The Diego Diaries: All Together Now (dd7 278)
=0=Around
"The rules are pretty clear and everyone is expected to know them. You all have the handbook. Read it and learn the simple regulations for living here. The legal side of life on the station, Mars and everywhere else in the Empire for humans is tied into the Autobot Nation constitution and foundational documents. All of the contracts of every human living here has a declaration signed by you, for each of your family members, to obey them. We're always open to questions and clarification. The policing element here is tied into the Watch and is governed by Commander Springer of Polyhex who's Chief of Security for the Empire. Ask any question of any Watch officer. Its better to ask then not know.
"Infractions are referred to the Watch, then the legal system we operate under. Your nationality and home world designation will not allow you any immunity from being held accountable under Cybertronian laws for your actions. We aren't a punitive people. We're ancient and have a clear understanding of how things might work out. That being said, we don't allow entitlement or entitled behavior.
"Everything here is designed to keep you alive. This is a multitudinally fail-safe structure. There's redundancies built into the redundancies. It would be phenomenally hard for you to cause a breach of this place. Its so scrutinized that it won't happen by anything that you can do, such is the security built into literally everything. That being said, live here like it could. Be … grateful." Ratchet grinned. "Remember, there's seven point seven billion people on Earth who want to be here but can't. Be grateful. Its a good way to live your life.
"Now for activities that are tied to Mars, Cybertron and the human communities there. There's a thriving creative and highly unified community that the humans have made together. The N.E.S.T. garrison was first to live here, then Sciences Habitat next with the others following. We have an alien species with us that we rather adore called the Hu-An. There'll be connections to them through agriculture but I don't believe it'll extend beyond that. They'll be your second species to learn life lessons from. Their culture and life is a self contained thing and if they invite you in, good. Just don't expect to do it yourself. They're a wonderful people following their cultural plans. Its a bonus you get living with and learning to respect other species. We feel that with humans ourselves.
"Many of the humans have created groups for companionship and community outreach. The Autobot City Ladies Auxiliary was created from a joke that's become the most well known and welcomed group among the humans for us. Its about 1,200 humans now and they do things in the community including caring for monuments and building community spirit among the entire human population which is nearly 80,000 humans with your inclusion. The Witwickys, Fultons and Morshowers of the Resort are your contacts.
"Some of the humans have embraced some of the philosophies of our culture and you can peruse that from the Community Bulletin Board files under the Human Community portion of the board. Its the most information heavy and up-to-date place to find what you need to know that exists here in the Empire. It also has the call designations for every human on world so that you can communicate together.
"Olivia Bowers is the contact person for our philosophical groups such as the Circle of Light and the Knights of Cybertron. She is also human liaison for the University and other learning opportunities," Ratchet said as several hands shot up. He pointed to a human sitting with several teenaged looking boys and several femmes, perhaps his wife and daughters. "Yes."
"I was wondering about those two groups. We've heard a lot about them. Some humans even belong to them. Would Olivia be the person who could help us learn about them and perhaps join ourselves?" he asked.
Ratchet considered that. "Olivia is the one. Understand something. We're very open in our sharing. We're happy when people like our culture and activities. We hope that you bring to them the level of respect and discipline that some of them require. They aren't just interesting points of view and resume listings … they're very serious philosophies and even ways of living. We share but we hope that you understand how important our culture is to us and bring the right desires and attitudes to them if you come. They're also based on honor and truth. If they tell you there are things that aren't to be shared outside of the group, you must be ready to honor that. We'd be very aggrieved if we were exploited by anyone who's our guest."
"The Knights are the ones with swords?" another teenaged looking boy asked.
Ratchet nodded. "They're a very ancient society that protect us and have over tens of millions of years."
"Dai Atlas runs them, right?" he asked.
Ratchet nodded even as he hid a grin. Human kids he liked a lot.
"Then we'd learn how to use swords like them, right? If we joined, it would include stuff like that?" he asked.
Ratchet grinned. "It would but you'd have to do a great deal of thinking, working and interior rearranging of your thoughts and purposes before you'd get to swords."
"Are you a knight?" the kid asked with enthusiasm and a bit of awe.
Ratchet grinned. "I have sons and a daughter who are. Prime is a knight. Some of our soldiers are, a lot of them. The Circle of Light is HUGE here and the Knights are revered by everyone. Prowl is a knight but not Circle. I'm sort of in between. Most of my bond, Ironhide's family are knights, the oldest ones. Ironhide is a knight as well.
"There's a great deal of organization and belief behind all of our societies. They aren't easy in the slightest to be a part of. Contact Olivia Bowers. She's the mentor-student of Master Heatout himself, the lieutenant of Atlas and the philosopher of the entire movement of the Circle and a master teacher of the Knights."
The kid looked pleased and nodded to Ratchet. "Thanks."
He grinned. And so it would go …
=0=Elsewhere
They trudged along the trail heading into the mountains where there were small villages that had always been there. Some of them were resorts where skiing and other winter sports could be had if you had the shanix. They were beautiful and as they rose up from the ashes, they added something old and interesting to the curving mountain valleys and slopes where they were perched.
"So tell me about prayers, prayers and washing dishes," Raptor asked his grandson as they walked down a descending path that curved around a valley and bordered a still dry river bed that once flowed here.
Ironhide frowned. "You're enjoying this too much."
"I am," Raptor said. "Your amma is very impressed by your voice. You seem to have grown into your vocal processor. Amma Scout was mentioning it with Amma the other orn. He wants to hear you again."
Ironhide nearly stumbled. "You didn't tell them anything did you?"
"I told Amma that you'd probably jump at the chance," Raptor lied. He loved it when little mech was pressed against the wall.
Ironhide halted, staring at the backs of the party moving away from him toward the next village. "YOU DIDN'T DID YOU!?"
Everyone paused to turn to him.
Raptor grinned. "Why not, Ironhide?"
"I DON'T WANT TO SING HIGH OPERA! I HATE IT! I HAD TO SEE IT ALL THE TIME WHEN I WAS A … A KID! You didn't tell him I'd sing did you?" Ironhide looked desperate.
Raptor grinned. "No. Amma did." With that, Raptor continued onward down the path with a group of snickering mechs following.
Ironhide stared after them, then glanced at Rockwell who was standing slightly behind him. Rockwell stared at him silently. "I had to sing as a kid and dance, do art and act. I didn't … I don't ..." He trailed off.
Rockwell stared at him, then Ironhide. "They're gone from sight."
Ironhide looked down the trail. "Come on," he said as he hurried to catch up.
Rockwell hurried, too. He did so without the backpack.
=0=Turbine and Delphi
They sat in the conference room at Nova Cronum going over supply chains for the western equatorial territory. Turbine took a moment to listen to an internal call, then laughed. He glanced at Delphi. "Raptor told me that he told Scout and Trooper that Ironhide wanted to sing for them."
Delphi chuckled. "He hates opera. He always did, anyway. I can imagine that didn't go over well."
"No," Turbine said with a laugh. "It didn't."
"Well, we can tell Scout and Trooper tonight when we see them at the theater. It might be fun to gaslight the infant a bit. He had the sweetest child voice. I have to tell you, Delphi, he still has it. I've never enjoyed the prayer cycle this much. We only have five more orns before he gets off the leash."
Delphi nodded. "That infant is a caution." He glanced at an imp sitting on the table working on a dollie, laboring to get a tiny coat on a Wheeljack baby. "So are you, my baby."
Halo glanced up, then smiled brilliantly. "AMMA! I LOVE LOU!"
Both of them laughed, then took a baby break. Halo's little Wheeljack baby would get its little jacket on just fine.
=0=Rung
They sat on a couch in Rung's therapy room at the Processor Health Hospital and Outpatient Center. It was orn three in the endless rounds ahead of this group and he was his usual attentive self. "Thank you for coming. I'm glad you're on time today. It would be detrimental to the orders of the Caste Court for you to display less than adequate compliance to their commands."
The entire family, both sides of the familial line were here for court ordered family therapy in order to help Rockwell fulfill the Will of the Court ruling. Vinn had them later in the orn. Twice an orn they grumped in and sat to do battle with the implacable wills of Rung and Vinn. He checked his list, then looked at Periodic. "How are you today, Periodic? Anything new you want to say about the situation before us?"
Periodic stared at him, a small mech with big optics and a relentless will. "I won't say what you want me to say. I don't know what you've done to Rocky but I don't like it."
"Did he tell all of you last night about the hidden shrine and the film of Primus laying out what He expects from us toward each other?" Rung asked.
Periodic glanced at the others who stirred but didn't speak. He looked at Rung. "I'd have to speak to Rocky face-to-face to believe what he told me. He sounds like someone else and you can fake video. So ..." He stared at Rung with a hard expression on his face.
"Fair enough," Rung said as he faced off against twelve hardcore high castes who hated him with something like the white hot heat of a supernova. He didn't mind. He had a purpose and a point. In short, he relished their hatred. It always started that way with this kind of personality.
It would be a long session for everyone. Rung, himself would enjoy it IMMENSELY.
=0=Up there
Drift dozed in his chair as comfortably as a neck and back brace would allow. Springer sat in his own going over data from Maxi outlining things. The bombing was now a closed case and Prime would speak to the colony tonight on IntraCom to explain what he would allow everyone to know about the situation. He, personally was glad. The trial would be a long drawn out affair and given that they were both alive and would recover, he was willing to put his fury forward against the bad guys now that Cog was forever out of his metaphorical hair.
The gangs were busy as usual. Drunks, fights and the odd domestic dispute happened with the usual regularity. There was a suicide, a theft by someone who turned out to be mentally ill and was hoarding things and a lot of bullying between Vos and Tarn youngsters. He frowned. That was new. It was fragged. Maybe a new sport was added to the colony … slaggers slagging slaggers in kiddie parks. They'd have to go over that and quash the slag out of it before it became formalized into gangs.
They had enough of those fraggers to go around already.
Several fights in the prison were theirs to investigate. His prison detectives would take care of it. A serial killer, maybe, had begun to act out on Cybertron. They had to quash his aft, too.
He mused on the totals as he heard Drift shift. Glancing at him, he noted Drift's stiff movements. "You okay? You need something?"
"Shoot me," Drift said with a slight grin. "How are you?"
"Better than you," Springer said as he rose stiffly. He limped to a table and picked up pills that Drift was to take when he awoke. He got a bottle of liquid to help them down, then limped back to hand him the pills. "Take these. Nurse 'Armageddon' left them when you were dozing." He handed the bottle to Drift who took it.
He held the bottle as he brought the pills to his mouth. In his weakened state, they fell into his lap. He couldn't look down so he looked up at Springer. "Is it okay if I cry now?"
Springer snickered, though with sympathy. "Yeah. You cry and I'll rummage around down there to find them."
"Don't hate me if nothing happens when you do," Drift said as they both snickered.
Springer leaned down stiffly, then reached into the space between Drift's legs. He rummaged for the pills as the door opened. Freezing in place, he and Drift glanced toward the door with surprise and dismay.
"If you want me to come back I can," Maxi said with a slight grin as she stood in the doorway with a tray of desserts and 'coffee'.
It was mortifying.
=0=TBC 5-10-2020. 5-11-2020