The Diego Diaries: Farmin' (dd6 404)

-0-1311 hours on the TMC

Their footfalls echoed through the vastness of the building as the Autobots entered the facility. They held the codes, the Senior Autobots, and could come and go through any building, habitat or structure related to humans, or not, on world. None of them were shut out of anywhere for any reason given the circumstances of human frailty.

Or bot.

Sunlight shown through the great windows as they walked toward the group and its happy noise down the concourse. Around them, the emptiness of the building was a sight to see. In a week, the first 500 newbies would be coming. Swearing everyone to secrecy, Warren Roberts had secured department heads and experts in all manner of business and creative functioning to come and take charge of their piece of the pie, answering ultimately to a soon-to-be named onsite daily manager and overall manager, Ultra Magnus, Venture, Prowl, Prime, and himself.

He had also emailed Prime a framework of individuals who would be the 'board' of the facility which both agreed upon. They were to be led by him, something Prime heartily approved, Sam Witwicky, Judy and Ron Witwicky because of the Resort and their senior status among the bots, Harley and Omar Epps, Leslie and Terri Hadden, Charlotte Mearing, and three others who were experts in business administration, commercial development and systems management. They would be promotions from within with one more poached individual.

Some of the local businesses run by humans would open shops here in the downtown, moving some of their stuff here. Galaxy Productions had asked for and been granted a big office on the second floor of a three story building on the 'main' street of the downtown. The Resort would have an office there which was going to handle some of their marketing and inventory out of the facility. Leonora Huttle had opened a studio to produce a talk show program in which local bots would be interviewed for local and off world viewing. Rick Harris would have an office for his business next door to Galaxy.

There was much more but the bots weren't yet apprised. Reaching the party, they grinned as the humans rushed forward clapping and shouting their delight to them. Taking the applause as Ratchet posed and preened for the cameras to Prowl's everlasting amusement, they finally silenced enough for some to be heard. "Welcome to the party. We're celebrating together before others come," Harley said as he grinned at Prime. He wore an apron that said 'kiss the cook' and held a big fork for turning barbecue on the grill.

"I see that," Prime said with a grin. "I am delighted that you are."

"I'd give you a bite but I don't think you eat this stuff," Omar said as he glanced at the long table filled with food.

"We can but you don't want to be around later," Ratchet said as Prowl slapped his helm. He slapped back and they had a 'moment', then turned to the humans who were howling with laughter.

"Prowl, call me when you and Ratchet go on a bender again," Judy Witwicky said. "I heard its epic."

Prowl sniffed at Ratchet. "If you mean we end up in jail because of Loon, here, who's just out himself mere orns ago, then yes. I would agree its epic."

"I heard you were in jail, Ratchet, you and Ironhide," Jessie said as she stood beside her beau, James Brooks-Spencer. "How did that turn out?"

"How did that happen?" someone in the crowd asked as everyone laughed.

"Well," Ratchet said holding up his big red hands. "We went on the town to lay servos on. We went among the heathen to-" A slap on the helm ended that as he grinned at Prowl. "What should I tell them? The time you had Prime land on you during the Battle of the Prison or the time you got slag faced, went to the prison and kicked Sentinel in the aft?"

"WHAT!? YOU DID THAT AND NEVER TOLD US!?" someone in the back hollered out.

Prowl stared at the crowd, then Ratchet, then the crowd, then Prime, then Ratchet. "Loon."

HUGE LAUGHTER all around.

It would be a pleasant joor chatting with the inmates before stepping aside with the Epps, Lennoxes, Witwickys, Charlotte Mearing, the Haddens Senior and Junior, Sam, Judy, Ron, and Carly for a chat.

-0-Near the doorway of the facility

They gathered as the bots knelt, bringing themselves eyeball to optic with the humans. Some of them were feeling no pain including a very relaxed Charlotte Mearing. Seymour Simmons, her roomie and all around partner in steely opticed professionalism joined them as well. Prime glanced at Prowl who downloaded the latest messages from Warren into him. He looked at the humans. "In three days, the initial group of humans will arrive, all of them managers at various levels of this place. I have put all of you on an overview committee that will report to me ultimately and Prowl practically. The organizational charts are being finalized by Warren but Leslie Hadden, you are in charge of agriculture and all departments relating to it. The well being of the plants and animals here will by yours."

He looked inordinately pleased. "We won't let you down."

Prime grinned. "Understood." He looked at the Epps family who were expecting their remaining Earth bound children this evening unbeknownst to their youngest, Bobby. "You will run the dairy, any large fauna including horses and sheep as well as manage any products manufactured from them. I am thinking about dairy products and other related items."

"We will do that, Lord Optimus," Omar said. "We're pretty good at it."

"I have no doubt on that matter, Mr. Epps," Optimus said. "Ms Mearing, I would like to have you run that part of this place that requires liaising with the other habitats, Earth itself, too, as well as vetting any and all overtures of cooperation between this place and others, particularly off world." He looked at Seymour who was nearly salivating at that possibility. "I understand that you work for Sector 7, Agent Simmons, and thereby have your own set of procedures and structures to navigate. However, I would like your assistance on this venture given its security nature."

"On it, Prime. Banachek can eat it," he said with his usual intense ferocity. Mearing smirked at him, glanced at Prime, then nodded.

"I will be having Springer design, recruit, train, and manage a policing presence here made up of humans. They will in all likelihood be special operational soldiers," he said as he looked at Will. Will nodded. "The more they resemble the diversity of Earth, the better, Major."

"On it, Optimus," Lennox said as Epps nodded, too. Gavin Pritchard and Niall Graham who were standing beside them would help.

"Sam, I am instructing Warren Roberts to release you from your position in New York to head the business division of this facility, to manage its budgets and supply and to work with Venture in the Economics Department of the City Hall to handle all of the interest that will be coming this way when word gets out. All of the detail management pertaining to that and all business related ventures I would like you to shoulder."

Sam who was surprised grinned up at Optimus. "I'd like that. A lot."

"I will assign Mikaela to take care of the communications and public relations of this place and I would like you, Carly, to consider working here as the day-to-day manager of the place. I understand and respect your position in the Consulate, but the position is yours if you wish to accept it," Optimus said.

She smiled at him, then Sam. "What do you think? Day-to-day manager …?"

"I wouldn't mind," Sam said with a grin as he glanced up at Optimus.

"I accept. I'm not on contract like some of the others who assist the consuls," Carly said. "I would have to wait for a replacement but that could happen in short order. Thank you for the vote of confidence."

Prime nodded. "I am building a hierarchy that will work well together and will liaise with us in a fashion that will be conducive to harmony and cooperation. The overall general manager of this place will be Venture. He will be the decision maker on things that come up or are derived through channels. The major departments that will come on line now, agriculture, light manufacturing and services will have their directors who report to the committee who in the end reports to Venture, then to Prowl, then to me. Harley Epps is in charge of the dairy and products derived therein. Leslie Hadden will be director for farming. I would ask you, Mrs. Hadden, given study of your background that you be director for the forests, ponds, all non-food plants, and the bee program as director of forestry and land management both urban and rural."

She looked lightheaded a moment, then nodded. "It would be my very great honor."

"There will be a number of other appointments and you may draw on talent who are coming in the first group, 500 of our own employees promoted to this facility to help you do your jobs. When everyone is here, in position and ready to go, we will hold a meeting to work out jurisdictions and overlapping functions before the rest of our employees start to come. The frequency of their arrival will depend upon industries coming online here. Judy and Ron Witwicky, I would like you to be on the committee as business owners on world and as someone clear and well versed on how things happen here."

"On it, Optimus," Judy said as Ron nodded in agreement. "The others can help us with this."

"That is optimal for me," Prime said. "The center for your offices will be the City Hall Building on Main Street. The maps are up on the Community Bulletin Board for Unidad and will help you find things and places. We will code the spaces to your bio-signatures." He glanced at Harley and Omar. "I have received a written request that Olivia Boles would like to bring her horses to this habitat and keep them here. She has volunteered herself to their care and any other possibility that you might have need of support. She was apparently 'born and raised on a horse farm'. They are thoroughbreds that are utilized for riding," Prime said. "Would that be a problem?"

Omar Epps glanced at his father, then Prime. "Not at all. We 'd be venturing into horses at some point, I'd think. Daddy says it isn't a farm without a mule."

Harley Epps grinned. "I said that. It's very true."

Prime grinned at the two men who he liked more each time he was around them. "Then I will tell her. I suppose she can arrange their airlift with you?"

"I'll organize it. Maybe they can come with the cows," Omar said as Harley nodded. "Or not. The cows are coming tonight at 7:00."

"1900 hours, be here." Ratchet grinned. "Perhaps I can find a few cow songs and serenade everyone in honor of our newest residents?"

"Perhaps I can put a gun in my mouth and pull the trigger," Prowl said to great and lasting acclaim including that of Ratchet.

Prime grinned at Ratchet, then the humans. "In three days, 500 people will be here. Major Lennox and Ratchet will give them the standard talk. I expect that you will be able to direct them to their quarters and positions? The policing forces will arrive when, Major?"

"We have the group chosen, Optimus, mostly. They're working in security outside of the armed forces, all former special ops. We vetted them, most of whom we know and trust. We'll have them online tomorrow if you need it," Will said.

"If that isn't too difficult. I would like a force here to assist people when they come. I do not anticipate trouble but we have to be ready for the possibility of Autobot City syndrome among the newcomers," Optimus said.

"On it. We can have N.E.S.T here to help until they arrive. Baggage is coming with them so its going to be easier for everyone with a lot of hands to help. Our doctor will be here until the team comes. The mini-cons and micros … when will they come? Everyone is waiting to meet them," Lennox said.

"They'll be here tonight. The crew of the Operational Center are already on duty but the floor and facility crews will be getting their last briefings today. We hope that you explain rather fully how the system works with them working inside every orn, Major," Prowl said.

"We will, Prowl. Say what you will about Earth2, they treat the crews there well. There hasn't been a problem with anyone since Johnson," Lennox said.

"We hope to keep it that way," Prime said. "I am going to make the announcement to the colony tonight and then have Prowl release a statement to the media of Earth. I expect a rush of applications to come here to work. That is Warren's province. He is using our security services on Earth to vet everyone. We will be having them come with their families and pets 500 at a time until all 10,000 initial positions are filled. That means about 20,000 individuals will be here when we reached our targeted number of on world workers."

"By then, the medical, business, educational, recreational, and departmental work programs will be online," Ratchet said. "I was delegated to handle that due to unforeseen circumstances among some of the Senior staff." He smiled like the sun.

Prowl, Ironhide and Springer shot him death rays from their optics as Drift grinned at Ratchet. Lennox who was good with the subtext blazing silently among them chuckled. "I won't ask. Tell me later, Ratchet."

"Since I'm such essential equipment here, I'll be happy to do that," Ratchet said.

Prime who snickered glanced at the humans. "Anything more before we go?"

"Actually, there is tiny housekeeping things I wanted to ask you," Harley said. He turned to his grandson. "Sonny, will you get me my iced tea? I forgot it."

Bobby Epps stared at his grandfather. "I can get it in a moment, Grandpa. Go ahead."

"Actually, my throat is pretty scratchy," Harley said as he rubbed his throat. "I could really use my ice cold tea, Sonny."

Everyone stared at Epps. Lennox grinned. "You wouldn't want us to think you indulge in elder abuse do you? I'll fill you in."

Epps glared at him, then walked to a segway. Hopping on, he gunned it and hurried toward the barbecue. Harley grinned, then turned to Prime. "Young people these days," he said as everyone snickered. "I'm having my three sons and two daughters come here to help with the dairy and making the cheese and butter. We have a lot of old timey products that we can also make along with helping with a couple of the businesses in the downtown that'll be good for the residents. My sons are competitors on the national barbecue circuit. They compete with each other, too. They can open a barbecue pit and my daughters can help my wife with her restaurant."

"Merlie's going to have a restaurant?" Will asked with surprise.

And delight.

Harley nodded. "Mama Merlie's Genuine Home-Cooked Soul Food."

The bots stared at him, then each other. "You can cook souls?" Hot Rod asked as he stood by the door with everyone else. "That's … uh, is that possible?"

The humans laughed, something that stuck sideways in Roddy's craw, then Harley explained. "It's food that feeds the soul, food that touches you deeply. Food made with soul, food for the soul, food that you have to be stone cold dead not to enjoy. It elevates you, this food. My wife is a genius at making this food. She had a restaurant in Iowa that was a pilgrimage site for people so she decided she wants to do it again here with the girls. I hope you don't mind, Optimus, if we provide two of the restaurants here. My kids need to be busy."

Prime who was following the conversation better than most of the others nodded. "I would be delighted to have artisans making this place more homelike for those who live here, especially from among families that are as welcome as yours, Harley Epps," Prime said in his genuinely decent way.

Harley grinned, then looked at his son. "Didn't I tell you that there is a gent? Thank you, Optimus. I will do my best and so will my family to make this place a miracle. It won't be hard. It already is."

There was huge agreement on that, then the bots took their leave. When they stepped outside, they transformed and jetted off toward the city. As they did, Bobby Epps arrived with his grandfather's iced tea. "Here you go, Grandpa. What did I miss?" he asked everyone who grinned at him.

"Not much. Mostly informational stuff about the hierarchy," Will Lennox said. "Security arriving and stuff."

Harley Epps downed his tea, then grinned at his grandson. "How about a lift back, Sonny?"

Bobby Epps smirked at his grandfather, then nodded. "Okay." He helped his grandfather into the vehicle, then sped off with a whoop. Everyone else would have to walk back which was not only satisfactory to him but also to those left behind as well. This was one swinging place.

"What do you think he's going to say when his siblings get here?" Charlotte Mearing asked as she walked along with the crowd heading back.

Omar Epps grinned. "Not much, I would think. They have a problem aging him."

They walked across the concourse and it would take a while to get there.

-0-About 1900 hours that evening

The bots came, a number of them including Ironhide and his elders, Ratchet, Prowl, Prime, Bumblebee because he liked cowboys and ranching, First Aid because he liked Bee, Hercy, and Kup. They walked to the rear entrance where the big doors were and entered because they were open. Trucks which had been driven into a ship on Earth that picked them up several places in France, America and the United Kingdom where driving off of it. They gathered to one side of the loading dock as the trucks backed up to it.

A line of fencing was in place that led to a door that would open into the 'lane', a roadway carved into the sandy ground between the major facility and the dairy two miles away. That area was being formatted first with fences, pens, a very large corral-type area with paths to the hay barn and outbuildings. The product processing building was nearby as well. All of it resembled a farm from the old American past, with wood barns painted red and white. All that was missing were the big round hex signs that you often saw in the Midwest of America.

The cows would walk off, go out the door, then be driven to their barn in the distance. The Epps were used to this because some of their pastures weren't connected to their farm proper and they would have to drive them down the roadways to get to them. The trucks stopped, the drivers stepped out to watch and Harley Epps was on.

Standing nearby, five individuals who bore a great resemblance to each other watched with bated breath. They had arrived as well along with their spouses and dogs. Each of them was retired, bored out of their minds and ready for adventure. As Harley walked to the first truck whose doors were being opened, Bobby and Lonnie Epps along with their kids arrived on the scene. Walking past his siblings without noticing them, he stopped beside his grandfather. "We're here to help, Grandpa."

Harley glanced at them with a grin as he hugged his grandchildren. "That's okay, Sonny. I got some drovers to come over to help." He nodded to the group by the wall.

Bobby Epps glanced that way, then froze. Standing along the wall with their spouses, two of them holding tiny dogs, were his sisters and brothers. One of them, his elder sister, Tennessee walked to the two of them with a big smile. She reached up to pinch Bobby's cheeks. "LOOK AT YOU! YOU CUTIE!" she said with a big smile.

HUGE laughter burst out from all around him as the rest of his siblings came forward to slap his back and hug him. He stared at them silently, then his father. It was at that moment that the bull of the herd, Rowdy, a huge red Guernsey stepped forward out of the truck with wild looking eyes. He swung his great head back and forth, then ran forward. Pushing his siblings out of the way, Bobby Epps turned toward the bull and took a ride on his head toward the far wall of the loading area.

It would not be for the first time.

-0-TBC 7-5-18 edited 7-6-18