The Diego Diaries: Newbies 12 (334)
-0-Autobot City, Mars
They came through the smaller gate, 250 youngling Seekers following Red Wing and an Elder from north of Stanix. They circled Mars, then came down in the common area of Aerie Hill where they were met by hundreds of Seekers and as well as emergency personnel. A huge crowd had gathered to welcome them and to offer themselves to help.
250 youngling Seekers stood uncertainly, overcome and overwhelmed by the masses who had come to show them love. The Decepticons had experimented with growing their Seeker numbers by mass hatching infants and placing them in adult protoforms with downloads of adult data. The data wasn't assimilated, but rather accessed through forced means so that the action for the moment might be right but the understanding wasn't there. There was no care given to allow them to mature, no opportunities granted to allow them to fit the formats they were forced into. They were taken from separation and their spark chambers refitted into large formats in order to have troops at the ready faster.
Shockwave was the 'mastermind' of the operation, a chance conversation between Megatron and himself sparking the idea. Genitors were not given their infants back. The little Seekers were marched out in numbers to fight in battles before their processors were even able to understand language. Sensing the disaster this could become, many of the infants 'disappeared', spirited away by Seekers and soldiers. Some were found, their defenders killed and the babies forced back into war. It would take a number of defeats before Shockwave concluded that it was 'counterproductive' to do this further.
The infants left were gathered into groups to be hidden and protected as they were found by sympathetic officers, shunted to the scut work of their commander's ships, keeping them safe and alive. The commanders who gathered them were actually horrified when it became clear what the anxious 'dimwitted' Seekers really were. The 250 with the four captains were only one group that had been saved and hidden away from Megatron and his officers. Now this group was here among those who might help them and they were terrified.
Silverclaw and the Great Elder stood at the edge of the crowd that had gathered around the infants. Red Wing was speaking to them and they huddled together, their fearful optics glancing around themselves as they tried to comprehend what was happening. They were so ill defined as Seekers, so inexperienced with their own kind and customs that many of them were afraid they were going to be hurt by the emotional gathering. Rainmaker with his sons and Silverclaw walked forward, the crowd parting to let them through. By the time they reached the center of the circle where the infants were the crowd was silent.
The younglings turned and looked at him, some of them stepping back behind others to hide themselves. Rainmaker looked at them, then Red Wing. "These are the infants recovered?"
Red Wing bowed his helm, then nodded. "Yes, Elder. These infants were brought by the Decepticons so they could be saved."
Rainmaker nodded, then stepped closer, his affect extraordinary and his gaze direct. A number of younglings met it, their trembling bodies aside. Others ducked their helms staring at the ground as they huddled behind others. "Younglings, I am Rainmaker, the Great Elder. You are welcome among us as precious youth. We are here to save you, to care for you and teach you the ways of your people. This place is safe and you are among protectors. No one will harm you and you will never fight again. We love you without reservation."
They looked at him, then each other. As they did a bigger mech stepped forward, his body covered in old wounds and other kinds of scars. "I am Trident. I lead this group. We don't know what's happening. Our captains told us to go with Red Wing. Where is this place and what are we supposed to do now?" he asked, his firmness crumbling under the burden of his fear and exhaustion. He paused, trembling with emotions as he stood up for the youngsters behind him.
Rainmaker handed his staff to Silverclaw, then stepped forward to rest his servos on the youngster's shoulders. "You have to let us take you in and care for you. That is all you have to do. As for this place? We call it home," he said before he pulled the youngling into his arms in an embrace.
The youngling let him.
-0-Ops Center
Ratchet snorted in, steam coming out of his audials. He had just returned from Aerie Hill with data on the infants that were recovered by the 'Cons. Pausing by the table, he pulled a chair and sat. Prowl and Prime glanced up and paused themselves. "What?" Prowl asked.
"There are 250 Seeker younglings that were just brought in by Red Wing through the gate. They are just like the little trine we recovered a while back. Infants jammed into the bodies of older mechanisms who were forced to fight."
Prime winced glancing at Prowl who looked like he had been punched in the face. "What the frag?" he whispered.
"They are all battle veterans and all of them are suffering from post traumatic disorders. They are terrified, battle scarred and worn down. The 'Cons found them and pulled them into their group keeping them out of battle. The captains who spoke to you are the ones who did. Apparently, its being done all over the Empire because these babies are no longer being produced and exploited. Apparently even those lunkhelms got it that this as a bad idea. It was Shockwave's program need I might add."
Prime's expression was grim and he nodded. "What do you need to help them?"
"We have it organized. The Seekers are going to absorb them. We need to find out if there are more groups out there and pull these babies in. They have them fighting fragging combat," Ratchet said with enormous rage. He leaned forward. "This is a war crime, Prime. They took their sparks from their original formats and put them into these bigger frames. They downloaded adult data, then put them into battles. I can hardly hold it together. This is horrendous."
Prime nodded. "I agree," he said. "Seekers are taking them in? What sorts of things do we have to provide to help them get better? They will get better won't they?"
Ratchet thought a moment. "Some of them look destroyed … emotionally. All of them have had hard wear. Many of them just tremble when they stand still. The dissonance between their image and their reality is tremendous. Some of them are stronger and are helping lead the group but they're babies too."
"Whatever it takes, Ratchet," Prime said quietly.
Ratchet nodded and rose. "We're at halfway now in the recovery. The medical problems we're seeing are not life threatening. Mostly its hunger and smaller stuff. At this rate the hospitals will be discharging earlier patients before we get overrun by new ones."
Prime nodded. "Thank you, Ratchet."
Ratchet nodded and turned walking out as Prowl vented a deep sigh. "This is so awful," he said with a look of desolation on his handsome face.
Prime nodded. "We have another target to add to the rescue list. I would like you to interrogate the captains yourself to find what they might know and how to do this, Prowl."
Prowl nodded. "I will."
-0-At the prison
The inmates stood at the bars as the sound of ships landing nearby drew their attention. After a moment, lines of mechs, the occasional femme and infants both carried and walking could be seen coming into view. They were led by Autobots and guarded by them too. They walked to the big prison block between A and C, opening it for the newcomers. Inside already, technicians and other officers sat ready to begin the processing of the prisoners.
"What do you think this is about?" Blind Spot asked as he stood by the bars with the others. Turmoil looked on by himself but Shield, Barricade and Scorponok gathered by Blind Spot. Sideways hung back by himself on the porch of their barracks, his optics watching the others warily. He had become a punching bag so he was careful not to come too close.
"New 'Cons. I recognize a couple. They must have surrendered in the migration," Shield said nodding. "That is the subcommander of the Obliterate. I used to serve on that ship once upon a time. The captain is tough but fair."
"Sounds soft," Barricade said.
Shield shook his helm. "No. He's hard as nails but he's fair."
Families stood inside the bars uneasily, their children gathered around them. They began to make lines before the tables that held computers. One by one, the newbies began to be interviewed.
"Look at that. There's Rampage. Frag. He turned. Who's the other one?" Shield asked glancing at Barricade.
"That is Payload. Mini-con mayhem team … would gut ships in space and leave them behind with the bashed or dead crews to drift derelict … that one," Barricade replied.
Shield nodded. "I've heard of him … them. He's changed. They both changed."
"Rampage will still rip your skull apart but he does it for Prime now," Barricade said.
Nearby standing at the bars themselves, Sentinel and the Senators watched as well. A long thin line of individuals walked from the distance heading together to the prison block. They entered gathering into bunches, then forming lines as some were moved out. They walked out the other side, a couple being pulled aside for whatever reason as more came. It was clear that families were getting a preference, little kids and elderly as well while bachelors were held longer for more interrogation.
Monitors in their barracks played all of the city's efforts as The Hourly News: Breaking News coverage showed the entire thing including new features that detailed the migration out in space. They had sent news personnel to film and interview allowing more information sooner for all to know and see. The sound drifted out as the inmates watched the newbies, their optics following the exhausted hopeful groups as they trudged along.
"This is intriguing. Prime is very trusting to allow this many Decepticons to have free access to the city," Decimus said shaking his helm. "What is to keep them from rising up to cause trouble?"
"About 2.5 million individuals who wouldn't like it," Sentinel said blandly.
The influx continued.
-0-New York, USA, Sydney, Australia and London, England
They got the word that tourist flights to Mars had been canceled due to the arrival of a big migration. They would be rescheduled and apologies were given. Most of the travelers were appeased but there was always those that weren't. Several men were escorted away by security in New York when they were informed. The Autobot City Tourist Company was apologetic but firm. Migrations had precedence and nothing would be allowed to interfere with their ability to rescue their people. That half their staff on Mars were soldiers and Home Guard, thus had duty in the event of emergencies like this one ensured that no one would be going to Mars for a few days.
-0-A small group of former Decepticons
They followed their guide as they walked down Fortress Road to the city beyond. A soldier was taking them, ten civilian families, their members who had until now been Decepticon soldiers and several bachelors. "This is the road to the city, the first road. That is the Fortress, the first building. Underneath our peds is the Old City. We built underground because of the threat of you coming here and blowing things up."
No one said a word, then a little old mech looked at him. "Sorry about that."
The soldier grinned. "No harm, no foul. You get a chance to come here and live. This is Autobot City, the main city on Mars. Going that way," he said pointing north, "is Aerie Hill, the Seeker settlement. They live there because that is where Starscream and his trine came to surrender. Starscream was half dead but we saved him. He and Prime are allies and compatriots.
"Ahead of us going west as far as the optic can see is the rest of the colony. We have a number of cities. Phobos is where you all will live. Then there's Pax, Terra named for our allies, the humans and Crystal City. The Industrial Park is farther out. Almost everything that is manufactured is done out there. We are self sufficient."
"I hear that there's football here," a youngling said hopefully.
"There is. We are having the last playoff game in the adult league before the championship of the world happens. We have two arenas. One is for the adult games and citywide events and the other one is for the schools."
"What about schools? The intake officer said we can go," a femme asked hopefully.
"All kids go to school. Adult schools and university is open to all adults," the soldier said as they turned at the intersection of Fortress and Metroplex Highway 1. Heading toward a subway station, he grinned. "It's the law for younglings and sparklings." He began to descend the stairs into the subway station as the crowd with him followed overcome with the idea of freedom, education and abundance. They disappeared into the crowds below.
-0-TBC June 15, 2013