The Diego Diaries: Moving On (dd6 530)
-0-Morning about the same time
He drove in with a few passengers to Earth2 where the once a decaorn business meeting of all the commercial habitats was held. Driving into the massive habitat entrance, the doors closed swiftly behind him. He pulled into a parking space inside the facility and waited. When the scan and signal from the building was complete, they exited the vehicle and walked to the small habitat entrance for those who didn't want to wait for the giant doors. They entered to be greeted by Owen Harris and Kyle Davis.
"Welcome. It's good to see someone from the outside," Owen said as he shook their hands.
"Good to see you," Sam Witwicky said as he slipped his helmet into his jacket pocket. He was here with Brandon Clark for Earth 1, Carly for Unidad and Corina King from the Consulate as business rep for the European Union. "How's things going?"
"Less efficiently than before," Davis said as they walked toward a small truck with open seating in the back for ten individuals. "I'm assuming they're reading our mail?"
"You would probably assume correctly," Sam said as they climbed in.
Owen Harris started her up and the little electrical truck sped off for the administrative wing on the other side of the building.
-0–Later that morning after the Great Confectionaire Deluxe
Ironhide ambled off to the Armory as Ratchet crossed the street to go to the courthouse. So far, nothing had transpired about Crader. Perhaps he was going to have to pay whatever price Prime deemed worthy. As for himself, he was going to the delayed Functionalist hearing to see what could be done about the children. There were about 27 children or so that needed more than their genitors were able or willing to provide at the moment. He dreaded it.
Walking down the street, he entered the Courthouse at last and walked to the elevator. Riding up, he got out on the floor where the hearing would be held in a large court room that generally dispensed with cases involving children.
None of the families were in sight, perhaps held in the rooms that were provided for conferences or waiting elsewhere. A grim looking Cyclonus stood in the hallway with Blackstone, a pair of child legal specialists who held the infant's briefs as ad litum advocates and several lawyers.
Ratchet nodded to them, then walked in to take a seat next to a Guiding Hand child specialist who was a teacher in their little classroom. No-a who had the unenviable task of deciding for the children was already there with Silver as his clerk. They looked grim as well.
The door opened again as Optimus stepped inside, nodded to Ratchet, then joined No-a on the dais. They sat and began to discuss things off line. It was tense, sad and filled with tingling energy from the whole process.
The door opened, then those in the hallway entered to sit. No-a glanced at them, then rapped the desk before him. "We should begin. We have the difficult duty of discussing and affirming or not the disposition of 27 Functionalist children within the framework of the Guiding Hand's processes and the law of Cybertron. Optimus Prime will help render any decisions that are made. I would invite Master Cyclonus and his team to present to us the situation as it stands."
Cyclonus stood, glanced at the others, then looked at Prime and No-a. "We have a problem with the well being and progress of our children, 27 of them that are the infants of the Functionalist functionaries that were part of the migration recently. We do believe that they are being inhibited by their genitors from any sort of growth that is more conducive to their well being. They have them trained to obey by the use of hand gestures and glances.
"They go to school, learn and do what they're told but nothing more. They have no spontaneity, do not initiate anything themselves individuality nor do they have any personal variation. They are interchangeable and to my eye as conformed and overawed as they were when they came. They do not play, they do not engage others and they don't have any life to them that's discernible as normal for infants their age.
"We want the influence of their genitors either curtailed to a greater degree or removed. Our community has volunteered to take them in, siblings together and give them a chance to become themselves away from the stifling influence of their genitors. We don't ask this lightly. We ask for the sake of the children to break free of this bondage that they are currently living."
Prime nodded. "Ratchet … have you studied these children at all?"
"I have. They're all sound, well mannered, too silent for my tastes and imminently obedient. They do what I tell them no matter what and most children don't. They don't like what happens with doctors. These have a very flat affect." He glanced at the others. "I see nothing about them physically that isn't good."
Prime nodded, then looked at the child specialists. "Please add what you have noticed or studied."
One stood, a plain looking mech named Dario. "I'm their teacher at our school, one that is designed totally to assist them. They're bright and have good educations but their behavior and emotional development is worrisome. They don't laugh or get upset. Their emotions are flat line, self contained and hard to measure.
"They're very bright but they lack spontaneity, reasonable emotional responses to stimuli and they don't know how to play. I have taught them a number of games but they don't play unless directed. They look at toys and structures like swings but they don't engage.
"They don't laugh at funny videos, they don't contribute to conversations especially about themselves or their families and they don't draw images of themselves or their families. I have had traumatized children who don't do that and some of them were abuse cases or war trauma. They have many of the same characteristics."
"Have you discussed this with their genitors?" No-a asked.
"We have. We've had meetings about progress and to explain testing or observations. They listen, nod but say and ask nothing. They either don't understand or don't want to know that their children are in trouble here. There is no follow through on suggestions, no buy in by the genitors about their kids and they won't offer information to help us even when asked," Dario concluded.
"What sorts of control behavior have you noticed by the genitors around their children?" Prime asked.
"We notice pointed looks, some hand gestures and sometimes they move to stand next to them. When they see something that is out of order to their wishes, they curtail it. It doesn't always require words. They have a lot of body gestures worked out to get the point to them," Dario said.
"What are they like without their genitors around?" No-a asked.
"Only small degrees more easy, more relaxed," Dario said as Rung and some of the others nodded. "I don't think they know better and there's a lot of their beliefs … Guiding Hand, they say that's bound up in their behavior. They state that Prima wants this or that, or doesn't what this or that. I'm Guiding Hand, Lord Optimus and we work with the scholars here to check their remarks against what's true. None of them are. They're controlling their children, preventing them from progressing and fitting in with the others."
Rung gave his findings, observations that the children were being manipulated by their genitors, one in particular named N-3 who seemed to be the most noticeably assertive among the genitors. It would appear that this mech had taken over where the Council had left off. He was an aide to Eleven and had a lot of power over the group.
The ad litums for the children stood and gave their findings and impressions. The school district experts and others gave theirs. When it was finally coming together, it appeared that N-3 had taken over where the others had left off.
Prime considered that, then glanced at Cyclonus. "May we speak to N-3, Master Cyclonus?"
He nodded then walked to the door and across the hallway. After a moment he was back with a tall mech who was slightly built, had a sharp but benign appearing affect and was simple in configuration as the Guiding Hand usually expected. He had a face like everyone else but he gave the vibe of the Council. He bowed to Prime, then stood silently before the two judges.
"N-3, we are here to discuss the lack of progress that the 27 children who live here have made over the course of a reasonable period of time. It is suggested to me that you are manipulating them and their genitors to resist any attempts by the Monastery and the colony to help these infants grow and find their way. Why?" Optimus said.
The figure glanced around, then turned to Prime. "We are the genitors of children we value and love. We want them to grow up in the culture and religion of our family's choosing. We appreciate the efforts expended upon us but we do have control of them and we choose what they learn and how they live as minor children," N-3 said.
"It is said that you discourage the children from expanding and growing through hand signals, expressions directed their way and physically intervening on them," Prime said.
"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, Lord Optimus," N-3 said.
It was silent a moment, then Prime leaned forward slightly. "This is a hearing in which Judge No-a and I, myself decide whether to remove the children from you. The state has an abiding interest in their welfare and from what I was just told you are endangering them with your behavior and expectations."
N-3 stared at him, tensing as he did. "You have no right to do that. Those are our children and we have the right to raise them as we see fit."
"The state has an abiding interest in the well being of children," Barron said as he stood and turned to the figure. "They are helpless and if the state finds them to be in danger, in less than secure and optimal conditions or in harms way the state can intervene. It has to. The laws protecting children from harm, though seldom applied in the past still stand. These children are being held back by you. The Prime asked why. Answer him."
N-3 stared at Barron, then Prime. "We are not here any longer by choice, Prime. Our families and friends are gone and we have to live here. We won't be giving up our beliefs and way of living just because you think you can make that happen."
"You misunderstand me," Prime said. "You yourself are not in prison because the Pantheon decided on your friends and family. You are not in prison because of the children. You belong there because of your participation in a mass murder no latter how small it was. You would be in prison under any other Prime but me.
"We are attempting to rehabilitate you in accordance with the Guiding Hand community so that the children and even you have a chance to have a life that reflects the values of our culture and that of the Pantheon, one of choice and possibility.
"We have many sects here, most of which live with their own mores and cultural requirements. They live here happily in the dominant culture and there have been no interventions by the state because they live within the law.
"Your fundamental Functionalism has been banned from wherever Cybertronians live not just by me but by the Pantheon Themselves. Prima Prime made that explicitly clear as did Primus. You may not continue to live the poisoned path here or anywhere else. If you do not feel the need to obey me, then obey the Pantheon. They recalled your family and friends because they perverted the beliefs of the Guiding Hand, the Pantheon and our people. That will get you jailed."
N-3 stared at him. "I am then to conclude that you will be taking our children?"
"It is not the wishes of the state to separate families. We are in the business of uniting them. However, if you have decided to hold to the path that led to genocide and drag your children down it, then yes. We will," Prime said.
It was very tense in the room as N-3 stared at him and Prime stared evenly back.
-0-TBC 11-26-18 edited 12-22-18