The Diego Diaries: Jump (dd6 457)
-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars
"Tell us whatever you can. The more you tell us, the better odds both of you have regarding returning home," Hardie said as he sat back to listen to the big familiar and not so familiar mech sitting across the table from him.
That Prime was big like Optimus with more details carved and etched into his armor than was usual among most mechs here. He had the same intelligent and appraising gaze as their own and he was the same quiet impressive presence. He was less detailed, more squarely color blocked, yet intensely similar. It was disconcerting.
"I am Optimus Prime of Cybertron. I live in Iacon. I am a god," he said as matter-of-fact as he said the first two things.
"Excuse me," Hardie interrupted. "You're a god?"
Prime nodded. "I am," he said simply.
It was silent and a bit incredulous in the room as they stared at him, then Hardie nodded. "Please continue."
Prime considered him as Wheeljack turned from the computer he was downloading his scans into for analysis. He glanced back to Hard Drive. "I am leader of a vast empire and my people follow me without hesitation or reservation. No one bothers us and we bother no one."
"You're given that level of buy in by your people," Hardie said.
Prime considered that. "Yes," he said with a nod.
A ping indicated to Wheeljack so he turned to the screen and read. Turning back toward Hardie, he messaged the results to him off line. Hardie considered it, then sat forward. "This isn't your first time here is it."
Prime stared at Hard Drive as he considered his position, then shrugged. "No. It is not."
"You were the alien force that attacked our computers and downloaded our mainframe data on personnel and other rather irrelevant features. I would've expected that you would've taken other things," Hardie said.
Prime considered that. "We were thrown into this … dimension. My fleet and I were lost and had to figure out why things did not actually fit nor work here. We were as surprised then as you are now to find out our points of convergence."
"Which are what? About 97%?" Wheeljack asked.
Prime shrugged. "I do not have that information at the moment, but I am sure it is high."
"You came here … did you just come or was there a warning that something was going to change before you jumped?" Wheeljack asked.
"We just appeared. We were one place, our place, then here. Before, it was the fleet I commanded; two times it happened, then now it was me. I am assuming that Prowl transported as well and is around somewhere," that Prime replied calmly.
"Is there any word?" Hardie asked.
"I'll find out," Raptor said as he rose. "I don't think we should limit it to here. He could be on Cybertron or wherever."
"Springer to Hard Drive."
Hardie glanced at the speaker nearby. "Hard Drive here."
"We're told that the last time Prowl was seen was at the HQ in Kaon. He's on his way here by shuttle. I can intercept at the airfield. What do you want and need?"
"Bring him here. I want him in one piece. Pick him up like you were waiting for him," Hardie said. He glanced at Prime. "If you warn him, he'll be shot dead on the spot. I would suggest you don't."
Prime nodded as he sat enigmatically, his optics studying everyone and everything around himself. They were studying him just as hard in return.
-0-At the airfield
A shuttle from Kaon made its way to the landing field, settling, then dropping its ramp. Nearby waiting for it, Springer, Kup, Hercy, and Drift watched. There was no movement a moment, then Prowl stepped out. It appeared to be Prowl. The paint scheme was close but slightly different. Where Prowl was crisp and clean, this Prowl, though similar, had extra tats and other markings. He stood at the top of the ramp for a moment, then walked down slowly. He appeared to be staring with wonderment at the setting around him. Springer then walked toward him followed by the group.
Prowl saw four familiar mechs walk toward him and froze at the bottom of the ramp. He was uncertain what to do but staying alive to find Optimus was primary on his processor. They came up to him with grins. Springer, this Springer slapped him on the shoulder. "Prowl. We never thought you'd get back. How was Kaon? Did you do the things you were asked to do?"
Prowl stared at Springer and the others who were grinning. "I … Kaon is functional. As for the other things … I am working on it."
"Good. Prime asked us to get you. He has some things for you to do that only you can. Come on," Springer said as he turned to go.
Prowl stared at him, then the others. He had no idea what was going to be needed but he was boxed in. Slowly, he began to follow Springer who kept up a monologue of things he, Prowl was going to have to do once they reached The Fortress, things apparently only he could manage, tasks filled with personal codes he alone possessed. It was going to be a huge problem when he got there or so he thought with dread as they walked toward The Fortress and Prime.
Someone's Prime.
-0-Iacon
They walked into his office and shut the door as Prowl sat before a computer to dig down deep. Half of the writing he couldn't decipher easily. For now, he needed to know what this place was and how it ran. If they had to play a charade, they needed information. As he worked, Prime walked around the office looking at pictures in frames and image cubes. Most of them were his genitors, his grand genitors and others who he didn't know. It was amazing and eerie to look at the images of his genitors without the burdens of life etched into their beautiful faces, his grandgenitors of whom he never had enough images and the strangers who were also there. Included among them were an odd number of pictures of Sentinel Prime. His family images he downloaded into files for future reference. Sentinel, he didn't. He glanced at Prowl who was staring at data. "What do you know, Prowl?"
"Not a lot," Prowl said. "I'm setting a portion of my translation programs onto this. For now, it would appear that you're not only a Prime, you're a Pantheonic Prime. You were one of the Thirteen that stayed here when the Pantheon stepped out of this dimensional plane. You've been the only Prime here from the moment Prima and the others left. The empire is monstrously huge and has many allied empires and species. They all appear to respect this Prime enormously."
"In this dimensional plane then, it would appear that the path for us is slightly different. I am who I am in my own, he is this level of being here. What does it mean for the conflict?" Prime asked.
Prowl dug, then looked at Prime. "There are no Decepticons here. There was no war. Cybertron has never been damaged. There is no caste system. It was a different path they took, all of them."
"What about Megatron?" Prime asked.
Prowl dug some more, then glanced at Prime. "He isn't in the databases that I've searched. I can't find someone who matches him nor has influence both good or bad in the data through a cursory search."
Prime nodded. He mused on the idea of it. "Then what is the dark side here, if any? What is their substitute for his absence? What is the blind spot in this paradise?"
-0-Ops Center, Autobot City
Hard Drive sat in the smaller conference room nearby waiting for Prowl to come. Springer, Hercy, Kup, and Drift were escorting him over and when the party arrived, they would do so in a room without the stranger named Prime being there. He was under heavy arms in the big conference room. The door opened as Hardie's family who were standing here and there in the room were ready to pounce and even fire if Prowl stepped out of line.
Drift, Springer and Kup entered followed by a tense and pensive Prowl. Behind him came Hercy. The door closed as everyone stared at each other. "Where is Prime?" that Prowl asked.
"Sit, Prowl. I have some questions," Hardie said.
Prowl stared at him, then complied. "I was told Prime wanted me to come."
"He would but he isn't here. You would know that though, right?" Hardie asked.
"I wouldn't know. I just got here from Kaon," Prowl replied with a tense expression. His body began to coil slightly making him terribly dangerous if he was even slightly as skilled as their own. Hardie glanced at Springer and gave a slight nod.
Springer unsubbed his gun, then placed it against Prowl's helm. "Empty your gun lockers, Prowl. If you make a move, I will shoot your helm off. Understand me?"
"Why is this happening?" Prowl asked as he sat quietly in his chair.
"Because you didn't give the secret handshake, Prowler," Springer said with a tense tone. "Empty slowly. Remember, some of us shoot really fast."
Prowl began to slowly empty his subspace and other places with weapons. There was a good sized stack on the table when he was done. "What now?"
"We go next door and figure this out," Hardie said as he stood. "Our Prowl is very good at hand-to-hand. In fact, there's no one better. You make one slagging move and we shoot at your helm. Everyone in the room has those orders. Understand?"
Prowl nodded coldly, then stood. Moving carefully, he followed Drift and Springer to the room next door, startling at the sight of Prime sitting in a chair in cuffs. "Why did you do that? He's beyond such things."
"He's an enemy in our territory. Until we get our Prowl and Prime back you're both in custody. There will be no negotiations about it," Hardie said. "I doubt that you'd be different if this were the other way around."
Prowl sat, then stared at Hard Drive. "You don't speak for me, savage. I saw Kaon. It's in shambles. The whole planet is."
"It would appear that your dimensional vision of things is different than ours," Hardie said as Turbine nodded.
"Dimensions are like pages in a book. For this one, there is an infinite number of dimensions in which we all exist but in differing degrees. You got lucky in yours. You would do well to show respect in this one," Turbine said.
"You have no idea who you're talking to," Prowl said coldly. "It would be in your best interests to help this Prime return home. And in the meantime, treat him with all the respect due a god."
Ratchet who was watching silently glanced at Ironhide. "What the frag happened in their dimension?"
-0-Over there
Prowl stared at the data, then Prime. "There are a number of anomalies. We're not a bond. There are no children here. Your genitors and grandgenitors exist and live with you, taking care of you. How they're your family given your status as a Pantheonic Prime, I have no idea. You are, however, the Thirteenth Prime. They call you Optimus Prime or Optimal One as a sign of respect. Everyone knows and believes you're Thirteen but they call you Optimus as your regnal name. You live here with your family and have no equals. Even the Senate and Councils bow down to you."
"What about you, Prowl?" Prime asked.
Prowl did a short search, blanched at the data, then glanced at Prime. "I'm in a bond with Jazz. No kids. We don't have kids here."
Prime shook his helm. "We need to get home."
A rap on the door caught them as Jazz stepped in. He nodded respectfully at Prime, then grinned at Prowl. "Can I see you a moment?" he asked.
-0-TBC 8-31-18 edited 9-7-18
ESL
regnal: kingly or lordly. A regnal name could be Charles I.
Blanched: It usually means to shock cook food usually vegetables. It can also mean shock … "He blanched at the sight of blood." It usually means shock or strong emotional reaction and is never a happy or good one.