The Diego Diaries: Possibility (dd6 525)
-0-At the wingding
"What are you making for dinner? Its about two orns away."
"I thought I would bake two or three turkeys. You know how good they are … the usual perfection," Prowl said as he sipped his second beer. He grinned.
Ratchet grinned back. "Take the tags off the boxes this time, slagger. I'm going to bring sides and buns. Ironhide has decided he's a bonafide bun connoisseur. He wants to bring the planet into his appreciation of the finely turned bun."
Prowl chuckled. "Bun connoisseur. Don't say that around the humans."
Ratchet laughed. "By the way, you can go to work now. Are you going to be bringing Possibility? By the way, I love his name."
"Thanks. I do, too. It sort of describes this place," Prowl said. "We wanted to honor the finding of this place and the return in numbers of our people with Miracle. Solus is self evident. She's his patron. Sojie is honoring the Seeker drone and its creators. Sojourner has a great history on Earth as well."
"We named Orion for the Boss and Praxus for Ironhide's hometown. Hero was named by Sunspot for his own reasons but he might as well have been naming himself. Prowler was named after a giant whiner but I forget who it was … and Halo for her sensor array. I also think it fits her sunny personality. Sunspot wasn't named by us but its a perfect name for him."
Prowl nodded. "He's doing really well. He's not really shying away from the humans here and some of them are new."
Ratchet nodded. "He is. Slow but sure. Conferences will be coming after New Year and Veteran's orn. Have you got Christmas Surprise organized yet?"
"I do. I also will appoint a few more Santa Primes. We have so many kids we need help. Also, I'm adding one for the elders. By the way, you're the Santa Prime for shut ins and others who fall into the medical category. You're welcome." Prowl grinned.
Ratchet grinned. "Are you sure you won't regret that?"
Prowl's smirk faltered a moment, then he regarded Ratchet with a cool gaze. "Tell me about your candy entry."
"Its slagging amazing. It won't be missed its such a stand out," Ratchet said.
"Is that so?" Prowl asked. "Mine is beautiful, graceful, glorious even … you know, like me."
They both laughed riotously.
The party would go on and in the end they would go their ways to do the bidding of The People. The party would continue onward without them.
-0-Later that night
"Ada, I'll need a lunch tomorrow. I'm going to Trypticon and they're working on the concession area to bring it up to specs. They want to have a cafe for humans there and for any that stay overnight. They're building a dormitory for students and rooms for adults who go with them," Fireball said as he leaned against the counter putting dishes away as Ironhide dried and Ratchet washed.
"Get a big old tub and I'll fill it!" Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Don't use Ironhide. He has things to do tomorrow."
"OH, HA HA, RATCHET!" Ironhide said as he flexed his frame.
Huge laughter.
"How about a silver bucket?" Ironhide suggested as they finished their slag together.
"Halo needs it," Ratchet said. "She still fits it. Little femme may be walking around and talking but she still fits her baby pail." He reached under the cupboard and pulled out a nice bag. "We'll fill this to the brim and we can put whatever needs to stay cold in the fridge, then load you up in the morning. Dig around and get the stuff you want, then I'll add the stuff you need later."
They walked over to sit and watch the big kid look in cupboards, pull things out and put them into the bag. It was adorable how cute he was.
"What are you doing, Fireball? We're playing The War For Cybertron," Quasar said from the doorway of the corridor that led to their end of the house. Orion and Praxus were standing with him, tiny imps around the feet of their oversized brother.
"YOU, TIE-TOE! YOU COMED TO THE SHES?! WE COMED TO PLAYIN' THE THING! WAWR FOR FOOFER!" Orion exclaimed with excitement.
"YOU COMING, FIREBALL!?" Praxus asked equally excitedly. "We can play!"
Prowler walked up behind them, then stared at each with a smile. He was dragging his panda bear and had nothing to add to the inquiry. He was a mech(let) of few words.
Fireball grinned at them. "I'm coming." He glanced at Ratchet and Ironhide relaxing in their chairs. "Can I bring snacks to the game?"
"Yes," Ironhide and Ratchet together.
"I COMED TO HELP LOU!?" Orion asked with gathering excitement.
"I'm good, Orion. I'm coming. Hang on a moment and I'll bring stuff," Fireball said as he hurried.
"I, Orion will help Tie-Toe," he said as he walked into the kitchen with the usual confident swagger that he always had when he wanted to help someone. He reached Fireball, then looked way upward. "I HELP LOU!"
Fireball laughed loudly, then turned to him. "Help me pick out our snack." He lifted Orion, looked through the cabinet, then chose Oreos. With them in hand, they walked down the corridor as Quasar picked up Prowler and Praxus. They were gone in seconds.
"Built in babysitters, Ironhide. ITS A MIRACLE!" Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.
Ironhide snickered. "If you say so. We have a major memorial funeral thing tomorrow."
"We do," Ratchet said. "When its over then all will be well. I hope. I don't want slag to ruin our Thanksgiving. The Squad is really putting their spark into this. I want it good for everyone. As for Dobbs, I wish it had never happened. I wish we could grab the slaggers that did this."
"We will," Ironhide said as he turned on the monitor. They would watch a few sports events, then The Hourly News would come on. The main stories would be the murder and the processional the next orn. Businesses and others were being asked to allow workers and students to be present when the processional rolled by. It would be anyone's guess how this would turn out.
-0-Morning
They gathered to go, the kids of the family. Stuffing a bag with food and drink, setting the temperature on it to keep all inside pristine, Ratchet latched it and hefted it to Fireball. "What's the word about Trypticon? Are any of you up for overnighters any time soon?"
"After Thanksgiving, Ada. We're going to the station for a five night stay to learn how to survey skies and make star maps," Genesis said.
"You already know how to do that, infants," Ironhide said.
They nodded. "We know, Atar. We're going to be assistants to the others. There will be 120 kids there and we get to help them at the map making station," Genesis said.
"Resources and aides already. You infants are a work and wonder," Ratchet said with a smile. He was buried in hugs by big kids, then little.
The door opened, the elders took the kids, then Ironhide and Ratchet followed. They walked out and continued to the Ops Center, waving and hugging everyone as they went.
The funeral processional and send off for Lawrence Dobbs was happening shortly and even now cameras followed them to the bus stops, through the walk to Ops Center and once inside to the conference room door where everyone was going. It wouldn't follow them inside but it would broadcast the entire thing to the M.C.A and beyond that to Earth and Mars. Cybertron was being spared.
"That was Ironhide and Ratchet, Master of the Armory and Army and Secretary of State as well as Ambassador for the Prime respectively. They've entered the conference room where the event is being organized. That tall green and yellow mech is Chief of Security and Chieftain of the Wreckers, their Special Ops division, Springer and his bond, Sub Commander of the Day and Night Watch and Wrecker as well, Drift of Kaon. They will be providing security for the operation today.
"Ultra Magnus just entered the building," the commentator said for Cybertronian News Today, or C.N.T. as it was called by everyone on Earth. This was the channel that broadcast all Cybertronian news and programming to Earth and they had their own newscasters who regularly gave the word. They had become very proficient in doing so and sometimes came to Mars to learn more and do specials and interviews. "Ultra Magnus is the Colonial Superintendent and Governor-General of Cybertron and the Empire by appointment of the Prime. He's in charge of all administration of everything in the Empire and is the face of the colony to the world.
"Ultra Magnus is the Tyrest Treaty enforcer, a fabled and important position. He's so famed for being that enforcer that they call the position after him sometimes. He enforces the Tyrest Accord and the Code of Interplanetary Conduct. He's respected and feared by the Decepticons to a very great degree.
"That's Jazz of Kaon, Mirage of Iacon, Elita and Jetta of Iacon, both of them in a bond. Elita is a special ops legend and heads the Autobot Femme guerrilla squad that stayed on Cybertron to disrupt since the Fall five million years ago and only left when Prime needed them now. That's Arcee, one of her team who is bonded to Ultra Magnus.
The commentary continued as mechs and femmes gathered to do their part. Ratchet walked back out and headed toward the Medical Center where Dobbs was kept pending this moment. He had helped supervise his placement into a metal coffin which was decorated with small emblems of Mars, Cybertron and Earth. His name, age and other particulars were engraved on its aluminum cover and there was a disk inserted there that bore his image. It was in short a typical Cybertronian coffin but for the fact that those were torpedo shaped to allow them to be inserted into their grave site so the mech or femme inside would be standing. Real Estate was premium even on as big a planet as Cybertron.
He entered the building, walked to the elevator, then went up two floors. The cameras followed him as he stepped out into a corridor lined by the Household Guards standing at parade rest. The coffin was lying on a catafalque at the end of the corridor. They were there as an honor guard. Ratchet paused in front of it a moment, then turned to Raptor who was waiting for him. They discussed a few things but the camera didn't broadcast it. The sound portion was off here but no where else.
"The big mech with Ratchet is his bond Ironhide's grandfather, General Raptor of Praxus. He's going to lead the processional through the colony, passing through every city so that the population can pay their respects. Mark, how does that look? Are citizens showing up to watch and pay respects?" the man asked another sitting beside him.
"They are, Tim," Mark said. The camera views switched to show sidewalks and roads all over the colony where citizens were gathering to wait for the drive by. They were growing crowds and it would be a well attended event, it would appear.
"They appear to be getting ready," Mark said.
"So is the group that's at the airfield," Tim said as the cameras split the screen. One image showed Ratchet, Raptor and the Household Guard getting ready to step out with Dobbs. The other screen showed Prime and his command group, the civilians from the Community-Autobot Committee, several hundred citizens and heavily armed soldiers, a beginning gathering of all of the humans who lived in the habitats including the tourists at the Resort in buses with their great windows, several hundred Seekers and the entire Seeker command and clan elders. They gathered, then stood quietly. The area was sectioned off formally and showed a corridor to Silverbolt and orderly areas of individuals.
The screen cut back showing two guards holding the handles on the side of the coffin, the small box held between them. The others walked out in two lines, moved to the side and stood at attention on the sidewalk as the pair carried out Dobb's coffin. Raptor and Ratchet followed including a small femme acolyte from the Temple and all of the priests including Alpha Trion. They watched as the two guards placed the coffin on a flatbed truck who was a mini-con bruiser who had volunteered for the service. He was shiny black with red markings, a dignified platform for the purpose. A magnetized platform would hold Dobbs in place.
The priests and Alpha Trion walked to the coffin, laid their hands on it and recited a prayer for the dead. It was quiet and dignified, the prayer being heard with audio pick up, then they stepped back and bowed.
Raptor bowed to the coffin, then walked ahead to the front where he transformed. The little femme acolyte who held the picture of Dobbs that was customary at Cybertronian funerals was helped into the bed of Raptor's TopKick pickup truck format by Ratchet. She walked forward, rested the image of Dobbs on the top of Raptor's cab so it could be seen by all then nodded to Ratchet.
Ratchet stepped back, transformed, then waited for Raptor to slowly move forward. Falling in behind him, he left his lights flashing as he followed. The flatbed with Dobbs followed him, then the guards transformed. They formed up on both sides of the vehicle as it began to move slowly and with great dignity down Metroplex Highway #3 heading toward the Terra Hub and the first of the trips through the colonial cities.
Everywhere they would go along the highway, along streets and around the open spaces, solemn Cybertronians would bow to his coffin to pay their respects. The broadcast would last until the very end. It would take a while to go everywhere including the now mostly empty habitats of the humans. He had been part of their community and they would be honored as well, though their inhabitants were at the airfield waiting.
"And now the processional begins," Mark said solemnly. "That was Alpha Trion, a highly admired elder of The People and the Temple priests saying a prayer for the dead before the processional begins. It will be lead by General Raptor and Ambassador Ratchet, followed by Timor of the Villages who is carrying the coffin and escorted by the Household Guards of The Prime."
They would roll slowly along on their way to Pax.
-0-TBC 11-20-18 Hopefully, this one made it to you. :D edited 11-25-18