The Diego Diaries: Aftermath (572) (See note on a correction at bottom) :D edited
-0-Residence of the Primes
They sat and stood around the room drinks in servo. Dinner was going to begin in moments so they enjoyed a cocktail and canapes as they waited, the aromas coming from the kitchen enticing. Soundwave stood by the window looking out, a glass in his servo filled with a familiar drink from Iacon. Ironhide turned, beer in hand. He walked to stand beside the big silent mechanism. "When are you going to call it an orn?" he asked.
Cold hard optics flickered as they watched him in the reflection on the window. It was shared with the sparkling lights along the window frame and those of the thirty-five foot tree standing next to the fir trimmed fireplace. Soundwave had noticed the strange decorations but had not asked about them. They were inconsequential to him so he let it pass. "Do you expect an answer to that?"
"I do. You do know that our people will keep coming. The city-formers are too. The calls have reached everywhere. You are going to lose and you know it. Why not call it an orn? Megatron will slit your throat when he comes back. You know he will … him or that spawn of his."
Soundwave regarded Ironhide a moment, then looked out again. "This is an achievement I will grant you but the prize is still in play."
"And if you drop the ball, what then? What makes you think you can defeat that slagger? He's died and come back to life more than once. He will not forget who fragged him off. Even if by some miracle you pull Cybertron out of the scrap heap, he will still kill you for being strong enough to do it. You can't win with a psycho."
Soundwave looked out the window again. "Perhaps. Perhaps not."
"You're afraid of the Matrix. You won't give your pledge because of the Matrix," Ironhide said. "You have no intention of keeping any pledge so you won't give one because you aren't going to keep it anyway."
Soundwave considered that. "You seem to have all the answers."
"I know a slagger when I see one. I personally would never believe you Matrix or not but its nice to know that you're afraid of breaking a promise to it," Ironhide replied.
Nearby sitting on couches in conversation, the two staffers Soundwave brought with him chatted with Jazz and Mirage. The bigger conversation was going on internally but the spoken chat was about the game.
Prowl for his part was talking to Paragon, the two having a quiet conversation by the dining room door, drinks in servo. As the guests mingled, drank and ate appetizers, the head waiter appeared. "Sir, dinner is served."
Prime nodded. "Thank you." He turned to his guests. "Please join me for dinner."
Glasses were gathered by waiters as the guests walked to the huge table. It was glittering with settings and decorations appropriate to the occasion as all found their places and sat. Waiters brought out the first course and filled 'wine' glasses. They began to eat, conversation remaining fixed on the game.
"What does it feel like to finally win a game?" Slacker asked with a bemused smirk glancing at Prowl who sat between Alor and Paragon.
Prowl fixed him with a calm expression. "Good."
Chuckles met that as the group relaxed slightly. Starscream looked at Soundwave and with his usual direct lack of tact asked the 64 million shanix question. "Are you throwing in the towel or do we at some point have to come take you out, Soundwave?"
The conversation paused as everyone turned to listen. Soundwave regarded Starscream, then the mechs with him. Rainmaker had taken away any chance of the Seekers ever sticking by the Cause. Megatron had been the spark, Rainmaker was the gasoline. He sat back considering Starscream. "I am analyzing the data and it will take a bit of time. I am sure you understand."
"I understand ambition, Soundwave. I understand futility as well. You are playing a zero sum game," Starscream said. "You are the past beating on the door of the future," he said with a slow sweep of his servo to encompass the room and all in it. "You will find nothing there but bullets."
"Perhaps." Soundwave stared at Starscream, then the big Seeker found fresher meat. "What about you two?" the Seeker asked.
Slacker glanced at Paragon who sat with a shuttered expression. "I like this place. I will think about it. After all, I am only one of three different groups of privateers out there." He looked at Prime. "Just so you know." He grinned.
"No one comes here without putting their spark into the game. The Matrix oath is required," Prowl said.
Paragon considered his answer. "I would not break an oath to the Matrix."
It was silent a moment. "You will not win, Paragon. I believe that you know that. The only question left to ask is very simple. When are you going to give it up and come in out of the cold?" Alor asked.
Paragon looked at Alor, the most talented musician his people ever produced. He loved Alor and his music the same way that almost every Cybertronian did. "I will have to consider that, Maestro. I cannot give you an answer now."
"You should. Consider that nothing will really change. Our people will keep coming. We will meet them and if challenged, fight. We will also win. No one in this room is as diverse in potential or as prepared to meet a force like us. You even together cannot defeat us. We will not be defeated," Alor said.
It was silent a moment, then another course came. Sitting, eating, making small talk, the dinner continued beautiful course after beautiful course.
-0-Elsewhere
Jetta left the office heading for a party in Terra. Elita was already there waiting for him but he wanted to make sure that two things were ready to go. First, the pallets of gifts for the city's children and elders were ready at the Central Labor Hall of the city below Fort Max. They were many and would take a while for delivery by Santa Prime and his 'elves'.
Secondly, he checked that every intersection of the city had decorations and the major exchanges had lighted trees. The night sparkled as the lights came on to illuminate everything. Lights crossed streets, trees twinkled even as here and there store fronts had their own decorations too. He walked along looking with satisfaction at the beauty of Autobot City. Towers were lit as families and other occupants came home, some of them with lights from trees and other decorations.
He liked Christmas Surprise. It was beautiful. It would be hard to take everything down. Given that the Cybertronian calendar and the human's had coincided on two more holidays, he was going to recommend that they stay up through Memorial and Veteran's days which coincided with the human's New Years. Their new year was nowhere in sight yet but the humans afforded an opportunity for them to celebrate together.
He walked to the Metro Station #1 and disappeared down into the ground.
-0-The dinner party
Dessert was finished, something amazing and beautiful, so the group retired to the living room. The table was cleared in no time and the room looked as elegant and clean as before. It was almost as if by magic. They sat in the living room with the fire glowing, the lights turned down slightly as the tree threw off beautiful colorful glowing illumination.
"May I ask what that is?" Slacker asked as he sat next to Blackjack.
"That is part of a custom of our allies, the humans. They place them during their holiday for the edification of their children. I find them beautiful and restful," the enormous bot said as he sipped his drink.
Slacker nodded. "I like it," he said. "I can see why children like it."
"They do," Prowl replied as he sat down on the fire place ledge. Behind him, the holographic image of a fire burned throwing off heat and light.
"You went out full stop here, Prime. I for one appreciate the effort you made to intimidate me," Slacker said with a grin.
"Did it work?" Prime asked with a slight grin.
"Yes," Slacker said with a nod. "What about you three? You look like you lost your aft in a card game."
They looked at Slacker with various expressions of distaste, disgust and loathing. Slacker looked at Prime. "I think they mean yes too."
Prime grinned, then an explosion outside gave everyone pause. They rose and walked to the windows peering outside into the dark night. A shell had streaked up, then exploded. Several more came next so they slid the doors opened and walked outside to the verandah that ringed the apartment. Crowds below were gathered as the fireworks for the game were launched.
All of the teams were given their props but the last one was the place all of them coveted their team to be given. A huge rocket whistled up, then exploded showering purple flashing lights as the emblem of Praxus Science appeared, then hung for a moment before disappearing. Spectators howled and applauded, their faces looking up as the pyrotechnical division of Autobot City Sciences did their magic once more. The rockets rose and exploded before the Emblem of the Primes appeared signaling the end of the presentation. Cheers and shouts, dancing and singing rose up to where they all stood watching. Then they died down as families and the multitudes began to disperse to celebrate or mourn at home, whatever the case.
They stood together silently watching the city, the lights in the sky and their countrymen and women walk from the airfield to the cities where they lived. It would be exciting on the underground trains that night everyone was sure.
Soundwave watched the multitudes, then turned to Prime. "I am assuming this is our signal to leave?" he asked.
Prime nodded. "It is."
"Well, I for one thank you for the show, accommodations, the food and the game. I almost felt like I was home again." Slacker grinned. "Of course, if I were home I would be sitting in a tenement hungry with the game playing on the Net."
"That will never happen here," Prime said with conviction.
"Imagine that," Slacker said with a slight smirk. "A civil servant that I can actually believe."
The others had nothing to add.
-0-At the Fortress space bridge
They gathered, the Senior Autobots, Prime and their six guests. The group stood before Prime silently, their optics fixed on the Prime and the technology in the room. Prime looked at Wheeljack who stood nearby, then nodded. 'Jack turned and walked through the bridge which was roaring nearby. He stepped on the platform and disappeared on his way to the Trigger. He would personally supervise the transfer of their guests back to their planetoid.
Slacker looked at him, then nodded. "Thanks," he said simply.
Prime nodded, then watched as Slacker stepped in himself. Security waiting on the Trigger would gather them, then they would be sent back to where they came from. Prime looked at the others.
Soundwave looked at Prime a moment, then turned and walked though without a word. His staff members nodded to Prime with a slight smirk, then followed.
Paragon who watched them go, turned to Prime. "The migrations will be protected. You have my word."
Prime nodded. "I would prefer your surrender."
He looked at Prime a moment, then turned and walked to the platform. In seconds, he was gone.
The bridge shut down, the energy dissipating as they stood together. Alor who was closest to the bridge turned to the others. "That was intriguing. I am guessing there will be a debrief?"
"Tomorrow morning before Santa rides into town," Prime said with a grin.
"And his elves?" Alor asked as he grinned at his baby boy.
"Oh slag," Ironhide said rolling his optics.
"I don't know about you but I'm glad to get back to the usual slag," Ratchet said with a grin. "I have younglings somewhere I think. I vaguely remember them." He looked at Prime. "You do remember dinner is at our apartment with gifting at yours?"
Prime looked at Prowl. "Do I remember that?"
Prowl nodded. "Indubitably."
Ironhide grinned.
It was a funny happy walk back to the city and home once more.
-0-TBC January 1, 2014
NOTE: Guest told me about a story glitch with part 571 and 554 which I fixed by changing part 554 and leaving 571 because it was better. Thank you, honey. You are the bomb. :D All of you are. ON TO THE FIFTH ACTUAL CALENDAR YEAR OF THIS STORY! (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and now 2014) Yes, I am insane. :D:D