The Diego Diaries: Refugee (dd6 476)
-0-At the Immigration and Refugee Bureau Port of Entry, Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars, Cybertron and the Empire, southwest of Terra and west of the Big Frame Shipyard
They came through the jump gates, those that were healthy and ready to move to a safer and usually better life. Walking out of the building where the four gates were being utilized, they stepped out into the frigid cold sunshine of Mars. Carrying pitifully few things, their children and pets, a cherished artifact, sometimes even their elders on their backs, they were led in groups toward a line where they would wait to be checked through the port of entry. There were literally dozens of stations where individuals worked swiftly processing the newcomers so that they could enter and walk to a bus or other transport which matched their destination. When they were full, they would drive off for their new homes in a new city on a new world with a number of guides who would help them.
The most needy and infirm were flown here by vessels through the bridges to be taken directly into care. Huge ships flew slowly overhead, coming to the planet from the staging area many light years away through the Triggers. They carried all of the belongings and stores of the refugees, numbered and tagged so they could be returned when things settled. It was busy as could be and would be for a long time. They had five or six million refugees to absorb according to whatever account you heard and there was no time to waste.
Ultra Magnus and his team stood nearby watching their people come through, walking with amazement and jaw dropped astonishment at the panorama around them. There was a real genuine appearing Cybertronian cityscape here and it was theirs, too, when they were checked through. Children cried or played around their families while others hid behind legs, peering out fearfully or shyly depending on their life beyond these stars. Some came alone and others with their entire families. He wondered as he watched how many of them would find family and friends here? All of them, he thought. All of you. He glanced at Blondi who was gathering information from runners. They would be here a long while, then head back to City Hall to take the growing number of appointments to speak with him. Some of them were leaders checking in with him, to thank him and offer their services and knowledge. Some of them were high castes. Whether they would be trouble or not, he didn't know yet. It would be interesting to see.
Or not.
-0-School District Central Office, Metrotitan, Metro District #4, Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars, Cybertron and the Empire, Postal District #1642-B
They had gathered together to work out the plan for the influx of students that would be perhaps never ending. The refugees had been gathered, given rest and refreshment, medical attention and a good sound review of the life ahead. Counts had been made and it was clear that they would hold the line with this group but more would have to be done with the newer refugees that were being gathered. All of the plans were being updated to meet a range of influx in Long Term Expansion Plan A and B of up to ten million individuals, through Plan F which projected up to 100,000,000. The plats that were the design plans of every place they had now would be doubled and tripled in the new building phases that Jetta and his several divisions were working out now.
Given that they had security zones in which to build, outside of which any habitations would be problematic to defend, that idea was now being modified like everything else. Part of what was being found were soldiers and Seekers. There were lines on those stranded behind enemy lines, entire flights that would be rescued through judicious use of bridges. More information was needed and Atlas was after it. He wanted them neutralized and removed, too. More found, more saved, more guns on their side to defend. Thus, the older security zones could be expanded to meet the need.
Right now, they were preparing for 22,000 plus new students that would be arriving over the duration of this migration. They would have to open a youngling school in one of the set aside towers for the new children. Intermediate would hold now but would have to be revised with another tower for those that were coming. Sparkling Day with two towers would have another one, just like Youngling Day. The University and its array of annex sites along with the tech schools were going to hold up well but their expansions would be handled as well when the time came.
The need for teachers, specialists and other personnel was being undertaken by their personnel department with an optic toward culling the refugee lists for those who were teachers already and ready to learn their system. Pairing them with mentor teachers in their new schools would help transition everyone in the right direction. It would be a battle royal to get it ready but they were determined.
And delighted.
-0-Trigger
Miler sat at his station programming the computers to take and send all manner of ship, individual and cargo that was needed both within the usual areas of operation but also out in the boondocks where Dai Atlas operated with his huge organization and their related allies. As he waited for a retrieval, he considered his genitors. He hadn't seen them for a while but they were doing their usual thing, working orn and night on their problem and project. They were always focused to an insane degree on whatever idea they were on and he knew it wasn't about him. It was them. That was the way they were.
He considered his own slide toward their habits and personality, then the jolt of the Diaspora. It had burned out of both of them any notions that they were intrinsically better somehow than anyone else. They could bleed and die just as easily as anyone else. They had come to their senses and it was the best thing they had ever encountered since the birth of their son.
Sons.
Prima was excelling in the Prep School along with his nieces, Iacon and Uraya. Prowler, Resolve, Io and Mars, any number of other infants, some friends of family and others not were the friends of their son. He would grow up with everyone and be happy from the start. Having him was the most loving and healing thing he had ever done for himself. Both he and Venture had thought about it but the accident of it happening had been Primus blessed. The look on Prowl's face was priceless. So was his life.
He felt lonely for his genitors, lonely to know them and lonely for them to be friends with others. They were totally involved with each other and they were simpatico to an extreme that he'd never encountered in anyone else. Maybe that was their happiness. Maybe working together in a way that didn't even require words was their genuine delight. He hoped so. They were the two loneliest mechs he had ever seen.
That is, they were now. Before, he could attest that that couple had to have been Venture and himself.
"Miler … we're ready," the pilot called out from the master control station.
Miler checked the math and programming for the master computer. "You are go, Lextel."
"Affirmative, Milie," he said, then another half a dozen giant freight ships burst forward to head toward the major refugee camp where Dai Atlas was moving six million refugees back to safety. When they were gone and the camp cleaned up, six million more would come, some from relative safety but most from the pits of hell.
It would never seem to end.
-0-School
"Are you ready for conferences?" Roto asked Laret as he gathered his stuff up to go to Intermediate to test the human kids in their language class.
"We are. You?" Laret asked with a grin as she took her break in the teacher's lounge.
"Born ready," Roto said with a grin. "We're going camping in the Valles this weekend if things go according to plan. Ratchet and Prowl are letting us take horses. They're going to be transported there and now they have a stable for them built in the Upper Deck Campground in Area 2. We're going to be staying there in the cabins."
"If you can get us a cabin, we would love to come. Fifi rides in gym class. They go once a decaorn to the stables to ride the horses. There's word that they're going to try and get small horses, tiny ones for the babies to ride. Do we bring a horse, too?" Laret asked.
"We have that nailed down. We're going to try to figure out how many are coming so we can ask. You do know that Prime and Ironhide own 22 of the horses there," Roto asked with a grin.
"I knew it was a lot. Autobot Scouts and all," Laret said with a chuckle.
"I love asking Prowl about it. He nearly comes unscrewed," Roto said as he gathered his things and a cup of something hot. "I'll let you know. Check with Neo. We've got time to plan if you can come."
"I will," Laret said as she watched him walk out. Glancing at her datapad, she noted where Neo was, then walked out. They would come, too. Talley-ho, y'all.
-0-On the TransWorld Highway to the Weather Station
They rode on the bus having spent the morning at the Geology Station three hundred miles behind them. Gathering in their science classroom, the group that included Fireball, Santee, Quadrus, Coros, and Rambler were headed to the highways and byways to do science and test theories. They would have lunch at the Geology Station, then head onward to the Weather Station which was nearly 800 miles from Autobot City. They had long term projects going and they were back to check their findings.
It was a mellow group on the bus. Given that Ratchet never knew until the night before and he had to jam a bag full of food of all manner, shapes and sizes, Fireball's lunch was much bartered over. Even his siblings who had a great heaping lunch bag from their Ammas and Appa looked at Fireball's with envy. Now they were full, content and rambling down the road.
"What about the weekend?" Fireball asked.
"We don't know what Ammas and Appa want yet. We're due for system checks and you know we have to be there for some of it," Quadrus said.
"Can't we do that remotely?" Fireball asked with a slight whine.
Santee laughed. "No. You know we can't. What's the deal?" he asked with a grin.
"Lumi and I were going to be in a dart tournament," Fireball said with a sigh.
"The one at the Youth Club in Iacon?" Coros asked.
Fireball nodded. "That one. We've practiced and we thought we could enter the team doubles."
It was quiet a moment, then Coros turned in his seat to peer at the big kids sitting in the two behind him. "What's the deal with some of the human kids?"
"What do you mean? I don't know any. Well, maybe Sarah and the kids in Sunspot's room. They seem nice. Which kids?" Quadrus asked.
"The ones at Youngling Day. The new ones that are here," Coros asked. "They ask about you and Lumi. They want to know about your relationship. They want to know about our relationships. It feels weird when they ask."
"Where do they ask?" Rambler asked.
"At the library, the parks … when they're around. They know some of us from things," Coros said. "I don't know them well but some of the bots I know have genitors working at the habitats. They seem snoopy and nosy. I don't like it."
Rambler nodded. "They used to ask me once in a while about some of the bots they know. I don't really tell them anything. I don't like talking about us to strangers. Some of the humans at Earth2 aren't friends of us. Unidad seems nice. Some of the humans there I've met when I was with my atar. But Earth2 doesn't feel good to me."
They chatted a while, then reached the huge weather station where the equipment was located underground and on four mammoth towers that stood in a row nearby. Three huge dishes rounded out the weather control equipment that saved them from sandstorms that lasted months. Their teachers stood, reminded them of experiments, manners and staying on task, then they began to climb down to go inside. They would stay there for three joors, then begin the trek back. They would get to their school two joors after it let out, then head for home.
It would be a long orn.
-0-Around the fam
He worked on the knee of a battered kid who fell from a 'bike'. It was a hovering craft that one sat on and it flew steadily, if not swiftly. Mostly they were used by the elderly or infirm but now and again, someone would get one to lark around on, often crashing into something that required faster reflexes to miss than they figured on. Patching the dent, Partition stood up and grinned at the kid looking at him with a rueful expression. "You can see the hospital or go to a private doctor to have the examination I suggested. Have it scanned, then do what they tell you. The paint can be patched at a detailer." He reached for the tiny hover scooter. "This is cute. But I heard they turn on a dime. You need faster reflexes. Lamp poles don't give when you hit them."
"It was either that or a mech," the kid said with a grin. "Good thing I have this. I can go to our clinic before my genitors get home and use this for kindling. Thanks," he said.
"Don't mention it," Partition said as he watched the kid climb on, then buzz off slower than he flew when he swerved into a lamp pole. He gathered his kit, then turned to his beat partner. "What were you saying about the Valles?"
"Roto and Terri are going horseback camping in the Upper Deck area and they want a bunch of us to go. We have to let him know by today at least. They have to get the horses and transport ready." His fellow Day Watchman, a young mech named Twoloose, a mid caste who had become his partner and good friend stepped around a mech unloading a truck onto the sidewalk. He was seeing someone and they double dated a lot, Partition and Lancer, Twoloose and Barty, his beau.
"Let me call Lancer," Partition said as he went quiet. They walked along the sidewalk, then Partition glanced at him. "Lancer and I are in. What about you?"
"We're in," Twoloose said with a grin. "After shift, we can meet up and figure out what to bring," he said as they walked along fading into the crowded sidewalk filled with citizens old and brand new.
-0-Elsewhere
"What about the game?" Bluestreak asked as he worked on the data that was stacking up.
"We're on it," Sideswipe said. "We're on call here for riot duty during the settling in. The refugees seem to be doing alright but you never know. No one is supposed to be there until 1900 and the kids will be in bed. I can get the food and beer. Don't worry about it, Blue."
"Don't worry about it. You want 20 or so mechs at the house to play cards and no one is to worry," Blue said with a grin. "Why not ask your old dad for the keys to the man cave?"
Sideswipe who was running courier notices everywhere grinned. "Good idea. See ya," he said as he rolled out again.
"Count on it, bae," Blue said with a chuckle. "Bae. Humans and their cute words."
-0-Down below the ground in the deep depot armory under Metrotitan
"So that's why I'm asking."
Ironhide stared at his son, then grinned. "Sounds like fun."
"Come, too. Things are going to get bat shit around here for a while. Let's have a mechs night out at the man cave. Besides, we can gang up and fleece all of them," Sideswipe said.
Ironhide chuckled. "Sounds good to me. I suppose you only want your slagger punk friends along."
"Nope," Sideswipe said with a grin. "Invite your family and I'll get Prime and Venture there. We can get them liquored up and watch the fun."
"Done deal. When?"
"1900 hours. Bring your favorite beer and snacks," Sideswipe said before skating out.
Ironhide watched him go. "Count on it, slagger."
-0-TBC 9-21-18