The Diego Diaries: Go (639)
-0-Out there
Springer and his team leaped out into the darkness and sped to a large craggy boulder nearby. Gripping it, they looked around the area as each of them took a direction to cover. In the dusty darkness they couldn't see anyone around them. Someone was though. Springer had nearly lost his helm peeking out of the hole in the ship. That vessel was nearby being ground on by large rocky boulders as it sat silently, nothing lit aboard it but the tempers of the remaining crew.
:What now?: Twin asked. He leaned against the crag of a small impact crater.
:We have to hunt them down. Kup?: Springer asked over his internal line. Nothing replied but static so he crept along the top of the rock until he was laying flat on its slowly wobbling surface. Around him was nothing but the chaos of destruction and the inky darkness of space. All around him, as if he were half buried in the ground, the detritus of creation hammered him and each other. :Frag. I'm getting peppered:
A bright flash of light reached him and splattered the ground next to where he lay. He rolled instinctively until he fell off the side, sliding down until he got a hand grip. He lay a moment expecting more fire but it didn't follow. Crawling up to where his team crouched looking at him, he paused. :Fraggers shot at me. But I know where they are. At least right now. Twin, cover me and Drift. Topspin, you stay with Twin and shoot anything that fires. Shoot where the fire comes from. Come on: he said looking at Drift. :Get that fragging gun out too. Frag tradition:
Drift grinned, then subbed a big gun. :After you, sunshine:
Springer smirked, then turned. He lit his jet pack pushing off as he headed outward from the boulder, then turned to follow a spray of ice crystals and dust that would shield him from view. Drift pushed off to follow. Twin and Topspin turned, then inched up to cover. They crouched down to wait. They wouldn't have long.
-0-On the Salton Sea
:Kup to Prime:
"Prime here," Optimus said. He was sitting at the table with Ironhide watching the scene as it was slowly developing on the battle maps before them. He could see a growing image of the area as the cartography programming and the raw data from the Seekers began to fill in the blanks. Given that the area was fluid it would be nonetheless an extremely accurate approximation of things as they stood, the known quantities changing with every tumble of a rock. But their software was incredibly accurate. It would tag every object even as small as dust with a value which would allow the mapping to follow it as it moved, thus changing the navigation maps as well as the field moved along its merry way.
The humans could only dream of such technology.
:Springer took a hit. We're on our way for backup. Right now the mess is dampening our signals. Can you hear me?:
The signal was clear enough if not filled with background static. "We hear you. What is their status?"
:We are checking on it now. Standby: Kup said.
It was quiet, the sound of white noise the only audible thing coming through the speakers.
-0-On the way to an ambush
Springer and Drift landed silently on a nearby boulder, their sensors scanning around the area. :I saw the fire come from over there:
:What is the plan or is there one?: Drift asked with a smirk.
:Plan? What plan? Plans are for Prowl: Springer replied with a grin. :How about you and I crawl to the top of this and ask the shuttle to draw fire? That way we can blast them:
:What if someone is waiting up there? What if we crawl right up their tailpipe?: Drift asked relaxing against the ground as he checked his gun.
:Then I blast them if I see them first. You blast them if its you. How's that for a plan?: Springer said with a grin. :Unless that goes against some sort of Circle scruple or something …:
:You ask that now?: Drift replied with a smirk.
:We go on three: -Springer
:If you say so, dear leader: Drift said with a chuckle.
They turned and slowly, silently crawled higher, their guns pointed and primed. When they reached the top, they looked in all directions. They could see nothing. :Sunstreaker:
:Sunstreaker here:
:Toss something out of the hole so we can see where they are: -Springer
:Got ya: Sunny turned and gripped a free floating boulder that had drifted in through the blast hole. It was as big as a suitcase. He turned, then tossed it out of the ship. It spun out and was immediately blasted to bits, the spray of rock and ice peppering everyone inside.
When that happened Drift and Springer sat up and blasted the area of the weapon fire as hard and as thoroughly as they could. It was brilliantly bright a moment, then it was silent. Drift and Springer ducked down, then glanced at each other.
:What now?: Drift asked as he recalibrated his sight.
:We mop up the mess: Springer said. :You ready to go?:
:After you: Drift said with a nod.
Springer grinned, then jumped up to leap off the rock. As he did Drift was in hot pursuit behind him.
-0-Kup
They crashed through the debris all around them until they saw flashing lights.
"Gunfire," Hercy said as he stood up. He looked at Nitro. "Find a place nearby to drop us off. We have younglings to save."
Kup nodded. "Nearby but not in the mix." He looked at the others. "Stay here. We will call for you. Until we sort out what the frag is happening, we could shoot each other. Its the Pit out there and we all know it."
The ship began to slow as Hercy popped the hatch. It slid back as the little mech stepped out flying away with his gun in servo. Kup followed swiftly as the shuttle came to a stop next to several large dark rocky shapes.
The others stood in the doorway to watch for light in the darkness and density beyond. There was none for a moment, then there was more. Sounds came over their combat battle channel and the shuttle.
:Springer! Behind you!: -Kup
:Come around! NOW!: -Springer
:I GOT HIM, THE FRAGGER! ONE DOWN!: -Hercy
-0-Salton Sea
They sat together listening to the slightly faded conversation of battle that was unfolding nearby. Kup had found the confrontation and had engaged. Hercy was in the middle of it, no surprise there. All in all, it sounded in servo.
Of course, that didn't help a bit when you had to wait.
-0-Ops Center, everywhere
They sat listening to the cross talk of battle, something the alpha team had done for eons of millennia. Charlotte Mearing and Seymour Simmons sat in chairs on the console next to the sensors, their eyes and ears focused on the professionalism and competence of the mechs and femmes all around them. It was mesmerizing.
-0-At the site of conflict
Springer pushed off joining Kup and Hercy who were flying straight at the rapidly diminishing locus of fire. There was no sound. There is none in space. A famous movie once posed that they can't hear you scream in space.
They would be wrong.
:FRAG! WHAT'S THAT!?:
No one knew who said it. Perhaps Twin or Springer. They just said it and fire commenced. A darkly spinning mass jumped from a rock toward Hercy, all arms, legs and teeth. It grabbed him and they spun hitting rocks hard. The battle was furious between them as Twin flew to assist, a three foot knife courtesy of RTR Tools in servo. He struck the shape in its long bulbous head but the knife bounced off. Pulling his gun in surprise and fury, he put it against the creature's head and pulled the trigger.
The head exploded and so did a huge spray of his internal fluids that landed on Hercy and Twin, both of them screaming over the intralink. As they did more of the beast apparitions began to appear out of the darkness flying with fury at the Cybertronians.
-0-Over the intercom everywhere
:AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!:
:I'M HIT!:
:TWIN! HOLD STILL! I GOT YA!:
:I'M BURNING! I'M ON FIRE!:
:FRAGGERS! I WILL KILL THEM ALL!:
:MORE ARE COMING! SUNSTREAKER! EVERYONE! COME NOW!:
The rage of Hercy, the agony of Twin and the urgency of Springer filled the intercoms of Diego, Autobot City, Camp Gliese, Fort Apache, Fort Cybertron and all the ships in the mix. The only ones who weren't getting the feed was the migration. They had enough problems of their own.
:Migration, this is Trannis. Who is in charge?:
Marboro felt his blood run cold as the hatch door nearby opened. Several Seekers stepped in walking grim faced to the leader of their group. Cloud nodded. "Is Prime on the line?"
Marboro nodded. "He is."
"Let me talk to him, Marlie," Cloud asked.
Marboro nodded. "Marboro to Prime."
"Prime here."
"Cloud, the leader of our Seekers wants to speak to you. Someone named Trannis just contacted us."
Prime and Ironhide glanced at each other. Then Prime composed himself. "This is Optimus Prime, Cloud."
"Sir, we are in trouble here," Cloud began.
-0-In the darkness not that far away
They came in all directions swarming toward them with flashing metallic looking teeth and intense menace. Murder filled their affect and they were fearless. The group hung in space, a furious Hercy and a semi-conscious Twin inside the circle they made with their bodies. Gunfire was constant as they took out each of them that came but the aftermath of that was masses of floating fluids, all of it acidic and deadly to their well being.
Nearby flying as fast as they could the others came. :SPRINGER! WHAT'S HAPPENING!?:
:ACID MONSTERS! TWO DOWN, SEVERAL INJURED! WATCH YOURSELF!: Springer replied as he grappled with a big black demonic shape. It rolled and he went with it. They were trying to break the circle. Springer struggled as the acid burned his arm. Then a streak of light hit the beast. It burst and he pushed it away but not before getting splattered again.
As they came forward, the beasts fell back until they were gone. For a moment they hung silently together holding each other up. Then huge flashes of light came from two places nearby. They turned to look. The shuttles, both of them went up in fireballs. Then winked out in the vacuum of space. They were without transport, shelter or additional weapons. They had two badly wounded with others suffering the agony of the acid burns. Around them in the darkness, they could see shapes shifting.
They had slowed the beast onslaught. They hadn't ended it.
-0-Salton Sea
:Springer to Prime:
:Prime here:
:We have two down, several hurt from the acid monsters. They have us stranded. They took out our shuttles:
"Where are Revo and Nitro?" Ironhide asked tensely. "Is everyone accounted for?"
:Yes. Everyone is here: Springer said looking around at the mechs with him as he counted including a solemn faced Lon and Smokey.
Prime turned toward his pilot. "Take this ship in."
The pilot nodded, then the ship began to move, the faint sound of debris bumping off its hull felt below their peds.
"I am coming in with Salton Sea. Hang on," Prime said.
:We will: Springer said.
Then the monsters and their allies swarmed out of the darkness once again.
-0-TBC March 2, 2014 edited 3-2-14