The Diego Diaries: Going Out to Get Them (dd8 378)

NOTE: Yes, Pandora. Until all are one.

=0=Airfield

It was the organized chaos that always happened at the musters of a mission. The place teemed with ships, some rolling to the flight line and some not, those mechs and femmes doing the work and their little vehicles, those hurrying to join their vessel and officers directing traffic. In the distance at the many airfields of Aerie Hill, the lift off of squadrons of Seekers, some to go on the fact finding and others to wait in space could be seen.

The humans in the carry box sat silently watching as two kids and Raptor crossed the teeming tarmac toward Xantium Supreme nearby. His siblings sat in a row on the ready-go line taking in ammo and passengers as they prepared to be part of the armada. They were so big and daunting that the newbies stared, noting first hand that the feelings they had of oversized menace were true about the vessels. One could actually feel the animus and desire to engage from Xantium as they walked up the ramp in their carry boxes.

They entered, then walked to a spot near the command deck where they were slotted into the wall. The older of the two keyed on a monitor that they could easily see which showed rotating images of the goings-on outside. They waved, then walked out.

:What's the drill here?: General Hampton asked. He was a British officer who was fact finding the idea of a foreign soldier contingent on Mars in association with the N.E.S.T. garrison. With him were Generals Rossi of Italy, Xi of China and Berg of Sweden. Others were coming to tour the planet the next day to get a bead on having a multi-national delegation of soldiers on world that weren't attached to N.E.S.T. but would be subordinate to their authority on training, interpersonal relations between the humans and bots as well as working on physical and mental fitness programs of their own. 200 soldiers would be among the first group to come and train here with more planned in future.

:They're getting ready to lift off into space: Lennox said. :They're going to take very big ships to carry shuttles so that their space bridges can move them. The Triggers are still under construction:

:Has the mission been sorted?: Xi asked. He had gone to British universities and Sandhurst. It showed in his accent.

Lennox nodded. :There's about 2,000 Seekers and their families including elders and children beating feet toward us with Decepticons in hot pursuit. They're going to cross open space shortly and fear being overtaken: He glanced at the men who were watching the monitor. :Someone in the local group has been deflecting their distress messages. Its a problematic mission:

:Then there's the likelihood of a fight: Hampton asked.

Lennox nodded. :There always is:

Heavy treads and voices distracted them toward the hatch down the hull. The big mechs were coming in, Ironhide's elders and others.

Raptor rapped his knuckles on the box jostling everyone inside. "Hey, boys. Ready for the fun?"

Epps and Graham pulled the others up so they could sit and strap in.

:Always: Epps said with a chuckle. :What's the sit-rep?:

"Cloudy with a chance of gunfire," Raptor said as the room erupted in laughter.

The hatch slammed shut and they began to move forward. The show was starting to go.

=0=At the edge of space

They rose upward in the formation of an armada coming together. They were gathering to get ready to bridge away with the Supremes and a number of really monster ships appearing out of nowhere in a burst of light. They were titans and among them was a dreadnought, the mighty Tennyson. At about the same time a number of battle shuttles flew toward them and divided themselves along the flight decks. One by one they angled inside until they were sheltered out of sight. It was a very, very impressive operation.

A shuttle came forward to pull alongside Xantium. A hatch opened and mechs stepped out floating toward the big ship. The hatch opened to allow them inside. They were Optimus, Ironhide, Hard Drive and Prowl. The hatch closed as Optimus walked toward the flight deck to disappear inside.

Prowl paused to stare at the boxes before following as the others found a place to sit and shoot the shit with the boys already there.

"That's Prowl," Xi said as they pulled their helmets off to hang on a tear away hook on their shoulders.

"The one and only," Niall said as he sat down to relax in his chair. "There's no one in the known universe that can do what he does though his alternate, Paragon of Capital City is close. They even look alike."

"Well, they're both high caste information models, so …" Epps said just to be ornery.

"What's that mean exactly?" Berg asked.

"Well, there's basic body types in their society and they choose the size based on the intensity of their spark or heart. If you're spark is smaller its likely that you descend from mini-cons. If its huge, the bigger frames fit it. Genitors or parents can design the body but they can't make it bigger or smaller than the spark. Sometimes a spark is smaller in a family of big mechs and femmes, like Docker who is Ratchet's amma or grandmother. She's a mini-con size because there's mini-con CNA in their family tree." A mech named Flyaway who was an Intermediate Day School administrator for parental contact was explaining. "Some models did different things in the old orns and it stuck, the descriptions and even the usages. Prowl is a winged model which makes him high end information. I'm a military model and Raptor here," he said to his good friend, "is also military though he'd make a wonderful garbage collector as well."

Everyone laughed loudly.

"So genetics of a sort work for them as well," Hampton said.

Niall nodded. "Yes, sir. They're a lot like us but made of metal. That metallic portion is fluid which allows them to transform to different shapes. They scan a thing, then they can transform. Its a handy all around, I'd think."

"For stealth, yes," Berg agreed. "They're so big. I think I knew that academically but seeing it is something else. Optimus Prime is taller than a two story building."

"He could probably pick up a two story building. Prime can life 500,000 tons of dead weight if he has to," Niall said. "He's a phase six type mechanism. Ultra Magnus is as well. The two of them are amazing. That being said, its about a draw the number of times both of them have fought Megatron and won. He's considered one of the most perfect specimens of his type that exists."

"That's disconcerting," Hampton said as the others nodded. "He's not even the worst, right?"

"No," Lennox said grimly. "We have the most perfect combiner ever created living in this area around Epsilon Eridani. Razorclaw and his brothers are the most perfect combined war machine that exists. Fortunately they pissed Prime off and he was able to capture three of Razorclaw's brothers. The other one lives here on Mars with a family and businesses."

"Businesses?" Xi asked. "What does he do? This marauding maniac if things are to be believed."

Epps grinned. "Believe them. As for Rampage, he makes donuts."

The soldiers in the box laughed including the ones listening in from the other box. The generals looked from one to the other.

"Well, there's worse things to do," Berg said with a grin. "What about these phase six mechanisms as they're called? How do they measure up?"

"Well, they're considered the Apocalypse made real. Some of them are able to transform to six different war machines like Sixshot," Epps began. "His son lives here and he's a nice kid."

"He is," Lennox said as they settled back to have some fun with the n00bies.

"Black Shadow was a very bad moment for all of us," Xi said.

Lennox nodded. "He was bad news all the way around. In one encounter he destroyed the world of 3 billion individuals who lived there. He's got no capacity to feel bad about that. 3,500 Autobots took him on and he killed them all. Fortunately, Megatron didn't trust them either so there's a kill switch code built in. We have it and that's how we ended Black Shadow. Otherwise, it would be your guess or mine if the solar system would still be here now."

"How many are there and can be accounted for?" Hampton asked grimly.

Lennox considered that, then glanced at Niall. "We have Black Shadow and the Decepticon Justice Division … that's six. I can't remember more than that so far. We have some near phase six mechanisms in the prison and in stasis. Arachnid is no piker herself. That leaves about 41 to go." He glanced at Raptor sitting nearby. "HEY, RAPTOR!"

The big mech glanced his way, then grinned. "What, shortie?"

Lennox grinned at this, a god in his personal professional pantheon. "How many phase sixers are there and how many do we have here?"

Raptor glanced at the others who shrugged. "Slaggers." He looked at Lennox. "We have about six or seven so that leaves about 40-41 left to slag."

"We chased off Heretech and Killmaster shortly ago," Trevor Smith said as he basked in the greatness all around him.

"That's right. That means 39 or so are left to find and identify," Epps replied. "But who's counting?"

Huge laughter greeted that.

Xi walked to the glass to stare at the big colorful mechs sitting around with massive, massive fire power seemingly hanging out of every crease and orifice of their body. "Tell me, General, what do you think about humans involved with your military?"

Raptor considered the man, the mission they were on, then grinned. "I like humans. They're cute."

Huge rough laughter greeted that.

"Then you won't mind having more?" Xi asked as he warmed to the group.

"Nope. Just stay out from under us. Getting organic slag out of our peds is not a popular past time around here," Raptor said as he winked at Lennox.

"What's the worst beings you ever faced, General Raptor?" Xi ventured. He really, really liked this big mech.

"Well, since you asked," Raptor said as he sat back and folded his massive arms over this broad chest. "Let me tell you about the Reapers."

=0=A half joor later

The room was silent after listening to Raptor tell about the Reapers. For them what knew about that collection of nightmares, it was still silence making to hear it from someone who bore a scar on their armor from Deathbringer.

"Then there's seven of them. Deathbringer and Klaxa who are named but five others who are called out by their appearance," Xi finally said.

Lennox nodded. "I've read up on them. A hooded Reaper and the others, Ravenous, Whirling, tank and Invertebrate Reaper." Lennox glanced at the three solemn appearing generals. "I remember someone, maybe Prime stating that the last time they were positively spotted was heading out of the galaxy toward Andromeda."

Xi glanced at Lennox. "Well, we can but hope."

"We're there."

Everyone glanced at Raptor.

"Where, General?" Trevor Smith asked the foremost god of his personal pantheon. Next to Prime, of course.

"Where we're supposed to be, Trevor, my son," Raptor said as he, Hardie and Ironhide stood to go toward the bridge room. They swaggered off and disappeared into a room where blinding light came on for a moment, then went off.

"I wish I was, General," Trevor said with a slightly worshipful tone in his voice.

Nearly all of the humans in both boxes nodded silently in agreement.

=0=Across the way

The generals gathered on the deck of Tennyson where most of the titans and a few dreads lounged in pretender gear. They gathered around the command deck just as Prowl, Prime and Ratchet came into sight. They all gathered at the table together.

"What's the sit-rep?" Prowl asked as Starscream and the Elder stared at them on monitors nearby.

:We have deep space scans going on. Our data collectors are out with armed guard flying toward the coordinates given. We haven't picked up anything yet: Rainmaker said with a frustrated tone in his deep voice. :I fear that we didn't come fast enough:

"As I do," Prime said as he walked to the command chair to sit.

As he did two mechs walked in with the travel boxes filled with humans. They would be slotted into the forward view port lounge area to wait for the word like everyone else. It would be quiet and tense on the command deck of Tennyson of Praxus.

=0=TBC 3-1-2022

Sandhurst is the officers school for the British Army. About 1,500 students from other countries have graduated there including the King of Jordan.

ESL

piker: something that is not to trifle with. Given that Arachnid is so dangerous, to say she isn't a piker means that she's no one to fool with or underestimate.

God bless this whole damned world and all of the legends who live in it. That includes every last one of you. -Nana