The Diego Diaries: Femmes (dd6 239)
-0-In the conference room at Ops Center
Millow looked at the devices, then Prime. He was probably the most composed person Ratchet had ever seen given the circumstances. He went through his database on the family, then linked to Teletraan to fill in the holes.
Millow, son of Haverseen, a huge industrialist who made medical components and was the largest producer of them and medical supplies in the Empire. He created treatments and could set the price, effectively making them out of the reach of most. Many were the citizens that died because of it and no one ever paid a price for his greed besides them. Millow was raised in the best schools, kept the best company and was a force to reckon with in spite of his low key and calm appearance. He didn't have a career, per se. He was Traachon's confessor, partner in all things and a pretty good strategist in their milieu. However, that set and lifestyle was gone forever and it would be interesting to see him try his stuff in the here and now with experts. Given what they had already done, it would be a wild ride.
Millow glanced around the room, then fixed Prime with his calm gaze. "What do you want me to say, Prime?" he finally asked. "You have my daughters, son and bond in custody. These obviously came from my daughters. I don't know what they are. I'm not a physician. Perhaps you can enlighten me."
Prime stared at Millow without comment so Ratchet leaned forward on his elbows. "I took those out of the skulls of your daughters. They were wired into their processors and seated next to their optics. Do you know how dangerous that was? To put add-ons in the processor and to place them that close to the optics is to invite death or worse. We removed them and your daughters are denatured. We know that they went to Earth to build relationships with the Resistance. We know that they were part of the destruction and bombings that transpired here. We know that you want to restore your privileges and you will do whatever it takes to do that." He leaned in closer. "We also know that your bond is responsible for the death of Emirate Xaaron."
It was silent a moment, then Millow shrugged. "I am not aware of my bond's business and I doubt that what you have said is true unless you have hard facts to prove it. I would suggest that you either charge me or let me go."
"You may wait outside," Prime said coldly.
Millow nodded, then rose. He walked outside to wait by the door with a pair of Watchmen. When the door closed, everyone turned to Prime. He was silent, then turned toward Blackstone and Barron. Coln was standing by the wall with Fenix. "Is there anyone here who can give me more insight into these individuals?"
"I knew them but I never trusted Traachon. He was ego-driven and mad for power," Barron said. "We never socialized with them because they were in a different mindset than Alto and me."
"My family was close until things became so out of balance, Prime. They were the fanatical branch of the family. My own genitors weren't military like his. They were arts oriented. We drifted apart when our grand genitors passed onward to the Matrix. It was like a truce was in place as long as they lived that we would be civil to each other no matter what. After that, it was open contempt and we came apart. I even had to hire Hauser to protect us. That's who Traachon is. Even me and mine weren't safe from them. They created an army in the Diaspora and wielded it like a club. They're only loyal to each other and their goals."
"What is the legal standing that we have regarding Millow? We know he knows but what can we prove?" Prime asked.
"Other than our suspicions, short of a conversion from someone, we haven't got a lot," Coln-2 said.
"Suggestions?" Prime asked.
Barron leaned back. "We have enough to hold and charge Denita and Stormy. We have a trial in three orns with Traachon regarding his parole violation. Millow is less solid ground. Perhaps surveillance would be in order, track him on the grid. See who he congregates with and all of that. Of course, given the status of the Empire in modified martial law, you can do more than that."
"I will not," Optimus said. "I would like you to put Millow on the grid, Springer. I want to know what he does and who he does it with. I want to be on top of this. Given that his daughters were part of a bombing campaign, we cannot discount them picking up again. Where is Waldeen at the moment?"
Coln shook his helm. "He's serving a sentence in jail. He got into a fight in a bar."
"He did?" Ratchet asked with surprise. "When did this happen? I try to go to the more entertaining trials held."
"It was a short time back. He got into a fight and was carted out. He was insolent to the judge and the usual three orn sentence is extended to a decaorn," Coln said as Blackstone nodded.
"He abused his attorney at the trial, verbally, and he appears to be beyond hope right now. I won't have my staff abused," Blackstone said.
"Nor should they be," Optimus agreed. "We have to understand that there will be some who will not change and find their way in our society. We have to be vigilant and protect the greater society against them. What is the status on the bombing investigation?"
"The forensics are complete. We're still working out the sequence of events. That they didn't register on the grid is a problem so showing how they were delivered as well as those which were overloads of structures on site will be difficult. We want it all in a row before we present it to you for a Primal Hearing. The entire group is on the grid and we're watching them closely. I set up a tactical team that works out of the secondary command center in our tower. We're creating a team that can do tracking, both of trends and individuals, predictions … figuring out what someone is going to do before they do it and to gather intel on threat. A bunch of smart kids are the analysts working with some from Cybertron and the army who are whizzes at this sort of thing. Our analytics are going to be crucial in maintaining law and order on multiple worlds. We're still working out the problem, Optimus," Springer said as Drift and Hauser nodded.
Prime nodded. "Very well. It would do then to monitor Millow, keep the others in jail and work out more of this problem. Please present to me whatever you have worked out as soon as you can. We can hold them according to the legal limits but not beyond. This is not Cybertron during The Clampdown."
They nodded. "What about Millow then?" Barron asked.
"Springer, tell Millow he may go home. Tell him that we will be continuing our investigation and that includes both him and his family but until then, he is free," Prime said.
Springer nodded and with Drift in tow, walked out to speak with the big mech. The door closed behind him.
It was quiet a moment, then Maddow leaned forward on his elbows. He looked wretched. "I wish to apologize for my family, Lord Optimus. I know they are making their own path but they're family and I feel responsible."
"You are not," Prime said. "I am sorry for your family situation but you have no burden in this. Everyone is endowed with free will. Some cannot make that jump when the paradigm changed. They are too rooted in their own world view."
"I know," Maddow said. "It was the way they were raised. But for the Grace of Primus, my genitors could have been the same."
"There's a lot of us with the same situation, Maddow," Hard Drive said. "We have relatives, if they still live, that had a lot of similar ideas. They were in-laws, mostly, but they were entitled. It would appear that some learn and some don't. I feel for them but I wasn't them. You should consider that, too."
Maddow nodded. "Thank you, General," he said.
It was silent a moment, then Prowl sat back. "Then we have a plan, such as it is," he said.
Prime nodded. "We do," he said as he stood.
The door opened and Springer returned along with Drift. "He listened and said nothing. I'll have him on the grid, level 1 priority."
Prime nodded. "Very good. Then I think we're finished here. Thank you for the time."
They left slowly, heading back to their remaining joors of the orn. The next one would be a normal work day and they would have their usual catch up meeting before heading to their stations and offices. It would be with a few more problems than before.
-0-Gathering up again with the youngin's
They stood at the side of the water park as the kids were gathered. The femmes and Hero were standing around Ironhide, his family and Ratchet. "What did they do with the femmes?" Arcee asked as she collected Hero's gear.
"They invoked," Springer said as he watched Orion and Praxus hop into the tidal pool. A wave rolled in and they went up and down, laughing madly as the other kids hurried to join them. "They're in jail."
Arcee gathered up dropped gear as well. "Good. They're where they belong," she said with a faint trace of bitterness.
"What's the plan for the weekend with you?" Elita asked Ratchet who was stowing the gathered child gear into his carry hold.
"We're going to get the little slaggers ready for school. We don't have a life," Ratchet said with a smile.
"Then we better have fun now," Lancer said as she pushed Partition into the pool. They had arrived behind everyone and he had barely reached the group before falling in. Lancer jumped in behind him and thus, the rush was on.
Paddling toward the infants towing a small round raft, Ratchet began to put them into it, grouping them to ride the waves. Orion, Praxus and Hero bobbed on the water as they waved to their adult family. Those maniacs were racing for the stairs and the giant water slides that made this place a phenom.
It would be a great afternoon.
-0-Driving around still, inside a very protected car, relaxing without head gear
They rolled through the city of Terra, staring upward at the gargantuan towers that seemed to be as thick as trees everywhere they went. "I like that they have overhead walks and streets," Silvio Lombardi said. "We need to go to Tyger Pax and try them out."
"Where's that?" Todd Baseman asked as he lounged in the passenger side of the truck.
"Way the hell and gone that way," Silvio said as he drove with the heavy flow of traffic. The giant multi-directional roundabout was coming up that would send them in any number of directions. "Let's go there," he said as he entered it, drove around, then exited in the right direction.
They disappeared into the traffic.
-0-Water Park
Raptor sat on a chair sipping a cold one with a plate of snacks beside him. A small cow on a leash stood beside him dozing. Patting him happily, he glanced at his grandson who was doing same with his daughter, Halo. A big dog was lying on his side beside Ironhide's chair and all was well in their worlds.
"What's on your agenda tomorrow?" Raptor asked.
"I have to plan a new munition the Seekers want," Ironhide said. "You? Need I ask?" He grinned.
"Well, we have to break in the cow. My pack mule is going to be taking care of Pudding. I don't trust my cow to just anyone. I'm going to train that pack mule the right way," Raptor said with a grin.
"How much weight is Keystock carrying in the backpack, Appa?" Ironhide asked.
"Well, its the same weight as two footballs … about 600 pounds. It's not enough to break his back but enough to put a dent in his attitude. Now, he can hold the leash, too. As for getting the cow in and out of areas, I can carry him myself. Until he proves himself totally worthy, Keystock only gets to hold his leash. Right, Pudding?"
The cow glanced at him, nudged his leg with his soft nose, then fell back into recharge. Raptor grinned, then patted his side. "We had a lot of animals but never a cow. What a shame we didn't have cows on Cybertron."
"Are you going to get a little horse?" Ironhide asked.
"Don't tempt me, infant. You know I have a weakness for animals, the cuter the better," Raptor said with a laugh. He grinned. "This is the life."
Ironhide nodded. "It is."
At that moment, coming out of the tube that wound around the ceiling of the entire mall, hitting the water at about 65 miles per hour, Ratchet, Alor, Delphi and Turbine emerged. They landed with a thunderous crash and a lot of screaming, then disappeared under the waves. Bobbing like a cork on the ocean, three little infants laughed loudly as they rode their little round raft in the tumult.
"Those infants are a caution," Raptor said as he glanced at Halo. She was sound asleep. "So is she."
"You won't get an argument from me," Ironhide said.
-0-Family Tower
"I think that would be a great idea," Annabelle Lennox said as she sat in the lounge at the table set aside for kids to work upon. She had gathered her school work along with Sandy and James. "Daddy?"
Will Lennox who was sitting with a number of men and women watching a football game from Earth glanced at his daughter. "What, Princess?"
She grinned. "Can I go talk to Uncle Optimus tomorrow?" she asked.
"Why?" Will asked as the men and women watching glanced her way with curiosity.
"Because he was a friend of Zeta Prime and I have to write a paper about him," Anna said.
The adults stared at her, then each other. "Zeta Prime?" Fig Figueroa asked. "Which one was he? Was he good or what?"
The kids stared at the adults, then each other. Annabelle looked at them. "He was a prime who tried to change things. He was a good one who tried to make things happen faster than he could and ended up messing up. Don't you know that?" she asked almost with incredulity as the other two kids nodded.
The adults stared at them, then each other. "Uh, no," Will said. "We don't go to school here."
"Oh. Can I go ask him?" Annabelle asked.
"Ask me tomorrow, Annie. Optimus, after all, is the sole leader of a multi-planet empire. He might be busy," Will said.
"He and the others told us if we ever needed to know something or needed help we could come to see them," James Hoyt said as Sandy and Annie nodded.
The adults stared at them, then Will. Will glanced at Sarah who grinned at him. "Well?" she asked.
"I guess so," Will said. "Tomorrow, ask us and we'll see."
"You should come, Daddy. You should know about the leaders of Cybertron. Some of them were bad and some good. None of them were as good as Uncle Optimus, though," she said as the others nodded.
Will grinned. "Well, I can't find fault with that remark."
No one else could either.
-0-TBC 1-7-18 edited 1-12-18
-0-NOTES
This is posted later than usual because its Catnip Sunday at the house and my girl, Spike, is sooooooo high right now. :D:D:D Queen is, too, but I think she's crashed somewhere sleeping it off. :D Spike tipped over a tupperware container of catnip and ate a bunch, then rolled in the rest. Good times. :D
Its fun to write with player movies from the War for Cybertron and other TF games playing on Youtube. :D:D:D Peter Cullen's voice is so great.