The Diego Diaries: Ho-Ho-Huh? (dd8 51)
=0=E2
Pierre Beliveau, life long diplomat for France in various capacities and stations around Earth turned from his son toward Ratchet. Glancing upward, he looked distraught. "Ambassador, gentlemen, I would like to offer my most sincere apologies for the actions and words of my son."
"Mr. Beliveau," Ratchet said. "You aren't responsible for the actions of your grown ass son. I, for one am pleased that he's put voice to his long held ideas and beliefs. If he feels the need to say more then by all means do it."
"I'm entertained," Springer said dryly as Drift nodded.
It was silent a moment as Pierre glanced at Harris, then back to Ratchet. "I am … I do wish to apologize. My son has had a lot to drink tonight and things are tense all around. Its not that I'm offering an excuse. His conduct is not excusable but I am compelled to do so, Ambassador. I'm a father and a colleague. At least, I hope so on the latter."
Ratchet nodded, then knelt to be closer. "Do you really think that your son's words are the worst thing I've ever heard or that they can divert me from the performance of my duty to do the best I can for my people which includes resident aliens? I'm ancient. I'm millions of Earth years old. Perhaps there's a difference in perception to the passage of time between us … perhaps a day for you feels longer than a day for me but that's relative. The same amount of time passes in every circumstance for me as it does for you.
"I've lived a long time both here and across the universe. I've lived a lifetime on Cybertron, though I've lived longer away from it. Millions of years have passed by me yet my little boat has traveled all those rivers. I've seen things you can't even imagine, you can't devise even in your amazingly creative human mind. There are things in this universe that are beyond your grasp even if you saw them as well. Diversity IS the universe and those of us who have experienced it know that intimately. All diversity exists and does so for a purpose because I believe everything happens according to divine plan.
"I've faced ill will that had no source. I've faced enemies that dismembered me. I've faced enemies that were relentless, pursuing me over oceans of time to cause me and mine harm. I've battled my own mind during that time, some of it, a lot of it spent alone wondering where everyone and every place that I loved was and if they were alright. Being alone for eons is a very devastating thing but I've crossed that ocean paddling alone.
"Wondering where everyone is, wondering if the planet you love with all your being is okay, wondering if you would ever come across someone who even looked like you … even if its t he enemy ... all of that I've faced many times.
"I've been in combat so terrible that you wouldn't survive even the idea of it. I've faced combiners alone. I've been captured in battle. I've survived terrible wounds and even torture. I've faced the Reapers. There's very little that your mind can imagine that I haven't experienced, seen or had done to me. Being alone in space, knowing how enormous the universe is, knowing that being found depends on a signal as slight as the web of a spider being found in a sea of cables is a thing that changes you.
"No one you've met among us is missing similar stories to tell. All of us have been through the mill because someone decided that they'd be king of Cybertron no matter how much damage it would take to achieve that goal. It wasn't a decision we took as a people for this to happen. Madness can strike anywhere and we paid a heavy price for that happening there. No one wanted to live anywhere but home. You who live here have no idea what its like to be forced to leave your world and culture behind. Imagine leaving this place on the run without knowing where your kids are, Owen Harris. Imagine, Mr. Beliveau, being shoved into a ship without your wife and son.
"I don't think its too much to think about others with empathy. In my experience, we've all been changed into three or four different types. There's those of us who manage to hold on to who we are with only superficial changes. There's those of us who are changed profoundly and either become bitter or dangerous. Some are so filled with trauma that they self medicate. Considering the amount of fighting and drinking among our people here, that's a common feature of our lives. There are those who disappear into their minds and never come back or do so only with great effort and support. Fortunately, we don't view counseling as weak like humans do.
"There are those who compartmentalize their experiences. They find a way to put them somewhere and mostly keep them there. Most all of us in the military can do that," Ratchet said as Springer and Drift nodded. "Some of us never trust again. Some of us find it hard to believe in things again. Some of us become consumed with jobs or finding our people. Dai Atlas has a lot of those around him and he's finding millions because he's that kind of mech.
"All of us have been hurt by our experience. I realize that we don't look like you'd expect aliens to look. We aren't organic and we don't look like green men or grays. We're aliens, we're living beings with feelings and dreams, we're a culture and we're sentient and self aware. It's up to you to decide what that means to you but to us we're who we're supposed to be. We don't need your approval or acceptance to be us and feel good about it. We're probably the oldest space going species known in this universe, the entire universe. We know our worth. And surprise of surprises ... we share it with you.
"Given that your world is in the process of committing suicide, I find it conveniently myopic of anyone from there to judge us. We share our tech. We protect you. We have all the tech to help you come here not only to live but to thrive. We take the time to build what you need to do so when we have millions of our people coming who need us to provide for them, taking time to help you achieve your dreams. We do so cheerfully and within treaties mutually agreed upon. We keep our word. We haven't broken a single treaty, agreement or contract with any of your people or you in the entirety of our collaborative effort together.
"We value your people and planet. We enjoy and share your culture. We include you in our sacred moments and have adopted some of your more wonderful events for our own. We protect you from implacable enemies, give you tech and advice to fix your many and sundry self inflicted worldwide problems and charge you nothing for it. We do so because we're old, wise and understand beginners like you. You aren't our first rodeo.
"You, Cameron Frazer, are to me as an ant is to an elephant. You're a beginner, a child taking their first steps into the big wild and sometimes very bad greater world. We don't expect you to understand everything you see, hear and meet as you do this. Toddlers don't. We don't even take offense when in your child like confusion you speak to us this way. We don't brand our manhood, if you will, on how tough or reactive we are to others. We don't need to because we understand beginners.
"We know something about war, about toxic male behavior and how it can destroy everything and everyone faster than you can imagine. Words are the smallest weapons that you can hurl at us. We know our own worth. We're confident in our own skins. We don't hold your tantrum against you anymore than we would any child we meet," Ratchet said.
:Says who?: Springer asked.
Ratchet grinned at him, then looked down at the humans. "We're secure in who we are. We're led by the First Disciple of Primus." He leaned in closer. "Some would call that Being, The One, God. Our Prime is favored by Primus and The One." He stood. "You're welcome here. We like you, your cultures and people. We understand your … confusion about us. Its the usual reaction. But you would do your people honor and favor to act like a good man when you're here. There are so many here already, it might do you good to emulate them until you understand what it means to be them."
Ratchet glanced at Harris and the others. "We'll need a report about this. I'm going to be in conference with Prime. The treaties and contracts give us the right to assume this case to our own jurisdiction if we feel its important enough of a violation. I'll be discussing that with Prime when we speak. As for you, Mr. Frazer, I'd count your blessings that I'm a diplomat and have been since before your people lived on the ground. Others by their experiences might not be so forgiving. You're confined to this habitat until I decide what to do about this.
"I don't want your attitudes circulating in the community for now. You're free to have them but you're not free to speak like this to others either in this Autobot Nation walls or beyond. Given the level of trauma that we operate at here, I can't guarantee your safety if you wheeze your commentary into the community."
Ratchet leaned closer to Frazer who stared at him with a grim expression. "It would be unreasonable to expect that there are more diplomats out there who'll give you the benefit of the doubt than those who might just step on you for sport." He rose, then stared at the group. "We'll continue forward. I don't hold grudges. But I do expect that people will be safe here and that their grievances will be heard and taken seriously. Though you may live here, we hold title. In the end, we can revoke your residency for the good of the order."
Ratchet turned to Springer and Drift. "Anything else?"
"No," Springer said with a grin. Then he glanced down at the humans. He knelt and moved closer to them. "You're new to this. That's obvious. Some of you are our kind of people," he said as he glanced at Cindy Tomas. "The rest of you need to grow up. I'm not a truck. I'm a sophisticated life form that can combine into one. I can combine into a lot of things. What can you do?" he asked, then rose.
"I'll be in touch," Ratchet said. He grinned at the group. "Merry Christmas," he said, then turned to go to the doors.
Drift and Springer stared at the humans, nodded to Tomas, then walked behind Ratchet as the doors opened and let them out.
=0=Outside
They stood on the turnoff to the highway having walked across the crowded paved parking lot together. A number of vehicles that brought the crowds were parked here in the overflow.
"What do you think?" Springer asked as they paused to stare at the lights of cities all around them.
"I think Owen Harris keeps guys around like him to test us. I don't mind that. Its refreshing to hear a person's true opinions. Frazer is a piece of work but he serves a purpose for Harris. That was obvious to me," Ratchet replied.
"Well, I'm glad someone could see it," Springer said. He grinned at Ratchet. "I think we're overdue for pie."
Ratchet smiled. "Last one there is a fat aft," he said, then jumped in the air to transform.
It would be a mad dash down the highways and through towns to the tower and pie with the fam who were sprawled out with sleeping kids all over the vast apartment.
Merry Christmas Surprise.
=0=TBC 12-28-2020 01-07-2021