The Diego Diaries: Moving On (dd7 90)
{ } indicates NeoCybex, Cybertronian standard speech
=0=Sitting on a ledge in a nexus room
Ratchet leaned back against a bulkhead as he ate his sandwich. A beer and chips were within reach as was a big slice of chocolate cake. He was famished, he thought as he ate the food. Nothing had tasted this good in a while.
Ironhide sat on the ledge across from him staring at him with a slight sense of miff hanging over him. "You were a slagger doing what you did. You have kids and other responsibilities."
"I know," Ratchet said as he tapped Ironhide lightly with his ped. "Have you ever seen a titan crash from a height?"
"No," Ironhide said as his tone indicated he wasn't mollified.
"It's nothing I want to see twice. The fireball probably would have blasted everyone on the ground good," Ratchet said. "Have you ever heard about Avalone?"
Ironhide nodded. "I asked Max. He told me that they were inseparable. Banner loves Avalone and he loves Banner. They got split up and he's been pining and looking for Avalone ever since. Its slagging sad and you're changing the subject."
"He told me that he was going to die," Ratchet said. "He thought I was Avalone. He called for him and I said I was here. He said he loved me. Then he went off line."
It was silent a moment.
"When will he be up and portable?" Ironhide asked.
"I don't know. He's destroyed in a lot of places. I wouldn't trust him to transform. He could turn into a fire ball for any number of reasons. I have to replace literally miles and miles of cable and conduits. This is going to be likely a total rebuild," Ratchet replied.
"Can you do that?" Ironhide asked as he gathered Ratchet's trash into a bag.
"I think so," Ratchet said. "Retriades is a doctor as well. Summer Breeze on Cybertron is another. They have pretender gear and they can help if I need it." Ratchet grinned. "I just remembered that football season started two orns ago."
"Prime asked them to postpone it for a few until this and the mission gets sorted out. We haven't heard from the team but then we aren't supposed to yet," Ironhide replied as he stood to go.
Ratchet nodded. He grinned. "I can't wait to see you play football. You're getting to be an all around athlete and stand up mech, Ironhide. I don't know about that."
Ironhide smirked. "Live with it, old mech. I AM IRONHIDE! I AM ALL AROUND!" He turned toward the door. "I'll be around." With that, he walked out and headed toward who knew where.
Ratchet watched him, then grinned slightly. "You better be." He ate his cake slowly, savoring it, then got back to the work of putting the equivalent of a giant mirror dropped from a second story window to the ground below back together good enough that the cracks wouldn't show.
=0=As the dawn breaks at the site of Banner's triage
Epps, Graham and Lennox sat on the hood of their truck in their suits watching the show nearby. A battered ship sat on the ground oddly lifeless as the life's blood of its body still dripped from the hangar deck. It was the rest of the cleaning up, the now diluted energon that had fallen out of the slashes in his lines.
Tanker trucks had sucked it out of what looked to the humans like duck ponds truckers and others used to control spills and weird substances. It took a while to get it, then the trucks moved onward to other things.
:Damn. He lost a lot of energon: Epps said as the others nodded. :Can you imagine something entering your body and tearing out your guts?:
Niall Graham nodded. :Did I ever tell you that I went to the first alien movie by myself? I saw a movie called 'Alien' on the listings and thought this might be fun. I think I crawled out of the theater on my hands and knees when it was over:
Will looked at him with a grin. :Did you scream like a little girl?: he asked.
Graham nodded. :Yes, I did. You?:
Lennox snickered, then nodded. :I did:
They laughed as a big convoy of trucks carrying loads of replacement parts drove past, then rounded the corner of the massive ship to disappear from sight.
:I heard that no one knows how to fix these guys but Ratchet. I heard he's training doctors for them but it really is all on him: Epps said.
:Want to hear a rumor?: Lennox asked.
The two glanced at him, then nodded.
:Ratchet was on board the ship when they brought him down. He was running the thrusters. When the ship slipped, he fired them full and they were able to tractor in the other ships. No one knew he was. He just stayed: Lennox said.
It was silent a moment.
:I heard that he does this kind of thing a lot. It drives Ironhide crazy. It doesn't surprise me: Graham said.
:The same source told me that there wouldn't be enough time for Ratchet to bridge off if Banner fell. If that titan had fallen there would be an insane explosion with all the fuel and munitions. It might have taken out a lot of the stuff and mechs around here: Lennox finished.
It was silent a moment.
:Ratchet has balls: Epps said as he stared at the hangar deck where things were being dragged out and dropped into the bed of a long trailer pulled by a sentient tractor truck.
The two nodded in agreement as they watched.
=0=Resort of Autobot City, Monastery Road, The City
The guests stood by the windows watching the scene below. It was morning and their tours in directions not within the no-go zone were awaiting their breakfast. The flight zones were now open though the airports were still closed to civilian flights.
The flying visitations would still go on utilizing the Autobot City Municipal and Interplanetary Airport nearby and the landing pad here at the Resort.
It would be a noisy morning as those who were supposed to go on driving tours got to do other things instead. But most of the free timers would stay by the windows watching the show several Cybertronian miles away as a battered ship was repaired ably by his peers.
=0=Far, far away
They sat in a bar knocking it back as they settled into the frontier town of Broken Hole. It rather was. The planet they were visiting had a huge crater and in the middle of it was the heavily fortified settlement of Broken Hole. The outpost was permissive and available to anyone who came. It was neutral in its politics but ferocious in meting out punishment for infractions. That kept the peace and order.
Sitting back in his chair, Springer glanced around. {What now, Mom?} he asked Elita.
{Well, son, why not get on with it?} Elita said as she finished her drink, then rose to go.
The others knocked them back, then followed her to the door and beyond.
The city itself was surrounded by massive walls, electronic things that looked like they might hurt and cameras everywhere. There were several parts of this crowded meeting place and market center.
Some of the buildings in the settlement were made for Cybertronians. Some were small and meant for others. There was any number of other things for different kinds of beings both tall, small and ethereal. The streets were crowded as overhead vessels of all kinds flew in and out.
A lot of trading was going on here so they broke up to look around, ask and/or buy information and agreed to meet up in three joors at the same cafe they had eaten at once their ship was secured and safe. It would be a dangerous but highly profitable saunter.
=0=The Hourly News: Update At 1000 joors on the TMC
"This is Lim-Lee bringing you the hourly news as it happens. Today, the Office of Strategic Communications headed by Autobot Jazz of Kaon released information about the situation unfolding near Tyger Pax.
"Eleven metrotitans were making their way to our system towing two of their number who had been attacked and nearly mortally wounded by roving gangs of pirates. It is common practice for marauders to hunt them, disable or kill them, then plunder their bodies for technology to sell or trade.
"Most of our beloved titanic class is either in or making their way to Soft Space, a refuge for their kind in another dimensional plane. The injuries to the two necessitated a frantic run up the Orion Arm to this location when they were attempting to land Banner earlier this morning."
The view cut to the entire video of Banner trying to lower and his near fall. It was exciting and nauseating a the same time.
"Fortunately, they were able to land him and are going through his body line by line item to ensure that everything is repaired and optimal. That will take some time and until the vessel is secured and able to move to its final placement space with the other eleven vessels, the situation for him and everyone else will continued to be influenced by this operation.
"Right now, we will display the Community Bulletin Board to allow you to see what is open, what is closed and which roads are declared impassible for now." The scene shifted and the slowly scrolling board was seen. A lot of things were still closed.
=0=Earlier on a train platforms
Mack, Jetta and Prime waited for a train that was held up by the situation and freight trains that used the same tracks and routes. As they waited on the platform for transport, half a dozen younger mechs stood nearby with them. They were silently waiting, neither side acknowledging the other, though Prime knew from briefings that they were identified as gangsters.
As they waited, Hercy and Kup walked down the stairs to the platform, joining Prime and the other two. It was silent as Drift and Springer gathered with Prime.
:Well, look what the wind blew in: Hercy said to Prime. :Gangsters at your right:
:I have been briefed by Hauser about them. What if anything do you have on them?: Prime asked.
:I'd have to ask Hauser: Kup said as the sounds of a train approaching rumbled beneath their peds.
Everyone looked in the direction of an incoming train, then watched it pass through. It was a freight train carrying mechs and tools toward Tyger Pax. It passed by and things were silent again.
Hercy glanced at the kids. "Tough waiting. How are you doing?"
The kids glanced at him, then one nodded. "Good. You?"
"I'm good," Kup said. "I was wondering, though. I heard that there were members of local gangs riding the trains."
The kids stared at him, then each other. The one glanced back at Springer. "Where did you hear that? Gangs? Here?"
Hercy grinned slightly. "Yeah. Scum finds its own level, I guess. You haven't heard about it have you?"
"No," another said as the rest shrugged.
The sound of another train coming was heard, then it slid into view. Halting, it slid open its doors as several mechs stepped out to walk up to street level. "Circle Line to next stop, Temple District. Watch your step," an automated voice said.
Everyone on the platform, Prime's group and the gang kids entered the train. The kids moved as far away from Prime and the others as they could. The doors closed and they sped onward.
=0=News
"The Prime will be speaking to the colony about events unfolding at noon, 1200 hours on the TMC. We will carry that message live. Meanwhile, in sports news, the Autobot City Professional Football League opening announcements and team rosters have been held up pending the outcome of this event. Cowling is here with that and news of the opening of the infant football league. Cowling?"
A good looking young mech appeared on the screen. "Good morning, Autobot City and all urban areas on Mars. The team rosters for league play which will include 14 teams both here and on Cybertron will be released at 1300 joors on the TMC on the Community Bulletin Board in the sporting events files. That will include all players, teams and changes to existing rosters as of release time..." he said as the morning wore onward.
=0=Underground on a train
The two groups rode silently along and when they reached Temple Station, the doors opened and several young mechs entered. They didn't see Prime but they saw the half dozen kids sitting and standing along the wall at the end of the train car. The doors closed behind them.
=0=TBC 9-18-19
True story: I was the doofus who went to the Alien movie alone because it was a 'space movie!' and I almost did crawl out on my hands and knees. LOL! :D
ethereal: (eeee-th-ear-eel) ghost like. Not really real.
THANK YOU FOR CATCHING THE ERROR IN WHO WAS IN THE STATION! HERO, YOU ARE! LOL! HUGS