The Diego Diaries: Moving Onward (ddj7 295)
=0=After school let out …
"ORION!"
Hysterical laughter greeted that as a herd of infants stood in the hallway taunting Ironhide who was sorting out book bags among the eighteen, count them, eighteen kids who grinned at him in his disarray. The trip up from the bus stop and cab stand was epic by any standards.
"COMED LOU, ATAR! I, ORION BE'S LOU! I DOIN'! BE'S CRAYON!"
Hero laughed. "You're a chaos bringer, Orion?"
"I, ORION BRINGED!" He smiled like the sun.
Ironhide who was struggling to keep a straight face glowered at them. "I AM IRONHIDE! *I* BRING THE CHAOS!"
Orion stepped out and struck a fighting pose ala dojo lessons. Bringing his tiny fists up, he glowered, too. "I, ORION! I DOIN'!"
Ironhide guffawed loudly, tossed the myriad book bags on the chair nearby, then raised his arms like the wings of a raptor. "I AM IRONHIDE! I CHASE PEEWEES AND BRING THE RAIN!"
The little ones stared at him with awe and blinding excitement, then bumped all over each other as they tried to flee. A cloud of rapturous infants squeed together as they ran for the berth rooms to hide.
Ironhide snickered as he watched them go, then glanced at the couch where the rest of the mob was sitting together, laughing and grinning at the babies.
Sunspot smiled at Ironhide. "They're so cute."
"They are. Time to go hunting," Ironhide said as he marched for the hallway to disappear into a cascade of screaming and running around.
Rambler glanced at the others, his two brothers, T-Bar and Spirit as well as Bos, Reflector and Co-D who were staying over to go to the game. "This is going to be fun isn't it."
They nodded.
"We better get in there and help," Rambler said.
They grinned, then nodded again.
"Last one in is a slow poke," Rambler said as he jumped down and ran for the hallway. He would be followed by a dog, a bug, two cats and little cow. And all the little mechs.
=0=Venture and Miler
Miler sat at the computer working out the mind-blowing mathematics for the mission ahead. Prima was with Ironhide who after a lot of debate won over the odd punter with the addition of the possibility that elders living around them would come to help him if he needed it. "How hard can it be?"
Miler had looked at him, then burst into laughter. He left his son in school until the bus would take him home. He'd be with the Prime's kids and Scout as well. If he had known the three little mechs, Bos, Reflector and Co-D would stay along with the twin's infants he would've tried other things. For now, he sat in his office on Trigger One and worked through the complexities that he couldn't even begin to explain to the smartest and most innovative mathematicians from Earth. It would be a calm and quiet interlude.
=0=There
"Now let's get this picked up. Dinner is going to happen in a moment so let's get this done-"
He grimaced as he shifted his foot. "Who left the Legos here?"
Everyone looked at everyone else, then Rambler stepped forward. "Why don't you go fix dinner, Uncle Ironhide. We can help them get this done."
Ironhide looked down at Rambler, mentally hugging him like a life preserver which he was. "Okay." With that, he walked out of the room.
Everyone watched him go, then Orion looked at Rambler. "Why Atar goin', Dumbo?"
Rambler grinned at Orion with amusement. He loved his name Orion's way. "He's getting dinner ready. Let's clean up everything and surprise him."
Everyone squeed with delight at that idea, then bustled around to get it done. It would be so in no time flat. Then they would all march out to the kitchen.
=0=Venture and the Twins
Venture sat in the conference room at the Temple going over the month's schedule and statistics. There were many things to discuss and a lot of decisions to make concerning not just the day-to-day business of the building, its programs and the district. The Festival of Primus was coming and it would be split between Autobot City and Simfur this time. It would take a while to sort it all out.
Meanwhile …
They were in the desert working out their moves as a team. The twins worked them with the coaches and back up players. They were going to be playing in Praxus and given all the delays and work related problems, they needed the practice. It would take them a long time to get their organization and rhythm back.
=0=There
"Sit down, infants. Let me do this ..."
=0=Ratchet's elders
"I don't feel easy about this, Tie," Ravel said as he walked into the Performing Arts Center with the rest of them. "Ironhide might need an assist."
"He has all the older infants, Ravie. We'll be done here eventually and they'll be in bed. We can pop in and see how things are. I believe in Ironhide," Tie said as they walked down the corridor to Theater C, the community and teaching theater.
"He said he would call us, Ravel," Docker said as she walked along holding Appa Ratchet's servo. Corr and Chan followed behind.
They walked into the theater, then hurried to the front where the cast was gathering. Their professor who was staging the play with Scout and Trooper's help was getting things organized. This was Ravel's idea after having lunch with Scout who was looking to get elder civilians into acting classes to ease their traumatic experiences. He'd talked the others into coming to a class with him, then they'd joined as well. They would work through their exercises, go to their cut throat bingo games, then go to dinner with an ever widening circle of friends. They would have a jolly old time.
=0=There
"What's for dinner, Atar?" Hero asked with a smile. "Do you need help. Halo and I can help you."
Ironhide glanced at the table filled with kids. Chairs had been brought over from Alor's house so everyone had a seat. They stared at him with anticipation. He looked at them, then the boxes ordered and the other stuff he'd bought earlier. It seemed more appetizing and sensible then than it did now. He began to dish up plates, then carry them to the table.
The kids who had manners and then some stared at the plates, then Ironhide. By the time he'd fixed everyone food and drinks, they were silently watching him with their unblinking, piercing optics.
He stared at them, then their plates. On them was an 'eclectic' array of 'food'. There were the Cybertronian equivalent of chicken wings, macaroni salad, potato salad, jello salad, all but green salads.
A mech had levels below which he wouldn't fall.
There were french fries, carrots, cookies, Ho-Hos because he liked them, too, beans, a bit of potato chips, a banana and olives. Their drinks were the Cybertronian version of Hawaiian Punch. He stared at the plates, then them, feeling a sort of odd sinking sensation of ultimate despair and inadequacy.
Then Rambler grinned. "This is great, Uncle Ironhide."
Ironhide would remember that remark with reverence forever.
Everyone began to chime in, all of them digging in to the weirdness as Ironhide internally sagged a bit with relief. This was harder than it looked.
=0=Bluestreak and the Fam
They worked on the plans in the sub Operational Center below the big one. The afternoon wore on as Bluestreak ran errands, did searches and helped coordinate the lines of communication that would be essential for the operation to work. He kept in touch with Ironhide, Prowl and Ratchet, feeding them the progress of Ironhide and Company, It'd been a problem to leave all of the kids with him but he was going to be practicing in the desert that night with the team so he would take over then.
Apparently, things were going well for everyone …
=0=There
"ORION! GET IN HERE!"
Orion danced in with the others and paused before Ironhide who had sat down on his chair. He grinned at his old pa as the bigger kids gathered as well. "WHAT!?"
"Sit down, you little pirate. Story time," Ironhide said with a chuckle.
"OKEY DOKEY!" Orion said as everyone found a place to sit and gave their full attention to Ironhide.
Ironhide grinned at the kids as he opened his data pad, the one that held every book he ever read to his kids so that 'they'll know what they liked when they were little, Ratchet'.
Like that.
He opened it and began to read.
Everyone settled with rapt attention since all of them had been read to since they were born. It was quiet and happy in the apartment as Ironhide dramatically read the story to the kids.
Just like his family had done for him at their ages.
=0=Later that night, T-Minus not a whole long time
They gathered in the lounge, those who were going to get the word from William about what it would mean and what they would see and do besides the game. They sat together, a rather nice sized crowd.
Will checked his list. "We're going to Cybertron by ship tomorrow that will lift off at the Muni Airport at around 1200 hours. You're supposed to be there at 1130 hours and no later. We want everyone gathered together early. This is a special venture and we want to be an asset, not a problem.
"When we board, we're going to be put inside gravity carts, the type they use for specialized transport. They won't be covered but they'll have seating if you want it. They use them for aliens who come on world and need it. Cybertron is four times bigger than Earth so their gravity is four times greater than our own. It'll break every bone you have if you didn't have your suits and gear on.
"We're going to have facilities and we're going to have lunch in the formal officer's mess at The Citadel in Iacon. Its really ancient and ornate, the place Primes used to plan their shit. Its Prime's formal dining room now whether he's alone or having a reception. Few get to see it. The Citadel will be toured, then a short tour of the city will be had.
"After the game, we're going to Praxus to see the city, then Polyhex and finally Simfur. Its been arranged for the Cybertronians, especially the children to see the sights and we get to come along. We're going to be in a gravity transport that they made to accommodate us. It will be linked into Ratchet so that wherever he goes so do we. That will have facilities. It sounds bigger than it is. I saw pictures of it and its going to be a great asset to getting us around.
"We're going to see camps which house millions and millions of Cybertronian refugees and for most of you that will be new. The camps are amazing but the individuals there are displaced and traumatized. Most of them are getting along well but its unpredictable. If something happens, the transport is stable and impregnable. Prowl and Ratchet will be the ones herding us around because the others are going to the stadium to get ready to play.
"Praxus is the hometown of Ironhide and his family as well as Prowl and his. It was flattened, really flattened but is coming back. It was a beautiful science and learning center with lots of beautiful buildings, rich people and arts. Ratchet will show us the local sights and tour the District where Ironhide and Prowl's families had homes. There will be massive camps there as well.
"Polyhex is last. Its a center of finance, money and corporate headquarters. Camps and metrotitans everywhere. The main drag is quite a street itself. Camps there are even bigger than other places and the same thing applies.
"It'll be dark because Cybertron is untethered to a star. No one really can figure out how the planet and its surface can function like it does. It should be frozen and impossible but it isn't. Perhaps heat from down deep is keeping it livable. Remember, the entire planet is a bot, Primus, the warrior god of their people. It's impossible to explain or express the magnitude of this individual to The People. He's deeply and profoundly revered. We'll be walking around on the living body of a living god. Remember that.
"Simfur will be after the game so that Prime can go there. Some want to see him so he's coming then. Its the real home of the Allspark and Well. Its the spiritual heart of Cybertron. We need to remember that even more so and act accordingly. You'll be able to see the interior of the Temple there in all its restored glory. The Festival of Primus will be shared there as well as here." Will looked up. "Any questions?"
There would be.
=0=TBC 6-4-2020