The Diego Diaries: Things (dd6 335)
-0-Around the place … RTR Tools ...
"Thank you," Ravel said as he accepted the order. The youngster nodded, then headed out of RTR Tools heading for other places and businesses that needed deliveries from the Foundry Exchange. Ravel carried the box of metals to the back warehouse and set it on the work table. Opening it, he smiled. "It's all here, Tie."
Tie Down who was hammering something at one of the anvils glanced up. Putting things aside, he walked to the counter and helped pull items they ordered for a special creation out of the box. Sheets and sheets of silver and copper were piled onto the counter as they went through the contents. "We can make them as soon as I finish with the designs. All of the pictures were very helpful. We can make the templates tonight and begin tomorrow."
"I can't wait to tell everyone. This is such a good idea, Tie. Thank you for being so clever," Ravel said with a smile.
Tie grinned at Ravel. "I have you for inspiration, Ravel," he said.
-0-Secretariat of State, Autobot City Medical Building, The City
Ratchet walked in and sat down in Lucien's office. "We're going to let the slaggers from Earth come here. They're going to be coming shortly and have to pass inspection."
"I read up on them. Why would you have them here? They're bad news all around," Lucien said as he sat back in his chair. His desk was covered in work and there were files pending.
"I can get you an assistant or a writer if you want one," Ratchet asked with a smirk.
"I do better without. It might take a little longer but it gets done," Lucien said.
Ratchet nodded. "We have problems beyond Diego with these types. Someone stole a lot of our tech and while most of it is beyond the means of the humans to recreate due to materials and conceptual limitations, we want it back anyway. We also find that those with the most money are the ones who we find working to do us harm. Having them here puts them on our radar and we can perhaps get lucky."
Lucien nodded. "I see."
"When we do the interviews and the rest when they get here, I want you there to watch and listen. The more you know, the easier it is for you to do work that relates to them. It took a while to get them but we have a good group of humans around us. It's the ones we don't know that create the biggest problems," Ratchet said as he rose. "I'll let you know when. All of this detail is secret beyond secret. We have adversarial beings on world and we have to be careful should they find out. The element of surprise is ours to lose."
Lucien nodded. "Very well."
Ratchet nodded, then walked out. The light streamed in from mid afternoon as he considered that, then turned back to his job.
-0-At the United Nations Consulate, United Nations Territory, Primal Colony of Mars, Cybertron and Earth
"We're going to need all hands on deck, Carly," Charlotte Mearing said as she finished debriefing Carly Brooks-Spencer on the threat and the newcomers. "You're the only one here that knows and we want it that way. No one is to know what the picture is. We're picking strategic individuals in all the habitats we hold to be our eyes and ears. They represent a real threat to us and we have to deliver on the intel. Do you understand?"
Carly stared at the two intense figures before her and nodded. "I do. I remember them from the news. They were part of the group that harassed the bots at Diego and tried to kill the children. Prime must think they have value to let them come here. I hope the colony doesn't know them or what they did on Earth. It might get ugly."
Mearing nodded. "That's what we have to protect against. Since you're the individual here who routinely visits all the habitats including Earth2, I want you to listen. Don't act. Just listen unobtrusively. Don't do anything else. Leave it to trained professionals."
Carly nodded. "Very well. You two are the contacts then."
"We are," Mearing said as she stood. "Right now, we have to go to Earth 1 and talk to our contact there. I'm not going to mention who that is for now because of security issues but know that there's going to be one in every human habitat on world."
"What about Earth2?" Carly said as they walked to the door of the lounge.
"We're working on it," Mearing said grimly. "Thanks, Carly."
"Yeah, thanks, doll. Don't be a hero. We're the ones who do the heavy lifting," Seymour Simmons said as he followed Mearing.
Carly smirked at him as they left. He was humorous, Our Seymour, she thought. Then she returned to her office to work.
-0-On the road
:Why not stop at Earth2 first: Mearing said. :I want to speak to a few individuals there that I'm grooming. I want to do rumor control:
:On it: Simmons said as he drove the heavy duty segway that they were taking. They would be adding small enclosed vehicles to their motor pool shortly to make distance travel like this less open to the elements. Nothing replaced their segways for getting around as well as getting in and out of places but having the option of more comfort and protection for distances was welcomed by all.
They disappeared down the road.
-0-Elsewhere
Ironhide walked around the armory as he sized up the types of big bombs that they were using in their medium range cannons on smaller fast ships. They were very powerful, 'smart' and a good feature for their army and even the heavier Seeker fighters. Sitting on his arm smiling at him around her binky, Halo listened to him. She didn't get every word or many, but she got his tone, his warmth, all the little kindnesses he did for her, and the familiar greatness of this place.
He grinned at her. "Cookie?" he asked.
She smiled, then pressed her nose against his shoulder. Smiling upward, her binky fell out of her mouth. Fortunately for both, it was hanging on a string around her neck. "ADA!" she said loudly. Then she chuckled, a fat wicked sound that began somewhere down around her toes and came upward.
Ironhide grinned. "Cutie."
"ATAR!" -Halo
" …!" -Ironhide
-0-Shortly later in the CMO's office
"Atar."
GIANT smile.
"Ah-tar. Atar."
Silence as seated femme-let looked at them, then the floor, ceiling, her toes, her old ah-tar, the window, the floor …
Moments later …
They sat on chairs with their peds up in the office of the CMO eating candy while a baby sat on the floor looking around. She grinned at them, they grinned at her.
Stand off.
"She said it plain as day," Ironhide said as he grinned at her. "Little femme is growing too fast. She's not going to school, Ratchet. I don't care how advanced she is. She's tiny and new. The wrapper is still on her and she's not going. I, Ironhide, slave to the peewees have spoken."
Ratchet laughed. "If you say so."
"I do-"
They both froze as they watched a tiny femme reach up to a chair and pull hard. Slowly, painfully, she pulled herself up until she was standing on her wobbly legs. She patted the chair, then fell backward onto her backside. Ratchet and Ironhide stared at each other, then Halo, then each other, then …
-0-RTR Tools
"Those are very fine templates, Tie. Do you want me to cut the metals?"
"How about you do that while I get the silver ready? We can form it in the molds and be that farther ahead. We only need three of them. We can store the templates against the future and have them available for perhaps special orders and the like. Prowl might be interested," Tie said.
Ravel nodded, then with magnificent skill and patience, he took a very fine tipped torch and began to cut the sheets of metal to Tie's exacting specifications.
-0-CMO
Halo sat on Ironhide's lap patting her dollie. She had her binky firmly in place and was as content as could be. Her genitors on the other hand weren't as much. They were guzzling down candy in a tense silence. Ironhide glanced at Ratchet. "She doesn't go to school this time until I say so. You had sway on everyone else. This little femme is mine to decide."
Ratchet looked at Ironhide, then shrugged. "Within limits, Ironhide. If she's sub adult and still waiting to go to Sparkling Day, then I'll step in."
Ironhide smirked. "That's not a problem. What is the problem is how fast she's growing and acting. I want her to be an infant for a long time. You're an adult forever, Ratchet. I want this little femme to be a baby. She may have a lot of good habits but she's still a little baby."
"You won't get an argument out of me," Ratchet replied.
-0-Earth2
They entered the big concourse and walked onward, heading for the farm where a couple of individuals worked who were friendlies and insiders on the way things happened here. It was a short elevator ride upward to the top floor that opened into a gigantic space so big that it was difficult to see across one side to the other. They walked together past the farm where the animals lived and toward a field of green growing plants that were benefiting from the overhead light from outside and the special spectrums that operated on all growing things inside.
Finding the ones they wanted, they chatted for about an hour together. By the time they left, they would have some good intel, some speculation and a bit of a rant. Cam Frazer was interested in the young single women who worked here. Rick Harris was a pretty good guy to be around. He was mannerly, liked living here and helped out when asked.
They had heard on the in house news that the Daniels and Nast had been released. They had as much knowledge of things at Diego as the next person but they were aware that some of the mercenaries working here were part of that process including trying to kill the children. No one liked them and tried to avoid that group altogether. The idea of more coming wasn't popular.
When Simmons and Mearing left, they would go to Earth 1 and find out much the same sort of feeling, if not the same observations of the enemy. No one liked the mercs and some of the men and their families who employed them. Some of them were obnoxious especially around the women and more were coming. It was going to be something else when the new party would arrive.
Mearing and Simmons left and drove onward, heading toward The City and a short chat with Jazz and Elita. Then they'd head for home and dinner. The sun was getting to the downside of its journey across their light blue sky.
-0-Earth
They sat together, old friends from school and a lifetime of shared adventures. Jase Daniels brought a drink for Harvey and Louis Richardson. He gave them to his family, then sat with his own. They sipped their scotches for a moment, then William Daniels looked toward Harvey. "Thank you for helping us, though I'm unclear how this will be a game changer for us."
"You can cool off and come home some day. All you have to do is get past Prime," Harvey said. "My son will be moving his operation to Mars if Prime okays it. Everyone will be there to help you. We have two Beta Strikers from N.E.S.T working for us in a permanent station in the UN Consulate. We plan on getting more on world. It's going to be fine. You have to send us what you know. Understand, they aren't gods. Relax and do your job. That's all you have to do."
Jason, William and James Daniels gave Harvey a nod wrapped around a helpless shrug.
"I hope so, Harvey," William replied with a slight case of worry.
He wouldn't be the only one.
-0-TBC 4-22-18 HAPPY EARTH DAY!