The Diego Diaries: Wheelin' (dd8 103)
=0=There
They stared at each other, Semi, No-A, Prowl and Prime on one side and Kudon with Sentinel on the other. It was silent as Semi, Prowl and No-A stared at the two with astonishment.
"Optimus Prime, I am delighted to see you, old friend," Kudon said as he walked to Prime with his servo extended.
Prime gripped it. "Kudon. You look wonderful. I am happy to see you again."
Kudon turned to No-A and Semi, then extended his servo. "I am happy to see you here. I have been watching the trial with the others, hoping against hope to see some contrition from the defendants."
"It's a forlorn hope," Semi said as he gripped the servo of someone who once was a very great opponent to decency and possibility. "Why are you here, Kudon? I'm aware that you live here in service to others. That's the highest calling in my book."
"I am here to show Sentinel the error of his ways," Kudon said with a smile at the big hulking mech standing nearby with an array of things going wrong on his body. "In case you wanted to know, all of the malfunctions on Sentinel's armor represent the things he did that weren't legal, loyal or decent. As he learns, the repairs begin. I'm living proof of that. I'm now herald to Prima Prime and I serve Him and The People in every manner required."
"You're aware that a dimensional version of you lives in our prison? He's bonded to Nero of all femmes," Semi said.
No-A nodded silently.
"I am, though it pains me to know how unenlightened I was in now two dimensional planes," he said with a grin. He glanced at Prime. "I think a walk with Sentinel might be the ticket, Lord Optimus."
Prime glanced at Sentinel, then Kudon. "I would like that." He walked to where Sentinel stood, then glanced down the beach. "Please, Sentinel. Walk with me." Then he began to walk down the silvery beach toward the giant 'fake' planets.
Prowl glanced at Kudon. "I suppose you want them to speak together. Alone."
"I am open to suggestions, Prowl," Kudon said. "Sentinel is a very hard headed mech."
"He's an ass," Prowl said darkly as he watched the two walk off together.
The sound of the ocean was soft with silvery colored water lapping at the sandy shore. The sky overhead was beautiful, almost mother of pearl in texture and sheen. The planets were too close along with their huge moons but the image was astonishingly beautiful. The sounds of their pedfalls were muffled by the sand.
"You have nothing to say, Sentinel?" Prime asked. "I would think you would have curiosity."
"About which thing, Optimus? There are so many. Perhaps you can recite them for me," Sentinel said in his deep edgy voice.
Prime considered that. "Our colonial population on Mars has reached 220,000,000 individuals. Whenever we find a group we always find more. Millions more than we believed survived are being located and sought out for even more. The catastrophe is being assuaged through the love and efforts of our people."
Sentinel considered that. "That's a good thing," he said noncommittally. "Things could've been different but they are what they are."
"Things are what we make of them and what we accept. Karyll Wheelus and his family are in trial at the moment. It is their turn to face a trial with special circumstances. Every orn our people walk in to court to talk about what happened to them and your name pops up often."
Sentinel halted, waiting as Prime did. They stared at each other a moment. "I did what I did for the betterment of our home world. Cybertron was going to fall to the barbarians and I had to ensure that it would rise again. I don't expect you to understand that."
"I understand much, Sentinel," Prime said. "I also know that you never included our people in your equation."
"Our people are gods, Optimus," Sentinel said. "They were born to rule the universe. They built the first space going civilization, the greatest culture and society anywhere. We were first in every calculable measure you can name. They do not serve. They lead. They rule. It is to our everlasting discredit that a pile of scrap like Megatron ever managed to get the upper hand. You failed to beat him."
Prime stared at him a moment. "You made Megatron inevitable."
Sentinel stared at him, then the sea. "Nothing here is real. I'm not ever clear that you are."
"I am," Prime said as he bent down to pick up a shell. It was translucent it was so finely made and the kind of pale blue that his daughter Sojie loved to use in her images. He subbed it.
"I doubt that will reach the real world with you," Sentinel said.
"One never knows unless one tries." He glanced at Sentinel. "My daughter loves the color."
"What's that like, Prime? The first one to have a family and children. That's one for the history books," Sentinel said as they began to walk again.
Prime considered the loveliness of his children and the fierceness of Prowl. "You missed everything when you did not make a family for yourself."
"I was busy," he said curtly.
"Busy with Wheelus and the rest of the mob," Prime said. "You missed out on every possible avenue of life, Sentinel … professionally and personally. I have no regrets on those matters myself. What do you regret?" he asked.
They walked a bit of the beach before Sentinel slowed to a stop. "I regret that I couldn't finish my plan. I regret that Megatron destroyed our world. I regret that I didn't kill him myself. Other than that …" A faint grin crossed his face, then was gone.
Prime nodded. "You do not regret that destruction that came with your failure? The death of so many of our people? The ruination of our reputation in the galaxy among other species?"
Sentinel considered Prime. "We will rebuild again. No one can match us. As for the failure part … I give that to you. I do believe that given your virtue and my attested lack, it would appear that your views were no more able to beat that barbarian than mine. If you were indeed favored by the Powers, then why didn't you win, Optimus?"
It was heavy between them as the sore spot was prodded.
"If your ideas were so important that you would run like a traitor and leave our people abandoned, then why did you not win, Sentinel? Why did you have to run away when the fighting was ongoing, when there was need for leadership? Perhaps you were the problem, Sentinel. A leader who abandons his people in the worst crisis of their history is a traitor and a coward. What mystifies me is how you cannot see in yourself what everyone else does. Why is that?" Prime asked with a bit more fire than he intended.
"I am no coward. I was looking for a way to save our people. We were to be gone only a couple of orns," Sentinel replied.
"You were gone forever. You lied, faked your death, then left. It did not matter if you were going for a few orns, that you went at all during such a fraught time tells the whole story." Prime glanced at the ground, then picked up another shell. This one was a luminous light green. Solus loved that color. He subbed it as well. "I was left to fix your failures. I was left to try to halt the inevitable ending which your unpreparedness and incompetence fated to happen. Even in the Matrix you are still deluding yourself."
"We can fight over incompetence all night," Sentinel said. "You were the Prime that lost Cybertron. You were the Prime that lost to Megatron. That is how history will remember you, Optimus Prime."
"I do believe that there will be more to it than that, Sentinel."
Both turned toward a figure floating in the air.
Prime bowed. "Lord Micronus."
"There is none other," Micronus said with a slight grin. "Our mutual friend here is not making much progress as in 'none at all'. We hoped that a stroll with you would help but he's awfully stupid."
Sentinel glared at Micronus. "I may be many things but I'm not stupid. I'm also not a mini-con." He grinned without mirth at Micronus. "I think that would be a fate worse than death."
"Aw," Micronus said with a chuckle. "Do you really?"
"Worse than death," Sentinel hissed.
It was apparent to Prime that Sentinel had history with many of the Pantheon. This felt old and lingering.
"He's having trouble changing," Micronus said almost as if reading Prime's mind. "He likes to pass blame to others. Don't you, child?" he asked, then Micronus waved his servo. When he did Optimus gasped in spite of himself.
Standing next to him was Sentinel but of an order smaller than real life. Sentinel Prime looked himself if he were a mini-con. Prime glanced at the floating god's smirk, then down at Sentinel. He stifled a massive desire to laugh, of all things.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!?" Sentinel bellowed with surprise. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?"
"I would think humility and the possibility to walk in someone else's peds. Take it however you wish, Sentinel. Or shall I call you Shorty?" With that, Micronus disappeared.
The sound of running peds drew the two from the moment. The others were following Kudon who was hurrying to where they stood. They reached the pair, then stared at Sentinel with astonishment.
"You really have to stop insulting the Pantheon or making threats couched in outcomes you can't live with, Sentinel," Kudon said.
"Fix this, fragger. Do it now or I'll rip your arms off," Sentinel hissed.
Semi guffawed then stifled his laughter. "I wish I had a camera."
"I would lend you mine but they are such primitive things."
Everyone turned to the voice to see Onyx Prime standing beside Prima. They bowed to both, then glanced at Optimus.
Prime glanced at them, then the two gods. "Lords, what is your desire with Sentinel? Will he stay in this manner or be changed back?"
"It is up to him," Onyx said, then Sentinel was gone with a wave of the massive Prime's clawed servo. He glanced at Kudon. "I put him back in his place."
"Thank you, Lord Onyx," Kudon said as he bowed slightly. Then he turned to the three and Prime. "I have to go, Optimus. Know that I'm ever in debt to you and your uncommon decency." With that, he faded from view.
It was silent a moment, then the four turned toward Prima and Onyx.
=0=TBC 03-02-2021
NOTE: Just a note to let you know that the chihuahua had a bad spell and I trudged into the vet expecting the worst. I came out with a whole other plan. Little imp is going to be fine but its going to take a bit of time to pull him back together. I wish you could see the tiny cone of shame on his neck. Its a blue blow up device that prevents him from digging at the itchy stuff. Its hilarious. Think putting a flotation device around your doggo's head.
:D
Then I got my last covid shot.
All around, a perfect way to end the day. Just so you know, I've had ZERO side affects from it and I recommend everyone who can to get them. There are two with Pfizer and its so relieving to have them don't be surprised you go home for a nap and wake up the next day. I know some places require you to be old and others just fast off the mark. I think you will be fine and dandy if you do. Just take care out there. Life is a shit show but it will get better. I believe in hope.
Hugs and love forever, Granny