The Diego Diaries: Night Owls (dd8 424)

=0=At the new military habitat

They stood by the window looking out toward Terra. A string of lights showed the highway's pathway toward the bright lights of a city some distance away. From their view they could see the city somewhat itself, lights from cars driving on it and some lights of aircraft coming and going. If they walked further along the wall toward the southwest of their facility they would see the bright evening spotlights of the Basilica, the shrine next door and the muted lights of the Mausoleum.

It was busy outside with traffic but other places looked muted with night time. The highway nearby was called Habitat Road at this point changing from Temple Highway by the locals just in that district from Metroplex #1, then back to Metroplex Highway #1 once it reached out of town. When it approached the Mausoleum it was called Frontier Highway because it lead out to the TransWorld. The locals however called it Habitat Highway past the Basilica.

Locals.

They watched the stars which were completely different from Earth and the blinking running lights of small aircraft as someone practiced touch and go landings at the civilian airport near the Stables. The night looked deep outside, deeper than deep. There was light but not like there was on Earth. The light pollution was almost non-existent here, though the cities were bright. They were spaced apart and it made the world seem inkier than Earth. The darkness left very little sense of being unified like it was between most habitations on Earth.

"The darkness is terrible here," one of the new soldiers said.

The others nodded.

"Its the kind where you go off and never come back," the first said. "I'd hate to get lost out there."

They nodded.

"We don't get to go out unless its with N.E.S.T. until we pass Lennox's inspection," another said. "Looking out at this I'm glad."

The group chuckled, then nodded.

"The N.E.S.T. guys have been living here in this for years. I wonder what that's like?" another asked. "I wonder what its like to be so comfortable here that it feels like home?" He was silent a moment, then he glanced at the others. "I'm glad they built in greenery here. I also want to spend time at the Resort. The Hu-An let people come to their place, too. Good to know."

The others nodded.

I wonder what its like to live in a desert?" a woman soldier speculated.

"We'll find out soon enough. I just hope I don't regret this," the first said to general laughter.

He wasn't the only one.

=0=Home(s)

Ironhide sneaked in, checked his numerous children, then crept into the berth room. He lay down and tuned out. In three or four days the voting would happen, then he would know if he was elected again. Ron, barring a surge of resistance was already a shoe-in. He wondered who else might have to worry.

=0=Evening Zoom call at Home

"Then we have our schedule?" Jessine asked as she sat on her berth taking notes along with Sil as her co-chairman of the 'Vote for Coros for School Board' campaign.

:We do: Pulley said. :Have the interviews been lined up?:

:They have: Sil said. :Jessine and I have permission to be out of school to appear on the "GOOD MORNING, AUTOBOT CITY!" show tomorrow. The radio stations are call-ins. Does everyone know which one is theirs?:

Fifteen kids nodded on the screens from their bedrooms or family home offices. It would be swinging in the colony amongst the younger set for the next few orns.

=0=Family Tower

Will Lennox crept into his apartment, checked on his daughter, then headed for the bathroom of his bedroom. When he came out he slid into bed to relax.

"How did it go?" Sarah asked as she turned slightly toward him.

"Good so far," Will replied. "They appear to be cool. We'll see."

"Any cases of Autobot City Syndrome among them do you think?" Sarah asked as she settled again.

"I hope so," Will said with a chuckle. "Good night, Sarah."

"Good night, Will."

=0=On the trail

They passed by the new habitat again, riding along the side of the building so they could peer inside, the snoops. As they did they saw a group of human soldiers staring out at the Basilica in the distance. They slowed, waved, then continued onward. It was a very strange yet comforting sight for the humans to see.

"There's Springer and Drift … Kup. Those kids I've seen but their names …" a sargent said as he pondered the group.

"Lon and Bezel. That's Hercy, Old Hercy," another said. "I want to meet him, him and Kup. I can't imagine the shit they could tell you."

Everyone nodded.

"Those femme soldiers … Arcee and the boss one? Elita? I want to see them, too. Also Chromia," a female soldier replied. "I want to see it all."

Everyone nodded again.

"I want to ride one of those horses," a soldier said as everyone chuckled. "That's the littlest femme I've seen. She looks like a kid."

"I think she is. They have that kid's group. I heard that one of them is running for the School Board. Its a big deal now, School Board elections," the female soldier said. "Imagine that."

Everyone took a moment to try. No one really did.

Imagine it, that is.

=0=Far away

They came in disciplined formation with faint echoes of pursuit that got fainter every parsec that they flew. Along the way, Seekers began to come out of the woodwork, sending overtures about joining since it was clear the battle group was following the Omega Beam. Every request to join them that was sent was accepted. When that happened even more Seekers began to form up in even larger groups to go for freedom at last.

By the time they were making good headway onward nearly 3,500 Seekers were part of their group. One of them would be the last missing son of The Great Elder himself, Raven.

=0=Morning

They gathered the kids together and went down to the street to wait for buses for the majority of them. Orion and Praxus wouldn't be going to their school on a bus because their school was somewhere else. Their entire group and a number of others to be added later as the testing would allow were due at Pioneer School Classroom 5 at the Educational Tower at Metrotitan shortly.

Orion and Praxus didn't know it yet. No one had upset their tiny apple carts with too much information. Their teacher would be Neo, their room Nana would be Laret and Mr. To-To would be in and out as it went. His office was a few floors higher up. All of the little kids would be there from their educational group so the disconnect would be less than it would if they were striking out on their own.

Buses came for big and little as the dreads left for Iacon on their bus and Prowler on the arm of his Amma Ravel. Tie and Ravel along with Appa Ratchet and the others were going to the store and Prowler's school to lesson the potential for drama for Orion and Praxus. They would get film of the event as compensation.

Orion and Praxus were stuffed into holds to that the trip to the Temple School would go smoothly. When that was accomplished, Ironhide, Ratchet and Alor walked down to the Metro for Tyke. They would be gone in seconds.

=0=At a classroom in Titan

Neo fussed with her classroom arranging and rearranging things to be perfect. There would be twelve or so kids in her room when things were finalized. All eight of Group D were coming here. She would have all the children she assisted since they were newborns in her class. It was so exciting she could hardly recharge.

Laret organized a couple of activities, then glanced at Neo. "Relax, Neo. You've gone over it a hundred times. When they get here we're going to have so much fun. And if the first orn or so is not perfect it will still be wonderful."

Neo glanced at Laret. "I'm so excited."

Laret grinned, then glanced at the door as it opened.

Herling, Nova and Roto walked in. "You look so excited, ladies. The room is beautiful. I'm so happy you're going to be the staff here. I don't think Praxus and Orion would be here without it being the two of you."

Laret grinned. "We took care of these infants since they were born. Its so exciting to continue onward with them."

"I know. They're gathering in the lobby. I'll call for them to come up," Nova said as he walked out.

The other four would wait in the room for the kids do come.

=0=Getting there

"ADA!"

"What?"

"We not going there? Not going to the shes?" Orion said as the train spun onward.

"We're going to see another place," Ratchet said.

"We going to doin'?" Orion asked.

"Where we going, Ada?" Praxus asked as he sat on Alor's arm.

"To school," Alor said with a big grin. "We're taking you to school."

Praxus smiled. "I like school."

"PAX LIKE KOOL!" Orion said with enormous happiness.

"Good. Just keep liking it," Ironhide said as he held Orion on his arm. "Someone should."

Chuckles greeted that as the train slowed. They left it when it stopped at Metrotitan Station #3. It was a swift walk across the street in front of the Watch Tower and a shorter ride upward in the Central Office of the Autobot City Unified School District in Metrotitan.

=0=Morning in a habitat

They stepped out of their small apartments to walk to the mess hall where they would take their meals. It was beautiful in the building as the night lights began to give way to day on the circadian lighting schedule all human habitats utilized. They made lines, got their food which was beautiful, plentiful and appealing. Sitting at the tables and chairs nearby, they began to fill their faces.

Soon the Ambassador of the Primes would saunter in and lay down the welcome and the smack. It would be an amazing moment of all of them.

The only thing better was meeting Prime. There was a rumor that he would come, too.

Sunlight began to fill the huge space as the day waxed onward. The 200 newbie soldiers to Mars sat and ate their breakfast as they waited to see and talk to a real alien face-to-face shortly.

=0=Kool

They stood in the lobby waiting together when Nova exited an elevator. He walked to the group and smiled. "Welcome. All is ready for you. Shall we go upward?"

They did.

Upward …

They walked to the door of the classroom where Neo and Laret met them. It was loudly happy as kids and genitors greeted each other, then were invited in to leave their little colorful cargo behind. In they went with mystified children, helping them to shuck their clothing and glance around.

"Go and look around, infants. This is your new classroom," Neo said with great happiness.

Eight little kids looked up at her, then around at the place. Eight little kids ran for the toy boxes and the sand box nearby.

The adults watched then turned toward Neo.

"I never told them they were changing schools, Neo," Ironhide said. "I didn't want them to wind themselves up."

Neo nodded as others in the group confessed the same thing. "That's alright. We're going to do a lot of explaining activities and look around. Hero's class is nearby. When all the classrooms fill up then its going to feel more like Sparkling Day."

"Is the playground in yet?" Ironhide asked.

"Just finished yesterday," Neo said. "We have a cafeteria, a library, specialist classrooms for the arts, a gym and swimming pool. The work on this floor is amazing."

They would check it out, walk around, then hug everyone goodbye. By the time they were finished with day one, the kids would be happy as clams with their new school.

Hero would be as well. Their classroom was two doors down from hers.

Win-win.

=0=TBC 5-2-2022