The Diego Diaries: Free (dd8 115)
=0=On trial
It was deeply silent as Coln concluded.
Primus who appeared inscrutable glanced at the jury. "William Lennox. What do you say?"
Will startled, then stood up slowly. "I have no experience with these mechs other than to say that they tried to attack The People. I'm not sure what you want me to say."
"What do you think?" Primus asked.
Will thought a moment acutely aware of everyone watching him. "I think that when you do something that harms another there should be a penalty for it. I can't say what they did. The mechs know. I just know when someone breaks a law there's a penalty."
Primus glanced at another. "You are his father. What say you, Jonathan Lennox?"
Jonathan startled, then stood slowly himself. "I think I agree with my son. There must be a way for everyone to live together in peace. Having boundaries makes that happen. Break the boundaries and penalties follow."
Primus nodded, then glanced at the children. "Pulley, I find favor with you and all of the children with you. What say you, my son?"
Pulley stood up slowly, staring at the myth that was real before him, the personality that he knew and was told inhabited the planet of their people's origin. "I think, Lord Primus … I'm sort of … I don't like that they were coming to do harm. We, my friends and I work to make things right. We weren't right before. The System and all but we're working on that now. They could have come in peace but they didn't. I didn't know about the Keys but if they love our people, if they love You, then he should give them to Lord Optimus. It could help you and The People on Cybertron in minutes."
"It could, but I fear that he will not do so," Primus said.
Pulley glanced at the other kids, then Echo stood. She walked around the end of the row where she sat, then toward the giant figure. She stopped before him. "You can't get them?"
He leaned slightly forward. "No."
"But you're Primus. You can do anything. My Nan told me so," Echo said.
Primus grinned slightly as a light materialized beside him.
"You can do anything. This tiny blossom's Nan said so."
Primus glanced at the figure who had materialized into what appeared to be a solid gold mech of astonishing beauty, fluidity and youth. "There are limits as You well know."
"Then even You can't get the data," Ebio said with a chuckle. "The Great Primus can't get the data, Cassio, even from you."
The golden figure frowned slightly. "Nasty one isn't he?"
Primus smirked slightly. "It would appear so."
Echo glanced at the pair, then walked toward the two. She paused before them. "If you can help us you should. It would do you a lot of good to help. We do and it makes things better."
"We don't do charity," Ebio said.
Solus who was standing nearby walked toward Echo, then picked her up. "Come, imp. Do not stand too close to this much negativity. Its harmful. Come with Me," She said as She walked back toward Primus and the figure.
"Who are you?" Ebio asked as he watched the golden mech while Solus sat on a chair that materialized out of nowhere. She settled Echo on her lap.
"I am the Matrix," the figure said.
"Is that so," Ebio said as he scrutinized the figure with contempt. "You're the Matrix."
The figure laughed. "Yes. Isn't it great?"
"If You say so," Ebio said. "What comes next? A band? Someone juggling planets? You can't have the data unless we get what we want and even You, Primus, said You can't take it without our consent which we don't give. So what's next?"
"That is the conundrum," the Matrix said as He glanced at the mech with whom He shared a deeply symbiotic relationship. "You must do your duty."
"I will do it," Primus said as he mused on the figures before Him. It had been a very long time since He faced someone who wasn't overawed nor afraid of Him. "I will be keeping both of you with Me. You will not be going back with the rest of this party. You will be recalled."
Cassio stood. "You'd make us stay here?"
"That is correct," Primus replied.
"That's like being dead. Being in the Matrix is being dead," Ebio said as he rounded on MaR-lo. "You need to do something. You're a death penalty opponent. That's why we retained you in case this happened. Speak now."
MaR-lo stared at him, then Primus and the Matrix. She stood, gathering her thoughts. "Lord Primus, I am opposed to such penalties for the living. It would be state murder to take someone here from the living world. I ask that we consider other possibilities before this one."
"Any suggestions?" Primus asked the gathered. It was silent, then He looked at her. "I find favor in you for what you do and believe. I would suggest that since no one dies that this is not murder. Its merely transforming from one reality to another. That happens constantly. Consider the metrotitans who do so to protect themselves and to travel. Is it a death when they do so?"
She stared at him, then glanced at Hemmer and the crowd. "I don't know, Lord. I just feel the need to speak for them. They have no idea of the gravity of their situation."
"They do not," Primus said. "They have no empathy, nor love, no ability to love or feel. They have no other point of view than their own and they cannot see any other. Their ability to see the world and others stops at their exoskeleton. It cannot extend farther, to others because they have no capacity to do so. They take what they want and don't concern themselves with the consequences. Their entire home world was a plunder box and it helped drive The People to the point of extinction. I will let you in on a little secret."
Everyone listened, straining themselves as the massive mech leaned slightly forward on His throne.
"There are no hierarchies in the universe. None. Only the lowest vibrations believe in them. No one in this room is less loved than anyone else. That being said, when a planet agrees to host a species that evolves to sentience a compact is derived between that species and the host. If there is a terrible incident that means a choice between a planet and the species, the planet will be the one who survives."
He sat back, then glanced at Sun and Ironhide. "When you destroyed what you did, you destroyed a planet and a sun that wanted that experience or it would not have happened." He looked at the group again. "Consider this if you feel slightly put out to be second best in this scenario. If the planet dies, how will you survive? Planets need to survive so that their lifeforms can as well. There was never a scenario where I would not survive.
"The destruction of my body stopped short of annihilation because I did not allow it to happen. If that gives you comfort in any of your plans or scenarios, then I am glad. As for you two … you were part of experiences that caused Me much pain and grief. I love My children as a father and you helped in their near annihilation along with yourselves. For that alone, you will be staying here.
"I am hopeful during the length of your reformatting and rehabilitation that you will give to Me the data so that I can give it to Optimus," He said. "However long that takes, that is how long I am prepared to wait. You have no hold over My children, My body or me. I am autonomous and always will be. The only way I will end is with My agreement and I do not give it. I will ask you one last time. Do you give the data to Me?"
"You already know where things are. You're the high and mighty god Primus. You tell me where the Keys are," Ebio said as Cassio began to look around the room.
"I think We have a runner," the Matrix said with a smirk as he stood beside Primus.
Cassio bolted, then disappeared into the light beyond.
Ratchet laughed. "I think I've seen this movie before."
In seconds, Cassio was running toward them, then slid to a halt. He glanced around in a frantic haze, then turned on Primus. "LET ME GO!"
Primus waved his servo and Cassio disappeared.
Ebio stared at the empty space, then turned to Primus. "Where is he!?"
"Safe, secure and being assisted," Primus replied.
"He had the data. I don't. What about me? Will you let me go? I can give you nothing even if I wanted to," Ebio asked.
Primus considered that a moment, then shook His helm. "There is no scenario I can see where you are not a problem to The People. You have done enough." He waved his servo and Ebio was gone.
\
The room was deeply silent, then the Matrix walked toward the jury. "Are you alright?" He asked.
It was silent, then Owen Harris stood. "Lord Primus."
Primus nodded. "Owen Harris of New York and Chicago."
"What happens now? What do we do now?" Owen asked.
Primus considered him checking any number of scenarios where Owen Harris existed. "That is in your hands. It is My delight to see My people prosper. They have suffered enough. I am not in favor of My people's enemies though I will not interfere. It is not My right to tell you how to act. You are a grown man. You already know. It is in your hands when you make choices because the consequences aren't just yours. Other people pay a price for what you do."
Owen stepped closer to Primus. "I would like to know You better."
"You already do," Primus said, then He waved his servo.
The entire gallery disappeared.
"You like to leave them with questions. I like that about you," the Matrix said with a chuckle.
"Well, there is that isn't there," Primus said as around the room everyone else materialized besides Solus.
Onyx stepped closer. "What do You believe they will make of this, Father?"
"I hope something better," Primus said as He sat back to chat.
They would.
=0=In a courtroom on Mars
It took a moment for them to realize they were back in the same places they were what seemed like hours ago. It was silent a moment, then everyone looked around and began to talk. Sitting at the head of the room, Optimus let them a moment, then rapped his knuckles on the side of his chair.
Everyone paused, then turned to him. It was silent at last.
"Everyone … please sit and I will help you understand what happened. Before that though I would like someone from each group that disappeared to tell us what happened to you," Optimus said. "I can perhaps help you understand it and its meaning. I have some facility with the Matrix and Its symbolism."
"I led the civilians and the mechs," Ratchet said. "Everyone but the soldiers. I think."
"What happened?" Springer asked.
"We went on a tour of things," Ratchet said. "We river rafted through the Great Swamp and it was beautiful. Kudon was our tour guide. We had a good time."
Prime nodded, then Springer raised his servo with a grin. "We got to go with the kids to your old neighborhood and play football with you when you were their age. Magnus, Arcee, Elita and you among others, Optimus. Then we went to Six Lasers, rode on everything and had junk food. Ratchet turned out to be Solus Prime and there was no one at the park but us just so you know."
"it was fun," Echo said as Sil and the others nodded.
"I am glad," Prime said, then he glanced at Lennox who had stepped closer to him. "We were with Primus. We sailed to that place on a space sailing ship. Then we all ended up in the courtroom or whatever that was."
Prime considered that. "It is the throne room of The Powers. It would seem that all of you were given experiences designed to nurture and entertain while things were unfolding for the trial to continue there."
"Where were you and the slaggers, Optimus?" Ironhide asked.
Prime considered that, then grinned in spite of himself. "In the belly of a very big fish."
=0=TBC 03-16-2021 03-17-2021