The Diego Diaries: Findings (dd6 159)
-0-in Courtroom #11
Burris stood uncertainly, a shadow of his former aggressive arrogance. Keystock stared at him for a moment. "What happened to you, Atar?" he asked with surprise.
"I … I have taken a new look, son," Burris said. He thought a moment, staring from Anders emotional face to his son. "I have a new … this is new." He shifted uneasily. "I just want to say .. I want to say that I love you and want you home. But … I just … I don't support you on this matter." He shifted again, then sat down. Gripping Anders' servo, he stared with dread and confusion at his son.
Keystock stared at his father, then the others in the room. "What do you mean?" he asked. "I just … I'm fighting for my rights and everyone else."
Bezel stood. "Keystock, the Prime outlawed The System. If you persist, you have to undergo an honor fight with him. You just have to stop. It's over and done. You have to adapt like the rest of us."
"Speak for yourself," Cargo said, then hesitated. He glanced at his ada whose expression was falling rapidly. He shifted with uncertainty. "Ada … I didn't … this is hard. I don't want you upset."
"I am," Anders said with force. "I need my family around me. I worry that things will never change. I can't live the old life anymore. I have a job. I … I have a job today. I work with Joon and Edict at Full Circle. I'm going back there when this is over. Keystock … I want you to do the right thing. We didn't … I didn't raise you to be cruel. This is cruel. Listen to me for once."
It was funereal in the room as Anders stood up. Burris rose with him, clinging to his servo. "I want peace. I want us to be a family. All my life I lived to someone elses rules and demands. Now, I want to be free." He paused a moment as if to hear his own words, such was his surprise to assert himself. He looked at Burris. "We failed them, both of us. All three of them. We did terrible things. We have to make it right, Burris. Do you understand?"
Burris looked distraught as he nodded. "I want what makes you happy, Anders. I don't want you to hurt yourself again. I want you to be happy and I want this family to be together." He looked at Cargo, then Keystock. "You have to understand that your happiness is not going to be granted at the expense of everyone else. I've done … things. I have a debt. I will pay it because when I do I help Anders and all of you. You have to do the same, both of you. Bezel has made his way. He's a police officer of some distinction and regard as well as a bond. Its time for all of us to … to re-evaluate … things. We have to … to do what we must. Do you understand?"
Cargo and Keystock stared at Burris like he had grown three helms. They glanced at each other, then their genitors. "This isn't you. I don't know what's happened to you, Atar, but this isn't you," Keystock said.
It was silent in the room as futility ensured a standoff. Ironhide glanced around the room, then spoke. "Are there anymore comments to be given?"
Keystock turned to him, then stiffened. He stood with gripped servos and a stoic, cold expression on his handsome face. Cargo turned back to the front, then looked at the court. Nothing was going to go right today, he considered as he watched Ironhide.
"Then comments are closed," Ironhide said. "I turn the case over to the court." He walked back, then sat down to stare at those in the room as the court debated the outcome off line. It was silent and tense as everyone watched, Burris holding Anders' servo, his fear for his bond clear on his face. It was a new look most of those in the room thought as they waited.
After about a breem, Hardie stood up and the fear factor in the room jumped through the roof. He looked at everyone, then focused on Keystock. "I am Hard Drive, General of the Army and soldier in the General Staff of the great Optimus Prime. I speak for all of us here. We have heard the petition and considered all the factors presented by you and your counsel, most of which have been heard and adjudicated by us already. I am aware that your imprisonment prevented you knowing all that we have decided in other cases. Therefore, I will outline it and tell you your fate. I have reserved the decision to me alone, something that is in my power to command.
"The Caste Courts only continue to exist because they serve the purpose as an avenue in which truth can be reached and because the Prime still sees a virtue in them because of the unwillingness of former high castes to grow from their experiences. None of the information you presented stands. We are aware that you preferred to hear your punishment from someone of your own caste, rather than that of the Prime or a court. So be it. I am Praxian Military Elite, the eldest yet recovered and that makes me the leader of that caste and thereby, the highest placed individual according to The System of Exception that lives.
"What I say becomes law," he said calmly. "As it stands, your arguments are rejected. They have been already decided. Prime is Prime wherever Cybertronians exist. The Primal Charter and all the related documents support that. There is nothing new presented by you to challenge those facts. The Matrix chooses from Its own free will, thus, Its decisions are final and not available for challenge by anyone short of Primus Himself. Your arguments are nil and rejected.
"What must be decided is what to do about your various serious crimes against the peace of the world and the Order of the Prime. You are charged with terrible crimes, cowardly ones, crimes that you refuse to see as such. Therefore, it is obvious that you are in need of instruction by capable individuals who have the best in mind for our culture and society always in the fore front. Therefore, I am assigning you for a tour of indefinite servitude to General Raptor of Praxus. You will report to him every orn and do exactly what he tells you to do no matter how menial or insignificant. You have no sway nor say over this order. I also appoint to you as I have appointed to your brother, Turbine of Praxus as your spiritual counselor and mentor. I believe as a Maker he will help you straighten out any doctrinal points about what Primus and The One expect from all of us toward each other.
"You will obey, give due reverent attentiveness to the honor and dignity of General Raptor, and meet his demands and instructions to the best of your ability. If you fail to do what you're told, as long as you're told, wherever you're told, you will be handed back to the courts to stand trial for your many serious crimes against the state and the Peace of The People. You will obey. You will do so with good grace. You will act in such a way that brings dignity to you and your house. There will be no other way for you to redeem yourself.
"The outcomes for you if you defy the will of this court will be a trial and most likely, long term incarceration in the prison. Understand … when someone goes to prison, their families go with them. Your ada has had a very hard life. Your father is coming to his senses. Don't be the one who sets that back." Hardie looked at everyone in the room, then Keystock. "I have spoken. For now, you will turn toward Optimus Prime, kneel and apologize for being an aft."
Keystock stared at him with shock and confusion a moment, then the habits of a lifetime stepped in. A Praxian had made an order. He had to obey. He turned around to stare at Prime, then knelt down. Lowering his helm, he barely managed the words that he spoke formally. "I apologize for my behavior, Lord Optimus. It was unworthy of me and disrespectful to you. Please accept my apology."
Prime glanced at Hardie, then nodded. "I accept," he said in the simple proper response.
Keystock stood, then turned stiffly to the judges. Hardie stared at him, then the others. "I am making my decision to help those who need it to adjust to the new paradigm. I am well pleased with your efforts, Anders, and you as well, Burris. I am aware of how far you have had to travel. Cargo is going a good job with me. I am happy to have him in my command. General Raptor will assist Keystock to make the changes that are needed to live comfortably and happily in the new world we inhabit. I ask that you have confidence in the court and continue to make your way forward to the great happiness of your son, Bezel and the rest of us."
Anders who looked at him with hopeful optics, glanced at Burris who nodded. Then Anders bowed his helm. "Thank you, Lord Hard Drive. My boys … they're good. They just need … they need someone to assist them."
"Then we shall," Hardie said. "I, Hard Drive of Praxus, declare these proceedings closed. If you wish to bring up anything that wasn't addressed by the court, Keystock of Iacon, then you can request a formal Primal Hearing through the Offices of the Primes. We stand adjourned."
It was quiet a moment as the tension bled out like a deflating balloon, then Hardie looked at Cargo. "Comfort your ada and atar, then meet me outside. We have to go to Cybertron and assist The People once more." He looked at Keystock. "You do the same. You will be going with General Raptor." Hardie then stepped down from the dais and walked to Prime.
Cargo stood, then walked to Anders who stood up himself, pulling Burris with him. Cargo hugged Anders who clung to him, holding him tightly. "I'm proud of you, Cargo. You're the aide-de-camp of a great general," he said with a smile. "What an honor being chosen."
Cargo glanced at a pensive Bezel, then managed a slight grin for his ada. "I got lucky, Ada," he said. "All you have to do is be happy. We're going to be fine. We're having adventures. You work at Full Circle?"
Anders smiled brightly. "I do. I get to work in the sales end. I help customers find wonderful things. I'm so happy. I've never done that before. When you get back from Cybertron, both of you," he said glancing toward Keystock who had walked to him, "we can go to dinner. We can attend the games and do all kinds of things. Won't that be fun?" he asked hopefully.
"It will be wonderful, Ada," Keystock said as he hugged Anders tightly.
Cargo looked at them, then his father. He hesitated, then hugged Burris. Burris clung to him, then turned to Keystock. Keystock was filled with fury and frustration. He didn't move to Burris until Anders turned to him. He hugged his father perfunctorily, then turned to Hard Drive.
Raptor walked up, then grinned at Anders. "You two sound like you have a life. I heard you're working at the hospital with Ratchet, Burris."
Burris looked at Raptor with a brighter expression. "I am."
"That's a better paint scheme for you than the other, though I did admire the midnight blue," Raptor said. "You look very good."
Burris stared down at himself. "Thank you, Raptor. I'm going to have to get used to it. It's so different."
"You look wonderful, Burris. It will help you get around more easily," Anders said, then he looked at Raptor. "I know Keystock will deport himself with honor. Thank you, Raptor."
"It's my pleasure, Anders," Raptor said. "I just want you and Burris to be better. Don't worry about your sons. They have strong backs. They'll manage." He grinned, then looked at Keystock who stiffened under the scrutiny. "Come on, Keystock. Pull the stove pipe out of your aft and keep up." He turned to his father. "We're heading out. We have some munitions dumps to empty out."
"We've been draining toxic dumps and helping get shelters out to the boondocks. Keep in touch," Hardie said to his wayward son. They shook, then Raptor slapped Keystock in the chassis. "Keep up, recruit." Then with a nod to Anders and Burris, Raptor walked to the door. Keystock hesitated, then walked after him, the two disappearing right away.
Cargo watched them, then Hard Drive as he came back to where they stood. "Time to go. Give them your best as a good son does, then haul aft, infant," Hardie said as he walked to the door to leave.
Cargo hugged his genitors, walked past Bezel and Lon without a glance, then left the room. It was silent a moment, then Ratchet turned to Anders and Burris. "Well, Burris, you're mine now."
Burris nodded with a slight grin, then looked at Anders. "Are you going to be alright?"
"I have to finish my shift and help close Full Circle," Anders said.
"We'll take you there, Ada. Then when you get done, why don't you go to the Medical Center and meet Atar," Bezel said. "We can go out to eat and maybe see a movie. We need to have some fun after this."
Anders glanced at Burris who nodded. Looking at Lon and Bezel, Anders smiled. "You're right, of course. They're both in great hands and they'll learn. They will, won't they?" he asked.
"It is my experience, Anders, that given an opportunity and the right motivation, most do," Optimus said. "I have faith in your children to rise to the occasion. You both have and you're setting the example every orn."
"Lord Optimus," Burris said. "I wish I could understand everything but I float in a sea of confusion. I do know that I want Anders to be happy and safe."
"Then you begin in a good place," Optimus said. "Every journey begins somewhere and if you start this one with the well being of others firmly in place in your thinking, then you are on the right road."
He looked at Optimus, then nodded. "Thank you. I … I'm learning new things. Ratchet has been so kind as to take me along. I'm … grateful."
Prime nodded, then watched as Bezel and Lon turned the two and walked them to the door. Bezel paused at the door, then looked back. "Thank you all so much."
They nodded, then watched as the youngling left with his genitors and his bond. It was silent a moment, then everyone looked at Ratchet. Prowl grinned. "I think you're filled with voodoo."
"You know, that might make a nice name for a sparkling," Ratchet said as he began to walk to the door.
The others stared at him, then each other. Ironhide began to follow. "You really don't mean that do you, Ratchet? Voodoo?" he asked as he disappeared out the door.
Prowl chuckled. "It couldn't be worse than toilet snake."
Prime grinned. "No. I do not think anything is worse than that," he said as he followed Prowl out to the big world outside.
-0-Later
Cargo stood in line handing buckets from the mech on one side of him to the mech on the other. The bucket brigade was emptying out a hole in the ground that was essential to the progress of something or other that was underway. He was part of a long line of mechs that were passing filled buckets away and sending empty ones back to the hole. It would be a long, long afternoon.
-0-2,000 miles away
They threaded their way through a mountain of debris as they made their way to a big shorted out power station, one that had to be rebuilt to bring a lot of the local substructure below the surface back to life. Raptor walked along with the local leadership laughing and telling jokes. Keystock followed holding a lot of gear, some of it to be left and others to be distributed to local children, books, candy and toys. It would take a lot of stumbling and staggering through the slag heaps all around them, some of them dangerous and unstable before they reached the site.
Ragamuffin children watched them from the shadows as they gathered together. They would see the site, gather the civilians, then take all of those unnecessary to the problem to a clearing several miles away for air evacuation to a camp. Keystock would carry three babies in his hold and someone's very old and debilitated appa on his back through the long torturous trip to the evacuation landing zone. Then he would go back three more times to do it all again. He would struggle to keep up with Raptor.
-0-TBC 10-14-17 edited 12-09-17
ESL
Perfunctory (per-funk-tori) Something that is done short and sweet. If you look something over perfunctorily, you do so without a lot of care and time. A glance.
funereal: (fune-near-ee-ul) deathlike
On the matter of caste courts: Prime still finds value in them as a way to force high castes into line because the orders given by a Praxian must be obeyed. There are rules to breaking The Code. Since they corrupted law on Cybertron for everyone else, they break those laws without a backward glance. so Prime wants the leverage of caste court, though it really has no legality anymore. The obedience of the high tones is more a habit than a belief in the righteousness of the courts. As long as Prime sees a benefit for defusing trouble, they will last. They are given credibility for their decisions because Prime allows them.