The Diego Diaries: Cloudy (dd7 415)
=0=Later that evening, early evening here and there
"I can't believe that my genitors did that."
"Miler cited the Squad," Orion said with a grin. "Apparently, there is a code."
Prowl grinned. "Maybe," he replied.
=0=Here and there
What do you want to do? Go by before they lock up?"
"No. Let them have their anarchy. What's a family worth, Ironhide, if everyone doesn't have a police record?" Ratchet smiled at him. "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime."
"That's familiar," Ironhide said with a chuckle as a classic car came to mind.
=0=Here and there
"I got with the others. Our chiefs of staff will take care of things until the magistrate's court is over," Delphi said as he tucked the cow into his box. Flipper was overnighting with 'Nana and Papa'. He walked to the berth and sat down. Putting his diary back into its slot by the bed, Delphi lay back with a vented sigh. "Docker is gangster."
Hardie who was already lying down chuckled. "She is."
=0=Morning
"Where's Ammas and Appas, Ada?"
Ratchet glanced down at Hero. "I'd tell you they were in jail but that would be funny. Right?"
Hero smiled, then laughed a tiny laugh. "I THINK IT'S FUNNY!"
Ratchet snickered himself. "You're easy to please. Let's get going. We have an appointment right away."
Everyone scurried as Ironhide began to get them organized. The big kids took children then all walked out the door. It would be a noisy ride downward to the bus stops.
=0=A half joor later
They walked into the Courthouse, a big group of mechs caught in the middle of a number of mini-con villages and extended families making the pilgrimage to the jailhouse to get the word on their miscreant family members and friends. It was noisy as elders groused about what they would do to their various youngsters while adas wailed in anticipation of their moment to be dramatic in the proceedings, atars growled and the rest raised a fist in agreement.
It was hilarious.
Mini-cons.
They reached the courtroom and slipped in to get seats together as the villages drew straws about who would be inside and have the sacred duty of funneling information out to them in the hallways about the trial, the claims and at what point some would come in and throw themselves into the drama. Settling, they watched the funny folk as Silver walked out to set up for the 'morning haul'.
The usual defense and prosecutorial individuals were there and so was the 'usual gawkers', Blackstone and Coln-2. They sat next to the duty counselors to enjoy the show. Several individual Watchmen including Springer and Drift were there to speak to the issues ahead. It was all ready to go.
The magistrate was an older mech who had been a lawyer all his life but wanted to be a judge now. He sat down with his data and glanced at Silver.
Silver stood. "Please stand. Behave in court or the jail is that way." He nodded to the door nearby.
Everyone glanced, then nodded.
"Please sit. The Honorable Lancaster of Altihex is magistrate today."
Everyone sat.
"Please call the cases, Silver," Lancaster said.
"Bailiff, please bring in the first group."
The bailiff walked out, then back in leading a line of mini-cons, three of which were Seekers, then a gaggle of tall mechs that included everyone of the Pax, Venture and Ratchet families. They walked in with Ratchet at the end. He smiled brilliantly at the mechs along the wall, then waved like a little kid.
Some of those sitting along the wall smiled and waved back.
Making their way to the line, they managed to run the gauntlet of punches and haranguing from the Village old folks and bonds sitting in the room. They turned to face the magistrate, then all got quiet again. He was reading the reports with a grin, then glanced up at them.
He looked at Silver. "The usual?"
Silver who was grinning at the little Seeker mechs nodded. "You bet."
"Very well. Let's hear it," Lancaster said.
They all began to talk at once.
"PICK A SPOKESMAN OR MAKE A LINE!" Lancaster said.
They stared at him, then huddled. Ratchet who was taller than them spread his arms, then lay over their helms embracing them with a big smile. Huge laughter greeted that, then the huddle broke. A small femme walked out cracking her knuckles. "I'm the spokesman."
"Who and which are you, then," Lancaster asked.
"I'm Docker of Uraya," she said as she stretched to stand taller.
"Oh. Well, please begin. I'm assuming you're speaking for this group?" Lancaster asked.
She nodded, then stepped closer. "I'm speaking for them and ALL of the oppressed mechs and femmes of the Empire."
Everyone stared at her, then Lancaster, then her again.
"Please clarify, Docker of Uraya," Lancaster replied. He settled back for a round of slag.
"Very well," Docker said as she began to gather her thoughts for the rhetorical fireworks she planned to unload. "We were enjoying a game when an unfortunate individual walked off a high tier barrier."
A tiny arm went up from middle of the arrested crowd. It waved, then went back down.
"Three brave mechs risked life and limb to get him."
Three arms went up, waved, then went back down.
"That was a remarkable and stirring show of bravery that should be celebrated. I would even say IMMORTALIZED!" Docker was just warming up.
Around the room off line ...
:That little femme is a caution: Hercy said.
:She's a nutcase: Springer replied with a grin.
:THAT'S MY DOCKER! SHE'S NOT AFRAID OF ANYONE! SHE'S SO SMART! YOU TELL THEM, DOCKER!: -Appa Ratchet
:This is going to be fun: Orion said to Ironhide. His inner child which wasn't that long gone in his memory was coming to the fore as he watched THE GREATEST SHOW IN TOWN, a mini-con trial with assorted villages.
:Your ada is in this. So is your atar: Ironhide replied.
Orion nodded. :I can hardly believe it either. I do believe that Ratchet is a bad influence:
:I hope so: Ironhide replied rather proudly.
"As I was saying … when the long arm of the forces of oppression lands heavily on the proletariat, then the bourgeois has no other choice than to take a stand," Docker said. "We threw off the chains of oppression and took to the streets."
"The pitch," a helpful mini-con suggested.
"I see. Continue," Lancaster said with a grin.
"Given that our comrades were under fire from The Man, we fought back which is our right and duty to our country and our proud and noble tradition," Docker said.
"Noble tradition?" Lancaster asked.
"THAT'S RIGHT! NO ONE CAN THROW A MOLOTOV COCKTAIL LIKE MY DOCKER CAN! NO ONE CAN WIELD A STEEL BAT LIKE HER! TELL HIM, DOCKER!" Appa Ratchet said as he stood. Then he sat as Prowl pulled him down.
"Is that so?" Lancaster asked.
Docker crossed her arms over her nice chassis. She grinned. "Maybe. Maybe I burned down a few gangster's hangouts in The Jumble and beat their helms with maybe a bat that might be mine when they ran out. Maybe."
"The statutes of limitations are unclear on some of these ALLEGED episodes, your most worshipful honor," Ratchet replied as Docker looked at him like she'd invented him. She actually did. She got to pick the paint scheme for Ratchet's protoform.
"Continue," Lancaster said.
"When the oppression is too great its our duty to put end to it. The forces of oppression, the Watchmen and femmes who work hand in glove with the corruption of government need to be stopped in their rampages," Docker said.
"I'm a Watchman," Springer said.
"You're THE Watchman," Drift said.
Springer glanced at Drift, then Docker. "Amma. I'm your grandson."
She turned to him and smiled. "And what a glorious grandson you are, both of you."
"But … but..." Springer sputtered.
"Where was I?" Docker mused. "Oh yes, the pigs."
Pandemonium and howling laughter erupted, mostly at the expense of Drift, Springer and the rest of the police in the room.
"When the tide of iniquity is so high that it stifles individual liberty, the ability to flourish and to raise children in peace, then its the right and I dare say THE DUTY of everyone to put stop to it," Docker said.
"You were cavorting in a riot. You were partaking in a riot brought about by drunken mini-cons stepping off great heights, then gathering on the field to fight. How is that oppression?" Lancaster asked.
Corr who was standing behind Docker cowering with mortification at being 'in jail, Chan' tapped Docker gently. "How is that, Docker?" he asked.
Docker patted Corr, then pressed him gently back to Chan. "There, there, Corr. I'm going to take care of this."
Several mini-con elders stood. "SHE'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF IT! MINI-CONS FOREVER!"
Bedlam broke out as all of the lilliputs in the room and half of them from the hallway began to chant the mini-con code. After a moment they were tamped down and the trial began again.
Blackstone glanced at Coln, then Docker. "May I ask a question please?"
Lancaster grinned. "Please do."
"Docker, are you taking The History of Oppression During the Golden Age at the University?" Blackstone asked.
She nodded. "We are," she said as she glanced at the others who nodded including a couple of mini-con youngsters.
"Are you reading The Excesses of the Legal and Enforcement System of the Golden Age by Rasp of Helex?"
They nodded again.
"My son is also taking that class and I've heard this impassioned rhetoric from him as well. Just so you know," Blackstone said to Lancaster.
"I've read the first edition. Impressive arguments. Do you have anymore?" Lancaster asked Docker.
"There's more to say. Mini-con oppression has always been a crime in our civilization. No one gives us respect or expects anything from us beyond our utility. All of us have families, we work hard, we vote and take care of our colony. Yet we are the most incarcerated group in the colony. No one goes to jail at a higher rate than we do," Docker said. "I find that scandalous."
"SCANDALOUS!" someone's antique Abba said from the back of the room. It was echoed out in the hallway though no one there probably knew why.
Mini-cons.
Docker turned to the group. "There are mostly mini-cons here including the granddaughter of the Empress of Stanix. This mech serves in the military. This one is in school with us. These two are my dear in-laws, Corr and Chan. They've never been arrested in their lives and here they are. These two are my friends, Tagg and Kestrel, the genitors of the Prime. Never were two more wonderful individuals ever known." She continued until she got to Ratchet. "This is my PRIDE AND JOY, my infant, Ratchet. He had to be a charity case to be a doctor and we couldn't see him graduate because of our caste."
The room took a nose dive from amusement to pathos in a split second.
She turned to the judge. "I've had to fight all my life just to survive and so did most of us in this room. Villages are ghettos, too. WE DECLARE OUR FREEDOM!"
Bedlam took over a moment as Village 19a, Village 1 and Village 14 tried to squeeze into the room. After a bit of monkey motion all was well again. Then everyone stared at Lancaster and Docker.
Docker turned to the others. "Tell me your story."
A smiling Seeker mini-con lost his smile almost immediately. "Uh … I was from Vos and I worked in sanitation." He straightened up. "I was a SANITATION ENGINEER!"
"You were a garbage man," another said with a snicker, then got a fist in the face.
Docker frowned at that mech and he shrunk back down to size. "What about you? Tell us why you fell off the ledge," Docker said.
He stared at her, then his village who was hanging on the edge for his noble words, then Lancaster. "I was slag faced."
The entire place burst into flames.
The only clear thing all watching could agree upon was that Docker of Uraya was a commie.
=0=TBC 10-27-2020 10-28-2020