The Diego Diaries: Suspension? (dd6 80)
-0-At the Central Office of the School District, Metrotitan
They drove into the building, entering a space that Metrotitan had made to specs and then some. Though the building was grand as the headquarters of learning in the colony and by extension of the Empire, it was taken well beyond that by Metrotitan who was pleased to host the Central Office of the school district. The lobby soared overhead as the vehicle drove in toward the elevator. It was completely faced by marble, a substance that titans could emulate if not completely transform. It was intensely beautiful and elegant. A bank of elevators stood to one side in the well lit vast space including the obligatory sizes for humans and Hu-An.
They entered, then Graham called for it to go directly up to the top floor where Herling ruled his kingdom with a benevolent hand. It was silent on the way over and silent on the way up. Graham didn't say anything as he watched Harris sit stoically beside him. He was aware of the process of humanoid screw ups. Because they, the Harris' weren't Cybertronian the incident would not only be reported to the Central Office hierarchy but also to the Office of the Primes. Anyone who screwed up on world who wasn't a citizen required this submission.
Harris wasn't aware of it yet but Graham was. However given the circumstances he wasn't about to touch off that landmine. That was why Herling got the best office in town, to do that detail. Slag had to have its perks he thought with a slight grin.
They drove out into a long wide corridor with offices along both sides. The corridor looked marble as well and the doorways of each office were marked by columns. Most of the doors were open and as they passed they watched staff working in beautiful spaces with wonderful window views of the outside world.
They reached the doorway to the offices of the Director for Education for Mars, Cybertron and the Empire as the script on the door stated. Graham drove in, then parked beside a couch for guests.
Sitting nearby, a youngster was working as an assistant to Herling's office manager and secretary. He looked up, then grinned. "Hello, Mr. Graham and Mr. Harris. The Director is expecting you. Please go on in."
Graham grinned. :Thank you, Mo: He walked toward the door which seemed a long way away across glisteningly shiny floors. The door to Herling's office was open so they headed for it.
Harris followed silently then he glanced at Graham. :Why don't we drive in?:
:Courtesy: Graham said with a grin. :Besides, I need the walk. Don't you like walking in less than one third of the gravity of Earth?:
Harris considered that, then glanced at Graham. :I had forgotten that. I think I do: he said as they continued onward.
Soon they reached the door, then entered a vast office with amazing appointments and furnishings. A bank of computers with monitors were running along a wall, all of them fitted into the décor like they were in wooden cabinets. Comfy chairs and couches were here and there as was a big conference table with chairs all around it. His desk was big, covered with work and pictures of infants. He was siting there absorbed with his business. He looked up, then grinned at the two. "Welcome," he said. "Allow me."
He rose, then walked to a cabinet to pull out two comfortable chairs. Putting them on the table, he gently placed both there, then sat. They sat, too. It was quiet a moment then Herling considered at Harris. "I believe you got my message."
:Yes, sir, I did. I would like to apologize for my daughter's actions. This is a new world for us and she's highly enamored with the colony. She wanted to share it with the rest of Earth and her friends and didn't think about the consequences of what she did:
Herling nodded. "That is true. Children will be children. However, I'm in a position of enforcing a rule that's designed to protect the rights and privacy of everyone. We're delighted to have more children from Earth. Our experiences with them have always been positive and beneficial to both sides. We expect that the new children from Earth2 who have next to no experience with us to make a mistake now and again. However we made it clear in the directives given to all Earth2 parents that this was not acceptable. You read the directives, right?"
Harris nodded. :I did. My daughter was told by me that I wanted her to be appropriate and abide by the rules. We're very aware that the planet will not be forgiving if something happens. I want my daughter as I want all the new settlers to understand that all rules will be followed. I don't want any incidents to happen that cause injury or discord. I'll be honest with you. I'm very unhappy with my daughter that she would be the first one of us to flagrantly break a rule:
Herling nodded. "I understand. Please be aware we make sure that our students are safe, that they work together in one unity and that when something happens they understand why we cannot allow it to happen again. Your daughter will be facing a three day suspension over this action. We've confiscated the camera and when the decision is finalized at the School Board meeting in two days it will be returned then. Your daughter will serve out her suspension if the Board decides upon one in this building, spending her school day under supervision of the detention staff. She will have her education with them."
:Don't they call it jail school? Wasn't Orion in jail school for a while?: Graham asked with a grin.
Herling smirked. "I'm not allowed under confidentiality rules to answer that question. Ask Ratchet," he said with a wink.
:Sir, is there no appeal process for this? I'd like to know if there is some way that my daughter can stay with the class and show by her behavior that she's contrite and sorry for her actions. She's just now getting into the routine and this seems a setback: Harris asked.
"I'll put the proposal before the School Board when it meets in executive session. Nothing about this will be spoken of beyond that meeting due to confidentiality rules. The Office of the Primes will be informed because you're not Cybertronian. All incidents out of the norm are reported to the Prime. We, however, have jurisdiction over the process. You can appeal to him. He bears weight in all decisions on world. After all, he is the Prime." Herling sat back. "We open our doors to you with a happy heart. We would hope that this won't happen again. We understand that children are children but our own have rights, too. We will be back to square one, no harm, no foul once the determination is made and any penalty if conferred is served."
:Can I come to the school board meeting then?: Harris asked.
"Yes. I will message you on the time to be there," Herling said with a nod.
Harris stood up. :Thank you, sir:
Herling nodded, then glanced at Graham. He grinned. "Conferences soon."
:Mine is tomorrow. I think Niall is doing very well and I can't wait to hear about it: Niall agreed.
"It's delightful to have human children among our own. We welcome them with open arms." He looked at Harris. "Your daughter is one of them if she understands unity."
:I'll discuss it with her, sir. Thank you for your time. I look forward to the meeting to figure out the way forward for all of us: Harris said.
Herling rose, then put them on the floor. They waved, then walked out. Herling watched them go, then vented a soft sigh. "I hope so, Mr. Harris," he said quietly. "We only want unity for all." With that, he walked back to his desk, added Harris to the school board meeting list, then dove back in to his job.
-0-Driving back to Earth2
"What's it like to conference with them? You have a son. Do you have other children?" Harris asked as they jetted through town heading for Earth2.
"It's great. My boy attends Sparkling Day and has from day one. They're intensely academic and they work hard. The kids get a spectacular education. They use a dormant metrotitan orbiting Saturn for a science platform and bring the kids there for projects."
"I know. I just got a permission sheet for her to go there and use the telescopes for something they want to do in astronomy. Trypticon, I think he's called," Harris said. "It might be that Rain can't go there this time around."
"I don't know," Graham said. "They don't carry grudges and they want the best for the kids. Whatever the schools need, they get. They only have to ask. They even have electron microscopes for the science units they teach. They have a rocket station and the science and weather sites on the TransWorld Highway are designed for them to go to and work at projects. There's nothing they wouldn't do for the kids here. Your daughter is no different. When we go to the conferences they tell us everything about Niall from his health to his grip to his ability to talk. We hope to have more kids but he's our only child. He couldn't have a better start if I tried to find it."
It was quiet as they drove onward with the Basilica's spires glistening in the distance.
Harris stared at it. "Can we go there? To the Basilica at some point when we got to go out?"
Graham nodded. "You can. You can go there and the Mausoleum. The museums, libraries, city governmental buildings, hospitals, the different official places are open to you. The Temple and the grounds around it, no. Same with the shrines that are just being restored here. The Pavilion is showing relics through the middle of the month. Then they go back into the museums, art galleries and vaults. That's in the Temple Precinct and off limits, too."
"What sorts of relics and artifacts?" Harris asked.
Graham considered that. "Some of the oldest items ever known by man. Swords hundreds of millions of years old that are nearly sentient. Beautiful art and images. So many things, all of them fantastically old and revered. They're very dangerous, some of them. They require a prime to manage them. They read his energy and are rendered safe. I never saw so many beautiful and strange things until I came here."
They passed through the last metro district. It was a straight shot forward. Traffic thinned out as they worked their way through the long wide highway toward the slowly emerging towers of the Earth2 installation far ahead.
"I understand that there are gettogethers among the various habitats. We'd like to have a party for everyone as soon as we get on our feet. Is there a group or a person we should contact about this in the human community?" Harris asked.
"Contact the office of the Resort and asked for Lois. She's General Morshower's daughter and she runs the events side of the resort for everyone. She's the contact person for all the personal stuff between the groups. Also, Thelma Lennox and Willa Epps, Bobby's grandmother. They're part of that group."
"Thank you. We want to be part of the team. This is very unfortunate for everyone," Harris said.
Graham grinned. "Kids aren't adults. They screw up. It'll pass over."
"I hope so," Harris said as they drove toward the turnoff to Earth2. In moments, Harris would be inside and Graham would be hoofing it back to The City and his tour in the command center of N.E.S.T. HQ.
-0-Prowl
One of the five aides for Optimus who ran the Office of the Primes handed a data pad to Prowl. He read it, then walked to Optimus who was sitting at the command table going over the latest intel for all sectors of the Empire. Prowl sat, then slid the data pad to Optimus.
He read it, then looked at Prowl. "This is unfortunate. I am sure that Mr. Harris is most displeased. The question is with whom? Us or his daughter?"
"Hard to say with that ice cube. He's elected according to Herling to go to the school board when they hear this and decide upon punishment. I suppose I should go, too," Prowl said. "To represent you and the office."
"I suspect that would be a good idea," Optimus said. "I want to keep a close tab on him. I am disturbed that she would do this without permission. Our children deserve privacy."
"I told Jazz to take it down, the website. Spirit and T-Bar were among those in the videos. I'm also much displeased," Prowl said with a slight smirk.
Optimus nodded. "We will not be exploited but she should have the chance to recover from this. I suppose there are penalties?"
"Three days in-house suspension which might be problematic given that they've just started and missing a few orns of classroom time could be a setback," Prowl said.
"Please listen to what transpires and feel free to speak for me on this matter, Prowl," Optimus said.
Prowl nodded, then rose to walk back to his job.
Optimus returned to his.
-0-That afternoon at Youngling Day on the way home
The human child contingent of the Autobot City Unified School District were carried in their transport boxes to the bus which would take them to their habitat. 47 human children from Earth2 and 3 from Earth 1 who were Sparkling Day students would be rolling down the road together. The N.E.S.T. kids would be taking a cab from Centurion to the Family Tower now that grandmas, grandpas, uncles and aunts were residents there. No more hoofing it to the Resort or N.E.S.T. HQ to wait for shifts to end to go home.
The four babies from Earth 1 which included Niall Graham and Angus Wilkerson rode to Centurion in a cab with their aide to be loaded on the bus. It would deliver the children who would be under supervision of a bus aide to their habitats while Niall would board the cab with Annie and her crew. They would take off toward the Family Tower without aides to help along the way. They were getting to be professionals with the transport system on world.
Rain Harris boarded the bus and sat with Camilla and Lilly. It was quiet on the ride home. When they got there they stepped out of the bus in the airlock then went inside. Putting their gear and helmets in the slotted spaces, they walked inside with everyone else.
Parents were waiting to hear about the day including Owen Harris. He stared at his daughter with a stern expression. She stared back, then followed him to his office where he shut the door. Turning to her, he frowned. "You're going to be suspended for three days, Rain. In-house."
She stared at him, then shrugged. "Alright. I don't care."
"You should," Harris said as he sat in his chair. He stared at his daughter. "You read the rules. You did it anyway."
"I want to have the biggest account on Youtube. I want to be famous on Youtube and Instagram." She stared at him defiantly. "Let them suspend me. It's only three days."
"A copy of the incident went to the Office of the Primes. You're not a Cybertronian. All infractions go there," Harris said.
She sat in a chair looking at him with all the defiance pampered youth can muster. Her fourteen year old teenaged angst was powerful. "What does that mean?"
"It means he could kick you out of school back to the habitat or even off world," Harris said. "I agreed with your mother that you could come here and have experiences. You agreed to abide by the rules. If you can't maybe you need to go home."
She stared at him a moment then nodded her head. "I will follow the rules then."
Harris stared at his daughter measuring her capitulation. It wasn't like her to give in. "You better. You could be going home persona non grata."
Rain stood. "I have homework. What is in-house suspension?"
"It means that you go to the Central Office and stay in 'jail school' for three days. You work with the teachers there. I don't know how you're going to explain this to your classmates but something tells me that you won't be seen as a rebel for this. You'll be seen as a troublemaker."
She stared at him, then smirked slightly. "It's like you always say, Dad … no pain, no gain." She walked out the door to go to their apartment.
Harris watched her go, then sighed. "Fuck," he said quietly.
-0-TBC 8-1-17 edited 8-4-17 3-12-2022