Transformers: Survival of Defective Products

Chapter 154 Tongtianxiao - Becoming Yourself

The attempt to contact Shockwave has been less successful than expected.

BICk0 replaced three sets of old lines in succession.

The first group did not respond at all, while the second group sent back a string of automatic defense codes and then hung up immediately.

The third group finally got a signal, albeit intermittently.

"...The third...calibration...is illogical..."

Then came a heavy thud, and the signal was lost.

Silence fell in the examination room; everyone clearly realized that things might be getting out of hand.

He looked up with a rumble: "Did it explode over there?"

Jack shrugged: "It's also possible that he was punished by something."

BICk0 retrieved the last activity coordinates, and all the machines saw the synchronization indicator next to it—the steel cable team signal and the shock wave had overlapped.

The waves hissed softly, offering a silent tribute for anything targeted by the Steel Cable Squad.

AZ looked at the coordinates and said calmly, "If the third space bridge plan is still in place, he can't afford to be in danger now."

The vector glanced at the coordinates: "Go find him, now."

BICk0 said, "The Medical Tower also requires you to complete another round of stability testing."

Vector: "I don't have the time."

No one tried to stop her anymore, since it was pointless to try to stop her using standard procedures once she had already gotten up.

Crystal City has prepared a high-speed route that leads directly to the outer region where the old Shockwave line last appeared.

Crystal Prism granted passage, but added, "Crystal City doesn't like Shockwave."

Jack: "Everyone is in complete agreement on this point."

Crystalline looked at the vector: "But if he has the plan to Aquitron, we will offer cooperation."

"That's enough." This is an example of understanding vector representation.

The team set off quickly.

The passageway was bathed in a cold blue light, resembling a straightened river. This time, Rumble and Confusion didn't attach to the vector, but were instead moved to the rear auxiliary platform by BICk0, the reason being, "You two are making such a ruckus that the machine is worried."

The mechanical dog followed silently to the feet of the vector.

AZ followed on the other side, in a good position with a good view of the overall situation.

Tong Tianxiao walked in the middle of the group, remaining quiet the entire way.

Yin Xiang glanced at him, sensing the unusual behavior beneath his calm demeanor, and slowed his pace slightly.

Tong Tianxiao quickly noticed that she had moved next to him.

"Your physical condition is not suitable for slowing down," he said.

"Oh," said Vector, "standard operating procedure care."

Jack almost burst out laughing, but when Tongtianxiao glanced at him, Jack immediately turned his face away.

The vector didn't continue teasing him.

There was still some distance ahead in the passage, and the shockwave signal was interrupted.

There were some things she used to think she could wait to say. She thought she could wait until the situation stabilized and the other party was willing to speak.

But she later discovered that many things simply cannot wait for the so-called "right time".

She said, "I've seen your visit records."

Tongtianxiao's shoulder armor tightened slightly: "That's not an official document."

"But you asked a question."

He did not answer immediately, but kept looking ahead without turning his head.

"You asked me, 'If you can't become Optimus Prime, how will I judge you?'"

Tong Tianxiao's voice lowered: "That's a record from a long time ago."

"Not long for me."

He quieted down and saw that the vector finally turned its head to look at him.

Why does one have to become Optimus Prime?

He had thought about this question too many times, so he couldn't immediately condense the answer into a single, understandable sentence.

"He is the leader," Tongtianxiao said.

"Um."

"This is the reason why many aircraft continue to maintain their positions."

"Um."

"That's also... the standard."

The vector looked at him: "That's Optimus Prime, but not in your definition."

Tongtianxiao's optics were fixed on her.

The vector said, "You're not without problems."

The jack is used to prop up the audio receiver in front.

The vector continued: "Your question is quite clear."

Tong Tianxiao didn't know how to respond, because she was very serious and didn't seem to be joking at all.

"You're rigid, overly reliant on standard procedures, and sometimes try to cram all machines into a single set of commands. I've also seen your disagreements with the Thunder Rescue Team."

Tong Tianxiao offered no explanation.

"But having problems doesn't mean you're doing a bad job."

Tong Tianxiao twitched his finger, pointing his vector towards the front of the passage.

"I've read your wartime records. You handled the evacuation arrangements, evacuation escorts, temporary defense zones, and regrouping after being scattered—all very well, and you saved many planes."

"You're just used to writing your concern as an order, your fear as a risk assessment, and your reluctance to lose as standard operating procedure."

The pace in front of the jack slowed down a little.

Tongtianxiao remained silent for a long time. BICk0 glanced at them from behind, then looked away, pretending to be checking the access permissions.

"What if my method isn't good enough?" Tongtianxiao asked.

Vector said, "Then change the way you do it, instead of becoming someone else."

Tong Tianxiao kept looking at her and listening quietly. Then he whispered, "If I'm wrong, there's a chance I'll die."

"Yes." The vector didn't want to offer false comfort.

Tongtianxiao's optical mirror dimmed for a moment.

The vector continued, "That's why you're afraid."

"But fear is not evidence of your incompetence."

"I don't want you to become Optimus Prime."

Tong Tianxiao blinked through his optical glasses and stared at her blankly.

You can't become him.

She added, "I shouldn't become him either."

Only the soft sound of the procession could be heard in the passageway.

"Optimus Prime is tough enough as it is," Vector said. "Ultra Magnus isn't having an easy time either. You don't need to carry both names on your shoulders."

Tong Tianxiao's hands hung at his sides, his knuckles close to the back of her hand, touching it very lightly, like an accidental brush while walking, but he did not pull them away.

The vector made his fingers slightly curl back around his.

The movement was so subtle that the person in front of him wouldn't have noticed it unless they were secretly glancing out of the corner of their eye. Of course, he was now making a very good effort to pretend they hadn't noticed.

Tong Tianxiao's hand froze at first, then he carefully took hers. He finally allowed himself to leave something slightly different outside of the norm.

"I can't guarantee I can do it right now," he said.

"I'm not asking you to do it now."

"I will probably still use the old method."

"Then we'll correct it every time we find it."

"That sounds very inefficient."

Yin Vector looked at him and laughed: "You've finally realized that growth isn't a standardized process. Congratulations."

Tongtianxiao: "..."

The man in front, trying to suppress his laughter, twitched his shoulder armor.

After being slowly looked at by Tongtianxiao, he said, "I am on high alert."

Inside the Thunder Rescue Team, someone whispered through the partition, "Why are you so happy about being on guard?"

The vector did not loosen its grip on Tianxiao's hand, she said:

"I hope you become Alpha."

"Not like Optimus Prime, or Ultra Magnus who is very good at following orders."

"It is the ability to learn to adjust, make mistakes, correct them, and continue to move forward."

Tongtianxiao still held her hand: "This doesn't seem like a judgment."

"Because this is a suggestion."

After a moment, he gently tightened his fingers.

I will try my best.

Immediately afterwards, something that had been stretched too long on Tong Tianxiao's body finally loosened a little.

A red warning light suddenly flashed across the passage ahead.

BICk0: "There was brief activity on the old shockwave line."

All the machines' attention was instantly drawn back.

A broken communication message popped up on the screen. First came a sharp static, followed by a flat, unresponsive sound:

"...Stop damaging the equipment. This action is illogical..."

The next second, another, even harsher voice interrupted: "Steel Cable doesn't like you talking!"

Then a loud bang, and the communication was lost.

The passageway fell silent for a moment.

The jack slowly raised its head: "It sounds like both sides need to be rescued now."

AZ looked at the broken communication and said calmly, "The third space bridge project should still be alive."

Tong Tianxiao slowly withdrew his hand, no longer returning to his overly quiet state.