The Diego Diaries: New 9 (634)
-0-On the way
The procession gathered more individuals as the city began to turn out to honor the reason for their prosperity and security. Someone somewhere made the drone whose faultless programming made their life on Mars possible. Tens of thousands, possibly more than a million seemed to flood every street and line the highways that led to the Basilica beyond. The small solemn group bearing the body of the Seeker drone walked gravely, with great dignity as they followed Prime and the priests.
It was intensely quiet even with the size of the crowds as the group made their way forward. Past the Temple and onward to the highway that led by the mausoleum to the great towering Basilica of the Primes, they continued joined by family who made their way forward for the following naming ceremony. It soared upward, the ceiling more than 200 feet above the floor. It waited for them to come. The remaining priests stood on the steps, one of them holding the Star Sabre point down for Prime to do the honors.
The sun was warm overhead as they moved slowly, the windows of the towers nearby filled with those who didn't tempt the crowds. They were watching instead from their aeries as the body of someone who had no idea that the consequence of his dogged dedication would be their city and the ease of their battered lives passed by slowly. Humans and Hu-An continued with the bots as they walked on the highway that lead to the Basilica.
Prime and the party passed the Mausoleum. Overhead, cameras on the satellites captured the scene below. It had been banned from the MCA and would not be broadcast to the humans. There were several reasons why, not the least was the security around the existence of Gliese 581 g. The crowd milled onward as they walked to pay respects to the drone and his unknown builders from the past.
The road disappeared out to the Tri-Cities. In the distance four giant city formers flashed their lights and sounded their sirens in a salute of respect, the echoes rolling out as Fort Max and Metroplex echoed them. When they reached the turnoff, they walked down the cobblestone road that led to the Basilica. As they reached the steps, the party stopped but for Prime. He continued onward to perform his part of the Salute that all fallen Primes receive when they are given a Primal funeral.
The masses halted but for the Hu-An and the humans who moved forward until they could see. They halted to watch as Prime climbed the steps, then paused before the priests. They bowed to him deeply but for the one who held the Star Saber. He nodded to them, then took the Star Saber in servo. The priests moved to either side of him as he turned, the sword glinting in the sunlight.
:Damn. That is one big sword: Epps said softly.
Lennox nodded. :This whole thing is amazing:
They all nodded. They stared at Prime who had raised the sword upward until his entire arm was extended. They turned into the channel where his words would be carried, something Jazz alerted them to do. The little noise that they could detect ceased completely as everyone stood with great anticipation. A Prime with the Star Saber in servo was not a common sight and the electricity of the crowd could be felt even by the humans.
Epps and the humans looked around at the crowd standing before them. Then they turned to the impossibly heroic figure of Prime and the ancient relic of the Elder Days.
"Behold, a hero comes!" he said, his deep rich voice adding texture and power to his expression. "Behold, a hero of The People comes!"
Behind them, the crowd bowed, then exclaimed, "A hero comes!"
Then it was quiet a moment. Prime nodded, then raised the sword to his face, the blade pointing upward as he gave the salute. The crowd bowed in the direction of the stretcher. The guards holding it, those standing before and behind it were as statues, heroic in their affect and stature. The crowd felt the moment, the greatness of the opportunity to honor their people again in their own manner. All was very, very still.
Prime stepped down slowly, the sword held before him. When he reached the steps before the stretcher he paused lowering the sword to his side. Then he bowed low, holding the motion before straightening up again. "Welcome home at last," he said, then turned and began to go up the steps again. The stretcher followed along with the senior Autobots and civilians. Everyone else stood quietly, listening to the sound of footsteps walking up the stairs. Then the internal vision of the party and the ceremony was broadcast to everyone in the crowd as IntraComm picked up the scene inside. They stood watching it too, all of the thousands and millions who came.
Prime led the way past the priests who were now lined up on both sides of the center aisle. The catafalque waited for the body. When Prime reached it he stepped aside as the Guardsmen flawlessly shifted the body onto the high platform as they passed it on both sides. Turning, bowing, they stepped back and assumed parade rest. Armour who was standing at the front of the catafalque with the image of the Seeker drone stepped forward to put it on the stand that would hold it for three orns. Then the priests stepped forward and began the chanting prayers that were given to assist a spark to the Matrix. Their servos rested on the body as they did.
Ghosts were a common outcome of departed sparks. Some didn't find their way to the Matrix right away. Too many times the comforting words that were to be offered didn't reach their troubled unrested sparks. Given that this drone had none, it was still an honor accorded to it for its great success and contribution to their people. Because he did his job, their people would beat back extinction another day.
The prayers were ancient, pantheonic hymns designed to comfort the living and guide the dead. They soared upward in song as the priests combined their voices to do honor to the stranger lying in state before all of them. They echoed off the ceiling, then ended. The priests bowed lowly, then stepped aside. Prime walked to the front, bowed, then set the sword on its tip in a stand next to the picture. The honor of the Star Saber would be his during his lying in state, then it would be returned to the Temple once more.
Prime looked at the body, then turned to the crowded room. "Today, we gather to do honor to someone who has made possible the redemption of our people here on this world. Long ago, someone constructed him, then sent him away to ensure that the future would have hope and prosperity. This individual seeded this planet and system with energon. Nothing then hinted at the desperation of our present day. Nothing then foretold our dire circumstances when a dying people began to congregate to turn a bitter futility into something else entirely. We are here prospering because this entity held to their mission. We have bounty and possibility because he did his job. For this, there are no words of thanks that are sufficient. I would not wish to speculate how terrible and hard our life here would be without this entity and his efforts.
"We have accorded him the honors of a Primal funeral as some small effort on our part to show the debt to which we owe him. He made his final end on a planet within the edge of our sphere of influence. He was damaged too much to continue. We found him almost accidentally. We honor him purposefully. It is the very least we can do for someone who saved us from hardship and danger by his endless diligent service. We will hold him in honor for three orns, then he will be interred here with all the honors and dignity of a Prime. All hail the hero. All hail the lost son come home again."
Outside the chant began, the prayer that had become the clarion call of all Cybertronians everywhere. "Until all are one!" It rose up and soared to the heavens, combining together in the languages and spark felt emotion of the millions. Inside the Basilica, the sound reverberated against the walls. Sunlight streamed through the great windows as the stained glass figures of the Pantheon stared down inscrutably. It rose up, the prayer to Primus and The One, then it stilled almost as one. The silence was nearly painful as all optics watched Prime. He turned, then bowed to the figure on the catafalque. Turning, he waited for Prowl to join him. He slipped through followed by the family, then walked with Prime through the crowd. Down the long central aisle, then outside on the platform they went pausing on the top of the first step. The family gathered around as out of the crowd a tiny green and pink femme struggled to reach the steps. She did, then ran up to be lifted into Sunstreaker's arms. Grins and laughter met that as Silverbow leaned against Sunstreaker's chassis, her arm around his neck.
Prime turned to Ultra Magnus who nodded, then stepped forward. Ratchet smirked at Arcee as he stood with his arms around Appa Ratchet's shoulders. The little mech stood with a dazzled expression as he was pulled into the family group. Magnus stood before the crowd that stretched out seemingly forever. He nodded. "I am Ultra Magnus and I serve the people of Cybertron, the Autobots and the Prime with all my spark. I knew him before he was Prime, when he was Orion Pax. We grew up together, Orion Pax and I." He turned to look at Kestrel and Tagg who stood with Venture, Miler, Ratchet's family and other friends. "I knew his genitors who were fine mechs both of them. We had shared experiences and when the conflict came we faced it together. He is my brother, my friend, my Prime. It is my honor to stand before you and share a moment that no one deserves more. No one deserves a family and bond more than Orion Pax of Iacon, our great Prime, Optimus. I am honored to do this for him." He turned, then nodded to Prime. Stepping back, he moved to the side.
Prime stepped forward, then paused as he watched Prowl and the little mechs step forward. Spirit held Miracle's servo as he stood smiling and waving his other which held a tiny stuffed teddy bear. Prowl who had retrieved a bundle from his carry hold handed it to Optimus. He peeled back blankets to see a tiny femme face staring up at him. He grinned, then turned to the crowd. "I never expected personal happiness or fulfillment. I never expected it for me ever. But I have been blessed with it in great quantities. I have family around me, my genitors and Prowl's. We have children. We have family and friends. I am incredibly happy. Now I am a father of a daughter. I agree with Ironhide. There is nothing like a daughter. So Prowl and I are incredibly happy to share ours with you. I would like to show you our daughter. Prowl?"
Prowl grinned. "We named her in honor of the Seeker drone inside. We did it to honor his service and the makers who sent him out. Because they did, we are here with a future. Our daughter like everyone else has a future. The name of our daughter is Sojourner."
It took a moment of searching for the meaning, then the crowd began to roar as the infant was shown in all her glory. She was the spitting image of Optimus Prime.
Her little wings were the spitting image of Prowl.
-0-TBC February 24, 2014 edited 2-24-14
NOTE: Orion is language delayed. Or perhaps in light of the accelerated speech patterns of the others, he's right on track but looks delayed with the others. I like to show slice of life in my stories. If things are too perfect, they don't feel as real. Someone like Sunspot is living proof that a species fighting a war for nine million years with a destroyed planet and population dispersed to their own survival and protection isn't going to come together as whole and functioning immediately. Hero happens once in a while where a baby will start talking in full sentences. Orion is not so untypical but he has work ahead. Praxus is on target as is Miracle. Orion is older than all of them and he had conversation and brain development in all the right ways. He just is his own mech and speech is his waterloo. :D
I love your notes. The spies and the other pirates/cons are coming up in the rescue. Thank you for when you remind me of something that falls off my list. I am constantly updating the paper lists as well as putting it on the writing program. A one click program with everything on it is soooo helpful in a story this long. HUGS to all!