Gone Too Far

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"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

Events from the prologue are in italics

Jackpot and Hubcap, having been transported in a space bridge accident to an alternate Cybertron, are put through "processing" by the native Cybertroninains, known as the Transcendent Technomorphs. Jackpot is interrogated by a 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's 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 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 carry 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 for 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 he 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.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons/Malignus	Others
Jackpot (1) Hubcap (2) Scattorshot (4) Roulette (8) Swerve (13) Stungun (18) Airazor (19) Cheetor (20) Detectas (21)	Black Shadow (6) Backslash (7) Gutcruncher (9) Demolishor (10) Dirge (11) Bruticus (12) Jipe (15) Calcar (16) Buzzbomb (17) Camaro (22) Pick-Up (23) Scourge (24) Menasor (25) Killzone (26)	Nitpick (3) Cryotek (5) Mindset (14) Yurgeth (27)

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.

• 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, Free Technorgs League, Scourges, Destron Boys, WildGuard, the Neo-Mutant Liberators, Beast-Riders, Mayhem Attackers, the Malignus Revolutionaries and the Junkion Rippers. He also mentions the Lightning Strikers, Imperius Legions, and Dinobots.
• 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

• Tracks is in his Alternators body.
• Hubcap's ID card reads "Strength=3".
• Jackpot describes himself as an Action Master; various characters in the story construe this to mean that he is a Nucleon 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.
• 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.
• Jackpot: "Shall we make like a Scraplet and bolt?"
• Jackpot regrets the absence of Sights, his Targetmaster partner.
• Jackpot notes the irony of them being unable to afford a disguise, which would have been in the form of a reformatting.
• Cheetor mentions "three very strange mechs" who've just arrived—a reference to Breakaway, Landquake, and Skyfall's transit at the end of "Crossing Over".
• 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 film: "What else you into? Syk? Chips? Solitarium? Hit a little of the Old Fortran at nights?" Jackpot plays along: "Are you on plugs?"
• Cheetor: "And anyhow, did you want to live forever or something?" (Jackpot and Hubcap: "Yes.")
• Hubcap tells the blue Decepticon hoverskiff (presumably Scourge) that he's been rigged with an Exponential Generator.

Real-world references

• Jackpot's personality is inspired by the "the goofy, gabby, pun-hurling Tony Oliver-voiced version" of Lupin the Third, while Hubcap's personality and mannerisms are based on comedian-magician Penn Jillette.
• Jackpot, as quoted above, parodies the contestant format of the game show Jeopardy!.
• If you don't recognize Widow's Cafe Cybertronian, then it's been too long since you watched 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, who is a blue bird). This is not the first time that a Cryotek has been based on Greenstreet.
• "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.
• "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.
• Boy, this thing borrows pretty heavily from The Warriors, doesn't it?
• "Olde Fortran" is an alcoholic beverage made for robots in Futurama, which was in turn a reference to the computer programming language FORTRAN.
• It is unlikely that the Freelance Police Legion could exist without a dog and rabbity thing for very long.
• Nintendo characters Geno and Samus Aran can be spotted hidden amongst the crowd in the illustration of downtown Axiom Nexus.

External links

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