The Diego Diaries: Leaving (dd8 146)
=0=In the colony
They listened to the workers who explained how planned bug outs worked and that they would take the time needed to transport not only those here but whatever they wanted to bring. If they had questions about that the workers were here to help. Standing in the area trying to blend into the background, armed soldiers and a few Seekers watched. The sooner this was done the sooner they'd get home again. Meadow Lands was a very beautiful planet with a great atmosphere but it wasn't home.
The hostility level was high but the group lacked a leader to make trouble and any sense that it would do any good. When the conversations wound down individuals and small groups began to walk back to the buildings where they lived. The downtown was relatively small and lacked the kind of diversity that was so evident at Autobot City and other urban sites on Mars. There were a couple of restaurants, work spaces for this and that thing and some amenity sites. Diversion was limited here.
It would be a long night and well into the next orn before everyone was satisfied that their things would be marked and boxed for transport and they personally were ready to leave. Shuttles would take them to the ship overhead with the others, then they would leave at that point for Mars. For now, the colony was a bee hive of activity.
=0=Autobot City
Ravel dropped Halo off at her school in the Temple. She was still unhappy to go but it was getting incrementally better every orn. When Halo was inside, he walked back to the street and headed toward the shop nearby. Prowler was being dropped off by Tie Down before he took the escalator back down to the first floor where RTR Tools was located. He opened the store, then walked back to start the kilns, ovens and smelters that made their work possible.
Ravel finally walked in, turned on the 'open for business' sign, then walked back to the work room. "She's in school, little imp. She's still pining for her papa."
"She's going to do a good job there," Tie said. "She's so smart and ready for this."
"What about Praxus? They want to have a meeting about him going to a Pioneer classroom in Metrotitan. I fear that he's so gentle and sweet that it might be a problem. I know he's smart enough but he's so young, Tie. I find it very worrisome."
Tie glanced at Ravel, then grinned slightly at the fussy little mech who ruled his spark. "Don't worry. He won't go if its problematic. Our little baby is growing up, Ravel. You can't keep them down when they do."
"Maybe, but what will it mean for Orion? One by one, they leave and he stays. It might do his little spark a sad," Ravel said as he began to lay out ingots of steel that would be pounded out, folded and pounded out again through a heat process to make swords. The demand for their swords exceeded their ability to comply. The waiting list was incredible for nearly everything they made but their customers were willing to wait their turn.
"He's a smart little mech. Maybe its a good thing for Orion to be relieved of the responsibility of taking care of everyone. How about him having a chance to take care of himself?" Tie asked.
Ravel glanced at him. "Maybe. I just don't like to hear them cry. They're so precious to me, Tie. I love my little babies. It was so worrisome when the twinnies were sick and now this. I don't think I can take the possibility that Orion will feel poorly about himself."
"We shall have to make sure he doesn't then," Tie said as he began to add ingredients to a molten soup that would form the hilts of swords when cast. As both of them did their parts, they began to chant the verses and secret knowledge that would make everything they made sentient.
It would be peaceful at RTR Tools.
=0=There
Ratchet watched a group of colonists walk past toward the shuttles now parked on the small airport, none of whom glanced his way. He was uncertain whether they hated him personally as a low caste or everyone generally regardless of caste. Either way, they were moving in the right direction together. When they were gone the remaining plus 400 would be revived a few at a time until everyone was evacuated.
Prime walked toward him watching the civilians pass by, heading to the shuttles to bridge through them to the ship in orbit. "How is it going, Ratchet?"
"Slow but sure. They're not acknowledging anyone but considering the shock of this, considering the niceness of this place, I suppose its a reasonable outcome. Just so long as they leave."
Prime nodded. "When we revive the others, I am leaving it to Raptor. I can come back if needed but I will be going with the ship leaving. I have a number of conference calls and other meetings ahead. As soon as we are clear the better. I want this world to resume its peaceful ways without our presence."
"Win-win," Ratchet said.
They watched the groups walk past as everywhere they looked crews were packing and moving their belongings to be palletized for transport.
"I'm glad they get to keep their stuff. I had a few things of my genitors that I always carried and I had the download of every picture, movie, document and data point of Ironhide's entire family on both sides given to me by Alor way back when just in case. I gave that to him a few years ago. If I didn't have that and a few of my own things I'd have huge regret. I don't want anyone to regret."
"Nor do I," Prime said. "I have a few things from my genitors and some from my grand genitors that I have always had. It comforts me a great deal that I do."
Ratchet nodded. "We plan to leave as fast as possible. A few orns and its all clear here. We can marker buoy it as a plague planet. That way no one will come. Does that suit your intuitions here?" he asked as he glanced up at the big mech.
Prime thought about it a moment, then nodded. "I get agreement about the choice."
"Good," Ratchet said. "When will you go back?"
"I thought I would stay for the first revivals but Raptor has it. I'm going back with the last group of refugees in this bunch," he said as he received a shout from a soldier that the group walking past was the last. "Call me if needed."
"I will," Ratchet said. "Pat Prowl on the aft for me."
Prime grinned. "I will," he said, then he began to follow the group to a shuttle, climb in and disappear with them into space.
Ratchet grinned, then noted that Raptor was sauntering his direction. "Hey, handsome. Now the fun begins."
"I called for a prison ship. Gee-Gee is sending Winnie to do the honors just in case," Raptor said as he paused next to Ratchet. He grinned. "Let the games begin."
They would.
=0=School
Sunspot sat at his table working on math, a subject at which he was exceeding his level. It had finally clicked, the precision of math and years of flight instruction coming together in his processor. Now it was his best subject but he'd been climbing in everything given the level of instruction here and his tenacious will to learn. His group were the kids with gaps in their databases, gathered together to coach each other through the material. Because he was skilled at math, loved to help and was a kind little mech who could explain things well, he was the 'guide' at their table.
Silverbow, Tia and Shuttle were his 'partners' on their 'great math adventure' and it was the best thing possible for all of them. Math was not their long suit, these three kids. Having Sunspot's cheery help had made things a lot clearer and less nonsensical for them. Other tables had their guides and their teacher, Mr. Terradive roved with an eagle optic helping everyone in the room, during this, the work portion of their math class.
The human kids were doing very well. Rain was becoming a good student, finally learning the system used here and pursuing doggedly the material. The integration of the newer human kids in tandem with the N.E.S.T. kids had actually driven a slight wedge between this group and the other newcomers scattered here and there around the school of Level 1 students.
The newer kids were from highly entitled backgrounds like Terradive's kids but his were integrating faster. Oddly enough, the most successful of the newer kids in terms of learning and fitting in was Barrett Clark. He'd put his shoulder to the wheel after his experience with the old lady spirit and had advanced himself into the regular math class, though a number of other subjects were still being met in the alternative classroom at the moment with everyone else. Rain had left that class some time back and so had Jaycee Jameson. The others who had come with both of them were farther along but still needed the concentrated instruction.
It had been a HUGE source of pride for their regular classroom teachers, Mrs. Lyrica, Mr. Terradive and Mr. Dozer when everyone began to come back to the regular classroom for longer and more frequent stays. He glanced at the clock, then his kids.
{Okay, you have five minutes before break outside} Terradive said.
Rain glanced up. It had only seemed like ten minutes since they began but nearly an hour had passed. It surprised her how fast her day went by given it seemed to crawl when she first came. She glanced at the others, then rose in her seat. Walking to Mr. Terradive, she showed him her datapad. :Can you scan this, Mr. Terradive? I think they're all correct:
Terradive glanced at it, scanning it in seconds. {They are. Very well done, Rain} he replied with a grin. {I'm very proud of you and the others, You make me very proud of you}
The words translated over the system to her and she smiled. It was ridiculous how much it meant to her to have his approval. He'd been an obstacle to her ambitions when she first came, blocking her from turning her class experience into Instagram fame. But now it was different. She worked harder here on everything, harder and longer, than anything she ever did before. The knowledge and the way they taught it, thoroughly, step-by-step, patiently working with her limitations had expanded her mind more than she thought possible. This place was like going to college.
A hard one.
She grinned at him. :Thank you, Mr. Terradive. This is hard but it finally makes sense:
{That is the aim, Rain. Good work} Terradive said.
She walked back elated, then got her gear and work area sorted out. It would be a mad rush to the playground to get the kinks out, then they would return to snacks in the bio-shelter nearby before hitting the books on astronomy. They would be going to the Science Center out on the TransWorld Highway at Central Point shortly and they had to have their personal research projects worked out.
The other kids would be coming as well for the two orn overnighter including Tinsley and the other newcomer girls.
It would be awesome.
=0=There, reviving the sleepers
"This is unacceptable."
Maelstrom sat on a box nearby watching as Arcee, Chromia and Elita 'discussed' the new paradigm shift with a stuffy older high caste mech. He grinned. Chrome would show him the error of his ways. His Chrome could do no wrong.
"The decision has been made. You'll be amazed at the colony on Mars. There's no more discussion. This colony violates all of our rules and laws for settlement of sentient and emergent worlds. Just gather up and lets go," Elita said.
"We lived here our own way for centuries. How are we supposed to just change all that now?" he asked.
"You can discuss it with Prime," Chromia said with a smirk. "All it'll take to keep The System is to win an honor fight with him."
It was silent as the mech stared at her.
"Then of course, there's the thing," Arcee said.
"Oh, right. The thing with the thing about the you know … that thing," Elita said as she riffed with her best buddies, something they liked to do back in the orn to get their way with hard helms.
"What thing? What are you talking about?" the mech said.
"The thing. You know … Primus. You do remember Him, right?" Arcee asked dryly.
"OF COURSE, I remember Him," the mech huffed.
"He isn't fond of The System. He banned it. When you beat Prime at an honor fight, if you do, then the prize is yours," Chromia said with a tight humorless grin.
"What prize?" the mech asked.
"You get to honor fight Primus," Chromia said.
It was silent a moment, then the mech walked back to his waiting group and they walked together to board a ship to leave through a bridge.
"Well played," Elita said as she watched him go. "Well played, all."
=0=Far away
"Would You?" Solus asked.
Primus grinned slightly. "It wouldn't be a fair fight."
Vector who was checking a time piece muttered to himself. "They never are, brother. They never are."
=0=TBC 4-24-2021