The Diego Diaries: Aftermath (dd8 305)

=0=Early in the morning of the first orn after the attack

They rode into the habitat sphere, then dismounted. Walking to the bashed door, one bearing sabotage, they stepped inside to watch workers nearby, nearly all of them mini-cons who were inside the Ops Center putting things back together and replacing a lot of hardware.

Trem-Lo who was a crew boss for the electronics problems noted them, then walked over with a number of fuses in his servos. "Hi. How's it going out there?"

Springer grinned at the mini-con who did tech for the Watch as well. "Its really quiet. In fact, I think in most places you can lay down and have a good recharge in the middle of any intersection in town."

Trem-Lo chuckled. "Sounds like fun. How many are on Watch call? Three of you?"

"Not counting the horses?" Drift asked as he glanced around. "This looks better than I thought it would."

Trem-Lo glanced around. "It is. They didn't have time to do much. The Dinobots got here in time for every place but N.E.S.T. HQ which got beat up pretty good. Everyone began to flee here when they saw them but not before they put a few rounds into things randomly. We'll have it back up to speed by dawn but the aesthetics of the place will take longer. The Construction Guilds have their priorities."

"That's alright," Springer said as he stood to go. "Make Lennox sweat."

Trem-Lo grinned. "I'll tell him you said so, Springer."

"Thanks," Springer said. "Nothing like esprit de corps."

They walked back outside, then stared around the area. It was a sight to behold. Lights illuminated everything in this vicinity where the blackout had hit hard. It'd been a spotty thing given which trunk line anyone was on. Some areas were blacked out like the Hangar and Commercial Cargo Districts while others weren't. Fort Max blazed with light. In Terra, some entire sectors and blocks were out while others weren't. Public Works along with the various groups responsible for power who called from their places in shelters worked hard here and elsewhere to get things up and going.

Springer mounted his horse, King, a white stallion belonging to Prime and Prowl who'd taken so closely to the other white stallion who led their herd, Partee that they were like brothers in spark and spirit. Both rode onward heading for the human habitats across the colony, clipping across the airfield toward the Temple District. All around them the broken and burned debris of cargo, ships and ship service vehicles could be seen.

Energon stained the ground, ship quality and scorch marks were noticeable. Soon the holes that were from arms fire and bombs would be filled in and lines repainted. It would be so fine a quality that their outlines wouldn't show. It wouldn't be the first time they had to do this here.

It was dark when they reached Metroplex Highway 1 that disappeared toward the titan districts in the distance. They glowed with light but the highway towers were dark due to the grid failure. It was strange riding through The City with nearly no one around but areas where workers and Watchmen were congregated to meet up or do something.

The City was beautiful at night as all of them were. Lights from towers and businesses, some closed while others soldiered onward always gave a blaze of energy and homeliness to those who lived here. No one including humans ever felt afraid in The City or anywhere else. Watchmen were plentiful and had beats, cars and horses to get around. The lights were colorful and made the night feel warm.

Now it was dark and felt sinister. All of the enemy were rounded up but the burned out hulks of ships, fighters being extracted out of the towers they crashed into many stories upward and other damage made it seem odd and somehow less comfortable. Potholes in the roads were being filled to facilitate travel when the shelters were opened up. Here and there as far as the optic could see small islands of light indicated where workers were and what they were doing. It was a very strange thing to see such a vibrant place so still and dark.

It felt like Cybertron during the war.

The Temple was illuminated, probably on its emergency power supply and so was the Basilica in the distance. The Metro Districts were lit but at a lower level with some parts of their precincts dark and empty appearing as they rode through the central artery between the groupings. The Mausoleum was pitch dark which gave it a ghostly vibe and the ride down the highway past the darkened Stables, the Raceway in the distance and most of the cities toward the west was a hollow thing, the loneliness of a colony that never slept achingly depressing to the pair.

Ahead in the dark, Earth1 could finally be seen by lights being used by the workers in the parking lot putting the environmental entrance together. They rode downward and pulled up, dismounting to get the lay of the land. The mechs were working away welding and repairing both inside and out.

The night shift commander of the Operational Center waved them over. "How's things?" he asked.

"Quiet and dark. I'll be glad when everyone is topside again," Springer said. "How's this?"

Serrate who was the C.O. of the facility during the graveyard shift glanced at the door. "They got inside and tore the place up but most of it is cosmetic. Nothing that was important as far as I can see is a hard fix. Some of the offices need new windows but they didn't get far around the place. It wasn't like it was at Earth2 or Unidad. Titans took care of that."

Springer grinned. "I heard that. We're going that way. Anything you need or want me to tell them?"

"Tell them we'll be done here by noon. Then we can come help there if they need it," Serrate said.

They chatted a moment, then mounted up to go onward. Riding out of the parking lot, they sauntered onward side-by-side.

Drift glanced at Springer. "How's Tell?"

"He's sleeping," Springer replied. "That was a good report from the hearing team. I almost forgot it."

Drift nodded. "His growth is good and they're going to take another measure in four orns. He's doing it on his own so he won't need the medicine for which I'm grateful."

Springer nodded. "Its because he's a champion. I hope it continues. I hate it when he cries," Springer replied.

Drift nodded as they sped up and made it to Earth2. Entering the parking lot, they chatted, then Drift enacted his pretender gear after transforming to vehicle mode to walk inside the destroyed doors to look around. It was as he thought it would be. Everything that was in a good distance around the doors was thrashed but everything beyond looked the same. Broken glass was everywhere as were bullet and energy holes. Things were strewn all over the place.

"Drift!"

He turned to a call to see a gear clad Cindy Tomas along with a very solemn faced Owen Harris walking toward them. They halted as Cindy hugged Drift. He hugged her back. "I see they brought you up."

Cindy nodded. :What about the others? Everyone everywhere?:

"We had no casualties though some are in the hospital. Seekers are pretty exposed when they fight and they fight like terriers. Right now, we have a lot of rebuilding to do. I see they thrashed this place hard."

Cindy nodded. :Parabolus was at Earth2 while Invincible and Striker came here. There was a lot of noise. We were terribly worried:

"When titans come to the battle you don't have to be," Drift said. "No one is as tenacious for defense of the helpless than them. Its hardwired in."

:I was afraid for them, for everyone everywhere: Cindy said. :I have so much faith in this place. I knew they would lose but I feared for everyone who had to face this:

"Its our job, Cindy. But thanks. How's everyone below?" Drift asked.

:Tired and worried for everyone. We know things would be in need of repair here but we really feared for other places. Is the damage bad?: Cindy asked fearfully.

"There's downed ships, big ones. None of them fell on a building but they put out the power grid for half the colony. All of the human habitats are on independent power sources that are nearly infinite so don't worry about that. Some towers took hits but we were pretty lucky. They never made it to the Park Cities and we can get things going again. Its just going to take time and cooperation. No humans will be allowed out until Prime signs everything off."

:We'll comply: she said determinedly. :Just tell us what you want and need and it'll happen:

Drift grinned. "I know."

They chatted, then Drift walked out leaving the two in their gear behind. It was silent a moment.

Cindy glanced at Owen. :This is a shit show. I'm tired of these people getting hurt:

Owen nodded. :I'm tired of it for all of us:

Drift walked outside, waited while Springer got the update from the crew commander … noon today at the earliest if things went well … then they mounted up to leave. Riding up and out of the parking lot, Drift glanced at Springer. "Owen Harris doesn't appear too happy with his demotion. He hardly had a word to say."

"Well, he's a man of few words I'm told," Springer said with a grin.

Then a huge explosion ahead startled everyone including the two horses. Settling them, the two galloped furiously forward as the night sky blazed with light. It was coming from the area of the Consulate.

=0=Ops Center

"Optimus, there's been an explosion at the Consulate," Prowl said as he glanced at Prime.

Prime rose, hurried to the door and walked to the bridge room. Calling for a pinpoint landing, he walked into the bridge as Raptor and Prowl caught up. They joined, then the bridge ended.

Coming out at the other end, they saw a huge fire burning where the Consulate was. Since the fire was huge and unyielding in the thin atmosphere, it was clear that an energon main erupted.

A bridge burst nearby as Inferno and his command crew ran out of it followed by a swarm of firemen. They ran toward the fire as a tanker ship appeared overhead.

They watched as Red Alert who was with the firemen directed the dumping of suppressant. It fell in a giant blob and covered the facility washing out around it to smother the grounds. The fire went out and so did the light. It was then that down the route of the underground pipeline explosions, some muffled and others spectacularly big and bright began to illuminate the night.

Inferno called for trucks and ships to dump suppressant while Red directed it.

Prowl who was online with the Energon Administration was told that the fail safes for shutting down the trunk lines in this locale all the way to Crater District 4 were off line. Damage from a cruiser crash on the building on the highway that ran that part of the grid had completely destroyed their ability to shut down that sector. There was no way to shut off the pipeline so that meant every single substation underground attached to the pipeline was going to blow up in order. They were supposed to shut off such fires as this but the control was out and the main one in the Energon HQ wasn't able to connect with the backups due to signal short outs.

Prowl felt his energon run cold as he turned to Prime. "They can't shut it off. The explosions will continue as the line gets hot and overpowers the shut offs at each junction. Its heading for Crater District 4."

Prime stared at Prowl, then Inferno who was listening as well. "What do we do, Inferno?"

"I redirected crews to the District to shut off the controls there manually but we have to be ready for all of the pipeline to blow sub terminal by sub terminal station. We can fight it from that end, shutting down relays and blowing up a section of the pipeline to create an end point. If we pour suppressant hard enough then it could prevent the fire from jumping."

"Do it," Prime said curtly. "What about the shelters below? Humans are in there."

"We have sensors that indicate that they're fine and will remain so. These shelters are built for nukes, Optimus. I have to go," Inferno said as he called for the Emergency Bridge Rescue Grid to pull him and Red Alert back. They were heading for Crater District 4 and the defense of the cityscape. If the terminals continued to blow at the rate they were going, there wouldn't be a tower standing in any of them given time and all things being equal.

Optimus stared at the now silent, dark retardant covered building that'd once been a beautiful building that would honor anyone's urban landscape. "The humans are safe. Have them removed when we can, Prowl. I'm going to District 4."

Prowl nodded then watched as Prime called a bridge to disappear into it. He glanced at the silent pile that was a graceful beautiful building, then called up the blueprints for it mentally. They could be taken out through the service tunnels that led from the basement once it was discovered that this route was safe. Until then, they would remain underground trapped.

"This is fragged," Springer said as he watched another explosion and fire several miles away. It was bright against the inky darkness of Martian nighttime. It was also straight on the path to the darkened skylines of Crater District 4.

"That's the understatement of the year," Prowl said softly. Then he called a bridge and ran into it followed by Springer and Drift leading horses behind them.

The area would remain crammed with firemen putting out the fire, checking systems, then working to see if the humans below could venture to safety through a service tunnel that led from the back of the building to the surface for maintenance crews.

In time, they would find they could even though it had been damaged by the huge blast of the explosion.

In time.

=0=TBC 11-17-2021