The Diego Diaries: Forward (dd6 94)
(NOTE: New laptop. Got delivered to a neighbor who is honest and good. Right now, its smaller than my big one so the keys feel weird. Will try and keep bloopers to a minimum.) :D:D:D
-0-At the Autobot Military Airfield at the crack of dawn
The humans congregated in the viewing box, removing their helmets which they had to hand over to their group leaders for safekeeping. Coffee, breakfast rolls and sandwiches were a welcome sight to a group that had hustled. The lights and activity outside was riveting. A monitor nearby, huge, with a roving scene, showed everyone there what was going on farther out, especially along the flight line.
Massive ships, some of them familiar like Phobos, Salton Sea and the Wrecker shuttles could be seen either being loaded or rolling along to assume their place in the lineup for leaving. The monitor showed that which they couldn't see. Supremes were transformed and lined up side by side. More battleships, cruisers and big ships carrying fighters were joining them. It was thick on the ground and seemed to stretch for miles into the night broken only by brilliant pools of light from poles placed at intervals all along both sides of the flight line and the staging areas all around the huge and well lighted hangar area.
They were too numerous to count, the trucks both sentient and not, that hauled supplies, racks of bombs, boxes and boxes of bullets, medical supplies, heaping mounds of different colored energon, guns, and rockets to ships all over the place.
It was too numerous to count, the number of soldiers with their gear and the Seekers slotted to leave with the group. They stood together, some of them laughing, others talking seriously. Now and again, a family was with their soldiers, babies and children in arms as they came to see them off. Seekers especially began to gather in numbers, not all of them scheduled to leave. Among them were those bearing silver staffs with all manner of jeweled and carved decoration.
"Who are they, Major?" Owen Harris asked.
Will glanced at him. "Those are the elders and clan leaders. That big mech in the middle is the Great Elder himself, Rainmaker with his five sons and two bonds. The Council of Elders for the Seekerkin are here to go, some of them, and the rest to hoorah off the flight. The Armada will get sent off Seeker-style by everyone gathering."
It was silent a moment, then Owen asked again. "They're going with Cybertronian forces. Have they done that before?"
"No," Lennox replied. "This is the first time in nine million years that the Autobots are going out to battle with everyone included. There will be a lot of former Decepticons going with them."
It was quiet in the room as they watched a long train of cars being pulled by a truck thread through the crowd. It was heavily laden with rockets, some of them huge. They were heading for ships that could put one of them up the aft end of a flea at ten light years. It was sobering to see the ordinance go past.
Soldiers kept coming including the twins who had paused a moment to speak to friends. They skated slowly past, glanced at the box, nodded, then moved onward. They were beautiful and fearless appearing. It was an amazing thing to see them in the flesh, as it were.
"Television does none of this justice," Cynthia said quietly. "This is so … it feels noble."
Lennox nodded. "I know. I have a request in to go with them. I hope they let us. I want to see this group in space. I've been out on missions with them, all of us here," he said nodding to Graham, Epps and the others who stood by watching the show. "They were bad, some of them. We saw them destroy the Decepticon Justice Division. But this feels different."
"Worse," Epps said as he glanced at the two.
Lennox nodded. "Someone has 120,000 of their civilians … babies, elders, all of them, and Prime has to get them back alive. I wouldn't be him for anything."
It would be quiet for a while.
-0-Heading toward the show
Ironhide walked out with his grandfather and great grandfathers. His Amma Turbine wouldn't be here. He had to rescue Primal relics. The others were revved to go and it was like old times. They walked into a light pool by the box, then paused as the humans called to them over the comm devices.
Four gigantic mechs, nearly completely black, bearing big armaments and armor that looked impenetrable walked to the box, then Ironhide knelt. "Humans," he said with a nod.
:Ironhide: Lennox said over the channel. :Do we get to come along?:
"Prowl is the one you have to con, not me. I don't care if ya do. Might learn a thing or two," he said with a grin. He looked at the other humans, then focused on Owen Harris. "How about you? Do you want to come, too?" he asked.
Harris stared at the hard expression built into the big mech, his unflinchingly direct blue optics and the weapons that seemed to be built into his body. :No thank you, Ironhide. I think I would leave this to the experts:
"You should go see Ratchet," Ironhide said as he stood. "You could almost be a diplomat with that statement." He looked at the soldiers. "See ya on the other side."
:What are the prospects there will be shooting?: Jessie Landon asked worriedly.
"Good to probable," Ironhide said.
"Too bad for them," Raptor said with a grin. "Fortunately, we get to shoot back."
:COME BACK! ALL OF YOU!: Jessie said as the humans inside nodded.
The bots nodded back. "We plan on it. See ya when we get back," Ironhide said, then he turned to walk onward. Raptor followed him while Hard Drive lingered. He finally nodded, then walked onward.
"That was Ironhide and the other mechs are his family, right?" Kyle Davis asked no one in particular. He was too riveted watching them disappear into the crowd.
"Yes," Judy said with a hint of pride. "That's Raptor, Ironhide's grandfather and Hard Drive, his great grandfather. All of them but Ironhide are generals of the army and famed soldiers. I feel sorry for the bad guys."
A murmur of agreement followed that remark as another big mech who looked like them walked past heading in the same direction. "There goes Blackjack, Ironhide's father," Barbara Morshower said. "I love their family. What an interesting family he has."
"His family is military and in the entertainment field as well, right?" someone asked.
Judy nodded. "His family was from the highest caste in The System. Even Primes had to bend their knee. His ada, Alor of Iacon is the most famous musician in their history and about the only thing that Megatron and Prime can probably agree upon as being a magnificent person and talent." She turned to the newbies. "Alor's genitors … his parents are as famous and artistic. The Performing Arts Center is getting signed off by the city and when it is, the culture around here is going through the roof. Trooper and Scout are going to be the hub of everything that's artistic when that opens."
"What about Ratchet's family?" another person asked.
"Ravel and Tie Down are the genitors of Ratchet and maybe just about the most famous tool-and-die makers in the history of their world," Judy Fulton said.
Some of the humans grinned slightly. "Tool-and-die?" Mariah asked with surprise and amusement.
The frost level of the room climbed into the stratosphere as the locals glanced around at the newbies. "Did you see the traveling exhibit on Earth? The art show from here?"
Most of them nodded.
"The swords and daggers, the tools that they loaned to it were made by them. No one makes better ones, nor ones more coveted. I've seen battle hardened mechs get weak kneed when they got a tool kit or a knife or a sword from them. They are the most famous and most sought after makers of their specialties ever. I personally have a tool kit for my rifle from them. Transparent steel. Think about it," Epps said.
It was silent a moment, then Kyle exhaled softly. "Transparent steel?"
"Aluminum. Cybertanium. There's more but that's classified," Epps said. "Some of the things they do only they can. You need to see them work and look at what they create. You'd be hella amazed."
It was then that Prowl and Prime were seen threading through the carefully choreographed dance of readiness. They paused with the Master of the Muster, checked a lot of stuff, then Prime turned to Prowl. They communicated but off line, then Prime leaned in to kiss him. They did, then Prime continued forward without him toward the farthest row of ships out on the flight line.
It was silent in the box as the humans old and new absorbed the sight. Some of the newbies glanced at each other but no one said a word. Prowl then turned to walk to the box. He arrived, then knelt down, his impeccable elegance and disconcertingly handsome face coming closer to those inside. "Good morning," he said in his cultured tenor.
:Good morning, Prowl: Jessie said as the others nodded. :What's the word on going out with the fleet?:
"The word is go," Prowl said. "The travel cage is on Salton Sea where the command center is. Choose up and go on out. They're waiting for you." He rose, nodded, then walked onward into the crowds.
Lennox glanced around. "What about it, General? You up for combat?"
"Hush," Barbara Morshower said. "You aren't but you're going anyway. Tell me I'm wrong."
"You aren't," Glenn said as he hugged his wife. "John?"
Fulton nodded, then hugged his. Epps, Lennox, Graham, Morshower, Fulton, Andrew and Lilly Settles because they were there and Fig Figueroa were tapped to go. Owen Harris who watched stepped closer to Will, drawn by the moment. "Major, would it be out of line and out of the realm of possibility if I come along too?"
Everyone turned to stare at Harris including his incredulous former wife and business partner. "You can't be serious, Owen?" Mariah asked with almost a sputter.
He glanced at her. "I am."
Will considered that, then walked to one side to put on his helmet and talk to Prowl. It went on a moment, then Lennox turned to Harris. Pulling off his helmet, he considered Owen a moment. "Prowl okays it. He also okays that we can shoot you on sight if you fuck up. If you can agree to that, then you're cleared. Otherwise? Stay and learn the colony."
Owen smirked slightly. "I would like to come along."
"We go until they send us back by bridge. All that you see and hear is classified. Since all of us have gone before and we don't break that order, anything that pops up and gets out for any reason that pertains to the mission will be from you and get you arrested. Make sure you understand that. Classified means classified and if you break that order, then espionage charges will be filed. We don't have special status here. You would have to go through Cybertronian courts and if found guilty, pay a Cybertronian penalty. No one will be able to save you. Do you clearly and reasonably understand that?"
Harris nodded. "I do."
"Very well. Suit up," Lennox said. The group going hugged, kissed and geared up. Then they walked to the door to take a N.E.S.T. truck to the Salton Sea some distance away. Jessie would go with them and drive it back. They walked down the stairs, climbed in and disappeared, weaving carefully through the crowd.
The humans inside watched them go, then Mariah glanced at Kyle. "This is insane."
Judy Witwicky turned to her. "No, this is Wednesday on Mars. Toughen up or go home."
The locals nodded, then turned to the window. The activity was changing. Mechs were getting on ships, empty carts and cars with trailers were leaving the field and the roar of the Seekers was rising. As the newbies watched with open mouthed astonishment, Seekers in numbers began to howl, then leap into the air. They transformed immediately, then shot upward with fire and smoke trailing.
It seemed like thousands left that way as those remaining behind roared and ululated their pride and hopes for great victories. When the last one rose upward, the Great Elder, his sons and three of the Council of Elders howled together shaking their staffs at the sky. Then they transformed with Starscream and Thundercracker, roaring upward to follow.
It was a spine tingling sight for everyone, locals and newbies alike.
-0-TBC 8-16-17 edited 8-22-17
I will be responding to notes when I get this thing set up. I hate having a new computer for the set up. I love having a new computer for the lack of killer viruses. Malicious hackers are bad, bad, bad. HUGS!