The Diego Diaries: Moving on (dd6 473)
NOTE: So tired. Here we go … :D
-0-Unidad
"What's in those boxes?" Owen Harris asked as two flatbeds with cages and boxes made their way toward where they were standing at the corner of two fields monitoring the irrigation of both.
"Some of those are newly arrived animals. We're putting them together out here to quarantine them a few days before bringing them into the farm. We're going to let them into the pastures near the lake, then go to the forest. Hop in the trucks and let's go," Zak Hadden said as he walked to the truck he had ridden in with his wife, Monica and a couple of agriculturalists. They jumped in as the visitors entered their own, then followed the trucks several miles to a fenced in pasture near the lake. Parking in a turnout just for such things, everyone got out.
Zak walked to one of the trucks and let down the back gate, pressing a button on the truck that made the bed roll forward to bring three cages toward him. Inside, three ewes, two lambs and a ram stared at him nervously. "This is the start of our sheep herd." He pulled the cages onto the gate, then lowered it to the ground. "Open the fence, Monica," he said as he turned the cages with the other men with him toward it. Opening the doors of the cages, he waited.
The sheep stared out, then tentatively walked out. Shooing them to the gate, they ran into the field, then halted to stare back at the humans. The cages were pushed to one side and more called forward. By the time they were finished with most of the cages in both trucks, ten sheep, ten goats, four Shetland ponies and four llamas were standing in groups in the lush green pasture.
"Will they be okay out this far alone?" Phoebe Grant asked. "This is so wonderful."
"They're going to be fine. We're checking on them twice a day for their health and well being. And no matter what, no one can escape from here," Monica said. "Even if my dog gets out and larks off, I'm going to find him eventually, if anything, using the sensor grid to locate him."
"Let's load up," Zak said as he finished reloading the trucks and situating the remaining cages for easier retrieval. They jumped in and drove off toward the forested area several miles away.
-0-At the Main Bridge Transport Depot for Off World Commerce and Cargo, Industrial Park City #5, Autobot City, Mars, Cybertron and the Empire, Postal District 7-21
"Thank you for coming, Sargent Epps," Tango said as he grinned at the soldier who drove in and parked nearby.
Walking through the barrier that separated cargo from Earth from the deadly lack of atmosphere of Mars, he looked up at the big mech who was a dock manager. :Glad to help. What have we got?: he asked.
Tango grinned. "A stowaway."
Epps sighed deeply.
-0-Forest, in the enchanted realms of Unidad Terra 1
They pulled up in the drive way parking lot constructed at the edge of the forest for maintenance vehicles and anything that hikers or workers rode there. There would be no traffic allowed in the confines of the forested area but for walking and hiking. When things were secure and rooted well, a couple of trails would be built to walk upon. Climbing out, they watched as Zak opened the back gates of the trucks. Rolling cages forward, he glanced at the forested area before them. They had a variety of trees both leafy and evergreen planted in groves. There were also bushes and ferns, berry bushes and other typical foliage of a forest area growing with abandon everywhere. It was randomly but expertly designed to allow growth that would echo normal distribution such as could be found on Earth. 19 acres were planted thus far with a projected 250 to go. There were meadows in the clearings with a small pond planned for two places to allow wild animals and birds a place to drink.
"Help me carry these cages," Zak said to everyone present.
They walked forward to carry them singly and two at a time toward a path that led into the density of trees, bushes and grasses that were flourishing. It was slow going for most of them as they carried the awkward loads. "How do you water everything?" Jerry Skura of Earth 1 asked as he carried a cage filled with song birds.
"We have a sprinkler system built in. We decided since we weren't ready for the complexity of rainfall yet, we'd use a sprinkler system laid in the ground to take care of static places like this. We have intricate irrigation for all our fields but this is complicated and thus, we water it with sprinklers," Zak said.
"Wait a minute," Kyle Davis asked. "You said … rain?"
Zak grinned. "The bots are working on a system of rain fall here, even snow once in a while. You have to remember … they terraform wherever they are. They can change any thing into something. They've done it for zillions of years and they also help other species with their worlds, too. They asked us if we wanted rainfall like a normal seasonal system. After we picked our jaws up off the floor, we said hell yes. God, these people are incredible."
They reached the place where a tall dove cote was placed. Hanging from it were flowering baskets of perennial plants and hummingbird feeders. Placing the cages on the ground, Zak began to open them. Most of them hesitated to come out, the birds inside, but they did and flew off, cardinals, sparrows, blue jays, robins, hummingbirds, starlings, four parrots, and some crows. Zak then picked up the remaining cage and walked onward. Everyone followed, then he paused in the next meadow where a tall nesting box with a feeding platform nearby was standing.
Putting down his box, he opened it. Lurching out, four squirrels looked at everyone, then ran back inside, lurched out again, ran back inside, then lurched out for the last time. Staring at the humans, they then bounced forward and ran for the tall platform to climb to the top. When they reached it, they did what all squirrels do, the little Cliffjumpers. They sat and bitched at the humans at the top of their voices.
Laughing loudly, the humans gathered the cages and walked back to their vehicles. With a side trip to the pasture to check on the new animals, they drove onward toward the dairy and horse barn. It would take a while to get there through the mostly rolling and flat terrain of The Farm, though it didn't go unnoticed that every road in the facility that they traveled over was a paved two lane with lines marked clearly.
-0-Cargo Depot
Epps watched as the bots lowered a large wooden box with the proper labeling to be here onto the floor. He watched as well as the bots then carefully pried it open on the sides. One entire side of the box fell forward onto the floor revealing its contents. Lying amongst a lot of food packages, most of them empty and water bottles, a teenaged boy stared at them, blinking at the bright light that flooded him. He sat up awkwardly, then stood amidst the rubble of his transport device. Blinking at Epps, he glanced around. "Hey … do you have a rest room around here?" he asked.
Moments later …
He walked out of the restroom that served the few humans who worked here, then halted before Epps. He was a tall thin well made young kid, maybe 17 or 18, African American, and had a sweet intensity that was disarming. "Thanks. I thought I'd die. I filled up the two mason jars I brought with me," he said with a grin. Then it faded. "Uh, I hope you're not mad."
"Why would I be mad? You mailed yourself here, took a chance that you'd end up in a space with no atmosphere, broke every rule and law in the book, trespassed on the sovereign territory of the Prime, took me away from my sandwich … why would I be mad?" Epps said as he noted Will Lennox and John Fulton walk into the room. He turned to them. "Christmas came early."
Fulton grinned in spite of himself. "It did. You do know that you violated the sovereign territory of the Prime of Cybertron. Tell us why we don't jail you?"
"I came because I want to work here. I want to be an astronomer. I got all A's in school and take advanced placement as well. I almost got into the space school at NASA. I wanted to come here and see Mars," he said.
"Who are you?" Lennox asked.
"I'm Michael Allen. I'm from Seattle but I live in Dubai for now, and I'm 18. Almost," he said with a slightly defiant expression. "I came here to be a worker and to learn. I don't know how to do it any other way." He looked hopeful. "It was pretty great how I got here."
"And you're going to explain that to us when we get to N.E.S.T. Headquarters," Lennox said as he gestured toward the vehicle sitting nearby.
"Are you going to send me back?" Michael asked warily.
"Most likely," Lennox replied, grinning in spite of himself.
"Then I ask for asylum." He crossed his arms over his chest with a defiant expression on his face.
Epps laughed. "Oh shit," he said.
-0-At a meeting in Ops Center
"We plan to move two million of our most endangered people from the farthest reaches of territory explored by Atlas. He's getting them ready," Prowl said as he perused a datapad handed to him by a runner. "Looks like a steady stream of individuals. Some of them are high caste. Might be fun. Not."
"We can hope so," Ratchet said. "I haven't slagged a stuffed shit since Knockout."
"How's that train wreck coming along?" Turbine asked with a grin as he lounged in his chair.
"Well, Breakdown has been accepted into the residential doctor training program, the one who makes house calls for elders and babies, those who are housebound or recovering at home. He's certified in every level as a medic and working toward minimal certification as an infant specialist as part of the residential program. He's got a thing for babies and they love him. As for his own, that sparkling is breathtaking. He runs, talks and goes full time to the Prep Academy. He's got Breakdown's face, Knockout's wings and a lot of sweet goodness."
"What about old hard aft?" Blackjack asked with a grin.
"He's director of internal medicine, day shift. He's more administrative than hands on, though he has talent, the slagger. He's gotten a lot better here. He can't saw things off for spite or I'll plant him," Ratchet said.
"Plant him anyway," Delphi said with a grin. "That fragger is a pain in the aft."
"He is but Breakdown got the upper hand somehow and its fun to watch him do what he's told," Ratchet said with a chuckle.
"Speaking of sparklings … we have conferences in three orns," Prowl said. "Who wants to raise their servos that we don't get to go?"
No one did.
"Football is going to finish up shortly, Kaon in the running, of course, and then Halloween. Remember, Thanksgiving is candy this year," Ratchet said.
"Fudge. Warrior candy," Ironhide said with a contented grin. "FUDGE! WARRIOR FOOD! SNACK FOOD OF CHAMPIONS!"
"There, there, Sonny," Delphi said flipping him some candy that he always carried for children. Especially the big ones.
"Thanks, Amma," Ironhide said with a grin.
Prime smirked, then glanced at Prowl. "When can we expect refugees?"
Prowl glanced at the datapad. "In a decaorn. They might come in faster, those they can't handle for health or mental reasons. Other than that, they're gathering them now and getting ready to send them in smaller groups, 50-1000,000 at a time."
"I remember when 27 nearly capsized us," Ratchet said with a grin.
"I do as well," Prime said with a grin of his own. "Good of the order?"
-0-On a planet in another dimension far away
They walked down the steps from the school side-by-side. The meeting of the appropriate school authorities went well. Putting the fear of Primus into them about the bullying their son, and it turned out several other children who were experiencing the same from three big youngling mechs, had birthed a plan of action. That Springer said he would be policing it himself also helped. And that Ironhide would be checking out the situation from his angle … that was good, too. They paused on the steps to watch cars drive past. "This has been a very, very strange few orns," Springer said.
Ironhide nodded as he squeezed Springer's servo. "Do you suppose they made it back to their universe?"
"I hope so," Springer said as he looked at Ironhide. "You do know that they were aspects of us? That we're all one personality having zillions of different lives but focusing only on the one we are in."
Ironhide nodded. "I do. It was good for that Springer to take an interest in Drift. I don't know what we were thinking not jumping on this."
"I was surprised to know it was happening," Springer said as they walked down the steps to go. "Imagine, Only One … your entire world, family, way of life … everything … destroyed."
Ironhide shook his helm. "I can't, Springer," he said as they disappeared into the pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk nearby.
-0-In a locker room in a school far away later that morning
Drift sat on the bench waiting for the bell to go to lunch. They had worked on a health unit, a facet of their physical education. Apparently, his genitors were coming to school today to work on the bully problem. That three of them were in this class was still nauseating and he did his best to look like all was well. He rose to go when the bell rang, then was bumped by one of the three as he passed by. Just as Drift was ready to explode a voice rang out.
"METAL!"
The kid who bumped him, an older mech named Metal froze in place, then turned to the teacher. "Coach?"
"GET IN HERE!" his teacher called out.
The kid hesitated, then walked into the nearby office of his teacher.
"MARTEL! SINGULAR! GET IN HERE!" The coach was standing by the door with a datapad in his servo. He looked lit. The boys walked in, then he looked at Drift. "Go to lunch, infant. Have a good orn. This slag is over."
Drift looked at him with a hopeful expression that would stay in the processor of his teacher forever. He nodded, then walked out the door with everyone else, most of whom looked incredibly happy. When they were gone, the coach shut the door, then glowered at the three who looked freaked out. "Well, well, well … haven't we been busy lately?" he said before he lowered the boom.
Out in the hallway, Drift and four of his friends, all of them bullied stared at the door. Then they looked at Drift. "What was that about?"
Drift smiled. "My genitors. They took care of it. Springer … he took care of it." He grinned, then looked at them. "I owe him one."
"Who? Your ada?" his best friend, Cycle asked.
"No. Someone else. Come on. Its lunch time," Drift said and then for the first time he hurried down the hall with a light and happy spark. Behind him, his friends followed.
-0-N.E.S.T. HQ
He ate his food ravenously, glancing at the amused men who sat at the table with him. They had taken his details and searched him out. He was an honors student at a school in Dubai, though he lived and was born in Seattle, Washington. His father worked for an oil company and he lived with his mom and dad, a sister named Susie, two brothers, Jamal and Tom, and a dog named Tobin. He attended an international school where he aced the science, had a lot of interests in sports and languages, though he only spoke English and was a well liked kid who never got into trouble. How he got here, he still wasn't telling.
"You do know that we have to call your parents," Epps said.
"Please don't. I want to see this place. I want to show them what I can do. You could always use another scientist, right? Unidad could use another employee? I just graduated. I graduated early. My folks went me to go to college but I want to work here. In science. With the bots." He looked at them with his big dark eyes and earnest youthful face. It was hard not to like him a lot.
"How the hell did you get here. We have to know for security reasons," Fulton asked.
He stared at Fulton, then hesitantly glanced around. "Uh, my dad ... he works knows the expediter for shipping for the Middle East. I sorta ... I might have sorta glanced at the shipping manifests for Mars ... maybe."
"Your family is going to paddle your butt, kid. What are we going to do with you?" Lennox asked.
Epps thought a moment, then stood. "Come on, kid. I want you to meet someone."
The kid looked at him hopefully, then stood with his sandwich in hand. "Where are we going? Do I get a suit, too?"
"Nope," Epps said with a grin as he walked toward the hatch where the motor pool was.
Lennox, Graham, Fulton, and Corey McFarlane glanced at each other, then rose. They followed the two into the motor pool where the doors closed tightly behind them.
-0-TBC 9-17-18
I've been watching videos on you tube lately and I have to recommend the following. Go there and search for a Friessan horse named Frederick the Great. OMG. May I say it again. O!M!G! Even if you don't like horses, you will like this one. Oh, and Gypsy Vanners. :D:D:D You will understand why a horse is usually the first boyfriend that girls have.
NOTES!
optimus prime101 chapter 471 . Sep 15
oh pleases put up more chapters today, please.
ME: i will try every day. :D
SkyenhaMarisa chapter 471 . Sep 14
We need squirrels. I have one making a home along the root of a dead tree in my front yard. He loves the purple potatoes in my garden. We won't tell my sister I got food for him for the winter. Llamas are nice the wool makes lovely lace yarn.
ME: Done deal! :D
Burningrose194 chapter 469 . Sep 13
Oh thank Primus because I am very confused as to what is going on here
ME: You're welcome. So am I. LOL!
Ragemoose chapter 468 . Sep 13
it might be because im low on sleep and its 4 am but i had a hard time parsing this chapter will have to give it another read when im better rested. its interesting to see how this plays out and how everyone and everything is connected. my best guess for the creepy place is the Dead Universe, or wherever leige maximo is. we know this is being perpetrated by someone important because prima was so mad about it. it would be interesting to see more interactions with the little kid drift and a grown up drift. i also wonder what happened in ratchets family line in he peaceful universe that he wasn't born? i would expect he'd exist with maybe even siblings, because ravvie and tie wouldn't have been taken advantage of and probably could have afford to raise at least one, if not more mechlings. its all very interesting! very excited to see where this goes. i hope if theres a battle with someone like leige maximo, micronus, solus, and onyx get to kick butt together :9
thank you for another great chapter!
ME: More if not all of this will return with the thread but its going to be a while. This was an intro and then a fade. I will bookmark your thread for later. :D Ratchet's family and all the rest play a part in this along with a number of other universes. Time has fractured and things are amiss but that's down the road. :D
Guest chapter 468 . Sep 12
Your universes are a bit mixed in this chapter, it was Mars Prowl that ended with Megatron etc.
ME: I know. SOB! I think I hammered it out though. Thank god it wasn't supposed to be a long thread.
Misty Legionnaire chapter 467 . Sep 11
I'm eagerly awaiting the next chapter. I hope Springer tells Peace Drift some pointers to get to Mars Prime rather than be taken to school. Or to Shatter Glass Prime if he ends up there.
ME: More will come from later on but this thread closes one of the small problems. That doesn't mean they won't show up again. ;)
Guest chapter 466 . Sep 11
Waiting eagerly to see what crises the peaceful Prime is handling.
I would guess this is Liege Maximo or Megatronus pulling strings, but it doesn't feel malevolent enough for them. Micronus, maybe...
ME: The next part isn't for a while but its coming. ;)
Misty Legionnaire chapter 466 . Sep 10
I'm looking for the next chapter. Glad to see them defining the universes. Looks like more and more bots are being drawn into the Möbius strip.
I'm a bit worried about little kid Drift. I sure hope he doesn't slip his universe, but if he does, hopefully he ends up in Mars and picked up as a 'truant youngling'.
Will humans get drawn in? Wouldn't it be a kick in the teeth Mars Lennox slips to Peace universe? I would pity the humans who got snagged.
Good luck with this thread of the story.
ME: The humans will get drawn in. The humans in Peaceful Universe Prime's world aren't friendlies. That's all I can say. ;)
Each universe says something about the possibilities of the spirit and they can diverge a lot or not.