The Diego Diaries: Sun Dance (dd7 165)
=0=Stanix
They lined up again, the Polyhex offense versus the Crater defense. The man mountain deans of the Crater team were hulking without a lot of finesse for the ball to be in play. The Panther center handed off to his running backs, then lunged forward. Two of them grappled with the Crater defense while two others got punched in the face.
The running backs came together and with wings running offense went around the end of their line, then headed forward. It was a dance of doom down the sidelines with the back staying in until he ran into a mountainous defensive back of the Terrans who watched him bounce off into the sidelines of his own team. Grinning, then bumping fists with his partner in defense the two walked back to chat with Magnus at the gioal.
The mech bounced, then rolled to his feet. He frowned at the two who waved at him where they stood on either side of Ultra Magnus. He walked to the sidelines as the two teams jockeyed for the toss back in(s). It would be a wild sideshow of windmilling arms and jumping around before the mech threw it to his man, had a huge fist grip it from the Terrans, then toss it to a defensive wing who was closest to the other team's goal. The Terran caught it, then ran like the wind.
It would remind his old appa about the time the rent collector came and he had to hike it out a window, then run like a gazelle into the darkness of night. He would raise a beer to his grandson telling him about 'how it was back in the orn when things were tough' and his grandson would listen to his tiny old appa with adoration and amusement.
Like that.
But for now, everyone would light up an afterburner to chase the Terran who was homing in on the end zone of the enemy. Terra was on fire.
=0=There
Ratchet climbed out of the hole after making a preliminary assessment of the fourteen bodies lying rather haphazardly therein. They had all been killed in a violent manner, then dumped here to be buried under rocks and fill dirt. He was grim faced as he stared into the hole, then he walked toward the road to drive back to the Ops Center. "They're yours, Sky. Get a conservation team here. I'm going to get more information."
Ratchet sped to the Ops Center in the town, then transformed on the fly. Walking in, he headed toward his office to use the communications channel there. He entered, then sat. Dialing up the number, he waited as it was routed to Mars as outside the operation was in full swing. The sun was shining and the world was beautiful if you didn't look too closely.
The screen changed. "Hello, Ratchet. What can I do for you?"
"I need Faber and Machlis brought here, Gee-Gee and I need legal representation for them as well. Can you call Barron, Jarro and Coln-2 to come. And maybe Blackstone. If they're hung up, send someone their equal and who bears authority please."
Gee-Gee stared at him with a grim expression. "You found something not good then."
Ratchet nodded. "I did," he replied equally grimly.
=0=Game
He ran until he ran out of room, stepping off the field at the quarter field marker. He danced then threw the ball to the refs. Trotting back with a grin, his youthful face shining, he slapped servos with Optimus as he led the offense back onto the field. Their intercept had returned control of the ball to Crater.
It was time to do some fancy footwork. All of those films and the study Prime had put into this would now be put to the test. Optimus and his team gathered around Jetta who would take the ins. It was on.
=0=Prison
"You two, Machlis and Faber," Gee-Gee said. "Come with me."
"Why?" Machlis asked.
"Because I said for you to come," Gee-Gee said. "You can come out nicely and take a walk with me or I can have you all stunned, the two of you hauled out and I achieve my objectives. How do you want to do this?" she asked.
It was silent a moment as Machlis and Faber glanced at each other. They walked to the gate, were let out, cuffed and led away under guard.
"Where are you taking them?" Tulsa the Elder asked with wariness.
"For a ride," Gee-Gee said as she walked out to follow them. She would come to Sun Base herself. Something had gone terribly wrong and she had to see what she would be taking care of in her prison herself.
The caged group watched them go in silence.
=0=Game
The ball blazed in, Maelstrom caught it, then began to run for the goalie. Everyone who could move chased him then the femmes who followed jumped on them like Utah raptors on the backs of brachiasauruses. It was lucky for them that the Panthers didn't have long tails to slap them to Saturn. It slowed them down as they staggered under the weight of femmes as big if not bigger than they were. While that was happening, Maelstrom had come up to speed and was homing in on the goalie like a heat seeking missile.
Behind him running themselves to give him support and cover, a motley crew of black armored mechs, some of them big and hulking along with the Messiah of Their People™ hustled to catch up. Some of them would. Some would engage in the first fist fights of the game.
=0=Tunnel nearby
A passel of kids stood with Drift and Springer watching the game with deep interest. The kid's auxiliary for the police and emergency services was here doing their duty. They numbered about fifty now and were scattered around the arena in the tunnels waiting for broken things closest to them to occur so they could hustle out and apply all their training to the moment. They were intense, intensely happy and determined.
They were adorable.
=0=Sitting in Sun Base, the largest conference room
Ratchet drummed his digits on the table top as he waited for the two he would start with to arrive. An aide was waiting outside for the miscreants to come, then stay there until Ratchet talked to the mechs he had called to come. He wanted to get things straight with the team he had called up before the questions began.
He glanced up from his reverie to note that Barron, Jarro and Coln-2 had entered the room followed by Blackstone and Prime's legal aide, Starlet. They sat grimly, then waited. "We're here, Ratchet. What's happening? Warden Gee-Gee is outside with two of the prisoners from here."
Ratchet sat straighter then looked at the four. "We've found graves, fourteen dead so far but I suspect more. I'm having evidence taken by Sky and the war crimes tech group from Forensics. They're excavating the graves and collecting evidence. We can seek out others to tell us what happened but I want to question Machlis and Faber about this. I need you to help me with the legal side of this."
Barron glanced at the others then sat back. "Alright. I think it would be a good idea to sit back and listen to what they say. I've learned that Machlis is a business mech but Faber is versed in the law. If they invoke then we can cover their rights. Right now, they aren't charged with anything formally."
"Not yet," Ratchet replied. He glanced at Blackstone and Coln-2. "I will be asking hard questions but they aren't charged yet so I don't feel obligated to get legal counsel or anything beyond that."
"I think it would be a good idea to let them know who we are and what we do. They can draw conclusions themselves and I suppose they will," Coln-2 said. "I think if its problematic we can all pull back and assess then."
Blackstone nodded. "You're not allowed to have this be admissible in court if you don't give them their rights."
"No, I know." Ratchet sat back in his chair. "I want to know if there are other graves and where they are. I want to know what they know for the sake of anyone who might be hurt or need us."
Everyone in the end agreed to halt if the situation turned toward charges or they invoked. Ratchet called them both to come and they did entering the room warily to sit. It was silent a moment then Ratchet leaned forward slightly. "I have a few questions. I would like truthful answers. We're finding graves."
The two considered that but gave nothing away. They stared at Ratchet and the others without comment.
"We have fourteen or so bodies in a grave that show abuse to their bodies. It would appear that they were bludgeoned to death, then dumped in the pit. Would you happen to know what is going on here?" Ratchet asked again.
They stared at him, then the door opened as a runner came in with a data pad. He handed it to Ratchet, then left as swiftly.
Ratchet read it then looked at the two mechs. "We found three more mass graves. We're sorting out the dead but it would appear that they might combine to total more than fifty mechs and three femmes. Care to tell me about this?"
"We require representation. We invoke," Machlis said. The two stared at Ratchet and the others with a frigid gaze.
"Blackstone and Barron, I'm assuming you will honor this request?" Ratchet asked as he kept the gaze of the two.
"If you could give us a moment, Commander," Blackstone said. "Collie."
Ratchet, Coln-2 and the guards stepped out as the conference with Barron and Blackstone began in earnest.
Jarro shook his helm. "Here we go again."
"It's much worse, Jarri. This group has been inside such a tight and unforgiving bubble that I don't think they're right in the processor," Ratchet said. "Don't get me wrong. I think they're clinically sane but their beliefs are so tightly held it will harm them in the long run. I've never seen this short of the Functionalist Council and those here have that intensity about what they believe."
It would take half a joor before Blackstone would gesture them back inside.
=0=Game
They ran and as they did Arcee, Chromia and Elita began to run tight intricate plays to pass the ball around and confuse the other team. IT worked. Chromia threw the ball to Maelstrom who dunked it in the hoop.
Crater Terrans 10 and Polyhex Panthers zero.
Of course, it was after a fight interlude …
^...^
Raptor stood ped-to-ped with a huge defensive lineman who wanted to clean his clock. Given that it took a lot to scare or get Raptor down, he obliged the big boy. Trading blows that could dent steel, the two slagged it out near the bench. Because they did the game had to halt. Back and forth they raged as the crowd went crazy. When Raptor saw Elita reach the spot where she was supposed to be, he stepped down and the two big mechs grinned at each other.
It was fun.
Then the grin fell off the face of the Panther as he turned around to give chase in time to see Maelstrom put the ball through the hoop.
^...^
They sat and stared across the divide between then for a moment. "I'm going to ask questions. Answer or not but I'm going to get what I need and want if not from you then others. How many holes are there around here with our people in them?" Ratchet asked.
Silence.
"I can have some of the big mechs come here to answer these questions but I'm asking you," Ratchet said. "I can't imagine that they would be too happy to talk about this. Some of the dead might be family and friends."
Silence.
"Given that you kept great records and we have control off all your offices, databases and computers, its only a matter of time. I would imagine that you would sigh such things, you know … to keep your files straight," Ratchet said softly.
Silence.
=0=TBC 12-24-19
Its Christmas eve for some of us right now here in Alaska. It snowed earlier and was beautiful. I wish all of you who do a very Merry Christmas, those who celebrate Hanukkah the very best and everyone else who has a celebration, or not the same. This time of year we get to wind down for the next year of el crappo to happen. I wish all of you the greatest and best happenings for you and your family, holiday or not. Soon we will have the Christmas Surprise stuff here in the story. Things have come up for the bots and we have to keep it all going. HUGS to all in the world tonight. -Me