The Diego Diaries: Gellin' (dd8 192)
NOTE: My laptop died at about noon the other day and it took forever to get Plan B in place. I have a pretty nice Lenovo desktop touch screen but there's nothing like a laptop. A new one is coming in about three daze so I'm going to be back on the production schedule again. Sorry for the enforced interlude of BS that's happened. Tech hates me. :D HUGS! Here we go!
PS. Am I the only one with a low grade crush on Hunter from The Bad Batch? And maybe Tech, too. I love that Tech';s voice reminds me of Starscream, the creamy voice from Transformers: Prime. HUGS!
=0=Clubbin' at Hoyles
:And that's why he's on the Future Husband's List:
Everyone glanced at Lola Teasdale who was standing beside her twin sister, Cindy on the table next to the one where everyone was playing cutthroat poker. They grinned at her as even her parents and grandparents chuckled.
"You do know that they're cartoons. Really good cartoons but never the less," Ironhide said with a grin. He loved both of them. They were his kind of wacky. In fact, everyone loved them because the two not only loved them back but accepted them completely.
:And you're mostly automobiles. Everyone at this table is on the Future Husband's List, too. We can adapt. Right, Cin?: she asked her sister.
:Without saying: Cindy replied.
"Then you like the dark broody types?" Sunstreaker asked a fellow spirit.
:Sure. Deep water, Sunny: Lola said. :Besides, Hunter's a lot of Autobot, too. No one left behind, brave, decent, true:
"Like the Boy Scout code," Sideswipe said with a smirk at Ironhide.
"Frag that. Go pick on Warlord. He's a good little mama's boy," Ironhide said.
A chair nearby moving caught their attention.
"Did someone just profane my name?" Warlord asked. He was sitting with about a half dozen Seekers nearby eating bar food, drinking beer and playing cards.
"The Scout Oath. Now," Sideswipe called out.
Warlord smirked at Sunny who was part of his social group, Blue, Sideswipe and him. "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to Primus and my empire and to obey the Scout Law; To help others at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. There. That's the updated Autobot Scout oath," Warlord said as everyone exploded into laughter.
"You were always a good little girl," Sunstreaker said to someone he'd fought hand-to-hand on more than one occasion.
"I'm following your example," Warlord said to more laughter.
:You're on the Future Husband's List, too, Warlord. You and your dad: Lola said to even more laughter.
"I'm honored," Warlord said with a chuckle. "By the way, when does Scouts start again? My nephews want to know. Weeblos and all."
"Frag you, Warlord," Ironhide said as he ate one of his chips.
"Poor Ironhide. I think his diaper's on too tight," Saber, Warlord's younger brother said. He'd never fought Ironhide but most of them knew and feared him once upon a time.
"That's you. Need a binkie? I have a guy who knows a guy who can get them wholesale," Sideswipe said as he dealt the cards.
HUGE laughter from everyone especially the humans.
:So … something tells me you fought each other before: Lennox said. :Any jet judo victims here?:
Everyone glanced at Lennox who nearly lost his grin under the totality of their gaze, then Sideswipe glanced around Hardie toward Saber. "Got anything you want to declare?"
Saber smirked back. "How about my contempt?"
:What is jet judo?: someone's tiny little amma said from the segway that Brandon Clark was driving. She was sitting on a condiment box with a number of other tiny grandmas who were driving around with their family on this, the first of a four day weekend that included Elders Day. She was adorable in her little pink gear.
"Its what psychos do when they want to die," Warlord said. "These two idiots," Saber said without acknowledging which two at their table, "climb on the back of us and duke it out in the sky. Most of the time they fall down and go boom."
"Ha!" Sunstreaker said. "I knocked you down twice."
"You did," Warlord said. "Thanks. It was fun landing on ya."
Huge laughter rounded the room even by others not in the conversation, then the tiny female granny got up, the one from the back to step closer. :You all must be the most remarkable beings: she said.
Everyone looked at her, then each other, then her again.
Hardie grinned. "We try, ma'am. We try to be the best warriors we can because we know what the cost of being less than that can be for everyone and everything we love."
:We owe you everything: the granny said. :My grandson loves all of you so much. We zoom, all of us and he tells us about you and your people. Your children are so wonderful. They're the future:
Everyone nodded as they paused the game to stare at her with fascination. Once again, a deep moderation of conduct and behavior kicked in as a femme addressed them, this one an obvious elder. Two kicks to the slats from an elder femme.
:When that one came, Black Shadow, I was only afraid for a moment, then I remembered that you were here and you would protect us. Everyone came from the colony. They filled the skies of Mars and Earth. It was a moment for me of such great emotion, you being so brave and willing to protect everyone. We were all one at that moment, all of us. None of us were different. We were all targets and I hope we all felt the unity that I felt together with you and your people. I was so proud of you. I never loved anyone as much as I loved you when that happened. You didn't owe us anything but you came together as one immediately and stepped up. We had our own forces on Earth but they couldn't do what you did. Thank you: she said.
They stared at her, then a number of them shifted with surprise and emotion.
"We appreciate humans. We've all been there once upon a time, helpless against something bad. But its in unity that we succeed. We're stronger together than apart. We love the humans here and we protect the ones on Earth. One of these fine orns we'll be closer and understand each other better but in my experience it takes time like any process," Sun said. "We're glad you're here."
:I am, too. I've always dreamed of the stars and what was out there. In my time you didn't get to follow your dreams if you were female. There were jobs open to you but they were few. You could be a teacher, a nurse, a sales person, a secretary or a mother. Everything else wasn't open without enormous effort or someone's help and you weren't free. Now here I am on Mars. I've always loved Mars. My grandson and his children are here. They're growing up in the company of an alien species and I'm so happy. If I were younger I would seek that, too, for my own children and them: she said.
"Are you retired on Earth?" Optimus asked.
She nodded. :For some time my husband and I:
"If you wish to live here I will permit it," Optimus said. "Your family, who you need to make you happy may live here. We are gratified to have friends among us. If this was your dream for your life, allow me the honor to make it happen for you."
She turned toward Optimus. :You would allow that?: she asked with surprise. :I always dreamed of something like this: She took a step forward. :I would work. I would pay my way. My husband and I have always done so:
Optimus turned more toward her. "It is enough that you be. There is nothing that is owed to me or The People to share our lives with friends. You can live here as long as you wish and you owe nothing back to do so but the chance to be happy and realize your dreams."
She stared at him, then turned to her grandson with astonishment. :BRANDON! DID YOU HEAR THIS!?:
Brandon Clark walked to his grandmother and hugged her. :I did: he said as he glanced at Optimus. :I owe you one. She's always wanted to go to space:
"You owe me nothing." Optimus grinned.
The little grandma turned toward him. :Thank you so much. I have no words for the way I feel about this:
"No words are necessary. Brandon will handle your transfer," Optimus said. "You may use the space bridge at the airport to transport your family here. Be as careful with them as you require."
Brandon nodded. :I will. Thank you:
{You may have just started a stampede, Optimus} Hardie said with a chuckle as he watched the little group celebrate the elderly woman's good fortune.
Optimus grinned. {Gaining allies is always a good thing. I require two cards} he said as he tossed them in.
The game would continue until tee time.
=0=Around the Date Day
"WHEEEEEEEEE!" -All of the kids with the femmes on their way down the water slides into the pool.
"BWAHAHAHAHAAHAA!" -the adults with the kids going around the big slide, then crashing into the big pool
=0=Ratchet
The children were responding to the treatments as they were administered at Children's Treatment Center in Pax. They were on the edge of death, half a dozen of them when the two part medical plan was administered. As it was they were still in dire need of repair and restoration given how advanced their disease had become. The best part of the orn was that none of them would die.
Ratchet walked out of a ward toward another with doctors trailing. He was assessing their condition and the doctors, all of whom would do the major work were taking notes as Ratchet detailed them. Entering a ward, they paused beside the bed of another child. Ratchet stared at the small frail femme laying silently on the bed attached to machines monitoring her. "Did you notice how old these kids are. There's no babies. No toddlers. Just children between youngling and sub adult in age. They haven't had a child born alive in eons."
"There was just nothing for them to grow," Natron, an infant specialist said. "We have only preliminary data but the basic nutrients for the spark to be able to detach successfully weren't there. When they detached they disintegrated. It must have been awful."
"This is one traumatized group. I don't know how much of their belligerence is from belief in their ideas about caste or from trauma magnifying their happier past. Either way, they're going to be holds until Processor Health gives us the story," Ratchet said. "I've put them in for a work up and sessions."
"Even if they still hold to the ideas they came with, their actions belie good judgment. I think it would be problematic to hold them for any of their actions," Sarno, an orthopedic surgeon said. "This affected their processors. There's damage in all of the children's central processors. Its going to take a lot of work to bring them to a place where they can function. Some of the, if not all will always be impaired."
"That's what I fear as well," Ratchet said. "Goldwing and the others are on the problem with Sciences. I hope we can make them have good quality of life."
Everyone murmured agreement as they bent over the bed to check out a tiny femme with advanced Cache's Disease.
=0=Autobot City Municipal Golf Course and Clubhouse, way the frag outside the city limits of City 6, Crater District 3
They drove into the parking lot of the clubhouse that was the base of the golf course built some time back at Prime's personal behest. An inveterate sportsman, Prime was up for any game that caught his fancy. Hitting a ball with a club was one of those. Letting the humans out, a mass of Autobots transformed, then carried them inside.
The clubhouse was glorious and would stand the test of any of the best ones on Earth. Waiting in the bar nearby, a number of elders saluted everyone with their fancy drinks.
"HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO COMES!" said Venture as he rose with Prowl.
Humans were put on the ground with their little putt-putts, then partners paired off. The rest of the slaggers followed the players to the desk to check in, get clubs and wander out through the big back doors to the tees. There were no players there but a couple could be seen down the fairway.
Setting their clubs down in the arms of 'caddies' conscripted on the spot, Optimus pulled a driver. He grinned at his father, then the others. "I will now tee off." With that, he walked to the starting place to wait until a ball popped up on a tee from a machine built into the ground. It announced the number of his ball. "Your ball number is 47."
"Why did it do that?" Lon asked as he held Prime's clubs.
"That's so Ironhide can find his ball and not steal anyone else's when his lands in the water and no one elses does," Blackjack said as he clapped his son and partner on the shoulder.
Ironhide frowned. "Slaggers."
Ironhide's ball was number 62. It would be good that he knew it, too.
=0=06-19-2021