NOTE: I have edited the hell out of Diego Diaries 1 and will be replacing parts as I go here. I will announce when that part of this long story is ready for those who have indicated that you have downloaded it for yourself. I am working on Diego Diaries 2 but really slagging at Diego Diaries 3 because so far its shorter. :D I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT A KNOT HEAD I AM WITH THE SPELL CHECK! I am thinking that its like my cellphone and it auto corrects to what it wants. My phone and Kindle do that, the slaggers. :D :D :D Yes, I am a doofus. -Me
-0-The Diego Diaries: Game Day 2
The walk to the stadium was slow and happy. The tension began to uncoil from the spark of Prowl and the family. There was a lighter energy that seemed to suffuse Optimus' aura, Ratchet could see because he checked such things. He followed along behind, his optics warily on point.
Prowl who was feeling much better squeezed Optimus' servo. :Are you going to be alright?:
:I am: Optimus said. :I'm glad I still have it. I worried that I might lose my edge being part of so few battles now:
:You will never lose it: Prowl replied. :Do you really think Ratchet will name the next sparkling after me?:
There was a sweet hopefulness in Prowl's question and Prime squeezed his servo back. :I believe him:
Prowl grinned slightly. :I always loved my name. It sort of suits me:
:It is your glory: Optimus replied as they waited for a large group of younglings to pass. :Prime to Ratchet:
:Ratchet: The big white and red mech was behind him, Rambler in arms and younglings gaggled around him as he and Ironhide soldiered onward.
:Did you mean it when you said the next one is named Prowler?: Prime asked feeling slightly foolish as he did.
:Yes, I did. I have always liked Prowl's name. Prowler is a cute version of it: Ratchet replied grinning broadly.
:I was just checking: -Prime
:Do you want to keep the name for yourself? Inquiring minds want to know: -Ratchet
:No. I was just checking: -Prime
:Woos: -Ratchet
Ratchet could feel the smile over the link before it diminished. They moved forward, family behind, beside and in front of them all the way to the arena gates.
-0-At the Habitat in the Sky, Mare Tranquilitatus
"MAMA! WE GOTTA GO!" Bobby Epps called to his mother. He stood with the others at the hatch door with his mask in hand. Everyone was hurrying as Lonnie Epps ran out of a bedroom to the main living deck. "I'm coming! Did everyone go to the bathroom? I'm not leaving the game to bring you back."
Everyone catcalled and yelled as she hurried over slipping on her face mask. "Smart asses," she said before the seal took and she was on the survival suit intracom that would be their link to each other and the bots everywhere. :LET'S GO! THERE'S A BALL GAME WAITING!: she said moving through the door to the airlock for pressurization. Everyone else followed her swiftly as the big airlock slowly closed behind them. When the outside was equal to the inside, the door would open and they would clamber on their jalopies, unplugging them from their electrical generators. A short ride to an elevator would lead downward, then they would buzz off to watch Kaon v Vos.
-0-At the Habitat on the ground
The scientists and filmmakers who had come over earlier hurried to get ready. Their places on the platform were assured but the drive for them to get there was a dizzying meander through the legs and peds of giants. They gathered and when all were ready, they headed to the airlock which would close behind them. Soon they were on their way whipping along the sidewalk to the game, moving in and out among the big bots who grinned down at them and waved.
It would be epic.
-0-In the tower
"Well, Blaster, this looks to be a good game. Vos is 0-1-1 and Kaon is 1-1-0. Praxus Science, the league leader at 2-0-1 looks barrin' disaster a shoe-in for the championship game final but the rest are still shakin' themselves out. Vos has a tremendous defense and the offense of Kaon is as feared in the league as it gets. The twins will be major factors in the outcome."
"I agree, Jazz," Blaster said, his perky visage and red horned-white faced handsomeness shared across Mars and Earth as the MCA broadcast the game as per agreement. There would be almost 5 billion eyes on this game as the shared broadcast made subtitled and re-translated viewing a possibility for anyone on Earth who wanted to watch.
They all did.
"I expect barring injury that Vos has its work cut out for them because the twins are just that side of awesome. Their ferocity in battle is brought to the game every time they play. Though Sideswipe was injured in the game with Altihex, I expect him to be fit and on his peds for this one. I talked to him earlier," Blaster said.
Revet cut to the footage as he worked the master board with 'Vette sitting on his lap eating a cookie.
"In an earlier game, Sideswipe, you had your bell wrung," Blaster said with a grin. "What do you think could and might happen in this game?"
"You can't predict but I think you have to be on your peds when Sunstreaker and I are on offense. We have teamwork that no one else can match. That game where I was hurt was a fluke. I could have gone back in but the referees wouldn't allow it. Goldwing wouldn't approve me."
"You have a strong goalie and you have a good defense but Vos is noted for its defense too. What are your strategies for your offensive game?"
"I can't tell you, Blaster. I'm not that slagging dumb," he said with a laugh. "But I will tell you, we are going to play full out. If power is gains, we will win. My in-laws are pushing for Praxus Science so we have to defeat everyone ahead of us now to get into the finals. I think its doable."
"Prowl is from Praxus. He's pushing for Praxus Science. A hometown mech, that one. What about Kaon?" Blaster asked.
Sideswipe got quiet, his expression serious. "Kaon had no respect. It never had any attention from the government to help the mechs there and it was always looked down on. We plan to change that, Sunstreaker and me. Our team is dedicated to Kaon and its honor. That's why we chose Kaon as our team designation and that is why we play so hard. We do it for Kaon and because Kaon never got a break, ever."
Blaster nodded. "I hear ya," he said. "Back to the booth, Revet."
The scene of the two broadcasters filled the screen. "Good interview, Blaster," Jazz said. "I was from Kaon too. I feel every syllable."
Blaster nodded. "I know."
-0-Johnson Space Center, Texas
They sat in a lounge, the big screen teevee filled with the images of a place all of them dreamed to see themselves someday. It was game day on Mars. The extraordinary beings that were their great allies were celebrating themselves in a way that was so similar to their own that entire divisions of social scientists and anthropologists were spending their entire work experience trying to sort out how such things could happen.
Cindy and Lola Teasdale, twins from Trenton, New Jersey, now interns at the Center knew instinctively. "They're slagging awesome, that's why."
They had applied during their junior year at M.I.T. to come here and work their way into the culmination of their lifelong (and ultra secret dream) of living and working at Autobot City. This was the result of intense focus, their grandmother's little trust fund for their education and a level of smarts that neither of them knew they had until that first time they saw the bots on the boob tube back in Jersey.
That was all she wrote.
They sat side-to-side, their snacks in their lap and waited. "I dibs Kaon," Lola said.
"You dibs'd it last time. It's my turn," Cindy said.
"Nope. I get the twins this time." Lola grinned at her own twin with a satisfied smirk.
"Piggie," Cindy said with a smile. "GO, VOS!"
Everyone else just grinned.
-0-At a nice home with a nice family and Pastor Bob
They sat in the living room, the Autobot City Adult Football League web page on their ipads. Pastor Bob, himself still in the prig stage of his transformation looked on as his mother, wife, two kids, little sister and father sat discussing the stats and players as they EACH read THEIR OWN personal device. His wife, Pastor Bob's Wife had gotten one to catch up on the 'doings at Autobot City, Bobby' she said. Even though he found them entertaining and slightly AWESOME as rides, Pastor Bob was still not sold on them as an ally.
"Really, Bobby … how do you expect us to save ourselves from the Decepticons if we don't have them as allies? Honestly, you really need to turn off Fox News."
His head was still spinning from that. Then it wasn't as she blocked that channel and substituted the two that played Cybertronian content instead. He had no control over the remotes she informed him as she stepped into the light of her own liberation without a clue that she had.
She just 'liked them, Bobby. Have you really looked at their sparklings?'
He gave in and came, sitting, enjoying it tremendously anyway, then ate diner with the rest of them as they discussed this and that nuance of this and that move and player. It was amazing.
He blamed his sweet little mama.
She secretly thought him a prig with potential and gently goaded her daughter-in-law to fly.
She did. Exultantly.
-0-In a bar in California
"Here we go." -man A
"We're too sober. Those two bots talking … Jazz and what's his name … I can see only one of each." -man C
"I like the little one. Jazz. He looks like fun. I hear he is a Porsche in his alt mode." -man B
"Alt mode? You sound like a groupie." -man A
"I read. It happens." -man B
"My brother-in-law drives a Porsche. I don't think that guy, Jazz would put up with him for ten seconds." -man C
"Your brother-in-law weighs three hundred, four hundred pounds." -man A
"Yeah. I don't know. I bet that guy would drive him into the desert and leave him." Pause. "I wonder if he would." -man C
"MORE BEER HERE!" -man B laughing
-0-A pub in Glasgow
Punk boy playing darts glances at girlfriend who tells him the game is on. "Piss off. I'm not watchin'. If they were worth it, they wouldna be concept cars. They'd be something less class ridden."
Everyone at his girlfriend's table turned to look at him. "You would turn down a Porsche, would ya?"
"Aye," he said throwing a dart, missing his mark by millimeters. It did nothing to cheer him up.
(Girlfriend turns to friends) "You're driving me home when this is over. Not that tosser," she said to general agreement all around. He merely threw another dart.
-0-At the arena gate
The family turned and walked to the steps that would take them to their seats. Prime stood at the door waiting to be played in by the Anthem of the Primes and the cheers of the crowd. It was one of his favorite perks as Prime. Mechs and femmes greeted him, pausing before going inside and when the humans came by they waved. He waved back watching as they ripped up the ramps that were built for them. He looked up, the sky clear and the sun brightly shining. It was -22 and balmy to him as he waited. A keyboard was carried to the center of the field awaiting Alor who had the great honor and all around slagging good fortune to play the Prime in. As the crowds arriving began to dwindle and the arena groaned under the weight of 220,000+ bots, the teams began to arrive.
Prime looked at them and nodded as Vos led by their coaches and Kaon led by theirs came to stand beside him. The coaches were all pros from the day and half the teams were either professionals or very talented amateurs. The twins stood together at the end of Kaon's line and grinned at him, nodding. He grinned back, nodding as he heard the sound of club songs rising and passing around the stadium like current through a cord.
It was thrilling to watch, incredibly colorful and rousing. All of the terror of the morning slowly slipped away as he watched Alor walk to the center of the pitch to sit and play.
"That is Alor of Iacon, the genitor of Ironhide, Master of the Autobot Armed Forces. Alor is a Commander and strategist in the Army as well as the most famous musician that Cybertron ever produced. Most of the music that is famous, treasured and loved, Alor created. He created the Anthem of the Primes which he is going to play now," Blaster said as the sound of music began to fill the stadium.
Everyone stood, all of them honoring the massively beautiful figure that stepped from the arena gates moving to the steps to take his place among them. He looked like a god, like an unimaginably dignified force of nature and he walked along the pathway to his family receiving the cheers and love of his people. No one on the other end of the broadcast could see him but they got the esteem the crowd held him in. The desire to see him increased several planetary diameters once more.
The massive crowd sang the words that were part of the music. They sang of Cybertron and the Matrix. They sang of solidarity and when he arrived at his seat, the song was over. Then they began the chant that had been their habit since the beginning. "UNTIL ALL ARE ONE!"
It went up into the sky, even the humans shouting it to the heavens and when it died down, the applause was intense. It was even more intense when the first team began to walk into the stadium.
-0-TBC
2012 (12)