The Diego Diaries: Wall (dd7 22)
=0=The Delivery
"Do you mean to tell me that you're taking custody of our children?"
It was silent as a tomb in the room.
Hardie stared at Bullet, then shrugged. "We were put a petition and we've accepted it. It's up to you how far and long this goes."
"Who put the petition?" Bullet asked.
"Sil and Jessine. I've also taken to the task all of the other 13 children who are part of this as well by their participation and thereby have a vested interest in the outcome," Hardie said. "I'm giving you notification. Until this is resolved, the children will be living elsewhere until a solution is made that won't include undue influence or pressure on them," Hardie said.
"You can't take our children," Sixtus sputtered as the others glanced at each other, then Hardie with alarm.
"Of course I can," Hard Drive said quietly. "I am Hard Drive of Praxus. Either The System applies at every level in every manner for everyone in our caste, as you well know it does, or none of it does. If you''d like to renounce The System with a Primal oath and live the way Primus has demanded, thereby allowing your children the lives they choose and not what you decree under that archaic system, then this is settled. What will it be? Are you going to concede that The System is a fraud and finished by picking or choosing what you want from it now? Is that what you want?"
It was silent, then Selo stepped closer, the war on his face evident. "Where is Sil now? We can talk and clear this up."
"Sil is under the care of a guardian ad litem just like the others. You may not speak to or see them until this is resolved. I will clear a time for 1200 hours tomorrow. Commander Ratchet will be representing all of them. Raptor, Commander Prowl and myself will be ad litem guardians for the kids and they will live with us until this settles. We will attend to their school and other appointments. Is that clear?" Hardie asked.
They stared at him with shock and emotion but no one said a word for a moment. Bullet finally stepped closer. "You're enjoying this."
"No," Hardie said quietly, meeting Bullet's gaze evenly. "I am, however, going to enforce it, all of it until you feel it in your sparks. Either the whole system is supported even when it hooks you in the aft or its over. You're not allowed to pick and choose what serves you and hang the rest. It didn't work that way on Cybertron with us and it won't happen now. Understand?"
The tension was extreme but no one spoke.
Then Bullet nodded. "Sixtus and I will be representing the families including my own. I will hold you totally responsible for anything that happens to them. Understand that, Hard Drive."
Hardie stepped slightly closer. "That's General of the Army and Senior Praxian Caste Chieftain Hard Drive of Praxus."
Bullet stared at him, then took the obligatory two steps backward conceding his inferior status to Hardie.
Hard Drive stared at all of them coldly, then turned to leave with Ratchet. "1200 hours in the big conference room at the Temple. Lady Sela will be there as well." With that, he opened the door and left with Ratchet following. It closed and they were halfway to the elevator down the hallway when the shouting broke out in the office behind them.
They walked to the metro in the mid afternoon crowds.
Ratchet glanced at Hardie. "Your caste is fragged. It's a prison. You had everything and you had nothing. Your caste doesn't seem to have any fun, any of those slaggers."
Hardie grinned. "Things that are unjust go on long enough and they calcify. They become the 'thing that exists', the reality and the individuals or their lives are less important than the system of it. They just go through the rules, most of them and they don't really know any better. But its going to change. I'm tired of this coming up over and over. The Pantheon made it clear what's going to be true and what isn't. This might do it. I'm going to take the unprecedented step of publishing the findings."
"Oh that should be fun. I hope you're right, Hardie," Ratchet said as they entered the Metro and got onto a circle line. It took off and when it passed The City without Hardie getting off, Ratchet glanced at him. "Where are we going?"
"To get the other kids," Hard Drive said grimly. "I think we need to beat them to it. Some of them had a hard dose of reality just now and the fighting going on back there might be some of them deciding to defy the rules."
"Great," Ratchet said with a grin as the train rolled swiftly along.
=0=Prowl
He made a call to his genitors, then gave Partition the charge for a joor while he walked toward his home to see about putting up ten children in the apartment. When he arrived Milie was already there.
He looked fretful. "This is not going to be very nice is it?" Miler asked. "I remember a couple of these and they were bitter and long."
"That was then, Ada," Prowl said as he handed Possibility to his amma. "I'm going to get the guest rooms ready and then we have to work out a schedule of retrieval and getting the kids to appointments. It's going to help having the Temple help us. No one likes this but if they want The System, they can't choose what they'll obey and enforce over those things they don't want. Maybe this is their wake up call."
"I hope so," Miler said as he followed Prowl down the hallway that led to the guest side of the vast penthouse.
=0=At Youngling Day School, Centurion, Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars, Cybertron and the Empire
They were waiting together in a big conference room in the administrative floor of the building when Ratchet and Hard Drive walked in. They paused their conversations and turned to the pair.
Coros stood. "What's going on, Appa? Is something wrong?" he asked as the others listened, their faces solemn.
"Sil and Jessine came to us this morning and told us that their genitors weren't going to allow them to attend to their mentorships, neither the Watch nor Medical any longer. They were so upset they cut school to go to Prime and from there, us," Hard Drive said.
The kids were shocked, glancing at each other with surprise, then Ratchet and Hardie. "What happened? I know some of our genitors don't like this … most of them, but they have to stay with us. All of us are in this together," Coros said with emotion.
All of the kids nodded as well.
"That's the thing we have to determine now among you and later among your genitors. Sil and Jessine asked me as Elder of the Elites to see what can be done about this, to ensure that you can stay in your clubs and activities and have some choice about what you like to do among legitimate pastimes and what your genitors can do about it. Right now, Sil and Jessine have asked us to do a hearing about this with their genitors. I'm here to ask you if you wish to be included," Hard Drive asked.
"Us?" Dell asked with surprise.
"They told us when their genitors told them this was over that all of you would be told the same thing when you came home from school today by your own. That's why we want to talk to you now," Ratchet said gently.
It was a shocking thing to hear for all of them and it reflected in their faces.
Elkin stood. "I want to stay. This is my thing, Commander. This isn't fair. We're trying to learn how to help this colony and our people. We aren't in a gang and we're not in trouble. Our grades are better now than they were before because we're happy. We are aren't we?" he asked the others uncertainly.
They nodded, then Coros looked at Hard Drive. "I want to stay in this. I want to be a Watchman some orn. Can you help us?" he asked almost plaintively.
"If you agree, we will but understand there will be rules. If you agree and want this to happen, you can't live at home while the process goes on. There will be pressure and influence there that might overpower what you're trying to accomplish," Hardie said.
"Where will we live? The Youth Center?" O.D. asked with fear.
"No. You will live with us, with Praxians … some my family and some others who are relatives. Prowl said he can house ten of you in The Residence," Ratchet said.
They stared at him then Hardie. "We'd live with Optimus Prime in The Residence?" Tempe asked incredulously.
Ratchet grinned. "You would. Floor to ceiling windows on the top of the world in the biggest house on the planet. The Residence covered the entire top floor of the tower."
"Whoa," Mico said. "What about our genitors?"
"We have put the proposition to them already and came to get you, those of you who wish to attend to this. They know and are ready to come to the hearing tomorrow to discuss this and find a solution that everyone can live with. The hearing is at 1200 hours in the conference room of the Temple. Lady Sela will be there as well," Hardie said.
"What about us? Do we have to be there?" Hall-See asked. "I don't want my genitors and family to be mad at me."
"This is about what you need and want. We're going to step out so you can discuss this together. Sil and Jessine are already on board," Hardie said. "Open the door when you decide. If you don't want to do this then we understand. No harm, no foul with us. If you want to continue your activities you have to decide what you'll do about this. Understand? Everyone gets to decide for themselves what they want."
They nodded, then Ratchet and Hardie stepped out. The door closed on a silent room.
=0=Outside in the corridor
"That was awful," Ratchet said with a snicker. "By the way, don't let Orion know about this. Okay?"
Hardie grinned. "That's going to cost you baked goods."
"Name it and its yours," Ratchet said with a chuckle.
=0=Inside in the room
It was silent a moment, then Coros turned to the others. "I want to stay with the programs. When I came here I hated it. It was all different then. I didn't know any better. I do now and I love this. I love every day of it. When the mechs let us go with them and teach stuff, I love it. I can do things now that I didn't know I could. What about you? I'm going with Sil and Jessine."
"I can't believe my genitors wouldn't let me do this. I can't believe it. They know I love this and that I can do things now, too. We can climb and shoot. We can do all kinds of things … ride, medical stuff. Why did this have to happen? I thought they were proud of me," Faun said. He looked at Coros. "I'm going with Sil and Jessine, too."
The discussion was short and sweet. The basic nature of deep and abiding love for their genitors and other family was overrun by the rebel spirit of youth. They were all going with Sil and Jessine. Coros opened the door and the two walked back in.
"What's the word?" Hard Drive asked the thirteen solemn youngsters sitting and standing around the room.
"We're going with Sil and Jessine," Coros said with a stubborn expression. It faded just a tad for a moment. "What do we do now, Appa?"
"Why, infants, you come with us," Ratchet said with a smile.
They would.
=0=At The City
They stepped out of the metro and paused together on the sidewalk. Standing nearby with solemn expressions of their own, Springer, Drift, Hercy, Kup, Lon, Bezel, Partition and Lancer were waiting. So was Sil and Jessine with Prowl. For a moment no one made a move, then the children walked to the big mechs and hugged them. It would be an emotional moment for everyone.
=0=The Diner At The Corner
They sat in the back with tables pushed together and the mechs sitting along the side where other customers would be seated when they came to dine to shield the conversation.
Springer looked at the kids. "This isn't what this program is about. It isn't intended to harm anyone or their families. I was surprised when the General told me about Jessine and Sil. I don't want you to be angry with your genitors. Most of this is just fear motivated."
Sil and Jessine looked at Springer. They nodded, then Jessine spoke from her spark. "We know our genitors weren't happy about this but we didn't care. This means everything to me. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't do this."
The other kids nodded.
"I love this. The first time you let me come to a football game to hang out and watch, it was the most amazing fun I've ever had. I love riding with the patrols, looking at weapons and learning what they do. The lessons at the dojo and the mechs and femmes of the Watch … they're the greatest."
Everyone nodded.
"Will they make us quit, Abba?" Flare, a small femme asked almost tearfully.
"They can't just decide without a better reason than I believe they have. You're doing something positive and hopeful for our people and showing other young people what they can do if they want to. Don't fret," Hardie said gently.
Waiters came with ice cream concoctions and began to place them around the group.
"Eat up, infants. This is nectar of the gods," Ratchet said as he picked up his spoon.
And they would.
=0=TBC 6-23-19