Note: I took a nap yesterday and woke up today. Tired is an understatement. It has been -24 degrees here for weeks and it just broke. Its about 9-12 above zero. HUZZAH! When there is a change like that, all you want to do is sleep for a day. Now, on with the show.
-0-The morning of the next day
Ratchet walked into Ops Center followed by Ironhide. The principles of the plan to revive Shockwave were gathering. Prime intended to find out what could be had of the location of camps and prisons as well as any other information possible. Shockwave was going to be a hard nut to crack but they were ready to try.
The group gathered around the center table included the former members of the High Council, the priests and Alpha Trion. Others were waiting in the conference room nearby but they were the muscle, the techs and other necessary but ultimately invisible players. More would take part but they were already at the site having been briefed on their roles.
Prime told them what he needed, took questions and answered them. The possibilities were always slim but one never knew until they tried. When everyone called were clear about the plan they were dismissed to go and they did. They had one joor before reporting so they left to do what they required until then.
Prime turned and nodded to the others. They followed him into the conference room and the door closed. It would stay that way for a joor before opening, grim-faced soldiers, techs and others streaming out to do this thing they were doing. Prime would follow them with Ratchet, Prowl and Ironhide. They would all meet up later.
-0-Outside
They gathered to clear the streets closing down the highways going here and there. The procession would take the back road to the destination, driving on flatbed with their quarry, mechs with arms on all side of the truck walking along with them.
The quiet of the streets was strange, the missing group of elders that played games in the courtyard another miss. The military had taken over and it was buttoned down tightly. It would stay that way until things were over.
-0-Outside Ops Center
Prime stood inside talking to Mirage and Jazz going over the process once more. Blaster who would record the entire event listened as well. When Prime was finished he turned and with Prowl in tow walked out into the empty rec room. It was cleared but for the platoon of Wreckers and front liners that stood with their weapons ready.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker moved to where Ironhide and Ratchet stood, both of those mechs grim faced and silent. "Are you two okay?" Sunstreaker asked in a low voice.
"Ask me tonight, son," Ratchet said glancing over his shoulder at the big yellow mech who looked at them with concerned optics.
"You ready?" a voice asked and Ratchet turned back. Prime stood before him and Ratchet nodded. "Good. Let's go." With that, Prime turned and walked to Central Hub and the elevators that led downward.
-0-On the street near the intersection of Metroplex and Tower District
Barricade looked at the barriers thrown up to halt traffic to the Fortress and all roads that led to places near it. Armed soldiers were everywhere and he had no idea what was happening. Stiletto and Scorponok stood with him watching. As they did Sideways walked out of Club Cybertron and paused. He smirked slightly, then walked to where they stood. All of them turned to look at the conman and turncoat who had joined their party. "What do you want, Sideways?" Stiletto asked coldly.
"Just came to see what was happening," the Decepticon courier and all around double dealer said. "What's up?"
"I don't know. Prime didn't tell me, aft head," Barricade said with a growl.
Sideways snorted glancing at the cordon nearby. "Must be something pretty bad for this to happen. Maybe someone took a shot at Prime."
"You volunteering?" Scorponok asked.
Sideways looked at that bot with a measured expression. "No. I'm going to work. I have a regular job. It keeps me out of prison," he said as he turned to walk onward. They watched him go.
"I hate his guts," Stiletto said.
"Stand in line," Scorponok replied.
They had no idea that a small tracking device had been left inside Sideways when his initial detonation/GPS fixtures had been removed. Whereas a big bot like Scar could be understood to be trustworthy, Sideways never would have that possibility in relation to himself because he played both sides for his benefit. Scar was always a Decepticon until he wasn't. Sideways was whatever was convenient and would never change. He would never be off the radar as long as he lived on Mars. He would never know that.
-0-In an elevator
They stood silently, all of them going over the problems ahead in their processors. Prowl paused, then glanced at Prime. "Blackjack and Alor are here."
Prime nodded. "Good."
The elevator stopped, the door opening. Prime and Prowl stepped out along with Ratchet, Jazz, Ironhide, Mirage and Springer, Drift following. They walked down a corridor that was off limits but had the distinction of being the first one built in the Fortress. It dead ended at an enormous steel door. Prime stared at it, then moved to stand before the lock blocking the view. He keyed the combination and stepped back as it whirred, clicked and opened.
Gripping the doors, he pulled them back stepping inside. A light came on illuminating the only occupant at the moment, the stasis pod that contained Shockwave. Turning to look at Ratchet, Prime nodded.
Ratchet stepped forward pausing beside the pod. He wiped dust off the control panel and keyed a formula. Watching the data, he looked at the others. "He's in good condition. Perhaps even better than before. His lines are Class A energon after all."
Prime nodded. "Showtime, Ratchet."
Ratchet smirked and nodded. He turned punching in the code for the cover to unseal and slide back. It did with a hiss. Shockwave was off line, silent as the dead and as menacing this way as he was conscious. Ratchet popped panels and began to program the big bot with the delayed codes they had agreed upon. When that was complete, he slid a long wafer into a slot inside his chassis. Turning, he nodded to Prime. "We can move him now, Optimus."
Prime nodded and glanced at Springer. "They can bring the stretcher now."
Springer nodded and paused, his comm for the cavalry short and sweet. As they waited Ultra Magnus stepped into the space and looked down at the big bot in the cooler. "This fragger needed off lined vorns ago."
Prime nodded. "That is the last resort," he said quietly.
Big mechs entered with a stretcher and with Ratchet's help they moved him onto it. Turning, hoisting the supine 'Con they walked out to the elevator Springer in tow. The others followed and soon they were in the rec room, the stretcher waiting for Prime's go.
Prowl walked into the Ops Center, then back out with a tarp in servo. They covered the big mech then turned to walk out. A big mech had transformed into a flatbed and there they put the stretcher. It was grim as everyone stood watching, their weapons in plain sight. The planet seemed in sync as overhead clouds massed. Prime watched, then nodded to Springer.
"Mount up," Springer said to the mechs all around. They moved to throw a cordon around the truck. It started and moved slowly forward heading in a diagonal direction to the air field and the back door path to IntraComm. The mechs moved with it, their weapons pointing to the ground as they kept watched for trouble.
There wouldn't be any.
-0-At IntraComm, Studio C
They sat together, their armor glistening and their affect anxious. No one had not stepped up. Everyone was nervous but they were going to do what they had to do today. A lot of good could come of a success and they were to the last mech and femme ready to help a success happen.
Blaster stood in the sound booth rechecking the devices as they waited. Overhead on the monitors, the progression was nearing. Prime and the senior officers had stepped around the slowly moving platform and were nearly at IntraComm. Others were already here including Blackjack and Alor who were getting marks of office applied to their armor.
It was a waiting game now.
-0-The door of IntraComm
They stood waiting as the truck rolled to a stop. The stretcher was lifted and carried inside to be placed on the floor with care. Stepping back, they looked to Prime. He stood with Blackjack and Ratchet who had the first part of the problem at hand. Prime nodded so Ratchet knelt and began to rewire the beast for re-animation. He held a device in his servo that would manage some of Shockwave's features. He wouldn't come online in a normal way. He would come online in the way Prime required.
Big difference.
It was tense and silent as they watched, then Ratchet stood. Glancing at Prime, he nodded and they all turned to wait. A movement of servos signaled that the bot was coming back around so Springer moved with his mechs to hoist Shockwave up. They moved him to a bench nearby to sit.
No one spoke. Nothing was said to give anything away. By the time Shockwave was sitting straighter, he was at the point of being able to walk. The problem for him was that he would not be able to see. He would hear, he would smell. He would be able to touch but the full range of his sensor capabilities were waiting for Prime's approval and Ratchet's deft touch.
Prime watched as Shockwave tensed. They watched the big bot try to ascertain where he was with his limited function. He was unable to know more than that he was awake, sitting and apparently alone. Prime glanced at Blackjack. That big worthy nodded and stepped closer. "Officer of the Guard."
Shockwave jerked turning his helm toward the sound. He could see nothing, most of his sensory capability was gone but he could hear. He tried to speak but he couldn't. He pressed back against the wall bracing for anything.
"Sir," Springer said crisply.
"Bring the prisoner from the brig. He is needed at a hearing," Blackjack said in his most professionally military tone.
"Sir, yes sir," Springer said nodding to Topspin and Drift.
Those two worthies stepped up and gripped Shockwave's arms, the recording of energon bars that had begun when he was placed on the bench ending. He tensed and stood stiffly, uncertain in his blindness how much to move. They slapped energon cuffs on him and stepped back.
"Bring him to the chamber," Blackjack said stepping back out of the way.
The two gripped Shockwave's arms and began the long 'trek' from the 'brig' to the 'chamber', a convoluted journey through the many levels, stairways, corridors and elevators of the newly built state-of-the-art IntraComm building. It was cleared of unnecessary personnel so there was no one to block the three as they moved. However recorded passages of voices doing expected things were triggered by their passing at appropriate places as sensors read their movements.
They paused when they were 'asked', they took 'crowded elevators' when they should and all through it the prisoner walked stiffly unaware that he wasn't where he had begun to fear he was. But that was the point of the exercise.
Prime and his team stood in the control booth with Blaster to watch the progress. Blackjack followed and offered a comment here and there, 'chatted' with the voices when they had to stop and otherwise did his part to make the process appear to be as real as if it were actually happening.
Ratchet stepped outside the booth and stood beside Revet who looked positively ill. "Are you alright?"
"I don't know," Revet said. "I haven't felt this much upset since we defected. Shockwave is so evil."
"He is," Ratchet said. "But this is one time he can do a solid for all of us. Too bad he can't do it any other way."
Revet nodded. "I know."
Ratchet hugged Revet's shoulders. "Why don't you go inside and sit. Your mech will need you."
Revet nodded turning to walk inside. He stood beside Blaster leaning against him. Blaster squeezed his servo and they watched together as the drama unfolded on the monitors.
"Magnus," Blackjack said as they paused to 'allow' something to happen on the way up to the chamber. "Will you be going to Crystal City for the dedication?"
Magnus who had moved to answer nodded. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. How about you and Alor? I hear you get the sparklings for the holidays."
Blackjack smirked and nodded. "We do. The Festival of the Thirteen is a big deal in Praxus."
Shockwave listened to them, aware of who they were and tried to parse the content of their conversation. If they were real and he wasn't hallucinating Crystal City and Praxus were cities again, not crushed slag heaps. He tried to think of what could be dedicated at Crystal City, then he had to move.
"Come down to Capital City when you can, Blackjack," Magnus said. "When these hearings are over, we can go hunting in the Sea of Rust."
"I'd love that. I'll bring Ironhide too." Blackjack nodded to Magnus and followed Shockwave who was moving forward.
As they 'went upward' in the building that they were tricking Shockwave to believe he was in, the kinds and types of conversations playing began to change. They began to confirm Shockwave's fears. He could hear legal conversations, names of individuals he never expected to hear again, office chatter and the sounds of business that the building he feared he was in would conduct.
At long last they paused. Footsteps could be heard coming toward him and he stiffened expecting anything. "Is this the prisoner, General?" a familiar voice asked.
"Yes it is, Thundercracker," Blackjack said.
"Thank you for allowing us to see him before things get settled," Thundercracker said with tremendous satisfaction.
"Yes, General. I am personally in your debt for this opportunity," another familiar voice said. It moved closer. "It's not everyday I get to say farewell to a nightmare," the voice said with deep satisfaction.
Blackjack smirked and nodded. "I am honored to be of service, Starscream." He waited a moment. Then he gave his orders. "Take the prisoner into the chamber and place him in the dock."
Springer and Drift who were smirking themselves tugged Shockwave, the big bot stepping forward as they walked through the open doors of the room where Prime would conduct their 'hearing'. The doors closed and the Seekers turned to Blackjack. "That was satisfying," Starscream said with a grin.
"It is," Blackjack said smirking himself.
"I suppose you have to attend the 'hearing'?" Starscream offered.
Blackjack nodded. "I saved a spot for you two in the booth," he said as he moved past them and entered the big room.
They watched him go and glanced at each other. "After you, my friend," Starscream said to Thundercracker.
Thundercracker grinned and demurred. "No, Star, after you."
The two turned and walked through the building to the control booth where they would watch the entire proceedings unfold.
-0-Inside the room
They stood in the darkened room, the only illumination the lights that shown upward to the seated figures high above and downward on the prisoner and a related raised platform nearby him. Ratchet standing in the pool of light with Shockwave glanced across the room. Prime who was standing in the shadows nodded. Ratchet keyed the code and Shockwave could see again.
He startled and looked around staring down at Ratchet for a moment. "Doctor," he said with surprise. "Where am I?"
Ratchet looked at him a moment, then smirked. "The nearest thing to the Pit we could manage." Then Ratchet stepped back and sat on the bench along the wall that witnesses and officers of court proceedings always used during hearings, trials and sentencings.
Shockwave looked at him, at Ultra Magnus, Silverclaw and others with Ratchet whose names he struggled to remember in his shock and surprise. When he looked up he froze. Sitting in their seats were familiar faces, ones he never expected to see again.
They sat illuminated in their spotlights, silent councilors staring down at him. He looked around and felt fear suffuse him. He was in the High Council Chamber before the Council of the Ancients. He saw Gravitas, Eronus and Templar. He saw Neo and Vraz. Alpha Trion was sitting where Kudon should have been. He flinched at the sight of that bot, a legend who might be one of the Thirteen himself. Then he paused again, his optic fixed on someone he feared and loathed more than any of them.
Standing on the platform across from him, a overhead light illuminating him, Optimus Prime gazed with a calm expression. Shockwave looked at him and shifted his peds. "Prime," he said in a soft voice.
Optimus nodded slightly. "Hello, Shockwave," he said quietly.
=0=TBC
2012 (12)