The Diego Diaries: Retraction 8 (359) edited
-0-At the base
They had held a service for those injured and dead, coming together just themselves to grieve and memorialize those lost in the battle for the base. The chaplains had done the service, the bots, civilians and soldiers taking what comfort they could from the moment.
Walking back from the airfield, they considered their luck that the buildings destroyed had been replaced and that they had a good home to come to. Walking into the mess hall, they stood in lines waiting for hot food and beer. There were other drinks available but no one in the command structure was concerned. It was hot. They were weary. Ice cold beer seemed medicinal.
For today.
Sitting together, they chatted, their voices hushed, their affect low. The moment would take a while to put into perspective and they would bounce back.
But not today.
-0-Omega Supreme Temporary HQ
They worked together, then Smokescreen glanced at Prowl. "They're up, Prowl."
Prowl nodded, then walked to the hatch making his way to the command center of the base. It had been rewired first, the bots helping with the infrastructure even as their shuttles flew in replacement equipment from all over the world for the link up to work and the downloads from abroad to begin. They had completed the last run through so he walked to the command center to conclude a mutual sign off.
The sun was warm on his body as he paused by the big building that held all of the central command features and personnel. Peering in the window, he waited as Major Sewell limped over. "Major Sewell, I am here to inspect the sign off. What do you require to make things optimal?"
"We are at optimal, Commander," Sewell replied. "The downloads to the mainframe are being expedited through the Midway Array. Thank you for that. Having the data go there, then come through Omega to the mainframe makes it possible to cut the transmission time from three days to four hours. That is an amazing time saver. Thank you."
"We are honored to help. Teletraan II will be online by tomorrow afternoon. We will make the link up when the go is given. Until then, Omega will remain to be our computer nexus and deep data relay center."
Sewell nodded. "When will you have the Embassy up and running?"
"It is now," Prowl replied. "We have the sensor system online. Teletraan still needs a partial rebuild but the techs assure me that they will be finished by tomorrow. Until then, we have the sensor system linked with the Midway Array so we can begin to track the Insecticons on the Earth."
"Good," Sewell said with relief. "We should all be optimal by tomorrow then."
Prowl nodded. "Then Omega can leave and we can put together the peripherals such as the flight center for the base."
Sewell nodded. "That will be good. We almost have the tarmac repaired to specs. Thank you for your help there too."
"Until all are one, Andrew," Prowl said quietly. Sewell nodded in agreement.
-0-On the flight line
Payload carried loads of gravel to the landing strip which had been dug out and the asphalt removed. It was being remelted along with additives of glass and rubber to make the strip flexible and durable. He dumped his load and turned to drive back for more. Big bots from the Laborer's Union who had volunteered spread the piles out as another one rolled over it compressing the fill into a smooth pad. The specs for runways were highly demanding so they leaned into it to make sure that they would be right.
Bulkhead stood nearby directing traffic for his mostly former Decepticon crew. The entire landing strip array would be online by the next orn. The curing process for the asphalt would take a bit of time but would be faster than if the humans had done it themselves. The bots knew how to make a landing strip. All over the universe there were examples on occupied and abandoned worlds of this particular talent. Here would be no exception.
Flight into Diego Garcia had been postponed until the next afternoon for this reason, the only exception being any from Mars or loads from other places carried by Autobot craft. The ability of the big flying mechanisms to land without taxiing was the difference. Clouds gathered in the sky as the threat of a light rain hung over them. When it finally did, clouds of steam rose off the new tarmac as the cool rain hit the hot asphalt. It smelled like spring to the soldiers who were sitting nearby watching. Spring in the city.
-0-On the moon
Ironhide and Prime stood on the rudimentary landing strip watching as the walls of the fortress were being raised. They would use their own steel constructions, leaving the stone of the lunar body unmolested. It would be swifter and stronger in the end. Inside the big fortress, the construction of levels could be seen. Standing in the middle looking down in the area that would be occupied by Ops Center, the start of Teletraan IV could be seen. Beyond it were the corridors that led to the outer subterranean areas that would be housing, storage and the armory.
It was going at the speed Prime was accustomed to see from the experts of his army. They had always constructed what they needed wherever they were and now was no exception. He pondered who would command this installation now that he had decided Flint would command Fort Apache. Glancing at Ironhide, he grinned slightly at the bot's slight out of sorts. :You look peeved still. I was under the impression that you understood the life of a soldier:
Ironhide looked at Prime a moment, then shrugged. :I do. But I don't have to always like it: He grinned then in spite of himself.
:Who do you recommend to command this installation? I'm putting Flint in overall command of Fort Apache:
Ironhide considered that, then nodded. :Good choice for the Fort. As for this? How about a Seeker? What about Cloud Burst? He's first class:
Prime considered that, then nodded. :He would be good here. Make Wren his second and we have a win:
Ironhide nodded. :I agree:
They stood watching as the first level walls were finally welded together and the transparent steel ceiling could commence to be attached. It was a rapid progress all around.
-0-At the Mall of Metroplex, The Sparkling Center, Autobot City, Mars
She stood in front of a rack of little sweaters. Staring at them, she considered their softness and colors touching them gently with her tiny servos. Glancing up at Ratchet who was nearby checking out some new children's books from the Writer's Guild, she smiled. "Ada?"
Ratchet glanced back and smiled. "What?"
"Can you come see?" she said pointing at the rack.
Ratchet walked over and knelt. "So … you're a clothes nut are you?" He looked at her little face. "You do know that we don't wear clothes. At least, not when we grow up."
She looked at him, then the rack. "I like these."
Ratchet looked at the tiny sweaters of all colors, some with images on them and the little hats that matched them on a shelf overhead. "You do? Which ones?"
She looked at him, then touched the sweaters. Looking at them, checking them out 'just so', she settled on two. One was pink with darker pink roses all over it. The hat actually had a crocheted rose on it. The other was a red jacket with a little dog on it. The hat for it was white with loppy dog ears. "These are pretty, Ada. Atar would like them too."
Ratchet snorted, then laughed. "Playing us one against the other already are you?" Ratchet rose and took both sets along with a book that he knew Ironhide would love to read to the sparklings. It was called 'The Hobbit'. Ratchet had no idea what a hobbit was but he figured since it said 'classic human literature' on it and it was in the children's section, it had to be fine and dandy.
They wandered to check out and with their bags in servo, Ratchet led the way out with Hero following behind holding a tiny bag with a single hat because she wanted 'to help, Ada'.
She did. In every way.
-0-In a cavern deep in the Earth
They gathered together in a cavern made by water erosion over millions of vorns. It was immensely large, had exposed veins of energon and other useful materials and was somewhere that the bots could not detect them. The iron content of the Earth worked in their favor. It blocked their signals with its dense solidity. That was fine with her. She was happy to have a fall back spot.
She would wait a while biding her time, then strike again. When they got comfortable, she would raise their discomfort. It was the least she could do for the Cause.
The cause meant nothing to her but it gave her license to rampage. After all, she was part of an infiltration protocol team. She grinned. They would all feel the burn in time. She knew how to be patient. She turned to her minions who were gathered in vast numbers making themselves comfortable in the caverns. Soon it would feel like home.
If home were the seventh circle of the Pit.
-0-Washington, D.C., National Press Club
They stood at the podium, all of the leadership of the civilian opposition to the Autobots presence on Earth. They had a couple of Senators and a handful of Representatives with them, poised on the platform ready to deliver their resounding condemnation of Prime and his people. Their leader was a man named Henry Jones. He was a wealthy man with his own viewpoint of the world and the where with all to put it into the public. He stepped forward. The roomful of reporters settled to listen.
"Good afternoon. Welcome. My name is Henry Jones and I am here with my friends and colleagues to speak about the situation as it relates to the presence of alien lifeforms in our solar system and the price our people have paid because of it. The destruction of Diego Garcia was inevitable. It was inevitable because the aliens among us have brought their civil war to our home world. What we have to do is speak out and act to ensure that our world and her people are safe from further harm.
"We have been building a political coalition both here in the United States and abroad to gather like minds together to defend our sovereignty and future against domination by machines. One may scoff at the ideas presented in films like the Terminator but look around and see that the insidious advancement of machines into our world and its structures has already begun.
"We were free before they came. They came here looking for some artifact that they refuse to tell us about, fighting over it to the detriment of our safety. Now a new peril is added to that one. If our military bases are not safe, how can any other location on this planet be safe? If they can't defend us against this new threat, then what good are they?" he asked.
-0-Diego Garcia, new Command Center, N.E.S.T. HQ
"Yeah," an airman said sarcastically. "What good are they? Try facing this shit alone, fat man and see how long you last."
Everyone sitting around him nodded, their faces grim with anger.
-0-National Press Club
"What we want to see is all of them gone. Cooperation with the Autobots has only benefited them. They have not been able to stop these incursions. They have co-opted our armed forces. General Morshower acts like he's practically one of them. They have taken over Mars and moons out in the system as they help millions of their people settle inside our solar system. That cannot be allowed to continue."
-0-Omega Supreme HQ
"He's on our side because he's smart and he's one of us. Kiss my aft, fragger," Ironhide muttered as they stood watching the presentation on a big overhead monitor.
Prowl and Prime both grinned slightly, the moment leavening.
-0-National Press Club
"We are therefore seeking through legislation in Congress to end the Autobot treaties, force them off Earth and if possible, out of the system. They can take their war elsewhere. We intend to facilitate this through educating the public to the real threat they pose as well as acts of law in the Congress. If we have to sever ties with the United Nations, then that is a course we are prepared to take."
-0-N.E.S.T. HQ
"What a nut sack," Epps said shaking his head. "What a fucking nut sack."
Lennox nodded. "Another delusional rich bitch."
"Maybe he can punch Arachnid with a bag of nickels," Graham said with a chuckle. "Its just as bad in England. They are going to have a press conference to join in with their 'brethren in the colonies' to … how did they put it? Foment another revolution, this time as allies, not enemies."
"Fucking delusional thinking. It will be the end of us," Epps said glancing at the others. They nodded in agreement.
-0-The Pit Stop
Hero sat on the table top holding a 'fry' in her servos. She paused a moment, swallowing. "I love fries, Ada. Do you love fries?"
Ratchet who was having his usual 'reuben and slaw' grinned. "I love fries. What about you, Prowler?"
They both glanced at the baby who was dozing on a pile of blankets on the table next to Hero. She smiled and held out her fry to him. "Do you want to have a fry, Prowler?" she asked sweetly. He dozed on. She looked at Ratchet. "Maybe we can save a fry for him. He might like them," she said with a sweet smile on her little Ironhide face.
Ratchet grinned. "We could do that," he said mesmerized by his daughter's genuine sweetness. "You are a good sister. Little mech is going to need one."
"He's cute," she said gnawing on the fry. "I like him so much. He's sad for atar. He likes it when we all can be home."
Ratchet nodded. "We all do, princess. Trust me. We all do."
:Ratchet?:
:What?:
:Where are you and what are you doing now?:
:We're still at The Pit Stop but don't worry:
:Why?:
:We're going to save a fry for you:
:Oh, ha ha, Ratchet!:
:Ha ha, Ironhide. When are you coming home?:
:Not soon enough. The lunar base is ahead of schedule. That's where I was earlier. Looks like Seekers are going to get the command there. Now we're at Diego. Some slaggers are on the tv from Earth talking about kicking us out of the system and other slag:
:Let them try. The first time they got hit without us they will come crawling: Ratchet sipped his 'coke'. :There's always troublemakers:
:Yourself included: (grin)
:Ah, Ironhide. Are you having a sad?: (grin)
:Damned right I am. Things are getting on their feet. We might come home soon:
:Good. I got it on good authority from a random princess that the sparklings miss you:
It was silent a moment, then Ironhide replied. :I miss them too:
Ratchet paused his sandwich, then glanced at Hero was was patting Prowler. :Hurry up home, old mech:
:I will. Ironhide out:
Ratchet ate his sandwich, chatted with his daughter and the odd friend who came or went. Time would pass in the city as everyone held their breath for the future.
-0-TBC July 9, 2013
NOTE: CANON FROM HASBRO: Prime NEVER speaks in contractions. He will never say 'he'll', only he will. Can not, not can't. Etc. :D :D :D