The Diego Diaries: Form (dd8 137)
=0=There
Raptor stood up with Ratchet, Totem, Gypsum and Onyx. The others sat or stood where they were staring around for something that seemed to be there but wasn't. "If you came to see us know that you're welcome. We didn't know much about this place when we came. We just wanted to rescue our people. We're very sorry if we did something in ignorance. We want peace with you and the opportunity to leave this place for you alone."
It was silent a moment, then something began to coalesce. It grew brighter and brighter, taller and more humanoid. Then it drew itself into sight for the group watching with expectation. When it did, it solidified its form.
Raptor had seen a lot of things but this was new. It was a bright white translucent figure that appeared to have wings like a butterfly but the body of a humanoid. The humanoid aspect wasn't that well defined, but rather a bright light shaped body format. There were antennae stalks that stood out from the helm and they were pointed toward the group. "I am Raptor. I lead this group. I am honored to see you. I hope you understand me that we come to you in peace. We want only good relations with you while we figure out how to remove this colony from your world."
There was no sound but a slight buzzing on their armor as the figure stared at them. There were no discernible eyes but it was clear that the figure was watching them. They could feel rather than see that.
Ultra Magnus who was standing beside Raptor stepped closer. "I am Ultra Magnus. I am the leader with Raptor of this group. I come from the Prime of Cybertron to represent him here among all of us. He would like you to know that this group will be leaving and that any harm that might have happened was not from any intention of hurting you. We are unfamiliar with your people but we wish to be friendly and take any steps we can to make right anything that was done out of ignorance."
The figure wavered, seemingly phasing in and out of the space where they stood, then a fluttering sound was heard. A group of scarlet butterflies, some of them large flew out of the trees to hover around the light being. It seemed like they were fluttering around its face, then they flew away. It was silent again amongst the group.
The figure stepped closer pausing before Magnus, then leaned forward their head. An antennae unfurled, then lightly touched the big mech on the helm. It was as if Magnus was electrocuted so jolting was the touch. The being stepped back swiftly, staring at Magnus with tension in their light body.
Magnus groaned, then held his helm.
The being then vanished from sight.
=0=Moments later around the fire pit
"You're going to be alright, though I doubt you'll like it," Ratchet said. "That figure nearly fried your circuits."
Magnus glanced upward at Ratchet and a pensive Perceptor who was standing next to the medic. "That was overpowering. It was like ten million voices speaking all at the same time."
"It probably was. We're dealing with a hive mind," Onyx said.
"Well, what now, Ultramus?" Ratchet asked as he sat down in a chair. The others joined him and it was silent. "Maybe we need a real Matrix here. What if that was their own personal god?"
"What if its a projection from ten million butterflies?" Perceptor ventured.
"Can you remember anything it might have said or asked?" Jack asked.
Magnus sat a moment in thought, then glanced at the big mech. "It wasn't words. It was an image. It was a field of flowers, endless flowers going onward into infinity under a blue sky."
"Maybe you got a glimpse of butterfly heaven," Will Lennox suggested.
"Maybe," Magnus said. "But the bottom line is we have to leave this place. What can you feel about the mood among the native species?" he asked Onyx.
Onyx and Totem considered that as Gypsum watched both. Then Onyx glanced at Magnus.
"Curiosity. I would suggest that they're not unfamiliar with Matrices."
"Maybe they have their own," Sunstreaker asked. "Maybe that field of flowers was their Matrix."
"Maybe," Magnus said. "It doesn't get us off here. We have to have their permission to go. What can you do, gentlemen, to effect that?"
Onyx considered something off line with the other two, then glanced at Magnus. "We're going to the meadow nearby and have a seat. There's a relationship between the mushrooms, the fungi and the insectoids. They're related somehow, perhaps in a symbiotic sort of way." He rose, then the other two did, following him down the path to the field where the shuttles sat. They were gone in seconds.
It was silent a moment, then Magnus sat back. "There is something more to this, a dimension that I'm not familiar with. Optimus might be because strange is up his alley."
"Then maybe its time for Dad to come," Ratchet said as he rose. "Time to phone home."
=0=On a party line: Optimus, Ratchet, Perceptor and Prowl
"NOT ON YOUR SPARK!"
"Now Prowler … there's something about this that Optimus can manage because he's just as strange as the big butterfly we just chatted with." Ratchet smiled a dazzler. "Let me rephrase that," he said through his smile.
Optimus snorted with amusement. "When the three get through in the meadow, call here. I do not care the time. We can decide from there what to do. Until then, I trust in Ultramus Prime to do that job," he said with a slight smirk.
"I'll let him know," Ratchet said. "We go way back."
They chatted a moment, filled in what few blanks they could, then shut down for the moment. It was silent in the shuttle.
"What do you think is going to happen? Do you have a theory?" Lon asked as he sat on a bench nearby.
Bezel was beside him with a solemn expression.
"Well," Ratchet said as he sat back to bullshit. "I think there's more here than meets the optic. That butterfly might be their version of Primus. Or it might be a mental manifestation that they use to greet others. Or it might be their king, or god, or whatever. Its probably going to take a mech with a Matrix to break this apart. Until then, we better get ready to shoot it out with Reset. I don't think he's going to go without a fight."
"Then we'll give him what he wants," Bezel said.
"Don't forget that more than half that colony is children and babies. Elderly as well," Ratchet said as he rose to go. "We have to be strategic or there's going to be bad trouble."
"Is there ever anything else?" Lon asked as they followed him off the ship.
"Well, there's bad-bad and sorta-bad. Then there's really-bad and 'hold the phone, Martha!' bad. I like that. I saw it in a movie," Ratchet said with a smile. "Now THERE'S the definition of bad, that movie," he said as they ambled away toward camp.
=0=Sitting in a meadow listening, watching and scanning
The three Seers sat on the ground deliberately missing anything that might be alive underneath themselves. The ground was sparse here but for the copse of woods that divided their camp from the other one with the 200 hapless refugees that got caught up some time back.
Bugs were here and there but few butterflies. The fungi that were visible bordered the domes, all of which seemed designed to keep the local species separated and protected against the interlopers. It was warm and the sky was blue. A light breeze kept the temperature in the good zone as they took the measure of the place.
A butterfly appeared outside the dome, one that fluttered with emerald green colors and blue spots. It was beautiful and seemed to be looking for a particular thing. It seemed to find it, landing on a larger version of a small barrel fungus, the kind with a hole in the top. It was white as snow but dark inside.
The butterfly reached out a leg and stroked the fungus. It coughed, sort of, and a small cloud of black spores poofed out of the hole. The butterfly gathered it with several of its legs rubbing it all over its body. When it was satisfied, it flew up and fluttered away, disappearing into the distance.
"They seemed to be farming the fungus," Totem said. "One takes care of the other. Elegant, simple and complex at the same time."
"I felt its contentment, like the right order of things was in motion," Gypsum said. "They have a simple but completely complimentary relationship, with one helping the other. We have to get everyone off this world and marker buoy it so no one comes to disturb them."
Onyx nodded. "When they speak all at the same time its dangerous to other life forms. They must share a frequency to speak to each other. There is nothing but calmness and peacefulness here. I really like this place."
The two nodded in agreement.
The sun would beat down as they watched butterflies come and go, hunting for the fungus that they wanted or needed, then attend to what they came to do before moving off. It would be intensely restful and interesting for the observers. What the observed thought was harder to determine.
=0=Later
They met at the imaginary dividing line between 'Camp I Want Out Of Here' and the colony which was called Meadow Lands. After a moment of obligatory hard gazing at each other Magnus began. "We contacted some kind of construct that is their spokesman. Its a tall being of light with wings and the outline of a butterfly. Have you ever seen this before?"
Reset shook his helm. "No. We've only see the butterflies and we've never been allowed to venture out of our domed area. This is new to us."
"The irritating sound you heard when they flew into the colony was their accumulated voices, tens of millions speaking at the same time. Apparently, when it comes to one-on-one conversations, this being or construct is used," Magnus explained.
"What did they tell you?" Reset asked.
"They showed me an image, one of an endless field of flowers stretching to a far horizon. What it means is unclear, though it could be their idea of the Matrix," Magnus replied. "The Seers said that they've observed symbiotic behavior between the fungi and the insects. They seem to take care of each other, one giving the other what they need and vice versa. This is a highly developed world with highly evolved species living here. We have to leave this place and we will.
"I want you to begin to gather your people to go. They may take whatever they wish including any dead that may be housed here. We will accommodate their belongings. Understand me, Reset, when I tell you we are all leaving when we can negotiate the passage and transport of everyone here including your group."
Reset shook his helm. "We're not leaving, Prime. You can do what you want but we're staying." With that, he turned to go and left with his armed mechs. The guards posted melted back into the woods.
Perceptor frowned. "Very illogical, that one. Why would he want to stay in a place that will only get smaller and smaller as the population of his colony grows?"
Magnus mused on it, then glanced at Perceptor. "Your guess is as good as mine. The bottom line is, everyone is leaving and if I have to personally go door-to-door to ensure it I will." With that, he began to walk back to the campsite with the guards.
Perceptor stared at the colony a moment, then joined them. The sun set in the sky as he did. It became very dark very quickly.
=0=TBC 4-13-2021