The Diego Diaries: Return (dd7 100)
Note: Seventh time we've passed #100. :D
=0=N.E.S.T. HQ
The medic with N.E.S.T. walked back to the habitat environmental room with the boy and his parents. He looked solemn and his parents looked emotional. Lennox followed them along with the others including Morshower and Mearing into the huge room. They stopped before the bots as Optimus knelt down.
"Barrett Walters … are you well? Were you harmed?" Prime asked gently.
He stared up at Prime without any visible emotion. He glanced around himself then looked up at Prime. "I'm okay."
Prime glanced at the medic who nodded. He leaned in closer. "What happened? Did you meet anyone during the time you were missing?"
He nodded. "I met an old woman. She took me around to see things."
"What did you see?" Prime asked.
He thought a moment. "I saw the Temple and when you came to get the thing … the AllSpark. I saw you throw it into a bridge thing. I saw them come … the Decepticons. They shot the place up."
Prime considered that as ugly images flooded his processor of a time he didn't spend a lot of time remembering. "Can you tell us more?" he asked.
The kid thought about it, then glanced around. "I was here on Mars. There were reptiles here. It was a long time ago. They lived here when you could without gear, back when there was trees and stuff."
"What did the reptiles look like?" Prowl asked quietly.
"They wore clothes. They had kids. They came to a park to play with their kid. They were having a picnic, I think. There was a huge city there, somewhere in the back … it was in a dome. She said that they lived there. She really liked them." He thought a moment. "They were different colors, like brown and green. They had snake eyes. They were reptiles. She called them Reptilians. She said that there lots of them in the galaxy or maybe it was the universe."
Prime considered that, then nodded. "There are. Most of them are peaceful and highly developed societies. Tell me about the woman."
Barrett thought a moment. "She's sorta old. I don't know how old but it seems like she's as old as my grandmother. She could do magic with her hands. She likes Cybertron. She likes you."
Prime glanced at Lennox. "This boy is alright?"
Lennox glanced at the medic who nodded. "He's good."
Prime glanced at the boy, then his parents. They were tense. He looked at Barrett who looked shocked. He's seen enough of humans to know that. "Lord Obsidian, what can you tell us about this?"
The seer stared at the boy. "I see that this being is of the elder energy, energy that is so old that it might pre-date this universe. She is pantheonic in her signature. What was the point of her visit with you, infant? I think I know but tell me what you know."
The boy stared upward at him. "She said that I was going to ruin my life when I get my grandpa's bequest. I have a lot of money coming when I turn 18."
His father glanced at him with a startled expression. "What do you mean?"
He looked at his parents. "She told me that I was going to ruin my life, that I would spend money doing stuff that was going to kill me. She said I would die alone from an overdose."
"What?!" Annie Clark said with surprise. "What does this mean, Clark? What the hell is going on!?"
"What are you saying, Barrett?" his father asked. He gripped his son's shoulders tightly.
"She told me that there was a girl that I was going to meet who was going to do something good for the world. I was going to ruin her life and she wouldn't be able to do this thing, whatever is was. The old lady said that she helped the reptiles when this world ended. She wasn't supposed to do that but she did it anyway. She said God wasn't mad at her but she broke the rules. I don't remember much else." He stared at his father with a dull expression.
Annie pulled him into her arms as she stared upward at Prime. "What is the meaning of this? What is the meaning here?"
Obsidian glanced at Prime, then the humans. "You have encountered a very ancient energy, perhaps one who lives in the core of this planet. For whatever reason it chooses, it has decided to tell things to your son for his benefit. He has free will and can listen or not. I would in his place but that's me."
"This is crazy," Clark said. "I'm taking my son with me."
Prime stood. "You may," he said quietly. He looked at the boy. "If you remember anything else, I would appreciate if you would tell me about it. The energy that you encountered has been seen before. It is benign and seems interested in our welfare."
"What kind of place is this, Prime?" Clark countered angrily.
"A very old one, Mr. Walters," Ratchet replied. "You humans are very new at this. We've been in space since the beginning of the universe. There are many things that would surprise you. This type of being is not new to most of us. Be glad that it cares about your son."
Clark stared at Ratchet, then looked at Owen and the others who were watching silently. "I want to take my wife and son back to Earth2."
Owen nodded. "Go to the vehicles in the car park at the other end of the building. We will follow."
Everyone watched silently as the three walked into the facility heading for the human entrance and the car park there.
Owen turned to Prime and the seer. "What sort of being are we dealing with? I for one would like to know. You say its benign?"
Obsidian nodded. "It is. Its very ancient. Most of the time unless you have skill to see and feel them, you don't. Humans do not appear to be very intuitive to me. You don't often believe what your senses convey."
"Some can," Owen said. "Some are psychic."
"All of you are but you never use it. You forgot how but when you're outside in the natural world you automatically feel better. That's the energy of your planet reconnecting with you. You haven't lost that much of your connection it would appear," Obsidian said. "You need to listen and feel again. You might have a better and more happy world."
"What about what he said about the Reptiles? What about a city here?" Andre Baudin asked.
Prime considered that a moment. "We have found remnants of a past civilization, one that is very ancient and hard to decipher from the fragments that still exist. Its likely that the inner planets of this system have had other civilizations rise and fall over the course of the several billion years that they have been here. You are probably not the first one that arose on Earth. Venus and Mars both show signs of previous advanced civilizations though the evidence is very slight."
The humans stared at him, then Baudin stepped closer. "Then Mars had a Reptilian civilization here long ago. The world couldn't sustain it and they died or left."
"Likely, left. We would find something of them here if they died in a mass extinction no matter how long it was. Without an atmosphere things can hang on forever in the right conditions. Bacteria is found on meteor fragments that's ancient and there are water droplets in them that are as old as the universe.
"What we found indicated a solar wind so vast that it stripped the atmosphere away. It likely didn't help either Earth, Mercury or Venus when it did, though it would depend where in their orbital paths they were. I would hope and suggest that the Reptilians got away especially when she revealed that she broke the rules to help them," Prime said.
"Whose rules?" Baudin asked.
It was silent in the room as the bots discussed things off line, Obsidian included. Then Prime knelt again. "You have been here for our Festival and received the blessings. I do not suppose I have to explain it better?"
"It might help," Baudin offered.
"You have your own explanations. The best and closest ones I've seen refer to Prime Source or Source. We call that energy The One. We aren't alone here, Mr. Baudin, though I'm aware that humans often think they are. There is more to meet the optic than you can know," Ratchet said quietly.
Prime stood again, then looked at Lennox. "I would like any information possible about this. I am greatly relieved that the boy was found. This had been a very trying time for all of us."
"I will. I'm going to interview him tomorrow. The press off world will be all over this. I'm not sure that my planet is ready for this but it is what it is," Will said.
"Thank you, William. Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to leave now," Prime said as he stood again.
"Let's go," Will said as he began to herd the humans back into Ops Center. They entered, the doors locked and the bots left. Everyone watched them go.
Then Owen Harris turned to Lennox. "I've seen a lot here that challenges what I know. This being … what do you know about it? Can it be contacted?"
"Something tells me, Harris, that she already knows about us," Lennox said.
=0=Walking back
"This is a relief," Ratchet said. "What do you think, Optimus? It sounds like she's meddling again. In short, she's my kind of higher being."
Optimus grinned slightly, then glanced at Obsidian. "Do you read anything?"
"Just ambient energy, the kind every planet has. She has been quiet since the last time. She focused on the boy because he obviously has an important part in the future of his world and another's life. I hope he understood what she intended."
"So do I," Prowl said grimly.
=0=Earth2
He sat in his room thinking about things he had seen, of a nice family having an outing with their child, of massive bots risking their life to save a relic in their holiest place. He thought about the once verdant landscape that was Mars in some unfathomable time ago where dreams were dreamed and lives lived.
The bots lost their entire world in a fiery doom that was worse than even the most militant video game he ever watched. Death was everywhere in the fire and ashes of their dreams. Millions had fled, he knew. The lessons in school had told him some of their past. But they were words on paper and images that were frozen in time.
He had been there. He had seen the combiner Predaking walking along destroying leisurely, killing and breaking things as the moment moved him. He had seen the sacred space of another world and the towns and cities going up in flames. He saw Ratchet helping refugees escape from certain death and it didn't seem real.
But it was. All of it.
Who was the girl? What role did she play that contact with him would destroy her life? What role did she play for Earth that mattered this much that someone like this old lady would come for him and shown him things that had been dead and gone for millions, if not billions of years.
What did it all mean?"
"Are you alright?"
Barrett Walters glanced up at his mom who was standing in the doorway of his bedroom. "Yeah."
She walked in, sat down, then took his hand. "You were taken away and showed strange things. Put them out of your mind, son. You're safe now. Your father and I are re-evaluating staying here-"
"I want to stay," Barrett said. "I don't want to go to Earth."
"We can talk in the morning," she said soothingly.
"I want to stay. Football is starting. I'm going to be on a human team in the kid league. I want to stay here," Barrett said.
She stared at him, then nodded. "Alright. I didn't know you wanted to play."
He didn't either but if it allowed him to stay, he would. He wanted to see the old lady again. If he left he was sure he never would. He would stay here and wait. She would come back he felt. He was sure she would.
He wanted her to come back again. Why, he didn't know.
=0=TBC 10-02-19
NOTE: Some scientists are running programs to test a hypothesis that our species as the dominating one is not the first to be so here on Earth, that there might be one and as many as two others before us in the long billions of years of Earth's history. Its fascinating reading. :D
Chapter 101: Chapter 101
The Diego Diaries: Mission Go (dd7 101)
=0=The next morning
Ironhide walked to The Fortress in the early morning. He had Halo in his carry hold and the others were still recharging. The night was dark and the air was cold. Halo slept on a pile of blankets in a padded onesie. She wore a little knit cap that snapped under her little chin as well as gloves on her tiny servos.
She was a limp noodle getting ready to go with him, her helm flopping over as Ironhide slid her into the gear that would keep her toasty. She yawned broadly, her little optics drooping as she was trustled by familiar servos through the familiar routine.
Ratchet had handed Ironhide gear as he leaned against the dresser in her little room. "You better make sure that she gets her breakfast at the Military Daycare Center in The Fortress. If I find out you took her to the shooting thing I'll kabong you with my peds from here to Terra and back."
"Brutal old slagger, your old ada," Ironhide said as he held his snoozing daughter up. He kissed her, then slid her into his hold. "Gotta motor, Old Mech," Ironhide said as he kissed Ratchet.
"Gonna get clobbered, Ironhide, if you stand out and take her. Know that," Ratchet said with a grin.
"What makes you think we're ready to go?" Ironhide said as he walked to the door nearby.
"The standing orders posted on the ready mission board with the notation to stand out in five joors," Ratchet said.
"Oh, that stuff. Probably some subadult slagger tagging again," he said as he opened the door. He grinned. "See ya.'
"See ya," Ratchet said as he walked out and the door closed. "Have fun at your first shooting war, Halo. I'll take my time finding the right hammer to use on his helm when you get back." With that, Ratchet walked into the berth room again, flopped on the berth and was out like a light almost immediately.
=0=Heading for the Courtyard
Prime saw Ironhide walk toward him, then slowed to wait. When Ironhide reached him, they continued onward.
"Where's Prowl?" Ironhide asked.
"He's already at Ops Center. Where's Halo?" Prime asked with a grin.
Ironhide patted his hold. "Need to ask?"
"You are not taking her along on this mission," Prime said rather than asked.
"Who?" Ironhide replied with a grin as they entered the courtyard and disappeared from view.
=0=Ops Center about the same time
Prowl slid the box with Possibility under the console and rose to go back to the table. As he did Ironhide and Prime walked in to join him. He picked up another box bed from the floor, then handed it to Ironhide. "Here."
"What do you mean?" Ironhide asked with his most (fail oriented) innocent expression. "What's this for?"
Prowl and Prime stared at him, then he sighed. He pulled Halo out, tucked her in and she was placed on the floor next to a deeply sleeping Possibility.
"Slave driving slaggers. You're almost as bad as old mech."
"No one is that bad," Prowl said as more of the command team began to walk in and across the vast floor toward them. In moments they would all arrive, then adjourn to the conference room to troubleshoot and go over the plans again.
They wouldn't change and neither would the launch times.
=0=Riding to the stables
Springer and Drift rode into the stable grounds heading for the grooms who were waiting for them. They were going on the mission with the group following them so they were coming in early. The overnight staff which were numerous were there in shifts all orn and night for riders, professional groups such as his and for the animal's care and safety.
They rode in, then dismounted, taking their saddles and tack to the room designated for their group. Hanging them up, caring for them before leaving, they bantered and laughed together.
Morius who was part of the swing shift and a mentored officer with Hercy walked out with the little mech and his brother Inweld who was mentored with Splice to the main room of the covered building. The room was a walk past the special or sick horse stalls and outward to The City beyond.
"When can we come on a mission, Abba?" Inweld asked Kup who had joined them.
"Soon enough, infant. We're going to need guards and messengers. Not all the jobs involve fighting. You will learn and then we'll see," Kup replied.
"We can learn fast, Abba," Morius said. "I hope you know you can count on us."
Kup grinned at the two kids. "That was always part of our thinking, infant. How about breakfast before we go?"
Everyone agreed as Springer, Drift and Sandstorm walked out. They would continue onward to The Diner On The Corner. When they finished most of them would go to the airfield and the latest update on the mission to come.
Inweld and Morius would go to their apartment to crash, then hang out with their brother and Lancer who wasn't going on the mission. It would be a lot of fun.
=0=On the ground
The ships began to move on the flight line rolling into place for their eventual launch. They were many including a half dozen battleships and four of the Supremes who were already in orbit overhead. Support was gathered as well and launched from the depot that Roadie managed 200 miles north of the colony.
Lights blinked in the velvet darkness as ships moved, mechs and femmes ran and drove here and there and the Master of the Muster began to organize to deploy several hundred troops and Seekers into the proper ship or line up. Small vehicles drove here and there, some pulling trailers of bombs and other support to the ships on the line.
Some of the personnel was already here. Doctors were already in orbit on the medical ships, Phobos, Kappa Supreme and The Harpy. Salton Sea would be Prime's command post and Starscream with the Great Elder and his sons would command Seekerkin from The Dauntless, another refurbished man of war that belonged to the Decepticons once upon a time.
From the front row windows in the Great Concourse and numerous lounges of The Resort everyone with a pair of binoculars, small hand held telescopes or manning those supplied by the building watched the gathering down on the plain below. They had heard the news tell about a mission gathered to go but little more. They had also heard that the missing human boy had been found but that 'circumstances of his disappearance and subsequent return were still under investigation, though nothing foul was suspected'.
It was a mystery.
Given that his name was withheld and all agreed that it was for the good, no one would know it was him and Barrett would have a good shot at getting back to his life again. That would mean one more review by the caste court and hopefully, his release from their jurisdiction.
But that was for later on.
Some of the humans from N.E.S.T., the Tower and Sciences stood in the viewing box to watch the muster. They would stay there all night to see the ships lift off to go when the sun began to lighten the inky darkness of the Martian night.
By then, the colony would be waking slowly up.
=0=ZZZzzzzzzZzzzzzzZZZZZzzzz …
"Ada."
[Nothing]
"Ada?"
"ZZZZzzzzZzZZzzz."
"Ada not doin'."
"Ada?" [PAT! PAT! PAT!]
Optics blink open, look down at four sets of smiling faces, then a servo scoops all of them up to put them on the bed and pull a cover over their helms. Then optics shutter and the snoring continues.
Four helms under a blanket stick up like haystacks after a good snow. Then they lay back down and soon there is more if very soft snoring going on.
=0=Bridge to somewhere
Prime stepped out of the bridge onto the deck of Salton Sea. Followed by Sun and Jack, Steiner, Lissie, Hercy, Kup, Blackjack, Ironhide, Hard Drive, Alor, Turbine and Delphi, he walked to the elevators that would take him and his command staff to the command deck and the central processor of the armada that they were going to be taking into the heart of pirate country to take out Ebio and Cassio Imperialis.
On ships nearby, other commanders took their places including Goldwing for medical and Starscream and Rainmaker for Seekerkin. Ratchet would stay behind for Banner unless called to come by bridge. Crews had been boarding for joors and were ready to go. Ships were lifting off and they would join the others shortly to take their place in the order of battle.
Prime reached the command station, then sat down in the captain's chair. Rem was his pilot and Heva navigator-engineer. Everyone gathered around, then Prime made the run through preparatory to leaving. When that was done, he went over a couple of changes, then everyone headed out to take their ships, shuttles or positions here and there until only Sun, Jack and Steiner were with Ironhide and Prime on their ship, the command vessel Salton Sea.
"This is going to be fun," Jack said with a grin. "I never liked the Imperialis boys. Ebio and I have a grudge going way, way back."
"Over what?" Ironhide asked with a grin as he stood beside Prime.
"Who remembers? It was probably him cheating at cards. Don't be surprised if he challenges you to a duel," Sun said with a big laugh.
"I won't be. That mech was never too bright," Jack said as he sat down in a spare chair. "When do we go?"
Prime logged off with Prowl who was on Beta Supreme, himself part of the order of battle that included Kappa, Xantium and Omega. "I think now is good," Prime said with a grim expression. "Rem, clear us and take us out."
Rem did.
=0=There
"ADA!"
"What?"
"Where Atar?"
"He's workin', Orion. Sit up and finish your breakfast. We have to go to school. Ammas and Appas are all busy so I'm going to take you."
"That will be fun, Ada," Sunspot said with a grin.
Ratchet grinned back. "You're staying over with Bos tonight. Right?"
"I am. Spot is, too."
"Do you have your little bag packed?"
"I do, Ada. I'm taking my best truck with me. We're going to their gravel pit in the park."
"The one in the sandbox?" Ratchet asked as he began to gather up dishes to leave in the sink until he cared more.
"Yes. That one is fun. No one bothers it. Isn't that nice?"
Ratchet grinned at Sunspot. "I do. I also think you're especially nice yourself. We better get a move on. It's getting about time to go."
The sound of scurrying feet hitting the floor could be heard heading toward their rooms as the big boys came out of their own loaded up. "We gotta go, Ada. We're taking the subway. We have an experiment to check on in the lab," Genesis said.
"Will anyone be there this early?" Ratchet asked.
"Mr. Hobo will be there. He's letting all of us in early because of the project," Quasar said. "We have to go to the DMZ after school, Ada. They're syncing new extensions to our sensor range. We have to help them."
"After school? When will you be done?" Ratchet asked as he suited up imps and put on their harnesses.
"We don't know. We may have to have dinner there," Fireball said. "I don't want to. You need help here."
Ratchet grinned. "You go do what you need. Let me know."
"We will," they said as they hugged Ratchet, the babies, Spot and headed out the door. It closed behind them.
"Ada. Where shes?"
Ratchet looked down at Orion, then grinned. "Uh … 'kool?"
Orion smiled like the sun. "I, ORION LOVE 'KOOL! I LOVE THE SHES!"
Ratchet laughed. "Who doesn't? MOUNT UP, POSSE! TIME TO RIDE!"
A loud and happy group hippy-hopped out the door for school. It closed quietly behind them.
=0=Getting there
They came out of the Triggers, the biggest and most lethal armada seen in these parts in vorns. Gathering up, Prime listened to the call to order. In seconds, everyone was in place and ready to go.
"We have the sensor data locked in, Optimus," Sun said as he watched the mech at Tactical do the job of optics and audials for everyone. "We're go when you are."
Prime nodded, then opened a channel to the armada. "This is Optimus Prime. We are going into uncharted territory to take out a very grave danger. Be on your toes and be ready for anything. Prime out." He glanced at Rem, then nodded.
Rem threw it into overdrive and almost as one the armada leaped forward into the darkness of space and disappeared.
=0=TBC 10-02-19
PS: Thank you for the grand genitor/genitor boo-boo with Prime in 100. FIXED IT!
Trussled or trussled up in my orn was when you got into your gear or you got chained up. There are meanings that have no relation to that but we called getting into gear or getting hog tied trussled.
Chapter 102: Chapter 102
The Diego Diaries: Aftermath and Guns (dd7 102)
OMG! EVEN AFTER ALL THE TROUBLE OF GETTING THIS READY AND POSTING IT, IT DIDN'T POST! :}
Let's try this again ...
NOTE: This would have gone out last night but my fridge died in the morning and it was out all day long until I came home to notice. (Cue Benny Hill music here) I haven't had so much 'fun' in ages. :D I am grateful that my fridge lasted over 30 years but … damn. ;) EDIT: I can't believe how long this took to post. BWAHA! Sometimes life has to remind all of us who's in charge. :D
=0=Here and there as an armada goes out to swat flies
Ratchet waited for Banner's data stream to spit out the small tweaks that would allow him to come to sentience again with all his faculties in alignment. As he waited, he perused the local 'newspapers and broadsheets' that made up the daily chat for all of the human habitations. He wanted to see how the child mystery was playing out here among the resident human population. It was grisly how it was going on Earth.
CONSPIRACY THEORIES!
Earth2 was pulled up first. It was called The Daily Grind and featured a format similar to those of most daily newspapers on Earth. Some of the retired family members of workers were once in the business at home and kept this up for everyone as a courtesy and as a preoccupation. The headline read: "MISSING CHILD FOUND! ALL IS WELL!"
Ratchet read that the child was found in an 'in between space' that was being studied so that it wouldn't happen again. What that in between space was they didn't elucidate. A lot of information from the Offices of the Prime, Colonial Security and the city engineer, Jetta of Iacon helped shape the story but nothing about which child it might be was disclosed.
"We aren't going to be releasing the child's name as per mutual agreement by all sides. We want the child to go back into their life without disruption because they were an innocent party. It wasn't their fault this happened. Things get discovered, they get ironed out. There was no danger to the child at any part of this venture so no harm, no foul."
"Asked about the future possibility of such things happening again, Commander Jetta replied, "This is an anomaly. We have a lot of machinery working together and now and again the strangest glitches happen. This is science and science will fix it. We put human safety here at the highest possible priority."
Asked if he could further outline what an in between space was, Jetta mentioned that sensors sometimes overlap and they have 'void' spaces and shit happens. (Not necessarily in those words, of course, but it was as good an explanation as any. It certainly was easier to spell out than that a bazillion year old entity was giving him a tour of the past on two different worlds. Like that.)
There was a lot of information from various countries from home in the paper, some of it in several languages, information about the colony and its goings-ons as well as personal news about this or that department and this or that family or person. It was filled with messages between groups, announcements, a fullsome sports page as well news between habitats.
The columnists were interesting and included both Rick and Owen Harris today. While Rick's was informal, filled with love of his job and this place, Owen's were formal and informative about the facility. It was interesting to see Rick become one with this place and the difference with his father.
He perused it, then called up the other habitat's newsletters and newspapers. Some of them published once a week and others everyday. The retired elders and some of the spouses had taken to them and they were swinging. Pastor Millie had a religious newsletter with space for everyone who wanted to participate from the eastern hemisphere to the western as well as the Cybertronian versions of spirituality. Both Olivia Bowers and Lord Chevron had a column today.
Even alternate belief systems had their own space and a turn at the rotating opinion page. Today, the Flying Spaghetti Monsters were telling the world about their point of view. Next week it would be Jedis from Australia. A web search clued him in and he grinned at the audacity and humor of humans once again.
He studied the data a moment, then glanced around. His lunch was here somewhere. Or better yet, his mid morning snack. He dug through the stacks and boxes of things that needed slotted in to find his scones. Sitting on a nice chair with his peds up, Ratchet who was plugged into the giant vessel through four major and six lesser devices continued to watch him inch ever closer to life. It would take a while.
=0=Out there
They flew onward filled with coiled fury hunting for the home base of the Cassio brothers. The firepower brought to bay was astonishing. Prime sat brooding on the captain's chair aboard Salton Sea as his mechs and femmes did their magic around him and on the other vessels. Sensors were scanning deep and there was activity beyond them.
"Prime," Ironhide said as he walked to the chair from sensors. "We have ships. They identify as Decepticon. Apparently, everyone uses Broken Hole for trade and recreation. What do you want to do about them?"
"Wait and see what they do, Ironhide. Be ready. Alert the armada," Prime replied.
"On it," Ironhide said as he walked to Communications. "Fleet, this is Ironhide. We have echoes of 'Con ships. Be on alert level 2. If we need to take them out, Blue team will lead. Standby for orders."
=0=Impactor's Revenge
"We might have to dance," Hercy said. "I suppose I need to go to my ship. Come on, Kup," he said rising to go.
They nodded to the crew, then walked back to the bridge to head over to their own ships, City of Praxus and Bombardier.
The twins watched them go, then glanced at Springer. "This could get good."
Springer grinned. "I hope so. Been a while. Wrestling with drunks isn't enough practice."
"I don't know. I remember a singing drunk that flattened you, our old dad, me and an entire intervention team from the jail," Drift said with a chuckle.
"That proves my point. Not enough practice," Springer said to enormous jeers and laughter.
=0=Back there
Ratchet ambled in with a book that was needed. The Sciences Lab at Intermediate Day in Iacon was a work and wonder. It was state of the art, immaculate and filled with intense sub adult kids working on this and that chemistry thing-o. He found Genesis, then hugged him from behind.
"ADA! Look what we're doing," he said, then grinned. "You have my book?"
Ratchet gave him a dazzling smile, then held up the book.
Genesis hugged him, then Quasar did. A kid they were working with got one, too, though Ratchet didn't know him.
"Look, Ada," Genesis said.
Ratchet looked. He would look for a while, then amble off again with a big grin, satisfied that the kids had a great set of teachers, a great school, friends and normalcy for their lives. All was well in his world.
=0=Out there
The signals of the Decepticons indicated a sharp turn their direction. They were a big group, battle shuttles and several cruisers. It was unclear if they were a security force on their path or if they came from Broken Hole. They were coming their way.
Prime considered that as Prowl's voice came over the inter ship comm line. :What do you want to do about them, sir?: he asked.
"Send a couple of shuttles their way. We will see what they do," Prime said.
:Very well: Prowl replied. His voice could be heard over the fleet. :Kup, Hercy, go and reconn. See what you can do about the echoes. Bring them to us if you can:
:On it, Prowl: Kup said as Hercy echoed.
The fleet watched as two shuttles flashed out heading toward the signals that were showing up on sensor screens all over the fleet. As they did, Prowl issued more orders.
:Springer, when they follow our ships, if they do, be ready to assist. Cities of Iacon and Nova Cronum, be ready to support:
They echoed receipt, then the fleet watched as they continued on their way following the maps that they recovered from Elita and her team. They were still a long way from Cassio but the gap was closing fast.
=0=On their way
"What do you suppose we have?" a youngling mech asked, one who was regular soldier and thereby qualified for combat after being rigorously tested by Lissie and Steiner.
"A group heading out to their base, I would think. Apparently, there are three Decepticon bases out here but they aren't close enough to help these slaggers if they try anything," Kup said as he lounged in the engineer's chair.
"Prowl doesn't seem afraid to rile them up then," the youngster said.
"Prowl doesn't fear much," Kup replied.
They zoomed ever forward.
=0=Coming their way
"There are two ships coming this way at top speed, Commander," a 'Con said from Sensors. "Two battle shuttle types with Autobot signatures.
The commander of the battle group considered that. "This might be interesting," he replied. "What about those echoes behind him?"
"More Autobots."
"Why are they chasing the shuttles?" the commander mused, drawing the wrong conclusions. "Open a channel to them."
They did.
"Two ships. Identify yourselves," he growled.
There was a pause, then a gruff voice replied. :Frag you. We're being pursued by Autobots. Frag off and we'll take you on later:
The commander grinned in spite of himself. "Who are you? Autobot? Decepticon? Dumb fragger?"
The voice was back. :Decepticon. Unless you can help us, frag off."
Hercy sat on his chair, the engineer's as he lied to the group. He grinned in spite of himself. They were going to be getting there one way or the other but if he could make it easier he would.
:Come this way and we'll pick you up. You can entertain us with your story: the voice said.
"Roger that," Hercy said. He glanced at Communications. "Open the Level 6 encrypted line, infant," Hercy said to Sandstorm. "Hercy to You Know Who."
=0=Back there
:Hercy to You Know Who:
Prime grinned slightly in spite of himself. He heard the exchange and approved. "I am here."
:How about a bag and tag?: Hercy suggested.
"Approved," Prime said. "Prowl? Please do the honors."
A chuckle came over the line. :On it: he said.
That as when all of the Supremes broke formation to follow all of the battle shuttles forward to bag and tag the slaggers. It was a sight to see as they leaped into hyper speed and disappeared nearly all at once.
Prime sat back feeling a bit more relieved. This procedure was so fast that they might actually get away with their stealth process anyway.
=0=Going there
The battle shuttles linked their sensors and created a field to jam all transmissions by the battle group that might give them away, either their approach or the 'Cons calling for help. They linked it with the Supremes who shot it forward overlapping the echoes and then some. It was going to create a null bubble around the enclosed space so that no one's sensors would be able to detect anything accurately nor send any messages through the noise. No one was going to be able to call for help today.
Not even the Autobots.
Hercy and Kup felt the energy of the jamming on their neural nets as it passed them heading at light speed toward the ships that were flashing their way. They grinned. All was coming along well so far.
=0=Here
Steiner and Jack along with Sun stood by the forward windows staring into space. The armada around them was breathtaking and they felt the old thrill of upcoming action come over them again. Steiner glanced at Prime. "I wonder if he would mind letting me go play."
"Don't be a hog, Steiner. You can't go if we don't," Sun said with a chuckle.
That was when all hell broke out.
=0=Ratchet
He hit the key sequence that would bring Banner to sentience. He wouldn't be able to move but he would come to himself slowly. How he would come to sentience was anyone's guess. He had been without energon for a while and getting it circulating again through the tens of thousands of kilometers of pipes and lines that fed all his features would help a lot.
The sequence hit the right strokes and Ratchet could feel a thrum of movement in the floor beneath his peds. Banner was waking up.
=0=TBC 10-05-19
I can't believe how long it took me to get this ready. Damn. No more appliances need break down. :D More to come. HUGS for your forbearance. :D:D:D:D:D
Chapter 103: Chapter 103
The Diego Diaries: Null (dd7 103) WHAT THE HELL! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO GO LAST NIGHT! :D
=0=That was when all hell broke out …
Two fleeing shuttles flashed toward the 'Con group coming their way, then passed through it missing all of the ships involved in a show of audacious flying that would have impressed even Seekers. Behind them approaching the same group at speed and now clearly visible, an armada of ships appeared. It was then that that the 'Cons began to evade.
Kup and Hercy flew out of the enemy configuration, slowed, then began to turn back to get their piece of the pie. By then it was clear that they would do better staying out of the way. Both of their ships began to furiously back peddle as the combined fire power of three Supremes and six battle shuttles came in like a tsunami and began to take out the vital systems of the Decepticon ships all at the same time.
One ship blew up as an engine ruptured. Two others began to come alive with tiny escape pods flying off the mother ship like baby spiders off the back of their mother, evacuating ahead of someone's foot. They were tiny dark spots in the light of blazing fire and burning erupting ships. The attack was so fast that none of them could run nor fight back much. They were slamming into each other and some of them were rolling, falling away into the darkness trailing their guts behind them.
Prime who was watching the main screen showing all of it happening glanced at Prowl who had come over to run the show on Salton Sea. "We need a force to take this over. We cannot delay now."
Prowl nodded, then commed Ops Center back on Mars to send the stand by group to come pick up survivors, salvage what they could, blow up the rest and vacate the area before anyone else ambled in for a saunter around the sector. He glanced at Prime. "It's on its way."
Prime felt relief, then sat back to watch as the ships began to be boarded and crews rounded up to be held in space itself for the fleet coming to gather them up. Medics were already heading for the chaos even as the ships tried to put up resistance. They would learn the hard way that resistance this time was futile.
=0=Ratchet
He heard the news and took the call from Prowl He then released the Beta Crew to go and do 'clean up' for the armada so they could book it to their main objectives. He felt a tingle of regret that he wasn't there but it was overridden by Banner's need.
The big mech was compiling data showing errors for Ratchet though he didn't know it. He was still in stasis, his mental state upon awakening still uncertain. Given the depth of his energon bleed out, he could come out smiling or swinging. Ratchet hadn't told anyone that yet. He was saving it.
He grinned. "Yeah, that's a good thing to save. Banner," he said patting the console. "You better not come out of this fighting. There's a lot of individuals who might take offense." Then he commed Metroplex and Fort Max to come by for a chat about that very thing.
=0=On the scene
The ships that came through the bridge nearby were huge and filled with technicians, doctors and demolition specialists. With them were clouds of Seekers, some of them expert on post fight salvage and recovery. It would astonish a lot of human soldiers how specialized the service branches were with those who had technical expertise and backgrounds besides warrior skills.
Point one in the clean up was pulling everyone out and getting them to the prison ships and the three converted convoy vessels that were used during big enemy pick ups. They were container ships and thus had highly secured compartments for cargo into which to put prisoners. They would hold all of them easily until they reached the prison and could be sorted.
Point two was going through the ships, taking all the usual tech including anything that looked promising, data and computer nodes, anything that looked like maps, weird tech that was always on 'Con ships, anything that looked cultural and thus was probably stolen and personal effects that might be important such as plants and animals. It would surprise a lot of individuals how many bad guys had a pet or plant that they loved.
Cyber foxes anyone?
All of this would be taken back to the ships set aside for such things as tech teams overran the vessels once cleared to enter by the fire suppression teams and disaster specialists that always went first.
Point three would be allowing demolitions and their expert sappers to go in and mine the slag out of the ships, none of which were considered either fit nor interesting enough to take with. They would mine them, everyone would pull back, then KERPOW!
All in all, it would take only a few joors, then the debris field would be the only thing left to show someone's hard luck. All of those characters would be heading back to Mars and Warden Gee-Gee's tender mercies.
*cough*
The chat over the comm lines was as usual instructive, funny, abusive and filled with 'character' as his grandfather used to say about cussing and 'telling it like it is/was' among those who worked hard jobs. Prime grinned slightly at the memory of his giant grandfather, a beautiful and good mech who liked to take his grandson with him on walks about the city. He would tell Orion about the buildings, some of which his own father had helped build, the great grandfather he never met.
Sirius was the only grandfather he knew. Not even his ada's genitors had survived to see him as more than a small child and those were very old and faded memories. His grandparents were the soul of his existence and as Prime watched the show outside he wondered why he had this memory now. Sitting straighter, he concentrated on the wind down.
Prowl glanced at Optimus drawn by the slight turn down of his energy. He was aware that Prime was a genuinely good mech with balanced energy nearly all the time, so this kind of slag bothered him even now after all these vorns and it showed up on his aura. He was an expert at reading Optimus's energy. :What's up?:
Prime glanced at him. :Nothing. I just thought about my grandfather a moment:
Prowl nodded, then rose to walk to the command chair. He stood beside Optimus resting his servo on Prime's big shoulder. :I can imagine he would be terribly proud of his only little mech:
:He would be. I regret that you and the children never got to meet either of them. All of them. They were all very good individuals and decent:
Prowl grinned, then glanced down at Prime. :Can they be any other way given producing a grandson like you?:
Prime felt incredible warmth fill him, then pulsed it to Prowl. He gently squeezed Prowl's servo, then relaxed a bit. "This is going well. Having the Supremes along as combatants is very helpful."
"So is the element of surprise," Prowl said agreeably. "I estimate we can move forward in half a joor. The group is protected and most of the prisoners have been scooped up. I don't detect anyone getting away so our stealth should still be intact."
Prime nodded. "I want to leave as soon as possible. Anyone can come along this path."
"I'll send the word," Prowl said as he squeezed Prime's shoulder. He walked to the command table to sit. "Battle group, give me a text on time. We need to move."
They would tell him what they would need before relinquishing the group to Nitro who was leading the clean up mission. It would be just about half a joor.
=0=Banner's command deck
They sat on the command chairs to discuss the situation as it stood. Ratchet laid out the possible scenarios.
"He had massive energon loss which needs to correct all over his entire body including his command centers and all of his higher level functioning programming. He's rebooting his systems and a lot of work has been done to get him to a stable condition. There's trauma to boot. I can't imagine its a nice sensation to have slaggers running around inside you with knives cutting you to pieces. That seems worst case nightmare scenario to me."
Metroplex nodded as Max listened with a grim expression. "It is for us, Ratchet. That's why we help each other to escape. They disable our propulsion and steering, board us, then bleed us until we die in space or crash. They prefer space."
Ratchet frowned. "Fraggers. What my main concern and frankly a concern for all of us is that Banner wakes up dazed, rises and thrashes around. He can't be clear helmed and though I can account for a lot, I can't tell what he's going to do when he comes out of it. He nearly bled out. That means a lot of delicate intricate processor areas were hit hard. It could mean confusion as things sync back again. I can't predict it but I know its a really possible scenario."
It was silent a moment, then Metroplex sat back with a grim expression. "Then we better tractor him into the desert to let this happen if it does. At least there he won't break anything."
"I don't know about raising him yet," Ratchet said. "He's still in a state. We could keep working on him, keeping the transfusions coming and then see what the data says. I'm just giving you the heads up. I've seen them come out of stasis after a shellacking and its anyone's ball game how it turns out. I don't want him pulling a Metrotitan here in the middle of the colony."
"Let us discuss this, Ratchet. Can you send me data as it goes?" Metroplex asked. "We can sit down and work out what we can do. Banner is a very decent mech and he wouldn't handle it well if in a state he hurt anyone."
"Well, he sort of fits the general overall condition of your frame. You slaggers are an inspiration," Ratchet said. "I will."
They talked a bit longer, then the two derezzed to go confab with the rest of the titans on world and half a dozen specialist titans who buzzed in to help.
That is, they came via transmission to reappear in pretender gear.
=0=Out there
Hercy stood on a ship that was listing to one side as its guts continued to spill out into space from the stitching it got from Beta Supreme. The big ship was practicing it was clear. :Beta was a gent all his life. He was a good mech who did formal slag and transported different groups like politicians, sports teams and kids heading for this and that thing. This is new for him but he's a good shot:
:Xantium and Omega take them into space and they go to the debris field at the solar well to practice. He doesn't want them to be sitting ducks: Kup said.
Around them the hustle of clearing ships, transporting dead, wounded and captured as well as taking anything interesting that wasn't nailed down continued. They were giving armed support themselves so they took advantage of the lull to find a good vantage point and watch.
Seekers flew in towing lines of mechs who were chained together wrist to wrist. They were heatedly angry as they trailed their Seeker transport in a long line. It was amusing.
:What do you think will happen when we find the Imperialis Brothers, Abba?: Bezel asked as he and Lon stood beside Kup and Hercy.
They mused on it, then Hercy glanced at them. :We're going to read 'em from The Book:
:What book, Abba?: a young Home Guardsman asked as he waited with them. :The Chronicles of Primus?: he asked. He was watching here because he asked and the big mechs decided it was safe enough. Otherwise, he'd be back on the shuttle doing navigation again.
:Close enough: Hercy said.
They watched as Springer, Drift, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker climbed toward them with magnified steps and hand grips. They reached the little group then turned around to inspect the sight.
It was amazing. Ship lights lit things up as the last groups of soldiers were towed off. Ships were sparking, some fires could be seen inside as their own ships waited along side to take what gear and tech the mechs working inside decided to remove.
Seekers hovered here and there, some sitting on the Supremes. Beta, Xantium and Omega blotted out a lot of the view as they waited for the teams to come back. As they did the prison ship crews slid to a halt nearby to claim more and comm channels lit up. In moments, then original group would fall back to the armada nearby. This group would take over and the prison ships would begin to go back to Mars.
It was like clockwork, the sight before everyone. By the time the armada formed up again the Decepticons would be down one large group on their border defenses. Autobot City Civilian and Military Prison would gain about 5,500 new prisoners.
It would be a nice haul for a few minutes work.
TBC 10-06-19
NOTE REPLIES TOMORROW! :D:D:D:D:D (Its my pleasure, Ragemoose) :D
I remember sweeping my sister's floor and there was a big black reclusive looking spider on the floor. I tried to be nice and sweep them into a pan to take them outside. The moment I touched it, it seemed to explode. About twenty or thirty spiders about the size of dust motes jumped off and landed on the floor. That's when I screamed, slammed them into a pan, took them outside and banged the pan on the ground a couple of hundred times. Sheesh. They won't even let you be nice. ;)
Did I tell you that arachniphobia runs in the family? :)