The Diego Diaries: Onward Home! (dd7 119)
=0=Homeward
Ironhide finished his last inspection, then headed toward the street above. The newest hubs and armories in Crater District 2 were top of the line. He surfaced in the sixth city of the vast massive development, one of four that were still without settlement. The first three were taking the refugees that constantly poured in, coming in large and small groups depending on their ability to move onward and the never ending arrival of ships at Omega Base bearing new ones.
It was strange to be in an urban setting this big and beautiful and see no one but the caretakers from the Watch and public services going about their business of watching over the installation and continuing work on its full functioning.
To the southwest, there was another massive urban center rising. It would hold 20,000,000 refugees and be a glittering miracle just like the first two. Crater District Three would take a while to really take shape but the program of building was honed to a fine point. As it was now, Crater District Two was the main depot for newbies.
Walking onward, he reached the Metro station that would take him back to The City on the Circle Line. Down the steps he went, his footfalls echoing around him, then onward to the platform. He waited as the boards nearby told him of what was coming, where it would go and how long he would have to wait.
When the Circle Line breezed in, he climbed aboard and the door closed behind him. He would be off on the route that would take him to hubs where he would change trains, taking a branch line to the place he wanted to go.
It was getting onward toward evening and all of them had to be home for dinner. He would bring it there himself.
He and Halo.
=-=Pioneer School, Metrotitan
Hero helped put away things, chatting with Ferri as she did. They were besties and all was well with her though she still missed Sparkling Day. There were only six kids in her classroom but there were six new classrooms just like hers. Thirty-six gifted sparklings were here learning advanced stuff. They spent time at recess together, ate lunch in their little cafeteria and did arts, dancing, music and exercise classes with specialists together.
"What will you do this weekend, Hero?" Ferri asked as she put dishes into their play kitchen. Hero was washing them and she was drying.
"There's a basketball game," Hero said. "The championship. My family are players. They're going to play against my brothers."
"Who will you be cheering for, Hero?" Ferri asked as she drained the little sink.
"All of them," Hero said with a big smile.
=-=Youngling Day Public School #1, Centurion
"Then we're going to be camping at Amma's house," Sunspot said as Bos nodded. "Amma Turbine and Appa Raptor will be having us stay with them for the weekend, Bos and me. Amma and Appa are going to put up the tent again."
"That sounds like fun!" Jer-Z said with a smile. "My amma likes to bake. She lets me help her. Maybe I can tell her about a tent."
"I hope so," Sunspot said with a giant smile. "YOU'LL LOVE IT! We all play in the tent and eat our food there. Appa and Amma do, too."
Bos nodded. "I can't wait."
=-=In another part of the same playground …
:You go deep, Spirit and I'll throw the ball to you: Annabelle Lennox said as the rest of their team huddled together. Everyone nodded, then made the line.
:ONE! TWO! GO!: Annie Lennox said as the center, Co-D handed the ball back to her between his legs. She ran back as the two lines came together. Spotting Spirit, she threw the ball as hard as she could.
He almost caught it.
Gathering back together for the next play as she taught them a new game, American football learned from her dad's fanatic love of the game, she considered her next play. They would continue until the siren rang, then run inside for the afternoon. Halloween was coming up shortly and there were parties to plan and maps of Cybertron to create.
=-=Up there on the 49th floor of the Autobot City Medical Center
Ratchet cleared his desk then stood. Walking quietly to the door, he peered out. Lee-Lee was uber busy so he crept toward the exit and nearly made it.
"WAIT!"
He froze, then turned to her. "Slagger."
She laughed. "Put your name on these, then you're free."
Ratchet did, then patted her helm. "Go home, too."
"I will," Lee-Lee said as Ratchet headed out. "Eventually," she said with a grin.
She would.
Eventually.
=-=Ops Center, The Fortress
Prowl cleared his desk, then walked down the corridor to Prime's. There were a lot of pending things … the spies and the cell breakup on Earth, professional football coming shortly, the championship basketball game in an orn … lots to do. He entered Prime's office and the big mech was leaning back with his peds up, holding a datapad in his servos.
He glanced up. "Are you finished?"
"I am," Prowl said as he walked to a chair in front of the desk, then sat. "What are you studying?"
"Nothing much. Details of things from Cybertron. Iacon is now 32% rebuilt. The smaller towns and outlying areas are being restored at a ridiculous rate. I wish it were faster. I wish everyone had a good home," he said.
"They will. Did you get the report from Sciences about moving Cybertron and the local group?" Prowl asked.
"I did and I concur. I would like the planetary systems that are going to suffice as new locations to be as clear of any debris of a certain size as can be had. The last thing our population should have to be bear is anything raining down from the sky. We are going to be heading out that way to get the word shortly," Prime said. "If it takes a bit longer to make it better then it is time well spent."
Prowl nodded. "The war world for the Orion arm is closing in on completion. The one that will be a station for the humans between Earth and Mars is still in minimal construction. They weren't pleased to hear that we have to beef up that entry point into our domain but then I suppose they will the next time a battle group moves along that trail."
Prime nodded. "They are impatient, the humans but they are good and will learn."
Prowl grinned. "If you say so."
Prime grinned. "Ah, the old cynicism returns."
"Not a good look?" Prowl asked as he rose.
Prime rose, too, then walked around the desk toward the door. "You do not have a bad look, Prowl," he said as he grinned down at his partner in all things.
They walked out the door together and as they did Prowl patted Prime's aft.
The door closed behind them and their laughter.
=-=Home in a new home
A rap on the door led him to open it. A young pair of mechs were standing in the hall. They grinned at Rocco. "Home Health Care."
He grinned, then stepped back as they came in. Looking around at the nice place, they turned together toward the big windows in the living room. On the floor was a complicated set of train tracks. A train was chugging around it pulling cars.
It was engineered by a small yellow mech. Standing on either side of him were two little yellow ones, a mech and femme. They had cookies, teddy bears and big staring baby optics for the two newbies.
"This looks like fun," one of the mechs, a medical specialist for refugee kids named Tonsor said. He walked over and knelt.
Tika and Boo stepped behind Siphon.
Siphon watched them come in and smiled. "Do you like trains, too? We got this yesterday. Rocco and I put it together. The sparklings like it. We play together. All of us do. Are you here to play, too?"
Tonsor grinned, then nodded. "We are. We're also here to help you. We're going to be coming in the morning and evening. We're going to help you learn the colony and how to do things. We're going to monitor your health, help you to figure out how to eat here and live in a house together. You were on the road a long time."
"We were. We were Decepticons. Rocco and me were soldiers. The sparkings weren't. They were just babies. We took care of them, me and Rocco. He's like my atar," Siphon said without guile. "Right, Rocco?" he asked.
Rocco stared at the three, his charges now, then nodded. "Yeah, Siphon. Like that."
"You're the temporary legal guardian and that makes you the atar," B-12 said. He was the mental health component to the team.
These teams were many and had case files that they followed. This was their newest case. They were limited to the number they could pursue to ensure quality and fast response times so the numbers of teams were always increasing with each new migration.
It was another idea by Paragon to make the teams and their case loads a permanent striker-type program for those who needed support.
B-12 walked through the house looking at things, making suggestions and helping Rocco plan a household. He then showed him how to get what he needed including food without dragging the kids around. He showed Rocco how he could order anything that the colony made from different stores and developers on the monitor at their websites and the expediters would deliver it. A lot of shut-ins and those with limitations did that and never had to step outside.
Rocco listened, took the advice, ordered a great dinner geared toward all of them, ordered more little gear and things for when they went out including a carrier for Boo and Tika to ride in. The two visitors had a chat with the kids to see how they were moving along, then left after leaving emergency numbers with Rocco.
Siphon watched them go, then looked at Rocco when he walked back over and sat down on the couch. They stared at each other, then Siphon glanced at the babies. They were staring at Rocco, too. "Are you my atar?" he asked wistfully. "And the sparklings?"
Rocco stared at them, at three helpless little orphans as memories of his cousins came to his mind. He nodded. "I guess I am."
Siphon stared at him a moment, then the little kids. He looked at Rocco again. "Can we call you that?" he asked.
Rocco considered it, then sat back. "Do you want to?"
Siphon nodded. Then he looked at the babies. "They would nod, too, if they could talk." He looked at Rocco. "I like it best."
Rocco grinned in spite of himself. "Alright."
Siphon smiled brightly. Then a knock on the door was heard. "I'll get it!" he said as he jumped up. Running to the door, he opened it.
Several mini-cons came in with boxes. "Your orders from Speedy Delivery. You do the talking, we do the walking." They laughed, then set the boxes on the table. Waving to Rocco, they walked out and Siphon shut the door.
Siphon walked to the table to stare upward at the boxes. "What's in them?" he asked.
"Dinner and fun stuff," Rocco said was he rose to go to the table and see himself. He put the boxes down on the floor where the kids could see them.
Boo and Tiko walked over and began to peer inside, clutching their cookies and teddy bears. They would unpack them, marvel at the new gear, a couple of new toys and dinner. They would sit on the floor with the train set eating together, Boo and Siphon side-by-side running the train while they did. Rocco would sit with them with Tika on his lap as they ate together.
It would be fun.
=-=Boom-Boom Land
The door opened as three big kids came in with a cat and a dog. Sunspot was with them, carried upside down by Fireball as the two careened inside. Spot bounced like a ball around the kids as they clambered in together. Behind them came Ironhide with a passel of sparklings in his hold.
Ratchet who was watching them pile in grinned at Ironhide. "Where's dinner?" he asked.
"Its on its way, Old Mech. I AM IRONHIDE! I CAN'T CARRY SPARKLINGS AND GRUB AT THE SAME TIME!"
Huge laughter and jokes greeted that.
"Atar, when is the championship basketball game?" Quasar asked as he gathered the infant's book bags along with his own.
"It's tomorrow. We don't want to interfere with Halloween," Ironhide said. "We're going trick-or-treating on First Thursday night. Be ready to go boo."
Huge laughter and dancing greeted that.
"We have our annual party at the club. That's okay isn't it?" Genesis asked as he helped the sparklings shed their gear and harnesses.
"It is. Come home by cab, do not go to jail," Ratchet said.
"We won't. That's your job, Ada," Fireball said with a laugh.
That got a lot of slag, then the food arrived. It was trundled in, then the door closed. Pulling things out, Ratchet had help setting things up at the table. When everyone finally parked it, Ratchet smiled. "One … two … three!"
"GRACE!" -everyone there at the same time!
Then they dug into the grub. It would be a funny and filling interlude in a long and crazy orn.
=0=TBC 10-27-19
NOTES TOMORROW! :D:D:D