The Diego Diaries: Oops. (dd6 498)
-0-Ops Center
They sat together commiserating over 'the deed what was done' in Diego. Prowl had routed a request into the command there and was told that the pair, Smokey and Jolt were on their rounds and at the moment 'hooting around the base with 'a couple of the good guy naval commanders … not like those other guys, Prowl'. They had forwarded the complaint to him from there when they received it from Frazer over the phone. To say Frazer wasn't professional about it when he demanded action was to put it lightly.
"What do you want to do?" Ratchet asked as he sat with his peds up on a chair staring at the winged winger of his best rabble rousing escapades of late.
"I think we need to show the flag … to give this the attention it deserves," Prowl replied as he stood up and stretched. "John Fulton and Andrew are in Virginia at the Pentagon and therefore, they won't be there to smooth the water. Again." He walked toward the door with Ratchet in tow. They disappeared into the crowd on their way to the bridge room downstairs.
-0-On the phone to dad and the others at Earth2
"I was with a couple of officers on the steps of the Officer's Club when two bots were passing on their rounds. They insulted me in front of the others and frankly, I've had it. That little silver fucker, Jolt, he makes a point of it and he had another one of them that brought up my departure from here and the rest of the lies." Cameron Frazer wasn't having it.
His father listened with a slow burn himself but he was smarter and after being a diplomat all of his adult life for a suave and very smart country like France, he was already regretting that his son didn't call him first. "You should have discussed this with me, Cameron. You may have set off a diplomatic situation here. What if the Prime decides to wash his hands and deports you to Earth?"
Cameron hadn't thought of that but at the moment he wasn't about to back down. "You aren't around them when they're dangerous. Sideswipe was going to tear a ship apart to get me. How many times do I have to come here on business and face this kind of harassment. If they're so big on ending harassment, why are their soldiers doing that to me? I don't deserve this kind of treatment. I'm here on an official capacity for Earth2. They have to take care of this. Fuck them all."
Pierre who was on speaker phone in the office with major investors, board members and on site worker bees, Hamilton Brown, Steve Jameson, Kyle Davis, Owen Harris and Cynthia Tomas listened to his son and saw in the faces of the others different responses. All of them were intrigued by what was happening but Cynthia. She was appalled.
As usual.
"When are you supposed to be home?" Pierre asked.
"Hang on a moment, Dad," Cameron said as he spoke off line to someone, his voice muffled probably by his hand over the phone. He was off a moment, then back. "Someone just told me that Prowl is coming about this."
"I'm coming," Pierre said. "Do not say anything, Cameron. We can make our point, then end this before it gets out of hand. Do you hear me?"
"Cameron, listen to your father," Owen Harris said as he sat in his chair listening thoughtfully to the conversation.
"Alright." Cameron glanced out the window of his barracks. No one was here yet from the Embassy but he could see Smokey and Jolt sliding to a halt nearby to let out some humans that had gotten a ride. They both transformed, laughed, then paused like they did when listening offline before heading back to the Embassy. They would disappear inside. He smirked slightly. "Old hard ass must be here. The two just went back to their Embassy."
"Wait until we send someone to handle this. Don't say a word, Cam," Owen Harris said as he cut the line. "Jenny, get me Prowl please."
"Yes, sir," a voice said through the intercom as his assistant in the office outside began to comply.
It was quiet a moment, then a voice calm and confident could be heard over the speaker phone on Harris's desk. "This is Prowl."
"Commander," Harris said as he sat up straight. "I'd like to talk to you. I'm not sure that you may know about a small incident that occurred at the base in Diego Garcia. We want to discuss it and get it out of the way. We're sure that we can work out something that will satisfy everyone if we can talk."
"I will speak to you in a moment, Mr. Harris. I'm at Diego and I'm ascertaining the facts. Give me a moment. Prowl out."
Prowl turned to Ratchet who was grinning at him. They were standing in the rec room that was empty at the moment. Everyone was elsewhere or on duty inside the Ops Center nearby. As they waited, Jolt and Smokey came through the door, slowed a moment, then walked to the pair. "Well, I hear you were busy," Prowl said with a frown.
"He so totally deserved it," Smokey said defiantly.
Jolt grinned, then nodded.
Prowl stared at them with a baleful expression, one of hopelessness and irritation. "What's the mission here? To break every possible linkage we have.'
"He's a slagger, Prowl. Even the sailors hate him. They told us to call them if he complained. He's rude and nasty. I like everyone here but him," Jolt said as Smokey nodded. "This is a good duty until he shows up. Why does he come here?"
"Business for Earth2. Earth 1 comes here for the same reason, so does Sciences, all of them. I imagine that Unidad will at some point," Prowl said.
"That reminds me, I have to go there today," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile. Everyone smirked at him. He smirked at them.
"Who were the witnesses?" Prowl asked. He got the names. "Stay here until I sort this out. No going out."
They frowned at him, then watched the two walk out to the scrutiny of the masses lounging and hanging around. It was noisy outside with the two showing up, these bots who didn't come here as much as before. Jolt glanced at Smokey. "I'm hungry."
"You're always hungry," Smokey said as they both walked to the buffet and desserts sitting on the tables along the wall.
"You are, too," Jolt said as he began to fill a plate.
"I am. Do you suppose we get punishment detail now?" Smokey asked as he glanced at the door.
"Who cares?" Jolt asked as he grinned at Smokey with his adorable little mini-con face.
Smokey snorted, then grinned. "Mini-cons. You're nuts."
"That we are," Jolt said with a big grin. They filled their plates, got a tall cold one, then sat down at a table to fill their faces, wait for the word and plan their duffels for duty on Charon.
Maybe.
-0-Outside
They walked along waving to the humans that called out, pausing here and there for the odd vehicle to pass until they reached the Officer's Club. Ratchet knelt and peered into the window. "Hello, tiny people. Can someone help little old us?" He batted his optical ridges like a southern debutante.
Prowl rolled his optics as the building nearly emptied out. They looked up at the bots with grins. "What's up? Nice to see both of you. It's been a while," Commander DeLay of the Her Majesty's Navy said.
"It has. I don't get the invites to parties that I used to," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile. "I don't know if its me or my deodorant."
The expression on Prowl's face was priceless as he glanced sharply at Ratchet. It would be immortalized in the memories and memory cards of all present. Huge laughter erupted, then DeLay patted his foot. "You have a standing invitation, both of you. How can we help you? Frazer?" he asked as some in the group gave audible groans.
"You read my hard drive, infant," Ratchet said. "What happened?"
"It was petty," DeLay said. "I was in the bar when it happened and heard it all through the window. Jolt and Frazer sassed each other, it got nasty right away and then they walked away. I take it that the two don't like Frazer much. News flash … none of us do."
Prowl nodded. "Unanimous. However, our soldiers have to be appropriate." He glanced at Ratchet, then DeLay. "Well, most of them."
Huge laughter erupted as Ratchet stood up to preen a moment. "Give us the text and subtext, boys. He filed a complaint. We're here sleuthing."
DeLay grinned as nearby walking back to the club were the two sailors in question, Bill Philips and Marty Steadman, commanders in Her Majesty's Navy. They greeted the two, then told their story. "We came out, chatted, then it was tart and led to more. The bots didn't take his crap. The reason for his dead end career was mentioned along with the women here, then he walked off. It was an exchange of words between people who don't like each other. It was nothing worse than that, Commander. I wouldn't take it if one of my men handed it to me. This is a conflict of small consequence."
Prowl considered that. "I see," he said.
"What you have here is a trio of strong personalities slagging each other. No one likes Frazer on world and here. He works at Earth2 and it doesn't sit well. We need to tell our boys to behave, Prowler. Everyone is going to think you run a leaky ship," Ratchet said with a grin and a wink at the humans.
Prowl frowned at Ratchet with personal affront. "As if," he sniffed to everyone's delight. "Where did he go?"
"To his quarters," Steadman said as he nodded to the visitor's barracks nearby, one that the model makers of Mars had replaced.
"Thank you, Commander," Prowl said. "I think we need to chat." With that, he walked through the crowd toward the building.
Ratchet watched him go, then smiled at the humans. "Thanks, boys. You did us a solid."
"Any time, Ambassador," most of them said with grins. Then they followed the two.
Prowl had reached the building, then put in a call. After a moment, an upstairs window opened and Frazer leaned out with his phone. It was linked to Owen Harris and Company. Prowl stared at Frazer and Frazer, him. It was obvious there was no love lost. Prowl had on his cop face and ice cold demeanor with full blown SIC embellishments. Frazer had a cold bulldog set to his face. Ratchet deferred to their willingness to duke it out along with the rest of the crowd. It got silent fast. "I got your complaint. I want to hear your side of this issue."
"I have the leadership of Earth2 on the phone. They require to be here," Frazer said. "I'd prefer to discuss this at Autobot City."
Prowl stared at him, then nodded. "Get there. Ten minutes." With that, he turned on his heels and after chatting a moment to the humans watching, walked to the Embassy beyond.
Ratchet who was told to take statements glanced at Frazer who was still watching. "When Prowl says ten minutes, he doesn't mean 10.5."
Frazer glanced at him, then pulled back in. In minutes, just about the time Ratchet finished with his recording, Frazer hurried past for the Embassy. Prowl would have him met at the doors with the bridge operator who would carry him to the bridge and place him gently into it. He would land on his feet, stare at the operator, then run like the wind when he said he was 'shutting down the bridge now'.
Eventually he would.
When Ratchet went through and all was well and normal again.
Jolt and Smokey would come when called, if they were.
-0-Ops Center, Autobot City moments later
Prowl sat at his command seat waiting for Loon and the Other Loon. He was feeling no pain. He and Prime would go see Perceptor and Wheeljack tonight with their requirements for a winged mech. After a long and detailed dissertation on the relative merits of both a femme with femme wings, a femme with modified mech wings, a mech without wings and/or one winged, a femme and/or mech that looked like him, Prowl, and The One They Would Be Having … one that fit somewhere in the middle of the mishmash of different notions, ideas, suggestions, mulled over premises … like that ... Prowl had prevailed.
Again.
Prime on the other hand was IMMENSELY entertained by the workmanlike quality Prowl brought to all his projects, especially those that dealt with their personal life. The mech was unconsciously hilarious in most of what he did, so determined was he to take care of his family. Prime was glad and entertained that he did.
Inside the big room, Ratchet's footfalls could be heard followed by a truck driven by Will Lennox. He was called to come with whoever he wanted to see the floor show. Niall Graham, his father, Thomas, Ron Witwicky finishing up his sandwich in the car along with Gavin Pritchard because he was at the Tower putting something in the fridge that the chef at the Resort had made for everyone's dessert that night barreled in, then parked by the table. :Prowl. Where's this going to happen?: Will radioed.
"Here. I think it won't last long. Maybe," Prowl said as the humans filed out and began to climb the ladder that was always under the table next to a leg and thus, out of the way when not needed. They walked across the table as another truck drove in, one with the Earth2 logos on its doors and roof. All of the vehicles the humans used here had their identity on their roofs so they could be found easier if need be. They parked, then began to file out, too. Among them was Cameron Frazer.
They began to climb the ladder as a number of mechs wandered in, all of them called to come by Ratchet. Prowl noticed but didn't say anything. They had done this too many times over the eons not to know the plan by spark. Owen Harris, Hamilton Brown, Steven Jameson, Cameron Frazer and a pensive Cynthia Tomas walked toward Prowl, then halted at the leading edge of the roll-out datapad showing things that humans couldn't even dream of. All of the Earth2 humans stared at it but Cynthia who was looking at everyone around her with concern.
:That is an impressive piece of tech, Commander: Owen said as he stared at the device. Nearby, all around them in fact were impressive pieces of tech, all of it necessary for the business of Prime's army.
"It is," Prowl said as he casually flipped the edge closest to him and it began to roll up. When it was finished, he pulled it toward him. "Come closer and lets get this settled if we can. We received your complaint about my soldiers, Autobots Smokescreen the Younger and Jolt. I do believe that Cameron Frazer is the complainant. I will be happy to entertain your concerns." He stared at Frazer with a cool optic.
The cop was back.
Frazer glanced at the others, then stepped closer. :I was at Diego to conduct business for the habitat. When I was there I was treated with disrespect in front of others by both. I don't expect to be friends with them but they didn't conduct themselves professionally and they insulted and belittled me in front of people I work with. Its harassment, Commander. This isn't the first time its happened:
"It's the first time it was brought to my attention," Prowl said calmly. "Its impossible given the information I have to evaluate those remarks when I'm just being told now."
:I'm telling you now and for all the other times. Every time I go to the base I get hassled. I don't go out of my way to be around any of the bots. They make it a point to embarrass me in front of the people I work with every time they can:
Prowl glanced at Ratchet. "You have information about this."
"I do," Ratchet said. "I interviewed the two British Naval commanders who were with you. They stated that the remarks were delivered from both sides. They also mentioned your incident of abusing a woman on base and your 'dead ended' career because of it." Ratchet grinned. "Don't shoot the messenger."
:Commander, Ambassador … it would appear that we have a situation here with volatile youngsters who need to be reminded that they have a responsibility to be professional to everyone regardless of their personal feelings. That's how we operate on our side and we'd hope it would apply on yours: Owen Harris began.
"It's always our intention that all of our soldiers deport themselves properly. I've called them here." Prowl sat back to wait which didn't take long. Smokey and Jolt walked in, smirked through the ring of bemused Autobots standing around to watch, then paused by the table. They smirked at the humans on both sides of the line, glared at Frazer, then turned to Prowl. That bot was leaning back in his chair, his arms folded over his chest with a bland expression on his handsome face. It didn't look good.
For anyone.
"Jolt, it was suggested that you weren't professional in your dealings with Mr. Frazer. Do your interviews support that assertion?" Prowl asked as he looked at Ratchet.
Ratchet grinned. "Pretty much."
"What about Frazer doing the same to Autobot Jolt?" Prowl asked.
"Pretty much," Ratchet replied.
"They rather canceled each other out, then," Prowl replied. The humans watched the exchanges like they were at a tennis match.
"Pretty much," Ratchet replied.
Everyone looked at the humans. "You didn't mention that you were as flippant and rude as you allege my soldiers were, Mr. Frazer. That's troubling as you humans so often say," Prowl replied dryly.
:I didn't ask for this: Frazer said hotly.
"Then perhaps our soldiers can apologize," Ratchet said with a grin.
Smokey and Jolt looked at Ratchet with a intense mix of betrayal, WTF? and HELL NO! on their handsome faces.
Devcon who was sitting nearby on the job was watching with a slight smirk on his face. "Us?"
"It would be the high road," Ratchet said. "Show your quality, infants. Show them what it means to be an Autobot."
The two stared at Ratchet, then each other. Then Jolt looked at Frazer. "I … apologize, you woman beating little half a man fucker, you."
"WHAT *HE* SAID!" Smokey said as he pointed his finger angrily at Frazer.
Prowl nearly upended his chair.
-0-TBC 10-17-18 edited 11-1-18
I sort of agree with Frazer about the situation but he wasn't proper either. Young mechs/men are tough customers when they feel they've been insulted. As for Jolt … he's a piece of work, our little mini-con whippersnapper. Literally. :D:D:D