The Diego Diaries: Getting Settled Again (dd8 318)

=0=Around

They walked into the Courthouse Jail Intake in Iacon, the second courthouse built with jailing capacity to serve The People. This was a huge relatively peaceful colony and growing bigger by 5-10,000 refugees every orn for stretches at a time when The Network had to clear a camp for incoming or they were just ready to come home. Another courthouse and jail facility was being readied to go upward in construction now that the groundwork was laid down in Crater District 8, City 3.

Springer grinned at the intake sargent, an old friend from the old days of reckless soldiering and no responsibilities. Now both were bonded and had children, thereby neutering their 'Fuck it, we'll do it live!' bravado. "Hey, K-2. How's it going?"

"Its going great. Really quiet until now. What are these heroes of the revolution in for?" he asked as he readied a screen.

"They refused to follow directions, put up a fight, disturbed the peace and whatever else you want to add," Springer replied as he turned to the three highly expensive looking mechs who were seething silently at the lot of them. "So, we get to introduce ourselves. I'm Springer, God of the Hunt. I head the whole shebang regarding security and policing in the colony and the empire as well. I also Wreck and mostly ruin anyone who crosses my path with malice aforethought. Prime calls me Missus. Who are you by the way?" he asked with his usual good natured grin on his handsome face.

A crew of youngsters filled with overwhelming awe, a group of elders who were used to his bullshit and Drift ringed the arrested trio.

"I suppose you want to know that," one of them said, the one who started the whole ruckus.

"That helps," K-2 said. "We can assign suites that way. We have a two for one sale tonight with or without bidet."

Everyone paused a moment to recon 'bidet', took another moment to laugh rudely and make obscene commentary on human junk, then settle to watch the show. Intakes were hilarious with drunks. With what appeared to be entitled high castes, the intakes reached the level of godhood.

"Name, address, occupation, special needs/circumstances, the last book you read, the number of dynastic dumb asses in your family, the size and IQ of your family, any lawyers you may want to call in the morning, your ada's favorite pie recipe … you know the drill," K-2 asked with his bored face, the one he used when he wanted to laugh out loud but it would end the fun if he did so he didn't.

That one.

The three stared at him, then glanced at each other. None of them appeared to be too happy and it was touch and go whether they'd cooperate. Either way, K-2 was entertained.

Lon, Bezel, Partition, a terribly amused Lancer, Smokey who was *STOKED*, Hot Rod who wanted to fight some more and the elders watched the three as they did the math.

That is, the elders did. The youngsters didn't know math was even involved and it wasn't certain if they could do it if they did even though Smokey was *LABORING* through trigonometry at the University even as they stood there smirking together.

That one.

"I'll tell you but I'll speak in small words so you can understand," the belligerent mech said with an acid tone.

Everyone tensed then K-2 leaned over the computer to stare down at the mech from his platform. "How long you been here, mechanism?"

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I asked. Tell me how long you three have been here and where did you come from?" K-2 asked.

No one answered.

"Partition?"

Partition turned to face K-2. "Yes, Sargent?"

"I want you to jack into this hero and find his data. All of the pertinent data including his date of return," K-2 said.

"You can't. That's illegal," the mech replied as the two with him tensed.

"It wasn't on Cybertron if I remember. What about you, Appa?" K-2 asked Hercy and Kup.

"It wasn't. I know the legislature is going over the civil and criminal code right now getting rid of the slag from the past but I'm not sure they reached that part of the law yet," Hercy said as Kup nodded.

"I doubt they have," Kup replied. "I know some of the representatives and they wouldn't allow that law to stand but you never know. Until its off the books its legal."

"You fraggers," the mech hissed. "Don't you dare jack into me."

"Then tell me answers to my simple questions unless, of course, you want me to make them simpler so you'll understand," K-2 said with a hard edge to his tone. He was playing and he wasn't.

"We came here two decaorns ago. We came from Omega Base. Happy?" another mech said.

"Only two decaorns. Then maybe you haven't considered that the System of Exception is banned, dead and done for. You can't pull any kind of privilege because you don't have any. Answer the questions and my concierge here, Roscoe from Haven in the Torus States will escort you to your accommodations."

Everyone looked at Roscoe.

Roscoe looked at everyone.

He was huge, silent, armed with more weapons than a gun cabinet and had a slight gleam in his optics that foreshadowed mayhem in mass quantities if there was the slightest deviation from what K-2 would allow.

K-2 didn't allow squat.

"So who are you and all that slag. Answer the questions and we'll be on our way," K-2 said as he waited. "Name, place of separation, status as a refugee and occupation."

It was silent, then the hothead began to speak. "My name is Demetri of Capital City. I was separated there. My status is restored citizenship though I protest that it was ever lost. My occupation is indeterminate as of yet."

"Why aren't you settled? Most get their act together faster. Are you disabled? Caring for family who are? Waiting for the Primeship to open up?" K-2 asked.

Demetri glared at him. "We couldn't do worse if it did."

A frigid tension filled the room as Smokey stepped in front of the mechs. "Optimus Prime is the best Prime that ever lived. HE'S OPTIMUS FREAKING PRIME, YOU DUMB ASS! Show some respect."

"The Prime who lost Cybertron? The Prime who half destroyed the colony because he's incompetent? That PRIME!?" Demetri spit back.

After a moment of tussle between Demetri and Smokey, things settled.

K-2 stared at Demetri. "I need to know where you live."

"I live in Apartment 27 on Floor 12 of the Grambling Tower in City 4 of Crater District 3. Satisfied?" he hissed.

"Not really but in you go. Roscoe, take this slagger to holding cell 6B," K-2 said.

Roscoe nodded, then grabbed hold of Demetri with a vice grip. Carrying him away while Demetri flailed, everyone turned to the remaining pair of malcontents.

"What's the charges, Springer?" K-2 asked.

"Same as Demetri," Springer replied as he watched K-2 do his magic.

"Names, all the rest," K-2 said with his bored voice. He stared at the pair without expression.

"My name is Patron and I separated in Iacon. The Diamond District if you must know," he sniffed.

"Who cares? Continue," K-2 replied.

Patron frowned at the tone but said nothing since Roscoe and another massive mech following him had just returned. "My status is restored citizenship and I'm investigating the law. I'm looking into work at the Legislature. I have great experience in writing bills and laws."

"Did you write the System of Exception?" Lon asked with a cold expression.

"No," Patron said with surprise. He could see the tats of all involved.

"That law was crap. Don't go see my Amma Docker. She doesn't need former high caste clowns slowing her down," he hissed as Bezel gripped his servo.

"Your amma?" Patron asked.

"My Amma is Docker of Iacon," he said invoking The Familiar as he spoke. The Familiar was the right to call someone amma, appa, omi, dad, mom, hey you in the familiar or personal manner that implied that they were just that in relation to you. All of 'the kids' were in The Familiar with the Fam just as Angus Optimus Wilkerson was with Optimus.

Like that.

They glared at each other, then Patron turned toward K-2. "Anything else?"

"No. Wait a moment and you can have the Polynesian Spa Suite." K-2 said, thereby betraying his fascination and deeply held love for The Clone Wars and Temuera Morrison, the God King of Kaminoa. "You. Who are you?" he asked the last mech.

"My name is Cartouche," he said.

"Did you do broadcasting on Cybertron? You were a news reporter and had a show on the Net that discussed the peace movement and broadcast hateful propaganda," Hercy said as Kup nodded. "Cartouche of Crystal City. Right?"

The mech looked slightly off put but nodded. "Yes. That's me."

"You didn't get swept up at Intake?" Kup asked. "There has to be a warrant on you somewhere."

Cartouche looked aghast at Kup, then K-2. "I read the news. What about it? No one said a thing when I was given my citizenship and passed onward."

"We don't get all of them right away but we get them in the end," Hercy said. He glanced at Springer. "This slagger was the propagandist at the Net who incited violence against the protesters during the peace movement before the revolution. Remember when the priests and priestesses got beaten and some killed at Nova Cronum protesting at the air base?"

Those old enough to know nodded.

"I remember that," Springer said as he glanced at Cartouche. "You looked familiar but the paint job … its different."

"He used to have scarlet armor," Kup said. "I remember liking the color even if I hated the mech wearing it. I bet if you scan his transponder you'll get the story."

Roscoe pulled a device from subspace and pointed it at Cartouche. He pressed a button, then sent the data to K-2 who ran it in the database that they accessed through the Watch, Bureau of Refugees and the Committee For War Crimes.

K-2 stared at the screen then grinned. "We can add another charge. Welcome back, Cartouche. You're going into a Primal Hold for war crimes."

Cartouche was carted off, then it was silent again.

"He was responsible for priests and priestesses being killed?" Smokey asked with an impossible sense of disbelief.

"Allegedly," Springer replied with a slight smirk. "He incited a bunch of individuals to go after them at the air base at Nova Cronum. It was a slaughter. I bet Lady Sela could tell you about it. I think she was there."

"A good witness," K-2 said as he made a note. He sat back. "Good haul. How's it out there?"

"Quiet, sort of numbed," Drift replied.

"He shouldn't have said what he said about Lord Optimus," Partition said with anger.

"He's not a warrior. He doesn't know what happens in battle and what can change. Ignore his rambling," Lancer said soothingly. "He'll learn. This isn't the place to foment trouble. That ship has sailed."

They chatted a bit, then walked out to mount up and ride onward. It would be the only haul they themselves made that night.

=0=At a hotel in the Central Labor Hall

Ratchet walked into his berth room and collapsed on the bed. The hotel room they occupied had six berth rooms. The kids shared one big bed. The titan kids another. Amma Ravel and Appa Tie down had one across the apartment sized space. Amma Docker and Appa Ratchet had one while Amma Corr and Appa Chan had the last. It was dark, everyone was tired and beddy-bye couldn't happen soon enough.

Ironhide was already laying down and glanced at Ratchet as he settled. "This is going to be fragged for a while. They won't let us in until the top four floors are framed in. That way one of the elevators can be used by us."

"That's going to be good. Its amazing how much better you feel in your own berth," Ratchet said. "It's going to be good to get the kids back to school. Everyone but Orion and Praxus can go tomorrow. We have to get them on the right track. I think we need to deliver them to the Prep School and the bus for Intermediate in Iacon for the big kids. We can tag team Orion and Praxus."

"Sounds like a plan," Ironhide said. "How soon do you have to get with the humans over what happened?"

"Too soon," Ratchet said with a vented sigh. "Too damned soon."

=0=TBC 12-07-2021