The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 34
-0-Fort Apache, out there, a short time later
They stood around the table where Prime sat with Blackjack and Alor. That pair were the field commanders of the base and would be the ones who would direct rescues on the trail from here. It was decided that all things being equal, they would make their interventions for migration waves at this point. They were dug in, reinforced and ready to roll. The bridges would be supported by a show of force that even Overlord couldn't withstand.
It was all kinds of win.
"They are all here, sir," Prowl said on the monitor overhead. "We are processing them now. The reports of their condition overall are pending. I hope to have them at the wrap up meeting tomorrow. Or in a few joors whichever comes first," he said with the ghost of a smile.
"What about the sparklings, Prowl?" Ratchet asked.
"Their genitors came and took them," Prowl replied. "The little families are being taken through the process by the aides we had helping here with the babies. Some of them mentioned medical conditions that might prevent employment right away. I mentioned alternatives for rest and recuperation saying Medical would take care of that problem."
Ratchet nodded. "I will check them myself personally when I get back."
"Good," Prowl said nodding.
"How are you doing?" Ratchet asked sympathetically. "You do understand that you are six short."
Prowl smirked. "Temporary set back," he said his optics flickering toward Optimus. That worthy snorted and grinned.
"I think it's going to be pretty quiet around the house," Optimus said. "And not in a good way."
Prowl nodded. "I know."
They continued to discuss the situation, then Prowl signed off. Optimus rose and stretched. "I think a transfer of command to you, Blackjack is in order."
Blackjack rose and nodded. "Command accepted," he said formally. "You should go back and see to the city. We have it in servo."
They nodded and the senior staff along with the loaner soldiers for the mission moved to go. Ironhide hugged his parents, Ratchet sassed both of them, then they turned and walked onward to Omega who had come back to get them.
"That Ratchet is filled with devilry," Blackjack said with a smirk. "I always liked that about him."
"He's a perfect match for our son," Alor said glancing at his bond. "Both of them need a time out."
Blackjack snorted, then laughed aloud. "Truer words never spoken, Only One."
-0-On the other side
They flashed through the vortex which closed behind them. Other ships had gone through first, Omega conceding them pride of place. They came through themselves, dropped to the surface of Mars and landed. A stroll down the ramp led to the ground and all of the humans watching with rapt attention on the shipping crates nearby.
:That must be Prime: Mellar said looking at the regal figure of the biggest bot in the senior group walking toward them and the Fortress.
:You can't even speculate: Epps said glancing at Mellar sharply. :We are law and our word is final. We can boot you out without a reason. You do remember that don't you?:
Mellar looked at him quickly. :I know. I don't intend to do anything about it. I would just say if it was anyone, it was him. He looks like a king:
:Optimus Prime is the last figure I would consider a king and take that from someone who knows: Niall Graham said looking at the stuttering American filmmaker. :Optimus Prime is something you will never really find on Earth in positions of great leadership. He's a genuinely good, genuinely compassionate, honorable and decent spark:
The giants neared and began to pass, nodding to them as they did. The humans hailed Ratchet and he paused kneeling down ignoring the cameras that were filming. :What's up, lilliputs?:
Snickers met that, then Lennox stepped closer. :What happened out there? I heard you had a problem:
:We took care of it. Someone was menacing the migration trail and we settled their hash as you humans say: Ratchet grinned. :I doubt they will do it twice:
:Was there a battle?: Leonora Huttle asked, her sweet pretty face peering up at Ratchet.
He had come to like her a lot. She had a delicate touch in her interviews and a respect that all of them could sense. He grinned. :There was but a short one:
:Who was the target? Besides you anyway: Epps asked.
:A really bad mech with a hunter-killer group. His name was Overlord: Ratchet said after comming Prime quickly. :He liked to kill for entertainment. He wanted his way and we couldn't allow either that or his presence anywhere near to us. So we removed him:
:Did you catch him, Ratchet? Or did you have to battle to the end?: Leonora asked.
Ratchet looked at her and grinned. :He's been dispatched by someone else who had a bigger beef with him than we did. We didn't have to lift a digit:
:Who was that other?: she asked. The soldiers looked at Ratchet as he paused to ask permission. Then they looked at Ratchet with surprise as he answered. :Soundwave:
:Oh crap: Epps said. :That freak? He's around?:
:He is around but he knows better than to frag with us. We already showed him a couple of times the error of that kind of thinking. He wants to work together. Kumbaya and all that: Ratchet said with a smirk. :Fat chance as your kind says:
:Soundwave. I heard he was on Cybertron. Did he bridge here?: Lennox asked.
:Maybe: Ratchet answered. He grinned. :He knows better than to frag with Prime. He is aware of our strength. That is, the part we tell him about:
:I want to be there when you slag him, Ratchet: Lennox said with a firm resolve.
:I do too: Ratchet said rising to stand and grin down at them. :Got a debrief. Have a great evening:
The humans wished him the same and filmed him as he walked onward to the Fortress. They then turned and watched as the giants transformed walking to the hillock nearby to sit and chat. The busy air field was only bested by the busy city as they took in a couple of thousand more citizens. It was a truly awesome sight.
-0-Inside the Fortress, Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars
They looked over the intell and the data that was already known. Prowl looked at Prime. "We confirm that Soundwave used bridges. Residue was located nearby when we sent Seekers out to scan for it. He took Overlord to Cybertron and that part at least is true."
Prime nodded. "I would imagine he has that bot in stasis or parted out into punitive detention."
"They did excel at taking out spark chambers for energetic suspension detention and either shellacking the protoforms or stockpiling them for re-use later on," Ratchet said with disgust. "They can put him back together it they want if they kept his protoform."
"That's fragged," Blaster said. "I would rather be dead than in limbo."
"You and me both," Prime said nodding. "The refugees?"
"They're being taken care of," Prowl said handing him a datapad. He read it as Ratchet looked over his shoulder. It wasn't too bad, health wise. There would be a lot of small things scheduled but nothing big. That was a relief in and of itself. "It looks manageable. Anyone have anything that needs to be mentioned now?"
Starscream nodded. "I am aware of a youngling Seeker femme who was in this migration, a possible orphan. I would like to be apprised of her condition and circumstances as per our cultural and native interests."
Prime nodded and glanced at Ratchet. "I suppose that falls to you?"
Ratchet nodded. "I'll go see what's what and then look in on the babies. When that's up to speed, I'll clock out."
"We all should," Prime said nodding. "Well done, all of you. I am proud of this effort as I have been of all of them. We are an amazing team."
Everyone nodded, smiling, sassing, then turned to walk home if they were not already on duty. Soon the night shift were the only ones there. At least two of them shifted back to their video games as they sat watching endless waves of data flash through their monitors on their way to Teletraan III.
-0-With Ruba at City Hall Refugee Intake Station 4
"Okay, Inspire. Tell me your age, your family, any clan or tribal details that you might have or remember and what city-state you were from. If you don't know that or were born off Cybertron, tell me that of your genitors."
Inspire glanced at Aurora and then Ruba. "Well, I don't know much. I wasn't separated on Cybertron. My genitors are gone. They were overworked and one orn didn't come back," she said pausing for a moment. "I think their city-state was in the north, near Vos. Which one, I don't know for sure."
Ruba nodded sympathetically. "Tell me what you do know. We have a lot of luck matching families and friends together. It could be that we can retrieve someone for you some orn."
She nodded. "I worked as a barmaid at the colony I was at before leaving with a refugee ship. I didn't like it but I was good at it."
"Have you ever had schooling?" Ruba asked as he ticked boxes off his intake form with each of her revelations.
"No. Nothing more than my family could give me," she said quietly. She was small and petite even for a femmeling. Her age would be hard for anyone who saw her to formulate from her size. Many of the mech and femme children from the migration trail were smaller than they would eventually become after getting proper care here.
"That can be fixed," Ruba said cheerfully. "All younglings up to sub-adult go to school. After that, they can work, go to tech programs or University. It's their choice then. Neither of you look sub-adult to me and living a life as one doesn't count. It didn't on Cybertron mostly and it doesn't here. Prime rule."
They looked at him, then each other. All of it was new to them and overwhelming. They turned to Ruba and sat waiting.
"You have skills as a barmaid. What else can you do?" he asked gently.
"I can sing. I also can dance. My family considered both important," she said.
Ruba nodded. "I know your tribe now." He checked off that box. "Most of it was classical, right? Some of it for entertainment, but mostly classical."
"I think so," Inspiration said nodding.
"Good. What about you, youngling?" Ruba asked.
"I am Aurora. My creators are maybe alive but I don't know where. My creator was a doctor in a settlement and I learned a lot from that experience. I can do medicine. I'm sorta good at it they tell me," she said uncertainly. Right now, nothing seemed certain to her. "I don't know my clan or my genitor's city-states. There was a bit of a problem there and no one spoke of it. I wish I knew. Maybe ..." She thought hard. "I might remember eventually. Right now, I'm tired."
Ruba nodded. "You will be processed and until you get a thorough screening for your age and legal standing you will be living in a barracks designed for unaccompanied younglings with indeterminate status. I'll make sure you understand that. There will be a caseworker assigned to you to represent your rights and help you through this process. You don't have to worry about anything. You will be taken care of."
They nodded. Both of them felt oddly detached as all around them the whirl of return continued. Aurora, a small purple and cobalt blue femme watched other refugees as she sorted through the turmoil running through her spark. She glanced at Inspire, her golden optics filled with anxiety.
Inspire sat quietly, even docilely as Ruba discussed their information with Blondi. She was a small delicate femme with a chocolate brown-turquoise paint scheme. Her orange optics, a rare coloration missed nothing as she sat uneasily on her chair. Blondi nodded and looked at the pair. "You are a rarity here. There aren't many femmes so we treasure the ones we have. I know. I'm one of them," she said with a huge grin.
The girls grinned back, their anxiety easing a bit.
"You will go with a caseworker that is coming to get you. There is a tower nearby where an entire floor is dedicated to younglings like you, all of which are legally considered orphans until its determined otherwise. Part of your status concerns your age. Underage younglings are not allowed to live alone without custodial supervision. That is part of the problem here with you two. We don't really know how old you are. If its determined you are sub adult and therefore at the age of consent, you will be given emancipation through a court procedure that only requires a medical confirmation, an evaluation by a therapist that you can manage on your own and your signature. Until then, you are wards of the state and we have the privilege and duty to protect and care for you. Any questions?"
They looked at her and shrugged. Glancing at each other, they looked back at the two. "If that is the law, I don't know what we can do. I have been taking care of myself a long time," Aurora said. Inspire nodded.
"We know. Now let us take care of you for a while," Blondi said as a goodnatured looking bot appeared behind her. "This is Jericho. He's going to be your case worker. Go with him, younglings. He will settle you in and work out the time line for your emancipation hearings if its determined you are sub adult or your placement if you aren't."
The two glanced at him and rose, nodding to Ruba and Blondi. Blondi hugged them. "Don't worry. You will never be more safe and wanted," she said.
The two nodded and followed Jericho. They watched them go and glanced at each other. "Frag Megatron," Blondi said with feeling.
"I hear ya," Ruba said turning and nodding to a new applicant. A pair with two younglings moved forward and sat on the chairs holding their infants on their laps. "Hi. I'm Ruba. What I need from you is this," he said as he again began to outline the path for their citizenship once again.
=0=TBC
2012 (12)
Aurora and inspire/Inspiration are the creations and property of reader, Kaekokat. :D :D :D