The Diego Diaries: Festivale (6) (385) edited
Before I begin, thank you for support and comments. I am sooooo happy to entertain. You readers make my day and I am ever mindful of keeping the pieces coming. This story is my hobby and joy. Thank you and I am glad to know that this helps some through their daily grind. I know it does mine. Hugs, Hattie and Birdsoe? Watch the steps, honey. :D
-0-In the city
The public works mechs moved through each city raising the banners of Cybertron and the Primes on the street light and flag poles for the festival. They raised them and moved onward, the enormous banners ruffling in the light breeze of the moment. It would take all orn long to finish.
-0-Ops Center
They left from Diego and Fort Apache, Luna and Autobot City heading for home and three orns of festival. One of them was the festival itself, another was football and fireworks, the last the final orn of weekend. The automated machinery working on its own at each site would be more than adequate for the tasks at servo. If there was trouble, all of the mechs would be signaled and sent through the bridges in jig time.
They filtered through the military staging area in the airport depot, the one through which the humans had traveled. That was the spot where all of the non-Trigger bound traffic would flow. Those going on and off duty everywhere would use that station. That included all civilian traffic as well. It was just neater.
The city absorbed them as the crowds began to increase. The last energon they would partake would be now or never. The stores, cafes and restaurants were filled and the street vendors were very busy as well. Dinners were being had by adults everywhere in preparation for the upcoming fast. Soon it would be over, all restaurants but one closed. Cafe Praxus would stay open for those who needed or wanted to eat. Soon everyone would vacate the streets but the Night Watch. At midnight, the siren would sound and the Festival of Primus would officially begin.
-0-At the house
The door opened and more bots entered bearing food and drink for the smorgasbord. Laughter and infants squeeing filled the air as Kestrel and Tagg walked in carrying Spirit and Miracle. Ratchet took the offerings and put them on the counter and table with everything else.
Ravel and Tie Down were already there, infants climbing all over them. Alor and Blackjack sat by the window on the big couch chatting with Flint and his 'beau', a big mech named Collier. He was an archivist and scholar who taught at the university. They had a lot of things in common and had been fixed up.
Not by Yenta, but by colleagues of Collier.
Another knock on the door let in Miler and Venture. "Where are the twins and Bluestreak?" Miler asked as he sat yet more food and drink on a chair by the kitchen counter.
"They should be here shortly," Ratchet said as he took things and placed them here and there. Miler took a plate and filled it, turning to hand it off to Venture. He took it with a grin and grabbed a bottle of Praxus Black Label, a very famous vintage from Cybertron that a microbrewery was recreating. "How was the shift?"
"Good," Miler said as he filled his own plate. "The new bridges are doing the job. We now have access to anywhere inside the solar well in seconds. The short ranges take care of the inner planetary system and the long ranges reach Charon."
"That's great. I can get out there faster when they need another hand for poker," Ratchet said with a grin.
Miler snorted. "You are incorrigible."
"That's my middle name," Ratchet said. "Ask my ada."
The door opened and Kaon ran in squeeing at the sight of everyone he loved. The twins and Bluestreak entered followed by Dawg, the big mechs carrying the tiny girls. They were set down and everyone gabbed as the adults got their dinner organized too. As they did, Optimus and Prowl arrived with the rest of the little mechs.
Chaos ensued.
-0-Elsewhere
They sat together on the couch, the boxes of their dinner laid out on the coffee table before them. The lights were off but the room was still slightly illuminated by the slowing setting sun. Cuddled together on the couch, a glass of high grade in their servos, Jade and Beray relaxed together as night slowly claimed their city.
Beray had secured a position with the city administration as a bookkeeper of some considerable skill. It was being held for him as he waited out the preliminaries of Jade's legal standing. Jade was taking art classes, the authorities suggesting that a routine of study would be helpful for his mental condition.
He was excelling at the university. Art and design was something he had found solace in over a lifetime of loneliness and exploitation. Having beauty around made him feel better. Being with Beray had stopped the bad thoughts that had filled him for a while. Suicide seemed the only answer at the time. Now it wasn't. Long conversations with his therapist and Beray ever by his side had stilled them.
"The siren is going to signal the start of the festival," Beray said as he held Jade. Jade nodded, his arms around his lover. "I have never seen a real one," Jade said quietly. "The Temple will be busy tomorrow."
"I know." Beray paused a moment, then looked down at Jade. "Do you want to go there, Jade? You don't have to. We can stay home and watch it on the monitor."
Seekers Jade considered that. "I think I need to go," Beray."
Beray nodded. "Then we go, Only One."
It was quiet and soothing as they sat together. When the siren sounded, only then did they go to recharge.
-0-Aerie Hill
Starscream let in more guests to the party. All of the leadership of the Seekerkin were there with their bonds and some of their kids. The apartment was filled and the conversation was good. Thundercracker was sitting in a corner with the Great Elder laughing over something or other. Infants were everywhere running around, eating off the plates of their elders as they played together. It was happy and joyful, the perfect prelude to the Festival.
He nodded them in, smiling as he took their bottles. "So good of you to come," Starscream said with a smirk. "Welcome."
Cloudburst smirked back. "Wild targs couldn't keep us away. The space bridges are a huge improvement. Five seconds beats 45 minutes any time."
Starscream nodded. Then he looked down at the three hatchlings of the big Seeker followed him inside. They merged with the thirty others and the mayhem continued unabated.
-0-On a table in the apartment
Orion stood as his brothers detailed him. The right wax, the right buffer and voile! Perfection. He kept up a stream of babble as he bent, turned and twisted. Parking him on the floor, they caught Praxus and began to do the same. It would take a lot of chasing and squealing but in the end all of them would be shiny.
Iacon and Uraya stood together, their Aunt Hero between them. The three watched the twins working on the little mechs too, their white and red paint schemes dazzling. Kestrel sat with a camera taking pictures of the three, the trio utterly oblivious as they watched the twins deftly shine everyone.
Uraya turned, then smiled. "Ada."
Kestrel looked at her, then smiled himself. "Uraya."
"Ada, see me?" Uraya replied.
"I see all of you," Kestrel said as he sat next to his son. Optimus basking in the glow of complete contentment watched the little femmes. They were the first femmes in the family on both sides. They turned and walked to Kestrel who put down his camera and gathered the three of them into his arms. "Oh my. So sweet," he whispered. "You are so sweet."
"ADA!"
Everyone paused to look at Orion. He paused to see them look at him, then grinned a ginormous grin. Basting a moment in the universal optics of everyone, he pointed at Kestrel. "ADA!"
"What?" Ratchet asked pausing his glass before his mouth.
"ADA! WHY SHE?" Orion asked pointing again at Kestrel.
"She?" Tagg asked with a grin.
"He's confused," Ratchet said to general agreement. "Orion, that's another ada."
Orion looked at him, then Kestrel.
Then Ravel.
Then Miler.
Then Alor.
Then Ratchet.
Then he blinked. "SHE?"
Ratchet nodded. "Another Other Ada."
Orion looked at him, then turned and ran back to his toy box. It was easier.
Ratchet chuckled, then glanced at Praxus who was looking incredibly shiny. "Nice work. What about Kaon and Miracle?"
"Already done," Sunstreaker said as he put Praxus on the ground. "SUNSPOT!"
The little bot looked up from a pad where he was drawing a picture with Spirit. Jumping up, he ran over and was lifted onto the table. Smiling brilliantly, he glanced at the window where Dawg and Spot were lying in a pile together. "What about Spot? Primus can't see him if he isn't shiny can he?"
Sunstreaker paused, then grinned. "We'll buff him up. Look at Dawg."
Everyone looked at Dawg who was lying on his back, his tummy and legs splayed out in the manner dogs have everywhere … the shamelessness of dogdom was universal even here. He looked shiny.
"He is really shiny, Sunstreaker. You and Sideswipe do the best job ever," Sunspot said earnestly.
Sunstreaker paused a moment, then grinned. "We do don't we," he said softly. Then he turned toward the youngling to make him more beautiful than he already was.
-0-At Substation #4
Springer and Drift went through the last minute business of the orn before stepping out into the night. The restaurants were still going strong and the bars as well. Things were in servo from the preliminary reports around the colony. Luna had a number of drunk arrests, mostly sub adults over energizing. They were taken home and turned over to their highly unamused families. Most of the reports were very minor so the two headed toward the Cultural Center and the dojo.
"Almost midnight," Drift said.
"I know. Did you get dinner?" Springer asked as they crossed the nearly empty highway.
"Kup has something at the dojo."
"Oh," Springer replied as they turned down Cultural Center Road. It was only a short trip up to the dojo, the only business tenant in the building that still had occupants. They entered and walked to the lounge to sit. Half a dozen bots were there and they tossed a bottle to Drift. "Sit and have a drink," Kup said as he nursed his own bottle.
"I thought you said there would be something to eat here," Drift said as he sat and opened the bottle. Taking a drink, he handed the bottle to Springer who sat down next to him.
"Over there," Kup said nodding.
Drift got up and walked over, then turned and grinned at Kup. "Donuts? That's it?"
"A good label and donuts. Doesn't get much better," Kup said.
A few drinks and donuts later, Drift was inclined to agree with him.
-0-At the apartment
The hoo-haw dissipated as the infants wore themselves down. They were sprawled in various laps, some singing to themselves as they tried to stay awake. Ratchet took Hero who was sound asleep on the floor putting her into her crib. Then he took Prowler and tucked him in too. Walking back out, he paused. "We have two minutes on the military clock until the siren," he said.
They turned and looked at the windows where outside the airfield glowed with lights. The sky was clear and filled with stars, the glow of satellites, the speeding blur of Phobos on its lunar journey and the orbiting lights of the Trigger.
They sat and stood around the big room watching the night as the clock began to tick downward.
-0-Fortress Maximus
The big bot walked upward to the tower that held the lights that signaled to everyone flying how high the upper structure of the giant Autobot reached. He had set the signal the year before and it was his job to do that now. He stood on the platform near the siren and turned slowly. Housing towers rose glittering in the velvet darkness with lights from apartments. Lights here and there showed someone driving on the roadways. Lights marked the roads as they lit up the night at intervals. It was quiet and beautiful as in the distance the five other cities and Industrial Park could be clearly seen.
He waited.
-0-Nearby
Burnoff stood by the windows, his arms around his ada and atar. They stood with their arms around him. They were together, for how long no one could tell. Their boy was a great mech, tolerant, dedicated and contrite. He had changed utterly even as they had. Copperton was a working mech on a construction crew. That he was being given skilled management type jobs to do along the way was beside the point. He only felt good when he worked with the mechs who built things with their servos and strength. He only felt happy with them.
Turquoise had become stronger and more rested. He was also tracking the actual flaw in the carrier-soldiers now and was close. He was exhilarated to be this near to a solution for 'our soldiers'. It was only a matter of time now. They stood talking quietly, watching the night as the chronometer nearby counted down the seconds.
-0-Nearby
Jade and Beray stood by the window watching the night. The siren would sound soon and they were waiting. This was the beginning of a new epoch for them. All they had to do was hope that the orns that followed were better. This would be the start of their journey toward making that hope real.
It was quiet in the apartment.
-0-Fortress Maximus
He stood at the siren waiting. When the chronometer went off, he turned and pressed the code into the computer. As he did the siren went off, the sound rolling out across the city and beyond.
-0-Around the city
Hu An Habitat:
Larc listened to the siren and nodded. :Their holy day starts: she said to her seconds. They nodded and listened.
Long term Habitat tower:
Will Lennox paused in his story as everyone in the long term habitat heard the siren. They walked to the windows to watch as the city seemed to pause as one at the sound. Sam Witwicky stood beside Jessie Landon as Mikaela stood nearby. They watched the night as the siren sounded, all of them together with their families and friends.
Dojo, Cultural Center:
Drift sat with his feet propped up on a coffee table. Springer was leaning against him half into recharge. "There it goes. No more," he said pushing the box of donuts away.
"That's the hardest part," Kup said. "Right up there with saying sorry about slag."
"What are you sorry for, Kup?" Fury, a Circle and Knight colonial mech asked with a grin.
"Not much. I lived a pretty pure life," Kup said sticking his stogie into his mouth.
That got the slag it deserved.
Aerie Hill:
They stood on balconies listening to the siren, families and individuals. In the apartment of Starscream, the party inside listened respectfully as the Great Elder told the story of creation. He sang it in their oldest language, a haunting sound of a people making their way from the deepest mists of time. It would go on for a while. Some would be hearing it for the first time. Others like Starscream would remember his ada singing it to him from the distant past. He would make a promise to sing it for his babies too. They would have a small flicker of his genitors in their life too. He would see to it.
Sciences Habitat:
The filmmakers and scientists listened to the siren until it trailed off. Then they looked at each other.
"It's bullshit that we can't come to the Temple tomorrow," Aaron Belcher said with a frown.
Everyone around the table commiserated with them.
Michio Yamaha sat back with a smile. "We get to go to the ceremony but we can't go inside."
Leonora Huttle listened to the group chat, then grinned. "I do."
"What?" Jack Mellar asked.
"I get to go and I get to go inside afterward," Leonora said with a bigger grin.
"WHAT THE HELL? HOW?!" Mellar asked with stunned surprise.
"I was invited," Leonora said.
"Who?" -everyone
"Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. They asked Prime and he said yes. Then they asked me to come in with them afterward," she said.
"I want you to take a camera," Aaron said.
"Not on your damned life," Leonora said sitting back with a grin. "Unless you want to piss off the twins..."
No one wanted to.
-0-Fortress Maximus
The mech shut off the siren and stood a moment taking in the view. It was beautiful, glittering and quiet. He turned with a smile and headed back inside. It was also something else he decided.
It was also home.
-0-TBC August 3, 2013 (For my Timmy. Happy Birthday, son)
NOTES: A guest asked how many parts and words so far. So here, Guest honey: Parts: 1,166 and words: 2,704,892.
:D :D :D