The Diego Diaries: Meetings (dd7 8)
=0=Ops Center conference room
Caro concluded his presentation, took questions from Venture, Prowl and one from Prime of all individuals, then Neo stood for hers. "Thank you, Prowl. I would like to thank Jetta for helping us plan the Adult Daycare Center in Terra. As you may or not know, we have a lot of disabled elders who would be home bound but for the Center. We bring our elders who require attention during the orn or night so that their families can work, go to school or get a break.
"We have full time doctors and nursing care along with delicious meals, some specially prepared to suit disabilities, therapy both physical and emotional as well as skills and crafts. Some of them learn something new, others write and read, some help others. We have hospital beds situated in windows for those who require them when they come. Its a safe place to come and visit. Some of the community service groups help there as part of their service. We hope to open one or two in every city as we develop the plan. The need is there especially among elders and children.
"Our femme professional association is going to assist during Christmas Surprise. We understand that its a lot to visit everyone who is housebound or otherwise unable to get out but we intend to assist in making this a goal for our colony. We also are assisting the creation of several groups on Cybertron and the inner empire to develop these service organizations for elders and children there. The need is enormous and all hands on are deck," she said as she consulted her datapad. She had no idea how cute she looked doing so. She also had no idea of how much she was admired among those who knew best what she used to be.
"Our organizations are banding with the human groups like ours so that we can assist newcomers and develop programs that are mutually beneficial toward interspecies harmony. That would include more opportunity to work out celebrations that we share. We hope to help individuals find elders who can tell their stories for publishing on Earth. Given the interest by Earth and the difficulty of many elders to talk about their experiences, having us help makes it better. All in all, I am very happy with our progress and we're open to your input especially as it applies to vulnerable elders who need assistance. If you can tell us who and where they are we can do an outreach to them and their families. It will help them feel more included and less alone. Thank you," she said as she sat down.
"How's the monsters?" Ratchet asked with a grin.
"If you're talking about your magnificent little imps, I have no complaints." Neo grinned. "I have dibs on them, of course."
"Stand in line," Springer said with a smirk.
"They're all mine but please … continue," Prowl said as he sat back and folded his arms across his chassis. He smirked at Springer, then Neo.
"Rock, paper, scissors?" Neo asked to great acclaim.
Prowl grinned at her as she sat pleased with herself. "Herling?"
He began his report. "Halloween was an unqualified success. We took an assortment of babies to trick or treat at the Habitats and were welcomed warmly."
Earth 1 ...
{"TRICK OR TREAT!"}
The humans had gathered to give the children Cybertronians treats after they had paraded in their little costumes through the facility and the schools. Now they were standing in the concourse by the doors where their bus waited outside. El had stepped up with her little red nose as Frosty the Reindeer. Her stories had gotten mixed up but her devoted genitors had arranged a costume for her anyway. {"TRICK OR TREAT!"} she replied in her big tiny little voice with a giant smile on her tiny face.
She'd been harmed greatly in her migration losing an arm and leg on one side. She'd been deeply harmed and her recovery was not totally assured until Optimus Prime held her and the Matrix weighed in. Now she was staring up at the humans with her little pumpkin candy basket.
A human grammy who was holding the basket of candy, all of which was wrapped and sized to babies to protect the humans from handling it stared at her with adoration, then stepped forward and emptied the whole thing into El's pumpkin basket.
It was an awesome moment to be relived on Youtube forever.
Earth2 ...
They walked through the classrooms staring at the big kids who were smiling at them as they paraded through. The costumes were a mix of Cybertronian and human with a sweetly beaming child inside each. They walked out and through the concourse which was CRAMMED with residents to see the show. They were applauded, some were patted and YOU KNOW WHO got to kip this and that human, gently hugging them as he did.
{"TOTO! I, ME KIPPED!"} YOU KNOW WHO said as he swaggered on with his pumpkin basket.
{"I saw that"} Roto replied as he brought up the rear.
Standing nearby with cameras, the entire administrative committee including the Harris family, the Beliveau family with Cameron and Rick Harris watched. Rick was enjoying himself. What the others thought was unknown.
The kids swaggered out heading toward Unidad and the internet was awash with videos about alien kids trick-or-treating their habitat.
=0=Unidad Terra 1
The groups that gathered were huge and enthusiastic as the infants wandered in to make their mark on the habitat. The schools were waiting for them as they were gathered into the back of small pick up trucks and the little open air cabs that were transportation here. Their laughter was loud as they zoomed down the road through the mobs toward the town where they would see the schools, check out Merlie's and City Hall before heading out to their own school and parties.
Carly and Sam were waiting at the City Hall when they finally made it and were mobbed by some of the kids who knew them well. A tour happened, then treats, then convoluted stories that only tiny kids could tell and they were on their way. Out to the bus all of the colorful little doodles went, then onward to their own school which would be returning the favor to the habitat kids starting after weekend ...
"We have in place an exchange for the habitat kids to visit all three of our own. We think it might be useful to help them understand us and how much we have in common if they come to our schools and see what we do. There's so much disinformation out there about who we are and what we do that this might help a lot. Leonora Huttle is going to be filming these visits and talking to the kids for a special about being a child in space, the human side and being a child from another world altogether, our kids," Herling said.
"The curriculums for civics for Intermediate children and chemistry for Youngling Day have been finalized and updates will be WIFI-ed to all of the texts and materials for these subjects in use along with other supplementals we've created new. We've updated the labs for these new subjects to ensure a smooth transition.
"All of our teachers are certified to our program now and we have a mentorship in place to bring all of our staff across the board online faster to our system. We have enough staff to comfortably fill our schools to keep class size down and serve all the many needs of the children in all the areas we serve. I'm most pleased with the University expanding advance degree programs and technical training for our people."
"You direct both don't you, Herling?" Ratchet asked with a grin.
He snickered. "I do but I delegate well. All in all, we're doing very well and will be able to transition into any configuration that refugees bring including an expanded special education program and response system." He sat happily. "Oh and the School Board Meeting that was canceled a few orns ago is on for tonight. Everyone has signaled they will be there. How about it, Mr. Secretary?"
Ironhide pretended not to understand until Ratchet elbowed him. "I'M NOT A SECRETARY! I'M A WORLD DESTROYER!"
"No you aren't. Yet anyway," Turbine said with a big grin. "You're my little baby boy."
"He's actually mine, Turbine. You only get him on every odd decaorn. He's my chubby cheeked little baby. Right, infant?" Delphi asked with a grin.
Ironhide frowned at both. "I'm not a child. I, IRONHIDE DID GRADUATE FROM THE ACADEMY!"
"Then you're sitting there with your training wheels still on," Hardie said with a smile. "I'm not letting you drive. You might just steal something if you do."
"Really, Atar … a mech steals ONE CAR and he's a hoodlum forever," Raptor said as he gazed at Ironhide with amusement.
"Works for me," Sun said as Jack nodded.
Ironhide scowled at all of them. "I hate you."
"Now, now," Turbine said. "You're coming with me after this and I'll make it up to you."
Ironhide stared at his amma with a slight frown. "Where are we going?"
"I thought we'd go to Play Land. I heard they have a lot of nice toys there and we can picnic on the grass." Turbine grinned at his grandson while carrying on a BLAZING conversation off line with the other elders of Praxian persuasion whether The Kid™ was gaslighting them or not.
"I'm not going to Play Land," Ironhide said with surprise.
"No. You're going to be secretary of the school board," Ratchet said.
"I'M NOT A SECRETARY! I DO NOT DO PLAY LAND! I ONLY BORROWED YOUR FRAGGING CAR AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" Ironhide bellowed.
It was still a moment as everyone stared at him. It was unnerving how quiet it was.
Then Hardie stared at his empty plate and cup. "I'm empty here, grandson."
Ironhide stared at one of the GODS in his PERSONAL PANTHEON, then his utensils. Rising with a frown, he took them into servo. "I WILL DO THIS BECAUSE I HAVE GOOD MANNERS! BUT NOT FOR ANY OTHER REASON!"
It was silent as he stormed out, then bedlam.
Outside, Ironhide grinned at the laughter as he filled the cup and plate. "Slaggers … you're going to make this hard aren't ya." He filled each to the brim, then walked back in. The door closed behind him.
=0=Outside
They went from light pole banner holder to light pole banner holder. Those for Halloween were taken down and those for Thanksgiving and one for the Empress's Ball were hung up. It was being acknowledged in this and other manners those things that were cultural to different groups around the colony to bring together even closer those that were flung apart for too long.
The Empress's Ball was a party and dance that covered a decaorn where eligible young femmes and mechs were gathered to meet and greet. Bonds were made and relationships built or broken during the mass gatherings of Stanixians at huge dances and parties all over the place. The Empress and her Court would attend a new one every night and give her blessings to the goings-on. It was a big deal and a ritual that was being revived among The People. It wouldn't be the last one either. It was sinking in that this was a place that could last and The People were getting behind this sort of thing in a big way.
It was a busy city that spun along as the Public Works guys changed out banners and made the colony festive. It would be more so when Christmas Surprise came again.
=0=Meeting
"We have our gang unit on it and we're narrowing it down. Its another high caste gang, the Red Streaks. We don't know their real name but their flash is a red streak of paint. It makes seventeen gangs of all sizes and seriousness in the colony. We have good data on fourteen. Give us time and we'll have them all sorted out," Springer was saying.
"What about the drunk situation?" Ratchet asked. "Anyone named Cliffjumper among them?"
"Cliff must have taken a vow. We haven't arrested him since Buzzie and Agnus," Drift said. "By the way, I heard that Buzzie is sparked."
"WHAT!"
=0=TBC 11-8-2020 11-20-2020