The Diego Diaries: Diplomatin' (dd7 131)
=0=At the United Nations, New York City, USA
"We work hard on security for all of the Earth along with the rest of the solar system and the extended reclaimed empire of the Prime. In the course of our efforts we heard a rumor that there were spies infiltrated into N.E.S.T. and that they made it to N.E.S.T. Headquarters on Mars at Autobot City.
"We hear a lot of rumors and monitor them until we find that we can discount them but now and again, there's one that has substance. Given that the Alpha crew is long time with us and unimpeachable in their conduct and integrity, that left the Beta and Gamma teams that cycle through the colony to learn how to fight against mechanisms like us and in deprived environments that require special skills and training.
"Working through the members, it narrowed down to a couple of individuals who've been identified as Sargent Colin Anderson of Australia and Sargent Horst Mueller of Germany. Once we were able to eliminate everyone else we put these two under surveillance. This has been a long process. Both men qualified for one of the two permanent openings on the Beta and Gamma teams which gave us the time to do our part.
"It was then that the murders of Lawrence Dobbs, Junior of the United States and following that, the murder of Silvio Lombardi of Italy commenced. Both of them were difficult cases to work given that it was very clear that specialized technology was being used to affect the killings. There was literally no evidence left behind to give us a clue to search.
"The treaties and agreements signify that when a crime happens both inside or outside of a human habitat between humans or humans and bots that rise to a significant level, then the Prime has the right and duty to negate the agreements and take control of the ensuing actions to follow. I know that's a bone of contention here among some factions and individuals but it's the carefully reasoned and fully agreed upon statement of intentions between the humans in the habitats and our government through the treaties and agreements.
"Dobbs was found murdered on the TransWorld Highway and so was Lombardi. Both of them bore marks of violence and they were killed by exposure to the elements. There was very little evidence at the time to start us on our journey to figure this out but persistence prevailed.
"We were able to trace the killers by tracing their tech. The tech that allowed them to come and go virtually unseen is ours. It's tech that was stolen from us several years ago which has been adapted and retrofitted to humans. We were able to search the premises of the two and find the adaptions.
"At that point, we arrested them and continued our investigation. It was at then we had to weigh several decisions. If we made this public then the groups to which they belonged would be able to go to ground and make it harder to find them. They would fall into the shadows to wait. It would give them time to focus on figuring out what the rest of our tech is like and to adapt it for their own purposes.
"One of the devices that both used was a shield that would make them invisible to anyone around them. They could be standing next to you and you wouldn't know that. Imagine if there were individuals or groups on Earth who could do that. Imagine armies being able to do that. We had to weigh what to do about this in order to continue to pursue our tech wherever it was.
"Then the international raid on the Family, the Resistance and M.E.C.H. took care of our reticence. That raid collapsed a cell network but it didn't bring down the entire organization. They know if everyone knows about the entire organization, then everyone falls together when something goes wrong. They compartmentalize so that when one arm is cut off, the other one and the legs are safe.
"The contracts, agreements, treaties and other documents that humans sign to live on Mars in habitats that we build and maintain include strict adherence to the Tyrest Treaties. Our treaties prevent Cybertronian tech falling into the hands of alien civilizations. They're the footsteps of doom if they do, to borrow a phrase. You humans are a miracle of creativity and adaption but you aren't ready to have tech like ours and we make huge efforts to keep it that way. You have a terrible habit of taking things and making them into a big gun.
"The two humans are in jail on world. They're going to be charged with various serious offenses including murder. We are providing them with excellent counsel who know our system and laws and are up to the task of defending them in federal court. Right now, their repatriation is not a negotiable item for the Prime. We're still working on the case and the tech to understand fully the scope of what has happened.
"Our desire with humans inhabiting our colony is to offer a step up for humanity into the stars. We want them to learn about us and tell you. We want the lies and rumors, the suppositions and other notions dispelled by the virtue of them knowing us and seeing us everyday as we are.
"As you may have noticed, our Prime can come and go as he pleases on Mars and Cybertron without an escort. He lives in a tower with the rest of us and he has a family that he often escorts to school or activities. He sits at football games watching them and our professional teams and no one is standing there with steely gazes and guns.
"My old mech, Ironhide is his personally chosen bodyguard but that's now more a formality than a necessity since we're at relative peace. The point is, you can walk around and live your life on Mars even if you're a Prime, you can go to the grocery store, get a detailing or visit your elders without anyone bothering you and that has always extended to the humans. Their children go to our schools. Some of them go to our University and work to join our ancient civic and military groups.
"The humans live that kind of life there as well. We're not willing to militarize our life more or bring out guns to make it safe. It is already. The threat came from Earth. It didn't come from us. We're meeting it as outlined by the treaties and other agreements that govern all of us.
"Right now, a poison infected our peace and we took care of it. That situation will be handled according to our laws. It was never the intention of us or Prime that anyone would get hurt on Mars. We put intense expertise and thought into anything that will be part of the human's lives there. We've had nearly half a million individuals come to The Resort alone without incident.
"You have a problem, Earth, and it ended up on our shores. We have a good shot at reaching 100,000,000 refugees by the end of the month. Cybertron can't take them so we do. Its a miracle that there isn't more violence, disruption and discord than there is. Its a pretty sure thing that if you're a mech of any certain age you're packing a gun on your body or are part of either the professional military or the Home Guard. We're a martial society out of necessity, not choice and when the trauma passes I believe that will return as well. Until then, its almost impossible not to be in a space with us where there aren't at least ten guns somewhere on our bodies.
"Our colony is safe. We work hard to do that and help our traumatized population grow out of their fears. We protect the solar system from 2 former Decepticon armadas that are dug in out in the Oort Cloud, a number of hostile aliens we've fought for years, several armed groups of Decepticons who haven't stated if they still are or not and others we watch.
"Anyone of them would've come here and pillaged this world without us. We can search space out nearly 250,000 light years with good detail in a 360 degree radius of our system. We track oddities, bogeys, knowns and unknowns daily. We can do this for you and for us. But we can't read anyone's mind to know their intentions. Mueller and Anderson were there to create havoc, spy and do their master's bidding.
"M.E.C.H., the Family and the Resistance are funded by billionaires who believe if we go then all will be well. Of course, its slag," Ratchet said with a grin. "All of that kind of talk is slag. Arachnid and her destruction team were here in dormancy for 10,000 years. If we hadn't been here when she awakened you would be dead. Her job was to kill everything that existed on this world. She would have. She's done it before. We also know about phase sixers and though we have about half a dozen in storage, there are still between 37 and 42 still theoretically out there. Not so long ago we ran off two of them, Heretech and Killswitch. They're as nice as their names.
"Mueller and Anderson slid through the vetting process. It happens in your services all over Earth every day. There are radical extremists in your military and two of them made it to Mars. We caught them. They killed Dobbs and Lombardi for reasons that we aren't going to be releasing yet. Suffice it to say, we got them."
Ratchet shifted. "That's not going to satisfy some of you. Nothing will. But I'm here to put you on notice. Any extremist group that sends anyone to Mars to disrupt or spy, we will find you and put end to it. Right now, both men are well, completely lawyered up and waiting for Prime's decision. They won't be automatically extradited. All of you have treaties with us covering this sort of thing. Reflect upon them. I would also say that Optimus Prime has no time for death penalties. Lucky you.
"The two mechs behind me, Springer and Drift are in control of and manage the security of our empire. They are dedicated and thorough. They're the first charged with the safety of everyone on Mars and in this system including Earth. They have millions of years of experience with this sort of things and our science department headed by Commander Wheeljack and Commander Perceptor is unparalleled. You can have confidence in us.
"I would like you to look at the youngsters that I brought with me," Ratchet said as the group glanced at the kids who were watching intently. "These kids are titanic frames. That is, when they're fully grown and developed they'll be the size of large metropolitan cities. Genesis, Fireball and Quasar are dreadnoughts. They're small versions of Typhoon, Clipper and Dangerous who are between 12 and 16 miles long in ship mode. I said miles," Ratchet said with a grin.
"These children are able to interact with technology developed by our scientists that allow them to be children, to go to school, to do kid things and live in a house with their family. Their spirits may be standing before you housed in pretender gear but their real bodies are at the demilitarized zone facing Razorclaw and his entrenched minions.
"These nine kids including the Metroplex class infants Saber, Santee, Tru, Lumi, Quadrus and Verilus are the line of defense along with Typhoon, Dangerous and Clipper who keep Razorclaw from coming here with his quarter million mech armada. These kids are defending you, Earth. These kids who go to school, play sports, are members of the science club and swim teams at their school are defending you with all they got," Ratchet said. He turned to the kids. "Tru, tell us about your special function."
Tru stared at Ratchet, then the group watching him with fascination. He was 33 feet tall, taller than Prime but more slender and youthful appearing. He was mostly white, a titanic affectation and had blue here and there on his legs and arms to embellish his frame. His Autobrand was on his chest and his optics were covered with a red visor. He was strangely handsome and inscrutable. "Our special function is to serve the Prime of Cybertron with all our skills, strength and spark. We offer ourselves into service to the Prime and will do as he requests up to and including death."
It was silent a moment, then Ratchet looked at the gathered humans. "They go to school, they assist their elders, they don't get combat though they'd go willingly no matter the odds and they're the finest youngling mechs you would ever know. But I'm not sure that you're aware that his kind is hunted down for their tech.
"You see, evil isn't limited to M.E.C.H, the Resistance and the Family," Ratchet said.
=0=TBC 11-12-19
GUEST: Quidditch with Seekers. OMG. TO THE LIST! :D