The Diego Diaries: Function Over Form (dd6 13)
-0-Out there
Wheeljack sat at Fire Control working out the coordination of the energy pulse. He turned toward Prime and nodded. Prime sat back with a grim expression. "This is Optimus Prime. We are going to pulse together on three. Be ready to fight once the grid is down. One … two … three."
A blinding light obscured everything for a moment as the pulse flowed out. Everything on their ships glitched, then returned almost immediately. Farther out, it was almost instantaneous. The light pulse hit the grid and it winked out. Energy readings fluctuated wildly for a moment aboard the enemy ships, then flickered back to life.
"They weren't expecting that," Wheeljack said as he scanned the group which was momentarily in chaos. "That means they don't have access or knowledge of all of our tech."
"Good. I intend to keep it that way," Prime said grimly. He glanced at the screen showing Typhoon and the other commanders. "I want the installations on the farthest two planets razed to the ground. No one is there, correct?"
Starscream and Rainmaker nodded. "That is correct, Lord Optimus," Rainmaker said formally, now that they were on the job. "They had to be called home to be betrayed."
Prime nodded. "Take who you need, cruisers and Seekers. Protect the Seekers. I want no casualties. They won't be expecting this either. Go fast, get it done and return. Tennyson, move into the area and focus on anyone following. Throw down cover."
"I live to serve," Tennyson said with a slight bow. He turned to Rainmaker and Starscream who leaned in together to work out the plan.
Prime sat silently as he watched the ships pull themselves back together. "Open a channel, Blaster." Blaster did. ["Enemy fleet … this is Optimus Prime. We have defeated your containment field. Your ships experienced a momentary loss of function. We can make that permanent if you do not allow us to attend to our dead. Answer now."]
There was no answer as they regrouped themselves. While they were, even more ships were coming to join them. Soon it would be constant as the halo of light that surrounded Prime and his ships continued to grow. He watched the show waiting for the Matrix to give him some sort of acknowledgment that what he was doing was purposeful and correct. It was silent.
At that moment, three cruisers surrounded by a cloud of Seekers flew out of the group and headed to the inner planets of the system. Breaking out with them, a trio of large well-armed ships followed from the alien group.
"They can't do much against us," Blackjack said from another ship nearby. He was on the screen with the other commanders, all of them tending to business as they waited for orders.
"Maybe. We shall see," Prime said as he concentrated on the field of view.
It ranged among the Seekers, changing perspective from one to another as they flew closer to the planet farthest from the habitable zone of occupation. The Seekers flew with the cruisers like limpet fish attached to the side of a whale. When they closed on the planet, they broke off and flew in two groups away from the cruisers. One group slowed to watch the three alien ships in pursuit while the others flew toward the planet surface to direct the targeting and to observe the degree of destruction the shooting would create.
-0-The Hourly News Breaking News, 1830 hours on the TMC
"Good evening. The latest news about the interdiction in deep space is as follows. The colony worlds which were targeted for rescue have suffered an as yet unknown catastrophe. It is said but not officially confirmed that they were involved in a catastrophe that has caused mass casualties. No official word is yet available but it would appear that a lot of our people were killed in an yet unknown conflagration.
"At the point of contact, Optimus Prime and the fleet are currently engaged in gaining access to the planet side settlements in defiance of a confederation of alien civilizations who have lived there peacefully together for eons.
"The area in question is 221-B, a forbidden zone in the Benzuli Expansion. Given the chaos of The Fall and subsequent Diaspora, it is understandable why our people will be found in hitherto for forbidden zones. The Benzuli has temporal rifts that are dangerous and interrupt the ability of ship's sensory equipment to give clear pictures of the local area. There are many myths and legends about the Benzuli and related local areas that include dangerous aliens and strange anomalies.
"The Office of Strategic Communications has released the following statement. "As of 0900 hours TMC, Optimus Prime and the expeditionary forces with him have located four worlds that have settlements of our people. In the area, there is a huge federation of species that hold sway. They have been unhelpful in allowing access to the planets to help our people. The Prime is engaged in ensuring that access.
"It is not his intention to fight but he will if necessary. We need to find out the story and bring our people home. As of now, there has been no shooting. It is a tense standoff and when more news is available, the Office of Strategic Communications will release it. There is no firm information about what the catastrophe was or the number of victims it might entail. When the information is available it will be released. Commander Jazz has asked forbearance. It serves no good purpose, he has stated, to trade in rumors."
Humans in four habitats listened to the news on the huge television screens their lounges afforded. The kids were sitting with them, all of the kids in the colony as their pensive worried elders watched the news. Annabelle Lennox glanced at her dad. "What does this mean, Daddy? Are they having a war?"
"I don't know, baby," Will said as he sat down again beside her and Sarah. "We don't know."
"I hope not. Half my class has a genitor in the armada," she replied. "This is awful. What happened to our people?"
No one could say.
-0-Earth 1
They sat in the lounge watching the news or the theater where the broadcast was playing around the clock. Owen Harris sat in a middle row of the big theater watching the broadcast which was mostly news and conversation with experts about what was speculated to be going on. It could be any news broadcast on Earth. Brandon Clark sat beside him with a worried expression. "How often do things like this happen?" Owen asked.
"On occasion. I don't have fear for the fleet or Prime. I know they're damned near infallible but I hate it nonetheless. It reminds me how helpless we are without them."
"How often does it get reported to Earth when things like this happen?" Owen asked as he watched the Community Bulletin Board scroll past. Lunch was going to be tasty in the schools in the morning.
"When it's big enough," Brandon said. He glanced at Harris, then the screen. "They're an autonomous civilization. They don't have to share. That they do is a credit to them."
"We're all stuck in this boat. They should share all of it with us."
"Not everyone thinks the same thing," Clark said as he considered the figure beside him. "Some think we can go it alone."
"What do you think about that?" Harris asked.
"I think those who believe that are ass holes," Brandon replied. "It only takes one weak moment to end us all. To think that we can face the universe without allies is to believe in fairy dust. Graveyards are filled with people who did."
"It could be that their presence brings trouble here. We've been here eons without them living in peace. Now it seems they come every day," Harris said.
"Consider the idea that because aliens of all kind can come and go, it's inevitable that they come here. The question isn't 'the aliens out there come here because of the bots'. The big deal here is 'they come because they can and always have'. That's what the aliens around here do. Because the bots are here we don't get plowed under. I've been here a long time now. I've seen the great benefits of this alliance. The aliens out there are moving around doing what they do for good or ill. Why they are is irrelevant. They just are. One species came here to hunt us for eons. It's their sport. The bots put end to that from day one. We can have them come by and have no defense or we can have them come with the bots here. Which is smarter?"
Harris stared at Clark. "Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Would they have really come here but for the activity of the bots or not?"
"They were already here," Clark repeated.
Harris stared at him a moment, then Lim-Lee was back. "In other news ..."
-0-At the Youth Club, Oz
Nine big kids sat around a table sipping 'soft drinks' as they chatted. Several other friends were with them as they had just concluded their science club meeting and had gone to 'the club' to eat dinner and play games. The pool tables and dart boards were busy so they sat together eating snacks. "What do you think is going on out there, Tru?" one of their friends asked.
"I think they're confronting a terrible problem," Tru said. "Something makes me think that there's going to be a fight. Uncle Tennyson was called to come along with Ammas and Appa. Prime needs big guns."
The others nodded. "I wish I was there," Fireball said. "I could help them. I know how to fight."
"Sort of," Quasar said with a slight grin. "They taught us but we haven't had a lot of opportunities."
"I did. I helped that one time. Remember?" Tru asked with a bit of indignation.
"You did and it was great," Fireball said loyally. He looked at the others. "If they need us, we can't go anyway. We're protecting the colony against Razorclaw. I hope he doesn't know about this. He might be a wise aft and try something."
"They impose a news blackout," another kid said. "My atar works at Intracomm. They always censor the news just in case."
"Good," Quadrus said with relief. "We can take them on but Appa and Ammas would be unhappy if it came to that. They think we need more training."
The conversation continued as around the colony families and friends of many species worried about the mission in the Benzuli.
-0-Out there
They made it to the planet, then fell into orbit. The Seekers flashed ahead to mark targets. Red Wing flew into the industrial park area of the fourth planet, then landed. With him were heavy Seekers, huge mechs with incredible strength and firepower. They unsubbed beacons and began to place them. Flying around the big zone, they put them at strategic places to show the perimeter of the area. Everything inside the zone would be burned to the ground. There was little beyond this area, just gravel pits and trucks, non-sentient all.
Red Wing watched a datapad in his servo as his team placed markers. When they were all where they needed to be, he commed over the open line. "Red 1. All is ready and go. Let us get clear, then it's your turn, General."
"Understood. Clear the area, Red," Blackjack said over the comm system.
Red Wing signaled everyone to leave. They rose into the air, then flew into space to form up on the hulls of the cruisers. They magnetized, then turned to watch as the ships began to vibrate. Systems were coming online and to the delicate phenomenally sensitive abilities of the Seekers, they felt the vibrations beneath their feet. Humans wouldn't have.
After a moment, a slight bump underfoot indicated that missiles were being launched. They sped out in a burst of light, streaking downward to their targets. They were heavy payload, Red Wing noted. They would do the trick. He and his group would do the fly over, then all would head back toward the next planet leaving Tennyson to do the deep and most complete scans before following. By the time they were finished, any further contention would be limited to only two planets.
As they turned to go, at last, they would be followed by three alien ships. Coming across the void seemingly without concern about Prime and his armada, four other alien vessels were joining them.
-0-TBC 5-21-17 edited 5-24-17