The Diego Diaries: Moving On (dd8 209)
=0=Out there
It was a long slow traverse of the sector of space that they were traveling. A line of ships of war slipped through the darkness in a battle formation ready for whatever might come. They were Decepticon ships, all of them and they were lethal in appearance. Most of them were cruisers and battleships with support vehicles in the van.
They had heard about the Cybertronian regroup across space from their side of the empire, the side that was farthest from the center. They heard that Cybertron was damaged and terrorized but not that it had been retrieved by Prime.
They only knew that Optimus Prime had been on the run, searching for the Allspark but unable to come together in any big way. All of them had been concerned about the relic, hoping that it would be able to be retrieved before the other got it so that they, meaning Megatron could use it to bring the game to a close.
They had no idea that it had been found, that there was a resolution to the long drawn out agony of their people and that it didn't end in their favor. They just knew that there was little information coming to them where they were and that they were tired of the Central Command issuing orders to them that were obviously not coming from a Cybertronian.
Frag them. They were leaving to head for Cybertron. Whatever was there was less tedious than patrolling a border on the farthest edge of the Empire. It would take a while but they were heading back to Cybertron.
=0=At the house
They gathered in the apartment following Ironhide and Ratchet home. The negotiation had concluded better and faster than they expected so they were still waiting for the other shoe to drop so to speak.
"So …" Sun began. "How mad are ya at us, Ratchet? Still mad are ya?"
Ratchet glanced over his shoulder as he stood at the sink to glimpse the group of individuals that he loved like his own family, which they were anyway. He grinned. "I love it when you crawl."
Grins went up around the room as children were placed on the ground. They flamed on with their lovely happiness, then ran for their bed rooms and the toy boxes. Animals joined them in their chaos as Sunspot walked to Delphi to sit on his lap happily. He was happy to be home.
For a few moments.
"You're the biggest bunch of fraggers that I know. A simple explanation would have been better than this. For now, keep the little slaggers," Ratchet said.
"Overnight would be nice," Ironhide said quietly as he leaned into his father. "Just a night would be nice."
Snickers rounded the room at Ironhide's sniveling.
"I do have images sent to me of you getting a blast in the face from the barbecue, Ratchet," Delphi said. "Truly, what made you do such a mad thing?"
Ratchet smirked at Delphi, then went for the juggler. "Because I want to make good experiences for my family and Ironhide's, because the kids need them with their family, because we were apart forever and it makes me happy to see everyone happy. That's why."
It was quiet a moment, then Steiner shifted slightly. "That was good."
"Do I need to work on anything?" Ratchet asked with a dazzling smile. "The tone? Any of it?"
"No, you mad slagger. It was just the right twist of the knife," Raptor said with a guffaw.
It broke the ice so they settled in to gab and play with the kids. It would be a day late but Elder's Day in the Bosom of Love™ would be a very nice one indeed.
=0=Temple Precinct
They drudged away digging and removing sand from the places where the machinery couldn't go without breaking things. It was getting on toward dark when Lady Sela walked out with a smile. "Its time for you to go home, infants. What a fine job you did," she said as she glanced at the dent they made in the now rock hard sandy silt that had settled and was acquiring even more layers as it drifted out of the air.
They both stared balefully at Sela, two sad sacks covered in a fine layer of dust and dirt.
"Thanks, Lady Sela," Smokey said as he glanced around at his gear.
Smokey nodded. "Yeah, thanks, Lady."
"You're welcome. I can't wait to see what you can do tomorrow with the longer light," Sela said as she looked upward at the lightening sky.
"Tomorrow?" -both mechs
She smiled at them. "Yes. Prowl was so kind to okay your assignment here by Raptor until the hard to reach places are excavated. I'm going to ask some of the religious to come help you if they get finished with their other chores. I will bring you lunch." She smiled her beautiful smile, the one no one could resist.
Both mechs watched her walk back to the Temple to disappear inside.
"Frag," both of them said as the same time.
=0=That night
"Well, it sure is weird not having the kids here," Ironhide said giving Ratchet extreme side eye. It was a wonder that his optic didn't unscrew and fall on the floor.
Ratchet grinned as he ate his popcorn with chocolate and marshmallows melted on it. "Crybaby. If you're going to have a family provoke a war then get ready for the consequences."
"None of us are loons," Ironhide said as he ate his fudge. "My family is solid and true."
Ratchet grinned. "They caved, the slaggers. Terrible gamesmen in your family, Ironhide. No brass bearings among the lot of them. They fell before me before I could really smite them down."
"They don't like to provoke the mentally ill," Ironhide replied.
Ratchet laughed a long time.
=0=Prime and Prowl
The last child was in bed and they were sitting in the living room watching the news. The latest intel from The Fortress stated that the group leaving the 'Con Empire was far away and approaching slowly through the mine field of The Ruins. That was a good thing. The longer it took to get here the better it was all around. Which direction they would go, Cybertron or Mars was still up in the air though they would have to pass the station on the Silk Road either way.
"We're going to have the highways ready for two way traffic by morning so the schools can open. Public services have had priority." Prowl glanced at him. "Jetta thinks its going to take a full decaorn to remove all of it and clean things up. The sand is being stockpiled for construction."
Prime nodded. "That seems reasonable. This was a very strong storm."
"The buses will run for the kids so we can send them again but the habitats are still in lock down. We'll allow those with proper need to use the Metro. The system has been fed with those who have to go somewhere with a real purpose and it'll block passage of those who don't need to use it yet," Prowl replied as he turned up the sound of the monitor.
"Good," Prime said as Aleph came back onto the screen.
"Good evening, I am Aleph with the updates for travel tomorrow," he began.
=0=Trine be true
"… and the Autobot City Unified School Board issued an order that all of the schools in the district, both public, private and religious will be operating tomorrow. All bus routes will be operating as well. There may be delays in reaching some stops given the road conditions. Two way traffic has been achieved by Public Works in all the metropolitan areas but because of it there will be a slower flow of traffic.
"It would do you a good service to check your school and traffic conditions at the Community Bulletin Board or the IntraCom web site. Cabs will be operating as well …"
=0=Unidad Terra 1
"Cabs will be operating as well so expect them to be slower in response than usual. All Metro stations are operational though the overland train system is still being cleared. Operation of the overland trains should be in full by Second Wednesday at the latest.
"Metro stations attached to the habitats will be held for now with only those who have special permission to attend to business that cannot be put on hold being allowed to use them. The system scanner will check you against the list of those deemed by your habitats as necessary to travel," Aleph said.
"Well, I can go to City Hall tomorrow then," Sam Witwicky said as he sat in bed with Carly.
She nodded. "Good thing. We have to get that conference wrapped up so we can add it to the schedule. Time is money, Sam," she said with a grin.
"Tell me what I already know," Sam said with a chuckle.
"In other news …"
=0=E2
"Well, there goes my clients," Rick Harris said as he sat in the lounge with a number of friends and some of the mercs watching the huge monitor that was located there. He was sitting next to an attractive biologist who was named Marco Nesbitt. They were secretly seeing each other, keeping it low to prevent a meltdown by his mother who still didn't know and his father who he suspected but wasn't sure about.
Rain knew. Rain approved.
They were close here, he and Rain and were allies in their mutual aid society against the parental units. Rain was excelling at school and developing past her personality quirks into a pretty good egg as they said on Earth. Her association with her brother, at long last achieved was a major influence in her development into a well liked young girl who was excelling at whatever she chose to do.
Rain was out of remedial school and in the classroom nearly full time. She was riding horses with Olivia and her influence was a major thing for a girl who wanted a friendly female influence. Riding through the fields or along the road with their dogs running beside them was a wonderful ritual they both made time for.
Rain wasn't in trouble. She wasn't pitting herself against the other girls. She ignored those who were petty and aligned herself with Jamie Jameson and the others who were the first group to come. They were all growing past the rich kid Instagram persona that they brought with them. The only individuals that they tended to clash with were their socialite mothers and some of their harder headed fathers.
Some of the fathers and mothers were glad to see the changes and Rick was the one gladdest. He now had an ally and confidante who would keep his secrets and have his back. That he found love here, too, was just about the cherry on the cake.
"We're stuck in here for the duration," Jim Johnson said. "Did they shut down your operation before your clients came or what?" he asked Rick.
"No. They told me that the tourist situation would continue because it was so convoluted but they were halting the operation at the Valles because of the danger now. The Rangers are up there looking at the trails and rock faces to see if anything's changed. If it isn't then I can have them come here. For now, everything out there is shut down."
Johnson nodded. "The sooner the better. I hate being cooped up."
"Where do you go when you leave?" Rick asked with curiosity.
"Here and there. No where in particular though I like to go to the Military Airfield and look at the ships. Some of them are pretty fucking tough."
"I've been on some, the bigger ships. I'll ask Springer the next time he goes out if we can come, you, me, Sam. Some of the others," Rick said.
"Just like that?" Johnson asked with a cold hard smirk. "Us, too?"
"Sure," Rick said. "I'll be they'd let you come along."
They would.
=0=TBC 7-9-2021