The Diego Diaries: Migration (dd8 513)

=0=Meeting

"The housing situation is well in servo and we have planned ahead as well for new locations. We don't want to fill in open spaces between city locations to give our urban area a more relaxed feel. The cities are built to taste but the luxury of space between them and the possibilities for the future to add to existing sites is a good thing and will be kept open.

"The new stables will be built between City 5 in District Six and the Terra Hub. We expect that the Watch Patrol will draw from that area for their horses allowing us to bring in some of those that live in the free range area. There will be plenty of room for them to be happy and we plan to rotate them between the new stables and the old with its open range set aside. We're working with the animal experts to make it a good experience for the animals," Magnus said as he concluded his report.

Jetta nodded. "It will fill a need for those who live in the north and northwest who wish to ride or are Watch personnel who don't get to the Old City often."

"Sounds like fun. How many horses do we have altogether now?" Ratchet asked.

"We have about 5,000 horses of all kinds, half of them privately owned like yours and the other half public riding and Watch horses," Jetta replied from checking his notes.

"We own about half of them, you and me, Granny," Ratchet said to Prowl.

"We do. Whoopie-tie-yie-yo," Prowl replied to snickers. "Thank you, Magnus. Your report was ahead of schedule on my desk, something that few others can claim."

Murmurs spread, then halted as Prowl fixed on Springer. "Your report. Since I didn't get it at all."

Springer smirked at Prowl, then took the data pad that Drift handed him to great snickers and hazing. He smirked, then read it. "We have a lot of fights, a lot of youngsters out on the town. It would appear that some of these settlements know each other. There's a history between several of them that's toxic and longstanding. I will be pursuing it but it seemed that a couple of them are fights between high castes.

"Some of the problems were elders getting lost, some who are afraid of the police given their experiences on Cybertron, a number of children getting lost, drunks, slag offs. The usual stuff for migrations this big," Springer said as he glanced at the notes. "We expect this to continue. It takes about a decaorn usually for things like this to settle down. We have about 500 substations fully staffed and our training program with the recruits is doing very well.

"Our program is community based and a lot of time is spent with the officers getting to know as many of the locals as they can. We have foot patrols everywhere, squad cars doing their grid location areas and horse patrols in every city. We're focusing on mental health now because everyone is still trying to figure out how they got to this place from where they came from. They always expect slag and this makes their processors spin sometimes.

"We had a lot of ambulance runs, mostly elders needing help and a few sickly kids who were taken to the Children's Hospital in Pax. We also had a couple of suicide attempts but they're in the Processor Center downtown because they were kids. Social workers and a guardian ad litem have been assigned to both cases though I was told that the families are attentive and compliant, desiring to have as much assistance as they can for their kids.

"Drunks are blooming. No one can get it that you can go to the pub, drink and not have to pay. That's a processor buster, no money and full access. Some of our drunks are high caste-low/mid caste fight problems and we intend to work with processor health and the juvenile courts to take care of this. It might take intervention from you, Optimus, on a few of them. Some of them are really gunning for a fight."

"Tell us what you need to handle this, Springer. Go across the departments until we have a plan. I expect a certain amount of unrest due to cognitive dissonance but caste violence is forbidden," Prime said.

Springer nodded. "So far the gangs have quieted down. They seem to when new refugees arrive in the bigger groups. Its like they're taking stock of possible competition." He glanced at Drift. "Anything else?"

"The runabouts were great during the storm. We're putting in for more. Between the air ambulances and these, our response time is going down. We also need a new jail or an expansion of the ones we have. Most of our client aren't real gangsters, usually, but they get loaded and end up in the tank. We need a bigger tank," Drift said as Springer nodded.

"Get a hamster wheel, too. Put that on the list, Jetta, like a good son," Ratchet said with a glorious smile.

Laughter rounded the room with suggestions for cat boxes and guillotines.

"Well, wasn't that just special," Prowl sniveled. "Medical report as well as the diplomatic report."

Ratchet grinned as he unsubbed two data pads. "Well, our group is very well but for some spots of protoform wasting. No one brought in had the detonation chips of the Functionalists nor the courier-traps from Megatron." Ratchet glanced at Prime. "We're a seriously fragged people."

Everyone agreed.

"All-in-all, we have a good handle on them. The development at Central Point is a lifesaver. All hail, Paragon."

All hailed the grinning mech sitting beside Arrow.

"We have no unaccompanied children. The Seekers that were with the group, about 250 with families are in care and transition at Aerie Hill. That set up is incredibly good and the turnaround for their patients is very short."

"Of course it it," Starscream purred.

Snickers rounded the room.

"As for the diplomating, I have a few trade conferences at Prima Station and Unidad coming up. Most of the rest is just good or can wait. Commercial and trade stuff, mostly. All together, I'm satisfied," Ratchet said as he smirked at Starscream. He smirked back.

"How are schools holding up? I hear that the numbers total about 100,000 children of various ages," Prowl said.

Herling nodded. "We have planned for this and have a bank of teachers, staff and others to draw upon. They're being sorted and tested with a number of them being babies and younger children. We have opened another Intermediate school to take in the older kids. The rest are being placed in the open slots all over the colony while a new tower is being prepared.

"We set it up ready to go and maintain it so that its turnkey. We're not going to be caught flat footed. Its going to take a good two decaorns to get everyone in the classroom. We have so many with problems both physical and mental that its going to take a lot of work to find out where to place them and with the proper support," Herling said. "I rather find it exciting. Our next school board meeting is Second Friday now that the fleet is back."

"Your first meeting, Coros," Drift said as Coros grinned.

He was taking notes as he listened. "Its going to be great."

"Stick with me and it will be," Ironhide said to catcalls and hoots. "Slaggers," he said with a frown.

"We will submit the final report shortly once the testing is done and we begin to build our programs at the new Intermediate School. One of the best things is that we can do sports between schools and other possibilities. Science fairs, sports, art … I have so many plans to build a recreational program for the bigger kids." Herling grinned.

Everyone applauded.

Prowl glanced at Lennox who was lounging in his chair. "Report, shortie."

Lennox grinned, then stood. :We were on the migration. We were wowed again at the organization. We also want as the entire human community living in your sphere of influence, Optimus, to express our condolences to those who were hurt or died. Its not what any of us want but sometimes it comes anyway. I hope you know that we're sorry for the loss, too:

Prime nodded. "Thank you, William."

:We lowered our flags over the human community to honor them as well. Hopefully, it won't happen like this again. We thank you for taking us out with you. It helps some of us to understand how dangerous space is and how important this alliance is for our mutual security.

:We have a few events coming up, weddings and the like. We all celebrate a lot of holidays across the cultures. Our kids are excelling in the schools, the opportunity to use places like the TransWorld Highway centers and Trypticon, especially for those kids at Prima Station is greatly appreciated.

:The newbies, the United Nations Multi-National Garrison is fitting in fine and we're meshing our programs where we can. The training areas are going to take a lot of us being there until we feel that they can go without one of us to help them maintain their safety. Its been fun to have them here: Lennox turned to Jackson Davis, then nodded.

Davis glanced at Prime, then stood. :We had a chance to see the migration and it was amazing. Thank you for that, Lord Optimus. We have huge buy-in for this venture from the soldiers in the garrison and look forward to living here in harmony with everyone. Thank you again for your welcome to us. We appreciate it very much. This is the most intriguing and challenging place most of us have ever been:

"I am glad, Colonel, that you and your soldiers find this place a challenge. It is. We hope that the association is long and fruitful between us," Optimus replied.

Jackson grinned, then nodded his head respectfully. He sat down again to the unspoken approval of most there.

:We don't have much more to report but that we're working with the Department of the Interior to make more sites for us to utilize for training purposes: Will said, then he sat.

The Hu-An gave a report, got several requests granted, then left happily to go back to the harvest. They were feted away with great appreciation. Everyone loved the Hu-An.

Caro and Venture droned on. Autobot City, Inc. and the Primal Foundation for Earth had a lot of money, were making a lot of good happen because of it and all was well.

Otherwise it was boring as fuck.

"Who's next, Prowler?" Ratchet asked as he lounged in his chair.

Prowl glanced at him. "Seeker report."

Starscream glanced at a smirking Elder and his son, Warlord. "All is well but then how can it be other?" Starscream purred. "Thank you. It was a pleasure to share with you the glad tidings."

HUGE laughter and slagging followed that then everyone glanced at Rainmaker.

Rainmaker grinned. "Ditto."

Bedlam.

=0=TBC 9-1-2022

Shortie tonight, longer tomorrow. HUGS and slag tonight!

ESL:

cognitive dissonance: (cog-nu-tiv diss-oh-nans) (cognitive-understanding, dissonance-disarray) when what you see and hear doesn't make sense in your head. Fear can cause that, change and surprise as well.

Something that is 'turnkey' is an operation that is ready to go to the point where all you have to do is go there, unlock it and work.