The Diego Diaries: Retraction 6 (357) edited
-0-Earth
They stood in the ship command center watching the feed of the three funerals of human airmen killed during the attack on the base. They were given full military honors and dozens of politicians were in attendance at the grave sites. There was a national memorial service in the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. with everyone possible in attendance including the President and Vice President as well as the United Nations Secretary-General and most of the diplomatic corps of the capital. Warren Roberts attended as the Prime's personal representative, a fact much commented upon by the media.
It was a grim morning as the drama unfolded, the media commenting depending on their political point of view about the HORRIBLE UNNECESSARY SLAUGHTER! or as others put it, the TRAGEDY THAT TAKES US ALL ABACK AND UNDERSCORES THE PROBLEM AND NECESSITY OF ALLIANCES FOR NOW! It didn't seem to Prime that there was a middle ground in the polarity that seemed to be expressed on the television. He turned and vented a sigh. "We have to soldier on," he said as the others nodded. "When do you have to go back, Glenn?"
Morshower who was sitting on a lazy boy in the middle of the table thought a moment. "I think I'm supposed to brief the President tomorrow. That means I will be hip deep in congressional committee subpoenas right away."
"Ratchet can testify by closed circuit television. We don't want you to have to field questions that you can't answer nor do we want you to face this alone," Prime replied gravely.
"I will make sure that happens," Glenn said nodding. "I will have to go back tonight to make it there for tomorrow."
"We will take you home when you decide to go. There is no reason for you to spend twelve hours on one of your transports," Prime replied.
"Thank you, Optimus. I wasn't looking forward to it," he said rising. "I think I'm going to gather my gear. If I get home early, I can get some sleep."
Optimus gently placed the human on the ground and he turned walking out of Omega. They watched him go, then Optimus turned. "I would like a comm set up outside. If they question Ratchet and they will want a representative of my government to grill, I want them to see the base as it is now."
Prowl nodded. "I will make it happen."
They both turned to study the intell which was completely silent on Arachnid and her army.
-0-Autobot City, Mars
He sat in the Patent Office going through documents that needed legal opinions. They were surprisingly complex and dealt with business matters which wasn't his expertise. He had to consult Teletraan III whose databases were invaluable. Sitting back, he considered the plan that was being formulated to present to the Prime. They were going to build their city one way or the other. They would be putting forward a call for workers. He had no idea how it would go. But it would be the first salvo in the war for independence that they were attempting to initiate.
"Fenix?"
He looked up at Caro who was standing in the doorway. "Yes?"
"We have a staff meeting in a few moments. We have to work out the final plan for the new contracts," he said with a grin. "Conference room in three minutes if you can." He turned and walked out heading for his office down the hallway, the biggest office in the Patent and Business Office which he commanded cheerfully and well.
Fenix gathered his things and shut off his computer. Walking out of his own smaller but more than adequate office, he headed to the conference room for the meeting.
-0-At 'Full Circle', Main Street, Terra, Autobot City, Mars
She sat at a loom making the initial hook ups for the weave that she was contemplating. It would be a Diaspora pattern showing their journey from Cybertron to the colony and all the convoluted routes it had taken. She and Vin had been directed here, the ground zero of the Circle community. The mechs and femmes who ran the co-op had established a place for their products to be placed in the currency-free economy of the colony. That it was currency-free was in keeping with the philosophy of the Circle. Until all are one was more than just a slogan. It was a way of life. Share and be shared, give and be given.
Joon glanced at the door as a couple of big mechs walked in. They were obviously warrior class. She smiled and they smiled back, nodding. "Are you looking for Heatout?" she asked.
They nodded. "We are."
"He's in the back room. Go on through," she said happily.
They nodded and continued onward through the magnificent things that surrounded them. Entering the back room, they walked to Heatout and sat on a couch near to the table where he sat working on a collection of Circle views and positions. It would be published as a commentary. He looked up and nodded. "Hi."
"Hi," Splice said. "How is it going for you?"
"Splendidly," he replied putting his etching tool down. The wafer thin steel sheets of 'paper' were being engraved with Standard glyphs by hand. They would be reproduced mechanically for the masses. "Its incredibly wonderful to have time to do things I have wanted to do since forever."
Splice nodded. "I know. What do you think about Arachnid and the mess she's made with the Insecticons?"
"I fear for Earth and her people. I hope sincerely that Prime gets them before they harm too many," Heatout said with a frown.
"What do you want to do about Fenix?" he asked. The other bot with him, a big rangy Knight named Salt nodded.
"Nothing so far. I think surveillance is good for now. I am sure that Prime has him on his radar. We have to live within the framework of the system. I don't want Knights or Circle members to not be trusted to live here within the rules," Heatout said.
They both nodded. "We don't have the caste to fit in. But we can keep an optic on them," Splice said. "We're on the Night Watch. That lets us roam about and we can watch for trouble."
Heatout nodded. "That would be good. When you see it, report it. We have to show the Prime that we aren't just a cult."
Splice nodded with a grin. "Done deal."
They sat together discussing his upcoming book containing the history, philosophy and hopes of the Circle of Light Movement and the Knights of Cybertron as re-envisioned by Dai Atlas. More would come and go in this, the 'club house' of the Circle Movement of Cybertron and Mars.
-0-In the Bosom of Love
They ran amok hiding under the table, crabbing about the tent being missing and generally laughing it up. Ratchet put the dishes away and looked at them, a tiny femme with a tiny teddy bear in servos chasing two little mechs who were laughing and babbling about her not 'getting' them. Prowler sat on the couch watching with a big smile, his sad finally receding into the past. He was fussy in his crib but fell into recharge at last, sleeping through the night. Breakfast was a fussy affair but he finally settled eating each spoonful of baby energon food with gusto.
A mech was hungry from all that crying.
Ironhide had been in touch from the moment Ratchet on-lined asking to know about this and that moment in their usual raucous run up to going to school.
:What are you doing now?:
:Feeding the little slaggers:
Pause.
:What are you doing now?:
:Still feeding the little slaggers: (grin)
Pause.
:Now?:
:Wiping up a spill. This is fragged without two doing it: (grin)
:I know: Pause. :What's happening now?:
(grin)
And so it went.
-0-Moments later
"ADA?"
"What, Orion?" (Works to fasten harness and leash to random sparklings within grasping reach of his servos)
"WHY WE GO? I HERE? WHY?:
"It's school. You have to go to school."
"OH." Pause. "WHERE ATAR?!"
"Earth. He's working."
"URKING?!"
Ratchet looked at Orion and considered his new attempted word. "Yes. He's urking. He's the best urker ever I think." Ratchet snagged Praxus who danced past him stuffing him in his harness. He glanced up in time to see Spot walking toward him carrying Hero gently in his mouth. He sat holding her as she chuckled, then Ratchet took her. Setting her on the floor, Ratchet grinned. "You were fetched, Missy."
Hero laughed, then turned and hugged Spot. "Spot carried me to you."
"He did.. He's that side of the awesome scale," Ratchet said putting her harness on. Rising, he stuffed book bags into his hold, then turned to look at the other end of the house. "Sunspot. We're going now."
Sunny ran out with his book bag. Slipping it over his shoulders, he grinned up at Ratchet. "I'm ready to go."
"You always are, Sunny Bunny," Ratchet said as he picked up Prowler, sliding him into his carry hold. Taking the leashes, he grinned. "Giddy up little doggies," he said mimicking the cowboy shows Ironhide and Sunny loved. The little Seeker laughed and ran to the door, Spot following. They headed out and meandered to the elevator reaching the lobby, then the street in jig time. It would be a mellow chatty trip to Sunspot's school, then a less organized trip to the underground station nearby for the train ride to Terra.
Ironhide would be checking in every step of the way.
-0-At the Office of the Attorney General, Mars
They sat together going over the testimony of the victims of the charges against Burris. That mech had been transferred to the Prison placed with Sentinel's group in Cell Block C that morning. He had been rancorous the entire trip pausing at the gate of his cell block with anger and scorn as the bars went up again. The guards had ignored him. They were veteran Day Watch mechs who had taken more abuse from drunk adas and the odd smart mouthed youngling than he could ever muster.
He had stood at the bars fuming, then turned to look around. Decimus who was a friend walked to him. "Welcome to the Pit," he said as Burris shook his servo. "Come on in. Let me introduce you to the others. Expect slag." Decimus walked back toward the barracks, an uncertain Burris following. He would be astonished to see who was inside.
Colonus sat back and considered the testimony gathered from the reluctant mechs and two femmes who had been found in Burris's hold in mournful condition. "This will be a problem. If we try to impeach their testimony, it will look like abuse. If we don't, Burris will be hanged by the thumbs in the town square."
Default, his partner in the case nodded. "We have a problem here, Coli. I think the biggest problem is our client is guilty as hell."
Colonus snorted, then laughed. "I think you're right, Dee. We have to figure this out."
They sat together devising and discarding possibilities for joors.
-0-Luna Base, Moon
They had broken ground for the foundations and sub floors of the installation. It would require at least five sub floors for Teletraan IV and the armories. The ground level buildings would be two stories, the first occupied by Ops Center, the Flight Briefing Center and medbay. The living quarters would be nearby underground, separate from the rest of the installation as protection against attack. Hangars both hardened and otherwise would be built to house ships and Seekers alike. Their accommodations would be below ground to protect them too. A large science facility was going to be built as well, partly to allow humans to work here and to allow Sciences to do work on the sensor net for the system without the interference of communications that existed on Mars. A major telescope would be built there that would do deep space scans beyond that which existed now. Humans would be allowed to access it and the data it collected. They were also putting in ground based space bridges to facilitate travel between Mars and Earth.
Big ships landed and off loaded, then left for more. Workers worked relentlessly. The facility needed to be on line and checked off as fast as possible. When it was finished, they would release that information to the humans. Then they would take on scientists to live there and work on their projects as well. Given the human propensity to scream loudly and to micromanage everything past the point of sanity, they went ahead with the project before informing anyone beyond the five world leaders that they talked to regularly, NEST and the military leadership related to them. The rest? They pledged to take the heat themselves when the media was informed.
Everyone heartily agreed.
-0-On the way
Sunspot waved and ran for the door of his school, Spot loping along behind him. When he was safely inside, Ratchet giddy upped the littler specimens and headed for the underground. He picked them up after stowing Prowler in the hold along with Hero to keep him company. Carrying a sparkling in each servo, he walked downstairs and waited on the platform. Praxus talked to him earnestly about everything: "ADA! I LIKE GO! YOU LIKE GO!? ORION IS MY. WE GO US!"
Ratchet nodded with a grin, pleased with the sentences he could make. "I agree. We go us."
Orion who fielded a ginormous grin was holding his dollies out for anyone close enough to be in the range of kissing them. He was in his own zone. When the train finally came, they entered and rode to the school stop speedily. Getting off, Ratchet carried them to the elevator and the short ride upward. Setting them down topside, he walked with them to their door. Entering, he unstrapped their little afts and they ran for the toys and their friends nearby. He grinned, then popped the hold withdrawing Hero. She sat on his servo with an anxious expression. "Ada? Can I go with you?"
He looked at her, then the others. Then he turned and hurried for the elevator. The ride down was especially happy as Hero smiled at him the entire time. Walking out, waiting on the platform, Ratchet shook his helm. "This can't happen again. Your teachers will hunt me down."
She smiled brilliantly. "I want to go with you, Ada. We can play."
Ratchet chuckled. "Is that what we'll do?" he asked.
She nodded. "You and me and Prowler."
Ironhide who was listening in would be inconsolable.
-0-TBC July 8, 2013