The Diego Diaries: Back Home (dd8 514)
This was supposed to go out last night. :*(
=0=Meeting
"I expect reports," Prowl said with a slight frown.
"When did we not produce them? I delegate. It keeps Sky Warp busy," Starscream said as the room erupted into laughter. Starscream preened in the light of it.
Prowl sat back with a grin. "Habitat reports please."
The Consulate report mostly revolved around their gratitude for such a great rebuild including the outdoor space. Apparently between swimming in the pool under the desolate sky of Mars and their pets having an outdoor play area and 'dog space', whatever that was, everyone was happy 'as clams'. Everyone else was good as well including Prima Station who was sending a human rep for the meetings.
The meeting warbled onward until the last report was given. Coros was feted out the door as he returned to school with the approval of the nation behind him.
"That's an outstanding young mech," Hercy said as the door closed behind the youngster. "He's just outstanding."
"He was so unmotivated when he came," Springer said. "He and Pulley are forces of nature."
"Speaking of which," Jetta said. "What about our high caste problem? I hear that it was slag out there with a few of the ships."
Prime nodded. "It was. We have a large number of former high castes in this group and the one coming that are not amenable to the new paradigm. Its concerning and we must be vigilant about it. Many of the newcomers are in jail pending disposition concerning their behavior. I am hoping that their hearings will be enough to jolt some of them into the new way of living. They do not have to like it but they will obey the laws. No one living here is inferior to anyone else."
"It's concerning," Lauren said as the other priests nodded worriedly. "I will lend all of us to the effort, Lord Optimus. Nearly all of us were born into the high castes. As you know, it was a rare individual who was given the chance to become a priest until Lord Chevron became Master. He put down his ped and opened the doors to everyone."
Chevron grinned. "I think The One who created all of us loves all of us equally. The humans say, "God didn't make no junk" and they're right. All of us are worthy and worthwhile. I think I pity those of my former caste more than anything else."
"That's why you lead the Temple, Lord Chevron," Drift said. "I hope to feel the same way some fine orn."
Chevron smiled. "Its a worthy goal, my dear Drift. What it does is makes your load lighter. If it transfers that you did to others then you have that as well."
Everyone took a moment to bask in his pure light, then Magnus glanced at Prime. "We have a new jail in the works."
HUGE laughter went around the room.
"I suppose I should ask about the good of the order?" Prime said hopefully.
Everyone grinned at the big kid down at the end of the table.
"Sure," Prowl said.
Ratchet snickered. "How about I show you some videos of Osimus falling off a horse?" He gave his best most brilliant smile.
"I think not," Prowl said primly as Osimus grinned at him.
"I think that might be fun," Optimus aka Osimus replied.
Prowl shot him nuclear optics. "I *think* that might be *damaging* to the dignity of your person."
"I think it might be hilarious." -everyone there but Jackson Davis who was still trying to scope out the relaxed nature of the Cybertronian military.
Ten minutes and ENORMOUS laughter later …
Ironhide frowned at Lennox. "Slagger. What the frag?"
:Sorry, Ironhide. I can't help it if you can't hold your liquor: Lennox replied with a shrug.
"Actually," Raptor said around his laughter. "Infant here can drink most folks under the table if its the hard stuff. He has no tolerance of beer for some reason. Past the fourth or fifth, he's done-zo."
Ironhide glared at his grandfather. "Some traitor you are."
"Hey," Raptor said as he sat back with a grin. "I helped carry your sorry aft. Be more grateful, though I will say that your pout is one of my favorite things about you."
"TELL US ABOUT HIS POUT!" -everyone there
Raptor glanced at the other elders, then his slightly alarmed grandson. "Okay."
Bedlam for a moment from a pouty infant.
"Well, there was the time he decided to fill his amma's little decorative pond with what he thought was … its a solvent that turns to a gel. He filled the pond and it turned out to be a substance that was used to fill cracks. The entire pond turned to cement."
Everyone stared at Ironhide who stared back defiantly.
"I didn't know you were a vandal." -everyone there including Jackson Davis
"Frag all of you," Ironhide hissed.
"Then there was the time he decided to pull up the stones around the house in Praxus. Your appa liked to build stone things," Delphi said as he grinned at Hardie.
Hardie nodded with a smirk.
"Blackjack pulled up the stones leading to the lake at the lake house on the Sea of Mercury. Ironhide decided to pull up the stones around the house in Praxus. Like atar, like son," Delphi said. "The symmetry of the story pertains to the time out chair you sat in. It had Blackjack's name written on it. Remember?"
Ironhide smirked at his father. "I remember."
"I made that chair for Raptor. If you turned it over his name was carved into it. Then there was Blackjack on the back of it. I'm surprised it still functioned given Raptor inaugurated it," Hardie said. "You three are the biggest, saddest hoodlums ever."
"Then its not me. Its them." Ironhide glared at his father and grandfather. "Bad genetics then."
"Don't look at me," Hardie said. "I have manners and use them." He glanced at Raptor, his most beloved son and best friend. "At least we tried with what we had to work with."
HUGE laughter greeted that.
"I know," Raptor said with a chuckle. He looked at his son and grandson. "So did I."
Prime laughed loudly. "I did not have stones around my house. I threw them at gangs. None were left."
"We didn't have stones at the dump," Drift said. He grinned slightly. "I threw garbage."
"I think you just won the game," Raptor said as he grinned at his most beloved grandson.
Drift grinned back at his most beloved grandfather.
"I think I don't want to hear this," Springer said with a frown.
:This reminds me of a friend who had a lot of money: Lennox said.
"You have stories like this?" Smokey The Much Younger who was with Devcon 'for the learning' asked with surprise.
Lennox nodded. :My friend lived over their shop, a butcher shop. They sold meat and stuff. We used to talk about this and that, some poor stories that we had. He never said a thing until one time he said, "we had to eat the steak that no one bought that day". We dumped him into a garbage can."
Laughter greeted that.
"That sort of parallels the high castes here," Ratchet said. "Sad commentary for everyone."
"True, that. I would tell a poor story but I've never been so. No one should be. No one anywhere chooses such a life. Its the cover that those who don't love and won't help that they say they do," Chevron said as those present nodded. He looked at Drift. "Your life made you the mech you are. All of your orns were pages in a book, the book that is you. All of them gave lessons. That you are a happy, fulfilled and genuinely good mech is testament to your ability to read it and learn from what it contains."
Everyone stared at the little mech, one with a glorious aura and a genuine love for everyone. He glowed with his own goodness.
"Thank you, Master," Drift said as he bowed his helm. "That is wisdom."
"Speaking of," Ratchet began. "What's the word on the game coming up? You're just about to make the semi finals, or not."
Prowl glanced at Prime. "It's in servo. Ignore any other commentary. Optimus Prime will be victorious. Again."
Smirks rounded the table.
"Too bad Praxus doesn't have a basketball team. They can be last in two sports if they did," Blaster said with a chuckle.
Prowl shot him nuclear optics. "So says the Iacon loser."
"I am from Iacon," Optimus said sweetly.
Prowl shriveled a second, then glanced at him with a frown.
"Out with it, Granny," Ratchet said around the laughter.
Prowl stared at Ratchet coolly. "What?"
"Posse."
Prowl stared at him, then opened his carry hold, something that startled Jackson Davis in spite of knowing they could do that. There was knowing and there was seeing. A tiny baby came out on his Ada's servo, then was set on the table.
Standing in front of his father, himself a spitting image, Possibility aka Posse stared around at everyone, then smiled brightly. He began to run toward the humans, a very slow but determined thing.
Lennox stood in expectation as the baby stopped in front of him. He gently hugged Possibility and Posse hugged him back. Then he hugged all the humans including a beaming Jackson Davis. Glancing around, he smiled at Raptor. Bounding onward, he reached Raptor, sat on his arm, then snuggled against him.
"Baby knows a grandpa when he sees one," Raptor said with a chuckle.
:What a cute baby. He looked just like Lord Optimus: Jackson said as he watched the baby settle. :What a cute little kid:
Jackson Davis wouldn't know it but he joined the A Team at that moment. The United Nations Garrison was in like Flynn.
=0=On the street heading out
"Where are you going?" Ironhide asked.
"I'm going to the courthouse to take the temperature of the high castes. A number of them are up for review this morning," Ratchet said. "I am, after all, the optics and audials of the Prime."
"Are ya?" Ironhide asked with a smirk.
"I am in my life as I make it up everyday," Ratchet said as he hugged Ironhide. "You going to the armory? Sunspot and the little mechs need some joors. You have a School Board meeting tonight, the first one with Coros and that slagger high caste."
"That's right. Dinner out?" Ironhide asked.
"Done deal," Ratchet said as he watched the lights change. "Better get to it."
Ironhide headed out and so did Ratchet, heading to the Courthouse for Magistrate's Court and the first real test of the tenacity of the new high castes to be afts.
=0=There
He sat in a seat near the aisle. Around him were a lot of very fancy looking individuals who were tense and expectant. He was sitting in hostile territory he thought. The door nearby was open and there were movements of individuals to be seen behind it.
Tullus was magistrate today and Coln-2 was managing the State's brief himself given those who made up the defendants. Lawyers were sitting in the audience ready to assist their clients including a few from the Office of the Public Defender.
"Please bring in the first defendants, Silver," Tullus said as he sat back to listen to arguments.
Everyone watched as the bailiff opened the door and a line of shiny mechs and two femmes entered the room.
=0=TBC 9-3-2022
Full saying: Happy as a clam at high water. :D:D:D
