The Diego Diaries: Go (638)
-0-Out there, on the Salton Sea
Prime considered their situation for a moment, then turned to Hound. "Put Springer on, Hound."
Hound turned and made it so. He nodded back at Prime. "He's open."
"Springer, this is Prime. What do you know of a mech named Trannis?"
"He was killed a while back by a Wrecker team lead by Impactor. Why? Don't tell me he's here?" Springer asked with a growing incredulity.
"So he says," Prime replied.
"He was blown up. Kup?" he was heard to ask on another line. "What about Trannis?" It was impossible to hear the response but Springer was back again. "He was blown up. Kup was there when the building was leveled. Nothing walked or crawled out of it."
"Someone on the other end of this, one of the intruders identifies as Trannis," Ironhide replied.
"Frag," Springer said. "That mech took over Cybertron when Megatron left. Elita and the femmes could tell you more about him. They softened him up for us when we finally came for him. They asked us to slag him to the Pit when he was in a vulnerable spot. If they had done it, the 'Cons would have been able to triangulate on them pretty easily. Frag."
"We have to have information on him and everyone else, Springer. I want to have a team go after him and his group, to gather intel and nothing more. We have to find out what is happening. Is there any firm data on the migration?" Prime asked.
"We have a pretty good idea, Optimus but the energy and local radiation is playing havoc on our sensors. A lot of the debris has a metallic content. Seekers have been slow moving forward given the possibility of ambush from everywhere and anywhere. We can move onward and shoot things but what if that provokes? We have a notion where it is. Do you want us to check it out? Send a ship on ahead to look?" Springer asked.
"I would," Optimus replied. "Go look, Springer. Send a team to gather intel on the intruders we know about so far, a scan and run pass by. The refugees are being followed by someone. I need to know who. Don't get into a shooting match. Pull back. We need intel, not wounded," Prime replied.
"On it," Springer said as he turned to the crew who were looking at him expectantly. "We have to go ahead and look for the migration. Prime wants to know what's out here. Be on your toes." He turned to Revo who was their pilot. "We are to pull back if we meet trouble. No hesitation, Revo."
That mech nodded, then turned to the navigation computer. Synching himself into it, he turned the shuttle and began to weave his way through the mass of debris that had clouded their passage in the most aggressive and swift manner possible. It was intricate work but Revo was a master.
Springer took his seat again. "Kup."
:Kup here:
"Kup, Prime needs better intel on the intruders following the migration. A fly by scan. If they want to fight pull back. His orders. We're heading forward to find the location of the migration. The Seekers are staying on track."
:Got it. Doesn't want shooting does he? Prime is dreaming: the older mech said. :Stay hooked up with us:
"We will. Springer out."
Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Topspin sat by the windows staring outside. Everything from dust particles to planetoids crowded around them, their oppressive size and numbers almost claustrophobic. Twin Twist, Sandstorm and Whirlaway were the remaining veterans in the shuttle. They had nothing but experience in the fine art of war and survival. Sitting nearby watching silently as the mechs around them geared up for possible battle, two mechs without the same skill sets sat solemnly. Lon and Smokey were also part of the vessel's crew.
Springer who had turned from Revo looked at the pair. He walked to the back where they sat, sitting himself. "You two stay on the ship. If something happens that we have to abandon this vessel, you attach yourself to one of us. Lon, you go with Sunstreaker. Smokey, you go with Sideswipe."
Both nodded. "Okay. Do you think we will have to fight?" Smokey asked. "I came for that."
"Could be. I don't rule anything out. And you will not fight unless you have to or I tell you to do that," Springer said as he stood up to walk back to the pilot. It was a good thing he did.
-0-In the migration
They heard the news with great expectation. Prime was here and coming for them. It made the horror of their flight almost endurable. Marboro watched the sensor screen noting that three different signals around them were becoming visible. That all of them were either following behind or beside them in the maze was ominous. He walked to the comm station. "Marboro to Prime."
"Prime here."
"Sir, we have three echoes following us. One is paralleling while the other two are behind. What do we do?" he asked anxiously.
"Hold your course, Marboro. We have ships moving up to assess the situation. Don't panic. Hold steady and we will come to get you. No matter what happens, you have to stay calm and do what we ask. Make sure that you do. No one needs to get hurt if we remain steady and don't provoke a situation," Prime replied.
"Alright, sir." Marboro looked at his brother. "We have to do this right, Flet. I'm afraid."
Flet nodded, his young face as filled with anxiety. "Everyone is depending on us, Marlie. We can't let them down."
Marboro nodded. "I know. I'm scared anyway."
A youngling operator sitting nearby looked at both of them. "We all are," he said quietly.
-0-Springer
They dodged a number of big boulders and a half smashed block of ice spiraling past them. Behind them, Sunstreaker had walked to the lockers along the back pulling jet packs off their hooks. Checking the first, he turned tossing it to Twin Twist. "Check that, Twin," he said as he grabbed others. One by one, he tossed a jet pack to each of the soldiers, then one to Lon and Smokey. "Hold on to those. You won't need them unless something happens to the ship."
He took his own, then walked to the seating along the side of the ship. Outside, the sound of things hitting the craft sounded dully inside the tense vessel. Drift who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat turned toward Springer who was sitting along the wall. "What are the odds we get the slag shot out of us before we find the migration?"
"Good," Springer said with a grin. He turned to look at Lon and Smokey who looked at both of them tensely. "I want you to stay with whom I told you. There are no heroes in war. There are only survivors and the dead. I will personally kill you if you get hurt. Understand?"
They both nodded.
:Smokey:
:What?:
:We stick together, right?:
:We do: Smokey said as he held his jet pack on his lap. Lon did too, clutching it like a newbie would. They continued onward into the mess.
-0-Kup
They flew swiftly almost surfing off the debris. The new Wrecker ships were tough and able to take the beating. Seekers were somewhere in the mix, their signals coming on and off the sensors. Kup sat with Hercy watching the monitors overhead as Nitro flew them forward. Nine big Wreckers sat in the back talking softly together. Jet packs had been passed around just in case because everyone on board understood how easily things could get fragged.
"Trannis," Kup said as he stared at his stogie. "What a fragger. He'll kill you just to watch the light go out of your optics. He's just about as bad as Megatron."
"I remember," Hercy said nodding. "We better kick his aft."
"Yeah," Kup said in agreement.
The soldiers watching merely smirked. All was good.
So far.
-0-Springer
"I see something big ahead, Springer," Revo said. "It's hard to say what it is but it could be the start of a large number of ships. Whether they're ours I can't say."
"Situation normal then," Springer said with a grin. He turned to the crew. "Get your gear ready. Pack up, get your guns ready. Lon, Smokey … you sit where you are but gear up. Remember who I told you to go with if things fall apart." He turned back to the sensors as Topspin stood to walk to the lockers to get a knife that was still in his bag. When he turned to walk a blast hit the side of the shuttle and tore a hole in it where Topspin had been sitting. He was tossed across the vessel hitting the wall hard. The concussive blast hit the inside like a swirling wind, then ended as they jumbled around like leaves.
Sunstreaker stood with his gun unsubbed, then looked around. "Get up! Fraggers slagged us! Revo, what's happening?" he shouted forward. The vacuum that had suddenly emerged all around them cut off his words so he repeated them internally.
Revo was struggling to control the shuttle as it banged into things all around it. The sound if it could have been heard would have been extraordinary. When he leveled off he headed for a dense area of small boulders and rocks slipping in swiftly.
:Everyone link up!: Springer called. Pings were sent as the light inside the shuttle flickered, then went out.
:We're running dark, Springer! Everyone night vision and link up on proximity sensors!: Revo said as he slowed the shuttle and began to check outside with all the tech the shuttle had.
All of the mechs had weapons out and jet packs on. Springer moved to the hole and looked out. He ducked back in as weapons fire flashed past. Glancing at the others, he moved to the shuttle door on the other side. :Fraggers are in the rubble. We need to go out and slag them. Stay here with Revo, you two: he said nodding to Lon and Smokey. :Topspin and Whirl, come with me. Come with me, Drift:
The door codes were entered and it slid back opening a view filled with darkness and seething forms. Some of it began to drift inside, snow particles, ice and dust. The four slipped out as the door closed. Everyone inside moved to a window as three of them took up sides around the hole. Guns poised, grim looks of expectation on their faces, the rest waited to see what Drift, Springer, Topspin and Whirlaway dragged back to home base.
-0-Kup
"Something happened to Springer's ship," Nitro said as new data began to filter in. "They got slagged."
"Kup to Springer." It was silent a moment, then Springer's voice could be heard.
:I can't talk to you now, old mech. I'm busy:
"Turn this ship around. We can't miss the dance," Kup said as he stood up to put on his gear.
Hercy who joined him along with the others nodded. "Younglings can't have all the fun. Wouldn't be respectful to their elders."
Sandstorm who was strapping on his jet pack smirked. "Its a fault with Springer. Mech has no respect."
Hercy snapped the clips to his pack, then subbed his great big gun. "Well then, we better go read him from the book."
The ship arced through a bumpy turn, then sped back to the general vicinity of Springer's ship as fast as the ice blocks around them would allow.
-0-TBC March 1, 2014 edited 3-1-14
Frag the internet being down tonight. It comes for three days, then goes for two, then comes back. I will do my best. :*(
There is a channel on Netflix called FYDO that is called the future of fanfiction. There are several stories on it in several fandoms that are either animated or real life stories portrayed. Wolverine has a really surprisingly well done story with real actors. Transformers has one called The Fall of Cybertron. It uses one of the games and tells a story that is fun to watch. Jazz has a long whip that gets him around. The planet doesn't compute to me overall. It looks like a truck stop at night where you yourself are living in a culvert. It is fun, fun to watch. It gives you ideas and visuals. But there is no habitation for the families that they showed in the cartoons. I remember a picture of a femme chasing a child across a huge well lit mall that had an escalator in the distance. You might want to check it out. :D Hugs!