The Diego Diaries: Changes. Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes! (dd6 190)
-0-At the Street Side Cafe, Metroplex Highway #1, a storefront across from Club Cybertron and nearly next door to the Metro Station
They occupied a seat outside, relaxing around a small table as a waiter appeared. Ordering what they wanted, they watched the cheerful mech hurry back inside. On the street, a number of individuals were walking here and there as traffic, lighter before schools let out and shifts changed, passed by. It was silent a moment, then Ratchet grinned. "I imagine that it cramped you up a smidge when you found out that you would have to report to me."
Lucien shrugged. "You are the ambassador. I'm not surprised that you're the Ambassador of State as well. It makes sense."
"Prime runs the best he can find in all positions but it also helps that he finds those among them that he trusts and relies on. It's not hard to become one of them. All you have to do is earn it," Ratchet said. "Rather like your sons. Partition is a spectacular individual. It's like a dam burst and what's coming over the spillway is platinum."
"My son is a remarkable mech," Lucien agreed.
"Inweld and Morius have stepped up, too. They graduate from basic training in a decaorn. Morius is a crack shot, I'm told and Inweld has a knack for communications. The mechs have made them a project and that includes Partition. That's a big deal among the warrior set, to find promise in kids and take them on. No one wants them to falter in combat or get hurt unnecessarily," Ratchet said.
"My sons weren't meant for war," Lucien said with a slightly stubborn set to his jaw.
"Neither was I but guess what … sometimes the universe doesn't give a frag about what we really want. Your boys stepped up by choice and I'm proud of all three of them. They have a lot of quality."
Lucien nodded. "I won't argue with you, though I reserve my views about their choice of activities."
"I hope you keep them to yourself. All three of those kids are proud of themselves. They see themselves as the saviors of The People. They're ready to protect and defend. That makes them heroic to me. Going into trouble to help another is the finest level of love." Ratchet grinned slightly. "Have they been home lately?"
Lucien shrugged. "They're busy," he said. It was clear that it bothered him but he was cool, Our Lucien.
"I had a great time with Laslo. He's a good mech. Sort of lives in the future and dream land but when he's goofing around, he's a lot of fun. We're going camping in the Valles around New Years and you and the family are invited. I'm going to invite the entire squad." Ratchet grinned. "We will even bring horses."
Lucien stared at Ratchet with a big internal burn. "You don't have to go all out for us."
"I know," Ratchet said as their food was placed before them. "You don't have to thank me," he said with a dazzling smile.
"I won't then," Lucien said as he began to eat a Cybertronian casserole that was HUGE around this time of year.
Ratchet buttered his toast as he prepared to eat his breakfast for lunch. "So … I'm going to give you some briefs, letters from different entities and countries, proposals, invites, etcetera etcetera etcetera. I want you to go through them, prioritize them on a timeline, analyze their contents, and write a report on each of them. I've gone through them myself but want fresh optics on them. I want to see what sort of method you employ to your madness, Lucien. Tell me what I need to know and show me what you got. Then we can sit down and make a plan to fulfill whatever it is that's on the table. I want a thorough and complete analysis set in the context of the colony and the new paradigm. I don't want slag that will make Sentinel Prime smile."
"What's going to happen to Sentinel?" Lucien asked.
"I doubt that he'll reform enough to step out of his rut like Proteus. Proteus is a slagging miracle, but then, he wasn't as full of slag as most of them. He and Madura have a second chance. We all do if we want it hard enough. Sentinel wants out to help with the situation but he wants it his way. He doesn't know that we have that figured out. He's pretty slick, Our Sentinel. However, he has to change and make it real before we can risk him out. Then there's the matter of the population seeing him, then shredding him into iron filings."
"You can't change him like you did Proteus?" Lucien asked.
"I can change anyone on the outside but they have to change on the inside and Sentinel still doesn't get it," Ratchet said.
"RATCHET!"
He peered over his shoulder to see his grand genitors walking toward him on the way to the University Tower nearby. They had left RTR Tools where they had done homework, helped Ravel and Tie Down and lounged. "HI!"
They gathered around Ratchet, then he introduced everyone. "Lucien of Capital City, these are my grand genitors, Ratchet, Corr and Chan of Iacon and Docker of Uraya. This is Lucien who is now part of my diplomatic department."
They greeted him, smiling at the stranger. Then they looked at Ratchet. "Dinner tonight at the Tower in Terra? Do we bring anyone or are the infants cared for?"
"We got this," Ratchet said. "Everyone has already claimed one. You're getting slow."
"You're not supposed to notice that, Sonny," Appa Ratchet said with a smile. "We'll meet you there then."
"I'll be there," Ratchet said with a smile. "Steal Halo when you get there. We have to keep Ironhide on his toes."
"You're a hardcore, infant," Corr said with a chuckle.
"HE DIDN'T GET THAT FROM ME!" Appa Ratchet said with a wink and smile. They chatted a moment, then walked onward.
They ate a moment, then Ratchet glanced at Lucien. "That's why I fight," he said. "Those four, among all the others. What drives you, Lucien?"
Lucien glanced at him. "All the things that drive everyone else. I want what I want. I don't think that's a sin."
"It's not a virtue if someone else suffers because of it," Ratchet said. "We work for everyone equally. No one gets left out. When you get your reports and conclusions in order, we sit down with Prime's legal and political aides, his scheduler and Prowl to go over the planning. Some of what we do requires us to go to Earth, both different counties and Diego Garcia. That is the most important treaty that we hold. That one must be maintained at all costs. You will learn as we go."
Lucien stared at Ratchet coolly, then nodded. "Very well."
-0-At the Sciences Habitat in Autobot City
They walked in from the environmental entrance, slowing as they stared around. It was a huge building but until you entered it you couldn't really gauge its size. It was as if someone had taken an immensely big glass bowl and turned it upside down. The size of the dome was incredible and disorienting because it was so clear, it felt like there was no cover overhead. Those who first visited it had that flash of fearful vulnerability when they entered. The inside was open space, vast with designated areas. Along the wall to the right of the entrance was the kitchen which led into a bank of monitors and computers. They were communications tech and work stations.
In the area next to that was a dining room that could seat 300. Given that 150-177 lived here full time, including family members who came and went, it was made to be grown. Down below the first floor were the apartments of the inhabitants and below that, the plant that ran the dome and all the stores to keep it going. A lounge filled two spaces, one in the back which had a stone wall running along it that was over 30 feet high and one off to the left of the dining room. A giant monitor could be seen in both areas.
Some of the resident scientists were having lunch and waved the group over. One of them was Alan Murray, a slight wiry man with a ready smile, a genuinely kind personality and an insatiable curiosity about life and other beings. "Corey! Join us. Who did you bring with you?"
"Alan Murray, my hero and mentor, this is Jim Johnson, Sam Hedges, Todd Baseman, Silvio Lombardi, Carlos Ortega, Lawrence Dobbs, and Steve Anson. They're security for Earth2 and wanted to come to see the colony. They don't have permission to go out on their own. I told them I'd be here a couple of hours working with you."
Alan nodded. "Find a seat, gentlemen. We're going to be a while. Eat lunch while you wait. Prime rib sandwiches and the beer is cold."
The mercs walked to the counter to make lunch with Corey. As they did, the hatch opened and Olivia Bowers walked in. She smiled and greeted the others, was introduced, then joined the line for lunch. Jim Johnson glanced at her. "I heard you went native."
The atmosphere cooled a bit as she stared up at him. "I like life here and I like the people. If that's going native, then I'm guilty." She grinned slightly. "I heard that some of the security at Earth2 were mercs with Jase Daniels. Any truth to that?"
Sam Hedges nodded. "Guilty as charges, most of us."
"I wasn't," Silvio said.
"Not me," Steve Anson added.
"Good for you," Olivia said to the pair with a cool tone of her own. The line moved slowly as the men prepared big sandwiches and took cold beer from the counter top cooler. She moved up to prepare one as Sheila Conroy and Michio Yamaha walked in from outside. "Hi, Olivia. I'm glad you're here. I want to let you know that the flight to Enceladus is on hold. They're testing the cargo bridge there and flights are rerouted to Fort Recluse instead."
"Thank you, Sheila," Olivia said. "How was it on Charon?" She walked to a table to sit as Sheila and Michio began to make lunch. "Did you get to the heart yet?"
"Heart?" Lawrence asked.
Olivia glanced toward him, then nodded. "There's a flat area on Pluto that is heart shaped. It's as big as one whole side of the planet. If you take an image and trace the area, its a perfect heart, a 1,200 mile wide heart."
"How do you get a ride to Pluto?" Carlos Ortega asked.
"Well," Olivia said with a slight smile. "It depends on whether its one-way or a return."
HUGE laughter in the room.
The hatch opened as three big men walked in, all three of them N.E.S.T. soldiers. One of them was Sargent Toby McFarlane who had driven the mercs to Earth2 when they came and the other two were Trevor Smith, newly minted sergeant and solid Martian home boy as well as a big man named Colin Carver, a Sargent from the UK. They greeted everyone, then walked to the counter to make food. They had noticed the mercs but didn't say anything to them. They had their orders to watch but not engage.
Walking to a table where a couple of civilians sat who were family of those who lived in the Family Tower, they sat to eat. The mercs stared at them as they ate nearby. Then Johnson leaned back in his chair. "You're Trevor Smith," he said.
Trevor glanced at him. "I don't know you."
"You should. I'm fucking famous," Johnson said with a smirk. "You must have seen me on my many TV appearances."
"Nope," Trevor said.
"I've met your parents," Johnson said.
"Lucky you," Trevor said.
It was quiet a moment, then Carlos Ortega leaned around Sam to stare at the two. "How do you get a ride into space? I want to go to Charon."
Trevor stared at him, then glanced at Toby McFarlane who was staring at him with gathering disgust. "I don't think you can count on it," McFarlane said.
"That doesn't sound very neighborly," Ortega replied.
It was icy cold in the room, then Corey stood. "I didn't let you come along to be dicks. If you're going to make trouble, then you can walk home."
"You have no sense of humor," Ortega said.
"Not when it comes to unity here," Corey said. "Either figure it out or I'll leave you to walk back to Earth2."
"How about we catch another ride back?" Ortega said with a cold expression.
"Good luck. I don't think they have Uber here," Michio Yamaha said.
"Where's the phone around here?" Johnson asked as he glanced around. "Someone else can drive us around."
"Good luck with that. You were signed out to my vehicle. You have to come back in it," Corey said.
"Let's see," he said as he watched Michio walk to the comm system to call up Earth2.
"Go ahead. You might get lucky," Michio said as he walked back to his chair.
Johnson rose, then walked to the console. A man was on screen, someone from the office of Harris. "Hey, Lance. We need a ride. Corey's going to be here a while. Is there someone who can come get us? We're on the log."
"Hang on," Lance said as he checked things out. It was silent a moment, then Lance looked up. "I can route someone there. What's the deal? I need to log it in."
"We're stuck here. Corey's doing something with the scientists. When will they be here?" Johnson asked.
"About a minute. They're heading toward Aerie Hill and should be passing the Temple District now," Lance said. "I told them to turn in and get you."
"Thanks, Lance. We'll be ready," Johnson said. The screen went back to the NASA logo as Johnson turned to the others. "Let's get ready to go." He picked up his mask and with the others in tow walked to the airlock where they paused to look back at the group. "Is someone going to let us out?"
Michio walked to the console, then opened the door. They walked in to wait as the hatch door closed. At about the same time, the outer hatch opened and a vehicle from Earth2 drove in. The mercs entered, then drove out as the airlock closed. Those inside turned to Corey. "You better watch your back, Corey," Michio said as he walked back to the table. "Those guys are idiots."
"They're worse than idiots," Toby said. "I'm going to inform Lennox. If they so much as frown at you, call us. We'll be there in seconds."
Corey nodded. "Thanks. Those guys are not good. No one likes to be around them."
"Then that makes it 100%," Sheila said with fury.
-0-TBC 11-15-17 edited 11-15-17
NOTES
A fly by of Pluto shows a huge area of Mars that looks flat and white. It also forms the most perfect heart shape. Next to it is a dark space that is whale shaped. Google it. It's fantastic.