The Diego Diaries Funeral (668)
-0-At The Gold Standard, Centurian
They sat together, a reunited family at long last. Garner and Pruett who had sat up all night talking to their son watched with immaculate joy their family rejoined. Their three sons besides Sander were their greatest treasure. Bonds and three infants born on the trail of despair that led to this colony rounded out their delight. All of them were here at last and the feeling was ecstatic among them.
A big mech and his family paused by their table. After introductions, the mech looked at Garner and Pruett. "Are you coming to the funeral? The interment is today."
"We are," Garner said with a nod. "Are you going out there now?"
"We are," the mech said. "If you're done come with us."
Garner glanced at the others, then nodded. "Let's go," he said as he rose. The others did too including Sander. After thanking their waiters, a sight Sander had never seen his genitors or brothers do ever before, the group turned to follow the others out the door.
The exited onto the street which seemed extra crowded as everyone walked the same direction. Sander glanced at his brother, Insert. "What's going on? What funeral?"
"We're having a Primal funeral for a Seeker drone that was found on another world in our sphere of influence. He was the mechanism that seeded this planet with energon and everywhere else we're told." Insert picked up his son and the little smiling mech rode on his atar's arms as they walked together in a group.
"Seeker drones did that all the time. Why a funeral?" Sander asked.
"This planet is nearly 45% energon. Class A and A- energon. That drone did that for us. Without him doing his programming the way he did we would be struggling to do what we're doing with ease now. The Prime felt it and so do we," Insert said.
Sander nodded as he marveled at the idea that half the ground beneath his feet was a grade of energon even they only had on special occasions. Then they crossed the street to go down Temple which would turn into the highway to the tri-cities. It would lead past the Mausoleum, then to the Basilica. The crowds were heading that way en mass for the funeral of the one mechanism that had made their life bearable. Sander would walk with them surrounded by family for the first time since the Fall of Cybertron.
-0-Earlier
They gathered, the honor guard of Elite Guard warriors, spit shined and attentive to Kestrel and Tagg who waited in the lobby of their tower along with Ironhide's menagerie and the rest of the senior leadership both military and civilian. Paragon and Arrow had joined them, their affect impeccable as they stood with Starscream and the Seeker leadership.
At last Prime came out of an elevator after taking status reports on the new fort, Recluse and the others who were monitoring increased bogey activity and a large migration coming down the normal route. He walked to the group, then nodded. Turning, he walked toward the door with everyone else falling into line as tradition dictated in a Primal procession.
First came Prime, then the military, then the civilians. Before them walked the Elite guardsmen and behind them came more. It was impressive. It was also caught on film by the humans. Tonight, the first episode of Platoon: Autobot City would debut. It would be epic. So would be the six other episodes they already had in the can.
Out into the sunlight they went, the crowds parting to let them pass, then closing to follow. Overhead, the satellites of IntraComm who monitored the ground for the networks along with weather and other needs filmed the event for those who weren't there and for the news later on.
They walked along, the crowds moving along like a gathering tide. They reached Temple, then turned down the highway to the Mausoleum and Basilica beyond. It was warm to all concerned but the infants, a 'balmy' -60 degrees Fahrenheit. The sound of thousands of peds walking together was audible even without the aid of the audio built ins the humans who rolled with them utilized in their head gear.
The N.E.S.T. soldiers had returned, caught up and joined the march to the Basilica. Lennox and Epps buzzed along the side of the mass leading their little group ahead to find their site along the steps of the great building. A sloping ramp would take them inside so they hurried to be there at this, a very rare and unusual event even for the aliens.
They passed the Mausoleum whose yellowish stone walls shown brightly in the morning sunlight. Onward they rolled toward the black and gray stone walled Basilica which soared heavenward for over 200 feet. When they reached the steps the crowd had parted to gather around the front of the building in the great stone courtyard that fronted it. The formal party paused allowing Prime to go to the top of the steps. There he met Armour and the priests with the Star Saber.
Prime paused, then nodded his helm. Armour nodded, then offered the monster sword by leaning it hilt forward from where he held it, the tip resting on the stone platform. He had needed three priests to help him carry it to where he now stood, so immense in size and weight it was.
Prime took it, nodded to them as they bowed deeply, then turned to the gathered masses. They stretched to the city beyond in all directions. There must have been more than 2 million individuals there. Perhaps more. Aerial footage from IntraComm would have to be consulted later.
It was silent and solemn everywhere. Sander leaned into his ada. "Is that the star saber?" he asked with a touch of incredulity.
Pruett nodded. "It is. Our relics have been restored. We will show you at the Temple."
Sander nodded, then turned to watch the solemn ceremony, one he had never seen before but knew as all educated Cybertronians did.
Prime turned, then saluted the crowd by bringing the sword's hilt to his face. The sword glinted in the sunlight, its enormous beautiful blade rising skyward. Everyone watched enraptured, then nodded their helms in respect. It was amazing for the humans to see from their vantage point on the platform of the Basilica. A sea of helms bowed all at once, then raised together. It was awesome.
"Behold," Prime said in the formal manner of the process, one that was as old as they were as a species, "We are here to honor our brother. We are here to honor Primus, the Maker. We are here to honor The One."
"Until all are one," the proper response came. A massive wall of sound that actually made the humans lean slightly greeted that statement properly.
"Because of honor, we are one. Because of integrity, we are safe. Because of this one, unnamed and unknown, we have a life. All honor to the unnamed one. All honor to him," Prime said with his beautiful solemn voice.
"ALL HONOR!" a roar of the people replied. "ALL HONOR TO THE ONE!"
Prime nodded, then lowered the sword to his side. "Because this mechanism did his job with the utmost ability, we have the life we have now. All of us have longed for shelter and peace both for ourselves, our children and all of our people. We have restored ourselves and our culture here with his help. He and his maker had no idea how much our people would owe to them then. It is my hope that through this moment and the Matrix, they will know now. Our lives would be filled with hardship without them. We honor them now, both of them … the drone and its maker. All honor to them," Prime said.
"ALL HONOR TO THEM!" the crowd replied. Even the humans joined the chorus.
"ALL HONOR TO THEM, TO PRIMUS AND THE ONE" ALL HONOR TO CYBERTRON, OUR HOME WORLD! ALL HONOR TO THEM!" Prime roared raising the sword in his servo to the heavens.
The crowd roared, a nearly organic thing that slammed at the humans like a wave. "ALL HONOR TO THEM! ALL HONOR TO PRIMUS AND THE ONE! ALL HONOR TO CYBERTRON!" they said in unison. A roar of approval and emotion raised up from the mass before them as they gave their approval to the sentiment and the impossibly heroic figure of their Prime raising the Star Saber before them.
Then the foot stamping, the traditional mode of Cybertronian approval could be heard along with servos clapping and the roar of voices in unison. "UNTIL ALL ARE ONE!" began in the back, then spread in all directions. It was immense and intense, the resounding sound of unity all around.
:UNTIL ALL ARE ONE!: Lennox yelled as beside and around him all of the humans military and civilian joined him. On a segway nearby, Simmons with his arms around Mearing were chanting as well. It was disorienting for a moment, then Lennox grinned. He turned back to Prime who stood before them magnificently and continued. :UNTIL ALL ARE ONE!:
It seemed to go on forever, then it ended with the slow lowering of the sword in Prime's servo. He held it before his face in salute to the crowd, then lowered it to his side. It was as quiet at that moment as it was noisy before. Prime looked at them, then nodded. "We will be placing this mechanism in a Primal sarcophagus in the Basilica as fitting for someone to whom so many owe so much. He has a place of honor among the greatest of our kind. He will remain among us in honor." With that, he turned to enter the Basilica to officiate at the interment. The view then switched to follow him for everyone outside to see including the humans.
Prime walked inside following the priests and Alpha Trion. The rest of his party followed as they walked down the center aisle of the magnificent structure. Along the walls set into niches, the statues of the great seemed to watch them. The magnificent windows with inlaid images of the Pantheon seemed to do so as well. Prime and his party walked to the catafalque, then paused.
The priests moved to the body covered with a flag of Cybertron, then placed their servos to do the farewell prayers. It was quiet everywhere as everyone listened.
"May you go in beauty. May you go in peace down the long winding road to the Source. May you find home again. May love and peace proceed you to the Matrix. Go in beauty, go in peace to acceptance," they prayed. The sound of their voices was calming and peaceful. Then it was over. They stepped back, then bowed deeply. Armour who smiled nodded to the Captain of the Elite Guard, Surrie.
He bowed smartly, then looked at his mechs who had assumed posts four to a side of the catafalque. They stepped forward gripping the flag. Stepped sideways along the catafalque, they moved into open space and with a professionalism honed over eons of ceremonial duties folded the flag with economy and procision. They handed it to Surrie, then returned to their posts smartly.
Surrie who stood holding the flag stepped forward. As he did, Prowl stepped up. He took it for Prime who was designated to have it, then both stepped back. Prime glanced around the room, then touched the body of the drone with the sword, an act of salute that was as old as their people. At that point, it was time for the interment.
The guards stepped forward gripping the stretcher. They stepped along the side of the catafalque, then turned shouldering him. Walking solemnly to a side niche nearby, they paused beside an ornately carved stone sarcophagus. With infinite care due to infinite practice, Surrie guided his mechs as they gently and carefully put the drone into the cushioned stone box.
When he was there nestled and safe, Armour gave a prayer, then watched as the guards slid the stone cover onto the box sealing the drone safely inside. Its sides were carved with words detailing his efforts for all, prayers of thanks and a picture of what he looked like. On the lid, the glyphs and images of all the clans of Seekerkin were given pride of place around an image of Cybertron. It was beautiful and fitting.
The guards stepped back, then turned to stand in their place in the honor party. Optimus watched, then turned. He raised the sword high. "Until all are one," he said solemnly.
A roar went up, then the masses joined them. "UNTIL ALL ARE ONE! UNTIL ALL ARE ONE! UNTIL ALL ARE ONE!" they shouted and stamped.
The humans who were bouncing around slightly in the concussion of that many peds laughed and joined them. :UNTIL ALL ARE ONE! UNTIL ALL ARE ONE!: they shouted as well.
The honors were finished for the solitary drone and his maker, a mech long lost to the Matrix. He had been killed in the first battle of the long defeat called the Fall of Cybertron.
-0-TBC March 30,2014 edited 4-15-14