The Diego Diaries: Keeping On (dd8 310)
=0=Around: The Resort At Autobot City
They came up in groups on the elevators, solemn and tense as they braced for what they'd see. Almost as one, they migrated to the windows where the scene before them had to be seen to be believed.
The faint wisps of smoke that were once blazing fires still drifted upward, then bent over to drive laterally when it hit the cold layer that was always there in the atmosphere, what there was of it. It was evident that the battles had been hard, the cost to the colony not insignificant and the debris left behind visible as far as the eye could see.
There were scorch marks on the parking lot here and across the roadway that led toward the Seven Cities-Aerie Hill roundabout. Beyond that the smoldering tower of Prime's home, something that was a landmark for tourists the way the White House and Number 10 Downing Street was on Earth could be seen like a jagged tooth against the sky. Beyond it scattered across what was one an open pit mine but now was the district's shared open space was the ship that hit it. Some of it had even hit the towers that rounded the edge of the location. It was shocking in the extreme.
It was fortunate that their binoculars and spy glasses couldn't see the huge debris field farther north of them that bore the broken remains of two Triggers.
Beyond The City were the broken shapes of a good four or five ships that could be seen swarmed with workers doing this and that. They had holes in them from fire and were laying on the ground in huge disarray. Beyond them, most of the titans had transformed back to cities though two were still fielding guns. They would slowly transform back after a bit of time though no one knew why they were still in fighting mode. It didn't make one feel safe to see them that way.
There was a low hum of voices as individuals talked to each other about the sights, then a voice came over the intercom system. They silenced to listen.
:This is Judy Witwicky and I want to tell you what you might need to know and do about this situation. As you can see, we took some hits but I've known Prime from day one and this place is now secure since we're topside. If we have to go down there again we know how and will faster and easier than this time. For those of you who have lost a day in the shelters, you have a great story to tell back home. You were here when the bots beat back the Decepticons again.
:We're finding out what the schedule is for us for the touring buses. When we know we'll tell you. If they're off line because of things we'll make sure that what you can do here is fun. This is in the fine print of your ticket, that any emergency may cause a disruption in your plans but we try to minimize it if we can. We're going to see if we can make a route for you to see the colony and beyond without disrupting what's going on outside. Its still be sorted out.
:If you look toward the farthest reach of the plain you can see where five ships were shot down by the titans who are just now, some of them, transforming back to city mode. Those mechs are the best of the best. They drove off the armada along with the others. No one can stand against them and we have over 42 here in the colony and that includes dreadnoughts.
:The scorch marks outside belong to fire that Master Cyclonus, his mechs at the Monastery and Aerie Hill's Home Guard made chasing off the bad guys. A lot of damage was caused but the bots work fast and things will be restored. The worst part for us is that Prime's Residence, his home and that of more than 100 families took a hit when a shuttle was shot down and crashed over it. No one wants to lose their home.
:For now, we stay here, eat, rest, play and have a good time. When things happen you'll be told. The monitors will be playing the story outside all day and night. No one will be able to communicate with Earth until the whole thing is put together and Prime can tell it. So dinner will be ready for all of you shortly. Go out and enjoy the sunshine. We're going to be alright. Judy Witwicky out:
It would be a long decompression night for all the visitors.
=0=Prime
He sat in the Ops Center studying the information coming in that excused from concern most of the colony. The damage had been in the Old City, Terra and a few areas to the north which had fighter combat. The plain was a disaster and so was the Consulate which even now was being pruned of its worst damage while everyone waited for more crews to leave their shelters all over the colony to join in. When they came they could really step up.
What Prime had to decide was who would come up and who wouldn't. Transportation was now a disaster as well. Very few Circle stations were hit but the ones who were shut down that vital route. Some of the others were built out to go this way and that around the colony feeding some of the less traveled routes into the Circle. Those were mostly fine. For now they were down for any number of reasons and the idea of nearly 250,000,000 individuals coming back to the surface would create a traffic nightmare.
"Prime to Springer."
:Springer:
"Any word on the traffic situation?" Prime asked as Prowl fed information into the data pad in front of him showing what still was sound and what routes were off line until work was done.
:The Circle Line is out. Its the only one that appears to be unsound. We can use all the others but the ones who head toward the Industrial Park Cities. Terra is out and so is the rest of the Hub. If you go through Aerie Hill then the Seven Cities are served. The Crater Districts are still being probed. All overland passenger and commercial trains are down and we're inspecting those underground:
"I would like the data as soon as possible," Prime said. "We have to have our people come out of the shelters as soon as possible."
:Understood. Springer out:
Springer glanced at Drift. "Let's go and see what's up?"
With that, the two along with a half a dozen others galloped off cross country toward Underground Switch Station #2 which lay beneath Terra and was a HUGE hub for all the trains of the colony, underground and above. The station above ground served all of them and was for the colony what King's Cross was for London.
Absolutely essential.
=0=Unidad earlier that morning in the grave rush of trouble
They came by bus, harried and shaken. 300 plus residents of the United Nations Consulate of Mars and Earth stepped into the welcoming embrace of Carly and the team she gathered from the shelters. It was noisy, the conversations given and listened to as the people and their pets came to safety.
The explosion had been heard and felt, though muffled through tons of steel and dirt that had been carefully crafted to withstand even the blast of nuclear devices. Seekers at full throttle crashing into them wouldn't breach their walls and neither did the explosion that was unnervingly close by. They'd huddled and listened in a deep thick silence, then the voice of their crew and command staff was heard explaining and comforting them.
When the doors were finally opened and they could walk down the tunnel, climb the steps to the outside door and a bus, it was with intense gratitude and relief. They used an access tunnel with steps to an outside door that was set some space away from the building.
Driving through the dark to Unidad, seeing the flickering flames of crashed ships, hearing and seeing Seekers in the sky, some of them apparently still in combat it seemed to them, it was an awful sight. The doors of Unidad which had workers still fixing them as well was a grateful and much delightful thing to see though the bus windows.
They climbed out, walked inside and were directed to vehicles that would take them to the 'visitor's level and apartments', a sector of a floor, much shortened by plan to only house set numbers of outsiders, to find their new hopefully short term homes. Some would detour to the hospital for help with their nerves while others would linger to chat with Carly who used to live at the consulate during her time with the British team.
It would take a while but they would all be settled just in time for the locals to come up from their own shelters. It would take almost all day long for the residents of both places to find their footing and watch the screens while they decompressed. The Farm workers would be the only ones who would be on duty but in rotating shifts. Everyone else was given a couple of days off. It would be welcomed.
=0=Prima Station
They came out of the shelters and gathered in the main concourse, itself a huge place for gatherings. Their station manager, a mech who was deeply experienced with running such places, Cisco of Helex was directing the return having done this sort of thing many times before. They came with a buzz of conversation met by Cisco and the security team that had been called out before them. They gathered, then the comm system quieted the group.
:This is Cisco, manager of the station. Welcome back to the world again. The station wasn't even reached by the invading armada. The Prime and our armed forces stopped them at Mars. The enemy bridged into the system, were met by our forces then bridged further onward to Mars. The battle was brutal and there was damage to the colony. Transportation, the Triggers, some of the buildings on the ground and other places were damaged or destroyed along with many parts of the Old City surrounding the Military Airfield.
:There are five downed ships in the open plain just before you reach the Industrial Park Cities. They will have to be removed. They fell on vital infrastructure located there for power and disrupted overland and underground train systems. The Consulate of the United Nations was destroyed but no one was harmed. No one died in this battle which showed the skill one has on their home ground. But a lot of our people, human and Cybertronian are harmed by the destruction.
:We will continue here. I'm calling a two day shutdown of work schedules and schools unless your job is vital to give support and sympathy to the colony. Our armed forces were amazing and we can't thank them enough. Because they did it there they didn't have to do it here.
:Communications with Earth are canceled and all of it is being handled through the Office of Strategic Communications at The Fortress in The City. The city cameras are broadcasting the images to only Autobot Nation locations because the MCA is shut down and IntraComm is damaged. Just take the time to relax and think about our unity. Our people, our Prime and our armed forces have done it again. Until all are one. Cisco out:
Everyone stared at the Administration Center where Cisco had spoken, then murmurs began.
"Until all are one."
=0=On the Silk Road at the commercial station 'war world' of Autobot Nation
The station had been relayed the word about what happened to the colony and had taken precautions to defend itself, moving into a nebula nearby to await this call. It wouldn't be alone for very long. A huge contingent of Seekers and support ships were on their way. They would ordinarily have to fly there. Without Triggers or the control center for the Autobot City Space Bridge which was the only one in the local area, they'd be dead in the water.
However …
The Seekers were bridged to Saturn by Tennyson who'd come pronto when the word finally reached him. From there they'd take a hike through one of the two Triggers that were there, the only two surviving of the four they'd fielded. Those Triggers would be protected and function for the outlying areas until the two at Autobot City were replaced.
It was a solution.
=0=TBC 11-24-2021
