The Diego Diaries: Soldiering On (dd6 412)
-0-Around
Jetta held the meeting with the usual suspects, workers, their union reps, designers, industrialists and the like. "And that's what we know. We have to work this thing as hard as we can. The migrations are going to be coming quick and fast. Right now, we have to have a detailed plan for the future which is looking very busy to say the least."
They would spend all afternoon outlining a plan, refining and dividing up areas of expertise before they were go. At no time in the discussions did anyone suggest it couldn't be done. It had to.
-0-At a scout camp
They had breakfast at the distant camp, walked back five miles with the femmes and the mechs, the scout leadership and a horde of camera personnel who talked to them, all of them, on the way. It would be a joint broadcast project with The National Geographic and Galaxy Productions when the three hour special was aired sometimes in September.
The rest of their time would be spent getting things together, going over mutual viewpoints on the skills learned and honed, the potential for the troop to come to Mars and be feted by the Autobot Scouts along with an exchange of addresses and phone numbers between everyone. The kids had had a great time swimming, making fire, learning about different ways to hike safely by leaving a marked trail, animal and plant identification, stories shared about their different but oddly similar lives, and cooking out over a fire. By the time they saluted the flag and lowered it, recited and sang the songs of the Scouts, the human kids delighting in the changes the Cybertronian kids had to make with their pledges and oaths, hugs were delivered to the femmes, mechs, human adults, and even the film crews, everyone was teary-eyed/opticed over parting.
Prowl chatted with Mertz and the other humans about exchanges, the upcoming worldwide Jamboree and other mundanities before helping to lead everyone into the shuttle. Climbing in last, he turned to the human group watching. Grinning at them, he waved and they waved back as the ship began to rise into the sky. It was gone in seconds.
The camera crews would interview everyone left separately and together. The chats would be wonderful.
-0-On the way home
The kids sat in their seats chattering together, humans and bots. It had been a long venture into organized activity land but it was good. What was going to be gooder was going home. That it was the start of weekend was a bonus, though many of the senior Autobots would be busy with things. Prowl went down the list he was keeping as intel poured in.
First, there was the push for development. They would have to move into security zone two due to the need to expand housing starts. There was a five band ring of security surrounding ground zero, The Fortress. Each band away from that spot was a zone in which security diminished. Band five was far enough away that it would be abandoned if attacked heavily from the sky. At least, it would be until all threats were over and then expansion could be had everywhere. Four and three, depending on their composition, would be defended to the best degree possible. Bands one and two would be defended with all they had. The major habitation areas would be there until the threat of the Decepticons was wiped from the galaxy forever.
Secondly, there was Unidad Terra 1. There were literally thousands upon thousands of requests for interviews and visitations from Earth and he had to deal with that. Ratchet had been assigned by Prime to settle the newcomers and help the nascent leadership get rolling until they got a grip on what they were to do and how it would go. Ratchet and Charlotte Mearing would be the Primal liaisons between that place and Optimus for Prime.
Thirdly, the preliminary hearings for the Wheelus Faction, Brok, Lurid and that group were at hand. It would happen in an orn or so. They were ready to plead, petition and have a date set. He would have to figure out how to fit them in.
Slaggers.
Still making trouble.
Fourthly, the Primal Hearing for Ratbat and Contrail had arrived. They would be tried and Sentinel would follow. There were others that had moved to the point of action including those on 'extreme danger-pending holds' like Turmoil and that crowd. Also, they had to address the Stunticons. He would prefer a cattle prod on the codpiece for that group himself but they were a people of laws.
He grinned to himself as the ship flew into the space bridge. It winked out almost immediately.
They were home again.
Huzzah.
He rose to work the door and help the delighted little kids off the ship. It would be fun.
-0-Unidad Terra 1
They stepped out of their vehicles onto the paved tarmac of the facility. Hushed humans, all 712 of them looked around as Carly stepped from the trucks they had arrived in, baby carriers and all. The entry was as tall as the building, though the habitat part for the air lock was only 100 feet high. The rest of the glassed front above that ceiling was enclosed at the level of each of the nine floors and would hold green atrium-style rooms for inhabitants to enjoy. They would be heavily planted with enclosed system water devices … fountains the humans called them ... and lots of flowers and trees. Areas to sit and eat, relax and walk would be built there for use once the area was created.
The huge doors opened and they walked in as two vehicles drove behind them pulling big vans filled with belongings and the like for the new inhabitants. When everyone was in, the doors closed. Ratchet was parked outside with the other vehicles taking a call from Medical about a titan. After a moment, the doors of his vehicle mode opened to let out Will Lennox and someone new. They walked to a smaller door and entered, closing it behind them. The atmosphere equalized and all was well.
Walking to the group who were gathered inside with Carly, Omar Epps, Sam Witwicky, Phoebe Grant, and Leslie and Terri Hadden, the two halted before them and smiled. The man with Will was over six feet, almost disturbingly handsome, well made, smartly dressed, had deeply blue eyes, and last but not least, red hair.
Fire engine red hair.
It was longish but nicely cut and combed. His clothing looked expensive and he was very strong and muscular. He was rangy, like an athlete and his smile was genuine. So was the Autobrand he wore on his cheek like a beauty mark, small and discreet.
Other than the oddities, he was genuinely beautiful.
"Hello, little people. Welcome to Mars. This is Unidad Terra 1, Earth Unity 1 and you are the second group to come in to settle. This is William Lennox, alpha male and overall benevolent dictator for the human community, all of it, on Mars. If he says pack your bags, you have to. You don't have to be told a reason and there's no appeal. Remember that. That and his winsome manner and bright blue eyes," the man said with a smile at Lennox.
Lennox was smirking at the figure, obviously amused at his antics, then he looked at the crowd. "This hustler is Commander Ratchet of Iacon, the head of medicine for all bots everywhere they exist and the ambassador for everything for the Prime of Cybertron."
Everyone looked at both, then Ratchet. Ratchet spread his arms wide, then smiled beautifully. They stared at him, then Lennox. Then a big man leaned slightly forward. "Major … Ratchet is a bot."
"And what a great bot he is," Ratchet said in his pretender gear. He held up his hands. "He has miracle hands. They lay on the sick and cure disease. They touch troubled waters and still them. They heal. HEAL! SAY IT!" He glanced at William who snickered. "Say it, William." He grinned at Lennox.
"Yeah. They heal," he said wanly.
"A testimonial to these hands," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.
It was silent a moment, then another stepped forward. "Are you wearing that pretender gear that we hear about?" he asked.
"GIVE THAT MAN A CIGAR!" Ratchet said. That was when he was swamped.
-0-Landing at the airport
They stood inside the terminal looking through the windows as the ship settled down nearby. The door opened and the ramp shot down a yellow beam of light to walk upon. Stepping down, Prowl turned back to take children off the ship. Out of the door nearby, the genitors walked to get their kids and gear, then hear the story of their expedition. It would be a riotously happy moment.
-0-Unidad(io)
They gathered around Ratchet and Lennox. Ratchet turned to the biggest portion of the group. "We're going on a tour, then we meet in the theater to go over the standard speeches, relevant conversations, must does and the like, then you get to settle in. We have a number of human soldiers here including a number of mini-cons and micro-minis who will help you get going. I'm going to be here in pretender format until the first wave, all 1,200 of you are here. Then it'll be up to the leadership in house to do the rest." The others had been introduced so the hierarchy was understood by those here.
Nearby wearing vests that identified them as security and police, 20 humans watched. They were former service and police officers who had been selected, screened for psychological soundness, immersed in community policing, and ready for more training when Springer and Drift came back. Now they were here to be part of the tour and learn what they'd be enforcing through the overall direction of Springer and Drift. Ten men and ten women from all over the world in all, they were ready to hear it, too.
Ratchet was ready to deliver it. He glanced toward the door where lined up in rows were the inside vehicles of the 'motor pool', the place where they'd be parked until needed. Those who used them placed a thumb on a sensor and it was checked out. Only those who were adult and registered in the files could use them. It was decided that wild infants were verboten here.
There were segways, small vehicles that looked like tiny pickup trucks, four wheelers, some with wagons attached, and what looked like three wheeled scooters. "Climb in and we'll go for a ride. Stay inside the vehicles or this could take all day. The habitat is well laid out and there'll be watch officers to assist along with your handhelds which will have GPS systems for the whole place. Let's go," he said as he walked to a segway and climbed on. He smiled. "Who wants to ride with me?"
Everyone did.
-0-At Ops Center catching up
Prowl nodded. "We better fly then," he said. "When will the bulk be coming?"
"They are coming in stepped up numbers of 100,000 at a time. Atlas will be needing the space to move those closest to the threats and he is trying to balance things out. There's also the possibility that there are more," Prime said. "This upends our calculus here. If there were one billion on Cybertron and the local group who did not leave, then about 700,000,000 there who died, that leaves 1.3 billion conservatively left to account for. Perhaps more got away in the chaos than we considered. They are going to need rescue. We have to prepare for as many as we can. Nowhere in the Empire but here are they going to be able to live. Everywhere else but here is barely managing to maintain those that are there already and it will not change for a while unless we get lucky with the Omega Keys."
"This is fraught, Optimus," Prowl said quietly. "What's the number that your preliminary plans are aiming for? The one you gave Jetta now?"
He glanced at Prowl with a grave expression. "We are going to draw up our plans for fifty million more of our people, Prowl. There is no other way around it. Until Cybertron is prepared to receive refugees, this is the only place left for our people to go. We must be ready to receive them."
"We will," Prowl said with a determined sound to his soft voice. "We need to fix a few holes in the dyke, Only One," he whispered as they stared at the expanded map that included the incoming data of a web of settlements great and small far beyond what anyone had dared hope to exist. "We have to take out Ominous, then Razorclaw. We can't have them be a wild card in our operation any longer."
Prime nodded slightly. "I know."
They stared at the map, then began to make a framework for a plan to not only increase their colony by 200-500% but to eradicate the dangers that were built into their present balance of power by the presence of outliers. It would be a solemn afternoon in Ops Center.
-0-Unidad-e-doo
They drove slowly around the main concourse, the one that would be communal living space and quality of life to the dazzled individuals riding in vehicles behind Ratchet. He pointed out all the features including those businesses that were already up and going. Soon other businesses and their directors would arrive and things would be swinging in the downtown. There would be groceries, bakeries, a library, restaurants, a bank linked to the New York office to manage accounts for inhabitants regarding their salaries and other benefits, a post office that would forward Earth bound mail and deliver mail here, the hospital, the City Hall, the spa, several stores that would feature clothing, toys, electronics, the phone company, three houseware home stores and others to be named and operated later.
Moving away from the six main commercial roads that created downtown toward the giant open doors to the dome itself, they saw the studio for recording, the radio station next door, the newspaper and publishing arm of the place, business offices for those who did the bookkeeping and the like which would incidentally include Steven Rolfe, the older brother of Olivia who applied for and was accepted to be one of ten accountants for the corporation on world. He would manage inventory and equipment, something that would take him everywhere in the place.
Including the stables where his sister would help manage the big animals on world.
Win-win.
The city itself was modeled to look like an old western American town with lots of charm and character. It wasn't intended to look modern, cold and unwelcoming. This was going to be a town for humans and the design reflected the interests and tastes of most of the mechs and femmes in the process who loved western stories and archetypes. It was beautiful and featured window boxes for plants and flowers in the upper stories of the taller buildings. None of them were less than two stories and some of them towered up to four. At each intersection, an Autobrand was painted in the middle of the crossing. The signage on corners and buildings was written in both French and English, the languages of the United Nations along with Cybertronian underneath. Street lights controlled traffic and the street lights were old fashioned and beautiful.
There were benches at intervals for people to sit and talk along the sidewalks and lines were painted to show crosswalks and center lines for the road system's wide two lane streets. Cars could parallel park along all the downtown streets and they would except where deliveries were going to be made to businesses. Trash cans were set at intervals and they were expected to be used. This place would hold to Cybertronian standards of cleanliness and no one would complain. The humans who were part of the Public Works Department would drive their little 'garbage trucks' around everyday and collect waste from everyone. Then it would be incinerated in the plant to fuel the place. This was a zero waste facility like all the others on world.
Sunlight streamed downward on the downtown through the giant windows that fronted the entire northwestern face of the habitat. There would be normal day and night here because of it.
Cab stands were here and there throughout the entire concourse where non-sentient white cab-let convertibles waited for a passenger to send them on their way. Also here and there were postal drop boxes waiting for mail to be taken to the post office where it would be sorted into off world and on, bagged up and delivered by hand inside to apartment mail slots and by courier from the bot's post office other places. All the mail off world would be censored, then sent onward.
Non-negotiable item for now.
Elevators were spaced on all the four long walls of the building, some big enough for freight and others to take people upward to the science floors, the next four up, then beyond that, the apartment level where everyone lived. Stairs were available and were used by those interested in fitness but the elevators would be the main mode of transport for most everyone here.
A veterinarian office was located near the feed store and would be run by a pair of humans who had learned to be farriers as well. A feed store run by a micro and mini-con family who liked animals, were scientists who learned the formulas and items needed and would supply them to everyone with a pet and to the animal projects was next door. They waved as everyone drove by and everyone waved madly and took pictures back. As they drove past listening to Ratchet explain things, they continued out into the farm dome beyond. Motoring out, they halted to allow the humans to see the church that Merlie had asked about earlier …
… earlier …
They drove up and parked parallel which apparently was going to be a thing, then stepped out to walk to the restaurant that would be the home base for soulful dining in the facility. Inside, Merlie and her two daughters, Tennessee and Glorianna aka Gloria were putting the place to rights. An earlier delivery of equipment, fixtures and furnishings that had been ordered two weeks before when the facility was being scoped out for businesses and she had decided to have two, that thing was going on …
"Hey, Merlie," Will Lennox said as he, Niall Graham and Gavin Pritchard on his day off walked into the bright space with big windows that fronted the street outside, B Street, three businesses down from off Main. "How's it going? Do you need help?"
"Hello, boys. Would you mind moving those tables into place? Gloria will help you," Merlie said with a sweet smile. "I've been making my pies and biscuits. Fried chicken for lunch at noon."
"You got a date." -all of them
They began to unstack things and break them out of boxes, setting up a dining area in the front that had booths along both sides. Tennessee was fastening red and white checker board oil cloth coverings to the tables giving the place the sort of ambiance that homestyle diners and home cooking joints had on Earth. It reminded Will of his grandma's kitchen. The counter in the back fronted the rooms beyond where state of the art kitchens, stores, appliances, and counters would make the cooking a thing of beauty, organization and ease.
"When are you opening, Merlie, and for what meals?" Gavin asked. "My wife really likes your food."
"We're opening when the second group arrives. Apparently, about 500 will come shortly and another after that. Then we'll be open for day-to-day business. We will do lunch and early dinner for a bit, then add breakfast when we see the demand. I expect that a number of the family members will help out waiting tables and the like. It's a good thing to be busy, boys.
"The barbecue is going to take a bit longer. The boys are working out the cooker. They never ran one on energon before. Its going to be used to heat the charcoal. We're using that instead of wood. They never used it before and it makes less smoke than wood but its easier to have on hand. They're going to experiment for a while. Come by and eat some. Tell us what you think."
"This is getting to be a dream duty," Gavin said as they laughed.
A rap on the door drew their attention. Jetta was there bent down to stare inside. "How are you doing, Merlie? Is it going alright?"
Merlie walked outside, then patted Jetta's ped. "We're good. I thought you had a meeting?"
"Not yet. I'm going to report remotely. We have to get this place going," he said.
"You're a good son, Jetta," she said patting his ped. "What about a church? Where's the church going to be?" she asked.
Jetta glanced at the others, then her. "Church?"
"Yes, son. The place you go to give thanks for your blessings," she said with a smile.
He thought a moment as he surfed the internet for data, then looked at her thoughtfully. "You require a church, then."
She smiled. "Where will I wear my hats? A woman needs to wear a good hat to church to thank God for their blessings. My mama used to say … "Merlie, every queen has her crown" and so I have mine. Do you see?"
Jetta didn't but he loved Merlie. Everyone loved her and Lorie, Omar's wife. "If you need a church, you get one." He glanced down the street, then to her. "Let me see what I can do, Merlie."
"You're a good man, Jetta. Thank you for being such a good son," Merlie said.
He smiled at her, then nodded. Turning to Mack who watched with fascination and no small amount of confusion, he walked down the street toward a tall three story building that faced this direction on E Street down the way. They reached it, then turned right to disappear.
"He's just the finest young man," Merlie said as she walked back toward the store. Then she paused to look at the three grinning men. "Would you sweet boys be so kind as to help us sort out the back room? We have boxes and boxes of things that need put away. I would do it myself with my girls but you're such fine young men, I know you will help us."
Will laughed as did the others. Then he hugged her. "For you, Merlie, the moon."
They were well into the work when a call was made. "Merlie? This is Jetta. Can you come to my signal?"
Merlie glanced at Will who answered. "We're on it, Jetta."
They walked out, climbed into the truck parked at the curb, then headed down Main, took a right at E Street, then drove the six blocks to the back door which was open into the domed space beyond. As they exited, they stared with amazement at a building that was sitting nearby, several hundred yards apart from the building but far enough away to catch the light as it streamed into the dome from the outside. They drove up and stopped, staring at the building that wasn't there shortly ago.
When they were working at Merlie's they felt a tremor but thought nothing of it. Mars was famous for tremors, some reaching seven on the Richter Scale on a regular basis. Now they could see what it was. Stepping out, they stared a moment, then walked to Mack and Jetta who were standing with Gyro, the head of the symbiont crew of Thrasher.
"Jetta … what the hell?" Will asked as the others stared upward at the building.
Jetta knelt. "Merlie said church. We went through different designs on the internet and saw this. Is it a problem? We have no idea what you need, to tell the truth."
"It's glorious," Merlie finally said. "This is glorious, Jetta. Did Thrasher make this?"
Gyro nodded. "He did. He likes it, too."
"How could anyone not love it?" Jetta said as he looked at the building.
It was a gigantically tall steel framed building with walls of glass on all its sides that rose up nearly 120 feet. Inside, rows of seating filled both sides of the aisle leading to a very simple altar. Wooden doors led inside but the rest of the building sans the tall metallic frame was glass, 425 huge windows of glass. Wood accents were everywhere and the floor was flagstones, polished and the color of sand. There were boxes inside for plants and some outside at intervals for trees that would be planted along with bushes and other greenery to enclose it in a casing of greenery that would resemble a forest. Everyone stared at it with a hushed sense of wonder.
"It was taken from a design of a place called the Chapel in the Woods. It's in Eureka Springs, Arkansas in the United States. It sort of belongs in an organic setting like this. Given its size and the need for trees and plants to enhance its beautiful design, we put it outside in the sunlight to ensure that the windows get their due," Jetta said.
Merlie looked up at him, then smiled. "You're a genius, son. You're a wonderful genius. Thank you, Jetta and Thrasher. This will do just fine."
He smiled at her, then bowed slightly. "Your wish is our command, my queen," he said.
… in the here and now …
"We called on the chaplain at Earth 1, Irene Millius to come and see it. She cried like a baby. I think Jetta has a friend for life," Ratchet said with a grin.
The humans nodded, then walked to it, entering the extraordinarily beautiful space to check it out.
"Imagine what it would be like when the plants are in place and all of this," Will said as he looked out at the sandy terrain beyond, "is planted and growing as well?"
"I can't wait," Ratchet said with a grin.
Everyone agreed with him.
-0-TBC 7-14-18 edited 7-17-18
I had to cannibalize the piece I got out of order to make it fit. Sorry about that. :D:D:D More to come, darlings.
A farrier is someone who shoes and maintains the hooves of horses, etc. Youtube can show you what farriers do if you google farrier. Horse hooves are made of the same stuff as our fingernails and hair. They need trimmed and maintained. It looks like it should hurt but it doesn't if you trim them right. A horse can truly suffer without good foot maintenance. Hugs, my darlings. More to come. D
I heart AMB on his day. :D