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Chapter 801: Adjustments
🕑 Added 2023-11-07 15:44:21 +0000 UTCTransformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List
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The Pearl of Terindad Island, South Atlantic Ocean.
It is unclear when this once deserted island began to be known as such on Earth.
Though known by few, this did not prevent it from being frequently mentioned in the dark web and various encrypted communications.
Forerunner, seated at the helm of the island, did not need to involve himself personally in each transaction as was his custom; instead, he routinely patrolled the island.
This had become a habit ever since he woke up in his new mechanical body, upon hearing that the island had once suffered an invasion.
Forerunner, deeply influenced by the personality of Sun Cheng, now had to thoroughly check the island's security system every day to ease his mind.
Visibly, the island seemed unchanged from the past.
The buildings constructed for Humans to purchase various mechanical equipment were still concentrated in the southeastern corner of the island.
The original buildings had been mostly destroyed during the previous invasion by the Vehicon Legion.
The reconstruction that followed was a restoration of the originals, using the same blueprints, making it nearly impossible to discern any changes.
The only difference, perhaps, was during the invasion by the Vehicons when some of the nearby hills, previously undamaged, were destroyed to varying extents.
Sun Cheng simply had the Decepticon blast those hills flat during the battle, and on those sites, he established over a dozen helicopter pads and two hangars.
The changes visible on the island were minor, but the invisible changes were much more significant.
Because it was a volcanic island, the bedrock of Terindad Island was quite solid.
Moreover, the undersea volcano beneath the island had been depleted by the Heavenly Pride Hammer for years, leading to a serious lack of volcanic activity. It was predicted that there wouldn't be an eruption for at least a few thousand years.
Thus, spurred by the previous invasions, the Decepticons undertook a frenzied transformation of this small island, barely a dozen square kilometers in total area.
During the relocation of personnel from various nations, some submarine passageways and mountain base entrances were exposed. After the Vehicon invasion, Sun Cheng began a bold redesign of the island.
The bases, originally concentrated within the bellies of a few tall mountains on the island, now expanded significantly into more areas of the island.
A vast network of underground passages constructed from high-strength cement, reinforced concrete, and even metal plates now crisscrossed hundreds of meters beneath the island's surface, with several larger subterranean complexes taking shape.
In the event of another Vehicon invasion, the island's inhabitants would only need to be temporarily relocated to underground shelters, avoiding the need to move to a nearby island as before.
The most drastic of the Decepticons' transformations was the deployment of four land-based missile vertical launching systems on the island, modified from the shipborne missile systems on Hynix.
These four land-based vertical launching systems were improved and manufactured by a team of Decepticon engineers specializing in researching and assimilating Earth's military technology under Sun Cheng's direction.
One should not assume that moving the system from ship to shore lacked technical complexity. On the contrary, due to the change in environment, everything from fire control to a series of support systems needed to be adapted.
While converting shipborne systems to land-based saved considerable work over designing a new system, it was by no means an easy task.
In comparison to the vehicular Anti-air systems of the island, the four land-based vertical missile launch systems were not only safer but also boasted a more abundant ammunition reserve, gradually becoming a vital component of the island's defense network.
The inspection was swiftly concluded, and Forerunner made his way toward the command center of the sub-base.
Hundreds of meters above, from time to time, several Aerial Combat Robots would soar across the sky.
These Aerial Combat Robots, originally designed by Sun Cheng for his private Legion, had now become both the watchful eyes and a significant Aerial Combat force over Terindad Island.
Currently, there were four squads of Aerial Combat Robots patrolling Terindad Island, each consisting of twelve units, all under the control of the island's Decepticon warriors.
Indeed!
With this brief period of peace, Sun Cheng had implemented a series of major adjustments within his ranks.
After his realignment, the responsibilities for security defense and military operation command at various sub-bases had been completely transferred to his Decepticon warriors.
However, Engineers who aspired to become warriors, having undergone fifty days of training and about to embark on twenty days of combat skill training, could get involved in security and military operations earlier than usual due to personnel shortages.
To encourage more Engineers to opt for the role of Spies, the position was not classified under technical professions but as a combat role, granting it a slightly higher status than that of the Technical Division.
Decepticon Engineers of the Technical Division, on the other hand, were solely responsible for a range of industrial tasks, from mining to smelting, from mechanical design to manufacturing, or they might work in medical, scientific, and related fields.
In terms of management, Sun Cheng had also begun to earnestly differentiate the previously chaotic system.
Artificial Intelligence was in charge of issuing various tasks, miscellaneous chores, and the operation of basic infrastructure at each sub-base, while the power to maintain and issue orders remained with the managerial layer.
Within the base management, technical and scientific aspects were handled by Decepticon engineers, whereas security and defense were managed by Decepticon warriors.
Decepticons were more manageable than Autobots; a strict hierarchical system greatly suppressed the autonomy of each Decepticon, making them more inclined to obey authority.
It's worth noting that, due to Sun Cheng's longstanding resource allocation favoring the technical professions of Decepticon engineers—especially after the Vehicons invasion, which resulted in casualties among numerous Decepticon warriors—the once nearly 2:8 ratio of those choosing technical over combat roles began to gradually shift back to 6:4.
This was a commendable self-adjustment, as not all Decepticons were cut out to be qualified warriors.
Within the Skytiger Legion, there were Decepticons with the strength of high-level or even Elite Warriors who lacked the corresponding temperament and will.
Such self-regulation helped weed out those fighters with less resolute wills.
At the same time, it allowed more surplus labor to enter various technical professions, preventing the base's development from becoming unbalanced.
After a series of adjustments, the development momentum under Sun Cheng's command had not waned but accelerated.
Terindad Island, where Forerunner was stationed, was the first to reap all these benefits.
The island's Black Market and the trade with various countries on Earth were now managed by a group of Decepticon technicians specially trained in Earth's trade and financial systems. Meanwhile, the Spy organization led by Mora had also dispatched a team of Spies to actively expand their presence into Human nations from the island.
Unless it was for an important meeting or security defense necessity, Forerunner spent most of his time in active training, striving to fully adapt to his new mechanical body.
Until, that day arrived...
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Next Chapter >>Chapter 802: The Phantom of the Sea Floor
