#gobotron

Dear Tonka Tough Guy,

Although the Gobots successfully saved their home reality and ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity, not all the inhabitants of Gobotron were happy with this new status quo. Soon enough, the dastardly Master Renegade escaped captivity on New Earth and soon returned to his old tricks. In time, he made contact with Zero, newly-appointed leader of a small group of fanatics who’d renounced Cy-Kill after the Renegade leader abandoned his evil ways and set up a new base of operations, working out of Magmar’s abandoned fortress on Quartex.

Armed with some unique Cybertronian schematics purloined from a distant dimension, samples of cybernucleic acid, and whatever resources they could gather, the group set about creating six new Gobots—fusions of Transformer and Gobot technology, these entirely mechanical super lifeforms possessed hand blasters and the ability to fly, but their positronic brains were sustained by an artificially-induced “spark” of life. These six Renegades—modest Motor Load, put-upon Mega Hauler, destructive Mega Dozer, manic Motormix, insecure Power Digger, and the stuck-up Skyhook—inherited much from their genetic templates, including the ability to combine into a mighty, if dim-witted, form.

Zero’s Neo-Renegades attacked the Guardians during a routine goodwill mission on Quartex. The towering Tonkanator easily outpowered Leader-1’s Courageous combiner, and neither Puzzler nor Fossilsaurus could match Tonkanator’s unbridled fury. With no other options, Leader-1 and Cy-Kill were forced into an undignified retreat to lick their wounds. Fortunately, an unexpected ally presented himself: Steamer, an ex-Renegade with a construction vehicle alternate mode, believed that he could infiltrate Zero’s temporary headquarters and turn the Tonkanator Six against their creators—if nothing else, he could repay the debt that he himself owed Leader-1 and his allies when they helped him escape the Renegades. Leader-1 agreed, doubtfully, and sent Steamer on to try and reason with Motor Load and his minions. Although Motor Load initially doubted Steamer’s message of goodwill, Zero quickly realized the true nature of Leader-1’s plan and took Steamer prisoner.

Suspended over a boiling vat of molten magma, Zero and his followers broadcast a message to Leader-1, warning him that he had two hours to surrender Quartex to the Renegades or else Steamer would perish. Salvation, however, came from an unexpected source—unable to ignore the plight of a fellow construction vehicle, Motor Load and his fellows turned on their benefactors and sent the Renegades scattering; as they freed Steamer and took off, Skyhook took a moment to dismiss the Master Renegade as an “uncharismatic bore!”

Dear GoBot Gofer,

For someone with a lifetime of nine billion years, "longer" is something of a useless measurement. But yes, comparatively speaking, organic life did get to a much further stage of evolution on GoBotron than it tends to on Cybertrons that start out as organic worlds. Though you did not ask, the same is true of Skalorr and its Protecton and Terrakor inhabitants.

However, there is a notable difference between the organic inhabitants of various Cybertrons and those of GoBotron and Skalorr. Normally, the animals that exist on organic worlds that become Cybertron are those that had already evolved before Primus' presence. This is not true of the GoBeings of GoBotron, or the Protectons and Terrakors of Skalorr. They are of Primus' essence, their... what do you call them? Souls? The impulses that run through the electronic neurons in their brains are composed of the same energy as our sparks. I am not sure why my creator chose this route; perhaps their distance from the center of the multiverse prevented the formation of the living metal required for a Cybertronian body. Perhaps Primus simply chose to. There are some decisions I am not privy to.

Dear Camien Compatriot,

Although Transformers from the planets you describe would probably identify themselves as “Velocitronian” or “Camien”, they are descended from Cybertronians, who colonized these worlds millions of stellar cycles ago. Though we would still recognize them as members of the same species, this is not to say that these colonist populations have not diverged from their ancestors, physically or culturally—for instance, the Transformers of Caminus have adapted to a low-energy lifestyle, and their sparks and innermost energon pulse at a lower frequency then their ancestors. Meanwhile, a Velocitronian Transformer may incorporate exotic, lightweight materials into their frames, using alloys, polymers, and metallurgic techniques unheard of on Cybertron. The Transformers of Devisiun share a symbiotic bond with their twin siblings; the colonists of Eukaris can metabolize organic matter into fuel. I could go and on.

Dear GoBot Guy or Gal,