The Diego Diaries: Chaos (dd3 42)
=0=In the bosom of love
They stood over his little berth and smiled. "You snuggly enough, infant?" Ironhide asked handing a Starscream dollie to his son.
"I am, atar," Sunspot said from the middle of quilts, soft pillows and dollies.
"You ready for tomorrow, baby?" Ratchet asked as he swayed gently, the femme laying in his arms in a nest of blankets as her little blue optics watched them.
"I am. I will read this in front of a big crowd, right?" Sunspot asked.
"You will. You aren't going to be afraid to do that are you, baby?" Ratchet asked.
"No. I want to do this for my sister. I have to help her don't I," he said.
"You do," Ironhide said with a grin. "You'll be slagging awesome."
He grinned. "I will try, atar."
Ironhide nodded. "You will. Good night, sparkling."
"Good night, atar, ada. Good night ... sister," he said catching himself before saying her name accidentally. They grinned and kissed him, shutting off the light as they left. His night light on, his windows dialed down, they left him to recharge. Stopping in one berth room after another, they settled the little mechs before heading for the femme's pretty room.
Ironhide walked to the crib and arranged her little nest. When it was perfect, when her brand new Ironhide dollie was by her little Ratchet dollie, he put her down on her little belly. Folding her blankets, they looked at her with grins.
"There isn't a cuter femme in existence, Ironhide. Look at that little nose structure. Genius," Ratchet said with a smile.
Ironhide snorted. "It is a pretty nose. On her."
Ratchet nodded and turned the light off as the window tint dialed down. They ambled into the living room and sat, the monitor playing overhead on mute. "What do you think of Prime's decision and his announcement?"
"It's pure Prime. Mech thinks everyone can be saved," Ironhide said sitting to put his peds up on the coffee table.
"He's a bit of an optimist. Optimus. Optimist. I guess it was ordained," Ratchet said.
Ironhide snorted. "You just noted that?"
Ratchet thought a moment, then grinned. "Yeah, Ironhide. Actually, I think I just did."
"You worry me, you red aft slagger."
"That never sounds as musical as 'yellow aft slagger'," Ratchet said.
"I like red," Ironhide said shooting a possessive optic at his slightly mad Only One.
"Okay," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "I wonder what Sunbeam will name the femme?"
"I don't know. I just hope it isn't Ivanhoe."
"You and me both," Ratchet said as Ironhide turned on the sound for The Hourly News.
-0-In Polyhex Tower
Kaon ran around the room laughing loudly. The twins were sitting on the coffee table on a blanket. They watched him with face splitting smiles. One of them looked at Bluestreak who was sitting on the couch within grabbing reach of them should they decide to fall off. They pointed at Kaon and tweeted softly.
Bluestreak smiled and reached out stroking her tiny cheek. "He's having a happy moment. Your big brother is a happy little bot."
They watched him with delight. He saw them and paused, staring at them with a face splitting smile of his own. Walking to them, he looked at them as they looked back nearly falling over as he turned his face to see theirs. "Pax?"
"Kaon," Bluestreak said getting his attention. "Kaon."
"Pax."
"Kaon," Bluestreak repeated.
He stared at Bluestreak for a moment, listening hard. "KA-OH!" He looked at his atar and smiled expectantly waiting for praise. He got it in droves. He was passed around among his three genitors who kissed and hugged him so much that when he was set back on the ground he fell over. The laughter of the twins who watched him was hilarious.
-0-Tower Habitation
They sat reviewing film and discussing the possible plot lines that could develop out of the footage. Reality shows were often scripted, some highly so and even though they were going with the flow they were picking out trails to follow for the dramatic and comedic potential the group posed. Kup was the hub of the 'Platoon's' wheel, the mechs who were chosen the spokes. His hilarious awesomeness couldn't be denied.
Lenora walked in from spending the day at the school checking with Herling and Nova what would be allowed and what was off limits. Some of the group were genitors and it was obvious that Transformers valued their progeny to an enormous degree. She walked to the table and sat. "Got some news for you."
They looked at her expectantly. "Ratchet has a new sparkling. They're Praxian or at least Ironhide is. So is Prowl and his parents who are here. Its a city-state on Cybertron that was awesomely cool and had a lot of ceremonies and rules for the clans and tribes that lived there. They have a naming ceremony for new sparklings three days after they're born and their family is traditional.
"They didn't tell me anything about how they are born but they said a naming ceremony for this little baby will be held tomorrow. They were going to have it on the steps of the Fortress but because of who it is they're moving to the airfield. After the ceremony the parties are epic and will be held everywhere."
"Awesome," Melcher said and then he began to plan the coverage of this epic day soon to start in a few hours.
-0-Elsewhere
They sat together holding servos by the window as they stared into the darkness and the forest of glittering towers beyond. It was quiet in their home and they were exhausted in every possible way. Their son was serving the first orn of the sentence that had been imposed upon him by a benevolent Prime.
Copperton had worked a shift in the quarry before being gently steered into a job that would require technical skills and less physicality. He had protested vehemently but Copper had been persistent. They had walked to a 'shack' where diagrams and other technical stuff were laying in disarray. He explained that they needed a boss in the shack to keep it straight and help them that way.
He was reassured that it was significant and mattered. Copper discerning great turmoil and sadness in the mech asked him to handle the mess and be a big help here where it was sorely needed rather than outside where things were more covered.
Copperton clutching at the message and kindness of the big mech directing him applied himself. Everything was put to order, all the relevant details were being downloaded and sorted as orders were processed in a timely manner. Copperton would never be at a loss for work. His spark would be the main recipient of the effort. He would feel lighter in spirit at the end of the day than when it started. He was doing someone good for the betterment of all. It was tremendously therapeutic.
When he came home Turquoise was busy mapping the error. He had found a fragment of it and was designing a search mechanism to hunt for more as he worked further along the endless road of numbers on his way to a cure. He didn't notice Copperton a moment and then he did.
Dust was layered over the spectacular paint scheme of his armor while scratches on his servos showed his determination when he labored out in the quarry. He was tired and it showed. Rising, Turquoise flung himself into Copperton's arms. They held each other, then stepped back. "Copper, are you alright?"
"I am," Copperton said quietly. "I'm doing something good. I tried to be a laborer. I dug in the dirt with my servos, Turquoise. I was so desperate to help," he said as tears came to his optics. "I felt so clean today, so cleansed even for a moment. I want to serve."
"You always did, Copperton," Turquoise said as tears came to his optics. "We didn't know better. That's not much of a defense but its all I have. You are my hero."
Copperton grabbed Turquoise and held him. "You are mine."
They ate in as they discussed the orn. Speculation on their son was unspoken. In nine orns they would see how he was. They had met with his parole officer and things had been outlined. A processor health worker would meet with him once every two orns for now to see how he was settling in. His parole officer would come once a decaorn to see him.
He would be allowed to access entertainment channels for eight joors a day, his choice. He would be taking aptitude tests from his processor health doctor to see what sort of educational opportunities could be applied to his situation. It was possible he could learn a career or two in the time he had. It wouldn't hurt a bit to try.
When they were finished they pushed chairs to the windows and sat holding servos, talking when they felt like it. The mere company of the other was enough for now. Later when the shock was gone and they were firmly in their new reality then more would come.
Like going outside without feeling shame for instance.
-0-On the airfield
They came back after bumping up the feed of the deep space arrays. They could now reach 225 light years with clarity of a type reaching 75%, an improvement of more than 200 light years and several diameters of clarity unknown until now. The installation that Soundwave was most likely constructing was 255 light years away. They knew from tests sent through the space bridge captured from the Decepticons.
They were testing a new theory that scans could be made swiftly and without detection by micro singularities. Open a tiny timed singularity for a nanosecond and do a burst scan. It would enter in a restricted form and once reaching the other end burst forth spreading out 180 degrees to take a snap shot of the area before folding back and racing the aperture collapse back to base.
They had done this 5 light years from the location they had preliminarily detected as the end zone for the Decepticon base as already known. The burst had shot past the predicted sight more than 3 light years before collapsing just as fast. If anyone on the Decepticon end of things detected it they would not be able to distinguish it from a random gamma ray burst or a hail of ionized particles from a passing comet. It would be considered and dismissed due to its brevity. Any longer and they could detect a sensor scan.
The static deep space sensor arrays had been beefed up to allow detection in the local area. It would also allow transmission and reception of messages from their side as well as any incoming migrations. It was in the first test of these new enhancements that they had detected the size of the Decepticon contingent in the new migration.
It was big.
-0-Next morning
Prowl had scanned the overnight file from the Residence. Finding a number of seriously important issues, he turned to Optimus. "Only One," he said peering into the wash racks that belonged to the younglings located off their bedrooms. "I have to check the overnight. New stuff."
Optimus who was soaping up a giggling Miracle as Spirit held the wash nozzle, T-Bar a soapy brush and Rambler a towel grinned. "You would leave me in my hour of need?"
"Yes," Prowl said with a grin as he snapped a few 'Polaroids' with his camera. Subspacing that ever present device, he grinned. He would grab a cube on his way to Ops Center. They would all gather there for the ceremony which would be at the airfield nearby. As he left, the monitor over the enormous fireplace played 'Good Morning, Autobot City!'.
"And in other city news of interest … today is the naming ceremony of the newly separated sparkling of Ironhide of Praxus and Ratchet of Iacon, two of the five original soldiers who discovered this solar system some years ago. The ceremony which is an ancient Praxian custom that introduces a new baby to the community which pledges to support it in its life will be held at the airfield to accommodate well wishers. Everyone is invited. Apparently, this little baby will be introduced by her older brother, Sunspot and named by him. How brave of the genitors," the host said with a laugh.
"How brave indeed," Optimus said hosing off his baby. Taking the towel from his oldest son, he wrapped Miracle.
"Atar?"
"What, T-Bar?"
"Do you know what that little femme's name is?"
"No, son. That's Sunspot's story to tell."
They then walked into the kitchen for breakfast.
-0-In the bosom of love
Ratchet tossed the sippy cups and cubes into the sink for later. Blackjack and Alor were there along with Tie Down, Ravel, the trine and their sparklings. It was lively and happy. Ratchet thanked Prowl mentally once more for granting them bigger quarters. Ironhide wasn't in view so Ratchet walked to the berth rooms looking for him. He paused at the femme's door and watched with a grin.
Ironhide was standing before her dresser looking at little blankets, booties and other feminine things given to them by soldiers and mechs around the city.
"Ironhide," Ratchet said.
He startled and looked at Ratchet. "Come here, mech. Help me figure out what she needs."
Ratchet walked over and looked at the dainties that were their daughter's trousseau. "How about this and this?" Ratchet said choosing little blue booties and a blue blanket.
Ironhide nodded. "I didn't want to be too sexist. Pink is supposed to be sexist, right?"
Ratchet thought a moment then exchanged the items for pink. "We don't do gender stuff, remember? Pink suits her little paint scheme. You like her in pink. Problem solved."
Ironhide grinned as he looked at Ratchet. "Okay," he said. He walked the crib and gently dressed her, wrapping her up in the pink blanket then placing her in a quilt. He tucked her into the crook of his elbow and looked at Ratchet. "We're ready to go."
Ratchet nodded and with a smile headed for the living room. Whistling sharply, he got everyone's attention. "Sunspot, you ready to be a star?"
Sunspot looked at him then grinned. "Yes," he said clutching his datapad to his chassis.
"Then the world beckons," Ratchet said as everyone got up, grins firmly in place as sparklings including Sunspot were scooped up. "Follow me," Ratchet said as he walked to the door.
Everyone did.
=0=TBC 2012 (10) edited 12-21-18