Gone Too Far

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And thus began an era where prose stories were enjoyable again.
"Gone Too Far"
Publisher	Transformers Collectors' Club (online exclusive)
First published	March 13, 2008
Written by	Greg Sepelak and Trent Troop
Illustrations by	Evan Gauntt
Continuity	TransTech & Classics
Page count	28pp

Two Autobots try to make their way in Axiom Nexus and get more than they bargained for.

Synopsis

Jackpot and Hubcap, having been transported in a space bridge accident to an alternate Cybertron, are put through "processing" by the native Cybertronians, known as the Transcendent Technomorphs. Jackpot is interrogated by an old robot named Nitpick, working for the Department of Acclimation. The gruff old bot asks his name and subjects him to a scan, gives him his Tech Specs, and sets him out to meet his guide. Reunited with Hubcap, Jackpot is intrigued by the "Jackpot III" designation on his tech specs, while his friend is uncomfortable. The two are suddenly greeted by Scattorshot, their guide, who welcomes them to Axiom Nexus. Over a cup of oil, Scattorshot explains that this Cybertron never had a Great War, and that most of the population remains neutral. Axiom Nexus is mostly filled with offworlders, with the TransTech limited to the higher levels. When Jackpot inquires about why they're allowed to keep their weapons, Scattorshot tells him that most of the dangerous bots are sent back, while the ones that remain are usually glad to not have to fight anymore. Scattorshot tells them that aside from the TransTech guards and police in the upper levels, most of the policing is done by various guilds and factions in the non-TransTech zones, including the Offworlder "Shadow Government", the Order of Bureaucratic Enlightenment, the Freelance Police Legion, and the Elder Councils, the TransTech content to let them be as long as the offworlders remain peaceful. Jackpot is curious about how he's the third Jackpot, and Scattorshot proceeds to give him the "short" explanation on transwarp. A realm of space that contains millions of alternate universes and realms, transwarp space is used by most races to power faster-than-light travel, time travel, subspace storage pockets, portals, and interdimensional travel. Some of these universes are closer than others, causing near identical variations of its people to pop up. Hubcap wonders how and when they'll get home, and Scattorshot explains that they can leave anytime by applying for exit visas, unless they've been designated a "unit of interest"-usually meaning they've participated in criminal activities or have unique technology that could potentially threaten planetary security. Getting up, Scattorshot leads them on a tour around the zones, until eventually being called back to begin another tour. Hubcap is suspicious of the entire process, but Jackpot wants to see the sites, and follows a bunch of cyborg aliens carrying specimens to what he assumes is a zoo. An exasperated Hubcap follows his friend into the city.

After a few incidents, including the "zoo"/bounty reclamation office and getting into trouble with security at a crowed credits station when Hubcap calls it a scam, Hubcap and Jackpot arrive at a tavern called The Blue Deployer. Hubcap is annoyed that his senses are dulled by a jamming field, but is excited when he spots gambling games. Jackpot orders himself a drink, and is greeted by the proprietor, Cryotek. A jovial yet somewhat threatening TransTech, Cryotek tells the bot to enjoy his stay, although his "habit" won't be easy to indulge in. A confused and uneased Jackpot is glared at by Cryotek's subordinates, Black Shadow and Backslash, but puts his concerns aside. Heading over to check up on Hubcap, Jackpot finds his friend already having piles of credit-chips, and heads over to the roulette tables to flirt with the croupier. Hubcap, meanwhile, plays a game of Fullstasis (a card game based around quantum physics) with Gutcruncher, a Decepticon Action Master. Hubcap manages to calculate all the probabilities need to win the game, but when Jackpot comes over to watch his friend, his luck field warps them to allow Gutcruncher to win. Hubcap looses all 53,000 of their credits, arguing with Jackpot before deciding to try and earn back their money in other games. Suddenly, they are interrupted by Dirge, who tells Hubcap that Gutcruncher wants to talk to him. With Jackpot as his "consultant", Hubcap heads to Gutcruncher's booth. The Action Master admires the Mini-Bot's skills, and offers him a chance to join his team, figuring he owes Hubcap. Handing him a card, he tells him to come to Zone 9, Level 43 tomorrow evening. Leaving, Jackpot and Hubcap don't trust the Decepticon, but the two are told by Cryotek that with their financial states and the tavern's lack of a tab, it would be in their best interests to go to Gutcruncher's meeting. Cryotek tells them that while Gutcruncher may be a Decepticon, he's is nothing if not loyal this own cause, and generous to all his friends, and promises to have Backslash keep an eye on the two.

The next night, Jackpot and Hubcap find themselves at a rally, where numerous gangs have all gathered together to here what Gutcruncher has to say. Hubcap wants to stay to figure out what's going on, and agrees to run for it. The crowd goes silent when Gutcruncher gets on stage. Gutcruncher begins by calling out all the various gangs he sees from all corners of Axiom Nexus. Axiom Nexus, he claims, does not belong to the TransTech, but to the offworlders, despite the former having all the power. Gutcruncher calls for a truce between gangs to lead a revolution against the TransTech and take over the world. Jackpot and Hubcap, having seen enough, begin to leave, but a shot flies past them, straight into the Decepticon's head. A voice accuses the two of having murdered Gutcruncher, and the two bots, surrounded by an angry mob, rush out. Jackpot uses his nucleon engine to burst forward as his friend follows in vehicle mode to the exit tunnel. Followed by the Malginus Revolutionaries, Jackpot hops on his friend as the lead Malignus, Jipe, grabs onto Hubcap's bumper. Jipe attempts to shoot Jackpot, but the Autobot kicks him back, sending one plasma blast into a fluid main. Coolant bursts from the pipes and Hubcap and Jackpot are shot out of the tunnel on a huge geyser.

Safe for the time being, Hubcap tunes into the police band, finding that they're wanted. After an unfruitful attempt to find help from other versions of themselves, the two head back to The Blue Deployer, figuring no one would look where the two lost all their money to their "victim". Cryotek, however, refuses to hide them, telling them of the price Dirge has put on their head. Not unsympathetic to their plight, the TransTech allows for them to head out of the back and tells them to head to Widow's Cafe Cybertronian, and sneak into the Heap, where the United Anarchists League might be able to hide them. His guards backing him up when Hubcap threatens him, Cryotek tells the two that he won't sell them out if only to prevent his business from being hit, and sends the two on their way. Walking through the alleyways, Jackpot suggests that they should try to find the real killer. Hubcap objects; they aren't detectives, and besides, Gutcruncher was a Decepticon. While discussing this idea with his friend, Jackpot runs into a TransTech police officer. As the officer realizes who the two are, they run off, Hubcap carrying Jackpot on his vehicle mode top. Listening in on the police band, Hubcap manages to head the opposite way, but as the two run into a warehouse, the TransTech police surround in, having known that Hubcap was listening to their communications.

At Axiom Nexus Security Administration headquarters, Jackpot and Hubcap bicker until the Security Administration Officer, Cheetor, walks in. Ignoring the two bots at first, Cheetor instructs Stungun to get units out on security detail, with the council having ordered the offworlders to be locked down. Turning to his other subordinate, Airazor, he orders her to assemble a team to look after three strange bots under the care of Alpha Trion. Hubcap and Jackpot insist that they aren't the killers; Stungun probes Jackpot about his nucleon "addiction" before being stopped by Cheetor, who admits they don't have the firepower or the guts to murder, even if it looks like it. Jackpot asks if he can use the I.D. bolts to see who was with them at the time, but Cheetor informs him that they aren't GPS trackers due to civil rights and resource issues. The TransTech puts the two under protective custody, but on Jackpot's cue, Hubcap turns on his vehicle mode engine, flooding the room with smoke. Jackpot punches past Stungun, and the two rush out of the building. Stungun prepares to go after them, but Cheetor has him stand down, sending him to The Blue Deployer to keep an eye on Cryotek. As Stungun leaves the room, Cheetor watches as a figure wisps through the smoke out the door...

Racing down the streets, Hubcap is suspicious, not even sure if they're being chased. Heading for Widow's Cafe Cybertronian, the two almost reach the tavern, when a taut cable flips Hubcap over. Six Malignus flank them, ready to rip into the Autobots. Jackpot has Hubcap turn into vehicle mode again, and throws him at Jipe, knocking the bot over. Rushing forward, the two race off again, until heading into a dead end. Cornered, the two say their goodbyes as the Malginus fire a shot, but Jackpot's luck field warps the probabilites, causing the laser bolt to hit the near-indestructible I.D. bolt on his arm, reflecting off and hitting a bot on a nearby roof. Falling down, the near invisilbe bot weakly gets up, and announces that they're all under arrest. While the Malignus squabble about what to do, Jackpot and Hubcap drag the small bot out of the puddle on the ground, as a neon sign falls into it and electrocutes the criminals. Hubcap asks the cop who he is; the Mini-Con informs him that his name is Detectas, and that Cheetor assigned him to keep an eye on the two. Jackpot tells the Mini-Con to hide, his damaged form being too much for them to lug around, and the cop reluctantly agrees, going invisible. Suddenly, the Malginus are back up and gunning for the two. The two run away yet again, and Hubcap uses a sonic decoy to lead the Malignus to an elevator shaft, sending the dumb bots tumbling 50 meters. Quickly running out of options, the two try to find a place to rest but are suddenly greeted by an unseen robot. Coming into the light, the voice turns out to belong to Black Shadow, who tells them that he knows they didn't kill Gutcruncher...because he did. Ready to tie up loose ends, Black Shadow aims his guns, but Hubcap quickly distracts him by announcing that his shoelaces are untied, causing the bot to reflexively look at his feet. The two split up, thinking the assassin can't chase them both...but as they run, Black Shadow's chest opens up, the true robot form jumping out of his Crossformer shell. Black Shadow and his shell turn into their jet modes, splitting up to chase after the two.

Hubcap radios Jackpot, who is being chased by Black Shadow's shell, and realizes that they're dealing with a form of Pretender. Trying to avoid Black Shadow, Hubcap propels himself into the chasm used by flying Transformers. Landing on top of a blue hoverskiff, he convinces the Decepticon that he's armed with an Exponential Generator, telling him to get him to level 29 so he can have it disarmed. Jackpot, meanwhile, is cornered by Black Shadow's shell, which is equipped with a rudimentary artificial intelligence. Even with the advantage of full intelligence and Action Master powers, Jackpot is still quickly beaten by the shell. On Zone 6, Hubcap drives through the artificial rain, loudly leading Black Shadow along. Blasted off the road, Hubcap is about to be terminated by Black Shadow, when Dirge, along with the Malignus and the Gigantion Menasor interrupt. Black Shadow is ready to turn over the Autobot, but a recording suddenly emanates from Hubcap's body, repeating Black Shadow's confession of killing Gutcruncher. Black Shadow claims that it's fake, but Hubcap claims that he has videos of a maser cannon shot rushing past him. Led on, Black Shadow claims he's full of it, his weapons being photon cannons, and Dirge concurs that the Autobot is wrong... because the shots that killed Gutcruncher was a photon charge. Angered, Black Shadow rushes forth to kill Hubcap, but the criminals rip into him, only stepping aside to allow Menasor to crush the Crossformer. Jackpot, meanwhile, is quickly running out of fuel, and is about to be terminated by the shell, but a system failure causes a capsule in its head to go off, destroying the shell. Radioing Hubcap to confirm that it's all over, Jackpot walks out of the alleyway... right into Airazor's cannon.

Later, Cheetor reflects that all things considered, it's not been a bad day. The forensics team confirmed Black Shadow's confession, and the autopsy confirmed the wound matches up with the Crossformer's weapons. Gutcruncher's illegal contraband had been seized, and a disaster averted, with many of the criminals detained (Menasor, in particular, in a vehicle lot with a mode lock). Still, something nags at him; the head was missing from Black Shadow's main body, and the capsule that destroyed the shell also destroyed its data core. Along with the hole through Gutcruncher's head, it all ties together a little too neat. Heading over with some officers to The Blue Deployer, Cheetor confronts Cryotek, interrogating him as to whether he knows what Black Shadow's been up to. Cryotek lies straight to his face, telling him that as long as his employee's actives don't mess with his business, they are free to do what they want. Cheetor suggests that he become invested with his employees' personal lives, leaving behind the smug Cryotek. Backslash doesn't like the cop's tone, but Cryotek is pleased with the scene of events; if Gutcruncher's uprising had gone through, the Military Police would have gotten involved, and that would have been no good. Too much order, after all, is bad for business. Meanwhile, Jackpot and Hubcap, having been labeled undesirables, get ready to head home. As the chamber shields close, Hubcap realizes to quickly ask if they're being sent to Cybertron or Earth but pops straight into transwarp before they can get an answer.

On the planet of Zoruul, the Decepticon Killzone rampages through the capital city, terrifying the native Zegrins. The high priest Yurgeth, pinned by a statue of his deity, Xoul'kol the Protector, prepares himself for death, when a bright flash erupts upon the sky. Jackpot and Hubcap land on top of Killzone, knocking the Decepticon unconscious. Jackpot shouts ineffectually at the TransTechs, while Hubcap notices Yurgeth. The alien cowers before the two, assuming they are here to kill them as well, puzzling the Autobots. Taking the statue off the small alien, Hubcap asks if they have any space travel capabilities. With only just having landed one of their own on their moon, Zo'Etha, two years ago, and Killzone's ship having been destroyed while crashing into an orphanage, the two are stuck with having to send out a distress beacon. Jackpot asks why Killzone was here, and when the alien informs them that he was here for glowing pink rocks that explode if damaged, the two light up. The pair promises to take Killzone off their hands, and get rid of the rocks, free of charge...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

Hubcap: "So, when do we get to go home?"
Scattorshot: "Oh, that. Whenever. You just gotta apply for exit visas, an' the 'Techs will deliver you to your universe of origin... or at least an approved alternate reality. Provided, a' course, that you ain't been designated 'units of interest'."
Jackpot: "And I'll take 'Ominous Terminology' for 500 shanix, 'Shot."

"Expression of menace and unveiled hostility. ...Ironic yet mean-spirited quip."

—Black Shadow's Crossformer shell AI. It knows the words, my dear, but it will never master the tune.

"You are in Zoruul, capital city of Zegris. Please, are you to bring more terror as he did? If so, kindly strike us down in a more painless and efficient fashion, for we are running out of places to pile the rubble and the screams are disturbing the rest of the untouched."

—Yurgeth is a practical-minded alien.

Notes

• Characters mentioned who do not appear include: two other Jackpots, Unicron, Sights, a creepy Hubcap, Megatron, Elita One, a Sharkticon, Nightbeat, Alpha Trion, Optimus Prime, Primus, and a Terrorcon.
• Characters who appear in art but not in-story include: Delta Seeker, Tigertrack, Deep Cover, Beastbox, Squawktalk, Duck Diver, Signal Lancer, Geno, Samus Aran, Tracks, Thrust, Manta Ray, Apeface, and Crowmax.

Continuity notes

• The Primax Cluster is mentioned in this story; this, along with the entire universal stream concept, would be built up in the following TransTech prose story, "Withered Hope".
• The "three strange bots" Cheetor refers to are Skyfall, Landquake, and Breakaway; the three arrived in Axiom Nexus in "Transcendent: Part 1", and Cheetor was part of the welcome party greeting them.
• The Generation 1 reality that Jackpot and Hubcap arrive in at the end of the story was later identified in The AllSpark Almanac II as Primax 207.0 Epsilon, the Classicsverse. It is not, however, the one that they came from, merely one that the TransTechs considered similar enough to deport them to.

Transformer references

• There are a "lot" of non-TransTech offworlders throughout the story from various franchises. Aside from the main characters Generation 1 Jackpot, Hubcap, Gutcruncher and Victory Black Shadow, these include:
  • Cybertron Scattorshot, Swerve, and Menasor.
  • Fun Pub original characters Backslash and Buzzbomb.
  • OTFCC 2003 Roulette.
  • BotCon 2005 Dirge.
  • Armada Demolishor.
  • Robots in Disguise Bruticus.
  • Marvel Generation 2 character Mindset.
  • The Malignus from the South American version of the Generation 1 toyline.
  • European Generation 1 exclusive Calcar.
  • Machine Wars Hubcap.
  • Beast Wars Airazor in her "Dawn of Future's Past" body.
  • Micron Booster wave 4 toy Detectas.
  • Generaton 1 Scourge.
• Additionally, many characters appear in the illustration of downtown Axiom Nexus, including:
  • Robotmasters Delta Seeker.
  • Japanese Generation 1 exclusives Tigertrack and Deep Cover.
  • Generation 1 Squawktalk, Beastbox and Apeface.
  • Beastformers Duck Diver and Crowmax.
  • Cybertron Signal Lancer.
  • Beast Machines Thrust.
  • Alternators Tracks.
  • Generation 2 Manta Ray.
• The idea of subspace storage pockets originated as a fan-created concept that served as a communal explanation for where Transformers stored their weapons when they transformed, where size-changing characters' additional mass went, and where Optimus Prime's trailer regularly disappeared to.
• As an Action Master (the range of figures in the final year of the original The Transformers toyline that didn't transform), Jackpot is powered by Nucleon as described on the toy packaging blurb for the figures, which causes several characters to think that he is an addict. Several asides in the story explain some of how the Nucleon serves as a self-regenerating fuel source and a means of sudden power bursts. At one point, Stungun mentions how nucleon comes from the center of a black hole, as mentioned in the aforementioned packaging blurb.
• The humanoid beast cyborgs Jackpot follows are Beastformers, from the Headmasters series (sold in America as Battle Beasts).
• Scattorshot's next tour is for a Vehicon General from Beast Machines.
• Jackpot and Hubcap have to deal with Mini-Con pickpockets before heading to The Blue Deployer.
• Hubcap's ID card reads "Strength=3", in reference to his Tech Specs.
• Backslash and Buzzbomb also worked for their version of Cryotek in "Theft of the Golden Disk".
• Jackpot drinks a Botropolis Special, named for the home of the Playskool Go-Bots.
• Jackpot and Hubcap are surprised to find that energon is not a currency in Axiom Nexus, but appreciate a currency format that isn't likely to explode, as energon is so often shown to do in the Generation 1 cartoons and comics.
• Fullstasis is a game introduced in Marvel UK The Transformers comic issue #242.
• Jackpot: "Shall we make like a Scraplet and bolt?" Scraplets are a metal-eating parasite introduced in the original Marvel The Transformers comics.
• Axiom Nexus is home to a whole host of teams, gangs, and subfactions. The United Anarchists League rule the Heap, to the extent that anarchists will deign to rule anything. Gutcruncher notes in his speech that the crowd includes representatives of the Destructicons (a name used several times prior in Transformers fiction), Free Technorgs League (Technorganics), Scourges (Presumably like the Sweeps), Destron Boys (named for the Japanese designation for the Decepticons), WildGuard, the Neo-Mutant Liberators, Beast-Riders (Beast Riders are chariots from the Beast Machines toyline), Mayhem Attackers (from the Marvel The Transformers comics), the Malignus Revolutionaries (One of the South American The Transformers toyline groups), and the Junkion Rippers (named for the species introduced in The Transformers: The Movie). He also mentions the Lightning Strikers (named for an Autobot group from the Dreamwave War Within comics), Imperius Legions, and Dinobots.
• Jackpot regrets the absence of Sights, his Targetmaster partner.
• The "other" Hubcap creeps out our Hubcap; Machine Wars Hubcap likes to use dead Decepticons for target practice.
• Jackpot notes the irony of them being unable to afford a disguise, which would have been in the form of a reformatting.
• Jackpot has "seen more to trust in a Sharkticon’s smile" than in Cryotek.
• Shanix are brought up several times; a monetary system introduced in the Marvel UK The Transformers comic.
• While verbally harassing Jackpot about his "Nucleon habit", Stungun first quotes the Action Master tagline of "Stronger, faster, more alive", then parodies a line from the 2007 live-action Transformers film: "What else you into? Syk? Chips? Solitarium? Hit a little of the Old Fortran at nights?" (Syk is a drug introduced in Marvel UK's The Transformers issue #275, while solitarium is a mysterious ore from Robotmasters.) Jackpot plays along: "Are you on plugs?"
• Cheetor asks "And anyhow, did you want to live forever or something?" in reference to one of the many Furmanisms. (Jackpot and Hubcap: "Yes.")
• The casing of the i.d. bolts is made from an electrum alloy, electrum having been seen in Generation 1 cartoon episode "The Golden Lagoon".
• Hubcap tells Scourge that he's been rigged with an Exponential Generator, a piece of technology from Generation 1 cartoon episode "Countdown to Extinction".
• The capsule that destroys Black Shadow's shell is made from Scraplet stomach acid and unstable solitarium.

Real-world references

• The general plot of the story is based on the film/novel The Warriors, with Gutcruncher in the role of Cyrus, the gang leader who is assassinated, and Jackpot and Hubcap in the role of the Warriors, wrongly accused for the murder.
• Jackpot's personality is inspired by the "goofy, gabby, pun-hurling Tony Oliver-voiced version" of Lupin III,^[1] while Hubcap's personality and mannerisms are based on comedian-magician Penn Jillette.
• In the prologue, Jackpot sarcastically suggest they play Three-Card Monty, named for the infamous scam card game.
• The various tiny pieces of art seen in the downtown Axiom Nexus illustrations are all various illustrations re-used by Evan Gauntt from previous work and other files on-hand, including:
  • A crossover between Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Gargoyles.
  • A previous DeviantArt i.d. used by Gauntt.
  • A sketch of Sixshot.
  • A sketch of Skullcruncher.
  • An earlier version of the cover to Transformers Legends.
  • A sketch of Leobreaker.
  • A sketch of Sentinel Prime.
  • An edited picture of Delta Seeker.
  • A sketch of Alternators Overdrive.
  • A sketch of Bantor.
  • The European cover of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
  • A picture of Omega/Zero from Mega Man Zero 3.
• The writing on the signs for the bar in the downtown illustration is a stylized rendition of "Cheers", obviously referencing the sitcom of the same name.
• Nintendo characters Geno (an obscure Mario character from Super Mario RPG) and Samus Aran (from the Metroid franchise) can be spotted hidden amongst the crowd in the illustration of downtown Axiom Nexus.
• Jackpot, as quoted above, parodies the contestant format of the game show Jeopardy!
• The Freelance Police Legion is a reference to the Sam & Max franchise, whose main characters are "freelance police officers".
• Widow's Cafe Cybertronian is a references to the film Casablanca—it's a stand-in for Rick's Cafe Americain, the club run by Humphrey Bogart's character. This, of course makes The Blue Deployer an analogue of Sydney Greenstreet's competing club, The Blue Parrot (the Beast Era Cryotek having owned a Deployer named Chro, who is a blue bird). This is not the first time that a Cryotek has been based on Greenstreet; his Universe counterpart was styled after the actor in "Theft of the Golden Disk".
• "They can't catch us! We're the wind, baby!" Jackpot enthuses during a high-speed chase, paraphrasing Mystery Science Theater 3000's Tom Servo.
• "Olde Fortran" is an alcoholic beverage made for robots in Futurama, which was in turn a reference to the computer programming language FORTAN.
• "This is another fine mess you let me get us into," says Jackpot, a play on a famous Laurel & Hardy line.
• "Didn't we just leave this party?!" Jackpot says, quoting Han Solo from Star Wars.

Other trivia

• Jackpot spies a "synthetic flesh canine" among the crowds.

References

External links

• "Gone Too Far" at The Official Transformers Collectors' Club