The Diego Diaries: Outside Again (394) edited
-0-Inside the Temple
Optimus stood still a moment re-orienting to the reality around himself. He was in the Temple standing before the AllSpark and the Well. No one was near to him but he could feel the energy of multitudes. Nearby, watching down into the reliquary room with a deep sense of awe, the priests of the Temple including four newly made waited. Chevron had whispered prayers and passages of the Covenant while the event happened. Optimus had been there, then he wasn't, then he was. He phased in and out on his journey. Only Chevron, Lauren and Chrome, the elder priests from Simfur understood that when he was gone he was with the Pantheon. He was an equal joining equals. None of them knew if Prime understood it but they did.
Prime turned slowly looking around himself. The big room was dimly lit, the relics giving the most light around him but they were slowly receding to their default mode. The lights of the room, burning flames on ornate sconces grew brighter as the relics grew dimmer. He paused, then looked at one of the many hanging staircases that led up out of the room and took one. Each step echoed in the stillness as he rose upward walking into the expectant energy of millions.
Rising onto the ground floor level, he saw the priests. They bowed from the waist and waited for him with the exception of Alpha. When Prime reached them he nodded, Alpha bowing his helm in respect back to Optimus. "I am assuming that all was well?" he asked with a slight smile.
Prime nodded. :They send you well wishes, brother:
Alpha nodded, a look of great satisfaction on his face. "I wish them well back. And you? Many questions have been posed and some answered. Correct?"
Prime nodded. "You are," he said as the newly made priests stood staring at him with a mixture of awe and amazement. For them, the Matrix was a tool to manage rather than the deeply mystical relic that it was. They knew of it and respected it as a relic of great antiquity and importance to their people but they had never seen it do this. The last time was an optic opener but this time, it was a spark changer. They finally understood the deepest meanings and the wretchedness of their own machinations as Councilors. It shown in their optics. Prime put his servo on Templar's shoulder. He squeezed it and the mech looked at him with gratitude.
The elder priests were merely content to be there, to feel the energy of the creator and the possibilities for all because of it. "Come and receive the blessing of Primus," Prime said looking at all of them. They nodded and bowed their helms, Alpha included and turned following him across the vast room to the doorways. Outside, the sun was making its journey downward to the far horizon. He had come at noon and it was nearly 1700 on the Terran Military Clock. For almost five hours, hundreds of thousands of individuals had stood silently, expectantly.
When Prime appeared, they stirred. A cheer rose up that was deafening to the extreme. Infants were spared damage as their immature audials dialed down automatically. The humans were spared too as their suits did the same thing. The adults everywhere cheered as Prime walked to the edge of the steps and paused. As quickly as it went up, the cheer died down and it was silent again.
Prime looked at them and felt intense love and pride in his people, their faces seemingly as clear to him as if he was seeing them one on one. It was as in the Matrix where he saw the faces of all of their people who had ever lived. He loved them intensely. He felt their hopes and dreams intensely. He wanted to serve them fervently. So he spread his arms wide as if to embrace them and as he did the panels of his chassis folded back as light streamed out with a speed that was impossible.
-0-The humans
They had stood together talking, the children doing their best. It was almost past endurance for them when Prime emerged. They turned and watched him, all of them stilled by his gravitas and dignity.
Sam stood beside Jessie and her friends, the Roberts, Fultons, Morshowers with their new liaison, Carl Wright and his wife, Tessa standing with them. He took Jessie's hand and squeezed it. Mikaela glanced at them, then turned back to Prime. Sam wouldn't destroy the moment she thought. She had lived her entire life waiting for this very second even though she hadn't understood it until now. She took Judy and Ron Witwicky's hands and squeezed them. They squeezed back and all watched.
The children watched as they stood together unaware of the enormity of the situation but the memory of the last time filled their minds. This was going to be awesome. The light would come, they would feel intense love, then they would eat dinner with their families. It would be some time before they would understand that infinity had enfolded them in its embrace.
The scientists watched, their understanding of the universe trumped by their observational skills and the 'magic' surrounding them. Even their training would not be enough. They would feel bereft afterward that they could go no further than this with the crowd that because of this moment would become their family too. Later, when Wheeljack had a moment and permission from Prime they would see with 'Jack explaining what he was allowed to show, the glory of an ancient people.
Larc stood with her people, the spectacle before her fascinating. Millions stood with them, all of them one. That some were once bitter enemies of the other was an amazing fact to wrap one's mind around. They were rebuilding even as she knew her own people would have to do. Nothing in her soul indicated to her that they wouldn't be able to prevail over the enemy. They would do so at the side of these people led by their Prime. She would follow too. Few were the individuals as respected in her mind as the big Autobot. When he reappeared she felt joy. It was the first joy she had felt since the capture of her system. It gave her hope. She stood with her people and waited expectantly.
It would not be long. The Light came.
-0-The Light
It flooded the crowd rolling outward until it disappeared into the distance. Optimus would understand at a visceral level that it enveloped this world and beyond. The Light was going onward to all the dark corners of the universe seeking the lost tribes, the individuals and groups that struggled alone. It would reach and envelope them with love and belonging. It would bring them hope because they would all know who it was who reached out. Decepticons and Autobots, Neutrals, Circle of Light, Knights of Cybertron, young, old and in between … they would all feel it.
-0-Soundwave
He paused as a familiar but faint feeling suffused him. Standing in the courtyard reviewing new recruits, he saw that everyone did the same. A feeling long forgotten asserted itself getting their attention for the briefest of moments. Then it was gone. They stood glancing around before their instructors got them back in line. Soundwave nodded and turned walking briskly back to the Residence. Entering, he paused.
Primus.
He was there momentarily. He would pace in his office for the rest of the orn.
-0-Nearby, closer than Soundwave would have liked
They paused, the Chief of Staff of Soundwave's administration, his commanding general, his personal secretary and Dai Atlas. The feeling of love and hopefulness suffused them, then was gone. It was silent a moment, then Dai turned to them. "If you doubted before, I hope that eases your spark."
The bots looked at him, a true believer, then nodded. "I didn't doubt before," Soundwave's chief said with a nod.
Dai nodded back. "Nor did I," he said with a grin.
They returned to their business, the business of protecting and caring for millions of enslaved brothers and sisters as well as preventing the discovery of Vector Sigma and the sleeping figure of Primus.
-0-Out there
All around the universe wherever Cybertronians were the warmth and Light of Primus found them, enveloped and loved them, then faded. Everywhere they were, the Children of The One turned and looked into the sky. They weren't forgotten.
-0-Autobot City, Mars
The Light penetrated every cell, every memory, every ailment and sorrow of the congregated millions. They stood in an ocean of love so intense one could have heard a pin drop. Before him, his arms outstretched as if to gather them into his protection, Optimus Prime stood epicenter to the power of the Pantheon as it reached out to their own. It was overpowering, driving sorrows and fears away. It coiled around hurts physical and mental, soothing and easing pain away. Then it began to fade.
Ratchet stood with his arms around his genitors holding them as they received the blessing. All around him the friends and family he loved did the same. They had turned to each other when that moment came holding each other as the rapturous energy surrounded and suffused them. Then it eased, dwindling downward until reality reappeared. Everyone turned to Optimus.
He stood before them, his arms outstretched as the Light began to recede into him. When it faded, the sparkling blue energy of the Matrix was visible a moment. Then panels folded back and all was finished. He lowered his arms and stood a moment reabsorbing reality once more. Looking at them, his beloved country mechs and femmes, the children who were the future of their survival, the allies from Earth and other worlds who he loved and respected and the city they had built together with their bare servos and intellect, he felt intense determination to not only protect all before him but expand it. He would find and gather his people and on some far orn bring Cybertron here as well. He would defeat the enemies of those goals personally and welcome those who would stand with them without rancor. Stepping closer, he nodded. "This is the end of the solemnity. I invite you inside as well as to the Pavilion of Relics. Come," he said.
As he did, the chant began. Somewhere in the crowd it started and spread like a wild fire in dry grass. Soon all were shouting, their peds stamping in Cybertronian celebration as they gave back to their Prime and each other the solidarity that they felt.
"UNTIL ALL ARE ONE! UNTIL ALL ARE ONE!"
It rose up in their languages mingling together in one voice, a sound nearly alive in its power. Sam looked around him noting the Hu An were doing the same, their fists pumping the air as they cried out in solidarity. The humans were crying out too, the scientists joining as well as they added their own voices to the community of intentions.
"UNTIL ALL ARE ONE! UNTIL ALL ARE ONE! UNTIL ALL ARE ONE!"
It continued as the ground rumbled under his feet. The giants were calling out, the Seekers and former Decepticons too. It rocked the area, the intensity of that much energy being released by that many individuals at the same time. It rose up into the sky and disappeared into space, a message sent forward to their enemies that this was their place, they would defend it, they would prevail.
-0-Paragon, Cyclonus and a pirate group digging in nearby led by a mech called Rust
"You felt it too," Cyclonus said.
Paragon nodded. "Prime had the festival. That's the only time I've ever felt this kind of energy."
"That means he has the AllSpark," Cyclonus said.
Rust considered that. "Then we have to act rather than wait. I don't intend to sit around. We have a new life now and it means we act."
"You would be foolish to do that," Paragon said evenly to the big former Decepticon who had a reputation of great savagery and brutality.
"Well, that would be your position. Its not mine," Rust said cutting the transmission.
Paragon shook his helm. "That bot won't last long."
"That's his problem. We should meet up," Cyclonus said. "Come to see me. We need to have a strategy. Perhaps Soundwave should come too."
Paragon considered that, then nodded. "I agree."
-0-Temple
The chanting faded into conversation and laughter as the people came forward. Prime had gestured for his family to come and they did breaking the moment. The guards formed up beside them as they took the greetings of the crowd. They stood with intense pride and happiness serving the family of their leader. They would stay there for hours.
-0-Far away
He sat on his throne with his son beside him. New Queens rose. New queens fell. The Empire of the Borg was as vast as the universe. He was going to wipe them out to the last one even as he mapped the planets that fell into their sphere of influence. He would come back for them later.
At no point in the orn did he or anyone with him feel the energy of the Matrix. As it expanded out into the universe, it took care to pass them by. They would never know.
-0-TBC August 11, 2013