The Diego Diaries: The next orn (dd6 188)
-0-In an apartment
Bo and Lil sat on the floor with their trick-or-treat baskets. Sitting nearby filming them, their parents watched with delight. The children loved Halloween where you got high caste treats just by knocking on someone's door. They were sorting them into the otherwise carefully stored but now utilized covered jars that had their names and Halloween pictures painted on them by the kids, themselves. Cookies went into one, candy into the next, novelties into still another. It was delightful.
-0-Elsewhere
She looked at her father with a slight frown. He had their candy buckets. Uraya glanced at Iacon who was frowning, too. "Ada," Iacon said with affronted indignity, "you have our stuff."
"I do." Sunstreaker grinned. "You can't eat all of it now. You can each have one."
They frowned at him, tiny frowns, then turned toward Bluestreak who was holding Kaon and Sideswipe who was sitting on the couch next to them. "He has our stuff," Iacon said pointing at Sunstreaker with a tiny digit.
"He has this stuff," Uraya echoed.
"Ada said you can have one," Blue said as Sideswipe grinned. He nodded, too. They were one when it came to their parenting.
Both girls stared at them, then Sunstreaker. Then as one, they crossed their arms over their chassis and turned their noses up at all of them. It was hilarious.
-0-Up in the clouds
"She needs a nap."
"I know. She's napping now," Ironhide said as he sat in his chair with his new dollie and a cold beer. Everyone had gone home after trick-or-treating the night before to rest up and repaint. They would have dinner together at the Tower In The Sky in Terra later on.
"She's adorable," Partition said as he walked into the room. He was gussied up and ready to go on a date with his new flame, Lancer.
"She's a genius sparkling. Look at her nap like that … a professional," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile. He turned to Partition. "You and Lancer … I approve."
Partition smiled. "She's the best. She's a great person and a kick aft soldier."
"She is," Ratchet said. "You look spiffy. Where are you two going?"
"We're going to the races. Everyone is going and my brothers are going to meet us there," Partition said with a smile. He hesitated, then hugged Ratchet tightly. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," Ratchet said as Partition slapped Ironhide's servo. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Since there isn't a slagging thing he WON'T do, the road's clear ahead," Ironhide said with a smirk.
"OH, HA-HA, IRONHIDE!" Ratchet replied.
A tiny meep and an optic peering up before closing again greeted that. Everyone leaned over to look, then grinned. "Cute," was the consensus. Partition grinned, then headed out the door. They both stared at it, then grinned. "I think we have a future son-in-law, Ironhide," Ratchet said.
"DON'T MEDDLE WITH THE INFANTS, OLD MECH!" Ironhide said, then grinned. "You may be right."
"Why, Ironhide," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile. "I'm always right." With that, he walked down the hallway to find out why the kids in the berth rooms were so quiet.
Ironhide watched him go, then grinned. "You are, you red aft slagger."
-0-Proteus and Madura, Anders and Burris, Edict and Hobbes, Laslo and Lucien, Joon and Vinn who would join late
They sat in the cafe in Metrotitan eating a light lunch. The traffic was brisk on the streets and on the sidewalks, this and that mech walking here and there, mostly officials doing official business here in a district set aside to handle all manner of operations and civil departments as they took in the orn. Anders, Laslo, Edict, Joon, and Madura had become great friends over the course of their therapy and given their midnight ramble, the flood gates had somehow opened. Lucien, Hobbes, Burris, and Proteus who knew each other pretty well before made general conversation as they ate and waited for Joon and Vinn to show up.
"You know, Lucien, there's a lot of activities on world that are fun and well attended," Proteus said. "You might consider your interests and getting involved."
"I'm interested in running for local office," Lucien said. "I would like to do something in that field. My work now is not very involving."
"Why not apply for something else more suitable? There's always room for career changes here," Proteus said.
"What exactly do you do at the Halls of Order, Proteus?" Lucien asked. Both Anders, Laslo, Edict and Madura halted their conversation to listen, Madura with a slight tension.
"I'm in charge of all the maintenance of the building now. I am after all a trained engineer as well. It's vast and complicated. I was promoted by Heatout himself. I also take classes. Their philosophy rather dovetails with my own ideas and sense of purpose lately. I find more peace in what I do now than I ever had in a lifetime lived on Cybertron. I'm accepted for who, not what I am and the difference is instructive. It also has allowed Madie to grow and extend himself into the world. For that, I am ever grateful," Proteus said.
"I'm not sure that would suit me, Proteus. I'm needful of more stimulation," Lucien said dryly.
"Then come to the lectures," Proteus said with a slight grin. "Heatout will make you question everything and in the end, you come out of it better."
"I'm sure," Lucien said noncommittally. "I never put a lot of store in the Circle, though I'm aware that most of you belong. My focus was on other things, things that had a direct influence on the planet and its progress."
"Then we have to agree to disagree on whether that was a good or bad thing," Proteus said. "Given that we're sitting here rather than there, I think you know what I feel about that."
Edict and Hobbes walked up and the conversation changed. They sat, ordered, then Edict smiled. "What are we talking about?"
"Paradigms and how fast they shift," Proteus said with a grin. "How are you, Edict? You look wonderful."
Edict smiled. "I feel wonderful, Proteus. Thank you. Now, I want to discuss our next holiday. It's Thanksgiving and we're invited to Ratchet's house. We can find out what to bring and we have to make a baked good for the contest. It's really become quite famous in the colony I'm finding."
Proteus quashed a grin as he stared at the others. Lucien looked like he could disassemble himself into a pile of parts, Burris looked like he dared not disobey Anders, Hobbes looked at Edict like a hopeful pooch waiting for a bone, and Vinn grinned. Obviously, there were household changes unfolding at Casa de Hobbes and Burris. Given that Lucien was in the vice grip of the Caste Court, he would have to go along no matter what happened. Given also what he had learned over the vorns about Ratchet and in the conversations they had here and there when they crossed paths during the orn, his shanix was on Ratchet. He grinned. "Tell us more, Edict. I, for one, cannot wait."
Edict smiled brilliantly, then began. "Well, there are certain kinds of foods that humans eat on Thanksgiving and some of our own that will mesh very well with that cuisine," he began. Everyone would listen, get their marching orders, then all would rise to go to the races together. It would be amazing.
Almost as amazing as it would be if their children were out of trouble.
-0-The night before at Earth2
They began to arrive in vehicles and large segways. Bringing food in towed wagons, they entered the air lock and began to park in rows. All of the 987 individual humans who had lived here before Earth2 were invited to come to the First Earth2 Halloween Party and Trick-Or-Treat Fest to be held. Ops Center at The Fortress had taken over the duties of N.E.S.T. HQ so they could all go together. Food was cooked, desserts and treats created and baked, all of it packaged and stowed in the trailers that were made for the heavy duty segways and the four wheelers that were transport at the different places to be brought to Earth2.
The Consulate personnel were already there, their communications hooked into Ops Center in The Fortress. Sciences was going with the Family and N.E.S.T. making a convoy to the huge habitat awash with lights in a slight crater nearly 25 miles away. The children would come in costume and trick-or-treat door-to-door at the rows and rows of apartments located in the multi-deck housing tiers. It would be like trick-or-treating in a city, going from floor-to-floor, door-to-door with your friends. When that was accomplished, dinner, dancing, friend making, tours of the facility for those who wanted them, a tour of the animals and farms with the kids, and all manner of conversations would be held. The Resort would be staffed by Cybertronians for the duration of the evening freeing up those humans to come. All of the flight and desk crews of Autobot Touring Company who worked for the Resort were also being flown in for the evening's festivities. There would be about 7,000 humans in the habitat tonight. It wouldn't seem like it given its size but it would be a swinging party.
Owen Harris and his partners, Hamilton Brown, Steven Baker, and Lee Jameson circulated among the scientists, N.E.S.T. soldiers, Family, and Resort folks who were ready to party with the newcomers, many of whom were turning out to be really good folks with a lot of appreciation for the way of life humans lived here and the circumstances of things. Gavin Pritchard and Niall Graham walked to the drinks table with their children in arms. Niall, Jr. and Oscar Pritchard grinned at each other as they sat on their father's arms. Handing them cookies, they were immediately happy as the two men ordered beer.
Standing nearby as they drank beer as well, a number of former mercenaries watched the two. Sam Hedges, Jim Johnson, Lawrence Dobbs, Carlos Ortega, Todd Baseman, Steve Anson, and Silvio Lombardi were gathered together, deciding to get a bead on the N.E.S.T. soldiers who were here, some of the most famous individuals connected to Mars in the world(s). The N.E.S.T. soldiers were those they knew, most of them, and they were enemies from Diego.
"There's Lennox over there," Lawrence Dobbs said. "That bastard is the big obstacle here. He won't let us go where we want to go and we won't be able to get what we need done with him around."
"He doesn't have to be around," Jim Johnson said.
Lennox walked to Pritchard and Graham, then noticed the group standing by the wall. "Did you see them?"
"We did," Pritchard said. "They asked for privileges at the Resort. Prime has to review it. Judy and the ladies asked him to run it past security. They may get them because Jazz is working them for intel."
Lennox nodded. "Shall we go pay our respects? Newcomers and all. Welcome wagon time?"
Graham grinned as Bobby Epps joined them to get a cold beer. "How about welcoming our civilian counterparts?"
Epps glanced at them, then grinned. "Sounds good to me," he said. "Do you want to bring the kids with us or what?"
"If there's a fight, we'll be your cheering section," Pritchard said with a chuckle.
They turned as a group, then walked toward the mercenaries who were leaning against the wall that led down the 'street' numbered 'C Street'. Pausing before them, it was silent a moment. "So … Harris hired you for what?"
"Security, Lennox," Jim Johnson said as he sipped his beer. "Amazing, isn't it?" he asked. "From Diego to here and you have nothing to say about it."
"You need to read the rules, sonny. I'm boss here and if I say you have to go, you go," Lennox said coldly.
"Maybe, maybe not," Johnson said cryptically.
"Have you been cleared to leave the habitat or are your training wheels still on?" Epps asked.
"We're waiting for clearance," Carlos Ortega said. "You know how bureaucracy works."
"Not really," Lennox said. "We're autonomous here. N.E.S.T., the Resort, the Science and Family Habitats … Earth 1 and the Consulate to a degree … all of us have free reign to run around. Too bad about you guys. It must be tough being trapped here when the colony and beyond is so fucking amazing."
The mercs stared at him, then Johnson stepped closer. "That will change," he said pointedly.
"How?" Lennox said. "I hold your balls in my hand. You better never forget that." He looked down as Annabelle ran up to him, her Bumblebee costume and matching treat bag reminding everyone why they were here. He picked her up, then grinned at the mercs. "Enjoy the night." He walked toward the dinner table nearby where Sarah and Judy were sitting.
Epps smirked at the mercs. "He's got you. Smart move." Epps, Pritchard and Graham with their children left together with grins on their faces.
The mercs watched them go. "Fuckers. I think they will regret that," Dobbs said.
Nearby, watching the mercs, two Strikers attached as security to the Consulate stood by the booze table. They were deep plants from The Resistance. They hadn't had a chance to speak to them and wouldn't for now. When the mercs could wander around the colony, then they would hook up and talk. Until now, they were observing the scene until they had the ins and outs of things before they would try and make a move.
The party raged on around them.
-0-TBC 11-12-17 edited 11-13-17
NOTES:
In IDW, Lancer and Greenlight are a romantic couple, the first ever shown in novels. She is a scientist, a nervous sort and smart. She's the orange femme bot.