The Diego Diaries: Going Down That Rocky Road (dd7 79)
Sorry about last night. I'm having 23 trees cut down in the yard around my house, old growth spruce 100-175 feet tall, giant trunks. They're all dead, killed by Spruce bark beetles. Its a manifestation of global warming. It's been a shit show. :P~~~
ONWARD HO! :D ^,,^
=0=Prowl and Prime
"Given the detailed maps and information we got from the prisoners, we have a clear representation of the territory and resources of Imperialis. Its clear that he's sending signals to the troops on that side of the divide to come to him and leave the Decepticons behind as well as snooping around here. I have no problem with the 'Cons being in disarray if he can stir it up enough. What's concerning is the manner in which he's gaining troops and ships," Prowl said as he lounged in Prime's office.
Optimus who was sitting behind his desk eating a snack that Prowl had brought for him nodded. "It makes him a problem when we do not need more."
"Then we're in agreement that we go there, slag the stuffing out of him, then leave."
Prime nodded. "I do not see an out. Imperialis is very devious and unafraid. I would like to take both of them captive but that remains to be seen. I want a strike that is fast and clean. I do not plan to lose any of our own."
Prowl nodded. "Then that's why I think it might be fun to do this."
Prowl explained it.
Prime considered it.
Prowl walked out to make it happen.
=0=Afternoon in the Bosom of Etc. Etc. Etc.
They came through the door, nine big kids and two friends. Ratchet who was standing in the kitchen futzing around grinned. "How was your orn?" he asked.
"It was great," Santee said as he hugged Ratchet.
They all did including their two friends.
"Is there anything to eat, Ada?" Saber asked hopefully.
"Always," Ratchet said as he began to pull things out to make huge sandwiches, drinks and chips. A big slice of cake would round things out and none of them would be spoiled for dinner later.
Growing boyz …
They sat around the big table eating away as they told Ratchet of the orn, their plans over the next three decaorns which would be the 'discovery' unit of study that was a feature of the big kid's school.
Intermediate Day had the function of getting kids ready for adulthood and among the many activities and courses taught were 'excursions' that would take them in small groups here and there for intensive instruction in whatever was the focus for that period.
They had agreements with different groups and regions, bases and planets for these excursions and some of them had really good facilities for them to use and overnight with more planned for expansions. The kids were at the point of an excursion to Gliese 581 g for geology and zoology units.
"We're studying the formulation of crystals in science, Ada," Genesis said as he sipped his drink. "We're going to the Science station there to see them, work out a bunch of science, then hike around the crescent."
Ratchet considered that, the huge 1,000 mile wide band of light that was the only decent habitable spot on the planet. It existed between the bitterly cold dark side and the blazing sun side on the tidal locked planet. "That sounds great. I visited the facility last time I was on Gliese and its great. Telescopes, labs, great barracks for femmes and mechs, nice all the way around. You'll have to get a list going of what you need to take with you. Which ones of you are going?"
All of them would be.
=0=Gliese
The staff that manned the Science Studies Habitat of the Autobot City Unified School District sat in their conference room with their books and different gadgets that they used to plan a class visitation. On the screens of monitors, Mrs. Lyrica, Miss Coral and Mr. AB-2 sat at their end at Intermediate Day's communications room to help prepare their kids to come and spend the week going through the programs.
"We've set up the stations in the field," the master of the facility, Pan of Iacon said. "The hiking schedule is set and we're going to make sure that the groups are small and have all the time they need. As for the planetarium and telescopes, if you send us a complete list of names and levels, we can finalize a schedule for that as well."
The three would and the conversation would continue for another joor before everything was set in stone and ready for 60 big kids to come and enjoy.
=0=Ironhide and the Senior Staff
They sat in the sub center under Ops Center going over the plan. It was going to be rather simple and include in its operation a very pointed and undeniable object lesson for the bad guys, the dreadnought Typhoon.
"If we do this then we send a message with Ty, carry everyone and everything we need in one fell swoop, jump in and back out with the possibility of surprise on our side though his space bridge," Prowl said.
Starscream considered that. "I think that is a good possibility. You do not believe, do you, that Imperialis has any of our people doing the stoop labor do you? What about the possibility that he's as sparkless as I remember and has slave labor?"
It was silent a moment, then Prowl sat back. "There's always that possibility."
"We would need to know," Starscream said as the others nodded.
Prowl agreed. "Then we better send in a team to find out what his situation is so we can do this properly. We have the maps from the first mission there as well. With the new information we can search swiftly and get back just as fast."
They bent their helms together again, then called Optimus to come. He would go over it, have the same worries as everyone else, then authorize a recon of the slaggers so they wouldn't slam anyone who was innocent and unlucky. Those if they were there would be taken away from their prison.
The whole thing just got harder.
=0=Later that night
"Well, that's slag but I'm glad that Starscream mentioned it. It's always a possibility, isn't it, that this would happen. What's the story on the recon?" Ratchet asked as he slouched in his chair in the living room waiting for their show, The Bridge, to come back on.
"Springer, Drift, a couple of mechs as well as Elita and Chromia are going to find out what's what," Ironhide said. "Then we go in and plow them under."
"I want Ebio and Cassio in custody. What a great trial that would be. Maybe the Pantheon will shovel them up for target practice," Ratchet said.
Ironhide chuckled. "I've seen weirder things."
=0=On the beat
"I just got a message from Prowl. We're going to do a deep recon of the Imperialis brothers," Springer said.
Drift who was riding along beside him glanced at Springer. "That sounds like fun. Why?"
"Apparently, they're getting uppity."
Drift grinned. "Uppity?"
"Yeah," Springer said. "They want to be the next king of the universe."
"Oh." Drift grinned. "I thought that was you."
Springer grinned back. "It is but don't tell anyone. Starscream will get jealous."
"He's the Emperor of Destruction," Drift said. "Starscream the First."
They both laughed.
"I think I really like that Starscream a lot," Springer said about the tough little rat who was Megatron's punching bag in Transformers: Prime.
"I do," Drift said. "I sorta like the Drift character as well but he reminds me of Wheeljack for some reason."
"Maybe because they call him that?" Springer asked as they slowed to wait for a light.
"That might be it," Drift said with a grin. "When are we going?"
"Soon," Springer said as a call came over their internal police line. "We're on." He tapped Rowdy's sides with his heels and the big horse picked it up.
Drift watched him go, then followed. "I think you need a siren, sport," he said as both of them disappeared into the darkness.
=0=Evening in The Residence
"Then we're going to do these three things on the last orn," Rambler said as he showed Optimus and Prowl his packet of stuff for the week spent on Gliese.
"It looks very good, Rambler. I expect that you will do a wonderful job, son," Optimus said as he handed Rambler's data pad back.
"I'll miss my music lessons," Rambler said. "But I'll double up my practice when I get back."
"Can I go, too?" T-Bar said as he leaned against the arm of the chair where Rambler sat.
"Not this time, sport," Prowl said. "This is school, not play."
"When do we go camping again, Ada?" Spirit asked as he sat between Prime and Prowl.
"We can go soon," Prowl said noncommittally. He grinned at the sweet faced little mech who was soaring in Youngling Day. "Your turn will come some fine orn."
He smiled at his genitors. "I HOPE SO!"
Prime laughed, then picked Spirit up. "You are growing up too fast, all of you. Soon, you will be on your way."
"I won't, Atar," Spirit said as he snuggled against the warmth that Prime routed to him. "I can do things and come home. Right?"
Optimus grinned, then kissed his helm. "You will always be able to come home. All of you."
Solus who was watching with her night time dolly grinned at both of them. "Ada?"
"What, Princess?" Prowl asked his daughter.
"Sojie is in the bathtub," she said.
Prowl nodded as all of them looked at her. "Okay."
"She did something," Solus said.
"What?" Prowl said as he rose.
"That smelly stuff? You know?" Solus asked.
Prowl nodded as a dim realization began to creep over him. "That rose smelling bottle of scent that was a gift from Earth?"
Solus nodded. "Uh-huh. She put it on."
Prowl nearly flinched. "How much?" he asked as he began to walk to the corridor nearby.
Solus glanced at Prime, then grinned. "All of it."
Everyone headed for the corridor pronto.
=0=The next orn
Everyone stepped into a cab or school bus but for Sojourner. The gathering of genitors who did so every morning on this corner and stop of the routes used by the district, minus Prowl, began to break up.
Ratchet glanced at Prime. "Where's Sojie and Prowl?"
Prime grinned. "He's coming along later this morning. Sojie needed a detailing."
"Did she get hurt?" Ratchet asked as they ambled toward The Fortress.
"No. She had a little malfunction with her appearance," Prime said as they walked into the morning crowd. He didn't tell Ratchet and the others about the huge bottle of rose water she had doused herself with along with most of her room. It would take professionals to make the room and belongings better again.
=0=At Kid's Korner Detailing, Terra
Prowl sat on a chair watching as someone on the staff denatured his daughter once again. He had the night before, walking in on Sojie trying to 'get this stuff off, Ada'. It had taken two good scrubs to get her down to a bearable odor level but it would take experts to make it go completely away. Her little paint scheme lost a bit of its shine, so the jog to the detailers was accomplished.
Sojie stood in a tub with bubbles up to her cute little face. Scrubbing commenced with a special denaturing solution which blessedly cut the smell almost at once. It would take a bit of effort to clean her armor, then detail it to new penny finish once more.
When they both walked out, they would take a stop at The Confectionaire for a cone before going to school. Sojie would smell like a sweet little femme and not the blast of rose water that almost made their optics melt the night before.
"Ada, Sojie smells," Spirit had said.
"A rose by any other name is still a rose." Prowl grinned. He looked at his many children standing around the tub watching as Sojie got the once over. "Trivia. Its a thing."
They nodded. They didn't know what he meant but he was Ada.
So …
=0=TBC 9-6-19
Just so you know … when I was a kid, real little, I got a little gift of tiny perfume bottles. I didn't know anything about perfume but I knew you put it on. I put ALL OF IT on. I had to eat dinner by myself upstairs after everyone's heads exploded. I cried and remember it to this day. LOL!