The Diego Diaries: Going Forward (dd8 148)
=0=On board a ship waiting to go
That didn't go over well.
The yelling was interesting, the disparaging of parentage nearly coming to blows but for Winnie tazing a big mech in the front row. She grounded him as everyone on board went silent a moment, then watched as she pulled him off the floor and stacked him in the chair. "I think we should all sit down," she said quietly.
They did, slowly but warily. It was silent a moment.
"Is the colony as tyrannical and heavy-handed as this?" the elder femme asked.
"No. Its good and fun. Its decent and there's little tension. In fact, my son is the head of the policing there and its amazing to him and all of us that in spite of how traumatic everyone's life has been that the crime is so small and so low. We like to keep it that way. We treat emotions and experiences. I recommend Vinn of Tyger Pax. He runs a clinic that helps former high caste individuals with their entitlement problems," Ratchet said.
Governor Vinn of Tyger Pax?" the femme asked with surprise.
"The one and only. His bond, Joon is in my book club and squad," Ratchet replied with his most dazzling smile. One could almost see light sparkles glint off it.
"Squad?" she asked with some confusion. "What's a squad?"
"Well, let me tell you," Ratchet said. "You get together, go out on the town, get slag faced, bowl, get into trouble, get arrested and chat with the magistrate in the morning. Some of our best and most meaningful moments have been in jail."
It was silent as one side tried to parse the meaning of the other.
"Joon in jail? You must be hallucinating," the femme said as she sputtered at the thought of the small dynamo she knew even knowing what a jail was let alone getting drunk and ending up in one.
"A couple of times now. We usually get rounded up in a brawl at a club," Ratchet said.
"You have the lifetime plan," Sideswipe said with a chuckle. "Even children aren't safe around you and the squad. My son has a prison record thanks to you and Prowl."
"That's why I'm the legend around here," Ratchet said with a tiny preen. "Madura, Joon, we all end up in prison sooner or later. What's the point of clubbing until you're slag faced if we can't risk meeting up with Winnie eventually."
"Take me and G with you next time," Winnie said with a chuckle. "Gee-Gee and I want to see the other side of things."
"Done deal," Ratchet said.
"Frag this slag," the big mech who was tazed replied. He was still listing a bit but rallying.
"You pulled us out of our home to end up in a barbarian camp," another femme said hotly. "We were doing fine before you came."
"Your kids don't think so," Sunstreaker said. "They're heading for the colony, too. What future would they have in your gerbil cage? When would you get it what a dead end that was? When you were wall-to-wall in there?"
A mech stuck his face back inside the room. "Commander, we're cleared to go. The General cleared up the problem."
"Good to hear, infant. Talley-ho," Ratchet said with a dazzler.
With a chuckle, the youngster disappeared from sight. It was silent a moment, then the ship began to move ever so slightly to follow a number of other ships forward. Everyone turned their attention to the windows and in the distance the light of a swirling ball of energy, huge and light blue-green could be seen.
"That's Trigger 2. We have four of them with two more in the works. We're moving planets just so you know and they make it happen. We also have huge land versions of the same thing that feed to us between 5,000 to 10,000 refugees everyday from all over the galaxy. The Network and the Knights of Cybertron along with affiliate groups like the Circle of Light are in the field finding and helping our people so we can get them from camps everywhere. We'll go through the bridge and appear over Mars, the world where our colony, Autobot City is located. It will only take seconds," Ratchet said.
They began to move now heading toward the roiling energy, then they were in it. As fast as they were, they were out and before them loomed the reddish-orange figure of a massive planet. Around it were ships and mechanical devices on platforms that were doing the business of the colony. It would be the biggest display of shipping, satellites and security devices that any of them had seen since Cybertron. In the distance disappearing swiftly was the small moon, Phobos. They fell in line at orbital level three to wait their turn to go down to the airfield at the Port of Mars near Terra.
Because they were in a parking orbit, the view down below didn't change. It was laid out before them, the massive highly planned urban sprawl of the colony. There were what seemed like endless cities and massive domed habitat-style habitations, some of which inexplicably showed green vegetation present.
The black surfaces of wide lane highways snaked everywhere and even from here the sight of trains crisscrossing from end to end could be seen. The massive sprawl of the Industrial Park City Complex in the distance was a testament to the might they saw below them.
Ratchet watched everyone take in the sights, the surprise that this was a real true possibility clear on their faces. It was a good sign.
:May I have everyone's attention. Attention please: the intercom announced.
Everyone on the ship stopped their whispered conversation to listen.
:This is your captain, Commander Zem of Uraya. We're at present in a Level III parking orbit over the Primal Colony of Mars. The formal name of our colony is Autobot City but the planet is called Mars. Below is the urban landscape that's home to over 250,000,000 Cybertronian citizens. They consist of civilians, former Decepticons, Seekers, Autobots and members of any number of groups that are historical entities of our people as well as aliens known as humans. For instance, if you're from Stanix, the Empress and most of her Queens live here in the colonial city also named Stanix.
:The colony is also home to the Temple of Primus Restored with the relics of the Well of Allsparks, Matrix Flame and the Allspark Itself. The Temple District is part of what's called the Old City by locals, that is, the part of the landscape below that was first developed. Growing from an original total of 42 Autobots and the Prime, the first refugee group to land here counted about 54. Since then, the stream of refugees has been constant given that Cybertron is unable to take any at the moment.
:We're going down when the Flight Tower at Fortress Maximus clears us. We'll land at the Port of Autobot City-Mars where you'll be regranted your citizenship again by the Bureau of Refugees and Immigration. It's a formality that we utilize to screen wanted or undesirable individuals before they can pass into the community. You'll be asked to give information, get a medical check, then be assigned a home. All of the opportunities you can partake in are strongly encouraged.
:Children are required to be in school and school is compulsory. If there's a problem with that or you want to home school, check with the immigration officials during your interview. I would suggest that you read all the different files on the Community Bulletin Board since it will answer nearly any question that you have. Channel 147 on the entertainment bands of IntraCom is dedicated to inform new refugees and its a great resource for helping you integrate here with all its specialist programming just for you.
:We're at the moment given a half breem timeline before landing. Gather up your things and be prepared to be directed onward. Listen to the individuals giving directions. Its their job and they do it beautifully. Command Zem out:
It was quiet a moment, then some picked up things off the floor to hold in their laps. By that time the ship began to descend and the view clarified as they did. Closer and closer the cities below began to appear and the detail was stunning. The Temple glinted in the mid morning light as they flew over it to the vast complex of the Port some distance away. There were ships there with two lifting off, heading who knew where. They descended and landed in an empty space, shutting down gently as they did.
It was silent.
Ratchet rose, then so did the twins and Winnie. "How about we make a line at the door. Go maybe by rows to keep the jostling down. Line up by Roadie and we can get going."
Everyone rose, gathered their things, then began to make a line near the door. No one moved close to Roadie who didn't give a frag one way or the other. He was only looking for someone to punch.
Ratchet followed them, then reached the front of the line. "Come with me. When we get to the door the pros will be here. Do what they tell you and this will go fast. Don't give them slag. You'll be arrested if you do. We don't allow any drama here. The refugees here, some of them have had terrible lives and the last thing they need is some dumb aft causing drama or fights. No yelling, fighting or disobeying the simple rules to get you going," he said, then he walked forward toward the corridor and hatch nearby.
The hatch was falling as he reached it and down below a number of individuals were waiting. They walked up, chatted a moment, then turned to the group behind Ratchet.
One of them, a nice youngling mech smiled. "Hi. I'm Parable. I work for the Bureau of Refugees as an on-site manager. My job is to welcome you here and take you through the process of immigration. My team here," he said nodding to a group of femme and mechs, all of them young and smiling, "is going to help you. We have your names and when we get to the building beyond here to begin, we'll call you to go by the list. When you hear your name step forward and one of us will guide you. Any questions?"
The sullen group behind Ratchet had none.
Ratchet grinned. "They're affected by something at their site and it makes them angry and sullen. Ignore that, Parable. Lead us on to the Promised Land."
He grinned, then stepped down. "Follow us," he said as he began to walk across the tarmac to the buildings beyond which were huge and encompassed a long rectangular form that held doors spaced apart to enter, all of which led to intake stations within. The sign designating this place, The Port of Autobot City-Mars, Cybertron and the Primal Empire was seen along the expanse of its front facing wall. The seals were there of Cybertron, Earth-Mars, Mars, the Empire and the Primes. It was beautiful and welcoming.
Lines of other refugees were there snaking from a huge building nearby which through the giant windows one could see four enormous space bridges whirling. Refugees were walking out of them a few at a time in a steady stream. They were a mixed bag of happy, hysterical and exhausted. They were being guided as well, walking out in small groups to join one of the lines that led to the endless appearing expanse of doors to the building.
The land around them was orangish in color with brilliant blue, white and black sand streaks on the flat and rocky surface. In the distance the edges of craters and rises of land could be seen and the sky appeared slightly orange. Everywhere that was habitated was immaculate and landscaped to a tee. Beyond, the cityscapes could be seen. Traffic was steady on the black topped highways that were eight lanes wide and marked with white and yellow lines and signage. Overhead, ships passed and in the distance one could see a couple of titanic ships being overhauled for whatever reason.
It was noisy in a good way and the atmosphere was upbeat. There were some refugees being cared for by medics, heading for the small clinic nearby before transfer to a hospital or hospice for care. Children, some wan and some highly excited danced around the mostly overwhelmed adults, some of whom were being assisted by their families. Here and there among all of this one could see a couple of priests helping, reassuring and assisting those who were here.
It was a remarkable sight for everyone to see.
Even Ratchet, Winnie and the twins.
They reached their door at last and began to come inside. At the far end of the room which was lined with a snaking pathway of ropes to the desks beyond, the Immigration and Bureau officials waited to help them ten at a time. A firewall of glass separated this station from the others, breaking up the noise and making the experience smaller for the usually traumatized refugees arriving.
They walked in snaking back and forth until the first ones reached the front. Parable turned to them. "How about these individuals coming forward now?" He read ten names and they walked through the lines to get to the front. "Go to an official and prepare to give information so we can put you in the database."
The mech who'd been tazed stared at the officials, then Parable. "What if I don't want to give it?" he asked.
"Oh boy," Ratchet whispered softly.
That was when Springer and Drift caught up with their old Ma.
=0=TBC 04-26-2021