The Diego Diaries: Copycat (dd8 545)

Well, guess who lost their laptop cord and has to use my desktop also known as the slowest machine in the world. Here we go. :D

=0=On the deck over Cybertron

The science team gathered were working in the conference rooms nearby and different labs on the ship which Tennyson configured out of space nearby. The fleet both already at Cybertron and with them in the group spread out with interlocked sensors to scan for the slaggers who could be anywhere.

"I am unclear what level of sophistication that they field both in their ships and their technology to jump from dimension to dimension. Its also highly likely that they can slip through this dimension into the next, then back again. It would be surprising to me that they could reach say the dimension, Prime, where you are a god." Metroplex glanced at Hammer of Primus. "What is the likelihood that they stole this ability from one of us rather than made it themselves?" he asked one of the more scientific among their frame.

Hammer who had been studying a datapad with all the information they had thus far glanced at Metroplex from his seat at Environmental Controls. "I would be highly surprised if they did. The tachyons that were noted here were of a different type than those trace elements that were left behind by ships or individuals who can jump over great distances dimensionally like us. It would be a more logical and easy reach for them to jump up one then back again."

"They won't go down then," Smokey asked as he listened to some of the most remarkable individuals discuss this conundrum.

"The second dimension isn't conducive to our presence. Consider going from here down one step to the line drawings you make when you doodle," Metroplex said as he explained that chaotic and oddly infernal dimension to the 'kid'. Everyone liked Smokey except perhaps for the most rule bound ones among them. Everyone also liked Devcon and Smokescreen. They'd helped their frame more than once in the past.

"How would that work? That's just lines without anything inside," Smokey said as Dev grinned at him from nearby at Tactical.

"It wouldn't," Hammer said. He stared at the data. "They're not as clever as they think they are. Having the capacity to jump one dimension won't save them in the end."

"How far can you jump? You and your frame?" Smokey asked the dignified mech with the amber visor.

Hammer glanced at him, then shrugged. "As far as we need and want. Once you get past the fifth dimension vibrationally, you can go just about anywhere if you work at it."

"Are you fifth?" Smokey asked.

The mechs stared at him, this impossibly young individual, then glanced at each other.

:What do you think?: Hammer asked Metroplex, then glanced over his shoulder at Typhoon who was listening with a smirk on his handsome face. Everyone liked Smokescreen the Younger, the Elder and Devcon.

Ty glanced at Metroplex, had a short discussion, then glanced at the kid and everyone else listening. "We are approaching the 12th dimension."

They stared at each other, two sides of remarkable individuals who were similar and not.

"The 12th dimension?" Smokey asked with his usual surprise and exuberance. "What's that?"

"I thought you were taking physics. I know Lord Optimus has. Perhaps you both can enlighten us and share your educational attainment," Ty asked as he sat back with a smug grin.

"FRAG THAT!" Smokey said, then he stilled. "Uh, General, sir."

Hammer glanced at Prime who held up his servos. "I do not remember a thing."

"I hear ya," Smokey said as he vented an aggravated sigh.

Ty chuckled. "Consider this. Once you pass the seventh dimension you have the option of keeping a material body or becoming what all of us are everywhere when we aren't living in the material world, a light body version of ourselves."

It was silent a moment.

"The twelfth dimension is made up of music," Metroplex said. "You can go there with your body or not and all that is there is color and music. Its very beautiful."

"You can be in different dimensions at the same time then," Prowl asked curiously. His physics was not only learned but sorted, filed and retrievable down to the lecture notes.

"The elders among us can but most of us can be in at least two at the same time," Metroplex said. "It is part of our configuration, the design and inter-connectedness of our sparks with The One and Primus who are multi-dimensional singularities."

"Then that is why you can go from and stay in Soft Space," Ratchet said. He was sending the file as it was recorded to Perceptor.

"We call it that," Ty said. "We believe its beyond the twelfth dimension because some of us have been there and the feel is different. Its like lodging inside the spark of The One."

"Wow," Smokey said with a sense of awe. "That's really weird."

Snickers rounded the space before he was sent to get snacks and drinks. He flounced off with Jolt who was with him to comply, these two sad sacks from Diego who were doing their half time duty with the Watch and thus, this mission.

Dev grinned at Ratchet. "He has a point."

"I hate paradoxes," Ratchet said with a giant smile. "You won't get an argument out of me."

=0=Gee-Gee at the Prison a tad earlier

The sound of thrashing and yelling reached Gee-Gee and Winnie before they reached the prison block which housed Crader separate from the rest of his party of 24. He was screaming and yelling, throwing himself at the bars which had burned stripes on his tiny little mini-con chassis. He saw them, then hurried to the corner of the pen to glare at the two with real hatred.

"What are you doing, Crader? I'm going to have to kennel you for this behavior," Gee-Gee said as she stepped closer to peer at the tiny mech with the titanic rage burning up before her.

"I want Prime. Bring him here NOW!" Crader said as he punched the bars with a fist. It bounced off swiftly, sizzling as it did. He bellowed in pain, then came as close as he dared. "Prime. NOW!"

"Why, you little fragger?" Winnie asked as she calculated how hard it would be the extract him from the cell.

Not hard.

"I WANT TO SEE MY SON!" Crader bellowed.

"He's in another section because you two together can't obey the rules," Gee-Gee said.

"NO! MY OTHER SON! I WANT TO SEE DISTON!" Crader railed.

Gee-Gee and Winnie glanced at each other. "Oh, frag," both said at the same time.

=0=On the Tennyson

Prowl took the call, then glanced at Prime. "The Warden just called me. Apparently Crader wants to see his son."

"He's in the prison with Crader. Why call us?" Raptor asked as he sipped tea at the command table.

"Not that son," Prowl said as he glanced at Optimus. "Diston."

Prime stared at Prowl a moment. "How would he know that Diston is here?"

Prowl sat back grimly. "That's a good, good question."

=0=On a dimensional plane, gathered together to watch an event with a terrible knot of outcomes possible

"Well, isn't this just great," Micronus said with a chuckle. "This poses a veritable Gordian Knot of a problem."

"That mech is very unhappy," Quintus said. "I find this all very perplexing. There's a lot of subtexts here and many, many possibilities for outcomes."

Prima who was frowning deeply stared at the mech bellowing in his pen from Their safe distance put them out of detection. Even if They'd been there only orns before, it felt maddening to Him that another paradox was beginning to blow up in everyone's face again. "This is maddening. I do not like it when these children play around with dangerous toys. Crader and his family needed recall."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not," Vector said distractedly. "This is very complicated."

"Figure it out, Brother. I want this nipped in the bud before it gets worse," Prima said as He sat down on a rock to watch and brood.

As usual.

=0=Prison

Roadbuster walked down the road heading for the cell block where Crader was blowing smoke rings of bitter conversation out his debris valve. It was amusing to Roadie to hear it as he got closer. Nearby watching with amusement, hatred or irritation, all of the prisoners around him hoped the nasty little slagger would be dragged off, buried up to his neck and pelted with rocks. All of them were ready to volunteer to pitch.

"What do ya need, Boss?" Roadie asked as he paused by the cell to stare at two femmes that ruled his world. Both of them were stand up femmes.

"I need him removed and trussed up like a turnip," Gee-Gee said with a grin. She loved Roadie to pieces.

"What's a turnip?" Roadie asked as he took the controls into servo.

"Him when you get done doing five point restraints." Gee-Gee grinned at him as he walked toward the gates. "You're a good son, Roadie."

Roadie grinned, let himself in, subbed the control, unsubbed a board to carry the slagger on, then began to chase him. Round and round they went until Roadie stopped, pulled a tazer and dropped Crader. Tossing the back board on the ground, he fastened Crader onto it, then picked it up like a clipboard to walk out again.

Gee-Gee and Winnie smiled at him.

"Never change, Roadie," Gee-Gee said.

He grinned at her, something he did to only a few. "Whatever you want, Boss."

With that, they began to walk out of the prison area which gave them sustained applause now that Crader was leaving the vicinity. Maybe a mech could have their recharge now.

=0=On the Tennyson over Iacon

Gee-Gee and Winnie walked in followed by Roadie who carried what looked like a surf board with a furious mini-con strapped to it. They reached the mob at the table, then Roadie dropped a black metal item of some kind on the floor. He held the board up, then slotted it into the device. It was a brace that would allow Crader to face Prime like some kind of demented interactive bulletin board.

He wasn't happy at all.

Prime listened to him wind down, then the two stared at each other, one with hate and the other with curiosity. "I am here."

"Is that so, Prime," Crader said with a malicious smile.

"Want me to check his opticals? Or do you suppose he's just that dim, Optimus?" Ratchet asked as he leaned back in his chair.

Crader glared at the lot of them. "You won't be laughing when my son gets through with you," the mech hissed.

=0=TBC 10-14-2022

ESL

Gordian Knot: A kingdom named Phrygia needed a king and was told the first person they saw driving a cart would be the king. His name was Gordius. He was a peasant, was declared king and in gratitude to Zeus tied his cart to a post with a very intricate knot. It was said that no one could undo it.

Enter Alexander the Great of Macedon. He considered the problem, then cut it with his sword. The reward was whoever did would rule Asia. Surmise it to say, he did. Its used as a metaphor to describe a problem that is almost or completely impossible to solve.

Also, Gordius was a good king.

For paradox here, I am using it to name the inter-dimensional stuff that can make sense or not.