The Diego Diaries: Another Problem, Another Possibility (dd7 21)
=0=Hard Drive's office, The Citadel, Iacon, Cybertron
It took a moment for the two femmes to collect themselves as they sat on a couch in Hardie's huge office at The Citadel. He was commandant of the entire planet's administrative overview and thus had yea or nay over nearly everything that happened in consultation with Prime. Given Hardie's integrity and ability, it wasn't often and usually only over the most important things that Prime felt the need to do so.
"Are you feeling better?" Turbine asked. He'd bridged in with a solemn featured Raptor. They were sitting on chairs in front of the two that they'd pulled over.
"NO, AMMA! WE CAN'T BE IN OUR GROUPS! THIS IS SO AWFUL!" Sil said as she sobbed.
Jessine who was equally upset stood up, then walked to Turbine and threw her arms around him. "OH, AMMA! HOW CAN WE EVER BE HAPPY AGAIN IF THEY DON'T LET US DO THIS?! HOW CAN WE HELP ANYWHERE IF WE DON'T DO THIS!? WE LOVE IT SO!"
Raptor sat back, then glanced at his father. :This is slag. How is it that we have so many high caste problems lately? It seems every time we turn around something crap happens:
Hardie nodded. :I agree. I'm not fond of this either:
"WE LOVE THIS! WE RIDE HORSES WITH THE MECHS! THEY SHOW US STUFF AND THEY ACT SO NICE WHEN WE'RE THERE! THEY'RE NICE MECHS WITH MANNERS! OUR GENITORS DON'T THINK SO! THEY DON'T WANT US TO 'MIX'!" Jessine said.
Turbine hugged her, then glanced at the others. "Then maybe its time to address this, Hardie. This isn't Cybertron in the orn and the habits of then aren't the habits of now."
"CAN YOU! I LOVE MY GENITORS BUT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Jessine said as Sil stood up and walked to Turbine.
He enclosed both of them in his brawny arms. "They do love you. That's clear. I hope that's the first thought you have about them every time they come to mind."
"We do, Amma," Sil said around her broken spark. "THEY JUST WON'T LISTEN!"
"Then maybe we should have a talk with them. I don't know the rest of your family. Do you have any allies?" Raptor asked gently.
The little femmes looked at him, then each other. "Our grand ammas and appas. Our great grand ammas and appas. They seemed to be happy about what we're trying to do. They think our grades at school are wonderful and they like our friends. They want us to be happy and do good," Sil said as Jessine nodded.
They looked like wilted daffodils, their little wan expressions actually painful to see. Even in the high castes the chance for fulfilling dreams was a clouded and harsh path sometimes. Chains may have been made of gold but they were chains nonetheless.
Ask Madura and Edict.
"Tell us your grand genitors names. We will get with them," Hardie said as he signaled for staff to come.
The door opened as Shackle walked in. He glanced at the two tearful femmes, then Hardie. "Did something awful happen?" he asked with concern.
"Not if we can help it," Raptor said as he stood. "We have a caste thing to take care of on Mars."
Shackle grinned. "Another one? Maybe an honor fight is in store for the good of the order."
"I volunteer," Raptor said with a grin. He glanced at his father who was organizing something on his desk, then the femmes. "Just so you know, femmes, there's rules about this if you want to do it. We can intervene for infants and those below the age of adulthood but there's rules."
Turbine nodded. "You will need an advocate and someone to speak for you. It can be the same individual but its good to have someone who can talk for you and someone in the caste, the elites, to be your guardian ad litum."
"What's that, Amma?" Sil asked as she leaned against Turbine.
"Your guardian ad litum is someone who takes care of you and makes decisions about what happens. Your representative speaks for you in any hearing or discussion that happens no matter how formal or informal," Turbine said gently.
Raptor nodded. "We're going to speak to your genitors and tell them of your unhappiness. Then we sit down to negotiate this. You will be taken care of by your representative who will help speak for you with your guardian ad litum present. You will be there but you can decide whether to speak or not. You don't have to but we'd like to keep this as informal as possible."
They nodded, then looked at Hardie who had stepped closer to them.
"Understand, infant, if we can't settle this with the first meeting that you won't be going home to your house. Until this is settled, you will be with someone else so you won't feel pressure or be influenced by being home with them. Our intent is to preserve the family and nine times out of ten it happens. Sometimes it doesn't, that one out of ten. I want you to understand that you won't be going home with your family if they can't come to an agreement that's good for you and them together," Hardie said.
"Where will we be, Appa?" Sil asked suddenly afraid. She leaned against Turbine who pulled both femmes closer.
"You will stay with one of us. Ratchet is going to be your representative," Hardie said.
"I am?" Ratchet asked with a grin.
"Did you doubt?" Raptor asked with his own grin.
"How many of you infants are in this problem?" Hardie asked.
"There are fifteen of us, Appa," Sil asked. "We know that they're going to find out when school gets out because they said so. Then they'll have the same problem and the same sadness." Sil shook her helm. "My ada and atar don't understand what this means to me, how happy I am to do this. I didn't know you could be this happy. We get to do things that I didn't even know existed. Our people are so happy when we help them."
Hardie glanced at the others who were as grave as him. "We will get this ironed out. If you give us the names of everyone we can call them together. You're sure that the others will be told the same thing?"
Jessine nodded. "We immigrated together and some of us are related. All of us are part of a company that our genitors created and we always do things together. Ada told me that they were going to do this, all of them, so we can't go and do anything anymore. They don't think its the thing for us." She looked at them tearfully. "I don't agree."
Hardie nodded gravely. "Then we discuss this together, infant. Let's go. Raptor, get this organized. I think the conference room at the Temple, the big one will do. Turbine? Could you take care of that? I would like Lady Sela there as well if she can come."
"I'll get on it. These femmes can come with me. Did you eat, babies?" Turbine asked.
"We did but I wasn't much hungry, Amma," Sil said as Jessine nodded.
"Then lets see what we can do. Lady Sela is a good snack maker. She makes sure every Temple Board meeting has good things," Turbine said as she walked to the door with the femmes. He looked back. "I'll meet you there." Then they left.
"Well, this is fragged," Ratchet said. "We might have fifteen kids who won't be going home shortly. We can take a bunch of them into our house."
"We have ten berth rooms. We can take most of them," Prowl said. "What's the likelihood this will be a good outcome? I remember only two and they were long and protracted."
Hardie considered that. Then he vented a soft sigh. "I can, too."
They walked to the door and stepped out heading for a problem on Mars that was as important to the players as any here. Fortunately, the process in place here was premium and brilliant. The one that would occur on Mars had no guarantee that it would be even remotely as close.
=0=At the Temple
They walked in the great doors and saw Lady Sela of Simfur waiting for them. Closing the distance across the wide open space, they reached her.
She smiled at the girls. "I hear that you might feel a bit hungry. I have some snacks and juice in the conference room. Why not come with me, little femmes. We can eat some good things and chat."
The two wan girls glanced at Turbine who grinned. "I'm coming, too."
They glanced at Sela, then nodded. "Thank you, Lady. I'm glad you're here, too. This is so awful."
"Then we shall make it better," Sela said as she led the way through the afternoon throng of visitors from the migration and those who were here to soak up the goodness everywhere. They disappeared into the crowd.
=0=At the door of Solar Business, Ltd, the private company of everyone involved in the situation, Crater District #2, Professional Building, Office 1223, Main and Constable, City #2
They had arrived, then gathered on the sidewalk outside of the tower before entering a professional building and going upward. The crew with Hardie were those required for the initial contact. General Micro of Praxus was there to help give the gravitas necessary for the problem before them. Raptor was with Turbine at the Temple. Ratchet was there as the official representative.
Hardie glanced at everyone. "This could be interesting. Helms up."
"Did I ever tell you how fragged I think high castes are?" Ratchet asked with a chuckle.
"On a few occasions. I can't say that I disagree," Hardie said as he opened the door. The three walked into a beautiful reception area. Several bots were working there and would be understood later to be some of the bonds of the crew, all of which were working on consulting with businesses on Earth who wanted to understand the process of commerce among the Cybertronians. It was a very, very busy business.
A mech glanced up. "Can I help you? I'm Selo." He stood, a very handsome and refined mech with a brilliant paint scheme. Sil's name could be seen on the family etchings on his arm.
"I'm here on official business, Selo. I would like to speak to you and your bond, Nugget. I'm unclear if your genitors or grand genitors work here. Do they?" Hardie asked.
The room had frozen in place. A Praxian Elite on official business was usually fragged.
Selo glanced around, then back to the three. "I'll call him," he said as he tapped a comm line toggle. "Nugget, please come to the front. Bring Sixtus and Bullet with you."
Everyone stared awkwardly at each other until three big mechs appeared, mechs who were handsome, immaculately designed and concerned.
"General," Nugget said with surprise. "How may we help you?"
Hardie glanced at Micro and Ratchet, then the others. "I would need information. You are aware of the children who are in the various Watch and medical mentorships? Are their genitors working here as well?"
"They are." Nugget looked surprised. "Is there something wrong with our children?"
"No," Hardie clarified gently. "We would like to speak with all the genitors of the children who are involved in the groups aforementioned. Is there somewhere to talk where all of us can be gathered?"
Nugget looked at Selo. "Close the door. Call everyone here. Now, to this place."
Selo jolted, then complied. In seconds the room was filled with bots and a couple of femmes.
Hardie looked at them, then began. "Are the genitors or guardians of O.D., Tempe, Sil, Jessine, Coros, Pulley, Elkin, Del, Sio, Mico, Hall-see, Simmer, Faun, Capstone and Flare present?"
The genitors glanced at each other, then Bullet stepped forward. "We're all here. We work and own this business together. Sixtus and I are the legals here. What is this about? Our children are at school. Right?" he asked pointedly.
"They are, all but Sil and Jessine. They came to the Operational Center to seek assistance from Prime about a problem that was vexing them greatly. They were then sent to me so I might hear their problem. They weren't in school today, so upset were they about your decision to remove them from the mentorship programs they are part of," Hardie said. "They asked me to speak for them and by doing so they have put into play a guardian ad litem situation until this is resolved."
It was silent a moment, a shocked and stony silence, then Bullet stepped closer. "Do you mean to tell me that you're taking custody of our children?"
It was silent as a tomb in the room.
=0=TBC 6-22-19