The Diego Diaries: Stuff (dd3 498)
-0-Outside
They ran into the Ops Center, then outside. In the distance, a thin column of smoke rose upward. They stared a moment, then transformed to drive across The City and onto the shoulder of the highway bypassing the traffic that was already there.
Starscream and Thundercracker along with Red Wing had transformed, lifting off to fly to Tyger Pax where the smoke seemed to be coming.
They arrived ahead of everyone landing in the central open space of the vast towering city. Looking around, he saw Watch officers run down a street nearby. The three followed. By the time they reached the building where smoke was pouring through the open doors, Starscream heard Prime and the others behind him. He entered. The others followed.
The sound of sirens was heard over the chatter of bots calling out to each other. Prime dove into the building to run for the stairs. He was behind Starscream and the others who were one floor ahead of him. Ironhide and the other big bots with him paused to allow Ratchet to pass, then followed along behind.
Starscream stepped out onto a floor followed by Red and Thundercracker, then took in the carnage. A huge hole in the wall leaked smoke and arcing electricity. A couple of mechs were there working on the problem in a panel nearby. A few big snaps of electricity flashed, then the panel died. Smoke filled the room but the immediate danger was over as far as he could see. The others came behind him gathering to watch the techs finish shutting down the relay. They turned to go then halted in surprise. "Prime?"
"What happened?" Optimus asked.
"I'm not sure. This isn't my specialty but it appears that the box overloaded," the tech said.
"How is that possible?" Starscream asked. "There are redundant systems in all the housing towers." He glanced at Prime. "I found out during the building and expansion of the Aerie. Its in the building code to prevent fires."
Prime nodded, then moved slightly as Jetta and another bot stepped in. They looked at the panel, then moved to the relay. After a moment Jetta turned to the pensive group. "We need a master electrician here." He walked to Prime and Starscream. "That shouldn't have happened," he said in a soft voice. "It would appear to have been a forced surge."
"Can you trace it?" Optimus asked.
"We'd have to run a diagnostic on the entire system," Jetta said. "I'll get the Colonial Electrical Authority on it." He walked back to the box.
Prime considered the situation, then began to leave the floor. The others joined him in the elevator which was signaled clear.
Starscream looked at Prime. "Would you bet that this wasn't an accident?"
Prime shook his helm. "No."
-0-At the Mare
Ravel peeked into the berth room. Ratchet was awake so he walked in to sit down on the berth. "How do you feel?" he asked taking his father's servo into his own.
"I feel a lot better, Ravel. How are you, son?" Ratchet asked with a tired tone.
"Better now. How is Ada?" he asked in spite of himself.
"She's safe. She lives in a camp in Kaon when I left to go to the camp. They moved a lot of workers to Kaon to rebuild their headquarters first. We had half the city up and nearly finished. But there's a lot of mechs and a few femmes living in the bad lands."
"Bad lands?" Ravel asked.
"The wasteland beyond the rebuild. The criminals are said to live there. They also say when no one is listening that there's mechs there trying to make things better," Ratchet said squeezing his son's servo.
"That might be Dai Atlas. We should've gone to Kaon but they needed us in Iacon. We were making tools and such. We were on our last legs when the Autobots found us and took us with them. They were there spying on things, looking for the Knights that are there," Ravel said.
Ratchet nodded. "I'm glad. I tried to find you, you and Tie. I couldn't. We were made to work, then transferred. I missed you all my life, son."
Ravel laid his helm down on his father's chassis. Then he sat up looking at him with emotional optics. "You'll stay with us. We'll take care of you. You can see all the infants."
"The twins? I saw them," Ratchet said.
"No. The other infants."
Ratchet stared at him uncomprehendingly.
Ravel stood up. "You rest. I will go get one. Will you stay in bed until I get back?"
Ratchet nodded.
Ravel smiled, then hurried to the door to go outside. He ran to the elevator and was down and outside almost immediately. It was a brisk walk to the Metroplex station and the trains beyond. He would disappear down into the station in seconds.
-0-Moments later in Terra
He came out holding an infant, one that was babbling happily. He made it to the station, then back to The City. Ravel hurried out of Metro #2 heading for the school tower nearby. Crossing the street at the lights, he continued onward into the Autobot Youngling and Intermediate Day School tower.
-0-Moments later
He came out swiftly, a tiny yellow and white Seeker mech jogging alongside to keep up. Ravel held Sunspot's servo as a big dog jogged along with them. They crossed the space between towers, then disappeared inside.
-0-Moments later
He stepped off the elevator, then hurried to the door of his apartment. Entering, he put Orion down and turned to Sunspot. "Sunny, keep Orion here a moment, okay?"
Sunspot nodded, then took Orion's servo.
Orion smiled upward gripping Sunspot's servo tightly.
They stood together watching their grand ada disappear down the hallway. After a moment, he came out helping a small mech walk. He was battered and weary but game. When saw the infants, a giant smile appeared on his face.
Ravel helped him to a comfortable chair, then down to sit. A blanket on a couch nearby was tucked in, then Ravel turned to the three little bits watching. He smiled. "Atar, these are your great grandsons or great great. I think," Ravel said.
He looked at them, then grinned. "One of them looks just like Ironhide."
"Ratchet wanted him to be that handsome, too," Ravel said. "The other infant is Sunspot. He's our darling little Seeker. That's his dog, Spot."
Ratchet looked at them, then smiled. "What amazing babies. They're ours?" He looked up at his son who nodded with a smile.
"They are, both of them. Orion was the first infant separated here. Sunspot needed a home and we got lucky. Didn't we get lucky, Atar?" he asked glancing down at his father.
"Oh yes, Ravel," Ratchet said with a smile.
Ravel walked to Orion and picked him up.
Sunspot watched as Ravel put Orion in Ratchet's lap. Then he was picked up, too. Ravel held him as his father examined the little mech sitting in his lap staring at him with a solemn expression. He looked at Ravel. "OTHER ADA! WHO SHE?!"
Ratchet smiled. "He's a loud little thing."
"He's an optimal sparkling. Ratchet and Ironhide had no idea what they were getting into at the time," Ravel said with a smile.
Ratchet held out a servo to Sunspot who took it. "Sunspot, what a handsome little mech you are. I'm your great grandfather."
Sunspot considered that, then looked at Ravel. "What is that, Grandada?"
"He's my atar," Ravel said. "He's my atar, your ada's grand atar and your great grand atar. I think. I sort of get lost there after a bit."
Sunspot nodded, then looked at Ratchet who was helping Orion stand on his lap.
Orion looked up at Ravel. "OTHER ADA! WHY SHE!? SHE GOOD?!"
Ravel nodded. "Very good, baby. Very, very good."
Orion looked at Ratchet, then gripped his helm tightly, pressing his own face against Ratchet's. The older mech laughed, then hugged the infant. "I love you, too, baby. I have waited forever to meet you."
Then he cried.
So did Ravel.
Orion, Spot and Sunspot comforted them as best they could.
-0-In Tyger Pax
They stood on the street watching workers enter and leave the building. The entire panel was removed to go to Sciences for examination. The building was empty, a building that would be a unit exclusive to businesses. There were 24 businesses right now out of the hundreds that would fill it that were waiting for the go ahead which was to be in three orns. Now it was a set back for all of them.
"What do you suppose happened?" Starscream asked Prime as they watched the techs work on the power substation nearby. "I'm sure that there's a servo behind this."
"I would not bet you," Optimus said. "It may be that there are more high castes who do not like the status quo in our midst. I would not be surprised to find more discontented individuals. This is worrisome."
Starscream nodded. "Then we need to run a process on the grid that will allow us to find them without anyone knowing."
"I will have Mirage and Jazz do subsystem searches," Prime said. "This cannot be happening when the refugees come."
Starscream nodded. "I agree."
They talked longer, then Starscream transformed, taking off into the blue sky above. He flew over The City to land at Aerie Hill. Transforming, he walked to the Flight Center nearby. Pausing next to Sky Warp who was working his shift, he pulled a chair to sit. "I want you to run a subsystem search for me, Sky. I want it to be very, very good."
Sky Warp nodded, then began to comply.
-0-Ratchet
He stood beside Prime, then shook his helm. "This is crap."
Prime nodded. "We will get them."
"Eventually we will," Ratchet replied. He looked up at the tower. "I guess I'll head back."
Prime nodded.
Ratchet walked to the metro station nearby. In moments he was gone.
Prime would stay longer.
-0-Moments later in The City
Ratchet walked down the corridor pausing beside his ada's apartment. He opened the door, then smiled. "Well, well. Look at you!" He entered halting beside the chair where his grandatar sat holding Orion. The infant smiled up at him, then offered a cookie to Ratchet. He pretended to take a bite, then smiled. "How is everything?"
"We're having fun, Ada," Sunspot said smiling from Ravel's lap. They sat on the couch next to the chair sharing cookies from the tin that Ravel and Tie kept for sparklings. "Great Grandatar is nice."
Ratchet grinned. "He is isn't he?" Ratchet said taking a cookie. He sat down across from the four of them, then took a bite. "Yum."
Sunspot smiled. "He has the same name as you, Ada."
"I was named after him," Ratchet said with a grin. "I get all my bad, bad ways from him. That makes it this side of awesome."
Great Grandatar Ratchet grinned, then looked at Orion. "The sparkling is going to have a complex. We need to have a name for you. Ada is Other Ada to the bits. You can be uh … Another Atar."
They chuckled. "I like that one, Ada," Sunspot said with a grin.
"I do, too. Call him Atar, Appa or Grandatar. It will be fine," Ratchet said.
"Okay," Sunspot said with a smile.
The door opened as Ironhide peeked inside. "Hi." He entered and sat down next to Ratchet.
Ratchet held out his cookie. "Want a bite?"
Ironhide leaned over and bit the entire cookie. Sitting back to chew the delicious diesel-y tasting delight, he grinned. "Thanks, Ratchet."
"ATAR!"
"What?" Ironhide asked.
"ATAR!? WHAT SHE!?" he asked pointing at Ratchet, his ada.
"Ada."
"ADA!"
Everyone nodded.
"WHO SHE!?" Orion asked pointing to Ravel.
"Other Ada," Ironhide said.
Orion looked at Ravel. "OTHER ADA!?" he asked.
"Yes." Ironhide grinned, then took another cookie. He was more than aware of where this was going.
"ATAR!"
"What?"
Everyone grinned at the little mech who was smiling a face splitting smile. He pointed at his great etc. grandfather, Ratchet.
"WHO SHE!?"
"Ratchet."
Orion's smile froze, then disappeared. He looked at Ratchet, then the new one. "WHO SHE!?" he asked pointing to his ada.
"Ada." Ironhide grinned. "Ratchet is ada."
Orion considered that, then pointed at the new grandparent. "WHO SHE!?"
"Ratchet, your other atar."
Orion looked at him, then his cookie, then everyone. "WHAT?!" he asked in confusion.
Ironhide grinned. "Snap."
-0-TBC November 4, 2013 8-9-19