Spontaneous Earth
(known as "Mushroomverse" on Tumblr) is an anthology collection of fanfiction set in a reimagining of The Transformers. Written by Sroloc_Elbisivni, it aims to provide a more realistic interpretation of events that could've happened in the original cartoon.
Fics in the collection include:
- nothing is more sacred than any other thing: Skyfire befriends a scientist at a mycology conference.
- Credo in Us: The Autobots celebrate the Festival of the Unmaker and encounter some interlopers.
- Solo with obbligato accompaniment of two voices in canon, and six short inventions on the subjects of the solo: Spike buys a car of his own to have some more independence, alienating Bumblebee in the process.
- Chess Pieces: Chip Chase and Prowl go on a field trip in order to explain what horses are to the latter.
- Address: The staff of the Vancouver Public Library have an argument over email about whether the Constructicons are allowed to attend an outdoor summer reading program.
- Two^5: Hot Spot and Silverbolt find out they go to the same place when they want some alone time and discuss their frustrations with each other.
- Metamorphosis: A look into several moments of Chip Chase's life while working for the Autobots.
- Root of an Unfocus: Carly helps Ratchet treat Ironhide for a virus.
- First Construction (In Metal): The Autobots lend a hand in dredging out several rivers following the eruption of Mt. St. Helens.
- First Chapter of Ecclesiastes (The Preacher): Naomi Witwicky meets with the Autobots to discuss setting up an embassy and learns about the complexities of the Cybertronian government.
Contains examples of:
- all lowercase letters: nothing is more sacred than any other thing is the only fic in the collection to not have a title in propercase.
- The Baby of the Bunch: Ratbat is much younger than the other Decepticons, having only been created during their time on Earth. Soundwave keeps Ratbat away from battles for his own safety, his voice is described as sounding similar to a toy piano, and he runs away from home to ask Spike to switch sides so he won't have to be the youngest Decepticon anymore.
- Bizarre Alien Reproduction: Metamorphosis details the multiple ways a Cybertronian can be given sentience: building up a starter personality matrix that then matures through formative experience, requesting that the supercomputer Vector Sigma create one from scratch, and copying and combining several different preexisting matrices until a new one stabilizes. The fic ends by revealing that it's possible to use a brain scan of a human as a substitute personality matrix for the third method.
- Brandishment Bluff: In nothing is more sacred than any other thing, Dr. Lee staves off potentially getting kidnapped by Starscream by claiming that the sample of chicken-of-the-woods fungus she has is capable of eating metal. Starscream decides to not risk having holes chewed in his frame and leaves her alone.
- Bullying a Dragon: Ryanne, a human library employee, repeatedly expresses her desire to ban the Constructicons from attending an outdoor storytime program, to the point of threatening to get the police to shut down the event if they aren't kicked out. Her coworker Louise points out this is stupid because not only have the Constructicons not actually done anything to warrant expulsion from the event, it's very difficult to tell a group of giant evil robots they're not allowed to be somewhere they want to be. Fortunately, the situation is resolved before Ryanne tries anything drastic.
- Deadpan Door Shut: In Solo with obbligato accompaniment of two voices in canon, and six short inventions on the subjects of the solo, Spike Witwicky answers his front door to find Ratbat ringing the doorbell; Spike blinks, takes note of the purple sigil on the metal bat's chest, and closes the door. After the doorbell rings again, Spike decides to reopen the door and find out what the Decepticon on his porch wants.
- Either/Or Title: nothing is more sacred than any other thing has an alternate title in its summary that's more descriptive of the fic's contents than the main title: Or, why Skyfire is not allowed to go to mycological conferences for the next three years.
- Flat "What": During First Construction (In Metal), a Federal Coordinating Officer expresses concerns about there being fall flooding caused by rain if they don't get the rivers cleared, referring to the time of year as "when the water tries to come through." Prowl, who has been studying human history but comes from a planet without flowing water, interprets the statement as referring to a harvest festival where flooding is seen as a blessing and tells the FCO that transporting the water can wait. After a Beat, the FCO asks if Cybertron has a water cycle; Prowl's response is "A what."
- Villains Out Shopping: Address is about the Constructicons, a group of Decepticons with the ability to form a Combining Mecha, attending an outdoor book reading hosted by the Vancouver Public Library. One staff member is concerned that their presence will lead to "giant robot mayhem"; another employee states that the Constructicons are well-behaved, stay in vehicle mode while attending the event, and overall are content to listen to people read children's books about vehicles aloud for a few hours.
