The Diego Diaries: In the Kaon Locker Room (dd6 187)
-0-Around a table in the locker room
Ratchet finished patching and replacing the field patches with something more permanent on the mechs who were shot. Prime, Prowl, Springer, Raptor, a seething Ironhide who hovered around his grandpa, Turbine, and Hot Rod were getting permanent care. Most of the wounds weren't deep and many glanced off in the struggle. They were repaired with consummate skill and speed by Ratchet who joked with them to lighten the mood. It wasn't a good feeling around the room.
Standing around or sitting on benches watching, the Kavaliers, Templars, their coaches, four big opticed little mechs, half the family on both sides, Password and his fellow league officials, and the referees were gathered. Jazz was on the air with the post game show while Blaster was here to get the word. Prime turned to him. "Tell the world, especially the humans, that none of the wounds are significant, that the miscreants were a criminal element that were under surveillance and that all is in hand, Blaster."
Blaster nodded. "Everyone is fine, then," he asked.
Prime nodded. "We are going to be fine. We will announce changes shortly. I will be addressing the colony and Cybertron tonight and the feed can go to Earth. I do not want this to create a bad impression among anyone about who and what we are. We are recovering from a catastrophe and not everyone is making the journey in a good way."
Blaster nodded, then walked out to deliver the news. It was silent again. Ratchet glanced at Prime. "There. Everyone is done. You can do your own paint later. Give it a few joors to set."
Everyone usually carried a kit in their subspace or kept a better bigger one at their homes to do the daily touch ups that sometimes were needed. Most attended detailers but there was always these kind of moments. Prime nodded. "Thank you, Ratchet." He looked around the room at the grim faced players and all the others. "Thank you for your forbearance. I congratulate you on a game well played. This will not happen again."
A big Templar nodded. "Half of us are soldiers, Prime. Half of us are armed all the time. Do we continue that or do we intervene? We can help you and do it right."
"It is my hope that such things will not be required. This is our entertainment and our families and children, our elders and everyone else are with us at these times. We can not have it be a battlefield. Continue your current practice as soldiers but leave this to the Watch. If they need you, they will call." Prime turned to the others, then a seething Prowl. "I need to make a statement. Thank you for a good game." he said to everyone who bowed their helms in respect. Then with the others trailing, he walked to the door and beyond.
-0-At the studio
"Is it common practice for your leader to run across a field to join in on a shooting? I can't conceive any country on Earth either allowing it or having someone in leadership who felt compelled to run toward shooting." -UK sportswriter
"Sure," Jazz said with a grin. "He's a soldier and he leads the army from the front. I know that your leadership starts wars that others fight but the fighting we face, we face with Prime. He's no shrinking violet and he's phase six in his skill. I couldn't best him myself and I don't fight fair."
"I don't see our leaders going into combat for any reason," the UK sportswriter agreed. "I don't see Teresa May grabbing her gun and helping."
"Our femme soldiers are kick ass as you say," Blaster said with a smile. "My bond, Revet, was a great soldier, though he doesn't fight much anymore. He's a young mech but he's no one's fool. None of us are. We mean business. Those kids meant business. Unfortunately for them, our Watch and our soldiers know how to deal with upstarts."
"How many in the crowd come to the games armed?" -American sportswriter
"Anyone who's a soldier carries weapons at all time. All of them," Jazz said. "Most of the heavy arms are in our homes or in our lockers at our home depot or armory. Some of the heavier stuff we keep in lockers on our ships if we get deployed. I carry heavy weapons on me at all times. For those of us in the senior command, you're always on call. Day and night, you have to be ready to come at a moment's notice. That's why the senior command carries all their weapons with them. The regular army and air force bear weapons but grab their heavies when activated. The Home Guard, both ground and air, carry small arms at all times. They don't intervene locally and they're only support in combat situations with the regular army. They don't have the experience and they could get killed.
"Combat is something that you have to have acquired prior to Mars for us to have confidence that you won't go out and get killed right away. There's millions of us here that know how to fight and survive as well as on Cybertron and around the reclaimed Empire. The kids and all the others who join us now are not in that category. They're good sparked civilians who want to help, kids, someone's mama, someone's grandparents. We have them in and train them. They're the last line of defense for us and they help us by training and taking over secondary functions so we as regular army and air force can do the heavy lifting. They're good and highly skilled but they won't be in combat unless they show potential or its that dire."
"Tell us about these kids if you can." -Canadian sportswriter
"We have a lot of kids in this colony and on Cybertron, the inner worlds and the Empire. Most of them are fine but some of them formed gangs. Some were orphans surviving. The twins and I were in gangs. We had to get along by ourselves and gangs were good protection. These kids are caste gangs. You know about castes, right?" Jazz asked. The sportswriter nodded. "One of these is a low caste gang and the other mid-to-high caste. They're mortal enemies and they came here with refugees in a migration. They're the kids of refugees and most of them attend school or work. The high caste gang has the support of their families and parents which is considered unusual. The low caste don't. We're working on them to disband but its a process. They've changed their paint schemes and hidden their gang signs. Most of the time they don't cause trouble but this is a step up. They had guns rather than pipes and knives. They fight, sometimes, and we have them in and out of jail. This was a step too far and Prime will handle it."
"What will happen to them and how will you protect the games from this sort of thing in future?" -Mexican sportswriter
"We've arrested everyone, 44 kids from what I've been told. They'll be tried under Cybertronian law in a Primal Hearing. This is federal so it falls to Prime to judge. It's a good thing, too. Prime is ridiculously fair and a jury probably would hang them high. As for the gun problem, Prime's going to give a comment about it on the news shortly. We'll cut to it, then come back to the after game show. I would think he'd change a few things. Understand … we're a martial society, heavily armed and highly trained. You will never be in a group here that doesn't have someone armed. Even some of the elders carry arms because they're struggling to believe life is safe here or anywhere else.
"I would expect that Prime will make it forbidden to bring guns to the games if you aren't military. I can't say but that's my guess. Our people are solid with the Prime. Whatever happens, we'll see," Jazz said.
"Prime's coming on, Jazz," Blaster said as he checked another monitor. "We're going to cut to him and be back," Blaster said as the screen changed to the Emblem of the Primes.
It was there for a moment, the symbol of an ancient power, then Prime's solemn face appeared. "Good afternoon, Mars, Cybertron, Earth, and the Empire. I would like to address the event that happened in the School District Arena during the Kaon-Simfur game. A dispute among two groups of young people turned into a shooting affair when security came to settle it. Civilians caught in the middle were forced to flee resulting in injuries. There is an elder in the hospital who will recover but the fact that he is there is a shameful thing for all of us to bear.
"We have reclaimed over 23,000,000 of our people from terrifying and difficult circumstances to live here on Mars. Some of them come with great hope and pick up their lives better than others. Some have had terrible experiences and it still shows. This new world we are constructing has to be safe and welcoming. The old manner of settling things outside the law is a hard habit to drop when it was the only law and framework you had. But this is not then, this place is not the wilderness and we will not tolerate it.
"I am, by virtue of the Primal Charter and the Matrix which created me Prime, ordering that it will no longer be allowed for civilians to bring into public spaces any kind of weapon or firearm. You will be arrested should you bring them into businesses, public buildings, sporting events, schools, museums, hospitals, or other places the public shares. The only ones I will allow to carry firearms or other weapons into such locations will be those who have trained to use them for legitimate purposes or for their professional services. The army, air force, Home Guard services, and the policing forces shall continue to remain armed and exercise according to their oaths their conscientious professionalism.
"No one will be first response on a situation like this but the Watch. If they require more, the emergency response teams from the prison, airport and Central Emergency Dispatch will respond. If the situation requires immediate attention, then discretion is given to those who are trained to protect all of us, the military forces of our colony, home world and the Empire. We will not allow criminal behavior backed by weapons that deliver lethal consequences to run rampant. Those responsible for this event will face charges and a trial based on the laws of Cybertron and consultation with the Matrix. We are not Cybertron during the Clampdown and we will not be making arbitrary and capricious decisions about this event.
"I want it to be remembered that if you choose to disobey this ruling you will be arrested. No guns in public places among the civilian population. Those who by virtue of your service in the armed forces have a sacred duty to be honorable in your conduct. This will not happen again." Prime was solemn a moment, allowing the ruling to sink in. "If you have concerns or comments, enter them in the proper file of the Office of the Primes on the Community Bulletin Board where I can review them and give you prompt responses. Until all are one." The transmission cut.
-0-Heading home
The walk to the apartment was solemn, a pall could be felt everywhere and as they went up to have a bite to eat then rejoin to take the kids trick-or-treating, Prime was greeted with relieved commentary by the civilians he encountered. They parted at the 24th floor as Ratchet, Ironhide and the kids walked with all their family to the apartment for dinner. The twins, Bluestreak and the kids went up with Prime, Prowl and their family.
Entering, they put children on the floor, stripped them of their gear, then Ironhide herded them to the wash rack to get ready for dinner. Turbine turned to Raptor who sat in a chair as the others either helped with dinner or sat in the living room. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"I was ready to ask you," Raptor said as he took a beer. "That was fragged."
"It was," Hardie said as he sat on the couch near the window. Halo was in his arms so he sat carefully, settling her in the crook of his arm like the expert he was. "This didn't help us with the humans. Maybe."
"Well, they know we pack heat," Ratchet said with a grin. "I fairly clank when I walk."
"Don't we all," Delphi said as he helped get the food ready with Ravel, Chan and Corr. Docker walked to the wash room to help Ironhide.
The kids danced out, then climbed into chairs. Sunspot looked at the adults. "That wasn't a good thing was it. What do the humans think?"
"They will be surprised and amazed." Delphi handed him a drink and passed out more. "Don't worry about it, infant. We're here to protect you and lead and defend The People. Optimus Prime will make sure it doesn't happen again."
Dinner was parted out, food eaten, the game exclaimed over, then the door opened. Scout and Trooper walked in with big boxes. They sat them down, hugged and remarked to everyone, then sat on couches with beer and a plate. "We came with the costumes. I can't wait to see them," Trooper said. "They were tailored and finished so they should be perfect."
"I can't wait to see them," Alor said with a grin. "Trick-or-treat is a hoot."
The food continued, then was finished. Ratchet turned to the pair. "It's your show now. Tell us what you need," he said as Ironhide set a handful of little jack-o-lantern buckets from previous years down on the table.
Scout and Trooper stood, then grinned at the kids. "You ready for this, infants?"
"I, ORION, DOING THE SHE, APPA!" he said with great happiness. He had no idea what it was but he was ready anyway. The others danced, then Hero smiled. "What do we do, Appa?"
"You let us do for you," Scout said pulling the first costume out. They bellowed with delight, remembering the fittings. "Here, Prowler," he said. "Come to me, my baby."
Prowler danced over and assumed the costume. Hero was next, then Praxus, Orion, and finally, Sunspot. All nine of the big kids watched with fascination. They had read up on trick-or-treat and found the concept sound though the idea odd. They weren't dressing up but they volunteered to help the little kids. Their party at school had been fun and they approved of treats heartily.
"This is cute. What do we do now?" Tru asked as he knelt beside Hero.
"We hook them up," Scout said with a big smile. Everyone else was snapping pictures as Hardie held Halo. "Come to me, Sunspot, then Orion." Both stepped forward, then were hitched together. "Now Praxus, then Hero, then Prowler." One by one, they came and were hitched up. When that was accomplished, hats were placed on helms. They were finished.
Genesis grinned. "That is so cute. What is it?"
"It's a glow worm, grandson," Trooper said with a big smile.
The kids were hooked up, biggest to smallest, in a row. They wore a round green body that had black leggings and sleeves to indicate insect legs. Sunspot wore a hat with antennas and the others wore green hats to match minus antennas. "This is the best part," Trooper said as he turned off the lights. Pressing a button on the little gauge he held, the body suits glowed. They glowed enough that they were almost night light bright.
"APPA! I, ORION, LOVE THIS! THIS FUN!"
Everyone loved it. Of course, they would love it better when they finally got the hang of walking in a line. It took a while to reach the elevator and then the street where Prime and his family were waiting. But when they did, everyone grouped up and together, they headed out to make the rounds of the city center. They would follow the characters from Monster, Inc aka the Prime kids and a glowing glow worm. Their pails would fill up with treats as they were carefully shepherded by nine big kids. Halo would have a bucket, too, though she would be too busy napping in the arms of her great great grandpa, Hard Drive of Praxus to take much notice.
-0-TBC 11-11-17 edited 11-11-17