The Diego Diaries Part Seven

by arctapus

This is a continuation of the universe started in Diego Diaries and continued through parts two to six. The premise is a joke that led to world building. This is about family, friendship, overcoming adversity and finding the best parts of yourself. This is an adventure, a trek through the world of Transformers and its a comedy/drama. Everyone is here and if you are, too, then YAY!

243. Chapter 243

The Diego Diaries: Good of the Order (dd7 243)

=0=Enceladus

He stood by the dome watching the ever and always night outside. He felt a sense of well being that was just as new now as it was when he fell to Earth and changed his life forever. Elita had sent him a copy of the form that had adopted him and his brother. Ratchet and Ironhide had filed it after their signatures and it had a small space for an essay or explanation that might further the approval process.

"For Sunstreaker and Sideswipe … everything." -Ratchet of Iacon

"Took the words right out of my mouth." -Ironhide of Praxus

Sideswipe had read them, then spent a moment luxuriating in their warmth and inclusion. Then he sent them to Sunstreaker. A burst of emotion greeted him, then subsided into something soft and contented. Neither of them had said a word to each other and they probably wouldn't but this would be one of their best moments as adults, knowing this.

A ship passed by heading toward Earth and it flashed its lights at the Forward Base. Lights from the tower flashed back. Sideswipe watched them, feeling the normalcy of things, the sense of belonging after nine million years of wandering mostly alone to a place and a group that he loved.

It felt amazing.

=0=Meeting

"Then we can diversify the portfolio to add more charitable opportunities to help Earth through the widget process and the whatsit situation," Caro said with a smile. "That doesn't even address the potential of the thing-a-ma-bob and the doo-dahs blah-blah-blah, bluck-bluck-bluck."

Maybe.

For the group listening, sort of, the drone of futures shorted, shared, folded, stapled and mutilated continued onward like the steady drip of a leaky faucet. It was fortunate for all involved that a test didn't follow. Only Venture, Sam, several other humans from the financial administration of various habitat and Resort places, Caro and Prowl would pass it.

Prime was pretending along with the others. Finance being part of his job was something he was well versed in, including this slag but right now he was eyeing a sprinkled donut, the last one on the plate. How could he reach it without lowering his dignity and showing his seething need?

That was the question, Horatio.

Ratchet who was watching Prime with a big internal guffaw watched Ironhide as well as he eyeballed the donut, too.

Sprinkles. Yum.

As he noted both of them begin to reach for it, he did himself. Sitting back with a huge sprinkle covered donut in his servo, he smiled as he made a show of examining it.

Prime and Ironhide froze, then relaxed slowly. The three of them were watching Caro with their optics but their attention was on Ratchet …

:YOU RAT!: -Ironhide aka IH

:There, there, Only One. Num-num-num: -Ratchet aka R

:You stole my donut: -Optimus Prime aka OP

:Did I, Prime?: Ratchet asked as he grinned at the donut in his servo.

:You did. I love sprinkles: -OP

Ironhide and Ratchet glanced at the big mech slumped in his chair with a slight smirk on his handsome face. He was glancing between Ratchet and Caro.

:What's going on here?: an attentive Prowl who caught the subtext.

*FINALLY*

:Nothing: -R

:He took my donut. I love sprinkles: -OP deciding to have some fun with his little buddy. He watched with amusement as Prowl's optics narrowed.

Bingo.

:That's his donut, Loon. Fork it over to him: -Prowl aka PR

:That's MY donut: -IH

:How so is it your donut?: -PR glancing for a second with smoldering optics at IH

:I saw it first: -IH

:I BROUGHT IT HERE! FOR OPTIMUS!: -PR looking as calm and collected as everyone else even as he seething in Righteousness for His (Prime's) namesake

:You snooze, you lose: Ratchet said as he raised it to his mouth.

Three mechs not making an effort to hide their INTENSE interest in Ratchet's donut stared blazing holes through his chassis.

Ratchet paused it before his mouth to glance at all three, then broke the donut in half. He handed one to Ironhide, then Prime. Both mechs took them with a grin. :There, babies:

Ironhide popped the whole thing in his mouth. :Can't make me feel badly:

/ … oh, really?! .../ -R

:Or me, either: Prime said as he bit into the donut, then finished it in two bites.

/… hm … is that so? … / -R revving up

Everyone glanced at Caro, then returned to the Fun and Games™

:Sad sacks. Sparklings. LITTLE FEMMES!: -R

:Maybe Ironhide but never Optimus: Prowl grinned smugly as he sat back to focus on Caro who was winding it up with a roll call of their many and sundry bank accounts and the projects stemming from them to benefit Earth.

Prime sat back with a great sense of well being. He really did love sprinkles on his donuts. He also knew that Prowl had ordered his favorites, rings with chocolate ganache poured over them to be home delivered. All was right with his world.

Ratchet glanced at Caro who had finished. "Caro?"

"Yes, Ratchet?" he asked as he paused before sitting.

"You do such a brilliant job explaining. I was thinking how helpful it would be if you asked sort of … test questions from us to spot check understanding of all the brilliant things you just talked about. How about starting that as a practice for our meetings using Prime and Ironhide for the first one to lead the way? Maybe ask ten or more questions about your presentation to start the ball rolling. I'll help you by choosing two individuals each meeting to do this. We all need to be aware of our Earth obligations and this can only help," Ratchet replied with a huge smile. "You're just such a good explainer."

If Caro could blush he would have.

Payload stared at Ratchet with such deep gratitude and then Caro with such deep love that Ratchet almost felt badly.

But not quite.

He loved sprinkles, too.

Ironhide and Prime on the other hand sat up straight with intense expressions of dafuq.

Ultra Magnus who could've aced the test had a HUGE laugh going on inside as he stared at both Prime and Ironhide who he knew were goofing around during this presentation. "I would find this deeply instructive, Caro, as well. What a fine idea, Ratchet, especially for a continuing thing. What two fine mechs to start us off on this new agenda item. Right, Prowl?"

Prowl who didn't get carnage and who actually did think it might be GREAT! because he was at spark cute but clueless nodded. He glanced at Prime with great anticipation. "I'll add it to the agenda. What a great idea."

Prime stared at Prowl, then Ratchet, then Caro who was nearly glitched with the attention and request, Payload who was adoring his bond, Starscream who was raving with laughter off line with Rainmaker and his sons, Venture who was staring at Prime with deep and worshipful adoration at his interest in the dry profession Caro and Venture practiced … it went on. Prime sat back then glanced at Ironhide who was rigid with WTF?! OMG!?. "Okay," he replied weakly.

Several minutes later …

They sat in their chairs, their processors nearly aching from the swift internet searches they both made to barely answer the questions Caro asked. There was some correction by Caro but not much. Caro sat deeply gratified, Payload relaxed with great admiration of his bond and Prowl commented how great it was to have a moment to check understanding.

Cute but clueless.

Prime and Ironhide were rigid with 'calm and confidence' even if they were like slates falling off a roof in a wind storm inside. Both of them shifted their optics to stare at Ratchet who was sitting in his chair with a smile on his face even as they stared at Caro who was sitting down.

:That was evil: -OP

:Frag you: -IH

:Frag both of you for taking my donut: -R who was smiling like a very contented slagger

The meeting carried onward …

Larc and her companion walked toward their car and drove off after telling the group about their expansion into their new habitat space. They were the largest outdoor installation on the planet with the capacity to expand into an experimental dome space that covered 100 square miles. It was a new invention by young mechs who had an energy generating business in City 5 in Crater District 4 to create domes that were huge, energy efficient, could become permanent like Terra's and were generated from smaller devices than metrotitans.

The Hu-An were not only working on terraforming Homeland but doing agriculture to feed humans on world. Between them and the other habitats, food shipments of plants would be curtailed shortly with the colony going self sufficient at last, many years ahead of schedule.

It was a highly intricate, highly partnered venture between the agricultural departments of Earth 1, Earth2, Unidad Terra 1 and the Hu-An. Win-win all around.

"Are there anymore reports to the committee from the Habitats?" Prowl asked.

:We're getting a new Beta Striker team tomorrow. We have them coming from all over Earth. The others are deployed to Earth to be on the On-Call teams. We're expecting three new kids in a couple of months: Will began as he went down the list on his phone. :All of them are going to be born here. We had a number of family come and go, some of which want to live here full time and are bringing skills with them. All in all, we're great:

Carly glanced at hers. :We've opened the medical lab to research on long term diseases in plants and animals. Earth 1 has the human lab so we're going to expand our partnerships with labs on Earth to work out programs to cure plant and animal diseases.

"Our population is holding steady. I appears that whoever comes then stays. We're working out how that will work. We have a large population of fathers and mothers of our personnel who are retired and like it here. There are also a lot of siblings and their families. They offer a plethora of skills and abilities that they offer happily. Some are frail and are happy to be here so their children can assist them. Their children who work here are happy to have them."

"It is our practice culturally to take care of our elders in the same manner, Carly. They have a form at Immigration for such individuals," Prime said.

:Thank you. We'll check it out, Optimus, My own parents are interested in staying here because James is here as well," Carly said as she checked her data pad. "Our peach crop is coming close to picking and we're going to dedicate it to our product line on Earth through the Outposts by making peach jams and preserves. Our orchards are benefiting greatly by our bee population which is rebounding after our hive infection. They believe it came in a contaminated package that was shipped that contained the pollen patties the beekeepers give until the trees bloom. Everything related to the bees will be scanned and cleared of contamination from now onward. All is going well. We have no police activity to report. Everyone is very happy at Terra: Carly concluded.

:Earth 2 is going well. All of our program goals are being met. We've had no further problems from our situation, though everyone is looking toward a conclusion to the murders. That will come in due time, I believe: Owen said as he glanced at Prime.

Prime nodded.

:We're also interested in linking programs and business ventures with the space station: Owen said. :Right now, we're negotiating with the Resort to add Earth2 to the tours that come here. We would like to do business with them and perhaps begin our own smaller version of a resort spa hotel here. That will come with consultation and discussion:

"It will," Prime said. "I received your request." He glanced at Earth 1. "Do you intend to do the same thing?"

:We couldn't entertain that idea until after the Phase Two expansion, Optimus: Brandon said. :We're first and foremost a research facility but would welcome day trippers. The idea of a hotel as part of our focus is still something that needs more explanation for us to decide:

Prime nodded. "Make your proposals. Meet up with the Resort, then make a time for us. In the end, my decision prevails. The Planning Commission will be available when Jetta and Mack are back from leave."

:How are their parents, Optimus?: Judy Witwicky asked. She had arrived late with Barbara Morshower and Judy Fulton.

Optimus glanced at Ratchet. "Ratchet?"

"They're doing well. They were pretty debilitated and ill used when they arrived and its taken a bit of time to get them back on their peds. Corsair is the most traumatized but both are in counseling with their sons. I expect a full recovery and its a signal of their severity that Jetta and Mack are off the job. They live one door down from Jetta and Elita so I expect good things for all of them."

:Good. Jetta is the best mech ever: Judy Fulton said as the others nodded.

Elita grinned. "He's my boy."

"If ya want, he can be my boy, too," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile as he unsubbed an apple pie.

"OLD MECH! LEAVE THE INFANTS ALONE! By the way, what are you doing with a pie in your subspace?"

Ratchet snickered, then grinned at Ironhide. "Wouldn't you like to know."

To Be Continued …

=0=3-30-2020