Transformers: Survival of Defective Products

The smoke billowed through the thick alloy wall and returned to the shelter. He clutched the Hammer of the Pride of the Heavens tightly in his arms and almost fell over due to the weight of the hammer when he landed.

"By the grace of God…" he stammered, frantically trying to steady himself. "Why is this thing so heavy?!"

Optimus Prime was still leaning against the same spot, the optical mirrors were dim and flickering, and the spark signal was weaker than before the smoke screen left.

Smokescreen, dragging the Hammer of the Proud Sword, ran over: "I got it!"

Optimus Prime struggled to open his optical glasses, but his expression remained unchanged: "Smokescreen."

"Don't say anything yet!" Smokescreen quickly pushed the hammer towards him. "You can fix yourself! Then we'll go back and rescue Vector right away!"

"cannot."

The smokescreen stopped moving: "...What?"

Even Optimus Prime's voice began to weaken as he spoke.

"The power of the Hammer of the Prodigy is not limitless. A great deal of divine power was already consumed in the reconstruction and upgrading of the passage between Earth and Cybertron. The remaining power can at most support two large-scale reconstructions of the same level."

Smokescreen's expression gradually worsened; he had already guessed what Optimus Prime was about to say.

"The Graviton Vector requires one. The two Ultimate Keys destroyed by Unicron also require one if we want to restore them."

The smokescreen stared at him: "But there's still you."

Optimus Prime did not answer.

Of the three things, the remaining strength was only enough for two.

The smokescreen slowly straightened up: "You're prepared to give up on yourself."

"This is the most reasonable option at present."

"What a load of crap!" Smokescreen angrily threw the hammer at his side. "You're Prime! Use it yourself!"

Optimus Prime's fingers touched the hammer handle, and a layer of pale gold appeared inside the Hammer of the Sky.

Smokescreen's eyes lit up immediately: "Look!"

But then, Optimus Prime released his grip, and the golden light faded: "If I use it now, the remaining power can only accomplish one other thing."

Smokescreen's expression froze: "So you still want to choose the Prism Vector and the Divine Key, and then you die?"

Optimus Prime looked at him quietly.

Smokescreen stood there for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Can Hammer definitely save her?"

Optimus Prime lowered his eyes: "I can't be sure."

The gray death, the dark super-energy entity, and the connection established by Unicron are not simply mechanical damage.

"But it's the most worthwhile method to try right now."

If the Ultimate Key is not repaired, the Ultimate Lock will lack the conditions to be activated.

They had just glimpsed the future of Cybertron when they were pushed back to who knows how far.

Smoke fell into deep thought, his expression somewhat pained.

Optimus Prime suddenly raised his hand slowly and opened his chest armor: "Smokescreen, come here."

The smoke instantly created a sense of foreboding.

The Optimus Prime pod slowly unfolded, its flame appearing alarmingly weak. Before the flame, the Matrix of Leadership was embedded, with tiny golden-white specks of light wandering among the blue glow.

Smokescreen froze: "What are those?"

"The Source of Fire".

Smokescreen: "...What?!?!"

"In order to obtain an empty container, I temporarily transferred the Spark into the Leader module."

Smokescreen felt like all the processing circuits in her brain were completely blocked: "How much more are you guys hiding from me?!"

There's no time to explain everything right now.

"You always say that!"

Optimus Prime was indeed too weak to argue with him: "Listen to me."

The smokescreen could only force them to shut up.

"You have been approved by the leadership module."

Smokescreen, who was still angry, was completely dumbfounded: "...Huh?"

"If I actively sever my bond with it," Optimus Prime looked at his own spark, "the Matrix of Leadership will seek a new vessel."

Smokescreen took a half step back: "Wait—"

"The Spark source will also be transferred along with the leadership module; you can take it with you and continue executing our plan."

The smoke screen stared at the leadership module, and my chest felt like it was blocked by something.

Of course, he had thought about becoming Prime, more than once. But his imagination definitely didn't include the part where Optimus Prime was lying in front of him, about to die.

"And what about you?"

Optimus Prime fell silent again.

Smokescreen quickly understood. The energy left to keep that spark running was running very low, and if Optimus Prime were to detach from the leadership module, he wouldn't survive.

"You will die!!"

Optimus Prime didn't refute, but continued, "But before you decide, there's one more thing I must tell you."

Smokescreen can now understand why Graviton occasionally shows an extremely troubled expression when facing Optimus Prime.

"The AllSpark cannot remain in the Leadership Module forever. After the war, it must eventually return to Cybertron, to the Well of the AllSpark."

He understood, and Yanmu nodded.

Optimus Prime: "The Leadership Module is already deeply connected to my Spark. After the Spark entered, this connection became even more complex. If I pass the Leadership Module to you, they will begin to establish the same connection with your Spark."

"We cannot be certain at present whether we will be able to safely separate the ignition source, the leadership module, and the carrier ignition in the future."

Smokescreen finally understood the meaning behind those words: "What if... we can't separate?"

Optimus Prime didn't mince words: "When you finally return the AllSpark to the Well of the AllSpark, you'll need to go back with it."

The smoke screen froze the entire machine.

Let's go back together. Every Cybertronian knows what it means for the spark to enter the Well of the Spark.

"...I'm going to die?"

"It's possible, very likely."

Yan Mu looked down at his chest. Too many things had happened at once, and his mind was in such a mess that he couldn't figure out which one to deal with first.

"This is not a decision I can make for you. If you don't want to, then refuse, and I will look for other solutions," Optimus Prime said gently.

Yanmu gave a wry smile, but was there any other way? He had his doubts.

The smokescreen remained silent for a long time, and the young and energetic machine briefly sank into a vortex of mutually repelling responsibility and fear.

"I'm scared," he finally admitted in a low voice, his hands trembling. "I don't know if I can do it well. I've thought about things like Prime."

He was a little embarrassed when he said this, "But imagination and reality are so different."

Optimus Prime's gaze was all-encompassing; under the watchful eye of the blue-ocean-like optical lens, Smoke took a deep breath:

"But I'm willing. What should I do?"

-

"Come closer."

The smoke screen continued as planned. Optimus Prime placed his hand on the edge of the Matrix of Leadership and said, "Open the Spark Pod."

The smoke-covered breastplate unfolded, revealing the embers of fire.

Optimus Prime slowly released his connection with the Matrix of Leadership, and in an instant, the brightness of his spark dimmed again.

Startled by the smoke, he instinctively reached out, but then remembered Optimus Prime's words and stopped himself.

The leader module gradually moved away from its original position, and the golden-white light spots floated accordingly.

At the same time, the sparks in the smokescreen began to respond, with power, responsibility, and countless unfamiliar yet ancient messages all crowding in.

Smokescreen's body trembled slightly, and then a name unexpectedly surfaced from the depths of her consciousness.

— Foggy and hazy weather.

If the handover is completed, it will become his Prime name.

At the same moment, the Hammer of the Pride of the World suddenly lit up, the smoke screen abruptly turned, and golden light spread along the hammer body little by little.

Smokescreen looked down at his own embers, then at the hammer. The leadership module had already recognized him, and the handover was not yet fully completed. But at this very moment, the hammer of the prodigy acknowledged his authority.

He then reached out and grasped the hammer handle, and a golden light suddenly shone forth.

Optimus Prime instantly understood what he wanted to do: "The remaining power must be reserved for Graviton and the Ultimate Key."

Smokescreen paused for a few seconds: "You said that leaders must make choices, and I am Prime now."

Optimus Prime stopped, speechless for a moment.

"We're not repairing the Divine Key anymore." Smokescreen's tone was almost stubborn.

Optimus Prime's expression changed, and he advised, "That would mean Cybertron would lose an opportunity we've finally managed to see."

Everyone in the Smoke Screen knew that these were all important considerations. When the Cosmic Emperor crushed the Divine Key, he was on the Joint Channel and noticed everyone's reactions.

"But the gravitational vector needs to be saved, and so do you! That's it!"

"Prime can't just choose the outcome he most desires." Optimus Prime grew increasingly weak. "Sometimes, for the sake of more lives—"

"But I want you all to be in that future too!!"

Optimus Prime was blocked again.

The optical lens of the smokescreen shone even brighter: "Perhaps I still don't know how to be a Prime member and may make the wrong choices, but now I am qualified to make a Prime member decision."

The golden light inside the Hammer of the Sky grew brighter and brighter, while the smoke screen watched the Optimus Prime about to go out.

My first decision was not to abandon you.

The leadership module has already approved him, and smog is almost inevitable.

Before the handover was truly complete, Smokescreen made Prime's first decision.

He accepted the responsibility, but was unwilling to let the death of his companion become the price of this inheritance.

So the handover stopped at the last step, and before he truly became the leader, he proved why he was qualified to be a leader—never abandoning his comrades.

The entire underground refuge area was completely engulfed by a sudden burst of golden light.