The Diego Diaries: Aftermath and Guns (dd7 102)
=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 fulsome 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 02-26-2021
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