The Diego Diaries: There and Then Some (dd8 132)
=0=Around a campfire
They sat tensely watching as humanoid shadows gathered around, darting in and out of the light. No one said a word as the three Seers concentrated on the fire and their thoughts. No one wanted to be the first one who said anything about them. It was intensely unsettling and even frightening as the figures seemed to be doing their best to scare everyone who had noticed them.
Everyone noticed them.
:Roddy:
He glanced at the twins who were sitting on chairs behind Steiner and Lissie who were having a conversation about all the ghosts they'd seen in their lifetimes which were a lot. :What?:
:There's dark shadows hanging around behind you. They seem to be hovering around you specifically: Sunstreaker said with a slight grin.
:What did you do to draw a ghost, Roddy?: Sideswipe asked.
Hot Rod felt his energon turn to ice as the idea of something awful behind him appeared to be visible to everyone around him but himself. They all believed in ghosts because of the Matrix and because most of them saw them at one time or another. It was the nature of their species. Everything was energy and ghosts were no different. Given their incredible abilities, it was impossible not to see them. He sat forward and hunched his shoulders. It would explain the buzzing feeling that danced on his armor. :Frag you, Sunstreaker. You, too, Sideswipe:
:Does everyone see the ghost things hanging out behind Hot Rod?: Sideswipe asked over the open band off line, one that wasn't connected to the Seers who required silent concentration.
Everyone grinned, then nodded slightly, ever so slightly.
Hot Rod hunched his shoulders more.
Onyx who had seen them when they lifted off Cybertron knew what they were and wasn't afraid of them. He had thousands of ways to ward off bad mojo. It was, however, amusing to watch and listen to everyone have an uneasy time with them. "I see them. I wonder why they want to hang around you, infant?" he said as he glanced up from the fire to stare at Roddy. "What sort of mischief have you gotten into that you would attract them?"
It was then that a slight intermission was had to handle the total and intense freak out that erupted in the camp.
Moments later …
They settled, all of them including humans, glancing around themselves warily as they tried to relax. When they were Onyx sat himself with a grin on his face. Totem and his son, Gypsum were grinning as well. Nothing like watching amateurs lose their slag.
"I'll ask," Niall Graham finally said. "What are they and are they part of our problem, Lord Onyx?"
Onyx who was surprised and pleased with Graham's manners glanced at him. "That is the accumulated emotion and suffering of our people that exists and which still floats around our planet because it hasn't been released entirely yet. You will find as you learn and grow that everyone and everything is energy. Your brain or processor can make a lot of things happen including surging emotion into the world around you. If you do it long enough and strongly enough it can gather and become an entity. Humans called them shadow people."
"What do you call them, Elder?" Smokey the YOUNGER asked with his usual intense enthusiasm.
Onyx glanced at him with amusement and affection. "Shadow people."
HUGE laughter, especially by Devcon, was had, then it fell silent again.
"They came with us. We'll take them back. They can make you feel depressed and lonely or they can cause arguments and problems. Its just coagulated negative energy created by processors under stress over a long period of time, that's all. We won't be here long enough for them to be a problem but they won't be staying here. They hitched a ride with us when we left and we didn't have time to kick them off. This place is an idyll and Arcadia as the humans might say. It needs to remain a paradise."
"Arcadia?" someone in the back asked
He glanced that way. "Heaven. The Matrix. A perfect place of repose and peace. The only thing I've noted thus far that is discordant is us."
It was silent a moment, then the elder turned back to the task with the others. It would be silent a moment or two longer before he stood up, stared at the shadows, then whispered something. At that moment they disappeared altogether.
Smokey glanced there, then at Onyx. "Where did they go?"
"Into me," Onyx said as he sat again. "They were getting irritating."
"YOU CAN DO THAT!?" Smokey asked at the level of surprise that everyone else older had learned to hide better.
"I can," Onyx said with a chuckle. "They will be dealt with when we get back." Then he settled again to work his magic.
It would be a happier group of aliens gathered around the fire pit, human and Cybertronian that would sit in the darkness with him.
=0=Later that night
They were still hard at it chasing who knew what as the group began to break up to go to sleep. The Seekers were off duty and would lounge in their area inside the shelter in tents that accommodated them. Percy and the nerd squad would go to the shuttles to work while everyone else would be on guard duty or recharging. The camp was quiet at last.
Ratchet sat in a chair beside Raptor and the other elders. They were chatting about this and that as they took in the ambiance of the area which was now completely calm under the black velvet of the night sky. :Good thing its summer here. This area can get cold. I prefer the warmth. I guess I'm getting old:
:I hear you: Lissie said as she sat with her peds on Steiner's lap. She was relaxed in her chair, the only 'girl' among the boys as usual and was feeling no pain. The stars overhead drew her, that and the peaceful nature of the place around them. :This is such a nice world. We have to make sure no one else comes here. This place deserves to be left alone:
:It might take shooting to get Reset and his group off: Ratchet replied. :They're not happy with the Primal Decree about The System:
:Poor things. We might need a caste court. Up to it, Raptor?: Jack asked his nephew.
:I was born up to it: Raptor said with a grin. :Those slaggers aren't going without a fight. We might need to bring the ultimate authority here to make it work:
:I don't know if Ultramus Prime has slack in his schedule for this: Jack said with a grin. :I do what to see it though:
:All of us want to see it: Raptor replied.
The night would continue onward peacefully.
=0=Home
It was dark when they came in and checked the kids. Walking to their berthroom to collapse into recharge, Prowl and Prime went through their evening routine. Dinner was had at The Fortress. They were linked in and Paragon had the overnight command. All was as well as it could be.
Prime laid back watching Prowl do this and that, working his routine that made him so fastidious. Prowl was always beautiful to Prime. That Prowl could kick a hole through the wall, rip off metal with his bare servos and could peel paint off a wall with The Look™, (although it had limitations with Decepticons sometimes) made no difference to Prime. He loved the way Prowl looked. Two tone color schemes with vibrant chevrons glowing red were a thing with him.
Apparently.
Optimus grinned, then watched as Prowl shut down lights. He walked over and lay back as well.
It was silent a moment.
"What do you think about Ultramus Prime?"
"I try not to," Prowl said with a chuckle. "I wonder if his presence is going to be needed?"
"We shall see," he said as Prowl rolled over and settled against him.
The night would pass and morning would come. All would be calm and well for now.
=0=Other places
Bluestreak settled the last kid, then walked to the living room to check things out. Their apartment was elegant and filled with the life of their family. He loved it. All three of them worked on the décor together.
Sunstreaker was art oriented and loved painting all of them. Their house was filled with images and sculptures of the kids, Sideswipe and Blue.
Sideswipe was more minimalist. He liked clean lines and simple things. He loved to display his sword collection on a wall in the office space. Small items collected from his quest to learn how to be the best soldier possible, one that spanned millions of years were placed here and there. It was a good compliment to Bluestreak who wanted a homey atmosphere.
What little Blue could remember about his real family was that their house was cozy and warm. It was filled with love and antiques that were special to the family even if they didn't cost much. Handed down over a long period of time, they were priceless to his family. It was important that they had connections to everyone and their past so he did what he could here.
He shut down the lights, then walked to the berthroom to lie down alone. He would be glad when the two were back and life could go on again. It would be a long peaceful night in Tyger Pax.
=0=Elsewhere
Ironhide sat in his chair snoring slightly. He would argue that he didn't but he did. He didn't like to sleep in his berth alone so the chair was his compromise. Ratchet was somewhere in the boondocks but he was with good folks. Half his elders were there so he didn't feel as disturbed by this as usual. Perceptor and Ratchet would figure it out.
And Onyx. Him, too.
Right now he was sawing logs as the humans said waiting for tomorrow to come and perhaps another message from Ratchet.
So were they dozen or so kids and pets.
=0=Early morning
They gathered at the fire pit which was out as the three Seers seemed to be meditating. They were relaxed in their chairs staring at the cold pit which had gone out during the night. Sitting here and there to eat their breakfast, the soldiers and humans watched as the sun began to rise over the far mountains. It would stay that way for a bit.
=0=Reset
He stood by the window of his office staring in the direction of the newcomers. He was disturbed by the possibility that they would have to leave and enter into a world that had no more time for them. They'd lived here a long while and it was peaceful. Then shortly ago some refugees had landed and made things difficult. It had startled him when the … thing separated them into two domed groups but he was glad otherwise. It solved a lot of problems.
Now …
A light rap on the door drew him as it opened. The elders of their ruling committee were there to discuss the various possibilities that might transpire. They came in and sat, beginning a tense conversation about what to do about the Prime of Cybertron's demands. No one wanted to obey Ultramus Prime.
No one.
=0=Camp
Onyx stood, then stretched. He glanced at the others. "Is there enough for us?"
Three mechs jumped up and hurried to the shelter to fix food for the Seers. Among the Cybertronians, it was a given that the respect they felt for this unusual groups of mechs and femmes would be strong and immediate.
"Have a seat, Onyx," Raptor said from his chair or 'throne' according to the younger mechs with him. "Food's coming up."
They pulled their chairs closer to the leadership, then sat.
"Thank you for bringing us here, Raptor. I have never met such an interesting thing in ages. You think you've seen it all and then you find something new," Totem said as the other two nodded.
"Its our pleasure," Jack said to general laughter all around. "Have some food. Then we can chat."
"Thank you kindly," Onyx said as the kids brought food and drink for all three. They sat back and began to eat. The calm manner of the three and the amused relaxation of the elders didn't go over so good with the tense younger mechs around them.
Smokey frowned at the group. "Uh, Appa?" he asked.
Every elder glanced at him. "What, infant?"
"You aren't going to tell us?" Smokey asked to the amusement of Devcon who had a long history with Seers. They would tell you when they would. Not a jot sooner than that. The time schedule they operated on wasn't the same as reality half the time.
Onyx grinned at the kid with the good manners. "Tell you what, infant?" he asked.
Smokey stared at him silently. So did everyone else.
=0=TBC 04-6-2021
ESL:
fastidious: (fas-tih-dee-us) Someone who is careful with something, works at making it all good. "He was so handsome and sharp because he was fastidious with his appearance."