The Diego Diaries: Onward (dd8 620)
=0=United Nations Consulate, Mars
They floated in the pool while the stars of heaven shown down upon them. Drinking beer after eating a great meal, several of the men from several countries walked out into the big green area of their habitat, stripped naked, then dived into the big pool. It was extraordinary to look out at the desiccated landscape of the red planet with the twinkling lights of cities far away stand outs in the inky darkness of Martian night. To do it in the nude in a pool was extra.
When the big mechs of the Watch rode up to peer into the habitat from horseback, some of them bearing environmental cases filled with humans, the rush to dive in or find a towel was real. Snarking back and forth, laughing at the jeers and disgust of the mechs, the humans held their own against the pros.
Barely.
With the wave of a hand, the horse patrol rode off with Jessine in their midst shielded from the nakedness of the exhibitionists in the pool. It was among the last things Springer wanted to do was to have a conference with her genitors about such things.
She was a very well raised child.
They galloped off to take a call for a fight in a bar in City 4, Crater District 13. Jessine would be held back from that one, too. It would be a good thing she was.
=0=Late night at The Grocery at Kalis
He walked down the aisle for candy on his way to the elevator that would take him upward to the office complex that he ruled as the manager of all the groceries in the Tri-Cities. He managed both stores in Tyger Pax and Centurion as well as the one here in Kalis, working out of the office complex in the second floor annex. He was the boss of Periodic who worked in a grocery managing inventory and restocking.
He nodded to customers who were getting their shopping done in the evening when things were slower and less crowded as he ambled along very contented with things. He reached the elevator, rode upward, then walked to his big office filled with tech and datapads that told him the story of his five, soon to be six, monster stores. All of the these businesses in the colony, The Grocery at (insert the name of the city) were owned by Autobot Nation, Inc. for the full benefit of the population but for the first one in Metroplex. He was autonomous and so were his facilities.
Each city had two. Some of them, the earlier cities to be built in the colony were getting more added so that each metro city area had at least two monster grocery stores to patronize not counting the endless number of specialties places and bakeries. The second one in Kalis was being constructed near the Overland Train Station #34 on the outskirts of town. You could ride a train and get a bagel with a smear at the same place.
Awesome.
The huge stores in the Metro Districts including those that were in the Eight Ball and a new soon-to-be settled metro district that would be created by seven metrotitan ships that wanted a settled life would be autonomous as well. Everyone living in say, Retriades or Banner would be able to have as much of a stellar experience as anyone living in a city built by hand.
He walked into his office, then sat. He went over the requisitions sent to the Foundry Exchange who would send them to the right manufacturers. Then he went over the specialty suppliers like the catering places and other artisan food masters who supplied some of the most sought after ingredients and other confections. The list was growing every day. He was truly happy they were. He was hooked on some of their wares himself.
The evening would pass happily for Jonas of Tyger Pax of Cybertron before he walked home to his big family to have breakfast together in their large apartment three blocks from where he worked. Life was good for all of them at last.
=0=A squeal
They rode through the street that paralleled the main highway that cut through City 4 in Crater District 13. This was a District that was on the radar with a lot of disturbances even after the Convocation. The level of drunken arrests, domestic violence and all around brawls in pubs had risen. It would appear that change was a process even given all that had been revealed.
Springer and the team made an effort to come through this District and Twelve because the highest concentration of relatively newly arrived and unrepentent former high castes lived in both. Most of that group had seen the handwriting on the wall, giving up at least outwardly their former life and its behaviors. A lot of them didn't. It would appear that the call was one of those groups.
They halted down the street from a restaurant, The Terracotta, a beautiful big place that was like an Italian villa with a dome overhead that covered an open air courtyard that was the dining area. A small stage allowed a band to play music softly as part of the ambiance while luxury food was served by waiters that memorized even the most complex orders without notes. It was similar to a beautiful restaurant in Crystal City and Capital City, the land of money and big deals. Apparently there was an argument going on inside that was leading to nowhere good.
Jumping down, they handed the reins to Lon.
"Hold them, Lonny," Springer said as he and the elders ran for the restaurant.
The humans watched them go as Bezel and Lon gathered reins.
Jessine who sat her little horse, Josie, watched them go. Her horse was slated to carry a human until it was noted that she would be riding her. That was flipped to another. She was a good rider, very serious about her responsibilities and kept back with the remuda as the mechs disappeared into the building.
:What do you think is going on, Lon?: a soldier from the UN group asked.
Lon glanced at him. "Its going to be ugly," he said as in the distance police vans could be heard converging on the scene.
=0=Central Emergency Command Center, Fortress Maximus, The City
The officer of the shift was standing at the Situation Table, a large master plan of everywhere that could be explored in detail of the colony and local areas around it through the use of multi-dimensional mapping. It was the gigantic datapad that was built into a console table that was huge and stood in the center of the Operational Center of all colonial emergency services here at Fort Max.
Different colored blinking lights signaled police actions, utility problems, special events going on and other information to help keep everyone safe and served. There wasn't an inch of highway, train and metro track as well as airports that weren't on the grid. Every utility that existed was here and all had their own colors to signal their locations and conditions.
All of the habitats were there and their lights were white, signaling all was well. A red light was blinking in City 4, District 13 which meant a serious problem was underway. Red Alert was bent over the table as well watching the convergence of blinking lights, all of them Watchmen through their transponders toward the scene. The call had come in seconds before.
"This is Central Emergency Services. State the nature of your problem," an operator had said.
"This is Mali at The Terracotta in City 4, District 13. We have a fight going on. Its pretty heated and there could be real trouble if you don't get here fast. We need the Watch."
The operator shot the location to the techs sitting around the big data map. They found the place almost instantly, located everyone close enough to intervene, sent them there, sent police vans to back up the action and filed the incident report with the courts in the blink of an optic. They would follow the situation until the senior office on the scene gave the all clear. That, it would appear, would be Springer.
=0=At a nice apartment in Tyger Pax
They had a dinner party, then cards followed with nice desserts. The trine liked to entertain, though Sunstreaker was really only comfortable among those he knew and liked. Most of the time that was who they invited but tonight they had a number of artists that he didn't know that well from the Guild in to chat. By the time the cards were dealt things were pretty sweet as they talked about art, the old neighborhoods wherever they were and things like that.
The kids would be with Miler and Venture.
Date night.
All would be well with the trine.
=0=At a restaurant in City 4, District 13
They walked in, scanned the scene, then narrowed it down to two groups facing each other near the back of the restaurant. They were in a *HEATED* argument as the waiters and other staff moved customers out of the way. They were herding them toward the doorway as someone pulled a gun and the shooting began.
Springer and Drift, Hercy, Splice, Kup and Sandstorm ducked behind tables as the shooting continued. It was good shooting, nothing wild or 'excitable missing'. The shooters knew how to shoot. Mechs fell as others fell back. Then other side began to pull their guns as well.
"What the frag," Springer said as he glanced over a table.
Drift who was with him nodded. "We better get them."
Springer glanced at him. "This is going to hurt."
"Their aim is good," Drift said.
Springer nodded.
They stared at each other, then both rose to rush the slaggers who didn't notice them they were so engrossed in their argument. The level of chaos and carnage rose to stellar levels as the entire posse who was in the room by then but for Lon and Bezel outside joined in on the fun.
=0=Outside
Jessine who was standing next to Lon glanced at the saddlebag on her horse. "I have my medical kit, Sergeant. I can help here."
Lon glanced down at Jessine who he loved like the younger much tinier sister he never had. "Not this time, Jessine. Your genitors might pull the plug on you being here if you do."
"Someone might need me," she said, then they both looked up. Runabouts were gathering overhead to land in the street. "Oh, oh," she said. "This is a bad one."
Lon nodded as Bezel moved forward to stand in front of her. No one wanted her to see anything awful tonight.
=0=Watching silently on the side of metallic horses who weren't stampeding and wouldn't tonight
:What the hell:
:That's a lot of shooting:
:I hope our guys are okay:
Everyone nodded.
:I wish they hadn't turned off their viewpoints. I'd like to see what's going on: a soldier said as he stared at the muted images on his console that were the mech's optical points of view.
:They do that at shootouts. We've been on rounds with them. If there's going to be shooting or really bad things happening they cut the feed. They don't want us dragged into court as witnesses. They call it a courtesy: Epps explained.
:Oh. I'd still like to see it:
:Me, too: Epps said.
=0=Up there
Ratchet rose to walk to the door. The kids were playing madly and the big ones zooming with their friends. "I'm on call. I'll let you know."
"Call me if needed," Ironhide said.
"Will do," Ratchet said as he closed the door. Hitting the elevator, he stepped in to stand next to Prowl as they began to go down again. "What's the drill?"
"Its a big problem," Prowl said grimly. "We have a mass shooting in City 4, District 13. Its not sorted out yet but it appears to be caste related."
"Oh frag," Ratchet said. "I hope this isn't going to bring fisticuffs from the big guys." The door opened at the lobby so Ratchet led the way with Prowl following.
They walked outside, transformed, then blared out with sirens and lights galore. It would be a mad drive cross country to the scene of the altercation.
=0=Inside the altercation a bit earlier
Springer grabbed a mech and slammed both himself and the mech to the ground as a hail of fire filled the space where they were seconds before. He cuffed the slagger who was stunned by the fall, then peered around.
Drift had a slagger on the ground so he crawled over to help. When that mech was subdued, they took stock. They didn't dare raise their helms. It was a shooting gallery everywhere.
"What the frag," Springer said with growing anger. "They're starting to frag me off."
Drift glanced at him, then grinned. "Starting?" he asked.
=0=TBC 1-21-2023
I will answer all your awesome notes tomorrow when I start writing earlier. The sun came out today. I don't think I need say more. :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D