The Diego Diaries: Regroup 1 (379)
-0-In the city at the same time
Orion sat in the sandbox beating a stack of sand into submission. Around the room, Group D was having a few minutes of free play time. As he worked out the kinks in his awesome design scheme, a warmth began to overtake him so he paused and looked around. Han who was nearby paused too. All of the little infants looked around, then turned toward the Fortress. Laret who was kneeling nearby did as well as the infinite love of Primus engulfed his most beloved children.
-0-At the prison
Sentinel Prime stood at the barrier staring at the Fortress. The Matrix was reaching out even to him engulfing all within its reach with its loving approval. Behind him pausing in their games, the others turned as well. Decimus arose and walked to Sentinel, pausing next to the bigger mech. "What's happening?" he asked softly as if to speak louder meant breaking the spell.
"You feel it," Sentinel replied.
"I feel great warmth, even love," Decimus replied turning his gaze to the Fortress. "It comes from there."
Sentinel nodded. "The Matrix. Optimus is communing with the Matrix."
"I have never felt this before," Decimus said softly.
Sentinel nodded. "Neither have I."
-0-CMO's Office
Ironhide stowed his son carefully, then gently scooped up his mystified daughter. Putting her tiny sweeper down, he turned and walked out the door heading for the Fortress. He stepped out of the building at last and paused at the doorway. As far as the optic could see in all directions of the city, everyone stood staring at the Fortress. Even the humans on their segways were stilled as well. He stepped forward hurrying toward the Fortress jolting several humans out of their torpor as he did.
Aaron Belcher and Leonora Huttle blinked, then turned following Ironhide along with their crews through the forest of legs that were paused in their tracks. They sped up and nearly caught Ironhide as he crossed the intersection for the Fortress courtyard.
The feelings of intense well being increased as they got closer. Rolling through the courtyard, they stared at the numerous elders sitting on comfortable benches or at gaming tables, all of them pausing as if listening and looking at something the humans couldn't see or hear.
Buzzing up the ramp to go inside, they saw the same thing there including mechs and femmes who were moving to gather at the doorway of Ops Center. They stood as if listening to something out of the human's range of sight and hearing. It was intensely silent but incredibly warm and intimate as well.
They pulled up, then wove inside moving toward the central table where bots stood looking toward the far wall. They didn't know the brig was below, the source of the feelings of well being and love that were suffusing the city. They pulled up and paused, glancing the same direction. On a table inside, Will Lennox, Charlotte Mearing and Seymour Simmons stood in the same posture as them. The bots there were watching as well, as if expecting something tremendous to happen.
It was already.
The group at the door shifted allowing Ironhide to pass. He paused and spied the conference room. Heading that way, he entered. Alor stepped to him and took the infant he carried into his own arms, then stepped back against the wall. Alor turned and appeared to be whispering, perhaps explaining the moment to the infant who would nod from time to time.
Then the crowd at the door shifted again.
-0-At the Industrial Park
Everyone paused everywhere, all of them turning toward the city several miles away. Something beautiful and good was encompassing them, making them feel loved and needed. No one said a thing, no one dared to move lest the spell be broken. Everyone stood and listened, watching for something that none of them could articulate but all of them needed and understood.
-0-At an apartment in Mare Tranquilitatis
Turquoise paused, his son beside him. Burnoff had come from his room where he had been working on an engineering problem that would triple the power output of the energon fuel injectors that powered the main power plant for the cities. He moved to his ada slipping his arm around the smaller bot's shoulders. "What's happening?" he asked quietly as they stared at the Fortress beyond.
"Primus. He's here," Turquoise whispered.
They stood silently, reverently as they watched the Fortress in the distance.
-0-Wrecker Outpost #4, Charon, Moon of Pluto, Outer Edge of the Sol System
They sat together at the dinner table paused in their meal. A feeling had found them, suffusing them with peace. It was so at every post in the system they would find out later. A confidence of feeling had found all of them and it would last in their sparks for orns.
-0-Fort Apache, Ops Center, out there
Flint paused a moment, his bags in servo. He had finished his tour and was heading back to spend the holidays with the family. His beau, a big mech from Iacon who was a scholar who worked to write educational texts and helped to rebuild their cultural archives would be joining him for all the festivities and a chance to hang with the Fam. Something was filling his spark, easing his tensions and he paused to let it. "Primus," he said as others turned to him. "Primus is here."
They sat glancing at each other, then looked toward him again. "What does it mean, Commander?" a youngling Home Guard mech doing his once -every-three-month service with the regular army asked.
Flint looked at him, then grinned. "Only good, youngling. Only good."
-0-At the doorway to the Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars
Prime and Ratchet entered moving through the parted crowds, mechs and femmes who stepped aside with their helms reverently bowed to Optimus. He walked inside, his gravitas and dignity almost visible like a cloud around his tall handsome frame. Jazz who was in charge for the moment nodded. "They're in the conference room, Optimus."
"Thank you, Jazz. Come listen in." Prime then turned and with Ratchet in tow entered the conference room. Jazz joined him, nodding the conn to Mirage. Then it was quiet in the enormous room as the feeling slowly, gently receded. Mirage vented a sigh. "That was good. I needed that."
"You and me both," Smokescreen said as he turned back to the communications center. On the screen were faint pings of new migrations and the strange signals of unknowns. "I really, really needed it."
Mirage nodded silently.
-0-Inside the conference room
Simmons, Lennox and Mearing stood silently along with Fulton and Morshower, the feeling reaching them, enveloping them as well. They stood staring at the wall, the direction from which the sensation seemed to emanate. No one said a word. Everyone there just waited including the bots. Then the door opened as Prime, Ratchet and Jazz entered. The spell was broken and so was the sensation which slowly faded away.
Prime walked to the head of the table and sat, Ratchet taking a seat beside him. Prowl took the other side as Ironhide sat beside Ratchet.
Mearing watched them assemble, then noticed a tiny bot sitting in the arms of someone who looked a lot like Ratchet's bond. It must be an infant. She had seen them before having studied all of the film in existence about them as part of her job responsibilities. Seeing them in film or pictures was one thing. Seeing them in person was quite another.
"Ms Mearing," Prime began. She turned and looked at him. "I have asked Prowl to file a formal complaint with the State Department over your conduct with us, your allies. You have withheld information of vital importance. You have been confrontational all along, something we tired of from the days of contact with Jason Daniels. We are through with the disrespect and have asked that you stay here for the opportunity to learn about us, consult with us and perhaps understand that we are allies, not enemies."
"You would hold me prisoner here?" she asked, her tone cold and defiant.
"We are keeping you here with the agreement of your government," Prime said.
Prowl glanced at Prime, then Mearing. "We have a formal complaint being expedited by your State Department outlining our grievances in detail. Your own government has stated that you will remain here to educate yourself and perhaps delete some of your prejudices and paranoia from your hard drives, if I may be so bold."
"I am neither prejudiced nor paranoid," Mearing said to Prowl.
"Those are not my descriptors, madam," Prowl said with no small amount of (internal) relish. "I am quoting your government."
She looked at him, then shifted. Simmons snorted, then grinned. "Good one, Prowl," he said turning to Simmons. "TOUCHE! HOW DOES IT FEEL TO GET THE SHAFT!?" He pointed over his shoulder and leaned into her space. "SEE THAT? IT WAS PUT THERE BY YOU! THESE BOTS! THEY CAN'T BE TRIFLED WITH!"
She glared daggers at him, then turned to Ratchet. "Surely, Ambassador, you understand that some things remain secured and private out of the common good."
Ratchet considered that. "The common good means the good of the common group. How are we all safe and 'good' if you withhold vital information from us? These aliens have been hunting your species for generations. You have been unable to prevent that. We aren't through with our field trip, Ms Mearing. These aliens didn't come alone. There are two groups. One that hunts for their culture and one that hunts for the thrill of killing. They both use acid beasts that are harmful even to us with our armor. They will bring them to Earth and perhaps they already have. Would you like that to happen?"
"Of course not," Mearing replied defensively.
"Then perhaps you should see the rest of this story," Prowl said nodding to Sandstorm.
That big bot turned to the computers beside him and toggled a number of algorithms into the programming. The monitors flickered, then came to life. A room was seen where two beasts were held in a frozen form of stasis. They were enormous, intensely ugly and frightening. They were black or deeply dark gray becoming black at some part of their maturity. They had enormous elongated helms, several sets of teeth in a large mouth and a rangy powerful body with a long tail that looked prehensile.
"These are the acid monsters?" Simmons asked.
Lennox walked closer to the monitor and looked at them. "They're frozen? Are they dead?"
"No," Alor said. "They were given the deep freeze but it doesn't harm them. They appear to be pretty much indestructible. Primitive projectiles like yours don't appear to do much harm. They are nearly flawless in construction and live hival lifestyles. Sound familiar?"
"The Insecticons are Cybertronian," Mearing interjected.
"They are a species nearly flawless in construction, living a communal hive existence with a 'queen' and have no fear or hesitancy about attacking where they are commanded to go by their leader. They are vicious, dangerous and unconcerned about you, me or anyone else. You do see the similarities."
It was silent a moment. "It would be a bitch if these freaks ever hooked up with Arachnid," Lennox said softly.
"We don't rule out any possibilities," Ratchet said nodding. "These beasts are dangerous and they are allied either by agreement or servitude to the Hish. You never thought that worthy of our time and attention? Pray, tell me … how did you think you would save yourself from them and their masters?"
Mearing stared at the image, then the bots and humans seething in a circle around her. "I am tasked to take care of this business. I do what I believe is correct and possible. Having this information out in the population will cause panic and a loss of confidence in the leadership to handle it."
"Fucking bureaucrat," Lennox whispered softly. He got an intense glare from Mearing, missing the brief grins from everyone else including Morshower and Fulton.
"We are not the general population and your leadership isn't 'handling it'," Optimus said leaning in slightly. "You are failing your brief. You are our guest, you and Agent Simmons for the duration. Our grievances with your government are genuine and intense. Until that is ironed out, you will remain here and learn about us. We believe that the only cure for ignorance and prejudice is experience. We are due to have our Festival that is private and sacred to us. When it is in effect, you will remain inside the habitat. The others have permission to come. You and Agent Simmons have not earned that privilege," Prime said.
Simmons turned to Prime. "Prime … sir … I can understand how you must feel about me and her," he said turning to glare at Mearing. "But I have done what I can within the boundaries of my power. This person," he said glaring at Mearing again, "has been the bane of my existence. I am asking you for mercy and a chance to redeem myself into your confidence."
"You must earn that, Mr. Simmons and for now you do not have it," Prime responded. He looked up at Springer who glanced at the door as Drift entered. "You rang?" that bot asked. Springer grinned and both turned to Prime. "Please take our guests to the N.E.S.T. Habitat. That, not the long term habitat will be their temporary home. We shall be having guests coming for the Festival and related activities so their space should be made available as friends of Autobot Nation."
Springer nodded, a grin on his handsome face. "Your wish is my command." He stepped closer, then picked up Mearing and Simmons. As he did, the door opened and Starscream stepped inside. "Prime … what is happening? I feel uncommonly happy today which as you know is a very alien state of being for me." He paused and noted the humans in Springer's servo. "More insects. They appear to be everywhere. Really, Prime. I believe we are being overrun."
Prime grinned. "I am beginning to believe you have something there, Starscream."
Mearing and Simmons flinched. "I SAW YOU AT MISSION CITY FIGHTING US! YOU WERE FIGHTING US!" Simmons said almost reflexively in his surprise.
Starscream looked at him, then Prime. "He does know I have been on this side of the civil war for some time doesn't he?"
Simmons paused a moment, then shook his head. "You are. You are, you are. I … I just saw you now and it sort of …
you know, made me forget a moment ..."
The expression on Starscream's face would end up in the personal picture files of everyone present including Lennox, Fulton and Morshower who had pulled their cameras out to snap it. "That insect is defective. Do you wish me to squish him under my ped?"
It would be remarkable how many humans and bots said yes.
-0-TBC July 27, 2013 I will edit this shortly. I have a thing to do. SIGH! :D:D:D