The Diego Diaries: Figuring (dd8 219)
=0=The Temple
They waited on two worlds for the word from their warrior gods about what the future might bring. Their leader, the Chosen One to more than could be counted was going there to speak for them about them. It was a bold thing for a decimated people to have such a link but given their stricken status it was a blessing.
It was cold and slightly overcast on Mars. It was dark as night but for artificial illumination. Both places waited with anticipation for the word. Optimus Prime would tell them.
=0=Camber
Raptor pondered the possibilities as all of the shuttles came back to him and the titans. The group had pulled back from the spot of disappearance of the science ship. The shuttle had been captured or vanished close by. Something about this area was deeply unsafe for reasons none of them could fathom.
He glanced at Delphi who had come, sent by Prowl. Turbine had forgone the Festival to be here from the start. "What can you figure out about this, Delph? I don't know what happened but something did. Could it be that this is an unmarked dimensional rift and the ship flew into it?"
"I don't know," Delphi said from a computer station nearby. I think we better get the humans out of here. If this is something weird I don't want them stranded with us," Delphi replied.
"Raptor to ships with human visitors. Send someone back through the bridges with the containers. I'm asking the humans present to preserve the secrecy of the mission and not share it with anyone. We're active and that]'s our policy. If you breach it you'll be dealt with through the Immigration Courts regarding banning you from Mars for good. I hope I'm clear," Raptor said. He glanced at the others. "Keep looking for them."
=0=On the shuttles
The cases were detached from the walls and carried to the rear where bridges would send them to the Silk Road Space Station where they would take longer ranged and more powerful bridges back to Mars. It was a silent group that walked into the bridges to return to Mars.
They stepped out onto a crowded concourse where a lot of individuals of so many different sizes and shapes were walking, talking and browsing that it almost overpowered the humans watching silently through the glass. The youngsters who'd been delegated to carry them through were met by senior soldiers who did duty on the station.
"Those the package?" a mech asked as he glanced into the box.
"They are, Sarge," the kid said. "We have to get them back to Mars."
"The mission took a turn?" the Sargent asked as he led the three kids toward the highly secured main transport rooms down the concourse.
"It did," one of them said.
The mechs chatted together as they walked along passing strange aliens and those who looked like oddly dressed humans. Some of them were very tall and pale, rather like the Tall Whites but they weren't. They were almost elfin in appearance though they were about nine feet tall. Other aliens were more obviously not human and there were even various kinds who used environmental suits of varying complexity and size to inhabit the space.
The station was beautiful, laid out to accommodate all manner of being and was sparkling clean. Mechs and femmes who lived here and waited on the traders ran the place and accommodated a lot of oddball customers. Pirates who would obey the rules and businesses consortiums that loved the station were here and even some of them held business sites on world. The workers were cheerful and shiny themselves. This was their face to the galaxy, their new face and Prime was determined to have it be friendly to improve their reputation.
It was working madly well.
They entered a huge secured area, walked through the security stations and into a massive room that held five gigantic bridges. Two were working as cargo ports of entry and a smaller one of several nearby was on doing duty for pedestrian transport. After a moment of waiting for the operator to set their destination, the kids walked into the bridges and disappeared.
Outside on the main concourse and in the areas open for business, medical and governmental operations, the show rolled smoothly on. It would've staggered the humans to see the show outside where literally hundreds of ships were docked while hundreds more were getting refueled. The refueling was free and one of the biggest draws for the station. That most of the rest of it was as well, all of it made from the endless supply of energon at Prime's disposal made this the single most important hub of trade and commerce in the sector.
=0=At the other end
They walked out into the secured bridge room of The Fortress. The night had come and the Festival was over, such was the time difference between the mission and Mars. Prime had come out, the Blessings were had and Simfur was visited as well. They walked up and were waved in by Prowl. Entering, they walked to the table where the kids put the boxes down.
Prime who was sitting there leaned forward. "What is the situation at the site, William?"
Will Lennox glanced at Johnson, then Prime. "A shuttle is missing, Prime. Kup and his crew. Lissie flew toward the place where he was supposed to be and he was gone."
Prime considered that. "We thought it might be wise to bring you back to keep you safe. I hope you keep your discretion about what you have seen and heard. Missions must not be compromised by idle or malicious chatter."
Will nodded. "I'm going to ask the jail to take on Johnson. I might ask you to take on some of the rest of these guys," he said as he turned to the men who were sitting in their seats listening. Some of them looked at him with alarm. "I don't have the trust in them not to blab the mission to those who don't have the best interests of any of us in mind."
"Fuck you, Lennox. Both of us need to go then," Johnson said.
"I can ban you forever, Johnson and not provide a reason," Lennox said. "Consider jail for the duration a mercy." He glanced at Prime. "There was a fight."
"I can see that," Prime said. "Smokescreen."
A tall mech with an eerily familiar format rose and walked to the table. "Please arrange for Mr. Johnson to be detained at the Courthouse Jail on Cultural Center Road. Will Lennox will release his cuffs when you get there. I can suppose so then," he asked as he looked at Prime.
"You can ask, Prime. But Lennox is going to get a fistful if he tries," Johnson said.
"Mr. Johnson, have you read the details of your personal and visa status contracts?" Prime asked. "The ones you signed?"
He turned toward Prime. "Yeah. So what?"
"Given that you are an individual with a known malice against The People and because you're here on my forbearance alone, you signed a contract and immigration document that allowed me to hold you in jail at my leisure. That means if I believed you posed a problem that I can do that and enact that clause because you signed agreement. I do believe that you, Mr. Daniels, Mr. Nast, Mr. Hedges and Mr. Ortega signed the same agreements."
The men named blanched a bit, then Daniels nodded. "We did. We haven't broken them."
"No, but you aren't exactly pillars," Lennox said. "Do you want to enact the clauses, Optimus, on these guys?" He nodded to the named individuals.
Prime stared at them with an appraising intensity, then glanced at Will. "Put Hedges with him and the others will be given a reminder that they will be jailed if they breach the confidentiality surrounding this mission. You were there as a courtesy. That courtesy extends to the secrecy that our military extends to our operations. I hope I don't have to do more than ask you to do your part."
The humans in the box nodded.
"We haven't been a problem since we've come, Prime," Daniels said.
"Keep it so," Prime replied. He glanced at Smokescreen, then nodded.
"I'm going to let everyone out who's not going to jail at the N.E.S.T. HQ lockup and you can either go home by Metro or truck. That OK?" Smokey asked.
Everyone nodded and assured him that was fine. He glanced at Prime, then stacked the three cases on top of each other before walking to the door to go.
"What a crappy orn," Prowl said. "A truncated Festival and this."
Prime nodded. "We will get them back."
=0=Earlier
"When you fight something it persists. When you face it you win," the Buddha said. "Your fears will persist as long as you fight them."
"I have responsibilities that never end and a debt of service to my people," Prime said.
"Are you fulfilling it?"
"I do believe so but its not fast enough," Prime persisted.
"Then it will seem that way."
Prime stared at him and sifted through his own vast knowledge and experience with the language and meanings of philosophy and came to the same conclusion he always did. It was the vaguest form of expression known to him. "What I perceive is what there is."
Buddha nodded. "You get it. You create your existence through your mind. Let your mind figure it out. If you think about the future or the past you have no present. All that you do have is the present. If you create a peaceful sense of that, you can create what comes going forward because all that exists is created through the agreement of everyone who is. We create all that is around us together."
Prime considered that. "The colony is a very restful and wonderful place. I see my people on Cybertron rebuilding the world, creating it together and it makes me proud. We create what we are personally and collectively. That includes what happens. Our minds are that powerful."
"They are. You create illness in your bodies by disease but what is disease but dis-ease? Be wary of the power of your mind. It can create false futures and distort that past to steal the present. All you have is right now. If you believe you won't save all your people you won't."
Prime stared at the man enjoying his radiant aura, then the scene shifted. He was standing on the silvery shore of the beach.
Micronus was floating in the air before him. "Hello, brother."
Prime nodded respectfully. "Lord Micronus."
"You have asked a question once again that showcases rather well your still insecure notions that you are going to fail. I find that hard to fathom in one with talents as brilliant as yours but I do believe that was a good choice. If you feel poorly about your ability to deliver your duties then you will do it poorly. I would think that the colony and the rate of Cybertron's revival would be enough."
"I wish it were faster."
"Then make it so, brother. Just have a little faith," Micronus said as the world shifted and he found himself in front of the Allspark. He stared at it, then felt the powers gathering through his Matrix. He walked up and out to pause on the platform in front of the multitudes. He stared at them, his beloved people, then Prowl. "The Solemnities are concluded."
And that is when the Blessings began.
=0=TBC 07-27-2021