The Diego Diaries: Blamma-Blamma-Blamma-Blam! Blam! (dd8 38)
This was supposed to be finished and go last night but I had a dog under the weather. He's allergic to his medications and itches. It was a long night for him, poor baby. Today he's much, much better. HERE WE GO!
=0=In a corridor, close but no brass ring
"STEP ASIDE, LOON!"
Prowl pointed both his big old guns at the corridor wall and began to fire. Bits of steel and other construction materials began to fly everywhere as he punched a hole through it. They were now parallel with the corridor where a big fight was going on between Ironhide, Optimus and a buncha Decepticons who wanted to count coup on the leader of the Free World(s). What they didn't count on was flying debris and the occasional blaster blast that shot through the slowly opening space to score someone on the other side. It was a miracle it wasn't Ironhide and Prime.
Those two were pressed against the wall out of the line of fire watching with fascination as the hole widened greatly. With a flying leap straight out of a Bruce Lee movie, a black and white winger flew out with both guns blazing. He hit the far wall as he blasted everything he could in the direction he'd detected the most slaggers. Landing on his peds, he kept shooting abetted by Ratchet and his big old guns. It was enormous, the fire, then it was silent, though visibility was impaired by the smoke raised in the cold corridor.
"Nice shots."
Both turned to Prime and Ironhide who were standing behind them with their guns dangling by their sides.
Prowl frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"I was going to ask you that," Optimus said as he walked past the two to check the slaggers on the floor. "Call a medic," he said as he glanced at Ratchet. "I suppose you want this to continue."
Ratchet grinned. "There's a slagger in here somewhere that punched me in the face."
"OLD MECH! WHAT THE FRAG!?" -Old Dependable™
"He's mine," Prowl glowered, then he raised his guns, stepped over a pile of groaning slaggers as he made his way forward.
Ratchet smiled beautifully, gave them a waggly wave, then hoppity skippiting away followed after Prowl with his guns held up like they were flowers for the Queen.
Prime glanced at Ironhide. "Call a medic." Then he hustled after Prowl and Ratchet.
Ironhide stared at Prime as he disappeared over the top of a stack of Decepticon cord wood, then glanced behind him. Grinning at his uncles, he said, "Call a medic," then hustled after the other three.
Sun and Jack who were standing by the hatch with their guns grinned at each other. "MEDIC!" they shouted over the comm lines to their ships. Then they began to hoof it over the (un)dead wood after the (lynch) mob, too.
=0=The Hourly News: LATEST BREAKING NEWS!
"The latest update from the Primal interdiction near the Bootes Chute is as follows," Lim-Lee said as she read a datapad handed to her. "The enemy groups have been halted in their progression and are currently surrounded by the forces of the Prime. At the moment, the fleet is busy taking crews of the enemy ships into custody, an action that involved hand-to-hand fighting in the ships themselves. As they are overpowered or gathered, some of whom were flung into space from explosions and ship collisions, they're being sorted for incarceration pending hearings on their status and, if any, prior warrants.
"There's a new prison holding zone at Fort Borderlands which is receiving a number of those taken into custody as well as the new extension here at the colony east of Autobot City Civilian and Military Prison. Gen-O spoke with Commander Jetta, our Public Works Director and Master Engineer of the Empire about the situation given that we're to start receiving prisoners from the confrontation in about six joors," Lim-Lee said as the image changed from her pretty face to that of the prison site.
A mech with a microphone stood next to two others and began to speak when he was signaled that he was live. "This is Gen-O of IntraComm and The Hourly News. I'm speaking to Commander Jetta of Iacon and Assistant Public Works Director Mack of Iacon about the expansion of the prison. Commander, what can you tell us about the orders for this to be created and what sort of plans are in place when things like this happen in future?"
Jetta who was standing next to him with his brother Mack looked his usual good natured and handsome self. "We have an emergency plan in place with emergency teams ready to construct whatever holding facility that we're required by events to build. Whether its the refurbished facility that holds the Insecticons or this, a temporary structure that will eventually be removed into storage, the idea is to be ready on a moment's notice. Drills and emergency call ups are part of the plan and we have priority at the Industrial Park Cities to get what we need to meet whatever we face swiftly.
"We received the order from Commander Prowl once the situation out there was brought to heel. Once we had a definite outcome to the confrontation and a tentative number of potential prisoners, we could then begin to build the facility according to the estimates given to us. Right now, this will be here but in the future the main body of the prison is going to be moved to Crater Eleven about fifty miles from here.
"This prison will become a specialized high security facility for the most dangerous and mentally needy prisoners we hold as well as our entire civilian population of prisoners. We want to keep the civilians away from the soldiers and criminals, thereby making the possibilities of rehabilitation easier for civilian offenders.
"The prison in the crater will as high security as possible, much more so than the one here. Its going to house the most dangerous and those with the least likely possibility of ever being released. We also have special needs prisoners, political prisoners and others of indeterminate category. The idea of them being this close to our urban area is a concern now that the colony is growing. We're nearly 182,000,000 citizens now. The idea of this population ever getting a chance of being free without having to work their way toward a rehabilitated release is a non starter. At Crater Eleven, we have time to organize a defense if that ever happened."
"How many prisoners do you think we're going to have to deal with?" Gen-O asked.
"We're planning for fifteen thousand, though it could be less or more. The prison camp on the small moon of the planetoid where Fort Borderlands is based is housing the crew of Polity. We can put prisoners there in this type of housing until the moon collapses under the weight of them. Given that Gee-Gee and her teams are so successful in their efforts to rehabilitate, we want the prison here to hold those that can't or won't be and shut that one down eventually. I believe we'll be able to do that. Gee-Gee and her team are miracle workers."
"In less than six joors they're coming. What do you think will happen?" Gen-O asked.
"We're heavily secured, have amazing guards who are being supplemented with heavy teams from the Army and Seeker gunnery specialists. I think its going to go well though you can't underestimate the sour attitudes of losers," Jetta said with a snicker.
Gen-O grinned. "How true, that. Thank you, Jetta and Mack. Back to the studio with Lim-Lee."
The image changed to Lim-Lee. "Thank you, Gen-O. The Department of Emergency Management has asked anyone with business on Prison Road, Sciences Road, the TransWorld Highway East and Fortress Road to be ready to pass road blocks as they seek to ensure that the area regarding the prison is secure while prisoners are brought in from the front. If you have no business being there, please stay home. If you take the underground trains or the overland express train to work that direction, be prepared to be locked in until you reach your destination. There will be armed patrols of the area as well. The situation is being taken deeply into hand to ensure everyone's safety.
"Right now, we have notices on the Community Bulletin Board entailing affected areas. We'll be right back after this," she said as the scene switched to slowly scrolling lists of new rules for the area on the Community Bulletin Board.
=0=Unidad Terra 1
They sat in their different community rooms going through their presentations and listening to lectures. Scrolling on a huge monitor in each room, the Community Bulletin Board assured those watching here that no roads would be closed to them in the local area. When the news came on, everyone would pause to listen and watch, then continue when the 'commercial breaks' occurred.
"There will be armed patrols of the area as well. The situation is being taken deeply into hand to ensure everyone's safety.
"Right now, we have notices on the Community Bulletin Board entailing affected areas. We'll be right back after this." Lim-Lee's face changed to the scrolling information board of the colony and Cybertron.
It was silent a moment, then a man glanced at Cynthia Tomas who was walking through the rooms listening to the discussion and assisting where she could. "Cynthia, how often does this happen and do they make a decision not to give the full details when it happens? This seems more fully developed here than the usual broadcast on the Cybertronian channels when things happen."
Cynthia nodded. "They keep some of it here. Some of it's just local news. I'm not sure that knowing some of the roads are being guarded matters to the Earth audience. As for how often it happens, you're always told when things occur on the MCA. Sometimes the fulsomeness of the details are cut back. Its a matter of whether or not you're interested or there's security protocols in place. Most of us aren't this disclosing in our own countries on Earth. Its a matter of amazement to me how open they are as it is."
"What's the word on the murders? Did they ever figure that out?" a woman asked.
"They're working on it. Its a mess. Jurisdictions and all," Cynthia said. "It should never be forgot that when you come here you come to live under the laws of Cybertron. Everyone here is aware if they get into trouble, they have to face local law and perhaps even penalties."
"James Johnson," someone suggested.
"Yes," Cynthia said.
"What sort of government is this?" another asked. "They have councils and democratic institutions but they also have a Prime who makes the rules."
"They had a senate which was so corrupt that it destroyed them. They're democratic here and will continue to add more power to the people but in the end its up to Prime. We live under modified martial law but even so, he has the ultimate power," she replied.
"Then he's a king," someone suggested.
Cynthia considered that. "They call it the monarchy and they talk about Optimus and his ascension. I think you're probably right but they call it a Prime. Optimus is considered the moral, spiritual, legal and military ruler of The People. I've never in my life met anyone so honorable, honest, decent, concerned and forward thinking ever. I wish he was Prime of Earth. I doubt we'd be where we are if he was. No one, no matter how small or forgotten is beneath his personal attention."
She sat down on an open chair. "You notice he doesn't need a body guard. I've seen him walk into The Take Out Place and stand in line like anyone else. He's a good person and he's kind. Its a miracle that he is the one who keeps us all safe and makes places like this available to us. He's giving technology to Earth to help us without charging. He's a person I admire like I admire no one else."
"Some of the community have been given citizenship. Have you?" a sweet faced lady from India asked.
"Not yet but you never know," Cynthia said wistfully. "It would be a tremendous honor if they do."
The conversation would go on as she circulated through the meetings unaware that a mini-con who was working around them would mention her earnest hope to a friend who would tell Sosa who would mention it to the bond who would tell friends who knew the secretary of the Prime who would mention it in passing.
Cynthia would be terribly surprised for Christmas (Surprise).
=0=Out there
"SLAGGER! SLOW DOWN!"
Ironhide beat feet behind Prime who was listening to the shooting and shouting ahead. What had to be body slams were also echoing off the walls as they raced for the command center of the ship. When they reached the bend of the corner that led to the flight deck they slowed, then stopped to watch Ratchet and Prowl slagging it out hand-to-hand with three big mechs. One was already bouncing off the walls from a kick to the codpiece by Prowl.
Another had Ratchet in a head lock and was getting slagged in the codpiece himself when he slowed from the spin they were in as he watched constellations form before his optics.
Prowl on the other hand was flat ass trading punches to the face with a big mech.
"What do you wanna do?" Ironhide asked.
"Shoot all of them," Prime replied.
Laughter behind them caught their optics.
"Need an assist?" Sun asked as he cracked his knuckles.
"I'm down for it as The Kids say." Jack grinned. "Word."
That's when the flight deck doors opened and the real shooting began.
=0=TBC 12-12-2020