Chapter 28: The Metal Forest Part 1
A portal was activated in a random area of the forest, and four robotic beings that could be considered Titans emerged.
Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee raised their weapons, ready to counterattack if they were ambushed, but what actually happened was nothing they could have imagined, leaving only a feeling of stunned.
"Optimus..." Arcee muttered, she looked at the metal trees that made her look small and fragile, even though she was more than 4 meters tall.
Bumblebee made his characteristic beep, wondering if they were on the same planet, just in case, since the setting was nothing that could possibly exist on planet Earth.
Optimus Prime is disoriented, not because the forest is made of metal, but because he feels a familiar sensation and resonance with the place, with its leadership matrix that resonates with the place, as happened at Primus. [[Ratchet, are the coordinates of the Earth Bridge correct?]]
[[Yes, Optimus, what's the problem?]] Ratchet replied into the communicator, unaware of the spectacle Optimus and the others were witnessing.
[[Well, it seems the forest is now made entirely of metal, like, literally metal.]] Arcee said, removing the cannon from her arm and reaching out to gently touch one of the trees with her hands, causing it to receive a shock that startled her for a moment. "Be careful, the trees give off a strong electric current."
Bumblebee signaled his companions with his beeper, pointing to what appeared to be fruit, but was actually a triangular container of Energon hanging from one of the tree's spear-like branches.
"Is that Energon?" Bulkhead asked doubtfully at what he saw.
"That's a lot, there must be over 20 liters of Energon in there." Arcee mused, completely lost in the beauty of the place.
Optimus took a few steps and noticed something completely new to his eyes, seeing dozens of small robots, 5 centimeters long, climbing and descending a tree in single file, carrying small drops of Energon and metal plates in their jaws.
All the Autobots heard a song and saw two birds on a branch of a 50-foot tree, both singing to each other, unaware that they were being watched. These birds were building a nest using several metal sticks and a small supply of Energon protected in one of the large branches. These birds had a wingspan of more than 3 meters, with very sharp wings and talons to grab or decapitate any threat.
A heavy shuffling of footsteps alerted the four, causing them all to instinctively assume battle positions, but they gradually lowered their guard as they saw that the creature, which dwarfed even Optimus in size, as if it were a large walking battle tank, did not seem to care about their presence. This particular creature resembled a turtle, 20 meters long and 17 meters high, with two gigantic cannons on its shell.
"I feel... small." Bulkhead confessed, feeling how his human friends might feel upon seeing them.
[[What's going on?]] Ratchet asked, curious as to why he was being left out.
[[Ratchet... I think the forest we are in is a completely different ecosystem than this planet, like a combination of Cybertron and Earth in one.]] Optimus explained, completely stunned by the bio-robotic life in this place.
Ratchet opened his eyes in complete disbelief at his friend's words, almost considering going there himself to see for himself and draw his own conclusions. [[That should be impossible!]]
Bumblebee beeped, saying that it was the truth, something difficult to explain with words, but easier to believe when you saw the place.
Arcee took a few steps, but when she saw some trees on the horizon, she turned both of her arms into cannons, ready to unleash all of her firepower on a single target. It was a large spider with a wingspan of 8 meters, spinning its web on some trees.
Arcee, remembering her greatest archrival, was about to fire, but quickly realized that it was not her greatest enemy, but rather another hideous and similar thing that reminded her of Airachnid. Specifically, the spider had dozens of other baby spiders in its abdomen, all with an average wingspan of 15 centimeters, stacked on top of each other. The spider looked at Arceer with its multiple eyes, its fangs ready for battle if necessary to protect its brood.
"Autobots, we don't know what they are, but they seem to be behaving in a primitive and animalistic manner, therefore, avoid making any hasty confrontations." Optimus warned, deciding to lead his Autobots through the unfamiliar terrain.
"What could be causing this?" Bulkhead asked.
Optimus was silent for a few seconds, surveying his surroundings with doubt in his heart. [This forest could not have just appeared out of nowhere, a place like this would cause a great human uproar, and we Autobots would have known about such a place for a long time.] Optimus thought as he saw some biorobotic birds flying overhead.
Optimus frowned, for a moment he remembered the Allspark, the artifact capable of creating life in a simple expansion of energy, but he quickly dismissed the idea, for his Leadership Matrix has the ability to resonate with the Allspark, and he would know that the mystical artifact would be on Earth.
Optimus was very confused, as far as he knew, only the Allspark could create an explosion of Cybertronian life from absolute zero, but the Allspark is not on this planet or in this solar system, it was common knowledge that the power of the legendary artifact emits an easily detectable energy.
"The only way to know what caused this place is to investigate." Optimus said, going through a great deal of confusion in his mind. "Stay alert, we know the Decepticons will not ignore the energy spike in this forest." Optimus led the expedition, still extremely uncomfortable with the resonance he felt between his leadership matrix and the forest, as if something similar to Primus was synchronizing with him.