The Diego Diaries: Funeral (dd6 56)
-0-In a corridor at a University
"WHY, IRONHIDE! YOU SAY SUCH SWEET THINGS! I'd think you'd hesitate to bring up The Sexy with all the witnesses around, you romantic, you," Ratchet said as he girded himself for whatever may come.
"YOU VOUCHED FOR THEM! YOU COULD END UP IN JAIL, YOU LUNATIC! YOU ..." he halted as a shocked, then fearful expression formed on his face. "You … you aren't going to try to adopt them are you? I WON'T HAVE IT! I'M IRONHIDE! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"
With that, Ratchet lunged forward and gripped him in a bear hug, ratching down his grip as he did until Ironhide grunted. Releasing him, Ratchet stepped back warily. "SWEET TALK ME, IRONHIDE! SWEET TALK ME!"
"I'LL SWEET TALK *YOU*, OLD MECH!" Ironhide stormed before Raptor stepped between then. He grinned. "Sweet talk me, little mech."
Ironhide halted his slow menacing circling of Ratchet. "Move, Appa, or you might get some of the collateral damage that's coming."
Ratchet grinned. "WHO'S HUNGRY!?" He then turned to swish his way to the elevator. Everyone barely got on board as the doors closed.
-0-At The Pit Stop a few minutes later
They pushed tables together as the large party with Ratchet settled into chairs to order food. Good old Cybertronianized American diner food was ordered along with something new called perogis before everyone relaxed enough to grin at each other. Springer leaned against Ratchet. "You need a security escort?"
"Nah," Ratchet said as he grinned at Ironhide who smirked back at him. "I can take him two falls out of three."
"In your dreams," Ironhide said. "What's the plan for them? You have to give it to the court by Martian Friday, old mech."
"Well … I'm going to have Partitian start with scut work at the hospital. Doing the dirty work will be a thing for him. I have to build respect into him regarding the normal hoi-poloi and what they do. As for Lucien and Laslo … I think I want them to join two clubs, work without slacking and behave. I'll think up other things when I tie one on. I find my creative juices flow when I'm slag faced."
Hoo-haw greeted that.
Ratchet leaned forward to glance at Hard Drive. "I have Partition in the Home Guard. I think Lucien would be dangerous if he knew how to shoot or fight but both of them can help clean up the schools. I'll suggest it. How's that for a plan?"
Hardie grinned. "I approve. What say you, court?"
They all approved it. Ratchet sent a note for the family to meet him the next evening after the funeral in his office at the Medical Center. He would tell them then. They ate their lunch, sparred and laughed, then broke up to go their separate ways. The funeral was tomorrow and everyone had things to do.
-0-That night...
"Ada, what about us?" Tru asked as he lounged in the apartment with the other eight big kids.
Ratchet who was putting prefab cookies on sheets for the oven glanced at them. "Six of you follow ammas and appa and the rest of you come with us. We have to be there for the General Staff portion of the parade but the rest of you will go with ammas and appas for your part. Amma Ravel will need help with the infants when you get to the Basilica."
"We got it, ada," Quadrus said. "Don't worry about them."
"I don't with you around," he said as he slid sheets into the oven. "Cookies in three terran minutes."
Hoo-haw supreme.
-0-Prowl
He got off the monitor with the Temple for the finalization of the order of the Progress. The funeral would start about 1000 hours on the TMC tomorrow and the different groups paying tribute had been given their final orders and places in the line of march. Optimus would lead it followed by the priestly castes, the General Staff, various leadership in the civilian committees from districts all over the colony, a delegation from Cybertron which oddly enough would include Soundwave, his first appearance in public since the fall of Cybertron to Prime, the various guild, union and civil group leadership, representatives of the Knights of Cybertron, the Circle of Light, the Primus Peace Mission, and two smaller sects including Turbine would would represent his own as well as different military unit representatives who would bear the standards for them as an honor guard. Some femmes volunteered to carry banners for Earth and the local human habitations. The Watch would send three pairs of officers on horseback, Lon, Bezel, Hercy, and Kup while Drift and Springer would ride along the pathway to keep the peace and order.
All orn long for the past three, Public Works with various clubs assisting placed medallions with the names of the dead drawn from recovered databases and etched on the metal onto light poles for all to see. They were dignified and hung high enough for everyone to read. Names were etched in them that were too small for humans but adequate for Cybertronians to read with their special optics. They were stark reminders of the toll of the incident, the endless names of those who had been murdered.
The night came upon them as they worked hard. The humans of the Autobot City Ladies Auxiliary had been to the Basilica and Temple to help get it ready. They were invaluable to get the hard to reach places and when they were finished the place shown like a new penny. Between the gigantically tall statues of the Primes and other dignitaries that lined the walls at tasteful intervals, long banners of each city-state hung. All of the greatness of their species was represented here. Nearby, the shrine set into the wall where the victims would be memorialized was waiting for the ceremonies in a number of joors. All was well.
-0-Joors later, nearing dawn of the day ...
Light from the sun slowly pierced the darkness signaling the start of another day. As it did, the accumulated sirens, horns and other sound devices of every city-former and titan in the colony began to sound. At the same time, the roar of it rolled through the colony heading in all directions everywhere.
All over the colony, lights came on as mechs, femmes, young and old went to the windows to watch. Lights flashed on as the aerial lights, running lights, signal and safety lights of the titans all over the colony burst into life in a salute not seen since the middle of the Golden Age. Lights that rotated on towers, lights that were signal or seach began to shine here, there and everywhere. Some of the most powerful lights in the colony burst into life, flashed everywhere, then shot straight upward into the dark sky. All around the colony, everywhere someone looked, towers of illumination pierced the darkness, heading upward to light up the night.
Sirens wailed as the pillars of light shot upward as the colony gathered. Millions watched as the sky slowly lightened with the coming day as enormous towers of light blasted skyward. Earth 1 and Earth2 rallied to look out and upward. The Consulate, the habitats of the scientists, soldiers, Hu-An, and their families gathered at windows to watch. In the Resort, guests fogged to the windows to stare outward. All across the vast vista where the colony sparkled in the night towers of light shot into the heavens. They were numerous and brilliant. The sound of sirens rolled over the flat plain toward the distance as the cacophony continued.
Then all at once it stopped. The sound ended at the same time but the lights continued. Upward into the now graying sky, the towers of illumination shown themselves blazingly bright. When the sun now rising ever upward finally broke free of the horizon and began its ascent, the lights went out at the same intance.
It was over.
"Damn," Will Lennox said as the lights blinked out. The silence was almost painful as he stared out the windows with the others. His father and mother stood next to him as Sarah and Annie knelt by the glass. "The start has been made. We need to turn on the sets. Every monitor in the lounge … turn them on," he said as some of the group walked toward the vast room with the massive monitors.
"We need to get breakfast on," Deandra Epps said as she glanced at her son. "Let's eat. This is going to be a long day."
No one disagreed.
-0-The night before on The Hourly News
"That will be the order of the funeral and the procession to the Basilica. We would like to remind the colony that the titan frames are going to be saluting the sunrise for the deceased in honor of their memory. When the sun breaks the horizon in the morning, every titan-class individual here and on Cybertron will sound their sirens, then turn their massed lights into the sky in honor of the dead. They will continue their salute until the sun breaks free from the horizon. When that happens, they will conclude. Be aware that there will be a massed sound effect and lighting that will be extremely loud and bright. We're advising you now so that you may prepare for it and help with children or others that might be affected. We discussed what would be necessary precautions with Metroplex Femme."
(Cut to Metro Femme, Infant Care Department) "Tomorrow, the metroformers are going to salute the deceased before the funeral. What would you suggest that genitors can do about the prospect of being startled out of recharge at 0551 in the morning?"
"Uh, you can turn down their audials which isn't hard but the best thing you can do is raise the soundproofing of your home or at least their berth rooms. My son is a baby and we're going to be raising the soundproofing of his room. That way he won't hear it. If you have others in your family, like elders or those who are sick, you can do the same. Elders and others can dial down but little kids can't. You have to do it for them. If you can't or don't, then either tell them or soundproof things for that part. That's what I'd do. That is, unless they liked noise."
"Thank you," Jacx said with a grin.
"Don't mention it," the big medic with an infant specialty said.
"This is Jacx with Field Medic and Infant Care specialist Autobot Breakdown at Metroplex Femme, Elder and Infant Hospital. Back to you, Lim-Lee."
(Cut to) Studio once more
"It is suggested strongly that you utilize either method if there's any consideration that the noise level of the event tomorrow will be frightening or bothersome to anyone in your family or yourself. After this message we will return to go over the order of the processional. We are also going to report that there are those already finding places on the route to the Basilica and Mausoleum. We will have a drone review and check in with the Night Watch."
The scene cut to the Community Bulletin Board showing a long list of cancelled events and programs. All schools, governmental buildings, museums, libraries, and other related places would be closed. Everything else would close during the funeral but be open afterward. The Monastery, Temple, Halls of Order, and now thirteen shrines would be available orn and night for several afterward.
-0-In the Family Tower that morning
Friends and family had come to the colony to be with the group during this, one of the most terrible events they had heard about. Losing half a million individuals from babies to the elderly all at once was a staggering proposition. Everyone wanted to be here to participate in a historical moment as well as pay their respects. None of them would be stepping out. Already, they could see the streets and byways filling up with individuals finding their places. Soon, it was estimated that anyone who could move in the colony would be there. Millions and millions more on Cybertron would be gathering in local areas to watch the funeral on internal monitors.
-0-At the tower where Prime lived that morning
Prime stood in his apartment going over the funeral with Lauren, Lady Sela who was an expert on historical events and their staging, Jetta, Springer, Ironhide, most of the mechs of Ironhide's family, his own genitors who were nearby caring for children, Prowl, Ultra Magnus, Ratchet, Drift, Kup, and Hercy. Others were waiting on various levels of the tower, bunched into appropriate groups waiting to descend to take their place in the processional, with some already gathered below. The Household Guards who would accompany Prime as well as horseback patrols of Watch mechs and femmes were waiting on the street. At last, Optimus turned to the roomful of individuals gathered in his house. "I think it is time to go. What is the situation outside, Springer?"
Springer who was getting an internal stream of information from all his various sub commanders and their data chatter paused to listen, then turned to Prime. "We have an estimated 18,550,000 civilians on the streets. Drones are taking estimations and doing the math but it would appear that nearly everyone is waiting. More are still coming but the city center has reached saturation point."
Prime nodded. "I am going down. Prowl, please call the groups to leave their floors to join in order. I will let all of you go down to the lobby of your particular group, then follow. Prowl will chart the progress." He turned to the couch nearby, then reached for a sword there that glittered, hefting it with ease.
It was over 18 feet long, had a silvery sheen that seemed to streak when it was moved it was so shiny and was engraved with writing from the Primal Vernacular. It was the Star Saber. He held the glittering blade before him, then turned to the others. Nodding to them, he walked to the door with his staff following. He would begin to descend the building with each floor sending the next group in the order of the procession behind him. By the time he reached the ground, the groups would be coming from the building in the right order to follow behind him.
Prime reached the street which was lined with thousands of silent bots several deep on the sidewalks lining the streets as far as the optic could see. He raised the blade in salute which drew an enormous roar of approval then fell into silence almost as swiftly. He flipped it over his back where it magnetized, then stepped out. Behind him, the Temple priests, Cyclonus and two of the elders of the Monastery followed. Behind them came Heatout, two of his lieutenants and then the smaller sects followed by Turbine.
They stepped into the street to follow Prime. Behind them in a steady stream, more came and came. They began to follow for the long, long trek to the Basilica through the crowd and the highways out of town.
-0-TBC 7-5-17 edited 7-11-17