The Diego Diaries: Callow (dd8 405)

=0=At the apartment of Tempo's family

The door opened farther as a mech looked out. "What brings you here?" he asked with suspicion.

Salon glanced at the others, then the figure staring at out them. "I wish to speak to you about Tempo."

The door opened farther as an older mech stepped half out of it. "What about Tempo?"

"Please. Allow us inside," Salon asked gently.

With a suspicious expression and slightly hesitant body language, the mech opened the door to allow them inside.

Salon, Peele who was a grief counselor on staff with the Emergency Response Center and answered on calls like this as well as Springer and Drift stepped inside. The door closed behind them.

=0=Prowl

He rose from the computer station at the desk in the family office armed with everything that was possible to find about Tempo. He walked to the berth room after checking all of the children to join Prime who was already reclined and resting. Joining him, it was silent for a moment. "I ran him. Its not much given all things but its enough to get a bead on this.

"His family, yadda-yadda. Same old story of privilege and power. They were publishers who made a lot of the financial journals and trades that were the bible of the moneyed class and their financial predations. They had a lot and didn't share but doted on their son who they indulged along with two others. He was a professional student and liked to play around. Given their wealth, he could.

"His father is Bakker and his ada is Jam-Nt and they belong to the House of Cisco."

"I know that one," Prime said. "They were the intellectual center of the economic model that prevailed toward the end. Strip mine the world and give it all to the few. I never understood how they could not see the only outcome was obliteration with that kind of thinking, revolution and what happened."

Prowl nodded. "I agree. I can only imagine how this is going over right now."

=0=There

They stared at each other, most of them at two polar ends of a vast extreme. Both of them bore in their lives the outcomes of the thinking that brought Cybertron to its knees and neither end was ready to give an inch to the other side.

"What is the meaning of your visit, Ebi?" Bakker asked as he joined them in the living room.

"We are here to speak to you of your son. Please, sit down and chat with me," Salon said gently.

"What about Tempo?" Jam-Nt asked with growing suspicion.

Salon walked to the couch and sat, staring at them with kindness until they moved almost by force of his will to sit.

Drift and Springer stood back by the door as Peele sat down beside Salon.

Both glanced at them, then Salon. Both studiously ignored Peele.

"Tonight your son was walking through City 6 in District 9. No one can ascertain why he was there but during his journey he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. There's no kinder way to tell you but your son was shot by a person unknown and died at the scene," Salon said.

Peele watched then absorb the blow. Sometimes no one showed what they felt, the event was so difficult to absorb. Sometimes they fell to pieces or violence. Everyone was different and in his book valid. The two stared at Salon without understanding. This could go either way he thought as he watched them grasp at the words Salon had spoken.

"My son left shortly ago," Bakker said. "He can't be. He was going home, I believe. He doesn't live in that city."

"Does he have friends there?" Salon asked as the other three watched. They were letting him do the heavy lifting for now.

"I don't know," Bakker said. He glanced at Springer, then rose. "You're the law around here. What happened?"

Springer steeled himself. "Your son was found lying on the sidewalk with a bullet wound. He died before the ambulance could arrive. No one is clear what happened though Forensics is handling what we could find. It appears like he either disturbed something already in progress or someone with a personal reason killed him." Springer shifted uneasily. He HATED this part of his job. "Who do you know that might have a grudge, that might have done this to him?"

"Who?" Jam-Nt asked as he rose slowly. The enormity was just hitting home. "Who could it be?" he asked with growing emotion. "He just settled a lawsuit against Optimus Prime that was totally unsatisfactory in its conclusions. The only enemy my son had was Optimus Prime. He killed my son."

"Optimus Prime was with friends all evening and there are literally hundreds of witnesses," Drift said. "Making statements like that without facts is a bad idea."

"Indeed?" Jam-Nt said hotly.

"Wherever Prime goes he's noticed. He was out with friends from dinner time forward and there were hundreds of individuals who can state their awareness of this, hundreds of individuals who aren't personal friends who saw him at dinner and in the club. He's not a suspect," Springer said. "I can understand your anger but it doesn't help us catch the one who did this. Who is among your son's friends? Maybe they can help us with information that you won't know."

"Leave my house," Bakker said coldly. "Don't come back. All of you leave but the priest."

Peele rose, then walked to the door. He looked back at Salon. "I'll be outside, Ebi, until you leave here."

Salon nodded. "I will be fine."

Peele, Springer and Drift walked outside together as the door closed behind them. They gathered in the hallway.

"Well, that was less terrible than I thought it would be," Peele said. "I've done three high caste murder interventions, Kudon, Commotion and this one. I hate them because their sense of unreality is higher than with others."

Springer nodded. "I remember all three. I wouldn't have your job on a bet. Thanks for being willing to do this, Peele. You don't get paid enough."

Peele chuckled at Springer, one of his two bosses along with Inferno. "I don't get paid period."

"Well, one more thing we all have in common," Drift said with a grin. "I don't think we're going to get anywhere here but I do believe if they can make trouble for Optimus they will. I think they don't know their son as well as they should."

Springer nodded. "Fortunately they decided to go clubbing tonight. If he were home even with surveillance available on the closed circuit system, they wouldn't believe it any better than now with literally hundreds of witnesses."

Peele and Drift nodded. They would wait together until Salon slipped out, then escort him back to the Temple.

=0=Bosom of Love

They lay side-by-side in the dark after slipping back into the house. It was highly surprising what had happened and the nuances weren't lost on anyone.

"This is fragged."

Ratchet nodded. "I know."

"Prime has a million witnesses about where he was."

Ratchet nodded. "I know."

"Why The Sammy Place, by the way?" Ironhide asked.

"Its a place the Squad goes on Saturdays for brunch a lot. I was still sorting out information on Tempo on my device when I saw them come in. Until the family acknowledged them they were just anyone else in the restaurant to me. What I said about them eating there every noon was a joke. Its the sickest coincidence I ever saw," Ratchet replied.

"Really?" Ironhide asked as he looked at Ratchet.

Ratchet nodded. "There's no notation anywhere about where they eat, Ironhide. When they walked into the restaurant I was as surprised as anyone else. We don't keep tabs on where people go when there's no warrant or reason for it."

"They're going to make trouble," Ironhide said. "We know this family. They've been here what … a few decaorns and this slag happens?"

"I know," Ratchet said quietly. "This is fragged."

=0=On a Metro back to The City

They rode on a train together, all of them lost in their own thoughts.

Peele glanced at Salon. "What happened and what do you think they're going to do about this, Ebi?"

Salon glanced at him, then Springer and Drift. "They're understandably upset about him. He was their oldest son and one they relied upon a lot. They have two others by the way, Kelso and Sander.

"They're pretty irate at Lord Optimus over this matter, feeling that he had a hand in it," Salon said. "I find that terribly strange. There is no place Lord Optimus can go where he cannot be seen and remembered. Having a Prime around you is something you remember. At least this Prime. I am sure there are dozens and dozens of witnesses for his whereabouts at the time this happened."

"There were, Ebi. They were with a large group of friends in a club in Retriades," Springer said.

Drift sat back. "I think they're going to blame Prime for this and try to make trouble in their community. Not every former high caste is totally reconciled to the Primal decree. This could be very public and messy."

Salon nodded. "That is my impression. When I left they were going to be calling people. I would suggest that you tell Lord Optimus to expect anything."

It would be a quiet ride to The City and a short walk to the Emergency Command Center for three of them from Temple Metro 2.

=0=Morning on the way to The Fortress after the hoo-hah

"I have a notice about a meeting over Praxus and Orion. Apparently they want to try a new approach to both, they're so ready," Ratchet said. "I don't know what it means but unless slag falls on us between now and 1300, we're due at the Central Office for a meeting."

"I don't want him promoted. Neither of them," Ironhide said. "I like them being little babies."

"You and me both but we can hear them out," Ratchet said as they walked into The Fortress together after the usual uproarious morning routine.

Sitting in the Ops Center, Prowl watched them approach, then sit. "What brings you here this early?"

"Nervous energy," Ratchet said. "I didn't expect them through the door when we were at The Sammy Place, Prowl. It was a joke what I said."

Prowl nodded. "That's sort of our restaurant. Edict loves it so much we go there a lot."

Ratchet nodded. "What are the odds?"

"Do you want me to calculate them?" Prowl asked.

Ratchet sat back, then folded his arms over his chassis. "Sure."

Prowl smirked. "This is going to be a shit show. I had a couple of calls from individuals who have family still stuck in the paradigm who said Bakker and Jam-Nt are agitating. If they were truly normal they would recognize their own failings and spare the rest of us."

"Milk of human kindness, Prowler," Ratchet said with a grin. "I think I feel a bit better now."

Prowl smirked at him. "I brook no slag in the defense of this Prime. It's one of my many charms."

"I won't disagree," Ironhide said as the door nearby opened and Optimus walked in. He walked over to sit with them. "Prime."

"Ironhide. What is the situation if anything or is it the same?" Prime asked Prowl.

"Nothing has changed. Just a couple of calls to me from friends," Prowl said.

"I will not be responding until this steps outside of things as they stand. Their grief will make them do … unwise things and until they do more than this I will not be saying or doing anything," Optimus said.

"If they decide to make this a public issue then that'll change, Optimus," Prowl said. "If this goes beyond our closed circle and it appears to be starting to do so, then I won't allow it."

They glanced upward at a monitor as the news came on.

"Good morning, Autobot City, Cybertron, Earth and all places in the Prime's dominion. I am Lim-Lee and this is the news this morning. Last night a death believed to be foul play was recorded in City 6, Crater District 9 of a mech who was found sprawling in the street, lying halfway off a sidewalk on Parker and 10th Avenue.

"The Watch responded and found an unresponsive male at the scene dead from a gunshot wound to the processor. The victim is Tempo of Praxus, son of Bakker and Jam-Nt of the House of Cisco of Praxus who is listed as having been repatriated by Immigration and the Bureau of Refugees three and a half decaorns ago. Nothing appeared to be taken from him and there is as yet no explanation for why he was there since this was not the city of his domicile.

"He was given treatment at the scene, then transported swiftly to the Medical Center in City 6 where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. Family has been contacted by the Watch. A reporter for the Autobot City Daily News was asked by the family to deliver a statement which I will read now.

"Tonight our son was found murdered on the street of City 6, District 9. Earlier in the orn he had settled a civil suit against Optimus, the Prime of Cybertron concerning an event where Prime manhandled my son and caused battery upon his person.

"I do not find it coincidental that he was found murdered on the street merely joors later the same orn. I demand a full independent investigation of this matter. I will not stop until its done."

Lim-Lee looked up at the camera with a grave expression of surprise. "That is the end of the message. As of yet, we have no statement from the Prime."

Prowl who was lit was busily formulating one as they watched.

=0=TBC 4-6-2022 4-12-2022