The Diego Diaries: Visitin' (dd8 158)
=0=There
The gunfire was intense as the three of them crouched by a wall behind a couch that had been placed there by the occupants. It caught much of the fusillade but was in the end helpful against everything but flying shrapnel.
Ratchet finally peered over it to see that the wall was in tatters. They'd be spotted now when they moved and the shooting could really do them damage given how good and accurate the refugees were at firearms, surprisingly enough. :You know, I really wished we could take the punishment that the humans show in their films of us. If we move, Optimus, we're going to get nailed. The wall is mostly gone, too, by the way. We're in front of a big open window shaped hole hiding behind a battered couch:
Prime considered that grimly. :Then we stay here and make plans around it:
Prowl who was crouched next to him glanced at both. :Good thing I'm dead then: he said with a mirthless grin.
=0=Outside
The barricade around the block was sealed as traffic was rerouted around it, freeing it up to be a safety zone. A number of individuals who lived here and truly had to get home for their families, pets or home bound relatives were being sorted out to be escorted by Watch men to their apartments in the same buildings or those nearby. Others who didn't have to be home were making arrangements with the many hotels that the colony provided, heading out to live there for the duration. Many, also, were the calls to leave for whatever reason including traumatic feelings about being in a war zone YET AGAIN. They were being met by escorts and specialists in trauma from Colonial and Empire Mental Health to assist them to other accommodations.
Lon and Bezel were at a checkpoint with Partition, Lancer, Hot Rod and Smokey, both of whom were assigned there by Devcon. That bot had left with a smirk, finding amusement at last in their ongoing disgust for each other. It was a cold night and the sounds of the city were more removed than they'd be otherwise. This was a deeply residential series of blocks in the vast city which had about a fourth of its confines still available for refugees to have homes.
"This is fragged. I want to be there," Smokey said.
"All of us do," Bezel said. "This is going to take a while, I think. The refugees are as hardcore as any I've seen. Without the butterflies pushing it, they would've never left without a fight."
"What was that like?" Lancer said as Partition checked a child who was scared to go home.
"They were beautiful. They liked us but wanted us gone. They had a … a being that was their spokesman. It was a beautiful thing," Lon said. "I love the universe. Its the most amazing thing. I love diversity. I like that aliens have businesses and live here, some of them. Our space station on the Silk Road is really getting the business."
"I wish there were more like it. I would've loved to have a station to refuel that was free," Lancer said with a grin. "Prime is really trying to rehabilitate our reputation."
"It's working. The interview with the Lazolians really was nice to hear," Bezel said as the family with the scared child entered a cab to go to Iacon and a beautiful big hotel there, the Star Fire Hotel and Spa. A lot of the locals who were leaving were going there and to the Hotel Praxus in that city as well as The Center in District 7, City 1.
Partition walked back to the group. "They're going to stay at a hotel, the Star Fire until this ends. Their kids are so afraid. They live four floors below the scene in Esco."
"Poor babies. Poor all of us until this poison dies," Lon said firmly. He was feeling the pain as was Bezel.
"Its never going to end," Lancer said. "This is so deep in us that its going to take a lot of these before it changes."
"Prime will hold a Convocation of the Will. If that happens, its over," Lancer said. "I heard that the Pantheon comes when that happens. Its the end of the argument forever."
"I hope it doesn't happen and I hope it does," Bezel said. "The Pantheon are about the most amazing thing ever."
"These are good times to be alive," Lon said as in the distance the sound of shooting erupting could faintly be heard.
All of them turned to that direction and dialed in their night goggles. Nothing could be seen but the shooting could be heard.
"Maybe I spoke too soon," Lon said.
Bezel squeezed his servo.
=0=The Hourly News: Latest Breaking News!
"We're back again. We have with us the Prime's Director for the Office of Strategic Communications, Commander Jazz who is also co-commander of Specials Operations and Tactics in the Autobot Army with Commander, Elita-1 of Iacon. Welcome, Commander Jazz. We would like to know if anything new has been understood," Lim-Lee said.
Jazz who was lounging in a chair with fifteen channels of his internal systems plugged into the situation grinned slightly. "Well, we have a standoff at the moment. On the fifteenth floor of the Esco Building a number of former refugees from Meadow Lands are forted up holding off a number of Autobot soldiers including Optimus Prime. There was an altercation in the lobby that led to his coming to settle what amounted to a high caste-lower caste argument.
"It was resolved, then Prime decided to visit the others from Meadow Lands that were living in the same building with the intention of talking to everyone from that group about the situation and gauging the mood. When he reached the first apartment a shoot out broke out and everyone was caught in the crossfire. Prime and the others, Commander Ratchet of Iacon, Commander Ultra Magnus of Iacon, Commander Springer of Polyhex and Commander Drift of Kaon were wounded slightly but managed to get out of the way into safer territory.
"A few of the locals were evacuated by the group while the emergency system sprung into action. We have a policy of deescalating situation like this to the least deadly outcome possible and that's what's happening now. What also has arisen is that they've communicated with each other and all of them have forted up in their apartments in different buildings. They're not answering calls and we're not sure that they possess weapons and are prepared to use them. Given the situation with this group we're taking precautions against the others doing the same. Isolating the area is step one.
"We urge everyone to stay inside their apartment in the Medusa, Esco, Tomsa and Brightman Towers. We have a plan in place to escort out those that have to leave and those that are required to go home. Those without need, that is, those who don't have kids at home or sick family members are being re-routed to hotels all over the colony. All of the streets around the block are cordoned off and no one is allowed to come there, enter or leave without escort.
"No one should come. This isn't television. This is real life. You get shot you could die. I would like to reassure everyone with family in this area that the greatest measures possible have been taken to keep them safe. They don't need you coming down to cause a ruckus. All is well in servo," Jazz said.
"What about the individuals that have been showing up. They include the former Council of Elders, many religious as well as Master Cyclonus and Master Turbine. Some of them are formerly highly placed high castes. Is some sort of intervention being planned here?" Aleph asked.
"We've reached out to the community and there are those who might know the refugees who have come to our aid. Sometimes it helps to have things explained by those who know what the problem is, who've gone through the process of assimilation themselves with all its trials and pitfalls. We have no idea yet how that's going but any avenue short of shooting is being explored. We don't want anyone to pay a price for this, not ourselves nor them. Sometimes getting along is a process," Jazz said.
"You said that the first group was wounded. What's the status of that as well as the refugees?" Gen-O asked.
"We were told it was nuisance wounds, like flying shrapnel and ricochets. I've had those before and even though they're painful and annoying you can still function. If they couldn't we'd have them at the Med Center by now," Jazz said. "I don't know the status of the refugees. It would appear from what I've been told that the shooting is from them and not us."
"Is there any sense of how long this is going to take, Commander?" Lim-Lee asked.
"It's going to take as long as it takes. We want this to end well. Our best negotiators are there and the elders are ready to help. We ask that the colony help as well by keeping rumors down and staying back to allow this to play out. We don't intend to go in guns blazing. We want a peaceful end to this. We would even if they didn't have elders and children with them. All of us need and want a peaceful end," Jazz said.
=0=Earth2
"Amen to that," Cynthia said as they sat in the lounge with a bigger gathering of the administration than before as word spread that there was an 'incident in progress' in the colony.
"I wonder what the spark was that lit this gasoline?" Mariah asked.
"I heard that this is a high caste group that can't adjust to a system without The System. They lived alone so long that they sort of congealed into a group as hardcore as any that's been here," Ray Gentry said. He was their engineer for systems that were human of origin. His family lived here along with him and their four Afghan dogs. Needless to say, a dog park was being planned in the habitat.
"They have a problem with rich people, too," Rick said with a slight smirk. "I guess some bad ideas are universal."
"You forget you were raised in the lap of luxury," Kyle Davis replied. "I realize its fashionable to reject your advantages these days but you had them none the less."
"And I found out what an empty life they were when I came here. I work at my own life now and I like helping others," Rick said as he sat back to needle his stepfather, something that made his day brighter every time he did.
"You're here because you're Owen Harris's son and no other reason," Kyle shot back.
"And why are you here, Kyle? What do you POSSIBLY contribute to this operation or anything else for that matter?" Rick rejoined.
Mariah began to get upset because she felt always in the middle of their bickering and she was. She hadn't learned to let them both go and not take it on herself but a lot of women felt that way in their families. If she had, she would've not only felt better, she could've enjoyed the show as well. "Now let's not get going here."
"Why not?" Rain said from a chair near her brother who she'd become extremely close to since moving here. He was fast becoming not only her best friend but her idol. "This is true. What do you do, Kyle?" she asked as innocently as she could.
Rick could barely suppress a grin.
"I'll have you know that I manage the family business, both yours and mine from here. I can have access to your father for consultations that benefit not just him but the two of you as well," Kyle replied.
"Good," Rain said. "Make us a lot of money so when we inherit it Rick and I can give it all away to the poor."
It was quiet as a tomb in the room but for the proud glance and snickering of Rick Harris to his sister.
=0=There
They sat squashed into a space behind a tattered but surprisingly strong couch that was half shielded by the remains of a very tough wall. Across the hallway, the rebels had become quiet and it was clear that they were able to track the three somehow. It would be a long wait to see what happened next but one thing was clear. Prime wasn't going to be reactive to anything the refugees threw at them. Ratchet had discovered with his low band scans used on the battlefield to find casualties without attracting attention that there were six children and four babies on this floor with the adults.
=0=Downstairs in a large public room
The door opened and Devcon appeared. "Are you ready?"
The group inside stood but for Neo and Sela.
Fenix nodded. "Yes, sir," he said with tension and determination.
Dev nodded, then stepped inside followed by five mechs, Roadbuster, Winnie and Gee-Gee.
Both sides stared at each other in silence, then Fenix stepped forward. "My name is Fenix of Polyhex. I've been chosen by this august body to speak to you about a situation of mutual importance," he said in the formal manner of his former caste.
=0=TBC 05-08-2021 edited 05-13-2021