The Diego Diaries: Party (dd6 204)
-0-At an elevator door
"What's happening?"
The group glanced behind themselves to see Sargent Trevor Smith approaching. He was holding a beer in his hand and a donut in the other. Ron Witwicky turned to him. "One of the mercenaries went upstairs and I think he's probably getting thrashed by Major Lennox."
"We can but hope," Smith said as he stepped closer. It was silent a moment, then he glanced over at the other mercs. "WE CAN BUT HOPE!" he said to the delight and agreement of everyone else.
-0-Upstairs
"Who are you calling a bastard, Lennox? You looking in a mirror? How about you and me settling this?" Johnson said as he came toward Lennox with his fists raised.
"Settle what? This?" Lennox asked as he punched Johnson hard in the face.
Johnson staggered back, then touched his face. His lip was split and he could taste blood. He grinned. "This is going to be great," he said as he rushed forward.
They gripped each other as Lennox was slammed into a wall. It hurt but he had expected it. Gripping Johnson around the chest, he clamped down with his arms until the vice tightened. He felt the air leave Johnson's lungs, then the big merc slammed Lennox again. He felt his grip loosen, then break as Johnson stepped back. He saw the fist coming to his face, then ducked it. Johnson slammed the wall, then bellowed in pain. Rage suffused him as he came after Lennox who was moving around in a circle to draw the big man away from the bulkheads.
Around the room, the aliens watched from their seats at the curved console that ran around the walls. Huge windows showed the outside, inky darkness broken by light towers at intervals. The night sky was pitch dark but showered with stars and the moving lights of craft and equipment, the working stock of the colony. The humans were letting each other have it, something that wouldn't even bother the bots if they were the target but the blows landed showed damage being done to the two men.
"Give it up, Johnson. I have enough to order your arrest right now," Lennox said.
"You can't arrest me. I'm inside," Johnson said as he kicked out hard, hitting Lennox on the hip. Lennox fell, rolled, then was up again. He moved as Johnson followed him, the merc's rage incandescent on his face. "Come and get it, Lennox. You know you want it. I've been waiting for this forever."
Siso messaged Springer about the situation and even though there were extenuating circumstances about the fight that fell into the purview of the humans according to the carefully worked and worded, meticulously designed charter, the fact that this was taking place in the control room of the facility, a place one needed an invite to enter gave the ultimate authority to Optimus.
They clashed again, each of them slamming the other hard. Fists flew, blood flew, and slowly but surely, Lennox began to get the upper hand. He had the edge on experience and practice. Johnson was very highly skilled, extremely powerful and furious. But he didn't have the day-to-day practice and experience that Lennox possessed. There wasn't a day that Will Lennox didn't work out and run practice drills, jog through The City to the amusement of the locals, and keep his hands in. Johnson, for all his ability, skill, speed, and strength, was missing the relentless honing of his skills that the soldiers here had to keep.
Over and over, Will blocked blows, then with a flying kick, he clocked Johnson in the gut and dropped him. He lay on the floor dripping blood as Will stood over him, swaying himself with several cuts on his face. "YOU SURRENDER!? SURRENDER, YOU BASTARD!"
"Fuck you, Lennox," Johnson said as he slowly sat up.
Will stepped back as Siso walked over and peered at the human. "Is he alright?" he asked.
"Yeah," Lennox said as he wiped blood from his eye. It was dripping from a cut over his brow.
"You seep liquids," Siso said, "Shall I call Phoebe Grant?"
"That would be a great idea," Ron Witwicky said as he looked at the others. "Wouldn't that be a great idea? I think it would."
Lennox snickered. "If Ron thinks its a great idea, who am I to argue?"
Graham walked to the com panel on the wall near the elevator, then pressed a button. "Would Dr. Phoebe Grant come to the Command Center elevator? We need you in the Ops Center." He glanced at Will. "This is fucked isn't it."
"Not if I have any say," Glenn Morshower said with a cold expression on his face.
Owen Harris, Kyle Davis, Peri Beliveau, and Mick Moran stepped closer. "General," Harris said. "I would like to take care of this. This happened inside the facility and as such, the jurisdiction is mine. I will make sure that the punishment fits the crime."
"That's where you are wrong, Mr. Harris," Siso said as he stepped closer. He was at the high end of mini-con, a strapping fourteen feet, handsome, smart as hell, good natured, mellow, and kind. He was also fragged off at the invasion. "You are not on Earth2 territory."
It took a second for Harris to get it, then he flinched. "Oh. Siso … I wish to apologize. Sometimes when we drink too much, we act stupid. My security officer acted stupid. Is there anyway that we can deal with this without a big scene? I don't think either side of this issue wants that."
"It's not my place to decide, Mr. Harris. I have already alerted the authorities as per my duty. Chief Springer has signaled that he is on the way. General," Siso said as the doors opened and several individuals began to come inside. Phoebe Grant, Judy Witwicky, Barbara Morshower, Olivia and Joe Bowers along with Sarah Lennox stepped out, Sarah exclaiming at the sight of Will. "Will! What the hell happened?"
"We had a difference of opinion," Lennox said as he hugged his wife. "You might check him over. I think he's heading for bot jail," Lennox said to Phoebe as he nodded toward Johnson.
She walked to him and knelt, her examination beginning immediately. "You wait here, too, Will. I want to see you next. What happened?"
"We can save it for Springer. No need to tell it fourteen times," Will said as he limped to a nearby decorative railing to sit down. Sarah sat with him.
The elevator came up again and more stepped out. Jessie Landon and a pensive James Spencer-Brooks, Camille Brown, Lonnie Epps, Mariah Harris-Davis, Charlotte Mearing, and Seymour Simmons walked to the group, staring around with amazement. Mearing, on the other hand, was all business. "What happened here?"
"Johnson pursued Tika to pulverize him and entered this deck. It's against the law for anyone to come here without authorization. Siso called the Watch and apparently, Drift and Springer are coming," Niall Graham replied. "Both of them beat each other up. Johnson lost." Graham ended the recitation with a note of amusement over the outcome.
Johnson wasn't amused. "If you think I'm going to be arrested by a bot, you're crazy." He sounded almost sober and the belligerence was typical.
"You'll do whatever you're told to do," Morshower said with enormous aggravation. "Siso, could you put me through to Prowl?"
Siso nodded. "Of course, General." He turned to a console, then Prowl's handsome face appeared. He seemed to be at his home.
"General Morshower. I have a rather disappointing message from Earth2. I suppose you are calling about that," Prowl said in his cultured calm voice.
"I'm afraid so. There was a ruckus and a mercenary followed a mini-con, Tika, up the elevator and into the command center. He's broken the law and we need clarification on jurisdiction. Siso messaged Springer and Drift who are apparently on their way."
Siso nodded. "Commander, I followed protocols. I await your orders," he said.
Prowl almost looked like he vented a sigh. He nodded to Siso, then looked at Morshower. "We have no leeway on the charter, General. Johnson will have to be surrendered into Springer's custody when he arrives."
"Surely, Prowl … we can work this out. Johnson will be properly punished for his transgressions. I deeply apologize to you and to the crew here. This was a … terrible lapse of judgment and I promise you, it won't happen again. We truly appreciate the command crew here."
"Those are nice sentiments, Mr. Harris, which I hope you remember next time. Right now, the charter is broken. You are transgressing on sovereign Autobot territory without permission. I have no leeway to make snap judgments about these kinds of incidents outside a formal legal hearing. Even if I wished it to be so, I have no authority."
"Is Prime there?" Kyle Davis asked. "Surely, he has the authority."
"He does," Prowl said with only the most minute sound of offense showing in his voice. "However, he is indisposed. He cannot come to the line to discuss this. As of the moment, our hands are tied. You do, do you not, intend to keep the Charter?"
"Of course, we do. It just seems like a lot of work for this to proceed outside the facility," Harris said.
"One should have understood that prior to this moment. We made a lot of effort to work out jurisdictions because you were insistent on having your own power. We all put our effort and expertise in, then both sides signed it. You agreed to the sovereignty of the command center and you broke it. I cannot countermand a law just because you asked. There are channels and your own avenue of summary judgment is not available. I would suggest that you follow the orders of Chief Springer when he arrives. You don't want to start an interplanetary incident do you?" Prowl asked dryly.
Harris stared at Prowl, noting the unbending tone of his voice and the trace of amusement. "No, sir, I don't wish that. We shall comply. I assume we will have representation for our individual?"
"The legal protocol is clear in your charter. Put in a request for Cybertronian counsel to work with whoever you choose, if anyone. Until someone is certified locally, you have no standing in court to represent this offender with your own legal officers. That also is in the Charter. The court in the morning with be where the charges are read and the pleas taken. Is there anything else?" he asked.
"No, sir. Nothing else," Harris said with a slight tone of defeat.
"Good evening, then. Oh … Happy Thanksgiving," Prowl said, then the image disappeared to be replaced by the utility plant telemetry data again.
"He thinks this is funny," Johnson said as he stood up.
Grant glanced at him, then walked to Will to examine him as well. "He has bruises and cuts, superficial wounds, Mr. Harris. Nothing that requires medical attention beyond taping the cuts closed. Anyone can do that. I would suggest it happen before he leaves here."
"I'm not going anywhere," Johnson said.
"You will surrender to the bots. We will get an attorney and clear this up," Harris said.
Johnson stared at him, then Siso. "How will I survive out there?" he asked.
"We can let Springer and Drift explain that," Siso said as he noted two high powered vehicles drive into the parking lot, then transform. In the pool of light outside, walking past all the vehicles that had brought all the colony's humans here, Springer and Drift headed toward the hatches.
"Then what? Do we go down there?" Beliveau asked.
"Springer and Drift can walk in and come here. I suppose it might be more convenient if we go there. It's up to you," Siso said.
Harris considered the mess, then nodded toward the elevator. "Come on. Let's meet them."
Slowly, following everyone to the two elevators, they all piled in and went downward. The silence was almost painful.
"What a bunch of weirdos, Siso," another mini-con said. He looked at Tika. "You alright?"
"Give me a minute," Tika said as he stared at the elevator doors.
"You can kill him with a slap, Tika. He can't hurt you," Siso said with a grin.
Tika looked at the door, then turned toward Siso. "Oh. That's right," he said with amazement.
-0-Downstairs
They exited the elevator, then walked through the gathering crowd, most of them unclear what was happening. The appearance of Lennox and Johnson, the outrage of the group with them was shocking to everyone, but no one said anything. It was a strange and silent walk across the concourse toward the big habitat doors and elevators nearby.
As they reached it, the bot elevator arrived, the airlocks hissed, then the door opened. Drift and Springer, both of them curious and slightly amused, walked in to stop close to the doors. Everywhere they looked, humans stood together staring at the two of them. Drift grinned slightly. "Why do I feel like I just arrived at my own firing squad?"
"Practice?" Springer asked with a slight smirk. He knelt down as Morshower, Lennox, Johnson, and the rest of the group reached him. "What's up, General? Siso said you have an early Christmas Surprise present for me."
"Unfortunately, we do, Springer," Morshower said. He turned to Johnson. "Johnson, here, invaded the command center, trespassing on Autobot sovereign territory. He broke a number of other rules but trespassing, assault and battery and being stupid without permission should be a start. Harris, here, is going to contact the Public Defender's Office to get counsel in the morning. The charges should be fully sorted out then. Until that happens, we have no authority to keep him and hereby surrender James Johnson into your custody."
Springer who was looking from one man to the next, looked at Morshower with a grin. "Oh, boy," he said, then rose to his full height. He glanced at Drift who reached into his carry hold to pull out a clear glass-like box. He knelt again, then set it on the deck. "Inside, Johnson. Time to take a horsey ride. You have the right to say nothing, admit nothing, do nothing. A counsel will be waiting when the courts open or they're available. Anything you tell us we will tell the courts. It would do you well to weld your trap shut. Do I need to repeat anything?"
Johnson stared at him with real hatred, then walked forward. He entered the cube, the door was shut and latched, then Springer picked it up, holding it out to Drift.
"You want me to carry it?" Drift asked.
"I thought it would be neighborly of you."
"What if he leaks on my servo?" Drift said taking the cube gently.
"That's what curtains are for," Springer said as Drift slid the cube into his carry hold. "Thanks. We'll take it from here. Is Siso and Ops Center okay?"
"They are," Morshower said.
Springer glanced at Lennox, then grinned. "I'm assuming you got that face at the end of Johnson's fist."
"I did," Lennox said.
"How come you aren't taking Lennox?" Carlos Ortega said as he stepped closer.
"Because Johnson was the dumb ass who started the fight," Lennox said. He looked at Springer. "Right?"
Springer laughed. "Yep," he said. "Have a great dinner. We got this," he said as the two walked toward the airlock and the long ride to the special containment lock up at the courthouse jail installed for humans when they finished building Earth2. Jetta was nearly psychic.
The Teasdale twins standing nearby watched them go. "You two are so on my future husband's list," Lola said to Cindy. Cindy nodded. Snickers were had nearby.
They left and the crowd turned to the leadership, both soldier, sciences, consulate, and N.E.S.T. Morshower stepped forward. "The Ops Center is off limits. The bots who work here are not your servants, slaves or calculators. You will abide by the rules or you will suffer the consequences. This problem has been taken care of. Let's go back to dinner and the party. Its all in hand. By the way, there will be a news blackout about this event until its sorted out by the Cybertronian courts. Because he trespassed into the command center, he violated sovereign territory. We will figure it out tomorrow. Right now? I want to relax," he said as he moved forward.
The spell was broken as everyone turned back to the party. Some of them would be able to salvage the moment and others wouldn't. Harris, on the other hand, learned a lot from the event. But that was his intention all along.
-0-TBC 11-29-17 edited 1-9-18
ESL:
Incandescent (in-can-deh-scent) Something that is lit within. To have incandescence is to be lit internally. Sometimes people can be said to be incandescent with rage, that is, broiling angry, almost lit up with emotion.