The Diego Diaries: The Day of the Thing (dd8 353)

=0=Everywhere

It was an electric atmosphere that greeted the colony and Cybertron. Tonight was the first game of the Adult Professional Basketball League which would be a two league phenom when the next season rolled around with the inclusion of Cybertron. The sun was bright and the air was cold. All in all, it was a good way to begin another orn. Everyone after the attack was appreciating the return to some kind of normalcy.

They walked into The Diner on the Corner, taking their usual places for breakfast. Springer held a place for Drift who had driven to Metrotitan to get the baby from his overnight sitter. Glancing at the clock, he considered the schedule for the evening to come. "Tonight is going to be hot."

Hercy nodded as he gave his order. "I agree. There's a lot of youngsters that are probably going to let loose. Some of them are going to end up in the jailhouse."

"I know," Springer said. "I just hope they don't use weapons." He watched Drift walk in heading their way. Moving a little, he made space for the big mech to slide in.

Drift slid Tell from his carry hold, then set him carefully on the tabletop. Tell wore a little environmental suit with a hat and gloves. He smiled at everyone as he sat up on his little bottom. "Ready to eat?" Drift asked.

Tell didn't look at him, then did when Drift tapped his tiny leg. He watched as Drift signed to him about food, then smiled again.

"I'll take that as a yes," Drift said as he unsubbed a little jar and spoon. With care and a drop cloth, he unscrewed the lid and began to feed the baby his morning energon.

"That infant is sitting up like a natural," Kup said as he eyeballed the baby. "Soon he's going to be walking around. That's the way of things."

"We baby proofed the entire apartment. The last thing we need is him licking a light socket or something like that," Springer said as he watched his son with amusement. He ate well and enthusiastically. The sounds of pleasure and happiness he was making were gold.

"Does Ratchet know he does this?" Sandstorm asked to be ornery. Walking through the door at that moment was Ratchet and Ironhide. Sandy grinned at the baby. The baby grinned back.

Drift looked up to see a frowning Ratchet standing near their booth staring at both of them and the baby. "Uh, maybe."

Ratchet walked over and kissed the baby. "I see he's doing things you don't think his old Nana needed to know."

"We've been busy what with invasions and planned pub crawls on the worst night of the recent past," Springer said.

Ratchet sat in his usual space, ordered, then glanced at the two. He scanned the baby. "Stellar. Champion stuff. He's really getting a solid baseline on his major areas."

"That's good to know," Drift said with evident relief.

Springer nodded just as relieved.

"So what's the outlook for tonight? I'd like to know since I'm going to crawl on the wild side tonight. Literally," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.

"If I have to I'll arrest you. I can't jump on your crazy train. Everyone will be on duty tonight and tomorrow. I'm hoping by First Saturday its coming down a bit," Springer said.

"Its nice to have a dream," Ironhide said as food and drink arrived.

They would chat and enjoy the moment together before breaking up to get on with the day.

=0=Attorney General of Mars, Cybertron and the Empire of the Primes

They sat together at a meeting after arriving for a conference call with law enforcement from Earth. Both sides were feeling each other out about extradition and legal 'this and thats' as they worked toward formal approaches to the indicted individuals still on Mars who were part of the Panama Papers scandal and data leak.

Barron and his team were listening to a number of law enforcement officials from the United States, the European Union and Interpol. Barron glanced at Blackstone. "What is the status of their on world representation, Blackstone?"

"All of them have hired teams of lawyers including those who specialize in extradition and sanctuary matters. It might help you to understand, ladies and gentlemen, that Cybertron was considered a sanctuary world and had very strict interpretations of what constituted an extraditable offense and what didn't. Given our own history of persecution and endangerment by those who saw us as gold mines of technology rather than sentient beings, we had a very broad definition of what needed to be met to be granted extradition and what constituted legitimate criteria for grants of sanctuary," Blackstone said.

Barron nodded. "We were often hunted and even though we have our own troubled past with the concepts of empire and dominion, we were very cognizant of the condition of others. As such, given our ideals about unity and all of us being one, we often granted sanctuary and fended off extradition requests if the terms didn't meet our desires and ideas about acceptable and not. We protected a lot of individuals from arbitrary repercussions if they were returned to their people."

:Our extradition requests will be detailed and have supporting documentation. We would hope that our treaties and other documents we share as allies will allow us to have a chance to seek redress for these alleged offenses and find restitution for those harmed as a direct result: a lawyer from Interpol said.

"We will pour over your submissions when they arrive and discuss this with Lord Optimus who is our court of last resort on issues at the federal level. Given he is advised by the Matrix, you can rest assured that he will be as fully impartial and fairly advised as can be," Barron said.

:About that, sir: a lawyer from Sweden began …

=0=School

They gathered on the playground together at their midday break. Sunspot, Bos, Co-D, Reflector, Jamie Jameson, Rain, Minka and Silverbow huddled together to look at the data pad in Sunny's servos. A very intense confab was underway as everyone weighed in on the strengths, weaknesses and points of interest of both teams, the Comets and Kavaliers.

:Who do you think will win tonight then: Rain asked. She and Rick were going to the game with their group, a number of younger couples and singles who were friends from different habitats. Rain was almost a mascot with them, coming along alone or with some of the kids from Earth2 and Unidad who were students here. It would be impressive how much she had blossomed here away from the pressures and scrutiny of the world of her birth.

"I think the Comets will though my brothers will try really hard to win," Sunny said loyally. "I think they just play better together, the Comets. My brothers didn't play this game before Uncle Optimus started it here. Uncle Optimus plays all the games."

"He's a sportsman my fathers say," Silverbow said. "My atar likes to play golf with him but he isn't in Uncle Optimus's league."

"My ada is," Sunny said equally proudly. "My ada plays the course at way under par. I don't know what that means but its supposed to be good."

Rain grinned. :I think its perfect, Sunny:

The siren sounded so they ran to the doors to line up and go inside. Geography was calling and eventually they would take a day trip to the calderas of Olympus Mons to see what they were studying in the room. It would be a bright and exciting afternoon at Youngling Day School #1 in Mr. Terradive's class.

=0=Prowl

Prowl sat at the table working furiously, then rose to go to a meeting. He gave the command to Paragon who was now a reserve player for the Comets.

After watching the show Paragon decided that he wanted to play but also to be eased into the game. If someone was injured he would be their replacement. Attending the practices like it was a new religion, he found himself being a huge asset to the team. Paragon never did things by half and after discussing it with his district representative had managed to get hoops placed in the park space of his tower. Practice with Arrow was a passion that he didn't know he needed until now. They were also raising two little future pro basketballers themselves.

Prowl exited The Fortress, transformed, then drove to Centurion. He transformed, then walked into the building. It was a short trip upward to the classroom of his sons, Spirit and T-Bar. Two joors would be sorted out here between him and T-Bar. Prowl entered the classroom silently, then sat down nearby to watch the children finish up their geography.

Rain and the human children were working equally as hard and it pleased Prowl. From the comments that Spirit and T-Bar had made about the human kids, especially Rain, it was gratifying to him that they were doing so well. They still were pulled out for help but it was in the afternoon during their short study hall at the end of their long day. That would be when they would get things done rather than have it come home. The human kids would go to their pull out classroom to get tutored through their work. It was a rare orn now that they had homework because in this system, unless it wasn't finished in class, there was none.

Home was home.

School was school.

All was well in their world.

T-Bar rose to put his books in his locker then spotted Prowl. He smiled, then walked around the table to go to his ada. He hugged Prowl tightly. "You came today?"

"Class visitation. I come to see champions at work," Prowl said as he hugged his son once more. "You do so well, you and Spirit. I'll tell Atar. He will probably be very, very proud of you both. Again."

T-Bar smiled. "I'm glad. We're going to share in a moment. Can you come down there and sit with me?"

Prowl glanced at the stepped area where they gathered to talk or hear speakers who came. He nodded. "I'm here to see what you do. I would like that a lot."

He would.

=0=At the Autobot City Processor Hospital and Outpatient Center, Autobot City

Ratchet listened to the experts tell their story and the consensus was that Waldeen was ready to make his way back into society. He would be placed in the halfway housing project that was Central Point. It was the brainchild of Paragon and the Mental Health Department of the colony. It was being built on a ridge in what was called the Midway, undeveloped land in the middle of the colony set aside for just such things. It would be exclusive housing to elders who needed assisted care and individuals like Waldeen who were transitional into society or would need full time assistance of the mental health variety for as long as required.

"This is good news," Ratchet said as the presentation was concluded. "He'll work at the stables and come home to his apartment building where there's someone around orn and night. I like that its built around a courtyard and has facilities. How will he get to work?"

"He's going to be having a social worker assist him. Right now he works at the stable three orns a decaorn. He's changed the minute he gets there. He loves the horses and they love him. He also helps at the barn out in the prairie as they call it. He's never late. He does what he's shown and learns swiftly and well. It's the perfect placement for him.

"I'd like you to tell him, Ratchet, since you've made such an effort with him and its been a deal breaker to tell the truth, we can do this new step," Rung said. "He's coming out of it but he still needs support."

"What a wonderful thing," Ratchet said as he stood. "Thank you for letting me tell him the news." After a few words Ratchet stepped out and walked down the corridor to the end of the hall where Waldeen sat in the sun room watching the world go by. He walked over to sit with him. "Hi, Waldeen. How are you today?"

Waldeen glanced at him. "I feel fine. Tomorrow I start to work full time at the stables. I can't wait."

"I have more news for you," Ratchet said. "You're going to work there and we're going to have a new place for you to live. We want you to live in the transitional housing at the development on the ridge near the Crater Districts, Central Point."

Waldeen glanced at Ratchet, then a slow grin formed on his lips. "Really?" he asked.

Ratchet nodded. "About time don't you think?"

Waldeen glanced at the street. "Yeah. I think so," he said with a slight nod.

=0=TBC 01-26-2022