The Diego Diaries: Home Again (dd9 223)
(I had a feeling when I wrote the last one that I'd regret it. I left out rescuing the science team. LOL! SWIFT EYED READERS ARE GOLD! Thank you for the tip off. :D I will edit that after I post this one to include them. I think I've got more than a few bruises and soreness do deal with here. :D:D:D)
=0=On Camber
"Score."
Ratchet turned to the command crew. "All is done of the building. What about the rest of the town and maybe even the planet?"
Smokescreen the Elder was working Sensors. He glanced at the others. "There's no sign of life on any of our metrics nor is there a sign of anything energetic or mechanical below."
Prime looked relieved. "Then a machine has been operating by itself for about 500 million years fulfilling its function."
"It would appear to be so, Prime," Receptor said.
"Then let us go home. What is the condition of the captured?" Optimus asked.
Ratchet listened off line, then turned toward him. "All of them hungry. Some of them cared. Optimal otherwise."
"Very well. General Raptor, take us to the others, then call a bridge. Let us go home now," Optimus said with evident relief in his voice.
Raptor complied.
=0=Elsewhere waiting
Springer glanced toward Lon who sat in barely concealed worry at the end of the shuttle. "Lon."
Lon glanced up at him.
"They got Bezel," Springer replied.
Lon stared at him, then sat back trying to appear as nonchalant as he could at the news. "Is he okay?"
"Everyone is. It was some sort of automated system that retrieves specimens from space for their zoo. Some kind of annihilated world on an untethered star caught in the nebula. Its a … one in a zillion kind of thing. They're coming, then we go home," Springer replied.
Sunstreaker clapped Lon on the shoulder. "This is good. This is what it means to be a soldier, Lon. Welcome to hell."
It was a quiet and grateful wait for the big ships to hove into view. Then a bridge flared, they formed up and everyone began to leave. They were gone in seconds.
=0=Saturn Shipyard, Sol System, The Great (Milky Way) Galaxy, Universe, Multiverse, Omniverse, Infinity (and beyond)
They came into the docking stations, the dread and titans to get upgrades and refits. The shuttles were slid into a huge floating dock for inspections and refit as well. The crews bridged to the main station nearby where everyone would wait for stand down.
The soldiers walked to seats nearby to sit and wait for the senior officers to get their perspectives and to hear the word to go home.
As Lon stood by the window staring out at the stars and the vast panorama of ships, docks, a half built space station and small vessels darting about, Hercy and his crew entered the space.
Bezel saw Lon, then walked toward him.
Lon watched him approach in the reflection of the glass as he held back from flinging himself at Bezel. They both withheld, standing side-by-side as they held a blazing conversation off line in front of the mechs who were making a point of looking everywhere but at the two. When they finally embraced it was a relief to everyone.
Prime and the officers entered the lounge together, pausing before the dozens of soldiers who were part of the shuttle force. Lissie and the others rose to speak with him, then turned toward the soldiers.
"We found the science crew," he said to everyone's relief. "A planet is caught in the nebula, one that's been untethered from its star for more than an estimated 500 million years. They have an automated retrieval system for a zoo of some kind. It was the only functional device on the planet. We have demolished it and no one will be retrieved against their will again."
"Did it show how they died or is it a catastrophic kind of calamity?" Hercy asked.
"We managed to see a last entry at the zoo. One of the humanoids that worked there stated that they had a dangerous thing and that he didn't want to keep it. Apparently, it had the power and ability to not only display its own anger at capture but to destroy the entire planet's organic population and untether it from its star," Perceptor said.
Everyone stared at Perceptor with disbelief.
"What could do that, Percy?" Splice asked his old friend from the Wrecker days.
"Uncertain," Percy replied. "Just be comforted that it was over half a billion years ago and not here." Murmurs agreed with that then Perceptor turned to a grinning Wheeljack. "Shall we go and see about your family?"
Huge congratulations were given to Wheeljack as they began to walk from the lounge to a nearby pedestrian bridge that was running with a pathway toward Mars. They entered and were gone. The bridge was shut down and things spun on at Saturn Station.
=0=On the street going home
After a run of bullshit together, a stop in at Ops Center and the usual twaddle, everyone began to leave. Some transformed and drove off, others headed to the bars and restaurants opened everywhere, some took cabs and the Metro onward as others walked toward their homes nearby. Lon and Bezel took a cab home to frag like bunnies and have a spark-to-spark.
Typical stand down of an armada of the Prime.
=0=Prime and Prowl
They entered a silent house, thanked Kes and Tagg, then checked children, pets and messages in that order. Prowl walked to the kitchen, brewed two cups and laid out two slices of Celebration cake. The usual feed for the masses was canceled this time around, delayed toward later because of the closeness of an important mission to the Festival itself.
Prime entered, sat and waited for Prowl to join him.
They ate their cake silently a moment, then Prowl glanced at him. "Was all well over there?"
"It was," Prime said with a nod. "Were you ever aware that there were things in you that you were not aware of? That you did not know existed inside you but were there?"
Prowl considered that, then nodded. "I do. I did anyway. I knew I could never be a high caste even before I understood the caste system. It was just there, a realization that I couldn't be what it meant to be that kind of mech."
Prime nodded. "Well, it appears that the Powers believe I need more confidence in myself, to not worry about the past and future but focus on the present."
"Don't you?" Prowl asked with a slight surprise.
"I thought I did," Prime said as he sipped his hot drink. "Apparently I need to think about what happens now and let the future come to me."
"I don't think that's how this works with the army and Primeship. Ask them for more information, Optimus. I hate philosophy. There's no correct answer nor path. Just a path and its consequences and that path and the other one … its just not me," Prowl answered.
"I like philosophy. I just do not have time to be philosophical. The burdens are material and real. The solutions messy sometimes. But there is one silver lining in all of it," Optimus said with a grin.
Prowl grinned back. "What""
"Basketball starts in two decaorns," Optimus replied.
Prowl grinned. "Another championship for the mantle piece."
Prime nodded. Then he grinned. "I do not presume to be preoccupied nor predict the future but if the past is any guarantee, then you need to clear space."
They would chat for a while then retire.
=0=Downstairs
They slipped in, hugged Ravel, checked the kids, raided the fridge, sassed a lot, then walked to the berth room and collapsed. They were in recharge before they hit the pillows.
=0=At an apartment in Iacon
They bathed him together having taken the rest of the night off. Tell was sleepy and soothed, delighted to see them and ready to sleep.
Drift patted him dry, then watched as Springer lotioned his baby armor. "His armor is so tiny. I've never seen anything so cute."
"How about we get him tiny swords? And maybe a blaster?" Springer asked as he wiped his servos on a cloth. The baby glowed under his attentions.
Drift grinned. "I can see that." He handed Springer a blanket and watched as he rather handily swaddled the infant. "You're getting good at that."
"Practice makes perfect. That's how I'm so good in the berth," Springer said as he gently handed the baby to Drift.
Chuckling softly, they walked to their room, tucked the baby into his crib, then sat down on the berth. It was silent a moment.
"Lon and Bezel better get a perspective. I feel for both of them," Springer said as he lay back at last. "I sort of have enough assurance in your ability to fight not to worry too much. Those two are still learning."
Drift lay back after checking Tell. "I know. It'll happen. More fighting lessons and maybe a chat or two. It wouldn't hurt to talk to them, Springer. They're good and they'll be great with age and experience."
"You do the spark-to-spark stuff. I do the 'flex my chassis and say cryptic stuff' part of our duo," Springer said with a grin. "I am, after all, the God of the Hunt."
"You are," Drift said with a chuckle. "When's Tell's next appointment?"
"I wrote it on the board. I'm too tired to remember," Springer said.
Good night, Drift."
"Good night, Springer."
=0=Elsewhere
They sat on the couch side-by-side holding hands and a beer. The lights were off and it was quiet in the apartment.
"I would have no reason to continue if you ever ended," Lon finally said. "When I came here I was such a punk. I don't remember that person easily anymore."
"You were never a punk, Lon. I asked around. You never did things that the others did in the villages and settlements. You were always one of the good guys," Bezel said. "We both got dealt a raw deal but we climbed out of it. We're not the others. Neither is Burnoff and Default either. Four of us made it completely out. Its a proud thing to be."
Lon glanced at the handsome profile of his partner and bond. "I love you, Bez. I almost came apart when your ship disappeared."
Bezel squeezed his servo. "I know. I could feel it for a second. Hercy is a god to me, Lon. He was never afraid. He knew Optimus Prime would come. Do you think we'll ever be like him, Hercy and the other elders?"
"That's the goal, Bez. We'll get there but it has to be together. We try to get the same shuttle next time," Lon said. He grinned. "Sunny and Sideswipe knew that the Master would turn down our request to be on the same ship."
Bezel grinned. "I know. Do you want me to talk to Prowl about getting the waiver so serve together? We don't have kids yet."
"You can ask. I'll go with you," Lon said.
They would sit and sip beer together for half the night, then sleep late the next day.
=0=The next morning
The sun was late coming so the early morning was dark and cold. Spring was getting the late winter treatment, this season being the longest of all. The mainstays of the colony, government offices, the policing stations and Courthouse, markets, restaurants and utilities were receiving day shift workers and early bird customers as the shifts began to change and businesses opened all over the colony.
The construction workers and other heroes of the revolution having had their twenty orn vacation off were rising to take trains both below and above ground, cabs or drive themselves to work once more. Several monumental housing developments awaited their magic. Refugees were found and ever came no matter what day or celebration was going on.
The shift came in as the night crew left, the big mechs exchanging bullshit and gossip as they did. The desk manager bid his day shift replacement goodbye to head out to do whatever he did during the day.
Sitting in a box in a room nearby in this, the Courthouse Jail, James 'Big Jim' Johnson waited out his fate for fighting in the travel box out in the mission. He would sit and wait for a bit longer.
=0=TBC 8-04-2021 ALL HAIL SHARP EYED READERS! :D