After Wilson safely returned from the Moon and gave an interview in his space armor, many people in England began eyeing the opportunity to become astronauts on William's Mars mission.
If someone like Wilson—who had zero training—could don a space suit and casually visit the Moon, why couldn't they? Jealousy flared across the globe, especially since Wilson, thanks to his connections, had become the fourth person in history to walk on the Moon. Meanwhile, Selene, who had piloted the ship, hadn't even stepped foot on the lunar surface.
News outlets around the world highlighted this peculiar fact, sparking both admiration and resentment.
However, those hoping to exploit this opportunity found themselves disappointed; few people had direct access to Lady Lina Devonshire.
Amidst the buzz, new reports surfaced: the British royal family was considering granting Selene a lifetime knighthood for being the first female pilot to successfully lead a mission to the Moon.
This announcement was met with minimal opposition. After all, it was only an honorary title, and no one wanted to risk alienating both the Devonshire family and the royal family over something so trivial. Many men likely feared facing endless nagging from their wives or daughters if they dared to oppose such recognition for Selene.
The next morning, television stations continued covering the story, now referring to Selene and Nyssa with honorific titles in jest. However, this was overshadowed by the far greater excitement surrounding the departure of the second spaceship to Mars.
Mars Mission Day—9:00 a.m.
Selene and Nyssa, now celebrated as trailblazing female astronauts, became global icons. Thousands of people gathered for the launch ceremony in London, with more women than men present at the event.
At precisely 9:00 a.m., after fifty tons of cargo and equipment were loaded into the spacecraft, it slowly lifted off from the ground. Within seconds, the ship accelerated sharply, leaving London's skies in a flash.
As soon as the ship left Earth's atmosphere, the Decepticons hiding in the Sahara Desert sprang into action. Barricade and other Decepticons transformed into vehicles and aircraft, mobilizing to locate William's secret base.
In the Sahara Desert
The desert's vast expanse of 9.6 million square kilometers made searching for the underground base nearly impossible. However, reports from locals who had witnessed the spaceship's movements provided enough clues to narrow down a search area.
Despite this, the Decepticons faced repeated encounters with reconnaissance teams from various nations. At first, these run-ins caused little alarm. But as suspicions grew, some human teams noticed that the strange "convoys" didn't carry support vehicles, fuel trucks, or any typical supplies.
Several groups, under the pretense of needing food, water, or medical assistance, attempted to get closer to the Decepticons. Under normal circumstances, the short-tempered Decepticons would have retaliated, but the threat of punishment from Soundwave kept them in check, forcing them to endure the humans' presence.
The following day, a camel caravan inadvertently passed near the hidden base. According to William's instructions, Sunday immediately reported the incident.
With a wave of his hand, William opened a portal to the base. Engineering robots, directed by Sunday's AI, began cleaning and dismantling sensitive areas. Once their work was complete, the robots retreated through the portal.
Two decoy spaceships were left behind. Their engines roared to life as they launched through an opening in the base's roof, soaring into the sky under the watchful eyes of both the Decepticons and various human observers.
The message was clear: the base was located in this region.
Soundwave's orders were swift: infiltrate the base and gather intelligence. However, this was all part of William's plan. The base was a trap, bait designed to lure multiple factions.
As the Decepticons burrowed into the sand and made their way into the base, the facility transmitted a coded signal to outer space. Predictably, the U.S. intercepted the transmission, as did several search teams in the area.
Everyone who received the signal assumed it was meant for William on Mars. Unfortunately for them, the message was encrypted and could not be decoded immediately.
Thirty minutes later, a second transmission was sent—this time with a deliberately weak encryption. Within a minute, intelligence agencies in the U.S. and the U.K. had cracked it.
The decoded message sent shockwaves through England's leadership. Photos embedded in the transmission depicted a group of towering, hostile robots assaulting the base's defenses.
The sight of the Decepticons confirmed the worst fears of British intelligence. With physical evidence of extraterrestrial threats and the knowledge that England already possessed Decepticon remains and advanced spaceship technology, Prime Minister and military leaders saw no choice but to act decisively.
A direct order was issued to scramble fighter jets: "Destroy the base immediately."
Other nations were not so eager to follow suit. The U.S. and several European powers, particularly France, were hesitant. Their priority was preserving the base's technology. The potential to acquire William's spaceship construction secrets outweighed the risk of letting hostile robots roam free.
France, in particular, acted quickly. As British fighter jets crossed the English Channel, French pilots took to the skies, intercepting the British aircraft under the pretext of defending national airspace.
The French calculated their response perfectly. By engaging the British jets in close-quarters maneuvers, they forced the British planes to consume excessive fuel. Within minutes, the British fighters were forced to abort their mission and return to base.
The officer commanding the mission, unaware of the political ramifications, followed standard procedures and ordered the jets to refuel and rearm. However, by the time the situation was escalated to higher authorities, he had already been relieved of his duties for failing to anticipate the interference.
With the element of surprise lost, England's military planners scrambled to organize a new strike force. A fleet of ten fighter jets, two bombers, and a refueling aircraft was assembled, but before they could take off, the U.S. intervened.
A message arrived from U.S. command, stating that American forces in the Sahara were currently engaged in combat with hostile extraterrestrials. The U.S. formally requested British military support.
England's leaders were now faced with a critical decision. Should they cooperate with the Americans or risk losing control of the situation entirely? The trap William had set was working perfectly—drawing in all the major players, human and Decepticon alike.
(End of Chapter)
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