The Diego Diaries: Newbies 16 (340)
-0-The Prison, Autobot City, Mars
Proteus considered his situation and the bot before him. Ratchet was very wily but the white and red bot was convinced that the Autobot Cause was the only one to support and that the war and conflict would end with words, not guns. He, himself had had his share of arguments with the medic which most of the time ended with him pulling senatorial rank and walking away. His own positions often were overtaken by Ratchet's logic. "We love Cybertron. I wish I could tell you how much. The idea of it floating around without care makes me ill."
Ratbat looked at him. "Fine time for you to mention that. I do recall how much easier it would have been to capitulate to Megatron and soft land the inevitable rather than fight it out like you wanted with everything being destroyed."
"Don't tell me about fighting, Ratbat. You sold us all out, you and Halycon giving up Polyhex to try and divert Prime from the AllSpark," Proteus said coldly.
"I don't think that talking about this in front of him is a good idea," Decimus said nodding his helm toward Ratchet. That bot sat with a grin watching the show as he held his sleeping son. He had only a joor earlier been on his knee assemblies cleaning out the lowest cupboards in the kitchen. Finding half the toys of his kids stuffed into them was a hoot and he made his own conclusions about it to Prowler who smiled at him from the bouncy chair sitting by the window nearby. "You do understand that Prime will use it against you in a hearing."
"You seem to forget that I was a Senator and understand the law," Proteus said. He looked at Ratchet. "The times called for harsh measures on occasion but we understood what it meant to do this. We wanted to save Cybertron. Sometimes you do what you have to do even if you don't like it."
"How was empurata a good thing? How did it save Cybertron five minutes from its fate?" Ratchet asked. "What about shadowplay? You do understand that you created a monster when that happened to Shockwave. He was actually rather decent before you ordered that."
It was silent as they stared at him. Then Proteus shifted. "I am prepared to discuss a number of things but not others."
"I can see that," Ratchet said nodding, a tight grin on his face. "What are you prepared to discuss?"
"I am prepared to tell you that I loved … love Cybertron. I am prepared to fight for her and protect her even now from further destruction. I will fight against Megatron when he comes. I am one among us who knows how to do that," he said. "I am not the enemy of Prime."
"You are the enemy of our people until you prove beyond even the smallest doubt that you aren't. You after all," he said glancing around the circle, "are the reason we're having this discussion here and not on Cybertron."
"You underestimate the mendacity of Sentinel. You should ask him about Nominus. You should ask him about enforcing the Clampdown. If you want to know about empurata and shadowplay, ask him. He was after all the Chief of Security of Cybertron and eventually … conveniently, the next Prime after the near assassination of Nominus," Proteus said coldly. "You seem to forget that part of the story."
"Why don't you tell me about it. I'm all audials," Ratchet said.
Proteus considered that, then glanced at the others. As he did Sentinel stepped off the porch.
-0-Underground
The going was slow as they worked to keep their own noise level down. The walls of the tunnel were melting slightly as the permafrost gave way to the air. It was dank, smelling of dirt and peat moss. They moved forward into the abyss, their sensors linked together to see forward.
Ahead of them, there was the sound of digging.
-0-Above ground
Prime transformed and moved forward heading in the direction of the signal sent by Kup. It was faint and getting fainter as the team wend their way downward along the track carved by the 'Cons. Ironhide transformed, opening his door. Lennox and Epps climbed in and he shifted forward heading out with four wheel drive through the thick vegetation carpet of the flatlands all around them. Below, digging through muskeg and permafrost, the signal began to wane.
"This is going to be difficult," Lennox said as they drove along, Springer following. In the back of Ironhide's bed, three soldiers sat with gear while Springer carried the rest. "How's the signal?"
"It's fading," Ironhide said. They drove along through the swampy terrain motoring through the boggy vegetation mass that spread out in all direction. "This ground is problematic too. You all better hang on. We're going to have a bumpy ride."
The bounding trucks moved forward heading toward who knew where.
-0-Prison
"Ratchet."
"Sentinel. Pull up a chair. We're reminiscing about home," Ratchet said with a grin. "Nothing like a bunch of home boys talking about the old neighborhood. Call me Ratchet from the block."
They looked at him more than aware that his glib manner held a rapier-like processor and an optic for the surgically sharp reposte. Sentinel stretched, then looked around. Walking back, he retrieved a chair and moved to sit nearly beside Ratchet. "Your son?"
"Mine. One of six younglings that are mine," Ratchet said lifting the blanket a bit for Sentinel to see.
He looked at the infant, then Ratchet. "You have an intriguing sense of humor, Ratchet. I always appreciated that."
"Thank you. I try," Ratchet said covering his son with the blanket.
It was silent a moment, then Sentinel looked at Proteus. "Nice thing, Proteus. Your ability to shift blame for what you did seems to still be working."
"None of us get off without penalty, Sentinel. None of us," Proteus said. He looked at Ratchet. "The part about wanting the Matrix for ourselves was true. We were going to use it for our own purposes."
"The Matrix doesn't do anything that it doesn't want to do," Ratchet said. "As custodians of the relic, I was sure you understood that."
Proteus shrugged. "You do what you think is right. We were going to use the Matrix and the AllSpark to save Cybertron. It was all coming apart and the general consensus was that it wasn't going to end well."
"No. No one was going to put up with the Clampdown, the mechanization of the mines and all the rest. You threw mechs away. You discarded them like they were worthless. You didn't get it that they could think and draw conclusions about things just by looking at what was happening and doing the math. You underestimated everyone," Ratchet said nodding. "You were wrong at every turn and this happened."
It was silent a moment. "You see it from your point of view. We were tasked to take care of Cybertron and things were happening fast. We had to do the hard work of holding the planet together," Decimus said, his feelings ruffled with the remark about mechanizing the mines. He had thrown endless numbers of miners off their jobs including Megatron and caused wide scale suffering as a result.
"And you can see how successful that was, Decimus," Ratchet said. "I don't remember you giving up a single shanix to do the same thing."
"Decimus liked his privilege," Proteus said glancing at the sour being next to him.
"You never stepped back from things either, Proteus," Decimus blustered. "I don't remember you giving a single thought to the consequences of policy either."
"The actions you mentioned, Ratchet, were sanctioned by the entire senate with notable abstentions and applied liberally by Sentinel," Proteus said nodding at the big bot sitting across from him. "I have no self interest to gain from telling you that I might add. I do not spare myself."
"You're having a change of spark are you, Proteus?" Sentinel asked, his voice cold and angry.
"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I'm just tired of keeping secrets," Proteus said enigmatically. "Why don't you tell him about trying to kill Nominus and stealing the Matrix for yourself."
It was silent, then Sentinel looked at Ratchet. "Nominus was nearly assassinated as you well know but you might not understand that the Matrix he bore was a fake."
"Fake?" Ratchet asked with surprise.
Sentinel nodded. "It was," he said with a softly vented sigh. "What a surprise that was. Nominus was either a fool and didn't know or he was smarter than most of us thought."
"He died shortly after that. I suppose you 'died' him. I do remember I wasn't allowed to examine him, not then and not after his passing," Ratchet mused.
"No, you weren't. Not his passing nor my own supposed one," Sentinel said stretching out to become more comfortable. "He was a big disappointment all around. It made things hard until we found the real one."
"Did you know about the bomb in the Primal Basilica? Fortunately, it was disarmed. Poor Nominus. Useless to the very end," Ratchet said.
"I had no idea of the bomb. That was Ratbat and Halycon's doing." Sentinel looked at the mini-con Senator who looked back at him with loathing.
"So. It wasn't like anything good would be lost," Ratbat sneered back at Sentinel.
"The Basilica? You hated that too?" Ratchet asked with umbrage.
"Its a building," Ratbat replied.
"You're what the humans call a 'fucking douchebag', Ratbat," Ratchet replied.
"Really. How about you step up, Ratchet and we'll see who is," the mini-con said.
"I would obliterate you, shortie" Ratchet said coldly. "Nine million years of fighting and fury would leave you particles floating in the air, Ratbat if you challenged me now. Besides, you would never fight someone face-to-face. You are more the stab in the back type."
Ratbat glowered at Ratchet. "I wouldn't expect a low caste to get it, Ratchet. You only have your post because we allowed it."
"You didn't allow anything, you little fragger. I am a doctor and was always going to be one," Ratchet retorted. "You will always be a pint sized traitor." He looked at Sentinel. "Tell me more about Nominus. That is one historic episode."
Sentinel snorted. "He lived as Prime because we needed him to. I was making my way upward with the Primeship the ultimate goal. It was only a matter of timing."
"Timing and ruthless ambition," Proteus interjected. "You would have done anything to anyone to get the Matrix. I will never forget the look on your face when we opened up Nominus and found a fake Matrix. I suppose you could say he had the last laugh."
"You could say that," Sentinel said nodding. He looked at Ratchet. "What is happening on Earth?"
"We have Decepticons," Ratchet said. "They have masked their signatures and are working to cause problems there among us and our allies."
Sentinel nodded. "Sounds like them. Infiltration protocols are going to be laid down. Sounds like they're at step one."
"They are," Ratchet said. "You don't know about that do you."
Sentinel considered that, the conversations with Megatron during the touchy negotiations and other harrowing moments of the past. "We made negotiations to come here because this was the planet he had in mind. Megatron was aware from drone Seekers that there was a lot of energon in this system. He was planning to take Cybertron here to rebuild her. The indigenous species was simple and pre-industrial he said and would not be a problem."
"Ten thousand years ago, yes. The humans were just starting civilizations. But this place was theirs to do that. Every law and treaty, every ideal we held and still hold was put on the line with that notion, Sentinel," Ratchet replied.
Sentinel nodded. "I know. But Cybertron needed rescue. Our planet was falling to a barbarian and I had to agree to rebuilding. Energon was so short that I knew there would be no discussion about coming here. I had to lay the trail so he could follow with Cybertron. Once she was restored, Megatron was going to be over. I had no idea that he had fallen into the custody of the humans after going into stasis over their pole. All that followed was a surprise. I was astonished by Prime and this place when I was returned to sentience."
"Prime is no one to underestimate. He's The One. The Chronicles foretold this, Sentinel," Ratchet said.
Proteus nodded. "I have noticed that myself," he said.
"I will hold my opinion," Sentinel said with the ghost of a smile. "I suppose Prime is after them?"
"He is," Ratchet replied. "He's going to take them down as he has every other threat we've faced. I was hoping you might have a clue about them being there."
"They must have come with Megatron when he was looking for the Matrix. I had no idea. I was still floating through space I can imagine. I was told I have only been around here for a short time." Sentinel looked at the others. "I was not told about these Decepticons."
Ratchet nodded. "Very well," he said.
"The new migration ... how many live here now?" Decimus asked.
"More than two and a half million," Ratchet replied.
It was silent a moment, then Proteus nodded. "That's good," he said. "There are many more I suppose."
"Millions," Ratchet replied. "Millions and millions."
-0-Out there
They paused listening ahead, then Dev continued forward slowly. The others watched as he stealthed ahead. Then he disappeared.
-0-TBC June 22, 2013
NOTE: Canon info: Empurata and shadowplay were terrible, terrible punishments/torture in (the IDW universe) pre-war Cybertron. One's face and hands were removed. A featureless face and finger-less hands were added making it clear that this was someone to shun. And they were.
Shadowplay is psychological torture that takes away your emotions and changes your personality. It is also IDW.
Shockwave in that universe is a victim of both. He was hiding 'outliers', bots who had different talents they weren't born with such as Trailbreaker having force field ability. Shockwave was an 'energetic and well meaning' senator before getting caught. Afterward he was a cold ruthless selfish scientist without a face. Intriguing, no? :D
Nominus Prime was laid out in the Primal Basilica where all the notables including Primes are buried in sarcofagii. A bomb was planted on his body where the fake Matrix was and Optimus Prime disarmed it before it blew up and desicrated the building. Decepticons were going to be blamed and a round up of them by the Senate and Security Chief, now Prime Sentinel would begin. It was foiled. That was the huge building Megatron went to when he stole an arm to handle relics. They opened a grave and stole one for transplant on Megatron.