The Diego Diaries: Amblin' (dd6 177)
-0-Outside the Club
Ratchet stood in the doorway as 13 others waited behind him, some veterans of bars and others not. He turned to them and smiled. "Let's get a booth. They have really big ones in the back. Follow me." He walked into the bar slapping servos with the odd mech who was there watching the games on the big screens that filled the place. Leading everyone into the lounge from the bar, he found the booth he wanted and slid in. Everyone, one after another, slid in behind him until all were seated, including Prowl and Bluestreak who pulled up chairs to sit in front of the table.
Two waiters seemed to materialize out of thin air to ask for drinks. The n00bies hesitated, so Ratchet ordered high grade drinks called 'split infinitives' but 'virgin'. He grinned at them. "You don't want to get too drunk too soon."
"I'm prepared to crawl home," Miler said with a big smile.
Prowl glanced at his ada with a mixture of revulsion, surprise and BLAZING admiration. "I'll steer you there."
"See? What a good son," Miler said to the others who nodded.
"How did all of you get let out to play?" Ratchet asked. Drinks arrived, everyone sipped and approved, then Anders looked at Ratchet. "I sneaked out. I told Burris that I was going to be meditating at the Shrine. He doesn't know that I'm … uh, I'm ... what is it again?" he asked with a slight frown.
"Bar hopping?" Alor asked with a grin.
Anders grinned back. "Yes. I feel so clandestine."
Everyone chuckled at the sweet closeted mech who was bonded with a serious slagger. "Which shrine is yours, Anders?" Turbine asked.
"The Shrine of Onyx Prime. I love him so. Sometimes, I think He hears me when I talk to Him," Anders said.
"He does," Turbine said. "He hears everyone who comes to Him in love. He also hears perhaps even more those who come in something less."
"I do. I come in love always and need sometimes. He's my great comfort and protector. I bear his mark on my armor," Anders said as he sipped his drink. "I find a lot of comfort in the shrines. Whoever brought them back is a good spark."
"The priests and the Temple Board. Turbine and my Venture are on the board," Miler said proudly. He was drinking high grade and already the buzz was strong in him.
Madura glanced at Miler with a grin, then looked at Ratchet and Prowl. "I'm so glad to come tonight, Ratchet. I think I can go outside again. Vinn has helped me so much," he said smiling at Joon who smiled back.
Ratchet clicked his beer bottle against Madura's glass. "That's the point. We all have to rejoin life again. It waits for no one, apparently."
"I've never really had friends," Madura said. "I doubt that any of us in highly placed, high caste bonds can say differently," he said glancing around. "Not like this, anyway."
Miler nodded. "That's very true," he said. "Everything was geared to social restrictions on our behavior and advancing whatever career was ascendant in the bond."
"I hated how you had to entertain because of Atar when you didn't want to," Prowl said to his ada. "You wanted to work on math and he had to do the rounds."
"We both hated it. But that's what it was," Miler said.
"I withdrew. Then that became just another kind of prison," Madura said.
"The more I hear about the high castes, the more I'm glad not to be one," Bluestreak said.
The others nodded. "Sometimes when a system has been in absolute power too long, the way of living in it gets cast in stone. I never liked it," Madura said. "I had freedom growing up because my father doted on my brother."
"Do you know where they are, Madura? And Proteus's family?" Ratchet asked gently.
"They were off world when The Fall happened. I will say this for both of them, they got me on a ship, though I was separated from Proteus. He had gone earlier somewhere with Sentinel. He was supposed to be back in a few orns but he never did come. It was so hard," he said softly.
It was silent a moment, then Ratchet grinned. "That's where we come in. Everyone raise your right servo."
Everyone did but Prowl. Ratchet grinned at him. "Raise your right servo or suffer The People's Elbow."
Prowl complied with ill grace. "Like this, slagger?" he said making a rude gesture with his hand.
Miler laughed loudly. "That's my Prowler," he said with a chuckle.
Prowl looked at his ada with astonishment, then removed the gesture forth with.
"Fair enough," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Solemnly swear that you will abide by the Rules of The Code."
"I solemnly swear I will abide by the Rules of the Code." -Everyone, even Madura
"I am now and always will be a member in good standing of Ratchet's Squad."
"I am now and always will be a member in good standing of Ratchet's Squad." -everyone but Prowl
"You didn't swear." -Ratchet
"Why is it your squad. Why isn't it my squad?" -Prowl, slightly miffed and a *SMIDGE* entitled
"There, there, son. I'll be in your squad," Miler said, then smiled brilliantly as he signaled the waiter for another drink.
"You're getting slag faced, Ada," Prowl said with a slight frown.
"He's adorable," Ratchet said. "Swear, slagger, or I'll close the meetings to non-members."
Prowl stared at Ratchet with The Look almost longer than most were comfortable with at the table and three others surrounding. "Okay. I swear, Loon. What now?"
"THE RULES, OF COURSE!" Ratchet said with a brilliant smile. "They're very simple. Everyone is for each other. We'll be friends until the end. If someone is sad or lonely, everyone of us is there for them. We meet periodically to play and chat, camping in the Valles, horseback riding and renting a couple of rooms at Hotel Praxus to party being just some of the activities I've come up with. This also means automatic membership in our Book Club which will meet regularly to eat junk food, get slag faced and write stories." He glanced around. "Who has the story we're all writing?"
Miler grinned. "I do and I will tell you, its taken a dark turn."
"I'm going to be your guide dog, Ada. I don't know how long you're going to make it at this pace," Prowl said like a good son.
"That would be so nice, Prowl. Did you know what a good son he is? I'll tell you," Miler began before Prowl cut him off. Miler grinned at him as he sat back relaxed and ready to rumble.
"I'll help you, Atar," Bluestreak said with a grin at a slightly scandalized Prowl.
"We also have to confess all our deepest darkest secrets to each other," Ratchet said with a smile. "I just put that in to see if you're still coherent, though I'm open to confession." He smiled brilliantly. "Also, we need to meet for lunch on a regular basis and tell 'facing stories. I have so much to tell you-"
Huge laughter greeted that including a gagging reflex from Prowl. Ratchet sat back with a smile. "Those are the rules. You're bound by them for eternity. All hail, Ratchet."
They did. They also had to pinkie promise ala Hero and her Squad.
Sitting nearby watching the game on the monitor overhead, Barricade glanced at the table filled with some of the bots he love/hated most, then glanced at the others. They were watching, too. It would be a long afternoon.
-0-A joor later
They walked out, a long line of laughing smiling bots. They were officially 'Ratchet's Squad. Having researched 'squads, Swift, Taylor' on the internet, they were filled with amusement and ideas about fun both now and later on down the road. Even Madura was feeling buoyant.
"Where to now, oh Grand Poobah of the Squad?" Turbine asked as he walked arm-in-arm with Bluestreak.
"I think we need to bowl. I have word that when the boys got shit faced, they bowled and rode horses. If we can't follow in the ped steps of our great Lord and Master, Ossimus Prime, then what is there to live for?" Ratchet asked with conviction.
"You're mocking me," Prowl said as he walked past Ratchet holding his ebullient ada's arm. "Loon."
"You're my mentor and role model, Prowler. You forget the important things so easily," Ratchet said as they walked onward to the Metro. They would be at the bowling alley in no time.
-0-At the Bowling Alley, King Pin on 7th and Gemini, Tetriades
"How are you doing, Amma Milie?" Bluestreak asked.
Milie grinned. "I'm doing great," he said as he walked along between Bluestreak and Prowl.
They walked into the bowling alley, got their balls and instructions, then found three lanes side-by-side. They stashed the balls, then Ratchet took one, his, and walked to the line. "I was told that you're supposed to run up to it and let it fall out of your servo. Here goes," he said walking back a bit. Holding his ball, he walked forward, then swung his ball downward. Leaning forward from a dead stop, he mathematically sent it in the perfect arc to the pins. They went down in a crash. He looked at the alley, then Bluestreak who was keeping score for all of them. "HA! I, RATCHET, LEADER OF THE SQUAD DID SLAY ALL MY ENEMIES!" He sashayed back, took his beer into servo and downed half of it. "Your turn, Miss Priss."
Miler and Anders stood, then were pulled down again by Joon and Edict as Prowl glowered at Ratchet. He took his ball, made a perfect stance because he had studied the videos on Youtube on the way over and let the ball fly. It killed its quarry, too. He turned to the group, then remembered he had to do the idiot dance, too. "I, PROWL, THE GREATEST DETECTIVE IN PRAXUS DID SQUASH LAW AND DISORDER WITH THESE TWO SERVOS! These servos … you may stare at them, minions. I give you permission."
HUGE laughter and more booze greeted that. Miler walked up, got his ball, then turned to the group. Pointing a finger into the sky, he began. "I, MILER …!" he began.
"Amma, you have to say that after you slay your enemies," Bluestreak said as he pointed to the pins down the lane.
Miler glanced at them, then laughed. "OH! RIGHT!" He turned around, then tossed the ball onto the lane. It bounced three times before rolling to the pins. It had only enough speed to hit the first one but it toppled all of them. Miler stared at it, then turned and pointed his finger into the sky. "I, MILER, DID COME HERE TO GET SLAG FACED AND DESTROY THINGS! VENTURE WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT AND MY ADA WOULD HAVE A FIT! I HAVE … SPOKEN!" he finally squeezed out. He weaved back to the table and sat, taking up his drink again.
"Your ada is adorable," Ratchet said as he smiled with delight at Miler.
Prowl who was looking at Milie with something a bit less cheerful glanced at him. "Did you ever doubt?"
"Yes," Ratchet said with a big smile.
Joon walked up, laid one down and aced it. She hopped in place like a sparkling, then smiled at everyone in their lanes and two over. "I, JOON OF TYGER PAX, DO LOVE THE WORLD TONIGHT! I AM PRESIDENT OF MY SOCIAL CLUB AND A MEMBER OF RATCHET'S SQUAD! ALL HAIL ME!"
HUGE laughter and hails from all around the place greeted that as she danced back to her seat and her drink.
"We better get virgin drinks or they're going to get hurt," Prowl said worriedly.
"I have the cure," Ratchet said as he took his second beer of the night.
In this place.
"What if you're too slag faced?" Prowl asked.
"Then call 911. Did you know the emergency numbers in other countries are 999 sometimes? Remember that. Check what they are if you ever go there," Ratchet said to be helpful, if pointless.
"Why would I and when?" Prowl asked as he watched Edict and Anders both get their balls. "How about now?" he asked as the two put them down and rolled them together to the pins. They annihilated them.
Hugging each other, they turned to the group who smiled at them gigantically. Anders laughed. "You go first, Edict. You're taller."
Edict laughed. "That one was for Hobbes. TAKE THAT, HOBBES! I CAN GO SOMEWHERE AND HAVE FUN WITH FRIENDS ON MY OWN!"
Anders looked at him and began to exhibit the beginnings of a maudlin drunk. "THAT'S SO BEAUTIFUL! I'M GOING TO TELL THAT TO BURRIS!" he said, then flung his arms around Edict. They hugged, then walked back to sit and slug them down as the drinks kept coming, though every other one of them now was a virgin drink.
Alor, Delphi, Turbine, Bluestreak, and Bron-E aced it, doing hilarious victory speeches for all and sundry. Then Kestrel walked up. He lined up, ran gracefully down to the line and laid the ball gently on the ground. It spun beautifully, arced perfectly, then sank every pin.
"RINGER!" Ratchet said as the big self-effacing mech turned toward them showing something of his big son's genuine sweetness as he did.
"Tagg and I play," Kestrel said as he walked happily back to sit.
Laslo took his ball and put it to one side knocking down half the pins. A bit of math and a mechanical adjustment of his curve and he got the spare with all the pins down. He turned to the group, then laughed. "I think you spoke for me, Anders," he said as he walked happily back.
Madura looked at the ball rack, then rose to take one. He paused to look back at the others. "I'm not going last next time," he said with a chuckle. He walked to the line, got on his knees, gauged the distance and the curve, then shoved the ball. It rolled straight into the middle and knocked them all down. He stared at the pile up for a moment, then rose. He raised both arms in the air with exaltation. "YES! TAKE THAT!" He turned to the others with a smile. "That felt good."
Ratchet laughed as he got his ball. "Good. Let's see who's the winner."
They played a pretty cut throat game with several of them winning before staggering out into the blazing cold of Martian night time. Standing on the corner under a light, Madura turned to Ratchet. "I've never ridden a horse before. I want to do things that I never did. I want to have experiences, Ratchet," he said.
Ratchet hugged him off his peds. "THEN YOU JOINED THE RIGHT POSSE!" he said, then hesitated. "I think I'm slag faced."
"WE ALL ARE, INFANT! THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE!" Delphi said with a guffaw. "Horses it is. Follow me," he said as he started off down the street. Turbine ran to get him, then they all turned the other way to go to the metro and the roundabout ride to Fortress Metro #1 and destiny.
-0-TBC 10-31-17 edited 12-25-17
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Trick-or-treat is getting going. I will keep writing. I hope to have another one up tonight. Or not. ;)
ESL
Maudlin: (mod-lin) a weepy, emotional state of being, usually when drunk or impaired in some way. Sometimes, its someone who is overly sentimental like my great aunt Mildred. :D:D:D
virgin drink: a drink that is completely fake liquor or watered down. It keeps you from getting drunk too fast or it helps a reformed alcoholic have a 'drink' with the boys/girls without paying for it later.