The Diego Diaries: Life 2 (dd6 296)
( ) Human/English/other languages { } NeoCybex
-0-School
The morning bell had rung and everyone was setting up for school to begin. Terradive sent his attendance to the Central Office in Metrotitan, then grinned at his kids. They were nearly ready to go including the large number of human kids who were part of his class list. No one else in the system had as many and he was the consulted expert about them by other teachers. A few notes were delivered, read and filed away. Then they all sat and looked at him with expectation. {Well, don't you all look handsome. How was your evening? Did everyone finish their home work or do you need extra time?}
No one did.
As usual.
{Today, we're going to present the reports on the Primes. All of us should be ready because no one said they needed more time last night before you left school. Is that still true or do you need to be put at the bottom of the presentation list so you can continue to prepare?}
No one needed time.
As usual.
Even the new humans.
HOORAY! VICTORY!
He grinned. {We'll start after the daily announcements} He pulled up the giant wall monitor with the aerial shot of the colony and the logo of the district emblazoned over it. The screen changed and their principal attending on-site officer or Senior Teacher as their principals were called appeared. This was a mentor-instructor teacher who was assigned a school with two subordinate experts, one in special services and the other in counseling who helped the instructors and students as well as managing the orn-to-orn business. They were required to teach a three decaorn unit of study in each classroom to allow teachers to prepare during that time, assess students personally and keep their own teaching skills up-to-date.
A handsome bot with a smiling face appeared. {Good morning, students, teachers, support staff, and genitors of Youngling Day School. What a wonderful orn it is. Its pretty cold at -122 degrees because of the slight wind so remember to be safe and secure when you go out. Today, the reports on the Primes will be had in the classrooms of the Level Ones. I will be going in and out to listen and watch because its going to be a wonderful event for our students.
(Level Two students will be having preparation for their science fair. When that's up and ready for viewing, all levels will be taken there to see the great projects and the conclusions of the students. We would like to thank all of our maintenance crew for their kind effort in helping set up the display areas in the two annexes on floor 7 and the lobby of the building. We can't do our jobs without you. Thank you so much.
{Level Three students will be preparing an overnight stay on Trypticon where they will be concluding a unit on deep space galaxies. They will be using the telescope labs there to track and locate galaxies we are watching that are as far away as 13 billion light years. They'll be preparing their own science fair following their research and hopefully, the images they'll show will be as beautiful and informative as those they've captured already.
{Congratulations on the wonderful learning that goes on here by everyone. Genitors are always welcome and some have become much loved volunteers, student mentors and room assistants. Thank you, all of you.
{We'll be having a good lunch today, thank you lunchroom wizards. It will include congi, sepho, rice with gravy, tepish, and for dessert, an ice cream sundae. The dishes that are Cybertronian were designed especially for our Appreciate Our Home World decaorn by Mr. Rampage of the Catering Place. We will continue to showcase our traditional food along with that of the newer forms we have available to us here for the duration. We hope you enjoy it. Some of it was very loved on Cybertron by your family.
(We'll be having recess inside if the wind keeps up. Sorry about that. We always practice safety first. Those of you who go to the Central Labor Hall Guild Day Care after school will be taken there after you go to Metro Femme for a check up on protoform wasting. They have everything ready and all you have to do is cooperate) Mr. Delay-O grinned. (We can't have another snit like last time)
Snickers rounded the room as Terradive glanced at his students. He grinned. None of those involved were his kids so he felt better.
(We're going to start swim teams again and there will be sculling offered for our human students as well. We also are working out visitations to the Performing Arts Center to watch plays, hear music and go behind the scenes to see how plays are made. Maestros Scout and Trooper of Iacon are keen to have us come. They will be offering a number of classes and lessons open to all students shortly. So, in conclusion, I'm happy to announce another orn for us to learn at least three new things. I'm proud of you and will see you about today. Have a good orn, students.) The scene changed back.
Terradive picked up his datapad, then looked at the kids. {If we're ready, we can begin. Any questions thus far?}
Rain raised her hand. He nodded. (Mr. Terradive, I was wondering about something that I'm confused about. Camilla is going to discuss Solus Prime. She's a she, right? Solus is a femme?)
Terradive who had expected this question a lot earlier than this, thought a moment as he went over the agreed upon answers in his processor for the best one for the question. {Solus is called a femme by some and nothing by others. You do remember how I explained that we don't acknowledge gender among ourselves, right? We're unconcerned about it because its meaningless and unimportant in our culture and point of view}
(That's true. But … there are femmes in the colony. That's what they call themselves and that's what I hear them called. Commander Ironhide has some and so does Lord Optimus. You see them everywhere. Well, you see them around. I met one named Gypsy the other day and she's small and pretty with smaller wings. Then I met Elita a while ago and she's different. How is that?) Rain asked with genuine interest and confusion. She waited for him to speak while the conversation with her mother the night before flitted through her mind ...
-Earth2 last night
"And that's why I called Major Lennox. I don't know what this means and its confusing. I go to school with femme girls and then they say they aren't girls. I don't know what to think."
Mariah stared at her daughter. "I don't either. I just … I wait for them to tell me. I've been memorizing the different identified bots from the picture archive. Some of them look feminine to me … as much as you can be in this species, I guess. I don't know what to tell you, Rain, but that these are aliens and they don't live, look or act like us sometimes. I will tell you, though, that this is easier living here than I thought. They live so much like us that I feel amazed. Just don't do or say anything that'll insult anyone. We have to make this place a part of things and making the locals mad won't help." …
… Classroom
Everyone in the room including other humans were looking at Terradive, then Rain, then Terradive. He looked at the kids, some of them 'femme' and the rest 'mech'. He considered the limitations on information still in force, then turned toward Rain. {I think we're going to defer that question until tomorrow, Rain. I'm not doing it because I don't want to answer. I just think that I need other input before I can. I want everyone in this class to go home and talk to your genitors about this question. See what they want humans to know and what they will tell you. Then ask them, yes or no, if they want me to discuss this in the room with the human children. I don't want to talk about sensitive things like this without knowing what your genitors and families think about it. Tomorrow, we take a vote and the majority wins. Democracy} He smiled as the kids clapped. He looked at Rain. {If the vote is no, then I will have Ambassador Ratchet come and explain what he can to you, Rain. We want you to have what we can}
She grinned and nodded. (Thank you, Mr. Terradive)
He grinned. {Some of our kids have had bad experiences and this place is a haven. We try to fulfill all we can but there are extenuating circumstances in our schools} He looked at his kids who he loved. {Some of us know what being shot or hurt badly feels like} he said as hands went up including Sunspot's own. {Some of us have had terrible hurts and have seen terrible things. This place is our safe place}
The kids nodded. Sunspot looked at the three who sat with Annie and the others, all of whom looked solemn. {I was a soldier for the Decepticons. I was in battle and I've been short and stabbed. This is the best place I ever was. I will help our army defend this place. I've been in battles before. I even was on the same ships as Megatron}
There was an unholy sense of unease at that confession. Annie Lennox turned to Sunspot who was one of her closest friends. He was due to spend the night at the Family Tower this weekend as her guest and that of the other four kids. {You're never going to fight again, Sunspot. Your genitors wouldn't allow it and besides, we have the army and the air force. Uncle Optimus would pulverize them. Remember Black Shadow?}
Everyone murmured about that as Terradive sat down on the edge of his desk, placing his datapad on its surface. The kids murmured, then Minka, a small former Decepticon femme turned in her chair to look at the humans. {We were on ships hidden from Megatron. Our genitors were too afraid to leave us behind in our hiding places when they went on missions. My ada and atar agreed that if they were killed in battle they wanted us with them. They were terrified what Megatron and Shockwave would do if we were orphaned and found out. We always lived afraid} she said as the others like her nodded. {I haven't been afraid since we came here. I was so sick and my appas and ammas almost didn't make it. They work in glass making. They were experts at stained glass, the really hard stuff and now they can make it for themselves. Did you know that you couldn't make different kinds of images during the time Megatron was in charge? All the patterns they loved, all the beautiful old patterns were forbidden. This is the best place ever. When Black Shadow came, I cried. I thought Megatron sent him to find and kill all of us. All I wanted was my ammas and appas. My genitors were in the battle. I was so afraid}
{You know they would have to get past me to get you, Minka} Sunspot said with absolute seriousness. {I know how to fight} he said as he turned to show his wings. There were two scars there, faint and tended. One was from a sword blow and the other from a large caliber bullet. {I have wounds. See? I know how to fight. I would defend you} He turned to the class. {I would defend everyone. I have before. I will always defend you}
Silverbow who was listening jumped up and ran to him. She hugged him tightly. {I KNOW YOU WOULD! YOU ARE MY FRIEND!}
Terradive shifted. {Let's go to the steps. I think we can talk there better than this}
The kids rose and began to walk to the stair-stepped reading nook and conversation pit. Some held servos and others had arms around each other. The humans followed as everyone sat on the steps. Mr. Terradive sat down in front of them. {I want a few things understood as best you can, my babies. I'm a warrior. I was a very good, very dangerous Decepticon Seeker fighter. I know more about fighting than most because I was never off the front lines. I carry weapons on me like every other Home Guardsman or regular army and air force reservist like I am. Every soldier in this colony is armed at all times including Seekers. You've seen the rockets that Lord Starscream carries on his body? All the Seekers are armed, some very heavily.
{All of us are ready to defend you. I will. No one will get past me to get to you as long as I live.
{Teaching has saved my life. All of you have saved my life. I was born to do this and I will always put you first. Black Shadow was scary and it's made some of you feel insecure but he was defeated. Maybe we should talk about that again} He looked at the humans. {You three weren't here when it happened but it was pretty tense. My bond, Roto, was coming out of City Hall when the sirens went off and we, the adults, were notified of the situation. Our internal transponders alerted us, then the template of the emergency shelters was flash sent to our processors. It showed us where to go. Roto didn't go into the City Hall, but he fled to Sparkling Day before they sealed the doors to help there. If he had been a second later, he would have been stranded outside.
{He barely made it. When the alarm went out, 1,200 soldiers were alerted to report to the schools armed to the teeth, 400 to each. They started at the top of the buildings and worked their way down checking every nook and cranny against any child being afraid and seeking to hide in a closet or cupboard. Each floor was sealed off on the elevators until the building was cleared. Then they made sure everyone was in the shelters below before sealing the blast doors. They spread out in the corridors. taking up stations down the way to defend the two last sets of blast doors between you and trouble. There were layers of heavily armed soldiers all along the path, all of them the barrier to getting to you. All of them would defend you, each layer.
{We waited didn't we. All of us in the shelters} he said as they nodded. {Every single able bodied mech and femme in the colony climbed into every ship or shuttle around and went to Ceres to defend Mars while more went to surround the Earth. One million Seekers took off to fight. No one was going to hurt anyone without suffering a serious blow. Every possible person who could go, young, old, sick, able … they all went and faced the enemy together because we are and ever will be one.
{Our Fortress turned their guns into the sky while Maximus, Metroplex and every city former in the colony transformed their towers into guns. It was … so amazing. I was so in love with everyone when this was happening. All of us adults could access the citywide feed which was still going. We could watch the automated cameras showing everything and everyone. Everybody went to the shelters. Mechs and femmes helped others, the old, the feeble and sick … all of it happened because we are one.
{Then he landed, Black Shadow. He was alone but I recognized him. I've meet or seen fifteen of them, these phase sixers. This one was a bad one but he was alone. I remember for a second thinking I've never seen anyone so alone. Then they came, the Prime and our senior Autobots. They faced each other on the airfield. More came, Wrecker shuttles, Seekers, Starscream, the Great Elder and his family, his sons … our warriors came to protect all of us with Prime. Then he was deactivated because someone knew the secret code that Megatron had put into them. Does anyone here know why he did that?} he asked gently.
Annie Lennox raised her servo. {Because he doesn't trust them either}
Terradive grinned. {That's absolutely right} He grinned again. {How would you like to live a life where you could trust no one? Where everyone was the enemy even if they were on your side?}
No one did.
{You're so protected and loved. You're all so precious. No one can get you without getting through a firestorm. You will never be a soldier again, Sunspot. We know you're brave and you've been a soldier, but you're a child now and by the time you grow up, there will be no more wars. All you have to do is be children, learn, play, love, and be loved. That's all}
It was silent a moment, then Silverbow walked down to Terradive to sit in his lap. She pulled his arms around her as he hugged her. {I hate Megatron. He killed my family. I'm so glad to be here. I just don't want it to happen again} She looked up at Terradive. {This is a good place}
Terradive grinned at her. {This is the best place} They would sit and discuss things including what they felt about being underground and alone from their families. It would be educational for the humans, the three that weren't hiding in a shelter for their lives unlike the other five.
-0-Convo with Herling
Later that evening, after the buses had left and the kids were dispersed, Herling sat in the lounge on the 10th floor with the teachers who had human kids. Terradive had called for the meeting and their Senior Teacher, Mr. Delay-O had provided the space and snacks. It had been a long intense orn for some of them given the circumstances and they needed guidance.
"What can I do to assist you, Terri?" Herling asked.
"We had a meltdown in the classroom this morning and it wasn't anyone's fault. I need some information about a question and I want to say that my children are still traumatized by Black Shadow coming here. First, a human child, Rain Harris, asked about why femmes look different than mechs, but are considered mechs anyway by us. We're doing reports on the Pantheon, but only on them as personalities, like ordinary Primes. We aren't touching on the holy aspects but just talking about them as individuals and what they did and could do superficially. We're rather putting them on the same level for the sake of learning as the Primes that followed, Zeta, Nova, Optimus, and the like.
"Since it was decreed that we would ease them into some of our history and culture, I submitted and was given the go ahead for oral presentations of the Primes. That led to this question since one of the students, Camilla Brown was presenting Solus Prime. What are the limits of this exploration and what can I tell about our gender situation?"
The door opened as a smiling Lauren walked in. Everyone stood as he pulled a chair. "Do sit, my friends. I'm sorry I'm late. Someone came for a spark from the Well and … you know," he said with a beatific smile. "I was asked to give the Welcome Prayer so … where are we then?" he asked sweetly as everyone sat down again.
Herling grinned at the sweet scholarly mech. "We're easing some of the kids from Earth2 into a bit of our culture and history. This is the part of the curriculum where the Level Ones learn and discuss the Primes. Terri, please explain how we decided to present them with the new students from Earth2 included."
Terradive looked at Lauren. He bowed his helm and got a nod in return. "Lord Lauren, we've decided to do small things here and there. We've stated that we're going to find out more about our ancient leadership, the Primes. We didn't tell the humans that they're holy and the rest. We just stated Primes like we would with Guardian and the others. Its being managed but it brings up strange sidebars like our androgyny and why do femmes look female, yet aren't considered female? They mentioned that Solus looked like a 'girl' but isn't considered feminine among us unless its a courtesy to others. What is our responsibility to the privacy of our people in light of how much some Earthers would mock us if they knew more?"
"Ah," Lauren said as he sat back. "Well, we do like telling our story as best we can. We are among the most ancient beings in creation. On the other hand, the humans are one of the newest and therefore, like all cheeky juveniles might disrespect their elders and cause offense."
"That's about it," Herling said with a laugh. Everyone grinned at Lauren who was one of the most beloved individuals in the colony. In fact, all the priests and Lady Sela were respected, loved and honored among the people.
With the exception of Megatron and his thug army, perhaps.
"Well, how are the reports coming?" Lauren asked.
The consensus of the teachers there was well, that they had just the right content and didn't transgress the limits of the assignment.
"How are the other students about keeping some things quiet from them until the Prime states they have full privileges?" Lauren asked.
The consensus of the teachers there was that the students had exceeded programming in keeping the sacred away from the profane.
Lauren nodded. "May I suggest that you continue as you are with the teachings. Perhaps we can form a curriculum committee with Lady Sela advising you over any content that worries you. Right now, you submit it to us for review but perhaps it might do us a better turn to have a regular meeting with the historians on the history curriculum committee meet with her and perhaps Eronus because he advised the Primes about these sort of things as a member of the Council of Ancients. You can devise actual pathways through this minefield together and even create materials for humans that help with content without being problematic. Nip the problem in the bud, if you will, by anticipating and devising other solutions, rather than stumble into them head on."
"That would be a good idea, Lord Lauren. What say you about the femme situation?" Delay-O asked.
Terradive told about how he postponed answering the question until he had genitor input. Lauren listened, then mused a moment. "I would get together with Ratchet and see if he can come give a short but sweet talk about gender and how we don't care about it. It might help them develop ideas more conducive to unity to hear this. Your decision was wise, Terri. Democracy is always a good idea. In fact, I would develop it in the schools. Perhaps there could be elections in classrooms where children are chosen to represent their class in a general meet of the delegates. Having them help find solutions to problems or present them for their peers to the group for solution is a good idea."
They all agreed that it would. In a decaorn, Youngling Day and Intermediate Day would hold open elections for room delegates to the first ever Open Forum Councils ever held among The (Child) People anywhere in the history of their species. Optimus Prime, the Senior Autobot and Civilian Committee as well as the Colonial Council of Delegates would be there to watch Ultra Magnus inaugurate them in the Grand Theater of the Performing Arts Center and sit through their first meeting.
They would be the tiny group sitting in rows on the stage hearing ideas, problems and suggestions, debating them, then voting.
It would be awesome.
It would also be televised live.
-0-Ratchet and the Femmes
"Hi. About time you showed up. I nearly ate all the donuts and drank all the beer," Ratchet said as the femmes began to walk into the little lounge off Engineer Corridor. "I got us a few minutes on the clock between frags. Slagging mini-cons still frag around in here." He smiled a dazzler.
Arcee laughed, then tossed a beer to everyone but Lancer who wasn't here.
"Where's Lancer, need I ask? I almost expected to find her here when I walked in," Ratchet said with a chuckle as he held out a box filled with donuts.
"Well, you know … she's in lurve," Chromia said as she sat.
"Where's Maelstrom? I heard you decided to become conjoined twins," Ratchet said.
HUGE laughter.
Chromia smirked at Ratchet. "He has duty at the prison. He likes walking past old friends and neighbors with a gun."
HUGE laughter.
They ate and sipped a moment or two, then Elita smirked at Ratchet. "What's up, Ada?"
"I have a very interesting scientific observation to give you," Ratchet said. "Did you know that the humans can't see you as femmes? Only us."
It was silent a moment, then Chromia cracked her knuckles a moment. "How does that work?"
"Whatever auric changes that Jhiaxus created when he introduced the gender changes into our genome are only detected by us. That's why we see you as a femme and even the little ones like Gypsy when everyone knows all of us are mechs or at best, gender neutral. The CNA mutated and introduced Jhiaxus's idea of what a 'femme Cybertronian' should look like as well as the smaller frames and all the details that even confuse the humans because they see mechs. Yet, because you were ground zero, the changes didn't change your frame. They're only reflected in your aura. Your energy reads femme to us and thus, you have that discord between who you are and how you're perceived. Because the humans don't read energy, they can't see you as more than just another mech. Lennox and the others finally said that they thought you were just another set of mechs but since everyone treated you as femmes, they just shut down their confusion and accepted that you were."
It was silent a while as they digested that news. "That's fragged. Does it help us with our problems?" Elita asked.
"Not so far," Ratchet said. "I'll work on it. Maybe there is, probably there isn't. Just know that the only ones who seem to find you 'girlie' are us. The humans find you, both the little ones and the big ones to be mechs."
Arcee vented a sigh. "Frag. I better not tell Magnus. He might dump me for Holi."
HUGE laughter.
Elita smirked at Ratchet. "Never a dull moment is there."
"Nope. I also wanted you to know that we found the colony that the Functionalists first settled. It was mixed. There were other Cybertronians there. There were words, big words, and the group was run off. Before they did, they listed a number of 'useless mechanisms' being recalled." Ratchet shook his helm. "Fraggers. Maybe Zenith and Shadow need to come along for the ride."
"I volunteer to take them," Chromia said darkly.
"That's good to know. You get the duty. All of you need to report to The Fortress for a confab." He looked at all of them closely. "Are you okay with this? I know it isn't much solace but some see you as you are. YOU KNOW I DO!" Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.
HUGE laughter.
Arcee smirked as she stood. "I may have to start hanging around with humans. Oh, joy."
"Mixed relationships aren't easy but I have faith in you," Ratchet said as he stood to go with them. "After all, what kind of ada would I be otherwise?"
"There is that," Greenlight said with a chuckle as they walked out the door together.
-0-Earlier, around noon
They came together on the airfield, the mass of Senior Autobots flying or bridging in and the Committee members that governed the community. Half a dozen priests came to stand with them as Prowl and Prime took a message.
"Everyone ready to par-tay?" Ratchet asked with a dazzling smile and wide spread arms.
"NO." - Everyone waiting.
"Buzzkills," Ratchet said with a grin.
As they waited, they noted that dozens and dozens, even a couple hundred humans had driven down Cultural Center Road to head for the N.E.S.T. HQ for the ceremony. They waved and honked as the bots waved and honked, flashing their lights in salute. Prime and Prowl finished their conversation, then walked to the group who gathered around both. "Thank you for coming. I would like to inform you that the first Functionalist colony was located from information they contained in their databases. We are going to go there but in force. There was another group there who warred with them and forced them to leave. It appears that there were some individuals in the Functionalist group who were recalled," Prime said.
It was grim, then Raptor nodded. "That little femme … Lesto. That might be her genitors that they murdered."
Prime nodded. "I know. I want a force to go. Raptor and Hardie … you will command and I want the femmes to go as the commando ground forces if needed. We can plan after this." He then headed toward the N.E.S.T. HQ as the clock neared noon straight up. The rest of the group followed him with solemn expressions on their faces. The priests whispered prayers to the dead as they joined them. They disappeared among the ships on the tarmac as they cut through the hangar district.
-0-TBC 3-11-18
The food names are just stuff that floated up to the top when I was thinking. :D:D:D I realized editing this that tepish is the phonetic sounds for the last name of Vlad the Impaler. LOL! HUGS!
conjoined twins: twins born with joined body parts, once called Siamese twins due to the famous pair that became world famous in the 1800's. There's a trine -sorta- for you. They both married different women, had a good dozen kids between them and were joined at the abdomen. When they died, one died first, then the other, they were discovered to be a very easy separation, though it wasn't known them how to do it. Amazing pair.