The Diego Diaries: Elders (dd8 190)
=0=There
They wandered to a table nearby in the square to eat breakfast on the fly. For some it was second breakfast and others the first. All of them took heaping plates and full glasses to the seating area in this, a convocation of food trucks at the plaza in Iacon. The concessions rotated around the colony every four or five decaorns to places where the citizens came to sit and chat. Every plaza on world had a place to sit and eat outside for the workers in the businesses nearby and those wandering around.
Sitting to eat, they chatted about this and that. All around them were pedestrians going here and there with a few slipping over to discreetly touch Prime, then flee with a smile. He for his part didn't seem to even notice so common was it now for him to be so feted. For eons on Cybertron The People identified Primes with Primus. That they were officially His First Disciples was one thing. That THIS Prime was so obviously blessed by Them was another. It revived in many the desire to share his holiness by a simple touch.
Prime on the other hand was getting down to business. "I think some of us need to get in some golfing practice so I reserved a tee time at 1400."
"Are you concerned for any particular one of us?" Sun asked with a smile.
Prime grinned at him. "I do not want to point fingers but …"
HA-HA-HA! -all of them
A few humans buzzing by slowed to stare at the group which was sitting at picnic tables in the square near the food trucks. They slowed, then stopped to watch the giant mechanisms, almost all of the most fearsome and famous Autobots on world.
:They're so huge:
All of them nodded.
:Do you know them?: a nice nana asked her fine granddaughter from the back of her segway.
:I don't personally, Nana. Not those mechs but I've met Ratchet and the twins. They're really nice. Maybe we can meet them if you want to: Sofie Balaskis replied. She looked at the sweet people sitting in the back of her oversized segway, then glanced at the drivers in the other two. :They'll be really nice. Right?:
The other two, both accountants for Unidad along with her considered what they knew about the big mechs eating nearby. :What if they don't like being interrupted during a meal?:
Sofie considered that, wavered slightly, then glanced at her tiny Nana and Papa. :They're nicer than that. Come on: With that, she gunned it toward the table with the others reluctantly following.
"Humans at two o'clock," Jack said with a grin.
The mechs glanced at the three large segways coming toward them packed with people, some of them older humans. They pulled up and it was silent a moment as they took in the other. Then one of them spoke. :Hello, Lord Optimus. I don't want to break up your meal but my grandparents are here from Greece and they wanted to pay their respects: Sofie said.
She glanced at her grandparents and parents who were sitting beside them with a couple of brothers, a sister and their spouses. It was packed on her segway. They looked slightly aghast at Sofie's bold move. :This is Optimus Prime. He's the leader of the Cybertronian people and their empire:
Optimus leaned closer. "I am honored to meet you. I hope your journey here was pleasant."
Sofie's little grandparents stood.
:It was a beautiful trip: her Papa said in heavy accented English. :Thank you for allowing us to come here. This is my wife Maria, my sons Alexandros and Yiannis, my daughter, Zoe who is Sofie's mother and her husband and Sofie's father, Dimitris. These women are my daughters-in-law, Angela and Dimitra. We're very honored to meet you and your officers. We watch everything we can about life here but we never believed we could come ourselves:
Prime grinned slightly. "We are very family friendly here. I believe its a good thing for families to stay in touch with each other given the distance from Earth. Your granddaughter has given up easy contact with you to live and work here. We want that to be less of a problem with as many visits as we can arrange. You are always welcome here, all of you," he said with his beautiful voice.
:I love it here: Sofie said with enthusiasm. :I work in accounting at Unidad and its more challenging and rewarding than any other job I've ever had. Unidad is such a wonderful place to live:
"I am happy to hear that," Optimus said. "I would like to introduce my senior officers and friends. This is Hard Drive of Praxus. This is his son Raptor, Raptor's son, Ironhide, Hard Drive's brothers, Ironhide the Elder and Blackjack the Elder. This is Ironhide's father, Blackjack and the last is my father, Tagg of Iacon."
Everyone greeted each other, chatted a moment, then a very happy three segways filled with humans jetted off to the races where they were headed. The mechs watched them go.
"Having elders come for a while is a good thing. The humans are very good people," Jack said as the others nodded. "I'm glad you pointed that out to the infant in that movie."
Everyone laughed. Ironhide smirked at his uncle.
"The humans are young. They have little experience with us. The more who can see us and how we live will learn to see the agreements rather than the differences. We want them to be comfortable with us before they see any other alien species. If they can be so with us, then the next one will be easier," Optimus said.
"True that. Tell me," Sun asked. "What's the rules for golf?"
Optimus grinned. "Ironhide has a large part to play."
Ironhide glanced at him sharply. "What?"
"In due time, Ironhide. Due time," Optimus replied.
It would be a snarky and amusing break for breakfast.
=0=Ratchet
He walked out of the meeting with glazed optics. He spent a bunch of time questioning the outcomes decided by the slaggers from Sciences. A plan was in place to start a drug and script download protocol that would help contain and disable the genetic gene that was causing this particular mutation of Cache's Disease. It would have to be a two part treatment because once they disabled it, essentially stopping it in its tracks, they would have to build a barrier to it ever triggering again.
Of all the variant strains of Cache's Disease or protoform wasting that was the common name for it, this one was the most virulent. The other three versions known were slower, took longer to infiltrate the joints and connective portions of their fluid bodies and had a dementia aspect that was part and parcel of the disease. One could develop situational dementia from the others given enough time and deprivation but this one came with it as a matter of course.
It would be an open question whether any of the individuals who were part of the refugee group were working off a fully functioning processor. That part would be ascertained by Processor Health who had a formal referral for all of them from Ratchet as CMO.
The four not affected, Dok and his three sons were key to the breakthrough. Comparing their CNA side-by-side with the others pinpointed the mutation and through it a clue to a cure. It would always be with those affected but would be a muted gene without any further power to harm anyone.
"Where's Dok and his kids now?" Ratchet had asked.
"They're under house arrest at home," Wheeljack said. "They cooperated and seemed dampened in their slag by the whole idea of this. I don't know what it means for the long run but they're pretty impacted. Its up to Optimus now. Starlet has a hearing scheduled for them after Elder Day on Second Monday."
"Okay. I hope we have a work up on them from Processor Health before it occurs. I don't have much hope for high castes but maybe this is a hopeful sign for something better. Dok looked rattled to the core."
"He seems to be but I've never lost recharge underestimating the pig headedness of high castes," Perceptor sniffed.
Ratchet grinned as he reached the Metro entrance. Heading down the steps to the platform below, he grinned. /… Never change, Percy. Never change… / He disappeared from view almost at once.
=0=Around the human collective
The Great Concourse of Earth2 rang out with welcome as the families of locals arrived by bus. Climbing out, they hugged their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. It was loud and happy as they headed toward the habitation area of the huge facility, some taking the vehicles, others utilizing the cabs or walking. Segways, two and four passenger had been stockpiled in the motor pool near the door given the age and physical condition of a number of the elders who came. The oldest was nearly 90 while most were in the 60-80 year old range.
Their gear had arrived earlier with their pets and were taken to the apartments they would be staying in. Now they would wander up, take a breath, then gather to go on tours. Some of them were formally organized and some would be personal. All of them would be a thing of wonder as they toured the vast facility which would take most of the day to complete. Tomorrow, those here would take to the great outdoors, those who were brave enough to do so. It would surprise many a younger family member how many wanted to do so.
=0=Earth1
They came inside, gathering around their family members. Circulating among them was Susan and Brandon Clark. They had arranged a lot of things for the visitors to do so that there was a menu of events, destinations and programs to choose from. Given that all of the habitations of humans on world were going on a four day holiday with skeleton shifts of three hour duration in place, it would be a genuine visitation time for everyone. Some of the bigger habitats such as Unidad had invited any of the newcomers to come and recreate in their greater confines so those were going to be well traveled paths all around.
=0=Unidad Terra 1
They sat on the bus as it turned off the busy highway onto the short road that led to the huge parking lot of Unidad Terra 1. It was a beautiful sight, a vast stretch of green in a sea of beige and tan. The size of the facility was lost on the newcomers given that it disappeared into the distance. They would see it and explore the extraordinary features of the enclosed microcosm of Earth for ten days.
They drove into the huge environmental entrance coming to a halt by the doors that led inside. They were closed as the outside doors slid shut behind them. In seconds, the air inside the space was Earth friendly and the bus doors were opening for the passengers to leave.
Stepping down onto the tarmac, noting the number of vehicles parked nearby, some of all kinds in the facility's outside motor pool, they were swallowed up by the swarm of family pouring out of the huge doors that were sliding open to allow them. It was a very happy group that met each other, hugging, taking selfies and chatting together. They would go inside to the biggest enclosed space on world and the spectacular and diverse life of Unidad.
=0=Elsewhere
Family members arrived at the Consulate and Sciences, making their way through the elaborate air locks to the inside where they were greeted happily. These spaces were the smallest habitats but they had dedicated space for visitors so it would be a happy fit.
=0=At Destiny
They walked in, greeting a few mechs that they knew, they walked to the desk to get their implements of competition. Walking to their lanes, Optimus Prime and The Boys signed in and began to get ready for their usual First Saturday cutthroat game of bowling. As they did everyone else was hard at it …
Prowl and the Kids … Miler and Venture had arrived early to go to breakfast at the restaurant of choice by the little mechs, Miracle, Solus, Sojourner and Possibility. It was the ritual. They would choose the restaurant and after eating whatever they wanted, it was a fast jaunt to the Mall of Tyger Pax and the swimming pools therein. That would be followed by a movie … of their choice … a lunch at a food truck followed by Play Land in Iacon. By then, they would hunt down Dad and go to the park for fun and games together.
Alor, Delphi and Turbine … breakfast together, shooting range practice to see who would have to choose their lunch spot … the loser would … then a spa visit, their clubhouse for a sip and good read, a check in with the little femmes, steal the little femmes, then rendezvous with the others for whatever came next. Usually date night with all of the kids except the big ones. They were camping.
The Twins and Bluestreak … It was Bluestreak and Friends Day Out day. The twinnies and Kaon would spend their orn hanging out with their fathers who would show them the art show at the Galleria in City Six, Crater District 3, have a corn dog at a food truck in the same town, go swimming at the pool in time to meet up with Prowl and Company, sit and shoot the shit together as the kids played, then leach the rest of the orn with Prowl so the kids could play together.
Ratchet … Picture a spa where everything is getting shined up. Picture a steak and wine spritzer for lunch, picture a patio in a mall with a hot drink and a brand new copy of your favorite detective novel with your peds up … picture it.
Actually, Ratchet would have to help implement the trial versions of the cure for the disease problem and it would take him all orn long.
One can dream. Apparently.
=0=TBC 06-15-2021