The Diego Diaries: New Years (582) edited
-0-Around the colony
"Did you hear? Prowl is sparked."
"No. Really? Another Prime sparkling?"
"Uh huh. Great, huh?"
"It is. More parties. Can't have too many."
"From your lips to Primus's audials."
-0-Bar and Dar
They sat with friends who had gathered to plan the reception following the funeral of their son. They would have two. One would be the three orn long open house at their apartment that was traditional and the other would be a reception at The Rookery in Tyger Pax. The funeral would be a procession from the Metroplex Hospital where Commotion's body was lying waiting to be taken to the Basilica for the full three orn viewing, then the interment to follow at the Mausoleum. The Rookery would be the first most public reception, then three orns at their apartment would seal his send off among family and friends. They were debating inviting the Prime, which would be a common thing among high castes on Cybertron.
"I am ambivalent," someone said. "What about you, Dar? I know it is the usual thing but I don't know."
Dar sat quietly, then glanced at Bar. "What do you want, Bar?" he asked gently.
He looked at the others. "I want my son to have all honors. I want Prime there. My son deserves to have all the honors, Dar."
Dar nodded, then glanced at the others. "I want him too."
The request would be extended. Prime would accept.
-0-At the Memorial of the Fallen and Lost at the Administrative Plaza of Metroplex District
Workers were putting the last burnishes on the tall monument that would be dedicated the next orn on New Year's. It would also be the colony's Veteran's and Memorial monument to all who were lost for the Cybertronians as well as humans. It was going to be dedicated the next day due to the odd confluence of holidays on the calendar.
It would be lit and burn in perpetuity to honor those fallen in battle, lost in the Diaspora and the Fall of Cybertron and all who were harmed in the wars and battles on Earth. All of the names of the people who had been killed on Earth in Egypt, California and all points in between had been listed in tiny glyphs on enormous sheets of copper along with nearly four million Cybertronian names thus far that were fastened to the monument itself. More were available on the walls that surrounded the giant open pentagonal space. The spear shaped device would reach upward for more than fifty feet. All over its surface were tiny openings where flame would escape coalescing into a giant torch that would honor those lost or fallen.
The city ever rolled onward as they worked. Things were getting back to normal after the festivities, infants were out in public with their families as they undertook another orn of holiday together. Businesses were open doing brisk trade as the day wore onward. Ratchet walked swiftly along heading for the Sports Center. He had looked in on a case that needed his opinion in the post op ward at the Medical Center, then hustled out to go to the Sports Center to join Ironhide and the younglings. Most of them.
Crossing the street, he walked down Metroplex Highway 3 on his way to the corner of Metroplex Highway 2. He continued onward heading along Highway 3 until he reached where it intersected with Temple. It would continue onward to Terra and beyond. Temple would lead down to the Sports Center. He had heard that a new one would be built in the new cities construction. That would be a good idea. Swimming had begun to catch on. Another huge pool would be just right.
He passed apartment towers, then turned on Sports Center Street heading for the huge doorway and the air lock system that made the Sports Center possible. Crowds were there, some coming and others going. He entered the anteway to the air lock, then paused as the process was made to keep the inside in and the outside out.
He entered, then paused looking around. In the pool floating on a little round raft, all of the babies of the family were sitting, some of them splashing, some laughing their tiny afts off. Sunstreaker was standing in the water holding the raft as he slowly pushed it around the pool. The infants were ecstatic with joy at the idea of the pool, their genitor's undivided attention and each other's company.
Sitting at a table nearby, the others relaxed, ate lunch and enjoyed the hilarity. Ratchet reached them, pulled out a chair and put in an order. "They're having a great time. Jetta has plans to make another Sports Center in the new development. It will be a good thing," Ratchet said.
Ironhide nodded. "It will. Sparklings are elbow to elbow here."
"Prowl is going to separate in three decaorns?" Springer asked with a grin. He sat with them waiting for Drift and their shift to start.
"He is."
"Mech or femme?" Ironhide asked.
"I don't know. They sort of batted around the idea of a femme. He's Praxian so he probably won't tell us, the slagger. You and your slagging rules,Ironhide" Ratchet said as he received his food and drink.
"Praxians. Did you hear that Moda and Tress invoked on Smokey and Hot Rod?" Ironhide asked with a grin.
All optics turned to him. "Not Dev?"
"Moda beat them to it. He overheard his son making arrangements to frag the weekend away and put the brakes on," Ironhide said with a grin.
"Sparkling talked to me about how he feels hemmed in but then, he's the slagging Praxian. It could be worse. He could be from Stanix," Ratchet said with a grin. "He also hasn't got a clue about protection against sparking."
"Few of us do," Springer said as Drift entered the facility. He paused by the rim of the pool to talk to Sunstreaker, then turned with a grin to join them at their various tables which had been pushed together. Sitting, he took a beer. Clicking it with Springer, he took a swig. "What are we talking about?"
"Moda and Tress invoked on Smokey," Springer said with a grin. "Apparently, they don't want no shot gun bondings."
"Like us?" Drift asked with a wink.
"Ah, I wondered who Cliffjumper's genitors were," Ratchet said with a grin. That got all the love it deserved.
"Were they fragging or did they get that far?" Drift asked.
"Nope," Springer said. "Praxian ways are strange, little Padwan."
"Not as strange as the Stanixians. Bonding into them is like joining the Temple. You are in for life and you have to follow rules. You have to make agreements about family and all that before you bond and the family lets you have it along the way until the bond is made. You can't just merge. You have to have a ceremony and slagging fine parties, lots of them. Your family group and clan are the unit that keeps you going," Ratchet said.
"Stanix was so poor, they had to band together to survive," Ironhide said with a nod.
If Stanix had poverty, what was the excuse of Praxus?" Drift asked with a grin.
"Well," Ironhide began, "the families that come from there settled back in the orn. There were all manner of mechs so they did what they did to maintain safety and order.
"Actually, the first Praxians pulled a slide rule out of their afts and came up with The Rules," Ratchet said with a wink at Ironhide.
"You can't make me feel badly, Old Mech. We are after all the Primus League winners," Ironhide said with a touch of the insufferable.
"After the entirety of our history and the cheating of Prowl," Sideswipe said as he rose to go to the pool. "Slaggers." He walked to the edge stepping in displacing water and causing the little raft to bounce on little waves. The sparklings screeched to the high heavens with pleasure.
The rest of the fam took pictures, ate and shot the breeze until everyone broke up to go home or on duty. It was fun.
-0-At the prison
Paragon and Arrow walked to the gate and stepped out. They were going on a tour of the city with about 100 of their soldiers. Everyone was clean and cleared of the regalia of Those Other Guys. Some of them were wearing their own colors for the first time in ages. They were lined up, excited and interested, their optics roaming the area with anticipation. They were among the first best hopes for a relatively easy assimilation.
"Fall in," Nitro said. They did. "We will go about the city. We are going to be explaining the layout, your rights and obligations. You will be mentored by the Association and attend meetings until we are clear, both sides, that you are an asset and not an ass." He turned and nodded to the mechs who were gathered with him. They moved to form an escort all around them. Then they stood out together walking down Prison Road to Fortress. They would turn right and continue onward. By the time they had been all over the city, every youngling mech and the two femmes in the group would be anxious to give their oaths and move onward into a new life.
They would have to wait until the morning.
-0-Later that evening
"ADA!"
"What?"
"YOU COME HERE TO ME!?"
Ratchet got up from his chair and walked to the hallway. Peering into Orion's room, he grinned. Praxus and Orion were sitting at a tiny table with Hero. They had a number of play clothes on, hats and little skirts that Hero liked to play with. Sitting on the fourth little chair at the table was a teddy bear wearing a little cloche hat. They were playing dinner. Or tea. Ratchet grinned, then pulled his camera for snaps. They looked up at him with giant smiles. "ADA! COME SHE HERE?! YOU COME HERE TO DO THIS?!"
Ratchet subbed his camera, then walked to the table sitting on the floor next to them. They were tiny compared to him but they were ecstatic. "Do you want something to drink, Ada?" Hero asked rising from her chair.
"I do. I am so thirsty. How nice of you to invite me," Ratchet said.
As Hero bustled to give Ratchet a tea cup filled with imaginary tea and a cookie from the plate where their evening treats were stacked, he took it into with his giant over sized digits. Standing in the door way when he did, Ironhide watched with a grin. "Looks like fun here."
"ATAR! COME HERE!" Orion asked in his usual manner. Ironhide did and with some difficulty managed to sit on the floor too. He took his cup and a cookie. They sat a moment, everyone grinning at each other. Then Hero rose with her little tea pot. "DO YOU WANT MORE, ATAR!?" she asked with almost too much happiness.
"Sure," he said with a grin. She poured tea into everyone's cup and they 'drank' it. All was well.
-0-On a bench at the Children's Park At Metroplex
They sat on a table, their peds resting on the bench. The two moons overhead threw weak light upon the ground below. The lights of the city glittered all around them. Street lights along the roadways came on and glowed halos of illumination in the velvet black of night.
"Sure is pretty at night," Smokey said.
Hot Rod nodded. "I know." He looked at Smokey, at the handsome profile of the kid. "You look good in moonlight."
Smokey looked at him, then nodded slightly. "You too," he said, then ducked his helm. He stared at the ground a moment, then looked up at the figure occupying a table nearby. "It would look better if my atar weren't here."
Hot Rod glanced at Moda who was staring at them sternly. "You won't get an argument from me," he said with spark felt emotion.
-0-Up in the clouds
"Then we have agreement on the infant?" Prowl asked as he sat on a chair in their enormous berth room.
Optimus peered from the wash rack and nodded. "I think that is a wonderful idea. We are in agreement."
"Good," Prowl said with a grin. "I am so surprised by this, Optimus."
"As am I," Optimus said shutting off the light to step out into the room. He moved to sit on the big berth. "I never had the slightest hope of having a family, Prowl. I knew that I always loved you. I just never thought it would be more than that. When the little mechs showed up, it all fell into place. I am as content right now as I ever dreamed of being."
Prowl nodded. "I am too. I wanted something but I never knew what it was. There was just a need that I couldn't articulate. We have a beautiful family. I am so happy."
Optimus nodded. "This we will defend."
Prowl nodded. "Paragon was a surprise. I expected more of a fight. Do you trust him, Only One?"
"I trust the Matrix. Even if he goes off the reservation, the Matrix will take him down."
Prowl nodded again. Then he grinned slightly. "What about names, Optimus?"
He grinned. "We have the name file. I noticed that you added more to the list over the past few decaorns."
"There are many. Maybe we can winnow it down to the perfect one. I like your idea that the name should require something of the infant, to coax them along to become more than they might be otherwise. A very Praxian sentiment I might add."
Optimus nodded. "My family expected us to become more than our circumstances."
"And you became the best mech I ever met," Prowl said, his emotions rising. They were there behind his iron control. No one knew them as well as Optimus and his children.
Optimus looked at Prowl, at the handsome mech who had been at his side for eons, yet seemed always out of reach. He nodded slightly. "I am happy with you."
Prowl rose, then paused before Optimus. He touched Prime's face with his servo. "And I with you too."
It was quiet as they embraced. The infants were in bed. The night outside was dark and the sky covered with the silver light of the Milky Way. All was well in their world at that moment. There was no Arachnid, no war, no Megatron and Galvatron. The cities were calm and peaceful. The next orn, they would celebrate a new year's arrival and the departure of the old. They would do it with family and friends, comrades and new allies from old enemies. It would be peaceful.
It would be welcome.
-0-TBC January 9, 2014
NOTES: I have been watching and self editing the FX channel which has been showing Transformers: Dark of the Moon for a few days. A couple of things. I wish people would stop putting Einstein's face on characters who are scientists. Given the awesomeness of Transformer's designs, there are plenty of mechs to use. I am not sure if that character, Q – an homage to Bond's science geek was wearing a kilt or not but he sort of stood out like a sore thumb.
I also LOVED it when the four mechs were caught and Ratchet had a snit with the bot who had him. "GET OFF ME!" I remember seeing them struggle and Ratchet falling. He was pissy to the bitter end, Our Ratchet. :D I really liked Wheelie and Brains. I think the shot of Ironhide where he raps on Prime's helm was a beauty shot of his Beyverse format. Sideswipe is just the bomb. He is still odd looking facially but he is fascinating to watch. He's a mini-con size here. I love to see him flying around with his swords everywhere. :D
I still want to punch Bey in the face. :D But there is intel in everything. ;)
Here's an intriguing factoid from Movie verse Sideswipe: "The only thing more important to Sideswipe than looking good while being awesome... is God." The word, God links on the site to a profile of Primus.
Who knew? :D