The Diego Diaries: Go (617)
-0-Out there
"What is the update on the signal?"
His second-in-command turned, then walked to stand beside his captain. "We are approaching a spiral arm that appears to be the residential reference of the signal. Whatever group or system it is part of is directly ahead. We shall be entering a large cometary field, a large interstellar cloud out of which the signal resonates. It would appear that Prime has established himself and perhaps has a defensive position against anyone who is not welcome. It should be assumed that he would not have made his call without being assured of that one point."
"It would appear that the traitor Starscream has joined him. Their message was intertwined. There are others. Any success in deciphering them?"
His second shook his helm. "Not yet. It would appear that the Seekers fooled even Megatron. I am not sure that those messages can be read. They appear to either be an unknown Seeker language or a code of impressive complexity."
He sat back, then nodded. "Make it so. I want to be fully advised when I face Prime. When I kill him I want him to know he won't be the last."
His second nodded, then turned back to communications. They would work hard and long on the signals. They would have no success in deciphering them.
-0-Autobot City, Mars
He handed the mixture to his customer, bowing his helm in the respectful manner that he used when he spoke to anyone. His pharmacy was the busiest in the colony, outpacing the hospitals to the point where patients were directed to him from there. Behind him, his bond worked to fill prescriptions too having finally graduated from pharmacy school herself. She was a petite, a Seeker femme which was a rarity.
They worked together along with three assistants to fill the orders, help their customers with all their health needs and questions and mentor younglings who wanted to explore medical careers. He had begun one himself at the suggestion of Ratchet. When Ratchet had assisted him and his family at their arrival pulling his babies back from death's door, he had made an obligation that would be life long for Breezy.
They were a very small but highly influential clan in Seekerkin that was respected universally. They were old school, old fashioned and mysteriously enough, entirely pacifist. They had been part of the Missionaries, the Peace Mission of Primus that had tried to prevent the war. They had even come out of their region to help protest. Of all the Seekers, only this clan was against the war. They did not fight and wouldn't. It was against their most deeply held religious beliefs.
However, they had joined the Home Guard to fly and help. Even if it was uncertain they would ever pick up a gun, it was extremely clear that they would serve. They were a small but growing portion of the overall Seeker population. They were respected and held in high esteem by them as well. Breezy as the senior member of this clan attended the Clan Council when it sat to discuss their business. He was personally asked to do so by Rainmaker.
The door opened as customer entered glancing around the impeccable space with its plethora of health care opportunities standing on shelves in rows, hung on walls in artful displays or set on tables along the back wall, all designed to be accessible to anyone who had a need. He smiled and nodded his helm in the respectful manner of his people. "Welcome. How may we serve you today?"
As he helped them, he had no idea that far out in space someone was struggling to decipher messages sent over the secret Seeker array to others in need and despair. He could have helped them however even though he would die before he did. They were encoded in his language.
-0-Home on the Range
They arrived at the apartment in time for the delivery of their order. Ratchet opened the door as Ironhide pulled a huge cake box out of his carryhold placing it on the counter next to the sink. Two younglings walked in and made the delivery cheerfully. After a moment of banter, they ambled out to make more deliveries. The grocery now used the heads up entrepreneurial talents of their former in-house delivery younglings who had gone out on their own. Instead of food delivery by the store team, it was now delivered by Speedy Delivery Service. Oddly enough, one of the founders was the brother of Speedy, currently doing his Home Guard service on Earth.
Ratchet closed the door, then turned and walked to Ironhide. Slapping his servo hard, Ironhide put the lid back down on the cake. Glaring at Ratchet like a thwarted Orion, they stood nose structure to nose structure. It was silent a moment. "Are you as turned on as me?"
Ironhide nodded. "Ready to rumble?"
"Born ready, Ironhide."
Cut to The Sexy Aftermath, an interlude of metaphorical cigarettes after wild aft Greco-Roman wrestling 'foreplay' and the Big Yowzah.
"Ironhide."
"What?"
"You haven't lost it."
(Enormous preening grin) "I know. I AM IRONHIDE!"
"You are that, Only One." (Grin) "Where's Prowler?"
Pause. "You sure know how to ruin the moment." -Ironhide
Ratchet snickered. "You are such a wimp. What a poltroon you are."
Intensely frowning optics turned in the semi darkness to stare holes into the superstructure of a tall red and white medical mechanism lying next to him on the big old berth. "I'm not afraid of anything."
"Liar."
"I'M IRONHIDE! NOTHING SCARES ME!"
"I have an email from Herling."
"OH PLEASE! DON'T TELL THEM! DON'T ANSWER IT!"
Ratchet snorted, then looked at Ironhide. "I don't have an email."
ENORMOUSLY frowny optics stared at ENORMOUSLY smirky ones. "That was low even for you."
"I know but I can't let you get the upper servo. Every time I do I get sparked."
It was silent a moment, then a big wimpy mechanism glanced across at one two steps ahead of him. "I was thinking about that, Ratchet."
Ratchet snorted, then laughed out loud. "I imagine you did. Do. Tell."
Ironhide frowned slightly, then smoothed his expression. When one went to war, one's hand mustn't show. Or was that poker? He glanced sideways staring at Ratchet's profile. It was beautiful. Even with a fake chevron, Ratchet was beautiful. "You know we were aiming for a football team." -Ironhide, putting a toe digit into icy water
"We were?" -Ratchet the Intensely Aware
"Yep. Fifteen." -Ironhide the Hopeful
Silence.
"You still there?" -Ironhide the Uncertain
"Barely." (Grin) -Ratchet the Spiteful
"Well, we have a bunch to start the team. Sideswipe, Sunstreaker … you didn't even have to spark them. Sunspot either. That leaves Orion, Praxus, Hero and Prowler." -Ironhide, matriculating
"You forgot Springer, Didn't spark him either. By the way … where's Prowler if I have to ask? Again?" -Ratchet, checking Ironhide's math
Huge frowny optics return. "Slagger stole him at Ops Center. Slagger needs to get his own sparkling. When is he due?" -Ironhide the Pissed
"Less than six orns." -Ratchet the Amused
"Good." -Ironhide the EMPHATIC(ally pissed)
It was silent again.
"Well?" -Ironhide the Wimp
"Well what?" Ratchet, making him work for it
"We need seven more sparklings, Ratchet. Just keeping count."
"If we divide them between us we can have all seven in less than two Earth solar years." -Ratchet putting on the breaks in the best and worst way possible
Ironhide felt his ire rising even as images of seven more sparklings running around on the floor with his face mesmerized him. He glanced at Ratchet. "Does it bother you that Prowl is catching up?" he asked harpooning Ratchet in his weak spot.
Ratchet frowned slightly, a tell for Ironhide, then grinned. "It does. That slagger never has a hard time. He didn't even know he was sparked until I told him. I peel paint off the wall and he pops them out like a toaster. There is no justice, Only One. None at all."
"That's what I say. He's going to catch up and pass us," Ironhide said building on his obvious score.
"I think that if we put our processors together we can stay ahead of the curve here, Ironhide. Even if the school nails Prowler I think I know of a way for you to have someone to take around like you do him."
Ironhide felt the energy tingle through him, then turned his helm to look at Ratchet. "You do?"
Ratchet nodded as he stared at the ceiling, a grin firmly in place. "I do."
Pause.
"Tell me, slagger." -Ironhide the Impatient
Ratchet turned to look into Ironhide's optics. "Let's adopt Mudflap and Skids."
Military life teaches you a lot. Among the many and sundries is a vocabulary that would level civilizations if artfully applied. Ironhide was no exception.
Moments later …
He sat at the table grumpily holding a pan of 'potatoes'. Ratchet was peeling their 'outer skin' in preparation for baking. On the table was pair of big deep pans. Laying in them with seasonings … the usual sprinkles of iron and magnesium were four of the biggest energon chicken shaped 'chickens' that had been given 'chicken' flavor in the vast databases of Rampage and his Project. That is, he had set out to reproduce every dish and ingredient that caught his fancy, human or Cybertronian, giving it a format, flavor and set of useful characteristics so that anyone of any skill level could make anything and it would taste good.
Even Ratchet.
When the bowl was empty and sitting back on the counter, Ironhide watched as Ratchet placed the potatoes around the birds. He put in other things too including ears of corn. When the pans were groaning with goodness, he turned and began to put them into the ovens.
"Where's the gravy?" Ironhide asked as he watched Ratchet close the last oven.
"What?" Ratchet asked pausing.
"The gravy. Where is the gravy?" Ironhide asked.
"Why, baby … its right here," Ratchet said turning to hold his arms out wide.
Ironhide snorted, then laughed. "You are one twisted slagger."
Reaching into the stuffed fridge, Ratchet retrieved two beers. "Come on and pout over here," he said as he walked to his green chair to sit.
Ironhide rose, walked to his red chair and sat down sulkily. Ratchet grinned. "Oh baby … don't do me that way."
"You've been listening to hip-hop again."
"Jazz and Blaster play the greatest music," Ratchet said taking a big sip. "Ah. Nothing like a cold beer after a hot frag."
Ironhide snickered. "Dirty old mech."
Ratchet looked at him, then smirked. "I can change."
"DON'T YOU DARE!"
They sat drinking beer a moment. Then Ironhide looked at him. "We need to discuss the next sparkling whenever it comes."
Ratchet nodded. "Tell me your thinking since you are the only one thinking about this right now."
"You aren't?" Ironhide asked with a bit of surprise. Even for an oblivious mechanism like him.
"I watch boxing matches in the sandbox by our first progeny. It takes a while to absorb the shame," Ratchet said.
Ironhide considered that. "I hear ya, though I will say his technique is really good. When he plants himself for battle like he does, I tear up." He glanced at Ratchet who was staring daggers at him. "But then, I agree. Whatever you said or ever say, I agree."
Ratchet laughed aloud, then looked at Ironhide fondly. "You do love your sparklings."
Ironhide nodded. "I remember the first time around. I didn't think it was time, that things weren't safe enough. If anything happened to you or the sparklings, I would leave for the Matrix too. They just look up at me and I find myself their slave. Hero … she makes me tear up, she's so sweet. A mech needs a daughter. I told Prime."
Ratchet nodded. "She is that far up the awesome scale. They all are. We had our time, Ironhide. We had flexibility. We could come and go. Now … I wouldn't trade it."
Ironhide nodded. "I want a son. Need a backfield now, Ratchet. Got the line pretty much set. Now we need a back field, goalie and two alternates minimum."
Ratchet grinned. "If you say so."
"I DO! I AM IRONHIDE, DESTROYER OF WORLDS, ATAR TO SHORTIES! I BRING HOME THE ENERGON AND WASH HERO'S TU-TUS!"
"I expected you to shrink them. Bravo for you, Only One," Ratchet said with a smirk.
"I found the best stuff to wash them that doesn't break down the little doodads."
"The frilly things?" Ratchet offered helpfully.
"Ironhide nodded. "I also don't put them in the dryer."
"I wondered what they were doing hung over a rack in there."
Ironhide nodded. Then he grinned. "Don't tell anyone."
"I won't," Ratchet said as they clinked their bottles.
"So … what do you think?" Ironhide asked trying to hide his hopefulness and failing miserably. As usual.
Ratchet grinned. "Sure."
Ironhide blinked, then looked at Ratchet's smirking face.
"I'll be there to catch it, Ironhide," Ratchet said with a smile.
Military life teaches you a lot...
-0-TBC February 9, 2014 edited 2-26-14
PS Guest, thank you for catching the mix up. I fixed it. :D:D:D:D:D:D