Chapter 463: Riddler Gets Out of Cybertron

Just as Jazz transformed into a vehicle and led Fu Qinghai all the way out of the city of Charon, the riot that broke out in a hurry ended in a hurry.

Soon someone came out to announce:

The management of Kalon City has been replaced.

Other than that, everything remains the same.

The factory machines are still running, and the gladiatorial competitions are still being held as usual... However, although it seems to be just a street fight between criminal groups and a change of boss, the undercurrents in this city are quietly taking place.

But at this moment, Fu Qinghai had already left Kalon City in the sports car transformed by Jazz, driving across the endless wilderness. The weather was gloomy, the wind was blowing, and a long trail of dust was pulled behind the wheels. In the distance, the ancient Cybertron buildings were still standing there, looming.

This is a wide convertible sports car.

The hot wind and sand kept blowing on his face.

Makes him feel good, like racing in the wild west.

Except this car is self-driving.

"Where are we going?"

Fu Qinghai asked loudly.

"Iron Castle."

Jazz said in a muffled voice.

His voice came from the car speakers.

"I know. What I mean is, what are you going to do with me after we get to the Iron Castle?"

Fu Qinghai put his hand on the edge of the car door, looking very comfortable, and turned his head to look at the unique scenery around the road.

"That depends on the opinion of the Supreme Council. After all, since the space bridge was broken, no alien species have appeared on Cybertron. You are the only one. I guess... maybe they will put you in the Six Lights Paradise for people to visit?"

Jazz said lazily.

Liuguang Paradise? What is that place?

Fu Qinghai was surprised when he heard it:

"Isn't this right? Only animals can be put in a zoo. I am an intelligent creature. Is it reasonable for an intelligent creature to keep another intelligent creature in captivity for viewing?"

The implication is:

Are you Cybertronians so barbaric?

"Hehehehe…"

Jazz smirked.

Only then did Fu Qinghai realize that he was joking.

This Cybertronian is a little bit unserious.

…

Iron Fort, Data Records Hall.

When Fu Qinghai came to Iron Castle for the first time, he realized the difference between it and Kalon City and the Great Wasteland. This place looked like a civilized city with highly developed technology. In comparison, Kalon really had no urban planning at all.

"This is Orion Pax."

The Jazz introduced him:

"The first person to discover your arrival on Cybertron."

"Hello."

This Cybertronian named "Orion Pax" was tall but gentle in appearance. He looked very friendly and took the initiative to greet Fu Qinghai.

"Hello, my name is Qingshan."

Fu Qinghai stretched out his hand.

The two Cybertronians looked at each other.

What does this mean.

"Oh, I forgot. This is social etiquette on Earth, usually used when two people meet for the first time."

Fu Qinghai smiled awkwardly, retracted his hand and explained.

"Oh, that's very interesting."

Orion Pax didn't take it seriously. Instead, he looked interested and said,

"I checked many ancient data archives in Image One and finally found records about 'humans'. The data said that humans are a kind of bipedal primate that lives on a planet called 'Earth'. They live in groups and can make fire and use tools..."

Orion Pax had a puzzled look on his face.

After looking the human warrior up and down, he said,

"But your size is obviously larger than the description of humans in the data. And the data does not say that humans have learned to use Cybertron and have the ability to travel between stars. I am curious, are you and the 'humans' recorded in Image No. 1 the same race? Or do you just happen to have the same name?"

"You are right."

Fu Qinghai spread his hands and explained:

"Earth is indeed our home. Although we were once very primitive and backward, we can develop. Even now, our technology may not be comparable to that of Cybertron, but we are no longer the primitive tribe that ate raw meat and drank blood. As for my body shape, I am a warrior among humans, and my body has undergone some modifications to adapt to war."

Fu Qinghai felt that compared to other Cybertronians he met in Kalon City, this "Orion Pax" was obviously very knowledgeable. At least other Cybertronians had never heard of the term "human", but Orion Pax could look up information to find the answer - of course, this might be related to his identity and the nature of his work. But it is undeniable that this also requires a certain spirit of exploration. Fu Qinghai himself is a person with a strong curiosity and thirst for knowledge. He also appreciates those who are well-informed and knowledgeable. Such people always gain his natural favor, such as Grand Inquisitor Sid Nora and Szuilia Lavallee.

"develop..."

This ordinary term seemed to remind Orion Pax of something. He repeated it to himself, then suddenly turned to look at the knight beside him and said,

"The members of the Supreme Council should really listen to what this human warrior said. They don't understand what 'development' means, and they only want to maintain the status quo and never make progress."

"My friend..."

The Jazz shook his head helplessly:

"You are a little too cynical."

Fu Qinghai stood by and watched silently.

"I'm not a cynic..."

Orion Pax curled his lips and was about to say something in rebuttal, but suddenly realized that he had ignored the human warrior beside him, and quickly said with an apologetic tone:

"I'm sorry, I was rude. Your words reminded me of something. Please follow me. I have applied to the archivist to arrange a place for you to live. This is the Iron Fortress. You can make a living without having to rely on illegal activities such as gladiatorial combat. Not all of us Cybertronians are criminals."

The two men took Fu Qinghai to the depths of the record hall.

The three of them walked and talked:

"By the way, how did you get to Cybertron? By spaceship? Is your spaceship still in orbit?"

"No, to be honest, this was an accident. I don't know why I came here."

"Then why do you know Cybertron?"

"This is the first alien language we have documented."

Orion asked about every doubt in detail.

Fu Qinghai just started making up stories.

…

Master Titanium was hunched over his desk, writing something in the big book on his desk, and Orion Pax stood in front of him, waiting for him to finish. Finally, Master Titanium put down his stylus, looked up at Orion Pax, and said,

"Metronome is not planning to start a revolution right away, at least not on the entire planet. He plans to replace the gangs that control the arenas in Kalon and Slaughter."

"This type of crime is inevitable in a fixed class..." Orion Parks wanted to blurt out: This type of crime is inevitable in a fixed class. But he finally stopped and said nothing.

Master Titanium looked at him expectantly.

It seemed as if he wanted him to speak out his true feelings.

Pictures and videos kept flashing on the holographic display on Master Titanium's desk. The pictures showed destroyed Cybertronians, with a label on each of their heads.

Orion Pax looked through all the pictures and found that each victim ran a fighting arena, and most of them also ran other criminal businesses at the same time.

In the video, Megatronus was standing on the twisted corpse of a small criminal organization leader, which was still sparking. Orion Pax had seen the small leader in pictures, but this was the first time he saw Megatronus in person.

"This is just the beginning."

He said to the camera.

There are several gladiators behind Megatronus.

They all stood there quietly.

"You build your happiness on our pain, and use our work as your entertainment... You have forgotten the meaning of being a Cybertronian. Cybertron was once the greatest planet in the universe!"

"We are fallen now. We will rise again. Because there are still some Cybertronians who foresee the glory of the future. Only by understanding how deep we have fallen can we understand the meaning of rising again. Cybertron!"

"Cybertron!"

The other gladiators also shouted in unison.

"Squeak…"

This is the end of the video.

"Haven't you seen this part?"

Master Titanium asked.

Orion Pax shook his head.

"Well, that's what happens when we stunt ambition and aspiration. We stop generation after generation of Cybertronians from even thinking about what they could possibly accomplish."

Orion Pax didn't know how to answer for a moment. He often complained in front of the knight, but the person in front of him was the archivist, his direct superior, the one who could really communicate directly with the Supreme Council. So he remained silent.

Master Titanium smiled at him:

"Don't be afraid, Pax. I'm telling you a simple truth. This isn't some game where you can't say what you really mean. What I'm saying is that we live in a certain world, and few of us can imagine how we would live if it were different. But there are some of us... some of us who remember the way the world was, and some of us who are foolish enough to think we should live in that world again."

There was silence in the room again.

Orion didn't understand what Master Titanium meant.

Does he support Megatronus's actions or oppose them? Just looking at the sentence "We have stopped generation after generation of Cybertronians from thinking about what they could accomplish", it seems to be belittling the current government, but the sentence "And some people are so foolish that they think we should live in such a world again" seems to deny the revolutionary behavior... What exactly does Master Titanium want to say?

Master Titanium said slowly:

"I know you are very confused. As time goes by, you will know if I am right or not. But now you should go back to your workstation and think about what I said."

"I will, Master Titanium."

Orion Pax replied.

If Orion Pax had read the DC Universe comics, he would have complained:

"Riddler, get out of Cybertron!"

"By the way, that human warrior?"

Orion Pax thought of Fu Qinghai.

"Let's put him in the Iron Castle first."

Master Titanium waved his hand and gave the order.

He did not see any trace of the human warrior's existence in "Covenant of Cybertron", which meant that the other party was really just an accident. The Archivist had a premonition that Cybertron and its people were facing a huge change and had no time to pay attention to the human warrior for the time being.

So Orion Parkes went back.

He kept thinking along the way:

What does Titanium Master mean?

I can't imagine the result, I can only think that he is encouraging himself to think independently and reflect on matters outside his own class.

…

The expected major plot events did not happen.

Iron Castle has been very peaceful during this period.

Fu Qinghai miraculously settled down.

He became friends with Orion Pax, both of them had some scholarly temperament and were interested in knowledge. The difference was that Fu Qinghai had some utilitarian mentality besides curiosity - he wanted to learn about Transformers' science and technology. All the scientific and technological achievements created by Cybertronians and even Cybertronians themselves were endless treasures in his eyes.

Orion Pax is more pure.

Compared with the scientific and technological knowledge on Earth, he was particularly interested in the political system and political thought of human society. The arrival of the alien Fu Qinghai happened to be an opportunity for Orion Pax to understand how other races operate. Are there classes? Are there parliaments? He showed a strong interest in every political thought on Earth, and kept asking Fu Qinghai questions every day.

Fu Qinghai feels this new friend of his.

I like Jian Zheng very much.

If you don't do your work all day, you won't stop typing.

Orion complained a lot to Fu Qinghai about the authorities. Perhaps because of Fu Qinghai's alien identity, Orion Pax didn't have to worry about anything. But he was different from ordinary netizens who just talked about it. Orion Pax showed unusual motivation and determination. He seemed to really want to change something, but he didn't find the opportunity or the method.

Through Orion Pax, Fu Qinghai also learned about the current situation facing Cybertron, which was actually very simple, that is, class solidification. However, Cybertronians are different from carbon-based creatures such as humans. Class solidification in human society is usually manifested as a hidden closure of channels, such as uneven distribution of educational resources, such as monopoly of political advancement channels... Almost no country limits classes in an open manner.

But the Cybertronians are amazing, they can achieve class solidification in technology - Cybertronians are born in the Well of Fire, and they are designed to be used in a certain industry and a certain class during their growth stage, regardless of their personal ambitions. This class solidification method can be described as simple and crude.

According to Orion Pax.

This system was created by Yu Tiandi.

The purpose is to maintain social stability...

Fu Qinghai thought to himself that he was really a little genius.

This system is somewhat similar to the logic and theory of the fixed classes of "scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans" in ancient Chinese feudal society. It can defend against natural enemies and can be called the Cybertron version of Zhu Yuanzhang.

Of course, the enemy of nature cannot be Zhu Yuanzhang. Fu Qinghai has always believed that the political system must match the level of productivity development, and the economic base determines the superstructure. Greek classical democracy is the cornerstone of Western democratic politics, but almost no country in the modern West still uses the classical Greek democratic political system of one person, one vote. Because ancient Greece was a city-state country with a small population, and slaves were not considered human beings. Although Cybertron has a small population, its productivity determines that it cannot be a feudal society. There are also parliaments and members of parliament here, and even trade unions, but the trade unions are already in name only and have become a symbol of decoration.

At present, the plot development is still unclear, and no one knows what the big events are. Fu Qinghai doesn't mind talking more about these topics with Orion. Anyway, this "Orion Pax" doesn't seem to be a plot character, and he hasn't heard of it, so there is no need to worry about changing the plot. Try to maintain a neutral and objective position and introduce the various political thoughts and political movements that humans have experienced. At the same time, through Orion Pax, Fu Qinghai also learned a lot of basic common sense about Cybertron.

For example, the Cybertronian unit of time.

And the lengths converted from these time units.

Period: One Earth minute.

Big Cycle: One Hour on Earth.

Sidereal period: one year on Earth.

Replacement cycle: 500 years on Earth.

But he wanted to enter Cybertron's communication network and obtain permission to enter the Visualizer One to mine data, but he had not yet obtained permission from Orion Pax.

…

Iron Castle, night.

Orion Pax looked up at the starry sky, with Satellite Bases 1 and 2 standing between him and the stars. There were also some artificial celestial bodies near Cybertron, such as the Ironclad Orbital Station, which was on the other side of the planet and could not be seen for the time being. He walked on the winding streets and bridges of Iron Fortress, recalling Megatron's words:

Freedom is the right of every Cybertronian!

Perhaps. But what does freedom mean? If there were no class divisions, if Cybertronians were not divided into efficient production lines...if every Cybertronian could decide for himself what to do, the entire planet would be in chaos. Orion Pax had learned that freedom was the freedom to do the right and necessary tasks within the scope of one's class. All unrestricted choices would not make people free, but would make them confused.

Who taught him this? Primeval has never said this publicly, but it was he who made sure Cybertron had a class system, and he kept it united when some wanted to divide it.

"Who are the vested interests…"

Orion recalled Qingshan's inference of motivation.

Who benefits from the class system? The upper class! Who does the upper class live on? Me!

Orion Pax climbed up to an observation tower, from where he could overlook the entire Iron Fortress. The outline of Cybertron stretched in all directions, a symbol of Yuanshi Tianzun's peaceful life. A huge canyon split the surface of the planet and led to the interior of the planet, and energy crystals were excavated from the deep well in the center. To the west, you can see the highest peak of the Manganese Iron Mountains. To the north is the famous Six Lights Amusement Park on Cybertron.

When I think of that amusement park.

Orion Pax suddenly felt a little angry.

He had never been there. That paradise was built for the upper class. Few lower class Cybertronians could pass through the gate. So far, Orion Pax had never seen such a lucky lower class Cybertronian.

Individuals know what they need! Who else knows what I want besides me? Who else can decide what I should do besides me? So, what are my interests?

I want to go to Liuguang Amusement Park.

Orion Pax thought.

But if anyone goes to Six Lights Amusement Park and wants to go in, then the park will be overcrowded and no one can play. So the organizational structure is necessary, but the system should not be imposed on individuals, right?

Definitely not. But rational creatures gather together to make common decisions for the collective good, and these decisions cannot be beneficial to everyone - Orion was confused, and he didn't know how he should feel.

If freedom is not restrained, then freedom is meaningless.

This is what Qingshan told him.

Orion Pikes thought: Maybe what I need is an actual conversation, not a mental battle.

"Qingshan has taught me a lot."

Orion Pax muttered to himself:

"I should go meet that Megatronus."

...

　1. Time unit of the full version:

　　Cycle: 1 Earth minute.

　　Mega-cycle: 1 Earth hour.

　　Solar cycle: 1 Earth day.

　　Deca-cycle: 30 Earth days.

　　Stellar-cycle: 1 Earth year.

　　Meta-cycle: 500 Earth years.

　　Later, according to a post by Simon Furman, the screenwriter of Transformers comics, on the IDW comics forum, 1 cycle is approximately equal to 1.25 Earth hours; 1 replacement cycle is approximately equal to 93 Earth hours; 1 month cycle is approximately equal to 3 Earth weeks; 1 sidereal cycle is approximately equal to 7.5 Earth months - obviously, as the original creator of the above time units, Transformers also went against the book. According to my calculations, the Transformers United Universe follows the old time unit setting.

　　2. The comics describe the Cybertronians' extremely fast nerve reaction speed, and the unit used is "nanosecond". I originally wanted to use it, but later gave up, because a nanosecond is one billionth of a second. If the Cybertronians' nerve reaction speed can reach the nanosecond level, it would be too exaggerated.

(End of this chapter)