The Diego Diaries: Goat Rodeo (dd8 335)
=0=With Special Section prisoners, Autobot City Maximum Security Prison 50 miles northwest of Autobot City, Mars
It was just after noon when Prowl and Ratchet had reached the mental health portion of the prison. This was the new facility, a maximum security lock up with facilities for separating the mad from the angry. As both of them listened to the guardian ad litem tell their tale and show the signed documents, her signature and that of the court authorizing them to be removed for mental health care, it was obvious that the two inside weren't going to go quietly.
"We tried to get them to cooperate, Doctor," she said. "But they won't. I filed a declaration of incompetency with the court under the direction of the office. They agreed that both of them are a danger to themselves and others so they're to be remanded to the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, that's you." She looked nearly tearful. "Its so awful what's happened."
Ratchet nodded. "We're all going to have to be brave to do for them what needs done. You being a guardian is a noble thing but make sure you can do it and get counseling along the way. These are the most endangered and dangerous people you will ever meet. They can no more figure out the good and the way forward than I can cook. You mustn't let this get to you or you'll be unhappy or sick from it. Understand?"
She nodded. "I know. I want to do good work. I think they need more than we can give them. They haven't cooperated with their medication schedule nor allowed a physical since Thanksgiving."
"Alright," Ratchet said. "See that guardhouse over there?" he said pointing to a steel and stone guard station nearby with a number of guns showing through the gun slits. "Go over there and get inside. No matter what happens know that's the best that can be done and no one is going to get hurt. Probably."
She nodded, then hurried to the guard station that let her in.
When she was safe Ratchet turned to the guards and Winnie. "Well, we can do this remotely and stun them but I don't know enough about their processor problem to do that without maybe making it worse. Its a strange anomaly going on inside their skulls. We're going to have to rush them. But its going to be a problem as well because someone's going to be bashed and then what happens? What do you think, my queen?" Ratchet asked Winnie as he turned to grin at her.
Winnie chuckled. "I think we have to rush them. Two teams head on. Pin them to the ground, cuff the slag out of them peds and servos, then cart them in with maybe a partial medical stasis. I've been researching levels, Doctor, and maybe a point 317 would be enough."
"That could do it," Ratchet agreed, noting the range of Winnie's skills once more. This femme was one well rounded prison officer. "I can send that once we immobilize them. I have to plug in to make sure that nothing pushes their processor problem over the edge. I have Goldwing and Nightshade waiting to handle them. I want to see the data myself. This is a strange, strange crossover glitch."
Winnie nodded. All of them followed her as they stepped aside to assign roles for the short bittersweet battle ahead of them. When they were clear Ratchet walked to the gates once again. The two inside hadn't moved from their places but were staring at everyone with a grim expression. "We want you to come out. We want to help you. If we do that you might have a chance to have a nice life of your own choosing. I know its not as much fun as killing Paladin and taking over his fleet but you have few choices here. Are you going to fight this or what?"
The two stared at Ratchet, then each other, then Ratchet again. They took a stance for battle, then nodded. "We fight."
"I was afraid of that," Ratchet said.
"Well, your bedside manner failed yet again I see," Prowl said with a slight smirk. "Shall we dance?"
Ratchet cricked his neck. "After you, Granny."
Winnie laughed as they moved to the gate, the lead rushers with their energy shields first in place. When the gate was open they rushed inside shoving the two big mechs backwards.
The mechs dug in, bracing the rush to a halt, then staggered as mechs from behind the lead pair jumped onto them. It was a screaming flailing tumult for about a second, then cuffs flashed into place. Stepping back from the two, the group watched as Ratchet scanned a portion of their helms. It was silent but the endless swearing that was aimed at the intervention team from the two.
Ratchet stood at last. "Well, we have a very big problem here. We have what appears to be concussive damage from recurring bomb blasts. Its caused some crossover wiring that if it isn't treated will be fatal. They'll literally start to destroy themselves. I've seen some with this problem rip their own arms and legs off but this … its the worst I've ever seen."
"Can you do anything?" Winnie asked as she stared at the data.
"We can. But the outcome is always difficult. Every processor cure offers a different personality when its this severe. We have to replace so much and there, you get into memory and personality. They're alive and well but not the same mech," Ratchet replied.
"That might be a good thing. I don't see Rampage as anything but an asset," Prowl said. "Among other things, of course."
Ratchet nodded. "Its the same sort of thing overall. We'll see what we get when this is sorted out. Maybe it won't be too invasive but this is bad. Good call, Winnie."
"Thank G," Winnie said. "She's trying to clear out the processor cases faster. The courts are reluctant to condemn them without the fullest possible due process."
"We can't blame them given how it was before. A short walk and a bullet in the helm if I remember half the time," Ratchet said. "Ah, the good old orns."
Prowl smirked. "Then they go to the Med Center or here at the Prison Hospital?" Prowl asked.
"No," Ratchet said. "Med Center. This is the most delicate surgery possible."
The sound of a runabout bearing the markings of Empire medicine landed on the pad nearby outside of this, the most secure lock up outside of the alternative universe versions of themselves. It landed then mechs stepped out to wait to receive the patients, which both of them were now.
Winnie organized their transfer which meant loading them on stretchers, navigating the gates and security post systems, then placement on the transport with adequate security. Everyone including the guardian watched them fly away.
Ratchet turned to Winnie. "How many more do we have and are they decompensating, any of them?"
"We have 42 prisoners of this type and three appear to be or starting. One of them is a serial killer from Cybertron and two others are mad soldiers including one who fancies himself a vampire," Winnie said as they walked toward the next section of this prison area.
A mech sat on a bench staring at them as they approached. He didn't say anything but watched. He knew Winnie from an intervention team bust up but only saw Ratchet from a distance. Ratchet came regularly to scan them for medical reasons.
"Hey, Caplet," Ratchet called out. "Come here. I'd like to talk to you."
Caplet stared at him, then slowly rose to walk to the bars where they were gathered. "What?"
"I wanted to tell you a story. On Earth there's a tale about a vampire named Dracula. He was a leader of a country who was so savage that people used to think he was a walking dead man. They believed he drank the blood of his own kind. I wonder if you ever heard of him."
Caplet considered that. "No, can't say I have. Though I think he's interesting."
Ratchet stepped closer. "You do know that drinking the energon of your victims isn't a normal everyday kind of thing to do, right? You do know that killing a prisoner that way is kind of fragged."
Caplet shrugged. "So?"
"I heard you're stalking those who come here to give you food and the guards when they do rounds. What's the deal with that? You aren't thinking about being a vampire with them are you?" Ratchet asked as he monitored the big mech with internal devices he developed to measure processor activity and other systems which told him how crazy or dangerous a mech was.
"I like stalking. I was good at it. It allowed me my little game," Caplet said with an eerie smile.
"Catching someone and draining their energon until they're dead is a game for you?" Winnie asked calmly. "Tell me more about it."
Caplet stared at her, then warmed to the attention. "I find it fun. Its a game. I choose someone to play, then stalk them. I make it last for orns and orns. No one ever notices. Then when I can I grab them and disappear. No one ever likes to play my game at that point but me."
"How many times have you played this game, Caplet?" Ratchet asked as the others stared at the mech with appalled expressions, everyone but Prowl, Winnie and Ratchet. They'd seen it all.
"I think about 12 times. Mostly with Decepticons. No one ever misses them," Caplet replied.
Ratchet glanced at Winnie and a devastatingly appalled guardian ad litem. "I think we have a new candidate. He belongs in the high security section of the Processor Center in Pax, not here. He's going to go off the deep end sooner or later." He glanced at Cin, the guardian. "What about getting an order together."
Cin nodded, then glanced at Caplet who was staring at her with an unblinking gaze. "Will he have a chance to get better?"
"I doubt it," Ratchet said with a ghost of regret. "These kinds are obsessive compulsive in a way that most aren't. Most can be treated but this level? No. I almost never see it. They can transfer their obsession to another but they seldom get better from it when they stalk. We had one recently working on my son and he self destructed. This is one of the most difficult psychological conditions to recover from." He glanced at Caplet. "Hey, Caplet. Will you let me come by to talk to you? I'd like to make it a regular thing."
He turned his mad shark eyes on Ratchet and stared a moment. "Sure. I'd really like it. Do you like games?"
Ratchet grinned faintly. Mission accomplished. "Sure," he said as he and the group began to walk back to the gate and the normal world beyond.
=0=On the way back to The City on the underground Prison train that ran on a highly secured track to limited destinations
"Do you think it was wise to let him fixate on you?" Prowl asked as they lounged in the car.
Ratchet shrugged. "It was a good way to get him to want to talk to me. I want to get a bead on his state. Vampires are a new one for me."
"I can't imagine," Prowl said with a frown. "Being drained by a lunatic. What the frag have we all become?"
"You aren't a vampire are ya?" Ratchet asked as he glanced at Prowl.
Prowl frowned deeper. "No."
"Than we all haven't become this nuts. Some of us have and its on all of us but we're getting better. Our crime rate is ridiculous for our population," Ratchet said. "We give help, comforts and counseling to our people and they grab it with both servos. That's the difference. If you love your people they will love you back. We never did that on Cybertron and look what happened. For every Caplet there's millions who strive to be happy. Poor dumb slagger. I want to read his processor charts when they make them.
"Zigzag lines?" Prowl asked.
"I suspect these will be loop-de-loop," Ratchet said as they sped into the station under the Military and Civilian Prison near The City. It would be a short drive down Prison and Fortress Roads back to The Fortress.
=0=TBC 12-30-2021
One more day for 2021 and then 2022. Hopefully, that's when we bring out the guillotines and pitchforks. LOL! HUGS my awesome darlings!
