The Diego Diaries: Last Orn of Weekend (dd8 457)

=0=Later that evening

"Ada, why you me?" Orion asked.

Ratchet stared at the little mech, one who went to another school and was basically soaring in a new kind of curriculum. He could read simple books by himself. He and Praxus had a little bookshelf in his room that they shared and it was filling up with sweet picture books with a lot more vocabulary than he ever expected to see at their age.

Unless they were Hero.

"What, baby?" Ratchet asked.

"I go to them. Doin' them there." He stared at Ratchet with patience. This wasn't his first go around with Orion's glitch.

"HERO!"

The sound of running peds reached the living room as Hero, Prowler and Halo whippy-dippied in. "WHAT, ADA!?" she asked with delight.

It was getting to be her default mode.

"Spud, tell her what you were telling me," Ratchet said with a big grin.

Orion smiled brilliantly, then said, "Ada, why me my? I go to them. Doin' them there."

She smiled at him, then Ratchet. "He wants to go up and play with Miracle and the girls. Can we?" she asked as the others nodded.

Ratchet considered that, the time, then their cuteness. :Prowl, the kids want to come up. Yes or no?:

:Send my offspring up, Loon. You've had them long enough: came the delicate reply.

Ratchet guffawed. "Sure."

HUGE tumult erupted as they ran in circles a moment, danced madly, then ran to their rooms to grab toys. In seconds they were on the elevator going upward on a medical bypass code to the Penthouse where several little kids were running in circles with delight as they waited for them to arrive.

Ratchet walked back in, checked out the rest … Sunspot and Spot were over nighting with Bos, the big kids were still at the club getting information to study on how to be a junior doctor and Watchman and Ironhide was dozing in his chair. All was right with his world.

He walked to his own chair, sat down and stared at the screen of the monitor. There was nothing to watch on and rather than change the channel, he found himself dozing as well.

Robby who was the only one home but for Cousin glanced at the scene with one optic, then closed it to join them. It was a quiet restful few moments at the old homestead.

=0=Clubhouse

They sat at a table with Pulley and Faun getting the word on the curriculum of the Watch and Med Center program. With Rambler, the nine titan kids and a couple of femmes from Intermediate Day at City 4 in District 7 was Barrett Walters. It would take about an hour of downloading the texts and other information, then discussing the overall outline of learning including riding with the Horse Patrol before everyone could relax and just chat.

"This is so great having all of you," Faun said. "Having more kids in the group is going to make career choices better for a lot of us. You don't even have to follow these two paths to be an asset to the colony anyway. The more of us there are out there who can do things for our people, the better."

Pulley nodded. "What about you, Barrett? Some of this is just about us, our physiology and all that. Will this help you with your own people?"

Barrett who'd come to this decision after much thought and a lot of longing to be useful, of all things, considered the question. His path since meeting the Lady spirit had been arduous and he'd come to his decisions with rock hard determination. :I think so, Pulley. I want to do something good. My life was easy until now. I never thought about anything else but me. This is …: He considered his words a moment. :Its pure. Do you know?: he asked uncertainly.

Pulley grinned. "It is. I was like you. I came from a lot of money and I was so awful. I wish I could take it back now. I got into trouble, I goofed off in school, I was … embarrassing," he said with a big laugh.

"I remember," Faun said with a chuckle. "I was with the first migration and we didn't have anything before we came. I never got the high castes. I never felt less than anyone else. But Pulley and Coros are my best friends ever. All of the club. I think everyone has to feel they matter and have a purpose even if its only to have just the happiest life they can. I want to pay something back and have a life of purpose. When Pulley and Coros started this I jumped. Its been the most fun and best feeling I've ever had."

:I want that, too: Barrett said. :My folks are trying to change. I don't know about my sisters. They're sort of dopey but I like it here and I want to stay. I think if I go back to Earth I'm going to fail:

"If you want something badly enough then you have a good start," Santee said as the others nodded. "We were kept in a good place and when we went out to hunt we were always commanded by an adult. No one wanted us hurt or lost. We did our best for our frame and anyone else we came across." He glanced at Barrett. "You're with us and we're with you. That's the way it works in our frame. Our loyalties are part of who we are. You're with us, Barrett. Don't forget that."

The others nodded.

It was emotional a moment for Barrett but he nodded in return. :That matters to me. I've never had a real friend I could ever count on before. The life I lived on Earth didn't really make that happen. I'm going to do my best in this group. I hope others join, too:

"You can be our ambassador to them, Barrett," Pulley said. "Its a short step over fear to a better life. All of us here can tell you that. We're glad you're here."

They could chat a while, then break up to go home. School started the next day and they had to be home.

=0=Morning!

The last bus and cab pulled away as the adults watched it go. Then Blackjack turned to the group. "I have news for you."

Everyone turned to Blackjack.

"Flint and STU-Rt bonded last night."

"WHAT THE FRAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!"

=0=Staff meeting as everyone fogged in

Flint walked in and sat down next to Alor who hugged him. Then he glanced across the table at Ratchet and Ironhide. He froze. "Oh-oh."

"Is there something wrong?" Ratchet asked with blood lust in his voice.

"You tell me?" he asked before everyone erupted in delight.

Alor sent them the text. Siblings.

Backslapping and 'I love that guy' and 'good for both of you' and 'welcome to hell' from the humans circulated before everyone settled.

Optimus who was watching with amusement nodded to Flint. "Please convey my delight to Stu. I am very happy for both of you."

After a moment of sniveling and hard optics, Ratchet sat back with a grin. "What he said."

Huge laughter rocked them, then everyone began.

"I haven't had a break on the shooting yet. We're canvasing the area again against the hope that someone will tell us something," Springer said as he outlined the case of the murder of Tempo of Praxus. "We're hopeful that someone will drop a tip on the line. Other than that, gang activity has disappeared. We haven't had a call and the grafiti has stopped. It wasn't much before the murder, everyone seems to be more discreet but its gone now.

"As for crime itself, its the usual interpersonal stuff, fights, domestic violence and petty theft that stems from emotional problems regarding hunger and lost children or adults with mental problems.

All of them were found nearly immediately, I would say. I'd also say that a number of new kids have joined the mentor group including nine titans, a couple of cute little femmes and a human, Barrett Walters. I look forward to that. It might be something other kids want."

Drift nodded. "I think maybe starting mentor groups on that model around other professions including the Delegate Assembly might be useful as well. All of the kids on our group are stellar students and doing really well in the program. I love those kids."

Springer nodded. "I agree."

A moment was taken to make appointments with Pulley and Coros to set up similar programs for teaching, construction and related building jobs as well as government. It was decided that perhaps they could have a controlling group of kids who managed all the different mentorship groups overall, like a labor council, making it a kid directed activity with minimal adult control.

"That's about it. I'm looking forward to Barrett's first patrol ride," Springer said with a chuckle. "We may have to get a miniature horse for him."

Snickers went around the room.

"Loon?"

"I bet everyone here didn't know that was Prowler's middle name. I'd now be open to reviews of my latest ensemble for the game," Ratchet said with his most dazzling smile.

That one.

After admiring it a second the reviews came in: Delicious.

Ratchet snickered, then began his report. "I'd like to compliment Paragon for the senior and distressed facilities we have at Central Point. I do so even if my family wasn't using them right now, they're so stellar. If we didn't have that place and its further expansions ahead of us a lot of individuals would be lonely, isolated and the ability to treat them harder if not impossible. That this happens in a great normal setting rather than a sterile one is the difference. There aren't enough accolades possible for your insight and decency, Paragon," Ratchet said to the big mech sitting in his usual place beside Prowl.

Paragon glanced around, then shifted slightly. "Its my honor."

"Its ours," Prime said. "I go there a lot to visit patients, children, adults, elders and its a wonderful place. A little town that is geared for their comfort and safety is such a good idea. It makes a lot of fear and anxiety disappear for everyone."

Everyone nodded, some related their own family and friends living there and all of it entered Paragon's spark like warm currents. He sat back. "I've been there, too. I won't ever let people suffer and not do my best. Thank you for your kind words and thoughts. It truly is my honor to do this."

Arrow who was sitting with the Seekers as Director for the Flight Center here in the building felt Paragon's delight. It was an incredible emotional moment for both of them.

"That being said, my uncles are progressing so fast I have to winch them down when I leave," Ratchet said. He grinned. "Good on you, Paragon." He sat back. "My kids are in the mentor program. All the kids are doing well in school. All my patients are progressing and protoform wasting is now declining in the colony. It only perks up when a new group comes. There are no known strains including that virulent one brought in with the shoot-'em-up gang that can't be treated. We're on it and I, Ratchet the Healer lead them to the light with my servos, these holy relic-"

A barrage of debris cut that short.

Prime's laughter would take up a moment.

=0=At a new habitat

"I heard that some kids are coming over here to talk to us about voting," a soldier said to another. "They're coming over at noon."

"I heard that we get to vote, too, because we live here," the other replied. "Who's the kids and who are they coming to talk about? Do you know?"

The first nodded. "The kid who won the seat on the School Board, someone named Coros, a bunch of friends and I don't know who else. I guess he's running for the Delegate Assembly and we fall into that district."

"Would you vote for a high school kid?" the other asked.

"Depends on what he has to say. This place is awesome," the first replied.

"I agree. Noon it is, then."

=0=After lunch at Intermediate Day School, Iaconian

Coros, Sil, Jessine, Rambler, Pulley, Faun, Echo, six titan kids and their escort teacher, Mr. Bios waited in the lobby of their school for the van to come to take them to the new human military habitat that fell into the district where Coros was running for Delegate Assembly. It was coming from Youngling Day where Barrett Walters went to school. They were excited and on pins and needles as the van drove into view.

It entered the habitat door for vehicles, waited for the all clear, then opened the door for the kids and teacher to board. Sitting in the front with the driver, Barrett Walters smiled at the group. :Are you ready?: he asked.

Coros who sat near him nodded. "I hope so," he said. "I've never talked to humans before."

:Talk to them like you talk to me. You sold me on the group. Sell them on yourself: Barrett said as a slight smidge of his father's job slipped into mind.

Coros grinned. "I can't wait."

The van drove out of the habitat door heading across the colony for a human habitat that was gathering to hear them. It would be a new thing for them as well. That wouldn't even count the trip to Earth 1 in two orns.

=0=TBC 6-15-2022

COVID! Every week or so I get so tired that I lay down at 2 in the afternoon and walk up at 6 the next morning. Then I'm good for a week. I'm writing these ahead but this one caught me off guard. Be careful, my angels. Long covid is no joke. I love you so madly. By the way, one of our number is having a baby today. Give good thoughts to Cali. She's a great, great kid. First kid for her and her hubby.

HUGS TO ALL FROM NANA!