The Diego Diaries: Sun Dance (dd7 174)
NOTE: I put these in out of order. My house lost half its heat day before yesterday and its -21 below zero with a warm up (if we're lucky) to -10. I nearly froze to death before it was fixed. My fingers even were screwed up. I am re-posting these in the right order. If you are on this one start back at 173. (You might check 172 just in case. I think its going to take a day or two to feel this is right again.) Hopefully, it warms up by Thursday and we get snow and double digit temps in the positive side for most of January. :D:D:D Thank you, Leoness. You caught the problem.
If this still feels out of order or doesn't flow from one spot to another, let me know. I think I'm thawed out enough to brave this again. :D:D:D
=0=Prime
They nodded, then glanced at each other. "What to do, what to do," Sun Base said with a slight grin as nearby another being came in a light as bright as a super nova. With him came two lesser lights. Prime was blinded for a moment.
=0=Around, Part Five
Prowl watched as Blondi and her Squad got things organized in the Ops Center from which she would run Operation Santa Prime. She walked to Prowl. "When will Optimus be ready to take care of the Sparkling Schools? That's all he has to do given there's so many now."
"He has to finish at the Temple, then he's coming. I sent him the schedule and he's going to meet me in Terra to start. Ratchet is finishing up the mission and won't be here in time short of lunch," Prowl said.
Blondi nodded. "Too bad. We knew this orn would come but its still awful. I miss everyone going to do this for the good of the order."
Prowl agreed as they commiserated together while food, drinks and other essentials to the party they always had anyway were brought in from the various places they were catered for lunch. It would be muy festive.
=0=Around, Part Six
The lights coalesced as three individuals appeared. Two of them seemed to be humanoid appearing while the other was a mass of light, beautiful colors swirling and shimmering from his tall form. They seemed to blend with those already there as Solomus and Optimus watched, then they took their own shapes again.
The big mass of light looked at Prime. "Welcome, Optimus Prime. It is good to see you again."
The voice wasn't spoken. The words seemed to materialize in his processor. Prime bowed. "I am honored. Who may I be speaking with?"
The sound of a musical laugh was heard. "I am the star who held the system where Caminus once belonged."
Prime stared at the being as memories of Caminus and others came back to him, beings who had helped him understand a lot about the universe when the star began to fail. "I am honored to see you again. I have no idea where you went from the system but I hope it was to peace and the place you most greatly desire."
The star pulsed with light which was beginning to become filled with various colors. "I did. I ascended to Enlightenment."
Prime considered that and his own understanding about the growth of elevated beings. This individual had lived their life to the end of All Experiences Everywhere then went to The One to Become One With Him. It was a tale told on many worlds in many belief systems the universe over. When you had every experience and traveled every trail, you went to The One to remain there until such time as you wanted to do it all again. The individual standing before him lived in God Energy. He bowed. "That is wonderful to know."
The two other beings were staring at Prime with slight expressions of amusement. They glanced at the star, then Prime. "We heard that you are unusually enlightened, Optimus Prime. We came to offer what assistance We can to help you become clear about things that trouble you."
"I do not know you, do I?" Prime asked.
The first figure, a light being of a humanoid shape like the other but still holding the recognizable features of a human grinned. "I am The Ruins. This is my brother, Flash Energy. Those aren't Our real names but they are close enough to help you understand what we are and represent here. As you know, all things have consciousness and all things are one."
"I do," Prime said. "You are the energy rifts that exist here, then."
The one called Ruins nodded. "I am. I am experimenting in this life with the idea of convulsion and unpredictability. In most of my lives I live on a more regimented schedule, a comet flying on a path, a planet circling a sun, a black hole eating everything before me. They are a bit on the predictable side."
The other with him nodded. "It is. Sometimes you have to take a risk and a chance to learn some other kind of lesson," the one called Flash Energy said. "Usually, I am the embodiment of a star or planet. This time I wanted to do something that was outside the frame of reference that I usually take. Its like being self sufficient but having a problem that requires asking for assistance. Like now. I don't much care for asking for help."
"I would be in need of advice and opinions," Prime said as Solomus nodded.
"Optimus is scrupulous and good about such things. Moral dilemmas are always presenting him with challenges," Solomus said.
"There are who don't have such 'failings'. They find no quandary in their reasoning, no complexities nor do they have feelings after their decisions conclude about the outcomes. Take for instance this one," Energy Flash said as the scene changed.
They were on the deck of Megatron's warship. The space was unrecognizable, the deck was filled with trophies, seemingly endless rows of bio-mechanical parts of what seemed to be all manner of organism arranged on the walls. Megatron sat on his command chair carrying on a conversation with Galvatron. They were hunting and enjoying things immensely.
"I do not think they have the capacity to think in nuances this time around," the large light mass said as they stood nearby watching the scene. "Some don't. I do believe that the humans call them psychopaths." He looked at Prime. "You will be holding some of those to accounts soon enough. I am thinking you have one or two Primal Hearings with Special Circumstances down the road?"
Prime nodded. "We do. There are many hard decisions coming including this one. I do not shirk my responsibility to decide. It is mine alone. But I do hope that opinions and considerations from all of you will be posed to me. I do not like to make unreasoned decisions."
"You are still bothered by the death of the two planets. We did tell you that they had that path in their life plan? That this wasn't a surprise to either of them? They knew what they could face and it did not throw them off. You do understand that this isn't the only life you get or have ever had," the mass said.
Prime nodded. "You did and I have reconciled a great deal of it, though I do not make such decisions lightly."
"Optimus is a very deep spark and he thinks greatly before acting, sometimes more than he needs," Solomus said. "I say that as one who does as well."
The two nodded. "We live in a situation ourselves where any move we make has consequences for everyone and everything around us. A flash of energy through the agency of my rift design can cancel a planet or a star in the blink of an eye. Its the design of the area and everyone and everything that lives here understands that. They have made a notation in the life plan that they created before coming into this reality that this could be an outcome. No one ever comes without agreement to face whatever possibility is present," the light being called The Ruins said. "I find it noble to do so. It allows me to experiment and learn what it means to live in this form. Those who live here are learning what it means to live around us. All of us dance on the head of a pin but no one is oblivious. Everyone knows, understands and is willing to dance with us.
"You wish to move these two planets," he said glancing at the calm bemused faces of Homeland and Sun Base.
"You worry that something might happen and if it does you destroyed a sentient being who didn't have a say in the matter and whose death you would be responsible for creating," the light being said.
Prime nodded, then turned toward Sun Base and Homeland. "I have a problem, the same one as before. If I leave here without securing the tech then other aliens can come and use it to no good ends. It is against our rules of law that this should happen. If we destroy the two colonies, it will cause great harm to both of you because it requires obliteration. That would harm you and the beautiful creatures that live with you on world. That is my dilemma. We want to move you to a better and safer place but I have to consider your spirits and what might happen. I also have to understand your preferences."
It was silent as the group seemed to speak together through telepathy. Then they turned toward Prime and Solomus. "We understand. There are many things we can tell you and we will," the light being said. "Nothing that is happening or will happen here is unknown to any of us. We are aware of the many possibilities and assure you that we are clear on everything. If we didn't already plan for this possibility before we embodied we would be surprised but we aren't.
"It is in the pathway forward for both to leave here," the being called The Ruins said. "They can go with you. It would do them good to be in a safer place. I, too like the animals and plants on Sun Dance. Because they're brothers, it would be very good for them to go together."
"We are of one soul, Optimus Prime," Sun Base said. "We tend to come and go together, thus we chose long lived incarnations. We like to be together and learn things to share between us. There are many paths looming before us and we are willing to take any of them. Some of them end in disaster but some lead to a new life." He glanced at the two, Ruins and Flash Energy. "No offense."
Both of them chuckled. "We knew you would be before we could flash through your space. It relieves me that you will be gone," Ruins said.
"Is there anything about you and your brother that you can tell me," Prime said as he glanced from Sun Base to Homeland. "I would like to know more about this region and its unpredictability."
Everyone there grinned at him. "We cannot do that, Optimus. Follow the path you are on and you will do well," Homeland said.
"We will do our best to ensure your safety," Prime said with a slight bow.
"That is all you can do," Homeland said. "We know you have many questions and we will give them to you but in Divine Time and no sooner." Then he waved his hand and Prime was back in the Temple.
Optimus stared at the AllSpark but it offered no answers so he walked toward the stairs which held no one this time and began to climb them. By the time he reached the street he would have made his decisions. All that remained now was to go to Terra and begin as Santa Prime to the now six Sparking Day schools in the colony. He disappeared into the holiday crowd on the street.
=0=Around Seventeen
They settled their new purchases in their new apartment, then grinned at each other.
"How do you feel, Stealth?"
"A lot better, though it was a shock to see Zenith and Shadow," Stealth replied. "I'm not sure that I'm up to meeting them just yet. I feel anxiety still."
"We don't have to speak to them now," Styre said. "You know how it will go."
Stealth nodded in agreement. "We must be of one processor, Styre, that they won't do anything to us again to disturb our new life here. I won't have it."
"Neither will I," Styre said as he walked to the door. "Come. I was told in detail about this holiday and Optimus is going to be Santa Prime at the Terra Sparkling Day. Our babies are there. Let's go."
Stealth walked to the door. Both walked out together and took a train to Terra. They would be waiting in the crowd when Optimus would show up and the fun and games would begin.
=0=Out there
He finished reading the preliminary reports, then set them aside. He unsubbed a snow globe, one that held everyone of their family inside its little confines. Infants were held in arms while everyone gathered around the ammas and appas. The only one who didn't was an image of Orion standing in front of the group like Superman.
The cape was nice, too.
Ratchet shook it and watch them disappear into a blizzard of fake snow. He rose and walked to the door, subbed it again, then stepped out. In a short time they would all leave for Mars and party time.
The door closed quietly behind him.
=0=TBC 1-5-2020