The Diego Diaries: Moving Onward (dd6 395)
-0-The next morning at the Ops Center, big conference room
They walked into the room taking their seats with plates and cups. Prime was sitting at the head of the table working on a donut and hot drink, taking a moment to kick back. The chat was lively and the group was congenial as they waited for everyone and Prowl. Ratchet sat with Halo who was nodding off as Ironhide stuffed his face with donuts.
Mech liked a good donut.
Neo sat with her cup and a plate of cookies. "How was your night out, Ratchet?" she asked sweetly.
Ratchet grinned. Ironhide glanced at him with a frown. "We got arrested. Again. Ironhide and me. I half expect Youth Services to come and take this infant away."
Everyone paused their conversation as they turned toward the pair. Grins abounded as Ironhide frowned at everyone. "Nothing to see here."
"Actually," Turbine said, "Little mech, here, got stuck on a train and went in circles around The City. Old Pathfinder here," he said nodding to a widely grinning Hard Drive, "and Sure Foot Navigator here," he said nodding to Raptor, "actually thought he was driving and chased him to Industrial Park City only to find out he was on a train going nowhere."
"Were you sober?" Neo asked with a chuckle.
"Mostly. We were told to stay sober but that didn't mean a beer or two wasn't in order," Raptor said. He grinned. "Or three."
"Don't include me into that," Hardie said with a smirk. "I was sober. As a judge sober."
"So you say," Delphi said. He grinned. "All in all, you were short grabbing him. The Watch got him first."
"They did," Ratchet said. "I was told that we went in the same paddy wagon to the jail."
"You did," Springer said as he lounged in a chair against the wall with Drift who was grinning at Ironhide who was peeved that their dirty laundry was being aired. He frowned at his son, then his grandfathers. "Slaggers. Some things stay in the family."
"What happens in Autobot City stays in Autobot City." Turbine grinned. "Or not."
"What was the verdict or are you going to be tried later? Was it No-A who was the judge?" Neo asked.
"Yes. We pleaded guilty. I offered to give testimony in the form of interpretive dance just so you know," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.
HUGE laughter greeted that. "I would have loved to be there for that," Starscream said as Rainmaker laughed loudly.
"You and me both," Warlord said. "How do you manage to stay out of jail, Ratchet?"
"I have no idea," Ratchet dazzled. "Perhaps Ironhide can tell you."
Ironhide paused stirring his drink to frown at Ratchet. "Don't drag me into this. You're the lunatic in the family."
"The winner and still champion," Ratchet said with a smile.
Prowl walked in, slapped datapads on the table, then sat. "What did I miss?"
"An aria and a pirouette," Turbine said.
Huge laughter greeted that as Prowl shot dark optics toward Ratchet. "Why do I presume that the chat is about you and your criminal tendencies?"
"BECAUSE!" Ratchet said as he spread his arms wide. He smiled beautifully.
Prowl stared at him, then picked up a datapad. "Yes. Right. First item of business-" A donut bounced off his helm. He glanced up with a steely gaze. "Departmental reports," he said as he glanced at Magnus. That redoubtable bot rolled his optics.
They began to give their reports, some of which included their portion of the Cybertronian situation. When the district commanders, among them Turbine, Raptor, Hard Drive, and Delphi gave their own, it was clear that things were moving forward on world, even if all wished it was faster. Tens of millions were given good shelters and three million now lived in tower housing in the major cities. Infrastructure in great swaths of the world was being developed for distribution of supplies, building materials, food, medicine and medical support, censuses to determine who was there and who wasn't, transportation, and dozens of other mundane things that most take for granted until they go.
Power had reached every place on Cybertron at long last, they were told. Over 1,200 city-formers were now permanent residents of the planet with rebuilding including them in the planning. Many would be the location with city-formers built into their surroundings, taking their places once more in the middle of The People to serve them again. They were glad to be there and everyone was glad to see them. There were more now living on world then there were at any other time in the history of the Cybertronian People.
Schools reported that conferences were coming and would be held over a three orn period. There were placements for everyone who came as the wave of those transferred to Mars from elsewhere for various reasons continued constantly. There were six public schools now, three for babies, two for the younglings and one Intermediate for those approaching or who were sub adult. They discussed opening another tower for babies and for sub adult kids. The demographics were changing with refugee migrations and Cybertron. It was approved. There would be a fourth sparkling school in Metrohex and an intermediate school in Pax, public schools number seven and eight.
The University was graduating its first classes in the new facility shortly. A group of law enforcement students specializing in forensics would graduate along with a large nursing contingent, teachers, engineers, and those who were going to be absorbed immediately by the film industry. Herling was delighted to report that as well as the findings of the school board about the new curriculum updates, the idea of student visitations to Earth and the SCOUT JAMBOREE IN THREE, COUNT THEM THREE ORNS! He didn't have to say that part but he liked to see Prowl's optics roll back in his helm.
"Frag that, Herling," Springer said darkly. "I SAY FRAG THAT!"
Drift grinned at him, then Herling. He winked and Herling grinned back. "That's the gist of the educational world at the moment, Prowl."
Prowl stared at Herling with huge angst, then glanced at his datapad. "Well, wasn't that special," he said to ENORMOUS laughter and mockery. "Loon, enlighten us."
Ratchet dazzled him with a smile, then looked at his datapad. "Well, I spent the night in the drunk tank with Ironhide and found that there's a lot of miscreant children who like to tag city-formers. Port of Nexus, no less. Little slaggers. What's this world coming to?" he asked.
Drift shrugged. "I don't know. What?"
Ratchet smiled at Drift. "You get stuff in my will." He looked at Prowl to continue.
"I sorta wanted your collection of swizzle sticks and old gum myself," Prowl said with a slight grin.
Ratchet looked at Prowl like he was the Messiah. "That was good, Granny. Kudos for you."
Prowl sneered slightly around his smirk. "Continue, Loon." Internally, he was highly pleased at the laughter and nods.
"Well, I was saying … the drunk tank is quite the experience and I recommend it heartily. As for the medical scene, we're doing great things. Protoform wasting is being controlled through the local clinics. Courier trap testing has finished on Cybertron and all who were affected have been treated. Its a null issue thus far but we'll continue to seek it out when 'Cons come in or newbies from off world. You can't be too careful.
"Its easier for our people to come in for check ups as well using local clinics that way. Home Healthcare is expanding to meet demand. A lot of elders need that extra touch. All in all, we're keeping ahead of the curve thus far. We have roving medical flights all over Cybertron and the recruitment and training of medical personnel and boosting of training of those already skillful is going well. But what can one expect," he said raising his big red hands. "These magical servos lay on the healing and crooked things become straight."
"Is that so, Ironhide?" Hercy asked with a grin.
Ironhide frowned at Ratchet. "OLD MECH! YOU'RE INSANE! GIVE ME THAT FEMME BEFORE YOU BREAK IT!" He slipped Halo into his arms, then sat back with a big grin. "I, Ironhide have spoken."
Ratchet smirked. "Slagger."
The drone of reports continued along with good questions. Law enforcement, finance, industry, a report from Ratchet about diplomacy, the environment, city expansion … it went on and was delivered to the community team who ran things. Reports would then be filed with the Colonial City Council who were the representatives from all the cities who met once every three decaorns to discuss local problems and plans. Ultra Magnus as the city manager and overall mayoral leader locally would discuss the findings of this body with them. They would take the information back to their local city based councilor groups and it would be spread into the community. It was the closest things they had to a formal representative government and everyone liked it. Anyone could run and serve and they did.
All old business was finished along with new. Then at long last, the good of the order staggered into view. Prime sat back with a smile, then glanced at the humans who were lounging in chairs before him. "I have one more thing to discuss before you amuse me, minions, but I need your complete and total submission to my will first."
Laughter greeted that. Springer leaned forward to stare down at the former lover who was a great and good friend even still. "I thought that was Prowl's job."
Raucous laughter and ribald commentary bloomed like peonies as Prowl stared at Springer like a butcher would a carcass. "Ha, ha," Prowl said to enormous mockery.
Prime who laughed sat forward with a datapad he pulled out of his subspace. "If I may have your attention."
"Sure," Kup said to great laughter.
"I have been hearing a lot of gossip around town and in the media, both on world and off. I find gossip intriguing on occasion, at least this gossip. I think for once I would like to buck the trend as the humans say but I need your complete silence on this outside of this room and our formal discussions."
He got it.
"I am studying the idea of creating a habitat for humans that we control ourselves, that works on projects that we desire and are employees of Autobot Nation. Humans want a great habitat with tens of thousands of humans living there.
"I think I want one, too. I want it under my command with humans who are my employees doing things that I feel have worth and value, all for the good of Earth, of course," he said. He grinned at the humans who grinned at him. "I have done a great deal of research, talked to many humans and considered the idea for some time. I am unwilling to continue to play this game with the humans who want to undertake a project like this for themselves. We can conduct a lot of research beneficial for humans in a big habitat, yet keep control of it ourselves. That is our next side project. I would like Typhoon and Metroplex to explain the basic format of the project which I have discussed with Prowl, Hard Drive, Metroplex, Fortress Maximus, Ultra Magnus, Wheeljack and Perceptor, Zachary and Monica Hadden of Earth2, Jetta, Ratchet, and Harley Epps."
Bobby Epps started at that, then looked upward at Prime. :You talked to him, Optimus?:
Prime nodded. "I needed information. Right now, Typhoon and Metroplex will explain the basic framework from which we will begin this task."
Ty who was grinning glanced at Metroplex. "After you, brother."
Metroplex grinned at him, then Optimus. "I have been spending a great deal of time in conversation with Lord Optimus and the group aforementioned. We have been plagued with manipulation in the past by humans with agendas and find ourselves losing the war once more regarding a big habitat designed to be expansive in the kinds and amounts of research and development that would go on there. Typhoon and I have put the proposition to our brethren in Soft Space and there has been not only a lot of discussion about it but huge interest.
"Given the initial plans discussed, we have concluded after much study and designs drafted that it will take either four metrotitans of great transformational skill or two dreadnoughts of adult status and growth to format what we have decided we need. Given that four of them have been traced down and brought to soft space since you have arrived, Ty, that gives us the option of asking and devising the plans with them. They are very old and skilled, mature and wise. Invincible and Thrasher have agreed that they would like to take part in this project. They understand what it means, what it will take and seek company among our own kind. They wish to serve The People in whatever manner is asked and have agreed quite happily to take on this project since it does not involve war and fighting, both of which they are justifiable weary. So they are on their way. Expect two ships fourteen and fifteen miles long, Ratchet, to arrive together at the solar well in a week." Ty grinned brightly. "You're welcome."
Huge laughter greeted that. Then Springer grinned. "They sound bigger than you, Ty."
Ty grinned at Springer. "Why, aren't you a little ray of sunshine? Tiny."
Everyone laughed, then Lauren leaned forward to look down the table to Prime. "What exactly are these worthies attempting to do that will assist humanity and dampen the drum beat of the less savory types to come here and dig willy nilly, Lord Optimus?" he asked.
Prime grinned at him, then everyone around the room. "We are going to be building a farm."
It was silent a moment, then Raptor opened his hold and pulled out a rather sleepy cow. Setting Pudding on the table, he smiled. "Finally. Pudding can have play dates."
Prime actually laughed aloud.
-0-TBC 6-26-18 edited 7-17-18