The Diego Diaries: Word (dd2 10)
-0-Ops Center
When the word came it was filled with static. The outer range of their sensors and the enhanced field arrays had been reached as the first hard news of the refugees and their Autobot escort had finally arrived. Prime came from the N.E.S.T. HQ to conference with Ultra Magnus on Mars and the leadership of the rescue mission.
Numbers had been hit or miss, the best guess scenario evening out between one hundred and two hundred ten. There were actually two hundred fifty three civilians and fifty-six Autobot soldiers. It was a bounty of riches that left Prime nearly speechless. They were rescuing their people and they were amassing soldiers. It was the culmination of a dream that he had on a lonely hillside when he sent that first message.
"Come," he had said. "Come to me." And they did. First, a few here and there, roving teams out searching for the AllSpark Sideswipe and Jolt, then Hound, Trailbreaker and his beloved Prowl. They came singularly and in groups. It was an awesome feeling for Prime to know that his people craved solidarity and that they came to him for their relief and protection. The burden of it didn't weigh him down. It freed him. He was the Prime of Cybertron and he was making a world for his people, a home and a place of comfort and safety. He was humbled and proud; proud of his effort, of his people, of his team. It was a truly emotional moment for him.
"I have messages. I am going to decipher them and I will give them to you, Optimus," Prowl said quietly. He glanced at Optimus who was riveted to the screens which sprayed data across their surfaces as fast as physics allowed. He smiled and placed his servo on Prime's shoulder, squeezing.
Optimus looked at him pausing at the expression on Prowl's face. The love, the happiness there filled his heart and he placed his servo over Prowl's. "I love you," he said softly.
Prowl nodded. "I love you too. This is your doing, Optimus. You make me so proud of you."
They stared at each other for a moment, the emotion surging between them an almost holy thing, then they turned to their work helping their people find refuge.
-0-Ironhide and Ratchet in Medbay
"They reached our signal range."
Ratchet looked up and smiled. "That's great news. Anything new to tell?"
Ironhide walked into the office and sat, Orion perched on his lap grinning at his creator around his binky. His creator grinned back. "Two hundred fifty-three civilians and fifty-six soldiers."
"Wow," Ratchet said leaning back in his chair. "What's the configuration or do they know?"
"Not much. A few younglings and two sparklings. Two sparked carriers and some elders that need attention. You might want to check with First Aid. He might be getting information directly."
Ratchet nodded. "How are you today?"
"I'm fine. You?"
Ratchet shrugged, smirking. "Comes and goes."
"So I noticed," Ironhide said smirking back. "Nice message on Teletraan. Even Prowl was impressed."
"I thought he would be. One's opening salvo needs be spectacular. Or so my ol' dad taught me," Ratchet said with a chuckle. He leaned his elbows on the desk, resting his chin on his servos. "Engarde, slagger."
"I knew it was war from the first wrench," Ironhide said setting the sparkling down on the desk. Orion reached for a stylus and began to beat on his ped. "I am pretty impressed with your move."
"So tell me yours," Ratchet said smiling at his sparkling, considering his brilliance in all he did especially ped spanking. "I love a good story."
Ironhide grinned. "I think general defiance and all around ignoring your aft is the first line of defense," Ironhide said.
"Sounds like a good defensive strategy," Ratchet said. "Of course, I could go out and win public opinion. Let fly some intel about the general letdown after transfer and all that sort of thing. Might make you look like a real fragger in the general population."
"You could do that if you were a totally shameless slagger," Ironhide said taking the stylus from the sparkling when he tried to poke it up his nose structure. "That rather describes you."
"I have my moments," Ratchet said with a chuckle. He took hold of Orion's ped and squeezed, smiling at the baby's delight. Then Orion flapped his arms hard and fell over, landing on his back, nearly rolling off the desk. Ratchet held his ped and he hung off the desk head first. Ironhide caught him putting him right side up, sitting back where he was. He looked around and chirped as loud as he could his disdain for the table and his round bottom.
"Noisy little scutter," Ratchet said with a grin. "Sort of reminds me of his old pa."
"Takes after me in more areas than just his devilish good looks," Ironhide said smiling.
Ratchet snorted and sat back regarding him levelly. "So what is next? Give me a hint or do you have anything, big boy."
"I can't tell you," Ironhide said smiling as he sat back gazing levelly at Ratchet. "I intend for the moment to wait you out."
"It was sixty orns last war," Ratchet said. "Sixty orns without a 'face. I don't know if you can take it. Things might rust."
Ironhide snorted. "WD-40 does the trick."
"No Pennzoil?" Ratchet asked remembering a story best forgotten.
"I travel light," Ironhide said. "I think I can hold out longer than you. I've been reading Cosmopolitan and I have a few ideas of my own."
"And Maxim? And Esquire? You read them too. They give you any ammo to use on your side of the bunker?"
"They do," Ironhide said. "Can't tell you all my secrets."
"I see," Ratchet said.
"If we decide to cut to the chase and resolve this dispute by negotiations, what is your bottom line, Ratchet?" Ironhide asked regarding the center of his spark with a level gaze.
"I want another sparkling."
It was silent a moment, then Ironhide leaned forward resting his elbows on the desk. "You have one."
"He's a champion, I admit. I want another. A brace of above average near-to-awesome sparklings."
"But you have a perfect one already."
"Ironhide, this sparkling is a genius sparkling, a little polished gem. Imagine two of them, brothers sitting together banging on their peds with blunt objects. Imagine two of them grinning up at you in the morning when you go get them out of their little bed."
Ironhide visualized the images and found them delightful but he also knew better than to let Ratchet know that. "Another sparkling."
"Yes," Ratchet said grinning. "How about you doing the honors too."
"You saw how well that went last time," Ironhide said sitting back.
Ratchet nodded. "True," he said. "But you can't blame a mech for trying."
"I can," Ironhide said with a grin. "I would rather lick Unicron's peds than carry a sparkling."
"Unicron doesn't have peds."
"Bingo," Ironhide said rising, regaining the sparkling. Taking the stapler, a couple of tools and a little box with his carrier's favorite energon candies from the grasping grabby hands of his son-let, Ironhide turned and walked to the door. Pausing, he looked back smiling at Ratchet who gazed at him appraisingly. "You showed your hand, mech. Bad tactics." With that, he turned and walked out.
Ratchet sat back and grinned. "That's what you think, Ironhide."
-0-On the way back
They raced through the darkness sending packets of information at regular intervals. They would arrive at the communications arrays and be received, the colony and garrison knowing as much as they could as soon as they could. Ultra Magnus walked from one station to the next as he supervised the rescue from the command deck in Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars.
They were readying themselves to receive two hundred fifty-three refugees and fifty-six soldiers. He knew many of the soldiers but looking at the list, he could see a large number of new names. Two intact Wrecker crews. What a find.
Sort of.
A member of the Council of Elders who had been considered killed by Starscream early in the war, another find.
And then the best part of all … the pretty solid whereabouts of three of the biggest, most powerful Autobots of all … Metroplex, Fortress Maximus and Omega Supreme. That was worth its weight in energon alone. Discussions with Optimus Prime on Earth were constant and the bustle of mechs and femmes in the city was continuous. Everyone was excited to see more come and wanted to help. In a few orns the place would be as lively as any city on Cybertron back in the orn. It was a delightful future to contemplate.
That no one knew of a threat against the newcomers so far only made good things better. Maybe they would get this group safely among them without a shooting.
-0-Daniels
He got off the satellite phone with his grandfather, the discussion about the impact of the Senatorial delegation to Diego among the general public a subject of most of the discussion. They were losing the public relations battle. Ratchet was popular, most of the people who listened to him finding him approachable and likable. The children had been the cherry on top of the confection. It was very aggravating. Another team was coming, the most watched news anthology program in American television history no less and by the time they finished humanizing the big robot it would be too late.
He had to find a way to neutralize the effect of the robot on their plans, so he sat on the patio beer in hand and thought. In less than two weeks they would be meeting with Ondo again and he had to have the primary factors of their situation going his way. So he sat thinking until the sun was too warm and he had to go inside.
-0-Ironhide
He walked on his route glaring at a clutch of mercs who drove past the embassy. They stared back at him but the arrogance was gone. It had been replaced by a deep wariness. Continuing onward, he walked inside and down to the third level where the brig was. He chatted a while with Inferno, the big mech holding the sparkling. The sparkling for his part spent the whole time trying to glom onto Inferno's helm embellishments. They were as tantalizing to Orion as Ratchet and Prowl's chevrons.
Ironhide walked to the cells looking at the prisoners. Bolton and Thomas were sulking and glaring. The four older prisoners were lounging, sleeping and ignoring. It was same as it always was when he would stop in and check. Turning, ignoring them as well, Ironhide walked out of the brig and on toward the armory nearby.
-0-Shockwave
He stood on the deck of the Nemesis watching the sky above. In a little more than a decaorn he would return to Earth and make the major players his alone. Nast had been eliminated along with his family. The politicians would be his. All they wanted was money and ego strokes. He had done that before. He had made a career out of it. By the time he was finished he would own the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, at least two other senators and a handful of congressmen. The emails kept rolling in from Daniels and Weaver. They were organizing a contingent to meet with him and he was ready to do so. Billionaires and businessmen were also going to come.
Everyone wanted a piece of him. Everyone wanted what he could give to them. They could have it. All they had to do was give him one thing in return.
Their souls.
-0-TBC 2011 (1)