The Diego Diaries: Onward (dd6 383)
-0-Morning
Ratchet stood by the wash rack door as Corr was sudsed up by Chan. Holding a towel, Appa Ratchet kept up his usual upbeat patter as Docker held the sprayer. They were getting him ready for testing from his doctors and their first series of counseling sessions held here before discharge in four orns. His own ada and atar had argued with him about the store but he prevailed. They were all tired and needed to be together to get better. He would put a sign on the door to tell their legion of customers that they could place their orders on line and those picking them up could meet him at noon straight up to get them when he came there to fulfill that dueling point. His genitors were nothing if not good sorts about getting individuals what they wanted.
Docker sprayed Corr off and the three of them took towels to help him dry off.
"Step under the hot air blower, Amma. It'll get all the crannies," Ratchet said with a grin.
Corr smiled at him. "This is so much nicer. Hands on, Sonny."
Ratchet laughed, then watched as the three fussed him to the rocking chair that Ratchet had rounded up. He sat tiredly, then smiled. "That was very nice. Thank you, all. You're the best sparks I know."
Ratchet grinned as Ironhide walked in to take a gander at the four of them, all of whom sat down on the couches and chairs to keep Corr company. "You look better, Corr. How do you feel?"
"A bit tired but better. My helm hurt a bit before I fell," Corr said.
"YOU NEED TO TELL ME! Until you four are at 95% protoform regrowth, you're all susceptible to injury from bumps and falls. DON'T MAKE ME HUNT YOU DOWN!" Ratchet said with a cross expression.
"Inside voice, Sonny," Chan said with a grin.
Ironhide howled, then grinned. "Where have I heard that before?"
"Speaking of which … where is everyone?" Ratchet asked.
"In school," Ironhide said. "By the way, the visiting reporters want an interview. I told them to talk to you, blabby. I'm going to Cybertron with Prime. I'll be back for lunch. How about meeting me somewhere?"
"How many will be there or is this a romantic request?" Ratchet asked as he waggled his optics.
"Romantic," Ironhide said with a grin. "I only invited 30 mechs to join us."
Huge laughter greeted that along with teasing and jokes before Ironhide walked out to do battle with the disaster slowly coming along that was his home world. They watched him go, then looked at Ratchet. "What about you, Sonny?" Appa Ratchet asked as he petted his cat and Corr's.
"I have to go to the human habitats. Once every three decaorns I do that."
A rap on the door drew their attention. A pair of specialist techs for Corr were there along with their old counselor, a little femme named Min-D. They chatted a moment, then Ratchet excused himself. Heading out feeling infinitely better, he made his way to the elevator and the short hop to the street. He would be on his way to Earth 1 in no time.
-0-Cybertron
They stood in a group listening to the local constables discuss the situation around the edge of the Sea of Mercury. There was looting in the bombed out mansion houses that were owned by the hoi-paloi back in the orn. They walked along a wide avenue that had been lined with big houses and towers where the very wealthy had lived. The ruins were old but they were honeycombed with tunnels and pitted with holes where enterprising thieves had decided to excavate.
Pausing beside the beach house that had been part of the 'Primal Condition' as it was called humorously by his staff back when, he stared at it and the memory of Primus rising from the sea. Some of those with him remembered it as well. He turned to the local police. "I see that they hit this place hard. There were relics there that belonged to the nation and they need tracing if possible. I realize that you have many duties but if there could be some sense of awareness among you about what might be missing and passed around, I would be grateful. We must gather our culture back together. It belongs to all of us."
"We'll watch for it. We're investigating this to see if its just locals or something more organized. We have a pretty brisk black market on valuables now. We'll let you know," the big mech, Taz-R said. He was the local detective for the district and in charge of all investigations. He led them onward down wide pockmarked streets with hulking bombed out buildings, showing them the warren of holes and destruction. It was pretty awful.
-0-Earth 1
He stood in the habitat door waiting for the atmosphere to equalize. Inside, the usual suspects were waiting to chat and discuss the habitat and her inhabitants. When the door opened, he walked inside. "HELLO, LITTLE PEOPLE!"
He was swarmed.
Shortly later …
He sat on the floor of the corridor outside the small hospital that served Earth 1. Phoebe Grant had just worked out the plan for the unit for the next six months and now it was time to gossip. "How is it with Earth2? Are things well or do you have anything you want to tell mama?" Ratchet asked.
Phoebe laughed. "We sorta get along. There's a different atmosphere over there than here. Owen and the others make it hard to relax."
Ratchet nodded. "That man is not to be trusted. However, if you get any good intel, you can let me know. See?" he asked with a big smile. "That's how it works."
Phoebe laughed. "I will. They want to make it bigger and they want to explore on their own. They're looking at the mineral wealth around here, Ratchet. They want to drill to see what's down there."
"They won't be allowed. Prime won't permit it. Consider this world is ancient, dormant mostly, but filled with unknowns. What if you brought up a virus, triggered a reaction among your kind and died in agony. How would we explain that to your families?" He smiled. "I'd burn a candle for all of you, though. Just so you know."
It would go like that for the duration of his stay as others gathered around to chat with the Autobot that most of them knew the best.
-0-Earth2
They waited by the habitat doors for Ratchet to appear. He was here to review medical and ascertain the health of the inhabitants by going to the Ops Center upstairs and plugging in. Apparently, the habitat suits and implant nano devices in their arms everyone bore as locators and scanners that tabulated their health and kept track of their conditions allowed him to tune in and give suggestions about those in their population that might need assistance. Overall grumbling about big brother turned to gratitude when a small child was diagnosed with childhood leukemia this way. That the bots were working to cure the baby was not lost on anyone.
The leadership was there to have a private conversation with Ratchet about their various applications for this and that and their requests for other things. Ratchet was the best conduit they had into the machinery that was Prime's operation and when he said he would take it up with him and get back to them, he always did. Owen Harris, Hamilton Brown, Steve Jameson, Pierre Beliveau, and Cynthia Tomas waited as they saw a search and rescue truck turn off the highway and head their way.
"Here he comes," Kyle Davis said as he walked over to them from the windows nearby. "We're in agreement on our agenda?"
They nodded. "We are," Harris said.
Behind him, the colony ran busily, the energy suffusing the place bright and intense. Scientists worked in their labs and offices, the farm, the greenhouses, with the big telescopes in the array of science labs that occupied nearly all the second floor housing everything of note, and in the businesses, support industries and classrooms of the facility. Vehicles drove on the streets, pausing at traffic lights to let others past, then moving onward with a wave and smile. Everyone here was delighted and still overwhelmed by the magnitude of the place and its amenities.
The business sector was as busy as any town. The grocery store, cafes and bars were well used by the locals. Many were the locals who cooked here, displaying videos of their efforts on YouTube. The Farm had a channel there along with the broadcast of the enterprise to Earth through their own station, ME2, Mars, Earth2. Cameras live streamed different areas, the little pasture where the goats, tiny cows, pigs, sheep, and horses spent their days. Chickens were everywhere along with a number of ducks in the tiny pond that made up a corner of the pasturage.
People could watch real time video of life here including the main intersection on the concourse floor where a number of roads crossed complete with traffic lights and crosswalks. A camera was on the main junction day and night here along with one that caught the main concourse and business district, streaming what was happening to Earth humans who tuned in to watch. The local station in the facility ran programming eight hours a day including in-house news in the morning and evening detailing life inside. It also ran programming from IntraComm, their shows and movies along with that of Earth that was popular among the population. International news from Earth, The Hourly News from Mars hourly, and local news from the human habitats to keep everyone up to date.
Ratchet pulled up, transformed, then stood up to stare into the windows of the second floor. Those inside who saw him waved and he waved back, posing like a debutante while a couple took snapshots. Then he walked to the door of the habitat with a grin, heading into the lion's den for his annual visit. The transit was short and he was inside, staring down at the humans with a grin. "Hello, tiny people. How are you doing today?"
"We're good, Ratchet," Cynthia said as she smiled upward at him. "Welcome aboard."
"Thanks. I'm going to medical to check things out, then up to Ops Center. Do you want to meet in the usual place when I'm done?" Ratchet asked.
"We do, Ambassador," Owen said with a nod.
"Then I better get on it," Ratchet said. He nodded, then walked forward into the facility, waving to humans as he made his way toward the medical center. He reached it, knelt down and began to speak to the staff there. It would take a while.
The group watched them, noting his easy manner with the group which included Monica Hadden who was walking by and joined them. Then they walked toward the lounge in the far corner near the exercise area to sit and wait. It would take a while. Cynthia Tomas would rise after a moment to join the group at medical. She would enjoy herself when she did.
-0-Twenty minutes later …
He walked to the elevator that led upward. It was highly secured but he entered with his overriding code which all senior Autobots possessed. Riding upward, he stepped out and grinned. "HOWDY, BOYS! MAMA IS HERE!"
The bots and two humans from N.E,S.T. who were always on duty shifts there laughed loudly. Siso who was shift boss grinned. "What brings you here?"
"Why, your handsome face, Siso," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile. Huge laughter and rudeness greeted that as he scanned everyone, then plugged into check the data on humans here. "Have to see who needs a hug." He read the data and found little to nothing in need of intervention. "Well, no one is going to be sick for a while. Nice. I have to go talk to the slaggers now. Want me to deliver any messages?"
"You might end up in the brig," Siso said with a grin.
"The mercs," Sargent Collier, a N.E.S.T. 'observer' said as he lounged in his chair with a book.
"Acting up? Showing their oats?" Ratchet asked with a smirk. "Perhaps I can help there," he said as he unplugged and walked to the door.
"Ratchet?"
He looked back at Siso. Siso stepped closer. "What's this I hear about another bigger habitat for humans being considered?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. I love rumors. They're so cute," Ratchet said with a nod. He entered the elevator, then went down.
:Do you think there's one underway, Siso?: Sargent Collier asked.
Siso shrugged. "I don't know, Tommy. I wonder if they need a shift boss there?"
He wouldn't be the only one.
-0-Outside and down there
He walked past humans who were working, eating or walking about. Waving, moving onward, he reached the bosses who were waiting for him. As he did, a number of powerhouse teenaged girls were watching. It would pique their curiosity a lot. They skipped their lunch break to walk that way and find a perch where they could watch and listen. No one but Ratchet would know they were there.
-0-TBC 6-13-18 edited 6-23-18