The Diego Diaries: So … (dd8 78)
Part 26 of What Makes No Difference Is No Difference (A Transformers: Prime Story) is up. :D Date of next post short of nuclear attack: Saturday, January 30th. Cheers!
=0=At Earth2, in the auditorium
"Yet …" Ratchet began again. He paused to create a moment, then continued. "We don't expect everyone to get us. At least not right away but its clear to us that there's a problem among a very small handful of you and among those people, there's always someone ready to let her rip.
"We have a situation where some think that the rules don't apply to them, so here we are to go over them again so everyone is on the same page and no one has plausible deniability if this persists. First and foremost, because of your physical configuration, the main and overriding goal of everyone involved is your safety. Everything that happens with you is based on your safety. We have humans living in a zero mistake environment. No one is going to be speaking to the manager about the rules and requirements because boo-boos mean death and the rules of safety aren't negotiable.
"We now have humans living in space on Prima Station and even though it has redundancies built into redundancies, its a place where you can die if you break the rules. You aren't made for either place, Mars or space. The Hu-An have the ability to live with or without atmosphere so they have much more flexibility in their life and habitation than you ever will. Until you either learn to hold your breath forever or develop past the need for lungs, the rules will always apply.
"I was the Prime's representative during every negotiation. Every word that's written in every document was decided upon by your team and me. I sat through endless meetings on top of everything else I do working out every detail so that your life here would be free and safe. The leadership of every habitat and habitation can attest to that process. When it was all over, everyone signed the same paperwork making legal documents that bound both sides to the arrangements we have now.
"Last night I reread them looking for anything that would cause conflict or might be a point of disagreement or misunderstanding and I couldn't find one. All of the agreements, those for the buildings, their uses and individuals living there are in order with all the signatures intact. Everyone in this room and around the human community was given a document in their contract, immigration application and work permit to sign after reviewing the rules, regulations, limitations as well as the duty and obligation to our society as the host to obey Cybertronian and habitat laws.
"Everyone had to sit through numerous orientation and explanatory meetings to understand everything. Then you had to sign an agreement that you would abide by them. Everyone has with few exceptions.
"Everyone has upheld their end of the deal and brought honor not only to yourself but your community. We're very glad you're here. We enjoy working with and living with humans. You're amazingly successful and welcome here. We've gone to a lot of trouble to give you accessibility to our infrastructure and our culture. There are very few things that aren't open to you.
"But there's a problem that has to be addressed. Some of those here, very, very few, are very bigoted about us and aren't too shy about letting us know. We've had few problems between us but those we've had were notable. Now we have the cancer of bigotry on world and we have to address it. We have to figure out what to do about it before it becomes an issue and taints the reputation of the human population among our people.
"Bigotry ended our world. Bigotry and hatred gave us a five million year civil war and drove us to the brink of extinction. We don't tolerate it among our people anymore. It still exists. Caste and faction hatred still linger but we address it. We keep it from coming back to hurt us because we agree as a society that its a cancer and it won't be allowed to flourish anymore. I want that to be fully understood now that its not tolerated among us and we won't tolerate it among or from you.
"You're the leadership of your habitats. You set the tone by what you enforce and what you turn a blind eye to. There are procedures in place to address conflict and we expect them to be used. We also expect the people in your domains to not only utilize them but to have confidence that when they do things will be investigated, handled fairly and that they won't become the target because they used the system designed to protect them from whatever the complaint attests.
"The last thing we want is someone feeling the only avenue they have is to change facilities or that if they complain their grievances will be unheard, buried, ignored or used against them.
"Understand, we have the right to replace anyone of you if we believe that you aren't doing a good and fair job in your position. Make no mistake. We will. We know how a lack of unity and confidence in command can lead to disaster. This is too important and difficult, too borderline safe to have someone not do their part when they're in a position to lead. I'll always be the last word here by Primal command. And for that, I'm instituting a couple of changes that are not negotiable. I would suggest that you reread the safety override clauses of the documents for these habitats and the station if you have questions about these changes and my power to make them.
"The first change is simple. I'll have a private contact number and staff member assigned to this that you will display in prominent places for individuals to see and know that will be there for them to make me and my office aware if they need help. Its going to be private. Any comments or complaints brought to it will be investigated by someone from my office, N.E.S.T. and the Consulate. They will make a three person committee. There will be cooperation from each of you and everyone involved with have their chance to speak and discuss the problems together at that point. Your cooperation will be expected.
"Secondly and lastly, any complaints filed by anyone at any facility that has human occupation will be filed with my office as well. Any complaint, formal and informal will be received by me. Copies will be filed to detect patterns of behavior or failures in systems so things can be improved. I want people to feel they aren't trapped or stuck. If you do your job, I expect few complaints. If complaints have merit, the procedures in place will take over from there. If they don't, then no worries. I'm taking sole discretion away from you and the filings will be retroactive to the start of each habitat's operation.
"I'd prefer to leave it in your hands. But things are clear to me that you might need assistance in handling the rare but potent problems that come up. Perhaps in future we can step back and allow the system we both agreed to have its way without our oversight. Until then, I'm going to be a greater presence than either of us want." He glanced at Lennox. "Will Lennox, top dog of the human community here will have a few words to say."
Lennox stared at Ratchet with a rueful expression, then rose to walk to the stage. Ratchet stepped back to allow him to lead. He looked at the crowd, many of whom were friends and family. "I agree with Ratchet. It doesn't appear that we're doing the job to the degree that we should. Changing from one habitat to another isn't a good work around for problems that come up.
"I have final say on any of you here. I can send you home without even telling you why. I feel that responsibility greatly and have no intention of abusing it. I would hope that this addresses the problem. We've got a really good reputation here. Our productivity and unity are our greatest assets. No one has the right not to do their job to the fullest. No one here has the right to shoot their mouth off about our hosts or their lifestyle. We have more in common with the bots than any of us could imagine.
"They protect us here, in the greater solar system and galaxy beyond. I've fought Cybertronian soldiers, master soldiers at that. I know what they can do and if we only had ourselves to face them we'd be a cinder floating in space by now or worse. Some will tell you otherwise. Some of those are even here. But they'd be dead wrong with dead being the operative word.
"We're going to do better and change this around. It embarrasses me when things like this happen. It makes me furious when the systems in place are believed by residents to be of little use or that they as the victim will be punished for using them. I agree with Ratchet about the new changes and I'm instructing every habitat here to forward copies of any and all complaints or grievances to the office of the Secretariat of the Primes and to me at N.E.S.T. HQ. I consider them to be part of my purview.
"In the end, we have to get along. We do. There's so few complaints and problems that I find myself proud of everyone here about all the time. But there will always be those who challenge things with their bigotry. Its the nature of the situation. They won't be tolerated here." He glanced at Ratchet. "Anything else?"
Ratchet grinned. "Nope."
"Okay. Everyone is required to discuss this with their departments and populations. Given that privacy is part of how we operate, I'd like gossip and speculation about what prompted this to be left out of the discussion. We're moving forward together right now. Everyone is dismissed unless you or Paragon have something to add, Prowl."
Everyone glanced at the two tall mechs standing at the corner of the stage, look alike mechs of enormous elegance and charisma.
"I have little to add beyond the desire to have amity and unity. I admire the human population's willingness to come here and live in difficult circumstances so well. Right now, I'm in agreement with Commander Ratchet's decisions," Prowl said. He glanced at Paragon.
"I am Commander Paragon and I was a Decepticon."
Everyone looked surprised, those who didn't know about the tall elegant winger.
"It's not easy to change. It's not easy to give up negative impressions or ideas. But its necessary to do so. I would expect you as the leadership to lead. I would also expect you to treat your assigned personnel decently and well. Things don't have to be terrible. If they are, then find a mirror and you will have your source. Its up to you to create the conditions that will either be productive or not. In the end, you are ultimately responsible for any and all outcomes. Do your job well and fairly. All the rest is details." He glanced at Will and Ratchet, then nodded.
"Thank you, Commander Paragon. I agree with you," Will said. He looked at the group. "We're going to be available as well as Ratchet for questions. This meeting is concluded."
Everyone rose to stretch, then walk to the bots to chat. It would last over an hour before everyone would at last go home.
By that evening, 147 copies of formal complaints would be filed with Ratchet's office. All of them would be reviewed. All of them but three would be understood to be minor, mostly cultural misunderstandings but three wouldn't. One would be a disagreement between three people over religion which would be resolved through sensitivity training. One would be Johnson being arrested at the party which was pending. The last would be a report about Cameron Frazer and his recently broken up relationship with a nice office worker at Unidad Terra 1.
=0=TBC 01-28-2021