The Diego Diaries: Where? (dd8 120)
=0=On the way
It was dark but the lights of the towers along the highways and the streets of the colonial cities were incredibly efficient. All across the plain there were cities of light towering into the sky. Phoebe sat in the cab of Springer's alt format silently a moment, then glanced at the radio. :What do you think will happen, Commander?:
"I think we're going to get them," Springer replied. "I don't believe in borrowing trouble. I do believe in our abilities and the fact that few can stand against us."
Phoebe glanced into the rear view mirror. :I think Owen's behind us:
"He is," Springer said as he tilted the rear view mirror a bit to see better. His sensors had picked them up at the door when they drove out and this was just a visual confirmation of what he already knew.
:Owen is hard to like but he loves his son: Phoebe said. :Mariah will be a basket case if she finds out:
"Then they better not tell her," Springer said grimly as he sped with Drift into the Temple District on the way to the Tower.
=0=Unidad Terra 1
They piled into the car to go to The Tower. A call from Prowl had given Pastor Millie a heads up. Gathering up Pastor Bob and Adeel Mirza who led the Muslim community on world, she hopped into the car and away they went. They were often on call to the human community and this was no different. They didn't know what was up but they were on their way.
=0=At the Tower
Springer and Drift pulled up and parked on the street in the emergency vehicle parking spaces that boarded the sidewalk in front of the tower. Popping into view, Springer held the door for Phoebe as she climbed out.
:You ready for this?: she asked.
"No," Springer said with a grin.
They walked toward the door to enter. They disappeared just as Owen drove up and parked behind Drift. He would do so illegally. They climbed out, ran for the door and then began to run for the small elevator that would take them upward to where most of the locals of any influence and longevity lived in a communal situation. They were gone in seconds.
=0=Upstairs
Everyone gathered after being called by Glenn including a number of individuals from the Resort, Unidad and N.E.S.T. HQ. He'd just been informed that Springer and Phoebe along with Drift had arrived and were coming up. The news that Owen and his gang were behind them was new and so was Millie, Adeel and Bob arriving downstairs just then. It was a curious group that filled the lounge and kitchen spaces.
"Have a seat. We have a thing to discuss and I've sent for others. They just arrived," Glenn said as everyone sat down, some chatting and others watching with curiosity as he walked to the door. Opening it, he walked into the corridor that fronted the main floor of the massive facility. One of the elevators opened.
Drift, Springer and Phoebe stepped out as another elevator opened to disgorge Harris and his party. Down below, Millie, Adeel and Bob just reached one to go up. "Springer. Drift. Thanks for coming."
"What do you know, General?" Harris asked.
"Nothing more than before, Owen. What I want is for you to go in there silently so we can listen to this together. If you're going to cause a scene you're barred," Glenn said as he looked at the men with Owen.
The elevator opened allowing Millie, Adeel and Father Bob to step out. "General," she said. "What's happening?"
"We have a situation, Millie. Adeel, Bob, we're glad you're here. Phoebe," he said to the doctor. "We have some missing people and we have to break the news. Try and help us keep this down without chaos. Its easier to absorb the news better."
They stared at him, then each other.
"We will help," Adeel said.
"Good," Glenn said. He glanced at the door. "Then let's go in."
They did and the door closed behind them.
=0=Out there
They came out at the fourth opening of the bridge, this time to cruise forward and not drop a communications expediter. The space they came into was relatively free and there were a couple of solar systems around nice sized stars. One of them had a solid beacon going, one calling for help.
Ratchet sat in the navigator's seat next to the pilot as Sun sat mid-ship with the navigator map. It was updating as everyone combined their sensors, filling in the data of the area around them. It would take a while before anyone would go anywhere here.
=0=Tower
They entered, then moved to stand by a wall.
Morshower walked to the center of the room as everyone hushed. "I want to tell you about a situation we were just made privy to which involves a number of our own."
It was funereal immediately but everyone was silent. Some of them glanced at the clergy and Phoebe, then went paler. No one said a word.
"Some of our people went for a ride this morning on a routine rescue mission. The mission is overdue to return and another team has gone out to find them. What we know is that they're just overdue. Nothing more is confirmed. I don't want anyone here getting too excited at the moment because the bots aren't either. Ratchet himself went out with the group to find them and he'll be updating us as it goes."
"Who's with them besides Will?" Sarah Lennox asked with a calm voice, though her expression said it all.
"Corey McFarlane went. Fig, too. Jessie and Clarice. Rick Harris, Gavin, Trevor Smith, Niall. Will Lennox." Morshower stared at them grimly. "Understand. These are the pros who wrote the book, the mechs looking for them. I have faith in them to do this and bring our people home. What we have to do right now is what we always do. Hunker down, get with each other for comfort and keep ourselves together. Under no circumstances is anyone on Earth or in the other habitats to know what's going on. We have an information blackout until we have good solid intel. I hope that's understood. None of our people will become a political football for anyone on Earth." Morshower turned to Springer and Drift who were standing by the wall with the Earth2 humans. "Gentlemen, can you assist us here? Questions and insight?"
Springer and Drift glanced at each other, then stepped forward to stand beside Morshower. It was silent as everyone stared at him with a desperate hope.
"We don't leave anyone behind. I've been doing this for millions of years and so has Drift. We've seen everything. It could be engine trouble or any number of things. The team going out are the best. Warlord is leading a specialist team of Seekers who do this routinely. General Sun is leading the team with Lissie, Jack, Raptor and Steiner with him. They're the best of the best and this is something we did all the time in the war. Don't worry about this until you see us worry," Springer said.
"What was the mission, Commander, or is that classified?" the grandfather of a soldier asked. He lived here with his wife and taught woodworking in the community as a way to 'pay it all back'.
"The mission was a routine reconn for a refugee group that was signaling us. We monitor all the bands possible including those really low on the scale. This was a very weak one and when we enhanced it we got their location. It was a 'go out and get the details' mission. We do these so much we can do them in our recharge," Springer replied.
"You didn't go, Drift? Springer?" a grim faced Sam Witwicky asked. He was sitting beside an equally grim appearing Carly.
"We have to straighten out personal things. Tell needs a routine when we're on missions. Amma Turbine will be helping there," Drift said. "We'll go out if there's a need, though."
"We just have to wait for more information. All of the senior Autobots have a rolling feed for whatever is going on from the Ops Center all the time. We get it all. When we get it we can tell you. Who's the point man here?" Springer asked Morshower.
"John is," Morshower said. "You're here until we know what's going on."
Fulton nodded, then glanced at Drift. "What can we expect?"
Drift turned to him. "Nothing until we know. We'll tell you as it comes in. Right now, they made it there and they're mapping the area. Apparently, there's two viable stars with solar systems. They've isolated the original signal. Until they get a clear map of the entire sector no one is going in."
Springer nodded. "That's the latest."
"Well, they got there," Lonnie Epps said as she held a solemn faced daughter. "We'll get them back and have to listen to the stories from here until eternity."
A small ripple of laughter and agreement greeted that, then Bobby Epps stood. "What can I do?"
"You can run N.E.S.T. HQ here until Lennox gets back. You're going to be temp commander until this resolves. Fulton has charge of the overall human community on world but you take day-to-day of the HQ," Morshower said. "No one else has it but you."
Epps nodded. "I wish I'd gone with them," he said with regret.
=0=There
"Well, nothing around for zillions of miles but that signal in that nice little solar system," Ratchet said as he perused the map with Steiner and Jack. Sun was at navigation doing some math.
"Yeah. Time to go in," Steiner said. "Sun?"
Sun glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah?"
"Wanna send a message?" Steiner asked.
He nodded. "Yes." He reached for buttons and linked in. "Signal from the third planet sending, this is General Ironhide the Elder of Praxus, a city on the planet Cybertron. We're a peaceful exploration team and picked up your distress signal. We'd like to come in and render assistance. We recognize elements of our own tech in your signal. We come to you in peace. Please respond."
They listened but the signal continued without abatement or intensity increasing.
"Well, they don't appear to get your charisma, Sun," Ratchet said with a grin. "Personally, I'd be all over you."
Sun guffawed, then glanced at Ratchet with a grin. "You have good taste." He reached for controls. "Sun to Warlord."
:Warlord here, dad:
Sun guffawed. "Smart aft. How about buzzing that planet with the signal. Nothing too slow or close."
:On it:
Three Seekers split off and jetted toward the planet led by Warlord. They flew straight in and when they reached the planet they fell completely off the sensor screens of everyone.
Sun stared at the screen, then glanced back at the others who were equally surprised. "Well, that's fragged," he said.
=0=Ops Center
Prowl frowned. "This is strange."
Prime glanced up, then moved his chair closer to Prowl. "What happened?"
"We got intel from Sun and the local map. They sent Warlord and a couple of Seekers to scan the planet sending the signal and when they did they disappeared."
"How?" Prime asked.
Prowl shook his helm. "I don't know."
=0=There
"Well, hmm…" Sun stared at the console. "Torus, send a probe into the atmosphere of that planet."
Torus, a tech soldier with zillions of years experience made it happen.
A very small probe flew out of the ship and headed toward the planet. It flew into its path, rounded on it, then fell off the sensors.
It was very silent in the ship.
:Jack to Sun:
"Sun here."
:That was fragged:
Sun guffawed. "You speak the truth. However, what does it all mean?"
:You never know until you go: Jack suggested.
"So … you volunteering?" Sun asked as he considered their plight.
:Do you have to ask? How about I send light beams out until one of them disappears? It might tell us the limits of whatever the frag this is: Jack said.
"Sounds good. Be slow. Pull back immediately if you-"
That was as far as he got.
=0=TBC 03-22-2021