Edited
Autobot Trivia: Optimus Prime and Elita-1 say the same thing: Number One, Optimal/Elite. The number 1 best. :D Pays to advertise. :D
-0-Now back to the story
The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 23
-0-Washington, D. C., United States of America, Earth
Ratchet and Prowl stood in the giant room allowing the multitude to satisfy their curiosity. It was one thing to look at awesome vehicles but another to see those vehicles standing before them in alt robotic mode. The two were so tall it hurt the neck to look upward at them. The ceiling was about forty feet high and both were in the mid range, Ratchet slightly the taller. Yet they seemed enormously tall, enormously impossible to believe. The tiny toy bots of children's playtime were so far out of this league as to render any kind of comparison moot. These were phenomenally complex mechanisms.
The committee stood for a moment, then took their seats. Ratchet watching turned and looked toward the platforms that would become their own benches for the duration. Moving there, they both carefully sat down as nearby William Lennox, Glenn Morshower, Warren Roberts and Len Steward sat in their own chairs. The audience whispered, the odd photo flash adding a sparkling quality to the proceedings.
When the chairman finally turned to the two Autobots, the hammer of their gavel quieted down the room. He looked at the two, then the committee before speaking. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to call to order this hearing into the matter of the Autobot treaties, the disposition of Mars and the relationship that exists between the people of Earth and the Prime of Cybertron. I will be directing the hearing by allotting time and opportunity for the membership of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Subcommittee on Autobot Affairs and Treaties to ask their questions for the duration of these proceedings. I would like to caution the audience that decorum must be observed at all times. Anyone who would disturb the meeting will be removed and detained by security."
:Wow. What a douche bag: -Ratchet
Pause. :What does a cleansing device have to do with the chairman being a jackass?: -Prowl
:Go to the Urban Dictionary, Miss Priss: -a grinning Ratchet
Pause. :Ah. Nice description. And that is Mr. Priss to you, sister: -Mr. Prowl
:Nice one, Prowler. You may actually develop a sense of humor yet: Ratchet barely contained his mirth as they waited, the banter between the two of them comforting in the expectant, even hostile environment. The chairman looked at Ratchet. "Mr. Ambassador, I would like to inform you that the testimony you give today will be made available to the House of Representatives to use in developing policies, even those that might not find favor in your eyes."
Ratchet nodded. "I am aware of that every time I come here, sir."
The chairman considered that. "We are not all fans of the Autobots, Ambassador. We have many lengthy and legitimate concerns and we are going to be aggressively seeking answers. I am warning you in advance."
"Thank you for the warning," Ratchet said. "I am not a newcomer to this sort of thing, Mr. Chairman so be forewarned that I can be equally aggressive in preserving the positions of the Prime and his government. I do come here however in the interests of peace and harmony between our two species. We consider the relationship between your species and ours to be special and deeply important."
The chairman nodded. "Then we understand each other. We expect truth and answers to our questions. We have studied your other presentations and find that you have a pattern of evading questions that are inconvenient. We would appreciate answers to our questions today."
"Understand this, Chairman. There are things that aren't your business and have nothing to do with the main topics. We won't be giving answers to questions that fall outside of the scope of this hearing. We are adamant about that and our position hasn't changed," Ratchet said.
For a moment, they just stared at each other, then the Chairman looked down the table. "I think we should begin. Do you have an opening statement, Ambassador or do we begin with questioning?"
"I reserve my remarks for the end of this hearing," Ratchet said with a nod.
"That is your prerogative," The Chairman said nodding. He was Martin Carter of Idaho who was his party's 'expert' on aliens and their oddly obtuse -to him- ways. He was senior member of the committee as well as chairman by virtue of his party's control of the House of Representatives. Even though they didn't control the Senate and therefore couldn't make law a number of their many extreme points of view, they could wreak havoc as they were prepared to do now. "Mr. Foretti of Florida may have the first opportunity. Sir, you have the floor."
A tall man with a thick thatch of gray hair and dark eyes, Kyle Foretti was a man on a mission. He was a former Governor of the state and a man with a Jones for the Senate. This was going to be his vehicle, this and the small but vocal wave of anti-Autobot sentiment in the country. "Mr. Ambassador, I would like to talk to you about the settlement of Mars by your species."
Ratchet nodded. "Alright."
"What I want specifically to know is how you came to make such a settlement on Mars? When you first began, it was to keep the criminal Shockwave in custody but now we understand that there are literally hundreds of thousands of your people there. You do understand that the idea of that gives many of us great pause."
"We can understand that actually," Ratchet said nodding. "We do know that this is all new and very difficult because it didn't start in peace but conflict. Fate brought us together. It wasn't a choice by you we know but then you held Megatron in captivity for eighty years and set in motion all the events that followed. It was a good thing that we were available to help you retain your sovereignty because of that. Otherwise, you would either be enslaved now or a burnt out cinder floating in space."
"Megatron is gone now but you have stayed. Why don't you leave and allow us our own destiny? Why are you still here?" Foretti asked.
"We aren't theoretically here. We live on another planet. We keep an Embassy on Diego Garcia and offices in New York and London to manage our business and political interests."
"You are in our solar system," Foretti challenged.
"Your solar system in the emotional sense but in the practical and formal sense, its not. It seems odd that you would challenge someone settling on a perfectly empty planet to rebuild a broken civilization and have space for our people to regather and live. We have been an asset to you and since you can't get there, how is it your planet?" Ratchet asked.
"This system is where our species came into being. This is where we live and all of the planets here are part of the set to which Earth belongs," Foretti countered.
"You have devised space law that gives ownership of Mars or any other stellar body including your moon to no one and no country. No one is allowed to own a planet, star, moon or other object and/or body outside of Earth for their own exploitation. No one is allowed to assume or presume ownership of Mars, Ceres or any other place that we have settled by your own agreement. We also share the bounty of the system with you supplying materials for your industry and taking care of waste byproducts in a spirit of cooperation. We don't have to but we do." Ratchet glanced at Prowl a moment. "There is no legal basis on Earth for you to hold a claim against us for the colonization of Mars."
"We have made a petition to the World Court to rectify that situation," Foretti said. "We also have challenged the authority of the treaties that bar us from exploration and ownership of planets, moons and other space bodies. We have legislation in the House that will rectify what we feel are shortsighted and ill advised agreements in a time when the data about our solar system wasn't as complete as it is now."
"Good luck. I am sure that the Senate will have their say, sir, about this business. I would also remind you that treaty issues are their tasks to decide, not yours in the House. You do also understand that if you don't possess it, its hard to make a claim," Ratchet said.
Prowl nodded. "Congressman, it is commonly held on Earth that 'possession is nine points of the law', meaning that minus clear and compelling testimony to the contrary, he who holds the property has a better right to the presumption of ownership than he that doesn't. Your argument might have a chance to succeed if you could show to a reasonable degree that you held ownership of all of the things that you claim before we came here. The treaties that you are trying to erase more than demonstrate that you don't and you never did. You by mutual agreement with the signatory countries of the world declare that all things beyond your atmosphere belong to no one here."
"We are prepared to challenge that in court," Foretti said.
"To what end, Congressman?" Prowl asked. "You might be able to conjure a paper or ruling that says what you want but what then? How will you enforce it? You don't even have the capacity to reach your moon. How can you reach Mars or the outer planets? How can you live there?"
"We are working on that right now. We have technological advances that are going to take care of that," Foretti said.
"If you say so," Prowl said coldly.
The conversation continued, a rehash of questions about a permanent human settlement on Mars and Autobot claims to hold the planets for their own settlements. By the time the Congressman's time ran out, an edge of hostility had been established between both sides.
A momentary lull occurred when Congressman Foretti finished. The crowd murmured and some of them even reached out to touch the three vehicles that were parked behind Ratchet and Prowl. A young man who was well dressed and looked like an office worker touched the paint job on Sunstreaker. It was smoother than it even appeared and flawless, the depth of the color stunning and the reflection of his own face mirror like. Sitting back, he whispered to his friend who was at the hearings with him. "That is amazing. The color is so deep I can't believe it. I bet there's about 20 layers of paint on that car."
"Forty."
They looked at each other, then the car. Then they looked at each other again. "Did the car just speak or am I losing my mind?" the first man asked of his friend.
"Forty layers of color, five layers of wax and two coats of surface shine. That doesn't count the scratch layers and the stuff we use for combat."
The voice was coming from the car.
"Oh crap," the friend of the man whispered. His friend, a bolder type leaned forward. "Its gorgeous."
"I know," the voice said.
The man blinked. "I've never seen a finish like this."
"You won't," Sunstreaker said. "Only a Cybertronian can get this finish. You don't have the technology to make armor look like this."
The man nodded and glanced at his friend who was looking at the car with fear. He looked at Sunstreaker. "I'm Bob Taney. I work in the GAO."
"I'm Sunstreaker and I kick aft for a living."
It was silent a moment. "Thank you for doing that. I would hate to think what it would be like against them without you. Don't let these bums get you down. We appreciate you more than you can know." He paused a moment. "Are you one of the football players? What team is it?"
"Kaon."
"Yeah, Kaon. You're a twin. Damn. That team is bad ass. I hope you win the championship. I never miss a game."
Sunstreaker grinned to himself. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," Bob Taney said.
Then the hearing began again.
-0-
-0-TBC
2013 (2) This is for Pip.