The Diego Diaries: Callow (dd8 407)
Not edited yet. Too pooped. :D:D:D
=0=Around noon
They walked into the conference room at Sparkling Day School where they were called to a meeting about Orion and Praxus. Sitting in chairs, they noted Roto, Herling, a school psychologist and two teaching experts for advanced kids. The tension in their torsos was so tight that the names of some of those present would elude Ratchet and Ironhide.
"Welcome," Herling said. "We want to talk today about Praxus and Orion. We've talked a long time about accelerating Praxus to the Pioneer Program like Hero and we want to again. We think that he's more than ready for it and our experts have analyzed him over the past several months as our IEP allowed from our last meeting."
Ratchet and Ironhide had come alone to hear the usual slag without the emotion of their extended family. They had enough of their own and in the end the decision was ultimately theirs. Both nodded silently.
Roto grinned. "We have a plan that you might like which will lift both little mechs at the same time. We're expanding the program at the Central Office where the kids would be located. There's a number of great new teachers who have learned and mastered the program that included Bron-E. She teaches a class with slightly older children who can benefit without attending a school filled with children older than them. We have another teacher coming into a classroom who has been working on this program degree and another one that would help them devise individualized learning plans for high end learners that included problematic areas.
"That would allow us to promote both Praxus and Orion together into the same classroom in the same program at Titan," Roto said.
Ironhide and Ratchet glanced at each other.
"We would need details and such. Both mechs are in love with their school and teachers. If we moved them out it might be traumatic. I remember what that felt like and I know from personal experience that once you move out you never move back. All of their friends are at Sparkling Day," Ironhide said.
"We know. We're not just moving Orion and Praxus. We're moving eight other kids from the same group as well. We hope that would include Olo, Mimi, Bleu, Han, Echo, El, Uraya and Iacon. We have permissions to move all of them but Orion, Praxus and the twinnies. We're going to have a meeting shortly with the trine for Uraya and Iacon." Roto glanced at the lists before him. "We're going to move a number of other children including hopefully Sojourner and Solus when another classroom opens and we have parental agreement. Our primary programs are getting to be very, very successful in educating younger children who need more but aren't ready for Youngling Day yet. This is a transitional step."
"What would they do in this new room?" Ratchet asked.
"It would be like the one Hero goes to," Herling said. "It would be a blend of pre-learning with all the little activities and play they have but add an academic component. It would be a transitional sort of stage for children who are ready for academics but not strictly just that."
"We'd have no kids in Sparkling Day," Ironhide said. "That's weird. I'm not sure I like it."
Ratchet nodded. "I think I hate change."
Herling grinned. "They will progress no matter what and having it managed so that they can have fun and still get the stronger program is the best settlement I can think of. Of course, you can still keep them at Sparkling Day. We would need your agreement to make this happen."
"Orion has the speech difficulty. What about that? How does his academics compare to Praxus? You've made it clear all along that Praxus is very academically advanced for his age," Ratchet said as Ironhide nodded.
"They're very close," one of the specialists said. He explained a number of tests they both had to measure academic achievement and some that measured their maturity.
"He would still get speech services from me there," Roto said. "That's the building where I'm based. There won't be the separation problem that you expressed over and over, that Orion might feel failure if younger siblings passed up without him."
"That's not why he's being considered for promotion is it? That it might settle any emotional confusion he might have if Praxus passes him? What is the likelihood that he'll not be able to keep up?" Ratchet asked.
"Orion is very academically sound and ready for this. His deficit beyond his speech is his ability to express as completely as he might know the things he wants to say. I do believe that he's as academically sound as Praxus," Roto said.
"And if he can't and Praxus can?" Ironhide asked.
"He always has the possibility to return to Sparkling Day," Herling said.
"Without Praxus," Ratchet finished Herling's words.
Herling glanced at his academic experts. "What is your opinion about Orion failing to meet the standards of the program?"
They talked off line, then the first one turned to Ratchet and Ironhide. "We feel its a very, very low likelihood. We feel that he's ready to go and should be able to keep up just fine. I think they'd do well together."
"What would be the staffing? Is this a new teacher or what?" Ratchet asked.
Herling grinned, then rose to walk to the door. He opened it, then leaned out. Stepping back, he made way for someone to enter.
"Hi, Ratchet, Ironhide," she said.
Ratchet grinned. "Well, ambushed are we?"
Neo grinned. "Yes," she said with delight.
=0=At the Resort
"Did you find out anything more?" Sarah Lennox asked.
Will Lennox walked into the office and sat in a chair. He took a cookie from a plate on her desk, then sat back. "No. He's not going to be talking about it unless things come up. This is more high caste crap."
"He's got a million witnesses to his whereabouts. This is terrible. I hate this," Sarah said.
Will nodded. "We'll see what the coroner says. Sky and his team are on it and Hauser is taking it as a personal case. Prowl wanted to assist but that got shot down. I'd hate to have him or Hauser on my case. Or Sky either. All three of them are like ticks on a dog's butt."
Sarah considered that. "I think a gang did it. Someone in the wrong place at the wrong time. What do you know about this mech?"
"Apparently he had beef with Hard Drive and his family back in the day on Cybertron. They were neighbors, next door neighbors and had a lot of trouble. Raptor was a hellion and got their goat a lot. I was told that Delphi got arrested once by getting into a fist fight with this guy's father. Some guy named Bakker."
"My money is on Delphi," Sarah said. "What more do you hear about the new military habitat? What about the soldiers and how are they going to fit in?"
Lennox considered that. "The habitat will be ready for final sign off in a week. As for the soldiers, they're independent, all of them will be Ranger and Special Ops level. They're going to be from all over the world and will be commanded by a joint command, a Major from America and one from an as yet unnamed European country. I don't know how they'll fit in but I know special ops soldiers. Egos galore."
"Oh great. Who has ultimate command?" Sarah asked.
"I do. I have ultimate overall command though the group will be autonomous. I can still send them packing without a reason."
"Do you foresee friction? Clashing of the wills and all that?" Sarah asked with a smirk.
"It would be nice if we meshed and all went well but I don't know. I hope so but … I know special ops soldiers," Will said with a sigh. "We'll have to see."
Indeed.
=0=On a construction site in the outskirts of Pax in the Terra Hub
A new human habitat was coming close to completion. It was huge, had an outdoor component and was in the final stages just before a walk through and sign off could commence. It was designed tactically like the N.E.S.T. HQ with the same command center and all the related tech and outbuildings under the dome.
There was a green outdoors that would be a place of repose and recreation, though that would be limited mostly to a running track that followed the dimensions of the dome. Those dimensions were large but not as big as some places. Trees, plants, grass and outdoor areas to relax were built but it wasn't a place to farm.
The accommodations were great, the space both for work, training, education and down time was large and marvelous, the sort of thing that you'd want to have to work away from home and feel better about it.
One had to drive through Pax, then take the turnoff to the facility which would be visible on the highway leading to other places from Pax itself. It would be beautiful, glassed in interiors with a wealth of communications towers nearby that would be routed through the Autobot Communications Administration system just like everyone else.
"They won't have families with them then," Sarah asked.
"No. We're going to be spared that for now," Will said. "That's not going to happen here. There's going to be a coterie of command that stays but the soldiers will be rotated out in four month intervals."
"Well, I hope it works out," Sarah said. "We have a nice life here," Sarah said.
"All of us do," Will replied.
=0=Earth2
Owen Harris walked from his apartment toward the elevator that would take him to the ground floor. There was still no word on the situation on Earth that would begin the unwinding of the habitat's more well heeled residents. Louis Richardson had flown in the night before and they were having breakfast at the cafe in the business district.
He didn't look forward to it. Louis was an ideologue. He was someone who believe in what he believed damn the facts. But he was a huge investor in the creation of this place, putting his money into the long hard push and for that he expected like the others his return. Being here was enough for most of them but they still worked the angles with their business dealings and the like.
He rode downward and walked to the cafe which wasn't that far from his tower's elevator. Walking down the sidewalk to the restaurant he noted the efficiency of the habitat even without his command. Some even might say it was doing better because the pressure of his expectations were replaced by those of a 'nicer' person who had a more natural and respectful approach.
Cindy Tomas had huge support in the habitat and the human community beyond.
He reached the cafe, then walked to the sidewalk table where Louis Richardson sat. Pulling a chair, he sat himself. "Good morning."
Louis grinned. "Good morning. You look like shit."
"Thanks. I needed that," Owen said. He ordered, then sat back to enjoy the surroundings. It felt like a summer morning in any small town you cared to name.
"Did you hear about Prime?" Louis asked.
Owen nodded. "I wouldn't get your hopes up. Optimus Prime has nine lives."
"Well, we can but hope," Louis said as their food was delivered.
=0=TBC 4-9-2022
HUGS!
