The Diego Diaries: Planning (dd7 311)
=0=Conference Room at the Operational Center, Autobot City, Mars
The whole group gathered in the room, the committee, for a few items that needed discussed, then the human and bot civilians would leave for the military portion of the meeting. A steady stream of mechs and femmes wandered in and sat. Prowl and Prime were sitting at the front of the table chatting together off line.
Ratchet and Ironhide sat down with Raptor and Turbine. Discussing the amusing situation Raptor had relayed, they settled with their drinks and plates of food from the rec room buffet. What kind of an orn would you have without second breakfast?
Prowl watched the last enter, then the door closed. "Alright. Let's get on this for the civilians and then there will be a discussion following for the military." He glanced at the data pad holding the agenda. "Let's go down the list. Magnus?" he asked as he glanced up.
Magnus glanced at his work data pad for a moment. "We're getting ready for Festival which happens on July 16th on the Terran calendar. Public Works has worked out the traffic plan and will be putting up barriers to control flow of pedestrians to the Temple District. We expect literally millions to come. We've worked out the medical and security situation with Ratchet and Springer and its subject to change. Given that there won't be any football games that weekend and that the ceremonials will be both here and on Cybertron, the logistics are now less of a nightmare than they could be otherwise."
Magnus glanced at Springer and Drift sitting against the wall with a number of soldiers and elders. "You can outline the security plan for both Temples."
Springer glanced at Drift, then Prime. "We figure that the usual array of officers placed at strategic locations along the avenues spanning out from the Temple District on both planets will do the trick. We're placing aid stations along the routes to make sure that medics can respond to any problems that come up. All of our medics from the Tri-Cities and Terra will be doing duty during the Solemnities and the aftermath when everyone leaves the scene.
"The horse patrols will be along the edges of the crowds. The kids love them and they provide a diversion for the genitors who have kids and need a break. We've placed runabouts on the roofs of several buildings along the route so that medical can med-i-vac anyone who needs it and we can remove anyone who might cause a ruckus. The last few years haven't caused problems in the gathering until after it breaks up. The parties afterward and general mayhem will."
"What about gangs?" Prowl asked. "What's the potential for them to be stupid?"
"That's always a possibility," Drift said with a grin. "We've got the task force on it. The knowns will be scrutinized. So far everything is calm. That could change but we have plans for it. Our double duty Watch and military officers are going to do a shift during the gathering and for the dispersal afterward, then they're released from duty. Its a two joor shift for everyone on the 16th and then they're off."
"We'll be on all orn," Springer said.
"Then the party is at our house," Ratchet said with a brilliant smile.
"We're coming." -Most everyone in the room.
Ratchet glanced at Jetta. "You got some spare two-by-fours for the floor?"
Huge laughter.
"Right," Prowl said. "Loon?"
"Yes?" Ratchet asked with a giant smile. He was holding a donut with sprinkles.
"Report." Prowl sat back in his chair, then smirked slightly. "Loon."
"Feeling your oats are ya?" Ratchet said. "Praxus wins a game and you're even more insufferable than ever."
"Praxus is a team that won the first one. Praxus is a champion team," Ratchet said. "Unlike Iacon, of course."
"Iacon, the city of the Primes. This one included," Ratchet said as he glanced at Optimus.
Optimus was sitting in his chair leaning back relaxed. He grinned at Ratchet, then glanced at Prowl.
Prowl was studying his data pad avoiding Prime's gaze. "Your place of origin is very inconvenient sometimes," he said to Optimus.
"He didn't have a choice. Neither did I. I was born in a slum. So was he," Ratchet said with a grin.
"So was I," Drift said. "We lived in a shack at the edge of a landfill. I guess you could say that my house was a dump."
HUGE laughter greeted that.
"I never had running water inside my house." -Ratchet aka R
"Me neither." -Most of the room
"We did," Springer said almost hesitantly. "Uh, we lived over our store. Does that count?"
Everyone stared at him, then Kup grinned. "We couldn't afford stores. We sorta scrimped in the dumpsters."
Everyone glanced at Kup for a moment, then Drift leaned down to look at him. "You, too?" he asked.
HUGE laughter and only a couple of nods of mechs going backward down memory lane filled the curdled space around Prowl.
Prowl stared at all of them with an impatient expression. "You think you … that you have something ..."
"What are you trying to say, Prowler?" Ratchet asked as he watched the big mech sputter. "Spit it out."
He glanced at Ratchet with a cool gaze. "I hate you."
UPROARIOUS LAUGHTER and scorn.
Prowl sat back and crossed his arms over his shapely chassis. "I'm not surprised that during the MEDICAL report from Loon that we're discussing poor stories."
"Funny how that happens," Hercy said with a grin. "I remember when they used to plug us in rather than feed us when they didn't know we were sentient. Remember that, General?"
Raptor who was snickering along with the tide grinned. "I remember that. Have you ever wondered what this plug is for?" Raptor said as he raised his arm to show a panel that was welded shut and covered in etched curses.
"No." -everyone but Ratchet
Raptor grinned. "They thought we were automatons. They worked us, then warehoused us at end of shift or when they didn't need us. We stood on platforms and they plugged us in." He laughed. "WHAT A SLAG THING TO DO! We made sure to let them know the error of their ways."
"That's because you're this side of awesome," Ironhide said with feeling. The pre revolutionary slave period of his family was incredibly painful for him to hear. The idea that any of them were harmed in anyway almost created a frenzy inside of him. "Those slaggers."
"They won't hurt us again," Raptor said. "Those anyway." He glanced at Prowl. "Top that one."
Prowl smirked slightly. "Frag you, too, Raptor."
Miler laughed. "TELL THEM, PROWL!"
Prowl was better at hiding the effect his elders had on him as a Well Bred Little Mech™
but everyone could still see the tells. He glanced at Ratchet with a frown. "Anytime this decaorn, Loon."
Ratchet smiled, an effect that showed all the donut he'd just stuffed into his mouth. Groans and guffaws greeted that. "Well, we're in good shape. The hospital complex at 581 g is doing good work. The major cases are traumas from Atlas's camp and mental cases. You know … Prowl's kind of mechs."
Prowl frowned.
Optimus grinned.
"We're beginning medical exams in the schools and my younger doctors, medics and techs will be doing them under the supervision of a med-tech who manages the program with the schools. We've been looking for dangerous programming in surrendering Decepticons and civilians on Cybertron and the camps … courier-traps and the like. We're not finding any more cases but the protocols are permanent now and we're still looking.
"I would also like to say that some of the Dead End patients that reside here from Polyhex are going to be part of an experimental program that repairs processors that feature certain kinds of injuries and behavioral psychoses that resulted from them. Its still in the works but it offers the possibility of recovered memories and if not that, then clearer thinking. They can have a better life than they have now."
It was greeted with great approval.
Ratchet finished his report and another donut. Then he grinned at Prowl. "Ha, ha, Prowler. By the way, when the financial reports are over, I choose you and Venture to have the ten question quiz. Remember?"
Prowl stared at Ratchet with a Look of Doom while Prime covered up a guffaw that was coming up from the depths of his peds. Given that he and Ironhide had been the targets of Caro who asked INCREDIBLY difficult finance questions of both, it was going to be hilarious to watch Prowl have his turn on the catwalk. Venture would wipe up the floor with him.
"Your turn, Prowl. Prime and I had the last time," Ironhide said as he glanced at Caro.
That young mech was smiling with happiness and surprise. He was a great mech and loved finance. No one else did much but Prowl at least listened to the report. Given his opponent was Venture, this was going to be interesting. "This is so exciting," the well bred and well raised youngster said. "I just love this game." He glanced at Ratchet. "Thank you for thinking it up, Ratchet. This helps me. It helps me see if I've explained everything well enough."
"Yes," Prowl said as he contemplated Ratchet darkly. "Thanks, Loon."
"You're welcome. I'm proposing as the game's captain, that you and Venture face off against Prime and Ironhide for the next game after this one," Ratchet said with a giant smile. "Sort of a frag off if you will."
Rainmaker and Starscream nearly burst into flames of laughter as Ironhide nearly swiveled his helm off his neck to glance at Ratchet. Prime's smile nearly fell off his face at the sudden turn of direction. Everyone else who was having an off line laugh fest relaxed in their chairs. Apparently, the Good of the Order was early today.
Prowl snarled at Ratchet, then stared at the data pad clenched tightly in his fist. "Who's next? Yes, who needs to go next? Barron?" He sat back and began an off line tirade with Ratchet.
Ratchet would eat his donuts and enjoy the bummer energy emanating from Prowl, Prime and Ironhide while he had a howling laugh fest off line with Raptor who he cut in on Prowl's howling tirade.
Some time later …
The civilian humans and Cybertronians walked out with a laugh after the show was over. That is, when the quiz show finished. It had a cheering section, factions and team songs by the time Venture and Prowl wiped up the floor with each other. It was a tie.
The door closed.
Prowl who was leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed and a smug smirk on his face glanced at Ratchet. "You're full of fail today. In fact, I would say that when they handed out the fail, you got … you had more given to you than you could handle."
"Nice recovery, Prowler," Ratchet said. "But I'll say, when its time to slag each other, you will never be alpha team."
Prowl stared at him. "You make that sound like a bad thing."
"For a soldier it is," Raptor said. He smiled. "You're a lot of things, Prowl, but a shit slinger? I don't think so."
Prowl glanced at Raptor. "I'm not sure whether I should be complimented or insulted."
"Both," Ratchet said, "though we could never afford to compliment each other if I remember correctly."
"I remember that," Jetta said as he winked at Ratchet. "Compliments were upper class pastimes."
"What are compliments?" Drift asked. "Down at the dump, we were lucky to be insulted."
Warlord guffawed, then doubled over. He looked at Drift. "The dump." He bent over to laugh again.
Drift grinned at Warlord who he loved like a brother, then glanced at Springer. "I think I've been insulted. Are you going to do anything?"
Springer glanced at him. "You look nice today."
Everyone took a break for a moment
=0=A moment later
They sat quietly including the human soldiers who were watching the Masters at Work™.
:Damn. I love these guys: -Epps
:I know. I've seen guys who could do this but none of them are in Ratchet's league: -Lennox
:Prowl is an easy target: -Graham
Everyone's optic in the room turned to Graham. He glanced at the tech display in his helmet, then laughed. :I forgot I was on the general channel:
"Lucky you," Ratchet said as he watched Prowl take a donut off his plate and drop it over Graham.
=0=TBC 6-25-2020