The Diego Diaries: Trials and Tribulations Part Two (dd6 452)
-0-The Club
They walked to the table where Hot Rod was playing cards with the boys. He was expected to go to Enceladus, a short scan of the duty schedule revealed, but not this time. Springer and Drift paused at the table with grins. Sandstorm, Whirlaway, Roadbuster, Splice, Cardio, and Roddy glanced up. "Want to deal in?" Sandy asked.
"Nope. I need to take Hot Rod to the Prime," Springer said.
Roddy sat back to stare at Springer. "Why?"
"I don't ask anymore," Springer said as Drift snickered.
"What the frag did you do now, Roddy?" Whirlaway asked with a grin.
"I don't know," he said as he stood. It was then that Springer slapped energon cuffs on his wrists. He stared at it, then Springer. "What the frag is this for?"
"Orders," Springer said as he gripped Hot Rod's arm. Tugging him, Hot Rod grudgingly went with him.
Drift watched them head toward the door, then followed.
"Drift!"
He slowed, then glanced back.
"What's going on?" Splice asked, filled with curiosity.
"Prime wants him brought in. He's being arrested. As for the rest?" He shrugged, then continued onward.
The mechs at the table and several others in the room stared at the door, then each other. That's when they all stood up and headed toward the door. Out in the hall, meanwhile, walking down the wide busy corridor filled with businesses and people going about their business, the three headed onward. Hot Rod was pissed. "You don't need the cuffs."
"Tell that to Dev and Smokey," Springer said with a slight grin.
Hot Rod nearly tripped over his feet.
Down the elevator they went and as they did they bumped into someone waiting to go up. Stepping out, they met Smokey the Younger waiting to come in. He stepped back at the sight of the three of them stepping out with Roddy in cuffs. "WHAT'S GOING ON!? WHY IS HE IN CUFFS!?"
Drift stepped forward and slapped some on Smokey. "Because," Drift said as Springer and the mechs in the club who were stepping out of the other elevator snickered. "Come on. The sooner we get there, the sooner you go to jail." With that, they continued onward.
They walked out, down the street past civilians who stared, then paused at the light at the junction across from The Fortress. Two mechs were silently fuming as several mechs stood around them grinning from audial to audial. The light changed so they walked across the street heading for a short laughter and mockery filled walk past the elders in the courtyard, the few mechs in the rec room who knew them and catcalled, then past the shift in Ops Center. Entering the big conference room, they paused at the end of the table.
Sitting there were Hercy and Kup who came back for the fun, Barron who stared at them curiously, what seemed like every member of Ironhide's family plus Flint who was still here, Ratchet who shot them a dazzling smile and waggled his fingers in a wave which they didn't return, Prowl who looked amused and not at the same time, the Praxian bastard, Barron who was fascinated, a slightly amused Optimus Prime at the head of the table … and sitting down the other side were several individuals that they did their best to ignore.
Moda who was molten, Tress who was upset and nervous, Dev and Smokey the Elder who were impossible to read, and a host of mechs who had come along during the trip over who were gathered around the door to watch with huge amusement rounded out the cast of characters. It was incredible how quiet it was in the room.
Hard Drive leaned forward on his elbows. "I'm Hard Drive as you know, the oldest Praxian Elite in the colony and one of only two Masters of The Code here. Do you understand?"
Smokey glanced at him from staring into the ether at nothing in particular. Hard Drive was a legend in his family and in the culture in which he was raised. It hurt in places he didn't know he had to be standing here like this in front of him, the rest of the General's legendary family, his OWN family, and his god, Optimus Prime. "Yes, sir."
Hot Rod glanced at him, then Hard Drive. "I don't."
Hardie leaned back in his chair. "The Code is the way we as Praxians live. Some of us live close to The Code and others not so much, but if you're Praxian, you know The Code and hold it in esteem. Devcon and Smokescreen as Praxians live The Code."
"And what does that mean?" Hot Rod said with a slightly testy tinge to his voice.
"It means, Hot Rod, that when someone is invoked, there are penalties to pay if you break it," Hardie said. It was silent a moment. "Smokescreen, here," he said nodding to the big mech who was looking at Roddy with a cool expression, "invoked on his grandson. You and Smokey broke that invocation. It not only was a breach of our cultural laws you broke it in the bigger world of Cybertronian law and now there must be an accounting. It was a very stupid thing you two did."
"What if I say I didn't do it?" Hot Rod said with a defiant expression.
"Then you would have to call others liars," Hardie said. "Frankly, I don't take you for a liar."
Hot Rod shifted. "What happens now?"
"You go to jail, both of you. You could, of course, get house arrest at your genitors' apartment, Smokey. I've talked to them. You have the choice. Jail or house arrest with your genitors," Hardie said.
Smokey glanced at his livid genitors and Dev who smirked faintly. Then he looked at Hardie. "Uh, I think I'd like jail for now."
Most of the non-family individuals in the room quashed the urge to laugh as Hardie nodded. "Very well. Springer, take them both to jail."
Springer who was grinning gripped Smokey's arm. Tugging him, they walked out the door, through the gathered crowd and down to the steps to the lower levels where a sub train system was there to connect The Fortress with everywhere else in the colony including the prison. They would have that mercy as per Hard Drive and Optimus Prime.
Upstairs, they sat back a moment, then Moda sat forward again. "That mech is lucky he chose prison. I don't like the idea that he'd have so little respect for you, Atar. That infant is going to be the end of me."
"He thinks he's in love," Dev said with a grin. "Frankly, he's a beautiful kid who could have been in trouble but for his good spark. This will be a good thing for both of them. If they're going to have a relationship, which given everything I don't see as good, then they better show respect for everyone. When will you hold this, Hardie?"
"I think tomorrow. Let them have a night in jail. Then we can hammer it out," Hardie said. "We want the best outcome possible and we'll get it. They're young and full of … what is it the humans call it?" he asked as he glanced toward his son.
"Shit?" Raptor asked with a grin. Huge laughter greeted that.
"I was thinking about the 'infallibility of youth' myself," Hardie said with a laugh.
"You have too many rules," Ratchet said. "A pair of brass knuckles or a crow bar was enough where I grew up to settle things."
Prime nodded in agreement as he grinned at memories only Prowl could guess about. Thank Primus for firewalls.
"Well, we're not savages," Prowl said smugly.
"We're savages, Optimus," Ratchet said as he glanced at the big mech with a bigger grin staring at Prowl.
Prowl curdled, then sat up straighter. "Loon."
"You lose when you resort to name calling, Miss Priss," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.
"Oh frag," Ironhide said with a grin.
They chatted a while, then went their various ways. Moda and Tress would spend a bit of time decompressing with Dev and Smokescreen. The Family Ironhide would go to their duties off world and come home that night to work on remote control objects in the man cave with a number of infants. Flint would come home to go to the opera with Stu-Rt. Ratchet and Prowl would hang out at the family homestead or Villa Chaos as it was known while the big kids would go to the races. As they did, another curious feature of life on world would be unfolding amongst them.
-0-In the jailhouse now
"Name."
"Autobot Smokescreen of Praxus."
"Age."
"Adult."
"Semi-adult, you mean."
"Frag you, Hot Rod."
"That's what got you two in here. They don't seem to be learning, Drift."
"No. They don't."
"Frag you, Springer. Some loyalty you have," Hot Rod said hotly.
"You have to give it to get it, Roddy," Springer said as he remembered when he caught Roddy in the sack with someone else and nearly destroyed a beautiful and old friendship as well. He debated whether to tell Smokey or not. / … Frag me off, Roddy ... push it all the way, slagger …/
Hot Rod remembering the moment shook his helm and turned toward Smokey who was giving his information to the desk sargent. "Home address."
"Apartment 41-29B, Tower 40, 11th and D Avenue, Iacon."
"Profession."
"I'm a soldier and Night Watchman. You know that, Mojo," he said to the big mech who was smirking as he filled in the holes on his screen forms.
Mojo looked at him. "Procedure. Learn it, love it, live it. Offense?"
Smokey frowned at him in his embarrassment. "I transgressed on a Praxian invocation. ALLEGEDLY!"
Mojo frowned at him, then glanced at Springer and Drift. They grinned at him, then shrugged. "I just bag 'em. I don't judge 'em," Springer said as everyone in the room laughed loudly including several drunks in the holding cells nearby.
Mojo smirked, then hit the search engine. Taking his time to find the relevant offense, he entered it on the screen, making up shit as he did. "Yo mama is mad and so is yo dad. Got it. Anything to declare?"
"BESIDES MY INNOCENCE!?" Smokey replied with feeling.
"We already shook him down, Mojo. I put his rubrics cube and collection of baseball cards in property," Springer said.
"OH, HA, HA, HA!" Smokey said to one of his idols. "You're hysterical, Springer."
"That's Commander Springer to you, infant," Springer said with a grin.
Smokey blanched, then moved aside as Drift nudged Hot Rod forward. Mojo stared at him, then grinned. "Name."
Hot Rod stared at him with heat, then answered. "HOT ROD OF NYON!"
"Slagger thinks I'm deaf. What about that, Springer?" Mojo asked with a grin as he typed away.
Springer stared at him, then startled. "What?" he asked to universal acclaim.
A drunk stood up, then walked to the bars. "HEY, YOU! COME SIT WITH ME! YOU'RE FUNNY!" he said as he weaved, then fell to the floor into recharge.
Drift stared at the mech, then Springer. "I don't know whether to laugh or file for divorce."
Huge laughter rang out as Springer squeezed Drift's aft behind everyone's back. They both grinned at each other.
"Age." Mojo smirking
"Adult." Hot Rod glaring
"Profession."
"Best slagging soldier in the Prime's professional army."
"Are you an officer?" Mojo inquiring mildly though there was no line on the charging form for the answer
Hot Rod stared at him. "I'm a front liner. That's rank enough."
"If you say so," Mojo said. "Address?"
"Apartment 32-18C, Tower 8, 8th Circle and B Avenue, Mare Tranquilitas Sector 4, District 6."
"We're practically neighbors," Mojo said as he typed away.
"Are you?" Drift asked with a grin.
"No," Mojo said as everyone in the room laughed loudly. "Your offense?"
"The same as his," Hot Rod said nodding to a sullen smoldering, intensely handsome youngster standing nearby.
"Breaking the rules of the only clan more rule bound than the Stanix group," Mojo said. "I know. My uncle is bonded to a Praxian. Now give me a Vosnian or a Stanixian. At least, they have great parties."
"We have good parties," Smokey said defensively. "Good ones. I know. I've been to some. A lot of them." He glared at Roddy. "YOU WOULDN'T KNOW! YOU DIDN'T COME TO THE THREE I ASKED YOU TO COME TO! YOU HAD TO DO SLAG! OF COURSE, I SUPPOSE I CAN BELIEVE YOU!"
Roddy frowned as he turned to Smokey. "I wouldn't know. I wasn't there."
"WHERE WERE YOU! YOU SAID YOU COULD COME TO THE FIRST ONE, THEN YOU DIDN'T! I LOOKED STUPID GOING THERE BY MYSELF!"
"I HAD SLAG TO DO!"
"LIKE WHAT!?"
Hot Rod thought a moment, then shrugged. "I can't remember back that far."
"Frag you, Hot Rod. I told you what I felt and you didn't say a word. YOU JUST LOOKED AT ME LIKE A … A DORK!"
Roddy frowned. "YOU JUST TOLD ME OUT OF THE BLUE!"
"IF YOU HAD FEELINGS FOR ME IT WOULDN'T MATTER! I SHOULD GET THE BIGGEST BEST LOOKING SLAGGER FOR A BOYFRIEND AND WATCH YOU SQUIRM, YOU … DORK!"
"Oh yeah? That game goes two directions. Who could you possibly get that would be better than me?" Hot Rod said.
Smokey stared at him, then burst into laughter. "Have you seen some of the guys in this colony? This place is busting out with great looking guys who would be GLAD to have a guy like me."
"THEN FIND ONE! I WILL, TOO!" Roddy said. "Best mech wins, slagger."
Smokey stepped close to Hot Rod. Their cuffs met and buzzed. "Who are you to call me a slagger, slagger? You don't think I can?"
"No," Roddy said as he leaned closer to Smokey. "I think you hit your high water mark with me and its all downhill from here on out."
Smokey frowned at him. "You're on, slagger."
Springer and everyone else who was watching with fascination glanced at each other. Then Drift leaned closer. "Kiss each other or break it up. We need to put you in the can."
They stepped back, then glared at Drift.
"Don't glare at me, slaggers. You're in here because you're both idiots. Besides," he said with a proud glance to Springer. "I have my own idiot."
Huge laughter rolled through the room as Springer and Drift nudged and dragged both mechs to the jail beyond and cages right next to each other. It seemed more romantic that way, Springer remarked but neither inmate laughed. Walking out, Springer squeezed Drift's servo. "So I'm your idiot, am I?"
"You said it, brother," Drift said with a chuckle. The rest of their shift would be a pale shadow to the fun and games just concluded.
-0-TBC 8-26-18
PS In the next posting, I will explain my thinking about these subcultures and their rules and regulations. Its a long term thing for me in this story, not only to create alien and thereby non-human cultures but to fill in background to make a more real and complete story. I will attempt to explain all. :D
Lackwit chapter 451 . 3h ago
Wow, that's some public humiliation O_o. Seriously, lil Smoke - how can you be so dumb? Lay it on them hard, arctapus! Cashiered, loss of prestige and career - make it really clear to the two idjits.
ME: BWAHAHAHA! Its pretty hilarious. It's also different in their cultures. I'm going to post a segment hopefully tonight explaining my thinking on this. I want them to be alien and maybe just a bit different than us in their way of doing things. :D HUGS, dearest Lackwit. I am going to take a list of the families and their kids to the lid of my computer. LOL!
Leoness chapter 451 . 11h ago
Hmmm. At what point does the invoking thing transgress on free will? What if Smokey appeals to the matrix or something? (Aside from trouble...)
ME: Those are good notions. I will add them to the list. I am going to post a segment on their ways, cultures and the like. I want them to be alien. It's like being a gypsy or Amish or something. You live in a system that has its own rules and you're expected to hold them up. More to come about that. :D HUGS, dear Miss Kitty
Guest chapter 450 . 11h ago
Burris is bonded with Anders and Edict with Hobbes. Maybe one day you'll get them right.
ME: You have high expectations for me don't you. :D:D:D:D:D:D
Guest chapter 450 . Aug 24
Again, Cargo, Keystock and Bezel are not sons of Lucien and Laslo. Maybe they should adopt them, you make this mistake so often...
ME: :D:D:D They hate me. ;)
Lackwit chapter 450 . Aug 24
Lucien and Laslo are not Cargo and Keystock's genitors so you will want to edit the kids' names to the correct three mechs, and remove Lon and Bezel.
ME: Done. I hope. ;)
Sooo … would someone like Xeon, Cassio or Ebio also rate Special Circumstances? Megatron? Aren't several of the children equally culpable? And what about the AU prisoners? They have no future in this universe.
ME: Cassio and his brother would. Megatron would. The kids are culpable and are coming up. The AU prisoners are special cases and probably easily reach that level. Prime will take it up with Megatron as more of the AU is coming up. :D
Interesting sideline! P.s. I hope you get to the various AU storylines as well —a follow up on the SG one as well as the bamfing Autobots. Guessing those are right up Zenith and Shadow's loser tight afts LOL. And really looking forward to Venture's folks!
ME: There is more coming up. :D I never leave a thread alone. That's the one thing you can count on with this story. :D:D:D HUGS!