Transformers: Survival of Defective Products

Chapter 188 Meeting with the Leader

Upon returning to Cybertron, ambulances and knockouts were overwhelmed by the list of the wounded.

Megatron returned to Charon, Optimus Prime returned to Ironforge, and Graviton returned to the Judiciary.

She first cleaned the salt stains and deep-sea sediment from her outer armor, and then replaced several wires that were not functioning properly due to the sea pressure. BICk0 stood aside, holding the data board, quietly waiting for her to complete the self-check.

"The list of people questioned after the war," said Vector.

BICk0 immediately brings up a blank document.

The lead vector sat in the chief judge's office and began drafting the list.

First line: Megatron, Optimus Prime.

The optical lens of BICk0 flashed almost imperceptibly.

Continue writing the vector.

Soundwave, Shockwave, Red Spider, Black Widow, Jack, Jazz, Alita, Ratchet, Smokescreen, Steel Cable Squad, AZ-91101.

Then comes the second-level list, and the third batch of supplementary inquiries.

This then involves cross-checking of wartime order signatories, temporary war zone leaders, remote communication command authority holders, experimental project participants, those aware of special operations, faction representatives, and city leaders.

The list was long. When BICk0 sent it out, the judicial central communications system fell into a brief silence.

All the machines that received the list fell silent in that instant.

Soon, the first reply popped up.

Optimus Prime: [Received. Arriving on time tomorrow.]

The second one appears simultaneously.

Megatron: [Received.]

Their replies were as if they were trying to ignore the fact that their names were placed at the very top.

A dozen seconds later, Red Spider's private channel sent a very short, cold laugh to Vector. A few seconds later, he withdrew it because he was on that terrifyingly long list.

The sound waves did not speak, but three unusually high-specification remote monitoring bands appeared around the judicial center.

Shockwave sent a formally formatted confirmation letter, along with a statement that he was willing to cooperate with the legal process.

He sent a string of ellipses in the public channel after being knocked down.

Deadfire asked: "Does this mean we should stay away from the judicial center tomorrow?"

Knockout answer: [No, this means we absolutely have to be closer tomorrow.]

BICk0 looked at the constantly updating receipts, then turned to the vector: "Should we increase the security level?"

"No need." The vector confirms the last item and sends it to all relevant objects.

"Let's talk tomorrow."

The very official, business-like tone of the statement made the plane even more frightening.

-

Megatron did not sleep that night.

Charon's central command center was brightly lit, and post-battle operations continued. Decepticon wounded were being moved to the recovery area, and field teams were submitting their damage reports.

Megatron sat in front of the control panel, listening to one report after another.

During breaks in his reporting, he would bring up that notification again.

Tomorrow, in the judicial center, in the Chief Justice's office.

There didn't even seem to be any threat or extra emotion.

But Megatron understands gravity vectors too well; when she's truly angry, she often doesn't express her anger so clearly in writing.

Megatron turned off the notifications, then turned them back on a while later.

Optimus Prime also did not sleep that night.

The repair work on Iron Fortress hadn't stopped. Inside the medical bay, the screech of ambulance drivers could be heard across two corridors. Bumblebee was being examined on a repair bed; Smokescreen tried to help but was then chased out by the ambulance.

Optimus Prime stood in the command room, reviewed the Aquitron report again, and then looked at the list sent by the Graviton Vector.

He stared at his own name on the list, unsurprised.

But for some reason, when it actually came, he still felt a long-lost tension.

He closed the file and couldn't help but take a deep breath.

-

The next day, the judicial center opened its doors on time.

Megatron arrived first, followed by Optimus Prime, and they met in the corridor outside the office.

The two large machines glanced at each other, but neither spoke first.

Megatron's armor had been repaired; the shoulder armor had sharp, cold lines, and the red optical mirrors showed no ripples.

Optimus Prime remained steady, the blue optical mirror drooping for a moment before rising again.

On the surface, they all seemed normal, as if what they had received yesterday was just a routine post-war briefing and meeting.

BICk0 walked out of the office: "The Chief Justice is waiting for you two."

The door opened, and Vector sat behind the desk.

She had already completed the repair of her outer armor; the deep purple armor was clean and sharp, while the dark blue parts appeared cold and solemn under the light.

She raised her optical glasses: "Come in."

Megatron and Optimus Prime entered the office.

Before the door closed behind them, BICk0 placed several documents on the table: wartime command records, a table of key points in the civil war, casualty statistics, urban damage assessments, and the relevant decision-making chain after the disappearance of the Spark.

"The data has been compiled as required," BICk0 said.

BICk0 politely left the office, and as she turned around after the door closed, she was met with a whole array of optical lenses.

She stopped abruptly; the corridor was now filled with people standing on both sides.

He knocked down the person leaning against the nearest wall, his posture elegant, his optical mirrors very bright.

Deadfire stood next to him, pretending he was just passing by.

Ninety-seven was stuck to the door, almost covering half of its face, and the wing wobbled slightly.

AZ was shrouded in shadow further away, its presence so quiet it was barely noticeable.

Red Spider stood at the back, arms crossed, his expression clearly saying "I have no interest," but his position allowed him to hear everything that was happening inside the door.

Jazz leaned against the other side and raised his hand in a silent greeting.

Alita stood beside him, her optical mirror calm, but her posture showed no sign of leaving.

Arcee, Cliffhanger, Jack, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Hot Rod, Smokescreen... they're all there, and BICk0 even detected remote monitoring signals from sound waves.

Optimus Prime had come from the other end of the corridor, carrying a post-war coordination document that needed to be submitted.

He paused as he saw this, his optical lens sweeping from the knockout to the jazz, then from 97 to the door panel.

According to procedure, he should have asked all unrelated personnel to leave the judicial central office area.

Tongtianxiao was silent for two seconds, then stood at the back of the corridor.

Jack glanced at him.

Tong Tianxiao said in a low voice, "I will wait for the right time to submit the documents."

Jack grinned: "Of course."

BICk0 looked at the group of machines and said calmly, "Please do not damage the public facilities of the judicial center."

Jiuqi immediately moved her face away from the door a tiny bit, but that was all.

At the same time, in the Decepticon grassroots communication group, Knockout shared an audio transfer.

[Temporary Channel: Post-War Inquiry and Observation Group]

Deadfire: [Who came up with this name?]

Knockout: [More respectable than your previous "live broadcast outside the Chief Justice's office"].

H-10887: [Can you hear me?]

YZi-492: [Yes.]

Iron Bolt: [Is Lord Megatron inside?]

Knockout: [He's at the very top of the list.]

MM11: [...]

H-10887: [Won't we die if we hear this?]

In the office, Yin Xiang opened the first document.

"In the early stages of the Civil War, the Calon Military District was reorganized, and the Decepticons officially took over multiple industrial supply lines. During the purge of the remaining Supreme Council forces, you ordered the forced occupation of nine armories."

She looked at Megatron: "Are you sure?"

Megatron replied, "Confirmed."

The vector clicked on the file.

"Iron Fortress then cut off two energy supply lines and established a temporary defensive line. Optimus Prime, you approved this order."

"confirm."

"On the eastern front of Tagan, three ceasefires failed, and on the eve of the fourth negotiation, the Decepticon commandos crossed the buffer zone."

"confirm."

"During the evacuation window of Cloud Mountain City, the Autobots used heavy firepower to cover the civilian convoy, which caused three underground structures to collapse."

Optimus Prime paused for a moment, then said, "Confirmed."

The vector continued reading one item after another, his tone calm, and there were no accusations so far.

Megatron and Optimus Prime both answered smoothly.

They remembered the orders and knew what happened afterward.

The temperature in the office seems to be getting lower and lower.

There was no more talking outside the door, and even the 97 stopped shaking.

The vector stopped at the last page, and only the soft sound of the document pages closing could be heard in the office.

She then placed the documents back on the table, clasped her hands together, rested her chin on them, and looked at them.

Her lips slowly lifted slightly, but the movement was faint and devoid of warmth.

Megatron's optical mirror dipped slightly, and Optimus Prime also quieted down.

They all realized that the previous checks were her last bit of patience reserved for the legal process.

That might not be the case for them now.

"So," Vector said softly, "you two idiots, do you have anything else to say in your defense?"