The Diego Diaries: The Reflections (dd7 329)

=0=Up there

They gathered at the house, endless numbers of family and friends, many to walk in the Procession to the Temple and others just to shoot the slag before leaving to their saved spots to watch and wait. Styre and Stealth sat with Venture and Miler, both of them in a state of nervousness at the honor of being part of the family of the Prime, thus part of the procession. In another set of chairs, Zenith and Shadow waited as well. The two groups had met and dined together but nothing more than small talk sufficed between them. Things were going to be tense when it went beyond that but for now, good manners prevailed in the family.

Ratchet who had wrangled kids to their spots in the holds of their ammas and appas turned to the crowd at that moment, then smiled brilliantly. "I'm so glad you came to see me."

An avalanche of slag greeted that as the group turned to the door. It opened as Prowl walked in, stopped to stare at everyone silently, then he walked back out.

Ratchet laughed loudly. "GET IN HERE, COWARD!"

Prowl stepped back in with a bemused expression of almost but not quite high caste superiority on his handsome face. He wasn't stupid enough to make a real solid one. Most of the slaggers in the room could tell the tale of robbing and beating the crap out of those who tried in the past.

Perhaps all of them.

Raptor included.

He was a wayward child at best.

"What brings you to this place where, obviously, everyone of any stature meets and greets?" Ratchet asked.

"We're due to go, fragger," Prowl said with a smug expression. "Time to go make headlines for the next few orns. You're welcome."

Miler stood with a sweet expression on his handsome face. "Come on, fraggers. My son says we can go with him. He'll allow it this time."

It was a beautiful thing to see Prowl wilt under the barrage of his sweet ada's sly wit. HUGE laughter greeted that as he was passed by those heading out for their places on the appropriate floor. He studiously avoided his own families' optics as they passed by.

Ratchet waited to walk out with him. "Well played, Sherlock."

A fist to the gut took care of that.

=0=Up there-er

Optimus stood on the balcony watching the sun shine brightly on its upward journey over the mound of Olympus Mons. It was cold and beautiful. It was also reasonably quiet as everything everywhere but medical and emergency came to a halt for one full orn. There were no flights today. The humans everywhere were limited to their habitats if they weren't part of the Family group and the Hu-Ans were already in place with the family to enjoy this, a wondrous event for everyone.

He would walk out shortly and with each floor he went down a group would follow him until everyone was lined up in the lobby to go down the several mile main roadway of The City, Metroplex Highway One toward the Temple District. He felt light but expectant. Something in him was expecting something different, something big and he felt the slight nerves of someone who might be surprised.

Hopefully, it would be a good one.

A clock rang in the apartment so he walked to the door, slid it closed, then gathered himself. The Matrix was mellow, smooth even, as if It held the secrets to come. He knew it didn't. It was the portal, not the port. He would sail his ship across the silvery waters of the Matrix until he came to the places he was meant to see. Nothing he ever planned was what happened. They showed him what he needed to see and know. Always in allegory, always hidden in riddles and clues, he was then expected to sort it out. It was one of the most important things he did, to read the signals of The Powers and The One properly.

That he always did made him holy in the optics of The People. The only one who ever did as well as Optimus was Guardian Prime.

He walked to the door, squared his shoulders, then opened it. Elite Guards snapped to attention, all of them drawn to the charisma of holiness that came from Prime on this orn. The Matrix was making Itself felt and even they could tell it was so. He nodded to them in his distracted manner, then walked to the elevator. They filled it and another, then down they want. As they passed each floor, another joined until everyone was down in the lobby in order.

Sitting on horses outside, Drift and Springer waited. Down the way on every surface, in every place possible, the most visible of 17,000,000+ Cybertronians were waiting, watching for him to come. It was surreally silent as they stared down the way to the tower. The rest of the billions who would be watching would do so on media devices on many worlds.

Optimus glanced around, noted that Turbine was with him, then they stepped onward. Behind him would come his family, personal and extended, then everyone else who represented some part of their life here and in the Empire. The priests of Simfur, elders from Cybertron including Seers and Functionalists who were unjustly branded would join all the others as they followed him to the Temple itself.

It would take a while to get there.

=0=The Prima Station of Cybertron

They crammed into the theaters and the auditorium to watch the processional and the event that was the most important to everyone who was Cybertronian. It was quiet mostly though children would point and ask questions. The colors and types of Cybertronians on screen was amazing. Huge ones towered in the background while others walked with Prime. The procession was silent, solemn and beautiful. They slowly walked along and as they did mechs and femmes would run out of the crowd to touch Prime, then scurry back.

Apparently, never in the year would Optimus Prime be more holy than he was now. He was the First Disciple of Primus and bore the Matrix which held a spark of Primus Himself, a concept that was still a learning curve for most humans. They did understand dignity, power and intelligence. It was evident to anyone watching this that Optimus Prime had boat loads of all those qualities. They radiated out of him as he strode slowly along, allowing his people to see him, to see the meaning of him and to touch him if they wished.

There wasn't a human on the station that didn't want to be one of those individuals today.

=0=MCA

"This is the Processional where the major players and representatives of every part of Cybertronian society accompany the Prime to the Temple where he goes inside to seek insight and answers to questions and problems that might be important to The People," Johannes Boyko said. He was a N.E.S.T. official from the Ukraine who was on duty with the EU office of Global N.E.S.T. He was delegated to give the commentary of the event after getting a thorough briefing from Mikaela Banes, Mick Murphy and Warren Roberts.

"Each segment represents a constituent group, then," a commentator asked.

Boyko nodded. "Yes. The Great Elder and the other Seekers represent Seekerkin and the air forces of the Empire, some of the priests are here from Cybertron and will be part of the ceremony there. Commander Turbine represents the Elder Clan, the oldest organized group among The People. They have massive prestige in their society. The military is represented as are other civilian groups, each of them showing onlookers how much they're valued now.

"In the past, there was little value placed on workers but now everyone has a place at the table. No one is left out. Among the newest groups here are the Immortals, those who fought in the first war to free all the Cybertronian people from their first oppressors. They're incredibly honored and some of them are tremendously old. They will be waiting at the Temple for Prime. There are over 1,200 recovered Immortals of which 450 are here, with the rest at Simfur on Cybertron."

"What can you tell us about when Prime's inside the Temple? What determines the amount of time he's there?" a panelist asked.

"It depends on the quest. It takes the time it takes. Sometimes its short or its long. I was told that he brings the concerns of the nation with him and seeks answers through the Matrix. I can't tell you what that is in any details but he carries it on his person and its the conduit that he uses to get information and assistance, wisdom and knowledge from the Pantheon and others who they believe assist them in their lives," Boyko replied.

"Their religious and philosophical beliefs are a taboo for us mostly. What can you tell us about these individuals?" the same panelist asked.

Boyko considered that. "They don't have to have faith. They don't have to just believe what they believe. The Pantheon they support and get support from actually exists and the planet they live upon is the actual body of their warrior god, Primus. Cybertron is the actual body of Primus who not only created them and still does but looks after them as best He can within the limits of their free will. There's no faith component in their existence necessary."

"Here he comes now," the moderator said as the scene on the monitor changed to show the street that led from Prime's tower to the Temple beyond.

=0=There

He stepped out into the street with his mechs, the Elite guards who with their black paint schemes and silver embellishments looked amazing. They followed on each side of him as an honor guard, leaving enough room for pilgrims to reach him as he passed by. He stared at the sun a moment, then began to walk forward. The Guards followed and so did a long stream of individuals who represented everyone and their aspirations, dreams and groups.

Prime led the way, his treads clearly heard in the deep silence of the crowd. A light breeze snapped the banners that showed the servos of The One holding Cybertron and the others, the Emblems of the Primes, Cybertron, Mars, combos with Earth and other important symbols of unity. The sun was bright but the air was cold. Children sat on shoulders to see him or were held up by their elders. Cameras flashed and a murmur now and again could be heard.

Prime slowed nearly to a stop as a very elderly couple tottered out of the crowd to walk to him. They bowed low, then touched him, their tiny servos lingering on his arm a moment as he leaned down toward them before they bowed again, then backed up as best they could to return to their family who would help them. They were so old school that they didn't turn around to walk back because of the insult to Optimus that they felt that would be.

Optimus nodded to them, waiting until they were back in the embrace of their family before he continued onward. His family followed him including an awestruck Styre and Stealth. Zenith and Shadow were there along with everyone else including the families of Bos, Reflector and Co-D. Walking with Sunstreaker was Silverbow and her bear. She was holding his servo for a bit, then he picked her up to carry her to the area where all of them would stand and wait for Prime.

The sound of horse hooves could be heard as down the way Springer and Drift rode at the end to represent the Watch and all emergency and security personnel who weren't soldiers. The lights of the giant titanic cities all over the great plain flashed silently in tribute to Optimus and the moment.

He made his way and about halfway down he looked upward toward the buildings that bordered the street. They were packed out, the rooftops and the windows with those who watched him with expectation and silence. He felt their hopes and dreams, their curiosity about the process and the outcomes hoped for. He felt it, too. When this was finished and the blessings delivered, he would go to Cybertron with the group and enter the Temple there. It would be symbolic, of course, but utterly welcome by the people who were watching him now.

All over the sector the vision of the Festival was being broadcast. The only ones who wouldn't know about it were Razorclaw, Ominous, Polity and Megatron. Megatron would be blocked by The Pantheon from knowing or seeing it. The other three wouldn't have a working electronic to catch the signal between them.

Yet.

=0=TBC 7-16-2020