The Diego Diaries: Sun Dance Part Two (dd7 182)
=0=The big conference room in the Ops Center at Sun Dance
They gathered together filling the room, the team of friends and companions, relatives and comrades of a long and fabled lifetime together. There were scientists here, mechs who were so expert at warfare that they'd lost their sense of fear, femmes who were the equal of everyone and anyone, bonds, bachelors and those who lived 'complex' lives. They had several things in common, all of them. They were the most professional soldiers probably anywhere in endless light years of space, they were friends, devoted to each other and the brooding mech who led them and they were as smart a group of beings anywhere in anyone's local group and well beyond.
It was silent as they waited for Optimus to speak. He was staring at the table top before him as everyone else stood or sat around the big space.
Prowl was waiting, tooresting his elbows on the table. He was lit in his cold and controlled manner which usually at some point led to furniture abuse.
Ratchet and Ironhide sat patiently side-by-side, Ironhide glowering while Ratchet gazed discreetly around the room at everyone. They were in all stages of emotion, most of it negative but they waited quietly and respectfully for Prime.
Jetta and Magnus had arrived joining the group as they sat and stood around the room. They bridged in, noting the activity on the ground while waling in as overhead in space two Triggers were stationed to make a planetary transfer way the hell and gone across the galaxy. Elita was there as were all of the femmes. Maelstrom nodded to both as they entered, then stood beside him.
Prime sat back then looked at everyone.
Springer and Drift, Hercy, Kup and all of the rest including a pensive Lon and Bezel who'd come down from the shuttle with Hercy who thought they might want to see what 'good commanding looked like' waited for Prime to speak.
Prime glanced at Prowl who sat back expectantly. Arrow stood nearby giving way in the seating arrangement to higher status individuals. He stood with Rainmaker's sons as he and Starscream waited. Paragon sat beside Prowl, the two nearly a mirror of the other, waiting silently as well.
"We have discovered that the leadership of this planetary colony has made and sold our technology to aliens. Not only did they make it, they sold the processes and formulations for it to them as well. Some of them include the Vergo Confederation, the same group that wanted to pillage the dead from the Functionalist Council debacle. It is clear from that experience that they have a goodly supply of our technology from the Functionalist Council."
The room seemed shrink as everyone shifted with that news.
"We have traced some of it. There are computer systems that manage business and agricultural enterprises. But they also sold the technology and specifications for weapon technology, weapon guidance systems and space bridges," Prime said.
"Oh frag," Rainmaker said softly. He leaned closer. "That's how they managed transporting. They've figured out how to use our tech and they can bridge now."
Prime nodded. "That is so."
Perceptor glanced at Wheeljack, then Prime. "I can only imagine that the level of technology they display is crude at best. There are many levels of innovation achieved by us over the past few years that trump what they can bring. We outclass them in all of those areas."
"As far as we know, Percy," Ratchet replied. "Consider the number of species in that confederation. All four of them are space going. Given that they understand and can develop innovation, its also reasonable to believe that they can refine technology as well. Four different species, four different perspectives brought to bear on one problem and you have a recipe for disaster for the rest of us."
"They can't bridge to Mars or Cybertron can they?" Springer asked. Drift who was standing beside him looked pensive. "You don't think they have that much possibility do you?"
"We received the data from the shuttles and scans from the Seeker data flights. It's hard to accurately peg the level of achievement that they've actually attained but it would be woeful in the extreme for us to believe they aren't capable of doing so at some point in time," Wheeljack said.
It was silent again.
Magnus turned toward Prime from his position by the door. "This is a massive breach of the Tyrest Protocols, all of our treaties, the oaths that scientists take to work on projects both private and governmental and it's slagging treason, Optimus. If they can make a bridge to start with nothing prevents them from taking long jaunts with refined tech. We didn't leave them previously in a good frame of mind toward us."
"Nor us toward them," Hercy said. "Those slaggers don't have tech at our level yet. It might take them years to make a bridge that can cover that amount of distance. That gives us time to do a number of things. We move these two planets, then we move Cybertron, the Local Group and Gliese. Frag … we move what we need to move and put it inside the defensive ring at an Earth level priority."
Prime sat back. "That is the only good option right now along with expanding our types and kinds of sensor technology. We have to dig deep into Sun Base's databases. We need to know who they traded with and what they traded. We have to extrapolate a timeline for the level of threat they might pose once we find out. I want to have an idea of level of threat and any timelines that can be made in reference to them."
"We can do that," Perceptor said. He glanced at Prowl who nodded. "This is an awful thing. What about those who are responsible, Optimus?"
"They had earned a Primal Hearing with Special Circumstances before given how they treated those who were living here in slavery. That does not count their crimes on Cybertron. I am thinking that this will be the main focus of their trial. I believe only the Pantheon can make this right."
"If it can be," Kup said. "Those slaggers are trying to make themselves our equal, Prime. They can build their bridges, they can make their missiles fly straighter but they can't beat us. No one really can. We've faced tough aliens before. None of them could defeat us."
Prime nodded. "I know. What bothers me is that it puts Mars and the solar system square in the cross hairs. I do not want any more fighting or attacks leveled at Cybertron. We have to rethink our defenses. Is there anyway to know if an unauthorized bridge is coming our way?"
Wheeljack shrugged. "I'm not sure, Optimus, but its now a priority. Most of us here have kids, too."
Prime nodded. "Our people have suffered enough. I will not allow it to continue. If they want a fight, they might find they get one." He glanced at the group. "This is secret above secret."
Everyone nodded silently then the door opened. A kid ran a data pad to Wheeljack, then left quickly.
Wheeljack read it, then glanced at Prime. "We're ready to go for Sun Base."
Prime nodded. "Please explain the procedure one more time for those here who might not be briefed."
"We've placed nearly 10,000 stabilizer enhancers on the planet in strategic locations to hold it together during the transport and for as long afterwards as it takes for the inner planetary systems to settle again. Consider a planet to be like a hard shell filled with liquid, blobs of hot molten metals and big pieces of rock. The farther away from the center, the more likely the liquid is congealed from cooling down, thus creating both mantle and crust. The closer to the middle, the more liquid and hot it is.
"We have to move the planet in the most stable manner possible so that the contents within don't move around too much. Too much sloshing and the likelihood of things coming apart is overwhelming. The stabilizers create a nearly solid wall of energy around the planet buffering it as it's moved. That keeps the atmosphere, the oceans and all of the living and non-living things in good order. It'll be doubtful if anything on world even notices the movement. There will be a moment of darkness during the transit up and until its placed in orbit but it'll be very short.
"Trigger 1 is waiting to put up the bridge for the transfer. Trigger 2 is going to collect the energy from the stabilizers to make and hold the box of energy that will enclose Sun Base. That will be held through the transit of the planet from here to Sirius A. Trigger 2 will actually move the planet into the bridge using a slight variation in the frequency so that they don't overload each other and flash out.
"Trigger 3 from the Saturn Shipyard will be waiting at Sirius A. When the planet shows up there it will take up the integrity part of the move from Trigger 2 to fully maintain the field of containment. The switch over will be so fast that nothing will be detectable either on the ground or by the control groups on the Triggers. We built a slight delay before one Trigger cuts out and another one cuts in. It works because each Trigger works on a slight, very slight phase variance.
"Trigger 3 will pull it to the destination orbit, then stay with it for as long as it takes to achieve parabolas before letting it go in orbit. It might take one orn and many. Whatever it takes we'll stay with it. This is a living vibrant world and everything depends upon getting it right."
"What's the likelihood that things will go splat?" Ratchet asked.
"We have all the data from Cybertron about Sentinel Zeta Prime's program of planetary transference and Zenith and Shadow checked the data because they worked on that program. All of it is go. There's always going to be the potential for problems but they're so slight as to be insignificant. Teletraan has scenarios on her scenarios. This is the trial run for Cybertron. We'll make it right," Wheeljack said.
Prime vented a soft sigh. "I want a blue sky for Cybertron. I want this place to be safe. Once this is accomplished we are going to have to wait for the Triggers to be available for Homeland. Correct?" he asked.
Perceptor nodded. "We are. What we will do is move back here at the best possible moment. We cannot rush anything. This is a vibrant world, Optimus. We must do the right thing."
Prime nodded. "I know. What would you have us do?"
"Decamp to the ships. No one is to be on the ground," Wheeljack said as he stood. He glanced around. "I have all the confidence in the world, Optimus, that this will go through smoothly. This is something we used to do all the time. We can retrieve that part of ourselves now with this."
"Then we must go," Prime said.
Everyone waited as the group moved out of the room to head for the ships parked here and there outside. They were silent as they walked for their vessels. Prime joined Springer's as the others jumped on shuttles here and there. When they lifted off there would be no one on world but the indigenous lifeforms that had always called the place home.
The ships disappeared into the sky.
=0=Trigger 1
Wheeljack and Perceptor along with Miler as navigator and the team for this part of the mission worked out the pre-flight together. It was being echoed by that of Trigger 2 while Trigger 3 listened at the other end of the trail, Sirius A. That bright binary star system was a perfect place for these two worlds. The stars were bright, they had no planets and they were ripe for hosting a world largely desert and one that was a lush moderate climate world wide.
It was a long and careful process checking out the sequencing that Teletraan would do to make it as error proof as possible. The crews would watch, gather data and if anything went wrong jump in to do the flying and transfer themselves.
=0=On Phobos
The titanic forces of the Supremes, titans and dreadnoughts were dispersed to watch for aliens and protect the area until the two planets and their tiny moons were gone. Prime noted that as he sat in the command seat. Ratchet, Ironhide and the elders of his family including Flint, Steiner and Auntie Lissie sat on the open chairs around the flight deck.
"This is nerve wracking. If I didn't know we did it all the time in the past, I'd be drinking now," Ratchet said.
"You would drink anyway," Prowl said quietly as he sat at the command table across from Ratchet.
"We need to tie one on, slacker," Ratchet said. "After we move a few planets, let's club."
Prowl stared at him a moment with a slight smirk. "Do you ever really listen to yourself?"
Ratchet shot him a dazzler. "Nope."
That was when the lights of Trigger 1 began to build down the sled that led to the gates of infinity.
=0=TBC 1-13-2020
optimusprime101: Not right away. They will be sorry they got the tech from Sun Base but it won't be ended right away. :D
I would add more notes but I'm sending this by my phone hot spot so its touch and go. However, it is now +14 degrees, not -14 degrees so I'm pretty happy. HUGS! (the rest of the notes tomorrow) :D:D:D