The Diego Diaries: Free Fall (dd7 87)
=0=From the ground
It looked as bad as it must be as the ship slipped two tractor beams, then swung stern down in the grip of the other three. The two that failed crossed each other and there was a huge flash of fire before the beams went out completely. Two ships pulled back as Dangerous began to pull upward straining to hold the vessel in its twisting agonized dangle.
Two others still gripped it but their tractor beams began to glow with overloading energy. They were strong enough to do the job but the movement of Banner was overpowering their grips. As they gripped and Banner swung, his energon began to rain down on the ground again.
"PRIME TO RATCHET! ANSWER ME!"
There was silence a moment, then the thrusters came online full out, slowing the swinging motion of the ship. :Optimus … wait a second …:
"RATCHET! GET OFF THAT SHIP! NOW!" Ironhide bellowed as he lunged toward the runabout again. Raptor and Blackjack were too powerful for him. He stared upward at a ship slowing its descent but it was still coming down.
:Danny: Ratchet said over the mass link. :Stop and hold him. Who can take the other's place? What happened?:
:The others … they crossed beams and burned out. Ratchet, hold him a moment with thrusters if you can: Danny said as he called to Tennyson who was at the energy rift. :Tenn, COME! We have an emergency!:
:On my way: a deep voice said, then there was silence.
As they braced him, Banner began to slip again.
:I'M STRUGGLING!: Cryptic Warrior cried out. :GRIP HIM, STRIKER!:
:I AM!: Striker called back.
They began to fall again as a cloud of Seekers flew in, magnetized, then turned on their thrusters full. It slowed a moment, then the downward momentum was too great. The Seekers struggled, then began to release Banner in groups of two or three so that letting go didn't speed up his free fall.
Prime watched with a stricken spark. The Matrix was silent as they stood together helplessly watching. Others were arriving, the rest of Ironhide's family, other soldiers, the scientists who were watching on television and came to the site as well as news reporters who were held in the safety zone behind them against a fall and resultant massive explosion.
It was an astonishing thing to see. Banner was out. There were no lights, no signs of life but that which Ratchet was coaxing out of him. Energon was falling, raining all over the place as he swung in the powerful grip of Riot, Striker and Danny. Then two beams shot out from the darkness from the direction of Tyger Pax. They slammed into the ship and Banner held, stilled for a moment before swinging again.
His momentum was slowed a bit, then two more shot out from another direction. The four ships hovering over Tyger Pax were moving in to save Banner. Their beams caught him, steadying him in the grip of Danny and their other two partners from their long migration. Banner was silent, caught in the web of their beams, slowing to a stop nearly 1200 feet from the ground.
It was as still as a graveyard all around the area.
=0=The Family Tower
"Oh my god," Mama Fig whispered as she held her husband and son's hands. "That poor ship."
Lennox was frozen in place as he watched the spectacle. All of them were unaware that Ratchet was still on board but all of them knew that the titan was in a bad way. "Fuck," he whispered softly as the silent form of Banner began to be lowered again, ever so slowly by seven tractor beams that held his dead weight in their grips.
=0=Earth2
They watched in the lounge area of the Great Concourse, thousands of residents staring at the giant screens set up around the dining area. It was as still as a morgue in the giant communal space as they watched the horrifying show underway nearby.
Rain, Camilla, Jaycee and several others including the new kids were silently watching from the same table as their parents. Everywhere in the room, the mood and expressions were funereal as they watched the most astonishing thing they had ever seen. That it was only a few Cybertronian miles from them made it seem even worse.
This wasn't a movie. It was real life and a giant ship was going to crash into the ground and die if they weren't really careful. It was the most real thing any of them had ever experienced in real life.
In some small way, they all just made the jump from Earth to Mars.
=0=Unidad Terra 1
The concourse was packed with the tens of thousands who lived there full time. Those that weren't on essential business were gathered to watch the landing of a vessel that had been wounded by pirates no less. Pirates had wounded it for its tech. It was repulsive to everyone in the room. They knew bots and this was one of them, albeit bigger. They, too, had made the jump. This was one of theirs and he was in giant trouble.
=0=The Hourly News: LATEST BREAKING NEWS!
"We have no more information about the vessel other than its being lowered to the ground by Dangerous who is a dreadnought stationed at the DMZ along with six other vessels that had come from this new group to assist. Two more are on their way, I'm told, two or maybe three. The information is still spotty. There is one more wounded vessel waiting at the Saturn Big Frame Yard, The Dandy, who is in medical need but Banner takes precedence.
"There is no word about Banner's condition though it is evident that he is off line at the moment. None of his functional nor running lights are on and there appears to be no effort on his part to assist. His wounds its been reported are the most grievous of the eleven in this returning group.
"No one on the ground is being allowed to report at the moment. They've been moved back into the protective ring that is surrounding the field but its been promised that information will be fully forthcoming when Banner is on the ground and his safety and condition is secured.
"From the images we are receiving, the group is halting his downward ascent once again, though why is unclear..."
Aleph gave the commentary at the studio as Jacx, Gen-O, Lim-Lee and four others were making the rounds to get more information. Three of them would have to wait at the site until they were released from the safety zone where they and everyone not directly involved were taken to watch and wait.
=0=On board
Ratchet who was magnetized to the floor at the station for environmental control, ship's status and functions and the secondary nexus for Banner's mainframe checked half a dozen things before running back to the conn to check ship's status.
Banner was still held fast in their tractor beams, so he called Dangerous. :How is the net holding him, Danny?: As he called, the sound of energy resolving was heard behind him over his shoulder. Ratchet glanced back to see what it was.
Metroplex, Typhoon, Paribolus, Acroplex and Metrocon materialized, then ran for stations to sit and log in. More came. A grim faced Tyke, an even grimmer Fort Max and Hammer of Primus. They walked to Ratchet, then checked the panel.
Hammer plugged in, listened, then internally tweaked his engine output. "I just rerouted some of his non essential power to his thrusters. You have 72% now, Doctor."
"Thanks, Ham," Ratchet said. "We're holding."
A thud shook the ship as another big tractor beam gripped Banner. Tennyson was here. :Ratchet? Are you aboard? They told me you were. Everyone is very mad at you on the ground:
"Situation FUBAR, Tenn. Thanks for the assist," Ratchet said as he noted two more ships come into orbit. "More of that group just arrived. I think its Riot and Enzio."
Metroplex stood up, walked to the panel, then stared at the forward view port a second as he talked to them off line. He glanced at last at Ratchet. "They're holding to be called to help. What's Banner's status. He's not online?"
Ratchet through his jacks scanned the big silent ship. "No. He flipped into emergency stasis. We need massive infusions, Metroplex. This is fragged. Dangerous?"
:Here, Ratchet:
"He's off line but stable in your grip. Take us down really slowly. He's not in line with his frame and he could break something if he isn't laid down in one piece. No bends or we break," Ratchet replied.
:Understood. Everyone, listen to me: Danny said to the others as he explained his plan to straighten Banner on his baseline, then go directly down to set him on the ground. It would take math and teamwork.
Ratchet watched the dials that showed level for the big mech in relation to the ground. He slowly began to move as the big mechs checked their movements to shift him. When he was level, Ratchet said, "You're good. You can go but real slow and coordinated."
:Understood. Follow my count: Danny said as the ships began to slowly go downward once more.
Banner vibrated slightly as the ground began to seemingly rise up to meet them but slowly and steadily this time.
Ratchet could see light from the giant towers that lined the field, then the tops of big tankers. Down they went until a thud ran through the vessel.
Banner was down.
Ship talk filled the intercom system and the bridge as the big vessels discussed detaching. When they did, they did so at the same time. It felt to those standing on the bridge that Banner seemed to sag, though he didn't. It was likely it was their nerves they felt droop.
Ratchet stared at the screen which was filled with trucks and bots hurrying their way. Ships filled with energon lifted up and flew toward him ready to attach and pump what Banner needed into his body. The ground that they traveled was slick with Banner's energon, shaken from him as he began to fall.
Sirens filled the air as aid began to come. Along with them, running as fast as they could, Prime and everyone with him followed. They hurried through the strangely stark light toward the silent figure of the big mech. He was streaked with fire marks from direct hits, his hangar doors were damaged and open but little else showed much life.
It would take a while to get there but they did and began to climb inside the hangar deck. Energon was slick there, very deep and dripping out the hacked doorway. Moving forward carefully, the group followed Optimus as he used the Matrix to find the pathway forward to Banner's panel, the place where his spark lived. They all disappeared into the darkness as more entered behind them. They were here to save his life and get him attached to infusion lines.
=0=The bridge and command center of Banner of Larum V, his last colonial venture
The lights were brighter when Optimus and the others walked onto the bridge. Hurrying across the huge broad space toward the command central location, Optimus noted that most of the titans and dreads were here in pretender gear. So were also several Supremes including Kappa who was kneeling before a panel helping Ratchet who was laying on his back working on something inside.
"What is the story and prognosis?" Prime asked Metroplex who turned toward him as he watched the dials at environmental.
"We're not sure," Metroplex said. "Ratchet says he has to be stabilized and that's going to take a lot of energon. He's directing teams to staunch and repair his wounds."
Prime nodded, then knelt down as well. He looked into the panel. "Ratchet?"
Ratchet glanced at Prime as he tightened something overhead of where he was laying. "Hi, Optimus. I suppose Ironhide is furious."
"YES! IRONHIDE IS *FRAGGING* FURIOUS, OLD MECH!" a voice bellowed from overhead.
Ratchet listened, then grinned slightly. "Oh, frag," he said quietly.
=0=TBC 9-15-19