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!

292. Chapter 292

The Diego Diaries: Storm Cloud (dd7 292)

Lackwit, thanks for the heads up. :D:D

Note at the bottom.

=0=On Fury at the Saturn Shipyard

He got the call when he was watching data streams in a code room off the command deck. He was sitting with his peds up in a chair in front of a bank of computer screens. A call came through. He listened then grinned. "Come on over. I'm in the communications room off the command deck on Fury." He listened again, then signed off. It would take a moment for them to arrive but they would.

=0=Them

He signed off, then glanced at his partner who was stretching his arms and neck. "You ready?"

"Sure," he replied.

The two walked out the door, made a side trip, then walked to The Fortress to make the hop, skip and jump to Fury. It was a shorter walk to the communications room and Ratchet.

=0=Him

He glanced up, then grinned. "What took you so long?"

Springer walked in followed by Drift. He held a small box in his servo. "Well, you know ..."

Ratchet grinned. "Probably. Sit and beg."

Drift chuckled as he sat down, then pulled a chair for Springer. "You do it. You beg better than me."

"Ah, you're going to tell me 'facing stories are ya?" Ratchet asked as he took a plate and beer from Springer.

Springer handed both to Drift, then took his own. "You can't handle the stories."

"Or the passion," Drift said to get Springer's goat.

He did.

"I don't know. We could each tell a story and see who wins. For instance, there was Ironhide's audition back in the orn."

"Audition?" Drift asked as he unwrapped half his burrito.

"Sure," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile. "You don't think he could have this," he said as he spread his arms wide, "without meeting a long check list of demands do you?"

Huge laughter and a bit of internal revulsion about hearing the 'facing life of your genitors greeted that.

Springer grinned at Ratchet as he watched him take a gigantic bite of the gigantic burrito. Ratchet sat back and chewed in pure bliss. "So, you haven't had dinner I presume."

Ratchet glanced at him. "What orn is it?"

Drift grinned. "How's the upgrades and repairs coming along?"

"Well, it'd be better and faster if they weren't hunters but beggars can't be choosers. Tell me more about the begging," Ratchet replied as he took a swig of his beer. "Ah," he said with a smile.

"I would but you might be jealous," Springer said.

Ratchet grinned. "That's me. Jealous. Why the other night in the berth-"

He didn't get much past that.

=0=Prowl and Prime at home

They sat together after putting the kids to bed, chatting about the orn ahead.

"Do you really feel up to a game in two orns?" Prowl asked as Prime muted the news.

"I do," Optimus said. "Ratchet must have fixed a lot of things because it feels better when I move now. I used to dial down my pain receptors for long periods of time. Now I have them set at neutral. That is a great improvement."

"Ironhide has three more orns on his sentence. I want to be there when he has to meet up with the Court again," Prowl said with a chuckle. "He's such a sad sack."

Optimus laughed. "I do believe he is surrounded. I know they understand him as a full grown mech of some experience but they see him as the child he once was now and again."

"They do," Prowl said with a snicker. "I think he was unexpected. Alor told me when he was drunk once that all their efforts were for nothing. They were preparing to go to the Well when he sparked. He had a lot of attention growing up."

"He did. It did not harm him. Much," Optimus said. He glanced at Prowl. "What about you?"

Prowl considered that. "I had the same but it was formal, caste driven and maddening. If someone had told me that my genitors and grand genitors, half of them anyway, would turn out this way I wouldn't have believed them."

Prime nodded. "Perhaps given time, Zenith and Shadow will come around."

Prowl considered that. "I don't know. The Festival is coming up in July. We shall see." He glanced at Optimus. "This is going to be a banner day for my amma and appa."

Prime grinned. "Good."

They would watch the news, chat, then retire. A staff meeting was for the next day.

=0=Him

"Well, that hit the spot," Ratchet said as he tossed his trash into the box and scored. He grinned at the two who grinned at him. "Beg."

Springer laughed then rose. "How about we dump you into a barrel upside down?"

"ELDER ABUSE!" Ratchet said. Then he sat up. Pulling a scanner, he shot both of them this way and that, then studied the data carefully.

It was quiet and expectant as both of them watched Ratchet drag it out. Maybe.

"Well, I clear you, Springer, for moderate duty. You can ride but you can't fight for two more orns. Drift ..." He studied the data, then glanced at the quiet mech staring at him with a slight smirk. "You can go back but ride only. No getting up and down or fighting. If I find out either of you did I'll not only El Kabong you but I'll slap you with house rest again."

"House rest?" Springer asked with a slight grin.

"Medic lingo. I don't suppose you'd understand," Ratchet replied. "IN MY LIFE AS I MAKE IT UP EVERY DAY!" He dazzled them with a smile.

Both of them laughed then stood to go. "Are we dismissed, *Ma*?" Springer asked.

"Yes, verily. Go and sin no more, slaggers. Thanks for the eats," Ratchet said.

"How long are you going to be here?" Drift asked as Springer gathered up the mess and the box.

"Well, Paradisio is about ready to discharge. He's even getting a repaint. His bond, Sunrise is going tomorrow as well. They weren't slagged as hard as the other four. Hunter groups are Swiss cheese when they limp into ports," Ratchet replied.

A scan of the internet gave meaning to that as they walked to the door.

Springer looked back. "Don't work too hard."

"Why, I never do," Ratchet said as he batted his optical ridges.

The two walked out laughing as they went while Ratchet watched them. "Slaggers," he said, then turned back to his work.

=0=Them, there

They walked into the elevator after being feted by the night crew. Upward they went, then down the corridor to the huge office that they shared. Passing through the ante rooms, they entered their office. It smelled like new paint as they came to a halt halfway inside. No one could see the damage anywhere, it was repaired so well but it felt weird to be here nonetheless.

"Well, I see they replaced everything. I'm glad they puttied the holes in the wall," Drift said as he walked to the desk to stare at it and everything else.

"They probably had some left over after they fixed you," Springer said as he walked to the desk to stand beside Drift. He draped his arm over his shoulder. "Do you feel as weird as I do?"

"Not really," Drift said. He grinned faintly. "Zen and all."

Springer snickered. "Ah. That." He walked to his chair, then sat. "I guess Flint's going to have to go back to Fort Apache."

Drift sat down on his own chair. "I suppose so."

It was comfortably quiet a moment.

"Wanna ride?" Springer asked.

"Sure," Drift replied.

They both rose, then walked out to go to the Stable and mount up. They would ride into the desert to see the stars and moons. They would go on a horse trail and talk until the shift was over, then ride back to have breakfast with the troops. It would be good to be back again.

=0=Fury

Ratchet walked to the command deck where a number of the big frames were gathered in pretender form. Fury, Sunset, Relentless and Calamity were there chatting together, watching readouts as the big ship was put to rights. They glanced at him with grins. "Well, let me take in this scene," Ratchet said as he paused to look at each of them a moment.

They stared back with amusement and some slight confusion.

"Thanks. That's the most handsome I've seen in one place since the last time I got arrested," Ratchet said as he walked over to stare upward at all the mechs.

They laughed, then stared down at him with amusement. "What's the verdict, Doctor?" Calamity asked with his deep amused voice.

"Well, I'm releasing Paradisio, Sunrise and Fury to go to Mars and take up orbit. Some of the finish work on your armor will take a bit of time, but we can add it to you in space. As for the other three of you," Ratchet said, "I'm having double crews work on the list of problems given that some of you will be departing."

"This is good. We really looked forward to being here," Fury said. "We haven't seen some of our family for a very long time."

"Well, all of you are welcomed here," Ratchet replied. "I cleared the three of you for transition. Did they tell you that there's a housing tower in Iacon that's set aside for your frame? If you want to live in a house there let Typhoon know. He's the mech with the inside track."

"Is that what it is?" Relentless asked with his usual amused sarcasm.

Ratchet gave them a dazzling smile.

They roared with laughter, chatted a while, they derezzed to fly themselves back into a high stationary orbit that would place them on the side of Mars directly in line with Autobot City on the other side of the planet. When all of them were there they would gather for the fun and games against the slaggers crashing here and there in the local area. All of them would be highly skilled and raring to go when Prime gave the order.

Ratchet watched them go, then walked to the bridge again. By the time he reached Relentless, the other three would be gone.

=0=Morning

They sat in The Diner On The Corner eating with the overnight shift they, themselves usually rode with. It was good to be back to the routine and the gossip flowed like water.

Drift who was sitting beside Springer resting his arm on the back of the big mech's chair glanced at him after reading an alert automatically sent to The Boss™. "We have a staff meeting."

"Oh joy," Springer said as he rose with Drift.

"Wait for us," Hercy said as he and Kup stood to go.

It would be a mellow group tagging along, all of them burning to know the plan for the new ships to tackle regarding Ominous, Razorclaw and now Polity.

=0=Him, there

He walked to a console, then sat comfortably. Breakfast had arrived and he was eating it. He dialed up the conference room, then saw the others sitting and gathering around the massive table. The humans were already there, all of them from all eight installations including Prima Station along with the Hu-An. He grinned as he at his breakfast sandwich.

"Hi, Loon. Decided to sober up and join us?" Prowl said as he wifi-ed an agenda to Ratchet.

Ratchet grinned. "I wouldn't miss this snoozefest for the moon, Granny."

"That's Sub Commander Granny to you," Prowl said to the gathered amusement of the slaggers.

"Okay," Ratchet said as he gave Prowl a dazzling smile. As he did, the entire contents of his mouth fell out.

Screaming commenced immediately.

=0=TBC 5-31-2020

Sorry about the story last night. Our winters up here get to more than -20 F or -28.8 C for months on end. I've had trouble with my furnace through this and now it was giving me hell this weekend again. I tried to fix it like last time and after an ENTIRE WEEKEND of this, I called my sweetie pie nephew, Josh to come and look at it. Its so warm here now that I want it off until I can get a plumber to come. It's easier to get an astronaut to come to your house than a plumber around here. :D He came in, turned off the gas nob and turned off the water. That was it. Done.

I remember standing there looking at it, him, my hands, the wet floor, the water and gas nobs, the ceiling, the wet towels, the …

I'm so tired. Back to fixing slag and writing. I can't find the words of gratitude that express how I feel about my furnace at the moment. Practicing gratitude is my life for a few until this shit storm recedes. Thank god I can go back to writing again. HUGS!

Thanks, Lackwit. On it. Gratitude. It does a/my body good. :D ;D