The Diego Diaries: Newbies 13 (336)
-0-Autobot City early the next morning
The wind down was coming along as the smooth transition of refugees without major injuries was beginning. They had crossed the threshold of 600,000 and had an approximate 17,994 individuals to go. The bridges operated smoothly including those on some of the ships in the mix. Those bridges were able to deposit patients and others directly on the steps of the hospitals. The technology was old and Autobot in origin. Its recovery by Sciences had been a stupendous help for use on ships designated as medical vessels.
Ratchet stood on the top of the Med Tower landing pad in Autobot City watching as two runabouts set down and four stretchers came through the ship bridge nearby. They were non-life threatening. All of them were ambulatory but elderly on the stretchers and all would be released to anxious family members who were with them. His scans were infallible as he stood directing placements, medics gamely carrying and assisting their patients. A feeling of love and appreciation suffused Ratchet as he watched everyone working so hard. His staff and team were amazing. They would hear about it too.
Turning, moving to a box nearby to sit biding time for the next group already lifting off from the field nearby, Ratchet waited quietly. He was hungry, tired and wondering where his little family was. As more runabouts touched down, he rose stiffly and walked over to assist. He would continue to do so for ten more joors before the great bridges overhead closed at last.
-0-Lying on a foam mattress
He lay flat staring at the ceiling. Light played across it from hallway night lights and machines recharging on the counter nearby. Next to him recharging like the good little bots they were, Miracle and Praxus slept on. They were spooned together, Miracle huddling with Praxus in his recharge. Other botlets their age were recharging on mats nearby as aides kept watch over them while teachers either worked getting ready for the next orn or recharged themselves. Orion sat up and looked around.
Miracle and Praxus, check.
Mimi and Olo, check.
Han ... hmmm ... okay.
He glanced around and found a lot of his peers, all of them either the infants of soldiers or medical personnel. Civilian infants were with their families at night as their genitors took their turns out of rotation assisting refugees. It thinned down the herds in the day care when sleeping time came.
"Pax." Orion looked at his brother, then frowned. Pax was asleep. Standing up, his blanket slipping off, he stepped out to find someone. Hero wasn't here. Sunspot and Spot weren't here. Ada and Atar weren't here. This place sucked. Moving forward, he 'stealth moded' himself to the doorway while the aides were comparing notes on his sister. He was gone in seconds.
-0-Nearby
She lay on her mat, her optics staring at the ceiling. Nothing was right. Nothing happening as it should. This was her second night in the company of strangers and she felt fear. What if her big old atar didn't come? What if this was her life? What, what, what? She sat up and looked around. Popi was sleeping beside her curled around her Pooh bear. Other sweeties were here and there too. Praxus, Sunspot and Orion weren't. Atar and Ada weren't. Other Ada and Other Ada, Other Atar and Other Atar ... where were they? They always came to get her and help her feel better. Even Spot was gone. It was frightening. She got up and walked to the door pausing to look out. Then she stepped outside and disappeared.
Her teachers were compiling data nearby and didn't notice.
-0-Ironhide, Blackjack and Alor in Chrystal City
They walked through the district noting that evening had brought a winnowing down of foot traffic on the road. A lot of the younger Decepticon youths had gone clubbing, seeing for themselves the greatness of their new home. Club Cybertron, Maccadam's and other social outlets, some of which were opening in the new cities were packed. The Day and Night Watch were out in force showing the flag and helping keep the order as the city grew by twenty-five percent in less than three orns. The three walked along heading for the school in Terra where Hero, Orion and Praxus were resting up. They had visited Sunspot at RTR Tools before they closed, having dinner with them from the takeout place in the mall. He and Spot went home with them and the three of them continued showing the flag themselves as they watched the city digest another load of refugees. They walked to the subway and disappeared to wait for an orange train to come by.
-0-In a hallway in a school in Terra
Orion stealthed along the wall heading for who knew where. He hugged it looking this way and that as he continued to practice with his underdeveloped sparkling sensors. They could tell him what was what three feet in all directions around him but beyond that, nothing. His optics could adjust for night vision but they were only good for ten feet. He had some growing to do yet. He heard footsteps so he snuck behind a chair, his tiny peds and legs showing in the clear space under it if you looked down but nothing else. Two teachers walked past laughing over a joke, then entered a room nearby. It was quiet a moment, then he peeked out.
Coast clear.
Stealthing along, he continued on his odyssey.
-0-Hero
She stood outside the doorway looking this way and that with her infant night vision optics. A good five feet was clear, then beyond that nothing was. Her sensors were good for about two to three feet before fuzzing up on her. She considered a few things ... a good weep ... a fast dash back to her bed ... calling for her genitors ... calling for Spot ... then she continued onward looking for someone who was hers to hug her.
Yes, she felt that badly.
-0-Ratchet
He stood listening to the doctors explain their process for removing the spark chamber from the damaged infant, placing it in a protoform that not only matched but also exceeded the specs and appearance of the old one. Terrified family listened, nodding. Then they began. Ratchet would supervise and watch. He had done a few in his orn but mostly on adults. He would assist if needed.
He wouldn't be.
-0-Orion
He lurched along ducking at the sound of anything, peeping out after it subsided. He saw a shape ahead and froze. Pressing against the wall as flat as he could, he watched as the blob began to take shape. It got closer and more defined, then he knew who it was. Roto and Terradive walked past talking quietly to themselves. If they had looked down they would have seen a tiny black sparkling, yellow banded and as flat against the wall as he could press himself, arms outspread against it as he held his position. They walked past entering a room, the light coming on as they did. Orion hugged the wall, nearly pitching forward he was so flattened, then he turned and hurried along.
In stealth mode.
For him.
-0-Ops Center
Prowl stood at the sensor station watching as the dwindling number of ships were being grouped to bring through. Optimus was in the city taking oaths, greeting refugees and watching things as they began to wind down. The ships in the new yards, the civilian yard and the plain beyond the Hu An Habitat were daunting in number and type. A plan for a ship yard fifteen miles away on a flat surface with lots of space for digging down to stockpile deconstructed ships and their parts would get his go ahead in jig time. Right now all their attention was in housing, building/remodeling/rehousing amenities and people.
Fabrication-Food Production was going to be doubled, the Guilds and stores demanding food increasing with the population. A boom in cooking at home was also on the rise and he wanted his people to have what they needed to create quality of life. Beyond in the darkness between streets in the tower complex that was Metroplex he could see the other cities, their lights twinkling in the night sky. Soon it would be day and things would become more bustling. It would take a good several orns before the newbies felt at home, decided upon work or school and settled. Until then, they would all be on their peds. He continued onward to the Triage Grounds to check in.
-0-Orion
He continued along the wall keeping as low a profile as a stealth sparkling could. His old pa would have tears in his optics watching his littlest Autobot slinking along, his optics looking this way and that, freezing and pressing against the wall at the least sign of trouble. He was a glory, his sparkling but Ironhide wasn't here to see his little mech 'on the prod' as his old cowboy stories often said. Little mech was going places. Where? He wasn't clear. But practicing his moves in a real world situation was good all the way around. Mech couldn't be a Chaos Bringer some day without practice.
A noise nearby gave him pause so he pressed against the wall, his little spark fluttering. Footfalls were coming and he was poised to fool them too. He watched as a dark shape came, then materialized before him. He looked at it, then smiled giantly. Reaching out, he grabbed an arm and pulled Hero into the darkness with him. She looked at him, then smiled throwing her arms around his neck. "Orion. You came."
"Ho-Ho, you me!" he said with excitement, then covered his mouth with his servos. They both looked around with fear and worry, then looked at each other. "Ho-Ho, where you go?"
"I want Ada and Atar," Hero said anxiously. "Do you know where they are?"
Orion considered that, then nodded. "I go them. You come me." He took her servo and turned stealthing down the hallway, his tiny peds only making a little bit of noise. Hero walked along normally with him. They disappeared into the darkness together.
-0-Prime
He stood on the airfield as a ship settled, the hatch opening slowly. A group came down, their tattoos signaling their factions and allegiances, a mixed group of old and young. Among them was the one he sought, the one called Heatout. He talked to his group a moment, then turned spotted Prime. Smiling, he walked toward Prime, his group in tow. Pausing, extending his servo, Heatout nodded in respect. "Sir, I am overwhelmed with pleasure to see you again."
"Heatout, welcome. I'm glad you came to see me before the rest of the migration passed through. I would like to know what you know about the situation out there," Prime said gripping the mech's servo. "Your group can go with this soldier," Prime said nodding to Whirlaway. "He can get them through processing and settled. They can state your needs as well and make sure they are met."
"Thank you, sir," Heatout said looking around the city spread out before him. "I had no hope of ever seeing a place like this again. Even the Temple has found you, Optimus. You are indeed Primus blessed." The others nodded too, their expressions reverent as they looked at Prime.
"Thank you, Heatout. This is a last stand and we need all our people. We are glad you were so helpful to the innocent and weary," Prime said.
"It is our pleasure. We know you were the leader of this miracle and we are here to serve the community to the best of our ability," Heatout said bowing his helm in serious appreciation. "I hear that the AllSpark is here."
Prime nodded. "The Matrix Flame, AllSpark and the Well are all here. They were restored during the Festival of Primus the past year. We are coming up on it again in three decaorns."
Heatout smiled. "Fortuitous timing, Prime. We are yours."
Optimus nodded. "I would like to talk to you if you are up to it."
"I am," he said as he turned to follow Prime. They would spend three joors in a conference room in the Fortress talking together.
-0-Sneaking down a hallway
Two tiny waifs crept down a darkened hallway heading for the big doors at the end of it. They held each others servos as they slunk along, Hero attempting to stealth like her big brother. He 'whispered' to her encouragement: "Ho-Ho, you go me. I go you. We go."
She nodded and followed him along. As they crept toward the door they didn't notice that they were on the sensors of two bots who were watching with constrained effort.
Effort not to laugh that is.
Terradive and Roto watched them stealth away for a moment, then Terradive turned to his bond. :I may have to teach sparklings one of these orns:
Roto grinning from audial to audial nodded. :You won't regret it: he said before they both pounced.
-0-TBC June 17, 2013 edited