The Diego Diaries: Dreaming (dd6 40)
-0-Ops Center, The Fortress, Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars, Cybertron and the Empire
They drove in together, brought to the center by N.E.S.T. personnel. Rolling to the table, the humans were placed on deck and stood before Prime who sat in a chair relaxed and calm. They stared at him, then around themselves. All over the table were the trappings of power and technology. The huge roll up maps showing space and other incomprehensible things dominated the surface but also lying here and there on the huge flat expanse were ipod-like datapads of exotic design and other tech that helped run an empire as vast and diverse as Prime's.
They turned to Prime, then Harris stepped closer. :Optimus Prime, we are here to find out about Hamilton Brown and to discuss this breach of the agreement:
Prime nodded. "Mr. Brown was taken to N.E.S.T. Headquarters by the soldiers. We are waiting for Lennox to return so that we can discuss this." He glanced at Prowl. "Is there a timeline here?"
Prowl nodded, then turned to the sound of a bridge bursting into life. On the floor nearby, Will Lennox and Niall Graham walked into the room through infinity from the N.E.S.T. HQ just across town. They were picked up and placed on the table.
Harris turned toward them. :Major … how is Hamilton? I would think he's not in his right mind to do something like this:
:You're right on that score. He has Autobot City Syndrome. We told you about it before you came. He's in our medbay and will stay there until they release him:
Harris nodded, then turned to Prime. :What will this have on his status as a resident, Lord Optimus?: he asked.
"Given the circumstances, if he recovers, nothing. These are extenuating circumstances and nothing was harmed by it. Had this been an excursion of another kind, he would be banned off world," Optimus replied. "Permanently."
Harris looked relieved. :Thank you. I would hope we can see him:
:The medics said later. Right now, he's sedated and getting a rest. They're going to monitor him and we can see in the morning if he's on his feet and ready for visitors. What's the situation at the habitat? Do you notice any others acting strangely?: Lennox asked.
Harris shook his head. :No. This was a great shock to all of us. If they hadn't been decoding systems in the control center he wouldn't have been able to go outside. It was a fortuituous set of circumstances for him altogether:
Lennox nodded. He looked at Prime. :Are we all good here or what, Optimus?:
Prime considered Lennox and Graham, friends and comrades for years, then nodded. "We are. I would hope that you monitor your population for the next few orns, Mr. Harris, and watch for any kind of behavior that is not typical for your species. Some times it takes a few orns for this to show up and sometimes it happens swiftly."
Harris nodded, then bowed. :Thank you: he said, then turned to the two soldiers. :I would like to talk to you a moment about a couple of things if you have the time, gentlemen:
They nodded, then everyone turned to Optimus. They chatted a moment, then were placed on the floor. With Niall driving Earth2's vehicle back to Earth2, Lennox and Harris left through a bridge. Everyone was gone in seconds.
"Well, that was illuminating," Ratchet said as he stood and stretched. "Anything else, your Lordship?"
Prime grinned. "Yes. Rub my peds."
Huge laughter greeted that. Ratchet grinned. "Did I tell you that Hero has decided to help us out with the school change to Metrotitan? She's decided that she can catch a cab to and from school by herself. That way no one has to come all the way there even though its on the way to Centurion. She looks so cute."
"She's cute anyway," Prowl said. "She's also mine, just so you know."
More laughter, then Elita smiled. "Yes. I think you N.A.I.L.E.D. it, Prowl."
He glanced at her with a paint-peeling expression. "Charon needs a special ops officer for permanent duty," he said with his usual malice-filled menace when someone tried to slag him.
"I'm assuming that there's more to this story," Ratchet said with a smile.
"There is and I would be delighted to text you what it is when I assign you permanently to Junk," Prowl said briskly.
With a lot of slag and no little rudeness, everyone broke up to go on their merry ways. Prime and Prowl watched them, then Prime glanced at Prowl. :Say it:
Prowl snickered in spite of himself, then sat down to stare at Prime with a sultry expression. :N.A.I.L.S:
They both laughed loudly.
-0-On the way home again
Hero stood at the cab stand as her aide watched. A cab drove in, then the door opened. Pausing before walking inside, she waved. Her aide waved back, then the cab drove off with the infant. Watching nearby, Ironhide stepped out, transformed, then followed.
-0-At a cab stand in Centurion
He stood with friends as they waited for their cabs. Entering together, they gave their destinations and the cab plotted them. Soon, Bos, Co-D and Reflector would be on a city sidewalk waving to Sunspot and Spot as they journeyed onward. He was going to the Seeker Academy in Aerie Hill for his language, singing and dancing lessons in the rituals and teachings of his clan. The other three would run for their tower and ride up to their homes. Their families would be waiting for them there. It would be much more fun to do things this way than to take the yellow bus without Sunspot.
Everyone involved would agree.
-0-Nine big kids
They walked to the Temple where they would do some homework, then head for The Sports Center to meet friends for swimming and snacks. After that, they would head for 'the club' in Gambian where they would compete in a teen darts tournament. Tru would win. Again. Then it would be time to part and go home for dinner. Six titans would head for the Ammas and Appa. Three would head for Ratchet and Ironhide's house to eat dinner with the family. There would be lots of conversation, a few shows-and-tells, games, laughs, face times on the monitor in their lounge with their growing circle of friends, mostly about the 'new kids in the new habitat', then sack time.
They were growing mechanisms after all.
-0-Back at Earth2
Harris walked with the other three zillionaires who had financed a great deal of the project and who had taken positions here to benefit from it. They walked to his office where he pushed the button on the intercom system that hooked every single person there into the call he was going to be making. "May I have your attention?"
Everyone everywhere paused what they were doing to listen.
"This is Owen Harris. I want to tell you that one of our number has left the habitat to go to the Operational Center at The Fortress in The City. Hamilton Brown left by vehicle to speak to Optimus Prime, a mission he accomplished. He didn't do it by choice necessarily. He was afflicted by Autobot City Syndrome, the peculiar momentary mental state that sometimes overcomes humans who come here. They took him into safe keeping and handed him over to the N.E.S.T. medics who are taking care of him. When he's recovered he will return. What I want you to do is watch for anything that might be odd, unusual or strange in your behavior. It's something that comes, then goes with treatment and rest. If you feel someone is acting outside of normal do not hesitate to let us know. This is an important thing, keeping tabs on each other and getting word to us through this initial adjustment period. Contact this office or the hospital. Thanks. Harris out."
It was silent for a moment, then one of the billionaires shifted. "What do you think Ham told them?"
"I don't know but given his condition, I don't think we need to worry," Harris said. "Come on. Lennox is coming in a few hours to do inspections. We need to get on with it." They walked out together to do their part of the plan.
-0-Home
The usual chaos was undertaken for dinner, then everyone sat to dig in. The infants were hungry and talkative.
"I took a cab home, Atar," Hero said with a smile. "I go to school and come back in a cab now. It helps."
Ironhide who had followed her grinned. "You're all growed up," he said. "Good thing that Amma Docker wired that little door buzzer down low for the door to open up."
"I know. Did you know that Ada was there yesterday to let me in?" she asked with a smile at Ratchet. "You were there, Ada. That helped me a lot."
"Funny how things just happen," Ratchet said with a grin. Hero smiled at him, then helped Prowler cut his food. "That makes 11 kids trained to go on cabs with three more to go."
"I go to that thing, Ada?" Orion asked. "I doed it afor."
Ratchet grinned. He remembered a cab ride to the N.E.S.T. HQ with Annabelle Lennox to deliver something to the soldiers. He had been a hit since everyone liked the outgoing little mini-Ironhide with the big smile. That Ratchet and Ironhide had both followed at a discreet distance was another thing altogether. Hero would continue her little independence experiment alone now that they were aware her aide watched until she left and Ammas and Appas were watching for her at the store. All was well there. "You rode to the soldiers with Annie, Spud. They liked you."
Orion smiled brilliantly. "I LOVED THEM! THOSE SHES FUN! I, ORION HUG THEM! THEY KIPPED ME, ORION! I KIPPED THEM!"
Everyone laughed as Orion ate it up. Quasar smirked at the baby. "Do you remember conferences are after weekend?"
"Slag, I forgot," Ironhide said glancing at Ratchet. "We've been busy. Figure it out, Ratchet. I have spoken."
A bun bounced off Ironhide's helm followed by several more from the smallest kids. Spot didn't mind. He got to do cleanup.
-0-In an apartment in Bern
Proteus stood by the window looking out at a sea of towers, all of them glittering with lights as the evening deepened. Road lights at intervals signaled the amazing number of eight lane and four lane highways and roads that led everywhere. In the distance, he would see the bright lights of Industrial Park City. There were several, he knew, and they were the industrial base of this miracle.
The light on top of Fort Max signaling to the air field his highest spire along with that of Metroplex. It could be seen if he tried. Both were here, behemoths of grace and goodwill serving the Prime. He had come home with dinner passing stores and clubs, restaurants, businesses and bars that had customers coming and going. There were cafes that served at tables on the sidewalks under awnings with their names printed, many of them famous from Cybertron.
He had gotten the latest downloads for the many newspapers that he read from a news kiosk at his train station, some of them now from Cybertron itself and many fascinating magazines that were published weekly here. It still was a strange feeling to go to a restaurant, pick up a beautifully wrapped meal for himself and Maduro, then walk out with only thanks his payment.
Maduro had been let out of the hospital feeling better and less destroyed than Proteus could remember seeing. There were physical as well as psychological reasons for his illnesses, some of them untreated from Cybertron because he wouldn't leave their apartment. He thought about that as he stood by the window. Maduro was left behind because Sentinel's plan wasn't supposed to be a one-way trip. He was going to be back and take care of his bond. But he didn't come back. He didn't have the guts to ask Maduro how he had escaped or how he had survived. He was just awash in gratitude that he had.
A sound caught his attention behind him. Staring into the glassy surface of the window, he watched as Maduro straightened up the apartment. "How do you feel, Mad?" he asked.
Maduro paused, datapads in servos, then shrugged. "A bit better, Proteus. You?"
"Oceans better," he replied. "Come here and look out with me."
Maduro hesitatated, then put things down. He walked to the window to stare out at the glittering darkness. Ordinarily, the view was covered by the dimming of the windows but not now. "It's beautiful."
Proteus nodded as he put his arm around Maduro's shoulders. "It is."
It was quiet a moment, then Maduro turned to look at Proteus. "You left me behind."
A great number of things twisted inside Proteus as he nodded. "I expected to come back in a couple of orns. I'm sorry, Mad. I would never leave you. You do know that, right?"
Maduro stared at him a moment, studying his face, then stepped into his embrace. "Don't leave me again."
Proteus hugged him tightly. "I will never leave you, Maduro. I will never leave you again."
He wouldn't.
-0-TBC 6-17-17 edited 6-26-17
NOTE: TFWIKI: N.A.I.L.S: Non-alyned indigenous lifeforms. Prowl's term for neutrals. TFWIKI says it sounds slightly rude but that's because Prowl thought it up. :D:D:D