The Diego Diaries: The next morning at Ops Center (dd6 41)
-0-Meet up
They came in slowly with drinks and snacks, the committee that ran the show here and everywhere else. The meetings for Cybertron were held on-world there with a number of important civilians, the rep from the Resistance and Network that had managed the underground war on-world with the Knights and others including major dissidents some of whom were living on Mars.
The civilians were the usual bunch, a pretty light hearted group ready to catch up their departments with Prime so the big picture would be complete. There was the rotating member of the local districts council who would report back to that body the news generated here. They were the representative body of all the districts that served different areas and cities, locally elected locals who met to listen to grievances, ideas and to help anyone living in their constituent area. They often gave their requests, etc to the member who would come to this, the biggest and highest council in the colony.
It was democracy for everyone and something that was taken deeply seriously by the locals. Meetings locally were highly attended and for those unable to go or get in, streamed on the local channels for such programming. Neo walked with that council's rep, a femme named Tulsee. They were friends from clubs and school, two older femmes with a lot of love and wisdom. They entered and walked to their seats, waiting together for things to start by chatting about a new sparkling that needed a 'shower'.
Elita and Arcee were already there sipping their heated 'tea' as they worked out the weekend details. Going to the Valles was on the table but getting the 'boys' to come along was the hiccup. Both were rather engaged in their work, determined to do what the moment called for and not especially eager to pull out the pup tents and solar fire pits.
They would go.
Ratchet sauntered in with a grin and a cuppa. Sitting across from Prowl who was organizing the agenda as new bits and pieces were handed to him, he grinned. "I just saw Hero off in her cab. Ironhide will be here when she gets there."
Prowl grinned. "When will you stop shadowing her?"
"Ironhide expects it to be about the time she starts University. Maybe," Ratchet replied.
"I hear you. She's mine, though. I have part of any decision pertaining to any kid anywhere in the colony. Remember that, loon," Prowl said.
Ratchet laughed loudly. "Why, Prowler. You say the sweetest things." He leaned in closer and whispered, "N.A.I.L.S."
Prowl shot him a caustic optic. Then he leaned in closer to whisper, "Duty forever in Antarctica."
"You, sweet talker, you," Ratchet said as he sat back to grin at his alter ego and all around alibi. "What's on the agenda?"
"What isn't?" Prowl said with a slight frown at the list. "We also have to jump around." He looked at Ratchet with a cool direct gaze. "Frag you in advance."
"I didn't say a thing," Ratchet said with a smirk.
"I read your processor," Prowl replied as Prime sat down with his own cup and a plate of snacks. "It doesn't take much or long, I will say."
Ratchet leaned in toward Prime. "N.A.I.L.S," he whispered.
Prime paused a donut to his mouth, then laughed loudly. He looked at Ratchet fondly. "Truce?"
"Maybe," Ratchet said. "I'll do it for you. Can't say much for the old ball and chain though."
"That's *Commander* Ball and Chain to you, slagger," Prowl said as he finished updating all the datapads. Like he was dealing cards, he slid them out to the punters. They read them, then blanched.
All of them but Magnus, of course.
Everyone left fogged in, then took their places until the crew was accounted for. As they did, the humans blitzed in as well with the new civilian observer. Owen Harris had been picked up by Niall Graham who drew the short straw. Driving back to The Fortress after grabbing Brandon Clark and Holland Burnell from the Consulate, they entered together and parked outside the door to the conference room. Jumping on a segway, they wove their way in and were placed on the table. Walking to comfy chairs, they sat and the meeting was called to order by Prowl.
"We have a lot of items on the agenda so we have to begin. When the civilian news is finished we will have them leave for the military portion of the meeting. Make sure that you tell everything you need to say before we move onward. We're catching up a bit so there's a lot of things to hear. Herling?" Prowl began.
Herling nodded. "We've worked out the plan to incorporate the new school at Earth2 into our allied schools program. When they come on line next week we will be ready. We are going to be supplying information, books, media, and expertise to their schools regarding Mars itself and science in general.
"We offer our assistance to you, Mr. Harris, and will be working with your teachers and staff over the next several orns to get things ready for your pupils. Apparently, there will be 400 children by the time that everyone who is slated to come arrives. Right now, I am told that there will be 150 children in the school component for now. The area above it will be expanded so that the 400 children who will be permanent residents will be educated. There will be 33 babies in the group not including toddlers.
"I look forward to helping the schools and figuring out more about human learning. I think it'll be very helpful for the human children that we have in our own school system. I will be sending you the decision regarding the 47 children whose parents have asked for them to attend our own schools. We are assessing placement and developing the proper testing procedures to help us with that process.
"All in all, we are well. We're going to be expanding our curriculum regarding the Festival of Primus so that the younger children will have more knowledge about what's happening in our own schools so expect more conversations about Himself," Herling said in conclusion.
Prowl turned to Caro. "Would you like to speak?"
Caro nodded, then stood with his datapad. "We're making a great deal of money, Lord Optimus. Our stock portfolios are doing extremely well and our expansion of the outpost chain is doing extremely well too. Since the expansion of the crafts line, our sales have risen 14%. We have invested a good portion of the income into various companies that we have part ownership … those consist of energy, electronic technology, communications, and advanced habitations, all designed to address specific problems facing Earth now. That generates a great deal of money that's thereby invested in projects that are useful toward helping Earth with her many ills. All in all, its a good thing.
Caro continued to explain why it was a good thing and by the time he along with Venture were finished there were glassy optics everywhere. The only one who appeared to be genuinely interested was Owen Harris.
"Thank you, Caro," Prowl said, then glanced at Ratchet. "Loon."
Ratchet smirked. "Whoever are you talking to?" he asked as he picked up his datapad. He studied it a moment, then began. "We have removed the chips out of everyone who had them on-world. That was 354 individuals, most of them the most elderly. I didn't find one in anyone else in this room who were parted out with Unicron. Right now, the process is ongoing on Cybertron. It should be noted that nearly everyone in the Functionalist group that you took off Cybertron yesterday had them. That means, I think, that we have to look at everyone who is even part of the hierarchy of their group to check for them.
"Other than that, we are doing well. The courier trap problem on Cybertron and around the rest of the reclaimed empire is well on its way to becoming a thing of the past. We have 72% clearance on Cybertron and the rest of the empire is coming along well. Caminus reported that they don't have the problem at all probably due to their isolation."
"That's good," Prowl said. "More?"
"Not really, no. These servos," Ratchet said raising his hands, "have done another miracle."
Gagging sounds and laughter greeted that remark, then the circus rolled on. Springer was up next. He grinned at Prime for a moment. "Given that football season is over, the amount of fights and other mayhem has dropped a great deal. The mini-con community is holding up their end of things but it isn't the same." Huge laughter. "We have been tracking Moma and Sherma sightings as well as a gang that's rumored to be traffickers in banned substances. We haven't seen them yet but there's a lot of word floating around. We have a team on it and intend to nail it down.
"Our horseback patrols are expanding to include the new habitats. We want to have a regular patrol all day and night long out that way. I want to extend the community policing program to encompass everyone and everywhere. I also want to tell you, Prowl, that if you decide that Tyke has to be somewhere else and not here taking care of us in the Watch, I will punch you in the face. Again."
Everyone glanced at Prowl who was staring at Springer with a grim expression. He sat back. "Fragger. Continue."
"I think I'm done. Our departments on Cybertron are doing stellar work," Springer said. "I would tell you more but it's classified and can hold to the military segment of this meeting. That is all."
Prowl glanced at Jetta. "Tell me something."
Jetta who was watching with a grin nodded. "We've finished the big habitat in the crater. If someone comes and they are, we can house them easily. We can put almost 6,000,000 individuals there. I think for the first time in ages that I can recharge now without fear."
The relief in the room was hard to quantify as everyone absorbed the news. It was the one thing that was impossible to bear, the idea that somehow there wouldn't be a home for everyone who came.
"That relieves my processor, Jetta, to a degree that I struggle to express. Please … tell my appreciation to all involved. I will be going there to see the work and meet as many as I can," Prime said.
"I'll do that, Optimus," Jetta said with a grin. "We're going to go over the next phase of our building program to work out the next site and design. We're also going to be building a space station 1,900 light years out. It will be a forward base to build a presence among the alien civilizations that use that area as a commerce route. The arrival of Razorclaw and the presence of a number of groups looking for a toe hold around here has moved them out farther. We will be building a station that will be a fueling and provisioning platform. We want to make an attempt to make connections with them.
"We don't want to put a ship or dread out there because it'll be a remote location and they've begun to have a good social life here with the pretender gear. They also, the newest coming in on the schedule are warriors who can be put to good use that way. I also want to tweak this station design to allow us to re-supply travelers with all manner of possibilities. The Planning Commission will be going over it. It's all very preliminary. Several private firms are working on parts of it. It's going to be a different sort of platform for us with elements of war worlds. We'll be meeting with you when we get the final designs together."
Prime nodded. "I want to make our presence here a peaceful and helpful one. We need to re-order the impression Megatron created in the local cluster that we are different. We need to ensure that they understand that we are indeed peaceful. I am pleased to hear this. Have you chosen sites for the next building plan? How many of our people are living in the Crater District now?"
"We have a quarter of a million. At least that many who were the overflow of the last migration," Jetta said. "Right now, there are businesses in the first city which is the central one. The schools will be holding a contest soon to name them, correct, Herling?"
Herling nodded. "We've divided it between schools, two cities each with the last one awarded to the Vos Senior Center Council."
"Wonderful," Jetta said as he sat back. "We're good here, Prime. We're going to be working longterm on the different outlying stations around Mars, upgrading the weather station in the north first. We have more work than we can manage and the longterm planning is well in hand. I'll forward the reports tomorrow. I got a bit behind."
Prowl nodded. "I'll note that," he said as he glanced down table to Starscream. "Anything new?" he asked.
Starscream grinned. "Do you doubt it?"
Prowl smirked at him. "No."
Laughter.
"Well, let me see then," he said glancing at Rainmaker who was sitting like a grinning Buddha beside him. "We have put off the congregation for the youth until after the Festival. We have had a lot of issues with the reclaimed youth and other internal situations to bring that event to the fore at the moment. We have 2,500 infants in adult bodies that require a lot of effort and time. The Academy at Aerie Hill is working out their education. They are thriving in families but this has been a hard thing to bring off. We want to include them into the process when we graduate our sub adult youth into adulthood and that will take more time," Starscream said. "As it is, we have our house in order. Thanks for asking."
Huge laughter greeted that as Prowl gave Starscream the stink optic.
Prime who was checking the agenda and who hadn't paid attention at the start glanced around. "Where's Ironhide?"
"Shadowing Hero last time I looked," Ratchet said with a grin.
"Why would he do that?" Arcee asked with a grin of her own even though she already knew.
"Hero is taking cabs to and from school now," Ratchet said.
"She is?" Springer asked with a smile. "That little femme is something else."
"How can she be other?" Ratchet asked. "Have you looked at her little face?"
Huge hoo-hah and donuts underlined that slag.
-0-TBC 6-19-17 edited 6-16-17