The Diego Diaries: Zoom? (dd7 308)
=0=Iacon locker room, Iacon
They slipped inside after leaving just a tad early to beat the crowds. They streamed in including the humans in the gravity cart. It was crowded with everyone including the team players and support. Outside, reporters were waiting with their questions and cameras.
Prowl walked to Prime and hugged him. "What did you break?"
Optimus grinned. "I have a processor ache, a slight one."
Prowl glanced at Hot Rod and Smokey nearby, then Prime. "So do I."
Huge laughter and catcalls filled the room as the two kids sank slightly downward as they sat on benches.
Ratchet sat down next to Ironhide. "You smell like someone dropped a keg on you."
"GUESS WHAT! SOMEONE DID!" Ironhide said to enormous laughter.
"The showers are that way," Ratchet said
Ironhide rose, then grinned. "Last one in the pool is Megatron's bitch." He walked to the huge wash rack nearby as others rose to follow. When they were inside, everyone waiting relaxed.
The humans were glancing around. :So this is where the magic happens: Owen Harris said to great laughter.
Ratchet glanced at them, the group who was floating at optic level to him and the others. "It is. Of course, there's other places, too. Why the other night in the berth-"
Ravel rose and dumped a water bottle over Ratchet's helm. "RATCHET!"
Bedlam.
=0=Wash rack
They gathered in the spray which felt amazingly good against their bodies. Comments about aft size and who was the biggest babe dominated the conversation as they scrubbed up, then walked out to stand under the high speed, high temperature dryers that were a feature of all Cybertronian wash stations, private or public.
Hot Rod stood on the platform that signaled a spray to fall to wash off his sudsy format as nearby Smokey rubbed at a smudge. Roddy looked good to him but he was determined to hate on him. He'd spilled his guts and Roddy hadn't returned the sentiments. It was humiliating and galling. Then NOT ROD found a new boyfriend, AN ACTOR WHO WAS FAMOUS and left him behind. He'd looked around to find someone but dating was hard even for a good looking fun kid like him.
Hot Rod felt the hot water spill all over him like a hard rain. He was aware that Smokey was watching so he shifted, turning this way and that to make sure that all of the soap was gone and he'd flexed everything he had. He showed all his good sides. He could feel the burn from Smokey even where he was.
Raptor who was under the other rinse shower was taking in all the fun. Both of them were hilarious. He was going to make sure that he got both of them for the lulz. Cargo and Pico were doing great. Their families had come around and were still on the road to complete understanding of the paradigm shift but they loved both so they were trying hard. Rockwell was getting there but the shift with Periodic and their elders was still a hard road to travel. He would leave all three of them in the Operational Center at Kaon and take the two numb nuts nearby with him instead.
Life was good for Raptor of Praxus.
=0=Moments later
They sat in a room answering questions to the press corps that had come from Mars, Earth and the Empire. Both teams would be interrogated and while they were Ratchet and Prowl were showing the humans the city. They were heading down the main street, a broad boulevard that cut the city in two large highly populated segments.
There were towers in the distance showing illumination from their inhabitants. Every direction they looked, the rise of housing and other buildings was ongoing. As big as they were on Mars, they were no match there for the heights and breadths of buildings here. Some of them were miles into the sky. Coupled with the camps, the city seemed endless. Light bled into the sky from the massive refugee camps and the metrotitans that were also sprawling into forever, it seemed, to the optic.
They walked onward reaching an ornamental plaza. Before them rising upward was a familiar building. It was the original Primal Basilica. It had been a side project for the work crews that numbered in the millions here. While other places were high priority, there were millions that worked on the ornamental, monumental and cultural buildings on the side. Beyond were the finished buildings of the Museum of Greater Iacon, the many public buildings associated with the government of the Empire, the Main Public Library of Iacon, the Records and Archives Center for Cybertron, the Autobot Military Hospital Complex, a number of huge schools and in the distance, the Shrine for Prima Prime. It was lit with spotlights like every other public building and the sight was impressive.
Ratchet grinned at them. "Let's go inside the Basilica. Its the same dimensions and design as the one on Mars and was the original burial place of all the Primes in the basement of The Citadel. Lots of the artifacts there were here originally as well and thus, it was protected by aerial drones that could shoot you if you came with bad intentions. This was a highly protected area." He led the way up the steps as Prowl and the humans followed.
The other mechs were at The Citadel goofing with the team.
Up they went on a familiar platform toward a familiar huge set of doors and the 200 foot statues standing guard there of Prima Prime and Primus Himself. They entered and walked to the center where a highly ornate carved block of stone stood in the middle, the 'altar' of the building itself. The seating was the same but there were lots of niches with places for burials all of which stood empty for now.
The statues inside stared down and color struck the floor and walls from the stained glass windows. It was familiar and not. The humans looked around, then Owen stepped closer to the edge of the cart. :This is where the bodies were placed. The Primes:
Ratchet nodded. "This is where everyone who mattered and served, reckless or not, was given an honored place. All of the interior decoration of this place was saved including the statues here. The ones around the building outside are replicas. We had lead time and a lot of individuals risked their lives to save our cultural heritage. We have vaults all over Cybertron packed out for miles underground with things that matter to us. Its still to be discovered, many of them."
:Sentinel was supposed to be buried here: Jessie said.
Prowl nodded. "Ratchet and I were supposed to see him before he was buried. Ratchet was supposed to do the autopsy and I was supposed to personally guard the transfer of the Matrix from Sentinel when It was removed as the Second-In-Command of the Prime. It didn't happen. It was the first signal that things were slag."
Ratchet nodded. "We weren't allowed to even see the body. But that was then."
It was silent a moment, then Judy glanced at Ratchet. :No offense, Ratchet and Prowl, but I like ours better:
Ratchet grinned. "I'm sort of partial to that one myself. Let's keep going."
They walked back outside, flagged a cab which was a nice innovation … cabs that were free, then headed northwestward. When they arrived, they climbed out, then the cab drove off to park nearby for someone's call. Before them stood the restored Shrine to Prima Prime.
=0=There
"You don't seem too broken up for a tie," someone asked Prime.
"We had to make a decision based on the state of our players. It was decided to take the tie," Prime said as the others nodded.
"Sometimes there's a tactical advantage in doing so. But there's also the advantage of not having injured players injured more," Jetta replied. His leg throbbed as he spoke.
The questions wound onward.
=0=Here
They walked inside, a rare privilege since the shrines on Mars were still off limits to those outside the family group. The gilded walls almost seemed to move like fire with the glow of candles reflecting off them. Tall candles burned, candles with glyphs and images carved into the tall tapers. They walked past relics linked to Him, past images and iconic portraits that showed his handsome face. Forward they went until they reached the front, walking past silent figures in meditation or prayer. The shrines were open round the clock with a cadre of priests living here to assist pilgrims.
They paused before a shimmering array of candles which were placed in respect before a gigantic image of Prima Himself. He was beautiful, glistening in his silver armor as he stared down at them with a solemn gaze. His optics were large, blue and wise. His form was beautiful, perfectly balanced and exuded the idea of power. He was Their leader, the first created, the strong and virtuous one. He was made in the image of Primus and though headstrong about His own notions and ideas, His conviction to place the good for all above all things made Him noble, heroic and great.
:He's terribly handsome, Ratchet: Jessie said. :I like him a lot:
:He's the Warrior of Light who bore the Matrix on the hilt of His sword as a counter balance: Olivia Bowers said as she gazed at the image with great admiration. :He was brave and good. I love Him greatly:
Joe Bowers stared at the image, then her. :He isn't your patron is he?:
:No. I love Them all deeply but Thirteen is my patron: Olivia said. :He was the Prime who was for everyone, the common and the great both. He reminds me of Optimus:
She got a lot of agreement over that as Prowl and Ratchet grinned at them. They would stay, look around, then leave for the plaza where they would take a space bridge to the main plaza of Praxus. It would only take minutes.
=0=There
They finished the interviews, then walked to the locker room where they would take a bridge to Mars, all of them but Prime and Ironhide. Those two would catch up with Prowl and Ratchet. The elders and children had left for Mars from the locker room, heading for the night time of Mars from the near noon time of Cybertron. Everyone would go home for Mars after Praxus, Polyhex and Simfur. Everyone, that is, but those scheduled for the last two games here.
=0=Praxus
They stepped out into the vast ornamental Great Plaza of Praxus. It was the geographic center of the city which was once one of the most beautiful and cultural on world. The buildings here were historic and many were rising up again due to the careful effort of the reconstruction. The plaza was called The Park and on its vast surface were islands, once upon a time, of plant life and crystal which were designed to create a pastoral refuge in the middle of a huge modern metropolis.
The Central or Hyde Park of the place.
The planters which held the crystals and plants were replaced, vast enclosures ready for their holdings but that wouldn't happen for a while. They would require tending that no one was not ready to expend that energy at the moment. Most of those who would manage them were working to restore plant habitats all over the planet where the new plants and crystals would be harvested. The last part of all the rebuilds would be the decorative touches such as this.
"That was the Administration Building of Praxus," Prowl said as he pointed to a white rock faced building getting ornamentation applied to its finished surfaces. "That building controls and handles the business of one fourth of the planet's administration. The building next to and behind it is the Praxus Science Academy. Both of us are graduates, me for mathematics and physics and you for medical something or other."
Ratchet grinned. "That was the course title."
Huge laughter greeted that as a bridge nearby came to life. Prime and Ironhide stepped out and walked to them.
:HAIL, THE ALMOST CONQUERING HEROES COME!: Judy Witwicky said to enormous applause and laughter. :How do you feel?:
"Given that I had the attention of thirty future medics, rather well," Prime said with a grin. "Have you seen the shrine yet?"
They hadn't. They would. Solus would be mighty pleased.
=0=TBC 6-22-2020
Belated Happy Summer/Autumn wherever you live. :D:D:D