The Diego Diaries: Cloudy (dd7 401)
=0=The next morning
"RUN! TRY AND HIDE!"
They ran screaming around the room as they tried to get away from Ironhide. Galloping like tiny ponies, all of the sparklings and Sunspot ran hither and thither.
"ADA! HELP US!" Sunspot hollered as he ducked behind the little tubby the kids bathed in.
"You're on your own, infants," Ratchet said as he stood by the door with towels.
Ironhide who had the hot water sprayer in his servo pursued them ruthlessly, turning in a circle to spray all of the kids after their baths. "HA! RUN! TRY AND HIDE!"
Screaming and running occupied everyone a moment, then a fat wet sponge hit Ironhide square in the face. Turning toward Ratchet, he sprayed the big mech in his own. A bucket of water landed on Ironhide and the fight was on. Infants were dropped into the tubby for safety as big mechs chased each other around the room spraying suds, soap and water everywhere.
When the door opened they paused to look.
Genesis stared at them, then grinned. "Should I come back later?"
"NOT ON YOUR SPARK! Help me get these slaggers ready for the buses," Ratchet said as he grabbed the hose and sprayed himself off. Then he stuck it down Ironhide's shoulder plate and turned the hot water on high.
"ARGHHHHHH!"
Moments later …
They walked out of the elevator with a herd of chatting babies, amused older kids and a bouncy dog. They walked out, fed them into the transportation device of choice, then waved them goodbye.
Ironhide turned a gimlet optic on Ratchet. "Slagger."
"Ah, did your widdow feewings get hurted?" Ratchet asked. "By the way, you're due at a school board business meeting this afternoon at 1700 joors. Its a work session. Don't forget."
"Forget what?" Ironhide asked as they walked along toward The Fortress.
=0=Inside
Prowl gathered up stuff for the trial as he rushed around. Sitting at the table watching him, Orion Pax mused on the good looking, tense and overly organized sub commander of this, his empire. He mused upon that a moment, then spent the rest of his time staring at the elegant beauty of his partner in all things. It was odd that he was thinking along such lines that were strange and yet oddly familiar at the same time.
Prowl glanced at him with an armload of work pads. "Are you ready? We can take a moment or two if you need to gather your thoughts or meditate."
Orion stood, then gathered his own. "I am ready, Prowl."
Prowl nodded, then glanced at the door. "Alright. Then we better go."
With that, the two walked out the door together.
=0=Gathering at the Courthouse, Courtroom 17a, third floor, Autobot City, Mars
Humans had ridden in on segways, parking some outside while catching rides with others. They found their spot, one made for them and settled. Bots were coming in, Silver who would be the clerk who would dig up exhibits and do runs on Teletraan while Prowl as sub commander to the Prime ran the clerk's courtroom duties as the recorder.
A table nearby was manned by Barron, three of the colony's best legal minds and several assistants to go for and do things. Their equipment was up and running, a row of computers that held everything they would need to advise and settle disputes.
Coln-2 and his two 'legal beagles' sat at the prosecution table while Sheldon and three other lawyers, a legal analyst and a court procedural expert sat at the defense table.
Larken wasn't here yet.
Standing in the doorway chatting with Springer, Mettle who was a professor of ethics and business at the University waited to make the opening statement that outlined history and precedents for the trial. Both sides had been given his presentation, offered their caveats and suggestions from which he would then consider and make the final script. It would be for him to set the stage for the defendant and the crimes for which he was accused.
News reporters were there and the proceedings were being filmed for the historical and legal record. The room had a lot of spectators, some who came to trials because they were interested and others who had a part in the drama. The ones who wouldn't be here were the witnesses against and for the defendant and the victims of the alleged crimes.
After a moment those at the door parted to allow Prowl and Orion to enter. Everyone stood to watch Orion as he walked to the front of the room, put down his things on the table before him, then disappear into the door that led to the corridor beyond.
Prowl put his things down, then walked to Mettle. He leaned in to talk, then he walked to Coln, Silver and finally Barron. When all was well, he glanced at Silver who was sitting at a table with computers nearby. He nodded, then sat and organized his own stuff and computer as Silver walked to the door and the corridor beyond to get Prime.
It was tensely silent as they waited.
Silver returned followed by Prime. Everyone stood as he entered, stared at the crowd, then sat.
Prowl glanced at him, then stood. "You may sit."
Everyone did.
Prowl began. "These proceedings will be recorded for legal and historical reasons. You are here to watch or assist as called. Since a petit jury was not requested by the defendants we will dispense with that part of the process. Since they are not here to assist the process toward the final decision, it is Prime's alone in conjunction with the Matrix. Please conduct yourself honorably, especially since this is a Special Circumstances hearing.
"Let it be known that we are here to ascertain the truth. Only the truth will be allowed to prevail here and the judgment, if any, will be reached by Prime through consultation with the Matrix and the Pantheon. Anyone who acts against good conscience or the good order of things will be removed. Please remember decorum. The Honorable Optimus Prime, the Prime of Cybertron, Mars, the Empire and anywhere and anytime that Cybertronians exist, bearer of the Creation Matrix, the Autobot Matrix of Leadership presides." He sat, checked his gear, then glanced at Prime with a nod.
Prime nodded back. He was silent a moment in thought, then spoke. "We are here to listen to the facts of charges made against an individual who was an important figure in the government and business sector of Cybertron that may or not have committed offenses against the state and The People. All of us have opinions and experiences about the past and what happened especially during the period known as the Clampdown but we must put that aside. We are duty bound, all of us, to find the way forward for everyone without bias or vengeance utilizing only the facts.
"I give you my solemn oath through my personal warrior creed and the Matrix Itself to find for the truth however it may go in conjunction with the Matrix and the Pantheon. We are here to find the truth, assess judgment if any, then allow the Holy Ones to speak Their truth if They feel its warranted." He looked around the room. "Coln-2, are you and your colleagues ready?"
Coln stood, then nodded respectfully. "Yes, Lord Optimus."
Orion glanced at the defense. "Are you and your colleagues ready, Sheldon?"
He stood, then bowed slightly. "We are, Lord Optimus."
"I have read through the list of witnesses. Are there any to add and are they ready to speak to the times before and during the relevant periods in question?" Orion asked.
Coln glanced at Sheldon who shook his helm. "We are ready and so are the witnesses. We add no new names, sir."
"Thank you. Please, you may all sit." Prime sat back. "Let this process begin."
Prowl glanced at the audience. "I am calling Mettle of Hydrax to speak the preamble of this trial. Before he does, please bring in the defendant."
Springer who was acting bailiff with his squad outside or hanging in the doorway walked to the door nearby, leaned in, then leaned back out. He held the door open as a big mech walked in. He was older, his aura said so and almost too exquisite to bear. His paint scheme rivaled the twins when they were putting on a show and he had a protoform that was beautiful and intensely expensive. He wore his money well. He walked stiffly to Sheldon who leaned in to whisper something about sitting and being calm. Larken of Galaxy Industries, the largest and most diversified interplanetary commercial conglomeration that probably ever existed sat down to stare darkly at Orion. When he did, Orion nodded to Mettle.
A big mech stepped forward heading for the platform for witnesses. He was tall and had a very nice protoform but it was normal, not elaborate. He took the stand, bowed to Prime, then began. "I am Mettle of Helex. I am a professor of ethics and business at the University of Mars where I teach those subjects to my students. I have been a business instructor and economist both in academia, government and private business. I have consulted for the government, written over 412 books of which some are texts in colleges and universities and consult privately as well.
"I have taught almost all of my life in higher education though I am on the curriculum committee for the school district regarding values education, economics for small children and business for intermediate aged children. We consider it terribly important that they understand business and related ethical practices even in light of our cashless barter economic model.
"I have been researching the business practices and ethical models of such groups as Galaxy on Cybertron for half my life. I feel that I have a clear eyed idea of things and how they worked. I was asked to give an overview of business as practiced on Cybertron and in the Empire both at the beginning of our species, the Golden Age and the run up to ruin as I like to call it, the end of Nova Prime's reign through the start of yours, Optimus Prime," he said bowing slightly.
"In the beginning, we were slaves to the Quintessans. They believed they created us and made it easy on themselves by perpetuating that lie. We were created by Primus and The One. We were duped into being slaves made for either consumer goods or military hardware. During the revolution that ended the Quintessan Tyranny, we gained our freedom and began the long struggle to find a way of life that benefited all of us and helped progress our empire.
"Our Prime, Guardian was adamant that no one would ever accumulate so much wealth that it caused hardship to anyone in any sector of our economy but he was killed before he could make that a solid reality. Then the Functionalists came to fill the vacuum and began to build the centralized governmental economy that has led us to ruin. It was a top down model that was easily manipulated into a prison built around caste and oppression.
"The fundamental idea that some were more deserving than others of the wealth of the nation including the fruits of their own labors was born then. Given the amount of control that they gathered and maintained, it became a death sentence for anyone to step out of line. Your form dictated your function. It planted the idea that the top level of society was essential to the creation of wealth in that society when it actually is the other way around. The worker class, those who make the goods that are marketed make the fortunes. It is never the other way around.
"If one were to test that theory, then every worker everywhere needs to put down their tools, stop their work, then walk out. If no one is making anything, there is nothing to sell and no wealth is generated. Good economies are bottom up operations. When the top begins to matter more than the bottom, you have a genuine recipe for disaster. That is what happened to Cybertron," he said as he continued.
Orion listened and felt a sense of vindication and a refreshing relief that someone was singing his song. This was going to be a very interesting process.
=0=TBC 10-10-2020 HBDJPB 10-25-2020