The Diego Diaries: Chaos 20 edited
=0=Staff Meeting
"Thank you, Starscream," Prowl said with a slight smirk. "That was very edifying."
"Of course it was," Starscream posited back at his winger-sparring partner in crime.
Turning a bemused optic on Ratchet, Prowl nodded. "Doctor," he said drily.
Ratchet grinned back. "Well, I would say if all our migrations were as sound as this one I would be out of business. There are full medical histories of everyone already being processed for download into the medical section of Teletraan III. All of the chronic conditions are under care and managed. Infants to come and those already here show no signs of protoform wasting which is a great comfort. We have several types of this medical condition that are under study. Our standing protocols are not makng the progress we had hoped for among some of our previous arrivals. There are two doctors in this new group that are researchers. They have already been requisitioned if that is the proper word to work on developing better treatments.
"Our new elders are in good condition. All of the migration will benefit from the high grade of energon present here and I expect that their conditions will be optimal in mere decaorns. All in all, very good stuff."
"When are you separating?" Neo asked leaning forward with a grin. "We who worship at the sparkling altar wish to know when our new goddess is due."
Ratchet snorted and smirked. "Two or three orns. Minimum."
"This will be a femme, right?" Jazz asked with a grin.
"Ironhide needs a daughter to rub his old peds in his dotage," Ratchet said with a grin.
"You can't make me feel bad, Ratchet," Ironhide said with a big grin. He glanced at his genitors. "He tries, the slagger but you would think he would have learned by now."
"That you are shameless?" Alor asked with a smirk.
"You have it," Ironhide said with a smug grin. "What the old slagger needs I have."
That got the love it deserved.
"What about the ceremony? I am assuming that you will have the usual amenities and observations," Optimus asked.
"We will," Ironhide said glancing at his genitors who nodded and grinned.
"The city is now over 300,000 individuals. What are you going to do about the naming ceremony on the steps?" Mirage asked curiously.
"We'll name on the steps. Anyone who wants to come, can," Ironhide said. "We'll deal."
"So will traffic," Jazz said with a chuckle.
"Small thing," Ironhide said with a smirk.
"So … what is the color of this feminized version of Ironhide, Ratchet?" Optimus asked with a chuckle.
Abuse and agreement was raucous and intense.
"Shall we offer names? Last time we did it got interestin'," Jazz said with a laugh. "I still think toilet snake is worthy of considerin'."
"You would, you slagger," Ratchet said smiling. "However, I have standards, sort of and anything relating to toilets is out."
"How about Bingo?"
Everyone looked at Nova. He grinned. "I hear its a fun game."
"How about Triscuitt? I hear its a tasty snack."
"Bluto. Just because you obviously got that I hear and ended up sparked."
"That's blotto, Blaster," Jazz said laughing.
"Oh. Then Blotto to commemorate your great love," he said with a chuckle. "Though, I still like Bluto better."
"Bambino. Self explanatory."
"I like Prowl. That's a good name, right Ada?" (seriously)
Miler nodded with a smile at his serious oblivious son. "I think so, Prowl."
"What about you, Atar? Prowl is a good name."
Venture grinned at his serious oblivious son. "I love Prowl. It is mysterious."
"See, Ratchet. Mysterious." (seriously)
"I have to hand it to you, Prowl. I am favoring your name a bit," Ratchet said.
Pause. "You are?" (hopeful surprise)
"Yes, actually, I am," Ratchet said. "Prowler is a name in the running for the next one."
It was silent a moment.
"Next order of business?" Optimus offered helpfully.
Pandemonium broke out everywhere.
-0-In the Cultural Center
Lon walked down the open central space of the Cultural Center on his way to the dojo. He was learning quickly what he had to know to be a fully functional Knight and Day Watch officer. He hung out with the mechs he worked with absorbing their wisdom, their experiences and their confidence. They were unafraid of what they were called upon to do and it showed in their easy amusing manner no matter what the circumstances.
He had come to nearly worship Kup, that older bot taking him into servo. He regaled the youngling with his stories, taught him the skills that made him one of the older soldiers still surviving after a lifetime of front line war service and all around bar fighting. Drift and Springer were also on his list of those he must emulate at all costs. They were kind, helpful, patient and most of all, they liked him.
They liked him in the way that authentic individuals only could. There was no artifice in them. They were who they were and they liked him back. He was The Rookie, The Kid. They took time with him, sparring, teaching, correcting and treating him with a bemused dignity that he had never felt before. It was intoxicating and he spent as much time with them as he could manage.
Entering the dojo, he smiled and walked to where Kup and Springer sat watching Drift work out his moves with his swords. Sitting beside them, exulting at their smiles and nods, he turned his attention to the sight before him, one of swift elegant moves almost faster than the optic could follow.
It was a worthy distraction from his distress at finding out Burnoff had bombed the Plaza. He would keep the secret but it would be a sad empty spot in his spark for a long time.
-0-At the studio
Sunstreaker stared at the canvas considering his next move. He didn't notice that the door had been opened and a small figure was peering inside. He looked at the problem and considered solutions. That absorbed him completely. It would take a snicker to catch his attention. Turning, glancing at the door, he paused. A small femme holding a box stood in the doorway looking up at his brother. Sideswipe towered over her and he looked down at her grinning. Glancing at his brother, he shook his helm. "You have been surveilled and you didn't notice."
Sunstreaker frowned at Sideswipe. "In your dreams," he said. He looked at the little femme who was staring at him with a grin. "Hi," she said.
He looked at her and nodded. "What do you want?" he asked.
"I'm Sadee," she said. "I'm your apprentice."
-0-At the meeting
"We are able to accommodate the younglngs and sparklings with a plan for the sparkling school. We are going to be moving the swimming pool to a new floor and expanding it," Herling said.
"Orion can float on his back," Ironhide said proudly. "He doesn't even sink much."
"Unlike you?" Jazz asked. "You swim like a rock."
"Unlike you?" Ironhide asked shooting him a caustic optic.
"I can imagine," Jazz continued, "that the latest model of Ironhide will be a good swimmer some orn too?"
"She will," Ratchet said with a grin.
Optimus sat grinning listening to the insanity. It seldom went otherwise and for the first time in his long Primeship he felt the urge to indulge. Seldom in the past did humor play a part in their long travail. Since coming here, since settling, the pleasure of sitting in a staff meeting listening to the commentary was something he looked forward to. "Ahem."
They all turned and looked at him. "Just a moment, Prime," Ratchet said leaning in toward Jazz. He paused and grinned. "Oh yes. We're at a staff meeting." He sat back to general snickering.
"Thank you. Now where were we? Ah yes. The sparkling pool," Optimus said with a grin.
Laughter was long and loud.
-0-At an artist's studio
They stood looking down at her, a tiny femme holding her painting kit. Her genitors had marched her to the local art supply store right after her hearing and sentencing in Magistrate Court asking for and getting the help of the staff to put together a 'painter's kit or something' as they held to the letter of the decision. They were now in the hallway waiting, their tanks churning as their little femme walked uncertainly into the studio of her 'mentor-artist', the mercurial and dangerous Sunstreaker.
"Hi. I'm Sadee and I'm your student," she reiterated to the big yellow and black Lambo.
Sunstreaker glanced at Sideswipe who stood looking down at the little femme with a big grin on his handsome face. "Looks like you have another femme, Sunstreaker."
He nodded. "I remember now." They stared at each other until Sadee moved past him and paused beside his canvas. "That is awesome."
Sunstreaker smirked. Sideswipe grinned. "I think she hit the right opening note."
Sunstreaker turned and considered the tiny femme with the spanking brand new painting kit. "What do you know about art?"
"I tagged all over the place. I want to learn everything. I think I'm good at what I do. I just need someone to help me." She turned and looked up at him with her sweet face and guileless manner.
Sunstreaker nodded. "Alright. What do you suppose the problem is with the image I'm making?"
She stared at it a long time and then she told him.
-0-Meeting
"And that concludes the business report, sir," Camo said laying his datapad down.
Everyone in the room stared at him with a polite seemingly attentive expression. Ratchet however was thinking about redoing Praxus's room now that Flint moved out. Flint was thinking about helping redo Praxus's room now that he had moved out. Ironhide was wondering what sort of munitions tiny femmes preferred and how long it would take before the two of them came to consensus. Blackjack and Alor were marveling that the colony already had interplanetary trade agreements. Jazz was planning his show with Blaster over their intralink. Revo was writing lesson plans in his helm for flight school in the University, Nitro was daydreaming about Cybertron, Mirage was replaying sex tapes he had of Jazz from his 'sexy faces in the middle of interfacing' file, Starscream was arguing with Thundercracker about dinner, Nova and Herling were discussing genitor-teacher conferences upcoming, Neo was discussing with Laret Fifi's 'dance' lesson that evening in their living room as they helped their daughter manage the physics of walking and Prowl nearly alone was taking in every word that Camo said.
"Thank you, Camo," Optimus said leaving the stored video of his children for a moment. "Venture?"
Venture nodded and with Ultra Magnus and Blondi, he began to outline the fiscal plan for the colony for the next quarterly period. Everyone else gave him face time but nothing more. Behind the facade, awesomeness continued.
-0-Studio
She stood beside him working on a canvas on a small easel. He worked on his own glancing down from time to time as she began to pencil sketch a picture that would be AWESOME!
"I want to do something abstract, Sunstreaker. I want to make a montage of colors and interspersed in them I want Autobrands. I want them in certain colors to represent different phases of our long flight from Cybertron. I want them to speak to the inner most part of us that longs for home."
He stared at her for a moment. "You weren't born on Cybertron."
"Nope," she grinned. "But this is metaphorical."
Sideswipe struggled not to chuckle as he sat on a couch nearby. Glancing at Sideswipe, Sunstreaker nodded. "Show me."
He had helped her set up, examined her nice little kit and they began.
-0-Outside
Bluestreak walked to the studio and paused. Outside the door of said studio two mechs stood. That is, one stood and the other leaned into the door, his audial pressed against it. They seemed tense.
"Hi."
They startled, nearly jumping out of their peds. Looking at Blue, they glanced at each other. "Hi," one of them said.
"Can I help you?"
They stood a moment in conversation together, then wilted slightly. "We are Sadee's genitors. She's inside and we were hoping it was going okay. She has … uh, community time to … um, serve." He looked mortified and so did his bond.
Bluestreak grinned. "Do you want to go inside?"
They looked at each other, a furious internal conversation going on. "I don't think that would be a good idea. I don't want her to think we're spying."
"Which we are," his bond said with a slight smirk. "She's a good little femme but she's impulsive and does things without thinking. We're hoping this helps her."
"She came to the right place. Sunstreaker is a great artist. I'm Bluestreak, his bond."
They shook servos and Blue asked them to come in again. They demurred though it was obvious they wanted to anyway. "I'll tell you what. Go for a joor and come back. I'll go in and watch. When a joor is up, I will come out and tell you how it's going."
They looked almost sick with relief. "Thank you, Bluestreak."
"No problem," he said watching them turn and leave down the hallway. He himself opened the door to go inside. He would stay there for a joor and then exit, walking to the main floor where he would find Sadee's genitors tensely waiting for the news.
It would be good.
=0=TBC
2012 (9)