The Diego Diaries: Aftermath 2 (492) edited
-0-That afternoon
Ratchet left the hospital with great reluctance heading for the apartment. He entered, then glanced around. Walking to the berth room he opened a closet pulling out a massive costume that would be for Ironhide. He grinned in spite of himself as a sense of normalcy seeped into his still shocked processor. His appa was recharging well as the levels on the monitor over his berth inched closer to stable. He had left with a certain anxiety but he had to go. Now in their home he was glad to have a brief moment of peace.
The furniture had been delivered before they left but the touches that made a house home were still to be placed. There were no pictures on the wall, no books, toys and other appointments that signaled that they lived here. Those would be replaced. New bedding, new furniture and even new cookware took the place of old. Spices still lined the counter waiting for the miracle spice rack of Ironhide's manufacture.
He walked to the closet again pulling out the other costumes along with the pumpkins that they used to hold their treats. Hero's costume, the one that she wanted which didn't fit the group was also pulled out and laid on the berth. It was a beautiful thing, a replication of the hoop skirted dress, tiara and wand of the good witch from The Wizard of Oz, Glinda. She had her own wings for the total effect.
He walked to the kitchen as the door opened. Ironhide stepped in pausing by the kitchen table. "You alright?"
Ratchet shrugged. "I think so. Who am I to be otherwise, Ironhide. I got my appa back. The others seem to be alive too. How can I be less than cosmically grateful?"
"Because you can. Because you earned it." Ironhide fidgeted. "We need to grab our miracles when we can, Only One. You and I … we've had a few."
"It makes me feel poorly, Ironhide, that we have and so many haven't. This next migration … I pray that it holds someone for everyone," Ratchet said. He looked at his cup. "Do you want something to eat or drink?"
Ironhide shrugged. "I want you to explain to me why I have to wear a costume tonight."
Ratchet snorted, then grinned. "Because I want everyone to know the awesomeness that is you."
They looked at each other, then Ratchet stepped into Ironhide's embrace. They hugged each other for a long time, then walked to the berth room to inspect the costumes. Ironhide would bitch loudly for a while. Ratchet would only grin.
-0-At the Cultural Center
Magnus stood in the doorway of the studio watching as the trio inside paused to look his way. "How is it going?"
"Everything is fragged but otherwise, good," Sunstreaker said sourly.
Magnus nodded. "I hear you. I also want you to know that due to security and space requirements we are urging the few remaining businesses and clubs here to relocate to the new Cultural Center in Tyger Pax."
They looked at him, then each other. "That's fragging out of the way. We live in Polyhex Tower in Metroplex."
"You can fix that by relocating your home there too. It is open. There are towers in the city that are close to the Cultural Center."
The three blinked, then glanced at each other. Bluestreak considered things a moment, then looked at Magnus. "We would have to look at the housing and studio before making moves, Magnus. We love hanging with Metroplex."
He nodded. "There's a list as long as your arm of bots who want to live in Metroplex District so don't worry about that. I'll call for someone from the Housing Authority and Business Administration to show you around. I am sorry for this. I like your work, Sunstreaker."
Sunny nodded. "Thanks, Magnus." He looked around. "My kids have grown up here. This is fragged."
Magnus nodded. "Start new memories in Tyger Pax." With a nod, he turned and left.
"Frag." Sunstreaker looked around. "They bomb the frag out of us, then throw us out."
A rap on the door greeted them. Springer leaned on the jamb. "Were you evicted too?"
They nodded.
"The club house is moving. We're going to the new Cultural Center now. Come with." He turned and walked back out. The three dropped things and joined them.
-0-At school
"There is a project that we're going to be doing, younglings," Terradive said as they sat in the reading well in the corner of their room. Everyone relaxed on the carpeted steps including the four service animals that included Spot. Two dogs and a cat lay near or on the laps of their infants doing what they were asked to do ... comfort.
"There was a catastrophe on Earth among the humans and their children at a high school called Columbine. The students there suffered a bad thing brought about by other students. Rachel Joy Scott was the first student there that died from this event. Her family was very sad but they saw in her writings something that was going to change the world, something bright and good that has helped them in their sadness. In her memory her family started a program called 'Rachel's Challenge'. Rachel believed in kindness. After her death in this tragedy, her family found the following words in her writings. "I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness will go."
The infants sat listening, their optics fixed on their teacher.
"Every year kids on Earth don't go to school or other places because they are bullied," Terradive said. "They are made to feel less, to feel afraid and awful by others who are usually their own age. Many are hurt by others who pick on them for no reason other than they can."
"Like Megatron," someone said near Sunspot. He looked at the student, then nodded. "Like he did to me."nEveryone looked at Sunny who looked at Terradive. He didn't add more, he just listened.
Terradive swallowed hard, then continued. "What we want to do is be better to each other, to include everyone and be a force for good. We have to try to work out how we can do what Rachel believed. I want us to take Rachel's challenge to be compassionate and to do acts of kindness so that they can start acts of kindness in others. We are going to be working on challenge tasks to help us learn and there will be a club house in this school as well. When we have learned our steps, we have to practice them, younglings. No act of kindness is ever a wasted effort. No one anywhere should not feel they belong. We all do."
"Until all are one," Silverbow said as Sunspot and everyone else nodded. Mr. Terradive nodded as well. Then he began to teach them how to be a force for good in a community rising up from crushing terror and misery all around them.
-0-Tyger Pax
They stood on a corner of the city which rose all around them. It was busy with workers, trucks hauling things to be installed or used in the actual structural construction. The lights were against them so they stood with a mech from the Business Administration waiting to cross the street. The Housing mech was already here and would meet them later.
They crossed with the lights, then paused before an incredibly tall building that was hooked to others by suspended roads and walkways. Everything was clean, wicked shiny and incredibly familiar. The mech looked at the two groups. "This is the Hydrax Building. It is going to be business oriented. This building is in block six on the main highway. If you look both directions this way and that," he said pointing to the roads that ran perpendicularly to the main road. "The city goes on for five blocks each direction."
They nodded noting that they would be nearly in the heart of the city itself. All around them towers soared skyward, their design more closely Cybertronian, the exteriors shimmering in the sunlight as it played across transparent steel windows. Copper and silver designs along with discreet signage made the place beautiful.
"We are going up here. Hydrax tower is 67 stories high. The Cultural Center occupies the top 20. We understand the needs of artists to have light and inspiration. When you get there you will understand what I mean." With that, he turned and walked through the huge open doors entering a spectacular lobby. A bank of elevators were accessed and they stood together as it rose upward, ever upward until it stopped. The door opened and the mech stepped off. "Follow me."
They did glancing at each other with a grin. A lobby gave way to a well lit corridor, one of many that radiated off the central entry. When they reached the end of the corridor the mech paused. Opening a door, he entered. They followed.
Inside, the space was huge, the walls transparent and the view breath taking. From the towering heights they were able to see the entire layout of the colony from the prison past the Fortress to the Industrial Park in the distance. It was possible at the end wall to see the other two cities, Centurian and Kalis. They stood in the space staring around, then turned to the mech. "This is ours?" Bluestreak asked.
He nodded, then grinned. "It is. If you choose it. We can arrange another space if this is not up to your needs."
Everyone turned to stare at Sunstreaker who was looking around, opening the built-in cabinets as he considered the space. He looked at the mech. "Can I get specialty cabinetry and the like? I am a painter."
"Put the request into the Art Guild and we will expedite it. We know that both of you," he said glancing at Springer, "lost your space in the bombing. We want to get you back on your peds."
Sunstreaker nodded. "This is good. Thank you."
The mech smiled, then looked at Springer, Drift, Kup, Lon and Fury. "Come with me. I'll show you your space." He turned to the door and exited heading to the corridor. Everyone followed including the trine pausing again almost immediately. The mech opened the new door which was nearly across from Sunny's studio, then entered as the rest followed.
They entered a huge space that had incredible windows. There was space for mats, for weapons lockers, for a lounge. It was a perfect area for the Dai Atlas Dojo to relocate. Kup turned slowly, then looked at the mech. "I was really fond of my couch in the other place."
The mech laughed. "We will get you another one."
Kup glanced at the others who stood grinning at the old mech. "Well?"
"I like it," Springer said. The others nodded and the deal was done.
"Good. I will finalize the assignments. Let us know what you need and we will expedite it. When the migration gets here we are going to start housing refugees everywhere in the city and their businesses beginning here. Centurian will be next with Kalis last. We will back fill the other cities after this trio is complete."
They nodded and chatted, then the mech turned to leave. The group watched him go, then looked at each other. Springer grinned. "We appear to be joined at the hip."
"I think so," Sideswipe said. "But that's okay. We're good looking. Unlike some I know."
That got the love it deserved, then the trine stepped out to meet the Housing Authority mech who was nearby. The tower they would live in was named after the street it was on, Stanix. He was in the lobby talking to someone when they arrived. After small talk, they took the elevator up. They went up, up, up until they reached the top floor. Stepping off, they looked at a long corridor, one of many that led to apartment doors down their long reach. It was immaculate and tasteful. "Which apartment would you like?" he asked with a smile. "You are the only ones in the building yet."
"What kind of neighbors will we have? We like a peaceful life," Bluestreak asked.
"We're going to house refugees in the next wave in this city. You will probably be the oldest colonials in the building. There are others who want to move to a more Cybertronian city and we will house them here. We are going to be starting at the top, housing them downwards. Those who requested to move here will be the neighbors around you. We want to move at a moments notice to make sure the transition for everyone is as smooth as possible."
They nodded. "How about the one farthest down the corridor?" Sideswipe asked.
He nodded, then turned leading the way to apartment 34. He opened it, then entered, the others following again. The apartment was bigger than the one they had already and was immaculate. The colors were cool and soothing, the metallic embellishments shiny and the layout similar.
"I know you have three younglings. This is a larger apartment for bigger families. There are four rooms beside the main berth room. That allows a room for each youngling and a common room, perhaps an office," he said.
They nodded, then looked around. Glancing at each other, they agreed internally. "We'll take it," they said together.
Their host smiled. "Done deal."
-0-TBC October 31, 2013 Thank you, Optimus-Prime's-Warrior for the pleasure of adding Rachel's Challenge to the story. :D My computer corrected to 'Ratchet's Challenge'. Sheesh. I hate spell check sometimes. :D