The Diego Diaries: Free (dd8 112)
Sorry about last night. My car developed engine trouble and ran over my muse and my will to live. Its also -19 degrees F so nothing is working out. But then again, I'm a hopeless optimist. Hugs to everyone everywhere! (Edit: Its now -20 outside or -28.8 C)
=0=Primus
He stared at the humans, a mix of enemies and allies for The People. He noted that the one He knew as Brandon Clark was slightly different energetically than the others. The human had no idea that he was. He was a facsimile created by one of his renegade children, Arachnia who was using the technology of another renegade, Jhiaxus. Brandon Clark would never know that he had been so ill used, though he had agreed to it in his life plan before birth and He, Primus would never tell him.
It was a source of pain and regret in the vast goodness of the Great Lord that this had happened to Clark at the hands of a child of His own, even if it was an agreement. "You are Brandon Clark. Your son was born on Mars among The People. I find favor in you and your family. Earth 1 is a very fine institution and is well led among you and your people."
Brandon Clark felt warmth surge through him that was spine-tingling as he stared upward at the beautiful apparition. "I'm so honored to do so. We're a family, the people at Earth 1. We love it and we love The People. Some of us pursue more knowledge and connection through the various organizations and belief systems that are available on Mars. Its the most fulfilling and peaceful thing I've ever done. Thank you, Lord Primus. I hope that we continue to please You and The People by what we do together."
Primus grinned at the sincere human. "It is to be assured." He glanced at the others including those from Earth2. "Of course, it is in your hands to make it so as well. All is choice in life, free will. Even I, Primus cannot undo someone's free will unless it transgresses against another's. Not everything that happens is an agreement between parties, though it's rare when it isn't."
He knelt to look closer into the eyes of the humans from Earth2. "Tell Me of your sparks, humans. Tell Me what you want and what you plan to do."
=0=Ratchet and the Kids
The game concluded after a bit of wild happy play. The kids chatted together a moment, then the group with Optimus ran down the street toward home. The night was coming and it was time to get off the streets. They watched them go, then turned toward Ratchet.
"What now, Commander?" Sil asked. "That was so much fun. They were so much fun as kids."
Ratchet smiled. "Child is father to the man, or so the humans say. Look down there," he said pointing down the street.
At the end of it in the distance was a kid with two others. He was a lime green color and had a happy aura. The other two kids were about the same. They stared down the street at them, the kids with Springer, then the lime green kid picked up a rock. He grinned, then threw it hard at the kids and the adults watching him.
The rock came toward them and finally fell short but if it hadn't it would've hit one of them if they hadn't stepped back out of instinct. The kid who threw it laughed, then the three ran onward.
It was silent a moment, then the kids and adults turned to Ratchet. Springer and Drift had grins.
"That was you as a kid, right?" Springer asked. "I'd recognize that color anywhere."
Ratchet gave them a dazzler. "That's me. ME! ME! ME!" he said as he spread his arms wide.
"Why did you throw this?" Pulley asked as he picked up a large chunk of rusty metal.
"Because every block had its own set of rules and those who belonged there," Ratchet said. "We were divided by territory because we were poor and oppressed. This was the only thing we had control over, our turf. If you didn't belong you were suspect and maybe the enemy. That was a pretty good throw if I say so and I do." He grinned. "See what you can become when you forget that everyone is one?"
The kids nodded, inspected the metal object, then turned to Ratchet again. "You were enemies of Lord Optimus?" one asked.
"No. I just didn't know him. Therefore, he's a potential enemy. If I had known him I would know that we were just about identical and therefore it would've made sense to be friends and allies. See what not knowing things and jumping to conclusions gives you?" He grinned at the adults who were watching him. "Time to motor."
"Where?" Bezel asked.
"Why, here," Ratchet said as the vision melted and another one appeared.
=0=Prime
They clambered back into the boat, then sat as water leached out of their bodies. They were lit but silent. Sitting back as comfortably as they could, both sides stared at the other a few moments, then Cassio glanced at the sky. "How long will we be stuck here?"
"As long as They want it," Prime said. "It could be millions of vorns."
"Frag that," Ebio said. "Frag them for this by the way."
That was when a leviathan of massive proportions broke the surface of the water nearby.
"Oh frag," Cassio said softly as the three shifted to look.
=0=Real Ratchet and the other human group.
"Ratchet is right. Again."
Everyone turned to the voice that spoke from out of nowhere. A mech was standing there, one with a beautiful affect and appearance. He grinned. "Hello, Ratchet."
Ratchet felt himself nearly explode with pleasure. "Kudon, you slagger, you. You look amazing if I say so myself. A complete turnaround from the last time I saw you."
Kudon laughed. "I agree. I was dead then. Thank you for the marks and devices you took care of before you buried me. I appreciate it. No matter what, even if I wasn't getting the message I still loved the messenger. I was really honestly religious once upon a time."
"Well, considering you were on the Council of Ancients, I'd think that was a requirement." Ratchet grinned. "How's it being Herald to Prima? I heard there was an opening."
Kudon laughed. "It makes me complete," he said with a wink.
Ratchet laughed uproariously, remembering the disarray of Sentinel himself. "Who would have thought you had a sense of humor. I'm so impressed."
Kudon grinned, then glanced at the humans watching and listening. "I am Kudon of the Council of Ancients. You may have heard about me? I was murdered by Sunstreaker for making uncivil remarks about his beautiful baby. It was justifiable homicide at the time and I concur."
{I could've fixed you, you slagger. I have to tell you a story sometime about another version of you who I did} Ratchet said. {Though I do say you're better looking than him} Ratchet glanced at the humans who were mystified by the switch to NeoCybex. "Good thing the kids aren't here. We have no privacy since they showed everyone that they were just that awesome to learn not just NeoCybex but Simkeen."
"Well, children are marvelous. I never had any and that I regret," Kudon said. He glanced at the humans. "Welcome to the Matrix. I am Kudon and I will be your guide." With that, he waved his servo and they were gone.
=0=Primus
They stepped back a bit as they stared upward into the face of a God. Even they knew that He would detect their lies if they said them.
Beau Weaver glanced around, then stepped behind Kyle Davis.
Davis glanced at Weaver, then stepped away in disgust.
"Beau Weaver."
The human looked up at Primus with terror on his face. "Don't kill me."
Primus grinned. "You assume I will?"
"You're a godless alien. You could do anything," Weaver sputtered.
Lennox half wilted, then turned on Weaver. "You dumb ass. This mech IS a god."
It was silent, then Weaver looked up at him gathering his guts together. "He says so. You don't look like any god I ever saw."
"I can be anything you wish. I am this form because it is My true self. What makes you think that your vision is the only one? There are thousands of visions of God on your world alone," Primus said. "All of them come from the same source. All of them. And I would suggest … what you see and what you call Him is irrelevant. Your spark and feelings, how you treat others is the only thing that matters to Him." Primus sat back a moment. "It would do you good to study the ways of My people to open your mind to other possibilities. It would seem reasonable to expect that My people do not believe in the forms of your people, though the message is the same."
"So you say," James Daniels said. He caught himself, then took a step back, surprised at his own audacity.
"So I say," Primus said with a grin. "Perhaps it would so you some good, human, to meet the Source of All That Is."
Lennox glanced upward at Primus with surprise. "Uh, is that possible or even a good idea?"
"You never know until you try," Primus said as He stood again. When he did the vision changed all around them.
=0=Ratchet and the Kids
The vision solidified in a place beloved all over Cybertron. They stared at it, then Ratchet who was smiling like the sun.
"WOW! I HEARD ABOUT THIS PLACE! THIS IS SIX LASERS OVER CYBERTRON!" -the Kids.
And the four adult mechs.
"Let's go have fun, shall we?" Ratchet asked as he ambled into the empty park.
They would.
=0=Prime
The massive figure of a blue whale appeared, rising into the air to a dizzying height. Then it crashed down into the water which displaced in all directions. When it did, the boat that the three were in raised high into the air, then overturned. The three were thrown out and into the water.
They sank like rocks.
=0=6 Lasers
"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" -everyone
=0=Prime Time
Down they went into the water, then the sight of a giant eye could be seen watching them. Turning on instinct, the three began to swim away as fast as they could. Before they could go very far, the whale came up from behind, then swallowed all three of them into its almost incomprehensibly huge mouth.
=0=6 Lasers
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" -all of them
=0=Primus
The scene changed again. The group was standing on a floor that they couldn't see. They seemed to be standing in emptiness, then it shifted. They were on a beautiful silver boat sailing toward a massive blue light city beyond. It was silent and space was all around them but they didn't appear to be harmed from any of it.
Lennox turned toward Primus. "What is this, Lord Primus?"
"Well, it is a boat that I borrowed from my children," he said with a grin as he sat at the stern steering it with a long rudder just like the sailing ships of old.
They sailed onward while all around them lights and ships flashed past heading for and leaving the city just beyond.
=0=Prime Time
It was incomprehensible dark where they were, floating in water with no light sources anywhere.
:WHAT THE FRAG, PRIME! CALL THEM OFF!: Ebio screamed as his brother beat on the sides of the beast with his fists.
Prime watched them with a strange sense of amusement. "Help," he whispered to himself.
=0=TBC 03-13-20201
NOTES:
Aligned novels
Located to the north of Iacon access to Six Lasers was only permitted to those in the high castes, something that made Orion Pax angry despite his concession that the park would otherwise be swamped. The sentiment was shared by thirty-six Mini-cons who made a suicide bombing under the Plasma Curve. During the war, Six Lasers was destroyed, something Alpha Trion did not understand as the park only had a token garrison. Jetfire later used the ruins to gather enough spacecraft to distract Megatron from the construction of the Ark.
Yes, they were that petty.
Tip of the hat to TF Wiki
Other stuff at the park: Six Lasers Over Cybertron is a theme park on Cybertron.
Its attractions include:
the Space Slide
the Galaxy Coasters
the Plasma Curve, the most popular roller coaster at the theme park. It runs on magnetic coaster rails held aloft by seventy-one girders sunk into the planet. The long lines of visitors waiting to ride are woven around these pillars, underneath the ride itself. If anyone were to... say, want to start a planetary war via acts of devastating terrorism, this would be a particularly bad spot to be standing, great place in line or not.
TF Wiki
Blue whale mouth
- Blue whale mouths are huge, too – they can swallow a volume of water larger than themselves. Their throat stretches down to their navel. Tongue is the size of an elephant. You and 400 of your friends could fit in its mouth. - A baby blue whale is about the size of 2 minivans.