The Diego Diaries: Copycat (dd8 556)
Oops. I goofed in my notes. Heretech wears a copy of the Matrix on his head because he's a religious fanatic. Someone else wears the Deceptibrand. I do believe its one of the Decepticon Justice Division. LOL! Lordy, this is so complex. :D:D:D I'll fix the references where they are.
=0=In the Domain of Megatronus Prime
They flew alongside the titan ships heading for the nebula, a good dozen battle shuttles with a singular sigil, that of the Autobots. Those who bore the dual one, Decepticon and Autobot joined in peace stared at their 'enemies' with silent appraising gazes. It was quiet for the most part, then Blue Bacchus shifted. "Well, this is awkward."
Springer who was sitting in the engineer's seat smirked. "You have no idea."
"Well, I hope everyone knows that we aren't 'them'," Black Shadow replied.
"No. You'd snuff Blue for any reason including boredom over here," Drift replied. "I sort of thought of that relationship as a spider mentoring a fly."
They stared at him, then glanced at each other.
Blue Bacchus grinned slightly. "I take it that I'm the spider then?"
Snickers rounded the space. Things relaxed slightly.
"Tell us about you two. Were you soldiers or what? What's the story on Megatron," Springer asked. "Its interesting the differences."
"I can imagine," Black Shadow said. He thought a moment. "We were civilians dealing with a hereditary Prime. He was a killer and a sparkless marauder though his atar who was Prime before him wasn't like that. When things got bad enough there were revolts which he ruthlessly put down. War broke out but it happened mostly off world. We didn't have the destruction that I hear you had. We worked at jobs, owned businesses and did our best. Then we didn't. Snap, if you get the meaning."
Springer nodded as did some of the others. "We do. Autobots on our side were the civilians. The 'Cons were the military for the most part, that and the criminal element. Our Primes are chosen by the Matrix Itself through the Choosing Ceremony. It chose Optimus. We had war on world that nearly destroyed everything, then we had to go and retrieve the Allspark to save ourselves. It drew everyone away and probably saved Cybertron altogether."
"We don't have an Allspark. The Matrix we have. Not that. Is it some kind of relic?" Blue Bacchus asked.
Springer nodded. "Its related to The One. You have that, right?"
Black Shadow grinned, then nodded. "Yes."
Springer grinned back. "Its the biggest prestige point that Prime has. Even the Matrix isn't as important or as conferring of status as the Allspark." He sat back more relaxed. "Its been a shit show for us. We lost a good billion of our people to war, a billion or more are scattered and we have to rebuild everything. We have about half a billion rescued living on Mars."
Black Shadow nodded. "That's a terrible story to hear. I'm sorry for your losses. I'm glad to hear that you're coming back. You taking our problem children was a huge assist. We still have to track slaggers down but the worst, those who can make a counter offense are gone. That's golden to us."
Springer nodded. "I've met my alter ego and apparently I'm bonded to Ironhide."
Blue Bacchus nodded. "As tightly as a cold weld."
Springer snickered. "Here, he's my atar."
Laughter rounded the ship.
"Well, like I said … awkward," Blue said with a snicker. "Tell us about your Earth."
"We landed there and caught them with Megatron in their custody. They had no idea. We had a lot of trouble before scattering him to the wind. Do you have his namesake in your Pantheon?" Springer asked. "He's called Megatronus Prime but he's known to us as The Fallen because he's a first class fragger and traitor so we canceled His name."
They both stared at him, then glanced at each other.
"Our Megatron is the most honorable mech I ever met," Black Shadow said as Blue Bacchus nodded. "He's the soul of our existence now. As for Megatronus Prime, that one … no. We don't have him. "We have Prima, Solomus, Logos, Autonomous, Alchemist, 13, Amalgamous, Adaptus, Micronus, Solus and the Liege Maximo."
"You have Liege, too?" Drift asked with surprise.
Blue nodded. "We do. He's highly esteemed among our people."
"The Liege?" a mech said down the row of seats. "He wants to snuff all of out. Even His own species doesn't meet His dainty muster."
They stared at him a moment, then shrugged. "Not where we come from."
"You don't have Megatronus then?" Drift asked.
Both shook their helms.
"What about Quintus? Vector, Onyx, Nexus? There's also Mortilus and Alpha Trion. Is that all?" Drift asked Springer who nodded.
"I think so." He glanced at Black Shadow. "Do you have the Guiding Hand path?"
They stared at him. "What's that?"
"Oh frag. You're out of business," Springer said as he glanced at Drift who was looking slightly disconcerted. "What about the Monastery of Upper Tetrahex?"
Blue Bacchus shrugged. "Never heard of it."
"Too bad," Springer said. "Cyclonus is Abbot of the place."
They stared at him, then grinned.
"That's a joke. Right?" Black Shadow replied.
It would be an entertaining flight toward the nebula.
=0=On the Tennyson flight deck
The mechs pulled the carry boxes with the humans out of the wall slot, then headed toward the elevator some distance away. Waving as they passed the mechs working together with the big mech from the other side of the divide, Heretech of all individuals, the Autobots waved back. Soon the humans would go through a bridge to Mars and Tennyson could pass through the dimensional divide to head toward the nebula as well.
=0=The Hourly News: The News at 2200 Joors, TMC
"And that is the status on the City Planning Commission regarding the new developments being added in the secondary defensive ring southwest of the Crater District's Zone 4. Right now, we're going to take a break to check The Community Bulletin Board for school lunch menus, the schedule of the semi-finals of the Intramural Rugby League of the Autobot City Unified School District as well as other pertinent details of life here in the colony and Cybertron.
"When we come back we will discuss the various amusements that will happen on First Monday regarding our children's holiday, Halloween, then have the latest on sports, weather and the armada that left earlier to attend to a sensor sweep near the Bootes Migration Pathway. We'll be right back," Lim-Lee said as the camera cut away to the Bulletin Board.
She glanced at the producer who was going over the latest information from the Office of Strategic Communications. "What do you suppose is going on, Mercury?" she asked as she took the datapad to peruse it.
"Probably something life threatening that will be disposed of by Prime," he said with a grin. He was an older mech, had a huge family and was a long time Autobot soldier serving in the Reserves now. He was a friend and passionate believer in Optimus Prime. "They'll let us in on it when its right. Don't worry, Limmy."
She grinned at him. "If you say so. Its odd to be a reporter. You get to know stuff sooner and I don't know if its a good thing."
Mercury grinned. "Well, you're on in three."
She was.
=0=Out there
Heretech sat on a chair at the command desk with his own Prowl as he watched that mech and the other, Prowler as he was to be called discuss the possibilities. It was like watching someone talk to himself in front of a mirror. He, himself was a curious mech with a good balance of personality and interests as befitting someone who had a lot of money and loved art.
He headed the biggest philanthropic foundation in the Empire with his bond, Stephonia of Praxus. They were religious, cared deeply for the forward movement of their people, ALL of their people and were implacable foes of their Optimus Prime for a long time. They were members of the Revolutionary Council and had lived on the run with their two small sons for a long time.
Now they were part of Megatron's command team, his bond and him. Stephonia was head of all educational efforts in the Empire. Everyone would be back on track if her indefatigable energy was as fulsome now as it always was. Running with children against murder was a draining experience and all of the Empire was still getting on their peds.
"Then we agree?" Prowler asked.
Both mechs nodded.
Prowler aka Prowl of Martian fame sat back staring at the two. "Its odd to see you here, Heretech. You were leader of the Reversionists, a fanatical religious sect. You worshiped the titans and made a lot of trouble. Frankly, you were a slagger over here, the leader of the Warrior Elites themselves. Its deeply oddly disturbing to me at some level to see you here this way." He grinned. "You wear a copy of the Matrix of Leadership on your head."
Heretech considered that. "I am religious and have deeply held views of our world, the Pantheon and the relics but that's … just weird."
Prowler chuckled. "This whole thing is. You lead the mechs who Rotor belonged to and was. I'm sure that's about as strange as it gets."
Heretech nodded. "I would agree."
"We're ready to leave," Hard Drive said as he walked to the table where they sat.
Prowler glanced at Prime who was staring at a datapad. "We're ready to go, Lord Optimus."
Prime glanced at him, then nodded. "Then take us out."
It would take a while for Tennyson to move through the divide, its flashes of electricity when piercing the opening a sight to see across the hull of the ship. As they left, Rainstorm slid into Tennyson's place. At no time would the opening between dimensions ever be sealed until there was a way to do it safely. Given the power that would take, it was likely that a metrotitan or dreadnought would always be on duty here.
=0=On Kup's ship
He stared at Kup and the others. "Tell me about your Tarn."
Everyone glanced at each other, then Kup leaned slightly forward. "We have him in the hurt locker. He and his band of lunatics came to strike some names off The List and ran into Optimus Prime. Everyone underestimates Prime. They learn to their great sorrow that's a zero sum game."
Tarn nodded. "Why did he come?"
"He ran a group of fanatics, some of the worst mechs ever. They kept a list of traitors to the 'Cons and hunted them. They were phase sixers, too. Tarn was the leader. He liked books, good music and better booze. He had a vocal processor that could pitch itself to your spark and if he hit that frequency would blow it to bits. He liked to sing."
Tarn stared at them, then shook his helm. "I like music well enough but I can't sing."
Sideswipe laughed. "That's about the best news I've heard all orn."
Huge laughter including from Tarn greeted that remark.
=0=In an apartment in The City
"Well, another Halloween without the boys," Corr said as he fretted with the dishes in the big apartment. They were taking care of the kids there, alternating between hands on care during off hours and school with day care when they were at work.
"Its sad but I have big hopes for Thanksgiving and Christmas Surprise," Chan said as he cleared the counter and put things away.
"What's the contest for Thanksgiving? I believe I forgot," Appa Ratchet said as he cleaned up toys from the living room. The kids were in bed and he was bussing up the place.
Everyone paused to look at each other. "I don't remember," all of them said at the same time.
=0=TBC 10-28-2022
