The Diego Diaries: Deviation (dd8 497)
NOTE: I had to adjust a couple of paragraphs due to a timeline goof in the last part, 496 as alerted by Kattenbelletje. Thank you, darling. Loved your note. I hope things settle over there. I had no idea that drought affected dikes like that. I think we're all praying for rain. I would love to send you ours. HUGS! -Me
=0=On the deck of Camber
"What have you brought to me, Gee-Gee? I feel lucky," Ratchet said as he sat down with Gee-Gee, the prison head psychologist, Florine as well as Prime, Prowl, Hard Drive and Jazz who was hunting Decepticons with Mirage in the migration.
"I have some doozies for you today," Gee-Gee said with a smile. She slid a data pad to Ratchet who began to peruse it.
"Oh, wow," Ratchet said. "So many perfect scores and near perfect. We have a fire tornado of insanity here."
"We want them condemned by Primal decree, then have a breather for the resultant hearings after this," Florine said.
Ratchet nodded. "These are preliminary assessments that will be the basis for the more thorough ones that Processor Health gives all individuals who come here with trauma or exhibit abnormal behavior. Its a longer process with assistance, usually, from the patient. However, these are dire cases, the highest end I've seen in a while and we need to put them into medical stasis so they can be handled.
"This is AU us levels of madness, Optimus. They could be harmed being moved from where they are and that's another whole layer of slag to take care of," Ratchet concluded.
"Then what happens next for them? Who handles their cases and ensures their rights?" Prime asked.
"Guardian ad litems will be appointed by the Public Defenders Office in league with Processor Health. Attorneys to represent them in any hearings will be had along with alternative doctors working with their counsel to assess them to ensure that they are, or aren't, what they appear to be," Ratchet said. "We build in this layer of assistance to keep it on the level."
"How many are we talking about, Warden?" Optimus asked.
"I don't expect more than 80," Gee-Gee said. She grinned. "That's 102 more than we need, just so you know."
Ratchet chuckled. "I agree. Each of them is about four mechs handwork getting them back to normal, if that's even possible."
Gee-Gee pulled a hand held and handed it to Prime. "Barron sent this, a general order to condemn this lot, then set up their teams to protect them. There's a special department in the Public Defender's Office that specializes in this sort of thing, mental patients and their rights. They're very good at handling this extreme end of the spectrum."
"That makes me feel better about this, Warden. I want them to recover if they can," Prime said as he affixed his glyph in the appropriate places.
"You and me both, Optimus," Ratchet said as he rose to go with Gee-Gee. "Be back shortly. Hopefully. Don't tell Ironhide."
They would.
=0=There
:RATCHET!:
:You're right on time, old mech:
:YOU DON'T DO THIS WITHOUT ME THERE!:
:You can't be here. Just relax. I asked Mercy to come. He's a titan doctor. He can help move this around: Ratchet replied as he watched a big mech appear nearby. He looked around, then walked toward them. :Besides, we're doing this remotely:
"JUST MAKE SURE YOU DO! Ironhide out but ready to come. UNDERSTAND!?:
:OoooOOOoo, Ironhide! Sure. See ya: Ratchet signed off with a grin. He watched the big mech approach, then pause before them. "Hi, Mercy. We need a handsome giant to help us."
He chuckled. "Thanks. What are we doing?"
"We're moving them to the hospital in medical stasis," Gee-Gee said as she nodded to the pens with silent or not so silent maniacs inside.
Most of them glanced over to watch Mercy when he arrived, materializing out of the thin air. Most Cybertronians looked upon them as special individuals, the big frames, and some worshiped them as part of their religious practice, like the Guiding Hand of the Monastery of Upper Tetrahex and Mars. Those of that point of view put the big frames into a god status of inspiration.
Not this crowd.
After their surprise wore off, most of them moved toward the bars to stare at him and make their opinions known. It wasn't one bit nice. It wasn't lost on anyone that the only titan who joined the Decepticons willingly was Trypticon. He was created by them, was a hot mess from the git go and was currently in stasis safe and sound in orbit of Saturn.
Metrotitan had to be poisoned to come across and when that was corrected had become a pillar of virtue not just to the colony but to 2Lip of Stanix. Their bond was one for the ages.
They would find later that among this group were a couple of 'Cons who had hunted titans.
"You're loved here," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Nothing like adoring fans is there."
Mercy who was staring at them glanced at Ratchet with his amber visor. He grinned. "It gives me comfort."
Gee-Gee chuckled. "You and me both," she said as she glanced at Ratchet. "What do you want to do now, Doctor?"
"Well, we can start clearing the pens. What's the set up at the various places of containment?" Ratchet asked Florine.
"We have secured stasis for up to 300 patients at the various high security hospitals and mental institutions here on world. We can even use a few spaces on Cybertron but we like to keep that clear for them. If you deactivate their transponders then we can begin." Florine glanced at Mercy. "We hope to have you help us transport them, Mercy, and be available if they manage to resist with success."
Mercy nodded. "Understood."
The group waited in tense silence with various doctors, intervention teams and techs as Ratchet input the data from the prisoners in the cell before them into his hand held. Then he pushed the button.
Everyone inside the pen fell to the ground where they stood. It stilled the chaos in every cell that had a view of what was happening.
=0=Approaching a ship
They flew in slowly, both ships taking a side of the vessel that was stopped in space. Twenty-five Seekers were with them given the lethal design of the ship and fixed themselves onto the Autobot shuttles with their weapons pointing at it.
The mechs inside, a nondescript collection of hard looking warrior class individuals watched them approach. They'd come together with their plans for this venture. Now it was time to see if they could slip into the colony and disappear from view.
"Everyone knows what to do. Just be calm and do it. We can get there if we all keep our cool," their leader, a mech named Nickelplate said.
"We know, Nic," another said. His brother, Backup glanced at the others. "Peace of Celebration cake."
The others nodded. They were relatives and life long friends from the neighborhood who'd joined together for mayhem and kicks. They were smart, ultra loyal to each other and patient. That would put them into the top 1% of Decepticons, itself a very small group.
=0=Just before
They limped in fresh from repairs from Mars. Replacement of shins had been accomplished with plating from stores that was synced to their CNA. It would take a while to bond with it, making it their own but it was a start. The struts that would have kept them out of this effort were actually in good condition. Application of a number of salves and infusion of drugs would repair them before they'd even reach the migration again.
Ah, the wonders of medicine.
"What's the story?" Springer asked as he paused beside Jazz. Mirage was sitting nearby looking out the window.
Jazz glanced at Springer. "We have a ship with 'Cons. Its scrubbed. The tell was the gun mounts and the type of ship. No one flies this kind of ship but 'Cons."
"Any ideas of who they are?" Springer asked as Drift walked to the engineer's seat to sit. The big white and red mech was still getting his audials aligned through his internal repair systems and the humming and popping that accompanied it was like tinnitus in the ears of humans. It was annoying but would subside soon enough.
"We have no firm ideas but the ship reads as special ops, like hit-and-run," Jazz said. "We're trying to figure out what kind of 'Cons are here and most of them trend toward the mayhem squad end of things."
Springer nodded, then flipped a switch. "Vessel ahead, identify yourself and prepare to be boarded."
A voice came back, a deep one, calm and composed. :This is Nic of Independent States. I want to bring my family and friends in. We've been running a long time:
"What are you doing with this ship and how did you get it?" Springer asked.
:We stole it from the 'Cons: the voice replied.
Mirage who was sitting by the window unsubbed a data pad. "We need their transponders."
"We're going to scan your ship. Standby, Nic," Springer said. He glanced at the pilot. "Can we get their numbers with a scan by this vessel?"
"I'll have to dial it in but yeah, we can," the pilot replied. He did and the scan was made. Data poured in as the pilot read it. He looked at Springer. "The guns are fused into lockers. The weapons systems are locked down. The transponders are here. Do you want to run them, Mirage?" he asked.
Mirage nodded. They were sent to him and he sat again to go over the numbers with Teletraan. It would take a moment to accomplish.
=0=On the ship
Nickelplate sat at the command seat rubbing his chassis idly. Inside nestled into his core where his main transponder could be found, the one easiest to tamper with was a small alien device that he'd had made by a technician who didn't live long after it was achieved. This device scrambled numbers and was easily adapted to provide this cover for him and his team.
The scans would read whatever he programmed. Since scans seldom ran the other four sites to get the numbers to match up for identity for most occasions, it was a reasonable thing to use a scrambler to hide your identity.
Scramblers weren't unique. Many were the criminal and 'Con who used them but none were as sophisticated and easy to conceal as theirs. The Autobots would be fooled unless their scanners were geared to this level of fraud and would check the other four.
They wouldn't be and they didn't.
=0=At the scene of the temporary prison holding area for dangerous and mental prisoners
They fell together after Ratchet ran their numbers. That all of them did signaled that no one was using a scrambler. The guards opened the gates, then doctors, techs, orderlies and Mercy walked inside to check the prisoners and get them ready for transport. Ratchet, Gee-Gee, Florine and Winnie followed.
All around them the others watched with silent foreboding. It was clear that they would be next. That's when they began to fling themselves at the bars.
=0=On the hull of the ship
Several Seekers heavily armed and the Autobots waited on the hull for the mechs to come out. They were to do so unarmed, then allow themselves to be gathered up and taken to the shuttles. No one was making an allowance for them given the ship they were flying. It might be true and it might be a lie that they took it from 'Cons. No one was taking the chance.
The hatch door opened and a mech stepped out floating away followed by others. The Autobots and Seekers watched them carefully.
=0=At the prison
They flung themselves at the bars, howling and cursing as they saw the writing on the wall. The Autobots were going to drop them in their tracks. As they did, mechs and femmes nearby, Decepticons and former high castes watched in disquiet at the sight.
=0=TBC 8-11-2022
HUGS!
