Base Number One was nestled deep within a range of mountains, the terrain there surprisingly unusual: a plain inexplicably existing amidst the peaks, with a small river cutting through it. Consequently, this first base not only housed an immense garrison but also accommodated a massive influx of civilian refugees. Essentially, every survivor from the surrounding cities had gathered here—totaling over two million people. What had once been an exceptionally spacious mountain valley was now crammed shoulder-to-shoulder.

It was fortunate that the United States, before the onset of the Transformers’ arrival, had been the world’s foremost superpower. Although 99% of its major cities had been utterly annihilated during the catastrophe, a lean camel still outweighs a horse. Between the nation’s hidden strategic reserves and the supplies tucked away in smaller towns and rural areas, they could, at least for the short term, sustain the several million people at this one base.

Yet, the American government was beside itself with worry. And it wasn't just them; high-ranking officials across the globe were heartbroken with anxiety, even though the U.S. had suffered the most severe damage.

The situation had nearly reached the point of national collapse, but other countries were no better off. Robots were emerging continually in major urban centers, and the use of high-end mechanized weaponry had been abandoned out of necessity.

As the robot population grew and human numbers dwindled—one less human for every new machine—the projections calculated by computers indicated that humanity had only about a year left before total extinction.

"Humanity, on the brink of extinction..." In any other era, this phrase would have been mere fantasy, something confined to science fiction novels, movies, or games.

In reality, the fear of extinction was usually tied to concerns about the environment, nature, or nuclear war.

Even the most pessimistic soul would never have believed humanity could vanish within a single year. But this scenario had become a terrifying reality, complete with a ticking countdown. Humanity was about to be wiped out... which only amplified the critical importance of Zheng Zha and his group, assuming their claims held true.

If that was the case, setting aside all else, the future of humanity had not devolved into the predicted extinction. On the contrary.

Humanity was slowly shifting from a disadvantaged position to one capable of confronting the robots, even managing to invent time-space machines within a few short decades. Some politicians privy to the full picture remarked with awe that war truly was the greatest catalyst for technological advancement.

When Zheng Zha and his companions disembarked from the Green Goblin Gliders, a thousand soldiers immediately sealed off the perimeter of the airfield. A contingent of men who appeared to be high-ranking officials, along with more than ten white-haired researchers, rushed eagerly toward Zheng Zha’s party. Leading the charge, an elderly man in his fifties immediately seized Zheng Zha's hand. "You have arrived at a most opportune moment. Your timing is impeccable... The American people thank you, the people of the world thank you..." With that, he gently pulled Zheng Zha toward the towering, modern skyscraper.

Zheng Zha glanced back with a wry smile. He saw the researchers swarming his Green Goblin Gliders, looking utterly starved for something new. However, Chu Xuan was decisive. He handed a satchel to Ling Dian. Ling Dian opened the fabric bag, and under everyone’s watchful eyes, placed both Green Goblin Gliders inside. Then, with a precise fold and crease, the cloth bag shrank to the size of a handkerchief. Ling Dian was pragmatic; instead of returning it to Chu Xuan, he slipped the shrunken bag directly into his own pocket.

"Sp-space... space..." The researchers began to stammer, pointing foolishly at Ling Dian. "Spatial technology! It’s spatial technology! Has future human technology advanced to the point where they can utilize spatial techniques? How was this achieved? Through magnetic field fluctuations induced by exotic materials? Or perhaps utilizing spatial compression theory? Or..." The researchers instantly descended upon Ling Dian, allowing Chu Xuan and the others to join Zheng Zha.

The older man’s face twitched momentarily, but he quickly regained his composure and spoke with forced cheerfulness. "Let’s set aside the technical matters for now. We should proceed to the conference room first. I imagine none of you wish to waste any more time? Every second we delay, humanity loses tens of thousands, and the robots gain tens of thousands more... Honestly, I wish you could annihilate the robots completely by tomorrow."

Despite his encouraging words, the elderly man spent the journey constantly probing for information, engaging Zheng Zha in roundabout conversation. Zheng Zha, being a seasoned veteran himself, deftly parried with equally ambiguous responses. By the time they entered the base's interior, the politicians had extracted nothing useful from him. Reluctantly, they followed the dozen or so officials into the war room, and Ling Dian was finally able to escape the researchers' intense interrogation.

Meanwhile, at the far end of the base, dozens of personnel of various specialties watched the screen before them with great tension. This screen was an X-ray projection surface—the very portal through which the group had just passed. Once anyone walked through that passageway, the X-ray screen would scan their entire bodies, revealing instantly whether they were human or machine.

"...No anomalies. They are genuine human beings, every one of them. However, based on the data, their physical resilience is terrifyingly high. Even the weakest among them possesses one to two times the strength of our most elite soldier. And their leader... the strongest one... it’s hard to even describe. They truly are the humans of the future; they have evolved."

Because Zheng Zha’s arrival had been so sudden, despite using the pretext of being emissaries from the future, the U.S. government still maintained a necessary degree of caution. If Zheng Zha and his companions truly were the hope sent by future humans to salvage this disaster, then certain assets absolutely had to be kept from them. These assets represented humanity's final hope against the Decepticons, meaning the government needed to ascertain precisely if Zheng Zha’s group were indeed human, and crucially, whether they were humans being controlled by the Decepticons.

"...Impossible. Our civilization is built upon the infinite energy source of the Allspark. Our life forms cycle through robotics, energy, and reformation. We have conducted no research on or contact with fragile genetic life forms such as humans. Humans are the first comparable life form we have encountered. Similarly, we would never possess a means to control humans. The Decepticon leader, Megatron, is a savage fanatic dedicated to total annihilation. He would only destroy humanity; cooperation is out of the question..." A voice simultaneously reached the ear of the elderly man. Only then did the man exhale deeply, slowly removing the earpiece and slipping it into his pocket. He then stepped into the conference room. "My apologies for the delay. Now, let us discuss with the combat team sent by the future human government how to end this catastrophe caused by alien robots."

In the room, besides the elderly man, there were sixty or so military officers, government officials, researchers, and other personnel, both high-ranking and low. Zheng Zha’s party, in contrast, numbered only twelve. Even so, the sixty-odd attendees looked upon them with a complex mixture of hope, excitement, confusion, hesitation, and skepticism. Yet, no one spoke the first word.

The elderly man cleared his throat. "I am Aslan T. Roosevelt, former Vice President of the United States. Since the previous President perished during the robot catastrophe, I am currently acting as the U.S. President. Holding an election right now is beyond our capacity... Based on current statistics, the remaining U.S. population is approximately thirteen million, concentrated across the one to nine evacuation bases, including some scattered rural survivors... We have about 1.2 million active soldiers remaining. However, heavy equipment and mechanized weaponry are only retained at Bases One through Nine, and even then, not exceeding the strength of one reinforced division. The situation is dire, future warriors. The global situation is much the same: Europe, the Middle East, Russia, China, India, Southeast Asia, Japan—even the Pacific island nations—all mirror the current state of America..."

"We humans truly are at the very brink of extinction... Secretary of Defense, please detail the current specifics." The elderly man looked toward a sturdy, middle-aged man who stood and saluted sharply.

"Yes, Mr. President. The current status is extremely poor. It can only be said that the Decepticons are currently lacking the impetus to actively eliminate us humans; otherwise, we wouldn't withstand a single strike. Bases Three through Nine each house fewer than 100,000 troops, their equipment is antiquated, heavy weaponry is scarce, and armored vehicles are limited to the most obsolete tanks. We lack air support, satellite intelligence—nearly everything. Their security is as fragile as paper; the robots could shatter it with a gentle poke."

"Bases One and Two, due to being our 'Hope,' still retain significant reserves of armored and air assets. But even this is insufficient against the power of the Decepticons and the relentless onslaught of the newly birthed robot generations... Therefore, I propose the use of nuclear weapons. Only this can save humanity from annihilation!" The Secretary of Defense was clearly a career military man, still wearing his uniform, suggesting he had only recently assumed the post. His voice carried the sharp decisiveness of a soldier, escalating to a near shout when mentioning the atomic option.

The surrounding officials and officers erupted into murmurs. The number favoring nuclear deployment was significant, though slightly outnumbered. Military personnel leaned toward using nukes, while government officials were largely opposed.

"Gentlemen, please quiet down. We previously discussed the dangers of nuclear deployment with other world leaders. We unanimously agreed that nuclear weapons must not be used. If the United States sets that precedent, virtually every nuclear power will immediately begin bombing cities where robots congregate. When nuclear missiles are flying across the globe, the countdown to human extinction will be instantaneous. Furthermore, as you know, for unknown reasons, seawater effectively shields against the radiation from the Allspark. Therefore, large vessels like nuclear submarines remain perfectly safe, confirming the vast quantity of nuclear weapons still existing worldwide... For now, let us hear the opinion of our future warriors. Given the strength they displayed to reach us, they must be able to show us a clear path forward." Aslan T. Roosevelt sighed.

Zheng Zha opened his mouth to speak, but Chu Xuan stood up first. "Firstly, with only twelve of us, we cannot possibly fight the robots worldwide. Our strategy must focus on infiltration: locating the Allspark’s position and launching a surprise attack to destroy it. This will cut off the robots' supply line. Then, humanity can engage in attrition or deploy limited nuclear strikes, ensuring survival by eliminating the bulk of the enemy forces... Therefore, we must first know the location of the Allspark. We cannot accomplish this mission alone; we require the assistance of the military and the government. That is point one. Point two: because the weapons we carry are high-tech, they are also highly susceptible to radiation that could turn them into robots, severely diminishing our combat effectiveness. To guard against this possibility, we need to know why your high-tech weaponry here has not been transformed. Is it due to local magnetic field conditions?"

As Chu Xuan finished, all sixty-plus people turned their attention to Vice President Aslan T. Roosevelt. The elderly man hesitated, silently observing Zheng Zha’s party for a long moment before sighing. "Everyone, please follow me... This is humanity's final 'Hope,' the 'Hope' we have not abandoned... It protects us from radiation, and I believe it is also the only way to find the Allspark’s location and safeguard your weapons."