The Diego Diaries: Talk (dd7 27)
=0=The conference room, The Temple of Primus, Autobot City
Lady Sela leaned forward slightly. "We've made changes, gentlemen, since we came here. Because we have so many children who have no one, we made it possible for some of them to emancipate younger and for all of them to have more of a say in their lives. There have been changes in the laws and regulations for children to give them more of a say in what happens to them.
"Most children follow their family dictates but conflict began to come up not only with those unaccompanied by their families but because of entitled families who still wanted to enforce high caste dictates here. That ship sailed long ago when the first vessels lifted off Cybertron in the war. Here, children have more say in their lives than before because some families still see them through the lenses of The System.
"Now, they can be freer within bounds to make their own decisions if the path they want to take is safe and reputable. We aren't looking at children who want to be in a gang nor are we seeing children who want to participate in illegal or harmful activities. They want to learn how the law works here and to be an asset to our people. They want to learn how to heal their hurts and help them stay within the laws. They want to help their victims. They're learning many things that are good for everyone.
"This is partly out of your hands. The same thing would happen even if they hadn't appealed to Prime. The Youth System would still provide ad litems and a representative and they would still uphold the latitude and scope of the law. The children did this because they love … they love our people and our life. They did so in spite of their love for you which they fear will be jeopardized by pursuing this.
"I remember them from before. They were sullen, morose even and struggled to fit in. Now they lead the charge for their age groups, showing the highest possibilities for love by their work and behavior. They want to be a positive force here and I applaud them. We all do. We find in their company such a sublime happiness. If you would put down your old thinking, if you would look around and see everyone through the lens of love that suffuses your children then you would be happy and fulfilled here. I look at you and I don't see it. I don't see happiness in this room."
It was silent for a moment, then Hardie glanced at Sela. "Do you wish to say more, Lady?"
She looked at Hardie. "I do believe I said all that is necessary, Lord Hard Drive," she said as she nodded her helm in respect.
"Thank you," Hardie said with a nod back. He looked at the families, all of whom were solemn and uncomfortable. "Do you wish to add anything?" he asked of them.
Bullet considered that. "Please understand that we come from love to resolve this issue, Lord Hard Drive. We love our children and want only the best for them."
"Commander Springer?" Hardie asked.
"We do, too. It's easy to love them, they're so good sparked and enthusiastic," Springer said. "It'll be an awful thing if they have to stop belonging to the programs. For all of us."
Hardie glanced at Ratchet. "Ratchet?"
"I agree with Springer. Watching them at the games is a revelation. They're so filled with purpose and love, it makes me happy. They're so confident and proud. Its what we want from our children, to be that happy and fulfilled."
Hardie nodded, then sat back. "Micro and I will discuss this. Please wait for my decision which is final." He glanced at Micro and they began.
It was deeply still in the room. None of those in each camp would look at the other. It would take a moment for them to reach a decision, then Hardie would turn back to the group some of whom startled when he did. "We have come to a decision."
=0=A classroom at school
Jessine and Pulley stood before a row of rocks as they worked on data regarding the geology of Mars. They were tense and uncharacteristically quiet. Jessine glanced at Pulley. "I wonder if they decided already?"
"I hope so. I trust the General," Pulley said. "Do you?"
Jessine stared at him with a strained expression, then nodded. "I do."
The afternoon would draaaaag onward.
=0=The meeting
"I would reiterate that my decision is final. I am reminded of the story of King Solomon and the two mothers, a sacred story from Earth. One mother had accidentally killed their baby in their sleep by smothering it. Apparently, infants slept with their mothers in those times and such things could happen, unfortunately. She exchanged her own baby with that of another necessitating both to appeal to the king for a decision about whose baby it was.
"King Solomon, reputed to be the wisest person on Earth at the time heard both, then called for his sword. He said, "Since it's such a difficult situation and because there's only one baby for two women, I'm going to cleave the baby in two pieces, then give you each half."
"One woman agreed. The other begged Solomon to spare the child, to give it to the other woman before he would do such a thing. It was then that love revealed itself to everyone there, a selfless love that required no conditions other than the purity of selfless love itself, a love willing to let go of its own needs for another. It was a love that only focused on the well being of another. He awarded the baby back to its real mother." He considered the room. "What we have here is the same problem. Some of you have possession of the baby, a possessive love, but the others have its total well being at spark, offering an unconditional love to help the other become who they seek to be.
"We do, indeed, have new rules and latitude for children that wasn't available on Cybertron. Maybe if we did more kids would have become what they wanted rather than follow the demands of their families into careers and bonds that fulfill their sparks. I know many a mech and femme who did one thing on Cybertron and now do something completely different here, something they wouldn't and couldn't have been done on our home world because of family obligations and expectations, that fulfills their spark at last.
"That's what's at stake here, fulfilling the ever emerging and ever changing sparks and delights of children. What child doesn't look at the world and think why not? What genitor from our caste looked at the same world and wondered why? My son chose to be a soldier and so did my grandson. I didn't want any of them including Ironhide, my great grandson to be soldiers but I let them. They wanted it. Who am I to decide their path? I can only advise, assist and pray that it goes well. It wasn't like they were asking to lead a road rage gang.
"That's not the high caste way. Prowl was supposed to be a mathematician and physicist. Only for the conviction of his spark did he become what he wanted, an exemplary policing officer, masterful soldier and the strategist that helped make our present condition possible. That's what this place represents for so many. A chance to live dreams and become what you want and not what you're dictated to become by someone else's expectations and demands and a system that quashed dreams out of hand.
"The new laws and regulations give weight to what children want and need. It doesn't decide ultimately for that but it gives them a say and sway to be heard and considered as deeply and well as any adult. They aren't helpless to the process. Given that the activities they want to continue aren't detrimental to their well being, but rather enhance their civic and emotional connections to the colony, I'm inclined to give that a lot of weight.
"They want to serve. They want to learn good and useful things. They aren't in a gang but rather in a civic group that's useful, kindly and uplifting for everyone, not just them. We aren't discussing how they break the law, act up or detract from the world. They actually have improved themselves by what they do. They've even improved their educational experience at school. Yes, I checked. I wanted to make sure that things were good at both ends.
"What I see here is the old ways. I see genitors who love their children but want them obedient even if it means that their children suffer doing so. It was difficult for me and mine to see that on Cybertron given the freedom of my own caste to do what we wanted without obligations of this type, to see children that wanted a different life follow the dictates of their genitors and other family members against their own dreams.
"Prowl could have done so but he didn't. Look at what he became because he did. If any of you think that all of this would be possible, that the Autobots winning the war would have happened as fast and as well without him being an exemplary soldier and strategist, I'm here to disabuse you of that idea."
Micro nodded. "I agree."
"We applaud your love for your children. We also applaud the love others have for them that they would take time out of extremely busy technical work and private lives to give them time and instruction because the kids want to learn. All of the mechs and femmes who help these kids are to be applauded. It means extra work and time devoted to them and they all do it willingly and with great care. The children are protected, supported and instructed about something of which they have intense interest.
"The children themselves are miraculous. We have gangs here, gangs and kids who haven't made a good adjustment. We aren't talking about that here. We're talking about commitment to the colony, hard extra work outside of a demanding school commitment and love. These children love." He leaned closer to the group before him. "They LOVE."
"They do."
Everyone glanced at Nugget and Buros, Sil's appa and amma. They both grinned. "I'm glad they want to do this. My granddaughter, Sil goes on and on about what she does, who she does it with and how it means so much to her. She wants to be a Watchman when she grows up. She loves the idea of helping. That's the highest definition of love that she feels this way. I applaud my son and son-in-law that they raised such a daughter. I agree, Lord Hard Drive. My little Sil understands and is trying to live love," Nugget said as Buros nodded again.
It was leaden in the room. The elders were asserting themselves as others nodded and agreed. It was silent again.
"That's what we hope life can be. Those of us who were there at the beginning, those of us who've fought in the exact opposite of love … war and conflict want that more than anything and if you want to teach it and the meaning of peace you start with the young. I feel that there's a hint of The System here, of entitlement. I feel that there's an underlay of disdain that the children should be consorting with and learning from lower castes," Hardie said.
"Lord Hard Drive," Bullet began. "Surely ..."
"I do," Hardie said as Micro nodded. "They're doing good things. They're rising up in school from the obligation of continuing to do this. Most, if not all of their instructors are former mid and low castes. I understand your concerns about their safety but the mechs and femmes that are part of this would shield them with their own lives if something happened. I also understand your ideas about keeping your kids in your professions, the joy of working with them. But I also understand their yearning to be true to who they are.
"And who are they? They're loving and kind. They're dedicated to the common good. They're taking on more learning that isn't required because they want to live a loving and useful life. They changed their attitudes in the company of the mechs and femmes who help them. They enhance the lives of those mechs and femmes by what they do."
Drift and Springer nodded. Springer sat back to relax. "You can say that again."
"I will. They enhance each other, back and forth. Their efforts are positive. They don't interfere with their obligations to their families and school. They enhance them. Therefore, I'm upholding their petition. I'm also ordering all of the genitors for these children to spend 20 joors accompanying them in their efforts. Commander Springer and Drift will assign you to those various endeavors as they see fit. You will do the 20 joors, all of you minus your elders. You may also do so, elders, if you wish," Hardie said as he grinned at them. Most of them he knew and liked.
They grinned and nodded back.
"I can write a story for the paper," Nugget said as Buros, his bond agreed. "Maybe the colony needs to know what excellent children we have here."
Hardie grinned. "I'm asking that the genitors of these children understand the love that underpins their efforts and return it in kind. They worry that they've damaged their love connection and families to do this. Show them the error of their ways. Support them. Uphold them. Let them decide these small things. If they change their minds later, they at least will have something to base it upon. This decision is final. This hearing stands in adjournment. Thank you, Lady Sela, for your wise counsel and the use of this sacred space."
Sela stood. "It is my honor, old friend."
=0=A few moments later
They filed into a conference room at school, all fifteen of the children and about ten others who had already petitioned to join and would begin in a few orns. They stared at Micro, Drift and Springer, Ratchet, Hardie, Lon, Kup, Bezel, Partition who as a medic trainer for the Watch for the kids and Twin Twist who was kibitzing outside the door of the conference room in his anxiety for them.
Yes, the kids were that much loved.
They stood in a group before the big mechs, staring at them with almost tearful anxiety. "Appas, what did you decide?" Sil asked Hardie and Micro with tears in her voice.
Hardie grinned. "You may continue your progr-"
At that point, the screaming and jumping around drowned out everything else.
=0=TBC 6-30-19
PS The numbering is fixed. :D Notes to come. :D