they not fearsome, potent alternate forms?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is UniKreon merely the Fornax incarnation of the Chaos Bringer Unicron?
.
.
A: Dear Chaotic Chap,
UniKREON is, indeed, another incarnation of Unicron, the Dark Lord, connected to the Singularity.
June 11, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
You seem to have quite a distaste for Decepticons. However, in some clusters, such as Primax 1005.19 Gamma and Uniend 610.23 Zeta, the Decepticons at least began with noble goals. Taking this into account, can you really dismiss all the myriad incarnations of the Decepticon movement?
.
.
A: Dear Naive Natterer,
Everyone is the hero of their own story. Everyone has noble intentions. I judge a bot based on their actions and their outcomes, not based on ancient goals. Unintended consequences are the maxim of this life; one cannot attempt to direct the lives of others without setting off an avalanche of cascading impacts.
That is why the Autobot creed, "freedom is the right of all sentient beings," is so much more resonant than the Decepticon philosophy of "peace through tyranny." Because, in the end, ANY attempt to control, coerce, coral populations leads inevitably to death, destruction, despair. Freedom for all is the highest possible maxim. Freedom to worship, to speak, to investigate, to gather, to petition, to defend, to be secure in body and in mind, to own and dispose of property, to be treated equally under the optics of the law. And, ultimately, none of that is compatible with the Decepticon ideology.
All despots think that they know best for the populations they control, know better than each of the multitudinous teeming foolish short-sighted 'bots in their domain. But, in the long run, they are wrong, their regimes are brittle and tyrannical and visit more horrors on their population than any amount of freedom ever does.
So, yes, I really can dismiss all of the myriad incarnations of the Decepticon movement.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What can you tell me about the giant Decepticon soldier who attacked a bunch of Micromasters?
.
.
A: Dear Bruiser Barker,
That dangerous behemoth is called Zarak Maximus. His rampage against the peaceful planet Zone, was unprovoked, though thankfully swiftly repulsed.
You are wrong to call him a Decepticon; he identifies with neither faction, at least in the reality you specify. (Primax 1086.0 Kappa, one of the few Primax realities in which Rodimus Prime and Hot Rod are distinctive entities.) In his reality, the Nebulans successfully repulsed the incursion to their world. Decades after the short-lived conflict, an ambitious Peer named Mortilus Zarak remembered the conflict of his youth when a scandal forced him from office. He arranged a junket to the remote Arvassian mountain range, where the remains of the extra-Nebulan invaders were stored, and took the bodies of the several combatants back to an industrial facility owned by a compatriot, Grax.
Though each was, separately, savaged beyond repair, with the ingenuity of the scientists Vorath and Hi-Test, they were fused together into one mighty, gargantuan being. They devised a process whereby Mortilus could be bound to the creature, and called it binary-bonding. At first, it seemed that he had devised a mighty weapon for himself, but in time being connected to the faint after-sparks of Scorponok and Fortress Maximus proved too much for his organic brain, and he fell into madness. He rampaged across the planet, more devastating than the original Autobot/Decepticon war had been to his planet. A faint glimmer of the man inside recoiled when his actions imperiled the safety of his daughter, Llyra, and his infant grandson, Olin, and he abandoned the planet forever.
Zarak Maximus, torn between the egos of a Nebulan, an Autobot, and a Decepticon, wandered the galaxy in despair. When he encountered the Bio Ranger, Iga, the latter saw an opportunity and seized it, convincing the wayward hybrid that Micropolis, a city where Autobot and Decepticon Micromasters lived in peace, possessed the means to quiet the voices in his head through Zodiac Energon. And thus did the battle you speak of come to pass.
Zarak Maximus retreated, but continued to ally himself with Iga as the first of his Thirteen Great Demon Generals. But I suspect I've already rambled for far too long.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
What is your name in Gargent?
.
.
A: Dear Go-Bot Gabber,
There is a distant analog to me who was born a GoBeing who goes by the name of Vec-Tor.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
There was an Discoball Transformer.
.
.
A: Dear Informative Innocent,
I know. I used to go dancing with her.
June 12, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is Xal?
.
.
A: Dear Zodiac Zealot,
Xal is a mythical trickster. Some say he was the first Seeker. Some say he is merely another name for the Liege Maximo. Some say he came to Cybertron from beyond the Multiverse. Some say he is nothing more than a tall tale, told by Cybertronians who looked up to the night sky for answers. Whomever or whatever Xal is, I have never encountered him.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is the vilest villain you have ever had to face, aside from Unicron or Megatronus?
.
.
A: Dear Villain Investigator,
The machinations of the Liege Maximo and Logos Prime were dangerous beyond measure, but I wouldn't characterize either as vile. Perhaps tragic would be the better word. The Hytherion is a titanic presence, perilous in the extreme, but it acts without malice, a force of nature.
True evil takes myriad forms across the chasms of time and reality, from the nightmarish experiments of the twisted Dr. Herman Manglar, to the demoniac rainbow of the planeswalker Tirac, to the eldritch influence of the serpentine Koh-Buru-Lah! Untold and unspeakable are the horrors that I have witnessed, that I have sought to alleviate or to end! Yet even among the rhythms of darkness that reverberate through through cosmic harmony, but few are more vile than the Decepticon named "Horri-Bull." His contempt for personal hygiene—his revelry in the malodorous—makes him by far one of the most foul foes I have yet encountered. Be always vigilant in cleanliness, for it is truly next to Primusness.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do Cybertronian martial arts disciplines have recognizable counterparts on Earth?
.
.
A: Dear Combat Critic,
You may find it hard to believe, but I am not an expert on Earth customs. It seems possible that some form of analogous arts exist between the two worlds. Jet Judo is a good example... what would you call it when a human wants to grapple with an aircraft in flight? Aeronautic Acrobatics perhaps? Or Plane Punching?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is the GT-R story part of the Japanese G1 Cartoon Continuity or does it exist within a separate universal stream?
.
.
A: Dear Continuity Contender,
The Transtech have classified the GT-R encounters as Primax 513.25 Beta. It is a fascinating tangent reality where the Code of Competition dictates all; while it seems strange, to me, when I am not currently within the realm and subject to its mandates, I cannot help but observe that if all universes settled their differences through racing, the multiverse would be a more peaceful place.
However, the phraseology of your question indicates faulty logic. Something can exist as its own stream and also be part of another.
June 13, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Have you heard of Starriors?
.
.
A: Dear Interstellar Itinerant,
I am familiar with the Star Wars, yes. A generational conflict fought by heroes and villains with Cybertronian-style mecha that convert to starships, armored ground vehicles, and the like. Their conflict was in the Lukas Cluster, notable for how thin the barrier is between their streams and other parts of the Omniverse.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do the G.I. Joe episodes Worlds Without End take place in a negative polarity stream? Is it a part of the Transformers multiverse?
.
.
A: Dear Splinter-Timeline Student,
Primax 1185.04 Alpha is not a negative polarity universe, but a closely divergent tangent to Primax 984.17 Alpha.
When Mount Saint Hillary erupted in late 1984, Autobot and Decepticon woke to a world under the yoke of a tyrant, Cobra Commander. Megatron saw a planet rich with energon, ripe for plunder; he was wrong. The Cobra-dominated Earth proved too resourceful for him; the MASS Device, the weapon that had conquered the globe, enabled instantaneous transmat of Cobra forces to the site of any Decepticon incursion. Their newest weapon, a Weather Dominator, enabled the humans to harness the entire troposphere against Megatron's aggression.
Initially, Optimus Prime sought to help the humans repulse the Decepticons, but he soon discovered the noxious character of the human governing institutions. Some Autobots wished to help the underground resistance forces overthrow their oppressors, but Optimus insisted that interference in another race's affairs was anathema to the Autobot way. They went into hiding and, slowly, patiently, gathered enough energon to fuel a ship and depart into the void.
Megatron was more stubborn, more foolish. He eked out a few victories here and there, but lost more than he won. He scoured the planet for allies and found a few; the Insecticons, Skyfire. The Constructicons entered the war.
Cobra Commander's response was swift. He deployed a new weapon, low-altitude Pyramids of Darkness capable of off-lining all electronic devices in a region. Cobra scientists like Dr. Arkeville and Dr. Lucifer, given enormous budgets and no ethical guidelines, churned out weapon system after weapon system.
Desperate, Megatron fashioned a Space Bridge to allow Shockwave to send what few reinforcements were available to this brave new world. Even still, he found himself outmatched. His forces were few, the humans were legion. In a last-ditch effort, he sought allies amongst the organics and found some, the undersea realm of Sub-Atlantica. At last, Megatron had an army. Together the Decepticons and the sea-folk waged open war on the Cobra Empire. Incredibly, Cobra had prepared even for this eventuality, with a series of genetically-modified troopers with fully functional gills. Sub-Atlantica found itself invaded. Rather than risk destruction, they turned on their allies, paralyzing Megatron with a magnetic dysfunction ray and turning him over to Cobra Commander, stasis-locked in his pistol configuration.
Starscream wasted no time in seizing command. Realizing that he was outmatched, he used the Space Bridge to withdraw his forces to Cybertron, taking with him what little energon Megatron's scheming had produced and destroying the bridge behind him.
Thus was it that, when a handful of humans from Primax 984.17 Alpha made their way to this realm, they discovered a world apparently bereft of Cybertronian life. The Alternity kept their optics on this stream, largely because of the presence of Megatron in inquisitive human hands. However, with multiple fruitful lines of inquiry left to them, Megatron remained little more than a trophy for Cobra Commander to brandish about. It's been quite a few decades, perhaps one of these stellar cycles I should pop in and see how this reality is faring.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Your Uniend cluster incarnation has quite the magnificent set of facial hair. Why don't you have that more often? I think it suits you.
.
.
A: Dear Goatee Guy,
Do you think so? As I am currently in the process of assimilating that version of myself into the higher-dimensional Vector Prime singularity quantum wavestructure, perhaps when all is said and done his facial hair shall be mine.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
My friends don't like Facebook so they always ask me to ask you questions. Is there another way to ask you questions?
.
.
A: Dear Facebook Friend,
I am on the Yatter website at AskVectorPrime. I believe it has a different name in your dimension... Twiddle? Twaddle? Something like that. They may direct their questions to me there, though they will still need to read the answers here.
June 14, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime
What is the weirdest and strangest alt mode in exist?
.
.
A: Dear Oddity Aggregator,
I once had to help thwart a Megatron who transformed into a shoe! Usually when one imagines the boot of tyranny stamping on the face of liberty, it isn't quite so literal.
I suppose strange is in the optic of the beholder. Soundwave has transformed into a lamp post. In several Tyran streams, a vending machine was granted a spark. The first time I saw a Cybertronian with an organic alternate mode, I thought that was quite strange.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is this Ben Yee character and why did he post information about the Megatron of the Beast Wars on his website?
A: Dear Visitation Visionary,
Ben Yee is the alter ego of Wonko the Sane. His name must not be very accurate to risk Megatron's wrath so. Perhaps he was in league with that Megatron's (Primax 698.20 Epsilon) greatest enemy, Raksha.
- Q: Vector Prime, There is already a Universe known as "Primax 698.20 Theta" is this Universe the same as Primax 698 Epsilon or did Primax 698 Theta get renamed into an Epsilon Universe?
- Ask Vector Prime Hmmmm... the distinction between a certain subset of Epsilon streams and Theta streams can be subtle. Either one is an apt classification of the universe in question. I do believe, however, that the TransTech have gone with a Theta descriptor for this universe, which would put me in error. Unless, of course, they have reclassified it, as happens from time to time. Consider Gargent -1185.01 Alpha, which was originally mis-identified as Gargent -1084.22 Alpha.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
If you could undo one vent in the whole Multiverse, what would it be?
.
.
A: Dear Air-Conditioning Aficionado,
During my time on board the Steelhaven in a minor Tyran Cluster universe, there was a vent that was constantly blowing recirculated air from the engines into my face. The smell of nebulite became quite stifling after some time. I suppose I would choose that one.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Which of your fellow Thirteen did you get along with the best?
.
.
A: Dear Familial Factfinder,
I cherish my relationship with each of my brothers and sisters, even the ones who traveled a dark path. Onyx Prime was so connected to nature, so in-tune with the organic. Epistimus had such a facile intellect, unfettered by conventional thinking. Alchemist Prime, who some say walks among the people of Cybertron to this day, a simple barkeep providing an oasis of calm in an ocean of war. Nexus Prime, who had the courage to see to his own dissolution. Solomus, so gentle and wise. Autonomous Maximus, who renounced his name, a lonely sentinel awaiting the inevitable. Micronus Prime, who cared deeply for all living things, sons and daughters of Primus or otherwise. Solus Prime, the first of us to perish...
And, of course, Logos Prime. Liege Maximo. Megatronus. History may shun them as monsters. Rightly so, perhaps, but they are still my siblings, and I still shared many happy moments with them.
Of all of them, only Prima was consistently distant, the weight of the multiverse on his broad shoulders. I wish I had known him better.
And new memories are flooding in, of marveling at Alpha Trion's wisdom, with Optimus Prime as an equal rather than a distant descendant, where Logos was never protoformed to quest for logic, never driven mad by his encounter with the Hytherion, where Liege died young and never fomented his own empires. Where Quintus and Amalgamous were there to teach us, help us grow, but Epistemus and Solomus were long since departed.They compete in my ancient memory crystals, jostling for space and prominence as scores of millions of realities slosh back-and-fro like oil in a goblet.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universe do Panhandler, Brake-Neck, Drivetrain, and Swashplate hail from?
.
.
A: Dear Mini-Con Micromanager,
One iteration I am familiar with hails from Aurex 503.01 Gamma.
June 15, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I hate to ask you this, but who is most dangerous Megatron?
.
.
A: Dear Leader Looker,
Whichever one is in the same dimension that you currently inhabit.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the name of Superion Maximus's brother?
.
.
A: Dear Filial Friend,
Superion Maximus' brother was named Dauntless Maximus.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Why is Johnny 5 in the Transformers multiverse?
.
.
A: Dear Existential Investigator,
Why are you in the multiverse?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Diaclone, Micro Change, Beetras, Brave, Armored Trooper Dorvack, Mechabot-1, Macross, Zoids, Starriors, etc. part of the multiverse? What are their streams called?
.
.
A: Dear Crazy Classification Clarifier,
There is a tenuous thread connecting some, not all, of what you mention with the core Multiverse. Though the TransTech have yet to identify any of these realities, some of which predate the Multiverse in its current form, when they do so they are destined to label them the Cymond Cluster.
The beast Hytherion originated in a distant, DISTANT future of the very first of these streams, Cymond 772.0 Beta, a desperate weapon unleashed by the Terminators against the Originators against the backdrop of the Big Crunch. This stream, along with the offshoot Cymond 381.0 Beta, seems to be the linear ancestor of the earliest manifestations of the Multiverse, with many archetypical Cybertronians having distant analogues in one of these two realms.
As the Multiverse first coalesced, other Cymond realities came into existence. Cymond 1184.0 Gamma seemed to take shape alongside such Multiversal backbones as Primax 984.17 Alpha and Primax 984.0 Gamma. And yet, the Wastors and Cosmittors and Trashors of this stream seem only tangentially related to Cybertronians, at best.
After the basic structure (pre Forest Leer, of course) of the Cybertronian realities had settled, other Cymond streams sprang forth. Now convergence seems to begin. In Cymond 290.03 Alpha (and various echoes), many Cybertronian body forms are present. And so on. Some streams run closer to the Multiverse as a whole. Some, further. It can be difficult to tell if drift is from coincidental quantum oscillation matches, as with Omniversal dimensions, or from normal trans-dimensional harmonic resonance. The Malgus Cluster has seen bodyform overlap with Cymond 999.04 Alpha, but why? Especially curious is that this reality and many sister timelines sprang fully formed into the Multiverse between the spawning of Primax 206.24 Gamma and Primax 706.05 Gamma, an abrupt acosmogenesis event ricocheting backwards and forwards in temporal dimensions.
The TransTech will attempt to classify these Megaversal mysteries and more, with varying degrees of success. And, as this will be long-past Nexus Prime's drastic actions, their abilities to visit such realities will be greatly curtailed. Perhaps that will be for the best.
June 16, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How specifically is Transformers fan-fiction categorized in relation to the Multiverse?
.
.
A: Dear Ventilator Virtuoso,
I feel as if I just answered a question about vents. Regardless, I suppose it depends on the universe. There are Tyran streams where Sam Witwicky's run through Mission City resulted in, amongst other things, air conditioners, fans, leaf blowers, and the like coming to life to scurry about, causing trouble.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
What is the name of the Pay Phone Autobot from Transformers: Cybertron cartoon?
.
.
A: Dear Telecommunication Taskmaster,
He is called Phreaker.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Why is Simon Furman a Maximal?
.
.
A: Dear Maximal Micromanager,
They have a better dental plan than the Predacons.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
If the Vok serve The One, which as I'm lead to understand is the sentient core of the Multiverse, is Nexus Zero located at the core of the Multiverse?
.
.
A: Dear Vociferous Vok Vagrant,
The Vok are strange and mysterious creatures, with motives opaque to outsiders, even myself. They swim in the streams of time and reality like oxide sharks in a rust sea, navigating the waters of existence with ease. Decoding what they know, why the act, may well prove impossible. Even their origins are shrouded in mystery; are they the future of humanity, hyper-evolved and free of the constraints of linear space/time? The Swarm, made ascendant? Those Who Came Before, who survived the birthpangs of the multiverse? Perhaps all of the above and more, for the multiverse is indeed vast.
As for the Sentient Core, some universes seem to have, at their core, The One, that is to say, the Universe in its entirety is an entity, that is to say, the quantum foam substrate, ever tumultuous, creating and destroying itself, that exists at a level barely perceivable except through the use of higher order mathematics, has agency and/or ego. Or so the words Primus spoke have been interpreted, so have the observations of physicist-philosopher-prophets been deciphered.
Some perceive The Source to be a Binary entity, Unicron and Primus, two sides of the same coin, the Time Walker the edge of the coin. Some hold similar beliefs but use other names, an infinity of them, more epithets than exist circuits in a body, positrons in a spark. Some believe the Blessed Core has a quintile nature, a five-fingered hand stretched forth to guide the mortal races. The Quintessons often count themselves among those who hold this dogma, patterning their highest cast around the five aspects of the Pentacore. Some faiths hold as doctrine that The One becomes seven in its quest to understand itself and the cosmos around it; some myths, thirteen. Some individuals, gifted with the divine or touched by madness, posit The Core is merely part of a pantheon, one of many Light Gods of Order to oppose the Dark Lords of Chaos.
Some societies acknowledge no Source, merely atechnogenesis and bio-evolution competing to self-organize. Some of these universes may grow and coalesce and unify, till all are one, and in a blinding apotheosis become The Core. Some iterations of what could be called The Source span multiple universes; some metastasize like a cancer, some send out hesitant overtures of peace and light and the music of the spheres.
And what of humanity? I will admit to being woefully ignorant of your belief systems, but what says your mythologies of the origin of all that is? Do you hold dear some creator concept that may be analogous to the multitudinous gospels and creeds I have encountered in my billions of stellar cycles of existence?
June 17, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does the Autobot sometimes known as Christmas Maximus from the Armada cartoon have a name? What about the arrogant officer who almost courtmartialed Hot Shot?
.
.
A: Dear Unknown Nomenclature Nixer,
Hot Shot's platoon commander was known as Peritus Maximus. The antagonistic officer was called Sentinel Minor.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
In the Tyran Cluster is a female Decepticon named Fracture who has similar traits and abilities of a Renegade GoBot known as Crasher. Has the Gargent Cluster infiltration spread from Primax to the greater multiverse?
.
.
A: Dear Fractured Friend,
I believe that the seed of the presciently-named Fracture was originally the GoBeing called Crasher, but the Tyran Cluster realities are so volatile that she was quickly split and duplicated and copied across multiple streams, many of which have subtle differences. I theorize that her unusual physiology resulted in a higher-than-normal tendency to engender quantum resonant echoes across this and other streams. Thus, around the original Gargent intruder, and in different streams and indeed clusters, purely Cybertronian Fractures made manifest in her image and personality. Wouldn't the original be surprised if she were ever to come face-to-face with one of her doppelgängers!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How long does one day last on Cybertron?
.
.
A: The answer to that question varies tremendously, from universe to universe and within the fourth dimension of given universes. I am also a little rusty on my human temporal measurements. Now, if I'm remembering correctly, your Earth orbits your sun approximately once per year, with ten months per year and ten days per month, correct? I will confess that I've forgotten how many hours there are per day, 10 or 100. And then you break hours down into, what, "smalls?" "tinies?" Something like that.
This is confusing. Let me instead frame it in terms we can all easily understand, the duration of periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the cesium-133 atom. Yes, I think we'd all be comfortable with that.
A good example would be Malgus 1207.26 Alpha. At the present day here, a Cybertronian day would correspond to 8.58993 * 10 ^ 15th hyperfine cesium oscillations. Keeping in mind that the Malgus Cluster runs well over a century ahead of clusters such as Tyran or Viron, and that planetary rotations can vary measurably over this time horizon.
Remember also that it is not infrequent for Cybertron to have no sun at all, rendering axial spin somewhat academic given the reference frames involved. Some Cybertrons are tidally-locked to their primaries. So there is no one answer.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
The Chronarchitect, or "Ruler of Space and Time", is also known as the "Creator of the Universe". Does he have any connection to the alleged Creator of the multiverse whose will the Transformers of Cloud World serve?
.
.
A: Dear Origin Ontologist,
Does the Time Walker make such claims? Does an eggshell create a chicken? Ha!
But, to your point, I would not be surprised to see the hand of the Chronarchitect in Primax 514.29 Gamma, given how often the Primax Heinrad hails from the Beast Wars destined to take place in that reality, or at least a splinter of it.
June 18, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do Cybertronians have any form of art unknown to humans?
.
.
A: Dear Artistically Inclined,
Absolutely. Our different physiologists give rise to different forms of expression. Interpretive Morphing, for instance, is largely unknown among your species. Some streams of Cybertronians have perfected the art of skinning one's environment, so that they can experience reality in any way they choose. The refining of energon and the addition of various trace amounts of impurity is not something that humans could successfully partake in. Environmental Mimicry, that is to say, the total and complete blending of one's self with one's ecosystem, is not commonly practiced among humans. I'm sure there are more.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How awesome will BotCon 2015 be?
.
.
A: Dear Convention Celebrator,
Most awesome indeed.
June 19, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
You and the TransTech have been dropping hints about the Cybertronian calendar. Could you tell us the days of the Cybertronian week and the months of the Cybertronian year?
.
.
A: Dear Laudable Lunisolar Lass,
I shouldn't have to say that it varies tremendously by reality quotient, and even intra-reality over the aeons. Why, sometimes Cybertron floats through the void of interstellar space, bereft of the light and warmth of a nearby star, which renders a calendar system somewhat academic. But, since you mentioned the TransTech, I assume you are referring to the Gregevorian Calendar, used on Axiom Nexus, as well as the Viron and Malgus clusters where Cybertron has a stable relationship with the rest of the celestial bodies in the system.
Under this system, there are ten named solar cycles, a unit of time corresponding to the rotation of Cybertron about its axis, before the series repeats itself. This repetition is called a deca-cycle. The solar cycles are named, from the beginning, Dillesol, Gerbesol, Davisol, Maleksol, Marxsol, Glutsol, Robbisol, Wolsol, Dixosol, and Wisesol.
There are thirty-two solar cycles in an orbital cycle, a very rough approximation of the length of time Cybertron's largest moon takes to orbit the planet.
There are ten orbital cycles in a stellar cycle, the approximate length of time it takes for Cybertron to orbit its sun, called Hadeen. They are named Ferruneon, Navitaneon, Primaneon, Inrituneon, Chokuneon, Zetcaneon, Boltaneon, Rokuneon, Heptaneon, and Bahneon.
June 20, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the full chemical composition of Energon?
.
.
A: Dear Formula Friend,
Who do I look like, Alchemist Prime? Ask him! Ha!
June 21, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I don't know if anyone asked you this yet, but is there any version of T-ai in that universe?
.
.
A: Dear Indiscreet Individual,
Polite bots don't speak of THAT universe.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Since they seemingly lack Transformers (and, by extension, the Matrix of Leadership), are universes in the Quadwal cluster more vulnerable to being consumed by Unicron?
.
.
A: Dear Concerned Citizen,
You are mistaken. There are no shortage of Transformers in the Quadwal Cluster. To date, most Quadwal Unicrons are well under a mechanometer tall and made of plastic, so I wouldn't worry about them consuming your reality. However, if you are concerned, there is also a surfeit of Matrices of Leadership available to help thwart his dastardly consumption. The Masterpiece Optimus Prime toy came with a particularly nice one.
June 22, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I've heard that there is a Church of Primus in the Malgus cluster. How exactly does that work, if there isn't a Primus entity in this cluster? Or, specifically, why would the residents of Cybertron in these universes worship an entity that doesn't exist within their universes, but does exist outside it?
.
.
A: Dear Spiritual Seeker,
All throughout history, tribes of beings both organic and mechanical have chosen to invest their faith in divine beings absent proof of their existence. Why should Cybertronians be any different?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universe contains the timeline shown here: http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Generation_1_cartoon_timeline_(Japan)
.
.
A: Dear Jarring Japanophile,
There is no one stream that contains all of what is listed, but a vast network of tributaries and distributaries weaving in and out, to forge something approximating a vast, twisting, winding river.
The "source" of the river would be Primax 785.06 Alpha. This seems the foundational reality, though dozens more dip in or split off from there.
Interestingly, there seem to be two more, slightly competing streams that wend their way through the entirety of the reality system; Primax 1206.0 Beta and Primax 807.11 Zeta. It almost seems as if some extra-dimensional being or beings attempted to impose order on a system shattered by MegaZarak's destruction of the stable axis of this reality; perhaps The Source or the Chronarchitect or the Alternity or even the Swarm or an evolved Humanity tried to pick up the broken pieces of these timestreams and haphazardly glue them together.
June 23, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What exactly is a Brainmaster? Is it just a partner like a Mini-con, or the actual bot, with a larger body frame for combat, like the Cyberdroids and their Transtectors?
.
.
A: Dear Miscellaneous Master Miser,
That is a common misconception. The Brainmasters were developed as a way to bring Cybertron and its allies Master and Micro closer together, by allowing ordinary-sized Cybertronians to downsize to the size of a Micromaster or Cyberdroid. There was thought that, should the need arise, it might also help Human/Cybertronian relations.
The Nouha Bunshin Program created micro-scale Transtector bodies linked to full scale Autobots, to serve as Avatars with a downloaded consciousness. What they found astonished them; the resulting double-brainwave gave the owners astonishing Burein Kinō, amplifying existing mental faculties many times over.
This innovation was offered to the elite soldiers of the Uchū Bōei Gun, and they became some of the mightiest warriors in the galaxy. Sadly, the Decepticons learned of this power and attempted to seize it. Rather than allow it to fall into enemy hands, Kirk, Trizer, and Shuffler destroyed the laboratory. Tragically, the project has never been successfully duplicated.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Your answer is confusing. You say that the Energon Omega Sentinel is part of a horde of robots, but I thought that Omega Sentinel led all of the other Guardians of Cybertron.
.
.
A: Dear Specificity Striker,
Ah, I forgot how humans require every fact to be qualified, lest they over-generalize. There are certainly universes where there is an organization called the Guardians of Cybertron, led by the stalwart Omega Sentinel. A good example would be Aurex 604.0 Beta. Even in these realities, though, he tends to be a monotonous fellow.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are there more universal streams than Nexus 208.0 Epsilon in the Nexus cluster? If so, are any of them of a negative polarity?
.
.
A: Dear Transcendent Talker,
The Nexus Cluster is an unusual one. It is smaller by far than most, and what few realms exist here have an unusual technological gradient. Whereas most realms tend to see technological progress somewhat evenly distributed, the Nexus Cluster sees sharp divisions between the worlds at the very top of the scale and the rest. Why, Nexus in the top 1% possess an average technological base running two to four million stellar cycles ahead of those in the bottom four quintiles! And streams in the top 0.1%, Axiom Nexus among them, are running as many as ten million stellar cycles ahead! A curious phenomena indeed.
Though the prospect of primitive Malignus and Terrakors scurrying about may seem depressing, take spark in the commonality of the Nexus Cluster, that beings here generally manage to avoid generational civil wars.
As to negative polarity worlds, I have yet to encounter such. The possibility of a race of Transcendent Technomorphs, united in their pursuit of evil and conquest, is enough to cast an ominous pallor over even the most optimistic of beings.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does the Backstop of Primax 509.28 Epsilon look the same as the Backstop of Aurex 802.23 Alpha?
.
.
A: Dear Rhino Redux Rascal,
Which Aurex Backstop are you referring to? I can think of two!
June 24, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Whatever happened to the world where Galvatron II was snatched from?
.
.
A: Dear Darkness Deacon,
Ah, yes, Primax 490.0 Gamma. You saw that sphere at its darkest hour, with all hope seemingly lost. But the fate of Earth was not sealed that day; the people saw the Herald of Unicron snatched away, saw the courage of defenders willing to risk all for a symbol, and rose up to throw off the yoke of their oppressors. It was a long, twilight struggle, but humanity prevailed in the end. Over the centuries, they went on to establish the Confederation of Terran Worlds and actively liberated other Decepticon enclaves. Nebulos was one of the first planets liberated and became a close Terran ally.
But what of Unicron, you ask? In this universe, he was eventually defeated, though long after his consumption of Cybertron. But that very act of brutal destruction sealed his fate; Primus was not destroyed, but his essence scattered among his children. The amoral Cybertron Empire experienced a reformation from within.
When Unicron stumbled upon their vast network of planets echoing the original Cybertron, it was appalled and began to savagely attack. The Cybertronian Empire struck back, hearkening back to an ancient prophecy that The Chaos Bringer could be defeated if All Were One, united in a single purpose. Jhiaxus was dispatched as an envoy to the Trio, the last Autobots who served to advise and guide Humanity, and to Styx, a prison moon containing what was left of their Decepticon ancestors. Together, the Autobots, Decepticons, and Cybertronians stood against Unicron, and wave after wave sacrificed themselves to, slowly but surely, batter and break Unicron's corporeal form.
Physically shattered, Unicron attempted to retreat to the psychic plane, but my brother found him there. A mangled, enervated Unicron faced the Liege Maximo at the peak of his powers. Their battle raged across the astral plane, and Unicron was driven forever from this reality. There was a cost; the light in the Liege Maximo's eyes never returned. Though his body was unharmed, his spark had extinguished. He died serving the Empire he had built, and it would go on to be a force of great good in that universe, steadfast allies to the Confederation of Terran Worlds.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
You have said that sometimes you are called Vec-Tor, and we know The Fallen has many names. Do you have any other names?
.
.
A: Dear Nomenclature Novice,
Of course! Even leaving aside simple phonemic transfers, for different tongues and vocal processors have differing ranges of sounds, I and the other Thirteen have answered to many names and titles over the epochs.
There were streams where I was called Vector Convoy. Naturally, Solus, Nexus, Onyx, Logos, and the like were similarly addressed. There are points in history where I have been called Vector Maximus or Maximo. In some clusters my analog has the title Vector Prima-Vectorum, a bit grandiose but I suppose it fits the aesthetic of the universe. And some appellations are even further afield. Why, when I visited your world in (by your reckoning) ancient days, they called me Hermes!
Q: Dear Victor Prime
What is the name of the Universal Stream in which the Transformers X Evangelion crossover takes place?
.
.
A: Dear Angel Antagonist,
Primax 514.23 Iota.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What exactly is a Mega-Blaster and why did those Seekers use it on almost all the continents?
.
.
A: Dear Catastrophic Caller,
The Mega-Blaster™ was an invention owned and trademarked by the Z Foundation. Starscream and his second-generation Seekers used them to blow up the Earth because they are not very nice
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why are there so many Targetmasters called Nightstick? I mean, what the hell.
.
.
A: Dear Gun Guy,
You should see how many universes have a Bumblebee!
June 25, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
.
.
A: Dear Velocity Vicar,
Perhaps I am confused... I thought swallow was a verb, something humans do as part of ingestion and/or pair bonding. Are these activities humans normally engage in while airborne?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Ragnarok was shunted into a pocket dimension, correct, but in GI Joe Vs The Transformers #2 you can see multiple bots that share his body type. What happened to them?
.
.
A: Dear Astute Armageddon Analyst,
Those, too, were Ragnarok. Are you not familiar with your own mythology? Did you not wonder what made him so dangerous? Surely 'twas not his size alone!
Earth's Ragnarök is not mere apocalypse, but a churning whorl of death and birth intertwined; in that way, the Decepticon behemoth is named most aptly! As unto the argent ouroboros Starscream, within the dire bowels of Ragnarok a mutated spark pulsates most sinister. He is a supreme Outlier, with a dread power hearkening to the earliest cycles of Cybertron. Through means mysterious to even himself, Ragnarok's body will sporadically undergo an involuntary budding event - though unlike the primordial process, his copies possess identical CNA and memories to their grim sire. Thus, even death does not give the giant pause: for he knows, deep in his larcenous laser core, that there forever shall be a coming Ragnarök.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How do Cybertronians see in Alt-Mode?
.
.
A: Dear Vision Vizier,
That depends on the alt mode. For bots with beast alternate forms, generally it's simplest to wire the optical circuits directly to the eyes of the creature. For other forms, certain spots of anatomy are more promising than others. Anything transparent, such as headlights or cockpits, is a potential spot for visual impulses.
Of course, we rely on many senses besides vision, that is to say, electromagnetic radiation passively collected in a narrow band. Other forms of electromagnetic input, both passive and active, are available to us. We can also, with varying degrees of alacrity, sense molecular vibration, temperature, pressure, ambient chemical data, and sometimes many other phoenomena. On the other hand, humans seem to have a greater proprioception than my people. I have never heard of a human who has had their diagnostic protocols go off-line.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you comment on any different varieties of energon that you have ever enjoyed?
.
.
A: Dear Consumable Connoisseur,
Energon Z is one of the most potent blends I have ever imbibed. Stanixian energon wine has a subtle bouquet of janquore that I find quite delightful. I tried red energon once, and only once, at Leobreaker's insistence, but it did not agree with me.
June 26, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are the Maraudicons responsible for the death of Roulette and Shadow Striker's sister and devastated their village?
.
.
A: Dear Raider Rival,
The Maraudicons are responsible for many atrocities, including the one you mention.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Will we be seeing G2 colored Aerialbots, Stunticons, or Protectobots in the near future?
.
.
A: Dear Garish Guy,
My perception of time is not the same as yours. When you say "near future," are you speaking in terms of decades, centuries, or millennia?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How many universes were greatly damaged by the Unicron Singularity, at least to your knowledge?
.
.
A: Dear Singularity Student,
I'm not sure this is a quantifiable number. Once Unicron has completely consumed a reality, there is little that remains to prove it was ever extant. Some philosophers have argued that, as Unicron is known to devour a reality forwards and backwards in time, then the very act of existing proves that the Singularity will not consume their reality. This is known as the Weak Cyberic Principle, the selection bias for consciousness. The flaw in this argument is, of course, that though Unicron may consume an entire reality, from the big bang through the big crunch (or entropic heat death, depending on the specific constants involved), those who escape to other realms, or whose consumption was witnessed by extradimensional visitors, may yet live on, in memory if nowhere else. Primax 703.09 Gamma is a good example of one such ravaged stream.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universe did the Offworlder known as Comet hail from before being murdered by Bug Bite?
.
.
A: Dear Offworld Ontologist,
The same universe he hailed from after being murdered by Bug Bite! Ha!
June 27, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
We consider the Viron cluster to be funny, but would the Viron cluster Thirteen seem funny as well?
.
.
A: Dear Comedy Character,
Humor is subjective. Who can say what someone will find amusing? Why, I am under the impression that the TransTech think me more than a little "funny."
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who were Bio Ranger Iga's Thirteen Great Demon Generals?
.
.
A: Dear Docent of Dark Demons,
Iga carefully curated his Thirteen Great Demon Generals from far and wide, seeking to visit these phantasmal abominations on an unsuspecting reality-swath.
Zarak Maximus was the first of Iga's generals, his Fusion Paranoia General.
The Quintessons provided Hydratron in tribute, to further their Byzantine interests. He became Iga's Stygian Anguish General.
To avenge the broken ruins of Planet Dinosaur came the twins, Volcanicon and Obsidian, the Transwarp Pandemic General and the Radiation Mutilation General.
Shockwave alone ignored the summons, sending in his place his brother, Sixshot, the Filicide Ninjitsu General.
To represent their obscure eldrich concerns, the Ebon Knights put forth Monstructor, the Nightmare Abyss General.
From beyond the reach of time itself, the Destronger Chōkon General Gigatron joined Iga's sinister crusade.
A scouring of the frozen wastes of a Viron Greengard yielded Ruination, Iga's Arctic Decay General.
To further his own Machiavellian machinations, a Starscream-analog violently broke Toxitron's components out of incarceration, and thus was the Miasma Apostate General unleashed upon the universe.
Ragnarok, the Genetronic Apocalypse General, joined Iga in gratitude after the Lord of the Tenth Planet released him from a dead-end universe.
Conjured from the distant fringes of reality was Iga's Cybernetic Subjugation General, Puzzler.
From the realm of legends did Shokaract stride boldly forth, proclaiming himself the Omega Singularity General.
And finally, to lead them all, was Galvatronus, retrieved from a Dead Universe, the Deceptigod Emperor General.
Truly, they were the avatars of onieric horrors. The Thirteen visited many atrocities upon an unsuspecting cosmos, but fortunately... well, perhaps I have gone on long enough. I suppose that is a tale for another day.
July 2015
July 8, 2015
Oh, my, that was quite the ordeal. Fortunately, I am pleased to say that Sideways got nothing of value from me, though I am disappointed that the TransTech allowed him to slip away. Ask Sideways shall be shutting down, I am happy to say.
While I know that it is my cosmic duty to continue with this interaction, after my ordeal I feel as if I would best be able to answer your questions if I took a small, two to three decade break. I hope this doesn't disappoint any of you humans too much.
Ah, that is so much better. I'm sure you've all missed me, but I'd like to assure you that the time off was necessary to my body, my mind, and, in many ways, my duties. The year on Hydrus IV to recover was well spent. After that, seventeen years on Cuddlex that seemed to just fly by. (Though, I did find their missionaries a bit pushy, I have to say.) Then a quick break to help save the galaxy with Optimus Prime, Cheetor, Bulkhead, and Strongarm, a few years spent in quiet contemplation at Ofsted XVII, and a few month consulting for the Cloud World Autobots. It's been a long break, but I think I'm ready to resume our little experiment together. Time to dust off the ancient queue. And, of course, if you have new questions, I am happy to consider those as well.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is it relatively uncommon in the multiverse for Cybertronians to have personal FTL capability?
.
.
A: Dear Physics Pal,
You put that very well. Yes, it is relatively uncommon. Most Cybertronians with FTL capability gain it from their alt mode.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us more about the Predacon Wolfang? Does he have any connection to the Maximal Wolfang?
.
.
A: Dear Allegiance Asker,
You will learn more about Wolfang in the upcoming Beast Wars: Uprising story, Trigger Warnings.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Whatever happened to the Steelhaven in Primax 984.0 Gamma?
.
.
A: Dear Lunar Looker,
The Steelhaven was damaged beyond repair by Ratbat's attack. It was cannibalized for parts to repair the Ark, with whatever remained disintegrated lest it fall into human hands and unduly advance the technology of your world.
July 9, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Welcome back! Glad that all of our questions (And probably his streaming of Galactic Guardians from Webmovies) helped track down that 3 faced (...well, 2 faced now that he doesn't have his own head) Unicron spawn! I was wondering though, just how "Techno-organic" are the modern bots of the Uniend cluster? I remember a Ratchet from that reality mentioning T-cogs were, to a certain degree, a biological component.
.
.
A: Dear Considerate Cogologist,
Thank you, I am happy to be back. Indeed, any time spent communing with the Quadwal Cluster leaves traces that can be tracked. I am grateful that my friend and colleague Rhinox devoted so much effort to securing my release, especially in the aftermath of the Waruder invasion.
In any event, I am not quite certain what you would consider "modern bots." I can say that, if Ratchet called T-cogs biological, he was most likely speaking metaphorically. T-cogs are complicated systems not fully understood that, in many ways, behave more like part of an organism than like part of a mechanism. However, T-cogs are not, by themselves, techno-organic in any meaningful sense of the word.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you verify all of Sideways' claims while you were indisposed?
.
.
A: Dear Non-Linear Note-taker,
Are you asking me to cast my consciousness back to the time I was being interrogated by Sideways and, in this reference-frame, verify his claims? While such a thing is possible, I would really rather not re-subject myself to his not-so-tender ministrations.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How do you feel about getting kidnapped by Sideways?
.
.
A: Dear Torture Talker,
The actual time spent with Sideways was, of course, extremely unpleasant, but I believe that it helped serve a greater purpose in the Multiverse. Now that it has been several years, I can reveal that I gave him JUST enough intelligence to help direct his actions in a way that he was inadvertently serving the will of the Primal Program. I'm sure that, twisted spark that he is, even he might appreciate the irony of that
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are there any particular realities where Cyclonus's Armada were as prominent in the war as the Sweeps, or perhaps more prominent?
.
.
A: Dear Mass-Produced Master,
The Multiverse is vast. Almost anything you can imagine exists within its confines.
July 10, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who was the skull-faced being Optimus Prime encountered when he journeyed into the Matrix to learn of the Hate Plague?
.
.
A: Dear Ancient Augurer,
Why do you assume it is a being? The Matrix is not bound by such logic!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you know what in the Eternal Spark of Primus is the monstrous mechanoid known as Majin Zarak?
.
.
A: Dear Horror Handler,
Majin Zarak is quite the terrifying beast, though there is no need for blasphemy. Its origins are quite mundane. The Scorponok of Primax 489.0 Zeta, using dimensional research gathered from the ghostly dimensional bridge that had appeared over the Blackrock Industries oil spill in Alaska, attempted to multiply his power exponentially. From his aircraft carrier base, he sent tendrils to various points in space and time, questing for an energy source potent enough to allow him to crush his enemies. When he stumbled upon the Argos Cluster and connected to its ruler, Horus, Scorponok was able to get said power, but it mutated him and his binary-bonded partner, driving them insane and fusing them with their floating fortress.
The Zarak / Scorponok beast went on a rampage that nearly destroyed central Europe. So epic was the destruction that only the combined might of the Autobots and Decepticons could thwart the beast. Horsehead dubbed the creature Majin Zarak, after the ancient Predacon in the Covenant of Primus. The Autobot and Decepticon Micromasters were able to lure the creature into an oil tanker and send it careening off into space.
Majin Zarak went on to destroy planets all over the galaxy, from Ghennix to Neutronia to Thermia to Thrull. Eventually, Galvatron of Primax 1298.19 Alpha would bring him into his universe. There it would attempt to destroy Lio Convoy and his Maximals, only for the beast to finally be destroyed... forever?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
This may sound a bit odd to someone like your kind, but since there has been a number of "transformers romance" have you ever been in a relationship with either your kind or a different species before? I'm just curious considering even Megatrounous and Optimus had a lover at some point in their timeline.
.
.
A: Dear Romance Reconnoiterer,
There was a time when I was but a humble Autobot leader, a Matrix bearer, and unaware of my place in the grand cosmic scheme. I grew... close... to my bodyguard, Scorpia, during our many adventures together. As I was her commanding officer, I was reluctant to give in to my feelings for her, but over time we both agreed to put aside such concerns. When I learned who I was and what role I was destined to play, I said a tearful goodbye.
I haven't thought about her for millions of years. I find...
Perhaps it is time to move on to another question.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
An Optimus Prime has been know to have a affair with a human girl name Marrissa. Could that lead to the birth of Ginrai?
.
.
A: Dear Scandalous Stalker,
My word! It is impolite to spread rumors.
July 11, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What exactly makes someone a Prime rather than a regular transformer. Are all Convoy's Primes?
.
.
A: Dear Prime Principal,
As ever, that varies by universe. In many universes, Prime is a rank bestowed upon an Autobot. Sometimes it is reserved for the highest echelons of Autobot leadership, but sometimes it is used for more junior officers. Sometimes only Matrix bearers are considered Prime, other times only the original Thirteen Transformers can have the honor.
Not all Convoys are Prime. For instance, the Convoy who fought in the Beast Wars was not addressed as Prime, merely Primal, although he did have the Prime Spark. There are also such individuals as Nitro Convoy, Flame Convoy, Live Convoy, Megalo Convoy, Reverse Convoy, and many others who are neither called Prime nor possessed of the Prime Spark.
Q: Dear Alpha Prime,
Is M.A.S.K. a part of Primax 984.17 Alpha?
.
.
Dear Illusion Inquirer,
Most universes containing iterations of the Mobile Armored Strike Kommand fall within greater Megaverse, rather than the Multiverse, and thus do not often receive stream designations from the TransTech. Of course, there are exceptions...
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What are the names of the X-Dimension Mini-Cons, besides the Zephyr Blade Team?
.
.
A: Dear Micron Moniker Master,
Oh ho, did news of the Zephyr Blade Mini-Con Team get out to your dimension? I don't remember talking about them on this forum. Aside from them, there are nine I can think of:
1--Sail, Knot, and Float, the Coastal Defense Team
2--Shot, Bomb, and Crack, the Rapid Deployment Mini-Con Team
3--Drift, Spin, and Indy, the Burning Rubber Mini-Con Team, who form the Cosmotector shield
4--Bank, Wheelie, and Arcee, the Urban Protection Team, who form Bumble
5--Flame, Glide, and Recon, the Nocturnal Assault Mini-Con Team
6--Prowl, Draft, and Twist, the Accident Recovery Mini-Con Team
7--Wheel, Crush, and Duster, the Heavy Machinery Mini-Con Team
8--Junk, Winch, and Spike, the All-Terrain Excursion Team
9--Mir, Move, and Apollo, the Cosmic Exploration Team, who form the Astro Blaster
Most Mini-Con teams have names, though in steams where they only communicate through binary warbling it can be difficult to understand what they are.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
From what universal stream was Megatron announcing the 2015 Hall of Fame?
.
.
A: Dear Fabulous & Famous,
When I saw this question I thought it would be an easy one to answer. However, the stream in question proved elusive. I needed to enlist the aid of Rhinox and even then we were baffled. We dispatched Heinrad to the stream to find out, which solved the mystery. It turns out that the Megatron they had contacted was from Primax 785.13 Zeta. 'tis an odd realm, but one where the Megatron in question had the necessary perspective to understand the concepts involved.
July 12, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universe do the tiny Penbots hail from?
.
.
A: Dear Diminutive Deacon
A very small one!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Could you give us an example of an Iota stream?
.
.
A: Dear Internet Investigator
They are comparatively rare, but there are a few I can think of whose exploits have reached the Quadwal Cluster. Primax 514.23 Iota is one that I was recently asked about. Tyran 609.22 Iota is another. Aero-Bot wound up here after his unfortunate excursion to the X-Dimension.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Where did you get your sword Rhisling?
.
.
A: Dear Blade Buddy,
Oh ho, that is quite the tale! In days of long ago, after I assisted in hiding away my brother's five new individual selves, I too went into hiding, locking off former memories of my kin and the battles and horrors we faced. In the ancient days of Aurex 404.11 Kappa, I became the leader of the Autobots, and was granted that universe's manifestation of the Matrix of Leadership.
My Autobots and I faced many challenges; Devron, the Eater of Sparks; the dread warlord Megazarak; the Second-Born Intellects calling themselves Destructons. Many stellar cycles after the titanic conclusion of the second Cybertronian war, I was called upon by the Chronarchitect. Though I was reluctant to abandon my charges, I felt compelled, as if I had a higher calling. I passed the Matrix to my faithful right hand, Guardian Major, and left to help mend damage that the Time Walker could not.
With me were the select few Autobots who chose to abandon all they knew to stand by my side. We were the Time Warriors, composed of medical officer Kaltor, my bodyguard Scorpia, intelligence officer Autoceptor, and quantum scientist Deceptor. Our tasks were legion, and they were varied. We prevented the Magmatron of Primax 206.15 Gamma to falling prey to the X-Dimension, faced uncanny horrors in primeval Primax 514.3 Gamma, and made peaceful contact with the time-traveling natives of LV-117.
Eventually, we unearthed what was vexing the Chronarchitect, the horrifying entity known as Mogahn the Mass. I fear that mere words are inadequate to describe the nightmare that Mogahn was, is, and is yet to be. Stars, planets, asteroids, ships, nebula, pulsars, and countless sentient beings were fused into his Mass, with all who resisted falling prey to his Cyber Caliber. Even the Chaos God, Unicron, tended to avoid realities where The Mass manifested. We fought against him in an endless array of realities, everywhere lives being subsumed into him. Hope seemed lost. Our final battle almost proved my end... and then time fell to a standstill. I found myself floating, for what felt like an eternity, in what was the home to the greatest Cybertronians. My home... the Realm of The Primes.
The Five of the Thirteen who dwelled there reached out to me, reminded me who I was, unlocked my long-sealed memories. I was no longer a humble Autobot leader, I was the Guardian of Space and Time, and no one, no thing, could stand in the way of my duties. My consciousness returned to the physical plane, and I wrest the Cyber Caliber from Mogahn's grasp. Using the gift that Amalgamous, who was then called Adaptus, gave to me, I reformatted it into a sword capable of slicing through time itself. With the last of my strength, I freed all of the captive souls and sparks with the Mass, and sent what remained of him hurtling back screaming to the beginning of time, where his destruction became known as the Big Bang, creating the very reality we happened to be fighting in.
My purpose realized, I said a tearful farewell to my troops and friends and... lover, and became once again bound to my duties, but with a new determination I had never felt before.
- Q: Thank you for telling your story if I may ask, I was under the impression that Amalgamous was a member of the Thirteen native to the Uniend cluster, and not the greater multiverse. is he known by another name in other clusters?
- Ask Vector Prime I... it is difficult for me to trust my own memories as I assimilate the echoing experiences of the Uniend version of myself. You must realize that some shifts resonate forward and backward along the timestreams, retroactively changing events so that certain changes are, to my own subjective experience, not changes at all, but concrete realities. And I sense that the Multiverse is particularly brittle, as if we are rapidly approaching an inflection point. I seem to remember dozens, hundreds, thousands, millions of different versions of events, though this should not be possible.
- If this is confusing to you, I apologize. It merely reflects my own uncharacteristic uncertainty.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is the Vehicle Pretender Gunrunner and the Micromaster Gunrunner the same individual?
.
.
A: Dear Case Clarification Cardinal,
Generally speaking, no, they are different individuals.
July 13, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I recently watched Transformers the Movie. Are there any Primax Universes where the event of season 2 of Transformers occurred but the Battle of Autobot City and the various casualties never happened?
.
.
A: Dear Timeline Twister,
Such things have happened many times in the history of the multiverse. One notable instance is Primax 903.0 Beta, when Ravage's temporal machinations resulted in such an instantiation.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you know what the universal cluster identifications GI: Joe Sigma 6, GI Joe Resolute, GI Joe Renegades, Rise of Cobra and Retaliation fall under?
.
.
A: Dear Joe Jumper,
Such universes do not fall within the purview of the Multiverse, residing instead within the larger Megaverse. As such, the TransTech are largely unaware of their existence and classifications for their streams do not exist in such a taxonomy.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What are the names of the yellow and blue seekers who, along with Acid Storm, make up the trio known as the Rainmakers?
.
.
A: Dear Precipitation Pal,
The Rainmakers are foes most perilous, doing Shockwave's cold bidding on Cybertron and, in some timestreams, on Earth.
The yellow Seeker is known as Nova Storm. This humorless knave nearly winged me with his Trilithium Crystal Cannons. His armor is hardened against heat and radiation, enabling him to function in the heart of a volcano or even, for a short period of time, the outer chromosphere of a star. He is one of the few bots able to withstand the presence of Sunstorm, Shockwave's prototype for Seeker body-modification, for extended periods.
The blue Seeker goes by Ion Storm. I am fortunate enough to have never encountered this cocky Decepticon, for he is an electrokinetic of the first order. This ability could, in theory, generate an electromagnetic pulse and disable all electronics in an area, though I suspect doing so would leave him nearly helpless.
At least so it goes in Primax 509.28 Epsilon.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Socket, Plier, and Bit part of a Mini-Con team?
.
.
A: Dear Tamer of the Tiny,
Ah, yes, the Battlefield Maintenance Mini-Con Team. You will be hard-pressed to find three more capable engineers, especially under combat situations.
July 14, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Glad you're back! I hope you're feeling alright. Well, I've got another question. This might be tough on you but (forgive me if this seems a bit personal), if you could give up your position as guardian of time and space to be a regular bot with the freedom of doing what you want for a change, would do it you?
.
.
Dear Considerate Chaplain,
I am feeling very well, thank you, though at nine billion years old there are certain surges and shorts that one simply does not experience in one's youth.
I do not think I could, in good conscience, renounce my position as guardian of space and time, for I would fear the consequences should I do so. The multiverse is vast, and there is always some threat percolating in one or another corner of it.
Were it possible for me to do so, safely, and without putting others at risk, I think I would very much enjoy settling down and being a factory. Having the chance to build things, something nice like carburetors or sensor arrays, would feel very satisfying I think.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does the Cryo Saber-forming trio of Snowblind, Lens, and Quantum have a team name?
.
.
Dear Micron Meister,
They are sometimes called the Blizzard Intervention Mini-Con Team.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you give is some background on Reverse Convoy?
.
.
A: Dear Possession Pal,
Reverse Convoy was a faithful vassal of the Convoy Council, one of the few Autobots of this primarily Maximal institution. Compared to such peers as Lio Convoy, Fire Convoy, and Galaxy Convoy, Reverse Convoy possessed far more humility. In his day, the threat of the Predacons was remote, and the need for new sources of energon acute. Consequently, when temporal probes discovered a world with a pre-existing mechanical ecostructure, Reverse Convoy wasted no time gathering a team of scientists and archaeologists to explore this potential new colony.
The world was a paradise. Gleaming metal spires, seas of mercury, vast highways, enormous machines of unknown purpose. Three three magnificent cities, which one of the few working hardlight holograms seemed to refer to as the Tripura, dominated the largest continent. Whatever sentient mechanoids had lived there had long since departed, making it an ideal colony. The Tripurans had left behind one final legacy; they had collapsed their moon into a singularity for reasons unknown.
Reverse Convoy settle this new colony, which they dubbed Vehicon after the many automated factories they were able to refurbish. The world held many wonders, but the orbiting singularity was perhaps the most impressive of all. Reverse Convoy developed a methodology to tap into its gravitational tides, producing nigh-unlimited quantities of energon for his people. The spacebridge to Cybertron functioned night and day, transporting energon cubes back to the Convoy Council and helping to revitalize Cybertron and its colony worlds.
Unfortunately, fate soon intervened. In the year 2004, thousands of years in the past relative to Reverse Convoy's native time, Decepticon Emperor of Destruction Megatron--who was, at that time, occupied with the conquest of Cybertron--attempted to pay a visit to Earth for a front-line review of the ongoing struggle against the Autobots' Binaltech warriors. Latent transwarp energies which had saturated his spark in the explosion of the Warp Gate known as the Trigger a decade prior chose that moment to erupt, disrupting his space bridge transit, and casting him adrift in time and space. Using his personal transwarp link to a black hole, Megatron was able to save himself from oblivion by transferring his spark into Reverse Convoy's body, via the Autobot's own similar system. Had Megatron been more patient, he might have used his position as Supreme Commander of Vehicon to cause untold harm and build a new empire for himself. Instead, impatient to return to the fight, he jumped through the Blasty Zone, which brought him back to shortly after he had left his own time, into the midst of the Solitarium War. When Megatron was eventually defeated and driven from his body, Reverse Convoy apologized for letting himself be used in such a way; he was sent back to his proper place in space and time, after which Megatron's own body rematerialized on Earth, and he too was restored.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What does your holo-matter avatar look like?
.
.
Dear Illusion Inquisitor,
That varies by species, of course. It's been a long, long time since I've used one for humans, and I no longer have its patterns in my memory banks.
I suppose there is the barest chance that my likeness survives on Earth, allow me to do a quick search... OH HO! Indeed, apparently the memory of my visit left an impression.
Yes, when I used a holomatter avatar to interact with humans, it looked something like this:
- Q: Hi, Vector Prime. Is there a reason you chose that particular statue of Hermes to share with us?
- Ask Vector Prime Actually, yes, there was. I was trying to find one that showed Rhisling to better effect, which I believe humans called the Caduceus, but most of the images kept getting rejected by the Axiom Nexus Auto-Censors. I'm not precisely sure why, perhaps something to do with my external network adapter being exposed in most of the images. Though, of course, that was the style of the times.
- Q: When in Rome...er Greece.
- Ask Vector Prime Indeed. Though, had I known that this piece of hardware would cause me trouble later on, I might have selected an internal network socket configuration as did Liege or Onyx.
July 15, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Minimus Ambus a Mini-Con, a Micromaster, or just really short?
.
.
A: Dear Micro Machine Maker,
That depends on the universe. He has been all three, and a Cyberdroid and even a Nebulan in different realities. I remember one universe where the Cyberdroid Minimum Ambus underwent the Bravemaster process to become binary bonded to Ultra Magnus, the first (but certainly not the last) to do so.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is whatever you say considered official on the human website called transformers wiki?
.
.
A: Dear Wiki Wonderer,
You would have to ask them that. This isn't "Ask Walky Prime," after all. Ha!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who are the members of the Sky Scorcher Mini-Con Team?
.
.
A: Dear Small Student,
The Sky Scorcher Mini-Con Team is often made up of Effect, Blitz, and Seeker.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Most of the Thirteen Great Demon Generals are known to us, but what can you tell us of Puzzler, the Cybernetic Subjugation General? Rumors say that he is a Gobot.
.
.
A: Dear Demon Dancer,
Rumors are true. Puzzler hails from the Gargent Cluster. Though a sparkless drone in Gargent 984.08 Alpha, Bio Ranger Iga chose Gargent 1184.10 Gamma as the universe from which to pluck Zig Zag, Crossword, Pocket, Rube, Jigsaw, and Tic Tac. These six cyborgs could pool their intellects into one massive being, and in Primax 1086.0 Kappa did Iga permanently freeze them in this configuration. Their egos forever linked, the six components cried out in anguish at their loss of individuality, but the aggregate Puzzler swore fealty to Iga in thanks for his continual existence.
July 16, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does the Turbomaster Hyperdrive exist only in theory or is there some universe, somewhere in which he has gigantic, expensive exploits?
.
.
A: Dear Heroic Helper,
I'm surprised that his exploits haven't reached the Quadwal Cluster already! Surely they have, perhaps... no, not there, but maybe... hmmm... possibly in Primax 7... Ah ha, found him! His exploits, or at least a tiny slice of them, HAVE reached you from one Primax microcontinuity, where he clashed with Skyquake. Let me tell you of his impact on that reality.
Before the Great War, he was the head of the Elite Guard academy. He taught hundreds of the greatest Autobot warrior, from Grimlock to Ultra Magnus to even Optimus Prime himself. When the Great War began, he helped thousands of neutrals flee from Yuss, and stopped an entire battalion of Hunter-Seekers with a single blast of his Hyperion Cannon.
When the Ark departed, he chose to remain behind on Cybertron. When it became clear that a Decepticon victory over the barren planet was inevitable, he gathered as many survivors as he could find and stormed Straxus' shipyards, commandeering the Iron Hope and setting back Decepticon space infrastructure by hundreds of thousands of stellar cycles. Hoping to find a way to revitalize his homeworld, he and his crew scoured the galaxy. His exploits became the stuff of legends, such as his heroic clash with the Decepticon Verminator and his army of petro-rabbits on Delta Pavonis V, his rescue of the S.S. Exton 9 from a space barnacle infestation, and a clash with the Intruder Empire that left its navy in shambles.
Million of years later, Optimus Prime defeated the returned nucleon-empowered Megatron and retired from his post. Hyperdrive was passed the Matrix of Leadership. Taking a far less on hands approach to warfare, and leaving Thunder Clash in charge of tactical decisions, Hyperdrive was no less honorable than Optimus, Dai Atlas, Emirate Xaaron, or Rodimus before him.
When Predator leader Skyquake obtained forestonite and nearly destroyed the entire Sol System, Hyperdrive was waiting to engage him, sporting his Apex Armor. Together with Rotorstorm, he sent Skyquake running back to New Kaon with his tailpipe between his legs.
Hyperdrive was well-liked as a leader, and when he stepped down to hand over leadership over to Pyro, he still stayed on the front lines, until the war was finally over and the Cybertron Alliance established. His eventual death from Corrodia Gravis was a sad but peaceful affair. I myself attended his funeral. That was a melancholy solar cycle for all Autobots, all Cybertronians, indeed. His light burned bright, and inspired many generations of Maximals that followed.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do the Enigma of Combination and the Infinite Combinatoric have any connection to one another?
.
.
A: Dear Relic Relisher,
Is there a connection between Jupiter and Odin and Ahura Mazda and Zeus and Marduk?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Could you tell us about the distant future of the Viron universal cluster?
.
.
A: Dear Cosmological Commentator,
Certainly. In some streams, the fundamental constants and makeup of the universes are such that they will eventually experience a Big Rip, with the scale factor of the universe becoming simultaneously finite and infinite. Some, a Big Crunch, with all matter collapsing upon itself. Some, an entropic heat death, a perfect equilibrium of matter and energy, punctuated by the last hydrogen atom decaying into a burst of energy, and then nothingness. Of course, all of this is billions of years in the future. Your people and mine will have long since passed on by this time, so (barring time travel) we will not be there to experience it.
And then there are those TINY sliver of Viron universes where, with enough of Earth's children united in purpose, even the end of everything can be forestalled.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are we overloading your processors with all our questions? If so please don't send us to the Pit. We are only human, we don't know what we're doing and we have much to learn.
.
.
A: Dear Fearful Friend,
My Spark! I would never do such a thing, for I am fond of your species and the Inferno is place of fire and horrors such as no man or 'bot should have to endure.
And no, my processors are vast, and my memory crystals hold the fragments of nine billion years of non-linear history. I assure you, there is nothing you ask me that could overload my neural network. Fear not.
July 17, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Mile, Hover, and Solar part of a Mini-Con team?
.
.
A: Dear Team Taskmaster,
Possibly. The Solar, Mile, and Hover of whom I am thinking are all members of the Littoral Reconnaissance Mini-Con Team. You could be thinking about a different group of the three minuscule robots. I'm not a mind reader, after all.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
The transformation abilities of your species are quite impressive. But are there any forms that, to this day, Transformers have been unable to disguise themselves as? Some machinery too complex, some creatures too monstrous, some lifeforms too abstract?
.
.
A: Dear Mixed-up Morphologist,
Of course! While the scanning and replication process varies considerably by universe, and over time, our systems are not predicated on magic but on science. As such, there are, naturally, limits.
I am reminded of the tale of the Malignus and the Metrotitan, as told to me by my brother.
A Malignus is walking through the metallic wilderness and spies a Metrotitan scanning a new alt mode, a simple boulder. The Malignus is proud and yells to the titan, "You have chosen an unworthy form. If I was that size, I would scan something far more elaborate."
The Metrotitan looks down and spies this tiny 'bot, and his voice rumbles out, "little robot, if ye be so clever, why not see who can form the ultimate form?" The Malignus, being proud, agrees, and scans a jackhammer.
"Ha," he says, "you may be an enormous bolder, but I could break you down to nothing, given enough time."
The Metrotitan nods, conceding the point, and sees a squat and powerful bunker in the distance, and adopts that as his form. "Little Jackhammer, you would blunt yourself before putting a single dent in my bunker mode."
The Malignus converts back to his robot mode, perplexed, until he spies a missile launcher at a military reservation, and adopts this alt mode. "My missiles will puncture your bunker and destroy you from the inside, oh enormous one."
The Metrotitan reverts to his robot mode, once again thwarted. He casts his senses far and wide and spies a magnificent city protected by a rainbow dome. With much effort, he scans the entire complex and converts. "Oh ho, little one, for the Rainbow City is protected from all threats, internal and external. Nothing you could form will possibly penetrate it."
The Malignus reverted to his robot mode, stumped. He sat down and rubbed his chin, his mind dancing around a half formed idea. "Ah ha," he proclaimed, snapping his fingers, "I remember what breaks down all things. The relentless march of Entropy!"
The Metrotitan blanched. "Little bot, this is just a friendly contest. Conceded defeat, for no bot could assume such a form and survive."
The Malignus just smirked, convinced that the Metrotitan feared defeat. His scanner extruded from his shoulder and he tensed up. Seeing this, the Titan again begged the Malignus, "Little friend, this is too dangerous. *I* shall concede defeat, for what could stand against a force as mighty as Entropy? There is no need for you to attempt the impossible."
But the Malignus was proud, and wanted his victory to have real teeth. He unleashed his scanner far and wide, trying to recreate the force of Entropy in his circuits. And, after a fashion, he succeeded, for his essence spread far and wide, but no Spark could assume such an abstract concept and remain unchanged. Every molecule in his Spark raced away from every other molecule at the speed of light, and his consciousness scattered. The Metrotitan waited ten nights and ten days, but the Malignus never reassembled himself, and so he sadly trudged away, mindful of the pride of his people and vowing to never hurt one again.
As for the Malignus, he still exists, is still assuming the form of Entropy for the first and last time, and in the end may survive us all, though not in any form with a recognizable ego. And thus are 'bots warned not to scan more than they can convert.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you even hear our questions? Do you not answer them on purpose so that we may find answers on our own? There's so much we do not see but die to see.
.
.
A: Dear Striving Seeker,
I am aware of your questions, though I would not use the verb "hear." I answer as many as I have time to, for as the guardian of time and space, this is merely one of my many responsibilities, and a lesser one at that. Some questions have no answer, others have answers that your species are not ready to hear, and thus do they remain unanswered.
I advise patience. Though I may not provide the answers you seek, on a long enough time horizon all things become illuminated. Perhaps you yourself will unearth some of the mysteries vexing you so!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you give us a full roster of the thirteen as it is different per universe?
.
.
A: As your human television programs often like to say "stay tuned." That information is vast and must be delivered at an appropriate consumption rate for the human mind.
Although for the Uniend Cluster, the Covenant of Primus covering the identities and history of the Thirteen has already been distributed for crafty humans to discover, and you can learn more about them by tuning in to Robots in Disguise!
July 18, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
One version of Aurex Hot Shot had teammates who looked like Primax Wheelie and Sureshot. Who were they?
.
.
A: Dear Tag-Team Talker,
Viewing other clusters with a predilection for the Primax Cluster will often cause one to see what they believe are familiar individuals. That is not how one such as I perceives the multiverse. Wheelie and Sureshot have each had many, many bodies, and some non-trivial percentage of them overlap with Aurex Cluster natives.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Kreons known to travel to other universes?
.
.
A: Dear Brick Basker,
Despite the impression you may have from my timestream, actual dimensional travel is exceedingly rare. Of course, I encounter it orders of magnitude more than the average Cybertronian has, and my very long lifespan means I have had more time to encounter it.
Fornaxians do travel to other realities about as often as others, which is to say, seldom. Remember that the physics of each universe are paramount, so when a Kreon enters Axiom Nexus he takes on the qualities of natives. A Kreon in another reality cluster would not be apt to demonstrate the same level of modularity that he might in his home stream. Thus is the way of the Multiverse.
- Q: But when Autobots and Decepticons of the Uniend cluster summon Kreons to aid in their battles, they do have the same modularity. Are those Kreons special or Uniend physics are closer to Fornax than those of other clusters?
- Ask Vector Prime To which universe are you referring to... ah Uniend 1214.19 Kappa. I have never visited. My understanding of celestial mechanics is that they would be LESS modular, but certainly they would not lose this quality all together. But then, it isn't as if I am going to conduct experiments to confirm my hypothesis, blasting strange Kreons to bits in various streams to see what will happen. Other variables that may impact an individual Kreon's properties include the inherent constants of the universe in question, the precise mechanism of dimensional travel, and the length of time said Kreon has been away from their home universe. As you can see, there's no easy answer.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Dice, Jack, and Plug part of a Mini-Con team?
.
.
A: Dear Speedster Supporter,
They are occasionally referred to as the Highway Domination Mini-Con Team. Quite a rowdy bunch, those three. It is difficult to see how they could maintain their cooperation in every instantiation.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do any Transformers turn into ducks or geese?
.
.
A: Dear Anserini Asker,
Wouldn't you love to take a gander at Maximals with such a bodyform?
July 19, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
There are several Mini-Con teams that we only know of as "Microns". Guardian Micron, Hellflame Micron, Mighty Micron. Do they have other names in English-speaking parts of the Multiverse, and can you tell us about them?
.
.
A: Dear Miniature Meister,
Naturally, that depends on the specifics of the universe in question. In general, the Guardian Mini-Con Team is made up of ardent protectors. Guardian Powered tends towards the role of bodyguard. Guardian Speed is quite glib, with a propensity to protect the interests of her leaders fervently. Guardian Sky is most often involved in search & rescue. They are usually noble sparks, with a penchant for siding with the Autobots.
The members of the Hellflame Mini-Con Team, on the other hand, are violent, with tendencies towards sadism that belie their primary alternate modes as rescue vehicles. Each one can also become a potent weapon. Bulge becomes a Gatling gun that can shoot 10,000 death crystal splinters per second. Graviton can fire up to twelve spark-seeking moleculon micro-missiles. And Quasar turns into an ion displacer rifle. If you encounter them, be wary.
The third team you inquired of is the Mighty Mini-Con Team. They are, indeed, mighty, at least given their tiny stature. Mighty Dozer is a simple bot of good cheer, though he is something of a slacker. Occasionally he can be found enjoying a stasis-nap when he is supposed to be working. Mighty Bull is a braggart with a mild proclivity towards tall tales. And Mighty Strike is a serious bot, who practices at the Cyber-Ninja Dojo night and day. I rather enjoy their company; perhaps the next time I find myself back in the Aurex Cluster I shall visit with some or another version of them.
Though you did not specifically ask, perhaps the Caliber Mini-Con Team might also be of interest. Though their exploits have yet to reach the Quadwal Cluster, they are stealthy ninja-consultants, and can often be found in the service of Wing Saber. The team leader is Hyakurai, a serious mech who always gets the job done. Ichibi is sometimes heard but never seen, a master of misdirection. Mugen is the illusionist of the team. She can tap into the spiritual realm, albeit inconsistently.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Would the death of a universal stream's Primus be guaranteed to destabilize the spacetime of the universal stream?
.
.
A: The death of any deity is virtually guaranteed to send shockwaves rippling forwards and backwards through the quantum foam underpinning that reality. Witness the impact on timestreams near what you might refer to as Primax 787.3 Alpha. An omniversal reality was pulled into quantum-string vibrational alignment with their reality, allowing the people of the distant reality of Planet Sandra to make contact. Beings especially attenuated to the lifestream matrices of Vector Sigma, such as Godmessenger and Godmaster, acquire multiple conflicting histories and futures. Other streams that might otherwise be unrelated are pulled into probability vortex left by Cybertron's absence, their string vibrational eigenstates orienting to create one massive unified timeline where before there were many. Dimensional fragments from other clusters were duplicated wholecloth in this OG Reality, with completely different fermion modality, creating entirely new dimensional streams identical but for cosmetic details!
- Q: Does this explain the Car Robots timeline becoming a Primax stream?
- Ask Vector Prime Did you not find it odd how the same events occurred in both a Viron and a Primax stream?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I understand that, as the multiversal Keeper of Space and Time, it is rare for you to interfere with the affairs of a single universe. When you do need to focus your attention on one universe, who guards the Multiverse to ensure that other beings don't wreck havoc in whichever universe they so choose?
.
.
A: Dear Guardian Gabber,
It is true that the multiverse is a limitless place, and that one being, however non-linear his or her perception, cannot possibly hope to protect it all. However, I am far from alone in my quest. The Cloud World Autobots, the Alternity and Flaternity, the Quantum Operatives Skids and Screech, Heinrad and other servants of the Time Walker, even the TransTech are all able to, to varying degrees of alacrity, perceive and rectify multiversal threats.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Last Autobot from Primax 984.0 Gamma the version of you from that universe? Or is there any other connection between two of you, besides being similar in many ways?
.
.
A: Dear Perceptive Pal,
What? Me? No, that is not me. I thought I had given you enough information to guess at his identity.
- Q: Autonomus, yes?
- Ask Vector Prime Surely I needn't spell out every detail, complete every circuit however minute. Surely your species is capable of minor intuitive leaps.
July 20, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
So if you're Hermes, then were the other Twelve in Greek/Roman Mythology? Was Hades Megatronus? Was Solus Athene?
.
.
A: Dear Mythological Moniker Maker
Indeed they were, at least in a handful of reality streams. Your technology was not sufficiently advanced for us to assume inconspicuous forms, so we primarily interacted with your people with holomatter avatars, with our bodies perched atop a mountain peak.
Megatronus was not Hades, but Ares, for he was full of rage and anger. Solus Prime. content to build and toil. was known as Hephaestus. Athena, known for wisdom, was Alpha Trion.
As for the rest, it has been some time. My eldest brother, Prima, was addressed as Zeus. Nexus Maximus, his strong right hand, was called Hera. Onyx, content to hunt and enjoy the verdant fields of Earth, was called Artemis. Alchemist Prime indulged in all manner of concoctions, was addressed as Dionysus. Liege, ever-quick to form bonds and manipulate others, became known as Aphrodite.
The rest... hazy. Some instances, it is as clear as a polished crystal. Others, as opaque as a cup of oil. Waves crash through my mind, reality is overwrit from one instance to the next. I hesitate to spread information that may be true in one spark-pulse and false in the next. Apologies. To make it up for you, I did some slight digging and found a physical representation of Prima's holomatter avatar.
- Q: Why do people still paint Hades as a bad guy when he was the nicest god in the Greek pantheon? Megatronus being Ares makes a lot more sense.
- Ask Vector Prime I can't help but feel that, in many ways, my uncle was tragically misunderstood.
- Q: Was Poseidon your uncle too?
- Ask Vector Prime Yes, that seems a fair way to characterize our relationship, at least in some reality streams.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever met the Aurex Mini-Cons Brakedown, Clocker, and Override?
.
.
A: Dear Racing Raconteur,
I have indeed! The Courier Mini-Con Team were quite diligent in their mission, zipping around Earth and Velocitron with data-cons too sensitive to be entrusted to normal communication channels.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you know the name of the Jet-Helicopter Decepticon that fought alongside Exhaust in Primax 302.0 Gamma?
.
.
A: Dear Triple Threat,
I am not familiar with Primax 302.0 Gamma. There is a Decepticon matching your description named "Fumes" who was known to cavort with Exhaust in some universes, perhaps that is the bot of whom you inquire.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the nature of Devil Z's Devil Power? Is it some dark form of Jinchokon power or even Chokon Power as a whole?
.
.
A: Dear Mystic Master,
Devil Z wields a corrupt, powerful form of Chōkon Power called 魔超魂. Other villains, such as the Chaos Trinity, or the Predacon known as Direwolf, have attempted to harness such forces as well, with varying degrees of success.
July 21, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How many languages can you speak?
.
.
A: Dear Polyglot Person,
I am fluent in over six million forms of communication, and can readily assimilate new modes of spoken and written languages as the situation requires. Additionally, I have over thirty million dialects and idiomatic patterns in my memory crystals, and have rudimentary skills in another twenty million languages.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Did Optimus Primal always have an Energon Matrix, or was that exclusive to the Beast Wars II special?
.
.
A: Dear Special Speculator,
Primax 1298.19 Alpha is an interesting case, an offshoot of Primax 498.1 Alpha that re-merged with its parent trunk. The underlying reality substrate of this (and its parent) stream was such that Convoys are granted Energon Matrices. When Convoy was pulled from Primax 1097.01 Alpha, his history subtly altered, such that Convoy was indeed equipped with an Energon Matrix, and was able to achieve the Burning Convoy power-up to help defeat Majin Zarak and foil Galvatron's scheming.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Did Aero Bot ever recover from his excursion into the X-Dimension?
.
.
A: Dear Concerned Citizen,
Aero-Bot is doing just fine these cycles. I will remember to have passed on your concern for him the last time I saw him.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universe is the Legends Mobage game?
.
.
A: Dear Legendary Looker,
Primax 1212.13 Kappa.
July 22, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the name of the Red waitress Transformer?
.
.
A: Dear Monicker Maker,
I would like to turn around and ask you a question. All of you, reading this. Do you really care? I understand that some Cybertronians have an important impact on the world they live in, but despite this their names have yet to make it to your universe. These are oversights that I am more than happy to rectify. But many of my species are, if we are being brutally honest, forgettable, at least on a cosmic scale. While I do believe that every Spark is important, and should be nurtured and cherished, many are important mainly to the people who know and love them, and not in a historical or military context.
Realize, I am not omniscient. Yes, I have vast resources at my disposal. Yes, one of my celestial responsibilities is to interface with your species, that we might better understand each other. But I do not magically know the name of the young lady in question. I would need to travel to this stream, or send an agent, and ask her. Or, perhaps, I could zero in on her stream and watch until someone addresses her. Possibly I could trans-dimensionally hack a database that would contain such information.
My point is that, yes, I could probably discover such information, but would it really matter to you? Would your life, your understanding of my people and the conflicts we endure and inflict upon the rest of the universe, be improved for the knowing? Please do not take this as a criticism! Humanity's curiosity is boundless, your thirst for knowledge nigh-unquenchable, so unlike my often moribund species. I would do nothing to quash that, merely, I hope, redirect it to weightier matters.
I genuinely wish to hear from you regarding this topic. My time is a finite resource, and this forum for our interaction will not exist forever. I wish to make of it what you, the reader, desire it to be. But perhaps you have not thoroughly reflected yourself on what you wish it to be. Turn your optics inward for a moment, reflect, and the let me know.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What happened in the Tyran stream where it was Megatron that fought and defeated the Fallen?
.
.
A: Dear Horde Handler,
A universe where Megatron defeated my brother, but only after Optimus Prime had destroyed the Star Harvester? I believe you mean Tyran 609.23-PX Kappa II. I am afraid that, for reasons mystifying to me, certain universes are becoming cloudier to me, and my recollection poorer. I remember the events here as if through a haze, or a dream, or as one of my brother's many tales. Perhaps it is merely the binary end-state nature of this particular universe.
Galvanized by his victory over his treacherous mater, Megatron returned to space to raise his army. He considered conquering Earth, but realized that the true prize was Cybertron. With his soldiers energized and eager for combat, he began a series of engagements across the surface of your world, pushing the Autobots and NEST back across all fronts. Soundwave cleverly planted hints for Sam Witwicky to find that would lead the Autobots to the Ark crashed on the surface of your moon.
Optimus Prime rose to the bait and led the expedition, taking the Xantium to your nearest neighbor. With Megatron's relentless offensive closing all avenues, Optimus was backed into a corner. He hastily revived Sentinel Prime on the lunar surface, hoping that space bridge technology might turn the tide. This was exactly what Megatron had been hoping for. He immediately attacked, and with the help of the quisling defeated the expedition and captured Optimus Prime.
With the aid of collaborationist humans, Megatron seized the city of Chicago and used space bridge technology to pull Cybertron into Earth's orbit. Humans were put to work rebuilding Cybertron and strip-mining their world, under the leadership of Dylan Gould. A faction of pragmatists within the remains of the human armed forces and intelligence communities, Cemetery Wind, was formed to hunt down any rogue Autobots. Under the command of Harold Attinger, it was sadly quite effective.
All of this changed with the arrival of Lockdown, who demanded Optimus Prime be turned over to him. Both Sentinel Prime and Megatron refused, the former out of loyalty, the latter out of pride. Sentinel had been trying to bring Optimus to his way of thinking, without success. Lockdown offered a protomatter Seed to Sentinel for his protege, and Sentinel was sorely tempted. But, while he had been trying to reach Optimus with his words, Optimus too had used the opportunity to revitalize Sentinel's cold spark. Sentinel pretended to hand Optimus to Lockdown for the Seed, but at the exchange ambushed the bounty hunter and captured his vessel.
Things get hazier after this, as it flips back and forth to Tyran 609.23-PX Kappa I, which tends to run much closer to the Tyran universal average. Sentinel and Optimus allied themselves with the legendary Dinobots they had freed to wage a long guerrilla war against Megatron and his Decepticons. In the end they were usually able to free humanity and revitalize Cybertron with the Seed. Of course, there was still much enmity between our species, and new threats continued to rear their heads. It would take many human generations for true peace to blossom between Earth and its newest satellite.
Q: salutation vector prime,
How was your day? Good, bad, or a little in between. If bad, I hope it gets better. Also, thank you for taking the time to respond to our questions with such detail. It means a lot.
.
.
A: Dear Karmically Kind,
I thank you for asking. As it turns out, this has been a somewhat trying solar cycle for me. Nothing of cosmological significance, just the minor tribulations known to every sentient species, no matter what carapace we wear. Your unselfish inquiry certainly lightened my spark, if only for a moment.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the story behind Gaiacross, and what universe is he from?
.
.
A: Dear Multiforce Meister,
Gaiacross is the hyper-evolved body form of a team of combiner Autobots, needed to fight a foe most perilous and his mindless hordes in the Vega sector.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Torque, Crunch, and Spoil part of a Mini-Con team?
.
.
A: Dear All-Terrain Augurer,
Yes. Those three sometimes make up the Off-Road Mini-Con Team.
July 23, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is the Realm of the Primes the same place where Optimus Prime met you after gathering all Blades of Time? And can you tell us more about this/those dimension(s)?
.
.
A: Dear Prime Pal,
That is indeed where we met. You will be learn more about it on future episodes of Robots in Disguise.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever met the Quantum Operatives Skids and his alternate timeline counterpart/"brother" Screech? Do you know which timelines they hailed from?
.
.
A: Dear Dimensional Dilettante,
Yes, we have worked together in the past, or the future, in reality Primax 308.13 Beta I believe. They do good work, for laybots. I believe they once helped to corral Starscream's ghost back in... oh, I want to say Primax 209.20 Gamma. That spectral schemer certainly gets around, in both time and space!
But you were asking about where they hail from, correct? The operative calling himself Skids came from Primax 308.0 Zeta. The one calling himself Screech, on the other hand, came from Primax 1008.15 Gamma before Skids accidentally wrest him from his home. Would that my responsibility to the Source would allow me to assist him in his quest to return to the land of his forging. Alas, that would disrupt the natural order of things, and besides, his work is not yet done.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Was G1 Megatron's Spark ever replaced at the end of the Beast Wars?
.
.
A: Dear Tyrannical Tike,
I assume you are referring to Primax 496.22 Alpha? If that is indeed the case, yes, before the Maximals departed for Cybertron in the Autobot shuttle, they made sure Megatron's spark was where it belonged so history could proceed. Had they not, someone like myself would have stepped in.
I will confess to being surprised by this question. Did you not see the spark replaced with your own eyes in footage on the Kid Rhino and Madmen Entertainment DVD releases of Beast Wars?
- Q: Vector Prime you broked the 4th Wall!
- Ask Vector Prime Did I? I apologize. Please have your local mason repair it, and send me the documentation. I shall have ANN reimburse you for any expenses incurred .
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Cluster, Rotor, and Groove part of a Mini-Con team?
.
.
A: Dear Collective Cherisher,
They have teamed up from time to time. Perhaps "First Responder Mini-Con Team" would be appropriate. I admire their willingness to put themselves in harm's way if it means protecting an innocent.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How did the Angolmois energy actually give Cybertronian life to the cast of the Beast Wars Neo manga? Is this something to be concerned about?
.
.
A: Dear Dark Energon Darling,
The lifeblood of any part of the Source, be it Primus, Unicron, The Time Walker, or other iterants, can be harnessed to create a spark. In Primax 509.28 Epsilon, a hyper-intelligent Grimlock thus used the Dark Energon that permeated Unicron's head to grant life to the Technobots, a feat that should have been hundreds of thousands of years ahead of the capabilities of Cybertronians in this time stream.
As for your worry, I believe that sparks are neither good nor bad, but have the potential to be both, no matter the source of their creation.
July 24, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever known of a clash between Optimus Prime and Darth Vader?
.
.
A: Dear Sith Seeker,
Indeed! There was an Intergalactic Showdown in Iocus 606.0 Beta where such an event occurred.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Was Devil Z lying when he claimed that the eight Godmaster Transtectors were originally a single being called Godmaster only to break up into eight once it reached Earth?
.
.
A: Dear Caliph of Corruption,
When Godmaster and Godmessenger came to Earth, thousands of stellar cycles ago, they did so as twins, the son and daughter of a Light God, with a mandate to break the Silence and spread the Word. Infused with the power of 天超魂, they were nevertheless unprepared for the rush of 地超魂 that would assault them as they entered Earth's atmosphere.
Godmaster felt the growing power of Earth overwhelm him and, rather than succumb to its excess, allowed his dissolution. Her mind dissipated, spreading to all corners of the globe. His essence enhanced the development of humanity, and all around the world there were revolutions in agriculture, metal casting, and mathematics. As for her body, seven parts streaked away from her core as she crashed all around the globe. There he would slumber, eight divided pieces, gathering enough 人超魂 to balance the energies within him and achieve 天地人.
Godmessenger was selfish and would not allow her ego to dissipate. He embraced the power and it corrupted him. Her corporeal form disintegrated, but her intellect, cold and malevolent, survived. He spent many centuries learning to manifest in the physical realm, to control his power. When finally master it she did, she sought to manipulate events to allow the reconstruction of her brother into his original form, the indomitable Godmaster. Godmessenger's ultimate goal was the transference of his dark spark into his sister's reconstituted form, creating ultimate lifeform in the galaxy.
All of this is true. But it is also true that the eight Transtectors were stolen by Devil Z from G Nebula 89, bodies intended for fallen heroes and villains including the mighty Convoy and the remorseless Gigatron, and stashed on Earth to gather 人超魂 and 地超魂. And other conflicting versions of events are also true. Such is the fluid nature of the intersection of myth and reality, especially in unstable realities.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I have a straightforward question for you: does Archforce exist?
.
.
A: Dear No-Nonsense Neophyte,
Of course Archforce exists. Why, I have one MOSC that I found at a Nano-Flea Market.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are the other members of the Mini-Con 8 Pack in the Primax cluster like Barrel Roll?
.
.
A: Dear Mini-Con Maestro,
Barrel Roll, along with Iron Claw, Buckshot, Ironside, Reachout, Airlift, Diveplane, and Heavy-Liftor, first came to my attention in Aurex 503.01 Gamma. However, analog versions of them also exist in Primax 209.0 Gamma, as Builders, specifically Micromasters. More surprisingly, they have been spotted in Primax 1005.19 Gamma, where at least some are full-sized Autobots and Decepticons. Primax 1005.19 Gamma continues to exhibit unusual properties, causing me to wonder what it is about this universe that makes it so... unique.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Shockwave and Sixshot brothers in every continuity?
.
.
Dear Ardent Absolutist,
Very few things are true in every continuity.
July 25, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you please help me unlock Lockdown in Battle Masters?
.
.
A: Dear Video Game Victor,
Unlock Lockdown from Iocus 214.24 Kappa? I'm hesitant to do so, given how dangerous that bot can be. Still, because you asked nicely, I suppose I should. Just be careful that you only use him for good and never for evil.
If you have the Lockdown Battle Masters toy and scan the QR code, that will unlock the "Steel Shredder" for you. Otherwise, you will need to play through the various competitions in Championship play until he is in your stable of fighters. You have a chance to unlock a character the first time you get to the end of a round and achieve a belt on each level of play, easy, medium, and hard. There is an element of randomness to it, so I suggest that before you begin going for each belt you scroll to the top of the list and see who you will be unlocking. Good luck, future champion!
Q: Hi Vector Prime :3
What do you do for fun? Or in short, if you have the time, what do you do when your NOT working.
.
.
A: Hello.
During time when there is no pressing cosmological threat, one activity I greatly enjoy is perusing Axiom Nexus' extensive galleries. As one of the few Cybertrons which has been fortunate enough to never know the scourge of war, much of the population's energies have been turned towards artistic, philosophical, and scientific fields of inquiry. They construct amazing two, three, and even four dimensional representative and stylistic artwork, combining vivid use of color and energy spectrums with unusual textures and materials. Why, just the other solar cycle, I saw a Slog original that nearly made me gasp at its audacity and existential beauty.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who exactly are the Star Conclave and Galaticon Order, and which bots are members of them?
.
.
A: Dear Savage Savant,
Predacolonial politics is not really my area of expertise. Allegiances shift rapidly, loyalties are mercurial, alliances are built and grow strong and fracture and crumble. And, of course, all of this varies by universe. I'm afraid I am probably not the bot to ask.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does Search and Destroy Robot have a spark?
.
.
A: Dear Animus Adept,
That depends on the universe. Usually, no. The ones that you are presumably most familiar with, which served Oil Slick during the Universe conflict, were semi-sentient drones, often employed as suicide bombers.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the name of Aurex Sentinel Minor's subordinate who physically resembles Primax Wheelie?
.
.
A: Dear Underling Undergraduate,
You know, I once encountered a mech in Axiom Nexus matching that description who called himself Endo. I believe he was an Aurex Cluster native; perhaps that is the bot of whom you inquire.
July 26, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you know of any future Transformers continuities that we Quadwal humans have not yet discovered, that will take the form of future series in our world?
.
.
A: Dear Prognosticating Person,
Indeed I do.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Reachout, Airlift, and Diveplane part of a Mini-Con Team?
.
.
A: Dear Insatiable Iconoclast,
In realities where they are, in fact, Mini-Cons, it has been known to happen. In such instances, the Special Operations Team is their most common team name.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the name of Rodimus Prime's student in the future, who turned to evil?
.
.
A: Dear Deconstruction Disciple,
In Primax 207.0 Epsilon, he was destined to be called Trachis.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Moon Alpha an iteration of Primax Cybertron's Moonbase One/Luna 1? And is Moonbase Two/Luna 2 thus sometimes called Moon Beta?
.
.
A: Dear Satellite Soothsayer,
Indeed, it is so. Is that not obvious?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you mass-shift?
.
.
A: Dear Size Student,
I do not, at present, have the ability to increase or decrease my size, though were I to choose to scan a new alternate mode or perhaps become part of a combiner I could acquire such a capability.
July 27, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do Sideways' trans-phasing abilities come from a device that he wields, or is it a natural ability of his...perhaps identifying him as an Outlier?
.
.
A: Dear Cross-dimensional Character,
Sideways can trans-phase due to his inherent nature, rather than due to any external device. It makes him very dangerous. However, given his nebulous origins, I would be hesitant to characterize him as an Outlier.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Apex Bomber actually an upgraded Roller?
.
.
A: Dear Dashing Drone Deliniator,
In some universes, that is indeed the case.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Dear Vector Prime, what universe does Reptilion come from?
.
.
A: Dear Lizard Lover,
Originally, before he was abducted, that spark hailed from Primax 399.19 Kappa.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is the Thunderclash Mini-Con who came with Skywarp the same character as the Thunderclash who came with Ramjet?
.
.
A: Dear Mini-Con Monk,
While they are from separate universes, and therefore have subtle differences, they are indeed aspects of the same being.
July 28, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How can a Multiversally Singular being be cut off from their Multiversally Singular nature such as Shattered Glass Alpha Trion (and possibly other versions of him) and Viron Unicron? What happens to them once they are cut off?
.
.
A: Dear Singularity Seeker,
At the time, the negative-polarity Alpha Trion was not part of the Alpha Trion wavestructure event, as the Reality Blockade separating the Uniend Cluster from the rest of the Multiverse had not yet been breached. Now that it has, and the Alpha Trions are consolidating, it is unclear to me how or even if these events and experiences will be reconciled.
So, too, was the case with the Unicron of Viron 704.08 Gamma. This version began life on Planet X, a tyrant and conqueror. In his original guise, an unstoppable destroyer tank, he united this world and, utilizing a mystical Cyber Key, eventually merged his consciousness with it. Is it merely harmonic resonance crossing dimensional barriers that caused him to assume a planetary configuration and begin to consume this reality, before being stopped by Omega Prime and Fortress Maximus? Or did something greater guide this malevolent mind?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why are there no females heralds of Unicron?
.
.
A: Dear Fan of Female Fighters,
Why do you assume there are no female heralds of Unicron?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Outside of Raiden and Rail Racer, have you ever come across other combiners formed from Rail equipment?
.
.
A: Dear Caboose Canoodler,
Indeed I have. Sixliner and his elder brother Sixtrain are two prominent examples, as is Dominus Trannis.
- Q: Would it be fair to ask who makes up Dominus Trannis?
- Ask Vector Prime His most common components are Astrotrain, Steamhammer, and Loco.
- Q: Who is Dominus Trannis? Is there any connection between them and the Decepticon leader Trannis?
- Ask Vector Prime There is usually no connection to that black Spark. He is typically a Viron-based combiner created when Rail Racer is reformatted by the Robo-Smasher. In the reality I know him from, he would eventually fall at the hands of Defensor, who tried everything to save the original minds of the beings within. Sadly, they were too far gone, and times too desperate for any option save one. Defensor grieved mightily that day.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I have seen the 4 bayverse movies and now I'm waiting for the 5th one 2 years from now Is Optimus going to come back to earth after his creators?
.
.
A: Dear Cinema Chaser,
You will learn the answer to this question and more in the fifth installment of the Transformers film franchise in 2017!
July 29, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who was the 14th Transformer that came after the Thirteen?
.
.
A: Dear Nice Numerologist,
So, you want to know the twenty-seventh Transformer then?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I was just randomly wondering if you could tell us a little bit about Megatron's dead friend in the G2 universe.
.
.
A: Dear Generational Galavanter,
You must realize there are many universes where there is a "second generation" of Cybertronians. Primax 509.28 Epsilon comes readily to mind. But, unless I am mistaken, I believe you are referring to Kiloton. A thoughtful and introspective bot, he was descended from Quintesson models designed for high-level tactics and strategy. As one of Megatron's earliest recruits, he often acted as a sounding board while Megatron was planing his campaigns. A friendship was forged in fire; they became more than close. In the battle for Ultrix he was wounded and nearly killed, for he was designed for wargames and not front-line warfare. Megatron was horrified, and sent his friend off-world to recover, stating that the medical facilities on Gpii II would be better equipped to handle his wounds. Who knows, perhaps Megatron even believed this line of reasoning himself... or perhaps ensuring his constant companion was now far from danger gave him the clarity of mind to achieve his many victories in the war. The recovery was slow, and by the time Kiloton was fully functional, Megatron and the bulk of the Decepticon leadership had vanished.
Kiloton despaired for a time, and traveled the galaxy seeking a purpose, for his loyalty was more to Megatron than to the Decepticon cause. He acted as consultant to warlords and generals, eventually retiring to focus on the philosophies underlying conflict and warfare. He wrote several influential treatises and became something of a force for peace in the galaxy.
Millions of stellar cycles later, he rejoiced at the news of Megatron's revival. He hastened to Cybertron, arriving during the days of the tenuous peace between the Autobots and Decepticons. Megatron was overjoyed to see that he had survived, and perhaps inevitably he became an influential figure in the Cybertron Alliance. Alas, the Pretender Starscream, freshly humiliated from his interstellar battles with Grimlock, Jazz, and Bumblebee, was jealous of Megatron's attentions. He tricked his rival into traveling to the Sol system, regaling him with tales of how Megatron would appreciate an envoy capable of at last healing the rift with humanity after subtly taunting him for missing so many key events in Megatron's life. The people of Earth, still angry from Scrash's invasion, were skeptical of the Autobot/Decepticon alliance and felt betrayed. Kiloton's arrival in Moscow, unannounced, provoked a swift and deadly response from the armed forces of the USSR. Tragically, this served to shatter the fragile alliance and reignite hostilities between the Decepticons and the human race, once again dragging the Autobots into war.
Interestingly enough, a three-dimensional representation of Kiloton is available in the Quadwal cluster, though you might find him difficult to track down. He has a Cymond-analog called MC-11 Gun Robo S&W Magnum 44, representing an alternate-universe version of him who has scanned an Earth-based disguise before his fatal encounter. No doubt his choice was influenced by Megatron's initial Earth mode.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the name of Wreck-Gar's friend who is called "Nancy"?
.
.
A: Dear Observer of the Obvious,
...Nancy. Her name was Nancy. Named for one of the Conjunx Endura of one of your world leaders.
Just say no.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are the dimension gates that you can open with Rhisling the same kind of technology as the warp gates used by Primax Autobots and humans?
.
.
A: Dear Comparison Clyde,
Is a bicycle the same kind of technology as an F-22 Raptor?
July 30, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I would be curious to know that across all the Optimus who is the strongest.
.
.
A: Dear Leader Learner,
Now that you mention it, I too am curious.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Which Universe Stream and Cluster does the Mini-Con Beta Maxx who looks like a more hardcore counterpart to your Mini-Con Safeguard hail from?
.
.
A: Dear Crackerjack Companion,
More hardcore than Safeguard? Really? I'm not at all sure I agree with that. In any event, the Beta Maxx I am most familiar with escaped from Viron 704.31 Epsilon. That is a rather nasty plane of existence, where Megazarak's rampage all but extinguished the light of the Autobots.
This was, at least partially, due to the Unicron pulling many of this dimension's heroes to fight in the Universe Battles. On the eve of a critical showdown, Optimus Prime found himself bereft of Fireflight, Sideburn, Ironhide, Drydock, Ratchet, Swerve, and Prowl. He, Sky Lynx, Hound, and X-Brawn did their best to hold out, but in the end were no match for Megazarak.
Perhaps the only reason they held out as long as they did was that a few of Megazarak's troops were harvested as well. That day he lost his foul experiment Megabolt, an undead monstrosity built from the corpse of Megatron to hijack Brave Maximus. The Commando team vanished, depriving him of Ruination. Finally, the tragically robo-smashed Build Team, ego-wiped with shell programs and reborn as the Constructicons, were whisked away that day too, depriving Megazarak of Devastator. Sadly, it was not enough, and he still obliterated his opposition.
- Q: Where was Ultra Magnus in the conflict?
- Ask Vector Prime In this stream, Ultra Magnus was not a warrior but a disciple of Alpha Trion. Magnus merged his mind and body with the dying embers of my brother's shell as he passed; thus was Ultra Trion forged. Alas, he too fell at the cruel hands of Megazarak.
- Q: Is this the Sky Lynx from the Energon Wars? And is Swerve the Cybertronian race car partnered with Roadhandler, or the Chevrolet Aveo?
- Ask Vector Prime It was not the Sky Lynx of whom you speak, but a noble Autobot, in fact, a version of the cocky Autobot you are no doubt familiar with from Primax 509.28 Epsilon. The Swerve snatched from here did convert into a Chevrolet Aveo, yes.
- Q: Is that the only version of Beta Maxx?
- Ask Vector Prime Of course not! Why, Venus interviewed a version from somewhere in the Aurex cluster.
- Q: Is Beta Maxx a Mini-Con in this reality?
- Ask Vector Prime Indeed he was not. He was a Micromaster, built millions of years ago during Cybertron's Golden Age.
- Q: Is this also the universal stream from which Dominus Trannis hails?
- Ask Vector Prime One of them, yes.
- Q: What were his components like?
- Ask Vector Prime Astrotrain you should find familiar, for he was very similar to many of his Primax incarnations. Steamhammer's new personality component was salvaged from a Predacon most venerable. He would prove a cantankerous and crotchety being, with little patience for the modern. Loco was originally called Cowcatcher. His new name was given to him because he was quite mad, hearing phantom station announcements. Perhaps some tiny fragment of Midnight Express survived to torment the Decepticon who took his rightful place in the world.
- Q: Might you know which Predacon once housed Steamhammer's personality component?
- Ask Vector Prime Alas, even he does not know. Though he remembers many fragments from his eight million stellar cycle existence, his own identity was lost to the vagaries of time.
- Q: Did Scourge/Black Convoy serve Megazarak as well?
- Ask Vector Prime After a fashion. When Megatron fell, slain by Omega Prime, Megazarak arrived from Cybertron and declared for leadership of the Predacon / Decepticon forces. Scourge challenged him for the position, and Megazarak appeared to back down... only to poison his rival with Tox-En. Never one to waste a resource, he recycled the body with a new mind, the backwards-speaking Toxitron, who served Megazarak loyally if somewhat incompetently.
- Q: Was Sky-byte among Megazarak's troops?
- Ask Vector Prime No, he was not. He wanted nothing to do with this horrific monster, and risked his own spark to ensure that Dark Scream, Gas Skunk, and Slapper could safely escape his clutches. Later, these four would come to Defensor's aid during his final battle with Megazarak.
- Q: Do you know anything of the incarnation of Sunstorm that was said to serve Megazarak alongside Dreadwind and Smokejumper?
- Ask Vector Prime Yes, indeed. They served a different Megazarak, though just as horrible. You have caught a tiny glimpse of this universe before, for it was from here that Unicron found the template that would become Nemesis Prime.
- Q: Where was this Megazarak from?
- Ask Vector PrimeThat would be... let me see.. ah, yes, Aurex 304.0 Epsilon. At least, that was what they called it before it was drained completely dry by Tornedron and its remnants consumed by Hytherion.
- Q: Do you know what happened to Brave Maximus during this conflict? Was he able to assist Defensor and his Autobots in vanquishing Megazarak?
- Ask Vector Prime Alas, Brave Maximus was rendered inert when the Emissary was torn asunder by Ruination. At least Unicron's whims deprived Megazarak of the ability to use Brave Maximus as a weapon against his enemies.
- Q: Robo-smashed Build Team? What were they like?
- Ask Vector Prime They were unstable lunatics, for the most part. The central component, Bonecrusher, was created from the wreckage of Build Boy's mind. The shortest and weakest member of the team, he hates anything taller than himself. That includes his teammates, his leader, and even Devastator.
- From the ashes of Build Hurricane was Scavenger formed. He felt inferior to his teammates, and was desperate for their approval. He would constantly put himself at risk to search for valuable salvage or energy or technology.
- Longhaul was created from the tattered remnants of Build Typhoon. He was a bitter bot, resentful of a role which took him off the front lines to haul materials from one point to another.
- Hightower was created from the shell of Build Cyclone. He was a snobbish, supercilious, unpopular perfectionist who felt demeaned to have to associate with the other Constructicons.
- Together they formed Devastator. While the original build king, Landfill, was a noble yellow color, Devastator was a sickly purple and green. With four competing intellects, all of whom hate or resent or disdain each other, Devastator is a morass of self-hatred. Unfortunately for the universe, this hatred manifested as violence directed outward, usually toward whatever target Megazarak pointed him at.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Most Transformers with a vehicular mode tend to have a place for a driver or pilot, often due to that mode coming from a scan of a non-living vehicle that requires a pilot. I have seen some of those transformers being operated by an organic. How does that work?
.
.
A: Dear Driver Dancer,
It is highly circumstantial. When a Cybertronian adopts an alternate mode, we generally adopt it completely. This means that any exterior controls are fully functional. We can, of course, override these controls, but can also choose not to do so. Also, if our higher functions are knocked offline for whatever reason, these controls then become the primary means of controlling our ambulation.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I've been wondering for about a decade now, if the other six Cyber Keys (Earth, Speed, Jungle, Giant, Cybertron, and Planet X) have their respective worlds, what does yours represent?
.
.
A: Dear Historically-minded Human,
Wonder no more. That Key is, in reality, an artifact known as the Zeonomicon. It was an artifact created by my sister, Solus Prime, and given to my brother, Logos Prime. After his tragic downfall, he invested much of his essence into the relic, and used it to achieve much mischief before I was forced to confiscate it. When in an Aurex Cluster reality, it manifests itself as a Cyber Key.
July 31, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have there ever been Transformers who have taken mythical and legendary creatures as their alt-modes: centaurs, Pegasuses, gorgons, hydras, etc? I know Viron Bruticus is a Cerberus.
.
.
A: Dear Mythology Minder,
Certainly. Multi-headed serpents are a common beast mode; beings such as Hun-Grrr and Sinnertwin are fair if dangerous examples. I needn't tell you what Battle Unicorn often becomes, do I? There are ursaglyphs, winged wolves, skeletal samurai, zombies, and the like scattered about the multiverse. And don't get me started on dragons!
Q: Great and powerful Vector Prime,
Where do the Micromaster Railbots, Protectobots, Aerialbots, and Constructicons hail from?
.
.
A: Dear Tiny & Tenacious,
Of course, there are many iterants of them throughout the cosmos. Let me find a dimension you may be familiar with... ah, here we go. One version of those bots come from a rather Primax-influenced Aurex stream, or perhaps an Aurex-influenced Primax stream. It's all a matter of perspective. The TransTech keep vacillating; at the moment, they classify it as Aurex 1104.30-DB Zeta. They are the result of Dr. Jones' experiments in reverse-engineering of Maximus combiner technology and applying it to Mini-Con anatomy. The result was something entirely new... Micromasters! With six beings powerlinxing together, they packed tremendous energy into a frame no larger than the average Cybertronian.
Perhaps there were always destined to be four combiners, for though the Autobots only created three, the Decepticons stole this technology and created their own Micromaster combiner, Devastator. Thus were the Combiner Wars fought, in the shadow of the Unicron Singularity.
- Q: Was it this universe's Defensor who was abducted by Unicron and liberated by Optimus Primal?
- Ask Vector Prime It was indeed he.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the name of the Superfund truck Decepticon who participated in the invasion of Chicago?
.
.
A: Dear Incursion Iconoclast,
I believe you are referring to Loader.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What aspect of the Malgus Starscream does the Malgus Slipstream represent?
.
.
A: Dear Jungian Youth,
Oh, is that question still plaguing humanity? I'm very sorry for the oversight, I thought we would have addressed that quite a while ago. You see, she represents the <AXIOM NEXUS AUTO-CENSORS ENGAGED> part of his psyche.
August 2015
August 1, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Given their physical similarities, their sage-like wisdom, and their place in various versions of the Thirteen. Could Alpha Trion truly be the recently revealed Thirteen member, Solomus?
.
.
A: Dear Sagacious Scholar,
My brethren wear many faces, and answer to many names, as your species in particular knows.
- Q: Speaking of many faces, could you tell us more about your brethren's appearance in ancient Greece?
- Ask Vector Prime Certainly. As you know, there was little enough for us to scan to create credible disguises, so we utilized holomatter avatars. Onyx, in the guise of Artemis, was seldom seen without her bow and arrow. This is a particularly fine likeness.
- Q: Cool! Speaking of which, according to our human mythology, Artemis has a twin brother named Apollo. Was there someone who had the identity of a twin brother for Onyx?
- Ask Vector Prime Artemis' twin was Apollo, who was my brother Autonomous. He was known far and wide as a great healer.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What was the unnamed threat that the Super Spy Changers rose to face?
.
.
A: Dear Dire Disciple,
I have never witnessed these events in person, merely heard their tale relayed to me over a tall mug of oil at Maccadam's. As such, perhaps none of what I am saying is true. But, according to the teller, the prophet Chainsaw came to power in the Cybertronian underworld, uniting the scattered tribes of Mutants who dwelled there into a single coherent force. He promised to lead his misfits and thugs to the promised land, and, one fateful solar cycle, acted on that promise. They seized a Cybertron Net station in Upper Petrohex and managed to tap into the Global Space Bridge on Earth. Most of the Autobots were deployed off-world, dealing with the rise of Bruticus. They arrived to a planet under-defended. Only the Spy Changers had remained behind. They valiantly engaged Chainsaw and his chieftains, but were soundly defeated.
Fortunately, Dr. Daichi Ōnishi had been developing the concept of a Spark Engine. Working with a new material developed by his genius young colleague Dr. Haruma Gō, go-brillium, they were able to perfect the process. At Gō's Space Astronomy Research Center, the Spy Changers were upgraded to the Super Spy Changers, and gained mastery over incredible powers.
Even with these new abilities, the Super Spy Changers needed to find their inner strength to succeed. Super Artfire learned to master his pyrokinesis to defeat Meathook on Kilimanjaro. Super Ox discovered his immense physical strength to subdue Woodchipper in the catacombs under the Palenque. Super Wars used his newfound invulnerability to protect New Orleans from Dirty Bomb's attack. Super Counter Arrow discovered his amazing speed to thwart Jackhammer's ambitions in Antarctica. Super Eagle Killer mastered the power of flight to stop Burnout from kidnapping Junko from her vacation in Greece. Finally Super X-Car used his gravity manipulation to stop Gangrene from disrupting the 2002 World Cup with his shamanic magic.
Incensed, Chainsaw rallied the mutants to him and struck directly at the Autobots' secret base. The Super Spy Changers needed to relearn the importance of teamwork. Under Super Artfire's newly improved leadership, and calmed by Super Wars' dignity, they were able to master the partial invisibility upgrade Super X-Car had been tinkering with to confound and baffle the combined might of the Mutants. All of the creatures of the depth were captured and returned to Cybertron.
With their go-brillium exhausted, the Super Spy Changers became the Spy Changers once again. They were not unchanged from their ordeals, retaining their partial invisibility and featuring new color schemes. They would never forget their tribulations together, and had grown stronger through shared adversity.
Or at least, so the tale was told in Axiom Nexus. Who can say if it is true or not?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you know the origin of the mysterious being, Devil Z?
.
.
A: Dear Eldritch Expert,
I do possess such knowledge, yes.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Processor, Saber, and Triac a Mini-Con team?
.
.
A: Dear Unholy Herald Handler,
Sadly, this is often a fair characterization. When Barnstorm, Flashdrive, and Bingo had the misfortune to encounter Unicron while scouring the galaxy for energon ore, the Omnipotent Omnivore reformatted the Elite Flying Corps into new identities. Barnstorm became Saber, the team's leader and strategist. Bingo became Triac, the team's warrior, named for her ability to briefly create two genetronic duplicates. Flashdrive's naive inquisitiveness was twisted into Processor, an amoral scientist. Together these three would be known as the Apocalypse Brigade Mini-Con Team.
August 2, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Would it ever be possible for a human to become a transformer? If so how can we?
.
.
A: Dear Cybertronian Co-Opter,
Such things have been known to happen, through acquisition of Master-Braces, or Binary Bonding, or through Reverse Pretender technology.
- Q: Or whatever the cyborgs from Gargent cluster used to change their bodies into what they are now. In addition, two pieces of tech from Primax 984.17 Alpha could probably be used for that (mind transfer device and probably synthoids, assuming they can be used to make artificial transforming bodies for humans). Are those solutions too radical to be mentioned here?
- Ask Vector Prime You certainly have a fertile imagination. Though, Doctor Black's attempts to create an organic Transformer did not end well for him, which may cast doubt on your synthoid theory.
Q: Hello Vector Prime,
How are you? I hope your feeling alright. Anyway I was just wondering (this is a bit personal, so I don't mind if you don't really answer it) do you ever get...lonely? Sometimes whenever you answer my questions you have the same tone as Optimus Prime would when he speaks; melancholy. I can't help but feel being a Prime is more of a curse rather then a privilege.
.
.
A: Dear Soulful Seeker,
I wouldn't characterize being a Prime as a curse. It is more of an... an obligation. A burden. I certainly wouldn't characterize it as a privilege.
I am nine billion years old. I have, time and again, watched everyone I care about go from young to old to departed in what feels like the pulse of a spark. I remember them all, or at least I remember the feelings I had for them. Sometimes the memories of when I was young are sharper, more vivid, than the Swindle who sold me a hyper-frame manifold just this morning. Sometimes I feel alone even when I am in a crowd.
And yet, I do take pride in the work I do. I have helped to save millions of realities, even entire reality clusters. I know the work I do enables countless beings whom I will never even meet to be forged and live and dream and fall in love and create offspring and produce art and, yes, even to die.
Am I melancholy? Perhaps, sometimes. But it is a small price to pay. As ever, I thank you for your interest in my own well-being.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is the Child of Primus Repugnus the same individual as the Autobot Monsterbot Repugnus of Primax 797.18 Epsilon?
.
.
A: Dear Creature Curio,
While Repugnus is indeed a Maximal upgrade of the Monsterbot you are curious about, he hails not from that stream but from Primax 1104.30-TW Zeta. I believe Overbite was scooped up from here as well, though unfortunately he fell in with the Minions of Unicron.
- Q: Is this Overbite a Seacon as with other Primax Overbites?
- Ask Vector Prime He is indeed a possible evolution of the Seacon shark. He changed his name to Overbite from Jawbreaker when he upgraded his exo-structure.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What Megatron was Galvatron trying to summon when he mistakenly received Majin Zarak on Gaea?
.
.
A: Dear Accident Adept,
Most likely the Predacon from Primax 1097.01 Alpha, or other closely related realities, was the target of Galvatron's interest. But then, who can say for certain? Only Galvatron, and I am not about to ask him!
August 3, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does the Energon Saber-forming trio of Scattor, Skyboom, and Wreckage have a team name?
.
.
A: Dear Blade Boy,
It may be unsurprising for you to learn that they make up the Energon Saber Mini-Con Team.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
The base materials that make a Transformer's body seems to go by different names in different universal streams (ie: sentio metallico, cybermatter, protomatter, Transformium). Are they essentially the same thing?
.
.
A: Dear Composite Curator,
Well observed. The cybermatter that makes up the base of our being has been called many words in many universes, but whatever name you give to it, it is an outgrowth of the same concept. I will note that, as different universes have different physical laws, a talented bio-physicist or cyber-mechanic with a multiversal perspective may note some subtle differences between, say, protomatter and sentio metallico.
- Q: Hey Vector Prime - what about Transformers whose bodies are physically assembled from apparently "normal" Earth metals, like the Dinobots of Primax 984.17 Alpha, or the Constructicons of Primax 984.0 Gamma? Or ones that are rebuilt from other machines, like the Aerialbots, Stunticons, and Combaticons of the former? How does the idea of "cybermatter" apply to them?
- Ask Vector Prime Of course, not all Cybertronians are created through protoforming and its various permutations. Some are constructed by more conventional means. And there are even stranger methods by which we may be brought into this universe.
- Q: You call it "protoforming" here, I imagine because that's how we all know it best, but is there a term that you yourself prefer to call the substance?
- Ask Vector Prime I am a creature of the Multiverse. Just as my body responds to the physics of the universe I am in, I try to respect the local nomenclature.
- The exception to the above would be, I suppose, Transformium. As that term is a registered trademark of Kinetic Solutions Incorporated, I would be worried that for me to use the word indiscriminately might result in a lawsuit. I have faced many threats in my day, but the prospect of an army of Armani-clad human lawyers is... daunting.
- Q: That's a good question. Does the infusion of a spark or personality component to a sparkless cold constructed non-Cybertronian shell alter the their physical structure into living metal?
- Ask Vector Prime In some universes, that is indeed the case.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What was the name of the female president from Cybertron?
.
.
A: Dear Political Person,
Did not ALTernity Today do an article on her that reached the Quadwal Cluster?
In any event, I believe you are referring to President Gabriella Constanza. My good friend Alexis served as her Secretary of State.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
After the conclusion of the search for the Cyber Planet Keys in Aurex 802.23 Alpha, Sideways, Soundwave, and Laserbeak appear to have ended up in a dimension containing an intact version of Planet X. What universal stream was this?
.
.
A: Dear X Planet Explorer,
Aurex 906.29 Alpha. Despite all of the history between us, both recent and ancient, my spark spins easier knowing that, for at least one iteration of Sideways, he has found some measure of peace. I only hope that he and Soundwave have gained some degree of wisdom from their misadventures.
August 4, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Zarak's first name in Primax 509.28 Epsilon and Primax 1005.19 Gamma Mortilus or Mo? Is Mo ever short for anything else? Does he ever have any other names? Is there any significance to him sharing a name with one of the Guiding Hand?
.
.
A: Dear Nervous Nomenclature Nut,
My, what a lot of questions. You must realize that organic names are very fluid, and highly dependent on cultural contexts. As such, Lord Zarak has had many, many names.
In both realities you speak of, Mo is short for Mortilus. However, in neither reality is Mortilus Zarak his full name. In that particular Epsilon-class reality his full name would be Lord Peer Mortilus Olin Zarak III, Servant of the Realm, By Grace of the Spheres. In the Gamma-class reality he would be most properly addressed as Doctor Mortilus Quixotol Zarak, DHME. (Doctor of Higher Mechanical Engineering)
Mo is not always short for Mortilus, naturally. I was recently asked about Primax 489.0 Zeta, for example, where he sometimes went by Mo among close friends. Here, Mo is short for Monzo. Mo has also been the shortened form of the name Mollox, Mogahn, Modrex, and Mongo.
Of course he has had other names in other realities. In one odd one, Primax 1285.0 Gamma, his name was Lord Kord Zarak, though I don't believe much about that stream has reached the Quadwal Cluster beyond some very early contacts between my people and yours. Why, I can think of several where his given name was Scorponok, and a handful where he was named Dante.
As to the significance of sharing his name with a member of the Guiding Hand, in my experience, everything is significant, and nothing is significant. Perhaps it is a simple coincidence, foreshadowing the dark path he would take. Perhaps something of Mortilus lives on in Zarak, questing for rebirth in a Cybertronian body.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universe did Oil Slick and his Search and Destroy Robots come from?
.
.
A: Dear Unicron Ululator,
Oil Slick, along with Ransack and his Mini-Con Refute, was battling Swerve and Roadhandler when Unicron's metaphoric hand reached through the Unspace and plucked the lot of them to serve as his minions. Swerve resisted, for a time, but the Unicron virus corrupted his circuits and made him as oil-thirsty as the most brutal Decepticon. This was in... ah, here we go. Aurex 203.26 Zeta. As for Oil Slick's drones, he constructed them himself, based on a full body scan of the Mini-Con Nightbeat.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are the events of "Bee in the City" and "The Return of Blurr" canon to the universe of Transformers Animated?
.
.
A: Dear Canon Caliph,
The Return of Blurr is a more-or-less accurate depiction of the events of Malgus 1207.26 Alpha wherein Sari rescued Blurr and together they defeated Kremzeek. Bee in the City, on the other hand, does depict events that occurred in the multiverse, but they did not take place in Malgus 1207.26 Alpha.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do the Carlys present in universal streams Primax 984.17 Alpha and Malgus 1207.26 Alpha have the same maiden name as the Carly present in universal stream Tyran 707.04 Delta?
.
.
A: Dear Woman Wonderer,
"Maiden name?" Do you use a special modifier on the word "name" when referring to females? And I thought my species had odd gender-based conventions! Surely Carly just has a "name" and not a "maiden name." Or is Spike a "masculine name" and not simply a "name?" I am highly confused.
August 5, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I would love to learn more about Trannis.
.
.
A: Dear Tyrannical Talker,
Oh, would you now? What is it about villains that is so endlessly fascinating to your species?
Again, my vision seems to be narrowing oddly these last few decacycles. Many universes which were previously clear as crystal are now obscured. But some remain sharply vivid. Primax 509.28 Epsilon is one such universe. Here, he was a warlord in the early days of the Decepticon cause, rallying many of the ubiquitous ASD-324-ddd-3e3c1 model military model robots to their banner. The sight of his horned visage coming into battle sent many an Autobot scurrying for cover, as well it might. He wielded a lightning whip and twin red quagma rifles. His reign of terror came to an end at the hands of Sentinel Prime. He reemerged some time later as one of many Decepticon warlords vying for power, but was assassinated by Deathsaurus. Few mourned his passing.
Elsewhere, of course, things would go differently for this amethyst autocrat. In the late, lamented Primax 207.0 Epsilon, for example, he came to power much closer to the "present" as you perceive it, though still caused all manners of mischief.
- Q: What type of robot does "ASD-324-ddd-3e3c1 model" refer to? "Ubiquitous" makes me imagine that it might be the Seeker body-type.
- Ask Vector Prime Oh, no, this was long before Seekers. Long before the concept of Transformation, even. These were green and grey combat models, one of the most advanced of the Quintesson mass-produced combat designs. The sight of a legion of these horned troopers cresting a hill or storming a building brought terror into the optics of many an Autobot.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are there any Autobots and Decepticons(and even Predacons) from the Viron stream that we have yet to know about?
.
.
A: Dear Vast Viron Variation Vanquisher,
Of course. Millions of them. Would you like me to list them out alphabetically, or shall we go chronologically by date of creation?
- Q: Alphabetically please.
- Ask Vector Prime Very well. I shall start to compile the list. I expect it will not take more than two or three of your centuries for me to pull together. When it is finished I shall post it here
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
There is an individual named Constructicon Devastator, that's kind of a mouth full so can you give us name that'd be easier to say other than Devastator, also other names for his components?
.
.
A: Dear Build Brother,
You want me to rename Devastator to something easier to say, and also rename his components? That is not in my power to do. If you wish Devastator to change his name, perhaps you had best talk to him directly. Or, better yet, don't, for I suspect that conversation will not be a safe one for you to have.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is the bot that claims to be Emirate Xaaron from Primax 093.0 Epsilon truly who he says he is?
.
.
A: Dear Mixed-up Maverick,
To the best of my knowledge, there is no such reality as Primax 093.0 Epsilon, so I suspect the poor bot in question is quite addled.
August 6, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What can you tell us about Sunstorm who has a Mini-con named Inferno and an evil version of the Street Action Mini-con team? They were involved in the Universe war as Minions of Unicron. Would he happen to be from the Aurex stream since he has a Mini-con?
.
.
A: Dear Solar Savant,
Sunstorm of Aurex 105.15 Gamma, much like his brother, Thrust, was a shrewd tactician, but this was overshadowed by his fanatical devotion to the Ultimate Warrior and certain apocryphal texts detailing his ancient exploits. He waged religious wars with fellow radicals in the Mirtonian Star Quadrant after his brother had gone to serve Megatron on Earth, and would be absent from the Unicron Battles of his universe.
Learning of his brother's betrayal and death at the hands of Galvatron from his surviving Mini-Con partner, Inferno, Sunstorm vowed revenge. Together they searched the galaxy far and wide before discovering that Galvatron had perished at the end of the Unicron Battles. Broken at the prospect of being robbed of his revenge, Sunstorm opened his circuits in prayer to his twisted deity, railing against the cruel irony of the universe and questioning his faith. For once, his prayers would not go unanswered.
Unicron, seeking servants, made contact with the broken zealot and offered a deal: serve him, and Unicron would summon the disembodied spirit of Galvatron to the Universe War and create for him a body in and personally allow Sunstorm to kill him. Sunstorm accepted, welcoming Unicron into his Spark as the target of his devotion. He would go on to fight as a Minion of Unicron during the Universe War. He found and captured a version of the Street Action Team and, understanding the Servility Program that was a part of their core consciousness, was able to corrupt them too for a time. He would prove a foe most treacherous for the Children of Primus.
- Q: Where exactly is this version of the Street Action Team from?
- Ask Vector Prime I believe... let me check my notes... quite probably Aurex 604.24 Gamma.
- Q: Did Unicron uphold his end of the deal?
- Ask Vector Prime In the waning days of the Universe War, he did. Sunstorm, sensing that his Dark Lord was losing ground, demanded his boon. Within the confines of the Allspark, the part of me who had died sensed that Galvatron's spirit was being summoned. I battled him on the astral plane as he struggled back towards the corporeal. Alas, he proved a tenacious and formidable foe, and the pull of Unicron was as inexorable as gravity, as uncompromising as entropy.
- Galvatron returned, disoriented, and the augmented Sunstorm struck his best blow. It was not enough. Galvatron survived the volley and savagely struck back. The ensuing battle was epic, but it was short. After a few cycles of pitched combat, Galvatron stood victorious over Sunstorm's shattered exo-structure. Sunstorm implored his Dark Lord, but Unicron was impassive; he had fulfilled his end of the bargain to the letter. Sunstorm's spark was snuffed then and there, cursing Galvatron and Unicron and the Ultimate Warrior with his last pulse. Galvatron claimed Inferno for himself, but thankfully the Street Action Team managed to flee in the confusion.
- Thus, as one of the last acts of this barbarous conflict, was Galvatron once again unleashed upon the cosmos.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Has a multi-universe event ever happened where several Cybertronians from different universes and times had to combine into a single universe (And I don't mean the thing that happened that we call "Universe")
.
.
A: Dear Picky Parishioner,
NOT including the Universe War, eh? Well, though rare, such events have been known to happen. The Solitarium War is a good example, as is the battle at the Omega Point. Or, consider Primax 614.21 Theta, when the Skuxxoid abducted bots from the Uniend, Primax, Viron, Malgus, and Aurex clusters using a home-made transporter. Though, come to think of it, that might have been an Epsilon reality at its core. Yes, maybe Primax 614.21 Epsilon. Definitely Epsilon or Theta. Or maaaaaaaybe Delta... no, probably not. There haven't been too many of those. Though the Otoboto family of Malgus 410.03 Delta was quite charming, now that I think of it.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Dear Vector Prime, would you fight under Suì Xīng Tiě Bì's leadership, if not why not?
.
.
A: Dear Brutal Bystander,
If Star Crusher were to ascend to leadership of the Autobots in a realm where my services were required, I would do my best to advise him. Primus knows he could use some tempering.
- Q: You don't agree with the Autobots who think he's just what they need? That Chāonéng Jīanbīng guy sounds like he'd like Crusher
- Ask Vector Prime Psychic Pointman is young and impressionable. While his intentions are good, he can be lacking when it comes to judgment. Now, Aegis Vanguard, on the other servo, is the kind of Autobot one should look up to.
- Q: You'd _really_ not get on with Fēiqí Zhànjǐng if you think Pointman and Star Crusher need to calm down!
- Ask Vector Prime Chevalier is calm enough... but her brand of vigilante justice sits poorly with me.
- Q: Some people say "well would you rather Xīng Bào Yán Liú or Ànyǐng Shāshǒu could just do what they want?!", which doesn't seem like a very Autobot argument.
- Ask Vector Prime The likes of Supernova Flame and Shadow Assassin must be stopped... but not at the cost of becoming what they represent. The path of the Autobot is not always easy, but it is the very act of attempting to walk the righteous path that separates us from our Decepticon enemies.
- Q: I like to think that if the Autobots don't descend to Decepticon level. disillusioned souls like Léitíng Tiě Yì might stop fighting them. That may just me being a bit Paradronian
- Ask Vector Prime I think that the sentiment you are expressing is quite insightful, friend. And it is important to remember that there are Sparks like reluctant Metal Thunder or the tragic Night Dancer amongst their ranks. Thus is the quality of mercy an important one.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How would Lambda universal streams be designated when there are multiple covers for a single issue?
I ask this because I wanted to know the context of this universal stream, but Primax 708.10 Lambda didn't seem to be a sufficient enough designation: http://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:Megatron_cam.jpg
.
.
A: Dear Classification Canter,
Generally, when necessary, the TransTech would add a letter after the numeric designation. So, for example, you are looking at Primax 708.10-R Lambda. As for context, it really is quite horrifying. Megatron managed to crack the security codes of an Autobot forward listening post, walked in the front door, shot Prowl in the torso and shattered his primary structural linkage, then laughed and captured a still image of the affair. That poor Prowl would spend stellar cycles unable to transform.
August 7, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How did the Minion of Unicron known as Razorclaw go from being called Tigerhawk to Razorclaw?
.
.
A: Dear Minion Minder,
Know that the beast Razorclaw is a terrifying master of the elements, and fear his presence. The dark timeline he hails from diverged from the events of Primax 496.22 Alpha shortly after the death of Optimus Primal. Minor perturbations in the atmosphere caused the Maximal Silverbolt's stasis pod to crash on the far side of the planet from the Axalon, and absent his presence Megatron was able to slaughter the Maximals who stood against him. Only Tigatron and Airazor survived, and them only to be abducted by the Vok. Thus, when Megatron's machinations continued to threaten the Vok's presence on Earth, they dispatched the unified form of them as an emissary to Earth to end his reign.
Know that slay Megatron he did, but in doing so nearly fell prey to the resulting time storm, for the pretender Megatron had by this point absorbed the original Megatron's spark. The collapse of this reality damaged the Vok's control over their emisary, and without Optimus Primal's gentling influence, his binary spark hardened.
Know that Unicron, sensing opportunity, plucked this damaged but potent being from the ruins of his home dimension, and he quickly became one of Unicron's most feared heralds. To distance himself from his Maximal past even further, he took on the name of the original Predacon leader and ancestor of his former enemies, a name which struck fear throughout the multiverse.
Know that he escaped the end of the Universe War, and to this day sows chaos and destruction wherever his dark sparks travel. Should you encounter him, run, run and do not look back, for his power rivals that of even my own.
- Q: What is the name of this dark Universe/Timeline that made Razorclaw?
- Ask Vector Prime The timestorm tore this universe asunder before the TransTech ever had the chance to catalog it, erasing its past, present, and future. What need has such a realm of a designation?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
If you were ever to join Unicron what would your new name be?
.
.
A: Dear Disturbing Docent,
My Spark skipped a beat when I read your question. Really, the idea of one such as myself in the service of the Lord of Chaos is far too dark to contemplate.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What happens to the original universal stream after a divergence point? For instance, Primax 984.0 Gamma branches off in a number of directions after the battle of Klo, including Epsilon, Zeta, and Gamma streams. Does the Primax 984.0 Gamma stream continue at all after Klo, or does it "end" where the new branches begin?
.
.
A: Dear Finale Friend,
It never ends. Generally speaking, universes continue to roll on, and the inhabitants face the major and minor challenges that make up life. Thus did Primax 984.0 Gamma continue, with the inhabitants facing the forces of Jhiaxus, Mogahn the Mass, the Ebon Knights, the battle of Pinea Omicron, the Liege Maximo, and eventually the Beast Wars.
Thus it was with Primax 496.22 Alpha, where the Beast Wars became the Spark Wars. Thus it was with Aurex 802.23 Alpha, where the Mini-Con struggles became the Energon conflict became the Singularity quest. Thus it was with Uniend 911.05 Alpha, where Bumblebee dealt with the pressures of command in the stellar cycles following Optimus' sacrifice. And thus it was in Tyran 707.04 Delta, where the conflict revolved around first the AllSpark, then Megatronus, then Sentinel Prime's treachery, and then Lockdown's return. Branched timelines tend to occur primarily when there are multiple probable outcomes to a given scenario.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Did anyone from G.I. Joe or Cobra ever become a Headmaster (or some other Master) to a Transformer?
.
.
A: Dear Partner Player,
It has been known to happen. I can think of one reality branch where Megatron decided not to core and freeze the brain of a human female scientist working for either G.I. Joe or Cobra, I forget, and instead binary bonded to her as a Headmaster.
August 8, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What can you tell me about Decepticharge?
.
.
A: Dear Magnetic Mister,
I can tell you that he is incredibly dangerous. His body was one of two intended for Windcharger, sent into space in an EDC shuttle along with a blue BT-15 GHS originally constructed for Prowl. The GT remote-linking system was to be further tested, in the wake of the Prowl situation. As the shuttle left the Sol system, it disappeared.
Two days later, the silver and yellow BT-16 units reappeared amidst strife between Shockwave and Starscream. Decepticharge, the yellow body infused with a new laser core, quickly put an end to the hostilities with his magnetic abilities and informed the Decepticons that Unicron was most displeased with their infighting and commanded them to destroy Optimus Prime and the Matrix of Leadership ensconced within him.
- Q: Which raises the question -- what happened to the silver body? Blackarachnia?
- Ask Vector Prime Indeed! Though I am curious as to how you could know that. Unicron is not bound by conventional perception of time and space, and was able to pluck her essence from the Autobot shuttle as she made her way from prehistoric Earth to Maximal-era Cybertron.
- In addition to her Transmetal 2 telekenesis, her new body represented a significant upgrade in her offensive and defensive capabilities. It included a Venom Sniper Gun capable of firing system-disrupting energy packets, a riot shield that projected an electromagnetic field, and a web-launch system integrated with her grill, exhaust pipe, and hands.
- She aided Decepticharge in quelling Starscream's rebellion amongst Shockwave's Earthbound forces, but her true self never stopped struggling to overcome Unicron's control. Her temporal perspective was such that she could sense the BT World timeline was corrupted and knew the importance of righting it.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us more about Liege Maximo's time on Earth in ancient Greece?
.
.
A: Dear Lovely Lady,
Liege always had a flair for the dramatic, and first manifested as arising from the sea in an enormous shell. One of your human artists, Botticelli, captured the essence of this moment rather well. Prima feared that the animosity between her and Solus, who manifested as Hephaestus, was to tear the Thirteen apart, and decreed that they be bonded in this timeframe, but this only led to further conflict. Liege as Aphrodite was vain, manipulative, and yet endlessly fascinating. Those were certainly interesting times.
- Q: What was Solus like as Hephasteus?
- Ask Vector Prime Lame of leg, but keen of hands and mind. The craftsman of the Gods, he built artifacts for many of the Olympians, including the Aegis of Athena and the Trident of Poseidon.
- Q: Oooh. Neat! We know that Athena was Alpha Trion, what was she like?
- Ask Vector Prime Incredibly wise behind a youthful facade. In many ways, she was Zeus' favorite, though she could also give him quite the headache.
- Q: Intriguing. If one of the Thirteen was Poseidon are they (or Hephasteus/Solus) responsible for the technologically superior Sub-Atlantica?
- Ask Vector Prime A fascinating theory. My... I suppose you would call him "uncle," Adaptus, was always so chaotic. The lure of the sea was strong with him. I wonder if something of his memory might live on in Sub-Atlantica.
- Q: Cool! Speaking of Uncles, you mentioned Hades was another uncle of yours. Who was he among the Thirteen?
- Ask Vector Prime Ah, yes. Mortilus, the generation before me. As Hades, he alone remained with our ship, buried deep within the bowels of the Earth. Here he is with his vassal, Bruticus.
- Q: Did the Wizard of Forms, Nexus Prime take on a Olympian identity?
- Ask Vector Prime Nexus Prime assumed the guise of Hera, Zeus' primary ally and confidant. Here is a rather nice depiction of the two of them together.
- Q: According to our mythology, Hades had a wife named Persephone. Is it possible that she's one of the Thirteen, or not?
- Ask Vector Prime Persephone was not one of us. She was something of a bone of contention between Hades and Demeter, though.
- Q: Ah. So was Demeter one of the Thirteen, instead?
- Ask Vector Prime You might know her better as Epistemus. Demeter brought much knowledge of agriculture to early Humanity.
- Q: Did you have a favorite sibling amongst the Olympians?
- Ask Vector Prime That... that is a difficult question. We were so different as quasi-humans. Our conflicts were more petty, and more frequent. Though, thinking back on it, I had nothing but happy memories of my time with Dionysus, the Alchemist Prime.
- Q: I was curious about the mysterious and tragic Logos Prime, who was he in the Olympian Pantheon?
- Ask Vector Prime In the memories I have of my time on Olympus, Logos was not amongst us. I admit, it is a hazy period of time for me, full of contradictions and alternate memory schemes.
- Q: Correct me if i am wrong, but Hephaestus after his divorce from Aphrodite, was bonded to a women named Aglaea. I know i am going to regret asking this, but was Aglaea, Megatronus?
- Ask Vector Prime Indeed no. Megatronus was hailed as the God of War, Ares, and caused much strife amongst your people and mine.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever fought against Jíguāng Fēichí Zhě? Huǐmiè Xuànwō?
.
.
A: Dear Anarchist of Aesthetics,
How odd. I wonder what prompted the sudden interest in Uniend 312.0 Kappa. Regardless, I have faced neither Aurora Speeder nor Smash-Gyre in battle. I can't say this bothers me, both seem to be rather... damaged individuals.
- Q: Indeed, and let us not forget Zhàn Rèn Xuányì, there a creepy decepticon you don't want to face in combat.
- Ask Vector Prime Ugh. War Rotor is a macabre villain even among the Decepticons.
- Q: I agree, and with such decepticon in there ranks no wonder that Fēngbào Zhàngē has a pessimist attitude and why Yínhé Guāngyàn went from a gentle soul to a fierce warrior. they have to fight against psychopath like those.
- Ask Vector Prime Stormsong's attitude is understandable, but a disappointment. Galaxy Flare, I think, you underestimate. While she has found her inner warrior, she remains a thoughtful and considerate Autobot. Besides, you should see her around Argent Raider. She becomes positively bashful!
- Q: Are all of the 'Cons of Uniend 312.0 Kappa like Gāng Yá Tiě Shòu and Chì Yàn Mèiyǐng maladjusted sociopaths?
- Ask Vector Prime All of them? No, that wouldn't be a fair characterization. Iron Fang is rather slow and dim, but about as well-adjusted as a soldier can be. Even Crimson Phantom I wouldn't characterize as a sociopath; she is motivated primarily by greed and self-interest. Though these are not the most admirable traits, they are hardly the marks of a madwoman.
- Q: Fair enough. Do you think someone like Piāoyí Shǎndiàn could be redeemed? She seems like someone who truly could be a force for good but got caught up in a bad situation.
- Ask Vector Prime Alas, such tragedies are far from uncommon in this war. Perhaps Hoverbolt's Spark could be redeemed, but it is unlikely. Though, unlikely things do happen.
- Q: Well if it does occur i can see Jìngfēng Bīao Lún, in having a hand in getting Hoverbolt out of there (She does have piercing knowledge of Megatron and his troops) hopefully Kǒngjù Xiāojiāng doesn't get wind of it though.
- Ask Vector Prime A match between Tempest Spin and General Browbeat for the spark of Hoverbolt... you certainly have quite the vivid imagination.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime, what is the name of this Decepticon from Uniend 312.0 Kappa? Tankor? http://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:TFOnlineMaybeTankor.jpg
- Ask Vector Prime Language!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us more of Galaxy Convoy who serves the Convoy Council? Is he a Maximal? Does he have a Beast Mode? Is he the same being as the Galaxy Convoy in Galaxy Force?
.
.
A: Dear Galactic Guy,
Galaxy Convoy is a Maximal analog to the Galaxy Convoy who commanded the Autobots during the events of Galaxy Force. He does indeed possess a beast mode, in fact a Transmetal 2 beast mode. He converts to an enormous, spacefaring klud, spinning and diving through the stars with ease. He was a great champion of peace and strongly believed that there was good in all beings, no matter how black their sparks may seem.
If you wish to learn more of him, you need only watch the Galaxy Force cartoon. Galaxy Convoy is merely another manifestation of the spark of Optimus Prime as seen there. I believe that the English language versions are still available on DVD, as Transformers: Cybertron, published by Shout Factory.
August 9, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is there a relationship between Hunter-seeker skyships and the Airborne hunter squad?
.
.
A: Dear Sky-striker Savant,
Members of the airborn hunter squads have hunter-seeker skyship alternate modes. In fact, the most prominent robot I can think of with that alternate mode, Ferak, was the leader of one of these squads. Unfortunately, his encounter with Blaster did little to teach him the folly of tormenting the innocent.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
It is said that the Universal Dominator Unicron can create "tainted worlds". What are tainted worlds exactly?
.
.
A: Dear Corruptible CEO,
Tainted worlds differ in their nature from one part of the Multiverse to the next. Some planets will undergo a technological reformatting, causing the planet and everything on it to turn into a drone searching for other planets to sate Unicron's hunger. There are realities where Lithone is reformatted into such a world, imbued with the savaged remnants of the intellect of its last survivor, Kranix, questing through the void in its ominous journey.
Other tainted worlds will rapidly mutate those on it into mindless beasts, which would be equivalent to your "seasonings" and has the added benefit of reducing the likelihood of effective resistance. A form of this was used on Yst to allow for Unicron's body to reform.
Some tainted worlds become ragged scars in the fabric of reality itself, causing quantum-foam-level instabilities and disrupting local space-time. Over time, they cause jagged wounds in the heart of a reality Unicron is not yet ready to obliterate. The Dark Nebula originally had such a world at its heart.
On occasion, the taint is more subtle, affecting the minds of the inhabitants in ways that make them aggressive, ambitious, and arrogant. These worlds often form the hearts of malignant stellar empires. Vestum Major is sometimes such a world.
This is not a complete catalog of the various manifestations of Unicron's taint. Evil is infinite, and Unicron leaves his mark upon every universe he touches.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the multiversal status of stories that were never officially 'produced' in this universal stream but about which details are known like for instance the TransTech franchise that was to follow Beast Machines or the planned Dreamwave issues.
.
.
A: Dear Apocryphal Adept,
That depends entirely on the story. Some are the true and accurate conclusions of the events of the primary universes, such as the Dreamwave issues. Others are microcontinuities or even absent from the multiverse all together.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are there any female Dinobots?
.
.
A: Dear Fem Fan,
Absolutely. My word, have none of their exploits yet reached the Quadwal Cluster? How odd.
August 10, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us more about G2 Sureshot and Archforce?
.
.
A: Dear Familiarity Friend,
That Sureshot, I am sorry to say, tends to suffer from a severe case of Primus Apotheosis. Archforce, on the other hand, was a luckless Decepticon trooper, surgically modified by the mad Decepticon leader Straxus to look like Megatron as part of his cruel machinations. In some realities, he would go on to take his own life, but in others, such as Primax 895.0 Gamma, he would rise to become a dangerous foe to Convoy and Megatron alike.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can Transformer from other Clusters defend themselves against a Gargent Invasion?
.
.
A: Dear Alternate-Universe Alarmist,
Oh my Spark, I certainly hope it doesn't come to that.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does the Windcharger-forming trio of Axle, Screw, and Throttle have a team name?
.
.
A: Dear Persistent Pal,
You certainly enjoy learning of our small companions, the Mini-Cons, don't you? I met a version of that trio in Axiom Nexus who called themselves the City Stealth Team. They could turn invisible to aid in their missions, though Axiom Nexus law forbids such activities without a proper license.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
As Simon Furman was killed by Death's Head in an interview, is the "current" Furman actually a clone or facsimile of some sort?
.
.
A: Dear Afterdeath Admirer,
It would be foolish to think that one such as he, who has wielded the Quill, who has writ so many of our destinies into the stars, could be defeated by a foe so prosaic as Death.
August 11, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
The Omnibots have been described as dimension-jumpers. G1 Omnibots. Do they help keep tabs on interdimensional threats? Are they always the same individuals?
.
.
A: Dear Doublechanger Deacon,
There are many versions of each of the Omnibots active in the multiverse. Very few are dimension hoppers. As a rule, those that are have not been active in tracking down multiversal threats. Instead, they are more apt to behave as transdimensional adventurers, merrily making their way from reality to reality to lend a helping servo to those in need. I rather admire their sense of panache.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How many Brainmasters are there in the Transformers Multiverse?
.
.
A: Dear Quantification Quorum,
Tens of thousands. Maybe more.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us anything more about Aurex 304.0 Epsilon? Did this reality's Megazarak overthrow Megatron or something?
.
.
A: This reality matrix, while indeed at least tangentially an Aurex reality, suffered a different history than what you know of from Aurex 802.23 Alpha or Aurex 402.24 Gamma. The Optimus Prime of this reality was a very different spark than many; he was ruthless, oilthirsty, and relished the feel of battle. When the mad genius Primacron unleased Mini-Cons upon this reality, Optimus was as vigorous in the hunting of them as any Decepticon. Indeed, there was a civil war between his loyalists and Rodimus' forces, who called themselves Omnicons. This wartorn Cybertron's denizens would never travel to Earth, and the three-way war between Autobots, Decepticons, and Omnicons would last thousands of years and consume nearly all available resources.
Thus did the Megazarak of Viron 403.0 Beta, God Emperor Supreme of the Destructicons, find fertile grounds for conquest. His sudden appearance in this precarious political and military landscape proved incredibly destabilizing. He had previously experimented with dimensional travel, dispatching two of his most loyal followers to Primax 1087.09 Alpha to wreck havoc. Their return with the zealot Sunstorm proved to him how useful this technology could be. Leaving his wasted domain in the care of his second in command, Jhiaxus, he journeyed to Aurex 304.0 Epsilon to see if Mini-Cons were as potent as the natives seemed to think, bringing with him Sunstorm, Dreadwind, Smokejumper, Bludgeon, and Scourge.
The Destructicons mowed down their enemies with disdain. They had the energon of a conquered Cybertron at their back, for only the Dinobots continued to offer any resistance to Megazarak's dark ambitions. Galvatron and the Decepticons sought to form an alliance, offering Galvatron's own Mini-Con, Caliburn, as an offering. For a time there was an uneasy partnership, and Galvatron even utilized the Spark of Combination with two of Megazarak's lieutenants. But, once the Autobots and Omnicons were disposed of, the Destructicons turned their rancor on their allies, and the Decepticons too were defeated.
Though this was a non-singularity universe, the greater Unicron entity had been sensing and feeding off of this conflict from afar. Indeed, some Axiom Nexus historians have dubbed these "The Unicron Battles," believing them to be a precursor to the Universe War. In any event, the Prince of Chaos transported the surviving Destructicon victors away to further serve his interests. With life on Cybertron all but wiped out, Primacron's next and greatest invention faced little opposition in draining the universe of all life and energy. What he hoped to accomplish, one may never know, for he did not survive his own creation's exponential growth.
- Q: Did Jhiaxus hail from Megazarak's home reality?
- Ask Vector Prime Originally, yes. In fact, he only entered the Universe War briefly, to search for his lord and master. Were it not for his questing, Megazarak might never have returned to Viron 403.0 Beta.
- Q: We in Quadwal have heard of some iteration of Megazarak being a Minion of Unicorn while his lieutenants Dreadwind, Smokejumper, and Sunstorm were Children of Primus. Is this information accurate?
- Ask Vector Prime Surprisingly, yes, it was. Sunstorm's delusions of grandeur caused him to reject Unicron and seek out communion with Primus, who was more than happy to have him as a disciple. Dreadwind and Smokejumper, mercurial beings that they were, took advantage of their compatriot's shift to forge contacts on the other side. When they sensed that the winds were shifting and Unicron's defeat was imminent, they declared for Primus.
- Q: Is Aurex 402.0 Gamma (Dreamwave) and Aurex 402.24 Gamma two universes or did you have a old Bot moment?
- Ask Vector Prime I believe that stream has been further specified since the TransTech first scanned and documented it.
- Q: So what happened to the Dinobots of Megazarak's home reality?
- Ask Vector Prime With Megazarak absent for so long, they were able to rally and cause significant setbacks to Jhiaxus' operations on Cybertron.
- Q: Did the Megazarak you fought in Aurex 404.11 Kappa also originate in a Viron cluster universe?
- Ask Vector Prime No, he was a native. The future Time Warriors and I managed to stop him before he could begin a trans-dimensional rampage. However, he was very much an expression of the same underlying being. It was fortunate that his evil was quelshed before it could spread.
- Q: Was Optimus Prime an 'expression of the same underlying being' as well?
- Ask Vector Prime Not at all. Though similar in appearance, his Spark was nearly as different from the Optimus I fought besides during the Singularity Crisis as two Sparks can be.
- Q: How _did_ the Dinobots survive while all others had fallen?
- Ask Vector Prime Have you ever _met_ a Dinobot?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Seeing as you and your brothers were the Greek Gods can you tell us about Hercules?
.
.
A: Dear Legend Liker,
Indeed I can! You may be surprised to know that the legend of Hercules was, in part, inspired by none other than the G.I. Joe named Sgt. Slaughter, who was on a temporal misadventure of his own.
August 12, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you met Jù Xióng Hànjiāng, before Megatron purposefully starved him like some mindless beast.
.
.
A: Dear Bear Bishop,
I have never encountered Ursa Major, before or after anything Megatron may have done to him.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime, tell us more about this evil female Decepticon! http://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:TFOnlineFemaleCon.jpg
- Ask Vector Prime My, aren't we demanding.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the relationship between Primax 984.0 Gamma and Primax 984.20 Gamma?
.
.
A: Dear Ardent Anglophile,
That is an excellent question. As the names might indicate, there is a high degree of overlap between the two streams. Primax 984.20 Gamma has a slightly higher level of specificity than Primax 984.0 Gamma, meaning that nearly all events of Primax 984.0 Gamma are duplicated in Primax 984.20 Gamma, but not necessarily the other way around. In essence, 984.20 Gamma weaves in and out of 984.0, dipping in and sampling the universe state before diverging and following its own path.
Now, you may be wondering what, if any, relationship the somewhat similarly named Primax 984.17 Alpha has to all of this. The answer, surprisingly, is almost none. I say almost because certain events do occur in both 984.17 Alpha and a possible future of 984.20 Gamma which had several temporal interactions with its primary. I refer, of course to the coming of Unicron, which occurred in your year 2005 in Primax 984.17 Alpha and 2006 in Primax 986.13 Gamma, the splinter timeline.
Now that I think of it, another tiny fragment of 984.17 Alpha does exist as its own microcontinuity, Primax 488.0 Gamma, which is in relatively close resonance with 984.0 Gamma. Even more surprising is that 488.0 Gamma does exist as a part of 984.20 Gamma... albeit only as a story, spun to confuse a guard. No doubt this cosmic coincidence was facilitated in some way by the unusual mindstate of Wreck-Gar, who not only had the insight of the partially mad, but had indeed touched that of the Godhead of Unicron.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Were you ever exposed to nucleon like the Grimlock from Primax 984.0 Gamma who became an Action Master?
.
.
A: Dear Fixed Friend,
I have never partaken of Nucleon, for its effects are unpredictable and not always beneficial. I suppose it is remotely possible that there is a non-Singular Vector Prime somewhere in the Multiverse who has become an Action Master.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the name of Paradron's communicator?
.
.
A: Dear Radio Radical,
The most common name for him is Playback. In Primax 207.0 Epsilon, he was a Recordabot. Though, come to think of it, I am not certain they use such terminology in that reality-space.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Would a Primax universe's Autobots have any success by unleashing the Beast on Unicron?
.
.
A: Dear Dangerous Discoverer,
Some questions are better left unasked, some ideas better left unexamined.
August 13, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Could you elaborate more on what it's like being a Synthoid Cybertronian?
.
.
A: Dear Synthoid Seeker,
I cannot. I have never been a synthoid. I do not think I would enjoy it. I find biological functions confusing.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
The Legends story Fire in the Dark has the Aurex jeep Mini-Con Ransack discover what appears to be Rhinox's recordings. Was this actually some form of Aurex Beast Wars that had massive similarities to the one in Primax 496.22 Alpha?
.
.
A: Dear Animal Augurer,
You are referring to Aurex 1104.30-JH Zeta, correct? There were certainly many similarities; time-displaced Maximals and Predacons did battle in Earth's past, with the same participants. There were also differences; Megatron's goal was not the destruction of the Ark, but to secure all of the Earthbound Mini-Cons. It is actually a fascinating study in quantum harmonic resonance.
As a footnote, the Spark of the mad beast Inferno was plucked from this timestream by Unicron at the moment of his death. His disembodied spark found the shell of a recently deceased Red Alert who had arrived with the Optimus Prime from Viron 903.0 Beta. Happily, he became a Child of Primus when Optimus Primal liberated him from the Cauldron, believing the Maximal to be his new queen.
- Q: Awesome! Is this also the Beast Wars that Jetfire read about to take the name Sky Shadow?
- Ask Vector Prime There was indeed a Predacon named Sky Shadow in the conflict. He was the head of the Predacon Secret Police, and was dispatched to Earth to retrieve Megatron when Transwarp Pulse alerted the Tripredacus Council to Megatron's illicit activity. Though nominally an ally of the Maximals, he eventually turned on them and was destroyed.
- Q: Did Megatron succeed in this plan?
- Ask Vector Prime For a time, he did. He managed to gather up many Mini-Cons to his cause. Snarl, Ironlunge, Overbite, Repticus, Sling, Dreadwing, Gnashteeth (who called himself Chromebite after his Transmetal upgrade), Wedge Shape, and Brimstone were all gathered by the Predacons. Fortunately Optimus Primal was far from idle. Knockdown, Apexus, Nightscream, Gredator, Catilla, and Dragoyell were all recovered by the Maximals. And three Mini-Cons struck out on their own; Rav, Triceradon, and Dualor would serve neither side, though they were loosely allied with the Maximals.
- In the end, though, all of Megatron's ambitions were thwarted. Wedge Shape defied the Servility Program in her CPU and switched sides, bringing many of the Darksyde's codes with her. Optimus and the Maximals stormed their base and rescued the Mini-Cons, and the Predacons were forced into the wilderness. Though Megatron attempted to use Tarantulas' secret projects as a last-ditch effort to turn the tide, in the end he was captured and most of his troopers destroyed.
- Q: Was the Vok here at all during these Beast Wars?
- Ask Vector Prime The Vok were uninterested in this Reality Space.
- Q: How exactly did the Beast Warriors become Transmetal without the Vok?
- Ask Vector Prime Though Megatron came to Earth seeking Mini-Cons, Tarantulas had his own agenda. He secretly sent his Arachnoids to scour the globe, searching for traces of Super Energon which he suspected would be here. Indeed, find them he did, and he gathered a mighty cache of the potent and volatile material. Optimus Primal hijacked his makeshift spacecraft and sacrificed himself to destroy it in orbit. The resulting Super Energon Transwarp Explosion caused the Transmetal upgrade in many of the participants of the Beast Wars, as well as damaging some of the stasis pods in a way so as to create Fuzors.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universe did the Longhorn who fought in the Universe War come from?
.
.
A: Primax 797.18 Epsilon, though he was known as Ramulus when he arrived.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Where was Rodimus during the event of the Unicron Singularity?
.
.
A: Dear Hot Rod Hound,
Quite busy, I assure you, with other acts of as-yet uncatalogued heroism.
August 14, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What was the name of the Quintesson who restored Optimus Prime to life during the Hate Plague incident?
.
.
A: Dear Resurrection Rascal,
Organic names tend to vary by universe quite a bit, and recently my field of memory has been restricting oddly. However, in Primax 509.28 Epsilon, that surprisingly noble spark was named Klementia.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Would Yínhé Qíshǒu be a member of the thoroughbred corps?
.
.
A: Dear Quadruped Querier,
I am not at all certain that there IS a Thoroughbred Corps in the Uniend Cluster, let alone Galaxy 'Questrian's status in relationship to it.
- Q: Really? too bad. cause i think they need groups like those that would help fight against cons like Tiān Shà Mèiyǐng
- Ask Vector Prime As Fallen Angel is an air-based warrior, I'm not sure that the Thoroughbred Corps would be the most efficacious in combating her or her cohorts, Wind War, Variable Star, Space Scar, Doomwings, and War Blade. The Ariel Warfare Subjugation Taskforce is a foreboding, and it is my fervent hope the Autobots do not take them lightly.
- Q: true, can't argue with you there. we need more fliers like Tiě Yì Fēi Jiàn if up against the Ariel Warfare Subjugation Taskforce.
- Ask Vector Prime Funny you should bring up Ironfletch; it was a version of myself who convinced him to join the Autobots. He himself is something of a dimensional wanderer, though of course he has only been to a handful of streams.
- Q: Interesting, good work on sending Ironfletch to help! Btw speaking of Fliers. Since Doomwing is treacherous would he defect into joining the Star Seekers, possibly bringing Zhóngyā Měngzhě to make it show to thundertron that he's loyal to his cause? (Thundertron has shown to work with cybertronian in the past.)
- Ask Vector Prime What an oddly specific scenario you've outlined.
- Q: What does Starscream think of such a dangerous squadron as th Subjugation Taskforce being run by Fallen Angel and not him?
- Ask Vector Prime It is difficult to know what one as cunning as Starscream thinks about anything.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Aside from all the depictions of Hermes inspired by you, have you ever had any sort of memorabilia/merchandise made of you by non-Quadwal beings?
.
.
A: Dear Tchotchke Customer,
It has been known to happen. Other species have made me an object of worship. For instance, there is a version of Karn where many statues and paintings commemorating Alchemist and I defending their world against the Swarm.
Merchandising, too, is not limited to Earth. What's a good example... ah, yes, for a time, the natives of the eighth world of the Thistal system were selling--I suppose you would call them "bobble-heads" of me. A close analog, anyway. In my younger days I and my Time Warriors had protected this world from a relatively minor threat, but clearly we made an impact. What was it... possibly that universe's Doomstone, but I would not swear an oath to that. In any event, I was less experienced about such things and became something of a local celebrity. I did their talk-holo circuit for a while, until I attracted the attention of some local Decepticons and things became more serious again.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the significance of the Celestial Spires, so much so that Cybertronians swear by them?
.
.
A: Dear Architecture Adept,
If you had ever laid optics on them, you would not ask that question. They are beauty made manifest, and the site of one of our most ancient and sacred temples as well.
August 15, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever meant Warmonger?
.
.
A: Dear Mistake Miser,
Even I occasionally fall prey to a slip of the vocal processor. There is a distant but highly probable future where I am having a conversation about spies with Punch and said Fearmonger when of course I meant to say Warmonger. Or, come to think of it, I might have said Hatemonger. Regardless, he made a gentle jibe about me not being as sharp as I used to be and then I... hmmm... well, I forget what happens next. I suppose it happens to the best of us.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever worked alongside Wúwèi Tiānzūn?
.
.
A: Briefly. Avatar Brave is not a mech for talking, though, so I am afraid I never got the chance to know him.
- Q: Is Hēidòng Màichōng and Starscream's "relationship" romantic in nature or is it strictly about seizing power?
- Ask Vector Prime I doubt either Hóng Zhīzhū or Void Pulse has much use for romance. If there is anything between the two of them, I suspect it would be purely physical.
- Q: OOOOH SCANDALOUS. Hee-hee!
- Ask Vector Prime IF. I said if.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
We know about the Convoy and TransTech Megatron's proposed "Megatronus Squad", but have there been any other instances when multiple analogues of the same individual have teamed up?
A: Dear Team-up Taskmaster,
Absolutely. I can think of many instances, including Primax 512.5 Gamma, where various Rodimus Prime instantiations coexisted briefly, or Primax 903.0 Beta, where Megatron gathered hundreds of versions of himself to perfect the Chaotizer and overwrite the Hytherion's protocols with his own.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime. Amongst the various Rodimus Primes you mentioned there appeared to be one who transformed into a fire engine. Can you tell us anything about him?
- Q: I want to know more about him as well.
- Ask Vector Prime Then know ye shall. He was called Fire Rodimus, and hail from the seldom-glimpsed stream Primax 092.0 Beta. In fact, to my knowledge, only a single flash of this reality has reached your realm, beyond my ramblings about Hyperdrive. The new Rodimus bodyform was necessary after the Micromaster Rodimus was damaged defending Zone from an army of Great Galaman. His essence was transplanted into a power-up being constructed for Star Convoy known as Duke Fire. Their combined form, Supernova Convoy, was nigh-unstoppable, and handily defeated Star Giant and his vassal, Ultra Megatron.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us anything about the Six Clan, do they really secretly rule over the universe?
.
.
A: Dear Hex Hound,
If they do, it is a very well kept secret indeed. Ha!
August 16, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Whatever became of the reality where Unicron abducted his Minion generals Obsidian and Tankor from?
.
.
A: Dear Drastic Dictator,
So, that would be... let me see... ah, here we go. Primax 208.06 Zeta. Perhaps I had best share a bit of its history. The Beast Wars here proceeded much as they did in the Primax 496.22 Alpha, until Starscream's mutant spark arrived. This version had lived through this scenario once before, and was ready for Primal's gambit. From here, history took a different track. The hybrid Starscream/Waspinator entity pressed their advantage, and the Maximals were defeated. The Vok responded by attempting to sterilize their experiment, prompting Megatron to maneuver Blackarachnia to inadvertently destroy their weapon while trying to escape the planet.
The resulting Quantum Surge mutated the original crew of the Darkside into Transmetal forms. The only exception was Scorponok, who was undergoing repairs in the CR tank when the surge hit due to injuries sustained gaining entry into the Vok bio-dome. With a powerful new body at his command, and two newly-recruited Fuzors bolstering his cause, Waspscream made his move. Megatron and his loyalists, Scorponok and Inferno, were captured, though shortly thereafter Silverbolt realized that he had little in common with either faction and struck out on his own.
Waspscream convinced Tarantulas to decode Megatron's Golden Disk for him by promising to make him his second once they reached Cybertron and usurped the Tripredacus Council. With Waspscream's detailed future knowledge and the codes in the Disk, he easily secured an Autobot shuttle and stockpiled it with energon. Not wanting any loose ends, he scoured the lands for Silverbolt. In the process, he uncovered Protoform X and forced the creature to his service, though not before it offlined Quickstrike. Eventually Silverbolt was located and captured, enabling Waspscream and his Predacon crew to make way to Cybertron. Megatron, Waspscream's main prize, was humiliatingly secured to the outside of the shuttle.
That arrogance would prove a costly mistake, as Megatron managed to break free during the journey. He exited decades ahead of Waspscream's crew, his mind damaged by the uncontrolled exit from transwarp space. He used his knowledge of the future to create a transformation virus and, shortly before Waspscream was due to arrive in his present, unleashed it on the unsuspecting population. He then began harvesting their sparks, and turning their shells into Vehicons.
He faced unexpected resistance from Waspscream's crew when they arrived. Megatron had trusted his virus to disable them, but Waspscream, Terrorsaur, Tarantulas, and Protoform X all wore Transmetal bodies, and would prove resistant to the virus. Only the prisoners, Silverbolt, Inferno, and Scorponok, were subdued. Megatron offered his former minions a chance to once again serve him. Inferno leapt at the opportunity to once again serve his queen, but Scorponok balked at the destruction Megatron had wrought to Maximal and Predacon alike. Megatron used his spark anyway, stripping its ego and implanting it in the body of his new drone, Tankor, commander of the tank drones. Inferno was given command of the scrapmetal drones. Silverbolt, too, was used, becoming the aerodrone commander Jetstorm.
Waspscream and his Predacons were drawn to the Oracle and granted new, technorganic bodies. The waged a valiant Spark War against Megatron, eventually liberating Silverbolt and prompting Megatron to unleash a new general upon the conflict, the former Autobot military genius Obsidian. This would prove a costly mistake for Megatron, for this Obsidian was not tempered by his consort, and would eventually betray his commander and seized control for himself.
Inferno defected to the side of the Predacons, wanting nothing but revenge for the usurper who murdered his queen, and brought a quarter of the Vehicons with him. Obsidian and Tankor waged a brutal war against the growing Predacon uprising, for they had been joined by the survivor Nightscream and the returning spacefarers Botanica and Depth Charge. Other resistance groups, too, rampaged across the planet; the Wreckers, the Mutants, the Dinobots. Obsidian turned to increasingly barbarous tactics to quell the uprisings; Silverbolt and Terrorsaur died screaming at his command. It was at this point that Unicron intervened, scooping up all three Vehicon generals for his own use. Obsidan and Tankor, reluctantly, served the Lord of Nothingness, but Inferno couldn't be tamed, wanting nothing more than the obliteration of the two "traitors to the colony." Thus it was that he, upon his liberation, became a Child of Primus, oddly enough fighting alongside an alternate universe version of himself for the forces of light. How strange and heartening that sometimes even the most fanatically dark Sparks can find a path to redemption.
As for the reality left behind, the Vehicons, deprived of their leadership, proved ineffectual at best. Waspscream, Rodimus Primal, Magmatron, and Icebird formed a new High Council to attempt to govern Cybertron, full of intrigue and alliances. Of course, their story doesn't end there; it never ends. But perhaps this is as good a place as any to conclude the tale.
- Q: Rodimus Primal? Can you say anymore about this individual? Did he have a beast form?
- Ask Vector Prime He did... an enormous Transmetal gorilla, as well as two vehicle modes.
- Q: So what happened to this Obsidian and Tankor? Did they survive the end of the Universe War?
- Ask Vector Prime To the best of my knowledge, they did not, though where Unicron is concerned, who can be certain? Tankor fell at the hands of Rhinox, which has a certain symmetry to it it. Obsidian plummeted into the corruption that was the Angolmois ocean of Unicron's Pit. If there is some small measure of mercy, he fell besides a version of Strika, his longtime companion; at least they may be united in death.
- Q: Are Nemesis Stryka and Blast charge from this time stream as well?
- Ask Vector Prime The Strika who seemingly perished with this Obsidian was abducted from Primax 704.08 Gamma. Perhaps my memory crystals are decohering but I do not seem to recall a Blast Charge participating in the Universe War.
- Q: How'd Depth Charg and Protoform X handle being on the same side?
- Ask Vector Prime Oh ho! Many sparks flew that first orbital cycle, let me tell you!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are there different versions of the Protecton and the Terrakors from the Xobitor cluster in different universe clusters?
.
.
A: Dear Faction Friend,
Of course! Two examples that I can think of include the primitive Terrakors of certain lower-gradient Nexus universes, and the Malgus Cluster faction which evolved into the Protectobots.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever met Aurex Downshift's lifebond partner? If so, what was she like?
.
.
A: Dear Bond Busker,
I have, yes, She was one of the many Autobot refugees on Earth during my time questing for Cyber Planet Keys to thwart the Unicron Singularity. She was quite clever, recognizing the Atlantis Pattern for what it was.
- Q: If you don't mind me asking, what was her name?
- Ask Vector Prime In many reality streams, she is called Joyride.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What sort of rights do drones have compared to spark-bearing Cybertronians on Axiom Nexus? How is sapience determined there?
.
.
A: Dear Sentience Student,
All sapient creature on Axiom Nexus have certain Primus-granted inalienable rights. In those rare cases where it is not entirely clear, the Turtler Test is administered, named for one of Axiom Nexus' earliest drone pioneers.
For millions of stellar cycles they were using the Ambus Test. Some of the non-lingual Alpha-based Aurex Mini-Cons were failing the test. Sprite, a Gamma-native Mini-Con, spoke standard Cybertronix, but was upset that some of her quantum cousins were being treated as second class citizens. She rallied a campaign of public awareness concerning Mini-Con rights. Replacing the Ambus Test was one one of her early successes.
August 17, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I am fascinated by the Iocus cluster. Its natives oftentimes appear to belong to other Universal clusters yet they interact with beings they would not normally interact with. Is there a reason for this?
.
.
A: Dear Iocus Iconoclast,
Iocus streams, by their nature, tend to be universes where odd interactions are possible. Beings from other clusters frequently are duplicated in unusual forms and with unusual properties. Even the TransTech do not understand it well. Some take it seriously, but there is undeniably a certain prejudice against its natives. If I may be perfectly blunt, many in Axiom Nexus regard them as something of a joke. Some of the natives even seem to be in on it! I am thinking of Iocus 514.31 Gamma, specifically.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are there any other teams like the Aerial Warfare Subjugation Taskforce in Uniend 312.0 Kappa?
.
.
A: Dear Group Gopher,
Why, yes, several. The Earth Protection Taskforce, under the command of the veteran Astral Knight, is a good example. He will stop at nothing to prevent the fate that befell Cybertron from repeating on Earth. His team is an interesting bunch. Assault Star is his second-in-command; she stresses preparation, skill, and diligence in her troops. Privately, she finds the various economic philosophies of Earth fascinating, and can be drawn into megacycles of debate about the relative merits of capitalism, socialism, feudalism, mercantilism, communism, and the like. Perhaps it is the idea of having so much abundance, and working out relatively peaceful ways to decide who shall receive it that appeals to her. Psychic Shortstop loves human culture, from plastic food to Velvet Elvises (Elvi?) to his favorite, baseball. The Jiangsu Pegasus is his favorite team. Thunderclap is the team's scout. She has taken a particular interest in the elderly of Earth, drawn to the irony that beings that have seen so few solar rotations are so near the end of their lifespans. Sonic Ronin is the team's strategist. Brilliant at analysis, the lush environment of Earth has given him a strong case of wanderlust. It is difficult for him to commit fully to his team; he has been characterized as something of a knight errant. Finally, the simple and powerful Sledgehammer. Little could breach his thick armor, but beneath it pulsed a vulnerable Spark. He took great joy in small beauties and had a hesitant step, for he hated the idea that he might trample a flower or a butterfly.
They tended to frequently clash with the Resource Exploitation Taskforce, from what I recall.
- Q: Might I ask who the members of said Resource Exploitation Taskforce are?
- Ask Vector Prime I should have anticipated this question, knowing how humans process ambiguity.
- Indeed, Doomsday Marshall assembled quite a team. It included Spiral Zealot, the inscrutable warrior; the cowardly scout, Balewing; the violent gladiatorial champion of the Raskol Arena, Hypergear; Siegegun, the patient artillery-bot; Coldstar, the sadistic "artist;" and the paranoid and tenacious Lensflare. Their encounters with the EPT were the stuff of legends.
- Q: Did the Earth Protection Taskforce fight any other prominent Decepticons?
- Ask Vector Prime Of course. They tracked down the maverick Nebula Ripper to her base in Las Vegas, and battled the berserker Pressure Front in the heart of the Gobi Desert. And those are just two examples. The EPT did quite a lot of good.
- Q: Do you know of any other Autobots who worked closely with the EPT?
- Ask Vector Prime Naturally. Ether Walker once had a memorable encounter with Psychic Shortstop where she learned to see the Earth through his optics, and he learned the importance of wariness. Sonic Ronin left the team to explore England for a while and wound up rescuing Blazing Meteor and Phantom Nova from a makeshift Decepticon prison. They even worked under the direct command of Qíng Tīan Zhù himself during an unsuccessful attempt to capture Starquest and Pò Tiān Léi.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universe is Bumblebee at Tyger Pax?
.
.
A: Dear Egregious Exile,
Uniend 610.23 Zeta.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I've been wondering about a few things concerning Primus. Do you know what his stance is on Transformers worshiping other gods? What about non-Cybertronians who wish to worship him? Does Primus care about being worshiped at all?
.
.
A: Dear Wholly Holy,
I would not presume to know the mindstate of Primus. Now, those bots who claim to act in his name often have strictures against the worship of other deities, or regarding who may or may not properly pay homage to Primus. But I must regard their doctrines with skepticism, though I suppose one cannot rule out the possiblity that my Father has somehow reached out to them in ways wholly unfamiliar to me.
August 18, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universe were the Spychangers who were warped from their home universe and fought on the ice planet against Reptillion from?
.
.
A: Originally, they were from Viron 1103.12 Gamma. In this timeline, Optimus Prime downsized her troops after Sky-Byte inadvertently rendered nearly all energon on Earth toxic. At first, Megatron and the Predacons laughed at these smaller adversaries and applauded Sky-Byte's brilliance. He was more than happy to claim credit for his accident. However, a commando strike by Daytonus and X-Brawn soon rendered the Predacons' stockpile of uninfected Energon inert. The war ground down as they ran out of power. Only Scourge was able to use the Spy Changer upgrade on herself, and she alone was no match for the thirteen Autobot Spy Changers active on Earth.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
It appears that in the "Cybertron's Most Wanted" comic their are two Windblades. May I ask from which universe each is from?
.
.
A: Dear Scheduling Sailor,
Certainly. Feel free to ask at your earliest convenience, if this forum still exists at whatever point in your own personal timestream you happen to be at.
- Q: This raises the question, do you know how much longer you'll be able to continue communicating to us through this forum, Vector Prime?
- Ask Vector Prime I sense my time with you is coming to an end in the near future. Why this might be is a mystery to me.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Would you recommend Torkulon as a medical retreat?
.
.
A: Dear Mental Master,
I suppose that would depend on what kind of insurance or warranty you have.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who are the Matrix Templars and just what is it that constitutes being a Matrix Templar?
.
.
A: Dear Spiritual Seeker,
The Matrix Templars you are most likely to be familiar with consist of Cheetor, Rodimus, Grizzly-1, Snarl, and the leader of the order, Magnaboss. Some time after Rodimus and Magnaboss passed, Sentinel Maximus and King Atlas were recruited to take their place in the order. They are bots who, for reasons of physiology or philosophy or psychology, have a special affinity with the Well of All Sparks, and train themselves to better understand this connection.
August 19, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is with Beast Wars II Sausage?
.
.
A: Dear Salient Sausage Snacker,
Trading cards. That is what they were sold with.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime
- Which provides the most power; Minicon upgrades, Energon chips, or Cyberkeys? Which is preferred?
- Ask Vector Prime For a human, the answer would probably be Beast Wars II Sausages! Ha!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is the better sword-user. The cold demeanor Autobot Shēnlán Lüèyǐng or the twisted Decepticon Àn Xīng Xuánwō?
.
.
A: Dear Fencing Fan,
There is no question that Deep Blue fights with more grace and skill than Stellar Maelstrom. However, he has bulk, strength, and reach on his side. I fear it would be a close battle.
- Q: Can you briefly list the individuals in this particular conflict that you have yet to mention?
- Ask Vector Prime I'm afraid that would take centuries.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
In the Malgus cluster why is the title of Prime in such low esteem. Even in Universes without Primus, the title is reserved for Matrix holders, Autobot Supreme Commanders, and you and your brethren. Is the title's significance lost or forgotten? It it the result of a Quintesson plot? Vector Sigma Malfunction? Absence of a concrete Matrix of Leadership? Or is it another example of reality distorting due to the Aurex Unicron Singularity?
.
.
A: Dear Prime Partaker,
Sometimes a cy-gar is just a cy-gar.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever come up against the interdimensional Convoy-killer Grand Scourge on your travels?
.
.
A: Dear Travel Threat,
He is a most dangerous 'bot indeed. I sense that you will be learning more about him in the near future.
August 20, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why did the Axiom Nexus News stop reporting?
.
.
A: Dear Interrupted-service Inquisitor,
I'm afraid that the Waruder Invasion temporarily powered-down almost all of Axiom Nexus, including ANN. You will be happy to note that service was restored almost immediately, thanks to a band of most unlikely criminals-turned-heroes. You can read all about it in Cybertron's Most Wanted, distributed through Diamond to your favorite local comic book store this fall.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
The Aurex version of Thundercracker seems to have two divergent incarnations, the dim jokester of Aurex 802.23 Alpha and the skilled yet embittered mercenary who defected from the Decepticons from the MTMTE profile books. Do you know what Aurex stream he originated from seeing how his history isn't compatible with the events of that occurred in Aurex 402.0 Gamma?
.
.
A: Dear Dichotomous Duality Delver,
Your question is full of assumptions that are untrue. He has far more than two divergent incarnations, even just in the Aurex Cluster. I see little in his history in Aurex 402.24 Gamma (recently reclassified by the TransTech, a slight refinement) to rule out his nature as an acrimonious sellsword. Realize that you have only seen a tiny sliver of that universe, the barest fraction of happenings. Alas, such is true for all universes, even your own. Perhaps that is why the mindstate of beings such as Primus or Unicron are so unknowable, for their limitations are not our own.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What connection does Bio Ranger Iga have with Violen Jiger?
.
.
A: Dear Nightmare Namer,
Very similar to the connection between Jazz and Meister.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the name of Autobot driver who comes with Kre-O Optimus Prime Dino Hauler?
.
.
A: Dear Extinction Exemplar,
I believe that to be none other than the inventor Kade Yeager.
August 21, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What defines a Cyberjet?
.
.
A: Dear Plane Person,
That depends on the individual in question. For instance, Hooligan is often defined by his love of practical jokes.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Where do Blue Maximus, Undertow, and Bodyblock hail from? Are they also Vironians?
.
.
A: Dear Movie Mayhem Matron,
They are not, generally speaking. I know of them from Tyran 208.28 Gamma. After the Decepticons were teleported to Cybertron, the Fallen felt their absence and grew enraged. He began to grow an army of new Decepticons, with Blue Maximus, Chopsaw, Undertow, and Duststorm among them.
Meanwhile, the Autobots remaining on Earth put out a call to their scattered brethren throughout the galaxy: "we are here... we are waiting." Among those who answered the call were Bodyblock, Downshift, Fallback, Mindset, and Deep Dive.
There would be many titanic clashes between the Fallen's minions and the newly-arrived Autobots, epic battles in the spectacular cities and breathtaking wilderness of your world. Perhaps some day you will see them with your own eyes.
- Q: The stealth jet Strafe has also been associated with some of the Transformers you mention here, Vector Prime. Did he play any part in this conflict?
- Ask Vector Prime Indeed. This skittish bot arrived later in the conflict than the rest, and helped expose Sentinel Prime's true colors.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Where do babies come from?
.
.
A: Dear Origin Ontologist,
Oh dear. I'm afraid that I am unfamiliar with organic methods of procreation. Budding perhaps? Maybe you should ask your mother or your proto-batch initiator.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What can you tell me about Caliburn?
.
.
A: Dear Cruelty Connoisseur,
He tends to be quite a nasty little 'bot. In clusters where he partners with Megazarak, he enjoys taunting his opponents, secure in the knowledge that his much larger and more powerful master will keep him safe. Megazarak seems to find him distasteful, but tolerates him due to his incredible power. Especially in Aurex Cluster, where Caliburn's status as a Mini-Con allows him to directly enhance Megazarak's own power, Caliburn is smug and secure in his relationship, not knowing how close the sadistic despot is to ripping off his head. The Viron Micromaster versions are slightly more nervous, and with good reason. They tend to survive longer.
On the other hand, Primax versions of him can be, if not exactly pleasant bots, at least somewhat less monstrous. He often associates with the Cyberdroid Dante, following his lead in important matters. Curious, that.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I'm always asking myself why in some realities, sparks despite being the life force of all Cybertronian lifeforms are also capable of containing the memories and/or personalities.
.
.
A: Dear Uniquely Unstable,
That is an interesting question to always be asking oneself. Does the perpetual pondering of this notion make it difficult for you to have a normal human life, difficult to engage in activities humans find enjoyable such as entering an REM state for the purpose of clensing your processors of accumulated toxins, or participation in the "food chain?" Or does it provide a focus, much like a Cyber-Ninja's mantra?
August 22, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever fought against Meantime?
.
.
A: Dear Petty Parishioner,
Though he does possess some rudimentary chronological abilities, his ambitions are so limited that neither I nor, to my knowledge, any of those temporal guardians like myself have ever been forced to intercede in his antics.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you want to play a game?
.
.
A: Dear Gamer Gal,
How about a nice game of Fullstasis?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What happened to Magmatron after the Beast Machine Dinobots battle with the Lurker? All that was found of him was his sword.
.
.
A: Dear Sacrificial Stalwart,
Alas, that spark is often destined to give his life so that others may live, perhaps after bequeathing his Magma Blade to his successors.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is there a universal stream corresponding to the "Hail and Farewell" universe where Hunter O'Nion remained binary bonded with Sunstreaker?
.
.
A: Dear Mosaic Meister,
Interestingly enough, for the longest time, there was not. This changed after a certain briefcase incident. Now, the TransTech have this stream archived as Primax 208.15 Gamma.
August 23, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does Scrash look like Skyquake or does Skyquake look like Scrash?
.
.
A: Dear Philosophical Parson,
Is a single photon traveling through one of two possible slits a particle, or is it a wave?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Did Whirl come from the same universe as King Atlas? The Universe version, I mean.
.
.
A: Dear Regent Raconteur,
He did not. When King Atlas was abducted, it led to a series of wars in his home reality, and Whirl was one of the survivors of those conflicts. A different, though quite similar, Whirl escaped the Cauldron. I believe he came from Aurex 1104.30-JM Zeta. The Combatron of that reality was firmly under the dominion of King Atlas. It would prove a mighty arsenal for the Autobots during the Omega Lock quest.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
A Quadwal human named Glen Hallit has indicated that the Ratchet who Optimus Primal liberated in his opening salvo of the Universe War hailed from Viron. Can you confirm this?
.
.
A: Dear RID Reductivist,
The Ratchet who fought in the Universe War did indeed hail from the Viron Cluster. Curious that this human would know...
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What can you tell me about the Cyberjet, Windsheer?
.
.
A: Dear Auteur Adept,
Wind Sheer is quite an interesting character. He was originally designed for photint, and indeed served the Decepticon cause for thousands of years in such a capacity. However, he eventually tired of the carnage and devoted his sophisticated optical arrays to documenting the war. Much of what we know of the Universe War came from the holo-films he shot, for when he and his fellow Cyberjets were summoned to the past from the Metrowars, Primus plucked him from the Blasty Zone to serve as one of his Children. He and Rook forged a bond of friendship despite their differing allegiances, and would occasionally partner in their overlapping quests.
August 24, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why is it that some character archetypes (such as Optimus Primes or Megatrons or Grimlocks) are more prevalent throughout the multiverse that others?
.
.
A: Dear Quantification Quaker,
There is a precise answer to that, but it involves nth-level non-linear meganomial equations. I suppose that, in a non-mathematical way, the idea is that certain patterns tend to repeat themselves, and the more powerful the pattern, the more likely it is to reiterate across the boundaries of reality. This phenomena is known as trans-dimensional harmonic resonance.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever personally witnessed an instance of two Transformers with the same name meeting each other? (e.g. in Primax 1005.19 Gamma, Triple Changer Tankor and tank Tankor are friends)
.
.
A: Dear Similarity Striker,
Why, yes. In fact, I bought a cyberforcep from Swindle, Swindle, and Swindle on my way into ANN Headquarters just this morning.
- Q: Do you know what universal streams those three Swindles are from?
- Ask Vector Prime It would be rude to pry!
- Q: Can transformers from different realities share a name but NOT be an alternate reality version of the same individual. Are RID15 Slipstream and Animated Slipstream, or RID Grimlock and G1 Grimlock, different individuals who happen to share a name, or alternate reality versions of each other respectively? Can you give a few other examples?
- Ask Vector Prime Of course, it is actually quite common. Those two Grimlocks have nothing to do with each other. The Optimus left to rot by Megazarak is a very different Spark than the Optimus who fought besides me during the events of the Singularity, or the Optimus who allowed himself to be disassembled by the Swarm. The Megatron of the Beast Wars is a different Megatron from his namesake. It is quite common.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I am curious about the Magna Stampede and Stockade who were Children of Primus. Can you tell me about them?
.
.
A: Dear Deity Dancer,
Those two are a curious pair. It is true that Primus sensed in them the potential to be of great value in the struggle, their home reality of Primax 509.28 Epsilon is not easily breached. Though he extended his hand and pulled them into the environs of the conflict, the reality-membrane did not break, and they were snapped back to their home reality in nanokliks.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What Universes do all of the Spychanger Optimus Primes we have seen so far come from?
.
.
A: Dear Omnivorous Ombudsman,
ALL of them? There are hundreds of thousands of Spychanger Optimus Primes in existence. Do you really want me to catalog them all for you?
August 25, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you have a favorite anime?
.
.
A: Dear Japan Junkie,
I'm partial to Galaxy Force.
Q: Hey Vector Prime, it's good to see you again big guy! I've missed you since you became one with time and space after the Cybetron series! When are you planning on making an appearance in Transformers: Robots in Disguise and do you mind revealing how you plan on helping Bumblebee and his team?
.
.
A: Dear Friendly Fan,
I am pleased that my return brings you joy. You will be happy to learn that I shall be appearing in Robots in Disguise in the very near future. As to the role I play, you will have to tune in to the episode to find out.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are you still dead?
.
.
A: Dear Morbid Maestro,
I spend as little of my time dead as possible.
- Q: I hope so. 0-0 I consider it a great tragedy if you died. Like the red wedding and the day optimus prime died in the G1 movie =(
- Ask Vector Prime I found your reality's season 7 episode 9 particularly shocking.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
This question has been debated among fans for years. In Primax 984.17 Alpha is Rumble blue and Frenzy red or Rumble red and Frenzy blue?
.
.
A: Dear Color Contortionist,
In Primax 984.17 Alpha, if you are referring to the Decepticon mini-cassettes, Rumble is blue and Frenzy is red during the timeframe in which the Autobots and Decepticons were first active on your world.
August 26, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Icepick the Power Core Combiner and the Icepick that teamed up with Sergeant Chaos really the same individual?
.
.
A: Dear Separation Student,
Usually.
- Q: Is Sergeant Chaos his real name, or is it some kind of nickname of codename?
- Ask Vector Prime Chaos is, of course, a nom de guerre. Let me see... ah, here we go. Though his bio is, at present, Classified, such statuses tend to expire after a mere 25 years. So, pop on over to 2036, file a FOIA request, wait a few months for processing, and... bingo! Please do not share this with beings in the Tyran Cluster, I wouldn't want to disrupt history.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
We've seen that a Viron stream can be more-or-less duplicated and recreated as a Primax one with only minor differences. Is it possible for other streams to have similar Primax analogs?
.
.
A: Dear Xerox Zealot,
The example you mention is the result of a set of extraordinarily unlikely circumstances. That said, given the enormous number of streams in the Multiverse, such corner cases have happened. Uniend 812.21 Kappa and Uniend 911.05 Alpha were essentially duplicated wholecloth in the Primax Cluster when the Dark Spark tore through the Multiversal Barricade keeping Uniend apart. Vast portions of Primax 496.22 Alpha were duplicated in Aurex 1104.30-JH Zeta due to the damage wrought by the Unicron Singularity, though slightly recontextualized. There are other examples, of course.
Ultimately, it is important to remember that these are just labels, of no particular import. Yes, there may be some unusual behavior in the string vibration at a sub-molecular level that cause the TransTech to classify what might to Terran eyes appear to be an Aurex universe as a Uniend one. But it is of no real significance, and not worth devoting your mental energies to.
- Q: You brought up Uniend 812.21 Kappa which we Quadwalians know as the video game "Fall of Cybertron" which Universe does the video game that came before it known as "War for Cybertron" depict?
- Ask Vector Prime War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron both exist at Uniend 812.21 Kappa (and various iterations of the same), as well as... let us see... Primax 610.17 Kappa (and various iterations of the same). Again, these universes are identical in every important way, so I urge you not to look at the Primax and Uniend designations and jump to any unfounded conclusions.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Did anything noteworthy occur between 1986 and 2005 in Primax 984.17 Alpha? If yes, could you give some details?
.
.
A: Dear Cartoon Cassock,
Certainly! You are from Earth, so perhaps a few from there. Besides, relativity being what it is, those dates have variable meaning depending on how one is traveling.
Let's see... the Dogers beat Oakland in the 1988 Superbowl. In 1990, the Japanese Diet passed new legislation easing immigration restrictions. The Babylon 5 TV movie premiered in 1993. Tony Blair and the Labour Party came to power in 1997 as Prime Minister of Europe. In 2002, Winona Ryder was found guilty of shoplifting but only received a minor blow to her wrists as punishment. In 2004, Renée Zellweger won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of a cold mountain.
Those are just highlights. Other interesting things probably happened as well.
- Q: Which episode of Babylon 5 is Vector Prime's favorite and which character did he play?
- Ask Vector Prime I would have a hard time choosing a favorite episode. My favorite character was probably the handsome, plainspoken Ambassador. What was his name? Oh, yes. Kosh.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is the best Cybertronian swordmaster you have met?
.
.
A: Dear Fancy Fencer,
Star Saber is quite the master swordsbot.
- Q: While we're on the subject of Star Saber I was curious as to how the Matrix would have reacted to him had and by extension Dai Atlas as well (If rodimus hadn't done whatever he did with it.) would they have been primes?
- Ask Vector Prime Certainly there are realities where they were Primes, though it is more common (though still rare) for them to be upgraded to Convoys. Saber Convoy and Atlas Convoy, when they exist, are potent and noble forces for good.
August 27, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you met Tiě Bǎo Nù Quán?
.
.
A: Dear Diligent Defender,
I have met Rampart Punch, yes. He is a shy bot, hard to get to know, though he has a deep passion for military history that bonded over. His knowledge of the bots who fought and the dates and places where battles took place is staggering; when he learned that I had witnessed some of these ancient events firsthand he could barely contain his enthusiasm. I sometimes fear for him, for he was one of three primary captors of Baleful Spirit, and I have seldom encountered a spark as fanatical or single-minded as he.
- Q: Dear Vector, who were the other two who Rampart Punch worked with to capture Baleful Spirit?
- Ask Vector Prime The cold and calculating Stardust Wanderer, and the brash Vermilion Thunderbolt. An odd trio, they were, but surprisingly effective. They very nearly brought Cyclone Dancer to justice as well.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime. Does Rampart Punch enjoy reading up the legend like war stories of Chìlìe Fēi Huǒ?
- Ask Vector Prime Rocket Plume is more of modern legend. Rampart is more a fan of historical accounts.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does Nexus 208.0 Epsilon have its own version of Earth?
.
.
A: Dear Planetary Principal,
It used to.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us anything about the universe depicted in this image? Did Starscream really defeat Galvatron?
.
.
A: Dear Lambda Lover,
In Primax 903.0-M Lambda, he did. The disembodied ghost of Starscream possessed the corpse of Skyquake and sought his vengeance against Galvatron during Cybertron's New Golden Age. Thus did the Machine Wars commence.
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:StarscreamMW_Genesis.jpg
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are there any universal streams where Ultra Magnus and Ultra Mammoth are separate individuals?
.
.
A: Dear Megafauna Micromanager,
Absolutely. While they are often the same individual, just as with Goldbug/Bumblebee and Galvatron/Megatron, they are not always the same individual. Primax 215.19 Epsilon is a universe that has been prominent recently where they are two discrete individuals.
August 28, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Could we get a look at some of the bios for other Human Alliance characters who didn't feature in the movies? We'd love to know more about them.
.
.
A: Dear Ally Adept,
That is a reasonable request. Would Major Tungsten do?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Where does the Overload of Aurex 802.23 Alpha come from?
.
.
A: Dear Self-Evident Sapper,
Aurex 802.23 Alpha.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you subscribe to Venus magazine or ALTernity Today?
.
.
A: Dear Publication Pal,
I used to subscribe to ALT Today, but since the management change prompted by the rise of the Flaternity, I haven't found it to be quite as informative. As for Venus, I have never subscribed, though occasionally when I was young, I would purchase an individual issue as a guilty pleasure. I was, unsurprisingly, more apt to do so in universes where I was female.
- Q: Did you sound like any of Quadral's voice actresses as a girl
- Ask Vector Prime Purely a coincidence, of course, but I sounded a bit like Kate Mulgrew. Or, perhaps, she sounds a bit like me. I was here first, after all, by countless epochs.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is the Vehicon Spy Streak a former Autobot, Decepticon, Maximal, or Predacon?
.
.
A: Dear Spark Seeker,
He was an eminently forgettable Predacon named Attack Bird of all things.
August 29, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you or anyone in Axiom Nexus know where Uniend Megatron flew off to after disbanding the Decepticons at the end of Predacons rising? I'm just a bit curious.
.
.
A: Dear Tyranical Theologian,
Only a bit? Perhaps you should consider prioritizing questions that you have a strong yearning to learn the answers to.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does Sergeant Recon's nom de guerre accurately measure his reconnaissance skills?
.
.
A: Dear Recon Recorder,
Judge for yourself.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Nùhuǒ Shǎndiàn and Xīnghé Lièshǒu friends?
.
.
A: Dear Friendship Fan,
Wrath Thunder and Orion Star both share a common despair at the fall of Cybertron, but are little more than comrades in arms. They do not have the same kind of bond as, say, Thundercloud Knight and Schism. An unlikely friendship, perhaps, but then of course it was forged in the thwarting of the ambitions of Helter-Skelter.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
There are certain universal streams that seem to be duplicated in different multiverses (for example, Primax 984.0 Gamma of your multiverse and Earth-91274 of the Marvel multiverse). Are these separate yet identical realities, or a single universe somehow shared between both multiverses?
.
.
A: Dear Classification Client,
I am Vector Prime. I am one of The Thirteen. I am the guardian of space and time. I am an Autobot. I am a dimensional traveler. I am sometimes a friend. I am occasionally a lover. Am I then somehow seven separate yet identical beings?
- Q: "Some people call me a space cowboy... Some people call me the gangster of love. " Vector Prime was this song written about you?
- Ask Vector Prime It is difficult for me to speak for Mr. Miller. Though, to be fair, I have been known to speak of the pompatus of love.
Q: Dear Ask Vector Prime, Why is your toy so amazing?
.
.
A: Dear Figure Fanatic,
Well, not to brag, but the Hasbro designers were working from quite a well designed chassis.
August 30, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why does Rodimus resemble Primus so much?
.
.
A: Dear Godly Guy,
Nepotism?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Were Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush among the presidents encountered by the Transformers in the Primax cluster?
.
.
A: Dear Ruler Rascal,
Yes. You can read about it in Plague of the Insecticons! and ...All This and Civil War 2. Both are available from IDW Publishing, in The Transformers Classics UK Volume 1 The Transformers Classics, Vol. 6, respectively.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Which universe did the Vehicon Rumble who fought in the Universe War come from?
.
.
A: Dear Earthquake Expert,
That would be Primax 094.0 Gamma. An Autobot plan to exile the Decepticons into space backfired when Megatron stumbled upon the Cybertronian Empire. Unicron plucked Rumble from this timeline some time after his brother sacrificed himself protecting Autobot and Decepticon alike against the implacable Swarm. Rumble could perhaps take heart that the individual most responsible for Frenzy's death, Jhiaxus, was snatched from here as well and forcibly reformatted.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Is there a being know as King Con?
.
.
A: Dear Monster Mashup,
I have heard Iguanus referred to in that manner.
August 31, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What you think about rock music?
.
.
A: Dear Manic Musician,
The music of the Rock Lords is a bit too focused on the percussion elements for my taste.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
If Cybertronians can download data directly to their brains, then how come every bot isn't an expert in everything?
.
.
A: Dear Information Ingenue,
Has someone been watching The Matrix again? In any event, most of humanity currently has access to all of the world's knowledge via The Interwebs, correct? So I assume that you no longer require dedicated doctors, airplane mechanics, chemists, lawyers, musicians, bankers, botanists, astronomers, plumbers, astrologers, logicians, physicists, writers, tattoo artists, helicopter pilots, biologists, computer programmers, carpenters, zoologists, or telephone sanitizers. Would my assumption be accurate?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the real name of the Tyran human known as Major Altitude?
.
.
A: Dear High-Achieving Hotshot,
Let me find her records... here we go. Betty Altheimer, it would seem.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do Cybertronians ever need to go to the bathroom?
.
.
A: Dear Cleanliness Carper,
Who doesn't enjoy a relaxing oil bath from time to time?
September 2015
September 1, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Where did the Universe Gunbarrel who got killed by Razorclaw come from? What about the other Mini-Con with him?
.
.
A: Dear Death Disciple,
Gunbarrel and Sky Blast were brought from Aurex 304.0 Epsilon as slaves of Megazarak. Though they were able to escape his clutches, barely, they did not survive the Cauldron.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Private Dedcliff really just ranked a Private? However did he work his way into N.E.S.T. with only that rank?
.
.
A: Dear Rank Raconteur,
Let us see what his bio-card has to say about it.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What would happen if a Transcendent Technomorph from a different Nexus universe ended up in Axiom Nexus?
.
.
A: Dear Nexus Naysayer,
Much confusion, I assure you, as I am unfamiliar with any Transcendent Technomorphs not from Axiom Nexus or its environs.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What happened to the Autobots known as Pipes, Warpath, Swerve, Tailgate, Outback, and Beachcomber, who tried to stop Trypticon from destroying the Autobot's base in Primax 984.17?
.
.
A: Dear Futility Friar,
They were resoundingly defeated, and thus did the beast destroy the Ark. Do not despair, though, for shortly thereafter he was engaged by Metroplex and hurled into the Pacific Ocean.
September 2, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universe did the Wind Sheer who was a Child of Primus originate in?
.
.
A: Dear Fannish Filmmaker,
That would be, oh, let me see, what corner of the OG World was he from... ah, here we go, Primax 713.31 Gamma.
- Q: So does OG World refer to just the Primax cluster overall and not a specific stream?
- Q: Mmn, that seems like a mis-use of the term, all right, Vector Prime.
- Ask Vector Prime Ah, you are of course correct. It would be more accurate to say, which OG World OFFSHOOT was he from.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the nicest reality you've visited that we might not know about?
.
.
A: Dear Pleasant Person,
It is an enjoyable change to be asked about the more placid realities. Primax 487.0 Lambda springs to mind, where the dream of peace became a reality thanks to the miracle of Scramble City technology. Bruticus, Superion, Menasor, and Guardian set aside their differences and reconfigured themselves to interlock. They helped forge a lasting peace between Cybertron and Destron.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Where does Sergeant Detour's name come from?
.
.
A: Dear Moniker Master,
According to his biocard, his capacity for lateral thinking.
Remember, humans, your chance to order Thunder Mayhem from The Collector's Club FSS 4.0 ends tonight!
https://www.mastercollector.com/fss/login.cfm?eid=1009
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
According to the history vids of Malgus 1207.26, a Primax continuity had somehow become imbedded into this universe’s history. Was this a normal universe intermingling as sometimes happens or did something more drastic take place?
.
.
A: Dear Apophenia Apostle,
Do not mistake a small amount of quantum harmonic resonance for more than it is.
September 3, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What happened to Klementia after the Hate Plague incident?
.
.
A: Dear Quintesson Quartermaster,
He was instrumental in negotiating an armistice between the Autobots and the Quintessons, and then went on to champion a series of reforms within his society. He was eventually named Quintesson ambassador to Cybertron during its golden age.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Sergeant Noble as noble as his name/designation suggests?
.
.
A: Dear Valiant Votary,
I have never met the man, but his biocard seems to indicate that, while not in any sense ignoble, it was not his innate nobility that he was named for.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What cluster do the Animorphs fight in?
.
.
A: Dear Scholastic Spirit,
The Animorphs are outside the Multiverse, though occasionally close enough for a small bit of reality drift. The TransTech do not generally have the equipment or inclination to track everything in the Megaverse.
Ask me your questions, and I'll tell you no lies. But I sense our time is growing short, so delay not if there be lore ye wish to know.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What reality did the Brawn who cheated death to fight in the Universe War come from?
.
.
A: Dear Tough Talker,
He was from Primax 984.0 Gamma.
September 4, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you know if we're going to get a new Minerva or Glyph toy?
.
.
A: Dear Toy Talker,
Yes I do.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Whatever became of Sky-Byte after Galvatron and the other Predacons and Decepticons were captured?
.
.
Dear Oceanic Observer.
Perhaps I should let him tell you in his own words.
https://www.facebook.com/AskVectorPrime/videos/716462811819025/
"After Optimus Prime let me stay on Earth, my spark was filled with gratitude. I-I did not want to end up like Galvatron, noo! I dedicated myself to protecting the oceans; defending the majesty of the aquatic from the fiends who would despoil it. Why, just thinking about it makes me feel all....poetic.
You who would break laws
Know the seven seas are mine
Sky-Byte is my name"
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What happened with Maggie Madsen in 2007 Transformers film?
.
.
A: Dear Analyst Acolyte,
She was one of several analysts working for Secretary of Defense Keller when Blackout attacked a U.S. military base in Qatar. Her diligence stymied a Decepticon attempt to hack Air Force One. When her warning that the attacker might be some kind of living computer organism fell on deaf ears, she worked outside of conventional channels to attempt to prove her theory. This resulted in her incarceration by U.S. forces. Her theory vindicated, Keller eventually summoned her to the Hoover Dam, where she would prove instrumental in helping to summon reinforcements after the Decepticons attacked the installation.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is your favorite expletive in any language?
.
.
A: Dear Vastly Vulgar,
Oh, my. Um. Well, if you must know, I was once visiting Pz-Zazz and heard a local gang leader refer to one of the corrupted politicians as a <AXIOM NEXUS AUTO-CENSORS ENGAGED> eater who has a <AXIOM NEXUS AUTO-CENSORS ENGAGED> for his <AXIOM NEXUS AUTO-CENSORS ENGAGED>, which he further suggested he <AXIOM NEXUS AUTO-CENSORS ENGAGED> into his own <AXIOM NEXUS AUTO-CENSORS ENGAGED>. Scandalous, I know, but both colorful and creative. And I'm fairly certain impossible for nearly any vertebrate species.
I suppose your species has a special appreciation for the profane. After all, do you not have a country named <AXIOM NEXUS AUTO-CENSORS ENGAGED> of all things? I'm not sure how the leaders in Brussels keep their faces straight.
September 5, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is this Smokescreen? He was supposedly involved in the Universe War along with his rival, Drench.
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:UnreleasedBIABSmokescreen.jpg
.
.
A: Dear Smokey Student,
If he was in the Universe War, I am unfamiliar with the role he played. You can read about some of his adventures in the excellent story Force of Habit, though he was not wearing that body at the time of the story.
Q: Vector Prime,
How did Primax 1291.0 Zeta come back into existence after being overwritten by Primax 207.0 Epsilon?
.
.
A: Dear Phoenix Pal,
The Multiverse is indeed a complicated and wonderful place, is it not? The moment you start to believe you understand its grand celestial mechanics, a new exception gives you cause for pause.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why does T-AI look like a human and not a Transformer?
.
.
A: Dear Appearance Apprentice,
Remember that T-AI is a computer mainframe. The holographic interface she chooses is entirely at her discretion. As for why she chooses to appear human, you would have to ask her. I am not going to speculate as to her motivation.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does the Tyran human Major Sparkplug have any relationship to fellow military officer Spike Witwicky?
.
.
A: Dear Genealogical Guy,
Sparkplug is Spike's father.
September 6, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Could you tell us more about House, the Teeth With No Eyes, the Langoliers, the Beforities, the After Alls, the Antevishnum, the Abaddontus Hunger, and the Ravagers of Time? And have you ever encountered any of them during your travels?
.
.
A: Dear Mystery Murderer,
Some entities are best left undescribed. Your species is at the very beginning of your understanding of the quantum realm, and I wouldn't want to discourage those initial, hesitant, tentative step. I have encountered most of these entities at one time or another, and they have always left their marks upon me.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
From what universal stream did General Optimus Prime and Sergeant Hound originate from?
.
.
A: Dear Stream Slacker,
That would be Primax 096.0 Beta. I have a particularly vivid memory of the Battle for Sherman Dam in this timestream. General Optimus Prime fought ATB Megatron atop the structure, utilizing energon weaponry, with Sergeant Hound keeping Starscream from interfering. The Laser Cycle Jazz attempted to evacuate the surrounding area, with Laser Cycle Soundwave in pursuit. Menasor took advantage of Defensor while the latter attempted to evacuate the workers. Mirage and Sideswipe attempted to stop the Seeker Sandstorm from escaping with the ill-gotten energon cubes. The Go-Bots Greasepit and Rumble grappled under the water. It was quite the struggle, let me tell you. Things seemed dire for the Autobots... until Grimlock, Sludge, and Swoop appeared at the last nanoklik to save the day and drive off the Decepticons.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Sergeant Cahnay a Tyran version of Auggie Cahnay from Primax 984.17 Alpha?
.
.
A: Dear Doppleganger Docent,
Indeed no, though he is the son of an iterant of Mr. Cahnay.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How many Transformers can turn into guns?
.
.
A: Dear Firearm Fiend,
How high can you count?
September 7, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is there a Maximal version of the Wreckers?
.
.
A: Dear High-impact Human,
Indeed, there often are. They were quite active in, for instance, Primax 797.18 Epsilon.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is there a connection between Sam Witwicky and Spike Witwicky who is partnered with Backfire?
.
.
A: Dear Witwicky Whisperer,
They are, um, what is the human word... each the offspring of siblings... cosigns?
- Q: Now all we need to learn about is "Master Disaster" =)
- Ask Vector Prime What an odd tangent.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is the Defensor who fought Megazarak an individual, a combiner, or some kind of permanent fusion being as with Sentinel Maximus?
.
.
A: Dear Bleak Bishop,
Defensor is the upgraded form of Hot Spot, leader of the Protection Team. Though his teammates had fallen to Megazarak's cruel onslaught, he retained the innate ability to combine. When the Matrix was passed to him by Ultra Trion, it crafted new armor for him which gave him the abilities of his fallen teammates. The new Defensor still had the fighting skills of Blades, the durability of Rook, and, inexplicably, the compassion and gentle wisdom of First Aid. As the Last Autobot, Defensor represented the flickering candle of Autobot ideologies, an ephemeral hope against overwhelming darkness. His quest was long and arduous, and involved upgrading his armor with Megazarak's own essence to form the Chaos Armor. In the end, though, with the help of unlikely allies, Defensor was victorious.
Alas, there is no rest for heroes, for after beginning the long, nigh-impossible task of rebuilding a shattered and drained world almost completely devoid of life, the Matrix granted Defensor visions of another Megazarak, one who had succeeded in his ambitions and had spread his evil across the multiverse. Defensor felt an obligation to seek out the dark spark of the new Megazarak and put an end to his baleful reign as well.
Q: Dear Vector Prime, have you ever met Sun Tzu? Oda Nobunaga? Abraham Lincoln?
.
.
A: Dear Military Minion,
There are very few realities where a version of me was active on your planet during the period when Nobunaga was active in Japan or Lincoln was President of the United States of Australia. Occasionally iterations of me that interacted with your culture as Olympians had encounters with Sun Tzu.
September 8, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
We know that at least in some Primax streams the Generation 1 Predacons founded the Predacon faction from the Beast era but who founded the Maximals?
.
.
A: Dear Beast Bystander,
In some reality matrices, they are founded by Fortress Maximus.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What would you call a superpowered human in the Transformers Multiverse?
.
.
A: Dear Power Pal,
That depends entirely on the human. Usually they choose their own names. For instance, Prometheus Black chose the moniker "Meltdown," given his acid-based abilities. Other times the name might be chosen by an interested third party. I believe that Mr. Blackrock named Hector Dialonzo "Dynamo," for instance.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What can you tell us about the mysterious "Initial T" that LeoBreaker and Menasor encountered at the end of the Cybertron series?
.
.
A: Dear Gargantuan Gangster,
Not much, I'm afraid. Though rumors abound, little is known about this being. "Initial T" has never had his or her full image recorded; no still image, video, or holographic representation of his or her entire bodyform exists. Snippets exist... an ankle here, a wrist there, but that is it. Even the moniker suggests that it stands for something, though what that might be I have no concrete idea of. The first time the name "Initial T" was entered into any kind of database was on Velocitron, in conjunction with fixing races. Since then, scattered reports have trickled in from all over the galaxy. I would advise caution; any being so secretive that they can conceal themselves from even the vast resources of Axiom Nexus is a being worth reckoning with.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What can you tell us about the Tyran version Master Disaster who worked with Drag Strip, and for that matter, why cyberglyphics are on his right arm, torso, and left leg?
.
.
A: Dear Showboating Striker,
Here is quite a bit of information on the man. I hope it addresses your questions.
September 9, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is there a Vector Primal?
.
.
A: Dear Animalistic Amigo,
What an interesting notion!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How do the Cityspeakers of Caminus (and other worlds, if applicable) become Cityspeakers?
.
.
A: Dear Solid Speaker,
If you wish to learn more about the culture of Caminus, I suggest you continue to read the Transformers comics produced by IDW Publishing.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Some years ago from my perspective, there was a sighting of a Decepticon in the Iocus cluster named Thrust (known to some as "Attacktix Thrust") who had a body-type similar to certain Aurex and Tyran versions of Skyblast. Do you happen to know anything about this individual? Their cluster of origin and any relation to other Thrusts would be particularly nice to know, but I'd personally be happy to learn anything at all about them.
.
.
A: Dear Iocus Introvert,
He is an oddity! In an obscure little universe, Malgus 508.6 Zeta, the Transwarp explosion on Dinobot Island blasted Waspinator's spark clear of his body. It was eventually plucked from Unspace by the Jhiaxus of Viron 903.0 Beta, who used it to power a protoform blank who would become Thrust. Thrust was a suave sharpshooter, more than capable of helping Jhiaxus in his scheming. Underneath, though, the subconscious memories of the bungler he had been haunted him, causing him to manifest a cowardly streak in the face of any real danger. He and Obsidian, the brilliant Autobot turncoat, were at times rivals and at times allies. All in all, the Destructicons were quite a force to be reckoned with. They were probably the Elite Guard's most tenacious foes.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why did Ramjet take the Avengers Quinjet as his altmode? Did he have a evil plot or something like that or was his fighter plane altmode not good enough anymore?
.
.
A: Dear Jet Junkie,
Did he actually do such a thing? But if so, it wouldn't be much of a surprise; Quinjets are highly advanced aeronautic machines, and might be a tempting target for any airborne Cybertronian.
September 10, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is there a list of dimensions with descriptions?
.
.
A: Dear Taxonomy Talker,
Why? Are you offering to compile such a list?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What became of you after the events of Transformers:Cybertron?
.
.
A: Dear Singularity Stalker,
Alas, that version of me perished, though I/he continued to battle evil even in the hereafter.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is it common for Cybertronians who have alternate forms that are wearable (shoes, hats, watches) to utilize holomatter avatars, thus allowing them to get around in alternate mode by wearing themselves?
.
.
A: Dear Avatar Advocate,
It is relatively uncommon, though perhaps that is merely because few universes seem to have both low-energy mass-shifting options and solid light holoprojection technology at the same time.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Would you mind clarifying the enigma behind the identity of Prowl II from Beast Wars? And what about the Spy Changer Prowl 2 from Robots in Disguise?
.
.
A: Dear Prowl Parson,
Both can trace their origins to the Temporal Nexus that is the Binaltech Project. You have perhaps witnessed many of these events in the BT World timeline preserved through the actions of the Alternity. Following the death of Prowl in the OG World, Prowl and Wheeljack crossed back to their original timeline, before the Trial of Primacron. Wheeljack, still wary after the death of their OG World doppelgängers, had brought Prowl's Beta BT unit with them. They eventually transferred their sparks to OG World bodies, leaving their BT bodies in cold storage.
The Prowl II in many Primax-reality iterations of the Beast Wars was created from Prowl's Alpha BT unit. Early in its history, it housed Chip Chase's life essence and Prowl's datatrax. (Come to think of it, this is not at all dissimilar to the process employed by the Protectons and Terrakors on Skalorr.) Thus, when Professor Chase fell very ill, Wheeljack suggested another consciousness transfer. Very curious that our sparks and your... élan vital? Animus? ...are so compatible. It was an experimental procedure, and did not work perfectly. Some memories were lost, and consciousness could not be restored. The body was put into stasis, and eventually upgraded with Maximal technology in the hopes of saving the being--or is it beings?--within. It was a partial success. Prowl II was once again among the living.
Prowl 2, on the other hand, was created from the Beta BT unit, a striking electric blue body created as a BT backup for Prowl but never used. Like the primary unit, it was programmed with Prowl's memory engrams and personality. For hundreds of centuries it was locked away, forgotten. It was rediscovered when Fire Convoy was undertaking preparations to travel to the year 2000 in pursuit of the Destronger, at the behest of the Convoy Council. The memories contained within the shell were invaluable, and so the body was rebuilt using Spychanger technology and infused with life by Vector Sigma. Prowl 2 taught the Dimensional Patrol much about life on late 20th century Earth, and volunteered to return with Fire Convoy's team... but Heinrad cautioned that the risk of a temporal paradox was too great. Thus was he fated to remain in the distant future, anxiously awaiting word from his new companions about the attempt to safeguard Earth's past.
- Q: What ever happened to the BT Wheeljack unit?
- Ask Vector Prime It was eventually cannibalized for parts during the construction of Victory Leo, I believe. Or perhaps it was during the Bomber Project.
- Q: How exactly was Chip's mind transferred?
- Ask Vector Prime The Cortexitron originally used to save Spike's life with the Autobot X body was dusted off and used.
September 11, 2015
Q: Hi Vector Prime, how are you? =)
Okay this is gonna be odd coming from me, but I REALLY wanna know this one (again this is about you). Base on earth's calendar, when is your birthday? In the event that it has already past or will happen in the near future, Happy Birthday in advance =D.
.
.
A: Dear Party Planner,
I am not certain that my "birthday" has any meaning in the human calendar. Remember that the rotation of the Earth about its axis is not fixed, but varies over time. So, too, does the rotation of the Earth about its sun vary over the eons. In fact, your very planet is only 4.5 billion years old, whereas my creation took place 9 billion years ago from your perspective. Even still, I experience time in a non-linear way, so sometimes it may seem as if I have 13 billion years of memories, sometimes a mere 25 million.
Still, I understand the urge to celebrate such things. If I may pick a somewhat arbitrary date, my arrival on Earth in your modern era, that would be September 19th. Why, that is only about a week in your subjective future, unless I have made an error in my calculations. Though I do not ingest complicated organic molecules for sustenance, perhaps you could bake some kind of confectionery in my honor and enjoy it with your friends. Do not forget to extinguish combustible material held in a wax sheath with the expulsion of carbon dioxide from your pulmonary system!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is the G2 Autobot watchbot named Autobot?
.
.
A: Dear Timepiece Theologian,
Autobot named Autobot? You must be mistaken, surely I would know of such a being. Especially if he were a watch; I am attuned to such beings, after my time as...
Wait... silver/grey robot, a red and a blue button on his chest? Could you be referring to me? I wore such a form during my days as a Time Warrior. When I was stripped of my memories, my alternate mode was by necessity a much simpler time machine than the sophisticated Cybertronian yacht I usually employ.
Come to think of it, in many timelines, I was not called "Vector Prime" but "The First Autobot." Indeed, this was from time-to-time shortened to simply "Autobot," though usually as an invective hurled at me. Perhaps that is where the name confusion originated.
- Q: So then in this form, you witnessed Megatron execute Emirate Xeon? What were you doing there/then?
- Ask Vector Prime What? Oh, I see. No, that wasn't me, that was the Decepticon Meantime. In this reality stream, he happened to share a body-type with me, though he was black to my silver. It was actually not an uncommon body form in ancient times. There was a Patterner named Azimuth during the Age of Origins, quite an influential fellow. She had a falling-out with her most promising student, Ephemeris, who took his knowledge and used it in the service of Galvatron. This betrayal broke her Spark. Both Azimuth and Ephemeris shared this body style as well; Azimuth in gold, Ephemeris in blue.
Q: Hello, Great Prime.
This is of the utmost importance. Tell me. What, exactly, is the function of a rubber duck?
.
.
A: Dear Mallard Master,
I believe that particular innovation came from your species. In fact, perhaps you could tell me what the function is of an organic duck.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the name of Ultra Magnus's ship in Transformers: Prime and is it a transformer?
.
.
A: Dear Spaceship Salutatorian,
His ship was named the Iron Will. It was not an independent individual.
September 12, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Assuming the spark isn't extinguished by anything else (injury, illness, and so on), can a Cybertronian die simply from old age?
.
.
A: Dear Geriatric Guy,
In some stream, yes. Parts wear out and can no longer be replaced. Fatigue sets in. Memory banks overflow and tiny fragmentation errors creep in. In the end, entropy claims us all.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What’s your idea of a good time/conversation? The questions that I normally ask of you is going to be pretty much about you since I would very much, like to know more about you and you alone.
.
.
A: Dear Soulful Seeker,
I enjoy conversing about music and art, and the places and people I have encountered. I find politics too divisive and sports too artificial to be truly engaging. On rare occasions where I find someone who perceives the time/space continuum as I do I can enjoy "talking shop," but these encounters are few and far between. Mostly, I enjoy talking about the beauty in the Multiverse; once-in-a-Universe stellar alignments, collisions between pulsars which shatter the fabric of reality and allow a glimpse of the underlying substrata, beings with a truly new philosophy or perspective leading their societies to new golden ages.
I do not enjoy talking about the interminable conflicts my people engage in. I find it depressing, and all too familiar; Megatron has committed a new atrocity, a Prime has sacrificed himself for the greater good, Tarantulas has created some horrid new invention, Lockdown has captured a noble spark, Hot Shot has done something foolish and needs to be rescued. It all gets so... repetitive.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can we please get some information on the universe depicted in the 3D Battle Card Game? And what's the deal with the Decepticon Sky Lynx from that universe?
.
.
A: Dear Conflict Cleric,
Oh, Iocus 607.02 Kappa? Pay it no heed, it's in a mirror/torus state and likely will continue to be so for the next few millennia. As for Sky Lynx, he is a version of the minor Tyran Cluster villain. Has he ever done anything of import? Ah, well, in Tyran 614.19 Kappa, he menaced Hound and Drift. He could be quite difficult to defeat if you hadn't yet unlocked Epic ranged weaponry.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Throughout the multiverse, there seem to be many different Cybertronian languages. Why is it that whenever a Cybertronian crosses over to another reality, everyone speaks the same language?
.
.
A: Dear Polyglot Pursuer,
My species, as a rule, has excellent translation software.
September 13, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Has there ever been a universe where Optimus Prime gets reformatted in a similar manner as Megatron/Galvatron, Bumblebee/Goldbug, Cyclonus/Snowcat or other such examples? What was his name after the reformat?
.
.
A: Dear Rebirth Reaver,
It has been known to happen. Star Convoy is one such example.
- Q: Any instance that Quadwal has not recorded?
- Ask Vector Prime Yes.
- Q: Will you share any notable one(s) with us?
- Ask Vector Prime I do not think such a thing is possible. Were I to share it with you, then it will become recorded in Quadwal, creating a paradox and invalidating the answer.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Were the Fireflight, Side Burn, Ironhide, Drydock, Ratchet, Swerve, and Prowl from Viron 704.31 Epsilon all Children of Primus or did some wind up as Minions of Unicron? What about the Prowl, Landfill, and Side Burn who got deflected away from the conflict?
.
.
A: Dear Persnickety Person,
Most who arrived became Children of Primus. A device constructed by Rhinox interfered with the summoning, staggering their arrival and bouncing a few to elsewhere; Drydock ended up in Tyran 208.28 Gamma, Ironhide in Axiom Nexus. Swerve, sadly, succumbed to Unicron's dark influence and would most properly be classified as a Minion of Unicron. The rest, though, were all solidly Children of Primus.
As for the other Prowl and Side Burn you speak of, they, along with Landfill, were members of the Dimensional Patrol. They returned to their home reality, Viron 903.0 Beta, without ever participating in the Universe War.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Will the appearance of Dominus Trannis ever be revealed to us?
.
.
A: Dear Rail Reductionist,
Signs point to yes.
- Q: We know that Midnight Express became Loco, but would you mind telling us which of the other two became Steamhammer and Astrotrain?
- Ask Vector Prime Astrotrain, the team leader, was built upon the reformatted Railspike. The remains of the ground bridge system were incorporated into his exostructure, giving him the limited ability to transwarp to his destination in train mode. He could even bring his team with him if they were hitched. Steamhammer was built from Rapid Run. A dull mech, he was physically the strongest and was mostly used as muscle.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is there anything you can tell us about Primacron that we don't already know? One such example being his name. The oracle called him "THE Primacron at one point, indicating that it might be a title rather than his actual name. Or what species he is? or why he wears that dumb yellow helmet? why did all of his technology look like it was made of stone? et cetera...
.
.
A: Dear Primal Pursuer,
There are many things I know about him that you do not. Just to select one question from your list, his helmet. Yellow helmets were all the rage in Primax 984.17 Alpha. Even Primacron was not immune to their lure.
September 14, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever met any Kami from the Japanese Shinto mythology?
.
.
A: Dear Mythological Master,
Insofar as the Kami were sometimes inspired by Cybertronians, yes.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Did the AllSpark Mutation that became Bonnie & Clyde's car have a name?
.
.
A: Dear Dastardly Duo Devotee,
In the primary Tyran timeline that you know them from, it never had a chance to adopt a name. There are splinter timelines where he called himself Flathead, and became a minor Decepticon.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What can you tell me of the Mini-Con Firebot who participated in the Universe War?
.
.
A: Dear Dimensional Dilettante,
The Children of Primus Red Alert and Firebot came from what might possibly be called Aurex 606.0 Kappa. In this universe, the Emergency Mini-Con Team was aiding Red Alert and Smokescreen, enhanced by Longarm and Jolt, in the Quest for Cybertron. They had just completed a pitched battle against two former Autobots turned Decepticon, the amoral Technoist Landslide, and Smokescreen’s archenemy Drench, who was augmented by Wind Sheer. In the aftermath of the battle, Unicron stretched forth his hand and plucked Red Alert to fight in the Cauldron. He would have grabbed Longarm as well had Firebot not pushed his ally out of the way and taken his place.
Noble sparks that they were, they held out against Unicron’s influence as long as they could, and fortunately broke free when Optimus Primal staged his first raid on the Cauldron. Sadly, they were unable to return to their own reality, as it confusingly seems to have never existed in the first place. I believe they returned to a different plane, Aurex 204.0 Kappa, with the Smokescreen who originally hailed from there. That poor spark was beset with guilt for his actions, for he had become corrupted by Unicron's influence. As one of his Minions, he slew the a fellow Autobot, a fellow Smokescreen as it were, a Minion of Unicron from Primax 903.04 Gamma. Smokescreen's work helping Red Alert and Firebot to adapt to their new home proved therapeutic to the traumatized Autobot.
Q:Dear Vector Prime,
What is the story of the Dinobots of the Tyran cluster?
.
.
A: Dear Prehistoric Person,
That story was told in the film Transformers: Age of Extinction. It is available for purchase in many formats, and at many venues.
September 15, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Tell us what has happen to Animated Sunstreaker.
.
.
A: Dear Arrogant Adept,
Must I?
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is the Saber who was abducted by Unicron in the Universe War?
.
.
A: Dear Blade Buddy,
I am surprised that so little of Saber has reached the Quadwal Cluster. Iterations of Saber are generally valiant sparks. In Primax 797.18 Epsilon you may have caught a glimpse of him, as Saber’s heroism earned his bodyform a place in post-Great War engineering databases.
In any event, the Saber you ask of is an Autobot hailing from Primax 905.22 Epsilon. He wields an energo-sword, and his alternate mode is a red and silver nitrotiger. Saber was a skilled operative of the Autobot General Obsidian during the period the Ark moldered in stasis on Earth, though Saber’s strong sense of honor occasionally caused him to clash with his commander's naked pragmatism. Unicron decided that his warrior talents would make for excellent gladiatorial combat. Naturally, Saber refused to fight for sport in the name of the Chaos-Bringer and held out long enough against Unicron’s influence to escape the Cauldron in the jailbreak engineered by Trailbreaker and Silverbolt. This noble Child of Primus returned to his own time, and his own world, where he was destined to have many further adventures. I would not mind grabbing a barrel of oil with him if some version of him is here in Axiom Nexus.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do Transcended Technomorphs have the ability to sense the going-ons of other dimensional streams on their own or do they require outside technology to view the multiverse? Thank you for your time great one.
.
.
A: Dear Axiom Analyst,
They require technology for their work. Then again, in my species, the line between "on our own" and "with the help of technology" can be a blurry one. Ha!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
One last request - information about the figures in the Decepticon "Hall of Heroes" from Primax 984.17 Alpha, particularly Cannibaron.
.
.
A: Dear Monster Masher,
Ah, yes, you seek to know of the Cannibal Baron. He was quite a colorful character. He believed that by eating the laser cores of his fallen foes, he would gain their power. From his base of power in Corumkan, he reached out to cities as distant as Nuon in the south and Harmonex in the North. He was eventually stopped when Sentinel EnN challenged him to personal combat. The clash between the two of them in the city of Doradus became the stuff of legends; so intense was the combat that the entire torus state was knocked out of phase with reality. Some claim that it reappears once every 10,000 vorns for a single breem, with the two still grappling in their perpetual struggle.
September 16, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Tommy Kennedy was shown taking an interest in many professions: Space Bridge repair, journalism, Autobot Headmaster, etc. Ultimately, what role did he settle on playing?
.
.
A: Dear Work Warbler,
Tommy Kennedy... why, I haven't considered Primax 988.0 Delta in quite a long time. I believe he ultimately settled on a career in politics.
Q: Dear Venerable Vector Prime,
In one universe, groups of Autobots and Decepticons first encountered humans and a certain special missions force during Earth's Second World War. We know how that war ended, but the Transformers returned during that Earth's 1980s and started a new conflict. The chronicle of that encounter remains incomplete. How did it end?
.
.
A: Dear Cobra Crier,
After many slow reveals, including several unexpected twists and a handful of minor but exciting conflicts, there was a huge climax involving a massive battle as well as a small but plucky team with a desperate mission of infiltration. The odds were long, and victory seemed impossible, but in the end the forces of good prevailed. Were there losses along the way? Of course, but in many ways they only served to underscore the drama and tragedy of the situation.
You really should have seen it.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us anything about the Tyran Autobots Backtrack and Bulkhead?
.
.
A: Dear Obscurity Organic,
Oh, my, they certainly haven't been very active in the Multiverse, have they? But I'm sure I can dig up someplace... here's one. In the future of Tyran 511.0 Kappa, they were among the Autobots to survive the Cemetery Wind slaughter and answer the call of Optimus Prime once he was revived by Cade Yeager.
Interestingly, in this universe, a handful of Decepticons also survived, and joined Optimus out of desperation. Axel and Wild Rider made up the rest of Optimus' squad. Needless to say, Optimus, Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Backtrack were more than skeptical of them, but Wild Rider learned to appreciate his Autobot allies and remained loyal even in the face of Megatron's rebirth as Galvatron. Admittedly, he still had difficulty containing his exuberance while driving, but his Spark was in the right place.
Axel, on the other hand, sold out his companions to Lockdown as soon as the opportunity presented itself. He had always been a pragmatic bot, and the opportunity to get off-world with Lockdown and be rich must have seemed too good for him to pass up. What he didn't realize was that Lockdown prefers to work alone. A plasma bolt to the back was the only reward he ever collected.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime. Would the Universe not be called "Tyran 511.14 Kappa" or "Tyran 511.28 Kappa?" unless I'm missing something. lol
- Ask Vector Prime I am not familiar with the universes of which you speak. Perhaps you have them confused with Tyran 611.14 Kappa and Tyran 611.28 Kappa?
- Q: So Axel is Axor! Was the Tyran version of Banzaitron involved in this particular universal stream?
- Ask Vector Prime In some universes he was called Axor I believe. Banzaitron did not have a role to play in this conflict, to the best of my knowledge.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime, can you tell us the fates of the Autobots Bluestreak, Depth Charge, High Wire, Guzzle, and Skyhammer in this universe?
- Ask Vector Prime Bluestreak and High Wire perished at the hands of Attinger's thugs. There was no Depth Charge in the conflict that I am aware of. Skyhammer and Guzzle were destined to come to Earth much later, during the events of... oh, you have no knowledge of that yet, do you. I had best, what is the expression? I had best bite my audio processor.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I know you asked that we not bother you with name requests, unless we really want to know. Well, I really want to know a few characters. You can answer any of them or none of them, but thanks for at least considering my question. I'm a big Transformers fan and I love to know about the obscure characters. Each of these characters is minor, but they play an important role in story if only for a small while.
There is a character in Hoist the Flag who reminds me of Whirl and Roadbusters. He has guns for heads. What's his real name? It can't be Bonaparte Tulcas, can it?
There is a character cheering on Emirate Xeon's death who looks a lot like a Cymond binocular, who is he?
And finally, Longtooth's life was changed when Optimus Prime gave him some Matrix essence to repair a friend. What was his friend's name?
Thank you and I hope I'm not bothering you too much.
.
.
A: Dear Humble Human,
It is true that I was becoming frustrated with the seemingly endless requests for naming of very minor participants in the war. You asked very nicely, though, and I am feeling wistful about the end of our time together, so I will endeavor to answer.
The first being you speak of is called Headcannon. Very literal, is it not? He is a mighty warrior, but he is also a fan of the many plays of Crosscut. He often would write his own "botfiction" about the characters and situations Crosscut would explore. The second is named Pulse. A spy, he would eventually fall in with Starscream and meet a grisly end.
The final is named Clockwise. In some realities he would make it to Earth. He was an expert in electronic intelligence. He transformed into a RADAR emplacement, hence his name.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime. Pulse in one Universe (Which we know as the "Dreamwave G1" Universe) has two Team Mates called Hardcase and Stormbringer. Does Stormbringer look like what we call the "Dia Battles Transformer" ???
- Ask Vector Prime Why, yes, he does. Hardcase as well may seem familiar to you, as he would have been called MC-22 Beam Robo in the Micro Change toyline had he been released.
September 17, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the true nature of Scrash?
.
.
A: Dear Dictator Disciple,
The High Regent Scrash, a mysterious being emblematic of the terrifying Deception leaders of OG World and its proximal realities during the mid-21st century. The catastrophic battle to stop him brought about the Prime Mode Plague of 2036. It was all but erased from the timeline’s history when the world’s governments uniformly agreed to seal away the prototype Energon Matrix system, until the day it could be properly harnessed in the name of galactic peace. There seems to be a certain sad irony in what should have been the pinnacle of mankind’s collaboration with the Transformers becoming the vessel of the bodiless terror Scrash, who himself was an example of military science gone awry. I fear that to say any more would be imprudent given the vow of silence sworn to honor the lives lost on that day, but perhaps the time will come when their story might be told in your galaxy.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What was it that caused the Constructicons to lose their ability to combine, leading them to build a new Devastator as an independent robot?
.
.
A: Dear Combiner Caliph,
Are you referring to Desert Island Risks!? If so, nucleon was the cause.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What can you tell me about Spacewarp?
.
.
A: As it happens, I have some first hand knowledge of her. A version of me battled with a version of Spacewarp during the Singularity Crisis. I was trying to aid Primus in his gargantuan task of blocking the dark matter spewing forth from the Unicron Singularity when she ambushed me. I believe it was in Aurex 006.0 Kappa. I don't think I've ever met a more cocky 'bot. She fancied herself something of a cowboy, and the only time her lopsided grin left her face was when she smirked. Though she was not a dimension traveler herself, her engines and sensor suite were sophisticated enough to lock onto me and follow me through both time and reality shifts, making her an unusually perilous foe to one such as myself.
To make matters worse, she was augmented by four Mini-Cons. Her primary companion was Foldspace, a brilliant but ancient scientist and inventor. Though a touch senile, his ability to understand the universe made him incredibly dangerous. She had rescued him from the clutches of Maxa Q eons earlier, and they had been inseparable ever since.
Spacewarp also wielded the Transwarp Blaster, a versatile weapon able to alter the properties of reality itself. Formed from the combined might of the Interstellar Marauders Mini-Con team, it had been stasis-locked in combined form for thousands of vorns. Spacewarp won it in a high-stakes game of triad played in the smokey back-rooms Monacus, a cy-gar chomped between her teeth as she bluffed the likes of Imperator Imperious Delirious, Senator Feh'd of the Dominion of Mirtonia, Mobedyar Daggerthrust the Lesser of Vestum Minor, the mysterious Initial T, the Blood Tyrant Gastrathrameferous III of Shi-La, and even Sideways. She had to put up her most valuable possession just for the buy in, the Maelstrom Exchequer she liberated from a wreck on Sargasso.
Once the weapon was in her possession, she and Foldspace were able to revive them in their individual forms after an infusion of Proton Energy. The three quickly pledged their fealty to her. Boom Tube, the leader, formed the barrel, providing focus for her teammates' energies both metaphorically and literally. She had a ditzy exterior, but it was largely an act designed to lull her opponents into a false sense of security. Starburst formed the stock, and generated the bulk of the Transwarp Blaster's energy. He was a skilled medic/mechanic, but was unpopular among his teammates due to his poor hygiene and nonexistent people skills. Jump Drive formed the energy coil, connecting his two teammates and amplifying and providing modality to the energies supplied by Starburst. He was extremely methodical, keeping meticulous track of the crew's inventory, communications, and travels.
They were a somewhat dysfunctional crew, as so many Decepticon endeavors are, but murderously effective when they put their collective processors to it.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Has the Matrix of Leadership ever chosen a Decepticon as a Prime? I mean does the Prime always have to be an Autobot?
.
.
A: Dear Chosen Castigator,
It is rare, but it has been known to happen. Thunderwing was chosen in Primax 984.0 Gamma when the Matrix became corrupted.
September 18, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Thank you for spending time with us and answering our questions (along with creating new ones with your revelations), shedding light on the mythos of the Transformers Universe and Multiverse! I had a question about the Micromasters of Zone. They seem to have several Autobot analogs to notable Decepticon Micros like the Air Strike Patrol, the Military Patrol, the Battle Squad, and the Constructor Squad. Are they one and same and if they are did they defect to the Decepticons?
.
.
A: Dear Tiny Tike,
You are welcome. I hope I have accomplished my mission of fostering greater understanding between your people and mine.
In some realities, the Micromasters you speak of are Decepticons. In others, they are Autobots. It is really as simple as that.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What was the name of the Autobot advocating surrender at the battle of Jan-Ja?
.
.
A: Dear Capitulation Character,
Green fellow, about yea high? I believe you are referring to Mattock, no doubt named for his melee weapon. Or might it have been Mattox? My people do enjoy the letter X.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us anything about the Mini-Cons Cradon and Seawave?
.
.
A: Dear Micro Meister,
Well, back in my days of Aurex 105.08 Alpha, they were quite upset because the third member of the Land / Sea / Air Team, Blue Max, had been destroyed in a clash between Galaxy Convoy and Master Megatron. Cradon blamed the Destrons, but Seawave thought the Cybertrons more at fault. Sadly, the two would never again meet as allies.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Did Overload ever succeed on his quest to understand his own origins?
.
.
A: Dear Undertaking Ululator,
In some universe streams, yes. Aurex 503.01 Gamma is a good example. Overload was obsessed Powerlinxing. At first he convinced himself that he was doing it for the greater good, so that he could battle the Decepticons. But when he started to attack Mini-Cons who didn't want to join with him, he knew he had gone too far. He went into voluntary exile, hoping to overcome his addiction.
He found himself on Nebulon and tried to start a new life, but his Spark had grown too dependent on the Powerlinx process and was rapidly diminishing. The Nebulan doctors, Hi-Q and Arcana, had another Cybertronian patient, the nucleon-dependent Mini-Con Rollout. Already he had lost his ability to transform to his front-end loader configuration, and was showing signs of locking up permanently. In their archives was a record of an ancient Cybertronian technique, the Headmaster process. The doctors realized that they could save two patients with one operation, and proceeded to do so.
The resultant being was functional, but awkward. Memories were beginning to blur together, and the new bodyform was not designed to accommodate two Sparks. They sought out a Cybertronian expert and found one in the engineer Rhinox. Rhinox brought the new fusion being back to Cybertron, and rebuilt him from scratch. He had previously upgraded Jetfire to be able to interface with Optimus Prime, and used the same techniques when rebuilding Overload. Overload was needed before he was fully operational, so that Optimus could defeat a clone of himself.
Rhinox always intended to finish the job, but sadly perished, or worse, in battle with Unicron. Thus was Overload unaware of his past when the conflict was finished. After the war, the schematics of his original form, a green missile-tank, were located. He had himself rebuilt, and left Cybertron to seek answers. Though it took him many years, he eventually found clues that led him back to Hi-Q, and thus was his mystery resolved.
September 19, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us why Big Rescue Force is such an odd-looking fellow?
.
.
A: Dear Appearance Advocate,
Are they? I suppose so. Remember, though, that it is a very big Multiverse, and you have barely scratched the surface. I assure you, there are stranger beings than Big Rescue Force in it.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Which reality was the Galvatron and his minions plucked from by Unicron in Worlds Collide? Was the dead Optimus Prime Unicron used as a calling card from the same reality? What was this Galvatron's origins? Thank you.
.
.
A: Dear Herald Hawker,
The realities they were chosen from no longer exist, for Unicron had consumed them and moved on, and thus cataloging them would seem to be an exercise in futility. The only exception is Dirge, who was blasted free from one of the many Primax 1003.30 Kappa offshoots by the Gem of Mystery and plucked from the chaotic topography of unspace by Unicron. None came from the same sphere that Optimus Prime had been originated in.
Galvatron was created from a reformatted Megatron, with Scourge and Cyclonus made from his dead minions. They served the Baron of Chaos for many iterations, though eventually Cyclonus got his head ripped off by a Megatron unhappy with the prospect of his reality being destroyed. Bludgeon joined them in this universe, lured by the promise of serving The Ultimate Warrior. Dirge was added to Galvatron's roster two or three universes after that to destroy a particularly well armed Lukas stream where the early defeat of the insurgents enabled the local galactic dictator to amass an enormous military. Thunderwing was the most recent addition, a version addicted to dark energon. Unicron offered him an endless supply of his own lifeblood to slake his nigh-unquenchable thirst for angolmois energy.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us anything about the Aurex Megatron who worked with Optimus Primal and Grimlock to escape the Cauldron?
.
.
A: Dear Archetype Analyst,
He was brought from Aurex 1006.0 Beta, much earlier in the timeline than from when Beast Prime departed to join the TransTech Convoy. He never succumbed to Unicron's dark influence during his time in the Cauldron, and could thus be considered the strangest Child of Primus of all.
Once he returned, his universe proceeded in a slightly different way than what you observed in the Armada, Energon, and Cybertron cartoons. His certainty that Unicron was real meant that he was more receptive to news of the threat. Starscream had no need to sacrifice himself to convince Megatron of the danger, and thus survived the war and took leadership of the Decepticons after Megatron's apparent demise. This led to a stronger Autobot/Decepticon alliance, one able to partially survive the coming of the Terrorcons and the return of Megatron. It continued into the Singularity crisis and beyond, when the yet-again reborn Megatron was upgraded not into Galvatron but into Beast Megatron. Optimus Prime followed suit, evolving into Beast Prime. Their rivalry reached its final end when Optimus disintegrated him with my sword.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does the Aurex cluster have its own version of Dirge?
.
.
A: Dear Mournful Miser,
Some streams do. He generally causes the Autobots a great deal of trouble with his rumbling, fear-inducing engines. When Powerlinxing with his Mini-Con, Grapple, he is especially dangerous. I believe he looks something like this:
September 20, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are you the only being who can use Rhisling's full abilities?
.
.
A: Dear Blade Being,
I and my ilk, yes. In fact, many of the Rhisling's properties are dependent upon my own unique Spark. Should, say, Alchemist wield the artifact, it may well adopt properties more transmutation-oriented than temporal in nature.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Rumor is that the Marvel Straxus and the United EX Straxus/Rollermaster are the same guy Can you confirm or deny this?
.
.
A: Dear Decapitated Dictator,
Generally speaking, yes.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
If it isn't too much work for you, can you tell us the dimensional origins and allegiance of the 'bots in this image?
.
.
A: Dear Origin Overseer,
Ah, the Universe War. So many sparks disrupted, so many sparks snuffed out by the Chaos-Bringer, but in this dark time much heroism came to the fore as well. I believe you already know, or can easily learn, the backgrounds of many, and will endeavor not to be redundant.
Big Daddy, like the Grimlock who participated in the Universe War, came from Primax 302.06 Gamma. As sometimes happens, they were drawn from two different eras. Both were Children of Primus.
Ransack was snatched from Primax 1108.12 Kappa and Squeezeplay from Primax 113.23 Gamma. Amusingly, when they were returned to their own realities, they somehow swapped places and thus each was confronted with a somewhat unfamiliar environment. Squeezeplay quickly adapted to the constant battles of his new world, though it took Ransack longer to understand the subtle ironies of his new existence. Both could most accurately be classified as Minions of Unicron.
Wheelie was pulled from Primax 1108.10 Alpha. He had a surprisingly strong will, and remained a Child of Primus to the last.
The Thrust you see in this image hails from the Spark War of Primax 1103.12-R Gamma, as does the Rattrap who fled with him. Terrorsaur, too, hailed from a slightly (or much, depending on your perspective) earlier point in the timeline, plucked from the lava at the moment before his death. Thrust and Rattrap could be called Children of Primus and refused to battle each other for sport. Terrorsaur, on the other hand, quickly gave in to his base urges and would probably be considered a Minion of Unicron by most.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who were the other four members of the Elite Flying Corps alongside Divebomb?
.
.
A: Dear Flying Fanatic,
Under the command of Optimus Prime, who could not himself fly, the Elite Flying Corps consisted of Divebomb, Strafe, Dogfight, Skyfall, and Doubleheader. Skyfall was the engineering officer of the team, able to change just about anything into a weapon in only a few cycles. Doubleheader was the team's recon specialist. His twin nosecones were each equipped with independent CPUs for fast parallel analysis. I understand this technology was eventually applied to his Pretender upgrade. Strafe was the team's gunner, though his tendency to shoot first and ask questions never sometimes hampered his efficacy. Dogfight was the team's close combat specialist; he relished closing in to an enemy jet fighter as fast as possible. And finally, Divebomb, the team's bombardier. Few ground-based Decepticons had the nerve to stand their ground when he came in for a strike. All in all, for a faction with few fliers, the EFC was a fairly impressive unit.
September 21, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell me a little bit about the personalities and abilities of the Powerdashers?
.
.
A: Dear Kinetic Champion,
They do tend to vary quite a bit from stream to stream. Sometimes they are drones, created with an evolution/revolution chip to better assimilate into their environment. Sometimes they are a new generation of Autobot. Sometimes they are primitive Cybertronian lifeforms. Sometimes there is only one Powerdasher, able to switch between three dual body-states.
In universes where there are three Powerdashers with individual personalities, Cromar, the jet, tends to be the leader. Aragon, the car, tends to be a scout. Zetar, the drill, tends to be an engineer. These are not absolutes, of course, but a large number of galaxies do conform to these rough patterns.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Could you give me some more information about the Autobot, or Autobots, Light Speed, Pothole, and/or Belzone, who looks like this?
.
.
A: Dear Mock-Up Maven,
I will confess that your question caused me some confusion. I have never heard of any Cybertronian named Belzone, and while I am familiar with many versions of Lightspeed and Pothole from various planes of existence, none of them look anything like that.
To better understand what was happening, I thought I would speak to one more knowledgeable than I about Quadwal-reality based packaging. According to a source at Hasbro, mock packaging is done by the package department. They are created for "sales meetings, hallway displays, and scale mock-ups prior to copy being ready. We have a long hallway that is set like store shelves. It's a sales display. All products are comp [handmade] packages. We swap it out twice a year. We sell to retail partners well in advance of [the] final toys being ready and before final packages are ready. To overcome that we make hundreds of dummy packages. They look right from a distance but copy details are Greeked in often."
And thus did my confusion evaporate. There was never any intention of Hasbro releasing toys named Light Speed, Belzone, or Pothole, and thus was I wholly unfamiliar with the beings of who you speak.
- Q: So who's this Blue and Yellow guy then if he isn't Light Speed, Belzone or Pothole???
- Ask Vector Prime That would be an early deco of Ironhide. Note that fellow Power Master Staxx has artwork in a similar yellow and blue color scheme despite his toy being quite different.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you please explain how the Protectobots came to join the Autobots on Earth? We seem to have somehow overlooked that.
.
.
A: Dear Rescue Ranger,
They were discovered by Omega Supreme in stasis lock on the failed colony world of Archon. When brought back to Earth, the only way to revive them was with an energon infusion from the Aerialbots. Unexpectedly, this resulted in them gaining the ability to combine. Optimus Prime gave them their own headquarters in Central City to help them acclimate to life on Earth, and as a way to provide the metropolis with extra protection.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever met the friendly GoBot watch named Tic Toc?
.
.
A: Dear Temporal Talker,
Why, yes. During my Time Warrior days, we at one point had tracked the dastardly Time Limit all the way to the Gargent Cluster--though, of course, we didn't call it that back then, having never met the Transcendent Technomorphs. There we worked with the local guardian of space/time to trick Time Limit into entering Limbo, where he was beset by parasites and rendered inert.
- Q: What was Tic Toc like?
- Ask Vector Prime Rather vain, actually. He believed himself to be the most intelligent and the most handsome of the GoBots. In some ways, I will confess, he grated on me. We had something of a rivalry when I first arrived, though eventually we were able to set aside our differences and work together for the greater good. Of course, this was a much younger version of myself, so I had considerably less patience. I wonder how he's doing these days. Hopefully Gong, his Renegade rival, hasn't gotten into too much temporal mischief.
September 22, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
You recently mentioned Armada versions of Hi-Q, Arcana, and Imperious Delirious. Could you tell us more about them? I'm very curious to learn of their adventures.
.
.
A: Dear Storied Sailor,
They are all fascinating individuals. If you wish to learn more of Hi-Q, his adventures include Marvel Comics' People Power! and the issues recently collected in IDW's Regeneration One 100 Page Spectacular. Arcana featured heavily in The Rebirth trilogy. And, as for Imperious Delirious, he was a major villain in Fun Publications' Alone Together storyline, and will feature in the next installment of Beast Wars: Uprising, Intersectionality.
- Q: Is Intersectionality going to be a text story like Burning Bridges, or a comic like Alone Together?
- Ask Vector Prime It is an illustrated text story.
- Q: I was asking specifically about the Aurex versions of those characters. Can a character be in two different continuity families, two clusters, and be fundamentally the same character?
- Ask Vector Prime Of course a being can exist, fundamentally unaltered, in multiple streams and even multiple clusters. Have you not observed it to be so? Have you not noticed the enormous similarities between, say, the Knock Out of Primax 1005.19 Gamma and the Knock Out of Uniend 911.05 Alpha? Or the Sky-Byte of Viron 901.8 Alpha and the Sky-Byte of Primax 509.28 Epsilon? Or many of the Lugnuts, or Lockdowns. I could go on, but I trust my point is made?
- It is just as possible for a being to be in two extremely similar streams in the same cluster and yet have enormous fundamental differences. I understand that the human mindset likes to lock into certain absolute rules and apply them across all circumstances, but this risks gravely miscategorizing the underlying truths. As is ever the case, especially in multiversal matters, it is best to go case-by-case and not over-generalize.
- Q: I'm still confused then. In Rebirth, Nebulans are green. In Marvel, they're mostly white. So what color are the Aurex versions?
- Ask Vector Prime Ah. Apologies. I realize that differences in skin tone are considered to be socially important in your species, but my people can change their exterior color with a coat of paint. Such differences lack cultural significance to most Cybertronians, so I'm afraid I did not notice such details.
- Q: So how similar are these adventures to those of the Aurex versions of the characters?
- Ask Vector Prime The adventures themselves vary considerably, but give an excellent insight into the character of the specific beings of whom the questioner inquired.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are there any universal streams where...
.
.
A: Dear Inquisitive Imam,
I realize that this is very late in the process of our interaction, but when questions are asked in the form of "are there any" or "is there ever" the answer is almost invariably that yes, such a thing is true in at least some corner of the Multiverse. However, that doesn't necessarily make it noteworthy or interesting. Perhaps, if there is a future for this format, you should try for more specificity.
Dear Vector Prime,
What can you tell me about Scavenger, Nightcruz, and Mirage GT from the Viron Cluster?
.
.
A: Oh, you wish to know of the Viron Elite Guard? Certainly. Led by the noble Storm Jet, it existed to combat existential spaceborne threats to Cybertronian security. On board their cruiser, the Longbow, they battled the Recyclons in the Falcon Nexus, blockaded Planet X in the Skeleton Nebula, contained the Meta-Beast breakout on Zeotopia, extracted Bruticus from the Intruder Empire, evaded the Elder Gods in the Dark Nebula, and clashed time and again with Jhiaxus' Destructicons in the Mirtonian Expanse.
His team was incredibly capable. Before joining the Guard, Scavenger was a drill sergeant at the Autobot Military Academy. He even instructed Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, long long ago. Nightcruz one of his students. An elegant bot, she was as apt to rely on her charm as she was her skill as a pilot.
Mirage I believe you already know well. He is none other than a future incarnation of the Spychanger of the same name. By the time of this universe's Spark War, he had been rebuilt in a Vehicon body, using the Genetronic Translink System to enable him to have a body even with his Spark in the clutches of Megatron. He traveled back in time to guide the Protector as he engaged with Cryotek.
The final member of this team was none other than Sideways. The less said about him, the better
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does this mean we won't be able to hear from you Vector Prime very soon? That's a shame =( I'm gonna be missing you quite a bit if you are.
.
.
A: Dear Faithful Friend,
I am afraid that it does, at least in the near term. Even I cannot accurate predict all aspects of the future, though I spend much of my time there. Perhaps I, or some version or fragment of me, will be able to resume this or a similar interaction some day.
I would like to thank you in particular for your thoughtful and enjoyable questions. Whereas most seemed interested in the macroscopic events of our wars, or perhaps in cataloging the minutia of beings and events that have reached the shores of Quadwal in an incomplete form, you expressed an interest in me personally. While some of the experiences I've had in my nine billion years have been painful, many are joyous beyond measure. I am glad that I could share, and hope my perspective has improved your life in some small way. Treasure every moment, every experience. Even an experience that stings may some day provide wisdom, nostalgia, or perspective.
Oh, my. I see my last response has touched off a wave of goodbyes. While, as I say, our time grows short, I did not mean to imply that it was at an end just quite this moment. While I sense that the end is nigh, certainly under a deca-cycle, I have not yet been called away from Axiom Nexus and my opportunity to interact with you. I apologize for the misunderstanding.
September 23, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is this Ultra Magnus the same individual that appeared in the fiction "Force of Habit"? If so, at what point did he upgrade his body that looks very similar to Overload?
.
.
A: Dear Upgrade Official,
Yes, that is is he. He was severely injured in battle with his former friend Treadshot and had to be completely rebuilt based on the specs Rhinox developed for Overload. His new body was considerably more powerful; indeed, it could even combine with certain bodyforms of Optimus Prime!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Did Mini-Cons play a role in the Beast Wars of Aurex 615.03 Epsilon?
.
.
A: Dear Savage Savant,
Did they? Oh my, yes. The Hyperion was dispatched from Cybertron to Alpha Q's realm, and with it the Night Rescue Team (Divebomb, Firebot, and Strongarm), the Clear Skies Team (Noise Effect, Steel Wind, and Thunderwing), the Rapid Intervention Team (Windrazor, Rad Rogue, and Torque Gain), and the Prehistoric Team (Nightscream, Knockdown, and Terrorsaur). I do believe Torque Gain was fated to defect to the Decepticons, eventually to be replaced with Skyglide.
The Decepticons, not to be outdone, dispatched the Doomsday. Augmenting the Decepticon presence were the Demolition Team (Broadslide, Sledge, and Wideload), the Dirt Digger Team (Dirt Rocket, Grindor, and Oil Slick), and Heavy Load's Mobile Fortification Team (Drill Bit, Rockblade, and Refuser.) Detectas was also on board, a stowaway providing intelligence to the Autobots.
- Q: I thought the Beast Wars of Aurex 615.03 Epsilon were fought between the Maximals and Predacons?
- Ask Vector Prime It was. Why, what did I say?
- Q: Dear Vector Prime, are these Mini-Cons the same type of individual as their counterparts in Primax 207.0 Epsilon and elsewhere in Primax or are they distinct beings?
- Ask Vector Prime From my perspective, they possess the same Sparks as their Primax counterparts, separated primarily by accident of experience.
- Q: Have you ever known of Primax incarnations of Noise Effect, Windrazor, Radrogue, Torque Gain, Drill Bit, Rockblade, Refuser, and Detectas?
- Ask Vector Prime Yes.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do the Brainmasters of Courage, Skill, Strange, and Intelligence have names?
.
.
A: Dear Mind Master,
In most universes, they do not.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I was curious about the original Nightracer, progenitor and namesake of the Cybertronian "Second Generation" clone. What was she like?
.
.
A: Dear Grinning Gunslinger,
She was a legend, one of the best sharpshooters my race has ever produced. She could hit a speeding target the size of a rustbug from a distance of over 15 hics, even while herself dodging. Even one such as I, who deplore her cause, can admire her skill, if not the use she put it to. Nevertheless, she had few friends among the her fellow Decepticons, who considered her aloof.
September 24, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Will there be new characters in the new Robots In Disguise series?
.
.
A: Dear Novelty Natterer,
Indeed there will. I suggest you continue to stay tuned.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever known a Primax Blaster to work with a Recordicon named Stinger?
.
.
A: Dear Animal Amigo,
Recordabots, surely? But yes, it sometimes plays out that way, with Stinger the Arachnodroid, Cubbie the Cybercat, Stripes the Nitrotiger, and Bolts, their wrangler. Such universes often feature the Anibots as well, barely contained in their roboto-zoo. Beachcomber thought it cruel to keep Clump and Thump, Pardo and Shriek, and their leader Simba in captivity in such a manner, though really the Autobots had little alternative.
I do find your universe fascinating. Sometimes news of prominent beacons of light or hideous, unrepentant monsters fails to reach your eyes and ears; other times, minor beings from flickering universes with little-to-no resonance seem to imprint upon your consciousness through means mysterious to me. Fascinating. Would that I had more time to study such phenomenon.
- Q: Do the Anibots combine?
- Ask Vector Prime Why, yes. They form the savage, uncontrollable Dragon Beast. They let it slip at their peril, for it is nigh-unstoppable and nearly as apt to engage the Autobots as battle the Decepticons. They do have a particularly keen hatred of the Constructicons though.
- Q: Could you name a particular universe that had these Anibots/Recordabots?
- Ask Vector Prime Primax 485.27 Zeta comes to mind.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us anything about the Primax Autobot Galactica?
.
.
A: Dear Spaceship Student,
Galactica was a heroic being, an enormous Autobot who converted into a space vessel. In some realities, he sacrificed himself early in the war, providing support for the nascent Autobot cause. In others, he became the personal spacecraft of Star Convoy, Grandus, Sky Garry, and Six Liner as they battled Dark Nova. I believe his alternate mode was the same class of ship as the Xantium.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do the various Mini-Cons who share a bodytype with Sparkplug have a team name?
.
.
A: Dear Nano Canoodler,
Just when I thought I was finished with Mini-Cons, you find a new one to ask. There are, in fact, two Mini-Con teams I know of consisting of members that share a bodytype with Sparkplug.
The first, the Rogue Team, is always hatching some scheme or other. Drop-Test, the red one, fancies himself team leader, though his obnoxious nature and poor planning make his teammates unlikely to take him serious in this role. In reality Rán, the green one, is more apt to give orders and be obeyed. She is passionate about freedoms, and pointedly refuses to Powerlinx to anyone, ally or otherwise. Finally, there is Atlas, the strong, silent backbone of the team. He is kind and gentle, often interceding when Rán and Drop-Test come close to blows, and is in many ways the Spark of the team. When his allies get themselves into trouble, he is always there to bail them out.
The second, the Stealth Augmentation Team, couldn't be more different. Their mission is to get in close to an Autobot struggling during battle and Powerlinx to them, giving an unexpected boost to combat efficacy. Road Rebel, in teal, is almost impossible to catch, and can increase the speed of those she connects with. Synapse, in orange, is slightly less maneuverable, but considerably more intelligent. Moreover, he can enhance the intellect of anyone he bonds with. He is a bit... smarmy, though. Chrome, the leader, can deflect energy weapons with his mirror-like chassis. When bonded to an Autobot, he grants the ability to generate a forcefield extending a few centikeps around the body in all directions.
September 25, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who was Crystal Widow's lost lover?
.
.
A: Dear Star-crossed Sentinel,
Most Crystal Widows seem to be unlucky in love. Perhaps it's the name. I was recently commiserating with an Aurex-cluster version who was tragically separated from Skyfall. Neither one of them was precisely an Autobot or a Decepticon, and there was an almost-magnetic attraction between them. They danced around each other and around each faction, eventually establishing a clandestine relationship where she used him and he used her. It grew into something more, something deeper. Skyfall had something planned, something big, and Widow was determined to convince him to stop.
Then, tragically, Unicron stretched forth his will to snare the Crystal Widow for use in his Cauldron. Perhaps, too, he was worried that she would hinder his plans in her realm. Rhinox was able to deflect the abduction, but she did not return to her place of origin. Instead, she bounced through the cosmos, unshielded, until Axiom Nexus rescued her. Her light was almost extinguished, and had a less advanced Cybertron rescued her she would surely have perished. Sadly, were unable to determine her universe of origin, due to interference from the Unicron Phenomena. Thus did she resign herself to life in the Offworld Zone, eventually becoming the proprietor of her own establishment. Perhaps some day she will find her way back to her home universe. I hope she does.
Ha. I just realized that Skyfall shares a body type with a bot named Silverbolt. The Multiverse certainly works in mysterious ways, does it not?
- Q: Wow. So an Aurex version of crystal widow does exist. Neat =) Vector Prime, just out of curiosity, what did Skyfall look like colorwise?
- Ask Vector Prime Something like this:
- One can hardly blame her, he certainly is a dashing bot, if of questionable moral character.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
If You can be a Combiner who would you want to combine with?
.
.
A: Dear Gestalt Guy,
Interesting question. My first instinct would be my brothers and sisters in the Thirteen. I will admit, though, to a great deal of anxiety to subordinating my ego to a greater whole in such a manner.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Aside from Beta Maxx and Caliburn, what other Micromasters exist in the Viron cluster?
.
.
A: Dear Micromaster Maestro,
Not to put too fine a point on it, but there are millions upon millions of Viron streams. Any Micromaster, Cyberdroid, or Mini-Con that you've ever heard of probably has some kind of Micromaster analog somewhere in one of the many, many Viron streams.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the name of Deathcobra's breast animal?
.
.
A: Dear Snake Stickler,
Cobrabreast, of course. Could you not work that one out for yourself?
September 26, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you have a favorite negative polarity universe?
.
.
A: Dear Opposite Apostle,
I generally avoid such places. I will admit that, from a safe distance, Primax -408.01 Gamma has some charm.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I will miss you. I lost faith in Transformers. But the knowledge you have imparted upon us has made me think, maybe there is still hope. I hope you come back Vector Prime, please? I've been having a rough time with my life and I have fun just coming on here everyday seeing you impart knowledge upon us. I wish you could stay. Before you leave, I only ask that you hear me. I've asked many questions but idk if you've seen any of them. If you can't answer them, I only ask that you answer this question. Please for me: what do I do when you're gone? How do I change my life? Please help me? I need your guidance. On that note, I wish to you a prosperous future. Til all are one.
.
.
A: Dear Faithful Friend,
I am sorry to hear that you have encountered difficulties in your lifestream. I wish that I were able to give you more specific, more helpful advice. All I can say is that, while the challenges the universe presents to us can be overwhelming, they are also opportunities for us to rise to them. I would not have been successful in my own quests had I not been a part of something greater than myself; the Thirteen, the Time Warriors, the Autobots. Seek out those who share your beliefs, your values, your interests, and forge connections with them. Perhaps this can be accomplished in person; perhaps it can be done using the internet or other telecommunication tools. With the bonds of family and friendship, with companions and peers, I have high confidence that you can change your own life to be what it needs to be.
I appreciate your well wishes, and I reciprocate them. I wish you a most prosperous future. You don't need me to achieve it; you only need yourself, and your community, however you define it. Good luck, my friend. May your wires never cross and your luster never dull.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you ever find it confusing that in most realities, "Cybertron" is the name of your home planet, but in some realities, "Cybertron"/ "サイバトロン" is the name of the heroic faction in your planet's civil conflicts?
.
.
A: Dear Faction Finder,
Not particularly. I tend to adopt the mindset of the local reality-matrix and subsume myself into it, which means that I tend not to confuse easily.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What can you tell us about the Costco Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus from the Cybertron toyline? Are they the Robots in Disguise characters, the Unicron Trilogy Optimus and Ultra Magnus we know, or someone different?
.
.
A: Dear Viron Virtuoso,
Omega Prime is certainly a paragon of virtue, is he not? Amazing what the Spark of Combination can accomplish. You can read about his Powerlinxing adventures in the pages of the Cybertron comic Revelations, as well as in the pages of Transformers: Universe. They are the noble sparks you have come to know in Robots in Disguise and Car Robots.
- Q: So the Spark of Combination is not strictly an Aurex phenomenon? Does it have any connection to Power Core Combination?
- Ask Vector Prime It is a frame of reference, useful for understanding certain phenomena. In the Viron Cluster the term is seldom used, but remember, this Omega Prime traveled to the Aurex Cluster, and met beings from a large variety of streams. Is it so odd that he would be exposed to such ideas, such ways of modeling the world?
September 27, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
According to their tech specs, the Autobot Trainbots were said to have been constructed in Japan. Was the famous scientist Doctor Fujiyama responsible for their creation?
.
.
A: Dear Inventor Indexer,
I believe Drs. Fujiyama, Ōnishi, Yoshikawa, Takahashi, Ishihara, and Gō all had roles to play, however minor they might have been.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime, did the scientists pool their research, or did each one work on a specific Trainbot?
- Ask Vector Prime Mostly the former. The Raiden Initiative was a communal effort, with each scientist contributing according to their specialty. The brilliant postdoc Haruma Gō, the least-senior member of the team, was responsible for their superstructures. He also brought the fire of youth to the project. Doctor Ōnishi, the leading expert on alien energy sources, created their power grid. Doctor Ishihara, a specialist in cybernetic motivation, created their neural network and initial personality component specifications. Doctor Yoshikawa, who had spent years reverse-engineering the energy-being Kremzeek, was in charge of the creation of their weapon and communication systems. As Shibuya Manufacturing, Worldwide was providing the facilities to the Japanese government for this endeavor, Sōji also served as team leader. Doctor Fujiyama, famous for the construction of Nightbird, was responsible for their combat protocols. Finally, the mysterious Doctor Takahashi created the Heavy Series-Linkage System, necessary for them to become a gestalt warrior. So focused was her work that Doctor Yoshikawa joked that she must have seen the Trainbots in their combined form before she began, if only in a dream or vision.
- There was one area where each scientist had a uniquely-defined role; each one was allowed to name one of the Trainbots. Doctor Ōnishi, a huge fan of vintage trains, asked that he be allowed to name the DE10 diesel locomotive. He named him Kaen, a blaze that would burn brightly in the service of Japan and all mankind. Doctor Ishihara, born and raised in Tokyo, chose to name the Tōkai-type 153 express from her home metropolis. Proud of her proficiency with martial arts, named Suiken after her favorite style of martial arts. Doctor Gō, as the youngest member of the team, was given the newest model of train to name, the 200 Series Shinkansen. He chose Yukikaze, after the wind of his native Hokkaido. Doctor Fujiyama, who was born in Kyushu, chose to name the 485-200 series engine. He named him Seizan, after the mountains of his home region. Doctor Takahashi expressed little interest in which mech she would name, and was given the EF65-1000 by default. She chose Getsuei, for the Trainbots would have the capacity to travel to the moon and beyond. Last, though certainly not least, Doctor Yoshikawa was given the honor of naming the team leader, the original Shinkansen. As a fan of military history, he decided that Shouki would be a dignified and powerful name.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Some new information about the history of Reverse Convoy has recently come to light that indicates he was dead when Megatron possessed his body. How does that line up with what you told us of his history?
.
.
A: Dear Reverse Ruminator,
Ah, have you learned of that, then? Good, good. Giving incomplete information is not my preference, but it is sometimes necessary. In this case, the threat of Grand Scourge was such that I was hesitant to spread word of his existence, lest I demoralize those who would stand against him.
Indeed, Reverse Convoy's spark was all but extinguished by the multiversal menace known as Grand Scourge. This villain, a slayer of Primes and Convoys across many dimensions, was drawn to Reverse Convoy's universal stream by the Autobot's Energon Matrix. It was Grand Scourge who caused Reverse Convoy to be so vulnerable to Megatron's spark. Shortly after Scourge departed, Megatron's bodiless consciousness invaded Reverse Convoy's body via his black hole interlink, just before the last erg of power left his deceased body's systems. In a way, Megatron saved Reverse Convoy from being totally extinguished.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What do the toys of Optimus Prime with "Silver Knight" color schemes represent?
.
.
A: Dear Sterling Sage,
The nature of the Silver Knights is a mysterious one. How could one explain the general case for a state-of-being which is so inconsistently delivered? Why, the phrasing of your question even makes an assumption which I know not to be true. (A Iocus iteration of me once played a pickup game of Basketrek alongside a non-Optimus who had undergone a Silver Modification. It gave that space knight quite the jump shot, let me tell you.) What I can say is that, typically, it could be considered an upgrade; the bot is taken to peak physical and mental performance in order to face a threat that the regular model would be incapable of handling.
I must stress, however, that this interpretation is not a comprehensive understanding of the Silver Knights; different entities or groups with similar names can coexist. For example, in Fornax 613.03 Alpha, it is the name of a group of renaissance festival enthusiasts who gather on the third Sunday of every month for jousting and fried tungsten-turkey legs.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are their any Cybertronian mobsters that are separate from Black Shadow and Crytotek's groups?
.
.
A: Dear Criminal Custodian,
Yes, of course there are. Did you expect that I might say "no?"
September 28, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you know of the Rock Bots?
.
.
A: Dear Musical Maven,
Didn't those two open for The Knights of Unicron at Wreckstock?
- Q: Do you know what their names are, and could you tell us?
- Ask Vector Prime I don't really follow the modem music, what with the noise and the garish stage shows and the rude lyrics. But I did happen to be chatting with 'Romy--lovely lass, much more respectful than that Rook ruffian. The things that pass for news these cycles, my word!--and she mentioned interviewing them. Perhaps I can get her to fill us in.
- Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter Sure thing, VP! I'm on assignment, though, so I can only give you a few nano-kilks.
- Powerchord, the guitar, is the lead singer. He's actually incredibly accomplished, far beyond what you'd expect. Not only is he the front-bot of an interstellar act, full of manic energy, but he's also a licensed Class-A commercial spacecraft pilot! He flies the band's ship, Rock Force One, from gig to gig, laden with their props and stage-show elements. He also has his own micro-brewery. The canned oil they make is par excellence.
- Feedback, the amp, is the primary songwriter. He's a sensetive spark, and he's had his demons over the millenia. Fame hasn't been easy on him, and I think he'd be the first to admit it. He's had not one, not two, but THREE Conjunx Endura since the Rock Bots achieved interstellar fame. He's also been arrested for possession of Syk on two separate occasions, though nothing ever came of it. He's been through rehab at least three times. Still, his lyrics are hauntingly beautiful. If his struggles are necessary to produce them, then I think it's in some ways a noble sacrifice.
- For all their differences in personality, I don't think the Rock Bots would be the Rock Bots without each of them. And I've seen them together; on stage, under interview lights, and just relaxing. It's clear they're the best of friends. Now, I gotta rush over to the Senate Building before the Chief has my head.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us anything about the Mini-Cons Paulie, Ivan, and Thunderlips?
.
.
A: Dear Dinosaur Darling,
Certainly. I am sorry to say I am blanking on their English-language names at the moment. However, they are members of the Saurian Strike Team, an infiltration team in many Aurex Cluster realities.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I was wondering if you could tell us about one of the classified members of the Convoy we haven't heard about yet?
.
.
A: Dear Classified Curator,
Well, I suppose there's little harm, provided you take care to not share such information with the denizens of Axiom Nexus. Let me tell you of <Axiom Nexus Auto-Censors Engaged>, who hailed from <Axiom Nexus Auto-Censors Engaged>. In his native time stream, he <Axiom Nexus Auto-Censors Engaged>. <Axiom Nexus Auto-Censors Engaged> when he encountered <Axiom Nexus Auto-Censors Engaged>. Of course, as soon as <Axiom Nexus Auto-Censors Engaged> discovered that <Axiom Nexus Auto-Censors Engaged>, she immediately <Axiom Nexus Auto-Censors Engaged>. That was quite a spectacle, let me tell you!
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I'm curious, how could there be a Transformer named Geronimo millions of years ago. Isn't that a little Earth-specific? What's his story?
.
.
A: Dear Nomenclature Nitpicker,
I spoke to my good friend Jazz, he didn't see a problem with the name. You must realize that our actual "names" are communicated in an alien language wholly orthogonal to the human experience, and we often translate not just words but concepts. Since these are sometimes culturally dependent, our algorithms use sophisticated "best-fit" methodologies to ensure that even if a translation is not literal, it is resonant. That is why certain members of my species have different names in different parts of your own world.
As for Geronimo, he was warrior who fought a losing battle but whose name became a rallying cry throughout history. Perhaps now you see why his name, which might also be rendered >>>_--\~~/...^^\/\/\/______/|\—{**}—<<< with some degree of accuracy, was written as Geronimo. But if our transliteration is bothering you, I could see about disabling the translation software for future installments of our adventures in your world.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
From what Universe does this Blastcharge hail from?
.
.
A: Dear Rom Rascal,
He has been seen with such an appearance in Primax 603.0 Gamma. Or is that Beta? Might be Primax 603.0 Beta. You know the one, where the giant ship, the, what was it? The Acheron! Where the Acheron collects specimens for Unicron periodically.
September 29, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
In at least one universal stream the Egg Beasts were involved in Beast Wars, could you elaborate on their origins and role they played in the conflict?
.
.
A: Dear Sphere Sponsor,
The Egg Beasts were planted amongst the earliest Maximals and Predacons by none other than Unicron himself. Sleeper agents, they knew not what they were. Perhaps the only hints were their alternate forms, so similar to Unicron's own structure. He would later reuse these designs for the Sparkbots. In fact, his Dead End antibodies also use overlapping hard-coded design schematics.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Why did human confederacy become stronger than the Cybertronian forces?
.
.
A: Dear Power Principal,
I assume you are referring to Primax 215.19 Epsilon? You shall have to continue to read the Beast Wars Uprising stories to learn more of this universe.
However, ponder this thought. You have seen many universes containing my people. Let us consider Primax 984.17 Alpha. Would you say that Cybertronian technology advanced considerably from the period when Optimus Prime first arose, nine million stellar cycles ago, until the time when the Ark launched? How much did technology progress much during the four million years that Autobots and Decepticons slumbered beneath a volcano on Earth? And then consider the scant three decades following their revival. Headmaster, Targetmasters, Pretenders, Scramble City Combiners, Dinobots, transfixatrons, immobilizers, warp gates... and then ask yourself again, how might humans outstrip my race.
Q: Dear Vector Prime
Who is the yellow helicopter hiding behind Inferno and Blaster in The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe? Could you confirm some of the names of characters we haven't definitively identified from this publication?
.
.
A: Dear Powerful Pedant,
You wish to learn of Iocus 1012.30 Gamma? It is an interesting universe, with quite a mixture of (mostly) Primax and Uniend beings depicted within. The yellow helicopter you are referring to is the Autobot triple-changer, Sandstorm. A Primax native, before you ask. He certainly is a hard bot to spot! Perhaps you would like a better look at him.
I have perused the publication and do not believe you should have any trouble identifying the beings within. Though a small number, such as Scourge, are in slightly less iconic bodyforms than you may know them as, they are still easily recognizably as who they are, in this case the Primax Scourge. You need to stop overthinking things.
- Q: I'm not clear on Powerglide and Lugnut's identity. are the Primax or Uniend?
- Q: And how about Cosmos and Runamuck?
- Ask Vector Prime That is a Uniend Powerglide about to do battle with a Primax Skywarp, Acid Storm, and forestonite-enhanced Thundercracker. As for Lugnut, he is an unusually strong personality. That body type and, for want of a better word, identity, is shared across the Tyran, Primax, and Uniend streams.
- Ask Vector Prime The Runamuck you speak of is a Primax bot. Cosmos is a slightly more complicated case, as he exists in that bodyform and mental state in both the Primax and Uniend clusters.
- Q: Who is Defensor shooting at?
- Ask Vector Prime That would be the Decepticon S.T.A.G., Sixshot.
- Q: Is Blackout a Tyran bot?
- Ask Vector Prime Yes, that sounds about right.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universal streams do the Chinese New Year Transformers hail from, and what can you tell us about them?
.
.
A: Dear Renewal Reporter,
While as with all things involving the Multiverse there may indeed be multiple instances of those individuals, but I am reminded of a particularly noteworthy occurrence of the annual adversaries to which you refer. For you see, this iteration of the duelists involves the aftermath of the Universe Wars.
During these wars, a wounded Unicron retreated to a micro-universe that he created around one of his own dying bodies. He would siphon from nearby universes combatants to pit against one another so as to employ his Hate Collectors, which would drain the antagonistic energies formed within each fighter during the gladiatorial events. In essence he was attempting to create an eternal battery of pure and utter hatred to aid him in his next foray against the Multiverse.
The combatants deemed this place of death and agony “The Cauldron” for only the toughest would survive the acrimonious flames that metaphorically burned bright there. However, led by the Optimus Primal from 797.18 Epsilon and guided by myself, the Children of Primus managed to thwart Unicron's plans and drive his consciousness from The Cauldron. Optimus Primal then led each of the combatants back to their home realities, or at least realities similar.
However, The Cauldron remained a physical region of the Multiverse. As part of no existing reality cluster, it floated freely and untethered through inter-dimensional space. Perhaps you can already foresee the problems this might cause. And indeed you would be correct. The Cauldron, in its free wandering, passes through other universes with near perfect regularity. And, why yes, that regularity is approximately once every three hundred and sixty-five Earth days.
While inside of another universe, it is out of phase, incorporeal and undetectable to the local inhabitants. The Hate Collectors are still active, continuing to act on their programming and siphon yet more combatants into its arena of despair. However, damaged by the Children of Primus and hindered by a growing inter-dimensional fog, the Hate Collectors can only maintain a small group of gladiators at a single time. Furthermore, instead of drawing the actual Transformers from the host universe, the Collectors can only create duplicate copies using materials from inside of The Cauldron. Imbued with rage and unnatural abilities, powered by Angolmois Sparks, these spectral soldiers have no choice but to spend their short lives fighting one another as formidable facsimile foes.
It seems particularly drawn to the Prime Spark. To date, four of the ghostly combatants have been based on an Optimus Prime (two Primax, a Tyran, and an Aurex) and one has been (will be?) based on an Optimus Primal. Perhaps whatever malevolence guides The Cauldron has a perverse sense of irony. Other warriors of note include a Primax Soundwave, a Uniend Omega Supreme, and a Primax Starscream.
So the battles in The Cauldron continue. Without a Unicron entity to consume them, the energies divined by the Hate Collectors build. The Cauldron is now aglow with Hatred. Condensed, almost tangible, and rivaling the strength of all but the most successful Unicrons, it radiates from the micro-universe like fires of the Pit itself. Occasionally, depending on the intensity of the fighting, this Hatred even becomes powerful enough to pierce the walls of the host universe and take form as an unstoppable energy that some might refer to as a "Hate Plague".
Fortunately, the host universe has a defense against the parasitic Cauldron. Stemming from all that all is good in humanity, the joy, happiness, and every positive emotion swelled by the celebration and embrace of each New Year combine into a swirling tempest of jubilation. Even The Cauldron cannot withstand this force of glad tidings and so is made to flee, hoping to find refuge in the next universe where it can siphon new identities for its warriors. Thus renewing the cycle for another year.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us anything about the ancient masters Bludgeon and Banzai-Tron who taught the Animatronian elder Backstop?
.
.
A: Dear Martial-Arts Maverick,
Banzai-Tron hailed from Cybertron. He was a calm, elderly ‘bot who valued his independence of mind and body above all else. Disdaining violence, Banzai-Tron took up martial arts, in particular crystalocution, to protect himself without the need of a weapon while honing both body and processor. However, when war came to his hometown of Kalis, Banzai-Tron foresaw the path his race was treading and abandoned the planet altogether. He eventually arrived on the planet Azure, settling in the multispecies-populated capital city. In time, he came to be affiliated with like-minded martial artists on Azure, of a variety of species, and together they founded a dojo to teach self-defense to other sentient beings and to promote their principles of peace.
Bludgeon was one of the soldier colonists who settled the colony planet Combatron, well-regarded by his peers for his sense of humor and enthusiastic, if ribald, singing. As a young idealistic recruit, he was eager to join Cybertron’s premiere military garrison under the command of King Atlas. Swayed by the ballads of the ancient poet N.R.G., he believed that the defense of Cybertronian society from external threats was the highest cause possible. That changed when King Atlas disappeared and Combatron descended into endless civil war. Bludgeon saw his fellow soldiers slaughtering each other left and right, unifying allegiance to Cybertron be damned. Multiple factions and sub-factions in the civil war tried to solicit his membership, but Bludgeon disagreed with their justifications for fighting. As he saw it, most factions were only concerned with attaining power; too many Combatronians delighted in the constant oilthirst while others allowed their loyalty to their individual commanders to pull them into mindless fighting. Disgusted by what he saw, he descended into energonism, overindulging to the point of stupefaction and then regaling all who would listen with off-key renditions of the ancient epics. After a few centuries of this, he stowed away on one of the last commercial freighters to land on Combatron and departed the planet, his faith in life broken. He was discovered shortly thereafter, and summarily dropped at the nearest port, the planet of Azure.
Banzai-Tron soon learned of the frequently intoxicated Cybertronian on his planet. He tracked down the sorry Spark, intending to demand he leave Azure, but saw deep within him potential. He took Bludgeon under his wing, sobering him up and teaching him discipline despite himself. Bludgeon resisted at first, having no desire to climb the long climb back to himself, but Banzai-Tron persisted. After a time, Bludgeon one again found purpose in his life. Banzai-Tron knew that he would soon be one with the Allspark, and had at last found a successor who might outlast him. Bludgeon learned all he could from Banzai-Tron, and would make frequent excursions to other systems to learn other techniques, as well as hear the latest music the galaxy had to offer. It was in this period that he married the teachings of Banzai-Tron with the alien techniques and philosophies to found the discipline of metallikato. When the political climate on Azure changed, they left, founding a series of dojos on other welcoming planets.
A million stellar cycles later, on the planet of enduring peace, Banzai-Tron was not long for this life. It was at this time that Backstop, a young ‘bot traveling the galaxy in search of enlightenment, crossed their path. Backstop heard word of “giant metal wise men” and tracked them down. He became Banzai-Tron's last student. Backstop spent a fair amount of time at the dojo, practicing with martial artists of a variety of styles and engaging in thought-provoking philosophical discussions on the meaning of life. Although Backstop deduced that his new vehicle-former friends had some connection to his planet’s old legend of the first Animatronians arriving on a “flying city from beyond the sky”, his inquiries into Banzai-Tron and Bludgeon’s origins went nowhere. As neither cared to relive the histories of their homeworlds, Banzai-Tron and Bludgeon merely conveyed to Backstop that planets of transforming robots were not worth traveling to.
Perhaps Backstop would have learned of Cybertron and the other colonies if he had stayed longer at the dojo, but the time of Banzai-Tron's death was upon him. Not wishing to intrude on Bludgeon's grief, Backstop left Klo to continue his journey. He bade goodbye to Bludgeon before continuing on his long journey across the galaxy. Eventually he returned home, a changed bot. Ages later after the conclusion of the Unicron Singularity crisis, Backstop recalled the first Cybertronians he had met all those years ago on Klo. Recommending that the Hyperborea, the flying city of his planet, establish a space bridge outpost in Klo’s sector, Backstop and the other Autobots met with Bludgeon, himself now ancient and near the end of his time. They informed him that although it was long too late for Combatron, Cybertron was now at peace. Setting foot on his species’s homeworld and hearing new Cybertronian compositions for the first time in eons brought no small measure of comfort to the Spark of Bludgeon. He founded one last Cyber-Ninja Dojo, and took on his final generation of students. When he became one with the Allspark, the dirge they sang in his honor was... Sparkstopping.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime, can you tell us of any 'bots whom Backstop imparted his and the masters' wisdom to?
- Ask Vector Prime Backstop's time teaching on Animatron was purportedly most fulfilling for him. Among his students were the Mini-Cons Dragoyell, Kobushi, Hyakurai, Ichibi, and Mugen. Among his larger students were the leader of Animatron, Scourge, as well as a former bodyguard of his, Shrapnel.
- Q: Did Shrapnel join the Autobots on the new space bridge project after the resolution of the Unicron Singularity crisis?
- Ask Vector Prime He would eventually count himself as an Autobot, yes.
September 30, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you enjoyed your time conversing with us?
.
.
A: Dear Pleasantry Pal,
Indeed I have. While I occasionally find your collective mindset to be somewhat alien, it is refreshing how much interest you have in my society. Why, there have been well over 4,000 questions directed at me. Would that I could have answered them all. I hope the answers I have supplied are illuminating, have clarified minor mysteries and introduced you to some new corners of the Multiverse you may not have otherwise known. For now, I fear, our time really has come to an end. Though the call has not yet come, I sense that this is, indeed, our last day together, at least in the immediate future. I shall attempt to make it memorable.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do any of the Pretenders depicted here exist within the Transformers multiverse: http://tinyurl.com/nkc7upk ? And have any of them done anything of note?
.
.
A: Dear Armored Animal Apostle,
Oh, my. You certainly do bring back memories. Primax 304.25-P3 Zeta. In this stream, Nebulos and Beast had a strategic alliance, to repel any Destron incursion. MegaZarak redeveloped Pretender technology as a means to operate on the surface, seeking the Ultra Matrix the Three Wise Ones had hidden somewhere on the planet.
The commando team sent in was, from right to left: the melancholy "brains" of the team, Killjoy; the muscle, the impulsive and clumsy Brouhaha; the indolent thief, Hoodwink; and their leader, the fanatical Fenris. To oppose them, Fortress reverse-engineered this discovery, sending four warriors of his own to stop them. They were, from left to right: Marduk, their reluctant leader; Eos, their cheerful scout; Beowulf, their boastful warrior; and Herne, their imaginative hunter. I am happy to report that, though the Destron Pretenders did succeed in stealing the Ultra Matrix for a time, Marduk and his team were able to defeat the villains. In gratitude, White Leo gave the Ultra Matrix to the Cybertrons, who used it as part of a new body intended to resurrect Convoy. But that is a story for another day.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
From our POV, we call them "animation errors" (Galvatron in a crowd cheering Cyclonus to go rescue him from Thrull, Bruticus appearing alongside the individual Combaticons, etc.). Do these impossible anomalies exist within the universes we're observing (and if so, how?), or are they the results of the viewing lens on our side being warped somehow?
.
.
A: Dear Fracture Finder,
The fabric of space and time is subject to being bent, warped, broken, patched, and repaired. Some universes are particularly prone to this, such as Primax 984.17 Alpha, due to the destruction of Unicron and a Quintesson Time Window left open for far too long. The Decepticon activities on Dinobot Island didn't help much either. Many of those so-called impossibilities are in actuality minor anomalies that soon self-correct, a bot from an earlier or later time or even an entirely different reality slipping in for an instant and returning to their point of origin, with as much consideration paid as to the logic of a dream. The participants are unlikely to notice anything unusual, due to the nature of this phenomenon. Overuse of the Eurythmic Harmony in particular is known to greatly exacerbate temporal anomalies.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I seek to learn more of the Generation 1-looking Spychangers. Can you tell me why Optimus, Jazz, and the others were in these bodies, and what universe they were from?
.
.
A: Dear Go-Bot Go-Getter,
I don't believe I have been asked of Primax 085.0 Eta yet. In this stream, the Autobots achieved a decisive victory over the Decepticons not long after they awoke on Earth, by destroying the Decepticon fortress after tricking them into waging an all-out attack on an uninhabited and strategically unimportant mountain. The Autobots captured the homeless and demoralized Decepticons, and returned to Cybertron in the repaired and refueled Ark. The Decepticons on Cybertron were unprepared for the influx of revitalized Autobots, and the planet was soon in Autobot hands.
For a time, there was peace and harmony. Then, a series of cyberquakes and Devastator storms began. At first few were concerned, but analysis showed that the disasters would increase in frequency and severity until the planet itself was destroyed. It took Perceptor several centivorns to discover the cause. In another universe, one which we shall call Gargent 087.0 Kappa but they called the 22nd Strata, due to quantum string harmonics, a bizarre world was overwriting Cybertron's existence, the one-sided world Moebius. Perceptor devised a means of crossing the dimensional barrier, a Reality Bridge, and sent a Sky Spy through. The images that came back were distorted, indeterminate... but showed native machine/organic life.
Optimus and five of his warriors adapted themselves based on the technical readouts the Sky Spy returned, so that they could move about as natives, undetected. Optimus, of course, would let no other bot place himself in jeopardy without exposing himself as well. Wheeljack was sent, that they might better understand whatever technology they might encounter. Hoist was sent to see that the team continued to function optimally. Jazz was sent, in case sabotage or special operations were required. Prowl was sent, to better understand the overall military and socio-economic picture. And finally, Silverstreak was sent, in case a dedicated warrior was required. They called themselves Spy Changers, hoping to achieve their mission with stealth and diplomacy.
The infiltration was not without incident. Though they were similar to the GoBot race of the Earth of Strata 22, most combatants were known to each other. When the Guardian, Turbo, encountered Optimus and the Spy Changers, he assumed them to be Renegades. A battle ensued. The Spy Changers soon found themselves outnumbered, as Turbo was joined by Ace, Hans-Cuff, Wrong Way, Royal-T, Good Knight, Bolt, and Heat Seeker. Outnumbered, defeat seemed inevitable, until the Renegades caught wind of what was happening. Assuming that any enemies of the Guardians were friends of his, Cy-Kill sent in a force consisting of his elite lieutenants. Cop-Tur, Crasher, Fitor, Tank, and Geeper-Creeper soon turned the tide and drove off the Guardians, though not before they captured Silverstreak.
Cy-Kill took these newcomers back to his ship and attempted to make use of the Spy Changers. He even adopted a heroic persona, once he gleaned Optimus' true disposition. Optimus was no fool, though, and observed the way Cy-Kill interacted with his subordinates. He sent Jazz to discover the truth of the situation, and soon the Renegade alliance with Gog of Moebius came to light. Optimus sent Prowl to make contact with Leader-1, and a secret Guardian / Spy Changer alliance was formed. Silverstreak had already gathered the true disposition of his captors and was beginning to convince Scooter and A.J. of his good intentions, so the Guardians were receptive to Prowl's overtures.
From within the Renegade flagship, the Rogue Star, Wheeljack discovered what was causing the trans-dimensional interference; a series of Renegade bases on Moebius were draining the planet dry. The unique geometry of the world turned it into a crude Dimensional Interfacer, and it was tapping into the alternate reality Cybertron to sustain itself. Hoist was able to break the connection between the Moebius of Strata 22 and the Cybertron of his home universe by remotely activating the self-destruct failsafes of all of the Renegade bases Dr. Braxis had constructed on the planet. Cy-Kill was furious, but in the ensuing battle the combined might of the Spy Changers and Guardians forced him to retreat. Optimus and Leader-1 shook hands, and the Spy Changers returned to their own reality secure in the knowledge that they had friends and allies even in a cosmos so distant from their own.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime, can you show us what the Rogue Star looked like?
- Ask Vector Prime Hmmm... I don't see the harm.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime, did these Cybertronians and GoBots have any further encounters?
- Ask Vector Prime There were several further adventures. At one point, the Renegades tricked most of the Guardians into leaving Earth with a fake attack on Gobotron. They then established an Embargo Field around Earth, keeping the Guardians from interfering with their dastardly schemes. Nick and Tri-Trak, caught behind the field, used the Reality Beacon to summon the Spy Changers for help, explaining what had happened. Wheeljack gave Trailbreaker the upgrade and the two of them came to help. With Trailbreaker's expertise on force fields, they were able to discover the source of the Renegades' field stealthily integrated with the Eiffel Tower. Trailbreaker, Wheeljack, and Tri-Trak confronted Crain Brain and Dr. Go, ultimately defeating them and deactivating the Embargo Field. Renegades around the world were forced to retreat as the Guardians returned en masse.
- Q: What did Trailbreaker's Spy Changer body look like?
- Ask Vector Prime Ah, yes, of course. You don't know him by that name, do you? Something like this:
- Q: While we're talking about GoBots, whatever happened to Malgus 1207.26 Alpha's Stretch?
- Ask Vector Prime Oh, him? He wound up in a primary Gargent Cluster stream. His copy of the Powell Motorworks historical database made him quite important among the GoBots for a time. For decades, anyone of importance adopted a vehicle form from his anachronistic computer system, enabling him to be quite wealthy. However, most GoBots only changed their forms once or perhaps twice, and eventually business dried up. He had a difficult time maintaining his lifestyle and was eventually recruited to the Renegade faction by Loco. His actions resulted in many GoBots adopting 20th century Earth modes long before they came into contact with humanity. Funny, that.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you have a favorite human movie?
.
.
A: Dear Cinematic Commander,
I certainly do admire human creativity when it comes to the arts. I have always found Back to the Future to be rather charming. Eric Stoltz certainly was excellent as the lead.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I'm sorry to hear that you'll be leaving soon. Thanks for taking the time to share your wisdom with us.
My question is, are there any heroes or villains that you wish you had had the chance to tell us about?
.
.
A: Dear Radical Raconteur,
I too am sorry. The candle flickers, the wick burnt low.
There are hordes of heroes with a nobility to make one proud to be alive, and an equally vast number of villains whose treachery and perfidy shock the consciousness. I don't believe you have ever heard of Enoch's last stand against Metatron during the Age of Miracles. Word has yet to reach you of the Creeping Sparks of Hexima, and how they threatened to overwhelm Perihelion and her Mystibots. You know not of the discombobulated heroism of Trainwreck, the over-the-top villainy of Armageddon, the eloquence of Rhetoric Convoy, the cold detached brilliance of Analysis Paralysis, the phantasmal horrors of Voodoo. You've never heard of the friendship between Synchrotron and Atom Crasher, the Autobot and Decepticon who put aside their difference to save an entire galaxy from Negative Space, only for one to be exiled and the other executed for their troubles. Never witnessed Albedo's desperate struggle to keep the Infinite Library from the clutches of Distortion.
And there are some sights best left unseen. Perhaps, for your own sense of self, it would be best that you never encounter the many temptations of Carillon and her notorious gaming pits. I myself hope never to live to see the like again of the reconstituted revenant and her vampiric Omnicon horde. Pray that you never encounter Killswitch, the rogue engineer who toils endlessly at the heart of his plausibility matrix, a quantum computer that some believe has enough power to turn whole universes into mere theoretical possibilities, or worse, render them entirely fictional. Hope that Wallbreaker always has the fortitude to face him down, no matter the cost. Look not upon the terrible glory of the Lawbelcher, whose fiendish proclamations can condemn one to eternity in null-space for even daring to understand the concept of a crime. And seek not the fable of the forbidden love that condemned Heat Death and Genesis to an eternal torment, while creating the foundation for much of what you would consider Newtonian space.
There is so, so much I wish I could tell you. Perhaps some day I shall return to share these stories and more. Perhaps some day you will breach the dimensional barriers and see these stories for yourself.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the whole story of Air Attack Optimus Primal? What the heck does "spirit guide" even mean?
.
.
A: Dear Incorporeal Inquisitor,
The whole story? That might take quite a while. Air Attack Optimus Primal is one of the most important non-singularity beings in the multiverse, a time-faring hero who is surely well-known to you as the Beast Warrior of Primax 496.22 Alpha. But, if you really desire to know the entirety of his tale, post Beast Wars, then let his tale be told!
After the Beast Wars ended, the victorious Maximals left prehistoric Earth, travelling forward in the time to their home, the (from your perspective) future Cybertron. However, while they were passing through the timezone of the early 21st century, their shuttle was struck by temporal interference-waves caused by Binaltech Ravage’s alteration of history, causing it to drift into the Beta stream of the BT World. In this splinter reality, the Maximals were observed by Unicron, who shattered their shuttle with his “Stare of Chaos” and scattered the entire crew, including Megatron, into Transwarp space. The Autobots of BT World attempted to repair the timeline, but such a feat proved beyond them.
Fortunately for history, when the Alternity repaired the timeline and restored the OG World as a timeline discreet from the BT World, they also restored the future of Primax 496.22 Alpha, in which Primal's Maximals had returned to their Cybertron and participated in the Spark War. Unfortunately, this left the “shipwrecked” Primal surplus to requirements, a temporal anomaly without a home—a rare but occasional risk time-travelers sometimes face, as can be observed in the Offworld Zone on Axiom Nexus. Sympathizing with Primal, but recognizing that his existence posed a danger to causality, the Alternity determined to offer him a greater purpose within the Multiverse as a means of atoning for the partial sense of responsibility they harbored over his plight.
Meanwhile, agents of Alternity detected the "shipwrecked" Megatron, who, hurled from the shattered shuttle, had become stranded in the future time period of Viron 102.0 Beta. As was the case with his counterpart in the OG World, this Megatron also schemed to conquer the Viron Cybertron, joining forces with the ruthless Cryotek to better learn about the new world he found himself in. The Alternity shepherded the shipwrecked Optimus Primal, Rhinox, Rattrap, and Silverbolt to this dimension, then activated and directed the Oracle to serve as Primal's guide in the “Allspark Battles” that followed. As the battles progressed, Primal took numerous forms, his final, ultimate configuration equipped with sky-soaring jets, for attacking the towering form that his arch-enemy had taken: “Megahead Megatron”. “Air Attack” Optimus Primal fought with his all power and spirit, and finally triumphed over Megatron and his Vehicon hordes.
In response to Megatron's defeat, Cryotek launched his own stratagem. Like Megatron, he sought mechanical purity, but in a different and much more drastic way. Cryotek believed that Transformers’ sparks were NOT their life essence, but rather symbiotic, leech-like creatures, the Parasites (his thinking no doubt influenced by his own mutated, humanoid-shaped spark). He planned to eliminate all sparks from Transformers’ bodies, replacing them with physical operating systems which he had created, based partially on Megatron's own research into shell programs and spark extraction. Ominously, he had already conducted successful field tests on his own men.
(To digress a moment, from a multiversal viewpoint, Cryotek’s beliefs are not wholly wrong; there are a small number of Transformer races that lack sparks, such as the cyborgs of the Gargent Cluster, and additionally, there do exist many streams where the living sentient Transformers within function with just supremely complicated personality programs and no outside Spark. In fact, there are examples of such beings even with streams where Sparks are the norm; the Dinobots of Primax 984.17 Alpha are an excellent example of such, at least for the first few years of the conflict. Nevertheless, had Cryotek’s plan been successfully executed in this Viron universe, it would mean nothing short of galactic genocide—entire planets would filled with walking, talking corpses.)
Cryotek knew to be cautious in dealing with the ones who had defeated Megatron, and settled on hit and run tactics, using Megatron's Transwarp technology to attack the Autobots sporadically trough time and space with his stealthy Automatic De-Sparkers. Needing allies, he contacted Galvatron—then active on early 21st century Earth—who offered him refuge aboard his ship, the Megastar, in exchange for a body upgrade. Thus, by Cryotek's hand, the Predacon leader became “Megatron Megabolt”.
Meanwhile, hundreds of years in the future, Optimus Primal found the victims of Cryotek’s horrendous experiments and resolved to stop him, no matter the cost. Having already perceived that a greater power was behind the Oracle, Primal demanded it send him after Cryotek; the Alternity revealed their true form to Primal and agreed to his request, if he would join the ranks of their elite agents, the Protectors, in return. Primal accepted the offer and was sent to Earth with a single guide from that time period. To minimize the risk of paradox, Optimus could only assume a corporeal form to engage with Cryotek; against the threat posed by Megabolt Maximus—the fortress under control of Megatron—Primal could only act as a spirit guide. The battle was arduous, but in the end Prime and Primal emerged victorious, with Megatron and Cryotek decisively defeated. And so, Optimus Primal’s eternal missions as a Protector had begun.
Optimus Primal's first mission was to help hunt down the multiversal menace called Hytherion, the Ultimate Kronoform, just one of the many threats he would face during his time as a Protector. At one point, he was dispatched to observe the trial of the ancient inventor Primacron, who the Alternity suspected was responsible for creating the Hytherion. Primal watched as the Galactic Court on the planet Millaath examined the destructive acts Primacron was responsible for, and although it was eventually deduced that the Alternity had been incorrect and that the alien had no involvement with the Hytherion, Primacron was no less a danger to the universe. In the course of his trial, Primacron learned of the existence of universes where robots were created by a supposedly divine entity, and after his exile by Autobots, he explored and researched those realities. Concluding that such a prospect was cosmic madness, he started to menace those universes by an unspeakably terrible method. Multiversal custom and law forbids me from speaking of his invention specifically, but it can cancel dimensional frequencies and delete universes themselves with a relatively low energy cost. Primal and the Protectors detected his experiment and rushed to stop him, but Primacron, tired of having others fight his wars for him, joined the battle personally with another invention, Solduron: the Macro-Avatar, a nigh-invincible armor that even the Protectors were no match for. Optimus Primal was utterly defeated and his physical body totally destroyed, but his experience as a non-corporeal being allowed him to persevere, and his wisdom, amazingly, led Primacron to realize futility of his actions. The brilliant scientist withdrew from Newtonian space for an indeterminate period of time.
Although Primal's body was lost, the Alternity kept him active and even entrusted him with his most important mission yet: to safeguard their own existence. The Alternity enhanced Primal’s Spark for this task, giving it the ability to manipulate chronal energy. Through the Dinobot Island Anomaly, Primal arrived on the BT World in the year 2005, where he fused his Spark with Nemesis Prime’s body and used his new abilities to correct the flow of time, restoring the OG World whilst maintaining the BT World, and thereby ensuring the Alternity would come to be. He remained in BT World as a bodiless Spark, housed within a sustenance crystal, then, during the final battle of the Binaltech War, he fused with the great Optimus Prime himself, and together they defeated evil Nemesis Prime with their combined Spark Powers. After this triumph, Primal regained his physical form within a specialized Binaltech Body, based on a spare Optimus Prime unit with black and white colorations; he strongly resembled his old Maximal self.
Once again made metal, Primal sought guidance from the Alternity, only to find himself isolated and unable to reach them. The Earth of BT World—indeed, the entire solar system—had been trapped within a Quintesson Quadrant Lock. To minimize global panic, Primal informed both his fellow Autobots and humankind what happened. When the Lock was finally broken, over 900,000 years had passed from the perspective of the outside universe, with only a few months having passed inside. This was an era watched over by the Alternity—to my shame, I was unaware of what had transpired here until much much later.
Shortly after, he was tasked by... well, by me... to find some documents. These diagrams were the key to birthing the Alternity's successor. The Planicrons—the cosmic beings of the two-dimensional Cybertron—had reached out into the ether and found me, utilizing my unique biology to inform me without words what was needed for them to Transform and Transcend. Astonishingly, the Timaeus Project—an amazing example of the Power of Industry, the incredible synergy between advanced Cybertronian technology and human inspiration and tenacity—had created exactly what the Planicrons needed, but they lost track due to the Quantum Lock. Primal's keen insight allowed him to help locate the ultimate pinnacle of Human/Cybertronian technology: the blueprint of a Critias Gate. With the critical gate located, Primal left to join the final battle against Megatherion, to give the Planicrons time to pass through the Gate and evolve themselves into higher-dimensional life forms. Primal and his Protectors, and Ex-Alternities, struck down Megatron’s Auto-Avatars, weakening Megatherion enough for the evolved Planicrons to defeat the evil Megatron Aggregate. So it was that the changing of the guard of the multiversal shepherds was accomplished.
Interestingly, in his billion year career as a Protector, Optimus Primal witnessed both the beginning and the end of the Alternity over an extremely short period, from his perspective. He and the Protectors’ fate is still unclear, as the new guardians—nicknamed Flaternity, though they prefer to be called “Alternity II”—are still adapting to their new circumstances. But I have no doubt that Optimus Primal, inter-dimensional champion from the very first, will rise to do his duty.
Humans. Petitioners. Friends. I am afraid that the time I have sensed has come. My brother, Nexus Prime, has sent a call into the Multiverse, a call that I and my brethren must answer without delay. Already it may be too late. The multiverse is imperiled, and we must to our duty. I will always cherish our time together. If possible, when this crisis abates, I will return, but I am filled with a sense of foreboding that things will soon irrevocably change. Remember always that the human spirit is unequaled in the multiverse. As much as you have to learn from us, so too do we Cybertronians have to learn from you. Continue to teach us, continue to live your amazing, wonderful, unique, silly, profound lives. I go.
October 2015
October 29, 2015
ED: Vector Prime! Welcome back. We've certainly missed you.
VP: Thank you. It is a relief to be back.
ED: Tell me, you left under such mysterious circumstances, where did you go? What did you do?
VP: Old friend, I'm afraid I don't remember. Not much, in any event. It was like something out of a dream... it was me and a dozen others, and they were all my brothers and sisters. We had a great quest to fulfill...
ED: That sounds... incredible. I wonder if it ties into the Shrouding.
VP: The... the Shrouding?
ED: Yes. That's what Rook's calling it, anyway. The Multiverse was going dark. It was driving Rhinox crazy, and the leadership didn't know what to make of it.
VP: I think, very likely, they were related. I wonder if, indeed, it was me and my brethren that caused this Shrouding.
ED: Don't let Rook hear you say that, he already thinks you're far more than just the founder of the Minister of Higher Dimensional Sciences.
VP: Now, Chief, remember, Rhinox founded the Minister of Higher Dimensional Sciences. I was but a humble university professor.
ED: Humble nothing. You were his mentor. Many times he's credited you with the theoretical foundation of the Universal Stream classification system.
VP: 'Twas nothing but a mere abstraction before my prize student put it into effect.
ED: Regardless, we were lucky when you retired from academia and dimensional research to join us here at ANN. We've tried to keep your show going, but no one has your unique perspective. It'll be good to have you back.
VP: That is what I wanted to talk to you about, old friend. Rhinox has asked me to come by the Ministry post-haste. Given what you've told me, I suspect it has something to do with the Shrouding. If I'm needed elsewhere, I may be forced to lay down the responsibility of Ask Vector Prime.
ED: But, but you're our top show!
VP: I know it's hard. But times are difficult. Sacrifices must be made. Let me see what the Ministry needs. In the interim, it seems that you have found a capable guest host. Was that difficult?
ED: You don't know the half of it.
VP: I look forward to learning. As long as the forum was never used to promulgate malice, I am confident that you did an admirable job as steward of my legacy.
ED: ...
VP: Now, the time has come for me to take my leave of you.
ED: I understand. Do what you need to.
November 2015
November 1, 2015
VP: Chief, I have bad news for you.
ED: You're not returning to Ask Vector Prime?
VP: Sadly, no. We're starting to discover areas of the Shroud where the anti-harmonic dampening is thinner than elsewhere, but the Multiverse remains largely obscured to us. Where once we had an empire, with probes reporting from the most distant clusters and outposts orbiting the nearest, now we have but whispers and rumors. Rhinox is proposing we create a Large Pulsar Array in the vicinity of Protos, to create a Hyperwave dimensional-oscillation generator. It's quite an ambitious plan, cyberforming entire star systems into listening arrays. Megatron, meanwhile, just wants to... brute force his way into other dimensions. If that's even possible. In the interim, Rhinox and I have identified nine "pillar" realities, streams with an unusually high number of branch points and an overwhelming number of quantum echoes.
ED: So few?
VP: Oh, there are no doubt others, but these nine are, in many senses, foundational. Malgus 1207.26 Alpha, Primax 984.0 Gamma, Viron 901.8 Alpha, Primax 1005.19 Gamma, Aurex 802.23 Alpha, Primax 496.22 Alpha, Tyran 707.04 Delta, Primax 984.17 Alpha, and Uniend 911.05 Alpha.
ED: Interesting. And what is actionable about this?
VP: This is off the record, you understand.
ED: Of course.
VP: Starscream and Optimus Prime have proposed a compromise solution between the plans of Rhinox and of Megatron. While we undertake feasibility studies for both Rhinox's massive civil engineering programs and Megatron's aggressive expansion tactics, we've located the 9 locations in the galaxy where the walls of reality are thinnest, where with the proper equipment we can "listen in" on each of these realities. Some locations are accessible, others... less so. The intelligence Rhinox is able to observe from here is too scanty to be of much value. With dedicated agents in key positions, we can be sure we understand the broad parameters of each key universe.
ED: And you're needed to listen in?
VP: Correct. According to my last medi-scan, I have the latent potential for trans-reality scanning in a way that fewer than one in a thousand possess.
ED: You're a point one percenter?
VP: So it would seem. I was as surprised as anyone. I'm twenty-five million stellar cycles old, not exactly a spring Pidgeonoid. But my unusual, some might say "singular" cyber-biology makes me one of the few qualified for this mission, and my experience with both organics and with trans-dimensional physics makes me uniquely qualified for the most difficult of assignments.
ED: Which is? Where are they sending you?
VP: Nebulos.
ED: Yeeeeeesh. Not a very friendly place for our kind after those so-called "colonists" from the Aurex Cluster paid them a visit.
VP: Indeed not, but the walls between here and Primax 984.0 Gamma are thinnest there. I'll be able to monitor the state of things there and report back.
ED: What's your cover?
VP: I'm going to be going in as a factory, just outside of Folassburg. I'll be on a small mountain overlooking a lush green forest, manufacturing recreational and industrial hoverboards.
ED: That sounds... idyllic, actually.
VP: Indeed. We've already made contact with a native who will help me integrate. He's going to be undergoing a hybrid Targetmaster / Powermaster process to binary bond with me, which should allow me to refuel in their tainted atmosphere well as prolonging his lifespan by several centuries.
ED: Centuries. Ha. One forgets how briefly organic individuals are with us. What's his name?
VP: His codename is "Safeguard." I look forward to getting to know him. And I'm dusting off my holomatter generator, I'll be able to wander about the planet, looking like a native whenever I choose. After spending so long observing the Cybertrons and Earths of the Multiverse, it might be nice to get to really know a planet. Their capital, Koraja, is supposed to be a wonder of architecture and culture.
ED: You won't be lonely without Cybertronian companionship?
VP: I won't be entirely bereft of contact with my own kind. Megatron is insisting on bodyguards for each of us in hostile territory.
ED: Have you met yours yet?
VP: Not yet. My understanding is they're fitting her with a chronometer alternate mode, so that I can wear her about my holo-avatar's wrist without attracting attention.
ED: Clever.
VP: Yes. I just hope I get along with this... Scorpia.
ED: Everyone likes you, old timer.
VP: Tell that to Rook.
ED: Almost everyone. So that's it? When do you leave?
VP: Soon, old friend. I should arrive within two orbital cycles.
ED: That long?
VP: So much of our technology relies here in Axiom Nexus relies on crossing dimensional barriers. There are rumors that Shockwave is undertaking aggressive recruitment among the Offworlders with knowledge of space bridges, simple transwarp engines, and other such mundane technologies. We'll be behind the curve for quite some time, now that we've lost our Multiversal edge.
ED: Any possibility I could convince you to take one last look at the queue? We just lost our latest guest columnist.
VP: Well... hmmm... I'm not sure how much time I'll have while I prepare for the journey to Nebulos, or once I arrive. It's important I continue to monitor the state of 984.0. But it is just possible I may be able to answer the occasional question. Perhaps... perhaps you should leave me a bit of airtime.
ED: ANYTHING. Ahem. I mean, for anything for an old friend.
VP: An old friend who tops your ratings chart?
ED: Doesn't hurt.
VP: Take care, my friend. Be of good cheer, and be sure that your quest for ratings never interferes with your quest for the truth. 'Tis a valuable service you provide.
ED: And you, watch yourself.
VP: Always. Fare well.
I have returned from my travels. The Multiverse is safer than it was, but less open. I must do my duty as a Transcendent Technomorph and travel to a hostile planet incognito, that I may do my part in monitoring a key reality.
Though my time will be limited as I prepare for the voyage to Nebulos, I shall endeavor to continue to answer your questions. Be aware that, though I have hazy recollections of being something greater than I now am, they are but oneiric wisps, gossamer threads that vanish when I touch them.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Welcome back! We've certainly missed you!
Now that you and your kin are no longer Multiversal Singularities, do you find yourself now aligned to a particular universal stream?
.
.
A: Dear Familiar Friend,
It is certainly good to be back. I've missed my home here at Axiom Nexus.
I am not sure I am understanding your question correctly. Do you refer to the dreams of my exploits in other realities? I believe those happened to other Vector Primes; I am not entirely certain why I should be able to share in their experiences thusly. Perhaps it relates to the unusual characteristics of my physiology recently discovered by Rhinox.
The stream I am most closely aligned with is, naturally, Nexus 208.0 Epsilon. It is, after all, where I was protoformed. Though I have occasionally traveled to other realities, inevitable as a scholar of such things, the bulk of my 25 million stellar cycles has been spent here, and well spent at that.
- Q: 25 million? Wow, your lifespan has shortened quite a bit.
- Ask Vector Prime On the contrary, 25 million would place me as one of the oldest Cybertronians still active in this or any other reality.
- Q: Well, you were 9 BILLION earth years old before the separation of multiversal singularities.
- Ask Vector Prime Nine billion? Ha! Such numbers boggle the imagination.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you have an explanation, or at least an educated guess, as to why the number of known Primax streams is so disproportionately large compared to other clusters?
.
.
A: Dear Reality Registrant,
I believe the hint lies in the name Rhinox and I settled on. The profound proliferation of Primax planes points persuasively to its proximal primacy in times past, present, and prospective. That is to say, the Multiverse most likely began in a Primax ocean, streams spreading forth, multiplying and mutating. But I have no direct evidence to support such a claim, merely an intuition.
November 2, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you happen to know what universal streams the guest columnists that temporarily hosted your column came from?
.
.
A: Dear Aurelian Amateur,
I do not. And while I could no doubt research such things, perhaps even getting such data from ANN's head of Robot Resources, I am beginning to find such questions profoundly uninteresting. Would knowing the precise, specific plane of their origination give you more insight into them than their own words? My time is limited; I would not fritter it away thusly.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is the Shroud only temporary, or is there a greater meaning behind it?
.
.
A: Dear Darkness Devotee,
Even I cannot foresee the future, though whatever malady has inflicted the multiverse, I do not believe it shall pass easily or without struggle. Nor, perhaps, would it be advisable to seek to do so. Perhaps a greater isolation between realities will be, ultimately, for the best.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What are the limits of Dux Non Intruitus? We know that no Optimuses, Megatrons, Rodimuses, Starscreams, etc. are allowed - what about those who only briefly held power in certain streams, like Ratbat, Soundwave, or Cheetor? Theoretically, could a sufficiently immature Cheetor be allowed in, while a more mature version would be denied access?
.
.
A: Dear Commander Critic,
I am no judicial bot; nor am I a customs official. My understanding is that boundary cases are decided on a case-by-case basis. So, indeed, it may be possible for a Cheetor from one point in his personal development to be allowed entry, and another refused.
Of course, the Shroud immensely complicates the fair application of this principle, now that expediting their return is no longer feasible. Perhaps it is fortunate then that we no longer have the capability to grab travelers stranded in the choppy waters of the multiversal sea, nor do such reality orphans seem to be nearly as common.
November 3, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does the Shroud have an effect on the past of the multiverse, and if so is this why many of the characters in stories we here in Quadwal enjoy seem to already have been altered from a singularity state?
.
.
A: Dear Singularity Scholar,
You are thinking in too linear a fashion. Indeed, certain oddities you have observed may well be due to the uneven distribution of the Shroud across the fourth dimensional axis. That is to say, it may have reached certain realities millions or billions of years in the past, and may not reach others for similarly incomprehensible lengths of time. Indeed, for all we know, there may be parts of the Multiverse it will NEVER reach, and others where the entire span of its history is Shrouded.
Editor: Vector Prime, I have some good news for you.
Vector Prime: Such news would be most welcome, old friend.
Editor: Spacewarp, our second-highest rated guest host, has agreed to share tales of her exploration of the galaxy, checking in with Axiom Nexus from time to time. It should also help our stellar cartographers keep an updated sense as to what's going on in our backyards.
https://www.facebook.com/Spacewarps-Log-441121209412754/
Vector Prime: That certainly is welcome news. You said she was our... second highest rated host? You couldn't get the first?
Editor: Him? Noooooo. We wouldn't have wanted to if we could, he used his platform as a tool to spread messages of hate and violence.
Vector Prime: Ah, I see. Another Sideways.
Editor: Not entirely dissimilar, no. He even converted into a motorcycle.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
We heard you used to be Rhinox's university prof - which of your students do you remember most fondly?
.
.
A: Dear Academia Archivist,
Oh, my, those were pleasant times. Rhinox was undoubtedly my protege. I pushed him to live up to his full potential, and he challenged me to get out of the ivory tower and into the field. Other students I have warm memories of include Perceptor, Apelinq, Proxima, and Brainstorm. Each went on to accomplish important work, though in fields other than multi-phase dimensional theory.
Of course, not all of my memories are pleasant. Shockwave, too, challenged me, pushing me to excel and finding the theoretical limits of my suppositions. We did not get along as well, though. I always had my doubts about his integrity, him about my dedication. I found Deluge and Herr Fiend to be similarly frustrating students; brilliant enough to be memorable, but I was never convinced they would use their gifts in a way that would benefit Axiom Nexus.
- Q: Is this Herr Fiend a Trans Tech or an Offworlder?
- Ask Vector Prime Seldom is an Offworlder invited into the Upper City, and the Academy of Science and Technology, where I taught, was especially selective in who they admitted.
November 4, 2015
Q: HOLLY FRICKEN MIND BLOWN!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOUR BACK?!?!? >_< SOOOOOO HAPPY *FAN GIRL SCREAM* <3 <3 <3 I HAVE SOOOOO MANY QUESTIONS I WANTED TO ASK OF YOU!!!! First off, What's up? That's it...that all for now. =P
.
.
A: Dear Excited Angel,
I am very pleased my return has given you such cause for excitement and celebration.
As for what is "up", if I am interperting the question correctly, preparations for my journey to Nebulos. I must undergo the Powermaster conversion process in preparation for binary bonding with "Safeguard", that I may safely ingest native power sources. There are certain mecano-immunization patches I must upload to my anti-virus suite. I am being given an upload of Nebulonian culture, history, and language, that I may better blend in. It is quite a busy time for me.
- Q: Could you Tell us more about the target/powermaster combination? How does it work? I was under the impression that Powermasters could only be engines.
- Ask Vector Prime I am not an expert in such matters. My understanding is that Safeguard will be able to convert to a Nebulonian mini-fighter, one which I can wield as a rifle or which can attach to my back and integrate with my fuel systems to allow me to safely process native energy sources.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who are the TransTech dispatched to other 8 observation places?
.
.
A: Dear Observation Augurer,
I am afraid such information is classified. I am not even allowed to in good conscience confirm or deny that I myself possess such knowledge. Indeed, my own journey is a secret in this realm, and I beg of you to keep it thus.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How does the Shroud affect other multiversal guardians like the Flaternity and Cloud World Autobots?
.
.
A: Dear Protector Pupil,
I know not how, or indeed even if, the Shroud impacts these beings. I hope they are able to continue their missions unfettered.
November 5, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us about any encounters you have had with Mini-Cons in Axiom Nexus?
.
.
A: Dear Minute Maverick,
I attempt to treat all I encounter with respect and dignity, regardless of their size, alternate configuration or configurations, or even species. I do my best to judge based only on the philosophies they espouse and the attitudes they evidence.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1519389471708528&id=1419639905016819
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is Primax Hi-Q and Ginrai the same being?
.
.
A: Dear Powermaster Priest,
A small amount of research reveals to me that Hi-Q and Ginrai seem to be very different individuals, although they sometimes wear similar armor.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us more about the multi-dimensional Celestials to whom Artemis and Moon are employed?
.
.
A: Dear Seraph Seekers,
Oh, now, those are an interesting bunch. I stumbled across reference to them while doing research on <static> <static> --um under the <static> <static> <Static> --ca-- <static> --hous-- <static> <static>
CY-KILL: Quit bunging around! I need--
DR. GO: Cy-Kill, you are on ze air!
CY-KILL: I-- ahem. GREETINGS, Multiverse! Using technologies developed by that technomorphic twerp Shockwave, naturally improved on by Renegade ingenuity, I have decided to return to your lives. "Ask Vec-Tor" has proven to be a potent recruiting tool, and I am not so foolish as to give up such an advantage.
CY-KILL: Rest assured that Renegade Rhetoric is here to stay, and shall be pirating the ANN broadcasts when those Cybertronian cretins least expect it. Mwah ha ha ha ha!
<static> <static>--br--<static> <static> -markable, really, for <static> <static> <static> with only a reticulated sprotchet and a Matrix of Purification! Quite impressive, I must say.
https://www.facebook.com/Renegade-Rhetoric-959112720811889/
November 6, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
can you tell us anything about incumbent High Chancellor Optimus Prime's predecessor Sentinel Prime?
.
.
A: Dear Authority Augurer,
Ah, the tragedy of Sentinel Prime. I remember him well. He was tall, handsome, intelligent, and well spoken. More importantly, he cared about each and every spark, or certainly seemed to. He was elected to high office and was proved both popular and effective. Eventually, though, after he left office, he expressed concern that he was not doing all he could to help our species evolve to the next level. Wary of asking others to risk themselves after his earlier brush with the ethics of scientific experimentation, he began a series of cutting-edge procedures designed to bridge the gulf between our physical robot bodies and our energy-being sparks. During the last of his experiments, he disappeared, leaving behind a smoldering body. Oddly, the autopsy concluded there was no carbon scoring in his laser core. No one really knows if he was killed or if he was successful and is now roaming some other reality imperceptible even to us in our heyday.
- Q: Wasn't Sentinel working with the Liege Maximo?
- Ask Vector Prime Sentinel Prime had secretly diverted funding to my brother's experiments, yes. It was something of a scandal, and caused him to resign rather than face impeachment. At the time, I had the sense that he did not realize the full scale of the horrors the Liege Maximo was playing with. I believe his experiments into our nature were his way of atoning.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
The other Vector Prime brought up some Autobots and Decepticons we know nothing about such as Wallbreaker, Heat Death, Enoch, Trainwreck, Synchrotron, Albedo and Rhetoric Convoy to name a few. Could you please fill us in on such noble and evil beings as these ones Vector Prime?
.
.
A: Dear Mythical Monitor,
The "other" Vector Prime? Which one might you have been speaking too, hmmm? Perhaps this old bot should feel jealous. Ha!
Some of the names you speak of are the stuff of legends. Others, incredibly obscure. But you have stumbled upon a bit of luck. During the conversion to give me a factory configuration, I had much time for silent meditation. I was visited by a host of visions, among them Wallbreaker.
Wallbreaker was a rōnin, a lone Cybertron in the days of yore, wand'ring beyond the confines of the galaxy. He was originally a Nebulon, but was among a handful of Nebulons that had found mystical Godmaster bracelets and bonded with Cybertronian Transtectors. At the apex of this war, called the Masterforce conflict, the original Wallbreaker and his Transtector were separated, the Transtector granted a spark based on the Jinchōkon of his organic operator. The organic Wallbreaker remained behind, and eventually became a great leader and protector of his planet. His name would be remembered for tens of thousands of years, which among short-lived organics is no mean feat. The Transtector Wallbreaker continued to battle the Destrons with the rest of the Cybertrons.
Millions of years passed, and the other Transtectors granted life expired or took other callings. Eventually Wallbreaker found himself alone, wandering the fringes beyond his local galaxy. Imagine his surprise to discover that the entirety of the Horologium dwarf galaxy had been co-opted, turned into one enormous computer. Such a magnificent accomplishment might have warmed his spark, but his instincts told him that there was something ominous, something too perfect about the clockwork workings of the stars and pulsars and nebula and planets and singularities. He made a fateful decision, to make his way to the heart of the galaxy, soon encountering endless hordes of Shadowhawk drones between him and his destination. The sight of the Destron symbol made him more determined than ever to uncover the mystery of Horologium, and he redoubled his effort, calling on his millions of years of battle experience.
At the center of the satellite galaxy was an enormous singularity, and orbiting the singularity a cyberformed planet teeming with Terrorcons. Weary with the effort of battling an entire galaxy of drones, Wallbreaker succumbed to fatigue and was overwhelmed by the Chromehorn, Dinobot, and Command Jaguars that greeted him. He blacked out.
He came to, surprised to be still functional, fully fueled and seated at a banquet table across from a handsome Destron of an undeniably cultured background. The architecture, music, furnishings, and artwork were sublime. The site was so unexpected that he quelled his first instinct, to engage in combat, and decided to hear out this strange Cybertronian so far from home. Killswitch, as he learned the Destron called himself, had abandoned the war long before, and sought solitude to indulge in his experimentation. He valued beauty and order in all things, and forsaken the galaxy that forged him to find them. The Horologium galaxy was the ultimate apex of his work, an enormous plausibility matrix designed to be able to calculate every permutation of every particle in the entire Milky Way galaxy, from the beginning of time until the end.
Wallbreaker was, of course, duly impressed. Though no scientist, he had enough of an understanding of computing and quantum physics to realize what an impressive feat this was. He was about to congratulate Killswitch, despite his misgivings, when the Destron's eyes flashed. "And," he said, "having calculated these probabilities, I can eliminate those I don't like." Wallbreaker's mind spun. What is reality, after all, but an enormous quantum wave event. And to eliminate a possibility meant...
"That's right," the Destron's aristocratic voice rang, "I am speaking of pruning the over-full bush of realities themselves."
Wallbreaker was out of his chair in an instant. "You can't," he hollered, "you'll kill uncountable quintillions."
Killswitch gave a small chuckle. "Your numbers are conservative by many orders of magnitude. But I won't be killing them, merely preventing certain outcomes which include their existence."
"You're mad!"
This invective caused the Destron's veneer to crack for the first time. It was evident he had heard this charge levied before, and had little use for it. "Mad? I hoped a fellow Cybertronian, one with the courage and intelligence you evidenced to arrive on Existimus despite the token obstacles placed in your path might appreciate my grand design. But I see you're as blind as the rest."
What happened next was an enormous battle, spanning the entirety of the artificial world of Existimus. I know not of the outcome, for my visions drifted to other matters at this point, but let us have faith that Wallbreaker prevailed over his adversary. If not, every existence, yours, mine, and those of the stories and tales you have watched and read, could be snuffed in an instant at the whim of a madman.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the identity of the Axiom Nexus News Editor?
.
.
A: Dear Newsbot Narcissist,
We usually call him "chief."
November 7, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Cy-Kill, one of the hosts who temporarily took over your column in your absence, mentioned that in Axiom Nexus he recruited former Decepticons Clutch and Warpath into the Renegade cause. He also recruited the Predacons who combine into Monstrous. From what Universe did these former Decepticons and Predacons hail from originally before they ended up in Axiom Nexus?
.
.
A: Dear Guest Host Gumshoe,
I know not of Clutch and Warpath, and am disinclined to do the necessary research to discover the solution. I did notice this symbol on one of the beasts--South Claw, perhaps?--in news footage of the attack, which suggests to me an origin from somewhere in the Uniend Cluster. It appeared to have been hastily painted over; Cy-Kill seems to have little use for such symbology.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are Dinoking and Monstructor the same being?
.
.
A: Dear Combiner Chief,
Unless I am somehow mistaken, you have just answered your own question.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What are the names of the Paradron medics?
.
.
A: Dear Medical Maven,
What, all of them? There must be hundreds of thousands of medics from the various Paradrons that exist throughout time and space.
November 8, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What universe is Knights of Unicron?
.
.
A: Dear Musical Major,
The Knights of Unicron are a group of performers, not a universe.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Is there any relationship between Gargent 984.08 Alpha and Gargent 1084.29 Alpha?
.
.
A: Dear Reality Regent,
I happen to have spent a great deal of time recently looking over 1084.29, as Megatron has two soldiers stationed in orbit around the universe. I am less familiar with the other reality. We cannot observe either one at present, but our records indicate a high degree of similarity, less than a 1 on the Turtler D.O.V.E. (Divergent Observable Valuation Exponents) scale. Perhaps a few names differ. Oh, and there was a curious instability on the axial tilt of 984.08. They might want to get that addressed.
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever visited another Nexus universal stream or had visitors from a different Nexus universe in Axiom Nexus?
.
.
A: Dear Homebase Hound,
I have never visited another Nexus stream to the best of my recollection, though I do have hazy memories of them for some reason.
Nexus Cluster visitors are rare, given how infrequently Nexus streams occur and how low-tech they tend to be. Nexus residents simply don't tend to get up to the sort of activities that hurtle them into the dimensional void as often as residents of other clusters.
November 9, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you still have Rhisling?
.
.
A: Dear Sword Student,
Why, yes, though I have not called it that in a long, long time. I fervently hope I do not need it on my impending journey.
The time has come to depart Axiom Nexus. On the journey I shall have more time for research, but the realities of interstellar tachyon transmissions are such that I will not be able to address you as frequently. Please wish me luck as I begin the long haul to Nebulos.
I would especially like to thank the Offworlder, Galaxy Shuttle, for agreeing to be disguised as an Andegean interstellar transport, the Orion. As our best records indicate Andegea was a historic trading partner of Nebulos, until their war with Kalkar, we hope the disguise will allow us to get within range of a... what was it? Oh, yes, "orbital bounce," a bit of tech we picked up from an Offworlder via Swindle, Swindle, and Swindle. They've certainly made out well under the Shroud.
Wish me good fortune on my voyage. I shall check in as I can, and once I arrive at my new home.
November 11, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you still remember anything about Nightprowler and the Combatibots? I'd really like to hear about their adventures, particularly how they came to form Toxitron and how they came to be imprisoned.
.
.
A: Dear Champion Criminologist,
Remember? Sadly, no. But this voyage promises to be long, and Axiom Nexus has extensive databanks. In some universes, the Combatibots were a sub-group of Autobots with beast modes, designed to operate behind enemy lines and disrupt Decepticon infrastructure before blending back into the night. Sadly, if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee. They were often fated to go too far, forsaking the moral code of the Autobots and adopting the ruthless disregard for life they were nominally fighting against. It was often their fate to be tried for their crimes and locked away.
November 12, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Welcome back! We missed you a lot, and I hope have safe travels to Nebulos!
Moving on to the question at hand: Why do some Transformers change size when they change into their alt modes? The ones most notable to me are gun Megatron, tape deck Soundwave and motorcycle Arcee.
.
.
A: Dear Size Sympathizer,
I thank you for your well-wishes. I, too, hope the journey to Nebulos is safe and without incident. For a Cybertron that turned its eye outward for multiversal exploration for so long, it is shocking how little we know of our own local galaxy.
My species can sometimes change size to allow for a greater variety of alternate modes. In fact, the ship I am comfortably riding in, the Orion, can transform to a Cybertronian not much larger than myself. We utilize mass-shifting to do so, which is why when Megatron becomes a human-sized weapon he does not weigh dozens of tons.
November 13, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Did you hear that Nightbird can transform in a Universe?
.
.
A: Dear Ninja Novice,
I had not. How exciting!
November 15, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
You have watched many universes from the safety of Axiom Nexus, correct? And often times important events happen on my home planet, Earth. During your observations, have you ever discovered human music that you especially enjoyed?
.
.
A: Dear Song Seeker,
Your species certainly knows its way around a catchy tune. It sometimes reminds me of the nefarious Predacon Earworm and his hypnotic prowess. But I digress. Yes, I have many times enjoyed a human ditty. One even prompted me to attempt to dance along. I probably looked quite ridiculous, taking a jump to the left, and then a step to the right, putting my hands on my hips, bending my knees in tight, and so on.
- Q: Earworm??? This is the first I've heard of him. What's his beast mode and universe of origin?
- Ask Vector Prime Glycera dibranchiata I believe. He was active in several offshoots of Primax 496.22 Alpha.
November 16, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does the Dead Universe have its own universal classification or is it treated as a part of whatever universe it's connected to?
.
.
A: Dear Macabre Missionary,
Many realities have their own "pocket universes", often with unusual properties, which do not warrant their own reality stream designations.
November 18, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you know the name of the Red waitress Transformer? Because I overheard her say she thinks you look cute. Just saying, you could be in with a chance there.
.
.
A: Dear Maverick Matchmaker,
These well-worn struts are a bit old to be contemplating a romantic tryst. Although, here on the ship... no, no, that's silly. I'm probably just imagining things.
November 19, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is the name of Tyran Bobbie Bolivia's mother?
.
.
A: Dear Matrilineal Minor,
My first instinct upon reading this question was a question of my own: "Bobbie Bolivia?" However, you did narrow it by cluster and, assuming that you are interested in early 21st century Earth, the surname does not appear to be common. Indeed, across the foundational reality of Tyran 707.04 Delta, our limited records on the US Census Bureau 2010 report indicated that no one used it as a surname.
I was tempted to give up, but then I realized that there might be another way. I cross-referenced our Autopedia archive from a Tyran/Primax stream running several centuries ahead of the norm and indeed located a "Bobby Bolivia" who had a brief interaction with Bumblebee. Assuming that this is the individual you were interested in, the challenge then became discovering the name of his mother. She was not in any database that we currently had access to, which limited our ability to ascertain her identity.
Then I had the rather clever idea of checking if there were any Tyran Bumblebees in Axiom Nexus who had a holographic scan of his establishment, the improbably named "Bolivia's Finest Quality Used Cars and Petting Zoo." Here we struck energon. Indeed, there was such a being. Going through his records, we found a scan that reached out far enough to encompass the cell phone address book of Mr. Bolivia.
At last, I thought, I have answered your question! Unfortunately, he had her listed simply as "mammy." In consternation, I wondered if my quest had ended in failure. However, his scan, at the fringe of its range, caught several other phones. One of them had the same number listed as a contact, but with a name instead of a relationship. It was this cross-reference that allows me to finally reveal that her given name seems to be--
GALAXY SHUTTLE: Hey, buckle in back there, we've got a craft on approach vector.
SCORPIA: What kind of craft?
GALAXY SHUTTLE: Unknown, but they're accelerating towards an intercept point.
VECTOR PRIME: Open the hanger, I shall convert to my sloop mode and provide backup.
SCORPIA: Negative. Our first priority has to be keeping you safe.
GALAXY SHUTTLE: We're being targeted by something... they're firing!
SCORPIA: Evasive maneuvers!
GALAXY SHUTTLE: Ya think?
VECTOR PRIME: I must--
SCORPIA: Absolutely not!
GALAXY SHUTTLE: They've got me in some kind of gravity beam!
VECTOR PRIME: Look, that hatch is opening. What manner of being...
GALAXY SHUTTLE: It's coming right for us!
SCORPIA: Get behind me!
GALAXY SHUTTLE: Gaaaaaa
VECTOR PRIME: It's tearing right through him!
SCORPIA: STAY BACK!
<static>
November 23, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us anything more about your student Apelinq?
.
.
A: Dear Academia Acolyte,
First of all, allow me to apologize for my tardiness in answering questions. I have been a bit busy recently, having been waylaid by a rather overenthusiastic youth intent on helping his progenitor. Currently I am enjoying an extended respite from my journey with a fellow traveler, a kindred spark with much curiosity, and much knowledge to share. I expect my voyage to resume in the next few solar cycles.
As to your question, Apelinq had a fierce intelligence to him, and enjoyed verbal sparring. Actually, he was known for his physical sparring as well, and could often be found in one of our dojos or gymnasiums. He eventually became one of our top specialists in multiversal computer sciences. One doesn't think of it, but even very similar universes can have highly divergent data architecture, and Apelinq helped develop our systems' ability to dynamically interface with almost any of them. I am rather proud of all he has accomplished, and the unusual and tangential directions he has taken some of my teachings.
November 25, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
The Alternity and the Autobots of Cloud World use different terminology to the TransTech to refer to universal streams; for instance, Primax 785.06 Alpha is OG World, and Aurex 103.10 Alpha is MD World. Do you know of the designations that they use for any other prominent universal streams; perhaps some of the foundational realities Rhinox identified?
.
.
A: Dear Terminology Teacher,
It has been some time since I have consulted with my colleagues from Cloud World. I do remember hearing some of their names, now that you mention it. Malgus 1207.26 Alpha they called TH World. I believe that may have stood for "Team Hero." Primax 1005.19 Gamma was referred to as Crest World several times. I am unsure as to the etymology of that designation. Uniend 911.05 Alpha was called AM World in my presence. "Arms Micron," perhaps?
While not as precise as the designations Rhinox and I came up with, they do have a certain verve I find appealing. After all, which is more interesting? Saying I am traveling to Nebulos to monitor Primax 984.0 Gamma, or that I must keep tabs on the Excelverse?
November 27, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I'm curious to know if in the Viron Cluster, do the Decepticons/Predacons have their own City-bot? It seems sort of unfair that the Autobots have their own City-bot in the form of Fortress/Brave Maximus while the Decepticons/Predacons don't.
.
.
A: Dear Metropolis Minion,
Fortress Maximus did not belong to the Autobots, but to all of the people of Earth.
November 28, 2015
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10153551934609902&id=584094901
November 29, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever encountered Stentarians?
.
.
A: Dear War-Torn Warden,
I have, once. It was perhaps fifteen million stellar cycles ago. Imperius Argus was an impressive figure despite his short stature. He was honest about his position of authority among the Terradores and was thus expeditiously returned to his home reality. I hope he did well in his quest, for he seemed a noble Spark.
November 30, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does High Commander Megatron have a dedicated right-hand 'bot?
.
.
A: Dear Chain-of-Command Conqueror,
I believe he looks to Shockwave as a trusted advisor and counselor. Brigadier General Straxus is officially second in command of the Axiom Nexus military forces.
December 2015
December 3, 2015
The modifications to Galaxy Shuttle are complete. I have enjoyed my time here in the Frellus system, and have even nipped over to Frellus IV with Scorpia for a bit of relaxation. Dren'strm has proved a lively and insightful companion, and quite the raconteur when he puts his mind to it.
Now, Galaxy Shuttle, Scorpia, and I shall resume our journey to Nebulos. Hopefully it will be somewhat less... eventful... going forward.
December 6, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Seriously, what does a guy have to do to get a question answered? Are the people who are getting responses sending the same question in a dozen times or something?
.
.
A: Dear Frustrated Friend,
If I see similar questions from multiple different people, that does help me to know that there is great interest around a topic. A question that I do not know the answer to, on the other hand, I am more likely to skip than to spend my limited time informing you that I am unable to provide the answer you seek.
If you submit a question and I am able to answer, I shall do my best to eventually get to it. I have had many thousands of questions, though, so I counsel patience.
December 7, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What's your current favorite TV show from Earth? What character do you most identify with? Which science-fiction show (if you watch them) do you think is most realistic? Are there any shows that were cancelled that you wish they would bring back? If so, could you go back in time an make them not get canceled in the first place?
.
.
A: Dear Couch Potato Champion,
Of shows currently on the air, I am rather enjoying Doctor Who, though they get time travel all wrong. I think I rather saw quite a bit of myself in Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap. The show Sliders had a rather sharp take on the Multiverse.
As for cancelled shows, the comedy stylings of Mystery Science Theater 3000 always made me laugh. In fact, I discovered it thanks to Transformers' own MSTF tradition. (Though I do wish they had done some Unicron Trilogy episodes.) While I would never be so irresponsible as to break or even bend causality to save any television or holovision show, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that, for readers of mine in the early 21st century, they can contribute to the revival of the show with a crowd sourcing campaign.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mst3k/bringbackmst3k
(Of course, to my late 23rd century readers, you probably already know how all of that turned out, so please, no spoilers in the comments. And to my mid 38st century readers, RUN! RUN NOW! YOU HAVE LESS TIME THAN YOU THINK!)
December 9, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How durable is a TransTech's armor. Or any Transformer from Primax Cluster?
.
.
A: Dear Protection Principal,
Armor strength varies considerably from individual to individual, faction to faction, era to era, reality to reality. There is simply no comparison between, say, the armor density of the Fortress Maximus of Primax 988.0 Delta and the armor density of DNAVI in Primax 498.1 Alpha.
December 10, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you know anything about S.H.I.E.L.D.?
.
.
A: Dear Spy-fi Student,
I would consider Season 5 to be the strongest, though I know I am in the minority about that.
December 11, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
On the off chance that you're still taking questions: could you tell us what, exactly, a "Dudicus" is?
.
.
A: Dear Informal Inquisitor,
Not all that different than a "brotron".
December 13, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I was hoping you could share with us some more information about a neighborhood in the Offworlder Zone: Seeker-Shinai. We got a brief glimpse of that place during the coverage of the Waruder invasion, but I'd like to know more. Is it a sketchy place, considering most Seekers are Decepticons? What made the Seekers sequester themselves from other Offworlders? Do the residents all have the "Classic" Seeker body-type, or are other types of Seekers welcome there as well? Thank you, as always, for your time.
.
.
A: Dear Jet Jostler,
From what I'm to understand, the Seekers--or Skyraiders, depending on their universe of origin--are often held as an elite form of Decepticon warrior. As such, they tend to gravitate together, away from the "less refined" Decepticons, as some of the Seekers would phrase it.
As far as Seeker-Shinai being a particularly "sketchy" place, I would not describe it with that word. No, there are equal amounts of variety in their characters as there are in other Offworlder territories. Several of the Thundercrackers are very amiable indeed, while the Dirges and Ramjets are as cruel as always.
There is also a substratum within Seeker-Shinai that should be observed. As a common trait among Seekers is a shared body type, you often find the inhabitants naturally separating into groups of similar appearances. So while one area of the city may be populated by "Classic" body types, as you put it, you might find another section of the city housing Uniend-style Seekers and a third being occupied by Aurex-style upgrades.
December 14, 2015
Q: Hey Vector Prime, good to have you back. =D How are you getting on with Safeguard and Scorpia?
.
.
A: Dear Considerate Coach,
I have not yet met Safeguard "in the flesh", though I look forward to doing so. From what correspondence I've had with him, he seems an introspective and thoughtful being.
Scorpia and I have bonded, over the shared danger we experienced at the hands of Dren'ead and the minutia of a long and occasionally taxing voyage. Somehow, she manages to make me experience a kind of mirth I haven't felt in millions of years.
In fact, we are soon to stop soon for supplies, and to give Galaxy Shuttle's engines a break. We are torn between Lovetopia and the Rigel System. Any suggestions?
December 16, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Have you ever attended a Festival of Lost Light before? What was it like?
.
.
A: Dear Deacon of the Deceased,
It is a beautiful and solemn occasion, filled with symbolism and meaning. It is a chance to say goodbye to those who have returned to the Well of All Sparks before you. The music is haunting and sorrowful, and the liturgies deep and comforting.
December 18, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you know who this is?
.
.
A: Dear Fatality Friend,
I believe his name is Fortress X. I've met him, or at least an analog of him, once or twice while going about my errands in the Offworlder Zone.
December 19, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us what became of the Thirteen Great Demon Generals?
.
.
A: Dear Villain Vicar,
In many realities, they were fated to be defeated by Dai Atlas and the Powered Masters.
December 21, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I have a strange question. In universes where the adventures of the GoBots are fictional, like the Quadwal cluster, do you know what the correct order is to watch the Challenge of the GoBots cartoon in? And how does that order compare with the stories that Cy-Kill shared and is still sharing in Renegade Rhetoric?
.
.
A: Dear Ignorant of IMDB,
That is a strange question. At first I considered taking you to task for failing to do your own research, but it would appear that the airdate order of Challenge of the GoBots in your universe results in a badly out-of-sequence tale, perhaps a result of the unusually high level of chrono-flux inherent in Gargent streams. However, the fix is simple. If one moves the few offending elements earlier or later, as the story dictates, and in other cases allow the airdate order to stand, one comes up with a coherent viewing order that matches at least one possible eigenstate for the universe. I include the original airdate for the historically curious.
optimal viewing order, Season 1 Original Airdate
1 Battle for Gobotron (The Battle for Gobotron Part 1) Monday, October 29, 1984
2 Target Earth (The Battle for Gobotron Part 2) Tuesday, October 30, 1984
3 Conquest of Earth (The Battle for Gobotron Part 3) Wednesday, October 31, 1984
4 Earth Bound (The Battle for Gobotron Part 4) Thursday, November 01, 1984
5 The Final Conflict (The Battle for Gobotron Part 5) Friday, November 02, 1984
6 Lost on Gobotron Wednesday, October 09, 1985
7 Cy-Kills Escape (The Gobotron Saga Part 1) Monday, November 11, 1985
8 Quest for the Creator (The Gobotron Saga Part 2) Tuesday, November 12, 1985
9 The Fall of Gobotron (The Gobotron Saga Part 3) Wednesday, November 13, 1985
10 Flight to Earth (The Gobotron Saga Part 4) Thursday, November 14, 1985
11 Return to Gobotron (The Gobotron Saga Part 5) Friday, November 15, 1985
12 Time Wars Monday, September 23, 1985
13 Nova Beam Thursday, October 03, 1985
14 Genius and Son Tuesday, October 01, 1985
15 Cy-Kill's Cataclysmic Trap Friday, September 27, 1985
16 It's the Thought That Counts Tuesday, September 24, 1985
17 Doppelganger Friday, October 11, 1985
18 Trident's Triple Threat Wednesday, September 25, 1985
19 Renegade Alliance Thursday, September 26, 1985
20 Invasion from the 21st Level Part 1 Monday, October 07, 1985
21 Invasion from the 21st Level Part 2 Tuesday, October 08, 1985
22 Speed is of the Essence Monday, September 30, 1985
23 Dawn World Wednesday, October 02, 1985
24 Forced Alliance Friday, October 04, 1985
25 Cy-Kill's Shrinking Ray Thursday, October 10, 1985
26 The Quest for Roguestar Monday, October 14, 1985
27 The Renegades' Rampage Part 1 Tuesday, October 15, 1985
28 The Renegades' Rampage Part 2 Wednesday, October 16, 1985
29 Ultra Zod Thursday, October 17, 1985
30 Sentinel Friday, October 18, 1985
31 Cold Spell Monday, October 21, 1985
32 Crime Wave Tuesday, October 22, 1985
33 Auto-madic Wednesday, October 23, 1985
34 Scooter Enhanced Thursday, October 24, 1985
35 Tarnished Image Friday, October 25, 1985
36 In Search of Ancient Gobonauts Monday, October 28, 1985
37 Gameworld Tuesday, October 29, 1985
38 Wolf in the Fold Wednesday, October 30, 1985
39 Depth Charge Thursday, October 31, 1985
40 Transfer Point Friday, November 01, 1985
41 Steamer's Defection Monday, November 04, 1985
42 The GoBot Who Cried Renegade Tuesday, November 05, 1985
43 The Seer Wednesday, November 06, 1985
44 Whiz Kid Thursday, November 07, 1985
45 Ring of Fire Friday, November 08, 1985
46 Pacific Overtures Monday, November 18, 1985
47 Destroy All Guardians Tuesday, November 19, 1985
48 Escape from Elba Wednesday, November 20, 1985
49 Fitor to the Finish Thursday, November 21, 1985
50 Clutch of Doom Friday, November 22, 1985
51 The Third Column Monday, November 25, 1985
52 A New Suit for Leader-1 Tuesday, November 26, 1985
53 Renegade Carnival Wednesday, November 27, 1985
54 The Gift Thursday, November 28, 1985
55 The Last Magic Man Monday, December 02, 1985
56 Braxis Gone Bonkers Tuesday, December 03, 1985
57 Inside Job Wednesday, December 04, 1985
58 Element of Danger Thursday, December 05, 1985
59 The GoBots That Time Forgot Tuesday, December 10, 1985
60 Guardian Academy Thursday, December 12, 1985
61 Quest for New Earth Friday, December 13, 1985
62 The Secret of Halley's Comet Wednesday, December 11, 1985
63 Terror in Atlantis Friday, November 29, 1985
64 Et Tu Cy-Kill? Monday, December 09, 1985
65 Mission: Gobotron Friday, December 06, 1985
Movie Battle of the Rock Lords Friday, March 21, 1986
Now, for universes where the tales Cy-Kill relates in Renegade Rhetoric are also fictional stories, things get more interesting. Sadly, these stories do not appeared to have aired on television in your home reality, but, should you happen to find a trans-dimensional video store, you might want to watch the stories in this order, which corrects a few glaring continuity errors.
optimal viewing order, Season 2 Original Airdate
1 Rebels Without A Circuit (Robo Rebel Saga Part 1) Monday, October 27, 1986
2 Fugitives (Robo Rebel Saga Part 2) Tuesday, October 28, 1986
3 Double Cross (Robo Rebel Saga Part 3) Wednesday, October 29, 1986
4 Countdown to Annihilation (Robo Rebel Saga Part 4) Thursday, October 30, 1986
5 Graduation Day (Robo Rebel Saga Part 5) Friday, October 31, 1986
6 Going Loco Wednesday, November 05, 1986
7 The Hawks of Space Part 1 Wednesday, September 24, 1986
8 The Hawks of Space Part 2 Thursday, September 25, 1986
(note: Battle of the Rock Lords occurs here)
9 Cy-Kill for President Monday, September 15, 1986
10 The Show Must Go On Tuesday, September 16, 1986
11 On the Rocks Thursday, October 16, 1986
12 Shock and Awe Wednesday, September 17, 1986
13 The Best Medicine Thursday, September 18, 1986
14 The Alienapolis Five Million Friday, September 19, 1986
15 Cop-Tur the Genius Monday, September 22, 1986
16 The GoVine Incident Tuesday, September 23, 1986
17 Coup de Grunge Friday, September 26, 1986
18 The RoGun Ruckus Monday, September 29, 1986
19 Renegade Victory Part 1 Tuesday, September 30, 1986
20 Renegade Victory Part 2 Wednesday, October 01, 1986
21 Mirror Menace Thursday, October 02, 1986
22 GoBot Arena Friday, October 03, 1986
23 Brain Swap Monday, October 06, 1986
24 Ladies Night Tuesday, October 07, 1986
25 Brother's Keeper Tuesday, November 11, 1986
26 The Stolen Moon Wednesday, October 08, 1986
27 Fossil Fallout Thursday, October 09, 1986
28 Virtual Trap Friday, October 10, 1986
29 Babysitting Monday, October 13, 1986
30 All Tomorrow's Utopias Tuesday, October 14, 1986
31 The RoGuns of Mars Wednesday, October 15, 1986
32 Mumbo Jumbo Friday, October 17, 1986
33 Once Braxis Twice Shy Part 1 Monday, October 20, 1986
34 Once Braxis Twice Shy Part 2 Tuesday, October 21, 1986
35 Trash and Treachery Wednesday, October 22, 1986
36 Attack of the 50 Foot Guardian Thursday, October 23, 1986
37 Nightmares of a Leader Friday, October 24, 1986
38 The Mole Men of Prototheria Monday, November 03, 1986
39 And to All a Good Knight Tuesday, November 04, 1986
40 Trouble at 20,000 Light Years Thursday, November 06, 1986
41 The Arithmetic of Memory Friday, November 07, 1986
42 A Wolf in GoBot's Clothing Monday, November 10, 1986
43 Of Rocks and RoGuns Part 1 Wednesday, November 12, 1986
44 Of Rocks and RoGuns Part 2 Thursday, November 13, 1986
45 Go-Girl Friday, November 14, 1986
46 Cy-Kill's Ninjas Monday, November 17, 1986
47 Scylla and Charybdis Tuesday, November 18, 1986
48 Double Dribble Wednesday, November 19, 1986
49 Human Resources Thursday, November 20, 1986
50 Chains of Doom Friday, November 21, 1986
51 Bears and Bulls Monday, November 24, 1986
52 Darkest Before the Dawn Tuesday, November 25, 1986
53 Space Pirates of the Helix Nebula Wednesday, November 26, 1986
54 Rock and Roll Friday, November 28, 1986
55 Braxis' Big Score Monday, December 01, 1986
56 The Scootonium Scenario Thursday, November 27, 1986
57 Opportunity Knocks (Part 1) Tuesday, December 02, 1986
58 Opportunity Knocks (Part 2) Wednesday, December 03, 1986
59 Six Heads are Better than One Monday, December 08, 1986
60 One Born Every Minute Tuesday, December 09, 1986
61 The Guardian Smashers Thursday, December 04, 1986
62 In Zod We Trust Friday, December 05, 1986
63 Riders and Rebels Wednesday, December 10, 1986
64 Combiner Wars (Part 1) Thursday, December 11, 1986
65 Combiner Wars (Part 2) Friday, December 12, 1986
Note that, of course, The Hawks of Space must take place before Battle of the Rock Lords, due to the Space Hawk on board Rogue Star, and of course the Robo Rebel Saga must take place before The Hawks of Space, with Going Loco in between them for obvious reasons.
My, things do get tricky when universes exhibit such a high degree of flux. I am fondly reminded of Transformers: Cybertron's own, similar issues.
- Q: Is the abduction of Doctor Faraji at SciFi Con on this list? If so, how could they have dressed up as characters who did not exist in 1986?
- Ask Vector Prime Indeed, Darkest Before the Dawn. While it is true that the episode aired in 1986, keep in mind that a significant amount of time passed between each episode. The shortest gap, not including multi-part episodes, was 9 days. The longest was over 3 months. Let us also remember that many episodes took more than a day to resolve. The overall effect of this is that the Challenge of the GoBots episodes lagged considerably behind their air dates, a phenomenon that worsened by the end of season 2. Thus, while Darkest Before the Dawn AIRED in 1986, it OCCURRED over 10 years later. And thusly, I am sure you will see, were the costumes actually quite reasonable, given this time frame.
- Q: I think I have worked out which titles go with which of Cy-Kill's adventures, with one exception. Which episode corresponds with Cy-kill getting himself intentionally captured and sent to Gobotron's prison moon? And wouldn't that go between episode 5 and episode 6 of season 1?
- Ask Vector Prime I see your confusion. What Cy-Kill was describing was never depicted in an episode. Rather, once Dreamwave picked up the GoBots license from Tonka in December of 2001, they produced a series of GoBots comics that quickly topped the Diamond sales charts. Though most of their adventures took place in their own, "gritty and adult" continuity, the 20th Anniversary GoBots Summer Special published on July 8, 2004 featured the story "The Long Game", filling the gap between The Battle for Gobotron miniseries and The Gobotron Saga.
- Of course, not all hardcore GoBots fans fully embraced this new addition to the GoBots canon, made some 18 years after the last episode of the Challenge of the GoBots aired by writers not affiliated with the original production team. On the whole, though, the effort was well received. Besides, the Rock Lords: Generation 2 story "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" drew the lion's share of fandom's ire, for obvious reasons.
- Q: XD I assume things turned out better for this universe's Dreamwave...
- Ask Vector Prime Were that that were the case. Sadly, Dreamwave declared bankruptcy in the early in 2005. Fortunately, the GoBots license did not lay fallow for long. IDW Publishing acquired the license in May of the same year, and, beginning in October, launched what would eventually become the longest running and most prolific and innovative GoBots comic continuity that particular reality would ever see.
- Q: What were some of IDW's most popular GoBots titles?
- Ask Vector Prime In their primary continuity, perhaps the most beloved GoBots comic was the Roche/Roberts collaboration, Last Stand of the RoGuns. I personally have a soft spot for the work expanding on the Michael Bay GoBots film juggernaut. In particular, Mowry's Reign of Zero and Barber's UNECOM mini-series were quite strong and gave extra intellectual weight and, yes, gravitas to that continuity.
- Q: So did Transformers ever appear in any of Dreamwave's books?
- Ask Vector Prime There was the occasional cameo, yes. In Furman's Realities Collide storyline, the corpses of Megatron and Soundwave are seen hanging in the Renegade headquarters on Gobotron.
- Q: Did IDW ever do anything similar?
- Ask Vector Prime They did. Notably, in the Cy-Kill: Origin prequel book, Cy-Kill slays a Megatron look-alike in an arena fight.
- I believe there was a certain puerile satisfaction derived from seeing GoBots' former rival, Transformers, laid low. This was, of course, facilitated by Tonka's purchase of Kenner, which had in turn acquired Hasbro, meaning that Transformers was now, technically, a GoBots subline. Though, of course, many of the toys had been licensed from Takara, a direct competitor to Bandai, Tonka's long-term creative partner, complicating any full-fledged revival of Transformers within the GoBots franchise.
- Q: Did Gobots ever get any more cartoons?
- Ask Vector Prime Of course, though none that was unambiguously a direct sequel to Challenge of the GoBots. GoBots: Creature Wars in 1996 was quite well received, and did much to revive the brand's prospects. Creature Cyborgs, its sequel, not as much, though I believe it to be an underrated gem. A dub of a Machine Robo anime called GoBots: Mighty Robots, Mighty Vehicles was next, notable for being unambiguously its own continuity. Then there was the Zod Trilogy: Swarm, Astro-Beam, and Gobotron. Next up, of course, the delightful GoBots: Animated, followed by the movie-inspired GoBots: Leader-1. Lou Richards reprised his performance of the title character for that one. There is a spin-off pitched younger, nominally in the same continuity, called GoBots: Rescue 'Borgs, and another which is confusingly called GoBots: Mighty Robots, Mighty Vehicles. Though, naturally, the quality varies from series to series, each has its own unique charm.
- Q: Which episodes did Nightmares of a Leader flash back to?
- Ask Vector Prime Let me see. As for the negative memories, he encounter with the Roman Empire was in Time Wars. The molecular transfusion gun was none other than the title element of Cy-Kill's Shrinking Ray. The encounter with Sentinel was, appropriately enough, SENTINEL. His incarceration by UNECOM was in Wolf in the Fold. Leader-1's change of allegiance was depicted in A New Suit for Leader-1. The tectonic plate manipulation occurred in Ring of Fire.
- The positive memories began with the encounter with Wreck in Lost on Gobotron. Ultra Zod was created in, and destroyed in, Ultra Zod. The inhabitants of the unique world of Tri-Ceti took place in the two-part Renegade Rampage. And the primitive inhabitants of the world in the Omega Prima system were encountered in Dawn World.
- Q: Is the fan convention run by Fun Publications in this universe known as GuaRen, BotGo or something else?
- Ask Vector Prime Go-Con, though of course it was 3G who started the convention back in 1994. Fun Publications didn't run their first Go-Gon until 2005. Fun Publications themselves had enjoyed a long relationship with Tonka, after running M.A.S.K. Con for many years.
- Q: Do you have a particular favourite Go-Con toy set, Vector?
- Ask Vector Prime The 2006 pre-animal Creature Wars set was quite skillfully crafted.
- Q: What GoBot comics did the IDW Publishing of this universe publish in 2016?
- Ask Vector Prime I am intrigued with the Sins of the RoGuns mini-series.
- Q: I would love to know how the Go-Bots 1980's Marvel Comics run went...
- Ask Vector Prime You mean its 80's run in DC Comics, I assume. Many fans consider it to be the seminal continuity, despite Challenge of the GoBots having a much much wider audience. In the 1990s fandom, fans on alt.toys.gobots could be found arguing about the merits of the comics vs the cartoon with various degrees of passion and logic on display.
- Q: What reality can we visit to get DVDs and comics of all these stories?
- Ask Vector Prime Axiom Nexus has them in their extensive digital archives, though those are only available to visiting scholars. Quadwal 1215.15 Epsilon and its offshoots would be another fine choice. Otherwise, it is hit or miss.
- Q: After Tonka acquired Hasbro, was the name "Transformers" ever later applied to any GoBots merchandise to come after the era of the original cartoon ended? Such as the name of a Guardian toy or the name of a preschool-aimed toyline?
- Ask Vector Prime Well, there was, of course, the 1993 Rock Lords: Generation 2 character called Trans Former. I believe he was a heroic Rock Lord... feldspar, with a crypto-spray weapon. Not a bad toy, he changed colors when sprayed with cold water. A few years later there was the TransFormers subline, featuring various simplistic rocks that could roll through play sets.
- In 2002, there was the GoBots: Trans-Formers line of preschool action figures. I believe Tonka was mainly interested in keeping the copyright at that point. Oh, and the third (not including Battle of the Rock Lords, you understand) GoBots film, GoBots: Deep Space had a minor sub-line in their pull-back auto-converting series called Trans-Formers as well. That was 2011.
- So, yes, it does happen.
- Q: Was there ever any Transformers-centric toys or fiction released under the GoBots brand? Maybe some Japanese-exclusive toys, or stories or Facebook pages run by Fun Publications?
- Ask Vector Prime There were, yes. I am fond of FP's prose offering, Brain Problem Situation, in which Optimus and a team of Autobots travel to Strata 22 to save their world. I might even have the cover to that one somewhere...
- Q: Is it possible we could see such art?
- Ask Vector Prime Ah, here is the cover.
- Q: Also,, in Fun Publications GoBots stories, were the various GoBots continuities given designations analogous to the Axiom Nexus classification stream?
- Ask Vector Prime Of course. There was Level 1, Challenge of the GoBots. Creature Wars and Creature Cyborgs was Level 13. Mighty Robots, Mighty Vehicles was Level 8. The Zod Trilogy was Level 28. GoBots: Animated was Level 17. GoBots: Leader-1 was eventually revealed as Level 30, though for quite a while Tonka insisted that it was separate and apart from the Multiverse. The films were Level 19. The Dreamwave series was Level 25. IDW's continuity was Level 33. The DC series was Level 52. I believe that covers the major ones.
December 23, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Do you know of any transgender Cybertronians in Axiom Nexus?
.
.
A: Dear Gender Graduate,
I did once attend a lecture, given by a Primax Cluster Arcee about this topic. In her home dimension, the war had ended early relative to most dimensions, but lasted long enough for Cybertron to open relations with several organic planets. Arcee was a biologist protoformed with a male frame, and sent to observe some of these worlds post-war. On one world they had gone onto, Arcee stumbled upon what organics call "gender dysphoria disorder" and studied this phenomenon closely. Originally Arcee was fascinated by the organics "transformation", but eventually realized her interested stemmed from her own transgender nature. Going back to Cybertron, she released a document on this, and soon many other Cybertronians took on her research. There were differences in how Cybertronians interacted with this new idea-the Decepticon Overlord, for example, is what some would call genderfluid. Others referred to themselves with feminine pronouns, but felt no need for reformatting, such as the Decepticon Howlback. And others experienced massive dysphoria, as Arcee did, a result of a disconnect by the programming for the brain chip and spark by Vector Sigma and the CNA of the body forms. Those who chose do do so underwent reformatting and replace bits a pieces of their genetic code to help the process along.
- Q: Whilst trans ladies are awesome, do you know about any trans guys - or those who reject gender entirely?
- Ask Vector Prime As for the former, she did mention Archadis, a later day Predacon protoformed in a female body, as a transgender male. And let us not forget that there are entire streams with little concept of gender.
- Q: Were there any Cybertronians who identified themselves outside of the human gender binary?
- Ask Vector Prime Of course.
December 24, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who is the greatest villain you have ever faced?
.
.
A: Dear Foe Finder,
In my youth, my brother Liege Maximo created much havoc and confusion among the peoples of Axiom Nexus.
December 26, 2015
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
My wife just had a boy, wish us luck!
.
.
A: Dear Proud Parent,
Good luck! The birth of a child, like the protoforming of a new Cybertronian, is a time for celebration and joy. I wish you and he all the best.
January 2016
January 2, 2016
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
In this universe we have recently been made aware of a universe where some Transformers and the G.I. Joe team are involved in a larger, more epic fight than before. Some major changes include Cobra led by a Serpentress. The universe is very... trippy. Have you ever visited it?
.
.
A: Dear Eldrich Educator,
We of Axiom Nexus had been observing Primax 514.3 Gamma with great interest. I regret that the recent unpleasantness makes our continued remote exploration of this realm too difficult to continue at this time.
It is strange... I have never been to this plane of existence. And yet, thinking of it, I have... visions? Impressions? ...that I have indeed faced unnatural monstrosities, heretical primates, and creeping evils of this dimension. And, perhaps even more bizarre, that Scorpia was with me. No doubt some sort of psychological phenomena. I have come to rely on her incisive powers of observation and physical prowess more than I would have thought possible as recently as an orbital cycle ago. It is almost as if we have known each other for far, far longer.
January 7, 2016
January 9, 2016
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
How does Rhinox determine the numbers and letters used for universal streams. Thank you for answering our questions sir.
.
.
A: Dear Classification Caliph,
With great patience and care, I assure you. Ha!
But, if you are interested in how the names are assigned in the abstract, I can help you with that as well. The first part of the designation comes from the cluster. This is usually not hard to determine, although there are borderline cases. The second part, the numeric (occasionally alpha-numeric) stream, is taken from highly technical information concerning the circumstances of the stream's branching / origination point. The third and final part refers to intrinsic properties of the stream itself.
- Q: A while back, Rhinox mentioned the possibility of updating/better specifying the universal stream designation process. Any new developments regarding this?
- Ask Vector Prime Alas, The Shroud has rendered such exercises somewhat academic, and forced a shift of priorities.
January 16, 2016
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Can you tell us any info about the other 'classified' members of Convoy? I've noticed that most of them are unusually colored compared to their alternate universe brethren (Ignition Prime being a yellow fire truck for example).
.
.
A: Dear Classified Clarifier,
It is not my place to share the secrets of the Convoy. High Chancellor Optimus Prime might be in a position to reveal such secrets, or perhaps even Directorate-General Starscream. Inde... .. ..som wi.. .... ... .h. ... z.... .... ......
.
..
...
....
...
..
.
COP-TUR: Hi, Axiom Nexus.
CRASHER: Dolt.
CRASHER: Ahem.
CRASHER: We Renegades are getting sick and tired of hearing the pathetic excuses of Vector Prime and the TransTech. Classified this, I can't remember that.
COP-TUR: It's getting kinda lame.
CRASHER: And since Cy-Kill has demonstrated a complete command of Axiom Nexus' airwaves, we thought we'd share everything we'd hacked from Shockwave's lab and the Axiom Nexus databases. Hahahahahahahahah.
COP-TUR: There are five members of the Convoy that Optimus Prime doesn't want you to know about.
CRASHER: That's right, but we Renegades have nothing to hide, and share this information as a show of good faith.
COP-TUR: I thought Cy-Kill said we were doing this to destablize Axiom Nexus politics and drive up recruiting.
CRASHER: Shut up you fool.
COP-TUR: Sorrr-eeee.
CRASHER: The first secret member of the Convoy is named Akiba Prime.
COP-TUR: She comes from a place called, uh, Uniend, uh...
CRASHER: Uniend 1212.01 Beta.
COP-TUR: Right. That's the one. Number two... Scourge.
CRASHER: Scourge is a Decepticon from Primax 1086.01 Alpha.
COP-TUR: What's with all the numbers? Do Cybertronians really talk like that?
CRASHER: Cybertronians are a backwards, primitive race.
COP-TUR: Number three... Zeemon Magnus. His reality is Malgus 1008.19 Gamma. Hey, you think he's got any relationship to the Zeemon we know?
CRASHER: How should I know? Number two, General Hawk, a human from Primax 806.30 Gamma.
COP-TUR: And finally, there's someone named... Bendy-Bus Prime? Am I saying that right?
CRASHER: Cybertronians don't have much of a sense of names. Hahahahahaha.
COP-TUR: He's from Tyran 110.21 Alpha. Why do we always need to say all the numbers and letters?
CRASHER: So Rook and the Axiom Nexus News nitwits can track them down for interviews.
COP-TUR: Just seems like a lot of nonsense to me.
CRASHER: So, Axiom Nexus, return to your pathetic little lives, knowing that we Renegades are watching, listening, and waiting.
COP-TUR: And tell Rosanna we all love "Sensor Rods Swaying in Sunset Melody!"
CRASHER: Buffoon.
January 22, 2016
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Are there any other time-traveling Cybertronians you've partnered with, or fought against?
.
.
A: Dear Horology Human,
Yes.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime, do you know the meaning of the earth word "elaborate?" XD
- Ask Vector Prime I believe I am fluent in Human. Most dialects, anyway. Let us see...
- ELABORATE: (adjective)
- əˈlab(ə)rət/
- Involving many carefully arranged parts or details; detailed and complicated in design and planning.
- I'm not sure I take your meaning. After all, my answer was actually quite simple, straight forward, and to the point. Not elaborate at all.
January 30, 2016
Friends, en route to Nebulos, we have detected some usual energy reading from the planet Parthus. We shall make a brief detour to investigate.
It is odd, but the readings look... familiar, and yet wholly unprecedented. I hope, I fear, that I might find some artifact from before time itself, a primordial shard of the Order that existed before the Multiverse as we know it. And yet, my current mission is critical to Axiom Nexus. I worry that, even should I find such a relic, I will not have the time or resources to study it. And yet, I am confident, somehow, that the Multiverse will provide for its proper study.
- Watch out for Raiders!
- Ask Vector Prime I shall be careful, friend McFeely.
- Better tell Scorpia to set weapons to maximum.
- Ask Vector Prime I hope that, whatever we encounter, it is not hostile.
February 2016
February 6, 2016
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Does the Viron Cluster have a Shockwave? The reason I ask is because in Beta Maxx's profile, it mentions how Shockwave feels Beta Maxx is key to unlocking the origins of Primus and Unicron.
.
.
A: Dear Micromaster Minimalist,
I believe the Shockwave mentioned in that profile is my own colleague here in Axiom Nexus.
February 8, 2016
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Knowing that you are a fictional character in the Quadwal cluster, and that from that perspective, everything you do say and experience is a figment of multiple author's imagination, how do you cope with that potential existential crisis?
.
.
A: Dear Angst Augurer,
I do not see this as especially problematic. After all, there is a fictionalized version of you running around approximately 20% of fiction set during your lifespan that is depicted on television, in movies, and in books. Does it cause you to lose sleep that there is a version of you off-screen in the universe represented by The Good Wife, or that an alternative version of you was slain in the latest Romero zombie apocalypse film?
February 9, 2016
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
There are some multiverses where a dream, vision or hallucination can sometimes represent an existing reality elsewhere in that multiverse. Is this also true in the Transformers multiverse?
.
.
A: Dear Hallucination Herald,
Have you not had a chance to read Spotlight: Mirage?
February 10, 2016
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
I'd love to read Blueshift's paper, concerning the hybrid reality Gong and Sideways made if you still have it.
.
.
A: Dear Mashup Monster,
The actual paper itself is several hundred pages of highly detailed technical analysis. Further, it was published in the academic journal Applied Multiversal and Megaversal Studies, Quarterly, so there might be certain legal issues.
Although... there was a portion of an early draft that contained a narrative element, a prose description of the events he was studying. It's still on the long side, but more manageable perhaps. Since Blueshift never had the chance to polish the writing, I'm afraid it might be somewhat amateurish compared to what you're used to. If that's something of substantial interest, I may try to dig it up.
- Ask Vector Prime .....
- Ask Vector Prime ECHOES AND FRAGMENTS
- Part 1 - The Gathering Storm
- It was the year 2005. The treacherous Decepticons had conquered the Autobots’ home planet of Cybertron. But, from secret staging grounds on two of Cybertron's moons, the valiant Autobots prepared to retake their homeworld.
- As both factions planned their plans and schemed their schemes, a different sort of confrontation was brewing in Maccadam's Old Oil House. Sideways, dimensional scoundrel extraordinaire, had spilled his oil when bumped from behind. Irked, he turned around, only to spy a mechanoid who did not belong in this region of time/space. That Sideways himself did not belong was neither here nor there; his optics locked on the rather blocky white-and-blue mech before him. "You're a bit far from, what is it, the Gargent Cluster?" he asked.
- The boxy mech arched a mechanical brow, his face more expressive than most Cybertronians could manage. But then, he wasn't Cybertronian, was he? "One could say the same about you, hehehehe. You're from, what, Level 44... oh, I'm sorry, you prefer to call it the Viron Cluster, don't you?"
- Sideways smirked. "I admit nothing," but the tension was broken. The two pulled up stools and began to talk shop, under the wary eye of the mustachioed blue bartender. It soon became apparent that both were slumming it in this Primax reality, waiting for an opportunity for mischief. Gong, as the Gargent-native called himself, soon began boasting about how well the natives of his timestream would deal with the upcoming challenge. Sideways scoffed, but Gong was undeterred. "Care to make it interesting?" Soon they settled on an amount, and the parameters of the contest. They would synch the Primax stream they were inhabiting with a Gargent stream via Omega Lock manipulation, and compare results. Sideways set forth for Gargent 186.0 Gamma, and Gong began the trek into Cybertron's interior.
- The bartender sighed. He had known that Unicron would soon be impacting local space/time, but hadn't expected a pair of interlopers to exacerbate the situation. Their actions placed themselves outside of his purview, but there was another more suited to the task. He left the bar and folded himself into a lotus position, mentally seeking out the protector of all of space and time.
- * * * * *
- Inside the Autobot command module on Moonbase 1, Optimus Prime walked about nervously. The time was close, he only needed a few more days before he could initiate his big push and finally liberate Cybertron from the scourge of Decepticon tyranny. "Ironhide, report to me at once!"
- Ironhide was no more patient than his commander. "Every time I look into a monitor, Prime, my circuits sizzle. When are we gonna start bustin' Deceptichops?"
- Optimus intended to use that. "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City on Earth--" Ironhide protested, but Optimus continued. "Listen, Ironhide, we don't have enough energon cubes to power a full-scale assault. Ready the shuttle for launch."
- As Ironhide transformed and drove towards the shuttle, Optimus turned to his second-in-command for confirmation that it was safe to launch. Jazz affirmed that there was no Decepticon activity, then checked in with Moonbase 2. Bumblebee and Spike gave the all clear, so Optimus ordered a countdown. As the ship blasted into the void, Optimus reassured his men. "Now, all we need is a little energon, and a lot of luck."
- Unbeknown to him, Laserbeak has observed the entire exchange. The Decepticon spy launched into the endless night, bound for Megatron.
- * * * * *
- Deep in the core of Cybertron, Gong stretched forth his senses, connecting to the Omega Locks that kept Cybertron's place in the cosmos stable. He mused on Cybertron's unique nature, a stable axis upon which a universe spun. No wonder Unicron in all its incarnations sought its destruction. Gong favored no such carnage, merely seeking mischief. He found the frequency at which the one-dimensional strings that make up all of this particular reality vibrate, then, ever so gently, he nudged them towards that of his home dimension. The change would be invisible to the natives. As far as they were concerned, the conjoined reality would be their history, their reality. He giggled to himself, wondering what changes were taking place on the surface of Cybertron and beyond.
- * * * * *
- Unseen by all, unfelt by all, the universe wavered, and a new history imprinted itself on all inhabitants. The war between Renegade and Autobot was at a critical turning point, and Cy-Kill hoped his spy's mission would prove fruitful.
- Fitor peered out into the Cybertronian gloom, the two Autobot moons an ominous dagger pointed at his lordship's accomplishments. He spied the flare of a returning jet, then smiled. "Snoop returns, Cy-Kill."
- A smirk filled Cy-Kill's face. "Welcome, Snoop!" He glanced pointedly at Zero. "So nice to have warriors I can actually rely upon." Zero looked hurt at the barb, but quickly covered it up.
- The gentle whir of Snoop's conversion filled the base as she landed with aplomb. "I aim to please." She flipped a cartridge to Cop-Tur. "Hey, rotorboy, play this."
- His claws nearly missed, and he fumbled with the cartridge for a moment before catching it. "Oooo, kaaaaay."
- Cy-Kill's frown at his subordinate's clumsiness soon turned to undisguised glee as he watched Optimus Prime order a shuttle to Earth. As the Autobot muttered about needing luck, Cy-Kill gave a huge laugh. "More than you imagine, Optimus Prime!" The rest of the Renegades joined him.
- * * * * *
- On board the Autobot Command Center, Ironhide and his crew manned the instruments as they made their way to Earth. Suddenly, it shuddered, and a huge hole was blown in the side of the ship. Brawn was the first to react as Cy-Kill mangled his way onto their ship. "Cy-Kill... RENEGADES!"
- "Let's finally put an end to this tired dance!" Energy flared as Cy-Kill's fist shot a bolt of energy directly into Brawn's shoulder, toppling him. Cy-Kill aimed at the remaining three Autobots, his fist swaying back and forth as they took what minimal cover they could from their chairs. Renegades poured into the ship; Sky-Jack, Zero, Twin Spin, Gunnyr, and Blades.
- Prowl made his move, standing up and firing an acid pellet without aiming. It whizzed by Twin Spin's face, who took aim and unleashed a blast that caught Prowl directly in his throat. Flames poured out of his mouth as his eyes dimmed.
- The remaining Autobots made their last stand, firing blast after blast at the Renegade intruders. Cy-Kill and his five Renegades took the occasional glancing blow, but their superiority in numbers and position proved overwhelming. Shot after shot rocked Ironhide and Ratchet, and they soon fell. As they did, Slicks, Psycho, Crasher, and Cop-Tur flew in and took their seats at the Command Center's controls.
- Cy-Kill surveyed the scene. "This was almost too easy, Zero," he noted.
- His sub-commander looked upon the bodies with disdain. "Much easier, almighty Cy-Kill, than attacking the real threat. The Autobots' moonbase!"
- A deep laugh was Cy-Kill's answer. "Don't be such a wet blanket, Zero. When we slip by their early warning systems in their own Command Center and destroy Autobot City, the Autobots will be vanquished forever!" His triumph was interrupted, momentarily, by the dying Ironhide attempting feebly grapple with Cy-Kill's boot. Cy-Kill just shook his head with contempt. "Such Autobot idiocy. Crasher, lock him in the hold. I may yet have use of him."
- * * * * *
- At an idyllic lakeside just outside of Autobot City Hot Rod and Nick Burns sat fishing. Nick had a dejected look on his face, though Hot Rod was as enthusiastic as ever. "Fish are jumping today, eh, Nick?"
- Nick sighed. "I guess so." He looked up, seeing the Autobot's optics wide with concern.
- "Hey, what's the matter?"
- Human and Autobot sat side by side. They'd known each other a long time. Nick fidgeted a moment longer, then gave in. "I guess I just miss Matt and Anya. I'm not used to staying behind."
- The red Autobot nodded with understanding. "Hey, don't worry, those two will be back soon--oh, hey, I caught something!" Indeed, the line had gone taut. Hot Rod reeled him in with steel sinews and hydraulic musculature.
- His consternation forgotten, Nick admired the catch. It was enormous, at least a foot long. "Wow, that's quite the catch!"
- Hot Rod nodded in agreement, although the fish was miniscule compared to his missive metal frame. "Yup, it's a whopper all right."
- A beeping noise interrupted their exchange. Nick pulled a scanner from his pocket. "Oh, hey, the Command Center's coming down. Wanna watch it land?"
- The Autobot considered for a moment. "Sure, why not?" He tossed the fish back into the lake and converted to his Cybertronian sports car configuration. "Hop in!"
- The pair rode back towards the city, only narrowly avoiding a roadblock being erected by Kup when Nick warned Hot Rod to dodge around it. To the top of Lookout Mountain they ride, Nick eagerly hopping out of Hot Rod as he skids to a stop near a high-tech pair of binoculars. The human's excitement quickly turned to icy fear. "Hot Rod, look, there's a hole in the ship!"
- A magnification package slid over Hot Rod's optics, confirming what he was starting to fear. "Renegades!" He began to open fire, aiming for the hole in the Command Center and catching Zero off-guard.
- From below, Kup looked up at Hot Rod blasting into the ship. "What's that darn fool doin'?" he wondered, but soon his question was answered. A hit on the Command Center's engines prompted Cy-Kill to fly out and begin his assault on Autobot City before he was quite inside the city's defensive envelope.
- The Renegade commander beckoned with his arm theatrically. "Come, comrades, now is the time. Our assault commences!" Renegades spilled forth from the smoking vessel, firing blasters at Autobot City. Two turned their attention to the Autobot who had spotted them, Destroyer and Fly Trap.
- Destroyer landed with a heavy thud and raised his fists at Hot Rod. "Come on down, ya mug!" He fired, damaging the platform and sending Hot Rod and Nick into freefall. Hot Rod caught Nick and landed, squarely in Destroyer's sights. The Renegade converted to his tank mode and took aim... only for Kup to leap onto his turret and yank the Renegade's barrel aside. Destroyer's shot caught Fly Trap and the damaged mech collided with Destroyer's tank mode, flipping it over.
- Hot Rod was impressed. "Not bad for an old timer!"
- Kup was not amused. "Old timer? That's something you'll never be if you don't get back to the city."
- At that moment, Stallion flew overhead, strafing them both and causing them to dive for cover. "Save it, Kup! Let's burn rubber!" Both Autobots converted to their car modes and made haste for the city.
- * * * * *
- Inside the city, Perceptor converted to his microscope configuration to get a better look at the oncoming horde of Renegades. It wasn't good... it appeared that Cy-Kill had brought nearly 40 of his troops with him on the assault. The scientist switched back to his humanoid form, spied Ultra Magnus, and ran to the City Commander. "Ultra Magnus! A cursory evaluation of Renegade capabilities indicates a distinct tactical deficiency."
- The commander clearly didn't have time to decode all that. "In other words, Perceptor?"
- Springer got there first. "We're outnumbered!" He raised his arm and fired off a shot at Water Walk, zooming by overhead and firing wildly. The shot went wide, and the Autobots were forced to dive for cover.
- The Autobots rallied under an awning, and Ultra Magnus took command. "Springer, you and Arcee transform Autobot City. Perceptor, tell Blaster to radio Prime for reinforcements." Blurr babbled something about wanting to help, and Magnus told him to help alert the rest of the Autobots.
- Springer grabbed Arcee's hand, hurrying her towards the transformation circuitry. "Come on, Arcee, let's go!"
- She resisted, for a moment. "But Hot Rod and Kup are still outside the city." She pressed a button on the side of her head and lowered a magnification lens, spying her friends dodging blasts from Stinger.
- He renewed his effort. "We can't wait, they'll have to take care of themselves. Come on!"
- Frantically, they rushed to the controls to initiate the transformation from energy-gathering metropolis to hardened battle fortress. Gears whirred, sprockets turned, and the city began to fold in on itself. They rushed to the next station, even as the ground under their feet shifted and reconfigured. Zero caught sight of them and fired several shots, pursuing them into the bowels of the reconfiguring superstructure. "Autobot wimps! You can't escape Zero!" They ducked into a hatchway as it sealed, and he realized that he was about to get caught in the mechanism. He launched himself vertically, but his left foot snagged on a closing panel. He quickly shut off his pain receptors and blasted at the panel, catching his ankle with the backblast but otherwise escaping the city unharmed. "You'll pay for that."
- The city, meanwhile, completed its transformation, Autobot workers scurrying behind massive plates of armor and huge artillery pieces snapping into position. Cy-Kill realized that he had lost the element of surprise, but still had the Autobots off-balance. He fired several blasts into a bulkhead, to little effect. "Screw Head, Crain Brain, Spoons... breach their pathetic excuse for shelter," he majestically commanded.
- His Renegades set to their task, with Screw Head drilling through a plate, Crain Brain lifting the debris away with his crane arm, and Spoons hauling it away in his forklift mode. "Tote that barge," began Crain Brain. "Lift that bale!" replied Spoons enthusiastically. Just then, a bridge connecting the bulkhead they were attempting to breach with the land beyond the river powering much of the city's hydroelectric works began to retract, and Spoons found himself awkwardly pulled to the other side with it. He converted back to his humanoid mode and tried to catch his balance.
- Kup and Hot Rod approached the chaos at full speed. "Those Renegades are in our way," Kup worried.
- "Wrong," declared Hot Rod with confidence, "they're our way in!" He slammed into Spoons and, incredibly, used the Renegade as a ramp, jumping the river with ease and even sending Crain Brain tumbling into the river below. Kup, with considerably less aplomb, attempted to duplicate the maneuver, though he crushed Spoons beneath his treads and landed squarely on Screw Head in the process. As the Autobots entered the safety of the fortress, a secondary plate of armor closed the breach.
- The battle raged in earnest. Renegades swarmed about, utilizing their flight to good advantage and unleashing shot after shot at any Autobot who dared poke his head out from the safety of the city's ramparts. Spoiler, Decker Decker, Tank, Loco, Stretch, Vain Train, and Geeper-Creeper could all be spied flying in, firing a blast, then darting to safety out of the range of the fortress' guns.
- Crossword flew close to the city's communication pod, fired a shot, then dodged the response. Inside, Blaster returned fire. "Look out and shout, ow!" He noticed Perceptor had climbed into the room. "Hey, Perceptor, what's shakin'? Other than this fortress?" Perceptor quickly informed him that he was to call to Cybertron for backup, and he complied, converting to his boombox mode and sending a directed tachyon signal to Cybertron. " Optimus Prime, do you read me? The Decepticons are blitzing Autobot City. We're really takin' a pounding. Don't know how much longer we can hold out."
- Cy-Kill spied the active tachyon relay. "Dr. Go! Jam that transmission."
- Go nodded. "Jawohl, Herr Cy-Kill." He turned to the Dread Launchers nearby. "You drei, destroy ze mechanism!"
- Re-Volt, Chaos, and Traitor launched at the pod. Chaos and Traitor grabbed the dish and tore it from its mounting, while Re-Volt took aim at the transparent aluminum separating him from Blaster and Perceptor. "Autobot buffoons! Time to eat beak!" He converted to his twin alt modes, a launcher platform and a mechanical hawk. The hawk pecked at the protective covering several times, making a filigree of cracks. Then the launcher opened fire, blowing a huge hole in the pod. Re-Volt converted back to his humanoid form as he and his two companions leapt into the room. He grabbed Perceptor and put him in a headlock, prompting traitor to punch the scientist several times.
- Chaos made a run at Blaster, who initiated a roundhouse kick that sent the Dread Launcher flying. "Not this time, Renegade slime!" He touched a button on his chest and Eject, Rewind, Ramhorn, and Steeljaw burst forth. "Sic 'em!" Ramhorn charged into Traitor, knocking him to the ground, while Eject and Steeljaw circled Re-Volt, who released Perceptor, eyeing the cassettes warily. Rewind jumped on Chaos as he tried to get to his feet, hanging off the neck of the much larger 'bot.
- Perceptor got unsteadily to his feet, adjusting his neck. "Do you think you got through to Prime?"
- Blaster steeled himself to aid his cassette companions. "Let's hope so. 'Cuz if I didn't, we're all gonna look like burnt out toaster ovens!"
- * * * * *
- In another reality, Sideways made his way past Van Guard and Defendor, guarding an entrance to Old Gobotron. It was here, in the most ancient part of the planet, that Sideways would find what he sought. The Omega Locks, ancient artifacts predating the evolution of the GoBeings, were in reality a small part of the essence of Primus, that ancient--he supposed 'god' was the only apt descriptor--ancient god who had inhabited their world, subtly guided the GoBeings into the forms they had at present, that they might one day be able to battle the Chaos Bringer. Sideways had felt this reality's substrate waver and grow insubstantial as it was tapped by the Primax reality Gong was currently toying with.
- Well, two could play at that game! He dodged the ancient, shambling GoBot Wrecks and some pitiful mutants, then entered the chamber and allowed himself to become one with the Locks, intent on disrupting the new reality equilibrium Gong had established. "Time to make things interesting!"
- * * * * *
- The uneasy fabric of reality again shifted, as a constant in the distant reality imprinting itself upon this universe flipped a sign. In an instant, the inhabitants became participants in a never-ending struggle between heroic Guardians and evil Decepticons! A crucial battle raged in that war, one whose fate might determine the fate of their entire reality, though none present knew the stakes were quite so high.
- It was twilight, and the Decepticon attack showed no sign of slowing. Tork, Tri-Trak, and Throttle each manned one of three windows, firing down at the Decepticon advance. "We're getting overrun," noted Tork morosely.
- Tri-Trak took aim and fired, winging Dirge. "Don't let it get you down, Tork. We can hold!"
- In a bunker nearby, Bent Wing and Super Couper took shelter from the onslaught, dragging with them the bodies of Sparky and Professor Von Joy. Super Couper, normally an irreverent prankster, took a moment to mourn his fallen comrades. Bent Wing had no time for it. "Come on, Super Couper, we need to get this Boomer into place. Megatron's on a rampage, and it's up to us to stop him!"
- At that moment, Tailpipe and Raizor joined them, with Daniel in tow. "Keep at it, guys," encouraged Raizor, "the Robo Rebels are together again!"
- The four of them put their backs into pushing the Boomer into position, and even Daniel lent a hand. Bent Wing glanced over at the newcomers. "I was afraid you'd be trapped outside the city."
- Tail Pipe gave an exaggerated gulp. "Me too!"
- The damaged Boomer finally slid into position, and Daniel climbed a ladder build for being much larger than himself. What he saw filled him with dread. Megatron and a large number of troops had gathered below one of the artillery pieces, including... he counted... all six Constructicons. "Constructicons, merge for the kill!"
- He swiftly called for his Guardian companions. Super Couper got there first. "We're hosed."
- Indeed, the six Constructicons united into the massive form of Devastator, and began advancing menacingly upon a Hitch Hiker drone. The drone's weapons cast about, attempting to get a lock, but the massive Decepticon warrior shattered it effortlessly.
- Bent Wing rallied the Robo Rebels. "Come on, Guardians, we can do this!" They fired shell after shell into Devastator, knocking him back but causing no real harm. He tore off a huge armored plate from Guardian City and hurtled it at the Rebels, who scattered lest they be destroyed with the Boomer.
- The battle raged through the night. Though the Guardians fought valiantly, the Decepticon advantage was too great. More than a dozen Guardians fell before Megatron's remorseless assault. Dirge strafed Dive-Dive; Astrotrain demolished Apollo; Starscream obliterated Ace, Royal-T, and Spy-Eye; Soundwave and his cassettes tore Hi-Way apart and blasted Street Heat into oblivion; Thundercracker and Skywarp cornered Man-O-War and annihilated him; Ramjet knocked Spay-C out of the air and into Good Knight, leaving both critically injured; Thrust caught Wrong Way outside of the shelter of the city and threw him into a turbine; and Megatron himself personally accounted for Beamer, Sky Fly, and Guide Star when the neophytes were foolish enough to engage him. When added to the three deaths in the shuttle, Pumper, Hans-Cuff, and Dart, with the injured Dumper trapped in the wreckage of the shuttle Megatron had commandeered, the Guardians were down nearly half their total combat strength. It was a dark day indeed.
- As dawn broke, things seemed hopeless for the Guardians. Megatron smirked, confident in victory. The last of the automated defenses had fallen, leaving Guardian City ripe for plunder. The Guardians' will had, at long last, been broken, and he meant to press his victory. "Their defenses are broken, let the slaughter begin!"
- But he had spoken too soon; at that moment, a Guardian shuttle from Cybertron arrived, piloted by Leader-1 and Jack Attack. Leader-1 observed the carnage below him with concern; the biggest threat seemed to be the combined form of the Constructicons. "Bolt, Scratch, Dozer, Staks... form Courageous and cut that Decepticon down to size! I'm going to deal with Cy-Kill."
- The four Guardians donned their Power Suits and exited the craft, alongside Leader-1. They quickly initiated the combination protocol, combining with the shuttle to form the arms and legs of the mighty Courageous. The massive Guardian flew into Devastator and punched him back several steps, but the Decepticon quickly recovered his equilibrium. The titan unleashed a savage blow that sent Courageous reeling, following up with an uppercut that knocked the Guardian combiner to his back. He planted his foot on his stunned adversary and bellowed to the heavens in triumph.
- Flying above the scene, Leader-1 witnessed the defeat of his combiner and the bodies of his men below. "I've got to put a stop to this, now!" he vowed. He swooped down, crashing the nose of his F-15 Eagle configuration into Thrust and knocking him aside effortlessly, then bowling Shrapnel over and forcing Blitzwing to dive out of the way.
- By this point the Decepticons had spotted him and unleashed a fusillade of energy. He summoned his force field to deflect it, then converted to his humanoid mode even as one last burst from his jet engines propelled him into the sky. He fired off blast after blasts, striking Ramjet, Thundercracker, and Soundwave before coming to a landing. Before Kickback or Dirge could react, he mowed them down as well before turning to face Megatron, casting a long shadow in the dawn light.
- "Leader-1!" exclaimed Megatron.
- "Your tyranny comes to an end, Megatron," the Guardian declared.
- "Why throw away your life so recklessly?" inquired the Decepticon.
- "The only thing I'm throwing away will be the key, after I lock you up for good," retorted Leader-1.
- Megatron started to raise his fusion cannon, then checked himself. "No! I'll crush you with my bare hands!" He leapt at the Guardian, and they fell together in a shower of sparks.
- Tri-Trak rushed to help, with Major Mo close behind him. "Leader-1 needs our help!" His mentor shouted after him that this was Leader-1's fight.
- The silver Guardian hurtled Megatron into a wall. Ever adaptive, the Decepticon picked up a sharp piece of debris and hurtled it at the Guardian, piercing his side. Tired of the brawling, Megatron lifted his fusion cannon and unleashed its fury, prompting Leader-1 to again activate his force field before returning fire from his clenched fists. Megatron was struck dead-center in the chest and hurtled back against a wall, his cannon shaken loose and buried in debris. Leader-1 took a moment to pull the chuck of metal from his side, a tactical error that Megatron took advantage of by summoning an energon saber and striking the wound, causing Leader-1 to back away while clutching his injured side. He nearly stumbled off a ledge but caught himself. Meanwhile, Megatron threw himself into the air and came down, sword first, but incredibly Leader-1 sidestepped the blow and unleashed a savage uppercut, knocking Megatron to the ground. Megatron quickly reversed things with an expertly-timed kick from both feet, and then they were grappling.
- "I'll rip out your optics," he growled. Leader-1 worked a hand around Megatron's neck and threw him to the ground, causing him to skid to a rest next to a pile of debris.
- Tork and Tri-Trak rushed up. "Great work, Leader-1!" enthused Tork, "Let's get this villain behind bars."
- Leader-1 nodded. "Good call, Tork." He raised his fists, covering Megatron. "Let's get some energy cuffs on that blackguard."
- For his part, Megatron was not ready to concede defeat. A laser pistol lay on the ground just a few paces in front of him, concealed from Guardian view by the damaged landscape.
- "No more, Leader-1. I concede defeat. Allow my Decepticons to go honorably into exile." He crawled forward as he did so, eyes pleading, inching ever closer to the weapon.
- "Decepticons, honorable?" asked Leader-1. "I've fallen for too many of your ruses, Megatron."
- Megatron knew he had to act. He snatched the weapon and began to take aim. He hadn't counted on Tri-Trak, though. The Guardian raised his fists and unleashed twin energy blasts. Megatron instinctively raised his left arm and activated an energy shield, deflecting the bolts into Leader-1. The Guardian leader was pushed back several steps, but still managed to raise his fists. He and Megatron fired simultaneously, and energy lanced into Leader-1's wounds and Megatron's chest. Megatron fell backwards, off the nearby precipice, bouncing off of the wreckage of the level below before slamming, hard, into the metal ground below. Leader-1 attempted to stay on his feet, but collapsed.
- Tri-Trak ran to his fallen leader. "Leader-1... I'm sorry!"
- Decepticons gathered around Megatron's shattered body, energy freely sparking about his wounds. Starscream, dripping with contempt, inquired as to his health, before unleashing a brutal kick to his sovereign. Several Decepticons winced. "Astrotrain, transform and get us out of here."
- Megatron looked to his most loyal subordinate, Soundwave, and begged him to carry him to safety. Soundwave acknowledge the order and gently, ever so gently, picked up his fallen commander.
- Astrotrain converted to his train mode, expanding as he did, and the Decepticons scrambled aboard, many carrying their damaged brothers. Bent Wing could barely believe it. "The Decepticons are retreating!"
- Tork fired off a blast as they withdrew. "Leader-1 did it. He drove them off."
- Starscream, the last aboard, ordered Astrotrain to take off. His rocket engines fired up and he converted to his space shuttle mode, flying back to Cybertron in defeat.
- Ask Vector Prime ECHOES AND FRAGMENTS
Part 2 - To the Death—and Beyond!
- On Gobotron, in another reality, Vec-Tor played a game of Tadek with Zeemon. The politician's moves were subtle, and his windshield unreadable. Vec-Tor thought he saw what his opponent was driving towards, but it was difficult to be sure. Best to play it safe, he thought, and pushed a small stack of tiles into a defensive position.
- "Ah, Vec-Tor, I've already half beaten you, haven't I?"
- The Guardian of Space and Time laughed. "I suppose you have, old friend. No one sees all the angles like you do." They both chuckled, but then the moment was interrupted by Vec-Tor's chest panel flashing. "Sorry, friend, I need to take this."
- Zeemon stood. "Quite all right. Besides, the game is over now anyway." With that he gently slide a stack of three tiles into the center-north square, causing holographic towers to appear all over the map. He had indeed won.
- Once Vec-Tor was alone, he pressed his chest. "What is it, brother?"
- "Bad news... you have a dimensional visitor intent on altering Omega Lock frequencies."
- Vec-Tor nodded. "Understood. He won't get far, not on my watch."
- Vec-Tor transformed to his Gobotic ship mode and flew off, towards Old Gobotron and the ancient Omega Locks few Guardians or Renegades had ever heard of.
- * * * * *
- Inside the ruins of Guardian City, the Secret Riders and Robo Rebels gathered around Leader-1. Tail Pipe finished his examination and looked at his companions. They could see it wasn't good news.
- "How bad," asked Major Mo.
- "Bad," whispered Tail Pipe. "Maybe the Last Engineer could save him, if he were still with us, but I can't."
- Tri-Trak, feeling guilty, stormed out of the room. Tork went to follow him, but Throttle put a hand on his arm. "Let him go, eh? He needs to work through this himself."
- Bent Wing put a hand on Leader-1's shoulder. "How long does he have, Tail Pipe?"
- Tail Pipe shook his head. "I'm not sure. Honestly, I'm surprised he's even still with us. There must be something sustaining him that most Guardians don't have."
- Leader-1 weakly raised an arm. "It's... it's called the Matrix. The Guardian Matrix of Leadership."
- The Guardians were stunned. They had heard of such an artifact, but never seen it. Leader-1 struggled to continue. "Major Mo, I pass command of the Guardian forces to you, and with them, the Matrix."
- The Major clutched Leader-1's hand. "If that's what you think best, Leader-1"
- He coughed, then brought his hands to his cockpit chest. "I do." The chest cracked open, and a blue light spilled forth. The assembled Guardians stepped back instinctively. "It is prophesied that one day, a Guardian shall rise from our ranks, and use the power of the Matrix... to light our darkest hour." He reached into his chest and removed the artifact, handing it to Major Mo. He whispered as he did so. "Until that day... till all are one." With the Matrix removed from his chest, his vitals began to flatline, and the Matrix tumbled from his hand and dropped to the floor. Raizor picked up the crystal and handed it to Major Mo, who opened his own chest and inserted it, readjusted it, and then closed his compartment.
- All optics turned to Leader-1, whose lifeless body turned grey. Daniel clutched his hand and allowed himself to cry, the unselfconscious grief of the very young.
- Elsewhere, a cosmic god adrift in the night observed this exchange. When the Matrix passed into view of his sensors, it unleashed a mighty roar of frustration.
- * * * * *
- Sideways observed the events a dimension away with great amusement. So far, not much had changed. The details, sure, but big-picture, things were still proceeding according to script. He wondered if he couldn't shake things up a bit. Maybe tune in a Uniend Cluster reality, get some Predacons in the mix. He allowed his senses to open, prepared to access the Locks, but instead noticed another presence... Vec-Tor! He cursed out loud, then allowed the Locks to reset to their equilibrium state. No need to advertise his presence, only... there were a few sticking points. The analogy was starting to break down. No matter, it gave Vec-Tor more of a mess to clean up. He converted to his motorcycle configuration and roared out of the Omega Lock chamber, moments ahead of Vector Prime.
- * * * * *
- The tortured fabric of the universe again shifted, attempting to find an equilibrium position... and failing. Guardians and Autobots now coexisted, as did Renegades and Decepticons. The implications of this new development were ominous, for those few who had the perspective to understand, or even observe, such things.
- On board Astrotrain, the Renegades licked their wounds, miserable in their defeat. An unexpected bit of gravitational interference showed up on Astrotrain's scopes, and he burned his thrusters to compensate. It was no good... there was too much mass aboard. "Jettison some weight, or we'll never make it to Cybertron."
- Zero wasted no time. He stood up, and spread his arms wide. "Fellow Renegades, Decepticons... Astrotrain has suggested that we lighten our burden. Do I hear a second on that?" The healthy, relatively undamaged Renegades voiced their assent.
- "And against," asked Zero, smirking. The damaged Renegades raised a feeble cry of protest."
- Zero smirked. "Well, well, well... looks like we're in for a culling." The Renegades too weak to fight were pushed out into the void, their bodies tumbling end-over-end into the void. Zero picked up the battered and broken body of Megatron and carried him to the door. His voice was a study in sarcasm. "Oh, how it pains me to do this!"
- The Decepticon pleaded with his Renegade subordinate. "Wait... I still function!"
- Zero released his body, which floated helplessly away from the ship. "Not for long!" Megatron cried his betrayer's name even as Astrotrain's thrust carried him inevitably away from Megatron's grasp.
- The atmosphere in the room turned tense. Megatron had been the Renegade leader for millions of years, and now he was gone. Zero took no time stepping into the void. "Well, as we've finally gotten rid of that Decepticon deadweight, I nominate a new leader... ME!"
- Tic Tac stepped forward. "Wait... my troopers form Puzzler, the most powerful Renegade... I should rule!"
- Dr. Go snorted in laughter. "You fancy yourself quite ze thinker, Tic Tac, but compared to my intellect you're nothing."
- Tank scoffed. "Who'd follow an egghead like you? Any of us could break you in half with our pinkies... and a lot of us don't gots pinkies!"
- Tic Tac had had enough. "Form Puzzler!" The six GoBots united into one enormous Renegade, straining Astrotrain's mass-shifting abilities to their limits. But Dr. Go was having none of it, pulling forth a shrink ray and knocking them back to normal size. Before he could take advantage the now shrunken gestalt, Snoop tackled him, and soon the Renegades were in a free-for-all, even as Astrotrain inched ever closer to the safety represented by Cybertron.
- * * * * *
- Consciousness flickered in Megatron's optics. He... he wasn't dead. A booming voice echoed in his head and he felt himself pushed backwards in space. "Welcome, Megatron."
- Megatron looked about... he was in the gravitational grip of a small planet, and the voice seemed to be coming from some sort of raging inferno of energy on the surface of the world. "Who... who said that?"
- The reply again knocked him backwards. "I am Unicron." Megatron demanded Unicron to show himself, but the voice proceeded undaunted. "I have summoned you here for a purpose." Megatron was enraged, but the voice ignored his objection. "This is my command: you are to destroy the Guardian Matrix of Leadership. It is the one thing, the ONLY thing, that can stand in my way."
- This I could live with, thought Megatron. He was planning to do that anyway. Besides, the deed might already be done. "You have nothing to fear, I have already crushed Leader-1 with my bare hands!" The voice scoffed, called him on his bluff. Megatron continued, undaunted. "The point is he's dead, and the Matrix died with him!"
- The booming voice intensified, and the energy waves buffeted Megatron about. "No. The point is you are a fool. The Matrix has been passed to their new leader, Major Mo. Destroy it for me."
- "Why should I? What's in it for me?"
- "Your bargaining posture is highly dubious! But very well. I will provide you with a new body, and new troops to command."
- Megatron waited a beat. "...and?"
- At this point, the voice seemed to get angry for the first time. "AND NOTHING! You belong to me, now."
- Megatron allowed his own rage to build. "I belong to nobody!"
- The voice, "Unicron," became resigned. "Perhaps I misjudged you. Proceed on your way to oblivion." Mighty teeth the size of mountains opened, and Megatron found himself staring into oblivion.
- "No, no, I accept your terms! I ACCEPT!"
- The world turned inside out. Megatron found himself reduced to his barest essence, and rebuilt. "Behold... GALVATRON! And these shall be your minions."
- Galvatron looked on as Spoons was deconstructed and rebuilt. "Deadlift, the tracker, and his huntsmen, the Sweeps. Crasher underwent the same metamorphosis. "Fracture, the warrior, and her armada."
- A panel in the side of the planet slid open and a purple vessel emerged. "And this shall be your ship. Now go, destroy the Autobot Matrix."
- Galvatron reveled in the new power coursing through him. "I will rip open Ultra Magnus, and every other Autobot, until the Matrix has been destroyed! To Cybertron!" He fired his plasma cannon, using its backlash to propel him to the nose of the ship, and set forth for revenge!
- * * * * *
- On Cybertron, at the Renegade Hall of Heroes, the surviving Renegades and Decepticons gathered to witness the literal crowning of their new leader... Zero.
- Zero looked out over the assembled crowd of Renegades and Decepticons with pride. Yes, he thought, I'm going to do great things. Perhaps first I'll hunt down the traitor Steamer--trumpets blasted in his audio receptors, interrupting his train of thought. "Get on with the ceremony," he groused. The six members of Puzzler looked to each other, then continued their playing. Zero raised a fist and destroyed their instruments with a blast of directed energy.
- "My fellow Renegades, as your new leader, I--" At that instant, three Decepticons flew violently into the open space hosting the ceremony. "Who disrupts my coronation?" he demanded.
- The purple Decepticon glared at him. "Coronation, Zero? This is bad comedy."
- Zero's eyes widened. "Megatron? Is that you?"
- Galvatron converted to his cannon mode. "Here's a hint!" He unleashed the fury of Unicron upon the upstart Renegade, and energy sizzled through the night. When it faded, Zero was drained of all color. He crumbled to ash, obliterated, and his crown bounced to Galvatron's feet. He glanced down and crushed it, a meaningless bauble beneath his contempt. "Will anyone else attempt to fill his shoes?"
- Clutch turned nervously to Warpath. "What did he call himself?"
- Their new leader raised a fist. "GALVATRON!"
- The Renegades swallowed their fear and cheered this new Decepticon, wondering what if any relationship he had to Megatron and what his presence meant for their future.
- * * * * *
- At Gobotron's Omega Locks, Vec-Tor tried to understand what his senses were telling him... they were set to their normal resonant frequency, but his finely-attenuated sense suggested that they had, until recently, had several key terms inverted. Worse, some of the variables were stuck. Vec-Tor tried returning the Omega Locks to their previous settings, to see if he could clear the jam. He'd give it a few moments, then attempt to return to default. The controls were jammed, though, resistant to change. He redoubled his efforts.
- * * * * *
- At Moonbase One, Turbo and Night Ranger turned to the sky. A planet had intruded at the outer edge of Cybertronian space, closing in fast.
- "Aww, where'd that pesky planet come from," asked Turbo?
- Night Ranger shrugged. "I'd be more worried about where it's going... straight at us!"
- The planet's mandibles tore into the moon, crushing huge parts of it, and the gravitation field caused debris to rise towards the intruder. Turbo grabbed the controls, hoping to warn Earth.
- "Come in, Earth. Leader-1, you copy? Anyone?"
- In Autobot City, the Autobots and Guardians were starting the slow, tedious process of rebuilding some part of the defenses. Though the Renegades and Decepticons had been driven off, they wouldn't stay gone forever. Blaster dropped a relay tube as his instruments, tied to the city's damaged but functional sensor grid, picked up a message. "I'm picking up a faint signal! Maybe in my tank mode I can tune it in more clearly." The Guardian converted to his missile-tank mode and Turbo's voice boomed through it. "This is Turbo. Some kinda funky planet-monster just came outta nowhere and it's turning our moonbase into a buffet!"
- Unnoticed by all, the universe rippled and personalities shifted, Autobots and Guardians shifting places.
- Cliffjumper chimed in. "And it's attacking Moonbase One!"
- The universe wavered again, as Vec-Tor's efforts altered the fundamental constant of the universe bleeding into the current dimension. Rapidly it oscillated, though none within save Gong, or perhaps Unicron, could possibly have noticed
- Ultra Magnus cried out in concern. "Jazz, Night Ranger!" It was too late, the signal was gone.
- As the moon around them disintegrated, Jazz and Cliffjumper fought their way to a Space Hawk. Night Ranger's hands danced across the controls. "Got to blast free, if we can," cried Jazz.
- Cliffjumper fired up the engines. "Ignition, and--"
- "Time to go!" declared Turbo, and the Space Hawk tore free of the planet's surface...
- ...only for the engines to stall in the focused gravitational field.
- Night Ranger tried to keep the edge of panic from his voice. "Jazz, we're not gonna make it!"
- The engines finally failed, and the Autobot frigate was pulled inside the vortex.
- Back in Guardian City, Major Mo had managed to find a working video monitor. Moonbase 2 reported on the destruction. "This is Spike and Scooter, up here on Moonbase 2."
- Scooter chimed in. "You guys aren't gonna believe this... Moonbase 1 was just swallowed whole by some kind of mechanical planet!"
- "And it's heading this way," Spike added.
- "We'll try to slow it down," noted Bumblebee.
- Matt got the last word in, with Anya held nervously in his arms. "But you'd better get here pronto, because we're not gonna--" and the signal cut out again.
- Nick and A.J. looked at the static-filled screen, askance. "Matt!" they both cried, in unison.
- On the moon, Matt, Anya, and Bumblebee did their best to initiate self-destruct. Anya plugged in a final connection, then gave Matt the thumbs up. "We'll either destroy it, or give it the worst case of indigestion in history."
- Scooter motioned for his friend to follow him. "Spike, the explosives are live! We gotta get outta here!" He converted to his motor scooter configuration, and Spike hopped on. They rode to a crescent-shaped Autobot frigate and flew free, headed towards Earth. The three occupants watched, silently, as the planet's enormous pincers impaled the moon, pulling it inexorably into the "mouth" of the world. The moon was halfway inside when the countdown ended, and a world-shattering explosion blanked out all their sensors.
- The Space Hawk was buffeted by shock waves caused from the destruction of two worlds, sending it tumbling. Bumblebee managed to regain control. He and his two human companions enjoyed a moment of revelry, until Anya spied a monitor... the planet still existed, was still in Cybertron's orbit. "Nyet, is not possible!"
- Spike and Scooter looked at where she pointed. "There's not a scratch on it," the Guardian whined.
- Then the gravitational field expanded, and the frigate was pulled backwards towards the maw. As the ship was sucked inside, Matt cautioned his companions. "Hold on to your hats, guys, looks like we're going in."
- From Cybertron, Galvatron observed the proceedings with rage. "How dare Unicron. Cybertron and all its moons belong to ME!" Suddenly, his world was awash in red agony, and he tumbled to his knees.
- "Yes," opined Deadlift, "but remember, WE belong to HIM."
- Galvatron held onto his defiance for a moment longer. "I belong to nobody..." The agony became unbearable. "I will obey, Unicron." He stood, taking a moment to recover his equilibrium. "Renegades, Decepticons, to Earth!"
- * * * * *
- Vec-Tor gave up. Whatever damage Sideways had done, he couldn't fix it... here. He'd need to travel to the source universe, and correct the Omega damage there before he could heal his own universe. But he couldn't leave Sideways here, free to do harm. His old adversary was close, he could feel him. He set off through the maze that was the most ancient part of Old Gobotron, hunting a trickster, as the reality tapping into his own ceased its oscillations and settled into a resonance frequency.
- * * * * *
- Major Mo looked out over the assembled faces. "Autobots, Guardians, this new menace is more dangerous than every Decepticon and Renegade put together. Somehow we must destroy it before it devours Cybertron."
- Nick and A.J. shared a glance. A.J. gave voice to their shared concern. "But what about Earth? We can't leave it undefended."
- Major Mo attempted to be reassuring. "We'll leave Blaster behind, and there's always General Newcastle and UNECOM."
- Springer wasn't so sure. "And what are we gonna do when we get there? That thing crunches moons it'll make short work of us."
- Major Mo did his best to keep a calm tone of command. "Maybe the Matrix can stop it."
- "You're right, it can!" Hot Rod blurted.
- Kup looked at him questioningly. "What do you know about it, lad?"
- The youth started to answer. "I just got this feeling--" but was interrupted by Springer, pointing into the sky and shouting. Laser fire rained down on the assembled Autobots and Guardians. The Decepticons and Renegades had returned!
- Major Mo pointed towards the landing pads on the east side of the city. "To the Command Centers!"
- Galvatron, Deadlift, Fracture, and a number of Renegades watched in delight as the Autobots and Renegades below them scattered. Galvatron spied the target of his wrath and let loose a blast, which Major Mo managed to dodge. "I, Galvatron will crush you just as Megatron crushed Leader-1"
- Major Mo raised his fists into the air and fired off a blast, striking Galvatron but causing little damage. "And you'll die trying, just like Megatron!"
- Galvatron shook a fist at his opponent. "Guardian scrap!"
- Deadlift flew next to his leader. "You want me to gut Major Mo?"
- Galvatron shook his head. "There are plenty of Guardians for you. Major Mo is MINE!"
- At the Command Center, Motosan and Bullseye struggled to convince the Dinobots to board one of the two ships available to them. Major Mo arrived, exasperated. "You two, get the Dinobots on the shuttle!"
- Bullseye threw up his hands in exasperation. "These beasties are impossible!" Motosan nodded in agreement.
- "Fine, you two with me. Kup, Hot Rod, you guys get the Dinobots aboard and get out of here!"
- The Dinobots were no more cooperative for the Autobots than they were for the Guardians. They destroyed several of the green Deadlift clones before intensifying laser fire forced them into the ship.
- Meanwhile, Springer ran towards the second Command Center, alongside Nick and A.J. "Looks like we're shipmates, guys."
- A.J. laughed. "The more things change..."
- "...the more things stay the same," finished Nick.
- The Autobot picked up his two companions, one in each hand, and ran into the ship. Major Mo followed them on, then ran to the controls next to Springer. "Hurry," he urged. And the Command Center's engines started to power up.
- A.J. glanced out the hatch, then shouted. "Hang on a second, guys, we're down one!" Indeed, Arcee was running for the hatch, which was starting to lift off-the ground. Springer abandoned his controls and reached out, urging her to jump. She crouched and maxed her hydraulic systems, propelling her into the sky just high enough for him to catch her and drag her in. Nick hit the button to close the hatch, smiling at the two Autobots as they flirted with each other despite, or perhaps because of, the danger.
- The Command Center joined its fellow in slipping the bonds of Earth's gravity well, and they set course for Cybertron.
- * * * * *
- Darn that Guardian, thought Sideways. He was closing in, making Sideways feel claustrophobic among Gobotron's ancient tunnels. Vec-Tor had unusual powers, and the Decepticon had no desire for a straight confrontation with the Guardian.
- Sideways looked left and right, hoping for inspiration. Then, unexpectedly, it came! He heard voices from a grill above his head. Could he be that close to the surface? He removed a panel and crawled into the ductwork, seeking a path up. The ancient dust clogged his filters, causing him to suppress a cough. One passage seemed promising, but narrow, so he wormed his way up, slowly but steadily gaining ground. Once he got to the surface, he could trans-phase to Cybertron and team up with Gong.
- Finally, he came to the top of the shaft he was in. He braced both legs against a panel that looked loose and kicked with all his might, knocking it forward. As he started to squirm out, two Guardians stepped into view, Bullet and Mach-3. They raised their fists and powered their blasters. "Vec-Tor warned us to watch out for you. You're coming with us!"
- * * * * *
- In space, the Autobots and Guardians tried to relax into the voyage through hyperspace. On board Command Center 33, Kup amused the Dinobots by spinning tall tales of Zod and Scales, while Hot Rod honed his skills, battling a Ridge Runner drone for practice. Their respite soon ended when the hull shook, impacted by laser fire from what appeared to be a highly augmented Thruster.
- Kup yanked the controls, attempting to dodge an incoming spate of moleculon missiles, and Hot Rod took his place as co-pilot. "They're closing on us!" he remarked.
- "Yup," agreed Kup, "Like the Quick-Steps of Zeeros!"
- To Hot Rod, that observation offered a thin strand of hope. "How'd you beat them?"
- Kup cast his mind back. "I'm trying to remember, we lost a lot of good Autobots on Quartex... oh, yeah, we re-routed the gravity dampeners!"
- Fingers dancing across the controls, Hot Rod did what Kup suggested, creating an artificial gravity field directly aft of the ship. The missiles slammed into them, detonating prematurely, though the explosion rocked the Command Center.
- "All right," sighed Hot Rod with relief, "we survived that!"
- "Yeah," observed Kup, "but will we survive THIS?"
- Inside the Thruster, Galvatron worked the controls. The Command Center was damaged, and would be easy prey. "Fracture, finish them." Fracture launched herself from the Thruster and closed with the damaged Command Center, even as the Thruster engaged the undamaged Command Center.
- Fracture closed with the Command Center and unleashed blast after blast, each one causing more and more damage. Warning lights blared, and a collision alert sounded. He wrestled with the controls, trying to drop from hyperspace, or change trajectories. The ship was completely non-responsive. "I can't control it!"
- Hot Rod yanked the motivator from the controls, and the ship finally dropped from hyperspace... too late! They smashed into an asteroid orbiting a dangerous, rocky world with an angry atmosphere.
- In Command Center 09, Springer turned to his leader. "Kup and Hot Rod just bought it."
- Major Mo nodded. "We shall grieve for them later. Right now, survival takes priority.
- Springer glanced at Motosan, who shrugged. Neither saw a way out. "You have big plans for that, boss, I suggest you share them with us."
- The Guardian commander steeled his nerves. "Springer, prepare for emergency separation."
- "That's too dangerous!" Bullseye objected.
- "It's not a suggestion, it's an order. Initiate on my mark... now!"
- Even as the control module separated from the rest of the ship, moleculon missiles honed in on their quarry. As one, they slammed into the hull, and the superstructure of the ship erupted into a short-lived new sun.
- Deadlift smirked. "The Autobots and Guardians have been terminated."
- Galvatron shared in the sense of triumph. "Excellent... and the Matrix with them." His satisfaction was short lived, for blinding red agony returned. In that instant, he vowed that, no matter how powerful Unicron was, Galvatron would bend the mysterious being to his will... and then terminate him. He ordered his subordinate to take him to Unicron as soon as Fracture was aboard, and the agony subsided.
- Meanwhile, on board what was left of Command Center 09, Major Mo ordered Motosan to find a nearby planet to set down for repairs. They were in luck... the planet of rock was only a few light years away.
- Ask Vector Prime ECHOES AND FRAGMENTS
- Part 3 - Terror on Two Worlds!
- Vec-Tor smiled in satisfaction at Sideways, now safely behind energy bars inside the Gobotron Fortress. The guard, Twister, looked worried, but Vec-Tor knew Sideways' abilities perhaps better than Sideways himself did. As long as he was constrained thusly, he was little threat to anyone.
- "Ah, Sideways, mischievous imp of the multiverse. How unpleasant of you to drop in on this corner of time/space."
- Sideways spat. "I have nothing to say to you, Vec-Tor, and sooner or later you know I'll get free."
- Vec-Tor gave a shrug. "Of that I've no doubt. But not before I correct whatever little game you're playing. Tell me where the other reality is?"
- Sideways played dumb. "What reality?" Vec-Tor pulled up a chair and sat, waiting patiently. For several hours, he merely sat and watched, his senses focused on the Decepticon before him.
- Finally, his serenity was rewarded. A button on Sideways' left arm glowed, and Gong's voice emerged. "What's going on at your end, partner? You giving up --" Sideways quickly clamped his right hand over the button, terminating the call, but Vec-Tor had been ready.
- "Ah, I see. Gong. Of course. I need to repair BOTH universes to repair either." With that, Vec-Tor converted to his ship mode and flew out of the detention facility. His Critias Gateway glowed, and he exited reality.
- * * * * *
- On Antares III, Hot Rod found himself under some sort of fluid, ammonia perhaps, tangled up in some mechanical vines. The more he struggled, the more he seemed to be tangled up. He cried for help, but got no answer. A small purple mech took notice of him, a sort of purple submarine-thing, and edged closer. "Who is it that has intruded upon Odd Ball's domain?" the mech asked as it converted to a humanoid mode. He approached Hot Rod and opened a fanged mouth. "Dinner, perhaps? I'm in the mood for robo-fingers!"
- The monster grabbed at Hot Rod's hand, but the Autobot was quicker. He retracted his fist and extruded a spinning saw, catching the creature by surprise. Hot Rod waved his arm about wildly, driving Odd Ball back while simultaneously freeing himself from the vines. The small creature decided easier prey existed elsewhere, converted back to his travel mode and swam off.
- Hot Rod's work wasn't done. A feeble cry, Kup maybe, reached his audio receptors. Hot Rod converted to his car mode and sped towards the danger unflinchingly. He arrived in time to see Kup clutched in the hand of an enormous combiner. "More food for Monsterous!" cried the beast.
- Hot Rod took aim with his exhaust weapons and fired. The beast roared, then tore Kup apart and threw the pieces away. Hot Rod kept up a steady stream of fire, causing the enormous monster to flinch, then grab Hot Rod with his right hand. Hot Rod immediately activated his saw blade and cut the creature on the wrist several times, severing a hydraulic line and causing the fist to involuntarily release the Autobot. Hot Rod wasn't done, though. He took aim and shot the creature directly in the slightly-too-small head, causing it to separate into six component parts. The leader, a blue mech with a bizarre featureless ovoid for a face, sounded the retreat, and the creatures withdrew into the ammonian depth.
- Kup lay face-down on the ocean bottom. He looked terrible, his right arm and left leg torn completely free. Hot Rod turned him over and cradled him in his arms. "Kup... talk to me!"
- There was no light in Kup's eyes for several long seconds... then a faint blue glow came into them. "Fix me," he weakly commanded.
- "Sure, Kup. Right away!" Hot Rod gathered up Kup's pieces, and gently carried him until he reached a silicon shore.
- * * * * *
- The control module of Command Center 09 approached Quartex with few working controls. The Autobots and Guardians aboard had done their best to patch things, but it was a futile effort. Major Mo hoped they could somehow salvage the ship if they--ONCE they--landed. "Brace for collision," he ordered.
- It did little good. Without functioning retro-thrusters, they slammed into the rocky ground at full speed. Some portion of his mind observed Arcee shielding A.J. from impact with her body, and Bullseye stashing Nick in his cockpit. The ships bounced several times before the various collisions caused it to skid to a halt. The Autobots and Guardians lay on the floor or slumped over consoles, and Major Mo gave a silent prayer he hadn't killed them all. "Sound off."
- There were several groans, then a bit of debris fell on Springer. He pulled himself to a sitting position. "Remind me to give the Autopilot a raise." Arcee lifted herself up, and inquired after A.J., who was mercifully unhurt. The other got to their feet. Incredibly, there were no serious injuries.
- Sadly, they couldn't rest on their moment of triumph. Trying to... somehow... get the ship spaceworthy enough to get to Cybertron took priority. One bright spot was outfitting Nick and A.J. with exosuits belonging to Matt and Dr. Turgenova, giving them enough protection to help with the dangerous job of ship repair.
- As they got to work, several seemingly ordinary boulders a few miles away transformed into humanoid configurations. The lead one, a quartz creature called Tombstone, idly petted a Narligator while surveying the scene.
- One of his two subordinates, Rock Shot, had a profound mastery of the obvious. "Magmar won't appreciate intruders on his territory."
- Tombstone glowered at the Shock Rock, until his bauxite underling mumbled an apology. Tombstone couldn't help but acknowledge that Rock Shot had a point. He turned to his other minion, a small silver Rock Lord. "Slimestone, go to Stonehead and inform our lord that we have intruders. He'll want to deal with them... personally!"
- * * * * *
- On the shore of the ammonia sea of Antares III, Hot Rod put the finishing touches on his repair job. Filled with pride, he inquired as to Kup's status. Kup, naturally, grumbled about the quality, though he soon acknowledge that, under the circumstances, it was an amazing job. They set off to find the Dinobots, but were soon confronted by several strange monstrous vehicles.
- The lead vehicle, a treaded scorpion, rolled close to them. "What do you think, Bladez?"
- The blue wheeled tank, with front-mounted black claws and five angry tines on either side of him, snapped his talons menacingly. "I think we're going to have an excellent meal, Scorp!"
- Hot Rod raised his fists, ready for a fight, but Kup interposed his arm. "Don't act hostile," he whispered, "I'll use the Universal Greeting." Hot Rod was skeptical, but deferred to his more-experienced companion. "Bah-weep-Graaaaagnah wheep ni ni bong," Kup gravely intoned. Hot Rod repeated it in disbelief.
- Much to their surprise, the creatures glanced at each other, then repeated the phrase themselves, in confusion as much as anything else. Two more of the bizarre vehicles edged closer, a blue-and-yellow wheeled ship shaped vaguely like an arrowhead, and a blue and purple winged craft with twin silver missiles. Still, none of the creatures had opened fire yet. Kup seemed to take that as a good sign. "See! The Universal Greeting works every time. Now, without making any sudden moves, offer them an energon goody." He and Hot Rod did so, handing out for potent energon strips. Each of the bizarre vehicle/creature amalgams took one.
- Hot Rod groused that the endeavor was becoming expensive, but Kup waved off his concerns. "Don't worry, they'll reciprocate." The creatures crowded around them, eager for more, but the Autobots' stock was depleted.
- "I thought they were supposed to reciprocate," remarked Hot Rod. He spread his hands. "No more."
- Kup tossed the empty dispenser over his shoulder. "Sorry, that's it."
- "You hear that, Bugsie?" asked the blue and purple mech.
- "Indeed, Hornet," his companion replied. "After you?" As one, the monster creatures converted to humanoid form and swarmed over the two Autobots, quickly overwhelming them.
- Unseen behind an outcropping, two small robots witnessed the proceedings. They trailed the Monster GoBots and their prisoners at a discrete distance all the way to the mighty fortress of the Master Renegade. "What do you think, Squirt?" asked the larger of the two. "Shotgun," replied the smaller, "I think those mechs are gonna need to find some help. Let's go find the others!"
- Inside the fortifications, Kup and Hot Rod were pushed along by the four Monster GoBots, bound with energy chains. Their complaining was interrupted when they came to a huge central chamber, dominated by a pit in the center. A lonely outcropping extended forth over the pit, with a hapless grey-and-blue mech with a huge spinning saw mounted in his chest standing upon it. High above the proceedings, a single cyborg sat in an ornate chair, a human or humanlike alien with a cybernetic eye and shaggy white hair.
- Another Monster GoBot stood by a large lever, a grey/green beast with prominent horns jutting forth from either side of his head. "Has the Master Renegade reached a verdict?"
- The cyborg stood, a grim look on his face. "I have."
- The GoBot, with an air of formality, asked, "Guilty or innocent?"
- "Guilty!" the Master Renegade declared.
- The Monster GoBot pulled the lever and the platform under the condemned mech collapsed. "Feed him to the Dactyls!" he declared with evident glee. Surely enough, the end of the platform dropped and the blue pterodactyl-like mechs below tore the hapless victim to pieces. The Master Renegade bellowed in laughter.
- Hot Rod attempted a joke, but it fell flat. Scorp, Hornet, Bugsie, and Bladez pushed them into a cell and locked the door, mockingly repeating increasingly abstract iterations of the universal greeting as they did so. They looked about their cell, strewn with debris that had once been robotic life. "What is this place?" Hot Rod wondered.
- Unexpectedly, a voice from the shadows of the adjacent cell answered. "The world of the Monster GoBots, and the cruel Master Renegade. I am Crank. My planet was destroyed by Unicron."
- The mech stepped forward. He was a brown, with purple limbs, and dominated by a large drill in the center of his chest.
- Kup and Hot Rod exchanged glances. "Unicron?" asked Hot Rod. "Who's Unicron?"
- Crank's voice cracked. "A planet that devours everything in its path."
- "So that's the monster's name," whispered Kup reverently.
- Sadly, no more information would be forthcoming from this alien mech. The mech who had been manning the lever appeared at the doorway, with a blue and gold Monster GoBot behind him. "Pincher, Klaws, please! I'm the last survivor of Planet Zi!"
- Hot Rod rushed the bars, but the instant he made contact he received a huge jolt and was knocked backwards. The mech called Klaws snorted. "Don't worry, you'll get what's coming to you soon enough."
- The blue mech, Pincher evidently, pushed Crank to the end of the platform, while Klaws resumed his gruesome position as executioner. The trial was over in seconds, and then Crank was rent asunder.
- Kup and Hot Rod bowed their heads in sympathy. "Not the end I'd wish for, lad."
- * * * * *
- Elsewhere on Antares III, Swoop returned to the other three Dinobots, his scouting mission a failure. "Me Swoop no see nothing."
- Grimlock was undaunted. "Me Grimlock positive Hot Rod and Kup close."
- He and Slag got into a brief argument, which was interrupted by voices from behind a ridge. "You'll never find your friends going that way!"
- The Dinobot leader growled. "Who say that?"
- Five diminutive mechs emerged. "I'm Pistol, I lead the RoGuns. We crashed here--"
- Grimlock took a menacing step forward. "You no tell Grimlock how to find friends!" He lifted a powerful leg and stamped down, causing tremors that knocked Pistol and Shotgun to the ground. Pistol was unperturbed. "Rifle, Scope, combine and show them what-for!" Rifle and Scope formed a single powerful weapon, which Squirt caught. The fired off a low-powered warning shot, hitting Grimlock square in the face.
- "Why RoGuns shoot my nose?" he whimpered.
- Pistol had gotten to his feet by this point. "We don't have time to fight, your friends are in trouble. In trouble... back that way!"
- Grimlock was convinced. "Me Grimlock say, time to rescue Kup and Hot Rod!"
- * * * * *
- At the fringes of Cybertron's orbit, Unicron prepared to receive a visitor. Galvatron returned, to discover how he had displeased his 'master', and was none too happy about it.
- Vector Prime observed this from behind a bit of the planetary wreckage of the two moons Unicron consumed. With Unicron this close, it was dangerous for one such as he to approach Cybertron. He had had to waste hours, watching, waiting for Unicron's attention to become divided. That time, at last, had come, and so, ever so cautiously, Vector Prime made his way to the surface of the planet.
- If the Chaos Bringer and his herald acted according to script, Galvatron was about to be dispatched to the planet of rock, Quartex. Vector Prime couldn't believe how foolishly, foolishly and recklessly, Gong and Sideways were behaving. Cybertron was one of the axes on which the local multiversal sector spun. To link two realities where one was threatened by Unicron risked not just a single reality, but vast reality swaths. True, Unicron was fated to be destroyed, but who knew how the Gargent influx would change things? At any moment, the Autobots and Decepticons could go careening off-script.
- Vector dodged the small Renegades Breez and Pow Wow, guarding an entrance to Cybertron's interior. Soon, he thought, he would confront Gong and return things to their proper path... before disaster struck!
- * * * * *
- On Quartex, the repairs proceeded at a glacial pace. The Autobots and Guardians would be lucky if they had their craft spaceborn in less than a month. Still, they tried their best.
- Just over a hill, Magmar surveyed his assembled forces. He had no idea who these intruders were, and no desire to learn. He just wanted them of his planet, or better yet, smashed into rubble. He had quite an army... his Action Shock Rock drones, Dragon Stone type, were moving into position. The Snarlie-Narlie, mighty king of the Rock Narlies, had agreed to keep his Narlilizard, Narlirhino, Narlilions, and Narlibaboons out of the fight, and even allow Narlibats to serve as scouts. Tombstone had half of Magmar's forces, the Shock Rocks called Stone Hook and Rock Shot, and the Rock Lords Slimestone and Spearhead, ready to flank from the south. Magmar had with his the two-headed lieutenant, Sticks 'N Stones, along with Stoneheart, Brimstone, and Saberstone, covering the intruders from the north. It would be a short battle indeed.
- From inside his Stone Wing jet, Magmar raised his fist, about to give the order to attack, when he spied a large force descending from the sky. He quickly shifted his gesture to indicate a hold... he would see how these new arrivals interacted with the old ones.
- Major Mo felt his oil go cold. He turned to face a vast armada of Renegades and Decepticons.
- "It's Galvatron! We've got to draw them off, and double back to the module!" The Autobots and Guardians shifted into full retreat mode. It didn't matter, Fracture had spied the prize she sought. She landed and lifted her heavy foot, deliberately allowing it to fall. The powerful arc of energy shot forth, snaking along the ground until it met its target and the tortured craft exploded.
- Springer converted to his helicopter mode. "There goes the shuttle!"
- The Autobots and Guardians followed suit, converting to their vehicle modes that they might have some small chance of eluding their pursuers. Motosan and Arcee ran alongside Nick and A.J., still in their exosuits. "We'll never outrun them," voiced Nick, as their allies converted to vehicle modes and sped away.
- "Sure we can, Nick," encouraged A.J. "We just need to convert!" A.J. shifted into a small car form and sped away.
- Nick had never performed this operation before, so when Pocket and Jigsaw landed before him, he started to panic. Jigsaw raised a fist and prepared to fire, taunting him. "Guardian lapdog!"
- He focused his mental energy on the process, urging his mech suit to transform... and it did! He sped past the two Renegades, knocking them out of the way.
- Galvatron, however, only had eyes for Major Mo. The Guardian commander realized the strategy, and ordered his followers to withdraw. "Make a break for cover, I'll try to unleash the power of the Matrix!" He fired off at some boulders behind him, causing a landslide that cut his followers off from the Decepticon/Renegade onslaught.
- As Galvatron advanced, with Deadlift and Fracture close behind, Major Mo grappled with the Matrix. "Open... curse you, open!" The artifact remained stubbornly inert. "Leader-1, you promised the Matrix would save us when things seemed most grim."
- The purple Decepticon stretched out his hand. "Major... I want the Matrix."
- Major Mo looked at the three Decepticons before him, and the dozens of Renegades he had brought with him. The fight was hopeless. "All right... on one condition. Spare my men."
- Galvatron nodded. "Agreed." He stepped forward, and Major Mo, with the greatest of misgivings, handed over the most sacred Guardian relic. Galvatron grinned a wide grin, then punched Major Mo in the gut. The Guardian doubled over in pain. Galvatron grabbed his defeated adversary, steel hands tearing great gashes into Major Mo's superstructure. "Always remember, Guardian... you are nothing compared to Galvatron. Nothing!" He hurtled the battered Guardian over a hillock, then glanced down at his new prize. "Unicron, my master. With this, I shall make you... my... slave!"
- And, light years away, Unicron unleashed a roar of frustration, fearing that he had drawn focus to the one thing in the entire galaxy that could cause his defeat.
- Ask Vector Prime ECHOES AND FRAGMENTS
- Part 4 - Matrix Quest!
- Back on Gobotron, Twister stared at the strange mech Vec-Tor had asked him to guard. "Don't take your eyes off," was the exact phrasing the mysterious old Guardian had used. Sideways didn't look like any GoBot he'd ever seen before. Something about him gave the Guardian the willies. Fortunately, his shift was over any minute.
- The door chime announced that his relief was here. He turned to let Heat Seeker in. "Got a live one, I hear," his relief remarked.
- Twister nodded, and gestured to the energy cage with his thumb. "Yeah, really creeps me out too. Good luck!"
- Heat Seeker looked baffled. "What really creeps you out... an empty cage?"
- Twister turned, and sure enough, the energy cage was empty! "Oh, no no no!" He ran over, but there was no sign of Sideways. "How could he have gotten out? I only took my eyes off him for a minute!"
- Heat Seeker entered the security office. "Maybe there's a clue in the cage." He reached for the controls.
- At the last instant, Twister realized his error. "Nooooo!" he cried out, but Heat Seeker's fingers inevitably made contact with the power button, de-energizing the controls.
- Sideways dropped his trans-phase mode and reentered perceptible reality. Unpowered, the bars of the cage were simple steel, and he battered them aside as if they weren't even there. The two Guardians fired off bolts at him, but he grabbed Twister and slammed him into Heat Seeker, knocking both unconscious. Then he slipped out of the Gobotron Fortress, enveloped himself in trans-phase energy, and transited to another universe.
- * * * * *
- Kup and Hot Rod stood at the end of the platform over the Dactyl pit, having been led here by two more Monster GoBots, Vamp and Creepy. Klaws stood ready to drop them to their doom, but took the time to explain that they could beg for their lives if they liked. Kup whispered to Hot Rod that he couldn't transform, a side-effect of the energy bonds no doubt.
- From his platform, high above the proceedings, the Master Renegade looked down on them. "If you won't play the game, little Autobots, I'll have no choice but to terminate you now."
- "Game?" Hot Rod's reply was pregnant with contempt. "I'll give you games! Let me go and we'll see how tough you are!"
- The Master Renegade gave a deep laugh. "I suppose we will! Klaws... destroy them!"
- Klaws pulled the lever, and the platform fell out from under them. As it did, their bonds released, but they were now surrounded by countless hungry Dactyls. Hot Rod converted to his Cybertronian car mode and began to drive the perimeter of the pit, using centripetal force to drive up the very walls themselves and escape the pit. Kup, meanwhile, landed on the back of a Dactyl, infuriating it. The Autobot hung on for dear life as the beast followed its fellows in climbing each other's backs to escape the pit and pursue their escaping prey.
- As the battle spilled into the absurd parody of a courtroom, the Monster GoBots did their best to flee the ravenous beasts. Hot Rod derived some small satisfaction from that, but didn't see how he was going to escape becoming Dactyl chow. He fired off charge after charge at the beasts, driving them back or destroying them, but more kept coming. As his weapon ran out of power, he converted to car mode, smashing into Dactyl after Dactyl. Sooner or later, he knew, he'd get the angle wrong and cause himself serious damage, and that would be that. Kup, meanwhile, had learned to direct his Dactyl by creating two small wounds on the creature's carapace, one on either side, and applying a mild pressure. His beast was proving quite effective against its fellows. "I think I'm starting to like this guy!"
- Hot Rod converted back to his robot form and picked up a piece of a Dactyl's leg, using it as a makeshift flail. "Glad you're having fun. May as well go down swinging!"
- Hot Rod backed away from a Dactyl whose beak got within a fraction of an inch of decapitating him, only to get jumped by several Dactyls who had maneuvered behind him. "DESTROY THEM!" bellowed Klaws, only to get crushed by the enormous door of the compound bursting inward.
- The Dinobots, each of them ridden by a RoGun, tromped into the melee. Slag took a moment to apologize to the pinned Monster GoBot. Grimlock also had Squirt in his undersized tyrannosaurus rex arms, and was firing indiscriminately at the Dactyl horde. The Dactyls immediately turned their attention from Kup and Hot Rod to these much larger intruders. The Dinobots used their bulk to good effect, kicking, stomping, smashing, and burning any Dactyls that got near.
- From atop his dais, the Master Renegade shouted down at the suddenly recalcitrant Dactyl swarm. "What are you waiting for, mindless beasts? Obliterate these Cybertronians!"
- Grimlock roared, and stamped his foot, sending tremors throughout the compound. "Me Grimlock say obliterate HIM," pointing to the scrawny cyborg. The Dactyls looked left and right, their tiny processors weighing this new option that had suddenly presented itself. With a shrill CAAAW, they started swarming the walls, climbing the bodies of their fellows to get at their former master and current target.
- Kup, still on Dactyl-back, smiled with satisfaction. "I think the problems on this planet will be solved very shortly."
- Hot Rod looked up. "Yeah, cowboy, but what about our problems? We need a ship."
- Pistol jumped from Grimlock's back. "That's where we can help each other. The Master Renegade has a craft close by. We can take you there, if you get us off this planet."
- Hot Rod leaned down to get a better look at the diminutive mech, hands on his knees. "Who are you guys?"
- Grimlock answered, proud to know something Hot Rod didn't for a change. "Them RoGuns. Them friends!"
- "Great," quipped Hot Rod. "Any friend of Grimlock's is a friend of mine. This ship, it'll get us off this rock?"
- Scope nodded. "I've scouted it out. It's a bit, um, grungy, but it'll do."
- Kup urged his Dactyl towards the ship. "To the Grungy!"
- * * * * *
- In the bowels of Cybertron, Gong was bored. He had expected more movement from Sideways, more alterations to the Omega Locks. OK, sure, there were a few minutes there where things were in crazy flux, but Sideways hadn't touched them since. Gong had half a mind to just completely overwrite the reality Sideways was inhabiting with this one and see how the two-faced Decepticon liked that.
- Then Gong heard Sideways urgently cry his name. "Well, speak of the devil! I was just wondering what was up with--"
- "Save it, Gong! Vector Prime is onto us."
- Gong froze. "Oh, scrap!"
- * * * * *
- On Quartex, Bullseye managed to locate the battered and dented form of Major Mo. The Autobots and Guardians gathered around him. Arcee was the first to his side. "He... he's alive, thank the Last Engineer. But... but he's lost the Matrix."
- Motosan's head fell into his hands. "Without the Matrix, we have no chance against that planet smasher."
- Springer bent down next to Major Mo. "Well, I guess we start by repairing our leader, and--"
- Nick interrupted him, pointing at a ridge which was now festooned with living rock. "LOOK!"
- Magmar, realizing he'd been spotted, sounded the battle cry. "Rock Lords... ATTACK!"
- The Autobots and Guardians were in no shape for a fight. Wordlessly, they began to flee, Springer hosting Major Mo's battered form onto his shoulder. They were surrounded, though, with two camps of Rock Lords on either side of them and hordes of treaded rock drones cutting off their retreat down the valley.
- With little choice, they stood and fought. Arcee fired off several shots, hitting Brimstone and Saberstone, but they merely converted to their boulder modes and rolled backwards with the shot, before converting back to their humanoid configuration and advancing again.
- "It's not hard to knock em down," observed Springer, "it's getting them to STAY down that's the trick!"
- More boulders converted to humanoids, and soon Rock Shot and Stone Hook were grappling with Motosan and Bullseye.
- "They're indestructible," worried Arcee, as Spearhead managed to snag her blaster.
- "And they've got us surrounded," observed A.J, who had to take several steps back, lest Sticks N' Stones grab her. At their failure, they began grumbling at each other.
- Springer spied Magmar, directing the battle from atop his Stone Wing jet, and charged with his sword, knocking aside Stoneheart on the way. Magmar barely had time to raise an axe, and the two engaged in a brief but savage melee.
- Things seemed hopeless... until three huge bestial shapes rode over a hillock. Two were rock creatures, the Rockasauruses Terra-Roc and Spikestone, the third was... Kup, riding his pet Dactyl.
- "I'm thinking I'll name this guy... Gnaw," he said. They weren't alone. With them came half a dozen friendly Rock Lords, charging into battle, three Jewel Lords, hanging back and directing the Rockasauruses, and the enormous Fossilsaurus. Boulder directed the battle, riding his Rock Pot vehicle. Action Shock Rock drones, of Blast Rock and Stun Stone varieties, rounded out the reinforcements.
- Magmar wasted little time in sounding the retreat. The Autobots and Guardians looked at the new rock faces before them, stunned. Hot Rod hopped off of the Rock Pot.
- "Autobots, Guardians... allow me to introduce Boulder!" He gestured up at the tungsten Rock Lord. "We tracked your Command Center module to this planet, but had to put down on the other side of it. Luckily, when we bumped into Boulder and his pals, we decided to try out the old Universal Greeting. Boulder had been wondering what drew Magmar out of Stonehead in such force. Turns out, it was you."
- Boulder stretched forth a hand, and Springer took it gladly. "Never been so glad to shake hands with a rock!"
- Boulder introduced his fellow warriors. "I'm the leader of this tribe. This is Granite, Nuggit, Marbles, Pulver-Eyes, Crackpot, and Rock Roller. The Fossilsaurus up there is Rib Cage, Jaw Bone, Hip Bone, and Tail Bone. And the Jewel Lords are our trusted allies, Solitaire, Flamestone, and Sunstone." At that moment, a narly jumped into Arcee's arms. She was startled for a moment, but then stroked its soft fur. "Oh, and that's our pet Narlihog. Unlike most of the Narlies on this planet, he's tame."
- Grimlock stomped forward, Pistol still riding him. "Me Grimlock bored of handshakes. Me say we need big party!" The Autobots, Guardians, RoGuns, and Rock Lords laughed, happy to be able to take a moment to catch their collective breaths. Crackpot converted to his boulder mode, and Pulver-Eyes began to play him like a drum. The Dinobots began dancing with Fossilsaurus, who soon separated into his component parts. Rib Cage waltzed with Grimlock, Hib Bone boogied with Sludge, Tail Bone tangoed with Swoop, and Jaw Bone broke it down with Slag. Flamestone took Arcee's hand and Springer took Sunstone's, before they traded partners. Nuggit tried to imitate the breakdancing style of the RoGuns. Kup was somehow able to make his Dactyl, Gnaw, do a two-step, and Hot Rod spun Rock Roller around. Motosan and Bullseye showed off their moves to Granite. Marbles even kissed Grimlock on the nose, much to his consternation.
- The moment was soon broken, though, as Major Mo returned to a weak consciousness.
- "You... you're all alive."
- Hot Rod asked the question on everyone's minds. "The Matrix?"
- Major Mo confirmed their fears. "It's gone."
- Kup shook his head, sadly. "And with it, all hope."
- Autobots and Guardians bowed their heads in grief, convinced that their world was forfeit. Only Hot Rod remained defiant. "No. I refuse to believe that. There's only one place Galvatron would take the Matrix... Cybertron. We've got to get to Cybertron!"
- Solitaire coughed. "Quartex is not without recourse when it comes to space travel." She pointed to a beautiful, gleaming crystal spire close to the horizon.
- "That's a ship?" Kup exclaimed.
- Hot Rod had a broad grin. "Who cares, as long as it flies?"
- And so, four races, Guardians and Autobots, RoGuns and Rock Lords, made their way to two ships to do battle with Galvatron, retrieve the Matrix, and defeat Unicron.
- * * * * *
- Vector Prime entered the Omega Lock chamber cautiously. Gong may have been more a prankster than a villain, but this close to the essence of Primus, he was still incredibly dangerous. "Come out, Gong, you know not the forces you're playing with."
- The ancient Autobot attempted to sense Gong's presence, but the overwhelming energy of Cybertron's multiversal frequencies drowned out all lesser noises. The shadowy corridors, dating to Cybertron's very formation, filled Vector Prime with an unaccountable sense of dread. Something was very wrong here.
- He turned a corner and spied Gong's back. Perhaps this could end without undue harm. "Gong. You've had your fun. Now, it's time to come with me." Gong remained eerily motionless. Vector took a tentative step forward. "There's no reason to belabor this, Renegade. Come quietly, I promise you fair treatment." No reaction. Tentatively, Vector Prime reached out a hand.
- The instant he made contact with Gong's shoulder, Gong's head spun 180 degrees around. "Let's get this party started, hehehehe!" Gong's whole body magnetized, and Vector Prime found himself stuck.
- "What are you hoping to accomplish, Gong? You'll have to release me if you want to take any significant action."
- At that moment, Sideways stepped from the shadows. "He might, but I won't." Vector realized his predicament, immobilized in the face of Sideways' wrath. Sideways fired off a missile and struck Vector in the side, causing damage and throwing him and Gong backwards.
- "I need a miracle," thought Vector Prime.
- Then the world shuddered in the largest cyberquake it had ever known. Instantly, Vector knew what had happened. Galvatron had attempted to use the Matrix and failed, and Unicron was beginning his assault on Cybertron. If the Omega Locks were to be fixed, now was the time.
- Fortunately, the juddering walls afforded Vector Prime the opportunity to push Gong into a suddenly-exposed power conduit. The resulting surge shorted out Gong's electromagnet and allowed Vector Prime to wrench himself free. Gong was unconscious, at least for a few minutes, but Sideways still stalked the tunnels. Vector was torn, but opted to head back for the locks. Ensuring Cybertron survived the next few minutes had to take priority!
- * * * * *
- The Grungy and the crystal ship emerged from hyperspace, confronting the inhabitants with a clash on the scale of the gods. Unicron, now in his humanoid form, straddled Cybertron and was engaged in a pitched battle with the entire Renegade and Decepticon armies.
- On board the Grungy, Springer voiced what they were all thinking. "I don't believe it."
- Hot Rod nervously attempted to lighten the mood with a joke, asking what this reminded Kup of, but, for the first time anyone could remember, his endless repertoire of war stories had nothing remotely close. A.J. swallowed. "Moonbase 2 is gone... do you suppose Matt--"
- "That's what we're gonna find out," Hot Rod vowed. He grabbed the controls and the Grungy engaged Unicron, raining fire on the titanic figure. He retaliated with a huge torrent of energy, blasted from his mouth, which clipped the crystal ship but caused little damage the industrious Rock Lords couldn't repair. A glancing blow on the Grungy proved more damaging, and Hot Rod had little choice but to aim for the eye and hope for the best.
- * * * * *
- At the Omega Lock controls, Vector Prime forced himself to be calm. Though Cybertron was wounded, the controls still seemed to be responsive. One by one, he eased each constant of this reality back to its nominal state. Seven constants remaining... six... three... one...
- Before he could repair the final constant and sever the link between this reality and the Gargent world of Vec-Tor, he sensed and incoming missile and dodged. Sideways wasn't letting him succeed without a fight.
- "Sideways, think, if Unicron destroys this reality, he destroys you with it!" Vector's optics darted, trying to catch sight of his adversary.
- A voice echoed from the darkness. "And you think I fear death? I WELCOME death! The sweet embrace of oblivion is a nectar most dear to me."
- Vector slowly circled away from the controls, "Did Gong realize that was the goal all along?"
- The echoing staccato of Sideways' laugh filled the dusty corridors. "Gong was an idiot. He had no clue what the endgame was."
- That's it, thought Vector, just keep talking. Out loud, he shouted, "You are too late, knave. Reality is saved. You may as well depart this dimension and hope for better luck in the next world."
- "YOU LIE!" roared his adversary.
- Vector had moved so he could observe the Omega Lock controls without being seen. He put as much arrogance into his voice as he could. "Try me."
- * * * * *
- As Sideways and Vector Prime battled deep inside Cybertron, so too did Galvatron and Hot Rod struggle over the Guardian Matrix of Leadership. Galvatron was immensely powerful, and Hot Rod did his best with hit and run tactics, but found himself getting the life choked out of him. "I will crush you with my bare hands," growled the Decepticon. "Die, Autobot." As he felt his life slipping away, Hot Rod found an absurd thought in his head. What's a Guardian?
- * * * * *
- Above, the Junkions and Dinobots faltered, the last bit of resistance Cybertron had against the Chaos Bringer crumbling. Below, Vector prayed Sideways would fall for his bluff. Come on, he though, you can't risk that I might be telling the truth. Just as he began to despair, Sideways cursed and ran for the controls. Vector summoned the Rhisling from subspace and charged, putting a large gash in Sideways' side. Death he might seek, but pain... pain was another story. Sideways yelped, converted to motorcycle form, and drove away.
- Vector ran to the controls, praying he could unlink this reality from the Gargent stream before disaster struck.
- * * * * *
- "First, Prime, then Ultra Magnus, and now, you," growled the Decepticon. "It's a pity you Autobots die so easily, or I might have a sense of satisfaction now." At that instant, Hot Rod's fingers closed around the Guardian Matrix of Leadership. He tugged at it, but nothing happened, and he felt his spark slipping away...
- No, he resolved, one more try, I have to open the Guar--the--the Autobot Matrix! Incredibly, Hot Rod felt the power of the artifact coursing through him, invigorating him, making him invulnerable, filling him with wisdom. From the depth of its interior, he felt as much as heard the voice of his beloved fallen leader, Optimus Prime, urging him to rise as Rodimus Prime.
- Galvatron panicked and fired off several shots, shots which bounced off Rodimus Prime's chest but did knock the Matrix from his hand.
- Rodimus was undaunted. "This is the end of the road, Galvatron." Rodimus charged to Galvatron and, seemingly effortlessly, lifted him off the ground and hurled him out of Unicron and into deep space. Almost serenely, Rodimus retrieved the Matrix and willed it to open. "Now, light our darkest hour," he reverently intoned. Its cascading energies ripped through Unicron, destroying the dark god from the inside out.
- Somehow, Rodimus knew he had only minutes to locate his friends and lead them to safety, and he set forth to his task.
- * * * * *
- From the surface of Cybertron, Vector Prime observed another death of Unicron with equanimity. What should have been a straightforward battle had nearly turned into disaster, thanks to a nihilist and a trickster. Who knew when or where the next multiversal disaster would arise, or what might precipitate it.
- Vector Prime converted to his starship mode and roared off into the night.
- * * * * *
- With Unicron defeated and the Decepticons in retreat, the Autobots and Junkions pledged their friendship as Rodimus Prime declared victory over a broken planet. It wouldn't stay broken for long, Rodimus vowed. He would take the momentum he had this day and clear the planet of all Decepticons, rebuild, reaffirm the Autobot alliance with Earth, and generally make the galaxy a safer place.
- Below the surface, Sideways willed his nanoswarm to repair his injuries, but the bite of the Rhisling was resistant to his normal methods of autorepair. "So close," he muttered, "I was so close to victory. Ah, well, maybe next time."
- A shadow fell over him. He glanced up, but it was only Gong. "Hey, Renegade. This was a fun effort. Maybe next time..." He trailed off as he saw fury in Gong's eyes.
- "So I'm an idiot, am I? Well, this idiot is going to teach you a thing or two, hehehehe!"
- As Gong advanced on his still injured form, one thought flitted through Sideways' processor: "Oh, scrap."
February 11, 2016
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What's the most beautiful piece of artwork you've ever encountered?
.
.
A: While observing Primax 712.17 Iota, I was astounded by the transcendent, indescribable beauty of Quarto Quintesson's Ultrachip.
February 12, 2016
Q: Vector Prime,
Can you tell us anything about A1 and A2? Thank you for answering our questions sir!
.
.
A: Dear Paper Pusher,
If you like. A1 paper measures 59.4 x 84.1cm. A2 paper, meanwhile, is substantially smaller, at 42.0 x 59.4cm.
The A series of paper is based on a German standard, originated in 1922. It is a rather pleasing mathematical series. Each type has half the surface area of the type above it, up to the largest series in the range, A0. A0 is one square meter in area. The reason for the seemingly odd dimensions (A0 is 84.1x118.9cm, rather than the seemingly more intuitive 100x100cm) is to preserve the aspect ratio of the paper with each subsequent halving. Thus, artwork produced on A3 paper can be perfectly scaled down to A4. I find it a far more useful standard that the 8.5x11 inches favored by Americans.
I hope this answers your question fully, and to your satisfaction.
February 13, 2016
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Besides the Shroud and the multiverse's first universal stream, what is the greatest mystery you would like to see solved?
.
.
A: Dear Enigma Engineer,
Oh, so many. What is inside Marsellus Wallace's briefcase? How may licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop? What happens to Tony Soprano next? Was Deckard a replicant?
On the other hand, perhaps the ambiguity is the point. Perhaps the stories in our own mind are far better than what the writers can concoct. It is, I suppose, a matter for late-night discussions. Perhaps Galaxy Shuttle, Scorpia, and I can chew over this question together in the waning days of our voyage.
- Q: Since when is Vector Prime a 20th/21st Century Earth pop culture afficionado?
- Ask Vector Prime Were I interacting with, say, the inhabitants of Delta Pavonis IV, I would have made reference to the Felinian Heresies, the ambiguous ending of the Barkovian Trilogy, and perhaps their famous commercial about the copious quantities of rain and how it influences the desirability of fossil-fuel powered vehicles.
February 14, 2016
Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Betty or Veronica?
.
.
A: Dear Dichotomy Dabbler,
Someone has been observing Primax 1215.02-RH Lambda, I see. I find that universe refreshingly wholesome.
As to your question, I find Betty Cooper's good natured charm a fitting match for all-American-boy Archie Andrews. Veronica Lodge, while undoubtedly more sophisticated, can be at times vain. Having said that, both possess many positive traits, and see I no reason to rush to judgment. After all, they have many more decades to enjoy their teenage years.
As today is Valvolux Day, a day when unlikely pairbonding is celebrated, perhaps this would be an auspicious time to mention that Scorpia and I have decided to undergo Conjunx Ritus and become Conjunx Endura. You may have noticed that this voyage is taking an unusually long time--that is because we have been making frequent stops to observe the galaxy around us and appreciate its beauty in each other's company. Galaxy Shuttle has been rather a good sport about the whole thing, I must confess, putting up with our long and rambling conversations and giving us privacy by shutting off his internal sensors.
And now, we make our final approach to Nebulonian-controlled space. Wish us luck, my friends, my new life is soon to begin.
- Q: Can you tell us anything about Alpha Trion's friend Beta?
- Ask Vector Prime Betty. Not Beta. The blonde. You might want to get your sensors tuned.
- Q: Dear Vector Prime, if Betty and Veronica were binary bonded with Cybertronians as double Targetmasters, who would they most likely bond with?
- Ask Vector Prime If George Washington and Saint Thomas Aquinas were taxidermists in Ancient Egypt, what kind of olive would they be most likely to get into an argument concerning?
February 15, 2016
https://www.facebook.com/AskVectorPrime/videos/755488077916498/
Computer voice: Incoming message...
Vector Prime: Friends... I bring you good cheer from the planet Nebulos. The voyage was long, and not without its share of inconveniences and, yes, perils. Scorpia, Galaxy Shuttle, and I faced them down, and have grown close in the process. I will confess that my farewell to Galaxy Shuttle carried with it a certain melancholy quality. I hope to see his noble spark again.
I am confident that Scorpia at least shall share in this new chapter in my life. We have arrived here on Nebulos without harm, and, with the help of Safeguard, I have assumed my disguise on the planet's surface. I look forward to exploring its very engaging environs, in the Holomatter form I have chosen. I trust that, by appearing as a nonnative, any lapses in my knowledge can be explained away. Safeguard assures me that he shall be more than happy to show me around the splendid mountains, mighty rivers, verdant forests, gleaming spires, restless deserts, and ancient stonework of his home. It sounds like paradise.
Thank you for sharing in the grand experiment that is Ask Vector Prime. I shall endeavor to give the occasional answer, but my mission must come first. It has been my pleasure to interact with all of you in such a bold and unfiltered way, and I hope you have come away from the experience somewhat the richer for it. I know I have. For now... goodbye. May your luster never dull, and your wires never cross.
February 23, 2016
Jim Sorenson
https://www.facebook.com/notes/jim-sorenson/its-over-finished/10156510541980290
- It’s Over... FINISHED!
- At long last, the end of Ask Vector Prime is here. For about nine months of my life, I helped him answer questions about the magical and the mundane, the minutiae and the magnificent. It was a project different from any I've done before. Sure, I've made more than my share of Transformers (and non-Transformers) books, comics, stories, and articles. But this, this was an unfiltered Q&A, a project that depended entirely on the interaction with the audience with a delay of not more than a few weeks, months at most. I got to see what really mattered, what fans were really interested in, and then observe the response to my nattering as it unfolded. [WARNING: Long ramble ahead]
- I loved it.
- Really, truly, I absolutely loved it. His voice is one that I've been dabbling in since the first AllSpark Almanac, when he penned the summary for a comic which was itself a retelling of the first three episodes of Animated and needed a way to "see" all the disparate POVs in the book. I love his wisdom, his warmth, his cluelessness, his majesty, his timelessness, his wit, even his willingness to occasionally shill some product for sale in the real world, and did my best to bring all of that to the table. Along the way, I decided that he, or some version of him, needed a happy ending, and so set up his incognito mission to Nebulos with Scorpia, his once and future romantic interest, and Safeguard, his longtime companion.
- But it wasn't just Vector Prime, aka Vec-Tor, aka Vector Convoy, aka Vector Prima-Vectorum, that I loved. I loved the audience. Yes, even the ones who asked annoying questions, and there were a few. In some ways I'm shocked by how much people cared. At our apex, we had over a thousand subscribers, just north of ten thousand engaged users, and page impressions numbering in the 400,000 range. We inspired a discussion some five thousand comments long over on AllSpark.com, viewed well over 150,000 times. Ultimately, this was a fun little project with little side-stories told in very obscure corners of the Transformers multiverse. We tried to focus on continuities that had been all but forgotten, characters who had never received much if any fiction, and continuity disconnects that only those waving their geek flag the fullest and the proudest could be interested in. And yet, you came, and for that I will be forever grateful.
- I also loved dabbling in different voices. Sideways was the first, and he was a hoot to be sure. Then, when Vector Prime went away to help Nexus end Singularities once and for all, I got to play around with Grimlock, Swindle, Animated Sentinel Prime, Movie Bumblebee, Cy-Kill, Sky-Byte, and a non-released toy with absolutely no fiction or history not penned by me, Spacewarp. They were all fun, in their own way, though I think the amazing work Kellen Goff did bringing Bumblebee to life as a series of audio files is underappreciated. If you haven't checked them out yet, go to Vector Prime's videos and listen to a few. Really, he caught lightning in a bottle. But what surprised me even more was that, when I conducted a poll as to which host the audience liked best, it was almost evenly split (with over 2000 votes total) between Cy-Kill and Spacewarp. And thus, both came back. Transformers: Spacewarp's Log, led to a new series of 30's style pulp encounters for Spacewarp, and Transformers: Renegade Rhetoric, allowed Cy-Kill to recount some 48 new 80's style stock cartoon plot misadventures.
- Another aspect that made this project especially fulfilling was the many, MANY talented people I had the opportunity to work with and, in some cases, meet for the first time. There aren't enough words in the English language to properly thank Jesse Wittenrich and Pete Sinclair for giving me the chance to run this, start to finish. Jesse in particular provided invaluable editorial feedback and, in his own words, "kept me from going full Sorenson." He curbed my worst impulses and encouraged my best ones, and I could not have maintained the level of energy and quality and enthusiasm evidenced without his calm and steady feedback. He also provided some fantastic art, including the Vector Prime happy ending with Scorpia and Safeguard, and the profile picture for Spacewarp. (Not to mention profile pictures for Blackarachnia, Rook, Starscream, and some other Transtechies you'll be seeing in the not-too-distant future.)
- Then there are my fellow writers. Hirofumi Ichikawa in particular wrote some amazing entries, tying up some of the Binaltech / Alternity loose ends and expanding some other areas of JG1 that I otherwise wouldn't have had the confidence or knowledge to tackle. He either wrote or at least edited (nearly) every entry that touched on the tangled mess that is the OG World and all that flows from it. His Air Attack Optimus Primal entry was a masterpiece, to be sure, but I personally cherished learning the Alternity designations for several new continuities. Then there's my long-time friend Chris McFeely, who provided feedback on a number of entries (and also, like Jesse, filed off some of my rougher edges) and wrote some terrific stories for Renegade Rhetoric. I feel fortunate that this forum has allowed me to get to know Alexis Carlo better, and afforded her the opportunity to write several entries, one of which (concerning transgendered Transformers) became our single most shared post. Likewise, I got to meet Louis Sun, who provided much Universe War expertise and became our unofficial copy editor. He has easily eliminated a few hundred typos and parsing flubs, giving the project a polish that was difficult for us to otherwise maintain given the frenetic pace. Christopher Colgin became our unofficial artist towards the end, drawing up some nifty Hanna Barbara style designs, and I'm glad to have his boundless enthusiasm in my life.
- I could go on. Matt Karpowich, AKA Monzo, helped sanity check some of our early work. Vivian AKA Gearshift wrote up an entry or two and inspired one of the best episodes of Renegade Rhetoric. Andrew Hall, another long-time friend, shared some of his thoughts on Scrash, a character which he basically discovered and is uniquely qualified to write for. Professional creatives Dan Khanna, Matt Kuphaldt, Trent Troop, Glen Hallit, Simon Furman, and James Roberts all lent me their expertise on at least one answer. Bill Forster recolored Dominus Trannis from Rail Racer. Liam Shalloo made some awesome human versions of the GoBots main cast. Betsy Blackie and Brandy Dixon shared their beloved Rainmaker bios and art with the world. Matthew Reinhart shared some characters from his fantastic Transformers Pop-Up Book and some thoughts on what the design inspirations were.
- And then there are the actors! Peter Spellos, Richard Newman, and David Sobolov all generously shared their time and talent, reprising the classic characters they helped create for various Transformers shows. Daniel Ross, Abby Collins, Jon Bailey, Shane Morrison, Marissa Meizel, and Laura Knapton each helped bring our videos to life. Jon was particularly a treat to work with, as I've been bumping into him at conventions for years, so allowing him to voice an official Optimus Prime felt very right. And I'll never be able to write for Rook without hearing Daniel's snide delivery in my head. Oh, so perfect.
- Sorry, I know, long wall of text thanking a bunch of people. TL;DR version, I couldn't have done it alone, nor would I have wanted to. But with the help of all these people, not the least of which were the hundreds (thousands?) of people asking questions and the tens of thousands of people reading the answers, there wouldn't have been an Ask Vector Prime.
- Thanks to all of you for engaging with me in this unique forum. I know I stumbled occasionally, and that a small but vocal number of people didn't enjoy it; I respect their position even if it's not one I share. But, stumbles aside, I am incredibly proud of the work, both the caliber we managed to produce and the sheer length of it. Just for fun I cut and pasted the entire thing into a Word document. It clocked in at well over 500 pages. Holy crap! I mean, that's a good-sized novel worth of free Transformers content, delivered daily. Among all that, we managed to significantly expand on gender diversity with the Transformers franchise, including creating the first female Optimus Prime. We explored Vector Prime's ancient history. We created a whopping 65 new schemes for Cy-Kill to spring on the Guardians--alas, each one ultimately ending in failure. With lots of help, we filled out the ranks of the Multiversal 13 just in advance of blowing them up. Jesse and I finished off the ranks of the Convoy. With Bill Forster's help we provided a little fiction for all of those weird but cool Human Alliance characters. I got to indulge in my yen for Mini-Cons, sorting many many more of them into teams. With a little guidance from Simon Furman, we were able to detail the future of forgotten splinter timelines like Rhythms of Darkness and Twilight's Last Gleaming. And let's not forget all of the masterful, painful, groan-inducing puns that we dropped along the way to dodge the questions we didn't want to (or weren't allowed to) answer.
- What's next from me? Well, expect more from the Axiom Nexus News crew, albeit sporadically. Beast Wars: Uprising still has a few tales left. I expect I'll be writing up a special BotCon retrospective in a few months. And look for a couple of non-Transformers books from me from IDW Publishing before the end of the year. But for the next few weeks, I'll take some time to relax with my family, play some table-top RPGs, catch up on some superhero TV, and enjoy a slight break from Transformers. But only a slight one, for I do love the richness of the mythology, the intricacy of the tapestry, the depth of the lore. I believe Ask Vector Prime added something new to said mythology, and hope you do to.
May 2016
May 2, 2016
Ask Vector Prime to Spacewarp's Log
Fans of Spacewarp, rejoice! Her action figure will soon be available as part of the Transformers Figure Subscription Service 5.0, only available from the Transformers' Collector's Club. Order yours today!
November 2016
November 21, 2016
November 22, 2016
What's this? A disturbance rippling across the multiverse? I hope you see your way to helping my brethren in this time of spatiotemporal challenges!
November 23, 2016
Through a break in the increasingly-omnipresent Shroud, I sense distress! Only You can guide the Spatiotemporal Challengers to their ultimate destiny! Be sure to head to Yat--er, ah, that is, head to Twitter and vote before the month is out!
- Ask Vector Prime Should it be Bad Boy who goes on this fateful mission? Or perhaps Road Ranger?
- Ask Vector Prime The powerful Treds would be useful in any dangerous situation. And the unpredictable Buggy Man is never to be underestimated.
- Ask Vector Prime Perhaps it is Rest-Q whose healing shall save the day. Or mayhaps the great experience and wisdom of Man-O-War is what is needed.
- Ask Vector Prime Path Finder shall lead the team, that much is assured. But the neophyte Small Foot also has much to prove, and much to offer. Choose wisely!
- Ask Vector Prime I forget... November has how many days? Well, perhaps it's not terribly important.
- Q: Erm... dumb question, but... how do I vote?
- Ask Vector Prime Go to Twitter and employ the appropriate... what is the word? Hash tags.
August 2020
August 25, 2020
My good friend Rhinox has alerted me to some strange multiversal transmissions, detected by his long-dormant instruments—another iteration of me seems to have made contact with the Quadwal cluster! He certainly is a charming fellow, although I can't speak to the veracity of his assertions—or his taste in armament. Unlike me, he seems strictly non-cannon.
http://askvectorprime.tumblr.com/
