The Diego Diaries: The Gatekeeper (dd8 60)
=0=On the road, under surveillance
"Isn't that Springer and Drift?"
Several tourists using telescopes arrayed along the front windows turned to the man who was watching two cars drive toward the Monastery on the road that fronted the Resort where they were vacationing. It was called Monastery Road after a point but the part in front of the hotel was Resort Drive. It continued past the Monastery disappearing over the side of a long slope which led to a big roundabout. One direction disappeared around the huge Monastery toward Aerie Hill, another toward the long run to Terra Hub and the other back to Autobot City.
"That looks like them," one of the men commented as he watched through his own binoculars. "Drift is that color and the pick up is a big TopKick, yellow and green. They must be going to the Monastery. I wonder why."
Everyone who could watched the cars turn into the driveway of the Monastery, then pull into the parking lot. Both transformed, then rose to their full height.
"It's them," the first man said with a grin. "I'd love to hang out with them. They crack me up."
That met general agreement as the group watched the two walk toward the door where a tall mech was standing, the Gatekeeper.
At the same time ...
They drove in and in a flash transformed. Walking together, they crossed the parking lot and walked up the steps to where the Gatekeeper stood. When they reached them, Drift bowed slightly. "We would like to dedicate our son here."
The Gatekeeper glanced at both, then nodded. "Enter and be well," he said with a sweep of his arm.
Drift nodded respectfully and so did Springer as he followed his partner into the huge building.
It was a sprawling thing, a community unto itself as many were the individuals and even a few families that lived here full time. It was busy with schools, scholars and archiving. This was a major site for the relics and culture of The People gathered up on Cybertron or returned from other places. It was cached here and a few other places on world in the hopes that the scholars and conservators would be able to assist in the herculean task of retrieving themselves from the destruction of their world and historical record.
They crossed the floor, then walked down a corridor that led to the place where the monks who did the duties of the orn, whatever they were for whoever came that day waited and worked themselves on their own things in between. Entering a large door, they halted inside. Three monks were working at a table.
Drift glanced at Springer. "You want to get him out?"
Springer laboriously and carefully pulled Tell out of his hold and placed him into Drift's arms. "What now?"
"Follow me," Drift said as he started toward the three who noticed them, then rose.
They watched Drift and Springer approach with warm expressions. Given the grimness of Cyclonus as the Master of the Clavis Aurea, it was strange to see amusement and good humor in the monks. Not everyone was as severe as Cyclonus it seemed.
They halted before the three, then bowed. "We would like our son to be blessed here. He is Tell of Polyhex-Kaon of Cybertron."
The mechs stepped forward and leaned in to see Tell who was staring at them with calm unblinking optics. They exclaimed over him, then lay on a servo. It was then that they began to chant, something that would take a while but when it was over, Tell of Polyhex-Kaon of Cybertron would be a member of the congregation and beloved by all.
The chat that followed was instructive, then they bowed and walked out to the parking lot. Pausing to look at the baby, they glanced at each other.
"That was the easy part," Springer said as he glanced at the sun which was beginning to set over the dome of Olympus Mons. "Now the hard one."
"We could take the night off," Drift said with a grin.
"It won't make it easier," Springer said as he watched Drift carefully place the baby in his carry hold.
"You have a point," Drift said as he watched Springer transform. He transformed himself, then followed the big mech as he drove back toward the road and the straight shot past the Resort to The City.
The guests at the Resort would watch the whole show, speculate on the bundle they held at the Monastery, then move on eventually to other activities. The sun would slowly sink on the horizon as early evening came to Mars.
=0=Home
"That's good."
"Do I need more, Ada?"
"I don't think so, Genesis. I think that's a very thorough explanation of this chemical property," Ratchet replied as he went over the datapad again. "Very sound and nicely footnoted."
"Thanks, Ada. I want to do my best," Genesis said as he rose to put the datapad in his book bag which hung on its hook by the door with everyone else's. The littlest kids hung on pegs that were rowed just under the big kids. It was a very cute thing and was a picture in their family album against the future. He walked into the hallway to go to the kid's lounge and watch movies with Sunspot, Quasar and Fireball. It would be fun.
Little kids were playing in Hero's room as usual so Ratchet walked to his chair to sit. He handed a plate and beer to Ironhide, then set his own down before he did. "Well, its good to be back. We have no vacations between now and Festival. None of the new ones added to the schedule are orns off. Even Veteran's Day and New Years."
"Slave driver, Prime. I'll have to put him straight," Ironhide said.
"You tell him, Only One," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Conferences are soon. There's an open call for new kids at the Circle School and the District."
"Frag that," Ironhide said as he gave a cool optic to Ratchet.
"You could put that one in and take on the new one. I imagine that Springer and Drift wouldn't be put out if you stepped in from time to time," Ratchet said.
Ironhide frowned at him, then sent a text to Drift and Springer. He got an answer, then grinned. "Keep talking, Ratchet."
"To Herling?"
Ironhide nearly startled out of his chair.
=0=At the Watch Tower in Metrotitans
They arrived, transformed, then walked into the building. Greeted by those going home and those arriving for graveyard shift, the two took an elevator up to their office. Stepping out warily, they walked to their office and entered. When they did they were bushwhacked by pros.
"SURPRISE!"
=0=At the Stables
They gathered their mounts, then walked out to the road that led toward their part of the beat. Springer and Drift hadn't arrived, though everyone hadn't counted on it happening given the circumstances. Mounting up, they began to ride out to go their various directions for night horseback patrol duty. It was quiet as they reached the highway, then paused to listen for instructions from Central Dispatch which told them of a bender at a bar that might turn into a brawl at some point between two groups who were opposing neighborhoods back in the orn.
"That's a cute little mech," Lon said as he waited for the go ahead.
"He is," Sandstorm said. "I figured it was only a matter of time. They had a hard time giving up those three little kids they were fostering."
The older mechs nodded.
"I never figured them for fathers," Bezel said. "I don't know why. Maybe its because they're so good together anyone else seems like an intruder."
Splice grinned. "Sometimes you grow up and need different things. I never figured them for the parenting type but everyone has a dream. I never figured I'd live this long, have a bond and a daughter. I figured I'd be dead on some asteroid somewhere and no one would ever know or remember."
The older mechs nodded again.
"You have to reach out for the life you want. I figured they'd find an orphan and this time it'd be safer to want it," L-3 said. He was a Wrecker who knew Springer a long time. "We all change. Most of us. Sometimes its even for the better."
Hercy glanced at L-3. "For proof of that, look at me."
Huge laughter and agreement greeted that, then Kup glanced at the mechs. "Let's go. Might be a brawl. Might not be in Gambian."
With that, they began to ride into the night time illuminated by pools of light from majestically tall light poles as they rode along the highway heading for the Eight Ball.
=0=E2
Cameron Frazer left the office late. He was heading for the cafe to have a bite before going home. It was evening and the lighting had shifted to reflect that reality inside the huge habitat. There were a lot of individuals up, some jogging and some hanging out at the various places where you could sit and have a bite and drink while you caught up on things. Others were in the walkway between the habitat and the huge domed greenhouse savoring an experience where you seemed to be suspended in thin air, so transparent were the walls, floor and ceiling of the huge tunnel. Many were walking, driving, skating and skateboarding around. It was a typical evening at Earth2.
He entered the Cafe, ordered, then sat back to consider the past couple of days. He'd lost his temper with Ratchet who ALWAYS pushed his buttons, something he was sure the big alien did on purpose. His father was incredibly angry with him but Owen wasn't. In fact, Owen had made a point of thanking him for letting him watch how the three mechs handled this sort of thing.
He liked living and working here. It was exotic, a good resume item and profitable. He didn't have to spend a nickle living here so his bank account for someone his age was amazing. The people here weren't particularly interested in him, aware that he was the son of a 'manager' and kind of a dick as well. None of the available women would date him so he had to increase his range to Unidad. He was dating a woman who worked in the office managing mail and communications. She had an office in the City Hall so it allowed him to visit and see that operation.
It was a first class operation all the way. It was also much, much bigger and more complex than Earth2 which sat sideways on his ego. E2 used to be the new kid and the most interesting habitation on world, easily overcoming Earth 1 because they worked at everyone knowing it was so. But now there was Unidad, itself monstrously bigger and more intriguing and Prima Station as well.
All of them were the purview of Ratchet.
Rick Harris loved the bots, especially Ratchet. He considered him fun, wily, very disarming and therefore a dangerous foe in confrontations. He often told them not to underestimate that mech because you'd live to regret it. He personally didn't care. Though Ratchet held the keys on this place, he seldom ran into him. It was only occasionally on Diego that this happened and he was on the losing side of that dance each time they collided.
His food arrived so he began to eat. He'd finish, leave and go to his home. A couple of hours on the phone with his girlfriend would round out a long day. It was amusing to him that this girlfriend had developed a close friendship with his former one, Carrie Fields-Calley, helicopter pilot for the prototypes they were making here for Earth. He reached an elevator, then entered. The door closed behind him silently.
=0=SURPRISE!
"Uh ..."
"Sit down, Springer, and we'll tell you what we've done and what we're going to do." Maxi grinned at the two as they were steered by the graveyard communications crew toward their desk chairs. When they were seated, they were given a number of presents from different departments and individuals including an entire set up in the corner of the room with a little bassinet, a playpen and a lot of dollies. There was even a rocking chair. "Here's what we have in mind. You go on night patrol and baby is going to sleep. You put him here and one of us on night duty uses the communications station over there to handle calls during the shift.
"You get to ride without worries and we get to play with a baby," Sefette said. She was night shift communications officer who would have that delightful duty. "Given he'll sleep the entire shift, probably, he's safe here, you're free to act out there and WE HAVE THE BABY HERE! Win-win," she said with a dazzling smile.
Springer and Drift stared at them, each other, then them again. "Okay," they both said at the same time.
=0=TBC 01-07-2021 01-12-2021