The Diego Diaries: Regrouping 7 (366) edited
-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth
They chatted a moment, then Ratchet placed Carl Wright on the ground. A bot appeared in the doorway and grinned. "You called?" Sunstreaker asked. Outside, the high octane, high powered sound of concept engines could be heard as several other bots waited noisily for Sunny.
"I need you to give Carl the tour," Ratchet said with a grin. He glanced at the human. "You don't have a heart condition do you?"
Carl grinned. "Not yet."
"Good. This is my oldest son, Sunstreaker. Have you ever ridden in a Lamborghini?"
"No. I had dreams though," he answered with a grin.
"Well, this is your lucky day," Ratchet said with a chuckle.
Carl Wright grinned back and walked to the door. He passed Sunstreaker who watched him go. Then the big Lambo looked at Ratchet with thumbs up, then down and a questioning look on his handsome face. Ratchet gave him the thumbs up, so Sunstreaker grinned and turned walking out. He would give him the mellower of the two possible rides he could have gotten since he had good potential apparently.
"I hope he survives the welcome. This man seems to have possibilities," Prowl said glancing at Prowler who was smiling up at him. He grinned down. "You are so cute."
Ironhide cast Prowl a gimlet optic, then looked at Ratchet. "What is this about Praxus talking better?"
"He was babbling this morning, then asked after you. He started talking in complete sentences." Ratchet grinned. "The school is going to be looking him over and have data for us at conferences."
"When are they?" Prime asked as he sat lounging in the best chair on Omega.
"After the Festival," Prowl replied glancing at his bond. "We're going to have to reschedule the game too. After the Festival maybe."
Prime nodded. "That would be good if things hold. Right now, we have to really hunt these creatures. The Hive has to be found."
Everyone nodded. "What is the status of Omega? What is the status of everyone camping out?" Ratchet asked, ever getting to the point.
"Tell me about medbay. Prowl is about to sign off on Ops Center. We actually have upgraded that place a great deal. Until these two features are signed off, we can not go home," Optimus said.
Ratchet nodded and glanced at Ironhide. Nudging him with his ped, he grinned. "Pick up your lower lip and come with me. Make me laugh and I'll let you play with my critical energy port tonight."
The moans and groans from the staff around the room nearly buried the loud retching sound from Prowl and the uproarious laughter from Prime. They walked out bantering to each other as the rest of them watched. Prowl glanced at Prime. "That mech is incorrigible."
"Ratchet takes the 'morale officer' part of his job description to spark," Optimus replied with a big grin. "Thank goodness."
Prowl grinned and nodded. "Yes." He looked down at Prowler who was dozing slightly. He sat and placed him on the table. Sliding him toward Optimus, Prowl smirked. "This is one incredibly cute sparkling."
Optimus leaned over and took Prowler's tiny servo into his own. Considering the doppelganger of his bond lying on a Pooh bear blanket, he nodded. "I won't argue one bit."
-0-On the way
They ambled over to the Embassy, Ironhide bitching all the way, Ratchet mocking him back mercilessly. When they reached the doors Ratchet paused. "This is going to be sleeker and less rustic. It looks more 'us' than 'them and us', you know what I mean?"
Ironhide nodded. "I do. I miss it too."
"Orion was separated here. This is his ground zero," Ratchet said as they walked through the rec room and its stacks of stuff yet to be placed, used, hammered, nailed, glue gunned, stapled or put away. Entering medbay, he looked around. Its impressive rebuild was getting there. He walked to the office that now existed where one really didn't before. They had made an office out of a nook space but it was only that. A lot had happened in that old space. He wondered about his new one. Would it feel like home? Peering in, he decided it wouldn't. It wasn't homemade and 'normal' enough. He couldn't explain it better but he knew what he was thinking about it. This was changed. All of it.
"What are you going to do, mech?" Ironhide asked as he walked to sit on a brand new med berth.
"I'm going to input the command codes, start the diagnostics and check a few things here and there. Most of this will be finished on Mars. We can run it from there."
"Why are we here?" Ironhide asked looking around for the rust stick canister.
"Because its the way we do it," Ratchet said glancing at his none-too-subtle bond looking for candy. "Its in the cupboard over the synthesizer," Ratchet said nodding to the wall across from him.
"What?" Ironhide asked in his own none-too-subtle way.
"Ha-ha, Ironhide," Ratchet said sitting down before the master computer control which was on the wall next to the cupboard. He reached up, plucked a big canister out and tossed it to Ironhide. Ironhide caught it and opened the lid. Smiling, he began to help himself.
"Big girl," Ratchet said with a grin.
"You can't make me feel badly, Ratchet," Ironhide said between bites. "Prowl took care of that already."
"I know, you reprobate," Ratchet said with a chuckle. They would banter for a while before all the fine tuning possible at this end was finished. All that would remain was the walk through of the facility and the supply checklist. It would take four joors before it was complete enough to warrant signing off. Then it was.
-0-Nearby
He slid to a stop and sat a moment, the man inside laughing insanely. They had a tremendous ride around the island driving just about everywhere passing Striker teams working out, sailors hanging around the beaches and civilians going about their business. Hot Rod, Jolt, Sideswipe and Bumblebee had joined them, Sideswipe staying in root format as they sped around like maniacs.
Carl finally stepped out when the door hatch popped and as he leaned against the yellow Lambo he finally gathered himself. "Thank you, Sunstreaker. That was the greatest road trip I ever had."
"No problem," a mirth-filled voice said with a healthy dollop of triumph contained within.
Sideswipe slid to a stop and stood over them staring at the human with a smirk. "You got off easy. You should see the ride we gave Mearing."
Carl laughed at that comment, then grinned. "Glad to hear it." He nodded and walked rather wobbly-legged inside the barracks leaving the others behind.
Sunstreaker transformed, turning to glance at the base. "Things are looking good. We're going home in about a joor or so. What about you guys?" he asked the others.
Bee shrugged. "I have to stay three more orns. What about you, Roddy?"
Hot Rod nodded. "Me too."
"I have three orns too. I think you two are getting off lightly. How come you can be here for a couple of orns and get to go home? What the frag?" Jolt asked with a grin. Electricity snapped across his frame as he began to gather the static electricity he had accumulated racing for a discharge into the base's battery storage.
"Waaaa," Sunstreaker said before Jolt zapped him. The youngling transformed and tore out. Sunstreaker followed on skates racing for payback. The others looked at each other, then turned and it was on. The humans in the barracks and those around the base watched with intense interest. It was all great.
-0-On a planetary fragment in the system
Silverclaw and Thundercracker stood quietly watching as the lights grew closer. It was evident what they were and they were heading in on their signal. Silverclaw was there for the Great Elder, a personage who would send emissaries rather than go himself. Silverclaw, the second most senior elder would be his personal representative.
The figures became larger and more defined, their path straighter. Then they began to transform into the air landing heavily in a thundering storm silently playing out before the pair. In space, there was no sound. The screaming of processes playing themselves out everywhere around them couldn't be heard by the audial due to vacuum. Sensors and other equipment would be necessary to hear the sound of quasars and black holes, collisions, bursts and hisses. The new crew landed silently.
They stared at Thundercracker and Silverclaw, then their leader stepped forward. He nodded his helm to Silverclaw in the manner of someone of lower status, then looked at Thundercracker. :Commander, Elder, we are here. What happens now?:
The others watched, their nervousness evident.
:You come home with us: Silverclaw said as Thundercracker nodded. :Follow us:
They looked at each other, then all of them nodded. Silverclaw transformed, then jetted upward. :Go. Follow. We'll help you when we get there. You will give your oaths, then we will show you how to live the way you should have long ago:
The mechs glanced at each other, then began to transform. When the last one was up and away, only then did Thundercracker join them in space.
-0-At the Sparkling Day School
Praxus stood on the table staring at the ring of experts checking him over. He had been plucked from his swimming class, dried off and carried to the speech therapy center on the fourth floor. Students, specialist techs and Mr. Roto sat around the table smiling at the infant. Laret stood in the doorway watching, a sleeping hatchling in her arms. Praxus looked at her and smiled. "Lo-Lo! I see you!"
Laret chuckled. "I see you too, baby. Aren't you a clever little mech."
Praxus smiled brilliantly. Then he looked at Roto. Walking across the table top to his swimming teacher he paused. "To-to? What you do here? Me here to talking?"
Roto grinned. "We want to hear you talk, baby. You talk so nicely."
"I try," he said patting his servos together, the smile on his face brilliant and wide.
"How did you learn how to do this so well, baby?" Roto asked.
Praxus thought a moment, then grinned. "I talking good to Hero."
"Ah," everyone said when the light bulb came on. "It helps to have a role model and mentor."
"I talking to Hero. I talking to Orion. I talking to Ada. Ada likes talking to me." He smiled. "Other Ada talking to me first. I make ..." He paused a moment trying to figure out the words he wanted. Then he showed a hammering motion. "I do this. Other Ada talking to me. I like to talking to Other Ada. You know Other Ada?" he asked sweetly.
Roto hugged him and nodded. "I do. Both of them."
They looked at him a moment. "Who is Other Ada?" one of them asked.
"His grandada, Ravel," Laret said. She looked at Praxus. "Did Other Ada help you talk better?"
He looked at her, then smiled. "OTHER ADA HELP ME! OTHER ADA LOVE ME! I LOVE OTHER ADA!" he said with great happiness.
They all chuckled which was fine and dandy with Praxus. It was fun to be the center of attention. He looked at Roto and waited. Roto pulled out a lot of picture cards, then grinned at Praxus. "Show them how much you know, baby. Tell me who and what these are." He held up a card.
Praxus looked at it, then grinned. "DOG!"
And so it went.
-0-Out there
They paused on a planetary fragment before entering the boiling roiling energy of the solar system well. It was typical of the leading edges of solar systems. The ride would be bumpy but swift in the ships they flew. Stepping out, they bumped fists. :Good to see you. Its been a long time. Someone told me that Motormaster and Dead End are being held by Prime. They tried to come for sanctuary and blew it:
:What else is new? Those two are too dumb to do it right: Drag Strip said.
:We're going for surrender and a chance to fit in. We tell them we left with the Seekers because we're tired of slag and want another life. Got that?: Wild Rider said.
Drag Strip nodded. "They should be glad to be getting us: he said with a smirk.
:Me, maybe," Wild Rider said with a smirk of his own. :Come on. Let's catch up. They'll have us on their sensors. If they come out in force, don't do anything to get us shot up. I just finished the shine on my armor at the camp. I don't want it fragged up:
Drag Strip didn't offer a rebuttal, but turned and walked back to the shuttle he had stolen. They both took off and headed for the colony that lay at the end of a deep space beacon at the center of a security system that rivaled anything they had ever seen before including Cybertron during the Clampdown.
-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth
Ratchet stood at the shuttle hatch talking to Ironhide. He had just stowed Prowler in his hold, Ironhide finally prying it out of Prowl's servos. Ironhide had carried the baby around for a while standing shimmering with pride as those who viewed the baby exclaimed his beauty. When he had to give Prowler back to Ratchet to take home, he was having a sad. "You'll be home either tonight or tomorrow unless Arachnid drills up under our peds right now."
"Fragging slagger. I dare her to," Ironhide said as he watched his youngest sparkling disappear into the hold of his ada. "Tell the younglings I'm coming."
"I will. Maybe we can Skype tonight," Ratchet said turning to walk up the ramp. He disappeared into the shuttle followed by a sassing Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and three other mechs leaving from the original Alaskan striker team. The hatch closed, then the ship flew away. Ironhide was stuck behind. He watched, then turned and headed for the firing range to see how the rebuild was coming along.
-0-On the deck back home
The shuttle landed and all stepped off heading for Fortress Road to the city. Ratchet bantered with the twins who were happy to be home. Halfway to the road, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker picked Ratchet up and peeled out carrying the medic between them screaming all the way into town.
-0-Moments later in the CMO's office
Ratchet sat with his peds on the desk, a can of candy in his lap. The twins sat on the couches, their peds up, other canisters from Ratchet's extensive and rather impressive private stash in their laps. "You two are a menace to society."
"We're the best thing that ever happened to you," Sunstreaker said popping the Cybertronian equivalent of M & M's into his mouth.
Ratchet snorted. "What are you two going to do now?"
"Well, I don't know about Sunny but I'm going home to frag Bluestreak," Sideswipe said.
Sunstreaker looked at Sideswipe a moment, then rose swiftly. Sideswipe rose behind him as both sped out heading for the elevator beyond. Two canisters of candy fell to the floor landing oddly enough on their bottoms without spilling a thing. Ratchet looked at the door, then shook his helm. :Bluestreak:
:What, Ratchet?: Blue's cheerful voice replied.
"Two overheated maniacs are headed your way:
:I'm counting on it, Ratchet:
Ratchet snorted, then grinned. :I want film:
:You got it: There was a pause. Then Bluestreak was back. :They just got here. See ya:
Ratchet sat popping sweets as he relaxed on his chair. :Ironhide:
:What? Where are you and what are you doing? How's Prowler?:
Ratchet glanced at the box bed where Prowler was lying playing with a dollie as he talked to himself sweetly. :He's missing his old pa. I'm sitting in the office eating candy:
(Pause) :You slagger:
Ratchet grinned. :I have it on good authority that Bluestreak is going to be having a high old time shortly:
:Those two reprobates:
:I told Blue I wanted film: (grin)
:You're hopeless: (grin)
:You knew that going in, Ironhide: (grin)
(grin) "I did. What are you doing now?:
:I think I'm sort of being sexy, Ironhide. You know … sexy and hot:
(pause) :Is this some of that phone sex?: (grin)
:Oh yes, Ironhide. I am all hot and bothered for you: (grin)
(pause) :Who's bothering you, Ratchet?:
Ratchet snorted. :You are the best, Ironhide. Come home soon:
:I will. Gotta motor. Prime is doing a walk around of the Ops Center. Might need me:
:Guard his body, okay?: (grin)
:Count on it: (grin)
Ratchet sat eating candy and kibitzing between calls until it was time to get the kids from school.
-0-TBC July 14, 2013
NOTES: Oz leads the way. The Perth Mint in Australia actually made an Optimus Prime silver coin. Its epic. Here's the website addie. Just close the holes. :D:D:D
www. Perthmint. Com. Au / catalogue / transformers – optimus – prime – 1 oz – silver – proof – coin . Aspx
They apparently are all sold out. :( However, Prime looks epic. :D