The Diego Diaries: Sun Dance (dd7 166)
NOTE: Mindsets like this are more common than you can believe. I actually saw a billionaire crying on television during an interview because he couldn't believe people didn't love and appreciate him. LOL! It is also noteworthy that here on Earth at this time, there are more people living in slavery than at any time in the past. From such thinking our world evolves. HUGS to one and all out there. Know how much you are loved. -Me (Note at the end) :D
=0=The Conference Room
They stared at each other, both sides taking in the measure of their own resolve. Faber and Machlis were as cold as icebergs, their demeanor as defiant now as it was when they were overrun and captured.
Ratchet stared at them, scoping out their affects and other tells that he'd learned in a zillion years of negotiations and from his general inborn cunning. "I want to know why we're finding pit graves with individuals stacked into them like they were garbage."
Silence.
"There are over 50 dead mechs and femmes in holes in the ground near here. My preliminary inspections show blunt force trauma and shootings. It would appear given you are the nominal leaders of this little horror show that you bear responsibility for this."
Machlis sat back in his chair. He didn't waver in his aura nor in his ice cold posture. He was just getting comfortable. "How would it be our fault if this is even true?"
"Well," Ratchet said as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the tabletop. "It goes like this. When a fragger is in charge and slag happens, they have to bear the responsibility and no one else. Its called the chain of command and personal responsibility. I don't suppose the last one figures into you or your way of life much." Ratchet sat back, too, getting comfortable as a way to goad them into continuing to engage. The moment they invoked it was over.
Machlis smirked slightly. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Then enlighten me," Ratchet said. "I love fairy stories."
Machlis stared at him as Faber sat forward leaning his elbows on the table clearly mimicking Ratchet. He grinned, a hard cold look on his otherwise handsome face. "You seem to have ideas. How about you telling them to us?"
"Oh, its the same old story … the one where you're superior to me and how all our stuff is yours. You know. The one where you eat well and everyone else starves. The one where you seem to think that the Pantheon approves of your scam." Ratchet leaned forward onto his elbows again, his face close to Faber's. "I've met the Pantheon. They wouldn't approve. Just so you know ..." He sat back, folded his arms and waited.
Faber stared at him then sat back. "You tell a nice tale. Too bad it isn't true."
"Why?" Ratchet asked.
"The Pantheon wouldn't talk to you. Why would they? You're nothing. You're just equipment," Machlis said as Faber nodded.
Standing in a corner listening without giving anything away toward Their presence, Micronus and Onyx listened. They were just outside of the bot's ability to see or hear Them.
"I have to say, brother, that these slaggers really haven't got a clue," Onyx said. "They're breathtaking in their world view."
"They are," Micronus said with a nod. "I have to tell you that I'm getting tired of hearing it. Optimus has another Special Circumstances situation before him."
Onyx nodded. "I know."
Sitting nearby oblivious to Their conversation, Ratchet continued. He smirked slightly. "All of us come from the same loving impulse, the spirit and processor of Primus and The One. Are you implying that They're mistaken?"
Machlis considered Ratchet, someone he knew was cunning if not intelligent, ruthless and relentless rather than classy. He had run-ins with the big mech when Ratchet was the substandard ambassador and negotiator for Optimus Prime. It was a maddening thing to go toe-to-toe with him because he never let go of his goals and never knew his place. "You believe that The One and Primus created you? Do you really believe it?"
"The priests of the Temple have said so from time to time, so … " Ratchet replied. A tight grin was on his face, one that covered the fury that always came to him when facing someone as hard boiled as this. All the encounters he had had with them when he was on duties that involved them were coming back to his mind.
"The Temple is destroyed and with it the priesthood. If they were here they would tell you what a deluded idiot you are," Machlis said.
Ratchet put in the call then grinned with some real amusement. "You're hilarious. Tell me what you're good for. Can you fix your own food? Can you clean anything up that you despoil? Is there any among you who can fix things when they break? It's a bit of a thing since the war to have practical skills. I don't see any of you being able to do that sort of thing at all. But then you've convinced yourself that you don't have to. You have slaves to do that."
Silence.
"I would also consider a few things. Optimus Prime was chosen by the Matrix, this low caste longshoreman. He was chosen by the Matrix in the Ceremony of The Choosing. It rose out of the sanctuary and picked him personally. He rose into the air and bonded with It. I was there. I saw it.
"Consider as well … he has presided over the Festival of Primus for years now. The Blessings of The One, the Matrix and Primus come from that. I'm sure you felt them because the Blessings find every Cybertronian everywhere they are since the Matrix came to Optimus. There has never been a Prime since Guardian that was able to do that. No one was ever loved like Prime is by the Powers and by The People.
"Consider that he took Cybertron back from the Decepticons without a shot fired. No one shot back. They surrendered and we're rebuilding Cybertron. We're rescuing our people wherever they are. We have 100,000,000 living at our rescue colony on Mars right now.
"You know and so do I that none of this would happen if the Pantheon hadn't helped. They didn't help Sentinel. Nor Nominus. Both of them had fake Matrices. Nova didn't have the Blessings and neither did Zeta … none of them since the first one has. No one since Guardian has been so loved, supported and blessed."
Faber smirked. "You lie. Then you always did. You seemed to think that The System was a bad thing when it gave us our way of life and set us above all other species."
"You sound like Nova Prime," Ratchet said. "He was delusional as well and he left us behind like a traitor."
Silence.
The door opened at that moment and through it walked Lady Sela and Lord Lauren. They glanced at the two who looked at them with surprise then Ratchet. "How may we help you, Ratchet?" Sela asked.
"I'm sorry to pull you from the game but these two are sorely in need of counseling," Ratchet said. "Please sit."
They both did then listened silently as Ratchet filled them in.
"We have two leaders of a colony that has a number of pits filled with dead bodies that appear to be bludgeoned and shot. They also run The System here and enslave any refugees that pass by seeking assistance. They declared war on the settlement nearby, one that's normal if I may use that word. They have a notion that lower classes didn't come from the love of Primus and The One and that their 'lifestyle' wasn't pulled from their own entitled afts but the Will of the Powers. I was hoping you could disabuse them of those notions, their idea that Cybertron isn't in our hands and the Temple and priesthood is destroyed."
Lauren sat back to consider the information, then looked at the two sitting tensely in their chairs. "I do remember you both, Machlis … Faber. You wanted us to pull out of the Peace Movement and 'keep to our place'. You were rather comical in your willing obliviousness toward my caste. I'm as high caste as anyone was and as clear on my duty then as I am now. My 'place' is wherever The People are oppressed, suffering or lost. All of them."
"You were a caste traitor, Lauren," Machlis said. "You were an enemy of the way of life that made us great."
"How is a way of life great when it benefits only a minuscule portion of a population? How can it benefit anyone when its cruel, devisive and a lie?" Sela asked.
"I don't expect you to be any different, Sela. You were a traitor to our caste and you ran from your responsibilities into the priesthood," Faber said.
Ratchet glanced at Sela and saw a flash of anger that was extinguished nearly immediately.
"Is that so?" She sat back. "Since when is serving Primus and The One, the Powers of our people, and The People, all of them ever a bad or treacherous thing? I have to ask you, Faber … you were so wealthy that it was obscene but you were never satisfied. How much would it cost to satiate your need? You couldn't spend what you had in ten lifetimes but you wanted more. You stole the lives and futures of children but it wasn't enough."
Lauren stared at them. "The Temple of Primus is restored on Mars, our colony world and is nearly rebuilt on Cybertron. We have reclaimed our priests and our laity from all over the place. Our relics and great treasures are being found and returned, many by former high castes who have learned shame and unity. The Well, the Matrix Flame and the AllSpark are restored to us by the Powers Themselves. There is peace in our kingdom, among all of the flowers of the Garden of The One. All of it is so because Optimus is Prime.
"I have lived a long time, nearly since the Primeship of Guardian and I have never seen such a Prime, such devotion from the Powers to his efforts nor the quality of life for all of us as we have now. It's a glorious thing the life we live now. We get sparks from the Well, the Blessings during the Festival and unity shines on every face.
"It pains me, Machlis and Faber, how you cannot see the grace and beauty of our all of people. They are the treasure beyond price. They are the ones, ALL of them that we labor for every orn. Everyone who is reclaimed builds our greatness, our unity toward what we all hope to be … happy, unified and peaceful. That is the Golden Age, the one we have now. The other was gilded slavery passing itself off as advancement.
"You always had everything you wanted in material goods and power but you lacked the thing that is a pearl without price. You never had love, empathy nor any sense of unity with anyone but your ego. For that, you have my very great sympathies and any help I can give you to reclaim your spark from the death grip that your ego and prejudices have on them I will give. You aren't without hope. None of us are. Tell the truth. Explain this. Prime in conjunction with the Matrix and the Powers is incredibly merciful and wise. Do it for your family and for your spark." Lauren said with the sound of urgent sorrow in his voice.
It was leaden in the room as the two stared at Lauren and Sela. Machlis shook his helm. "You are as deluded now, Lauren as you were when the revolution began. You were responsible for the Fall as much as anyone else. You had a duty to protect us and you didn't. You and Sela were agitating as loud and as long as any of the others. You are traitors to your caste and to Cybertron. I don't have anything more to say to you."
He turned his helm to stare at the wall behind Ratchet with a cold expression.
"I don't suppose you do, Machlis," Ratchet said. "It would be tough to look at holiness and know you're wrong. You do know it. You don't have an argument. Lauren was following the Will of Primus when he went into the streets with the priesthood. All of them did including Sela. They ended up in chains and prison while you sat on your aft and did nothing. These two are holy in a way you can't understand. Their honor is assured for all eternity. What about you two?"
Silence.
Ratchet sat back. He looked at Lauren and Sela who looked at the two sadly. "We have dead here, Lord Lauren. They look like they were murdered. I want to know where the other holes are. I doubt that these are the only ones. I'm going to have an air survey done of everywhere on this planet down two miles to make sure that every inch of this place is checked over. I don't want a single person left behind."
Lauren nodded. "We are here to give them solace, Ratchet. Its the least we can do for them now. This is very sorrowful."
"It is but you two are here and it makes it better," Ratchet said. He looked at the two silent prisoners. "You have the deepest and more soulful sympathies I can manage. It has been a long time since I ran into someone like you, someone who has almost no conscience to speak of. Are you going to tell me what I need to know or are you going to continue to live without feelings, decency or shame?"
They stared at him as cemented into their bubble and world view as any Functionalist Councilman. It was leaden in the room.
"Alright," Ratchet said as he stood. He stared at them, then glanced at the guards. "Take them to the prison on Mars. You have clearance straight through. I'll let Gee-Gee know to meet you there." He looked at the two. "Go and make no trouble. And may The One have mercy on your sparks."
The two stood then walked out with the guards.
Ratchet glanced at Sela and Lauren. "Are you two alright?" he asked gently.
Lauren looked upward at Ratchet with sorrow on his beautiful gentle face. "No. The nightmare never ends. I feel so much sorrow for all of us. Even them."
Ratchet nodded. "So do I."
Sela stood. "We can help you, Ratchet. Show us where they are."
Ratchet nodded then the three walked out to do the last best duty they could give all things being equal. The door closed silently behind them.
=0=TBC 12-26-19
Yesterday, I had Christmas dinner at my sister's house, the gourmet cook. I am a crap cook so rich food KILLS me. I had such a food coma that I couldn't stand up straight. LOL! Thus I was lying on my bed groaning instead of writing. Now that is over and HERE WE GO! HUGS to one and all. :D:D:D:D