The Diego Diaries: Skills (468) edited
-0-Down below
He walked to the wrecked subway car which lay on its side jammed against the wall. The ground crunched under his peds as he stepped gingerly through the destruction pausing when he finally reached the car. Optimus looked at it, then turned to Perceptor. "What did you find out? What are Cirrius and his team suggesting?"
Perceptor looked around. "This is an unknown destructive device placed by unknown individuals with an unknown detonator. The blast erupted in a trash bin on the platform. The intensity of the explosion forced a blast wave that tore the place to pieces. There are gaping holes in the walls, some from chunks pitting them and others from the concussion of the explosion itself.
"The tracks have bent and curled under the blast and will have to be replaced. Burn marks line the walls for some distance and the odor of toxic things is still noticeable but none of it stems from the detonation itself oddly enough, rather the fire afterward."
Prime looked around, then glanced at Prowl who was standing pensively nearby. "What is the time line for repairs?"
"Jetta is working it out. It won't be for a while. We will have to tell the city which stations will be taking up the slack," Prowl replied.
Everyone stood quietly waiting for Prime to take it all in. He looked at them, then turned back walking silently to the platform nearby. There was a large hole in the front of it where the energy burst of the blast had expelled the greatest amount of force. Stepping up, he walked to the steps and street ward as everyone else followed.
Topside, there were crowds silently waiting behind secured lines manned by Watch officers. They turned to look at Prime as he walked to the gathered officers waiting for him. "What is the status on the mech pulled out of the blast?" Prime asked.
"Ratchet said he's in surgery but its going well. He has some things that got pulverized but its all fixable. His bond is getting help as well as their genitors. They're still all pretty debilitated and this didn't help," Ironhide said grimly as his father nodded.
Prime nodded back. "Good. The mission is canceled. Our first problem is here. I want us to gather in the conference room in one joor, the senior Autobots only. Have ideas and suggestions," Prime said as he turned to walk to the Mare nearby.
They watched him go, then glanced at each other. "Prime is really loaded for targs," Alor said as he watched Optimus walk away.
They all nodded. Prowl glanced around, then turned toward the Ops Center. "We have to reset the mission. This one takes priority," he said as he began to weave through the crowd.
"The city will want to know," Blackjack said. "It will be a problem when the schools let out." He glanced at Ironhide. "We're going to have to drive the infants home unless you want to use Metro #5 on Temple."
"We'll have to. Orion gets upset when one of us transforms," Ironhide said. "It throws him still."
Alor grinned. "Alright. I will get him and Praxus. You get Sunspot, 'Jack. Ironhide can come with me to get Hero and whoever else needs picked up unless the twins can sub for us. Until then, I'm going to the Fortress." He turned and began to weave through the crowds. As he did the sound of workers down below began to filter upward.
-0-Hospital, Tower 2
Prime walked out of the elevator and paused. He looked around, then spotted Ratchet who was standing at a computer in a lab nearby. Walking to the doorway, he waited. "How is everyone?"
Ratchet glanced up, then nodded. "Everyone is going to make it. The surgery went well."
Prime nodded. "We are not undertaking the mission until this is under control. This takes priority."
Ratchet nodded. "I would think so. This feels like a campaign. I am really surprised that we can't see them. There must be a frequency that will reveal them to us. They are obviously cloaking themselves."
Prime nodded. "Brainstorm with Perceptor and Wheeljack. I want ideas, supposition, speculation … all manner of possibilities. Out of that should come some sort of staring place. What do you think the device is made of?"
Ratchet considered that. "I would think it isn't typical unless someone figured out how to make things that blow up from materials we don't see. It could be that its a kind of concussion device that doesn't require a fuel source to work. We could be thinking too conventionally."
"Bring your ideas to the table. I want to discuss this as soon as possible. I believe that I have to talk to our people shortly. The last thing anyone needs is to be fearful or to do anything rash."
Ratchet nodded. "I can walk to the Fortress now and catch them at Sciences. Are you going that way?"
He nodded. The two turned walking to the door and the greater world beyond. It would be a grim journey.
-0-IntraComm and Jazz
They sat together in the small conference room at the Fortress having an off the record conversation about their problem. Prime had given him his brief as personal spokesman and he took it very seriously.
Gen-O and the Director for Telecommunications and Radio, Aleph sat at the table with Jazz. Aleph listened to the limitations that Jazz was applying to the story as it fell out so far. "Then we will get together for everything we can tell you," Jazz was saying. "Right now, the line is very fine and high for Prime to walk. He has to save the city from destruction and keep everyone calm. If I don't talk to you about the things that can't be released you could make a mistake and someone could get killed."
"When will that be, Jazz?" Aleph asked.
"We don't know as yet. We have to catch them first," Jazz replied.
"Do you have any notion yet?" Gen-O asked.
"No. We don't at hand," he replied. "What would be good for you to do is check with Jetta and help us get the news about the station closure right now. I am told it could take between one and four orns until reopening. We can't sign off on it until it meets and passes a city inspection. That will be the first thing to do."
They nodded and the conversation continued. They also cleared the decks for Prime to make an announcement to the whole colony shortly.
-0-A joor later
They gathered in the conference room, the senior military Autobots and sat waiting for Prime who was silently gathering his thoughts at the end of the table. "We need to find these individuals and ensure that the safety of our people is guaranteed," Prime began. "There is much we do not know. Let's start with what we do."
Wheeljack nodded. "Not much. Ratchet mentioned to us the possibility of bombs that don't require explosives. Those exist but aren't common among our own people. It could be that they are using a particular device that is not motivated or predicated on a fuel source like most of our systems are. It might be motivated by something else. What it might be I am not clear."
Perceptor nodded. "This is most vexing. We have fragments but they don't add up to much. They do however seem to be missing an active ingredient … bomb device residue. It could be that they have found a way to do this without those things. If they are, our bomber is a very clever fellow. Or fellows."
Prime nodded, then glanced at Jetta. "What is the sitrep on the station, Jetta?"
"We have begun to strip out the parts that need replacing. First step is to reinforce the steel structure and removed the damaged parts. We have a format for filling the damaged stone walls without taking out the blocks. We pulverize stone, mix an epoxy with it, then plaster it on. It will actually be stronger than the wall around it when it sets which only takes about an orn. When its done we will match the color of the stone walls around it and no one will ever know that a problem happened. The platform of the station is too damaged to do this so we are taking it out cutting it back to the good stuff. Then we will build a steel platform, face it with rock and match the colors. The tracks are going to be laid as soon as the crews level and repair the ground they sit on. All in all, no one will be reminded a bad thing happened there. Even the train can be repaired and returned to duty."
"Thank you. Tell the crews I am grateful for their work and skills," Prime said. He sat back. "What do we have? Unknowns using an unknown device to inflict damage. But they do not appear to want to cause physical harm to anyone. What migration did Sio and his atar, Dex come in on?"
Prowl thought a moment, then consulted the computer behind him. "The one preceding the last civilian group and the Decepticons who just came."
"Can you figure out who they were with? If there were other groups with them? I am interested not just in that group of high castes but anyone else who may have had experience with them. I want to have bots we can speak to about them and find out if this is a new thing we are facing or if its something that has been going on for a while elsewhere. My guess is this is not new and there are those in the city who can give us a list of names to watch."
Elita nodded. "We will get on it," she said glancing at Chromia. She nodded, then looked at Prime. "Do you want us to track them? Dev and the rest of us can hook in and follow them along with Mirage. Jazz can coordinate the effort through Intelligence Command."
Prime nodded. Then he sat forward resting his elbows on the table. "I think that would be a good idea coordinating it through one line of command. What gives me pause is the level of technology they bring to the table. I am concerned that if we tap their lines they will know. We can not operate on normal levels here. I think we have to assume they have the technological disadvantage until we find out that they don't have one or can provide countermeasures. We can not alert them to our presence. Never have I asked you to bring more stealth to the table than now."
"We can bring game, Prime," Jazz said grimly as Mirage nodded. Dev sat listening, then nodded. "I am very good at subterfuge, Prime. I can tap nearly any system. If you can get a bead on what they are doing, I can tap it. No one will ever know."
"Our plants … Tracks and Mirage need to be more sensitive to their sense of danger and paranoia I think," Ratchet said. "Moving even closer than you are now might alert them that we are trying to find them. A low key approach is critical now. Attracting attention will be a bad idea," Ratchet said as Jarro nodded in agreement.
Prime nodded. "Agreed. I look at everyone and know we have the edge. We have experience, we are tougher and have fought enemies longer than anyone else in this city. I include you too, Starscream," he said with the ghost of a smile, the first since the bombing.
Starscream smirked back. "I may have been on the other side hoping against hope that Megatron would care about such fripperies as social justice and an end to the System but I never faulted you for your efforts and skills."
Prime leaned back and grinned. "You were a dreamer too I take it?"
"Always," Starscream said with a grin. "Don't tell Megatron."
"You have my word," Prime said with a grin.
"That's not a part of Bucket Head's lexicon," Ironhide said with a smirk. He looked at Prime. "We will get them. First step, locate and identify the opposition. Do intell. Build a profile. Then begin the hunt. Reasonable sitrep?"
Prime looked at Ironhide, a loyal partner and companion in his life of triumph and tragedy, then nodded. "Reasonable indeed, old friend. I don't want another injured civilian. I don't want anyone who has already suffered to be afraid. I gave my word that this would be a safe refuge. Let's make it so."
They sat and trouble shot the first steps in their plans to end the war within so that they could wage it out where it belonged, the Empire of Megatron.
FINISHED! … October 12, 2013
UPDATE: YIKES! My tense deficiency was in full bloom last night. :D Don't try and write a story when you are asleep. When I woke up, my fingers were still on the keyboard. LOL! Even in sleep, I am tip tapping for you. ;)
LAST NIGHT: (I am about to fall on my face. I dozed off sitting here for about a half hour. LOL! I will cut this here and fill in the rest in a couple of hours. Sorry, darlings. :D )
Marion, I am delighted that this is getting easier for your friend. I will always try to assist anyone with that sort of problem. The readers are awesome. -Arctapus.