The Diego Diaries: Trials and Tribulations 3 (dd6 426)

-0-Courtroom

They entered the courtroom as everyone stood, waiting as Prime moved to his seat and Prowl to the recorder position. Standing in front of their chairs, Semi and No-a waited. Everyone bowed, the defense and prosecution teams, the petit jury, and a few of those sitting in the seats who would be addressing the Narrative, and Springer's security. Then Prime sat and so did the judges followed by everyone else. Prowl organized, then stood. "These proceedings will be recorded for legal and historical reasons. You are here to help facilitate justice. Those of you in the petit jury which was requested by the defendants are thanked for your service and asked to be fair and impartial. You may ask questions and seek clarifications. You don't have more responsibility than to assist the process toward the final decision which is Prime's alone in conjunction with the Matrix. Please conduct yourself honorably, especially since this is a Special Circumstances hearing," Prowl said.

"Let it be known that we are here to ascertain the truth. Only the truth will be allowed to prevail here and the judgment, if any, will be reached by Prime through consultation with the Matrix and the Pantheon. Anyone who acts against good conscience or the good order of things will be removed. Please sit. The Honorable Optimus Prime, the Prime of Cybertron, Mars, the Empire, and anywhere Cybertronians exist, bearer of the Creation Matrix, the Autobot Matrix of Leadership presides." He sat, checked his gear, then glanced at Prime with a nod.

Prime nodded back. He was silent a moment in thought, then spoke. "We are here to listen to the facts of charges made against two individuals who are figures in the government and business sector of Cybertron that may or not have committed offenses against the state and The People. All of us have opinions and experiences about the past and what happened during the period known as the Clampdown but we must put that aside. We are duty bound, all of us, to find the way forward for everyone without bias or vengeance utilizing only the facts. I give you my solemn oath through my personal warrior creed and the Matrix Itself to find for the truth however it may go in conjunction with the Matrix and the Pantheon. We are here to find the truth, assess judgment if any, then allow the Holy Ones to speak Their truth if They feel its warranted." He looked around the room. "Coln-2, are you and your colleagues ready?"

He stood and bowed. "Yes, Lord Optimus. We are."

"Blackstone, are you and your colleagues ready?"

He stood. "Yes, Lord Optimus."

"Ratchet for medical, Rung and Jarro for processor health," he asked. "Are you ready?"

"Ratchet is giving an address at Unidad but will be here shortly," Prowl said. "He told me he is ready this morning."

The processor doctors rose. "Yes, Lord Optimus," Rung said as he stood with Jarro and two others who would speak.

"I have read through the list of witnesses. Are there any to add and are they ready to speak to the times before and during the relevant periods in question?"

Coln glanced at Blackstone who shook his helm. "We are ready and so are the witnesses. We add no new names, sir."

"Thank you. Please, you may all sit." Prime sat back. "Let this process begin."

Prowl looked at the data before him. "Heatout, Neo, Gravitas, Proteus, General Hard Drive, Dai Atlas, Professor Blandis of Crystal City, and Maddow, you will give informational presentations about the times regarding institutions and individuals to show the framework within which this all stands. I am told you have worked out how this will go?"

They nodded, then Heatout stood and walked to the witness box. He stepped in and turned to Prowl. He rose. "Heatout of Praxus, do you promise to tell the truth without embellishment or subterfuge?"

"I do," Heatout said solemnly.

Prowl sat. "Then begin."

Heatout turned to Prime, then the two sets of lawyers. "At the time of the Functionalist overthrow, The People were in great exultation. They had freed themselves from chains once again and the great ones of the Immortals who were leadership for the first liberation from the Quintessans were there among us, showing the path forward again. We wanted and craved freedom but the chasm between that and what we knew was so great that it didn't take long for those of ill intentions to be the bridge.

"And the gatekeeper.

"There were groups organizing to prevent what was appearing to be developing, the re-enslavement of The People through other means such as the Praxian Elites and the intelligentsia. The People had no experience in what freedom was and the responsibility of The People themselves to be vigilant. It was easy for those who had been the collaborating administrators and policing forces of the oppressors to organize structures that replaced those overthrown. Consolidating resources, controlling media, putting into the public a soothing message of care and unity when the real intention was to gain control of the levers of power duped a traumatized untutored population into believing that they cared about them and their futures.

"The control of media and information into propaganda, the diminishing of education and economic opportunities, the control of all aspects of life, and the worst part, the state control of that which should have freed us and reminded us that we were all one, religion and its symbols, exchanged then replaced one set of chains for another. Make no mistake, it took a long time but they were patient. Luring The People, lulling and duping them worked. It worked until it didn't, until the orns before the Fall unleashed a hurricane of pent up fury that had no outlet before.

"And a hurricane it was.

"When the blinders came off, when the inevitability of Megatron was unleashed into the world, there was no stopping the tsunami of rage, fury and clarity that allowed it. Hundreds of generations of individuals toiled in a social prison that was a lie, based on a debasement of our dearest beliefs and self concepts that led to suffering, death, hopelessness, loss, and a backward march of our society that never needed to happen. It was all constructed and implemented by those who had total control for their total benefit. They knew what they were doing and they did it without mercy. I give ground in the narrative to General Hard Drive, a leader of our people in the fabled and glorious Immortals." He bowed lowly, then walked to his chair to sit. It had been a much debated introduction, what he had just said, with input and suggestions by Blackstone and Coln-2 both.

Springer walked to the door, opened it and leaned out. Holding it open, he nodded with a grin to his great grandfather who walked in with his usual calm manner. Hardie who had been taking a call from Cybertron walked to the stand, bowed to Prime, then turned to Prowl. "General Hard Drive, do you promise to tell the truth without embellishment or subterfuge?"

"I do," he said as he turned to the audience. "I am HRD DRV-1 who started life as a construction bot. I came from the Well and was put to work painting ships, doing construction and other hard things until they discovered my abilities with mathematics and codes. When the Functionalists were overthrown, I was one of seven leaders of The Immortals. Things were in chaos and there was much exultation everywhere. What there wasn't in large numbers was organized leadership.

"We came together as best we could in the din and formulated a government. It went well until the bureaucrats of the Quintessans who knew how things worked began to gain control. Then the Functionalist Oppression began. It took another long period of time to overthrow them and in the resulting chaos, it happened again. We never had a true understanding of freedom as a people. We always were directed and told what to do. There were always limitations applied, couched in patriotism and religion. The People are good ..." He paused with emotion a moment. "Let me repeat that and state it with the respect and emphasis it deserves … THE PEOPLE ARE GOOD!"

It was silent in the room, a heavy silence as the group watched Hardie. All of them know of The Immortals and The Seven who led them. All of them knew or were learning now of the sacrifices too many made to free everyone.

"It happened again over a long period of time softened in impact by the Golden Age. It took a long time but they got control again. It was calculated and brazen, it was outside the Creed and outside decency. For those of us who were seeing it for the THIRD TIME, we worked as hard as we could to blunt and turn aside the worst excesses. Through the clan I belong to, through the Praxian Elite caste, we worked to increase our power so that even Primes had to bend their knees to us. We worked hard on The Code so that all of us would be of one processor including our children who would come next.

"ALL ARE ONE! Its impossible to be a true Cybertronian if you don't put that into the deepest and best part of your spark." He gathered himself, then continued.

We heard the cases, turned the miscreants back and stood as guardian to The People wherever we could. Megatron was inevitable. The pressure cooker couldn't hold. We breached the edge of the abyss. Extinction was nearly our lot.

"There were many who did many things and they hold responsibility. I don't claim to know what this court should do but ACCOUNTABILITY WOULD HELP US END THIS POISON! This cannot and will not happen again. I, Hard Drive of Praxus, Number 3 in the leadership of The Seven, of mighty legions of The Immortals have spoken." With that, Hard Drive walked off the stand to sit in the audience next to his solemn and emotional great grandson, Ironhide.

It was silent a moment, then Prowl consulted his datapad. "Will Professor Blandis of Crystal City please attend?"

A tall solemn appearing mech of some substance stood, then walked to the stand. He was brilliantly colored, a seriously wealthy appearing high caste. He took the oath, then turned to the audience. "I am Blandis of Crystal City and I taught at the University of Praxus, the University of Iacon and finally, I was historian and history instructor at the Autobot Military Academy in charge of officer's training in the arena of tactics and historical warfare. It was my duty to show how things went, discuss what should have been done where success wasn't achieved and explain what was achieved when it was.

"I am well versed in all the relevant history leading up to our present mournful situation and I am also very well versed on the history of the Primes which was my first area of expertise when I graduated. I have made a study of their cultural, political and economic impact a sideline to my general studies and teaching, interviewing all of the Primes from Guardian to Optimus when I could. I am also well versed in the careers of The Seven of The Immortals and call Hard Drive and Delphi friends with gratitude.

"My purpose today is to tell about the Primes who preceded Optimus and how their actions, personality types, processes of being chosen Prime, and the politics of their period led to where we are now. I have been vetted by both the defense and prosecution to be a valid and proven advocate of the information I'm going to present.

"The first Prime I remember is Guardian. I met him on numerous occasions to interview him for a dissertation I was going to present to graduate. I never did present it, rather putting it aside to become my personal obsession, something that would occupy a great deal of my personal time until now. Guardian was a good Prime who worked hard to make us a free and united people. He was part of the rebellion, number 6 of The Seven and though he did not live to see the end of his efforts, he laid the groundwork for us to be a free people. He insured that there would be representation for The People and that they would have laws that protected them against exploitation. His death in battle for the safety of Cybertron prevented him from consolidating his power and putting into places of influence those who were like minded. That left the people open for those who might not have their bests interests in mind, who were in fact place-keeping Primes for the Matrix. Given the sordid conduct of most of those who followed, even those who started with good intentions, it was clear that Guardian's efforts weren't enough for the time he had.

"When I spoke to him, he talked about the need for The People to feel equal as well as safe. He said that if we sacrifice one for the other, then there will be tyranny. That's exactly what happened and his greatest fear was realized over and over again." He thought a moment. "I have not included Prima Prime. That being is above reproach and His acclaim is felt in our sparks every orn.

"Zeta Prime was next and he held no quarter for anyone. There are those who feel he did what was needed but one cannot discount the most famous quote attributed to him at the time … "This Security Council has lost the will to do what must be done. That is why I was chosen to be Prime... because I am the monster the people need." And monster he was. He used his power to destroy, his rhetoric to state that he did so for the good of The People and in the end, he was destroyed. But not before he laid the ground work in tyranny for what was to come. He created an authoritarian government and conditioned The People to accept order at any price. He promoted terrible people who worked to put their tentacle into everything, thus was born the systems of inequity that plagued our people for eons.

"There is very little good to say about him, this mech who used an iron fist to control a world already conditioned to obedience and despair. Even as he is remembered in statues and speeches, his excesses and inequality are glossed over. It must not be so.

"Nova Prime was next. He was a tyrant who wanted dominion of the universe and had hatred for non-metallic lifeforms, feeling our own should be overlord of everyone everywhere. He left The People rife for disaster through his misrule and his restructuring of the world, even though the Golden Age is remembered in a good light. It wasn't. A lot of it is heavily reworked propaganda turned into history for the express purpose of controlling the narrative of our people's true history. It laid the groundwork for all that followed. It was the structure that was finally in place that would keep everyone in their place and the truth at bay.

"Nova Prime, though he unified Cybertron felt that the universe should be ruled by our empire and he was to conquer the world. He disappeared into the ether with a crew looking for more conquests leading to the primeship of Sentinel. I do recall after interviewing you in Iacon long ago that you tactfully referred to Nova with this quote, Lord Optimus. 'Nova was forever seeking, forever testing the limits of science and faith. He had a certain moral … ambiguity about the Cybetronian ideal.' I do recall what a kindness you made in your remark for what he was as a mech and for what he was responsible for.

"Nominus Prime was next and if there ever was a more openly corrupt and blighted time in our history, I have not found it. This was when the caste system became truly cemented into law, when corporations and the wealthy bought influence, passed laws to favor their wealth, and The People began to suffer under draconian laws and social apartheid. He took Zeta Prime's tyranny and institutionalized it which laid the groundwork for the future destruction of the world. He was weak, grasping, cowardly, and when his end came, unlamented. This was also the time that the Matrix was in peril, hidden away by the Councils and Senate who had come to be the true rulers of our empire making the calls behind the facade of law and order that laid waste to our world and her people. That he bore a fake Matrix was not known until his assassination, rumored to be the work of his successor.

"Sentinel Prime followed and we know how that turned out. He was ruthless, corrupt, endangered our world and people with every move of his administration, then he faked his own assassination. He went away and we never knew he went alive and scheming until we came here. That he didn't die, that he came here to exploit the Earth to make Cybertron whole is a major insight into who he is. He also bore a fake Matrix and because he like everyone following Prima and Guardian never heard the Matrix speak is an indictment of who they were and are as mechs, leaders and Primes.

"Mass incarcerations, crushing of dissent, total control of media and news, wealth inequity, confiscation of property, poverty of astonishing numbers, collusion between business and government, nepotism, despotism, and indifference to life and the well being of the less fortunate, the beginning of shameful practices like the Dead End and empurata began during the reigns of Zeta and were brought to their zenith during the Primeship of Sentinel. The machinations of the Senate, Councils and Primes was the downfall of all of us until the reign of Optimus Prime began. Then, it was too late to save the planet but in the end, here we are under his rule, one of law and benevolent concern for everyone.

"We are here to discuss and explore the corruption that these primes made possible through their collaboration and neglect. The individuals who benefited from the Senate and the Councils will have their liabilities determined through the facts and testimony of those who were placed to know best. It's hoped that when this is completed, there will be an accounting for some of the suffering and destruction that they are responsible for. It's always so that tyranny cannot exist without willing hands. It's my great honor to contribute even in this small way toward the fulfillment of that objective." He bowed, then hesitated before he stepped down. "I would like it on the record my considered opinion as someone who has made a life study of our Primes, their administrations and character that there is no one short of Prima Prime and in some smaller portion as Guardian who reaches the greatness and goodness of Optimus Prime. Thank you," he said, then bowed. He stepped down and walked to the audience to sit.

Prowl who looked pleased consulted his datapad. "Would Dai Atlas please come forward to speak."

-0-TBC 7-28-18 edited 7-30-18

There was a question about Contrail being a partner to Ratbat. He was. The one of Sentinel's group who died was Halogen. :D Took a trip back into the story. Good times. :D:D:D