Age of Evolution, Part 1

Age of Evolution Part 1 is the 9th episode of Transformers Earthspark and the 9th episode of season 1

## Plot

**Mandroid sets his eyes on his latest targets, while the Terrans uncover the secrets of their creation.**

## Story

It's a day for celebration as G.H.O.S.T. is holding a G.H.O.S.T.-Autobot Alliance ceremony at one of their bases. Agents Croft and Schloder welcome Optimus Prime and Megatron to the hangar, giving them their instructions for the ceremony. Megatron is none too pleased to be told what to do, but Optimus reminds him that their alliance with the humans is important and needs to be maintained. The Malto family is also in attendance, watching as two jets circle above the base. Suddenly, Optimus warns the others to get down as the jets begin firing on him, and the humans all scramble to take cover. Megatron and Optimus immediately recognize the attackers as Skywarp and Nova Storm, who transform and demand Prime's left arm. As Optimus engages Skywarp and Megatron fends off Nova Storm, Alex and Dot do their best to shield Robby and Mo, quickly retreating to the hangar as they avoid the carnage around them. A news cameraman captures the whole thing live, his footage being seen back in the Malto's barn by Thrash, Twitch and Bumblebee. The Terrans are itching to rush over and protect their family, but Bumblebee reminds them that G.H.O.S.T. can't know they exist, trying to reassure them that Optimus and Megatron will take care of things.

Skywarp attempts to sever Optimus's arm, but Megatron slams Nova Storm into the ground and intervenes, knocking Skywarp away with his rotor. Nova Storm attempts to lunge at Prime, but he knocks her aside and the two faction leaders manage to get the Seekers pinned at weapon point. Megatron orders them to stand down, but Skywarp teleports out from under Prime's axe and decks Megatron, allowing the two Seekers to escape. Despite Optimus's claims that everyone saw the Seekers attack first, Megatron is convinced this will only increase the humans' hatred of their kind, storming off. As Croft cuts the footage off, Mandroid is shown watching from his new lab, where he is interrupted by the arrival of Skywarp and Nova Storm. He chastises the two for their failure as his Arachnamechs restrain them, reminding them that their parts will work for his plans just as easily as Prime's. However, he is glad to see Prime and Megatron painted in such a poor light by the media, knowing that he won't be able to wipe out the Cybertronians while their strength exceeds his own. He then decides the Seekers will make perfect bait for his next plan...

Optimus and the Maltos regroup back at the farm, where the Terrans remain indignant at being left behind and unable to protect their family. Optimus again echoes his worry that G.H.O.S.T. would claim the Terrans before they could understand their origins, something the young bots also impatiently seek answers for. He and Bumblebee explain that they believe the Cybertronians on Earth are the last of their kind, and that they suspect the Terrans are the key to rebuilding their species. When Twitch mentions being created by a glowing rock, Optimus has a moment of realization, and decides finding this rock has just become priority number one. As the Terrans celebrate, Optimus receives a call from Schloder—the Seekers have been apprehended and need to be taken to the holding facility. Optimus asks Dot to assist Megatron in transport, to which she agrees, and he and the others head off.

Megatron and Dot rendezvous with Schloder at a rail yard, where Skywarp and Nova Storm are currently bound up. Schloder orders them to put the Seekers in the transport, but as Megatron attempts to do so, Skywarp teleports herself and Nova Storm away as Arachnamechs burst from inside and bind Megatron. The G.H.O.S.T. agents reveal themselves as holographic disguises used by the Arachnamechs, and Dot attempts to hold them off while Megatron struggles in vain against the Seekers. As the Arachnamechs pin Dot down, "Schloder" similarly reveals himself to be Mandroid. While he is eager to take Megatron's arm in place of Prime's, he remains cordial to Dot, even when she punches him out, and asks her to follow him, to which she reluctantly agrees.

At his lab, Mandroid explains to Dot that he too served in the war, having been drafted by G.H.O.S.T. as a roboticist. During the Battle of the Bay, his building ended up getting struck by Autobot friendly fire. Though his Arachnamechs saved him, he lost his arm as a result, something Dot sympathizes with having similarly lost her leg during the encounter. As a result of his experience, Mandroid decided to become humanity's "hero" and rid the world of Cybertronians. As if to prove this, he reveals the restrained Megatron, his machine preparing to disassemble the Decepticon leader. Mandroid asks Dot to join his crusade, but is temporarily caught off guard by seeing the last name on her badge. Dot uses this as an opportunity to make a run for it, but Mandroid appears unfazed. Having grabbed Dot's badge, he orders Skywarp and Nova Storm to take it to Optimus as proof of Dot's capture, knowing he will come willingly to ensure her safety. He also orders them to retrieve the Terrans, as Dot watches from the shadows.

At long last, the Autobots and Maltos reach the cave, but Optimus and Bumblebee opt to wait outside, as they are too large to fit. Inside, they find the rock just where they left it, and Twitch and Thrash immediately propose Robby and Mo attempt to create more Terrans like themselves. However, their attempts to activate the rock yield no reaction, to their confusion, so they decide to take it to Optimus instead. Not far away, Skywarp and Nova Storm detect the Autobots and begin moving towards their location.

As Optimus examines the rock, his suspicions are confirmed: it is the Emberstone, the gift of Quintus Prime. Alex explains that Quintus was one of the Thirteen original Primes, who seeded life across the universe using the Emberstone. Though unsure how it came to be here, Optimus is now certain that the Terrans are the next natural evolution of their species. His musing is interrupted, however, when the Seekers appear and snatch the Emberstone, demanding Optimus, Bumblebee and the Terrans in exchange for Dot and Megatron's lives. The Maltos aren't going down without a fight, though, and as they ready, the kids hear the voice of Quintus Prime from the Emberstone: "Evolution of hope." Twitch manages to snatch the Emberstone back from Skywarp, and Optimus orders the family to retreat to the cave and guard it. As he and Bumblebee square off against the Seekers, their cockpits open to reveal Arachnamechs hiding inside, forcing the Autobots to contend with them as well.

As the Maltos return to the cave, a swarm of Arachnamechs follow them inside. Twitch and Thrash take up defensive positions while Alex guides Robby and Mo back to the plinth where they found the Emberstone. The Terrans attempt to fend off the attackers, but there are just too many and they quickly become overwhelmed. Desperate, Mo calls out to Quintus for aid. The Prime's voice rings out again, and a shockwave from the stone deactivates the Arachnamechs as the pool once again glows green. Realizing what is happening, the family watch as three new Terrans manifest from the pool's waters. Above ground, Bumblebee and Optimus restrain Skywarp and Nova Storm, but the latter fires a missile barrage at Bumblebee that ends up striking the cave, and Bumblebee can only watch in horror as the cave begins to collapse.

## Trivia

* This is the first time the Emberstone has been seen since the pilot episode.
* Dot was previously shown to have a prosthetic leg in "Moo-ving In", though here we learn the circumstances behind it.
* Alex previously implied in "Traditions" that he and Mandroid used to be colleagues, something once again hinted at with Mandroid's reaction to Dot's badge.
	+ Most online distribution platforms, such as Paramount+ and YouTube, do not list this episode separately from Part 2, instead choosing to combine both parts into a single 44-minute video.
	+ While not explicitly shown, Croft's dialogue reveals that the President in this continuity is female.
	+ The Cybertronian text when the new Terrans are created translates to "evolution of hope", as Quintus said earlier.

### Real-world references

* A Wilhelm scream can be heard when Skywarp flings a G.H.O.S.T. agent at the rail yard.

### Transformers references

* Skywarp retains the teleporting ability of her Generation 1 counterpart.
* When the kids first attempt to use the Emberstone, Alex tells them "You've got the touch." A few notes from the song even play as he does so.
* The story of Quintus and the Emberstone was first told in *Transformers: The Covenant of Primus*. EarthSpark marks the artifact's first appearance in any media released since.