The Diego Diaries: Getting There (dd8 344)

We're having internet service problems lately around here. If I don't post that's why. Its erratic and incredibly frustrating. :(

=0=The next morning

They stood together at the bus stop to put their kids onboard to head for school. Prime and Prowl had theirs picked up outside The Fortress, then walked across the airfield to join the others of their regular group in front of their tower while the buses came around on their circuit. It would remain so until everyone was home again. The Central Labor Hall hotel where the family was staying was a hop and skip away from here so the kids had that small continuity.

Hero took her cab, waving through the back window as ever as she rode away to Metrotitan Pioneer School.

The big kids got on their bus joining Rambler to trundle away to Iacon and Intermediate Day School.

Orion, Praxus and Prime's kids joined their usual co-riders on their bus to go to Terra and the newly reopened Sparkling Day School.

Prowler had walked off with Ravel and that crowd to be dropped off at the upper levels of the building where RTR Tools was at Circle of Light Preparatory Academy. Scout went with them as well.

Sunspot and Spot hopped onto their bus to join Prime's kids and their local neighborhood friends to go to Centurion where their school waited.

That left Halo and Possibility.

They grinned at each other as they sat on the arms of their elders. Posse sat on Prowl's arm as everyone began to disperse to their jobs.

"Well, that's amazing," Ratchet said as they walked onward toward The Fortress. Ratchet glanced at Ironhide. "School. Halo. Now."

Ironhide frowned, then turned reluctantly with his smiling daughter to amble down to the Temple District and The Temple Primary School of Primus. It would be a reluctant parting as usual between the two buddies.

Ops Center beckoned as they walked in to sit at the table. Putting Possibility into his hold, Prowl sat back to stare at Ratchet. "I heard."

"You did," Ratchet agreed. "I'm going over in a few minutes to get it over with. You coming or not?"

"No," Prowl said. "Later. I have to get Posse on the Temple Primary list and the Circle list. Intake starts shortly and he's school bound."

"Sorry to see that but good to know," Ratchet said. "The Temple school is taking 14 kids this next intake. I hope you get a spot. They do it blindly. They check out all the kids, then assign numbers to them using the support staff to make the disks so there's no cheating or peeking. They put them in a bowl, shake it really good, then draw numbers. Halo was 4 when she was given a spot, 4 out of 8."

"I heard they did that. They want to take them all but its limited for now. They want to build a school that's stand alone. That way they can expand their program. Atar told me about it. They don't have a plan yet but when they do they'll take it to the Planning Commission for the start up toward approval. They want 200 kids in their school before they cap it," Prowl said.

"I like the options. Old Cry Baby likes Temple Primary. Its only nine orns long in the week even if its longer joors than the others. He gets the rest of the time with her. Four whole orns instead of three like the other schools," Ratchet replied.

Prowl nodded. "I think that might be perfect. If not, he's bound to the Circle Prep."

Ratchet glanced around. "I'll head over and tell you what I see when I get back. Right now I dread it just like you. Well, maybe not as much but close," he said as he stood. He walked out with purpose stealing himself for whatever might come.

Prowl watched him go, then rose himself. "Paragon, I'll be right back."

Pari nodded, then turned back to his computer screen. Something was moving at the far end of their range and he was working to get it clarified.

=0=Outside: Ratchet

He walked toward the tower lobby, then entered to pause by the security agent who was monitoring who came and went. All around them in the lobby was activity related to the rebuild. A station nearby held a table covered in blueprints and other detritus related to the job at hand. He checked in, then walked to the elevator to go upward to the 24th floor. It was a swift and smooth ride signaling the effort made to make things right again.

He reached his floor, then exited the elevator. The corridor felt close and smelled musty, like it hadn't been lived in for a while. He walked down the hallway to his door, then steeled himself as he opened it. Entering, the lights came on and he took a gander at the living room, kitchen and dining room.

The living room looked well though a few pictures had fallen, two from the walls and one from a cabinet. The kitchen looked well but everything inside the cupboards had shifted. He carefully opened them to push things back into place, then walked to the windows to stare out.

Scaffolding was still anchored marring the magnificent views. It would go eventually.

He walked onward to the berth rooms straightening pictures, picking up the odd thing and getting a sense of the place. The wash rack looked fine though he tested the water. It wasn't on just yet and wouldn't be until the place was released for habitation after the multiple inspections and Prime's sign off walk around. It had been checked out, fixed here and there and was sound up to the 42nd floor.

Walking back out, tracing dust on the counter with a digit, he opened the fridge. Inside, the food items were trashed. They must have bounced around and thrashed each other as the building swayed after impact. Carefully, Ratchet emptied the fridges and tossed things down the recycler. He would have to stock up again.

Walking onward, he paused in each room, fixing this and that as he reached his own. It was fine. Nothing was out of order, not even the framed 'permission slip' Ironhide had to get his genitors and elders to sign so he could interface with Ratchet during that odd interlude when he was a 'teenager'. Ratchet framed it and gave it to him during Christmas Surprise. It make both of them laugh still whenever they glanced at it.

Walking back out feeling a bit better, Ratchet reached the door. He glanced around, then stepped out to do the same thing for his genitors and grandgenitors, Alor and Blackjack, Delphi and Hardie along with Raptor and Turbine. It would take a bit of straightening in two of the apartments but when he finally left to go downward it looked like home again in each place.

=0=Outside: Prowl

He walked along the street heading for the Temple District. Reaching the grounds of the massive building, Prowl walked up the path to the platform and doors beyond. Entering, getting a feel of the sanctity of the place, he walked toward the offices nearby. Entering the Administrative sector, he paused at the counter.

"Hello, Commander," a sweet femme asked. Her mech was a groundsman and she worked in the office. Her name was Beatty. "What can I do for you?"

"I would like to enlist my son, Possibility into the intake lottery for a placement next term for the primary school," Prowl said.

"Ah," Beatty said with a beautiful smile. "Won't you come inside and take a seat. I will fetch the tech for his examination."

Prowl entered the office space and took a seat while Beatty went into the corridor to find the tester. It was peaceful and quiet here, a place he loved giving him the same vibes that it had when he was a kid and they'd stay in the apartment in Iacon.

He liked to slip out and visit the Temple in Simfur. It was only a short train trip away. He would stay as long as he dared staring at the Allspark, then hurry back before he was caught. He would never know that his genitors knew and had a hired hand following him wherever he went to keep him out of jail or the morgue, such was the helplessness they both felt in trying to keep him home.

"Commander," a tall mech said as he followed Beatty out of the corridor. He held out his servo and they shook as Prowl rose. "My name is Stover and I'm going to examine your baby."

Prowl pulled Posse out and handed him to Stover.

Possibility smiled sweetly.

"If you would follow me. I have some questions for you before I take him into the lab to do some simple games," Stover said as he walked back down the corridor.

Prowl followed, admiring the building as he went.

The Temple had extended itself adding things that it needed. A huge allotment of land in the center of The City belonged to it for just such things from the beginning of the colony. This was the school part, the one for children. The school for acolytes and for those wanting to learn the tenets of their religion was in one of the outbuildings that Hot Rod and Smokey shoveled out from time-to-time.

They entered a room, then sat. With Posse sitting on the table top, Stover pulled out a data pad, put information on it, then grinned at Prowl. "Your son meets the chronological age for pre-school. How is he socially?"

Prowl considered that. "He's sweet and likes other children but he's very quiet. He likes playing with his toys and he shares them well. He has older brothers and sisters who dote upon him and do a lot for him. He can do it himself but he's surrounded if you know what I mean."

Stover chuckled. "We get a lot of that. Physically, he looks sound. Are there any medical or processor issues that we should be aware of? Perhaps allergies and the like?"

"No," Prowl said. "He's never had protoform wasting. He's physically large for his age because his atar merges on phase six strength and has a primal frame. Both of his grandparents on his atar's side are big frames as well. He shows no deficiencies of movement or thought to me."

"Alright. We would like a short statement of why you want him to attend our little school. There are so many great ones in the colony, we like to know why here," Stover said. "It gives us an idea of our clientele, some of which are very religious."

Prowl considered that. "We're Praxian. Our practice is just short of severe, though time and the Diaspora has tempered it a bit. We love it here in this place. Optimus is the First Disciple of Primus and I've always loved being here from childhood. We went to Simfur often. Its comforting in a way I can't explain. I want all our children to know who and what they are and that includes this place."

Stover nodded. "Thank you. I'm going to take him to the back and play some games. I'll be back in a moment and then we'll be concluded."

Prowl nodded, then watched as Stover and Posse left the room. He sat back considering how much he enjoyed the calmness of the place as he waited. It wouldn't take long.

=0=Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Earth

Alor felt deep relief. "Thanks, Ratchet. I'm glad to hear that. I wish the same could be said for those on the top four floors."

Ratchet nodded. His face on the monitor before Alor was solemn. :I hate to think what got ruined. I know Prowl keeps the montage books for each of his kids. I saw the one he made for Bluestreak. It was so beautiful. Prowl has a knack for calligraphy:

Alor nodded. "I tried to do that for Ironhide but it was too much for what we were doing at the time. The ones Turbine and Delphi kept for Raptor and Blackjack went up in smoke during the Seeker Annihilation."

"Frag," Ratchet replied. He sat back. "We need to tie one on."

Alor grinned at Ratchet from his monitor. :Get it organized. I'm in:

Ratchet grinned. "Done deal then."

=0=Outside: Prowl

He walked out with Posse in his carry hold. He headed back to The Fortress without a glance toward the tower that was once home. It would be a nice morning otherwise. Prowl was in for a bender as well.

=0=Outside: Ratchet

He walked out of RTR Tools feeling satisfaction. His family were nearly hysterical with relief that their little home was intact and that Sonny had seen to it that things were back in place. He was glad to help them feel better knowing how much they loved their apartment and worked at making it sweet and comfy. Ratchet would go to Cybertron to kibitz, tell the others that things were well and be back in time to meet Prowl at lunch.

All was well again in his world.

Mostly.

=0=TBC 01-14-2022

ESL:

bender: slang for a bar hop, pub crawl, drunken slaggery

Beatty: Bay-tee

detritus: (dee-try-tuss) bits and pieces laying around, sort of what would be lying around on the ground under the tower. Stuff that has no use. Leftovers.