The Diego Diaries: Skills (473) edited
-0-At the jail
He stood in his cell, one of three inmates in the lock up. Nearby, a noisy pair of drunks continued their celebration of the night before. He had complained about them to no avail. It had been a long arduous night. He made it clear to the jailers that he was going to remember the insult forever.
Inferno relieved the officer of the orn, then walked into the cell block. Pausing before the drunks, he grinned. "You two don't look sober yet."
"WE AREN'T!" one of them said with a huge smile. "WE'RE CELEBRATING!"
"What?" Inferno asked.
"I DON'T REMEMBER!" Howling laughter met that as Inferno turned walking toward the other cell with a grin. He paused, then looked at Dex. "Your sentence is served. Go and sin no more, you fragger." He dropped the bars and the big mech stepped out. "FRAG YOU!" he said, then turned storming out. Inferno watched him go, then grinned. "Same to ya, fragger."
"HEY!"
Inferno turned to look at two swaying drunks behind bars. "What?"
"DO YOU WANT US TO FRAG HIM UP? HE'S A SLAGGER!"
Inferno would smile about that for the rest of the day.
-0-On the street
He stormed down the street heading for home, his processor as filled with wrath as his affect. He was as furious at this moment as he had ever been before and there were going to be consequences. Reaching the Mare with its long winding path to his own housing project, he turned and crossed Metroplex Highway 3 instead. He was on his way to the corner of Metroplex 1 and 3 and the mech upon which he needed to vent his grievances. The Metro station was still barricaded as crews worked overtime to get it up and running. He stared at it, then looked around. Spying a Watchman, he stormed over. "What happened here?" he asked none too politely.
"Someone blew it up," the Watchman said calmly. "That station is closed. You'll have to take others."
"Who did this?" Dex demanded.
"We don't know yet," the youngling mech said politely.
Dex stared at him, then the station. "Well, Prime is amazing isn't he. Bombers are running around the colony. Thanks for keeping us safe, Optimus Prime," he said sarcastically. Then he pivoted and continued onward heading for the City Hall.
The Watchman watched him go. "And frag you too, mech," be said softly to himself.
-0-City Hall, The City, Mars
The place was busy with this and that, individuals coming and going on business and others doing their job of keeping the colony on track and up to speed. Dex walked into the main lobby of the City Hall and paused before an informational board giving names of department personnel and their locations to visitors. He located the one he wanted, then stormed to the bank of elevators nearby. Entering, he called out the floor and waited as the device rose upward. When he arrived, he marched off heading for a counter that separated him from the offices which were behind it. A sweet young mech stood up from his desk and greeted him. "Hi. How can I help you?"
"You can get out of the way. I need to see Fenix." Helms popped up around the room and others peered out of doorways to see what was up in the normally mellow environment.
"Sir, if you wait here I will get him," the mech said. "Who may I say is calling?"
"I don't need you to tell him anything. Tell me which office and get out of the way," Dex said moving to the half door that separated the work and office area from the public.
The youngling moved to the door and gripped it. "Sir, I don't advise you to come inside without authorization."
"Frag your authorization. I want to see Fenix and I want to see him now!" Dex said raising his voice in his gathering rage and frustration. Waiting was something outside his usual experience. As he did Ultra Magnus walked out of his office.
-0-Morning elsewhere
Ratchet walked to the office after helping take the marauding infants to school. He had a few things to do at the hospital, then he would meet Ironhide at The Home Store to pick out furnishings for their home which was well on its way back. He was glad of it, the ordeal of hotel living with five mini dependents was not as terrible as he had imagined. Their manners were exemplary. He was really pleased that he and Ironhide had the same notions for what passed as good manners. They sat waiting to eat, lined up like troopers and said 'THANKS, ADA' and 'YOUR WECLUM, ATAR' like troopers. He grinned. Orion was going to need speech therapy for a bit longer. The city was bustling as he entered his tower and made his way to work. Bustling he could live with easily. Kaboom … not so much.
-0-Watch Station #6
He walked in and rapped on the door where Springer sat going over the overnight stats and lists. "Hey. Come on in and sit. Close the door."
Lon did both and waited. Springer grinned as he sat back in his chair. "How did it go?"
"I want to the Club and we played cards for hours. We know a lot of the same mechs and femmes, went to a few of the same schools. We have a lot of common ground."
Springer nodded. "How was the drinking? You didn't get over energized did you?"
"No. I was worried about that," Lon said with a slight frown.
"Don't. Your programming with the wire prevents you from being over energized. You won't blow your cover because you get drunk. You might want to remember that if they ever try to get you drunk and question you. You'll have to fake it."
Lon relaxed. "Good."
"What's the next move?" Springer asked.
"We're going to go hiking in the Mare this weekend. I'm going to go to the club to be with them. That's their main hangout." He thought a moment. "They want to know about Burnoff."
"Why?" Springer asked.
"They want to see what he's doing. They heard about his business. They know he's high caste and to tell you the truth that seems to be the only entry card you need with them. They can't get it that some of us aren't on their side anymore."
Springer nodded. "You did good, Kid."
Lon felt like he had been handed gold.
-0-Later that morning
"Can I help you?"
Springer nodded. "I would like to speak with Burnoff."
Turquoise paused the monitor where he was reading code and stood up from behind the desk where he worked in the beautiful comfortable office of The Idea Place, his son's business.
"This is really nice," Springer said looking around.
"My son is an inventor and engineer. I am his assistant and receptionist." Turquoise beamed with pride.
"You're Turquoise," Springer said extending his servo. They shook. "How is the search for the glitch coming?"
"I am nearly there," Turquoise said as he turned to lead the way. "I hope to find it shortly. Our soldiers need the help."
They walked down a corridor next to walls of glass that showed the extraordinary city surrounding them for blocks in all directions. They entered a workroom that was huge, filled with machinery and tables where things were being built. A mech sat soldering an electronic component. He was absorbed in his work and didn't notice them.
Turquoise rapped the table. Burnoff looked up startled. "Hi. What's up?" he asked as he grinned at his ada. Then he saw Springer. He stood up suddenly nervous.
Springer extended his servo. "Hi, Burnoff. I was hoping you could help me with something."
Burnoff glanced at his ada, then Springer. "Anything. What can I do for you?"
"Can we sit and talk?" He glanced at Turquoise. "I have some confidential business to ask your son about some mechs we have come across. If you can keep the secret, I would like you to listen in."
Turquoise who suddenly looked scared nodded. "Is my son in trouble?"
"No. I hear he's doing great stuff," Springer said.
They both relaxed, then Burnoff nodded. "Let's use the conference room. We can talk there."
They turned and walked down the hallway to a conference room off the main office. Sitting down around a big table, the two looked at Springer with concern and curiosity. Springer glanced at Turquoise. "I am Springer. I am Chief of Security of the planet, the colony and Chief of the Wreckers, our special ops army unit. I am here because I need information about a number of mechs who may or not be a problem to the colony's security. What I am asking is highly classified and cannot be mentioned to anyone. This is in magnitude of a Prime investigation."
They glanced at each other, then Turquoise gently placed a servo on Springer's. "My atar was Chief Justice of the High Court of Cybertron. I know how to keep secrets and my son will too. How may we help you?"
"I need background information on several mech younglings and their families. Anything that you know will be useful. The first one is named Gravity," Springer began.
Burnoff nodded. "I went to school with him. He's very smart, very innovative. He likes to make electronic things, mostly smart aft stuff like door lock picks and surveillance equipment. He can make miniature devices that can be taken through security. Some of them he hides on his body or those of his friends so that they look like they belong but are really something else."
"His family?" Springer asked.
"I know them, Humr and Shel. Shel is a friend, or was. I don't keep company with high castes anymore … that is, not those that haven't assimilated. My bond and I are going to be initiated into the Circle of Light," Turquoise said with almost luminous joy. "We are dedicating ourselves to service to all our people. We would not find common cause with them. Humr was an analyst in the Treasury and Shel was a painter. I think she still is, at least in her free time."
Springer nodded. "What about Kale?"
Burnoff vented a sigh. "I don't like Kale. I never did. He's mean. Even for the group I ran around with, he's mean. I ..." He paused. "I am so ashamed of all of it." He looked at Springer. "We all are. I'm already Circle, Springer. I want to do right forever."
Springer nodded. "You came to the right place, youngling. Prime loves a good redemption story."
They all grinned.
"Kale is a martial artist. He can fight but he's also mean. He likes the odds his way. He won't back off from others. He was a mathematician. All of his group … that bunch were nerds. The humans call them nerds. They were into science, liked doing goofy stuff and role playing. I sort of liked to do that too but I grew out of it. I had other demons and wanted other things." He got a pensive expression. Then he looked at Springer. "I think he would be really good with making things that can blow up. This is what you're here for, right? Intel on them?"
Springer nodded. "I am. What about his genitors?"
"Como was a former administrative aide for the governor-general of Altihex. Funny, that. He's here now and he's a Circle mech too. So many of us trying to live down our shame in that group," Turquoise said quietly. "His bond Pawz was a telecommunications planner. Both of them doted on Kale. Both of them never saw anything about him that was ever wrong."
"And Commotion?" Springer asked.
"Commotion lives up to his name. He liked to pick fights that were tipped in his favor. He's also really smart and good with electronics. He can design and build things that require a really steady servo. He can do telecommunications too because of his ada. He's a really dangerous mech. Really mean," Burnoff said.
"His genitors?" Springer asked.
"Both of them were accountants. They have no idea what they have on their servos," Turquoise said. "Whatever he tells them, they believe."
Springer nodded. "What about Default?"
"He's a follower. Whatever the group wants, he will go along with. He can get in and out of things without getting caught. He may have some personal protoform adaption or he made one. I've seen him go in and out of the Prime Residence without getting caught. I think Sentinel never caught on about who was stealing his high grade," Burnoff said grimly. "I can imagine some poor someone got the blame."
Springer nodded. "How about Sio?"
It was silent a moment, then Burnoff sat back. "He's here?"
Springer nodded. "He got in a fight and was arrested. His atar pitched a fit at his trial and ended up in prison."
"Oh wow," Burnoff said glancing at his ada. "That's not good."
Turquoise nodded grimly. "Dex is a slagger. He's an over entitled wind bag. He was a director in the Treasury and his bond was a stay at home socialite type. He liked to give parties and help Dex rise up the pole. Neither of them think their son can do wrong."
"He's dangerous, Springer. There's something wrong inside of him, something broken. He likes to hurt others. The four before … Default, Commotion, Kale and Gravity know that if they push it too far that they will get in real trouble. They don't tend to hurt anyone too badly. But Sio … he doesn't care. They really really believe they are better and no one else matters."
Springer nodded. "Sio is in the hospital on a psych hold."
Burnoff considered that, then nodded. "Good place for him. He will kill people. He came in with Burris didn't he. That whole group … they are not going to bend. They joined with Fenix and his Iacon Order."
"Have they approached you about joining?" Springer asked.
He nodded. "They did. I told them I was too busy. Fenix asked. I didn't know that these mechs were here … or at least, all of them. They were a gang on Cybertron. They did what they wanted and never got into trouble for it. They liked hanging with the road crews. They liked the danger. They would do the bombings. That other one … the first … it was a bombing too wasn't it."
Springer nodded. "It was."
Burnoff sat back shaking his helm. "This is not a good thing at all."
Springer leaned forward on his elbows. "We have a plant that told us the group is interested in your business."
Turquoise sat up straighter putting a servo on his son's arm. "What do we do?" he asked glancing at Springer with imploring optics.
"We get them," Springer said with a firm tone.
-0-TBC October 14, 2013