The Diego Diaries: Avalone and the Way Forward (dd8 286)
=0=Saturn Shipyard in the Command Center
A rumble jolted them.
Ratchet sat forward, then typed furiously. Plugging in, he typed some more. In his metallic voice over the ship's intracom he gave orders and met them with code. The ship settled immediately.
"What's happening, Ratchet?" Metroplex asked with grave concern.
Ratchet glanced at Metroplex. "Think of it as seizures. He's flexing. He's so close to sentience that he's flexing against it. Its just non-voluntary motions."
Metroplex walked over to stare at the console and its flashing data. It was rolling past faster than he could understand with his limited medical understanding but Ratchet was getting it perfectly, understanding the incomprehensible. Metroplex glanced at the big mech who was concentrating on his job. "What's the likelihood that he won't be himself when he comes out of this, if he does?"
Ratchet glanced at him, then the console. "I do believe he'll come out of it but understand … he's deeply affected emotionally by his exile and there's indications of self abuse in his processor, that he was overwriting memories he couldn't manage. I imagine they were of Banner."
"Then we need to bring him here," Metroplex suggested. "Right? Bring him here to help?"
Ratchet turned to him, studying his emotional expression. "Until I figure out his baseline competencies I don't want Banner here. If there's no chance for Avalone I would expect you to fetch him here. But for now, I'm not giving up and neither is he. His central processor lobe is working just fine which gives me the indication that he's alive and ready to ascend. I just want him sedated enough that when I call him up he doesn't flail."
Metroplex nodded. "When will that be?"
Ratchet glanced at the console's data screen, then upward to Metroplex. "Right now. Sit down and buckle up. There could be a lot of noise when I do this."
Everyone glanced at each other then took seats forward and around the room which was filled with technicians, generators and other gear that was tracking the big vessel's condition.
Ratchet opened a comm channel ship wide, then tied it into his own processor. "This is C.M.O. Ratchet. I'm going to begin a countdown check-in. I want all non-essential personnel to abandon ship and stand way back. If you are here to monitor a check point or a weakness, stay. I'm not sure what shape this mech will come to sentience but its going to be rough no matter what. Ping me when you comply." His voice echoed over the sound system which was put together by bailing wire and duct tape.
Pings rang through the flight deck then settled. It was silent for a moment then Ratchet sat down and buckled his seat belt. Pressing buttons, he began, his voice echoing with a metallic tang all around the ship. "Ratchet enable-one. Check for return to control. All areas report."
Metallic voices began to report their data over the intercom, voices that were generated by portions of Avalone's body and not a drone. They chattered endless streams of numbers which Ratchet listened to, adjusting, tapping and typing things as they sounded.
Prime stared at Ratchet wondering what it was like to have this kind of knowledge and ability in your processor, such an ancient and specialized talent. It was very impressive to all of them to watch and listen. It would be unthinkable if Ratchet wasn't here to do this. Avalone would die if he wasn't.
After several moments of chatter, the comm system went silent. As it settled another rumble could be felt through the decks.
Ratchet glanced at the room filled with solemn, even emotional mechs. "Seizures. He's struggling to wake up. I'm going to disconnect his body from his processor. Its not painful and he won't even notice it. Its just a safety precaution for him."
Ratchet leaned into the console typing furiously, then jacked in to download some codes from the olden orns of their people's great space going genius. Then he glanced at them. "Hang on," he said solemnly. Pressing a code sequence, he began the recovery process. "Ratchet enable-one, signify , five-five-alpha five. Avalone priority override, executive override, alpha-two-go. All is go. Respond."
For a moment it was silent and still, then Avalone responded. A scream of such terror and despair hurled out over the intercom that none who where there that heard it would ever forget that they did.
=0=N.E.S.T. HQ in the conference room
Ron Witwicky sat with his lunch and listened to the conference call that was going on between the garrison and N.E.S.T. Global at the Pentagon in Virginia. No one seemed to mind his presence and he was a witness to the events just transpired so he ate his sandwich and listened.
"They're all here, all fifteen of them," Lennox was saying. "I don't know what they think being here will achieve for them but maybe the farther away you are the better. Or maybe they think Prime will be merciful."
"Where is Prime at the moment?" Glenn Morshower asked as he sat in the Command Center of Global N.E.S.T in the building that was one of the most protected places on Earth.
"He called us to come over when he got back from the Saturn Shipyard. Apparently a metrotitan came in that's just about thrashed. There's a story behind it that means a lot to him and he wants to tell me about it and a number of other things. He has some questions about the process we're going to be bogged down in. Blackstone is going to organize legal defenses on world for the fifteen."
"I'm not surprised," Morshower said as others behind and around him nodded in agreement. "Blackstone is a remarkable mech."
"He's the only lawyer I'd have if I had my ass in the ringer," Lennox replied.
"Me, too," Ron said with a nod.
"Well, its a feeding frenzy here and the media wants me to see if Prime wants to talk about this. The only information they have are the broadcasts of The Hourly News," Glenn said.
"He's got a couple of things going as well. There's the battle group that scouted us and they're beginning to proceed forward because the floe is dissipating. The group that flew over may have an inside man. There's two Decepticon bases near where this derelict titan was crashed and that's new. They're too close to the Silk Road for Prime's tastes or so I'm told. Things are going to get bright and shiny shortly, I think."
"Just what we need," Morshower replied grimly.
=0=Shipyard
The howling of a wounded spirit roared around them but the ship itself was placid and unmoved given the immobilization Ratchet had affected. Listening to the agonized sound of Avalone's emerging spark, it seemed to those there that a full cannon fusillade to accompany him should have been sounded, it seemed. It was rising, the piercing scream, then it stopped.
Ratchet who'd been tagged in had been typing a message to Avalone as fast as he could. His digits flew as he listened with intensity. Then he sat back. "We're on line together."
Prime who was shaken stood and walked toward Ratchet. "What is his status then?"
"He's confused but awake. I … I'm having the initial contact through my processor," Ratchet said. "Too many voices won't help for a moment or two. He has to get his bearings."
Prime sat down in the navigator's seat noting that his servos tingled with an overload of surprise and high octane angst. The terror and despair in the scream was the equivalent of flying into a wall at top speed for Optimus. He glanced around at the others and they felt it, too.
"Ratchet enable-one. Check in."
Metallic ship voices came over the intercom, then subsided.
"Good. All the control systems are functional. All work groups at check points check in," Ratchet said.
:This is Jetta, Ada. I'm online with everyone. He made it through the bridge as was designed and but for the two seizures he didn't harm himself:
"Thank you, Jetta," Ratchet said with evident relief. "I'm opening the comm line. Let me talk and don't make noise. Don't speak to him. He's disoriented and reeling. Its like the shoot out with the pirates happened a couple of minutes ago."
Prime nodded as Ratchet typed in commands. Then a voice could be heard murmuring to himself. "Avalone, this is Ratchet. I'm Ratchet Enable-One. Remember?"
The murmuring stopped, then a tense voice replied. "I remember. Then again, you're a liar."
"Avalone, there are no pirates here. We're Autobots who brought you here to be assisted. The Prime is here. Metroplex and the others are here." Ratchet glanced at Metroplex. "Send him your enabling codes and I'll help him link up to speak and recognize you. Not a word about Banner."
Metroplex nodded then did as Ratchet said. It was silent a moment, then a soft vented sound of a sigh could be heard. "Avalone? This is Metroplex. Do you acknowledge my signal?"
"Metroplex …" The voice was soft and weary, grave in tone and flat in inflection. "Where?"
"We're at a place called the Saturn Shipyard. Someone told us where to find you and we brought you to safety. We're going to repair you. Do you understand? You're safe with us. There are hundreds of us here," Metroplex said gently.
A scream like a howling wind erupted over the intracom as the agonized voice of Avalone cried out in despair. Over and over he screamed, then it settled. "Banner…" he whispered. "BANNER!" he screamed. On and on he screamed.
=0=At the Temple of Primus Restored, Autobot City, Mars
They walked down the corridor to the private part of the Temple where the priests and acolytes lived along with whoever was there for peace and restoration. Entering a large lounge, Prime and Ratchet slowed.
Sitting in front of an electric fire pit that was placed in the center of the huge room, Banner was kept company by Chevron, Lauren and Sela. Nearby agonized with concern, Gravitas, Mraz and Templar watched. Having the two come might not mean good things ahead.
Banner glanced up when they approached, then stood and bowed slightly to Prime. Even in grief he was ever the gentleman. He waited until they sat, then stared again into the flames. It was silent, deeply sad and murky with grief.
"Banner, how are you doing? I was told you thought you might have heard Avalone's voice," Ratchet said.
Banner glanced at him, then nodded. "I heard it. The link we share. He's my bond. Most don't know that but he is. Its been so long, I think I might be malfunctioning, though I don't think so."
Ratchet scanned him, then nodded. "You would be right."
He glanced sharply at Ratchet. "What do you mean, Doctor?"
Ratchet moved to where he sat on a couch, then took his servo. Before Banner could move he was feeling the affects of a strong sedative sent by WIFI.
"What did you do?" he asked though he felt better at the moment than he had for two orns.
"I gave you a sedative. We found Avalone and he's alive," Ratchet said biting the bullet.
Banner stared at him, then Prime who nodded. He rose, then sat heavily. "I feel strange."
"Two things. That sedative could drop Predaking. Secondly, the bond link is a bit rusty and its activating, though I've blocked Avalone for the moment," Ratchet replied. "What we need to do now is talk about him and his recovery."
"Recovery?" Banner asked as he tried to absorb the news. "WHAT'S WRONG!? WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM!?"
"He had to crash after being chased by pirates. Nothing that's happened to him can't be repaired," Ratchet said as the big mech began to relax slightly. "What's wrong if anything is … he's been alone so long he's turned inward. He's so depressed that I haven't told him you're here. I think if he's going to fully recover you have to help him do it."
"You have to ask?" Banner said with growing agony. "I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR HIM! WHERE IS HE!? TAKE ME THERE! PLEASE!" he cried, then burst into tears.
=0=TBC 10-26-2021
