The Diego Diaries: Here we go. 8 (297) (edited)
=0=Aerie Hill Medical Clinic
Cardinal walked into the facility to meet with Jarro and his team who were helping the group of seven younglings he had come in with. He was a very handsome mech, red and black like the human bird. He had bright yellow optics and a sweet manner. Even though he had fought like an adult, he had a sunny personality and a kind manner. He sat and looked at Jarro. "Hi."
"Hi, Cardinal," Jarro said kindly. "You look better today. Last time we talked you were tired and worried."
"I know. We've met some of the Autobots and they don't seem like bad bots. We were worried about that," he said nodding.
"I'm glad. You're safe here, all of you," Jarro said.
"I think so," he said with a grin.
"We want to talk to you about your trine, Cardinal," Jarro said sitting back. "We want to know how you came to be in a trine and what that means to you."
Cardinal nodded and glanced at his guardian in all the proceedings that they had to go through to sort out their situation, Thundercracker. He nodded and Cardinal began. "We were friends. We hatched in the same place, all of us. We stayed together because we felt safer."
Jarro nodded. "I see."
"I love my trine. We love each other," Cardinal said nodding. "We take care of each other. When one of us got hurt, the others helped. All seven of us have been together from the time we were hatched. I don't remember when they weren't with me and I was with them. We decided to be a trine because we love each other." He sat and looked at Jarro, then Thundercracker who was struggling with his emotions.
Jarro nodded. "I am aware of that. You are very close. Tell me about how you managed to keep off the radar with Megatron. He forbade trines and bonds."
Cardinal nodded. "I know. We didn't tell anyone."
Jarro sat and waited but it was clear the little Seeker had told him how they had done it. They just didn't tell anyone. He glanced at Thundercracker who was leaned back in his chair, his face reflecting the anger and upset he felt. He cleared that away and leaned forward slipping his arm around Cardinal. "Tell me, sparkling. How did you manage not to get sparked?"
He looked at Thundercracker, then Jarro. He thought a moment, then looked at Thundercracker again. "I don't know what you mean."
Jarro leaned forward and looked at him. "Sparkling, do you understand that there is an intimate side to being bonded?"
He stared at Jarro, then Thundercracker. "You mean holding servos? We do that. We sleep together because it makes us feel better like when we were really small. My bonds hug me. Like that?" he asked.
Thundercracker looked at Jarro. "I think Ratchet needs to come and talk to these babies. Maybe he can figure this out."
Jarro nodded. :Ratchet:
:Ratchet here:
:Can you come to Aerie Hill? I think we have a problem with the sparklings. We're trying to discuss intimacy and they don't appear to have a clue. Or at least Cardinal doesn't:
:On my way:
-0-Opts Center
"I have to go to Aerie Hill and help them with the sparkling Seekers."
"Is there something wrong?" Prowl asked with a slight frown.
"They are discussing intimacy and I don't think the babies know what that means," Ratchet said turning to go. He cleared the room and headed out, his rage building inside as he hurried. While he was gone, they would continue to watch the news of the bombings from Earth.
-0-Aerie Hill Medical Clinic
Ratchet walked in and paused as he noticed three youngling Seekers sitting together with Thundercracker and Jarro. His assistants were sitting along the wall listening as he entered. He nodded and looked at Jarro. "I'm here."
"Good," Jarro said. "We have been talking to Cardinal and during the conversation about their trine, he mentioned a number of things that constituted their relationship."
The three Seekers listened to Jarro, glancing at Thundercracker as they watched the adults in the room discuss them. "What does this mean?" Raptor asked as the other two nodded.
"What we want to know, sparklings, is how your family life is," Ratchet said sitting across from them. "I'm a doctor. Since you are so young and we are so careful about caring for our younglings, we need to ask you some questions that might seem embarrassing but are important. Don't worry that anyone will tell. I'm a doctor and so is Jarro. Thundercracker just loves you all to pieces."
They looked at him and he grinned nodding. "I do."
They smiled at him, then looked back at Ratchet. These younglings had done some hard things, were tougher than younglings their age should ever be but they were also infants who were trying to make sense of things. "Alright," Cardinal said glancing at the others. They looked at him, then nodded. Cardinal looked back at Ratchet. "What do you want to know, Doctor Ratchet?" he asked.
"You have a trine and that means that a certain kind of behavior can be assumed. What we need to know, sparklings, is if you have merged your sparks yet."
They looked at him, then each other. It was silent a moment, then Cardinal leaned forward hesitantly. "What is that?" he asked uncertainly. The others just looked at Ratchet with confusion.
:Slag: Ratchet said to the gathering. No one contradicted him.
-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars
They sat watching the news feed from Earth as the media began to piece the magnitude of the bombing spree together. Five different news programs ran on one big monitor at the same time as the different countries involved began to work through the debris and dead bodies for answers.
Prowl glanced at Prime who looked sick at spark. "There's a call from Glenn Morshower. Do I put it up or do you want to take it privately?"
"Put it up, Prowl," Prime said venting a soft sigh as he sat straighter.
Prowl turned and nodded to Red Alert who put the image of Glenn Morshower on another big screen and cut the sound on the other. "Optimus."
"Glenn," Optimus said. "We just received the news from our Embassy at Diego. I cannot find the words to express the grief I feel for the countries and people involved in this."
Glenn nodded. "I know. I think its important for you to touch base with the allies. If you can come to Diego tomorrow, we can have a meet up. Ministers and officials are already on route to the island and I'm calling you from a plane in flight."
"I will be there. If you can tell me when, I will be there with Prowl and Ironhide," he said nodding. "Was there any graffiti around the scenes?"
Glenn nodded. "There was. The same 'Earth first, Autobots out' crap."
Prime nodded. "It would appear that the bombers were targeting signatories of the treaties."
"They have," Glenn replied. "The goal is obvious and the effort is going to be strenuous. They are organized, well prepared and funded and have no problem killing innocent people. This is going to be a tough slog, Optimus. I am warning you now. I intend to fight for the alliance and treaties. I don't intend to allow this to become a political football. Our working arrangement keeps the 'Cons out of the system. No one knows about Paragon and his other allies. It might be time for you to come to the United Nations and speak."
"I am prepared to come to Earth and speak," Optimus said nodding. "I feel the same way about the working arrangement. I don't want to tell you what you need to do, Glenn, but the idea of you facing the Decepticons alone is terrifying to me personally. I would also say that if we are not welcome on Earth, we will do our best but we stay here on Mars. I have one and a half million civilians to take care of and protect with another half a million to a million coming. That is just the ones we are reasonably clear about. We cannot leave this planet without incredible suffering and I won't do that to my people."
"You won't have to. I will resign before it comes to that and rip the balls off the opposition if necessary," Glenn said coldly. "I am a Cybertronian citizen too now and I will help defend the colony and your right to be there. Besides, how are they going to make you leave?"
Prime nodded. "I agree. Tell me what you need and I will be there," Prime said.
Glenn nodded. "I will. I will be at Diego in eight hours. If you can arrive two hours later, ten hours from now we will be ready to go. It is going to be a conference call with a lot of individuals. Bring who you need to make your points. Ratchet may be a good call too if he can come. Maybe Blackjack for background about the situation in the galaxy and anyone else who has information to add about what's going on with Cybertron and Megatron. The fortress building of Paragon and Soundwave will be important. They have to know the danger and only you will be able to show and tell it to them."
Prime nodded. "We will be there."
"Good. I will meet you there then," Glenn Morshower said with a nod. The screen went blank.
It was silent a moment, then Prowl leaned forward. "Who do we organize to go, Optimus?" he asked softly.
Optimus thought a moment. "Blackjack, Ironhide, Ratchet, you and the Great Elder," he said.
Prowl nodded and rose walking to the comm station. He put out the requests and came back to sit. "Cosmos will be taking us."
Prime nodded. "I think we need to get the sparklings and younglings parted out," he said.
Prowl nodded. "I'll let my genitors know. Ironhide, are you going to take care of it or do I need to call Ravel for you?"
"I'll go now and get that organized. Ratchet is at Aerie Hill. I'll get him," Ironhide said rising.
Blackjack rapped the table. "Leave the sparklings," he said. "Alie can take them home and help Ratchet's genitors take care of them."
Ironhide slid the sparklings out of the hold handing them to Blackjack and Prime. Then he turned and walked to the door disappearing from sight. Prime looked at Prowler and kissed him on the helm. The infant was sleeping in his little sack and yawned before relaxing again in recharge. He glanced at the others at the table. "No matter what happens, we stay here. We have to protect the Earth no matter what. They have no idea what they're facing and we're going to help them long distance if nothing else."
"Our Embassy should stay too," Prowl said. "We are sovereign territory and we have paid a lease for 100 years."
Optimus nodded. "I know. The public will decide to a great extent how this unfolds. Right now, they're in shock and outrage will follow. We have to be ready to hear condemnation of us from the segment of Earth's population that operates from a fear level."
Blackjack nodded. "Then we better do a good job of explaining who and what we are and why our continuing presence is important."
No one argued the point.
-0-Aerie Hill Medical Center
"That's what happens when you do that, sparklings," Ratchet said as he pointed to different images on a datapad.
The younglings looked at it, then each other. Raptor, a much more assertive youngling looked at Ratchet aghast. "We've never done that."
Ratchet nodded. "Good. Your trine is a good arrangement for you. Its comfort and family but the idea of you being sparked isn't. You three are just too young to raise a family."
Farrell who hadn't said a word the entire time looked at Ratchet gravely. "We would want to some orn. We talked about having hatchlings and giving them a home like we never had. I know our genitors are somewhere and they will come. I know it. They would love to see us happy and raising a family."
The other two nodded.
"Miracles happen every orn here, sparkling," Ratchet said gently. "I see families find each other every time a group comes in. Right now, I want you to go with Gold Wing who is that mech over there," he said pointing to a solemn-faced Seeker standing by the door. "He will help you get what you need to prevent sparking. Someday when you want to, we can remove it but for now, we can't allow you to do it. You have too much to do here just catching up on what you missed."
They looked at him, then Cardinal hesitantly arose, then sat again. "Farrell? What do you want to do?" he asked.
Raptor and Cardinal looked at him, then he looked at Ratchet. "We aren't going to be separated are we? This is my trine and I won't allow it." He looked stubborn and resolved.
Ratchet shook his helm. "No. We just don't want you to complicate your lives right now until you get old enough to choose something as serious as being a genitor."
He considered that, then looked relieved. "All right." He paused. "Will it hurt? I hope it doesn't hurt." The other two nodded looking at Ratchet with worry.
"No, sparkling. It won't hurt," Ratchet said nodding to the worried youngster.
With that, they rose and stood, Raptor taking hold of Cardinal's servo. They turned and walked out with Thundercracker and Gold Wing, then the door closed. Ratchet who watched them felt a volcanic rage informing him and he glanced at the others who felt it too. Then the comm tweeted. "Ratchet, report to the air field immediately."
He rose and looked at the group watching him, then turned and walked out. The others waited for the younglings to be finished with Gold Wing, then sat down again to talk about things they needed to finish their report.
-0-At the airfield
Ratchet hurried across the tarmac entering Cosmos after the last mech. He walked to the seating area and sat next to Ironhide. Prime, Prowl, Blackjack and the Great Elder were already there. He sat silently a moment, then slammed his helm backward against the hull. Everyone paused a moment, then looked at him as he sat raging.
"What the frag did you do that for, old mech?" Ironhide asked with a puzzled expression.
"Yeah, Ratchet," a nerdy voice asked from out of nowhere. "That hurt."
Ratchet deflated, then looked at the ceiling. "Sorry, Cosmos. I had a rough moment. You remember those little Seekers that came in the other orn? Seven of them from Paragon?"
"I remember. Everyone knows about those little ones," Cosmos said.
"They're on the cusp of younglinghood. They're in the ball park age of Sunspot," Ratchet replied. "They're infants. Warrior infants."
It was silent, then the Great Elder leaned back and shook his helm slowly. "I will send urgent messages out into the universe when we get back on all the channels available. Everyone is to come here. They must find all of these infants and bring them. No one is to be left behind."
Prime nodded. "That would be a spectacular idea," he said with conviction.
-0-TBC
05-06-13