The Diego Diaries: Free (dd8 109)
=0=Getting on
Ratchet walked from the CMO's office in the Med Center to the elevator to go to the 34th floor where the vast offices of the Secretariat of State and the Diplomatic Department of the Prime of Cybertron were located. It amused him again how many great offices and striking desks he had for the many hats he wore. He stepped off and walked in, pausing long enough to chat with Lucien about the meetings he was holding with the business sector of the Prima Station.
"We're going to have partnerships with a number of small start up tech companies on Earth that will be more advertisement for us than profit for a while. We're going to be working on a public relations program for the station for the next year before unveiling anything that we're going to produce," Lucien explained.
"Sounds good. Get them excited. What sort of things are we going to be doing then?" Ratchet asked as he leaned on the doorjamb to Lucien's large sun filled office.
"Prosthetics first. There's a screaming need for lightweight very flexible and functional prosthetics, one that actually function as replacement limbs to the degree that they feel and act like the original. Also, we want to work on tech that can deal with different kinds of limitations such as that experienced by paraplegic people. If they can have tech that gives them back movement and freedom then its going to be a very good thing."
"Why, Lucien, there aren't words enough to express my delight. You're a slagging natural at this aren't you," Ratchet said with a giant smile.
He grinned. "If you say so."
"I do," Ratchet said. "You're a natural. You were my first and only choice, just so you know. I'm very proud of this direction of our station. We have to be a blessing, Lucien. What else are we doing otherwise?" he asked. Nodding with a grin, he stepped out heading for his office, the giant one with lots of sunlight and assistants lining up to get things done.
Lucien watched him go, then grinned. "Thanks, slagger." He sat back considering the enigma that had never given up on any of them. "Thanks, Ratchet," he whispered before getting back to the job at hand.
=0=Elsewhere
They sat around a table made of light considering what to do about the conundrum of Ebio and Cassio Imperialis. The One was silent as usual about His/Her position on the matter. It was up to those involved and as long as it didn't signal doom to the universe it was Theirs to solve.
"What We have here is a situation," Micronus said with a smirk.
"You state the obvious, brother," Vector said with only mild distraction.
"The Omega Keys would be a blessing to The People and to You, Father," Solus said. "But that would mean a difficult ethical problem for Optimus. I don't believe that he's going to be comfortable with taking the information by any forceful means and they've built fail safes against such a possibility as it is."
Primus nodded. "That is so. What would You do in his place? Would You find a way to jack the information risking losing it if you do? Would You apply pressure on Ebio to make Cassio give up the information?"
"He won't," Onyx said. "He has no loyalty or familial feelings for his brother. They function best when things are functioning best. For him to give up something he has of value for even his brother is a stretch."
"I agree," Alpha said. He was here, called to come. He wouldn't remember He was when He came back to reality. He would only know that He needed and had a nap. "We cannot compel him even if there were no fail safes. That would be part and parcel of the life we have all left behind in the past before The Fall. Coercion is not in Prime's skill set."
"Anyone but Optimus would do so," Solomus said. "He's struggling with this now. What to do, what to do. Does he really believe Cassio has the encryption or is it a bluff? Does he really know where they are or is it a bluff?"
"He wouldn't have anything to give to Optimus in exchange for their freedom," Amalgamous replied. "He has to have something for the transaction."
"A normal person would," Solomus said. "I have always found it a better position to hold not to believe what liars say."
"True that," Onyx said with a slight nod.
"What do You suggest?" Micronus asked as He glanced at Primus.
Primus sat a moment in thought, a moment that dragged out a bit, then glanced at the mini-con. "Direct intervention."
They stared at Him, then Quintus grinned slightly. "I do believe this might be fun," He said.
=0=The next morning
They stood on the street stuffing infants into buses, cabs and the carry holds of elders.
Ironhide had Halo sitting on his arm in a fuzzy onesie with a hat and gloves that looked like fuzzy caterpillars. She was having a happy moment with Alor who was peeking around Ironhide at her.
"Are you going to take that baby to school or do you need an escort, infant?" Raptor asked his grandson.
Ironhide frowned. "I can find the slagging door just fine without a parade."
"THEN PARADE IT IS!" Raptor said as everyone laughed.
"Uh, you don't have to do that, Appa," Ironhide said as he began to back away from the smiling crowd who began to follow him.
"LEAD ONWARD! I, RAPTOR OF PRAXUS HAVE SPOKEN!" he said with a big guffaw. He slapped Ironhide on the back. "You'll never learn will ya, Ironhide? Whatever you ask for you will RECEIVE! WHAT SORT OF APPA WOULD I BE NOT TO SPOIL MY LITTLE MECH?!"
"No, he never will learn," Turbine said with a chuckle, "and I hope you never do, grandson. It makes you just that much more perfect to me when you do this."
It would be with a merry band that Halo and Ironhide would head off to school together.
=0=At the door to the Temple of Primus Pre-School, Autobot City, Mars
She began to cloud up the moment they entered the beautiful building. Several genitors with tiny tots were ahead and behind them walking their babies to their school. The first orn was meant to help them be friends together and today would be no different. There would be activities for them to do as little teams that would break down any shyness that would be a problem to their happiness here.
She leaned into Ironhide gripping his face with her tiny servo as the two of them walked to the door of the school. Behind them came solemn faced elders and Ratchet, all of them feeling to some degree the angst that filled Halo and Ironhide.
Sela was waiting at the door expressly for Halo noting that she was the only child who was still struggling to find a sense of home with them. When they reached her, she held out her servos. "Halo, I've been waiting just for you."
She shrank back into Ironhide who patted her, then gently handed her over. That was when she began to cry.
A few moments later at a sidewalk cafe ...
They sat together eating ice cream, a number of mechs who looked incredibly alike and a red and white medico. It was silent and for some, glum.
"It'll get better every orn, grandson," Hardie said. "You did the same thing when you started school."
"I didn't get to go to school," Ratchet said as he scraped the bottom of his bowl.
Ironhide glanced at him. "Slagger. What makes you think I'm going to care about that right now?"
Ratchet glanced at him, then grinned. "Your inherent goodness?"
Ironhide smirked slightly. "Oh. That."
Huge laughter greeted that, then Hardie dropped his spoon into his empty bowl. "Time to motor. No more whining, infant. Time waits for no mech."
Ratchet who took an off line call glanced at him. "Never words spoken that were more true."
Moments later …
They began to file into the courtroom of the Courthouse at Autobot City. The defense, prosecution and Barron's team were there. The humans who had been following and a number more were there as well, a courtesy of Ratchet.
The interested audience was there including a number of mechs who were part of the 'usual crowd' who wanted to see the Imperialis brothers strung up, the original fifteen kids who started the kid auxiliaries with the Watch and Med Center as a 'learning moment' Springer had said to Herling by text to get them here for a possible Pantheonic intervention, Ironhide's family, Prime's who'd come to watch, Prowl's elders who had a voice in some of the testimony, Springer, Drift who had Tell in his carry hold, Magnus and the femmes, Partition who was with Lancer, Maelstrom who was with Chromia, Rockwell who was waiting for Sun and Jack who were here along with Lissie who had invited the Empress who was an old friend, Steiner and Flint, Wheeljack and Perceptor who were in the building already and a number of personnel who were here to see what would happen with a Primal decision at stake, Paragon with Arrow, Chevron, Lauren, Metroplex and the Great Elder.
Prime and Prowl were out of sight with No-a and Semi, doing whatever happened in the chambers behind the door in the front of the room. Everyone else sat silently including an array of witnesses that included Ravel, Docker, Appa Ratchet, Corr, Chan and Tie Down. It was tense and expectant.
Then the door opened.
Semi, No-a and Prowl stepped out followed by Prime. Everyone stood as they took their seats.
Prowl rose. "Please be seated and observe the decorum."
Everyone did.
"We've received a message from The Powers that Lord Optimus will relay after the defendants are brought into the courtroom. Bailiff?" Prowl said as he glanced at Hercy.
Hercy opened the door, stepped back and the two mechs walked in under guard. They were shown where to sit behind Hemmer, MaR-lo and their team.
Blackstone himself drawn by the drama sat in the audience with Lon, Bezel and a number of the usual mechs who hung out together all the time.
Hercy glanced at Prowl. "They're here."
Prowl glanced at Optimus. "Sir."
Prime sat a moment as still as a statue, then stood. "A moment ago the Matrix gave to me a message about the trial as it stands. No one in this courtroom save a few of the most senior Autobots knows that something grave has been brought forward to place itself adversely before The People who I, in form, represent.
"Given that the matter is unprecedented and that there was no advice given from the Matrix at that moment, I put the trial into a continuance until such notice could be made. It has been."
Ratchet watched the Imperialis brothers during Prime's recitation and noted that they were surprised by the remarks thus far. Apparently, it wasn't as cut-and-dried as it would appear. Their level of concern spiraled upward though no one else could probably tell how far. Ratchet with his medical optics could.
"This is a situation that is as serious as things can be. What has been proposed by the Imperialis brothers in return for a sentence basically of their choosing has ramifications for everyone both here and on Cybertron. It impacts the health and well being of our lord, Primus Himself. Therefore, I have had to defer to the Powers to decide what course would be best for the most useful outcome. They have weighed in."
It was almost suffocatingly tense in the room as some shifted with nerves.
"Springer, open the door and ask those in the hallway to enter and find a seat," Optimus said.
Springer moved to the door as Hemmer stood uncertainly. "Lord Optimus … I don't wish, that is … we are talking about witnesses who haven't given testimony yet."
"I am aware," Optimus said. "I require their presence."
Hemmer sat down slowly, watching as Springer leaned out of the door, then back in.
The group outside rose to walk in, finding seats in the audience until the room was filled. It was a confused group that arrived. When they were seated Optimus glanced at Coln. "Is there anyone else who needs to be here?"
Coln glanced around, then shook his helm. "No, Lord Optimus," he said half rising from his chair to bow slightly. He sat nervously, glancing at Prime, then the witnesses.
"Lady MaR-lo? Hemmer?" Prime asked.
"Uh, they appear to be here, Lord Optimus," Hemmer said as both he and MaR-lo rose and bowed to him. They sat themselves and the room grew gravely quiet.
Prime stood as if listening, then glanced at everyone slowly, as if gauging their mettle. He lingered on the humans a moment. "There will be a trial of this case but it will not be held here. I would like you to understand that at no time will there be a moment when you are not held in the arms of the greatest love possible."
With that said, everyone in the room disappeared.
=0=TBC 03-09-2021 03-10-2021