The Diego Diaries: Go (659)
-0-Out there
They stepped off the ship and floated to another, one smaller but only just so. Rowdy paused by the door scanning it as Dev hung nearby. Then he pushed off fast grasping Dev as he did. They barely missed the worst of the explosion. Shards peppered them but did little damage. Both looked at the hole in the ship, then each other. :Fraggers: Rowdy said. :They have bombs tied into sensors:
:Then there's another way in. We blast a hole next time: Dev said as they both turned to float to the ship.
:I have a better idea: Rowdy said as he commed Thundercracker. :Blue 1:
:Here: came Thundercracker's terse reply.
:The bombs are triggered by sensors at the doors. Have a boarding team come. Meet us at the second vessel. The first one is go: Rowdy said.
:Affirmative. Blue 1 out: Thundercracker turned to Prime. "The fraggers have timed the bombs at the hatch to explode upon sensor contact. I'm going to send boarding specialists to Dev and Rowdy to help them get around the problem. The first ship can be taken."
Prime nodded, then glanced at Ironhide. He rose to walk for the elevator and a hangar deck shuttle waiting for him. Prime sat back watching the operation on screen as shuttles waiting nearby focused upon the liberated vessel. The second explosion had been witnessed as well by everyone involved. It would take finesse to get the rest of them off without a death. "Prime to Dev."
:Dev here:
"What is the likelihood that they will adapt their strategy and mine elsewhere as well given that you have two hatches blow in a row?"
:High. I will take that into consideration: Dev said as he walked down the corridor behind Rowdy. As he spoke a bomb went off and a Seeker slammed into him from the concussion. They flew backward, rolled and fell into space through the blasted hatch. The ship rocked, then settled listing slightly to starboard.
"Prime to Devcon," Optimus said tensely. He turned to Thundercracker who was looking at him tensely. "Thundercracker to Rowdy," he said watching as the pair drifted a moment.
-0-In the forward sections of the ship
They were told to go forward and gather at the front of the ship. All of them did, the remaining ships obeying as well. They huddled together, subadults, infants, small younglings and elderly. There were few able bodied appearing adults among them. All of those were back in captivity on a rocky planetoid nearby. They huddled together clinging to each other as the elders calmly spoke to them about how it would be alright soon.
Then the explosion happened and the ship rocked. They screamed, some thrashing around in their mania to hide. Then it settled. The ship was listing but solid again. A voice spoke over the intercom. "This is Optimus Prime. Be calm and stay where you are. We are removing mines from the hatch door. Our people are coming to get you. Do not and I repeat, do not leave where you are. We are coming there to get you. We have you."
They looked at each other, several hundred individuals crammed onto the command deck and in the corridors and two rooms nearby. They held each other tighter and waited.
-0-Dev and Rowdy
They floated a moment allowing the birdies to sing, then rolled over to look at each other. :How did we get out here?: Rowdy asked as he shook off the blast.
:Good luck?: Dev asked with a grin. :You okay?:
:I'm still stuck together. Are those Seekers?: he asked staring at a forest of big mechanisms landing on top of the ship, looking at them floating nearby with alarm. Several flew down, grabbed both, then flew back. They stood a moment gathering their marbles, then looked down at the several new blast holes in the fuselage. :Fragger is fragging with us. We need to enter this ship but we need a light scan of the hull and access corridors forward. We have to go with the idea that they're mined. Anything heavier than light will get us blown to the Pit:
A big Seeker named Dobro nodded grimly. :You two stay here a moment. My team and I will go forward and look. I have this: he said tapping his hatch to pull out a small meter with a green light. :I stole this out of Shockwave's lab. It can sense explosives of all kind and manner without triggering them:
:Why didn't you tell me?: Rowdy asked with a frown.
The big mechanism grinned. :You never asked, slagger: He turned with two other huge grinning mechanisms in tow, then flew down into the holes.
Dev leaned over the hull watching him go, then looked at Rowdy who was still pissed. :When are you fraggers going to learn you can share?:
:When I get through beating his aft: Rowdy fumed.
They stood on the hull waiting as below their peds the team made their way around the ship, finally clearing it for transport. When they came back out Ironhide was floating to the hull to magnetize. Wreckers were at the first ship and arriving at this one to take the refugees away. :What's the sit-rep?: Ironhide asked.
:SIT-7REP is FUBAR: Rowdy said casting a gimlet optic at a smirking Dobro. :Ship number three beckons. After you: he said to Dobro in a caustic voice.
:Don't mind if I do: Dobro said as he fell backward and transformed heading for ship number three.
Rowdy glanced at Devcon who nodded. The Seeker transformed and with Dev on his back followed along with the boarding specialists.
Standing alone, Ironhide watched hoping against hope that the last bombs were found and the last three ships would be easy. It would be a forlorn hope.
-0-First ship
Kup stood on the deck of the destroyed hatch watching mechs carry or lead group after group of refugees to the ships that waited. As soon as one was full they would fly off and another take their place. It was hard to watch, the misery of the refugees. He stood stoically waiting until the ship was emptied. Whatever was useful was salvaged as well including the database and what few belongings they could find. It had been essentially stripped down before sending out from Trannis's base but they took care to look as they would with the others. For a group with very little, even the most innocuous personal thing was valuable.
He pushed off landing on the deck of a shuttle that was waiting. When he was on board the shuttle moved to the second ship where Ironhide stood by himself on the hull. When they slid to the door where refugees waited Kup pushed off, magnetized to the hull, then walked up to stand beside Ironhide. Taking his stogie out of his mouth, he shook his helm. :This is fragged:
Ironhide nodded. :It is:
:Gonna kick Trannis in the codpiece. Hard:
Ironhide nodded. :I'll help you:
They stood together watching as another ship was set up for boarding and the one they were on was stripped and emptied.
-0-Earth One Headquarters, Houston, Texas, USA, Earth
They sat in the conference room at the top of a glass encased office tower in the city of Houston. All of the partners from around the world … Germany, France, England, Russia, China, Argentina and Italy sat with their American counterparts to get the latest word from Brandon Clark who was their interface agent between their venture and Autobot Nation. They were irritated to the last person.
"I have put in a request to put our proposal directly to Prime himself when Roberts and Witwicky go to Autobot City in a week. I haven't heard back yet but I'm hopeful," he said finishing up the presentation.
"What about that woman … Banes? What does she say?" a Russian financier asked.
"She's their publicist so you have to parse her words for the truth. She agreed to put the proposal to Prime. They are personal friends of the Prime, the people in that office. They protect his interests, I get it. But they have an obligation to us as well. A permanent human settlement independent from the Cybertronians is our right," Clark replied.
"They don't have to agree to anything," the French agent said. "After all, we will be utterly dependent upon them for a long time and we need their good will."
"And they need ours," the Russian agent replied as the old difference of opinion between the two rose up again.
"Why? They don't need us at all," the French agent retorted.
"We can go on forever here or we can agree on what to do. We need to pressure our governments to pressure theirs. We need to turn up the heat," Clark said.
"Turn the screws on the military," the English agent said. "Our armed forces are part of the show. They don't need to be there if the aliens don't cooperate. We can pull back."
"Your government signed the treaties," Clark countered.
"They can unsign them," the Englishman replied.
They sat rehashing the same arguments for a while, then Clark's cell phone rang. Turning to one side, he answered. "Hello. Clark here."
"Brandon? This is Mikaela," the voice at the other end of the line said.
"Mikaela," Brandon said holding up a hand to silence the room. "You called. I'm glad."
"So am I," Mikaela said. "I would like to meet with you before going to Autobot City to go over a few points that I would like to bring to Prime's attention on your behalf. If you can meet with me I would be able to get a better bead on what to emphasize."
He sat back and grinned. "I would love to meet you. Where?"
"I'm going to be in Denver for a day. Could you make it there? I will be at the Brown Palace Hotel overnight. I have business in California before I go back to Mars. Meet me there. Call me when you get there and I will tell you where I am." Her voice verily purred.
He grinned, then nodded. "I will be there. See ya." He clicked off, then looked at the panel. "Mikaela wants me to meet her in Denver to go over some information for Prime. I think we have an in."
Everyone sat back with relieved anticipation.
-0-Third boat
They landed on the hull as Dobro scanned the hatch. :Its mined. I'm going to go over the ship in a grid pattern. Go to the forward ports and comfort the refugees. Tell them to wait for word about what to do. No one is to touch anything. Emphasize that:
The group nodded, then lifted off heading forward where they would signal to the refugees through the window both comfort and the command to obey them if necessary without question. The sight would sicken them. All of the oldest and most infirm as well as the infants and babies were huddled against the front of the ship furthest away from the hatches. They had seen the other ships and were protecting their most vulnerable.
:Frost to Dobro:
:What?:
:Can we cut the glass and take them out through the forward ports?: he asked.
A pause seemed to last forever, then a big mech leaned down to look at the mob. He scanned the area, then nodded. :You can on this ship:
Frost who was a boarding specialist looked at the anguished face of a subadult mech. :Move everyone back a tad, infant. We're going to take the windows out, then remove you all to safety:
He nodded, then turned to the others several of whom were clinging to him tightly. With effort, he managed to move the children back so that the Seekers outside could cut the huge ports and take them out. It would take seconds before he helped by handing out babies to the grim faced mechs who took them gently.
-0-Denver, Colorado
He stepped from his taxi and looked at the historic hotel. It was a four star and four diamond rated facility, a Victorian palace. He walked through ornate marble archways and huge doors to cross an elegant room to pause by the desk. Looking up in the marble masterpiece surrounding him, he saw the upper tiers of rooms that ringed the open center courtyard of the hotel itself. Ornate ironwork banisters gave an elegance and air of genteel money to the place as overhead a glass ceiling with inlaid stained glass illuminated the lobby itself.
"Can I help you, sir?"
He turned to face an earnest young woman. "Yes, please. I am Brandon Clark. Mikaela Banes asked me to meet her here."
"Allow me to page her, sir," the woman said as she picked up a phone and dialed a room number. A momentary wait ensued, then someone answered. "Miss Banes, a Mister Clark says you are expecting him." Another momentary pause. Then she hung up and smiled. "Suite 571," she said pointing to nearby elevators.
He nodded. "Thank you." Turning, he walked to the elevator, then went up. Reaching the proper floor, he stepped out and walked along a very beautiful elegant corridor to the door where he knocked. It opened and he entered. That would be the last coherent thought he would ever have again.
-0-TBC March 22, 2014 edited 5-12-14
Huggies, everyone. Cold and clear here. The Brown Palace can be googled and its a PHENOM! Also, it is the 50th anniversary of the Good Friday Earthquake here in Alaska where about 138 people died. It was 9.2 on the Richter scale (an upgade from 8.2) and covered half a million miles. It lasted … wait for it … FIVE MINUTES! You can read about it at our state newspaper: www . adn . com (Close the spaces) I would also say that there were 30 foot, 101 foot and 210 foot tsunamis when it happened to some of the coastal communities.
Take care out there, my darlings. :D:D:D