The Diego Diaries: Aftermath Part 2 (dd6 612)
=0=The Hourly News: Latest Breaking News! the night before
"I have just received a communication from the Office of the Primes from Optimus himself. We are going to play it now," Aleph said as the screen switched from him to what appeared to be the bridge of The Salton Sea. Behind Optimus, out in the darkness, the swirl of the armada could be seen.
"Good evening. I am Optimus Prime. I would like to update you briefly on the outcome of the encounter between a large armed force of intruders and our own forces many light years from Mars. A large armed and hostile force was traveling down the Orion arm toward the space that I claim and hold as my domain.
"It was lead by the phase six mechanism, Pulsar. He had apparently already encountered Shrike and his remnant fleet who had lost their encounter with us earlier near the Bootes Expansion, then took it over himself. The combined fleet was large, powerful and determined to make contact with Ominous and Razorclaw whose own forces are currently contained within my own sphere of influence.
"All of our overtures for him to leave or surrender were spurned and a fight ensued. It was even more brutal than they can in more normal circumstances be when he fled into a nebula to hide and regroup. During the battles that ensued, we lost four shuttles and took heavy damage on the hospital ship, Phobos as well as her sister battleships, Furious Storm and The Salton Sea.
"The efforts of Xantium and Omega Supreme were magnificent and cannot be over stressed in their importance to the outcome that we made. All honor to them and their family as they took out most of the ships themselves with skill and consummate bravery.
"In the aftermath, we took into custody over 21,000 enemy who will be housed at the prison at Kellus, a utility planet in the local group of Cybertron. The wounded are being treated here and at Gliese, then will be transported there as well.
"We also claimed nearly 10,000 dead. They were caught in the crossfire when abandoning ships and in the battles with manned fighters and shuttles. It pains me tremendously when any Cybertronian dies, especially those who are so poorly led and so completely deluded in their ideas. We will make a common grave for them in the Crater Mausoleum and list their names before that happens so anyone who can claim a relative or friend can do for them what they want themselves.
"Your military forces gave of themselves and in doing so we sustained only 17 casualties, none of them fatal. The presence of Omega and Xantium Supreme, I believe, made such an outcome possible. There will be more information released as we debrief from this encounter. We have markered off the area and set warning buoys broadcasting when triggered anyone who might come this way with ill intent. No one can come here with bad intentions and walk away from the encounter intact. The safety of everyone in my domains of influence is paramount and will be aggressively preserved.
"Until we can release more information, just know you are safe and that the forces deployed here were magnificent. Seekers, soldiers, Home Guard, civilians, you made our people proud. Good night. Until all are one."
The camera shifted back to Aleph. "I've asked Commander Jazz to come in and speak to us about this. He will be here in a moment. Until then, let's check the Community Bulletin Board shall we?"
We would.
=0=Earth2
They gathered for breakfast and chat. During the day they would break up into groups to discuss with members of the leadership here at Earth2 and those invited from Unidad and Earth 1 all of the things they were hoping to be a part of. They were here to pose projects and be the investment end of them on Earth. There were a lot of different businesses and industries represented here and there were a lot of individuals posing sponsorships both of research and all of the different things these habitats meant to Earth that gave hope and good will.
Even so, it was clear to everyone there that if Prime said no nothing would happen. The best avenue most thought was through his ambassador, Ratchet and Sam Witwicky, their business agent. Sam was amiable enough but shrewd as hell. He was also a guardian of the bots and even though he listened well and asked good questions, he was still a question mark to most.
The farming community of Unidad would be supplying part of their luncheon this afternoon and they would discuss with them and others invited what sorts of things their companies might do together with the 'locals'. It would be an interesting afternoon, then they would go in groups to Unidad and other places including the Industrial Park Cities. No one thus far had gone there or to Unidad, though they saw their majestic enormity in their journeys here and there.
It was bright and cheery among most of them, these titans of finance and power from Earth. Most of them were friends or at least friendly. Some of them were competitors and others were interested in partnering up to make smaller trade groups to seek audiences with Prime if this larger conglomeration failed.
The meal would be delightful, then they would make their way to different places, many going to see the Hangar District and the export-import part of it. It would be hoped that they could go to Ops Center in The Fortress to see the senior Autobots. That was still a nebulous possibility.
Another one was the chance to watch Kaon v Polyhex in the next big basketball game.
=0=Morning in the house
"ADA!"
"WHAT!? PROWLER! Let the cow eat," Ratchet said as he filled Spot's bowl.
Prowler was bent down over Robby's bowl, blocking the tiny cow from his little pellet meal. He mooed mournfully before Genesis picked Prowler up. Then Robby walked closer and began to chow down.
"IRONHIDE!?"
"WHAT!?" Ironhide walked out of the hallway with Halo and Hero on his servos. He set them gently down and watched with a grin as they began the long run to the table down the way. "Cute," he said as he picked up Orion and Praxus. He walked to the table beating both tiny femmes there and put them in their chairs.
"Give them their breakfasts. They're on the counter," Ratchet said as he set Spot's bowl on the floor. "Are you supposed to ride today? In school?" he asked.
Sunspot who took his filled plate from Ironhide nodded. "We are, Ada. Our class is going to be riding horses for the next few decaorns in gym class. We're still taking lessons at the stables, too. They let Prowler and you two," he said as he smiled at Hero and Halo, "ride the little ponies. It's so cute. You're so cute." Sunspot smiled brilliantly as he took a bite of his toast.
"I LOVE THE LITTLE PONIES, ADA! They're smaller," Hero said as she buttered Halo's tiny toast. Ironhide and Ratchet cut their food into smaller sizes for the littlest imps. "Halo gets the tiny one, the little brown pony, Lo-Lo."
"SHE RIDES GOOD!" Praxus said with a smile. "She doesn't fall off, Ada. She's good. Right, Halo?" he asked her with a bright smile.
Halo who took her toast and began to eat paused chewing. "What?" she asked.
"Your pony. The little pony, Halo. You like to ride him around the arena, right?" Hero asked helpfully.
She smiled. "I LIKE HIM!"
"He's cute. Right, Orion?" Hero asked her brother who was scarfing down his food like he was starving.
Orion glanced at her, then smiled brilliantly. "HA-HO GOOD! GOOD SHE! DOING THAT THING GOODEST! HA-HO GOODEST, HO-HO! Good she, HA-HO!"
The little kids clapped, then glanced at Halo who was smiling at Orion. "Good," she said.
Ironhide who was watching with disquiet sat down with his plate. "Eat up, imps. We have to go to school today. Some of us anyway." He gave Ratchet a gimlet optic.
Ratchet gave him a smirk.
They dived in and began to eat as the big kids joined them.
Ratchet sat with his own mound of breakfast and a brew. "What's the schedule for you three?" he asked.
Quasar glanced at the others. "We have to study for a science test. We're also going on a field trip to Gliese. You did sign the permissions papers, right?" he asked.
Ironhide glanced at Ratchet who shrugged. "You find out, Ironhide. I have to go to the Med Center to check on someone."
Ironhide glanced at the three. "Are all of you going or just you three?"
"All of us. Its a career thing, too. We're going to see the hospitals and see the mine there," Genesis said.
"We're going to the weather station at mile post 633 on the TransWorld Highway orn after tomorrow. We have to finish up our papers by First Friday. We're going to be spending a bit of time in the Main Library downtown," Fireball said.
"Well, just fill us in where you go and what you need. I'm assuming you need lunches for the road trip," Ratchet said.
All three nodded.
"Ammas and Appa will help the others but we're all going," Quasar said.
"Okay," Ratchet said as the door opened and relatives began to fog in.
They hugged everyone, picked at the food themselves and gathered up critters. Two cows stared at each other, then butted heads gently. A dog bounced around like an idiot as Scout walked to Ironhide for a bite.
More relatives came from the elders down the hallway and by the time they were ready to go, everyone had a kid, dog or cow. It was a jolly time to the elevator for all.
=0=Up there
The kids were gathered. Prowl studiously ignored the dishes in the sink, a first for him in some time as they sorted out the crews going to this place and that. Down they went to the street where the local group was waiting for buses, cabs and elders who came to take the kids to school on the Metro.
Hero hugged Halo, then everyone else as she walked to her cab. Hopping in, she waved and was gone. Next came the Intermediate school bus where very tall happy kids entered to disappear in the heavy morning traffic.
Orion's bus came and a mob hopped on board. Then the bus for Circle Prep arrived and everyone else disappeared down the highway together. That is, everyone but Halo who was sitting in Ironhide's hold playing with a cow. The cow who was IMMENSELY tolerant let her.
"Where are you going and what are you going to do?" Alor asked Ratchet.
"Pulsar," Ratchet said. "I have slag to do."
"Is that so," Blackjack asked. "Who's going to interview him?"
"Prowl wants to be there but I think he's dividing it between me and Jazz. Maybe. He's such a flighty mechanism. Who knows?" Ratchet asked.
"I heard that," Prowl said as he handed the carry basket back to Milie who was taking Prima to the Trigger with him.
He walked to Ratchet. "When are you going to allow the interrogation?"
"Come with and we can see," Ratchet said. He turned to the others. "See ya. Wouldn't want to be ya."
"THE FRAG YOU WOULDN'T?! WHO WOULDN'T WANT THIS!?" Blackjack asked.
Loudly.
Ratchet grinned as he walked away with Prowl and Alor. "Ironhide didn't have a chance then, did he."
"Nope," Alor said with a grin.
"I HEARD THAT!" Ironhide yelled as they disappeared into the morning foot traffic.
Everyone else broke up and walked onward, some to The Fortress, others to jobs and businesses hither and thither. It would be nice to be back home in the world. Nearby, the Military Airfield whirled ever onward.
=0=Medical Security, Autobot City Medical Center, The City
They walked into the room where Pulsar lay on a berth plugged into various machines. The guards outside lounged around the door as Ratchet checked things. Prowl followed by Jazz who had just arrived waited as Ratchet began to bring Pulsar around.
He swam through levels of fog before he reached awareness. Blinking his optics, Pulsar stared upward into the face of someone very good looking. "Who are you?"
Ratchet grinned. "Probably your worst nightmare," he said as he leaned over the legless and armless mech checking this and that thing.
=0=TBC 3-13-19 edited 3-31-19