Shane Freak
patreon
Chapter 478 - It's On
🕑 Added 2023-08-20 06:03:45 +0000 UTCTransformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List
XXX-----XXX-----XXX-----XXX
"Master, something's happened!"
When Forerunner came from the recently established sub-base command center within the military port to the training ground, where Sun Cheng was sparring with Thunder to accelerate his mastery of the new mechanical body, he didn't immediately grasp the situation when he conveyed the message.
"What's wrong? Is there a conflict in the Caucasus? Did Russia or Georgia start it?"
Forerunner was momentarily puzzled but quickly understood the context. His expression indicated that he had been too vague in his initial communication.
Without further ado, Forerunner lightly tapped his forehead, and two beams of light shot out from his eyes, forming a massive light barrier in front of several Decepticons.
Sun Cheng took a brief glance and was immediately captivated.
"... These are satellite images..."
Above the light barrier projected by Forerunner, instead of video messages, there were somewhat unclear photographs.
With just a single glance, he confirmed that these images were taken by satellites. He carefully examined each one, and his expression changed completely.
"... Several suspected Decepticons have attacked human warships... This one looks like a Perry-class frigate that belongs to the United States... And this one is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer... Hm? This is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser... There's no mistake, it's an attack on a United States fleet..."
Obviously, the resolution of the satellite that captured these dozens of images wasn't particularly high, making the photos appear blurry.
If Sun Cheng hadn't already memorized the primary combat weapon information of most countries on Earth, he wouldn't easily deduce the situation of the attacked fleet based solely on these vague satellite images.
However, what truly altered his expression wasn't the blurry mechanical giants that were suspected to be Decepticons attacking U.S. warships, but rather the timestamps and coordinates displayed in the photos.
"... These coordinates... are in the Mariana Trench region!"
Oh no!
For a moment, Sun Cheng even felt as if his Spark had stopped beating and his Core had ceased functioning.
He knew perfectly well why this was happening – he was scared!
Having previously visited the Mariana Trench and knowing that the remains of Megatron were hidden in its deep depths, Sun Cheng's greatest fear now was that once the former leader of the Decepticon faction, Megatron, was revived, he would relentlessly pursue him.
"Master... Master..."
Forerunner sensed his distraction and interjected, breaking his train of thought.
Sun Cheng quickly snapped out of his trance at the sound of Forerunner's voice.
Suppressing his unease, he inquired, "Were these satellite images sent from the base?"
"No!"
Forerunner shook his head. "They were uploaded directly to an underground forum in New Zealand, not from the base."
"New Zealand..."
Sun Cheng immediately grasped the situation. After the base's satellite had been detected and destroyed by Soundwave, to prevent other spy satellites controlled by their side from being discovered by the Decepticon's intelligence officer, he had already ordered that no further satellites under their control be awakened for the time being.
However, his discovery of the American cargo ship carrying Decepticons in the Mexican port had piqued his interest.
After careful consideration, he entrusted the tracking of the cargo ship to Yuri, the ambitious former CIA senior agent.
Sun Cheng had no idea what methods Yuri had used to secure a New Zealand oceanographic satellite. These photos were undoubtedly taken by that oceanographic satellite, and Yuri had uploaded them to an underground forum operated by the base.
The dark web, in principle, wasn't much different from well-known public internet sites or forums. They all required IP access, relied on servers for information services, and were maintained by personnel.
The main distinction lay in the fact that the conventional internet was subject to legal restrictions in various countries, prohibiting content related to drug trafficking, human trafficking, contract killings, terrorist propaganda, arms smuggling, and the like.
The dark web thrived on trading and disseminating such content, which made it a primary target for governments worldwide to combat.
Dark web platforms usually employed a membership system, evading common search algorithms, encrypting their addresses, and frequently changing them. Their servers were often hidden as well.
Currently, the base operated a batch of dark web platforms under Yuri's responsibility.
As a former CIA senior agent, Yuri had recovered countless top-tier hackers and criminal masterminds through coercion and entrapment. While he had destroyed hundreds of dark webs, numerous others were still operational, thanks to their affiliation with the CIA.
According to Yuri, over a third of the assassination contracts, drug trafficking, and arms smuggling activities on the Earth's Transformers Universe's dark web were linked to the CIA. To call it one of the cancerous growths responsible for the constant turmoil in this world wouldn't be an exaggeration.
It was quite fitting for Yuri, a former CIA senior operative, to operate the dark web. Even if their activities were discovered, the worst outcome would be remotely detonating a server, ensuring high security.
The first batch of photos that had been uploaded to the underground forum, and subsequently sent to Sun Cheng's group, depicted American warships being attacked on the open sea.
Based on dozens of satellite photos taken at different times, it appeared that five U.S. warships had been attacked. Three of the smaller Perry-class frigates were engulfed in flames, with one already ablaze and another shrouded in thick smoke, likely beyond saving.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer was also obscured by dark smoke, preventing a clear assessment of the damage.
As for the largest Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, it had vanished from the frame. Whether it had escaped or been sunk was unclear.
However, based on the last few images captured by the satellite, showing an oil-streaked sea and various scattered pieces of armor, it was highly probable that the U.S. missile cruiser had sunk.
It was evident that the losses suffered by this U.S. naval fleet would make the once-arrogant United States grumble for quite some time after the end of the Cold War.
Yet, Sun Cheng couldn't rejoice in this because the attacked U.S. fleet was in the Mariana Trench region. It was a no-brainer that Decepticons were behind this attack, and their main goal was likely to resurrect Megatron.
"Keep Yuri monitoring the affected area. I need more detailed information!"
"Yes, sir!"
After dismissing Forerunner, who had come to relay the message, back to the sub-base command center to continue overseeing operations there, Sun Cheng remained seated.
It was only after a long silence that Thunder spoke up, "Leader, if you're genuinely concerned about Megatron, why not send us to thoroughly destroy his remains?"
Sun Cheng remained silent for quite some time before shaking his head.
While he had publicly disclosed the information about Megatron's remains being disposed of in the depths of the Mariana Trench within their own ranks, he alone knew the details of how he had managed to escape from Megatron's clutches.
He didn't know how he had evaded capture the last time, and Sun Cheng wasn't willing to take another gamble. He couldn't afford to underestimate, let alone fear, a scheming warlord who was willing to risk even his own life to achieve his goals.
"Wait a moment..."
Suddenly, Sun Cheng realized something he had overlooked before, "Something's not right... I remember that the U.S. warships stopped patrolling this area half a year ago... Could it be..."
In an instant, he thought of a possibility that hadn't crossed his mind earlier, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, without ads and support the work.]
XXX-----XXX-----XXX-----XXX
Next Chapter >>Chapter 479 - Reawakened
