The Diego Diaries: Up there (dd7 263)
=0=Ironhide's house
"I am not like Sentinel Prime."
Rockwell stared at Prime for the longest time. Then he looked at the floor. "What now?"
Sun who was watching him saw the cracks. "It's up to you, Rockwell. Your life has always been yours to make or remake. You can believe anything you want but there's consequences now regarding how you act. You don't have a free ride anymore. My brothers and I are trying to help you, though you might not see it that way now. The Powers have weighed in." Sun glanced at the others. "Do you have a record of that?"
They glanced at each other.
"I tried to find one but I don't have it," Hardie said as the others who were there murmured agreement. "I think They didn't allow it."
"Then allow me," Prime said. He was silent a moment, then touched the side of his helm. An image appeared, one of that moment showing everyone there when Primus laid down the law. It was bright and crisp, as if they were watching the show through a window.
Rockwell watched silently as Primus arrived, His shining beauty not diminished by the smaller size of the image. The Others were there as well. He watched Primus speak of His grief for His people, of His sacrifice and how things worked when a spark made its journey back to its home. He raged over the death of children, His precious children, then He spoke the law that would be writ from this moment forward.
The System of Exception and all arrangements like it were over and if they persisted, He, Himself would weigh in personally.
It was crushing and finalizing, even Rockwell could see. The joy of the children coming forward to speak to The Powers and the terrible swiftness of recalls were before him, acted out just the way they happened. Then the moment ended and so did the projection.
It was incredibly silent in the room especially among those who hadn't been there. Most of them, if not all of them knew that The Powers existed. It wasn't a faith based religion that informed their sacred spaces and notions. The Great Ones really lived and still did, coming among them when They felt the need. Given that they lived on the body of their greatest benefactor, Primus Himself, they could hardly believe otherwise. It was, overall, a no brainer.
Yet, hearing and seeing Them, listening to Their words of love and expectation … it was weird.
Rockwell sat back, staring at his servos with emotion.
"What do you think now, infant. You weren't the first Cybertronian to be lied to. Your entire family line on both sides was tricked into thinking this way. What's important now is what you do next." Sun leaned slightly closer. "You don't have to figure it out all at once. This kind of thing takes time."
The door opened and bumped the twins on the leg. They moved slightly as Ratchet's cheery face peered inside. "Well, look at this would you. I'm blinded by the light."
Snickers and relief greeted that as Ratchet walked in followed by the Squad. He glanced around, then frowned. "Who died?"
"Are you sober, Old Mech?" Ironhide asked.
"Probably not but I'm not in jail. Mostly," Ratchet said with a dazzler. He glanced at Sun and Rockwell. Then it computed. "We can come back."
"Sit. Have a bite and a beer," Hard Drive said. "The more, the merrier."
"You can explain it to Jetta when the floor collapses," Ratchet said as everyone began to walk inside.
It was a relief that they did. Food and drinks were had, second winds were gathered and the party rolled onward. By the time mechs and femmes began to leave, Rockwell had recovered slightly. He followed Sun and Jack out to go to spend the night at their apartment.
Children were left, cows collected, slobbery goodbyes were given and soon it was the usual group, Prime, Prowl, Ironhide and Ratchet. The door closed. They glanced at each other.
"Do tell, slagger," Ratchet said.
They told Prowl and Ratchet who nodded and listened without comment.
"Well, they did everything but unscrew his helm and re-arrange the furniture," Ratchet said. "We can only hope it worked. Good thing you have access to the Matrix. Its hard to lie to yourself about The Powers when you see the video."
Prime nodded. "Usually, that would not happen. I do believe They want him straightened out and on a better footing. How it will be received by his family, I do not know."
They chatted a while, then Prowl and Prime slipped out. The children were spread out all over the place. The big kids had a few in their berths as well. It was quiet as they surveyed the scene.
"Good thing we're in the army or I'd have a mess to clean up," Ratchet said as he walked with a tipsy Ironhide to their berth room. "Want the cure?"
"Sure," Ironhide said with a grin. He glanced down at Robby. "You want it, too?"
"You got the cow drunk?" Ratchet asked as they entered the big room.
"Nope. But I did see him sniffing around," Ironhide said as the Blessed Relief™ filled him from the WIFI cure Ratchet sent to him. "I think he needs to sleep with us."
"You do, do ya?" Ratchet said as he flopped down on the berth.
He would.
=0=Late that evening by a window in the living room
"You look pensive."
Rockwell shifted his gaze to see Sun standing behind him in the reflection of the window. He was looking out at the world beyond as he struggled to understand the shifts he was having to make. It wouldn't be a question now. Primus Himself had made it clear.
Sun walked up to stand beside him. "It looks great out there. Normal. I was lost so long I forgot what that felt like." He looked at Rockwell. "What do you see when you look out there, Rockwell?"
Rockwell considered the question. Before he would've sought the trick in the question and counter measured. But now he was tired and his thought processes slower. He truly thought he was going to die tonight. "I don't know."
"I see unity. I see peace. I never felt nor saw that on Cybertron. From the beginning to The Fall, I never felt or saw it. That was a very long time to feel a stranger in your own land."
"I never felt a moment when I didn't belong," Rockwell replied.
"Did you ever wonder what others thought? Those who weren't equal to your standards?" Sun asked gently.
It was silent a long time, then he spoke softly. "I felt equality didn't need to come … it was confusing to me now. I thought everyone was getting what they deserved."
"You felt that The People deserved to live like they did?" Sun asked.
Rockwell nodded. "I did. It was the way things were supposed to be. Equality wasn't something they were going to get because they didn't deserve it."
"You were told that," Sun said.
Rockwell nodded. "Everyone thought it. You couldn't let a child drive. They're children. They needed to be … kept in their place," he said as his voice trailed off.
Sun felt old. He felt heavy. The chains of his past slipped out of the darkness but he pushed them back with effort. "No one deserves to be held back from their destiny. No one else can determine that for them. Everyone comes with a purpose. Only a system that's beyond contempt would decide someone else's fate without their consent, then work to ensure it stayed that way. We lost so many and so much. No one deserves less than that which they can achieve themselves in a system that's fair and open. Maybe you'll fail but at least you can try." He glanced at Rockwell. "What if the shoe was on the other foot? What if you were one of them and had to face the same ordeal? Would you deserve it, too?"
Rockwell stared at Sun in the window, then turned his helm away. "I don't know what I'm going to tell Periodic. The Pantheon … there can be no other way now."
"No," Sun said. "Do you understand why They said so?"
Rockwell was silent a moment. "They want it that way."
"Their way," Sun said.
Rockwell nodded.
"Their way is paved in love. Their way is paved in freedom. Everyone can take that road. Everyone has that option," Sun said. "I find it beautiful." He glanced at Rockwell. "You don't though."
Rockwell glanced at him. "I … I don't know."
"Perspective, Rockwell. You've had a hard shift of perspective. One of the most beautiful things about our people is their humility and gratitude. They came here so grateful to be safe and to live decently. Every orn I see acts of kindness. Did you notice there's no litter? Remember Cybertron? Litter everywhere at the end. Here, they keep it clean. The stores are busy with our people getting what they want. Mechs and femmes, especially children still hoard food but they get help when they do.
"No one limps along without health care. Everyone deserves it. Hedge doctors did a hero's duty but now they don't have to unless they want to. Seekers are in school, work at important jobs and no one was lower. There's a new idea in the world, Rockwell. Its the simple and beautiful idea that no one is expendable, no one is unwelcome, no one is not needed. Everyone matters. Everyone is important. Everyone deserves everything."
Rockwell stared at the tower across the way. "There are families living there. Some of them have kids. Periodic and I never had any. I never had time." He looked rueful a moment, then it passed. "I … what will I tell my family?"
"The truth," Sun said. "Tell them The Powers have spoken. Its true. No one has to like it. Some get along and they don't like it. But they know that ship has sailed. Understand me, Rockwell," Sun said as Rockwell glanced at him. "My life has been hard. Really, really hard. But never once in it did I ever feel that my life was more important than the smallest, sickest, most lost and lonely Cybertronian around. We're only as strong as they are. Until we learn to love each other, we will never be truly free."
The sound of a clock ticking could be faintly heard in the room as they stared out the window.
"This sentence … it's going to continue," Rockwell said rather than asked.
"Until I'm clear that you're going to be alright, yes," Sun said. "You're going to be speaking to Rung on a regular basis starting tomorrow. You're living here, not the jail until we get the court together and decide whether you can have a shot at a life here or not. It's in your servos. It always was. I want you to be happy and fulfilled. I also want you to know that you don't have to stand on anyone's neck to get there. We are a better people than this."
They would stand by the window and watch the ships come and go, lights in the inky darkness of the night sky. They would talk now and again but mostly Sun would keep Rockwell company.
=0=In an apartment in Iacon
They sat together playing poker, a game that their sons had taught them. Corsair loved it and Imaldo had a natural flare for it. They laughed, ate food and drank good beer. The door opened as Elita walked inside. Hugging everyone, she pulled up a chair to sit and join them.
Jetta shuffled the cards. He grinned at her. "I figured I'd have to go to the jail to get you."
Elita grinned. "We were in a brawl. Is that close enough?"
"That one they said on the news? The Hot Spot in Retriades?" Imaldo asked.
Elita nodded. "It was short and sweet. But it was fun to see Ada get a chair in the face and Prowl get run over in a stampede."
Jetta grinned. "Next time you go, I'm in."
"Good," Elita said as he began to deal the cards. "We can share the Prowl and Ratchet suite at the lock up."
They would play cards, laugh and talk for joors. It would feel just like it was when they were kids hanging out in the neighborhood long, long ago.
=0=TBC 4-24-2020 5-8-2020