NOTE: I have seen the images of Hurricane Sandy and I wish to tell everyone affected how terribly sorry I am for your loss and suffering. I wish you to know that you are in my thoughts as all my readers everywhere are. When you have calamity I feel it, too. I wish a straight path to recovery and all the very best to all who are in trouble today wherever you are in this big old world. You are all in my thoughts. Take care out there, my darlings.
-0-Back to the story, my sweet readers
The Diego Diaries: Chaos 60
-0-The next morning about dawn, Autobot City, Mars
The shift changed with mechs leaving their jobs all over the city while other mechs and some femmes took them over for the next shift. Laughter and conversation, friendly calls out to some, joking catcalls for others, the graveyard shift made way for the day crowd. They walked out of their work sites, some of them gathering at the pedestrian platforms underground for a train while others walked to staircases that led upward to roads. Many followed the underground corridors and roadways to the surface or to cafes and rec rooms underground.
Above ground at the airfield the shifts were changing, too. Masses of Seekers were gathering to await the Tower Flight Controllers at Fort Max to give the all clear to go. As they sat in the great Guardian's tower tracking incoming, the flight controllers sipped their hot energon, some gathering the orn's special transfers and incoming as they plotted the flights that were already on their way.
At the Business Plaza, itself a pristine recreation of the original after the disaster, many businesses were getting ready for the orn. Rampage stood in The Energon Basket reviewing the orders on the monitor in his office. The rush was on as the city began to embrace the Earth holiday, Halloween. They were working around the clock in both his bakeries, the three cafes he owned and in the food service department he now ruled as Master Chef and Baker at the University Annex that had opened shortly ago to teach all manner of trades and tech jobs.
He was the lead instructor there, his patience almost legendary among his many students. That he was once among the most feared Decepticons, that he was once so psychotic that his own brothers feared him was forgotten in light of the patient, good humored, serious minded mech that worked with newbie cooks and bakers for as long as it took to get things right.
Who would have known?
He looked at his hard working youngling employees and felt wonderful once more. None of them would fully understand the pleasure he derived from their company. He walked out to help them create the special order confections that the public was demanding. 'Candy corn' energon-style was becoming a real amusement to make.
-0-Metroplex District
He walked with his partner along the western most side of the Metroplex District which was their 'beat' on shift. It had been a quiet night for all concerned as the city continued to absorb their latest influx of refugees. For the first three orns or so, there had been a few fights, a few drunks, a few wandering lost mechs. The cognitive dissonance of their new situation had been nearly capsizing to some. But it was improving as they patiently worked with those that were troubled or dismayed.
They would be off for a couple of orns, the 'weekend' coming up again. They had decided along with the rest of the city, minus the 12 who voted against it that 'weekends' were awesome. Having any time off to recharge, wander, get slagged and mess around with friends and family was a new concept for most Cybertronians. There were no days off in the working life of low caste mechs on Cybertron. Middle caste could have orns off because they worked at jobs that would pay enough. To most low castes, the high castes never seemed not to have a orn off. Those slaggers never seemed to work at all.
Here, everyone got three orns off every fifteen or so. The schedules overlapped so that all jobs were covered every orn by shifts rotating 'weekends' except for schools. When the weekend came, the schools closed except for the Day Care department that took care of younglings for working genitors.
It was awesome.
They walked along until they came to the big intersection down by Vos Tower. Turning up the main street, they walked to the next big intersection where the main road led to the housing districts and arenas beyond. They answered a few questions of a nice young femme, showing her the way to the Cultural Center nearby. Then they walked toward the housing district, passed The Paint Box, the Sidewalk Cafe and a few other places before turning into Day/Night Watch Substation #4 and the shift change. When that was accomplished, they would breakfast at Club Cybertron before going home to recharge.
It was all good.
-0-Emergency Room, Medical Tower
Knockout sat in the office of the Chief of Emergency Medicine on the 50th floor of the Medical Tower. He had his peds resting on the desktop as he considered the 'weekend' before him. The concept was awesome even if it came from an insect.
Humans were still on his shit list.
Breakdown on the other servo wasn't.
Today.
That mech had grown to a disturbing degree to seem not to want or need him. That mech had also become pretty proficient in medicine.
/... THAT IS MY SLAGGING SPECIALTY! …/
They had begun to frag again but it was different now. He no longer got to call the shots. Breakdown had his own thoughts about fragging and demanded equal time. /... That they out to be … intriguing … wasBESIDE THE SLAGGING POINT!.../
/ … Most of the time …/
/ … Usually afterward when he could think straight again …/
/ ...The fragger …/
/... And there was this other thing! 'RATCHET THIS' AND 'RATCHET THAT'! YOU WOULD THINK THE BIG BRUTE WAS FRAGGING RATCHET THE WAY HE CARRIED ON … No. He wouldn't. Breakdown might be a lot of things … most of them delicious … but an Autobot fragger wasn't one of them … /
He sat and tapped his ped with a stylus as he fretted about his big squeeze toy and the phantom menace of this and every other world he had ever been, Ratchet.
/... Ratchet the slagger … Ratchet the fragging slagger … the fragging slagger, Ratchet …/ He felt a minuscule sense of joy at last.
He would also never know that Ratchet's evil spawn, Orion liked to tap his ped, too.
It was probably a good thing.
-0-On the job elsewhere
The mech walked up from the Hub beneath the Aerie heading for home. He had been on duty at the depot and armory substation that was located underneath Aerie Hill. The stations were manned orn and night because one never knew what might happen and soldiers coming off shift didn't always keep normal hours.
He came to the surface and looking up at the skies. They were breaking light, the orangish-bluish blend of color pleasing to his yellow optics. Nearby, his trine was waiting for him. They ate their meals together when they could. They were a very traditional clan and kept as many of their ways as they could.
One of them was back from flying the solar system on patrol. The other was taking care of their four hatchlings. They were small and just starting to try to walk. They were the center of the family and the second most wonderful thing ever to happen to him. Coming here was the first. It allowed him to meet the members of his trine. Without this place, everything else would have been impossible.
He walked onward, content to be off.
Content to have three orns off for the weekend.
They would spend them with their babies and take in the sights of the city. Tomorrow, they would drop the babies off in the Seeker day care center and go to the football game in the new arena.
It was going to be epic.
He transformed and flew upward before arcing to fly toward a veranda on the 12th floor. He transformed in air and landed, walking forward into the bosom of his family as contentedly as he could have ever hoped to be.
-0-Ops Center
They sat in the rec room, Alpha shift and their stand-ins. Some of the A list were on their weekends necessitating stand-ins and others were still working toward their own. The buzz in the main rec room, the first and most important of the 37 that existed in the city was soft and pleasant. The walls of dispensers stood ready along with bins of supplemental additives for those so inclined. Platters of treats of all make and manner stood in rows along the wall for those who were hungry to make a meal from.
Sciences came in, twelve or thirteen mechs and femmes heading for the barn as the humans were wont to say. Some of them waved goodbye, heading for home while others walked to the food selections to get breakfast. The shift coming on had already left the rec room heading for the the labs and cubicles of the Center. There were things to do and inventions to perfect. Perceptor and Wheeljack walked in from the Ops Center and headed to the buffet and dispenser center. They would join their colleagues at the table to talk and eat together.
-0-Nearby
They stood at the window of their new apartment trying to get a handle on what they felt. They had put in two orns of work at the apprenticeships they were given. It had been fulfilling in a way that nothing they did in the Decepticons had ever been. Computers and ships. They had a say in what they wanted and now they were working at it. There was a mix of civilians, Autobots and former 'Cons where they worked and all did their jobs seamlessly. They even were friends on and off the job. It had been optic opening. It had been odd to work at what you wanted and for yourself. Odder still was the idea of 'weekend'. Three orns to do what they wanted. It was awesome.
"What do you want to do?" Hardtime asked his brother as he sipped his energon.
"I hear a football game is going to be played tomorrow at the big stadium. Maybe we can find out how you get to go," Coldspray said.
"I haven't seen a football game in person, ever," Hardtime said.
"Me neither," Coldspray said nodding. It was silent a moment. "I wonder what you have to do to go?"
"Maybe that Community Bulletin Board tells you how," Hardtime said glancing at his brother.
Coldspray walked to the monitor working his way through the pages to the appropriate place. He read it, considering what it said.
Hardtime looked at him. "What?"
Coldspray looked at his brother. "You just go."
They looked at each other silently for a moment. "Oh," Hardtime said quietly.
-0-In towers all over town
She stood in her crib gripping the railing tightly. Her dresser beckoned her. It was filled with wonders and the bottom drawer was hers to delve through. Her Nana and Naneth filled it with wonderful things and she would look at them, smiling and chatting as she examined her treasure. Her Nana and Naneth would sit on the floor nearby smiling and taking pictures, their love and pride in their daughter enormous. Right now, the two goddesses of her universe were still recharging. She however was ready to roll. With great effort, she got one tiny ped lifted and poised on the railing. With a great deal of effort, she managed to hoist herself up. Balancing a moment, she fell over and landed on the floor in a big heap. She lay a moment deciding whether to cry or not. She decided not. Smiling with a ginormous smile, she sat up and eyed her dresser.
Life was going to get good right away. She leaned forward and stood up, something neither genitor had ever seen before. Then she began to toddle in a rather wobbly and roundabout way to the dresser.
Elsewhere ...
Miracle lay staring at the ceiling. At regular intervals, someone came to peek at him. They were usually on their way to the next room down where six tiny babies slept the sleep of the pure and good. He would sometimes see them and smile brightly. This was one of those times. Someone looked down at him and patted his tummy. It wasn't his ada or atar. It was one of 'them'. Half a dozen mechs took shifts working with the babies that had come to them literally from the sky. Two a shift, they managed the babies while Prowl kept the smallest one with him during the orn.
The figure was gone and he was bereft. Sitting up, he looked around. The room was dark, the windows tinted and he was warm in his little crib. He was also lonely. Looking around, he came to his own conclusion. Atar and Ada needed him. With effort in the tangle of blankets and dollies, he stood staring outward at the ceiling. Looking down, he couldn't see the floor but he knew it was there. It was where he was walking when he could. No one knew it, of course. He fell more than he walked. But with effort, he would walk now. Putting a ped up, he fell.
Into his crib.
-0-Fifi
She tugged her drawer open and looked inside. Pulling out a fabric thing, she pulled it over her helm. It stuck on her shoulder even though she had one arm already through it. Half on, half off, her little white tutu was stuck where it was. Reaching inside, she began to haul out finger paints, dollies and toys.
It was heaven.
-0-Miracle
He managed to stand again and try a leg over.
He fell again.
-0-Diesel
He sat in his crib waiting for his genitors. His sister had her own room now and ran it like a dinobot. You couldn't do anything there that messed things up so he stayed usually in his own room playing. Books, toys, all manner of servos-on stuff were stacked on shelves and in his toy boxes. He was one tricked out little bot-let. He sat waiting for the big servos that rescued him from his desolation. They would not come too soon.
-0-Miracle
He managed to hoist himself up and plant a ped. Hanging on the edge of oblivion, he heaved ho and fell. He bounced when he landed and lay on his back staring into the darkness of the ceiling. Sitting up, he looked around, his little blue optics the only light to be seen. Rising slowly, he walked to the door and peered out. No one was around. "Atar?" he asked the darkness.
No response.
He stood in place holding his little fingers in distress. Where was Atar? Where was Ada? He considered his brothers. "Spit?" he called out.
Spirit didn't answer.
Peering out, he decided to find someone. Stepping out into the corridor, Miracle began to walk toward the room where his genitors usually were.
In the dark.
Somewhere.
He sniffled.
-0-Praxus
He lay sucking on his thumb. Soon his big old pa would come and get him. Soon his big old other pa would feed him. He would be washed, buffed and set on the floor to play before school. He didn't know it was the weekend. He didn't care. He was waiting for his pa to come. What he would get was something else.
-0-Miracle
"Atar?"
-0-Fifi
"FIFI!"
-0-Nearby
Light blue optics peered over his crib. The stealth sparkling gripped the rail and hoisted his shapely aft up. Bracing, he let go and fell off bouncing. Laying on the ground, he sat up at last and looked around. Standing with gusto, he and began to head for the door. Somewhere in the darkness beyond, all manner of mayhem awaited.
Orion the Undaunted headed out to see the world.
-0-Miracle
"Ada?"
-0-Praxus
He looked down at his brother and smiled. Orion looked up and smiled. "Pax. Come!"
Pax did.
-0-FIFI!
Laret looked at her daughter with wide optics. Neo coming at her call looked too. She was standing on the floor, a white tutu half on and half off her little body. She had taken paint and smeared it on her face having seen bright colors on the faces of others. A dollie hung over one arm and she had a handful of play doh in the other. Smiling, she held up her arms. "Nana!" she said with delight.
A bath and any number of hugs and kisses were her reward.
-0-Miracle
"Atar?"
Silence.
"Ada?"
Silence.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The sound of bodies levitating nearby could be heard.
-0-Praxus
He lay on a lumpy floor. Sitting up at last, he looked down. Orion was looking up, severe optics impaling his little brother. "PAX!"
"O?"
"Pax!"
A tiny sad began to grow on the face of the little red and white Autobot(let) as he hung his helm to whimper. Orion finally sat up and looked at his brother, hugging him tightly. "Pax."
Praxus smiled ginormously. "O!"
Orion smiled ginormously, too. "Pax. Come." Orion stood up and pulled Praxus up, the two stopping to listen intently. Then with Praxus's servo in his, they walked to the living room to stand in front of the window. Orion patted it and smiled. "Pax!"
Praxus watching him smiled, too. "O!"
They laughed madly, then Orion walked closer. He began to lick the window as he watched outside. Praxus who studied him a moment stepped forward to join in. That's when a sleepy Ironhide standing in the hallway found them.
-0-Miracle
"Miracle, what are you doing out of your crib?" Optimus said scooping the infant up. He sat on his atar's chest and tearfully babbled his morning thus far. It was adorable and tragic. Prowl enjoyed every syllable.
-0-TBC 2012 (10) edited 8-18-18