Chapter 57
-0-Ops Center, the next morning
"They're here, sir," Red Alert said turning to look back at Optimus who was sitting at the center of the command deck going over the next step for the recovery of their people and the push back of the Decepticons.
He looked up and nodded, glancing at Prowl and Ironhide. The three rose to walk out the door to the flight line where Intel-Martin had landed their jet. They were coming to get the dead and the injured. They were also here to size up the opposition. The opposition was also here to size them up as well.
-0-Near the Autobot HQ
The day was warm, in the 70's with a light breeze. Prime walked out of the complex with Prowl and Ironhide by his side. They walked across the tarmac to the jet waiting off the main runway. It was emblazoned with the logo of Intel-Martin and was dispatched to carry the bodies of the two men who had lost the game of chicken with Ironhide as well as the survivor.
Three ambulances were pulling up as they reached a respectful distance, medics and orderlies hopping out to walk to the back to unload the caskets and move them onto a transport pallet. Others worked to move a gurney carrying a man still in great need of medical attention. Several others were congregated around the plane, one of them very well dressed. With them talking in a huddle was Jase Daniels.
"Well, we know who holds his leash," Ironhide said as he folded his arms in disgust.
"Always good to know," Prime said as he took in the entire scene.
The caskets were hauled to pallets and strapped down, then the orderlies stepped back as a forklift began to move them one last time. A military hummer pulled up. Colonel Fulton climbed out to walk to the men with a clipboard under his arm.
"Army triplicate," Ironhide said with a humorless grin. "Same here, same everywhere."
Prowl glanced at Ironhide, then the Colonel, the comment finding resonance in his processor. He turned to Prime, looking up with a questioning glance.
Prime looked down relaxing unconsciously.
"He wants to talk to you," Prowl said. "They could start a public campaign. They have a number of public relations firms that do their bidding. It could disturb public opinion against us."
Prime nodded, then looked at them again. "Wait here," he said walking toward the plane and the people gathered there. He strode like a Prime, like a leader of worlds, like a warrior with a proud illustrious lineage to uphold, like someone who'd forgotten more about class then the group of them would ever learn. He caught their eye almost immediately.
They turned together to watch him approach, their conversation stilled.
When he reached them he nodded to Fulton. "Colonel."
"Prime," Fulton said nodding back. He introduced the group to Optimus. "This is Thomas Jaspers, Field Operations Manager for Intel-Martin, this is William Nast, C.E.O and President of Intel-Martin and this is August Temple, their pilot. You know Daniels."
Optimus nodded, a cool optic going from one to the other, memorizing and filing them away for future reference.
Temple stepped back removing himself from the conversation, thus showing himself to be of no consequence in the matters at hand.
Nast and Jaspers glanced at each other, Daniels seemingly indifferent to the whole moment. Then Nast stepped forward to look way upward at Prime. "Even in these circumstances it's an honor to meet you, Mr. Prime."
"Prime is sufficient," Optimus replied, his tone cool, even regal. "These 'circumstances' could have been avoided."
"We're evaluating the findings," Nast replied. "We don't have a position on this matter at the moment. We're looking through the legalities before we take any measures or positions on the whole business."
Prime considered him, a bureaucrat without a spark in his estimation. A drone he seemed, droning on for the sake of financial and ego gratification, nothing more. "We have diplomatic status and will exercise it to protect our own interests. You might review the treaties that were signed by your country and the United Nations. I am serious about the protection of my soldiers and it would be in all our interests if you would pass that on to yours."
"Are you threatening us?" Nast asked, his expression smoothing into a cipher, a state that Optimus couldn't decode.
"I never make threats," Optimus said. "I make promises and I keep them."
Nast nodded, considering that. "I will remember it."
"Do it," Prime said. He glanced at Fulton with a nod, then began to walk back to Prowl and Ironhide, his affect one of great power and dignity. He had nearly reached both mechs when Nast called out. Prime turned to look at him.
"I'd like to talk to you. Privately," Nast said walking forward toward the group with very little fear disturbing his affect.
Prime looked at him and waited. If Nast wanted to speak to him he could come all the way over.
He did.
Prowl and Ironhide made no effort to move.
When he got to Prime he waited.
They waited, too.
"I wished to speak to you alone."
"You assume my people speak your language."
Nash considered that. "I want to know how we can work together."
"On what?" Prime asked.
"The Decepticon problem. It would be a great advancement for everyone for you to share your technology," Nast said. "I know you have treaties and rules. But this isn't Cybertron. We can be of great benefit to each other, you and me."
"I seriously doubt that," Prime replied. "Is there anything else?"
Nast looked at him, then the two big mechs standing nearby. "We're not enemies."
"Your goon ran into my soldier on purpose. Your record as a mercenary is disgusting. You have no honor. I do not believe we are friends. But we could become enemies easily," Prime concluded, his voice filled with menace.
"That would be too bad," Nast said quietly. "Things happen."
"That road runs both ways," Prime said. He turned to look at Ironhide. Then he turned back to Nast. "This is Ironhide. Your goons hit him." He turned to Ironhide. "Do you wish to make a comment to Mr. Nast?"
"Yes. Mr. Nast, frag off."
Nast looked at Prime. "I thought you said they don't speak my language?"
"They do not," Prime said smoothly. "None of us are fluent in cowardice." With that, he walked to his mechs who walked away with Prime.
Nast watched them go, then walked back to the Colonel, Daniels and his two men. He reached them, shaking his head with regret. "We could use about two of those on the payroll," he said signing off on the caskets.
Fulton taking the clipboard scowled at him in disgust. "Mr. Nast, there isn't a price in the universe that would compel Optimus Prime to stoop that low." Without a further word, he walked to his hummer to climb inside. Without a further glance he sped back to his HQ.
Nast watched him go, his mind considering a number of possibilities. Then he with his party walked to the plane to climb aboard to buckle in for takeoff.
Daniels remained on the tarmac watching them until they disappeared. Then he began to walk back to his SUV unaware that he was on the sensor grid of three Aerialbot Autobots the whole time.
-0-Far away
They slid energon into the cells re-powering them as they did. They had removed their restraints earlier and it had made the difference. Springer sat leaning against a wall sipping his energon, exploring the area with his sensor grid and his optics. The ground underneath him was cold dirt and the walls very thick roughly cut stone. It felt underground to him, like a deep cave or lower levels of a dungeon.
Footsteps gave them pause. They glanced at each other, syncing together as they relaxed to feign disinterest. The footsteps were heavy ... a Seeker was coming. They waited and sure enough, Starscream with Swindle walked toward them out of the darkness. They paused in front of the bars, the Seeker perusing them. "Springer."
"Starscream."
"I hope you aren't too inconvenienced. I brought company along for you. It's always good to have company, especially family."
Arcee regarded Starscream, amused that he had made such an error but the fact that he did hadn't been that hard to square. The humans were complex, layers on their layers. Anyone could have made a mistake and Starscream had. His spy had fallen for the prank, too.
Springer sat quietly sipping his energon and she did, too, waiting for Starscream's ego to become agitated. It was at moments like that he sometimes made his mistakes.
"Tell me about Prime," Starscream asked.
"Why?" Springer asked. "What do you want to know about him and why do you care?"
"Curiosity," Starscream replied. "One is lucky to know their opponent well."
"He's Prime," Springer said simply.
"And you?" he asked. "Is he just Prime to you or is he something more?"
Arcee shrugged.
"Well, we shall see," Starscream said. "We shall see what Optimus Prime will do to get his bond and youngling femme back."
They stared at him then, then the two walked away.
Springer watched him, then glanced at Arcee. "I almost feel sorry for him."
Arcee grinned. "You and me both.
-0-Ops Center
Red Alert worked quietly. Beside him running the search and rescue was Jazz and Prowl. They had sent the Aerialbots off, the four of them changing alt vehicle formats into space shuttles, their original alt forms. They were going to search the solar system heading into the Oort Field after a cursory scan of the planets beyond Earth. The Oort Field was the most likely place to find their missing people. They would go there. All the data that they collected would be transmitted back to Earth and Teletraan III to sort out and collate.
They would get into the Oort Field, following the trail until it disappeared, then scan every large Apollo body out there until the transponders in Arcee and Springer pinged back that they were found.
Then the real rescue would begin.
-0-Nearby
Bluestreak sat in the Rec Room nursing a cube of energon. Nearby with a pained aggravated expression, Sunstreaker watched his lover. Bluestreak was miserable. Sideswipe was miserable and overdue back from Autobot City. Sitting in a quandary, over thinking too much, he counted the ways that Prowl was miserable too, none of them repeatable in polite society. Frustrated, he and Blue stared at each other with lonesome optics as the miserable day droned on.