The Diego Diaries: In the Big House (dd6 180)
-0-Inside the lock up in the overnight holding cells pending court
They sat on the benches, some of them, as others looked around. "I've never been in jail before, Ada. This isn't as bad as I thought it would be," Bron-E said. She grinned, then turned to her ada who was relaxing on the berth with Madura, Joon and Anders. "I think I have the boys beat. I don't remember them being in jail, do you?"
"I don't remember," Edict said with a grin. "There's always a first time for everything. I have to say … this squad business is a lot of fun. I've been over energized before but never because I was having fun. I've never been in a bar fight. I've never been arrested, taken by police and jailed. All of these are new to me and I have to say, Ratchet," he said glancing over to the next cell, "that I owe it all to you."
Huge laughter all around the room greeted that as Ratchet stood up and took a tiny curtsy. "Thanks, Edict. I don't think Hobbes is going to share your sentiments."
"We can't call out of here. I tried to get Proteus on the line and its dead," Madura said as he sat between Anders and Joon.
"They dampen the signals here, even internal ones. No sense letting your ada know you got busted too soon. See those little slaggers over there?" Ratchet asked nodding to a gaggle of grinning mini and micro-mini cons who were watching all of them with amusement. "Those little slaggers are going to get paddled tomorrow when their entire village and all their elders show up."
"MY ADA IS GOING TO KILL ME, RATCHET!" one of them said, clearly still drunk on his aft.
"Do you slaggers want to be sober?" Ratchet asked.
They all declined. It was more fun to be blitzed. It prevented coherent thought about the Fam showing up loaded for bear when court opened in the morning. Several of the others in other cells did so Ratchet assisted them. They relaxed and waved their appreciation before falling into a snooze in their respective lockups.
The door opened and a number of sullen youngsters walked in, some of them dead drunk while others were buzzed but more coherent. They were placed in a cell across from Ratchet and the Squad, settling down after dishing out enormous abuse to the grinning guards. They stared at the door as it closed, then glanced around. Ratchet and the 'officers of Cybertron' were across from them. The Squad was next to Ratchet's cell. The cell next to them on their side was empty and across from it was a cell filled with the shorties, good natured doodles that they usually were.
The door opened again and a number of individuals who were still alight with rage and thwarted angst walked in under guard and were placed in two cells next to Ratchet. The guards left. Ratchet recognized one of them, then caught his attention. "Fizzie. What are you doing in here?"
Fizzie, a big mech, turned to look down the row, spying Ratchet with surprise. "I could ask you the same question."
"Answer mine first. I imagine the story is gold," Ratchet said with a grin. Everyone in the room turned to see and listen to the big mech.
"We had a fight over who'd have Thanksgiving dinner this year. My house or theirs," he said pointing to his younger brother, a towering mech called Tizzie. That the first name meant 'strength' and the other 'tenacity' in NeoCybex didn't prevent humans from snickering when they heard them. They usually didn't snicker for long.
"Who won?" Ratchet asked.
"The magistrate," Fizzie said with a snicker. Everyone but the angry kids and Prowl laughed.
It was silent again, then the door opened. Another group of younglings entered and were placed in the cell next to the first group across from Ratchet. Ratchet, along with everyone in the place was checking them over for physical markers to help identify them. Since both warring factions, Decepticon and Autobot, wore their identity markers, their sigils, without a care even though it let anyone with eyeballs know which side they were on, it was automatic to scan for identifiers to add to one's information about a moment. It was always an astonishment to the humans that they did this, bearing their side so openly but for the bots, it was how it was.
They carried tattoos all over themselves, declarations of love for a bond or children, infant or other family names, pledges to their gods and Cybertron to be faithful and true forever, gang signs sometimes, and as always, their caste tattoos. Though it was becoming more common for infants to be born without the obligatory caste tattoo, they were still everywhere and it was habit to check someone else for what they might be. It also was a way to find out if someone was in your sect or faction, whatever it was. Clans, families, organizations, city-states, home worlds, all of them were markers for others to see.
This new group was high caste just like the other group of younglings. They were Iaconian, Capital City and Praxian former residents from their markers for city-state, though that could be inherited from family. They didn't look old enough to be from Cybertron itself but were more likely born on the trail in the Diaspora. All of them bore excellent protoforms and paint schemes and all of them looked mean enough to be trouble. Prowl was already opening files in his processor just in case, that Ratchet could tell from a cursory glance at his sparring partner and all around alibi. They entered their lockup, scoped out everyone, then watched as the guards left. Seconds later, the door opened again.
This time, Optimus Prime and his squad entered the room followed by Watchmen and jailers.
"Oh, frag," Ratchet said softly. "Here comes dad."
Prowl rolled his optics and sat back further into the shadows.
-0-Inside detention land
Optimus Prime walked to the cells that held half his family, then grinned. He nodded to both cells including the one with the squad. "You look comfortable."
They grinned at him, then nodded. Joon stood up and moved closer to the bars. "I consider this a learning experience, Lord Optimus."
Huge laughter greeted that. Prime grinned. "I do not think I should laugh about this. It would set a bad precedent for the infants."
"We won't tell them," Joon said with a giant smile.
More huge laughter.
Prime turned to his ada who was grinning at him from a bench in the cell. "Ada … do you need to be bailed out? I can arrange that."
"I am fine, son. I will stay with my squad. I think they say … semper fidelis?" Kestrel said sweetly.
Optimus grinned at the mech who could fell him with a single glance. "I understand."
"Kes, you will be alright?" Tagg asked. "I would like to join you," he said as he glanced around for a jailer. The jailer there startled, then looked at Optimus.
"Atar, perhaps we can come early and be in court for the opening. Maybe Ada wants the experience," Prime said. He grinned at Ratchet who smiled brilliantly at him. "After all, how often do you get to walk on the wild side with a real desperado?"
Kestrel laughed. "That is what I say, Tagg. Thank you for your kindness but I think I might want to see this through. Perhaps breakfast together in the morning? You can help Orion with the infants. After all," he said with a twinkle in his optics, "Prowl is here with us, too."
If Prowl could have sunk through the floor, he would be halfway to the core of Mars. Everyone turned toward Prowl who shrank even further into the shadow of Ratchet standing between him and the lights. Ratchet grinned, then stepped aside. "You mean this Prowl?" he asked.
Prowl glared at Ratchet, then looked at Prime with a resigned expression. "It will be alright."
"I know," Optimus said warmly. "Is there anything I can do for you before we go?"
"Yeah," a voice said behind him. "Let us out of here."
Prime turned to the second cell filled with big seriously drunk youngling mechs. "That is beyond my power at the moment. You will be released through Magistrate's Court in the morning." With that, he turned to the others, nodded to Prowl and his ada, grinned at Ratchet who smiled back, then stepped back to allow the others closer.
"RATCHET! WHAT THE FRAG!?" -Ironhide
"Where's the kids? Where's Halo?" Ratchet asked, hitting him in his weak spot.
"Halo is here," Ironhide said patting his chassis. "Your ada has the others. YOU BETTER BE GOOD TO ME OR I'M GOING TO TELL HIM!"
Ratchet laughed. "Snitch."
HUGE laughter.
"You alright in there?" -Blackjack
"Fine as frog's hair." -Alor, still drunk but happy.
"Sober him up eventually, Ratchet. Though, he's awfully cute this way," Blackjack said showing his blind side. NOTHING Alor EVER did was wrong in his book.
"I will. Eventually," Ratchet said with a dazzler.
Hardie grinned, then clapped Raptor on the shoulder. "We better get our kids home to bed, son. Morning waits for no mech." He looked at Delphi, then nodded. Delphi nodded back.
Turbine grinned. "I have to teach classes tomorrow. Something tells me that the booking Sargent's ada is one of my students."
"Then teach them the wages of sin, Amma," Ironhide said as the group turned to leave.
"Miler … are you going to be alright? Prowl?" Venture asked with a smidge of anxiety.
"We're going to be awesome, Ven. Don't worry. Take care of Prima. Do you have him with you?" Milie asked.
He patted his hold. "I do. Goodnight, Milie. I'll be here to petition the court to be your custodial guardian if this goes to trial." He laughed. "Have fun." With that, he walked to the door and left with everyone.
"Too bad we can't call Hobbes, Lucien, Proteus, Burris, and Vinn," Ratchet said. "Nothing like a surprise notification in the morning."
"They'll notify them. You were supposed to be home tonight, right?" Prowl asked as the group nodded.
Madura grinned. "Poor Proteus. Will he ever be surprised."
"Not as surprised as Lucien," Laslo said with a grin.
"Or Hobbes," Edict said.
"I got you all beat," Anders said. "I can't *wait* for Burris to get here."
Everyone nodded. Anders had them beat.
The kids across the way watched them silently as some of them sat to wait for morning. The lights dimmed as per the usual as everyone settled. Then an argument sprang up between the two cells and the shouting began. Ratchet moved to the cell with the civilians. "This is typical. Don't be afraid or worry. Don't even speak to them if they speak to you. It will pass," he said to them.
"Don't talk to us? Fragger? What's YOUR problem?" one of them said as he stood.
"I have no problem but these civilians have never been in a jail before. Advice is good," Ratchet said neutrally.
"Frag your advice, high tone," the drunk kid said as the fight stopped between the two kids who paused to watch. One of them turned to the drunk kid, then Ratchet. "I know who you are."
"That's nice. My fame proceeds me," Ratchet said as he sat down next to Prowl. "My fans love me," he said to Prowl who snorted with amusement.
"Is that what it is?" Prowl asked.
Ratchet nodded. "Yep."
"You took care of my ada and amma on Gliese. Thanks," the kid said as he stepped close to the bars, surprising the slag out of everyone.
"You're welcome," Ratchet said. "It's my duty and honor to help," he said taking another tack of conversation with the surprising comment. "What do you kids do?"
The kid shrugged. "I work in an electronics firm. My family owned a huge one in Protihex once upon a time."
Ratchet nodded. "We always need smart capable kids here. Cybertron is in dire need of all that we can do."
"Have you been there? You've been there, right?" he asked.
Ratchet nodded. "All over the planet."
"What about Protihex? How is it? Is the big factory there still in place? The one by the hillside parks," he asked.
Ratchet thought a moment, then vented a soft sigh. "Protihex is in bad shape. Nothing in the industrial park is standing. We're rebuilding housing and there's a city-former nearby helping the effort but the big factory and the industrial district are destroyed. Sorry, infant."
He nodded, absorbing the information with a strained expression. "I figured it. I won't tell my family. They have enough on their processors at the moment," He walked to the bench and sat. It was quiet for a moment. Then another mech stood and walked to the bars, his face showing up in the glow. He stared at Ratchet and the others, then the civilian squad who sat on their benches watching him. "What are you in for?" he asked.
They glanced at each other, then Joon spoke. "We were in a bar brawl."
The kid looked at her a moment, then grinned. "You?"
Joon nodded. "That's right," she said. "Ask them." She nodded to a cell filled with the brawlers.
"They were in the middle," one of them said.
"What were you fighting about?" Joon asked.
"Football. Vos."
"Vos is a loser. Capital City will be a contender. Vos is filler," one of the other kids said.
"Good thing you're in that cell. I'd kick your aft," still another kid said as he stood and walked to the bars. "Vos is a great place but you wouldn't know that, high tone."
The temperature dropped a few degrees as the two stared at each other. Then a mini-con stood. "You fraggers don't know what you're talking about. Uraya is the best town on Cybertron."
A rolling wave of snickers greeted that from all around the room as the comment dropped. Then Ratchet stood again. "All of them were good towns once upon a time. But they're smoking holes in the ground now. There's nothing to be gained from going down this road."
"Have you been there?" a kid from the high caste's group asked as he leaned forward in the dark. "What's it like on the ground?"
Ratchet turned toward him. "I've been everywhere. Its a graveyard there filled with ragged individuals trying to rebuild. We house hundreds of millions in tent camps now. Housing and towns are rising again but its tough. My amma is from Uraya. Uraya was leveled but for a few areas that were missed. It looks better than it is. Vos was destroyed in the bombardment. Capital City is a pockmarked wasteland. Since we came back, things are improving. Towers are rising, the economy is restarting and the population that's left is getting its needs tended. Whatever argument you have here about any of these places disrespects the dead. Put it away."
The kid who asked about Uraya rose and walked closer to stand beside the first kid. "My family had a business in Uraya. It was a fun place to visit. I liked that town. Will it be rebuilt? Are they abandoning any of the places?" he asked.
"We're not giving up an inch," Prowl said as he rose. He moved to stand beside Ratchet. "Not one slagging inch."
It was silent, then that kid sat down again. The mini-con nodded as he stood in the light of the beams. "I'm glad. I loved Uraya, too."
"I have never asked about Tyger Pax, Ratchet. What about that city? My city?" Joon asked with a solemn expression.
Ratchet thought about it, then turned to Joon. "It's had a lot of damage but the housing district over in Wells is being rebuilt first. The infrastructure underground is pretty well preserved but there's munitions laying around. There's also a lot of dead that have been there a long, long time. We have to do this right and respectfully. It's going to take time."
"I loved Tyger Pax. I loved the towers and the walkways up high. You could see forever. When the summer came and the sky was so blue, the clouds so white, I could see myself flying. I wanted to fly then but I couldn't," Joon said. "We must all do our best together."
"We do," Miler said. "We never were together. We forgot how precious everyone was. Its a scare tactic, driving wedges into populations, pitting them against each other. We were masters at it and we forgot our unity. We must never do that again."
"My life is better here than it ever was under The System. We had everything and we had nothing. I hated my life, the endless high caste handouts that we all thought we deserved. We didn't look down and see the rest of our people suffering. It made me hide away," Madura said. "But now … here … we have a chance to do better. The youth have to learn a new way. Those of us who had all the advantages … it didn't save one life and it didn't change one circumstance. I love it here."
Edict nodded. "We had everything but when you go to the Matrix, you take nothing with you. All the things of the world are fine and good. I love beauty as much as the next, but its only love, friendships and feelings that go with you. Only love." Edict looked at Ratchet and the others. "You saved all of us. You five came here alone and did all the heavy lifting. You did all the hard work so that those of us who came would be comforted. You look for us everywhere. That's love. That's unity. We're only as strong as the smallest, frailest child or elder among us. We were never strong on Cybertron. We lived in that illusion."
"I hated it," Bron-E said as she sat beside her ada holding Edict's servo. "I didn't know how to get along here when we came because my feelings … all that side of me was so tired and shut down. Then it slowly changed. I found a place here with people who liked me for who I was and not what I could do for them because of my father. I have the best mech ever and we're going to ask Prime if he can do the ceremony." She glanced at Prowl. "Would he mind, Prowl?" she asked hopefully.
"He would be honored, Bron," Prowl said.
She smiled, then sat back again squeezing her ada's servo. "I love my life here. I want to be a genitor."
"I want you to be a genitor," Edict said with a smile. "Hobbes does, too, but he doesn't know it yet. Once he holds his grandchild, he will understand everything."
Laslo vented a sigh. "I may never be one with my infants. They're all hard headed. Well … all of them but one. The one is making me so happy."
"Partition is becoming a very stand up youngling," Delphi said as he sat on a bench, arms over his chassis as he listened. "He's going to be on missions in the migrations as a field medic. He passed the test one hundred percent."
"That was wonderful," Laslo said. He glanced at Ratchet. "Thank you for taking him in. He really was at wits end here until you noticed."
"He had a core of goodness that was there, Laslo, just like your other two boys. Have they talked to you and Lucien yet?" Ratchet asked.
"Just a little," Laslo said sadly. "They work long hours and then there's basic training. They want to do special schools. Something about artillery. I have no idea. I just know that they're avoiding Lucien with their schedules."
"When he misses them enough he will change," Ratchet said.
"Change from what?" the kid standing by the bars in the high caste cell asked.
Laslo glanced at him as did the others. They knew it would be one way or the other how Laslo answered. So Laslo didn't miss words. "Changing from a spoiled entitled high caste aft to a real feeling mech. My sons makes me proud every slagging orn."
The others glanced at Laslo who wasn't known for any form of emotional attachment to his surroundings, then Joon grinned. "Your three boys have really come through. Tell us about Morius and Inweld, Ratchet, so Laslo can be clear."
Ratchet grinned. "Aunt Lissie and Hercy think they're first class, Laslo. They have beautiful manners, work hard and like what they do. They have a lot of spunk and prospects. Both of them have been taken on as projects, Inweld and Morius. Partition is now under the command, when in the field, of Hard Drive."
"My Hardie will help him hone his innate skills, Laslo. Hardie forgot more about soldiering than anyone knows including Unicron," Delphi said.
Laslo looked at them, then nodded. "Its good to know. I would love them to live at home again. I miss them." He looked ready to cry.
"Then ask them," Ratchet said. "Hang Lucien. He's only one vote out of five. Sometimes, Laslo, you have to take the bull by the horns and shake them."
Laslo looked at Ratchet. "I hate fighting."
"Then tell Lucien to shut his trap," Turbine said. "Since when does he get the first and last word in a family? You're a team."
"That's not how it works," the kid across the way said. Everyone looked his direction.
-0-At an apartment door in Tetriades
Lucien opened the door and looked with surprise into the faces of Optimus Prime, Ironhide, a smirking Raptor, Blackjack, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, Venture, and Tagg. Behind them looking pensive and small somehow, Hobbes, and Burris waited. Nearby, watching with interest and some amusement, Proteus and Vinn also waited. "Good evening, Lucien," Optimus said. "I would like you to join us for a light dinner. I realize its late but we would like you to come."
Lucien stared at him, then the others. "What's this about?" he asked as he shut the door behind him.
Raptor grinned, then slapped Lucien on the back. Hard. "Nothing much. Laslo and the others are in jail.
Lucien was halfway down the hallway before it sunk in. "WHAT!?"
-0-TBC 11-03-17 edited 11-4-17