The Diego Diaries: Heading Onward (dd6 332)
-0-Morning
"WHAT! I, ORION, NOT DOING?! I GOING THERE?"
Ratchet stared down at his son, the foghorn that he didn't even know he needed. "Big mouth. You're going to school, too."
Orion smiled brilliantly, then hip hopped off. There was a lot of laughing and trilling around in Hero's berth room so he headed inward to join in on the fun.
Ratchet watched him go, then walked to his own berth room to get ready to go. They had a staff meeting shortly to catch up and set the plans for the next decaorn. Until then, the buses and cabs were coming and everyone had to hustle. Tall kids and tiny walked in and out of rooms, some of them helping each other and some being helped. By the time things were organized, it was nearly time to board vehicles for school. "HUSTLE! DOWNSTAIRS!" he said as he carried Halo in a baby sack. She was smiling brilliantly as he held her, her tiny face the only thing visible to anyone looking. Her long silver and copper hair shimmered in the light as they grabbed infants and stepped out.
It was a crowded elevator that took them down in time to see the first buses line up at the curb. Children hustled, one cabbed up and everyone watched them go with a wave. Prowler, Prima, Sojourner, Solus, Resolve, and Scout were some of the infants that rode on the Circle of Light Academy Infant Transport Bus. Now, none of the zillion kids anyone in five miles raised would need their genitors to take them.
The schools had spoken.
Ironhide was alone in casting the only negative vote to the change of transport plans in this manner on the school board.
They watched the buses go, then took the shortcut across the airfield to The Fortress to begin another orn for The People. Most of the crew was already there, lounging in and out of the conference room. Snacks and drinks were had, then they all entered and the door closed.
Then it opened again as Prowl ran in with datapad agendas.
Then it closed.
Again.
-0-Inside
Everyone found their place on the agenda, then settled back. It had been a while so there were a number of items that required discussion. Everyone waited as Prime and Prowl coordinated, then it began. "We are going to Cybertron this afternoon and you are invited to come if you can. We will be there for a short time, then you can go," Prime said as everyone nodded. He glanced at Prowl.
Prowl sat forward, then checked old business. "We need a final update on the University District, Magnus and Jetta. I understand that it was signed off already?"
Jetta nodded. "We've signed off on the entire area including the housing for out world students. There's been expressed interest from several universities and research centers from around Earth to have them be available for students from their institutions, rather as advanced graduate students. We can discuss that with the Science community here. The University and its annexes are open to all both here and on Cybertron with the housing mostly set aside for those who come here to learn or go to uni from Cybertron. That way there's more comfort and families can come as well. We want to make it easier on those students coming from far away."
"Please make it so," Prime said. "I think exchanges are good for everyone and having comforts available is very good news indeed"
"There are state-of-the-art labs, classrooms, the library is connected to everyone and everywhere on Mars and Cybertron as well as having access to human databases. The housing consists of both apartments and barracks. We'll use the barracks housing for short term students, like those staying a few orns only or those without families no matter how long the duration of their presence. Housing for families with a student are available both long and short term. There are facilities for fraternizing to build esprit d' corps and theaters … a huge swimming pool, a major dining area and three small cafes. Its quite wonderful and already is being occupied with the rest of the University's staff to transfer and begin work by the next weekend. All of the vacated space by the University and related groups is being claimed by businesses."
"We're putting the schools for policing and officer training into the University and have a course to train forensics officers as well," Springer added. "It's housed in the Science Center there."
"It'll improve performance and standardize practices this way," Drift said as the others nodded. Small discussion was had for the University and its programs including a major build up for medicine, then they moved onward.
"We have a great deal of money to invest in projects," Caro said as he began his report. Sitting on the table in an easy chair with the rest of the humans present, Sam nodded. "Even with the volatility on the New York Stock Exchange lately with tariff battles and the like, we've managed to hold our course. We're going to invest several hundred millions of dollars in river clean up throughout the northwest and northeastern America and in the UK." Caro paused a moment with a sheepish expression. "I watched a documentary and saw how much the waterways of Earth are contaminated and thought this would be a good investment. Children are drinking contaminated water and elders are affected harshly as well. I have a set aside of several billion dollars to invest in Asia and Africa for the same reasons. Water projects, clean ups and land rehab are goals that make the biggest immediate benefit, especially on the health and lifespans of humans. They'll employ a lot of people at good wages and benefits who we can train to do the work and manage the resources when we finish. This is a long term education project to utilize our tech to help with their problems. None of the tech we'll give will be of use for nefarious purposes, however," he said glancing at Prime who nodded.
Caro continued with Venture's assistance to explain their vast fortunes and holdings. They were buying up swatches of land all over the world that had turned to desert with the intentions of rehabilitating them and their animal populations. It was all corralled under an umbrella organization called The Prime's Land Trust. All in all, it was a great use of resources for places and people in dire need. He sat pleased and applauded, the sweet kid.
"Medical?" Prowl asked.
"We're getting in the new flood of refugees shortly and given that the records for them arrived shortly before the weekend, I'm not totally sure of what's what. Given that Dai Atlas and his teams along with our support are working wonders, I expect that little will be needed overall. Our teams on Cybertron have reported that the courier-trap problem has been eradicated," Ratchet said to huge relief and applause. "We hunted every square mile of the planet and found several thousands who were still hiding out. We're going to keep at it in case some drift back there again.
"Our population is booming on both worlds and we're keeping up just fine. Infants are spouting up everywhere. Our elder population is doing better over a range of infirmities. There's only a very small pool of elders who don't respond well to protoform wasting protocols at present but we're working on it. Some of them have been traumatized so long that its inhibited their normal processes. As for the rest, all is well."
Prime nodded. "We will be taking in a steady stream of new refugees from Dai Atlas over the next three decaorns. They will be taken through immigration and refugees where, Magnus?"
"We have a permanent office at the Large Frame Depot at the northeastern corner. We'll bridge in there, then take them by the metro station nearby for the freight depot and metro stations onward to the Crater District where they will be living once they come through. We have no ships in the depot now and the freight system is being requisitioned to take our people to the metro station at Terra. From there, they'll leave the freight system and take a metro train to their new home. We expect the flow to be manageable so there won't be a glut. If the freight system is needed then we'll reroute a metro train through that line to run continuously and carry refugees in gathered groups. We can bunch them at the immigration port and send them through between freight routings."
"Let me know if there is more to do," Prime said. "I would like this to be ironed out as smoothly as possible."
"We shall," Magnus said. "I have great expectations."
Prime nodded. "As do I."
"What about education?" Prowl asked.
"We're preparing for the children that are coming. We have field teams that go to Atlas's camps and evaluate the children there. From the preliminary reports, most of them have had some formal education and therefore, its not a start from scratch situation here for a large percentage of them. We have our interim program which will take these children in and sort them out. We want to make a smooth transition for them. Not all of them have had difficult lives in their locales but some have. We have special needs children and some of the families need support. We will do our part and work with Mental Health to ensure the best possible outcomes."
Jarro and Rung nodded. "We've flagged those most in need and we're going to be evaluating everyone as they come through. We have quick on-the-spot assessment testing and we've developed profiles to flag those that appear to have the right combination of behaviors that should be evaluated. We want to help them from the get go so that they can come into their new life in better shape than otherwise. We've learned a lot over the years of taking in groups."
"Thank you," Prime said.
The conversation continued with business and security data being laid out for everyone. There were no stand out problems in the business community. Business was booming. A cash free society made supply and demand problems a thing of the past given that production didn't rely on profits. Businesses were busy meeting needs and desires with individuals working to provide products for the endless number of businesses that 'sold' them. Artisans were busy and so were craftsmen, their special skills and products being rescued from extinction every orn. Anything that could be wanted was available. More businesses were opening every decaorn and more were planned. It was exciting.
"We also have to meet up for the filings made by the different companies at the United Nations gathering on Diego shortly ago. Some of them are interesting and others problematic. A number of them want to create habitats on any number of moons to do any number of things," Venture said.
"Schedule it through the office, Venture, and we will go over it. Ratchet? Coordinate the time around your convenience. The humans can wait for us to be able to decide," Prime said.
Ratchet nodded. "If the refugees coming in are in good order, I can be flexible."
"What about the humans who want to come here, Optimus?" Neo asked.
"We've received a letter petitioning you to allow Jason, James and William Daniels along with William Nast to come to Earth2 to work. They'd be working for the Richardson Corporation on studies that he's commissioning about business and product development. Richardson owns about 42% or more of the Earth2 Development Corporation and is second only to Harris and his international investment group. Harris has issued no opinion about this request and everyone else is quiet as well. He says he's trying to help friends get back on their feet," Prowl said. He glanced at Optimus. "The decision is yours. Sometimes, having your friends close and your enemies closer is a good thing. Whether that applies here, I'm not sure. It's being speculated on Earth nonstop."
"What does the speculation say?" Prime asked.
"It's about half and half … half say you'll let them come because of the potential they present to understand the opposition and half say you won't. You're considered … how do I say this? Inscrutable." Prowl grinned. "They don't know the half of it."
Chuckles rounded the room.
"Well, they'll be living on the grid in Paribolus and maybe given their dimness, we can learn what we need to know. Something tells me that they know more about the tech stolen from Sentinel's ship than they let on. Dirt bags cluster together," Springer said.
Prime nodded. "That is why I am going to okay the request. I want to know what they know," he said as he glanced at the big mechs sitting along the wall. "Paribolus, I would expect you to keep a vigilant optic on them. I also want to know if they create any disturbance among the population there. If they cause havoc, I want to intervene. Most of the humans appear to be adjusting well and making effort to be part of the community. I want nothing to hinder their assimilation and I am not sure that their leadership will be interested in ensuring that. I will allow no abuse of any kind on world. That behavior will not be countenanced."
Paribolus nodded. "There are conversations among the targets, Lord Optimus. I will lengthen the list of those who must be surveilled."
"What do they say, Pari?" Prowl asked.
"They discuss having more freedom to come and go. The mercenaries are ill tempered and deeply untrustworthy, though some are smarter than others. There is one called Silvio Lombardi who appears to have a clue. The others? Not so much. I am keeping a closer optic on the one called Cameron Fraser. He seemed enamored of some of the femmes. No one especially likes him. He appears to believe he's an important individual."
Prime nodded. "I will be interested in their conduct. Perhaps a few more in jail will help set the kind of tone we require here on world."
"Prison, perhaps?" Ironhide said with a grin as he glanced at Jetta. "We still have the clear cell block, right?"
Jetta grinned, then nodded. "We still have the fish bowl."
"Good," Blackjack said. "Always be prepared." He looked at Ironhide, then Prowl. "Or so an Autobot Scout told me."
Chaos.
-0-TBC 4-19-18 (Happy Birthday, my sweet Pippin) edited 4-22-18