The Diego Diaries: Skills 4 (dd3 462)
-0-At the house, Autobot City, Mars
They finished stripping the apartment of anything that could be salvaged. Then Ratchet stood in the corridor as the construction crew from a salvage and repair company, Autobot City Construction and Home Repair began to deconstruct things. He watched stoically as their children's berths, furniture and shelves were carted out.
He watched stoically as his brand new dishwasher, the refrigerator and the various monitors were as well. When they began to unscrew the walls, tear out the built-ins and rip up the damaged portions of the floor, he'd reached his high water mark.
Turning to Ironhide who was watching beside him, he patted the big suffering bot's chassis. "We better get to City Hall and see what the Housing Authority can do for us."
He glanced at Ratchet, then nodded. "We can get a hotel room maybe," Ironhide said as he thought about a nice hotel that had been built in Pax for things such as this. They walked to the stairs taking them downward. They'd talked about the repairs and color schemes with Jetta and his crew. It would be mostly like before with a few more desirable features built to make life with five dependent infants more feasible.
The street below had been cleared and traffic flowed once more. The barriers were down and the sky was blue. They stood on the sidewalk a moment orienting themselves back to reality again, then crossed the street heading for Metroplex Station #2. Disappearing downward, they stood on the station platform with everyone else who still had a home, waiting for the train.
Ironhide held Ratchet's servo as both waited solemnly. When the train came, they climbed on board and disappeared down the tracks heading for Pax.
-0-Shift change, Industrial Park, City of Industry, Mars
The shrill whistle of shift change was welcomed noise to the two high castes that were now off duty until the next orn. They joined up walking to the gates where there they could drive to the city, Pax, where they lived or use the subway station to take them home. They chose the station, disappearing into the ground with the rest of the swing shift heading for home.
At the City Hall, he watched the news as Gen-O told what Fenix knew was the 'official' story of the explosion in the Mare Tranquilitatis. A boiler had blown up sending the bursting energy upward through the disposal system to exit in an apartment on the 24th floor. Scrutiny of the inter-communications directory for the city and a peek at the city's not-for-public plat maps of where everyone lived let him know that it was Ratchet's home that had shattered.
It had shocked him a moment, then he absorbed the information. Someone had targeted Ratchet for their point. It had to do with high caste politics, this he believed. Someone or someones among them had stepped up to expedite their cause. What it might mean he didn't know yet. It couldn't be good. He sat back to consider the reaction the Prime and his officers would be formulating.
They would be ferocious opponents. They'd give no quarter. He, himself would have to make sure that their side was protected as they gathered their numbers. The Order had grown from 1,200 to 7,000 since the riot at Club Cybertron. He'd been acknowledged the leader of their faction. But this had thrown shade on that. This was a group that was unknown to him. He would have to figure this out.
"Fenix."
He looked up. "Caro?"
"Time to go home," his boss said with a smile.
Fenix startled, then stood. "Thank you, Caro. Have a nice evening."
"You, too," Caro said. "By the way, nice work on the energy contracts."
"Thank you," Fenix said as he gathered his things. They walked out together parting their ways on the plaza.
-0-Courthouse, Office of the Attorney General of Mars
Blackstone and Barron sat together sipping the Cybertronian version of coffee. "I'm impressed that Prime is worried that this be done lawfully."
Barron nodded. "I'm glad as well. Sometimes its easy to think otherwise. I'm very concerned, Blackstone. Sio must be part of this or his cohorts anyway. They're very upfront about their disobedience to the law. I've pulled the records of the seven that were arrested with him." Barron turned the monitor so that Blackstone could see it. The names were listed as well as their offenses in the colony.
Everyone had a record.
Blackstone nodded. "I know all their names already. My lawyers have represented them. None of them are bonded. All of them are working rather desultorily at jobs they feel are beneath them and all are part of the Iacon Order. This group is the starting point of our discovery process." He looked at Barron. "I may have to recuse myself from the legal process if and when it comes to that if need be. I cannot be a part of the defense with my participation in this process."
Barron nodded. "I know. You have many capable lieutenants. We're well covered for such eventualities thanks to your leadership. Perhaps you can think of someone to step in and run the defense at that point? Perhaps someone like Selem2?"
"He would be extremely good for that position. I'll remember it, Bari."
They sat together discussing the situation, their part of the process, then assigned various researchers to manage the searches in the databases for relevant case law and precedents. The evening would be in ascendance before bond mates making calls would inform them that work was long over.
As usual.
-0-Trine: At the door of the Sparkling Day School, Terra, Mars
Bluestreak stood at the door of the Sparkling Day School waiting for Sideswipe to join him. He had the leashes and harnesses of the babies and was going to take them to the studio for Ratchet and Ironhide who were arranging housing at the Hotel Praxus in Pax for the next few orns.
Three orns would be the minimum time for repair of their apartment. Painting, installing built-ins, rewiring and the like would take maybe even longer. Once things were taken out a number of hidden problems had appeared.
Then there was the selection of furniture and replacement of all the lost articles of home and comfort. Alor had already let them know that he'd help Ratchet recoup his 'essential cookery implements, Ratchet'.
Ratchet had grinned for the first time at the set expression of defiance on Alor's face. He'd hugged the big bot who encouraged by the sign decided to help Ratchet redecorate the rooms as well. Given that most of the stuff in their apartment was there from the beginning, having an expert help him choose things more to his own taste was getting interesting.
Ratchet was rallying.
Bluestreak waved at Sideswipe and the two entered. They would leave shortly with all of the sparklings. The three femmes were squeezed into the twinnie basket that Bluestreak held while Kaon, Orion and Praxus ambled along in front utterly delighted to be with two of the numerous wonderful adults in their short statured lives. It would be a long hilarious walk to the subway, a laugh-filled adventure in the train ride to Metroplex Station #2 and the walk to the Cultural Center where Sunstreaker would be waiting with Sunspot and Spot.
-0-Youngling Day School, Autobot City, Mars
Sunstreaker waited on the sidewalk for Sunspot and his dog to come running out. He did waving to his friends as he paused to look for Ironhide who made it a religion to get him. When it wasn't going to be possible, a grand genitor was engaged. When he saw Sunstreaker, he was elated. "Sunstreaker!" He ran to his brother and was grabbed, spun around and hugged.
"Hey, babe," Sunstreaker said reaching down to pat Spot. Bob and Dawg jumped and danced around Spot who hopped on them, too. After a moment of watching, Sunstreaker began to walk toward the Cultural Center down the road.
Sunspot who sat happily in his arms looked at him. "Where are we going, Sunstreaker?"
"To the studio," Sunstreaker replied as two 'dogs' and a bug followed along with him.
"Atar is working?" Sunspot asked as he leaned contentedly into his brother.
"He is, Sunny," Sunstreaker said as he crossed in the sidewalk. A segway was following him filming away. Leonora Huttle who'd made a religion out of following the twins, Revo, Nitro and other hard afts because they were unfailing respectful and decent to her and her requests watched them.
They could be any family anywhere with their pets going somewhere after school. It was familiar and utterly alien. She loved them and her job. They followed Sunstreaker who had them on his internal sensors as he always had everything. It was to her favor that she was designated 'benign-friendly' on his internal sensor grid. Few got that far with him.
Ever.
-0-At the Hotel Praxus, Pax, Mars
They walked to the street that had the handsome hotel that had been built especially for that purpose. There was one in each city with plans for more in the expansion. Some of the elders liked living in hotels. There were always emergencies that required living there like their own. Others liked to visit other cities and stay a while. For everyone there was a reason.
They crossed the street, then entered the lobby of the beautiful building. Walking to the desk, they paused.
A femme came to them and smiled. "Hi, Ratchet, Ironhide. What brings you here?"
"Hi, Poli," Ratchet said as he greeted the daughter of Goldwing, one of the first Seeker medics he had helped become a full fledged doctor and the second best processor surgeon on Mars. "We need to stay here with the younglings and our dog until our house is repaired."
"Was that your house that blew up this morning?" she asked with surprise.
Ironhide nodded. "Boiler blew up."
Poli looked at them with sympathy. "I'm so sorry. I heard about it on The Hourly News. It looked terrible. They showed all of you standing on the street."
"We had to wait to go up," Ratchet said. "We have five infants and a dog. We'll need the biggest suite that you have or a few that have doors between them."
"We can accommodate you, don't worry. You have enough to fret about, Ratchet," Poli said looking at her monitor screen. "We have a huge double suite on the roof that can hold all of you. Animals are always welcome." She looked up and grinned. "My atar has a cat. He just likes them. He has three kittens."
"Your old atar is a miracle," Ratchet said with a grin. He really liked Goldwing and admired him. He had fifteen children with his one bond and now he had three kittens. Life was good.
Somewhere.
"Come on. I'll take you up and you can code the doors." She called to her assistant who took her place. They walked toward one of several elevators. "You can have room service or call out. If you have room service, just set the trays on the floor outside your door and the night crew will get them. The restaurant is open all night long, Ratchet. We have guests that come home at all hours of the orn and night from work or whatever. We also have mechs and femmes who come here to convalesce. They like the assistance during the hard times."
"You're the manager, right?" Ratchet said as the elevator took them ever upward.
"I am. I was appointed last month," she said proudly. "I'm helping organize a program in the University for the hospitality industry."
"Your genitors raised a good femme in you. How are your zillion brothers?" Ratchet asked this, the only femme in a family of fifteen.
"They're in college. The apartment next door to my folks came open when a youngling trine moved up for their new hatchlings. We put in bunk beds and use it for some of the family," she said as they stepped off the elevator. A short walk to the doors of their rooms was made. "Punch in your code."
Ironhide did and the door computed it. She touched it with her own code and the door opened. They entered into a living room with a big monitor and floor to ceiling windows. They looked out onto a courtyard that was circled by more towers of the hotel. The center courtyard below was terraced and even had outside seating for the restaurant that occupied a large portion of the first floor.
"Come on. Let's look over the rest," Poli said. She lead them down a hallway with two berth rooms. At the end was a locked door. They coded it and entered an identical room. Pausing by the windows, Poli looked around. "Well, what do you think?"
"I think I like it, Poli," Ratchet said with a grin. "Ironhide?"
He looked around, then nodded. "This is nice, Poli. Thanks."
Poli grinned. "I'm going off shift shortly but Deni will help you. He's a good kid. Take care. I'm sure sorry about your apartment."
They commiserated, then Poli left.
Staring around, Ironhide and Ratchet checked it out a moment. "Well, this is a nice place," Ratchet said.
"Yeah," Ironhide said glancing around himself. "But its not home."
Ratchet couldn't agree with him more.
-0-TBC October 5, 2013 8-3-19 Happy Birthday, Sweet Timmy.