The Diego Diaries: Callo (dd8 414)

=0=At the legal beagle's office

Ratchet grinned at Ironhide. "We want to know if we're in trouble here. I did that as a lark. If its okay with you I'd like to do it in earnest. Nothing frags me off more than a sorehead."

"Old Mech, I don't know about this. You have a reputation on the General Staff to uphold," Ironhide said.

They stared at each other, Ratchet and Ironhide, then burst into laughter. Calin joined them.

=0=The Family Tower about the same time

They were gathered together in the lounge having a chat during lunch. The elders were there, those that weren't in college or doing their volunteer work. The conversation was around the legislature getting ready to hear treaty changes requested by the United Nation regarding the new military installation and the School Board elections.

Politics bot-style.

=0=City Hall, Terra

Blondi walked down the hall with a grin on her pretty face. She carried a data pad from the latest filings from several department openings as well as other places and was going to brief Magnus about them. She rapped on the doorjamb as she waited for him to look up from the pile of work that he had on his desk.

Ultra Magnus glanced up, then sat back. "Blondi?"

"I have the last filings for some of the positions that are open in various boards and offices and one that's very interesting, Magnus," Blondi said as she handed him the data pad, then sat down in a comfortable chair beside his desk.

Magnus read through the data, most of it regarding highly skilled positions in the city worker force relating to his administration and a few board filings for elections. Then he sat back. "This is very interesting."

"I thought so," Blondi said. "Optimus probably knew this would happen."

Magnus nodded. "He probably did. He's always a step ahead of everyone. Who's running besides those already on the board?"

Blondi consulted her data pad, the one she kept the deep down intel on. "No-A and Ironhide along with all of the current members are running again. There could be a withdrawal, however, for at least this term by Sterno. Apparently his family came through from the camps and aren't in good shape. He's taking a leave of absence from his job to help them get back on their peds. Its a long term severe protoform and dementia thing. If he leaves then that means its an open seat. Its open as is the one Carmella has.

"Carmella is running but she doesn't think it might work out. She got a teaching job and finished the University for a double degree. She has family, the job and is active in the Circle. She's running but might not stay with it. She's pretty tired. That's an open seat. Anyone in the colony can run for it because it has no fixed district."

"Then that explains the candidate for Sterno's seat," Magnus said. "This particular candidate."

Blondi nodded as she smirked slightly. "I personally think its hilarious."

=0=Family Tower

They stared at him, the elders that were there and then laughed loudly.

"I think this is wonderful, Ron," Harley Epps said. "Have you found out if its even legal?"

"I put in my application and was accepted. They told me at the City Hall that the Election Commission would go over it but they didn't know what the outcome might be. They seemed to think this would be a great test case," Ron Witwicky said. He grinned. "I don't want the board packed."

"None of us do," Merlie said. "Since its open we can vote for it, too? I know that humans can vote but not run. We can vote but we're citizens, too. That might be a good test of our full rights as citizens."

Ron Witwicky newly declared candidate for Seat 1, Open District-Wide for the Autobot City Unified School District shrugged. "I think so, too."

=0=At a luncheon meet up to discuss strategy

Callo, Piero and Timbre sat in a restaurant in Bern having lunch. They found this little bistro that was excellent in every way including clientele and ownership. They were discussing the election, Callo's complaints and the upcoming debates in two orns.

"I changed my filing," Timbre said. "I filed for Seat 1, the open seat. I heard that Carmella might be leaving the position if it becomes a problem around her job. Somehow she managed to get a job in the district."

"Well, that will be over if things work out. I have more to tell you about," Piero said with a grin. "My daughter filed for the youth delegate seat. Simby wants it and she's a second level student at the Intermediate School. Also, I persuaded Lane to file for Seat 6, the one Hugh-E holds and Sirio for No-A's Seat 5. Today at 1600 is the deadline for filing so we're just under the wire."

"Simby won't have to worry about a debate. The children aren't scheduled to have one. We can get together at my apartment to go over everything so we won't be blindsided by being new. Come to my house tonight at 2200 and we can talk. Bring the others. We have to get ourselves ready for the debates. We can't be caught flatfooted," Callo said.

They agreed to come and work on the debate prep for as long as it took.

=0=Just before patrol

They sat in their office working on this and that, reviewing the 'heavy' cases like Tempo and the gangs as well as the 'light stuff' like drunks, vandalism and non-violent crime.

Sitting on the floor nearby playing with a toy, Tell was the picture of happiness. The regulation of the degree of sound he heard at any one time had helped immeasurably with his newfound hearing. He was his usual sweet quiet little self again.

"I want to look for more gang sign, then geo-map the locations to see if we can triangulate on the areas involved actively or at least the extent of the turf these slaggers are willing to defend," Springer was saying. "I want this murder solved."

"AI!"

They froze, then turned almost as one toward Tell.

He was sitting on the floor frozen himself. The sound of his voice saying something had startled him. He looked up at his old dads, then his toy. Holding it up, he smiled. "AI!"

Both of them nearly vapor locked.

=0=Ops Center about the same time

Ultra Magnus walked across the floor to pause by the table. "Is Optimus around, Prowl?"

"He's in the office, Magnus," Prowl said. He watched the big mech walk across the floor, enter the hallway, then disappear. He went back to his work again.

"Rap. Rap. Rap."

"Magnus … come in."

Ultra Magnus walked into the large office of his longest, oldest friend. He pulled up a chair to sit. "I have some interesting news for you about the School Board races."

Prime sat back. "Alright."

"There are a number of former high castes running for positions. Callo, of course, is gunning for Ironhide's seat. All of the others have challengers from the same group, all of them who are friends, family and colleagues of Callo. They even have a child looking to be the student member."

"Who are they?" Optimus asked.

Magnus consulted his small handheld. "Callo of Praxus is running for the seat Ironhide holds. Lane of Capital City, a cousin of Callo is running for the seat Hugh-E currently occupies. Related by dynastic bond, a mech named Timbre filed for No-A's seat but changed it to Seat 2, the one currently held by Sterno of Stanix. A friend named Sirio of Iacon is running for that.

"Carmella who has the open seat is a teacher, has a large family and is uncertain that she can continue. She's likely running to keep the high castes out, otherwise she might take a hiatus from this for a term or two. Timbre figures her an easy defeat so he changed targets.

"That leaves Piero of Polyhex running against Sunstreaker and the child advocate delegate Simby."

Optimus who had mapped it out in his processor considered the situation. "What is the story with Sterno in Seat 2?"

"His family was found in the Diaspora and taken from Omega Base to Gliese with dementia and wasting disease to an ominous degree. They were saved from death but the prognosis is pretty severe and there is a high likelihood that Sterno will have to resign and take a leave of absence from his job to help them recover. Its his genitors, elders, siblings and the like. His family is from Stanix.

"As for Carmella, she's tired and ready to take a break and perhaps run at a later time because she wants teachers and staff to have a voice on the board. She's finally graduated and taken a position as a teacher. Both she and Sterno refiled to keep the troublemakers out. They'll run, then at some point step out to allow me to appoint replacements as per the charter."

Prime nodded. "Is there anyone else running for any of the seats that can be of help here?"

Magnus nodded, then a faint grin formed on his handsome face. "Seat 2 has a last minute filing. It would appear that Ron Witwicky has filed for Sterno's seat."

Prime considered that, then grinned. "Expect challenges."

"I asked Fenix to research this and there are no impediments to his candidacy. You have to be an adult, live in the colony full time and be a citizen of Cybertron. He fulfills all of the requirements."

Prime grinned in spite of himself. "What about the children's delegate? Is Simby the only one who wants the position?"

Magnus grinned more broadly, then shook his helm. "No. she would have a challenger. It wouldn't happen if Herling hadn't asked that it be an elected position rather than appointed."

"Who is it?" Prime asked.

"Coros," Magnus replied.

=0=In a small lounge in Intermediate Day School, Iacon, on a break

They gathered, his 'team' to discuss the campaign ahead. All 15 of the members of the Mentorship Board of Directors as they called their Watch and Medical Center governing council were there.

"What we're going to need is publicity," Sil was saying as Jessine took copious notes.

"We can get on the radio and television," Pulley said.

The others nodded.

"We can go to the different newspapers and broadsheets to tell of your candidacy. We need a platform of ideas and we need groups of us to go and give interviews to the media. Coros can do the big ones, we can do the smaller outlets and groups.

"We can talk to the G-TA's at schools. Most of them meet on First Tuesdays after school. There's enough of us to get on the agenda of each and tell what Coros will offer," Pulley said. "We can also tell about our service programs."

"We can do this," Echo said as she glanced at her boyfriend. "Coros will win."

Coros grinned at her. "I think we can. I can't wait for the debate."

The bell rang and they ran for their classrooms and the network of students that was spreading like wildfire to tell of the candidacy of Coros of Capital City who was running to represent them on the School Board. It would be his first political foray. The second one would be to intern in Docker's office when she heard about him when they were campaigning in the halls of the Delegate Assembly.

=0=Walking out of a lawyer's office

"Well, I don't think we have a slagging thing to worry about. I can monkey around and you can speechify. Win-win," Ratchet said with a beautiful smile.

"You have screws loose, Old Mech."

"We need to prep your sorry aft for the debates. You're on in two orns. First Sunstreaker, then Hugh-E, then you last. The next night will be Carmella, Sterno and No-A. I heard that the kid delegate is going to be contested as well," Ratchet said as they reached the Metro they needed to take.

"Who?"

"Coros is going for it and so is a high caste great granddaughter from a dynastic bond of Nova Prime," Ratchet said with a snicker. "I love this place, Ironhide."

"I'm glad you do, Ratchet. Right now I just want to break things," Ironhide said as they disappeared down into the Metro station.

=0=TBC 4-18-2022

TIP OF THE HAT TO MISTY LEGIONAIRE FOR SOME OF THE BEST SUGGESTIONS IN A WHILE. READERS RULE!

ESL

Broadsheets: they were newspapers with one side. Huge and printed with everything on one side, they were usually pinned up for people to read in public places.