The Diego Diaries: Festival (dd6 414)
-0-Later that night before the siren
They lounged in their chairs having put all the kids to bed and thereby, having time for themselves a moment.
To eat everything in the fridge and raid a cupboard.
Sitting across from a fully satiated Ratchet and Ironhide, Alor who hadn't touched anything but what he usually ate before fasting because he was principled and Blackjack who had cleaned out their fridge because he wasn't grinned at the pair. Sitting between them staring at his surroundings, Flipper was contented.
But then, he was a cow.
"You're all pigs, all three of you," Alor sniffed as he grinned at the three.
"We need a piggy. I want a tiny one, like that one on youtube that jumps around like popcorn on a frying pan," Blackjack said with a grin and a wink at Ironhide.
"The frag you are," Alor said. He grinned. "They're cute, though, the really tiny ones especially."
Everyone agreed. It was pleasantly quiet, then Ratchet grinned. "Raise your servo if you forgot about this for whatever reason."
For a moment, no one moved, then they all did. Alor shook his helm. "We always saluted it even during the Diaspora. We may never have fasted or did the other things, but we took time to salute it. What's this world coming to?" he asked with a grin.
Huge laughter and a few rude suggestions greeted that.
The door opened and in came Turbine, Hard Drive, Delphi, and Raptor from their apartments in the lower levels of the tower. They glanced at the dish littered sink, then sat down and mocked everyone in the room but Alor. Alor never cheated that part.
In front of them.
Out of a carry hold came another cow-let and he mooed in happiness to see Flipper. Down Flipper went and the two chased each other around, hopping and gently knocking heads together like calves. They were great entertainment.
-0-Upstairs
He stood on the balcony ruing his forgetfulness. Usually he was up on it but Ceelie was still out helping her brother with their new baby and his appointments aide whose job she was covering as well was still laid up with a hip replacement from falling from a rock face while climbing with his club. He was more fragged up it would appear than Prime had thought.
The city spread everywhere before him and the idea of it doubling or tripling was almost scary. They had good buy in from the 27,000,000+ who were already here with more coming every day. What would it mean to have a city so big that it lost its immediacy and charm overnight? He wanted his people, he ached for them, but he also loved this place from the beginning until two minutes ago the way it was, knowable and intimate still. What would happen when it got bigger?
A soft breeze caressed his face, one not born of the elements but something more ethereal. It passed as swiftly and he knew intuitively that he had been comforted by Solus Prime. He vented a soft sigh, then considered his questions and quests for the mission ahead, one that took him from this dimension to that where gods lived. He was ready for it.
A gentle touch on his arm drew him back as he looked down at Prowl. Solus was in a onesie, her big smile tonic to his uneasy spirit. He took her, then turned to the night beyond. "This, my daughter, is your home. We will make it right for everyone," he said softly. They would chat quietly, then walk back in to wait for tomorrow to come. As they did, the siren rolled through the colony to signal the beginning of the greatest and most holy orn in Cybertronian culture.
-0-The Monastery of the Clavis Aurea
The place was quiet as the evening wound down. There would be those who stayed in the scriptoriums working on things that they were searching for, some for the Omega Keys and others for whatever esoteric idea or factoid that they needed and wanted. The evening lighting was turned down and the doors but for the front were closed against the night. The Gatekeeper was walking through the facility taking in the few who were meditating in the alcoves along the walls, sitting in thought here and there as he made his way toward the libraries, scriptoriums, reading rooms, the schools for children and for adults, the places of discussion and enlightenment … all of them were well.
He walked down the corridor that led to the offices, then downward to the living spaces where a surprising number made their home. The Functionalists were here including the children who would be evaluated for transfer to other homes among the small and determinedly normal Functionalist sect that lived here as well. It was still to be decided. Monks lived here and so did the Master, Cyclonus. Also among them were sub adults who were studying to be readers and interpreters of the masses and masses of books, databases and other works, the odd bachelor including one who liked living a quiet life when not working on his day job of writing for the newspapers of the Metro Districts as well as families. The community was austere, organized and fulfilling to many.
He walked through the corridors, chatted with this and that person as he continued onward, seeing to the needs of the community, ensuring that all was well. The community would gather in the main room and watch a monitor as the Festival progressed at the Temple downtown. They wouldn't go. They would remain here with the children of the Functionalists and their families, taking it all in on familiar territory. Cyclonus would wait on the steps with the priests of the Temple and Alpha Trion. He would only leave after the blessings and when Prime called the Solemnities to an end. Right now? He was in the scriptorium pursuing promising leads on the Omega Keys.
Night would pass quietly in the Monastery of the Clavis Aurea of Upper Tetrahex on Cybertron, now here on Mars.
-0-Earth 1
They heard the siren, those who were still up. Most of the leadership would attend at the Temple along with the Wilkersons and their son, Angus Optimus. The others would stay and watch it at home due to the fact that 5-6 million pilgrims were due to show up to see the spectacle at the Temple. The idea of going through them to get there and then come back was overwhelming to most, though they would if they could pop in and go back the same way.
Some of them stared out of the windows toward the glow in the distance, the colony sparkling in the darkness of the deep cold night of Mars. Somewhere out there was the newest habitat, Unidad Terra 1 with about 712 individuals living in a space for tens of thousands. They were hoping to go see the facility tomorrow or the next day. Soon, they hoped. New neighbors, new opportunities to exchange ideas, meet new people, and find now possibilities on the dating scene. It would be a long quiet march to morning at Earth 1.
-0-The Functionalists
The largest number of adults worked at simple jobs and did them well. Those who lost their family members permanently and those who knew it would be temporary were still the same, equally distraught. What made them different was their self contained patience. They learned from early on that emotions were detrimental to good order, led to base actions centered around faulty thinking and thus, it was best to keep them to yourself if you couldn't eliminate them altogether. Only logic mattered, logic and cold hard reason.
They were told how to live and even here among the elite of that group, it was clear that they worked as parts of a bigger picture, cogs in a larger machine. Their children had absorbed the lessons of self containment, silence and patience. They moved through their orn doing what they were told very efficiently and little more.
The children worked in the school where Cyclonus visited often. They disturbed him, the children. They were supposed to be a lot of things at this age but nothing like what he was seeing. They had to be prompted to do 'spontaneity', something that was unnatural even among the children of the Clavis Aurea.
They were an austere group, a contained and intellectual faction that put understanding and the deeper meanings underlying the seemingly mundane to be worthy of time and effort. In the words of their people lie the wisdom necessary to go forward and prosper. They dug at meaning, discussed among each other and argued points endlessly. They wrote treatises, commentaries, monologues between this ancient poet and that ancient philosopher to show their point. It was glorious. It was incredible and expansive for their sparks. The core of scholars who came here to study and work were an incredible group of learned mechs and femmes. It was a place of learning, philosophy and a rock hard belief in the Pantheon, especially those related to the Guiding Hand.
The Functionalists were Guiding Hand but had taken another road, one that had led to ruin and death wherever they went. They had no more ability to feel the effects of their actions than a stone. The adults were docile and obedient without the 12 to tell them what to do. The children were silent and unknowable. It was going to be a struggle for the community to turn around but none of them were going to shirk their part of the process.
The Gatekeeper reached the upper main room again, then walked to the door. Staring at the Temple below in the city, he bowed lowly, then stood up to stare again. "To our Lord Primus and The One, our people await your grace." He stared at the sky and the glittering city below. Then he reached for the doors and began to close them against the cold of the night. No one would come here until the morning when the congregation who could make it would watch the show on the monitor in the main hall. They would watch Master Cyclonus walk with Turbine the Maker as they followed the First Disciple of Primus to the Temple of Simfur Restored. Even thinking about it, the Gatekeeper felt a thrill. Then he closed the doors and they clicked shut. It would be quiet at the Monastery of the Clavis Aurea.
-0-Earth2
They had watched the news, had dinner and discussed the many and different ways that things had changed and how they would affect the future of human life on Mars. Earth2 was no longer the new kid or even the most interesting one on the block. Prime had thrown down on them, opening a massive and startlingly diverse operation almost in defiance of the demands of humans on Earth. It was playing well there with tens of millions clambering to be a part of the venture.
They would have to be scoped out. He had heard that a church had been built for some of the locals and that would allow those who wished to gather there from all over the area to discuss the condition of their souls. There was going to be a major sized downtown with all the amenities and he had heard that a dairy and horses had already arrived.
He was startled that his son would have his offices there. Rick lived here but he would work there. It would be good. Rick could tell him a lot of what was happening, how the hierarchy worked and what it would take to build bridges. Rick would be his eyes and ears in the habitat, this massive science, agricultural and social experiment of Prime's.
What was unfortunate for Owen Harris regarding his plans was very simple. Rick Harris didn't want to be his father's spy. He liked the bots. He liked being on world and he wasn't prepared to betray anyone. Unfortunately for his father, Owen had forgotten a major factor in his son's reluctance.
Rick Harris was friends with a lot of bots and people and they were friends back.
-0-TBC 7-16-18 edited 7-18-18
NOTES:
SkyenhaMarisa chapter 413 . 8h ago
You do realize that today is Amazon PRIME DAY. Ducks and runs.
ME: BWAHAHAHA! IT WAS! I should buy something. :D Or not. :D:D:D HUGS!
Sunstreaker's Girl chapter 413 . 13h ago
I love this arc of the story. It's interesting to read.
I can't believe most of the Bot forgot about the Festival of Primus! I guess that's what happens when you're busy having fun.
ME: I sorta love when they aren't infallible. :D They did forget and now its a scramble. But knowing them, they got this. :D:D:D HUGS!
Guest chapter 364 . 16h ago
Your story is wonderful. I can feel my knowledge base getting bigger and broader with every chapter! Astronomy, geography, agriculture and now animal husbandry... both lowing and cud are something that somehow never came up when I was learning English. I wonder why?
ME: The thing with English is that there are so many different meanings for the same word that its probably very hard for a non-speaker to get all the meanings. Since I grew up around farms and dairies, had them and ranches in the family, I have a lot of trivia. :D When I was a kid, I read the encyclopedia set we had from end to end. Most of the kids in my family did. You get a lot of great stuff that way. LOL!
I am very delighted that you enjoy the story. I love to write it and having people read it is the best part for me of all. I was a teacher for 30 years and love everything. Now is my chance to use all that stuff and build it into the story. I like to add a lot of details because it helps people build the picture of the story in their heads and makes it more real. Lots of science and stuff. :D:D:D HUGS!
ANOTHER NOTE:
When Ratchet asked 'who wants to see the pickle room?' he was stealing a great line from a Burger King commercial where a robotic tour guide presents the prep for their burgers with a really hilarious super animated style.
By the way, I love sliding in asides and puns. Just so you know … 'and Scotland was brave' … only one person caught that that I know of, LOL!, but I salute all of you. :D
ESL-I am happy to do this and explain things. English as second language people (ESL) are my heroes.
Rue: (roo) to regret. Ruing means regretting.
Ethereal: (ee-th-ear-eee-ul) something that is less substance than us, something ghost like, otherworldly, delicate, dainty
esoteric (ess-oh-tear-ik) obtuse, abstract, probably would be understood by only a few