The Diego Diaries: Visitin' (dd8 157)
=0=There
Ratchet crouched beside Prowl as they both stared through the holes in the doorway and walls into the corridor beyond. They were using their own personalized upgraded army-quality night vision to see what was happening. The refugees had the usual spectrum night vision, possibly, that all Cybertronians possessed and refined into a very profound attribute with age. They wouldn't have the clarity of the two soldiers.
It was quiet as they waited and listened to Prime take a conference call in the stair well nearby as he was patched with the others by the Night Watch medics.
=0=Elsewhere
They sat in a conference room, large and comfortable, that all towers had. They were community, family meeting and party rooms added by the architects to host such things as anniversaries, births, deaths and other large gatherings. Sitting nervously around the room on couches and comfortable chairs, they waited for the one they needed to talk to to arrive. No one said a word as they watched the door. When it opened, all of them stood but Neo. She sat forward in her chair nervously.
A helm peered in, then stepped inside. "I'm sorry I'm late. I waited for the others," Sela said as she walked to the table nearby with chairs all around. She glanced at the door as it opened further to let in Blackstone and Barron. Behind them came Lauren himself and Cyclonus. It was tense as they gathered and took seats at the table.
"They aren't here yet, then," Lauren asked more to break the tension than to find out the obvious.
"No, Lord Lauren," Fenix said. "I was asked to speak for the group to start this. I will bow to anyone who may do a better job with gratitude."
Lauren grinned as he sat on a couch with Gravitas who looked relieved to see him. "I defer to your greater expertise, my friend."
The door opened and two more joined them. Turbine and Venture had arrived. They all sat quietly as they waited for the ones they came to see.
=0=Around the block
The entire block was cordoned off as the Emergency Service Intervention teams from the Army and Watch began to gather to respond if necessary to whatever might come. Calls had been made to every apartment of refugees from Meadow Lands but no one had answered. It was like they weren't here from the united wall of silence they projected. Thus, it was a given that the block would be sealed off, City 4 put on a highly directed and diverted traffic flow plan while the entire rescue structure of the colony organized to assist whatever might come.
It was a very tense group that watched the block as the standoff up above continued.
=0=Family Tower
"That's Turbine and Venture. What are they doing there do you suppose?" Olivia Boles asked as she sat in a chair in her pajamas and robe sipping coffee. Sitting next to her with an equal puzzlement was Joe. Joe had become one with the zeitgeist after a number of battles that had occurred when he was one of the boys on outings against the bad guys. It'd been so terrible that he was convinced that those humans and organizations opposing the bots were 'dumb fucks' that 'don't know what they're talking about' and should 'shut the fuck up'.
He was a good boy, Our Joe.
Now.
"I don't know but it probably has to do with religion. Lauren and Chevron are already inside. There. There's Sela with Cyclonus, too," Joe pointed out as everyone nodded.
"This is going to be a negotiated settlement, I suppose, and who does everyone love equally but those individuals. Mraz, Templar and Gravitas are there, too," Thelma said. "I love them, all of them."
Everyone nodded.
"Fenix is there and Neo. I wish I could be there for whatever this is," Lonnie said as Judy Witwicky agreed.
It would continue onward some more.
=0=The Hourly News: LATEST BREAKING NEWS!
Lim-Lee took the data wafer handed to her, skimmed it, then broke into the conversation between Gen-O and Aleph. "We've just been given an update that the entire block Esco Tower sits on in City 4 is now in lock down. The Emergency Services Command has stated that the homes of all the refugees from Meadow Lands are contained in four towers. They are Tomsa Tower, Medusa Tower, Esco Tower where the shooting is and Brightman Tower.
"The Emergency Command Center made wellness calls to each of the apartments of this new group and received no answer. Given the volatility of the situation, it was decided to divert traffic away from the block and lock down all the roads around it. They are 13th Avenue, Severn Place Road, 14th Avenue and Black Rock Avenue. These streets border the block where the towers can be found. All traffic has been diverted and all pedestrians as well. If you live there, stay inside. If you haven't made it home yet, you'll be escorted by the Watch to your home, then you must stay there. No one is allowed to wander in the area until things are determined.
"School is closed for City 4 students and no buses will come until the situation is resolved. There's no indication of what's happening with the new refugees and why they won't answer is still uncertain. What is certain is that if you come there without a reason or cause a disturbance you'll be arrested. The idea is to make as peaceful a situation as can be had until this is resolved, hopefully amicably.
"Right now, its a quiet situation but it could chance so everyone should keep away from the scene," Lim-Lee concluded.
"No word on Prime and the original group?" Aleph asked.
"Not yet," Lim-Lee said as she glanced at the wafer again. "I'm going to cut to Jacx and see what's being said on the ground. Jacx. Can you hear me?"
A split screen happened so that Jacx could be seen. "I'm here, Lim-Lee."
"Jacx, we're aware that the block is being sealed off. What's the scene like there and is there anything that you've determined that might be new information, especially for those who live there or have friends or relatives, Jacx?"
The screen cut to Jacx. Behind him were the horses of which there were more now. Armed individuals, both military and Watch were lounging around talking together and the area was lit up with arc lights. Everywhere else as far as they could see had been darkened but for the glow of apartment lights in the buildings there and around the area. No street lights or traffic were discernible.
"I'm here on the scene which has been augmented by more military and Watch officers who are locking down the block. Apparently the contacts implemented by the Emergency Command Center have been ignored by the refugee group that was repatriated from Meadow Lands. No one can find out how they are or what they're planning other than forting up in their apartments and going radio silent.
"No one is allowed in and out of the block without armed escort. The Emergency Center has been calling the apartments of local residents to tell them to stay inside unless they have an emergency. If they do, they have to call the Center and an escort will be provided. If you work, go to appointments or have other outings that require you to leave your apartment, then you have to call for escort. Other than that, you have to stay. School and work are being excused and residents are encouraged to reschedule appointments and meetings.
"The streets are cordoned off, 13th and 14th Avenues as well as Black Rock and Severn. Traffic has been routed to 15th and 12th Avenues and that's the only pattern that's being allowed at the moment. If you have to come to City 4 or this is your home town, then follow the traffic report updates being broadcast on channel 33 of the Emergency Broadcast System's Traffic Information Directory to make sure you don't go where you aren't supposed to be, Lim-Lee."
"What's the likelihood of shooting and other dangers, Jacx?" Gen-O asked.
"The shooting that happened earlier to precipitate this has died down. No one has heard any further and the outcome of the shooting so far is unknown. If there's casualties no one is saying, Gen-O," Jacx said.
"Why have so many of the colony's leaders showing up, Jacx? We've seen Neo, Gravitas and Templar. I think I saw Mraz with Lord Chevron. Then Lord Lauren came along with Blackstone. What's the situation with this, Jacx?" Aleph asked.
"A number of community leaders have shown up with others whose names we're tracking down. We also saw Barron of Capital City, Master Cyclonus of Upper Tetrahex, Venture of Praxus, Commander Master Turbine of Praxus, Vinn of Tyger Pax, the former Governor-General, Fenix of Iacon who leads the Iacon Order, a very venerable organization of former high castes and others who work for the common good and Lady Sela of the Temple. We're still tracing the others which include Neo of Iacon, formerly of the Council of Ancients with Gravitas, Mraz and Templar of Iacon, all of whom were members as well but are priests now. Its a rather august group attending to some sort of mission, Aleph," Jacx said.
"Then no one knows why they're there except to possibly be part of the negotiation," Aleph asked. "Most of them are former high castes themselves, Jacx."
"True that," Jacx said as behind him Watch Horse Patrol members walked past leading their beautiful steeds. "Most of them are and perhaps that's part of a strategy. Meadow Lands apparently is entirely made up of former high castes who've lived in isolation since the Great Exodus. Its highly likely though speculative that they're having a hard time adjusting to the colony because of the life we lead here. There's no System and there's equal opportunity and freedom for everyone. I can only conjecture that's part of this problem, Aleph."
"Its highly likely, Jacx," Aleph said, himself very high caste as was Lim-Lee and Gen-O. That Aleph and Gen-O were imprisoned fighting against state censorship of media in the day was in their favor entirely.
"Right now the scene is quiet, Lim-Lee," Jacx said.
"Thank you, Jacx. We'll get back to you shortly," Lim-Lee replied. She turned to the others. "What do you make of this, gentlemen?"
They would discuss it together for a while.
=0=Around
"What's going on, Daddy?"
Everyone glanced back to notice that a number of children were standing in the doorway leading to the lounge. They walked over to a large ottoman and sat.
Annabelle Lennox stared at the screen, then her adults. "What's happening?"
"There's a problem in a tower. Why aren't you in bed?" Sarah Lennox asked.
"What kind of problem? Where?" Bobby Epps Jr. asked.
"There's a disagreement that has everyone in lock down. What are you doing up?" Lonnie asked her son as her daughter, Lucy sat next to him.
"Where?" Annie asked.
"City 4, Crater District 7," Will said as he secretly admired his daughter's ability to interrogate someone without having to stand in the corner for it. Her sweetness and that of the other two was undeniable.
"Oh," Bobby said. "Is there shooting?"
"There was," Thelma Lennox said as she admired the children's ability to blow them off without anyone getting upset about it.
Grandmas are golden.
"This is bad then," Lucy Epps asked.
Lonnie shrugged. "We don't know yet."
"Is there school tomorrow?" Annie asked as the three kids glanced back at the adults.
"Yes," Will said.
"Good," all three kids said together as they turned back to the screen.
All of the adults marveled at their enthusiasm and quashed endless stories of how they personally played hooky at their age around any excuse possible. Mars, indeed, was good for them. All of them.
=0=There
Prime stood stiffly, then walked to the hole in the wall to the apartment of the femmes and their children that had been evacuated some time before. He entered, then stealthed amazingly silently to kneel down beside Prowl. :What is the sit-rep?:
Prowl would've told him but they had to duck fire once again.
=0=TBC 05-06-2021 edited 05-13-2021
NOTE:
A trick of media reporting on scene. When a reporter has ended his statement and wants the listening questioner to know, they say their name. "That's what we know, insert name here." That lets the listening questioner know that their statement is done and more questions can follow. Its how they let each other know they're done speaking and the reporter can start talking. Both studio and field reporters do that. It's kind of fun to know.