The Diego Diaries: Problematic (dd6 86)
-0-Out there
"We need more information. I want a Seeker flight to do a data scan, then return. I do not have enough information of the area. What do the databases of their ships show, Jazz?" Prime asked.
"We're gathering their maps and perhaps, Prime, that'll tell us what we want to know," he said as Elita nodded.
"Let us go through the data, Optimus, before we risk someone," Elita replied.
"Very well," Optimus said with a nod. "Time is of the essence."
The two walked out to get information of the area, the locations themselves and a great deal of intel from the ships around them about what they would face trying to free over 100,000 individuals from captivity. It would take another day to move everyone from here, so debilitated were they crossing the void with literally no preparation for the ordeal. Ships that had been shot up were blown up on site after they were relieved of their passengers and anything of the most minimal value and sentiment for them.
Prime sat on his ship brooding. This had thrown things into a cocked hat. They would have to head back and plan. Then they would have to face an uncertain enemy to retrieve his people from slavery.
-0-Ratchet
He stood on the deck watching the crowds coming in. Nothing that did would require his level of expertise so he allowed the others to get the experience of the moment. Working where Ratchet told him to work, Partition was finding out that war was hell. Ratchet told him especially to help the wounded children and elders, many of whom were in sad shape. The kid carried wounded babies, some of them well beyond making any sound or much movement to the gurneys, freeing up their exhausted and distraught genitors to limp along after them.
Partition wasn't arguing, but doing what he was directed to do. He had little to offer but his strength and obedience, working with all manner of castes to help direct the flood of sick and injured to the correct elevator for the ride to their staging medical area. There were seemingly thousands coming in as shuttles and Seekers flying in with loads or those clinging to their backs landed, off loaded, then flew out again. They were carefully helped out or down, then directed toward help. Those who were able bodied worked with the medical triage teams helping their fellows get where they needed to go.
Ratchet who had a theory about the youngster developed from fending off his 'diplomating' in the past decided that when no one else stepped forward to mentor him and his genitors that he would. He decided that the kid grew up in a bubble, that his thinking was formed by the stupidity and ignorance not only of his caste but his genitors. He couldn't help but think about Partition as a child like Orion, pure and simple, before his circumstances poisoned him. He was an ignorant little mech who needed to have real horizons and not the gilded bars of the prison of his life. Given his own experiences at both ends of the socio-economic spectrum, Ratchet had learned that there were other prisons besides poverty and a lack of opportunity.
This punk was going to change if he had to dismantle him. He was also the lord and master of his genitors. Given that two of his brothers had potential, he was determined to find this slagger's key as well. There was a good mech in there somewhere and he was determined to find it. Most of the others in his circle were aware of his 'projects' but only a few understood why he did this. Ratchet was a doctor and a son of Primus. Until all are one was his core and most central belief. He could not more leave this kid to waste his life in spite and self pity than he could turn his back on anyone else suffering from a disease.
"Get those elders to Mico," Ratchet said as he took a weeping baby from a pensive Partition. "They can't make it on their own."
Partition nodded, then turned to the trio of small mechs who were huddled together, shell-shocked, disoriented and stricken. He paused before them as one looked up. "Follow me," he said, then hesitated. They stared at him without comprehension. Taking one by the servo, he gently tugged it. "Come with me," he said with a softer voice. He looked at the others. "Here," he said helping them hold each others hands, "we can go get help."
They staggered but corrected, following him toward Mico who was sending off two gurneys filled with older femmes. He paused before Mico of Kaon, a former low caste hedge doctor, now triage specialist who had served in the ghettos of Slaughter City and Kaon. "What do we do, Mico? They can't walk too far."
Mico nodded. "Hold them, Partition. I'll get transport lined up," he said as he walked to a bottleneck before the elevator nearby.
Partition watched him go, then looked at the elders who were weaving slightly on their peds. He looked around for help, then turned to them. "Here," he said. "Let's sit on the floor. You and me," he said as he helped them settle. He sat down across from them holding their servos. "You're going to be fine," he said with a strained voice. Glancing around nervously, he waited with no small amount of anxiety for Mico to return.
He did with three big orderlies. Kneeling, Mico scanned the three. "We're going to take you to help. Okay?" he asked.
They stared at him in shock but didn't resist when the orderlies picked them up to carry them to the treatment center for elders on deck 4. Partition watched them go, then turned to look around. Without being told, he walked to the hangar lip to help more patients off transports and direct them to the right source of triage. As he did, Ratchet's spark soared.
It was the first step of what would likely be a truly wild ride toward the light for an entitled bubble boy.
-0-Later that night
Ironhide walked into his apartment and thanked the sitters. Checking on his children, four small, one medium sized and three huge, he walked to his chair and sat heavily. Soon, it would be morning and there would be three conferences that would have to be rescheduled. Hopefully, those of their three 'loaner' mechs, Co-D, Bos and Reflector would be had when they came up but those for everyone else would have to hold. He would be in meetings to plan their mission and he would have to hear the case involving Rain Harris with the rest of the School Board.
As he sat, he commed Ratchet. :Ratchet:
:What?:
"Where are you?:
:Wrapping things up on Phobos. Where are you?:
:Home. Everyone is asleep. When are you getting home? We have that hearing for Harris today:
:Oh frag. Remind me not to surf social media, Ironhide:
Ironhide grinned, basking in the warmth of Ratchet's energy. :How's that kid doing?:
:He's been a champ. I wanted him along to have a really good assessment of his potential under pressure. He was great which means he's got possibilities. I want him to succeed, Ironhide:
:YOU AREN'T ADOPTING HIM!:
Ratchet grinned as he basked in the warmth of Ironhide's energy. :Okay. I'll adopt Lucien and Laslo instead:
:WHAT THE FRAG!?:
Both of them grinned.
:Get home, Ratchet:
:Will do. Ratchet out: He turned to look at the youngster who was talking to some of the triage doctors. Walking toward them, he checked in internally with the heads of the different departments. They had the full complement of the migration in this single ship minus a few troublemakers and the odd mental patient who was bridged to Processor Health Hospital and Outpatient Center in The City. They would be leaving here in a few breems to go back through the bridge to be met with teams who would take the patients destined for hospitals, care centers and the like when they arrived. Everyone else would be taken into hand by Refugees and Immigration who would settle them. Their leadership would be part of the planning team shortly and they would come to the Ops Center when they had a moment to rest, refuel and decompress.
He, himself, would have a short departmental meeting before he would go to testify before the School Board. It was a never ending pageant, he thought, as he joined the group with Partition. "What's the word, boys and girls?"
"We're ready to go. The last patients were brought to us a joor ago and the rest were unharmed but distraught," Meecee, a big triage specialist who had managed the show for children and femmes said as he turned toward Ratchet.
Ratchet nodded. "I'm proud of all of you. You did good. What's the final count, Meecee?"
"The total is 2,083 with 502 in care. That's mostly the children that accompanied their families on this run. It was supposed to be an easy thing. Go and assess a deposit. It was like camping so they had some of their dependents with them. This is fragged, Ratchet. Are we going to have a war?" he asked.
Everyone looked solemn including Partition. Ratchet shrugged. "Prime will not allow even the smallest Cybertronian to be harmed and left behind. No one is left behind. We will get them and if it means a fight, then we fight. Until all are one."
The group nodded. "Until all are one," Meecee said. "Well, I'll let the flight deck know we're go if you agree."
"I do," Ratchet said as he turned to Partition. "Come with me, infant. We're going to bridge back."
"We are? Why not go with these guys?" he said as he turned to follow Ratchet to the elevators.
"Because I have to make sure that its in hand at the other end. Command. It's lonely at the top time," he said with a slight grin. They entered, walked down to the ship bridge room and in seconds walked into the bridge room at the Autobot City Medical Center.
Partition had to nearly jog to keep up as Ratchet took the stairs, then walked through the great lobby which was swarming with teams ready to help. He paused long enough to check the plan, then walked to the door and outside into the night air of Autobot City. He clipped along the sidewalk, passing Club Cybertron which was going strong and a number of other businesses shuttered for the night before turning at the corner to go to the airfield. It was already busy with ships returning, Seekers flying in with their group formations and medics, immigration and refugee officials, and the ubiquitous good civilians who always helped newcomers. Poised in the viewing building nearby, a crowd of humans watched in the safety of the building. Ratchet waved to them and they waved back. Partition glanced their way, then continued onward keeping up with Ratchet until he paused at the front of the set up.
"You did good, Partition. What do you think about this? I'm really interested," Ratchet said.
Partition stared at him, then the ships landing in front of them, including in the distance where the Prison was, the great form of Xantium. He was silent a moment, then he turned to stare at Ratchet. "You did this on purpose, right? You wanted me to see something here."
"Let's assume that's true. What did you see?" Ratchet asked.
"Fraggers hurting our people," Partition said. "It was interesting being in the group, going out with the ships and doing things. That part I liked."
"It's sort of amazing to belong to something bigger than yourself," Ratchet said. He watched as fighters landed, then rolled off to the flight line to be ready for emergencies along with the battleships and cruisers that were already there.
Partition stared at them, then nodded. "It is. If this happens again, count me in. Are we going to make them pay?"
Ratchet glanced at him. "Make no mistake. We'll get our people back. You've never been in combat have you?"
He stared at Ratchet with an appraising expression. "No."
"Then maybe you need to be. Maybe it'll mean something to have to see what it costs to be a divided society."
It was quiet a moment, then Partition turned to Ratchet. "Who do I have to see to become a security guy. I think I like this stuff."
Ratchet grinned slightly. "You can ask Springer but I don't think he takes hot heads, entitlement cases, crybabies, whiners, danger junkies, or slaggers."
Partition nodded. "Well, I guess its good then that I'm not any of them."
Ratchet burst into laughter. "I guess its not. What about your genitors? They might not like you mingling with the low classes and maybe getting your servos dirty."
He grinned faintly, ever so faintly. "Don't worry about them. I'll handle that."
Ratchet grinned, then walked forward as Phobos sat down on its gear. The noise and dust was huge as Partition followed him. "I hope so, kid. I also hope you film the conversation for me," he said more to himself than Partition who couldn't hear him over the noise.
-0-Later that night
"You can't be serious," Lucien said.
"I'm dead serious," Partition said. "It was exhilarating. I think I want something more exciting than a desk job."
"But we don't do that sort of thing, son," Laslo said with a shocked expression. "That's not what our caste is designed to do."
"You don't think I can do it?" Partition said, stepping into his own trap without prompting. "I can do this. It's adventure. It's filled with excitement. I like how I feel." He paused a moment. "I think I helped some people."
"What do you mean?" Lucien asked.
"The wounded. Old and young, some of them babies. I helped them. I, Partition, helped them. I'm going to do something in this line. Don't misunderstand me. I'm still going to be a diplomat. Ratchet needs all the help he can get. But this … its a whole other world, Atar. I want to do it. I'm going to see Springer at the dojo tomorrow and get in the program thing." He grinned. "You won't believe what I'm going to be doing."
They stared at him as he walked to his berth room. Laslo turned to Lucien with a shocked expression. "Lucien, he could get killed. What do we do?"
"I'll … I'll talk to Ratchet tomorrow. He's doing this to spite us," Lucien said with a cold expression. "That fragger," he said softly.
-0-On the flight deck of a shuttle shutting systems down as he gathered information before heading out to manage the influx
"Ada sent me a message," Drift said with a grin.
"He did? What did he say?" Springer said as he subbed a datapad. They walked to the hatch, then down with the others.
"He says Partition wants to be a security officer. He said he told him to find you at the dojo tomorrow. He's not sure if he's sincere or just a danger junkie. He said you'd be able to sort it out," Drift said with a grin. "That's you. Mr. Insight."
Springer laughed, then shook his helm. "Remind me to punch Mom in the face next time I see him."
"Done deal," Drift said as he, Springer and the grinning mechs with them disappeared into the crowds to help.
-0-TBC 8-8-17 edited 8-9-17
Remember, if I don't post go to the reviews section of the part we're in and I will tell you what's happening. Even when I can't post in the story section I can there. HUGS! :D
BWAHAHAHA! Lackwit pointed out that before I changed it that "Ratchet's spark soured." BWAHAHAHAHA! I have to cut my fingernails. The keyboard feels different when they're so long I either over or under reach. BWAHAHA! You're my new hero, Lackwit. :D:D:D