The Diego Diaries: Here, There and Back Again 2 (603) edited
-0-Gliese 581 g
They slid down the slope before them, slipping on the surface as they made their way to the bottom of the vast ancient gully. Walking over broken shards and crystal encrusted rocks, all of them made their way toward a break in the formation. The walls on each side went straight up rising higher the farther they went along the floor of the deepening crevasse. Pausing, Beachcomber scanned the area ahead. Shaking his helm, he looked at Prime. "This is off the scale. There has never been anything in my experience or in the literature that even comes close."
"How?" Optimus asked as behind them along the ridge dozens of soldiers began to gather to watch.
"I would have to consider all the possibilities but this indicates something outside the usual pattern. I have never seen this amount, size, quality and variety of raw energon in one place before. I would need to have deep scans into the planet to see if this area is an anomaly or if there is something greater going on here," Beachcomber said.
Optimus nodded. "Re-fit the Phobos as a science ship, Prowl. I want anything and everything they need."
Prowl nodded, glancing at Wheeljack. "We can get it organized," he said. Wheeljack nodded.
Prime turned slowly, scanning the area as far as he could directly see with his own senses. Surrounding him, beneath his peds, towering over him to extraordinary heights, raw energy sprouted from the ground. Never in his lifetime, even as long and tumultuous as it had been covering enormously vast expanses of space and time had he ever seen the like. Light reflected off the facets of the crystalline formations glittering like diamonds.
"Optimus," Beachcomber said looking up from his meters. "There is green energon gas down below this formation, a large pool. There is yellow, blue, pink and some red. That's within just the range of this meter."
They looked at Beachcomber, then all around the area. Some of the crystals jutting out of the ground were as big as apartment towers on Mars, their girth if not their heights staggering. They were bent here and there, some in formations that hinted at volcanic upheaval. "Tell me how this can happen, Beachcomber? How did they get so big? How did they get so vast?"
"Consider 55 Cancri e," Beachcomber said. "That planet has a center the size of the earth which because of its geological forces is solid diamond. It has a surface temperature of 3900 degrees Fahrenheit which is part of the process of the building of crystalline shapes. Some are failed stars, some are of this type but heat and volcanism are part of their creation, that and being left alone. Given that it exists here, if a Seeker drone seeded this planet all of those forces would help create this."
"Energon is rare … its a rare commodity in the universe. How can it be here in these quantities and in this variety?" Prowl asked. "There is every possible form here. How?"
"I would have to study it more," Beachcomber said turning slowly. "I am clear that this was seeded. This is not the type of situation where it grows naturally. I would not think this would be the sort of planet to grow it in that manner. Mars was volcanic but is cooled off, its energon secured through that process. This is at the lowest edge of possibility for energon seeding. I can't understand how this could have happened but I know this is not a natural phenomenon."
"How possible is it that different strains can exist in the same location?" Prowl asked.
"Extremely rare. In fact, it is as rare as it can be which means seeding has to be the cause of this," Beachcomber said scanning along a rift of large blue crystals. Turning, he looked at Wheeljack. "Can you link the sensors of a few shuttles and have them scan this area? I want to know if there is a congregation of ore that points to a starting place for the seeding."
Wheeljack nodded, then turned with Perceptor to clamber up the slippery slope toward the plateau where the shuttles were parked. For a while they were gone, the others looking around in astonishment at the sights towering over them. Some of the strains were completely pure while others streaked one into the other. The greatest concentration that they could see was blue, the next pink and the most rare, red. That was a very volatile strain that needed protection against falling into the servos of Decepticons.
Prime was kneeling down staring at his own reflection in a facet of quartz that was part of one of the smaller blue energon crystals that filled up the gully. That the mass was about six feet thick was of no small consequence to the astonished Cybertronian. A shout behind him made him glance up to spot Wheeljack waving. "Optimus! We're going to scan the area down about eight feet below ground! We're going to be looking for the locus point if its here!"
Prime waved. "Do we leave the area!?" he called.
"No! You're good," he said then turned to hurry to a ship, disappearing from view.
Prowl walked to his side pausing to consider their bounty. "This is a catastrophe."
"I know," Prime said nodding. "We have to make sure that no one finds this place. Something like this will break the stalemate and bring Soundwave swarming off Cybertron."
"What do we do? Garrison this planet or move it?" Prowl asked.
We have to plan for both," Prime said with a grim expression.
Prowl nodded. "I will tell Ada to begin calculating for both problems," he said. "I have a feeling that we are standing on the biggest energon find ever. And that doesn't account for the possibility of all the other planets around here being seeded too."
"I have the same feeling," Prime said as the ships began to slowly pass over, powerful sensors playing across their dermal plating as they magnetically began to probe the surrounding area. Moving onward, they made their way over the crevasse until no one on the ground could see them further.
-0-On board
The scientists worked swiftly blocking out the surface of the planet in a 100 mile radius with their sensors. The preliminary data indicated that the deposit in this area went down very deep and was a mixed formulation of types surrounding and passing through large, even vast pockets of green energon gas. They moved slowly refining their efforts as a map began to formulate on a screen. When they flew the length of the gully, they turned and came back once more. It would take about half a joor, then they would land to give their preliminary conclusions. They would also pinpoint the locus of the ore which was nearby.
They stepped off and ran for the edge of the gulley. Climbing down, they ran forward until they reached Prime and the others. Prime turned to them and waited. "Optimus, we have the locus for this event. It is the primary source of the energon field which I have to tell you runs everywhere and probably is a major planet wide feature in the safety zone of this planet. There is at this point an edge to this that runs along the borders of the hot and cold zones. When it ran out of room to expand out, it began to expand up."
"Where did it begin?" Prowl asked.
"Its fifty-nine miles from here that way," Wheeljack said nodding toward the north. "It's the place where it appears to have begun. I estimate the age of this field to be nearly 12 million years."
"Then we need to get there," Optimus said glancing down the winding valley that disappeared around a glittering bend. "Mount up. Get us to the spot, Wheeljack," Prime said as he turned to walk back to the ledge. They climbed out, then boarded the vessels. They lifted off, then continued north toward a spot where the mystery very well might be understood.
-0-Diego at the same time
They looked at him, a tall blue and white figure with deeply red optics. His aura of menace was evident before but now it was doubled. He looked at them knowing what they believed about him none of which was good. "I was the second to Starscream when he was Megatron's sub commander and first lieutenant. We were responsible for management of the air wing of the Decepticons. We worked with Megatron, if anyone can orn in and out. For endless years.
"Then he decided that Seekers weren't trustworthy, that our effort meant nothing. That was when he put out a death order on Seekerkin. Hunt them down and kill them wherever they are found he decreed. Kill their families, parents, children … kill them all. Many of us barely made it out. Many of us were at death's door when we got here. Here we have made our home, started our families, taking up the burden of securing their future here. We have in this place what we never had on Cybertron … equality, respect, opportunity.
"There is no feeling like hopelessness. There is no way to tell someone who has never not been valued what it feels like to be worthless and expendable to others. We worked hard. We were loyal. We were part of the Cause because it meant we could have the life no one ever felt we deserved. We did terrible things. Our faction was ruthless, cold blooded, even vicious. You had to be strong to be a leader. You had to hold and defend your position. There were no second acts.
"Yet here we thrive. Our people come in the thousands. Decepticons defecting come too. They make homes, lives, families here. Prime keeps his word. He is the only leader of our people that exists who has the authority to do this for us. He was chosen by divine decree. I never personally felt attached to the Cause even when I was part of it. I never really wanted to be a Decepticon. But I went with my bonds. I went with them, suffered with them, fled to safety with them. I will die to defend this system.
"We do what we do with a precision you might never understand. We do this even though we were mortal enemies for millions of years. We do this because we have found our way. We are one. I don't understand the situation with your army. When you allow this … when you do nothing about this you become Decepticons. This ruthless disregard for your soldiers and their well being makes you Decepticons.
"Megatron goes to bases, lines up the soldiers, then kills every tenth one to keep his army together. Decimation, you call it. I call it murder. I imagine it happens in your military too in one way or another. I imagine that there is suffering in the ranks and when there is, there is disunity and failure. You make mistakes so your units and unity suffer. You can choose your path. You can ignore what is happening or you can solve it. You can be Autobots or you can be Decepticons. Its up to you. If you don't do anything or protect your men and women, then don't expect me to respect you. That might mean nothing to you but it means something among us. Professional armies don't allow this to happen. Its shameful that it does. Its a top down problem too. Generals and admirals set the tone, the ranks follow. Mech up. Its in your hands," he said with a stern look. He glanced at Ratchet. Ratchet stepped forward. "Any questions?"
Several hands went up. One officer stood. "You are in a … trine bond with Starscream?"
Thundercracker nodded. "Yes."
"You do know that he committed war crimes against America in California as well as Egypt … essentially the world," he said.
Thundercracker looked at him with cold optics. "Starscream is the air commander of the Autobot Armed Forces. He commands the Seeker flights that fly day and night to protect this system and your world as well. I am aware of a lot."
"Then you know that he has responsibility to stand for those crimes," the officer persisted.
Thundercracker considered that, his arms folded over his chassis. "I will grant you this. If you can come to Mars and take him into custody, I won't interfere."
It was silent a moment, then the officer sat. Another stood up. "How do you as former enemies manage to get along, Commander?" He sat down again.
"We do because we choose to. This is our last stand. Tens of thousands of former Decepticons live in peace alongside Autobots and civilians of all types. We live in equality. We live in harmony because Prime keeps his word. Prime doesn't lie, he handles things, he takes suggestions, he lets opportunity happen for all. There is no caste system, no Clampdown. This is the world we should have always had on Cybertron. Our families live there, they aren't hungry or destitute and my kids go to school. On Cybertron, no one but high caste mechs and femmes were allowed to go to school."
Red Wing nodded. "We take care of our people, their hurts and their needs. We have the Former Decepticon Association to mentor new people and we have extensive health care options for our people in need of counseling and adjustment. The lynch pin to all of it is Prime keeps his word. He acts. You haven't. Your people suffer. There isn't a single adult on Mars that hasn't heard the insults called out to us and we all know that some of you would kill us. You think our families and bonds are crap.
"We don't get it but then we don't do gender. Our masculinity isn't defined by others. We make it ourselves. The three of us could lay waste to this base in minutes. None of you would get out alive if we were inclined but we aren't. My family is on Mars. I will defend this marble too. Your soldiers do the same thing. Value and respect them. They put their lives on the line for you. Its the least you can do in return," Red Wing said with disgust in his voice. He turned to Ratchet who nodded.
The three turned slapping Ratchet on the shoulder as they passed by. Out the door they went, then activated their jets. They were several hundred feet above ground before fully transforming. Then they flew straight upward at a frightful pace disappearing nearly immediately.
The thunder of their leaving rattled the hangar as tens of thousands of horsepower and thrust pushed down on the ground as they flashed upward. It blew into the hangar, then all settled. It was silent a moment, then a woman stood up. "If there are tens of thousands of former enemies living among you, don't you feel unsafe? How did you learn to trust them?"
Ratchet considered that, images of his former enemies now friends filling his processor. "Trust is a process. Dignity is immediate. I give them their dignity. I was low caste too. I know about feeling like dirt. I can relate to the victims in your services because I had no one to tell my hurts either. No one cared all the days of my life until the System fell. That is real raw powerlessness. The Seekers knew it too. I remember as a kid watching them fly in the skies of my home world. They were beautiful. I couldn't imagine anyone not respecting them. The past feels alien to me now.
"You chose the world you want, the circumstances you want, the peace or not that you get. We have made peace. We stand as one because we were created to be one. Until all are one. Everywhere with everyone. It is the way all of us live and believe. We have our moments but they are few and far between. You have the army you choose right now, the army, navy, marines and air forces. You choose to ignore what is happening to your most precious assets, your boys and girls. You heard and saw them. We were mortal enemies. We made our peace and work as brothers together. If we can, that commands the big question: Why can't you?"
It was silent in the big room.
-0-TBC January 27, 2014
There are crystal caves deep in the earth that have been investigated that because of the heat and depth grow long bar like crystals of incredible purity that are as big as greyhound buses. They are incredibly enormous and incredibly fragile. Google 'images for giant crystal caves'. These are in Mexico. :D
55 Cancri e is a failed giant star with a graphite surface and a diamond core as big as the Earth. :D
Gliese 581 is the dwarf star, Gliese 581 g is the real planet. :D