The Diego Diaries: (dd8 688)
=0=Meeting
It rumbled onward with Magnus reporting on the colony, Cybertron and the Empire: Copacetic, Guilds and Unions: Swell, Military Reports: Awesome, What Do You Expect?. (Starscream), Cybertron and the Outer and Inner Empire: Dazzling and all the social and recreational aspects of their home empire: Could Use a Few More Here and There But Its All Good.
When the agenda was cleared of their slag and after the Hu-An delivered their usual impeccable and much well received report, the humans were go.
"I suppose I should call upon you, Lennox, but it would appear you're defective," Prowl said with a smirk.
Lennox smirked back. :I stubbed my toe:
Lots of mockery even from humans greeted that.
:We climbed from Base Camp 1 to 2, then started upward. I slid, then jammed my ankle. As for the rest, Kindle took them up to the turnaround, then back down again. All hail Kindle: Lennox began.
Kindle was hailed, two ribald stories from Raptor were told about him, then they continued.
:We have new mercs. I'm sure some of you know. They seem to be more professional and workable than some: he said glancing at Owen who grinned slightly back. :They do what they're told, work hard and expect no special treatment. So far, so good. As for the United Nations Garrison, all of them are great and coming along nicely. We're all heading for Io to see what's what there as part of our effort to work in zero tolerance environments. Kindle and a team of specialists who operate in such places will be leading us. We're going to the Forward Bases at Enceladus and Charon as well shortly:
"Don't fall in," Ratchet said as he raised his arm. "I might have to come and put you back together." It was then that he transformed his servo into his huge buzzing saw.
Heebie-jeebies were had along with surprise and wariness from the newer humans, then he subbed it.
"Are you finished with your little show-and-tell?" Prowl asked with a titch of snark.
"No. I showed you mine. Show me yours," Ratchet dared as he glanced around the room which grinned back because Army.
Neo held out her servo, then transformed it. A tiny pair of scissors appeared. She grinned. "Small but mighty."
Huge snickers.
Raptor transformed his servo. A beer mug appeared. "Just in case there's no bartender around and I have to do it myself."
"So that explains your decline in your old age," Sun said with a chuckle. He transformed his servo and a very BIG barreled gun appeared. He pointed it at Raptor. "Consider yourself served."
Huge raucous laughter rounded the room as everyone showed their personal deviancy/delinquency to everyone else. The number of guns, pick locks, tazers and blazing knives that appeared was incredible. It landed then on Prime and Prowl as Magnus transformed the biggest damned bore gun anyone had ever seen back into a hand with a slight smirk at Prime.
Everyone looked at the two mechs at the head of the table, Ma and Pa.
Prowl who sat with his arms crossed secretly enjoying the show IMMENSELY frowned slightly. "What?"
RIOTOUS LAUGHTER!
Prime grinned at Prowl, then transformed his signature battle ax. It glowed to the intense awe of the humans and Smokey the Smaller One. Hot Rod just coveted it silently.
Prowl glanced at it, then the assembled mob smugly. It was then that he subbed his BIG, BIG, BIG GUN!, the one he only used when it was clear that it was shoot them or himself.
:Well, we know who has the biggest gun in that relationship: Lennox said to hooting and hollering of the masses.
Prowl who was deeply conflicted about the compliment and the affront to Prime it constituted compromised. He frowned at Lennox as he allowed a chuckle in his processor stem. Both weapons disappeared immediately.
:What would it be like to do that?: Jackson Davis asked no one in particular.
A huge rotating saw appeared. "I can help you with that," Ratchet said to applause and laughter.
The Good of the Order would continue.
=0=Delegate Assembly
Corsair walked out of the meeting he was covering for Docker who was in committee elsewhere. They were going over the land use codes for the Valley of the Mariner which was now a federal preserve in the National Park System. Anyone who wanted to build there would have to meet a long list of conditions that would be strict and enforced. The Resort of Autobot City was petitioning to open a building there where people who liked hiking and camping would be able to hike if not camp within the confines of the strictly regulated resort.
The petition included designs that would make a resort building that was set terraced into the walls of the canyon near the Campground of the Mariner which was what the old campground were renamed. It would be a building that was about eight giant stories high, terraced as it descended down the canyon and would hold 1,000 guests in comfort.
The building would have spectacular views in all directions, a very large enclosed walkway and deck that jutted out over the valley below that was made of transparent steel. It would give the guests the sense of floating in air over a drop of six miles below. There would be a small cafe in the middle of it with clear floors and lounges around the edges with binocular and telescopic viewing devices.
The resort would be built to fit into the terrain, a rough area of red rocks and streaks of blue and black volcanic residue. It would have a water fall that would drop eight stories to a pool where swimming would be allowed and everywhere that could be seen would be plantings of trees and flowers to add a sense of home to the place.
This place would be an artist's dream, a hiker's paradise and a sick person's recovery haven. There would be less in house activities than the other resort but for a huge theater, a huge library and a big state-of-the-art gym and sauna. If you came here and hiking outside wasn't your thing, the rest angle would be.
It would be called The Resort of the Valles Marineris.
The regulations were in the process of being revised when the application came in. The Resort was expanding to other places with a future installation in the caldera of Olympus Mons that would allow spectacular views of the other calderas inside the huge one and the campgrounds nearby where bots came to play among other amenities and attractions to be created and confirmed later on. He was taking notes for Docker and asking her list of questions of the many allied bots who were there to get rules and regulations straightened out.
Corsair entered the elevator, rode up, then got off on their floor. A short hop to the office and its myriad items of the orn would be made and he would do it with joy.
=0=At home in Central Point, Midway District, Mars
Budge snoozed on the couch as Mystic meditated in his chair nearby. He'd felt slightly edgy the past few and meditation had only helped slightly. He sat and opened himself up to the universe, waiting as he did for the inevitable link up and joyous discussion all Seers could have. It would take a while before it happened.
=0=End of meeting
They wandered out after a short discussion with Prime, all of the humans of the colony. Everyone else had already gone so the conversation was as comprehensive as the data allowed.
"At this point we have no petitions to consider," Prowl was saying. "I expect them but humans are not known for their speed or, dare I say, willingness to prosecute or pursue prosecution against anyone with money, Panama Papers be damned or not."
The humans stared at Prowl. He was correct, of course. If you had enough money and contacts the long reach of the law was never long enough. The prisons of Earth weren't full of the rich guilty.
:We have a lot of questions from those accused, Prowl. We just want to know if there's anything that you can tell us about what might occur or even the process that follows should petitions arrive: Owen Harris asked respectfully.
Prowl stared at him as beside him Prime watched and listened silently. "We will receive them through Barron. Barron will review them based on the evidence presented, a review of the applicable laws of Earth in regards of them, then the possible punishments available if convicted. We do not relinquish those in our custody who are accused of anything that leads to capital punishment. We do not hold to the death penalty or any penalty that incurs harm to the accused. You might want to study that concept on Earth."
They stared at him with amusement, the soldiers and other civilians that is.
:Then what happens? Theoretically?: Harris asked.
"I bring along with Barron the petitions to the Prime, we discuss it, then Lord Optimus makes his decisions in consultation with the Matrix. What they decide is final. We could keep them and hold them under review of their conduct as in violation of their oath for immigrating. Morals clauses count here and when you lie about what you did or didn't do its a crime. We could send them back under a lot of conditions about their treatment including following any convictions that might result or we can try them here for their offenses, arguably in conjunction with the morals clause violations and find them guilty or not. Their sentencing would require the forfeiture of all the possessions they possess everywhere they possess them. That is a new article in our law that helps make good some of the theft that occurred during our fall for those who were denied or robbed by their actions. No one will be allowed to profit from their nefarious behavior upon conviction for it."
It was leaden among most of the humans as they digested that for good or ill. The bots, however, weighed in on the GREATNESS that was the new Cybertronian legal code.
"Its a good thing that if you pretend to be a group who holds to the idea that laws are important that they are to all and are enforced equally. If they aren't they frag all," Ratchet said.
No one said a word as they watched Owen, Kyle and some of the others do the math. It was stained discussing this with Kyle Davis present, him being accused himself, but the bots weren't bothered a bit. His discomfort was their comfort.
:Thank you, Lord Optimus. Prowl: Owen said.
A bit of chit chat, then the humans walked off to go. The bots watched them with amusement and a good off line chat of their own.
When they were gone, Sun glanced at Prime and Prowl. "Isn't that slagger Kyle Davis one of them?"
Prime nodded. "He is."
Prowl grinned. "Yeah," he said with a smile.
=0=On the way back
"You should have given me a warning that you were going to do that, Owen. That was the most uncomfortable thing I've faced in a while," Kyle groused.
Owen glanced at him. "Relax. I want to see the limits of their willingness to be a part of this."
"I could be tried here for all of it, then jailed and have everything taken away. You better hope this doesn't happen, Owen. I manage your money and a lot of it was made by my effort," Kyle whined as they entered traffic to head for the titan district and the road toward home.
"I know," Owen said, then he felt a faint grin form on his face. / … that's why I'm working the stock market on my own, Kyle. My kids futures are not going to depend on you being stupid … /
They disappeared into traffic almost at once.
=0=TBC 4-15-2023
ESL
copacetic (cope-uh-set-ik) an old fashioned World War 2 era word for all is well.