Origin of Species
From Axalon RPG
A young heir to a powerful clan learns of the possibilities in the wilds of Cybertron of recruiting an army to take over Prime City.
Contents |
The Characters
- Maximus - Heir to the Clan Destiny, he finds an unlikely source of new raw recruits for his clan.
- Trike - Found by Maximus defending his herd by transforming and running off predators.
- Prexis - Leader of the Clan Destiny, worried about his overdue son and heir.
The Story
The Wilds of Cybertron
In a time more ancient than anyone can remember, there was a planet lush with life. A planet that combined organic material and metals in its formation of life. This planet was called Prime by its inhabitants... well... the ones who had developed a language. Five clans, Destiny, Cybos, Destron, Atos and Minos, settled in a city called Prime City. The rest were little more than barbarians, who could not transform or think... or so the five clans thought.
Maximus stood on the top of a promontory overlooking a meadow. In the meadow, he watched as a group of herbivores gathered into a defensive position. Scanning the horizon, he saw what had alarmed them. A group of predators, stalking up slowly and cautiously. The predators looked like a cross between a bear and a lion, while the herbivores looked like triceratops with black fur. As Maximus watched, the predators moved in for the kill. Suddenly, there was a flash, and the alpha male herbivore transformed. Maximus' eyebrows hit his hairline. These were barbarians. They weren't supposed to know how to transform.
Maximus watched as the alpha male delivered several energy blasts to the predators, driving them off. The rest of the herbivores simply gathered around their leader and continued grazing on the energon enriched grass. After making gestures at the predetors for a while, the alpha male quietly transformed back into a herbivore and began grazing, casting a wary eye in the direction the predators retreated from time to time. Was this self-awareness? Maximus had to find out. He transformed into his own beast form, that of a horse-like creature and slowly made his way towards the grazing beasts. They paid him little attention as he approached. Finally, the alpha saw him and walked toward him to investigate. The herbivore sniffed him, then roared. It transformed immediately, Maximus following suit. The herbivore then stopped, stunned, as if it had never been met with this before. Maximus watched him for a moment, then held out his hands to show he meant no harm. He must recruit this herbivore for his clan before another clan found him.
"I mean you no harm," he said, holding out his hand. "Do you understand me?"
The beast cocked his head at him, as if the sounds were strange to it, then it tried to mimic him. After working with him for a few microns, Maximus decided to take the risk. He reached out and touched the beast on the chest. An energy pulse flashed between him and the beast. The beast suddenly blinked and looked at him more intelligently.
"Are you ok?" asked Maximus.
"I think so," replied the beast. "Suddenly, everything just makes since. Who am I? Who are you? Why have I suddenly become so different?"
"These questions I will answer," said Maximus. "But you must follow me to get the answers."
"I can't leave my herd," said the beast. "They will be unprotected."
"They will be just fine without you," said Maximus. "You must come with me."
The beast looks around for a moment uncertainly, then nods. "I'll come with you."
"Good," said Maximus. "Welcome to the Clan Destiny. I will call you Trike."
"Trike," said Trike. "Ok. So who are you, and who are the Clan Destiny?"
"All in good time, Trike," said Maximus. "But I will tell you who I am. I am known as Maximus, and I am the heir to Clan Destiny. Soon, you will meet my father, Prexis. And... if you represent what I think you do, you will help our clan become dominant."
"I like dominant," said Trike, smiling.
Prime City
Prexis looked out over the city from his apartment high atop a skyscraper. He had helped build this city, back when he and the rest of the first five had gained awareness. That was centuries ago. Now, after finding and recruiting others with self-awareness, they had developed a society with rules and order. Prexis and the other four ruled the city, each having a district, but each looking to gain the upper hand on the others. It was a life filled with intrigue and danger, but Prexis had survived this long, and had outlived three heirs. His present heir was overdue from his foraging trip into the wilderness. Prexis knew Maximus could take care of himself, but there were others out there who could take care of themselves better than him. Prexis didn't like letting him out of the Destiny tower, but he couldn't shield him forever. He just didn't want to lose him like his three brothers before him. Behind him, the door to the apartment opened and he heard his son's footsteps. He also heard another set of footsteps.
"I hope you have an explanation for your tardiness, Maximus," said Prexis, sternly.
"I have, my Lord," stated Maximus. "I have found a secret that I wish to reveal to you."
"Then by all means, share your secret with me my son," said Prexis, with a touch of a laugh. His son always had secrets to share with him, but most of them were of the mundane sort that, quite frankly, bored Prexis.
"I have discovered a new source of loyal fighters," began Maximus. "I was on the plains, when I saw some predators attack a herd of herbivores."
"And what was so interesting about that?" asked Prexis, a little testily. He was already getting bored.
"When the predators attacked, the alpha male transformed and drove them off," stated Maximus.
Prexis stared at his son for a moment. "Go on," he said, hesitantly.
"I investigated and found that the alpha male was un-intelligent. However, when I reached out and touched his spark chamber, something happened. There was a power transfer, and he became intelligent. This is the alpha male here. I named him Trike."
Prexis looked at Trike curiously. "You say he is intelligent now? How intelligent?"
Maximus smiled at his father. "Intelligent enough to ask me a million questions on our way here. He must be educated... he is much like a child... but he understands us now. I believe we can harness this new source by watching the barbarians carefully and harnessing the ones who figure out how to transform."
Prexis smiles wryly. "Yes, I see where you're coming from. We will have a whole new generation of loyal subjects, who have not been tempted by the other clans."
"That all depends on how long we can keep it a secret," stated Maximus. "If the other clans find out, they will recruit from the barbarians themselves. We must first find a way to seal off the wastelands and allow only our clan to go there. If we can do that, we will dominate within a generation."
"I like domination," said Trike, as he looked around. Prexis and Maximus turn to him and smile.
"I must see what I can do about that," said Prexis. "I think it can be arranged, I just need a little time. Tell no one about this."
"My lips are sealed, my Lord," said Maximus with a smirk.
