The Diego Diaries: Moving On (dd8 342)
=0=Later on
"How was your orn?"
Ratchet glanced at Ironhide who was putting kids clothing on their little hooks near the door. "I had to remove 9 prisoners who were going to the grave today, it was that close. Got them all. You?"
"Halo and I rode the underground tracks. They have a lot of it relaid. Still have a lot more but its getting there," Ironhide said as he walked to his chair to sit. "They poured the foundation for the Consulate. Its going to go fast once they do that because its all prefabbed at the Industrial Park ready to be brought forward."
"I'll be glad. I heard that Larc has a team ready to prepare the park side of it for plantings. Some of them are coming from Earth and the rest from local greenhouses. It's going to be really nice for the consuls and staff to have an outdoor space. The swimming pool sounds really nice." Ratchet walked to the fridge to look inside.
"It does. Someone wants to bring their kids to live there." Ironhide flipped on the television. "More kids for the school district. Everyone wants their kids in our schools."
"Can't blame them. By the way, school board meeting tonight."
Ironhide glanced sharply at Ratchet. "What? Since when?"
"Since the calendar says so. I called No-A and he says its on," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile. "You're stuck," he said through his smile.
"Frag," Ironhide said. "When?"
"In a few minutes," Ratchet said as he handed Ironhide a package. "Here's a treat. I'll have dinner for ya when you get home. You get home about 2300 joors on the TMC. Be on time or I'll eat it myself."
Ironhide took it, then rose slowly. "FRAG! I AM IRONHIDE! THE SCHOOL BOARD BECKONS! I AM OFF TO DO MY DUTY! What's for dinner anyway?"
"Steak, potatoes, buns, more buns, more 'tatoes," Ratchet said. "Gravy. Chocolate cake. Stuff to be named later."
Ironhide grinned, then swaggered to the door. "I'm off to do my civic duty as an officer of the colony. Hold down the fort."
"Done deal," Ratchet said with a dazzler.
Ironhide chuckled as he left.
The door closed.
Ratchet walked to the wall comm system and dialed a number. He waited for The Catering Place to answer. "Hi. I would like to place an order for delivery before you close."
Pause.
"Yes," he said. "I'd like to order a big steak medium rare, mashed potatoes and dark gravy …"
=0=On the way to Metrotitan
Ironhide walked to the curb, transformed, then drove into the traffic toward the Metro Districts beyond. It was getting on into night time even though dusk had settled some time before. The quality of darkness on a planet like Mars was astonishing and one of the hardest adjustments for humans to make on world especially when they went out at night. Lights covered at intervals every street corner and highway on Mars. Even the TransWorld Highway had lights at intervals fed by small energon power cells that would run out about the time that time ended.
The night on Mars in the cities was a beautiful sight. Businesses had colorful lights outlining their names, images of things or just for show in their windows. Corners had street lights and towers that illuminated the scene for drivers. On the roads out of the cities were interval towers of lights that gave huge pools of brightness so that no one would miss the road and drive off into the darkness by accident or beer.
He passed cars heading for home, honked at a couple, blinked his lights for Springer and Company who were heading out to patrol from the Stables and continued onward. Beyond in the distance was the first Metro District, the one where two little metroformers lived and played. He passed through it, then continued to Metro District 5 where Tyke was located. Driving into the city on the highway that pierced all the Metro Districts, he could see emergency vehicles parked or heading out, large fenced in city blocks that held non-sentient vehicles for Public Works, the Unified Fire Department and other public services along with their dispatch offices and repair facilites. It would be on the outskirts of town on connected roads that led into the desert that the fleet of school buses and cabs could be found parked in rows.
He drove down the main drag, then pulled over in front of the Autobot City Unified School Board tower. It was lit up with night lights on the floors, though some were fully lit here and there as sentient and non-sentient individuals cleaned things for the next orn. The lobby was lit and when he transformed he headed for it, entering the home ground of education for everyone in the colony. It was here that Herling ruled his empire as the helpful, sweet sparked mech that he was.
Herling was in charge of education for the entire empire. His office was the penthouse at the top. He delegated like a champion, supported his teachers and staff and consulted the school board assiduously. He was deeply well liked as was his bond, Nova who was in charge of the elementary side of education all over the empire. They both would be here for this, the monthly meeting of the school board, an event that would be broadcast on the local community channel and watched by over 4,250,000 individuals on a slow night.
The lobby smelled like cleaner and crayons, a scent that reminded Ironhide of his own childhood. He walked to the elevator, entered, then rode to the 16th floor where the auditorium for the meeting was located. He headed through the crowds that always showed up, filling the seating and spilling out into the hallway. Walking to the front of the room, he found his place on the dais and sat.
Sunstreaker was already there viewing the agenda as he noted 'Dad' finally arriving. "You better get ready, Madam Secretary. We're about to start."
"Frag you," Ironhide said genially as he turned on the recording equipment and made a big show of pressing the green button. It came on. "There. I am Ironhide. I know how to press buttons."
"I know. Ada already told us," Sunstreaker said with a smirk as No-A sat and began to open the meeting.
"Welcome, everyone. I hope you find a place to sit or stand. A monitor will play the meeting in the hallway. We're delighted to have you come and hear the good of the order about our treasures, our children. Right now, I think we need to have our secretary, Ironhide of Praxus read the minutes of the last meeting."
Ironhide stared at No-A who as President of the School Board could order such things. He frowned, then looked at the set up before him. A data pad was glowing. He picked it up and began to read. All of the minutes of the last meeting flowed nicely out of his cute pie hole and then he said, "And I, Ratchet of Iacon did write these minutes-" Ironhide stopped reading, frowned, then lost the data pad to the Vice President, Sunstreaker who snatched it away.
"And I, Ratchet of Iacon did write these minutes up because Ironhide of Praxus is a lazy no-good …" Sunny glanced up and grinned at the crowd. "I'll let you fill in the blanks yourself for the rest of it."
Huge laughter and applause greeted that as Ironhide ripped the data pad out of Sunstreaker's servos. "That's the minutes, slaggers. Take it or leave it."
Herling who was howling grinned at No-A. "And that's why Ironhide wins his seat every election."
"I may change my mind next time," Ironhide said.
"By the way, the elections are in three decaorns. I'm not sure who is running again who's already a member of this board, though I'm going to run again for President, but applications will be available in the files for the District under the title 'Elections' on the Community Bulletin Board," No-A said with a chuckle. "Don't be afraid to file again, Ironhide."
Ironhide gave his most insincere phony smile to No-A precipitating another howling burst of laughter.
"Are there any corrections or additions to the minutes?" No-A asked. There were none. "Then all in favor of Ratchet's minutes?"
Everyone voted yes but Ironhide. They would have to settle for a smoldering frown.
=0=Around town at hotels and homes
"That little mech gets cuter every orn, Hardie," Delphi said as he stirred additives into his tea.
They were sitting in their chairs at the hotel having their evening snack and drink. When the School Board was meeting, they always turned in like the rest of the family to watch the show. It was always a show, too.
"Well, I do know his family very well," Hardie said with a chuckle. "That little mech is golden."
The two had helped raise him, the only natural separation child since Blackjack in their family. It was touch and go with Blackjack and Alor to have one, necessitating discussion about going to the Well. When he came, this child never expected, he was doted on by all the elders of his family. That he was a devastatingly cute little mech didn't hurt the affection avalanche that he always had from them.
"Do you think he'll run again?" Delphi asked.
"I think so. I heard that some high castes were also considering to pack the School Board. Its just a rumor I can't nail down but it's going to be interesting to see if anyone files against the members. Ironhide and Sunstreaker started the schools and have been board members ever since," Hardie said.
"My little mechs did that." He grinned. "We did good, Delphi."
Delphi nodded. "We did with Ironhide and I'm going to claim Sunny as well. Now Raptor and Blackjack …"
They both grinned as they sat together watching the show.
=0=Main business: Access to facilities for all non-District schools in the Colony, Item 32
"We want to make sure that the religious schools get access to all our facilities. The scheduling is being handled by our logistical officer, Parallax of Torus States. He will manage the times allotted for all of them and arrange transportation through our bus terminal. We want all of our children whether they attend public or private schools to have every single advantage," Slater of Nova Cronum said as the entire congregation present and most of those at home watching on the channel nodded in agreement. Slater was the one who handled all interfacing with private, religious and non-public schools.
"That's a good idea, Parie," Sunstreaker said. "Our kids deserve everything that we can think of to give them. How many schools are we talking about?"
"There are fifteen small religious schools, twelve larger ones and about 27 private schools without a religious context. We also have the usual group that we also attend to, the Circle of Light Prep Academies among them and now the Temple Primary School. All of them are part of our scheduling and we can add these others accordingly," Parallax concluded.
Everyone on the Board stared at the scheduling diagram on their School Board data pads, something that looked like the schematics of a complex mother board. Everyone looked at Parallax who was sitting beside Slater like he was from another dimension, then voted to approve the plan.
Ironhide sat back, scrutinized the agenda and saw his name coming up. He would spend the next few moments trying to figure out something to talk about when it was his turn to give comments.
=0=Elsewhere
"Ada? Where is Atar? He usually helps tuck us in," Hero asked as she stood by Ratchet's chair with Halo in the hotel room's big lounge.
"Look at the monitor," Ratchet said.
The two little femmes did, then grinned.
"THAT ATAR!" Halo said. "HE ON TEEVEE!"
"He is," Genesis said as the big boys and Sunspot sprawled on the couches and chairs nearby to watch the show. "He's the secretary of the School Board."
"What he do?" Halo asked.
Ratchet grinned. "He gets the donuts and tea for everyone."
Huge laughter greeted that, then donuts and juice were had by all. Nothing beat room service in this or any other galaxy in any other universe anywhere.
=0=His Turn™
Ironhide stared at the sea of faces marveling that offering to help in a little day school with about nine kids somehow had led to this. "Uh, I would like to thank the teachers, support staff, specialists and volunteers for their help during the recovery period of the attack. You did good work. I would hope that we can help any kids and adults get back on their peds again who had a hard time with this event. This slag happens now and again so we must keep preparing for anything to happen. I want everyone to know how proud I am of how you evacuated so swiftly to the shelters.
"Consider that the population on Earth of the United States stands at about 330,000,000 and we stand at just over 255,000,000. We managed to get two thirds of the United States into shelters in the period of about three joors. There's so much to admire about everyone all the time but I tell you as a soldier, to know that you take things seriously and act so well when things go to slag gives me confidence to go out and face the danger, All of us work to protect you. That you take such care to help protect yourself is to be applauded."
Ironhide was. Loudly.
=0=TBC 1-12-2022
ESL:
assiduous: (uh-sid-you-us) (uh-sid-you-us-lee) showing great care and perseverance
genial (jeen-ee-ul) genially (jeen-ee-ul-lee) good naturedly, with a little amusement
