The Diego Diaries: Again (661)
-0-Out there
They waited on the Salton Sea for the arrival of Metrotitan, pacing and checking intel as they fidgeted the moments away. Nearby in a burst of light in the middle of rubble a space bridge emerged. Then a massive form flew through the aperture slowing as it entered the debris field. It sat vast and ominous, running lights and other illuminations giving it a menace that was daunting. Prime who had walked with Starscream and Alor to the bridge on Salton Sea stepped off the pad inside Tyke. Lights led the way to the command deck where Wheeljack, Perceptor and a number of youngling scientists stood manning the command consoles. Wheeljack turned to Prime as Metrodash walked in to pause beside Alor. "Hi, Dash. How do you feel?" Ali asked.
"Loads better," Metrodash said. "What do you want us to do, Prime?" he asked earnestly. He was part of the Metrosquad of yore when Metrotitan was a Decepticon. He could speed through nearly anything and most bots couldn't catch him if they weren't in Blurr's class. Metrotank, a symbiont who had no robotic mode, Metrobomb whose name was self explanatory and Metroshot who was a marksman with uncanny shooting ability made up the rest of the group.
"Metrodash, we need Titan to help us save some refugees. We want to hit that ship with a null ray," Prime said glancing at Wheeljack. "Is that going to be effective? What about the refugees?"
"We worked out the math, Prime. If we aim for midship, then the electronic core will be shut down. That will knock out everything in the ship that moves, turns or sparkles. The force will be blunted by the hull but the refugees will be knocked out too."
"And any detonation devices?" Alor asked.
"Theoretically, they will fizzle out too. If they run on Cybertronian configurations, then yes. They will be dead too," Perceptor said nodding.
A sound at the doorway drew their attention as a mottled and pissed Ironhide limped into the room. He was frowning deeply, his affect somewhere between a malevolent kewpie doll and a rock 'em, sock 'em robot who had been rocked and socked really good. "What are you planning, Prime?" he asked in his 'don't frag with me, recruit' tone.
Like that.
"We are going to nullify the ship," Alor said walking to cut off his path. He stood servos on hip assemblies glaring at his son. "What the frag are you doing out of the hospital?"
"My job," he countered. They glared at each other, then Ironhide took a step backward. "I have to do my job."
"Sit," Alor said in his 'do it' voice, pointing to the command table.
Ironhide stood a moment, then sulked over to sit. Snickers met that until his glare met them. Then it was quiet again but for Starscream and Prime's hilarious smirks. Optimus turned to Wheeljack who was smirking too. "Its your project."
They nodded, then turned walking to the console in front of them. Perceptor sat at the firing station to manage the in-house end of the action. "Metrotitan, are you ready?"
"I am," a deep youthful voice replied.
"Then its on your go, Tyke," Wheeljack said. "We're switching over to you now."
"Acknowledged."
Over the comm system voices came. Fortress Maximus and Metroplex signaled their support as the big mighty weapons of Titan came online. An astonishing number of weapons and systems were housed in his massive frame. A null capacity was along them. The others with Prime stood listening and watching as the energy collecting under their peds signified the on-lining of a major system. They watched the big monitors which showed the ship nearby and the others beyond. All were silent as one listed, trailing debris and liquids from the explosion that nearly tore it in two. As they watched, the sound of a system revving up was heard, then a split stream of white light flashed out hitting the ship all at once. The stern, midship and the forward fuselage were slammed with the spark shaking energy of a null ray.
It enveloped the ship pouring on its energy for exactly 45 seconds before ending with an almost processor fritzing finality. It was silent a moment as Titan scanned the vessel. "Optimal effect managed. The refugees are unconscious. There is no electrical activity on board. There is no register of any system or item beyond ambient radiation levels in the engineering area," Titan reported.
"What is the likelihood something will go boom, Tyke?" Wheeljack asked.
There was a pause. "Highly unlikely," Titan replied.
"Good," Prime said turning to the senior crew. "I want the ship incapacitated. I don't want it to fire up again. Titan, monitor it against any and all electrical activity."
"Affirmative," Titan said.
"The rest of us need to clear that vessel," Prime said. Starscream nodded, then turned to go to the communications console to make it so.
-0-Outside waiting
They lounged on the hull of their vessels, relaxing against the word to move. Told that Titan would blast the vessel with a null ray they pulled back out of the way rather than risk even accidental shooting. Kup sat beside other individuals and a couple of Seeker gunners. :Tyke is going to light the area up. Best dial down now:
They did. Titan lit the area up.
-0-Moonbase bridge room
They took stretcher after stretcher of wounded off including one that held four heavily sedated babies. They were going to need new limbs, transfusions of the good stuff and physical therapy. He watched them go knowing full well that Prowl would be on the other side to receive the infants and elders. When the last one was through the gate he considered where Ironhide was, then signaled for transport. He was gone in seconds.
-0-On Metrotitan
He exited on the vast bridge of the huge vessel making a beeline to the hulking speckled mechanism sitting at the command table watching the massive forward monitors. Pausing next to him, Ratchet slapped the back of his old mech's helm. Ironhide turned to glare up at Ratchet. "OW!"
"GOOD! YOU WEREN'T CLEARED TO GO!" -Ratchet
"FRAG THAT! I'M A CHAOS BRINGER! I HAVE CHAOS TO BRING!" -Ironhide
"YOU DON'T HAVE FRAG ONE TO DO WITHOUT MY RELEASE! YOU DON'T HAVE IT, MECHANISM!" -R
"FRAG THAT! I NEED TO BE FREE! DON'T FENCE ME IN, OLD MECH!" -I
"YOU WILL GO BACK TO MEDBAY AND LET ME MONITOR YOUR INTERNALS, YOU BAG OF SLAG OR I WILL DRAG YOU THERE BY YOUR FRAGGING CODPIECE!" -R
"THE SEXY WON'T WORK HERE, OLD MECH! I HAVE FIGHTING AND RESCUING TO DO! I AM COMMANDING THIS FORCE!" -I
"NOT IF I SLAGGING DON'T AGREE! I DON'T SLAGGING AGREE!" -R
"I DON'T CARE!" -I
"This is better than television," Starscream said as he watched the throw down.
Wheeljack nodded as he lounged in his chair at fire control. "I think so."
"I don't," Percy sniffed rather primly. "One should not air one's dirty linen in public."
Everyone took an aww moment for The Prissy Nerd, then turned back to the slag fest. Alor who was standing beside Percy with his arms folded and a look of deep satisfaction glanced at Prime. "That's what a great son-in-law looks like."
"GET YOUR AFT UP! NOW!" -R
Ironhide stood, then bore down on Ratchet. "I'M NEEDED HERE!"
Ratchet who was dwarfed by the bigger mechanism leaned forward himself. "YOU'RE NEEDED WHERE I SAY!" Ratchet turned to Alor. "YOUR ADA BACKS ME UP! RIGHT!?"
Alor nodded with a smirk. "All the way to the time out corner. Go, youngling. Don't make me count."
Ironhide looked at his ada remembering a long time back ...
"Ironhide, you need to go clean your room." -Alor, toe tapping with irritation.
"Ada," a whiny tiny mechanism said looking up from his video game. "I will," he wheedled. "In a minute."
"I'm going to count to three. Then you are grounded, your games are grounded, your life is grounded. Obey me and clean up your room. You haven't in three orns even when I told you to do it." Alor looked at his son noting the sly expression in his optics. 'Ada wouldn't do that to me, his favorite little mech' Alor could see writ large.
Ada did.
Ironhide looked at his ada, slamming back into the moment. "I'm grown up. That doesn't work with me anymore."
"One."
Ironhide looked at his ada turning more to face him. Alor had a smirk, THAT SMIRK on his handsome face and a stern OBEY ME, LITTLE MECH OR ELSE! aura about him. "I don't have to obey," Ironhide said feeling stupid the moment the words left his mouth.
"Two."
Ironhide shifted his peds, then glowered at Ratchet. "I'm not injured. Much."
"IT'S MY JOB TO DECIDE! I DON'T TELL YOU YOUR JOB! DON'T TELL ME MINE!" Ratchet said leaning in closer to the big bot.
Ironhide glowered at Ratchet, then his ada. Then without a word he turned to limp to the elevator, Ratchet following along behind. "I DON'T NEED TO BE BABIED! FRAGGERS DIDN'T EVEN DENT MY AFT! I AM IRONHIDE, DESTROYER OF WORLDS!" They disappeared down below.
"You were Lord Starscream, Emperor of Destruction for a while, Star," Thundercracker said from the flight console nearby.
Starscream turned giving him a quizzical look. "Was I? I am sure it was magnificent and memorable."
Thundercracker grinned. "I haven't forgotten it."
The laughter was long, loud and welcome.
-0-On site
They came out in droves, some groggy but ambulatory, some needing to be carried. They stripped everything and everyone off the vessel, then pulled back. The ships had been rescued and now were a hindrance rather than a help. Prime stood by the monitors of Metrotitan, then turned to his interface panel. "Metrotitan, I want to ask you some questions."
"Anything, Prime," Tyke replied.
"I would like to know how long your tractor capacity is," Prime asked.
All of them worked out the answer and a plan together.
-0-In a medbay having a fit
"YOU CAN COME WALKING IN AND SPANK MY AFT LIKE THAT!? I AM THE MASTER OF THE AUTOBOT ARMED FORCES, OLD MECH!"
"I CAN WHEN YOU FRAG WITH ME! I AM IN CHARGE OF THE MEDICAL LIFE AND DEATH OF A PLANET AND A STANDING ARMY! DON'T FRAG WITH ME, IRONHIDE! YOU KNOW BETTER!"
"FRAG THAT!"
"DON'T TEST ME! I HAVE POWER OF YES OR NO, OLD MECH!" Ratchet bellowed. Everyone in the room fled. They watched everyone fly, then Ratchet looked at Ironhide. "I don't think I like you in polka dots, Only One."
"You can paint them again," Ironhide said as he sat on the medberth. Grinning, he looked around. "Got candy?"
Ratchet walked to the cupboard, then took out a big jar. Tossing it to Ironhide, he grinned. "Help yourself, sparkling." He sat down beside Ironhide, then ate some candy himself. "There are a lot of hurt babies, Ironhide."
"I hear," Ironhide said taking more candy. He handed the jar to Ratchet. "Have some. It helps a bit."
Ratchet ate some candy, then rose and walked to the door peering outside. More stretchers went past. "Do you need me, Polee?"
"We're good, Ratchet. Right now we're moving patients to go to the City," Polee said moving onward.
"I'm here," Ratchet said as he stood in the doorway watching.
"We'll call you if we need you, Ratchet," they said as they disappeared down the hallway.
Ratchet watched them go, then walked inside to sit beside Ironhide. "How are we going to get our people back?"
"Any way we have to," Ironhide said as he offered Ratchet candy.
-0-On the command deck of Metrotitan
Prowl stood at the command table with the rest of the senior staff gathered. Ratchet and Ironhide had joined them, Ratchet bitching at the "CHAOS BRINGER, SLAG IT, RATCHET!" good naturedly along the way. Wheeljack, Perceptor, Starscream, Thundercracker and Jazz stood with Prime as they sorted out The Plan.
"It all hinges on Metrotitan's ability to tractor the ships into the mass ahead," Perceptor said to Prime.
"Metrotitan, you have heard the plan and discussion. What do you think about implementing it?" Prime asked turning to the interface panel of the great vessel.
"It is feasible and I can do what you have commanded," Titan's deep voice said all around them.
"Very well," Prime said. "Then we need to do it now."
"Acknowledged," Titan said as consoles lit up and energies began to gather.
Perceptor sat at the forward console, then the monitor before him began to show movement. Light yellow beams shot out touching each of the five ships that had brought the refugees. For a moment they just bathed the ships with light, then the vessels began to move. The energy beams coming from Titan were gripping the ships pushing them before his great mass. They moved together bumping rocks and debris out of the way as they began to retreat the way they had come.
-0-In the middle of the fight
"Trannis, you better look at this," a mech said turning from sensors to Trannis who sat on his throne nearby. He turned, then put it up on the screen.
A huge sensor blip signified something massive heading their way including five ships that had carried the refugees away from their fortress. Nearby, a shelter was being built up from the stone around them by their hostages. It was nearly at the stage of enclosure. He was feeling very good, Trannis, so he turned to the screen with a sense of great contentment. That faded immediately.
-0-TBC March 25, 2014 edited 3-26-14
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