The Diego Diaries: Calamity (dd8 177)
=0=At the scene
They watched the doors which were visible for all three of the buildings, though some were farther away. When the door to the Tomsa Tower opened and three mechs staggered out Dok felt his spark flutter. They were in bad condition, the three. He started to go for them before Fenix caught his arm.
"Let them, Dok," he said quietly.
Then doors opened as mechs and the odd femme staggered out. Some appeared to be wandering aimlessly, staggering now and again in their stupor. Others walked out, then fell to crawl on their knees. Some fell before they left the buildings as sensors noted a number of individuals sitting against walls or laying flat on the floor of the corridors outside of their apartments.
Overhead, the roar of runabouts coming in could be heard as they began to land in the streets both side and nearby. Medics ran from them heading for the fallen as more came out, some helping others and others crying out for help.
Prime felt himself running forward following Ratchet as he hustled to catch those who were tipping to fall and others who were staggering to sit heavily, their illness overwhelming their strength.
Ratchet shouted for medics as Prime followed by the twins and Tygress, a Watch medic ran for the door of Tomsa Tower. Entering, they nearly tripped over two femmes who were sprawled on the floor moaning with pain and confusion. "SUNSTREAKER!" he shouted, then continued onward following the off line direction of a Watch mech running scans from a tech truck nearby. He was locating everyone in all four buildings to direct help their way for rescue.
Nearby filming the scene for television and off world broadcast, the images happening before them were going out over the airways both to bots everywhere and humans on Earth who were being shown the situation as it developed from the first moment of action.
=0=The Hourly News: LATEST BREAKING NEWS: THE STANDOFF IN CITY 4!
"We've just received word that the standoff is coming to an end with the surrender of the remaining 91 individuals from Meadow Lands. Apparently, a leader of their colony, Dok of Crystal City has called for them to surrender and they're doing it at this moment. It appears that those surrendering are showing enormous disabilities in relation to the disease, protoform wasting, a new strain of which came to the colony with them from their own refugee base far from here.
"The disease identified by Sciences as PF-1 is a new variant strain of protoform wasting or Cache's Disease as its historically known which is also faster acting and more virulent than the two known strains called Cache F and Cache F-B. Those are common among our species when malnutrition and nutrient deprivation occur over a long period of time. This new strain developed in the unique circumstances of their refugee colony and has been enormously detrimental to those affected.
"The group surrendering are being medevaced to the Autobot City Medical Center, Pax Medical Center and Terra Medical Center for emergency care. Given the advanced state that many appear to be, the mortality rate of this new strain is very high. Its stressed that this is not a contagious version of the disease. One cannot 'catch' any of the variants of Cache's Disease. They're a byproduct of long term food and nutrient deprivation.
"Our film crews are on the scene with Jacx and he's with us to file a report. Jacx?" Aleph said.
The screen cut to a busy area and a very grim-faced reporter. "Good evening, Aleph. I'm on the scene at the standoff which appears to be ending as all of the holdouts are coming out of the buildings. Its impossible to tell you how poorly they appear to be as many of them have staggered out and fallen.
"Roundabouts are landing on the street behind me and on streets on both sides of the area. Medics have poured out and in the distance you can hear the sound of ambulances arriving from Emergency Services Central Motor Dispatching in Crystal City. There are refugees fallen all over the tower plazas as they struggled to leave the buildings but couldn't muster the strength to go very far.
"All of them are currently surrounded by medics who are stabilizing them, I'm told, for transport. They're being flown out to the emergency centers of the various Medical Centers. The children who were all evacuated earlier are mostly being treated at the Children's Treatment Center in Pax which is a children's hospital for heavy trauma and long term care.
"I'm going to ask the cameras to turn toward the scene and I'll describe what's going on if I can," Jacx said as the cameras did just that. "This group is prepping two mechs for transport by ambulance to Pax. They're young and very ill." It was a frenetic scene as the medics along with an Autobot soldier prepared the mechs to be placed on stretchers that were being hustled their way by ambulance drivers and their paramedic assistants.
They arrived, discussed what they'd do, then cooperated to lift both onto stretchers. The mechs didn't appear to be awake or aware and offered no resistance. With everything attached to them gathered, the rescuers lifted them, then began to rush to an ambulance nearby where soldiers were gathered to assist if needed. The camera followed, then swiftly swung around to a doorway down the way in Esco Tower.
The door opened and a pair of mechs stepped out, one staggering and the other struggling to hold them both up. Both fell to the ground, one to silence and the other to screaming and waving. A medic, Partition was nearly there and when he arrived, he slid to a halt, then knelt down as Lancer caught up. He began to scan, then work frantically on the two as another medic arrived.
Nearby, more were being lifted to be carried as safely as their determined rescuers could make it. All around in the weirdly brightly lit area, scenes of the same context were happening. It gave a weird glow and surreal ambiance, like stepping out of a bar when you were slightly blotto and the light seemed to swim. Everything looked odd and unsafe in the chaos of rescue.
The cameras cut back to Jacx. "A moment ago I saw Optimus Prime and a number of individuals run into a building, I believe it was the Tomsa Tower. The technicians nearby," he said pointing to a Watch van filled with instruments and three mechs working, "is scanning the affected floors and elsewhere else to locate the remaining individuals based on their transponder locations determined by information relayed by the Bureau of Refugees. The plan is to go floor-to-floor in all the towers from the basements to the rooftops until everyone is found, securely identified and retrieved.
"Right now, the chaos of transport is full on. I'm going to walk over there to speak to Commander Paragon who's running the logistics of the situation to see how many may be left to find. Follow me, Kuri," he said to a camera man who was off screen. The camera did as he walked toward a tall handsome Prowl look alike. "Commander, can I have a word?"
Paragon glanced at him. "A quick one." He held a datapad and it was obvious that he was taking data in as it was relayed.
"How many are found and how many more to go?" Jacx asked.
Paragon glanced at him, then the scene. "We have 76 located, 45 transported as of now and 15 to find. That's all I can give you for now, Jacx."
"Thank you, Commander," Jacx said as he stepped back. "Aleph."
The scene cut back to the studio where Aleph sat with a grim expression on his face. "Thank you, Jacx. We hope to come back to you shortly and hopefully, you might be able to speak with Lord Optimus at some point. In the meantime, lets review what we know.
"A few orns ago the refugee group that was marooned on a planet they called Meadow Lands was discovered and rescued by a mission led by General Hard Drive of Praxus. It was a difficult mission but a group numbering 941 was brought to Mars for repatriation into the fold.
"On the first orn here there was a dispute in the lobby of the Esco Tower in City 4 of Crater District 7. It led to a standoff by the refugees that involved shooting and the wounding, apparently minor, of several individuals including Optimus Prime, Commanders Ratchet of Iacon, Springer of Polyhex and Drift of Kaon. After a period of negotiation, Dok of Crystal City, a refugee leader of the colony asked that all of them stand down and come out for medical treatment. At that time over 850 did so with the remaining 91 to come out now with this second appeal.
"It would appear that an epidemic level of Cache's Disease, protoform wasting as it is commonly known has occurred in the group over the course of their exile. This is a new form of the disease called PF-1 that is currently affecting nearly everyone in the refugee group. It has the ability to impair judgment thereby adding another layer of complexity to the effort to get them to surrender willingly.
"Right now, the final group is being evacuated to the Medical Centers in Autobot City, Terra and Pax. Their children are being treated at the Children's Treatment Center and Long Term Care Facility for children and babies in Pax. If you have an appointment at any of these facilities over the next few orns you're being asked to contact them to check if there's any changes to scheduling due to this unforeseen situation. The facilities are contacting clients but have thus far as this joor not been able to reach everyone.
"Emergency Services is asking for anyone traveling through City 4 on the south side to reroute your travel toward the north. Every street from 10th through 16th is cordoned off and from Actium through Caspar. It's not known how long this will hold but there are check points for locals to pass to go to their homes or leave which have been placed to keep things safe. It asked that you cooperate until the all clear. It may be inconvenient but then so is dying according to," Aleph glanced at the handheld message with updates on it," General Ironhide the Elder of Praxus." He looked at the screen with a small grin. "We'll be right back after this."
=0=Prime heading upward
He ran to the elevator and went up three floors to the last of the refugees still in the building. The door opened and he nearly stepped on two little elder femmes laying on the floor before it. Behind them crawling on their servos and knees, two more elder mechs were trying to follow. The femmes were unconscious and the mechs were incoherent. :RATCHET! WE HAVE FOUR DOWN! ITS DIRE! TOMSA, SEVENTH FLOOR!:
:ON IT!: came Ratchet's reply.
Sunny and Tygress were working on the two femmes so he turned to the mechs. Kneeling down, he gently pressed their shoulders. "Lay down, elders. Help is on the way."
"My femme," one of them gasped. "Where is my Tico?"
"She's right here, Abba," Prime said as he glanced at the two femmes. One of them was moaning slightly. "Where's Duo?" she whispered.
Sunstreaker glanced at Prime with fury on his face as he worked on the one who was silent.
Tygress was working on the one who was whispering for what everyone guessed was a bond.
Prime gently helped Sideswipe lay the two mechs out, then held their servos. It was ghastly in the building as Prime listed to the chaotic conversations beyond. :Prime:
:Here, Paragon:
:Everyone is accounted for. They're being airlifted. We have teams coming your way. Your four are last: he said.
:Thank you, Pari: Prime replied with a slight sense of relief. He glanced at the others. "Everyone is accounted for. These are the last and help is coming."
"Good," Sunny said as he stabilized the femme. "This one is really bad."
Tygress glanced sharply at Sunstreaker. "Help me, Sunny. This one is just died."
The two broke into a frenzy of action as Sideswipe and Prime watched appalled.
=0=TBC 05-29-2021