The Diego Diaries: Stuff Happenin' (dd8 111)
=0=There
They walked along the street heading for a place that most of them had heard of including the kids. It got shabbier and shabbier the closer they got, this area with businesses that had steel grated on the windows and doors. Dive-looking bars and small stores for this and that lined the twisting streets and on the walls and fences along the way were bills announcing this and that event. There was graffiti as well, this tired looking place and the expressions on the kids' faces showed discomfort, even fear as they went deeper into the area.
They entered the tall gate with the name of the district on it in rusted glyphs, then walked down streets that had been neglected a long time. They passed a burned out lot where kids played ball for eons of time because the owner earned more writing it off as a loss than building anything on it. They passed bar after small club after bar until they reached an area of towering tenements that reached into the sky. They passed the club houses of two road rage gangs as they did.
Ratchet glanced upward toward a building that was so tall it felt like it was leaning over toward them to look at it. "Optimus Prime lived in this building." He grinned at the kids. "I lived farther down the road."
The kids stared up, then glanced at Ratchet.
"It looks awful, Commander," Echo said from her tiny little micro mini-con perspective.
"If you look at the outside. If you look at the inside you can see more," Ratchet said. "Like this."
A bunch of kids burst out of the door of a worn looking building nearby chasing one who had a handmade ball in his servos. The shouting was loud as the gang of young mechs bolted down the street to run to the burned out lot. They were faintly familiar, many of them and some of them were big even for their age. They disappeared into the lot to play.
The kids watched, then glanced at Ratchet.
"Who were those kids?" Coros asked.
"Some of them are Commander Arcee, Commander Elita-1, Commander Ultra Magnus, Commander Jetta and our one and only Optimus Prime at that age, though he was called Orion Pax then. They have a gang of friends that hang out with them. They're going to play ball on the field down the way. Wanna watch?" Ratchet asked.
The kids glanced at each other, then looked at Ratchet. They nodded in unison.
"Follow me," Ratchet said and they did.
=0=At sea. Literally.
"When do you suppose they're going to conclude their little joke here?" Cassio asked.
"You think this is a joke?" Prime asked.
"What do you think, Mr. Know-It-All?" Ebio asked sarcastically.
Prime put his ped against Ebio's chassis, then pushed.
Ebio was pressed against the side of the boat until he gasped. "Stop, slagger," he said between clenched denta.
"You never said 'please'," Prime answered quietly.
"And I never will," Ebio said around the pain.
Prime pressed harder, watching as Ebio gasped harder. He pressed more.
"Stop!"
"Please."
Ebio gasped, noting the number and kind of red flags popping up in his processor. "PLEASE!"
Prime put down his ped, then relaxed again, staring at the blue sky, remembering when it was the norm on Cybertron.
Ebio sat forward, leaning over as he rubbed his chest. Glancing upward at Prime, he hissed, "You're a fraud, slagger."
"If you say so, war criminal," Prime said as he began to enjoy his little game.
The sun sparkled on the water as they floated in the middle of an unknown sea.
=0=Elsewhere
Will Lennox stared upward into the face of the most startlingly beautiful mech he'd ever seen. The armor He wore seemed to be radiating light, leaving streaks in the air as He moved.
Will finally found his voice. "Lord Primus … I'm honored to meet You."
"William Lennox," Primus said with a nod. "You and your friends appear to be having a moment. Shall I come back later?"
"NO! I mean … we're glad to have You here. That is … we … we're just honored to see You. I didn't expect that to ever happen."
Primus considered that, then glanced at the humans. "You are Rick Harris."
Rick startled, then stepped closer. "Sir."
"I find favor in you, Rick Harris," Primus said, then He glanced at Owen. "I do not find favor in you, however."
Owen Harris took an unconscious step backward in surprise.
Primus glanced at the others. "You are soldiers of N.E.S.T. You work with My children to protect Earth and Mars. My people are in dire need of respite and protection. I consider it a personal service to Me that you are part of that. Thank you." He glanced at Trevor Smith who was staring at Him with awe. "You, I find favor with, Trevor Smith. You have traveled a long road alone. That is to your credit."
Trevor stepped closer, staring at Primus with unabashed admiration. "Thank you, Lord Primus. I wish you could know how much it means to me to be here and see You. You are one of my heroes."
Primus grinned, then knelt on a knee. He leaned closer to the young soldier. "I find favor in you, Trevor Smith from Ohio." Then he glanced at Beau Weaver, the Daniels, Kyle Davis and Owen again. "You do not find My favor but something tells Me that you are not that bothered by such a revelation." He rose, then glanced at the others. "Cynthia Tomas, citizen of Cybertron, I greet you."
Cynthia who was staring at Him with amazement walked closer, then touched His ped with a trembling hand. "I'm so glad to meet you. Its the greatest honor I ever had to be made a Cybertronian. I love The People so much."
Primus nodded. "I know." He glanced at the pensive group of humans standing nearby. "It is hard for you to do the same. You work all the angles to take advantage of my children for their … what do you call it? Tech."
Owen Harris stood back a step or two. He sputtered, a sight no one ever expected to see.
"Do you really believe, little human, that I am not fully versed in who and what you are? Do you really believe that you can menace My children and My body without anyone being aware?" He glanced at the humans in the group including a pensive Rick. "Some of you have no respect for My people. They do not appear to be what you expected. But I tell you, they are gods. They are titans. They are the first species to appear in this universe and they have been in space all this time.
"They are good, My children. They have never been lead by anyone worthy of them until now. My son, Optimus is the greatest Prime in the history of My people and someone who is intrinsically good. Yet, you have no respect for him, My son."
Owen stared at the huge figure before him, then glanced at the others. His son was staring at him with a solemn expression. He glanced upward at Primus who was watching him without expression. "I don't … I do have respect."
"For what they seem to represent to you," Primus said. "You went into a partnership with two of My more wayward daughters, Bonita and Stormy. They gave you a device and you made a great number of 'advances' in your business output because of it. Because Optimus is wise beyond your comprehension and because of those who are his senior officers, they were able to derail that partnership to the betterment of everyone."
Rick turned toward his father with surprise. "You did that? Why?"
Owen glanced at his son. "We can discuss this later."
"I don't think so," Rick said hotly. "What the hell, Dad." He turned to Primus. "I'm sorry for this. I love living on Mars in the colony. Every time I can I try to learn more and experience more things. I love The People and Optimus Prime is an admirable mech. I respect and admire him greatly."
Primus nodded. "I know." He glanced at Owen. "You have a good son and a daughter who is making her way. You should be man enough to be a good example for your children. I am clear on that. There is no action too extreme for Me to endure for the love and protection of My children. It is inviolate. I want that to be very clear to you, Owen Harris, that an offense to them is a direct offense to Me."
It was agonizingly silent among the group.
=0=Over there with the remaining humans and Ratchet
For a moment there was chaos, then Ratchet whistled again. Everyone stopped flailing, then glanced up at him. "Hello?" he asked with a grin.
"What happened to everyone, Ratchet?" Thelma Lennox asked.
"My guess is that they're having a personal tour of something great and wonderful by the Pantheon or Their heralds. No one is to fear being here or not being together the whole time. Remember … the light that surrounds you in perfect peace and love at Festival is the light that holds us here."
They stared at Ratchet a moment, then turned at the sound of a voice.
"Ratchet is right. Again."
=0=At a burned out lot
They watched the kids play, then the ball bounced and rolled to land at Pulley's peds. He picked it up, then stared at the kids who were staring at him. One of them, a big mech walked over. "Our ball. Thanks."
Pulley tossed it to the big kid, then glanced at the others. "Hey?"
The big kid stopped, then turned toward Pulley.
"Can we play?" Pulley asked.
The kid glanced at the others, then him. "You know how?"
"We play," Pulley said as the others nodded. "Even our femmes. They're fast runners."
The kids stared at the femmes, each other, then Pulley.
"Okay," the big kid said. "Who are you?"
"I'm Pulley, that's Coros," he said as he introduced the others as well.
The big kid nodded. "I'm Deion Magnus. That's Orion Pax, Jetta, R-C and Ariel." He continued with the rest of the kids, then everyone chose up sides. It would be a rollicking game of football by everyone involved with their 'genitors' watched from the sidelines.
=0=At sea. Literally.
"This is monotonous."
Prime smirked inside as he watched the two grow fussy from the lack of activity.
"What would it take to end this, Prime? I'm asking for a friend," Cassio said with a slight mirth-less grin.
"You already know that answer," Prime replied as he relaxed even more in the glorious warmth of a warm day without worries, cares or duties.
"You know I can't give it. If you take it I promise I'll destroy the map," Cassio said.
"Then we sit here," Prime said.
"You can get us out of here. You can talk to Them and make a deal," Ebio said. "We want our freedom to live on Cybertron and you want the map. You can rebuild Cybertron in breems to every specification you want."
"Why would I allow you to live free on Cybertron?" Prime asked as he found himself highly, highly enjoying the game they were stuck playing. For one time, he found himself lowering the degree of integrity that he held as sacrosanct to do this thing.
This was actually amusing.
"Because you want the Keys. You want to make things better on Cybertron. You can program them to do anything you want. It could all be over in seconds and you could have enough room to settle everyone who ever lived into a good home of their own. All of the ravaged places would be fixed in seconds. You could even program burials of the dead. You know all this but you quibble," Cassio said.
Prime stared at the two who didn't seem moved by the words that they were speaking. They didn't attach anything that was emotional or important to the statements they were making. He moved forward toward them, gripped each by the neck, then stood. Holding them out over the water, he glanced at both. "Quibble this." Then he let them go.
=0=TBC 03-11-202
NOTE REPLIES TOMORROW!
ESL
sacrosanct: (sak-roh-sankt) Something that is above reproach, sacred like someone's sense of honor. Something that can't be violated.
quibble: (kwibble) to argue over petty things