Reading settings
Chapter 732: Locating the Prime Universe
On the distant planet of Cybertron, the Science Academy had already sprung into action, conducting their analysis using the real-time footage transmitted by Optimus Prime and Megatron.
To put it bluntly, it was... a livestream.
A livestream of the beatdown of Superboy-Prime.
A group of scientists from the Science Academy watched, some of them munching on snacks with great relish.
"Shuri, I seriously question your professionalism!" Wheeljack said, his face darkening as he glared at Shuri, who had lightning-fast hidden a bag of snacks.
"Oh, you must be mistaken, sir. Even with your electronic eyes, my analysis indicates that your biological brain still primarily transmits information via signals. Every neural node is an information relay hub, and it's possible one of them..." Shuri wiped the corner of her mouth, her expression dead serious.
Wheeljack turned his head away and ignored her.
This former Wakandan, sister of the Black Panther, and possessor of a universe-level intellect was difficult to deal with. She would always shut you down with the most scientific theories, leaving you with no room to retort.
"Excellent. This is Superboy-Prime's DNA. We are currently unable to obtain more detailed data, so we have to rely on the live feed for transmission. This is perfectly logical under the circumstances. Flawless."
Shockwave glared with his single optic, rapidly scanning the segment of DNA on the screen. Optimus Prime had come into contact with some of Superboy-Prime's blood, performed a simple analysis, and transmitted the image.
"Open the Universe Bridge and begin target acquisition. We might actually be able to use this opportunity to find the coordinates of the Prime Universe. This universe is critical; it is the true reality underlying the Positive and Negative Multiverse."
Wheeljack had a solemn expression.
"Huh? Open it now? But the Universe Bridge is still in its experimental phase! For a teleportation device used within the Multiverse, even a slight, undetectable error could throw someone into an unknown location," Shuri said in astonishment.
Shockwave said coldly, "As long as it remains within the Multiverse, it’s acceptable. Even if we fail, we will lose nothing. At worst, Superboy-Prime will simply continue to wander."
They didn't care whether Superboy-Prime lived or died; they only cared about achieving their desired result.
Locating the mysterious Prime Universe and finding its coordinates.
The Prime Universe was an incredibly strange place. Superboy-Prime was the only superpowered being there; everyone else was an Ordinary Human. Numerous cosmic civilizations dutifully focused on their technological development, including the Earth of the Prime Universe.
There, Superboy-Prime was more like a "Child of the Universe" or a "Child of the Plane." Ever since his Kryptonian abilities awakened at the age of fifteen, he had been the equivalent of a God there.
What was even stranger was the Prime Universe's state of existence. It was shrouded by an inexplicable Power and completely hidden. Even if a powerful Being were to turn the entire Multiverse upside down, they would never find the Prime Universe.
The Prime Universe was like a ghost. It exists there, but you couldn't find it, see it, or touch it, to the point that you would simply conclude it didn't exist at all.
But when the Multiverse, which served as a Veil and Barrier, completely collapsed and not a single universe remained, the Prime Universe would, in an instant, transform from the virtual into the singular Reality.
However, a new Multiverse would reboot into new life at the very moment of destruction, and the Prime Universe would once again lie low, undiscoverable to all.
And this group from the Science Academy was attempting to use the unique individual known as Superboy-Prime to pinpoint the exact location of the Prime Universe.
After all, if they failed, they wouldn't lose anything...
"Initiate Speed Force ignition! Universe Bridge device activated. Connecting to Speed Force for charging. Commencing countdown..."
A crowd of scientists moved back and forth, their expressions grave.
That's right. The Universe Bridge, a device capable of traversing between universes, was the next-generation upgrade to the Space Bridge. It had taken a full four years to complete this behemoth.
The Speed Force was the Energy Source for the Universe Bridge. Within the Multiverse, there was no form of Energy more convenient for Inter-Universal Travel than the Speed Force.
Only a Universe Bridge linked to the Speed Force had even a slight chance of returning Superboy-Prime to the Prime Universe.
The Prime Universe was too extraordinary and held immense research value. It could perhaps even become a safe haven for Cybertron.
Just imagine it: a place that not even the One-Above-All could easily find. If they built a new Cybertron there, their safety factor would increase dramatically. It would be like having a reliable escape route.
Even if the Multiverse were to be destroyed, the Prime Universe would be the very last to fall. More likely, even with the Multiverse gone, the Prime Universe would remain undiscovered.
"Optimus Prime, Megatron, listen to my instructions. Find a way to get that brainless Superboy-Prime..."
...
In Sector 0, the expressions of Optimus Prime and Megatron remained unchanged. Their Central Processors performed rapid calculations as vast amounts of information were sent and received. Many people were communicating with them in this manner.
"Come on! Come on, you pieces of trash! Watch me tear you apart into scrap metal!!"
Superboy-Prime laughed ferociously, his face twisted. A beam of Heat Vision pierced right through Megatron's hole-riddled Chassis, exposing the myriad circuits within. Streams of blood-like fluid flowed down, and Sparks frequently erupted.
"I just want to go home!! But you bastards deceived me again and again! I'd rather just kill you all!"
"I've slaughtered planet after planet and killed hero team after hero team!"
"I'm not wrong! You're the ones who are wrong!! The whole world is wrong!!!"
Superboy-Prime was hysterical. He was struck by a giant hammer created by Optimus Prime and spat out a mouthful of blood, which flew from his mouth along with the teeth that had been knocked out.
"No one said you were wrong, nor did anyone belittle your ambitions... It's just that you always use the worst possible methods to solve problems, bringing more trouble and distress to others."
Optimus Prime said in a deep voice. The next second, the giant hammer was shattered by the enraged Superboy-Prime, and Prime himself was sent flying by a kick. At the moment he was kicked away, Optimus Prime drained the last shred of Energy from his two Power Rings to construct a massive set of shackles that clamped onto Superboy-Prime.
"Is that all you've got?! You dare to oppose me, Supreme Superman, with just this?!! Die! Die!!"
Superboy-Prime roared, completely unhinged. The shackles binding him began to shatter piece by piece under his frantic struggles. Rifts, visible to the naked eye, began to spread across them at a rapid pace.
"Good luck."
Optimus Prime said suddenly.
Superboy-Prime froze. His simple mind couldn't process it, but there was no time left for him to analyze. An intense sense of Crisis washed over him, and his expression changed drastically. "You—"
"Now! Do it!!" Optimus Prime roared.
A colossal beam of light shot from the distance, instantaneously transcending the boundaries of Space-Time. With an immense teleportation Power, it broke through all barriers and shone upon Superboy-Prime. The White Light surged, engulfing his figure.
(end of chapter)
On the distant planet of Cybertron, the Science Academy had already sprung into action, conducting their analysis using the real-time footage transmitted by Optimus Prime and Megatron.
To put it bluntly, it was... a livestream.
A livestream of the beatdown of Superboy-Prime.
A group of scientists from the Science Academy watched, some of them munching on snacks with great relish.
"Shuri, I seriously question your professionalism!" Wheeljack said, his face darkening as he glared at Shuri, who had lightning-fast hidden a bag of snacks.
"Oh, you must be mistaken, sir. Even with your electronic eyes, my analysis indicates that your biological brain still primarily transmits information via signals. Every neural node is an information relay hub, and it's possible one of them..." Shuri wiped the corner of her mouth, her expression dead serious.
Wheeljack turned his head away and ignored her.
This former Wakandan, sister of the Black Panther, and possessor of a universe-level intellect was difficult to deal with. She would always shut you down with the most scientific theories, leaving you with no room to retort.
"Excellent. This is Superboy-Prime's DNA. We are currently unable to obtain more detailed data, so we have to rely on the live feed for transmission. This is perfectly logical under the circumstances. Flawless."
Shockwave glared with his single optic, rapidly scanning the segment of DNA on the screen. Optimus Prime had come into contact with some of Superboy-Prime's blood, performed a simple analysis, and transmitted the image.
"Open the Universe Bridge and begin target acquisition. We might actually be able to use this opportunity to find the coordinates of the Prime Universe. This universe is critical; it is the true reality underlying the Positive and Negative Multiverse."
Wheeljack had a solemn expression.
"Huh? Open it now? But the Universe Bridge is still in its experimental phase! For a teleportation device used within the Multiverse, even a slight, undetectable error could throw someone into an unknown location," Shuri said in astonishment.
Shockwave said coldly, "As long as it remains within the Multiverse, it’s acceptable. Even if we fail, we will lose nothing. At worst, Superboy-Prime will simply continue to wander."
They didn't care whether Superboy-Prime lived or died; they only cared about achieving their desired result.
Locating the mysterious Prime Universe and finding its coordinates.
The Prime Universe was an incredibly strange place. Superboy-Prime was the only superpowered being there; everyone else was an Ordinary Human. Numerous cosmic civilizations dutifully focused on their technological development, including the Earth of the Prime Universe.
There, Superboy-Prime was more like a "Child of the Universe" or a "Child of the Plane." Ever since his Kryptonian abilities awakened at the age of fifteen, he had been the equivalent of a God there.
What was even stranger was the Prime Universe's state of existence. It was shrouded by an inexplicable Power and completely hidden. Even if a powerful Being were to turn the entire Multiverse upside down, they would never find the Prime Universe.
The Prime Universe was like a ghost. It exists there, but you couldn't find it, see it, or touch it, to the point that you would simply conclude it didn't exist at all.
But when the Multiverse, which served as a Veil and Barrier, completely collapsed and not a single universe remained, the Prime Universe would, in an instant, transform from the virtual into the singular Reality.
However, a new Multiverse would reboot into new life at the very moment of destruction, and the Prime Universe would once again lie low, undiscoverable to all.
And this group from the Science Academy was attempting to use the unique individual known as Superboy-Prime to pinpoint the exact location of the Prime Universe.
After all, if they failed, they wouldn't lose anything...
"Initiate Speed Force ignition! Universe Bridge device activated. Connecting to Speed Force for charging. Commencing countdown..."
A crowd of scientists moved back and forth, their expressions grave.
That's right. The Universe Bridge, a device capable of traversing between universes, was the next-generation upgrade to the Space Bridge. It had taken a full four years to complete this behemoth.
The Speed Force was the Energy Source for the Universe Bridge. Within the Multiverse, there was no form of Energy more convenient for Inter-Universal Travel than the Speed Force.
Only a Universe Bridge linked to the Speed Force had even a slight chance of returning Superboy-Prime to the Prime Universe.
The Prime Universe was too extraordinary and held immense research value. It could perhaps even become a safe haven for Cybertron.
Just imagine it: a place that not even the One-Above-All could easily find. If they built a new Cybertron there, their safety factor would increase dramatically. It would be like having a reliable escape route.
Even if the Multiverse were to be destroyed, the Prime Universe would be the very last to fall. More likely, even with the Multiverse gone, the Prime Universe would remain undiscovered.
"Optimus Prime, Megatron, listen to my instructions. Find a way to get that brainless Superboy-Prime..."
...
In Sector 0, the expressions of Optimus Prime and Megatron remained unchanged. Their Central Processors performed rapid calculations as vast amounts of information were sent and received. Many people were communicating with them in this manner.
"Come on! Come on, you pieces of trash! Watch me tear you apart into scrap metal!!"
Superboy-Prime laughed ferociously, his face twisted. A beam of Heat Vision pierced right through Megatron's hole-riddled Chassis, exposing the myriad circuits within. Streams of blood-like fluid flowed down, and Sparks frequently erupted.
"I just want to go home!! But you bastards deceived me again and again! I'd rather just kill you all!"
"I've slaughtered planet after planet and killed hero team after hero team!"
"I'm not wrong! You're the ones who are wrong!! The whole world is wrong!!!"
Superboy-Prime was hysterical. He was struck by a giant hammer created by Optimus Prime and spat out a mouthful of blood, which flew from his mouth along with the teeth that had been knocked out.
"No one said you were wrong, nor did anyone belittle your ambitions... It's just that you always use the worst possible methods to solve problems, bringing more trouble and distress to others."
Optimus Prime said in a deep voice. The next second, the giant hammer was shattered by the enraged Superboy-Prime, and Prime himself was sent flying by a kick. At the moment he was kicked away, Optimus Prime drained the last shred of Energy from his two Power Rings to construct a massive set of shackles that clamped onto Superboy-Prime.
"Is that all you've got?! You dare to oppose me, Supreme Superman, with just this?!! Die! Die!!"
Superboy-Prime roared, completely unhinged. The shackles binding him began to shatter piece by piece under his frantic struggles. Rifts, visible to the naked eye, began to spread across them at a rapid pace.
"Good luck."
Optimus Prime said suddenly.
Superboy-Prime froze. His simple mind couldn't process it, but there was no time left for him to analyze. An intense sense of Crisis washed over him, and his expression changed drastically. "You—"
"Now! Do it!!" Optimus Prime roared.
A colossal beam of light shot from the distance, instantaneously transcending the boundaries of Space-Time. With an immense teleportation Power, it broke through all barriers and shone upon Superboy-Prime. The White Light surged, engulfing his figure.
(end of chapter)
