The Diego Diaries: Strategy 3 (432) edited
-0-Earth: "EARTH FOR HUMANS! AUTOBOTS, OUT!" Rally, Atlanta, Georgia
Jim Johnson and Sam Hedges sat in the car with Todd Baseman and Lawrence Dobbs. Carlos Ortega, one of Daniel's mercs was there as well. Nearby at the speaking platform Henry James, industrialist, right wing 'Earth For Humans' fanatic and worldwide leader of the opposition to the aliens in the United States and abroad was addressing a rally. The attendees weren't as numerous as they would some day hope to expect so they had planned for that given the overwhelming support the aliens had and bussed in people from other places. The news people wouldn't know better and they would look more numerous.
The soldiers as well as the mercs had come to enjoy the attention of adoring crowds and their breach of oath case was bogged down in court the way James planned it to be with his phalanx of lawyers representing them. They lived at his house at Lake Tahoe having a fine old time and when they were needed would come along to rallies to show the flag. It could not be underestimated the impact of soldiers in a cause like this. That nearly all of them were on the other side of their armed forces was incidental. It was enough that soldiers with alien experience were 'raising a clarion call of alarm' as James so poetically put it.
The group listened to his pleas, condemnations and warnings. Then it was their turn. They came onto stage to great applause and the loving attention of the cameras. They were young, in the peak of their fitness, good looking in the way that young well made men are in their prime and they were military in their bearing. In an uncertain world where people lived in fear of real and even imaginary forces, that aspect could not be underestimated.
They climbed out and walked to the stage shaking hands and chatting along the way. Climbing the steps, they stopped beside James until the crowd quieted. "I would like to introduce four heroes, Corporals Larry Dobbs, former military, Carlos Ortega, Jim Johnson and Sargent Sam Hedges."
(Crowd cheers and it dies down)
"These men served with honor and distinction in our military forces and qualified for N.E.S.T. Striker teams which are among our most elite service organizations. It brought them into contact with the Autobots and from there they were able to raise the alarm about them. It is that intimate contact, that day-to-day experience that the government doesn't tell us about that made it imperative for me to begin this campaign to insure that the Earth and our cultures are not overtaken by these alien interlopers. I would like to have Sam Hedges speak to you about his personal experiences on Diego Garcia."
The crowd cheered, then Hedges stepped forward waiting pensively. He was the best speaker, the smartest of the group overall and the one they had chosen to do ninety percent of the talking in public. He stepped to the microphone and nodded. "Thank you. My name is Sam Hedges and I was a Sargent in the United States Army until my deployment to Diego Garcia where I was part of the striker forces that work with N.E.S.T. Command in conjunction with the Autobots.
"Jim Johnson," he said turning to nod at the silent man standing with the mercenaries behind him, "and I were among a handful who had finished the training and were sent to Diego to work into and deploy with the standing teams all of which are led in field command by Will Lennox. We had qualified for every aspect of the training but it didn't matter. The part of the program that they expected us to follow, being uncritical and accepting of things that were not only inhuman but frankly disgusting put us at odds with our leadership.
"We did our job to the high level expected of us but it wasn't enough. We were not going to be allowed to stay because we didn't lower our personal standards enough. We both understood that we were going to be working with aliens, life forms from another world with their own ways. But they were here on this world and we weren't allowed to have our own feelings and beliefs around them without penalty.
"We were accosted in our barracks by Sunstreaker. You may have your own feelings about him. He's been seen a lot with Ratchet both here and on the programs they make. There is no way for you to understand the danger and menace that bot brings until you are being pursued or cornered by him. His swords are seven feet long and can slice through steel like butter. He is afraid of nothing and frankly, I think even for them he has a few screws loose."
The crowd chucked, a few clapped and hollered their approval as he waited for them to quiet again.
"I will never forget him coming to call us out. I will never forget his brother either. No matter that the others came to calm things down, I believe they came there to kill us. I would say as well that we didn't do anything to merit that kind of response so you can make your own judgment about their mental stability. We already know.
"They came to Diego and brought with them relationships they hide, infants that come from thin air and all manner of taboos that sound ominous to us. Where do these little bots come from? They won't tell you. Where are the females? All of the relationships I saw were between the bots who are men and obviously men. There seem to be almost no women. They have religion I think. They don't discuss it. That artifact, the AllSpark is some kind of god or god device. They won't talk about it. The soldiers that are close to them know things but they won't tell.
"They aren't here for good reasons. They are slowly taking over the solar system. There are forward bases on Io, Enceladus and the moon of Pluto. They have millions of their own kind on Mars. Mars belongs to us. This system belongs to us. We came from here. It's ours."
Tremendous applause, call outs of approval and whistles.
"The Decepticons come here because they are here. If they go, the Decepticons will go. We have direct experience with them. We know this to be true. But they won't agree because it serves their purpose to be here. They destroyed their own world. Now they're here and they will destroy ours. We have another form of them living underground. They could come up anywhere and level things to the ground. They already have with Diego Garcia. Three of our own were murdered even though the Autobots were RIGHT THERE! It didn't matter that they were. Our people were still murdered by theirs. When do we stand up and fight them? When the world we stand on is being overrun by them? Millions more are out there and they are headed this way. What and when do we do what we have to do? When its too late or right now?"
Intense yelling and screaming. Agreement is evident everywhere in the crowd.
"My partners here," he said turning to look at the mercenaries and soldiers, "are ready to fight this. We are ready. What we ask now is are you?" He looked at the crowd, then stepped back. Tim Bolton stepped forward.
The crowd cheered, then settled.
"My name is Tim Bolton and I was a security professional who served on Diego Garcia with the government liaison to the Autobots. I served there longer than anyone on this stage and I want you to know that you are deliberately being kept in the dark about the truth. Those who tell it are being publicly destroyed and even imprisoned."
-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars watching the goat rodeo on the IntraComm
Prowl almost growled as he listened. Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet, Alor, Blackjack, Wheeljack, Alpha Trion, Ultra Magnus, Arcee, Elita and Jazz glanced at him.
"Prowl?" Ratchet asked with concern.
Fuming yet sexy optics met Ratchet's concern. "WHAT THE FRAG ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT!?"
Everyone relaxed with amusement but for Ultra Magnus who was feeling he burn too as Prime squeezed Prowl's servo. "Consider it a comedy," he suggested.
It was the right touch.
-0-Bolton
"The aliens are not what they show you. They may look like us in their actions and ways but they aren't. They are abusive, dangerous and strange. Those twins … Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are homicidal maniacs. They nearly killed me once and I ended up in their brig. The army there … Fulton and Morshower especially let them act anyway they want. A number of us providing much needed security for the liaison were even injured and killed. Don't believe what the government tells you about that.
"We saw them in relationships together. I find my skin crawling just to say that," he said.
-0-Ops Center, Mars
"I will be happy to relieve you of your skin if you find that helpful, slagger," Prowl muttered as he watched.
Everyone else grinned and sat back to enjoy the unexpected show.
Except Ultra Magnus. He nodded with Prowl.
-0-Bolton
"Imagine your Buick and pick up truck having a relationship. Imagine them doing whatever it is that they do and suddenly there are little cars running around. That is what its like with them."
-0-Mars
Tension as thick as energon pudding could be had even by those sitting at terminals around the vast room. What others were feeling in the city was anyone's guess. The event was on the general broadcast.
"Frag you, meat sack," Prowl muttered under his breath.
-0-Bolton
"They are reproducing. I don't know how they do it and I don't want to. The soldiers do. They know everything. They know about their religion if that is what its called, their relationships, their … sex lives and all of it. They won't tell. They keep the secrets. What else do they keep?"
-0-N.E.S.T. Habitat Ops Center
"MOTHERFUCKER!" -some of them
"THOSE FUCKERS!" -more of them
"THOSE FUCKING MOTHERFUCKERS!" -all of them
-0-Bolton
"We had contact with all of the soldiers including the Air Force women that practically live on Mars. All of them know everything and they keep the secrets. Fulton is even a citizen of the Autobot Nation and that includes Morshower. Who do you suppose they work for ultimately? You and me? Don't be stupid.
"They all have made their choices. They stand with the aliens and we are second. Their oath to this world and us is secondary to their allegiance to the Autobots and anyone who stands against that is slandered, arrested and imprisoned."
-0-N.E.S.T. Habitat Ops Center
"THOSE LYING FUCKING MOTHERFUCKERS!" -the femmes in question
-0-Bolton
"We are here to raise the warning like modern day Paul Reveres. We are calling out to you to be prepared. This isn't over. But in the end if we allow them to continue the way they are going, it will be. There will be no future for us as a free people with these creatures in our midst. We, all of us," he said looking at the others who nodded, "are here to raise the alarm. You had better be prepared. The end game is alien domination and enslavement of the Earth."
The crowd went nuts.
-0-Ops Center, Mars
Several segways rounded the corner and jetted forward to the table where the leadership sat. They screeched to a stop as the occupants climbed off and ran forward. Ironhide and Ratchet leaned down and put them on the crowded table. Running to Prime around all manner of military devices, datapads and other detritus of war including half empty energon cubes, they paused to look up.
:MOTHERFUCKER!: they said nearly in unison.
Several moments of intense babble and rage later ...
:Optimus, you do understand that this is a really tiny minority here?: Lennox asked.
Optimus nodded. :We do. We understand and share your rage but we know that, William:
They all looked relieved. Then Jessie Landon stepped forward. :Optimus, you have to tell your people that we are one. I don't want them to feel badly of us because of this. Those people would dig a hole and bury themselves if Megatron were standing in front of them. We are one, right?:
Everyone around the table looked at the humans with gratitude and affection. Optimus held out his servo and Jessie climbed on board. Bringing her closer, he nodded. :Until all are one, Jessie Landon:
It was only then that all relaxed.
:What do you want us to do about this, Optimus?: Will asked. The others nodded.
:Perhaps you can go on 'Good Morning, Autobot City' and The Hourly News to answer questions about this. We know that you do not speak for your country and government but you can speak from your spark about what you feel and perhaps put this into some sort of perspective for our people. I will deliver an address as well:
The humans nodded, their expressions one of intense determination. Optimus set Jessie down gently. :Tell me about these individuals if you can. I would like to know more:
:There isn't much to know. Henry James is a billionaire who is into unregulated business adventurism and nutcase politics. He inherited his money from his nut wad father and is behind this going global. These people network and hire whomever they need to advance their cause. It would be a mistake to either under or overestimate them. We have faced opposition before: Niall Graham said calmly.
:We have but they never had this much money and the Insecticons didn't help: Epps said.
:No, they did not. We have mapped them across half the world. It is only a matter of time before we find where they are and take them on: Prime said.
Prowl nodded. :They don't have the resources that we have to fight us:
The others nodded.
:My only fear is that they will harm humans. That would be bad enough but using the dead or injured for politics makes me angry: Prowl said.
They all nodded.
:Then we must be very good: Prime said.
Everyone nodded again.
-0-Bolton
"We must unite around the idea of Earth for Humans, Aliens Out! They are multiplying. They are getting their people from space. They have technology that we can only read about in science fiction. They don't care about us the way normal beings would. The soldiers that work with them are compromised. They are part of the spear that is going to strike us down."
-0-Global N.E.S.T. HQ, Pentagon, Virginia, USA, Earth
"MOTHERFUCKER! GET FULTON ON THE LINE!" -Morshower
Hearty nods. -Everyone in the room doing their duty.
-0-Diego Garcia, Commandant, Commanding American Forces, Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth
"MOTHERFUCKER! GET MORSHOWER ON THE LINE!" -Fulton
Everyone nods in the command center with vehemence, their anger over the re-emergence of the mercs nearly as intense as the exploitation of three of their comrades killed in the Insecticon attack.
-0-Fulton and Morshower on the line
"This is fucked. I want them crushed. I want them debunked. They're accusing us of colluding with the enemy." -Morshower
"I know. Good thing Mearing is on Mars. That woman is not on our side." -Fulton
-0-N.E.S.T. Habitat HQ, Autobot City, Mars
"What a bunch of fuckers," Seymour Simmons said. "Those idiots haven't got a clue about Megatron. I DO. I FOUGHT THAT FUCKER WHEN HE GOT LOOSE FROM US AS WELL AS IN EGYPT! THEY'RE DELUSIONAL!"
The staff around the room didn't disagree, their grim faces testament to their own opinions of the mercs and their keepers.
Mearing on the other hand had no visible opinion. She listened intently as the broadcast wore on.
-0-At the rally
The mercs spoke adding their two cents to the mix. Then it began to break up. Interviews with spectators were 'intriguing' and expected. Then it broke to the talking heads who were mixed in their reactions to the speakers. Far away, someone else was watching and had another reaction altogether.
-0-Underground
Arachnid watchedon her internal monitor the rally as she sat on a rock learning as much as she could about the Earth. There was an organized opposition to the Autobots. This was gold. She could use a useful idiot or two to get what she wanted. Her army relaxed around her, their content in her company extreme. She merely with a thought could make them die for her and she knew it. Now that she had strength, she needed strategy. She wasn't one to underestimate Prime. Trolling the internet, she was now up to date on their efforts both here and on the next planet over, Mars.
She was something most Decepticons weren't … long term, strategic and smart. She would bide her time, gather useful idiots, then strike. Right now it was better to be that feared unknown that wasn't seenfor a while than that force better was fed by anxiety. She would wait and pick her battles keeping her armada off the sights of the Autobots until she had infiltrated the humans past the point of their redemption.
As an Infiltration Protocol expert, it was what she did.
She sent messages to Australia, Europe, South America, Asia and Africa for the rest to hunker down to wait. She had assumed command. They had acquiesced aware that her army would eviscerate them and frankly, they were glad someone was in control. They settled in for the long term content to follow her lead. Right now, it would be no activity. Later, it would be. What made Arachnid different from other Decepticon strategists was after the moments of destruction happened, she would make sure that the Autobots got the credit, not them.
It was thus that overt Decepticon activity on Earth came to a halt.
For now.
-0-TBC September 14, 2013