eugenesis-text

‘Until what Until the entire planet is terraformed into a replica of Quintesson Until they create
settlements and democracies and trade routes Until you walk, blinking, into the sunlight and find yourself
in the middle of a towering Quintesson metropolis’
‘Sixshot said the Autos were holding them back.’
‘Does he know I’m coming’
‘He doesn’t even know you’re alive, boss.’
They entered the silo. Decepticons sat in rec-rooms and barracks, mole-blind and anaemic, aching in
silence. Numbed with boredom, penned under low grey ceilings and magnesium lanterns, they were
already defeated. Soundwave felt sick.
‘He’s down there,’ said Frenzy, standing at the end of a dirty corridor. ‘In his war room.’
Soundwave shooed his conspirators away and walked into Sixshot’s chamber without knocking.
The Overlord of New Helex was perching on the edge of a spotless throne, engrossed by soundless
monitor screen. He turned at the sound of the door. ‘Soundwave! Who let you inside’
‘What does it matter We’re all Decepticons.’
‘Of course. I am a little shocked, that’s all. Welcome to my—’
‘Shut up, Sixshot. Do you know what’s happening out there’
‘I have matters in hand.’
‘Do you Do you really Because to me it looks as if you’re ignoring the threat in the hope it will go
away.’
Sixshot pulled a plasma rifle from behind the throne. ‘You never used to be this talkative,
Soundwave.’
‘I’ve a lot to say nowadays. Oh, put the gun down, Sixshot.’
Sixshot radioed Octane: ‘The war room, now. We have a visitor.’
‘I’m not going anywhere.’
‘I can shoot you dead or have you removed. It’s your choice.’
‘The Quintessons have overrun our planet and you just sit there! They send thousands of ships to
attack Polyhex, they lay waste to Darkmount, they firebomb hundreds of Decepticons, and you do
nothing!’
Octane crashed into the room, followed by 15 others.
‘We were maintaining a tactical distance,’ said Sixshot. ‘We were waiting for the right time.’
‘People are dying while you wait for “the right time”! You could have tipped the balance; you could
have won the war! It was your duty as a Decepticon! I know of infantrymen who would lay down their
lives before you’d even lift a finger from that throne.’
‘I never took you for an orator.’ Sixshot gestured at the crowd. ‘Backtread! Terradive! Take him
away.’
‘They’re not moving, Sixshot: you’ve lost them. You lost them the moment I walked in the door.’
‘Take him away! Anyone!’
‘Surrender now and I’ll kill you quickly.’
‘You seem to forget, Soundwave, that I am the one pointing a gun at you.’
‘Don’t disgrace yourself further. For the good of the Decepticons, you have to—’
‘Stop preaching! You have no idea of the full situation! The plans I’ve made, the strategies I’ve
devised!’
‘Your mind says otherwise.’
‘You barge in here, telling me my duty, trying to turn my troops against me… Do you really think
I’d hide in the shadows while Cybertron is swept from under my feet’
Soundwave stared at the plasma rifle. ‘Pull that trigger and I guarantee that your troops will kill you
before I hit the ground.’
Sixshot squeezed the trigger, and nothing happened. He stumbled backwards, amazed, as an empty
charge fizzed inside the barrel.
Octane threw his weapon into Soundwave’s open hand, and the new Decepticon commander blew
Sixshot’s chest open. The multi-changer screamed and tried to stem the sparks.
Frenzy emerged from behind the throne with an energon clip in his tiny black hands. He held it up
like a trophy. ‘Worked a dream, boss.’