Secret War

[Andy Turnbull]

Further to Martin's point about a TMUK special utilising the Robots in Disguise aspect. Ralph, Karl and myself battered this idea around for a while and due to one thing or another didn't get round to doing much with it. I still have all the notes and emails though.

The following are some notes edited along with an IM conflab between Ralph and I. Along with the framework of a five page prologue. There are other notes but they aren't in one easy document.

Now in 2009 in the TMUK verse the Decepticons have next to no presence on Earth at all, while the Autobots have a sizeable force, thanks to Autobot City. Now events are leading up to Eugenesis and Unicron will attack Cybertron within twelve months. One Decepticon is preparing for the inevitable end of the war, he can see it coming, he's not entirely sure who the winner will be but he knows what the state of play is going to be like - SWINDLE.

To this end he postulates to Decepticon HC the idea of annexing a nation on Earth and subverting it in a very low key fashion allowing the Decepticons to influence and shape the politics of Earth so as to have all the Autobots ejected allowing them to turn it into a new Cybertron. Although, he is thinking that he will use the planet to acquire personal resources in order to set things up.

Britain is picked due to it's unique position in that it has ties to almost every other nation on Earth and as an Island has not been held by an occupying force in centuries. Five cities are picked for a simultaneous strike by Decepticon forces - LONDON, CARDIFF, MANCHESTER, EDINBURGH & GLASGOW. A simultaneous assault on these cities wreaks havoc in the UK. But ultimately it's a huge diversion it allows Swindle to move his true forces into play.

Alistair Darling is supplanted by a Micro-Pretender. Allowing Swindle control of the UK Economy and he can make his moves from there.

Now the Autobots attempt to respond to the Decepticon incursion but the British Government refuse their aid and as such they have to do it on the qt.

Setting up an Autobot presence in the UK is difficult so they opt for www.undergroundkent.co.uk/maunsell_towers.htm.


Due to the location issues the Autobots garrisoned there will mostly have aquatic or aerial configurations or flight capabilities. The garrison is commanded by SPLASHDOWN. He along with GROUNDBREAKER and SKY HIGH will divide their time between the mainland and base. Other Autobots who will be featured include:


Sideswipe (rocket pack), Swoop, Tracks, Powerglide, Seaspray, Broadside, Sky Lynx, Blades, Scattershot, Strafe, Quickswitch, Dogfight, Crossblades, Seawatch, Sunrunner, powerun + strikedown (microcombiner hovercraft), Phaser+Blastmaster (microcombiner spaceshuttle), Deftwing, Manta Ray,

And that's about it - save the japanese micros



Broadside is ideal he can be in deep cover elsewhere



Swoop without other dinobots could be interesting though

Andy says:

Yeah, but it's unlikely he'd take the assignment

The Doctor says:

fine

we just have him as a cameo then

Andy says:

we could have him walking when given the assignment

The Doctor says:

emphasis the other chaps left behind

sky lynx shouldn't be there but gets stuck behind for some reason

Andy says:

Shot down when leaving UK airspace after dropping off the Autobots who didn't travel with Broadside

The Doctor says:

yes that's it

Andy says:

Also means he isn't used often so as not to overpower other characters

The Doctor says:

yes he is the spice that's added from time to time but needs one significant moment

Andy says:

Groundbreaker - could also be a breakout character, being the only human pretender who cannot make it back to the base under his own steam, he's going to spend a lot of time on the mainland

The Doctor says:

plus he looks human

transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Groundbreaker

impetuous nature could be his undoing

he needs to die, suprisingly, after being redeemed in an out of left field way

transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Splashdown

hooray they even have experience of rigs

Andy says:

Well we've got the bones of our Autobot cast

any cons leaping out at you

The Doctor says:

let me think

predator jets?

transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Predator

Octopunch?

random thought: wonder of there's some way to tie this into another time and place? now back to characters

submaurader?

seacons

now hang on water stuff is too obvious

Andy says:

Nah, groundbased cons remember

The Doctor says:

I know

tfarchive.com/toys/catalogues/generationone_catalogue/87d_catalog.jpg

frenzy? rumble?

Andy says:

Frenzy

The Doctor says:

ok

Andy says:

communication interference

and Rumble is too kewl

The Doctor says:

i agree

1501bc.com/pretf/pictures/diacat_b_8_9.jpg

that picture on the right caught my eye

1501bc.com/pretf/pictures/diacat_b_1_20.jpg

'Reconstruct. Rescue. Keep Peace'

decep motto!

Andy says:

lol

The Doctor says:

1501bc.com/pretf/pictures/tfdiac10b.jpg

insecticons?

Andy says:

Could do

I think with the cons we need to be looking at people who would be easily manipulated by Swindle

or the more mercenary ones



POTENTIAL DECEPTICONS



Rumble, Frenzy, Bombshell, Blitzwing, Octane, Astrotrain, Constructicons, Trypticon, Runabout, Runamuck, Gnaw (Sharkticon chap), Stunticons, Combaticons, Ratbat, Predacons, Terrorcons, Sixshot, Pounce, Slugfest, Overkill, Battletrap, Flywheels, Dreadwind, Darkwing, Doubledealer, Fangry, Squeezeplay, Horribull, Quake, Seacons, Ruckus, CrankCase, Squawkbox, Cindersaur, Flamefeather, Sparkstalker (I know one of them is dead I just can't recall who right now), Roadgrabber, Octopunch, Stranglehold, Monstructor, Roadblock, Sports Car Patrol, Rough Stuff, Skyhopper, Flattop, Airwave, Greasepit, Gutcruncher, Axer, Treadshot, Krok, Banzai-Tron, Military Patrol, Race Track Patrol, BattleSquad, Constructor Squad, Cement Head, Terror Tread, Take Off, Slicer, Doubel Punch, (Ralph posited the Predators - no Skyquake though), Jetstorm, Deluge, Clench, Calcar, Rage, Hydradread, Drench, Aquablast, Jolt, Sizzle, Road Pig, STAXX, BULLETBIKE!!!,



Andy says:

So my good man

some PLOTSTORMING......

The Doctor says:

I have an Old Jock Ale and the Victory soundtrack

hit me!

Andy says:

Okay so we have the opening assault as it were

The Doctor says:

uh-huh

Andy says:

The aftermath

we need to address the Autobots trying a traditional onsite response but not being allowed to

The Doctor says:

mmmm

Andy says:

Perhaps some US Military fighters in the airspace of Autobot City

The Doctor says:

oh for fuck sakes

hang on

annoying cartoons have appeared in my window

ah that's them gone now

right, not being allowed to

can autobot city UK turn into anything

Andy says:

I don't think so

The Doctor says:

why not

Andy says:

I kind of thought the ACUK would be set up during this story on a clandestine basis

The Doctor says:

it could be movable and easily deployable

well yes ACUK could be re-set up clandestine after a fucked up intervention attempt with a whizz being tf's movable one

whiiz bang

hence why the autobots go underground as it were

Andy says:

How do they get it to the UK coastline and in that tower set up?

The Doctor says:

thinking

space bridge malfunction?

lands there

er

Andy says:

Given that Splashdown is our ranking CO. I'd rather it was a conscious decision

The Doctor says:

ok

unless the base is a big pretender shell

pretender vehicle

Andy says:

I thought we were going to use those actual platforms themselves?

The Doctor says:

just thinking

Andy says:

I like the idea of the exterior being the lowtech towers and inside it's descent enough tech, making do with whats there already

The Doctor says:

about pretender shells and how they could be deployed strategically by both sides, what's next logical step after pretender vehicles

Andy says:

for buildings they don't necessarily need shells so I'm not sold on the idea

However.....

You have given me an idea re a big ass pretender shell

use a Whale shaped Pretender shell to cover Broadside

have him "swim" up the Thames

The Doctor says:

tee hee

Andy says:

sneakily deploy a few Autobots and then get "rescued"

The Doctor says:

there's an idea

Andy says:

Again, thinking about the usage of strip and text for stories, that's a given for a strip story

explains how the Pretenders get deployed on the UK mainland initially

The Doctor says:

indeed

Andy says:

Micropretender Alistair Darling

The Doctor says:

tee hee

Andy says:

We need to find a Micromaster to sub for him

The Doctor says:

I thought we had that already anyway

Andy says:

yeah

But we need to know the hows and whys as opposed to just the ideas

now he'll easily get replaced during the assault on Big Ben/Houses of Parliament

The Doctor says:

sure

my inspiration particles are running low I must admit

Andy says:

no worries

any progress is still progress

The Doctor says:

this is true

Andy says:

So we have Swindle deploying his Micropretenderchap as Alistair Darling

The Doctor says:

yes

Andy says:

That can be Darkwing/Dreadwing's job

They drop him off and remove the real AD during the assault on Big Ben/HOP by Rumble and Frenzy

The Doctor says:

sure

Andy says:

UK government categorically refuses to allow more of the machines in the UK

Hence the US move some fighter planes into AC:E's airspace

bit of a head to head verbal between Autobot command and the US

but in the end they bow to the UK and US's position

publicly anyway

as the debate is going on, a strike force is selected and a location decided to place AC:UK as well as who is in command

Splashdown wants to see what is going on "on the ground" as it were

so he and the other two Autobot Pretenders hitch a lift in the pretender shell enclosed Broadside.

Splashdown will commute back and forth and leave his preteder shell on the mainland

now

this all can't go unnoticed

You have the intelligence community getting involved

Not sure how yet

As for the Decepticons

Where are they after the assault

The Doctor says:

oop north

Andy says:

All of them?

I definitely see Swindle making sure he is nowhere near the rest of his army



25



OPENING SALVO



A Story for 5 pages.





SYNOPSIS



The initial Decepticon assault on the United Kingdom. It's a series of splash images with a difference. In the lower half of the page is the Decepticon SWINDLE he starts off with his back to us sitting at a control console, watching the devastations as five key sites in the UK are attacked and devastated. With each successive page the camera angle rotates so the very last page is Swindle sitting at looking directly at the reader and smiling.



The artwork should be done in the following fashion. One artist drawing the Swindle figure on one page with a second artist doing the devastation scene that is unfolding.

PAGE 1

Swindle with his back to to us sitting at a console, he should be predominantly in silhouette.


PAGE 2

The camera rotates slightly so while we see Swindle still predominantly from behind, the angle is oblique so we can see more of the shape of Swindle. Again as with panel one he should mostly be in silhouette.



PAGE 3

Swindle in profile view still sitting in his console as with the preceding two panels he should mostly be in silhouette but with some clear detail on his feet and lower legs.

PAGE 4

Facing Swindle from just off to the side so he's not fully facing us, and the shadows are lifting up higher now.



PAGE 5

Swindle is leaning forward completely in view and smiling directly at the "camera". The devastation scene in the background is of London. We have Big Ben in the background, the clocktower is lying on the ground, atop it is RUMBLE piledriving it to bits. We can see DREADWIND and DARKWING in the air shooting at RAF jets. There are humans in the background milling around.


CAPTION: THE BEGINNING....



Andy

[blueshift]

I think what you MEANT to say Andy, was that

"The Decepticons use trickery and deceit to gain control of Britain by installing a new monarch on the throne...

...KING LORD CHUMLEY"

[Andy Turnbull]

Heh!

Andy

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Gosh, that's a lot of plotting.

It's a decent story, and one I've heard you drop hints about on various occasions and I'd like to see you guys do it.

It is different however from the point I was trying to make in the other thread about the sort of TF story I guess I'm yearning for. The kind I'm yearning for doesn't have cities coming under massive attack, or countries being taken over - not that that's bad stuff, but it's big stuff, and just different to what I mean. (But by all means do it!)

The kind of story I would most like to see is one where the larger plot, if there is one, is kind of incidental, and the story interest lies not in the ebb and flow of war, but in individual Autobots and Decepticons moving around unknown among unsuspecting humans who know nothing about TFs - maybe substituting themselves for real cars and appliances, and leading double lives when their human 'owners' aren't around - and learning about the ways of humans in the process. I suppose that's why I'm quite well-disposed towards the live-action TF movies, because they had the whole plot of Bumblebee getting himself bought as a second-hand car by the Witwickies, and Frenzy on Air Force One, and so on. But they dropped the ball by having the TFs know everything about humans through the Internet, which made things boring.

I suppose that sort of story could be told as part of your larger plot, and some of those characters could have minor adventures and build relationships with normal humans - though by 2009 humans do know about TFs and vice versa, which makes that side a bit less interesting. But maybe you could focus on some characters who've never been to Earth before and don't understand what's what.

Anyway, brainstorm on!

Martin

[Andy Turnbull]

That was the whole point of it was to have those kind of stories but as part of a larger story, sort of having our cake and eating it. The idea was to play up the robots in disguise angle, but what we wanted was to play with some of the more neglected characters but have it so there's a good reason for it existing within the main TMUK continuity.

Although humans know about TF's at this point, you can imagine certainly in the UK the thought "That only happens in America etc" so we can have the fact that there is a secret war going on that the general populace doesn't know about.

There were other notes, pertaining to the Autobots building up relationships with humans both incidentally and targeting individuals who could help them in the war.

The larger framework means we have some big stakes for folks who like that sort of thing, but we can meander and have the small wars and stories within that, without looking for a way to shoehorn in an Optimus Prime or a Megatron or whoever.

Andy

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Yeah, I s'pose you could have one Autobot who substitutes himself for the car of a senior civil servant who works (unknowingly) with the Decep Pretender. The Autobot would then be driven to work every day by the unsuspecting civil servant, and get to x-ray scan all the documents he brings home with him, to find out what the Decep is up to. But at the same time the Autobot would learn about the man himself and his family, and observe where they go on weekends, and so get to know the race he's trying to protect. And the Autobot would also learn about traffic congestion and pollution and speed cameras and all that jazz.

And you could have one that becomes a taxi cab, with a facsimile construct driver, who has to learn the conversational ways of cab drivers, so that he can be in the right place at the right time to pick up key humans.

And you could have mobile phone TFs and so on in it too.

Yeah, there's a lot of good potential there.

Martin

[Andy Turnbull]

So you are interested in pitching in then...

Andy

[Grand Moff Muffin]

We'll see... But if I do, it will probably be after all the set-up work has been done, and it will be in a way that is unlikely to progress the main plot very much.

Martin

[Andy Turnbull]

Splendid! (Now to try and get you to draw on the computer for it, or am I pushing my luck?)

Quite alright, the idea was for the story to become an umbrella if you will for other tales, in effect similar to what CG2 was like back in the day.

Andy

[jameso]

This sounds cool, I really wanted ROTF to be a Decepticon infiltrates the government story using Masterforce style Pretender technology but we didn't get anything like that. This sounds up that alley.

[Andy Turnbull]

Yeah, Micropretenders were one of the first things we latched on to when battling it back and forth. Doing a good angle on Robots in Disguise and allowing for a nice element of paranoia to be introduced to the storylines.

Andy