The Diego Diaries: PAR-TAY! (dd6 201)
-0-At Room 113, Central Labor Hall, Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars, Cybertron and the Empire
"What about you?" Ratchet asked as he ate his food.
:We're having the usual get together but this time at Earth2. All of us from Sciences, Earth 1, the Consulate, N.E.S.T, the Resort, and the Family Tower will be heading out in a few hours. We wanted to be here for the show: Barbara Morshower said as she sat on a condiment box on the table. Humans were scattered all over the place, hanging with friends to enjoy the show and conversation. The room was filled, everyone there eating at a table or getting more to eat. Shortly, they would have the cookie contest. :Who's going to win?: she asked.
"Why, you have to ask?" Ratchet said as he batted his optics. "Do you do anything fun or do you just eat, get drunk and fight?"
:That about explains it. The boys are pretty upset about the mercenaries: Morshower replied. :We'll keep a bead on them. Intel and all:
"Just don't get into trouble," Ratchet said. "Those slaggers would just as soon shoot you in the face as look at you."
:The feeling is mutual: Judy Witwicky said.
Just then, Maxi stood, then rapped the table. "We're going to get the contest sorted out and while we do that, we invite Ratchet to discuss next year's item. First year, pies. Hercy and Kup won. Second year, cakes. Hercy and Kup won. This year, cookies … you get the drift," she said with a smile as laughter, catcalls and hoo-haw arose. "This year, we will choose a winner the usual way with some of the holiest members of our community joining in. We will have the final round decided by Master Cyclonus, Lord Chrome, Chef Rampage, Master Heatout, and Master Weaver Wirelite of Iacon." Huge applause greeted that, then it died down. "Ratchet?" Maxi asked as she took her datapad and walked to the judging platform to organize with a literal army of femmes and mechs who had been recruited to help.
Ratchet looked around, then stood. "Next year's contest is going to be … I was considering barbecue," he said to ENORMOUS approval of the punters, "but I think candy is the thing. Any kind, all kinds, you name it. If it's candy, its good."
"THEN BRISKET!" someone said in the back to general approval of all concerned. "We can have a cook off like they have on Earth, only ours will be better."
Everyone in the room agreed with the punter as Ratchet sat again. The judges worked their way upward to sit on the chairs of the judging table. They were Bumblebee, Metroplex, Acutus, Jazz, Maelstrom, Hugh-E, Password, Kappa in her pretender format as well, Xantium who wanted to come and eat cookies with his sweetie, and Sideswipe.
"What a mangy group minus Kappa, of course," Sandstorm said with a grin.
"You're just jealous," Hugh-E said as his bond, the tiny micro mini-con, Boo-Boo and their tiny little sons, three of them moved closer to watch Huge-E stuff himself with goodness. He grinned at his kids and they grinned at him.
"We have everyone numbered so no one will know which is which among the judges. No one is allowed to mention names or acknowledge your own when it comes up. Ratchet? Do you have the trophies?" Maxi asked.
"I do," Ratchet said pointing to a large box sitting by the door. "Let me know when you wish me to unveil my genius."
"ANY TIME NOW!" someone in the back called out.
"Frag you," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile. He held up his two red hands. "See these healing servos, these blessed appendages that lay servos on-" He didn't get much further under the tide of laughter, mockery and hoo-haw. "Slaggers," he said with a grin. "HIT IT, MAXI!" Ratchet grinned. "Did you notice how every mini-con in this room just flinched?"
Bedlam.
The runners began to bring cookies up for the judges to taste and score as the room settled in for the fun. Herds of infants played around the room, meeting resistance from the elders who parked in front of the entry tables to keep them out of the cookies. It met with indignation and lots of finger pointing by the infants:
"ADA! I DOING THIS!"
"Amma? Can I have a cookie?"
"APPA! YOU NOT GOOD ME!"
And onward …
Ratchet snickered, then looked at Ironhide nearby. "Where's Halo?"
"MAXI STOLE HER! I HAVEN'T SEEN HER SINCE!" Ironhide said.
Ratchet smiled as everyone turned to look at him with smirks. "Can I get you a cookie?"
HUGE LAUGHTER AND MOCKERY.
Round one made its way into the history books as Maxi collated the scores. Her battalion of worker bees, members of her professional assistant association were doing yeoman service. The crowd was full, satisfied, having a great time gossiping with others, and the contest was well in hand. All was well with the room. Some, however, had to front.
"Lucien, you should relax," Proteus said.
Lucien glanced at him. "I am."
Burris, ever Burris, frowned. "I can't see it."
Lucien rolled his optics as his son brought him a beer. Partition sat with his own and glanced at the group. "How are you doing? I'm having a great time," Partition said.
"I hear that you graduated from basic training and you passed your field medic course with a perfect score," Proteus said. "Congratulations, Partition. I didn't know you had it in you."
Partition snickered. "Neither did I. I was on the treadmill to oblivion. I get to go out with the medical teams during migrations and General Hard Drive wants me to train in a few other areas."
"Sounds exciting," Proteus said. He looked at Lucien. "You must be very proud. I heard that Inweld and Morius are on the same course."
"They are," Partition said before his father could speak. "They're going to enter the Watch. We like this kind of work. I applied to be a field medic at Watch Station 42 in Retriades. I would work there unless called up. That way, I can keep my hand in and have time to learn both policing and more in the medical field. I want to ultimately become an elder doctor. I want to stay with the army and Watch but also have that skill. When we go out to the migrations or go to Cybertron to assist there, I can help the elder end of things."
"You will," Raptor said with a grin. "You've exceeded expectations by a dozen planetary diameters. Keep up the good work. If you need a recommendation with the Watch, use my name."
Partition glanced at Raptor, then he smiled with surprise. "Really?"
Raptor nodded. "Ratchet speaks highly of you."
Partition smiled, then nodded. "I won't let you down."
"No one thinks you would," Raptor replied as the big kid stood.
"I have to tell Lancer," he said with a grin. "She's going to be so happy." He looked at his father. "I'll see you later, Atar." With that, he walked back to the table to tell Lancer. They both were delighted at the news.
Lucien stared at Raptor with a cold expression. "That mech is my son."
"He is," Raptor said. "He's changed more than anyone I've seen come here. He deserves praise. He got what he's achieved on his own effort. That will always deserve praise."
Madura and Edict walked to the table, then sat down. Anders, Vinn and Joon joined them. "What are we talking about?" Joon said as she made room for Laslo.
"We were congratulating Partition for his great achievements," Raptor said. "I'm very proud of that mech. He's got good things in him."
Laslo smiled. "I think he and his brothers have done such good effort. I'm proud of them. Partition wants to be an elder doctor. Did you know that?"
"We do," Raptor said with a grin. "All in all, its good to know what you want and go for it."
Lucien had nothing to say.
-0-Half a joor later
The judges went over their scores, conferred off line, then were finished with their part of the production. They rose and walked back to their tables to sit, filled to the brim but satisfied. Maxi who was tabulating the scores sat nearby. Faun who had the list of finalists rose to announce them. "If everyone can give me your attention?"
It stilled as everyone turned to her. "Our finalists are Alor, Hercy and Kup," she said as the room erupted in laughter, "Madura, Sensi, Buzz Saw, Boo-Boo, Holi, Prowl, Miler, 26 and his children, Lil and Boe, Logos, Twiner of Tellus IV, Livia, Anders, Delphi, Ratchet, Bluestreak, Ravel, Docker and Corr, Blaster and Revet, Edict, and Colie of Lumo 2. Please give a big hand to all who entered. All of you are winners to me."
Huge applause as the room erupted. Many was the finalist who was doing the Cybertron version of blushing. The finalist judges rose and walked to the front of the room to sit. Cyclonus who looked as grim and dangerous as anyone else sat in a chair beside Chrome. Wirelite, as sweet as ever, sat on the other side of Cyclonus. He would, incidentally, be as gentlemanly as could be to her the entire time of the judging. Heatout with a big grin, Lady Sela and a laughing Rampage took the other seats.
Maxi grinned. "We will bring the numbered entries to you and you will score them. This shouldn't take as long though you may discuss the entries together just like the others. Let's begin."
Nearby, the finalists at the table with Lucien were tense and excited. Anders gripped Burris by the servo. "This is so exciting. I've never been in a contest before."
Madura and Edict nodded. "Me, either," both of them said at the same time.
The room watched with tension and intrigue as the judges ate their samples. They scored them as seriously as they would if they were sitting in a trial, marking the points on the pads. When the last one was eaten, they huddled together to finalize the winners. Then they glanced at Maxi and sent the scores.
Maxi worked them out, then grinned. "We have four winners, Third, second, first, then grand champion."
HUGE APPLAUSE.
"Thank you, judges, all of you, and thank you, entrants. All of them were wonderful. Right now, Ratchet, if you would get the trophies, I will announce the winners," Maxi said as Ratchet arose to walk to the box.
Orion ran over and looked in when Ratchet opened it. "WHAT YOU, ADA!?" he asked to the delight of the crowd. Drift reached over and scooped him up as Ratchet turned to Maxi. "We're go, Maxi."
She smiled, then looked at her datapad. "The third place winner this year for cookies is … 26, Lil and Boe."
ENORMOUS applause as two delighted kids and their genitors got up to come forward. 26 was laughing as he and his bond, Avor, paused beside Maxi. "This is so wonderful. Thank you," 26 said as he picked up his daughter, Lil.
Ratchet fished into the box and drew out the third place trophy. Holding it up, the room burst into laughter and applause. The trophy stood on a small pedestal shaped like a glass with a wave of what must have been milk rising out of it that said, "Annual Thanksgiving Baking Champion, Third Place, 2017 TMC, Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars'. It was an image of Ratchet wearing an apron and a tall chef's hat while he was surfing on a giant cookie. He had a whisk in one servo and a cookie in the other. His face had a giant smile plastered firmly on it.
It got all the love it deserved. He walked to 26 and gave it to him. "Don't let anyone tell you I didn't do anything for ya," he said with a smile.
"I won't," 26 said as they took the trophy and walked back through the applause together.
The room died down as Maxi announced the next one. "The second place winner is Laslo."
The look on Lucien's face was something that Raptor hoped would never fade from his memories over time. Laslo nearly fell off the chair as he stood in shock. He was pushed forward by those sitting on the way to receive a silver version of the same trophy. He hugged Ratchet tightly, then Maxi and would still be hugging if Ratchet hadn't pointed him back to his seat. "Show the trophy to Lucien, Laslo," Ratchet whispered. "He'll love it."
Laslo looked at Ratchet with ecstatic happiness, then nodded. Walking back, he set it on the table. "Look, Lucien. We can put it on the shelf in the living room window."
Lucien stared at it with a sinking feeling in his tanks. His sons sitting nearby were still on their peds clapping and whistling loudly.
"The first place winner of the cookie contest this year is ...Hercy and Kup!" Maxi said with a smile.
The two mechs stood in the midst of bedlam, then walked forward to get it. Hercy grinned. "Cookies were never a strong point of ours," he said as everyone in the room laughed loudly. They walked back with the gold statue.
"Now," Maxi said with a smile. "We have to give out the grand prize trophy. This trophy is an acknowledgment of superior effort and the winner is … MADURA!"
The room burst into flames as Madura was hauled up and half carried to the front. He stood in the front of the huge crowd in shock as he stared at the big trophy in Ratchet's servo. It was like the others but painted with color to show its features. The others were solid copper, silver and gold. This was painted in true-to-life colors. He took it, then hugged Ratchet hard. Holding it up, he smiled beautifully. Walking back, he sat down beside Proteus who was nearly crying with delight for him. Madura hugged Proteus, then turned to the others. "THIS IS SO EXCITING! I KNOW JUST THE PLACE FOR IT!"
Lucien looked at Madura's trophy, then the one Laslo had just won. / … so do I, Madura … so do I …/
The party would continue hearty for some time.
-0-TBC 11-26-17 edited 1-9-18
NOTES:
Amazon, New Line and someone else are going to serialize The Lord of the Rings on a series for television. They bought it and its estimated a billion dollars is going to be spent on it. :0)
If you keep 'a bead' on someone, you watch them. I think it might be an old expression of keeping someone in your rifle sights. The bead is the little bump sight on the end of your barrel that you use to target your gun … the bead. :D The Old West never dies.