The Diego Diaries: Tift (dd7 17)
This was supposed to go out last night. May have to finish today's as fast as I can and load it for a two-fer. :D:DD
=0=Cybertron the next morning
They finished their briefing and overnight review in the HQ at Kaon. Now it was time to go and put out fires, fix problems and trudge through the grimness that permeated this place. Raptor walked out with the others scoping out the two mopers sitting nearby with their backpacks. He considered their auras, noted their grimness reflected there and decided to take Carbide who was appearing to be one of the weakest links among the three.
Rockwell was as hardcore as usual probably but Pico and Carbide seemed less so. Ratchet would take care of Rockwell, he considered, if anyone could. It would appear given the circumstances here that the ruthless mindsets of these two were softening just a little. Why was anyone's guess but it appeared so to him. He paused before them. "I got Carbide today. Pico, you go with Sun." He turned to go. "KEEP UP, CARBIDE!" Raptor was out the door in seconds.
Carbide jumped up, shouldered the heavy backpack then followed. Pico watched bleakly as he left.
"Come on, Pico. We have things to do," Sun said as he walked to the door himself.
Pico jumped up and followed.
The others watched, then grinned. "I wonder how Ratchet is doing today?" Hardie asked.
Turbine snickered. "You have to ask?"
The day before …
They stepped out of the bridge, then walked upward to the rec room and Ops Center. Walking into it from an empty rec room, Ratchet flung his arms wide open. "HI, SLAGGERS! GUESS WHO'S HERE!?"
Everyone there including the two humans on consult duty who were lounging in chairs on the command table glanced at him, then grinned.
"Who the frag are you, slagger?" Smokescreen said from his seat at the tactical station. He was playing poker online with someone in Europe. They wouldn't know why they were losing so badly. Maybe if they did they wouldn't be so hopping mad about it.
"Why, I'm Ratchet the Healer," Ratchet said as he slapped the back of Smokescreen's helm. "I'M HERE WITH MY LOVELY ASSISTANT TO LAY SERVOS ON! Who needs a hug? Come on. You know you do," he said as he smiled like the sun.
Two kids actually got up and got one, then sat again with big grins on their handsome faces. Everyone loved it when Ratchet came.
"Who's the sad sack? Another project?" Smokescreen asked.
"Why, Smokey … you're psycho," Ratchet said with a grin.
"Do you mean psychic?" Smokey the Younger asked as he came in the room with his amma, Devcon.
"Whatever," Ratchet said with a giant smile.
Huge laughter and slag commenced.
"What brings you here, Ratchet? We aren't due for anything are we?" Smokescreen asked as he basked in the mellowness of Life as commandant on Diego.
"No. I'm just bringing my latest slagger to meet the deep blue sea," Ratchet replied.
"Oh, boy. You're going to drown him, too?" Smokey the Younger said with the Tactlessness of Youth.
"Probably," Ratchet said around his giant smile. "See ya." He glanced at a smoldering Rockwell. "How about you put the backpack down. GENTLY. Then follow me?"
He stared at Ratchet, then put it on the table. When Ratchet curtsied, then walked out, Rockwell reluctantly followed.
Everyone there watched them go, then some glanced at the backpack. "What's that for and is it going to blow up, Appa?" a youngling Home Guard asked Smokescreen who was chuckling along with Devcon at the question.
"That's a training tool for hard afts, infant," Devcon said as he picked up the backpack. He pulled out a leaden bar of cybertanium. There were three in the bag. Apparently, this slagger was going to be a problem for a while. Three this density was for high end problems.
The kids stared at it, then Devcon. "If you say so, Commander."
Dev would laugh a bit, then wander out with Smokescreen. Smokey the Younger would have to fume at Communications until his shift was done.
Yondering …
Ratchet stood in the sunlight absorbing the warmth and solar. The breeze was soft, the temperature was in the high 80's and the humidity was 90%. It was perfect. He glanced at Rockwell. "Absorb the good weather, slagger. This place is paradise. We're going to walk around the base. This is holy ground to most of us. This is the first home that the Autobots had on Earth. This is our embassy here. These humans are our friends and brothers and sisters. Remember that." He stepped out into the gathering throngs with a grin. "HELLO, TINY PEOPLE!" he said, then curtsied.
The roar of approval, laughter and catcalls was amazing from the still gathering throngs. Ratchet's visits were always epic so those who didn't have anything to do always joined him on them.
Semper fi.
"WHO'S THE NEW GUY, RATCHET!?" a Marine called out.
"This work and wonder is Rockwell of some place on Cybertron. His father is someone who did something and his family was important in some way. Right now, most of them are in our jailhouse and this one … THIS MIGHTY FIGURE OF EMPIRE IS MY LATEST PROJECT! ISN'T LIFE SLAGGING WONDERFUL!?" he asked with a giant smile.
HUGE agreement met that as everyone stared at the new meat. They had no idea what was really going on but every last one of them was there to watch and assist.
Whatever it was going on.
They would assist it.
Somehow.
This was Ratchet after all.
Dev and Smokescreen walked to Ratchet. "Where ya going?" Dev asked.
"Here and there, gathering bill berries wherever I may," Ratchet replied with a snicker. "I do love that line."
A quick scan of the internet, then Devcon snickered. "Evelyn Waugh's daughter said that at five? What a great kid. Sorta like mine."
"They all are, Dev," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "I'm amblin'. Come with?"
"Yep," Smokescreen said.
Ratchet set out followed by a reluctant and steaming Rockwell, Dev and Smokey and an enormous crowd of amused and amusing humans. Down the tarmac he went until he came to the barracks that had a strong Cybertronian vibe. "See this? Ironhide destroyed the old one. We built this one to replace it."
"Why did he do such a stupid thing?" Rockwell asked.
In English.
Orders were orders.
The humans stared at him as a wave of affronted emotion rippled through the crowd.
Ratchet stared down at them with a grin. "Stupid means brilliant in Cybertronian."
Huge laughter greeted that.
"He did it because he's Ironhide, slagger. I thought you would know that by now. HE IS IRONHIDE!" Ratchet replied as the crowd of humans roared. "This was where the traitor, Jason Daniels lived. You know … the one who now works in Earth2 with his father and grandfather, the other traitors. You see, Rockwell, hatred and entitlement are learned. You're not born with them. They have to be carefully taught. You and Daniels have a lot in common." Ratchet ambled onward and the crowd followed.
Rockwell was getting all of his buttons pushed.
Ratchet was very aware that he was.
They walked down the way pausing in front of the Officer's Club. A number of commanders from various nations and service branches along with civilian military reps watched him come, then stepped down to speak to him.
Ratchet knelt. "Hi, slaggers. How do you like me now?" he asked as they laughed.
"Hi, Ratchet. What's the show today?" Andrew Settles asked.
"Well, I have a new victim from caste court," he said glancing at an irate Rockwell. "We're touring the base. I want him to understand the depth of my love for you."
HUGE laughter.
"Slaggers. Do you doubt me?" Ratchet asked with a dazzling smile.
"Nope," Andrew said. "Consider it mutual."
Ratchet laughed. "Then you won't mind joining me to initiate this mech into the world?"
"On it. Lead on, Gridley," Andrew said as he stepped down the steps toward Ratchet.
Ratchet smirked, then walked on as the crowds behind him followed, augmented by those both on duty and not, all coming along for the fun. Ratchet had a new bot. That meant only one thing.
They walked along passing most of the dock before turning down the street to walk to the beach. There were docks along both sides crowded with all manner of vessels as he reached the water's edge. Ratchet waved to those on ships, then turned to Rockwell who was glowering at him and the mob around them. "Welcome to the world, infant. Time to join the Autobot-Earth Hall of Fame," he said. Then he grabbed Rockwell and jerked him off his peds.
Startling loudly, Rockwell found himself spinning in a big circle as Ratchet wound up. Missing the humans by miles, Ratchet spun him as fast as he could, then let go strategically. It would be remarked for years the sight of Rockwell of some place on Cybertron flailing wildly as he flew over the ocean to hit, bounce once, then sink immediately.
Huge applause and appreciation greeted that as the humans showed their approval. Ratchet curtsied and bowed coquettishly, the slagger.
Andrew rapped his ped. "He hasn't come up. What if he can't swim?"
"He won't drown," Ratchet said. "I suppose I should lay healing servos on." He began to wade into the water just as Rockwell spouted upward.
He flailed, then bobbed in the deep water. Ships around him sounded their horns as the sound of tumultuous laughter reached him. He was fragged.
"Need a hand, infant?" Ratchet called out.
{FRAG YOU!} Rockwell said as he began to flounder back.
Ratchet turned to the humans with a giant smile. "He said he didn't need me but he worships me anyway."
UPROARIOUS LAUGHTER!
Rockwell stepped out shedding water right and left. He glared at Ratchet as he walked past him heading for the street and beyond.
Ratchet grinned back, then looked at the humans. "He loves me. Did you see that? True love."
A huge mob of laughing humans walked back behind Ratchet as he followed the seething youngster. They walked down the street heading toward the Embassy beyond.
{Rockwell, you better wait up}
He spun on Ratchet in front of the Officer's Club, his rage nearly molten in its intensity.
Ratchet slowed then bent down to Andrew. "Back everyone out of here. Clear the buildings. I don't know if he's smart enough not to lose it completely."
Andrew turned to a number of soldiers and sailors who split up and moved the crowd back. Two ran to the buildings and soon the alley ways and area behind the mob was filled with more individuals. They were silent as they watched in anticipation. The two bots before them, Rockwell and Ratchet were having a searing conversation off line, then Rockwell swung on Ratchet.
Everyone everywhere began to scream and run.
Standing between the mob and the two tangling, Smokescreen and Devcon would place bets about who would win and how much destruction was going to come out of it.
You can take the bounty hunter and professional gambler out of Cybertron but you can't etcetera, etcetera, etcetera …
Like that.
=0=Ops Center, Autobot City
"Prowl," Sunstreaker said as he sat at Tactical. "There's a fight at Diego, Ada and Rockwell," he said as he watched Prowl disappear out the doorway. He glanced at a Home Guardsman nearby waiting to come on duty. "Sinth, take over here. Emergency."
Sunny was half out the door already.
=0=Diego at nearly the same time …
Ratchet missed Rockwell's blows as he watched the crowds disperse. When everyone was out of the way but the buildings, he turned full attention on the mech before him, maddened to the nth degree and ready to strike, hang the consequences. He parried the blows, then landed a good one to the chassis.
Rockwell gripped his chassis as he stood half bent over, then raged forward, grabbed Ratchet around the waist, then the two of them fell onto the Officer's Club in a flurry of splinters and exploded gas mains.
It was then that Prowl followed by Sunstreaker raced out of the bridge and upward to the stairs that would eventually lead outside.
To the fandango.
Semper fi?
=0=TBC 6-18-19
ESL
yonder, yondering: (yawn-der-ing)
Yonder: Any place that is not here, places that are usually far away. Yondering: the act of going to these places. Yondering is a very old West term for leaving here to go there, which was usually so far away that it was referred to as 'going west'. Since 'going west' is a term in Europe for dying, since distance was so far and the effort of travel so hard, most people never saw anyone alive again who went yondering. Given that the USA is the size of Europe and then some, most people had wakes and parties for those who went west. Until the transcontinental railroad was built, most people never saw their friends or relatives alive again.