The Diego Diaries: Requiem (dd6 284)
-0-IntraComm
"You're on in three, Optimus," Jazz said as he directed Prime's statement to Mars, the outlying forts and bases, Cybertron, the local cluster and the Empire. It would be broadcast to Ominous and Razorclaw but not to The Resort, Earth, Earth 1 and 2, the Consulate or Sciences. N.E.S.T HQ, and the Family Tower along with selected individuals like the Warrens and Morshowers who weren't on world at the moment but Earth instead would received the broadcast on special transmission. "Three … two … one. You're on."
Prime sat at the dais on the set that was kept just for him. Behind him stood Ratchet, Ironhide, Prowl, Raptor and Turbine, Hard Drive and Delphi along with Alor and Blackjack. They looked solemn and grim. The Emblem of the Primes hung on the desk portion in front of Prime and the walls behind them bore symbols of Mars and Cybertron. "Good afternoon. I am Optimus Prime and it is my duty to inform you about the trial of the Functionalist Council that has been undertaken these past several orns. It was decided given the nature of the charges against them and the heightened interest of The People because of the situation in judgment that this would be a closed hearing. It was a Primal Councilor Hearing, one in which the cases would be presented by counsels representing the defendants and the state, all testimony taken to protect the interests of all involved, then the task of judgment was mine alone. It was a harrowing experience for everyone involved. Many witnesses spoke, many offering their expertise about the group. Both sides had the right and opportunity to present their cases as they saw best for their positions.
"In the end, the decision is mine alone. Given the overwhelming evidence regarding the murder of half a million of our people, the verdict for the twelve counselors was guilty. The 22 assistants who were part of the process were not judged and sentenced at the time. I needed more time to think about the level of responsibility they bore. I judged that the twelve owed The People a sentence of one million years in stasis. They were then taken to their cells in the jail to await the rest of the process.
"During the sentencing, I felt a stirring in the Matrix. When the Pantheon wishes to weigh in on what I do or should do about a situation, I feel it, sometimes for orns in advance. I knew that They were going to step in and consider this case Themselves. There are two kinds of Primal hearings. The first is the most common. This is led by me alone. I can ask other judges to participate or not. All Primal hearings encompass federal transgressions against the law. They are not trivial actions and neither is this process a trivial device. We have had several of those now and they tend to encompass the most egregious breaches that present themselves to us. The other is a counselor hearing. This is a hearing where a more deliberate process is in place, where there may be experts called and it allows the Pantheon to enter into the decision Themselves if They choose. Only the most serious offenses rise to this level.
"Given that the charges included the willful murder of 500,000 plus individuals, this was indeed a Primal Councilor Hearing. During the evening that followed the sentencing, I was made clear through the Matrix that the Pantheon was gathering and in the morning when it was time for Them to come, I called the entire group who were part of the trial to come to the courthouse. They did. When they were there, when everyone was gathered, the Matrix took all of us away.
"When we came to our senses again, we were together in a facsimile image of the beach house of the Primes on the Sea of Mercury. It is the practice of the Pantheon to create a simulation of a place for us to be when this takes place. When we were there, They arrived. All of them came but Mortilus and Megatronus who are deceased and the Liege Maximo who is far away and does not congregate with anyone anymore.
"Lord Prima, Himself, led the first discussion and during so made clear His dissatisfaction with a number of things including the lack of gratitude we bear as a people for each other, the deep distaste all of Them feel for the systems of oppression that have driven us to the brink, our unwillingness to live the creed, and the idea that such evil as this can exist when we have the right to do better and be better. There was discussion over free will. We have it and many species do not. They do not step in because of free will, something they consider Their gift to us. We are responsible for the things we do. Though They are always with us, They do not interfere though They try to help us through our consciences or step in reluctantly only to prevent ultimate catastrophe of Cybertron itself. Given our home world is the body of Primus, Himself, that is the only level of participation They will contribute toward our well being. The rest is up to us.
"After He had expressed His wishes, hopes and disappointments, He turned to the twelve. He said that they owed a great debt and that they and their ideas were so dangerous, they could not be allowed to stay on Mars, even in stasis. Prima then took them back. They vanished and were sent into the Matrix. For all intents and purposes, they have died. He said they would be taught to understand what they did and their obligations to others, something they did not have in sufficient amounts to be, in Their opinion, ever trustworthy in their present incarnation. I know that they have families here and I am sorry for them and their suffering. They were told before this broadcast and efforts will be made to comfort and support them. They should know that their family members are safe in the Matrix. It is also highly desired that they get a chance to live here without fear of reprisal or social isolation. Those who did the actual crimes are paying the price. Their families should be allowed to live their lives here without fear or social osterization.
"It was then that Primus Himself stepped from the water and came to stand on the beach with us. He was filled with love and we all felt it, the unconditional love that He radiates through every portion of His being. It is impossible for me to tell you how beautiful He was and how greatly He loves all of us. He expressed His love to us individually including Master Cyclonus of the Monastery of the Clavis Aurea, the home temple for the Guiding Hand practice, then discussed His feelings about the Quintessan, Functionalist and System of Exception Caste oppressions. He is deeply and profoundly unhappy with all of it. He is disappointed that these ideas persist. He spoke of His disquiet at receiving dead children at the Matrix from such systems. The Matrix is a doorway into the world where we go when we leave this life. Primus was created directly by The One. The Matrix is the way through that realm into this one and this one into that realm. He said the Matrix is the gateway to The One but it goes through Him first. He knows of and feels every death including the event that these systems have caused.
"He took back the 22 assistants to the Council. He said they would be taught to value life and to understand their love obligation to others. When they did, they would be returned to their life, this life. It was in their servos how long that would take. He reiterated that He alone chooses who bears the Matrix and that He alone would determine if it stayed or was returned from the mech or femme He chooses. No one else has that power but Him. He reiterated His desire that I remain the bearer and the Prime of all The People everywhere in the past, present and future as the Blessing of the Matrix conveys.
"Primus spoke of love and the inter-connectedness of All That Is. He said there is no hierarchy anywhere where some are better or higher in value than others. He said that it didn't exist among us and it didn't exist between Them and us. All were equal in value to The One and to Him because we all collectively come from The One Himself. He then condemned without exception any system of oppression that should rise or now exist that would put lie to His assertions. He condemned expressly the System of Exception. He said it and any like it were over and had no place among The People. He said that those who were part of this had a duty and obligation to stamp out any ideas among those who still held them that it will ever be different. He said that He would personally intervene Himself should this commandment be disobeyed.
"It was an extraordinary event, unprecedented in my life that so many should come to meet the Great Ones together like we did, but that is the process of a Primal Councilor Hearing. The Pantheon and Primus Himself have spoken. They have laid down the gauntlet. You may not hold nor act on such things as the System or fundamental Functionalism. It is forbidden. It is an affront not just to Primus and the Pantheon, but to The One who created All That Is. Our creed is specific. They have made a point about it. He has borne the wounds of our disobedience and lack of fealty to our deepest values and beliefs in His body and the pain is His grief because we have inflicted it ourselves. He spoke of His suffering in the wars that have driven all of us to the brink of extinction. It cannot and it will not continue. Those who wish to do so risk drawing the righteous wrath of Primus Himself."
Prime sat back a moment, then gathered his thoughts. "I am banning the cult of fundamental Functionalism. I wish to draw a very great distinction between the Guiding Hand and fundamental Functionalism. One is a life path that is demanding, honorable, ancient, worthy, and honored by the Pantheon. The other is a criminal organization using religion as a shield for their murderous actions. There are Functionalists both here and on Cybertron. They are not part of this group and they do not bear any responsibility for what has happened. The Guiding Hand has no guilt either. Both groups are clear in their ideals and fealty to the members of the Pantheon that form the core of their ethos.
"The Council of Twelve are solely responsible for the mass murder of hundreds of millions. They picked up the gauntlet from the Quintessans who introduced us into slavery and when they fled, the System of Exception and the caste network that has driven us to the brink of extinction lumbered into power. Eons of time has passed and generation after generation of individuals never got the life they deserved or wanted because of arbitrary rules and demands by those who lied when they used religion to bolster their claims. Out of that poisoned well, all of our present suffering springs.
"No more.
"It was very clear that the Pantheon and Primus have put lie to that and are prepared to take direct action if it persists. I have already condemned without exception all systems of oppression that have plagued our people over the entirety of our history. I condemn them again with the full backing of the Pantheon. The cult of fundamental Functionalism is banned from now until forever. The System of Exception is banned from now until forever. There will be no reprisals. There will be no sectarian fighting over this matter. Lord Primus has made His demands and we will honor them.
"Every orn, those behind me and many others go to Cybertron and the local cluster to help our people rise up again. We work hard to locate them everywhere they may be and rescue them. We fight to defend this system and everywhere we have population. Eventually, we will bring Cybertron and the local system planets closer to us. Eventually, it is hoped that our home world will be safe, close and the sun will shine in the sky again. We have to do that together, as one people. We have the right to believe what we wish but we do not have the right to apply it to others in defiance of our fundamental belief that all are one. No one is better or more important than any other. All of us matter equally. If you have not learned that from our agony, then you need to examine your conscience.
"I am proud of our efforts and our people. All that we do, we do together. Every orn, we meet the problems before us with courage, skill and unity. We have come this far because we have worked together. We are one. We must never forget that. No one bears responsibility for what happened but those who have now paid the price the Pantheon required. That price was paid to ensure that the rest of you are safe from this happening again. Never again will we face this. Never again." It was silent a moment. "All of you matter equally. All of you. If you remember nothing of what Lord Primus said about this, remember that. Until all are one," Optimus said, then the broadcast closed. He sat back, then pulled his daughters out of his hold. He grinned at them, then kissed their helms. "You are my queens," he said with great love.
Raptor pulled Pudding out of his hold. "That's what I tell my cow every orn," he said.
It was the right comment for the right moment.
-0-Shortly later
RAP! RAP! RAP!
The door opened. Millow stared at Ratchet, Springer and Drift. "May I help you?" he asked glacially.
"We're here for a wellness check," Ratchet said. "I need to see Traachon."
He stared at Ratchet, then opened the door. Ratchet and the two officers walked in. Traachon sat on the couch holding a cup of something. He looked at Ratchet and the two behind him without much expression. Ratchet calibrated his sensors, then scanned him. He walked to the chair across and sat. "How do you feel, Traachon?"
Traachon shrugged. "I just saw Prime's broadcast. I don't know how to feel yet. Things are … hanging."
"Your vital signs are all depressed. Did you eat?" Ratchet asked.
"No."
"I see. I think you need to go into the Processor Hospital until we have a chance to get you up and running again," Ratchet said.
"I don't think that's necessary," Millow said as he sat closer to Traachon.
"You don't have a say in the matter, Millow. Traachon is depressed and his systems are running at less than optimal. Ordinarily, that would be normal and not a consequence. Sometimes a shock can do that. However, this is no ordinary shock and his entire world view is lying in the ashes around his peds. I'm not going to leave him here until he can stand up and convince me he's up to it." He looked at Traachon. "Come with me, Traachon. I'll help you get through this.'
Traachon stared at Ratchet dully. This mech was a marauder of politics, the military and who knew how deep the well went. He was a dangerous man once, someone with few scruples, a lot of nerve and little empathy for anything but Millow and what he wanted otherwise. He put the cup down, nodded, then stood. "Alright."
Millow stood. "I'm going with you and I'm staying there."
"We can figure that out when we get there. They have more rules there than other places but we can ask," Ratchet said. "The bottom line is Traachon's safety and health. Waldeen is also there. Let's go see how he is, too." Ratchet walked to the door, then waited.
Traachon walked to the door with Millow clutching his servo. They stepped out, walked to the elevator as a group, then went downward. It was a silent ride to the hospital and the waiting party of Rung and Jarro.
-0-Moments later
They ambled along to the Mall of Metroplex
"Come on, infants. I want some cake. I need you to carry it." Ratchet walked into the bakery and while in line piled sheet cakes, donuts, pastries, and other deliciousness in their arms from the tables and bins around them. When they were checked out, they walked to The Fortress. Ramcharger was there setting up his game board. "Hey, Ram. Your genitors are amazing," Ratchet said.
Ramcharger nodded, then stood up with an emotional expression. "THEY'RE THE BEST! THEY FOUGHT THE ALIENS AND THE FUNCTIONALISTS! THEY'RE MY HEROES!"
"And ours, too," Ratchet said as he handed the little mech a bag of pastries. "I got this for you."
He took it, peered inside the bag, then looked at Ratchet. He smiled. "Thanks. I love sprinkles."
"So does Ironhide. He calls them warrior dust," Ratchet said with a grin.
"HE'S RIGHT!" Ramcharger said as his game buddies showed up. The donuts were just what the doctor ordered.
Ratchet followed by his boys walked inside to the conference room and the council meeting.
-0-Moments later
Huge sheet cakes, plates and utensils, donuts and cookies were laid on the table. Taking a plate, Ratchet cut a square piece of cake and put it on a plate. He pushed two cookies into the top and handed it to Ironhide who grinned. "Thanks, old mech. I THINK I'LL KEEP YA!"
Huge laughter and ribald remarks greeted that.
Ratchet then carved out a circle of a piece in the middle of the huge cake putting it on a plate. He put a donut on top. Then he chose another spot and carved out a wedge shape. He put it on the donut topped piece, then set a donut in the frosting on its side. He put it in front of Optimus with a grin. He grinned back.
Prowl stared at it, then the cake. "Savage."
"Wait until I make you a plate," Ratchet said. He cut a car shape, put it on a plate, then picked two cookies to place on the frosting to look like wheels. He slid it to Prowl who stared at it, then grinned in spite of himself. "WHO'S NEXT!?"
Ratchet would cut a few more pieces before the meeting started including a piece for Raptor in the shape of a cow's udder. He would be delighted.
The savage.
-0-TBC 2-26-18 edited 3-4-18
Leoness: He did, didn't he? Raptor would be a fun grandpa and anyone who loves cows can't be all bad. :D:D:D