Chapter 949
The Cruel Apocalyptic World
At the same time, Zheng Zha and Li Xiao's expressions also changed.
Because compared to Andrei.
Through Zhan Lan's mental sharing, they saw a scene in their minds.
In another city, there are thousands of robots that are changing shape: cars, trucks, fire trucks, motorcycles, helicopters, fighter jets, and even a dozen high-speed train locomotives.
It can be said that all kinds of transportation are available.
And this is exactly where they're headed.
Besides these, there are countless small robots scattered throughout the city ruins.
These robots are not very large; the smallest is only about one meter tall.
It looks like it was made from some common household appliances.
However, these do not seem to be able to deform.
Moreover, compared to other robots, their movements are noticeably stiff, as if they haven't gotten used to it yet.
These numbers were so numerous in Zhan Lan's mental scan that they were a dense, overwhelming mass, numbering at least 100,000, or even more.
Andrei, who did not witness this scene, did not look any more relaxed than Zheng Zha and the others.
Instead, he acted decisively, turning around and ordering the soldiers to stop and the survivors to retreat quickly.
When the main force began to advance again.
Andrei then looked at Zheng Zha and the others.
To be precise, he looked at Zhan Lan, who had just spoken.
What are your plans, everyone?
"Why don't you come with us to the military base in the back mountains?"
Military Base No. 7, nestled within the mountain, is the final destination for several nearby cities, where many survivors have already been rescued.
"If possible, I also hope that you can protect us survivors."
Upon hearing this, Zhan Lan nodded noncommittally.
Andrei was overjoyed.
The two sides actually had the same idea.
Andrei wants the protection of these mysterious figures, while Zhan Lan wants information about the current plot developments.
It's safe to say that nothing is easier for them to obtain information than the military.
Several tanks led the way, and the large group of people moved forward again.
Looking at Zhan Lan and Zheng Zha who were asking questions.
Andrei had nothing to hide.
He told the "story" he knew.
"All I know is that Megatron of the Decepticons eventually seized the AllSpark, and then all the Decepticon robots disappeared and escaped our pursuit."
"At the time, we even naively thought they had left Earth."
"Without any warning, a few days later, a large number of cars, motorcycles and various large machines in New York City turned into Decepticons without any warning."
"A day, no, actually it's just an hour? Or two?"
"I can't remember exactly, but the entire city of New York fell. This was the first human city that the Decepticons took over."
Zhan Lan interrupted, seemingly remembering something, and asked:
"What about the quantity?"
"You said a large number of machines changed in an instant? How many were there?"
"So much just now?"
Andrei shook his head helplessly.
"Was it more just now?"
"No, no, no, that's just a small amount."
"There were millions when New York was captured!!"
"At least a million Decepticons of all sizes appeared, or even more."
"This modern human city lasted for no more than two hours, and nearly 90% of its humans died!"
"After all, compared to their steel-like bodies, our human bodies are far too fragile."
As Andrei spoke, he wasn't surprised to see the changes in Zhan Lan's and the others' expressions.
Because when he first learned of this news, his reaction was even worse than theirs.
With a population of nearly ten million, only tens of thousands of people managed to escape alive. Claims that the death rate was 90% are misreported.
It's important to know that at the beginning, when the Decepticons and Autobots were fighting for the AllSpark, each side only had a few, maybe a dozen or so, robots.
Although each of them possesses formidable strength, their numbers are limited, and their combat capabilities are ultimately constrained.
And the day New York fell.
The entire military, or perhaps all of humanity, realized that they seemed to have missed an opportunity.
Humanity is in imminent danger.
Andrei patted his cheeks to perk himself up and continued:
"Megatron began invading surrounding cities and slaughtering humans, with New York as his center."
"We learned from the robots we captured that their goal was very clear and there was no possibility of peaceful negotiation: to take over the Earth."
"Then destroy human and even animal civilizations, and transform the entire Earth into a planet suitable for their survival."
"After the battle began, our planes, tanks, armored vehicles, and even missile launchers were transformed into Decepticons by the radiation emitted by the AllSpark Cube."
"Otherwise, no matter how powerful they are, we wouldn't have failed so quickly."
"Now, only some old tanks are unaffected by radiation and can still exert some heavy firepower to keep us alive."
Zheng Zha nodded: "So it's been seven days since the outbreak in New York?"
Andrei nodded:
"Yes, today is the eighth day."
Andrei turned his head and looked at the ruins of the city behind him:
"God created the world in seven days, while Megatron, who obtained the AllSpark, destroyed half of it in seven days..."
As he spoke, Andrei's expression momentarily became dazed.
This is the real apocalypse, with no future or hope in sight, and even a U.S. Army major general like him has to waver in his convictions.
Because in every city occupied by Decepticons, all humanity was wiped out; not a single person survived.
"What about the Autobots' robots? Where did Optimus Prime and the others go?"
"And how did the Autobots lose? Why did they let Megatron steal the AllSpark?"
How many Decepticons are there so far?
Where is Megatron? In New York?
"Where is the source of the spark?"
Looking at Zheng Zha, who was asking a series of questions.
Andrei shook his head with a wry smile:
"I'll address all these questions one by one."
"Megatron is still in New York, which is the Decepticons' current headquarters. The AllSpark is most likely in his hands."
"Because he is the leader of the Devil Party."
"The exact number of Decepticons cannot be determined precisely, even though the satellites in space are not damaged, but I think it should be in the tens of millions!"
"This is just the number of large robots; those that are one or two meters tall are countless."
"After all, human society has accumulated far too many mechanical creations over the years."
"From airplanes and tanks to mobile phones and tablets, everything has become part of the Decepticons' combat readiness."
"I know about the Autobots, but who is Optimus Prime? I've never heard of him." "The Autobots were probably killed, captured and imprisoned by Megatron, or they may have surrendered to the Decepticons."
"In any case, the final result was that there was no news of any Autobots during these seven days."
"As for why the Decepticons eventually obtained the AllSpark, I have no idea."
Zhan Lan continued to ask:
Have you heard of Sam Witwicky and Michaela Baines?
Andrei thought about it carefully and finally shook his head.
And Zhan Lan finally understood what was going on.
We share a common spirit.
"Okay, I think I know what happened in the plot."
"In the original storyline, the reason why Megatron's Decepticons failed to seize the AllSpark was because they did not succeed."
"The most important reason is not how powerful Optimus Prime is, nor how many Autobots there are, but the existence of Witwicky."
"To be precise, it should be said that Wittwich has the protagonist's halo!"
"Compared to other movie series, the Transformers series is very special because each of its films features a different protagonist."
"Unlike Harry Potter and The Mummy, where the male and female protagonists are fixed."
"You could say that the entire Transformers series doesn't even have a true protagonist."
"There is only one true protagonist, and that is the Transformers."
Zheng Zha was confused, but still asked:
"So Megatron obtained the spark because the male and female protagonists didn't appear?"
As Zhan Lan watched the sun gradually setting ahead, her voice was low and somber: "I'm afraid that's how it is."
"That's all I hope God will change."
-
Air raid shelter, ground floor platform.
The sunlight streaming in from outside gradually diminishes, just as complete darkness descends.
The orange flames woke Li Qingqing.
She propped herself up and looked at the flames burning on the platform:
"Uncle, is there still firewood in this air-raid shelter?"
Qingchen walked over and handed over the vacuum-packed food in his hand:
"Have something to eat. This is the food in my backpack. It tastes pretty good."
"As for the wood, I dismantled the cabinet in the corner."
Li Qingqing nodded and took the food.
After taking a couple of bites, he asked a question in a somber mood:
"Uncle, do you think we'll really return to that God's Space they've been talking about in thirteen days?"
Qingchen looked up: "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
Li Qingqing, seemingly energized from nowhere, stood up, hands on her hips, exuding an air of authority:
"Of course it's the truth!"
Qingchen paused for a moment, but still spoke:
"The truth is we are going to die, so we won't be going to any God Space after thirteen days."
"Next, I will either die in this air-raid shelter or in the outside world."
"And that is also the main reason why those seniors decided to abandon us."
"After all, the difficulty of surviving in this world is beyond the capabilities of newcomers."
After Qingchen finished speaking, he suddenly realized that the girl opposite him did not show any surprise.
Instead, he seemed to think, "I knew it!"
Perhaps realizing her reaction was inappropriate, Li Qingqing shook her head and said with a wry smile:
"Uncle, I'm stupid, not dumb."
“I saw the scene on the first floor, I’m not blind.”
"Which of those corpses wasn't better than me when they were alive? They're all dead, so what reason do I, an ordinary girl, have to live on?"
"He will live for another thirteen days."
"I understand what you said before, like that the first few days would be absolutely safe, but it was just to comfort me."
"Even if those veterans really did clear out the Decepticons from this city, what about the other cities nearby?"
"I'm afraid it won't take more than two days; they can get here in two hours..."
"Maybe they've already arrived..."
Li Qingqing spoke, but her eyes were fixed on Qingchen without blinking. She desperately wanted this intelligent man to refute her.
Unfortunately, the other person, sitting in the darkness, remained silent.
Qingchen lowered his head, his voice inevitably revealing a hint of confusion:
"If this were a game, I would let the newcomers survive until the twelfth day or even the last moment, and then arrange a final desperate situation for them to complete the kill."
"But this isn't a game, and the entity that brought us in won't be interested in us."
"What I said this afternoon was the ideal scenario, while what you said is the worst-case scenario."
"But I have to admit that in a mission that is based on the whole world, the latter is actually the most likely."
Faced with the harsh reality, the two newlyweds fell silent.
It wasn't until Li Qingqing walked up to Qingchen that her feet stopped in front of his lowered gaze.
"Uncle, so are we just going to wait to die, or...?"
Qingchen looked up and his gaze met that of the girl who was tilting her head.
The confusion in the patient's eyes quickly disappeared, replaced by a gentle smile.
"According to the latest age classification standards of the World Health Organization, children are one to ten years old, teenagers are eleven to eighteen years old, young adults are nineteen to thirty years old, and middle-aged people are thirty-one to forty years old. I am thirty years old this year and have not yet celebrated my birthday, so strictly speaking, I am still a young adult."
"Besides, you've already passed your birthday, so you're nineteen. According to age classification, we're actually in the same age group, so Qingqing, could you please stop calling me 'uncle'?"
Li Qingqing nodded seriously:
"Okay, uncle!"
Qingchen shook his head:
"Let's pack up, we're about to leave."
Li Qingqing stared wide-eyed in confusion:
"Um, let's go? Uncle, where are we going?"
Qingchen laughed and said, "Do you want to sleep here?"
It was only then that Li Qingqing realized what was happening. She looked at the nearly burnt-out firewood and the hard, unyielding cement floor.
It was only then that she felt the soreness all over her body, which was a side effect of lying on the ground and sleeping for several hours.
Qingchen packed his backpack, found two long sticks in the fire, and after a series of dazzling movements, made them into torches that could be temporarily burned for lighting.
"Let's go, at least let's find a bed. As long as we don't die, we can get a good rest tonight and then celebrate surviving the first day."
Li Qingqing, who was stretching her shoulders, nodded vigorously, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and took the torch.
Looking at the map on the cement floor, Li Qingqing took a deep breath and said with renewed vigor:
"Could you please give me directions, sir?"
After thinking for a while, Qingchen pointed to the passage that the burly man had chosen.
Li Qingqing supported her as the two walked over together.
Along the way, some lone rat carcasses were kicked away by someone in a black leather boot.
Footsteps approached from afar in the dark passage.
"Uncle, where are we going? Are we just looking for a bed?"
"Qingqing, remember that whether it is domestic or foreign, the core of air defense facility construction is a type of shelter designed for protection against nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and air attacks."
"Therefore, the survival and protection of certain personnel must also be taken into account, especially for military-grade equipment."
"For example, a conventional military air-raid shelter has the most basic NBC (nuclear, biological, and chemical) protection measures."
This includes ventilation and oxygen supply equipment, filtration and ventilation equipment, emergency drinking water reserves, emergency power supply, emergency communication, and emergency medical facilities and equipment.
"Here, the air is toxic, the lighting is off, and there's practically no sign of any application being activated." (End of Chapter)