The Diego Diaries: Procession (dd6 58)
-0-On the way
It was amazing to the humans watching how quiet the crowd was. They were silent and subdued. It would be similar, this event, if an entire mid-range cityscape was obliterated from the Earth, such was the size of the massacre. That it was so cowardly according to their personal code was also an astonishment for the bots. Prime led the way with all the rest following in measured steps. Banners moved in the breeze as they were held aloft for all to see who was paying homage to the dead.
Windows in the towers along the way were filled as families gathered to watch from their homes or individuals from their businesses. The canyons of towers overhead played host to the millions on the ground. Everyone who could be here was, to stand together. Most of them had no view beyond the internal feed that they watched. They just wanted to be here anyway.
Hundreds and hundreds of cameras broadcast the scene everywhere to IntraComm where experts were putting the feed together for rebroadcast. Commentators were giving information to those who were producing the show on Earth so that they could understand what they were seeing and impart correct information.
The sun beat down but it wasn't warm. That was a deceiving impression of the broadcast. The town gleamed from the care of public works and the locals who knew they would be on the news everywhere. Drones overhead and Teletraan III's roving satellites showed the view of the procession and the masses of spectators gathered. It was a stupefying sight to see. The long road was lined all the way to the Basilica where most of the mourners had gathered due to greater open spaces there. Literally millions more spanned out from the highway through the side streets into the more open areas and roadways nearby. Every space that could hold someone did.
Prime walked in a measured step as protocol demanded as he led the procession. All around him, he saw the faces of his people, their solemn expressions filled with pain, anger and regret. Now and again, someone would dart out to touch him as he passed like a god with the weapon of Prima Prime on his back, then run back to their place.
The Temple came into view, its huge dome appearing in the distance. They would walk past it heading to the intersection of the highways that led in three different directions. The straight way led toward the Mausoleum, the Basilica, through the Metro Districts, and onward to the human habitats. Prime continued with the procession which recorded him at street level as he passed the Temple. Its sacred precincts were as mysterious as ever to those who were never allowed to enter.
Surrounded by a wall with glyphs of unknown meaning carved into them, the grounds glimpsed slightly showed a winding path to the gigantic building beyond. It was a brief but tantalizing sight to those who watched from Earth out to Cybertron. Prime who was leading the stream of dignitaries and officials entered the intersection, then continued onward toward the Metro Districts. The cameras followed too. The screen view being broadcast split into two parts as the vision of the crowd was shown along side the procession. It would continue to astonish the humans watching that there were so many kinds of transformers. Some had the most human-appearing of features while others didn't. Some would be astonishingly big and tall compared to the average bot while others would seem shorter than the average human.
Children were held in arms, their colorful garb amusing. Others stood with their parents, huddling between their legs or sitting on the curbs. Families who looked like each other and families who didn't lined the streets as the procession continued. Without exception, the crowds bowed their heads as Optimus walked past. They did so off and on with the others, most of them, but for Optimus it was universal.
Here and there, one could detect a Watch mech or femme given the effort some humans put into learning the sigils. The famous ones like the Auto-or Deceptibrands were well known. The others were less so, some of them. The Wrecker sigil was popular and so were those of the titans. Mini-cons were known but less so as were those of some of the army and air groups represented here.
The sigils of the Knights of Cybertron were wildly popular among gamers on Earth as were those of the army but to the average citizens, not so much. Most didn't know that among nearly every profession, nearly every city and every 'make' of Cybertronian, there was a sigil that expressed for them who they were. Among the tattoos that adorned them, humans would be seeing even more new ones.
The morning was wearing on as they reached Metro District 1. The titans whooped their sirens a moment, twirled their antenna lights, then fell silent. It would happen again when they passed through Metro Districts 2 and 3 shortly.
-0-On the MCA
The human commentators watched the procession commenting here and there at the odd bot and/or building. As Prime reached the Temple, they began to comment about the parts of it that were accessible on the screen. "The priests that are in the front of the procession work at this temple. Cyclonus and his group have a monastery on the crested slope above The City just down from the Resort," the narrator said.
A woman sitting there glanced at him. "The Monastery came first, I believe. Have you been to the Resort?"
Most of them nodded, then they turned to Colonel Barstow. "You're General Glenn Morshower's senior aide, Colonel. Have you been there and what do you think about the human habitations on world?"
Barstow thought a moment, then sat back. "We have a consulate, a resort unlike any you can find anywhere, a sciences habitat, a pair of human habitations that hold about 5500 individuals as well as the N.E.S.T. Headquarters, all built and maintained by the bots. The Resort isn't the only business there that works with or is owned by humans. There's an adventuring business and the Autobot Outpost Company works with humans very closely. Autobot Touring is part of the Resort business bringing humans there every day.
"All in all, we've been granted enormous access to Mars and none of it could have happened without their expertise and construction skills. No human can live there with any degree of safety and facility without them. We leaped forward more than 100 years when the bots agreed to let us come and created the spaces for us to do so. They asked for nothing in return but respect for Mars and for them. We operate under their dominion and no one has ever been the worse for it. I think we're a profoundly ungrateful species. Don't you?" he asked.
It was silent a moment, then another person spoke. "I've been to the Resort with my children and wife and it was astonishing. We got to travel the world and see the colony. The bots were patient and friendly. The operation was clockwork. I treasure the time," he said.
"So do I," Barstow said as they turned to the screen again. Optimus Prime was passing out of the Metro Districts heading down the road toward the Mausoleum.
-0-In the group
Ratchet walked along in his portion of the group with a solemn expression. No one was talking to each other, those of them that had been there to see the slaughter and the hard decision Prime had to take to keep the scavengers away. There was nothing joyous about this gathering and he knew it would be felt through Festival as well.
Half a million of their people would never have a chance at rescue or a free life and he felt it to the bottom of his peds. Looking up and around, Ratchet saw the same on the faces of the crowd. This would be a day of infamy forever.
-0-In the Prison
Motormaster and his brothers watched the feed on their barracks monitor. All over the prison, inmates were inside to see what was happening in the colony beyond. It was clear to everyone here what had happened and everyone guessed though didn't know for sure that the Council of 12 would be here. No one would answer direct questions about it and it could be that they were in prison on Cybertron but the population felt they were here. There was a tense brooding interest in the prison population to know where exactly they were being held. It was in the interest of the guards and warden that they never find out. For most of the prisoners at Autobot City Military and Civilian Prison, the only solution for the problem before them was the evisceration of the mechs responsible for this.
They would spend a lot of time and effort seeking the location of the 12. They would finally figure it out eventually.
-0-Onward
The last Metro District was passed including two solemn titanic children standing together holding hands beside Acroplex who was managing them even as he walked with the other big frames in the procession. It was the glory of their tech that he could do both at the same time.
The Mausoleum appeared in the distance as they walked through the gathered throngs that lined both sides of the highway. Closer and closer it came until they were even with it. Prime paused a moment to allow the priests to take a medallion that was made and inlaid with prayers into the facility to place on a space set aside for the dead. They said a prayer, then rejoined the group who once more moved forward to the Basilica which was looming in the distance.
-0-The Family Tower
They filled the lounge sitting everywhere as they watched the gigantic view screen.
"Uncle Optimus looks terrible."
Will Lennox glanced at his daughter. "He had to make terrible decisions."
"He saved them when he did. Those aliens were going to take the dead bots apart. He did the right thing," Bobby Epps Junior said with a fierce tone. "Uncle Optimus did the right thing."
"He did," the other children murmured along with the adults.
"I wish we were there in the marching," Bobby said as he leaned back against his grandma's legs.
"I do too," Annie Lennox said.
-0-Nearing the Basilica
Prime walked toward the turnoff to the paved parking lot that fronted the Basilica. He continued onward to a delegation of priests, monks and others of that persuasion who waited on the steps for him. When he reached them, he halted. Behind him, the procession spread out forming ranks, each group taking their place in the formation that fronted the building. Prime began to climb the steps alone and when he reached the top he halted before the delegation who bowed to him. They pulled back to each side while Prime turned to the congregation.
He looked like a god, like some kind of deity of some colossus species that had stepped down from heaven to speak to the mortals below. He reached behind his back and drew the sword. As he did, a vast shimmering light from the blade itself flashed forward into the sky, crackling into lightning as he did. He gripped its hilt with both servos, then raised it over his helm. Staring upward for a moment, he lowered it before his face.
The priests then began to come forward moving around him on both sides to enter the building. He lowered the sword, then turned with it in hand to enter as well. It was then that group-by-group, the delegations began to enter the building. Four horsemen riding at the end turned their mounts to face outward, waiting for the group to return.
-0-Family
"What was that, son?" Thelma Lennox asked Will.
"Uh, that is the Star Saber that was owned by a member of the Pantheon," Will began as he consulted his phone.
"Prima Prime," James said as he glanced at his parents. "He was great. He was the first Prime created by Primus Himself and he had the Star Saber to help him lead the Pantheon. I think he's my favorite Prime."
"I like Onyx," Sandy said as Lucy nodded.
"My favorite is Micronus," Tyrese Epps said with a grin. "He's short like me and he's funny. I have my own Prime."
The kids laughed, then Bobby rapped his brother gently with his knuckles. "You're going to be tall."
"Maybe, but it's okay. I have Micronus," Tyrese said.
"I think I like this Pantheon thing," DeAndra Epps said as she smiled at her grandchildren.
"He's going to be tall, Mama," Bobby Epps said softly as he sat between his grandparents.
"Just sayin'," DeAndra said with a grin.
-0-Entering the Basilica
There were hundreds of cameras working on the view inside, those permanently installed for just such occasions. The priests were at the center altarpiece standing around it with their servos resting on its smooth marble surface. Prime stopped short of it, then rested the sword on its tip. Behind him, filling the 'pews' as they entered, the rest of the procession stood. It was then that the priests began to chant prayers for the dead and their next life in the Matrix.
Outside in the masses of spectators, those who knew them joined in. The murmur of voices was eerie.
-0-TBC 7-7-17 edited 7-11-17