The Diego Diaries: Psy-Ops 31 (dd3 110)
-0-Out there
The scene faded.
Another emerged.
The light glinted off a new ship being readied at the shipyards, a vast construction site off to the southwest of the Temple and the Human Habitat. It would be a deep space ship that would travel to other locations to bring back large numbers of refugees and wanderers who were lost and needed retrieval.
As the cameras panned around the site, it changed. The Trigger was shown in orbit. It was vast, identical to the one that had circled Cybertron for vorns albeit with tweaks and working to hold open a vortex. It was shocking to see.
The image faded and a mech appeared. It was Wheeljack.
"Hi. I'm Wheeljack, a Wrecker, scientist and senior Autobot. I'm also in charge along with Perceptor of Chrystal City of the science programs here at Autobot City. Right now, you saw the Trigger. It probably is the dividing line between those that are older who remember seeing it orbiting Cybertron and those of you who are younger and didn't. I remember it well. I also helped design and rebuild it here.
"We can go from here to anywhere and back again without any trouble. No distance or place is out of our reach now and it isn't the only bridge we have. We power it with an energon plasma chamber," he said as the image came onto the screen, "and refuel it with a geosynchronous energon bridge just like the original but this one is much improved." That image came and went as well.
"We're part of the team that is going to tear you limb from limb if you don't surrender and come to us peacefully. We're vast. There are half a million of us here. We're capable. The bench we field has redundancies built into the redundancies. You fight us at your own peril. You won't win. You might even succeed in killing all the hostages but in the end you will die. Lucky you. Not everyone gets the chance to decide what day and with what method they leave for the Matrix. Right, Perceptor?"
The camera shifted as a very elegant red and black bot appeared. He nodded. "Yes, Wheeljack," he said in his elegant cultured voice. "I am Perceptor, a scientist of note on Cybertron and a scientist of note in the Autobots. Wheeljack and I will be working to destroy you if you don't surrender and come to us. You will be received and protected. You will get a chance to have a life of your own choosing among your own people in an authentic Cybertronian city. It's up to you." He looked at Wheeljack. "Do I tell them about the teleportation program?"
Wheeljack looked at him a moment, then nodded .
"Very well," Perceptor said looking at the camera again. "Not only do we have the ability to blow you to the Pit. We have the ability to teleport among you. Imagine Seekers heavily armed and Wreckers, too, teleporting into your space. Imagine not seeing the servo that kills you. Think about it."
Wheeljack glanced at the camera as the image faded.
-0-"AND CUT!" (earlier in the week when they taped their part)
Wheeljack and Perceptor relaxed as Jazz and Blaster checked their taping. "What teleportation project, Percy?"
"That was a flight of fancy, Wheeljack," Perceptor said as Wheeljack blinked in delight. His audials were going to town when Jazz grinned. "
Good take, boys. Thanks." Jazz gathered his stuff to go, then glanced at the two for a moment. "You might want to tell Prime about that teleportation thing. Sounds great."
"We will," both of them said.
And one of them grinned.
-0-out there
Splice looked around himself dropping the shovel in his servos. The place was like a mannequin factory with everyone silently listening and watching. He checked out the guards, all of whom were listening, too, then considered what might happen next. First, there could be a spontaneous rebellion of the troops. He'd seen that before. Second, there could be major reactions that led to retaliation against the hostages, the closest ones being him and the 49 with him. Third and less likely, the refugees could go berserk and take out the guards ending up dead in the attempt. He signaled them to behave and they glanced at him, most of them nodding with impossibly hopeful expressions on their faces.
Then they saw lights flashing in two of the ships sitting nearby.
:Get down and stay down!: Splice said as he ducked flat.
The others followed watching as over the ship speakers and their internal reception the broadcast continued. So did the gunfire.
-0-Overlord
He stood in the middle of his command deck staring at the monitors all around him in disbelief. On all of them were testimonials and calls to rebellion to his troops by the slagging Autobots and their allies. That among those allies were 'Cons from his own faction, some of them supposedly deeply committed to the Cause was astonishing to him. "SHUT IT DOWN!"
The crew went through a flurry of activity, then his second walked toward Overlord. "We can't. They took over the ship's computers and have us locked out."
Overlord howled and pulled his gun shooting the monitor above communications. Everyone ducked as he shot each one out around the bridge cursing and screaming when no more were available.
"SIR!"
He gripped his gun tightly, rising to point at a bot who cowered slightly. "Sir, there's a message coming in from Cybertron."
Overlord looked at him with wild fury, then lowered his gun. "Put it through. I know who this is."
The speakers crackled, then Soundwave's voice could be heard. "Soundwave to Overlord."
"I'm here."
"I'm sending a bridge to your location. Take it and come here to Kaon. I wish to propose an alliance with you. I'm aware that Prime has targeted your group. Come to me and you will have a life. Stay there and he will obliterate you."
Overlord thought a moment, then shrugged. "What is in it for me?"
"A future. Possibilities. Megatron," Soundwave said.
"If I go to Cybertron, you'll welcome me. Is it that?" he asked with a smirk, his voice filled with sarcasm.
"I have more welcome for you than Prime and more need. He's undermining your command authority. Your troops will turn on you if you don't leave. Given a choice for them between facing Prime to defend you or slitting your throat to appease him, what do you think more likely?"
It was silent a moment as Overlord considered his options. Fighting was his only interest and fighting the big bots the only diversion that could hold him for any length of time. He lived to fight, fought to live and regretted nothing. "If I come to Cybertron, I can expect what kind of reception?"
"I'd like to make an alliance against Prime. Megatron is missing and so is Shockwave. I want to expand the Empire, rebuild Cybertron and I want allies, ruthless ones. You fill the bill," Soundwave said.
Overlord considering his options. "I don't run."
"Regroup with me."
He considered that, then walked to the hatch of his ship. Staring outside, he saw gunfire on two others and arguing at three more. Aiming, he fired at two mechs standing outside a vessel and obliterated them. Others who were standing with them opened up on him. The hostages lay flat and prayed.
-0-Ops Center, Fort Apache, out there on the migration trail
The statements continued and were interspersed with images of the city and the colony. They were compelling, Prime was convinced and so were the postmortem images of Megatron and The Fallen. Ratchet covered those.
-0-Fade out, fade in
"I'm Ratchet, Chief Medical Officer of the Autobot Armed Forces and all medicine as practiced on Mars, the planet of our colony. I'm responsible for the health and well-being of half a million of our people and the number is growing every time a migration comes. You slaggers are holding up the repatriation of our own people, all of us who are on the brink of extinction. Maybe Overlord doesn't care but I do. You should, too.
"When we came to this system, there were only five of us. Megatron had followed the AllSpark and found himself caught up by the humans who lived on the next planet over from this one, Earth. He was held for nearly a vorn and subjected to experiments and research. That didn't make him very happy so when he escaped he tried to get the Cube to exact revenge. He didn't. He was killed by Optimus Prime. I did the postmortem and he was dead as a pile of rusted bolts. We dumped him into the ocean of Earth, the planet where the AllSpark had landed and washed our servos of him.
"A shard of the AllSpark was found that hadn't been accounted for in the chaos of the aftermath of the fighting and it revived Megatron. He teamed with The Fallen to try it again. We beat his aft and Optimus killed The Fallen by ripping his face off with his bare servos. Megatron fled and we haven't seen him since. He's been sending our people wherever they're found to us to ensure that when he comes to annihilate us, he gets them, too. He wants us to disappear. He wants us to become extinct. Don't think for a moment he cares about you either. He doesn't. The Fallen didn't. Overlord won't.
"I've dug through a lot of carcasses of our dead over the eons. I'd rather repair the living. If you have a scrap of sense you'll come to us and learn what you need to do to have a life. Scar, Rampage, Nitro and Revo did. They have what they want and need and they're an asset. Starscream leads the Seekers here and is a partner in this endeavor with Prime. Your faction is dead. You will be, too, if you don't turn around and just leave. Get on your ships. Turn them on and leave. Come to Prime. Give your oath. Get a life. Or die. Those are your choices. For once in your life, do something for yourself. Be your own mech. Leave."
The image faded.
-0-Back there
Mechs retreated into ships closing the hatches behind them. When they did some powered up and began to lift off. Overlord ran out and fired into the sky, his shots missing more than landing. Other ships began to lift off until there was only his left. He looked around in a frenzy, then his ship's hatch closed. It fired up and lifted off leaving him on the ground. Shooting upward, his firepower was insufficient to leave more than a scorch on the side of the vessel.
He stared upward, then looked around spotting a runabout sitting on its gear nearby. Running toward it, he boarded and the hatch closed. It fired up, lifting off to head upward at a fast pace until it disappeared from view.
Splice watched the events around them, then stood up calling out to the others. They rose, all 49 looking at him dazed and frightened. :We made it. They've left. They're Prime's concern now: he said gathering the workers to his side. There were no vessels to use to get away. They would have to wait for rescue.
-0-Ops Center, Fort Apache, out there on the migration trail
The images of ships represented by lights on the monitor overhead signaled that the enemy formation was breaking up to come their direction.
Prime glanced at Starscream. That formidable individual walked to the Flight Command station to sit. "Red Flight, you are go. There are ships coming our way. Read them their rights."
:Red Flight Leader: Red Wing said. :We are go:
Outside Seekers began to take off followed by shuttles based at the fort that would carry boarding crews. They gathered together and headed out, their professionalism honed by practice in the Oort Field. Their lights were added to the mapping done by Teletraan IV using all the data that was pouring in madly from the many arrays and sensors that were monitoring this sector and a number more in all directions.
"They are coming toward us but I don't detect any weapon systems online," Prowl said, his optics fixed on the screens before him.
Prime felt his spark lift a bit. "How many ships, Prowl?"
"There are five battle cruisers, several fast hunter ships, two ships with the detachable fighters and about five more ships of varying size. I'm calculating the personnel," he said again. "I detect 3,237 individuals on board the flotilla."
Prime said, "Open a channel, Jazz."
"You're go, Prime," Jazz said glancing up at the solemn face of his superior officer and friend.
"This is Optimus Prime. You are ordered to stop where you are and power down your weapons systems. You are ordered to take all weapons from subspace or easy access and lock them up. We are going to board your ships and insure that you are safe to come with us. We are going to transfer you to the Guardians who will take you through the space bridge to our colony. If you are unable to comply with these commands tell us now so we can kill you."
Prowl glanced at Prime for a moment, then smirked slightly. Turning to the command boards he refocused his attention. Several messages of compliance came through the speakers as the first shuttle and Seeker team reached the first Decepticon ship. They all tensely waited as Ratchet organized a general call for ships with medical and tech teams as well as two more Guardians to come through the bridge to help in the removal and care of the refugees and the Decepticon defectors.
-0-At a 'Con vessel
They magnetized to the hull peering into the portholes, their guns in servo. Mechs stared back uneasily as they were signaled to open the hatch. They did as the twins along with Cloud Burst and SloCam, a heavy gunner/boarding specialist slipped inside. With weapons leveled they cautiously made their way forward. Entering the command deck they halted. The entire crew of 'Cons were standing in that space watching them as they watched back.
"Empty your subspace, all of you," Cloud Burst said.
The two pulled personal mementos out for inspection. They were frisked, tagged and ordered to sit on the deck as a pilot and two guards floated over from a battle shuttle. When the ship and crew were secured, the boarding team stepped out and continued onward. It would take three joors to secure every ship and crew. Then the hunt for the refugees would begin in earnest.
-0-Nearby
He flashed through the bridge that had appeared before him, one sent by Soundwave. It took him through into familiar space where familiar stars and sights greeted him. A signal gave him permission to traverse Cybertronian space and come to Kaon. He did, flying past a slowly recovering but still mostly destroyed world that was his beginning point.
He flew silently and when he reached the small landing port outside of Decepticon Headquarters in the surprisingly cleaned up city of Kaon he landed softly, powering down his vessel. Scanning the area, he noted that only one bot was waiting for him.
Soundwave.
He hated Soundwave like most Decepticons because this mech as sneaky, mean and very clever. Rising from the pilot seat he walk to the hatch with his weapon in servo. it slid back as he stepped down. Looking around, scanning the area, he didn't notice anything that was unusual.
Soundwave was waiting quietly so he walked toward him. When he reached the silent bot, he stopped to take in his opaque face and persona. "Soundwave. How unlike you not to come with a guard."
"What makes you think I'm alone?" Soundwave asked. He nodded his helm and as he did beams of light shot downward from the rooftops of three buildings nearby. They met together at the figure of Overlord brightening as they crossed beams. The big mech howled with pain and staggered, struggling to bring his weapon upward to fire.
Soundwave slapped it away as Overlord fell down landing in a heap on the ground. Soundwave watched him without comment as a number of 'Cons walked out from the HQ building to stare down as well.
"What do you want us to do with him, Lord Soundwave?" a big bot asked.
"I want his spark chamber removed and put into punitive storage. The rest you can scrap. Or better yet, put it into stasis. You never know when I might need a maniac."
The big mechs picked up Overlord dragging him off to the brig with its many diabolical levels of incarceration. The null rays had taken the beast down. Now they would stockpile the pieces against the future.
Soundwave felt a margin of relief having preserved his nebulous connection to Prime, removed a possible rival and all around troublemaker as well as taken the first step to achieving balance between two untenable forces.
The forces of light, Prime … and the forces of utter darkness, Megatron were two rats gnawing at him without mercy. He would have to make sure that if anyone died, it would be the other mech, not him. Without a backward glance, he walked to the HQ to make a call to Prime. He would do it sitting on Megatron's chair in Megatron's office using the private frequency given to him by Prime.
=0=TBC 2012 (12) 12-13-2022