The Diego Diaries: Festival (405)
-0-At Substation 4, Autobot City, Mars
The box filled with squalling micro mini-cons was delivered to Watch Substation 4 near Club Cybertron. The mech in charge looked up from the monitor he had turned on when returning to the job. The after game hoo-haw was being discussed along with the humans adding their own incredulous comments and it was entertaining. It wasn't as entertaining as the abuse coming out of the box in Jolt's arms.
"Lucky us. Bring them to the lock up," he said rising. They walked to the elevator which took them below the station where the lock ups and armory were. The mech nodded to a cell. Jolt walked to it and knelt tipping the box. Fifteen swearing cursing micro mini-cons rolled out like marbles piling up on the back wall. He stepped out and the bars went up. They stood watching the screaming and jumping, then turned to walk out with a chuckle.
-0-Residence
They sat around eating dinner, the infants running around taking a bite from anyone they stopped beside. Uraya and Iacon wandered around with Hero, the three talking together in very good sentences. Orion and Praxus huddled with Kaon to discuss at great length the pluses and cons of various toys in the corner toy box, the one Miracle was standing in as he passed his things out for play.
Sunspot sat on Sideswipe's lap listening to the conversation. The size of his emotional release had surprised everyone but Ironhide and Ratchet. They had chatted with him upcoming to this day, more than aware that he was heavily invested in his brothers...
"I hope they win, Ada."
"I do too, Sunny Bunny."
"They won't get hurt will they? Vos is big."
"I don't think so. Besides, I will fix them up if they do."
Pause. "I hope they win. My brothers are amazing."
"They are."
"They're my brothers."
"They are and always will be, Sunspot."
"I'm glad, Ada."
"So am I. You can't have too many brothers."
Ironhide was listening to the conversation nearby and nearly choked on two things. First, the angst and insecurity of his son and secondly, the still hidden fact that Springer had signed adoption papers. Ironhide had put them forward as a joke. Springer had actually taken him up on it. "Look, Springer ... its a joke."
"I know, 'Hide."
"You're serious aren't ya."
"To prank Ratchet's aft? Like a spark attack." Springer then attached his glyph and the papers went to the court where they were immediately accepted due to Springer being old enough to know better. He grinned at Ironhide. "Don't tell Mom, Dad. I want him to find out on his own. Could be that fragger will never find out."
Delusion, thy name is Springer.
Prowl set his cube down on the coffee table as he sat eating a plate filled with Festival favorites and a few newbies. Prowl had developed an intense affection for 'fudge'. "Staff meeting tomorrow."
They looked at him and groaned. Ratchet nudged him with an elbow. "Get off the clock, Granny."
"I am, Loser." Prowl grinned as Ratchet grinned, then they both glanced at Sunstreaker. "Sunny," Prowl said. "The loser here and I want a portrait of the infants."
Sunstreaker nodded. "Which ones? Need I ask?"
Ratchet grinned. "All of them of course, but one of Miracle, Praxus, Orion and Prowler alone."
"Are you four adults optional or is it just the kids?" Sideswipe asked with a grin. "Delusional, both of you."
"This is going to be the colony's Christmas Surprise card from the Prime," Prowl said. "Loser here talked me into it."
Ratchet snorted. "Whiner. I am the one with the vision here. I am the one planning our image to the lesser beings and all I get is slag. When the humans see that card, it will be better than ten football games. Never underestimate the power of infants."
All optics turned to the corner of the room where the infants were. They were discussing a truck turning it this way and that, huddling together nodding. It was adorable.
"I want a copy," Miler said.
"And me," Ravel said with a smile.
"All of us," Optimus said with a grin.
That settled it.
-0-Nearing late evening
They began to gather at the airfield and streets of the city, massing for the fireworks that always closed the Festival of Primus. Tens of thousands of bots stood together while as many more stood at the windows of their apartments to see the spectacular show that always happened when the darkness was deep.
Wheeljack and Perceptor with their crew of engineers and interested nerd bots were gathered in the middle of the airfield, their masses of bombs, shells and the like situated around them in the order of fire. He himself would run the composition field technology that would allow the shapes and images planned to hold together the length that they were required. This show was an actual show.
Rambler who was standing by the window turned to his grandatar. "Everyone is in the streets."
Miler stood along with Venture and walked to the window. "The show is going to be starting now."
The infants were garbed as everyone stepped out onto the verandah. Prowl called down the lights as they stood looking down at the airfield and city streets below. They were massed with bots who had come out to watch directly. The Hu An Habitat nearby was glowing with light which they would dim when the show began as the inhabitants waited inside the warmth of their dome. The soldiers at N.E.S.T. including Mearing and Simmons stood by the windows to watch while the regulars who were still at the tower habitat made their way to the field to watch with their families. All were waiting quietly.
Then it began.
A rocket fired upward, then exploded in the sky forming a giant blossom of light. As it did a spotlight flashed upward and caught Prime in its brilliance. The crowd looking upward broke into a roar that echoed off the buildings and beyond. Prime who was holding T-Bar waved his arm and the crowd went nuts.
The roar filled the caverns of the city, then more rockets were fired. The first three exploded together and from them a glittering emblem of the Primes appeared. Then more were launched and the emblems of every city-state on Cybertron appeared. They formed a ring around the Prime emblem, all of them controlled by Wheeljack. Then they flashed into sparkles that fell down onto the crowd and twinkled out.
More rockets launched, their whistles audible, exploding in the velvet black of the night sky. They were the names of battalions, army groups and flights from Cybertron, some still in existence, some long gone. Their efforts were honored, Wreckers, Seekers, regular army, the Elite Guard, the giants including Metroplex and Fort Max and others, all of them flashing brightly, then blinking out.
More rockets blasted off and exploded honoring segments of the population that had been a part of Cybertron for generations. The Knights of Cybertron, the Circle of Light and the Primus Peace Mission, the Missionaries got a moment as well. Their lights shown, then sparkled downward again. It was silent, then more spiraled upward.
A huge flaring burst appeared, then several more. Seekers flew up then outward like a bud opening up as they soared overhead. In the midst of the flowering was a flash of light, a light that formed the name of the Great Elder, Rainmaker. It glowed as the Seeker forms came back down weaving a braid of light before puncturing the glyph. It flashed brilliantly, then was gone. Rockets rose up and exploded, the clans of Seekerkin represented in their emblems, leaders and elders as well as tattoos. They were joined by signature marks for mini-cons and other constituent groups on Cybertron, most of which didn't get much due in the past.
When those faded, another big rocket flashed up and exploded with a big colorful boom. A huge yellow fiery object formed into view and then around it smaller flashes occurred. It was the sun and her planets, all of them circling in their orbits. Circling them were the moons of every planet in the system. The crowd roared. Standing on a box platform on the airfield, the humans watched with astonishment.
:HOW THE HELL DO THEY DO THAT?!: Bobby Epps exclaimed as he watched.
:Ask Wheeljack tomorrow: Niall Graham said as he stood with his arms around his wife, Linda.
:I will: Epps replied as the images continued to move in their orbits.
They lingered, then faded. A large rocket released another immense image, that of Mars. The crowd roared as the red planet came into focus, its small moons in orbit around it. You could see Autobot City and the other four satellite cities as well on the surface. The roads were clear and the satellites and bridges floating over it as well. As it turned a big red feature could be seen. It revealed itself. It was a massive gigantic Autobrand on the surface of the planet. The crowd roared its approval as many of them remembered the habit of putting an Autobrand on colony worlds in the Golden Age that could be seen from space.
The image lingered, then was replaced by another. It was the Earth. The crowd roared and stamped their approval as the planet and its moon orbited slowly above them. All of the continents and their countries were clear to be seen, the image almost highlighting them as it glistened in the sky. Then it faded too. As it did beautiful emotional music began to play, music from Alor of Iacon and the crowd grew solemn listening.
It was music associated with Cybertron, music that everyone knew and loved. As they quieted, a giant rocket swept up and burst. The image that it left above them was a giant vision of Cybertron from the Golden Age. The moons orbited slowly around her as she glowed in the darkness of space. The connection to a nearby sun was evident as the star fed the energon chamber that ran the planet.
Cybertron was beautiful, light infused and enormous. It was much bigger than Mars and more times bigger than Earth. It was old and a miracle. It was a metallic planet, the rarest of all and the living body of their warrior god, Primus. The image slowly rotated, cities and city-states coming and fading from view. They stood watching it silently, their thoughts their own.
:What a terrible thing to lose your entire world, your culture, your past, present and future: Mikaela said as she stood next to Leonora Huttle.
Leonora nodded. :I can't imagine it:
They stood with the crowd watching an alien world loved and longed for shine overhead, then it burst into light, the light forming into white doves. They fluttered away in all directions as they disappeared from sight leaving the sky bereft of vision. Then rockets went up and the solar system reformed. The vision changed as if the watchers were flying and they took a tour passing over the Earth, the base on Luna and out into the system to pass over the bases there. The point of view continued onward into the sector passing the Proxima Centauri Deep Space Array and ending at Fort Apache.
The tour showed their power and effort to secure their system and the crowd roared their approval. Then it changed. Cybertron was back but it was smaller. It burst into pieces and in its place was someone they loved and revered. The golden armor and great goodness of Primus appeared over them. He floated in space staring at them, then with his servos pulled open his chassis. The Matrix of Leadership was there and its light blue and pure shot out.
It struck the balcony where Prime stood bathing him in its glow. Then it spread outward encompassing everyone from the prison nearby to the Industrial Park far away. It lingered, then faded along with Primus.
A rocket shot up, erupting as glyphs formed in neat rows of silver light. It said, "In the spark of an enemy, there will be salvation and in the darkest hour, there will be a light."
The crowd was hushed as they read it, then they turned toward the tower where Optimus stood with family and friends. A roar went up, then the chant began: "UNTIL ALL ARE ONE! UNTIL ALL ARE ONE! UNTIL ALL ARE ONE!"
Graham leaned forward and tapped on a bot standing in front of him. A mech turned curiously. :What do the glyphs say?: he asked on the bot channel, the one that translated their speech to him.
The bot looked up, then down at the humans. :The glyphs say, "In the spark of an enemy, there will be salvation and in the darkest hour, there will be a light.":
:What does that mean?: Niall asked again.
:It means that unity is victory and the light in the darkness is our Prime. It is prophecized that he is The One Who Will Come. It is so: The bot looked up at the balcony where Prime stood and joined in. "UNTIL ALL ARE ONE!"
The humans watched him, then turned and joined too. :UNTIL ALL ARE ONE! UNTIL ALL ARE ONE! UNTIL ALL ARE ONE!: As they did, the glyphs faded away. More rockets went up and burst, showering the night with beauty and color. When the last one exploded and the starry light twinkled down, the music finally ended softly.
The crowd roared, then the noise faded as they stood absorbing the emotions and events of the past two orns. It had been profound, the festivities and they were now free to take their personal revelations and new found peace and belonging forward into their lives. They would be a long time making their way home but it would be peaceful and event free.
Prime and his group would watch them a moment or two, then retire inside to sit and chat together, friends and family at last together again.
-0-TBC August 22, 2013 edited 7-4-14