The Diego Diaries: Skills (463) edited
-0-At the scene of the crime
The mechs who worked in the shattered apartments pulled out all of the infrastructure until the space was gutted. They would spend a lot of time troubleshooting to make sure that each room was sound and ready for refit. Across the hallway the same things were happening on a smaller scale. The young couple who had lived there was staying with friends. Given that they had no infants, it was easier. The afternoon would pass with much noise and movement on floor 24.
-0-At the studio
They stood around the easel watching as Sadee worked to add depth to the image she was working on. They themselves were used to easels. They painted in their art classes often. Orion, Kaon, Praxus, Hero, the twinnies and all the animals from two families watched enraptured.
Orion stepped closer. "She?"
Sadee paused, then looked downward. "What?" she asked with a big smile.
"What you?" he asked pointing at the image.
She grinned. "I'm painting an abstract image. I want to put emotions on the picture and let others see what they see."
Orion considered that, most of it over his helm, then grinned. "She! She good!"
The others grinned and nodded. Praxus walked closer and patted her leg. "She good," he said with a grin.
Sadee laughed, then looked at the image. "You guys are good for me."
Sunstreaker who was putting the finished touches on a beautiful detailed night vista of Iacon nodded. "They aren't bad."
"ME GOOD! ORION GOOD!" Orion looked at the others pointing to each. "PAX GOOD! KO-KO GOOD! YA-YA GOOD! I-KO GOOD!" He smiled brilliantly. "All good," he said turning to Sunstreaker. "LELLO!"
Sunny paused looking down at the happy little banded sparkling. "What, Spud?"
"You good?" Orion asked pointing at the big Lambo.
Sunstreaker nodded, then grinned. "Ask Uncle Bluestreak." He turned back to his painting with a smirk.
Bluestreak who was lounging nearby gave a stern expression to Sunstreaker. "Very funny."
Sunspot sat on the couch with infants all around watching the exchange like a tennis match. He was smiling. It was hilarious to him even though some of it went over his helm.
The door opened as Ratchet walked inside. Infants ran for him and he patted afts. Sunspot looked up at him. "Where's Atar?"
"He's doing things," Ratchet said. "We had an accident at our house and we have to stay over at a hotel in Pax for a few orns."
Sunspot looked at him for a moment, then looked at the babies. They didn't know what Ratchet had just said. "What happened?" he asked with a growing sense of immense dismay.
"A water boiler exploded and our house was messed up. We are getting it fixed but we can't stay there until its done. What we'll do is camp out in a hotel. You've never stayed in a hotel have you?" Ratchet asked with exaggerated good nature.
Sunspot shook his helm. "No. Can Spot come?"
"He can," Ratchet said. "He's family."
Sunspot looked a bit relieved. "What about our stuff, Ada?" he asked as images of his toys and models filled his mind.
"We put all of that in the storage locker in the basement," Ratchet said with more calm than he felt.
Sunspot nodded, then looked at the sparklings who were staring up at Ratchet babbling all at once. "The sparklings are happy to see you. What do we do now, Ada?"
'We go find Atar. He's at the Fortress but he's going to meet us in Pax," Ratchet said. "I have to bring the boo boos over."
"Can you do it by yourself?" Sunstreaker asked.
Sadee standing with him smiled. "Those little kids are so cute."
"Help me harness them up," Ratchet said with a chuckle. It took a moment for them to be caught and strapped in but when they were Ratchet managed to herd them to the door. Hero, Orion and Praxus stood staring up with big grins, their little jackets and hats amusing. Prowler was safely in his carry hold and Sunspot was ready to lead the way through the crowds that inevitably filled the streets during the orn. "See ya later. Thank you for helping."
"I can come with you, Ratchet," Bluestreak said as he rose from his chair. "Sideswipe can come too."
Sideswipe stood. "I guess I'm coming." He grinned and picked up Orion. Bluestreak took hold of Praxus and Hero.
"Here we go," Ratchet said as he turned to walk out the door. The others followed, then the door closed quietly.
Sadee glanced at Sunstreaker. "I like your family."
Sunstreaker glanced down, then grinned. "So do I."
They both turned back to their work.
-0-On the street
The infants ambled along in front as the adults followed. "What do you know so far, Ada?" Sideswipe asked as he walked alongside Ratchet. "You and I both know it isn't about boilers."
"We don't know a thing so far. But we will," Ratchet said. They reached the Metroplex Subway station #2 and disappeared down below. The platform was relatively empty fortunately for them so the wait for the blue trains that made mandatory stops in Pax wasn't as bad as it could be for Ratchet who was already running on empty. They boarded a train and headed out for their new temporary home.
-0-Fortress
Ironhide sat at the table with Prime going over the mission that would be heading out in a couple of orns. Three ships filled with soldiers and Seekers would utilize the space bridges to get to the eight camps that had been located. At the moment, they were planning the strike pattern. Two were near to each other, three others not that far apart but enough to make a traverse necessary and three more were not only located over great distances but were inside the Empire far enough to make things dicey.
As they sat together, Wheeljack walked into the room. Sitting, he glanced at Prime. "We still don't know how they did it. We have gone through the skills list of the group with Sio. There are a number of possibilities but nothing that would alert to that kind of skill level. It is troubling."
Prime nodded. "Keep working on it, Wheeljack. I want this to be the last time this happens."
Wheeljack nodded, then rose and walked back to the doorway. They watched him go, then Prowl glanced at Ironhide. "You are at the hotel in Pax?"
"We are. We have two suites. Its going to be strange," Ironhide said. He glanced at the two. "We never had a really nice place even when things were still possible on Cybertron. Ratchet grew up hungry and poor. I can't even think about it, about his family having to struggle. Now this happens."
Prowl who was feeling the burn as well nodded. "I am sorry that some of the high castes can't give it up. It makes me feel very badly for everything."
"You weren't part of that, Prowl," Optimus countered.
"Maybe. But I am to some extent responsible too because I was high caste."
Ironhide nodded. "I hear ya. Ratchet when we bonded was stealing food and medicine to help his family and others in the Jumble. I had no idea what he was doing. There were reports of things being ordered at work and not showing up. Inventories were being rigged it was said but no one ever figured out who did it. It was Ratchet. He was hoarding food and taking it to his family and others. He had a whole thing going on. It never occurred to me that he was hungry for so much of his life, that he was cold and deprived of things. He was always Ratchet." Ironhide was silent a moment. "I caught him taking food and hiding it. He tried to tell me it was nothing but it made it really clear to me that he had suffered all his life. He was feeding a lot of bots that way.
"That washing machine … the one I got him with the dryer... he used to go to the basement of his tenement and wash the few things they had in the communal sink. I can't think about him being a youngling doing that for his family. It makes my spark hurt."
"And you," Prowl said glancing at Optimus. "I find it impossible to go there too."
Optimus shrugged slightly. "What you don't know about you can't miss. Most of my life I didn't know about things. I did know I loved to read and learn. I know I wanted better things for my genitors. I guess you get used to your own misery."
It was silent a moment, then Ironhide shook his helm. "They won't win. There are too many here who won't allow it."
"Delusion must run its course. We will win this. Even in a convocation they will lose," Optimus said. "We will make sure of it once and for all."
-0-At the hotel in Pax
They sauntered in, three sparklings walking along dollies in servo heading for the elevators. Upward they went with their adult counterparts toward the top floor. Getting off there, they walked to the doors and entered. The rooms were huge and the amenities wonderful. The living room greeted them first with couches, chairs and low tables in a half circle. A huge floor to ceiling window took up the back wall of the room. Down below, one could see a beautiful plaza with seating from a restaurant in building spilling out into the open.
Unleashing the little noodles, the sparklings ran about looking at things. Orion ran back and looked up at Ratchet. "ADA! WHY ME HERE!?"
Ratchet snorted. "Because the toilet backed up."
He looked at Ratchet without comprehension, then ran off. Sideswipe chuckled. "Here is where toilet snake would have come in handy."
"Oh, ha-ha, Sideswipe," Ratchet said with a grin. He walked to a couch and sat wearily. "This is comfortable."
"I should hope so. These are the kinds of places Sunstreaker and I robbed back in the orn," Sideswipe said sitting himself. "I never stayed too long but I usually liked the décor."
"You are hopeless," Ratchet said with a laugh. The sparklings were running free range all over the place looking at things so Ratchet pulled Prowler out of his hold and kissed him. Putting him on the couch where he drifted back to sleep, he glanced down the corridor to the left. Infants were running in and out of rooms playing tag. "This is going to be the Pit."
"We can take a few," Bluestreak offered.
"I may take you up on it. I thought you were going to a forward base?" Ratchet asked.
"I am assigned to Ops Center to help with tech," Bluestreak said catching Hero as she ran past chasing Orion and Spot. Blowing a raspberry on her neck, Blue set the laughing femme down. She looked up at Blue a moment smiling brilliantly, then turned to run again.
"It's going to be a long night," Ratchet said with a grin.
-0-TBC October 6, 2013
Shorty tonight because a little kitten walked into my house to stay forever and getting her settled ate up my day. More tomorrow. :D:D:D
NOTE: Thank you, guest, for the eagle optics. I will change that tomorrow. :D:D:D I depend upon the kindness of readers. :D:D:D:D