The Diego Diaries: Judgment (dd7 128)
(I nearly fell asleep half a dozen times writing this. :D It doesn't pay to put nature soundtracks on while writing.)
=0=Courtroom
"I was hoping for light stand up comedy or a floor show at least," Ratchet said as they walked into the Ops Center. "That was as depressing as I hope they go."
"You and me both," Prowl said as he walked toward the table nearby with Ratchet following. "By the way … what's the Thanksgiving extravaganza about this time?"
"It was barbecue. You don't think that would be a problem? I was thinking its time for the non-bakers in the partnerships and bonds to do the work. Why should we do it?"
"You might have a point. You do know that Optimus will kill it. Do you want the cookers there or do they bring their offerings in sealed heated boxes? I have some of those myself," Prowl said.
"I do, too," Ratchet said. "That would be easier."
They discussed the possibilities, then split up as Ratchet walked back to the world again to do the million things he did.
Prowl sat down at the table to do his.
All in all, they both would be terribly productive this orn.
=0=Cog of Altihex
He walked along the street in Metrotitan looking at his surroundings as he ambled along. He had a bachelor apartment in a Former Decepticon Association-run halfway house tower for newly arrived former Decepticons in Iacon. He was amazed at it and he was amazed at other things now.
Crossing at the light, he headed for Club Cybertron, a favorite hang out back in the orn. Walking into the bar, he glanced around. It was mid morning and the clientele was thin on the ground. Walking to the bar, he ordered a beer, took a sip and savored it. It was amazingly good and long overdue. He hadn't had anything but rot gut made on the ship since The Fall. This beer was his favorite and it tasted better than he remembered.
He walked into the lounge, headed for a booth then sat. A waiter walked over, took his order for bar food, then hustled off. Sitting back, Cog glanced around. It was amazing how much this bar looked like the original. He watched the funny folk, glancing around for someone he could talk to. No one was available.
He considered that, then decided to relax a bit. He would head onward shortly. The Watch Tower was several city blocks over. Springer worked there. He would finish his beer, then go over to say hello. After all, they were really something together back in the orn. They would be again, he thought.
What Springer and Drift thought was yet to be determined.
=0=Alor and Magnus
They sat in the sub ops center under the big one working out a plan to begin to search for the tech that was theirs and in the hands of the humans. Mueller and Anderson had said that a big lab was in Las Vegas and if they looked they could find it. It was the only lab that they knew about.
Prime believed them. He assigned Magnus as the Tyrest enforcer and Alor as station chief in Las Vegas to work out the plan, run it past him, then make their moves. It would take a while.
=0=Legal Beagle
Barron, Mick Moran, Morshower's aide-de-camp and legal liaison, Blackstone as ad hoc defense attorney for Mueller and Anderson as well as Coln-2 for the Prime sat together in an office going over the confessions and implications both interplanetarily and inter-personally of the problem before them. Barron was making a bold attempt to quantify what was laid out.
"We have them on the record stating that they had problems with Dobbs and Lombardi. They were caught while drunk of letting the two know what they were up to and what they had at their disposal. They were here to document the colony and all its features which is a breach of the treaty agreements and other documents.
"They had to be silenced and it was also a way to check out the efficacy of their equipment. As it goes, they work for M.E.C.H. We traced their information with discrete taps to find links between them and a runner for deep plant spies in the data found in Switzerland."
It came down so far to theft of controlled devices, false representation, trespass to do unlawful activities on world, spying and murder.
"We've already had conversations with General Morshower and you, Mick Moran. What happens next is a communication from Prime to Earth about this situation. He's going to be speaking to both the Australian and German government before making the general announcement to the world itself," Barron said. "When that happens, our group will be handling the legal end of this including discussing and explaining our system to the humans with you, Mick, assisting with the rights of the accused until someone is assigned to them from Earth."
"We're ready with their defense," Blackstone said. "Our team is ready to meet whatever you need, Barron."
:Just include me in, Barron. I'll be here for the duration for Glenn: Mick said.
Coln-2 nodded. "We are as well. I'm assuming that the message will be handled through the Offices of the Prime?"
"It will be. This is going to be awful and very emotional for the humans. We want to keep the message straight and let them feel as much confidence as they can about this," Barron said.
The conversation would go on for a couple of joors before they were informed that Prime was prepared to tell Earth about what had happened. He would do so after telling Australia and Germany first.
=0=Las Vegas, Nevada
Ultra Magnus and Alor sat in their pretender formats in the big kitchen of the command center in the compound the bots maintained in Las Vegas, Nevada. Somewhere in the area was a lab or two that had their tech and was working on it for their own purposes. They were waiting for the results of scans from Luna Base.
The mechs there were scanning the entire state of Nevada for Cybertronian signatures. Their tech would signal its presence even if devised by humans given that the things they had in their custody were unlike anything humans could create at this moment in their development.
"When we get the information we have to figure out how to take the cell down. This place has a lot of spaces to hide in plain sight," Alor said.
Magnus nodded as he glanced up from the data pad on the table. He was huge, extremely handsome and himself even in the form of a human body. "We'll have to make quick strikes. Hopefully, the entire operation is in one place."
"From your lips to Primus's audials," Alor said.
"Commander?"
Alor and Magnus glanced toward the doorway nearby. "Yes?" Alor asked.
"Prime is giving an address to Earth," the youngster said.
Both rose to walk into the Ops Center to watch.
=0=IntraCom
Prime sat on his set preparing to give a short and sweet special news broadcast to the people of Earth through the MCA. When the time was right, Jazz counted down and then he was live.
The screens changed from his emblem of office to his grave face. "Good afternoon Martian time, Earth. My name is Optimus Prime and I am speaking to you from Autobot City on Mars. I would like to update all of you on the matter of the murder of two humans shortly ago, Lawrence Dobbs, Junior and Silvio Lombardi.
"Lawrence Dobbs was a member of the corporate security detachment at Earth2 along with Silvio Lombardi. On November 7, 2018, Lawrence Dobbs was found murdered on the TransWorld Highway. On March 31 of this year, Silvio Lombardi was found murdered on the same highway. A long and detailed investigation here has yielded two suspects who were arrested and are in custody in our jail.
"The two suspects are human males who are members of the Beta Striker team that is stationed here in the N.E.S.T. Garrison to train for combat and operations in difficult off world environments. They are Sargent Horst Mueller of Germany and Sargent Colin Anderson of Australia.
"We are withholding information about the cases they are involved with pending further negotiations between their governments and my own. I have informed their governments prior to this disclosure to let them know about it before it became general news.
"The charges thus far are false representation, trespass to do unlawful activities on world, spying and murder. There may be other charges pending but these are the ones they are charged with for now. It is our position in our judiciary that everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. We have informed the relevant governments and the United Nations that we are holding them against the possibility of trial here.
"As senior partners in the treaties and charters that govern human habitation here among us, we take our responsibilities very seriously. We have made a pledge to do our best to keep the human population here, a population that is extremely vulnerable in this sort of environment, as well cared for and safe as can be reasonably accomplished.
"This is a situation that is unacceptable to us and to me as the leader of the Cybertronian people. The alliances between my government and Earth are held in the highest esteem and this feels a personal affront to that unity for me.
"We are in contact with the relevant individuals both in the two countries of the individuals as well as the United Nations. The consuls for both men have been alerted at the Consulate here and we have provided legal counsel to them as per our codes and laws.
"No more information will be forthcoming from my government about the two or about the charges for now. Until there are more discussions between Earth and Mars, we will be holding details aside to protect the two men and their opportunity to be tried fairly and without prejudice.
"We regret this greatly. It is not the outcome of human habitation here that we desire. But it is what it is. Until this is sorted out there will be no more further discussion about it from my government. Thank you. Until all are one."
The screen returned to the Emblem. Normal television continued a moment until the news shows came on to discuss this. Earth began to wind up itself as well.
=0=Ratchet
He sat in his office watching the news and considered that he would probably be front and center in this situation given his status as Secretary of State for the Prime. He would most likely have to go to Earth for the usual grilling as well. What else was new? The afternoon would pass slowly in his office.
=0=Las Vegas
The data came in from Luna base and the two poured over it. There were Cybertronian and Cybertronian type signatures in three different places around Las Vegas. Two were in town and one was in the country. That would mean the raids that would get it back would have to be simultaneous. If one had an alert about the other two then things could get difficult. They would have to be taken down together.
Prowl checked in so they sent him and Jazz the data from the Lunar scans. Three groups of optics would be looking at the situation and when they sorted it out, the meetings for raids would commence.
Life as usual in Autobot City, Mars.
=0=Earth2
"What do you think, Owen?"
Owen Harris muted the speculation from Earth as panels on every channel were going through the announcement with a fine tooth comb. "Their murders took me by surprise. I had no idea that N.E.S.T. was harboring spies. Very resourceful of them."
"You don't think they're on to us do you?" Kyle Davis asked.
Owen shrugged. "I doubt it."
They chatted a while as Paribolus routinely recorded their conversation. It was interesting but innocuous. Neither human knew about the spies so their surprise was genuine.
Interesting but not incriminating.
As usual.
=0=TBC 11-9-19
ESL
ad hoc (add-hock): created or done for a particular purpose as necessary. "the discussions were on an ad hoc basis"