The Diego Diaries: Continuing (dd6 76)
-0-Later at home that same orn
He walked in looking cross, then sat heavily on the couch. Dinner was nearly ready and the evening was dark outside. His genitors who were working together in the kitchen trying out some of the recipes in a cookbook that looked promising turned almost as one to look at him. "Partition, what's going on?"
He looked at them sourly. "Why?"
"We were summoned into Ratchet's office to 'chat'," Lucien said as he turned to face his son, the food he was prepping for Laslo sitting forgotten on the counter.
"What? You went?" Partition asked with surprise.
"What do you expect us to do? He vouched for us," Lucien said with an edge to his voice. "We have no choice."
"What do you think happened? You remember the part in caste court about a mentor having full sway? Well, he beat me up in front of some low caste soldiers and a big crowd of humans on Earth at Diego Garcia."
They both stared at him dumbfounded, then Laslo walked to the couch to sit. He stared at nothing in particular for a moment, then his son. "What does all this mean? Since when, Lucien, is this allowed?"
"It's allowed in Prime's brave new world," Partition said bitterly.
"It's not Prime."
They glanced at a doorway nearby where Morius stood in the corridor nervously staring at all three.
"What did you say?" Partition asked.
"It's not Prime. He didn't order this. He doesn't like high caste courts either but he deferred to it because it's a way to solve problems using our own against us. This is us. This is our court giving us orders to change or suffer. Prime has nothing to do with this. It's us." Morius waited for them to explode on him but they didn't.
Laslo glanced from him to Lucien. "What do we do, Lucien? I'm at sea here. I don't know what to do."
"You do what you're supposed to, Ada. This is the court's ruling. We aren't being shunned because of the judges. The congregation made this so. Things have changed here. This wasn't the judges or the court or the Prime. This was a proposal by the congregation, supported by the congregation and imposed by them." Morius shifted on his peds as he waited for the inevitable arguments and counter remarks.
It was silent.
Lucien sat back. "He's right."
Laslo stared at Morius, then Lucien. "What now?"
"We do this until we get off, then we take stock. We don't know enough about the will of the entire congregation to know what's possible or if this is just a thing with the Iacon population here. That will have to be ascertained. I intend to run for a council position in the elections coming up for the district representatives on local councils in four decaorns. Then I want to be chosen to be one of the three city representatives to the General Council that meets once every three decaorns to go over the needs and wishes of the local districts and cities. I will be able to study things better from that position, then we can know what to do. Until then, we do what we need and have to do without complaint."
"So if Ratchet wants to beat me up three times an orn, I just accept that?" Partition asked with a cold fury.
"What happened that this occurred?" Lucien asked as Laslo sat beside him twisting a hand towel nervously in his servos.
"Someone made a joke about including me in their romance and I said it would never happen," Partition said with a stubborn expression.
"Was it a joke? You said it was a joke, son," Laslo said anxiously. "I don't see what a small joke can do. Maybe they were trying to be friendly."
"I don't care. They're low castes. I don't hang out with inferior mechs and femmes," Partition said defiantly.
Laslo glanced at Lucien who glanced back.
Lucien leaned slightly forward. "That doesn't help us get off the mentoring. The faster this goes, the sooner we got off. Partition, as your father I am ordering you to do better. Keep your remarks to yourself. Try and be collegial. If you do we get freed. If you don't, if you mess this up, then they could pull the plug. You would be shunned forever and they would expect us to follow suit.:
"You have to understand, son, that this is short term pain for long term gain," Laslo said. "Think on it. Think about a future where we're free again." He rose. "I think dinner is almost ready." He walked back to the kitchen and began to put the food together.
Lucien joined him and as they worked Partition watched.
Morius watched Partition with a worried expression.
-0-Sciences at the end of day shift
Perceptor and Wheeljack walked out of the building, then stretched. Nearby at a three way junction that headed onward on the transplanetary highway, a metro station was placed. It was the general station used by everyone who worked at the prison or the Sciences Center which had been moved out here to a crater that would absorb concussive blasts should there be a problem. Some called it the Wheeljack Triage Express Metro in honor of his spectacular ability to make weirdness explode.
They looked at the darkening skies, then began to walk down the sidewalk that bordered the highway toward the station half a mile away. It served both prison, Sciences, some utility stations that were set up out here along with two weather buildings. One of the two worked on maintaining the weather system already in place and the other was the shop and design 'palace' where the tech was created that tamed Mars to the extent it was and would also develop that which would restore Cybertron's atmosphere to Earth-like some fine orn.
Other mechs and a femme from that direction were heading for the station as a number of prison guards joined them. Some were going to work and others leaving. Perceptor who carried Resolve in his hold was chatting about the technology advances toward bringing a planet like Cybertron, delicate, vast and fully inhabited to this neck of the woods.
Wheeljack was discussing with him all the math left to develop and how Miler was close to making it possible to work on the bridges that would do the job. They would have to be made big enough in scope for a planet four times larger than Earth, then all the moons and other features that were part of the system as well. It was a very, very daunting and slightly frightening venture. However, for the two nerds who had reached the station, then were descending the steps to walk to the train platform it was also a very cool idea.
-0-Home
"Ironhide."
"What?"
"We have a conference for Hero and one for Praxus tomorrow. Orion and Sunny are later. We were also invited by family to attend Bos, Co-D and Reflector's conferences when they happen as well."
"That's outstanding. I was informed by The Boss that the three little mechs are going to stay over next Martian Friday."
"I heard Sunny mention that, too. I thought you and your elders were going to work on your helicopters that night, Ironhide."
"We can delay things. Little mechs come first," Ironhide said with a grin as he lay on the berth.
Dinner had been fun with the nine older youngling mechs staying. They headed for their rooms to work on a project in some science class or other while the littlest mechs and one brightly happy little femme larked around. Sunspot also told about his orn with the new humans.
"We have three new femmes in our class, Ada. Some femmes named Camilla Baker, Lilly Brown and Rain Harris. They're new. There's another one across the hall in Miss Lyrica's room. Her name is Jaycee Jameson. Bos has to sit next to her."
"Does he like it?" Ironhide asked with curiosity.
"Not really. She doesn't say much," Sunspot said.
"What about you and the other three?" Ratchet asked equally curiously.
"They ask a lot of questions. Mostly about you and Atar. They want to know about Uncle Optimus and some of the others. I don't tell them," Sunspot said.
"What sort of questions, sparkling?" Ratchet asked as he set Prowler down on the ground. That little mech ran swiftly for Hero's room.
"They want to know where we live and what we do. They want to know about our family. They ask about you and Atar, Ada. I don't tell them. I don't like humans," he said with a set expression of defiance on his face.
"They're children, not adults," Ironhide replied.
"I know but I don't like their questions. They ask too many about us," Sunspot replied.
"You don't have to answer, son. Thank you for protecting our privacy. You're a good son, Sunspot," Ratchet said.
Sunspot arose, then walked to Ratchet to hug him tightly and get hugged back. He smiled, then walked to Ironhide for the same. "Our conferences are coming. Did you do your classroom time yet, Ada?"
"Not yet, infant. Did you, Ironhide?" Ratchet asked as Ironhide nodded. "Well then, I'll come tomorrow."
Sunspot smiled, then looked at his textbooks and data pad lying on the coffee table where he was working on them. "I got my homework done. Can I go play?" he asked.
"Put it ready by the door, then run. FLY!" Ratchet said with a smile.
He chuckled, then packed his bag. He hung it on a low peg by the door next to that of the others. Then he walked happily down the hall to Hero's room.
Both watched him go, then glanced at each other. "It could be curiosity and it could be more," Ratchet said. He leaned forward to pick up the house data pad, then sat back to punch in letters for a video and picture blog site on the internet that featured video blogs or vlogs back on Earth. Playing a hunch, he began a search, then struck pay dirt. "Bingo," he said handing the data pad to Ironhide.
He looked at it, then frowned. "I don't like this. No one gave permission."
"I know. I think I'll check with the school tomorrow and Ironhide? I think the school board should make a few policies about posting infants to the internet without permission at the next meeting. When's that?" Ratchet asked.
Ironhide paused to do an internal check, then glanced at Ratchet. "In three orns."
"Good. Make it so, Ironhide," Ratchet said as he looked at the data pad, then lay it on the tabletop.
On the screen was a website that belonged to Rain Harris. It was a page filled with links to the life here, images of herself and three other human girls doing this and that. What was bothersome to both were the images and short videos of Sunspot and the other kids in Terradive's class including him going about the business of the school day. It didn't appear that any of those included were aware that this was happening.
-0-On the street the next morning
Ironhide stood on the corner with Sunspot in his arms. The little mites minus an excited and expectant Hero were in Ratchet's hold as they waited for ammas and appas to arrive. Later that afternoon, everyone on both sides of the family would meet at Hero's school in Metrotitan, then head for Terra for the conference for Praxus.
Right now, they were getting Hero into her cab. She wanted to wait for her ammas and appas to arrive so they could see her being ultra responsible and 'growed up' as her doting atar put it. She was excited for them to know.
Soon in the distance they could be seen and by the time they arrived including her Ratchet elders she was self consciously delighted and slightly shy.
Greetings were had, then Turbine grinned at Ironhide. "What's the hold up for the babies? Who gets who and why is Hero smiling like a sunbeam at all of us?"
Hero laughed, then hugged her amma's ped. Her amma petted her gently.
:Someone takes a cab to school by herself and wanted you to see her be a big girl: Ironhide said with a grin.
Turbine and the others grinned, then Delphi rubbed his servos together. "Let me see … how can we divide this up? I will take Hero to school," he began before an earnest little femme patted his leg.
"That's alright, Amma," she said with conviction. "I'll help you. I can take a cab."
Delphi grinned, then looked doubtful. "I don't know. I'm not sure that a little femme can go off in the big city all alone. What about you, Appa?" he asked as he glanced at Hard Drive.
Hardie had picked up Praxus who was smiling brilliantly in his arms, his little chevron glowing on his forehead. "I think I might agree, Amma. I wouldn't want our littlest femme to get lost or hurt."
Hero turned to him. "I can do this, Appa. I won't get lost. The cab knows where to go and my teachers are waiting there for me."
"They are?" Raptor asked as Hero smiled up at him.
She nodded. "They are, Appa."
"Well then, that would be very nice," Raptor said. He thought a moment. "I forgot how to get one. How do you get a cab?" he asked the others. Everyone including Ironhide and Ratchet pretended to not know.
"I know, Appa," Hero said with a smile. "Watch this," she said as she walked to the cab stand to press a call button. It winked green signaling her message was received, then winked blue signaling that a cab was coming. She turned to all the adults and kids watching with fascination and no small sense of loss that their little femme was growing up. "I press the green button and then wait. A blue button blinking tells me a cab is coming. See?" she asked as she pointed down the street. She walked back to the cab stand to press another button. "Mr. Cab Man, I have to go to my school in Metrotitan."
An amused voice answered. "Is that you, Hero?"
"It's me, Mr. Cab Man. My appas and ammas are here today. They're watching me do this," she said with an almost impossible happiness and self consciousness.
"Well then, we better get you to school. I programmed your destination. Have a great orn at school, Hero," the voice said with warmth and humor.
"THANK YOU, MR. CAB MAN! I WILL! YOU, TOO!"she said with delight. Everyone watching her was smiling and she felt incredibly happy.
"I will, sweetheart. Mr. Cab Man out," the voice said with a chuckle, then the transmission cut.
She turned to them and smiled, her tiny frame glowing with happiness. "Mr. Cab Man likes me! He helps me every orn!" she said.
"Who wouldn't like you, my baby," Raptor said as the cab drew up and the door opened. "What now, baby?"
"I go inside and ride to my school. My teachers will be there when I get there. I don't get out until they come to get me. The cab knows."
"Well done, Hero," Raptor said picking her up. She got kissed all the way around, then set gently into the cab by her great grandpa. They watched as the door closed and she drove off waving to them through the window until she was lost in the traffic.
"Well, that makes me feel old," Raptor said with a grin.
"You are old, Atar," Blackjack said with a grin.
"Not as old as me," Ravel said with a smile as he held Orion.
"I GOT YOU ALL BEAT THREE WAYS TO MARTIAN SUNDAY!"Appa Ratchet said with a laugh.
No one mentioned that Hardie was older than all of them.
No one argued with him as they ambled along to Metro Station #1 and the ride to Centurion and Terra to drop off infants along the way. They would reschedule their helicopter night around a visitation by three little mechs. There would be a pizza dinner and a movie at the theater in Tyger Pax with all of the relevant elders along.
For now, two reluctant mechs, Blackjack and Ironhide would be herded down the street to the Circle of Life Preparatory Academy to make deposits of their own. They wouldn't like it and they'd let everyone know about it, too.
No one would care. They would be laughing at the pair too loudly to hear their pouting.
-0-TBC 7-28-17 edited 8-2-17 edited 01-28-2022
NOTES:
PHO: "I can't believe there's another book of this." I can't either. It would be one book in total if the site didn't hang up as I start to reach 700 segments. :D I have written over 2,500 of them and I'm editing them slowly but surely. I hope to report about 150 part two pieces and all the rest of part 1. Hugs for being here. :D