Vernoverse

[Verno]

Cheers Hursty, and thanks again for being a continuing reader. I'll be sure to get you a signed copy once it's published.

The stuff with BW Megs, Magmatron and the Tripredacus Council I wrote after IDW put The Gathering out, but before The Ascending was released. Thus the mention of Magmatron's attempt on Megatron's life.

The first pic I basically copied from Megatron Origins and Spotlight: Galvatron. Drawn by hand, but copied by sight.

The second is actually BW Megs looking at the Ark, just after he dug the tunnel in BW Season 1 (which we never actually see him do). With some darker black, more lava and more rock it would look more like the cave in the volcano/St Hillary.

[Verno]

I dislike humans in TF comics, but couldn't resist writing this little scene, which is part of the Golden Disk backstory. Enjoy.

Earth. 1976 AD.

The door was ajar. Samuels knocked before poking his head through, unsure of being in the right place in this rat warren. "Hello?"

"Ah, Director, yes come in", said Leslie, sitting behind his desk, standing to greet him. "Please, shut the door."

Samuels was already unimpressed, and made it clear as he said "This better be good."

"Yes, I understand this must be a busy time for you and everyone at the agency"' said Leslie, retaking his seat as Samuels sat opposite.

"Too busy to be making pointless trips to Washington", said Samuels, studying the contents of the office.

"Best then to not keep you any longer than necessary", said Leslie, with a polite smile. "I understand you've voiced some concerns about the input Washington has had on your current project. I wanted to personally speak to you to allay your concerns."

"You couldn't have put it in a letter instead of dragging me in here?" asked Samuels.

"I'd prefer to keep the contents of our discussion to remain confidential, instead of warming a bottom draw somewhere in NASA", said Leslie, keeping his polite tone.

"Sure" was the reply from Samuels.

"Let me get straight to it. Director, you're an intelligent man, we live in a world, or should I say on a world, whose mysteries are solved seemingly daily, which is why men like you and I have turned our attentions skyward, to the bigger mysteries that remain unsolved, and namely, the biggest question mankind has ever asked itself - 'Are we alone?'. While the discovery of life on other planets isn't NASA's prime directive, it is a pursuit that that we cannot afford to overlook. If there are Klingons out there, we'd like to know before before they arrive."

"Cute", said Samuels, not enjoying the attempt at humor.

Leslie studied him for a moment before continuing. "The fact of the matter is that we already have an answer to the question, and have done for close to two thousand years, we simply didn't know it."

Samuels was starting to get annoyed. "What are you saying? That we've found little green men?"

"Not quite"' said Leslie, "but evidence of their visitations to Earth however, that we most certainly have."

Samuels couldn't believe what he has hearing. "Well I'll be damned", said Samuels, shaking his head. "I thought all the wackos spent their time wearing tin foil hats and watching the static on their television for messages from outer space, but apparently they've infiltrated the corridors of power and are now running this country."

[Hursticon]

Hehe, I like this guy Samuels sense of humour!
Very intriguing stuff here dude, you'll have to collate all of your Golden Disk work into a single Spotlight thread too - Your brain must be going crazy with all of this story built up within it!

[Verno]

It was the only way I could think of to open the story. I'm sure it will see a lot of changes over time, but it's a base to build on.

The Samuels guy is somewhat based on Depth Charge, a no nonsense kind of guy with a dark sense of humor.

[Verno]

Optimus Prime and Hound sit in a command room. In front of them are 2 view screens; one showing the torso of Ultra Magnus, the other that of Rodimus.

Magnus' face was one of concern as he began.

Magnus: The Preds are attempting to recruit Decepticons.

Rodimus: Attempting? You mean succeeding. They started that long before the Decepticons folded.

Magnus: As such we really don't know the strength of their forces. Estimates from Maximal survivors vary, but the way it's shaping up - they might have us.

Hound: So what do we do?

Rodimus: Nothing. I say bring 'em on! We can handle them.

Magnus: It may still come to that. But there is another option.

Rodimus: No way. Decepticons?! They'd shoot us as soon as our backs were turned!

Hound: Many Decepticons hold a grudge against Razrclaw for splintering. That was clear when we fought with them at The Hub.

Magnus: And as it stands, that truce is still in place.

Rodimus: It became obsolete the moment they did - they'd never honour it. They'll just sit by as us and the Preds duke it out, then knock over the winners while their heads are still spinning.

Magnus: I don't think so. No one could unite them.

Rodimus: Shockwave!

Magnus: They won't trust he and his logic again.

Hound: So what do we do?

Magnus: We put the call out.

Rodimus: And what? Open our doors to Ex-'Cons turned Pred spies? That's just asking for trouble. We've done it alone up until now, we can see it through to the end!

Magnus: This is your call, Prime.

Prime: The dream of a united Cybertron is one that many of us gave up on long ago.

A smile stretched across Rodimus' face.

Prime: But if it's ever going to come to pass, it has to start somewhere. The Hub assault brought us together with the Decepticons, let's see how close we still are.

Rodimus' smile had vanished.

[Verno]

Ok, here we go.

This is where the VernoVerse begins.

It picks up where the Marvel G2 comics left off all those years ago.

What better way to pick it up than with a monologue from Optimus Prime. And what better way to start it than with Optimus ironically quoting himself.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the story.

"A choice must be made, for only together, united as one race, can we truly survive... and prosper."

How did it go so wrong?

It seemed that peace was within our grasp. Some, however, we're all too keen to see that we never reached it.

Razorclaw. Talk of his death proved to be false. Like the beast he is, he just kept coming. He feasted on the growing disdain for our alliance emanating from the Decepticons. It was hoped a mutual enemy in the Cybertronian Empire would keep a lid on the derision. We were wrong.

While still flying the colours of the Decepticons, the Predacons began to see through their own agenda.

Targeting our off-world installations, these renegade Predacons began to stockpile Energon and resources. In the interests of continuing the alliance, Autobots weren't to fire upon these rebellious Decepticons unless fired upon first.

But this couldn't continue. We had to be proactive in response to this burgeoning enemy. If we couldn't fire upon them, we had to find someone that could.

The Maximals were born.

All off-world Autobot troops were rebranded, and we could now fight back, within the terms of the alliance.

The war was now being fought on two fronts. The Maximals countering the Predacons, and the Autobot-Decepticon alliance battling the Cybertronian Empire, who were continuing to launch attacks on Cybertron.

They were the greater enemy. Their true size - unknown. Their true ambitions - likewise. As little as we knew of them and the Liege Maximo, we knew they were coming. But it wasn't they whom destroyed the Earth.

Humans had long been our allies, and the Earth a base for our operations in that part of the galaxy. It was also home to labs built for the development of new technologies, namely the continued experiments with Micromaster technology.

Dwindling resources had long been an impetus for improved efficiency. Our, now Maximal, scientists delivered us an incredible advantage: Proto-Matter Technology.

New recruits brought online were outfitted with these new, smaller and vastly more efficient bodies.

It was at this point that the war changed, again.

Megatron requested that the technology be shared with the Decepticons, in the interests of defeating the Empire, who we were hearing, we're moving towards something big. I refused his request, and this gave Razorclaw the final bit of momentum he needed to act on a larger scale.

Megatron, who years earlier would have simply taken the technology by force, accepted my decision, much to the surprise to the majority of his troops.

In contrast, Razorclaw launched an all out attack on Earth; one we never saw coming.

They destroyed the Earth, and in doing so, announced their separation from the Deceptiocons. The Predacons had truly arrived.

Losses - Catastrophic. 7 billion dead in one day, and any human survivors scattered amongst the stars.

Decepticons left in droves for the greener pastures that was the Predacons. Megatron was impressed by the ferocious act, but outraged by the betrayal.

As terrible as this all was, it was about to get much worse.

The Hub, home of the Liege Maximo, had been found. We now knew the what and the where of their forces, but the greatest surprise was the terrifying why.

With a contingent left behind to protect Cybertron from the new Predacon menace, an army was amused. Made up of Autobots, Maximals and those Decepticons still loyal to Megatron, he and I led the assault to destroy The Hub and deny the Liege what he saw as his destiny.

The day was won. The casualties great. None greater than that of Megatron himself.

Magnus has since described Megatron's final stand to me as Magnificent. Coming from Magnus, that's saying something. I wish I could have seen it.

I'd taken heavy damage and was drifting in stasis amongst the debris of battle. I was offline for many cycles. When I awoke, the Decepticons were no more.

With the heavy losses from both the assault on The Hub and desertion to the Predacons, the Decepticons were a mere shadow of their former glory. Shockwave, to whom the leadership had fallen, had little choice than to declare the Decepticons defunct. It was only logical after all.

So here we stand. The war has changed again, as has the enemy. That sense of peace that had been so strong has faded - but isn't gone. This war will soon be at an end.

[Hursticon]

Absolutely delightful Verno, especially the previous post; I like where you're intending to start things and your characterisation is remaining to be superb.
I know you're probably getting sick of hearing it from me but, more more!