NOTE: Holy God, I was so tired last night. It's been uh, years? since I couldn't put a seggie up. Sorry about that. :D :D :D Bad me. I had so many ideas to put into things over the next dozen or so, I hate when I'm tired and can't do it. Love ya, all you out there. I will answer notes back to you all weekend. HUGS!

-0-Let's ride this pony ...

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 8 -Episode 1, Part 2-

-0-In a studio at IntraComm

"That part was great. The conversations with the leadership are gold," Aaron Belcher said. "The first part is great. What about act II?"

"Let's roll," Jack Mellar said.

It did.

-0-Act II

(Cut to airfield. Shuttles were lined up on the flight line some of them loading and others unloading. Huge mechanisms walked nearby, two of them standing together talking quietly. Small vehicles went here and there, some of them to hook up to space craft and some to carry things that were not big pallets of this and that. Pan the mechs standing together, gear gathered at their peds.)

"Where are you going?" -off screen voice

(Tall black and green Autobot soldier looked down at them contemplating an answer.) "We're going on station at the forward base on Io."

"How long will you be gone?" -voice

"We're there for a decaorn."

"That's ten days?" -voice

(Big bot contemplates as other bots turn and look down, moving to gather around the camera and the off screen voice. Gives impression of human vantage point in a metallic forest.) "Yes. We call them orns."

"Are you Wreckers?" -voice. "I hear that its usually Wreckers or front-liners that get to go to the forward bases."

"Both do. Some are both." (Big black and green bot looked at the Master of the Muster. He was calling out the all go. Looks down at camera.) "Come out sometime. We'll show you how we roll." (Grins, gathers gear and follows others up ramp. Ramp closes and ship lifts off heading upward at an unholy rate. Camera follows it.)

(Scene fades out. Another fades in.)

(Vantage point at edge of pit where a struggle is going on below)

"Hold on tightly. Don't let go, youngling." (Huge fierce looking bot looks up and spots another at the edge of the pit who is looking down with concern.) "Bulkhead, get a medic."

(Bot named Bulkhead, enormous and shades of metallic green turned and steps away. Enormous fierce bot struggles to hold a cable.) "GET ME A WINCH!"

(A tall big framed bot appears and transforms, a long cable with a hook spooling out and downward from the long arm of his alt format, a heavy duty tow truck. Down it goes to the enormous bot in the hole. That bot looks downward.) "Grip this youngling with your free servo. I have your other one. I won't let go."

(Agonized voice from lower down is heard.) "It's packed so tight. I can't move my legs."

"Don't worry, youngling. Grip the hook. Lock your servo. When I lean down, grip the hook with your other one. I will hang onto your shoulder. Can you get it?"

(Tense silence but for the sound of the engine of the tow truck and the grunting of the big mech holding up someone deep in the hole. A sound of pain and moaning from the hole and then the big mech slips. Sounds of shouting as mechs scramble to rope the big slipping mech. When he's secure, they pull back until the line is taut.) "No more!" (The big mech glances over his shoulder to the security line holding him from falling down himself.) "Keep it taut." (He looks down and its quiet.) "Grip the line, youngling. Grip it tight with both servos, Dali. I won't let you fall farther."

(A sobbing sound is heard.) "I know, Scar. Its just so tight."

"That will hold you, youngling. It will help us winch you back up." (Looks up to the pit boss who is back, the mech called Bulkhead. He nods. That big bot turned and patted the hood of the tow truck.) "Very slow, Hoist. Make it really slow. Fix your audials on Scar."

"Roger." (A voice from the vicinity of the tow truck cab answered and the winch began to incrementally pull upward. The sound of groans and a cry was heard. Scar holds up servo to halt process. Truck called Hoist stops immediately.) "Get me some micro-mini-cons and a torch. We need to cut some steel. I see the hold up. And get me a rope to harness the youngling. I don't want him to lose his grip even if he is locked in." (Looks down) "You're locked aren't you, Dali?"

(Weak voice) "I am, Scar. Don't leave me."

"I'm here, youngling." (Scar grim faced and precariously perched halfway down the deep pit that will be one day the foundation of a new school building. The collapsed side of the stone and gravel foundation can be seen. Jagged bits of steel, a support for the stone and aggregate fill to come stick out here and there, one of them pressing against the youngling, Dali who can barely be seen in the pit.) "You'll be home for dinner, youngling. You can tell me about that mech of yours."

(Soft chuckle filled with pain can be heard in the grim stillness. The crews have stopped working and assembled around the scene of the accident. One of them, a tall dignified mech with an outstanding paint scheme looks especially pained.) "Do we need to get the hospital here?"

"The site medic is coming. The call has been put into the hospital, Copperton. When we get him out, the runabout will take him there for treatment." (Bulkhead speaking with the elegant mech glanced upward.) "Here comes the runabout."

(Nearby, kicking up dust and dirt a medical runabout lands. Two mechs step off, both carrying medikits. They hurry over and pause. One is an enormous bot with black and dark green features on a big hulking frame that was fronted by an oddly handsome and enigmatic orange face. The other was a smaller bot, equally elegant with a white face and an attitude.) "What happened?" (He asked in a voice that was borderline insolent and all around sassy.)

"The wall collapsed. There's a segment of frozen water in the soil and it rendered unstable." (Bulkhead spoke to them. The pilot of the runabout joined the crowd) "We have a youngling pinned down there with steel and we're going to get it cut. He's probably got some broken structures because he's in pain."

(Red and white bot nods. His name is Knockout. The other is Breakdown. Red and White bot steps closer and scans the pit. A beam of light emits from his forearm. Steps back.) "We have some broken struts. There are wounds as well. Two pieces of the steel framework have punctured him and he can't be pulled out until that's taken care of. Nothing terminal but all of it is serious."

(Bulkhead nods and moves to Scar. Fills him in. Two tiny mechs run up with a torch kit in servo. Conference is had. Knockout supplies details. They are lowered into the pit by rope. Tension permeates everywhere. All of the crew watch and wait. The sound of torches can be heard. A cry or two now and again from the pinioned bot can be heard.)

"Scar!" (Mini-con calls up to the boss still perched in the hole comforting the now secured youngling.) "You can pull him up!"

(Scars looks up. Nods to Bulkhead. Bulkhead pats tow truck.) "Slow, Hoist. Listen for Scar and the mini-cons."

(The tow begins slowly, ever slowly. Cries are heard. Words from min-cons can be heard. Then Scar begins to emerge holding onto the winch line as he scrambles upward.) "Easy. Easy. Hang on, Dali. Take it slow."

(The servos of a big tall mech can be seen, then arms, then a young agonized face. Mini-cons are winched up and pulled out of hole. Youngling is barely conscious, his face held gently by Scar. He is whispering something to the youngling. The youngling nods. He is barely aware.)

"Get ready to pull the youngling out." (Bulkhead gives orders and the two are pulled up and over. A stretcher is waiting for the youngling and he is gently placed upon it. He has to be medically induced to let go of the hook. He is lifted gently and carried to the runabout with Scar, Knockout, Breakdown and Bulkhead following. Discussion is held, Scar boards with the youngling and doctors. The ship lifts off. Bulkhead watches it go. Turns and comes back.)

"How is he?" a mech asks.

"Going to the hospital. He'll be alright." (Bulkhead peers into the pit.) "Let's get this fragger straightened out. I want someone from Geology to come and sonar the rest of this site. Get them here, Banzi." (A tall mech with a serious expression and a white and orange paint scheme nods and makes the call. The others with relief begin to fix the mishap.)

(Cut to hospital, emergency floor, Autobot City Medical Tower)

(Youngling mech lying on medberth. Knockout and Breakdown looking over him.) "I think we need an orthopedic structural specialist." (Red and white bot speaks to other, showing inside the youngling's pierced side a number of broken interior structures. Breakdown nods.) "I'll see who's on duty." (Turns and walks to computer. Scar standing at the front of the berth looks down at sedated youngling.) "How bad is he?"

(Red and white bot glances up.) "He has some internal structural damage. It will take surgery to repair it. He has a crushed ped. He has a structural fracture up his left leg. That will require micro-welding of a kind few can do. I *suppose* our resident mad doctor will do that."

"Ratchet?" (Scar looks up.)

"Who else?" (Knockout has peeved look on handsome face.) "This youngling will live. He won't be working for a few orns. He needs to seriously let his internal processes do their job without stress. Any stress applied to these new welds and replacement parts could cause them to collapse. He must make sure they have a chance to set and cure."

(Scar nods. Bots come through the door, discuss the situation and the patient is handed off. Scar stays with Breakdown who will assist. Knockout walks out of the emergency room and down to the office where he works for the shift. Enters. Sits and looks at desk work. Looks up at camera.) "What are you doing here?"

"We were interested in your comments about Ambassador Ratchet. They make it sound like you two aren't friends." -off camera voice.

(Smirk and snort) "You can say that. Are you the fleshies that are here to make a film about the soldiers or some such slag?"

"We are. We wonder if you would like to talk to us." -voice

"About what?" (Slight raise in level of concern.)

"About you, about your life, your beef with Ratchet. Are you an Autobot or a Decepticon?"

"You have to ask?" (Smirking bot leans back in chair. Grins at the camera.) "I am … or shall I say I was a Decepticon. I am Knockout, one of the few Decepticons that favor a vehicle mode."

"Why?" -voice.

"Why? Because I look great in white steel belted radials."

(Camera focuses on tires seen just over the bot's shoulders.) "You do."

A friendship is born.

-0-Studio

"That bot is money." Aaron Belcher looks back at the studio crew. "Do you know him?"

"He's a slagger. He and Ratchet have issues. He's one of the few Decepticons that are actual doctors. Most of the time they patch themselves or make due." The studio mech grinned. "Breakdown is Ratchet's protege. He likes to turn around the hard afts. Knockout is in a class by himself."

"I can see that," Belcher said as Mellar nodded. "We need to keep an eye on him too. He could be the antagonist of the story and he's hilarious besides."

A chuckle caught their attention and they looked back at the mechs who were running the review. "You understate very well," one of them said with a grin.

-0-At another studio

The door opened and Sadie walked in nearly dragging her portfolio. There were sketches out the wazoo, a few watercolors that had potential and two finished paintings that had been worked out through collaboration with her new god, Sunstreaker. She put it down and smiled up at him. "Hi."

He looked down and grinned. "Hi. I see you did your homework."

"I did. Let me show you," she said as she knelt down and began to unpack her piles and masses of awesome stuff. Sitting on a couch nearby reading The Autobot City Daily News, Sideswipe paused and grinned. Sunstreaker grinned back.

-0-At the University

Revo stood in his lecture hall with his datapads filled with stuff. Nearby, parked against a wall the camera crew recorded. He had thus far gotten away without compromising his family's privacy. It was clear it wouldn't last forever. They turned and headed his way. Pausing, the camera looked up. "Revo, what are you teaching here?" -off screen voice

"Flying." (big bot looks down and pauses.

"What kind?" -voice

"Commercial for now. When these students finish this course, they will be eligible for military and combat flying training."

"What did you do back on Cybertron? Were you from Cybertron?" -voice

(Bot looks down with unreadable expression) "I was. I'm from Vos. I was a shuttle pilot."

"You were a Decepticon."

(Bot nods.) "Yes."

"You were and you work with Autobots in an Autobot city. How does that work for you?"

(Bot stands a moment considering the question from all angles.) "It works because I have a family to protect. The Decepticons were different once. They were for justice and equality. But they turned into something else and became all about Megatron and what he wants. I have a daughter I have to raise and a family to protect. I have responsibilities here that are working for me as the beneficiary, not someone else. We are equal here the way we should have been before and never were. It's about freedom and equality. My daughter goes to school and I teach in a University. It would have never happened in my life before, only with Prime. Only with Prime."

"You can put aside bad feelings and old grudges?" -voice

"You have to. If you want to live a decent life, if you want your kids to be safe and grow up good, you have to. We have lost our home world over that. Consider what it would mean for you to lose your own world, to have to flee and hope you find a place that will have you, or you can have. In the end, with hate and fighting, there's death and suffering. We're tired of it. We work out here because Prime keeps his word."

"You were enemies before." -Voice

(Long pause. Turns and looks down at camera with menacing stare.) "Because someone lied. That won't work again."

=0=TBC

2012 (11)