The Diego Diaries: Zooming (dd8 435)
=0=Medical Center, Central Point, Midtown, Autobot City
Ratchet walked out heading for the new soldier habitat across the plain. His elders were upstairs in the Med Center spending the orn with Budge and Mystic. Both of them were awake and aware, feeling infinitely better than probably anytime in their entire lives. He, himself was gratified by their progress which was actually very good.
Reaching the Metro after walking down a very pretty village-style street, he entered to begin the descent to the plain that would take him to the finished Metro underneath the soldier's new habitat that was closed to everyone but N.E.S.T. personnel and Cybertronians. The humans would have to earn it like everyone else. He disappeared from view in the busy crowd.
=0=Ops Center
Prime considered the news that a large and growing configuration of vessels were coming toward them through some very dangerous space. There were increased Decepticon fly throughs on their deepest space sensors given how often he'd sent fleets there and the Decepticons were coming to see what was what. Now a big group was on their way and he had little information.
Conferring with Starscream and Rainmaker, they sent a group with heavy guard to scan closer to it to determine its intentions. If it was a battle group looking for a home they'd have to get it turned around to leave.
He sat at the table beside Prowl who was working on the usual multiple things he had before him as they all waited for the news. It wouldn't take long.
=0=Habitat
Ratchet entered, then glanced around. A crowd of soldiers were there staring upward, amazed and delighted to see him, this the most famous Autobot short of Prime. He grinned at them. "Hello, little people," he said as he scanned everyone in the building. Checking his data, he knelt before Jackson Davis. "I'll send you read outs on my scans. I assume Perceptor did the same?"
"He did, Ambassador," Jackson said. "Welcome. We're delighted to have you here."
"I'm happy to be here. How do you want to do this?" Ratchet asked.
"We're using that area," he said pointing to a half moon of chairs. "If that's okay with you …"
"Perfect. Lead on," Ratchet said as he waited to follow the humans. Giving them a head start was good.
A siren sounded, then humans came from all over to take chairs to sit. Jackson Davis stood in the front of the group. "This is Ambassador and Senior Commander Ratchet of Iacon. He's here to help us learn how to live and navigate on this planet. Listen to what he says and we'll be able to do a good job in an unforgiving environment." He looked up at Ratchet. "Ambassador?"
"Thank you, Colonel," Ratchet said. He looked over the group of multi-racial, multi-national humans who were practitioners of his profession. "I'm Ratchet of Iacon. I'm the liaison and controlling officer of all the habitats on world and the Prima Station for the Prime of Cybertron. I've been given full and complete authority over all the habitations in the Prime's name and authority and can overrule the agreements and treaties if the situation commands it.
"You might have noticed that we were invaded shortly ago," he said as most of them nodded in silence. "We had an old enemy bridge into the system by Neptune, then bridge directly to this planet. We went out to take them on or turn them back but they managed with tweaked bridge tech to evade us. When they arrived they did what I'd do, they took out the bridge and Triggers rendering our fleet useless for the hour or two it would take to fly directly here.
"Before that happened we sent an alert to our entire on-world and station population. Get underground. Its our practice to build fully functional underground shelters against this sort of thing and in three hours we evacuated our entire population there short of our defensive armada, ground forces and a few difficult prisoners in the Maximum Security lock up north of here who were too fragile to handle in such short order and notice.
"We have a population approaching 300,000,000 which is just short of the entire population of the United States. At the time it was closer to 260,000,000. With our efforts, our people's understanding of what it means to be caught in the middle of war and our security forces, we had them underground in 3 hours. Imagine evacuating the entire population of America underground in the same time frame. I'll let you think about it a moment."
Some of them sat back flabbergasted while others considered that impossibility with incredulity.
"That's our life over eons of time. Even our children move. Our people don't even give it a moments thought when the call comes. That's the kind of obedience we hope and expect from you if things go south. You live in a genuinely heroic society, that is, one that's willing and able to fight at all levels, will be ready at the drop of a hat to defend everyone and isn't afraid to do so. Its probable that nearly every mech you see that's adult age carries one or more weapons on their bodies at all times. The police and military do for such and some don't hide them.
"We had a football game a while back where two gangs shot it out, so Prime banned guns from public life by everyone but the Watch and the military. Its highly doubtful that its completely observed by everyone the way he wants it to be but most who carry do so without display. Assume that its so and you'll be safer.
"As for the mechs and places they hang out, all bars and clubs are off limits unless you're with a mech or one of the N.E.S.T. soldiers. All of us keep our proximity sensors on so that we know if you're there or not. However, if there's a fight or mishap no one will care at that moment. You could get stepped on and maybe you won't be killed outright. Consider that if you think it might be a good idea to go into Club Cybertron or some place."
The humans shifted slightly at the idea of living through a mech stepping on them. Then it settled again.
"I'm sure Perceptor told you about the many and swift ways to die here. I hope you listened. A single mishap can cause a lifetime of regret. If not for you, then your family. Its currently -110 degrees out there and if you were to go out even with oxygen to breathe, you'd be frozen to death in under a minute. I'm talking solid frozen to your core.
"We have the retrieval group and all of you are on the grid. I know some of you bitched about the chip, bracelet and the tags all resident humans have to have. Those alert the grid which retrieves you no matter what. They can do that in less than a second. If you didn't have them it wouldn't happen because they need that level of precision to ensure a chance to save you if something goes wrong. Count your blessings that we have that tech or Prime wouldn't allow human habitation here.
"There's a lot of humans living here. We've only had about four deaths. Two I can't say much about. Everyone knows about the murders. Two were mechs who smarted off to a Decepticon in the prison. We'd like four to be our maximum number. Given that you're on limited access to the outside and all its splendors I expect that you'll be up to it when you pass the quarantine period and earn the ratings. I hope so," Ratchet said.
"We have 100,000 humans here and on the station. We like having humans living among us. We like Earth and your people but understand that both Will Lennox and I have Prime's permission to punt you back to Earth if you mess up. We don't have to even tell you why. I know you'll get it how dangerous this place is but also how easy it is to live here if you follow the rules. Any questions?"
There were many.
=0=Out there
They flew swiftly in a tight formation toward a mass of lights that were ahead of them in a closing distance. Initial scans indicated that a huge collection of ships were heading their way. Following them were more ships and they were in hot pursuit. It didn't look good.
:Red Wing to Prime:
:Prime here:
:We have what looks like a migration but there's a lot and I mean a lot of Decepticon signatures in the group. They're being pursued by more or maybe more are coming to join them for other reasons. Its unclear. My data mechs are flying over now. Expect a bullet message immediately:
:Understood. Standing by:
=0=In here
Prime waited with Prowl and Hard Drive as Paragon received the message from the data Seekers. He worked to unwind it, then turned to Prime.
"We have a problem," Paragon said.
=0=Moments later
They fogged in, the military leadership to gather around the table. Prime who was staring at the big map glanced up at them. "We have a big mixed migration heading this way. Its peppered with a lot of Decepticon ships. A lot of them. More are in pursuit with their intentions unknown. We also see that there are nearly 5,000 Seekers in the group."
"What do you want to do?" Ironhide asked.
"I've ordered up an interdiction group. We need to leave now," Hard Drive said as he glanced at Prime.
"I agree. Let us go now," Prime said.
They began to head for the door and a sprint across the highway and airfield to the Ready-Go Flight line where a number of battleships and shuttles were getting ready to go. Already leaving were 200 Seekers from here and airfields at Aerie Hill.
=0=The Hourly News: Breaking News
"We just received word from the Office of Strategic Operations that the Prime of Cybertron and a group of his senior officers are leaving to go into deep space to explore the possibility that a group of refugees who are fleeing this way are being harassed by Decepticon battle groups. Very little is known of the composition of the refugee group other than its a mixed civilian and Decepticon fleet with a large number of Seekers attached to it.
"The word came through after a data group accompanied by Autobot shuttles flew by bridge to the area and did a flyover. It was then that pursuit was discovered.
"The area in question is a very fringe sector of the Rim which is territory still held by the Decepticons. It would appear that they're trying to consolidate their territory. Not much is known about that sector of space because of its proximity to the Ruins and the Benzuli Expansion which is forbidden to Cybertronian vessels due to its unpredictable and dangerous energy disruptions.
"When more information is made available we will inform you," Lim-Lee said. "In other news, the Autobot City Unified School Board elections have been concluded and the winners of the contests will be holding their first meeting next weekend on Second Friday," she continued.
Watching silently in a lounge of their new habitat, a number of the newest soldiers on world took it all in.
"I wish I was going with them," a soldier said.
Another glanced at him. "A part of me wants to go and another doesn't. What if you never got to come back?"
It was silent as most nodded.
"This place is awesome," someone said.
Most of them nodded in agreement.
=0=Ratchet
He walked from the Metro to The Fortress after leaving the new habitat. He reached the table, then sat. "What's the word?"
"They just lifted off to bridge out. Its a small group but the alpha Fleet is on standby. Apparently the pursuit group needs time to catch up. Red Wing is of the opinion this group is mixed because a Decepticon base has defected. It might, or not be an easy mission. Or not," Prowl said.
"Well said," Ratchet replied as he sat back to wait.
=0=Out there
They flashed out of the bridge, four Supreme mechanisms and ten battle shuttles. 200 Seekers formed up on them. Sitting at the command seat on Omega, Optimus read the latest data. He glanced at the pilot. "Open a channel to that migration, Rem."
Rem did. He glanced at Optimus. "You're live, sir."
Prime considered that, then spoke. "I am Optimus Prime. Identify yourself."
=0=TBC 5-16-2022
