The Diego Diaries: Sun Dance (dd7 175)
NOTE: This was supposed to go out last night. :\ I am going to have to make sure they do. It's -14 degrees here and my fingers are frozen. :D:D Hugs to all, especially those in Australia. I pray for all of you day and night wherever you live. Yes, that is how much I love you. -Me
UPDATE: I hope this is now in the right order. :D
=0=The next orn
He stood in the tent staring at two bodies, the last that were pulled from one of the two small prison graves. They were battered and had the dull effects of deprivation clear on their protoforms. He quashed his ire, then walked out to the grave where the experts on the forensics archaeology team were sifting every shovelful of dirt removed. "How's it going, Sky?"
"Good, Ratchet. Having them out makes evidence gathering easier," Sky said as he paused his efforts sorting small finds in a tray. "We have about two more orns of work and we're finished here. I was just commed that the graveyards on Homeland and the 'normal' ones here have been airlifted back to Mars. We just have these two left. The one in the city center is concluded."
Ratchet nodded. "Well, I for one am glad. I want you to shut this down right now for Christmas Surprise. We're coming back in two orns to finish up and get this planet ready to leave here along with Homeland. Sciences have a place for both of them around Sirius A. Its going to be a hop and skip away to come and go from where they're going to end up."
"That's good to hear. I like this place. The birds especially," Sky said as the others nodded.
"Wrap it up and cover things. When you're ready to go call Omega or Xantium. His family is going to be here on station to watch over things. They're going to their own celebrations in pretender gear but they're going to be hooked in here," Ratchet said. "No one here is going to be more than a joor or two before rotating out. Teletraan has this."
They nodded, chatted, then began to get things ready to leave for a while as Ratchet walked back through the now empty city. He reached Ops Center, chatted with the crew to make sure things were understood about leaving and coming back, then walked to the big screen to call the Supremes. The screen split as four of them checked in, Gamma, Kappa, Omega and Xantium. "Well, look at you. I think I need sunglasses to manage the handsome and the beauty," he said with a big smile.
Huge laughter greeted that from the four screens.
"You got that right, Ratch," Zee said. "What's the word?"
"The word is 'bug out'," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Fix your sensors and channel them through Teletraan. A node of Auntie is running things worldwide now on both planets. If she spots something from their systems or infrastructure or off world in space she'll alert and we can come in guns blazing. Maybe."
"Okay," Zee said with a smirk. "Beat ya there," he said as his screen image winked out. Then the others joined him sending their consciousnesses back to the colony to frolic in the gardens of the Dreads and Titanic party scene.
Ratchet snickered. "Slaggers," he said, then commed off. Looking around, he was satisfied. "Your relief is here in a joor, infants. Call me if you need me." He ambled off to the catcalls and holiday wishes of the crew before bridging back to Mars. Up he went from the bridge room to the Ops Center where the usual buffet and party was going strong and would for a while. Entering, he curtsied and goofed over to a table where Ironhide sat with Halo. All around the room kids were flocking, eating this and that as they raised the roof with their joy. Santa Prime was due here any moment.
Ratchet liberated Halo. "Fetch me vittles, minion," he said to Ironhide who rose with a smirk. "I feels the bitters coming on."
Ironhide loaded a plate sky high, grabbed a couple of beers, then walked back to give it to Ratchet.
"That's three days provisions, old mech," Ratchet said as he set Halo down to run with the wolf-lets who were present in hoards. "Where's Optimus and Granny? Magnus is missing as well."
"Prime's visiting the Sparkling schools because they expect him and Magnus is finishing up the elders," Ironhide replied as he sat and sipped his beer. "All of the rest are getting a new Santa Prime per building, there's so many now. I finished Youngling Day at Centurion for Sunspot and the little mechs. Everyone has to do at least one location now with the rest being newbie fillers."
"I knew this orn would come and I hate it," Ratchet said. "We still get the after party and group photo though thanks to Granny and Blondi. All hail them."
A herd of kids passed by, some stopping in surprise to get a hug from Ratchet, then they hurried onward. Sitting nearby taking videos and snaps, Miler, Styre and Stealth sat together with the twinnies in their laps. Apparently Venture was with Optimus. The three were happy and expressed it together, an altogether grand sight for Ratchet. It would be a few moments before everyone ended up here to party.
=0=Magnus
He gave out presents to elders, their elder children and friends, the odd loner who had no where to go and those who were in various states of debilitation including forting up in their apartments. Most of them were at treatment or senior centers but he still hit the housebound like now. Three little elders sat on a couch as one in a wheelchair stared at him with an almost awestruck expression.
The one in a chair had a long term processor injury and was a subject in a medical program that was experimenting with deep processor injuries and the effort and hope of retrieving memories and self awareness. Given that he knew no one before, was bed ridden prior to this and now was semi aware in a wheelchair gave hope to everyone that he would some fine orn remember things and rejoin them in the new life.
Magnus had knelt before him engaging him as much as the little mech could before handing him a present. "I hear, Delta, that you are coming along well in your treatment. I'm happy to know that."
He smiled at Magnus, someone he didn't know but whose aura was bright with warmth and good will for him. He couldn't quite articulate his words but he made sounds that matched his happiness at the moment. Someone was sending love to him and he was inordinately happy. He gripped Magnus's hand tightly as he bounced in his chair. His optics were shining and he had a big smile on his face. His own aura spread into the room sending everyone his joy at the attention and moment.
"Appa was a great electrician," someone was saying, someone who looked like a grandson or great grandson.
"He will be again if he wants it," Magnus said firmly. "He can be whatever he wants to be or not. We reverence and care for our elders here. They can live their lives with all the choices they want now. No one has to worry about him being cared for here."
"We know," another youngling mech said, perhaps a great grandson. "Appa is the greatest mech. He taught me how to weld and solder. He showed me how to make motherboards for electronics. What he doesn't know doesn't exist," he said proudly as the others nodded. "I hate to see him this way."
"Our doctors and scientists are miracle workers. That he made it to here is a miracle, too. It was meant to be or it wouldn't have happened. We will make sure his life is full and happy," Magnus said. "Do you have assistance? We have a magnificent outpatient care system in Home Healthcare. You can even arrange sitters so you can have a break. Caretaker Syndrome is a real problem here with this kind of situation."
"We sorta wanted to take care of him ourselves. He was so scared before. Not so much now but he was terrified," a youngling femme said with an anxious voice. "He was never scared. He took care of us and we're going to take care of him."
Magnus stood, then turned to all of them. "That's the best part of love, service to others. But I also want you to be well enough to be there when he really needs you. If you get worn down from this then he's made vulnerable."
They stared at him, then an elder femme stood. "We'll look into it, sir. We appreciate the care both from you and the colony. We never had anything but each other, the group of us. We love each other. We always took my mech with us no matter what. He was hurt trying to protect us when Lord Optimus came to liberate Cybertron. Its been a long road and I agree with you. These infants need to figure out what they want to do. They need to be with others their age and have fun. I'll look into it," she said as she cut off their protests with a gentle motion of her servo.
"I'm glad, Amma," Magnus said as he nodded his helm in respect to her. "It doesn't have to be for long that you get relief, even a couple of joors. You can schedule it and those who come are medically trained. They're also taught how to manage the well-being of someone who has this kind of injury so they aren't afraid when you step out now and again. We love and reverence our elders."
She stared at him, then bowed. "Thank you. We're just not used to such luxury. We're a family and we are one."
Magnus bowed back, then took presents from Jetta and Elita as Arcee and Fireflight rummaged in the bag for more. "Please accept these tokens as a symbol of our love and respect for all of you. We are grateful as a people and personally that you are here and we pledge our honor to care for and to protect you."
She bowed then took two, walking to her mech as she did. She handed him one with his name on it. "See, Delta? Good things are coming every orn. Let me help you open this."
She did. It was a teddy bear which he clutched with great joy.
They chatted a bit, then the team walked out to head for one more housebound individual before they were finished with their list.
Riding down the elevator, Magnus glanced at a pensive Arcee, Fireflight, Jetta and Elita. "I reserve the right to end Megatron's spark."
Elita stared at him. "I think you have to take a number, Magnus.
A grim crew walked out to go to the last stop, a little femme who was a gifted story teller and ultra religious individual who always worked on her hands and knees keeping the floors of the Temple clean in Simfur as a sign of her love and devotion to Primus. As she said to anyone who asked her why she worked that way, that hard, "I'm helping our Lord Primus who gave us life and who sacrificed everything for even me. I will always serve Him with gratitude. When I'm on my knees, I'm closer to His love."
They reached her apartment, knocked and were let in by her family. Sitting on the couch, she slipped off onto the floor, then touched her helm to it. "I am honored to receive you, Commander. Welcome to my home and my family."
Magnus bowed. "I am honored to meet such a holy personage, Trill of Simfur. Your House is a glory to our people, that such generations have served the Temple and Primus so selflessly."
She smiled at him, then was helped back up onto the couch. She would chat of love and forgiveness, of the glory of the orn when she could serve the Temple here again. She would speak of her family's goodness, their long legacy as the Caretaker Clan of Simfur Who Held The Keys and when Magnus would leave with the others he would know many things.
He would know the power of unconditional love.
He would know what a good family she was part of.
He would know that her family carried her to the Temple every morning to make her prayers, something her family did every day for simply forever.
And last but not least, he would know that it would take a bit more time for her protoform to be ready for the replacement of both her missing legs.
He would also go with a smoldering desire to break Megatron into kindling. He wouldn't be the only one in his group. It would be a long silent ride on the Metro to The Fortress and the party. It would also be a terribly welcomed place to go after their journeys.
There would never be another who would play Santa Prime for the elders and shut-ins of the colony and he would join Paragon to make more opportunities and housing options available for those in such straits.
Merry Christmas Surprise from Autobot City, the Primal Colony of Mars, Cybertron and the Empire.
=0=TBC 1-4-2020
Because so many sects vie for control of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the declared tomb sight of Jesus following the crucifixion, sometimes getting into fist fights if someone transgresses on their portion of the building (About four different Christian sects have their share of it to take care of. I do believe the Ethiopians have the roof.) a family of Arabs who live near it and have for centuries hold the keys to it and they unlock it every time it needs to be opened. Their family has been entrusted with the keys to the place for literally hundreds of years. Interesting world we live in. No? :D