The Diego Diaries: Here and There 1 (656)
-0-Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars
Turquoise walked into lobby with a datapad in servos. He walked with a light step, one that had been his lot since the redemption of their entire family. Copperton in his sorrow over his son had thrown himself into work that benefited everyone in the city. He had gone to the construction union and begged a job doing menial labor in the pits. At first the bosses thought he was kidding … a sort of high caste joke. His paint scheme was exquisite and they were unsure what his point was.
They handed him a shovel, pointed to a foundation hole and watched. Copperton not only worked as hard as everyone else taking breaks when they did without complaint, he came back the next orn and the next. He was dedicated to t,he job it was clear but he was also genuinely concerned and interested in the other mechs and their lives. It was as if a regular mech had donned a high caste suit and came to work among them.
He was smart on a great deal of technical aspects of the job but unwilling to move away from the grunt work to do strictly administrative dealings. It was only with the absolute guarantee that he would be part of construction crews doing the heavy lifting that he agreed to evaluate and double check the blue prints and finished detailed work such as the wiring and plumbing. He was invaluable as a skilled analyst but remained part of the crews that did the work too.
Copperton came home every orn happy and contented. He showered at the Labor Hall Common Wash Racks that were there for the convenience of the colony's workers, shared a beer with the boys at Maccadam's, the bar of choice for working mechs and formed fast friendships among the other workers. He was as content and fulfilled in his professional life as he had ever been.
Turquoise had noticed the change when he came home the first night after working so hard in the dirt. He sat down for a moment without comment, then looked at Turquoise who stared at him with concern. "They don't care that I'm high caste, Turquoise. They don't care."
Turquoise had sat down beside him taking his servo. "You worked hard, Copperton. I can feel it in your aura. Did you enjoy it? Are you helped?"
He nodded. "I did. I accomplished something that I could see the outcome. It was positive, Turquoise. It was needed, really needed. The mechs were kind to me, Only One. They were friendly and kind. They asked me to get a drink with them off shift. I did. We talked about all kinds of things. I enjoyed it so much." He looked at Turquoise, his optics near to tears. "I am accepted."
Turquoise held him as he wept.
Walking to the elevator in the lobby of the Medical Center, Turquoise entered, then rose upward to the 49th floor. He thought about the contentment of his bond, something he felt all orn long. He knew when Copperton was laughing, having a good time. He knew when he was concentrating on some plan or other. He knew when he was standing on the high steel staring around at the cities he was helping to build. It was as thrilling for Turquoise to experience this way as he knew it was for Copperton to live it.
Life had changed and they had too. They were reborn in the peace of this place, in the ashes of their old life and the shame of all of it.
Burnoff was working with Sciences on boosting the communications relays that were going to be used to communicate with Cybertron at some point. He had so many ideas born of his isolation on the moon of Earth that he was barely able to contain them. Sciences regularly sent to the store scientists to discuss their collaborations and ideas together. He himself sat at the desk in his son's lobby and greeted them, sending them down the sunlit hallway to his son's lab.
Turquoise had no idea that his son was a prodigy in electronics and physics. Burnoff hadn't either. He applied himself in detention and earned a degree in engineering. He was working on one in physics with the idea of applying his skills to communications, warp engineering and space bridges. His curiosity and the flow of his ideas was nonstop. Wheeljack had joked that Burnoff reminded him of himself when he was younger, something that Burnoff had shared with Copperton. The two of them were thrilled, the comparison one of enormous pride for his genitors.
Exiting the elevator, Turquoise walked to Ratchet's office where everything had begun barely a year ago. Ratchet who was briefly getting a bead on the medical end of the migration before heading for home to inspect the shorties glanced up and smiled. "Turquoise."
Turquoise stood in the doorway with a big smile. "Ratchet. I found the flaw."
-0-Out there
"Prime, we have incoming from Trannis." Blaster turned to Optimus who was sitting at the table in conference with Ironhide and Kup.
"Put it through, Blaster," Optimus said as all three sat back. The forward monitor flickered from the view of space as a big mech's face appeared.
"Prime. Long time no see," Trannis said with a grin. "I see you moved into the neighborhood too."
"Trannis," Prime said quietly.
"I want to talk to you about that. I'm glad you decided to be neighborly and send out the welcome but I'm finding myself closed in. I don't think you want that do you? It might make things itchy around here. You know … like my trigger finger."
Prime considered him. "I want you to understand something, Trannis. I know you like to kill. I know you have no concern for the civilians that you have in your custody. But I am holding you responsible for all of them anyway. If anyone dies, you will be eviscerated. There will be no way for you to escape the death that we will deal you."
"I don't mind. Everyone dies sometime," Trannis said. "I would like you to leave. Once I have my fortress built I'll let the civilians go. You have allowed Cyclonus to stay out here. I am aware of three big groups of Decepticons who are putting down roots nearby as well. Then there are those strange aliens that tried to put us down a while back with their little ships and fighters. I suppose you know who they are. Pirates are out here too. It would be inhospitable of you to single us out."
"I am aware of everyone else. They have not meddled with the refugees. The refugees are innocent. They are coming for safety. As long as the others do not provoke a fight with me, I do not care what they do. In the end they will deal with Megatron when he comes."
"You expect him to come do you?" Trannis said. "What if I tell you that Megatron is dead? What if I tell you that his spark is extinguished and that the only one leading the Decepticons is that half wit son of his, Galvatron."
"I would not believe you without proofs," Optimus said quietly.
"I will provide them. Eventually. Right now, I'm concerned with digging in. Some of the pirate groups have been slagging at me on the way here. I schooled them on the error of their ways." He grinned. "When I'm dug in, the refugees leave. They don't contribute anything to me beyond their labor. I will send some of them out now as collateral on the debt you think I owe you. How will that be?"
"I want them all. Now," Prime said.
"Sorry. Wait until the fort is up to specs. Then you get the whiners. I will send the elderly and the kids. You can have them. We will keep the adults until we finish. If you come in here, Prime, I'll start breaking things. Understand?" Trannis asked leaning forward slightly.
Before Prime could speak the transmission was cut. Everyone stared at the screen, then Ironhide looked at Prime. "You might want to run that Megatron remark past Cyclonus and Soundwave. It might be news to them. Or not."
Optimus Prime considered that, then nodded. "It might be fun." He looked at Blaster. "Put Soundwave on the line, Blaster."
Blaster turned working the panel, then glanced at Prime. "He's on. Do you want his image with the audio?"
"Yes," Optimus said.
The screen changed as Soundwave's image filled it. He looked at Prime with the same blankness, the same inscrutability that made him such an underestimated foe. He looked at Prime for a moment, then nodded. "Prime."
"Soundwave, I want to know what you know about Trannis," Prime said.
Soundwave considered that. "He was killed by Wreckers some time back. Why?"
"He's building a fort out here on the refugee trail." Prime watched Soundwave for giveaways. It was almost a parlor game among some to spot genuine emotional reaction from the big mech. Prime would be among the multitudes who would fail.
"That would be impossible. He was killed by Wreckers some time back," Soundwave said.
Prime glanced at Blaster. "Send images."
Blaster did and they watched Soundwave watch them on a screen off to one side. He looked up at Prime. "That is him. I believe his demise was overestimated."
"It would appear so. He said that Megatron was dead. Is his demise overestimated or is there something you would like to tell me?" Prime asked.
A brief tic greeted that news but Soundwave covered it up. "I am not aware of that."
"Do you hear from him?" Prime asked.
Soundwave considered Prime and his off hand almost laughably benign request. "I am unaware of his death. If Trannis has that information I am not in the loop. I would suggest that you suspect that report of death with the same skepticism with which to take his own."
"We have him cornered. He has civilians. We are going to get them back. If you wish to be taken seriously and you have any influence whatsoever you will tell him to let them go. If anything happens to them I am holding you personally responsible," Prime said.
"I don't see how that is my responsibility, Prime. I have no control over this mech," Soundwave retorted.
"He is a Decepticon. I am under the idea that you were in charge of them now. If you have influence … if you are really in charge as you say … rectify this thing now," Prime said.
Soundwave looked at him, then sat back oddly enough in Prime's chair in the Residence at Iacon. "I will make inquiries but I won't guarantee anything, Prime. He isn't part of the program anymore."
"He wears the brand, Soundwave. He is yours."
"There are those who might think otherwise," Soundwave countered.
"Would Megatron be one of them?" Prime asked.
Soundwave stared at Prime with an inscrutable expression. "Soundwave out." The screen went dead and space returned.
"That was interesting," Ironhide said with a smirk. "That mech is going to have to do something here. He can ignore it and maybe miss out on an opportunity to find out the truth about his master or take this mech out for us trying to find out if he's lying. Either way, we put another dagger into the neck of Trannis."
"I think so," Prime said nodding in agreement. "For now, we have to approach this like we are on our own. I want our presence felt constantly. I want him to know we are here."
"We will have Seeker flights in the rubble and test his sense of territory and to be ready if he really sends some civilians out. We can also get a bead on what he can field against us," Thundercracker said.
"Very well," Prime said. "Have them make themselves known. No shooting. I want to see what he will tolerate and what makes him act. He has the upper servo for now. We have to be careful." Prime sat back, his irritation evident. "We must be vigilant for any ships they send out. I would not put it past him to mine them."
They bent to the task at servo, grim faced and determined to prevail.
-0-Later that night
He walked down the corridor heading for the officers wing of the residential decks of the warship. It was night mode on board. When he reached the captain's quarters, he opened the door quietly. It was dark inside as he stood taking his bearings. He turned walking to a doorway nearby and stepped inside looking around the room with infrared optics.
He was lying on the berth watching him in the doorway. Prowl smirked. "Peek-a-boo."
Prime grinned. "I see you," he said patting the berth beside him. Calling up a bit of light Prime watched as Prowl walked toward him, then sat on the berth. The winger tapped his hold and extracted a small bundle from inside. Prime sat up and turned on his side staring at his daughter in Prowl's servo. He grinned. "Ironhide was right about daughters."
Prowl nodded. "He was. Optimus?"
Prime looked at Prowl with a slight grin. "What?"
"Don't tell him," Prowl said with a smile.
"It will be our secret," Optimus Prime said as he took his daughter into his own servo. They would sit together talking quietly for a while before Prowl would leave and Prime would rest. Tomorrow was another orn as they said.
Whoever they were.
-0-TBC March 20, 2014 edited 4-4-14
NOTE: For those of you reading the first two Diegos, thanks for your great notes. You don't have return addies and I know you won't see this for a while. But hugs anyway. :D