The Diego Diaries: Update and Moving On (dd8 317)
This almost didn't go out. I forgot where I put my computer. It was still in the car. Thank goodness it was 34 degrees tonight and not the usual -11. HIDEY HO!
=0=On the airwaves
"Good evening. I am Optimus Prime and I am here to update you on the colony tonight."
Everyone everywhere stopped what they were doing to listen.
"Tonight, I have received a breakdown of the situation before us and I would like to inform you of the short term conditions and restrictions that will remain as we regroup and rebuild our colony. As you know there was damage, though it was lighter than I could have hoped for during the battle. The biggest problems were the ships falling from the sky over the Central Plain that separates the habitation areas of our colony from the Industrial Park Cities.
"Because the ships were shot down and fell to the ground by our metrotitans, they landed on important infrastructure that has required us to ration our power sources until they can be replaced. I was told that electrical power will be restored in two orns. Energon is being rerouted to everyone on a rotating basis as well and its projected that the facilities damaged will be restored in an as yet undetermined time. The work is progressing well but an entire pipeline must be replaced from the substation near the United Nations Consulate to the Crater Districts beyond.
"Because the transportation system overland is down and the Train Hub Station has been destroyed, there will be rerouting and bypassing of some stations on the Metro lines both above and below ground until the stations are engineered and pass inspection. Overland buses and other features will be placed to help transport everyone and the highways will be more crowded with mechs and femmes taking to the roads themselves to get here and there. As it stands as of this reporting, Jetta of Iacon, our Colonial and Empire Chief Engineer states that in four orns our overland trains for passengers will be back on track.
"To help combat congestion and to allow emergency workers to do their jobs without obstruction or delays, I am declaring a school and worker holiday for the next three orns. Only essential workers will be called to their jobs and they can work out a rotational schedule there if they choose to take advantage of this time. It is the holiday season and hopefully, the basketball season can start shortly to give us a break from the happenings of the past two or three orns.
"Sparkling Day is closed until further notice. Work is being done to ensure that the building is safe and ready for its students. The Metro will have rerouted routes and list closed stations including a couple of the school locations. Please consult the Community Bulletin Board for those postings.
"When this broadcast concludes IntraCom will restore broadcasting of their usual schedule. The camera rotation of our colony and its views will be restored to Channel 2 and it will allow you to get an idea of what the damage is and what is being done about it. The Central Plain will be restored to its natural beauty when all repairs are completed.
"The habitations of our human and Hu-An friends are being repaired. There was much vandalism in the human habitats and N.E.S.T. Garrison Headquarters. The domes held admirably and the two human habitats, Earth 1 and Earth2 were defended on the scene by our valiant metrotitans, Paribus at Earth 1 as well as Victorious and Striker at Earth2. Unidad lost their chapel but it will be repaired and restored.
"The Hu-An under the courageous leadership of Larc held off three incursions into their habitat, thus depriving the enemy of a foothold at the Military Airfield. They suffered no damage whatsoever and I salute them, one warrior to another.
"The United Nations Consulate was less fortunate and was destroyed when an energon substation set off a chain reaction and burned it to the ground. The humans, all of whom were safely evacuated were taken to Unidad Terra 1 where they will live until the Consulate is restored.
"Aerie Hill, The Resort of Autobot City and the Monastery of the Clavis Aurea sustained only cosmetic damage due to the valiant efforts of the Home Guard Air Wing numbers 3 and 14 led into aerial combat by Master Cyclonus and some of his fellows. I salute them as a warrior, one to another.
"Because there is work at hand, because there are many individuals taking part and helping remove or bring in materials, I am asking you to spend time in your local area or homes for a couple of orns. The less time workers spend in traffic the faster the repairs will be made. I am going to release you from home confinement but I issue this caveat.
"There is much to do and many who are doing it. Help them by giving way and staying away from work sites. The cameras will allow you to see what happened and what is being done. If there is a problem I will modify this order and call for reinstatement of home confinement. The Watch will have a presence in the colony and will be there to assist you if you need help. Processor Health and the counseling community have agreed to be available to you.
"Our most vulnerable individuals, those in health or care homes and hospitals will be given priority status for transport and assistance for now. C.M.O. Ratchet has made more individuals in more specialties available to care for them through this trying time. All that is required to help them settle back into their home places will be done and you can receive assistance by calling the Autobot City Medical Center switchboard. All assistance numbers are in the Community Bulletin Board files under 'Emergencies' or by calling the Watch at 0990.
"Until the transportation and energy grids are back on line full stop then we must make accommodations. I am convinced that you will do your part to help us get things up and running again. The military that protected you have done their part. Now you must do yours. It is said by humans, 'you also serve who sit and wait'. Now the wait is over and the outcome is what it is. Help us do what we need to restore life here as it was.
"As for the invaders … they are known to us and we are going to go after them to insure that this never happens again. Their technology is now in our servos and Sciences is working on it as a priority item to ensure that their advantage is no longer one.
"We will be rebuilding the Martian Triggers, both of which were destroyed in the fighting. We have the Autobot City Space Bridge and two Triggers on station at work sites that can come at a moment's notice. The Autobot City Space Bridge is capable of launching armadas. We have all bases covered. At 0600 joors on the TMC tomorrow morning you will be able to go out of your homes. I know you will do us all proud."
Optimus stared at the camera with a solemn expression. "Due to a tower being damaged heavily in the fighting, the Old City will have cordoned off areas. Keep away from the construction. Families are waiting for their homes to be restored." He nodded. "Until all are one."
=0=Listening in at a work site
"Poor Optimus. I wonder what everyone is going to do about Christmas Surprise?" Springer asked as he sat his horse beside Drift. They were watching workers digging the pipeline trench from the Consulate to the new and slowly rising energon transfer substation about three miles away.
"I don't know. I suspect that Ada will figure it out," Drift said. "Not really much to be too stoked about now."
"I don't know," Springer said glancing at the beautiful profile of his partner. "This will be Tell's first Christmas Surprise."
Drift brightened. "I forgot about that. We have to get stuff. He has to have this done right."
Springer grinned. "We can go to the Mall of Tyger Pax. They have that huge kid's store there."
"If its open," Drift said. "Too bad about Full Circle. I loved that place. I heard Joon cried like a baby when she was told."
"That loom was in her family for generations. They're pretty famous in a low key way for their weaving, I was told." Springer shook his head. "We can't keep losing important things. Tell has to know who and what he is. All of us do."
Drift nodded as he watched a ship bring in a section of pipeline which was dangling in the air. "I know. That's why Tell gets everything."
Springer nodded as he watched himself. "Agreed," he said quietly as the pipeline was lowered expertly to the ground.
=0=At the Catering Center in Tyger Pax
Bon stared at the counter where the usual output was supposed to be. This place was a food manufacturing center where huge quantities of a huge number of things were made, packaged and sent to wherever it was supposed to go. This factory was a great supplier of specialty food stores, bakeries, rec rooms all over the place, the Senior Centers of the colony, military centers including the Ops and Flight Centers at The Fortress and Aerie Hill as well as anything specially called for by whomever. It was one of seven food centers that Rampage and Bon owned and operated.
Rampage came in behind his bond, then stared at the counter. "I called for volunteers to come in and half of them want to. They went stir crazy at home. We can get food to the flight and military centers, the high needs and priority places and the Senior Centers. After that we can take assessments. The groceries and bakeries will have to take a back seat to the home delivery people.
He glanced at the chart, noting the surprisingly large number of people who 'subscribed' to food delivery. Rampage and Bon would create with their teams food boxes that could be delivered to those who didn't want to cook, didn't know how, were too busy to mess with their own prep or were housebound for whatever reason. The customers would choose from menus on the website, then the caterers would have food delivered every few orns with the empty boxes coming back to be refilled again.
Watching the humans gave a mech good ideas. Food co-op services were the bomb.
It would be a busy and happy place when the staff showed up and good smells filled the vast kitchens again.
That is, if you were Cybertronian that is.
=0=Sparkling Day School, Terra
Herling and Nova stared upward at the building as the construction engineer explained how it was damaged, how it would be repaired and how it would be stronger when that was accomplished. The shuttle had rung its bell causing the building to sway. Given that it was built with earthquake tech because Mars was tectonically active all the time, it hadn't been damaged by much. Among the innovations were 'shoes' that were pads that allowed the building to slide a little bit rather than explode and fall.
"We can move it back to plumb, Herling and then get on the repairs. Cracks run upward toward the third floor and they have to be taken care of first. No one can go up but us until things are restored. We can move the building easily enough but its exacting.
"We've also gone over the electronics and all of the cladding around the building. The electronics are fine but the cladding, the stone facing that reaches upward to the fifteenth floor needs to be checked out. If it was dislodged a bit then it could crack off and fall. No one wants that."
"No," Herling said gravely. "What else, Carlo?"
He and Nova would spend three joors hearing about it.
=0=Ops Center
Prime walked back in, then paused by the table to chat a moment with the mechs who were still there. Everyone was working around the clock and would be heading out again. "I hope that everyone rises to the occasion."
"They will or my boys will slap the slag out of them," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.
=0=Elsewhere
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU WANT! I WANT TO GO THERE!"
Springer stared at the furious mech who wanted to go 'there'. "You can't go there because the area is still under inspection. Why don't you go around on the bypass that we marked up so I don't have to HAUL YOUR SORRY AFT TO JAIL!"
"TRY IT!"
"Okay," Springer said as he cracked his knuckles, a totally unnecessary thing unconsciously picked up from hanging out with human soldiers.
"Hidey-ho," Drift whispered as he stepped down from his horse.
=0=TBC 12-06-2021
ESL
When something is 'plumb' its aligned properly. A level has a bubble which shows you whether something is level. That's plumb.
Cladding: the fancy finish work on the outside of a building that makes it look nice. There was a terrible tragedy in England with cladding that was incredibly flammable. Done right, its fine. Otherwise not.
