The Diego Diaries: Stuff and More Stuff (dd7 20)
=0=Morning after the hoo-haw
"Where are you going today? You have a game coming up, slagger. Tell me you don't have practice on the mind?"
Ironhide glanced at Ratchet as they crossed the street to go to the Ops Center for a short military debrief. "I won't tell you. What kind of slag are you going to wear this time? I fear to know."
Ratchet snickered. "Its genius. Pure genius."
Ironhide laughed aloud, kissed Ratchet, then crossed the street again at the junction with the big mech in tow. They reached The Fortress, entered to grab food and a drink because free food, then entered the Center to walk to the conference room to sit. Most of the crew were there and the banter was light as they waited for Prowl and The Boss.
Prowl entered with Possibility on his arm, then sat as Prime followed. The atmosphere was light and there didn't seem to be any pressing features today which was a relief. "We want to touch base. The meeting for everyone is tomorrow and we want anything classified discussed now as well as anything that requires intervention or immediate attention. We haven't had a meeting in a few orns to discuss," Prowl said as the Seekers smirked at him. He smirked back.
"Nothing much going with medical. We have lots of individuals coming in that would've been a real strain on our system if we didn't support Atlas. There would've been a lot of ongoing deaths as well. All is good here," Ratchet said.
"The armory is go," Ironhide said.
Prowl stared at him. "Right. Next?"
Snickers and laughter greeted that. Hardie glanced at Sun, Jack, his own son, Raptor and his grandson, Blackjack. "What's the situation with the three mechs?"
Sun shrugged. "Two of them are softening but the third … Rockwell … he's going to take a lot of retraining."
Raptor nodded. "Carbide and Pico are affected by Cybertron but don't know how to express it. They know its bad and all of that but they're so buttoned down that they can't put it into words. I think they could use counseling and I don't want to make it optional. Vinn does good work with stuck high castes. I think these two have promise, sooner rather than later."
Turbine nodded. "I think I'll take Pico tomorrow. We're visiting Simfur to check out the rebuild and to read the inscriptions on the Temple stores so we can see if they can be unlocked without problems. A lot of things might be found there behind vaults that are covered with a great deal of symbolism and writing. I'm going to go over that and see if we can open them without issues. I doubt a great deal if an Omega Key is there … Primus said more would be found off world but there might be important things inside. After all it is the Temple."
Prime nodded. "If you need me I will be on world. We are visiting the Villages this afternoon."
"Lucky you," Delphi said with a chuckle.
"Lucky me," Prime said with a grin as he liberated his son. Sitting back with his baby, he grinned. "Continue, minions."
Snickers greeted that as Prowl smirked at Optimus.
Elita leaned forward. "We're getting an update from Ghost about the mapping of the slaggers on Earth thus far. We're going in pretender format for a couple of hours to New York City. Does anyone need anything?"
"Eat a lot for me. Lots and lots," Ratchet said with a grin.
"I will. Wheeljack has that part fixed now," Elita said.
"Fraggers. I'm going to get even because some fine orn they will need me," Ratchet said as the others laughed. Ratchet glanced at Prowl. "We need to go on a bender in some ancient city in Europe or something. You and me in pretender gear."
"You're not going without me," Alor said as Delphi and the rest in the room nodded.
"Think about it. A spiritual retreat to an Indian ashram … a tour of the patisseries of Paris. Wine and cheese in a cafe in Rome. Spaghetti and chili in Cincinnati," Ratchet said with a huge grin.
Everyone buzzed that off the world wide web, then went through a number of disgusted and/or delighted expressions as they stared at Ratchet. Ratchet stared back with a huge smile.
Prowl grinned, then glanced around the table. "Anything we need to know about things on Cybertron?"
"We tracked back an antiques black market underground. You'll laugh when you find out who's using it on the down low," Jetta said as he glanced at Elita. "Tell them, E."
Elita smirked at him, then Prime. "Soundwave is buying antiques on the black market. He's got a lot of really nice things. Just so you know."
"I'm going to have to go to tea with him," Ratchet said. "He might have Nova Prime's set."
Prime snickered. "I remember that." He glanced at Elita. "Keep me informed."
She nodded back. "I will."
"Seekers?" Prowl asked. "Anything you want to tell us about basketball?"
Starscream glared at Ratchet as Rainmaker laughed loudly. "NO."
Huge laughter greeted that including Prime.
Prowl glanced around, noting with satisfaction that things looked copacetic, then he looked at Ratchet with a cool optic. "Care to let us in on your latest sartorial insanity given we have a game in a few orns?"
Ratchet stared at Prowl, then smiled. "It's so genius … so epic … so beyond, I'd have a hard time telling you early, Prowl and not offend my genius with the disclosure."
Huge hoo-haw and deep anticipation greeted that remark as Ironhide shook his helm. "Praxus never made a spectacle of themselves. Frag Iacon even though I play for them."
"Why, Ironhide … Praxus did make spectacles of themselves. They played," Ratchet replied as he batted his optics.
Which were filled with battle lust.
Ironhide recognizing the signs smirked. "Slagger."
"If there's nothing else," Prowl said, "class dismissed."
Huge slag was handed back as everyone got up to leave. When they were the only ones there, Prime, Possibility and Prowl, it was then that a small femme at the door was noticed.
Prowl leaned forward. "Sil?"
Another femme stepped into view as well. They glanced at each other, then Jessine leaned in closer. "Commander, Lord Optimus? Can we speak to you, please?"
=0=Moments later
Ratchet walked back into the Ops Center heading for the conference room, then entered. Two little femmes were sitting on chairs with Prowl and Prime. Possibility must have been in someone's hold because he couldn't see and thereby steal him. He smiled at the two little femmes. "Well, if it isn't the two nicest little femmes I know."
They grinned wanly up at him as he sat. "Hi, Commander," Sil said as Jessine nodded.
"What's up?" Ratchet asked Prime and Prowl.
Prowl who was watching the girls glanced at Ratchet. "Maybe Sil and Jessine can tell you."
The two girls looked at Ratchet, then Jessine began. "We went home last night, Abba, and our genitors were there together. We're related by adoption. You know. Dynasty adoptions. We're cousins but more friends. Our genitors were in agreement that our mentorships were over. We argued with them but they said it was done. They also said that the others were going to be told today after school. We were so upset that when the bus came we pretended to get on board. We rode around on the metro until we decided to come here."
Ratchet nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that. What can we do for you, infants?"
Jessine and Sil glanced at each other, then the three adults. "We want to stay in the Watch and the CNA program. Its the most fun we have ever had and we get to do something good. We don't want to leave it. Is there anything you can do to help us?" Jessine asked plaintively.
Ratchet glanced at Prowl and Prime. "What does the law say besides butt out?"
"That's about it," Optimus said. "We do not have standing here in the law."
Jessine and Sil look crushed then Sil sat forward. "Lord Optimus, we want to serve. We want to help our people. We know our genitors worry about it but we're safe and we're doing our calling, all of us. We have better marks in school that ever before and we have more friends, more fun, more good things to do now than before. We love the mechs. They're so nice and they teach us things every orn. We have to do this. It's our destiny."
The three stared at them filled with sympathy, then each other. An off line conversation was had, then Ratchet and Prowl stood. "Your genitors don't have a clue you're not in school. Right?" Prowl asked.
"No, Abba. No one does," Sil replied with gathering emotion. "I don't care if they do or not. This is making me so sad."
Jessine nodded sadly as well.
Ratchet glanced at Prime who nodded. "Come with us, femmes. We have someone to see."
The two little femmes stood with their little backpacks of school stuff.
Ratchet grinned at them. "Leave your bags here. We can get them when we get back."
"Where are we going, Abba?" Sil asked hopefully.
"Why, femmes, we're going to Cybertron," Ratchet replied, then he led the group out to go to a space bridge.
Prime watched them go hoping a solution could be found. Having your dreams crushed when you were young and filled with possibility was something he knew all too well. He glanced at his son laying in his box bed nearby and felt a tense kind of feeling that he hadn't felt since a child.
Rising, he picked the box and baby up, then walked to the door and the corridor nearby. He would work through the morning at his desk filled with things to know, read, sign and decide upon as his smallest child slept in his little bed nearby. In the afternoon he would go to Cybertron to do the same there visiting everywhere he could in the day ahead.
It would be a long morning.
=0=On the other side
They walked through the space bridge at the HQ in Iacon, the home turf of Hard Drive who ran the overall show of the eight administrative districts here on Cybertron. The little femmes walked with Ratchet and Prowl up the stairs to the rec room that was the big open common space of this, The Citadel, HQ of the Autobots in the City of the Autobots, Iacon.
The girls walked with wonderment following Prowl and Ratchet, their sense of awe and amazement that they were on their home soil was evident. They entered the big room, asked for Hardie, then walked to the door that led to the big ornate and historic offices of the leadership of Cybertron's military elite and the offices of The Primes when in town.
Reaching Hardie's, the one that said, "General Hard Drive of Praxus, Commandant of Cybertron, Military and Political Districts 1-8', they entered the office.
It was busy, filled with staff and aides all of whom were working feverishly. Shackle who was Hardie's general overall chief of staff for operations glanced at them, then grinned. "Welcome," he said. "The General is inside."
"Thanks, Shackle," Ratchet said as he walked past to the next door, the one that led into a huge office with antique furniture and fixtures that were recovered and restored.
They walked in to see Hardie on the video line with Raptor and Turbine going over this and that interminable thing. The little femmes followed, then halted behind Prowl and Ratchet.
Hardie paused, then grinned at the three. He also noticed the two little femmes. "Well, what brings you here with these little ladies? Are they on a tour of future professional options?"
"That's what we're here to discuss," Prowl said as he turned to the two tense but hopeful little femmes. "Sil and Jessine have a problem and we hope you have some elegant and deeply mystical Praxian solution to it."
"You mean, you hope he has some throwback archaic piece of slag that'll stop a grave injustice from happening," Ratchet said with a grin. "Peasant rules from peasants."
"Iacon is the armpit of the world," Prowl sniffed.
"Iacon is my kind of town, a city that never sleeps," Ratchet replied. "The town that's going to take the first basketball championship ever. Remember, Prowler … Prime is an Iaconian, too."
"Well," Prowl said with a slight grin. "No one's perfect."
Huge laughter greeted that, then Hardie turned to the two girls who were listening with hope and confusion. "What's the problem, Sil? Jessine?" he asked, remembering the kids with great affection.
Sil glanced at Jessine, then Hardie. "Our genitors said we can't be in the Watch or the C.N.A.'s anymore," she said, then burst into tears.
Jessine followed her.
=0=TBC 6-21-19
NOTES TO FOLLOW TOMORROW! NIGHTY-NIGHT! (Unless its morning where you are. Its ten pm here and it looks like afternoon. Nothing like living in the land of the midnight sun) :D:D:D
ESL, RSVP, PDQ:
Wikipedia: Cincinnati chili (or Cincinnati-style chili) is a Mediterranean-spiced meat sauce used as a topping for spaghetti (a "two-way") or hot dogs ("coneys"), both dishes developed by Slavic-Macedonian immigrant restaurateurs in the 1920s. (Yes, its a thing. It actually looks good. Minus the hot dogs. :D)
sartorial: (sar-TOR-ee-ul) having to do with dressing well, looking good.
Plaintive: (plane-tiv) to be mournful, the feel badly. When one speaks with sadness and/or hurt, they are sounding plaintively.