The Diego Diaries: Visitation (dd6 64)
-0-Here and there
They went up the elevator in the tower that housed the Sparkling Day School #1 in Terra heading for the classrooms that held the offspring of the Ambassador Plenipotentiary. The humans with them drove along on the impromptu tour of some of the highlights of the colony. They would spend a lot of time digging in for stories later but for today, for this short period of time, they would follow the biggest, most amiable bot in the Prime's command, Ratchet of Iacon. They stepped out and followed him to a classroom door that was open. Inside, children of another species with a couple of human babies were doing this and that in little groups. There was a huge play area in one end of the vast space that held a gigantic sand box. Teachers and aides were here and there helping this and that little kid. Some of them were instantly recognizable.
Orion who was watching his teacher making something with blocks, something designed to teach patterns and counting, didn't notice anyone come in but Praxus did. He smiled and walked across the room from his group to hug his old dad. Pausing at the foot of Ratchet's peds, he looked up and smiled. {"Ada? You come here?"}
His words whistled in Cybertronian before the translators in the helmets of all the humans flipped over to do their jobs. "Ada? You come here?"
Ratchet grinned, then petted his little back. "I did."
"Ada? You staying here?" Praxus said with a delighted smile.
"For a moment. I just wanted a moment with you and the others," Ratchet said. "You have some schooling to learn. What are you doing?"
Praxus glanced at his teacher, then up at his ada. "I do the blocks. We make something."
"Your old pa would be amazed," Ratchet said with a grin. "Better get back and show them your stuff."
Praxus grinned, leaned in for a kiss, then ran back to his group. Ratchet watched them a moment, then turned around to go. They all stepped out before anyone really noticed them. They went to the elevator, then entered. On the way down, the questions came.
:You have two primary schools with human children. How does that work?: someone asked.
"It works great," Ratchet replied. "Our schools are stellar and whatever they need they get. This is our future and we support and protect it. If there's an emergency, they go down below to the bomb shelters that can withstand a sustained aerial attack. There are teams of armed soldiers whose only job is to get to the schools and secure them. They're the last line of defense. Primus help anyone who makes the mistake of entering when the lock down comes."
They stepped off the elevator, ambled through the lobby, then hit the street again. They sped off toward Metroplex, transformed to enter the Mall and followed Ratchet to the store. He paused at the door to stare down at them. "I have to buy groceries. Come with me and get an education on how things work on world among us."
The humans glanced at each other, then the four vehicles followed Ratchet who got a cart. He had considered doing this during the weekend on his first day off while Ironhide had boy's orn with the kids. The grandparents had it worked out so they could have them to let Ratchet goof off and do chores. Ironhide was supposed to help but usually tagged along with the others, the slagger. Heaven forbid that he might miss something fun.
Ratchet considered that if he took them here they would have a view of several important things. Bots ate and some of it looked like human food. They had great economic enterprises and the quality of their efforts was extremely high. They used a cashless society and this place, the grocery stores, were ground zero to see how it worked. They would also see that the bots had things to do that didn't seem so different from that of the doings of humans. It would be insightful and set a tone or so Ratchet hoped.
He pushed forward with his cart into the massive store with its endless rows of stuff artfully lighted and presented to the best effect. He walked to the liquor aisle and paused before beautiful bottles of flavored vinegar. Taking two, one in each servo, he turned to the humans with a smile. "This is flavored vinegar. We call them wine spritzers. Not only do they taste good to us, they give a good buzz," Ratchet said as he put them into his cart. Waving a hand toward the other items, he looked at them. "Our brewers, some of them from fantastically famous breweries are working and living here. We get the benefit. This," he said pulling a case of Praxus Black Label, "is the most famous beer if you will on Cybertron. It's the best there is." He put it into his cart.
Moving on with the humans behind him, he went to the candy and cookie aisles. Picking out what he wanted himself and a big package of five different flavored fudges for Ironhide, he moved onward. The humans following watched him put 'bread', 'butter', 'eggs', some different kinds of meat with familiar names and shapes, 'lunch meat', different condiments, and some dish soap into the cart. He then headed for the vegetable aisles.
There were mounds of highly polished fruits and vegetables there with more being brought out by the workers. Ratchet picked up a 'strawberry', then knelt for the humans. He held it out, a perfect red berry that looked like those at home if they were as big as a chair. He grinned. "This looks like what you think it is and because Rampage is a master chemist and all around miracle worker, I do believe it tastes like yours. However, if you ate this you would be dead before you swallowed it. This is made from energon and produced according to a formula just like everything else. I would have you smell it so you can get the strawberry scent but you can't here." He stood, bagged them and about five other things, then headed for the meat aisle.
They halted in front of a counter that would make Harrod's and that ilk green with envy. He got what he wanted, then turned the heaping cart toward the check out. They followed. He stood in line waiting his turn as they chatted.
:What happens next, Ambassador?: someone asked.
"I get it checked out and boxed. They keep the inventory that way. Then its delivered to my house when I'm there to get it. Sometimes, it gets delivered to my door when I'm not. Either way, its someone elses job. There are several delivery companies that handle that part of things."
:You don't pay for it. You don't even have to take it now. It gets delivered to your house when you have a more convenient time, right?: someone asked.
Ratchet nodded. "Yes. Great, huh?" he asked with a grin. He pushed his cart closer and when it was his turn he handed things from the cart to the older mech who bantered with him as he scanned it for inventory tagging. As it was scanned a youngster at the end of the counter packed it carefully into boxes. A signature from Ratchet sealed the deal on delivery, then the kid took the receipt and the cart filled with boxed groceries away to be stored for later delivery in the warehouse.
Ratchet grinned at the humans, then walked to the door to go. The humans drove after him. Out in the mezzanine, they gathered together as Ratchet knelt. "So ..."
One of the humans stood up in the truck. :You didn't pay for that did you:
"I did. This is a society where when you do something positive you benefit. I work. My grandparents go to school, some of us are soldiers, and the like. Because we all work, we all work toward the common good. There have been some that don't work and they usually come around eventually. All you have to do is be productive. If that means that you take care of a sick family member, raise babies in your family as a stay home genitor, go to school, be a soldier or whatever … then you're good. If you worked all your life and are tired, if you can't work because you're hurt or harmed in some way, if you need rest … no problem. The only ones who don't get a pass are those who can work but think they don't have to. Those who think they're too precious to have to do something so low caste. We've had those. Some of them are in jail."
:Then some never work anymore but get full benefit too?: another asked.
Ratchet nodded. "My grandparents don't work. They go to school. Even if they didn't, they don't have to. They worked hard all their lives and saw nothing from it. They can live here and we take care of them. My parents work. They're artesons and they want to. But if they didn't they don't have to do it. Some of the mechs and femmes you see may not have disabilities on the outside but they carry them inside. We're an unfolding experiment in nation building and this came about in the beginning when everyone had to work together to make things happen. Then it became the way we do things because everyone liked it. No one gets left out and no one goes hungry."
They looked around. :What about other places?: someone asked.
"There isn't a business on this world, on Cybertron or anywhere else that you can't go into and get what you want. Everyone lives decently and everyone contributes. I do medicine. Some I know work in the steel mills, build the towers and other constructions, write books, teach, make the donuts. All of us contribute. My grandparents contribute by going to school like they always dreamed of doing but never could and they help with our children. Its all good and I'm delighted that its so. No one is left behind." He stood. "I have to motor. Are we good here for now?"
:We are, Ratchet. Thanks. We're going to Earth2: Lennox said. :We're dropping them off until dinner time:
Ratchet nodded, then walked to the door to go back to the world. The humans watched him, then one turned to Lennox. :Do you think he would let us see his house and family?:
Lennox shrugged. :Ask him: he said as he started the vehicle and pulled forward. The rest sped after him. They would take the humans to Earth2, then motor on with their day.
The Festival of Primus was in two days.
-0-Earth2
They were taken in from the soldiers who jetted off for N.E.S.T. They would send a cab to get the newsmen later on. It would be another experience for the newbies to have. In the meantime, they followed Hamilton Brown and Owen Harris through the facility to see what a miracle the place was. Reaching the end of the tour, they walked back to the conference room in the main office complex for a snack and a drink. Settling in, they took a moment to refresh themselves. Then the questions began.
"What's it like living here?" -newsman
"It's extraordinary," Harris replied. "I'll like it better when we can come and go. We're housebound until thirty days are up and they don't want us out during their festival."
"What do you know about that?" -newsman
"It celebrates their main deity, I think," Hamilton Brown replied. "The Temple is involved along with Prime and its the holiest day on their calendar. Apparently, everyone who can move will be there."
"Rather like the funeral?" -newsman
Harris nodded. "Rather. I expect most of the colony to show up. They televise it, most of it. The regular humans attend at the Temple. Some of them, most of that crew can go inside. The rest of us … Earth 1, the Consulate, that group including you aren't included."
"I hear that your daughter is going to school here now." -newsman
"She is. Rain wanted to come and attend the Day School," Harris said. "Today is her first day of school. I'm curious how she will do."
-0-Youngling Day School #1, Centurion, Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars, Cybertron and the Empire
Rain Harris sat in her tutor class with the rest of the new humans working out mathematics that challenged her rather excellent prior education. She loved and was good at math. But this made her sweat a little. She was required to take blocks of subjects that rotated every three months. Right now, they were studying physics in her science class. Soon it would be 'biology again' followed by chemistry, astronomy and something called natural sciences. Math was math though it rotated with Geometry and advanced levels algebra. Writing, language, reading, and the rest were pretty normal though they were of a higher standard than she was used to. When the half day 'mentor school' let out at lunchtime, they would eat in the cafeteria's safe room with the other kids, play for a while, then come back for afternoon classes that included music, physical education, art, dance, something called 'cultural studies', and writing. The day was long, the subject matter difficult but the teachers, all aliens, were patient and incredibly talented.
Rain Harris would have to apply herself to this with enormous concentration or she wasn't going to get anywhere. Her dreams of youtube greatness would have to wait a while.
-0-TBC 7-14-17
HB to you, AMB, with everything I got.