The Diego Diaries: Here we go. 1 (290) edited for boo boos
=0=In Ops Center
Prowl walked to the door that led to the corridor where all of the offices of the senior officers were. The door to Prime's office was open so he paused waiting for him to look up. He did at last, then Prowl entered. "Did you notice the addition to the Patent Office?"
"I did. I would like to see Smokescreen, Mirage and Tracks if you can manage it," Optimus replied.
Prowl nodded and turned walking out to make it so.
-0-On the street
They walked together down streets that were named and paved, enormous glittering buildings towering over them. The sidewalks were wide for big mechanisms and vehicles passed, some of them sentient as the pair stood at the intersection to Cultural Center Road and Metroplex Highway 1. They watched as the lights changed, mechs and the occasional femme crossing in the pedestrian lanes.
They crossed themselves and walked to the corner watching as mechs came and went. They continued onward to the Mall of Metroplex, then entered that three story wonderland. Pausing, looking around with astonishment, Kestrel and Tagg continued onward toward the Metroplex Grocery Store. They stared inside at the cornucopia of food items, then each other. Hesitantly, they walked in to look around.
-0-At a 'Gentlemen's Club' in Terra
They sat at the table playing a popular game named poker, one that the army brought with them from Earth. Around them, the ambiance and decor of the club was right up their alley. The room was big and there were different areas for activities and relaxation.
It was Hoyle's, a club and bar modeled after the classy men's clubs of nineteen fifties and sixties Earth. The decor reflected the masculine tone of clubs of that era with paneled walls that appeared wood tone, furnishings of dark 'wood' and red leather. There was a huge bar with mirrors behind it, glasses and bottles sparkling in the low lighting. Music including Sinatra, light jazz and Cybertronian played softly in the background.
Beyond the bar, there was a large area with tables and chairs for sitting, conversation, eating bar food and drinking. Along the back wall of this area were dart boards. Nearby were pool tables for play and beyond that a number of tables for gaming. There was always a game or two going on at the club which had become super popular with young civilian and army mechs.
The three mechs playing at a corner table chatted, sipping 'beer' as they played and waited for more to join. A big mech walked in and grabbed a beer leaning against the bar as he looked around. Spotting the game, he walked to a wall computer and put in his code. A program tallied his winnings thus far and asked how much he wanted. He input a sizeable number, then collected the chips that it dispensed. There was no 'money' involved. When mechs played, they all started with the same amount when they registered the first time. It was up to them to add or subtract from the total they earned or lost in the games. Every decaorn they could apply for the starting total and begin all over again.
"Deal me in," Tracks said as he sat. He was dealt cards, looked at them and smiled. "Great."
Demetri looked at the big mech spotting the small glyph that signaled his caste.
High.
They glanced at each other, then began to play. As they did a big mech who had played darts turned to walk to the bar. He paused and looked at Tracks' cards. "Private game or what?" he asked.
"This hand is, slagger. Join in. It will be fun to slag you to the Pit," Tracks said with his usual smug confidence.
Smokescreen grinned and walked to the wall pulling out a nice amount from his gigantic account. Walking back, he sat and watched as Skot, a high caste mech won the hand. They dealt the cards again, the game resuming. As they waited for their hands, all three of the civilian mechs looked for Smokescreen's glyph. They found it.
Low caste.
-0-In a wonderland
They walked around the store looking at this and that, their affect common to the employees. Having a place of plenty was amazing but hearing that you could have what you wanted and leave with it struck them numb. They didn't have to provide shanix for any of it. This economy didn't use money.
Kestrel paused staring at a display. "Look, Tagg. Orion's favorite candy."
They both walked closer and looked at it. A mech glanced their way and smiled. "That's the good stuff."
"We're sorry," Kestrel said startled.
The mech looked at them a moment, then stepped around the display with concern. "No, no, no. I mean, its really good. Here. Let me get you some to take with you."
They stood quietly as the young mech hurried around and filled a box with the candy. He looked up. "What else can I help you with?"
They glanced at each other, then the young mech. "We don't know," Tagg said.
"Then let me help you," he said picking up a basket. They would walk around the store, the youngling explaining everything to them and how the economy worked in the city. They would gather dinner, learning about the virtues of 'prime rib' and side dishes. They would leave that store and pause before The Sparkling Store. By the time they left it, they would have little hats for all their grandchildren.
They would go home, put all of it in its proper places, then sit by the window for Orion to come home. It would be a very surreal afternoon before their son stepped in to check on them before going up to his own home.
When he did come, they both looked at him, then got the candy. Giving it to him, Kestrel began to cry. Tagg stood helplessly as Optimus hugged his ada. "I want both of you to go see someone in processor health. It will help you make this adjustment."
His atar nodded as he patted Kestrel. "Kestrel is having a hard time right now. He can't get over how much there is here and how we don't have to work if we can't. We've always made our way, son. We don't want to be a burden."
Optimus pulled his father into his embrace. Holding his parents, he shook his helm. "You have never been, you can never be a burden. You are going to get better. Come up and have dinner with us. The little mechs will want to tell you about their orn."
"We can bring the candy, Orion," Kestrel said. "We can tell them that you liked it best."
Optimus nodded and the three turned, one carrying the box and all of them leaving together. What they wouldn't tell the little mechs was that it took three orns wages to buy a tiny box of the candy for their little mech. They wouldn't tell the children that when they did so for Orion's separation orn anniversary, they themselves wouldn't eat for a couple of orns.
Such was Cybertron prior to The Fall.
-0-At Hoyle's
Smokescreen lived up to his name, smoking the opposition behind the screen of his gambler's facade. The three high castes were good gamblers picking up on the principles of poker rather quickly. But they weren't in Smokescreen's league. He was in a class by himself.
Behind them walking to the table to pull out a chair, Mirage sat down. He watched a hand, made his order to the bar mech and leaned back to trade slag. "You haven't lost your touch I see," he said nodding to the big stack of chips in front of the white and blue gambler.
"Nope," Smokescreen said with a grin. "If these slaggers were half as good as they thought they were, I would only be beating them half as much as I am."
Claxon frowned. "That's a smart mouth you have on you."
Smokescreen looked at him with a smirk. "Smart mouth, good hands. Bite me."
They looked at him a moment as they considered his remark. "You would think differently on Cybertron," Skot said taking more cards.
"No I wouldn't. You would still come down to the clubs and I would still kick your aft," Smokescreen said.
"Don't argue with him, Skot. Its not worth your effort," Demetri said. "Frankly, I think I want to rescind your presence in this game."
Smokescreen looked at him and grinned. "Really."
"Yes," Claxon replied. "That means you can't play here anymore."
Smokescreen looked at them, then Tracks. "I suppose you agree."
"Why? Because I'm high caste and you aren't?" Tracks said in his more condescending tone that he seldom used since The Fall. Mirage snorted and leaned back. "Looks like you're odd mech out, Smokey. You're out numbered."
Smokescreen looked at them, then slowly rose to his peds as he gathered his considerable winnings. "Maybe," he said with a cold expression. "Frag all of you parasites." He turned and walked to the computer depositing his winnings. When he turned he glanced at them, then turned leaving the bar.
They sat and watched him go. Then Skot looked at Mirage and Tracks. "How do you stand it?" he asked quietly.
"What?" Mirage asked as he turned back to look at the group at the table.
"How do you stand being around them as equals?" Skot asked.
Tracks looked at him and saw himself once upon a time. He knew that Mirage was feeling the same thing. He made himself shrug. "I'm in the army. I fight to protect our people. I don't care one way or the other. Besides, the System is banned. What can you do?"
"But don't you wish you could live in a city that was ours, that held up our values and kept the riff raff out?" Skot pressed.
They both looked at the three. "That will get you brigged around here," Mirage said leaning forward, his voice low and his manner concerned. "You better watch where and what you say."
"But what is your answer?" Skot asked leaning forward, his voice lower.
"It doesn't matter. Prime will never allow it," Tracks said quietly. "We do our best. That's all we can do."
"No. Its not," Claxon said softly. "We asked for our own city and Prime said no. We're making an association, the Iacon Order to make sure that our rights are represented here. Kudon was murdered. So was another high caste, or so I'm told. No one knows more than he was killed. Then there's Burris. We're under seige. Join up with us. We can use someone on the inside."
Tracks looked at them, then Mirage. The big mech looked to be considering Claxon's statement. Then Mirage leaned forward. "What do you want us to do?"
Tracks nodded.
-0-Later that evening
Mirage walked into the apartment heading for the fridge. He took out a brew and turned leaning against the counter as he sipped it. Jazz looked up from the floor where he sat leaning against the couch, a plethora of datapads on the low table before him. "You look busy."
"I am," Jazz replied. "I hear you have an exclusive assignment now."
"I do. I'm going to Diego Garcia in two orns to shadow Fenix and I'm now a charter member of the Iacon Order," he said with a grin.
"Iacon Order? What's that?" Jazz asked.
"You don't want to know," Mirage said, his grin fading. "You couldn't make it through the front doors. The fraggers." His tone was ice cold.
-0-Earlier that morning
She stood between her grand ada's legs and watched with anxiety. Ravel sat by the window with Hero who hung onto her with an iron grip. Beyond her, the room was filled with sparklings off all kinds playing and relaxing after a morning filled with testing, jumping, picking up and putting down, etc.
The babies were happy, most of them. A couple of them hung out at the fringe unwilling to risk getting closer. She wasn't alone. But she was the most anxious infant in the room. Roto who was kneeling nearby picked up a ball and rolled it to her. She disappeared behind Ravel's leg, then peered out. It rolled to a stop before her. She stared at it, then slowly walked to it. She picked it up and stared at Roto.
Roto smiled and held out his servo. She looked at it, then him. She peered up at Ravel who smiled. "Good, Hero. Give him the ball."
She looked at him, then hesitantly carried it closer. Letting it drop, she ran back to Ravel and leaned against his leg. Roto grinned. "Here, Hero," he said as he rolled the ball. It stopped before her. She looked at him, then Ravel. Ravel picked it up and handed it to her.
Hero looked at it, then him. Then she pushed it forward in an awkward throw. Roto caught it and laughed. "Good girl!"
She looked at him, then smiled.
He rolled it to her and she flung it back as best she could a couple of more times. She looked at him, then her grand ada. "A? Me?" she asked.
Ravel nodded and smiled. "You."
It was a start.
=0=TBC
05-01-2013 Happy May Day! :D