The Diego Diaries: Stuff and Then Some (dd7 95)
=0=In a cafe in the downtown of Earth2 later that afternoon when Earth2 International School let out for the day
Barrett Walters sat staring at his textbook as he ate a snack after school. No one else was there but him so he sat and sulked. He had finished his community service of ten more days with the sanitation department for harassing girls and getting in a fight a day ago. He was still livid but had kept the smoldering flames of his feelings down below the surface of his personality, something that wasn't that fun to be around on a good day.
He'd come in, sat down with his books and pretended to do homework as he weighed his options. His sisters were attending bot school and it was like going to Harvard and MIT together. Hard was a small word for what they were doing in 'idiot class', something he called their morning school which was designed to catch them up. Apparently, as smart as they thought they were, they weren't. It amused him in a spiteful but insignificant way that those two were having as hard a time as he was.
Given that their 'idiot class' was harder than what the advanced kids did here, he probably didn't have anything to say but he thought it funny anyway. At least he didn't go full time all the time like they did. Even for him there were some things he would never do for Instagram.
He was thinking about his life on Earth as an 'influencer' on social media and a trouble making entitlement legacy in the entertainment and social pages of newspapers and television. He was known as a kid with a lot of money, fast cars and a lifestyle that only one half of one percent of his species could imagine living.
He didn't like school but he suffered along waiting until he was eighteen and inherited his grandfather's vast bequest. Then he would cut loose and be his own man. Being here was like being in prison, though he didn't dare go home because there were so few beyond him with the wit and talents to maximize living here to his own advantage, or so he thought. He would make living here pay for him later when he went back to Earth and got his independence.
For now, he had to do his homework.
As he worked and stewed, a figure watched him from a distance. She was older, wore a knitted cap over her gray hair and seemed benign enough as she studied him. He was a dark one, this boy. He had little light and that which he had was deeply muted. She considered him, then faded from view. As she did, so did Barrett Matthew Walters.
=0=Around the facility at the same moment
"Sosa."
Sosa who was senior day shift supervisor of the Operational Center of Earth2 glanced up from the command desk, then rose to walk to Security and Sensors. A Home Guardsman was sitting there. "What, Mornet?" he asked.
Mornet who was a former Decepticon and member of a fabled Seeker unit glanced up at Sosa. "We have an anomaly on our security grid. Check this out."
Sosa did, leaning in to look, then stood up again with surprise. "How did that happen? Who was it?"
Mornet checked, showed the information, then watched as Sosa hit the com line to The Fortress and Ops Center.
"Commander Sosa of Earth2 Operational Center to Commander Prowl."
:Prowl here:
"Commander, our sensor grid just suggested that someone disappeared in one of the human's cafes," he said as he directed with his officers to begin a diagnostic of the system, a major habitat scan and a personal search of the affected area.
:On my way: Prowl said as his line cut off.
Sosa and the day crew would be hard at it when Prowl and Prime arrived with their posse.
=0=Elsewhere at the same time
Ratchet was in the Hospital working on slag he couldn't put off any longer before heading back to help do some big replacements on Banner when the call came in. He rose, then hurried toward the streets below where he would race to Earth2 with his sirens blaring. Everyone would converge on the facility almost as one including Prime.
Most of them were involved in the planning for the operation against the Imperialis brothers. Some of them were coming off shift or getting ready to go on. Springer, Drift, Kup, Hercy and a security systems tech from Forensics, Mitt, came along behind them.
Everyone transformed in front of the building, then turned to the doors which were opening to them to enter. A quick entry and they were soon watching the doors inside open to allow the humans to step out toward them.
Owen Harris led them and they included a very emotional Clark and Annie Walters, parents of the missing individual. Andre Baudin and most of the leadership of the facility came forward as did Jase Daniels who stopped nearby with his father James to watch.
Prime who was standing in the habitat entry knelt down. "What is the situation here?"
Harris glanced at the others, then Prime as Sosa walked toward them from the concourse nearby. "It would appear that one of our children is missing."
Optimus Prime felt the bottom fall out of his world.
=0=Short explanations later from all involved
Wheeljack and Perceptor along with Metroplex and Typhoon showed up, were briefed then stepped aside to discuss the situation. They were all linked into the Ops Center upstairs checking out and being given the heads up on the data thus far.
It would seem that Barrett Walters was sitting in the cafe studying, the only one there besides the staff at the time when he just vanished into thin air. The waiter Mairaid, the sister of a botanist lived here full time with her retired husband, Carl, a beekeeper in 'real life'. Because he was it was a giant plus to the agricultural program and thus they were permanent-family allied residents. She had noticed he was there, turned her back to do something, then when she looked again, the kid was gone.
She didn't think anything of it until moments passed and he didn't come back. She walked into the kitchen, told the manager, then all of them consulted the security footage. He was sitting in his chair, then he vanished. They were intensely unnerved, called the Security Center, then waited for help.
Barrett Walters was scanned for and he wasn't to be found. That was when Sosa called Prowl and everyone was here grim faced and deeply concerned. The boy had just vanished into thin air from his seat at the table in the cafe.
Sky who was here to do the forensics called for his team. When they arrived, they projected their pretender gear, then followed security into the building to go to Cafe Terra.
Prime watched them go, then glanced down at Harris. "Have you had any unusual situations here that you have not told us about, Mr. Harris? I would suggest that you think long and hard. A child is missing and we need to find him."
"What about you, Prime?" Clark Walters called upward to him. "YOU SEEM TO HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS! WHERE IS MY SON!?"
"I am as mystified as you, Mr. Walters. This has never happened here before," Optimus answered as Prowl plugged into the computer nearby and began to run programs designed to find missing things, a holdover from his policing career. "We are as shocked as you are. The more you tell us, the better we can search. What have you noticed about your son lately?"
Clark stared at him, then his distraught wife. "Nothing. He was upset about the community service but he did it. He was attending school and doing well. I don't know what you're getting at but my son wasn't involved with anyone or anything that would lead to his disappearance."
"No one is implying that, Mr. Clark," Prime said. "We need to know anything and everything that you might tell us no matter how trivial. We will find him. Give us specifics if they exist so that we can. Time is of the essence," he said, then turned to Sosa. :There is no trace of him anywhere? In the waste systems or recycling? We have to assume all manner of scenarios for this venture:
Sosa nodded. :Nothing. He's not in the facility nor did he drive away. He isn't anywhere in the district and beyond. There is no bio-signature of him anywhere in the confines of the colony according to the colonial security grid as of now:
Prime nodded, then turned to Prowl. "What can you tell me?"
"Nothing," Prowl said as he unplugged. "There is nothing here to tell the tale. Nothing."
"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO!? YOU'RE THE LEADER HERE! WHAT WILL YOU DO TO FIND MY SON!?" Clark Walters said.
"We will find him," Prime said grimly. "I would suggest that you try to think about anything that will help us do so." He turned to Springer. "I want everything and everywhere searched. Broadcast an appeal to the colony that a human child is missing and we want to know anything we can to find him. We also will hold in confidence whoever calls. Start searching and use the satellites. No stone must be unturned, Prowl," Prime said.
Prowl nodded grimly, then pulled Jazz and Mirage aside. They had come when they saw Ratchet heading this way with his lights and siren. They would issue the missing child alert.
Everyone began to hustle their asses to find Barrett.
=0=The Hourly News: Important Bulletin
"We have just received an alert that a child from the human habitat, Earth2 has been discovered to be missing. No information is known about where he might be or what led to his disappearance. It is part of the security protocols of all human habitats that their bio-signatures are monitored through the grid in case of accidents, illnesses or other dangerous scenarios.
"When the Ops Center noticed that a child was missing from the bio-grid sensor net, they notified Operational Center at The Fortress and the Emergency Command Center at Fortress Maximus. N.E.S.T. HQ was notified as well according to protocols.
"Optimus Prime, Commander Prowl, Commander Ratchet and Commander Jazz immediately went to Earth2 and began to investigate the missing child report in an attempt to figure out where he might be, then rescue him. He is not appearing on the colonial security grid as per the transponder net which allows the colony to locate anyone who might need rescue anywhere on Mars or in the colony itself.
"The missing child is Barrett Walters, 16, of Los Angeles, California, a coastal state in the western United States of America. He is five feet ten inches tall, one hundred and forty-five pounds, has blond hair and brown eyes, a scar on his forehead over the left eye and was last seen wearing blue jeans, a green hoodie jacket and white sneakers. He is also wearing a Rolex wrist watch on his left hand.
"He was doing homework in Cafe Terra in the down town sector of Earth2's business district. No one saw him come or go and there is no information about what could have happened.
"Anyone who may have information on this child, his state of mind and his whereabouts should call the anonymous tip line at the Watch Command Center in Metrotitan. An anonymizer will prevent any tracing of your calls and all of your tips could contribute to saving the life of a missing child no matter how trivial they may seem. The number is AC401-111-367-BCD. You can find the number in the Community Call Directory in the Community Bulletin Board or any call kiosk in the colony.
"All resources available will be utilized to find Barrett Walters," Lim-Lee said as an image of Barrett appeared on the screen, "and anyone who might know information no matter how trivial is urged to contact the Watch. It is very urgent to find this child," Lim-Lee continued before repeating the information again.
Prime listened to it as the mechs with him began to work to find the missing child. He had exactly no idea where the boy could be.
=0=Elsewhere
He stood in a dark tunnel, one with smooth walls and oddly efficient lights that came on at intervals as he ran along the path. He had no idea where he was or where he was going. He wasn't wearing environmental gear nor was he in a place without conditions conducive to his life. It felt like he was underground in a tunnel on Earth. He rounded a corner, then stopped dead in his tracks.
Standing nearby, an older human-appearing woman waited watching him with a bemused but benevolent-appearing expression on her face. She wore simple clothes and a knit hat on her head. Her gray hair peeked out around her ears as she watched him silently. Then she began to walk away following the lights to who knew where.
He watched her go with growing panic, then Barrett Walters began to run wildly in pursuit.
=0=TBC 9-25-19