The Diego Diaries: Where In The World is Ironhide? (dd6 387)
-0-Here
Smokey stood in the middle of the dance floor surrounded by others who were gyrating to the latest fashions of Cybertronian dance clubbing. His arms were spread wide, he was shivering like he was being electrocuted and he had a blissful expression on his face. All around him dancers were giving it their all. The music was loud, the booze flowed, good company could be seen in all directions, and even the Messiah of Their People was having a great time with his little buddy. Prime was slamming them back at the table with Prowl, Venture, Miler, Proteus, Bumblebee, and a hilariously drunk First Aid. Around them at tables were the rest of the Squad, their bonds and a number of The Crew that always showed up when things got interesting around Ironhide, Ratchet, Prowl, and Prime.
Like now.
The only thing not noticed was Ironhide was missing.
-0-There
They saw the train flash by with Ironhide who was at the window with his servos and nose assembly pressed against it. He was smiling like a very drunk drunkard as he whipped past. Springer and Drift watched him go, then looked down at Ratchet. "Oh, frag," both said together as they hauled Ratchet up. They dragged him to the bench nearby, sat him heavily and with a servo on each of his shoulders held him in place as they consulted the metro map on the wall above him.
"Let me see … which train was that?" Drift asked Springer.
"I thought it was the Circle Line but it didn't stop this time. Since when does the Circle Line not stop?" Springer asked.
"Maybe he changed trains up the trail," Drift said …
Moments before …
He had swayed on the train holding a strap as it whipped to the next station. Doors on both sides of the train opened allowing those to disembark for the stairway to the street or to step onto the median platform in between the exit side platform and the back walls, one that was reached by overhead bridge and stairwells downward to allow several trains to fill with passengers going this way and that at each stop. Ironhide glanced around, noted he was alone, then stepped out.
Onto the middle platform.
The Circle Line train closed its doors and sped off, heading in a giant circular journey through the colony, hitting only half of the main stations. Pulling up as it left, another train, the Blue Line came up, opened its doors and he staggered into it. They slid shut behind him and he was off. Ironhide was now on the larger circular route, the train that delivered individuals to every city in the colony including the Industrial Park Cities. It would go to Aerie Hill, then everywhere else before returning to Autobot City again. It would only open to the street side platform at each stop and thus, Ironhide who in his stupor was facing the far side of the car that opened onto the middle platform was now a prisoner on the Metro Line …
The two studied the map, guessing which train it was that came through. They were all automated, running on a continuous loop and managed by the Public Transportation Administration who ran a skeleton crew during the graveyard shifts. Buses, cabs, trains, the various commercial space vessel companies, and personal aircraft were managed through them and they were relentless about time tables and dependability. Now, they had a drunk romping through their hinterlands and it would take a bit of coordination to find him.
"Springer to Public Transportation," he said as he stared at the map. Ratchet was leaning against him humming to himself, blotto to the world but not at the point where his fail safe would kick in. Springer looked down, grinned, then the call was connected.
"Public Transport here. Identify please." A femme's voice could be heard.
"This is Springer of Polyhex, Chief of Security for Mars, Cybertron and the Empire, number 45-7HB-251. I have a need for you to find someone on a train, an impaired individual."
"Understood. What train and who?" she replied.
Springer glanced at Drift. "Do we want our dirty laundry known around the colony or what?"
Drift shrugged as Ratchet wrapped his arms around his waist. He grinned. "Nope."
"Who is this please?" Springer asked.
"Ginny, supervisor of the graveyard shift, Springer."
"Ginny, this is a private fiasco. We lost a member of our party on a train but we're not sure which it is. Can you scan with the security cam system for him and let us know where and which one it is?" he asked. "It's Ironhide, Chief of the Armed Forces."
"Stand by, Springer. We'll do that."
They stood by.
-0-There
Ironhide didn't stand by, that is. He had sagged to the floor and on a wide turn by the train rolled under a bench to wedge tightly against the wall. He would then announce by his actions a slight defect in the system because even as the cameras sought his sweet, sweet aft, it was concealed by the bench he was under.
He didn't mind. He was snoozing like a baby.
-0-At the wingding
Hardie laughed loudly at a joke Hercy told about his son, Raptor. Raptor who was as good natured as he was decent laughed himself. Glancing around, Hardie frowned slightly. "Where's little mech?" he asked. Everyone looked around. Ironhide was nowhere to be seen.
-0-Sitting on a bench in Metro Station #1
Ratchet leaned over and sprawled on the bench. He talked to himself a moment, laughing and pawing at the air, then fell into recharge. Drift who straightened him out grinned at Springer. Springer smirked, then shook his helm. "This gets better every orn."
Drift nodded, then Ginny was back. "Springer, no one of that description shows up on camera. He might have gotten off."
"Thanks, Ginny. Springer out," he said as he stared down at Ratchet sawing logs and Drift waiting patiently for the go ahead plan. "We've misplaced dear old dad. We may have to track him by his transponder ourselves. Springer to Emergency Control Center."
"Emergency Control, Springer. What's up?" a youngish voice asked.
Springer grinned. "Hot Rod, find out where Ironhide's transponder is. Tell me."
"Hold a moment."
They did.
He was back. "It's moving. It appears to be in Gambian heading southwest."
"Frag. Thanks." Springer looked at Ratchet, then Drift. "Leave Ma here and lets go find Pa. Hurry. The train is coming."
They tucked Ratchet's limbs in, then ran for the train as it slowed. Hopping on board, they sped off chasing Ironhide, a task that would never have a good conclusion given the circumstances. They would always be a good one or two stations behind him at best.
-0-Confab at the Club
Hardie and Raptor turned over the safety detail to Hercy and Kup, then headed for the door. Stepping out into the darkness, Hardie called Emergency Control. "General Hard Drive to Emergency Control Center."
"Emergency Control Center. Ginny here."
"Hot Rod, I need to know where the transponder of my grandson is flashing."
"Who am I looking for, General?" Hot Rod asked.
"Ironhide of Praxus."
"Ironhide? Springer is looking for him. He had me scan for him. I did and he's heading southwest toward the Tri-Cities. That's the best I can do, General."
"Springer is after him?" Hardie asked as they walked toward Metro #1.
"Yes, sir," Roddy replied. "He's apparently on the move and Springer is looking for him."
"Thank you, son," Hardie said as the two reached the steps. Down they went hurrying for a train. As they rushed toward the opening doors, they didn't notice that Ratchet was sleeping in a stupor on a bench nearby. They jumped in, then glanced out. "What the frag? Is that Ratchet?" Hardie asked as the train took off swiftly.
-0-At the Clerb
The dancing, drinking, gabbing, eating, hoo-haw, laughter, and lies continued as the evening wore onward. The Squad was dancing madly including some of the stuffier slaggers. Lucien was actually having a great time and Laslo? He was ecstatic. Everyone was having a great time and no one noticed that Ironhide, Ratchet, Springer, Drift, Hardie, and Raptor were missing in action.
-0-At the moving fiasco
Ironhide was traipsing through dream land and the wilderness of camping with his appas and ammas on an organic world when he was a tot. He had a great time until he fell into the mud hole and became stuck. It would take a while for them to winch his tiny butt out and longer to get the mud off but he would have a great time directing the big mechs to where all the dirt was hiding in his aft. They would have a greater time listening to him and following his directions …
-0-At a hub station
Ratchet slept like a targ who got hit by a bus, hanging half off the bench in the muted light of the station. It was late and things were dialed down just slightly, making it less harsh lighting for the odd ball who would need to travel on the trains this late at night. Lights on the tracks were extreme in their clarity but here in the station itself, things were less bright, almost mood lit. He turned over on his side, then fell to the floor. Raising his helm groggily, he staggered up.
A train slid into the station without passengers so he headed for it barely making it aboard before the doors closed, then it sped onward. It was a school vehicle, a Bus bus, and would take him on a round of academia for the lulz. He stood swaying in the car, then fell on his aft. Falling back with his arms and legs flung wide, he fell into a stupor of sleep. The rocking of the car would help him stay that way.
-0-Posse
Springer and Drift followed the link that Hot Rod had sent him showing Ironhide's progress via transponder signal on his rampage. He was strangely enough following the Blue Line, a circular route that took in a bigger range of places than the Yellow or Circle Line. They stood at the window of the door watching the darkness broken by lights, then darkness again. "This is strange. We're not catching him. He … wait. He took a turn. He's heading for the Industrial Park Cities," Springer said.
"Frag. We don't have horses. He could get into a crash. He's pretty drunk," Drift said with a chuckle.
"He is," Springer said. "Let's get off at Gambian and drive after his aft."
Drift nodded, then when they slid into the station, they ran off the train, up the steps, transformed, and headed out to the Industrial Park Cities. They both disappeared into the night.
-0-On the trail
Hardie and Raptor rode on the train heading toward Gambian. Ginny had linked them in so they decided that given he had taken a turn for the Park Cities, they would jump off, transform and chase his sorry big/little aft down. They reached Gambian, ran upward and transformed. Blasting off, a black TopKick pickup truck and a sleek black sports car headed out to the west. They disappeared into the night.
-0-Blotto
Ratchet curled into a ball on his side dreaming the dreams of the damned. The rocking of the train was soothing so he curled up again. As he did, he rolled against the door. When the train slid into Tyger Pax, the door opened and he rolled out landing on the platform which was mercifully empty. The door closed and the train rolled onward into the dark tunnel of the subway system. Ratchet lay in sleep until the next train came which would wake him as it drove past. He would sit up, stand up, sway madly, then march onward to find Ironhide.
He would make it up the stairs, down the street until he stumbled into an alley where he would fall down among the trash bins where he would stay until he was found sometime down the line. It would be like old home week.
-0-At the Clerb
"Where's Ratchet?"
"Where's Ironhide?"
"I don't see Springer or Drift either."
"Where's Hardie and Raptor?"
The Squad and its Auxiliary stared at each other, then their half empty glasses, then each other. Then they grinned and went back to dancing madly, swilling beer and eating bar food.
-0-At the station
Turbine and Delphi who were still on their peds entered Metro Station #1 and looked around. Hardie had called them to come and look for Ratchet but they didn't find him anywhere. "Turbine to Raptor."
"Raptor here."
"Ratchet isn't in the station. We can't find him, Raptor," Turbine said as they stood in the middle of the station alone.
"Oh frag." -Hardie and Raptor
-0-TBC 6-17-18 edited 6-18-18