The Diego Diaries: Week End. (304)
-0-Showtime
(Cut to a gigantic enormous habitat that is covered by a massive transparent dome. Inside, three tall structures of housing stand. Each rather resembles a stack of platforms sticking out of a central pole, turned just a little like a spiral staircase, each slightly higher than the next. All of the platforms are apartments with steps leading from outdoor balconies to the ones above and below. It is beautiful and intricate.)
(Below on the enclosed land aliens are hard at work. A giant span of greenhouses stand in rows nearby the habitat. They are open and the atmosphere geared to Earth's own is conducive to the plants growing inside. Many of them are being carried out to be planted according to a detailed plan)
(Focus on a big red headed Hu An named Orcra) "Orcra, what is the plan here?" -voice off screen (Leonora Huttle)
"We are terraforming our habitat. We want it to be more like our own home world which is very green and lush. We also wish to grow our own food." (Big brown eyes stare down at human as the ten foot tall alien with brawn on her brawn pauses to chat) "You came to visit, Leonora. You are most welcome."
"Thank you, Orcra. I am delighted to be here. Your habitat is beautiful." -Leonora
"Structure without beauty is an eyesore. We design our life to be as close to perfection as we can." (Big female Hu An looks down) "Our version of perfection that is."
"You are so amazing as a species, Orcra. Tell me about your people if you can. You are a female dominated society and culture. Your males are smaller than you. You are led by females. Why?"
Orcra paused to consider that. "Because that is what is. You are a reversal of us. Your body dimorphism is reversed. We are who we are. The Cybertronians are who they are. We are what and who we are. Simple."
"Larc is your leader. Tell me about that and her. I like her a lot."
Orcra smiled. "I do too. We are cousins. Larc is very tough and smart as well as brave. We are peaceful until pushed, then the warrior class steps forward to lead. Larc is warrior class."
"You have classes in your society? The Cybertronians have had a hard road with that sort of thing. How does that work in your society?" -Leonora
(Pause) "We are a meritocracy. Males can do what they want but our structure of leadership and general society is matriarchal. The families are built around the females. Clan leadership is built around females. The males are smaller than females. Perhaps that is the strangeness for you. As for the warriors … they are a group that I suppose constitutes a class but we don't abide by castes or classes. They are inherently unfair. Most of the females in our society are warriors. They step up and lead during conflict. Then they step down and the civilians lead again. We will defend ourselves with all we have. Being held in slavery by the Decepticons was hard to take."
"You were extracted by the Autobots when they attacked a camp."
"We were. We were being used as slaves along with another species, a non-corporeal one. We were freed and came here. Our home world system is held in bondage by the Decepticons."
"Do you expect to go home someday?"
"We will. We will also keep our place here. We are in debt to the Autobots. We respect Optimus Prime greatly. He's honorable and decent. We will help defend this place because the Autobots and Prime are our allies now."
(Cut to the land beyond where Hu An worked to plant greenery. Light streams through the dome and the sunlight on the ground is bright. It is a good enough environment for humans to move about outside of their enviro-suits)
(Cut to schools)
(A little green and white sparkling totters across the rug covered floor to the couch nearby. Grabbing it, he laughs)
"Neo, tell me about the babies." -off screen voice
(Cut to beautiful femme with a spectacular paint scheme) "They are our treasure. They are our future. During the exile, I didn't try to think about the possibility that we would end up dying out as a people. There were so very few babies and children. These infants are the heart and soul of our city. They are the reason we work so hard."
"You were one of the rulers of Cybertron back in the day. Do you miss that life? How does this compare?" -voice
"I miss our home world. We all miss it but there is no comparison between this life and that one. That one was unjust and cruel. Our people were riven apart by a caste system imposed and maintained for generations. For those of us who benefited, there is a great burden of shame. For us, there is a debt that must be met everyday in service to our people. I am here in this wonderful place everyday to help raise our children, educate and help them achieve. All of them have an equal chance to be anything and everything. When there is no justice, no choice, the whole society suffers. There are individuals in that system who never were able to achieve and thereby contribute important things. This is the life I love, choice, unity and freedom. Here."
"You are in a bond with another femme. Is that usual or typical?"
"We are very rare in our society. It is rare because we are rare. We chose to love who we love. Whoever that is, we are together. We don't have problems with gender in our society and culture. We don't think about it. It isn't an issue. There are individuals, the greater number being mech. Some bond with mechs, some with femmes. Ultra Magnus and Arcee are a bond, mech and femme. Most bonds are mechs because most of our people are mechs. That is who and what we are. That is how it works."
"There are those on Earth who find that unsavory or immoral. What do you think about that?"
(Pauses) "We don't mostly care. We understand that your species is new to the idea of alien life forms and I am sure we are very strange to you." (smile) "However, we are aliens. We aren't you. We are us. I don't judge your relationships. We used to. High caste and low castes had to get a dispensation from the government to bond. Ratchet and Ironhide had to get permission from the government to bond. It is stupid, cruel, ignorant and unloving to judge like that, either here or on Earth. Humans need to understand love better. Perhaps your definition of love is different from us."
"What is your definition?"
"I can't speak for all of our people but I know that for me love is without rancor. Its inclusive and kind. It is tolerant, understanding and gentle. For me, I am working to make up for a lot of unloving things from my past. I find myself awash with gratitude everyday that I am accepted and forgiven. Love is forgiving. I would die to protect our people. I live everyday for the greater good. We are only as strong as the weakest smallest member of our society. I love all of them so much. It frees my spirit."
"Who was the low caste and who was the high caste in Ratchet and Ironhide's bond?"
(Thoughtful pause) "No one was ever low caste because they were. That was a societal construct born from the absence of love. All of us are important, none more so than anyone else. Ratchet was the low caste. Ironhide could bond with a mid or high caste without permission. But he couldn't bond with Ratchet without government agreement. A hateful artificial distinction could have prevented the greatest bond I've ever seen. It is the opposite of love."
(Cut to Science Center, Fortress)
"What are you working on, Wheeljack?" -voice off screen
"Actually, I'm checking out some videos that were forwarded to me in an e-mail. They're from your internet website, Youtube."
"What ones?" -voice off screen
'Something called TED talks. Apparently really smart people talk about all kinds of things and they put them there."
"What about you? Why don't you do a TED talk?" -voice
"About what?" (Curious optics look downward from a face shielded by a blast mask)
"Are you kidding? Just your memoirs alone would be awesome. If you just showed up and read the phone book, people would come to listen." -voice.
"Why would anyone do that?" (Perceptor glances at a bemused Wheeljack) "Why would you reading a listing of names and numbers from an archaic communications system be interesting, Wheeljack?"
"Actually, Percy, its just an expression, right?" (Audial finials blink blue with amusement as big bot looks down at camera)
"I think its probably true in your case, Wheeljack."
"It doesn't make sense to me." (Big red bot looks at Wheeljack with a confused expression, then turns to walk to another table to work)
"Percy is confused." -off screen voice chuckles.
"He sometimes is." -big grin and bright flashing finial audials
"Maybe he needs to get out more." -off screen voice.
(Blue optics and a smirk greet that) "Perceptor is a Wrecker."
"Perceptor? A Wrecker?" -voice filled with incredulity
(Two pairs of blue optics look down at the floor) "He was. Why?" -Wheeljack
"He just … seems like a professor, not a warrior of a lost cause gang." -voice
(Both glance at each other, then down) "I was and still am a professor. I teach at the University in advanced courses in Science and Engineering."
"But … how could you be a Wrecker? I don't think that would be a good match for someone of your talents." -voice
(Chuckle) "Yeah, Perceptor. How did you manage that with your refinement and manner?"
(Baleful stare at partner who finds too much amusement in the moment) "You know very well. Since it is classified, I will drop this whole conversation and return to my work." (Turns and walks to work with a disdainful turn of helm.)
"Did I insult him?" -voice
"Nope. He's just touchy about his mystique. He likes the mystery of his past."
(Baleful look over shoulder greets that) "Wheeljack, you are making sport of me again."
"I'm not. I am just enjoying you, Perceptor." (Grin) "Smart people can be very funny. They just don't usually know it."
"You need to tell me about his Wrecker adventures." -voice
"Go see Kup. He was there." (grin)
Camera backs out and they turn to each other. "I hope they brought a lot of their primitive film. Kup will make them wish they never asked."
"I know Perceptor." (Both grin)
Cut to...
(Studio of IntraComm where two bots are getting ready for their televised radio program.)
"Jazz."
(A blue visor stares at the ground) "What?"
"How do you feel about being one of the most prominently seen and admired Autobots among the humans?"
(Grin) "Are you kiddin' me?"
"No." -voice
"Well, I guess its fine." (grin)
"On polls about your people you are always in the top best liked and well known Autobots."
"We do the games and there's the download of the program we do. I guess I didn't know that."
"There are those that see you as aligned more to ethnic groups on Earth. That your style is geared to that sensibility. What do you think about that?" -voice
(Pause) "We don't have races among our people. We do have types. The Seekers are different from grounders and there are those who are even more specialized. But I never gave it much thought. We have striven to find commonalities, not further divide ourselves into smaller groups. The caste system took care of that." (Grin) "I do get what you mean. I would be the African-American in the movie that got killed. The red shirt."
(Chuckle) "They do seem to." -voice
"I got ripped in half in the first Bay movie. That was ridiculous. I had style and I should have lived. What does a brother have to do to make it to the end of an action movie?" (Big smile)
(Chuckle) "I don't know. Don't talk to Michael Bay?" -voice
(Huge grin) "If you say so."
-0-TBC
05-14-2013
NOTE: go to youtube and put ngsmoov into a search engine. energon-o commercials, small videos and reworked animation will crack you up bad. :D :D :D