The Diego Diaries: Regroup (dd8 657)
=0=IntraCom
"Good evening. I am Optimus Prime," he said as he sat before the emblems that he represented. "I am going to update on the situation before us regarding the arsons tonight. Again, the pain and anger of the past has reached out to us in the present. Five fires appear to be deliberately started and their targets are difficult to contemplate. Two of them were energy way stations that have temporarily disrupted the ease of life in Districts 13-19 that our people deservedly have come to expect. They are nearly completely contained and will be repaired swiftly. Our emergency backup system is restoring power to our people affected.
"The other three sites are more difficult and have taken a lot of time and effort to get under control. It is my sad duty to report that the Polyhex Business Plaza is a total loss. The Circle of Light Preparatory Academy, numerous businesses including The Food Hall and RTR Tools were destroyed. We will be sifting the rubble for what can be collected but the outlook is not confident.
"Youngling Day School #1 in Centurion suffered extensive damage when an energon transfer switching station was struck and exploded. Flames burned the building nearly to 23 stories before being put out. There are still fires inside but its contained and shortly will be investigated for structural safety and other testing to ensure that this school will be safe to reoccupy after rehabilitation.
"The last major target was a munitions warehouse in the high security sector of Industrial Park City #17. It is fully resolved. Three security guards were injured in the blast but are expected to recover fully. That there were more sites there that could have been affected by the blast but were not is testimony to the skill and genius of our people to build what we need the way we need it.
"It is impossible to express the depth of my sympathies to those affected by this. My own children attended Circle of Light Preparatory Academy at the Polyhex Center and some attend Youngling Day School. RTR Tools was destroyed, a landmark business of artisans who are among the most celebrated in our culture. Others whose dreams were to be owners of their own businesses are impacted once again by this and there are no words of consolation or comfort that I can find to give to you.
"I will, however, give you my resolve to end this and to do so without a return to oppressive features of the past. I am leaving in place starting at 0900 joors tomorrow in place, unless otherwise dictated, modified martial law, the system that we have lived with since the beginning. I will, however, be increasing the security of our colony at all levels. You will be seeing increased low level flyovers by Seekers with specialized sensor equipment that can detect explosive devices and substances to a vast degree. There will be patrols of the cities and countryside by armed guards, all of them drawn from our vast military, Home Guard and Watch.
"It is not the life I envisioned for all of us when we stood on a dusty plain and tried to see what we have now. What is here now, built by all hands, serving all souls is something that even in my most hope-filled moments I never expected to see. By our unity we have created a miracle and bring to our shores all the lost and injured that we can find. We have staved off invasions and all manner of trouble. We did it together, all hands working toward the common goal of peace, prosperity and liberty for all of us regardless of past associations and ideas.
"Now that is being challenged. Someone or someones are trying to provoke our ruin. What we have to do is decide who we are. Are we this people, the ones who built this paradise and allowed it to be the haven of everyone to all degrees no matter what their former status granted? Or are we a people still capable of vengeance, violence and blaming? I refuse to accept the latter. I refuse to accept that it will be an acceptable in the face of this unacceptable thing to blame others and create violence in return. To meet violence with more is to invite ruin. We saw it on Cybertron and we know how that ended. I refuse to countenance it here.
"What we have before us is a trust exercise. Do you believe in our ideals, do you have faith in your colonial defenses, do you have faith in me? That is the big question before us. We are one. It is our creed. We have overcome all obstacles to create this miracle with all hands. All of them. We can either destroy this place by returning to the vengeful past, the one that is driving this campaign of terror, or we can defeat them with our unity, faith and trust.
"Your Watch, military and civilian security are working tirelessly for you and have your safety foremost on their processors constantly. From Sciences to the Watch and Military, everyone is working hard to end this permanently through lawful means as per the Charters, our legal code and the Creed. What we cannot have and I cannot stress this enough is vengeance, finger pointing, divisions and anger. Everyone is upset but it is not a license for anyone anywhere to make trouble. We have enough of that now.
"Understand that your leadership, the senior Autobots, all of the Watch, Home Guard, Marines, Army, Air Forces and their commanders, the civilians who work in the security of this colony and everyone allied in their effort is working fully to bring this to an end.
"Understand that I, Optimus Prime as the First Disciple of Primus, as the bearer of the Matrix of Leadership, the Autobot Creation Matrix chosen in the Matrix Ceremony will lead this to a good conclusion. I give you my word as a Prime and as a warrior. Your well being and that of this colony, Cybertron and the Empire is the greatest and most important duty that I have. I have dedicated my life to fulfilling that calling through great odds and daunting events. I would feel dishonored personally if someone decided to strike back at someone they felt bore the blame.
"I am sure we all have ideas of who is responsible for this. Until evidence supports that everyone is considered blameless. I would appreciate it if you have ideas, clues or evidence to call the tip lines. They are completely anonymous with all calls being run through the military grade anonymizers. There are laws that protect your identities and they will be honored here in this place and time.
"We are NOT Cybertron back in the orn. We are Cybertron NOW. We are changed. We changed in the fire. All of your lives matter equally to me, all of them no matter your former caste, clan or regional identification. To enact vengeance is to allow them to win. They want it. They seek and need it. Do not fall for this. Be one. Live the Creed. Until all are one came from the Pantheon who gave up everything so that you might live and live well. Let us be one together.
"You will be given all the information possible as we discover it. Until now, you will remain in your homes until tomorrow at 0900 unless further events warrant a change of plans. If the circumstances warrant it and the new security overlay is in place, you will be freed to leave your homes. If not, then we beg your patience. Youngling Day #1 is closed while its being overseen. We will inform all of you what will be your alternative until repairs are affected. Day cares have been notified. All of them have indicated that they can take in your children until a teaching alternative is created.
"I am proud of you, my people. I am dedicated to protect and serve you. But I cannot do it alone. Be brave and have forbearance. We will defeat the enemies of peace and unity together. It is the only way. Until all are one," he said, then the screen went back to the Seal of the Primes.
=0=In a children's lounge at E2
"Damn," Rain said. "Maybe we can zoom again."
"I hope so. Something tells me that we're going to be stuffed somewhere until our school is fixed," Lilly said with a frown.
"Our first day, then this," Tyn said as Gina nodded.
The door opened as the rest of the kids from Youngling Day came in including Barrett. They stared at the screen, then each other.
"I hate this," Eliot May said.
Everyone nodded. Even the 'new kids'.
=0=Early morning
The light of day broke weakly over the mound of Olympus Mons. Smearing the sky in its stillness, smoke drifted. The wind that had fanned the flames the night before had disappeared so the smoke that drifted upward in the still air hit the thermal inversion and began to spread out in a sort of demarcation line between colder and warmer air levels. It was odd to see smoke go straight up, then sideways.
The streets were silent but for the passing of emergency vehicles. In about a joor they'd be flooded by security getting their orders and beats together. At every habitat anti-missile launchers would be placed to shoot down anything that might fly over. Nothing was spared to protect them. If anything fell out of the sky toward them they would be destroyed in the air before they landed.
It was a defense.
=0=E2
They sat in the administration lounge near the Administration Center chatting over coffee and rolls. Most of the usual faces were there, those who had lived here from the start.
"Were you able to get the requisitions out? Is there a blockade on information?" Andre Boudin asked. He had an upgraded computer coming, one that could better help him create his designs.
"There's no hold on business traffic. I'm getting emails asking about what's going on. There's a growing concern that doing business here is dangerous," Cam Frazer replied.
"Doing business 194,000,000 miles from your home base always carries risks," Andre replied. "I, for one find the risks minimal and exhilarating."
"I don't," Louis Richardson said. "I find it irritating. I wonder when Prime will get his act together."
"You'd be a food to underestimate him," Andre said as Pierre nodded.
"Everyone who has lived to regret it," Pierre said.
"Well, there's always a first time," Cam said with satisfaction as he watched the muted monitor showing the arson's destruction.
=0=Elsewhere in E2
They gathered together, the first string of kids that went to Youngling Day joined by the new ones. Barrett had been on the horn with Rambler who told them that they'd be off line at their school until it was found to be structurally sound. He told Barrett that once they figured out if that was so, then the damage repair would happen very quickly because everyone loved the schools, had kids or knew kids in them and didn't want their education disturbed for too long. Too many kids in the school already knew about violence so this would end as fast as the big mechs could make it happen.
"I'm glad. I like it here," Terri said. "It might have been the first day in this school but I liked it at the Transitional, too. The teachers there explain it until you get it. Its hard but its good."
Rain stared at Terri considering how odd that sentiment was coming from her. "This is the best place I've ever been. All of us have to do well or we're going to make all of us look bad. That's rule number one. No one makes anyone look bad."
The long timers nodded including Barrett. The five newbies stared at them. No one disagreed.
=0=On the scene
Roto and Terradive stood together with Lyrica and several other teachers. The school was still smoking as the scorched marks of plasma burning through the hardest steel in the known universe could be seen clearly. The fire had burned into the building, how far it went they couldn't see from where they were. It was evident that this wasn't their side of the building and it hadn't in all likelihood made it to their side of the tower. That was the only consolation because several of the teachers with them were looking at the charred remains of their own classrooms.
Firefighters gathered up gear as the investigators began to arrive to figure this out. The smell was terrible, a wet sour tone in the air a dead giveaway to a plasma fire put out by suppressants. It wasn't unknown to most there. Many were the worker who had this happen to them in the mills and processing plants on Cybertron with their slipshod safety measures and inadequate suppressant equipment. It was just that so much care happened here that it surprised them that this could be possible.
Sky landed with his team, then walked to Red Alert, Colonial Senior Fire Marshal. They would go inside together to try to piece together what happened and find the signature of the device. If they could do that they would be able at some point to pinpoint and capture whoever made this bomb.
It was a dismal orn for everyone gathered at the Level 3 playground area of Youngling Day School in Centurion.
=0=TBC 3-7-2023