The Diego Diaries: Copycat (dd8 547)
=0=On the deck of Tennyson
It was silent as the big mechs glared their fury at Crader. He looked like a mouse among a herd of elephants, so small was he splayed on the board. Then he grinned. "You must have me confused with someone who cares."
"I would," Hard Drive said as he considered the maniac before them. He had no fear, no concern, nothing seemed to bother him. "Ratchet, please scan this mech and tell us about him in detail."
Ratchet rose, pulled three meters from subspace, then took a bit of time to scan him down to the molecular level. He coordinated the data, then turned to Prime, Prowl and Optimus. He gave them tight grin. "Fine as frog's hair." He turned more toward them so that Crader couldn't see his face as he made a show of putting the meters away in subspace. :Not by a long shot:
Prime glanced at Ratchet schooling his face to calm he suddenly didn't feel. "Take that mech to the holding cell by the elevator," he said to Springer.
Springer picked up the runt, handed him to Roadie who picked up the stand, then the two walked to a security room near the elevator at the back of the deck.
Ratchet watched them go then waited as they walked back. It was quiet a moment as he considered the data again, holding a data pad with the information downloaded on it.
"What do you mean, Ratchet?" Prime asked as everyone did a double take between Prime and Ratchet.
"I found the mutation in his new form. In fact, its getting down the road faster than the others in their original format. I don't know if its the size difference or not but this slagger is about 27% back to his weird configuration," Ratchet replied grimly.
"But you said monitors are attached to let us know if this is doing it again," Prowl said.
Ratchet nodded. "Guess what got transmuted first?" he asked. He looked at Gee-Gee, Winnie and Roadie. "I think you better get to Metro Femme and see what those slaggers we have in stasis are like and the others in the prison? They aren't at least in stasis. We may have a really, really big problem here."
Prime stood with a shocked expression, then looked at the big mechs. "I will need you with me. General Hard Drive, you have the mission here." Prime began to run to the door followed by them, Ratchet, Springer, Gee-Gee, Winnie, Roadie and Springer with his posse. They were gone in seconds.
"Oh frag," Prowl said as he stared at the elevator. Then he glanced at the scientists including his amma. "We need to know what this is yesterday. If they come back it might be worse than we guess it is already."
Stealth nodded. "We will work this out, Prowl. Do not borrow trouble," he said as he and the scientists walked back to the rooms they were using nearby with greater purpose.
Prowl sat slowly, then sat back. "I have to go to Mars, General. I will return when we know what's happening. I'm unable to concentrate here." He rose, then ran for the elevator to disappear.
Hard Drive stared at the elevator, then glanced around at the tense and worried appearing mechs and femmes on deck. "Shall we return to our positions? All will be well," he said.
A small femme who was a tech, a little Home Guardsman from other missions glanced around, then walked slowly to Hardie. "General?" she whispered with a small voice.
Hardie leaned closer to her. "What, Granddaughter?"
"My amma and appa live in Praxus Tower and its next door to Metro Femme. Will they be okay?" she asked with fearfulness.
Hardie nodded. "Optimus Prime will ensure it. I have full faith in him and our people. You may stay on the deck until all is well back home."
She glanced around, then leaned in again, taking his servo into hers. "Thank you, Appa," she whispered. "I love my grand genitors."
Hardie squeezed her servo. "Because you're a good granddaughter, femme. All will be well."
=0=Bridging out into the plaza before Metroplex Elder, Youngling and Femme Hospital, The City, Mars
The square was empty and secured by a lot of mechs who carried very heavy duty guns. The streets were blocked off and several intervention teams from the Maximum Security Prison, Marines and Wreckers were there loaded with firepower. Heading them as leader, Ultra Magnus watched as Optimus and his group ran out of the bridge in the middle of Metroplex Highway 1 to run up the steps toward him.
"Ultra Magnus, what is the word?" Prime asked as they walked toward the door. Most of the group followed to be dropped off along the path to all the doors, to stand and keep anything from running away that shouldn't.
"We just arrived. We haven't been down there yet. The Prison is being managed by Assistant Warden Coleus until Warden Gee-Gee and Commander Winnie get there," Magnus said as they entered.
Rushing to the big elevators as Ratchet directed them along, the soldiers began to take up positions in the empty and quiet building all along the way. All of the floors were secured so that no one could go up. Once they were in the lower deck, number three, they would shut down the elevators and close the fire and environmental doors on the stairwells.
Down they went grimly, then the elevator doors opened.
Prime peered out with gun in servo as he began to walk toward the Morgue where the 14 more advanced individuals were kept in stasis in their slowly, or supposedly slowly mutating weird protoforms. When Prime reached the doorway to peer down to the Morgue, he startled. The door to that room was burst out like an explosion had happened inside.
He hurried toward it with his gun facing the door followed by Ratchet and the others. Metroplex, Acroplex and Rolling Thunder followed with theirs drawn. Prime flipped the light switch, then froze. There were 10 mechs in stasis but moving even in that state. Five others weren't there. :Five are missing. Ratchet, these are moving:
Ratchet squeezed past, then began to discontinue support to the ten lying on morgue trays. They continued to move anyway. Ratchet glanced at him. "Get the others. Hammer? Is he here? I called for Radical Wind, too. Go. We'll dismantle them, arms and legs if necessary."
Prime hesitated, then turned to go. Most of the mechs followed but for Typhoon and Retriades. They came closer with Hammer. "What can we do, Ratchet?" Ty asked.
"Hold them in place, boys. I have to dismantle some of this. They can't walk without arms and legs."
At that moment Radical Wind entered along with a half dozen orthopedic doctors from the staff. They looked petrified at the sight and began to edge back.
Ratchet glanced at them. "GET OVER HERE NOW! WE HAVE TO REMOVE THEIR LIMBS! THEY CAN'T CHASE US WITHOUT THEM!" He glanced at the mech who looked halfway to sentience on the tray before him. "I hope."
The doctors jolted, then hurried forward. The rush to control 10 maniacs whose story every everyone at the hospital had heard about was on.
=0=Down the hallway heading toward the back entrance of the hospital which opened onto the rest of of the plaza that encircled it
They hurried along checking out every room and corridor. An alert had been sent to the Central Emergency Services Control Center at nearby Fortress Maximus. An alert was sent out along with Watch and Army troops as sirens outside were telling everyone in the local area to lock up inside, get off the streets and go to the shelters. When they reached the back doors the entire plaza and local buildings which were usually crowded with pedestrians were empty as far as the optics could see.
Prime ran out and down the steps to the middle of the plaza, pausing to look in all directions. The sirens continued as they spread out to begin a hunt.
:Inferno to Prime:
"Prime here."
Everyone paused to look at Prime with concern and the thinnest veneer of fear. Another fragger was attacking in the heart of their safety and these clowns were zombie maniacs.
:They went into the Shrine and the City Hall: Inferno said. :Two in the shrine and one or two in the City Hall. I think one of them is there outside, maybe watching you but they didn't go in:
"Two are in the Shrine, two in the City Hall and one maybe nearby watching us from there," Prime said to the others.
"Frag," Magnus said. :Inferno, what's the sit-rep at City Hall?:
:Working on it, Magnus. Stand by: Inferno said as he and Red Alert worked frantically on the problem.
=0=Latest Breaking News: Emergency Alert in Autobot City
Lim-Lee looked grim as she glanced up from a data pad to the cameras. "We just received a message from the Central Emergency Services Command Center at Fortress Maximus. At least five dangerous patients at Metroplex Femme have apparently escaped from the hospital and are on the run in the downtown of The City. The sirens are going off to alert everyone there to go to the shelters wherever you are. Major intervention teams are there blocking off the area and setting up to intervene against the fugitives.
"Everyone is commanded under rules of martial law with the penalty of imminent arrest to stay away from the downtown and to go to ground. No one is asked to assist unless called by the Master of the Muster or Watch Command. The intention is to pen them up, then take them into custody. They are very dangerous individuals and therefore you must not make this difficult by presenting yourself as a target. There are shelters under every building in this colony and Autobot City is directed to lock down if you are home or go to the nearest shelter if you are downtown.
"The forces presenting against the prisoners are formidable and include over half a dozen titan frames. I repeat, go to ground in the shelters or lock down in your homes if you are in Autobot City right now. A set of fugitives escaped from high security cells at Metro Femme and are on the loose at the moment. For anyone worrying about family there, the area is inundated with Army, Marine, Special Operations, Watch and Air Force security forces. Stay out of the area to allow them to be protected and a successful arrest to happen.
"I repeat ..."
=0=Prime
He got the information from Inferno, confirmation that his forces were in place, then he walked toward the City Hall to cross the platform toward the side of the building. It was his guess that none of them were armed at the moment so getting them quickly was of the essence. Nearly every mech in the colony was armed and shaking someone's subspace would cure that deficiency right away.
Jogging footfalls drew his attention. He glanced back to see Prowl hurrying toward him with Hercy, Kup and Springer behind him. His stingers were perched on his shoulders and his big gun, the one he used when he wanted to 'ensure victory' was in his servo. He paused beside Prime. "What's the word?"
"One on the side here. You and Springer take him down. I do not believe that he has a gun yet," Prime said. "I am going in to get the other two." He glanced at the Shrine nearby. "Two are in there."
Prowl's expression was molten. "Not for long."
Prime jogged toward the door of the City Hall with Magnus and others. Then they slipped inside the building.
Prowl stared at him, then moved swiftly to the corner of the building. As he peered around it, he saw the slagger running like the wind down Metroplex Highway 2 toward the residential neighborhoods and the Mare Tranquillitatis District further down the way. He and the others booked it, too, chasing after the slagger on foot to disappear into the maze of towers and businesses that direction as Drift led another team toward the Shrine of Solus Prime.
=0=TBC 10-16-2022
