The Diego Diaries: Revival (dd6 487)
-0-In the emergency room
Ratchet lay with his pain receptors dialed down as First Aid repaired his wounds. He had a shot in the arm and one in the leg. Jetta and Drift were in other theaters nearby getting attention themselves. It took a moment or two, then Ratchet was helped to sit up. Ironhide who was hovering glanced at First Aid. "What now?"
"He's in overnight," First Aid said. "The hits punctured his core protoform and I want to make sure that the antibiotics take hold before he goes home."
"Frag," Ratchet said with a grin. "You get to wrangle the herd without me."
"Oh joy," Ironhide said with a grin. "Can you walk, Old Mech, or do I carry you?"
"You think you can?" Ratchet asked with a grin as he stood up stiffly.
"Nope," Ironhide said as everyone laughed loudly.
Between First Aid and Ironhide, Ratchet hobbled to the elevator and went upward to a ward with four berths. Already there grinning from his spot, Jetta watched as Ratchet was placed in one across from him. "Somehow I feel better with dear old ma here."
Huge laughter greeted that remark as Drift was wheeled in with a hovering Springer. He was gently hoisted into bed, then settled. After a moment of fuss, two mechs stared across the room at the big smiling mech who was the ring leader of their familial goat rodeo. "Well, isn't this special?" Ratchet asked to general snickering.
"Are you going to be alright? We have to go check on the slaggers," Prowl said as he stood beside Prime in a crowd of other mechs and family standing inside and outside of the door.
"How about a beer?" Ratchet asked with a dazzling smile.
HUGE laughter and a lot of 'frag no, you're sicks' greeted that remark. Slowly, they eased out with the promise of coming back. That left Elita and Springer. They stared at their respective bonds, then Ratchet. "Are you going to stay in bed until we get back here?" Elita asked.
"NO!YES!NO!HELL NO!" -all three
"There's nothing like compliance to give a grieving bond confidence," Elita said as she smirked at Springer.
He nodded, then grinned at Drift. "Stay here, slagger. We'll be back."
"BRING A HACK SAW!" Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.
The two left feeling mildly better, then the three left stared at each other. Drift grinned slightly. "Why am I suddenly afraid?" he asked.
Jetta grinned. "Experience?"
"Slaggers," Ratchet said with a snicker. "Tell you what … let's play a game ..."
-0-Down in the autopsy room
They stared at the data that the big frame scanner gave them after they'd slid Crader through it. It was strange and insufficient but before they could discuss it to any degree the sounds of something rebooting was heard nearby. All of them turned to look including a number of civilian kids and adults who were there from Sciences to assist Perceptor and Wheeljack. They stared at Crader who had begun to twitch, then each other.
"Oh, frag ..." Wheeljack said as he reached for the emergency button on the wall behind him.
-0-Heading toward Autopsy on three elevators …
A siren sound blared out as a mechanical voice gave the warning. "CODE RED! THERE IS AN EMERGENCY IN AUTOPSY! REPEAT! THERE IS A CODE RED EMERGENCY IN AUTOPSY! PLEASE EVACUATE! THE FLOOR IS GOING ON LOCK DOWN! REPEATING! THERE IS A CODE RED EMERGENCY ON SUBFLOOR SEVEN, THE AUTOPSY DEPARTMENT ..."
When they arrived at sub floor seven where the autopsy department, the morgue and all heavy duty long term security containments were held including a small and highly loathed spark chamber room, the stampede to leave nearly knocked them all down. The civilians running like the wind nearly climbed over the top of the soldiers trying to get out while the soldiers clawed their way out of the elevator into the corridor trying to get in. When they were all out, the elevators closed to disappear upward.
Staring at each other in amazement, everyone turned as one and ran down the corridor to the department where Crader and the Science team were, now probably alone. As they did, the intervention team from Processor Health and the one from Femme stormed out of the elevators heading for the conflict. It was luck that they were having a nosh together in the cafe when this happened. When they were hoofing it down the hallway, Ratchet hobbled out and slowly made his way to the scene as well. It was only through threat of deactivation that he was alone …
"WHAT THE FRAG!?" Ratchet said as he sat up slowly and stood.
"We're coming, too," Drift said as he sat up, grimaced loudly then fell back.
"You two stay here or I'm going to christen my big wrench on your helms," Ratchet said. "I have special codes for every kind of mechanism that exists with our CNA or I can find them. They need me." He hobbled out holding onto things with one good arm as he did and disappeared slowly out the door.
Jetta watched him, then glanced at Drift. "You okay, brother?"
"Nope," Drift said with frustration. "FRAG!"
"I hear you," Jetta said with a sigh.
-0-Down there at ground zero
Wheeljack shoved the civilians around him and Perceptor. "RUN!"
They runned.
Then they climbed over the cavalry in the corridor and booked it into the elevators. They would only feel shame and embarrassment later. But only a smidge. The religious ones among them wouldn't be able to meet Prime's gaze until they told their religious family members who would smite them hip and thigh with pillows. Then they would be marched with their indignant family members to the Ops Center to ask forgiveness of the First Disciple of Primus for running up his face in their zeal to get the frag out of Dodge.
Like that.
Wheeljack and Perceptor unsubbed their guns and girded themselves to fight theoretically a phase seven mechanism.
One that could reboot even when shut off.
One that didn't feel pain, especially theirs and one who was a slagger from The Pit.
Crader of Crader Transport was never anyone to write home about on his best orn. He hadn't grown better with age, the criminal cartel fragger and all around bribe taking Decepticon collaborationist.
That one.
Sitting up on the med berth, pulling plugs out of his person, the optics of the mech flashed on. Glancing around, Crader grinned at the pair. "You two. Slaggers! Prepare to be dismantled."
"RUN PERCY!" Wheeljack said as he opened fire on Crader. "RESOLVE NEEDS ONE OF US!"
"NO! *YOU RUN*, WHEELJACK! I'M THE WRECKER!" Perceptor then began to unload on Crader with a ferocity and fearlessness that would have STUNNED anyone who knew him only as a mild mannered elegant high caste scientific nerd of the first water.
It was then the the posse arrived and the real destruction began.
-0-Hobbling along the wall behind everyone ...
Ratchet gripped the wall as he made his way with a leg and arm on one side that refused to do his bidding. His shot arm hung from the processes ongoing with his medical attachments and internal repair systems. It swung like a pendulum, limp and heavy. His leg jerked with each step, echoing its intense desire to fold like an accordion. But he persevered, Our Ratchet. Reaching the corner where the door was, he watched as several mechs flew out and landed on their helms. Noting the situation with his sensors, he put in a call for someone who might, and the operative word was might, do the job. Leaning against the wall, he waited.
Unsteadily.
-0-Inside
Things were being broken here and there as Percy and Wheeljack held him back with a steady barrage of fire. The fire didn't dent him but it slowed him down as he jerked and staggered with its point blank impacts. They were working their way toward the door to escape when Prime and Company burst in. Holding fire, they watched as Crader disappeared under a pile of mechs. Down they went into a too small space to flail in close quarters.
"HOLD HIM DOWN!" Prime yelled as he held the big mech around his legs. Even for Prime, the violent thrashing of the mech was nearly overpowering.
The elevator down the hallway opened and Jolt ran out as static electricity snapped on his frame from his excitement. He stared at the door, then Ratchet. "What's up? I had to take priority bridges from Camp Recluse?"
"What were you doing there? I thought you were permanently posted to Diego?" Ratchet asked as he struggled to stand straighter.
"I traded with someone who needed off. YOU'RE SHOT!" Jolt said with astonishment.
"Keep up, infant. Come with me," Ratchet said as he stumbled along. He reached the door, then hit the all call for the group inside. :I have Jolt here. When I tell you, let him go and give Jolt room. I'm going to have him hit this fragger with everything he has. Compliance?:
They all pinged as they struggled to get back. Jolt was one of the few among them that could actually kill a mech with his specialized mechanism no matter how big the fragger was. Nearly all of them had been zapped, most accidentally by the youngster just from the static that collected on him, static that he loved to play with, the juvenile delinquent. They shoved back with Prime protecting their retreat. Crader jumped up, then grinned. "YOU! I'm going to part you out, fragger, then I'm going to take over. You can't stop me."
Jolt stepped in, then stopped in front of Prime. He grinned. "We'll see, fucker," he said, betraying his association with the human garrison at Diego. Then he held up his servos and a jolt of electricity as big around as a big man's waistline flew out of both. It hit Crader and knocked him off his feet. Walking toward him, Jolt kept it up.
Crader felt it, then blitzed out, screaming with pain as every molecule in his body took the full brunt of hundreds of thousands of volts of electricity. Bad as that was, it continued without breaking intensity. He convulsed, twitching and jerking like a puppet. It seemed like it took forever before he began to flail in a manner that indicated he wasn't sentient any longer. Cutting off the barrage, Jolt stepped closer as Ratchet lurched in to scan Crader who fell into a heap on the floor. "Ground him infant."
Jolt did.
"OLD MECH! WHAT THE FRAG!?" Ironhide said with surprise.
"NOT NOW, IRONHIDE!" Ratchet said as he scanned with everything he had. "The fragger is out. Get the cybertanium binders and put them on him on the berth. This fragger might have it in him to reboot again. What if he also has the power to adapt against electrocution?"
Everyone stared at him grim faced, then moved their behinds. The clanking of steel binders could be heard as two mechs dragged them in from storage nearby. Everyone else began to clean up the mess including Wheeljack and Perceptor. The binders were wound around the big mech and he was heaved onto the med berth. Mechs with guns stood around the room waiting for the next step in the process.
Ratchet was sat down on a chair as he talked with Wheeljack and Perceptor. The others were still gone though the code red was halted. The silence was almost paralyzing. Ratchet glanced at Prime. "What we're looking at here, given the data … we're looking at removing spark chambers to make these slaggers inert."
It was funereally quiet in the room. "Do you think that is the right course, Ratchet?" Prime asked.
"Until we figure out what their limits are, we have to separate the thinking component from the unbeatable fist that holds it," Ratchet said grimly. "I don't see any other safe way until we figure this fully out."
Everyone stared at him with varying degrees of distaste and loathing, then Prime nodded. "I defer to your greater wisdom on this subject, though I am sorry it came to this."
"You and me both," Wheeljack said as Perceptor nodded in agreement.
"What do you do to make this happen? They have at least phase six level armor," Prowl said.
"We need every ununtrium tipped drill, cutter and welding device in the colony. You need to call Mack and ask him to bring it in," Ratchet said. "I can get it open and the chambers out. Maybe. I just need something enormously sharp and strong. Pray that it works. The next step is snuffing their sparks."
Prime looked like he was slapped, then he nodded. Prowl was already on it. Prime helped Ratchet up, then led him to the med berth where he scanned Crader. He glanced at Prime. "There's already activity in his processor that doesn't belong there if he's off line like anyone else would be, Optimus."
The temperature dropped as Wheeljack brought over a gleaming saw, a spreader, some drills and scissors and other implements of destruction. Most of those in the room stepped out into the hallway. Ratchet glanced at them. "Keep everyone here. If they're squeamish, let them go outside but they need to stay. We don't know what we're dealing with, Optimus."
He nodded, then took a seat nearby with Prowl and Ironhide. They chatted together as they tried to avoid seeing what was coming.
Ratchet stared at the mech, then tapped his carry hold. Nothing happened. "How about that core processor meter over there, Percy?" he asked pointing to a device that was small and black with lots of lights. He handed it to Ratchet who put it on Crader's cranium. Starting it, he watched the screen and when the lights all were lit in a row, he tapped a panel nearby and data began to flow. He read it, then glanced at Optimus. "This slagger is rebooting. I don't see anything slowing him down that was caused by the electrocution." Glancing at Wheeljack and Percy, he picked up a big spreader. "I'm going to get the panel off the front if I have to mine it." With that, he slid the ununtrium tipped bits on the device into the seam where plates came together. Turning it on, the device mercifully silent, he began to wedge the plates apart.
:This makes me nauseous. What if he can't pry them out? What do we do? Shoot them into the sun?: Prowl asked anxiously.
Prime sat like a statue. Then he glanced at Prowl. :Have a hyper speed drone shuttle made ready, Prowl. If there is nothing that can be done to defuse this, we have to take whatever measures we have. We can not have 10 Black Shadows here capable of getting free. What about the others?:
:Springer, what about the others you picked up at the Port?: Prowl asked.
:We got fifteen but they don't seem to be of the same type, Prowl. I just called the detention center and they're still here. Maybe we can bring one over to talk about this. Your call: Springer said as he stood in the hallway.
:Springer said they seem different. Should he bring someone over to talk?: Prowl asked Prime.
"Yes," Prime said.
:Do it, Springer. Try and find someone who has authority to speak about this. Hurry. They appear to be reviving: Prowl said.
:Frag. On it: Springer said as he and the mechs with him who were Watch stepped out to leave.
Inside, Ratchet was making a bit of headway. The panel began to bend, then it popped. So did his spreader blades. It flew past and embedded in the wall nearby. "Whoa," Ratchet said, then he looked at the situation. "This is going to take time. We're in a world of hurt, Prime. I don't know. How long was it between when they were brought in knocked out and when they rebooted?"
Perceptor checked. "Less than two joors."
"Frag," Ratchet said. Then he took cutters and began to hack a larger opening for the spark chamber to be removed. After laboriously cutting, he began to unscrew and pull out pins of the toughest protoform known. When that was accomplished, he lifted the chamber out.
Wheeljack took it, then slid it into a portable containment chamber with room for three more. Keying it, he nodded to Ratchet. Crader was slid off and another slammed on. Mechs from the Welder's Guild arrived with heavy duty cutting tools tipped with ununtrium. They would begin to work on three others at the same time. It would be laborious but they would finish enough for Ratchet to retrieve the spark chambers in less than half a joor. Five down, five to go.
-0-At the Detention Center, Port of Mars …
They stood before the cells as Springer gauged those inside. "Which one of you is the oldest?"
No response.
"Which one of you speaks for the others?"
No response.
Springer glanced at Hercy and Kup. "Well, we tried. I guess we'll just have to do with them what Ratchet suggested. It wasn't like we didn't ask them to help us save those ten slaggers." Springer turned to go, then a big mech with an amazing paint scheme and body design stood. "What are you talking about?"
"Your party, the ten who aren't here. We need to talk about them and get some information because the only other solution to the problem and danger they pose is to shoot them directly into the sun," Springer said. "We have the drone shuttle being made ready now."
They stared at each other, then the mech stepped closer as the others rose with concern. "You're Autobots. You wouldn't."
"Keep up, slagger. Given a choice between letting fake phase six type mechanisms live and keeping our people safe, not a problem which one gets priority," Hercy said with a bored expression. He looked at Kup. "What is it with these outlaw slaggers that think we're soft and would let them live if they posed a threat this big to our people? What empty headed slaggers."
Kup nodded. "They think a war hasn't happened, one they started, and that we're still easygoing. I'm not easygoing. Are you?" he asked Hercy.
"Nope," Hercy said. "What about you, infant?" he asked Springer.
"Well … given that they SHOT MY BOND who's IN THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF THEM … I wouldn't count on it." Springer stared at them with loathing and fury.
The big mech glanced at the others, then Springer. "I'll go."
With that, the gate dropped and he was trussed like a pig. They walked out grim and furious to go back to Metro Femme. Meanwhile, back there …
"OH FRAG! THEY'RE COMING ONLINE!" Wheeljack said as the four lying like cord wood in the corner began to twitch.
Prime stood, gripping his servos into fists. He looked at Prowl. "You will leave here and not participate. I have spoken, Prowl," he said with intensity.
Prowl stared at him, then nodded. With that, he stepped out and walked halfway down the hallway to stand with guns in hand and stingers ready on his shoulders. No one would get past him without big holes showing up on their afts. Three other mechs stood with him, then three more closer on both sides of the door. It would be a terrible gauntlet that they would have to run if they fled.
-0-TBC 10-4-18 edited 10-23-18