"We were the dream. What nobody knew ... was that we were also the nightmare."

Perceptor

Prelude:
Downward Spiral

Sunlight gleamed off the haul of the Autobot shuttle, Influx. Steadily moving towards the ground of the hybrid organic-metal world. Only known to a handful at Autobot command, the mysterious planet had been discovered only megacycles ago.

Through silver clouds miles deep, the ship continued downward. The occupants of Influx were in proto-stasis form. Command assumed extreme conditions on the planet from initial data readings. They needed the Bots inside to be able to adapt to such a believed harsh enviorment.

As the shuttle vibrated and groaned, Energon shields absorbing strange radiations, Command had been proven right.

Influx computers began to stir the Protos. Higher functions were coming on-line. Through the final cloud, Influx, much like a predator surveying its surroundings, slowed.

As the shuttle began to land, the technoganic surface almost flinched , as if in anticipation. Only ground for as far as the shuttle computer's sensors could read.

Only ground, except for a structure that formed immediatley to the front of the Influx.

It raised from the ground, almost purely black in color. Rectangular in shape. A single thread of crimson red pulsed through its center.

Fully landed, Influx prepared specialized scanners. As they erupted from Influex, the AI took over.

As the scanners came to life, so did the lone structure raised from the barren ground.

It opened like an Earth flower blooming just as the first pulse from the scanners began their journey.

"Scanning for local life forms," stated Influx AI.

"Scanning."

"Error."

"Local lifeform ... hostile."

The AI attempted to shut down the proto pulse wave.

Something so close to fear overcame the AI as it attempted in vain to prevent what was in the scanned signatures reaching the Transformers inside the shuttle.

The wave reached back into the three silver proto-forms. And as the Transformers inside began to take shape, the screams that came next would have struck fear into even Unicron himself.

End prelude.