The Diego Diaries: Cloudy (dd7 387)
=0=Elsewhere
"It is interesting to see them wrestle with this," Solomus Prime said as he sat in the restaurant with Solus Prime. He was also keeping an eye on the 'experiment' given that he'd been called in by Turbine. That was a pleasing thing. It wasn't often that he was needed directly. Turbine's petitioning was beautiful to hear. The songs that Makers knew and offered to the universe were more important than most knew. They were grace notes of creation.
"Anything that applies to our brother is interesting. Optimus made a number of these small programs on his life plan. He could never say no to someone in need of something," Solus said. "Its fun to watch him as a younger mech. Ironhide is very amusing as well. I think if they can break their leashes they might have a very good time in the colony."
"I think you are right," Solomus said as they clinked their glasses together.
=0=Ops Center, the Conference Room
"I've never heard of a light but the Powers take many forms to help us," Turbine said. He rose with Halo in his arms. "See ya." With a grin, Turbine walked out with a babbling little femme with sparkling 'hair'. The door closed behind him.
They stared at the door, then each other. That was when a message came in over Prowl's secured internal line. He listened, then glanced at Ratchet. "We have to go. Xylon is closing in on Polity."
Ratchet stood, then so did both mechs. Ratchet glanced at Prowl who was considering them both with a serious expression. "What now, brown cow?"
Prowl glanced at Ratchet. "What?"
"A saying on Earth," Ratchet said with a grin.
Prowl stared at the two youngsters. "I'm not sure this is a good idea."
"When we were in the Matrix, Ironhide kept calling me a Prime and telling me to be one. I wish to do what I can and if that means helping in my … position in any way, I would like to do that."
"Me, too. I don't want to sit on my aft when I can be useful. What if the slagger asks for us?" he asked with the bold front of a teenager telling his grandmother that he didn't need a leash any longer.
Ratchet grinned at him then glanced at Prowl.
"Why would he ask for you, Ironhide? No offense," Prowl said with his usual 'tact'. "You aren't the Prime."
Ironhide who felt a volcanic sense of offense rising stood even straighter. "You never know. I heard I'm pretty bad ass here and he's probably heard of me. Just seeing me there might make him think a thing or two." He almost quivered with offense.
Ratchet chuckled. "I can think of a thing or two but there's children present. What if he asks for Prime?" He glanced at Ironhide who was looking at him with an affronted expression. "And old Ironhide here?"
Ironhide glanced at Prowl, then nodded. "What if he does? He might not be too afraid of you being a desk jockey and all."
Ratchet quashed a chuckle. Prowl apparently was having a 'tact' off with Ironhide.
It was Prowl's turn to be offended. "Desk jockey?"
"I could watch this all orn," Ratchet said to Orion who nodded with a slight grin.
"It is rather entertaining," Orion replied.
Prowl glanced at Orion. "I was under the impression that you were on my side."
"I am. What if he does ask for me. And him?" he said glancing at Ironhide with a slight grin.
Prowl stared at both of them, two gangling youngsters when their pretender gear wasn't running. He glanced at Ratchet who shrugged, then nodded. "If you go, and I'm still not clear its smart … then you do exactly what I say. This is a phase six mechanism. They're nearly undefeatable. They're the most dangerous mechanisms that exist. You can't come and not be a useful resource. That means you obey what I tell you. I'm the senior commanding officer here and that's the ground rule."
Both mechs stared at him, each other, then him. Both nodded without a word.
Prowl sighed. He glanced at Ratchet. "I'm going to regret this. Right?"
"Most likely but where would be the fun in it if they had to go to daycare while we're going soldiering?" Ratchet replied.
Ironhide frowned at him. "Daycare? I'm a soldier."
"A brand new one. A cute brand new little soldier," Ratchet said.
Ironhide frowned again but he didn't say a word.
Prowl gathered up some stuff, then glanced at the others. "Follow me. I'll show you where you can stand and watch. Heavy emphasis on watch." With that, he headed for the door.
The others watched him, then turned to Ratchet.
Ratchet grinned. "Best hustle. Granny hates it when you're late, infants."
Both mechs headed for the door as Ratchet followed with a grin.
=0=On Tennyson, the command deck
Ironhide tried hard not to be all agog but being on a dreadnought the size, age and class of the Great Tennyson of Praxus, his official name was amazing. Not only was homey his city-state's pride and joy but he was going to fly on him. He tried to be suave and matter-of-fact about it but it was evident from his aura that this was a big personal deal.
Orion was equally as impressed but hid it better. He looked around unself-consciously, always himself wherever and apparently whenever he was. The deck was huge and they made it to the command area across the vast space. The command chair was empty but the consoles were filled with mechs and a femme who were getting ready to go.
A number of huge mechs were standing by the forward windows talking together.
Ratchet who was with the boys turned to them. "Those big mechs over there are all metro and dread class mechs who are here only through the miracle of pretender gear. That one on the left is Tennyson. The others are Metrotitan, Metroplex, Typhoon and Enzio. They're coming along for the show." Ratchet glanced around. "Come with me. We can sit over there." He began to walk toward a lounge that lined a section of the forward view port.
The kids followed.
Nearby in a travel case, Will Lennox, Gavin Pritchard, Bobby Epps, Ron Witwicky and Niall Graham sat or stood as they watched the show outside. They saw Optimus and that party enter the deck as Prowl took up post at the command table. It was filling up, the usual crowd that came as the fleet began to appear from the ground. A lot of shuttles were coming along with Seekers. They were forming up to go through the bridge which came into being nearby at the business end of Trigger 1.
"I wonder why Optimus is sitting over there. I thought he would command the mission," Niall Graham commented.
Everyone watched Optimus who didn't seem like he would take the command chair. It was weird.
"That's strange. Maybe when we got underway things will change," Gavin said.
Power then was felt through the decks as the ship began to get ready to go. The shuttles and Seekers would follow through the Trigger while Tennyson would bridge himself to the place they were to meet up. The others would fly down the arms of the Trigger and join them at the rendezvous point.
As the humans watched and everyone worked, Prowl rose to walk to the command chair where he sat. As he did, the ship began to emit the energy aura that would facilitate itself toward the spot chosen nearly 119,000 light years away. The light grew and grew, then it died down. When it did, Mars was gone and they were alone in space. Then a bridge nearby opened it and a vast array flew through. Seekers and shuttles appeared, then formed up on Tennyson with the Seekers magnetizing against the hull for the ride. The shuttles would form up and escort the magnificent ship onward like limpet fish cruising in the wake of a whale.
Lennox stared at Prowl in the command chair and the others sitting in one of the forward lounges. They didn't appear to be getting up to take their stations. It appeared that Ratchet was pointing out and explaining things to both Ironhide and Prime. "This is weird," he said. Then he changed to another channel. "Ratchet."
Ratchet glanced their way. :Lennox. You came in the gerbil cage. Did you know that I asked Sciences to add a wheel for your running pleasure?:
Lennox and the humans laughed.
"Ratchet, what's up?" Lennox asked.
:What?: Ratchet replied.
"Why is Prowl in the command chair and not Optimus?" Will asked.
Ratchet stared at him, then glanced at Prowl.
Prowl glanced over his shoulder at the humans, then Ratchet.
Ratchet rose, spoke to Ironhide and Prime with his back to the humans, then walked over to the travel box to sit. "I don't want to tell you but this is Prowl's performance evaluation. He's going to command this mission and Prime will decide if he's going to keep him on or not."
The humans stared at Ratchet dumbfounded. Ratchet looked very serious.
"What? You do performance evaluations?" Ron Witwicky asked. "Like score your job with ratings and all?"
Ratchet smiled. "Why, yes. Can you keep a secret?"
The humans glanced at each other, then Ratchet. They nodded as one.
"Well," Ratchet said as he glanced over his shoulder at Prowl who was watching him in spite of getting the fleet together. "Prowl's been slipping lately. We usually don't do our evaluations this way. Mostly its a boozy night on the town and a good frag. But Prowl has such an important job that he has to show Prime once in a while that he's still got it."
The humans stared at him, clear at some point that this mech was a prankster of great skill and shamelessness.
"Really?" Gavin asked.
"Would I lie to you?" Ratchet asked as he batted his optical ridges. He smiled, then rose. "Nice to chat with you." He walked back to the lounge and sat again.
Prowl who had been cut in on the conversation shot daggers at Ratchet who smiled and waved to him from his seat. Prowl smirked slightly, then turned to Tactical. "What do you have on his location?"
The Home Guards femme glanced at him. "He's closing in on the secondary target, Commander. It would appear that Polity is raising his fleet to meet him. All of his ships and vessels read heavily armed."
Prowl nodded, then glanced at Orion who was watching him with an oddly calm expression. At that moment he wished Prime was in his place. Optimus was born to do this sort of thing. "Prowl to Springer, Kup, Lizzie and Hercy."
Four voices checked in.
"Your part is go," Prowl said. "Extreme caution. Do not engage."
They acknowledged, then eight ships splitting off into groups of two blasted out to find a demon making his way to a shooting war with a very capable and ruthless foe, Polity.
Sitting in the lounge watching the show, Orion Pax aka Optimus Prime watched the show with a sense of overwhelming desire. He felt the power of something fill him, some memory or sense of himself from another time. The chair that Prowl occupied was his. This whole mission was his. The colony, empire and command of a vast responsibility was his. Yet he sat on a chair near the forward view port and watched the show spin on.
Ironhide was equally tense, watching the crew work efficiently. He was surprised that only his Auntie Lissie was here. He expected his elders to be here giving their all. He also felt the urge to do his part. What that might mean, he didn't know but he felt something familiar about this place, too. This place and this kind of thing.
Ratchet watched both of them noticing their youngling confidence overtaking their utter lack of experience. He could just as easily command this operation. He had zillions of vorns of hard won skill and tenacity. He knew how to command. Both of the kids itched to do something. It was fun to watch youth. It also made him feel old. "What do you think?"
"I think I'd like to help. Why aren't my elders here? I thought they might be along," Ironhide said.
"They have their own commands. If they have to come they will," Ratchet replied. "That command chair is yours, Orion. What do you think?"
"I think I want to be useful," Orion replied.
That was when the message came in.
"Commander, we have a message from Polity," another Home Guardsman said.
"Put it through," Prowl replied.
He did.
=0=TBC 9-23-2020 10-24-2020