The Diego Diaries: Game Changer 14 (dd3-5)
=0=Later that day
They sat at the computer and watched the data. Venture had gone to the Trigger with Miler, both of them happy with the company of the other. As it milled forward to a conclusion, Miler glanced at his bond. "How do you feel, Ven?"
"Sore," Venture said with a slight grin.
"I would hope so," Miler said. He looked at his bond. "You were brave, Venture. I'm so proud of you. It could've been a terrible thing, that fight."
He agreed. "I know. But you know how it is. I'm eldest and the younglings are mine to safeguard. I can't be having Bluestreak bothered by someone like this mech."
"He has very capable bonds, Ven," Miler said as he leaned against Venture's arm.
"They're very capable. Too capable. I don't want them to kill anyone. It was terrible enough I'm told when Kudon died."
Miler vented a sigh. "That was a very sad thing, Ven. Sunstreaker is a good boy. We must make sure that the twins don't get into any trouble over this. You must take them in servo, talk to them and help them understand that acting on impulse is going to be trouble for them."
Venture grinned. "Do you think they'd listen to me?"
"Invoke," Miler said with a chuckle. "That will get their attention."
Venture chuckled himself.
-0-The Studio
They sat together waiting for Bluestreak who'd gone to the rest of his shift. They'd retrieved the infants ahead of that and they were playing on the floor in the sunlight. The little femmes were sitting on a blanket in a sunbeam with dollies in servo and smiles firmly on their faces.
Nearby holding onto the front of the couch, Kaon was smiling. He patted the couch and looked at his sisters, the two pausing from time-to-time to smile back at him.
"Bluestreak kept slag from us," Sideswipe said as he lounged on a chair. "That isn't going to happen again."
"Babe can firewall now," Sunstreaker said as he looked at a canvas. He turned it around and around trying to find the angle that would catch and spark his inspiration. He looked at his brother. "We're supposed to defend each other and this slag passed right over us."
Sideswipe reached down stroking Kaon's cheek. The infant stilled, smiling in that face splitting way all infants have in every dimension everywhere. Sideswipe grinned at his son. "I know. Venture took care of that. What do you make of that?"
"I think we need a manual about Praxus and its slagging customs," Sunstreaker said putting the canvas down. He picked up a black pencil and began to design his picture. "Praxian family customs are coming out of the woodwork. We need intel."
Sideswipe snickered. "I agree."
A sound nearby alerted them to the door opening. Bluestreak peeked in. "Are you two mad?"
"Not at you," both said together.
Bluestreak smiled in spite of himself.
-0-Elsewhere
Scar walked to the edge of the line peering into the molten hell of the smelting pit. He'd enjoyed his lunch at Club Cybertron and in particular the floor show. Venture had wiped up the floor with Stiletto, a mech he'd seen from time-to-time in service to Megatron.
A member of Turmoil's crew and a bad aft from before the war even started, Scar had found his footing here. He'd found peace in his life and a family. Before this place he'd thought about families as sentimental distractions. They were things that the weak craved. He himself was an island, solid and untouchable.
He'd been a fool.
He'd been abysmally wrong.
In this city he was a mech with a family, a beautiful apartment and he had the esteem of his fellows. He was a working mech that was consulted on the jobs that he worked. He had knowledge that was sought out. The amazing thing regarding this was that it was constructive, rather than destructive.
Here he built things, created for the public good and make a place for the love of his life, his bond, Arlot and his tiny daughter, Beju.
Arlot worked in the hospital. He was part of the systems management team who made sure that what was needed for the hospitals and aid stations was there. It was technical and exacting requiring a great deal of knowledge about medical procedures and equipment. He was a college graduate.
That part had been amazing. A college graduate took a look at the gnarled grizzled bot standing uncomfortably before him on a blind date, tongue-tied, uneasy and decided that this was his mech. The scars across his face which he once wore proudly shamed him then. Arlot had helped him get them eased.
Just eased.
"You need to keep some trace of them," Arlot had said. "They're a part of you that you need to remember. They also are a part of you and I love all of you, Scar. I would hate to have you become someone else."
He had stared at Arlot with momentary confusion, then it came to him. Arlot loved him. He loved every part of him. It wasn't a love of what Scar had done before. It was what he was now that was crystal clear. Arlot loved him without reservation. It was incredibly liberating. It began the road back to himself and his obligations to others.
The bonding had been the highlight of his existence until the separation of his daughter. That was the greatest moment of his life. Beju was named for his own ada at the insistence of Arlot. The first time he held his daughter it had finished the process for the big bot. The mechanism that had been among the last to give his oath to Prime from Turmoil's crew was bonafide in his loyalty and devotion.
When he did there was no looking back. He became a father, a bond, a working mech, a student in a construction program, a member of a union and crafts guild and a citizen of his city. From time-to-time he'd make an appointment with Prime and haltingly he would attempt to express his sorrow and regrets for the actions of his life.
Prime would listen and they would talk about redemption, about the power of love and hope. They would talk about the surprisingly emotional power of fatherhood. He would leave those meetings with a lighter spark and an even deeper sense of his own desire to work for the betterment of all of them.
He felt the roiling heat of the molten metal against his armor. It felt great. He'd been in construction before the war, spending his small earnings in the bars where he fought anyone who offended him even if they didn't. Now he expended his effort to build up wherever he could what he used to scorn. He even was an assistant line coach on a micro mini-con football team.
Life was great.
Tonight, they'd go out with Payload, Caro and Mars to celebrate some of the last orns of Bulkhead's 'freedom' in his pre-bond with Tyro. Until then he was busy smelting old ships and making steel for new ones. The afternoon would fly by.
-0-Habitat
They sat together talking at the dining table as they ate lunch. Some of them had been on the street during the fight and the soldiers had the task of explaining things.
Epps had checked in with Springer after the fight and relayed the news. "One of the ex-Cons, Stiletto who fired on a ship in the last migration has been harassing Bluestreak. He transgressed on Praxian customs so Venture, Prowl's father took care of business."
"Was it a ritual action?" Sheila asked.
"Honor fighting takes care of bullshit," Epps said.
"I have to interview Prowl," Sheila said. "Maybe he will introduce his father to me."
"Ask," Niall Graham replied.
"I will," she said as she pulled out her phone to check the number.
-0-In the Autobot City Business District
They mech in the open plaza inside the enormous building waiting for their guide to come. When he did, they showed him their data wafer. He read it and smiled. "Follow me. I'll show you your commercial space."
They followed the mech walking past businesses that were already there. The main concourse was filled with light from the transparent steel that formed the building. When they reached an empty business front it was across from the food court restaurant which had become a meeting and hang out place for younglings. It was down from a water feature that filled the space with soft sweet sounds of running water.
Their guide turned to them. "Here we are."
They looked at the space, then him. "Oh, Rali. This can't be the space is it? It's so big."
He grinned. "It's the one for you. Come inside and I'll show you around your new shop."
Tie Down and an awestruck Ravel followed him inside.
-0-In the CMO's office
Ratchet looked at the data on the screen. It showed that the protocols for infant protoform wasting was working for all but a handful of infants, elders and adults. Those who were under served had begun a different plan of treatment and that would require time and data to evaluate. Considering that, he looked at the mountain of work before him. He vented a soft sigh and set an internal timer. He would work until it was time to fetch the kids.
-0-Ironhide
He walked to the train tracks that led from the hub under Aerie Hill. Pausing for the traffic on the rails, he watched as an automated train pulled into the station.
Mechs waiting for it unhooked the heavily laden cars and shoved two empty flatbeds into line behind the engine. He stepped up on one of them and the train began the journey back to the main terminal under The Fortress.
-0-In a painter's studio
"You really slag my aft, Blue. We're a team. We work it out together. He has to know that you're with us and we're with you." Sunstreaker looked at Blue with a pissy expression. He stood at his easel drawing something only he knew as the light streaming in from the late afternoon sun illuminated the room brilliantly.
"Sorry," Blue said as he sat on the couch enveloped by Sideswipe's arms.
The little femmes were tweeting together in a language only they understood while Kaon sat with them smiling with contentment. "I just didn't want either of you getting into anzy trouble. The last trial nearly did me in."
"Don't change the subject," Sunstreaker said glancing at his bond with a slight frown.
Blue grinned. "So you like being on trial for fighting?"
Sunstreaker shrugged. "Some things are essential. Like breaking Stiletto's aft."
Blue shook his helm. "You're hopeless."
"For some things, yes," Sunstreaker said leaning into the canvas to tweak some imperceptible mark or two.
Bluestreak glanced at Sideswipe and rolled his optics.
Sideswipe chuckled. "I'm with him."
-0-In the Autobot Business Center
They entered the glass doors of the space. Inside, there was a counter with computers at one end for transactions that was part of a huge show room with places for displays of wares. The inside door led to the work spaces where they would make the tools that had make them famous on Cybertron. There were machines to bend and shape metals. There were furnaces where they could combine metals for specialty tools. All of them were in a huge warehouse with places for materials storage and a lounge for relaxing.
It had been designed to exacting standards for deeply and universally admired and nonpareil masters of their craft.
Their guide explained how they could order the metals that they needed from the Foundry Exchange, a depot set up to supply retailers and crafts businesses with the things that they needed. There was everything they needed to do their job at a level they couldn't have imagined on Cybertron. The space was immaculate and would stay so because they were wired that way.
It was also enormous. They could have put their shop and apartment on Cybertron into this space three times and still not dent the area it encompassed.
Rali looked at them enjoying the awe on their faces as they struggled to understand their good fortune. He was the guide from the City Hall Office of Economic Development and part of his job was to show new business entrepreneurs where and how they would work. He gave them all the good news. He loved it.
Tie Down looked at Ravel. "Ravie, this is wonderful. We need to tell Ratchet."
Ravel looked at Rali. "We must. But I don't know, Tie. How can we have this space? It must be incredibly expensive."
Both mechs looked at Ravel and smiled.
-0-CMO's office
A rap on the door caught Ratchet's attention. He looked up and smiled. "Hi. What have you two been doing?"
Tie Down and Ravel stepped inside and smiled. "You should see what your atar did, Ratchet," Ravel said with a smile.
Ratchet looked at Tie Down.
Tie smiled. "Come. See."
Several minutes later...
Ratchet stood in the middle of the commercial space and turned slowly to take it all in, the shining beautifully designed space for their family's business. "Oh my. This is great. You got approved."
"You know about that?" Ravel asked with surprise.
"Ultra Magnus told me," Ratchet said with a grin.
Ravel smiled. "Do you know the City Manager, Ratchet?" he asked.
"You could say that, Ada," Ratchet said as he enveloped his sweet little ada in his arms.
-0-Later that night
Sheila's-Blog/The-Martian-Chronicles
Today was fabulous. I got to spend time observing the Autobot Guardians. I can't find adequate words to describe what it feels like to be in the company of sentient beings that are as tall as 600-800 feet. They have internal proximity sensors that tell them where we are. There isn't much chance of being stepped on by one of them.
Silverbolt is just about the nicest individual I know. He was a low altitude shuttle on Cybertron and has a height phobia. That may be hard to imagine given that he's an Aerialbot but its true. He's the bond of Omega Supreme. They're a larger variety of flying mechanism. Omega is 680 feet tall, three times taller than Silverbolt.
There was an altercation this morning outside Club Cybertron. I asked about it and was told that some of the city-states and castes had their own cultural expectations and rituals. The city-state of Praxus has several, some we're already familiar with such as naming ceremonies for babies.
They also have honor fights. When someone harms another in a family, their patriarch steps up to restore honor in what's almost always a ritual fight. It's usually a patriarch, too. The femme population is so tiny as to be a negligible figure in the total group population. They consider themselves a mech species but claim no gender. They say they acknowledge male and female as a courtesy to those species like us who do have them. Otherwise, no.
I'm going to be posting more observations and findings as I learn more. There's so much to learn that I could live here forever and not even scratch the surface. Tomorrow, I'm going to be going to the asteroid Ceres in the rubble belt between Jupiter and Mars. It divides the inner and outer planets and is the largest asteroid inside the solar system.
They have a number of installations there that enhance communications both inside and outside the solar system. Its also a ship depot. Then we'll go to each of the forward bases on the moons of Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter.
I CAN'T WAIT!
I'll let you go. I wish you could be here. I'm in awe of this experience. Tomorrow can't come soon enough. I'll try and blog in real time. Goodnight, Earth.
Sheila Conroy
Astrobiologist
Sciences Habitat, Autobot City, Mars
=0=TBC 2012 (9) edited 4-23-2022
ESL:
nonpareil: without equal